Disclaimer-I don't own Digimon.
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A Bet And A Promise
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"We can't be going in circles," Fujitaka exclaimed suddenly. They had decided to walk straight down one street, and had been doing so for the past few minutes, hoping to find a loop or something. So far, nothing out of the unusual had happened, and Fujitaka decided it was time to voice his doubts.
Junpei and Ritsuo looked around to marvel at this thought. It was true that they hadn't been going in circles, and neither could explain why. They continued to walk, looking around to make sure they hadn't seen one of the shops or windows or strange cracks in the walls before.
After much contemplation, Junpei shook his head. "Don't read too much into it," he told them, wondering if it was for real or a trick to drop their guard. Either way didn't bode too well. There would just be someone else to attack them if it was for real.
They kept Junpei's words at heart and broke into a run, not wanting their luck to change until they were a decent distance away. It was a race against the unknown force they wished to capture, and yet even if they did know what it was, they weren't sure if they could beat it. It was all spur of the moment that anything out of the ordinary could happen.
It was with great joy that they reached Kanaye's house, whooping and cheering and jumping and listening to Ritsuo swear as he realized he stepped in gum. Neither boy had ever seen Fujitaka so excited as he pointed to the front door and exclaimed, "We can target what it was on the main computer! It can't hide that way!"
"Main computer...?" Junpei echoed.
Fujitaka nodded furiously and Ritsuo took his time to explain, "Basically it's the 'window' in the incredibly white room that you probably don't know about. I know that Kako and Kimura were there. The electronics and stuff are shielded by a holographic wall. But it works well-that is, the wall."
He looked at Fujitaka and opened his mouth, but the youngest of the trio was already at the front door, searching impatiently for the key. Instead, Ritsuo motioned to Junpei, and together, they treaded through the lawn (Ritsuo warned Junpei of traps), around to the front door. Ritsuo held out the key, which Fujitaka grabbed greedily and used to open the door.
The door swung open and all three boys drew in a breath of apprehension. Junpei went so far as to shut his eyes and clench his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, drawing blood. When the boy realized this, he opened his eyes and shook his head for being so silly.
The coast was clear.
"Come on," he said to the other two, waving an impatient hand as he looked over his shoulder and ran in.
"Wait up! You hardly know anything about this place!" Ritsuo yelled, following closely behind Fujitaka.
Junpei grinned cheekily. A mischievous glint shone brightly in his eyes as he announced, "Well then where's the kitchen? I'm starved!"
Ritsuo and Fujitaka exchanged bland glances.
"Do you want to hold him down or kick him?" asked the younger boy.
"Kick him," Ritsuo spat venomously.
Junpei's shoulders dropped and his eyes lowered to the ground. "Aww, come on, guys..."
The other two grinned good-naturedly. "Hurry up, Junpei," Fujitaka said. Ritsuo was walking towards the first door to their right. Fujitaka made sure he was close to the other boy. Though no one seemed to be in the house, he couldn't shake of the feeling that something was wrong.
Nodding and understanding the look on Fujitaka's face as well as his actions, Junpei followed, breaking into a loose jog so he could catch up. Thank digimon to whoever invented body language, he thought, shutting his eyes for a brief second and muttering this thought aloud.
They all came to a stop at the door of the room with Ritsuo at the lead. He stood immobile, his breath coming out in shallow pants. One hand rested on the frame of the door and tightened considerably.
Fujitaka and Junpei noticed this. Curiously, the youngest stood on his tiptoes to look over Ritsuo's arm. "What the hell is-" he started, annoyed at the hold up.
When Fujitaka stopped in mid-sentence, Junpei began to worry. This just made matters tenfold worse, especially considering he couldn't even see what was going on. Ritsuo and Fujitaka were his relative size, give or take an inch or two; Fujitaka was on tiptoe, so he very much doubted that going on tiptoe would do very much. Nevertheless, he tried, and caught a glimpse of what was wrong.
He wasn't sure how he found his voice in the midst of it all. It was just loud enough to be heard.
"What...is that?" asked Junpei, pushing both boys out of the way and gazing wide-eyed at the metal before him.
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A gallant looking figure stepped out from behind the tree, looking proud and confident. His eyes caught sight of Penguinmon before anything else. "Hey, you, didn't I send you to get rid of those kids?" growled the digimon.
A small smile appeared on Kouichi's lips, but nothing more. Takuya noticed this and watched. The boy seemed to be fighting some internal battle with himself, at the same time paying attention to the horse-bodied digimon.
Penguinmon looked to Shinya for an answer, and Shinya looked to Takuya, who was busy staring at Kouichi. The horse-bodied digimon followed this chain of gazes and was taken aback at the sight before him. "Y-you two..." he stuttered, staring from Takuya to Kouichi.
"Hm?" Takuya turned to the digimon and waved. "Yo. Long time no see, eh, Sagittarimon?" he said with a great big grin. This could prove to actually be fun. Maybe we won't have to fight him. It was a hope, but a large one nonetheless.
Sagittarimon swallowed. His anxiety transformed into anger when he saw Penguinmon clamber onto Shinya's head. "You were s'posed to get rid of them!" he roared accusingly.
"Keep your hair on!" Penguinmon retorted.
"Gah! For that, your obsessions-"
"POSESSIONS," Takuya and Kouichi corrected, the former yelling and the latter saying this in the form of a sigh.
"Uh...yeah, your ob-pos-uh..."
Kouichi pocketed his D-Tector. "Just give up, would you?" he said in a quiet voice.
Takuya slammed a fist in the palm of his other hand. "Shinya, I've got it!" he suddenly exclaimed. "Kouichi's lovesick!"
"Woah! You mean-" Shinya started.
The older Kanbara nodded, eyes glinting with excitement. "It makes sense, don't you think?" he asked, not bothering to keep his voice at a whisper. "He was like this when Kouji-"
Kouichi whipped out his D-Tector and pointed it towards Takuya. "SHUT. UP," he commanded in a level voice. "We'll talk about that later. Right now..." The D-Tector swung around to point at Sagittarimon. "...we'll concentrate on him. Sorry, Sagittarimon, but we'll only ask you once: will you leave, do we have to beat you in to a pulp, or do we have to destroy you for good?" He had his best poker face on, unwavering.
A growl escaped the digimon. "Your fiends are gonna get it, Penguinmon!" he yelled, turning around. An arrow was pulled out and stringed onto the bow. Sagittarimon yanked it back and let it fly.
"Dammit, no!" Takuya shouted, taking a step forward and stopping. Out of the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of Lowemon rushing forward, spear ready in hand.
The arrow was knocked out of the air, only a foot away from where it had been let loose. One hand carried the lance that was pointed at Sagittarimon's neck. The other was occupied by three Penguinmon clinging on for dear life with ropes hanging loosely around them.
Lowemon's eyes narrowed onto Sagittarimon. "That better not be the latter option." He was quiet and threatening enough to send a wave of fear out with a radius that reached even Shinya, who was the furthest away. The youngest Kanbara took a step back instinctively and swallowed.
"Lucemon said I could have all the obsessions I wanted!" Sagittarimon argued childishly. He strung another arrow, aiming it at Lowemon. "Judgment arrow!"
Dodging skillfully, Lowemon shouted, "Shadow lance!" The attack not only broke the arrow and let it fall to the ground by its predecessor, but also caused Sagittarimon's knees to buckle. The digimon collapsed as the attack hit his legs, as was sent skidding back.
"Aren't you gonna help, Takuya?" Shinya asked, running over to his brother so as to not get separated.
Takuya shook his head. "Not unless he needs help." And he doesn't. This match is in the bag.
"Shadow meteor," Lowemon uttered, and the attack hit the already downed Sagittarimon.
A grunt escaped Sagittarimon, and Lowemon used the time to deliver the Penguinmon into Shinya's hands. From there, he stood in front of Takuya, watching Sagittarimon rise shakily to his feet and let out a chuckle.
Not good. Lowemon held up the lance for protection as the digimon galloped towards him, laughing wildly. The impact sent him flying back into a nearby bush, and forced him to de-digivolve.
Letting out a curse, Takuya whipped out his D-Tector, but a second too late. An arrow came flying towards him, skinning his thumb, but more importantly knocking the D-Tector out of his hand and a meter or two to his side. Not enough time to get it, he realized with dismay. Instead, he got into a defensive stance in front of his brother.
"Shinya, now would be the time to figure out that wristband," he said in a warning tone. Sagittarimon was nuts, he was sure. It had been just four or so years, and Takuya was sure the digimon hadn't gained that much power. The goggle boy forced a grin.
"You've been training."
Sagittarimon roared with laughter, dropping his guard. Mentally, Takuya cursed himself for not moving fast enough to pick up his D-Tector. "Training?" the digimon repeated. "Lucemon gave me this power!"
"Not good enough!" Takuya retorted, picking up a stone and throwing it at the digimon. It was only half the size of his fist, but it was only a distraction. "Shinya!" Takuya snapped again, looking over his shoulder and at his brother. Shinya just stood there, staring at his brother in shock. Angrily, he demanded, "What are you doing?"
"Y-you're...bleeding," Shinya stuttered softly, pointing to his brother's thumb.
A scowl appeared. "Yes, I am. This is the real thing, Shinya. This isn't some videogame! Get it together!" the older boy shouted, returning his gaze to Sagittarimon. Lucemon's power, huh? This isn't good. Kouichi, why are you still unconscious? We need you...
Had he still been looking at his brother, he would have noticed the look of panic in the boy's eyes. "I can't!" Shinya cried, dropping to his knees and holding on tightly to all the Penguinmon. "I can't, Takuya!"
Angrily, Takuya whirled his head around again. "Stop being a baby!"
"I'm not! I can't! I don't know what I'm doing!"
"Shinya, you can't run from a boss battle, can you? Well this is a boss battle! There are no continues! You've got to-"
Shinya let out a yell as he watched his brother fly over him and land with a crash beside Kouichi. "Takuya!" he screamed, unsure of what to do. I'm such a sissy, the boy thought, shutting his eyes and holding on tighter to the Penguinmon. But what can I do? I'm as good as Penguinmon, even worse. I can't do anything...
His eyes opened when he realized the comfort in his arms had disappeared. "Wh-"
"ETERNAL SLAPPING!" he heard being yelled over and over again. Above this, he heard someone say, "Keep at it, you guys! A bit longer and we'll have him done for!"
"Penguinmon, no!" Shinya shouted, back on his feet. What are they doing?
All the Penguinmon were actively participating in the fray, swatting away at Sagittarimon like fleas. The one whom Shinya had come to know so well stopped briefly before grinning and yelling, "We've got to fight, Shinya! I owe you three, you know? You, your brother...that other kid...you three helped me."
"You don't owe me! You don't owe any of us! Get out of there!" the boy cried desperately, but the penguin had gone back to concentrating his efforts on the larger digimon.
"You...stinkin'...fleas!" Sagittarimon let out a roar and drew himself up to his full high, going as far as to rise onto his hind legs. Two of the Penguinmon fell off promptly and were crushed under his hooves as Sagittarimon landed. Another was plucked off and thrown to the ground. "Judgment arrow!" yelled the Sagittarimon, and the small body of the penguin went limp.
"N-no!" Shinya shouted. "Penguinmon, just stop!" He stared at the digimon pleadingly, fists clenched tightly, but he could only watch. His body refused to respond.
For that moment, all seemed to go in slow motion. Sagittarimon raised his hind legs, and Penguinmon, who had been on his flank, fell to the ground, stunned. While he should of thought of escape, he instead turned to Shinya, raising a wing to salute with an impish grin. "Debt repaid?" were the last words that left his lips before he was sent flying into the tree, an arrow following right after.
"PENGUINMON!" Shinya screamed, racing towards Sagittarimon blindly. His blood was boiling in his veins, and his vision was hazy, now turning white. Perhaps he should have cared that he was rushing to his doom, perhaps he should have cared that all his friends were lying on the ground, but he didn't. The only word on his mind was revenge, and he intended to have his soon.
"You'll pay," growled Shinya, stopping in front of Sagittarimon. He yanked his sleeve down so it didn't cover the wristband. A blinding light was emitted from the stone. "You'll pay with your life!"
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The heap of metal turned to the boys, letting a low growl escape its throat. Ritsuo stood at the doorway, still unmoving, but at the same time analyzing what was in front of him. "A digimon," he managed. His throat felt dry, but it was too late to do anything about it now. "A digimon," he repeated again.
Without warning, Ritsuo took a step back. All the boys let out a shout as they tumbled down onto the ground in a heap with Junpei at the bottom.
"Get off!" Junpei snapped, irritated that they were acting like frightened bunnies: immobile, alert, and ready to bound off at the first sign of enemy advance.
Fujitaka scrambled to his feet, allowing a scowl to decorate his features. Quickly turning to Junpei, he snapped, "Well we don't exactly have battle experience."
"You mean you're..."
"Amateurs," Ritsuo finished, rising to his feet. "There was no real need to digivolve. Naoko stays on top of things, so she's digivolved billions of times, but we..." He sent an uneasy glance back at the enemy digimon.
Junpei let out an annoyed growl and pushed them out of the way. "Back me up," he ordered, flipping out his D-Tector. "Hey, you! Yeah, I'm talking to you, ya big useless heap of metal!" He glared insolently at the digimon. "Have a name?"
The metal turned it's head towards Junpei, revealing a dino-like face. "Do you, fatty?"
A twitch. Junpei's hands clenched into fists and he retorted, "That's not nice...at least I'm not extinct, dino breath!"
"I can walk out in broad daylight without being accused of being obese," snorted the digimon. He bared his metal teeth, then turned his body fully towards the three boys. The silver colored metal plated most of his body, save for his right eye, and there were a few loose wires around him.
The boy finally decided to introduce himself. "Junpei." The D-Tector remained by his side, and his hands were loose, ready to yank the item up in the case of a needed digivolution.
"Metaltyrannomon," returned the digimon. Light bounced off his shiny body and momentarily blinded Junpei.
"The computer!" Ritsuo and Fujitaka both yelled this out of synchrony, but the amount of horror their voices contained was level.
Metaltyrannomon just chuckled at their reaction. "I hope you don't mind my Datamon...friends...operating on your computer, do you? No? Well that's good."
Angrily, Fujitaka stepped forward, holding up his fists. Through gritted teeth he snarled, "Why you-" He let out sputters of objection as Ritsuo held him back by the shoulders firmly. "Let me go!" he shouted over and over again, but to no avail.
"Keep a cool head," Junpei hissed under his breath before holding up his D-Tector. "Up for it, junk metal?"
"Only if you are, fatty," came the metallic reply. Eagerly, the digimon allowed his hands to clash together, emitting long, screeching noises. It reminded the boys of nails dragging down a chalkboard.
"Yeah, deafen us to death! Spirit evolution!" Junpei shouted, quickly digivolving into Blitzmon. Sparks flew as Blitzmon flew forward, yelling, "Lightning blitz!" Metal clanged against metal. "As you can see, it's muscle, not fat." He pushed off and slammed a fist into the floor. "Thunder fist!"
Thunder roared and sparks collided into the tyrannosaurus. Smoke screened the room, and, de-digivolving, Junpei let out a triumphant cry. "Who wants some more?" To Fujitaka and Ritsuo, he said, "That's how it's done."
Junpei, it isn't over yet.
Hearing Blitzmon's voice, Junpei jumped with a start. But we creamed him! Insistent, the boy peered through the fog and gazed in horror as it cleared to reveal a chuckling heap of metal.
Heap of metal. He couldn't call Metaltyrannomon that any longer.
The D-Tector slipped out of his hand and he took a step back. "Houston, we have a problem," croaked Junpei.
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He felt powerful. Nothing could stop him. Nothing. The power coursed through his veins, swallowing all his blood and leaving in its wake something new and exciting. The feeling passed through his entire body, and he knew he had changed.
A strange sound escaped him, sounding similar to a squeak. A growl followed it, out of annoyance. "What the hell was that?" he snapped. Hands went to his mouth.
His voice was...different...?
I feel shorter, Shinya thought, trying not to panic. What happened? WHAT HAPPENED? He stared at his hands in horror. "I'm ugly," he stated in a voice only he could hear while feeling his face. The long nose bothered him the most.
I can hear you, you know. This is what I get for letting you in control. Move aside, buddy, came an annoyed voice.
"What? H-hey!"
Sagittarimon watched in confusion as the hands of the digimon in front of him were at war, pushing against each other. He wasn't sure whether to laugh or scream. The whole fiasco was ridiculous; he couldn't tell what was happening. He's nuts, concluded the horse, so why not end his misery? An arrow was strung onto the bow in a matter of seconds with the use of his skilled hands. "Judge-"
There was an exasperated sigh. "Now look! He's going to attack!" The same voice came from the digimon in front of him, startling Sagittarimon as its tone changed to one of defeat. "Oh, fine!"
"-ment...uh...?" Sagittarimon quickly shook his head. Lucemon had warned him about lingering in his thoughts. Thoughts are bad, he told himself. The digimon in front of him was turned around and his guard was dropped. "Judgment arrow!" shouted Sagittarimon, letting the arrow loose.
He wasn't sure what happened next. The attack should have hit. In no way, seeing as how late he looked up, should his prey have escaped. Sagittarimon let out a cry of dismay and pulled out another arrow.
"Do I have to?"
Quickly, he turned to the direction of the voice. The arrow was yanked back, ready to fly.
"YES!"
The voice was coming from another direction. Just as quick as before, Sagittarimon turned to the direction of the voice.
"You're getting on my nerves..."
Another direction. He could feel the sweat gather on his forehead in the form of droplets.
"You're already on mine. How I'd very much like to kick you out."
Sagittarimon let out a roar. "Hey, stop playing around!" he snapped. "I'm serious here!"
The digimon stopped on a tree branch and grinned evilly. "I bet you can't even spell serious!" he returned, cackling wildly and disappearing once more. "This one's for the Penguinmon...slide evolution...! Gigasmon!" Another dark chuckle, "In case you were wondering whom you were up against."
Too prideful to show fear, Sagittarimon snorted, "Never heard of you!"
Let's make this quick. "Do you hear this? Tectonic slam!"
The ground shook violently. Sagittarimon's hooves seemed to dance all over the place as he tried to look for a stable spot to stand. "Wh-whu-" he started dumbly, staring in horror at the crack that formed under him. "Nooo! Stop! I'll leave, I really will!" he screamed; it was out of agony as a hoof slipped into the newly formed crack, which was no deeper than an inch.
But Gigasmon stared at him without mercy. "You'll pay with your life," he said in a hiss, slamming the ground with his fist. The crack grew wider, and the scream never escaped Sagittarimon's mouth as he fell into the endless depths. "Done," whispered Gigasmon, de-digivolving to reveal a shaking Shinya. The crack closed up once more, and all was normal.
The birds were chirping again.
A pitiful moan escaped Shinya as he sank onto his knees. "Penguinmon..." he whispered, seeing the bird lying in front of him. "You're..."
He wasn't sure if digimon were supposed to bleed, being digital and all, but Penguinmon had a small cut across his cheek. Feathers were in a ruffle, and beak was slightly apart, letting out gentle gasps. "Shinya, that was awesome," croaked the penguin.
"...hurt. You're hurt," Shinya whispered.
"Tell your brother I called him a goggle brain, would you? And to Mr. Gloom...tell him he needs to get his act up together. Maybe...when this is over..." Penguinmon stopped here, letting out a dry cough. "Maybe...I'll be reborn, and we'll see each other soon. Don't go getting into trouble now," warned the bird, seeming to smile up at Shinya.
Shinya's form shook violently as he tried to suppress both the tears and the sobs. "You aren't going to die," he said as firmly as he could. "Kouichi'll know what to do. I'll get him, and everything will-"
"Don't install false hope in yourself, kid. Be realistic. I wish I could hear more from you, but...my time here's done. Shinya..."
"P-please, stay! I'm scared-"
"The tree," Penguinmon said softly. His chin lifted, so he could see the tree, which stood gloriously behind him. "Please, by the tree..."
His voice faded and his eyes shut. Shinya scooped the penguin in his own hands and closed the beak. You really liked to talk, huh? He smiled softly before searching for the other bodies of the penguins. First thing was first: they needed a grave. Takuya and Kouichi could wait.
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We're doomed, we're doomed, we're doomed! DOOMED! Someone, help, please! Junpei shut his eyes and dropped to the floor, his hands on his neck. "Don't kill me!" he squeaked, cracking open one eye to take a peek at his D-Tector.
"Spirit evolution!" came the chorused cry behind him. Junpei's hand fell on his D-Tector and he looked over his shoulder in shock. Are they...!
He nearly cried out of joy, seeing the other two boys digivolve. It was strangely scary in Junpei's opinion. Lucemon should be more technical, shouldn't he? Giving them a gem and a wristband. Girly, he thought, rising to his feet. Izumi would kill me for saying that.
"Leave this guy to us!" snapped Mercurymon.
"Got it," Junpei replied with unmasked enthusiasm. Sure, they would hate him for it, but he needed to think through to come up with a strategy. Brute strength had never worked before, as much as he hated to admit. Not for them, anyway. The boy proceeded to run towards the stairs, picking up his pace as Metaltyrannomon sent an attack towards them.
"Fire blast II!" came the growl.
Mercurymon let out an annoyed sigh. "I can't block this. To the side, Junpei!" he yelled, dodging out of the way of the blast. The searing heat left its impression on the two digimon, however, and they followed its trail until it embedded itself onto the wall behind them, where it died.
Junpei stood only a yard away from the blast, pressed flat against the wall, staring wide-eyed at the fight. "Don't...don't ever do that again! Give me a better heads up!" he exclaimed weakly, edging away to collapse on the lower steps of the stairs. "Oh, digimon..."
"Sorry," Arbormon yelled back before returning his attention to Metaltyrannomon. A laugh escaped him and he took a step forward. "Power pummel!"
Metaltyrannomon dodged with incredible speed neither of the other digimon knew he possessed. Chuckling darkly, he barked out, "Nuclear laser!" One of the blasters on his back shone with light before a blast fired out towards Arbormon.
Arbormon nearly froze in shock, but was saved by Mercurymon. The latter of the two held up one shield to deflect the attack, swearing loudly as it instead hit the wall behind Metaltyrannomon. "Kanaye'll skin us for sure," mumbled Mercurymon weakly.
"We should concentrate more on what King Rex here will do to us! Roundhouse punt!" Arbormon tried an attack again, only to be thrown behind Metaltyrannomon.
The battle continued, Arbormon throwing the attacks and Mecurymon backing up the former when needed. Junpei watched in worried interest, wondering what he was overlooking. Arbormon to Petaldramon, Mercurymon to Sakkakumon...Sa...Sakkakumon! He snapped his fingers in realization. "Sakkakumon! Take him in as Sakkakumon! Give him something he can't beat!" Junpei yelled. It was with delight and horror that he shivered as Mercurymon jumped back to take this into consideration.
"It should work...Arbormon, keep him on hold a bit longer! Slide evolution!" Mercurymon's form grew larger and was no longer. With that same cheshire smile on his face, Sakkakumon looked towards Metaltyrannomon wordlessly.
Arbormon was the only obstacle in Sakkakumon's way. He gracefully jumped aside, grinning up at Sakkakumon. He knew what would happen; there had been one time where Kanaye had called for Fujitaka to do this, and it was never repeated after.
"Meet your doom," Arbormon snickered, watching as Metaltyrannomon was swallowed into Sakkakumon without another word.
The room fell silent. Arbormon walked into the computer room, gazing angrily at the Datamon that occupied it. All of them hopped out of their chairs and scuttled out of the room as fast as they could.
Junpei came down from the stairs and up to a de-digivolved Ritsuo. "What now?" he asked.
With a tired smile, Ritsuo looked up at Sakkakumon and replied, "We wait."
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Kako stared at her hands folded in her lap. Kouichi...
"Stop thinking about him," Kanaye scowled.
Reddening to a deep crimson, Kako asked dumbly, "Who?"
The boy just rolled his eyes. Sitting up from his leisure position on the couch, he gazed at her with piercing eyes. "For the past half hour, you've been staring at the clock and sighing every other minute. It's annoying. And then you start mumbling to yourself when you're really as loud as hell..." He trailed off and shook his head. "Why don't you just do something about it?"
"Dad won't-"
"You're going to let him control your life just as that other idiot did?"
The blush still remained on Kako's face for an altogether different reason. "How'd you know...?" she asked in a mumble.
Kanaye allowed a rare smile to light his face. Smoothly he replied, "I take care to research my opponents, whether they're in school or the Digital World. I made a tiny error once, mistaking Izumi as Marise's heir instead of you, and I don't wish to make another mistake." He stood up. "Anyway, I'm leaving."
Kako stared at him in shock. She pushed herself up and blurted, "You can't leave! I'll tell my dad!"
"And what will he do about it?" Kanaye returned rudely, glaring at her once more. Kako looked at her feet and he snorted. "Exactly," the boy snapped. "Nothing. You know you want to go, Kako. Stop denying it. Or is it because you can't get out of the house without being spotted?" He sneered as he said this, knowing all too well where this would lead. They didn't call him a betting expert for nothing, after all.
With her jaw dropped, Kako took a decisive step forward, fisting her hands. "I can, too!" she snapped.
"I bet you can't."
"I bet I can!" the girl returned, shaking in fury. She drew a breath and looked around to see if anyone was looking. Then, as quietly as possible, she tiptoed towards the door.
Bang, bang, and bang. Kanaye folded his arms and watched her in amusement. This slowly faded as Kako stopped and turned around before she even went two feet forward. The color drained from his face, but he forced himself to keep a cool demeanor.
Kako walked towards him, jabbing a finger at his nose. "Hold it, you're trying to trick me! You've got spies set out there, huh? And then you plan to exterminate me or something! You're not even going to leave the house!" she hissed.
He resisted the urge to hit her forehead. After all, he thought, I can't hit girls. A real pity. Lips pursed, Kanaye told her, "I plan to go right after you. But see, if I go first and get caught, you'll get caught. If you go first, you have a better chance of getting out. If I'm not out in five minutes, go to the backyard and enter the house from there."
To his relief, the excuse worked. "Okay!" Kako replied with great enthusiasm, going back to tiptoe towards the front door.
Shaking his head in disbelief, Kanaye muttered, "The gullible of the gullible. I can't wait to see the results." Kako had reached the door by now, he knew, because the entire house shook as she closed it.
"What's she doing?" Kanaye heard someone ask.
He looked over his shoulder. Hideki. "Sneaking out. Let her be. I'll watch her," he offered. Though he has no reason to trust me now that I think about it.
"Okay. I figured she'd do something like this." Hideki shrugged and stared at Kanaye with his arms folded and an eyebrow raised.
Kanaye noticed this and shifted with discomfort. When Hideki still said nothing, he glared up at him. "What?" snapped Kanaye, not caring at the least that he was being rude. The way he saw it, Hideki was being rude by staring.
With an exasperated look on his face, Hideki shook his head. "I don't get it," he confessed, "how do you do it?"
"Do what?"
There was an exaggerated gesture towards the door. "Make her...do that!"
Kanaye grinned for what seemed like the first time in his entire life. A sudden feeling ran through him, similar to the adrenaline that resulted from the pressure and excitement of a battle, but better. New wings seemed to sprout within him, not at all dark and tattered as Devimon's. Clean, transparent, and his.
He looked in front of him and called back, "I never make a bet I can't win."
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A hiccup escaped Shinya as he spread the dirt evenly across. Bye, Penguinmon, he thought, gazing down at the grave he had made in front of the tree. He bit his lip nervously and looked up to the blond at his side. "This won't bother the tree, will it...?" he asked in a childish whisper.
"Glad to know you care, but no," answered the boy. He stood up at his full height. "You still want to cry...?" he asked.
Shinya shook his head, wiping the tears as they spilled out of his eyes. "N-no," he replied in a shaky voice. "But I can't stop either..." His eyes drifted down towards the grave the older boy had helped him dig.
A tanned hand fell on his shoulder. Shinya looked up with wide eyes and slowly accepted the second hand that was offered to pull him up. "Thank you," whispered the boy as he rose to his feet.
The blond just smiled and waved a dismissive hand. "Let's get those other two up, shall we?" he asked. The dismissive hand waved lazily in the direction of Takuya and Kouichi.
Shinya nodded. His former feelings returned, despite his want to remember Penguinmon a little longer. "Who are you?" he asked curiously.
The blond walked towards Takuya first. "Ryuusei Egawa. You?" he asked. It was more of a conditioned reflex than a question he wanted an answer for.
The answer came as automatic as the question. "Shinya. That's my brother, Takuya," he informed the boy, his head jerking up to motion to the older Kanbara. Then, looking in Kouichi's direction, Shinya added, "And that's Kouichi."
"I know."
"Really?"
Ryuusei bent down by Takuya and gently shook him. "Hey...Takuya," he said in a low voice, not wanting to be too loud. "Wake up."
This went on for several minutes until Shinya politely intervened and lowered a hand to take off Takuya's goggles. "Uwah...?" The goggle boy stared at his brother's grinning face, which was upside down to him. "My...goggles! Thief!" Takuya was on his feet in a flash, fingers on Shinya's neck to tickle him without mercy.
Holding back a smile, Ryuusei watched the two for a while longer before moving onto Kouichi. Here he stopped, staring at the unconscious boy with a frown. It would be so easy just to get rid of him, destroy the Area, send Lucemon away, but that would just postpone the inevitable. Something had to be done and he didn't want it to be done.
"How do you feel?" Ryuusei muttered, looking down at Kouichi in disgust. "This is your fault..." Or it would be if I could say that aloud. Ignoring the painful guilt, Ryu nudged Kouichi's shoulder with the toe of his shoe. "Hey, get up," he said aloud.
Kouichi's face had been turned to the side, and Ryuusei hadn't bothered to examine it. "I'm awake," he murmured. "I've been awake for a while."
"Some help you are," Ryuusei returned.
"Not at all. Shinya's got to develop ideas for himself, you know," whispered Kouichi, pushing himself to sit up. "Besides, I'd have destroyed half the place before getting Sagittarimon, and it would be a mess." A hand pressed against the ground, and Kouichi tried to push himself up, but to no avail.
Ryu reluctantly stuck out his hand and helped the boy up. The air hung heavy between them, and the laughter from the Kanbaras went unheard. "Sorry," Kouichi murmured before walking towards Takuya, "for being a pain."
Not at all, Ryu thought with a shake of his head. We're all human here. He watched the short reunion between the three boys, as Kouichi slowly parted the brothers.
Without warning, Shinya and Takuya grabbed either of Kouichi's arms. "Confession time!" they yelled in unison, glaring at him as he blinked.
"I think Ryuusei's here for a reason," Kouichi said after much debate, slowly turning his head to look over his shoulder and nod towards the blond boy.
He's a lot more conserved, Ryuusei realized. An amused smile crept up his lips and betrayed him. He folded his arms and shrugged. "I've got time," he called out.
Shinya jumped up and down. "See! See! Are you really lovesick?" he asked, shaking Kouichi's hand vigorously.
Wincing, Kouichi stared at the ground. "I..."
Oops? Ryuusei just shook his head. Should I do something about it?
Takuya used the hand that wasn't arresting Kouichi to punch his brother's shoulder. "Idiot! That's the wrong question to ask!" he scolded. Turning to Kouichi, he cleared his throat. "So, what's up between you and Kako?" He sounded more than interested.
A shrug answered them and Kouichi shook off their grips. Just as quietly, he turned to Ryuusei and murmured, "What's up?"
For a while, Ryu remained silent, scrutinizing Kouichi with an intense gaze. There was something about the boy he couldn't quite put his finger on. I'm sure it's much more than Kako. He's got something else on his mind. Just...what?
"Ryuusei!" Kouichi called out, gazing at him impatiently.
"Huh?" Ryu looked up, startled. "Oh...right. As you know, you can't exactly fight Lucemon from this point. He'll be resting at the center of the Area, what Marise likes to call the 'Core.' While you head to the Core, I'll be here to safeguard the point. Hideki's got the point in Japan and Ichiro's at the halfway point. All three groups will head to the Core, Rai, Taishi and Marise will be there, and we'll beat Lucemon. After that, well..."
"Alright," said Kouichi, turning around and walking past Shinya and Takuya. "Let's go."
Takuya frowned. "Go? Now?" he demanded. "Shouldn't we at least come up with a plan or something? We won't have any water-"
A heavy sigh interrupted the goggle boy. Looking over his shoulder, Kouichi muttered, "Then drink up. We can't afford any stops."
Uncertain of this tactic, Takuya glanced at his brother. Shinya noticed this and put on his best grin. "I'm fine!" he reassured his brother.
"If you say so..." An eyebrow was raised. Takuya didn't sound or look convinced. "You sure you can hold this down by yourself?" he asked Ryu instead.
Ryuusei sent an annoyed glare in Takuya's direction. "You think I can't take it?"
"I don't know...you look thin to me..." remarked the goggle boy, grinning impishly.
This time, Ryuusei's glare was directed in Shinya's direction. In that same jokingly annoyed tone, he asked Shinya, "Hey, kid, do you want your brother?" Shinya looked up and Ryu continued, "Or can I dispose of him as I please?"
"I don't want him!" Shinya replied cheerfully.
The three boys burst out laughing, and Kouichi watched them with a troubled smile on his face. You're too conspicuous, Kouichi! He could hear that side of him, the one that had appeared years ago, when he had first found out about Kouichi. The younger side of him said, Remember what we did for Mom? You can't let them see you like this! We'll sort it out later, just like we always do.
A promise that was never fulfilled. He sure made a lot of those nowadays.
Lines ran through his head, accompanied by pictures. All his works. Music...that reminded him of Kouji. Pictures...sunsets...Kako. There was no way he would be able to get his mind off anything. Solitude encouraged thinking.
Maybe thinking was for him.
He didn't even remember saying good-bye to Ryuusei. He didn't remember hearing the blond haired boy call out, "Remember what I gave you? Do you have it right now?" He didn't remember nodding and pointing to his pocket. He didn't remember Ryu continuing, "You'll need it real soon!" The only line he remembered...
"Keep it safe," Ryuusei had said.
Keep it safe, Kouichi repeated. Once out of the forest, he pulled out his D-Tector and digivolved in mid-run. Keep it safe. He would hold true to at least that promise.
What of the promises to Kouji, to keep him safe? To Kako? To his mother? To Mr. Saito? To Hideki? To Takuya, Izumi, Tomoki, Junpei, and everyone else? He was sure he had made a promise to at least everyone. More than half those promises had been broken. He couldn't remember them. He didn't want to remember them.
KaiserLeomon's feet pushed him forward for all they were worth, speeding up as he realizing BurningGreymon was behind him to his right and Grumblemon to his left. He could feel them picking up the pace, too, not wanting to be left behind. Did they trust him to lead them in the correct direction? He wasn't sure it was the right direction. Did they trust him?
There was only one promise left that he could hold true to. 'Keep it safe,' Ryuusei said. I'll do more than that. This is the last promise...the very last promise...I'll ever make.
I'll keep everyone safe. No matter what it takes, I'll keep everyone safe.
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A/N-
Decided to cut it short here. Just because. I forgot to ask before, but how's the action? It feels weird to me (because I don't know how half the attacks look like sometimes), but in all honesty, any opinions? Or things to work on, even? Motivation is nice, but false hope is like "Yeah you'll die," when someone is saying, "Yeah, you'll live," when you're going to die and you know it. In truth, I preferred my original writing style, but there's nothing I can really do to get it back, so I'll change this one to my liking, unless you all like it. So how was the action?
Thank you for the reviews: GemmaniGirl, x.XWeirdxnxWiseX.x
Review or PM or Flame.