Episode 15: An Enemy Revived

 

CRYSTAL: Last time on Digimon, that weird little guy Demidevimon blew up a theatre to try to impress Damien. No one was hurt, though, so it was kind of a waste. Those annoying Digidestined came and came by and started helping to rebuild the theatre, and Matt even put on a little concert! Can’t we do ANYTHING without them fixing it? Well, at least Solomon’s training me to fight now.

 

(Scene: Tai, Joe, and Matt are walking ahead of the rest of the group. Everyone is leaving the city and going out into the wilderness again.)

 

TAI: You know, we’re never going to get anywhere if we have to stop every other day to help people.

JOE: Huh? What else are we supposed to do?
TAI: I think we should make an agreement not to stop anywhere else until we find Gennai and get rid of the Dark Triad.

JOE: Tai, do you even realize what you’re saying?

TAI: I know it sounds cold, but if we don’t get our butts in gear, a lot MORE digimon are going to be hurt. We can’t be everywhere.

MATT: He’s got a point. We’ve helped everyone we’ve found, but who knows what’s going on everywhere else in Digiworld?

TAI: Right. So we’re agreed we shouldn’t stop any more?

JOE: No!

MATT & TAI: Huh?

JOE: I said no. We’re Digidestined. Our job isn’t just to beat up the bad guy. We’re supposed to be helping this world. We should do it whenever we can.

TAI: But think about all the time we’ve wasted!

JOE: Okay, Tai, let me ask you this. If there was a whole village full of digimon injured fighting the Dark Triad, what would you do? Answer honestly.

TAI, (thinking and looking torn): ...

JOE: I thought so.

 

(Matt looks at Joe in amazement. Tai, feeling ashamed, slows down and drops behind to rejoin the rest of the group.)

 

MATT: ...What’s with you? I’ve never seen you talk to anyone like that.

JOE: It’s nothing.

MATT: You really care about them, don’t you...?

 

(Joe nods just before the scene fades to black. When the camera view reappears, it is in Damien’s dark computer room. The camera sits above Demidevimon’s left shoulder and aims at Damien’s chair. He faces his computer screen.)

 

DAMIEN: Quite a fireworks show that was. Too bad it didn’t do anything.

DEMIDEVIMON: I...

DAMIEN, (interrupting): Don’t say anything. It would only hurt your case even more.

 

(Demidevimon looks both angry and disappointed. Damien turns around to face him, and the Machine is in his lap. The camera shifts to a side view of both of them.)

 

DAMIEN: You know what this is, right?

DEMIDEVIMON, (sounding defeated): I have guessed, yes.

DAMIEN, (cracking a grin): Then receive it.

 

(He presses a button on the Machine. The air around Demidevimon glows with a black-purple light. He looks surprised, even a little frightened, as the light flows around him. The light starts to swirl into his body and he grows and changes. His body changes shape and forms into the tall, frightening shape of Devimon.)

 

DEVIMON, (overjoyed): I... AM REVIVED! (He clenches his fists and the air around him blurs with a release of power.) But why...? I failed.

DAMIEN: Call it generosity.

DEVIMON: ...I could kill you right now if I wanted to.

DAMIEN, (laughing): Please.

DEVIMON: You think I am joking?!

DAMIEN: No. I know what you could do. But I know you won’t.

DEVIMON: You are brave, human... it could get you into trouble. (A pause.) We could rule the world together...

DAMIEN: Oh, I’m not doing this for me.

DEVIMON: What? Then why? Or for whom?

DAMIEN: You talk too much. Just do your job.

 

(Damien turns around in his chair and Devimon walks out of the room. The door closes behind him. Damien’s monitor turns on.)

 

PIEDMON: Oh, it’s simply BEAUTIFUL how much like me you’ve become.

DAMIEN: What?

PIEDMON: I gave him power too, you know. So many years ago... he came to me just as he came to you, a pathetic loser with ambitions too big for his body. And now you’ve done the same thing. Eheeheehee!

DAMIEN, (looking stunned, thinking inside his mind): Like him...

PIEDMON: Are you sure you can handle him?

DAMIEN: Hmm? Of course I can.

PIEDMON: He has a lot of ambition. Once took over a whole island, I think, mmmyes...

 

(Piedmon’s image blips off from the monitor. Damien sits in his chair, thinking to himself. The image fades to black. The next scene is in a rocky area in the middle of a grassy plain. The Digidestined all sit around a campfire. Mimi, Palmon, Kari, and Gatomon are already asleep. It is nighttime. Close-up of Tai’s face, illuminated by the dancing flames.)

 

JOE, (from offscreen): Tai?

TAI: Hmm? Yeah?

JOE: You all right? You look like something’s bothering you.

TAI: Eh? No, of course not.

JOE: Oh, okay. (A pause.) Sorry about earlier. I didn’t mean to be rude.

TAI: Oh, don’t worry about it.

 

(The camera comes out from the close-up and takes in the whole group.)

 

SORA: Something wrong, you two?

JOE: No, it’s nothing.

SORA: Okay. (She puts her hands behind her head and leans back on them, like a pillow.) Say, you guys? We’ve been looking for Gennai for a long time now. Are we really going in the right direction?

IZZY: There’s no point in thinking about that now. Going in a different direction would only take more time.

SORA: Guess you’re right.

AGUMON: Yeah, we’ll get there eventually. I can almost smell his socks already.

SORA: ...Huh?

TK: Don’t you remember last time? He must never do laundry.

SORA, (laughing): Oh, yeah! I STILL want to find him, though.

BIYOMON: We all do, Sora. Let’s just go to sleep.

 

(Everyone leans back to go to bed. Camera focuses on TK, who takes off his hat and lays his head down on it. He sees that Patamon is shaking and blinks.)

 

TK: Is something wrong, Patamon? Are you cold?

PATAMON: No, not that.

TK: Then what?

PATAMON: I just don’t feel good for some reason. Kinda sick.

TK: What’d you have for dinner?

PATAMON: Nothing, and I think that’s the problem.

TK: Well, you’ll have to wait until breakfast, all I have is candy bars and that’s not very good to eat before bed.

PATAMON, (drooping): Awwww!

TK: Hey, you had a chance to eat when we found that apple tree.

PATAMON: But I wasn’t hungry THEN!

 

(Patamon turns over and closes his eyes. He’s still shivering uncomfortably. The camera’s angle widens to include the general area where the Digidestined are sleeping. A wind sleeps across the grass. Everyone seems to be asleep already, which is surprisingly fast...)

 

DEVIMON, (whispered voice from offscreen): Finally... revenge.

 

(Devimon walks in from offscreen. His arms are crossed, and an angry sneer is on his face. He walks around the Digidestined quietly.)

 

DEVIMON: Look at them... deep in the innocence of sleep. Where is all their power when they don’t even know I am here?

 

(He uncrosses his arms and puts up one sharp claw of his right hand. He stops walking, standing over Tai, and puts the razor-sharp claw on Tai’s throat.)

 

DEVIMON, (pausing and smiling): It would be too easy. Just a quick push down, and one of my biggest problems would be gone forever.

 

(He picks up the finger and walks around the circle again. This time he stops above TK and Kari.)

 

DEVIMON, (quoting the old prophecy): “The smallest will destroy me...” hmm, but that already happened. I won’t make the same mistake again. (He snarls, lifts a red claw again, and stabs downward at TK.) HAAAA!

PATAMON, (eyes snapping open): TK!!! (He jumps up and knocks Devimon’s hand away from TK.)

DEVIMON: You!

 

(The entire group wakes up and looks around. They all shout with fear and surprise.)

 

MATT, (screaming): TK!

TK, (backing away from Devimon): Aaaahhh! What’s going on...

PATAMON, (standing in front of TK): I won’t let you hurt him...

MIMI: AIEEEE! It’s... it’s DEVIMON!

 

(Devimon thinks fast. He jumps away from the group, aims one hand each at TK and Kari, and brings them up. TK and Kari’s bodies fly off the ground and float in midair.)

 

TK and KARI: Aaaahhh...

DEVIMON, (smiling): One thought and I could destroy them both. I SUGGEST you stay back!

TAI, (shaking with rage): PUT... THEM... DOWN!

MATT: Leave my brother ALONE!

DEVIMON: Neither of you are in ANY position to make demands.

GATOMON: What do you want from us, you creep?!

DEVIMON: Why, just one thing. THAT. (He points at Patamon.)

TK: Don’t go with him, Pata-

DEVIMON, (interrupting): SILENCE!

 

(TK falls quiet. The camera closes in on the Digivice at his belt; its power level is extremely high.)

 

KARI: Tai, I’m scared! Who is this?

 

DEVIMON, (digimon analyzer): I, Devimon, am a demonic digimon. In terms of evil, I am the very worst! You thought you destroyed me at File Island, but some foolish human restored me to power. My attack, Touch of Evil, will leave you all powerless! Mwahahaha!

 

DEVIMON: Last time it was Angemon who destroyed me. Devimon does not make the same mistake twice! So I suggest that if you want to keep these disgusting children alive, you come with me quietly!

TAI, (desperate): Patamon, go with him!

PATAMON: Wha?

TK: No! Patamon, you have to be strong!

MATT: What are you saying, TK?

TAI: We’re not just talking about you, TK. Kari’s up there too!

KARI, (after a pause, looking at TK): I trust you, TK... do what you need to.

TK: I don’t know how, but I just know that everything’s going to be fine.

DEVIMON: Your whining annoys me. You’re running out of time!

PATAMON, (entering digivolution sequence): Patamon...

DEVIMON: NO!

PATAMON: ...digivolve to...!

 

(Several things happen all at once, and Patamon’s digivolution sequence is interrupted. Devimon squeezes his hands into fists, causing TK and Kari to both scream in pain. He drops them from the sky and flaps his wings, sending himself up into the air. Tai and Matt run forward to catch TK and Kari. Patamon is glowing fiercely white...)

 

ANGEMON: ...ANGEMON!!! (He rises into the air on the level with Devimon.)

DEVIMON: That mistake will cost you dearly, Digidestined! You just don’t yet know HOW dearly!

 

(On the ground, Tai holds Kari and Matt holds TK. The rest of the group rushes in to help.)

 

GATOMON: KARI!

TAI, (starting to cry): Oh, Kari... how could this happen?

 

(Both TK and Kari are on the edge of unconsciousness. They have the red scratch marks of anime injuries, and are breathing shallowly. Kari is injured worse, and falls unconscious first.)

 

KARI, (falling asleep): ...trust you...

TK, (looking over at her): I’m sorry... I was wrong...

 

(Tears appear in his eyes before he, too, falls unconscious. Everyone, including Devimon, is silent for a second.)

 

MARIA, (glancing at Allison): Tai, I...

 

(Tai isn’t listening. He and Matt both look at each other and nod meaningfully.)

 

MATT: Tai...

TAI: I’m beyond playing the blame game.

MATT, (nodding): All I care about now...

TAI: ...Is Devimon.

MATT: Guys? (Everyone looks at them. Joe and Mimi have knelt beside TK and Kari and are trying to help them.)

IZZY: Uh-huh...?

TAI: Keep them safe.

GOMAMON, (very seriously): You can count on me.

PALMON: Me too.

OKOMON: You can count on us, Tai. Do what you have to.

 

(Up above, Devimon and Angemon are staring angrily at each other. They are radiating black and white energy, respectively.)

 

DEVIMON: What, no self-righteous speech? No single, glorious shot? No going out in a blaze of glory? You surprise me.

ANGEMON, (in a cold voice): I’m going to kill you.

DEVIMON, (looking disturbed for a second, then angry again): I’d hoped it wouldn’t come down to this. You could have saved him.

ANGEMON, (enraged): SHUT UP! Hand of Fate!

 

(He thrusts his right hand forward and a bright beam lights the landscape. Devimon flies quickly up to dodge. He responds with a beam of darkness, which strikes Angemon in the chest. Angemon grunts with pain. Back on the ground, Tai and Matt’s digivices are both lit up with energy.)

 

AGUMON: Agumon, digivolve to... GREYMON!

GABUMON: Gabumon, digivolve to... GARURUMON!

 

(Greymon fires off a “Nova Blast!” at Devimon, which burns his arm. Garurumon leaps up to Devimon and slashes across his chest with a paw. Devimon is knocked out of the sky and falls to the ground with a crash. He stands again, but he’s a little hurt. He and Angemon continue fighting, claw to staff.)

 

DEVIMON, (reaching out to grab Greymon and Garurumon): Touch of Evil!

GREYMON & GARURUMON: Arrrgh! (They collapse and de-digivolve.)

AGUMON, (weakly): He’s as powerful as ever...

GABUMON: Did we lose already?

DEVIMON: It’s hopeless, Digidestined... save yourselves some pain and give in now!

 

(Mimi stands up from her spot next to Kari and steps forward.)

 

PALMON: Mimi?

SORA: Four of us are already out! Should we retreat?

MARIA: This is really bad...

ALLISON, (worried at Maria’s lack of confidence): I’m scared...

MARIA: Uh, try not to worry about it.

TOPOMON: What do you say, can I go?

ALLISON: Huh? No! Do you think you can do any better?

TOPOMON: Come on, have some faith in me!

MIMI: Palmon how about you?

PALMON: I’m ready too!

JOE: Come on, Tai, you and Matt get TK and Kari out of here. We’ll hold off Devimon!

 

(Tai looks back to the group, startled. He’d been staring at the fight.)

 

TAI: Wh... oh, okay!

MATT: ...Right!

 

(Tai and Matt each run to their siblings, pick them up, and wait.)

 

SORA: Don’t wait around for us, just find a safe place for them!

TAI: Okay, Sora. Good luck, everyone!

 

(Six digivolutions: Palmon, Tentomon, Gomamon, Biyomon, Okomon, and Topomon into Togemon, Kabuterimon, Ikkakumon, Birddramon, Conegamon, and Terremotomon. Tai and Matt both run off-screen with TK and Kari.)

 

DEVIMON, (laughing): Finally, a bit of a challenge! I’ll take care of you and hunt down the others like dogs!

MIMI, (angrily): Ugh! You can’t talk about people like they’re animals!

DEVIMON: NO being below myself is worthy of respect!

CONEGAMON, (eyes closed): His mind is frightening...

 

(Devimon bats away Angemon’s rod and braces himself for a moment. Finally, he shouts and slams a fist into the ground. The ground shakes, knocking everyone off their feet but Angemon and Birdramon, who stay in the air, and Devimon. Izzy falls arm-first onto a rock and he yells out with pain before putting his other hand on the arm.)

 

IZZY, (wincing): Agh,  my arm! I think it’s broken!

KABUTERIMON: Izzy! Are you all right? Stay sharp, it won’t be too long!

IZZY: Stay sharp?! Easy for you to say, you don’t have any bones! Owwww!! (He pushes himself behind the rock with his feet and lays down.)

DEVIMON: Hah! You humans, so fragile. You break at the slightest touch.

 

(He positions himself to hit the ground again, but Terremotomon leaps forward and Devimon hits her thorned shell instead. Devimon withdraws his hand, pained.)

 

ALLISON: Terremotomon?

TERREMOTOMON, (weakly): I’ll be fine... I’m built tough!

JOE: This has gone on long enough. Everyone ready?

EVERYONE, (except Izzy and Devimon): Yes!

IKKAKUMON, (firing off his forehead spike): Harpoon Torpedo!

CONEGAMON, (releasing glowing energy from her mind): Psychic Blast!

KABUTERIMON, (firing a bolt of electricity): Electro-shocker!

TOGEMON, (spinning around and releasing spines): Needle Spray!

BIRDDRAMON, (shooting fire from her wings): Meteor Wing!

GATOMON, (slashing the air and shooting off yellow claw-marks): Lightning Claw!

 

(The attacks all hit Devimon at once. He screams, falls to his knees, and his data almost dissolves into nothing. He recovers at the last moment breathes heavily.)

 

DEVIMON, (defiantly): P... pitiful...

ANGEMON: Hand of FATE!

 

(Angemon fires the powerful beam of holy energy right at Devimon’s chest. The instant before it hits, the camera is blacked out by a dark shadow that sweeps quickly across the screen. When it disappears, Devimon is nowhere in sight and the Hand of Fate attack is gone.)

 

ANGEMON, (blinking): Is he...

SORA: Dead?

JOE: What was that? That didn’t happen last time.

MARIA: I have a really, really, really -

ALLISON, (interrupting): Bad feeling about this, yeah, I know.

IKKAKUMON: Well, as long as Devimon isn’t here any more, I’m fine with it!

MIMI: Me too. I think we really got him this time!

TOGEMON: I hope you’re right, Mimi.

BIRDDRAMON: Well, anyway, we need to focus on what’s important.

SORA: Yeah, we have to follow Tai and Matt! We don’t know if TK and Kari are going to be okay.

KABUTERIMON: Izzy, can you walk?

IZZY, (standing unsteadily): Yeah, but it’s not going to be fun. If I start going slow, just go ahead of me.

KABUTERIMON: I’m going to stay with you. (He de-digivolves into Tentomon.)

TENTOMON: Besides, what if he comes back? We can’t have you alone.

IZZY: Thanks.

 

(Scene change. A huge, dark, dragon shape is flying quickly through the night sky above the clouds. Two shapes, one large and one small, sit on its back. The large shape is lying down and the small shape is sitting crosslegged. A closer shot shows that the two shapes are Devimon and Damien.)

 

DAMIEN: I’ve been saving everyone lately. Much more of this and I’m going to look like the hero instead of the villain. Heh.

DEVIMON, (sitting up): What... no! Why did you take me away, I’d almost won!

DRACOMON: I can see why you hate his Hand of Fate so much. That put an itch in my side that I just can’t seem to reach!

DAMIEN, (laughing): Ahahahaha! Oh, that’s a good one.

DEVIMON, (through their laughter): Do you mock me?!

DAMIEN: You must admit, he raises a good point. But if cartoons have taught us anything, it’s that with supreme power comes one crippling weakness. Yours is that angel. It doesn’t matter, though, I have ways of getting around that.

DEVIMON, (silent for a moment): ...I failed. Do you plan to destroy me?

DAMIEN: Failed? I disagree.

DEVIMON: What?

DAMIEN: You put two of those kids into comas and broke another kid’s arm. With one blow, you got rid of twenty percent of my problems, maybe permanently. The Digidestined might not go anywhere at all if they decide to stay with their two smallest friends. If you hadn’t stopped yourself with your stupid ego, you might have won.

DEVIMON: Were you WATCHING the battle?

DAMIEN: Of course not! I just have a lot of allies and excellent timing. Hmmhmmhmm, hahahaha!

DRACOMON, (chuckling): Heh.

DAMIEN: Right, enough celebrating. Devimon, how long do you think it will be before you can fight again? Well, subtract as many days from that number as will make it three days. I have big plans.

 

(They fly off into the night. Time-lapse into morning, then descend through the clouds where the Digidestined are trudging through an open field on the search for a town. TK and Kari lie on stretchers made of sticks and branches; Tai and Joe hold Kari between them and Matt and Maria carry TK. Izzy is using Tai’s shirt as a sling, so Tai is walking around shirtless.)

 

JOE, (breathing tiredly): Well... the good thing is... they look... fine.

IZZY: And the bad thing?

JOE: If we don’t... find... some place... to let them stay... for a while... my arms are going to fall off!

IZZY: I’d help you, but I only have one arm right now.

TAI: Can we try to stay serious here?

MIMI: Jeeze, try to relax, Tai. All this negativity can’t be good for TK and Kari.

AGUMON: Can you blame him for being worried?

MIMI: Well, no.

BIYOMON: Hey... does anyone else see what I see?

 

(The camera zooms out to show a wider shot of the path the Digidestined are travelling down. A short figure, like an old man, is standing in the path. He looks rather familiar. The man waves to the group and starts coming up to meet them.)

 

GENNAI: Hello there, children! It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Why don’t you follow me to my house, it’s just ahead.

ALL: GENNAI?

GENNAI: Yes, it’s me. Did I forget to introduce myself?

 

(The episode ends with everyone running after Gennai.)

 

ANNOUNCER: It looks like the Digidestined have found Gennai at last; or rather, he found them! Will he know a way to help TK and Kari? More importantly, does he know how to defeat the Dark Triad? And just what does Damien have planned this time? Find out next time on Digimon: The Middle Series!