Hey! Thank you all for the feedbacks! They made me really happy!
Sooo as usual I own my OC's, but unfortunately, I do not own digimon :D
Please excuse the possible grammatical errors.
Chapter 13 here we goooooo!
Damaged
All this time I have felt this indescribable anger. During the days I felt like I would lose my temper. In the end it always turned into sadness and before I knew my life had become madness. I wished I could catch a glimpse of the light but all there was to it was this venomous bite. The image of the shadow man is always in my mind. He didn't want me rising so he kept telling me lies. I was naive as I looked into his eyes but not much later I knew he was lonely under these dark skies. I slowly walk up to him as he begins to cry and it finally hits me that he just wanted to say goodbye.
I can feel the heat on my face as soon as I exit my car. A few dozen people are standing in front of the burning house, screaming, calling, crying. A few of them turn around wide – eyed when they see me running towards the entrance.
I don't even register the firemen calling out for me, telling me that it's forbidden to enter. The word 'forbidden' never meant anything to me anyway.
Smoke blurs my sight and fills my lungs almost immediately, leaving me with absolutely no orientation here. But there is just no way in hell I am backing off now.
Zac is somewhere in here... my best friend. I have to get him out. I just have to.
"Zac!"
Nothing. The only sound I can hear is the crackling noise of the wooden beams. I nervously scan the roof and try not to lose my shit when I see the deep cracks in it. This house is going to break down... which means I have to find him. Fast.
I give my best to avoid the flames that are spreading over the whole living area. My gaze scans the room, looking for a certain brunette, but there is no sight of him.
The sound of something falling down and someone cursing loudly makes me jerk and turn to the stairs. He surely is up there!
I cross the room in a heart – beat and run up the stairs; My best friend is kneeling in front of a door that is blocked by several beams that fell down. Though he looks heavily injured, he is trying to lay open the door by pushing the beams aside. It looks ridiculous really... there is just no way in hell he'll be able to move them.
I can feel the whole house shaking. My mind turns off completely and switches to autopilot.
"Zac, we have to get out of here!" He turns around and his eyes widen in surprise.
"Alec! Oh god you're here."
His movements gethectic and desperate... He tries to push the beams aside again, using all his strength but the wood just won't move. Not even an inch. What the fuck is he doing? As if his stuff is more important than his life!
I try to reach out for him but he just slaps my hand away, his gaze never leaving the doorframe.
"Alec, let me!"
Okay... this is just ridiculous. The anger gets the best of me and before I even realize what I am doing I already grab him by his arms and throw him over my shoulder.
"NO! Alec Wait!"
I ignore his annoying voice and focus on getting us both out of this hell hole. They wanted to burn this place down to its very core... and they did a freakin good job in it. I cannot wait to meet them again... so I can send them to hell.
I exit the house and let my best friend fall on the ground. He jumps on his feet almost immediately and runs towards the entrance again. I grab his arms and pull him back –
"Alec! You don't understand!"
"What?! What on earth is so important that you'd die for it?!" I grab his head in my hands and look into his panic filled eyes. I can feel his hands on my arms, trying to ease my grasp.
"He – He is still up there. I was trying to break through the door –"
"Who Zac? Who is still up there?!" Some voice deep down tells me who he is talking about... but there is just no way in hell that life hates me so much –
"Akira. Akira is – "
I can't hear the end of his sentence; I am already running towards the house again. Inwardly I register that the fire spread over most of the building and it surely is only a question of time when it starts to break down... but I have to get my son out of there first.
I jump through the flames again and ignore the immense pain on my skin. There's literally no type of pain that could prevent me to save my son. My whole body can be ablazefor all I care.
My legs obviously know where to go since my mind shut off completely. Suddenly I find myself in front of the blocked door again where I found Zac before and look into the room.
"Akira!"
The small boy twitches lightly before he lifts his head up, looking at me in surprise. He's stuck beneath a book shelf that surely broke his legs... and is pressing him down on the ground.
"Dad! Get me out of here please!"
A cracking sound makes us look up to the roof synchronically. Without the beams supporting it... NO
I don't waste another second; using all my strength I try to lift the fallen beams up so I can enter the room. But they don't move... I can feel the flames on my arms and my back, leaving marks that will force me to remember this damned day forever. Seconds... minutes pass, and it just gets more obvious that there is no chance I can get to my boy. And he knows it.
"Dad."
I try to push them aside again by leaning against them, using all my weight.
"Dad!"
Come on... move you piece of shit! MOVE!
"Dad!"
"What?!"
I force myself to look into Akira's blazing blue eyes that stare at me. He smiles lightly before he places his head back on the ground.
"I love you."
"No. You're not doing that right now. Do you hear me?!"
"I love you dad." My heart shatters. Just why on earth did I ever allow him to watch drama series with his mother!
"I love you so much."
Heat spreads through me, igniting every corner in my body with a fire I've never felt before. I grab the beam in front of me anew and push it aside easily. The second one follows suit and I can finally enter the room. I'm just about to run up to my son when I feel the whole house shaking violently. I trip over my own feet and fall down on the ground, covering my head. I can hear the furniture crackle and literally see how the walls are shaking.
The earthquake stops as suddenly as it started and I slowly lower my hands again, staring at my son who is looking at the roof. I follow his gaze and regret it instantly. A big rock loosens and falls down on the ground, followed by the whole upper floor.
I'm thrown back by the force of the collapse and cough violently, my lungs filling with smoke and dust. My sight blurs once again and I can feel the pain deep inside of me. Although my mind is not yet able to register what the hell just happened. My heart sure as hell does.
My son just died.
"Dad!"
Tai's POV
My eyes dart open and I sit up almost immediately, causing my head to spin. My heart beats painfully against my chest. I can feel it pulsate in my temples.
A dream... it was just a dream.
"Dad!"
I can still hear the small boy calling out for his father... the only one who theoretically could have rescued him. But he didn't make it on time... it makes so much sense now.
"Dad"
Okay... weird, that almost sounded real now.
I look around the whole room, looking for the source of the voice. But there is absolutely nothing. The digimon are down in the hospital wing, getting treatment so they'll be back to full strength soon. My girlfriend is sleeping peacefully next to me. She's lying on her stomach, her face partially buried in her pillow.
"Dad!"
The voice changed. I can feel the shiver making its way down my spine... but at the same time I feel the heat inside of me coming back to life. I slowly get up and cover Sora with her blanket she somehow managed to kick off of the bed, before I grab my clothes and put them on. I tip toe over to the door and exit the room, feeling the immense urge to get to him as fast as possible.
Alec's POV
The sizzling noise of the fireplace sounds through the whole room, creating a soothing atmosphere. After what felt like hours I finally found a sitting position that doesn't make me wanna scream out in pain. Every breath I take hurts more than the previous one and I can't ignore the ache on my side anymore too. The longer I press the cloth I got from the hospital wing against the wound in my chest, the redder it gets. Usually it would have healed hours ago...
This is probably why I'm sitting in my room with a bottle of whiskey. Because that's the only way I handle things; I get drunk. My eyelids get heavier the longer I stare into the flames and I don't realize that I'm on the verge of falling asleep until the sound of the door being opened nearly makes my heart stop.
I turn around and spot my girlfriend, dressed in only short, black shorts and a tank – top. Her cheekbones are more visible and the gap between her legs got bigger, making it painfully obvious that she lost weight, again. On her shoulders I can see the edges of the giant patch that is covering her wounds. Her hair falls down on either side of her face and dark bags are shimmering under her brown orbs. She looks kind of messy... but freaking hot.
She approaches me without a word and sits down on the armchair right next to mine. She bends one of her knees and wraps her arms around it, staring at me with that gaze.
"You scared the shit out of me today Alec." She keeps staring at me with her big, glistering eyes. I'd die to kiss her now, but moving is the last thing I am capable of doing now.
"I am sorry."
"Why didn't you tell me right away?" Her expression changes and she starts frowning as soon as the thought crosses her mind.
"Didn't feel like telling anyone." I turn away from her and look into the flames again, clutching my glass tighter.
Though I killed half of the bottle already, I am still feeling restless. I hear my love huff angrily but she doesn't say anything. Instead she leans against the back rest of the armchair and stares into the fire with me. I glance at her from the corner of my eye; she's leaning sideward on the backrest, avoiding the possibility of anything coming in touch with her back. She obviously notices my glance that turned into a stare because she slowly turns her head into my direction, looking at me expectantly.
"How are you feeling love?"
She shrugs her shoulders, her face turning into a painful frown while doing so:" I've definitely felt better. But also worse."
"Yeah well... your back looks like a grilled steak. So... you're basically a snack", I chuckle lightly before taking another sip from my drink.
She joins my laughter:" Look who's talking! Mr. Swiss – Cheese."
My chuckle turns into laughter before I can hold it back and she joins me. This is what I life for; Cracking awful jokes with my love and getting no air because of it. I cough lightly and force myself to breath through my nose so the pain disappears. He hit my lung good...
"Now I'm hungry." She pouts before she leans her shoulder on the back rest again, her eyes still glistering in amusement though.
"There's still pizza left down in the kitchen", my little brother's voice sounds from the door. He's carrying a bag over his shoulder and a lung ventilator in his hands.
"Wow Phoenix. I doubt I've ever seen you in such attire", Kazumi whistles playfully and earns a grin from my brother.
She's right though. Usually he's all about formal... wearing that stupid cape all the time. Tonight he's dressed in black jogging pants and a tight, matching black t – shirt.
"You've been working out huh?"
Phoenix places the items right next to me before he takes a seat on the broad arm rest of the chair I am sitting on. He turns to Kazumi and winks at her remark:" so you've noticed."
Kazumi for her part just grins lazily:" you look hot."
"Eh guys... you want me to give you two some space or...?"
Both of them turn around and grin at me evilly. Phoenix for his part just shrugs before he unzips the bag he was carrying and starts placing several implements on the small table in front of us.
"I really hope you're here because of Alec's injuries", Kazumi says after glancing at the things Phoenix is unpacking. I for my part feel my heart sinking. I freakin hate this kind of shit.
"I am sure Alec took good care of your back", he says before he turns to me and gestures to the cloth I am pressing against the wound in my chest. I reluctantly let go of it when he shots me an angry glare.
Looks like little brother is in charge now.
Kazumi watches us with deep interest before she rises from her seat and walks towards the door:" I'm going to grab some of that pizza... want some?"
Phoenix and I just shake our head and watch her leave the room. I turn to look at my brother whose gaze is still glued to the closed door and can't suppress a frown.
"Did you just stare at my girlfriend's behind?"
Phoenix gives me a small grin:" If I remember right I slept with her before you even knew her."
Low shot bro.
"Yeah but you left the morning after. She told me."
"This is because I didn't know who she was back then", Phoenix shrugs before he pulls out a pair of gloves and puts them on.
"So it was just a one night stand?" I just have to ask. That was bothering me for way too long.
"You're not jealous are you? You know I am not the relationship type of guy."
I just shrug and try to hide the relief washing over me. I could not have dealt with him telling me that his feelings towards that girl go beyond deep friendship. It's bad enough that they had sex. Though that was a long time ago...
I stay silent and watch my brother stare at me, obviously not sure of how to start.
"Can you get the shirt off or do you want me to cut it?" he says, reaching for the scissors already. I gesture him to just go with cutting the fabric open. I really don't feel like moving now. My lung is killing me.
He slowly bends down and starts to cut my t – shirt off of my body, revealing skin I persistently try to hide... and most of all, avoid looking at. Phoenix for his part stares at the many scars covering the upper part of my body. A constant reminder of that night.
Sadness washes over his face, leaving the all too familiar sight of pity in his eyes. I can feel the anger boil inside of me. This is why I hate to be stared at. Because of that particular sight people wear when they see the scars... and think about what story is hidden behind them.
"Don't stare", my voice sounds less harsh then I intended it to be, but it still has its effect. Phoenix' head darts up and he narrows his eyes angrily.
"What? I don't need pity!"
"I am not feeling sorry for you, asshole. You tend to forget that I lost somebody too that night."
It's like he just emptied a bucket full of ice cold water over my head.
Here I was... always thinking that the glistering of his eyes that appeared every time he saw my scars was because he just felt sorry for what happened to me. That his expression darkening and him distancing himself from me meant that he just could not deal to see his brother like that. But I guess I was just too focused to do the thing I hated others doing; feeling sorry for myself.
Phoenix lost his nephew that night... and I somehow managed to forget that.
"Phoenix –"
"I adored that kid", he says in a low whisper. It almost seems like he's talking more to himself than to me. His words throw me back into the depths of a certain kind of pain no one should ever experience.
"I did too."
I watch my little brother soaking absorbent cotton with a transparent liquid before he gently presses the cloth against the injury in my chest. I can't help but hiss as soon as the liquid flows over the wound.
"Did you ever think about what will happen after all this?"
I lift my head up and look up to my brother in confusion. But he is still focusing on cleaning my wounds properly.
"What do you mean?"
"If we beat them... where will you go?"
I can tell that this question was bothering him for a while already, since he refuses to lift his gaze and look me in the eye. Realization that my brother, indeed, deeply cares for me fills me up with a weird sensation of happiness. An emotion I rarely feel... and if I do, it's only with Kazumi.
"Aww... my little brother... I thought you'd be used to not have me around." This is the only way I can deal with this kind of stuff; making fun of it. Phoenix grins wistfully.
"I don't want to be. Not anymore I guess..."
My grin vanishes and is replaced by a similar expression as my brother's:" you know I can't live without her Phoenix."
"I figured that much", he shrugs helplessly before he looks up to me, a forced smile on his face. His eyes however give him away, as so often; he was hoping for a different answer.
I'm just about to open my mouth again when the sound of the door opening sounds and we both turn around again. Kazumi walks into the room, two bottles of wine clutched under her arm, a glass in one and a piece of pizza in her other hand. She takes her seat on her arm chair again, setting the glass on the arm rest next to her and opening one of the two bottles while she holds onto the pizza with her teeth. I can't help but grin at this sight; she's hilarious without even trying to be.
"Should you really be drinking?" There he goes again... my rational brother. Kazumi eyes him annoyed.
"Actually, I started drinking with Jess earlier before she left so... I guess it's too late to stop now?" she shrugs with her shoulders before taking a huge gulp from her glass.
"But – "
"Little brother... she's over the legal drinking age. And her parents are nowhere to be seen", I interrupt him since Kazumi indeed killed a bottle of wine with jess earlier – at least that was what she told me...it could always be more and if Phoenix keeps annoying my girl it will end in her getting really angry... and that is a sight I really don't want to see right now. Phoenix obviously gets what I mean because he changes the subject.
"So... Jess left?"
"Yeah she was in a hurry... she's probably telling dad everything right now", Kazumi says, her gaze fixed on the screen of her smartphone. I take a glance at the screen and feel my heart sink; there are several messages she sent to her dad obviously. None of them were answered yet.
Why the fuck is he ignoring his daughter?!
"Didn't she want to meet Matt and Mimi?" Phoenix asks, confusion clear in his face.
Kazumi just shrugs, gulping down a little more of her wine. I can't help but look at her in concern... she's a light weight, there really is not much left before the alcohol will have full effect on her.
"Did you see her face? She looked awful. I doubt she wanted them to see that."
"Yeah I did... she feels awful too." Phoenix says before he discards the blood painted cottons. I glance down on my chest and see the deep slash from Dylan's lance clearly for the first time. That asshole sure knows how to handle a weapon.
"How do you know?"
"I talked to her before she came to you. Matt was very worried about her... he didn't want to let her come here in the first place. But eventually his worry for Dylan made him overthink and he allowed her to come". Phoenix says, preparing what looks like a sewing kit. Oh no.
"Matt cares deeply for Dylan. They have a connection on a whole different level", Kazumi says, leaning sideways into the cushions again. One of her knees is bend and her elbow rests on it; in her hand she's holding her almost empty wine glass.
"Well... Matt and Mimi are your godmother and godfather aren't they?" Phoenix asks, his gaze turned to her. Kazumi just nods before she empties her glass. She's obviously done talking about it. Phoenix gets the hint because he turns to me again, looking at me expectantly.
"Okay big bro; you have two choices... I can sew the wound or staple it."
I hear my girlfriend snicker under her breath and shot her a glare. I freakin hate needles! And staples!
"I would let him sew it Alec... stapling hurts like a bitch", Kazumi says, slightly slurring already.
"It's the needle then", I say quietly. My brother's grin doesn't go unnoticed by me. He lights up a candle next to us with a swift motion of his hand. He then carefully takes a forceps with which he grabs the needle. I gulp nervously, causing him to look up to me.
"You want me to numb the spot so you won't feel the stitches?"
"P – LEASE. I'm a man."
There's a swift silence in the room where Kazumi fills herself another glass and Phoenix eyes me seriously.
"So... you want the injection?"
"Yes please."
Kazumi let's out a laugh and Phoenix himself grins before he places the items on the table again. He takes a syringe and a little vial from which he sucks up the anesthetic. He slowly injects the liquid inside of my chest, his expression the one of pure concentration.
He removes the syringe out of my chest as carefully as possible and lies it beside the other items again before he takes the needle into his hand again, holding it into the blueish fire of the candle.
"Where did you learn all this Phoenix?" Kazumi's voice sounds again. She glances at her phone before she throws it into her lap, disappointment clear in her face.
"I went to medical school a few years ago. I became a surgeon", Phoenix says as nonchalantly as ever. With the needle in one hand he uses his other to press onto my chest.
"Do you feel that?"
I just shake my head, being too stunned from his revelation as to be able to answer.
"Wow. Why?" Kazumi looks at him with deep interest and I can't help but stare at him too. How come I didn't know that?!
Phoenix just shrugs before he slowly starts to close the wound in my chest:" I guess I just had too much free time."
"And how come you are a professor in Tai's university now?" I ask since I always wondered about how on earth he got that job.
"He probably studied world religions too", Kazumi giggles, the wine relaxing her in many different ways. I can't help but grin at the sound of her giggle... she laughs way too rarely.
"Actually no... I slept with the headmaster of the university."
There it goes...Kazumi's last strand of self-control. She bursts out laughing hysterically, filling the room with her laughter and my heart of joy. Phoenix himself grins sheepishly and I for my part can't help but laugh too. My brother... my way too serious, courteous, rational brother...seriously got a job in sleeping with some woman. That's usually something I would do, not him.
"Don't move you moron! I am holding a needle near your face!"
I try to suppress my laughter but my shoulders just keep shaking. Phoenix straightens his posture and looks at me in annoyance. I can't help it, the thought of him luring someone into bed is just too hilarious.
"Yeah you're right. I could always just stick the needle into your eye."
"You would never hurt your older brother."
He raises an eyebrow at me: „Your memory sucks."
Kazumi's laughter increases and I swear I just heard her hiccup. I give my best not to burst out in laughter too and stay still so he can finish patching me up. After a few more stitches the wound is closed again and he covers it with a huge band aid.
"The wound on your side looks okay, it is healing without me even doing anything. But I cover it anyway so you won't get an infection or anything", he says before sticking another band aid on the wound on my side.
"Thank you little brother."
"You're welcome", he gets up from his seat and clears the table up again. "I got you a few painkillers in case you need them and an ointment; treat your wounds, as well as Kazumi's, with it. And if you have trouble breathing at night; I got you a ventilation machine too and – "
"Phoenix!" I interrupt him and he looks at me completely startled.
"I'm fine brother. Thank you." I assure him with the calmest voice ever. He just gives me an apologetic smile.
"I guess I'm just worried."
"Awwwww you are so cute! I wish my brother would care about me as much as you do", Kazumi says, placing the empty bottle on the floor beside her. Her movements are uncoordinated and her hair somehow got messier than before. She sniffles and her eyes glister suspiciously.
"Your brother cares deeply for you Kazumi", Phoenix says quietly.
"You're the most precious thing he has", I add equally quiet.
"I thought it was Jess... he'll feel so guilty", Kazumi's voice is a mere whisper. She stares aimlessly into the room, her refilled glass in her tight grip.
"That is a good thing. Guilt crushing him down at least means that he'll be back to normal... back with us."
Kazumi turns to Phoenix and for the first time I can see the deep connection that one night caused the two of them to have. She doesn't look at him the way she does at me, but there's still something between them I can't put a finger on.
"You always say the right things Phoenix, thanks."
Phoenix just gives her a small smile before he turns serious again.
"What is the real cause for your drinking? I thought you quit a few months ago."
I tense up in my seat. He said what I was thinking all along. Kazumi unfortunately fell in some deep hole filled with way too much alcohol a year ago. First there were a few evenings she drank away her worries with some beers and had shots with her friends.
But eventually these nights added up... getting more frequent. Seeing that she was freaking smart none of the digidestined really noticed her being drunk all the time, but I did.
I know an alcoholic when I see one... hell, I am one myself! But I just could not stop her, neither could Dylan... Dylan, being the only one who knew beside me.
She eventually stopped herself, saying that it was just a phase and it helped her clear he mind when in fact she just tried to shut it off somehow.
Kazumi just eyes Phoenix with an expression I didn't see for a while. She's oddly smirking at him, challenging him to say something about her downfall. But he doesn't... he knows better than to piss off a Kamiya.
"They tried to infect Dad with a spore today. It makes me fear that they'll soon try to kidnap him. And do things to him I really don't want to think about."
In other words... make him an equal monster as me.
She probably thinks I don't notice her glancing at me for a brief second... but I do. And I admit; it kind of hurts.
"You're right. I am thinking about that possibility too for a while. But how did you fight the spores off Alec?" Phoenix turns to me.
Uh oh.
"I uh... "
"Alec?" Kazumi urges on. She looks at me as if she's fearing the worst.
Okay, here goes nothing.
"Nadia saved us."
Silence. Again. But this time no one laughs. Phoenix looks at me, his face gone completely pale and his mouth slightly ajar. I don't dare to look at Kazumi... it's her reaction I fear the most.
"Nadia... as in, Akira's mother? Your fiancée?" I force myself to look at my girlfriend who looks as surprised as my brother, though the hint of jealousy and anger I expected is missing. She looks simply stunned.
"Yeah. It was her."
Phoenix lets out a loud whistle:" Wow. I don't even know what to say."
"That woman is awesome", Kazumi says quietly. I can hear deep appreciation in her voice.
"Y – you're not angry Kaz?" I ask her, confusion spreading through me. Here I was, expecting her to shout at me, accusing me of cheating on her or something like that. Instead she looks at me as if I just lost my mind.
"Alec... she was the mother of your child. You were going to marry her. I would never try and replace her. So I am not even trying to compare myself with her. I know my place. "
I expected a lot of things. But never would I even dream of that much understanding coming from that girl. Although she is still so freakin young, she definitely shows a kind of maturity only a few gain within their lives. Guess that's just what you get when you grow up during a war...
I can feel my heart beat accelerating when our gazes meet and my mouth goes dry immediately. Memories of her throwing herself into my arms, laughing alongside me or just sleeping peacefully in next to me overflow me, filling me up with even more of that weird happy feeling.
The image of her lying next to me in bed... confessing her love for me, appears in my inner mind, sending shivers all over my body. I haven't said it back. Never. I just couldn't bring myself to say it out loud. But the words are out before I can hold them back.
"I love you."
The glass shatters into million pieces, creating a huge mess on the ground. But she doesn't seem to care. Her face lost all of its color and she's looking at me in pure shock.
Phoenix clears his throat and gets on his feet.
"I'll give you two a minute." He hurriedly exits the room, leaving me alone with Kazumi.
"Kaz?"
She moves in high speed so I don't realize she got up from her seat before I feel her legs over me. I blink in surprise when I realize that she is actually straddling me, holding my face in both of her tiny hands and pressing her lips against mine. I can taste the flavor of red wine in my mouth. She's rocking her hips slowly, grinding against me. I let out a moan of frustration and pull back, looking into her eyes.
"Kaz – "
"You never said it before. Why now?" I can literally feel her heart beating at least a hundred times a minute. Her hands are trembling lightly and her gaze is cloudier than ever. She is drunk.
"Because I do."
"But didn't you love me before too?"
"I always did. Since the moment I first saw you." I gently push a loose strand of her hair out of her face, grinning inwardly because it all just seems like a freakin movie to me.
I can guess she is thinking the same because she grins sheepishly at me before lowering herself over me again.
Her kiss is passionate, and deep. And I am tempted to just give in to the emotions and get her into my bed, especially when I feel her grinding against me more slowly and harder. But I am not taking advantage now. This is why I pull away again.
She huffs exasperated before she looks at me.
"Alec... I miss you." she keeps rocking her hips against my lap, driving me crazy while doing so. My hands grab her hips forcefully, trying to stop her from torturing me. But she is not having it.
"I am right here love, all the time."
She leans her forehead against mine. I can feel her breath against my face. I just have to lean up and she'll be locked with me again.
"You're not. Not really..."
The sadness in her voice is enough for my self-control to point its middle finger at me and leave me. I grab her hips harder but instead of trying to stop her I pull her against me.
I lean back into the cushions, taking her with me. The fact that she is only wearing a tank – top makes everything so much easier to me. I push her wild hair aside and kiss her neck, her collarbone... her neckline.
I move down to the small gap between her breasts –
The buzzing of my phone snaps me out of my sex – daze and brings me back to reality. Kazumi's hands that were buried in my hair, keeping my head in place, drop down to my shoulders and she lifts herself up so I can get up and check the message I just received. My face obviously gives away who just wrote me because she sighs dramatically.
"I'm sure it's nothing love."
"Yeah sure...I'm going to bed. In case you want to join me afterwards", she says before she gets up from her seat, staggering slightly.
"Thank you, daddy, for preventing me to have sex! Even from a freakin different time dimension!" she calls out annoyed before she enters the bedroom. I can't help but grin at her dramatic behavior.
As soon as I turn back to the message again and feel my blood freeze.
Commander; 04/09/19, 1.53am: Go check the arsenal.
Tai's POV
I stumble into the arsenal, my sight blurring in one second and clearing in the next one. The constant call didn't fade away until now. I can feel the fear inside of me growing every time I hear him call. Not that I fear what I am about to do, but the fear I feel for him. I don't want to lose anyone.
This is driving me crazy!
The twelve mannequins stand in a row, each one of them wearing our uniforms again, though I can't help but wonder just how on earth these clothes got back on them... and dried so fast.
Without wasting another thought about that I take a step toward my –
Fire. Fire everywhere. A small boy is trapped inside of the cottage, crying, calling for help.
"Dad!"
The image disappears as suddenly as it came to me. I feel my legs weakening and I have to lean against the wall so I can calm down somehow.
I take deep steady breaths in an attempt to somehow slow down my heart rate, but it's of no use.
I can literally feel the pain of my skin burning up...as if the flames are all over me, and not him. I look over to the mannequin in the middle, the one with the crest of courage on its back.
Just... twelve steps. I can do that.
I wobble over to the mannequins, blocking out everything that could possibly remind me of flames, or a kid... or anything like that. I close my eyes and take the last steps before I hit my shinbone on the platform where the mannequin is standing on.
Ouch. Why?! Why especially me!
I get dressed faster than I thought was possible and before I realize it I am already standing in front of the handprint scanner that will open the wall in front of me, revealing the weapons my friends soon will receive... but especially my swords.
The scanner turns green immediately, recognizing me as an authorized person and the wall separates in front of me, revealing exactly what I was looking for.
I reach for the two items that belong to me and fix them on my belt –
"Stupid idea Tai. Very stupid idea."
I should have known. I inwardly felt his presence, but I decided to ignore it... but I guess he can't be fooled. I turn around ever so slowly and stare right into Alec's deep grey orbs. He's dressed in a black tank top and matching black track pants.
I can't help but frown lightly...Normally his posture makes others literally shrink in front of him. Right now he wakes up the desire in me to go over and carry him into the hospital wing; he's slightly bent forward, his left hand clutching his chest. His hair sticks to his face and he's paler than usual.
This is probably the first time I can see the upper part of his body properly. A rather big patch covers half his chest – probably an injury from the fight with Dylan today.
What catches my interest though are his scars. His arms as well as his chest are laced with nasty looking, reddish scars. Few thicker, few thinner. But it must have hurt like a bitch.
It almost feels like a missing piece of an image I was struggling to come up with in my mind...though he told me the story before.
But the sight of his scars just confirmed what I was thinking all along. And it pisses me off.
"Why did you lie to me Alec?"
He narrows his eyes at me, but ignores my question completely.
"What are you doing here Tai?"
Ok. Let's be ignorant then.
"I think Dylan is in trouble." There. I said it. All these images must have been about him. Everything else just makes no sense.
Alec's frown gets deeper and I can clearly see anger slowly spreading through him.
"Good. He can burn in hell for all I care."
"Especially you should not say things like that...", I trail off. I want him to say the truth already. There is no point in hiding things from me anyway.
"What are you getting at?" his eyes widen lightly and he somehow straightens his posture, approaching me with shaky legs. The fight today surely afflicted him good.
"Why did you lie to me Alec?" I repeat the question, using all my strength to control myself so my voice stays on a calm level.
"You're making no sense. Did your bath in freezing cold water leave you confused? You want me to check that?" The right corner of his mouth twitches in amusement, but his eyes give away just how troubled he is right now.
I take a deep breath. Ok here goes nothing.
"It was you, right?" I look straight into his ice – colored eyes, determined to make him talk.
He just stares at me confused, so I take that as a sign to continue.
"It was you. The story you told me about your best friend. The one about your burn marks. It wasn't him who lost his son that night..." his eyes widen and I literally can see how his heart breaks all over again :" you did."
As if I just punched him into his face he stumbles back and leans against the wall. He bends down lightly, but enough for his hair to fall into his face and therefore, to cover his eyes. He presses his hands against his knees and is obviously struggling to get enough air into his already injured lungs.
I quickly run over to him and kneel down, pressing my hand against the spot where I suppose his wound is. To my horror my hand immediately is painted red and I look up to him in shock.
"It's nothing.. it'll be fine."
"Alec you should – "
"Tell me how you know all of that!" He burst out suddenly. He pushes himself to a standing position and looks down at me. I slowly straighten again and look right into his eyes again, his gaze impenetrable to me.
"I didn't know where that connection between us came from. I was wondering about that a lot... up to this day when I finally found my answer."
He clutches his wound but his gaze stays on me the whole time. His expression changed again, showing off the confusion he's in again.
"You saw her too, didn't you?" he asks, his voice shakes and I can see his eyes starting to glister suspiciously. I just give him a swift nod with my head. Yes. Yes I saw her. And now I can't stop thinking about her.
"H – How do you know her?"
I nervously spin the ring on my finger around, driving Alec's attention to it. He glances at the ring for a swift second before looking into my eyes again.
"She was Myotismon's minion. He turned her into Ladydevimon. She lured me into one of his traps, but rescued me later when her human side took over." I say it more to myself than to him it seems, since I am talking really quietly right now. But he heard me just well.
I can feel how he is fighting against the feeling of rage that is building up inside of him. Although he probably doesn't' intend to do it, he is affecting me with that anger too.
"These bastards tricked me. They made me believe she is dead", he lifts his head and looks up to the ceiling, preventing his tears to fall out. I can't help but grin... that is something I use to do –
Dad!
I can feel the heat of the fire all over my body, screaming at me to finally set in motion.
"Alec."
He slowly turns his gaze back to me;" What?"
"Please", I clutch my hands together and beg to god that Alec won't stand in my way now. His eyes widen in shock when he sees my gesture:" Alec, let me go and save him. Please."
He wraps his hands around mine and lowers them again:" Never, ever, beg again. You are not the kind of person who should lower himself to that level. Not you."
He lets go of me and walks over to the door of the arsenal. Before he reaches it however he turns around again.
"Go. We'll catch up with you."
A couple hundred rocks are lifted off my chest and I exhale the breath I was holding in. If there was anyone who actually could have kept me in here it would be Alec. But seeing that he is letting me go now there is nothing standing in my way anymore!
I briefly think about the possibility to go and get Agumon to come with me... but seeing that he's probably still worn out of today's events I drop that idea immediately and turn into the direction of the base's exit.
"Tai?"
I stop in mid – run and turn around again to stare into Alec's blazing eyes.
"Be safe."
somewhere in a forest ~
Great Tai... just. Great. That's what you get when you head out in the middle of the night to rescue someone you don't even know where he is!
The feeling that was leading me all along suddenly disappeared, leaving me completely disoriented in some dark, creepy forest. Completely alone, and helpless.
Ok. Not that helpless. But still. UGH.
Maybe I was imagining things? Maybe it really was just a stupid dream and I should not have given it a second thought?
Guess the people are right when they say I am too impulsive –
The sudden beeping of my digivice catches my attention; a dot appeared out of nowhere. I look up into the direction and catch sight of something I didn't notice before; brightness.
It almost looks like, far afield the forest ends in a deep orange seeming light, exactly where the dot seems to be.
I don't waste another second; I take off in a run. The air around me changes, getting warmer the nearer I come to my aim –
The image of a small boy suddenly appears in front of me, catching me off guard. His clothes, as well as his skin are charred. "Please dad, help me"
I stumble over a few roots and fall down on my knees, supporting myself with my hands which I press against the grass. I shake my head violently, desperately trying to get rid of these images.
I don't want to see them... I don't want to imagine the same thing happening to my son of the future. I don't want to feel this kind of pain.
The heat got to the point where I can't bear it anymore.
It's the cracking of wood that causes my head to dart up. And all my fears come true.
No. No No No No No...
Without me even realizing it, the forest ended, revealing a big, round clearing. In the middle of it is a small cottage, and it is ablaze. The tiny hope inside of me leads me to check the dot on my digivice again and gets crushed immediately. Dylan is most likely right inside that cottage.
Although my whole body is literally trembling with fear I force myself to approach the entrance. A bright light coming from my chest keeps me going, and it only gets brighter the nearer I get.
The door is closed and engulfed by flames. But unfortunately it is the only entrance there is. The windows are all shattered and there is just no way I'll climb through them. God only knows how stable that cottage is... after all, I already can see some parts being completely black. There is just no way, that it will hold up much longer.
Suddenly the image of a roof crashing down on a kid comes back to my mind and it is like my body knows what to do without my mind telling him to. I take off in a run again and break open the door.
I close my eyes, ready to feel the flames all over my body. But nothing happens.
I open my eyes again and my previous confusion turns into deep surprise. The inside of the cottage is burning, completely. But strangely, the flames come to a halt in front of me.
I slowly reach out for the nearest object which happens to be a book that is burning on the ground. As soon as my fingers touch it, the flames disappear and I can lift it up. It still feels hot in my hands, but the flames definitely died down. I carefully lay it back on the ground and it takes the flames exactly a second before they engulf the book again.
Wow..
I stare down on my hands, forgetting completely about my task because I am so amazed.
"Dad!"
The call sounds once again in my head, snapping me out of it immediately. I shake my head and start scanning the inside of the cottage. On my right side is a lying bookshelf and on the other side are several chairs gathered around a table. But no Dylan.
I cross the room and enter another, bigger one. It looks like a small living room actually; there are several couches and another big table. Remembering my dream, I look up to the roof and realize in shock that there are deep cracks in it. If I don't find him fast, history is gonna repeat itself.
I walk further into the room and cannot contain my jubilation when I see the familiar brown shock of hair on the ground.
"Dylan!"
I hear another crack, but this time I am sure it is my heart and not the wood around me. I have to hold in my breath so I don't smell the scent of burnt flesh. It's dizzying my mind and the fact that the smoke probably invaded my lungs already doesn't really improve my state.
Dylan's lying on his back right next to the wall. His legs are bent in a weird angle. His shirt seems to be melted into his skin and has several holes in it. The surrounding area of his left eye is blackened and the skin is partially burnt to its very core. The sight is making me sick and angry at the same time.
"Dylan!" I call out his name again and kneel down next to him.
His now brown eyes are like two stiff dots. His gaze is hollow, directed into the room, but not fixing on anything. I catch sight of a single tear escaping his right – not damaged – eye, falling down on the ground. I get a hold on him what causes the flames to die down immediately, but he's still not moving, at all.
The cracking of the roof catches my attention again and I don't hesitate before lifting Dylan up and running out of this goddamned cottage.
As soon as we're out I take a deep breath, filling my lungs with the cold, clear air of the night. I collapse on the ground and lay Dylan down in front of me. I hear the cottage breaking down but I choose to ignore the fact that we just escaped death because of a few seconds.
Though... we're immortal. Right?
I brush Dylan's hair aside, carefully not to touch the melted skin on the left side. His eyes are still disoriented but they eventually fall on me and get wide.
"Dad?" his voice is hoarse, barely there. But it's enough for me to exhale in relief. Thank god.
"Almost."
More tears follow the one from before and within seconds he's shaken by his sobs.
"Dylan I promise you'll be okay. I promise you that. But right now I need you to get a grip okay?"
I look him deep into the brown orbs that look so much like my own. His pained expression stays but he slowly nods. He leans into the grass, closing his eyes before he relaxes completely.
I for myself sigh again and check my digivice. Maybe the others are on their way already. I should let them know that I got everything under control.
I feel someone grabbing my arm and I turn around to Dylan who is looking at something behind me with a horrified expression
"Dad! Watch out!"
Before I can turn around and see what on earth shook my future son up that much I feel a dull blow against my temple. My sight blurs almost immediately and I feel how I collapse on the soft grass.
Raindrops falling on my face are the last sensation I feel before I black out.
Matt's POV
The Rain is pouring down, worsening our already bad sight of the forest. Though my new received helmet shows me the dark forest in a much clearer way than usual, I still have trouble to find my way. The others seem to have similar problems.
Mimi, Davis, Ken, T.K and Alec are accompanying me. The rest had to stay behind, for now. We agreed that if anything bad happens the rest would come after us. Sora is probably still pissed at me and Alec ganging up on her and refusing to let her come with us. But Alec had a good point when he mentioned that someone should stay back to watch over the rest of them. So she gave in finally. However Kazumi not being here wonders me the most... but Alec wouldn't say anything about her whereabouts so I decided to just drop it.
After all, I see how Alec chose the ones who would go on this mission. Mimi and I are obviously here because we both triggered our powers today. I can feel them brew deep inside of me, causing my hands to tremble lightly, similar to what Tai went through.
T.K's obviously here because of MagnaAngemon and Davis and Ken have Paildramon. As for Alec... well, he's just Alec.
"I can't believe you let Tai go alone! In the middle of the night!" Mimi breaks the perseverative silence finally. I jerk because of the shrill sound of her voice and turn to look at her. Her helmet is fixed on her belt as well as Alec's, who she's glaring daggers at. Alec for his part just stares on the ground, his wet hair covering his eyes.
"You don't understand", he mumbles quietly. "He had some very good arguments."
"There is literally NO argument on this world that would justify what you did! He could be dead!" She continues to shout at him and I can almost see Alec shrinking under her.
"Mimi, Tai is immortal", T.K tries to calm her down. "Right?", he turns around to Alec, looking for approval. He just nods and I can see my little brother sighing in relief.
"Meems, I am sure Alec had some very good reasons to let Tai go. He would not let anything happen to him", I join the conversation since Alec really does not deserve that treatment. He proved for several times now that he's one of the good ones.
"Yeah! After all, you're saving his ass all the time!" Davis says jokingly, slapping Alec on his shoulder playfully.
"Ouch", Alec hand shots up and clutches his chest. He narrows his eyes to a slit and bites on his lower lip in an attempt not to let out any sound that would give away his pain. Davis immediately lays his hand on Alec's back in a comforting way.
"Hey I am sorry man I didn't mean to hurt you."
"It's fine Davis, don't worry about it", Alec whispers before he takes a deep breath and straightens his posture again. He gives us a small smile before he sets in motion again.
The others eye me as if I know anything they don't. I just shrug and continue to walk through the forest.
"I told you it was a stupid idea to go. You're still in pain, obviously", Phoenix' voice sounds through our headsets, obviously talking to Alec.
"Oh just shut up little bro. I'm okay."
There he is, with his bitchy tone again.
"Alec you – "
"Guys do you smell that too?" Ken interrupts us and we all come to a halt. I take off my helmet and sniff the air around us.
He is right; the smell of burnt wood hangs in the air. Though the rain kind of mixed up the smells of the forest with it, there is no doubt, something was burning up until a few minutes ago probably. I glance around my teammates and they all wear similar confused expressions as me. Everyone but one; Alec's face is paler than I ever saw him before and his chest rises and falls rapidly.
As if lighting just stuck him he turns to one side and starts to jog to what looks like a clearing.
We don't wait for another second and follow him, putting our helmets on in the process.
"Dylan!" I hear Alec shout out and he picks up his pace immediately. As soon as I step into the clearing a small, completely burnt down cottage catches my sight and I have to pull myself together to prevent the sick images of my best friend being trapped inside of it to appear in my mind.
"Where is Tai?" Davis looks around the clearing. His question makes me shiver and I look around frantically.
"What do you mean Davis? He's right there", Mimi exclaims, running to Alec who is bent over a lying figure. I turn around and catch sight of a second figure right next to what I assume must be Dylan.
"Oh, sorry I didn't see him at first", Davis mumbles something but I am already running towards them. The others quickly follow.
I come to a halt in front of Dylan and Tai who are both lying on the grass, unconscious. While Dylan looks like a freakin grilled chicken I can't help but feel relieved that Tai doesn't even have a scratch on himself.
"Maybe he just inhaled too much smoke", T.K says, kneeling next to Mimi and Tai. Mimi just nods and keeps examining Tai for any injuries.
"Alec how can I help?" Ken's voice drives my attention to him. He's kneeling next to Dylan's battered body which Alec desperately tries to clean up somehow. I can see his hands shaking vividly. I don't really have to know Alec very well to know that this sight must hurt him, bad.
"I – I "
"Let me", I interrupt him and slowly push him aside from Tai's future son's side. "We have to get them both out of here."
"And who said I was okay with that?" A new voice makes us all stop in our tracks and look to the other side of the clearing.
A digimon I never saw before is standing there, looking evilly at us. It looks like an old man with a freakin long, white beard and long white hair that falls down his back. He's wearing green pants and some ridiculous looking red shoes that resemble the ones you would see the Persians wearing. Red wings come out of his back. His face is covered by a golden crow – like mask and he's holding a nasty looking wand with a snake's head on it in his hand. This Digimon looks terrifying.
"Barbamon", Alec hisses under his breath, standing in front of us in a protective manner. Fuck, this is one of the demon lords then.
"Master Alec, I am very happy to see you finally. Unfortunately you're standing on the wrong side", a wicked smile appears on his face. I can see Alec tensing up but his voice sure as hell masks his inner emotions.
"Weird... Lilithmon said the same thing."
"Because you're not yourself Alec! Lucemon would be very happy to have you back. Come back, friend."
"I don't think so, foe." It takes Alec not even a second to shot a dark energy beam towards the digimon, catching him off guard and therefore, sending him flying into the nearest tree.
"You FOOL!" Barbamon shouts out angrily. Alec seems like he's just about to launch himself at the demon lord but the bushes all around us start to shake all of the sudden, catching us off guard.
I slowly turn around to catch sight of anything unordinary and feel my heart sink the moment I do so.
Hundreds – or thousands? – dark creatures exit the forest and zero in on us. I am not sure if I am able to see them now because of my new received power or the helmet that I am wearing. But T.K, Davis and Ken backing off, is prove enough that the helmet pretty much helps them to see these devil spawns too.
"What are these things? Gremlins?!" Davis shouts out, looking at the creatures in shock. I have to admit, he has a point. They indeed look exactly like gremlins... with the only difference that their eyes are pitched black and the giant ears are missing.
"Davis!" Ken shouts out for his partner who just nods and looks to Veemon. Veemon for his part eyes Davis nervously, obviously communicating with his partner. Davis just gives him a nod before he takes out his digivice. It's moments like these I'd die to see the expression of the people because I can tell Davis is not feeling completely okay with Veemon digivolving.
"Let's go Ken!"
Veemon digivolve to... ExVeemon!
Wormmon digivolve to ... Stingmon!
ExVeemon, Stingmon DNA digivolution to ... PAILDRAMMON!
The immense bright light of the digivolution makes the creatures back off and look around in total confusion. Looks like they can't stand brightness then...
"You too Patamon!"
"Palmon, please!"
Patamon digivolve to ... Angemon!
Palmon digivolve to ... Togemon!
Angemon ultra digivolution to ... MAGNAANGEMON
Togemon ulta digivoluvion to ... LILYMON!
I feel something tugging on my leg and look down into the crimson eyes of my partner digimon:" Matt?"
"I – I'm sorry. Are you ready?" I take out my own digivice that is blinding me already. Gabumon just smiles brightly at me, being engulfed by the bright light of my crest.
Gabumon warp digivolve to ... METALGARURUMON!
"Let's have some fun guys!" MetalGarurumon jumps forward right into the mass of the dark creatures. Lilymon, MagnaAngemon and Paildramon follow his example and launch forward.
"Electric Bolt!" Paildramon holds out both of his hands and fires a bolt of electricity from them towards the nearest figures. As soon as they are hit by the attack they start to dissolve into data.
Destroying them can't be that easy, can it?
"Flower Canon!"
"Excalibur!
Lilymon's attack hits several more enemies, causing them to disappear. MagnaAngemon for his part slashes the enemies who are nearest to him with his sword. Within seconds the whole battlefield is enwind with bits of data that are floating in the air. But it doesn't look like there's an end to these things.
I turn around and look at Alec who is slashing, pushing and punching these creatures who all gather around him. He moves like lighting, absolutely focused on killing each of his enemies.
A weird dark, but at the same time slightly reddish aura is surrounding him and his dagger in his hand. With each strike however he slows down and his breathing increases. His chest rises and falls rapidly and I remember Phoenix' words from before... that he's actually not allowed to be here, because he's still heavily injured...
"Desperado Blaster!" - and a few more of them die...
"Alec!" Mimi's voice drives all my attention back to Kazumi's boyfriend who just slipped on the wet ground, being left with no defense.
"MetalGarurumon!" I shout out for my partner but he is already on his way. One of these spawns is just about to drive it's claws into Alec's already damaged chest when MetalGarurumon's attack hits it.
"Metal Wolf Claw!" The creature has only time to look up and face its death before it dissolves into data. Alec quickly gets back on his feet and looks around. There are still creatures flowing out of the forest all around us, as if there is some machine that is cloning them. Alec pants hard before he turns to me and something in his gaze flickers.
"Matt, shock them", I hear him through my headset.
"How on earth should I do that?!"
He gestures to the wet ground before he approaches us again and kneels down. He presses his hands against the ground beneath us and within seconds I can feel how it warms up.
"Flower Wreath!" - several ropes of vines and flowers appear and zip around the enemies.
"Judgment Slash!" MagnaAngemon strikes the zipped enemies, leaving nothing but data behind again.
"Matt, do it! Think about lighting or something. You can do it, I know it!" Alec says through his headset although he is kneeling right next to me. I glance down and notice that we are all standing in a circle which Alec just dried. He's such a genius...
"Matt!" He hisses again, snapping me out of my admiration. I can still feel the impacts of our digimons' attacks, and see more and more creatures dissolving into data. But it seems like the more die, the more come out of the forest.
I close my eyes and as if my body knows what to do by its own I extend my hands, focusing on what I want to do...
All of the sudden I can feel a weird prickling sensation on my palms and the next thing I notice are the pitiful screams which are obviously coming from the creatures in front of me.
The others next to me gasp and I can hear Alec – who is standing on my right side – exhale in relief.
I open my eyes slowly and – as ironically as it sounds – I am shocked. Hundreds... no, thousand creatures tremble heavily before one by one explodes, leaving nothing behind.
The ground beneath them is sparkling visually and I can feel the immense energy coming from my hands. It flows through my veins, making me feel like I could destroy everything around me with a snip of my fingers. And it feels damn good.
I am going to kill them... I am going to kill every one of them.
"Matt", Alec slowly grabs my hands and pulls them down again. The sensation dies down immediately and I can feel Alec's other hand on my cheek, forcing me to look him into his deep greyish – blue eyes.
"They're dead Matt. You can stop now."
I slowly look around the clearing; he is right. The last bits of data disappear in the darkness, leaving nothing behind but the reverberation of the creature's screams. I can feel the gazes of my friends on me, but it is her I really care about.
I stare into Mimi's brown orbs; she's staring at me with wide eyes – if because of shock or surprise I am not sure. But I really hope it's because of the latter.
"Damn Matt, I didn't know you were that badass", my brother says, staring at me in awe. I am just about to say something back when someone starts to clap slowly. We all turn around and see Barbamon approaching us.
"I am impressed."
"Good, because you're next!" Paildramon wastes no time and flies towards the demon lord.
"Sting Strike!" Paildramon's spikes on his wrists extend into lances, aimed directly at the demon lord. Barbamon just smiles lightly and disappears in the air, just to reappear a few meters next to his previous position.
"You're too slow my friend…Dark Inferno!" Paildramon's swift moment of confusion is enough for Barbamon's dark flame to hit the digimon right into the gut, causing him crash into the remains of the burnt down cottage.
"Paildramon!" Ken shouts out and is just about to run towards the digimon when Paildramon straightens himself again and flies back.
"Come on guys he needs our help!" MetalGarurumon shouts out and joins Paildramon's side, quickly followed by Lillymon and MagnaAngemon.
"Metal Wolf Claw!" MetalGarurumon's attack freezes Barbamon completely, leaving him as helpless as Lilithmon was when we destroyed her.
"Flower Canon!"
"Excalibur!"
The two attacks combine and hit the digimon, causing it to shatter into pieces right in front of us.
"Wow we did it! That was freaking easy!" Davis exclaims happily. It can't be that easy, can it?
"Dark Inferno!"
The dark flame shows up from nowhere, hitting Paildramon with full force. The digimon sinks down to his knees but before Barbamon can attack again MetalGarurumon bites into his arm, causing said digimon to scream out in pain.
"You fucking Tyke!" He shakes my partner digimon off, sending him flying into a few bushes. It takes only two seconds for MetalGarurumon to get back to his feet again though.
"Who did you call Tyke you walking corpse?!" Lilymon flies up to Barbamon, hitting him right into his face. But unfortunately she obviously underestimated his strength because he grabs her ankle and spins her around.
Just when I expect him to let go of her he seems to tighten his grip and strikes her right into the trees, causing her to scream out in pain and falling down on the ground.
"Lilymon!" Mimi breaks into a run and throws herself over her digimon, shaking her lightly. Lilymon however doesn't seem like being conscious anymore. I can see her lips trembling and her expression changing from fearsome in something very unlikely for Mimi; anger.
"You, monster!" She gets back on her feet and looks up the demon lord who just smiles at her, not the least bothered by her outburst. But the seriousness of the situation seems to sink in rather quickly because within seconds his eyes wide and he backs off lightly.
Mimi's eyes flicker, shimmering in a greenish light again – much similar to what they looked like after her heart stopped beating. I can feel the ground shaking beneath me and look over to Alec for any help but he just shakes his head and gestures for me to not interfere, at least for now.
Barbamon screams out in pain before he bends over, clutching his head while doing so. He's obviously experiencing rather great pain.
"Whoa", Ken whispers next to me. I look into the same direction as him to see what amazed him that much; Mimi's focusing Barbamon, rage visible on her face.
"Get him, this is our chance!" T.K shouts out.
MagnaAngemon does not waste any second and approaches Barbamon again, quickly followed by Paildramon and MetalGarurumon.
"Gate of Destiny! "
The gate opens, revealing a bright white light, creating a heavy contrast to the never ending night we're currently in.
"MetalGarurumon, Paildramon, push him inside!" MagnaAngemon shouts out for the other two.
"I would love nothing more than that!" Paildramon grabs Barbamon who is still holding onto his head, completely motionless, and throws him into the air like a football.
"Grace Cross Freezer!"
MetalGarurumon's attack pierces through the air and sends Barbamon flying right into MagnaAngemon's Gate of destiny.
The light is gone as soon as it closes, leaving us in complete darkness again.
"Is it over? Is he gone?" Ken asks, looking around as if he's expecting the demon lord to jump out of any of the bushes.
"I think we did it…", Davis answers, following Ken's example and scanning the whole area himself.
I turn around to Mimi whose eyes are back to her normal brown color. She's still kneeling next to her unconscious Digimon, ignoring everything around her. I silently walk over to the two and kneel down next to her. She obviously senses my presence because she turns around immediately, her expression softening the moment she realizes who's next to her. ¨
"Matt…"
I silently grab her hand;" you were amazing."
She smiles lightly at me and I swear I see her blushing but the darkness makes it hard to tell:" you were not that bad yourself – "
She doesn't get to end her sentence because an ear-piercing sound of something shattering into echoes through the whole area.
I turn to where I assume the source of the sound to be and regret it as soon as I do. Million tiny, golden bits of what I think are the remains of MagnaAngemon's gate fall down on the ground, like golden rain. However it is the sight of a heavily damaged Barbamon who is standing in front of us all, literally fuming with anger. But that wouldn't even be that bad if it weren't for the boy he is holding in front of him, using him as a shield; Dylan's limp body hangs lifelessly in his grip and after taking a closer look I can see Barbamon holding something shiny in his hand, ready to pierce Dylan with it.
"Barbamon, don't", Alec whispers, approaching the demon lord slowly.
"One more step Alec, and courage's son is dead." His voice sends shivers down my spine. I can tell that we pissed him off pretty much when we sent him through the gate.
"Guys… don't do anything stupid. I doubt that he's bluffing", Izzy's voice sounds in my headset and I can tell that everyone heard him because we all take a step back in unison, giving Barbamon as much space as possible.
I can feel my heart beat accelerating, and the heat boiling inside of me. There is just no way I let anything bad happen to that kid… although I don't know him that well, he is still the son of my best friend, kind of.
I grit my teeth in frustration and look around for anything helpful, but there is nothing. It takes Barbamon exactly a second to drive the dagger into Dylan's body, leaving us with no possibilities than to give up…
"Kill…him", a barely audible voice sounds. Dylan forces his undamaged eye open and looks at us with his deep brown orb he inherited from his father. Barbamon himself looks over to the boy in surprise, but tightens his grip as if he's fearing that Dylan somehow could free himself.
"He'll kill you if we try that", Alec says through gritted teeth. After stealing a glance at him I can clearly see him trembling, if because he's scared or angry I can't tell.
"Don't…worry about me. Just… do… it."
Paildramon slowly turns towards Ken and Davis who just silently shake their heads. No… there is no way we'd do that.
"Alec… please", Dylan calls out, looking straight at Alec who is desperately trying to calm himself down.
"You should not push yourself that hard zombie – boy", Barbamon says, aiming the dagger at the boy's neck, ready to slice it open.
"Mimi… you have the power to loosen Barbamon's grip on Dylan", Phoenix' voice sounds in our headsets suddenly, making all of us twitch in surprise.
"How am I supposed to do that?" Mimi whispers back, anxious, that no one hears her.
"You're powers are soil based. You can control it", Phoenix answers, his voice not giving away a hint that he's probably as nervous as Alec right now.
"Just make some roots appear behind his back or something like that", Alec chimes in.
"Well well well, do you see that Dylan? They obviously still care for your miserable life", Barbamon malicious laugh sounds through the darkness. Dylan for his part doesn't respond anymore; as much as I can tell he lost consciousness again.
"I should just end this here and – ARGH!"
Barbamon's hand in which he was holding the dagger suddenly gets pulled toward the ground, causing him to fall backwards and to let go of Dylan who himself slumps down on the ground again. The demon lord angrily pulls his hand back, causing the roots that were wrapped around his wrist to break. He gets on his feet again and just when he's about to grab Dylan again the cracking sound of wood makes him stop and turn around to the tree that just lost its contact to the ground.
"Whoa guys back off!" T.K shouts out, causing every one of us to take several steps back. Paildramon takes Lilymon into his arms and I try my best in pulling Mimi away who is focusing on the tree that is about to fall down and crush Barbamon.
She shakes my hand off and narrows her – once again – greenish shimmering eyes, causing the tree's last roots to break too.
"Dylan!" Alec shouts out and is just about to run to the boy who surely gets buried too but Davis is faster than him this time. Within seconds he reaches the unconscious boy on the ground and pulls him away, right before the tree hits the ground with a loud thud, making the whole area shake. I frantically look for a certain white beard and am just about to sigh in relief when his angry voice nearly blasts my eardrum.
"You… Vermin! How dare you!" Barbamon appears out of nowhere.
"Pandemonium Lost!"
I realize just in time that he's not launching himself at any of the Digimon, but at me. Instinctively I raise my hands, ready to defend myself somehow.
The attack he sent towards me vanishes in front of my eye, leaving me dumbfounded.
However I don't have the time to think about that too much because I see the Digimon running towards me, his wand aimed at me.
In a moment of pure courage – or probably pure madness – I grab his wand with my right hand and place my left one at his chest, trying to push him back somehow.
As soon as I touch him the feeling from before appears again. I can feel my palms prickle and the electricity coming out of my body, literally shocking Barbamon.
"Excalibur!"
MagnaAngemon's sword sticks out of Barbamon's chest, stopping a few inches before me. I let go of him and take a few steps back, looking right into his of shock widened eyes before he dissolves into data.
"Come closer to me guys!" Alec shouts out, taking another few steps back from the dissolving demon lord. Since I know what is about to happen I don't waste another second and grab Mimi and my little brother by their arms and pull them towards Alec. The Digimon, as well as Davis and Ken run towards us and before the dark spores can reach any of us Alec's already creating a dark shimmering shield.
"Matt, Mimi you have to help me stabilize my shield!" Alec shouts, his breath hitching. That is when I remember he actually is still injured, and in no condition to fight, let alone, protecting us all at once.
"ARGH!" T.K slumps down on his knees, his hand clutching the back of his neck. Oh No.
"T.S what is it?" Davis and Ken kneel down next to my little brother who is in no condition to give anyone an answer.
Mimi shots me a quick glance before standing on Alec's left side, while I join his right one. A greenish – blue light appears in front of us, supporting Alec's shield and protecting us from the spores that somehow ruptured the shield before.
As soon as every bit of it is gone I allow myself to relax and look over to my brother. Alec passes me and kneels down to him, grabbing his head and taking a look at the spot T.K was clutching all along.
"We'll take care of that T.K, don't worry", he whispers quietly, his gaze already on the both unconscious Kamiyas on the ground.
"T.K?"
He turns to me, smiling lightly:" I'll be fine… I guess." I have a feeling that you won't...
"Tai? Are you okay?" Mimi's voice drives my attention to my best friend who sits on the ground, rubbing his head. Relief washes over me. After taking a closer look at him though I have some trouble to suppress the frown that is slowly coming to the surface.
Where the fuck is his silver ring?
"Watch out guys, Barbamon is here somewhere", he says, looking around the whole area.
"Already taken care of Tai", Ken grins lightly.
"Oh… okay. Let's get out of here then, Dylan urgently needs some help."
I can't prevent my frown from deepening.
Somewhere in a dungeon – NADIA'S POV.
I was in denial for way too long, telling myself that what I felt for him wasn't real and that I just should forget about him and focus on the really important things… like looking out for my fiancée. But I cannot. Alec is perfectly capable to look after himself and doesn't really need me.
But him? There's still so much more he has to cope with… so much pain he can't even imagine. My heart breaks when I see his slumped down figure. He's not like Alec… he's not as broken as him. Not yet…I can't let that happen.
If only I could get him out of here…
"Tai", I call out his name for what feels like the 100th time, but there's no reaction. He's sitting in the corner of the dungeon, his hands in his lap. The silver ring on his finger shines through the darkness. His gaze is turned away from me in purpose: He knows I am here, but he is ignoring me.
"Tai…please", my voice breaks and I can't deny the fact that I am dying inside. Just how on earth did he deserve this?
"Tai…"
Ever so slowly he turns his head to me, looking at me with these colorless, cold eyes of his.
28/04/19
UH OH! Cliffhanger… again. I know, I am awful lol.
I am very happy that I managed to update at least once a month now… I'll try to update in a month again but I have some very important exams in June… sooo maybe – JUST MAYBE – I won't be able to update next month.
But hey! I give my best… and I'll try to make it happen!
Tell me what you think guys! Love it? Hate it? That's what reviews are for. :) give me candyyyy
Thanks, see you all soon!
