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Jack and Fonz grabbed his arms and dragged him away as Rex and Dan readied to attack. The Cymon rushed detecting their rapid movement and acted to keep them from escaping. The big red and small blue Digimon intercepted them and attacked, but found them to be quite formidable opponents.\n\n\t\"They're a lot stronger than thought they'd be,\" panted Dan trying to keep up with them. \"And a lot faster too.\" He managed at catch them off guard with a quick swipe of his tail sending them flying.\n\n\t\"Tell me about it,\" added Rex. \"They feel like punching a brick wall. I wouldn't even bother head butting any of these guys.\" As he pulled back for another punch he found his arm was snatched by one of the Cymon before another grabbed his other one. \"Oh, never mind.\" With all the strength in his legs he launched himself and the Cymon forward and rammed the enemy in front of him with his head. The ones restraining him let go and tumbled forward as the one Rex attack flew into the wall. \"Ow! That hurts!\"\n\n\t\"No time to complain,\" stated Dan. \"They're getting up again.\"\n\n\t\"What?\" cried Rex as he saw the three Cymon he just beat getting back up like his attacks did nothing. He watched in horror as the dents and fractures in their metallic shelling get repaired. Dan also witnessed the same horror happen to his opponents.\n\n\t\"Things don't appear to be going to well for our team,\" cried Jack acting at the lookout for Fonz.\n\n\t\"Then go and help them,\" Fonz ordered.\n\n\t\"Are you nuts?\" Jack argued. \"You know I'm the cheerleader guy.\"\n\n\t\"Either that or a meat shield,\" added Fonz.\n\n\t\"Can't I just help you with Flint?\" he asked.\n\n\t\"He seems to be in shock, but I think I know how to help him,\" he explained. \"If you want to help just do as I say.\"\n\n\t\"Uh, alright,\" he said. \"What do you need of me?\"\n\n\t\"Stand by Flint and make a fist,\" Fonz ordered him.\n\n\tJack did as he was instructed, though he was confused as to what this accomplished. \"Now what?\" Jack asked.\n\n\t\"Nothing,\" Fonz answered as he punched Flint across the face and quickly backed off. It seemed enough to snap Flint out of it as he rubbed his cheek feeling it swell a bit from the hit. As he looked up he saw Jack making a fist and quickly concluded he was the one who punched him.\n\n\t\"Thanks,\" he told him and gave him a punch in the arm. \"I needed that.\"\n\n\t\"No problem,\" Jack said meekly as he felt the shooting pain in his arm.\n\n\tFlint then joined the fray with Rex and Dan, but even with his assistance, there was no change in the battle. They knocked them down only to watch them get up no worse for wear. The battle had hardly progressed, but it was clear that it wasn't turning in their favor.\n\t\"We'll tire out if we keep this up,\" panted Dan.\n\n\t\"Forget tired,\" mumbled Rex. \"My head is already scrambled from bashing these guys with my head over and over again. I changed my mind about what kind of weapon I want. Whatever it is, I just want to protect my head.\"\n\n\t\"Yeah, we need to change tactics,\" added Flint.\n\n\t\"You have something in mind?\" asked Fonz.\n\n\t\"We'll run away!\" answered Flint not trying to sound like it was a cowardly idea.\n\n\t\"Best idea I've heard all day,\" stated Jack happily. \"But with the entrance blocked and these guys able to chase us how are we going to do that?\"\n\n\t\"We just need to pin them down,\" explained Flint. \"Just long enough so we can get away.\"\n\n\t\"A solid plan,\" agreed Rex. \"But what do we have that could bind them?\"\n\n\t\"When you have lemons you make lemonade,\" commented Flint. \"And when you are fighting cyborg Digimon in a strange factory, pull up the floor and use that.\" After he finished that statement he dug his claws into the metal plating on the ground and with all his strength he attempted to tear it out of the ground. Rex, Jack, and Fonz watched him in disbelief. Dan on the other hand, gave him a hand quite literally. Flint found removing the metallic floorboards a greater challenge than pulling out the boards from the ship. He had only managed to pull out the panel out up to the rivets, but Dan tried he pulled the thing out of the ground like he was tearing a page out of a book. The others were in even more shock seeing how insanely strong he was. Even Flint was at a loss for words as he continued to hang onto the panel that Dan held in the air.\n\n\t\"Now what?\" asked Dan.\n\n\t\"Oh, right,\" replied Flint. \"Now we ram those guys.\" Dan nodded and together they rushed the Cymon catching them all in the panel then pinning them to a steal beam. They then wrapped the panel around the beam. \"Don't forget to twist and seal.\"\n\n\t\"I'm on it,\" said Dan bending the metal like it was a paper clip.\n\n\t\"That should hold them,\" said Rex happily able to take a closer look at them without fear. However, their struggles were already starting to make the metal creak showing they weren't wasting a second trying to escape.\n\n\t\"Not for long,\" cried Jack. \"Let's get going.\" He then rushed down the path with the others following close behind. They quickly caught up to him, and trekked down the path finding it having tons of paths and the echoing sounds of footsteps, though they couldn't tell if it belonged to them or not.\n\n\t\"We're going to need more panels and steel beams,\" gasped Rex. \"Who knows how many of those Cymon are out there?\"\n\n\t\"Tons,\" replied Fonz. \"It seems like this is what happened to all the other teams. They've been assimilated here and we could be next.\"\n\n\t\"They're going to have to catch us first,\" commented Flint raising his hand. \"Team Matrix fights to the bitter end.\"\n\n\t\"Yeah!\" agreed Rex crossing his arm with Flint's. \"Um, but it isn't going to come to that, is it?\"\n\n\t\"Looks that way,\" cried Jack. \"Sounds like they're coming at us from both sides and we're stuck here in this narrow corridor.\"\n\n\t\"Well you're the stealthy one in the group,\" stated Fonz. \"How would you get out of this mess?\"\n\n\t\"Hate to break it to you,\" answered Jack. \"But all my plans usually involve a secret passage conveniently hidden behind a bookshelf or a ventilation shaft just barely big enough for all of us to fit in. We don't have any of those things here.\"\n\n\t\"How about a janitor's closet?\" suggested Dan.\n\n\t\"That would work,\" replied Jack. \"Except we don't have one here either.\"\n\n\tQuickly, Dan got to work tearing a panel off the wall. He then scratched on it the words \"Janitor's Closet\" and placed it back on the wall. \"Will that do?\" he asked.\n\n\t\"Just fine,\" Jack told him still not used to seeing his over the top strength in action. \"Remind me to find you if I ever need any jars to open. But onto the matter at hand. Everyone get inside.\"\n\n\tHustling, they managed to all slip inside just before a couple of groups of patrolling Cymon crossed paths right at their hiding place. Even if it hadn't been a makeshift closet, it was still a tight squeeze for the five of them, especially with Dan's unnaturally large for a rookie level Digimon size. They waited in silence for a few moments hearing the patrollers stop for a moment right in front of them, visible through the gaps in the panel. Then they started walking again and once the sound of their footsteps vanished, they could all take a sigh of relief and end up spilling out of their hiding place and onto the floor.\n\n\t\"That was scary,\" panted Rex filling his lungs with much needed air. \"How'd you know they wouldn't look inside there for us?\"\n\n\t\"Learned it from a guy back in Bootleg City who's a professional at security patterns,\" he explained. \"Since robotic sentries only detect things in their radar all we'd need to do is hide. I figured these guys followed that same principal.\"\n\n\t\"I got to hand it to you,\" said Fonz. \"That's some pretty clever thinking.\"\n\n\t\"Well I have to say,\" bragged Jack. \"As a master thief I have to stay up to date on the latest and greatest techniques and that means learning from the best. If we ever get some really big stealthy missions someday then I can really strut my stuff and impress you guys.\" It was only after his monologue did he even realize everyone got tired of listening and already started on their way deeper into the factory.\n\n\tHe rushed after them to catch up as they came up to a room with a Datamon pressing keys on a bunch of machines. They managed to sneak behind some machines and get a better look at what was going on without letting him know they were there. It wasn't long before someone else joined him in the room, a tall, dark, demonic Digimon that they all knew too well. Just looking at him sent a chill up their spines. It was Faust. Flint clutched his arm that tingled from the memory of their first encounter when his sharp nails cut into him.\n\n\t\"How can he still be alive?\" whispered Rex so freaked he looked on the verge of tearing up. \"We blew him up... with fire. Who survives that kind of thing?\"\n\n\t\"Faust doesn't go down so easily,\" explained Dan. \"He may use others to do his dirty work, but he can dish it out with the worst of them. We only made it out last time because he underestimated us. If he catches us here, he won't be so merciful.\"\n\n\t\"Well if he's here then we know who is behind all this,\" commented Flint.\n\n\t\"But I don't get it,\" said Jack. \"He can already control Digimon with his Dark Tattoo power right? So why is he doing this?\"\n\n\n\t\"Give me the status on the development on the Cymon,\" ordered Faust. Hearing that made Rex grin over the fact he guessed their names right. Flint quietly smacked him in the back of the head reminding him that was hardly something worth gloating about.\n\n\t\"Oh, I'm fine sir, buzz,\" the Datamon replied.\n\n\t\"Not you Simon,\" groaned Faust. \"I was talking about the Cymon.\" He made sure to speak clearer so he could tell what he was saying.\n\n\t\"Oh, them zoom,\" stated Simon.\n\n\t\"This is like the tenth time you've made that mistake,\" he moaned.\n\n\t\"Didn't I foresee this happening when you were deciding what to name them, zipper,\" Simon commented.\n\n\t\"Then change your name,\" snapped Faust. \"Anyway, how are they doing? Has the self auto assimilation been completed yet?\"\n\n\t\"I told you it would take time to study, zoo,\" he explained as he brought up some images on the screen. \"You already knew that integrating the Dark Tattoo with the Fragments would hardly be the same as using it on Digimon, pizza. However, we have made a lot of progress in using it as an alternative means of controlling other Digimon without you being present to do it, hazel. However, the DG Program in them has yet to become fully operation, zero. The recovering and stamina stimulations are working fine, but the auto assimilation is still proving not working, zilch.\"\n\n\t\"Bah!\" shouted Faust with rage. \"With that ability I'd be able to spread my influence exponentially faster. In a matter of days I'd be in control of the entire Digital World and all Intel would be at my fingertips. Then I'd finally be able to show him that I'm the superior one.\" Suddenly, the screen changed and the words \"Incoming Transmission,\" flashed on it. \"Speaking of the devil, Faust chuckled as he said that. \"He did mention he was going to call me soon.\"\n\n\tTeam Matrix watched as Faust pressed a button and changed the screen so it was black except for a horizontal line on the middle of the screen. As the Digimon on the other side spoke the line zigzagged to match the tone of his voice.\n\n\t\"Greetings brother, are you doing well?\" he asked.\n\n\t\"Quit the pleasantries,\" groaned Faust sounding quite annoyed. \"Why don't you put on the view screen? You know I hate talking to a computer screen.\"\n\n\t\"I'm having some with the computers here,\" he explained. \"Maybe your Datamon friend there would be so kind as to come and assist me.\"\n\n\t\"Me?\" replied Simon in surprise. \"Sizzle.\"\n\n\t\"Don't play games,\" stated Faust. \"You just want to come snooping around with my research. Well no dice.\"\n\n\t\"Oh, come on,\" he snickered. \"You are so far ahead of me in our search. Just give me a little hand.\"\n\n\t\"Now that's the worst lie I've ever heard,\" replied Faust. \"You've always prided yourself in being the fact you were always better than me at everything. I'd expect that at this point for you to... Wait a minute. You found it didn't you.\"\n\n\t\"Rather easy in fact, though I'm afraid I cannot claim victory yet,\" he answered. \"But in due time it will be mine. Ciao for now.\"\n\n\tHe signed off before Faust could pry any more information from him. In anger he smashed his fists on the computer panel. \"Every time he has to taunt me. Well I'm not going to lose to him this time.\"\n\n\t\"S- Sir, Zucchini,\" stuttered Simon quite frightened right now.\n\n\t\"Get the DG Program working fast,\" he ordered. \"We can't afford to waste any more time.\"\n\n\t\"Right away sir, Zebra,\" Simon answered.\n\n\t\"And the same goes for Liquid,\" added Faust a definite dark tone in his voice. \"Get it operational immediately.\"\n\n\t\"L- L- Liquid, zounds?\" cried Simon his circuits looking frazzled. \"We are months away from doing that, blaze.\"\n\n\t\"I don't care,\" barked Faust. \"If we can't beat my brother to the chase than we need to make sure our power can compare with his. With Liquid on my side it should give me the edge I need to finally come out on top.\"\n\n\t\"I'll see what I can do, lizards,\" he stated. \"But we'll need to have some tests done to make sure everything has gone as planned, zombies. Any ideas, bronze?\"\n\n\tAs Team Matrix continued to listen in and figure out just what they were talking about, Rex's tail dangled against an the plug-filled outlet and without realizing what he was doing knocked them out and powered down the whole room. The others looked at him quite annoyed seeing the cords wrapped around his tail and the apologetic look on his face.\n\n\t\"What was that?\" asked Faust looking around.\n\n\t\"The power just went down, fizzled\" Simon answered.\n\n\t\"I see that,\" snarled Faust. \"What I want to know is why. Somebody else must be in here spying on us.\"\n\n\t\"Think they're from you brother, Jacuzzi,\" he suggested.\n\n\t\"He wouldn't have someone do such a sloppy job. Come to think of it, weren't the Cymon acting up a bit?\"\n\n\t\"No, I have been watching my caffeine intake, gazebo,\" he replied. \"No more coffee and pixie sticks for me.\"\n\n\t\"I was referring to the Cymon,\" shouted Faust growing impatient with all this incompetence.\n\n\t\"Well some more intruders entered, zip. I assumed they were gathered up like the rest, dazzle.\"\n\n\t\"It looks like this bunch is a bit more resourceful than the rest. Where are the outlets in this place?\"\n\n\t\"Over there, hazard,\" Simon said and pointed right where Team Matrix was and they headed over to investigate.\n\n\t\"What are we going to do?\" whispered Jack fearfully.\n\n\t\"Attack while we still have the chance?\" asked Fonz.\n\n\t\"No. We have to run,\" countered Dan. \"They'll just call in reinforcements from the Cymon and surround us.\"\n\n\t\"They'd just have them after us if we ran anyway,\" stated Fonz. \"If we fight we might be able to beat them before they can do that.\"\n\n\t\"Flint, decide on something,\" pleaded Jack wanting this tie to get broken.\n\n\t\"I have no idea,\" he admitted. Flint didn't want to lie to his friends that he was never good at making decisions in high pressure situations. He really didn't want to admit that he actually enjoyed the rush he got from it. Still, he had to think of something.\"\n\n\t\"Hey, Flint,\" said Rex. \"I know you didn't want to use that attack anymore, but now might be the exception. This is our fresh start and using it in a situation like this is a good use of it.\"\n\n\tFlint thought for a moment then nodded in agreement. \"To save you guys, no problem,\" he replied. Then Flint inhaled deep like he was charging up for his \"Torch Breath\" attack. Quickly, the temperature of the room rose dramatically. Even Faust and Simon started to feel it confirming that someone was there. Then, as he looked like he was about to let the fire in his belly explode out his mouth he held it in. His cheeks bulged as the fire tried to escape causing his eyes to water. Then with all his might he swallowed it back down. He sweated from head to toe like he had just swallowed a mouthful of spicy peppers in one go. Save for Rex, the others had no idea what he was trying to accomplish. Suddenly, something started to erupt from Flint again, though he looked a bit green this time. Then just as Faust and Simon were about to be on top of them, he opened his mouth and out stormed a thick black smoke that quickly spread throughout the room.\n\nSmoke Blast\n\n\tAll present began coughing, save for Rex who quickly got low to the ground to avoid inhaling the smoke. He grabbed Flint's arm and together they made a chain with the others and made their way out while the smoke was still present.\n\n\t\"What was that sir, zoology?\" asked Simon.\n\n\t\"Just some old friends,\" he answered having gotten a split second glance at them just before Flint's attack. \"In fact, I think they are here to personally test Liquid for us.\"\n\n\t\"You're so evil, crazy,\" stated Simon.\n\n\t\"Well I try,\" chuckled Faust.\n\n\n\t\"That was something else,\" stated Jack as they ran down the corridor. They were all finally recovering from the smoke, except for Flint who was still coughing some out of his lungs. His color has started to return to him though.\n\n\t\"That's nothing,\" bragged Rex. \"I still have a move I'm saving for the right time. Maybe if we're lucky I'll get to show it off today.\"\n\n\t\"Well we'll probably need it then,\" commented Fonz. \"The way things are going here we'll need to bring out the big guns here.\"\n\n\t\"So, was the reason you don't like using this attack because it makes you sick?\" asked Dan when Flint finally recovered enough to move on his own.\n\n\t\"Partially,\" he explained. \"But it was more attributed to Rex and my former life. We used it for quick escapes to get away from the law and it left a bad taste in my mouth in that sense too.\"\n\n\t\"Sounds like we traveled in similar circles,\" said Jack reminiscing on his days in Bootleg City.\n\n\t\"We can dig up the past later,\" said Fonz. \"We've got to focus on the now. Faust and that Simon guy must have recovered from that smokescreen and sent some Cymon after us. We need to figure out a counter plan or we're just running around aimlessly till we run out of stamina.\"\n\n\t\"We have to save everyone here first off,\" said Dan.\n\n\t\"But isn't that Dark Tattoo power invincible?\" asked Flint. \"I mean you beat it, but that was because you resisted getting taken over in the first place.\"\n\n\t\"I don't think it is exactly the same as that,\" he replied. \"Faust said they were using Fragments to control them and that it is an incomplete process. In that case, it might be possible that the control can be broken.\"\n\n\t\"Then we have to destroy the master computer,\" exclaimed Rex and the others turned to look at him. \"Isn't it the usual way to stop an evil robot army? Also, I saw a room about five minutes ago labeled, 'Master Computer Room.'\"\n\n\t\"And you didn't think to say something?\" asked Fonz.\n\n\t\"Well we were on a different subject at the time,\" he answered.\n\n\t\"Then let's go back and get it over with,\" said Jack. \"I'm tired of running down corridors that all look identical. It throws off my whole sense of direction.\"\n\n\t\"It's probably guarded anyway,\" stated Flint. \"We'll need to be creative to get past them.\"\n\n\t\"There's also that other thing Faust mentioned,\" added Dan. \"Whatever that Liquid thing is, it sounds like trouble.\"\n\n\t\"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it,\" said Flint. \"For now let's catch our breath in one of these rooms here.\"\n\n\tTeam Matrix slipped into a room and to their relief found, to their relief it was safe. It was a good thing they slipped in there too as they heard footsteps outside of more patrolling Cymon only it sounded like there were even more of them than before. This only helped them better realize their dilemma that hiding was only delaying the inevitable. They needed to find some way to get past them for once; they couldn't rely on brute strength to solve their problems.\n\n\t\"Well Jack,\" said Flint. \"You've got anything else we can use?\"\n\n\t\"Why me?\" he asked.\n\n\t\"Because you're the cheerleader/meat shield of the group,\" answered Rex. \"How do you handle with fights when the regular fighters aren't around?\"\n\n\t\"I run, like my tail is on fire,\" he answered. Rex rubbed his butt recalling the time not long ago his really was on fire.\n\n\t\"And when you can't run?\" asked Fonz. \"This isn't something we can just run away from.\"\n\n\t\"Bribe,\" he said.\n\n\t\"Machines don't accept bribes,\" explained Rex. \"Everybody knows that.\"\n\n\t\"Join them.\"\n\n\t\"Next,\" replied Flint.\n\n\t\"Hide.\"\n\n\t\"We're doing that now,\" sighed Dan.\n\n\t\"How about in plain sight?\" suggested Jack.\n\n\t\"What's this now?\" asked Fonz.\n\n\t\"Well one robot cliche we haven't attempted yet is the classic disguise ourselves as robots to get past them,\" he explained.\n\n\t\"That just might work,\" replied Dan nodding his head.\n\n\t\"I'm all for this,\" said Rex. \"But let's not forget that we need the disguises and what do we even have to work with?\"\n\n\t\"I guess everything in this room called the 'Robot Recycling Room' where their policy is 'A CPU is a terrible thing to waste.'\"\n\n\tNot bothering to question the convenience of the situation they all got to work putting together their costumes. Normally they'd be thrilled with a costume change in the middle of an adventure, but they still knew there was a lot to dread in the upcoming battle.\n\n\n\t\"Is Liquid ready?\" asked Faust staring at a container of silver liquid.\n\n\t\"All systems are online, zip,\" answered Simon. \"Releasing it from its container now, zoom.\"\n\n\tAfter pulling a lever the lid on the container was removed and a fog poured out from it as the liquid metal slithered out and onto the floor. Faust planted his foot into the metal and watched as the slime took shape into an exact copy of him down to the features in his face. If it didn't metallic silver it would have been impossible to tell them apart.\n\n\t\"The camouflage mode isn't complete, but it is able to take on the physical form of anything it comes into contact with and simple objects, zap,\" explained Faust.\n\n\t\"Excellent work,\" chuckled Faust. \"But the real test of its metal is to see if it can complete its first mission, destroy Team Matrix once and for all.\"", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "Chapter 20


\tWith Flint not moving, the others had to spring into action.  Jack and Fonz grabbed his arms and dragged him away as Rex and Dan readied to attack.  The Cymon rushed detecting their rapid movement and acted to keep them from escaping.  The big red and small blue Digimon intercepted them and attacked, but found them to be quite formidable opponents.

\t"They're a lot stronger than thought they'd be," panted Dan trying to keep up with them.  "And a lot faster too."  He managed at catch them off guard with a quick swipe of his tail sending them flying.

\t"Tell me about it," added Rex.  "They feel like punching a brick wall.  I wouldn't even bother head butting any of these guys."  As he pulled back for another punch he found his arm was snatched by one of the Cymon before another grabbed his other one.  "Oh, never mind."   With all the strength in his legs he launched himself and the Cymon forward and rammed the enemy in front of him with his head.  The ones restraining him let go and tumbled forward as the one Rex attack flew into the wall.  "Ow!  That hurts!"

\t"No time to complain," stated Dan.  "They're getting up again."

\t"What?" cried Rex as he saw the three Cymon he just beat getting back up like his attacks did nothing.  He watched in horror as the dents and fractures in their metallic shelling get repaired.  Dan also witnessed the same horror happen to his opponents.

\t"Things don't appear to be going to well for our team," cried Jack acting at the lookout for Fonz.

\t"Then go and help them," Fonz ordered.

\t"Are you nuts?" Jack argued.  "You know I'm the cheerleader guy."

\t"Either that or a meat shield," added Fonz.

\t"Can't I just help you with Flint?" he asked.

\t"He seems to be in shock, but I think I know how to help him," he explained.  "If you want to help just do as I say."

\t"Uh, alright," he said.  "What do you need of me?"

\t"Stand by Flint and make a fist," Fonz ordered him.

\tJack did as he was instructed, though he was confused as to what this accomplished.  "Now what?" Jack asked.

\t"Nothing," Fonz answered as he punched Flint across the face and quickly backed off.  It seemed enough to snap Flint out of it as he rubbed his cheek feeling it swell a bit from the hit.  As he looked up he saw Jack making a fist and quickly concluded he was the one who punched him.

\t"Thanks," he told him and gave him a punch in the arm.  "I needed that."

\t"No problem," Jack said meekly as he felt the shooting pain in his arm.

\tFlint then joined the fray with Rex and Dan, but even with his assistance, there was no change in the battle.  They knocked them down only to watch them get up no worse for wear.  The battle had hardly progressed, but it was clear that it wasn't turning in their favor.
\t"We'll tire out if we keep this up," panted Dan.

\t"Forget tired," mumbled Rex.  "My head is already scrambled from bashing these guys with my head over and over again.  I changed my mind about what kind of weapon I want.  Whatever it is, I just want to protect my head."

\t"Yeah, we need to change tactics," added Flint.

\t"You have something in mind?" asked Fonz.

\t"We'll run away!" answered Flint not trying to sound like it was a cowardly idea.

\t"Best idea I've heard all day," stated Jack happily.  "But with the entrance blocked and these guys able to chase us how are we going to do that?"

\t"We just need to pin them down," explained Flint.  "Just long enough so we can get away."

\t"A solid plan," agreed Rex.  "But what do we have that could bind them?"

\t"When you have lemons you make lemonade," commented Flint.  "And when you are fighting cyborg Digimon in a strange factory, pull up the floor and use that."  After he finished that statement he dug his claws into the metal plating on the ground and with all his strength he attempted to tear it out of the ground.  Rex, Jack, and Fonz watched him in disbelief.  Dan on the other hand, gave him a hand quite literally.  Flint found removing the metallic floorboards a greater challenge than pulling out the boards from the ship.  He had only managed to pull out the panel out up to the rivets, but Dan tried he pulled the thing out of the ground like he was tearing a page out of a book.  The others were in even more shock seeing how insanely strong he was.  Even Flint was at a loss for words as he continued to hang onto the panel that Dan held in the air.

\t"Now what?" asked Dan.

\t"Oh, right," replied Flint.  "Now we ram those guys."  Dan nodded and together they rushed the Cymon catching them all in the panel then pinning them to a steal beam.  They then wrapped the panel around the beam.  "Don't forget to twist and seal."

\t"I'm on it," said Dan bending the metal like it was a paper clip.

\t"That should hold them," said Rex happily able to take a closer look at them without fear.  However, their struggles were already starting to make the metal creak showing they weren't wasting a second trying to escape.

\t"Not for long," cried Jack.  "Let's get going."  He then rushed down the path with the others following close behind.  They quickly caught up to him, and trekked down the path finding it having tons of paths and the echoing sounds of footsteps, though they couldn't tell if it belonged to them or not.

\t"We're going to need more panels and steel beams," gasped Rex.  "Who knows how many of those Cymon are out there?"

\t"Tons," replied Fonz.  "It seems like this is what happened to all the other teams.  They've been assimilated here and we could be next."

\t"They're going to have to catch us first," commented Flint raising his hand.  "Team Matrix fights to the bitter end."

\t"Yeah!" agreed Rex crossing his arm with Flint's.  "Um, but it isn't going to come to that, is it?"

\t"Looks that way," cried Jack.  "Sounds like they're coming at us from both sides and we're stuck here in this narrow corridor."

\t"Well you're the stealthy one in the group," stated Fonz.  "How would you get out of this mess?"

\t"Hate to break it to you," answered Jack.  "But all my plans usually involve a secret passage conveniently hidden behind a bookshelf or a ventilation shaft just barely big enough for all of us to fit in.  We don't have any of those things here."

\t"How about a janitor's closet?" suggested Dan.

\t"That would work," replied Jack.  "Except we don't have one here either."

\tQuickly, Dan got to work tearing a panel off the wall.  He then scratched on it the words "Janitor's Closet" and placed it back on the wall.  "Will that do?" he asked.

\t"Just fine," Jack told him still not used to seeing his over the top strength in action.  "Remind me to find you if I ever need any jars to open.  But onto the matter at hand.  Everyone get inside."

\tHustling, they managed to all slip inside just before a couple of groups of patrolling Cymon crossed paths right at their hiding place.  Even if it hadn't been a makeshift closet, it was still a tight squeeze for the five of them, especially with Dan's unnaturally large for a rookie level Digimon size.  They waited in silence for a few moments hearing the patrollers stop for a moment right in front of them, visible through the gaps in the panel.  Then they started walking again and once the sound of their footsteps vanished, they could all take a sigh of relief and end up spilling out of their hiding place and onto the floor.

\t"That was scary," panted Rex filling his lungs with much needed air.  "How'd you know they wouldn't look inside there for us?"

\t"Learned it from a guy back in Bootleg City who's a professional at security patterns," he explained.  "Since robotic sentries only detect things in their radar all we'd need to do is hide.  I figured these guys followed that same principal."

\t"I got to hand it to you," said Fonz.  "That's some pretty clever thinking."

\t"Well I have to say," bragged Jack.  "As a master thief I have to stay up to date on the latest and greatest techniques and that means learning from the best.  If we ever get some really big stealthy missions someday then I can really strut my stuff and impress you guys."  It was only after his monologue did he even realize everyone got tired of listening and already started on their way deeper into the factory.

\tHe rushed after them to catch up as they came up to a room with a Datamon pressing keys on a bunch of machines.  They managed to sneak behind some machines and get a better look at what was going on without letting him know they were there.  It wasn't long before someone else joined him in the room, a tall, dark, demonic Digimon that they all knew too well.  Just looking at him sent a chill up their spines.  It was Faust.  Flint clutched his arm that tingled from the memory of their first encounter when his sharp nails cut into him.

\t"How can he still be alive?" whispered Rex so freaked he looked on the verge of tearing up.  "We blew him up... with fire.  Who survives that kind of thing?"

\t"Faust doesn't go down so easily," explained Dan.  "He may use others to do his dirty work, but he can dish it out with the worst of them.  We only made it out last time because he underestimated us.  If he catches us here, he won't be so merciful."

\t"Well if he's here then we know who is behind all this," commented Flint.

\t"But I don't get it," said Jack.  "He can already control Digimon with his Dark Tattoo power right?  So why is he doing this?"


\t"Give me the status on the development on the Cymon," ordered Faust.  Hearing that made Rex grin over the fact he guessed their names right.  Flint quietly smacked him in the back of the head reminding him that was hardly something worth gloating about.

\t"Oh, I'm fine sir, buzz," the Datamon replied.

\t"Not you Simon," groaned Faust.  "I was talking about the Cymon."  He made sure to speak clearer so he could tell what he was saying.

\t"Oh, them zoom," stated Simon.

\t"This is like the tenth time you've made that mistake," he moaned.

\t"Didn't I foresee this happening when you were deciding what to name them, zipper," Simon commented.

\t"Then change your name," snapped Faust.  "Anyway, how are they doing?  Has the self auto assimilation been completed yet?"

\t"I told you it would take time to study, zoo," he explained as he brought up some images on the screen.  "You already knew that integrating the Dark Tattoo with the Fragments would hardly be the same as using it on Digimon, pizza.  However, we have made a lot of progress in using it as an alternative means of controlling other Digimon without you being present to do it, hazel.  However, the DG Program in them has yet to become fully operation, zero.  The recovering and stamina stimulations are working fine, but the auto assimilation is still proving not working, zilch."

\t"Bah!" shouted Faust with rage.  "With that ability I'd be able to spread my influence exponentially faster.  In a matter of days I'd be in control of the entire Digital World and all Intel would be at my fingertips.  Then I'd finally be able to show him that I'm the superior one."  Suddenly, the screen changed and the words "Incoming Transmission," flashed on it.  "Speaking of the devil, Faust chuckled as he said that.  "He did mention he was going to call me soon."

\tTeam Matrix watched as Faust pressed a button and changed the screen so it was black except for a horizontal line on the middle of the screen.  As the Digimon on the other side spoke the line zigzagged to match the tone of his voice.

\t"Greetings brother, are you doing well?" he asked.

\t"Quit the pleasantries," groaned Faust sounding quite annoyed.  "Why don't you put on the view screen?  You know I hate talking to a computer screen."

\t"I'm having some with the computers here," he explained.  "Maybe your Datamon friend there would be so kind as to come and assist me."

\t"Me?" replied Simon in surprise.  "Sizzle."

\t"Don't play games," stated Faust.  "You just want to come snooping around with my research.  Well no dice."

\t"Oh, come on," he snickered.  "You are so far ahead of me in our search.  Just give me a little hand."

\t"Now that's the worst lie I've ever heard," replied Faust.  "You've always prided yourself in being the fact you were always better than me at everything.  I'd expect that at this point for you to...  Wait a minute.  You found it didn't you."

\t"Rather easy in fact, though I'm afraid I cannot claim victory yet," he answered.  "But in due time it will be mine.  Ciao for now."

\tHe signed off before Faust could pry any more information from him.  In anger he smashed his fists on the computer panel.  "Every time he has to taunt me.  Well I'm not going to lose to him this time."

\t"S- Sir, Zucchini," stuttered Simon quite frightened right now.

\t"Get the DG Program working fast," he ordered.  "We can't afford to waste any more time."

\t"Right away sir, Zebra," Simon answered.

\t"And the same goes for Liquid," added Faust a definite dark tone in his voice.  "Get it operational immediately."

\t"L- L- Liquid, zounds?" cried Simon his circuits looking frazzled.  "We are months away from doing that, blaze."

\t"I don't care," barked Faust.  "If we can't beat my brother to the chase than we need to make sure our power can compare with his.  With Liquid on my side it should give me the edge I need to finally come out on top."

\t"I'll see what I can do, lizards," he stated.  "But we'll need to have some tests done to make sure everything has gone as planned, zombies.  Any ideas, bronze?"

\tAs Team Matrix continued to listen in and figure out just what they were talking about, Rex's tail dangled against an the plug-filled outlet and without realizing what he was doing knocked them out and powered down the whole room.  The others looked at him quite annoyed seeing the cords wrapped around his tail and the apologetic look on his face.

\t"What was that?" asked Faust looking around.

\t"The power just went down, fizzled" Simon answered.

\t"I see that," snarled Faust.  "What I want to know is why.  Somebody else must be in here spying on us."

\t"Think they're from you brother, Jacuzzi," he suggested.

\t"He wouldn't have someone do such a sloppy job.  Come to think of it, weren't the Cymon acting up a bit?"

\t"No, I have been watching my caffeine intake, gazebo," he replied.  "No more coffee and pixie sticks for me."

\t"I was referring to the Cymon," shouted Faust growing impatient with all this incompetence.

\t"Well some more intruders entered, zip.  I assumed they were gathered up like the rest, dazzle."

\t"It looks like this bunch is a bit more resourceful than the rest.  Where are the outlets in this place?"

\t"Over there, hazard," Simon said and pointed right where Team Matrix was and they headed over to investigate.

\t"What are we going to do?" whispered Jack fearfully.

\t"Attack while we still have the chance?" asked Fonz.

\t"No.  We have to run," countered Dan.  "They'll just call in reinforcements from the Cymon and surround us."

\t"They'd just have them after us if we ran anyway," stated Fonz.  "If we fight we might be able to beat them before they can do that."

\t"Flint, decide on something," pleaded Jack wanting this tie to get broken.

\t"I have no idea," he admitted.  Flint didn't want to lie to his friends that he was never good at making decisions in high pressure situations.  He really didn't want to admit that he actually enjoyed the rush he got from it.  Still, he had to think of something."

\t"Hey, Flint," said Rex.  "I know you didn't want to use that attack anymore, but now might be the exception.  This is our fresh start and using it in a situation like this is a good use of it."

\tFlint thought for a moment then nodded in agreement.  "To save you guys, no problem," he replied.  Then Flint inhaled deep like he was charging up for his "Torch Breath" attack.  Quickly, the temperature of the room rose dramatically.  Even Faust and Simon started to feel it confirming that someone was there.  Then, as he looked like he was about to let the fire in his belly explode out his mouth he held it in.  His cheeks bulged as the fire tried to escape causing his eyes to water.  Then with all his might he swallowed it back down.  He sweated from head to toe like he had just swallowed a mouthful of spicy peppers in one go.  Save for Rex, the others had no idea what he was trying to accomplish.  Suddenly, something started to erupt from Flint again, though he looked a bit green this time.  Then just as Faust and Simon were about to be on top of them, he opened his mouth and out stormed a thick black smoke that quickly spread throughout the room.

Smoke Blast

\tAll present began coughing, save for Rex who quickly got low to the ground to avoid inhaling the smoke.  He grabbed Flint's arm and together they made a chain with the others and made their way out while the smoke was still present.

\t"What was that sir, zoology?" asked Simon.

\t"Just some old friends," he answered having gotten a split second glance at them just before Flint's attack.  "In fact, I think they are here to personally test Liquid for us."

\t"You're so evil, crazy," stated Simon.

\t"Well I try," chuckled Faust.


\t"That was something else," stated Jack as they ran down the corridor.  They were all finally recovering from the smoke, except for Flint who was still coughing some out of his lungs.  His color has started to return to him though.

\t"That's nothing," bragged Rex.  "I still have a move I'm saving for the right time.  Maybe if we're lucky I'll get to show it off today."

\t"Well we'll probably need it then," commented Fonz.  "The way things are going here we'll need to bring out the big guns here."

\t"So, was the reason you don't like using this attack because it makes you sick?" asked Dan when Flint finally recovered enough to move on his own.

\t"Partially," he explained.  "But it was more attributed to Rex and my former life.  We used it for quick escapes to get away from the law and it left a bad taste in my mouth in that sense too."

\t"Sounds like we traveled in similar circles," said Jack reminiscing on his days in Bootleg City.

\t"We can dig up the past later," said Fonz.  "We've got to focus on the now.  Faust and that Simon guy must have recovered from that smokescreen and sent some Cymon after us.  We need to figure out a counter plan or we're just running around aimlessly till we run out of stamina."

\t"We have to save everyone here first off," said Dan.

\t"But isn't that Dark Tattoo power invincible?" asked Flint.  "I mean you beat it, but that was because you resisted getting taken over in the first place."

\t"I don't think it is exactly the same as that," he replied.  "Faust said they were using Fragments to control them and that it is an incomplete process.  In that case, it might be possible that the control can be broken."

\t"Then we have to destroy the master computer," exclaimed Rex and the others turned to look at him.  "Isn't it the usual way to stop an evil robot army?  Also, I saw a room about five minutes ago labeled, 'Master Computer Room.'"

\t"And you didn't think to say something?" asked Fonz.

\t"Well we were on a different subject at the time," he answered.

\t"Then let's go back and get it over with," said Jack.  "I'm tired of running down corridors that all look identical.  It throws off my whole sense of direction."

\t"It's probably guarded anyway," stated Flint.  "We'll need to be creative to get past them."

\t"There's also that other thing Faust mentioned," added Dan.  "Whatever that Liquid thing is, it sounds like trouble."

\t"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," said Flint.  "For now let's catch our breath in one of these rooms here."

\tTeam Matrix slipped into a room and to their relief found, to their relief it was safe.  It was a good thing they slipped in there too as they heard footsteps outside of more patrolling Cymon only it sounded like there were even more of them than before.  This only helped them better realize their dilemma that hiding was only delaying the inevitable.  They needed to find some way to get past them for once; they couldn't rely on brute strength to solve their problems.

\t"Well Jack," said Flint.  "You've got anything else we can use?"

\t"Why me?" he asked.

\t"Because you're the cheerleader/meat shield of the group," answered Rex.  "How do you handle with fights when the regular fighters aren't around?"

\t"I run, like my tail is on fire," he answered.  Rex rubbed his butt recalling the time not long ago his really was on fire.

\t"And when you can't run?" asked Fonz.  "This isn't something we can just run away from."

\t"Bribe," he said.

\t"Machines don't accept bribes," explained Rex.  "Everybody knows that."

\t"Join them."

\t"Next," replied Flint.

\t"Hide."

\t"We're doing that now," sighed Dan.

\t"How about in plain sight?" suggested Jack.

\t"What's this now?" asked Fonz.

\t"Well one robot cliche we haven't attempted yet is the classic disguise ourselves as robots to get past them," he explained.

\t"That just might work," replied Dan nodding his head.

\t"I'm all for this," said Rex.  "But let's not forget that we need the disguises and what do we even have to work with?"

\t"I guess everything in this room called the 'Robot Recycling Room' where their policy is 'A CPU is a terrible thing to waste.'"

\tNot bothering to question the convenience of the situation they all got to work putting together their costumes.  Normally they'd be thrilled with a costume change in the middle of an adventure, but they still knew there was a lot to dread in the upcoming battle.


\t"Is Liquid ready?" asked Faust staring at a container of silver liquid.

\t"All systems are online, zip," answered Simon.  "Releasing it from its container now, zoom."

\tAfter pulling a lever the lid on the container was removed and a fog poured out from it as the liquid metal slithered out and onto the floor.  Faust planted his foot into the metal and watched as the slime took shape into an exact copy of him down to the features in his face.  If it didn't metallic silver it would have been impossible to tell them apart.

\t"The camouflage mode isn't complete, but it is able to take on the physical form of anything it comes into contact with and simple objects, zap," explained Faust.

\t"Excellent work," chuckled Faust.  "But the real test of its metal is to see if it can complete its first mission, destroy Team Matrix once and for all."", "pools_count": 1, "title": "Digimon Treasure Quest R2 - Ch.20", "deleted": "f", "public": "t", "mimetype": "text/plain", "pagecount": "1", "rating_id": "0", "rating_name": "General", "ratings": [], "submission_type_id": "12", "type_name": "Writing - Document", "guest_block": "f", "friends_only": "f", "comments_count": "0", "views": "9" }