Thanks to Shizuku_Tsukishama749 for betareading this chapter!
Chapter 1: Darkness
Cold, dark, lonely, numbing, bleak. These were only a few words to describe their situation.
The shared cell was pitch-black, and the only sound was Patamon's incessant, bruise-induced whimpers. Tailmon was doing her best to keep watch on the door and tend to the sniveling Digimon at the same time, while Veemon could only watch in silence.
There wasn't a single soul in the Digital World who didn't know of their adventures, but now it was hard to believe these were the same heroes who had taken on BelialVamdemon.
In a simpler, more peaceful time, just after the Destiny Stones were destroyed and BelialVamdemon was defeated, all the Digimon worked together to repair the damage and get things back to normal. The Chosen Digimon became extremely well-respected for all they'd done for the Digital World, and everything seemed perfect.
But the perfect picture can never remain in the perfect frame forever. There always comes a time when cracks begin to travel down the wood or stone, and soon enough the frame is broken.
Something similar happened here. The contented lives of the Digimon lasted but a while, for seemingly just as quickly another evil attacked, coming so suddenly no one had expected it. Countless Digimon villages were leveled, the valuable strong being captured and the useless weak eliminated.
Veemon did his best to ensure Wormmon and Armadimon made it out and had tried to do the same for Patamon and Tailmon, but they refused to leave him. In their steadfastness, however, they'd all been captured.
Since then, each day had felt like a million years that never ended. Veemon's punishments were the worst, and though for the first several days Patamon had spent every free moment futilely ramming the bars of the cell, it was clear that whoever was keeping them here wanted them to stay for good.
The Unnamed One, he whose species no one could determine, looked like a human yet could shape-shift and possessed Digimon-liked powers. Nonetheless, his weapon of choice was a Datchi Club, a long metal pole with spikes running down both sides, and each blow left bruises, gashes, and spattered digital blood.
The Overlord had revealed that his master plan involved Imperialdramon, but Veemon resolutely pretended not to know where his friends were. Many times Patamon had wanted to simply let the information slip, if only to save Veemon the agony.
Like tonight. The beating was much crueler than usual, and both Patamon and Tailmon, forced to watch, were horrified. Patamon sent constant Boom Bubbles in attempts to distract the villain, while Tailmon trembled, memories of her hellish time with Vamdemon beginning to resurface.
"Stop it, please!" Tailmon yelled, though she knew her cries would have no effect. This enemy was as ruthless as her former master; he would spare them no mercy.
By now, bleeding wounds covered Veemon's body, and the little dragon's skin was more red than blue. Abruptly, deeming this punishment sufficient for the time being, the Unnamed threw Veemon back in the cell and took Patamon, feeling he needed to be punished for attempting to rebel.
Tailmon rushed after him desperately, but a powerful blast forced her back, and an instant later the prison-cage was locked. Determined to try again, she hissed and brandished her claws, but the winged Digimon caught her eye and shook his head. The feline let her shoulders slump and her gaze drop to the floor.
Why was this happening? What had any of them done to deserve this? And why…why couldn't they break away...?
Tossing one last glance over her shoulder, she hurried over to Veemon and began to treat his wounds as best she could. Valiantly and with much effort, she kept her threatening tears at bay, knowing saltwater would infect the wounds and only hurt Veemon more.
Each breath the dragon-Digimon took was labored, and Tailmon's heartbeat quickened with fear and panic. They needed to get Veemon out of here! If only she could reach Hikari somehow, then her partner could contact Daisuke! The feline-Digimon almost smiled as she pictured how eager Daisuke would be to personally wring the necks of those who'd hurt his best Digifriend.
Minutes later, a little too quickly for Tailmon's liking, Patamon was roughly chucked back inside the cell. Not that getting her friend back sooner than expected was a bad thing, but it certainly was suspicious. Having been a servant of an evil Digimon herself, she knew they always had ulterior motives for everything they did. Pushing these thoughts aside, she padded over and picked him up gingerly, laying him down next to a resting Veemon.
Suddenly, the white Digimon's sensitive ears pricked as familiar footsteps were heard approaching their cell, and she whirled around with sharp claws at the ready. Her eyes widened, however, when the door was opened and Hawkmon was dumped on the floor. The footsteps disappeared back down the hall, but Tailmon paid this little mind as she examined her teammate. His condition wasn't as severe as the others', so she finished patching up Patamon first before being Hawkmon's doctor.
Finishing her bitter work at last, Tailmon sat and leaned against the wall, tears pricking her eyes.
"Hikari..." she murmured desperately, wanting her partner here with her more than anything. If only the human were with her, then these guys wouldn't be able to touch her or her friends! While her health was considerably better than Patamon or Veemon's, all she'd ever been able to do was watch her friends be thrown around like slabs of butcher-meat instead of help them! Tears rolled down her cheeks now at last, and she somehow managed to find sleep among her fears and sorrows.
Veemon, meanwhile, lay a few steps away from her, feeling searing, knife-like pain with each breath he took. When he was being beaten, he'd tried to escape, but that had only angered the Faceless One and made him increase the torture. Still, no matter the pain, he was grateful to Tailmon for taking care of him and could tell she'd held back her tears for his sake.
His thoughts drifted to Daisuke for a moment, wondering if his friend had figured out where he was, what had happened to them. Of course he hadn't. It wasn't as if a sign would've appeared via his Digimentals since his courage had stayed through all the beatings and his concern for his friends hadn't lessened in the slightest.
But after today, he wasn't so sure. How long would they have to endure this? It had only been two weeks tops since they'd been captured, but it'd felt like several months.
Guilt tore at the Digimon's heart for getting Patamon and Tailmon involved in this. Yes, they'd chosen to remain at his side of their own free will, but he should have tried harder to make them go! Some friend he was dragging them into danger along with him!
His eyes shifted to Patamon, and he took special note of all the bruises and hack-wounds covering his body. Something gray caught his attention just beyond his friend, a piece of dirty cloth, and he shakily got to his feet to stagger over and do his best to dust it off. Just going through the meager motions of moving his arm caused pain to rush through him, but he ignored it. The only thing he wanted was to give Patamon at least one decent night's sleep, whether or not he could get one himself.
The blue dragon rubbed the cloth against his skin to get off some of the excess grime. But he got too close with one swipe and winced, falling to his knees as one of his wounds reopened. He immediately forced himself back on his feet, leaning against the wall and breathing heavily. He coughed a bit, blood spurting from his mouth. He refused to give in even then, knowing Daisuke would want him to do his best in this and any situation. Finally, he finished his work and struggled back over to his rival and best friend, wrapping it around the little hamster's frail body. It would eventually stop the loss of blood and soak up what persisted, so he wouldn't lose too much.
Abruptly, the little one stirred, and Veemon leaned in close to hear what he was saying.
"Takeru...I'll always have faith in you..." Patamon uttered sleepily, and once more a feeling of responsibility tore at his teammate's heart.
He had to do something, find a way to get at least Patamon and Tailmon out of here! But—but he didn't know how, and it made him feel so useless! For the first time in Gennai knew how long, he sat down, buried his head in his hands, and cried. He had always been such a happy-go-lucky Digimon that crying was a severely rare occurrence. But right now, it seemed as if all hope were lost, as if the beatings had snatched away all positive emotion from his heart. Nonetheless, his tears ceased eventually, and the Digimon of Courage and Friendship tried his hardest to get some much-needed-hard-earned sleep.
Patamon, too, was also attempting to sleep. He felt a little better with the cloth wrapped around him, and he coughed lightly, murmuring Takeru's name although he knew his partner wasn't here. The hamster-Digimon opened one eye to see Veemon, and even in the dark he was able to tell how distraught his friend was. Patamon could sense the blue dragon blamed himself for getting them in this predicament, but he honestly had nothing to be sorry for. They couldn't have just left him alone! They were his friends, after all!
What the orange Digimon wanted right now more than anything was to simply embrace his two friends and tell them how much they meant to him. He wanted to find Takeru, to let him know how much he missed the unbreakable friendship they'd shared during their first adventure together.
Right then and there, Patamon decided their enemies would dearly pay for putting them through all of this. Once morning came, he would discuss his escape plan idea with the others; if nothing else, they could alert their human partners.
His eyes drifted over to Tailmon, who appeared to be sound asleep, but kept on tossing and turning due to the usual bouts of nightmares. He watched her face scrunch up like she was in pain, and Patamon frowned protectively. He would protect her even if his life depended on it.
She'd taken a few beatings like the rest of them, but nothing compared to what he and Veemon had endured, especially the dragon. It made him feel so devoid of hope, the fact that all he could do was sit there while his friends were brutally tortured, something he wouldn't wish on his worst enemy! Veemon's strength gave him a little courage, but that didn't help the worthlessness he felt.
Stop that! a tiny, strong voice scolded lightly.You have to keep the light in your heart alive and burning! If you want to stand a chance of getting out of here, if you want to help your friends, keep the hope alive!
Normally, hearing voices was a sign of insanity, but Patamon knew this as his heart's voice. He knew that if Takeru were here, he would probably tell him the same thing…or would he? The human boy had changed so much since their first adventure, become a lot more controlling and forceful. What if…what if he didn't even care about Patamon anymore? No! He couldn't think like that! Takeru had promised him they'd be friends forever!
"If you promise we'll always be friends?" Tokomon queried after the fight with PicoDevimon.
"Of course! Friends forever!" Takeru promised, and Tokomon jumped into his arms out of happiness.
Tears filled his eyes at the memory. He could only hope Takeru remembered his promise, and more than that he wanted to believe their friendship really could last forever. Whatever happened from this moment on, he'd have to work harder than ever to keep his hope alive.
Though with everything the way it was now, that was getting more and more difficult to do, even more so than he had expected.
Wormmon, Armadimon, Agumon and Gabumon huddled together in a cave in one of the Digital World's more deserted arid regions. They'd been on the run almost non-stop for two days now and, seeing as there'd been no sign of the enemy since they escaped, decided now would be as perfect a time to rest as any.
Still, while they were physically recovering, the same couldn't be said for their emotional states.
"We have to go save Veemon, Hawkmon, Tailmon, and Patamon!" Wormmon exclaimed, his heart beating painfully at the thought of his captive best friend, hoping with all his heart that Veemon was all right. With things how they were now, his only hope was that his friend would stay strong. Agumon moved forward, touching his friend's shoulder gently.
"Gabumon and I are going to try to get to the real world to contact Taichi and the other Chosen Children!" he assured. Wormmon gasped sharply and was about to protest, but Agumon beat him to the punch. "I won't deny the risks of us getting captured, but don't worry. We have a plan that'll ensure at least one of us gets to the real world."
The plan was dicey, Agumon knew that, but it was the only hope they had. If the Chosen Children weren't made aware of what was going on, the Digital World would only spiral into more and more chaos until nothing else was left. The kids were the only ones who could help them, and the dinosaur wasn't even sure it would be enough this time. But the Digimon had always believed in their partners and vice versa, and they weren't about to stop now.
"I want to come, too! I want to be with Ken-chan!" Wormmon cried, a plea in his eyes, and Agumon sighed. Settling on his knees, he gave the smaller Digimon a smile. He could sense Wormmon's worry for his friends, and to be honest, he was really worried, too. Still, he did his best to push aside his nagging doubt.
"We all want to help, Agumon! We're a team!" Armadimon expressed. He'd become a lot quieter since this nightmare began, not knowing how to react. He'd considered Veemon, Patamon and Tailmon as the strongest, yet they had been so easily defeated…! If that were the case for them, then what chance did the rest of them stand against this evil? He knew he shouldn't think that way, but everything seemed so impossible!
Agumon's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
"You're both being irrational! They all sacrificed themselves so we wouldn't be captured!" Agumon reminded sternly, a little harsher than meant because he was beginning to get a headache.
Despite being the partner of the leader of the original Chosen Children, for once he felt at a loss of what to do. He wished Taichi was here to give some sort of guidance. Wormmon and Armadimon didn't say anymore, much to his relief, yet the insect Digimon averted his pained eyes, and Agumon's heart broke for the little Digimon.
Veemon and Wormmon were best friends, and he knew how hard it was to be separated from someone so close to his heart. Agumon and Gabumon were also Jogress partners, and the orange dinosaur knew he would be acting the same way if it Gabumon were the one captured.
At that moment, Gabumon gave him a small smile and took over the task of comforting Wormmon. Agumon smiled back. His best friend had always been better at this.
Taichi...I wish you were here ,the dinosaur-Digimon thought sadly. If he felt like this, he didn't even want to imagine how Veemon and the others were feeling as prisoners of that Unknown Creature. Even Tentomon hadn't been able to figure out its exact species. They only knew he was powerful, and that definitely wouldn't be enough to give them an edge.
He blinked, mulling over his own thoughts and chuckling humorlessly. He just found it ironic that he was meant to be the Digimon of Courage, yet here he was, severely doubting their ability to win!
"Agumon, quit thinking like that!" Gabumon barked, tone more biting than it had ever been before. He grabbed Agumon's shoulders and glared at his closest companion and Jogress evolution partner. "I know you're scared and worried, we all are, but you are the Digimon of Courage, for Gennai's sake! Taichi wouldn't want you to surrender!" The dinosaur-Digimon opened his mouth to respond, but Gabumon cut him off. "Besides, haven't we survived tough situations before? You were even a slave of the Digimon Kaiser at one time! We haven't been through so much just to give up now! Agumon, our crests work for each other! Use my friendship to fuel your courage!"
The leader simply stared at the reptile-Digimon as if he were seeing his friend for the first time. For once their believing-and-doubting roles were reversed. It made him feel better to know that it was okay to be scared, that despite being in charge he didn't always have to put on a brave face.
"You're right." What his best friend had said was true. He grinned at their attentive, softly-smiling friends, then turned to nod at Gabumon. "Let's go."
Their companions watched them leave the safety of the cave. They were still worried, but understood that there wasn't much choice if they hoped to rescue the others and defeat this new enemy.
The two Digimon ran toward the television monitor-portal when suddenly an army of the Unknown Creature's mind-controlled prisoners intercepted and attacked them. Agumon and Gabumon attempted to fight them off until they realised just how steeply outnumbered they were. Time to unleash their emergency plan!
Their eyes met for a brief moment, and they shared a nod. Agumon leaped up on one of the Digimon's backs and shot off his Pepper Breath to distract the others. Gabumon took this chance and jumped for the portal at the bottom of the small mountain.
Not being the most graceful of Digimon, he rolled down the side of the steep mountain and sustained a few bruises before he gathered himself enough to stop his violent descent and regained his footing. His speed now was more than he'd he run in his life, even in his higher evolutions. He finally reached the television monitor and was sucked in a mere half-second prior to it being destroyed completely.
Gabumon landed right in front of the Yamato's band rehearsal building. Breathing deeply with tightly closed eyes, he forced himself to his feet despite the fact that all he wanted was to collapse from the exhaustion he felt. Even more now he knew he had to keep going, if only for the sake of Agumon, who'd sacrificed himself in order to make sure his best friend got to the real world in one piece.
The reptile-Digimon pounded against the door of the building Yamato practiced in. One of the band members opened the door and screamed, and Yamato, who had been a little farther inside, came to the door to see what was causing the commotion. The teen's eyes widened immediately upon seeing Gabumon, feeling happy and fearful at once.
He was so glad to see his best Digifriend again, but he was horrified at Gabumon's exhaustion and injuries. His band-mate, Takahashi, wore an expression of shock and terror. The blond paid no attention to him, however, and instead knelt down by his friend, laying a gentle hand on his back and offering a tiny, sad smile.
"Hang in there, Gabumon…" was all he could manage, praying it would be reassurance enough for now.
"Onii-san, give me the remote!" came Yagami Hikari's annoyed shout from across the room. Their mother simply rolled her eyes at her children's actions; this was a regular occurrence.
"No way, Hikari!" Taichi refused, changing the channel to watch his favourite anime, 'Dragon Ball Z,' while Hikari continued to wrestle him for the chance to watch one of her favourite dramas, 'One Tree Hill.' "Besides, you can watch your show for free online! I'd have to waste time downloading my anime!"
The siblings kept on fighting for a few minutes until a stabbing pain jolted in Hikari's chest, making the girl gasp and reach for her heart.
"Hikari..." Tailmon's voice uttered desperately, and the fifteen-year-old's eyes widened. Taichi noticed the sudden change in his sister and immediately dropped the remote, forgetting their previous rivalry in favor of touching her shoulder gently.
"Hikari?" Taichi asked quietly, concerned eyes narrowing a little. She gazed at her brother with somewhat glazed eyes ahead of scrambling to her feet and rushing to her room.
"Hikari!" The bushy-haired boy hurried after her, managing to catch her by the shoulder before she could get too far and forcing her to turn around so he could meet her eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked urgently.
Worry churned in his stomach, but he tried to keep calm all the same. If he lost it, he wouldn't be able to help his sister. The flu had been going around at her school, so maybe…maybe it was that? Not that it was any less worrying, considering the horrid, would-rather-be-forgotten memories that surfaced whenever she got sick, but still…
"Onii-san...it's Tailmon! I heard her calling for me!" Hikari relayed, tears rolling down her cheeks. She took a few steps forward to rest her head on her brother's chest, and Taichi numbly wrapped his arms around her.
He was shocked, speechless for one of the few times in his entire life. If Tailmon were in trouble, then Agumon... So many unthinkable possibilities rushed through his mind. He knew that this couldn't be a coincidence. Something was going on…and it had to be something big. He could only hope they were ready for this. Honestly, what put him on edge the most was that they'd never been this connected to their partners before, to the points of hearing them and feeling their pain…
Casting it off as something he'd ask Koushiro about later, he opened his mouth to attempt to comfort Hikari. He was about to tell her that everything would be okay, that he would protect her no matter what happened, when the apartment phone rang. The leader of the original Chosen Children guiding his crying younger sister to the phone, he picked up the receiver and put it to his ear.
"Hello—?"