Chapter 7:------------------------------------------------------------
Damien Fox
It was a beautiful view over the ocean. Billie had always loved her Californian home, and this site was perfect for her. The breeze off the waters blew past in an effort to calm me, but serenity was something I lacked at this time. I knelt before the gravestone, a tear slowly rolling down my cheek. Five years to the day. Had it been that long? I read the headstone over and over, not wanting to register what was engraved on it.
1 Billie Jean Cannon
2 Jan 5, 1986 – May 20, 2002
May she be in Heaven the angel she was on Earth
It was entirely my fault; in my greed for power I had done this. Why the Hunters had covered for me I'll never know, but the guilt and anger I felt for myself would never leave. I had done something horrible, and I deserved a punishment I wished someday would come.
"Billie. It was I who killed you, yet you gave me your last bit of strength to fight Demon. How can I ever make that up to you?"
I slid my jacket sleeve up my arm, exposing my two D-Cells. One was jet- black, my own. The other was a light pink, Billie's. I remember the scene in the hospital that day. I had heard a voice while resting in my bed. It led me to Billie's bedside, where her last words were spoken.
"I forgive you, Damien."
She died right there in front of me. That's when the weird part happened. Her D-Cell lifted of her wrist and wrapped around mine. It was then that I realized what she had meant. She had given me the chance to redeem myself, and I had tried my best. I used the combined power of our D-Cells to become Beelzemon once more. And with the added power I was able to help defeat Demon once and for all. Shortly after that I left the public eye, and disappeared into obscurity. I was taking a chance by showing up today, but I had made a promise to myself. Every year on the same date I would visit this gravesite. For it had been my own doing that caused it. Could I be found? It was probable if one knew the connection between Billie and I. That is why I half expected what occurred next.
"Damien!"
Out over the waters I saw three shapes growing closer. It was Battalimon and Yasyamon, but who was with them was beyond me. They landed outside the graveyard and returned to human form. The woman with them looked at me with an odd expression. I stood up and approached the three of them. I would have found a better way to greet them, but a handshake just didn't seem right.
"It's been a long time, Beckett."
"Yeah, Fox. It has been. I see your D-Cells are still active as well."
A frown crossed Schneider's face.
"What do you mean, still active?"
"Yours turned off? Mine has been glowing since the battle with Demon. I haven't used it, but it never shut down."
"I don't understand, if your D-Cell has been active this whole time, why couldn't I find you?"
The doc reached out, expecting me to hand over the D-Cell I suppose. I pulled back, and the two of them looked at me in shock.
"What's that around your wrist, Damien? How did you get that?"
They had seen the pink D-Cell. I had never told them that Billie had given it to me at the hospital, and they had never thought to ask what happened to it.
"Talk, Damien!"
I shot a glare at Beckett. What right did he have?
"She gave it to me before she died. It was because of this that I was able to help you all right! Lay off, you owe me!"
Beckett got pissed. He came at me, ready to strike, Doc had to hold him back.
"How dare you say I owe you! You killed Billie! You tried to kill all of us!"
"But I didn't did I! Billie forgave me, why can't you!"
Beckett stood down, but shot me one last one liner.
"Did you forgive yourself?"
Low blow. It reminded me why I hated Beckett. The only reason I helped him was because of the promise I made to Billie.
"Listen up, Beckett. You came to me, which says you need me for something! So if you want my help, I expect you to treat me with a little more respect than that."
Beckett lashed out and grabbed me by the collar, pulling my face within inches of his own.
"You listen up, Damien. You murdered an innocent kid! She didn't want to fight this war, but joined up because it was the right thing to do. Because of your greed she's dead, and I will never forgive you for it! Do you understand me, Fox?"
I stared deep into his eyes. That rage, that pure hatred of me was what gave him his power. It was what made him Warmonger in that battle against me. It's what kept him going. I wasn't afraid of him though; I could take him now.
"Fine, Beckett. Hate me. Someday we're going to need each other's help, then let's see what you have to say."
Doc and the woman pulled the two of us apart. Beckett continued to glare at me.
"Okay, Doc. First off, who's the new girl?"
"This is my assistant Jeanine Ross. I've been working with her on the Digithrope project since the battle with Demon."
"Ah, Jeanine. Pleasure to meet you."
"Same."
I shook her hand. As I touched her palm though, I felt a strange sensation on my wrist. She could feel it too, I could tell. We quickly pulled apart. She returned to Doc's side.
"Something's come through the portal, Damien. It's got help too. Just earlier we fought a duo of centaur Digimon. They were tough, but Beckett and I managed to take them out. They're loyal to it, whatever it is."
I looked at my D-Cell. The small energy reading had been going off for the last few days.
"Well my D-Cell's been reading something lately. I thought it was maybe one of you looking for me. But you said our D-Cell's weren't detecting each other."
Doc nodded. He pulled out a few chunks of metal, what looked like the remains of the Analyzer.
"What happened there?"
"The circuits were fried when we channeled energy into the D-Cells. It worked as you can see though. I still don't understand why we couldn't detect each other though."
Beckett spoke for the first time since our little chat.
"Doc, you said that this thing was strong right? Well what if it's what's causing the blackout. Damien, exactly how long have you been detecting that signal?"
"Well when I arrived in town a few days ago. It's been getting stronger though, and right now it's at its peak."
Doc looked out over the ocean. Jeanine joined him. They said something to each other, and then turned to Beckett and I.
"You said it's getting stronger?"
"Yeah. And?"
"Is it getting stronger now?"
I looked down. Sure enough, it was increasing.
"Doc. The signal is getting stronger."
Doc grabbed Jeanine and ran toward the two of us. Just as we were together, a massive creature burst through the water's surface. Jeanine screamed in terror. Beckett and Doc get defensive, and I readied to battle.
"Doc. What is it?"
"I don't know, the Analyzer's busted. I haven't seen this one yet!"
Suddenly, Jeanine let out a yell and dropped to her knees. I ran to help her up, but she couldn't climb to her feet. She just kept yelling and holding her head.
"Make it stop! There's a voice in my head! Get it out!"
As the beast drew closer, Beckett, Doc, and I pulled out our D-Cells. Just as quickly as it had started though, Jeanine's yelling stopped. She was now staring out at the water, directly at the Digimon.
"Jeanine. Are you okay? Jeanine?"
There was no answer. Her eyes were blank. The Digimon moved closer. I tried to move Jeanine, but something was keeping me from getting to her. The pain in my wrist returned.
"Jeanine! What's going on?"
It was a beautiful view over the ocean. Billie had always loved her Californian home, and this site was perfect for her. The breeze off the waters blew past in an effort to calm me, but serenity was something I lacked at this time. I knelt before the gravestone, a tear slowly rolling down my cheek. Five years to the day. Had it been that long? I read the headstone over and over, not wanting to register what was engraved on it.
1 Billie Jean Cannon
2 Jan 5, 1986 – May 20, 2002
May she be in Heaven the angel she was on Earth
It was entirely my fault; in my greed for power I had done this. Why the Hunters had covered for me I'll never know, but the guilt and anger I felt for myself would never leave. I had done something horrible, and I deserved a punishment I wished someday would come.
"Billie. It was I who killed you, yet you gave me your last bit of strength to fight Demon. How can I ever make that up to you?"
I slid my jacket sleeve up my arm, exposing my two D-Cells. One was jet- black, my own. The other was a light pink, Billie's. I remember the scene in the hospital that day. I had heard a voice while resting in my bed. It led me to Billie's bedside, where her last words were spoken.
"I forgive you, Damien."
She died right there in front of me. That's when the weird part happened. Her D-Cell lifted of her wrist and wrapped around mine. It was then that I realized what she had meant. She had given me the chance to redeem myself, and I had tried my best. I used the combined power of our D-Cells to become Beelzemon once more. And with the added power I was able to help defeat Demon once and for all. Shortly after that I left the public eye, and disappeared into obscurity. I was taking a chance by showing up today, but I had made a promise to myself. Every year on the same date I would visit this gravesite. For it had been my own doing that caused it. Could I be found? It was probable if one knew the connection between Billie and I. That is why I half expected what occurred next.
"Damien!"
Out over the waters I saw three shapes growing closer. It was Battalimon and Yasyamon, but who was with them was beyond me. They landed outside the graveyard and returned to human form. The woman with them looked at me with an odd expression. I stood up and approached the three of them. I would have found a better way to greet them, but a handshake just didn't seem right.
"It's been a long time, Beckett."
"Yeah, Fox. It has been. I see your D-Cells are still active as well."
A frown crossed Schneider's face.
"What do you mean, still active?"
"Yours turned off? Mine has been glowing since the battle with Demon. I haven't used it, but it never shut down."
"I don't understand, if your D-Cell has been active this whole time, why couldn't I find you?"
The doc reached out, expecting me to hand over the D-Cell I suppose. I pulled back, and the two of them looked at me in shock.
"What's that around your wrist, Damien? How did you get that?"
They had seen the pink D-Cell. I had never told them that Billie had given it to me at the hospital, and they had never thought to ask what happened to it.
"Talk, Damien!"
I shot a glare at Beckett. What right did he have?
"She gave it to me before she died. It was because of this that I was able to help you all right! Lay off, you owe me!"
Beckett got pissed. He came at me, ready to strike, Doc had to hold him back.
"How dare you say I owe you! You killed Billie! You tried to kill all of us!"
"But I didn't did I! Billie forgave me, why can't you!"
Beckett stood down, but shot me one last one liner.
"Did you forgive yourself?"
Low blow. It reminded me why I hated Beckett. The only reason I helped him was because of the promise I made to Billie.
"Listen up, Beckett. You came to me, which says you need me for something! So if you want my help, I expect you to treat me with a little more respect than that."
Beckett lashed out and grabbed me by the collar, pulling my face within inches of his own.
"You listen up, Damien. You murdered an innocent kid! She didn't want to fight this war, but joined up because it was the right thing to do. Because of your greed she's dead, and I will never forgive you for it! Do you understand me, Fox?"
I stared deep into his eyes. That rage, that pure hatred of me was what gave him his power. It was what made him Warmonger in that battle against me. It's what kept him going. I wasn't afraid of him though; I could take him now.
"Fine, Beckett. Hate me. Someday we're going to need each other's help, then let's see what you have to say."
Doc and the woman pulled the two of us apart. Beckett continued to glare at me.
"Okay, Doc. First off, who's the new girl?"
"This is my assistant Jeanine Ross. I've been working with her on the Digithrope project since the battle with Demon."
"Ah, Jeanine. Pleasure to meet you."
"Same."
I shook her hand. As I touched her palm though, I felt a strange sensation on my wrist. She could feel it too, I could tell. We quickly pulled apart. She returned to Doc's side.
"Something's come through the portal, Damien. It's got help too. Just earlier we fought a duo of centaur Digimon. They were tough, but Beckett and I managed to take them out. They're loyal to it, whatever it is."
I looked at my D-Cell. The small energy reading had been going off for the last few days.
"Well my D-Cell's been reading something lately. I thought it was maybe one of you looking for me. But you said our D-Cell's weren't detecting each other."
Doc nodded. He pulled out a few chunks of metal, what looked like the remains of the Analyzer.
"What happened there?"
"The circuits were fried when we channeled energy into the D-Cells. It worked as you can see though. I still don't understand why we couldn't detect each other though."
Beckett spoke for the first time since our little chat.
"Doc, you said that this thing was strong right? Well what if it's what's causing the blackout. Damien, exactly how long have you been detecting that signal?"
"Well when I arrived in town a few days ago. It's been getting stronger though, and right now it's at its peak."
Doc looked out over the ocean. Jeanine joined him. They said something to each other, and then turned to Beckett and I.
"You said it's getting stronger?"
"Yeah. And?"
"Is it getting stronger now?"
I looked down. Sure enough, it was increasing.
"Doc. The signal is getting stronger."
Doc grabbed Jeanine and ran toward the two of us. Just as we were together, a massive creature burst through the water's surface. Jeanine screamed in terror. Beckett and Doc get defensive, and I readied to battle.
"Doc. What is it?"
"I don't know, the Analyzer's busted. I haven't seen this one yet!"
Suddenly, Jeanine let out a yell and dropped to her knees. I ran to help her up, but she couldn't climb to her feet. She just kept yelling and holding her head.
"Make it stop! There's a voice in my head! Get it out!"
As the beast drew closer, Beckett, Doc, and I pulled out our D-Cells. Just as quickly as it had started though, Jeanine's yelling stopped. She was now staring out at the water, directly at the Digimon.
"Jeanine. Are you okay? Jeanine?"
There was no answer. Her eyes were blank. The Digimon moved closer. I tried to move Jeanine, but something was keeping me from getting to her. The pain in my wrist returned.
"Jeanine! What's going on?"