Digimon Fic chapter 2
Ken walked through darkness.
Not an ordinary type of dark, with subtle contrasting lighter and darker shades of blacks. This was a pitch black that has never known the light of day or even a dim glow of a candle. As he walked through the darkness, he could sense other creatures there with him. He could feel their fear and helplessness that accompanied it, being unable to see. But that fear didn't touch him. It was darkness that accompanied the deepest sorrow and the greatest pain. It was the heart of darkness and he wasn't afraid of it. He was all too well acquainted with it for it to scare him.
A dim cone light appeared before him. Frowning, he made his way to it, wondering what kind of light had the audacity to break his darkness. As he got closer, he could make out people standing in the light, and they acted as if they could see him. He could see them beckoning to him, wanting him to join them in the light. An unexpected surge of happiness spread throughout him and he rushed to them, but slammed to a stop at the very edge of the light by an invisible wall.
As he stood there, unable to penetrate the light barrier, he could make out his parents, and the other Digidestined, even Sam! They were standing in the cone of light, smiling and waving at him. He could see they were speaking, but it was utterly silent on his side of the barrier. He pushed harder, trying to get through to his friends and family. But the barrier wouldn't budge.
Then the silence was split by laughter. It was a harsh, triumphant laugh that brought the small hairs on the back of his neck standing at attention. Turning back into darkness, he tried to locate the source of the horrible noise. As it grew louder, he could make out words mingled with the mocking hilarity.
"Did you think that you were rid of me Ken?" it sneered, the sound dove at him, twisting like a snake and Ken pressed his back against the wall that separated him from the light. "You are mine!"
"No!" Ken shouted defiantly at the disembodied voice. He wasn't scared of the darkness, and some stupid voice wasn't going to get the best of him, not while he had his family and friends with him.
"Ken!" he heard his mother call frantically. Spinning around, he could see his parents and his friends fading away. The light had taken on a harsh quality, like the awful fluorescent bulbs that department stores always used. He pounded on the barrier with his fists, trying to get to them before they were gone completely, but it was no use.
"Mother!" he screamed. "Don't go! Please, Mother, Father! Don't go!"
"Ken!" a voice whispered harshly and a hand shook his shoulder.
"No!" he begged, still trying to reach his family, and his friends who were by now mere shadows in the light. "Mother!" he called again.
"Ken, wake up!" the voice begged, and the light faded, until, "Davis?"
"Yeah, man. It's me," Davis said, sitting on the edge of Ken's bed. "Another nightmare, huh?"
It had been three days since the Ichijoujis' funeral and Ken was staying with the Motoyimas. Davis remembered the horrified tone of his sister Jun's voice as she told the rest of her family that she heard on the television that Ken's parents had been killed. Without hesitating, Davis made his parents drive straight over to Tamachi. Mr. and Mrs. Motoyima knew that Ken and Davis were best friends and had encouraged their son's friendship with the young genius, hoping some of Ken's drive and study habits would rub off on their only son.
Davis had never felt so frantic as when he pounded on the door of the Ichijouji apartment and there was no answer. He knew Ken was in there, alone except for Wormmon. He didn't know how he knew, but he didn't question the gut feelings that always guided him when dealing with the Child of Kindness. Ken didn't answer to his knocking. Davis ignored his parents' questions and knocked again, louder this time.
There was still no answer.
"Are you sure he's in there?" Davis' father asked him. Davis didn't answer. Instead he knocked yet again, and this time hollered "Ken! Hey man, it's me, Davis! Open the door!"
For a few seconds there was still no answer, and then the sound of the door being unlocked greeted them. Mr. and Mrs. Motoyima glanced at each other. Then the sight of the young genius standing in the doorway erased any thought of their son's erratic behavior.
Ken was wearing gray sweatpants, a purple t-shirt with the Nike logo and an utterly blank look that went along with deep shock. His face was so pale, except for the huge violet eyes, that Davis was sure that Ken was sick. Then Ken opened the door wide enough to let them in, then closed it and locked it once again.
"I'm sorry it took me so long. I thought you might be more reporters," Ken apologized softly as they removed their shoes and the young man escorted them to the living room.
Hearing Ken mention reporters, Davis scowled angrily as he sat on the couch. "Have they been bothering you?" he asked, noticing that the phone had been unplugged. The nerve of some people made the young man's blood boil.
Ken shook his head, his dark hair contrasting with the paleness of his delicate features. "No, they have been trying to call though," he answered in a calm voice. Too calm, the grown-ups decided with concern.
"How long ago did you find out?" Davis' father questioned gently.
Ken remained standing, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot. He looked over at the clock. He stared at it for a few seconds as if the timepiece was a foreign language. "A half hour I think," Ken replied, running a hand through his hair. "The policeman had to leave right away," he added softly. "But he wanted me to go stay with someone. I was going to call you and ask if it was ok if I stayed with Davis for the night. But I don't want to be a bother."
Davis, who had been sitting surprisingly still for Davis, jumped to his feet and placed a hand on Ken's shoulder. Ken didn't draw away; he just looked at the goggle-wearing boy steadily. Davis hated the blank look in Ken's eyes. "Oh, god Ken! Don't ever think that it's a bother. You can stay with us for as long as you like," he offered. He was sure his parents would support him in this.
Mr. and Mrs. Motoyima looked at each other. "Ken, do you have any relatives?" Davis' father asked.
Ken looked at him and shook his head again. "No, sir. My parents were only children, and all my grandparents are dead. I am an only child as well, since my brother died," he finished, looking down at the floor. The only thing he could feel was Davis' hand on his arm; otherwise he was still completely numb.
Hearing this, Davis' mother's maternal instincts raged to the surface and she swept Ken up into a hug, ignoring the child's stiffening in her arms. "Davis is right Ken, you are welcome to stay with us as long as you want to," she said, stroking back the fine black hair.
Ken bore the indignity for a minute, and then he pulled back and bowed politely to the grown-ups. "Thank you for your kindness. I'd rather not stay here, in case the reporters find me. I will go pack an overnight bag. "
"I'll help," Davis announced and they left for Ken's bedroom.
Davis' mother turned to her husband. "That poor boy," she said, tears in her eyes.
Mr. Motoyima wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "At least he has Davis as a friend," he murmured. He was still thinking about Davis' offer to Ken. When the door to Ken's bedroom closed, he steered his wife to the small kitchen where they could have a quiet conversation about the newly orphaned child's future.
Ken had shut the bedroom door behind Davis so he could talk to Wormmon without Davis' parents overhearing. He climbed up on his lofted bed and gently shook the sleeping Digimon awake. On the floor, Davis rummaged through Ken's closet, looking for his friend's duffel bag.
"Wormmon, wake up," Ken said in a low voice.
Instantly the caterpillar opened his large blue eyes. "Hello, Ken. What's going on?" the Digimon questioned sleepily.
"We are going to spend the night with Davis and Veemon." Ken told him with a slight smile. The rookie Digimon brightened and crawled out from under the covers. "Can you di-digivolve to Leafmon, friend?" the black-haired genius requested and Wormmon nodded. The caterpillar then glowed briefly and reconfigured into a small green ball with a leaf in top.
"Is that ok, Ken?" he questioned cutely.
"Perfect," Ken told him and gently gathered up the in-training Digimon in his arms. He hopped down from the bunk as Davis backed out of the closet, dragging the duffel bag. Nodding his thanks, Ken opened his dresser drawers and began to select some neatly folded clothes.
Davis cleared his throat and said very softly, "Hey, Ken. I'm sorry."
Ken froze for a few seconds then resumed packing his belongings. Davis, seeing that Ken wasn't willing to talk at the time, let it go. Usually when Ken went sphinx, Davis was would nag, cajole and pester his friend until Ken would finally open up to the leader of the Digidestined, just to get some peace. But Davis, who was not nearly as thick as many of his teachers believed him to be, knew that now was not the time for words. But that didn't mean that Davis would forget about it. Ken would talk to him soon, the goggle-wearing boy decided.
The last thing Ken packed was his new laptop. He had bought it with some of the money he had received from the soccer ball company. The rest of it had gone into his trust fund. Ken was in reality, very wealthy, even though he wouldn't be able to use the money until he turned 18 years old. The laptop was state of the art, and with Ken's tweaking, he thought that is might be even better than Izzy's.
"Ready?" Davis asked. Ken hesitated, and then nodded. Davis grabbed the duffel bad and hefted it over his shoulder so Ken could carry his Digimon. He opened the door and left the room. Ken, cradling Leafmon in his arms like a stuffed animal followed after glancing over the room one last time.
By this time, Davis' parents were waiting in the living room once more. They knew that there were going to be some big decisions that had to be made, and that the next few days were going to be very hard on Ken. But they were determined to support the young genius in any way possible.
The funeral had been a trial. All the other Digidestined came with their families. Some friends and neighbors and probably every reporter in Tokyo attended as well. Each was trying to get an interview or a picture of the famous boy. The Digidestined closed ranks, though, not letting anyone near their friend. Tai and Matt nearly threw one particularly irritating man through a window. They didn't, but it was a close thing. Davis, who never left his partner's side, spent the entire time either staring at him in concern, or glaring fiercely at reporters that got too close
Throughout the funeral, and the burial, Ken only changed expression once. His delicate features were utterly devoid of emotion, until the caskets had been lowered. A swift pang of agony crossed his face, a mixture of fear, helplessness, and grief clearly visible to those who saw it. Then he resumed his usual blank expression. Finally, it was over and after the last condolence had been given, Ken was allowed to go to his new home.
Finding out that Ken was now a ward of the state, the Motomiyas applied for custody of the eleven year old. Since there was no next of kin, the state rewarded them and Davis' parents became Ken's legal guardians. Davis thought it was great, as did the rest of the family. Ken didn't offer an opinion.
However, life changed when Ken moved in with the Motomiyas. Ken had become used to being an only child, and now he had to deal with having siblings again. Because there were only three bedrooms in the Motoyimas apartment, so Ken had to share a room with Davis. Mr. Motoyimas purchased a set of bunk beds for them, but the room was quite small and try as they might, the boys were continuously in each other's way.
Mrs. Motoyima, seeing how slender Ken was, decided to try to put weight on the child. The first time the family sat down to supper, Ken stared in wonder at the huge pile of food on his plate and turned green at the thought of eating all of it.
Slowly, he picked up his chopsticks and began to nibble on a piece of vegetable that looked somewhat like a carrot. Beside him, Davis was digging in with enthusiasm.
"Ken, aren't you hungry?" Davis' mother asked in concern.
Ken smiled and shook his head. "I'm sorry, I'm not very hungry right now," he said, hoping that Mrs. Motoyima would think that the lack of appetite was due to the recent tragedy, which it was, partly.
"That's ok, you can eat what you want right now, and finish the rest later. I want you to try to eat as much as you can. You really need to gain some weight, you are so skinny!" she exclaimed. "I will see that you put some meat on those bones, young man," she beamed.
Ken groaned mentally at the fanatical look in her eyes. His mother had tried to make him eat as well. While under the influence of the dark spore, he had made it clear to his parents that he would eat what he wanted, and nothing else. His parents, in awe of their genius son, had let him have his way. But he could tell by looking at Mrs. Motoyima that she wasn't going to be intimidated by the Child of Kindness so easily. He knew where Davis got his bullheadedness from just by looking at her.
Searching for a way out, he glanced at Davis' rapidly emptying plate out of the corner of his eye, and began to form a plan.
A little while later, Mrs. Motoyima asked, "Davis, would you like seconds?" as she automatically reached for a bowl of food to hand to her son, who was pushing away his empty plate.
Davis startled her by shaking his head. "No thank you Mom," he said, sitting back and sighing. "I'm pretty stuffed."
She stared at her hyperactive son skeptically. He had never turned down seconds, sometimes even asking for thirds. But he had said that he was full. Beside him, Ken's plate was empty as well. She smiled broadly at the new addition to the family. "Ken, I'm so glad to see that you've eaten everything!"
Ken smiled back, his violet eyes wide with innocence. "It was very good, ma'am," he said. "Do you need help with the dishes?" he offered.
She shook her head. "No, it's Jun's turn tonight," eliciting a scowl of protest from her daughter. "Why don't you two go and play some video games or something," she suggested. "Davis, are you sure you don't want more?"
Davis just grinned, "I'm sure." It was rather strange but Davis could have sworn that food seemed to be materializing on his plate, no matter how fast he ate it. But Davis was never one to overanalyze a situation, especially where food was concerned. So he tapped Ken on the arm and challenged, "I'll bet I can kick your sorry butt at Twisted Metal Three."
Davis' mother was shocked. "Davis!" she exclaimed.
But Ken smirked, not a smile but it was close. "I hate to rain on your parade, Motoyima. You couldn't beat your grandmother, let alone me."
Davis pretended to be insulted. "Thems fighting words, Ichijouji! Time to put your money where your mouth is!" and grabbing Ken's arm and dragged him off to the living room.
Mrs. Motoyima smiled after them and stood up to help Jun with the dishes. A burst of laughter from Davis, and a quiet murmur from Ken made her hesitate. What will become of them? She wondered, listening to Davis' chatter. I can't protect them all the time, she thought. What if something happens to us like it did to Ken's parents? They are young and strong. But sometimes, oh sometimes I think I can see a darkness surrounding them, especially Ken, and I'm so afraid for them. But sometimes, I think I'm afraid of them.
The phone interrupted her musings, and soon she had forgotten her concerns as her neighbor caught her up on the latest gossip.
The days went by fairly smoothly. It was near the end of the quarter at Tamachi School, so Ken was able to miss the last few days and still pass with exceptionally high marks. He was changing to Odaiba now that he was staying with the Motoyimas, making Davis happy. He promised to put in a good word with the soccer coach on Ken's behalf. Ken only stared at the Digidestined's leader in bemusement. Davis assured him it was a joke. Odaiba was out on spring break, so Davis was constantly around to make sure Ken was never alone. The other Digidestined dropped in to visit as well. Ken's transition to his new family seemed to go fairly smoothly.
But nights were a different story.
"Mother? Don't go! Please?" Ken begged softly from the upper bunk.
About an hour after they fell asleep, Davis woke up to a soft whimpering from the upper bunk. He could feel Ken shifting around uneasily above him. At first Davis just lay there, listening to his friend's torment. But it tore at his heart and he climbed up to the top bunk. Leafmon was shivering at the foot of the bed, staring at Ken in concern. Davis reached out and shook the trembling boy awake.
"Ken," he whispered frantically. "Hey, Ken! Wake up!" he shook Ken again.
Ken stiffened, and then relaxed as the nightmare faded. "Mom?" he asked in a voice filled with sleep and hope.
"No, it's me, Davis," Davis said regretfully, sitting back to give his friend room. He hated seeing Ken this vulnerable. "You were having a nightmare, man. It sounded pretty bad so I woke you up."
Ken didn't move for a few seconds, and then nodded. "Thanks Davis," he whispered and rolled over on his back to stare at the dark ceiling.
Davis bit his lip then asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"
Ken didn't move for a few seconds, the shook his head slowly. "No, I don't," he sighed. Leafmon made his way up the side of the bed and snuggled under Ken's arm, trying to comfort his partner.
Davis nodded, then climbed back down into his bed. Pulling the covers up over himself again, he let out a deep breath. Neither of them got much sleep that night.
Or the next night.
Or the night after that.
After the third night of nightmares, Ken decided that is was time to take some drastic steps.
Recruiting Davis to help him wasn't too hard. Davis was always up for an adventure. He didn't tell Davis what the purpose of their little field trip to the television station was, though. Davis was nearly being eaten alive with curiosity, but Ken wouldn't even give him a hint. Davis tried to pester Ken into telling him, but sometimes Ken could be as stubborn as the Child of Courage and Friendship.
With the confidence of one who is long used to being the center of attention, Ken approached the receptionist with Davis in tow.
"Good afternoon. My friend and I are working on a school project involving modern traffic problems and how technology is used to solve them," Ken announced to the receptionist of the television station. The older women looked suspiciously at the two boys standing in front of her desk. The dark-haired one looking directly at her was vaguely familiar, though she couldn't place him at the time. He was holding a briefcase and dressed in a plain gray school uniform. She thought she recognized as the type worn by Tamachi students.
His friend was slightly shorter and stockier, his wild reddish brown hair was held out of his eyes by a pair of goggles of all things. He was busy staring in wonder at all the television monitors in the lobby, each of them set to the same station. He was dressed in a t-shirt and shorts, with running shoes and socks that sagged around his ankles. He was holding a book bag.
"A school project?" she questioned and the dark haired boy nodded. She thought about it and couldn't see why not. "Very well, what did you have in mind?" She opened a notebook and started jotting in it.
"We would like to see the room where the traffic cameras transmit their data and it can be analyzed so it can be of use to the policemen in addition to the locale population." Ken purposefully used big words in his little speech. One reason was that is made him seem more mature and another was that it was his experience that big words tended to intimidate people. The receptionist didn't seem to be the overly brainy type and his speech got the desired results.
"Let me call the traffic center and see if they are busy," she harrumphed at Ken and Davis, who beamed back at her, radiating innocence. After a brief conversation, she put the phone back in its cradle. "They are willing to let you look around," she said almost grudgingly. The boy wearing the goggles opened his mouth to comment, but jumped when his dark-haired companion kicked him.
"Thank you very much." The dark-haired boy bowed politely and nudged for his friend to do the same.
The receptionist pulled out two passes and asked their names.
"Davis Motoyima," Davis said and she printed Davis' first name in large letters and handed him a clip-on name card.
"Ken," Ken supplied his first name, but was reluctant to reveal his last name. He preferred to keep a low profile, and use his fame only when all other avenues were exhausted. After he received his card and the instructions how to get to the traffic center, they both bowed politely and walked through the metal detector. Ken's briefcase set it off, and after showing the secretary his laptop inside, both were allowed to proceed.
"What are we doing here?" Davis asked in a low voice for the seventh time since they started the venture as they made their way down the quiet corridors. He shifted the bag from his right shoulder to his left, ignoring the sleepy protests from Leafmon and Chibimon. "You and I both know we are not here for a school project."
"I need to get some information," Ken answered calmly, looking utterly confident. "If I had told her that, she would have wanted to know what and why, which is none of her business, and probably wouldn't have let us in just because she could. This way I gave her a perfectly believable explanation and she didn't think to question it. Grown-ups will let you get away with practically anything if they think it's for a school project," the young genius explained to the Digidestined's leader.
Davis digested that. What Ken said was true. He had never thought about it before, but seeing Ken in action had made him a believer. He was learning that if Ken put his mind to something, nothing would get in his way. Except for conquering the Digital World, Davis amended. Davis snuck a look at Ken as they turned a corner.
Ken looked perfectly all right, like he didn't have a care in the world, but Davis knew better. They slept in the same room at night he heard Ken's terrible nightmares.
The found the room, and Ken turned to Davis. "When I give you the signal, I want you to create a distraction. I need to be alone in there for a few minutes," he instructed.
"A five minute distraction, huh?" Davis mused, scratching his head. He grinned lopsidedly. "Sure! I think I can do that!"
Ken shot his a suspicious look, but he needed Davis to do this. "Ok, the signal will be this," and promptly kicked Davis in the ankle. Davis exclaimed in surprise and hopped out of Ken's range.
"OW! Ken!" he admonished. "Not so hard!"
Ken rolled his eyes. "Quit being such a baby. C'mon," and pushed open the door to the Traffic Control center.
The walked into a room with hundreds of tiny television screens flickering in black and white. Ken ignored them and centered his gaze on the man at the desk, who was drinking coffee. "Excuse me," he said politely. "My name is Ken and this is Davis. We are doing a research project on traffic problems and solutions. Could you explain what it is you do here?"
The man, whose life was exceptionally boring at that time, brightened considerably. He launched into a detailed account of what went on in the Traffic Control Center. Ken opened his brief case and set up his laptop. He began typing quickly as he listened to the man talk. The man assumed that the boy was taking notes for future reference.
"Is there records kept of accidents?" Ken asked, not looking up from his computer.
"Yes, each camera is digital. It keeps its memory for about ten minutes before the memory is cleared and it starts over. But if there is an accident, or disaster caught on film, it will be saved and held in case of insurance or legal reasons," he man explained.
As he absorbed this, Ken looked around at each of the cameras. They were numbered, and each screen was shifting from camera to camera in a certain section of the city. Ken studied the screens, and then his violet eyes narrowed as he acquired his target. Subtly, he shifted his weight and kicked Davis in the ankle.
Davis, who had been fascinated with all the different views of the city, jumped slightly, and then remembered what Ken wanted him to do. From the moment they entered the Control Center, Davis knew what he was going to do. He reached over and pretended to point to something, and succeeded in knocking the hot coffee all over the man's desk and lap. "Oh, man! I am so sorry! Here, let me help you clean it up!"
The man, who was feeling his lap getting very hot, jumped to his feet and staggered to the door. "No, I'll get it," he assured them, and in a crouch, headed to the bathroom as fast as he could.
Davis grinned. "I am so good!" he congratulated himself.
"Davis," Ken said, his voice held just a hint of warning. "I wanted you to distract him, not put him in the hospital."
Davis blushed. "Sorry," he apologized.
Ken was hooking up his computer to the computer in the center. "Don't worry about it," he said. "Just stand by the door and tell me when he comes back."
Davis obediently went and stood by the door. From that vantage point he couldn't see what Ken was doing. He bounced impatiently on his heels. "Are you almost done?" he asked.
"Just about," Ken answered, typing furiously. The computer whirred as it worked. Ken stared at the machine, will it to hurry before the man came back.
Davis heard approaching footsteps. "He's coming!" he hissed.
Ken, praying that he got what he wanted, disconnected the computer just as the door swung open. Immediately, Davis was all over the man, apologizing over and over again. The man forgave the boy, but it was clear that their visit was over. Both of them bowed politely and then backed out the door.
"Did you get what you came for?" Davis asked, bouncing alone beside Ken, who was walking calmly, despite his pounding heart.
"I think so. I hope so," Ken said. And refused to speak more about it until they got back to Odaiba.
When they got home, everyone else was gone. Ken set up his computer and Davis wandered into the kitchen to make sandwiches for himself and the digimon.
For a few minutes, it was quiet. The only sound was Ken's typing. Then it got completely silent as Ken stopped typing. "Davis?" Ken asked quietly.
"Yeah?" Davis answered with his mouth full of peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
"Could you look at this a minute and tell me what you see?" Ken requested, in a queerly flat tone.
Davis brushed his hands free of crumbs and leaned over to view the screen as Ken hit the play button. Davis watched the screen, his browns eyes narrowed in anger as he realized what he was watching. On the screen, a black and white video was being played of a bridge collapsing.
"Do you mean we snuck into the television station so you could get a video of your parents' being crushed to death?" Davis screeched in horror. "Ken, you're sick!"
Ken ignored Davis's outburst. Instead he concentrated on the video, looking for a clue, anything at all that would either lay his suspicions to rest, or…he didn't want to think about the alternative just yet.
Davis tried to wrestle the laptop away from Ken. Then something caught his eye and Ken stopped the video. Typing quickly, he zoomed in on one section of the picture. Ken felt his stomach clench as he recognized the figure on the screen. Davis tried to reach around him when Ken spun to face him and locked a hand around his arm, freezing it in mid-grab.
"Quit it," Ken snapped. "Look at this," he ordered in the next breath, moving to give Davis an unobstructed view of the screen.
Davis shook his head. "No, you sick bastard. You may get off on seeing your parents die, but I don't!" Davis tried to free his arm, but Ken held firm.
"Davis!" Ken shook him, attempting to get through the thick skull of the leader of the Digidestined. "Just look at it, and tell me what you see."
Davis glared at his best friend, but something in Ken's eyes made him back down. "What am I looking for?" he muttered as he fixed his unwilling gaze on the grainy screen displaying a picture of a bridge with cars driving over it, and people walking under it.
"The upper right hand corner, does that look familiar?" Ken questioned as he let go of Davis and slumped back in his chair.. He reached up and scrubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands, trying to come to terms with what he now knew to be the truth.
Davis was absolutely quiet as he absorbed what he was seeing, "Holy shit, Dude. Is that…?" he trailed off as the implications started to sink in.
The Child of Kindness nodded, dropping his hands to his sides. "Yes it is," he confirmed. "Daemon was responsible for the bridge collapsing. Daemon killed my parents," Ken said flatly.
TBC