V.
Wallace's knees threatened to buckle, but he kept upright.
His body burned hot, like a lightbulb left on all day. It centered all around his digivice, warming his hip and chiming with certainty. He liked it, horrifically, a paradox of something he's not allowed to think about.
"Wallace, come on!" Gargomon tugged. Wallace didn't want to move. He didn't want to he stood here, Chocomon might appear again and this time, he could hold on.
A thinner hand took his and pulled him forward. The light vanished. They were back in the crumbling New York metropolis, and debris had almost cracked his skull open.
"Thanks," Wallace says after a moment, looking up at Ken. Ken nodded.
"We need to get to a safe spot," he said, both to him and to Daisuke, and it stung. Wallace didn't know why. "Imperialdramon would cause way too much damage to the area so we can't get much higher than this unless we can get out of the city area."
"We're against Alphamon though. Do we have time for it?" Daisuke thought about it. "Last time, Alphamon was mainly going after Meicoomon, right?"
Wallace did not know about that. Meiko had never really opened up about her situation.
But Ken knew. "Yeah. but this is just mindless destruction. So either the target is different or someone is actively holding it back."
"Like Chocomon," Wallace agreed, going to check on Gargomon. The dog-rabbit glowered at him, but didn't stop him. "Sorry, I worried you. I feel better now." It's a lie because he's not better. Gargomon can tell anyway.
"I wish you'd stop chasing him," Gargomon said, with more gentleness than his beady-eyed face really should have. "He's not coming back. He doesn't want to come back anymore. You can't keep trying to save him."
Wallace swallowed, eyes stinging. "Gargomon." His partner's eyes filled with tears.
Gumimon had always supported and helped him and protected him. But of course he had. They were partners, friends. He loved Chocomon more than anyone. Having to hurt him had to have broken Gumimon more than it could ever break Wallace.
"If you keep chasing him," Gargomon continued steadily. "You're … you could lose me too, Wallace."
Something in Wallace cracked more than it should. "No," he said. "I can't- Not you too."
"Then let him go!" Gargomon pleaded. "I'm here, Wallace! Aren't I enough? Why am I not enough for you?"
For a moment, Wallace thought of that freezing inhospitable place, that time where Nat-chan had warped the world and twisted everything to freeze and lock all away. He tried to imagine Gargomon's world like that, flowers and dust storms and death.
He tried to imagine Gargomon leaving him for someone else, and it hurt. For a moment, he remembered programming, promising his partners another sibling. He remembered it going wrong.
"It's not." Wallace cleared his throat. "It's not you. It's me. I … I failed Chocomon. I killed Chocomon. He was in pain because of me, attacking me so it could stop. I just … he… I hurt both of you. I just want to tell him I'm sorry."
"Aren't you sorry to me?" Gargomon warbled. His gun arms were shaking at his sides.
"Always," Wallace blurted out. "Every day. I hate making you fight him, and hate that you have to fight at all, even if it's for me. I can't stand it."
Gargomon's face fell. "Wallace…"
"I just want one more chance," Wallace admitted, meeting his partner's eyes. "If he doesn't want it after that, I'll … we'll deal with it together. But I want one more chance. I want to do right by both of you, as my partners. He deserves what I give you, too."
Gargomon visibly swallowed. He opened his mouth to speak. Then he looked up at the sky. Paildramon's quiet form suddenly shouted and glowed a brilliant white. Something crashed into the ground, swinging for them. A dragon covered them, groaning in pain.
"Hang in there, Imperialdramon!" Daisuke shouted. Ken gripped his arm, and the two of them shared a look that made Wallace's heart sting. The weapon swung down and Imperialdramon caught the blade of it in its teeth. Wallace raised his head, held tight Gargomon's awkward grip.
"I don't want to lose you either," his partner said, almost whispered. "I just … if my brother takes you from me… I dunno what I would do, Wallace."
Wallace laughed, and he didn't mean it. He gripped tight onto Gargomon's fur. "I promise. I'm not gonna let you lose me. I promise."
The air shifted. Something was watching him. Wallace looked up at Alphamon, whose red eyes sear into him. Accusations burn there.
"Diablomon," he whispered.
Something glitched, wavering in multicolored light. His arm wavered and Wallace watched it return into view, tightening its grip on its weapon at the sound of his voice.
"How is that a Diablomon?" Daisuke shouted.
"Didn't we fight that before?" Ken patted Imperialdramon's flank.
The sword-axe rose and then fell again. As Imperialdramon shifted to grab it, Alphamon's arm froze midswing. White light flashed from its eyes. The gem on its chest flashed in time. Wallace's head throbbed.
"Chocomon…" he wheezed.
His knees buckled and Daisuke caught him. Then he almost fell and Ken supported them. That … felt nice.
He needed to worry about that later. Gargomon shrank down and fell into his arms.
"I didn't mean to do that!"
"It's okay," Wallace muttered, squeezing him. "I think that's Chocomon."
There was another flash of light.
Alphamon finally spoke. "Wallace." Their voice was soft for such a large, deadly creature. It showed no strain, driving its weapon down closer and closer to them. "I am grateful for all you've done for us. However, you have interfered with the directive enough as it is. You broke the codes, and though it made us, we cannot forgive you, nor can the world continue as is. You and those like you must be stopped, no matter what the thing inside me insists."
"That's not your choice to make!" Imperiadramon grunted and pushed, lifting Alphamon off of its feet and into the air.
"Wallace is our friend too," Daisuke shouted. Imperialdramon's hulking form shrank, turning almost human-looking barring his giant cannon. Then he pushed back, sending Alphamon into the air. "His partners are our friends, and you don't get to decide if they matter or not! Screw a directive!"
Alphamon pushed back. "Destiny is absolute. You, Chosen Child, know this better than most. There is a limit to how much it can turn."
It was supposed to sound fierce, intimidating, but all Wallace could hear was pain and a deep-set loneliness. Was that why this has happened? Had Alphamon attacked everyone, attacked him, because of a directive? Because of Destiny? He'd … he'd played god so long ago and helped to make up for it. He'd lost Chocomon. What else did he have to do to make it right?
"Is that it?"
Terriermon wiggled from his arms and flared his giant ears. "That's why you're doing this? You hurt Meiko, attacked the city, chased Wallace and me because it's destiny? You're so stupid! Who cares about your dumb destiny? Wallace is mine and Chocomon's and Daisuke's and Ken's and not yours! Just cause he made you; it doesn't mean we want you!"
Alphamon's eyes flicker. "Just because you do not want me," they said and swung towards him with an open palm glowing green. "Does not mean you get to walk away."
Wallace scooped Terriermon into his arms to shield him as Imperialdramon lunged. Golden light boomed between them and Alphamon stumbled back just a little, enough to knock over the remains of a building.
Chocomon … appeared. He was dark brown still and pink and looked so much like Terriermon. He was smiling, bitter. His form fuzzed at the edges, like the edges of an old tv screen.
"Wallace," he said. "Terriermon. Help me."
Despite himself, despite the situation, Wallace looked to Daisuke.
Daisuke gave him a thumbs up.
Wallace reached out with shaking fingers and took Chocomon's small hand.
"Okay," he whispered. "Okay. Ready, Terriermon?"
His partner smiled, holding onto hope as much as him. "You betcha."
Lopmon's form shifted, and Wallace said, with all the courage he could muster. "Digimental Up."
The world lit up gold once and Rapidmon burst to life, glaring with those brilliant dark eyes. Alphamon let out a strangled, agonized groan as something pulled from its center.
A gray dragon man floated above them by Imperialdramon's side. Alphamon's eyes flared as its hands glowed with power.
"You defy me even now," it said. "Even though he has hurt you. Even though he has killed you."
"Yes," say his partners, voices twined together. "We love him more than he has hurt us."
Wallace wiped tears from his eyes. "Get them!"
The three digimon lunged for each other.