“FIRE!”
Bullets exploded into the floor surrounding the blocks of storage crates, sending metal shards shrieking in all directions.
Aidan’s Light Shield wouldn’t last much longer. Gabumon covered his head while standing behind him, and MetalArmadillomon was curled tightly into a near-impenetrable ball.
“We have to get out of here!” Aidan bellowed, ducking underneath a bullet which ricocheted off the shield.
Gabumon yelled an agreement. He straightened his neck to see around him. A grenade soared over his head and landed in the block opposite them, rolling underneath a crate.
“Get down!”
Boom.
The explosion sent three blocks of crates flying in all directions, and knocked Aidan from his feet. MetalArmadillomon rolled away and launched himself into a counter attack, thundering directly towards a row of rifle-brandishing soldiers. His blades sliced effortlessly through the barrels of the guns and the human’s armour, sending them reeling back in shock.
Gabumon had been protected by Aidan’s shield, but was now under fire from another group of humans which had entered from the door at the other end. As swiftly as he could, he dodged the volley of bullets and dived behind a heavy-duty crate to catch his breath.
Above him, he could see more large pipes, suspended from the ceiling by thick chains.
“Blue Blaster!”
His fiery attack burst through the air and caught the chains, melting them instantly. The pipes buckled with a colossal ripping noise and plunged to the ground, causing the humans to scatter or be crushed by the tons of debris. Water had now begun to cascade into the room from above, putting out some of the fires that had been started by grenades.
He felt something next to him. MetalArmadillomon unfurled himself and stood upright, shaking his head. His shell was covered in scratches and dents.
“Where’s Aidan?”
A roar from behind them answered his question instantly. Aidan’s sword hacked through the humans with sickening ease, letting their bodies fall limply to the ground.
He looked behind him at a potential exit.
“Light Shield!”
The electric white barrier exploded into life, protecting him from another onslaught of gunfire. He looked desperately over at the other two.
“Run!”
Gabumon and MetalArmadillomon sprinted towards him as fast as they could. Aidan punched the button on the wall and the huge pair of metal doors behind him slid open. They rolled through the gap, Aidan following close behind. An explosion from behind them rocked the door, almost breaking it from the frame. It groaned shut, leaving the humans soldiers trapped on the other side.
They were in the research labs.
“Get the frag explosives!” The commanding officer barked at his subordinates. Immediately, a group of five humans sprinted across the room and entered the corridors on the other side. As they ran towards the munitions storage room, one of their number dropped behind. Seeing a sign pointing towards the Generator, he followed it and hurtled away…
The screen flickered with the rumbling of the battle nearby in the station. Naraku’s hands quaked and his shoulders shook in fear. They had to work quickly.
“How long until the procedure is complete?”
“Five minutes, sir!”
He slammed his fist onto the glass. A crack snaked from where it had landed.
They were running out of time.
* * *
“Where are we?”
Aidan hurriedly searched the dank corridor, looking into every lab they passed. Most were dormant, their projects abandoned and their scientists evacuated. Up ahead, he could see a light beaming from one of the larger rooms.
“We have to put an end to this!” he yelled, raising his sword to the top of the door. “Aurora Blade!”
The door of the lab exploded open, knocking the scientists near it to the floor.
Naraku felt his entire body seize up. He was back.
Aidan glared fiercely at the scientists, who were cowering with fear. Ahead of him stood the creature’s cryogenics tube. It twitched gently inside, as if it was having a bad dream. He knew if it woke up it would experience something worse than any dream imaginable.
MetalArmadillomon and Gabumon waited nervously by the door, watching as the double doors at the far end started to buckle with the efforts of the humans trying to break through.
“Aidan, stop!” Naraku yelled.
Aidan froze upon hearing the familiar cold voice. “Naraku...”
“What are you doing here, Aidan? Come to give yourself up?” Naraku mocked.
Aidan brandished his sword at the man standing in the window above him. “Don’t flatter yourself, Naraku. I’m here to stop what you’ve started!” he drew back his sword arm and pointed the blade directly at the creature.
“No!” Naraku screamed. “You can’t do that!”
“Why not?” Aidan yelled. “What more right do you have to continue this creature’s life than I do to end it?”
Naraku pounded on the glass again. “Because it is the way of the future, you pathetic monster! She will put and end to the war and destroy the Digimon once and for all.”
“Like I was supposed to? You’re insane to think you can control anything as powerful as me, Naraku.” The digimon growled back, his sword tip quivering.
MetalArmadillomon stared at Aidan incredulously. “You were created by him?” he asked.
Aidan shot him a warning glare. Unnerved, MetalArmadillomon walked towards him. “What are you?”
Aidan froze. His expression turned from anger to biter hate. “I am...”
“Ha!” Naraku spat. “He can’t tell you. He is merely a faulty prototype to a superior being. A mistake.”
Aidan whirled round to face Naraku. His eyes were filled with rage. “I am more than you will ever be, Naraku! Whatever you say, I will always stand against you.”
He turned back to the cryogenics tube. “This mistake will be your undoing.”
Naraku’s eyes widened in fear as Aidan raised the sword high above his head.
“NO!”
TO BE CONTINUED...
