Chapter 10
Team Matrix watched as Digitamamon took their guild cards and placed them on the scanner. As it processed the information, accompanied by a series of beeps and clips, Flint and Rex watched while trying to contain their excitement. Digitamamon handed them their cards back and said, plain and simple, "Congratulations, you are all now moved up to Rank Two."
"Hooray!" cheered Flint and Rex with excitement. "Tougher missions, bigger rewards, and more adventures we'll conquer it all!"
"You two still need to take it easy," stated Dan. "You still have to recover from our run in with Faust."
Flint and Rex fell to the ground upon hearing Dan's words. It was true that they did look like a train wreck. While nobody had been badly hurt during their latest adventure, those two did receive the majority of it; the most of which came from their escape from the blimp. It would have been a lot worse if Dan and Fonz hadn't brought them to the medical center to get treated. He started on Dan. After noting each burn, scratch, and bruise it was more logical that he just be wrapped from head to toe in bandages. The doctor mentioned that the claw marks on his arm since they ran a lot deeper than the other wounds and were likely to leave scar after they healed. Flint wasn't too surprised to hear that and said he could live with something so minor.
As for Rex, he had about more or less injuries than Flint. Unfortunately, the doctor used the last of his bandages to wrap up Flint. So instead, he made a cast to use as a big bandaged. Rex actually thought it was going to be cool since he always thought it was like body armor, but he quickly changed his mind when he ended up with his arms trapped inside the cast. In retaliation to the confining object he tried to gnaw it off.
The doctor sighed and said, "If you are going to be stubborn I have no choice but to use a cone."
Rex ignored him and the next thing he knew his vision was blocked by a piece of plastic covering his head to just below his ears. Poor Rex whimpered like a dog at the ridiculous situation he was in so Dan and the others signed their names of the cast to help cheer him up.
"Let's go on a mission now!" said Rex eagerly. "Something that has fire breathing monsters or maybe giants, or fire breathing giants!"
"Yeah," added Flint. "We can handle anything because we're Team Matrix!" Flint tried to cross arms with Rex like usual, but with his hands tied he just knocked on Rex's cast.
"Uh, about that," commented Digitamamon. "I can't send you two out on a mission in the condition you're in."
"But it isn't as bad as it look," explained Flint.
"Even so," retorted Digitamamon. "Until you get permission from the medical center neither of you can go on missions and since you only have one active member now you lack the minimum number of members for your guild to take on any jobs."
"No fair!" sobbed Flint and Rex.
"It's alright," Dan told them in an effort to cheer them up. "We can just wait until you're both back up to snuff."
"Wait," said Flint, coming to a realization. "Dan can still go on a mission as long as we can get two more members right?"
"True," answered Digitamamon. "But your roster only has three members."
"Then we'll find two more people to join our team," stated Rex. "It should be a piece of cake."
"Make that one," came a familiar voice at the door of the guild facility. They turned to see it was Fonz, though he wasn't wearing his usual afro. Instead he had a shorter darkish brown wig.
"You'll join us?" asked Flint.
"I admit," he told them. "It was pretty cool working with you three and you seem to be in a bit of a rut. So, what the hey."
Fonz handed Digitamamon his guild card. "Are you sure you want to change to Team Matrix?" he asked as was in his job policy.
"I just made this whole speech," Fonz answered. "Do you really think I'm going to have second thoughts now?"
"Well, okay then," Digitamamon stated making the necessary computer transactions before returning his card. "You still need one more member, though."
"That's fine," said Flint. "We care take care of this with ease."
"Why don't you and Rex go back to the campsite and take it easy for now," suggested Dan. "Finding one more member shouldn't be much of a hassle for just the two of us."
"I don't know," Fonz pointed out. "After these two chanted how we 'crushed the Excavation Guild' all the way to the medical center I doubt 'find anyone who wants to join us unless they're crazy." Fonz then whispered to Dan. "Though, not letting them see these two might increase our chances."
"I guess they can come on a little strong and forceful," admitted Dan, blushing a bit.
"Hey, I can hear you both perfectly well with this cone on my head," shouted Rex jumping up and down angrily. "You can't just order us to sit around and do nothing."
"And I'm the team leader," added Flint. "I am very particular on who joins our team."
"But you just chose me cause I was there," replied Dan.
"And it worked out just fine," commented Flint.
"We're getting nowhere with this," said Fonz shaking his head.
"Maybe we should let them come. I made an order for a jumbo chocolate cake before the whole Excavation Guild business happened and it should be arriving at our place today. If they go back they'll probably eat it all before we get home." With those words, Flint and Rex were already out the door and headed back to their campsite.
"Is there really a cake coming?" asked Fonz.
"Yeah," answered Dan. "But it won't be delivered for a few more hours. We should be back by then." He licked his lips showing his was anticipating it just as much as the other two were.
"Well, I think we'll get along just fine," said Fonz. "Now let's find one more member." And with that they also left the guild facility.
Jack scrounged around Team Matrixes base in search of anything of interest from food to fill his hungry belly to money to feed his hungry wallet, though neither was filled as much as he hoped. He managed to find the basket with their food, but it was disappointingly empty since he missed them eating breakfast. As for money, it was pretty obvious to where the majority of their profits went.
"What a rip off," moaned Jack munching on a single chocolate bar he managed to find. "I thought these guys would be better stocked than this." His stomach gave a rumbling protest. "Well, maybe I'll have better luck elsewhere."
"Hey, what are you doing here?" asked Flint as he and Rex arrived at their campsite.
"What are you guys doing here?" he asked surprised at their early return. "Aren't you supposed to be out earning more loot or something?"
"We can't in the shape we're in so we came back here for some chocolate cake," explained Rex. "Why are you here?"
"Uh, no reason," stated Jack trying to sound more innocent than he really was. And it might have worked too except that Flint and Rex quickly focused on a chocolate stain around his maw.
"You ate our chocolate cake?" cried Rex sadly. "We were going to eat it."
"Chocolate cake?" replied Jack. "I didn't see any such thing when I was scrounging around." Jack couldn't stop himself from admitting to his treachery and it did little to convince them that he was innocent of eating their cake. Anger radiated from them as if they were literally on fire and without warning then lunged at him.
In a panic Jack ran for it, narrowly avoiding them and now making his escape. "Nice try!" he bragged. "But in the shape you're in you'll never catch me."
He gave a laugh as he was making off like a bandit, but a pair of enraged growls from behind caught his attention. He turned around at the demonic sight behind him. Both Flint and Rex seemed possessed by demons with soulless eyes and drool pouring out of their maws. He couldn't tell if they were just that enraged at him or if they were just really hungry and that growling was coming from their stomachs. He didn't have time to think as they started chasing him much faster than he expected them to.
It was everything he could do to get away from them as he maneuvered and weaved through the trees. He didn't know how he did it, but he somehow managed to give them the slip and rest under a large oak tree. He panted and wheezed from having overexerted his muscles even more so than he had helping them shoot down the blimp the other day. He wiped the sweat from his forehead as he tried to catch his breath.
"Those guys are really monsters," he wheezed. "I think they were really going to kill me over a cake that I didn't even eat. I mean I could understand if I really did do it, but there's nothing worse than getting blamed for something I didn't do."
Jack didn't get much farther in his self monologue as he felt and gooey globs of liquid splash on his head. He looked up to see Rex glaring down on his and freakishly turn his head 360 degrees before diving down at his. The terrified Jack leapt out of the way in time, but Rex was already catapulting himself at him again. Jack narrowly avoided that by an even narrower margin as Rex continued to bounce from tree to tree gaining speed every time. Each hit on Jack knocked him for a loop until he was dazed and confused. Rex was getting ready for the finishing blow by pushing the springiness in his legs to the max tension before launching himself.
Jack managed to regain his senses in time to see Rex fly at him and in a last ditch effort to avoid him he started to do a limbo. He had to suck in his gut as far as he could, but he managed to just barely get under Rex as he flew directly over him. His daring dodge paid off as Rex passed him and ended up with his noggin lodged in a tree giving Jack the chance to make his escape.
Normally, he'd take such an opportune moment to gloat, but bragging was the last thing he had on his mind as he felt his life was on the line. He rushed aimlessly through the forest too flustered to figure out where he was, but terror quickly returned in greater intensity of he found he was back at the campsite. He got onto his knees panting and wheezing harder than before praying and begging he neither of them would think he'd come back here. Those hopes were crushed when he a large, scaly, orange foot land before him. Normally, he'd never find a foot fascinating or bother to stare at one, but he preferred it to the sight above it, but inevitably he had to and he saw it was Flint, fire foaming out of his mouth.
Flames slivered out of his lips as he charged up for an attack and unleashed a wave of fire surrounding them both in a ring of fire. Jack trembled in fear and made a "you've got to be kidding me face." He took a few steps backwards, but bumped into Rex who had somehow snuck up behind him.
"This is the end," cried Jack. "Goodbye cruel world!"
"Did anyone order a chocolate cake?" came a voice from nowhere. Moments later, a Drimogemon erupted from the ground with a box in hand. "This is the place isn't it?"
"This is the place," answered Dan as he arrived with Fonz.
"Alright, that'll be 200 RAM please," he told them. Dan paid and was given the cake before the Drimogemon crawled back into his hole and left.
"You guys do anything cool while we away?" asked Fonz. He appeared unnerving by the fact that they were in a ring of fire Flint grabbing Jack's left arm and leg while Rex was restraining his right arm and chewing on his ear. Jack seemed to be muttering something they couldn't hear; his will perhaps. "Guess you guys don't want any cake then."
Those words seemed to reach Flint and Rex as they quickly dropped Jack and ran to the cake. The ring of fire dissipated leaving Jack in a state of shock. Dan, seeing his limp body picked him up and carried them over to the table to eat with them.
"So good!" moaned Flint with joy as he stuffed a huge chunk of cake into his mouth. "I'm so glad you got this for us Dan."
"I'm just sorry we didn't find anyone else to join our team," he replied licking his plate clean of the last few cake crumbs. "Guess we'll have to try again tomorrow."
"That's alright," said Rex. "We've already found one."
"Who?" asked Fonz.
"This guy," answered Flint nudging Jack in the shoulder. "He's helped us before and he isn't half bad in a fight."
"What?" Jack exclaimed. "You guys went all psycho and now you think I'll join you guys?"
"Oh, we were just messing around," explained Rex. "Think of it like an initiation game."
"Sounds amusing," chuckled Fonz.
"Well, did all of you have to go through this sort of initiation?" asked Jack.
Dan and Fonz looked at one another with a worried look upon their faces. A strange foreboding was in those words that was only confirmed when they saw that Flint and Rex were gone. They scanned around the area, but they were nowhere to be seen. Then without warning they felt a sharp sting at their rears as they were attacked with soaking weight towels. They leapt into the air in surprise and shock. They turned to face Flint and Rex, both with towels in hand ready to snap.
"Any ideas?" asked Dan nervously.
"Run," replied Fonz and with that they took off and their pursuers gave chase.
Jack finished up the remainder of the cake as he watched his new teammates having fun. "I think this gig might not be so bad after all," he thought.
