"Review time~!"
"Zero Fullbuster: Ah, ah, ah... That would be telling. You'll have to wait and see :3"
"Cecebeec: Yeah, that fight was so fun to read. And I wanted to show off all of their strength. That chapter is my favorite and BlackWargreymon is one of my favorite characters. I wanted to give him the presentation he deserves."
"IT HURTS!"
The voice echoed from one of the houses of the subterranean city. On said house, a white haired boy is gritting his teeth to withhold the pain he was feeling.
"Then next time think twice before trying to put your hands in magma!" A familiar Digimon was scolding him. It was small and wearing a green robe.
"It wasn't magma... It was kind of like a sun," Killua said looking at the side, knowing that it wasn't exactly a good excuse.
Babamon gave him a flat behind her bangs, while by the door both Joe and Mystimon observed them. "Right, sorry sonny, a sun," She said, tightening the bandages around his hands.
"Ouch!" Killua complained.
After arriving to the city, Killua was immediately taken to the same house where Gennai was staying, and where he was told his friends were resting and was attended by Babamon and Mystimon, who reduced the damage on his hands with magic and then the witch applied some herbs and bandages.
The boy had some patches here and there around his torso. The explosion caused some two degree burns, would have been three had it not being for his Nen, and his back had cuts after being sent flying. The bandages also work to cover him, since his shirt was nothing more than a bunch of destroyed rags right now. He also had a bandage on his right thigh, where Mummymon landed his cheap shot.
"You're lucky those two," She pointed to Joe and Mystimon, "called me! The state your hands were in was almost irreversible! ... Luckily I am the best at what I do! Kakakakaka!"
"Yeah, yeah," Killua muttered, rubbing his bandages. "Whatever you say, old lady." That earned him a twack on the head. "OW!"
"Watch that attitude young man! Ladies like gentleman, not a brute. Keep it that way and you'll never find love or a nice lady to keep you company!" The old Digimon parroted.
Killua felt an eyebrow twitch. 'Be it Digimon or human... I can't deal with old ladies.' Miss Mito and Yuko? they weren't middle aged yet! Tsubone, Bisky, and now Babamon? Yeah, they were dogs and he was a cat.
"Thanks again for coming, doctorine," Mystimon said, walking forward and bowing. "We're on your debt."
"You've been on my depth since I took you as my apprentice," Babamon said. "I hope to get twice my usual fea in sweets soon, sonnies!"
Both Joe and Mystimon turned green. Joe remembered how Babamon devoured foor from five years ago, and Mystimon had to constantly see her accept offerings from Digimon that wanted her help.
He still had nightmares.
"Anyways," Killua said, oblivious to the horror on his friends' face, he turned to Joe with a frown. "... How are they?"
Joe looked at him with a saddened expression. "They're... Resting," He said and gestured to the door. "You want to see them."
He seemed doubtful at first. Memories of the last time he had to see a friend injured weren't... Pleasant. He knew it wasn't that bad, as what happened to Gon but... The fear of seeing a similar picture almost petrified him.
Yet... He had a duty with them. He was the leader.
He gave Joe a nod. "Okay. Take me there."
Joe nodded back and walked to the door. Killua got up from his seat and followed, stuffing his hands on his pockets.
"Now hold it right there, sweetie!" Babamon said, making both humans stop and turn to them. "I might be the best at what I do, but I don't do miracles. Your hands will make a full recovery, but only if you don't force them. So no punching or using that trick with your nails at the moment, otherwise your hands will suffer the consequences."
Killua frowned and took out his hands and stared at them. Their state reminded him of Greed Island, but the pain he felt on both occasions had no comparison. On the game against Razor, while his hands broke due to the constant impact of Gon's Jajanken they could still be salvaged, not the way they used to be, but could. Thank God for the Goddess Breath that healed him completely.
But this? He felt his hands were going to fell down. They were almost carbonized, just a few more heat and he would look like Gon after the fight with Genthru. The only reason he didn't passed out was because adrenaline was as good as anesthesia and because of his high pain tolerance.
He clenched them and flinched a bit at the sensation such a thing left. As good as Babamon was, she wasn't a Goddess Breath. He raised one hand in a wave of acknowledgment. "Got it. Thanks old lady," He said, walking out of the room.
Babamon fumed and crossed her arms. "This youth I swear!"
Mystimon sighed and walked out of the room to follow the two humans and leaving his mentor on the healing arts to rant about things like 'No respect from the elders' and 'he will break those hands in less than two days, again.'
He was honestly in shock when he received a message from Gennai calling from an emergency involving the Digidestined and when he arrived to see two of them carrying many of their friends unconscious, Kari and Nyaramon — Gatomon's In-Training form — Among them, he didn't doubted twice and put hands on work.
Their injuries weren't life threatening, but the hits they took were pretty hard, specially for the Digimon. Seeing them in this state and hearing the explanation Killua gave them when he arrived, describing the new enemy the two mysterious Digimon had created, made Mystimon fear for the safety of this world in a way he did on the times where Myotismon and the Dark Masters were still around.
'I hope they can find a way to go through this,' He thought as he walked down the hallway of the house's second floor.
Joe slowly opened the door to the room where the rest of the Digidestined were resting, Killua followed him from behind with a frown on his face.
Inside of the room where ten beds, all lined up, five in one row and five in the other. The Digidestined were all resting on the left side of the room, while the Digimon were resting on the right.
The rest of the group, the older kids plus Yolei and Ken with their partners, were in there too. Matt and Tai watching their siblings dutifully, while the others seemed to be waiting for them.
"Hey," Killua greeted softly. "How are they?"
"Not so bad," Tai said with a shrug and stretching his arms. "Compared to you they just have some scraps and cuts."
"Although..." Izzy said, turning to the In-Trainings. They all had pained expressions and some bandages over their heads, which was basically their whole body. "They had some burns. It's possible that they took the full force of the blast."
"It's our duty to protect you," Tentomon said from Izzy's side. "And the little guys understood that."
"Still, it doesn't make it right," Matt said with a sigh, leaning on a wall ane crossing his arms. "The enemy took the jump on them."
Even if it hurts him, Killua clenched his hands. 'Maybe if I hadn't gotten away to get Ken...' He took a deep breath and shook his head. 'No, I can't think like that, under that logic I could blame Ken for leaving on the first place. None of us knew. The only ones responsible are Arukenimon, Mummymon and their creation.'
He looked at Yolei and Ken. "Good thing you guys got here fast. A bit later and I might not have come out of it."
"Please don't even mention it!" Yolei said with a groan. "I wasn't even close to that... thing and I can feel goosebumps when I remember it!"
It... What a strange way to refer to BlackWargreymon, specially after what he experienced against that opponent.
"Now they have a Mega on their side," Sora muttered looking at the sleeping form of her underclassmen. "How can they deal with that when they haven't unlocked her Crests?"
Ken bit his lip but didn't commented. Again his actions came to torment innocents. No matter how much he tried to make things right.
Tai looked at Killua. "Well, they have Nen right?" He commented, looking at the boy. Killua nodded in response, his eyes still on the floor. "Can you accelerate their training? Make them start doing the things you do?"
"If only I could..." Killua said. "They've made progress on applying Hatsu, but to learn and dominate advance techniques... It would take months."
"He's right, it's not so simple," Ken said quietly. Amidst the foggy memories of being the Digimon Emperor, he remembered how it took him time to perfect techniques like Gyo or Ryu.
"It isn't," Killua nodded along. "Our safest bet is that they awaken their Crests for now."
A somber silence fell on all of them. This new enemy seemed to be too much for them, and the older group wasn't sure they could access their partner's higher forms of evolution after so many years of inactivity.
"We have a more immediate problem," Joe said, calling everyone's attention. "I don't think the kids are in any condition to be moved right now. But if they don't go home, then the questions will start."
The problems of a double life. Killua resisted the urge to groan, even he could get in trouble with miss Kamiya if arrives late to the household.
"I won't assume they will buy a late night camping trip?" Agumon offered weakly.
"I could cover for T.K," Matt said. "Dad knows, though he will not be happy..."
"And I could cover Cody," Yolei said. "But his mom can be a bit overprotective, she would want to talk to him."
"And I don't know what to tell to mom and dad when I go home without Kari," Tai said with a sigh.
"You mean without Kari and me," Killua said, calling everyone's attention. "What? I'll be staying to keep an eye on them when they wake up."
"But-" Tai tried to say.
"No buts," Killua said with a small scowl. "For better or worse I'm the leader of the group. I should at least look after them... And if miss Kamiya sees my hands like this she will freak out," He said, lifting his bandaged hands.
Tai sighed. "Fine. When you have an idea on your head nothing can take it out. Some things don't change even after five years."
"Can say the same," He said with a shrug.
Despite the light banter lifting the mood a bit, they still had a problem at hand. How to cover the children's absence during the night?
A soft knock came through the door. "Excuse me?"
Everyone turned to see the slightly less wrinkled face of Gennai peeking through the door. The man seemed to be getting younger with each passing day. "May I?"
Killua shrugged. "This is your home, don't need to ask."
The Digiman entered the room with a laptop tucked under his arm. "I'm sorry, but I overheard your problem and I think I might have a solution," He said, grabbing the laptop and showing it.
"A computer?" Piyomon asked, tilting her head.
"Not the computer, but the program," He booted the portable on. On the virtual desktop there was the image of a microphone. "With this, you can record your voices and alter them so they can sound like somebody else's."
Killua's eyes widened to comical lengths. 'How awfully convenient!' He thought. 'And from the old man no less!' Then his eyes narrowed. "How did ya get something like that?"
"An old man must have some hobbies!" He said with a pout. "If I can create Digital Barriers, Maps and trackers for Digimon attacks then I can do something like this!"
He had a point. He installed programs far more supernatural five years ago on Izzy's computer, during Myotismon's siege on Odaiba.
"With that our covers are solved!" Yolei clapped her hands, then she paused. "Hey... But that's only one computer."
"Well... I brought theses," The man said showing various drives. Everyone sweatdropped at the man's cheery smile during the revelation.
"Then I suppose you guys should get going," Killian said. "It is already getting late."
"Are you sure it is okay for you to stay by yourself?" Matt asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I am," He nodded again.
"Then I will too," Yolei stepped forward. "They can cover for me too in that case!"
"No," Killua immediately denied her. "We are already risking a lot with this gamble with the voices. And you play the role of covering for Cody."
"But-"
"Yolei," Sora said putting a hand on her shoulder. "I understand the feeling, and the intention is appreciated, but please just follow through with it."
The girl gave a disappointed sigh, she looked at Ken and Hawkmon and saw them giving her comforting looks. She nodded in the end and gave Killua a smile. "Please, make sure they sent a message when they wake up."
The boy nodded and with that the reunion was done. Everyone slowly scurried out of the room, giving the injured some concerned looks, before it was only Killua with his unconscious friends.
He let out a sigh and looked at the ceiling. Varying emotions raging through his body. He picked a chair and walked to the nearest bed. He set his chair at the side of the sleeping form of one of his friends and sat down.
'Everything will be more complicated from now on...: He thought. His mind drifting to his recent enemy. 'BlackWargreymon...'
On a cabin in the middle of the woods, a man was staring at his computer with a calm look on his face. Yet the raging aura around him told the truth behind his mood.
"I warned you, Arukenimon," He said. "I warned you that you shouldn't fail me. You went and created the first half of the weapon, and it didn't even listened to you. Though I must admit, I didn't expect it, or should I say him, to develop a mind of his own. But you didn't tried to bargain, you didn't tried to understand the situation. You just demanded stuff like a spoiled brat."
He swiveled his chair around and narrowed his eyes. "And like a spoiled brat. You shall be punished."
Arukenimon has seen better days. Her arms were hanging above her head, tied to the ceiling. Her face covered in bruises and her dress battered up. A piece of cloth among her lips to silence her screams.
"If I could... I would do all of this by myself," He said, standing up and walking to her. "I would go there and create the Digimon myself, plant the towers myself, all of it myself!" He raged. "But I can't... After all I did by creating the port and taking the Digivice, I still. Can't. Go. To the DIGITAL WORLD!" In his rage he backhanded his minion.
Arukenimon made a noise between a groan and a whimper. It was hard to tell with the gag.
"So I made you," He said, more calmly. "I made you, and that buffoon Mummymon, to do it for me. And yet you've failed time and time again. I give you a gift to destroy those kids, and you fail and get it broken. I allow you to create the first half of the weapon and you not only create the wrong Digimon, but you also let it escape."
He took a deep breath and with one swift motion, he cut the restraints and let her subordinate fall to the floor. "Let this be a lesson, to you two..." He said, turning to the screen of his computer. "When you fail, or can't understand how to deal with the plans. Arukenimon could have tried to bargain with BlackWargreymon, but instead she demanded him to obey her. When it was obvious that wasn't possible anymore."
From the screen, the image of Mummymon and Blademon watched the punishment of their associate. While Mummymon was horrified, Blademon kept a steel look on his face beneath the hood.
"If something in the plan escapes your control, then adapt and don't just let it stay like that. Don't throw a tantrum, think fast and reach a conclusion. And remember... I'm always watching," He lectured the two Digimon on the screen.
He walked to Arukenimon and grabbed a fistful of her hair. He walked to the screen and took out the Digivice. The port glowed green and he put the woman in front of the screen. She was absorbed and was caught on Mummymon's arms.
He, Yukio Oikawa, wasn't absorbed. He stayed behind. He always stayed behind!
"Blademon," He said, trying to remain calm. "I have a task for you."
"Yes, my master," He bowed dutifully. Out of all his subordinates, the only one he didn't created was the only one competent.
"You will hunt down BlackWargreymon, keep track of his movements," He said. "Engage only if necessary. If he attacks first, or tries to destroy a tower. And no killing."
The Digimon seemed to frown for a moment, before speaking his mind. "I will carry the mission my master, but if I engage the target I doubt I'll be able to beat it."
Oikawa resisted the urge to snarl in rage. He took a deep breath and exhaled. "You are right... It might be too much for you," He explained. "Even with the 'gift' I granted you, which you shall only use in case of emergency, I doubt you can win. That's what I'm ordering you to engage only if necessary, and if you see you can't win run away."
Blademon finally nodded. "Understood."
"Good... I'll have to make preparations if I want the second half of the weapon to be made... Effectively. Mummymon, heal her, but make sure she remembers this," He said to the blue clothed Digimon.
"Y-y-yes sir," He stuttered and scurried out of the screen.
The computer turned black and Oikawa sat down with a sigh. He looked up at the ceiling of his home and crossed his arms.
"Soon... Soon I will go to the Digital World. Soon both world will become one. Soon..." His eyes glowed blue and a dark aura flowed from him. "Soon... I will rule over both worlds."
"Yes mom, I'm sorry I couldn't tell you," Yolei said as she used a microphone and Gennai's program to imitate Kari's voice and give miss Kamiya the slip.
She had to act a bit less blunt than usual, seeing as Kari was usually more collected and formal in her way of talking. But otherwise it seemed to be working.
When she got home, she told Cody's mother that he was staying at a friend's house for an essay that had to be done. Said friend being Izzy. she hoped her upperclassmen was having a good luck with her endeavor.
"I promise I will be home early," She said to the woman. Then the woman asked a question that made her froze. "Uh... Killua?"
Her eyes darted around the room. They hadn't those of an alibi for their leader. They couldn't use their staying over for homework since he didn't went to school. And the few friends he had where all part of their group!
Suddenly the woman seemed to get away from the phone and the next thing she said filled Yolei with relief. "Yes! At Matt's!" Tai must've filled the alibi for her. "He's at the Ishida's place! ... Uh-huh. Okay. I understand next time I'll tell you with time... Yes, I love you too..."
She felt a bit uncomfortable saying those words. But she had an act to keep.
"Okay goodbye," She hung the phone and turned off the mic. She released a sigh and leaned back on her chair.
"Everything okay?" Poromon asked from his basket.
"Seems she buy it!" She said giving a thumbs up. "Bingo!"
She walked to her D-Terminal and flopped on bed. She checked her email and saw that Izzy texted her. He had successfully convinced Cody's mother that the boy was on his house, much to her relief. Same with Matt with T.K — She hoped she could pull the same with Killua.
That just left...
"Hmm?" She hummed when she received a new message, this one with the symbol of the Crest of Kindness.
I managed to convince Davis' parents.
-Ken I.
A smile came to her lips as she read the message. She pressed the keys of her terminal and sent back a message. 'Thanks for the help today,' She typed, and before sending it she added. 'Sorry for the slap.'
She pressed the send button and waited a few moments for a response from the boy.
I'm glad I could help. Don't worry about the slap.
-Ken I.
She smiled with relief at the message and decided to send him one last message. 'See you tomorrow on the Digital World?' She asked through the mail and pressed send.
A few seconds passed where she was expectant on the answer from the purple haired boy. A nervousness gripping her body at the thought that maybe she's stepping out her boundaries on being too casual on the boy. Aside from Davis and Killua, not all of them had been open on interacting with him after all, and then there's Cody but that's another issue.
Her worries vanished away when she received a message.
Sure. See you tomorrow.
She smiled and set her D-Terminal at the side with a content smile. Today might have not be perfect, in fact it was pretty terrible, but at the least there some things they were able to fix. 'Bingo,' She thought as her eyes slowly closed. All of the emotions from the day zapping her energy.
When she came to be, she felt her head was about to split in half. Her eyes slowly opened, she was on a bed but the ceiling was unfamiliar to her. She wasn't in her room, she rationalized quick. The ceiling looked like rock, like she was... Underground.
She jolt up the bed and then winced, her whole body was aching, worse than when she started here training with Killua. The looked down at herself, she was still wearing the same clothes but her gloves were discarded and she could feel the bangs of her hair against her forehead, which meant her clip was missing.
"About time," Someone mumbled beside her. She turned around to see the relived smile of her leader. "How are you?"
"Killua?" She blinked slowly, finally trying on oriente herself. "Where are we?"
"Underground city, Gennai's house, guest's room," Killua summarized as quickly as possible. "Everyone's here, except for Yolei and Ken, they had to go back home."
Kari turned her head to scan the room. At her side where other beds where her friends were resting, from Davis, to T.K, to Cody. And in front of her where beds lined up like theirs where the In-Training forms of their partners were sleeping, even Gatomon has regressed to that form, something she had never expected.
"What happened," She asked, slowly gripping the sheets of her bed.
Killua took out a deep breath and let it out on a sigh. "Arukenimon created a Digimon far more powerful than we expected... BlackWargreymon."
The name sent shivers to Kari's spine. The feeling the she felt when that dark blast of energy striked her and T.K, it was too similar to... The ocean, the dark place where she was taken.
She looked at her leader and finally took notice of his current state. His upper body was covered in bandages, just like his forehead. And his hands had been completely mummified.
"And... What happened to you?" She asked, one of her hands slowly touching the one of Killua's bandaged ones.
Killua look at his hands with a frown. "Let just say... The fight was harder than I expected," He explained. "I couldn't defeat it. BlackWargreymon is still on the loose."
A shot of panic flowed through the girl. If that monster was still on the loose, then what hope do they have to beat it when not even her leader, a true hero, could beat it? And neither she or T.K had figure a way to access the power of the Ultra Level again.
"But there's a silver lining," Killua's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "BlackWargreymon... He is alive. And by that, I meant that he has a mind of his own. He disobeyed Arukenimon's orders and let me go, even when I was handed on a silver platter."
It... He... What? Alive? Was such a thing possible, to create an artificial Digimon that actually has a mind of his own? But then... What was he? If he could think did that meant he was a true Digimon? Or still an artificial one created by the towers.
She shook her head, they could deal with those thoughts later. "Why did he let you go?" She asked, genuinely curious. "I'm glad it—He did but... Why would he?"
Killua snorted mirthlessly. "According to him he wanted to destroy me on his own terms and not under someone else's orders," He explained. "Guess now I have a target on my back..." He said, bitterness on his tone.
Kari saw his expression and her free fist closed completely on her sheets and her teeth gritted together. Frustration bubbling in her gut, that in the end came out in a broken whisper. "I'm sorry..."
Killua looked at her with a surprise expression. "Eh? Why are you sorry for?"
"Because I couldn't do anything!" She blurted out. "None of us could! And this isn't the first time!" She said, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. "SkullGreymon, The Emperor, The Ocean, Blademon, and now BlackWargreymon. Even back then five years ago with the Dark Masters, you always stepped up and fought them while we watched!" She hiccuped a bit and continued. "That's why I wanted to learn Nen, to become stronger... It is... It's just so frustrating to be weak!"
While she didn't yelled it out, and just gritted her teeth and let the tears fall more freely from her eyes to prevent herself from sobbing, the words shook Killua to his core. She just said the exact same word he heard from one of the most important person from him in both worlds.
"Killua, I didn't know..." Gon whispered as he kept his head lowered. Killua couldn't see his face, but he knew his best friend was crying. "How frustrating it was... To be weak!"
He knew how that felt. For all his physical strength that would put most people to shame, Killua knew how it felt to be weak, to feel helpless.
When he was under his brother's influence, or when he saw his best friend's descent to madness out of his desire of revenge without being able to stop him out of fear to worsen his condition.
He raised his free hand, staring at the bandages trapping it. He wasn't good at this. Comforting people or stuff like that. The only times he did where when he gave Gon moral support after failing their test to get in NGL again, or when Alluka and Nanika sometimes had nightmares.
But... As he heard Kari crying softly out of frustration... He knew he had to act.
"Listen," He said, snapping his attention back to him. "I know this situation sucks," He said, blunt as usual, but maybe a sense of normalcy was what was needed during a situation like this. "And that the situations of your training are not as ideal as we would've wanted. But you guys are advancing, and I am not patronizing you," He said when he saw the look on Kari's eyes.
He lifted his forearm, since he could not use his hands for this example at risk of aggravating their injuries, and coated it with a ten percent of his Nen, but at the same time he used In to keep it hidden. "Right now, I am using Nen, can you see it?"
"N-no..." She said unsurely. "Why? I thought I could see it now that my nodes were open."
"That's because I'm using an advance technique, a variation of Zetsu, called In. It allows me to hide my aura when I'm using it," He explained. "But there's a way to counter it. A technique named Gyo, in which you increase the flow of your Ren in a specific part of your body. Try doing so in your eyes and my aura will become visible to you."
"B-but we haven't tried that yet," She said, looking down.
"Then get started. Do it."
"But what's the po-"
"Do it!" He urged.
Kari started at him for a moment before sighing. She took a deep breath and allowed her Ren to flow on her eyes. She gritted her teeth to keep the flow under her control and focus a portion of it on her eyes. Slowly, flickers of aura could be seen and the Ren formed around her eyes.
She could finally see the aura around Killua's arm. It wasn't anything special, just a coat of the usual white energy around his limb.
"You did it?" He asked. He received a nod as an answer and put his arm down. "Then you can cut it off."
She did so. The aura dispersed and her body started sweating, she panted a bit to regain her breath.
On a chair set apart with her gloves, and her friends' belongings, her Digivice came to life for a moment before dimming out.
"What..." She panted. "What was the point of that?"
"To show your progress," Killua said. "You and the others are going through a crash course were we have to go through everything I learned in a year in the span of weeks. And yet you just used a brand new technique when you are just mastering Ren and Hatsu. Tell me that that isn't progress."
"It is... But I wish I could do more..." She expressed, her eyes still downcast.
"Take what you can get," Killua said, looking a bit sternly at her. "Progress is progress. And just like you told me I shouldn't face someone like Blademon alone, we don't have to go against BlackWargreymon alone either. We have Tai, Sora and the rest to help us. And... As much as it pains me to add him, Gennai too. And... Well, we came out on top from worst times right?" He said with a shrug.
Kari looked back at her leader. Despite his condition, he was trying by all means to make her feel better. The situation was almost hopeless... But so was the fight with Piedmon and Apocalymon, and even Kimeramon.
"I... I suppose you are right," She said with the ghost of a smile.
"Glad to see you feel that way," He said. "I'm not positive enough to think that everything will be okay magically. We just have to keep trying."
He wasn't Gon. He wasn't his best friend prior to the Chimera Ants debacle. A source of light and positivism that thought that everything will be okay in the end just because of wistful thinking and hope. He was a realistic person, and while BlackWargreymon did outpowered them, they possessed allies and abilities they could explode to best him. If they manage to unlock the power on everyone's Crests then they would have a new edge on him, and if he grows stronger then he could have a better chance at him.
And he doubts the woman in red would try and create a new Mega. Since BlackWargreymon complete disobeying her orders and just flew away without a word, aside from threats and insults.
"Thank you for that, Killua," Kari said, now looking in better spirits. "I guess... I was still shocked by what happened with BlackWargreymon."
"No need to thank me," He said. "And I meant that literally, we're friends it's what we're supposed to do."
She smiled at that. Truly, even with all the things he says he's done in the past, her thoughts from when she was younger during their first adventure held true. Killua was a hero, at least on her eyes.
Killua for his part stared at her face for a moment and slowly his head tilted to the side, like he was admiring something. 'Her smile... Is nice...' The odd thought washed away as fast as it came.
The small moment of quiet and content was interrupted by a cough coming from the door. "I hope I am not interrupting anything. Pi."
That voice made them turn. Standing on the entrance of the door, in all of his little glory, was an ally that saved them from danger five years ago at the cost of his own life. "Child of Light, Anomaly, nice to see you again. Pi."
"Piximon!?" They both blurted. Then they realized something. Almost mechanically the two looked down at the hand Kari still had clasped around Killua's
They separated and looked away, Kari adopting an embarrassed expression while Killua opted to act more casual about it and give a glare to the diminutive Digimon. "W-what do you want?"
Piximon giggled and started floating. "I know for a fact that Gennai gave you my message, Pi. But you guys never showed up, Pi. I get you are busy, Pi. But my patience has a limit, so I decided this were the perfect circumstances to come looking for you, Pi."
He perched himself at the foot of Kari's bed, the two humans watching them with curiosity. The small pixie having his hands behind his back.
"Then, what is it?" Kari asked.
Piximon twirled his spear for theatrics and pointed to them. "Digidestined! I am giving you an offering to train you! Pi!"
Both of them blinked, they looked at each other, then at Piximon. The they blinked again.
"Huh?"
BlackWargreymon flew in the midst of the night, not a day has passed since his birth and he didn't had anything to do.
The desert was freezing, but to his already cold skin that meant nothing. His whole body was creared the from black, cold stone from towers. Towers he has seen planted around the Digital World.
He landed at the top of a mesa, the breeze brushing the blonde hair that sprouted from beneath his helmet. Below his position he could see light, he narrowed his eyes and his shap vision showed him the source of said light.
A village, full of other Digimon just living their lives. Going through their issues without a worry in the world. Without knowing of the presence looming above them.
BlackWargreymon raised an arm, a sphere of red energy forming on his palm. He could destroy them. He had the power to do so and they couldn't do anything about it.
But what would be the point?
None of them would give him a challenge like the one the boy gave him. He knew few could. He lowered his palm and stared at the scenery while the wind passed through his figure. It was all too quiet.
Too quiet...
His eyes narrowed.
"Come out from the shadows before I make you," He ordered to no one in particular. Or so it seemed.
From behind a rock on the same mesa where he was standing, the hooded figure of Blademon made itself known. "Guess I have to work on my stealth. You aren't easy to track down, and when I do you discover me."
BlackWargreymon turned around and glared at the newcomer. "Who are you?" He demanded to know.
"My name is Blademon," He said. "And I have orders to bring you with me."
"Orders?" BlackWargreymon asked. "From those worms that claimed to be responsible of my creation?"
"As if," Blademon said with narrowed eyes. "Those clowns don't have any power over me. But the person over me wants you on his side to work for him."
"I receive orders from no one," BlackWargreymon growled. His claws glistening with the moon. "If he sents someone to do the job then he must not be powerful."
"Be careful for what you say," Blademon said, summoning his blade. "I can't tell if you have a tongue or not, but I will rip it out if need to. It's obvious there is a reason why your kind is supposed to be mindless."
"... My kind?" BlackWargreymon asked, sounding genuinely curious.
"Please," Blademon scoffed. "You should know by now that you are not a real Digimon. You were created by Control Towers, you must have seen one or two on your way around here."
BlackWargreymon did remember seeing those towers. How could they created someone like him was beyond his knowledge. But that didn't mattered, none of that mattered. He only wanted to fight right now.
"And I'm here," Blademon continued, summoning his sword. "To make you fulfill your purpose."
"My purpose?" BlackWargreymon rolled the foreign word over his invisible mouth.
"The reason you were created, why you were born: To be a weapon," Blademon said. "That's all you are. Even if you now possess a brain."
BlackWargreymon looked down for a moment. The reason for his birth? His creation? To be a weapon? That's all there was? Was that why he wanted to fight so badly?
He looked at the mysterious Digimon with a glare. "And what's your purpose?"
Blademon paused and looked at his weapon. His reflection could be seen in the pristine blade of the sword. "At first I thought it was to be at somebody's side," His eyes narrowed with hate. "But now... Its to pay back my debt. To enact vengeance and justice at any cost. Those are the reasons why I live for. And to do that," He took a fighting stance. "I have to take you with me."
BlackWargreymon felt his lust for battle increase as he gauge this opponent. The same pressure that boy he fought early that day was liberating, he could feel it coming from this assailant as well. And without no one to interrupt them, he will finally be satisfied his hunger for battle.
Maybe... That was his purpose.
Like Blademon he took a fighting stance. He crouched and extended his arms outwards, his fingers curling around the straps of his gauntlets. Dramon Killers, his mind dubbed them. And narrowed again his eyes.
The dragon was the first to make the move. He thrusted his claws forward to slash, cut or stab his target with fast strikes. Blademon backpedaled as he kept his defense, using his sword to block the monster's strikes from reaching him. The strength carried behind each stabbing motion was enough for Blademon to feel his sword tremble upon contact, this creature was a true monster in all the senses.
But he didn't earned the moniker of The Reaper for nothing.
He planted his feet on the ground and parried the next stab, pushing BlackWargreymon backwards. That opening was enough for Blademon to fall on a one hand stand and deliver a helicopter kick on the face of his opponent. Not give time to the obsidian goliath to recover, Blademon got back on his feet and charged with heavy swings at him. BlackWargreymon found himself on the defensive this time, using his Dramon Killers to block the sword.
It wasn't meant to last though, he planted his feet and used his haunt to caught the sword between his his right and center claw. Blademon's blue eyes narrowed behind his hood and he tried to pry his sword out of his opponent's grasp, to no avail. BlackWargreymon didn't wasted this opportunity, he raised his other claw and aimed to stab the head of his opponent.
Preferring safety over his weapon, Blademon leaped away from the dragon and backflipping to gain distance. Yellow eyes narrowed, and BlackWargreymon tossed the sword away. He raised a few feet into the ground, raising his hands above his head and started spinning.
"Dark Tornado!"
Making honor to the namesake of the attack, BlackWargreymon turned into a obscure tornado and shot forward like a missile towards Blademon. The Digimon raised his hands as if he was holding his sword in a defensive manner, and in a flash of light the weapon materialized on his grasp just in time to block his opponent with the flat of his sword, the edge pointing downwards.
Sparks flew everywhere, Blademon gritted his teeth as he planted his feet deep on the ground. His blue eyes seemed to shine for a moment and energy gathered on the sword. "Air Slash!"
Instead of using the cutting energy to attack his opponent, the blast impacted against the floor and created a cloud of dust around the two. Blademon moved out of his opponent's way and let the tornado continue on its direction, blinded by the sudden dust.
Shooting out from the dust cloud, BlackWargreymon stopped his spinning momentum and touched down the floor. He turned around in time to see that his opponent was nowhere to be found. He looked up and raised his arms defensively, just in time as Blademon went for an overhead strike. The force of the impact was enough to crack the floor at the feet of BlackWargreymon.
Blademon planted his feet on his opponent's defense and used them as a springboard to jump over him and land on his back. He spun his body around to go for a cut to BlackWargreymon's mid section, but BlackWargreymon ducked under it and turned around to give Blademon an uppercut to the jaw.
His teeth smashing suddenly together, Blademon's feet were disconnected from the floor, and BlackWargreymon took the chance to give him a kick to the abdomen that sent him rolling on the floor.
To stop his momentum, Blademon threw his sword out in the same direction where he was flying. The sword imbedded itself on the floor and Blademon twisted in the air so he would land on the hilt of his weapon.
He wiped his chin after he took a moment to recover and clicked his teeth when he saw blood has tainted the fur on the back of his hand. 'Bastard got the first flood,' He thought bitterly.
Then he realized his opponent hasn't attacked, he jumped off his sword and scanned the area to find him. His vision went upwards and his eyes widened when he saw his enemy hovering various feet off the ground with his hands cupped together.
"Oh son of a bitch..." He cursed and gripped his sword.
BlackWargreymon raised his hand and the small ball of energy he had on his hands expanded into a miniature sun. "TERRA DESTROYER!"
The giant ball of red fire came down with all the strength of a meteor. Blademon's famous hood fell down with the wind that was lifted by the strength of the attack, and the grip on his sword tightened.
Fear gripped his chest for a moment. 'And this is only one half of the power the master seeks to obtain...' He thought as he looked at the giant sphere of doom coming to him. He gritted his teeth and gripped his sword with two hands. 'I can't die here... I can't! Not until... Not until!'
Fire. That's what was surrounding him. And in front of him a towering monster with open maws.
"Killua! Please, help me!" He begged, looking around for his partner. He would save him! He would!
But to his horror, when he spotted the figure of his partner, it was of his back running away towards a Digital Port and vanishing through it.
He... He left him... He abandoned him...
"W-why...?" He asked in a broken whisper.A nearby tremor called his attention, the monster was towering over him. Jaws open to devour him entirely.
He... He was going to die... Because his partner left him. Abandoned him like he was garbage. Why? Why? Why?! WHY?!
WHYYYYY!?
'Until I make him feel that same despair!' Blademon thought, energy gathering on his sword. "I WON'T DIE! UNTIL I MAKE HIM PAY! I. WON'T. DIE! TIGER'S HUNT!"
His sword, filled with energy, shot him forward towards the incoming fireball. His teeth pressed together as he pointed the tip of his weapon towards the enemy's attack, he will go through this. He will survive and fulfill his purpose no matter what!
With a mighty roar, he impacted his sword against the sphere. The glow of the weapon causing the attack to start glowing too, signaling its incoming detonation. Not a second later, the Terra Destroyer exploted in the middle of the air.
BlackWargreymon observed as his opponent had launched himself to his attack. A suicide, that's what it was. He scoffed and prepared himself to slowly move back to the floor.
And so, imagine his surprise, when something shot forward from the cloud of smoke resulting from the detonation. Blue eyes were the most noticeable feature of the missile that was making its way straight to him.
BlackWargreymon barely had time to block the blade by rising his left gauntlet, and even then he felt all the power emanating from the sword when it made contact. The sheer power and pressure coming from the weapon sent was enough to launch him down with a 'BOOM' towards the floor again.
Like a comet, his body impacted with a great bang against the rocky surface below. A big crater being made under the force of the impact of the Digimon's body. BlackWargreymon could feel air he didn't know he had leaving his body. And for a few moments his body didn't seemed to respond him.
Then another object fell from the sky, a few meters away from him. He forced his body to sat up, to assess the situation of this battlefield. He climbed out of the crater his body made and looked at the cloud of smoke the other impact caused.
When it cleared, the form of his opponent was revealed, but it was different. The cloak was now a burned rag that desintegrated on the wind, burned to ashes, revealing the form beneath it.
Blademon resembled a white tiger. White fur with black stripes on his face and arms. He had a blue armor around his body too. A chest plate that covered his whole torso, a pair of blue bracers on his forearms, a pair of shin guards, and a helmet that resembled a gladiator's.
He was covered in bruises, panting heavily and with burn marks all over his body. His sword was as pristine as ever, but it was doubtful it could reach its full potentially with its wielder on this state.
"This fight is over," BlackWargreymon declared, slowly walking towards him. "You fought well, but it wasn't enough. I am stronger."
"... You... Are a fucking tool," Blademon said. "Of course you are strong... You were created to destroy... And nothing mote..." He said straightening himself, and using his sword as a crutch.
BlackWargreymon paused at this. Was it truly that way? Was he only a tool that was supposed to follow somebody else's commands?
"And besides," Blademon continued. "Who said this fight was over?" He asked. His sword dispersing and leaving him doubled over, his eyes hidden to his enemy. "I still have one last trick upon my sleeve."
BlackWargreymon looked at him, before scoffing. "Whatever you have in mind, save it. If you wish to conserve your life for us to fight again, then fight. But don't invent petty excu-"
He cut himself short when he felt a wave of energy surging from his opponent. He looked at him and saw a blood red energy seeping through him, his eyes were revealed after being hidden on his slouched figure. Instead of the crystal blue from before, they were now a deep, bloody red.
BlackWargreymon got in position, ready for anything his opponent might try... But then.
"Enough, Blademon."A voice echoed from across their mesa. They looked around, and the aura around Blademon slowly receded, his eyes going back to their usual blue.
"Master?" Blademon asked, looking around.
"I'm not around, there are no ports nearby," The voice explained. "This is just a trick using one a few meters away from your position, but I digress. You've done enough Blademon, return for now."
"But sir-"
"That's an order Blademon. If you use my gift now, your body won't be able to keep itself together. And we don't want that now, wouldn't we?" He asked in a condescending tone.
"... Yes, my master," The Digimon finally said.
"Wait," BlackWargreymon growled. "What makes you think I will just let you get away?"
"Do you wish to face me at my full power?" Blademon asked. "Not only will I grow stronger, but I won't hold back anymore. That aura... I will use it to drag you down."
"Now, now, Blademon. We need him alive," The voice said.
"So you are his so-called master," BlackWargreymon growled. "Why won't you come out and face me!"
"I would if I could... But my circumstances don't allow me to do so," He explained. "But maybe one day. And then you will understand what the purpose of your creation is."
That word again... Purpose.
He turned around and walked away. "I will never bow to anyone. Next time," He said, addressing Blademon. "There will be no excuse that can save you."
Blademon narrowed his eyes. "We'll see..."
BlackWargreymon extended his wings and flew off, leaving the wounded Digimon behind.
"Now we have intel on what this rouge can do. Now we just have to figure out how to avoid this from repeating when we create the second one. Any suggestions, Blademon? ... Blademon?"Said Digimon had collapsed face first on the cold stone. His body glowed and regressed back to his Rookie form. This form was similar to Blademon, but lacked the armor, only having bracers on his arms and the shin guards.
The voice sighed. "As long as he isn't death. He still has to deal with the Anomaly." With that, the sound of static was heard and the mesa grew completely quiet.
"What am I seeing?" Davis asked with a twitching eye.
It was around five in the morning. The group has finally awakened. Sore, humiliated, sad and more than a bit frustrated, but they've awaken. And right now, standing on the middle of the room, was Piximon.
And at the petition of Piximon, they waited until Yolei and Ken had finally arrived, deciding to leave their partners behind to let them sleep.
"I am Piximon, Pi. It's nice to meet you, Pi," The small Digimon said. "An ally of the Digidestined, Pi. And the one who told Gennai that you should meet up with me, Pi."
"It's nice to meet you," Cody, ever the polite one, gave a small bow from his bed.
"Sorry we couldn't attend to your invitation, Piximon," T.K said, scratching the back of his head. "Things have been... Busy..." He said with a sigh.
"I can tell, Pi," He said, looking around the room. "And that's the reason for why I'm here and why I invited you, Pi. To give you a much needed hand, Pi."
"How so?" Killua asked, tilting his head and arching an eyebrow.
"Simple, Pi. I know for a fact that Gennai has created new Crests, Pi," That caught the group's interest. "So like five years ago, and since you don't have to be moving around to collect them, I will help you out on how to use them, Pi!"
"Then you can help them all reach the Ultimate level too?" Ken asked, while everyone in the room looked eager.
"At first I thought of doing it, Pi," The small Digimon said. "But I realized I can't do much, Pi."
"What do you mean?" Kari asked, frowning a bit.
"You all already know of the meaning behind your Crests, Pi" He explained. "To unlock their powers is only up to you and the experiences you will have. Like how the second generation did."
Davis frowned for a moment before shaking his head. "Geez, sometimes I forget Tai and the others are the second generation of Digidestined and not us."
"Tell me about it," Yolei mumbled. "Then if you aren't going to help with the Crests, then why come here in the first place?"
Piximon turned to the white haired boy with a smirk. "Anomaly, I can tell there's something different from this kids, Pi. Something they share with you, Pi. Tell me do they have the same power as you?"
Killua blinked. "Nen? ... Yeah, I unlocked their Nen like... two weeks ago," He explained. "Why?"
"Tell me something, how long did it took you to reach the level you currently have with your power, Pi?" He asked, not only looking at Killua but to Ken as well. "To the both of you."
"Hmmm..." Killua frowned as he thought about it.
Wing unlocked his Nen when he was twelve, on the 10th of March and graduated from his teachings on the beginning of July, mind you that was because Gon was forbidden from training after his fight with Guido and Wing basically grounding him and Killua sticking at his side on that restrain. And then by the beginning of the next year, on January 7th, he had already dominated the advanced techniques and developed his fists Hatsu Techniques.
So taking March as his starting point...
"Ten months," Killua declared after much thought. "That's the time where I dominated most of the techniques of Nen," Some more complicated like En he still struggled, but that was about right.
Ken frowned. His memories of the Emperor were shambles, including how he developed his first ability. "I'm not sure..." He answered. "But forming my new Hatsu took me around a month..."
The others gapped at them. Ten months?! That was way too long for them to learn how to dominate Nen, at this rate they didn't knew if they could catch up.
Piximon hummed. "I see, I see, Pi," He said. "Then it's obvious you guys don't have the time to catch up... Or do you, Pi?"
"Don't start with the riddles..." Killua groaned, rubbing his eyes.
That earned him a whack upside the head.
"OW!" He yelped, clenching his skull.
"Patience!" Piximon snapped. "Well... Gennai is already aware of what I have in mind, so let's not waste any more time!"
He twirled his staff and a portal opened in the middle of the room. The kids all started wide eyed as they saw the portal leading to some sort of mansion at the top of a mountain. T.K and Killua blinking the most.
"So... No stairs this time?" Killua asked. "And since when can you do that?!"
"Since I was reborn, and we are short on time, Pi!" Piximon responded. "Now come, Pi!" He said floating to the portal.
The Digidestined exchanged looks and Killua shrugged. "Let's see what he has to offer."
"What about them?" Davis asked, pointing at his still resting partner.
Killua's eyes softened at seeing them. "Let them continue to rest, they earned it," He said. "Let's go." He received nods and they crossed the portal.
They appeared in the giant door leading to the home of Piximon. The Digimon pushed the entrance open with a swing of his staff. "Oh, home sweet home, pi!"
While Killua and T.K walked in with only nostalgia filling their chests when they entered the extravagant house of the pink Digimon, the other new Digidestined, Kari included, could only sweatdropped at the giant statue in the middle.
"So that's what Gennai meant," Cody muttered, as he looked at the momentum Piximon made to himself.
"C'mon, we're burning sunlight, Pi!" Piximon said, walking down one of the corridors of his mansion.
"The sun has come out yet!" Yolei complained as she dragged her feet after the Digimon.
The group was lead through a long corridor. Nothing to call attention to, aside from the smaller statues of Piximon decorating it on both sides of it.
"Going to have nightmares..." Davis muttered as he gazed at the different statues.
Ken looked at the Digimon. "Piximon, where are you taking us exactly?" He asked.
"We're soon to arrive, Pi!" Piximon promised.
Deciding to keep their questions for later, they just let the round Digimon to continue on this mysterious trek through his home. If he said he wanted to help then they couldn't pass a chance.
"Here it is, Pi!" Piximon said, stopping the group.
The group looked at what was in front of them. Instead of a door or some kind of mystic place, there was only a wall. A giant, blank wall. Nothing more, it wasn't even decorated.
"It's... A wall..." Killua deadpanned.
Another whack.
"ARGH! STOP THAT!" He exclaimed, holding his throbbing skull. He could tolerate the pain, but it was the principle of the matter damnit!
"This place is my personal paradise... I hope you guys respect it, Pi!" Piximon said.
"Eh?" The group chorused.
Piximon didn't said anything. Instead he twirled his spear around, all the time glowing white. Then he pointed it to the wall. It glowed a white color and suddenly the wall turned into a door, decorated with an hexagon.
"What the heck...?" Davis muttered. Everyone else watching in astonishment.
"Let's get in, Pi!" Piximon said pushing the doors open.
What greeted them was not what they expected.
A beautiful forest. Full of the greener grass they've ever seen, water flowing through rivers where fishes jumped every once in a while. The cups of the trees were so high that they could not see their end.
"W-what is this place?" Kari asked taken back.
"My personal paradise, Pi," Piximon said. "I already said it, Pi!"
"And... Why did you brought us here?" Killua asked, looking around the area.
"Because here... Time runs on a different pace... For a certain amount of hours," Piximon explained. "Then it'll be synched with the time outside."
"And how many hours would that be?" Yolei asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Four hours, which translates to four months, Pi," Piximon explained. "Then I would have to wait four real months to get it working again."
"Four months in four hours?" Killua muttered. "Humph, that sounds familiar..." He muttered. The his eyes lit up. "Hey, wait are you saying...!?"
"I will lend you this place so you can harvest the power you receive from the Anomaly, Pi," Piximon said. "With no worries, when the time runs out the room will kick you out!"
"S-so... You're saying that using this place... We can learn to use Nen?!" Davis asked, his eyes glowing.
"Now, that all depends on you, and if you want to spend four months inside of here," Piximon said.
That statement caused them to pause. Being in there meant staying for more four months, even if for the rest of the rest of the world it would be just a few hours.
Killua noticed the discomfort on their faces and looked at Piximon. "We appreciate, but... Can you give us time to think about it?"
Piximon nodded. "Yep, yep, yep! I'll be waiting! I like to use this place a lot, so if I decide to use it you might lose your chance, Pi!"
The door closed and vanished. The group turned around and slowly left. Conflicted emotions swirling around, specially for the new kids. Four months could be a really long time, but it was for the betterment of their abilities, at the cost of time away of their families.
The only ones who didn't felt with conflict were T.K, Killua and Ken. T.K remembered the time during his first adventure, he spend a long time away from his mom and was relieved to learn no time passed when he saw her again. This would be no different, heck it could be even better.
Ken decided that he wasn't going through that door. He didn't wanted to sound arrogant but he already has a control of his Nen abilities. He could stand guard outside, with BlackWargreymon and the woman in red roaming around.
And Killua... He decided that whatever the group decides, he will respect. But first, he has to gauge their level. Check the reaction of their Hatsu and see how it has advanced and work from there in case they decided to go in.
For now... They had to go home. This past days has been... Heavy.
As he flew across the sky and the sun started to raise, BlackWargreymon's mind started working around the words he exchanged with his opponent.
He was supposed to be a tool. He was supposed to be controlled by others, to not have a free will. And yet somehow, he did. He has a free will and the desire to not bow to anyone, to be the strongest.
Where did this desire came from? What was his purpose. Why was he alive?
What... Who...
'Who... Who am I?' He asked himself as he flew off, he had a name... But... But he lacked an identity.
"Done! Ooof... Jeez... There's a lot to unpack here..."
"First: Blademon vs BlackWargreymon. I always loved when two antagonist's fight each other, and so this fight was fun to write. And we saw a flash to Blademon's past so... What do you think of that?"
"Second: I read a review from quite a while now, from an user named Wickerstein, that said that if I was going to tease a Kari x Killua ship I shouldn't make so obvious. So... Oops? Sorry, I needed a moment like this at least once! And if you see this, hey I hope you leave a review XD"
"Third: About the forest... I'm not completely convinced about it myself. I needed some way for the Digidestined to develop their Nen faster! And even with the hints I'm giving with the Digivices, I don't feel it's fast enough, much less now that the heavy guns are coming! We're treading Mega levels here! So this is the only thing I could think off: Basically a... Hyperbolic Time Chamber Plot Device... I hate myself -_-"
"Fourth: Leave a review telling me what you think. Updates will be slower since I'm going back to classes, so be patient. Ciao!"