Chapter 28


	"So how many fans are going to be here?" asked Rex as he was helped into his prince costume for the show.  His voice was very nervous from just thinking about being surrounded by fans that would be thinking murderous thoughts to him while he was on stage with Angel.

	"Only a couple hundred," Rich explained.  "If you add in the ones outside, watching on the monitors, then that's thousands of fans.  Add in the TV broadcasts and we're talking millions."

	"And all of them are going to want to kill me when everything is over," cried Rex rushing to the door hoping to run away.  He didn't get very far; Rich held him back by his long flowing prince cape.  Under normal circumstances Rex wouldn't be stopped so easily, but the prince costume was not made for running in.

	"Please, Rex, calm down," he pleaded.  "It is only one show and I will guarantee your safety."  He further proved this by putting a mask over his face, though they were like a pair of glasses just covering over his eyes.  "With this mask on you won't be recognized by anyone.  The Blue Moon Prince is supposed to be mysterious.  The princess doesn't know who he is, but can't help falling in love with him.  She falls for his mysteriousness and beautiful singing voice."

	"I've been meaning to ask about that as well," Rex continued.  "I can't sing very well and don't even know what I'm supposed to sing and do on stage.  If the play is going on tonight how am I supposed to get ready for it?"

	"We're all prepared for it," Rich answered placing a wireless mike piece of Rex's ear then turned on a speaker.  "Say something."

	"Ok, but I don't see what this is supposed to," began Rex, but he stopped when he heard his voice coming from the speaker.  It was so surreal that Rex almost doubted it was him.  It came out much deeper and elegant like he imaged a prince would sound.  The altered voice even covered up his real voice completely.  "Wow this is amazing.  How did you set this up?"

	"It is some audio tech that I had prepared for the show for a while now," Rex stated.  "It is designed to make anyone sound like a handsome prince.  As for the issue of the words, the mask his a special mini screen on it that will help you to karaoke through it."

	"Neat, but what about moving?" he asked.  "Got a fancy gadget to help me with that?"

	"You'll just have to wing it," admitted Rich.  "Angel just moves along with the music so just follow her lead.  Do you have any other questions?"

	"Well, besides agreeing to do it on the spur of the moment," replied Rex.  "Why am I doing this?"

	"Well what do you want?" questioned Rich.  "RAM?  Food?  What?"

	"How about another ride in your plane?" suggested Rex, eyes glistening remembering the last time he flew, but he repressed the traumatic memories he had from that time."

	"That sounds feasible," agreed Rich.  "Very well, I'll owe you a ride once this show is over."

	"Awesome!" exclaimed Rex jumping for joy as he burst with excitement.  In doing so, he tore some of the shirt fabric around his shoulders and elbows.  Nervously, Rex tried to hide the damage, but it was too late to do that.

	"Come over here," sighed Rich knowing his work was never done.  "I'll patch you up."


	"Do we really have to wear these?" asked Flint as he looked over his black suit.

	"Haven't you ever worn a suit before?" asked Dan getting the cufflinks buttoned on his.  "We have to be dressed proper for the show."

	"And the black will help keep you hidden while the show is on," explained Angel helping Flint with his tie.  "This way if there is any trouble, you can take care of it without much notice to you."

	"Well I like this look regardless," commented Jack.  "I feel like I'm one of Capone's top enforcers."  He slipped a gangster hat onto his head and positioned it so it was just over his eyes.  Taking a look in the mirror he looked his appearance over with awe.  His expression looked full of childlike joy one got for dressing up and pretending to be what they wanted to be when they grew up.

	"You won't make a good enforcer with a face like that," commented Fonz breaking Jack out of his fantasy.

	"Why aren't you getting dressed too, Fonz?" asked Flint seeing he was still not wearing anything.

	"I'm not going on security duty," he explained.  "Something came up and I won't be able to."

	"What do you mean?" asked Dan.

	"I'm going to be in the audience," Fonz continued.  "I'm going to be on a date with Marie.  Unfortunately, I won't be able to wear my afro during the show.  I get a lot of complaints from anyone behind me, but I won't mind so long as I'm with Marie."

	"You're so lucky you can be with the one you love," cried Angel.  "I cannot even be with my beloved Rex until tonight.  Why does it have to be bad luck for us to see one another until the big event?"

	"That's a wedding," corrected Jack feeling the green-eyed monster inside him as he saw Angel pine so dearly for Rex.  Dan felt it too and it even seemed to bother Fonz, but to a lesser extent now.

	"But in the play we do wed and though it isn't real, it will be the highlight of my life," she swooned just imaging how wonderful it would be to be hand in hand with her beloved Veemon as they gave into one another's eyes before kissing.  Dan, Jack, and Fonz imagined the same thing, though a crowd of jealous audience members crashed the wedding and began pulverizing Rex into dust.  Flint also imaged the wedding, but he focused more on the gigantic cake he always served at weddings and how he'd love to dive into it and gobble it down.  "Tonight will be a night I'll never forget."


	"Angel won't forget tonight after we retriever her for out master," said the first hooded figure.  "Provided we don't blunder again."

	"We can't fail anymore," said the second one.  "We don't have any more time to delay.  If things are going to go down as the prophecy declares then we need to retrieve her immediately."

	"I don't mean to interrupt this important conversation about our mission," stated the third hooded figure.  "But if you haven't noticed we're in the middle of a food court with dozens of people within hearing distance of you two talking about abducting the world's most famous diva."

	"Well we haven't eaten in a while and this place was cheap," commented the fourth one as he munched on some fried chicken.  "And you are one to talk.  You are polishing your tools on the table where everyone can see them."

	"It is our duty to have our weapons ready at a moment's notice," the third one stated.  "And I've even prepared a little something special."  He pulled out a jar full of pins.  "These pins contain a special deadly poison.  Just a prick will send you to recycling bin in no time at all.  These will be perfect for eliminating anybody who gets in our way."

	"You idiot!" shouted the first figure so loud it caught everyone's attention and directed it at them.  "If any of them hit Angel we'll be dead meat.  She is not to be harmed at all."

	"Then we can save them for after we secure her," commented the second guy. "There will likely be pursuers and that will take care of them easily.  "It will be the perfect ending to their role in the story."  He laughed and the other hooded figured joined in not realizing the evil scene they were creating for everyone in the restaurant, though nobody reacted, unsure how to even respond to those weird characters.


	The theatre was packed once the doors opened for the show.  Countless Digimon poured in squeezing in tight to allow as many to fit in at once.  If Fonz hadn't been allowed to bring Marie in early and be at the front of the pack.  Jack and Flint took their positions at the stairways leading to the stage while Dan was by the side entrance to make sure nobody snuck in.  Angel and Rex were in the back getting last minute preparations before the show began.  While Angel appeared unaffected by the crowd they could hear rambling on before the show, Rex was jittering nervously.

	"I can't do this," he cried biting at his nails.

	"Just relax," replied Rich trying to help calm his jitters.  "Just imagine everyone in the audience in their underwear."

	"I'll give it a try," he panted trying to slow his racing heart.  He closed his eyes and tried to practice, but he quickly became frustrated.  "Oh!  We don't even wear underwear!"

	"I forgot about that," admitted Rich scratching his head while trying to come up with something else.

	"You seem very confident when you are on one of your quests," commented Angel.  "Just pretend it is one of your missions and you succeed by having the whole audience to cheer."

	"I can give it a try," said Rex.

	"And don't forget what your reward is for doing this," added Rich refreshing Rex's memory about the plane ride.

	"Oh yeah!" he cheered excitedly feeling much more energetic.  "Let's get this show started!"  Rex couldn't contain himself anymore and rushed out to the stage.

	"You don't exit the stage from that side!" cried Rich.  "And you don't even go on yet!"  Rich sighed feeling it was going to be a very long night.  "At least he's motivated now."

	"I have a feeling I'm going to enjoy this show more than any other I've ever done before," chuckled Angel happily.

	Soon enough, the show began as the lights dimmed to make everyone grow silent.  So did everyone who was watching outside and at their homes all over the Digital World; they were all entranced at this one moment.  A spotlight slowly brightened up one spot on the stage, a tower top where Angel stood in a gorgeous flowing pink dress her hands pressed against her chest feeling her heart's pitter patter.  Seeing her on stage made the audience boom with applause.

	She sang.  Her voice as sweet as honey and her words as sacred as her name sounded.  It quieted the audience as they heard it and became soothed by her words.  Even Rex and Flint who had never seen her perform before were astounded by her performance and were finally able to see why she was such a big deal to so many.  She danced as her voice carried and as the orchestra behind the stage began to play it painted a beautiful picture for this play, "My Heart Sings for the Blue Moon."

[center]Here I stand on my castle tower.
Wondering why at this very hour.
Where is my prince, where is my love.
Who will make my heart soar like a dove?
As I gaze upon the cosmic space.
I wish if I may to see his shining face.[/center]

	Her song was enough to melt the heart of the most frigid fiends.  It was hypnotic the way she moved and nobody dared to look away.  As she spoke the last line she froze in place as the light dimmed around her, but the music kept playing.  The smoke machines activated creating a fog over the stage as a crescent moon prop was lowered.  Another spotlight shined on it revealing Rex now reclined on it and looking down at the world below.  Just seeing his best friend on stage filled Flint with joy like a parent would feel while watching their child perform on stage.  It also made him feel quite humorous imagining how his voice would clash once he began singing.

[center]Up from the moon I gaze down to the ground.
I wish for my true love to be found.
Below in the world there is so much to see.
But where is the one to match my melody.
My heart cries out for love's sweet embrace.
For my dear princess with a pure flowing grace.[/center]

	His words could barely be recognized as his own.  He spoke so much deeper and mature.  It was truly the voice of a prince, but the device altering his voice could only do so much.  It couldn't generate the passion that Rex was singing with that he found as he heard Angel begin to sing.  Once his part was over he became as silent as Angel was.

	Dan tried to clean his ears to make sure he was hearing it all correct.  Jack's eye was twitching as he grew ever more envious of the position Rex had been given.  Fonz could feel a great disturbance in the force of coolness as for once Rex was radiating a great amount of coolness than he was.  Flint was getting itchy knuckles, eager to noogie Rex after the show.  It was the way he liked to show how proud he was of the little blue guy and he hadn't had as good a reason as this to do it in a long while.

	The light soon shined back on Angel too and the smoke machines stopped so they could see each other clearly.  They gazed at one another, Angel showing her purity and beauty through her glistening blue eyes and Rex showed his mysterious and romance through his concealing mask.  With perfect timing, they both started singing in unison showing they had perfect synch with one another.

[center]As I gaze upon your light.
There is so much more beyond mere sight.
Tell me your name to answer my plea.
Assure me that you will never leave me.
And sing me those words that make me swoon.
Sing of your love in the light of the moon.[/center]

	The first song was just a prelude of the magnificence to come.  Each performance didn't seem possible to be topped until the next one raised the bar.  The show had gone through several acts from the meeting of the princess and the prince to their forced separation.  It was not at the scene where the prince raced to return to his beloved, but he was racing against a band of devious ninjas, intent on kidnapping her.

[center]This castle seems so bare since my prince had departed.
My heart feels like daggers have torn it asunder.
I pray to the moon to listen to my plea.
Please return my prince, bring him back to me.[/center]

	Her sorrowful words had the whole audience weeping, none more than Dan who was standing in a puddle of his tears.  Flint was teary-eyed a bit too and Jack pulled his hat down over his eyes to try and hide his own, though they were visibly flowing down his cheeks.  Fortunately, everyone was able to pull together as four black hooded figured came on stage, the band of ninjas.

	"Angel, come with us," said the first.  "You are desired by our master."

	"Seeing your great beauty up close it is no wonder why you are the one he wants," continued the second.

"Don't resist now," added the third.  "We aren't supposed to harm you and it would make things a lot easier."

	Their words caused a great deal of confusion for Angel and everyone else as it was not only completely off what they were supposed to say they didn't even sing it.  "What are you all doing?" she whispered to them.  It took a lot of restraint to keep from shouting at them for messing up the show after it had been so perfect so far.  "You are messing up the show."

	"I hate to break it to you," snickered the fourth figure.  "But we aren't part of the show."

	Without warning, the hooded figured tossed smoke bombs into the audience and the sides of the stage.  When they blew it created thick smog that was suffocating to any Digimon that breathed it in and caused everyone to break into panic.

	Flint, Dan, and Jack immediately ran through the smoke to the center of the stage to confront the fiends, but they were not there, instead climbing ropes to the scaffolding above.  Fonz was making his way to the stage as well with Marie right behind him.  "I've got to get on stage to help them," he cried trying to speak over the noise of all the other Digimon around them.

	"I'm coming too," she replied trying to sound just as determined as him, but she was having trouble breathing with her taller size forcing her more into the smog.

	"Someone has to help everyone outside," he explained.  "And with so many Digimon running wild there's bound to be a lot of injured.  You'll be best for that job so I'm counting on you to keep them all safe.  You can leave these guys to us."

	Marie nodded and separated from Fonz as he reached the stairs and made his way to the others.  As he did, Rex popped out from the trap door below stage even more confused than everyone else as he had been down there waiting for his cue.  "What's taking so long?" he asked looking around to see everyone fleeing.  "Did the show go into intermission for a pee break?"

	"Brilliant deduction, Sherlock," Jack replied sarcastically.

	"Some weird guys have abducted Angel," Dan explained.

	"They somehow snuck in and pretended to be the ninja kidnappers," added Flint.

	"The fiends," growled Rex angrily.  "How dare they take my beloved princess from me!"

	"You do remember this is just a show?" commented Jack surprised Rex was still in character despite all this.

[center]Mach 1: Vee Bullet[/center]

	In a flash he launched himself in the air straight as the kidnappers with incredible speed.  "I have to admit," stated Flint just as shocked as everyone else.  "I have never seen him like this before."

	"That's some dedication," agreed Fonz.

	The hooded figures were all almost onto the scaffolding with only one still climbing and trying to hand Angel off to the others.  Angel struggled as best she could, but it proved useless.  "Somebody, help me!" she cried frantically.

	"You may have been in a play where the hero comes to the rescue of the princess," stated the figure reaching to pick her up.  "But in real life that hardly ever really happens."

	"Rarely, but not never!" shouted Rex and he head butted the figure still carrying Angel, dropping her as he attempted to keep his grip on the rope.  Rex kept flying forward forcing the figures to scatter and avoid him and caught onto the stage lights to stop.  Angel screamed as she fell, but she was caught in Dan's awaiting arms.

	"How's that for security?" bragged Flint boastfully.  "Not half bad."

	"Only have bad," stated Rich rushing onto the stage.  "You were supposed to keep intruders from sneaking onto the stage and causing this kind of chaos."

	"Well at least we didn't lose her," argued Jack.  "These ninja wannabes didn't even come close."

	"We resent that," snapped the hooded figures as they leapt down, removing their cloaks in the process.  "We aren't ninja wannabes.  We are real ninjas."

	"I am Nikki, the youngest of the four," said the first of the four a brown-spiky haired owl.  He was covered in brown feathers and wore a violent gi with a red belt.

	"You can call me Shadow," the most mysterious of the four.  Despite taking off his cloak he was covered with a black gi, wore a black belt, black boots, black gloves, and a black mask making it impossible to see who it was underneath it all, though a long with scaly tail was very conspicuous on him and stood out against all the black.

	"As the most beautiful of all the ninjas in the world, I am Chan Lee.  Let all who are ugly be envious of my beauty," he declared his voice quite effeminate.  This one was a pig that was dressed in a vibrant kimono and had his black hair in a top knot.

	"You three are such idiots," shouted the last of the four angrily.  This one was a tiger dressed in a bright orange, black and white gi.  On his back he carried a sword and had plenty of pockets for all his other ninja tools.  "Rule number 46 of being a ninja clearly states that you must never ever reveal your identity while on a mission much less do a whole introduction like this.  Honestly, when we return to the Kingdom of the Blue Moon I am going to have to drill all these rules into you all again."

	"Noob," cried Nikki.  "You know rule number 45 states that we cannot ever reveal the location of our placed of business."

	"You just told them mine name now too," he grumbled.  "Whatever, I'm Noob, the greatest ninja ever and the leader of these hooligans.  Now you might have gotten lucky before, but we're done playing and will take all of you out if that's what is needed to complete out mission."

	"Over our dead bodies!" cried Rex diving down at them.

	"That's what I mean," replied Noob as he lunged himself at Rex and intercepted him on his descent.  Unable to escape his foe's grasp, Rex was helpless as Noob slammed him to the ground and drew his sword.  "Rule number 1 of being a ninja; never leave anyone alive who knows of your existence."  The blade was plunged straight down at Rex's throat and there was nothing he could do pinned beneath Noob.  He shut his eyes on reflex and trembled fearfully moaning.  Rex stopped groaning as soon as he discovered he wasn't the only one doing so and peeked an eye open to see it was coming from Noob who had the sword hovering dangerously close above his wind pipe, but he wasn't holding it there.  Flint had gripped Noob's arm and was squeezing it so hard he cut off the circulation.  'Fast for a gecko."

	"Rule number one, I'm a dinosaur," growled Flint glaring at Noob with a fiery disposition.  "Rule number three; never leave anyone alive who threatens your friends."

	"Out of curiosity," asked Jack.  "What is rule number two?"

	"Never skip meals," answered Flint.  "And in the subsection to that rule a meal must consist of at least three helpings."

	"That's very interesting," wheezed Rex watching the blade of the sword quiver about as the two of them were still deadlocked.  "But how about returning your focus to number three."

	"Oh, right, sorry about that," apologized Flint as he pushed Noob with his free hand and forced him to the wall.  This prompted Nikki, Lee Chan, and Shadow to rush to his aid, but Jack, Dan, and Fonz blocked them while Rex got back to his feet.

	"Time for us to join in," Fonz stated.  "Can't let Flint and Rex take all the credit."

	"You might have caught us a bit by surprise," admitted Shadow.  "But you won't have it so easy once we get serious."

	"True, but that same can be said for us," commented Dan. "But the same can be said for us too."

	"Yeah, and you don't want to mess with me if you want to live," agreed Jack hoping to tempt them away from fighting him in favor of the others.  "I could take you all on and chew you up and spit you out!"

	"A tempting offer, but we prefer to do things the ninja way," stated Nikki as they all grabbed smoke bombs and simultaneously threw them at the ground.  A thick smoke screen covered the stage and suddenly they found themselves unable to see one another.

	"Where did everyone go?" shouted Flint out of the range of smoke.

	"You should be worried more for yourself," replied Noob pulling his sword up so the hilt rammed Flint in the jaw loosening his grip and knocking him away.  This gave the sword wielding ninja the chance to slash the stunned dinosaur across the chest and finish him off.  He figured it would be enough to attack him once and finish him off, but the throbbing in his arm angered him to unleash a flurry of attacks at him before he crashed to the ground.  Coolly, Noob sheathed his sword.  "Rest in peace, gecko."

	"Number one!" roared Flint one moment on the ground and smashing his fist into Noob's face the next with all the anger he could muster.  It was so intense, the attack, he punched him through the wall.  Flint panted trying to calm himself down.  He wanted to go to help his friends, but he couldn't yet, not while he knew his fight was not through yet.

	"What kind of Digimon are these guys?" cried Jack cautiously tiptoeing though the smoke.

	"You must be joking," laughed Chan Lee snorting while he laughed.  "We are too beautiful to be considered such primitive beasts.  I believe the term your kind uses to refer to us is Fragments."

	"Fragments?" replied Rex nearby, only able to hear their words.  "But Fragments can't talk, can they?"

	"Well, some can," admitted Dan.  "But members of the guild don't find that out until they rank higher.  Some of the things that are kept under wraps from the lower members until they prove themselves."

	"Congratulations, Jack," said Fonz in a teasing voice.

	"Hey!  I worked almost as hard as the rest of you," he complained.  His shouts were immediately stopped as a paper fan slapped him across the face bruising his cheek.

	"You should pay attention to the opponent in front of you," mocked Chan Lee as he pulled out a second fan and resumed rapidly slapping his face till his cheeks were rosy and swollen.  He then stopped attacking to snort tauntingly at him.  "Now that's a face only a mother could love."

	"And you have a face only my fist could love," growled Jack at wits end.  He couldn't hold himself back and struck Chan Lee in the face with all his might.  Compared with Flint's attack he hardly made his opponent budge, but he still managed to bruise his face a bit.

	"You heathen!" spat Chan Lee furiously.  "How dare you harm my perfect beauty!  Feel my wrath!"  With burning hatred, he resumed smacking Jack about forcing him to retreat from the stinging pain.

	"If Flint and Jack are fighting two of the ninjas where are the other two?" asked Rex.

	"Over here," answered Shadow directly behind Rex.  Until he spoke Rex had no idea where he was and couldn't even sense his presence until he spoke.  Immediately, Rex spun around to face him, but he was gone already.

	"Where are you?" cried Rex looking around frantically for any trace of him.

	"I'm in front of you," he answered again appearing face to face and nose to nose with Rex scaring him enough to jump back.  Seeing his chance, Rex lunged at Shadow to attack, but he faded away before he could catch him and in his place was a tiny explosive.  Unable to stop his attack, he shielded his body with his arms as the bomb went off.  The explosion tore his costume badly, but it wasn't as strong an explosion as Rex had expected as it knocked him back.  However, he felt the pain of another explosion as the first knocked him into a second and the second soon forced him into a third and so on in an endless cycle.  The only thing Rex could hear besides the explosions were Shadow's chuckles at seeing the Veemon in such a helpless state.  "So much for the fake prince."


	Dan placed Angel on the ground once she had recovered from the shock earlier and the two quietly searched for a way out of the smoke.  In their efforts they encountered Fonz to their relief, but they were no closer to escaping.

	"Glad to see you Fonz," said Angel happily.  "I feel safer already."

	"Wish I could say the same," replied Fonz.  "But we're at a huge disadvantage in this smoke, but what I've been able to overhear the others are all fighting one-on-one meaning only one of those ninjas is still unspoken for.  Hopefully, we'll be able to get you to safety before we run into him."

	"Yeah," agreed Dan.  "You did bring your cannon, right?"

	"Actually, I didn't," admitted Fonz.  "I didn't think I'd need it and besides without my afro I have no fire power anyway."

	"Then we're basically unarmed while they have who knows what at their disposal," stated Dan.  "We have to get Angel out of here even more urgently now or she could get hurt."

	"You don't have to tell me twice," said Fonz offering his hand to Angel while Angel gave her hand to Dan to make sure they didn't get separated in the smoke.  Together they proceeded forward, but didn't make it every far before they were stopped by something getting in their way.

	"What is it?" asked Dan feeling something, but not seeing anything.

	"Invisible strings," answered Angel running a finger over one.  "Looks like we've been fenced in this way."  She attempted to try and break the strings, but even cutting at them with her claws didn't work.  "The strings are as strong as steel too.  We'll have to go in a different direction."

	"This way's no good," stated Fonz finding more strings at his side.

	"And not there are strings this over here too," added Dan already able to tell they were in trouble.

	"This side too," cried Angel fearfully.  "We're surrounded."

	"Sticking together seemed like a good idea," commented Nikki.  "But it just makes you easier to round up and snag."  His voice was coming from the scaffolding above and the next thing they heard was the whooshing sound of sandbags plummeting to the ground.  They didn't even realize it until it was too late that the strings were connected to the sandbags, but it didn't make much of a difference if they couldn't escape.  The strings shrank their confined space until the strings were squeezing against their bodies, pressing them all together and trapping them.  "Part one of capture and go complete.  Now for part two."  He tossed a bomb up at the ceiling and blasted a hole in it.  A huge gust of wind blew down dissipating the smoke from the smoke bombs and revealing everyone's whereabouts.  This also seemed to make their opponents to cease their attacks and give them a momentary reprieve.  It seemed to be a good thing at first until Team Matrix looked up to see what had caused the wind, a huge airship.

	"Why do the bad guys always have such awesome flying machines?" complained Jack sore from being smacked all over with a pair of fans.

	"Well this is a rental," admitted Nikki as he hooked the ensnared Dan, Fonz, and Angel to a rope connected to the airship and started lifting them up to it.

	"You idiot," snapped Noob.  "You were only supposed to get Angel not those two."

	"Should I release them?" asked Nikki.

	"Forget it," groaned Noob.  "We'll deal with them later.  Haul them all up while we finish these the last two off."  He started to approach where Rex and Jack were on the ground still recovering when he felt something grab his foot.  He turned to see it was Flint getting back to his feet.  "You're alive?  But I sliced your belly open."

	"I should really thank Rich for having us wear these suits," he explained showing Noob where he attacked.  While he did manage to tear through the fabric, underneath there was a sturdy piece of body armor that only had markings on it from the sword, but it didn't cut through.

	"You just are prolonging the pain," replied Noob kicking Flint in the face, but Flint caught his foot in his mouth and clamped down sinking his teeth in.  Noob tried force Flint to let go, but he lost his footing and fell down.  Pulling out a few needles from one of his pockets he placed them between his fingers.  "I was even thinking of sparing you all from such a dreadful death, but I'm over it now."  He jabbed the needles into Flint's shoulder and the poison in them too effect fast.  His body grew number from his shoulder outward and his breathing became heavy.  Noob was able to free his foot and aimed more needles at Rex and Jack.  With all his willpower, Flint tried to move, but his body was paralyzed from head to toe and all he could do was watch.  Rex had just managed to get back to his feet, but his focus was on Fonz, Dan, and Angel.  By the time he realized he was being attacked the needles were stuck in him and he was collapsing to the ground.  Jack saw this and attempted to run away, but all that did, was give him a pincushion rump.  With everyone incapacitated the four ninjas made their way up to the scaffolding and grabbed ropes to ascend to the airship.

	"You'll be out of your misery soon," stated Noob.  "Once the poison stops your breathing and your heart you will die a most silent death.  My parting gift to you.  I hope you enjoy it."

	The three Digimon could do nothing more, but remain motionless on the ground.  The words Noob spoke filled them with dread as they were helpless to do anything as their breathing became faint and their hearts slowed to a crawl.  There was nobody they knew who could help them and no time left.  The last thing they heard before everything went dark was the airship flying away.

[center]Nightingale[/center]