The city streets were always so quiet this time of night. Lonely, devoid of the daily hustle and bustle caused by countless people, on their way to countless activities. Street lights flickered lazily, as though sleepily keeping watch on the barren asphalt streets.
Only a waft of wind here or there sent stray sheets of paper about the empty streets.
Other than that, every other sound was blatantly magnified by the engulfing silence of night.
Even his breath.
He could hear him breathing, but not in a calm, relaxed manner.
It was predatory, like a beast closing in on its prey, with its adrenaline and savage nature taking a hold of its every move, it's every decision, its very essence.
It was making Beelzebumon claustrophobic.
What began as a confrontation between Chatsuramon and Makuramon had now turned into a deadly game of hide and seek, and the odds were not in his favor.
Blood dripped freely from his left arm, and his bomber jacket was beginning to soak it up and carry the scent with it; what was left of his jacket, at least. It hurt to move it, and his body felt as though it were shutting down from stress, pain, and exhaustion all at once.
He looked around.
The alley he'd ducked into smelled musty and damp, and hiding behind the overflowing dumpster would hide the scent of his blood for a while.
He cursed to himself.
The breathing was getting closer.
He could hear Chatsuramon's paws pounding upon the rooftops of the lower buildings, following him.
Tracking him.
Hunting him down.
He remained perfectly still; he couldn't hide forever, and the remnant of his past pride would not allow him to die hiding like a coward. He'd fought to protect Juri and Leomon, he would fight to protect himself if he had to.
He glanced down at his hip holster, wincing as he moved his arm and reached into it, drawing his Barenjenas once more. They were still hot to the touch from use; he'd unloaded a few rounds at Chatsuramon, and didn't stick around long enough to see if they'd had any effect on him.
He doubted it.
With Makuramon's data fused within his body, Chatsuramon had become more of a threat than he was before. Not an unstoppable threat, though. Just an extremely powerful one, more powerful than he was at this point.
Two rounds left.
He cursed to himself again.
It was then that the sound of Chatsuramon's drumming paws stopped, and from the sound of it, it was just above him.
He felt a cold sweat sweep his body mercilessly, and was almost positive that his pounding heartbeat would alert the Deva who was now out for his very blood. The alley he was hiding in was dark; whether it was dark enough to conceal him for much longer was the question that was plaguing him. Ever so slightly, he slowly maneuvered his head so that he was glancing up the enclosing walls of the alley.
He felt his blood go cold.
Chatsuramon's beady eyes were making slow, steady sweeps through the very alley he was hiding in. He held in his breath; any noise would be a dead give away, unless Chatsuramon had already caught the scent of his blood and was honing in on it.
It was at that moment that a jarring sensation came across him, and his eyes traveled up to Chatsuramon once more. Renamon had gone to get help, and if Guilmon was with them, they'd track his scent and find him in no time… But what if Chatsuramon found them first, without knowing that he'd deleted and uploaded Makuramon's data? He would attack them, and he'd kill them all in mere moments. He almost wished that he'd opted to take this on alone… After all, this was someone from his past who was as much of a monster as he was… In all honesty, he felt as though he were facing an incarnation of himself; a being amped up on power and lacking any shred of humanity, dignity, or compassion for beings other than himself.
He was going to erase that…
One of the many underlying factors of this recent crusade of his was to remove any connection to the past monster he was… And that meant standing up to the demon he'd created in his previous master. As injured and tired as he was, he had his priorities. He'd taken care of the first; ensure Juri and Leomon's safety… Now was the second, and possibly the riskiest part… He didn't know if it was his pride urging him to be so foolish, but something inside was telling him that he wouldn't receive any closure until he'd set this situation right. After all, he'd been the one who released Chatsuramon and Makuramon; it was only fitting that he deal with them and any trouble they created.
He supposed this was a mission forced upon him by his own past misdeeds.
He welcomed it.
He was going to end this now; if the others wanted to get involved, that was fine. That was what Renamon had set out to do in the first place; ensure that he didn't go it alone like a fool. However, the fact still remained that he had his sense of duty straight. He had to own up to this and take a prominent part in setting things right.
This desire for closure, however, almost paled in comparison to the new thought that came rushing into his mind… If he died, he'd leave Ai and Makoto alone again. He couldn't die here, against Chatsuramon. Despite his weakened state, despite being outmatched, there was no way he was going to leave them alone again. In all the days they'd been gone, they'd surely miss him, and explaining the subject of death to children as young as them would be difficult and devastating. After all, he promised that he'd meet them at the train station when they got back. Train number 9 is what they'd said, and that had been pushed to the back of his mind until now.
He wouldn't die here.
No way in hell would he die here.
They were going to win against this monster, send it to oblivion, and set everything right again. Juri would be safe with Leomon at her side finally, and he himself could return home and await the return of his tamers… He missed them so much, and overcoming this one obstacle would make their meeting so much sweeter.
A glare of defiance and confidence shone in his eyes.
In one fluid motion, Beelzebumon's arm shot straight into the air, aiming his Barenjena toward the sky. A clawed finger deftly squeezed the trigger, sending a gleaming silver bullet skyward, a trail of heated smoke tailing it as it vanished. The sound of the shot reverberated across the night sky, shattering the mind numbing silence as it heralded in another confrontation. "I'm down here, you damn mutt!" Beelzebumon's voice came out raspy, but the narrow walls of the alley amplified it. Chatsuramon's attention swiftly shifted down the dark, murky alley. His keen eyes caught the gleam of the Barenjena's barrel, and with a growl, he leapt down to commence his attacks on his ex-soldier.
Gleaming red eyes shone in the dark as they stared down the fatigued biker, regarding him with disdain. The dog Deva grinned, viewing the lackluster shape Beelzebumon was in. "I'm going to enjoy taking back the power I gave to you, traitor," he growled, advancing toward Beelzebumon as he got to his feet.
Beelzebumon narrowed his eyes. Thoughts of the end to this situation and his return to a normal life with his friends and tamers seemed to give him new strength. He could visualize the smiling faces of those he'd shunned, those he missed, and those he loved, all of which seemingly cheering him on.
He'd fight for them.
He'd win for them.
Growlmon had always had an impeccable sense of smell, and even as Takato rode upon the massive dinosaur's shoulders, he still considered it almost supernatural. True, Renamon had a terrific sense of smell as well, but with Guilmon, finding the source of any scent changed him from an almost childish pet into a savage, complex hunter. When Renamon and Ruki had come to their door that night explaining the situation, he was the first to track Chatsuramon's scent.
Just as always, his pupils had dilated to mere slits, his body rigid as though every fiber of his being was trying to concentrate on the scent.
And even so, after the initial sound of the gunshot, Growlmon almost immediately dashed off in its direction while everyone else was startled. He recognized that scent, remembered it from long ago. Hot, almost molten metal. Thick, bitter smelling gun smoke. Grease. He picked up his pace, and though he didn't truly understand the severity of the situation, he knew that Beelzebumon was in trouble. His first clue had been the desperation in Renamon's usually stoic voice, and the fact that they were rushing out here at 2 o' clock in the morning.
He didn't care.
He'd go to his rescue regardless of the time. After all, he'd turned over a new leaf not long ago, right? That meant he had to be on their side.
"Jeez," Gargomon panted as he struggled to keep up with the sprinting dinosaur, "leave it to Beelzebumon to get into trouble at 2 o'clock in the morning." Jenrya was going to reprimand him for the tasteless comment, but a yawn caught him before he had the chance to speak. He had to admit, while he wasn't the closest to Beelzebumon, he was still as much of a part of their group as Renamon and Guilmon, just not as social.
"Stop complaining, Gargomon. He is our friend, and we will help him regardless of what time it is," Kyuubimon said sternly as she fell in stride with Guilmon, Ruki riding securely upon her powerful shoulders.
"Plus," Ruki added, "we're dealing with Chatsuramon and Makuramon here, two Devas from a while ago. You can't expect him to take them on by himself, especially since Renamon said he's really weak right now."
"Yeah I know, but still," Gargomon went on, but Jenrya gave him a look. He knew his partner was just being jovial, but the situation was far too dire and it was far too early to get into any needless spats.
Growlmon stopped suddenly, his burning ochre eyes scanning the still, silent streets. The tufts of white fur along his back seemed to stand on end, and everyone fell silent as they waited for him to either speak or make a move.
One of his ears twitched.
Kyuubimon and Gargomon felt something too… Heard something…
It began as a low, drumming noise, but as it came closer, it turned out to be a series of cacophonous explosions and crashes. Before they could move, the building they were standing in front of practically erupted, sending chunks of asphalt, concrete, and glass with it. Each Digimon only had a split second to react.
Kyuubimon ducked low, her powerful legs propelling her skyward to escape the debris. Growlmon dug his feet into the ground as he set his massive body in front of Takato as a shield, striking each chunk of concrete with his claws as Gargomon reduced them to fine powder with a hail of gunshots. Smoke and dust obscured the entire street, and without any insight as to what just happened, the Digimon and their tamers retreated to the building upon which Kyuubimon was taking refuge. "What the heck was that?!" Gargomon exclaimed as Jenrya dusted himself off.
Kyuubimon's piercing eyes scanned the smoke for signs of whatever caused the building's sudden destruction. She faltered. "Someone is down there… Do you see that figure?"
Ruki glanced at her, and then squinted her eyes to focus on the smoke. Sure enough, there was someone or something lying in the street where they'd been standing only moments ago. "I can't tell what it is…." She said warily.
Growlmon focused long and hard before letting out a short gasp. "Takato, its Beelzebumon! Beelzebumon is down there, Takato! We gotta go help him!"
"Great," Gargomon quipped as they all leapt down to the street, "not only is he out at 2 o'clock in the morning, but he's destroying public property too?"
"Quiet," Kyuubimon snapped as Ruki leapt off of her back. They approached warily as the smoke cleared, and sure enough, Beelzebumon was lying in a heap of cracked concrete, dirt, and glass shards. "Beelzebumon….?" She whispered softly.
"Come on, let's help him up," Takato said, stepping forward and placing a hand on his dusty shoulder. He let out a startled gasp as the demon Digimon suddenly flinched, clawing the dirt as he struggled to raise up his upper body.
"From the looks of him, I'd say moving would be a bad idea," Jenrya said. "But at least he's conscious." He walked forward and reached a hand out to him. Their eyes met for a brief moment, and Jenrya couldn't help but feel a sudden quell of sympathy. Those emerald eyes of his held so much pain and fatigue… "Don't worry, Beelzebumon... We're here to help."
"I'm afraid you're all a bit too late to help in any way," a voice, rough and malignant, came from all around them. It was deep, almost reverberating, and echoed across the vast city scape. Standing upon a rooftop above them, Chatsuramon cast a vicious glare upon the gathered Digimon and their tamers. His lip curled; it was more disgusting to see this display of blasphemy in front of his own eyes than he previously thought. However, this disdain he held for it only stoked his growing fury and desire to completely obliterate all of them, every single one. He leapt down, causing the ground to shake as he landed heavily.
Kyuubimon felt that something was wrong. Even against 4 Digimon, Chatsuramon's eyes held no signs of hesitancy or fear. Glancing at her colleagues, she could tell she felt the same. Growlmon's entire body seemed to quiver, not from the influence of his savage growling, but from something he seldom displayed: fear. Pure, unadulterated fear. They could all feel Chatsuramon's power; it radiated off of him in a way that almost bent the air around them, causing their vision to be skewed and warped. Gargomon stood rigid before Jenrya but visibly quivered as well. Even Kyuubimon's fur stood on end, and her claws unconsciously dug into the ground to keep her focused on the task at hand, rather than the overwhelming power coming off of their adversary. "I thought you said Makuramon was with him," she whispered softly as Beelzebumon urged his worn body off of the ground.
"He was," Beelzebumon grunted, shoving his Barenjena into their holsters and cracking his knuckles.
"The key word seems to be 'was,' as in 'no longer is,' right?" Gargomon said shakily. "Why am I not feeling confident about this…?"
"What I mean by 'was' is… Chatsuramon learned a few of my traits while he was a part of me," Beelzebumon said slowly, as though guilt was beginning to weigh down on him. "He caught Makuramon and uploaded his data. So now… He's got the strength of two Devas."
Kyuubimon's eyes narrowed. "What of Leomon? Any sight of him yet?"
Everyone's eyes fell upon Beelzebumon at the mention of the name, and he only kept his gaze straight ahead at Chatsuramon. "Sent him away. I didn't want him here."
"Why not? He could have helped us," Gargomon said. "It's not like you're in any condition to fight--"
"Watch your mouth," Beelzebumon snapped icily. "I had a good reason. You want him dyin' out here against someone who I brought back to life on accident? I couldn't handle that. I couldn't handle seeing Juri cry again. Not anymore."
"That's quite touching, coming from a traitorous, power-hungry drone," Chatsuramon growled. "I wonder then… If she will weep for you after I have finished with you."
"You'll have to get through us first," Growlmon hissed, taking a step forward. Kyuubimon and Gargomon stepped up next to him. "You won't hurt Beelzebumon, Juri, or anyone else ever again when we're done with you!"
Chatsuramon grinned. "We will see." Another wave of power pulsed off of his being, and in the blink of an eye, each Digimon rushed headlong at him.
His eyes flashed as he looked upon his opponents.
They didn't know what they were up against, and would not realize it until he'd laid waste to them all.
The world was blurry, hazy, and muted as Juri opened her eyes. Her head hurt, and her lungs burned with each breath she took.
So much had happened tonight; perhaps her loss of consciousness was simply a result of it. Getting whisked away by Beelzebumon, seeing her Leomon again, and then running from…
Realization struck her, sending a freezing wave of shock across her skin.
"Beelzebumon!!"
Leomon nearly dropped her at this sudden outburst, and when his heart recovered from his initial shock, he stopped running and set the frenzied Juri down. "Juri, what is it?"
"Beelzebumon, where is he? We need to help him!"
Leomon gave her a look, and then sighed. He knew that Beelzebumon needed help, but right now, his priority was getting Juri to safety. He only shuddered at the thought of that monster Deva getting a hold of Juri after seeing what he could do to Beelzebumon.
Plus….
"Leomon, why are you just sitting there? We need to go back!" Juri exclaimed.
The lion Digimon fell silent again. He almost felt guilty for not being as passionate about Beelzebumon's safety as she was, because in all honesty, the grudge against Beelzebumon that he was trying to suppress was not lessening quickly enough. He only wanted to find help because he was bound by duty, not concern.
He sighed, glancing back in the direction they'd come from.
"Juri….."
The girl looked up at him quizzically.
"… I can't….. I'm sorry… I want to find help for him, but I can't risk you getting hurt."
"So you expect to let Beelzebumon take on that monster by himself? He'll die if we don't--"
"Juri," his voice came sternly. "Now listen to me. As your partner, my utmost priority is your protection… I haven't been able to do my job because I've been inside of him…" A tone of contempt eased its way into his last word. "And now… Now that I have the opportunity to make up for all the time I've been gone…"
Juri stared long and hard at him. "… Leomon, do you remember what you told me a long time ago…? About having a lion's heart?"
He looked at her. "Of course I do Juri, those were my parting words to you thanks to--"
"Can't you look past what he's done?!" She shrieked, taking him by surprise. There was a ferocity in her eyes right now, one of confidence which he'd never truly seen before. "Obviously, in the time you've been gone, you've forgotten what it means… I'm not smart, I'm not strong, but Leomon, I love my friends, and if there is one thing I can do right… I can forgive. That is my strength, Leomon, and I discovered it thanks to him." She began walking past him. "By learning to forgive him… I've learned to care for him, and I've learned that he cares for me as well. I'd be a coward to not return any concern for his well-being, when he's worked so hard to maintain mine." She looked back at him, tears welling in her eyes. "Please Leomon… Prove to me that you remember what it means to have a lion's heart…"
Leomon's eyes softened, and his level of shame only multiplied at the look in her eyes. He knew that she was right, and that it was a cowardly endeavor to simply ignore Beelzebumon's evolution from a monster to a protector. The thought struck him that, if they couldn't find help, Juri would blame herself for whatever happened to Beelzebumon, and even though he himself did not share her level of sentiment for the demon Digimon, his connection to her would be in jeopardy if he did nothing.
He sighed.
His Juri truly had grown, and truly understood the meaning of his last words to her.
With one swoop of his arm, he whisked Juri up onto his shoulder and broke into a sprint back in the direction of where they'd left Beelzebumon. "Don't worry, Juri," he whispered as she looked upon him in surprise. "I definitely remember."