We can make them pay, an echoing, familiar voice whispers. You don't have to be trapped with that so-called partner any longer... I will be your new partner... we will do great things together...
AJ gasps and chokes, waking up feeling like her heart's about to race out of her chest. She moans and collapses onto the grass, whimpering and struggling to regain control of herself when she feels a weighty stare on the back of her neck and sits up wearily, unsurprised to find Renamon staring at her coolly. Breakdramon's words echoing in her mind, she swallows and looks away. "What do you want?" Despite the tense tone of her voice, she feels guilty. Renamon had been a fine partner despite their difficulty in getting along, it had been AJ's weakness that had brought Breakdramon into their lives, into the Digidestined's world and almost killed all of them. If Lunamon hadn't evolved, if Punk hadn't appeared when he had, many innocent people could've been killed. She's not sure what to do with the weight of it all, how terrible she feels. Even her regaining the divas title hadn't been enough to make her feel better.
"Come with me," Renamon grits out, a yellow paw held out to her. AJ swallows and stares at her for a moment before gingerly obeying, watching with some fascination as cool claws encircle her hand protectively and draws her up, leading her past where Luke tends to meet them. Renamon is all too aware that her Digidestined hasn't been sleeping much since everything in Chicago had gone down, and it had finally caused her to fall asleep in the middle of one of Luke's mission announcements. Then and only then had Renamon decided enough was enough. It was time for drastic measures to be taken.
"Where are we going?" AJ finally asks once Luke's area is out of sight, not that surprised when Renamon doesn't falter, continuing to walk towards... nothing that the divas champion can see. She sighs and squeezes her partner's paw, trying to gain her attention, but even that doesn't get her anywhere so she shuts her mouth and continues walking behind her, brown eyes flicking here and there as she looks for something, anything that would give her a hint towards what Renamon is planning. It's a quiet area of the sector when she first feels it- something tickles against her flesh, raises all of her skin like goosebumps, but with an intensity that leaves her floundering as she tries to locate it, figure out what exactly is leaving her so frightened all of the sudden. "Something's in the air," she says blankly, eyes locked on the sky as Renamon turns to stare at her.
"Good," the fox creature says simply. "We're close then." Before AJ can ask, demand further answers, Renamon leaps ahead, taking AJ with her. She'd clearly grown impatient, upon realizing that AJ can sense something ahead, and had decided to hurry the process along. AJ stumbles as they land on firm ground once more but there's no further opportunity for her to regroup, looking up in time to see Renamon bow her head in an apparent show of respect.
"Wha-?" AJ's voice dies quickly away as she sees it. There's a Digimon nearby, clearly the cause of her strange physical reaction to her surroundings, and she gulps. The humanoid creature is tall, menacing and dangerous looking. Electical pulses seem to comprise a fair amount of his body, the non-energy parts of his body that are visible appearing to be metal plates in the shape of lightning bolts. But the truly horrifying part of his is the massive sword he's brandishing, equally large gloved hands gripping the hilt tightly. Lightning is the power source for this as well, streaming between the dark plates that meet and form its sharp, terrible shape. She falters and tries to step back but Renamon has ahold of her and seems unwilling to let her go. She gapes at her partner, wondering if perhaps she was wrong, if perhaps Renamon was-
"This has to stop," the Digimon says calmly. "You are guilty and paranoid, and are falling asleep on missions now. I want to help this world but I am unable to without you. So I have brought you here, to Jupitermon. He can... assist you, one way or another."
AJ swallows. "That... doesn't sound too comforting," she mumbles, staring up at the watchful creature looming overhead. "Renamon..."
"This is the best way," her partner insists rigidly. "You need answers, and this is the best way to receive them." Taking in AJ's confused stare, she smirks. "Jupitermon here judges people by if they are evil or not."
AJ gapes up at him, suddenly feeling even worse as she ponders everything that she's done over the years- to her various exes, to Kaitlyn, Paige, Ricardo... so many others during her time as GM, and even when she didn't have that particular power behind her. "I don't know," she says doubtfully, shaking her head. "Renamon... I'm not a nice person."
"Nice has nothing to do with it," her partner says impatiently. "This has more to do with what is in here." Her paw rests over AJ's chest, above where her heart is racing, and her lips tilt upwards in a faint smirk. "However, if you don't want him to test you, to allow it to remain unknown, I understand." It's a gamble for her too, if AJ would fail this test, more likely than not Renamon would as well, and she doesn't necessarily want to face Jupitermon's reaction should they both prove to have any amount of evil lurking within them.
However, Renamon's words work the way she'd expected them to. AJ considers continuing to live like this, tense and unable to sleep for five minutes without nightmares, so she steps away from her partner and approaches Jupitermon determinedly. "Test me," she says clearly, watching as the creature looks down upon her, his sword tilting towards her. It flashes, it gleams, it shakes and she's just begun to secondguess herself when he lands in front of her, the weapon remaining aimed at her. It's large enough to cleave her in two with one strike, but she holds her ground, staring at him.
He watches her for long moments, eyes gleaming behind his mask as the electricity continues to sizzle against her skin at their close proximity now. AJ's just shifted uncertainly, thinking perhaps it was a mistake after all, when Jupitermon raises his sword and holds it right atop of her head. She squeaks, wondering if he's giving her a few moments for last words, or a prayer, something... when he speaks, his voice as crackly as the energy passing through his body and weapon. "You are not evil, Digidestined."
His words take a moment to register with the overwrought girl and by the time they do, he's gone and she's slumping bonelessly to the ground, staring ahead at the blank spot where he'd once stood. Renamon steps forward and rests a hand on her shoulder, waiting for her to collect herself so they can return to Luke's and see how the mission went. AJ's actions, however, surprise Renamon as she reaches up and rests her hand on her partners', squeezing it softly. "Renamon?" she asks after a few minutes, clearly almost ready to get and go, if the anxious tapping of her toes are any indication.
"Yes?" she asks simply, almost expecting to get yelled at or abandoned for potentially risking AJ's life on such a situation.
"...Thank you."
