Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.
A Story for Suzie
Chapter: 51
Yamaki followed his technicians down to the laboratory section of Hypnos, wherein the great vats awaited. He paused upon entering the room, gazing at them thoughtfully, remembering how he had, in times past, deleted digimon – tore their bodies apart with the scanning equipment contained within the vats, all for the purposes of research and to develop a far greater, more terrifying weapon to use against digimon and the world they came from; the program known as Juggernaut.
As before with Juggernaut, he reflected briefly on the irony that the tools that caused so much pain and suffering were now being used to solve a problem surrounding the safety of the world; a problem that was considerably more clear cut involving an entity that desired dominion over others and did not care in the least who it hurt or what it had to destroy along the way.
Pushing such thoughts away to focus on the present, Yamaki resumed following after the technicians as they came to a halt in front of a crane and lifted their charge – the glowing orb of the Crow god – into it. While they busied themselves securing the sphere, he checked his cell phone. Although it hadn't warned him of any new calls or messages, he checked it anyway, feeling tense and uncertain. Janyu was keeping him informed of the progress of Henry's story.
Will it be enough? he wondered. He knew he was banking on it having some kind of impact. While they were making headway combatting the Crow' god's virus in their systems, it was slow going, and its continued encroachment only hampered their progress. If Henry's story could clear things out for them just enough for them to use their scanning equipment without any problems, they could put an end to the Crow god's plans.
At least, that's what Yamaki hoped.
"We're all set sir," one of the technicians said, stepping away from the orb. Flicking his lighter open, he nodded.
"Lower it in," he ordered.
###
"Me? Um… Why me?" Takato asked, pointing at himself in confusion.
"Yeah. Why him?" Rika chimed in, her tone guarded as she curled her fingers into her palms. She glared at the duplicate of Henry, her instincts buzzing like an angry hive of bees prepared to swarm at the slightest indication of danger. The dark-skinned youth's grey-eyes gazed back, betraying nothing. Leaning forward, he brought his hands together and rested his chin atop them.
"In this world, Takato – my Takato – had a connection with what we call the Dragon god." A small smile touched the corners of his lips and he glanced at Takato's partner, whose ears rose curiously at being the center of the wizard's attention. "We also called him Guilmon."
Guilmon's wing-like ears wiggled extatically as his golden eyes brightened.
"Ohhh… So I'm a god too?"
"Why don't we stay focused on the matter at hand?" Renamon interrupted – but not unkindly. "How does this help either us or yourself?"
"Right," Rika said heatedly, her violet-eyes narrowing. "That's your Takato, not mine. Why should he have the same connection?"
"It's more of a gamble, I admit," Henry replied. "But my Takato and yours," he nodded to the goggle-wearing boy, "have a lot of similarities between them. It may be because your Henry picked him to be a…" He paused, frowned, and then shrugged. "…character, and whatever means he used to create my world must have found a way to copy him."
Takato glanced down at his digivice thoughtfully. "Well, Shibumi did say that these things are supposed to teach data how to behave…"
"That still doesn't answer anything," Rika said. "Why would Takato have the same connection yours does with your Dragon god?"
"That's because he's a Dreamer," Terrierjinn said, taking a huge bite of rabbit and munching on it delightedly.
Both Takato and Rika blinked at that word before exchanging a look between them.
"Dreamer?" Takato asked, returning his attention to Henry. "What are you…?" he began before a light flickered on in his mind. "Oh."
Rika had the same thought as she shifted self-consciously in her spot. That stupid dream Takato had told her that he had about her when they first met. Although she had brushed it off as just one of the things that made Takato an oddity amongst her friends, it remained in the back of her mind, no doubt as it remained in the back of his, occasionally coloring their interaction with one another.
"That…" she began, surprising herself in speaking openly on the matter of the dream. "Don't be stupid, Takato. Nothing ever came from that anyway, so why's it matter?"
Nothing came from it, except me though, a part of her thought quietly as both she and the boy next to her blushed brightly in the light of the fire. Terrierjinn, taking note, grinned, but for a wonder, kept his tongue from commenting.
"I won't pry," Henry said, taking note of the two youths suddenly becoming awkward around each other. "But whatever happened between you two should be proof of some kind at least about what I'm saying."
"B-But I don't have any connection to your Dragon god though," Takato said, pushing past the awkwardness that threatened to overwhelm him. "I can't talk to them without it, right?"
"Not yet," Henry said. "But since you're a Dreamer, a connection can be made. Dreamers are…well… They're unusual in the kinds of things they can pull off. In the right environment they can give life to their thoughts, make roads to the waking world…"
"Ohhh…!" Guilmon lifted a claw at that. "I did that once when Takato and the others saved me!"
A memory flashed through Rika's mind at that. An image from when she and Henry rescued Guilmon from a digital field. They had thrown Takato to his partner when it looked like they weren't able to reach him in time before the field around them was destroyed. Immediately upon contact, Guilmon had glowed and a crimson road of light shot out from him and took them to safety. More memories followed after. Takato, beating down enemies and accomplishing digivolutions through sheer force of will and determination.
Now that I think about it, Gallantmon almost seems tailor made for him, she thought. Like it came out of his desire to protect everyone from Beelzemon and that was the form he thought of.
She paused, wondering if Takato had ever drawn a Mega form for Guilmon in their early days. She knew he had created both his Rookie and Champion forms, but she never heard or saw anything more beyond that.
Not that I cared to know back then, she thought.
Renamon's eyes glinted in the firelight as she stood behind Rika, arms folded over her chest.
"So you mean to have Takato build the road to this Dragon god?"
"I do," Henry nodded. "It's why the Crow god doesn't like Dreamers actually. You see, a long time ago, he put the Dragon god and…"
"Do we really need the history lesson?" Rika asked, feeling a bit annoyed now. "All we need to do is find this Dragon god and make whatever connection we need and that's all there is, isn't it?"
"It might not be that simple," Renamon frowned. "Any information could be of use to us, especially since we don't know anything about this world."
"What's there to know except that it's a stupid fairy tale love story between a knight and a princess?" Rika harrumphed, ignoring the deepening blush on her cheeks.
"Well, we are talking about building a road to the Dragon god using nothing but dreams," Takato chuckled dryly. "I don't know, but it might be a good idea to learn something about Henry's story." He glanced at the dark-skinned youth across from him. "Our Henry I mean."
"What would we even be needing to do?" Rika asked.
"Given Takato's status as a Dreamer," began Henry. "It's very simple, or at least it's simple since I'm here to help guide him. He just needs to sleep."
Rika scrunched her face up and scowled. "Not just him. We."
Takato and Henry both blinked at the fire-haired girl, who glowered back in return.
"What?" she demanded heatedly. "I'm not sitting this one out."
"It's…easier if it's just him though," Henry said carefully.
"So you can send us both to Dreamland?"
"Well, yes, but…"
"Good. I'm going too then."
Renamon frowned at her partner, wondering what was going through her mind.
"Rika?" she thought at the girl through their shared link, and the girl stiffened visibly, but did not answer just yet.
"Um…" began Takato uncertainly. "Are you sure that's a good idea? I mean…" He glanced at Henry meaningfully, reminding the girl of their earlier conversation. Folding her arms together, Rika shifted again.
"Guilmon and Renamon can watch over us, right? You need someone to watch over you when you're in Dreamland and I've done a pretty good job of that already."
Behind Rika, the vulpine digimon's eyes narrowed. Her thoughts from earlier in the evening on how Rika appeared to have changed with regards to how she interacted with Takato returning to the forefront. Was this the downside to the change? Was Rika thinking about this properly?
"Rika…" she thought at the girl. "We do not know if this Henry is who he says he is. If we cannot biomerge or use cards, we will be vulnerable."
Watching over the girl, she saw Rika curl her hands into tight fists.
Placing a paw on the girl's shoulder, she reached out through their connection, and at once the world faded around them, Takato and Henry becoming faceless shadows; the light of the fire a faint, flickering candlelight in the dark.
"Rika," Renamon began carefully. "What is wrong? This…doesn't seem like you. Earlier, you were advising caution, and now you're jumping into something we know nothing about. This Henry… If he is as you fear he is, we will be at considerable risk this way."
She could feel the tension in her partner's shoulder. Although the girl didn't say anything just yet, she could guess what was on her mind. It was likely that Takato would agree to 'Henry's' suggestion, and like it or not, Rika knew that they didn't have much in the way of options in a world they knew nothing about. And with her newfound apparent closeness to the goggle-wearing boy she called her friend, she no doubt felt strongly motivated to make sure he didn't get too far over his head, as he tended to even on his best days.
She does have a way of pulling him back from the brink, she mused, giving Rika's shoulder a soft squeeze. At this, Rika sighed and unclenched her hands.
"You're right," she said reluctantly. "We'll just have to work something else out. And…I think I have an idea on how to do that."
Renamon's blue eyes widened slightly in curiosity.
"What do you have in mind?"
"I'll show you in a minute."
With that, the shadows retreated, the world returning to their senses with the two boys looking at her, Takato with some concern while Henry's eyes held curiosity in them.
"About time," Terrierjinn spoke up. "The two of you suddenly went silent, like you had gone off to a different world or something."
"Near enough," Rika said, dusting off her jeans before leveling her gaze at Henry. "I don't trust you. Let's make that clear."
"Understandable," Henry nodded.
"And that's why you're not getting anywhere near Takato," Rika said, reaching behind her and drawing out her digivice. Reflexively, Takato shot up to his feet, hands raised.
"Hey! Hold on! You can't start a fight when you don't…"
"I'm not," Rika cut in, scowling at the boy before climbing to her feet. "This 'sending you to Dreamland' thing that this guy is talking about? Renamon and I are going to do that. Sakuyamon can use magic too. This way, we can keep an eye on both you and Fake-Henry here."
Henry furrowed his brow uncertainly. "Sakuyamon?" he asked before shaking his head. "I'm…going to need an explanation for whatever that means." He looked back at the two Tamers. "Are you sure that's a good idea? The Dream World is not something to be taken lightly, and… Have you had any experience with it?"
"I'm a quick learner." Rika folded her arms together. "This isn't up for negotiation."
She turned her violet-eyes over at Takato, daring him to challenge her, but for a wonder the boy simply smiled and shrugged before turning back to Henry.
"You heard her," he grinned apologetically. "Believe me, once she's got her mind set on something, you really can't change it."
Henry stared at Rika skeptically. "Have you actually used magic before?"
Hefting her digivice, Rika smirked. "Renamon?"
###
"Guardian Barrage!" Guardromon shouted, missiles whistling from his arms as they streaked toward their target. The steel wings glinted from the light of the runes on its feathers as it swung them about, the crow seeming to dance in place, chanting its spell. A shell of light materialized about it and a sharp gust of wind blew across the street, causing Kazu and Kenta to be thrown backward with a cry.
"Kazu!" Guardromon cried out while MarineAngemon fluttered frantically in horror.
"Pihpihpih!" he screamed, sending out a stream of pink hearts from his chest. The hearts swarmed around the two boys, enveloping them as they merged together into one, and the two tumbling boys came to a dead crash within the soft confines of the bubble.
"Man… Someone really needs to momentai…" Kazu groaned while Kenta adjusted his glasses.
"No kidding," the bespectacled boy said, digging out his digivice and cards. "This isn't going to be easy."
"Are you kidding?" Kazu asked, righting himself. "MarineAngemon's a Mega and Guardromon's two tons of awesome! That guy just took us by surprise, but it's not like that dragon that took out Takato and Guilmon."
Lifting his own digivice, the boy grinned devilishly. "We've got thi…"
A taloned, metal gauntlet came to rest on the surface of the bubble, and Kazu looked up to see the crow's face suddenly standing before them, humming loudly for one long moment before it spoke.
"Break."
MarineAngemon's heart-barrier shattered and the two boys collapsed to the ground in a heap. At once a flurry of hearts flew straight at the crow, courtesy of MarineAngemon's Kahuna Waves attack, only for them to be cut down by the crow as it slashed its gauntlet through the air.
"You're wasting time," the crow growled, light blooming to life around its claws. "You cannot stop my master's…"
"Warning Laser!"
A crimson light sprang to life in the air, connecting the crow to Guardromon's eyes, slicing cleanly through the crow's armor and bursting out the other side, leaving a smoking hole in the road behind it.
"Whoa…" Kazu breathed, getting to his feet again, a look of stunned surprise on his face as he relaxed a little. "Guardromon…"
The crow staggered, taken aback by the digimon's attack before shaking its head, righting itself. At this, Kazu tensed up again and clutched hold of his digivice. Their enemy was obviously injured, but it was no less dangerous than before.
"I…see…" it rasped, clutching hold of its chest, shining red light sparkling between its claws. "Then this is my death… But…I still need…blood…"
Spinning, it launched itself at the two boys once more, its bladed wings stretching out toward Kazu and Kenta. Heart-shaped bubbles swarmed up around them once more as MarineAngemon was suddenly there in front of them, an angry look on his face.
"Pih," he huffed, and at once blew a great, blue heart at the crow. It enveloped its gauntlet, and at once it disintegrated into innumerable shards of data. The heart plowed along the crow's arm, shattering it as it went until it tore through its head, detonating it. The crow crashed to the ground, the space above its shoulders headless and empty before it burst apart completely, its data floating into the air.
A pall of silence hung in the air before Kazu breathed out a sigh of relief.
"Okay… That wasn't as hard as I thought it'd be."
"I bet that crow was some kind of wizard class or something," Kenta suggested with a nervous twitter to his voice, clearly a bit overwhelmed by the battle, despite its swiftness. "Like in those RPG's. Lots of scary power, but not too good with taking a hit."
"Pihpih!" MarineAngemon chirped, flying right up to Kenta and pressing his cheeks against his partner's chest. Smiling, the boy took hold of him and patted him on the head. Kazu grinned and pumped his fist into the air.
"Yeah, and we just happened to provide the right hit to take it out. Man, with guys like that, how's this Crow god guy expect to take over the world? We've got it on lockdown!"
"Except for what it's been doing to computers," Guardromon pointed out, approaching them. Grumbling, Kazu gave his partner a dark look.
"Yeah, but Hypnos is probably on top of that. They took out the D-Reaper, and this guy doesn't even hold a candle to that freakazoid. He needs us just to get to this side, right? But we've all got partners who can clobber his mooks. What's he going to do?"
"Yeah," Kenta replied, beginning to laugh, only to freeze up as a thought occurred to him. Seeing this, Kazu lifted an eyebrow.
"Uh…dude? You got that weird look on your face like you're about to tell me you've got some bad news. What's going on?"
"Uh…" A bead of sweat crawled down Kenta's face as he thought furiously for a moment. No… Nothing like that would happen…right?
"Keeentaaa… What's going on in your head, Chumley? Come on. Don't suddenly turn into Takato on me."
"I…I was just thinking about what you said. About how the Crow god needs us to get to this world, and about how we all have partners to protect us."
Swallowing, he met Kazu's gaze levelly. The boy frowned for a second, and then paled as the same thought occurred to him as well.
"Oh nuts… Jeri… She doesn't have a partner to protect her! We've got to get to her!"
6
