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“Toodaloo!~” All three of the evolved digimon, trying to protect their tamers, hear from behind them. Spinning around to face the center of the circle they had formed, they’re met with the sight of Piedmon engulfing Hiro, Kiyoshiro, and Ruli in their gangly arms.
“Wait!” SymbareAngoramon bellowed, trying to reach one gloved hand out to grab Ruli from the evil digimon’s embrace.
His hand hit nothing but air as Piedmon and all three of the children vanished from existence. In its place slew new, smaller enemies appeared forcing GulusGammamon and TeslaJellymon to leap for opposing corners of the battlefield. Dozens of Devidramon with their shining red eyes crept toward the unmoving SymbareAngoramon, ready to trap him in their gaze like Medusa herself while two Fantomon moved to flank him the dark rings of their Death Sentence already forming. “SymbareAngoramon! Get out!!” TeslaJellymon cried, trying to break him from whatever trance he was in. And it worked... in a way.
With a loud yell of rage, SymbareAngoramon bolted forward towards the Devidramon, his body beginning to glow leaving behind a trail of digibites in his wake. He grew - morphed, and out of that shine emerged a gigantic clawed paw. SymbareAngoramon now Lamortmon immediately felled one of the Devidramon, his huge claws tearing through its stomach and bursting it into Digibites immediately. The next Devidramon met the same fate from his other paw, barely able to screech before it vanished. “Ruli!!!” Lamortmon screamed. Nothing in his mind except for how she vanished right before his eyes. “Piedmon!! Bring her back!!!” The yells continued eventually devolving into animalistic, wordless bellows as his berserker state grew more viscous by the second.
Seven more Devidramon burst into digibites before TeslaJellymon or GulusGammamon could even consider joining the fray. His huge hand and raking claws had shattered portions of the room’s floor, jagged chunks displaced and spiking up from where they had once lay. TeslaJellymon was shaking in her boots and could only back further away from the scene. He’d only been in this state once before... and back then only Ruli could bring him back. “Lamortmon...” She tried to call out to him, but her voice was too quiet below the din of two more Devidramon meeting their end.
Lamortmon’s mind wouldn’t clear, he wanted them all scattered to the wind for what they’d done; but he did finally remember the two swords strapped to his back. Yanking them free of their sheaths he screamed out to his remaining enemies with an unsteady voice, “You will. FALL. Beneath my GianT. Grudge!!”
Both Fantomon raised one sleeve the dark around them finally spiraling out into thin tendrils almost done with the summoning of their Death Sentence. With both swords Lamortmon struck at one of the two Fantomon. Both hit it on one side and threw it through the air to slam into one of the walls. The concrete buckled under the power of the impact, a deafening crack filling the air. Immediately he followed it and as it fell from the caved wall, he crossed his blades and shredded through it. Cut in three, the Fantomon crumbled; and with it gone he spun back around towards the other just in time to see GulusGammamon’s burning hand engulf its head and their tail pierce through its body.
No. No, only he could destroy these digimon who had taken his Ruli!!
Immediately he was thundering towards GulusGammamon with dangerous intent radiating off him. “Lamortmon!!” GulusGammamon called immediately jumping away from where the other digimon’s swords buried themselves into the ground a moment later. “I am helping you! Snap out of it; we need to find them!” But their words didn’t make it to his ears. He yelled and rounded on GulusGammamon again, but a Devidramon jumped at him before he could attack the friend he didn’t recognize through his anger.
The battle raged on until no enemies remained. Lamortmon wasn’t done though. His anger still burned too brightly. He swung wildly at the walls, lashed out towards both TeslaJellymon and GulusGammamon. The friends dodged each strike; but they were never fast enough to dodge all of the sharp concrete pieces that sprayed from each impact.
GulusGammamon and TeslaJellymon crouched together behind one large boulder, panting. “Gulus… I don’t know how we can help him.” TeslaJellymon whispered to him. “He’s... Lamortmon has lost his mind.” Her hands shook as she stared at them, the image of all those digimon their own level crumbling beneath his paws playing before her eyes over and over again. GulusGammamon didn’t reply. Instead, he pushed himself up to look over the edge of their hiding spot.
Lamortmon had dropped his sword, paws striking at anything in reach while still calling out for Ruli and cursing Piedmon. His movements were slower now though and it brought the past to mind for GulusGammamon. Last time Ruli had given all her trust to him and hugged him despite his rampage. As Lamortmons' movements continued to slow, GulusGammamon got to their feet slowly and moved towards him cautiously. They just needed to trust Lamortmon like Ruli had. He had tried to hurt them only minutes before; but they knew that deep down he didn’t want to hurt them. He was just blind with anger, scared of losing Ruli; GulusGammamon was just as scared of losing Hiro after all…
They wrapped their arms around Lamortmon in the strongest hug they could. “It will be ok, Lamortmon… We will get them back. I promise.” Their arms tightened and they buried their face into his fur.
“GULUS!!! ARE YOU CRAZY HE JUST TORE THROUGH DOZENS DIGIMON AT OUR OWN LEVEL LIKE PAPER!!” TeslaJellymon screamed. Her heart pounded in her chest, fear consuming her. First she had lost Darling and now she might lose Gulus too. Her tentacles began to buzz with electricity ready to strike if Lamortmon tried to tear their friend apart.
The exhausted but still berserk digimon rounded on GulusGammamon. He didn’t break the hug but he grabbed at the other’s shoulders crushing them in his strong mits, those dangerous claws digging into GulusGammamon painfully
.
They groaned quietly in pain but wouldn’t let go. “I know you are in there, Lamortmon.. We will get them back. We have to.” He forced the reassurance through his grit teeth.
One moment passed. Then another.
Finally, those crushing hands softened and strong arms wrapped around him, friendly but still suffocatingly tight.
TeslaJellymon gasped the electric sparks immediately dissipating and tentacles falling limp as she watched Lamort cling to Gulus for dear life. Her body still shook with fear; but slowly, step by step, she too approached the hugging pair. Biting her lip for a moment and hesitating she weighed the risk of joining the hug in her head. He could still go back to rampaging.. We’d be too close to not get crushed like all those other digimon. She fretted a moment longer before shaking her head and huffing at herself. He’s your friend, Tesla!!
With slightly trembling arms she joined the hug, pressing herself into her dear friend’s fur. Suddenly Lamortmon began to shake. TeslaJellymon held her breath, waiting for the shoe to drop.
It never did.
Instead Lamortmon began to glow and shrink down, down, down.. Then it was Angoramon they were hugging tight. His body was wracked with sobs and he clung to them. He was trying to speak; but he couldn’t: only choked out noises passed his lips as he continued to cry. He’d never cried like this before. TeslaJellymon just held him closer, all of her tentacles wrapping around him as a comfort. “I’m… S-S-S-S-S-So ssssorry.” He finally choked out. He continued to cry pulling both his friends closer. “I h-hurt you. I hurt you.. Oh no.. please. I’m ssso sor-r-rry..”
TeslaJellymon just shushed him softly rubbing his side with her hand trying to soothe out the pain he must be feeling, the panic. GulusGammamon placed one clawed hand on the back of Angoramon’s head and held him close. “It is ok, Angoramon. We are alright. Now.... Breathe for me. Deep breaths.”
Angoramon tried to do as he was told. It took him a few tries before he could finally breathe in a full deep breath and let it out slowly. Still sniffling he pulled away just enough to look up at GulusGammamon. “I’m sorry..”
“I know, Angoramon.” GulusGammamon smiled just a bit. “We can talk more later okay? But right now we need to save our tamers...”