Hello all! Raptor Darkshadow here!
This is the second installment of my fic for Nemesi-chan's contest! Well...*rereads installment before posting* Um...well now. I don't know where half this stuff came from. I blame my Muses for the whole thing. I don't know where, but somewhere along the line if got incredibly fluffy...for all involved. To be totally honest, I have no idea where this is headed...
Just give me some feed back, 'k?
Disclaimer: You know the drill. I do not own Digimon...Digimon belongs to a lot of rich people that I envy. I am making no money off this fic, and frankly I have no money so it would be pretty pointless to sue me.
This is an original fic by me, if you would like to use it or post it somewhere else, please let me know first...That's about all I can think of now...
Warning-This fic is rated R for suggestive dialogue and scenes (it will not be a lemon by any stretch of the imagination, but it will be suggestive), as well as graphic violence and some language.
Warning II-This fic contains an unparalleled amout of fluff between Dai and Ken, as well as Veemon and Wormmon. If One Digimon loving another makes you queasy, then you might not want to read this.
Be warned: All flames will be used to make smores!
--Of Young Love and Digimon--
-Part II-
The next morning, they had a small meal from the bag that Miyako always brought along, supplemented with some fruits that the Digimon found and said were totally safe. They ate only a little, rationing as well as they could, as they didn't know how long they would be staying.
And after yesterday's disastrous attempt, it looked like they might be in the Digital World for a while. They sat in a circle and discussed several plans, rejecting several before they decided to get a closer look at the base before continued planning. They crept to the edge of the forest and looked out at the area around the base.
They fell back into the forest.
"All right," Takeru started, "I don't see a whole lot of Digimon around the base. If we can make it to the other side of this rise and up the next without being seen, we might be close enough to get into the door halfway up the side there."
"And what if we're seen before we get there?" Miyako asked.
"We'll figure that out if it happens," Takeru responded, picking up Patamon, "Lets go."
They came over the rise and sprinted down into the shallow valley between the two rises, stopping at the lowest point and waiting for a few minutes to see it they had been detected. When nothing happened after five minutes, they moved up the second rise and stopped at the top only long enough to see if the few Digimon that had been milling around had moved and to let their Digimon Armor Digivolve. Then they made another run for the base.
They made it to the base, then in through an open door, meeting only token resistance on the outside, and none inside. They split up inside to cover more ground, Daisuke and Takeru and their respective Digimon going one way, and the rest going the other.
----------
Raidramon and Pegasusmon walked for what seemed like hours with Daisuke and Takeru on their backs. Takeru was beginning to feel like they were walking in circles, as if the Emperor had known that they would get in when he built the base, and built this corridor for the expressed purpose of annoying the Digidestined. Then Raidramon stopped suddenly and sniffed the air, then moved down a side corridor.
"We should stick to the main corridor," Takeru called after them.
"But Ken is this way," Raidramon responded, motioning with his head for Pegasusmon to follow. They followed Raidramon's nose deep into the base, finally entering a dark room.
As they entered, bright light flared around them, blinding them for several seconds. When they could see again, they looked around the large room.
The first thing they saw was the Emperor, standing with his hands on his hips, a cold smile on his face, Wormmon peeking out from behind his legs. Behind him was a giant ring of shining silver and black metal on a raised platform with a ramp leading up to the open center. But what really held their attention were the Digimon in the room behind the ring.
Darktyrannomon. Six of them.
"That's it," Takeru mumbled, staring at the ring, "That's the gateway!"
They hadn't been expecting this. They thought that all of the Digimon that protected his base were on the outside. He wished he had his camera, the looks on their faces was better than priceless! He looked into their eyes, savoring the fear and uncertainty that he saw there. Then he looked at Daisuke's face, seeing the deep chocolate orbs wide with shock.
Then Daisuke looked back at him. The Emperor froze. Daisuke was looking at him. He lost himself in the deep brown pools, feeling a strange warmth spread through his body. He didn't know what was happening, couldn't put a name to it, couldn't identify the feeling. Daisuke couldn't move. Couldn't think. He wondered what was happening to him. He knew he should get out of there. He knew they should both get out of there. But for some reason, as long as the Emperor was looking at him, he didn't want to leave.
Wormmon looked up at Ken, wondering why he was waiting. Wondering if he was going to figure it out. Raidramon looked back at Daisuke, wondering the same thing.
Ken shoved these strange emotions out of his mind and returned to the business at hand.
The Emperor raised his hand before the Darktyrannomon, then closed his fist. The Darktyrannomon charged at the Digidestined.
----------
Veemon waited until the others were asleep before sneaking away from the group, out of the snag that they had returned to hide, and made his way to the small clearing in the forest that he had asked Wormmon to meet him in.
He got there early so he could look around some before Wormmon arrived. He checked the perimeter once over, then moved into the clearing and sat on an old moss covered log to wait. He watched the stars through the break in the canopy overhead, then moved and looked at the ground. When the moon of the Digital World was right above the clearing, he sighed. It was past the time he had set. Wormmon wasn't coming. Probably thought it was a trap or something. He got up off the log and started to walk away when he heard a rustle in the underbrush behind him that made him freeze. He turned slowly, suddenly aware of how vulnerable he was, standing alone in the middle of a clearing not ten miles from the Emperor's base, the moon directly overhead lighting him up like a Christmas tree, without even the ability to Armor Digivolve.
When he looked over his shoulder, instead of the army of slave Digimon that he had been expecting, he saw only Wormmon. He sighed and placed his hand on his chest as he turned to look at the other Digimon, "You scared me!"
Wormmon rubbed his forelimbs together, "Sorry, I was stuck back home…The Emperor was planning something and he wanted me there for a change. I was just only able to slip out now that he's asleep," he looked down at the ground, "I'm glad you all got away safely."
Veemon spread his arms, "It's not your fault Ken had so many slave Digimon waiting for us. You couldn't have known."
"Was anyone hurt?"
Veemon shrugged, "Only Digmon. Armadillomon'll be limping for a few days, but he's still able to fight. That is, if Iori lets him get up."
They sat down together on the log and Veemon looked at the ground, "So what's he planning?"
Wormmon sighed, "He's going to kill all of you in two days, starting with Daisuke."
Veemon gasped, "But…but they love each other! Did you see the way they were looking at each other today?!?"
Wormmon shook his head, "They may love each other, but they don't know it yet."
Veemon clenched his fists, "Then we just have to make then realize it before they do anything that they'll regret in the future!"
"Like what?"
"We set them up! I see it on the TV all the time! We'll lead them here tomorrow morning so they can meet face to face without anyone else around, and they'll realize that they love each other!"
"Then Ken won't have to kill anyone!" Wormmon caught on.
Veemon nodded, "And he won't need to conquer the Digital World anymore because he'll have a really good friend that he can share everything with!"
Wormmon thought for a moment, "How will we get then here without them becoming suspicious?"
Veemon's brow furrowed in thought, and he rested his cheeks on his fists and his elbows on his knees as he thought. Wormmon closed his eyes and rested his head on his fore claws, unconsciously imitating Veemon. Veemon suddenly brightened, "I got it!" He turned to Wormmon, excitement dancing in his eyes, "You'll tell Ken that you've found the perfect place for a new Control Spire, all he has to do is come out and look at the area to approve!"
"And Daisuke?"
Veemon leaned back proudly, proud that he had thought of everything, and proud that Wormmon was looking to him to solve the problem, "I'll tell him I found a really cool bug I want to show to him, and he'll come running!"
Wormmon's face colored, "Why thank you Veemon."
Veemon thought about what he had said and colored as well, "You're welcome, but I hadn't thought…what I mean is…I didn't mean…"
"I know Veemon."
"Good, because I'm tired and I should be getting back before someone wakes up and wonders where I am!"
"And I should get back to the base." Wormmon thought for a second, then decided that as long as he had come this far he might as well continue, "Veemon, there's something else I wanted to talk about," he said before Veemon could move.
Veemon turned a puzzled look to the other Digimon, "What is it?"
"You called me `-chan' in your mail," Wormmon stated, lightly resting one claw on Veemon's hand.
Veemon blushed and rubbed the back of his head with the hand not being held down by Wormmon's claw, "I…I did? It um…I must have slipped…" he opened and closed his fist, "I slip sometimes…big clumsy fingers…"
Wormmon released the hand he was holding, and took the other hand in his claws, "I don't think these hands are clumsy," he closed his eyes and rested his head in the palm of the blue hand, "I think they're perfect."
Veemon felt his face getting hot, and knew that it must be obvious that he was blushing in the bright moonlight. He wanted to move away, to get away from Wormmon, but at the same time he wanted to wrap his arms around him and hold him until morning, to Digital Hell with the others. But for some reason he couldn't move. He didn't want to move, lest he somehow ruin the moment.
But all good things must end.
He gently pulled his hand away from Wormmon and told him that he had to go, then stood and started walking toward the side of the clearing that would take him back to the snag where the rest of the Digidestined were sleeping. He heard Wormmon come up behind him quickly, and before he could do anything, he felt Wormmon plant a quick kiss on his cheek. He blushed and placed a hand on his cheek, "What was that for?"
"I thought that's what you wanted," Wormmon stated, "It isn't?"
"Well," Veemon looked at the ground, "It is, but I didn't want to say anything."
"Why not?"
"I didn't know if it was what you wanted," Veemon looked up hopefully, "Is it?"
Wormmon smiled, "Of course Vee-kun, that's why I'm here."
Veemon stepped forward and rubbed one hand on Wormmon's cheek with a smile, watching a slight blush creep across the insectoid Digimon's face. He turned his head and leaned forward with his eyes closed, pressing his lips lightly against Wormmon's mandibles. Wormmon closed his eyes and moaned as Veemon wrapped both arms around him, and he wrapped his forelegs as far as they would go around the other Digimon.
They separated and just looked at each other smiling for a minute, then turned and walked away, looking back over their shoulders only once to wave to the other. As soon as Wormmon was out of sight, Veemon collapsed behind a tree with his back against the smooth bark, with a wide smile and hugged himself tightly, giggling softly, "Worm-chan likes me!"
Wormmon looks back through the woods at the spot where he last saw Veemon and sighs, "Vee-kun likes me, I just know it!"
----------
The next morning, Wormmon took a deep breath before he entered the control room to set Vee-kun's plan into effect. All he had to do was convince him that he had the perfect place for a control spire. That's all. Nothing to it. He had every confidence in Vee-kun's ability to get Daisuke to come, he had that effect on people, and Digimon.
----------
Takeru and Hikari looked at Armadillomon's hind leg, examining the bandage and the spreading bruise. Armadillomon squeezed his eyes shut and rested his head in Iori's lap as they changed the bandage, trying not to show how much it hurt.
When the fresh bandage was in place, Armadillomon smiled and looked up at his partner, "See? All better now Iori. Now we can help the others!"
"No," Iori shook his head, "You aren't going anywhere until that leg heals!"
"But!"
"No buts Armadillomon! You can't fight in this condition!"
"Iori's right," Hawkmon stated, "You won't be able to do anything if you go out and make it worse."
"The rest of us will stay here with you!" Daisuke said from the entrance under the snag of trees they were using as a hideout, "We all have to go together if we plan to take down the Emperor," he said in response to the odd looks he was getting, "So if one of us stays, we all stay!"
"We can't give up!" Miyako shouted, waving her arms animatedly, "We can't let up! We should keep attacking until we win!"
Hikari put a hand on Miyako's arm, "We aren't giving up," she said quietly, "We're just taking a short break. Besides, more than half of our Digimon aren't ready."
"But Hawkmon and Veemon are ready to fight!" Miyako pointed to her Digimon for emphasis.
Hikari responded by pointing to the rest of the Digimon, "And Armadillomon's hurt, and Patamon and Gatomon are still tired from yesterday's battle."
Miyako sighed, "You're right," she looked around, "Speaking of which, where's Veemon?"
Daisuke pointed into the woods outside, "He said he was going for a walk."
He was about to continue when Veemon burst out of the bushes, running full tilt with a smile splitting his face from one crooked blue ear to the other, "Daisuke! Come on! You have to see this!"
Daisuke waved the others back as they started forward. No danger here, just an excited Veemon, "What is it Veemon?"
Veemon rested his hands on his knees and panted for a minute, then looked up again, "I found something I want to show you! A really cool bug!"
Daisuke jumped out of the snag without seeming to touch the ground, "All right! Lead on!"
----------
Daisuke didn't know how long he was following the swiftly running and jumping blue back of his Digimon partner, but it was beginning to seem like a long time.
When they finally came out of the forest into a small clearing, Daisuke almost tripped over himself trying to slow down before he ran right into the Digimon Emperor.
"I don't see why I had to come out here Wormmon, it's obvious that this is a perfect location-just about anywhere is, so why…" the Emperor stopped talking as Daisuke blundered into the clearing a step behind his infernal Digimon.
They stared at each other for a second, not knowing what to say or what to do. Daisuke felt the oddest feeling of rightness when he saw the Emperor. They both seemed to realize that they were supposed to be enemies and spoke in unison, "What are you doing here?"
The Emperor bristled. No slaves nearby, no loyal Digimon-save Wormmon- anywhere within the sound of his voice, and Wormmon would be no help at all if things turned ugly. No way he would be getting any help.
"If you must know, I was thinking of building a Control Spire here. And you?"
Daisuke crossed his arms, "Veemon wanted to show me something."
They looked at each other for a second, then both turned to look at their Digimon.
"Veemon…?"
"Wormmon…?"
Veemon rubbed the back of his head with one hand and smiled innocently, "Well, you see, it's like this…"
"Go on," Daisuke prompted.
Wormmon stepped forward, "Veemon and I met here last night, and, um…"
"I'm dying to hear this," the Emperor's voice dripped sarcasm as he raised one eyebrow.
"We thought that if we got the two of you together, you could find a peaceful solution!" Veemon stated simply, full of confidence.
The Emperor stared at him for a second, then started to laugh. When he had a semblance of control again, he looked at Veemon over his visor and smiled, "How sweet. Did you think of this yourself?"
Veemon seemed to lose a little of his certainty, "Um, yes…"
The Emperor chuckled, "That explains it then!"
"Explains what?" Daisuke asked huffily.
"Why it's the stupidest idea I've ever heard," the Emperor stated without turning.
Daisuke balled his fists, "Hey! Are you saying that Veemon is stupid?"
"I thought that much was obvious," The Emperor shrugged.
"Well at least he's not an insect!" Daisuke balled his hands into fists.
Usually the Emperor wouldn't have noticed such a poor insult, but since Wormmon had dragged him out here alone with a false reason and a hidden agenda, he was feeling rather sensitive, "At least Wormmon does what he's told!"
"Did you tell him to bring you out here to meet me? Huh? Did you Kenny Boy?"
The Emperor snarled and clenched his fists. So help him, if this twit said one more thing, he was going to teach him a lesson!
"Don't…" Veemon started.
"You shouldn't…" Wormmon started.
"BE QUIET!" the two humans turned as one, yelled, then turned back to face the other.
Wormmon tried again, "But you shouldn't…"
"Does what you tell him to?" Daisuke asked sarcastically.
The Emperor tackled him and carried him to the ground. Daisuke grunted as he hit the ground hard and bounced, landing with the Emperor's weight on his stomach. The Emperor started punching him, right, left, right, left, again and again as Daisuke struggled under him. The emperor smiled, he was enjoying this more than hew thought he would!
After one punch, Daisuke felt his teeth cut into the inside of his mouth. It wasn't a very large or deep cut, but the coppery taste of blood filled his mouth anyway. He snarled and threw the Emperor off, coming to his feet and moving in swinging. He connected solidly with the Emperor's face, knocking him back with the sound like punching a side of beef. He followed this with a punch to the gut, which made the Emperor cry out and clutch his arms over his stomach. They stumbled away from each other, Daisuke's head was ringing and it felt like half his face was broken, and the Emperor was having trouble catching his breath. They both turned back the ways they had come, deciding that this could be continued later, when they had reinforcements.
Veemon grabbed the hem of Daisuke's flame emblazoned jacket as he walked past and started pulling him back, "Wait Daisuke! You can't leave now!"
"Why not?"
"Because you can't!"
Wormmon latched onto one of the Emperor's legs and held him in place as best he could, "Don't go Master!"
"Release me at once you insect!"
Daisuke spun some, and Veemon lost his grip on the jacket, falling flat on his tail as Daisuke overbalanced and fell forward. Trying to get Wormmon off his leg, the Emperor stumbled and tripped on his own feet, falling forward into Daisuke's arms. They landed in a tangled heap, Daisuke laying on top of the Emperor, looking into his eyes.
As he looked into the violet eyes of the Emperor, he feels a need welling up in his chest that he can't suppress and can't-or won't-control. He leaned forward, closing his eyes, and presses his lips lightly on the Emperor's. It was soft, tentative, as all first kisses are, but it was a start. When he released the Emperor's mouth, he opened his eyes half way and looked down. The Emperor stared up into twin pools of molten chocolate, seeing the small half smile that graced the lips of the boy on top of him. He licked his lips, tasting Daisuke's lips still on his, tasting the blood left on the corner of his mouth from the cut in Daisuke's mouth.
He snarls and uses the leverage he has to throw Daisuke off and roll on top of him. He took twin fistfuls of the front of Daisuke's jacket and pulled his face up to meet his. He pressed his lips against Daisuke's, harder and harder as Daisuke's arms wrapped themselves around the Emperor's waist, pulling their bodies closer. Daisuke moaned with obvious pleasure as the Emperor kissed him with obvious need, his tongue slipping forcefully in to explore Daisuke's mouth. The Emperor's tongue ran swiftly along his teeth and gums, wrapping around his tongue and touching the cut in his mouth, sending a thrill of delightful pain through his cheek. The Emperor broke the kiss, gasping and moaning as Daisuke moved his hands from his caped shoulders down his sides, over his narrow hips, lovingly caressing his thighs, then moved to more sensitive areas.
The Emperor pulled him up into a sitting position and roughly pushed his jacket so it was around his elbows, breathing in Daisuke's distinctive smell. His shampoo, his soap, and the healthy smell of sweat that built up over the past few days in the Digital World, as well as the fresh sweat from their fight. He began nibbling on Daisuke's ears, neck, and shoulders, smiling as he heard Daisuke moan and clutch his sides.
They stopped for a while, lying next to each other on the grass. Daisuke slowly moved his hand so it covered the Emperor's squeezing it gently and smiling at the Emperor's wide-eyed look.
They looked over at their Digimon after a while of just laying together in silence, and see Wormmon sitting in Veemon's lap, the blue dragon's arms wrapped possessively around the other's waist, lightly nibbling one of his antennae as he had seen the Emperor doing, making Wormmon shiver and sigh. The two humans looked at their Digimon, smiling as they shrugged, then looked at each other again.
"Don't mind us," Wormmon stated.
"Please continue," Veemon smiled, "Way to go Daisuke!"
The Emperor removed his whip from it's place on his hip, running one of the coils along Daisuke's cheek with a cunning smile, "If only I could take you back to my base with me," he muttered, "The things I could show you."
Daisuke blushed, "Well, I think I could let myself be captured for a few hours…or days."
The Emperor smiled, "Let yourself be captured? That's no fun. What about the chase? The hunt?"
Daisuke's smile widened, "All right then! Give me a running start?"
"And be fair?"
"Right. When do we start?"
"Better start running Daisuke!"
Daisuke made a rather amusing "Eep" sound as he jumped to his feet followed seconds later by the Emperor, calling for Veemon to stop kissing Wormmon and run. Wormmon on the other hand tackled Veemon as soon as he tried to get up and held him down, peppering the dragon's face with kisses until he just sighed and lay there in contentment, a goofy grin on his face.
Daisuke dodged around trees and jumped over logs, trying to get away, but not really hard. He yelped as the Emperor grabbed one of his hands and swung him around into his arms, "Caught you!" he whispered, wrapping one arm around Daisuke's waist, "And as my prize…"
Daisuke "yeeked" and squirmed in his love's arms, "Don't touch me there!"
----------
Takeru rested one hand against the `door' of the snag, looking for any sign of Daisuke or Veemon. So far, nothing. He looked at his watch for what must have been the umpteenth time in the past…six hours.
He looked down as Iori came up beside him, "Any sign of them?"
Takeru shook his head, "Nothing."
"What should we do?" Patamon asked.
"We go out and look for them!" Miyako jumped to her feet, "They could be in trouble!"
----------
He ran his fingers through his love's spiky blue-black hair, feeling the silky strands slip and slide through his fingers as he hungrily kissed Ken's lips, face, and neck.
----------
"We'll split up so we can cover more ground," Takeru said, "Hopefully we can find him before the Emperor does."
----------
He nibbled on his love's neck, listening to him pant as he slipped his hands into Daisuke's shorts, cupping his butt in one hand, pulling them closer together as he shoved down the oversized olive shorts with his other hand.
----------
"Let's go," Hikari started out, Gatomon at her side. They all left the snag, splitting up as they entered the forest, leaving Iori and Armadillomon so the Digimon could heal.
"We'll keep in touch through e-mails," Takeru explained before they split, "If you find anything, tell the rest of us. Tell us if you find anything, no matter how unimportant it may seem."
----------
Daisuke bounced once when the Emperor threw him onto his bed, turning to watch as the Emperor let his cape and gloves fall to the floor, licking his lips as Ken opened the collar of his jumpsuit and slowly pulled the zipper down…
----------
Iori flipped open his D-Terminal as it beeped, staring at the screen tiredly. It looked like he had mail from Koushiro. He looked at his watch, the others had been gone for over an hour and a half. And still no word about Daisuke or Veemon.
He opened the message as Armadillomon opened his eyes and yawned, awakened by the beeping, "What's up Iori?"
"Koushiro says our parents are starting to worry about us."
"And?"
"And," he paused, "And the power level in the base has doubled in the last twenty-four hours. If we're going to do anything, we have to do it soon."
-TBC-
This is the second installment of my fic for Nemesi-chan's contest! Well...*rereads installment before posting* Um...well now. I don't know where half this stuff came from. I blame my Muses for the whole thing. I don't know where, but somewhere along the line if got incredibly fluffy...for all involved. To be totally honest, I have no idea where this is headed...
Just give me some feed back, 'k?
Disclaimer: You know the drill. I do not own Digimon...Digimon belongs to a lot of rich people that I envy. I am making no money off this fic, and frankly I have no money so it would be pretty pointless to sue me.
This is an original fic by me, if you would like to use it or post it somewhere else, please let me know first...That's about all I can think of now...
Warning-This fic is rated R for suggestive dialogue and scenes (it will not be a lemon by any stretch of the imagination, but it will be suggestive), as well as graphic violence and some language.
Warning II-This fic contains an unparalleled amout of fluff between Dai and Ken, as well as Veemon and Wormmon. If One Digimon loving another makes you queasy, then you might not want to read this.
Be warned: All flames will be used to make smores!
--Of Young Love and Digimon--
-Part II-
The next morning, they had a small meal from the bag that Miyako always brought along, supplemented with some fruits that the Digimon found and said were totally safe. They ate only a little, rationing as well as they could, as they didn't know how long they would be staying.
And after yesterday's disastrous attempt, it looked like they might be in the Digital World for a while. They sat in a circle and discussed several plans, rejecting several before they decided to get a closer look at the base before continued planning. They crept to the edge of the forest and looked out at the area around the base.
They fell back into the forest.
"All right," Takeru started, "I don't see a whole lot of Digimon around the base. If we can make it to the other side of this rise and up the next without being seen, we might be close enough to get into the door halfway up the side there."
"And what if we're seen before we get there?" Miyako asked.
"We'll figure that out if it happens," Takeru responded, picking up Patamon, "Lets go."
They came over the rise and sprinted down into the shallow valley between the two rises, stopping at the lowest point and waiting for a few minutes to see it they had been detected. When nothing happened after five minutes, they moved up the second rise and stopped at the top only long enough to see if the few Digimon that had been milling around had moved and to let their Digimon Armor Digivolve. Then they made another run for the base.
They made it to the base, then in through an open door, meeting only token resistance on the outside, and none inside. They split up inside to cover more ground, Daisuke and Takeru and their respective Digimon going one way, and the rest going the other.
----------
Raidramon and Pegasusmon walked for what seemed like hours with Daisuke and Takeru on their backs. Takeru was beginning to feel like they were walking in circles, as if the Emperor had known that they would get in when he built the base, and built this corridor for the expressed purpose of annoying the Digidestined. Then Raidramon stopped suddenly and sniffed the air, then moved down a side corridor.
"We should stick to the main corridor," Takeru called after them.
"But Ken is this way," Raidramon responded, motioning with his head for Pegasusmon to follow. They followed Raidramon's nose deep into the base, finally entering a dark room.
As they entered, bright light flared around them, blinding them for several seconds. When they could see again, they looked around the large room.
The first thing they saw was the Emperor, standing with his hands on his hips, a cold smile on his face, Wormmon peeking out from behind his legs. Behind him was a giant ring of shining silver and black metal on a raised platform with a ramp leading up to the open center. But what really held their attention were the Digimon in the room behind the ring.
Darktyrannomon. Six of them.
"That's it," Takeru mumbled, staring at the ring, "That's the gateway!"
They hadn't been expecting this. They thought that all of the Digimon that protected his base were on the outside. He wished he had his camera, the looks on their faces was better than priceless! He looked into their eyes, savoring the fear and uncertainty that he saw there. Then he looked at Daisuke's face, seeing the deep chocolate orbs wide with shock.
Then Daisuke looked back at him. The Emperor froze. Daisuke was looking at him. He lost himself in the deep brown pools, feeling a strange warmth spread through his body. He didn't know what was happening, couldn't put a name to it, couldn't identify the feeling. Daisuke couldn't move. Couldn't think. He wondered what was happening to him. He knew he should get out of there. He knew they should both get out of there. But for some reason, as long as the Emperor was looking at him, he didn't want to leave.
Wormmon looked up at Ken, wondering why he was waiting. Wondering if he was going to figure it out. Raidramon looked back at Daisuke, wondering the same thing.
Ken shoved these strange emotions out of his mind and returned to the business at hand.
The Emperor raised his hand before the Darktyrannomon, then closed his fist. The Darktyrannomon charged at the Digidestined.
----------
Veemon waited until the others were asleep before sneaking away from the group, out of the snag that they had returned to hide, and made his way to the small clearing in the forest that he had asked Wormmon to meet him in.
He got there early so he could look around some before Wormmon arrived. He checked the perimeter once over, then moved into the clearing and sat on an old moss covered log to wait. He watched the stars through the break in the canopy overhead, then moved and looked at the ground. When the moon of the Digital World was right above the clearing, he sighed. It was past the time he had set. Wormmon wasn't coming. Probably thought it was a trap or something. He got up off the log and started to walk away when he heard a rustle in the underbrush behind him that made him freeze. He turned slowly, suddenly aware of how vulnerable he was, standing alone in the middle of a clearing not ten miles from the Emperor's base, the moon directly overhead lighting him up like a Christmas tree, without even the ability to Armor Digivolve.
When he looked over his shoulder, instead of the army of slave Digimon that he had been expecting, he saw only Wormmon. He sighed and placed his hand on his chest as he turned to look at the other Digimon, "You scared me!"
Wormmon rubbed his forelimbs together, "Sorry, I was stuck back home…The Emperor was planning something and he wanted me there for a change. I was just only able to slip out now that he's asleep," he looked down at the ground, "I'm glad you all got away safely."
Veemon spread his arms, "It's not your fault Ken had so many slave Digimon waiting for us. You couldn't have known."
"Was anyone hurt?"
Veemon shrugged, "Only Digmon. Armadillomon'll be limping for a few days, but he's still able to fight. That is, if Iori lets him get up."
They sat down together on the log and Veemon looked at the ground, "So what's he planning?"
Wormmon sighed, "He's going to kill all of you in two days, starting with Daisuke."
Veemon gasped, "But…but they love each other! Did you see the way they were looking at each other today?!?"
Wormmon shook his head, "They may love each other, but they don't know it yet."
Veemon clenched his fists, "Then we just have to make then realize it before they do anything that they'll regret in the future!"
"Like what?"
"We set them up! I see it on the TV all the time! We'll lead them here tomorrow morning so they can meet face to face without anyone else around, and they'll realize that they love each other!"
"Then Ken won't have to kill anyone!" Wormmon caught on.
Veemon nodded, "And he won't need to conquer the Digital World anymore because he'll have a really good friend that he can share everything with!"
Wormmon thought for a moment, "How will we get then here without them becoming suspicious?"
Veemon's brow furrowed in thought, and he rested his cheeks on his fists and his elbows on his knees as he thought. Wormmon closed his eyes and rested his head on his fore claws, unconsciously imitating Veemon. Veemon suddenly brightened, "I got it!" He turned to Wormmon, excitement dancing in his eyes, "You'll tell Ken that you've found the perfect place for a new Control Spire, all he has to do is come out and look at the area to approve!"
"And Daisuke?"
Veemon leaned back proudly, proud that he had thought of everything, and proud that Wormmon was looking to him to solve the problem, "I'll tell him I found a really cool bug I want to show to him, and he'll come running!"
Wormmon's face colored, "Why thank you Veemon."
Veemon thought about what he had said and colored as well, "You're welcome, but I hadn't thought…what I mean is…I didn't mean…"
"I know Veemon."
"Good, because I'm tired and I should be getting back before someone wakes up and wonders where I am!"
"And I should get back to the base." Wormmon thought for a second, then decided that as long as he had come this far he might as well continue, "Veemon, there's something else I wanted to talk about," he said before Veemon could move.
Veemon turned a puzzled look to the other Digimon, "What is it?"
"You called me `-chan' in your mail," Wormmon stated, lightly resting one claw on Veemon's hand.
Veemon blushed and rubbed the back of his head with the hand not being held down by Wormmon's claw, "I…I did? It um…I must have slipped…" he opened and closed his fist, "I slip sometimes…big clumsy fingers…"
Wormmon released the hand he was holding, and took the other hand in his claws, "I don't think these hands are clumsy," he closed his eyes and rested his head in the palm of the blue hand, "I think they're perfect."
Veemon felt his face getting hot, and knew that it must be obvious that he was blushing in the bright moonlight. He wanted to move away, to get away from Wormmon, but at the same time he wanted to wrap his arms around him and hold him until morning, to Digital Hell with the others. But for some reason he couldn't move. He didn't want to move, lest he somehow ruin the moment.
But all good things must end.
He gently pulled his hand away from Wormmon and told him that he had to go, then stood and started walking toward the side of the clearing that would take him back to the snag where the rest of the Digidestined were sleeping. He heard Wormmon come up behind him quickly, and before he could do anything, he felt Wormmon plant a quick kiss on his cheek. He blushed and placed a hand on his cheek, "What was that for?"
"I thought that's what you wanted," Wormmon stated, "It isn't?"
"Well," Veemon looked at the ground, "It is, but I didn't want to say anything."
"Why not?"
"I didn't know if it was what you wanted," Veemon looked up hopefully, "Is it?"
Wormmon smiled, "Of course Vee-kun, that's why I'm here."
Veemon stepped forward and rubbed one hand on Wormmon's cheek with a smile, watching a slight blush creep across the insectoid Digimon's face. He turned his head and leaned forward with his eyes closed, pressing his lips lightly against Wormmon's mandibles. Wormmon closed his eyes and moaned as Veemon wrapped both arms around him, and he wrapped his forelegs as far as they would go around the other Digimon.
They separated and just looked at each other smiling for a minute, then turned and walked away, looking back over their shoulders only once to wave to the other. As soon as Wormmon was out of sight, Veemon collapsed behind a tree with his back against the smooth bark, with a wide smile and hugged himself tightly, giggling softly, "Worm-chan likes me!"
Wormmon looks back through the woods at the spot where he last saw Veemon and sighs, "Vee-kun likes me, I just know it!"
----------
The next morning, Wormmon took a deep breath before he entered the control room to set Vee-kun's plan into effect. All he had to do was convince him that he had the perfect place for a control spire. That's all. Nothing to it. He had every confidence in Vee-kun's ability to get Daisuke to come, he had that effect on people, and Digimon.
----------
Takeru and Hikari looked at Armadillomon's hind leg, examining the bandage and the spreading bruise. Armadillomon squeezed his eyes shut and rested his head in Iori's lap as they changed the bandage, trying not to show how much it hurt.
When the fresh bandage was in place, Armadillomon smiled and looked up at his partner, "See? All better now Iori. Now we can help the others!"
"No," Iori shook his head, "You aren't going anywhere until that leg heals!"
"But!"
"No buts Armadillomon! You can't fight in this condition!"
"Iori's right," Hawkmon stated, "You won't be able to do anything if you go out and make it worse."
"The rest of us will stay here with you!" Daisuke said from the entrance under the snag of trees they were using as a hideout, "We all have to go together if we plan to take down the Emperor," he said in response to the odd looks he was getting, "So if one of us stays, we all stay!"
"We can't give up!" Miyako shouted, waving her arms animatedly, "We can't let up! We should keep attacking until we win!"
Hikari put a hand on Miyako's arm, "We aren't giving up," she said quietly, "We're just taking a short break. Besides, more than half of our Digimon aren't ready."
"But Hawkmon and Veemon are ready to fight!" Miyako pointed to her Digimon for emphasis.
Hikari responded by pointing to the rest of the Digimon, "And Armadillomon's hurt, and Patamon and Gatomon are still tired from yesterday's battle."
Miyako sighed, "You're right," she looked around, "Speaking of which, where's Veemon?"
Daisuke pointed into the woods outside, "He said he was going for a walk."
He was about to continue when Veemon burst out of the bushes, running full tilt with a smile splitting his face from one crooked blue ear to the other, "Daisuke! Come on! You have to see this!"
Daisuke waved the others back as they started forward. No danger here, just an excited Veemon, "What is it Veemon?"
Veemon rested his hands on his knees and panted for a minute, then looked up again, "I found something I want to show you! A really cool bug!"
Daisuke jumped out of the snag without seeming to touch the ground, "All right! Lead on!"
----------
Daisuke didn't know how long he was following the swiftly running and jumping blue back of his Digimon partner, but it was beginning to seem like a long time.
When they finally came out of the forest into a small clearing, Daisuke almost tripped over himself trying to slow down before he ran right into the Digimon Emperor.
"I don't see why I had to come out here Wormmon, it's obvious that this is a perfect location-just about anywhere is, so why…" the Emperor stopped talking as Daisuke blundered into the clearing a step behind his infernal Digimon.
They stared at each other for a second, not knowing what to say or what to do. Daisuke felt the oddest feeling of rightness when he saw the Emperor. They both seemed to realize that they were supposed to be enemies and spoke in unison, "What are you doing here?"
The Emperor bristled. No slaves nearby, no loyal Digimon-save Wormmon- anywhere within the sound of his voice, and Wormmon would be no help at all if things turned ugly. No way he would be getting any help.
"If you must know, I was thinking of building a Control Spire here. And you?"
Daisuke crossed his arms, "Veemon wanted to show me something."
They looked at each other for a second, then both turned to look at their Digimon.
"Veemon…?"
"Wormmon…?"
Veemon rubbed the back of his head with one hand and smiled innocently, "Well, you see, it's like this…"
"Go on," Daisuke prompted.
Wormmon stepped forward, "Veemon and I met here last night, and, um…"
"I'm dying to hear this," the Emperor's voice dripped sarcasm as he raised one eyebrow.
"We thought that if we got the two of you together, you could find a peaceful solution!" Veemon stated simply, full of confidence.
The Emperor stared at him for a second, then started to laugh. When he had a semblance of control again, he looked at Veemon over his visor and smiled, "How sweet. Did you think of this yourself?"
Veemon seemed to lose a little of his certainty, "Um, yes…"
The Emperor chuckled, "That explains it then!"
"Explains what?" Daisuke asked huffily.
"Why it's the stupidest idea I've ever heard," the Emperor stated without turning.
Daisuke balled his fists, "Hey! Are you saying that Veemon is stupid?"
"I thought that much was obvious," The Emperor shrugged.
"Well at least he's not an insect!" Daisuke balled his hands into fists.
Usually the Emperor wouldn't have noticed such a poor insult, but since Wormmon had dragged him out here alone with a false reason and a hidden agenda, he was feeling rather sensitive, "At least Wormmon does what he's told!"
"Did you tell him to bring you out here to meet me? Huh? Did you Kenny Boy?"
The Emperor snarled and clenched his fists. So help him, if this twit said one more thing, he was going to teach him a lesson!
"Don't…" Veemon started.
"You shouldn't…" Wormmon started.
"BE QUIET!" the two humans turned as one, yelled, then turned back to face the other.
Wormmon tried again, "But you shouldn't…"
"Does what you tell him to?" Daisuke asked sarcastically.
The Emperor tackled him and carried him to the ground. Daisuke grunted as he hit the ground hard and bounced, landing with the Emperor's weight on his stomach. The Emperor started punching him, right, left, right, left, again and again as Daisuke struggled under him. The emperor smiled, he was enjoying this more than hew thought he would!
After one punch, Daisuke felt his teeth cut into the inside of his mouth. It wasn't a very large or deep cut, but the coppery taste of blood filled his mouth anyway. He snarled and threw the Emperor off, coming to his feet and moving in swinging. He connected solidly with the Emperor's face, knocking him back with the sound like punching a side of beef. He followed this with a punch to the gut, which made the Emperor cry out and clutch his arms over his stomach. They stumbled away from each other, Daisuke's head was ringing and it felt like half his face was broken, and the Emperor was having trouble catching his breath. They both turned back the ways they had come, deciding that this could be continued later, when they had reinforcements.
Veemon grabbed the hem of Daisuke's flame emblazoned jacket as he walked past and started pulling him back, "Wait Daisuke! You can't leave now!"
"Why not?"
"Because you can't!"
Wormmon latched onto one of the Emperor's legs and held him in place as best he could, "Don't go Master!"
"Release me at once you insect!"
Daisuke spun some, and Veemon lost his grip on the jacket, falling flat on his tail as Daisuke overbalanced and fell forward. Trying to get Wormmon off his leg, the Emperor stumbled and tripped on his own feet, falling forward into Daisuke's arms. They landed in a tangled heap, Daisuke laying on top of the Emperor, looking into his eyes.
As he looked into the violet eyes of the Emperor, he feels a need welling up in his chest that he can't suppress and can't-or won't-control. He leaned forward, closing his eyes, and presses his lips lightly on the Emperor's. It was soft, tentative, as all first kisses are, but it was a start. When he released the Emperor's mouth, he opened his eyes half way and looked down. The Emperor stared up into twin pools of molten chocolate, seeing the small half smile that graced the lips of the boy on top of him. He licked his lips, tasting Daisuke's lips still on his, tasting the blood left on the corner of his mouth from the cut in Daisuke's mouth.
He snarls and uses the leverage he has to throw Daisuke off and roll on top of him. He took twin fistfuls of the front of Daisuke's jacket and pulled his face up to meet his. He pressed his lips against Daisuke's, harder and harder as Daisuke's arms wrapped themselves around the Emperor's waist, pulling their bodies closer. Daisuke moaned with obvious pleasure as the Emperor kissed him with obvious need, his tongue slipping forcefully in to explore Daisuke's mouth. The Emperor's tongue ran swiftly along his teeth and gums, wrapping around his tongue and touching the cut in his mouth, sending a thrill of delightful pain through his cheek. The Emperor broke the kiss, gasping and moaning as Daisuke moved his hands from his caped shoulders down his sides, over his narrow hips, lovingly caressing his thighs, then moved to more sensitive areas.
The Emperor pulled him up into a sitting position and roughly pushed his jacket so it was around his elbows, breathing in Daisuke's distinctive smell. His shampoo, his soap, and the healthy smell of sweat that built up over the past few days in the Digital World, as well as the fresh sweat from their fight. He began nibbling on Daisuke's ears, neck, and shoulders, smiling as he heard Daisuke moan and clutch his sides.
They stopped for a while, lying next to each other on the grass. Daisuke slowly moved his hand so it covered the Emperor's squeezing it gently and smiling at the Emperor's wide-eyed look.
They looked over at their Digimon after a while of just laying together in silence, and see Wormmon sitting in Veemon's lap, the blue dragon's arms wrapped possessively around the other's waist, lightly nibbling one of his antennae as he had seen the Emperor doing, making Wormmon shiver and sigh. The two humans looked at their Digimon, smiling as they shrugged, then looked at each other again.
"Don't mind us," Wormmon stated.
"Please continue," Veemon smiled, "Way to go Daisuke!"
The Emperor removed his whip from it's place on his hip, running one of the coils along Daisuke's cheek with a cunning smile, "If only I could take you back to my base with me," he muttered, "The things I could show you."
Daisuke blushed, "Well, I think I could let myself be captured for a few hours…or days."
The Emperor smiled, "Let yourself be captured? That's no fun. What about the chase? The hunt?"
Daisuke's smile widened, "All right then! Give me a running start?"
"And be fair?"
"Right. When do we start?"
"Better start running Daisuke!"
Daisuke made a rather amusing "Eep" sound as he jumped to his feet followed seconds later by the Emperor, calling for Veemon to stop kissing Wormmon and run. Wormmon on the other hand tackled Veemon as soon as he tried to get up and held him down, peppering the dragon's face with kisses until he just sighed and lay there in contentment, a goofy grin on his face.
Daisuke dodged around trees and jumped over logs, trying to get away, but not really hard. He yelped as the Emperor grabbed one of his hands and swung him around into his arms, "Caught you!" he whispered, wrapping one arm around Daisuke's waist, "And as my prize…"
Daisuke "yeeked" and squirmed in his love's arms, "Don't touch me there!"
----------
Takeru rested one hand against the `door' of the snag, looking for any sign of Daisuke or Veemon. So far, nothing. He looked at his watch for what must have been the umpteenth time in the past…six hours.
He looked down as Iori came up beside him, "Any sign of them?"
Takeru shook his head, "Nothing."
"What should we do?" Patamon asked.
"We go out and look for them!" Miyako jumped to her feet, "They could be in trouble!"
----------
He ran his fingers through his love's spiky blue-black hair, feeling the silky strands slip and slide through his fingers as he hungrily kissed Ken's lips, face, and neck.
----------
"We'll split up so we can cover more ground," Takeru said, "Hopefully we can find him before the Emperor does."
----------
He nibbled on his love's neck, listening to him pant as he slipped his hands into Daisuke's shorts, cupping his butt in one hand, pulling them closer together as he shoved down the oversized olive shorts with his other hand.
----------
"Let's go," Hikari started out, Gatomon at her side. They all left the snag, splitting up as they entered the forest, leaving Iori and Armadillomon so the Digimon could heal.
"We'll keep in touch through e-mails," Takeru explained before they split, "If you find anything, tell the rest of us. Tell us if you find anything, no matter how unimportant it may seem."
----------
Daisuke bounced once when the Emperor threw him onto his bed, turning to watch as the Emperor let his cape and gloves fall to the floor, licking his lips as Ken opened the collar of his jumpsuit and slowly pulled the zipper down…
----------
Iori flipped open his D-Terminal as it beeped, staring at the screen tiredly. It looked like he had mail from Koushiro. He looked at his watch, the others had been gone for over an hour and a half. And still no word about Daisuke or Veemon.
He opened the message as Armadillomon opened his eyes and yawned, awakened by the beeping, "What's up Iori?"
"Koushiro says our parents are starting to worry about us."
"And?"
"And," he paused, "And the power level in the base has doubled in the last twenty-four hours. If we're going to do anything, we have to do it soon."
-TBC-