DR: *Looking at his watch* 3…2…1……
Terriermon: Geronimo!!!!! *Crashes through the ceiling*
DR: Ladies and gentlemen, Terriermon! *Clapping is heard. Henry walks in the room. Clapping gets louder.* Well, at least ONE of my muses knows how to use the door. Henry, why didn't you make him land on the garden, or something? Don't tell me you don't know how to use a frickin' catapult!?
Henry: *sarcasm* Sorry.
DR: Oh, whatever, let's just go to the next chapter. Terriermon, wanna do the disclaimer?
Terriermon: Sure! Daneel Rush does not own me, or Gogglehead, or Digimon Queen, or Brainiac, or Visor Dude, or Four Eyes, or Puppet Girl, or Mr. Perfect, or…
DR: CAN'T YOU JUST SAY I DON'T OWN DIGIMON!?
Terriermon: I'm just filling up space! Last chapter was very short, you know?
DR: Oh, shut up and let's begin……
THEORY OF CHAOS
Chapter 2
Chaos at the Beach
"And I'm definitely not wearing THAT!"
Rika's mother groaned as her daughter rejected the twenty-seventh swimsuit that night. Why did she reject the last one, you ask? To not go into further details, it was a two-piece. "But Rika……"
"Mother, I'm twelve years old!"
"At your age I was already dating."
"I can tell……"
Ouch. Direct hit and Rika walked outside the room, leaving her mother thinking about her daughter's words. But Rika wouldn't get to her bedroom that easily.
"That was very mean, Rika."
"But she can't force me to wear something just because it's from the brand that sponsors her modeling career, grandma!"
"Maybe, but that's no excuse to speak to your mother in that way."
Rika sighed. After all, her grandmother was right. Dragging the rest of the body along with her feet, she backtracked to her mother's room, where she still remained silent. "Mom……" I'm definitely not good at this! "……I……I shouldn't have said that. But may I choose my own swimsuit, please?" After all, I may not use it at all……
As soon as Rika said those words, her mother turned back to look at her, any signs of anger or sadness completely gone. "Of course, sweetheart! Now, which one do you want?" she said cheerfully.
Rika sweatdropped. How can she do that!? "Hmm……I guess…….I guess I'll take this one." Rika said while she picked up a simple one-piece dark blue swimsuit. Her mother groaned again before picking up a one-piece pink one with a flower on the right side of the waistline.
"But what about this one? It's so cute!"
Rika slightly inclined her head to the right, holding the urge to gag. This is gonna be a long night………
Rika then noticed something unusual. Looking to her right, she found Renamon curiously looking at the pile of swimsuits on the floor. Then, she picked a two-piece which left not very much to men's imagination. Looking at her Tamer, she spoke. "What about this one?"
"THAT'S IT!!!! GOOD NIGHT!" Rika shouted before storming out of the room, ignoring her family's laughs. If she had looked back for one last time, she might have seen her partner's slight smile, which gave a hidden beauty to Renamon's vulpine features.
****The Next Day………*****
"I'm late!!!!!!!"
More hurriedly than the usual, Takato rushed down the stairs, and dashed to the door. Of course, that didn't go unnoticed.
"Takato, your breakfast!" His mother shouted.
Takato quickly ran to the kitchen and grabbed his breakfast. "Must eat it on the way!" Then he ran to the door.
"Takato, your lunch!"
Takato returned and saved his lunch in his backpack. "Bye mom!"
"Takato, Guilmon's food!" Takato's mother shouted before he could leave. For the third time, Takato backtracked to pick the day-old bread. He was about to leave when……
"Takato!"
"WHAT NOW!?"
"No……just wanted so wish you good luck……sorry."
"Oh, jeez, sorry mom…"
"Okay, okay, I understand you are in a hurry. Now go and have a great time."
"Thanks mom! See you, mom! Bye dad!"
And Takato finally left, leaving his parents with a smile on their faces while they shook their heads. "Boys these days……always in such a rush……"
I could stay and describe the Matsuki's day at the bakery, but that would be BORING, so I'll go back to Takato. His next stop was Guilmon's place, as he had to pick him to go together to the field trip. He arrived there in record time, running through Shinjuku in "Matsuki Hurricane" mode.
"Guilmon, time to go!"
"Yay!" As usual, the virus Digimon jumped on top of Takato, sending him straight to the floor. Takato groaned in pain while Guilmon ran around him as if there were no tomorrow. "We're going to the beach! We're going to the beach! We're going to the beach……" he finally stopped.
"What's the beach?"
Takato slowly got up. "Guilmon, you've already been in a beach. Remember? It's that place where there's tons of water."
But Guilmon wasn't really paying attention. He was already sniffing the bag with bread Takato had with him.
"Yay! Guilmon bread! Takato, I want Guilmon bread!"
"Guilmon, if you eat now you'll have nothing left for the trip."
"Trip? Which trip?" A voice from inside asked. Once again, Impmon and Calumon were in the small hut. But the extreme amount of empty candy wrapping was what got Takato's attention. "Where did all that candy come from?"
"Impmon brought it last night! We've been eating for hours, Calu!"
Takato looked at Guilmon again. The reptile Digimon was moving his head in random direction, looking at everywhere and nowhere at the same time (Have you seen a hen? How they move their heads like crazy? Well, that's the idea). Takato sighed. Too much sugar in his system……that's definitely not good.
"Anyway, we're leaving. Impmon, can you watch the fort while Guilmon's away?"
"Hey, who do you think I am, pineapple head!? Your guardian dog!?"
"I knew you'd say yes! Thanks!" Takato replied, already running down the stairs separating the cabin from the main walkway, Guilmon right behind him. Impmon groaned and kicked the nearest thing he found in frustration, which turned out to be Calumon.
"Hey! What was that for, you meanie!?"
"Hmm…well, I kind of want to play soccer right now." Impmon lied. Calumon jumped in joy. "Soccer!? Calumon can play soccer, calu! Let's go!"
Impmon groaned. And I had to open my mouth…… he thought as the white In-Training Digimon dragged him outside the hut.
***Inside the school bus***
The bus was crowded, of course. Children and Digimon took a lot of space, you know? Even without Renamon, who was on the bus' roof, Guilmon and Guardromon took most of the space in the back seats, where the Tamers had reunited. Hirokazu, Kenta, Jeri and Henry filled the back seat, while Guadromon and Guilmon took the seat in front and to the right, and Takato and Rika the one to the left. And speaking of our favorite couple…
*poke*
"Hmm……"
*poke, poke*
"Hmm……."
A sleeping Takato groaned and tried to move away from the finger that insisted in poking him, which was impossible, as Rika was right next to him. Jeri was the one who complained.
"Rika, leave him alone! Can't you see he's sleeping?"
"If he keeps like that he's going to miss the whole trip." Rika replied. Terriermon, who rested on Henry's lap, spoke in return.
"Well, it's obvious that Takato spent the whole night wondering which type of swimsuit would Ri-ouch, Henry!"
Henry moved away the fist he had used to hit his partner. "Have you heard of the word 'tact', Terriermon?"
"Isn't that the sound your grandpa's pacemaker does?"
Henry groaned. "Terriermon!"
"What?"
Rika shook her head and looked at the one next to her, who was trapped in his very own dream world, and speaking of that……
***Takato's dream world***
Three people were sitting in front of a table, two boys and one girl, each one drinking a different beverage. The first one was Takato Matsuki, wearing his usual clothing and his usual goofy smile while he took a sip of his orange juice. The other boy was Takato Matsuki, too, but he was wearing black baggy pants, a dark blue t-shirt covered with a black jacket, much like Henry's. The outfit was completed by black tennis shoes and black goggles. His eyes were piercing and they showed the being's dark intentions. He was drinking a cup of wine. The girl was very pretty, and her long, brown hair almost reached her waist. She had piercing violet eyes and a very sweet smile. She was wearing a red dress that went from below her shoulders to approximately three or four inches above her knees. She also had a pair of red, high-heeled pumps and a tiny red purse, as shiny as the dress itself.
"So……" the dark Takato began, sipping his cup of wine in the process. "……where are we actually going, Takato?"
Nice Takato sighed. "I tell you for like the hundredth time, we're going to the beach, Chaos!"
"But salty water is a catastrophe to my circuits!" the girl complained.
"I don't plan to go swimming, Ruki." Takato replied. "I'm too tired to do that. You should thank my alter-ego here for doing that."
Ruki shoot a glare at Chaos. "What did you do to him!?"
"Me? Don't look at me, I didn't do anything!" Chaos replied matter-of-factly. Takato snorted.
"You only let me sleep at four-o-clock, Chaos! I had to keep you from taking control the whole night! That wasn't fun, you know!?" Takato shouted, before noticing something. "How come you know nothing about that, Ruki? Now that I think about it, you didn't help me at all last night."
Ruki nervously fidgeted with her glass of…something, avoiding the boy's looks.
"Yeah, Ruki, what were you doing that was so important to leave poor Takato alone with me?" Chaos said. "……which sounds weird, as I am Takato, too, so I was alone with myself, or he was alone with me, or I with him, or me with me, or him with him, or……damn, I'm getting a headache."
"I was…well………sleeping."
"Sleeping?" Takato replied.
"I put myself into idle mode." Ruki explained meekly. Takato exploded.
"'Idle mode'!? You have an idle mode!? When were you planning to tell me, when Chaos takes control and I become nothing but an insignificant trace in his mind? You decided to go sleep right when I needed you the most!? I thought we were friends, Ruki!"
Takato angrily got up and looked away. Ruki soon got up, too and walked in front of him. "Takato, please forgive me!"
Chaos smirked a little, taking another sip of his wine. "This should be interesting……"
"Takato, I'm so sorry, I had no idea that……" She glared at Chaos, and then looked at Takato with a pleading look. "…beast was going to bother you!"
"Hey, have some respect…" Takato replied. "……he may be a bastard, but he's still a part of me, you know?"
Chaos laughed a little bit. "You're totally screwing yourself, Ruki."
"YOU SHUT UP!" Ruki shouted, and then looked at Takato again. "Please, Takato, I'm really sorry, I'll do anything!"
That got Takato thinking. "Anything……that gives me an idea……" Takato said, looking at Chaos with a smirk you would expect from Chaos. The dark Takato gulped, fearing for a second Takato's possible revenge.
"Ruki………I want you to……" Takato began, pointing at Chaos. "I want you to French-kiss him!"
"WHAT!?" Chaos screamed, immediately standing up. "Why don't you just throw me to a pool filled with white sharks!?"
"I'll do anything but that, Gogglehead!" Ruki complained, her pleading look suddenly changing to one of anger.
"Too bad. See you, then." Takato said, walking away. Ruki bit her lower lip. After all, Takato was her owner, and he was angry with her, he could easily retaliate against her in terrible ways. He could even delete her, if he discovered the way………there was no other choice……unless………
"Takato!" Rika shouted. Takato stopped and looked back, just to see how Ruki wrapped her arms around him and pulled him to a French kiss.
Chaos kept checking a watch that popped out of nowhere until the boy and the girl separated, both desperately filling their lungs with air.
"Four minutes and thirty seven seconds………not bad." Chaos said with a smirk. Takato only spoke when he was done dealing with the shock.
"WHY DID YOU DO THAT!?"
Ruki smirked. "Well, Chaos and you are the same person, so if I kiss you, I am technically kissing him, too, and I definitely prefer kissing that…..him." Ruki shuddered a little at the idea of kissing Chaos.
"The girl has a point. Actually, I kind of felt a little bit, too. For a machine, she's a damn good kisser."
Takato growled. "Fine! You win! You're forgiven! But just because I liked it!"
Realizing what he had just said, he covered his mouth with his hands. But the damage was done. Both Chaos and Ruki looked at him with eyes the size of golf balls.
"Never say that again!" Chaos shouted. "Remember I'm a part of you, too!"
Ruki simply remained silent. "I guess…this is a good time to wake up breathing heavily, right?" Takato concluded.
"Definitely." Chaos muttered.
***The Bus***
"Waaahhh!!!" Takato opened his eyes to the world, breathing heavily. Of course, he caught the attention from everyone in the bus.
"Takato, is something wrong?" Ms. Asagi said as she got up and walked to Takato's seat.
"I……I just had a bad dream, that's all." Takato said meekly. Terriermon snickered.
"I bet he dreamt of Rika telling him she was going out with Ryo or something."
A hand closed around Terriermon's neck and threw him out of the window.
"Rika!" Henry complained.
"Calm down, Brainiac. We're just about to arrive, he won't have to walk that much."
Ms. Asagi continued insisting. "You don't look well to me, Takato."
"I……I just didn't sleep well last night, that's all."
That got the Tamer's attention, especially Rika's. "And may I ask why?" the teacher continued. Takato sighed before showing his trademark smile.
"It was all the excitement because of today's excursion, you know? Going to the beach and all…"
You're a terrible liar, Gogglehead……
The bus suddenly stopped, signaling that they had arrived. Ms. Asagi got busy organizing the class, so she stopped paying attention to Takato. The Tamer with goggles waited for everyone to leave to get up slowly, as he felt completely drained of energy. His life as a Tamer, holding off Chaos and the Omnivice's continuous feeding of his energy supplies to work were finally affecting him.
Takato……are you okay?
Takato blushed a little bit as he heard Ruki's voice in his mind. I just had the weirdest dream, Ruki……
I know.
How come?
………because that wasn't a dream.
*** It's beach time, yeah! ***
It was a nice Friday day at the beach: the warm sun, the cool waters, the soft sand……and Takato wasn't enjoying at all.
"It's so hot……I'm so tired……I can't swim……"
Takato, I think it would have been better if you hadn't come……
What!? And miss what could be a unique opportunity!?
I don't want to know what you're talking about…
Takato looked to his right. Rika had returned from a walk somewhere, and it seemed like she was up to some swimming. Takato looked at the sea, where most of the students had forgotten the whole "rest after eating" crap and were enjoying themselves. Ms. Asagi was reading a book under the shadow of a huge umbrella, and an exhausted Guilmon rested right next to him. It seemed like he didn't like the hot place. Kazu and Kenta seemed to be having a water war in the open sea, while Guardromon watched them from the coast, unable to swim with them. Jeri was taking a sun bath (Takato loved Henry's face when Jeri asked him to put some…stuff, as Chaos called it, on her). Elecmon was sleeping next to his Tamer, and MarineAngemon was covering him with wet sand. Renamon, Henry and Terriermon were nowhere to be seen.
But who cares about them!? Takato thought while looking at Rika. The twelve-year-old redhead, who was bored out of her mind, decided that swimming for a little while was the only near-to-entertaining thing she could do. She was about to take off her t-shirt, when…
"Looking forward to it, huh, Gogglehead?"
Takato looked right behind him to see……
"YOU!!!!"
Takato's yell got Rika's attention, and the girl looked at the palm tree he was leaning on, to meet the cheesy smile of…
"YOU!!!" Rika shouted, too, covering herself immediately. She walked the thirty feet that separated them in three seconds, and poked the newcomer's chest with her right index finger.
"What are YOU doing here!?"
"I guess the same as you and you friend the Gogglehead: having fun." Ryo Akiyama, self-proclaimed Digimon King, replied.
"You are not welcome here, Akiyama!" Rika insisted. Ryo shook his head, with that smile never leaving his face.
"Last time I checked this was a public place, Rika."
"So I guess it's a coincidence you showed up, here, huh?" Takato's voice barely reached their ears, but Rika and Ryo both looked down at Takato. Ryo was surprised of Takato's words, Rika was surprise at the way he had said it. Takato suddenly stood up, Guilmon waking up by the sudden move.
"Excuse me."
Both Tamer and Digimon walked away from the group. "Now what's wrong with him?" Ryo asked the redhead. Rika shrugged in response, then she realized she was having a polite conversation with Ryo Akiyama, so she left with a "hmph!".
"Isn't there anyone who likes me in this place?" Ryo asked to himself. A voice from far away reached his ears.
"Kenta, look, isn't that Ryo!?"
"Yes, it's him!"
"Cool! Let's go!"
Ryo groaned. "Me and my big mouth……and you shut up!" he finished looking at Monodramon, whose snickering had also reached his Tamer's hearing range.
***Henry and Terriermon***
"What are you doing?" Terriermon asked his Tamer. After a long walk from where Rika had thrown him to the beach, Terriermon believed he at least had the right to stay on Henry's head.
"Can't you see? I was thirsty, so I bought a soda."
"That's not what I meant! I mean, haven't you looked around you?"
Henry did as his partner told him. After a rather long walk, they had reached a more crowded area of the beach. He was surprised with the amount of people gathered at that place. After all, summer holidays were over weeks ago. "I see a lot of people who probably skipped work for a day."
"Man, you're slow." Terriermon said while shaking his head. Then, he grabbed Henry's head and forced it to move at a certain location. "Look at there!" He moved Henry's head again. "And there!" And once again. "And there!!! See what I mean?"
Henry groaned when he finally understood. What Terriermon wanted him to see were……
Girls. Lots of them. Some of them taller, some were shorter. Blondes, brunettes, some of them had red hair just like Rika's. Some had it long, some to shoulder-length…….some had their skin tanned, and some of them had their skin white as milk.
"Girls……" Henry muttered in annoyance. Terriermon sighed in exasperation.
"Not just 'girls', Henry, girls in swimsuits! What are you waiting for!? Go there, and show me some of that Hong Kong Gang Bang Wong Charm your father always tells me about!"
"Terriermon, my father would never tell you something like that."
"Okay, okay, maybe he's never told me something like that, but you got the idea!"
"Terriermon, I'm twelve! I don't have the age, the looks or the interest to score with a teenager!"
"Oh, come on, this is a crazy world! Once I saw a fifty-year-old fatso hanging out with a girl your sister's age."
"Suzie?"
"YOUR OTHER SISTER!"
"Oh……but that's a different situation, Terriermon. Those 'relationships' are based in money, and I definitely don't want that."
"Gosh, you're so boring……"
Henry sat on the warm sand and relaxed while he drank his soda. Meanwhile, Terriermon was plotting and planning. He first looked for an objective. He saw a lone girl, fourteen or fifteen years old, walking in their direction: long black hair, big black eyes, slender body, provocative lips (Is she using lipstick?) and a very nice pair of……ahem, legs. Time for the initial approach. His Henry had to leave that beach with at least one phone number.
"Hey, cute thing, why don't you come here for some fun? You can invite your two friends, too."
Henry opened his eyes in sheer terror. He actually expected what happened next. He looked at the girl, and, of course, the girl was looking at him with a glare that could freeze hell. He prayed that she would ignore him and go on, but she didn't. Terriermon had obviously noticed something was wrong and changed to "Stuffed Animal" mode. The "cute thing" approached menacingly, shooting daggers at Henry.
"But-but-but I……I didn't……it was……him……Te-Te-Terriermon……"
The girl looked at Terriermon, then at Henry. "Yeah, right. The stuffed animal said it."
"But it is-"
*SMACK!*
"Pervert!" The girl shouted before walking away. Henry caressed his sore cheek.
"I would expect everyone to recognize you as a Digimon at this point……" Henry complained.
"I don't understand……why did the girl react like that?"
"Is that your idea of flirting, Terriermon!?"
"But I saw this guy on TV who…"
"ENOUGH!" Henry shouted, indicating that the conversation was over.
"Momentai! I'll make it up to you somehow, Henry, I promise!"
I'd rather leave things as they are……but knowing him, I guess that's not very bound to happen……
They remained silent for a very uncomfortable minute.
"She was hot, huh?" Terriermon finally muttered.
"Yeah……wait a darn minute……Terriermon!"
But he couldn't stop the small animal Digimon from laughing.
*** Takato, yeah! ***
He couldn't help it. He knew it was wrong, he knew Ryo hadn't done anything wrong, he knew he was just trying to be a friend……a crazy, narcissist, extremely annoying friend, but a friend, after all. He knew all that……but he still couldn't help but hate him at times.
It's not fair! Rika may argue with him all the time, but she at least respects him as a Card Game Player. And what about me!? I'm just a Gogglehead…
Well, you can always be the best Gogglehead there is!
That's not very comforting…actually; it's not comforting at all!
Forgive me for trying!
Sorry……I have no right to lash out at you……
No problem……but I might ask you to kiss Chaos, too…
How do I kiss myself, Ruki?
……good point……darn…
"Oh, is little Takato angry?"
You were taking too long to show up……
"Let me take care of it! I have the power!"
I may dislike Ryo at times, but I don't want him to die, either!
"……party pooper……"
You stay out of Takato's problems!
"Hey, Takato's problems are my problems, too! I'm Takato! I'm just offering him the easiest solutions…"
Oh, shut up……you just want to take control of his body!
"True……but I won't force it anymore……"
……you won't?
"Yeah, I have no hurry. It's a matter of time before I take control. The original me…your Takato is getting weaker every minute……soon enough, I'll take control and be the only Takato………the way it was supposed to be since the beginning!"
What's that supposed to mean!?
"Isn't it obvious? I'm the real Takato. His true personality, which was hidden within his mind. I'm the maximum expression of his personality. I'm everything he is, and more! I'm strong, I'm clever, I have the confidence he lacks, the ability he lacks, the fighting spirit he lacks! I'm the perfect Takato! The Takato you befriended is nothing but a shell, created by the Digital World itself to try to keep me hidden. But it's a shell, anyway, a shell that is bound to crack……"
That's not going to happen! Right, Takato? Takato……
"See? He's exhausted, and he's fallen asleep. Now it's my turn to have fun."
No! Don't do anything crazy!
"Crazy? Nah……I'm just going to show Takato the way things should be done……let's give that Ryo guy a lesson……"
Stop!
But he didn't stop. Takato (yes, it's Chaos, but it's Takato!) got up and looked for his partner. "Guilmon!" he asked with a commanding voice. Soon enough, the Digimon returned, but he was holding something. "Takato, what is this?"
Guilmon's curiosity wouldn't be satisfied until he answered, so an exasperated Takato took the object from Guilmon's paw. He smiled at what he saw. It was a cold, ruthless smile. This is……
"This is female underwear, Guilmon. Where did you find it?"
Guilmon's paw pointed to the opposite direction of where the rest of the class was. Takato and Guilmon had walked southwest along the coastline and they were in a completely deserted area. Only one other person had walked in that direction, as far as he remembered, and that person was……
The Nonaka girl must have dropped it when she came earlier……oh, well, I guess I could use a souvenir……my nice side, that is……
Only when he placed Guilmon's discovery in his pocket he noticed the strange fog that was slowly surrounding him.
"Takato……" Guilmon began, his face already contorted in a feral look.
"I know……I could use a warm up."
Oh, yes……it's been a while since I last made some exercise……I can't let ChaosGallantmon lose its shape……
***Henry***
Henry let go a loud yawn. He was getting sleepy, but he had a long walk ahead of him.
"Terriermon……"
"Huh?" Terriermon said suddenly. Henry had interrupted his deep thinking. "Still think of a way to correct your mistake? Forget it…"
"No way! I have to get you a cute chick's number before we leave!"
Henry sighed. "Well, good luck…anyway, we have to go back before we fall asleep and they leave us here. You don't want to walk all the way back home, do you?"
"No way!"
"Well, let's……"
Henry had walked in the opposite direction as Takato. However, the same fog was slowly filling the entire area. "Terriermon, is that what I think it is?"
"Yep, Digital Fog……there's a wild one around here."
"Why here? Why now!?"
"Oh, what the hell, we'll just kick his butt."
Henry walked closer to the sea, almost waiting the enemy to come out of there. Thank God there isn't a shark Digimon or something……
"Aaaaaahhh!!!!"
"Terriermon, get ready."
"Ready? I'm always ready!"
Suddenly, two figures came out of the deep waters, spreading panic through the massive amount of swimmers in that place. Before he could ask anyone to calm down, the beach was being cleared out. Everyone was moving away from the shore, but most of them still stayed to watch the "monsters"…at a safe distance, of course. A lifeguard approached Henry when he was the only one standing on the shore.
"Kid, you should get out of……wait, you are!?"
Henry looked at the tall man in front of him. "I'll handle this."
Terriermon complained as soon as the man left. "WE'LL handle this, Henry!"
"Whatever……"
However, a voice from behind caught his attention. "Hey, it's him! It's the kid!"
Both Henry and Terriermon looked at the source of the voice between the unexpected audience. "Hey, it's the cutie!" Terriermon exclaimed as he jumped out of Henry's head and walked closer to her. Obviously, that caused the girl to gasp in surprise.
"Look, I'm sorry for what I said. Henry always tells me to treat girls nicely, but I couldn't help it. But Henry really wants to know from which part of heaven you come from, because we don't get to see angels like you everyday."
"TERRIERMON, CAN WE PLEASE DO OUR JOB!?"
"I'm on my way, Henry!" Terriermon looked at the cutie one last time. "Henry's calling me. He's such a workaholic. Anyway, see ya."
Henry sighed as he watched Terriermon approach and sweatdropped when he noticed the cutie had changed the way she looked at him. Shaking his head, he took out his D-Power and his deck of cards (never leave home without it!).
Hey, we've seen this one before! Tylomon, a Champion/Armored Digimon (Gatomon + Digiegg of Faith), Ocean Dragon Digimon, Vaccine Type. Probably the fastest sea Digimon, her Torpedo Attack and Terror Plankton should be handled with extreme caution.
Henry then looked at the other one, which was a oldie from the Digimon TV show.
MarineDevimon, an Aquatic Beast Man Digimon, Ultimate Level, Virus Type. This demon of the sea wraps its enemies with its Neck Hanging attack, but never forget its Guilty Black skill or his Pressure!
Henry looked at the two Digimon, then at Terriermon, and finally at the whole place. We won't even need MegaGargomon for this… he thought with a smile.
***Takato***
"Ruki, data."
………
"Ruki!"
…….Why should I help you!? You're……evil!
"Evil…I'm not evil. I'm just……misunderstood."
Yeah, right, and I'm really a butcher from Nagasaki.
"……whatever. The thing is, I'm your Master, and you must listen to me."
I only listen to Takato!
"How many times do I have to tell you that I'M TAKATO!?"
But I'll never listen to you!
"You're really getting on my nerves……I do nothing to you when my…imperfect half is around, but now that he's in dream land, I could do some pretty naughty things to you…"
You-you-you-you wouldn't dare!
"……try me."
The enemy Digimon's data finally appeared. "Good girl……"
Scorpiomon, an Ancient Crustacean Digimon, Ultimate Level, Data type. He traps his enemies with his Stinger Surprise and finishes them off with his lethal Tail Blade!
"……piece of cake." Takato said, then looked at the sea. "Come on, I know you're out there. Don't be a wuss and show your ugly face."
A small figure appeared from underwater.
Pukumon, a Mutant Digimon of the Virus Type, Mega Level. This fast Digimon from the deep specializes in close combat, and his Needle Squall and Briten Punch are proof of it.
Takato knew better than to underestimate a Mega Digimon just because of his size. Takato looked at Guilmon. "Well…guess it's our time, huh?"
Guilmon nodded happily. "Let's do our best!"
"Yeah, whatever." "He has no idea……" "Bio-merge, activate!"
Nothing happened. "Ruki! Why doesn't the bio-merging protocols activate!?"
I'm not going to let you Digivolve, you cre-Aaaaaaahhhhh!!!!!!
Takato enjoyed Ruki's cries of pain. "I warned you. Now, I'm being light with you, just because of the little respect I have my……less useful side. But if I use more power, I'll cause permanent damage to your circuits. Being a machine, you don't stand a chance against my mind power."
"Well, with that said, why don't we give it a try again?"
MATRIX EVOLUTION
Bio-merge Activate
OMNI-TAMER……
"Guilmon, digivolve to………ChaosGallantmon!"
Takato smiled inside his black and red sphere. "Much better. Thank you very much, Ruki."
………………………
"Why are you so mad, Ruki? These wild Digimon might attack the people; I'm doing a good thing, aren't I?"
……you're just doing it for fun! I'm sure this Digimon are a smaller threat than you!
Heh, you do have a point there……two points, now that I think about it! Does Guilmon have something to say?
Guilmon replied with a barely audible growl, product of his viral side taking over. "Okay, Cyberdramon." Takato replied with a chuckle. Then, he noticed a pair of tentacles going straight towards him. He quickly moved aside to evade them, to see they were Scorpiomon's. "Oh, you're very daring, big one. I like that."
ChaosGallantmon ran right in front of him, evading both tentacles with a 360º turn and then leaping right above the giant Ultimate, landing gracefully right behind him, the Dark Knight's back facing him. The black lance was glowing menacingly.
"Tail Blade!"
ChaosGallantmon didn't even need to look at Scorpiomon. He just raised his left arm, and the crustacean's tail impacted it. "Are you done? Then I guess it's my turn."
The virus Mega Digimon turned around to attack.
"Demon's Disaster!"
"Needle Squall!"
ChaosGallantmon had to move aside and cover himself with his shield, causing his attack not to hit its target. Looking at the sea, where Pukumon had already submerged again, Takato smirked. "So it's two-against-one, huh? Very well, that will be interesting. Big guy over there didn't stand a chance alone, anyway."
***Henry***
MATRIX EVOLUTION
"Terriermon, digivolve to…Gargomon! Gargomon, matrix digivolve to……Rapidmon!"
The cyborg Digimon immediately flew to the open sea, to face the Ultimate and the Armored Digimon that were there. A round of cheers and applauses soon followed. Henry sweatdropped, expecting his partner's comments.
"Henry, do you think I can sign some autographs after this is done?"
"Rapidmon, I doubt your hands can even hold a pen."
"Then who do you think has been sending you all those fake love letters?"
"TERRIERMON!" That explains why the letters had the orthography and calligraphy of a four-year-old, though.
Henry immediately searched through his deck of cards, searching for the card he needed. He already had a great plan, but…
"No, no, no…definitely not! No……oops……"
"What is it?"
"I don't have an Electric Digimon card! One electric attack in the water would have put an end to those Digimon right away!"
"……too bad. Guess we'll have to use the usual, then."
"……………………..The usual?"
Rapidmon's speed allowed him to dash behind MarineDevimon with great ease. "Rapid Fire!"
The attack collided with the massive virus Digimon, who roared in response and looked at the much smaller Ultimate. "Uh oh……Henry!"
"Oh, come on, don't be a wuss! You're faster and you have the type advantage, now kick his digital rear!!" Did I just say that?
"Guilty Black!"
Rapidmon easily avoided the attack thrown at him, soon followed by MarineDevimon's two massive tentacles. But what he wasn't ready for was Tylomon.
"Torpedo Attack!"
The aquatic Digimon leapt out of the water to ram at Rapidmon's back, which let go a shrieking yell.
"Rapidmon!" Henry shouted, now genuinely worried. The crowd behind him gasped. However, Rapidmon didn't waste time to start complaining.
"How is it that they are helping each other!? That's not fair! Call the others!"
"Terriermon, I don't have a cell phone with me! Or a D-Terminal, before you ask!"
·"Why couldn't you just be a Digi-Destined?" Rapidmon mumbled before facing the two Digimon. Actually, he just faced MarineDevimon, because Tylomon had returned to its hiding place in the sea. But he had a plan. Something he had seen Gallantmon do a few weeks before. He concentrated in his next attack.
"Golden Triangle!" he shouted, aiming at MarineDevimon. He heard what he expected right after he launched the attack.
"Torpedo Attack!"
But Tylomon was as fast as Rapidmon, so the android Digimon couldn't turn in time to attack the Armored Digimon. Ignoring the pain and the attack he had just launched, he attacked right after the damage was received.
"Rapid Fire!"
But Tylomon once again proved that she was very fast by hiding in the deep ocean before the missiles collided with her body.
"MarineDevimon!" Henry's voice echoed right behind him. Rapidmon turn back with his eyes closed, almost expecting to be rammed from behind, but that didn't happen. When he opened his eyes, MarineDevimon wasn't there. "Huh? Where is he?"
"You deleted him!" Henry shouted excitedly. "Your Golden Triangle deleted him!"
Rapidmon enjoyed the audience's cheering and clapping. "Oh, yeah! I'm number one!" he shouted so that everyone could listen.
"Torpedo Attack!"
It was a direct impact which sent Rapidmon straight to the sea. The crowd gasped, some girls sobbed silently……and Henry sweatdropped.
He can be such a moron at times…… "Digi-modify! Max Charger, activate!"
****** The other Tamers……thought I had forgotten about them, huh? *****
Rika and the others noticed the fog's appearance when it was too late. Rika and Ryo summoned the others for an emergency meeting. Ms. Asagi and the other students watched them from a distance. "Renamon……" Rika whispered. As expected, the data Digimon appeared right next to her, much to Ryo's dismay.
"Now I understand why Takato is so nervous…." Ryo mumbled as Renamon had appeared right behind him. Rika let go a little smile which immediately disappeared. "Have you checked the situation?"
Renamon nodded. "A MarineDevimon and a Tylomon appeared over there. Henry and Rapidmon are fighting them right now."
Everyone ignored Jeri's gasp. Renamon continued. "…I haven't seen what's going on the other side, but from what I can hear and see from here……"
She stopped speaking for a few seconds, listening to the distant sounds of fierce explosions. Then, she looked at the Tamers, looking for the one missing. She sighed when she realized who it was. "……I can tell Takato is fighting over there."
Rika also noticed Takato's absence, and her fists immediately clenched. "That Gogglehead……I thought I was clear enough when I told him to avoid any struggle!"
Ryo let go his usual smile. "Rika, he's just doing his job! Let him be."
Of course, Rika was unable to stand Ryo's cockiness, so she exploded right in from of him. "You have no idea, Ryo Akiyama, so you better shut up!" Then she lowered her head and muttered something while looking at the direction where Takato was fighting. "You have no idea……"
Did I…just detect a tinge of sadness there? Ryo thought, his smile suddenly fading. "Then we better split in to groups. I'll go check on Takato."
"I'm going, too!" Rika exclaimed with fierce determination. At the sight of Ryo's smile, she continued. "Not because of you!" When Ryo's smiled grew wider, she finished. "Or him, for that matter!" But everyone saw the pink color forming on her cheeks.
"I…guess I'll go help Henry." Jeri replied.
"And we're going with R-hey!"
Kazu complained because Jeri was already dragging him by his left earlobe. "I think Takato has enough help as it is. We're going to check on Henry."
Kenta silently followed. He knew better than to piss off Jeri. Elecmon closed the path, the thrill of the upcoming battle tensing his muscles.
*** Henry……yes, Henry. I'm saving the best for last, okay? Not saying that Henry is boring, but……oh, you get the idea! ***
Rapidmon was getting tired. Avoiding Tylomon's attacks while floating on the monotonous sea could get boring after a while. And with Tylomon only leaving his hiding place for very short instants, it was hard, no, impossible to deal important damage. Henry was also losing his patience and so was the audience behind him.
"Henry!" An angelic voice shouted from his right. Indeed, it was Jeri, closely followed by Kazu, Kenta and the Digimon.
"Do you have an electric Digimon card with you, Jeri?" he shouted back. Jeri eventually caught up with him, her face showing a rather angry look. Now what did I do?
"What, no 'thank God you're here!', Henry?"
"Jeri, no time for that. Do you have it?"
"How could I know!?" Jeri exclaimed, showing him her deck of cards. Henry quickly searched through it, suddenly exclaiming a victory cry. Before Jeri could ask, she was trapped in a big hug. Of course, she didn't complain. Henry finally let go, much to her displease.
"Jeri, you're really a life saver!"
Not looking at Jeri's blush and Kazu's and Kenta's snickering, Henry ran closer to Rapidmon, his feet feeling the cool water on them. "Rapidmon, get ready!"
"For what?"
"For victory!"
Rapidmon could have smiled if he weren't…well, metallic. "Way to go!"
Henry waited for Tylomon to appear. In that moment, he understood why Takato was, in fact, the strongest Tamer. The only reason Rapidmon was hit by those attacks was because I didn't help him evade them. I just wait for him to beat the Digimon, slashing a card every now and then……I'm no better than the Digi-Destined………Takato, I'll prove you I'm a Tamer worthy of your friendship.
"Torpedo Attack!"
"Now! Rapidmon, move to the right!"
Rapidmon did as told and Tylomon went right through the air to his left. "Oh, no, not this time!" Rapidmon exclaimed, grabbing Tylomon by the tail before she could return to the sea. Henry smiled as Rapidmon turned around, gaining momentum with each turn.
"Dig-Modify! Kabuterimon, activate! Rapidmon, throw Tylomon upwards!"
"Whatever you say!" Rapidmon exclaimed, following Henry's advice. Unable to move, Tylomon didn't stand a chance anymore.
"Electro Shocker!"
The fierce electric attack hit Tylomon's body, which was, of course, wet. This increased the damage to the point of deletion. Only then Jeri, Kazu and Kenta noticed the crowd behind them, cheering and clapping as if they had just seen the Soccer World Cup Finals……again. Rapidmon soon joined Henry and de-evolved to Terriermon, landing, of course, on Henry's head. Jeri and the others smiled as they watched how Henry and Terriermon were acclaimed by the people. Henry couldn't avoid a smile, either, and Terriermon……well, let's just say he was in his element.
"Thank you, thanks you, it was a piece of cake, actually…now sweat, look at me! Do I look tired, huh?"
What stopped Terriermon was the sight of a certain someone wrapping Henry in a hug, and carefully placing a piece of paper in one of his pants' pockets. The same person then leaned her head closer to Henry and gave him a kiss on his left cheek. Then, that certain person moved her mouth closer to his left ear.
"Call me."
And then the certain person left. While Henry stood there in shock, Terriermon celebrated.
"Alright! We did it, Henry, we did it! We got the cutie's number!"
But Henry's shock wasn't caused by the kiss, or the paper in his pocket (or the strange sensation in his pants when the girl placed it). The brunette slowly raised his hand and pointed to another certain someone. Terriermon followed Henry's finger and met anger itself.
Let's see, I could use some help here…….how can I describe Jeri's face in that moment? Okay, first of all, think of Rika. Yes, Rika. Now, be nice enough to think of her after Takato touched some certain……forbidden areas of her body (Check "Card-O-Rama", chapter 4 and "Forget the Y2K, This is Madness!!!", chapter 7). Okay, are you done? Good. Now, multiply it by ten…scratch that, by one hundred. Now add a popping vein on the right side of her forehead if you haven't done so, and switch Rika's face for Jeri's. Voila!
Anyway, if Henry and Terriermon noticed, Kazu and Kenta didn't, mostly because they were right behind her. But then, they moved closer to Henry.
"Way to go, Henry!" Kenta commented.
"Yeah, like that was a total hottie…"
I placed those three dots indicating hesitation because that's the moment when they saw Jeri's face, too. And to make things worse, Kazu's worse had just made it worse (Note: Change the multiplying factor to one thousand). The three men moved a step backwards when she approached. She stopped in front of Henry, and she was what she hadn't seen from a distance. That caused two things. First, it solved the question Terriermon had asked himself when he met "the cutie". And second, it changed the multiplying factor to one million.
To make things clear……there were lipstick marks on Henry's cheek.
***Takato***
"Needle Squall!!"
"Tail Blade!"
ChaosGallantmon easily blocked one and avoided the other. He had easily dodged the enemies' attacks but he had been unable to destroy the Digimon. Every time he tried to attack Scorpiomon he was interrupted by Pukumon's Needle Squall attack. "I think it's time to put an end to this……"
Hmmm……huh?
Takato!? Is that you!?
"No, not now! Don't wake up now!"
Huh……what's……what's going on?
"Nothing! Nothing's going on! Go back to sleep, Gogglehead!"
But Takato watched the scene around him and gasped in surprise. "What the hell is going on here!?" Ruki didn't waste a second to answer.
You fell asleep and he took control of your body!
What!?
He was going to kill Ryo!
WHAT!?
But these wild Digimon appeared and he bio-merged with Guilmon and formed……
ChaosGallantmon!!!! I can't believe this!
Takato looked down, at his body. He witnessed how the Dark Knight's black armor shone with the sunlight. You have done enough today, Chaos.
"WE have done enough today……enough? No, I was just starting the fun!"
SHUT UP! What if someone had seen us!?
"I would have made sure he didn't tell anyone…"
STOP IT!
"Whoa……I like you more when you're mad, Takato."
SHUT UP!
"Oh, yes, hate me as much as you want…but you have to take care of the wild Digimon before your friends arrive, and that's a matter of seconds……
Chaos was right. Takato could feel someone approaching. It took him 1.62 seconds to think a plan, other 1.97 seconds to jump high enough. 1.21 seconds to charge his strongest technique, and 4.07 seconds to unleash its full power.
"Judecca Prison!"
*****Rika and Ryo*****
Ryo was smiling, as usual. But it was hard not to after watching Rika on the way to the battlefield. Of course, he knew it was better for him to stay quiet, but, gosh, he just had so much material to work with……
"That stupid Gogglehead……getting in trouble like this……he could get killed, that idiot……I can't believe he forgot………that stupid Gogglehead………for God's sake, he promised me!"
"What did he promise you?" Ryo finally stopped to say something. He couldn't hold it anymore. Rika shot him the Ultimate GlareTM, of course. "It's none of your business!" She said before restarting her running, Renamon by her side. But Ryo couldn't stop smirking.
"I see and I still can't believe it……what did you do to her, Gogglehead?"
Suddenly, an explosion of dark energy froze Rika and Ryo on her tracks. It had been dangerously close, and the subsequent shockwave sent both Tamers and Digimon flying away. A cloud of sand soon filled the entire area.
"What the hell was that!?" Ryo shouted. Rika forgot for a second that she's supposed to hate Ryo.
"I don't know!"
Monodramon, silent as always, looked at Renamon, whose eyes were widened in terror. Rika noticed that, too. "What's wrong, Renamon?"
But Renamon, as strong-willed as she is, still was unable to move, much less say a word. That was……
A memory from several weeks before returned to her. It had been one of the most terrifying experiences. That was……yes, it was……!!!!!!
She feared for her life if she approached that place, but her worry for Takato was even stronger.
"That was……the Judecca Prison!?"
It was a serious statement……if she had said it to someone who knew.
"The what?" Ryo said, as puzzled as Rika next to him. But the terror in Renamon's eyes said it was something very dangerous. Tamer and partner met their eyes in a worried look.
"Rika, Takato's gonna kill himself if we don't stop him!"
That activated an alarm in Rika's head. Her heart began to beat at a faster rhythm and her body began to sweat.
"Takato………let's go!"
Renamon nodded in response and ran as fast as possible, leaving a completely puzzled Ryo Akiyama behind.
"Can anyone tell me what's going on here!?" he complained, looking at his own partner. The dragon Digimon shrugged.
"Don't look at me. I'm just an spectator."
***Takato***
ChaosGallantmon landed not very gracefully on the soft sand. Takato was exhausted. He realized that being ChaosGallantmon required a much bigger effort than his holy counterpart. He guessed it was because ChaosGallantmon was an evolution specially designed for his Chaos mode.
"Excellently guessed, Takato. You're using my Mega form, and only I can control it without dying in the process, just like I'm the only one who can unleash his full power."
Chaos was right, Takato felt as if he were going to die right there. The Judecca Prison had completely drained him of his energy. He was positive that Scorpiomon had been destroyed, but Pukumon……
He looked at the sea, and the sight forced him to gasp. The power of his attack had actually created an opening of clear sand in the middle of the water, and Pukumon lied there, as weak as a fish out of the water. It was the perfect chance. He focused his remaining energies for one last attack.
"Demon's Disaster!"
The beam from his black lance collided with the marine Digimon, deleting him on contact. Takato sighed in relief, but that was it. He couldn't take it anymore.
He immediately de-evolved to his human body, Guilmon standing right next to him, looking around the place, unable to remember what happened.
"Takato……Takato!" the reptile Digimon insisted, but Takato wouldn't reply. He was too tired to speak, to move, he was barely on his two feet. The cloud of sand finally dissipated, and the shapes of Rika, Renamon, Ryo and Monodramon showed up in the distance.
Rika………she's gonna kill me when she sees me like this……
It hurt, even to think. His whole body was numb and devoid of energy. But the job was done, and he had won the battle.
"But at what cost, Takato?" Chaos' voice, his voice, echoed in his head, almost as if his other side enjoyed his weakness. But of course he enjoyed it. With Takato of commission, he was free to take control. Takato looked to his left, wondering why Rika hadn't arrived. When he noticed the look on his face, he feared for his life. But she wasn't really looking at him. She was looking at something white that was barely seen in his pocket. Takato took it and looked at it curiously. In a normal occasion, he would blush, stammer, and wait for the unavoidable pounding. But he was too tired for that.
How…….how did this end up in my pocket?
Chaos' chuckle was heard in his mind. "Oh, that. Our Digimon found it in the ground. I think she probably dropped it when she came here to get changed."
……I see………
He looked at Rika again, who was practically shooting steam out of her ears. She hadn't noticed Takato's state, yet.
"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING WITH THAT, GOGGLEHEAD!?"
With that said she dashed the remaining distance, jumped at him with the agility and strength of a tiger and pinned him down against the soft sand, preparing herself to beat the crap out of him.
"Get ready for the beating of your life, Goggle……huh?"
It was just then when she noticed, when she was sitting on top of him, preparing her fists to do their work. The blow had lift Takato's t-shirt a little, revealing the horrible truth. Wounds which had not healed, scars, hematomas, cuts……remnants of Takato's eternal struggle against himself. What he had kept hidden since the first time Chaos took over him, the day Leomon died. Rika watched in shock, and in an instant reaction, she took off Takato's clothes, leaving him just on his underwear. His legs, too, were covered with wounds. Rika looked at Takato's face, the only untouched part of his battered body. Rika's slam had knocked him out, leaving him completely unconscious. The girl realized she was still on top of him and got up, unable to say a word, covering her mouth with her hands. Renamon and Ryo walked next to Takato's limp body, turning him over to reveal the wounds on his back. Had he caused them himself, fighting against his dark side, or were they the unseen marks of his Tamer days?
Rika walked back a few steps, not bearing the sight anymore. Ryo was shaking his head, unable to believe, to even understand what he was seeing.
"Dear God………"
Renamon remained silent. She kind of expected something like that, she never thought it would be that……critical.
"Takato……" She then looked at her Tamer, and the sight worried her, too. Rika was simply in shock, and the rookie Digimon could understand why. Ryo was able to handle after years of near-death experiences, but Rika………
It was the most horrible scene Rika Nonaka had ever seen in her life. And not even her Digimon Queen Façade could resist it. Her heart broke in a thousand pieces, and she closed her eyes, allowing gravity to do its job.
"Rika!!!" Renamon exclaimed as her Tamer fainted.
Takato…………why?
**********************************************************************
**********************************************************************
End of chapter 2……
DR: I'm done!
Terriermon: Hey, I thought this would be pure humor!
DR: Oh, come on, it was a cool chapter. I'm sure Henry enjoyed it!
Henry: *blushes*
DR: The angsty part was absolutely necessary for the development of the next chapter, where insanity ensues! I'm laughing like crazy already!
Next Chapter: With Takato's truth revealed, the Tamers are expecting some answers. They decided to make a meeting, which the new enemy will use to his (or her?) advantage! Yeah, I know that supposed to happen in this chapter, but it was already long enough! Anyway, the Tamers return to school…well, some of them. And they're acting very strangely! And what about the others? And what the hell's going on with Rika, acting all nice towards Takato all of a sudden!? Will Takato manage to convince Chaos and Ruki to work together to solve the mystery of the Tamers' strange behavior? Warning for the Tamers being out of character from here to the end of the story! Be warned! Lots of crazy stuff, that even Terriermon will be overwhelmed by it. And a Rukato scene Rukato fans definitely don't want to miss! All this in the next chapter of "Theory of Chaos": Chaotic Configurations!!!!!!
Daneel Rush (daneel_ff@hotmail.com)