It was seldom for GranDracmon to take interest in any particular Digimon, let alone humans. He deemed himself as a superior being, his attention unworthy to beings under him. The only reason why he allied the Four Terrors with the dwindling Darkshadow Brethren was the fact that Lucemon, in his Seraphimon form, had proven to be more superior to him. It was to be expected; Lucemon's Mega form was unlike any other Seraphimon he had met – it wasn't even a purely angelic being, so to speak. GranDracmon had gravely miscalculated, thinking that he could win over the Hellion General using the voice charm he had over angelic beings. That decision was a mistake because of two facts that he hadn't factored then.
Lucemon and his Mega form were both a hybrid of angel and demon. GranDracmon's voice charm would not work on him.
And he's a psychic, thought GranDracmon, somewhat disgruntled. Lucemon had known that GranDracmon would be using the voice charm, and had at first played along, pretending to be under his control. And GranDracmon hadn't suspected anything to be amiss, until Seraphimon delivered a heavy blow against him and the other Terrors. A regular Seraphimon's Seven Heavens could easily strike seven enemies at once; the Hellion General's Mega form had done so towards the four of them, with three out of the seven holy-charged orbs sent his way. Having just escaped the abyss where Ophanimon had trapped them, none was strong enough to counter the Hellion General.
Lucemon surprised them back then when he'd offered an alliance with them. He mentioned that Ophanimon had been killed by the Puaka Generals, and her death deactivated their centuries-long imprisonment. GranDracmon had no reason to pursue the Wira Digital; the fact that they had somewhat inherited some of Ophanimon's powers did not interest him. Nonetheless, they had been gone for so long, and if these Wira Digital had even beaten Lucemon once, the Four Terrors would have to be very careful. They had to tread their steps carefully lest their escape would be in vain. The Darkshadow Brethren would be a good source of information as they reorient to the present time.
It had been an eight-century-long imprisonment, and so much had changed. Not only the dark ones were becoming more powerful, but so were the ones siding with the light.
The Four Terrors's era had long since passed; this was the reconstitution of SkullSatamon's era. GranDracmon had at first seriously doubted that the Darkshadow Brethren would be a threat to the Four Terrors once they return to full strength, but had been proven wrong again upon realizing that they had harnessed the powers to take form of the legendary Seven Great Demon Lords that had terrorized the Digital World long ago. Anybody who could take the form of a Great Demon Lord was one to be watched out. Deathmon, Murmuxmon and Belialvamdemon were all Demon Lords as well, but their types hadn't existed during the reign of the Seven Great Demon Lords and thus were not recognized as a Great Demon Lord. Nevertheless, type affiliation had so little meaning after the demise of the Seven Evils – GranDracmon wasn't even a Demon Lord, belonging to the inferior Demon Beast group, but still his power surpassed his other three comrades.
Know thy enemies, GranDracmon had reminded himself back then. He and the other Terrors did not consider Lucemon and Lilithmon as allies, but they knew that it was best to not make enemies out of them as well. Lucemon was powerful, and Lilithmon seemed to have an array of skills that he did not remember a regular Lilithmon possessed. That was demonstrated when one night Deathmon and Murmuxmon had foolishly cornered her in order to get acquainted with her. They could not even lay a hand on her; GranDracmon remembered Lilithmon surrounded by a semi-transparent sheen bearing the shape of a large bronze bell. She had then warned them, if ever anyone dared to come upon her like that, they would be at the receiving end of her death curse. None of them knew what Lilithmon had meant then, but when GranDracmon brought it up to Lucemon for clarification, Lucemon merely smirked and advised him to heed her warning. A DigiWira had suffered her death curse, and as of now, was currently awaiting his doom when the full moon bloomed.
The battle they had had with the Wira Digital proved that the heroes were indeed powerful. Though they were marginally less powerful than the Four Terrors, their advantages were their number and their unique abilities. Yet they didn't intrigue him as much as their angelic leader had, and that was because of how easily the angel had broken his voice charm.
Now, GranDracmon had corrupted some angels in the past. He had never failed then. The voice charm should be nearly irresistible to angels, and according to Lucemon though Aldiyamon was powerful he was also very young and somewhat inexperienced. A strong, experienced angel Digimon would be able to resist it, GranDracmon suspected, but the theory was never proven.
No. Aldiyamon couldn't have broken the charm by his own. It was the boy who yelled at him. One shout and Aldiyamon snapped out of the charm. And there is only one possible way to do so...
GranDracmon frowned. That one solution was a rarity, nearly nonexistent.
"Deep in thought, GranDracmon?"
GranDracmon saw Lucemon descending from the sky, a haughty smirk on his calm face.
"Oh, I see," said Lucemon. "Your voice charm failed to spellbind Aldiyamon."
"It actually worked at first." GranDracmon would not allow Lucemon the satisfaction of him failing to charm another angel Digimon. "But it was repelled when a human boy screamed at him. It shouldn't have broken the charm, but still it did. Aldiyamon snapped out of the charm and retaliated. His strength and powers suddenly increased…" He stopped, narrowing his eyes upon Lucemon's triumphant look. "You planned this out now, didn't you?"
"Not really, but it proved that Adam's psychic training with me works."
Psychic training? "You didn't mention the boy having psychic powers."
"Not a general psychic power, but a specialized form of it – the power of empathy," said Lucemon. "His cousin brother also possesses another variant of psychic power – the ability to channel emotions to project a psionic energy blast. I suspect that it was him who interfered with your voice charm."
"You mean they both possess psychic powers?" asked GranDracmon. "And they are related?"
"Blood relations, even, if you're familiar with the humans' relationship concept," said Lucemon. "They share a common ancestor, although I can't imagine why this would interest you."
Blood relations, and share a similar power? "Are they close?"
"I'd say inseparable."
It's so rare, but could they possess it?It would make perfect sense why that boy was able to nullify my voice charm on Aldiyamon. If they have it, his mere presence would disrupt the charm – his shout would cancel it out. My voice charm isn't perfect, but it has never failed me before. Even Ophanimon nearly fell for it before she returned to the safety the Lost Mountain offered her…
"You seem interested about these two particular DigiWira," noted Lucemon with a smirk. "I suggest you to forget about them. One of them, JD, is going to perish soon due to the Virago General's death curse. I believe she has mentioned that to you before? And Adam, half of Aldiyamon, holds the Master's interest."
"Why such interest on a potentially powerful enemy? He can be a threat to us."
"For now, his power can be manipulated for our cause."
"What does that mean?"
"Oh, do not worry about it. The Four Terrors only need to know where their standings are in this era."
"You seem suspicious of us. Haven't we done what you have suggested?"
"Perhaps…but I'm under the impression that you're only biding your time," said Lucemon, smirking as he tapped his temple.
GranDracmon grunted. "I was merely curious of why my voice charm didn't work on Aldiyamon and I have gotten my answer. But if what I'm assuming is true, then by next week there won't be a problem in charming Aldiyamon."
"Ah…" said Lucemon. GranDracmon had the impression that the demonic angel was reading his thoughts again. "Marvelous. By next week you can charm him to work for our cause," continued Lucemon. "It's what the Master wants, because Aldiyamon or Adam cannot be corrupted. He will definitely consider your power over Aldiyamon invaluable, and won't think of the Four Terrors as threats to his cause. And we'll be able to keep Aldiyamon in tighter leash."
What else can the Four Terrors do than follow the flow?
"Agreed, Lucemon," said GranDracmon. For now.
Lucemon smirked.
xxx
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WIRA DIGITAL
Chapter 72 – Dangerous Liaisons
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JD stared at the television inside the hotel room. The latest breaking news was on air, but he wasn't interested in hearing the anchorman's somewhat panicked statement. Rather, his attention was focused on the battle shown on the screen.
Hordes of Velgemon and Duskmon were seen invading his hometown, blasting everything in plain sight. His heart skipped a beat when Xianamon glided down from the sky towards the brutes; the golden glow about her gave her a goddess-like presence. She swung her weapon and unleashed a spirit fox that streaked through the enemies. There were easily ten of them, all destroyed by Xianamon in one blow before a fiery purple vulture slammed against the golden kitsune. He snarled softly as Murmuxmon came into view, and to his dismay the scene shifted.
Stupid cameraman! He cursed inwardly.
He then saw Puspamon and Samudramon, both up against Belialvamdemon once again. Opie the Valkyrimon and Rosemon were close by, seemingly having been at the receiving end of an attack. Puspamon and Samudramon called their joint attack which was once again countered by the armored vampire's dark flames. With one flick of his hand Belialvamdemon redirected the dark flames towards Puspamon. Samudramon was forced to break contact and delivered his water techniques towards the flames, successfully quenching them for his move was unexpected. Rosemon and Valkyrimon both charged towards Belialvamdemon, and to JD's disgruntlement the scene shifted again. He was about to curse the cameraman responsible for the scene shift before a familiar sight appeared on the TV screen.
Adam! His body grew rigid upon seeing Aldiyamon and GuardiAngemon both fighting Deathmon, with GranDracmon looming from afar.
His heart sank. His friends were battling evil and he was here, away from the fight. He really wanted to be out there helping his friends, but he wanted to give his family a lasting good impression first before the curse would take effect. No cure other than the sacrifice could alleviate him from the curse, and JD didn't want that. How could he live his life knowing that another person had taken the fall for him? It was the main reason why he didn't want Agumon to hatch from the DigiEgg. ChaosGallantmon's accusations had haunted him; JD knew out of personal experience that all hate spell needed a trigger for it to base upon. While JD had no doubt that Agumon was absolutely sincere in his wish to take the curse on his behalf, that sincere wish was corrupted when the hate spell took effect. A grain of pity he had felt for Adam way back before the two of them knew each other, and the jealousy that he had felt upon assuming that Adam was very close to his sister and his deceased brother whereas he hadn't been able to get along with his siblings – all these corrupted him into making Adam his primary target when he became the Red ShadoWira.
ChaosGallantmon had accused JD for wanting him to take the curse on his behalf. He'd claimed that JD was only going to use him to escape the curse's deadly effect.
Bullshit, Agumon… He thought, sadly. I don't want you to take the curse on my behalf. This way, with you as a DigiEgg, you won't be able to…
He hesitated, as how he would be every time his thoughts drifted to this matter. Agumon had made it clear that if JD died he would cease to exist, but if he died JD would still be able to move on.
Could he really do it? Could he really allow Agumon to die in his place?
But Agumon dies either way, a voice whispered in his mind. It was the inner thought that JD wanted to squash into pulp. It was the one who was always encouraging him to will in his heart for Agumon to hatch, so that Agumon would take the curse on his behalf out of love for him. In short, it was his darker thoughts. Nonetheless, he had to admit that as dark this inner thought was, it was also right. Agumon had said so himself. JD however hesitated; it was heartless to have others die in his place. He couldn't live with himself if anybody died so that he could live. Isn't there any other way? Without sacrificing anyone?
His attention returned to the TV set when Aldiyamon and GuardiAngemon delivered a simultaneous blow that sent Deathmon flying. The scene shifted and he saw Xianamon and Murmuxmon still involved in a battle; both seemed to be at equal ground for the moment. JD dared not think that Xianamon would be the victor; hadn't it taken her teaming up with Valkyrimon and GuardiAngemon just to drive Murmuxmon away the other day? Xianamon seemed to be able to defend herself well, but her attacks didn't faze Murmuxmon much. In the meantime, fate seemed to be not in Belialvamdemon's favor, with him facing four Megas; Rosemon and Valkyrimon were both restraining the armored vampire. The vampire's shoulder pods were encased in blocks of ice, while thorny vines wrapped around his legs as Samudramon and Puspamon charging up the Everlasting Storm.
Way to go, guys, he thought, watching Belialvamdemon took the fell from the snowstorm attack.
It was now Thursday, and tonight he would have to make a move. He still hadn't told his parents of his decision to go back. Nobody was aware of his inner plight, for he had wanted it to be this way. If he was going down, he wanted them to think that he had perished in a battle. But deep in his heart, he knew he was only kidding himself. He didn't want to die, and after spending these few days with his family, he realized how their hearts would break if he died.
"Oh no, it looks like something is wrong! Aldiyamon is now attacking the other angel Digimon instead of the demons!"
What the hell? JD saw that instead of fighting Deathmon, Aldiyamon was now delivering furious waves of light against GuardiAngemon. And GuardiAngemon was actually fighting back, as hard as Aldiyamon attacking him. JD realized what was going on instantly. GranDracmon must have used his voice to control both angels. Rosemon had warned them that GranDracmon had a power to make angel Digimon obey him, and the angels would not be able to resist him.
"Why's Adam doing that?" gasped Jas, who was watching the news as well. She turned to look at him, bewildered. "Aldiyamon is Adam, right?"
"And the other angel, isn't he the fused partners of Kak Lisha and her doctor boyfriend?" added Jade.
"Fiancée," Jas corrected. "They are engaged, remember?"
Jade nodded. "Fiancée." Both of JD's siblings looked at him inquiringly.
"It's that GranDracmon." He pointed, frowning. "His voice can spellbind all angels to do his bidding."
"Demons having powers over angels?" Jade tried to clarify, mirroring his brother's expression.
JD merely nodded, not bothering to explain. An explosion was shown on the TV, and both Aldiyamon and GuardiAngemon were pushed back in opposite directions. They could barely make out GranDracmon's victorious chuckle amidst the invisible anchorman's panicked exclamation. Buildings around them had been ripped apart; JD's heart sank upon realizing that those were some houses around the vicinity of their hometown. He hoped that the people living there had evacuated long before the battle. The airport and this hotel where he was staying were full with people from Subang Jaya, the nearby towns, and even from Kuala Lumpur. He'd seen a few familiar faces camping out in the airport compound.
They suddenly saw the most remarkable thing. In a blink of the eye the falling Aldiyamon and GuardiAngemon were gone. They seemed to haveblinked out of sight.
JD realized what just happened when the camera shifted, showing Xianamon retreating with two telekinetic cocoons hovering about her. She was already so far away for Deathmon and GranDracmon to give chase, and to prevent them from doing so she had sent the piles of destroyed buildings flying towards her foes as cover for her escape. Samudramon and Puspamon, as well as Rosemon and Valkyrimon both followed suit, with Belialvamdemon's massive form seen lying amidst piles of what had formerly been a row of shop-houses.
He could feel his siblings' burning gazes on him.
"Don't get me wrong," Jas began, "I'm relieved that you're here, but…shouldn't Satriamon be out there too?"
"Jas," Jade said in a firm reprimanding tone. "Agumon…"
"Oh." Jas looked at him apologetically.
JD however saw the opening he needed to go back to his friends. "Jas is right though. I should be there with them, instead of hiding out here. Agumon, he…" This was the time to lie. "He's gonna hatch soon, and when he does, we'll be able to form Satriamon once again. And that's when I'll be able to kick some serious demon-ass. Staying here prevents those demons from coming after me and Agumon's egg."
Jade gazed towards him. "So you actually came here with us to wait for your partner to hatch? Where it is safe?"
Jade was one who would try to make analytical guess based on his logic. It did sound like the logical thing to do, although it was far from JD's original intention.
Nonetheless, he gave his eldest sibling a nod. "But I'm going back there," he added firmly. He appreciated their surprised response, before adding, "Now." There was no point delaying his return.
"You're going back?" asked a new voice.
JD saw both his parents. He hadn't heard them coming from their private bedroom of the hotel suite. His mother was the one who had asked. He nodded.
"You can't be serious, Josh," his father protested. "Stay here with us where it's safe."
"Not for long when the demons widen their scope. I have to help my friends. I can't just leave them alone…like I've been doing."
"But you can't even become Satriamon!" said Johan, well-aware of the fact that his son's missing partner. He wasn't clear about it; his son had merely mentioned that Agumon had been deleted in a battle, but would not elaborate even farther than that. The dark look his son had on his face that day prompted Johan and Leeanna not to ask him any further. Adam however had given them the details, and in return they had advised their other two children to not bother their youngest child with it.
"Agumon's gonna hatch soon," JD lied smoothly. It was hard, but he had to do it. "And when he does, Satriamon's back in action." He offered them a carefully-orchestrated grin.
"But…"
"Mom, dad…Adam is out there. Kak Lisha is out there." That effectively stopped his parents' attempt in trying to persuade him. The grave look exchanged by his parents unnerved him.
This is it, thought JD sadly, walking up towards his parents. I'm not gonna be able to see them again after this. He gave them both a long gaze, imprinting their faces in his mind. His heart felt heavy all of a sudden; he didn't want them to lose him, but he had to be prepared for any consequence. Persiamon had said that the curse would kill him during the next full moon. Tomorrow will be the first night of the full moon…
Casting his hesitation away, he embraced his mother tightly, wanting to assure her that he would be alright. He wondered how she would feel in a few days, when his death had taken place. He felt a hint of tears brimming and blinked it back. "Mom, if I ever make you mad, or sad, or not proud of me…I'm sorry."
"Josh, why are you saying all these?" There was a fearful tone in Leeanna's voice. JD sighed. A mother would know if her child was in trouble, and JD suspected that his mother had suspected something when she pulled away to give him a good look.
He smiled weakly. "Nothing. It's just…I think I'll feel better if I go out there, fighting those demons if I have your blessing and dad's."
A tear streaked down his mother's cheek, marring her makeup. She hugged him tight. "I wish you could stay, Josh. But I understand." She pulled away just the slightest, planting a loving kiss on her son's right cheek. "And I'm very, very, proud of you."
"We both are," said Johan, joining the embrace somewhat by slinging an arm around his wife's shoulder, and rubbed his other hand on his son's back before clasping his shoulder firmly. "Come back safely." He gave his son an expectant look; JD thought that his father wanted a reply from him for assurance.
"God willing," he replied. There was a sense of peace as he said that. During his time to help Adam cope with his parents and brother's death, he had read from somewhere that death would come to everyone, and when it did it would be neither early nor late.
He gently pulled away from his parents' holds, for they didn't seem inclined to let him go. He walked towards Jade, and surprised his brother with the hug he gave him. He did the same with his sister, who actually gasped upon receiving the crushing hug. He smirked somewhat; when was the last time they had done this? If felt like a lifetime ago. The rift their parents once had had driven them apart as well, and though their parents' relationship had improved, their sibling relationship was slow to pick up. Jade and Jas were seldom home, staying near to their universities. Nonetheless, throughout his stay here with them he had avoided picking a fight with his sister and avoided teasing his brother, having in return showing them the respect they wouldn't have expected from him.
"Bye guys," he said with a smile. Jade and Jas were still so surprised that they weren't able to respond.
JD didn't wait for them. He went to Bibik, who was watching from the far corner of the suite, by the small kitchen counter. The elderly woman was crying. He took a moment to gaze at his caretaker, who had always been there for him during the hard times he had with his family. This Javanese woman had never judged him for his bad choices, loving him just the same way she had been all these time. Bibik was a wise woman; JD thought that if his mother could somehow sense that something was amiss, Bibik would be able to as well.
"There's something you're not telling us," whispered Bibik as JD hugged her.
How on earth does Bibik know? JD pulled away, smiling at her sadly. "Pray for me?" he asked her.
She hugged him back in return. "I always do, Josh."
After rubbing her back for comfort, JD let go of Bibik and walked towards the door. He saw Jade reaching for the car keys and Jas for her purse. That made him halt, confused.
"Hold up, Josh," said Jade. "I'll give you a lift."
"And I'm coming with you," said Jas.
JD wanted to protest. His original plan was to contact Jackie, but he hadn't done so and his friends had just been battling the Four Terrors. Jackie must be busy right now tending to his friends. Would he be able to come? Adam's teleportation was unstable that he'd refused to risk teleporting JD back when JD called Adam up for it the previous night.
It'll spoil everything. If he agree to this, he'd risk Jade and Jas knowing about the curse. He didn't want that.
"Don't say no," said Jas firmly. Her face softened as she added, "please."
"It's the least we can do," said Jade, nodding to their parents, who nodded back approvingly.
JD's heart melted. His sister rarely said please to anybody – being the only girl in the family, Jas was used to have things done her way. And his brother seldom showed out front that he cared much for anybody else. JD thought that somehow, what he had done for the past few days must have gotten to his siblings somewhat. Though they weren't really as bad as they were prior to their parents' reconciliation, some habits had been ingrained deep into their core. JD couldn't really blame them – his own harsh attitude retained, but directed only towards the enemies now.
He'd have to do something about them soon, but for now he decided to not disappoint them. "Thanks guys," he said.
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"It's like a ghost town around here," said Jas with a shiver, an hour later as they made their way towards Subang Jaya.
It was nearing dusk and they were still several miles from reaching there, but even the nearby towns looked abandoned. Many buildings were dark, only some were lit, signifying that there were still people there. Common spots such as mosques, rest stops and hypermarkets had several people hanging around, but most were those who were in the process of evacuating. Some vehicles were seen moving out from Subang Jaya's direction; only their car was heading towards it.
Jade, who was driving, nodded. "Judging how Subang got attacked, the people living near the town wouldn't risk staying around any longer. I went to the airport yesterday to get something, and it has become like a war camp over there."
Sitting alone at the backseat, JD merely cast his eyes outside the window. The conversation meant nothing to him. He was more worried about his impending doom, for it would be night soon. The full moon – he had asked around – was anticipated to begin the night after that day.
Jas suddenly gasped out loud, and the car into a halt. "Oh my God!" Jade exclaimed in horror. "Josh! It's one of those demons shown on the news!"
JD swore upon seeing GranDracmon materializing over the seemingly-abandoned toll gates, located just a couple of miles from their hometown. Alone, he descended and his weight had crushed the toll gates into rubbles and caused a rumble. Jas shrieked as JD got out of the car. "Josh! No!"
JD ignored his sister. Once out of the car he glared towards the demonic centaur.
"Ah…just the one I've been looking for," said GranDracmon, sounding enthralled.
"What the hell do you want?" demanded JD, as his brother and sister slowly stepped out of the car as well.
"I'll give you one guess." GranDracmon gazed down upon him.
"Great, another freak wanting my head."
GranDracmon chuckled. "Oh I assure you, my reason is completely different than the Virago General's. I won't have to lift a finger…I'll just let nature takes its course."
Damnit, if I let him speak he might spill everything to Jade and Jas, thought JD. "So what's your reason?" He tried steering GranDracmon from the topic of his death.
"You are the reason why I could not control Aldiyamon that day. Your bond with Aldiyamon broke my voice charm on him," said GranDracmon in a chillingly nonchalant manner.
Say what? JD was perplexed. "What bond?"
"You mean you don't know?" GranDracmon chuckled. "Ah, it doesn't matter. It's not like I have to worry about it for long."
Maybe he's speaking about the fact that we're family? Ah, screw him. If he's not gonna explain then I'm not gonna beg him to do so!
"So you're not here to kill me. What do you want then?"
GranDracmon chuckled again. "Those friends of yours have escaped us, not to mention having actually taken Belialvamdemon down. There's a score to settle." He grinned. "I can use you and your companions here as baits to draw them out. Especially dear Aldiyamon."
JD swore.
GranDracmon flicked a hand and three crimson diamond-shaped crystals materialized before him. "Crystal Revolution."
The crystals fired three red beams towards them. JD charged up his psionic power to his right fist and countered the beam. He managed to deflect it, but his sister's shriek and his brother's yelp alerted him that they had been struck. Turning around, he paled upon not seeing them, as the beams were pulled back into the crystals.
"Over here," said GranDracmon with an amused tone. "Your siblings have become my prisoners."
His siblings were contained in two life-sized crystals GranDracmon had created, and they were hovering before the centaur. Given GranDracmon's enormous height it would be impossible for him to reach for the crystals, let alone save his siblings. A flick of the hand later and the two crystals orbited around GranDracmon's body.
JD saw his siblings looking horrified. "Bastard! Let them go!"
"The air supply within the crystals will run out soon," said GranDracmon. "So you better hope your friends are…"
GranDracmon was stopped short by an echoic screech of a bird coming from out of nowhere. A split second later, a flare of white light burst before him. Surprised at first, his face contorted to a wicked sneer as he realized who had come.
JD took a few steps back, amazed, as Aldiyamon Juara Mode materialized from within the light. The angel cast a look towards JD, and JD saw that the hardened expression on Aldiyamon's face melted somewhat upon the sight of him. He grinned back weakly, and Aldiyamon's mouth was set thin before he cast a look back towards the entrapped Jade and Jas.
"You're here," said GranDracmon.
Aldiyamon inclined his head towards the two crystals orbiting GranDracmon, and they were teleported before him. He took a deep breath and concentrate.
"Aldiyamon…your power…" said JD, fearful that Aldiyamon was acting rashly.
"Trust me. I can control it now," said Aldiyamon, glancing slightly towards him. He pointed one hand towards the crystal that was trapping Jade, and slowly orbs of light coated the crystal. Then he flicked his hand slightly and the crystal burst into data particles. Jade limped forward, unharmed as the orbs of light shifted to the crystal containing Jas. The same thing happened and Jas was set free as well.
"Adam…" said JD, amazed. His trainings must have worked…
Clapping sound echoed; GranDracmon was the one who did so. He didn't seem perturbed at all with Aldiyamon's actions. "Now that you've freed them, how about you kill them now?" he asked nonchalantly. "Both of them. Do it. Do it now." He sneered when Aldiyamon turned to look at Jas, who backed away behind Jade as Aldiyamon advanced towards them.
He's working on his voice charm on Aldiyamon, realized JD, noticing the stern look on Aldiyamon's face replaced by daze. "Adam! Don't!"
Aldiyamon stopped, and JD's eyes widened with surprise.
GranDracmon sighed.
"Adam? Look at me," said JD; beginning to suspect that GranDracmon was right. "C'mon bro, look at me."
Aldiyamon did so, and the dazed look on his face gradually shifted to realization. He whipped his head back towards GranDracmon, and the voice that escaped his throat was a mix of an infuriated snarl and a breathy whisper. "Stay OUT of my head!" he said, and without even wording it out a blast of white light slammed upon GranDracmon.
GranDracmon quickly intercepted the blast by extending his hand, and withdrew it back with a soft hiss. "Crystal Revolution."
Crystals streaked towards Aldiyamon. They were almost the same as the ones he had summoned earlier, only that they were violet now instead of crimson.
"Transcendent Purification!"
One crystal sped up to be at the forefront of the others, and to everyone's surprise it absorbed the attack. The crystal glowed white, before unleashing the attack back towards Aldiyamon.
"Adam, look out!" shouted JD.
Aldiyamon didn't seem surprised. He flicked one hand, and two crystals were teleported before him. The blast hit both crystals, and they in return absorbed the light blast before turning it back towards the first crystal. With lightning speed Aldiyamon summoned the Heavenstar Gladius and slashed the crystals in front of him to half, before throwing his sword towards the first crystal that was deflecting the attack. The sword was unscathed by the light as it went through the first crystal, as Aldiyamon redirected the incoming light blast towards GranDracmon. And finally, he stared hard towards the remaining three crystals, seemingly focusing his power. The crystals exploded into data at the fifth count of heartbeats.
"Incredible," whispered Jade.
"He's so strong!" gasped Jas, seeing Aldiyamon up close for the first time. "I can't believe that that's Adam."
Ignoring his siblings, JD was silent but his mind was reeling at top speed. Though he knew Aldiyamon was skillful with his power, he had never seen him wielding the power with such proficiency. It seemed that Adam had already mastered control of his power. It was obvious that sometime in between Monday and Thursday Aldiyamon had encountered GranDracmon at least once, for he was wiser to GranDracmon's moves, despite still being vulnerable to GranDracmon's voice.
Something stirred within JD. He remembered how frightened Adam had been after the school was demolished partly by his uncontrollable powers. And he had warned Adam of GranDracmon; Adam knew that Aldiyamon was vulnerable to GranDracmon's voice, yet he still came to him. Could it be that he had once again knew that JD was in trouble, and had teleported directly to him?
"You are incredibly strong," said GranDracmon. "Your training with the Hellion General must have been successful."
WHAT?! JD would have shouted that out if he wasn't too shocked of GranDracmon's snide revelation. It didn't seem like GranDracmon had wanted to spite JD or Aldiyamon; he sounded simply like he was stating a well-known fact. And from the angle Aldiyamon had positioned his body suddenly JD knew that Aldiyamon was avoiding his intense gaze. He recalled Adam's mysterious disappearance and connected the dots. It made sense. You've been training with him since last week. No wonder you were so secretive. What the hell have you gotten yourself into, Adam? Training with Lucemon?
GranDracmon chuckled, and took a few steps back. "I am not here to harm any of you. The Hellion and Virago Generals both had meticulously warned me not to harm you two, but the other three Wira Digital and their friends are fair game. Even as we speak, my comrades are now engaging your comrades in a battle. And, oh…" He halted, looking at a distance thoughtfully before summoning a crystal – it was green now. It glowed and everyone saw the other three Terrors overpowering Samudramon, Puspamon and Xianamon by joining forces as one. The three Wira Digital were thrown back and devolved in midair before the crystal ceased glowing.
"Show's over. How delightfully entertaining. Until we meet again."
The air around GranDracmon rippled. He vanished before a stream of light from Aldiyamon could hit him; the blast was recalled back by Aldiyamon before it could destroy the nearby flyover.
Silence overruled for a moment before Aldiyamon devolved. JD noted that Adam was still avoiding his gaze; his cousin brother acted as if Patamon was an interesting sight to behold.
"Adam," called JD. He'd get Adam to explain even if he had to force Adam choke it out for him. Training with Lucemon? What was he thinking? "Adam, what did you do?"
Adam turned around, and JD was surprised enough upon the sight of Adam's face that he had momentarily forgotten about his earlier question. Exhaustion seemed to have taken the toll on Adam's formerly serene face. Dark bags hovered under Adam's eyes, contrasting his pale skin. And after not seeing him for a couple of days only, JD thought that Adam had gotten thinner too.
However, all those were starkly contrasted by the twinkle in his eyes.
"Josh, I can explain," said Adam, and JD thought Adam sounded…enthralled? "But first…" He took in Jade and Jas, as well as Jade's car, before spreading his arm slightly.
JD knew what was coming; within seconds they were surrounded by brilliant light orbs which would teleport them away.
xxx
xxx
The hospital was very crowded. Over the foyer lots of people were camping out, and along the aisle leading to the elevator people were either sitting quietly on the floor or standing around anxiously. JD hadn't got the chance to really know the status of his hometown, but with this many people inside the hospital he could only assume that the town had suffered worse than what had been portrayed in the news. He and his siblings followed Adam quietly as they went inside the elevator, going up to the fifth floor. The boy led them out and towards one of the private ward, opening the second door from the left.
"Adam, you're back!" Alisha's voice rang from inside. "And Josh, Jade and Jas!"
JD saw his cousin sister walking towards them. He offered her a smile, and Alisha returned it before hugging Jas. He peered inside and saw that everyone was there. His fellow DigiWira, Jackie, and Dr. Abu were all there, but the only Digimon he could see was Lalamon and the Saintly Siblings. And there was no escaping in noticing the dejected looks on the DigiWira's faces.
"JD!" The DigiWira exclaimed simultaneously.
"I thought you'd be here tomorrow?" Liu Ying asked, casting a nervous look towards Jade and Jas. No doubt she was thinking what he was thinking.
"Change of plans. And it wasn't my idea to bring them here," said JD softly so that only Liu Ying could hear her.
"Where's the other Digimon?" asked Adam.
Liu Ying's face darkened. "After you left, three of the Terrors invaded the town again. It was all probably an elaborate set-up, to get you to go before ambushing the rest of us."
"Our partners were abducted," said Gayathri, who had obviously been crying. "Floramon, Labramon and Penguinmon."
"I know. GranDracmon practically gloated about it," said Adam. "He showed us the battle you had."
Manny sighed. "The Terrors combined powers and beaten us with one blow. We devolved and our partners were snatched away before we could do anything."
"I don't understand it," lamented Gayathri. "Why would they kidnap them?"
JD frowned; a horrible suspicion just crossed his mind. "These kidnappings are giving me the deja-vu. Remember what happened to Agumon?"
Liu Ying frowned. "You mean…"
"It sounds like a thing Lilithmon would do," said JD grimly. "She's done that before to Agumon, she can do it again to the others."
The room went still instantly. Liu Ying, Manny and Gayathri exchanged worried glances.
"Let's hope that she won't do such a thing," Dina, who had been quiet, hastily attempted to assure the other DigiWira.
"What else would she do to them, then?" asked Liu Ying. "If the Four Terrors wanted to, they could have finished us off there and then."
JD saw Adam fidgeting. Something seemed to bother his cousin, who was releasing Patamon from the Digivice.
Manny sighed in despair. "We're doomed if they turn our partners into something like ChaosGallantmon. We only have Aldiyamon, GuardiAngemon, Rosemon and Opie as our defense now…"
"Where is Opie anyway?" asked Patamon. He looked around; Penguinmon's orange counterpart was missing too.
"He's safe," said Manny. "He and Debbie are with our parents, at the double room at the end of the corridor."
"Along with most of our families," added Liu Ying to JD's benefit.
JD nodded. Glancing at Adam again, he wondered whether he should call Adam out for his affiliation with Lucemon. He decided against it; he trusted Adam and Adam didn't seem to like it either. Adam must have a good reason to do so, and JD had to admit that Adam had now demonstrated greater control of his powers. Aldiyamon had handled himself decently against GranDracmon without losing control of his power, easily using both the normal teleportation and the new combustion power against GranDracmon. But something still reeks real badly from all this…
"Guys, I'm stepping out for a while," said JD, trying to catch Adam's eyes. He cursed inwardly when Adam avoided looking at him. He looked at his siblings instead. "Jade, Jas…you guys planning to stick around?"
Jade and Jas exchanged glances. They appeared conflicted; JD understood that both wanted to retreat to the safety offered by the airport, which was a hundred mile away from the Four Terror's target. But with him here, his older siblings seemed inclined to not move.
"We could use all the help we can get," said Abu all of a sudden. "And as far as I know, Jade, you're a fourth year medical student?"
Jade appeared stunned at first, before he nodded. "Yes, I am."
"So you've started your clinical years?"
"Yes."
Abu nodded. "We could use your help then, Jade. The medical staffs are severely shorthanded," said the doctor grimly. "Not many dared to stick around here and we have one doctor stationed at all over the designated refuge places around town. Right now we still have a number of sick patients here that we couldn't transfer to other hospitals that are safe. Until we manage to do so, we need to take care of them the best we can. I've been made known that you're a good student?"
"Uhh…" Jade cast a look at Alisha, who smiled back at him.
"Oh, why not?" Jas spoke up, elbowing her brother. "Jade, stop with all the false modesty. You couldn't stop bragging about your perfect grades all the time, why bother doing so now?"
Jas winked at JD. JD had to smile at that while Jade scowled. Nonetheless, there was no hiding that he was flattered too.
"What can I do?" the burnish-blond young man finally asked. Abu smiled.
"You can help me tending to those with mild injuries. I'm sure you can handle that?"
"I guess so…"
Abu nodded. "We could use your help too, Jasmine." He looked at Jas.
"Me?"
"As this is an emergency, I'm thinking of using Salamon and Gatomon's healing powers to help with the recovery of some of the severe cases. Without enough specialists to care for them now, this is the only thing I could think of. It won't cure them wholly, but at least it'll sustain them until further treatments. I'm not authorized to treat them, and most cases are out of my scope of specialty."
"Our healing charms can work if we're exposed to those patients," said Gatomon. "But it won't be a total recovery as we've done to Adam and Kak Lisha, which is good since it'll be less conspicuous. It'll be enough though to stop some patients from suffering due to lack of care, due to lack of personnel."
"And Abang Abu can't exactly lug us around the hospital without drawing attention to him," said Salamon. "So…"
"You want me to do it," Jas concluded, "because it'll be less conspicuous for a girl to lug around plush toys?"
"That's the idea…" Abu said.
"Jas, you'll be doing that with me," said Alisha, smiling. "We can cover more grounds if we split up. I can take Gatomon to one floor, and you take Salamon to the other, while Abang Abu and Jade and the remaining medical personnel tend to those who need their help."
"Sounds like a plan," said Jas, nodding. "Sure, why not?" She glanced towards her older brother. "Besides, Mom and Dad would be glad if we're here to keep an eye on Josh, won't they Jade?"
"Yeah, maybe," agreed Jade. He took out his cell phone. "I'll tell them about it now."
JD sighed. He didn't want his siblings to stick around, but he supposed there was no use trying to force them away. It would draw unwanted questions.
"I'm stepping out for a drink," said JD, placing a hand on Adam's shoulder. "Adam, care to join me?" He shot a look towards the other DigiWira, to tell them discreetly that he wanted to be alone with his cousin. He noticed Adam shrinking slightly from the touch, but ignored it. They needed to talk.
What was Adam getting himself into, going to Lucemon out of all people? And if he did so because he was searching for a cure to his curse, JD wanted to know exactly what Adam was trying to do. He knew his cousin; Adam was a trusting person, especially when he was told of things he wanted to hear. If Lucemon told him that he had a way to alleviate the curse, Adam might believe him. Adam would still be suspicious, but unlike JD Adam was one who would offer even Lucemon the benefit of the doubt. That, he had no doubt Adam would do.
That was it. JD was sure that he was on the right track.
He had to make Adam talk. He had to know what Adam had gotten himself into.
xxx
xxx
In the middle of the city of Kuala Lumpur, a tower loomed over the city from a small hill. It was another famous landmark of the city, named the Kuala Lumpur Tower, or KL Tower in short. Touted as the fifth tallest communication tower in the world, it was built to represent the symbol of the city. It was also used as a place to look for the crescent moon to determine the beginning of the fasting month of Ramadan as well as the beginning of both Eid celebrations. And most of all, it also was opened as a tourist's attractions, for it offered a panoramic view of the city from above.
However, the tower now had become the attention of a different kind of tourists. Hordes of Velgemon hovered around the tower's antennae tip, while a troop of Duskmon guarded the base. The tower door opened and Lilithmon stepped out from it, smiling with satisfaction as the Four Terrors arrived.
"You have them?"
"Have you doubted us?" GranDracmon returned.
"If I had, would it be justified?" Lilithmon challenged back.
"Stop arguing," grumbled Belialvamdemon. "We have them."
Belialvamdemon lowered his paw and opened it. In it was Labramon, Penguinmon and Floramon, all three unconscious.
Lilithmon smirked. "Excellent. My doubt's proven to be unnecessary after all." She quirked her dark eyes towards GranDracmon, who merely grunted in return.
"What do you want with them anyway?" Deathmon demanded. "Lucemon said that other than Aldiyamon and the boy you cursed, the others are fair game."
"Oh he did, did he?" Lilithmon examined her long violet fingernails. "Well, there's been a change of plan."
"Those three are good Digimon," Murmuxmon pointed out. "They're of no use to us."
"Oh, I wouldn't bet on that. The boy I cursed…I've once corrupted his Agumon partner into a menacing ChaosGallantmon. There was no way to bring him back; those children were forced to delete him. That's why that boy's without a partner now." Lilithmon laughed. "The way I see it, it's a win-win situation for us. With a perfectly-executed abhorrence spell these sleeping Rookies will be transformed into fearsome evil Megas that will obey me. The Wira Digital can only either delete their own partners or let them loose to wreck this beautiful city."
The Four Terrors shared a look. "You've given the fair-haired boy a curse of death, caused his partner to be deleted, tricking his cousin into looking for a nonexistent cure for the curse, and now forcing him to watch his friends' partners being corrupted the same way his had been?" said GranDracmon. "One could only wonder what he had done to you to earn such fate."
At that, Lilithmon chuckled. "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," she said vaguely. "And I don't take credit for the tricking his cousin part, that's Lucemon and the Master's doing. The boy is a fool for believing it, unaware that he's becoming the Master's tool in escaping Grademon's imprisonment. Should Aldiyamon become too strong for the Master's liking, he'll have Lucemon and me, the four of you, and three new Mega minions to put a stop on Aldiyamon. It was the Master's order after all for me to corrupt these three into dark Megas. No doubt the Master is planning all of this from the start…perhaps he is thinking of reconstituting the dwindling number of the Darkshadow Brethren…there were nine of us then…"
"We have no interest in becoming his minions," growled Belialvamdemon. "We don't serve anybody. Unlike you and Lucemon."
"Lucemon trashed you and you couldn't even touch me," said Lilithmon. "Our powers come from him. The Master can easily kill you all if you're not with us. Need I remind you that if you're not with us, then you're against us?"
"We'll have this discussion some other time," GranDracmon intercepted. "For now, we are allies."
Lilithmon raised an eyebrow. "For now," she merely replied, and turned towards a Duskmon. "You!" She gestured towards the DigiWira partners as the addressed Duskmon approached her silently. "Take these three and follow me."
xxx
xxx
"Peaceful night, huh?" asked JD, once they stepped out to the hospital garden. The reconstruction works on the garden had been abandoned; the park needed reconstruction because it had played host to a battle between the Wira Digital and the Darkshadow Brethren some time ago. He took the last gulp of his Coca-Cola before throwing the empty can into a nearby trash bin.
Adam looked up at the sky. The moon looked almost full.
"Adam, you haven't spoken a word since we got out from the others," said JD, undeterred by his cousin's silence. "You know I'm gonna ask, sooner or later."
Adam looked at him. JD waited with as much patience he could muster. He saw Adam taking in a deep breath, looking at him straight into the eye. "I know you think that I must be out of my mind for going to Lucemon and SkullSatamon…"
"WHAT?!" JD roared, not expecting to hear SkullSatamon too. "That old bag of bones too? Adam, what the hell are you thinking? That Skeletor has been trying to get you from the beginning!"
"Josh, they helped me control my powers."
"Helped? You're seriously thinking that they were helping you?"
Adam inhaled again. "They said that if I learn how to control my powers better, I'll be able to vanquish the curse from your body. And for the past two days I've learned to control them. You saw how I handled GranDracmon today."
"Yeah, I saw. You know what I saw? If that blasted demon charmed you into obeying him, he could have you destroy the whole country in a blink of the eye!"
"Josh, please…I'm doing this for you. I've told you that I'd look for any way to get rid of the curse. Any possible way. And if this is the way for me to do it…then I'd do it."
"Adam! Did you hear what you've just said?!" snarled JD, seizing Adam's shirt and pulled him close, almost raising a hand on the boy before he stopped himself. Cursing himself inwardly, he took deep breaths and let go of his cousin. Adam looked undeterred. "Adam, tell me one thing. What do you have to do in return? What did they ask you to do?" he asked, once he was able to calm himself down. For God's sake I've been away only for two freaking days! Who knows what else is he hiding from me.
Adam hesitated; JD caught it before Adam could disguise his emotion. "Adam, don't bother lying. I was evil once, I know how they work. They won't offer charity. There's got to be a price. Oh, I hazard a guess of what they want. They want you, don't they? You have to surrender yourself to evil or something?"
"No. They didn't ask me to become evil. But…they did ask me to do something in return."
"Stop hinting and just tell me."
"SkullSatamon wants me to set him free. He thinks that my empathy, if trained properly, can propel Aldiyamon's power to its highest form. The Shield of Waja that's trapping SkullSatamon can only be destroyed by a single being stronger than the one casting it. According to SkullSatamon, Grademon was beyond a regular Mega when he cast the shield, so he wants me to achieve a power stronger than that. He wants me to become stronger than a beyond Mega-level Grademon."
Adam's answer didn't really surprise him. JD should have known that it was either that or Adam turning to evil. SkullSatamon couldn't corrupt Adam, so he'd want to use Adam to destroy the shield. It had been the reason why the ShadoWira had been instructed to kidnap Adam way back when he and Manny were under his spell. SkullSatamon had always believed that Adam was the key to his freedom. And now he had found a way to manipulate JD's situation for his own gain.
"So you have to free him before he trains you enough to vanquish the spell?"
He was surprised when Adam shook his head. "He said I could do it now."
JD blinked. Surely he must have misheard Adam? "Say what?"
Adam smiled nervously. "I can do it. I…I actually tried it yesterday…on Lucemon. He had a tattoo on his chest…I managed to wipe the tattoo out." At that, Adam grasped JD's right wrist, looking genuinely elated. "You should have seen the look on Lucemon's face, Josh. I never thought that he could look that scared…he didn't have that look when we used the Legendary Blades on him back at the past." Another hand joined JD's left wrist. "Don't you see Josh? The trainings I had, they worked. I can do it now."
Something still didn't bode well with JD. It couldn't be this easy. "Okay…but tell me one more thing, Adam. If they already have trained you enough, what makes SkullSatamon think that you'd free him from the shield of whatsitsname? You could just not keep your end of the bargain."
Adam suddenly looked ashamed. The dark-haired boy tried looking away, but JD was quicker. He seized Adam's chin and forced Adam to look at him in the eye. "For a goody-two-shoe, you're very good at lying, little bro. But don't you dare lie to me. I know there's a catch. You tell me now, straight to my face…."
Adam blinked once, and again, and again before he took a deep breath. "Labramon, Penguinmon and Floramon are the bargaining tools. Until I set SkullSatamon free, they'll be under Lilithmon's command. You were right…SkullSatamon's told Lilithmon to corrupt them as she'd done to Agumon." Adam looked down, avoiding his gaze. "I was there the whole time when they plotted it. GranDracmon would intercept you and I would come, and the other Terrors would seize that opportunity to strike again and capture the others' partners."
Adam's confession shook JD to the core. He hadn't been expecting that!
"Goddamnit! Adam…do you realize what you have done?" he hissed. "The corruption's irreversible. You might be able to save me, but you've cost Liu Ying, Gayathri and Manny their partners. You're as good as killed their partners, Adam."
"If we destroy Lilithmon first, then there's a chance that we can save them," Adam insisted.
JD shook his head. Adam's innocence sometimes baffled him. His words were dark, but fueled by his naiveté. "Adam, these aren't the bad guys that we see on TV. The Darkshadows, SkullSatamon, the Four Terrors….they're the real deal. Your plan to turn back against them might work in TV shows, but not in real life." Adam looked confounded, and JD sighed. "They might have anticipated this already. They must have a backup plan. Something's off, Adam."
Adam thought about it, and shook his head stubbornly. "I cleared the tattoo on Lucemon's body without harming him. That means I can do it on you, too."
"The price is too high, Adam. In the end, don't you realize that you've only caused them to increase their numbers? Their powers? SkullSatamon will be set free, there's Lucemon and Lilithmon to worry about, not to mention the Four Terrors…and add the three corrupted partners to their list of army. And what do we have? You, me, GuardiAngemon, Rosemon and Valkyrimon. We won't stand a chance against them. Adam, you didn't really think this through now, did you?" He gazed at the younger boy. "This isn't what I wanted."
"I know," whispered Adam. "It's what I wanted. Call me selfish or anything, I just can't lose another brother anymore. I'd do anything to stop it from happening."
"I might be saved, but at the cost of our friends' partners. We might not be able to stop them all."
"Liu Ying suggested calling help from the other DigiDestined around the world if it really comes to that," said Adam. "The Japanese team especially…she said they're the most powerful team."
"Their team consisted of six DNA-Digivolved Megas," said JD, somewhat mockingly. "Liu Ying told me that, sometime ago before the whole curse thing. And we, we all are independent Megas. Except for GuardiAngemon. And Satriamon, of course."
"Josh?" Adam looked up, and JD saw him suddenly looked frightened. "If…if our friends…if they hate me for what I've done, will you…hate me too?"
"Oh, Adam… no. Of course not. I can never hate you." He rubbed Adam's head. "I'll stand by you if it ever comes to that, okay?"
"I don't know if I should hate you or not..."
JD and Adam were startled when Manny stepped out from behind a tree. The shadows cast by the hospital had made it impossible for them to see him. Besides, Manny had been very quiet until he spoke up. "But given the reason, I understand why you did it," said Manny, gesturing at Adam. "Doesn't mean that I or the girls would agree to what you have done, but if JD can be cured…then we'll find a way to retrieve our partners back."
"How long have you been there?" JD demanded.
"Long enough to hear everything," said Manny evenly. JD noticed that there was a hardened tone in Manny's voice – had the ongoing battles the Wira Digital had for the past couple of days during his absence battle-hardened him somewhat? JD seemed to remember Manny easily intimidated by his harsh tone. "It seems that the only way I could get a hold on any information from you two is by tailing and eavesdropping on you two," he said. There was no resentment in the statement, and the hard tone had softened.
JD scowled. Adam sighed. Manny eyed them both.
"Let's do it then," said JD finally, taking off his shirt. The black feline tattoo seemed to gleam amidst the darkness of the night. He looked at his cousin. "You ready?"
Adam raised a hesitant hand, pointing it towards the tattoo. "I'm a little nervous…" His hand actually shook as he said that.
JD gave Adam a comforting smile. "Me too, but remember this, Adam. Whatever happens to me, don't ever blame yourself. Keep that in mind."
Adam nodded. This was it. It was now or never.
"Tattoo!"