Musings of a Worm
A/N: I was rewatching 02 (save my soul) and this just popped into my head. Who doesn't love Wormmon anyway? Enjoy.
Wormmon fidgeted his claws, looking up at his tamer, who was busy being engrossed in the computer in front of him. For the last fourty-eight hours he had been delighted to spend more time with Ken, since he had claimed he was staying in the Digital World forever. Secretly, part of the worm Digimon had wished for it, but at the end of his stinger, part of him dreaded it, because he also knew that Ken wasn't just Ken, he was the Digimon Kaizer. Wormmon also suspected that the humans Ken had mentioned on rare occasion as annoyances called "parents" were probably worried about him.
I don't want them to worry... Wormmon thought as wind whipped his ears. He was at his master's side, but the warmth something in his heart told him to feel wasn't there. Instead, that dread was overwhelming. Or he was air sick.
"Now, let's evolve him into MetalGreymon!" the Kaizer demanded, raising his hands like some kind of Digital god.
In that moment, Wormmon was glad he had those sticky hairs on his toes because he was clinging onto Aidramon for dear life as the ropes under them whipped and snapped. The Greymon under them began to evolve, but not into MetalGreymon... as one of the "pesky kids" put it, he was Skullgreymon. Even Wormmon had heard tales about this horrible Digimon, including that an entire arena had been wrecked long ago in the Old Digital World, before the ReConfiguration. The last of ropes snapped as the Aidramon moved back.
Wormmon glanced up at his tamer, who had a shocked expression behind those hideous shades. "What the... Skullgreymon?"
Wormmon shrank back as the battle below them ensued. Ken did his best to control the monster, but in the end Ken had to sacrifice a horde of DarkTyrannomon to him to weaken him. Suddenly, Aidramon was darting towards the grown for the worn-out Agumon and the four of them retreated to Rail Town.
Wormmon knew this place well. Ken's little experiment training ground. He had used it frequently while developing the Dark Ring, which he had in turn based on the Dark Obelisk's power. As Ken tossed Agumon into the test chamber, Wormmon looked at the tiny orange-yellow dinosaur. Agumon glanced at him with a pleading look, but before Wormmon could give any response, the door slammed shut in front of him.
"Ken..."
"Stop calling me that," the Kaizer muttered. "Now, watch a true genius in action."
Wormmon followed him to the control room and watched as Ken pulled up the Dark Ring program on the screen. There were many read-outs, mostly indicating stress tension and control levels. Wormmon watched in awe as Agumon was transformed into Greymon, no problem.
Oh, how I wish I could do that. I bet I could defeat the entire Digital World in Ken's honor! ...even if that isn't exactly what I want to do.
"Damn," the Kaizer said, watching as Greymon turned back into Skullgreymon once more. "It's not strong enough... so there's an error in the evolution... interesting... Maybe... let me recheck those levels..."
Wormmon wasn't aware of Agumon's past experiences with the evolution, but he knew such a corrupt evolution must be certainly traumatizing. As much as Wormmon wanted to evolve out of his own curiousity and eagerness to help Ken, he wouldn't want to do it in such a way. On the other hand, Wormmon would be willing to do it in the poor Agumon's place. "Ken..."
"Don't call me that!" the Kaizer screamed, sending his whip flying. Wormmon inched back.
"Please, let me evolve instead," Wormmon pleaded, watching as Agumon transformed into Skullgreymon again. Even as such a hideous monster, Wormmon could see his pain.
"What will you do?" Ken remarked, for once taking his eyes off the screen and fully focusing them on Wormmon. "Turn into a giant butterfly?"
The little green worm buried his head in his hands.Ken turned back to the screen, then his eyes lit up with an idea. He formed three rings on the screen and then transformed them together into, "A Dark Spiral!" Ken laughed with his new proclamation. "This will just take a few minutes..."
Wormmon shook his head. He wouldn't hide. If Ken ever did turn back to the kind person Wormmon knew resided somewhere in him, then he would certainly suffer at his own hands. Wormmon needed to be right there with him. So, his giant bug eyes were looking at Agumon again. He struggled to stand. He mouthed a name between his lips before rolling onto his side in exhaustion. Wormmon furrowed his brow and marched his tiny legs down the stairs. With each wiggle of his butt he moved closer to the door and waited for it to open. He only had a few moments before Ken was down there with him, carrying his new plaything. Wormmon waddled in quickly and raised his stinger to the ring. Then he backed away, for once knowing he had done the right thing, and left, making sure not to see Ken on the way up, but having just enough time to look back and see Agumon give him a nod.