ORIGINALLY AIRED: 7/22/2004

Betterman Episode 7 - Forte

Episode #020

Traveling to India to investigate a possible connection between Algernon and the mystical Ajanta caves, the Akamatsu Industries team instead finds yet another threat, the monster that supposedly dwells there.

The team quickly learns that the Behemoth is no myth, as all but Keita and Hinoki succumb to its hallucination-inducing cry. But nothing is as frightening as what Keita sees, and what he sees is all too real. Betterman, who's no match for the monster, is quickly overpowered and appears to have been killed in battle.

With the caves crumbling around them, Keita and Hinoki find themselves deeper and deeper from the surface, which means they're closer and closer to death. They finally regain consciousness after their fall, but the Behemoth is still out there and in pursuit.

Despite the darkness and the mazelike caverns, Keita and Hinoki stumble upon the rest of the team, who by now have snapped out of the trance that led each of them to the same part of Ajanta. Though Keita is thrilled to be reunited with his friends, there isn't necessarily safety in numbers, especially since the Behemoth was too strong even for Betterman.

However, there may still be a slim chance for survival, as Betterman wasn't killed, just critically wounded. Right in front of him is the opportunity to assume his strongest form yet, but will he be able to reach out for it before it's too late?