Vegiemon had just left the room, the door barely swinging shut before the sound of clicking hooves opened it. A striped beast in a silver mask pushed into the room, tail lashing eagerly, looking around with one glowing eye. There was a distorted reflection of Digitamamon counting a bundled stack of money in the Digimon's metallic horn before it lowered it's head, and Joe could only see his own terrified eyes looking back at him as he stood.
"A bit small for my tastes," it growled with a delighted sneer. "But I've had worse."
"Don't forget," Digitamamon warned, "I don't want to have to stitch him up like the last girl you had. Keep that horn of yours on your head."
The Digimon just whinnied, kicking the door shut behind it. Joe's hands were shaking and he could hear his Digivice peeping weakly, as though whatever batteries it ran on were running low. Gomamon had managed to open one eye enough to glare, grumbling under his breath, "ShimaUnimon... Be careful, Joe."
The boy almost fell over as he took a step backwards, the ShimaUnimon descending upon him. "P-please," he said softly, unsure. He didn't want to know what Digitamamon was telling these "clients" of his, and he didn't want to be responsible for loosing any of them. Obviously, he would just be there longer if that happened. "Let me get Gomamon out of here..."
ShimaUnimon snorted, its red eye casting a glow that was almost enveloped completely by the sickening silver light of Joe's Crest. "Go ahead," it said. "I didn't have enough to play with him tonight."
Joe took a step backwards, not wanting to turn his back on the zebra Digimon. At least, not yet. Gomamon's fur was still slimy and wet when he picked him up, and Joe murmured reassuringly into his ears, "I'll be fine. Just... Don't make any trouble for me, ok? We'll be out of this mess soon."
Gomamon shifted uneasily away from that terrible heat that surely ached on his Tamer's chest, nodding reluctantly. He found himself locked in the bathroom, the door clicking only moments before he heard Joe yelp. There was the sound of hooves clicking, of skin ripping, of blood dripping to the floor. Joe was crying out in pain, the ShimaUnimon laughing. Gomamon could feel the horn as though it were slicing his own flesh, his own digital blood pouring out and leaving him lightheaded. He heard Joe give a quiet sob, timidly reminding his assailant of what Digitamamon had ordered.
ShimaUnimon just growled lowly, but the constant knife-like pain stopped. There was a wonderful moment in which Joe and Gomamon's thoughts were in sync, that the Digimon would be bored without being able to inflict the pain he so desperately yearned for. But then Gomamon could feel those hooves against his chest, kicking the wind from his lungs and the bed squealed in agony. Joe was muffled, sobbing into the pillows which bore the scars of previous nights and the light that peeked through the crack at the bottom of the bathroom door pulsed from red to silver as the boy was pushed against the mattress over and over.
The pain was intense, rendering Gomamon immobile as he tried to open their bond further. He wanted to be able to take all of Joe's agony and make it his own, to leave his young Tamer with the sense of blissful nothingness while he curled into a ball and tried not to pass out. But it was too much, and the pain was just coming harder and faster, more and more.
Neither could tell how long it went on, how much Joe bled or how little Gomamon could stand to move or even think. ShimaUnimon wasn't about to let his money go to waste, to give Digitamamon the pleasure of using his "no refunds" policy on an old friend, so every time he felt himself about to give in, he pulled back and used his horn to create another gash in his toy's skin. He heeded the pimp's words to leave the boy without the need for stitches, but it didn't stop him from wanting to hear those delicious sounds of agony.
Gomamon cried freely, trying to distract himself by grooming away the grease that clung to his face. He tried to let the taste of spoiled fat and salty tears replace the bile that rose in his throat, jumping and trying not to gouge out an eye on his claws every time he heard Joe yelp. The bed was creaking faster and the feeling of being stabbed and sliced stilled as ShimaUnimon couldn't stop himself. Pain exploded through Gomamon's arm as he could feel strong jaws close around Joe's shoulder, almost cracking the bone beneath and surely leaving a blotchy bruise behind.
There were a few moments of silence, broken only by swallowed sobs, and then the sound of tired hooves clicking slowly across the floor. Digitamamon must have been waiting, because the door opened quickly and the egg Digimon's feet fell heavily as he inspected the boy.
"Not bad," came the decree. "A few bandages, but nothing should scar."
ShimaUnimon yawned, tossing his head with a whinny. "He may be small, but he was good. I'll be sure to come back."
Joe was curled up on his side, trying to hide desperately in the stained sheets. His whole body was aching, throbbing, bleeding. The ShimaUnimon's horn no longer reflected anything, but dripped blood down over his eye slot. He felt Digitamamon hover over him, and he heard him say something, but the words just jumbled together into a darkly amused rumble. Heavy footfalls and clicking hooves echoed in his brain and he heard the door close.
"Make sure you come back soon," he heard Digitamamon say. He must have forgotten to lock the door, as the sound was muffled but still drifted into the room. "He won't be around for too long."
Is that true? Joe thought, hope rising in his bruised chest. Is he going to keep his word and let me go?
"This soon?" ShimaUnimon asked. "I thought you just got him?"
"He doesn't have the stamina like Digimon do." He could hear the careless shrug. "He may not be able to make me enough, but Rosemon will pay good money for something new."
"Rosemon, huh?" A saddened whinny. "I'll never be able to afford him after that."
"I've told her, drugs just increase the cost of her whores. But she insists that it keeps them from burning out too fast. Either way, once they boy is sold, I'll have to find another Digimon to put to work."
Sold? Joe thought as the two Digimon descended the stairs and their conversation became to faint to make out. He... he was never planning to let me go. He's going to sell me to some Digimon like a... a prostitute. Oh God, I'm never going to get away! I'll just be passed around until I die! His breath was coming short and fast, and he wasn't sure if it was asthma or bruising causing him to choke. He reached out with a quivering hand, trying to push himself up. The sheets stuck to his cuts, and he flinched at the feeling of blood still trickling down his body. Abused twice in one day, cut to ribbons, about to be sold...
He stumbled across the small room, pulling on his shorts. His shirt was long gone, and there was nothing he could cover himself with. His whole body shook with exhaustion and he fell against the bathroom door, struggling to turn the knob with slippery hands.
Gomamon looked up at him with puffy red eyes. He opened his mouth, but Joe shushed him quickly.
"We're leaving. Now." He grabbed the small seal, almost falling over.
"What about your shirt and your shoes?" Gomamon asked quietly. He knew humans needed those kinds of things, and Joe was rather particular about staying dressed.
"It doesn't matter – nothing matters." Joe made a noise like he was about to vomit, but there was nothing to come up. "We'll take care of those things when we find the others."
He was moving slowly. Whether that was to prevent making any noise, or just because he was unable to go any faster, Gomamon wasn't sure. His Tamer was leaving bloody footprints behind as he silently pushed open the door, creeping down the hallway. The lights in the restaurant were long since dimmed, and the stairs were incredibly narrow, especially in the absolute darkness. Joe stumbled once, almost dropping Gomamon as he flailed and grabbed at the railing. A smear of blood left a gory trail, and Joe held his breath, praying that the light coming from Digitamamon's closed office didn't waver.
Gomamon pressed against Joe's chest, braving the despicable heat of the tag in order to provide as much comfort as he could. He could feel the blood seeping into his fur, and he closed his eyes, trying to conserve as much energy as he could. The boy was draining everything he had just to stay awake, and Gomamon knew they would need much more to escape.
Joe tiptoed through the Diner, cutting through the kitchen. Even in the dark, he still remembered where everything was and managed to avoid running into anything too loud. His feet were slipping with every step, and he collapsed against the back door. Once out, he would be able to run as far and as fast as he could. Hopefully, the other Children wouldn't be too far away...
He cursed as he pushed against the locked door. It refused to budge under his frail weight, and Gomamon felt tears dripping onto his ears.
"What's wrong with this stupid thing?" he sobbed, banging his head against the wood. "It's never locked! Digitamamon always left this door open..."
"And just how would you know that?" came the terrifyingly familiar hiss. Digitamamon stepped forward as Joe collapsed, Gomamon leaping from his arms to snarl with all his might. "How often have you sneaked into this kitchen, then? Stealing food? Supplies?! How much more time do I need to add to your tab?!"
"We've done nothing of the sort!" Gomamon cried, rage empowering him. "You said you'd let us go, so we're leaving!"
"Let you go? When did I ever promise that?" Black energy sparked around his shell, a bolt striking Gomamon across the nose. "I only ever said your original debt would be paid. I never said anything about your new debts – the room, the food, the bathroom. Do you think I'm made of money?! The only way to recoup my looses is to sell you to Rosemon and your little pet for scrap meat."
"Joe, run!" Gomamon yelped, leaping at Digitamamon. He bit into the shell, claws lashing into the dark gap from which the monster's eyes glowed forth. The blood on his fur made him slick enough to escape being grabbed, though the dark energy burned into his flesh. Joe scrambled, stumbling away. His Digivice screamed and he saw the light fruitlessly surround Gomamon. With no energy to spare, all it did was increase the terror that flowed between their bond. He hesitated, unsure what to do without his partner beside him. "Get out of here!"
Joe fell over himself, collapsing and crawling away, listening to Gomamon screaming. The bond between them flowed with every electric shock of pain as Digitamamon flung the small seal to the ground, stomping with thick, scaly feet. He wanted to stay, to help, to fight, but he knew that Gomamon wouldn't want that. His partner would rather die than keep Joe there for a second longer.
So he ran. He slammed into the counter, knocking over a stack of plates that made Digitamamon scream in agony (or maybe that was Gomamon getting in a lucky scratch) and stumbled as fast as he could through the dining area. The lights were out, the front door closed, but Joe could still see where each table sat, bolted to the ground. The chairs were stacked neatly, so he didn't need to worry about tripping on them, only about reaching that door. Digitamamon had always complained that it never locked right and usually spent five minutes ensuring the bolt was in place. Joe prayed that this was one of those nights where he forgot.
The door swung open under a light touch and Joe fell down the front stairs, tripping over his own feet as a particularly strong attack hit Gomamon. He could feel the burning on the back of his neck as he knew his partner was being grabbed and tossed, and he fought desperately to not turn back. Gomamon only wanted his safety and he wasn't about to let the seal's sacrifice go to waste. He grabbed at the ground, gasping as his poor lungs fought his asthma for oxygen and his vision spun. Almost there, he told himself, trying to stay away from the sparkles that were taking over his vision. I can almost get away...
He crawled forward. He could feel the sand under his hands and knees. He had reached the edge of the lake. Even if he couldn't escape, surely he could throw himself in and drown. Anything. Anything to get himself out of this nightmare he'd fallen into. The water was cold on his wrists and he wondered briefly if he should take a deep breath and try and swim out, or just collapse and hope he was too tired to fight back to the surface.
Joe had just let himself fall face first into the lake, the icy water flooding his nose and mouth, and he knew he was almost free. The pain that Gomamon felt, the pain that he had felt, the pain he had put all the others through, soon it would be over. He gasped and coughed and sputtered, water entering his lungs with a surprising painfulness that he was sure would fade to nothing just as fast as he would. Lightheaded and finally given up, he could barely feel the tentacle wrap around his waist, dragging him back to shore.