8.
They end up not in Takeru's home, but in Ken's. It's dark, the only light coming from his computer monitor. They're both sprawled on the floor, but Takeru can't bring himself to care. His eyes are fixed on the screen. His partner is still standing there. He's leaning towards the screen like he can somehow see them. For a moment, Takeru thinks he might be able to get through the Gate by himself. The way he's reaching makes his gloved fingers almost seem solid.
Then his partner draws back, chuckling a little. "I guess the chase is over for now. No fun." He smiles up at Takeru. "You've made your choice, takeru, and you didn't choose me, again." Takeru flinches. "That's probably good though. If you stay now, your mama will be worried." He takes another step back, but the smile still fills up the screen. He makes to turn away but then he pauses. "Ah, that's right! You've probably been wondering, what am I? I'm not Angemon, right?" One blue eye peers back at them. "I can't be. I'm just too cold! But I'm not Devimon either. I'm much better looking."
He spins once more and bows. "My name is Lucemon. I didn't know you had this much power in you, Takeru, but I guess I should have. Thanks! Say hi to Tailmon for me!"
The screen shuts off, covering them in darkness. They are both quiet, then Takeru whispers in something like awe, "I didn't know he was so dramatic."
Ken sputters out what is probably a giggle, but it's too close to a whimper for his taste. Wormmon clicks down and scuttles to the light switch. Takeru wishes he hadn't. The dark would have hid the way the cold had shuttered his face. He wants to know how Angemon -Lucemon- knows all of those things about Ken. Are they even true?
"Ken?" He shouldn't ask, he shouldn't, it's not right, not proper, but… but… Ken's staring at him, waiting. He knows what he'll be asked. Of course he does.
"Did you really, um..."
Yeah, how could he ask "did you kill your brother"? What kind of person asked that?
Ken's shoulders sag a little, which means he knows the question anyway. "I didn't stop it."
"It wasn't your fault, Ken-chan!" Wormmon's insistence is very soft and a little wary.
He shakes his head. "But this is. There's something wrong with me. Seeing that… seeing Lucemon made me happy." He nibbles on his lip and looks up at Takeru with the fear that only a child can have. "What's wrong with me?"
Takeru feels sick to his stomach because it's like looking at himself when he couldn't find Patamon in Tokyo and he's not supposed to feel that sort of lurching concern right now.
He's spared from answering by a knock at the door. "Ken-chan?"
If possible, Ken's pale skin turns almost ghostly white. "Mama..."
Crap.
A/N: Oh look, I updated. Hi! all right, so lemme explain the thing. It probably would have been easier for me to just come out and tell you guys who Patamon actually became, but since Takeru wouldn't know that, I couldn't just do that without being super god narrator and that's honestly not my cup of tea. I let the story tell itself, somewhat. So that is why it has all been so confusing. Now the story is probably going to start falling together bit by bit because, hey, we have almost everything we need. Almost! Just one more thing. Or maybe two. Cheers!