I do not own anything.
Chapter Twenty-One: Storm Surge
Even before Onimon's senses picked up on it Jun could feel something was wrong in her bones. It wasn't something in the sky that told her but her own inner instinct. Long ago had she realized the weather in the Dark Ocean could be broken down into patterns; if something tragic or horrific was happening in the Human or Digital World then it would be a torrential downpour, if not it would rain on and off again. The whole realm existed in a constant state of April rain. She supposed that should be expected from a realm born from the collective sorrow of all living creatures. In ancient times some cultures believed rain was a sign of divine displeasure: a deity whipping in despair, an angered god making its vengeance known, or the universal grief of a people manifesting. Sorrow was the common theme they all shared. For the past few days Jun had grown numbed to seeing scattered items such as bikes and paintings embedded in the soil. Why did so many people give up on their dreams? Was it because not all dreams were attainable? She certain knew that much from her childhood; ironically childhood fantasies and dreams are proof not all dreams can come true. Build a castle on the moon and declare yourself king? Live in a castle of candy forever? Ride a unicorn? All sounded very good in word but in reality they had a zero percent chance of happening.
But where did going to college, getting married, traveling to a foreign country, or becoming a painter fall on the ranking of never going to happen? Such things were perfectly attainable through work and effort yet Jun had seen mountains of objects representing them scattered all over the forest and in underground caves. She refused to believe happiness could be so hard to achieve; moreover, she refused to believe Dagomon's words were true.
She could still feel his watery tentacles moving about her body despite her protest. A shiver would run up her spine. Twice her feet had frozen forcing Onimon to stop and comfort her. She hated how he had to keep slowing himself down for her sake even though he told her she had a right to be rattled. The feeling of his slimy appendages touching her body nearly made her vomit whatever was left in her stomach. He'd molested her, sexually assaulted her…and there was nothing Jun could do to get back at him. Yet.
Giving into anger had been far easier than she'd ever thought possible. Sure she'd always been quick tempered but what she was feeling was entirely new. Just the mere thought of Dagomon made her blood boil so hot it would have put a Meramon's flame to shame.
The flame of hate burning within her breast kept her warm when the rain picked up again. She spoke to Onimon about it curious if he'd ever experienced something similar.
The Ultimate gave something half way between a grunt and a laugh. "Oh yeah Jun, I know exactly what you're going through. You see when someone pisses you off to the point just the thought of 'em makes your blood boil then you can definitely call it hate. Sometimes a person deserves it and sometimes they don't." The kanabo-wielder winked at her. "In this case your hate is totally deserved." He was speaking from experience.
They could feel the other's hatred for Dagomon burning stronger than before and that strengthen the bond between them. "Did I ever tell you about my Uncle Noburu? He was a fisherman. Claimed to be the best one in the family."
"You family has fishermen in it?" The oni questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"Not all of us." Jun laughed. "On my mother's side there's been eight fishermen in the family, all of them tried to outdo the last one. My mom's dad was a miner and my uncle hated working in the mine. Hated it. When he and my mom graduated college he chose to go fishing instead of finding a "stable" job."
"Who said fishing couldn't be stable?"
After another short laugh Jun leaned onto Onimon's flowing hair. "That's what my Uncle Noburu said he loved about it. "The sea's life", is what he always told us. I didn't get it but now," The maroon haired girl looked at the sky with a blank expression. Her uncle's words were just one of the many pieces of wisdom she'd received when she was young. Expectedly it was only now that she was almost an adult and having her world view challenged did she see some of the meaning behind their words. "He was right. You try and make predictions about how things are going to go but in the end you're still had the mercy of chance. My grandfather never could agree to letting his son live like that."
Onimon snorted. "That's stupid. Plenty of people live life like that, hell, it's impossible not to live life like that."
"You really think so?"
"Nothing in life is certain, rather you're a Digimon or a human. You can't see every little thing that's coming to you in life, adapting to it and moving on is what makes or breaks a person."
"If you're going by that logic then was everyone here broken?" Jun hated to use the word broken but that was the best way to describe it. How else could you describe people willing to serve a demonic digital octopus? "I guess you're right though. Do you ever think about giving up?"
"Heh, hell no! Why would I ever give up! Look at me! I've survived hundreds of battles, Devimon, the Dark Masters, and soon enough the Dark Ocean! If anything coming out of so many shit holes oughta give a person more reason to live!" he pounded his chest proudly. "If you can survive hell then why are you going to give up on being happy? You've earned."
Earning happiness, that was something of a new concept to Jun. Happiness isn't something that's supposed to be earned because everyone had a right to be happy. In the end that's all any of these people ever wanted. Did it just get to hard or did you all just give up too easily? Seeing the videos from the tunnels Jun could understand why some of these people chose Dagomon. She'd always believed the world was a friendly place; seeing those things had dramatically changed her world view. At school some people would talk about their family lives or hardships and Jun would just continue on her merry way because she couldn't put enough energy into imagining what hardship would look like. A knot formed in her gut at the thought of all the people she might have passed by; Chiyo filled her mind more prominently then all the others. An adulterous father that dies in a car accident and an obsessive mother, such a combination could only produce a shy, inverted child. How long did you keep this hidden from the world? Does anyone even know about it?
On the chance they ever got out of here Jun planned on confronting Chiyo. How would that conversation start? How would it go? Jun would get to those questions when they got there; the point was letting the brunette know she didn't have to let that horrible past swallow the rest of her life.
Placing her hand over her chest Jun felt her eyes getting heavy with sleep. When this is over how the hell am I going to live the rest of my life?
Finding a place to sleep wouldn't be easy but Onimon knew he needed a place for Jun to rest up just as much as he did. Sleep was becoming more of a luxury they had to grab any time they saw it. In his digital bones Onimon knew something was coming, something bad. At least now he had the power to fight it off.
Typically his kind hid in caves that were big enough for them to lumber around and stalk prey like mice in a maze. In this world though, it seemed like whenever they went into a cave things went wrong in one way or another. That left only the trees.
In a monkey-like manner Onimon climbed the trunks of the massive trees; apparently all they needed was the constant rain to grow to their towering fifteen and twenty feet height, sunlight be damned. The higher up he went the stronger the branches became making finding a suitable spot somewhat easier. When he did find one he sat with his back against the trunk and his partner protectively in his lap. Tetsuhono lay within the crux of his left arm, easily attainable in case of trouble. Thankfully as he settled it there was little complaint from the branches. Sleeping on tree branches wasn't his favorite thing in the world but you make do with what you're given.
He'd fallen asleep for five minutes when he sensed a presence around them. It wasn't hostile nor was malevolent, but that didn't stop his muscles from tensing or his face from morphing into a sneer.
"Now that's a scary face. Then again with looks like yours that's probably the only face you have." Came a cackle from his front view. Masculine, human, and middle-aged. "Would it help if I said I come in piece?" Bits of mist and water began to take semi-solid shape before Onimon's eyes. It all condensed to form a see through image of a human male in his thirties. There was no face, only a face-shaped mold in the solidified mist that would have frightened those unfamiliar with the forms of the departed. "See?" He spread his phantasmal arms out with a low chuckle that Onimon found annoying. "Unarmed! No threat!"
Calling them ghost wouldn't be too far from the truth. Even Digimon could becoming beings that qualified as digital wraiths, remnants of a Digimon's data only sustained by some lingering feelings or regrets. If such a thing was rare in the Digital World then it must have been common place here in the Dark Ocean.
Against any Digimon that knows how to fight they weren't a threat, against a human who wanted to keep living the same could be said. Now against a two meter tall oni with an iron club, there was no contest. "What do you want?" It surprised Onimon how they hadn't encountered any of these things sooner. He guessed that was due to three things: the war between Dagomon and the Daemon Corps had been as taxing for them as it had been for the Revenants, they preferred to keep out of sight, or they just enjoyed watching events play out in this limbo for their own twisted amusement. Judging by the grin on the ghost's face Onimon was strongly inclined to believe the third option.
"You guys have been making quite a bit of noise around here." He laughed again. "Sticking it to Dagomon not once, not twice, but three times. Weh, I gotta say, that takes some balls," The empty sockets that passed for eyes went from Onimon's face to Jun's sleeping figure. A sly grin formed on the ghost's lips. "Or-"
The ghost shivered at Onimon's animalistic growl. While the man may have been safe from physical harm he'd forgotten Onimon wasn't just an Ultimate-level Digimon, he was a Nightmare Soldier. Around his neck the prayer beads hummed with a red light that made the phantom uneasy. "Skip to the point or get lost."
Grimacing the phantom crossed both his legs and fixed Onimon with a crooked stared. "Do you guys really think you can get out of here? You know plenty of people have tried and failed."
Almost every phantom must have asked that question whenever they met someone who refused to be broken. "You want a straight answer, we don't know. Surprises you doesn't it?" He guessed reading the phantom's cress. "I could tell you something like since Jun's got a Digivice with her things are going to be different but that's no excuse. For all we know having that with us could just make things worse. Whichever one it is doesn't matter in the least, what matters is we're trying. Waiting around here for someone to come and rescue us isn't going to help. Our friends may know we're here but they don't have a clue about how to get here."
"Then you're putting them in danger by asking them to rescue you."
"You've got a point." The Oni settled. "But they'd do it regardless because that's what friends do." Never had Onimon thought he'd hear those words out of his lips. I hope you're happy Leomon. It took me a while but I think I finally got what you're saying. "This girl here has a family waiting for her. She's got friends. When you have those people who love you, care for you enough, you can do it all. You can put up a steel wheel, bubby-trap the place, and bark all you want; it doesn't matter because in the end they'll still come to save your ass. That's the great thing about having people there for you."
Onimon was expecting a laugh to come from the Phantom's lips, instead nothing came out filling the space between them with near silence. In his arm the maroon haired teenager shifted a little, completely oblivious to the tense conversation taking place around her. Onimon wondered what she would have to say about this.
"Fine then," The phantom began with a snort. "That's all for the girl, but what about you?"
"Who's to say I don't have friends? Truth is I don't know completely what it feels like to have a family, the idea of being friends with other people always seemed shitty to me. Then I got some friends and it turns out…having people willing to put up with you isn't so bad."
Finally the phantom broke out into a long-winded fit of laughter. "To such words from the mouths of an oni! Hehehehehehe! That's it! Now this hell hole has definitely shown it all to me!" Onimon said nothing as the phantom continued his laughter. Eventually when he regained control of himself he wiped a nonexistent tear from his eyes. "Well ain't that just cute. Too bad countless others have said the same thing and all that's amounted to is jack shit!" Throwing his head back in hollow laughter again he pointed an accusing finger directly at Jun. "Bigger and tougher guys have tried busting out of here! The hell makes you think you guys will be any different! What?!"
"I already told you, we don't know." He sneered. "Doesn't mean we should just drop everything and wait for Dagomon to get to us."
"So that's it? That's all you have going for you? Blind faith?"
"No, not blind. I know what I'm putting my faith in. Not the sovereigns," Eyes sliding back to Jun for just a second Onimon sat up straight bringing his full imposing stature to bear. "I'm putting my faith in her and in my friends."
The phantom stared at Onimon with its gray eyeholes. He couldn't read whatever expression manifested on his face no matter how hard he tried. Bit by bit as the wind picked up the mist and fog that made up the phantom's being began to come a part. There was no ghostly moan as one might have expected. In a way Onimon thought whatever questions the phantom had had been satisfied. Maybe now he could finally get some much needed sleep.
BBBBBOOOOOOM!
Jun's eyes snapped open in a fraction of a second it took her heart to hammer against her chest ten times. She couldn't tell if the boom was coming from her or the sky however the growling roar overhead confirmed her suspicion. Not just her heart, but her whole body quivered in fear with each boom. The death howl of the wind in her ear furthered numbed her body. Both her arms wrapped around her body and her knees tucked in; it felt like she'd been dropped into sub-zero water with nothing but a summer dress on. Bypassing her flesh was a spear that pierced her heart with fear. Tight hands closed over her frail body then brought her against a warm, hard body.
It took Jun a few seconds to find her voice; over the thunder she was surprised Onimon was able to hear her. "Now what the hell is it!?"
"A storm!" The Nightmare Soldier replied using his other hand to cover his eyes. "I can smell it Jun! Blood! Oil! Perfume!" Eager to show Jun what he was sensing he jumped through the rest of the branches. "Look!"
Looking up Jun saw the gray storm clouds churning through the sky. A flash of lightning illuminated the unholy mixture of dark water vapor. Never in all Jun's life had she felt so terrified looking at the clouds. Before the clouds had always been dark, now they'd gone to a pitch black color that out blackened even the night sky. Bolts of red lightning arced between the ebony clouds further cementing the heart stopping horror Jun felt.
Luckily the clouds formed no shape that would further terrify her though that didn't make the sick feeling in her stomach any better. Staring at those blacks masses made her feel smaller than she already was. Is Dagomon doing this? Another one of his scare tactics in case the sexual harassment and mind rape fail? If Dagomon was trying to intimidate her he was still succeeding though on a lesser scale than he had before. But why this? Can you do pin-point aiming? I'm sure you can do it but we both know that would never satisfy you. …You're way too sadistic to end this whole mess like that. Jun's inner voice sneered.
The red lightning jumped between the gathering clouds in greater force; her mind recalled seeing such a thing on a number of sci-fi movies. Rivaling the boom of the thunder was the cackling the lightning as it twisted and squirmed around itself. It was too far away for Jun to see clearly but she definitely heard the sound of an airplane's engines blasting through the sky. The cry of more engines pierced the chorus of thunder, which almost seemed to die down to allow the forest residents to hear it. Jun didn't need to hear it, she couldn't tear her eyes away from the numerous planes coming through the collections of storm clouds. In pairs, in threes, in fours, they all came through either with wings missing or on fire. Adding to their already damage state were the still cackling bolt of lightning. They struck like cobras intent on making sure their prey stayed down even as its knees hit the dirt.
The bolts collided with the aircrafts with the force of artillery shells. Right before their eyes Jun and Onimon saw a handful of planes completely break apart mid-air. Several didn't even come out whole but in pieces. A vast majority of them didn't last long.
The countless people who were onboard the planes were little more than black dots in the distance. Their flailing, their screaming, Jun could only picture it in her mind. Her eyes couldn't look away from the tragedy unfolding before her eyes.
"…D…D…" Her voice seemed to have been drowned out in the death roar above her. Just when she thought Dagomon couldn't sink any lower the Sinful Priest proved her wrong. "Y…Y…Yo…" How could he do such a thing? What had any of these people done to deserve this? "Y…Y…You…you…YOU GOD DAMNED BASTARD!"
At least Onimon let her finish her rant against Dagomon; once she was finished he grabbed her and jumped off the tree and down onto the hard forest floor. Creating a small tremor with his landing he took off through the trees. Among the countless quakes his impact barely made any noise at all. Onimon's entire sense of hearing was useless as there was too much noise in the air for him to decipher what was what. Quakes continued nonstop with every second that passed. It reminded him of a meteor storm save for the fact they were right in the middle of it.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Right off the bat Onimon knew Dagomon wasn't aiming at them. The airplanes were crashing far and wind, no sense of targeting whatsoever. That left him wondering what was the purpose behind this; Dagomon was far from stupid and wouldn't take unnecessary action unless there was something in it for him. Opening those portals had to have cost him a good chunk of the energy he'd saved up. He didn't bother to read any of the labels on the plane's sides or at least not pay much attention to them. Just with a glance he could tell they were all coming from various places based on their design.
BBBBOOOOMMMM!
With his balance off he wrapped Jun in both hands to save her from harm while he stumbled and struggled to regain his balance. "Ahhhh shit! Now what did he bring down? An aircraft carrier!? A skyscraper!?"
There were simply too many columns of smoke rising up for him to get a clear picture. Poking her head out the maroon haired teenager cursed. "Head for the nearest one!"
"Why?"
"Because there may be survivors!" she shouted. Immediately her answer was met with a narrowed glare from Onimon. With a huff she returned it. "Don't look at me like that Onimon. I know there may be nothing we can do but if there are survivors don't you think Dagomon would want them?"
He had to admit he hadn't quite thought of that one. As sickening as it was Jun had a point; anyone that did survive the crash was going to be scared shitless and dazed. Perfect pickings for converting them into mindless cultists. "Fine then. You stay close to me and no heroics?"
With a cunt nod they headed for the nearest plane crash, one maybe a mile away from them. With his speed Onimon cleared the distance in just two short minutes. Along the way they saw the trail of wreckage that had been left behind. Flames ate away at the once thick plant life with pieces of metal embedded into the land. Perhaps worse than the fact that smoke was rapidly filling the air was the fact along with the metal were bodies, torn and broken, everywhere. Hanging lip, burning, or lying in pieces on the ground, it made no difference.
Jun had to take a minute to empty what remained in her stomach while Onimon could only shake his head in disappointment. This was one crash among what was probably twelve or more.
Getting closer to the wreck proved to be harder emotionally than physically. Naturally the wreckage had only gotten worse. The Ultimate-level Nightmare Soldier was no strange to such things but for the human girl, this was a sight that would haunt her for decades to come. She stumbled every step, not over the wreckage but over her own feeble footsteps. A…A…another thing…Jun's mind thought mournfully. I always saw it on TV, on the news, b-b-but…to see it i-in person…No matter where she looked it was the same.
Onimon tore a chunk of the hull off of the plane's side. "Jun…" There was going to be no argument from her. He tore more chunks off the hull rather than let Jun go inside alone.
The inside had taken just as much damage as the outside had. The people inside…
Jun had seen a lot in her unmeasured time in the Dark Ocean. She'd seen torture, dismemberment, cold bloodied murder, mental torture, sexual abuse, rape, and now she could add mass electrocution to the list.
By-passing the plane's exterior bolts of unholy fury had torn through the hull and ripped through the passengers. Most of their bodies were still crispy since they'd only be burned recently.
Jun would have no doubt thrown up if she had anything left in her stomach. In time she'd look back on this moment with a sorrowful smile.
She felt numb.
Some two hundred people had been roasted alive inside of an airplane and those that weren't dead were slowly dying from their wounds. Watching their pathetic attempt to hold onto life was sickening.
They were already dead. All she could do was stand and watch their last breaths leave their bodies.
Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! CLICK! Boom!
To her left there was an explosion that blew away that entire section of the plane. She recognized the screech of Saberdramon followed by the war cry of Onimon. Shocked out of her melancholy induced daze Jun scrambled over to where the noise was coming from. Not even the sound of gunfire stopped her from moving towards the sight.
Crashing down with a mighty bellow Onimon flattened one Saberdramon in one swing then choked the life out of the next. The barrage of water blasts from the line of Shellmon did little to stop him nor did the line of feeble human gunfire. Jun was surprised. This was the first time she'd seen fire arms in the Dark Ocean.
Wait a second, if I could get my hands on one of those…An automatic rifle and ammo clips would be of much more help than the simple rifle she'd been carrying with her. The humans wielding them were already lost. With that thought in mind her command out with crystal clarity, "Onimon! Squash them!"
The girl's order called to Onimon's baser instincts, the instincts of the Nightmare Soldier within him. In one sweep he killed portion of the cultist firing at him. Their bodies became dots as they flew into the background, already broken from Tetsuhono's metallic weight. Though Jun winced what she really hoped for was the weapons would remain intact. And maybe whatever body armor they might have been wearing.
She stayed behind the cover as Onimon decimated the attacking force with ease. In the depths of her soul a sick joy sprang up from watching how easily they died. No grin appeared on her face though on the inside she might as well have been cheering for Onimon with pom-poms in her hands. This was revenge, as sick and twisted as it was, she enjoyed it.
Her joy was short lived as she noticed the cultist on the ground were merely trying to distract Onimon. Another team was on board the plane with her. Upon seeing her they opened fired forcing her to dive behind the half destroyed seats and corpses occupying them. Cursing she peered over the cover and fired with her own rifle. For a few seconds she saw a hood pass her scope. A moment after she pulled the trigger Jun heard the sound of a body hitting the floor. In retaliation for the murder a new wave of bullets pierce the seats she was taking cover behind. Frantic she scrambled over whatever was in her path making sure to stay as low as possible or risk ending up in someone else's line of fire. She got off four shots from her pistol; she didn't look back to see if any of them hit anyone until she felt she was safely behind cover.
Something rocked the plan and nearly rolled it over completely. A demonic howl of pain followed. Taking a moment to break off Jun peered through the window to see her partner had engaged a new enemy. These were winged, skeletal beasts that would have fit more in a RPG than some gothic tome.
Name: Skullbaluchimon
Level: Ultimate
Attribute: Virus
Description: A Digimon that's said to have been created from the data of counterfeit fossils it possesses no sense of intelligence or emotion. The only thing that drives it forward is reflex. If it spots anything the creature will be plunged into a terror-filled paralysis, leaving them wide open for its Grave Bone and Deadly Fear Attack.
The flock was keeping a safe distance from Onimon. Worryingly some were being ridden by humans and others acting as mounts for virus-infected Digimon. In the background Jun saw the trees break apart and flames shot up once more.
"Daemon Corps," She snarled. "What game are you playing squid face?"
Within minutes the Skullbaluchimon had begun going head to head with the Fallen Angel and Demon type Digimon now flooding the area. The Daemon Corps was confused, off balance, and easy pickings. Their Grave Bone attack amplified their already sizable feet as well as caked them in crimson auras; their impact was like watching a grape smashed with a hammer. Five minutes into the battle and Jun was inside the grape. Maybe two Skullbaluchimon landed on top of the plan as the cultist cleared out. Upon seeing them fly above the downed aircraft she jumped out the nearest opening.
The landing left her hand spinning but otherwise she was fine. She called for Onimon as she ran through the wreckage with energy blasts and fireballs flying through the clearing. Like lions on the hunt the skeletal beasts pounced on Daemon Corps amassing to the north with a ferocious fury. Black spheres engulfed those that were hit by their Deadly Fear attack; once the spheres disappeared only the Skullbaluchimon were left standing.
Amidst the battle Jun looked to the sky to see a flock of Digimon leaving with plane survivors either in cages, bonds, or flung over their backs.
Recruits.
If Jun had a weapon strong enough she would have started shooting the accursed beasts down. She knew perfectly well what awaited those that survived the trip. Pity was all she had for them for she couldn't spare anything else. Turning her focus back to the ground she came face to face with a Skullbaluchimon holding chewing the remains of a Boogeymon in its jaws. With a loud crutch the digital demon broke apart into data that was swallowed by the bestial Nightmare Soldier.
…
Despite the speed at which it came at her Jun steadied her rifle and fired directly into the beast's right eye. The momentary pain blindside it, giving Jun enough time to roll to the side. Coming up her feet she took off with the Skullbaluchimon still behind her. Five meters away she could see Onimon fighting off both the Daemon Corps and Dagomon's forces. "Onimon!"
Spotting her he leaped forward in a single step. Dropping to her knees didn't stop the raw heat from Tetsuhono from affecting her. The flames rolling off the kanabo made her for the first time feel hot since coming to the Dark Ocean. More importantly she could feel the danger the flames gave off; one strike and whatever was the target wasn't just getting pulverized, it was getting burned alive. The Skullbaluchimon, because of its dead nerve endings, probably never felt the searing flames eat away at is data. No, all it might have felt was the feeling of something large and heavy breaking it apart into pieces.
Standing protectively over Jun as more Digimon began to surround them Onimon stabbed his kanabo into the ground. Clapping both hands together he began to murmur unspeakable words that caused the prayer beads around his neck to light up. A different kanji appeared on each of them before breaking off and scattering. All of them launched in different directions with the force of cannonballs carrying them through the bodies of whatever lay in their path. "Okay we've seen the wreckage can we go now?" He barked looking down at Jun.
"Not before I get what I came for." She answered heatedly.
"And that is?" he sneered.
Her answer was hard and cold. "Weapons."
Bellowing he recalled the prayer beads to form a rotating barrier around the two of them. Finding the bodies of cultist was easy, scavenging the equipment they had on them proved to be a little more tedious. Onimon assured Jun she had all the time she needed, he enjoyed the chance to flatten everything that came near them. Three sixty spins, simple downward swings, backhand spins, punches, hell, biting, filled his demonic heart with glee. More than once he could hear himself laughing at the carnage.
"What are you!" A Phelesmon screamed as Onimon stood above it with a sadistic grin. "You are one of us! You're a Nightmare Soldier too! So why? Why are you allying yourself with that!?"
Chuckling a little Onimon jabbed his thumb towards some of the Skullbaluchimon. Instead of the normal blue the imprints over their black bones were glowing a blood red. "Same reason those guys aren't following Daemon's orders. I found a better boss! One way cooler than some prick in a bath robe or overgrown rabbit that loves sleeping in!" With another laugh he brought his foot down deleting the Phelesmon.
Working under the laughter of a blood-thirsty oni didn't impede Jun's search. She could understand what her partner was experiencing. War. Bloodshed. Chaos. They were the milk of Nightmare Soldiers. No matter how kind he tried to be Jun had a feeling there would always be that blood-thirsty monster inside of her partner. She could accept that only because she knew that wasn't all there was to him. Much in the same way she wasn't all she acted like she was. When she killed that first cultist on the plane she enjoyed. As sickening as it was she enjoyed taking another person's life. Who's going to know though? No one knows about this place. No one ever will know about this place. For all the world cares these people are already dead! The justification was unnecessary. What she'd done she'd done in self-defense. Besides they deserved. Every last one of them deserves to have their brains blown! With those thoughts in her head it made searching through the bodies so much easier. Turning over bodies, reaching into pockets stained by blood, all these things should have made her stomach howl in protest.
The only howling her stomach was doing was in the name of hunger. How long had it been since she'd eaten anything solid or real? Kami, am I seriously thinking about food in the middle of this!?
Beside her sat one of Onimon's large pouches he used for starting items. Briefly he'd explained while it didn't look like much one could fit a whole grocery store shelf into only one of them. Currently Jun needed that more than ever. Guns and ammo clips went in first with things like chest armor coming afterwards. All she wanted was something she could use to fight more effectively. By the time she was finished looting and beckoned to Onimon her hands and face were almost entirely covered in blood and mud.
Dumping the girl on top of his shoulder Onimon easily cut a path through the battle for them. In time they were out of sight, away from the battle. They still needed to go further, all around them there were surely similar incidents unfolding. They had no need to gamble their chances, what they needed was a break. Onimon needed to collect his thoughts so he could predict what Daemon's next move was going to be. Whatever he had done Dagomon had changed the rules again, and Daemon hated it when his opponents changed the roles mid game. The instant he saw an opening for payback he was sure the Demon Lord of Wrath would take it. In the meantime all he and Jun could do was keep making their way towards Innsmouth. While she may have been messing a few details Onimon was sure Jun was thinking the same thing. She'd probably already figured it; she was becoming a warrior, a survivor, with every day that passed in this place.
Thinking back to when they first met Onimon couldn't help but frown at that realization.
Three times Jun fell asleep riding on Onimon's back and three times he encouraged her to go to sleep to regain what little energy she had. Frankly it amazed her how she was able to fight it for so long just as how the second time she awoke Onimon was still running at almost the exact same speed. The soft rhythm of his body speeding through the forest acted as a lullaby for her. Within her dreams she expected to see the faces of those she'd killed or abandoned; all Jun dreamed of was darkness and the sensation of floating out at sea on a simple raft. As time went on that's what she began to think of herself as, she was lost at sea.
Above her the sky wasn't a majestic blue but a dull gray that constantly emptied a light rain upon her feeble form. The wind didn't howl and toss her small raft into the air or sink it to the bottom of the water. Everything was just caught in a pain staking limbo. Jun couldn't pick out any concrete shapes in the clouds. That was supposed to be good right? It meant her conscious was clear didn't it?
Why should I feel guilty anyone? She questioned again raising her hands in front of her face. The scariest thing that when Jun looked at things from a logically prospective she didn't feel anything. The joy she'd felt had long since faded giving way to a hollowness personified by the gray sky. All those people…their families are never going to know about what happened to them. They're all going to end up just like Dylan Blakely. Water started to collect at the edges of Jun's eyes. Hundreds of people were never going to know what became of their loved ones because no one would ever believe the story. She and Onimon alone would be the sole witnesses to the truth. It felt like she was now forced to wear a steel ball and chain. It's not fair. I'm just a seventeen year-old girl, why the hell do I have to do all this? Why do I have to carry all of this baggage? I'm some great hero or leader. I'm an ex-fangirl trying to stay alive. What the hell is it that qualifies me for this shit? I know it sure as hell isn't my looks. The more she stared at the sky the more realized this whole mess could have just been a stroke of random misfortune. No great plan or design, just her being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Flopping her hands to the side she released another long held breath. How ironic that she finally had time to contemplate this questions she didn't want to. Not only that but she didn't have an answer for them. "Gah, I hate critical thinking sometimes. No wonder everyone always chooses to pass it up when they can. But I can't pass it up now. Not when I finally got a moment of peace and quiet." She was quiet for some time. "Someday," Jun began allowing the wind to crease her body. "I'll tell someone. Maybe not immediately after all of this is over but eventually I'll tell someone about all this stuff. Maybe it'll be Davis when he's old enough to understand any of this, or my parents. It doesn't matter who it is because I'm not going to spend the rest of my life carrying this stuff."
It wasn't like she had a short list of people she could go too. Some though would remain near the bottom.
Blooming within her chest was an inner sense of peace that allowed her to accept the rain pouring down upon her. It didn't matter. For the moment she was content.
CLING!
A fire was burning a few feet in front of her with a few pieces of strange looking meat on sticks held up inches from it. Calmly she pushed herself up on her elbows while shaking her head. "How long have I been out?"
With his back turned to her he answered, "I don't know for how long but it's been a while." A boom of thunder shook their small enclave though neither of them paid it much mind. "Now I don't know much about weapons but I'd say you got some good stuff. A few rifles, tons of ammo, body armor, and some tome of Dagomon-Happy-Book babble."
"I would say toss it into the fire but I take it we can learn something from it?"
"That a girl." He chuckled.
Grenades, AK-47s, M-16s, more ammo clips then she could carry, combat knives and survival knives, these were the things he'd risked death for. The items she'd been lacking for weeks on end. Now that they were all lain before her Jun stared at the weapons with a hungry light in her eyes. Reaching over to touch them their cold metallic feel made her jump a little. Leaning back with an assault rifle in her hand Jun mused quietly to herself on the incredible and dreadful power she felt running through her body. All I have to do is point this at something and bang. "Well," she chuckled lightly. "Almost anything."
"You know bullets aren't going to do much against what we're facing unless you're shooting in the right spot." Onimon voiced sitting beside her cross legged.
"I…I know. But I wasn't just thinking about Digimon." The mental exchange they had with their eyes answered any questions they might have had. "How long as it been storming?" In front of the cave entrance was a massive boulder she knew had been moved. "It must be pretty bad if you had to cover up the only exit we have." There was a pause then a glance to the opposite end of end of the cave. "That is the only entrance right?"
"Don't worry. I checked it out and it's big enough for us. Besides I was short on time." With another crash of thunder his expression grew deathly serious. Holding up his hand a small pool collected in his palm. "Do you have any idea how bad the storm out there is? If I had to guess it started just a little before you fell asleep the first time. Jun you should have seen it, trees were-"
"How the hell did I sleep through that?"
"You were just that burned out Jun. Really I can't blame ya. Anyways I slid underneath into this cave, found the biggest rock I could, and there's our door."
"So…" Taking out her Digivice to pull up a map a small smile graced her pale face. "Believe it or not but I think we should be able to make it to Innsmouth in a day's walk."
Onimon was silent for a while leaving the outside storm the only sound present. "Jun, do ya' know how much time as passed here? Or what even makes up a day in this place?"
"Nope, you?"
"Not a clue." The Nightmare Soldier grinned.
After they'd finished eating Jun began to sort through her newly acquired armaments. Onimon had to refit one of his pouches in order for it to fit Jun. While the storm pounding on their hideout Jun spent several hours training with her new weapons. The kick back from the assault rifles took time to get used to but eventually she was able to empty an entire clip without issue. It went without saying that if a human being or Digimon were placed in front of her there would be little hesitation. A room's worth of thoughts bubbled in her head as she went over every each of her weapons; in the end they were all shoved into the attic for they had no place where she was going. The storm outside almost served as a soft lull for the two of them. Patiently by the wall they waited for the storm to end telling old stories from their respective pasts.
When the rain and thunder did finally stop they wordlessly stood up and approached the cave's closed opening. Before moving the boulder Onimon shot Jun one last look. Giving him permission he hefted the large chunk of rock aside to reveal…
"Huanglongmon's Scales." Onimon breathed.
"Oh…well…okay. The forest thing was overrated anyway. Half-flooded tropical jungles are totally in." Jun managed to get out with a twitching eye.
They were shadows, nothing but pure, living shadows of the titanic trees that now proudly climbed towards the skies. Thirty feet? Forty? Fifty even? Like all things in this realm what she saw defied the laws of physics and nature. What was shocking wasn't just the size of the trees but how they looked. They didn't shoot straight up; instead they twisted into odd spirals that merged with each other half way through. Yes merged, as in the wood and branches fused themselves together giving the impression they might have come from the same tree if one didn't look close enough. Black veins ran up the trunks well into the dozens of branches. The higher up they went the ticker they got. At first believing it to be a trick of the eyes Jun and Onimon shuddered when they saw the trees begin pulsating. They all seemed almost…alive.
Around them the presence of water seemed to have increased with a much thicker mist enveloping the rainforest. Below them were the roots were was nothing but a blanket of dark liquid. Even if it was just water neither one of them were willing to test it. Just looking at it made Jun's stomach quisy and her knees wobble. Between the trees and black water Jun wasn't sure about the day's walk anymore.
Lastly there was the rain. Both of them felt the chill of the tiny needles against their skin. Their fingers twitched every so lightly; every drop triggered their combat instincts.
Taking five deep breathes Jun glared at the "ceiling" of tree branches and veins above them. "Onimon, what do you think?"
With a grunt he rolled his shoulders. "What I think is you better not fall off."
So Jun grabbed some guns and wrestled with some emotional guilt. Should she feel guilty about any of this? What are Jun and Onimon going to find in the rain forest from hell? When's Daemon going to be able to make a move? (Don't expect much progress from his camp because Dagomon's still running the show for now). Please Rate and Review!