Hey guys! See? I am updating more frequently now.

As always, I own my OC's.

English isn't my first language, please excuse possible errors. Though I give my best to keep them at a minimum.

Here's chapter 12 for you!


Ice – cold

We're doing everything in reverse ", she chuckles lightly before she lays her head on my chest. Her long brown hair falls down in locks. I wrap my hand over her shoulder and plant a kiss on her hair, closing my eyes in doing so. Her presence was the only thing I could think about today, causing me to be completely unfocused during the meetings and therefore, the others glaring at me constantly. But that is a price I am willing to pay for the rest of my life if only it means that she'll always be there by the end of the day.

"Are you even listening to me?" She lifts her head and looks at me, her emerald green eyes shimmering in amusement.

"Y-Yeah... but maybe you could repeat it anyway?"

She laughs again and crosses her arms before her chest while she leans on the wall behind us. She stares at the forest in front of us, her eyes never giving away what she is thinking.

"Babe?"

"I said we're doing everything in reverse."

"What do you mean?"

"Having a kid before marrying", she chuckles again before she places her hand on her belly that is still as flat as ever.

Happiness dares to overwhelm me when I think about how much that part of her body will change soon. A huge grin spreads on my face and I have to suppress the urge to kiss her. After all, we could get caught by someone. Her gaze is fixed on her left ring finger where, finally, rests a silver ring with a small brilliant on it.

Memories of today's events come back flooding at me all at once. Her wide eyes when she saw me getting down on one knee... her shouting 'YES' in my face before throwing herself at me and the feeling of her heart beating against my chest, along with my own. I love this woman. I love her so much.

"Let's go back to the base", her voice snaps me out again. She gets on her feet before jumping down on the ground from the roof we've been sitting on. She lands with ease and looks up to me expectantly.

I follow her example and land beside her, by far not as gracefully as her, what results in me losing my balance. I feel her surprisingly strong hand grab me by my elbow, preventing me to fall on the ground.

"I got you Alec."

You always do.


Tai's POV

Panic spreads through my veins, paralyzing me and accelerating my heart beat, once again. My breath goes way too fast, dazing my mind.

A sensation on my cheek I thought I would never experience again catches me by surprise. I angrily shake my head to get rid of the tears and look up to Sora again. She looks back at me, fear all over her face.

I never really believed when they said that you relive your whole life in the last moments before you die, until now. With the only difference that I am the one that is reliving it. Random memories of our past years pop up in my head, triggering my tears even more.

No. No, I won't let her see me like that.

"Dylan! Don't be stupid!" Kari shouts out angrily while she struggles on her ties.

Dylan doesn't even twitch by the sound of his "aunt". He looks up to our digimon who didn't let go of Lilithmon yet.

"Let. Go", his voice sounds so foreign... so different than just a few minutes ago.

I can't believe how he tricked, not only us, but also Sora. Sora, who usually sees right through someone's lies.

The digimon eye him patiently, never letting go though. I want to shout out to them to listen to what that psychopath of a future son is saying but I feel like I lost my voice. As much as I want to shout, it feels like the mist is not only keeping me down on the ground but also blocking my vocal cords.

"Do you really want her to die?"

– Silence.

No one dares to say anything while Dylan stares at them.

"Okay then.." I see his hold on my girlfriend's head strengthening –

"NO!" I hear me, and everyone else, scream out.

No. Please no!

"ARGH!" Dylan's cry out of pain sounds that suddenly that my eyes, which I instinctively closed, dart open again.

With Dylan's hold on her gone, Sora falls down on her knees, the dark mist immediately targeting her and forcing her into a lying position.

"Sora! Are you okay?!" Joe's voice sounds. My girl only nods before looking at me, her eyes glistering from unshed tears. Her body is trembling hard and she is having trouble to get enough air into her lungs. I stare back at her crimson colored eyes I fell so hard in love with and allow myself – just for a swift second – to forget where we are.

"Breathe Sor."

It takes her several minutes to calm herself down. She never breaks eye contact though.

The pressure on my chest suddenly gone I finally am able to take a deep breath and thank god for saving the love of my life.

I am dying to reach out for her... but as much as I struggle against the mist, I can't move an inch.

"Why don't you go and pick on someone your own size?!"

The foreign voice drives our attention to her. From my lying position I have trouble spotting the source of the voice. But as my sight finally clears, I am able to see her.

A girl, dressed in a very similar uniform as we are, stands several meters in front of Dylan, a bow in her hand and an arrow directed at him. On her head she wears a pitched black helmet that makes it impossible for us to get a proper look at her.

Dylan grabs the arrow that is stuck in his hand – and is obviously the reason he let go of Sora – and pulls it out, his face giving away how much of a pain that must be.

He looks over to the girl who is still standing in the same position and a small smile spreads on his face.

"You being here means that they know about me then..."

"They do. Trust me they wanted to come here themselves. You piece of shit." Her voice is filled with anger and her hand trembles lightly.

"Awww. Are you trying to hurt my feelings babe? Because, I don't have any", Dylan takes a step forward, causing the girl in black to shift nervously.

Seeing that she doesn't seem like shooting the arrow at him he gets braver and approaches her slowly.

In a mere second she snaps out of her hesitancy and bends the bow, shooting the arrow right into Dylan's left shoulder, catching him off guard. He falls down on one knee and tries to reach for the arrow to pull it out again, in vain.

The girl however doesn't even twitch; she looks over to the digimon that are still holding Lilithmon who is desperately trying to free herself.

"What the fuck are you waiting for? Destroy that bitch already!"

MetalGarurumon looks at her intensely for a second before his gaze flickers back to Matt, who gives him a quick nod.

"What are you waiting for?"

The Digimon turns around and approaches the three in high speed.

"METAL WOLF CLAW!"

The cold attack hits Lilithmon in full force, freezing her up completely. Her wide eyes stare at her opponent in shock. She looks like a failed ice sculpture. Angewomon and Angemon don't hesitate for another second. They shot each other a quick look before they fly out into contrary directions, never letting go of Lilithmon's arms though.

The demon lord is split in half before she starts to dissolve into data.

"NO!" Dylan's voice sounds. He's still kneeling on the ground, the girl in front of him once again with an arrow aimed at him. He ignores her completely; instead he gets on his feet and takes a few steps back, his gaze never leaving the dark data that is left from Lilithmon.

"Why isn't it vanishing?" Izzy whispers confused. I myself look up and realize in shock that the Data is floating in the air, as if it is not sure where to go yet.

What the fuck? Normally it goes with the wind...

As soon as the thought crosses my mind the data stops floating. As if fate wants to have another fun shot with me the data gathers together and forms a huge beam, aimed directly at me.

"Tai! NO!" The girl shouts and takes off in a run to me since I am still helplessly bound to the ground. The person that throws himself over me however is quicker and it takes a few seconds for me to realize that Alec is covering me from whatever that is.

I close my eyes and grab Alec by his jacket, fearing the worst –

This is it then.

A bright light appears suddenly in front of us, blinding me through my closed lids. Alec slowly lifts himself off of me and stares up to the light that is covering us from the attack.

I look up and feel my heart skip a beat. I immediately am lost in the deep shade of her emerald green eyes. The battlefield completely forgotten, I find myself in a parking lot in front of my college. My mind is completely shut down, only thinking about her. Her laugh, her touch, her voice... her eyes. Grief I thought I overcame months ago dashes over me, pulling me down into the depths of the pain of loss. She smiles brightly at both of us, her arms stretched out at either side of her body, building up a shield.

"I got you!"

She's gone as suddenly as she appeared, taking Lilithmon's last attack with her. I am left speechless... and I can tell Alec must feel the same way.

His face is pale and he is breathing heavily, if because of his injuries that I catch sight of or because of what we just saw I can't tell.

"Nadia", he whispers quietly to himself, his eyes still wide in shock and disbelief. I feel a weird sting of jealousy and brush it off the best I can. How does he know her?!

"You knew she was going to try to infect him with a dark spore! Admit it!" The same, angry, girly voice sounds again, driving all attention to her and Dylan again.

She shots arrow after arrow at Dylan who – much to my surprise – is still standing upright, while at least four arrows stick in the upper part of his body.

"Jess... stop it!" He raises his hands in defense, walking away from her;" I am not going to fight you."

The girl – Jess – ignores his remark and approaches him again. Another arrow ready to shot.

"Jess!" Alec calls out for her, causing her to stop in her tracks, but not leave Dylan out of her sight.

"What?!"

"Let him go. He's not worth it." Alec says in a calm voice before he gets up on his feet. His bloody hand clutches his chest in pain and his breathing is still going heavy. I look up to him in concern but he just gives me wink. Jess for her part slowly lowers her bow.

"You're right. He's not", she says quietly before she walks over to us. She squats down and places her hand on the dark mist that is still keeping us at bay. A greenish – blue light appears on her palms and within seconds I feel the mist's power easing down. We get off of the floor and on our feet after what feels like eternity.

"Thank you!" Mimi calls out happily, stretching her sore limbs. Sora throws herself at me and I hold her as hard as I can. I almost lost her.

"Jess?" Dylan's voice sounds again. The girl amongst us turns around again, her helmet blocking our sight on her expression though.

"Spit on my father's grave for me, will you?" He says, his wicked grin appearing on his face again, though there are still arrows stuck in him.

I feel the girl shaking next to us and before I know it she is already trying to reach him.

"You little – !"

Alec is the fastest to react, as always. He wraps his arms around the upper part of her body and lifts her up, making it impossible for her to launch herself at him. Alec obviously didn't think about the immense power this type of anger is giving oneself because she simply kicks Alec into his knee what causes him to let go of her.

Within a mere second her bow is in her hand again and she shoots an arrow at Dylan.

"You." – Shot

"Fucking" – Shot

"ASSHOLE!" – Shot

"Jess! Stop that! You're going to seriously hurt him!" Alec tries to grab her arm again but she brushes him off, controlled by pure rage.

"I am trying to!"

"You should not make me angry baby… since you're walking on ice... very thin ice that is."

With that Dylan lifts his hand – ignoring the arrows shot at him – and catches a MetalSeadramon's tale that appeared out of nowhere. In doing so however he throws a small item on the ground.

"Yeah. Piss off! You TRAITOR! You hear me Dylan? You betrayed your family!" She shouts after him, her voice shrill as a siren.

Alec caresses her arm in an attempt to calm her down but she shakes him off again. Instead she turns around, revealing the two crests on the back of her jacket.

My gaze instantly goes over to Matt and Mimi who look at her with wide eyes. The girl for her part ignores them and approaches Joe who got a hold of Kazumi again.

Without a word she bends down and lifts the unconscious girl up with almost no effort before she turns to us again, looking straight at me through her helmet.

"We should leave this goddamned place. What do you say commander?"

Is she seriously calling me that now? What the fuck?

"Yeah we should – ", a sudden crack makes me stop and turn my head into the direction where Dylan let the item fall down. I narrow my eyes and see something blinking before realization hits me.

You're walking on ice... very thin ice.

"Guys... Run!"

No one scrutinizes me, and I am beyond thankful for that. Instead everyone takes off in a run, carrying their respective, unconscious partners. The cracking of the ground gets louder, the faster we run. I see the hill in front of us.

Okay... about 60 meters, not that far. We can make it. We will –

"MIMI!"

Fear. Once again I feel the fear coming back to me. I turn on my heel just to witness how one of my closest friends breaks through the ice. She screams out, of shock or the cold I don't know... probably because of both.

Within seconds we gather around the hole she just fell in, just to find nothing there. As if the ice never broke. A dull thud sounds from beneath it where Mimi is desperately trying to break it again so she can come to the surface.

Matt pushes through me and falls down on the ground, slamming his fist against the ice, trying to break it bare handed, much similar to what Mimi is doing.

My limbs feel numb and suddenly the coldness starts to affect me, freezing me up in space. I stare down in shock, not being able to register anything of what is happening.

Mimi... she'll drown.

"Dammit! Mimi!" Matt's voice is full of desperation. And for some people who know him as well as I do; deep pain.

"Guys! We have to do something!" Yolei screams out, kicking the ice with full force. It doesn't even crack.

I feel Sora clutching my arm, her gaze scans the whole area that is still looking like it is breaking apart. We have to get her out of here, fast!

I snap out of that paralyzed state and take action in my own hands. I transfer Koromon to Kari and kneel down next to Matt whose beats get uncoordinated and full of rage. His eyes glister suspiciously.

I place my hands on the cold surface and try my best to melt enough so that we can pull Mimi out of there again. My palms heat up and I can feel the burning sensation on them again.

But the ice remains unaffected.

"Why isn't this working?" Izzy asks nervously, placing his hands on my shoulders. But even with his support and the increasing heat on my palms, nothing happens.

The thud of Mimi hammering against the ice dies down suddenly, causing all of us to look down at her. It's hard to see anything through the darkness and the ice. But judged by the time she spent under water already I can guess what just happened...

"Patamon! You have to do something, digivolve again!" T.K calls out for his partner.

"It's of no use T.K. If not even Tai can break through it I doubt the digimon will", Jess whispers quietly.

"She's dying guys!" Yolei shouts out.

"NO!" Matt shouts out. He hauls off again, his fist suddenly starting to glow in a dark blue shade, and slams it on the ice again, breaking it apart easily.

He didn't think about the consequences though. I can feel the ground beneath my feet shaking before it breaks into several, small floes. My gaze instinctively looks for Sora. The only thing I can catch sight of however is Bordeaux hair disappearing into the dark water. NO.

I stumble back and feel the floe tip over. Cold water surrounds me, pulling me down and leaving me completely helpless. The coldness numbs my skin and I have to use all my strength to reach the surface again.

"Alec! Get Kazumi on the shore!" Jess' voice sounds from farer away. Alec swims towards her, the cold water not affecting him one bit. He takes the unconscious girl into his arms and swims towards the shore. Where Gabumon is waiting already.

I myself look around and catch sight of my teammates who all struggle to stay on the surface. Matt's blonde hair shimmers in the darkness and I can see him doing the same as Alec, only with Mimi in his arms.

"Guys get out of the water before you can't move anymore! The Water's too cold to swim for longer than a few minutes!" Jess shouts out to us, grabbing Cody and Yolei by their arms and pulling them towards the shore. Izzy, Joe and Ken follow them suit though I can tell they are all struggling to move.

Sora. Where is Sora?!

"Sor!"

"I'm here Tai", her arms wrap around my neck. She's trembling hard. Relief washes over me once again and I slap myself for not looking out for her the way I should.

"Can you swim to the shore?" I ask her, holding us up on the surface and ignoring the uncontrollable shivering of my lips. She just nods and does as I say since she knows I won't get out of here before the others aren't saved.

"Give me the digimon!" Angemon appears suddenly, followed closely by Angewomon. He flies towards Joe and Izzy and takes their digimon into his arms.

"Kari! Hold my hand!" Angewomon's calls out for my sister. "Kari!"

"I – I can't move", Kari is struggling to keep on the surface, her head dipping into the water every other moment.

Oh no.

"Kari!" I shout out for my sister, who, once again disappeared into the water. I ignore the immense cold and force my muscles to work so I can swim towards her.

"I got her Tai!" T.K appears on the surface of the water, Kari in his arms. She coughs violently before she wraps her arms around his neck, desperately trying to stay on the surface. Angewomon flies down and grabs the two of them with one swift move.

Thank god.

I look around frantically, checking if anyone is still in the water while I can feel how my body is screaming at me to get out of here already.

A random feeling of fatigue washes over me and I have to pull myself together –

"I got you Tai", Alec's voice sounds right next to me. He wraps my arm around his shoulder and I can't help but grin at him.

"If I didn't know any better I'd say you're in love with me."

"Why? Because I constantly save your ass?" He grins back at me and together we swim towards the shore where everyone's gathered around an unconscious Mimi.

Mimi.

Her face is pale and her lips cyanotic. The digimon are all still passed out, but being taken care of by Patamon, Gatomon and Gabumon.

"Tai hold her for me please", Jess' voice sounds and a second later she transfers Kazumi from her arms into mine before she kneels down next to Matt.

Alec joins her side and pushes Matt – who obviously fell in some state of shock – aside.

"There's no heartbeat", he says quietly before he starts CPR.

Jess doesn't say anything; instead she opens a zip bag she was carrying all along and pulls out an ambu bag. She puts the mask on Mimi's face and starts to ventilate her manually.

"This is useless."

"Twenty – eight, twenty – nine, thirty", Alec doesn't even register anything the girl next to him is saying or doing. He's completely focused on getting Mimi's heart back on track. Sad realization hits me that these two are obviously not doing this for the first time, seeing how synchronically they are working together.

Seconds... Minutes pass without any of us saying anything. Jess and Alec keep their procedure tirelessly. In vain.

Mimi doesn't even twitch, not once.

"We have to get her temperature up guys.", Joe's voice sounds. Alec's gaze shots up to him.

"The temperature should not have dropped that deep. She was in the water for what – 8 minutes?"

"Yes but the water temperature is about 28 F, which means that 8 minutes are more than enough for her body temperature to drop drastically", Joe replies impatiently.

"She's hypothermic then –Tai!", Jess calls out for me, causing me to twitch.

"Y – Yeah?"

"Come here. We need you to warm her up."

"You can give me Kazumi, Tai", Ken approaches me and takes the still unconscious girl into his arms. I don't waste another second and kneel down next to them on the ground. Mimi's lifeless body makes me shiver and I have to avert my gaze from her face if I don't want to freak out now.

I place my hands on her legs. It takes some time before I feel my palms heat up again, but as soon as they do I grip Mimi's legs harder, hoping instantly that this will help her in some way.

I feel Matt leaning against me, his hands trembling hard, if because of the cold or because he obviously just triggered his own powers I don't know.

"Okay... shock her Jess", Alec's voice snaps me out again and Matt and I look up in unison. Alec's still compressing Mimi's chest rhythmically. Jess for her part just stares at him, her helmet still on her head.

"There's no cardiac activity, shocking her won't help."

"Right...Maybe this will", with one swift move he pulls out a small item what looks like a shot.

He stops CPR and piles the injection directly into the girl's chest.

"What the fuck Alec!" Yolei shouts out hysterically.

"What did you do?!" Sora calls out, equally hysterical.

"Epinephrine shot. Everyone let go of her", Jess instructs us. I don't hesitate and do as she tells since Alec does the same.

She places her hands right above Mimi's chest before a few sparks appear on her palms. Mimi's whole body jerks hard before her eyes dart open – shimmering in a greenish color – and she turns on her side, coughing out the water that filled her lungs. Within seconds the glim disappears and her brown orbs are back to normal. She's still shivering hard, but alive. And that is what really matters.

Jess and Alec sigh in relief alongside me. I can't believe what just happened. And I can tell by Matt's blank stare that he's feeling the same way. I nudge him on his side what is obviously enough for him to snap out of whatever daze he fell into again and get on his feet. He rips of his wet jacket and covers Mimi's trembling figure with it, lifting her up the ground while doing so.

She clutches his neck as if she fears that she'll fall into the water again and buries her face into the crook of his neck.

No one dares to say anything, but relief is visible on everyone's faces.

"Guys... try to get to the hill. We can't land on the lake, obviously", an all too familiar voice sounds through our headsets, causing all of us to look around.

Davis only chuckles;" Up here."

Suddenly a giant jet appears in the dark sky, landing right on the hill in front of us.

"What are you waiting for? Get in here", Phoenix says impatiently. We don't waste another second and run up.

Thank god we don't have to walk back...


Matt's POV

I push open the door with the crest of sincerity on it with my back, while I still carry that goddess in my arms.

Mimi's grip is still strong on me, though she is shivering hard. She remained in this exact position the whole flight back to the base. The cold never left her.

The automatic light switches on, engulfing the whole room in a warm green color. I walk past the giant bed and push open the door to the bathroom.

I have to warm her up somehow,

"Meems... you have to stand by yourself for a second, can you do that?" Her grip around my neck hardens but I feel her nod against it. I slowly lower her feet on the ground and reach out to turn on the shower.

Hot water starts to run, splattering on Mimi. She jerks away immediately, letting go of me. She stands in the middle of the bathroom; her soaking wet hair sticks to her face, her clothes are still dripping from water, as well as mine.

She wraps her arms around her tiny torso in an attempt to stop her from shivering but it's of no use. I can hear her teeth chattering and see her lower lip being still in a light blue shade, though Tai somehow managed to warm her up, a little bit.

"Mimi, you have to get into the shower", I give my best to suppress the urgency in my voice and speak as soft as possible to her.

She immediately shakes her head, taking a step back; „I – it f – f – feels like fire o – on m – m – my skin M – matt."

I can't bear to see her in so much pain. Sure, I could just wrap her into tons of blankets and lit a fire in the fire place... but that would take too much time. A hot shower? She'd be okay within minutes.

I close my eyes for a mere second and take a deep breath before I wrap my arms around her torso and lift her up the ground.

Please don't hate me for this.

"NO! M – Matt! P – Please!"

She screams out in pain as soon as I push her under the steam of water. She struggles against my grip but I am not willing to let her go out of here, not yet.

I feel the hot water burning against my own skin. It indeed feels like fire, but I give in to the sensation and let it relax my stiff muscles. The cold affected us in many ways we didn't even notice and the water just gave us the rest. Never did I ever feel so helpless in my entire life. I could feel the strength in my muscles vanishing within seconds, caused by the water temperature. But I had to keep her save. And that was what kept me going in the end.

I hold Mimi by her arms, preventing her from slapping me but also keeping her under the water. Within a few minutes she stops shivering and relaxes. She places her head against my chest and I give in to the instinct and plant a light kiss on her hair, embracing her while doing so.

I can feel her tiny arms around my torso, clutching my shirt on my back. We stand in silence, our hearts beating synchronically. Finally, I can let it go. All the emotions I was trying to keep at bay today... everything that was crushing me down on the ground, scaring the shit out of me. I let go of it and focus on the girl in my arms. Because in the end; she is the only thing that really matters.

"I got you Mimi."


Alec's POV

She's sitting in front of me in the bathtub, completely nude, and devastated. Her back is turned to me and her long hair is tied in a messy bun. Her knees are bent, covering herself from my gaze, though I saw her a hundred times already...

The water in the bathtub turns into a deeper shade of red, every time I press the wash cloth on her wounds.

Deep red slashes cover her whole back. Her skin is completely tattered and no matter how many times I press the cloth over them, to somehow clean it up, blood is still dripping out of them. She twitches, every time she feels my touch on her...though I am not sure if it is because of the physical pain or the mental one...

"He hesitated", her voice is a mere whisper, almost not hearable, but I heard her just well. Instinctively I feel my body tense up as soon as the images appear again.

Her own brother did this to her.

"Alec, do you hear what I'm saying?" Kazumi's voice sounds again. I lift my gaze from her wounds and stare at the back of her head.

"What are you saying?"

"That there's still hope." Her naiveté is driving me crazy, boiling up anger deep inside of me. I clench my teeth in frustration and remain silent. She really does not need another reason to be pissed at me.

"Alec, say something."

Fuck that.

"I'm sorry love, but I am looking at what your brother did to you. Forgive me when I can't share your hopes."

Added to that, my lungs are burning like hell. Because of him.

"But you have the power of darkness too.. And you're resisting it", she sounds beaten, and that is shattering my heart. I've never seen her like this... normally she is the embodiment of strength. Pure strength. And now she looks like a small kitten...

"Yes, because I have a good reason to resist it", I whisper as quietly as possible since I am not sure if I want her to find out about my source of strength.

"And what is it?"

"You. Obviously", an all too familiar, female voice sounds from the door, causing both of us to turn around. Jess walks in, still wearing her uniform and her helmet, though she is soaking. She refused to take off any of it, the whole flight back to the base and even now.

I can feel Kazumi tense up because of her comment that – I have to admit – is absolutely correct.

"Is that true?" She tries to turn around to look at me but I gently grab her by her shoulders and keep her in place. I need to finish cleaning her wounds before she can move around. And before my injuries take the best of me.

Whatever you do Alec... do NOT black out. She really doesn't need another reason to be worried about...

"Alec?" She urges again. Since I can't bring myself to say it out loud I can only nod. Jess who takes a seat in front of Kazumi on the ground answers for me.

"He's nodding."

"Aww Jess, you're lovely." I tell her, not making any effort to hide my annoyance with her. I can't suppress my grin though; this is just what we are like. Always bickering, but very close to each other.

"I doubt that this will work for Dylan too though", Jess turns serious again, crossing her legs in front of her. She grabs a wine glass and a bottle I didn't realize she was carrying. She fills the glass and offers it to Kazumi who takes it thankfully.

"What do you mean that won't work?" I ignore the scent of the wine, using all my willpower. I'll get myself bourbon... later. Now I need to focus on Kaz.

"You were there. He didn't even twitch when he saw me." Though I am sure she is giving her best not to show us how much it bothers her, I can clearly hear the pain in her voice.

She thought that Dylan would come back to his senses when he'd meet her again... but that didn't happen. Much to my own surprise too. When I first saw her today I dared to hope that this day would end in a success, an even bigger success as it already is.

"Well he refused to fight you though", I say, feeling the urge to somehow cheer her up.

"And that just proves how much he loves you", Kazumi says before taking a sip of her wine. I continue to press the wet cloth against her back. Much to my joy the blood stopped and I am finally able to clean everything up.

"As if he'd really love me...we're just sleeping together...", she trails off leaning her head against the tiled wall behind her: „Looks like my uncle was wrong this time."

"Who – ?", Kazumi asks but I interrupt her.

"Why won't you take off the helmet?"

Jess tenses up immediately. And I see how she's fidgeting suddenly.

"Jess?" Kazumi asks, her voice suddenly filled with concern.

Without another word Jess unzips her jacket and takes it off, revealing her toned figure. She's dressed in an olive, tight, long – sleeved shirt and the all too familiar black pants every one of us is wearing.

On her belt I see one of her many blades shimmering dangerously.

With shaky hands she slowly takes off her helmet, placing it beside her on the ground. Her long blond hair falls down her shoulders in perfect beach waves.

However it is her face that makes me stop right in my tracks and Kazumi to inhale sharply.

The skin over half her face is barely even there. If I see right I can even spot her cheekbone shimmering through the – probably recently regenerated – muscle layers of her cheek. One of her deep blue eyes she inherited from her father is barely visible because her lid is covering it. Both, her nose and her lips are shrunken and kind of deformed. Scars are running all over the destroyed part of her face, going down over her neck and disappearing in her shirt.

This girl, the probably most beautiful girl I have ever seen in my life – apart of my dead fiancée and my current girlfriend – looks like a frickin zombie. Her unharmed eye focuses on me, challenging me to say anything. But I am not in the mood to make some kind of sick joke. She looks awful. And I feel bad for her. Whatever the hell happened to her, this must have hurt like a bitch.

"What happened Jess?" Kazumi whispers quietly. Jess turns to her, her lip twitching, as if she's trying to smile.

"Acid attack. Nasty one", she only shrugs, leaning her head against the wall behind her again.

"Who did this?" I can't hide the immense anger inside of me. It is already spreading through my whole body and I once again, have to use all my strength to remain in my seat, calm.

"Doesn't really matter. I was out on the field, the enemy had a new attack, and I was the first one to see it. End of story. Uncle Joe said I'll be back to normal in a couple of weeks."

"What matters is Dylan guys... just ignore my face, please."

Well... you can say that easily, you don't have to look at you...

"I don't know how we can get him back to normal", I shrug before I grab a towel and dry Kazumi's back as careful as possible. The wounds look nasty, and it will take some time until they heal.

"If it is not love... and not even his sister...", Kazumi trails off, thinking intensely obviously.

"It's uncle Tai. Obviously." Jess concludes, crossing her legs in front of her again and pouring herself a glass of wine.

"You think so?" Kazumi asks, her voice full of doubt all of the sudden. I don't really blame her... after all it was Tai's voice that snapped Dylan out of his hesitation today.

"Well, commander said that if not even love would knock sense into him... then it would be only his dad", Jess shrugs again, taking a sip while doing so.

"Commander? So... the lead switched already?" Kazumi asks, her voice giving away how much it bothers her.

Uh oh..

"What? No! Uncle Tai's waiting for me to come back and report everything." The two girls look at each other as if they both lost their minds.

I for my part just bit my lip, praying to god that I won't get roped into this now.

Seconds pass... and it feels like an eternity. Kazumi's gripping the glass in her hand so hard, that her knuckles are white already. And I see her trembling, and it is definitely not because the water in the tub turned cold, because it didn't.

"What did you just say? Tai? As in... my father?"

"Yeah Kaz I uh – " Jess stops right in mid – sense as soon as realization hits her :" Fuck."

Yeah... fuck.

"What?!" Kazumi urges on, leaning forward in doing so. However the movement is enough for her wounds to stretch, and a few start bleeding again. I can't help but face – palm; this woman is hopeless.

"Never mind. Forget what I just said", Jess avoids her gaze but Kazumi is already jumping on the subject.

"Is he alive?!"

"I have strict orders, not to tell you." Jess' all too familiar, stubborn side comes to surface again. She crosses her arms and stares straight at Kazumi, keeping her mouth shut.

"Okay... then don't tell me. Is he alive? Just nod if he is."

Jess continues to stare at my girl for what feels like hours until she finally gives her quick nod. It's just what they are like... treating orders coming from Tai like freakin laws.

It takes Kazumi some time to register what exactly Jess just told her. Her tiny chest rises and falls rapidly all of the sudden. Her wounds I somehow managed to keep at bay split open, covering her whole back in blood again. She buries her face in her hands and curls into a ball, muffling her sobs. I honestly never felt so helpless beside her.

I look over to Jess who looks just as lost as I do. She gestures me to do something but I doubt that Kazumi wants comfort coming from me. Nonetheless I carefully place my hand on her shoulder, which she shakes off angrily. She lifts her head and shots me a glare.

"You knew didn't you?!"

Double Fuck...

"I uh – "

"He found out recently. But he also had strict orders not to tell you anything", Jess answers for me, driving Kazumi's attention to her.

"Why wouldn't dad want me to know that he is alive?!"

"Because of that freaking reaction of yours!" Jess replies angrily. As if she just slapped the brunette, Kazumi slumps down in defeat. Her little outburst leaving her with even less energy than she had before.

"But he's my dad..." she whispers quietly. Her sniffling breaks my heart... I'd die to be able to hold her.

"Exactly hun, he's your dad and you are of no use if you spend all the time thinking about him. You have to focus on your brother now, that's what he said." Jess shrugs again before giving her a small smile. At least... she tries to smile; the result is her deformed lip curling in a weird angle.

"How is that even possible?" She asks quietly. Her arm reaches behind her, trying to scratch her wounds but I slap her hand away angrily, causing her to look at me in surprise. I am not that harsh to her usually, but I can't bear to look at that any longer!

"Well you'd come to the conclusion by yourself if Dylan would not occupy your mind."

"What do you mean Jess?"

"Think about it love... you gave this time's Tai the cure. Whatever happens in the past... affects the future, remember?" I answer for Jess.

Kazumi remains silent for a moment before she covers her face in her hands again, her shoulders shaking lightly. She doesn't refuse my touch this time and I carefully draw her closer to me until I can rest my chin on her head. She turns her face to me and buries it in my chest, and I just hold her. For as long as she needs me to.

... which lasts, for about ten seconds until she remembers that she's mad at me. She pushes me back and goes back to glare at me through her tears.

"I still hate you."

Jess' laughs out loud before taking a sip of her wine:" What did you do Alec?"

"What makes you think that I did something wrong?" I ask back, not even trying to hide my grin.

"Because you're an ass." She replies cockily.

"And you're a brat."

She just laughs again before sticking her tongue out at me. She's just like her mother.

"He literally called my father an asshole", Kazumi says causing Jess to choke on her wine.

"Whoa.. did you say that in his face?" She asks, her eyes wide but her lip twitching in amusement.

"I never called him an asshole. I just said that – "

"I quote: 'he's not a very nice person'", Kazumi apes me. Jess for her part just looks at me before her gaze switches to Kazumi. She rolls her one, not damaged eye in annoyance.

"So what?!"

Thank god.

"I am not okay with him talking shit about my father!" Kazumi replies, anger building up inside of her again.

"Ugh... Kazumi! We are not nice people. Otherwise we wouldn't be able to kill so much enemies. We're coolly, blood – thirsty, murders. But that doesn't make us bad people...at least, that's my opinion", she just shrugs nonchalantly.

"Maybe... but he says it is dad's fault that Dylan gave in", Kazumi whispers quietly, revealing the real reason why she is so angry at me. Jess' expression softens before she takes a deep breath.

"Well... maybe. But if you want to blame uncle Tai, then blame me too, and my dad and... Literally everyone who was hard on him. Dylan just couldn't take to have developed a weakness, this is what drove him into the spores clutches, not your dad."

Well... this is new.

"What do you mean Jess?" I can't help but let curiosity take the best of me.

"You know Uncle Tai as well as I do Alec. He always aims for your weaknesses. He doesn't want us to have any. Why does he send Kazumi always on missions with Frigimon? Because the cold weakens her. Why do I always have to go out at night to scout? Because I am terrified of the darkness. This is his way to strengthen us", she stops to take a sip of her wine before she continues her explanation.

"It was different with Dylan though. This guy didn't have any freakin weakness and he knew it. He knew he was the best of us. But they knew that too... this is probably why they captured him. And with the spore inside of him... he finally developed a weakness. The only thing Uncle Tai wanted was for Dylan to control it. Not for the spore to control Dylan. But your brother interpreted it the wrong way and thought that Tai was disappointed in him. That he hated him."

"And that made him so angry that he finally gave in when he couldn't bear it anymore...", I conclude for her. It almost feels like Jess just gave me a missing piece of a big puzzle I was struggling to finish. I can see the big picture now in front of me. All this time I was pissed at their dad because he didn't show any understanding for his son. But in reality; he just wanted Dylan to save himself, because he himself couldn't.

"This is all so messed up", Kazumi sighs deep, placing her head on the edge of the bathtub.

"Tell me about it... I saw my mother freakin die today", Jess mumbles before emptying her glass and placing it on the tiles.

"Thank god her powers activated", I say before I take a new washcloth and start the whole procedure of cleaning Kazumi's wounds all over again.

"Near – death experience; that triggers them too then", Kazumi says thoughtfully.

"How did Uncle Tai trigger them? My dad obviously lived up to his crest when he was trying to save mom today... but Tai?"

"I think he might have triggered them when he covered Kazumi", I answer, remembering the events in this damned city.

"Huh? He got stabbed by the dagger when he covered you?" Jess asks directed at the brunette.

"Y – Yeah. Why?"

Jess' frown deepens and her eye flickers dangerously:" The dagger is a one – time shot. Why would they waste it on someone they didn't even know at that point?"

My blood freezes and I feel Kazumi tense up again.

"They must have more than one then."

I can feel the air being sucked out of my lungs suddenly, and everything goes black.


Tai's POV

The black feather feels heavy in my hand... The night sky is laughing at my weakness.

Suppressed memories flood back at me all at once, taking my breath away. Pain is running through my veins, clutching my heart in its death grip and forcing me down on my knees. Images of her still haunt me. No matter what I do, I can't get rid of them.

The more I fight the memory of her, the more images pop up in my head. I don't even dare to think about her name. Because if I did, it would make everything real.

It would make her real. I was okay with the memories of her being a dream I dreamt a long while ago.

"What is troubling your mind, my friend?"

Oh my god. Now I even have hallucinations...

I turn around and am met with emerald green eyes staring at me through the darkness.

I can't do anything but gape at her stupidly.

She's dressed completely in white, a color I probably never saw on her before. Her long brown hair falls down in perfect locks and her eyes pierce right through me. She looks exactly how I remember her. Just like in my dreams.

"Tai?" Her angelic face turns into a concerned frown when I still don't respond.

"It happened then... I was wondering when it would", I hear me say. My mind obviously switched on autopilot because I have no idea what I am doing, or thinking.

"What do you mean?" Her frown gets deeper and she takes a step forward.

No... no no no, don't come near me. Otherwise I'd probably do something I would deeply regret.

"I see dead people. I must have gone crazy..." I mumble more to myself than to anyone else. I honestly don't know what my mind is playing with me but hallucinations of someone – DEAD – I had feelings for? Really?

"Tai – "

"What happened? Did I hit my head on something today?" I pace past her, trying to remember what could be the cause for this.

"Tai listen – "

"Or maybe it was because I overdid myself with these powers", I think aloud while I examine my hands that are laced with burn marks.

"TAI!"

Her voice makes me twitch and I turn around to her, avoiding her gaze though. She for her part doesn't have any of it because she grabs me by my arm – pretty intense hallucination if you ask me – and brings me closer to her, forcing me to stare into her deep green eyes.

As soon as our gazes meet the world around me stops existing. Suddenly it's all about her.

"Talk to me, please. I need to know that you're okay", her voice snaps me out again and I have to blink a few times. I take a step back and look at her again.

"For a hallucination you seem very real."

The frown is back on her face as soon as the words are out. However it stays not too long because her lips curl into a grin before she chuckles lightly.

"You're not hallucinating."

What?! But how –

"I was here all the time. But now that you've triggered your powers you can see me."

"So... then the others – "

"No. just you."

That figures.

"So... you're real then?"

She nods. And that's when I lose the very bit that was left of my self-control. Fuck this.

I approach her with one swift move and press her against my chest, burying my face in her hair. I take a deep breath and try to memorize this scent for the time when she'll be gone again, because I know she will.

She hesitates, but eventually I feel her hands on my back, caressing me. I lean my forehead against hers and close my eyes, our lips only inches apart from each other.

Don't do anything stupid Kamiya...

"You saved me today, thank you", I whisper. She chuckles lightly and tightens her grip around me.

"You have to forgive me. My main focus was my fiancée who himself was trying to protect you."

Her words feel like cold water poured over me. I break apart from her and stare at her in shock.

What the fuck did she just say?!

She stares back at me nonchalantly, her eyes calling out for me... challenging me.

"A – Alec?"

Suddenly the deep connection I can feel with this ancient guy makes so much more sense. I can feel when he's in a bad mood, feel the pain he is experiencing and understand him in a way I think no one else does. And here in front of me stands the reason for all of this. She is the one thing that connects him with me.

She just gives me a wink before she walks backwards to the edge of the roof.

"I am just glad that you're both okay Tai."

She slowly starts fading in front of me

"No... No wait I – "but she's gone before I can reach her. She's gone. Again.

"Nadia." Her name slips out before I can hold it back.

I can feel the loss all over again.


DAEMON'S POV

The young Kamiya boy sits in the corner of the small living room of the cottage, bleeding out because of the many arrows that were stuck in him. He managed to pull out every one but one. The last one is sticking out of his chest, making it hard for him to breathe because it seems like it is very near to his heart, which means it hit his lungs.

What a shame.

A weird feeling of satisfaction fills me when I see him struggling helplessly on the ground. His shirt is drenched in blood, same goes for his hands. He slowly lifts his right hand and pulls on the arrow. He bites on his lip and presses his eyes shut. The skin on his jaw stretches, showing how hard he is clenching his teeth. His expression is one of pure pain and I can't help but grin at this sight.

"Didn't your daddy teach you how to pull out an arrow the right way?"

His head shots up in surprise and I see his colorless eyes get wide when he realizes that I am the one standing in front of him.

His hand falls down into his lab and he glares angrily at me. But he stays silent, as so often.

One of the many things I've learned about Dylan Kamiya... he uses words very rarely, and wisely. Something I actually liked about him, because his actions speak volumes...

His gaze stays on me while I approach him slowly. I bend down and grab the arrow. I can see the anticipation in his gaze. But he doesn't give away how much my presence scares him. At least, not by his own choice.

The spore inside of him tells me enough. And I know that he is terrified.

I push the arrow farther into his body, making him wince and press his eyes shut again.

He won't give me the satisfaction in seeing him break. He is too proud, so much I know.

As soon as I feel the arrow breaking through his skin on his back I pull him forward so I can break the tip of the arrow off. With one swift, final move I pull it out of his chest, making him gasp and clutch the aching spot. His breathing goes fast and his hand is drenched in more blood that is coming out of him.

"Did I scratch your heart? I'm sorry." I'd love to pierce another arrow right into his heart, when I really think about it.

"What are you doing here Daemon?" His voice is low and hoarse, but shows off the strength that is hiding beneath the surface of his calm face. He leans against the wall behind him and looks up to me blazingly, his eyes, as so often, challenging me.

He indeed is Taichi's son. No one else could look at me with the same hatred. No one else would be brave enough.

"Well my boy... you know that I am controlling you through the spore, right?"

He twitches lightly but gives me a short nod, indicating for me to continue. As I said... he uses words rarely.

"So you can imagine that I am a bit confused of today's events."

Once again. I can feel his heartbeat accelerating and fear spreading through him. But his face stays as calm as ever. This boy is impressive. Very impressive.

What. A. Shame.

"Who was she Dylan?" I take a step towards him, in an attempt to intimidate him further. Much to my pleasure I can feel how the fear inside of him is growing. At least; something.

"I don't know who you're talking about." He stares at the far corner of the room; as if he's looking for a spot he can fix his gaze on, as long as he doesn't have to look at me. He really can't be more obvious about his lie.

"I am talking about the girl you weren't even able to lift a finger at. The one, that saved them. The one, that gave them the opportunity to kill Lilithmon. One of us", the anger inside of me is boiling, slowly making its way to the surface. Dylan for his part takes a deep breath before he looks at me with a small grin on his face.

"I don't know who she is."

I was expecting something like this. But really, I wasn't prepared to let go of him just yet. But so be it then. What a shame...

"Well Dylan. I guess we're done here then." I approach him again and grab his neck, clutching it way harder than necessary.

There really is no point in wasting my energy by trying to kill him. There are so much better ways... and I still can use him to my advantage...

I take out the spore, leaving him in pure confusion. The color of his eyes returns almost immediately, igniting the fire I damped down when I took control over him. He looks at me with wide eyes and his mouth slightly left ajar. His chest rises and falls rapidly.

Though he tries not to give away any of his emotions I can see the pain that is daring to overwhelm him, very clear. And this, gives me the satisfaction I was seeking for.

I look around the cottage and a new idea pops up in my head. Something, I just can't resist from doing. Once again I bend down so I am looking straight into young Kamiya's eyes that are filled with so much chaos right now. My hand grabs his left leg and he tenses up immediately.

One of the many things I also learned about him; he hates to be touched. Probably something related to the many scars on his back he tried to hide beneath these weird looking paintings.

"You broke your legs once, right? I saw the scars."

He tries to back off but the wall behind him stops him from doing so. It is a pathetic view really, his hair sticking to his face, blood all over the upper part of his body, and fear roaring inside of him.

"Well then I think this won't be anything new to you then..."

I clutch his leg harder and dive in the feeling of pleasure in hearing him cry out of pain. The feeling intensifies when I hear the bone crack and him trying to get out of my grasp.

I let go of the whimpering piece of shit and approach the door of the cottage. Before I exit however I turn around again. He's lying on the ground, his face buried in his jacket.

"I can't kill you. But I bet the memories flooding back to you make you wish you'd be dead, right Dylan?"

He stops whimpering and looks up to me, not able to keep his mask on his face anymore. He's in pain; mentally as well as physically. And it will only get worse from now on.

I look at the small flame igniting on my index finger and hold it against the wooden frame of the door. The cottage is made completely of wood... it won't take long for it to burn down to ashes, taking Dylan with him.

"Go to hell." I hear him say and a chuckle escapes my lips.

"We're already there boy. Together."

With that I light the cottage and look at the flames that are slowly spreading out.

"Your father would turn around in his grave... you know. The one you want Jessica – Jess as you call her right? – to spit on." I can see his eyes get wide and I'd die to know what he must feel right now. But seeing that the spore is gone, the connection I had with him also vanished.

"Surprised that I know about her? You shouldn't be. I was long enough in your head to know all of this. And now. Burn Dylan."

I exit the cottage and feel the heat behind me.

Happiness. I can't deny how simple acts of malignity fill me up with happiness. I can still hear the boy's cries of pain.

"Dad!"

Well... this is surprising.

I turn around again and look at the lying form of the boy. He's clutching his chest and his face is still partly buried in his jacket. His leg is twisted in a painful looking way – oops – and the heat of the fire must be unbearable already. His voice is muffled, and hoarser than before, probably because of the smoke he is inhaling.

But is this situation really bad enough for him to cry out for his father? The person he supposedly hated?

"Dad!"

Well... call for him boy... you're actually making things so much easier for me now...


Soooo. I am stopping right here.

How did you like it? Saw any of that coming? :D

I'll try to get the next chapter up next month. But I am not promising anything!

See ya next time! thanks for reading and leave a review by any chance! THANKS.

25/03/19