Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.
I also do not own the right to any horror movies. If that's foreshadowing and if you could taste it be prepared for some bitter dark chocolate. If you know the story of the Pied Piper you'll know where this is going. Piedmon himself in the English version had one of the best voice acting performances i have ever seen. I still see a traumatized Sora having trouble sleeping during his 'Olly Olly Oxenfree' moment stabbing swords through the ground trying to get her. His whimsical dangerous personality won me over. You knew he would be toying with you up until that trump sword was thrown. How many of those swords did he freakin' have?!
Chapter Twenty-Three: Pied Piper's Epistle
It had not been a good day to be chosen by Rei Kurenada. He led a handful of his followers into a secluded room. He smiled widely at all of them and then tore them apart limb by limb, their cries saturating the room in darkness and death.
And yet, Rei himself could not revel in it. Like the vision of the sun slowly appearing from the clouds the sudden announcement of Homeostasis had blinded him; no, it had blind-sided him. He had no idea that she herself had been aware of his presence to the point where she could intervene.
He gasped heaving in and out in the darkness, blood and negative energy sliding down his arms, fingertips and forehead. The only one who could have somehow been contacted by her for helping would have been Fujiwara Kurenada, his uncle. But, his uncle was no more. He must have told her everything before his passing.
Rei clenched his hands together, negative energy seeping out. All of his planning, his scheming, and his sleight of hand between both organizations for the last twenty years would be reduced to nothing.
He sighed throwing back his head staring up at the dark ceiling above him. Truly if she knew then why would she be so careful about this key passed down through the Watchers of the Periphery, his organization?
Surely she had taken it over by now. All he had left was the Shadow of Apotheoseia or so he thought. He had no idea what to expect, but if she approached him he realized he could be killed. Rei had put off finding sources of negative energy to sustain his life in case something happened to him, but Homeostasis herself could not be treated like other opponents. With the battles going on between both organizations and amidst all the confusion now would be the time to find suitable vessels.
Rei had thought about who he would want for the first vessel, the being that would not only be like him, but converted into a viral digital entity. Perhaps someone with exceeding strength? No that did not matter. He himself was a testimony to that remembering when he took down that military musclehead awhile ago with ease.
Intelligence also did not seem to matter as even the most intelligent people around him fell for the cult and believed in the lies of Apotheoseia and the Watchers. All in all humanity itself consisted of weak, inferior beings who wanted to get along in a system.
He walked over to a park bench and sat down contemplating whom would be a good candidate. Perhaps this individual needed to stand out? Or it might be someone who wants to be born in a new world, someone who would give up everything in this one. After all, obedience to him would make the viral change transition smoothly and not end in fatality.
He stared out into the sunset, but realized his view had been murdered. A bunch of human children were gleefully clapping, confetti flying. A ridiculously sounding thespian voice annoyed him to no end. No, being Rei Kurenada he couldn't even enjoy the scenery.
"That's right boys and girls!" a jester said in make up and a ridiculous outfit. "Today we have the one and the only disappearing act!" he exclaimed. "Who would like to volunteer?"
With that a bunch of children raised their hand eager to be selected. "Oh why we have a winner!" the clown exclaimed. "And who might you be little boy?"
"Chouta Samaguchi," a youthful lad said with cheerful black eyes and firm features.
"So, Chouta, is it? Let's pull off a magical act for all of your friends! Are you ready?"
Rei watched entranced at the spectacle himself. He started to notice panic start to appear with police officers appearing out of nowhere in a panic.
"All right kiddies, say goodbye to Pyogo the Clown and Chouta!" he smiled lifting up a large blanket. With that both him and Chouta waved smiling goofy as the blanket descended.
"Now you see me…" he said laughing, "...and now you don't!"
With that him and Chouta completely vanished. Fifty police officers then suddenly converged on the area in panic as if searching for the clown. Rei calmly observed them one parent completely distraught who vaguely resembled the little boy.
He wondered about the whole thing. Just where did they go?
The kids seemed happy, but then scared and confused as police officers explained to them and the adults about a serial killer clown known as Pyogo the Friendly. Rei also could not help but look in wonder at the bizarre scene he had just seen.
He glanced down at his pocket patting over it with his hand. "Perhaps," he said, "Someone who does not belong in this world will find a change more than accommodating."
A sharp jolt of negativity to a warehouse a few blocks down caught his attention. "Pyogo, huh?" he grinned. "A serial killer clown? Surely you jest," he chuckled making his way over to that location ignoring the sirens, cries, and laments of the masses of flesh behind him.
Unbeknownst to Pyogo and his kidnapped child Rei waited in the shadows near an old computer where he had snuck into to get inside. Electronic travel happened to be the best way to go.
He listened to an interesting conversation the clown seemed to be having with the youth.
"See? Wasn't that fun Chouta?" his perky voice said.
"Yeah, but it's dark and scary in here. I want to go home!"
"Home? But home is where the heart is!" Pyogo giggled. "And your heart is inside of you right here!"
The boy started to sound upset. "I...I don't want to be here. I said I want out! I want to go home!"
He heard the sound of a thud and what sounded like a cage door slam.
"You are home!" Pyogo's voice cackled.
Pyogo walked past him over to a counter where he poured himself a drink humming to himself.
"Oh the youth waste away so fast," he said dramatically as if he was still acting his part.
"Before you know it their smiles are gone. They turn at you with rebelliousness and anger, even after you did so much to earn their friendship," he said stirring what looked like a champagne glass with an olive.
"Of course before you can get there it wouldn't be very fair of me to let you become that way would it? No, kiddies like yourselves shouldn't live just to be old, and angry, and miserable," he sighed.
Rei snickered entertained by this clown. He walked out of the shadows clapping.
"Truly a marvelous performance," he said smiling.
"Why thank you," Pyogo grinned. "I do my best to always put on a good show."
"Oh I saw," Rei said casually putting a hand in his pocket and walking closer to him.
"So tell me after your done playing with the children do you kill them?"
Pyogo groaned as if in ecstasy, but slight annoyance. "Kill is such an 'inelegant' term," he noted. "I just make sure they won't live to become nasty adults," he said. "Because, after all, any adult is nasty. They have no joy about them in their lives."
"I can relate to that," Rei smiled.
"By the way," Pyogo said whimsically walking two fingers on the counter and then grabbing a throwing knife from his coat at Rei's chest, "Who are you? Not that it matters much to ask now," he chuckled. "I'm afraid you won't live to tell the tale or report me to the authorities."
Rei looked down at his chest marveling. "So a knife wielding maniac kidnaps children, entertains them, and then eventually kills them? I must say you have one twisted personality," he said effortlessly taking out the knife and dropping it on the ground.
"Hmm?" the clown wondered eyeing him. "You are an odd one," he said. "After attempting to kill you I almost don't feel like killing you. But almost!" he snapped grabbing knives from his vest and pinning Rei with them against the wall.
"Bullseye!" he chuckled. "And that's one hundred points! That means I win the grand prize!" he laughed.
Rei only chuckled back putting the clown slightly on edge. "And what grand prize is that?" he asked brushing the knives off of him. "I must say you do take good care of your throwing knives. I could have been a pin cushion if I was like any other human being."
"Any other human being?" Pyogo said curiously. "You're certainly a curious fellow. Just who are you?"
He smiled back as if ensnaring this odd eccentric. "Rei...Kurenada."
Rei learned from this mysterious impish clown about his activities. He knew that the clown abducted children, but he did not kill them out of a desire to shed blood, but only to prevent them from getting older and turning into nasty and evil old people. Surely the misunderstood 'evil' perception the world gave would show no mercy to the misunderstood soul that was Pyogo. But then again, perceiving pain and causing pain are two different things entirely.
He waited at the bar having a drink while Pyogo entertained a child, Rei hearing screaming and demonic laughter in the background as eventually the screams went quiet.
The clown emerged as if he weighed a thousand pounds. His hand covered his eyes, the strange creature shedding tears of what looked like blood.
"Ah! Lament! Lament!" he mourned. "For the child is no more! No more laughing! No more smiling! But no more sobbing!" he emphasized making a dramatic pose, "And no more crying!"
Rei put down his glass observing the ridiculousness of the situation.
"So just what are you trying to say?
"Regrettably," he said pulling out an endless handkerchief and wiping his eyes and blowing his nose, "The child is...dead!" he exclaimed pretending to faint.
"And just who do you think killed him?"
"Why, me of course," he replied instantly. "I could see the look of rebellion in his eyes. He would have become heaven forbid, a teenager, before I knew it!"
Rei raised his glass to him and drank it down. "Pyogo, do you mind if I asked you a question?"
"By all means," he replied, his voice raising ridiculously high. "But afterwords I need some time to myself. You will be a dear and scram won't you?"
"I could do that," Rei said. "But, before I do Pyogo I want to hear you regal the tale of Pyogo the Clown, Entertainer of Children."
"My tale?" he said excitedly. "You wish to know about me, Pyogo the Clown?"
"I do," Rei calmly replied. "Just how did Pyogo the Clown become a wanted Serial Killer?"
Pyogo grabbed a handkerchief and wiped his nose. "Ah well it is a most grievous story," he admitted.
"When I was but a lad it was just me and my mother dearest. We were of the poor sort you see. To feed me she would go out every night and come home in the morning," he explained.
"I got along well with the other children," he said. "We all got along swimmingly. Even when we fought with each other it was all in good fun beating each other bloody having a good ol' scrum every now and then!"
Rei casually poured himself a drink himself having no enjoyment of it. "Continue."
"Sometime down the road my mother passed away. My father had passed years before, and I was all alone."
"Couldn't your friends have taken you in?"
"They could barely afford to be kept fed themselves. I didn't want to trouble them, but I couldn't just starve either. So, I took up the trade of my youth. I decided right then and there to be a performer."
"A performer?"
"Why, yes," he chuckled. "Though, I must say, the experience was less than invigorating. You see, a clown really stands out wherever he goes. In town around his friends he is truly the toast of the town, but, outside of such company he is little more than an annoying beggar. It was very hard on me."
"I can imagine. It must have been hard to even find proper lodging."
"Their were times I had been pelted with tomatoes. I had garbage thrown on me. I had been cursed at, spitted on, but I still kept up the performance till the very end of each show. Even if I ended up being beaten I knew that one day I would be seen for who I am and recognized for my talents."
"And did you?"
Pyogo smiled and drank deeply from his martini glass. "To the children, the little kiddies yes. But," he said, his voice turning quite harsh, "to those no good, imagination killing, cold-hearted, impudent adults I was nothing more than an object of scorn!"
"Do tell," Rei said studying his every motion. He wondered if this clown truly had what he was looking for.
"Every day when I went out into a local town market place the children would flock to me. They would laugh! They would shout! They would smile from ear to ear! I would make their day!" he said wiping a pretend tear from his eye as if he had been taken in by his own past performance.
"However, afterwards the parents gnashed on me with their teeth.
"Don't you be like Pyogo!" they would exclaim. "You want to waste your life away like this clown? Then you better do as I say!" he said exasperated.
"The more this spread around the less the kids went to see me. My audience dwindled. I could barely spare a few coins a day," he sighed.
"So what did you do?" Rei inquired. "Did you find somewhere where you could excel in your profession?"
Pyogo snidely glanced at him. "Oh perish the thought!" he said heartily. "I sought refuge from whence I came. It had been years since I had gone back home. I had thought maybe if I went back and saw my old friends I could create a new entertaining business in the community. It would be just like old times!"
He then gripped his glass to the breaking point, but did not break it.
"And, did it go the way you thought it would?"
"No," Pyogo said mysteriously, Rei noticing his negativity reaching a fever pitch swirling like mad inside and all around him. "No," his voice said lower, dangerously.
"Upon my return I had been greeted by children in the market square. I set up a whole event for the town. All the little boys and girls were enthralled by me and my performance. It truly felt like back in my childhood years when I first had experienced those sensations of performing. At least," he swallowed bitterly, "Until the first red tomato was thrown at me."
"Weren't tomatoes thrown at you before?"
"Oh many a time," he grinned. "However, these tomatoes actually hurt. They were just like any other juicy tomato, however what truly hurt was not the tomato itself, but the ones who threw them."
Rei squinted his eyes recalling his own childhood, a familiar bitterness settling in. "You're friends."
Pyogo jumped up holding out his arms and legs. "Ding Ding Ding! And the man wins a prize!" he exclaimed. "Indeed! My supposed friends were the ones who threw those tomatoes! I did not recognize them at first, but I certainly remembered their parents. And these now 'adults' treated me quite rudely. They looked just as mean, bitter, and scornful like their parents before them. I could not take it," he said.
"What happened after?"
"I fell into such a deep depression I barely made it out alive," he said. "I started drinking; quite a lot actually," he said as if recalling it. "And yet the more time passed the more I grew to accept that despite my performances I gave all of these children would one day turn out just like their parents. They would hate me, they would scorn me, they would curse at me and hurt me," he said dramatically.
He pretended to cry. "Boohoo hoo hoo," he said pretending to dry his eyes. "Woe is Pyogo. Woe is his name. He has no home anymore. He has no more friends, but the children. And so…" he said peeking his eyes out from his hands.
"And so…" he repeated ever more darkly. "I decided to pull a little vanishing act...from a captive audience."
Rei listened on a bit entranced by the woeful jester. "A captive audience? Do tell."
"Well, one night after a performance, I had been pelted by all of them at once. All of my childhood friends, no longer my friends, but my enemies. They mocked me. They spat on me. They said all manner of repulsive things to me! And so I in my rage, sitting there as if covered in bullet wounds, swore to them that the show would go on to their last generation."
"What does that mean?" Rei asked.
Pyogo grinned and broke the glass in his hand, glass chips having entrenched themselves in white gloves. "It means that I put on a last show for them. A show the whole family could enjoy!" he exclaimed laughing. "I kidnapped their kiddies by tricking them into coming with me for a last show before I left town. They willfully followed me! And at last after having performed for them for the last time I decided that this would be the perfect opportunity for them to die. Uncorrupted! Untainted! Preserved innocent as a child in life! And in death!" he cackled.
Rei shook his head realizing the clown must have lost his mind.
"And so that's what I did. A slit here, a slit there," he said withdrawing a throwing knife. "And it was all over. But I made sure the parents knew of that performance. I wouldn't leave them out of the loop after all. A parent should know the fate of their children."
"So? Did you traumatize them by sending them their entrails or something?"
"How barbaric!" Pyogo mused. "As a matter of fact, I made key-chains after a possession each of the children carried and pinned it to the doors of the children's homes. They each had a trickle of blood on them. It was beautiful! But it was sublime! It was Topsy turvy! It was radiant!" he said his face glowing.
"So basically you killed those kids, let the parents know, and then you have been on the run ever since?"
He nodded his head. "I went from place to place, country to country, on the run entertaining children...up until the end! I have been doing this ever since for years on end, giving unspeakable joy to the world," he smiled. "It makes my heart leap for joy just knowing of all the good deeds I've done!"
Rei clapped his hands as if giving him applause. "Truly magnificent Pyogo. Truly! Your mercy you show children has been exceptional and it has struck fear into the hearts of the public. You are truly a terrifying jester!"
"Thank you! Thank you so much!" he said bowing. "It's nice to know you are appreciated even for the ever so fine details in the arts!"
Rei stopped clapping and stared at him coldly. "But if all you are doing is running you can't perform your greatest. Running away, stealing children and causing destruction is all well, but, if you truly wish to entertain then you have to stop giving these side performances."
"I beg your pardon?" he said a bit off-kiltered.
"Haven't you ever wanted to give a performance to last for the ages? You know you can't keep this up forever."
"But you can't keep a clown locked up," he said. "We don't do well in cages you see. We would lose our minds. I myself am no exception."
He walked over to him and patted his shoulder. "You lost your mind the moment you killed the first child," he said. "Their is no going back. It's either you go out in a blaze of glory or they will catch you first."
Pyogo stared down at the table, his eyes darting here and there deep in thought.
"I bet from all the performing you must be tired," he said.
"But the show must go on," Pyogo laughed a bit nervously. "It must! The performance requires it!"
Rei nodded his head. "All shows must come to an end sometime though, but, it's up to YOU to decide how that show will end."
Pyogo stared up at him a bit mystified.
"I am getting a bit old," he confessed, "and I can't keep doing this forever. But if not I then who will?"
"Who says you can't do this forever?" he questioned, Pyogo immediately snapping his neck back his way.
"What did you say?"
"I said you can do this forever if you really wish for it," he suggested. "But if you really want to do this forever, but, in a new world," he said showing his hand, making it change into digital data, and then rearrange it back together again, "Then you will need to obey my instruction."
"That's quite a trick," Pyogo noticed. "It's almost worthy of the circus. But let's get down to business," he said staring at him quite angrily. "It's impossible to do this forever! And you know it!"
"Not if you're reborn into another world..." he said. "...A digital world; A world where you can fulfill your ultimate desire."
"I am not sure how I could do that," he said placing his hand on his chin. "After all I'm nothing like my glory years," he sighed noticing his composition of make up, clothing, and, even his smile had become weathered from age and time.
"All you need to do..." Rei said seriously, but menacingly his eyes staring into the darkened pools of malice that were his, "...Is show me that you are willing to give up every single attachment to this world. Your act, your murders, even the thrill of the stage. If you can do that then that will show me your loyalty."
"But the stage must contain the biggest moments!" Pyogo said dramatically. "How could I leave all of that behind? You are asking for the impossible!"
"I am asking for the impossible," Rei agreed. "But that's the whole point of this. Only those who are willing to give me everything are worthy to go."
Rei walked away from him towards the door. "It's only a matter of time before you get caught. Why don't you put on the biggest show of all and end it? If you do I will visit you. And you will be invited to the grandest stage of them all."
With that Rei made his exit leaving Pyogo alone to his thoughts.
A matter of days had passed since Rei had spoken to Pyogo. He wondered what the clown would choose seeing how such a twisted individual such as himself would have been perfect candidate for his new world
He wondered if by chance he would do something or just stick to his routine until his age catches up to him.
Suddenly an alert came up on his phone, a sudden newspaper article that swept the news as breaking.
Rei curiously looked at it. 'Wanted Child Serial Killer Clown On The Run Will Surrender Himself At the Sumoga Circus this Wednesday.'
He thought about it for a moment and pocketed his phone. He knew where he would be Wednesday.
That evening surrounding the Sumoga surface their was not a parking space in sight that had not been consumed by flashing blue and red lights. Rei looked on disguised as a police officer himself. He noticed that among the anxious police officers they surrounded what looked like a special groups of people.
He maneuvered his way inside and took a seat calmly watching other officers waiting for Pyogo to appear.
He turned to the side noticing other police officers appear surrounding the ten individuals. Perhaps they had something to do with Pyogo's past?
"All right," an officer said gruffly. "We have the people you asked for. It's now 07:30 pm. Show yourself clown!" he demanded.
Suddenly out of speakers reverberated circus music, a single giant ball rolling out of nowhere with a mannequin on top dancing on it.
Immediately all the officers withdrew their firearms at it.
"Good Evening! Good Evening!" Pyogo's voice resounded. "Welcome All to Pyogo's Farewell Tour!" he exclaimed. "It has been a most enjoyable run these long years. Before the show begins I have prepared a little treat for all of us," he said calmly.
"Observe!"
With that on the monitors appeared what seemed to be videos of Pyogo and children that were his audience-err victims. The police officers looked on, some of them unable to stomach it throwing up sickened by him.
"One by one they came to me," Pyogo said. "As parents it is your responsibility to watch out for your children," he said. "Or else someone else BAD might get to them," he cackled.
Some of the people the police surrounded seemed to get visibly angered by him.
"Because of what you have done?!" a man screamed. "My son is gone!"
"My daughter!" lamented an older woman."
"My nephew and niece!" cried another.
Their whining could only be enjoyed as Pyogo would have it with a glass of wine and maybe a cambert cheese as Pyogo would have it.
"Have you nothing to say for yourself murderer?!" another woman shouted. "My Sumi is gone because of you! She was everything to me! And you took her away from me in cold blood! I will see you fry for this monster!"
Pyogo then himself made his appearance jumping from one area to the next until he landed in the middle of a high rise rope holding up his arms, a spot light on him.
"Good evening my loyal audience!" he grinned waiving. "So glad you could join me tonight! I will admit I have come to confess to you tonight about the atrocities I've committed," he said starting to cry and blow his nose into a ridiculously long handkerchief."
"So you repent then?" a police chief shouted.
"I won't accept your apology no matter what!" another man shouted. "Nothing you do could ever make me forgive you for taking my son away!"
"Well then," Pyogo said feigning tears. "If you don't believe me I have something for all of my special guests," he said.
"Come up to the stage and you will receive your long and heartfelt written apology. If you don't I am afraid my surrendering to the police and receiving my punishment will be...postponed!"
With that the stage below him raised with tables for the ten individuals. On each of them were specific letters addressed to each one of them, all of them leering at him in disgust.
Rei casually took a bite of cheese and a swig of his wine. The show definitely had a ring to it for finality.
They consulted among each other, the police intruding in cautioning them of how unsafe it was, but they seemed determined for Pyogo to face justice. For some bizarre notion they felt he would be true to his word.
They nodded their heads in silent agreement and approached the tables up on stage.
"That's right, don't be shy! You wouldn't want your good old friend Pyogo to make an escape would you?"
With that the parents approached further all of them frustrated beyond measure.
"Now before you look at your letters let Mr. Pyogo instruct on you how this will proceed my volunteers. First you will open the letter and look at the cover. Then once you do hold it up to me. You are all doing that now I see? Good! Good!" he smiled cheerfully.
On the count of three you may open your letters and receive your most heartfelt apology. Do read it aloud! Are you ready? One! Two! Three!"
With that everyone opened their letters Rei reading one of the parents lips:
"What do you do when you play a game or life or death?"
They looked at each other confused, but also flabbergasted.
"What do you do?" Pyogo laughed coyly.
"Why, you raise the stakes!"
With that the ground started shaking and all at one time sharp spikes protruded from the ground sharply and stabbed each of them through raising them off the ground into the air, the surprised painful look on their faces making Rei's heart skip a beat.
Everyone stared on horrified by him, Pyogo jumping grinning from here to there laughing madly landing on the ground onto a bed of a well placed cushion covered in sand.
"I told them it would be a heartfelt apology! I'm only sorry I couldn't cause even more carnage!"
He kept laughing much more composed, but to Rei it seemed enjoyable more than the other times he had seen them.
Blood dripped from the sky from the corpses of the parents, Pyogo pressing a button with a roar of applause streaming from the speakers, except they masked the groans and war cries of a mountain of police rushing at him.
"You've been a terrific audience!" Pyogo exclaimed. "May you always remember this day! The day Pyogo stole the hearts of his most adoring fans!"
"He's mad!" an officer cried charging at him, Rei watching Pyogo laughing completely undone until he had been tackled by the police and one of them knocked him senseless.
Rei immediately stood up clapping. "Bravo Pyogo. That was a magnificent performance."
Rei sat quietly in his chair observing the prisoner known as Pyogo the clown. He cared not for his real name, but, Pyogo himself had terrorized himself forever in the eyes of the world. The media hyped up all of his misdeeds and an entire magazine had been dedicated to his notoriety.
When they had arrested him he had been given a black eye, other swelling surrounding his face. His face had been cleared of the paint, but by then Pyogo looked less human than when he had the make up on. That was at least after the officers had beaten the hell out of him.
A judge also during his hearing pronounced judgment against him nearly instantly. The media hyped up his pending execution, but, Pyogo only grinned through it all up until the moment where Rei knew they would lead him to an electrical chair for execution.
The other officer their with him took his baton and smashed Pyogo on the cheek with it. "I hope you burn in Hell you murderer," he said spitting on him, his teeth gnashing.
Pyogo merely laughed. "I couldn't care less," He said still ever the thespian. "As long as I can put on a good show then who cares where I perform?"
With that the man seemed to lose it and wrapped his hands around his neck. "Then I'll get you there faster!" he cried strangling him, Pyogo helpless with his hands tied.
Rei could not let this continue any longer. He got up, withdrew his pistol and shot the officer in the back of the head killing him instantly.
"I never knew these things carried so much power," Rei said inspecting it with childish fancy. "I prefer my method though. I at least get a meal out of it," he smiled.
Pyogo stared at him strangely. "I see you weren't pulling my leg after all were you?" he smiled.
"Did you have fun?" Rei asked, the smoke from his gun still briefly leaving a residue in the air."
"Quite so," he giggled like a child.
"Then," Rei said, "Are you ready for the next world? It's eagerly awaiting for you. It's the performance of a lifetime."
Pyogo hesitated. "Just cut these chains and I will bind myself to this world," he said. "I am eagerly anticipating this joyous occasion!"
"Well," Rei said putting the chains between his fingers and snapping them."Then welcome Pyogo," he said taking the vaccine out of his pocket and putting it in his hand.
Pyogo stared at the vaccine, the swirling contents syncing with his own negativity. "It's a shame," he smiled. "This last trick of yours will be impossible to follow."
"Truly Houdini himself wouldn't have been able to figure out this one," Rei smiled. "You're leaving a legacy behind that no performer will ever be able to top."
"Ah, if only I could remember it," he said regretfully. "You don't suppose I would have this happy little memory hmm?"
"I'm afraid not," Rei said. "And looks like we'll have company soon. It's time to make your grand exit Pyogo."
Pyogo looked at the syringe and smiled. "I'm looking forward to it." He then held up the syringe and jabbed it into his arm.
"See you at the next performance!" he yelled out dramatically as his body disappeared into digital particles.
Rei kneeled down, grabbed the vaccine injector, and pocketed it. "You will lead the others in the next part of the act," he mused partially excited that at last he finally had a vessel for his power. If anything happened to him now, once Pyogo's digification transformation became complete, the data would be collected from him to restore himself, and, if not, then he would be able to get his nightmarish viral minion in place.
Around him converged a whole squad of police officers who searched around for the perpetrator, but he ignored them all, their frantic cries scrambling to find an answer, some of them even yelling in his face. "Troupe leader entertain me. Give me a performance worthy of applause."
