It's hard.

Wallace clenches his fists tightly in his hair, curling up into a ball silently in the truck they had stowed away in. Terriermon looks at him, worried, but keeps silent in order to leave Wallace to his thoughts.

Memories floods his mind. Times when Kokomon was still normal, when they still played together, when he got the virus… It hurt Wallace's head so much he just wants to run away from it all. However, he has something he needs to fulfill. He created Kokomon, and it is his mission to destroy him.

I don't want to fight.

Wallace shivers, not from the cold, but from the thought of facing his beloved digimon from the opposite side. He feels warmer as Terriermon wraps his ears around him, misunderstanding his actions. Wallace smiles thankfully, but it doesn't reach his eyes. He slowly lets go of his hair, not from the pain, but because he doesn't want to worry Terriermon anymore. Terriermon feels as bad as him, because he is going to face his brother. He wraps his arms around the small digimon just as the truck hits a bump on the road, throwing them off-balance.

Wallace instinctively hugs Terriermon tightly, and his digimon wisely keeps quiet, even if it is hurting him. He knows that he shouldn't forget what chaos Kokomon could create, has created, and would create for the people around him. He is a menace, and if he doesn't stop him, who will?

I'm scared.

He isn't going to be afraid. This is the biggest moment in his life. This is the time where he has to stand up and face his enemy, where he has to fight. No one else knows Kokomon like he does, and no one else can fight except him. He can rely on no one else.

I feel so alone…

"Wallace…" Terriermon says, unable to hold his breath any longer. It was then that Wallace realizes the death grip he has on Terriermon, and slowly loosens his hold. He looks at Terriermon apologetically, before casting his eyes to the side, where he can see a bit of the world outside through the slit in the doors. The next time he steps through those doors, he would have to continue his journey to find his digimon. His heart clenches painfully in his chest, and he is all too aware of what lies ahead. He is with Terriermon though, and they have each other always… right?

"Don't cry." Terriermon says quietly, his eyes wider than usual as he begs. Wallace isn't going to cry, Terriermon doesn't have to worry about that. He isn't going to cry, because he can do this. He isn't going to cry, because he needs to fight. He isn't going to cry, because his fears weren't important. He isn't going to cry, because he has Terriermon. He isn't going to cry…

…so why were tears falling from his eyes?

This is my duty.

That night, Wallace cries silently in the truck, as Terriermon continues to wrap his ears around him in comfort.