(Author's Note: Chapter 49 is here! I had to add a new scene due to a last minute change I made to the previous chapter, so this chapter ended up being longer than I wanted. So, rather than having one long chapter, I decided to split the chapter into two halves which are shorter than the standard chapter length. Part 2 will be posted next Saturday. Maybe Friday.
Still winding down from the battle in this chapter. There's a few familiar loose ends to tie up before things get moving again. Anyways, enjoy and review!)
Chapter 49: Penance (Part I)
Omegamon paced around the courtyard just outside New Terminal Central Hospital. He walked around the outer perimeter of the series of makeshift first aid tents, roaming the stone road that attached to the courtyard. He made sure to keep out of the way, not wanting to impede the physicians and healers working on the wounded soldiers.
The white knight walked under the midday sun, anxiously awaiting Alphamon's return. Having seen how injured Alphamon was, he was more than a little frustrated when the Knight of the Empty Seat suddenly flew off on his own instead of getting bed rest. What was worse was that he had been gone for almost an hour. Although Omegamon wore a calm veneer on his helmeted face, internally, he was getting worried.
"Omegamon?" a draconic, tenor voice asked from behind him.
Omegamon stopped in front of the gate and looked over his shoulder, finally stopping long enough for his cape to settle against his back.
A long, gold, samurai dragon walked over from the provisional hospital extension. It was Ouryumon. He was dressed heavily in bandages. His shoulders, arms, and long, wiry frame were all wrapped in white gauze and an adhesive bandage was stuck onto his cheek. The coils of white fabric were intermittently dotted with small, dark drops of dried blood. Omegamon could tell from the dragon's hobble that he had been in the thick of the fighting.
Ouryumon made his way out of the hospital courtyard, the talons of his toes tapping against the stone below as he stepped onto the street. His pair of scimitars rattled with each step as they hung from a belt that was wrapped around his waist. As he approached Omegamon, the Captain of the Strike Forces observed the Royal Knight with interest.
"Ouryumon," Omegamon greeted, turning around to politely face him. "How are you? You aren't too hurt, I hope."
Ouryumon began to reflexively shrug, but the sharp movement caused a sudden twinge in his sore shoulder muscles that caused him to wince. "N-Not too bad," he insisted despite the pang. "It's mostly just cuts and grazes; nothing too deep."
"That's good," the fused knight replied. "What are you doing? Should you be up?"
"Yeah, they said I'd be fine if I take it easy. Gotta free up those beds for those who need it anyways," Ouryumon answered, placing his claws on his hips as he stopped in front of Omegamon. "I thought I'd look for Alphamon. Anyway, what about you? You look kind of on edge."
Omegamon sighed and folded his Grey Arm over his Garuru Arm. "I am waiting for Alphamon as well. He is injured and he is supposed to be resting, but he flew off about an hour ago and hasn't returned."
Ouryumon's violet eyes blinked and he stared at Omegamon incredulously. "What? Alphamon?" he demanded, nearly balking at the news. "Wait, how hurt is he?!"
"He has deep chest wounds. However, he received some healing, so it isn't anything critical right now. I just worry that he might agitate his wounds," Omegamon calmly explained.
Ouryumon sighed, at least partially relieved at the news that Alphamon wasn't in a worse condition. "So… he just flew off?" he inquired, the tall dragon looking down at the knight with confusion "Why?"
"I do not know," Omegamon answered in his soft, fused voice. "He left in a hurry, saying something about 'Wizardmon'. Does that mean anything to you?"
Ouryumon folded his arms and scrunched his draconic face as he thought hard about it. "Wizardmon…" he repeated. His eyes lit up as soon as the name triggered a memory. "Actually, I remember Alphamon said something about him before the battle. He said he was going to check out Bagramon's hut. Then, when he came back, he said something about a Wizardmon who had something to do with Bagramon." Ouryumon shrugged, once again causing him to wince and stifle a curse. "Ngh… That's all he said about him."
"Bagramon's hut?" Omegamon mused, remembering that the original reason Alphamon wanted to go to New Terminal was to investigate the fallen angel's residence.
"I guess so…" Ouryumon responded. His lavender-hued eyes looked past Omegamon and towards the Argent Mountain range on the western edge of the city. "That's not like, Alphamon. He's usually the rational one."
"Usually, yes. However, it is also like Alphamon to get carried away with something that he's working on and shoulder the burden on his own," the caped knight explained, not without a hint of annoyance to his words.
Ouryumon's brows flattened. "Point taken. It's one of the rare times where he's the reckless idiot between the three of us," he dryly stated.
Omegamon shot Ouryumon a dry look with his clear, blue eyes. "The three of us?" he flatly asked, not appreciating being lumped in with them.
Ouryumon smirked down at the white knight. "Admit it, Omegamon. You have your moments too," he reminded him.
Omegamon sighed and closed his eyes. His arms remained folded and his foot tapped the ground rhythmically. "…Perhaps, but that won't stop me from giving Alphamon a piece of my mind when he gets back."
The gold ryu chuckled. "Hey, I'm going to make the most of it too," he playfully agreed. "It's not every day I have the high ground over him."
Ouryumon looked back towards the mountains. In the distance, moving against the alpine backdrop, he was able to see a black dot. The dot moved against the sky, growing larger and more easily distinguishable the closer it got.
"Speaking of which…" Ouryumon spoke up, moving his hand over his snout to block the light from getting in his eyes. "I think there's the idiot now."
Omegamon's eyes snapped open and he spun around. Raising the Garuru Arm over his eyes like a visor, he squinted and scanned the distance for the familiar Royal Knight.
After a few seconds, his sharp eyes honed in on a dark silhouette passing in front of a cloud. He recognised the black humanoid body and the striking silhouette of Alphamon's broad wings, his thick pauldrons, his flowing cape, and his distinctive horns. His muscles relaxed and the melting sensation of relief began to fill him.
"Looks like he's back in one piece…" Ouryumon mused. He watched as the black knight seemed to spot them and start descending in their direction. Alphamon's flying style wasn't as smooth as usual. In fact, the closer he got, the more uneven it looked. It was like he was struggling to stay in the air. Ouryumon's smile was replaced by a confused frown as he noticed the strange movements. "…Actually…"
Omegamon's eyes narrowed. He could see the distress in Alphamon's flight as well. "Something's wrong…" he direly replied.
As Alphamon descended to the skyline of the surrounding buildings, it was clear that he was clutching his torso. He bobbed unevenly in the air as he declined over the rooftops on the opposite side of the street. It looked like he was struggling to keep his wings from giving out as he dove towards the ground.
Grimacing heavily, Alphamon spread his wings and touched down on the ground without his usual grace. As soon as his foot touched the ground, he began to stumble, having to dash forwards several meters to keep from collapsing. After several rough, skidding steps, Alphamon finally collapsed to a knee, audibly groaning with pain. He clutched a hand to his bandaged torso, which was soaked with dark, red blood.
"Alphamon!" Omegamon shouted, sprinting across the street towards him.
"You idiot!" Ouryumon added angrily, ripping through the air in the Royal Knight's direction as well.
Omegamon rushed to Alphamon's side and knelt down beside him. He saw the blood leaking from Alphamon's abdomen and looked at him with worry. "Of all the reckless and irresponsible things to do…" Omegamon angrily reprimanded him. Not allowing his emotions to get in the way, he quickly placed Alphamon's arm over his shoulders to support him. "You reopened your wounds."
Despite his pained grimace, Alphamon looked up at his friend and gave him a sheepish smile. "Apologies, Omegamon. It seems that I should have listened to you…" he civilly replied.
Ouryumon growled and landed on Alphamon's other side, bending down and taking Alphamon's other arm. "What the hell happened?!" he demanded, working in tandem with Omegamon to lift Alphamon to his feet.
Alphamon grimaced and stood to his feet unevenly with the help of his friends. As they began to walk him towards the hospital, he weakly looked between them. "It was… Bagramon," he explained grimly.
Shocked, Omegamon and Ouryumon came to a complete halt. Both the Royal Knight and Captain looked down at Alphamon with astonishment.
"What?" Omegamon asked, his eyes wide and incredulous.
"You… fought Bagramon?!" Ouryumon demanded as he was beset with incredulity and rage. "But how?! Are they back?!"
Alphamon shook his head gently. "When I went to Bagramon's hut, he was there…" he explained. "We scuffled and Bagramon got the upper hand – literally, as it happens."
"Bagramon was there? Why?" Omegamon questioned urgently. "And why were you there?"
"I was there to speak to Wizardmon…" Alphamon answered, panting and holding onto the two armoured warriors for support.
"Never mind," Omegamon answered, realizing that Alphamon's wellbeing was the priority at the moment. "We need to get you medical attention immediately."
"Yeah," Ouryumon agreed, beginning to walk Alphamon past the gates and into the hospital's courtyard. "You can tell us after, Sir Responsiblemon."
Alphamon winced, but allowed himself to be helped towards the assortment of medical tents. "You two aren't going to let me forget this, are you…?"
"Nope," Ouryumon replied swiftly.
"Unlikely," Omegamon agreed resolutely. "Now, come. You are confined to bed."
Alphamon smiled slightly. Pain wracked his body but he continued on towards the hospital with their help. He was reasonable enough to realise that he needed thorough medical attention and rest. He was going to follow the doctor's orders lest he suffer the full wrath of Omegamon and Ouryumon.
Still, his encounter with Bagramon weighed on his mind. With any clues that he might have found in his hermitage now destroyed, Alphamon lacked the evidence needed to fully piece together Bagramon's objectives. All he had right now were bits and pieces.
He supposed all he could do was be patient. Alphamon accepted that, right now, he wasn't in any position to stop Bagramon. He had to focus on healing and the objectives that were in front of him.
However, he refused to give up. He wouldn't let Bagramon be one step ahead of them forever. He had to find a way to close the distance with the Sage of Death, otherwise, they would continue to be on the defensive.
The security of the Digital World depended on it.
Oblivion.
Abyss.
Void.
The Edge of Purgatory.
Ginnungagap.
There were many words for the place that he occupied. That inter-dimensional area of nothingness located somewhere in-between the Digital World and the Dark Area. He routinely danced on the cusp of this emptiness, travelling through it, harnessing it. It was a part of him.
And yet, it also threatened to envelop him. The void threatened to claim him as its own. When one walks among the shadows, one must be careful that one isn't consumed by them.
And yet, here he was. He had walked through the darkness for most of his life. He couldn't help but find it ironic that the one time he reached towards the light was the time that he had a one way ticket to the Dark Area.
He had been dreaming. But his dreams were nothing but shadows and darkness. He was surrounded by the void. Everywhere he turned, there had been darkness. It felt like it was closing in on him. Constricting him. Suffocating him.
He couldn't move. Was this his time?
But as he felt himself getting swallowed by the void, there was something in the distance. A flickering light. He tried to reach out to it, but he couldn't reach it.
The faraway beacon beckoned to him, shimmering more intensely. The flashing light seemed to multiply and the darkness was suddenly full of luminous stars. The radiance spread and intensified, illuminating the void.
The darkness around him disappeared and his vision became engulfed in a painful, blinding light. It seared his eye and pulled a confused groan from his throat.
GrandisKuwagamon awoke.
As he regained consciousness, his dull, ruby eye lit up with a bright crimson hue. The intense light of his surroundings pierced his compound eye, causing his face to distort into a squint. The complex lens of his eye swiftly got used to the light and it began to react to the stimuli around him.
He noticed an unfamiliar, white ceiling above him. His addled and weary mind was trying to process what happened. The last thing he remembered was lying on the ground, gazing up at the stars. He remembered feeling indescribable pain throughout his body. He remembered the wound, the blood, the loss… He remembered his decision.
As GrandisKuwagamon stared straight upwards at the ceiling, he noticed the black pincers that flanked his face pointing ahead of him. Something was obstructing his vision between the two forceps.
While he fleetingly wondered what it was, GrandisKuwagamon began to notice other stimuli. First of all, the excruciating pain in his chest was largely gone, replaced by only a dull ache. He breathed in and smelled the sterile aroma of a hospital in the air. His mouth was dry and he could still taste the sharp, metallic tang of blood on his lips and teeth.
However, he felt generally comfortable. The excruciating pain in his chest was largely gone. His body was stiff, but not in pain. He could feel something soft against his winged back.
GrandisKuwagamon became more conscious and aware of his surroundings. He began to try to stretch out his limbs, but they wouldn't cooperate. He felt strange. There was a tight pressure over his upper body, his torso, and his thighs and his ankles. It felt like a great weight pushing down on him. He attempted to move his arms and legs, but they wouldn't budge even an inch. With a slight panic, he attempted to weakly sit up, but he was unable to move even a centimeter from the soft mattress beneath him.
GrandisKuwagamon felt this same pressure over his pincers, which he soon realised was a sturdy, rubber band that kept his scissors close together. He lifted his head off the pillow and looked down at his chest. It was then that he could see that there were four black, rubber straps belted across his body, two over his upper body and two over his legs, securing him to the hospital bed.
It was also at this moment that he realised that there were other Digimon in the room with him. Before he could look properly, somebody started waving a glowing stick in his face, right in front of his eye.
"It seems like he's regained consciousness," a female voice said from beside him.
GrandisKuwagamon turned his head to his right. Beside him was a tall insect Digimon with a slender, emerald body and feminine, insectoid features. Her body was covered in a carapace that was green like that of deep jungle foliage. Covering her body was a long, white, lab coat that reached down to her knees. Her large, black hands ended with dextrous claws, which held a medical light in one hand and a clipboard in the other. Protruding from her green, insect head were long antennae and orange-red hair that flowed down to her shoulders. Her matching red, compound eyes gazed down at GrandisKuwagamon curiously.
The Stingmon retracted the glow stone that was attached to a mechanical rod and placed it on a table with a set of her equipment. She turned back to the captive patient and placed her hands on her hips.
"So, it's 'GrandisKuwagamon', isn't it?" she asked, her tone surprisingly calm and confident for someone dealing with a notorious and dangerous mercenary, no matter how restrained he was.
GrandisKuwagamon sneered a little and gazed up at the Stingmon. "Hello, nurse," he flippantly greeted.
Stingmon cast a leer down at him. "Doctor Stingmon," she offhandedly corrected him.
"Sorry," GrandisKuwagamon replied, managing to sound both sheepish and nonchalant as he attempted and failed to shrug his shoulders.
Stingmon walked over to the bed with a quill and clipboard in hand. "How do you feel?" she asked him. "Do you feel anything unusual?"
GrandisKuwagamon looked down at his immobile form and then back up at her flatly. "…I'm afraid I've got some bad news for you, Doc… I can't move my body," he ironically explained, nodding towards his restraints. "I think it's serious."
The Stingmon physician smirked and then turned to one of the other Digimon in the room. "He seems to be fine."
"If he can still joke, then it must be true," a deep voice said.
GrandisKuwagamon looked down his body in the direction of the voice. At the opposite end of the hospital room, he saw Alphamon sitting in a chair against the far wall. The Royal Knight was still clad in fresh bandages, particularly around his chest and abdomen. He could see the bandages sporting several tiny spots of dried blood that had tried to seep through the gauze before the wounds sealed. A pair of crutches rested against the wall behind the knight. Alphamon seemed to be staring intently at GrandisKuwagamon.
Beside Alphamon was another Royal Knight, clad in violet plate armour and holding a massive, double edged spear alertly in his hand. Craniamon leered at GrandisKuwagamon, his hostility and suspicion obvious in his narrow, red eyes. It was obvious to GrandisKuwagamon that he was there for muscle in case he tried to escape.
Fully conscious and alert now, GrandisKuwagamon shifted his gaze to the left. On the left hand side of the bed, opposite to Stingmon, was a familiar steel dragon wearing a red cape and a sling over his arm. He recognized SaviorHackmon. The dragon was standing beside his bed, staring down at him with what looked like concern.
GrandisKuwagamon looked away from him and decided to fix his gaze on Alphamon.
Alphamon, seeing GrandisKuwagamon single him out with his eye, began to stand, assisted by Craniamon. "GrandisKuwagamon…" he greeted tentatively as he cautiously rose to his feet.
"Alphamon… We've really got to stop meeting like this," the bound mercenary dryly responded, trying to play off the seriousness of his predicament with an injection of levity.
"Indeed, we do," Alphamon answered, his voice direct and serious.
GrandisKuwagamon's grin faded. He could tell that Alphamon hadn't forgotten about the things that he did. Honestly, he didn't expect him to.
SaviorHackmon stared at him with a mixture of emotions. Anger, relief, sadness, and pity all combined to form a gentle wince in SaviorHackmon's eyes. "GrandisKuwagamon…" he spoke, though he didn't really know what to say.
The restrained insect saw the emotions in SaviorHackmon's eyes and looked away from him. He didn't admit it, but he didn't like SaviorHackmon seeing him like this. He kept his kneejerk reaction of anger from bubbling up, unable to stand the look of pity in his eyes. However, he recognised that he didn't have a right to say much after the destruction that he helped cause.
"What are you doing here? Don't you have anything better to do?" GrandisKuwagamon asked, glancing at SaviorHackmon for a moment.
Craniamon glared daggers at GrandisKuwagamon and took a menacing step towards him. "You're lucky he's even here at all," he brusquely told the mercenary. "After the things you've done."
SaviorHackmon glanced down momentarily. Now that GrandisKuwagamon was awake, he felt uncomfortable being near him. The conflicting feelings that he felt came rushing back. He hadn't forgotten about the bad things that GrandisKuwagamon had done, but now he was questioning himself even more.
However, despite his misgivings and uncertainty, he wasn't about to back down now. He had grown too much to be scared off by him. SaviorHackmon held his ground and stood up straight as he looked down at the restrained insect Digimon.
"I was in the area when you were wounded. I was there when it all ended," SaviorHackmon answered, trying his best not to grimace at the grievous memory. He forced himself to be as calm and assertive as possible in front of the dark swordsman. "I had to make sure that you were alright."
"He made sure that you all got first aid," Craniamon explained, folding his arms while keeping the Claiohm Solais near his body. "You're lucky he got you to safety."
Stingmon nodded. "You're lucky that TigerVespamon saw to you quickly as well, though it seems like you were already healed by then," she added.
GrandisKuwagamon exhaled weakly and placed his head back down on the pillow. "Fine. Stay, don't stay; I don't really have any say in it right now, do I?" he said with tired resignation.
"That is of your own doing," Alphamon calmly but firmly explained to him. "You made your decisions. You have to live with the consequences. I'm afraid that, after last time, we can't easily trust you not to escape again. Therefore, we saw fit to restrain you."
"No kidding," GrandisKuwagamon murmured, struggling weakly. He looked over at Stingmon. "Are you okay with this? Having mortally wounded patients strapped to the bed? Doesn't this go against some sort of medical ethics?"
Stingmon smiled a little. "This is standard practice for the most difficult and dangerous patients," she responded playfully. She looked over her file and then looked at her patient one more time. "So, can you tell me what exactly happened?" she asked him. "I've examined you thoroughly and heard TigerVespamon's findings, but there's barely a scratch on you. But what SaviorHackmon told me is something entirely different."
"I'm positive of what I saw," SaviorHackmon insisted with wince. "It was from a distance but I can't misremember something so terrible…"
"I can tell you, Doc. I'm not likely to forget it any time soon now that it's burned in my memory," GrandisKuwagamon answered. "I took Black Imperialdramon's Positron Laser in the gut at point blank range; carapace busted open, my digicore and all of my juicy bits nearly coming out. Fun times."
Stingmon frowned and looked down at GrandisKuwagamon's abdominal region. "I noticed some irregularities in your exoskeleton, but I didn't expect that… How did you survive?"
GrandisKuwagamon sighed and glanced at the physician. "I'm no doctor, but I'm guessing it had something to do with when I activated my X-Antibody."
At this, Alphamon couldn't help but frown and take a step closer. "You mean you hadn't activated it already? But your GrandisKuwagamon form is an X-Antibody form, is it not? Usually, as soon as the X-Antibody becomes present in the digicore, it changes one's body and activates," he said ponderously. "When you said that you, Blitzmon, and Bolgmon all had X-Antibodies, I had assumed…"
"I tried my damnedest to keep it from activating," the X-Antibody scarab answered. He narrowed his eye and leaned his head back. "Why? I have my reasons… It's like trying to plug a dam with your finger. No matter how much of the flood I'm able to hold back, a little bit always slips through the cracks. When I first absorbed the X-Antibody, my digicore was partially changed, but I was able to concentrate enough through meditation to keep it from altering my digicore the way that it was meant to. It was nearly impossible at first, but I eventually managed to keep on top of it."
"Then, when you were you were dying, your body's natural survival instinct kicked in. The X-Antibody altering your digicore was the only way to keep your digicore from breaking," Stingmon answered, walking over to the bound bug and placing her hand on his abdomen. "How do you feel now? Any lingering pain? Strange feelings? You may look the same, but your body just underwent a major transformation. By altering your digicore, the X-Antibody has executed a complete overwrite of your body's data."
"Apart from feeling like I'm about to be dissected, I'm fine," GrandisKuwagamon responded. "My chest is still kinda tender. Oh, and my limbs are kinda stiff. I wonder why."
The Stingmon nodded. "Well, the good news is that you seem to be out of danger! I'd like to monitor you more to be safe, but we really need the space," she explained.
"Great, so if you need the bed, that means you can let me walk free?" the black insect casually suggested, looking down at the rubber restraints.
Alphamon approached the foot of the bed, looming over it. "We both know that things aren't that simple," he replied, the weight of his words serving as a reminder to the gravity of the situation.
GrandisKuwagamon glanced to the side. "Yeah, I kinda figured…" he murmured. The events of yesterday were coming back to him. The battle had been an emotional roller coaster that left him uncertain of anything anymore. The only thing that he did know was that he could probably expect a prison sentence.
Stingmon glanced between GrandisKuwagamon and Alphamon, sensing the mounting atmosphere between them. "I can see you both have things to talk about, and I have other patients that I need to attend to. If you need me, I'll be around," she told them. With a nod and a pensive glance at GrandisKuwagamon, she took her leave and exited the room.
This left GrandisKuwagamon alone in the room with Alphamon, Craniamon, and SaviorHackmon. The sterile air grew tense as an uneasy silence began to permeate the room.
Alphamon folded his arms and stared at GrandisKuwagamon. Although he was only across the room, the distance between them felt like a chasm. "…You opened the gates for the Demon Lords," he bluntly stated, remembering the sight for himself. "Why?"
GrandisKuwagamon winced subtly and lay back, gazing up at the ceiling. "Not gonna make any excuses for myself. After I escaped from you guys, I felt like my only real option as a fugitive was to work for Bagramon. I knew he had cash and I was working for him before, so it made sense. I needed the security."
"You aren't a stupid Digimon, GrandisKuwagamon. You must have known what would happen to the Digimon of New Terminal if you opened those gates," Alphamon accused him. "Did you simply not care?"
GrandisKuwagamon looked down. "I didn't think about it… No, I made myself not think about it. I dunno. I was so focused on myself that I had tunnel vision. I told myself that, no matter the cost, I just needed to get free. It made it easier to do what I needed to do if I didn't think about who I'd hurt in the process," he answered bitterly.
"You're a selfish bastard," Craniamon frigidly chided him.
"Yeah, I know," GrandisKuwagamon replied soberly. "I just didn't realise how far I would take it."
He remembered VictoryGreymon's words to him and the realisation that he had come to about himself. His pinned wrists tensed and his black hands curled up into tight balls. Wincing, GrandisKuwagamon remembered the scene that led up to him getting shot. He remembered what he had done.
"What did the Demon Lords tell you to do?" Alphamon asked.
"'Bagramon', you mean; I don't work for the Demon Lords," GrandisKuwagamon insistently corrected. "He told me to sneak into the city and open the gates. That's all."
The aloof, black knight stared at him with cool, pensive eyes. "I want to hear what happened to you next, in your own words."
GrandisKuwagamon ineffectually shrugged. "You caught me in the act, so I became a massive target. I tried to escape as fast as I could, but I ended up getting caught up in the attack. All of you guys were after me, and then the demon bastards started attacking me too. And, yeah, karma's a bitch, I get it," he pre-emptively said.
"Couldn't have said it better myself," Craniamon muttered.
The mercenary grunted. "Anyway, that's when VictoryGreymon rammed into me like a runaway Locomon. We fought, I got the upper hand, and he was saying a lot of stuff. I had him more or less beaten, but…" GrandisKuwagamon stalled. He remembered the dragon man's emotional plea to him. It had been enough to get through to him, passed all the walls that he had put up. He wasn't sure how to put what happened into words.
"…He seems like he's softer than pudding and twice as dense, but damn if he isn't stubborn when he wants to be. I guess I underestimated him," GrandisKuwagamon finished.
SaviorHackmon sat down in the chair beside the bed, intently listening to GrandisKuwagamon's every word. "Is it true what you two said before?" he questioned.
GrandisKuwagamon nodded weakly. "Yeah… He asked me the hard questions. He made me see that what I was doing was no different from…" He trailed off and hesitated, glancing at Alphamon and Craniamon. He hadn't told them about what happened to him as a child. He wasn't sure if he even wanted to mention it. "Well… from the bastards who go around destroying villages," he sheepishly answered.
SaviorHackmon frowned and folded his hands on his lap. "You should tell them, Grandis," he advised him.
"I'm not looking for pity. And I'm not making excuses for myself," GrandisKuwagamon bluntly answered. "I doubt they've even heard of it."
"Your pride is what got you into this situation, you idiot," SaviorHackmon irately responded. "I already told them what I saw and heard. I'm giving you a chance here because I think you really mean it. It's not like you to give up, GrandisKuwagamon."
GrandisKuwagamon turned his head and stared at SaviorHackmon with surprise. He couldn't help but be shocked, both by his assertiveness and the fact that SaviorHackmon would stick up for him after everything that happened.
This time, he didn't dismiss it as pure naivety. After a few moments of consideration, he breathed out.
"VictoryGreymon made me realise that I'd become no different from the raiders who destroyed my town and killed my family as a kid. He asked me if that was really who I wanted to be. He made me realise who I was and what I was turning into. Basically, he made me look in the mirror, and I didn't like what I saw anymore. He told me that there was a way back…" GrandisKuwagamon spartanly replied, looking away from all three pairs of eyes that were on him. "I wanted to believe him."
Alphamon was quiet for several moments. His golden eyes were cool and unreadable as he studied the captive mercenary, but it was clear that he was thinking about what GrandisKuwagamon was saying. "I see... So, you had a change of heart."
"Yeah, I guess. Look… I'm not about to claim that I'm some law-abiding hero now or anything, but I realised that I don't want to be a part of what Bagramon and the Demon Lords are doing. I want to make up for what happened to New Terminal," GrandisKuwagamon answered.
"Is that why you took that blast for VictoryGreymon?" SaviorHackmon asked him.
GrandisKuwagamon stared up at the ceiling reflectively. "…He was gonna die if I didn't," he replied. "Paildramon… she lost control. It wasn't like her at all. She fought in her Imperialdramon form before, so I didn't understand how somebody as strong and controlled as her could start rampaging like that."
Alphamon frowned. He remembered how strangely Paildramon had been acting. He had seen her change into a new form. However, after that, he had been too pre-occupied with Demon and Lilithmon to do anything about it.
The mercenary looked around at the three in the room. "Paildramon was saying lots of stuff. I could tell she wasn't thinking straight. She was losing control over her form and she was trying her best to kill me. She told me that her brother had been killed."
SaviorHackmon grimaced. "I saw her before the battle. She had heard that her brother had joined a militia and had tried to follow Tenth Group to Hope's Crest. She asked me if I had seen him there, but I told her that I hadn't seen him. From that, she must have assumed that he had been killed…" he answered bleakly.
"We had to fight her. I didn't want to, but she was gonna kill us if we didn't," GrandisKuwagamon bitterly insisted, clenching his fists. "VictoryGreymon was trying his damn hardest to stop her without killing her. The idiot even threw down his sword and didn't even try to defend himself. I tried to tell him that it wouldn't work, but… She started tearing into him. He was already hurt from fighting me, so… She was basically slicing him to pieces. I was too weak to stop her. I could see that he was dying, and Paildramon – no… Black Imperialdramon – was about to finish him off. I had to stop her. I owed him. I owed her too."
As he spoke, a grimace formed on his face. For the first time, his guilt was starting to show on his face. His pretenses of apathy and humour were gone, and they were replaced with regret. His fists trembled gently as his fingers dug into his palms, and his pincers strained against the rubber band.
"So… yeah. She shot me, and then I stabbed her," he explained in a bleak, tremulous voice. With a wince, he looked up at Alphamon. His worry was shining through his single eye. "…Are… Are they…?"
Alphamon stared him in the eye, gauging his feelings. He could see that GrandisKuwagamon genuinely seemed nervous about them. Although he had been their enemy, Alphamon thought it cruel to keep him in suspense. He slowly shook his head.
"They are in a critical condition, but they are being seen to by some of the strongest healers. Craniamon checked on them for me prior to me coming here. The physicians said that, while the wounds are quite bad, their digicores are intact, and they believe that the wounds can be healed," Alphamon explained. "They are currently under going strong, magical treatments."
GrandisKuwagamon released the breath that he hadn't realised he was holding. "…Okay," he sighed.
SaviorHackmon stared at the restrained mercenary from his place beside the bed. It seemed to him like GrandisKuwagamon really did care about them, even if he didn't outright admit. He wondered if this had always been the case or if his feelings had changed recently. GrandisKuwagamon had been right when he said that SaviorHackmon didn't know him as well as he thought he did. The insect was still hard for him to read.
GrandisKuwagamon looked up at Alphamon with cynical resignation. "…So, boss knight… What happens next?" he asked. He couldn't help but want to know what his fate would be now. He had a pretty good idea, but he had to hear it out loud so that he could prepare himself. "One way trip to Havelock Prison with Warden Skullface, I'm guessing? Or… should I have just stayed dead and saved you the trouble of getting your hands dirty?"
SaviorHackmon frowned and looked up at Alphamon. He felt bad for GrandisKuwagamon, but he knew that he didn't have any right to try and sway their opinions. He was a recruit and he had already put them all through so much.
Craniamon scoffed. "You didn't think you'd get away with a slap on the wrist, did you?"
"No, I didn't," GrandisKuwagamon answered pragmatically.
Alphamon gently folded his arms across his bandaged chest. "I haven't decided yet. We are in the middle of dealing with the Demon Lords and a partially destroyed city. To be frank, you are pretty low on our list of priorities at the moment," he plainly stated.
"I'll try not to be too offended," GrandisKuwagamon sarcastically replied. "So, while you guys are busy doing knight stuff, what about me? Do I just lie here and wait?"
Alphamon shook his head and turned his head towards where SaviorHackmon was sitting. "What do you think?" he questioned.
SaviorHackmon blinked and pointed at himself with surprise. "M-…Me, sir?" he wondered, shocked that his opinion was being asked.
"I think he meant me," a voice behind SaviorHackmon said from out of nowhere.
"WAH!" SaviorHackmon shouted, jumping out of his chair. He spun around and saw the black, avian form of Karatenmon standing behind him.
Karatenmon chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry about that, SaviorHackmon-chan. Didn't mean to startle you," the ninja lightheartedly apologised.
"You definitely did," Craniamon muttered, remembering with irritation the amount of times that Karatenmon 'innocently' snuck up on him.
"As for your question… I have a few ideas, Alphamon," Karatenmon replied with an enigmatic smirk.
GrandisKuwagamon didn't react at seeing Karatenmon seemingly appear out of SaviorHackmon's shadow. He had appeared out of nowhere enough times himself. "Great, the crow. So, are you going to be my handler or something?" he asked the Royal Knights' spymaster.
Alphamon nodded at Karatenmon. "Something like that. I'm putting you under Karatenmon's care for the time being."
"Better him than Skullface I guess," GrandisKuwagamon replied, remembering the Reapermon who he knew didn't care for his sense of humour. It had been a very uncomfortable trek the last time the Warden of Havelock Prison escorted him from Saversburg to Castle Albion.
"Oh, he's here too," Karatenmon lightly stated.
For a second, GrandisKuwagamon could hear the rattling of chains coming from the hospital hallways. A cold breeze seemed to creep into the room, and a pair of red, glowing eyes could be seen from the shadow of the corridor.
"…Wonderful," GrandisKuwagamon muttered. He glanced at Craniamon. "Hey, are you two related? I can see a resemblance."
The death knight cast his own glowing, crimson pupils towards the mercenary with menace.
"You will be taken back to our dungeons for the time being," Alphamon explained. "It is a temporary measure until we decide what to do with you."
GrandisKuwagamon frowned uncertainly but nodded. "So… you haven't decided yet?"
Alphamon closed his eyes and thought sagely. "…Not yet. You have committed criminal acts, and I cannot ignore the way you helped the Demon Lords. However, I do not doubt your change of heart. I believe that you are genuine…" He glanced over at Karatenmon for confirmation.
Karatenmon nodded. While they had been talking before, the ninja had been in hiding, quietly performing his Satori technique to read GrandisKuwagamon's spirit. He detected that GrandisKuwagamon meant what he said. "From what I can tell, he's telling the truth," Karatenmon explained.
Craniamon looked at Karatenmon suspiciously. "How can you be so sure? That ability of yours can anticipate movements and feelings, but it isn't perfect. He could be fooling you."
"I admit, I'm not omniscient," Karatenmon agreed with a wily smirk. "But I'm good with people. It doesn't take my Satori for me to know that GrandisKuwagamon regrets what he did."
"Even so," Alphamon spoke. "It is my duty to be an impartial arbitrator. This is a decision that I must think seriously about. I will also need to consult the others. That's not something that I can do right now, so…"
GrandisKuwagamon rolled his eye. "Yeah, yeah. Back in the dungeons."
"And I advise against trying to escape again. We won't be so easily fooled a second time," Alphamon explained with a slight smile.
"I'm not stupid enough to make the same mistake twice either," GrandisKuwagamon responded, looking up at him frankly.
Alphamon nodded, meeting his gaze. "I hope that you aren't."
Finally, the pair of red eyes hovering outside entered the room. The metal, skeletal form of Reapermon stalked inside. The lanky bounty hunter scowled down at GrandisKuwagamon with a withering glare. He brandished his sickle and readjusted the long roll of chains that he lugged over his right shoulder.
"I'll make sure that he doesn't have the chance to escape again," Reapermon promised in a hiss, his hollow eyes burning menacingly. "Nobody escapes from me. Nobody."
GrandisKuwagamon casually turned his head away from Reapermon and looked up at Alphamon. "Is that the sort of thing one of your employees should be saying?" he dryly asked.
"Watch yourself, beetle," Reapermon warned him.
Alphamon sheepishly scratched his cheek with his index finger. "Reapermon has always had a bit of a rough edge…" he understatedly replied. "He means well."
"Wasn't he a fugitive bounty hunter like some kind of cliché anti hero?" GrandisKuwagamon provocatively teased.
Reapermon walked towards the bed, glaring down at the captive. "First warning…"
Alphamon turned to Karatenmon. "Make sure that GrandisKuwagamon arrives at the dungeons in one piece," he tiredly said. "I'll leave you two and Craniamon to prepare him for travel."
GrandisKuwagamon rolled his eye. "Oh, lucky me…"
"You'd better get back to bed, Alphamon," Craniamon told the black knight. "Before Omegamon notices and decides to restrain you to the bed too."
Alphamon smiled and took his pair of crutches from the wall. "Yes, you're probably right about that…"
SaviorHackmon walked around Karatenmon, still clutching his tender injuries. "What should I do, Sir?" he asked the Royal Knight, looking at him for direction.
"Why don't you meet up with Gankoomon and the Sistermons for now?" Alphamon suggested to the younger warrior. "It will be a day or so until we leave."
SaviorHackmon nodded and saluted him, watching as Alphamon made his way out of the hospital room. The steel dragon man began to follow him, but he pivoted and directed his eyes over at GrandisKuwagamon. Knowing that the mercenary was headed back to the dungeons, he didn't want to leave without saying anything.
GrandisKuwagamon caught his look and glanced away sheepishly. He felt he should say something, but he wasn't sure what. The scarab Digimon wasn't good at this sort of thing.
"Uh…" he tentatively spoke up. His tongue lingered against the back of his teeth and the awkward silence that he had broken began to return. Finally, he forced himself to say what he thought he should say.
"For what it's worth, sorry, kid. About manipulating you, and beating you up, and all that other shit," the mercenary inelegantly told him, half-shrugging his shoulders.
After a brief moment of surprise, SaviorHackmon began to chuckle.
The dragon looked over his shoulder. "…I never thought I'd hear you apologise for something," he teased him.
GrandisKuwagamon's gaze flattened. "Don't get used to it."
"I won't," SaviorHackmon responded. He nodded at GrandisKuwagamon and headed to the door.
"SaviorHackmon," GrandisKuwagamon spoke up, stopping the dragon in his tracks. SaviorHackmon turned around and looked at him curiously. "...If Paildramon wakes up, tell her for me…" GrandisKuwagamon trailed off. He hesitated and considered his words uncertainly. Finally, the captive insect sighed and shook his head to dismiss the thought. "Forget it."
SaviorHackmon frowned uncertainly, but he nodded, respecting his wishes. The caped dragon turned around and faced the corridor.
"…Don't give up hope, Grandis. I haven't."
With that, SaviorHackmon left the room and turned down the hallway, his red cape swaying behind him as he disappeared from view.
Craniamon approached the bed and placed his hand on the buckle of one of the rubber straps. As he moved, Reapermon readied both the chains and his sickle, while Karatenmon stood nearby attentively. Craniamon gripped the end of the belt with one hand and his shimmering spear with the other. The Royal Knight stared down at GrandisKuwagamon coolly, wordlessly telling him what would happen if he tried anything.
"…Ready?"
GrandisKuwagamon nodded and lay back passively, resigning himself to his captivity.
"Let's get this over with…"