One Night, The Ninjas and the Rainbooms took Team Shine and The Digidestined on an evening run across the city. Karai and Shinigami couldn’t come due to business in the Foot Clan. As they jumped from building to building, Twilight and April made sure no one fell off should they be needed. Sure enough, Yolei almost fell off one building, but April used her ESP to pull her up.
“Thanks, April!” Yolei grinned.
“Anytime.” April winked before they continued.
Soon enough, they all stopped on a roof to take a breather.
“You guys are doing a good job keeping up.” Leo grinned.
“Well, it’s similar to the laps we run at soccer practice.” Davis bragged.
“Minus the jumping from building to building part.” Veemon added.
“Quiet, Veemon. You’re cramping my style.” Davis whispered.
“Yeah, it’s nice to get out and observe New York.” Gamer looked around.
“Too bad Fugitoid is in the middle of his reprogramming to see this.” Sunset said.
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Meanwhile, Fugitoid and Metalhead were in Donnie’s lab hooked up to a computer while playing cards with Andromon.
“You got any threes?” Fugitoid asked the Digimon.
“Pursue aquatic life.” Andromon answered.
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“There’s a passageway in the sewers nearby. Let’s finish our run there.” Leo suggested.
As everybody headed that way, Shine Boy stopped to look around, which was noticed by April.
“You all right, Shine Boy?” she asked.
“I thought I felt something…… familiar.” Shine Boy pondered. “No mind. We better catch up to the others.”
April nodded as they followed the others. Unknown to them, a dark figure was watching them from a higher building before walking away.
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The teams were able to complete their run. But during their last lap, no one noticed Fluttershy stopping and felt her geode and took a left turn away from the group. Everybody soon stopped completing their run.
“Everybody ready to head back?” Leo checked with the group.
Rainbow Dash then noticed someone missing. “Where’s Fluttershy?”
“Did she get lost?” Shine Girl worried.
“Kinda hard to in this part of the sewers.” Mikey said.
“She couldn’t have gone too far.” Kari looked around.
“The only way she’d get lost is if she was upset or saw a cute animal.” Applejack stated.
“We better find her.” Davis stated and started to run off before Raph grabbed his collar.
“Cool it, tough guy! We should stick together so we don’t be the ones lost.”
“I’ll scan the area.” Gamer pushed a button on his goggles turning on his scanner. “These sewer walls are blocking my extended vision. We should start walking. But I think I can find a lead.”
“That’s what I said!” Davis complained.
“Dude. Chill.” Casey rolled his eyes.
“Gamer take the lead. April, follow him. Everyone, stay alert.” Leo sorted.
Davis felt ignored as everyone walked away. “Why is everyone not listening to me?” he cried.
“I’m sorry. You say something?” Mikey popped up as they followed the others.
It didn’t take long for April to sense the shy girl.
“She’s close.” She whispered before noticing a turn. “Over here, everyone!”
Everyone entered to fine Fluttershy next to something covered.
“Is something wrong, Fluttershy?” T.K. asked.
“Oh. I’m sorry. I heard crying and went to investigate.”
“I don’t see anyone.” Keno looked around.
“And I’m pretty sure we would have heard crying as we passed by.” Yolei stated.
“I think this’ll answer that.” Fluttershy held up a small ordinary turtle.
“Hey look! It’s one of your cousins!” Davis joked to the turtles.
“Well, he ain’t wrong.” Donnie sighed.
“Oh yeah! You can talk to animals. I forgot about that.” Kari pointed out.
“But why is this little one crying?” Shine Boy wondered as he looked at the turtle and rubbed it's chin with his finger.
“She was telling me she was aducted from the zoo by two mean guys who plan to sell her to a really scary guy.”
“How heartless!” Cody irked.
“Especially since there are a lot of endangered species of turtles.” Ken pointed out before turning to the Turtles. “Uh no offense.”
“None taken, Ken.” Mikey grinned.
“And you’re right.” Raph gloomy said.
“Who’d be stupid enough to pull that crime?” Casey cracked his knuckles.
His answer came in the form of the sound of stabbing. Everyone looked up at a grate to see three men talking. The one with the knife was eating a slice of pizza he stabbed. He had brown bushy hair and wore hunting gear over a brown trenchcoat, khaki pants, black boots, and a tan shirt. He was talking to two familiar guys.
“Flim and Flam.” Applejack growled.
“Who are they?” Love Shine asked.
“They’re con artists.” The cowgirl hissed. “Nothing but a duo of weasels.”
“But who’s their business partner?” Casey wondered.
Gamer quietly scanned with his goggles. “According to the databanks, his name is Simon Bonesteel. A mental patient who claims to be the best bounty hunter in the world. And he hunts endangered species and sells him to the black market. He’s wanted for illegal poaching, kidnapping, and firearm possession.”
“Reminds of that hunter who tried to hunt your old girlfriend, D.” Mikey chuckled.
“Oh Ha Ha.” Donnie said dryly, hate to be reminded of their encounter with Bigfoot.
“What are they up to?” Sunset wondered.
“Let’s listen and see.” Leo suggested as they all hushed to listen to the three above.
“From what we heard, you hunt for endangered species, Mr. Bonesteel.” Flim sneered.
Bonesteel smirked. “So you two come to ol’ Bonesteel with this here endangered species of turtle fer a reasonable price. Personally, I enjoy the thrill of the hunt myself. But considering what I can get at the black market, I’ll make an exception.”
As they talk, the cheese from Bonesteel’s pizza slice was oozing on the grate. Mikey drooled at the sight and was about to reach for it only to be pulled back by Shine Girl.
Flam continued. “The zoo back in Canterlot didn’t know what hit them. By the time they found out the turtle was missing, we were long gone.”
“Heh. Amateurs.” Bonesteel smirked before he gave both Flim and Flam a bunch of money. “Here’s the dough. Five thousand a piece.”
Flim and Flam grinned as they flip through the bills.
“Mr. Bonesteel, you just bought yourself an endangered species.” Flim smirked.
Hearing this, Fluttershy was gritting her teeth in anger while Raph was patting her shoulder to calm her down.
“You’ll find the turtle down that grate. Had to make sure the NYPD didn’t get suspicious.” Flam explained before the brothers took their leave.
“He’s gonna come down here!” Twilight feared.
“Let’s knock some sense into that jerk!” Davis pulled out his Digivice, only for Shine Boy to grab his arm.
“Hold it, Davis! He doesn’t know about us!”
“Shine Boy’s right. I suggest we take our little friend and get outta here! Fighting isn’t always the answer, especially if Bonesteel is dangerous.” Sunset agreed.
But before they could leave, they heard the grate open.
“He’s coming down!” Wormmon worried.
“Quick! Everybody hide!” Leo ordered.
Everybody was able to hide out of sight just as Bonesteel entered and walked towards the covered cage while talking to himself.
“Hello, my little soon to be extinct species. Once I sell you, we’ll find a spot for you as an ashtray. Or maybe a silver platter.”
He removed the cover only to not see his turtle not there.
“WHAT? Where’d you go? Couldn’t have gotten out on it’s own!” Bonesteel pulled out a flashlight and looked around. “I KNOW YOU’RE OUT THERE! SHOW YOURSELF! YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT BELONGS TO ME!”
“We do?” Mikey asked Pinkie.
“Well, he did buy it off Flim and Flam.” Pinkie pointed out.
“Shh!” Gamer shushed them.
Casey crawled behind some junk when a hubcap fell in front of him, alerting Bonesteel.
“I HEARD THAT! COME ON OUT! YOU CAN’T HIDE FOREVER!” he started to walk over to Casey’s position.
“Shoot! He knows we’re here! We hafta fight!” Davis pleaded to Leo and Shine Boy, who shushed him.
“Not yet we don’t.” Shine Boy pulled out an orb from his utility belt and threw it towards Bonesteel.
“Well, what do we have here?” Bonesteel picked up the orb. “Did you kiddies lose yer ball?”
Suddenly, smoke hissed out of the orb, blinding the Hunter.
“Everyone! Make a run for it!” Shine Boy cried.
Everyone ran to leave the caverns while the smoke kept them covered. On the way out, Veemon bounced on Bonesteel while he, Davis, and Mikey made faces at him while running. Unfortunately, Bonesteel was able to see the three despite the smoke.
“What in blazes?” he growled.
“This way!” Leo shouted as they all made a sharp left. By the time Bonesteel got his sight back, they were gone.
“I’LL TRACK YOU DOWN FER MAKING A FOOL OUTTA SIMON BONESTEEL!” His voice echoed.
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Meanwhile, Flim and Flam were walking in an alleyway, counting their money.
“What a score! That Bonesteel is such a chump!” Flim smirked.
“Not as big as chumps as the zoo caretakers.” Flam added.
Suddenly, both were pulled up by a rope tied to their legs to the top of a building. There, a guy with long brown hair wearing a leather jacket pulled on their hair and close to him.
“Where. Is. Bonesteel?” he growled.
“Bonesteel? What’re you talking about?” Flim scoffed.
“Do you know who you’re talking to?” sneered Flam.
“Someone who’s gonna feel pavement on his face!” The figure hissed as he lowered the the two too fast like they were falling. They both screamed as they fell and were pulled up again.
“I suppose you don’t want that mustache either.” The figure smirked.
“Alright! Alright! He is in the sewers near ninth street! We just sold him an endangered species of turtles to him.” Flim feared.
“Why does that not surprise me.” The figure rolled his eyes.
“We were just doing business is all.” Flam shivered.
“Ending a species’ just to fill your pockets. Your kind disgusts me.” The figure glared.
Flim held out the money to the figure. “Look. Here’s five thousand for you to let us go.”
“Do you think I’m in it for the money?” The figure glared more before holding his fist up as it glowed black energy and held it close the the brothers. The alley way was filled with screaming. The figure shortly walked out from it as he pulled out a bottle of root beer and drank from it. After putting the bottle away, he then walked away while talking to himself.
“I betcha I’ll find Shine Boy and his new friends, and I find Bonesteel as well!”
To Be Continued