Words: 17,747/82,250||Chapters: 10/47
Kaiser kept his attention all on the screens. Well, perhaps not quite all of it. Enough remained to watch Daisuke and make certain that he didn't get into any trouble.
At least he's learning to be useful.
Once he'd picked Daisuke's brain as clean of useful information as possible, and enforced the lesson that he really had nowhere else to go, he'd let Daisuke stay on his knees beside him. He twitched the leash only when necessary, not letting Daisuke doze off no matter how tired he got.
What was his paid attention to him, after all.
Most of the time he skipped lunch. He had a lot of work to do, especially now with his double search, one for the Digimentals and one for a way to increase the power of the Evil Rings. But lunch was also now an opportunity to brand another lesson in submission and obedience into Daisuke, and Kaiser wouldn't forgo that for anything.
He set his scanners to continue working before summoning Wormmon to bring lunch. Whenever he did eat, Kaiser made certain it was the best available. He was the dominating monarch of this world. He deserved nothing but the best.
Daisuke shifted a little, clearly tired and uncomfortable. Kaiser rested his hand on the back of his possession's neck.
"I have a treat for you after we eat," Kaiser said, deciding it in that moment. Daisuke hadn't fully earned it yet, but having it held in his reach would improve his obedience.
Daisuke shifted his attention for a second. "Treat?" Kaiser wasn't certain if he liked that hint of suspicion. Even if it did make sense.
"That's what I said. But to get it, you have to behave and obey me." Kaiser smirked. "I think you knew that already, though."
He enjoyed seeing such conflicting emotions war across Daisuke's features. Daisuke hated and feared him without a doubt – the fear was new, born since his arrival here, but so delicious and Kaiser sought to use it however he could. There was even a hint of submission and obedience there, also freshly born, and Kaiser knew he would encourage those as well.
He kept his hand on the back of Daisuke's neck, feeling the other's pulse race at his touch. Delicious, heady fear, hate, rage. Kaiser looked forward to all of them.
He also looked forward to the pleasures of dining as Wormmon brought in lunch. Another of his favored meals, and enough of it for two. He took his portion first, taking his time, enjoying it, and enjoying the way Daisuke's eyes flicked over and over to the food.
Kaiser briefly glanced at his monitors during his meal, but so far they hadn't turned up anything new. He multi-tasked very well, so while the scans searched for a new Digimental and he leisurely dined, he also considered how to deal with the Evil Rings. They needed more power and he needed a test subject.
One of the Chosen's partners? It wasn't a bad idea, but he thought it might well be too soon to bring them into the picture yet again. Daisuke hadn't yet fully succumbed to his fate.
That would happen in due time. But until then, Kaiser had no intentions of letting their paths cross. When next Daisuke saw a Chosen who wasn't the Kaiser, his loyalty and obedience would be the Kaiser's, without fail.
Which left other options. He wanted to make his test subject someone near and dear to them, someone who they would be reluctant to battle should it come to that. They called themselves friends? Kaiser quite looked forward to proving they were no such things, not where his Daisuke was concerned.
They might fight to shatter his tools, but did they truly seek Daisuke? Was he anything more than a weapon to them, a weapon that he'd wrenched from them?
He refused to get too far ahead of himself on that. Doing what he wanted to do with Daisuke, rewriting his loyalty so that it belonged to him instead of those other Chosen, required a great deal more effort than anything he'd attempted so far. He refused to let it slide away.
So once he'd finished his meal, he tugged on the leash to get Daisuke's attention.
"Your turn," he declared, and brought the first piece of the food around to where Daisuke could have it. Daisuke accepted it in silence, his shoulders tense and nervous, fingers pressing harder and harder into his cushion.
Kaiser so enjoyed keeping Daisuke off kilter. It would all lead to his ultimate fall.
Bit by bit he fed him. He made certain Daisuke ate and drank the same that he did; all part of his plan. He'd never been starved before – you couldn't have his kind of active life off a starvation diet – but being fed by hand the rich foods that Kaiser ate would contribute to his growing comfortable here.
"Thank you, Kaiser-sama," Daisuke muttered once the meal was over with. He still didn't entirely meet Kaiser's eyes, but that was fine. All in due time.
Kaiser laid his hand once more on Daisuke's neck, this time in praise. His possession had done very well being obedient, after all. Then he stood up, taking the leash in hand.
"Come along. Time for your treat." And he guided Daisuke out of the control room and through a myriad of corridors.
In all truth there were far simpler ways to get through his fortress. He'd had these set up for the inevitable day when his enemies would find him and think they could track him down or take something that belonged to him. They would be lost in this maze in a matter of minutes, should that ever happen.
This was another reason for him to continue to guide Daisuke on the leash. He didn't want Daisuke to learn his way around. Just in case.
In due course they arrived in the deepest dungeons of the fortress. Here Digimon of all kind were kept until he had use of them, either for transport, battle, or entertainment. Each one of them had an Evil Ring on somewhere.
Daisuke stared at them, fingers twitching. Kaiser admired his collection briefly before he turned to Daisuke.
"I want you to feed and water them. You won't be able to open their cells, nor will they listen to you. But you can take them what they need."
Daisuke's fingers tightened. Kaiser just smiled at him and waited to see what he would do. If he lunged, if he were foolish enough to actually attack his master, then Kaiser would punish him severely.
But Daisuke twisted away and stalked towards the captive Digimon instead, rising fury in every line of his body. Kaiser even thought he heard him muttering a few insults. He let that slide for the moment. Ineffective words would do nothing to him.
Once he'd made certain Daisuke was well started on his new task, Kaiser returned to his control room. He had one monitor set up to watch Daisuke and the second one continually searched for the other Digimentals.
The third one he kept for his own use: increasing the power of the Evil Rings. That one remained his main focus for now.
A Child or Adult Digimon can be easily controlled, he mused, reviewing old recordings of battles. A Perfect level will need something more.
It was that something more he couldn't put his finger on. Did he just need to increase the power output? That was a logical way to start. So what he needed was a way to test it out on a Perfect level.
Andromon would be a potential test subject. Kaiser wasn't entirely certain, though. What he wanted were options, to find the one that would hurt them the most.
There weren't many Digimon that he knew for a fact could evolve into the Perfect Level, aside from the Chosen's partners. As for Digimon who were already at that level, most of those seemed far more inclined to stay out of his sight, keeping themselves from his awareness.
So my best chances are either to pick one of the ones I already know, such as Andromon, or acquire one of their partners.
Technically he already had one of those. But so far as he was aware, V-mon hadn't unlocked any form other than his Armor one, and he still wanted to find a way to close off that.
A slow sly smile crossed his lips. Why not both? I can test both variations: a Perfect level who is already that highly evolved and a Child level who can evolve that way. Absolutely what he needed.
But with his possession of Daisuke and the Chosen being somewhat more wary because of that, he would have to take this quite carefully. He would need Daisuke again, in fact, to ensure that he'd gained all the information possible on the Chosen and their partners' evolutions.
He would have preferred matters to arrange themselves so the Chosen couldn't even come into this world to disturb him, but regardless of all that he'd done, they still intruded on his perfect world.
But it wouldn't be that way forever. He would either utterly destroy them or find a way to seal the gates so that no matter what, no one else could enter his world without his permission. It couldn't be that difficult.
Kaiser leaned back in his chair and considered for a few moments before checking on Daisuke. He wanted that information, but locating his targets would be important as well.
And locating the Digimentals. Without being certain of who their potential holders might be, he refused to let them fall into the hands of the enemy.
Besides, Daisuke would also need his help to get back up here through the maze. As amusing as it would be to watch him wander around in circles for hours on end, he had too much to accomplish to let it happen today.
He rose to his feet and headed out of the control room. He did so hope that Daisuke recalled more of what Agumon could evolve into by now.
If not, he had other ways he could dig up the information, painful as those might be. And truth to be told, he didn't want to cause Daisuke pain.
At least not if he didn't have to. He wanted Daisuke to associate him with obedience and discipline and being dominated by him, not meaningless pain.
Kaiser suspected Daisuke wouldn't believe that. But truth remained truth, and there were ways to get what he wanted.
To Be Continued
Notes: Ten chapters down, thirty-seven to go. And I am planning so much fun.