Message from the Author: Sorry for another long wait, but here is the next chapter in the story. Thank you all for continuing to read my story, enjoy.
Loyalty
"Mike, are you alright?" a familiar voice asked. Michael sat up.
"I dunno, my head is throbbing." he responded. He took his helmet off and rubbed his head.
"What's wrong?" a youthful female asked as she rushed to help him up.
"Mike got hit pretty hard. That running back is D-1 bound, he's getting looks from Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson… Don't feel to bad about getting trucked by him, Mike. You slowed him down enough for Jarod to tackle him." The familiar voice was from his friend Tim, an outside linebacker on Michael's high school football team. The athletic training staff was surrounding him now, the game put on hold for an injury timeout.
"How are you feeling, Michael? You seemed to take a pretty hard hit from that boy." the athletic trainer asked.
"My head hurts pretty bad, Doc. I got hit in the head pretty hard."
"Alright, we're gonna need to get you to the sideline and start the concussion protocol. Do you think you can walk?"
"Yeah, Doc. I think I can manage." Michael got up, with the training staff helping him up. He walked slowly to the sideline, the fans from both sides clapping for him. He got into the bed of a small vehicle while the athletic trainer got into the driver's seat. They drove off.
My head is throbbing. Good Lord.
Michael passed out due to his head injury.
"Michael! Please get up!" Renamon pleaded to her unconscious partner. She was kneeling beside him, squeezing one of his hands with her right and shaking his shoulder with her left. "I can't lose you like this."
*BANG BANG BANG*
CPL Ku was engaging the digimon the lieutenant accidentally released from the truck. It resembled a Tyrannosaurus Rex with longer arms and seemed just as vicious. The bullets caused little reaction and no apparent physical damage.
"Vee Headbutt!" Veemon was doing his best as well. The little blue digimon collided with the larger's head, causing it to stagger a little. The effect was only momentary.
"Renamon! You have fight that thing." CPL Ku said, "I can't do anything myself. Veemon needs your help. I will see what I can do for the lieutenant, here." Renamon turned to the corporal with an anxious look. She hesitated for a few moments, not wanting to leave her partner in the state he was in.
"Okay." She replied. She took the lieutenant's hand with both of hers and gave it one more squeeze, then got up and jumped off into the fight. The corporal took her place next to the unconscious lieutenant.
"What the hell have you gotten us into, sir?" the corporal asked, fully aware 2LT Joseph wouldn't reply. He shook the lieutenant a couple of times to see if he'd wake, with no effect.
"Diamond Storm!" CPL Ku looked back and saw Renamon at the apex of a leap, sending a volley of crystals down towards the creature.
"Fire Breath!" The creature responded with a stream of flame shooting out of his mouth, absorbing the crystal volley and pushing on to Renamon. Veemon and Renamon became engulfed in flames. When the flames resided, the corporal could see Veemon and Renamon with visible char marks all over the fronts of their bodies. The corporal was shocked they stood firm and continued fighting. He looked back to the unconscious lieutenant.
"We're gonna need to get you out of here, sir." The corporal grabbed the lieutenant by the back of his plate carrier and dragged him to the nearest tree, sitting him up on the tree. He shook him again, to no avail. "Damnit, lieutenant!"
"Slash Claw!" The dinosaur connected with Veemon, giving him a large cut and sending him flying. He screeched out in pain, landing off to the side of the road.
"Goddamn." the corporal muttered in awe, staring for a few moments. He came to his senses. "I am coming, buddy!" CPL Ku left 2LT Joseph and rushed to Veemon and tried to administer some first aid.
"Why are you doing this?" A struggling Renamon screamed at the dinosaur.
"Humans and those who help them must be destroyed." A deep, menacing voice responded.
"You will not destroy my partner!" Renamon shouted, leaping into the air towards the hostile digimon. "Power Paw!" She balled her right hand into a fist and wound it back, her fist beginning to glow with a blue aura. She brought her fist forward as she reached the head of the dinosaur, connecting her punch with his jaw. The creature staggered backwards and covered his jaw with one of his clawed hands. Renamon landed, looking exhausted but pleased to see her attack having a strong effect on the enemy. The dinosaur began to laugh.
"You think you have the power to defeat me? 'Tis but a scratch. You are weak, just like the humans you sympathize with." He cracked his knuckles and stepped forward. Renamon, intimidated, slowly backed away. Unfortunately, the creature moved faster and caught her, grabbing her body firmy in one of his clawed hands. She couldn't move. He brought her up to eye level.
"You lack the power needed to truly be able to contend with a superior being like myself. Why do you associate yourself with such pitiful creatures?" He turned her to face the others. "Look at them, weak and ineffective. Did you really believe they could give you power?" She looked helplessly at her friends. Veemon, heavily injured from the fight. CPL Ku, frantically trying to help his partner, but having little success. And 2LT Joseph, her partner, unconscious and laid up against a tree. Renamon felt shame in the fact she could not help them. "Humans are a blight and must be eliminated from the digital world. They do not belong here; they are invaders who want to enslave us. They managed to trick you into believing that they are your friends, you fool."
"They are my frien-" He squeezed her, crushing her in his fist as she cried out.
2LT Joseph awoke to his partner crying out. "Renamon." he barely managed a loud whisper. The dinosaur tossed Renamon towards her friends, and slowly moved forward to finish them off. Renamon landed next to 2LT Joseph, crippled and broken.
"Michael," she barely managed to whisper, "I am sorry I have failed you." Her eyes watered, tears flowing from her eyes, closed in shame. 2LT Joseph rolled off the tree and kneeled next to her, taking her hand in one of his, and wiping the tears from her face with the other.
"Renamon, you have nothing to be sorry for. I am responsible for what happened here, I am the one who failed you." Tears fell from his face onto hers. "You don't deserve this."
"She does," said the dinosaur, "for helping you heathens. Now she will die."
"You will have to go through me, first!" The lieutenant stood up and aimed his rifle at the head of the massive creature.
"Very well, you will die with her."
"No, Michael." Renamon whispered to him, unable to speak any louder. "You are my tamer; it is my duty to protect you. Get away while you can"
"I will never leave a fallen comrade." The dinosaur opened his large maw, preparing to spew out his flames. The lieutenant saw his chance and took it.
*Whoomp* He fired his grenade launcher right into the mouth of the creature. The grenade exploded inside its throat, causing the creature to stagger backwards and cough out black smoke. The dinosaur fell to its knees and continued to cough.
"You *cough* will pay *cough* for this. *cough cough*" 2LT Joseph turned back to his partner.
"I would never leave you, Renamon." He knelt beside her and lifted her head in his hand. "You are my partner; it is my duty to protect you."
"Thank you, Michael. I owe you my life."
"You don't owe me anything." The lieutenant's digivice began to glow brightly, like before. He pulled it out of the pouch.
