Shield of Blood
Shadow- "Okay... I don't want to blab on forever this time, so... I don't own digimon. Oh, and please review after you finish reading..."
real world, tamers
Takato and the other digidestined exited their portals, and turned in time to see Izzy and Justin fly through a portal. Though they did not fall hard, the two boys were hurt by the fall. The portals had dropped them onto a section of interstate that was under construction, and was completely deserted. Distant noises of the city echoed to where they were, but nobody paid them any mind.
Justin got up, and shook his head to clear it. Izzy also started to rise, but Justin kicked him hard, and Izzy was knocked several feet towards the others. Justin growled. "God damn it! You idiots just don't know when to quit do you?!"
Izzy got up, and looked back at Justin. Izzy saw the look on his face, and quickly hurried away from him, followed closely by Tentomon.
"Just who the hell do you think you are?!" yelled Takato.
Justin started to respond, but stopped himself. He took a deep breath, then said "I... am your friend. I am trying to help you."
Takato snorted. "Some help! Blocking our path and attacking us isn't very friendly!"
"May I remind you that you attacked first?" Justin said, struggling not to yell again. "Besides, there's still time! If we go back to the mainframe there might be-"
Takato cut him off. "Might be what? Some of your pal Sacrosamon's goons, who'll try and kill us?!"
"I... am not his friend... even if he was just testing us when he pointed the gun at Kari... that was still unforgivable..."
"Then why are you listening to him?!"
"Because he actually makes sense!" Justin found himself yelling again. "Because he understands what is going on... how things actually work! He is the oldest digimon, and-"
"Hold on a second..." Izzy said. "Genai told us that he was one of the original programs in the digital world. If Sacrosamon was that old, Genai would have known him."
"Genai?! He was a low-level lackey of the digital gods? He was worth nothing! That's why he survived! The only ancients who survived were either too powerful to be destroyed, or too weak to bother with!"
"... you know, he has a point..." Henry interjected. "That would explain why we haven't found any other ancient digimon besides the gods..."
"Yes," Takato continued, "Or, there weren't many digimon around then!"
"But that's not true either..." Izzy said. "Remember when we saw how the eggs and crests were scattered? There were other digimon then... and Genai worked well with them, so they had to have been there for quite some time..."
Some of the others nodded. Takato looked around. "...okay, then why were you helping the dark worlds?"
"To protect the balance." Justin said. "Sacrosamon said something about Light, Shadow and Darkness... I don't remember it all, but they had to be kept in balance with each other."
"You didn't answer his question." Tai said.
Justin shook his head. "Didn't I? Think about it... if all three have to be in balance, what do you think would happen if one side was thrown out of balance... or even destroyed, like what you did?"
"Chaos, destruction..." Henry said, surprising some of the others. "Balance is essential..."
Takato was at a loss. "But..."
TK turned to Kari. "Kari... you've always been sensitive to darkness... what do you think?"
Kari hesitated, looking around at the others expectant faces. Justin's face was calm, but Takato's had an odd look of happiness in it. Finally, Kari said "the dark worlds... were evil..."
"So it was good that we destroyed them!" Takato interrupted.
Justin shook his head. "I don't think she was done talking... not that it really matters, unfortunately..."
Justin addressed the entire group. "I'm going to try to find a way to fix things. Anyone who wants to come is welcome to."
For a moment, nobody moved. A few people began to step forward. Takato looked around in shock. "What the hell?! You're actually going to try and restore darkness?!"
Justin hesitated, then said "Essentially, yes."
Takato's eyes narrowed. "I don't know what Sacrosamon told you, but he's tricked you. He's trying to use you to get what he wants."
To Takato's surprise, Justin said. "I agree. And what he wants is balance, not death!"
"Damn it, you're working against everything we've done!" Takato yelled. "And if nobody wnats to help me stop you... then I'll do it myself!"
BIOMERGE DIGIVOLUTION
"Gallantmon!"
Several others also Biomerged, but the majority did not, either too confused, or just not believing Takato.
Justin took out his digivice. "If you want to fight that badly..."
BIOMERGE DIGIVOLUTION
"Spectraseraphimon!"
The dark angel and crimson knight stood, only a few meters from each other. Gallantmon had his lance down, ready to attack, and Spectraseraphimon held his staff in a defensive position.
"Well, c'mon!" Takato yelled to the others, and launched himself at Spectraseraphimon.
The angel digimon blocked the thrust, and parried with a sweep from the side with the other end of the staff.
Gallantmon blocked the strike with his shield, and slammed his weapon forward again, but was again stopped.
Frustrated, Gallantmon threw his weight behind his shield, and pushed Spectraseraphimon back towards the edge of the highway. Spectraseraphimon flapped his wings once, and soared upwards, leaving Gallantmon to fall ungainly onto his face.
Spectraseraphimon landed nearby on the road, and waited as Gallantmon got up. "Seriously, Takato," Justin shouted. "We don't need to do this!"
"Yes we do!" Takato yelled, and pointed his now-glowing lance at Spectraseraphimon.
Justin had only enough time to widen his eyes before Takato yelled "Lightning Joust!"
The attack crashed into Spectraseraphimon's chest armor. There was a sickening crack, and the attack broke through the other side, spattering blood onto the pavement and soaring off into the city.
Spectraseraphimon fell to one knee, desperately gasping for breath. Takato angled his shield to face Spectraseraphimon.
"Shield of the J-" his words were cut off by a crack. Gallantmon's shield broke, and both Takato and Justin de-digivolved. Takato looked around in bewilderment. Justin lay on the ground, blood seeping out of his chest and soaking his shirt.
Rika screamed, and hurried over to where Justin lay, closely followed by Renamon and the others. Just as Rika and Renamon reached his side, Shadowmon disappeared in a cloud of data. Renamon watched the cloud dissipate, frozen for a moment, before fading from view in her customary way.
Rika knelt beside Justin, and grabbed his hand. Justin looked up at her, then off to the side as another loud crack sounded. Takato's digivice had cracked along the screen. Rika turned back to Justin.
"Justin... Justin, are you okay?"
Justin chuckled weakly. "I'm covered in blood. What do you think?"
Rika managed a smile. She looked over at the nearby city, then at Joe. She started to ask, be he shook his head.
Rika turned back to Justin. "Justin... it's going to be all right.."
Justin shook his head. "No, it isn't. I appreciate you lying about it, though..."
He closed his eyes, whispered something quietly, and stopped breathing.
Rika choked back a sob.
Everyone turned to Takato, who was still standing over the pieces of his broken digivice. Slowly, the others took out their digivices, and opened their portals. Rika, after grabbing Justin's deck of digimon cards, picked up Justin's limp body, with help from Kari, and carried it through.
Takato was left alone.
Guilmon looked up at Takato. "Takato-mon, what's wrong with Justin-mon?"
Takato sighed, and started the long walk back towards the city.
