The following morning, Marcus was sitting in front of D.A.T.S. Central alone. Yoshino walked out of the building and sat beside him. She looked at him quietly sitting there, looking at his right hand.

"Marcus, what's wrong?" she asked worriedly.

Marcus looked at her as he said, "That Mega Level said if I didn't work for him, he would destroy everyone I cared about."

Yoshino gasped and hugged Marcus.

"Don't worry about him, Marcus. I know that you will protect me."

Marcus pulled her into his arms and held her tight as he looked at his right hand.

'That's what I'm afraid of,' he thought.

Yoshino snuggled into his chest as she asked, "You know that we'll be going to the Digital World tomorrow, right?" Marcus nodded as he petted her hair.

'Yoshino you're so sweet, kind and fragile. A lady like you should be with a man who could keep you safe. Not a monster like me who only puts you in danger,' he thought. As his train of thought ended, a sad look appeared on his face.

Yoshino saw the look on his face, so she put her left hand on his face and said, "Marcus, I know something's on your mind."

She then put used her free hand to remove the glove on Marcus' right hand, revealing the black, scaly, clawed, demonic limb.

She held it and finished with, "And I know it has to do with the Digimon part of you, so come on and tell me."

Marcus removed pulled his right hand away from her and put his glove back on. "What's wrong this thing? The monster side of me is just getting stronger every day. Looking for a way back out. Every time I use my DNA charge, I feel it clawing at the back of my mind. And when I was fighting Merukimon, it almost broke free."

His hand then started to burn, making Marcus jump away from Yoshino and onto his feet in pain, as his DNA charge covered his arm but it was so dark yo could see throw it.

Right away Yoshino screamed his name and tried to reach him, but Marcus held his left hand out and groaned out, "No Yoshino… Every time I get stronger, the demon in me grows 3 times more powerful. Before long I won't be able to keep it caged up."

The black glow then stopped and Marcus' already demonic arm was changed forever. The glow ate away at his glove and sleeve, revealing the changes to it. From his elbow down, his skin was covered in black scales with dark metallic black scale armor on the outer part of it. Through those metallic scales, an orange glow could be seen. His fingers were covered in dark blood red metallic scales. He had knife like claws that stuck out five inches. From the elbow up, his skin had become red scales. On his shoulder was a metallic black scale plate. The blade going from his wrist to his elbow remained but it was now serrated. That's where the visible changes ended.

Right away Marcus panicked. He removed his coat and held it over his right arm as he ran away from Yoshino with fear in his eyes.

Later…

Marcus finally made it home without anyone seeing him. He climbed in through his bedroom window, shut it and closed the curtains so that no light could make it inside. In the dark he sat on his bed, about out to put his head in his hands.

But, out of nowhere, someone put their hand on his demonic one and he heard Yoshino's voice say, "Marcus I don't care if you become full virus type, I love you, and always will."

She then put her fingers in between Marcus' clawed fingers. Marcus turned to see her face through his glowing golden eyes. He placed his normal hand on her face as she moved her head closer to his. Yoshino placed her free hand on his face as they closed their eyes and kissed. It may have been short, but it was loving. Once they broke the kiss, Marcus turned around and helped Yoshino onto his lap.

Marcus looked at her and asked, "You sure? After all, everyday I'm just going to become more of a monster."

Yoshino put her finger on his lips as she held his demonic right hand and replied, "Yes. I am because you're not a monster. Just one of a kind."

Marcus then pinned her to the bed using his left arm to grab her leg as he gave her the deepest, most passionate kiss of her life. Yoshino wrapped her left arm around his neck as she returned the kiss.

Eight hours later, the two young loves lay under the covers, awake in each other's arms.

Yoshino was laying on Marcus's chest as she held Marcus' demonic arm and whispered out, "I love you."

Marcus held her tight and slowly petted her hair as he said "I love you too."

To be continued