Chapter Five: Doing What Must Be Done

Taichi stares at the ground as though it ate Yamato. He's still kicking himself over Neo.

Let it go, kid. Call it even. You saved me, so I saved you; Ryo and I have watched each others' backs for so long that thanks aren't even necessary. We all did what we had to do.

What can I say, Taichi? What can I do to bring that goofy smile of yours back on your face?

Kenichi would know what to say, and what to do. Hate to admit it, but that freshie's a lot smarter than me.

Gotsutei stares at me, a bit of pity in his eyes.

I can't stand that. "Whatever it is, freshie, you better tell me."

"Kenichi-san...he...." Trembling, Gotsu-chan can't seem to finish what he was saying.

"Kenichi died three years ago," says Ken flatly. Picking Gotsu up, Ken walks away without another word.

Died? Kenichi's...dead?

= = =

Zeromaru roars, a cry borne of agony and rage.

Agumon looks on in shock. "Zeromaru?"

"What's going on?" Ryo demands.

His eyes smoldering in anger, the now-Aeroveedramon shrugs. "Nothing," Zero says. "My whole world is just crumbling to dust."

= =

"You're evil." A kid, just like me. We both have families and homes. How does someone turn out this way...?

Neo gives me that soft, mocking smile that makes me want to punch him like he was Yamato. That is, when my bishounen friend acts like a useless baka. If Yama-kun were here, we'd both be kicking this yaro's sorry ass.

"How informative," he says. "I must counter that observation with one of my own.

" 'You're good.'" Neo glares at me a moment.

"Just shut up! You can't hide anymore, Saiba. No more super digimon, no more insane lab experiments." And, thank the gods, there's no more Zed. That bug from hell had to be more psychotic than any evil digimon I've ever faced.

"It's just you, me, Zeromaru, and a fifty-foot drop behind you, Neo," I continue. "Give up! You've lost."

"Only a minor setback. Reinforcements are en route to our location even as you amuse me with your ridiculous posturing."

"That's where you're wrong, Saiba," counters Zero. "We've got allies in this fight too, and they've got all your backup pinned. You lose again!"

"Saiba Neo, you're supposed to die." I glare at him. "For all the awful and sick things you've done, you deserve to die. Part of me wants to rip your throat out and feed it to your Arcademon.

"Oh, crap," I grin. "We wasted him already...along with the rest of your sick schemes. You can't win, Neo. You won't ever win with evil. No one will let you win."

"You underestimate evil, Yagami Taichi." Neo gives me a blank look. "I hate you."

"I'm not fond of you either. But I have public opinion on my side."

"And I have human nature on mine. Shi ne, Yagami."

Neo was near the edge of a cliff, but he tackles me before I could get my guard up. The yaro has me pinned, and I can't even stop him from punching me. Unfortunately, I'm finding out that I was right about him hitting like a girl-if that girl was Sora.

Blood. Neo bloodied my lip. The damn jerk drew blood, so I attack the only way I can now. I spit on him.

He loosens his grip; and before he can give me another one of his chikuso sandwich lectures about my stupidity, I wrench one of my arms free and punch him.

I tackle and pin Neo, and now it's my turn to rearrange his face. Except he knees me in the crotch.

"Kisama!" In pain and anger, I run after Neo, tackling him close to the edge of the cliff.

I glare at Neo; he smiles ruefully at me. Zero hands me the Dagger of Judgment. Basically, I'm supposed to use this to kill Neo instead of wringing his neck.

Saiba Neo is a monster. But if he's a kid like me...what does that make...me?

"Do it," smiles Neo.

"That's just what you'd like, isn't it?" I punch him. "Shut the hell up!"

[AN: Haven't we all wanted to say that to Neo during the course of this story? D ...no? :D ... :| ...eh, well, back to the action!]

I don't even bother to think about it. With both hands around the dagger, I stab down.

= =

"I should have killed him, Zero. I should have done it a long time ago." Taichi trembles with rage.

- - - -

"I still live," Neo scowls.

"You think I like you?" glares Taichi.

"I don't want you to, Taichi. I hate you."

"No. I don't like you now. And you do deserve to die. If you were me, you'd kill you.

"But you're not me. And I'm not you."

"We're both becoming masters of the obvious," scoffs Neo.

Zeromaru looks on.

"You hate me, and I don't like you," glares Taichi. "It's a start.

"I don't want to kill another kid, even if he is evil." Taichi stands. "Get up."

Seething, Neo complies in silence.

"What are your terms, Yagami Taichi?" he hisses.

"Unconditional surrender, and exile from the digital world," says Taichi. "In other words: get the hell out, and don't ever come back."

"Understood. However," Neo smiles maliciously, "I won't concede."

"What?"

Neo wields the Dagger, intending to use it against Taichi.

The blond boy attacks, only to find himself falling off the cliff...beneath a bleeding Zeromaru. In his effort to stop Neo, Zero impaled himself on the Dagger.

"Zero...?" Taichi looks over the edge of the cliff. He sees two bodies at the bottom, Zero's and Neo.

The boy sinks to his knees, mute with shock.

= =

Zero flies off.

Ryo turns his back on the scene. "Ichijouji and Yagami," he orders, "go and retrieve Zeromaru immediately."

Hikari continues to groom Gatomon and Kishi as though nothing happened. Ken and Stingmon walk away quietly. Taichi scowls, curls his fist, and starts to say something.

"Save your energy for the search, Taichi," continues Ryo calmly. "I need you two to look for Xuanwumon anyway. I'm pretty sure Northern is where Zeromaru's headed."

Rolling his eyes, Taichi complies nevertheless. "Come on, Agumon."

Gotsutei tugs on Ryo's pant leg. "May I go with them?" asks the silver and black Patamon.

Ryo nods his assent, and Gotsutei takes off after the other four.

= = =

Status log, Akiyama Ryo, Tamer First Class.

One week later, and we still haven't located Zeromaru. Ken, Taichi, Gotsutei, Wormmon, and Agumon are still looking. They're currently searching the Genbu Temple in Northern, where a group of Gazimon had sighted him.

I've heard many things about Kenichi, all good. Seven years ago, he helped to evacuate an area being attacked by Imperialdramon Zero. Only got to meet him once or twice personally, but I was impressed. Kenichi was one Terriermon nobody messed with Zero and the rest of the unit hold him-rather, held him in high regard.

Hopefully you're being reconfigured, Kenichi. Because you're missed.

On mission status: While the aforementioned search party hunts Zero down; the rest of us divide into envoy units, to garner support from digimon in other sectors.

Ken will meet Mimi, Miyako and Jyou back on File Island to get some help from the Tonosama Dynasty. Mimi and Jyou had earlier told me about their misadventures with the Gekomon, and Mimi's stint as a princess. Not to mention the hilarious efforts from Taichi and Jyou to sing. Gomamon tells me that he and Agumon couldn't do much better.

At any rate, Mimi had inadvertently crossed paths with the emperor of the Tonosama Dynasty. Actually, there are six emperors-brothers--but Mimi's friend rules over the entire Dynasty. So I'm sending Mimi-hime and our enlightened despot over to Tonosama-taitei to convince the Dynasty that helping us is in their best interest.

Hikari, Sora, Kishi, and Yamato are heading back to Saiba City, to scout for any changes in Neo's strategy or weaknesses in his defenses. Hikari has voiced misgivings, mentioning the presence of dark forces. Aside from Ken, however; Hikari and Gatomon are the only ones Kishi will follow. I'm not happy about Kishi heading back to the same area she was tortured, but she knows the city's layout.

Takeru's heading to Eastern with Iori, as well as Takato and Sayuki; Koushirou and Kazenori will meet Taichi here in Western.

Daisuke, Veemon and I will head towards Southern, to find Zhuqiaomon in Suzaku City. She and the rest of the Holy Mega Four may have a clue about the prophecy Kishi was talking about.

Honestly, I'm beginning to wonder how to keep this team together. Zero's never left his unit before.

End status log, Tamer Akiyama out.

= =

Yes. All of this happened because of the fatal mistake I made. Yet Zero paid for it, and continues to pay for it. But no more. I don't care what it takes-I'm going to finish what I started, and repay my debt to Zeromaru.

Ken places a hand on my shoulder. "We need to talk."

"It's been a week, Ken; and we still haven't found Zero. Until we find him, there's nothing left to be said."

"Sit." I comply only because Ken's martial arts techniques are one of the few things he hasn't forgotten.

"What is it?" I ask.

"We have to clarify a few things. Zero's not angry at you for not killing Neo."

"Maybe, but because I spared Saiba's worthless life, Kenichi and Zero paid the price."

"You're wrong," counters Ken. "One, lives cannot be deemed worthless. Everyone's life has value, even Neo's."

"You're too kind."

"I was cursed with that particular crest. But please, don't blame yourself. It isn't your fault Kenichi died.

"I'm the one at fault." Curling into a ball, Ken relates his story.