(Author's Notes: Here's the first part of Chapter 33, which is going to be in two parts. I'll post Part 2 in a couple weeks. Thanks for all the support and reviews. I appreciate it. Enjoy the chapter!)
Chapter 33: Evening Light (Part I)
The setting sun cast an amber glow across the grassy expanse. The orange orb of solar energy rested at a low angle in the sky as it declined, steadily dipping towards the far-off horizon. A gentle breeze drifted across the landscape, carried over the ocean from the western coast of the distant continent of Colossus.
A group of four Digimon made their way up a gentle slope. They stayed on course via a stone road that crested the hill at its flattest point. Leading the way up the path was Paildramon. She strode up the trail with tireless resolve. As she approached the apex of the hill, she was greeted with orange sunlight across her face. As the light spread across her crimson helmet, Paildramon squinted momentarily and turned around to look at the other Digimon behind her.
Dorbickmon strode after her, making his way up the stone path. He walked up the hill stubbornly, his body not showing any signs of tiring. Wandering behind him was VictoryGreymon, who was in as high spirits as ever. He trundled along with a meek but affable smile on his draconic face, even as he lugged the weighty Dramon Breaker against his shoulder. Bringing up the rear was GrandisKuwagamon, who lagged behind at a casual pace.
"Don't dawdle, GrandisKuwagamon," Paildramon advised him, looking down from the crest. "You'll get out of range."
"Yeah, yeah," was the bug's flippant response.
VictoryGreymon turned and looked at GrandisKuwagamon with concern. "Are you getting tired?" he wondered. "I could ca—"
"Don't even finish that thought, lizard," GrandisKuwagamon interrupted, speeding up his stride and moving past the dinosaur man to emphatically dismiss the notion.
"Oh, okay. Just thought I'd ask," VictoryGreymon responded, smiling sheepishly. He turned his draconic head forwards and looked up at Paildramon and Dorbickmon. "How close are we to Dark Point?"
"We're about at the western-most reaches of the Republic's territory now," Paildramon guessed. "Since Dark Point is on the western coast, I would say that we're about two-thirds of the way there." She turned around and looked up at the higher mound of the hill that they were traipsing up. "I'm going to go to the top of the hill and see what the area ahead looks like."
"We'll come too," Dorbickmon agreed. He lugged a small bag over his spiked back as he followed Paildramon off the road and further up to the highest point of the hill.
The group continued climbing the mound until the grassy incline levelled off at the top. At the hill's crest, they stopped and used the vantage point to observe the land to the west.
With the amber sun providing a backlight, they gazed upon a beautiful vista. In the far distance, over to their left, were a chain of small mountains that were like a series of claws reaching up from within the Digital World. Immediately ahead of them were rolling fields and smaller hills that glowed with goldenrod radiance. The road that they were following weaved around the hills seamlessly before straightening out upon reaching the grassy plains beyond.
Further down the road was a small, diffused forest called Analog Forest that was distinct by its abundance of radios and televisions. They couldn't yet see it, but far beyond the hills and forest was the Delta Ocean. Seeing the sparkling waves of the ocean in the distance would have completed the picturesque view.
"Can't see Dark Point from here," GrandisKuwagamon explained to them, raising a hand above his compound eye to shield it from the strong sunlight. "We're still about ten kilometers away. It'll be another few hours."
"Then we should probably stop soon. We shouldn't travel in the dark," Paildramon suggested. "Why don't we travel up to Analog Forest and then set up camp there for the night? We can continue at first light tomorrow."
"Sounds good to me," Dorbickmon agreed, folding his arms and gazing towards the forest. "It's a pretty safe forest, as far as they go."
"I like that idea too. My feet are starting to get tired," VictoryGreymon added with a nod.
"Whatever you say, leader," GrandisKuwagamon replied flippantly, shrugging and beginning to walk back down the hill. "Not like my opinion counts for anything."
Paildramon turned and looked at the bug Digimon as he made his way down the slope towards the road. "Do you actually have a different opinion? Or are you just being awkward on purpose?" she inquired matter-of-factly. "If it's the former, I'm willing to consider what you have to say."
"I'll leave it up to you to decide!" GrandisKuwagamon called back, dismissively waving his hand over his shoulder without bothering to turn. "It's your job to make decisions for me, right?"
"He's just being an ass…" Dorbickmon explained with a soft growl to his words. After a moment, the glower faded and a mischievous smirk crawled onto Dorbickmon's draconic face. He casually tapped his foot on the ground.
Suddenly a large clump of dirt rose from the ground right in front of GrandisKuwagamon's next step. He caught his clawed foot on the raised outcropping and lost his balance on the slope. GrandisKuwagamon tripped forwards and fell before he could stop himself. In a flurry of limbs and pincers, he tumbled down the face of the hill before settling into an ignominious roll. He grabbed hold of the hill, digging his black fingers into the soil, and managed to stop himself before he reached the bottom of the hill.
Resting on his back, GrandisKuwagamon glared up the hill at Dorbickmon. His mandibles twitched irritably and his compound eye narrowed ever so slightly. "Damn it! I know that was you, lizard! You're not getting away with that!" he irately promised.
Dorbickmon snickered audibly. "Dunno what you're talking about, bug!" he called back in mock innocence. "Not my fault you have two left feet!"
"You'll have no left feet if you're not careful," the mercenary fired back.
"I-It's okay, Grandis!" VictoryGreymon called down to him in an attempt to make him feel better. "That happens to me all the time!"
Paildramon sighed and turned her head to blandly gaze at Dorbickmon. "…Try to restrain yourself, Dorbickmon," she implored him. "Pressing his buttons won't make this any easier for any of us."
Dorbickmon smirked. "He had it coming," he insisted. He rolled his eyes. "But fine. I'll try."
"I appreciate it," Paildramon said, beginning to make her way down the hill towards GrandisKuwagamon, who was picking himself up and brushing his armour and exoskeleton off. "Let's keep moving before the sun sets entirely."
"Okay. We're coming, Grandis!" VictoryGreymon called out, animatedly jogging down the hill. "Just- Gah!" Unsurprisingly, VictoryGreymon ended up tripping on the exact same clump of dirt that GrandisKuwagamon had tripped on and fell face-first down the hill.
Paildramon watched with a wince as the hapless dragon skidded past her and slid all the way to the bottom in an inglorious heap. She was just relieved that he didn't fall on his sword.
Dorbickmon laughed and pedalled down the hill after him. "Don't feel too bad, Grandis; you've got VictoryGreymon falling head-over-heels for you!" he joked, making his way down to them.
"Hilarious," GrandisKuwagamon flatly responded, tossing a clump of dirt at Dorbickmon. "Can we go now?"
"Ow…" VictoryGreymon moaned from the bottom of the hill, slowly getting on his hands and knees to pick himself up. "Y-Yeah. I'm okay…"
Paildramon glided down the rest of the way and landed beside them. "We can probably get there within the hour," she mused, offering her hand to VictoryGreymon to help the dragon man stand to his feet.
VictoryGreymon stood up and thanked her sheepishly. The group then proceeded back into the road and began following it across the verdant terrain.
As she walked, Paildramon inwardly noted that this was a very unorthodox team that she was a part of. Two of them were volatile mercenaries while the other was the clumsy but well-meaning VictoryGreymon. She felt it would be an interesting challenge for her to manage these different personalities. She hoped that they would be able to pull together once they reached Dark Point and the mission physically began.
As the hours passed, the umber shadows of darkness crept over the landscape. The mild spring night set in as the sun disappeared below the horizon. The pale light of the twin moons illuminated the canopy of Analog Forest, casting slender rays of moonlight between the leaves and onto the forest floor.
Analog Forest was an unusual and somewhat ominous woodland. Televisions grew out of the trunks of trees, and radio antennae protruded from the branches and shrubs. Most of the television screens were either dark, hissed with static, or had the rainbow spectrum of a TV colour bar. Very few of the televisions actually showed anything, and even then, the picture was usually distorted due to bad reception. The larger of the trees has flat screen TVs built into them. The absolute largest trees around had sixty inch monitors and surround sounds system embedded in the trunk, with auxiliary speakers on surrounding trees. These electronics created an eerie glow that illuminated the dark throughout the forest. If one listened closely, they would know that the gentle whirr of fans and the whisper of static were ever-present.
The covert team of four set up a makeshift camp at the edge of Analog Forest. Four sleeping bags lay in a circle on the ground. Dorbickmon bent over and breathed embers from his mouth into a fire pit, igniting the gathered sticks, twigs and flammable brush that was carefully arranged in the shallow hole. Paildramon crouched down across from him, feeding the fire sticks with one hand and using a broad leaf to fan the flames with the other. As Paildramon kept the fire healthy and going, VictoryGreymon walked over with a large bundle of sticks gathered precariously between his muscular arms.
GrandisKuwagamon, however, merely leaned against the tree and watched the three set up camp. He wasn't particularly inclined to help. In fact, he seemed lost in thought.
The last ember fluttered out on Dorbickmon's breath and smoke drifted up from his draconic maw. He fixed his eyes on the idle insect Digimon and glared with annoyance. "Hey, bug!" he called out.
GrandisKuwagamon either didn't hear him at first or he ignored him. Instead of responding, he kept staring at the campfire pensively. The reflection of the flames glimmered within his crimson, compound eye.
"I said, 'hey, bug!'" Dorbickmon said louder and more emphatically. "Why don't you move your ass and help us?"
The bug Digimon slowly pulled his gaze away from the flames and stared at Dorbickmon aloofly. "You guys look like you've got it under control," he apathetically replied.
Paildramon continued fanning the embers until the fire became stable, at which point she put thicker branches on top of the flames to keep it going. When done, she stood up and turned to look at GrandisKuwagamon. "This mission would go much more smoothly if we all cooperated with each other. We are supposed to avoid combat, but it will still be dangerous regardless. We should try to act like a team."
GrandisKuwagamon leaned back against a tree and rolled his eye. "Whatever you say, P," he dismissively replied.
Dorbickmon cast a sideways leer at him, the yellow sclera of his eyes burned like the flames that flickered in front of him. "Tch…" he scoffed with annoyance. "Were you this much of a team player in Black Pincer Company too? No wonder your two bug cronies left you out to dry."
At these barbed words, the midnight insect stood up from the tree and glared coolly across their campsite at Dorbickmon. "What was that…?" he questioned, his voice as sharp and cold as an icicle. "Want to repeat that, salamander?"
The corners of Dorbickmon's lips curved upwards as a contentious grin crept onto his draconic snout. He took a brazen step forwards to make it clear that he wasn't moved by GrandisKuwagamon's veiled threat. "If your hearing's that bad, sure," he offered, pitting his violet irises against the scarab man's blood red leer.
VictoryGreymon stood up, looking between the two mercenaries with uncertainty and worry in his big, green eyes. Beads of sweat began to form on his face and he tentatively opened his draconic mouth to try to deescalate the situation, but he hesitated in the face of the two daunting personalities.
"Uh…" he managed, putting on a nervous smile as the tension between the two mercenaries grew. "Why don't we – um…" VictoryGreymon stalled and rubbed his muscular neck, uncomfortable as he tried to think of the best words to say in this situation. He knew he had to say something, but he was at a loss, so he tried to think of what Alphamon would say in this situation.
"…C-Coffee! Why don't we have some coffee?!" VictoryGreymon stammered out hopelessly.
Paildramon sighed. "Settle down, you two," the Perfect level dragon Digimon told them calmly but firmly. She took a few steps and put herself in between the pair before they could make a move towards one another. Upon acting as a barrier, she turned towards the red dragon. "Dorbickmon, please… Enough."
Dorbickmon grinned and scoffed, shrugging lackadaisically. "He's the one with an attitude problem," he responded, nodding curtly at GrandisKuwagamon.
"You don't need to make it worse," Paildramon responded sternly. She turned around to look at GrandisKuwagamon. "And GrandisKuwagamon—"
"Yeah, got it. Fine, whatever," he briskly uttered in response. He turned around and began walking into the dark forest. "I'm gonna take a leak."
VictoryGreymon took a few steps after him. "Want me to—"
"No!" GrandisKuwagamon irately responded, cutting him off before he could finish the thought.
Paildramon gazed at him evenly. "Don't go too far," she advised him.
"Yeah, I know. I won't…" GrandisKuwagamon murmured. He stepped out of the moonlight and as soon as the last strand of pale light left the dim sheen of his wings, he immediately melded into the darkness of the forest.
Dorbickmon snorted out a flame from his nostrils. "What's his problem? He should be thankful that he's getting a chance to reduce his sentence," he gnarled. "Instead, he just keeps giving attitude."
Paildramon went and sat down, cross-legged, on top of her sleeping bag. She sat close enough to the fire to feel its warmth. "If I were to guess, I don't think he likes being in a dependent situation. I think he's used to being in control of himself and his actions; now, he's forced to obey our instructions. I can understand that being frustrating for him," Paildramon suggested as she picked up a stick and prodded the tinder in the fire.
As she tended the fire, the female dragon looked over at Dorbickmon emphatically. "You mercenaries don't have a structured life like we soldiers do. There's no chain of command, duties, or obligations. We're used to following orders to the letter. It must be a difficult transition, suddenly having authority and limitations imposed over you when you're used to a free and unstructured way of life. I think it bothers somebody like GrandisKuwagamon in particular. I've only known him for a few days, but I can tell that he doesn't like authority or limitations. He seems like an ardent individualist."
VictoryGreymon frowned sympathetically and sat down on his own sleeping bag, bending his knees and arching his legs so that he could lean forward on them. "Gee, that's pretty insightful, Paildramon…" he murmured, impressed by her analysis of their teammate. "I never thought of it like that."
Paildramon sighed, wondering if she was speculating on behalf of GrandisKuwagamon too much. "I'm not sure. I shouldn't speak for him, especially since all I've ever known was structure and authority. That's just my opinion of why he acts so standoffish," she amended.
Dorbickmon grunted and sat down across from them with a frown. He shrugged and stared through the smoke of the campfire at the pair. "Actually, I think you're onto something, Paildramon. There's a reason why I didn't join the Order, even when they asked me. It's too rigid for me. I've always walked my own path. I don't like the idea of giving that up," he explained.
VictoryGreymon folded his arms across his propped up knees, and then rested his chin on top of them, looking deep in thought. "So, Grandis wants freedom bad enough that he's willing to put himself through this… I kinda feel bad for him," he mused.
The red dragon looked over at him. "What's his alternative? Go to jail where he has even less freedom? Of course he's gonna jump at this chance," he cynically pointed out. "It's not like it's a principled thing he's doing, helping us."
"Well… I guess that's true…" VictoryGreymon supposed. "Still, I don't know if I'd like having a shock collar in me, even if it was the Royal Knights who installed it. I feel like I'd forget about it a lot."
"It's the only way that we can ensure his loyalty, unfortunately," Paildramon explained to VictoryGreymon.
"Yeah. I know the Royal Knights have a good reason," VictoryGreymon answered understandingly. He turned his head and looked over at Dorbickmon, a smile growing on his snout. "So… Is it true that you're best friends with Sir Examon?"
Dorbickmon cocked an eyebrow and glanced back at VictoryGreymon, taken somewhat off guard. He began rubbing his claws along his spiked jaw line. "Uh… I wouldn't say we're best friends… It's… complicated, okay?"
"It is? You two seem pretty close though," VictoryGreymon mused.
"Haven't you heard the rumours floating around?" Dorbickmon inquired. "I was one of the ones who fought alongside DarkKnightmon during the crisis."
"Well, yeah, but you switched sides and fought against DarkKnightmon at the end, right? You don't seem that bad to me," VictoryGreymon assured him with a friendly grin.
"It's not that simple… There's a lot of history with me and Examon," Dorbickmon responded, glancing away sheepishly.
Paildramon withdrew her stick from the fire and placed it down. "Do you feel comfortable talking about it? I've heard rumours, but I'd rather hear the truth from you," she said, looking at Dorbickmon with interest.
"Yeah, me too," VictoryGreymon readily agreed, smiling with curiosity and excitement. "I'd love to know more about you and Examon."
Dorbickmon sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, grinning with resignation. "Jeez… How can I say no? Okay, fine…" he conceded. "We used to be best friends during childhood. We did everything together, pretty much. Neither of us really had traditional families, so we ended up spending a lot of time together."
As he spoke, GrandisKuwagamon re-emerged from the forest. Although not hiding his presence, he didn't make himself known and he lingered in the shadows just outside of the campsite. The humanoid beetle folded his arms, leaned against a tree and listened in as they talked.
"One day, when we were Adult levels, we were roughhousing on the way home. It was all fun and games, but when I had Coredramon – Examon - in a headlock, he suddenly went nuts on me. He pushed me away and started firing off these really powerful beams from his mouth. Before I knew it, Coredramon blew up a bunch of buildings. I didn't know what was goin' on, but I tried to stop him and get him to settle down. But then he turned on me. I grabbed him but then he scratched me away and fired at me too," Dorbickmon explained, his eyes narrow as he recounted the events of that day.
Dorbickmon lifted up his crimson breastplate and removed his abdominal armour to reveal the ruby scales underneath. As the metal was stripped away, Paildramon and VictoryGreymon both saw a massive, jagged scar running up his scales. The scarring was thick and pink compared to the surrounding crimson scales. It went from his left hip all the way up to his collar and left shoulder. VictoryGreymon's jaw dropped at the sight.
"Nice, right?" Dorbickmon proposed with an ironic grin. He pointed his index claw to the middle of his chest and abdomen. There was a set of three vertical, evenly spaced scars that were shaped like diamonds. "It goes well with the ones MirageGaogamon gave me a couple years ago, don't you think?"
"That must have been terrible…" VictoryGreymon mused, his eyes wide with shock.
"I nearly died that day. …For the longest time, I could still smell the smoke and blood. And the last thing I remember before passing out was Coredramon staring down at me," Dorbickmon responded, his gaze intense and his voice heavy. He made himself break the intensity by giving a nonchalant shrug. "Anyway, luckily the doctors of Wyrm's Edge managed to stabilize me and I eventually recovered, despite coming close to dying. When I woke up, I asked what happened to Coredramon. They told me he was gone. Just 'gone'… Ran off after the attack and never returned. He didn't even wait around to see if I was alive," he explained, trying to cover the discomfort in his words. "That showed me just how far friendship went…"
VictoryGreymon's gaze furrowed deeply at this, although he tried his best to hide his uneasiness at the story. "He… Examon really did that?" he questioned him, almost unable to believe it. "But… That doesn't seem like him at all… He's so nice!"
Dorbickmon grunted and leaned back on his hands. "Look, we've had long talks about it. He apologised – a lot. After we patched things up during the aftermath of DarkKnightmon's attacks, he wanted to explain his side. Apparently I hit his Gekirin – his reverse scale or whatever. Whenever it's touched, it apparently makes him go ballistic and he doesn't have any control over it. That's why he went berserk…" Dorbickmon explained, gazing up at the starry sky as he spoke. "Afterwards, when he got control of himself again, he said he saw me on the ground – saw what he had done to me - and just broke. He couldn't handle the guilt and shame, so his first instinct was to run off. Apparently secluded himself in the Dragon Mountains for years. Didn't even have contact with his parents."
VictoryGreymon's emerald eyes were wide like sad moons. "That's… so sad… He must have felt so terrible…" the dragon man empathetically said.
Paildramon frowned pensively as she listened. "I can understand the guilt he felt, but he really should have at least called for some help. …I guess that's easier for me to say in hindsight; he can't have been thinking rationally in such an emotional situation," she debated. "I know that when I first evolved to Imperialdramon, it was extremely difficult to control the power."
"Yeah, well…" Dorbickmon murmured. "I only had my own point of view. It looked to me like he just attacked me for no reason and left me for dead, and that he was too much of a coward to ever face me again. It left a mark of me and that anger built up over the years. And once I found out that Examon got into the Royal Knights… to see him rewarded after he did something like that… I wanted to do something about it. That's why I freed DarkKnightmon from the Dark Area. I heard that he hated the Royal Knights, so I used him as a way for me to get back at Examon."
"I see… But it's forgiven and forgotten now, isn't it?" Paildramon asked him.
"Yeah… There's still a bit of tension here and there - even had an argument with him recently… – but we're good now…" Dorbickmon explained. He thought about the most recent bout of tension that he had with Examon. "Mostly."
"That's a relief to hear…" VictoryGreymon tenderly replied. He smiled at Dorbickmon. "So, you were a mercenary for all that time?"
"Yeah. Started off my career with a few years in the Wandering Dragons. They're Dramon-only merc group and I joined as a junior member. That was okay. I learned the ropes, built relationships, got my foot into the trade. Then I decided to freelance by myself. I didn't want to be tied down to a single group," Dorbickmon explained. "I've done pretty good for myself, up until the bug outed me as a Royal Knight informant, at least."
Paildramon nodded and listened intently to his story. "What type of jobs did you take?" she inquired.
Dorbickmon grinned. "Mostly whatever paid well. Couldn't afford to be too picky. I tried to get into bounty hunting, but that's a really competitive specialization, especially among freelancers, so I decided to diversify into other areas instead," he explained. "Granted, I do have some standards. There are some jobs that I won't touch; you know, murder, assassination, dark stuff like that. Partly for moral reasons, but once you start taking jobs like that, it starts to affect your brand. You start to be painted as someone on the wrong end of the law who'll happily take those jobs. We call those black claw mercs. A good example would be our buggy friend over there. Black Pincer Company would take any job as long as it paid. They've got a notorious reputation because of it: ruthless, flouting the law, and only care about their bottom line. I've heard the rumours about the sort of jobs they take."
As GrandisKuwagamon listened to this, his eye narrowed. However, he didn't speak up to correct him or defend himself. He merely continued lingering in the shadows of the forest and listening in on them.
VictoryGreymon frowned at this. "They are, huh…? I always wanted to know, why are they called 'black claws'?" he wondered.
"It's because blood and dirt doesn't show up as easily on black claws, so they aren't afraid to get their hands dirty, isn't it?" Paildramon answered, looking at Dorbickmon for confirmation. "And white claws are mercenaries who only take lawful, moral jobs – their claws are pure because they don't have any blood on them."
"What she said," Dorbickmon responded. "I'm a grey claw – a little bit dirty, but I polish them every now and then. We're kind of in the middle. But I guess I'm leaning more towards white now that I'm working with the Royal Knights. Gotta play nice and all that crap. To be honest, I don't care for the convenient labels, but it's useful for branding yourself to clients and employers so that they know what they're getting when they hire you. It's short-hand, basically. After all, most clients want to keep their hands clean in the eyes of the law, so they won't hire some mercenaries who will bend the laws for their goals and potentially get them into trouble. And some clients won't hire mercenaries who they think will have moral issues with carrying out a dirtier job."
"That makes sense," Paildramon agreed. "So, you've been skirting the bounds of the law, but never really breaking it."
"Ehh… It depends. I've broken the law sometimes out of necessity, but it's not like I'm this horrible villain," Dorbickmon responded, skirting around the issue. "I know I busted DarkKnightmon out and kinda, sorta, indirectly caused this shit with the demons, but…" he shrugged and looked away, becoming a bit defensive and irritated.
"I'm not judging…" Paildramon assured him. "Tell us more about yourself outside of your job. Do you have any family?"
"Not really…" Dorbickmon replied, glancing back at the pair of dragon soldiers. "I don't have parents. I'm a reformatted Digimon. The Digimon before me died and I was born from a Digi-egg in the Village of Beginnings. As usual for Digimon like us, I don't remember anything about the Digimon who came before me, so I made this life my own. I'm my own Digimon, after all…" He leaned back on his clawed hands, enjoying the heat of the fire radiating on his chest. "The caretakers knew my egg was draconic, so I got adopted by an orphanage in Wyrm's Edge, and that's where I grew up. After recovering from the incident with Examon, I didn't want to stick around there anymore. I left to travel around Eniac. Started off taking odd jobs in whatever town I came across. Then I decided to become a mercenary," he said with a dismissive shrug.
A toothy grin then flashed onto Dorbickmon's face. "That's pretty much it. I could talk about all my mercenary stories, but I'm sick of talking about myself. I want to hear about you two for a change," he responded. He looked at VictoryGreymon, shifting the focus onto the surprised dragon knight. "What about you, Vic? What's your story?"
VictoryGreymon blinked and pointed at himself. "Me?" he asked. His cheek tinted a bit, he smiled goofily, and he rubbed the back of his head with sheepishness. "Oh, um… Well, let's see… Where to start…?" he wondered aloud as he tried to think.
"Why not start with your childhood?" Paildramon suggested, to give him a specific point to work off of.
"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," VictoryGreymon continued, crossing his legs and letting his arms rest between his spread thighs. "Well… You might not have heard of it, but I was born in Greyheimr – a small dragon village, way near the northern border of the Republic of Node," he said with a small, nostalgic smile. "I was raised and went to school there. In fact, so did my best friends. ShineGreymon, WarGreymon, KaiserGreymon, and BlackWarGreymon. We were best friends from a young age, and we eventually became the Greymon Five."
"It shows. All five of you seem especially close," Paildramon recounted from her various experiences with them in the Republic's military.
"Any family?" Dorbickmon asked him.
VictoryGreymon's sheepish smile returned to his warm, welcoming face. "Well, uh… You might know of my dad, actually…" he tentatively put forward, not wanting to sound like he was bragging. "Um… believe it or not, but my dad is actually the founder of that beer and ale brand – 'WarGreymon's Finest'. He's that WarGreymon…" VictoryGreymon said, blushing a bit.
"What? Seriously?" Dorbickmon asked, his eyes widening as he recognised the brand name.
"Yeah… He started making his own beer just before I was born. He worked for the local tavern in Greyheimr. I remember when I was a Koromon, he'd take me there sometimes," VictoryGreymon recalled. "His beer always sold pretty well, so he started selling to nearby villages and even some of the taverns in Scalar City. It was a few years later that it really took off though…"
The dinosaur man's face started to brighten up. "One day, the original Royal Knights came by our village and stayed in the inn. I couldn't believe it. I was an Agumon at the time, but they were already my heroes. I wanted to be just like them when I grew up!" he exclaimed, his deep, uncertain voice suddenly becoming animated. "It was so cool! The Royal Knights were actually in my tiny little town! And they stayed at the inn where my dad was working! Alphamon, Omegamon, Dukemon, Dynasmon, Magnamon, and even DarkKnightmon!"
"DarkKnightmon, huh?" Dorbickmon thought to himself, briefly thinking about his time with his comrade-turned-enemy. He somehow doubted that DarkKnightmon drank anything alcoholic.
Paildramon smiled. "That must have been something…" she admitted, unable to help but be affected by VictoryGreymon's sheer enthusiasm and emotion.
VictoryGreymon beamed at the memory and nodded. "It was… Oh! But I'm getting off track! So, they were staying at the inn, and they decided to try the house beer that was on tap. They loved it, apparently! Dynasmon was blown away!" VictoryGreymon chuckled, rubbing his neck and looking beet red with embarrassment. "They liked it so much that they gave Dad an endorsement, and even asked to have some bottled and shipped to Castle Albion. Word got around from the Royal Knights' endorsement and things really took off after that. There was a lot of demand for Dad's beer, so he eventually started up his own brewery chain and started distributing his beer all over Eniac. There's always a steady supply headed to the Royal Knights' local tavern," VictoryGreymon said with a sincere smile. "Dad lives in New Terminal right now. That's where the main brewery is."
"Damn, that's pretty cool," Dorbickmon exclaimed, leaning an arm on his propped up leg while leaning back on his other hand.
"Dad's really great," VictoryGreymon agreed. VictoryGreymon pulled his tail around and began thoughtlessly fiddling with the end of it. To the trained eye, his smile faded slightly. "It means he's always been really busy though. He works really hard all the time. But… it's what he loves, so… I'm really happy," he insisted, smiling wider again.
"What about your mom?" Dorbickmon asked him innocently.
As soon as it bounced back, VictoryGreymon's smile disappeared. The corners of his brows dipped behind his helmet. "Oh, uh… My mom passed away from an illness when I was a Botamon. I never really knew her... I know how much Dad misses her though... He never remarried or courted again, and he says he's too busy with the breweries anyways, so…" he explained, his voice becoming soft and wistful.
Paildramon placed her hand on VictoryGreymon's shoulder to comfort him if he needed it. "I'm sorry to hear that."
Dorbickmon winced, realizing that he put his foot in his mouth. "Uh… yeah… Sorry, Vic. I didn't realise," he awkwardly replied.
VictoryGreymon blinked as the mood soured. He immediately put a large, nervous smile on his face and raised his hands in front of him dissuadingly. "Oh, uh, it's fine, really!" he insisted, still smiling as he didn't want the others to feel bad because of him. He certainly didn't want to be the cause of discomfort or team morale dropping. "Don't worry about it. It was a long time ago, and I've got my dad and my friends, so that's all I need! Thanks, though…"
"Okay… So, how'd you end up in the military?" Dorbickmon asked him, wanting to change the subject.
"Well… It was really because of that visit I mentioned…" VictoryGreymon replied. "I was an Agumon at the time and I was a huge fan of the Royal Knights. Me and my friends would play around, pretending to be them and fight off bad Digimon. They were my idols, really… So seeing them up close was… incredible. I remember… Alphamon signed my action figure and, when he did, I told him that I wanted to be just like them when I was older. Alphamon put his hand on my shoulder and smiled. He told me that he saw potential in me… that with enough training and with a good heart, I could even come work for the Order…" As he fondly remembered the memory, VictoryGreymon's smile became sincere and tender; it was warm enough to light up the campsite more than any fire could.
"So, that's why you joined the army?" Paildramon questioned.
VictoryGreymon nodded. "Me and my friends all felt the same way. We registered for the Republic's military as soon as we were old enough. I was a Greymon at the time," he remembered, looking up quizzically as he thought back. "We were recruited into a regional battalion, so we all got to stay together."
"What's a regional battalion?" Dorbickmon asked.
Paildramon looked at Dorbickmon and leaned forwards on her knees. "It's a military unit in the Republic of Node where Digimon who are from the same region, town, or city are placed together in a single unit. It's partially for the practical reasons, since Digimon of the same species often live together in the same area, so it makes sense to have a standardized, cohesive unit, but it's also supposed to encourage Digimon to fight harder and more cooperatively because the Digimon that they're fighting with are their friends and acquaintances with shared experiences," Paildramon explained.
"Yeah, thanks for explaining that. It was way better than I could," VictoryGreymon said with a soft laugh. "Anyways… We went through basic training and then advanced training. We saw some combat, mainly putting down bandit raids in the north east of the Republic of Node. There were a lot of barbarian and brigand raids coming out of the, uh, the Antagonist Expense, so we went in to capture them for good."
Dorbickmon stared at VictoryGreymon flatly. "You mean the 'Autonomous Expanse'?" the dragon mercenary corrected.
VictoryGreymon smiled innocently. "Yeah, that," he replied a bit vapidly. "So, anyways, eventually, me and my friends got put into our own specialized squad. We became the Greymon Five!" he said proudly. "All of my friends are really amazing in their own ways. KaiserGreymon's a natural leader, WarGreymon's an amazing fighter, ShineGreymon always looks so cool when he fights, and BlackWarGreymon always has a cool head. All I can do is help them out the best that I can," he said, smiling a bit and rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm not especially smart or talented. I just… really like to help people…"
Paildramon gave him a calm but warm smile. "You don't give yourself enough credit, VictoryGreymon," she insisted. "I chose you to come on this mission because of your qualities."
The dinosaur man blushed and smiled wider. "Gee, thanks, Paildramon. That means a lot…" he responded. The corner of his mouth twitched downwards a bit as he smiled. He turned to her and gazed with his bright, questioning, green eyes. "So, what about you, Paildramon?" he asked.
Dorbickmon grinned at her. "Yeah. Your turn," he agreed with a touch of levity in his voice.
Paildramon scratched her cheek uncomfortably with one of her long, metal claws. "Well… I guess it's only fair," she conceded. "VictoryGreymon, you already know this, but my father is Councillor Imperialdramon of the Council of Seven," she explained.
At this, GrandisKuwagamon glanced over with mild interest. She had omitted that fact when they had briefly talked.
Dorbickmon whistled, impressed. "Damn, not bad... You must be well-off," he exclaimed, musing that one of the seven leaders of the Republic of Node must be really wealthy.
"I suppose I am," she admitted, although she hated touting the fact, especially in front of her fellow soldiers. "I certainly can't complain about the wealth, but being part of a prominent family isn't all that it's cracked up to be."
"Yeah? I definitely wouldn't know," Dorbickmon said with a shrug. He grinned at her. "For that much money, I'd make the trade. It sure beats pinching bits in the dry spells between jobs."
Paildramon cast her crimson eyes towards the mercenary. "It's easy to say, but I'm not sure that you would… Because I am my father's daughter, there have always been expectations, limits, ambitions that weren't my own which were placed on me. When I was young, I'd have envied the life that you lead, Dorbickmon," she explained to him.
"What's your father – um, I mean Councillor Imperialdramon - like?" VictoryGreymon asked her quizzically.
"He is stern, stubborn, set in his ways, and a traditionalist through-and-through…" she responded, a few sour notes gracing her words. "He has always had a clear idea of where I belonged and what my destination would be. If it were up to him, I would be in a position in politics and be in an arranged engagement with a charming, wealthy fiancé, and with children a few years down the line. …And my younger brother would be an up-and-coming officer in the military – a rising star, making a name for himself on behalf of our family."
"Damn," Dorbickmon remarked. "You dad sounds a bit stuck up. No offence."
"None taken," she calmly replied, not seeming at all offended by the criticism. "As for my mother… well, she is about the exact opposite to my father. To be honest… she is a bit flighty, frivolous… completely untraditional," she explained with a slight sigh. "Completely different from my father. She loved the high brow parties and galas that came with my father being a Councillor. She even got involved with the New Terminal fashion scene as a buyer. My mother always had her fancies; she was not what you would call… erm… maternal." Paildramon frowned. "Not that I'm blaming her. Some people are just programmed differently. I can understand that completely, to be honest."
"You've got an interesting family set up, that's for damn sure," Dorbickmon noted with a grin. "Your parents must get along interestingly. It sounds like it could be a comedy routine."
"Actually, they are divorced now. They split up when I was young. My brother and I stayed with our father. My mother moved to Scalar City, but she still occasionally makes trips to New Terminal since that's where her job is. Their divorce wasn't entirely unexpected, when you think about it carefully," Paildramon explained matter-of-factly. "I'm sure my mother's independence, capriciousness, and untraditional lifestyle irritated my father, and my father's overbearing, rigid, conservative personality undoubtedly rubbed my mother the wrong way."
VictoryGreymon's gaze softened sympathetically. "I'm sorry, Paildramon…" he said to her sadly.
Paildramon smiled at him. "Don't be. My parents are who they are, and there is no point in wishing otherwise. Besides, I still care for them, despite their eccentricities," she explained, sounding at peace with her situation.
"And your brother? ExVeemon, right?" the orange dragon man asked her.
Paildramon nodded and smiled fondly. "He's the same as ever: a confident, fun-loving teenager who is disobeying Father much more. He is going to a private academy, but he's taking every opportunity to flirt with girls, I'm guessing," she said with a slight chuckle.
"Heh," Dorbickmon laughed as he lay down on his back. "So, how'd you end up in the military if your father was so against it?"
"Training, stubbornness, and determination," Paildramon plainly explained. "At a young age, I decided I wanted to carve my own path, not have one dictated to me. I didn't want to be held back by my gender and status. I was inspired by reading about some of the great female commanders and warriors of the past and present. That was what I wanted to do, my father's opinion be damned," she said with a wry smile.
Paildramon continued. "I kept telling him that I wanted to join the military instead of ExVeemon. Not just for selfish reasons, but my brother told me privately several times that he didn't want to join the army. Father was incredibly inflexible for years, but I kept training in private. However, in my mid teens, I think, through a combination of me wearing him down and his realisation that ExVeemon had no interest in a military career, he finally relented and allowed me to enlist in the Republic's military. I think it was better for him to have one child in the military than none at all; the military is a great career path for politics, after all. Anyways, I was able to prove my capabilities in several military operations and I was fortunate enough to rise a few ranks."
"That's great, Paildramon," VictoryGreymon said with a warm smile. "I think it was definitely the right choice. You're a great soldier!"
"Good for you, P. Not everyone has that kinda determination to go against their parents' wishes," Dorbickmon added with a smirk.
"It's nothing really. After all, it's nothing compared to the determination of going against the Order of the Royal Knights and the various laws of the land." Paildramon stared across the campsite and into the darkness, where GrandisKuwagamon was leaning against a shadowed tree. "Isn't that right, GrandisKuwagamon?"
GrandisKuwagamon scoffed and stood up from the trunk, walking out of the darkness and into the campsite, where his black body was illuminated by the flickering, orange light of the campfire.
VictoryGreymon looked over with a welcoming smile. "I was starting to worry that you got lost."
Dorbickmon smirked and glanced over his shoulder. "We were wondering when you were gonna come out, bug," he mentioned with an adversarial smirk. "Having fun eavesdropping?"
"I wasn't hiding. I just wanted to be out of range in case VictoryGreymon started sobbing his guts out," he aloofly responded, walking over to the vacant sleeping bag and sitting down on it in a meditative, cross-legged position. "Why would I want to eavesdrop on you three pouring your hearts out to each other?"
"It wasn't quite that dramatic," Paildramon flatly responded. "Getting to know each other is important for teambuilding."
"Yeah! Besides, it's nice to get to know other Digimon on a personal level!" VictoryGreymon said optimistically. His smile grew broader at the black insect. "What about you, Grandis? What was your childhood like? How'd you end up living the life you do?" he innocently questioned.
GrandisKuwagamon slowly turned towards VictoryGreymon, the nearby blaze reflected in his intensely cold eye. "Maybe mind your own business," he curtly responded.
VictoryGreymon blinked and shrunk back. He twiddled his fingers and looked down apologetically. "Uh, sorry. I didn't mean to be nosy."
Dorbickmon glared at the black mercenary. "He was just being friendly. We've all shared stories here. Why not stop being a pain in the ass for a change and actually try being part of the team?" he chastised.
GrandisKuwagamon rolled his eye. He had a feeling that they weren't going to leave him alone unless he gave them something. It wasn't like he had to go into details. He figured a few quick responses would be worth shutting them up. "…Fine, whatever. You've got three questions. That's all," he responded with irritation.
The muscular, orange, dragon man nodded in agreement. "Why did you become a mercenary?" VictoryGreymon asked. After a moment of reflection, he suddenly became insecure and began twiddling his fingers. "Um… Wait. Do you guys mind me using that word? 'Mercenary', I mean. I can use something else if you'd prefer. Should I use 'soldiers of fortune'? 'Adventurers'? 'Unaffiliated combatants'? 'Non-aligned, combat-oriented odd-jobbers'?"
GrandisKuwagamon rubbed his forehead with exasperation. "Holy shit… I have to put up with this for a week?" he deadpanned. "That counts as two questions, by the way."
The insect mercenary placed his hands behind his head and dropped down onto his winged back. "I became a mercenary because it was the best job for the skills that I had and I didn't want to starve to death," he responded spartanly, indifferently staring up at the night sky. "And use whatever word you want. I don't give two shits about political correctness."
"What about your family?" Paildramon asked, looking at him studiously. She figured he would try to brush them off with superficial responses. She wanted to use their last question get a bit of insight into GrandisKuwagamon himself before he shut them down again.
GrandisKuwagamon stalled for a moment. "…Died when I was young," he said as nonchalantly as he could, not looking up at the other three.
VictoryGreymon's green eyes softened. "I'm sorry, Grandis…"
"I don't want pity, VictoryGreymon," he answered brusquely, his rough voice making it clear that he didn't want the soft-hearted dragon man looking at him the way he was. He didn't even have to look up to know that VictoryGreymon was giving him his big dragon eyes.
Dorbickmon frowned and glanced at the rival mercenary with interest. "How did they die?" he asked him bluntly, deciding to test his luck with the bug.
"I said only three questions," GrandisKuwagamon aloofly responded. His voice was casual, but his words contained a frosty edge. He made it obvious that he wasn't going to entertain any more questions about the subject.
Paildramon nodded. Although she also wanted to know more, she respected GrandisKuwagamon's privacy. It sounded like he had a rough history that he wasn't prepared to divulge. "Alright. Let's leave it at that," she diplomatically suggested.
"Fine with me," Dorbickmon said with an apathetic shrug.
Although nodding, VictoryGreymon's eyes lingered on GrandisKuwagamon. His strong emotions and empathy towards the insect Digimon made it difficult for him to turn away.
Paildramon raised her bag. "I have some rations that we can heat up so that we won't have to forage in the dark," she explained. "Why don't we eat and then go to bed so that we can wake up early tomorrow?"
"Okay, Paildramon," VictoryGreymon concurred agreeably.
"Eh, we can just eat when we get to Dark Point," GrandisKuwagamon responded. "Save the rations for the return journey."
"Yeah, I'm okay with that. Who's on watch duty?" Dorbickmon wondered.
"Why don't you, VictoryGreymon, and I take it in shifts?" Paildramon offered.
GrandisKuwagamon grinned and crossed one leg over the other as he continued lying down. "Can't help but noticed I'm not included there," he dryly observed.
"Yeah, we're gonna let you be the only one awake where you can murder us in our sleep," Dorbickmon sarcastically retorted, rolling his eyes. "Not likely. …And, anyways, first, you don't help us at all around camp, and now you're complaining about not having to go on watch duty? You should just be happy that you get to have a full sleep."
"That hurts my feelings, Dorbickmon," GrandisKuwagamon mockingly replied, feigning offence. "That's not very good teambuilding, you know."
"Aw, I'm sure he didn't mean it, GrandisKuwagamon," VictoryGreymon tried to comfort him, not realising the mercenary's sarcasm.
The beetle warrior sighed. "Sarcasm, V," he clarified.
"Whatever," Dorbickmon said, pulling his sleeping bag open. "I want to get some shut eye. Anybody mind if I take the last shift?"
"Go ahead," Paildramon offered. She looked over at VictoryGreymon. "Which shift do you want?"
"I don't mind taking the middle one," he explained, smiling at Paildramon.
She nodded. "Okay. I'll wake you up in about three hours, then," she told him.
"Thanks, Pail," VictoryGreymon responded sleepily. The large dragon man fumbled his way inside of his sleeping bag and then settled inside of it comfortably, tucking himself in with the folds of the fabric.
It didn't take long for the two dragons who weren't on watch duty to fall asleep - mere minutes, in fact. They had a long, tiresome day of travel, so it was easy for them to fall asleep, even in the electronic forest.
This left only two Digimon still awake.
Paildramon quietly tended the campfire, making sure the flames stayed under control.
GrandisKuwagamon, meanwhile, just sat cross-legged on his sleeping bag. He turned his head and his red eye settled on Paildramon. His mandibles twitched slightly as he gazed at her.
Paildramon stopped what she was doing, sensing that she was being watched. She glanced over her shoulder at him. "Yes, GrandisKuwagamon?" she asked him directly.
"Nothing," he responded, glancing away.
"You're free to go to sleep, you know," she reminded him.
"Good to know, but I'll go to sleep when I'm ready," he answered bluntly. GrandisKuwagamon smirked and uncrossed his legs, spreading one out and leaning back on his elbow as he gazed over at Paildramon. "But, you know, there's enough room in this sleeping bag for two… That'd be one way for you to keep a close eye on your prisoner…"
Paildramon turned around fully and gave him the flattest, most unamused stare. This gave him her unequivocal answer. She didn't even really take the request seriously. "You try too hard, GrandisKuwagamon," she calmly told him.
"Try too hard to what? Be sexy? Sorry, babe, but that's all natural," he casually boasted.
Paildramon stood up from the fire and gazed at him seriously. "You try too hard to be caustic, difficult, and antagonistic. I know you're projecting this image of a lawless, vicious, unlikeable mercenary, but I don't buy it. I sometimes wonder if your aloof demeanour is all an act," she wondered pointedly.
At this accusation, GrandisKuwagamon's smirk slowly vanished and a soft scowl formed on his insectoid face. "'All an act'? Tch… The hell do you know? You might be my keeper, Paildramon, but don't talk like you know anything about me…" he warned her bitterly. He stood to his feet and folded his arms, leering across at her standoffishly. "In fact, that's pretty damn rich, coming from you."
Paildramon frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?" she inquired.
"Like you don't know. You try to be the perfect soldier just so that you can prove to your dad that you can, don't you? You just want to be able to stick it to him and show him that you can do whatever a male Paildramon can do and better," he accused her. He smirked. "Right?"
Paildramon's ruby eyes narrowed softly. "That's an oversimplification. I'm not defined by what my father thinks, and I'm not that petty," she insisted. She was inwardly annoyed at herself that he was able to get under her scales with his pointed comments. He was an expert at getting a rise out of people. "…Now who's assuming?"
"Doesn't feel too good, does it? Assuming things about people, I mean. It looks like I struck a nerve," he observed with a smug grin. "I guess you having daddy issues isn't too far off the mark?"
Paildramon glanced away, but refused to rise to his goading this time. She knew that he was just trying to get a reaction out of her. "See what I mean? You needle people and try to dissect them. You like to provoke them. Yet, you don't let people in, yourself. Is it psychological warfare? Or do you just try to get people to hate you? Or is it both? Maybe that's how you try to take charge of a situation."
GrandisKuwagamon scoffed. "You're not so different. Don't try to act so high and mighty. I figure out what makes people tick; you're trying to find out what makes me tick right now," he responded coolly. "You want to be able to anticipate how I act and why I do the things that I do. It's a way of controlling people. If you know how somebody ticks, you can control their reactions… You like to be in control just as much as I do – I can tell. You're so measured in your words and actions, always thinking about the next move while staying as cool as a cucumber. I get it, P."
Paildramon folded his arms. "…Is that so?" she responded, not confirming or denying his words. She knew that their conversation was turning into a game of psychological warfare, and she didn't want to give him too much ammunition to work with.
GrandisKuwagamon shrugged. "What I don't get is why you kept your father being a Councillor a secret from me," he asked, his sharp, accusatory words fading. "You played things pretty close to the vest when I asked about your family. Did you think I'd try to take you hostage for ransom or something?"
Paildramon raised an eyebrow behind her crimson helmet with amusement. "You're welcome to try," she warned him with a touch of levity to her voice. She shook her head. "I just don't like announcing the fact that my father is a member of the Council of Seven. The only reason I said so earlier was because VictoryGreymon already knew."
"You don't like to put yourself above your fellow soldiers, huh?" he deduced.
"I don't think of myself as any better than them just because of my background. It shouldn't matter who my father is – only that my skills are on par," Paildramon admitted.
GrandisKuwagamon grinned and walked so that he could lean against the tree that was behind him. "I can respect that. Your abilities should be the only thing that defines you. Everything else is window dressing," he agreed.
Paildramon looked at GrandisKuwagamon curiously. She had expected a cutting remark or a sarcastic comment. "You place a lot of value on a Digimon's abilities?" she asked.
"I guess so. As long as they're capable, smart, and not delusional, I can work with them. You've gotta be able to size Digimon up in my line of work, and you gotta know what kind of Digimon will cause problems for you. It's usually the idealistic idiots, the religious fanatics, and arrogant assholes who are the most annoying," he explained with a nonchalant shrug. "You don't seem to have those problems."
Paildramon grinned a bit. "Was that a compliment?" she teased him, half-relishing in the chance since she knew it would annoy him.
The beetle mercenary rolled his eye. "A statement," he dismissed. He glanced at the female dragon curiously. "So… You got a brother?" he couldn't help but ask.
Paildramon frowned, a bit sceptical as to why he wanted to know. "Yes… A younger one," she answered.
"What's he like?" he questioned.
"Easygoing, confident, sociable, but he also has a sensitive side. He's currently going to the Digimon Academy in New Terminal," she recounted, smiling a bit. However, she was uncertain about his intentions, so she put her defences up. "…Why do you want to know?"
GrandisKuwagamon caught himself. He realised that he lowered his guard and had began to feel at ease. He narrowed his eye and looked away uncomfortably. "I don't," he responded, bristling defensively. "I was just making conversation."
Paildramon gazed at him thoughtfully. "I see…" she responded, as if realising something.
"…What?" he coolly asked, a bit annoyed by the knowing tone in her voice.
"Nothing… You just don't seem like that bad of a Digimon when you aren't trying to convince me that you are," she pointed out. "It's nice to see how you act when you aren't putting up a front."
GrandisKuwagamon suddenly scowled and stood up from the tree. He felt as though his back was still pressed up against it. The ebony insect began walking towards Paildramon, replacing his glare with a hostile grin. "You know, I noticed something too…" he pointed out to her, his words suddenly as sharp and menacing as daggers. "Something about this restraint program you guys got installed into me, limiting my every move."
Paildramon frowned, feeling a bit uneasy at his rapid change in demeanour. "What's that?" she asked him.
"I know that this restraint virus isn't tied to the whole group," he informed her with a dark smirk. "It's tied to you, and you alone."
The dragon woman's eyes widened slightly at his perceptively accurate guess, but she wouldn't confirm it to him. "That's inaccurate. Why would you guess that?" she questioned.
"It's just common sense," he replied, closing the distance between them. He raised his hand and thumbed towards the back of his neck. "I got this virus installed in me. It can't be tied to a whole group, and it wouldn't make sense if all three of you got the same procedure. It'd be impractical for a mission like this, especially if we need to split up…" He grinned and neared her. "No, it's gotta be tied to just one Digimon. They wouldn't give that responsibility to somebody as naïve as VictoryGreymon, and they wouldn't trust a hotheaded, non-Order soldier like Dorbickmon with me… You're professional, responsible, and level-headed. You'd be the perfect person to have the base of the restraint system installed in…"
Paildramon narrowed her eyes, feeling vaguely threatened as he stopped directly in front of her. She didn't reply.
GrandisKuwagamon levelled a dark, intimidating grin at her. "You know… I may not be able to use my abilities or my Gran Killers, but I still like my chances against you in a fist fight…" he pointed out with hostile confidence. "I could always just… grab you by the throat and break your neck before you can even fire a shot off… Then I could run off and be on my merry way…" he threatened lowly, his dangerous grin not leaving his face and his pincers twitching just slightly.
Paildramon glowered behind her helmet and slowly tensed her legs and shoulders to prepare for a fight. She took a step back as he stopped a pace away from her. Not making any sudden movements, she gradually raised her hip cannons, subtly lowering her claws to grab them at a moment's notice. She stared at him, watching like a hawk.
After a few tense seconds of staring each other down, GrandisKuwagamon burst into laughter. "Haha! Shit, look at your face…" he mocked, suddenly finding her and the situation really amusing. He quickly backed off, his muscles relaxing and his demeanour changing back to its casual, roguish, resting state "Relax, P. I'm kidding. I'm not gonna do anything. Do I look that stupid?"
"…What?" she answered, leering at him uncertainly. She wasn't quite ready to let her guard down.
"It wouldn't be smart, would it? Going back to being a fugitive wouldn't be great for me in the long term, even if it is tempting," he explained, shrugging casually. "I'm sure you guys would try to track me down and throw me back in prison. Why waste the chance that Alphamon gave me? I may be an untrustworthy mercenary, but I'm good to my word, especially when it benefits me," he explained to her. "Besides, where would I go?" he muttered, his voice lowering.
Sighing, Paildramon lowered her guard and stood upright, her form now at ease. She supposed she had to endure his goading sense of humour. "Just as long as you remember that," she told him. She turned and glanced at him with a sideways leer. "Besides, I'm not that easy to kill," she warned him.
GrandisKuwagamon chuckled a bit and turned around, making his way over to his sleeping bag. "Yeah. You don't seem like you would be…" he admitted as he walked. "Well. Guess I'll go to bed. I'm sure you don't want me bugging you for the rest of your shift."
Paildramon nodded, still a bit sceptical of him. She didn't know what to make of his behavior. He had seemed genuinely annoyed earlier, and the next moment, he seemed relaxed enough to tease her. Was one side a front? Or were they both truthful emotions that he was contending with? He certainly didn't make it easy for her to get a good read on him, but she supposed that was his intention all along…
"Goodnight, then…" she said to the mercenary, deciding to leave him in peace.
GrandisKuwagamon stopped in front of his sleeping bag. "Oh… One more thing…"
Paildramon raised a brow and looked over at the insect mercenary.
He turned his head and glanced over his shoulder at her. "There's another reason why I won't turn on you," the prisoner said. GrandisKuwagamon grinned at her playfully. "As far as soldiers with sticks up their asses go… you're alright."
Paildramon gazed at him with surprise.
"Night, P," he casually said to her before climbing into his sleeping bag. He rolled on his side with his back facing both her and the fire. He settled into the grassy floor and pulled the fabric up to his chin.
As GrandisKuwagamon fell asleep, Paildramon sat back down in front of the fire. With only her own company, she thought quietly to herself.
"You're a hard one to figure out, I'll give you that…" she contemplated, mulling over his shifts in demeanour.
Paildramon continued her guard shift and watched the forest for threats until it was her turn to sleep.