Chapter 10: Second Wind

(Flashback)

"Do not take this position lightly. Once you pledge yourself to this unit your old way of life will be gone." Yamaki stated from where he sat across the table. His shades blocked Takato's view of his eyes but the young Tamer knew that behind them the man was staring intently into his own.

"I want to make a difference, I can't go back with things as they are now." Takato stated remembering the sight of his father being impaled.

After a pause Yamaki spoke up again "Do you pledge yourself to our goals, knowing what we will ask of you?"

"Yes I do." Takato stated as he nodded, they had after all spent the last twenty minutes going over just what Takato would have to do if he joined.

"…"

"…"

Yamaki was silent as he gazed harder at Takato who stared right back. Finally after what seemed like half an hour Yamaki nodded and offered a hand across the table that Takato promptly shook. "Welcome to the League, Takato Matsuki. This man here will be your partner."

Takato saw a door open and an older teen step in with brown hair and conservative clothing. His eyes were also blocked by a pair of shades much like Yamaki however not to appear unfriendly to this apparent new partner in crime Takato offered a greeting "Good to meet you I'm Takato."

The teen paused and regarded Takato before nodding and shaking his hand "… My names Seth and you just made your first big mistake."

(End of Flashback, Takato's POV)

Takato's eyes widened as he woke up from his flashback and after taking a moment to catch his breath he took in his surroundings. He was lying in a white bed with white covers, in a white room with white wall that reeks of medicine and with IV's sticking into his arms which were hooked up to machines. Yeah safe to say he was in the hospital.

"You did it again." A voice spoke up from his right causing him to jump slightly in surprise before turning to the speaker and being met with the sight of Seth sitting in a chair and reading from an iPad. "You let you kindness and caring personality get you into trouble again." Seth elaborated.

Takato gave a slight smile "Well I couldn't let Kari or Angewomon get hurt. Now could I?" Takato replied as he relaxed.

Seth didn't look up from the Ipad but replied just the same "At some point Takato you should let someone else try and tank a Mega level attack head on. As things are now I think they're starting to kill of what common sense you have left."

Takato gave a non-comital nod "How long have I been out?"

"Three days, three hours, 7 minutes, and 43 seconds." Seth replied.

"Aww you do care."

"No I'm just keeping track of how much I will have to pay the hospital for your stay." Seth replied in a monotone. "They always try to screw you in some way."

Takato turned to gaze out the window to his left and saw that it was a beautiful sunny morning. "What happened?"

Seth shot him a glance before returning his attention to the IPad "The League got David's message. Aaron, myself and a team of FANG operatives showed up just after you got wasted. We wiped out the opposition and took four prisoners including Lilithmon. They have been taken care of. You'll be happy to know that their where no casualties amongst the students. Hell I think this attack knocked some sense into them, they've been noticeably more vigilant."

Takato quirked a questioning eyebrow at Seth "Really? That's good I guess."

Seth nodded "Yeah many are training with some League instructors on tactics and actually following orders. You should see how much fun Alice is having with organizing them. Though I think she would be a lot happier if you were up and about."

Takato blushed and made sure to keep his gaze averted "what's that supposed to mean?"

Seth just chuckled "Oh nothing, just that you have a budding harem whose members all want to see you ASAP." Seth stated much to Takato's embarrassment. "Speaking of, you should defiantly see that Kari girl she was pretty shaken up after seeing you so close to dead."

Takato paused before giving a hesitant nod "I'll see her when I get the chance."

"Do hurry, a lot of League forces are moving into the area soon to help the students train and increase security here. Hell I had to give up the pent house I've been living in so it could be a command and control center." Seth stated in exhaustion.

"Where did they put you now?" Takato asked.

"I have a small house outside the city near Mt. Fuji's suicide forest. Low housing prices for some reason. I have a more permanent residence near the Ise Grand Shrine." Seth answered.

Takato rose an eyebrow in surprise "You bought a house?"

Seth nodded before getting up "Yep, the house is entirely mine and not the League's. About time I actually used some of the pay I get from Yamaki. Speaking of Yamaki, I had better go inform him you're awake. Oh and if you could call a certain gold dragon and tell him you're ok so he doesn't threaten to blow up a continent that would be swell, thanks." Seth said as he walked toward the door.

Takato grimaced "Yeah I'll do that."

Seth nodded before pausing in the door way and looking back with a slight smile "Oh and Takato…. Glad you're ok."

Takato returned the smile and gave a nod of appreciation before he saw Seth disappear around the corner. Turning back to the view outside the window Seth waited for a nurse to come in so he could sign out. "This day is going to be a long one."

(Two hours later, Seth's POV)

"You want me to what?" Seth asked in a tone that matched his disbelief. He had left the hospital and begun to make his way to the park in order to clear his mind when an unexpected guest intercepted him. Said guest was now standing in front of him looking nervous which was so out of character for her that Seth felt compelled to take a few pictures as black mail. "I'm sorry my mind must be a little foggy with disbelief. Could you repeat that?"

"I want you to teach me how to fight." Renamon stated again while looking off to the side. She herself couldn't believe that she was going through with this but the potential gains outweighed her own hurt pride after asking the human for help.

Seth tilted his head in confusion "While I'm flattered and all, why me exactly?"

Renamon sighed before focusing on the human before her "Even though I don't know too much about you I can tell you have a lot of combat experience and despite my own experience in the digital world I need to learn some new strategies. Especially in light of recent events…" Renamon trailed off as both stood there in silence thinking over what happened to Takato.

Seth gave a slow nod "Ok I understand that, by why not ask Takato? I mean he turns into a digimon himself." Seth asked.

Renamon actually blushed and quickly shifted her eyes away "I-I can't ask him for help because of… reasons."

Seth stood there in silence for a bit before giving a slow nod "Oh, ok you're mating him." Seth stated as if it where the most common thing ever.

Renamon's eyes widened to near epic proportions as her back went ramrod straight "W-w-what?"

Seth gave a knowing smirk "Renamon I work for the League around all kinds of Digimon. I am well aware that female Renamon try and impress their desired mates with their combat prowess during the courting phase. The fact that you want me to teach you and not Takato means that you want to really impress him and in order to do that you need to surprise him with your skills." He stated plainly as he looked on at Renamon's increasing embarrassment.

"H-how do you know something that intimately?" Renamon asked.

Seth merely shrugged "There's this Renamon that's been trying to get my attention for the past couple of months before I was assigned here. She seemed to want to show off whenever I was around so I asked a friend about it and learned she was trying to court me."

Renamon was honestly surprised to hear the human's tale and seeing the stimulatory between herself and her desire for Takato she pressed forward "What happened?"

Seth looked away for a second in thought and Renamon thought she saw a strange look cross the human's eyes for a split second. It was a combination of sadness and resignation but it quickly disappeared and was replaced with indifference "Let's just say that she didn't like what she found when she tried to get to know me better." Seth stated before looking up at the clouds. "As for training you… sure I wouldn't mind. Make sure to invite any other digimon you trust and who want to improve as well, I want a group to teach instead of a few individuals at different times."

"I'm not the only one who asked?" Renamon questioned.

"No a few digimon who work for the League are going to be arriving soon and I know they are going to ask. So in order to facilitate everyone I may as well train you all as a group." Seth answered "Meet me at the park in a week at nine am with any other digimon that's interested. We will start then."

With that Renamon nodded gratefully "Thank you, I'm in your debt."

Seth just waved her thanks off with a hand. "Don't worry about it, I'll see you then." Renamon phased away satisfied and left Seth to continue his track toward the park. While walking a dark smirk came across Seth's face as he crackled in his head "Soon Takato, your pesky virginity will be taken and I'll finally be rid of your romantic ignorance." So occupied with his thoughts was Seth that he didn't notice the fact that he had begun to laugh maniacally and people where giving him a wide birth.

(A Few Hours Later, Takato's POV)

Takato had finally gotten out of the hospital and made it back home despite the nurse's best attempts to keep him an extra day. His arrival back home was promptly met with a back breaking hug from his three digimon only rivaled by the one given to him by his mother who then followed up with a scolding. She had only left a short while ago to the grocery store to get some things for dinner.

"Geez I feel like I'm still 12 years old again when mom lectures me like that." Takato sighed as he sat down on the living room sofa watching the news. Curled up in his lap was BlackGatomon who was purring in content. She had been rather clingy to him after his return to the point where she had maintained physical contact with him since he walked through the door. BlackAgumon and Guilmon had been content with acting as guard dogs and keeping within five feet of him. Even now they were at the foot of the couch but had at some point fallen asleep.

Takato just sat there listening to the sounds of his partners breathing, feeling BlackGatomon inhale and exhale while giving a low purr as Takato ran his hands threw her fur. "It's moments like this I hope to enjoy more of in the future." Takato thought in content.

Focusing on Gatomon he gave a small grin "I heard you finally digivolved to Mega." Takato whispered causing BlackGatomon to lazily open a single eye and giving a small smile. Takato picked BlackGatomon up and held her in front of him so they were face to face.

BlackGatomon for her part now had both eyes open and was trying to figure out what Takato was doing. However her thoughts came to a screeching halt when Takato leaned forward and gave her a short but loving kiss to her forehead. "I'm proud of you girl." Takato said as he withdrew and gave BlackGatomon one of his full loving smiles and causing BlackGatomon's world to explode in happiness and embarrassment.

As Takato put BlackGatomon back down on his lap and resumed his petting she relaxed again but inside her head her thoughts where whirling around and a plan soon began to form for her amazing Tamer.

"Tonight Takato, just you wait till tonight. Then you will get an up-close and personal appreciation for my Mega form." BlackGatomon thought before she lost herself to her Tamers amazing hands.

Aaaaaannnnnddddd Chapter! I know it was a bit short but I wanted to set us up for what happens next as it will take a while and likely be a long chapter. So before I completely sign off on this chapter I'm going to answer a few questions people had on the last Chapter.

1. Why do they even have a prison where digimon live when in that same chapter you have shown that they can delete them and absorb their data so they won't come back, but if they don't absorb them they can also erase their memories so they won't know what happened.

I didn't explicitly say this in the previous chapter and that was my fault but to clarify all of the inmates in the pit are holding information the league wants and although they are not too concerned with the death of the digimon they still want to keep the option of them giving up the info in order to get the mind wipe and deletion. The reason PHOE exits is because digimon like Myotismon showed that even after they were deleted they could still sometimes maintain their memories and thus go right back to trying to take over the world. The leagues solution to this was to take any evil digimon they captured and send them to PHOE which is hidden so no rescue attempt can be made to break them out and has a means of immediately containing their data if they are deleted so that they can't escape. Since the League sill doesn't know exactly how this process works they don't want to take any chances. As for the memory wiping the league has the ability to do this but it is VERY difficult to do as there is a chance the individual can remember their old memories. Thus it requires an individual to have little to no concept of identity and thus why Seth was adamant about the fact that she was no longer Lilithmon and refused to give her a name simply calling her an "it" or "you". He further enforced this by ripping apart her self-confidence and self-respect/dignity to leave her questioning who she was. Ruthless yes, extreme, most defiantly. But unfortunately needed in order to counter her past, she was after all a Demon Lord and thus Seth had to resort to extreme and brutal means in order to destroy her self image. Again sorry if the scene disturbed you but it is one of the most 'evil' scene's I will likely write for this fic and was unfortunately needed for an insight into Seth's character, the League's darker side, and the foundation for Lilithmon's future. Yes we will see her again. Fairly soon actually.

2. You stated earlier that Takato is the only tamer with virus digimon but with Ken in this story what digimon does he have? I know that Wormmon is a virus type even though he doesn't act like it. Or are you gonna do what you did with Lilymon and just change his typing?

Wormmon is still a virus type however Ken is technically not a Tamer and is instead a Digidestined. There is a difference in between the two that involves the bond shared in-between the human and digimon partners which effects how others don't see him as a threat. This mostly comes in the form of the pure dedication that the digimon shows for their partners in the first two seasons which borders on near fanaticism. Tamers on the other hand seemed to have much more unruly digimon and thus the more concern for Tamer digimon.

3. When Takato said that they lost control of Megidramon once before why didn't anyone else know about it? In the show when Megidramon shows up the digital hazard symbol is seen across all computers and d-arcs alike. The digital world itself is being torn apart when he is released so I don't think anyone could've missed it.

This part was part of the original draft of the story and has no given explanation, however I am under the impression that while a lot of people likely noticed they probably didn't know what was causing it and those that would know are likely the sovereigns who I have hinted at already know Takato and are affiliated with the League. For the rest of us it was probably thought to be a temporary computer bug or hiccup on the web then forgotten when it went away.

So with this questions answered remember to stay frosty and don't forget to review!