Chapter Ten – Julian's Juxtaposition
It stomped slowly and menacingly, like it knew just how it step to frighten it's prey. It couldn't find them, but it could still intimidate them. It sniffed the air trying to find their scent, when it finished it made no movement and no expression, not letting on whether it knew or not.
Massive jaw lined with teeth and dripping with saliva, it's massive ebony talons glinted in the fading sunlight, and it's massive tusks mounted on it's back loomed ominous like two air bombers. The Tuskmon was an imposing sighted.
It occupied the middle of the cracked and fractured street in front of the store front. Quietly scanning the boulevard for it's quarry.
Julian watched it quietly, daring not even to breath for fear of the monster hearing. He crouched behind the counter of what appeared to once have been a local, Mom-and-Pops restaurant, peering through the glass display case at the Tuskmon outside.
This was straight out of Jurassic Park. Julian couldn't believe the whirlwind his life had taken in the past few years. Julian was a simple Puerto Rican kid from the most cluttered and sedentary city on the island's western coast, he didn't even think he would go to college, and now he was trying to save the world, being hunted by a giant dinosaur. He'd always believed his whole life he would live in Mayaguez, get married young, work at his family's school supply store and even take it over when his father retired, have lots of kids, and then when he retired he would sit in the park and play dominoes with the rest of the old folks, and he was happy to live that out.
Then Simianmon came into his life and all that changed. Julian had never taken risks, he never saw the point, and never attempted much, but it was through his association with Simianmon that his horizons expanded and he became the confident fighter he was today. It was this new self that could save the world, protect all his friends, and get the love of a rich white girl.
Julian turned to his partner, now transformed into Apemon, who was crouched as well behind the counter, eyeing the giant lizard warily.
"Psst, Apemon..." Julian called as quiet as he could, "Are you ready?"
Julian saw a smile curl onto Apemon's face, but he kept his eyes glued to to the Tuskmon, "No problem."
Julian smiled back, "Then go for it."
With that, Apemon rose it is full, impressive stature, with wild yellow fur, gold rings, and large femur strapped to his back. Gripping the opposite side of the counter and leaped over it, as he did, Julian could start to see the energy start to gather in his muscles for what Apemon needed to do. Landing on the other side of the counter Apemon's face and mane was already glowing a distinct silver.
"Metallic Fur!" Apemon yelled as the energy released itself from it's anchor on Apemon.
The brilliant blast burst forth and crashed through the restaurant's plate glass window. Instead of melting a hole through it like other energy blasts would do, it revealed it's special properties for metal and shattered it into several million pieces. It continued on undaunted and bared down on the Tuskmon.
The Tuskmon saw it too late, and resounded a resounding smack as the energy splattered across it's face. In only a few moments the predators eyes it had possessed turned to vacant punched-out lights, as it sailed to the side.
Apemon capitalized, leaping forward and through the broken window, and with one fluid motion, pulled the bone from it's back, readied it, swung, and announced his killing stroke.
"Mega Bone Stick!" Apemon bellowed.
The stiff apparatus collided with the Tuskmon's jaw, KOing it instantly. The defeated dinosaur hauled back from the blow and flew into the building opposite the one Julian was in. It crumbled into it with a thud and a crash as it both shook it's foundation, sending up a cloud of dust and loosed a few bricks, as well as shattered that building's own plate glass window. Unconscious, it sprawled across the wreckage as gravity would allow, and stayed there.
Raising from his vantage point, Julian leaped over the counter and out the window onto the street while Apemon observed his defeated opponent, bone still in hand.
"Nice work, Apemon." Julian said walking up decide him.
"How many more Digimon am I going to have to clobber?" Apemon asked to no one in particular, however, it was not a rhetorical question, and the hint in his voice that he really wanted to know was what made Julian worried.
"We're almost there, Apemon, I can feel it." Julian offered.
Julian pulled the tag from off her neck and held it in the air. The little silver glow that had been growing every since they started this quest, animated the yellow tag and slowly righted itself in the right direction. Julian pointed that way.
"See it's just down the street." Julian smiled.
Apemon frowned as he slipped the bone back onto his back, "That's what you said the last 3 streets, it's obviously passed her some where. What we need is to go higher. Here..."
With that, Julian felt Apemon's massive arm wrap around him and lifted him into the air. Crouching briefly Apemon sailed into the air, leaving Julian breathless. As they had cleared the tallest buildings on the street and started to come down again, Julian was able to catch his breath.
"Weeeeeeeeeee!" He yelled, smiling and vibing from the adrenaline rush.
Landing on the top of the nearest building, Apemon released Julian so the pair could survey their surroundings.
Looking across the city, how the city fell so far crossed Julian's mind, and he wasn't even sure if he wanted to know. Before him were the ruins of a once great city. Where it once must have been the center of civilization now it was a blasted landscape of crushed buildings and broken dreams. There were many parts of the city that were just big creators, around that the buildings were massive piles of rubble. The area where Julian and Apemon were now, was spared apparently, so the buildings were just deserted and falling apart from neglect, no less sadder then everything else that was going on in the city. A massive cloud of dust seemed to be omnipresent, distorting the rays of the sun, as well as making it a little difficult to breath. The normal noises of big cities were absent as were the normal people that had once lived there, replace by the monstrous an frightening sound of the city's new abnormal residents.
The city, which was more akin to an urban battleground now, was in the grips of a Digimon war. On side were the dinosaur digimon, on the other, the bug digimon, and each fiercely struck at the other to other to gain position. The battles that erupted between the two forces were tearing what was left of the city to pieces as their tried to win what was left. Neither was ahead, everyone just seemed to lose more and more. No side, however, was particular happy to have a monkey and an Apemon in their city anyway.
Even now, from his vantage point, Julian could see a fierce struggle only a mile or so away. It took place on what most have once been a part, but was now a giant dirt hill. Atop the hill, a Dark Tyrannomon, a Tyrannomon, and two Monocromon, with their maws to the sky, were releasing wave after wave a destructive fire bombs. They were trying frantically to take down the Snimon, two Kuwagamon, and 3 Flymon that circled over head, darting and waving down behind buildings, adeptly avoiding the fiery death. It was like a screen saver that played the same thing over and over again, no one was winning, just avoiding or firing again and again. Just like the war.
"Whoa, what do you make of that, Julian?" Julian heard his partner say.
Julian turned his head leisurely to see what Apemon was referring too, but as soon as he saw his eyes went wide with no leisure involved.
Several blocks away, was the one and only Eiffel tower, raising from the still constructed part of town. That wasn't what was the most drawing thing about it, perched atop it was the massive grey ultimate Digimon known as Okuwamon, no doubt the leader of the city's but Digimon as he was no doubt the strongest bug for miles around. It had used pieces of building and road and construct an amble nest atop the French landmark. The monstrous bug surveyed it's city like a king.
"An Okuwamon and the Eiffel Tower, where have I heard that one before..." Julian mused, stroking his chin.
"I suggest we stay as far away from that area as possible." Apemon said, turning back to Julian.
"I agree. Now, lemme just check the tag, and..."
Lifting the tag up in the air, Julian let it dangle. However, this time as the silver glow returned, it burst forth as a solid pencil-width beam, that lanced out through the soot in the air and stabbed right in the middle of Okuwamon's monumental nest, the Eiffel Tower observation deck.
"Porqueria..." Apemon swore quietly.
"Ay diooooo..." Julian whined just like his sisters used to, "Can't we ever get a break?!"
Apemon shaked his head, "Well, if that's to be our path, let's take it."
Apemon grabbed Julian around the waist again, and leaped into the air. His leap took him clear across the street and onto the other building. Another jump took it to another building, ever closer to the Eiffel Tower.
As Apemon and Julian's game of leap frog took them on their way, a pair of Flymon appeared from below the skyline and picked them up on their biological radar, veering in for the kill.
Sighting them Apemon groaned, "Watch out Julian. Metallic Fur! Metallic Fur!"
Even as Apemon was jumping, he was able to conjure up the energy to fire the two successive blasts. The silver globulars of energy zeroed in on their targets and hit true. As each of the Flymon zoomed into their respective blasts, both their momentums abruptly stopped, as if the energy that splashed against them and disappeared were in fact a pair of brick walls. Broken and hurt the Flymon fell from the sky and descended below the buildings. Julian didn't get a chance to see them hit because, Apemon rushed by to quick, not even waiting for confirmation, just wanting to get there as quick as possible.
Continuing on, it wasn't long before another of the Okuwamon's minions entered the fray. Right as Apemon was about to leap to his next building, an enraged Snimon, soared up from the gap and barreled toward them.
Quickly Julian let go of Julian. Hitting the roof rather abruptly, Julian knew, however, it quickly find cover, which he found behind a roof entrance to the stairs.
"Double Scissor Claw!" The Snimon snarled.
The Snimon revealed it's massive scythes and arranged them into and X with the goal to slice Apemon into 4 separate pieces. Only in the nick of time did Apemon pull out his bone stick out and was able to block by holding it as a bow. However, the blow was more then cutting potential, Snimon had also thrown all of it's weight behind it, so the giant bug pushed right on through to attack Apemon. Apemon held his ground, and for it he was sent along in front of Snimon, sliding on his feet, a strained look on his face.
Eventually, Snimon pushed Apemon across the whole building, so if Apemon didn't come up with anything quick he would be thrown off the edge.
So just in the nick of time, as per his style, Apemon was able to leap right up at the edge. As Snimon's momentum would have taken him right past him as Apemon went up, he let that be his advantage. Apemon remained in the deadlock between his bone stick and Snimon's scythes, allowing him to use is own momentum to pivot up and around, and using agility and flexibility that only an ape digimon could possess, he bent his leg around and stomped Snimon on the face, hard!"
At that point all grace and stability had been lost. Snimon lost the ability of flight in his daze, as well as direction, and tumbled forward toward the building across the way. Apemon, having put all his ability into one shot, now lost whatever foothold he hand and crumpled in the air as forces of gravity tore him at all sides.
Snimon landed face first, smashing it yet again. He sailed and skidded forward a few feet before he landed in a heap. Apemon also landed on his face, however, he was able to absorbed the fall into a roll, so for a couple yards, the Digimon twisted and turned until he was able to stabilize himself onto his hands and knees.
Shaking it off, Ape was able to get back to his feet first, right as Snimon was struggling to lift it's head off the ground. Reaching for his bone stick from where it had tumbled, Apemon slowly made his way to the downed Snimon.
Hauling the bone back, he snarled at the creature, "When I put you down, bobo, ju stay down, comprende! Mega Bone Stick!"
Swinging it down, he brought it mightily upon the back of the Snimon. Under the tremendous weight of the strike, Snimon sprawled out completely flat like a squashed bug. However, instead of squishing the Snimon, the roof cracked and shoke under the blow.
Deeming the bug properly disposed off, he holstered the bone back across his back, and turned to where Julian was peeking his head out. Breathing heavily, Apemon leaped back to Julian as he came running out from his shelter.
"Apemon, damn, are you ok?"
"Yeah... let's just hurry..."
With that, he grabbed Julian once again and leaped into the sky. The Tower was now dangerously close now, but the Okuwamon didn't even look like it noticed, he seemed more interested in the battle in the other direction.
One leap to go until the Tower, and Apemon and Julian found themselves at a perfect look out to survey the nest. Hiding being what was once a roof top garden where it's patrons hand hung potted plants, the pair over look the site.
The Tower had a tiny field around it, mostly with trees thick enough to hide Apemon and Julian, but not a big enemy like a Snimon or a Kawagamon. From there is was a straight shot to the base of Tower. It seemed almost to good to be true.
"Should I check the tag?" Julian asked.
"No, the bugs might see it. We have to be sneaky from this point on." Apemon replied.
Julian smiled, "Then I'm your man, sneaky's my segundo apellido. You don't worry your pretty little head and sit tight, comprendes?"
Apemon made a sour face, "What are you saying, you want to go alone?"
Julian made his smile more solemn, "Yes, actually, that's what I'm saying."
Apemon chuckled uncomfortably, "You're kidding right, you can't go up there without me."
"I was hoping I could tell you this in a funny way, but I guess it's not going to work. I don't want you going anywhere near that thing."
"What?! What the hell are you talking about?"
"I don't want you to come, because if there's a fight I know you'll sacrifice yourself to try to save me."
Apemon's eyes grew big and he stuttered as he spoke, "But Julian.... I.... th-that's what I do! I'm your digimon."
"Your more then that to me, mano, you're like a brother."
"Julian, I... But we fight to protect people, that's just who we are." Apemon looked on the verge of tears of confusion and emotion. "Back in the park with She Leomon you weren't like this."
Julian looked at the ground solemnly, "I was selfish, I used you and our relationship to help the others, and a big fat lot 'a good that did. I realized now, I can't ask you to do that for me anymore."
"You don't have to ask, we're brothers!"
Julian grit his teeth, "Apemon! Just understand, I won't bother you if it's a fight I know you can win, but you can't win against that thing, at least until I get that crest. So I don't want you following me up there, ok."
"Julian, you may need me."
Julian's carefree smile returned, "Oye Apemon, don't even worry, I'll sneak up there and get the crest before anyone one even knows I'm there. Just trust me, Apemon, Believe in me, ok."
"Julian, I still don't think it's a good idea."
Julian frowned, "Good or bad, it's the right idea for me and you, ok! Now promise me, you won't try to go up there."
Apemon made an angry face, "No, I..."
Julian leaped up and grabbed Apemon by the mane and pulled him close, "Promise me! Don't make me beg, mano!"
Unable to resist, Apemon gave in, "Al... alright. Just be careful."
Julian rose to his feet and made his way to the fire escape he'd seen when they landed, "You know me, Apemon... Nos vemos."
Julian regretted having to be so forcefully with his partner, but he had to if he wanted to keep him safe. As much as Julian hated to admit it, he had been wrong, and She Leomon had been right. At Champion level they could never hope to do anything against a Mega, let alone the Ultimates. He didn't even know if the others in the real world or the digital world were alright, and that wrecked his mind. To think that he had gotten the others heart, because of his negligence, was really unthinkable.
The only way now to make everything alright, was to only put himself in real danger, something of which he had absolutely no fear at all. He may well die today, but at least it would only be him. He hoped.
------
It stomped slowly and menacingly, like it knew just how it step to frighten it's prey. It couldn't find them, but it could still intimidate them. It sniffed the air trying to find their scent, when it finished it made no movement and no expression, not letting on whether it knew or not.
Massive jaw lined with teeth and dripping with saliva, it's massive ebony talons glinted in the fading sunlight, and it's massive tusks mounted on it's back loomed ominous like two air bombers. The Tuskmon was an imposing sighted.
It occupied the middle of the cracked and fractured street in front of the store front. Quietly scanning the boulevard for it's quarry.
Julian watched it quietly, daring not even to breath for fear of the monster hearing. He crouched behind the counter of what appeared to once have been a local, Mom-and-Pops restaurant, peering through the glass display case at the Tuskmon outside.
This was straight out of Jurassic Park. Julian couldn't believe the whirlwind his life had taken in the past few years. Julian was a simple Puerto Rican kid from the most cluttered and sedentary city on the island's western coast, he didn't even think he would go to college, and now he was trying to save the world, being hunted by a giant dinosaur. He'd always believed his whole life he would live in Mayaguez, get married young, work at his family's school supply store and even take it over when his father retired, have lots of kids, and then when he retired he would sit in the park and play dominoes with the rest of the old folks, and he was happy to live that out.
Then Simianmon came into his life and all that changed. Julian had never taken risks, he never saw the point, and never attempted much, but it was through his association with Simianmon that his horizons expanded and he became the confident fighter he was today. It was this new self that could save the world, protect all his friends, and get the love of a rich white girl.
Julian turned to his partner, now transformed into Apemon, who was crouched as well behind the counter, eyeing the giant lizard warily.
"Psst, Apemon..." Julian called as quiet as he could, "Are you ready?"
Julian saw a smile curl onto Apemon's face, but he kept his eyes glued to to the Tuskmon, "No problem."
Julian smiled back, "Then go for it."
With that, Apemon rose it is full, impressive stature, with wild yellow fur, gold rings, and large femur strapped to his back. Gripping the opposite side of the counter and leaped over it, as he did, Julian could start to see the energy start to gather in his muscles for what Apemon needed to do. Landing on the other side of the counter Apemon's face and mane was already glowing a distinct silver.
"Metallic Fur!" Apemon yelled as the energy released itself from it's anchor on Apemon.
The brilliant blast burst forth and crashed through the restaurant's plate glass window. Instead of melting a hole through it like other energy blasts would do, it revealed it's special properties for metal and shattered it into several million pieces. It continued on undaunted and bared down on the Tuskmon.
The Tuskmon saw it too late, and resounded a resounding smack as the energy splattered across it's face. In only a few moments the predators eyes it had possessed turned to vacant punched-out lights, as it sailed to the side.
Apemon capitalized, leaping forward and through the broken window, and with one fluid motion, pulled the bone from it's back, readied it, swung, and announced his killing stroke.
"Mega Bone Stick!" Apemon bellowed.
The stiff apparatus collided with the Tuskmon's jaw, KOing it instantly. The defeated dinosaur hauled back from the blow and flew into the building opposite the one Julian was in. It crumbled into it with a thud and a crash as it both shook it's foundation, sending up a cloud of dust and loosed a few bricks, as well as shattered that building's own plate glass window. Unconscious, it sprawled across the wreckage as gravity would allow, and stayed there.
Raising from his vantage point, Julian leaped over the counter and out the window onto the street while Apemon observed his defeated opponent, bone still in hand.
"Nice work, Apemon." Julian said walking up decide him.
"How many more Digimon am I going to have to clobber?" Apemon asked to no one in particular, however, it was not a rhetorical question, and the hint in his voice that he really wanted to know was what made Julian worried.
"We're almost there, Apemon, I can feel it." Julian offered.
Julian pulled the tag from off her neck and held it in the air. The little silver glow that had been growing every since they started this quest, animated the yellow tag and slowly righted itself in the right direction. Julian pointed that way.
"See it's just down the street." Julian smiled.
Apemon frowned as he slipped the bone back onto his back, "That's what you said the last 3 streets, it's obviously passed her some where. What we need is to go higher. Here..."
With that, Julian felt Apemon's massive arm wrap around him and lifted him into the air. Crouching briefly Apemon sailed into the air, leaving Julian breathless. As they had cleared the tallest buildings on the street and started to come down again, Julian was able to catch his breath.
"Weeeeeeeeeee!" He yelled, smiling and vibing from the adrenaline rush.
Landing on the top of the nearest building, Apemon released Julian so the pair could survey their surroundings.
Looking across the city, how the city fell so far crossed Julian's mind, and he wasn't even sure if he wanted to know. Before him were the ruins of a once great city. Where it once must have been the center of civilization now it was a blasted landscape of crushed buildings and broken dreams. There were many parts of the city that were just big creators, around that the buildings were massive piles of rubble. The area where Julian and Apemon were now, was spared apparently, so the buildings were just deserted and falling apart from neglect, no less sadder then everything else that was going on in the city. A massive cloud of dust seemed to be omnipresent, distorting the rays of the sun, as well as making it a little difficult to breath. The normal noises of big cities were absent as were the normal people that had once lived there, replace by the monstrous an frightening sound of the city's new abnormal residents.
The city, which was more akin to an urban battleground now, was in the grips of a Digimon war. On side were the dinosaur digimon, on the other, the bug digimon, and each fiercely struck at the other to other to gain position. The battles that erupted between the two forces were tearing what was left of the city to pieces as their tried to win what was left. Neither was ahead, everyone just seemed to lose more and more. No side, however, was particular happy to have a monkey and an Apemon in their city anyway.
Even now, from his vantage point, Julian could see a fierce struggle only a mile or so away. It took place on what most have once been a part, but was now a giant dirt hill. Atop the hill, a Dark Tyrannomon, a Tyrannomon, and two Monocromon, with their maws to the sky, were releasing wave after wave a destructive fire bombs. They were trying frantically to take down the Snimon, two Kuwagamon, and 3 Flymon that circled over head, darting and waving down behind buildings, adeptly avoiding the fiery death. It was like a screen saver that played the same thing over and over again, no one was winning, just avoiding or firing again and again. Just like the war.
"Whoa, what do you make of that, Julian?" Julian heard his partner say.
Julian turned his head leisurely to see what Apemon was referring too, but as soon as he saw his eyes went wide with no leisure involved.
Several blocks away, was the one and only Eiffel tower, raising from the still constructed part of town. That wasn't what was the most drawing thing about it, perched atop it was the massive grey ultimate Digimon known as Okuwamon, no doubt the leader of the city's but Digimon as he was no doubt the strongest bug for miles around. It had used pieces of building and road and construct an amble nest atop the French landmark. The monstrous bug surveyed it's city like a king.
"An Okuwamon and the Eiffel Tower, where have I heard that one before..." Julian mused, stroking his chin.
"I suggest we stay as far away from that area as possible." Apemon said, turning back to Julian.
"I agree. Now, lemme just check the tag, and..."
Lifting the tag up in the air, Julian let it dangle. However, this time as the silver glow returned, it burst forth as a solid pencil-width beam, that lanced out through the soot in the air and stabbed right in the middle of Okuwamon's monumental nest, the Eiffel Tower observation deck.
"Porqueria..." Apemon swore quietly.
"Ay diooooo..." Julian whined just like his sisters used to, "Can't we ever get a break?!"
Apemon shaked his head, "Well, if that's to be our path, let's take it."
Apemon grabbed Julian around the waist again, and leaped into the air. His leap took him clear across the street and onto the other building. Another jump took it to another building, ever closer to the Eiffel Tower.
As Apemon and Julian's game of leap frog took them on their way, a pair of Flymon appeared from below the skyline and picked them up on their biological radar, veering in for the kill.
Sighting them Apemon groaned, "Watch out Julian. Metallic Fur! Metallic Fur!"
Even as Apemon was jumping, he was able to conjure up the energy to fire the two successive blasts. The silver globulars of energy zeroed in on their targets and hit true. As each of the Flymon zoomed into their respective blasts, both their momentums abruptly stopped, as if the energy that splashed against them and disappeared were in fact a pair of brick walls. Broken and hurt the Flymon fell from the sky and descended below the buildings. Julian didn't get a chance to see them hit because, Apemon rushed by to quick, not even waiting for confirmation, just wanting to get there as quick as possible.
Continuing on, it wasn't long before another of the Okuwamon's minions entered the fray. Right as Apemon was about to leap to his next building, an enraged Snimon, soared up from the gap and barreled toward them.
Quickly Julian let go of Julian. Hitting the roof rather abruptly, Julian knew, however, it quickly find cover, which he found behind a roof entrance to the stairs.
"Double Scissor Claw!" The Snimon snarled.
The Snimon revealed it's massive scythes and arranged them into and X with the goal to slice Apemon into 4 separate pieces. Only in the nick of time did Apemon pull out his bone stick out and was able to block by holding it as a bow. However, the blow was more then cutting potential, Snimon had also thrown all of it's weight behind it, so the giant bug pushed right on through to attack Apemon. Apemon held his ground, and for it he was sent along in front of Snimon, sliding on his feet, a strained look on his face.
Eventually, Snimon pushed Apemon across the whole building, so if Apemon didn't come up with anything quick he would be thrown off the edge.
So just in the nick of time, as per his style, Apemon was able to leap right up at the edge. As Snimon's momentum would have taken him right past him as Apemon went up, he let that be his advantage. Apemon remained in the deadlock between his bone stick and Snimon's scythes, allowing him to use is own momentum to pivot up and around, and using agility and flexibility that only an ape digimon could possess, he bent his leg around and stomped Snimon on the face, hard!"
At that point all grace and stability had been lost. Snimon lost the ability of flight in his daze, as well as direction, and tumbled forward toward the building across the way. Apemon, having put all his ability into one shot, now lost whatever foothold he hand and crumpled in the air as forces of gravity tore him at all sides.
Snimon landed face first, smashing it yet again. He sailed and skidded forward a few feet before he landed in a heap. Apemon also landed on his face, however, he was able to absorbed the fall into a roll, so for a couple yards, the Digimon twisted and turned until he was able to stabilize himself onto his hands and knees.
Shaking it off, Ape was able to get back to his feet first, right as Snimon was struggling to lift it's head off the ground. Reaching for his bone stick from where it had tumbled, Apemon slowly made his way to the downed Snimon.
Hauling the bone back, he snarled at the creature, "When I put you down, bobo, ju stay down, comprende! Mega Bone Stick!"
Swinging it down, he brought it mightily upon the back of the Snimon. Under the tremendous weight of the strike, Snimon sprawled out completely flat like a squashed bug. However, instead of squishing the Snimon, the roof cracked and shoke under the blow.
Deeming the bug properly disposed off, he holstered the bone back across his back, and turned to where Julian was peeking his head out. Breathing heavily, Apemon leaped back to Julian as he came running out from his shelter.
"Apemon, damn, are you ok?"
"Yeah... let's just hurry..."
With that, he grabbed Julian once again and leaped into the sky. The Tower was now dangerously close now, but the Okuwamon didn't even look like it noticed, he seemed more interested in the battle in the other direction.
One leap to go until the Tower, and Apemon and Julian found themselves at a perfect look out to survey the nest. Hiding being what was once a roof top garden where it's patrons hand hung potted plants, the pair over look the site.
The Tower had a tiny field around it, mostly with trees thick enough to hide Apemon and Julian, but not a big enemy like a Snimon or a Kawagamon. From there is was a straight shot to the base of Tower. It seemed almost to good to be true.
"Should I check the tag?" Julian asked.
"No, the bugs might see it. We have to be sneaky from this point on." Apemon replied.
Julian smiled, "Then I'm your man, sneaky's my segundo apellido. You don't worry your pretty little head and sit tight, comprendes?"
Apemon made a sour face, "What are you saying, you want to go alone?"
Julian made his smile more solemn, "Yes, actually, that's what I'm saying."
Apemon chuckled uncomfortably, "You're kidding right, you can't go up there without me."
"I was hoping I could tell you this in a funny way, but I guess it's not going to work. I don't want you going anywhere near that thing."
"What?! What the hell are you talking about?"
"I don't want you to come, because if there's a fight I know you'll sacrifice yourself to try to save me."
Apemon's eyes grew big and he stuttered as he spoke, "But Julian.... I.... th-that's what I do! I'm your digimon."
"Your more then that to me, mano, you're like a brother."
"Julian, I... But we fight to protect people, that's just who we are." Apemon looked on the verge of tears of confusion and emotion. "Back in the park with She Leomon you weren't like this."
Julian looked at the ground solemnly, "I was selfish, I used you and our relationship to help the others, and a big fat lot 'a good that did. I realized now, I can't ask you to do that for me anymore."
"You don't have to ask, we're brothers!"
Julian grit his teeth, "Apemon! Just understand, I won't bother you if it's a fight I know you can win, but you can't win against that thing, at least until I get that crest. So I don't want you following me up there, ok."
"Julian, you may need me."
Julian's carefree smile returned, "Oye Apemon, don't even worry, I'll sneak up there and get the crest before anyone one even knows I'm there. Just trust me, Apemon, Believe in me, ok."
"Julian, I still don't think it's a good idea."
Julian frowned, "Good or bad, it's the right idea for me and you, ok! Now promise me, you won't try to go up there."
Apemon made an angry face, "No, I..."
Julian leaped up and grabbed Apemon by the mane and pulled him close, "Promise me! Don't make me beg, mano!"
Unable to resist, Apemon gave in, "Al... alright. Just be careful."
Julian rose to his feet and made his way to the fire escape he'd seen when they landed, "You know me, Apemon... Nos vemos."
Julian regretted having to be so forcefully with his partner, but he had to if he wanted to keep him safe. As much as Julian hated to admit it, he had been wrong, and She Leomon had been right. At Champion level they could never hope to do anything against a Mega, let alone the Ultimates. He didn't even know if the others in the real world or the digital world were alright, and that wrecked his mind. To think that he had gotten the others heart, because of his negligence, was really unthinkable.
The only way now to make everything alright, was to only put himself in real danger, something of which he had absolutely no fear at all. He may well die today, but at least it would only be him. He hoped.
------