I want to be a Hero, just One Last Time
Chapter 5 1/2
By Juggalomalice
Quiet, but not in the way most people would think when they hear the word. Though most people would be enjoying themselves on a Saturday night and Tai and Agumon found themselves wandering the borders of the infamous Red Light District. Neon signs, shop advertisers and "Women of the Night", some younger than Tai himself, all tempted and coaxed the many young men and older salary men into their various shops of pleasure.
No, it was quite noisy in reality. Why Tai thought it was quiet is simply because no kids had bothered him in a few days now. Kids were noisy, so it made him uneasy when they were quiet for too long. He did his best to set such thoughts aside though as he had more important things to think about it right now.
Few people approached the two hooded figures as they hovered deeper down the roads of debauchery. Those who did were promptly ignored. No, it was clear from the two's demeanor that they were hunting, just like every other man here, but their prey was much more dangerous. Tai briefly checked the blue device in his hand.
"This way," He ordered before changing directions into one of the darker back alleys.
"Why do digimon always have to materialize in these dark, gloomy places? Why can't we ever fight one in an ice cream parlor for a change?" Agumon commented in hopes of breaking the silence.
"Maybe Ddgimon don't like ice cream."
"What nonsense is this I hear?"
Tai merely snickered in reply as they turned the last corner. Before them laid what looked like an abandoned construction lot. Perhaps it was suppose to be the location of some hotel or shop until the owner canceled the project due to its bad location. Whatever the reason, it was now housing a thick dome shaped fog. No more banter went on between the young man and his digimon. Now it was time for work. With the practiced motions of someone who had done something too many times in their lives, the two entered the field.
The thick fog cleared as they entered deeper into the void. Indeed the remnants of a construction site greeted them. Supplies of concrete and wood left to rot, perhaps because it would cost too much to reship them, entered their vision and in the center of all that a large, green, carapace-like back with insectoid wings. The massive green mound slowly turned to them to reveal two huge scythe-like claws and a mouth of razor sharp teeth.
"Snimon, a champion level insect type with a vaccine attribute," Tai rattled on from memory.
"I know what a Snimon is Tai," Agumon replied.
"Sorry, force of habit. Remember, they're not very smart. It's likely going to open up with a low fly-by charge before trying to take to the sky so it can launch an aerial attack. The priority is to keep him from taking off."
"And how do you suppose I do that?"
"See that pile of construction supplies just ahead of us? Use that as a take off platform. At a full charge, a jump off of that should give you enough height to get on its back during its initial fly by. After that, just disable its wings."
No more time was permitted for discussion as the Snimon roared its challenge and began to charge, as predicted. Agumon didn't question his partner anymore. As instructed, he too charged forward in hopes that he can execute their plan before it was too late. There was no time for him to fully think the situation out, just to act out the plan as best he could. He hit the wooden incline, brick, brick, eye level with Snimon, jump, hope the timing was right, land, and hope for the best.
"Once on there force the left wing into a downward angle." Tai yelled as he took several steps to the right so he wouldn't be in the anticipated trajectory.
There was an unhealthy crack followed by a scream of pain from Snimon as a wing fell off its body becoming digital dust. Apparently Agumon put to much force on the wing and at the wrong angle. Much sooner then Tai planned, Snimon came crashing into the ground head first and its body skidded across the ground before coming to rest in a tangled clump in the location Tai was previously standing.
"What now, Tai?" Agumon called out from his spot on top of the green insect.
"The base of the skull, right before the first spinal carapace. There should be a weak spot due to the joint connection. Put everything you got into one good strike there and it should be completely painless."
Agumon nodded. Though Tai's voice was perfectly leveled, Agumon could hear the distress in it. He didn't like giving this order and Agumon didn't like having to do it either.
The Snimon was starting to come around as well as it began to realize the dire situation it was in. For a monster insect face with no eyes, Tai was able to read it very well. Confusion, fear, panic, anger… All directed at him.
"Please don't hate us for what we have to do," Tai answered back solemnly.
Tai's reply came in the form of another cracking sound as Agumon's claw struck it's mark. The giant insect froze for a second as its body tried to communicate what was happening to it. The brain was sending signals, but there was no reply. So it did the only thing it could do, it shut down. It fell down like a puppet without strings and in the next second burst into digital dust.
Agumon loaded it without much thought, but even he knew that the data was, as they say, small potatoes. The data load was mostly a formality. Something he did just to remember the fallen. It was a strange way to think about data loading and for a brief second Agumon thought that perhaps he needed a break from all the fighting. He looked to his partner, Tai. He fought just as hard as him, though in a different way. Tai looked like he definitely needed a break from fighting.
"Tai," Agumon began as the two dusted themselves off, "Are you OK? You should know that it was good fight. Fast, well planned-out, and no one got hurt. You should be proud of yourself."
Tai gave a half-hearted grin. "I know, just… those kids have gotten me thinking is all. They way they rush off and are so eager to fight. So proud of their victories. I know we do it, but we do it just so we don't have to always face the truth of the situation."
"What truth is that?" The small dinosaur asked, though in the back of his mind he already knew what the answer was. He had come to grips with it long ago. Doesn't mean he liked the answer. Just meant he had learned to accept it.
"We're killing living beings. What's there to be proud of?"
End 5 1/2