I Want to Be a Hero, Just One Last Time
By Juggalomalice
Chapter 3
The simple two story apartment building was nothing important. It offered nothing special except a cheap monthly price for college students, single office workers, and the occasional newlywed. Despite what people might think from anime, apartment complexes like this didn't really house interesting characters. No mad scientist, loner detectives, or occult witches here. Everyone was 100% completely normal and that's why Tai liked it. Normal people were less likely to snoop into your business or ask you why your TV was on the whole day, even though you weren't home, and playing nothing but Mexican wrestling.
Even now as Tai closed the door behind him he could hear the battle cry of the masked wrestler on the screen as a small orange dinosaur watched and mimicked the moves he saw.
"I AM LOS TIBURON! And I am...a lucha!" With that the masked man leaped from his place on the ropes onto his downed opponent.
"Keep it down Agumon. You'll bother the neighbors." Tai said as he hit the mute button on the remote.
"Hey Tai, did you bring me anything to eat?" Agumon asked.
"Is that all you think about, food?"
"Nope, I think about wrestling too." the Digimon replied with a witty grin. Tai grinned as he grabbed a nearby hoodie and tossed it to his partner.
"Get dressed. We're picking up take out."
"Oh, is someone in a fancy mood tonight?"
"Nope, I just thought we'd have some fun." Tai said with a grin. He didn't have to say anymore. The two had been together so long that the look he shared with his partner said everything he needed to tell him. Agumon immediately threw on the hoodie as he sat up with new found vigor.
"It's been awhile since I've had one of those." Agumon proclaimed, unable to hide the smile that was forming on his face. With a grin on both their faces, the pair left their apartment and walked down the road to a nearby ramen shop.
"Tai," Agumon began as he sniffed the air, "I smell something."
"That's just the delicious smell of freshly cooked ramen, Agumon" Tai answered back with a knowing wink as they entered the small shop.
The elder man behind the counter looked up from his cooking to greet his new customers. "Oh Taichi, I haven't seen you around in in a while. Do you and your friend want your usual orders?"
"That would be great, sir. Also while you are doing that, may you add two more orders of miso ramen and one order of 'liquid-fire' please?" Tai asked his grimace ever so present. Liquid-fire wasn't actually a flavor. It was just code for, 'make as hot as hell'.
"Oh, are you having a party Taichi?" The old man asked as he began handed off the order to his assistants.
"You could call it that."
Tai made some small talk with the owner as he awaited this order. Nothing important was said though. It was just something to pass the time. The ramen was placed in its carrying pack soon enough and handled off to the college student.
"Remember to bring the bowls back on time for once, Taichi." The shop owner said sternly, but with the hint of a teasing smile.
"Thanks." Tai said as he paid for his soup and left the shop, Agumon at his heel. The sun had already set long ago by the time the ramen was ready and the cool night breeze was a welcome relief after being inside the stuffy shop. As the two youngsters began their walk home, Tai surprised his partner by doing a sudden detour in a direction away from their home. Though stunned by this Agumon kept silent, having long ago learned to trust Tai's judgment when it came to battles.
"I know you may be tempted Agumon, but whatever you do don't look up." Tai mumbled below his breath.
If Agumon hadn't been walking right next to him there would have been no way for the Digimon to have heard what his partner said. Nodding in understanding, Agumon placed complete trust in his partner as he followed the young man down a tunnel into an underground parking lot. The lot was mostly empty outside of the late-night and over-timer worker's vehicles that still rested here. Tai continued towards a central location next to one of the many concrete pillars, before he placed the ramen down, and a casually leaned against the pillar.
"Why are we stopping here, Tai?" Agumon asked as he looked around the parking lot.
"We're just waiting for our guests to arrive."
As if on cue, a young girl with fiery red hair and a broken heart t-shirt entered the parking lot from the tunnel entrance. A tall, yellow fox-like Digimon followed closely at her side. Tai waited until the pair was closer to them before he addressed them. Agumon could already feel the air begin to tense around him. The aggressive intent of the girl and her Digimon were obvious and the orange dinosaur fought with his instincts to prevent himself from charging into combat.
"Did you really think I didn't know you were following me, Kid?" Tai asked the younger girl.
"I suspected you may have caught on. I figured there's no way you'd be that dense, but there was no point in backing out of the plan after we've come this far." She answered back. Her response was filled with confidence and pride.
Tai grinned, "Let's cut to the chase. What do you want?"
"I want a battle! Renamon, Attack!" There was no hesitation between the order and its flawless execution and it was clear that the two were accustomed to being on the offense.
"Agumon, counter and play nice."
"You're no fun sometimes, Tai." the small dinosaur answered with a grin as he dashed into the fight.
As the two Digimon rushed towards each other, Agumon could tell how talented this Renamon was. Talented, but not to experienced based on how clearly she was telegraphing her punch. Agumon easily ducked under her swing as he jammed his shoulder into her. From there, it was a simple task to redirect her force and flip her over.
Renamon didn't stay down though as she quickly recovered and delivered a series of kicks at her opponent. Agumon easily blocked them with a mocking scoff. Though the dino had several chances to 'smack the fur off' his opponent he allowed her to tumble away, giving her time to plan her next move.
"You're fast," Agumon said with a toothy grin as he purposely looked away from his opponent, "But not that fast. Your strength is kind of laughable too."
Taking the bait, Renamon dashed in with a left feint, before driving home a powerful right cross. Time slowed down as the punch connected into the side of the dinosaur's face with enough force to fell a Digimon twice his petite size. For several long seconds neither Digimon moved until Agumon opened his eyes and smiled at the taller fox. Her fist still strongly embedded into his face.
"Nice punch, but again laughable strength. You need 'mas cojones'!" Agumon cried out as he grabbed Renamon by the fur around her neck before pulling her into a traditional aikido flip. A loud crash sounded as the foxes light body was slammed into the car behind them. A moan of pain escaped her lips as she rolled out of the indention she had made in the vehicle back toward her trainer, though it lacked the flare of her previous tumble.
"Rika, I'm starting to think this fight may have been a bad idea." The wounded Digimon said.
"I thought we might actually have to try on this one, my apologies Agumon. Let's wrap this up alright." Tai said to his partner, who with a nod of acknowledgment, rushed once more into fight.
"Digi-Modify: Speed Up!" Rika shouted as she slashed a card through her D-Power.
Tai merely scrunched his brow, "What the hell is a digi-modify?"
His answer came in the form of Renamon jumping away from Agumon before pelting him with attacks from all sides at speeds not seen before. Agumon quickly took a defensive position as he tried to analyze the situation.
"Don't worry buddy," Tai called out, "She may be faster, but she's still not that strong. Just let her wear herself down."
"I don't think so. Digi-Modify: Strength Up!" Rika shouted as she once more slashed a card through her D-Power. Agumon could feel the effect immediately as the annoying slaps suddenly began to hit like bricks.
"Tai, I'm ashamed to admit it, but this is actually starting to hurt and she's just too fast for me to get a beat on. I could really use one of those great ideas of yours about now."
"Yeah mop-head, I'm curious to know what makes you think you're so much better than me." Rika taunted as she watched the fight turn in her favor.
Tai calmly reached into his pocket, pulled out a set of heavy insulated work gloves, and began to put them on. "Did you know that an Agumon's sense of smell is several times stronger than a bloodhounds'? In fact it's so strong that an Agumon doesn't even need to see to be able to find his target."
A cold shiver of uncertainty ran up the younger girl's back, "What does that have to do with anything?"
"It is just a random fact. Another random fact, I use to work part time as maintenance here. I guess it's not important. At least it wouldn't be if I wasn't standing next to the main power switch for the lights." Tai commented as he reached behind the pillar he was standing next to and pulled down at an unseen lever. The lights of the parking lot immediately shut off drenching the area in pitch black darkness.
"Agumon, demonstrate to our blind guests what a Digimon who watches 16 hours of Mexican wresting everyday can do."
Renamon froze. Without light she couldn't see her opponent and if she couldn't see them there was no way she could dodge them. It was a brilliant move that completely nullified her enhanced speed and strength. Still she needed to move before… Her breath was knocked out of her as what felt like a ton of bricks slammed into her guts. Before her nerves could figure out what was happening she felt two powerful claws wrap around her waist from behind before gravity reversed itself and came crashing onto her in what she could only guess was a suplex. She was given no time to rest as she was once more picked up and slammed into the ground. She would have felt like she was flying if not for all the times she came crashing down. One didn't have to see what was going on to make sense of the numerous cries of pain that echoed throughout the structure.
"Make sure she doesn't retreat through the side exit." Tai shouted.
"Side exit?" Rika questioned as she looked around. Indeed, in the pitch darkness the red lit exit sign shined like a beacon of safety. How could she not notice it? This small ungrounded lot limited Renamon's movements. If they could get outside their odds of victory dramatically increased. "Renamon, head towards the exit," She shouted as she sprinted towards the door.
It wasn't long before she felt herself being picked up in the familiar style of Renamon's and dashed off towards the exit. It was a matter of seconds before the two burst out through the door into what looked like a drop-off area for supply trucks and vans. The area was fenced off and the gate closed for the night. Though the young trainer knew Renamon could easily jump this fence she couldn't help but feel like she was herded into the area. Like it was meant to make her feel trapped.
As Renamon placed her trainer down, the young girl noticed the significant amount of damage to her Digimon. Bruises wouldn't show well through a Renamon's fur or under the night light, but Rika wasn't naive enough to believe they weren't there. It was clear in the Digimon's mannerism as she struggled to hold her graceful poise.
"I wish we had time to heal you, Renamon." Rika said as she was placed down and turned to face the door they just exited out of, "But you saw it yourself. His Agumon can't keep up with you and out here we have a more open area to take advantage of your speed. Plus, he can't turn the lights off on us." Renamon silently nodded her agreement to her trainer, but she still felt uneasy about the coming events.
Inside
"I let them escape, just like you wanted, Tai." Agumon announced after it was clear the exit door was closed.
"Good, now break the door down, but don't rush out there. Stay in the shadows when you do it and try to make it look dramatic." Tai ordered as he picked up the ramen and followed his partner to the door.
"And why am I doing that?" The orange dinosaur asked as he ran his claw over the door, trying to get a sense of its hardness.
"Well the goal is to scare her. The kid thinks she is tough shit and maybe she is, but she's nothing more than a walking casualty by herself. Its better we teach her a lesson in humility then read her obituary later on."
Agumon looked up at Tai, the faint outline of a smile, barely visible through the red light of the exit sign, graced his snout.
"Why are you grinning at me like an idiot, Agumon?"
"Because, even though you act tough you're going through all this trouble to protect a little girl you don't know from the same pain you went through. I guess it makes me happy to know that you still care about people." Agumon confessed as he took several steps away from the door.
Tai flinched at Agumon's words as a somewhat crestfallen expression came over him, "I guess I do still care."The loud crashing sound of Agumon's foot slamming into the heavy aluminum door and causing it to fly off its hinges resounded into the night sky. It slammed into the hard ground, sparks flying as the bent in doorway skidded and came to a rest halfway towards Rika and Renamon.
"Stand back, Rika." Renamon warned as she faced off with the dark entrance way.
Several intense moments of silence passed by as Renamon stood her ground and prepared for any attack that might come at her. It came soon enough, but not in the form that she had anticipated. Instead of fireballs, a single juice can was thrown at her. The stout fox Digimon easily swatted it aside. It was followed by a waded up piece of paper and a half eaten bento, each dashed asunder by Renamon's claws.
"Are they just throwing garbage at us from a nearby waste bin?" Rika questioned as she observed the remnants left on the ground. More garbage was flung out as Renamon easily dashed each piece without a care.
"They're mocking us." Renamon stated, as if to answer the question that was on both their minds.
"No, that doesn't make sense." Rika mumbled to herself. She thought through as many possibilities as she could as more garbage was tossed, including what looked like a white box. "Isn't that a..." Rika figured it out all too late.
"Renamon, dodge!" The young girl ordered, but to no avail.
After several barrages of garbage, Renamon had grown accustomed to it and was now reacting more on instinct than thought. She swiftly slashed each piece of garbage as it came at her and thought nothing of it when one white object seemed out of place. She immediately struck out at it and only then did she hear Rika's order. As the container ripped apart from her attack she was shocked to see noodles and broth spill out towards her. The food stuff wasn't hot enough to burn her anymore, but as the liquid splashed her face she immediately felt a burning irritation around her eyes and nose. The broth, stained red from hot sauce in it, stuck to the Digimon's pristine coat and stung her eyes and nose.
"Charge!" Tai shouted as Agumon dashed outside at his opponent. Tai knew Agumons' weren't built for speed and was well aware that a faster opponent could easily catch them off guard. The ramen served as a good means to incapacitated her long enough for Aguman to close in and finish the fight.
Rika was no fool herself. Renamon had reach, unlike Agumon, and with her improved speed it would be easy to hit such a slow target, even if she was blind. At the current speed Renamon's attack would connect long before Agumon would even be in melee striking distance.
"Renamon, he's coming right at you. Power Paw, now!"
Renamon, though blind, followed without question as blue flames erupted over her hand and feet. She could easily hear the Agumon charge directly at her and began the wind up of her kick. She was sure she would hit.
"Power Slam, Agumon!" The older trainer ordered. This command confused Rika.
"Agumon doesn't have an attack called Power Slam."
With a rugged gracefulness you would not expect from his appearance, Agumon jumped up and spun in mid-air till his hard muscular back was facing his opposition.
"Spitfire!" Agumon shouted as a powerful fireball shot in the opposite direction. The powerful fire attack caused the small, but sturdy, Digimon to rocket towards Renamon at unprecedented speeds, like a sack of bricks launched out of a cannon. With the added speed, Agumon easily slammed into Renamon before her own attack could hit.
Renamon wasn't sure what had happened. As soon as the powerful attack slammed into her she could have sworn she blacked out for several seconds, because when she came to she could feel the distinct cold of the ground on her back.
For Rika, it was like watching a horror movie in slow motion. She had lost a Digimon battle. No, lost was an understatement. She was utterly destroyed. As she began to frantically review the battle in her mind she came to the cruel conclusion that this guy had won the fight before they even started. Now, because of her weakness, her inability to judge an opponent, Renamon…
"What's with the kid?" The slowed voice of Agumon rang in her head, though she barely registered it.
"She's probably in shock from the lost. Whatever, let's finish this and go home."
"Finish this? What do they mean? They already won. What could they possibly mean by that?" Rika's addled mind thought. Then the words clicked. What did she do when she had Renamon finish a fight? She ordered the deletion of the other Digimon. He was going to delete Renamon!
"NO!" She screamed as she spread her arms out and stood in their way, as if to block them. "If you want her you have to go through me!" She declared in such a fierce manner that the older due couldn't help but to flinch a bit at the sheer force of her resolve.
"Oh," Tai casually said as he approached the younger girl with a suave, yet cold arrogance he vaguely recalled seeing in Myotismon, "And what makes you think you could stop me? I won this fight so I could do anything I want with your Digimon. Delete her, banish her, I could even take her as my second partner and train her to be a truly strong Digimon."
Rika looked defiantly at the young man, her eyes filling with hatred and contempt from that last line. Though her eyes were beginning to tremble with fear due to the intimidating height difference between the two she still managed to boldly declare, "Renamon may be weak, but I would never surrender her to you or anyone else. Renamon is MY Digimon."
She did her best to put on a brave face, but even the Digimon Queen had her limits. As Tai slowly reached out his hand towards her Rika instinctively turned her face away and closed her eyes. Though the young girl held her ground she could feel a warm stream of liquid roll down her eyes.
"Tai, she's crying."
"Guess I was a little too hard on her." Tai answered back as he playfully ruffled Rika's hair, "No one is going to hurt you or your Digimon, Kid." Rika looked back at her Digimon to find Agumon was helping her check for severe injuries.
For many years to come Rika would never understand what compelled her to say the next two words that came out of her mouth. Perhaps the stress and fear of the situation caused her to mentally regress to how a real 10 year old would act. Regardless, it would be two words that would forever change their lives.
"You promise?" The 10-year old girl asked as she hastily wiped away her tears.
Tai smiled back at her as he took her small hand in his and took a knee so that he was eye level with her.
"I Taichi Kamiya, partner to Agumon, promise you that no one will ever harm you or your Digimon again."
Why he chose to answer this childish question in such a way, he wasn't sure. Perhaps it was his arrogance demanding he be cool, or the way this girl made him feel nostalgic for his own little sister who he hadn't seen in so many years, or perhaps it was because he had promised long ago that he would never make a girl cry again. Either way, there in the moonlight with his partner as his witness, his words would end up bonding him to this girl for a very long time.
End chapter 3
Wow, been to long. I'll see about getting other things updated now that I have some time off from school.