I Want to be a Hero, just One Last Time
Chapter 5
"Rika, I'm sorry to say this, but I think your friend over there is crazy," Henry said as he gestured towards Tai, who stood a distance away and seemed uninterested in the children's group huddle.
"He's a bit of a smart ass, but why do you think he's crazy?" The red head replied.
"He thinks an anime character is based on him," Henry answered, rolling his eyes.
"On his defense," Takato began, "He really does look like the character from the show."
"Huh?" Henry and Rika asked in confusion.
"What, you guys never seen the cartoon?"
"I was more into the video games than the show," Henry admitted with a laugh.
"I saw a few of the episodes, but I never really picked it up," Rika added.
"OK, give me moment," Takato said as he left the circle and began to rummage through his backpack.
The two friends waited patiently as Takato finally found what he was looking for and ran back to them. He held up an old 1st edition Digimon card that read "Tai" and had a picture of a young boy with a blue shirt, googles, and a mop of brown hair. All of them looked at the card's illustration and back at Tai, the college student, each noting the uncanny similarities between the two.
Rika, being the residential card champion was the first to speak up, "Where did you get this?"
"It was part of a promotional deal they had for the cartoon. You know, one of those 'send your proof of purchases and so much money and get whatever' deals. There was a chance you could have gotten any of the DigiDestined, but I lucked out and got Tai," Takato answered with a hint of pride.
"DigiDestined, he said that," Rika noted. "Back at his apartment he told me he was an Ex-DigiDestined and not a Tamer like the rest of us."
"You were in the house of some weird guy you don't know?" Henry deadpanned.
"What are you even implying?" Rika nearly shouted.
"They're talking about you, you know?" Agumon commented to Tai.
Tai, in a lethargic manner, reached into his pockets and pulled them out, revealing its empty contents. "Oh look, seems I've run out of 'damns' to give," He then took a seat on ground and pulled out a taco before tossing it to Agumon and then grabbed one for himself. The two aged veterans happily talked among themselves as they ate their lunch, quietly ignoring the banter that went on barely over 10-feet away from them. They wouldn't be alone for long, though, because if there was something that could attract Digimon, it was the smell of food.
"What you got there?" The red Digimon asked without the slightest hint of fear. Terriermon still rode on his back as he too sniffed the air.
"Whatever it is it smells good," The long ear Digimon added.
"They're tacos," Tai answered as he pulled a taco out from the back. He unwrapped it from its protective foil and offered it to the hungry Digimon. The red dinosaur took several cautious sniffs of the item before it took a bite. Terriermon also leaned down and grab a bite for himself. Both Digimon chewed slowly to the new taste before swallowing.
"I think I like tacos," The dinosaur finally answered.
"Me too," Terriermon cried out in glee.
Tai smiled at this and he handed each Digimon another taco. "I brought some extras, because I know how much you Digimon eat. Still I wasn't expecting so many of you."
"They have different flavors too!" Terriermon shouted as he happily stuffed his face.
"Well glad you like them. So, quick question," Tai began, "I know you're a Terriermon, but I don't think I've ever seen a Digimon like you before," He said as he pointed at the Digimon respectively.
"I'm Guilmon," The red dinosaur all too happily answered. Tai glanced over at Agumon with a questioning look to which the Digimon simply shrugged, apparently just as lost as Tai was.
"I've never heard of a Digimon called Guilmon before."
"That's because Takato-mon made me," This answered only served to confuse him even more.
"Do you think Renamon would want a taco?" Terriermon asked.
"I think Renamon would like tacos too," Guilmon replied.
"Now that I think about it, where is Renamon? We haven't seen her once the whole time," Tai admitted as he looked around.
Terriermon answered in between bites, "She likes to be by herself. She won't come out unless Rika's in danger or she's told to."
Tai smirked before calling out to the group of children, "Hey, Lil' Miss Sourpuss!"
"What!" The ten year old girl shouted as she spun to answer Tai.
"You answer to Lil' Miss Sourpuss now?" Takato asked, his confusing ever so evident. Rika ignored him.
"Is Renamon hungry? I bought extras for her as well."
"How many of those did you buy?"
"20, I was thinking two for each of us and eight for our Digimon, but," he waved his hand, presenting the other Digimon to her.
"Yeah, I guess the extra numbers complicate things," She admitted as she walked towards him.
"Yeah, I figured us humans can still get two each, but the Digimon will only be able to have three."
"Renamon, if you're hungry you can take him up on his offer."
It didn't take long till Tai took notice of the shadow hanging over his head. He casually tilted his head backwards till he could see the tall digimon standing behind him and he couldn't help but be surprised. The upward angle he had of the fox seemed to accentuate her curves a little too finely, at least from Tai's perspective. With a slightly agape mouth he grabbed three tacos and passed them up to the digimon behind him.
"I couldn't tell last night, but has anyone ever told you that you are perfectly proportional?" Tai inquired.
"No, is that a good thing?" the fox digimon asked without thought as she took the food.
"It's a very good thing."
Rika quickly grabbed Tai by the collar and pulled him towards her. "Stop eye-raping my digimon, you pervert!"
Tai gave a shameless grin, not bothering to deny his actions at all. "What can I say? All her curves are in the right place. Also, I'm surprised you even recognized an 'eye-raping' face to begin with. You must secretly be a pervert, right?"
"If I didn't need your help I swear I'd choke you to death!" Rika screamed as she vigorously shook the older college student by his shirt like a Polaroid.
Sure, Tai found this girl's overreactions fun, but he was starting to get a headache from this. He had been sitting with his legs stretched out before, but now he decided to quickly draw them in tripping Rika while he was at it. He swiftly caught the young girl while she was off-balance and held her in a cradle like position on his lap. He then placed a hand on her chin and tilted her up to look him in the eyes and with his best smile said, "Sorry about that. I guess I shouldn't be looking at other girls, especially since I have such a pretty one in front of me now."
Rika stared absently at his large brown eyes, his dashing smile, his messy hair which she was starting to care less about, all silhouetted by the evening sun. All which compounded on her brain as her face slowly turned a deep crimson before, for the second time that day, her brain exploded. She promptly passed out and laid limply in Tai's grip.
"Oh, it appears she passed out," Agumon, King of the Obvious, said.
"That's a new reaction. This always worked on calming down Kari when she was mad," Tai admitted absently.
"Well Tai, did it ever occur to you that when you developed that skill Kari was much older than Rika here?"
Tai thought for a second, "You're right. With the way she acts I guess I forgot that she's still just a kid."
Tai was answered by a fist colliding into his face as Rika rolled out of his grip and took several steps away to calm down, making sure her face was hidden from everyone. The punch was more instinctive as her heart pattered rapidly from excitement, not anger.
Tai rubbed his swore jaw. "Keep that up and I'll start calling you Queen of the Sucker-Punch."
"These two seem to have a weird relationship," Henry whispered to Takato, who merely nodded in agreement.
Tai, being familiar in the art of male-female arguments, quickly changed the topic of conversation, "Hey, who is Guilmon's partner?"
"That would be me," Takato answered, a tinge of excitement running through his body at the possibility that this person was indeed the reference for his own animated hero.
"Can you tell me a bit about him? I've never heard or seen of a digimon like this."
Takato ran up and took a place at Guilmon's side, "I'd be glad to tell you a bit about him. Guimon is a digimon I created myself, though to be perfectly honest I'm not fully sure how he came to life though it probably had something to do with that blue card I found that one day. I use to spend my time dreaming about having my own digimon and-"
"Easy kid," Tai interrupted, "I'm just a bit curious. No reason to tell me your life story."
"Sorry, but I always wanted an Agumon, but then I thought why stop there? I wanted a digimon even stronger than Agumon and that's the inspiration for Guilmon."
"I see," Tai replied as he ran a hand over Guilmon in an inspecting manner. "Hmm, larger size allows for more muscle mass, longer arms for reach, and heavier legs and elongated tail provide better balance and streamlined movement. This guy probably runs like a bullet."
"That tickles," Guilmon giggled as Tai ran his hand over the digimon.
"The increased power seems to have cost you a few points in his IQ though." Tai deadpanned. Takato just laughed, unsure how he could respond to the seemingly true comment.
"And his special?"
"Pyro Sphere, it's totally awesome." Takato answered with pride.
Tai let out a low whistle. "Impressive. You should be glad there's only one of him Agumon, otherwise I might consider trading up."
"And that's why you don't have any friends," Agumon snapped back.
"Ouch, sorry I made the joke," Tai replied along with a dismissing laugh.
"Hey, can I ask you a question?" Takato began, sounding a bit nervous.
"Shoot."
"Are you really the same guy from the anime?" This question quickly silenced all talk around as everyone listened in, curious themselves.
"Yeah, but artistic license allowed them to do some changes. My hair's not that big, I'm much cuter, and things didn't quite happen exactly as they're portrayed in the show. Though even I admit they did a good job in regards to accuracy overall."
Takato scratched his head in thought as the next most obvious question on his mind came up, "But if the show is based on real people and events, why don't more people know about digimon?"
Even as Takato began his question, Agumon was quickly waving his claws in a silent "NO" fashion as if trying to warn the young boy not to step into bad territory. The warning was all too late to matter anymore. The cat was out of the back and Tai's face quickly shifted to a somber glow. A somewhat cold aura replaced the happy one as the children easily figured out that perhaps this question was too personal to ask so soon.
"Because it's easier I guess. It is easier to forget or maybe to pretend to forget. Easier to deny how easily our peaceful world could be destroyed, easier to forget all the people who died to protect that peace. Bit of advice kid, when a gun's pointing at your head it becomes really easy to say you saw nothing and once people start saying they saw nothing, it becomes really easy for the rest to start forgetting anything happened to begin with. After that, it's really easy for some genius in an organization that may or may not exist to say, 'Let's tell everyone it's a publicity stunt for a new cartoon.' And guess what? People will start believing it, because it's easier to believe that than the truth."
Tai glanced around at the many silenced young faces around him. When it was clear that everyone was too stunned to reply he smirked to himself, perhaps realizing that the story, even without details, may have been too adult for kids to hear. He stood up and, with a slouched back that didn't exist till now, suddenly announced, "We're going home Agumon."
There were few times in her life where Rika was at a loss for words. Most of these moments had only occurred recently, after she met Tai. Whatever mystic power Tai had on her, it worked its tricks once more, sucking up her words before they could leave her mouth. She watched him stand up, or transform to be exact. Though she didn't know him for long, Rika knew that Tai was a confident, powerful, and almost arrogant man with an infectious smile that even she found herself suckered into. This 'person' though, wasn't Tai. There was no smile on his face, no confidence in his step, no courage in his eyes. Whoever 'this' person was, they didn't just lose a fight. They were damn near broken by it. He walked past her though without so much as a glance. Like she was nothing and then he stopped.
"Let me go."
The words didn't make sense to her. For she had been still as a statue, unable to even say a word to him, unable to even watch him leave. Yet, without even thinking she had turned and grabbed on to him as he passed her. Her hand, much too small to fully grasp around his own, held on to his, almost in a friable state.
"No," Rika answered, finally finding her voice as her grip tightened just a bit over his hand. She knew that the moment she let go of him he would walk off and she would never see him again. "You said you would hear me out and I still haven't given my argument yet."
"Let me go," Tai warned once more with a stronger tone.
"Dammit, why won't you hear me out? You said you were part of the DigiDestined. Well what if our meeting all those months ago was pre-determined or something? What if it's destiny that you help us?" She knew the argument was a long shot, hell she didn't even believe it, but she had to try.
"It doesn't matter. I'm not going to help a bunch of kids get killed!" He exclaimed.
"We won't. We've already been doing this for a while!"
"Then stop! You all still think this is some kind of game. Get strong, beat the bad guy, become a hero. Real life doesn't work like that. In real life, there are no such things as heroes. "
"That's not true!" Takato shouted out. "I saw the cartoon. If they're even only a fraction as accurate as you claimed they are, then you are one of the greatest heroes ever! Everything you've done. Everything you helped do. All the people you helped save. How can you stand there and say there are no such things as heroes?"
"Thanks kid, but hero is just another word for someone who lived through the war," His hand suddenly tightened around Rika's. It wasn't painful for the young girl, but it was surprising none the less. "Rika, you and your friends don't have to do this. You have no one to answer to and nothing that obliges you to fight in this battle. You weren't taken to the Digital World against your will and forced to fend for yourselves. You're just kids and you should stay kids. Your digimon were destined to meet you, destined to be your best friends. Don't waste this time fighting when you should be enjoying each other's company."
Rika wasn't sure why, but she felt angry. As if she was being coddled. She quickly pulled her hand away at this point as she spun to face Tai. "Don't give me that Saturday Morning Special bullshit! I don't know fully understand what happened to you, but I'm sure it was bad. Either way, you chose to fight in the end. No one forced you, but you did. Well no one is forcing me to do anything. I choose to fight and if you're here or not I will continue to choose to fight, because it's what I do. It's who I am! I admit I want to be the strongest and I will not let you, or anyone else, tell me to take a backseat in my own life."
Tai turned towards her as he once more knelt down so he was within eye level with her. "Rika if you listen to one thing I have to say, listen to this. This is not a game and you are not a soldier. This seems like a precursor to a new digital war. It's slow right now, but it always seems to start that way. Agumon and I are soldiers; at least we are now after all these years. Please, we'll fight the battles. We'll even fight the war ourselves if we have too. Just don't throw away this peaceful life you have."
Though Tai's words may have had a deep impact, Rika was having none of it. She balled up her fist and for the second time that day, punched Tai squarely in the face. "Don't talk to me like you know everything about my life. You don't know anything about who I am or where I come from. So don't try to coddle me like you actually care, you damn coward!"
"If I save your life like that than who am I to argue with methods?" Tai said as he casually stood up and began to walk away.
"How many times are you going to walk away from me like I have nothing important to say? Renamon, attack!"
In hindsight, ordering Renamon to attack the trainer that just finished beating her up the night before may not have been the brightest of moves, but at that moment Rika was simply too mad to care and Renamon was to loyal to question. The drop quick from the tree line came almost as suddenly as the order to attack and Agumon barely had time to block the attack. Nevertheless, the surprise drop kick managed to knock him to the ground.
"Follow up with Diamond Storm!" Rika ordered. The attack execution was flawless to say the least. After kicking Agumon, Renamon used his very body as a springboard to launch herself on air with little energy to perform her special. The seamless combo between kick and Diamond Storm meant one thing to Agumon: there was no time to dodge.
"Tai, get back!" Agumon shouted as he pushed Tai out of the threat range of the attack before bracing himself for impact. Tai hit the ground a short distance away as a huge barrage of icicles collided with Agumon and the loose sand around him, knocking a good amount into the air.
Tai stood up and spat some dirt out of his month before giving Rika a cold glare, the hint of a grin just barely present. "Kid, you're really starting to make me mad."
Rika matched his cold glare, her heart rate ever increasing. This is what she wanted, this was what HE wanted and she knew it. Already she could see the hopelessness he was exuding earlier vanish. Whatever thoughts of failure and lose he had left his mind as he focused once more on fight. He could talk as much as he wants about self-sacrifice and the peaceful life, but in the end he was just like her. He was just looking for the next strong opponent.
The dust from Renamon's attack began to slowly settle revealing Agumon, who was still standing proud after a direct hit from such a savage attack. The orange dinosaur reached for his hoodie, now almost shredded beyond recognition, and ripped it off in the most manly way possible before tossing it aside.
"Did Agumon just make taking off cloths look cool?" Terriermon asked. Henry quickly shushed his partner, being too absorbed in action before him to take time to answer it.
"Agumon," Tai began, "CQC into a Death Cradle, but take it easy."
"What's a Death Cradle?" Takato whispered to Henry, to which the other tamer simply shrugged his shoulders.
"Renamon, keep your distance. We have the advantage out here in the open." Rika ordered. Renamon looked at her Tamer for just a second to acknowledge the order.
Unfortunately for her, a second was too long.
The distance between the digimon was much shorter here than it was last night and Agumon's powerful legs, though somewhat slower in longer distances, were ideally made for short sprints like this one. Renamon buckled as an elbow collided with her stomach.
"Eyes on your opponent, Renamon. Remember that, because I can't be giving you hints in every fight." Agumon warned as he picked up the fox over his head and slammed her into the ground.
Renamon quickly recovered into a crouching position before throwing her own punch. Though the attack was more level with Agumon's face due to Renamon's position, he still managed to easily duck under it before he grabbed her left arm and quickly spun around so that he was facing away and holding her arm over his left shoulder.
"Just so you know, he told me to take it easy. Not play nice," Agumon warned, before pulling her arm forward and down. There was a painful and unhealthy crack which stunned Renamon before Agumon quickly pulled the digimon's arm behind her back, held it there, and placed her in a headlock. He pulled back once more causing more pain to shot throw fox digimon's body as her back was pushed forward and her head was pulled back. The pain momentarily subsided as she felt her opponent release both her arm and head. The relief was but a second before she felt Agumon wrapping his arms around her right leg and pulling her down on top of him. All this was done in the span of about five seconds. Renamon could only describe the experience as similar to being locked inside a barrel and pushed down a bumpy hill. Her body was rolled around and continuously slammed into the ground as discretion of the small orange weight around her leg. After several painful tumbles she was released and allowed to collapse on the ground.
"You are now carrying my child," Agumon said triumphantly as he stood up, with far less wear, and dusted himself off.
"What? How?" Was all the yellow fox could mumble.
"It is the mystery of the dance," He assured her before she fully collapsed.
"She'll be fine in a bit. Just a bit sore." Agumon assured everyone.
"And you!" Tai angrily shouted as he marched over to Rika, "What's the big idea of attacking us out of nowhere like that?"
"Don't act like you don't enjoy battling you big old hypocrite."
"Don't talk back to me!" Tai shouted as he raised his hand into the air. Rika cringed at the familiar gesture, as Takato and Henry quickly dashed forward to try to stop the action, but it was too late. Tai's hand came down and an almighty "whap" was heard. Rika felt something collide with her head, firm but almost sponge like.
"Did you just hit me on the head with a taco?" She deadpanned.
"You're damn right I smacked you with a taco!" Tai shouted and he smacked her again.
Whap
Rika had to admit it hurt a bit that time.
"Why are you so mad? Aren't you always complaining how you have no one to fight but weak digimon? We're both trying to get stronger."
Whap
"Yeah, but I have a reason to fight."
"Are you saying my reason isn't as good as yours?!"
Whap
"No, what I'm saying is do you even know why you want to be stronger?"
"What does that even mean?"
"I'll take that as a no. Look, if you're going to fight you need to at least make sure it's for a good reason. You got guts, kid."
"Rika," She corrected with a roll of her eyes.
"Fine, Rika. You've been nothing but trouble since I've met you, but even if I wasn't around you would probably still be nothing but trouble. I guess I could hang around a bit. Give you a few pointers. You know, make sure you live long enough to figure out why you want to be stronger. Hopefully by then you won't need me to babysit you."
"I don't need you to babysit me!"
"Sure you don't. Oh Tai, please teach me to be an awesome cool tamer just like you." Tai mocked in a badly imitated version of Rika's voice.
"Hey, stop that!"
"Stop that." He mimicked.
"Stop copying me."
"Stop copying me."
Rika let out a guttural yell as she tackled Tai down and began trying to reach his throat. Tai, being older and stronger, simply laughed his head off as he easily held her at bay.
"They seemed to be getting along well," Renamon commented as she slowly got back up.
"Yup," Agumon agreed, "Just imagine, at this rate if I beat you up 10 more time they'll probably get married."
Whap
"Ouch, Renamon did you just hit me with a taco?"
Whap
End Chapter 5