Thanks to all those who reviewed the last chapter!
And thanks once again to my betareader Shizuku Tsukishima749 for betareading this chapter!
Chapter Two: The First Strike
Takato turned away from Ryo, though he was still a bit worried. However, right now a bigger problem introduced itself as Guilmon suddenly collapsed! The gogglehead rushed forward, catching his Digimon before he could hit the ground.
"Guilmon! What's wrong, big guy?" Takato asked, his voice laced with concern.
"Okay…Takatomon… Mm…sleep now…" Guilmon assured, his heavy eyes closing. Looking around, the Tamers noticed the dinosaur-Digimon was right: Renamon was leaning against the wall, and the rest looked about to join their friend.
Terriermon, resting in Henry's arms, let his ears droop. His eyes fell to the floor.
"I'm sorry…" he whispered, causing the gang to turn his way.
Lopmon, who had been watching him closely for a while now, finally decided to take action. Pushing her exhaustion aside, she jumped up to throw her arms around Henry's neck and rested against his back. Concerned, she reached down to stroke her friend's head with her paw.
"Why are you sorry, Terriermon?"
"Why wouldn't I be?" he questioned, perhaps a little more severely than intended as his voice cracked under the strain. "The reason you're all hurt and tired is because you were trying to protect me! How could you ever…?" But Terriermon trailed off, unable to finish, and Henry frowned.
Through all the years Henry had known Terriermon, the little Digimon had rarely gotten down on himself or anyone else for any reason. Seeing this change in his friend made his heart ache. It wasn't fair. Terriermon wasn't to blame for this – it was the evil Digimon that had targeted him.
"Terriermon, it's not your fault. No one blames you for what happened. The only one in the wrong here is whoever ordered the attack," Henry tells him gently, giving his partner a soft smile.
Lopmon, still hanging on to Henry, nods and grins tenderly.
"Henry's right, Terriermon. Besides, it was our choice to protect you, and we did it because you're our friend."
"Yeah." The indigo-haired boy let loose a small chuckle, a giant beam attached. "So just…momentai! Right, Terriermon?"
At last, Terriermon managed a smile and nodded, effectively soothed.
"Hey, I know!" Takato shouted suddenly, and all eyes flitted to him. He turned red at the attention, but recovered soon enough. "Why don't we all head to the hideout? You know, try to make the place look a little better?"
At this, Renamon laughed. The sound was born of affectionate disbelief, however, rather than curt distaste.
"You children with your pure hearts… You have the power to make miracles happen—you have already." Her seldom-seen loving smile comes, widens. "You've proven that time and again: your wishes made the Blue Cards appear to help us Matrix Digivolve, and your bonds with us were strong enough that we could fight as one." Renamon's piercing, yet gentle gaze found Rika, stayed there for the longest time, and the girl blushed brightly before averting her eyes. "We Digimon have always believed in you, but you need to believe in yourselves."
Takato and Henry glanced at one another before nodding in agreement. Looking to the others, they smiled determinedly, and the others followed suit.
Time to head to the hideout.
I want to protect my friends, Takato thought, his Digivice beginning to glow.
I want to protect my partner, Henry reflected, his device doing the same.
I want to keep Henry from losing Terriermon. I don't want him to go through what Jeri did, Rika professed.
I want to be stronger so I can protect Takato, Leomon and all my friends, Jeri wished intensely.
I wanna protect Henry, Lopmon, and Terriermon, Suzie pleaded, gasping as her Digivice also began radiating light.
I want to be able to Biomerge with Guardromon to help them, Kazu hoped, feeling more than a little insecure.
I…I want to help them any way I can! Kenta confessed almost desperately.
By now, the gang had arrived at their hideout, and every child's Digivice was blazing with an almost ethereal light. Once again, the beams came together to bathe their special haven. When the glow faded, a gargantuan room of glass, filled with several couches and a computer, stood in the old building's place.
The entire company gasped. Takato was the first to step forward and push open the door.
"Guys, we actually did it! It looks amazing!" Takato exclaimed, beaming excitedly. Jeri smiled as well, walking forward and sitting down on one of the sofas.
"Takatomon," the red dinosaur Digimon nudged his partner's shoulder, "Guilmon hungry! Guilmon-Bread? Please, Takatomon?" Guilmon asked, his dinosaur-puppy-dog eyes causing the gogglehead to burst out laughing. One true fact about Digimon: every one loved his food, especially Guilmon.
"Sure thing, buddy." He turned to Henry now. "Hey, I'm gonna run back to my house to get some food. Since there's a computer in here…" he blushed; he didn't want to make it sound as if he were bossing Henry around, but he was getting worried because the older boy hadn't been talking much all day, and Henry had told him he tended to work with computers when he was stressed, "…maybe you could...find out more about the bad guy…?"
His best friend looked up, surprised yet touched that Takato had remembered something so seemingly trivial. The minute smile the thirteen-year-old received in return made the flush in his face ebb slightly, and the good feeling intensified with the subsequent ready nod.
However, before anyone could say another word, the storm clouds rolled in.
"Digimon Tamers!" a sudden, booming voice that seemed to come from all around them ground out.
Instantly, Henry's grip tightened on Terriermon, a chill crawling up his spine when he realised it really did sound like Rapidmon. Rika stepped backward, throwing an arm out in front of Renamon protectively; it wasn't like her to be so guarding, but if this guy was as dangerous as the others had said, she didn't want her partner to get hurt. Impmon grabbed Calumon, and Ai and Mako picked up their Digimon. Takato laid a firm hand on Guilmon's back. Leomon wrapped a protective arm around Jeri, who clung to him as if he would disappear if she let go. Kazu moved in front of Guardramon, while Kenta held MarineAngemon in his arms. Ryo moved back toward his partner as well.
A second more, and the stuff-of-nightmares tone started up again. "It is useless to try and resist. We will get the one for which we came. However, you do not have to come to harm. Give us what we want, and you may live..."
Lopmon lifted her eyes to the ceiling; for the first time, they were flashing with rage. "We will never surrender to you! You won't lay a digital paw on Terriermon either!"
Henry was glowering as well. There was no way they'd give in to this guy that easily, especially when his best friend was at stake. Even so, when the voice burst into what must have been a cackle of laughter, Henry couldn't help but flinch despite himself. How could any version of Rapidmon, such a noble warrior, be capable of doing this—?
But there was no more time to think on that. For in the next moment, Lopmon was sent flying backward for her 'insolence.' Suzie rushed over to her fallen Digimon.
"Lopmon! You okay?" Suzie asked worriedly, kneeling beside her closest companion. She didn't see a dark claw heading her way.
"Suzie, watch out!" Henry cried, running towards her.
Terriermon jumped up, surging forward. "Terrier Tornado!"
He knew the move was risky, seeing as he was still weak from the Digital World attack, but the effort was worth it when he succeeded in diverting the dark power's attention. Except…except now he was the target! He managed to dodge the attacks for a while—that is, until he was caught off guard in mid-air and knocked flat on his face.
Lopmon, for her part, left Suzie in her big brother's care to dart over to Terriermon.
"Are you all right?" Lopmon inquired concernedly.
"I'm fine! Get out of here! It's dangerous!" Terriermon warned.
Suddenly, the crying little sister in his arms became Henry's second priority. Seeing the claw's path out of the corner of his eye, he snapped up.
"Terriermon!"
Twirling around, terror etched onto the Digimon's face. In a lightning-fast movement, Leomon lowered Jeri to the ground and pulled both rabbit-Digimon out of the way.
"Phew! That was close!" Terriermon breathed, relieved.
"You did it, Leomon!" Jeri cheered. Takato's eyes softened as he watched her, glad to see a smile on her face. It suited her so much more than being sad all the time.
Before he could contemplate it further, the voice spoke again.
"Terriermon, are you really so selfish that you would let your friends be hurt for your sake? Observe as your human's sister cries her heart out because of you! How do you think your precious partner feels about that? Surrender, Terriermon! Henry will be better off without you. You know that. You always have…"
It was obvious the voice was trying to get into Terriermon's head. Knowing this at once and understanding what it could do to his best friend, Henry's head shot up.
"Terriermon, don't listen to him! Suzie isn't crying because of you, she's crying for you! She's so scared that you're going to get hurt! And I—!" Tears invaded his eyes and his voice cracked, but he closed his eyes tightly and pushed onward.
"You should have seen how I was after you left! I was so broken, Terriermon—I'd just lost my best friend, and there was nothing I could do about it!" He laughs sardonically, shaking his head a bit. "Believe me, I still hold a grudge against my Father for that."
His eyes boring into his Digimon's, Henry wills him to believe. "Terriermon, I know I was hard on you and teased you and tried to keep you from being reckless. Most of the time I was scared your mouth would get you hurt.
"When you met Renamon for the first time, you told her she was silly for rolling around in the mud. I was so afraid you might offend her, and she'd try to hurt you.
"When Miharimon knocked you out, I panicked! When Pajiramon nearly destroyed you—!" He choked here, but forced himself to hold it together just a little longer. "I almost couldn't handle it! But now—now this enemy we can't even see is after you, and I feel so useless because I don't know how to protect you! I feel like I've failed you, Terriermon…!"
Henry crumples to his knees now, finally allowing at least a few tears to leak down his cheeks. Suzie immediately wiped her cheeks and leaned forward to hug her big brother.
"Henry..." Terriermon uttered, stunned tears springing to his own eyes at Henry's speech. Of course he always knew Henry cared for him, but the boy had never been one to let his emotions show.
Just then, both Terriermon and Henry's Digivice started glowing. Terriermon felt his injuries heal, and a scream was heard when the brilliant light fell on the claw. Without the slightest warning, the dark magic vanished.
The first chance given, Terriermon flew over to sit on Henry's head.
"Momentai, Henry. It's all right now." He buried his face in his partner's hair, breathing him in for a sacred second. "Thank you. Knowing that you'll never leave me alone even when you're scared..." Terriermon trailed off happily, reverently, lovingly, and a calmer Henry embraced his Digimon and Suzie tightly.
"Takatomon will never give up on me! Right, Takatomon?" Guilmon asked his best friend softly.
Takato smiled, throwing his arms around Guilmon. "I could never give up on you, buddy! No matter what!"
Pulling back, Takato shifted his attention to his closest human companion.
"Henry...are you okay?" Takato asked. It was true that the boy looked better now, but the younger child wanted to make sure his friend knew they still stood by him.
Henry glanced up, and their eyes met for an instant before he looked away.
"I won't say I'm not scared," the older boy grinned down at Terriermon, "but at least I'm not alone."
"Right!" they all chorused in unison.
Rika rested a hand on Henry's shoulder, causing him to raise his eyes. He hadn't even seen her and Renamon move from their positions.
"You were great back there. The Digimon get the push they need to win through our encouragement and faith. That's why Renamon and the others don't need to absorb data anymore—" Rika flashed Renamon a small smile, who responded in kind, "—because our belief is enough for them."
Henry beamed at that as well. "Thanks, Rika," he answers softly. Peering up at the rest, he brightens, laughs to himself. "It looks like the danger's passed for now. All that's left is to just...momentai, everybody!"
Terriermon nodded in agreement, happy that his partner was all right. "That's right!"
Watching Terrriermon shyly out of the corner of her eye, Lopmon smiled at the exchange. She was glad he was safe with Henry.
She flew over to check on her partner. "Suzie…?" the Digimon questioned warily.
Suzie looked up with a small, sad smile. "I'm okay now, Lopmon. I was just sad that he hurt you and Terriermon and Henry."
Guilmon turned to Takato. "Can we please eat some Guilmon-Bread now, Takatomon?" the dinosaur-Digimon whined.
Takato looked hesitant, a somehow-sheepish frown settling on his face. "I would, buddy, but what if that 'voice' comes back? What if he sees I'm not here and—?
Renamon chose this time to break in.
"I will protect Guilmon for you. Nothing will happen to him if I can help it," she assures, and the almost-feral glint in her eyes is more than enough to redouble his trust in her. "Besides, I agree with Guilmon." She waltzed over and put a supportive paw on his shoulder. "We could all use some food right now, even Terriermon. Henry's Digivice may have healed him, but I doubt it made his hunger go away as well."
Takato blinked, then nodded. Turning, he ran out of the new hideout. There really was nothing to worry about, after all.
"Oh, Renamon! You're so nice!" Guilmon praised, nuzzling the fox-Digimon affectionately. The skin beneath Renamon's fur heated up and turned red.
Everyone laughed.