Author's Note: Hey you! Ya! Happy New Chapter! Hopefully not awful, I tried to make up for my lateness in mass of words and stuff happening. I think you'll find this new stuff rather interesting... either that or I'll have to start locking my doors at night. And guess what! It's been beta read! Please give a standing ovation to one of the nicest people on the cite, Jocelyn Torrent, who read this entire thing even though she doesn't watch this show! Ya, happiness! There was probably more, like excuses, of which I have many very interesting and amusing ones (if you wish to hear them, just ask and I'd be more than happy to let off. It's rather therapeutic and I'd recommend everyone try it once in a while), but it's 6:01 and I've got sectionals this morning. C-Ya!
Disclaimer: Still just a poor, broke, brilliant writer who does not own Digimon, but what if I bought some stock...
The factory tour was... dull. There just weren't many other ways to describe it. I was never one for tours to begin with, well, at least not the type where you were required to be herded from one place to another by an over or under enthusiastic tour guide who spent too much time on some things and not enough on others. Honestly, I've always preferred self-guided tours. It's not that I don't find the exhibits interesting or worth my time, on the contrary, historical and cultural sites have always been fascinating for me, but I've always needed to find my own significance for them, if that makes any sense at all. For example, my mother took me to the Shibuya Satiation a few years ago to show me how to navigate the public transportation system in case I ever needed to find my way around. I've since come to realize that this was as much for her benefit as mine; she can't do all the shopping herself and Shibuya is a pretty major station, one that would, consequently, become a rather important location for me. Anyway, while we were leisurely making our way to the station entrance, a large bronze statue caught my eye and my mother stopped to tell me the story of HachikÅ. He was little more than an Akita dog... a dog who waited for his owner every day at the Shibuya Station and continued to do so for ten years after his his owner sopped coming home. But the thing about the statue that truly entranced me wasn't the remarkable story. In truth, I never really needed to hear it. There was just something about the spot, a warmth that tingled in my palms and stomach, that made me feel like the dog was still there. It was almost as though he'd left some kind of imprint in the earth, like his loyalty and affection had been burnt into the spot, his eternal patience, his sadness at the continued absence of his owner. It made me want to cry; my mom had to practically drag me from the spot after twenty minutes. That's what a tour should be about, seeing everything, but getting to spend time with the things that really touch you.
Anyway, this wasn't that type of tour; not that there were any particularly entrancing places to begin with per say. The worm like Digimon, Minomon, had all but tied strings around us and pulled us from one window to another to observe the all too fascinating stages of grey fan construction. The floor was a soft, slick, shiny teal material that I couldn't identify, the ceiling dark blue and industrial. The walls were glass windows designed so that we could look in and watch the work without disturbing the workers. These were just small, machine type Digimon with square heads and bodies that looked rathe plug-like and well suited to the conveyor belt work they were doing. It was insanely bright, creating a rather creepy effect, as though things were a little too clean. Over all, the place just seemed... off, and the lectures on every mundane step and tool and product were tedious, to be blunt. Frankly, under normal circumstances I would have been politely board out of my mind, but the darkness of the building kept me quite attentive. It seeped from the walls and ceiling, enticing, smirking, as if it were taunting me, daring me to put my finger on just what was so wrong about this place. I listened to the Minomon with the hope that they would let something slip about what was actually going on, mention something beyond the commercial claims of complete satisfaction. I was rather disappointed, they didn't even mention why the factory needed such tight security.
"Bokomon-san," I whispered as we stopped at yet another window, leaning down to speak directly in his ear. He jumped, clearly thinking that I was still several paces back in the position I had maintained since the beginning of the tour, turning sharply.
"My dear boy," he said softly, matching my tone. "If you feel the need to be so formal, then I won't stop you, but you are one of only six humans in this world, so I hardly think it is necessary."
"Thank you?" I looked at him quizzically, not entirely sure what he was implying or giving me permission to do; however, it was evident from the tone of his voice that he expected gratitude, so I humored him. We stood there for an awkward moment while the Minomon talked and the others oohed and aahed to get on his good side.
"Is there something you wanted," Bokomon finally asked, keeping his voice low.
"Yes, I'm sorry." I flushed, refusing to make eye contact. The darkness inside of me seemed pleased by my continued presence within the factory and was content to smirk at me from the back of my mind for the time being, but every time Bokomon so much as glanced at me it flared to life again, as if daring him to try something to stop it. "I was wondering if you could tell me something about those Digimon."
"Weren't you listening earlier?" I flushed deeper. He sighed. "The workers are machine type Digimon called Kokuwamon. They're rookie level Digimon with the attack of Power Surge. The guards are Goblimon, rookie ogre type Digimon who love to be bad. Their special attack is called Goblin Strike."
"Why do you think they need guards here?"
"Well, to protect the workers, obviously." Bokomon was staring at me now, bemused by my inquiry. The darkness within me surged, wanting nothing more than to reveil itself to the little Digimon. I almost gagged.
"Maybe," was all I could manage as I stared at one of the Goblimon. It looked like a green goblin with a deer skin tunic and wooden club. Its orange hair stood up in a mohawk, its tusks pertruding from its rather brutish and unintelligent mouth. Its eyes gleamed maliciously, darkness surrounding it in a fine mist, though it didn't look corrupted by it. It was more like the darkness was egging it on or something.
My gaze moved to the Kokuwamon absently, taking in their comparative purity. Darkness didn't surround them, but something was emanating from their mechanical bodies. I couldn't really see it, but the longer I looked, the more I sensed it. It was like... like the scent of sakura blossoms on the wind, the taste of honey in green tea, the burn of hot bath water as it relaxed away the tension of the day, the promise of rare and tasty treats, the soothing numbness of a painkiller. It felt nice. I felt myself lean towards the glass, a feeling akin to hunger growing in my chest as the dark within me reached out towards the Digimon eagerly. My nostrils flared, my lips twitched, my eyes darkened. There was no doubt, they weren't just there to work, though their services were probably essential. No, the Kokuwamon were serving as fertilizer for the factory's dark infestation, and for my own. My stomach clenched as I realized exactly what made them so well suited to that purpose, what I found so enticing about them. They were terrified, tired, and hurting. That pain was what I found so attractive, that suffering was what made me feel so high.
'No... no, I'm not like that!' I tried to look away, but found I couldn't pull my eyes from the Digimon any more than I could stop feeding off them. 'This isn't me, it can't be, I can't be. No, no, I'm not like this, I won't be like this.' It was so satisfying to watch them squirm, so exquisite. Their pain eased mine, their suffering negating my own. 'I won't!' I pressed my hands on the window, shoving myself away ruffly, breaking contact. A fine sweat broke out across my skin like a sheet of ice, my breath came in quiet gasps as my hands trembled discreetly. My head was spinning, my insides burning.
"Hey," snapped the Minomon sharply. I jerked, startled, my navy eyes meeting the Digimon's black ones. "Please keep your hands off the glass, it's not easy to clean you know."
"Sorry," I apologized swiftly, crossing my arms securely across my chest and starring intently at my shoes. Silence descended like dust on the company, all eyes focusing on me uncomfortably. I let my hair fall across my eyes, wanting nothing more than to shrink into the nonexistent shadows. Fortunately for me, J.P. chose that moment to start hopping around like an idiot, pulling the worlds attention onto him.
"What's wrong," asked Tommy innocently, staring at him like he had just sprouted an extra head.
"I really need to find a bathroom, like right now!" And with that, he took off at a dead waddle, hands in the defensive position, legs flailing at strange angles. I blinked after him, an idea that wasn't necessarily mine blooming in my mind.
"It's on the left," called the Minomon good-naturedly, though its tone was rather baffled. Only slightly conscious of my actions, I began to follow the desperate boy down the hall. "Where are you going," demanded the small Digimon.
"The bathroom," I replied simply with little more than a vague glance over my shoulder. My dark eyes served as a subtle warning not to stop me. "To the left, right?" The Minomon nodded dumbly, the rest of the humans blinking as though lost, Bokomon scowled after me warily. Neemon didn't even seem to notice what was happening; he was quite absorbed in the most difficult task of sliding across the floor on his socks.
"That kid's kinda strange," Takuya commented a quietly as he could once I turned the corner.
"Yeah, what's up with him? He's creepy."
"Stop it you two," Zoe admonished, sending the boys into a bit of a pout. "There's something going on with him that we don't know about."
"So? He can trust us. I mean, who are we going t' tell?" Oh, if he had any idea. How does 'my long lost twin brother' work? Too dramatic?
"Yeah, I mean, we all want to get home right? So shouldn't we stick together?"
"Yeah, tell that to Kouji."
"What do you mean, Kouji's always seemed nice enough to me."
"That's 'cause you never actually had to talk to him. I mean, the guy practically walked right through me the last time we met. Even after I tried to help him, not even a 'thank you' or a 'I couldn't have done it without your help'. Just a 'don't touch me' and a really cold shoulder. And that look... I think he hates me. He doesn't want anything to do with any of us!" My breath caught, my eyes bright. So he couldn't see them either, he treated everyone the way he treated me, like I didn't exist, like I wasn't worth his time. Maybe that was just the way he was, maybe there was hope for me to hold on to, to keep me from surrendering to this black inside me.
"Takuya, you don't know if that's true. Yes he's a bit of a jerk, but I'm sure it's not personal. He could just be shy." The unspoken words that followed this statement were 'or he could really not want to be with us'. They hung like acid in the air, souring the mood.
"Well, Kouichi doesn't look like he's out here to make friends either, maybe those two should get together! I mean, they look exactly alike, they could be twins!" Oh, the irony! I almost snorted.
"That would be really weird to see, especially since they're not related!" Tommy giggled at his own comment, most likely picturing me and my twin side by side in some fashion. A part of me couldn't help but wonder if I was really that good of a liar or if they were just stupid.
"Who knows, maybe they are." A spark of intelligence, from Takuya none the less. I was rather impressed. The notion that they may have discovered my secret terrified me, but at the same time, it was oddly comforting. It was almost as if I wanted them to see through me, to do for me what I couldn't, or give me the strength and support I needed to do it myself. As if I wanted them to be there for me, to trust them enough to share my pain. I wanted them to be my friends.
"Why would Kouichi lie about something like that?" But they couldn't. They couldn't be what I needed. They couldn't save me from my fate. Disappointment swelled within me and I leaned my head back against the wall, allowing my eyes to close. Nothing could. No one denied my claims, no one called my bluff. Instead they said nothing, resigned to Tommy's innocent wisdom and inherent rightness. What was there to say to such childlike trust in the integrity of humanity? I was beginning to despise silence.
"That's enough of that." The two boys audibly straitened. "You two only met him today, maybe he's just a little shy and isn't ready for your insanity yet. Give him a little time before you go judging and looking for conspiracies." I could almost see Takuya and Tommy hanging their heads, almost feel Zoe's eyes at my back. "If he want's to be with us, then he will. If he trusts us, then he'll trust us. It's that simple." How I wished she was right.
"Simple? I didn't understand a word that just came outta your mouth." There was the distinct sound of someone being hit over the head accompanied by Zoe's shouts and Tommy's giggling. I couldn't stop my lips from twitching enviously. "Ouch! What was that for?"
"For being an idiot."
"Come on! It would take at least three years of some kind of philosophy class to understand you!"
"Oooo, big word," Zoe quipped playfully, if not slightly flirtatiously.
"Zoe, I didn't really understand you either," mumbled Tommy shyly, as though afraid she would be as short with him as she had with Takuya.
"That's understandable, I don't really know what I said," she comforted, her voice softening instantaneously. I could almost hear Takuya muttering. "What I meant was, he's probably not too sure about us yet. But when he makes up his mind, for better or worse." There was a pause where she was probably giving Takuya a pointed look. "We'll be there for him. It's like you said Tommy, we're all in this together so we have to be there for each other, to help each other out." Help each other... like Mom and I. We never really had any one else besides Grandma, so we had to look after one another. We were alone here too. They continued chatting amiably, their banter a soft buzz beneath the high voice of the Minomon. Bokomon remained silent, keeping my secret safe and fulfilling his promise thus far. With a small, honest grin, I continued on my quest to find the toilet. Perhaps it wasn't as hopeless as I thought. Perhaps...
'Who are you trying to deceive here? Yourself?' I froze just as I rounded the corner. This was a dead end, a hall way never meant for human eyes, a place without lights or glass or lies. This was what the factory actually looked, dark, narrow. On one wall the bathroom door sat innocently, leaning close to the light to discourage any further exploration. The sounds of relief could be heard from just beyond the threshold, sounds that, under normal circumstances, would have caused my eyebrows to ascend into my hairline. Further down, the shadows ruled, whispering to me. Boxes were stacked inconspicuously on the right and on the left... on the left there were bars. 'Yes, see the truth of the world, feel its cruelty and anguish!' A bright, cyan light came between the bars as I moved closer, screams ringing in my ears.
"Come on, hurry it up," yelled a rather thuggish voice. The light came again, accompanied by the cries. I moved closer, my back to the boxes, pulled to their pain by some invisible, intangible cord.
'Can you feel it? This is what your hope brings, what will happen when you are forced to rely on another. They will use you, hurt you, betray you, and leave you. Their presence can only increase the pain and you will become like these pathetic creatures, consumed by fear and agony and easily bent to their will. See your future with the humans, know that in the end,there is only you.' The shrieks came again, louder this time, ringing in my ears and sending chills across my skin. I threw up my arms, shielding my eyes as best I could, but there was no blocking out the vision. 'Only you and the dark.' The Goblimon had about six Kokuwamon hooked up to advanced looking equipment which seemed to be harvesting the electricity they were giving off. If it was just that, I might not have been terribly concerned, but there was the little matter of how why they were releasing that electricity. One of the Goblimon guards had several buckets of water and was dumping them onto some of the Digimon, causing them to short circuit and whimper in fear and misery while the other beat the rest mercilessly with his club. With each hit the light and screams came and more energy was released. And with each of their squeals the darkness inside of me seemed more satisfied. The pain decreased and the numbness consumed me. I felt better watching them suffer. I felt pleased by their fear. I felt nauseous. So much pain, the darkness swirled gleefully, sickeningly. I couldn't take it, couldn't allow myself to become that creature... or to admit that it had already taken root within me.
"Hey," I yelled, throwing myself against the bars. What I thought I was going to do, I can't really say I know, but I'm pretty sure that I didn't have a coherent plan in any form. The Goblimon stopped their work and looked over at me dumbly. "What are you doing!" I slid through the wide bars easily, my thin frame quite the opposite from the Kokuwamon's bulky build. The Goblimon blinked at me once and then turned away to continue with their work. Clearly, one human boy wasn't much of a threat to either of them alone, much less together and armed. "Stop it!" I grabbed one of their arms, trying to pull it away from the Kokuwamon vainly. He swung around, tossing me like some kind of weightless doll. My back hit the wall hard, shoving the air from my lungs and darkening the world for a moment. I yelped, my eyes widening briefly before unconsciousness began to call. Before I could hit the floor a giant, green hand caught me by the throat, pinning me easily against the cement. I squirmed, clawing at the rough flesh. The Goblimon just smiled, pleased.
"It's a pink outsider," the one holding me commented stupidly.
"What do we do with it," asked the other. I glanced at the Kokuwamon pleadingly, but they looked about as useless as me. They cowered in the corner, shocked in more than just a metaphorical sense.
"Let go," I gasped, my fingers digging into the Goblimon's hand. He didn't seem to notice. As a matter of fact, he didn't even look at me.
"Pink outsider's not supposed to know about this."
"Where he come from?"
"Hello?" A voice floated down to us from further up the hall, laced with concern and confusion.
"J.P.!" I cried desperately. The Goblimon tightened his grip for a moment, then released me. I crumpled to the floor, panting on my hands and knees.
"Kouichi? Is that you? Where are you?" the Goblimon reached down and grasped my arm, jerking me to my feet again like I was some sort of puppet. I was beginning to dislike that feeling... passionately.
"Make him go away," he hissed, his putrid breath in my face, his tusks mere centimeters from my nose. I'm not going to lie, I was scared. He twisted my arm painfully to emphasize his point, or just to extract a grimace from me. I stared at him defiantly, refusing to make a sound. "Make him go away!" I gasped as he squeezed my arm harder, his fingers wedged in between my muscles to the bone.
"I'm here," I called through gritted teeth, unable to move. The Goblimon pushed me ruffly between the bars, keeping his own hand out of sight. J.P. was standing a few meters away, his body angled conveniently so that he could see me, but nothing within the chamber. His eyebrows were knit with concern and suspicion, his hands still grasping his towel. "J.P.-san."
"What's going on? Why are you..."
"It's nothing," I insisted, biting my tongue as the Goblimon twisted my arm at an odd angle. "It's nothing, I just... needed to use the rest room."
"It's up here," he pointed out warily, gesturing over his shoulder at the door. I winced, glancing at the Goblimon and back to him pointedly.
"I know. I'll be there in a minute. You can go now."
"Is everything all right, you seem a little tense." I chewed on my lip nervously, eyeing the Goblimon out of the corner of my eye. He looked almost lost, as though his brain could barley connect my words to what I was saying. Maybe, if I played it right, his one track mind wouldn't pick up on anything I told J.P. about what was happening. J.P. frowned craning his neck to follow my gaze.
"Make him go away," the Goblimon growled, raising his club threateningly. The other's eyes gleamed gleefully as he moved towards the bars. My head jerked sharply as he gave me a shake, causing the world to start floating for a moment. J.P. was still advancing, starring at me as if I needed an exorcist or something.
"I'm fine," I snapped, glaring at him warningly. J.P. stopped moving abruptly, trying to understand what I was trying to tell him.
"You don't look fine." Curse him and his persistence, this wasn't getting me or the Kokuwamon aywhere.
"Looks can be deceiving," I hinted, my eyes moving none-too-descretely to the well lit hallways from our tour. "The other's are waiting for you. There's still a lot to see here." He didn't seem to get it.
"I could wait for you, if you want." Now he was just being overly polite. It was as if we were playing a game of sherades and he had just offered me a breather and a glass of water while the timer was running. Had this not been a 'life or death' game, I would have laughed. As things were, I was understandably annoyed.
"No!" He looked startled by the sharpness in my voice. I shifted nervously, licking my lips. "No, it's all right. As a matter of fact..." I needed to warn him, to get him away from here, to get them all away from this dangerous place. He wasn't getting my hints, so I was just going to have to risk being more direct. I prayed the Goblimon were as dense as I thought they were."You were right."
"Right? About what?" I felt the need to hit myself in the forehead. The Goblimon blinked stupidly, thankfully unaware of any plotting on my part. I was gambling and hadn't lost yet, so I kept going, cautious.
"Earlier, when you said that... this place might have... dust. When you mentioned that it might be dangerous-" The Goblimon jerked my arm warningly at the urging of his little buddy. So, they weren't as stupid as they looked. Great. "Because of your dust allergy."
"My dust allergy?" He looked absolutely lost, if not slightly creeped out, as though he suspected me of hearing things or having some sort of manic disorder. Granted, he wasn't far from the truth, but that wasn't the point.
'Come on, J.P.-san, put it together.'
"Yes," I hissed harshly. "That's why it's not safe for you here. You should meet up with the others and leave."
"What are you saying? What about you?" He seemed to be getting the general idea, panic sliding into his voice. Luckily for me, the Goblimon was either too confident or too thick to catch that.
"I'll... that's not important." They had to leave. I was just one boy without much of a future anyway, my life wasn't particularly important compared to theirs. If the Goblimon got ahold of the others too, well to be perfectly blunt, they would kill us all or worse. They. Had. To. Leave.
"Not important," J.P. asked indignantly, shoving his towel into his pocket and advancing. Clearly, two unarmed human boys stood a much better chance against two dangerous and powerful Digimon than one. The feeling in my arm was beginning to fade, leaving only pricks of pain like toxic needles every where. "Everyone is important! You expect us to just leave you here? That's not what friends do." I was touched, really. I'd had friends before... well, I had people I spent time with at school and laughed with at the Youth retreats, but none quite like this. He was willing to risk himself to help me. In all likelihood, he probably had next to no clue what he was getting himself into or exactly what it was that he had to save me from, but it was the offer that counted.
"I appreciate the offer, but, if I may be blunt, you can't stay." He felt the need to protect me, however brash and misguided that need was. And that gave me all the more reason to protect him. My time was running out as the Goblimon's patience ran thin. The one not cutting off the circulation to my arm began to advance towards J.P., club in hand. "J.P.-san please," I begged, my voice urgent. "Just go."
"We're not going to leave you. so either you march your butt over to that toilet or I'll come drag you there myself. Then we can go back to the others, together." I had to make him go away, I had to make him understand... or fear. If he was afraid, then he would leave, I could see it in his eyes, hear it in his breath. Power rose within me, darkness filling my head as my eyes blackened. Pain, emotion, sensation, they all faded away like shapes at dusk, leaving only one thing in the void, one reason for existence, one thought and memory. Purpose. Right now, that purpose was to get the human before me to leave. And he would, the darkness guarantied it. Drawing on the fear of the Kokuwamon, the malevolence of the Goblimon, and my own bitter loneliness, I breathed calmly, freezing the world for a moment.
"J.P.," I said quietly, my voice somehow seeming to echo in the stillness around me as I stared strait into his eyes. He tried to look away, to back away, but my gaze held him like a fly in a web. I grinned. "You need to go now."
"Hey, J.P., what's the hold up," Takuya called from down the hall.
"Yeah, the Minomon's gonna take us to the cafeteria! Aren't you hungry?" J.P. looked torn, confused, afraid even.
"Go play with your friends, J.P.," I urged darkly. "I'll be along soon." He tore his eyes from mine fiercely, glancing over his shoulder, then back to me, as if trying to find a reason not to obey. I gave him none. He stepped back tentatively, then, without a word, turned and began to jog back to the group. I watched his retreating back, smiling in satisfaction. It may seem difficult to believe, but people don't listen to me much. I don't usually speak up or offer suggestions, but when I do it's because I really think what I say could make a difference and help. And yes, people nod and insert the occasional 'hai', and they tell me what a sweet thing it is to say, and they smile at me, but they never actually listen. When the day is done, my comments don't matter, my suggestions just aren't practical, and I haven't considered all the variables. Not even my own mother takes what I say seriously and I... I'm too weak and shy and non-confrontational to do a thing about it.
But now things were different. This darkness, this thing inside of me, it wasn't scared of a fight, it wanted one. It was smart and strong and very aware of it. It knew what had to be done and how to do it and was more than happy to point this out. If there was a problem, it would get rid of it, if there was something in the way, it would destroy it. None could stand against it, none could control it, none would dare to resist it. It was dark, it was powerful, and it... was me. I liked that power, I didn't want to go back to the way things were, to the way I was. I didn't want to be weak and at the mercy of everything around me. And this darkness, this power, would always be there to make that happen.
The Goblimon yanked me back through the bars before J.P. could turn the corner, releasing me carelessly. I stumbled for a moment, but miraculously I didn't fall. Instead I took two steadying steps and stood still, grasping my arm. The darkness swirled around me and within me. "No what do we do with this one?"
"Put it with the Kokuwamon."
"No, it might get away and talk to the other pink outsiders. Maybe we can kill it?"
"Let's take it to the boss."
"Yeah, he'll know what to do with it." One of them reached out to grab me again, but I jerked away.
"Do not touch me," I said coldly, turning to face them. I felt taller, stronger, more powerful, intimidating. Every wrathful action, every squeal of pain, every negative emotion that had strengthened the factory was now feuling me. I was growing more formidable by the minute, and these two were in the way. The darkness danced gleefully as my eyes began to take on a dull, garnet hue. There was something out there I needed to find, something that was calling to me. The crimson image from my dream flashed before my eyes. I had to go to it, and along the way I would do some of the things my weak humanity had been putting off. There were things out there that needed changing, things that had hurt me that needed hurting, things that had to be destroyed. And I would start with these two. A small grin curled my lips as I stared at the Digimon, savoring their fear, enjoying the moment before the kill.
'Wait,' whispered a small voice inside of me. 'What am I doing?'
'We're going to banish these insignificant beasts,' a harsher one answered.
'But.' I blinked, my eyes phasing slowly back to normal. Pain licked the edges of my consciousness and I reached up to hold my head for a moment with one hand. The other placed itself firmly against the wall, steadying me. 'That's wrong.' I cried out as my skull- no, my entire body began to constrict around me. My fingers dug into my scalp, my knees bucking beneath me, the darkness in my mind protesting my assertiveness violently. Yet, I still refused to do it. I refused to hurt the Digimon that had caused me so much pain, to accept the power as a part of my mind and soul. Refused to let myself become the creature that feeds on others pain and inflicted damage for no more reason then that there was something there to hurt. Every part of me ached, every nerve sobbing as the onslaught continued, never hesitating, never stopping, determined to get me back. 'No!' Then it was over. I lay panting on my hands and knees, my head floating away, my vision oddly yellow, my ears clogged. My limbs were shaking so badly I had to lock my elbows to keep from falling on my face and my skin was slick with sweat. I could hear my breath and my heard racing, see my hands on the floor, but everything else was distant and fuzzy. But the pain was gone, the darkness nothing more than a shadow in my mind. For the moment. I could feel it waiting, watching for an opening, hungering to be in control once more.
"It's not a normal pink outsider," came a thick voice from just above me.
"We take him to the master now," another said. I felt something strong grab me about the waist and hoist me onto a hard shoulder. The Goblimon, they were taking me somewhere. "He'll know what it is." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the other Goblimon pull something that looked like a lever in the stone. There was a hissing sound and then we were going through the wall, as if some sort of door had opened that hadn't been there before. I couldn't really make sense of it, my brain was still refusing to process anything but the simplest sensory data. Then we were moving again, the Goblimon's lumbering gait causing me to bounce around on his shoulder uncomfortably. If he noticed, he made no attempt to hold me in place. The passage was wide and low, lit by torches that were barely burning, the air stale and dense. Shadows slept against every wall, leaning lazily away from the fire light and licking brackets when they could. It was cool, but not cold, damp, but not wet. After a minute or two of this, my vision began to return to its full, not yellow capacity and I could feel the blood returning to my face. Slowly, my mind began to clear and my body ceased to feel like a wet noodle. I was able to flex my fingers and shift my torso, and crane my neck to memorize the passage we had just come through. It was slightly curved, but there were no forks or hidden turns. I suppose that since it was the Goblimon who needed to navigate this particular tunnel, then any such tricks would be counter productive.
"Where," I tried, but it came out as more of a mild rasp or a choking sound. Swallowing the lump at the back of my throat, I tested my voice again. "Where are you taking me?" No response. "Put me down." Still nothing. I began to squirm, trying vainly to free myself from his grasp. "Put me down!" Suddenly, the Goblimon swung me off his shoulder and tossed me through an arch way and into a brightly lit room. I gasped as I hit the floor, my world spinning for a moment. The walls around me were industrial silver and metallic, the floor a pale yellow... or maybe I was just about to pass out again. There was an elevated chair type device right in front of me and an opening into a larger room with a thick, light cyan post surrounded by a burgundy ring that slanted up from the floor in the middle. Where I was there was a ceiling several meters above the chair, but it appeared that the area around the post was more open, leading up to a platform perhaps a hundred meters above the ground. I couldn't see all the ceiling in that room.
"What is this," came a rather angry sounding voice. I tried to push myself up and made it all the way to my feet for half a second before I lost my balance and fell to my knees. "Kneeling before your betters? Well, at least you have some manners." Gritting my teeth, I tried again, this time receiving help from one of the Goblimon. "Goblimon, what is the meaning of this!" Timidly, I glanced up to see what the voice was coming from. Sitting, or crouching, or lounging, on the top of the chair was a creature that could only be described as some kind of giant, mutated praying-mantis. In the place of hands it had long, curved blades that looked like they might just be sharp enough to cut through cement and hard enough to polish diamonds. It's mouth was a two rows of teeth to rival its blades and its four feet were wide and equipped with four toes. Just beneath its arms there were two extra limbs, one on each side, that looked like they might serve as pincers. Where eyes should have been there were just bright orange markings that contrasted vividly with the rest of its grass green body. Its abdomen poked out behind it and it's transparent wings suck out of its back rigidly. It was drinking some kind of dark brown, iced drink from a straw shaped like a ringlet and looking very upset by our disturbance.
"Excuse me, Snimon sir, this soft pink outsider was touring the factory and saw us with the Kokuwamon. You told us no outsiders were supposed to see us with the Kokuwamon and it saw us so we brought it to you so you could decide what to do with it," the Goblimon said, his tone mechanical with definite high and low points in the intonation that didn't really correspond to anything. It sounded practiced, I was impressed. When the Snimon didn't respond, he shoved me forward towards him, like some kind of peace offering. I stumbled, but caught myself before I fell over again. Snimon looked at me, at least, I think he did, and then to the Goblimon. I thought he looked rather angry.
"He did what!" Yep, definitely angry. I flinched away as it- he flew down, slicing his drink in two and spraying me with ice crystals. He was tall, about twice my height if not taller an heavy. His impact rippled up my legs, causing me to wobble for a moment. "How did this happen?! What were you doing? How could you be so careless!" Even the Goblimon were shaking, or their version of it. At least they backed up. I didn't have anywhere to go.
"We were just doing our job boss."
"It just jumped in." Snimon turned his attention to me, sliding one blade beneath my jaw and pressing it against my neck threateningly. My throat constricted, I couldn't breath, couldn't move.
"Who have you told," Snimon demanded, pressing his blade into my skin. "Speak human!"
"No one," I whimpered, wanting little more than to reach up and push the dangerous edge away from me.
"It didn't, we didn't let it. There was another one, but we made it go away," boasted the Goblimon in that same mechanical tone. Snimon pressed harder. I yelped like a dog.
"What did he see, this other one?" The Goblimon tried to answer, but the question was for me. "Answer me human or I'll take your head off."
"He saw me, but that's all," I said quietly, closing my eyes. Some how, I felt like I was selling the others out by talking; but at the same time, I had little choice. "He saw me there, but he left before he saw the Goblimon or Kokuwamon."
"How many are there?" I could feel a small bead of warm wettness at the point where the tip of Snimon's blade dug into my neck.
"Five," I gasped, chewing my lip. "Five including me." Technically, Kouji wasn't there at the factory, though I'm fairly sure he was referring to the Digital World.
"How many have Spirits?"
"Have what?" I was trying to play dumb. I didn't know much about these Spirits, but based on the knowledge I did have, they were not something you wanted to advirtize.
"Lord Cherubimon has sent out an order to all Digimon to find the Spirits of the Ten Legendary Warriors and take them from the human children," Snimon clarified, aggravated. "How many of these humans have Spirits?"
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Lying again, but this time it was to protect the others rather than deceive them. They needed those Spirits to get home and I wasn't about to sick the psycho mantis on them.
"Really. Well, if that's the case, then you're nothing more than an intruder who's seen too much." I was going to die. Snimon was going to kill me. And no one would know why. No one would know that I died to protect the other people in this world, to save them. No one would know that I was here to find Kouji to begin with, that I had tried to speak to him so many times before and failed. Kouji would never know who I was or that I even existed or that I had searched for him, stalked him, hated him. No one would even notice I was gone. "So long, human!" I could feel the blade as it moved across my neck, preparing to slice. It was all over before it began.
"Kouji," I whispered, closing my eyes and preparing to face this with as much dignity as I could. The blade was barely moving, savoring my anticipation like honey. This was the end.
"Snimon!" The blade was pulled away from me and I crumpled in relief, breathing hard and shaking. "Did you forget the rest of what Cherubimon-sama said?" This voice was new, distinctly different from any I had heard before. This one was soft and silky, like satin drapes billowing in a midnight breeze, and cold and unforgiving, like the icy depths of a frozen pond. It was seductive and dangerous and commanding and would not be taken lightly.
"Nabikasumon," Snimon exclaimed, turning around sharply and hitting me with his abdomen. "No, no, of course I haven't forgotten! How could I go against any of Lord Cherubimon orders. You know my loyalty is unwavering!"
"Really," the new voice, Nabikasumon, sounded skeptical. I could feel him moving closer, but couldn't bring myself to look up yet. "So you weren't about to kill one of the humans then."
"No, I... was just trying to make him talk! Yeah, I was trying to make him tell me about the Spirits!" I had thought that Snimon was in charge at this factory. Apparently, he was only in a tentative second at the moment.
"The Human Spirits of Fire, Wind, and Ice are here right now, you don't need some human child to tell you that unless you really are the idiot I first took you to be." He sounded annoyed and that sounded bad.
"I was just-"
"I know exactly what you were just-" cut in Nabikasumon, irritated. " But in the future, perhaps you should check with me before you do anything unbearably stupid, you almost decapitated the human Cheribumon-sama sent me to find."
"This is the boy Lord Cherubimon's after?!" What? Were they talking about me? Red eyes flashed across my vision, thick purple hands closing in around me, a deep, raspy voice pouring in my ears. 'Kouichi' Cherubimon... Cherubimon-sama. I gasped, my eyes widening fearfully. It was him, he was coming for me, he was going to find me and this Digimon was going to take me to him. No, I wouldn't go, the last thing I needed was to be taken to the source of all evil in the Digital World. Slowly, I pushed myself to my feet, inching backwards.
The Goblimon weren't watching me, they were clearly to absorbed in the argument to think of anything besides the possibility that it might come to blows, and Snimon was too busy defending himself. His opponent, Nabikasumon, was a serpent like Digimon no more than half a meter taller then me. He had a very simplistic design with a long, thin viper-like head that slid seamlessly into his long, thin body. About the time it touched the floor, his body split into six identical pieces, each ending in a whiplike tail three or four times as long as the rest of him. These did not simply lay on the floor lifelessly. Instead they were constantly in motion, flailing like ribbons around him, tangling and untangling, here one moment, there the next. Sometimes it even looked as though they were witching the piece of body the originated from. His eyes were large, violet orbs on his head, his skin chalk white, his voice simply coming from him. When his voice softened dangerously, his wide serpent lips split open, revealing the two, long, thin ivory fangs his soft, pink mouth. This was the creature Cherubimon-sama had sent to collect me, the one I had to get away from.
"Yes, this is the one he wants. The darkness within him is beyond anything you could imagine, beyond anything we have found in the Digital World thus far." They weren't watching me, this was my chance. I began to take bigger steps, never taking my eyes off the Digimon.
"But he's so..."
"Don't even try to understand, you can't. Be content with the knowledge Cherubimon-sama sees fit to share with you." I was almost to the tunnel. Once there, I could run to the other end and shut the door. The Goblimon weren't particularly fast over long distances and the tunnel was too low for Snimon to fly through. I could make it. "You are here because he allows it and you keep this place because you will take its data soon. Never forget that."
"Yes sir." I turned and began to run. The tunnel entrance was right there, they couldn't stop me now.
"I'm afraid I can't let you do that." The voice shot through my mind, a high pitched warbling that numbed any part of me that tried to fight it. And then Nabikasumon was in front of me, his tails surrounding my body like an organic ring, blocking any exit. I skidded to a halt, glancing around, panicked, his eyes trapping me in an unblinking stare. He seemed to be smirking at me, his mouth opening wide and his head descended to hover just before my face, fangs glinting. A fine, black mist came out, hovering about me like a cloud of microscopic, silent gnats. My body went ridged, I couldn't move no matter how hard I tried, couldn't so much as look away from those massive amethyst eyes. Then it concentrated, diving into my eyes, almost as if there was something just behind them it had to get to. I gasped, throwing back my head and arching my back as everything began to darken. Then my body went limp and I felt something catch me before I hit the ground. From a long way away, I heard the voice again, cooing softly, the intangible words skimming across my fading consciousness. "Such a frail creature. Nevertheless, it is you. You can never escape, Son of Darkness; Cherubimon-sama had something special planned for you." Then there was nothing.