Series: On The Way||Title: Training, Truths, and Terror
Chapters: 1-1||Words: 9,888
Genre: Drama||Rated: PG
Prompt: FebuWhump 2022, day #7, Used As An Experiment
Notes: This takes place during the Kaiser's reign, in my breeds AU setting, after everyone has their 2nd Digimental. And then I start having fun.
Summary: It started when he woke up in the Kaiser's fortress and everything got stranger from there – a voice in his mind, the Kaiser insisting that he's a Digimon – and he just might be! Daisuke wants to go home but that doesn't look like it's going to happen soon. Maybe not at all.


He didn't know how long he'd been locked up in here. A lot longer than he wanted to be; he knew that for sure. But he'd reached his limit on that in his first five minutes, and he wanted to get out of here. He glowered at the chains that kept him shackled to the wall. Neither glares nor yanking at them got himself free. But he kept on trying both, just in case he hadn't done it enough yet.

"What does he want with me?" Daisuke muttered to himself. He tugged harder, wanting to at least hear the noise of the shackles. When he wasn't pulling on them, the cell was far too quiet. It was creepy, really. So he did what he could to make some noise. He looked forward to making even more noise once he got the chance to find V-mon.

That worried him more than he wanted to think about, too. He'd woken up here what felt like hours ago and there hadn't been a single sign of his partner. Had the Kaiser abducted just him or was his partner there somewhere? Were the other Chosen there too? There was too much that he didn't know and until he could figure out what it was, he had no idea of what to think or do aside from making endless plans to get out of here.

Without warning, the door opened. He looked up in time to see a burly Minotaurmon there, with an Evil Spiral clamped firmly around one arm. The creature eyed him up and down, red eyes sparking in barely subdued anger, before the chains holding Daisuke unlatched and retracted. Daisuke jerked back, not sure of what was going on and certainly not trusting that Minotaurmon had anything good in mind.

He couldn't go all that far, not when the cell was just long enough for a cot and the ceiling was just high enough for him to stand up, and even then he could touch the ceiling without raising his hand high. Minotaurmon grabbed him by the back of his shirt and dragged him out of there. Daisuke struggled and yanked as hard as he could, but it didn't do much more than tugging at the chains had. Probably even less; he didn't even get a satisfying clank from this.

Minotaurmon said nothing at all, only lifted him up so he was held off the floor and started walking. Daisuke figured out fast there wasn't any way he was getting out of this grip but that didn't stop him from struggling. What if he did? Sure, he had no idea of where he was, though he guessed he was in the Kaiser's fortress, and that meant he had no idea of how to get out of here. But he'd figure out something, if he could just go where he wanted to.

Only it seemed that his destination was in the hands of Minotaurmon and the mind of the Kaiser, as he was brought to a room about halfway down a corridor of gray metal. He couldn't have said where he was; every hallway here looked like every other hallway. How anyone knew how to get around here was beyond him. In the room was who he expected - the Digimon Kaiser, bent over a keyboard, his fingers moving far too quickly for Daisuke to figure out what he was doing. Without looking up, the pre-teen megalomaniac waved one hand to Minotaurmon.

"Put him over there. I'm almost ready for him."

Daisuke wasn't just going to take this quietly. Not at all! "I have a name! You know what it is!"

The Kaiser still didn't look up. "I know your name. Perhaps better than you do, if the information I'm acquiring is correct."

Daisuke blinked a few times. That wasn't at all what he'd expected. Then all the air in him flew out as Minotaurmon dropped him down onto the indicated table, and shackles rose up to clench at his arms and legs. Kaiser motioned again.

"Return to your cell. I'll call on you if I need you again."

With a clopping of hooves, Minotaurmon backed out, and soon it was just the two of them there. The Kaiser said nothing for several very long minutes, before he finally turned to regard Daisuke with the sort of look one might give an especially fascinating bug of some kind. Daisuke glared back at him. He was getting really good at glares. Why was this guy doing this? Either to him or the Digital World?

"I've discovered a few interesting facts about you, Motomiya Daisuke. Facts you may not know yourself, if they are true." He strolled closer to Daisuke. "I will have to run tests to be certain of their truth, of course. That is why you're here."

"Sorry, I don't want to take any tests from you," Daisuke shot back, shaking his head. "I don't think you'd grade me all that fairly.

The Kaiser's lips curved for a moment. Daisuke wasn't going to call it a smile. It looked a lot more like a smirk. "Your grade, if you choose to call it that, will be something more on the level of - is it worth my time to craft one of my Spirals specifically for you."

Daisuke shook his head without hesitation. "No way. You can't do that. I'm not a Digimon."

If he were going to be honest with himself, no one knew if humans in the Digital World could be controlled by a Ring or a Spiral. As far as he knew, no one had ever tried. He didn't want to be the first.

"That's what we're going to find out. Because my readings of you say the exact opposite." Kaiser's cold violet eyes never left Daisuke for a moment. "Though oddly enough, they didn't read that way when we first encountered one another. You read human then."

Daisuke had to wonder why the Kaiser had even checked. What did it matter? He was about to ask, when Kaiser reached out to his keyboard again and started to type. Warily he watched, not sure of what was going to happen. It turned out that a sphere above him started to glow a deep shade of dark red, running over him from the top of his head to the soles of his feet. Information appeared on a screen not that far from him, that Kaiser had a much better view of than he did. For a moment, he thought that would be it, and he allowed himself a few pleasant moments where he imagined that Kaiser would simply declare that his machine had mad an error and he would now be releasing Daisuke, perhaps with a nice meal and a few apologies first.

What actually happened was Kaiser looking more and more satisfied with the more than he read. He crossed his arms over his chest and pursed his lips, tapping his fingers before he finally turned to Daisuke.

"I will need a great deal more information before I can figure out why and how you are a Digimon, why you don't look like one, and why you didn't register as one before. But the scan clearly states that you are one. Perfect level, in fact. So I will require something of proper strength for you to obey me."

"Not going to happen." Daisuke replied without a second of hesitation. "You're welcome to try but it's not going to work."

"We'll see about that." Kaiser flicked his fingers and one of his Evil Spirals appeared there. "Let's see what effect this has."

Daisuke jerked as hard as he could at the sight of that. He wasn't going to just let the Kaiser do that! But still the restraints didn't let him go, and the Kaiser calmly approached, as if nothing Daisuke tried worried him in any fashion. He leaned over and neatly slid the Spiral around Daisuke's arm, where it clung right away. Daisuke could feel it at once, something thick and heavy like a coating of syrup sliding over his thoughts. He kept on shaking his head, straining with every ounce of energy he had in himself. Nothing happened to change whatever the Spiral was doing to him.

"Are you going to do what I tell you to do?" The voice was crisp and firm, cutting through to his mind as nothing had as far as he could remember.

No. He couldn't. He wouldn't. He tried to shake his head but it refused to move. A hand tucked under his chin, tilting him so he met a pair of brilliant cruel violet eyes.

"You will obey me." This time it wasn't a question. Daisuke drew in a breath and wanted to scream his defiance. But no words cam out of his mouth. The person before him smiled - Daisuke knew who it was; knew this was the Digimon Kaiser, but another title scraped at his thoughts, demanded his attention, and he wasn't going to say that! HE wasn't going to do anything!

Kaiser made a quiet motion, and the restraints retracted themselves. Daisuke didn't move, not until Kaiser nodded his permission. Part of him wanted to get up and flee out of there as fast as he could. But he hadn't been told and his body refused to move in a way he didn't have permission for.

That was wrong. That was so wrong. He strained at bonds that now he couldn't see, but which held him as strongly as the others had. What he could do was sit up, then stand.

"I suspect these won't last as long as I want," Kaiser murmured, speaking more to himself than to Daisuke at first. Then he regarded Daisuke again. "So you're going to be kept safely where you can't cause any problems until I have you completely sorted out. Follow me."

Again Daisuke tried to resist. But his brain wasn't accepting orders from the rest of his body now. Instead, he followed the Kaiser, quiet and obedient and hating every second of it. In the back of his mind he hoped that he'd be taken back to the cell he'd spent hours in. It wasn't nice but he knew it and it would at least require some effort to get him back out of there. So if the Spiral stopped working, he might have a slim chance.

But Kaiser instead took him somewhere else. It took Daisuke a few moments to grasp that he was brought into a large bedroom. He'd never seen a bed as large as the one there and mentally shuddered at the sight. The whole place looked about thirty times fancier than anything he'd ever seen before. There was so much space there! On each side of the bed there rested a nightstand, with various items on them, most of which he didn't know the names of. There were at least two other doors, both of which were closed. He wasn't sure if there were more, but he saw the two for certain

Kaiser opened one of them to reveal what could only have been a closet. At least it was that small, though it didn't have anything hanging in it right now. A futon rested on the floor, and Kaiser pointed at it.

"Sit there. Go to sleep. Tomorrow I'll see how strongly you're still affected." He smiled a slow and very wicked smile. "Don't worry. I am going to send you against your so-called friends - once I know you're not going to disobey me. And once I know what you're capable of."

Daisuke mentally rolled his eyes. At least he could do that much. He settled on the futon, wincing internally as the door was shut and he heard the clear sound of a lock. There was air coming in from somewhere, so he wasn't in any danger of suffocating. There wasn't any light, though, and he couldn't really move at all. Though that was more because of the Spiral than anything else, he guessed.

He settled himself more on the futon and stared up at what had to be the ceiling for a few minutes before his eyes closed. Guess I don't get any options on if I go to sleep.

One thing he trusted was that his friends would get him out of this, if he couldn't' get himself out. But he still wanted to know where V-mon was and he definitely wanted to know why the Kaiser thought he was a Digimon, and why the Spiral worked on him at all.


The Digimon Kaiser examined the information that his scanner provided him, trying to make it make some form of sense. Yes, it read clearly that Motomiya Daisuke was a Digimon, and a powerful Perfect level Virus Digimon at that. But he wasn't getting enough information, and he didn't like that. The more he knew, the better able he'd be to craft a device of some kind that would ensure Motomiya belonged to him on a permanent basis.

He'd never worried about losing other Digimon. They were common. He could go out and pick up another ten or twenty of them before breakfast whenever he wanted. But Daisuke, whatever else he was, was different. Digimon shouldn't look so human. Nor should they think they were human - and the Kaiser knew well that Daisuke thought he was human. He'd never acted like anything but human.

So the answers had to exist somewhere. What he had to do was find them. He would start with the proper questions - what kind of Digimon was Motomiya? He had the basics already - Perfect Virus. But there would be more information to be found. This would require effort.

It wasn't as if he had anything better to do. The project he'd been toying with for weeks now didn't seem nearly as interesting as the possibility of uncovering secrets that Motomiya didn't even know that he possessed, and turning those secrets and Motomiya himself onto those who dared to call themselves his enemies. He would keep it in the back of his mind, of course, in case it became useful later. But not for now.

Now he made plans for the morning and a whole round of tests that would give him the answers he wanted.


Daisuke wasn't sure of how long he slept, mostly because he had no idea of what time it was when Kaiser had "sent him to bed". He knew that he woke up at some point, and the room had only the faintest light coming in from high above. He tried to open his mouth, and no words came out of it. The Spiral still clung to his arm and as far as he could tell, it wasn't letting him go anytime soon.

Maybe the others would have to get it off of him? But they'd only be able to do that if Kaiser sent him out - or they found the base and came in to find him. He had no idea of when that could happen.

Again without warning, the door swung open, and Kaiser stood there. He regarded Daisuke for a few moments, then beckoned him up. Daisuke stood up and followed, ending up in a room with a large table and one place setting. Next to the very elegant chair, complete with plush cushions to make the Kaiser's sitting experience as comfortable as possible, there was a single large cushion, the same color as the Kaiser's uniform.

"Kneel there," Kaiser ordered, pointing. The way he watched Daisuke made the Chosen think that Kaiser wanted to see if he would or could disobey - testing the ability of the Spiral to force him to do so. So far it seemed that held true, as he found himself moving over to the cushion and getting down on his knees.

He did it, but he didn't like it, and he hated staring at the floor as Kaiser settled into his chair, and the familiar scents of breakfast drifted to Daisuke. His stomach rumbled, and he wondered if this was the Kaiser's way of tormenting him. Wasn't he going to get anything to eat?

"Tilt your head back," Kaiser ordered, and Daisuke did so at once. No matter how long this went on, he wasn't going to enjoy it. Kaiser held a piece of grilled fish above him. "Eat this," he ordered, bringing it down to Daisuke's mouth. At once, he accepted it and started eating.

He was being fed by hand. It should have made his stomach churn. On one level it did. But there was another part of him - one just beginning to stir - where Daisuke savored being treated like this. Where submitting to Kaiser felt right in ways that he had no words to describe. He tried very hard not to think about it. it certainly made having breakfast a lot easier.

Once the meal was over, Kaiser gestured him to his feet and led him back to the examination room he'd been taken to the day before. Once again he lay on the table, was shackled in, and Kaiser started scanning him again. That wasn't all he did, though. He carefully nipped off a piece of Daisuke's hair, scraped his arm to get some skin samples, and then what Daisuke had feared without wanting to put it into words - a syringe to draw blood.

"Do you know how to do that?" Daisuke asked without thinking. Kaiser glanced at him, eyebrow quirked.

"Did I give you permission to speak to me?" It didn't sound as if he wanted an answer, but now Daisuke thought he could give one. He grinned wildly, fighting hard to sit up, straining against the mental bonds that didn't seem to hold him quite so tightly now.

"You don't have to! I can do what I want!" He flexed his fingers, imagining what it would be like if he could break out of these, what he could and would do, what he needed to do...

Kaiser reached over, plucked off the Spiral, and with a wave of his fingers, tightened down the restraints, keeping Daisuke where he was. "No, you can't. You'll do what I want. What I want is for you to stay quiet. This will be far more painful if you keep on fighting me."

Daisuke kept doing his best to get out of the restraints. Nothing changed, not as the Kaiser withdrew the blood. He knew that he'd had blood taken before but he didn't remember it very well. There wasn't any pain - but there was the odd sense that there should have been. Kaiser calmly taped over the spot, then picked up the Spiral and regarded it quietly before turning to fiddle with it out of Daisuke's sight.

What is he doing? Daisuke strained his neck in an attempt to see, but that didn't work very well. Then Kaiser turned back, and he didn't have the Spiral in his hands. That made Daisuke even more nervous than usual. Especially when he saw what Kaiser did have - a slender leather collar.

"This will do for now," Kaiser declared as he slid it around Daisuke's neck. A leash led from it to Kaiser's hand, and Daisuke hated it even more than the Spiral. Kaiser unfastened Daisuke's wrists, raised them up and made sure he sat up before pulling his arms behind him and fastening them together. "Now, do I have to restrain your feet or are you going to be sensible about this?"

Daisuke drew in a deep breath, ready to declare that he would run the first chance he got. Before a word passed his lips, Kaiser continued.

"If you make an attempt to run away, I need to remind you that you don't know how to get out of here, and I can monitor every inch of this area. I will find you. You will not have a safe place to rest, a way to get out, or a way to communicate with anyone outside of here. It is far better for you if you do as you're told."

Daisuke didn't believe that for a moment. He could find an open window or a door and get out. He could find V-mon or his friends or his D-3. Just because Kaiser said he couldn't didn't mean that he really couldn't.

Let him think you're not going to run away. The voice echoed ever so faintly in his mind. It sounded a great deal like his, only deeper and darker. Go where he leads - for now.

Daisuke wanted to know who was talking to him. But the suggestion made sense for right now, so he tried to shape his face as if he were going to yell something, then drooped down. He wasn't really good at pretending to something he didn't feel, but he wasn't sure if Kaiser knew that or not. He was tugged off of the table, and followed Kaiser to another room, this one full of targets and a few enslaved Digimon.

"You are a Digimon," Kaiser pointed out, staring at Daisuke. "Therefore, you have abilities and attacks. I require that you learn how to use those - and use them the way that i tell you to."

"What kind of attacks?" Daisuke asked, keeping an inner ear open for that deep dark voice that had spoken before.

Oh, this will be quite entertaining. Never you mind. I'll handle this.

Kaiser just kept on staring at him. "Hit that target," he ordered, nodding toward the closest one. "The closer you get to the center, the better you'll be rewarded."

Daisuke grit his teeth for a few seconds before he forced out what he thought was a reasonable question. "How am I expected to do that when I've got my hands behind my back?"

"Not all Digimon attacks come from the hands," Kaiser pointed out calmly. "Your so-called partner attacks with a headbutt. I'm certain you could do something like that with ease."

He's not wrong. That inner voice chuckled. It would be easier if our hands were freed but it's not necessary. And it's better for us if he doesn't know everything we can do.

We? Daisuke tried to get the other one to answer, but Kaiser tapped one foot on the floor, clearly impatient. Daisuke heaved a very large, deep sigh before he turned to the target. Maybe this would convince Kaiser that whatever his devices said, Daisuke wasn't a Digimon.

But if he were one, then how would his attacks work? Sure, headbutting had been suggested, but Daisuke wasn't going to go slamming his had into something. If he didn't hurry up and figure out something, Kaiser would start getting angry. The last thing he needed was that.

If you could evolve this would be a great deal easier. But that will come in time, the darker voice mused, as if to itself. For now, we'll work with what we can.

Daisuke wanted to ask what that actually meant. He didn't have the time or the option, as something he didn't understand surged up from the very back of his mind, grabbed onto his body, and it was as if suddenly he was watching himself. He watched as he sprinted over to the target and kicked it with all of his strength. The blow didn't hit dead center, but it did hit, and a second on followed after that, as if he were kicking a soccer ball. Then he twisted around and slammed his shoulder into it, sending the target rocking back and forth.

Most of his attention - the attention that seemed to belong to the other presence - remained on the targets. But the rest of his attention spied the Digimon who stood to one side, awaiting orders from the Kaiser. They didn't look all that threatening, but he'd seen Digimon like them fighting without restraint or remorse before. They probably would this time too.

When he looked again, most of the targets had been shredded, battered into a mere shell of their former selves. Kaiser approached calmly.

"Very good," he approved. "But now I want to see a real attack from you. If that requires you to break your bindings, then so be it. You still can't leave here without my approval - and the only way you might escape on your own is to have control over your abilities. You will learn - or you will remain here as my prisoner, forever."

Like that would happen. Daisuke wasn't going to even think about that. But he tensed himself and addressed that voice within for the first time properly.

He said that I can break the bonds. So can I?

Oh, yes, you're quite capable of it. But let's not be foolish. The awareness of that voice shifted over to the Digimon waiting. Candmon. Gazimon. Kotemon. PicoDevimon. Snow Goburimon. Any of those should do for what I want.

Daisuke wanted to ask for more information but his body walked towards them. Doing so felt right and wrong at the same time. He regarded the Snow Goburimon, who stood there with a club studded with bolts in one hand.

Yes. This one.

Again Daisuke wanted to know what the other had in mind, and again he wasn't given the chance to ask. His body surged towards the Snow Goburimon, cracking into it, and the Digimon struck back at once, club aiming for him. Daisuke jerked out of the way, far faster than he'd ever thought he could move, and whirled around to catch another strike, this time on the bonds that held his wrists together.

He thought for a moment he heard something from the Kaiser but there wasn't any time to be sure. Instead, he spun and kicked Snow Goburimon in the stomach, sending him stumbling back. Kotemon moved forward at the same time, weapon slashing forward, and Daisuke twisted again, moving so that it struck his bonds. A third strike, this one by Gazimon's claws, broke the bonds entirely and he shook them off.

For a few seconds, he could feel himself smiling. It wasn't one of his normal smiles. It felt more - smug. As if all of this were part of a plan he didn't know that he'd had.

It is. This is part of my plan. Just stay quiet and let me handle this, my other self.Daisuke tried to move his body and found that he couldn't do it. This strange voice - whatever it belonged to - held the reins now. He struggled harder, and the voice turned attention to him.

Stop that. If you want to get out of this, you're going to have to listen to me. I know what I'm doing and right now, you don't.

Who are you? Daisuke had never thought he'd be possessed.

You're not possessed. I am you. Only a part of you that you weren't aware of until he started fiddling with things that he doesn't understand. There was a hint of something else in the other's voice, something that wasn't contempt but wasn't praise either. Exasperation?

But this was him? No. It couldn't be. Daisuke knew himself and he wasn't this - whatever.

You are. I am you and you are me. But I am the side of you that is a pure Virus Digimon. You are a benign Virus. I am not. I am the part of you that enjoys destruction and I am very, very good at what i do. I am Akigaramon - son of Apocalymon.

Daisuke thought he remembered hearing that name, but it didn't truly click. As if he'd heard people mention it while he was close enough to hear, but they weren't talking to him.

You've probably heard it from some of your friends. There wasn't any doubt of the sneering contempt there. But worry about that another time. I can get our powers working. Some of them. And then we can get out of here, before he finds out how to absolutely control us. As amusing as that would be - and as enjoyable.

Have you lost it? Daisuke railed uselessly as his body now completed turning to the Digimon as they encircled him. His hands flexed and his nails were no longer ordinary nails, but long, sharp claws that gleamed in the light glowing from overhead.

This is going to be too much fun. Daisuke barely had time to grasp what Akigaramon had in mind before his arm thrust forward, sliding past Kotemon's defenses to strike deep inside of him. The Digimon fell back, eyes rounded for a few seconds, before exploding into data. Then Akigaramon whirled on the PicoDevimon, grasping the needle that shot towards him and throwing it back to him.

Whatever else Akigaramon was - and Daisuke was more than ready to classify him as unhinged - he knew how to fight. Exactly how he'd learned, Daisuke didn't have the faintest idea. He'd seen moves vaguely similar in movies, but feeling them happen to himself when he wasn't even in control of his body was absolutely something else altogether.

He didn't want to think about what was happening to these Digimon. He'd always sort of wondered what happened to Digimon who got old or got sick - they did get old and sick, didn't they? Or ones who lost fights. They had to fight among each other, even without the Kaiser's "help". Even with that "help", things happened. Kaiser didn't care about Digimon. Daisuke learned that in the first few minutes of fighting him. And he thought he'd heard the others mentioning things at times, about the battles they'd had.

Besides, if Digimon didn't die, wouldn't that mean that that vampire Digimon was out there somewhere?

Vamdemon was defeated, Akigaramon replied calmly as he dusted his clawed fingers off. But that doesn't mean he can't return in some fashion sooner or later. Digimon can be killed, but destroying them altogether, with no chance to return? That's not the same thing. But I wouldn't expect it any time soon. The higher level a Digimon is, the longer it can take to get them reformatted properly. Perhaps you should ask your little friend Takeru about that.

Daisuke could only process the single word of why before the Kaiser's voice cut through.

"That's enough. Not quite what I wanted, but good work regardless. Come over here."

Of course he started over. He didn't want to, but his opinion on the matter wasn't asked. Akigaramon receded from the forefront of his mind, and Daisuke found he no longer had the strength to stand, slumping down at the Kaiser's feet. That got a chuckle from his captor.

"Very good. I approve of this." Kaiser declared, reaching down to tilt Daisuke's head up, staring at him. "We're going to do this every day until you've fully mastered your abilities."

With his other hand he picked up one of Daisuke's and stared at the nails, now looking like his normal ones again. "How interesting," he murmured to himself. "The next time you use that, I want to get samples."

He wasn't asking permission, of course. Daisuke wasn't sure if the Kaiser even knew how to ask, or if he would if he did know. But he didn't have the energy to protest as Kaiser tugged him to his feet with the leash and led him back to the dining room. It seemed it was time for lunch, and Daisuke would do a lot for a good meal.

But he wasn't going to think about the fight he'd just had. He was pretty sure if he did, he'd lose his appetite. He wasn't surprised that Akigaramon kept thinking about the fight, and how he could have done it better. Which did nothing for his appetite as it was.

Once again he had to kneel and be fed by hand; at least that offered some form of diversion from Akigaramon's constant muttering in the back of his head. Finally he mentally glared at the other voice.

How can I hear you now and I couldn't before? Maybe he could get some answers. It was worth trying.

Because before you didn't know I existed. You didn't know there was even a chance of you not being human. I have begun to be aware since you first set foot in the Digital World. But I couldn't be heard until you knew there was a chance. You didn't have to accept the chance - just know that it existed, slim as it might be. And you are not the only one.

Daisuke mentally blinked. That definitely hadn't been what he expected. Huh?

There are others. I've known them since I started to be aware. I know their names, as they would know mine - though whether they do or not, I can't say. But I know Anbumon and Oushimon, Akuenmon and Fuseiimon.

Daisuke thought he hesitated a bit there. He wasn't sure of why and he had no idea of how to frame the question to get his answers. He didn't have time to think about it, either, as Kaiser led him back to the training area, where even more targets and Digimon awaited him. Once again Akigaramon slipped forward to take control, remaining still long enough to extend his claws and have Kaiser clip them before he started attacking again.

These are Child Digimon! Daisuke tried to protest, wanting them to at least hold back. And they're not trying to fight us because they want to!

It's cute that you think I care. You really are the "good" side of me. But if you want even a chance to escape, we're going to do this my way.

Daisuke wasn't so sure he wanted to escape if it would be at the cost of innocent lives. He didn't know that these Digimon were innocent, but they weren't attacking him because they wanted to, he knew that. That was good enough for him.

You think they wouldn't if they knew who I am? Or that they don't know what I am? Digimon are aware of those who aren't hatched Digimon and not a single one of us is hatched.

Daisuke's confusion must have communicated itself to his other half, since Akigaramon laughed at him.

Most Digimon are hatched. But the ones like Anbumon or Akuenmon - those who are half-human - were born like humans. You, however, are different. We are different. I am different.

Daisuke was getting really tired of how Akigaramon talked. But he needed that information and he didn't know anyone else who had it right now. Not that he could get to.

Don't worry about it. I'll explain it all later. Akigaramon enjoyed himself tearing apart targets of all kinds. Just consider yourself lucky I don't explain it to him. All things considered, Daisuke did.

Akigaramon enjoyed what he was doing. He'd been tucked away inside of Motomiya Daisuke - inside of Taiyuumon - since they'd been created in the first place. Now he had the chance to really cut loose - to a degree. He wasn't going to do more than he had to for this. He savored the taste of being controlled and dominated - he couldn't help it, it was welded into his data as much as anything else was. But he preferred to choose who ruled him, and the Kaiser didn't qualify.

Now if he could get Akogimon to wake up, that would be something else altogether. As it was for now, he didn't trust the Kaiser to see him as more than a tool, a weapon, and he knew that was exactly what Apocalymon wanted of him. He loathed his creator enough to not do what was wanted of him. But Akogimon would want something more. He wasn't sure what the second son of Piemon would want, but it would be far more interesting than what Apocalymon wanted.

He could feel the sensation of his creator's awareness on him. He doubted anyone else could feel it and he also doubted it would mean anything. Apocalymon's awareness would never fade, especially not so long as he himself existed. He was torn between finding a way to end said awareness altogether and living out his life in such a fashion that Apocalymon would rage forever about it. He could never quite make up his mind which one would be more amusing.

For now, though, he kept himself focused on learning to manipulate his body. Forming his claws wasn't difficult, and finding the strength to power through in an attack remained relatively effortless. But he knew his other attacks just lay somewhere he hadn't accessed them yet. He wanted to get that done - and he wanted to be able to evolve.

Evolution remained his endgame goal. It would allow him to get away from the Kaiser and find a refuge of his own. He would probably have to argue with his 'lighter' half, at least until he could convince said other half that it was better to stay as far from the Kaiser as possible. That really shouldn't be too hard, not after everything the Kaiser was already doing.

He flexed his claws and considered, flicking his attention briefly to where the Kaiser watched, something burning in the very back of his eyes. Akigaramon smirked to himself. He knew that look - he'd never seen it, but that didn't matter. Any Viral resonated off of another Viral. His awakening could set off a cascade of the others. Kaiser wouldn't know how to handle them - wouldn't even be able to handle Anbumon.

That would be amusing in and of itself. Akigaramon had been created to be a tool in the hands of others. Anbumon had not. The self-proclaimed Dark Prince of the Digital World took orders from no one.

But that would be another day. Now Akigaramon focused on his own training. He flexed again, testing the amount of power he had available to him right now. Yes, he thought he could do this. It was a little more than he wanted, but it would satisfy a great deal of needs all at once.

His opponents were still Child Digimon - an insult to his strength, but once Kaiser learned what he could do, maybe he'd get something more interesting to work with. He struck his hand out, a beam of light arching forward, shaping into fluttering creatures that called to mind the shape of bats.

Kaiser almost purred at that. He strolled over and rested one hand firmly on the back of Akigaramon's neck. Akigaramon couldn't help the purr that did issue from his lips at that. Even better, he could feel how Motomiya Daisuke enjoyed it too. He let himself relax more, enjoying the feeling of having a collar on and the one who'd put it there being pleased with him.

"Now that's better," Kaiser praised. "I want you to work on that. Be ready to strike at my command."

Akigaramon slid himself back and let Motomiya handle this, watching carefully. The other half of him shook his mental head and then glared at the Kaiser.

"Why do you want me to do this?"

Kaiser glowered hard at him. "Because you belong to me. You're a Digimon - and I am the Digimon Kaiser. Therefore, you're going to obey me. If that means learning more about yourself, then so be it. Now, I know you're hungry. Any Digimon using their abilities requires food. Come along."

Akigaramon could feel the annoyance leaking over from the side of their shared mind. But Motomiya didn't argue as Kaiser led him away by the leash. Motomiya enjoyed being dominated as much as he himself did, though he hadn't yet figured it out. Akigaramon couldn't wait to see him learn the full truth about himself.


Daisuke couldn't argue that he was hungry. He'd worked hard all day, or rather Akigaramon had. But he felt every bit of hunger as strongly as if he'd done it all himself. He guessed the body didn't care who the mind in charge of it was. Getting down on his knees on the cushion didn't improve the situation, nor did waiting until Kaiser was finished with his own meal before he started to feed Daisuke.

He didn't let himself worry about it. He concentrated instead on what Akigaramon had told him - that learning how to use his abilities would make it easier to get out of there. He had no idea of how true that was, only that it had be kind of true. He tried to figure out how, but so little of it made sense right now.

"That attack you used," Kaiser said thoughtfully, fingers flickering over one of his ubiquitous keyboards. "What is it?"

Daisuke didn't have time to think about the answer. It just came out. "Light Wave," he reported. "The nails - that's Nightfall Strike." How did he know those?

Because I know what our attacks are called. And those are just the beginning. You have no idea of how much power you have. And I won't allow him to know.

Daisuke wished he could believe that. Kaiser didn't seem to have noticed anything right now, but was busy taking down notes. If he tilted his head a little he could see the file there - it showed an image of himself, with a listing of his already shown attacks. Daisuke wondered how many more he had and what else he'd be able to do - and how it had happened in the first place.

That I don't know. I know what I am, and what you are. But how I came to be? A mental shrug. Your guess is as good as mine.

Daisuke wished he could do more about that. But he could feel that while Akigaramon was keeping things from him, he wasn't lying about this. Now didn't seem the right time to start pressing about what he wasn't saying.

Once Kaiser had asked all the questions he wanted to, he led Daisuke once again to his - well, Daisuke didn't want to call it a 'room' and it didn't feel right to call it a closet, either. Whatever it was, he settled down on the futon and prepared to get some sleep once Kaiser closed and locked the door.

Is he going to keep doing that?

Oh, probably. Until he's convinced that he can control you effortlessly. Which is not impossible, despite my best efforts. We were created to be controlled. We are meant to be used.

Daisuke's stomach churned at that. It couldn't be true. He wasn't going to let it be true! He hadn't been made to be a slave!

You were. But what matters is that you can choose who owns you. Assuming that they don't overpower you - which this Kaiser is working on doing without even knowing it. Which is why I want to get us out of here before he does it.

Daisuke closed his eyes and stared up at the ceiling. He couldn't see very well in here and he was too tired to argue with Akigaramon. He wondered why he'd even accepted the existence of this other side of him so quickly.

Because you know it's true. You and I are one - different sides of the same coin. You had best get used to it. I'm the only help you have here. That didn't make Daisuke feel any better.

Kaiser checked over all that he'd learned since he'd begun Motomiya's training. it was all fascinating - some of the data resembled a few other Digimon he knew of, but instead of being like what he'd created, this was something else altogether. He had no idea of how it had happened, but the more he learned, the more that he wanted to learn.

Slowly he leaned back and rubbed the back of his neck absently. He'd clearly been bending over his notes a little too much. Whenever he leaned forward like that, his neck ended up aching. Wormmon kept telling him not to do that...but he wasn't going to listen to a vaguely quasi-sentient lump of data.

So when he rearranged himself into a more comfortable position, it was because he wanted to, not because of anything Wormmon said or did. It was far more interesting to check over what he'd learned regardless.

He's becoming more - fascinating. He wasn't sure if that were the correct phrasing, but it seemed close enough. Motomiya was certainly becoming more obedient, if only because he seemed to have accepted that he wouldn't be getting out of here on his own. Kaiser made sure to keep an eye out for the Chosen and whenever they popped into this world, he sent some of his strongest minions there to keep them worn out and as far from his fortress as possible. There wasn't any real chance that they could find his floating base, but most of all, he didn't want them to find Motomiya. Not until he firmly had the other trained and obedient.

Which really didn't seem as if it would be that difficult. He wasn't sure what to think about that - though if Motomiya were a Digimon, perhaps that explained it? Digimon did need to be controlled. But Motomiya wasn't the usual sort of Digimon.

That doesn't mean he doesn't need to be controlled.

Kaiser set his jaw at once. This wasn't the first time he'd heard that voice in his mind. At first he'd thought it was nothing but his imagination. But the longer it went on, the more he began to understand that it wasn't. He just didn't want to think about what it might be.

You know what you are. You've known since before I spoke to you.

He grit his teeth and stared harder at the notes he'd taken. That was what was important.

Do you really think you could conquer the Digital World without my power? Allow me free reign and all those who see me will bow down and serve me - and in serving me, they will serve you. Kaiser had the mental image of someone tossing a wave of dark blue hair and caught a glimpse of eyes as sharp and cold as amethyst. What else could you want?

Kaiser pressed his lips together and turned his head away. It was getting late and he wanted to get some sleep. Tomorrow he had more work to do on Motomiya.

He's coming along well, the inner voice agreed. But he's not as subdued as you want to believe.

"He is a Digimon," Kaiser snapped the words under his breath, refusing to let anyone else hear this. "And I am the Digimon Kaiser. He belongs to me."

I won't argue that. But he isn't yours yet. He's close but not yet. If you're not careful, then you could lose him.

Kaiser ignored the voice. He knew the name - Akogimon - but wasn't going to acknowledge them as a person, simply because they weren't. They were only a voice and one that he wasn't going to listen to. But he would keep a very careful eye on Motomiya from now on.

Akogimon would have happily facepalmed if he could have. Ichijouji Ken wasn't stupid by any means - his other half would never be stupid - but he didn't understand that Akogimon knew more about Akigaramon. The spawn of Apocalymon could be tamed, but if it wasn't handled carefully, then he could escape. Akogimon wasn't going to let that happen.

So he waited. He waited until Kaiser finally went to bed, and fell into the deepest of sleeps. Then he did what he did so very seldom - he slipped into the forefront of the body and stood up. He couldn't do much; he needed rest as much as his other half did. But he could do this. He made his way to the nearest keyboard and began to type up instructions. While his preference was for the magic that could be spun via Digital World code, he knew enough about how the Kaiser did matters to do it this way as well.

When he was done, he had everything set up for the morning. Ichijouji would suspect nothing, but his actions would pave the way for Akogimon to take the reins, master Akigaramon, and then take this world for his own. He suspected Akigaramon - and Motomiya - would not enjoy what he had in mind. But he would. Oh, he very much would.


Daisuke turned over, wanting to keep on sleeping. The day before had exhausted him, no matter which mindset had been used to run his body around. He wasn't given that option, however.

"Wake up!" Kaiser's voice cracked firmly. "You've got a lot of training to go through today."

Daisuke cracked open one eye. He refused to just bow down to the Kaiser, no matter what. He could feel the presence of Akigaramon hovering behind his eyes. "I'm sleeping."

He closed his eyes and started to turn back around. He expected Kaiser wasn't going to like this, and was ready to get yelled at. It wouldn't be the first time that someone yelled at him when he wanted to sleep.

But he didn't expect a firm grip on his shoulder and another one grasping the leash that still hung around his neck, yanking him so that he fell onto his knees. He was about to get up, but a stunning strike on the side of his face warned him against that. He wasn't sure of what to do, and Akigaramon didn't seem inclined to do anything except watch right now.

Kaiser pushed the hilt of his whip under Daisuke's chin and tilted his head back. "I don't care what you want. You are a Digimon and I am the Digimon Kaiser. Therefore, you will do as I tell you." He tightened his grip on the leash. "For that, you're not going to get any food until you can earn it - for lunch."

Daisuke started to ask how Kaiser expected him to do anything if he didn't eat. Another hit knocked the words away from him, and the harder Kaiser gripped the less Daisuke could breathe.

"My orders are absolute. I had intended to train you not to need a Spiral but I see you're going to need that. Until then, let's go.

Daisuke found himself being dragged to the dining area and shoved down onto the cushion. Part of him expected Kaiser to relent and feed him. That didn't happen. Kaiser briskly ate his breakfast, then dragged Daisuke to the training room again. Once again he was set up against Digimon, but these were four Adult levels - two Bakemon and two Kuwagamon - and a Perfect Level - Triceramon, all wearing Spirals.

Well, these are at least worth my efforts, Akigaramon purred, but Daisuke could still feel that more of his attention was turned on the Kaiser. Let me deal with this.

After the day before, Daisuke knew Akigaramon could handle combat better than he could. So he let that other half of him take over, and tried to keep an eye on Kaiser. His captor stood there, arms crossed over his chest, whip tucked into his belt, staring intently as the battle raged out before them. Akigaramon's aim grew more deadly and accurate with each strike, and he never bothered to release the Digimon from the control of the Spirals before finishing them.

Don't worry yourself about it. They'll be reconfigured at the Village of Beginnings. Akigaramon mentally waved a hand to dismiss Daisuke's worries before he darted towards the Triceramon. Daisuke winced as he whirled around to land on top, and wondered what the Kaiser had in mind. While Kaiser hadn't been nice to him this whole time, he'd always been - not that hurtful? Daisuke wasn't sure what to think about it. There was a change and he had no idea of how or why.

"Enough." Kaiser finally snapped as the Triceramon's data blew away. "Come here."

Daisuke wanted to tell him where to stuff it. But his stomach told him rather loudly that he needed to get some food, whatever else he had to do. So he crossed over to Kaiser and dropped down to his knees, covered in sweat and breathing hard. At first nothing happened, then Kaiser once again used the hilt of the whip to tilt back his head.

There was something different about his eyes. It wasn't something he understood, but he could tell it regardless. It sent chills down his spine to be stared at like that. Then the other smiled, a very cold and heartless smile, far worse than anything he'd ever seen before.

Oh. Akigaramon all but purred the word. Well. I wasn't expecting him.

Daisuke wanted to ask what he meant, but he found himself motionless, inside and out. Then Kaiser spoke.

"I don't think you've quite earned lunch yet." He traced one gloved finger down Daisuke's cheek. "But we can work on that. Can't we - Akigaramon?"

Daisuke jerked; he knew that he'd never said that name to the Kaiser! He'd never even spoken out loud to that other part of himself! How? How could it be?

Akigaramon answered. "I wasn't sure if I'd ever see you, Akogimon." He definitely enjoyed saying the word. Kaiser - Akogimon - smiled a little more before he casually backhanded Daisuke.

"You know what to call me. You were born for this." A dark twist of the lips that didn't even come close to being a smile. "Or should that even be what I say? You were created for this."

Daisuke wanted the hit to hurt. It would have made sense for it to hurt. But the brief flash of pain faded away in moments, as if it had never happened at all. Akigaramon kept his body kneeling and lowered his eyes.

"I know - Akogimon-sama." Oh, that tasted wrong in so many ways, and Daisuke wanted to take it back! Where was the Kaiser? Daisuke didn't really want him there, but at least he understood Ichijouji Ken! The guy was a jerk, but he wasn't the only jerk that Daisuke had ever met. This guy - this Akogimon - wasn't a jerk. He was something so much worse that Daisuke had no idea of what to call him, other than something he would rather not face without his friends.

Akogimoon turned on his heel and stalked out. Daisuke followed, Akigaramon moving his body along. He wanted to ask so many questions but he couldn't form a single word. At least not in relation to the Kaiser and what had happened to him. He's like us. Only he's half-Digimon. But he has a dark side, just like I'm yours. And it seems that he'd decided to take a hand in things. I've been hoping for this.

You what? How had he wanted someone worse than the Kaiser? Because Akogimon was far, far worse. Every move he made spelled that out. If Daisuke's slightest step faltered, he found himself jerked along, and a few words snapped to the effect that it was delaying his food that much more.

But Akigaramon gave no answers. Daisuke felt the excitement that shot along his veins as they settled down on the cushion and stared at the floor, while Akogimon started eating. He gave Daisuke nothing save a few sips of water, enough so that he wasn't going to have a coughing fit, and then stalked out of the room, once more leading Daisuke on the leash.

"Go to sleep, Akigaramon," Akogimon ordered, staring into Daisuke's eyes as they arrived in a room Daisuke didn't know the nae of. It wasn't the training area and it wasn't the area where the Kaiser tested him either. But he felt Akigaramon fading back, and himself taking a firm control of his body. Now he took a better look around, for only a few seconds before Akogimon grabbed his chin again. "We're going to spend the rest of today teaching you to obey me, no matter what."

"What makes you -" Again Daisuke didn't get the chance to finish the question before he was struck. Again the pain existed only for a few seconds before it faded away - but the memory didn't.

"You'll do this because that's what I order you to do and you do as I tell you. It doesn't matter where we are or which side of you is in control. That's why I sent Akigaramon to sleep. He'll obey me no matter what. He knows who his master is. But you need to be taught." His eyes gleamed in that far too cruel way. "I have such plans for you." Now he laid one hand on Daisuke's cheek, and Daisuke couldn't help but shudder at the touch. "Let's go."

He gestured and an AirDramon coiled up near them. He leaped onto it, with Daisuke following a breath after. None of this was what he wanted, but he guessed this might be his first - and only - chance to escape. He'd just go along until an opportunity presented itself.

So he settled down near to Akogimon and watched as the AirDramon soared out of the fortress and crossed an unknown span of distance. Daisuke wasn't sure of where they were going until they reached a small village with a high stone wall around it.

"This is a village built and lived in by Kiwimon. Those are Adult levels - though not very powerful. It's a decent enough place to start my real conquest." Akogimon flexed his fingers, then glanced at Daisuke. "Take down that gate."

His tone didn't offer a single hint of leeway. Daisuke did his best to steady himself. The Chosen would be here, he told himself, and they would free all of the Kiwimon and leave someone to guard the area. They'd done it before and they would do it again. For now, he gathered up the energy, remembering how Akigaramon did it, and then lashed outward, power slamming into the gate, turning it into nothing but rubble in a matter of seconds. Akogimon nodded.

"Not bad. You'll get better." He brushed his fingers against Daisuke's cheek, his touch a little more tender now, then strode into the village, glancing around casually. The Kiwimon clung close to one another as he did, staring at him in rising terror. He smiled as he looked down at them.

"What do you want here, Digimon Kaiser?" One of the Kiwimon asked. There was a soft chuckle, and then with a flick of his hand, Akogimon manifested a sharp sword in each hand. His smile just got worse and worse with every passing moment. The Kiwimon squeaked and started backing away as fast as they could. But there wasn't anywhere else they could go. They were all trapped by a monster who looked human.

Akogimon leaned forward, voice echoing from all around.

"I am Akogimon - son of Piemon. And every last one of you - just like everyone who has Digimon data in them - belongs to me."


The End

Notes: This took way longer than I thought it would to write, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I have plans for sequels. The story might be done, but the tale continues!