Thanks to SayoranLoverKaili, who allowed me to ramble at her until I got this whole thing set up.

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. I just think too much.

Pay The Piper

Chapter 2: Let's Play A Game…

Kouichi clutched the ring of the subway train with both hands, shifting from on foot to the other anxiously. It took half an hour of transfers, tickets, and crowds to get to Shibuya station from his school, and that was on a good day. The clock was ticking, it was taking so long…he couldn't afford to be late.

He nearly screamed as the train inched slowly up to the platform, released the pressure in a burst of steam, and finally opened the doors. He burst out, into the bustling station, glancing around hurriedly for a clock. The large one in the hall read 5:05, which sent him racing for the exit as quickly as possible.

His mind raced wildly as he ran down the street. 5:27, the watch had said, he had to be there by 5:27. But how on earth was he going to find Kouji by then?

He racked his brain, trying to think where Kouji could be. Their father's house? No, Death had shown him in the street…killed by some kind of building accident. Heading back from school? The only way he'd be there at this time was if…

He nearly fell over with the shock that he had forgotten it. Of course! Kouji had Kendo practice after school today! They let out 5:20, and he'd head home…

Kouichi broke into a run, trying desperately to remember the route Kouji took between school and home. A bank sign across the street read 5:18...where was it!

Five minutes later, he'd stopped to catch his breath on a street corner. His head was spinning with stress and possibilities, ticking off the minutes in his mind. Not much time left, he had to find Kouji, hand to help him, had to…argh, all that noise was driving him nuts, why did they need another skyscraper built in this part of town?

Built…

Kouichi snapped his head up, staring at the towering, skeletal frame above him. Heavy, well-wrought steal beams were being lifted to the upper levels by cranes, shaking dangerously in the wind…

And, barely three stories under them, another young boy was walking by himself, schoolbag flung over his shoulder and looking as though all hell could break loose and he wouldn't even bat an eye. A long, black ponytail swung under a blue bandana, dangling down the back of a navy blue jacket.

For a moment, Kouichi's heart skipped. "…Kouji." he sighed thankfully, about to straighten and run to him, but then there was a sudden, strong gust of wind.

The men at the construction site began to shout out and call to each other as the beams rocked wildly in the gust. The crane stopped at the third floor, trying to hold them still for unloading as the wind picked up. The old, worn chain began to slowly creak and moan and break apart, unbeknownst to the boy directly in their path…

Kouichi broke into a run, racing down the street as fast as his tired feet could carry him. He had to make it, he had to, he had to, he had to…

"K-Kouji!" he shouted, as a certain chain link began to loose its hold on the one beside it…

The boy stopped and turned around, surprised. "Kouichi…?"

"MOVE!" the elder twin shouted, shoving him clear of the site seconds before the aching chain gave way. He closed his eyes, covered his head, and waited for the crushing weight of ten wrought-iron beams as they destroyed everything beneath them…

( - ) ( - ) ( - )

Kouji coughed, partially from the dust cloud suddenly swirling around him, and partially to suck back the air which had been knocked from his lungs. It took him several moments to realize that he was on the ground, and many more to interpret what was being said to him.

"Kid…Hey, kid, you all right?"

Kouji blinked, looking into the round, stubbly face of a middle-aged construction worker. The boy nodded curtly, waving off attempts to help him up, and stared blankly at the heavy beams in front of him, lying deep in a crack they themselves had made. Finally, he managed to speak: "What…happened?"

"Accident." the man said gruffly, grabbing him by the arm to pull him to his feet. "A ring on the crane broke. You're pretty lucky, kid. The one who pushed you…not so much…"

"Pushed…?" Kouji's mind fumbled as various workers began shoving the beams away, trying to clear them and reach the figure trapped below.

Then, a few photograph-like memories flashed into his head. Walking home from school…Someone had called his name…Kouichi, it must have been him…he was the one he saw…right before he hit the ground…

The shock hit him with a short gasp. "K-Kouichi!"

"The ambulance is on its way!" someone shouted. "Dig 'im out, but DON'T move 'im!"

"Found him!" someone else shouted. Kouji gasped again and raced over, almost instantly wishing he hadn't.

Kouichi was lying, motionless, on his side, still half-trapped under the heavy beams. Blood pooled beneath him, from several places, the most severe being a long gash across his forehead and a deep cut on the side beneath him. His left arm was at an unnatural angle, trapped between two beams. You couldn't see him breathe.

"K-Kouichi…" Kouji whispered, barely holding himself back from racing to him.

Seconds later the ambulance raced up, sirens blaring. Several white-clothed paramedics came tromping out, pushing Kouji out of the way. They mumbled to each other, then gently…slowly…pried the tattered figure out of the rubble and onto a stretcher.

"ER, now!" the leader shouted.

Kouji found his voice. "W-Wait!" he called, running up to her. "Let me come with him."

The woman blinked at him. "Who're you?"

"I-I'm his…brother…" Kouji gulped, loosing his speech again as he watched them load the still figure into the back of the vehicle. "Please…I can't leave him alone!"

The woman sighed, but smiled. "All right, then. Get in."

( - ) ( - ) ( - )

The paramedic's initial diagnosis was grim: Possible skull fracture, massive blood loss, both legs broken (one in two places, the other in three), left arm almost completely shattered, five broken ribs…He was breathing, but not on his own now, and his pulse wa fading fast.

As soon as they reached the hospital, the boy was rushed into the Emergency Room, leaving his brother outside to wait alone.

For a long while, Kouji simply stared at the glowing red light, indicating that the doctors were hard at work. Then he sighed and sank into one of the hard plastic chairs. He buried his face in his hands and prayed to whichever god had the heart to listen.

"Please…Don't take him away. He…He can't die…I can't…loose him…not again…"

…

He quite suddenly realized that he was no longer alone in the small room. He looked up sharply at an unfamiliar young man, dressed almost completely in black, crossing the room with a small, black notebook open in his hands.

"Almost time…" he laughed under his breath, checking something off in the book. He closed it, slipping it into an inside pocket brightly. He walked straight for the sealed doors beneath the glowing red light.

"Hey!" Kouji jumped to his feet. "What do you think you're doing?"

The man continued on as though he hadn't heard. Kouji charged forward to grab him. "I'm talking to you!"

He missed, but for a spilt second his fingertips brushed the edge of the jacket…and, quite suddenly, he wasn't in the hospital anymore.

He was standing on the black bank of a wide river, flowing with a revolting red liquid that looked frighteningly like blood. The man, who still hadn't noticed him, was walking calmly towards the river. And there, standing at the very edge so that his feet almost brushed the crimson surface, was none other than…

"Kouichi." Kouji whispered in a slow, shocked voice. Something, possibly fear, kept him rooted to the spot as the man approached his brother.

Said stranger walked to Kouichi with a bright smile on his face. "Well." he said shortly. "You ready to go?"

Kouichi looked up at him and blinked sadly, then nodded, gazing back towards the river. The man's smiled widened, and he patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry. The Afterlife's not such a back place, once you get used to it…"

The words registered in Kouji's mind like a dull blade. In an instant, he had rushed to the pair and knocked away the stranger's hand, placing himself firmly between the man and his brother. "He's not going anywhere."

"What…?" the man hissed, glaring at him with fiery fury.

Kouichi stared at his brother, mouthing his name in wordless shock, but Kouji got the message.

"Don't worry." he whispered. "I won't let anyone take you away."

He noticed Kouichi's eyes fill with tears and was uncertain whether to feel guilty or gratified.

The man in front of him hissed slightly. "I know you." he growled. "Minamoto Kouji. You're the punk who pulled him back in the first place. I should've remember that twins can pull stunts like this…"

"Shut up!" Kouji bristled protectively. "Who do you think you are!"

"Not too perceptive, are you?" the man hissed. "You would call me…Death."

There was a slight chill up Kouji's spine, and Kouichi shrank back. Death grinned lopsidedly. "That's right. Your brother's way past his expiration date. It's about time he crossed over…"

"You can't have him!" Kouji exclaimed.

"I already own him, boy." Death laughed. "After all, a deal's a deal. Why don't you tell him, Kimura?"

Kouji turned to his brother, who had been tugging on his jacket sleeve. Kouichi seamed to be trying to tell him something, but there was no sound coming from his mouth. The voice seamed to die the instant it hit the air. He seamed greatly distressed, bringing a hand to touch his throat shakily.

Death laughed. "Of course you can't speak, you little ingrate!" he crowed. "Haven't you ever heard the phase 'Dead men tell no tales'?"

"Bastard." Kouji growled.

Death calmed down after a moment, smiling like a cat about to snag a particularly tasty little mouse. "As I was saying…Kimura, here, and I have a deal. And I never go back on my deals."

"…A deal, huh?" Kouji took a few deep, steadying breaths, weighing his options, then looked up sharply. "I've got a deal for you: Take me instead."

Death raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"

"You heard me!" Kouji snapped. "Let Kouichi live and I'll go with you!"

Kouichi looked horrified, yelling silent protests, but the man was all but unaffected. "…Tempting, I'll admit." Death clicked his tongue. "But I'm afraid that option is null and void."

"What!"

"It would contradict the contract your brother made with me." Death brushed his bangs back cockily. "It was a simple choice: He could either go on living…or save your life. As his option as been solidified, you, as the third party, are unable to change the contract without addressing an added clause."

Kouji hissed a bit under his breath, mind whirling in frustration. A light bulb suddenly lit up and he glared again. "All right then…What about a bet?"

Death raised his eyebrow again. "…Go on."

"A game. A contest. Whatever." Kouji snapped. "You against me."

"And if you win…" Death grinned at the corniness of it all. "You want your precious brother back, is that right?"

Kouji nodded sternly. Death clicked his tongue.

"However…What, if anything, would be in if for me?" he smirked slightly. "I already own your brother, I could walk out now and take him with me. If I was to win our contest…what would be my prize?"

"If you win…" Kouji was quiet a long moment, then looked up. "If you win, then you can have both of us."

Had he a voice, Kouichi would have been begging his brother to reconsider, but Kouji wouldn't have listened anyway. Death grinned slightly and straightened to began stamping out the particulars.

"The game?"

"One-on-one. Single match."

"Judo?"

"Kendo."

"Good. Limits?"

"Out-of-bounds."

"Time limit."

"Fine."

Death smiled, holding out his thin, pale, well-manicured hand. "Deal?"

Kouji hesitated, then accepted in a firm shake. "…Deal."

There was a crash of something very unlike thunder, and Kouji suddenly found himself very much alone in the darkness. He spun around, not even noticing the wooden sword he now clutched in his frantic search.

"Kouichi?" he called. "Where are you? Kouichi!"

"He's here." Death's cool voice echoed from the dark. Kouji glared at him as he appeared, holding a wooden blade of his own. "After all…a competition's no fun without its grand prize."

He snapped thin fingers and light flooded a previously unseen wall. Kouji turned and drew in a sharp, horrified gasp.

There, behind a thick pane of perfectly clear, perfectly clean glass, was Kouichi. He was, apparently, locked in a very small room, sort of sitting in the middle of the floor. Actually, he was sagging in the heavy black chains that wrapped around his frail form, keeping him bound to a short, fixed wooden pole. He called to his brother wordlessly, his voice lost in eternity, and his eyes overflowing with tears of fear and pain.

"Kouichi!" Kouji exclaimed, putting a hand to the glass. He turned back and glared at Death fiercely. "What're you up to?"

"We agreed on a time limit." the man laughed, snapping his fingers again.

A small valve opened in the wall of the little room. A hot, steaming red liquid began to seep out, slowly picking up speed and becoming more forceful. It was red, warm and putrid…

Kouichi yanked suddenly at the chains, trying to get away as both twins realized what it was. Blood!

Kouji spun around, giving Death a glare to kill angels. The man simply grinned. "The lifeblood of every mortal to have passed into the After-World. It flows through the Sanzu endlessly, never stopping until the end of eternity. To reach the next world, a spirit must cross the River of Death. In the middle of this crossing comes a point where the spirit 'drowns', and thus becomes permanently separated from its former body…The true moment of Death."

Kouji growled. "So you're saying, if Kouichi drowns…"

"He'll instantly cross over and enter the Afterlife." Death grinned. The chains on Kouichi's body held the boy barely on his knees. The blood was about an inch deep now, soaking into his jeans. "I'd say, at this speed, the room will fill in about…eight minutes. It'll take two for him to truly drown, so all in all we have about…Ten minutes."

Kouji glared viciously, slipping into his opening stance. Death smirked, raising his own weapon. "Care to begin?"

TBC…