Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Chapter 34: Ryou's Secret, Checkmate HishyaRyumon
"Kaya are you okay?" Hanekuro asked worriedly. His friend had tripped on a rock and went flying down to the ground. Hanekuro and Ryou both bent down to help there fallen friend.
"You need to be more careful Kaya." Ryou chuckled as he held his hand out to her. Kaya looked at it and suddenly felt an intense fear grip her heart. Her hand flew out and smacked the boy's hand away.
"Get away from me!" she yelled fearfully.
"That was a little harsh wasn't it?" Masurao asked, surprised by the normally calm and happy girl's outburst.
"Yeah I'm only trying to help." Ryou said, giving Kaya a wide and happy smile.
"I don't need you're help." Kaya answered as she stood up on her own.
"Hey, come on Kaya be a bit nicer to Ryou." Hanekuro said, confused by his friend's actions.
"Kuro-kun," Kaya said worriedly. She looked at Ryou who smiled back as he stood up. 'He still doesn't know about Ryou. What am I supposed to do? If I tell him then Ryou might go berserk and I really don't think Kuro-kun could take it.'
"Something wrong Kaya?" Koinumon asked worriedly.
"Yes, you're acting very jumpy." Ryudamon added.
"It's just," Kaya stopped. She tried forming the words but couldn't. It would devastate Hanekuro, and who knows what Ryou would do. 'No, I have to be honest. If something is wrong with Ryou then the only way to help him is to tell the truth.' "I'm just really worried." She answered lamely.
"Is that all?" Hanekuro chuckled. Kaya glared at him, surprised her stoic friend had actually chuckled at her. "Relax Kaya, we're all worried but the Demon Lords won't win. We won't let them right guys?"
"Yes Master." Ryudamon said loyally.
"Of course not!" Masurao said confidently.
"There's nothing to worry about." Strabimon added.
"But there is." Kaya said quietly.
"Is something wrong Kaya?" Ryou asked, his kind smile looking sinister to Kaya.
"Kuro-kun." Kaya muttered. "Yesterday, I saw Ryou in the hallway."
"Me?" Ryou asked.
"So?" Hanekuro asked, not sure of why that was important or causing his friend to panic. He failed to notice Dorumon's eyes glaring at Kaya intensely.
"He grabbed me from behind and held a knife to my neck." Kaya cried. "He kept ranting about how he wasn't really alive and that someone was trying to kill him. I think he might have actually killed me if Haseo hadn't come in time." Everyone was silent, Masurao and Strabimon looked shocked, Hanekuro and Ryudamon looked disbelieving, and Ryou and Dorumon's faces were completely blank.
"Kaya, what do you mean?" Hanekuro asked, a confused smile on his face. "Ryou what's she talking about?"
"I'm not sure." Ryou answered with a shrug. "Dorumon and I were in our room all last night."
"That's not true." KoInumon said angrily. "Dorumon and Ryou both attacked us last night."
"I've got no idea what they're talking about." Ryou said simply.
"Kaya what's wrong with you?' Hanekuro asked. "Why are you lying like this?"
"Kuro-kun I'm not!" Kaya cried fearfully. "He held a knife or something to my neck last night. He was rambling on like a psychopath and saying how someone wanted him dead!" The hallway was silent for a few moments until Ryou started laughing.
"Oh I get it." He laughed. "You're jealous, aren't you? You think that with me around you won't be able to be with your little Kuro-kun. You think that he'll be too busy checking up with me to be able to hang out with you." Ryou continued chuckling at Kaya.
"Kaya is that what this is about?" Hanekuro asked, a relieved smile on his face. "Are you afraid I won't have any time for you?"
"No, I'm not making this up!" Kaya cried.
"Well this is a little awkward." Masurao muttered.
"Please you've got to believe me!" Kaya pleaded.
"Kaya, enough. I'm getting really tired of this now." Hanekuro said, a hint of annoyance in his voice.
"Master, maybe we should hear her out." Ryudamon said worriedly.
"Not you too Ryudamon!" Hanekuro cried in disbelief. He walked over and put an arm over his little brother. "Come on you guys, this is my little brother we're talking about here. He's not insane. No more than a normal little brother would be."
"Thanks." Ryou said happily. "So let's leave this jealous talk alone for now, okay? We've got Demon Lords to worry about."
"No!" Kaya cried, her eyes filling with tears. "Hanekuro please, listen to me. Ever since this guy came to us saying he's Ryou you've been completely different. I know you Hanekuro, you're not easily fooled. So please stop feeling so guilty about what happened to Ryou and just think! How do we even know this is Ryou!?"
Hanekuro was silent, torn between his little brother and desperate friend. "But he's my little brother. I know he is. Kaya he has to be!" he yelled back as he stepped towards her angrily. He turned back to Ryou and looked at him pleadingly. "This is Ryou. He has to be Ryou! Please tell her!"
Ryou smiled. "I'm Ryou, plain and simple." He said.
"See?" Hanekuro said, a panicked smile on his face. "He's Ryou. He just said he was."
"What if he's lying?" Kaya asked.
"Shut up!" Hanekuro roared. "He's not. He's not lying!"
"Master." Ryudamon said worriedly.
"Man, all of this after a simple little prank." Ryou sighed.
"A prank?" Masurao asked suspiciously. "Hold on a minute, I thought you said that Kaya was making this up!"
"What's going on Ryou?" Strabimon growled.
Ryou's smile faltered. "Oh, I was just kidding. You know, trying to make Kaya feel better. Lighten the situation a bit, you know?"
"Enough Ryou, tell us who you really are." Koinumon growled
"Stop it dog breath, he is Ryou." Hanekuro shot back. "Right?" he asked pleadingly.
Ryou turned away from the group and walked away a few steps. He seemed to be in deep thought, but didn't say anything. Dorumon walked over and leaned against Ryou. The two of them both let out a heavy sigh before turning back to the group. "It was a lot of fun." Ryou said happily.
"What was?" Strabimon asked warily.
"What was fun? Screwing with you people of course!" Ryou yelled happily. He began laughing maniacally, the noise echoing through the hallway.
"Ryou what are you talking about?" Hanekuro asked worriedly.
Ryou stopped laughing and glared at Hanekuro. "That was probably the worst part of my game to be honest. Ryou," he spat. "What a stupid name. I hated being known as your little brother. Why can't anybody see me for what I am?"
"And just what exactly are you?" Ryudamon asked angrily.
"I am," Ryou said quietly. His featured began changing. His white hair became pitch black. His emerald green eyes became a glowing blood red. His pale skin grew paler, his face taking on a haunted look. He smiled at Hanekuro, amused at the boy's look of utter shock. "I am Dex." He answered calmly.
"R-Ryou." Hanekuro muttered. "What happened to you?"
Dex rolled his eyes. "Oh God, you really are stupid! I'm not Ryou, I never was! I only took his form to get in with your group! Are you really so pathetic that you'd think I was Ryou? I mean really, we're you that desperate? Oh I'm Ryou, I was kidnapped when I was five and then lived here in the digital world for ten years. What a load of crap!"
"Stop it, stop it!" Hanekuro cried, tears streaming down his face.
"Stop it, stop it!" Dex mimicked. "Fine then, I'll tell you the truth. You're little brother Ryou, is dead!"
"No!" Hanekuro cried.
"Yes!" Dex barked. "How pathetic you are. It was so easy to come in and trick you. It was so easy to come in and befriend you. Guilt is such a wonderful emotion, isn't it? It makes manipulating people that much easier!"
Dex turned to his Dorumon who turned to him. Dorumon walked over and sniffed Dex's outstretched hand. Dex smiled as he lifted his partner up by the scruff of his neck, a dark energy surrounding him. Dorumon smiled and gasped as the dark energy surrounded him, completely dissolving his form which then sank into Dex's body. "So then who goes first?" Dex chuckled. "Come on, I know you guys are just dyeing to try to rip my throat out. I just pulled a Szayel Aporro move for goodness sake, I know you guys are dyeing to kick my ass."
"Digisoul Charge!" Masurao and Kaya cried as they evolved their digimon.
"Reaving Sphere!" Inudramon roared as she fired a large sphere of glowing energy at Dex. Dex laughed as he caught the ball of light and then turned he grinned at Lobomon who had moved behind him for a stealthy attack and crashed it into the wolf warrior. The energy exploded, forcing him back down the hallway.
"My, that was easy." Dex laughed.
"He grabbed Inudramon's attack like it was just a big rubber ball and threw it at Lobomon. How the hell did he do that when he's just a human?" Masurao asked. Dex suddenly appeared in front of him, his icy blue eyes glaring at Masurao's brown ones. Masurao gasped as Dex lifted him up with a single hand gripped tightly around his neck.
"I'm no human." He said as he threw the boy into his partner who had been struggling to get up. He turned to Inudramon and smiled warmly. "And I'm no digimon either. Don't you dare lump me in with your two pathetic species."
Kaya ran over to Hanekuro who was curled up into a ball. He held his head in his hands, a look of pure terror on his face as he watched Dex throw Inudramon around. "Hanekuro we need your help." Kaya said as she shook her friend. "Hanekuro please, enough with the Hero Blue Screen of Death. Inudramon and Lobomon can't take whatever this thing is on their own!"
"Oh she's right Kuro-jun." Dex chuckled, his voice sounding just as it had when he was still masquerading as Ryou. "These cute little doggies just don't have it in them." Dex walked towards the two of them, making Hanekuro panic. He pulled away from Kaya and tried to run away but stumbled and fell back down. He turned around to find Dex standing over him, grinning widely with a mouth full of sharp teeth. "We're all mad here." He chuckled.
Hanekuro let out a desperate cry as he scrambled away from his tormentor. Ryudamon lunged at Dex, intent on piercing his heart with his katana. Dex merely laughed as he caught the fur covered dragon samurai. He grabbed his katana and threw it away with ease before grabbing Ryudamon's throat and squeezing it. Ryudamon struggled against Dex, but his grip was like an iron vice. "Don't worry, I won't kill you yet." Dex chuckled as he rubbed his face on Ryudamon's soft neck. "I'll make you suffer a while."
Dex threw the dragon with incredible strength into the wall next to Hanekuro. Ryudamon hit the wall, his armor and bones cracking on impact. "I'll make sure you two suffer for a while first." Dex laughed as he walked towards Hanekuro who was cradling the barely conscious Ryudamon. Dex's features changed again. His eyes became a calm emerald and his hair became a snow white that fell neatly on his head.
"I'll do everything to you two before you die." He chuckled as he knelt down in front of Hanekuro who was now completely pressed against the wall. "And I do mean, everything." He chuckled with a terrifying smile. Hanekuro pulled away even more, his head pushing against the wall behind him so much it hurt. "Or better yet, maybe Kaya and I should have some fun first, just to show you all of the stuff I'll do to you." Dex lifted his hand up and gently felt Hanekuro's face, making the older boy pull away. Dex grinned as his hand slowly moved up Hanekuro's head and sharply pulled his hair.
"Look at people when they're talking to you." He chuckled. "It's not nice to scramble away from sheer terror you know."
"Get away from him!"
Dex looked away from Hanekuro in time to see Inudramon 's fangs up close. The wolf sank her teeth into him, making him cry out in pain. Inudramon ran faster than she ever had before, and then stopped suddenly. She used the momentum of her run to throw Dex down the hallway when he landed with a sickening crack. Kaya jumped off of her partner and ran back to Hanekuro and Ryudamon.
"Kaya." He whimpered pathetically.
"It's okay, don't worry." Kaya said as she hugged her friend. "We're going to get help for Ryudamon, I promise. And Dex won't ever hurt any of us."
"I think Dex disagrees." Lobomon said as he and Masurao walked over to the others. Everyone watched as Dex stood back up, one of his ribs poking out of his jacket. He looked down at the bone and began laughing. He bent down on his knees, using them for support as he howled with laughter. Hanekuro hugged Kaya tighter, terrified by the noise.
"I'm laughing so hard my side is splitting!" Dex laughed maniacally. "See!" he cried as he tore his jacket off to reveal his pale body. True to his word, the right side of his body had a large ghoulish cut over it, showing off his broken ribs. Hanekuro pulled away from Kaya and emptied his stomach onto the floor, disgusted by the site of his brother's body in such a mangled state.
"Okay, so who wants to be hurt first?" Dex as ked as he moved his left shoulder, ignoring the hideous mark Inudramon had left. "Masurao, I don't like you or care about you. In fact, you can leave for all I care. Messing with these guys is enough fun."
"We're not leaving them behind!" Masurao yelled angrily.
"Suit yourself." Dex shrugged as he rubbed the back of his head. "But I can't be held responsible for what I do to you." Dex dropped to all fours as his hair turned black and wild again. He growled as his body began shaking and rippling. His skin turned a pitch black as a dark aura surrounded him. He gasped in shock and elation as his body tensed, his back banding down in a horrible way. The ark aura hardened, creating pure white armor over his body. "Corrupt, Equis Muerte." He growled as he stood back up.
His body was covered in pure white armor that ended in sharp claws. His face was covered in a snarling dragon like mask, the only thing visible was his glowing icy blue eyes. Spikes lined his spin as white bat wings sprouted from his shoulder blades. A tail shot out of his waist, the tip ending in a sharp point. The mark on his side was completely covered by his body, as was the rest of his body. He tore his now useless clothes off of him and let out a loud roar that shook the tunnel. "Alright then, who's first!?" he growled.
"Kaya." Hanekuro whined as he pulled closer to his friend.
"Take him out Inudramon!" Kaya cried, masking the fear in her voice with courage for her friend's sake.
"Go get him Lobomon!" Masurao shouted encouragingly.
The two wolves charged for the smaller enemy. Despite his new form he hadn't grown much taller than before, so they still had a height advantage. Inudramon fired a large glowing sphere of energy at Dex, which exploded on contact. Lobomon jumped behind the screen of smoke and rubble created from it and charged in, his glowing blades aimed at Dex's neck.
Lobomon failed to emerge from the smoke, worrying everyone. "Lobomon?" Masurao asked worriedly. "Are you still in there?" A great gust of wind blew through the corridor; knocking the smoke away and throwing the humans back a bit. Masurao gasped when he looked up, terrified at what he saw. Dex was standing the same way he had been before the attack, completely unscathed by the energy or blades. His tail was now positioned diagonally behind him, sticking right through Lobomon's chest. The tail slowly pulled out, Lobomon being pulled along slightly. The tail slithered out like a snake, the back half of it covered in blood.
Lobomon fell forward, seemingly in slow motion. Dex turned on his heel and slammed his tail into the wolf warrior. Lobomon was sent flying down the hallway, crashing into the wall near Masurao. Lobomon instantly devolved into Strabimon, the wound still very much there and still bleeding heavily. "Strabimon." Masurao gasped in horror.
The helmet on Dex's head disappeared, revealing his pale face. His tail wound around him, the tip pointed at his face. He lightly licked the blood from the sharp tip of his tail and smiled. "He acted brave but his heart was full of fear and desperation. I love the taste of hopelessness in the morning." Dex chuckled.
"You're sick!" Kaya shrieked.
Dex frowned as he licked another bit of blood off of his tail. "No I'm not." He said. "I'm just living the way I want to."
"Trash like you shouldn't be alive! Go curl up in a hole and die you scum!" Kaya yelled back.
Dex stopped licking the blood, his eyes wide. "I don't deserve to be alive?" he asked quietly. "Why not!?" he roared, making Kaya flinch back. "Why am I being persecuted for doing what I need to survive again!?" he roared in anger. "You all say I am evil because I kill to eat but is that not the same as your hypocrite species!? Do humans not kill to feed their own hunger!?"
Dex was suddenly in front of Kaya, making her gasp in shock. His tail lifted her face up to look at his own. "But I'm different." He whispered. "I need to eat others to survive. You humans can eat plants to survive; you have no reason to eat your animals beyond enjoying the taste. Tell me then, why?" Kaya tried pulling away from Dex but he grabbed her arm with his claw, cutting it into her arm forming beads of blood. "Why do you persecute me for doing what I must to survive?" he asked quietly as he looked down at Kaya. His tail lightly pushed her head up, forcing her terrified face to look at his calm one.
"I survive by absorbing the anguish and despair from others." Dex whispered as he wrapped his arms around her lovingly. "I wonder what yours tastes like." He whispered as he pressed his lips against hers. Kaya tried pulling back, her face showing how much she despised the creature who was holding her. She pushed away but Dex pulled her closer, his wings covering the two of them. Dex pulled away for a second and licked her neck, making her cringe. "I wonder what Hanekuro's despair will taste like after he hears me sampling your pain to it's fullest." He said quietly.
Hanekuro's eyes widened in shock. This monster wanted to, to, he couldn't even think of such a horrible thing. He stood up, feeling his stomach lurch in terror. "No, I won't let you do that to her." He gasped as he stumbled forward. "I don't care what form you take, or whether you're my brother or not, I'm not going to let you hurt her!" he yelled as he grabbed Dex's wing and pulled it as hard as he could. The thin bone and wing membrane broke as Masurao pulled Dex away from Kaya. Dex pulled his wing out of Hanekuro's hand to reveal his very angry face and Kaya's grateful one.
"You just don't get it, do you?" Dex asked as he knocked Kaway away from him. "You think you're going to stop me just because you're protecting your loved one, or because you're a good guy. Well I've got news for you, you're wrong!" Dex lunged at Hanekuro but was stuck suddenly. He looked back to see Masurao, Inudramon, and Ryudamon holding his tail back.
"You may be strong but you can be easily distracted." Ryudamon chuckled. "You will not harm Master or any of our friends."
Dex glared at the three of them in annoyance and flicked his tail around, sending Inudramon and Masurao away. Ryudamon however, caught himself and flipped around so he landed next to Hanekuro. Dex glared at them, but suddenly smiled. His hair fell across his face, his eyes became a clear emerald, and his hair turned snow white. He smiled innocently at Hanekuro, who's expression was unreadable.
"Ni-chan, come on." He said quietly. "I just wanted to have fun with Kaya." He slinked forward and grabbed Hanekuro's hand. "And then maybe you can I can have some fun."
CRACK!
Hanekuro's fist shot out and punched Dex backwards, his disguise instantly shattered. He tripped over his own tail and landed against the wall. Hanekuro ignored his broken hand and glared at Dex. "You bastard!" he roared, steam practically shooting out of his ears. "You trick me with my brother's face, you try to hurt my friends, you try to rape Kaya, and then you try to control me! You are not brother of mine." Hanekuro growled as his body was covered in his digisould. His crest glowed, dyeing the digisoul as a light blue. "I'm not sure who you're so scared of but I do know one thing." He said as he glared down at Dex. "Ryou is alive somewhere, and I won't let trash like you get in my way of finding him!"
"You idiot, you've fooled yourself into believing those delusions!?" Dex roared.
"No, you've fooled yourself into thinking you're worth something." Hanekuro replied coldly. "Digisoul, Full Charge!" Hanekuro's digivice changed like the ones before his. It became a rectangle in sharp, three light blue buttons position on the bottom around a white circle. The rest of it became a dark blue with the Crest of Friendship glowing between the buttons and the screen.
"Ryudamon shinka," Ryudamon cried as his body was covered in dark blue light. He changed into an even large dragon with golden scales. His armor grew as well, covering his long body. His helmet formed itself as a shogun's war helmet and he held two orbs in his claws, one green and one orange. "HishaRyumon!" he howled, his form filling the corridor as he stretched out behind Hanekuro.
"You idiots think you can defeat me!?" Dex roared as his helmet reformed over his face. "Forget the torture, I'll crush you right here and now!" He charged at Hanekuro, his claws glowing black. Hanekuro stood motionless, but HishaRyumon didn't.
"Seiryuu Jin!" he roared as his tail formed as a large blade the swiped Dex through the wall behind him. The walls and ceiling collapsed around them, but HishyaRyumon gathered everyone and surrounded them with his armored body. Hanekuro held Kaya as they waited for the rumbling to stop. When everything was quiet HishyaRyumon uncoiled and stretched out into the sky.
"I'll kill you!" Dex roared as he broke out from under the rubble, his wings tattered, his armor broken, and his tail limp. He charged at HishyaRyumon, his eyes glowing with a savage anger. HishyaRyumon shot towards him and surrounded him with his body. "Trying to trap my huh? Well too bad!" Dex roared as his wings stretched out despite their condition. He laughed as he flew up into the air and put his claws in front of him. "I'll wipe you all out of existence! I will not be stopped by something like you!"
"Juuou Guruma." HishyaRyumon whispered as his body glowed. Dex cackled excitedly as his body was surrounded by a dark energy. He saw his shadow fall over the group and smiled excitedly. "Wait, why is the sun so bright?" he asked as he looked behind him. He roared in surprise as he was shot down into the ground by a beam of light that landed within HishyaRyumon's body. Dex roared in pain as the light covered his body, searing his skin with intense heat.
HishyaRyumon uncoiled, the beam of light stopping. Everyone looked at the burnt body of Dex, back in his human form. He looked up at Hanekuro and crawled towards him. "Please Ni-chan." He whimpered.
"You're not my brother." Hanekuro said decisively. "You're a nobody