Part Ten - Deal With the Devil

It's possible that there could have been worse ways to phrase that. It's possible that Ken knows they're not going to let that happen.

However, he can work hard on not making it easy for them. "Stingmon!" he calls and jumps from his shoulder. Stingmon doesn't hesitate. He never hesitates, he's so good. He trusts Ken to catch himself as he spins, stabbing at any open spot in Fladramon's armor. Instinctively, Fladramon cloaks himself in fire and charges forward, slamming into Stingmon's body. He grunts and grabs him through the fire and they tussle. Ken looks for Hikari's brown hair in the underbrush. She hadn't gotten onto Nefertimon after all. He'd thought she had.

He watches Wallace direct Wendimon into the trees, where it throws a tree aside and then uproots multiple bushes.

To her credit, Hikari doesn't scream. She doesn't really panic or yell. When the boy with the pegasus flies down, she takes his hand and lets herself fly up to her partner's arms. Complete and utter trust, as they turn towards Wendimon.

How nauseating.

"Ichijouji."

Daisuke's voice is close, close enough that if he turned, Ken might be able to dodge a punch. "Attacking from behind, Motomiya-kun? How rude."

Daisuke scowls. "I'm not going to attack you like that, Ichijouji."

"Why not?" It's what he would do in his shoes.

"Because i trust Hikari-chan," he says. "And I trust you. You guys didn't do anything to each other. You just talked and you're just defending yourself. We're friends."

"Trust is a nebulous thing to give," Ken says, sweat dripping down his brow. "I could turn it against you."

"Anyone could do that," Daisuke says, arms crossed. "But you don't have to. It's a choice."

Huh.

Well. Yeah. It is a choice, isn't it?

"Is that right?" Ken smiles with his teeth. "So is this."

And, pushing on his injured ankle, he lunges. Daisuke grabs him with a surprised yelp and they roll.. It hurts to hit the ground. He's tired. He just wants to rest but he doesn't… he can't -

Give up.

He decks Daisuke in the face. Daisuke's surprise only lasts long enough for Daisuke to hit back. It hurts. Hitting flesh and blood stings in a way data doesn't. And yet-

He doesn't want to stop. Ken lunges forward again. As he does, Fladramon scoops and yoinks Daisuke away, racing off.

"Don't let them escape!" Kaiser shouts and Ken suppresses a sigh. There's five of them and two of us, you idiot.

But he does it. He really doesn't want to fistfight Wallace.

Then-

The air chills, making him pause. In that moment, the Chosen disappear, and Wendimon roars, racing in the opposite direction.

Wallace is thrown off his back. Fortunately, Stingmon catches him as Wendimon screams and screams before collapsing into the crater he creates with his fists. He shrinks down.

Ken waits with bated breath. Kaiser breaks free and runs for his partner. The chill doesn't abate. It laughs harder and tiny claws slither close to his ears.

"How quaint."

And then, it's gone.

Ken shudders and waves for Stingmon to pick them up. He needs a nap and to get home before his mother checks on him.

"What were you thinking?"

Hikari shrinks in her chair a little. Not a lot. Daisuke knows Hikari. She feels bad for inconveniencing people and getting them hurt. She does not feel bad when she does the right thing … or what she thinks is right. It doesn't mean much in the face of Iori and Miyako glaring at her.

"I'm sorry," Hikari says, looking up earnestly at them both. "I … it was reckless and stupid, but I needed to talk to him, as a Chosen Child. I didn't expect the Kaiser to show up. They really don't seem to like each other."

Okay, it's not just him. Takeru is also nodding along.

"And that was worth risking your life?" Iori continues, unimpressed..

Hikari nods. "Because we can turn it on them."

"Ichijouji doesn't seem against working with us. Kaiser definitely is."

"And Vamdemon is involved." Tailmon's addition makes Takeru flinch and Taichi jump out of his chair. Apparently it means something big.

"What?"

Hikari nods. "I heard about it and confirmed it with him. He doesn't … really understand the problem. I think he believes they have a solution he doesn't know about.."

"What does that have to do with you doing this, though?" Daisuke leans closer. "I thought… I thought you trusted me with Ken."

That makes Hikari pause, as if the idea of not trusting Daisuke had never occurred to her at all. "Of course I do," she says without even thinking. "But because it's Vamdemon… you remember what he's like, Daisuke-kun. I don't, I didn't… you didn't have to deal with him.. I don't want you to, and now that I know Vamdemon isn't as close as I thought, it'll be better. I won't go alone anymore but… please don't take this all on by yourself either."

Daisuke steps a little closer. Then he hugs her. "I promise, if you will."

She hugs him back and nods.

Iori makes a noise of discontent but doesn't argue. Daisuke … doesn't know how to deal with that. He understands, but he doesn't know how.

There's too much to deal with on his own. He doesn't know how Taichi-san did it back then.

"For now," Takeru interrupts, because of course he does. "What's important is that we're safe and we won't do this again, and everything is all right. So I'll take Miyako-chan and Iori-kun home and explain everything and we'll do this tomorrow. Okay?"

Daisuke grimaces at the thought of going home. "Right." He hopes Jun didn't wake up his parents after all.

Taichi gives him a knowing look. "Do you want to stay over?"

He opens his mouth to say yes, but he sees the way Taichi has leaned Hikari close to him. She looks tired, tired in a way she hasn't since they were younger and smaller and she got sick all the time. Her eyes keep looking towards the wall, like there's something there. Maybe she was haunted. Then she focuses on him.

She smiles. It would be fine.

"Nah," he says. "Thanks though. I owe Jun big for covering me."

Who is Hikari seeing?

Taichi nods. "She … means well."

Meaning she's a pain in the butt, but there's worse.

Takeru firmly escorts Miyako and Iori out of the room. Neither really protests, but they don't look happy about it. Daisuke makes to follow him.

Then Hikari-chan says, "Ichijouji-kun had a brother. He's the one who told me about Vamdemon."

Had?

Daisuke thinks about this for a long moment. Then he smiles at her. "Thanks, Hikari-chan. I'll let him tell me the rest."

She looks horribly relieved, and it hurts. It really hurts.

He needs to get better.