Disclaimer: Not mines. Wowzers.
Warnings: Kaisuke, yaoi, some swearing, messy kitchens, sleeping sicknesses…whatnot.
There's MORE! Surprise, I hope everybody likes it.
Ken's thoughts
*****
Okay, what am I dealing with? Obviously not human, and it doesn't appear to be a digimon. It can't be a ghost, because those aren't real. Ken's brow furrowed, and he wiped some of the sweat that had gathered there away.
But this is the Digital World, so I guess it's possible to save the data on a person and replicate a clone of that person, even if it is human. I wonder if I could program a clone of me. No, I really don't need a doppelganger wandering around.
He… it… that thing, has the ability of telekinesis, to teleport when in danger, read minds, or human minds at any rate. Don't know if he can read Digimon minds if they even have them. That's how he knew my name. What am I supposed to call it, anyway?
It bothered Ken that his mind was not private, but not thinking was not even a considered an option.
Why did he call me koi? Or accuse me of assigning…him, that position. A him. That's unnatural. He must be…not natural I guess. But if he said he got it from my mind…he must have lied. Not even under drugs could my mind think something like that.
He feels, familiar somehow, but I can't quite place it. He flinched, when I tried to hit him, so he can be injured. And he leaves body heat, so it's flesh and blood body. Why didn't he want me to see his eyes? Why was that so important to him? Wonder what color they are?
Ken thought for a while longer, ignoring a slight cold pain at the base of his skull.
But why is he here? And what does he want with me? Not to kill me, since he could have done that by now if he really wanted it. But since he obviously has power that I don't, maybe I can get him to tell me how he does it. And then destroy him with it.
After all, one fought fire with fire, didn't they?
Ken worked at the screens for the greater part of day, after ordering a couple Floramon to clean up the mess and replace his chair. The days events had prompted him to open the older files, Section Z he dubbed them. The name X was so overused. The first part he had decoded was filled with a lot of garble of "Digiports", which was apparently what the weak boundry areas had been called earlier.
For what good that did him.
*****
The Kaiser paced down the hallways of his fortress. He kept on expecting for the Boy-ghost to materialize at any minute, and begin plaguing him with whatever nonsense had got his fancy this time.
This Creature, this Boy…some type of old computer program. There was no other explanation. Not exactly a Digital Monster, but perhaps a Digital Human, a Digiman.
The term sounded phony, even to the Kaiser, but it was the best explanation he had right now.
The closest thing to his equal in this world. The closest thing to a worthy opponent.
As of now, the Boy was simply a distraction and a nuisance. A disgusting and sick distraction and nuisance.
The closest thing to his species he had in this world. He wondered briefly where the rest of his race was, but stopped when the cold pain shot through his head, making his breath shallow and the floor tip until he slammed into the wall. He breathed deeply through his nose, and waited for the sensation to pass.
Once it did, he continued his journey.
The attacks came and went whenever he worked too hard or thought too deeply.
There was a tickling sensation running up and down his throat, and his mind kept on wavering back to the encounters. Not that he could really help it. With all his enemies completely defeated and the Digital World unquestionably his, there wasn't a lot to occupy his mind. Hunting down digimon was all fun and good, but the thrill, the challenge had been lost. Being with this Boy reminded him of some that thrill, even if the Kaiser wasn't leading the chase.
It was, ironic, in a way. After fighting so hard and passionately for the Digiworld…he wasn't sure why he had wanted it.
The cold feeling again, in the base of his skull, but not painful, subdued. It was a thought that followed him to sleep.
*****
Ken slept deeply, not even having the energy for his subconscious to puzzle out the mathematical formulas that had replaced his dreams.
The limp form stirred slightly on the bed, a greater force prodding him to napping, then to a light doze. Ken woke slowly, something warm and gray and intangible rubbing against the edge of his subconscious mind, blurry pictures going past them. One eye opened halfway, then shut.
From the moment I wake upWhat was that? He didn't really care, and his mind wasn't up to the challenge anyway.
An agonizingly warm zephyr traced it's way up his lower arm; similar to a summer draft, but far too focused to be wind or air. A chubby green toy…
Before I put on my makeup
Not quite half awake and still a good two third's asleep, Ken tried to open his eyes.
And couldn't.
He couldn't move his arm away from the warm not-breeze or even turn his head. He was a 100% awake now. I'm not alone…there's someone here, someone inside my mind…
He was paralyzed. Ken had been paralyzed once before by that Not Boy, but this wasn't that. It wasn't the dull metallic color of unnatural immense power and will. This was a dark dead-blood color. This was of fear.
I say a little prayer for you
The friendly, physical, almost sensual presence brushed Ken's mind again, evoking a familiar yet alien scenario of a girl with long purple hair, and orange head and very large and round glasses. Of a small blue animal exploding.
Ken began to wish he could pray.
I'm combing my hair nowThe mind caress again, this time passing teasingly over memories and emotions that Ken didn't even know he had. On the outside, the focused air felt more solid, firmer, while it traveled over his arms and down his sides, massaging his stomach and running teasingly, frighteningly, over his thighs. The feeling in his mind turned warm and oppressive, like a sculptors oven. Whisper winds whirled inside his ear. Smothering him and holding him and suffocating him and embracing him and entering him and choking him and it was too bright too bright too warm too hot too much too fast.
Stop it it's too much you're hurting me…
Wondering what dress to wear now
Ken's lungs were compressed together so tightly he was certain that the walls were touching. He heart was battering back and forth against his front and back ribs till he was certain that it would break through the calcium prison or collapse and deflate forever.
Another image formed itself in his head of it's own volition, this one a boy with cat around his neck and his eyes on top of his head.
Please stop I can't take anymore I'm not built for this please I'll do anything. Ken was remotely surprised to hear himself pleading and begging so readily. God please please deliver me from this please deliver me please don't stop don't leave me don't ever leave me alone never leave me never stop please more please please more and I'll worship you forever.WHAT?
I'll say a little prayer for you
Cold, dry air rushed down Ken's throat as he gasped, choked, and breathed. The cold was a devastating shock against the warmth and full body caresses that he had felt earlier. The feeling…had vacated his mind, so completely that the immensity of the void and coldness it left in it's wake frightened Ken.
Frightened Ken.
Frightened…the Digimon Emperor?
The sheets were soaked with sweat he noticed, as his eyes darted around the room, searching for anything that might be lurking in the shadows or corners. His labored breathing was loud in the space. He was also suffering a sharp, warm pain near his legs, as if someone had inserted a fire heated knife at the junction of his two hips and body.
He darted to the shower, purposely turning the water on freezing, trying to get rid of the unnatural warmth that was dominating his body, attempting to match the temperature of the water to that of his stomach and breast bone. Not that it worked; his body only seemed to find the new setting painful and arousing. Swearing in multiple languages, he stroked himself quickly and grudgingly, more pissed off than aroused or afraid now.
He threw on his uniform and scurried as dignifiedly as he could to the control room, wanting the feeling of security and power back in his life.
******
The Kaiser stared at the array of monitors, vocally calling them up and searching through them using the keyboard. He had finally found something of value. Apparently, he wasn't the first human to have entered the Digital World. He was certainly the only one here now, but data had been found referring to others, termed Digidestined. No data on the Digidestined themselves had been found, and Ken had to stop his search prematurely.
Another attack had come, one that made him spasm and fall out of his chair and black out for the space of a few minutes. He had woken up with chalky taste in the back of his throat and fuzziness in his mind that kept him from focusing.
He was working on control spires now.
Ken's stomach growled, interrupting the tapping. When was the last time he had eaten? Yesterday morning? He was sure he hadn't eaten dinner; wasn't even sure how he had gotten to bed last night. Had one of his slaves done it? An unlikely possibility, but since he was sure that he hadn't walked there…well…the alternative wasn't something that he wanted to contemplate.
Last night's incident still burned in his mind whenever he tried to figure out what had happened. His stomach growled. He didn't want to use the internal comm. links, since those had obviously been tapped. And as much as he didn't want to leave his sanctuary, ever, well…
His stomach twisted, making him squirm. Well, maybe a domestic task, even one so menial, would help him get his mind off his problems. Be a nice change anyway, from all the important and substantial business off taping digital energy from areas and leaving them wastelands.
Just as long as nobody finds out that the Digital Kaizer actually cooks.
********
Ken walked nervously down the hallways, always checking his peripheral vision for spiky hair and glasses lurking in the shadows. It was an action that made his angry, he shouldn't have to be checking the corners for a phantom just because of one bad dream. All it was a dream, after all. Well, maybe a nightmare, but nothing for him to be scared of. Erecting 5 new control spires and watching Miramon incinerate a few acres of forest had improved his confidence, though it had been kind of boring. He almost wished that that irritating little Agumon that sometimes appeared and challenged him would show up. Not that it did.
There was thumping sound coming from one of the corridor walls; Ken slowed his steps, suspecting a malfunction in the engine. Had an Andromon gotten caught between the gears again? But as he neared the kitchen, the thumping began developing a rhythm of crashing pots, as well as a voice. The Kaiser's feet had halted at the voice, every fiber in his legs wanting to turn and walk away as quickly as his pride would allow. The impulse was tempered only by his pride and anger because after all he was the Kaiser dammit, and no fashion reject with a few parlor tricks up his sleeve was going to scare him. With that he had power-walked the remaining distance, gripped the door handle…and stopped.
He could hear off tune singing coming through the door crack. "I'm sooo chill, no wonder it's freezing ba ba da."
Was this really a good idea, to just march in there? Did he really want to face that maniac?
"I'm sooo stilllll--, I just can't keep my fingers out of anything."
Did he really have to?
"I'm sooooo *thrilled *- --to finally be failing."
Of course he had to. He was the Emperor.
"That's probably why it feels just like I'm falling for the first time."
Ken shoved the door open posture and expression commanding and proud, and dominating.
His jaw dropped. The Boy Creature had that uncanny ability.
Both Ken and the Kaiser were incurable neat freaks, even if the Kaiser enjoyed bringing death and destruction to stuff as long as it wasn't his. Both were having a heart attack right now, disbelief turning to despair and despair turning to anger in a heartbeat.
Ken had the extreme urge to grab a garden hose and some bleach and never let go. The Kaiser wanted to bring in a gallon or two of gasoline and a couple of matches and prevent whatever plague of cholera or e.coli was about to break out.
Him.
Indigo eyes flashed and settled on the prominent figure on the room, who was currently swaggering on the main counter, strumming a---frying pan?
The Boy had a black fetish today, wearing a leather jacket with a sleeve ripped off revealing a "I Love Mommy", tattoo, and poured on leather pants; the only clean article on him. His hair was in golden spikes, around shoulder length, with blue-rimmed sunglasses glasses.
"Anyone perfect must be lying," The Boy stepped on two porcelain plates, shoving one to the floor and crushing the other underneath his leather boots.
"Anything easy has it's cost," the Boy swung his head down back and forth, swinging his hips in tune. Nails screeched against blackened metal.
"Anyone plain, can be lovely," a foot kicked backwards and knocked some skillets of the wall as the Boy cradled his frying pan.
Ken felt like coughing, an itch roiling the back of his throat.
"Anyone loved, can be losssst. *Bang, scratch, bang thump *" Still strumming his pseudo guitar, the Boy spun jumped backwards to the floor, convulsing and bobbing his head like the blond guy from Wayne's World.
"That's probably why it feels just like I'm falling for the fiiiiirrrrssssst, *inhale * tiiiiiiMMMMEEEEE deeer deeer, duuuummmm, yeah!!", the Boy tossed back his head, and grinned at the world, "BAAAAAAMMMM…….Yeah! Thank You! Yaww!"
The Boy screamed, reminiscent of his previous screeching, and jumped back, skidding in some unidentified liquid. The Kaiser merely smirked; it was nice to be in control again.
"Sweet mother of surfboards, diden anybody teachya notta go 'round sneakin' up on people like that man? Geez Ken…" The Boy stood up gingerly, still muttering under his breath. "Jeezus mother of all things…how the heck long were yer standin' there anyway, dude?"
Violet lens faced down MIB-style azure wrap-arounds.
"Huccome you were ya watching me? Dinya know that that ain't nice? I mean, I know I'm a great dancer an e'erything, and all the girls say I'm beautiful, but jeez man, I diden know datcher interests ran that way man."
"What are you babbling about now? What way?"
"Ya know, thadda way." The Boy jerked his head to one side for emphasis. "Ya know? Ya don't know. C'mon man, ya gotta know, the birds and the bees, boy meets boy…Right?"
"That's…disgusting. Simply. Absolutely. I'm not even going to dignify that with an answer."
"Oh yeah, then why were ya watchin' me just then?"
The Kaiser smirked wider, and answered smugly, "It's fun to watch idiots run around. Makes the flatware look so much more intelligent. Is something burning?"
The Boy tilted his head. "Wha-, heyyy-Oh shit." Skidding again in whatever it was in the floor, the Boy Creature scrambled over to the restaurant size stoves, grabbing a pan handle (not his guitar) and screeching like a girl for the 13th time that day.
The Kaiser followed leisurely, grimacing over the state of the floor stepping delicately around piles of egg shells and burned meat and cheese and puddles of water, milk, and some yellow stuff.
So this Boy Creature could be burned, even feel pain. Interesting… Ken stepped behind the Boy, smirking again over his natural height as he looked over the Boy's shoulder.
The Boy ignored him, too engrossed in mumbling to himself to really pay attention to him. Ken looked over his shoulder, quietly observing the Boy poke smoking mass of black flaky stuff around. He took a breath and wrinkled his nose, trying not to cough on the fumes.
"What is that?"
The Boy screeched again, almost fumbling the pan to the floor. "Yee, gawds, fer the love of Pete…didn't I tell ya about sneaking up on people fer crying out loud, it just ain't nice. You don't do that to people, especially not to me 'cuase I get excitable very easy and it's just not-"
"What do you think you're doing now? I really can't say I appreciate you popping in and out at random.", Ken stated, grimly aware of all the exhaustion in his tone. He was slightly surprised he wasn't nervous.
"What am I-Ohhhh, heh heh, what am I doing here today, you mean. Right, right." The Boy Creature scratched the base of his skull, completely engaged in the floor. "Well, um, I uh, kinda figured that maybe, well, since I've not really been the best of house guests-"
"Or a welcome one."
"Yeah well, I was kinda feelin', sorta bad that I couldn't tell ya a lot of stuff about myself, and this is all stuff that I know about yourself and you didn't tell me…Well, I thought maybe I should do something nice fer ya that ya couldn't do fer yourself."
Can't do for myself? The Kaiser's benevolence vanished.
"So I made ya breakfast, or, anyway that's what it was supposed ta be, but it didn't come out just right. But don't worry, yer fridge is pretty well stocked for a guy that doesn't get out much, so there's still more." The Boy grinned a little sheepishly, and shrugged.
Ken and Kaiser stared his discomforting cat-like stare at the Boy Creature, both battling and registering separate reactions.
The Kaiser stood there for a few seconds. A large, no a humgous part of him wanted to
grab the Boy by his skinny neck and smash his face onto the burner, which was
still hot, and watch the pale flesh boil and bubble and eventually peel off the
bones. This impulse was countered only
by the lessons of earlier encounters and a developing self-control.
Ken however…
Ken was touched.
Deeply, sincerely, touched. This was the first time in a long time that anyon- anything, had actually gone out of their way to do something for him that he hadn't ordered. And he wasn't sure how to react to it.
"Sooo, let me get this straight," the Kaiser theorized, speaking quickly, "In your mind, if you did something… 'nice', as you put it, for me, like making a war zone of yet another section of my fortress, and burning some…thing to a crisp; that it would somehow redeem your actions for the past few days in which you've been making my life a living hell and fucking with my mind?" The Kaiser lowered his voice from the shriek it had become, visibly groping for control.
Funny, he wouldn't have allowed his emotions to show this much a few days-
"Couple." The Boy's expression was blank, although the omnipresent smile was still there.
"What?"
"Couple. You said few. We've only met fer two days. A few is three."
"Whatever. I'm not the one whose English needs correcting it's yours."
"English? I thought we were speaking Gibberish? Or is this Japanese that we're speaking right now?"
"Just… shut up, all right, just shut up before I do something…" The Kaiser groped for words, his mind smudgy with anger.
"That you'll regret?" The Boy supplied helpfully.
"I thought I told you to shut up!"
"Yikes, someone woke up happy."
"Look, just…just stop changing the subject all right." The Kaiser inhaled deeply, not that that it helped much. "If you really think that some half assed attempt-"
"Language."
"Fucked attempt at edible matter is really going to, to, to accomplish anything, you're even dimmer than what I had earlier surmised."
The Boy watched Ken with the same careful blank look. Then he grinned flirtatiously.
"Ya know…yer kinda cute…when you get all indignant and blush like that."
The Boy smiled admiringly at Ken's gape, before switching moods to radically. He was the only person Ken knew who could be indignant and smile at the same time.
"And ya make it sound so easy, a cinch even. And iz not, not even fer you, allright bud. Do ya know how long it took me ta figure out that if you don't put that yellow stuff,"
The Boy waved at a random puddle, "in before everything else everything gets all sticky and fucked up. And izsnot like yer a five star chef yerself, pal. You suck so bad that you don't even eat anymore, yer that jacked up."
Ken leaned back, mild surprise playing across his face. "You must not understand, I'm a genius. It's not possible for me to 'suck' at anything. The very concept is ridiculous."
"Yeah, yeah whatever man." The Boy snorted. "Bet you couldn't even cook to save yer own life there, pal."
The Kaiser's eyes narrowed. Ken grabbed the panhandle away from the Boy, covering the Boy's hand with his own. The second before their skins touched, the Boy disappeared.
*****
The Boy stared critically at the heap of scrambled eggs in front of him. He had popped up a few minutes earlier, stretching his arms and asking how Ken had gotten along without him. The Kaiser, seated across from, watched the Boy…a little nervously, if we're going to be honest.
"Looks a hell lot like baby vomit to me." Ken glared at him from above his own pile. "If ya ask me, I think this junior wasa lactose intolerant who found his way into the ice cream carton, don't you?"
"I am not even going to bother, describing what your… cuisine, resembled. It was pretty obvious." Personally, the Kaiser thought it looked like Gabumon intestines roasted on a spit.
"Great! I thought it was pretty too, in a crispy sort of way. Nice of you to say so though." The Boy started gulping down the food at an alarming pace, despite his previous grousing.
Ken gaped for the second time that day; the Boy had that effect on him. How can he breathe and eat at the same time like that? Eat…this Boy Creature eats!. Which means that he requires organic nourishment, just like every other living being. But not every other being can do what he does.
"Why did you leave earlier? I wasn't going to hurt you, at least not just then."
The Boy shrugged, the fork hanging out of his mouth. "Ya tried ta touch me. No touchy, na e'er, no madder wha." The Boy shrugged again. "Ya know, one o' those things thatcha jus can't do nuthin' about. N/A, can't tell, gracias pero no." Then he started shoveling food down his throat again.
Ken watched bemusedly; he really should be furious with this Creature, who was uncovering depths of patience he didn't know he had. The Boy had a way of igniting his anger and defusing so quickly with curiosity, or disbelief, or…
Humor. Ken lifted his fork, though half of the Boy's own food was already gone. What I felt earlier, when I walked in, that was humor. His eyebrows squenched together, and he pushed his food around. When was the last time I felt that? Weeks, months-years, even? Is that normal, for someone? Even a genius, shouldn't they feel humor once and a while, or is a way of making me stronger, part of my punishment, to keep-
"Hey you gonna eat that or what? Didja put poison or something in it, is that why your not touching?" The Boy stopped chewing, which he still had been doing while he was talking, and checked his pulse. "Feels normal...what's normal?"
Ken snorted and rolled his eyes, and took a bite.
Hmm, not bad. Not great, but not bad. Better than expectations, but not as good as… Ken swallowed. Somebody else's. Somebody that I don't know about, so I really can't compare it to anybody else, because I've never tried anybody else's. So where did I learn to make it? Ken took another bite. The Boy, noticing that neither was passing out or convulsing, returned to swallowing his own. To many questions now, questions that I don't know the answers too. Ken looked across the table. The Boy being the greatest mystery of all.
The Boy spilled some eggs impossibly on his black shirt, dryer limp and long, hanging off his frame, showing a great deal of clavicle and suntanned skin, and with multiple brown spots on the front. The egg was just one more spot. Ken's eyes strayed a little longer than necessary on that spot. It's the shirt. Of course it's the shirt. It's very…different, from anything of mine.
The Boy's fork clanged on his plate. "Okay, I'm done, are ya done, so iffer yer
done than we can go now?" Inhale. "Sooo yer not completely done yet but you
will be soon so let's hurry up so we can go oh yeah and one other thing do you
want me to help you 'cuase you look like you need help do you want help I can
help real easy no problemo and at no extra cost."
The Boy grabbed his fork and leered over Ken, almost crawling on the table and eyeing the Kaiser's food eagerly. Ken stabbed his fork in front of his plate, feeling much like an explorer stabbing a flag in the ground claiming the eggs in the name of Spain.
His eyes met ocean lens, fully intent on glaring the Creature into submissness, but instead found the picture of the Boy laying half on the table much more…engaging. He had a perfect view down the Boy's shirt and chest—Stop thinking like that! They stayed frozen that way a couple moments longer than necessary, the grin never wavering, and the eyes never straying despite the Kaiser's provocation.
"No, I am not done; I don't care if you are…and not really surprised at the rate that you were going, and where exactly were you planning to take yourself?"
The Boy grinned. "Yourself too, Kenny-san." Ken's brows went up, illogically not angry at the name mutation. The Boy didn't seem to notice, and gushed, "Aw, come on dude, it'll be fun. When was the last time you had fun anyway? We can go do something, like soccer of something, 'cuase, after all, all work and no game makes Ken a dull dumb and very dead boy ya know." Ken's lip curled up to a sneer, a comment on the tip of his tongue.
The Boy snatched the opportunity first. "An' before ya yell at me jus wait a sec man 'cuase this time I'm right. Lookitchu man, ya look like yer gonna be slammed down any sec by those dang bat wings ya got 'tatched ta yer shoulders. I canna leave ya yet, not like this." The Boy leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, closer than Ken would have liked. "An' anyway, I might ackshually answer one o' them questions thadda been keepin' ya up in the jet."
The Boy sprang back and raced towards the door, skidding in puddle and instead slamming into the door and tumbling face first into the hallway with a shriek.
The metal door swung close with a clang.
The Kaiser watched mutely, struggling not to move. He scowled at the ceiling. A spatula tottered off the counter, and landed with a splat in some liquid.
One of the Elecmon must not be doing his job; it felt warmer.
******