Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.
It's not so black and white with Rei Kurenada when it comes to good and evil. I honestly cannot blame him because of how he grew up and with his health, but, still it's no excuse to sacrifice your partner. You could almost like him if it wasn't for that. They go together really well. Their were no crests with him and his digimon, however, Skamon had been always thoughtful of Rei as 'considerate' which got me thinking. A crest of 'consideration' would be pretty cool, but he was not chosen as this had been prior to their even being a 'digidestined.' Too bad Rei. I still can't get Skamon's tearful please out of my head. 'Reiiiiiiii!'
Chapter Twelve: The Raging Eternal Darkness
Like the whispers of a paining conscience having been all but seared Rei emerged from the fusion device a new man, though he could not say how.
He looked at his hand as he came out noticing no changes, though he could not help but feel lighter. He wrapped a towel around himself covering his lower half.
"Sir!" A subordinate exclaimed. "The creature you told us about is gone! It has been a complete and total success!" he celebrated.
"Kurenada!" another yelled from the window.
"Kurenada! They all started cheering and clapping.
Rei smirked at their vain celebrations. "Yes, it has been a success, though what kind of success it is, I have yet to find out," he said staring at his hands, desiring to know if he had truly achieved his goal.
"That reminds me," a female subordinate said. "Skamon, is he really a part of you now?"
Rei placed his hand over his heart smiling from the heart, confident, but rejuvenated. "He's been with me ever since he came into existence," he said. "He just came back to where he came from."
"I guess that's a happy ending for him," she said hesitantly. "The poor thing seemed so sad. I could barely take his screams."
Rei hesitated walking towards her putting both hands around her neck, but not squeezing.
"You are both fragile things," he leered. "Your consideration you have for others like yourself is commendable, but of the most pitiable kind. You have no idea of the dangers that surround you, and this cloak of sympathy is getting on my nerves."
She swallowed heavily. "I'm sorry sir. I did not mean to offend-"
"-You best get out while you can," he whispered into her ear noticing the faces of everyone in a twisted contorted way. "After all, there are only bad people here."
She dared to look at him, Rei glaring at her causing her to step back.
"I-I'm sorry!" she shouted running away as if she had seen a ferocious beast, the other scientists puzzled.
"What was that about Mr. Kurenada?" a male scientist said curiously.
Rei could not put his finger on it. Yet, he could tell and he could not understand why. All of them warped, emitting some kind of dark energy, almost like a whispering candle emitting a strange scent.
"I can smell it," he said.
"Pardon? Sir?" Another subordinate questioned.
"Gather all the scientists over in the conference room and then come see me after," he said starting to feel a bit tired. "I have something to discuss with you."
"At once," he said, Rei feeling him grin behind him as he walked back into his own corner.
"Could this really be considered a gift?" he wondered looking into the reflection of a glass mirror as he headed over. "It's not a premonition. I can feel it. This terribleness I cannot put into words though it seems so familiar."
Back in his own private chamber Rei reflected on the sensation he felt trying to get accustomed to his new body, though he still could not figure out what was different. He wanted to test to see if his body would heal, but felt hesitant to even think about hurting himself.
And then that whispering fragrance, that scent that emitted from his subordinate, he could literally feel a powerful negativity emitting from him, like the sensation of someone sitting next to a flame warming themselves.
"And yet," he said once more looking at his reflection in a mirror, "I recognize it from somewhere. But where have I felt this before?"
Just then the door to his office opened and his subordinate came in.
"Everyone has gathered," the subordinate said tipping his glasses on his face.
Rei never got a really good look at him before, or for the most part any of his subordinates except the young lady he had chased off a little bit ago, and yet, somehow this man in front of him looked so familiar.
The subordinate seemed to notice.
"Sir? Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked curiously.
"It's nothing," Rei replied still thinking about it. "Ayamu Izayaro right?"
"That's what the badge says," he joked. "So tell me what you wanted to talk to me about."
"Can you say my name first," Rei said studying him, irritated he thought he could recognize him though he did not know why.
"You're Rei Kurenada," he replied.
Again. He gritted his teeth doing his best to hide his emotions.
"You know, I just lost my partner," he said studying him. "I am in pretty poor shape. No one seems to understand," he said. "It was...heart breaking," he feinted watching his every motion secretly observing him.
"I'm...sorry," he stammered. "Truly, I am."
At those words Rei opened his eyes wide recognizing them. The voice seemed older yes, but the tone of voice, and the words were unmistakable. And they carried with them the strange negativity he felt when he noticed him after he got out of the fusion device.
"Sir?" he said wondrously, slightly nervous reaching his hand in his pocket. "Is everything ok?"
"Everything is fine..." he smirked pausing.
He walked over to him really close grinning in his face, his eyes wide.
"...Masa."
At that name the subordinate shuddered.
"Why did you call me that?" he asked. "I never-"
"-It does not matter how I know it," he leered. "It's the fact that it's true. You killed Hiroki and someone you were working with killed Sarada yes? On order of Goumatsu who has gone missing all this time."
"H-how did you know?" he asked incredulously. "I changed my appearance. You never saw my face. I snuck in under a false identity. It was perfect! How did you-"
"-Tell me Masa,"he asked. "The others in the room. The Kurenada family has their prints all over my work if you're here," he said. "And surely they wish to dispose of-"
-Masa pushed against him with one arm, drew a sharp blade out of his pocket, and with a mighty deranged cry stabbed it into Rei Kurenada's chest, Rei incredulous.
"Heh," he smirked. "I don't know how you figured it out, but it does not matter anymore. You're right Rei," he breathed in and out sinisterly. The Kurenada family was going to wait for you in the room and surprise you and kill you and take your research for themselves to benefit the family, but you just had to ruin their little fun," he scoffed kicking his face, Rei falling on the ground, unable to believe that he had just been stabbed.
"You'll slowly bleed out," he grinned, his dark green hair and yellow eyes wildly enjoying his kill. "This is indeed revenge for whatever happened to Goumatsu," he added turning around starting to walk away. "With your little dinosaur buddy out of the way you are no threat anymore."
Rei shuddered slightly, the room growing quite hazy, but then it cleared, a strange intoxication filling through his system. He grinned maliciously staring down at his chest, digital data filling in where he had been stabbed.
He started laughing slightly, Masa turning around strangely.
"Truly Masa this would indeed be the end of me if I bled out," he said standing up overshadowing him like a monster surprising his prey.
"That's impossible!" Masa exclaimed. "You should be dead by now! No one has ever lived being stabbed in the heart like that! No one has-"
-Rei immediately cut him off grasping his throat. He took out the knife with the other hand, the pain discomforting, but quickly dissipating.
"Now then," he said his voice deep and almost demonic. "You will tell me everything. Who hired you. Who killed Sarada, and the identity of everyone in that room."
Masa flinched shaking. "B-but if I do that you'll kill me," he said barely able to get it out, Rei squeezing his throat even harder, Masa having a hard time breathing.
"If you do what I say then I promise," he said soothingly, his voice boldly enrapturing him in his voice, "No harm will come to you. Only to those who used you."
"And then you'll let me go?" he said hopefully.
Rei looked at his other hand literally start to vibrate as if the negative energy emitting from Masa called out to him.
"I will," he promised not taking his eyes off of him, like a snake coiling around his prey. "But first you will have to do something for me."
The boardroom doors swung open, Rei Kurenada emerging startling the other scientists and a few superiors and one Kurenada member whom Rei kind of recognized. They all emitted similar negative energy, him able to smell them.
"Mr. Kurenada!" A supervisor grinned well built with sharp chiseled features, wild facial hair, amber eyes and medium tint violet hair. "The man of the hour!" he exclaimed holding his hands up enraptured in his own charisma and unsettling goldenrod suit with a purple tie.
"Hello Higetoshi," he responded. "I'm surprised to see you here. After all, I paid you off, did I not? You would not want to be associated with this project would you?"
"Heh!" he grinned holding up a glass of wine. His rough physique literally seemed it would burst from his suit, his black hairy face imposing itself against any challenger in the room standing against him.
"You may be a scientist Rei, but without funding you're nobody. You foolishly spent your fortune all on that dam machine, but I heard it worked. You absorbed a creature into yourself. And you'll be able to live forever now right?" he snickered.
"Of course," he said seriously. "I will never die. Not even if you kill me."
"Is that right?" he taunted taking out a cigar, lighting it up and holding it out, all of the other scientists drawing guns pointing them at him.
"Let's test out your little theory. And everything you have left will be divided by the inner circle of the Kurenadas. You spent all that work and effort just to die. How dreadfully ironic," he said as if declaring his victory.
"It is dreadfully ironic," Rei snickered. "Dreadfully ironic that despite all the Kurenada did taking the lives of my family and my friends they couldn't kill one little child. How truly pathetic the Kurenada family is," he said with disgust.
"You'll see how pathetic we are when you're bullet riddled corpse is tossed in Kotori Lake!" he grunted. "Kill him!"
With that Rei stood still as they all pointed their weapons at him. He saw as the bullets came out slowly, reading them and their trajectory. He noticed despite the gunfire he had all the time in the world to react, and they barely even could register it.
"Such malice..." he said as the bullets fired, Rei feeling the bullets enter into and out of his body, "...Will only add to my own," he declared. He held out his left hand and placed it over the face of one of the scientists.
The scientist groaned out as Rei felt as if the negative energy called to him. He felt a powerful force flow through him. The scientist groaned screaming out in confusion, but then started uncontrollably screaming Rei watching amazed himself as his body turned into digital particles and he took it into his own body. It flowed into the wounded areas, Rei completely healed instantly.
"Y-you freak!" the Kurenada shouted scared. "Kill him! Every last bullet! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!" he repeatedly shouted watching horrified as all of his minions screamed out disappearing into particles and flooding into Rei.
"I'm afraid they can't hear you anymore," Rei said having absorbed the last of the scientists, walking over to him, his right hand in his pocket.
"You won't get me," the Kurenada said sweating. He nervously grabbed his hand, reached it into his pocket and pulled out a sturdy pistol, screaming unloading all of the bullets into him.
Rei staggered back slightly, the man getting up grinning, chuckling nervously. "Gotcha," he said proud of himself. "Those are iron tipped bullets. They can take down even a charging rhino. Even a freak like yourself."
He got up started to walk by Rei, but Rei grinned as he passed him, the Kurenada freezing barely catching it.
"Where do you think you're going?" he asked, the Kurenada turning around shocked he could move.
"Impossible!" he exclaimed. "There is no way that-"
Rei grabbed his wrist that held the gun and snapped it; the man screaming out falling to his knee.
"Y-you," he groaned. "You son of a-"
"-Just keep thinking those negative thoughts," Rei said bending down towards him. "They only make you taste even more delicious," he leered taking two fingers, pointing them at his head, the man shaking in a cold sweat.
"I-I can protect you!" he shouted. "From the other Kurenadas! Under my protection no one will mess with you! No one could-"
Rei pushed slightly against his temple, the Kurenada screeching out as his body turned into Digital Data Particles Rei absorbing them.
"I don't bargain with my enemy," he said grinning ever so confidently, smug, but powerful, a charisma emanating from him that he had never felt before.
Just then the doors swung open and Masa stumbled in.
"Wow, I can't believe you got them all!" he exclaimed. "Screw serving the Kurenadas! I only serve you now!" he shouted. "No one ever will be able stop or stand against you!" he laughed. "No one will-"
At that instant Rei quickly went over to him and placed one hand across his eyes, Masa quaking where he stood.
"B-but you said you would let me go," he stuttered shaking.
"I have not forgotten what you did to Hiroki or what your buddy did to Sarada. You must be truly foolish to even think I would spare you when you or the other assassin did not spare their lives."
Rei sniffed his hair, the negativity emanating from him strongly.
"B-but you promised," he whimpered starting to cry. "You-"
"-I did keep my promise," he whispered into his ear grinning. "I am going to let you go. But I did not say where you would be going to."
"N-no," he shivered. "No, please don't."
"You can join the others..." he said as if injecting him with poison.
"N-no R-Rei," he begged.
"...In the digital body you will be incorporated in. Think of it as a new employer with a new mission."
"Please, anything but that!" he shouted. "No don't! Please! I-"
Rei would not let him say anymore. He felt the powerful negative force swarm through his body converting Masa into Digital Data Bits, Masa crying out as he fell to digital pieces and Rei Kurenada absorbed them into him like his body could vacuum the bits up.
He marveled calmly at his power, noticing the carnage in the room, and yet no permanent harm had come to him. Even his prior wound he had temporarily forgotten about when Goumatsu had shot him no longer troubled him.
"With this power," he said chuckling to himself, "I can rid the world of all those that have wronged me and claim all that they have. No one would be able to oppose me. My will is going to, no- it will dominate the weak human beings."
He started to walk forward contemplating his next move when he felt slightly uncomfortable, as if little by little he was going away, though he felt no pain.
"What is this?" he said aloud hurrying over to his quarters. He lifted up his shirt noticing his body start to dissolve slowly in some areas.
"What is happening?" he said placing both hands on the mirror staring at himself. "I'm...dissolving?" he said amazed. "But how? I'm not hurt. And even if I did get injured their converted digital data cured the wounds. So what is happening?" he said staring intensely.
He then realized thinking back the creator had told him something. Something about a curse. He wondered about it realizing if he did not do something soon, his course for vengeance would end prematurely, evaporating in the air with him.
"If that's the case," he said staring at himself, "Then I just need to refuel myself. And I know just the negative hot spot where I can feed."
Rei enjoyed himself with great relish. Faces looked upon him in terror as the screams of a Kurenada vanished as a woman's flesh disappeared into digital data bits, Rei absorbing them into himself.
Men and women panicked trying to escape him, but, somehow they seemed so sluggish. Perhaps his absorbing so much new data information had strengthened him increasing his powers. He snickered watching them vainly escape him, other guards approaching drawing powerful machine guns, the bullets flying towards him.
But for all their efforts it was futile. Rei literally went passed them, being careful this time to dodge any weaponry, bu it did not take much effort. Men and women groaned out in pain as their bodies came apart as Rei touched them.
He managed to corner a woman, one of the higher Kurenada members in her room.
"Tell me woman," he smirked. "Just where are your children?"
She gritted her teeth, her eyes full of rage, fury and fear.
"You can't answer can you? Because you already had them killed. Your foolish Kurenada family disposed of their heirs all because of endless greed. Even if I did not take your lives you would have destroyed yourselves anyway within two generations."
Her eyes raced thinking, her hands shaking as she pulled out a flimsy dagger and then tried to stab him, but Rei could see her practically pull out the dagger, grabbed her head with his hand, slammed her on the ground, the woman screaming.
"Pay for your children's life with your own. If you have any honor, I will at least help you retain it," he said. With that he converted her amidst her blood-curling scream into digital data bits and absorbed them into himself.
"And now the next," he grinned as he proceeded forward to hunt them all down one by one.
The last of the Kurenada's gasped out painfully, Rei absorbing his newly converted data into himself. And then, as quickly as he had started that was the end of it. All of the Kurenadas swarming together like cockroaches in the dark were gone. Well, most of them. Fujiwara and a few others he did not recognize so they must have wisely left the house.
"So all I need to do," he grinned breathing deeply, enjoying his dominating power, "Is feed on the evils of society, no, not just the evils, but the negativity of society itself," he realized. "This body is eternal, but it has to sustain itself on the negative data bits of other beings. As long as I have that I am immortal, just like the Digital Creator," he said wondrously. "And the Digimon. The world is mine to fashion and manipulate," he said thinking about his new powers, which seemed to be growing the more he fed.
"Healing, Immortality, Manipulation, Persuasion, Agility, Power, and Convertibility," he said looking at himself. "I have ascended beyond that of any human. I hardly feel any pain. I can do as I will and fashion this world into my image," he laughed. "Skamon, Hiroki, Sarada, if only you could see me now," he said starting to laugh even more uncontrollably.
"If only you could-"
Out of the floors suddenly a curved trap of light enveloped him, the lights curving into some sort of cage ensnaring him.
"What is this?" he marveled touching the cage to free himself, but oddly felt it burn, the pain causing him to groan.
"I don't feel pain," he snarled. "What is this?"
With that the cage lit up with him inside it, Rei wondering would happen to him.
"I will not be held against my will," he said darkly trying to free himself, an anger within himself welling up and pressure emitting from his hands in the form of dark negative energy flooding out trying to break free, but the more he resisted the more it tried to push in.
"Do you have any idea who I am?" he shouted groaning as he pushed against it. "I am Rei Kurenada! I am immortal! I will not be contained! I will not be confined! I will-"
-In a blinding light the cage lit up, swirls of darkness and light disappearing with Rei inside of it.
