FanFiction.Net - unleash your imagination|
Author of 11 Stories |
Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon, never have and I never will. Don’t sue me because I’m writing this; sue me because you can...
Government Confines
Progress Loop: Part II
Night was beginning to fall on the desert. The air had become chilly all of a sudden as well, like the calm before a storm, and the waiting game had exhausted itself long ago. One had the feeling that even the slightest noise would bring down the wrath of God himself. No one was busy at this hour. No one dared move for fear of giving away the city’s position.
Mech had been watching the skies for hours now, unblinking while Jerry took his evening meal beside him. Jerry had not even wanted to take a nap before his watch. It was like he was feeding off of Mech’s energy. The two were symbiotic, Mech reminded himself constantly of that. What one did invariably affected the other. Mech had a certain fondness of the boy, though he himself did not know it. But the watch was just as quiet as it had been for the past four hours.
Jerry shivered a bit. The darkness was cold to him. Mech noticed this and calmly asked if Jerry would like to merge again. “No, thanks,” Jerry replied, reflecting on the strangeness of his own voice. He had taken a blanket from the city to combat the cold, and presently he wrapped himself in it tightly. “I was just thinking,” they human commented, “how odd it is feeling cold again. When we merge, I didn’t feel a thing like that. I knew it was cold, but I didn’t feel it.”
“If it comforts you to know,” Mech said, crouching ever so slightly, “I thought it peculiar to feel warmth when we devolved.” The mechanical dragon had turned his head toward Jerry, his eyes still not faltering. Something was welling in him now. Often on their flight to the twelfth district, Jerry had asked Mech about himself. The boy had covered every aspect of Mech’s life, all the way up until they met. Now Mech had to wonder about Jerry.
“I’m fifteen years old,” Jerry said. It never ceased to amaze him how Mech could communicate without speaking to him. And now it was to the point where Mech did not even have to think directly. It was based on the emotions, more. “I was a sophomore in high school until I was brought here. I was born in Palm Springs, Florida on September 1st, 1992. I have two older brothers, both of them jocks.”
“Jocks?” Mech did not understand the term at first, but a quick glance at his partner revealed what he needed to know. It sometimes surprised him how mature his human could be, but also how childish as well. Mech rumbled like he always did when he laughed.
Jerry continued to tell Mech about himself and his family life, like how he always used to get a knock on the head on his birthday or how Jerry always showed up his brothers when the report cards were mailed in. It was good times for Jerry and Mech could understand the human’s missing it. “They wouldn’t remember it now,” Jerry concluded. Mech, at a guess, could easily discern that Jerry had had a good life.
But why would he leave it behind?
Why would I leave it behind? Jerry wondered. His life had been all but bad. His family life was good, his schooling was going as well as could be hoped for, and he had not been beat up since he was in grade school. But what about him? What about me? Why would I just give it up to come here? He had everything he needed there.
“Except clarity,” Mech said aloud. “You knew what you were doing, but you did not know why.” It was pointless.
Pointless, Jerry agreed. That was it. Everything Jerry worked on was for everyone else, but nothing had been specifically for him. His life was a fog, not clear so that he knew why he was working so hard. It had been a farce. Despite that, though, Jerry found himself smiling. He was working for himself now, with the help of a monster that could easily send him to the moon with, literally, a touch of a button.
But not only was he working for himself, but also he was involved in a plot to save an entire world. It was overwhelming, he thought. And at any moment, he would be fighting for just this one, small city buried in the desert away from anything. That was just slightly less overwhelming.
“Jerry,” Mech said. “They’re coming.”
He doubted if he would get one though. He paced nervously with Michael sitting on his back, nearly asleep. Nearly, he thought. He knew that Michael was not inclined to sleep, even though he needed it. Maybe the city chief was right. Was it possible that Michael should have been sent home? Garth growled and shook himself. That was impossible, he told himself steadfastly. Michael was here because some higher force wanted him to be. He had a part to play.
“Garth?” Michael yawned. “Garth? What’s wrong?” Something was amiss within his non-human companion. “What’s wrong?” he asked again. Why would Garth not talk to him? Was it about him?
No, Mike, it isn’t about you. Garth lied and Michael saw through it easily. Why did Garth have to treat him like he was just a baby? Granted Michael was not quite the adult that Jerry and the others seemed to be, but he knew what was going on. He was not so naive that he could not understand if he was a problem. He knew when not to cry and when not to run. The only thing was that he did not know how to fight.
“What did I do,” Michael asked, yawning once more. From three or four days in the Digital World, he had grown. Of course he was afraid quite a bit of the time, but Michael had learned to use that. He was scared stiff when he saw that BlackWarGreymon behind him and even more so when he saw ForceWarGreymon for the first time. But Garth had helped him with that and the two pushed through it to score a victory between them.
Garth had to wonder himself how Michael had become so observant. I was thinking of what the elder said, Garth told him. About what he said about you. Michael was his partner and was just as important as the others were. He had to constantly remind himself of that, though. Sometimes he thought Michael was a test of his patience, while other times he thought that the child was a miracle. Now was one of those times that Garth though of him as both; a responsibility that held him back, but a reminder to check his own attitude. He just about called you useless, Mike.
Was that all that was bothering him? It did not distress Michael at all. It was just the opinion of one person. Years of being bullied had desensitized him to just one person. It reminded Michael of a few chants that he had learned from other children. Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me, Michael recited it. Mama always told me that I was special.
Garth almost laughed at how childishly true that stanza was for Michael. And if his mother could only see him now. The Digimon knew for certain that she would be proud of her child, valiantly fighting off three Megas and then doing exactly as he was told without getting prideful. Garth suspected that that was his problem. He was too proud for his own good. You’re mom was right about you—
Without warning, and cutting Garth off in mid-sentence, alarms started sounding. Someone came shouting down a corridor, “Stations! Stations! Get the children to the basement!” Michael and Garth merged in the customary flash of light and followed the caretakers down to the basement.
The hall was crowed as ever with people rushing to the surface to defend the city and the reserves rushing to security points placed within the city. Whoever planed this city had done a job worth mentioning. Garth counted six security points on the way down to the bunkers and all of them were manned with six fighters. At one of these Garth asked where he should be stationed.
“I don’t know you,” the fighter responded tersely. “But if you are a part of the reserves, then we could use some people near the surface.” That was good news for Garth. He was hoping for a position near the surface. Now all he needed to do was to get there, which from the disorder would be troublesome.
“Take the ‘A’ route to the main tunnel and then head straight up to checkpoint ‘B.’ That’s where I’ll send your ID.” The reserve then asked for a photo ID card.
“I was only freed a few days ago,” Garth told him. “But if you look closely enough at me left ear, there should be my old slave tag.” It would serve, Garth thought. How many other Digimon in the city still had their slave tags? “Will that suffice?” The Digimon nodded and moved Garth along into the bustling crowds.
He struggled to get onto the right lane of traffic near the far wall of the tunnel. It was as if a truck had jack-knifed somewhere up the road and they had all been ushered into a narrow strip. A route, he said? Michael confirmed, remembering clearly. You’re sure you want to go with me?
Mm hmm. I can fight, he said quietly. In truth, he did not want to fight. He just wanted to be near his partner. But if it meant fighting, Michael assumed it would be good practice if he ever needed to fight on his own. Practice?
Garth smiled involuntarily, getting an irritated glance from someone beside him. This was going to be good training for Michael. Maybe he would even get in a few blows of his own. He certainly hoped so. It would help a lot to have two minds working instead of one. Michael could concentrate on what was behind and Garth could be clawing and gnashing in the front.
It took them nearly ten minutes to find their way to the checkpoint where they were supposed to have been five minutes earlier. But nearer the surface the paths were clearer and easier to traverse. From the checkpoint they could see the night sky lit ablaze with turret fire against the enemy. It was clear that his forces were…
ForceWarGreymon’s short muzzle curled into a smile. His army was breaking the city’s defenses with minimal losses. “Do we have any sign of the humans,” he asked expectantly. “Especially that Veedramon. He interests me. I want that one alive. Kill the rest and destroy the city.”
“Aye sir.”
The enemy laughed delightedly from his chariot, overlooking the battlefield. He would not get involved in this battle unless things suddenly shifted to the humans’ favor. However unlikely that was, he would remain in his position until the city was taken and the chief was brought before him. The first rule of battle, he told himself, is to never leave your forces to their own.
And the second was to never underestimate your enemy. He had already seen their potential for evolving. He expected to see that human and his partner again before the end of the night. He knew there was a Mega in there somewhere as well. A Machinedramon with the ability to morph his body to a faster rendition of the original. The Garurumon and the BlackExVeemon would be easier to kill off than the others would, providing they did not evolve.
ForceWarGreymon called a messenger to his chariot. “Take word to my command staff that I want seventy-five percent of this army to circle around to the left just above those hills and wait for my signal to descend. The other twenty-five percent are to continue to draw fire from the turrets around the cave’s entrance.” This village may well be defended, but eventually, they would have to come out. He would destroy them all in one fell swoop.
He turned his attention from the servant, dismissing him, to the firefight below. Nine turrets at the entrance would not hold him off forever. He wondered when the humans were going to show themselves, or if they would at all. They were not as big as cowards as that, he supposed.
Alice was also waiting patiently inside her partner. She too could see the movements across the battlefield and watched intently as blip after enemy blip was cut down by the turrets at the entrance. The screen switched on her though, to show a much wider view. She quickly wished she had not seen that, however.
The Airdramon elder growled angrily. “Bring the mountain turrets on line and send out the air units from the back hanger! They’re trying to ambush us!” Too many blips to count had taken up positions on the sand hills surrounding the village. Only a small fraction had been attacking the front as bait. “And open the pits!”
He turned to Casey and Alice, who had been watching. “Get to your friends who can fly and get out there with the air forces. That Leomon is still going to go with the ground forces along with the MetalGreymon, but you’ll be taking flight.” Alice nodded before Casey could say anything and then left to find the others.
Casey, Alice said, where do you think the others are? I know Mech and Jerry will be in here in the hanger. In fact, those two were not more than a few yards off to the right. Alice had wanted to find Pat and Marcus first, though. If it had not been for Casey, she would have passed them by and ignored them completely. As of now, however, Casey took control of her body back from the human and waved them over.
Mech’s gruff voice answered back with a simple greeting. “Casey,” Mech said, tipping his head bit. “Is there something we could help you with?” Casey almost laughed at the display of chivalry from the metal giant. “You should be with the ground units, not here.”
“We were sent to round up you two and Pat and Marcus,” one of the females explained. It was the native Digimon of course, who had paid the most attention. Alice’s senses were busy trying to locate that AeroVeedramon. “We’re all to be sent out with the air force through the back hanger. ForceWarGreymon—”
“Marcus!” Alice spotted them and the sudden yelp from her surprised all of those who were present, including Casey. “Marcus! Get over here!” Alice yelled again, this time moving in his direction. Pat and Marcus had also seen them and were on a collision course.
“What is it? Jeez, we’ve been trying to find you for hours!” Marcus had been searching for them ever since he had left the elder’s company and was now surprised to find them looking for him and Pat. “What’s the deal? Shouldn’t you be with the army?” As far as they knew Casey and Alice were stuck in cannon fodder position with Mason. Why on earth were they here?
“The elder changed his mind,” Casey responded, pulling the congregation together. She explained the battle plan and the game of chess going on outside. ForceWarGreymon had positioned the bulk of his infantry to ambush the village once they were out of the main entrance, using a small force of attackers to bait them. “What he didn’t expect though,” Casey continued, “was that we would have turrets on the hills and a back hanger. We’ll be going in behind them from the air while the infantry goes out from the left hanger and the reserves from the right.”
“That means when the signal is given, we’ve got to be ready,” Pat concluded. ForceWarGreymon would be there to interfere when things got tough for him. And he would not delay the slaughter of the humans or village a moment longer than he needed to. “Our humans will be the primary targets,” Pat told the other Digimon. “If things go wrong, we’re going to leave and not look back. Marcus, Alice, Jerry and Mickey are our priority.”
“Agreed,” Mech acceded. He would let himself be dismantled before anything happened to the humans or to Jerry. It was only a question of Mitch and Mason agreeing with the sentiment. For sure Mitch would. Mason was smart enough not to argue too. “Someone should go find the others and tell them.”
For that, Marcus volunteered to the amazement of the others. “I’ll do it. Pat can go it alone until I find him.”
“Absolutely not!” Pat shouted in the same voice. That was suicide beyond all other methods. You’d be killed if the enemy caught you. And I’d only be at Champion level while you weren’t with me! I’m your partner and I’m putting my claw down hard on this one! NO.
I’m doing it, Marcus said simply, causing the Digimon to become even more irate with his insanity. And if you’re worried about protection, he added, I’ve studied martial arts so I can take care of myself. Pat still objected to the operation. I promise I’ll be back.
No, Marcus. You can’t do this. Pat knew very well that Marcus could disengage from the merger any time he wanted. He would have to beg to get him to stay. Or else go with him. I’m at least going with you.
Not a chance. You’re needed on the field. Marcus was being just as stubborn. He could take care of himself. And besides, he only required a few minutes. Then he would be back at the hanger just in time to launch with the others. I’ll be back. He disengaged and Pat reverted to his ExVeemon form with a distressing moan.
“Marcus!” Pat called once more as the boy ran off. “Come back! You won’t get back in time to launch!” He had no choice now but to follow Marcus. But the human was quicker than expected and Pat quickly lost sight of him.
“Attention all units,” a voice announced over an intercom. “Attention. Prepare to move out as soon as possible. Caution: beware of cannon fire. Hanger doors: open.” It was already too late for Marcus. Patrick cursed himself. He would have to keep an eye out for the boy, and then hurt him when he found Marcus.
The doors opened, letting in a pale, greenish moonlight. Pat spread his wings and followed the others without much choice in the matter. All he could do now was fight for his life and hope that Marcus was smart enough to keep out of sight. As soon as Pat was out of the hanger, however, he tried to forget about Marcus and started strafing the enemy ranks from behind. None of them were prepared for an attack from behind.
If they could surprise him, he would just have to bring out the big guns. “And bring out the artillery! We’ll begin bombing at once.” The servant scampered off like all those who came before him. He would lure them out there. Make them think that he was surrendering or retreating.
“And I still want that human alive!” He would still have Marcus and his partner. They were the keys to killing off the rest if they escaped. Or better yet… He called his servant again. “I changed my mind. I will take care of it myself.” The rest of them might expect the older ones to save themselves. But all of them would come after the youngest. He would go after the Garurumon and his human instead.
His chariot launched off from its perch and down the dunes to the desert floor. ForceWarGreymon just needed to find them first. And then offer them as bait. And then when the others came, kill the young one to spark their anger, and lastly kill the humans off when they were fully committed.
What am I going to do? He kept asking himself that question and Pat was not answering. He thought that Pat had somehow gotten himself hurt and was unconscious. But he could somehow sense that his partner was alive and fighting hard like his teammates. Teammates?
He still had a message to deliver. It was important, too, he knew. If things got out of hand, they would have to run and if Marcus did not deliver that message someone would be left behind. Now where were those two? According to what he knew, he was getting near the front entrance. He began calling for them, hoping that somewhere in the confusion they would hear him.
“Mickey!” He was pretty sure that that was the kid’s name. Marcus had not paid that much attention. He was wishing he had now. And what was the Digimon’s name? If he called to them by Garth’s species, he would get dozens of Garurumon looking at him, and none of them could be the one he was looking for. “Garry?” It was more a question of what name could start with a “g.”
“Where are you two and why couldn’t you just be in the hanger!” He shouted. Why could they not just be right in front of—“Oof!” Something bumped him roughly, knocking him to the floor. “Argh! Get out of they—Hey! It’s you!”
“Marcus?” Garth asked incredulously. “What are you doing here? Where’s Patrick?” This was wholly unexpected. He should have been with the air units outside. In fact, he should have been merged with Pat at that moment. “What are you doing?”
“I came to find you two. If things get insane, we’re leaving.” Whew! He had found them. Now it was time to find Mitch and Mason. Those two were certain to be together, even if Mason was locked up for some reason. That Leomon had a temper. “Do you know where Mason and Mitch are?”
“West hanger,” Garth told him, still wondering why Patrick had not come. “Why are you alone?” he asked.
“They need Pat outside. So I came alone.” Marcus had already begun to turn around. He needed to hurry if he was to find them before the ground assembly was made active. He paused, though. Something was nagging at him. Conscious maybe? “By the way,” he said, facing Garth again, “Good job earlier today.”
He left quickly, ducking between a pair of Ogremon who were carrying something unidentifiable. Where was the west hanger? He had been in the southern, so logically it would be to the right of where he was. Logic was never his strongpoint though. It was reasonable for an assumption. Marcus went left, beginning to shout for either of the two Digimon. He did not get very far, however, before something started shaking the city.
Marcus was unable to walk due to the shaking and deafening booms. He supposed the enemy must have started bombing with their own flyers or artillery. Come to think of it, he had not seen any flyers though. It must have been artillery. And in any case, it was preventing him from doing his job. He staggered back onto his feet again after an especially near explosion and began going west again.
The lights were flickering by now as well. Momentary periods of darkness added to the pandemonium and disarray. During those moments Marcus would be pounded against walls by stray tails or wings or by people who did not know he was there. Still he continued to the hanger, calling out the names of his quarry.
The chief air dragon had already explained this to his subordinates and told them to make it so. Those humans had caused his city quite a bit of trouble. They were going to have to keep their end of the bargain if they expected the city to help them again. He hoped they would. Maybe one of them would evolve again. He doubted it.
Here’s our chance, Garth thought excitedly. Are you ready, Michael?
Uh huh. He was ready as he could be. He was still tired, but could manage. And fear was not getting in his way. After Marcus had told him he had done a good job, it was like a caffeine pill for his confidence. Michael had asked for Garth to teach him a little bit of fighting styles. I can do it, he said. I can do it!
Garth smiled. His young human was becoming more verbose as well as more courageous. Michael was a quick learner too. They had gone aside into a small, unused shaft and gone through a short training session. Garth did not fancy himself as a good fighter, but he knew the basics and taught Michael what he could. To Garth’s surprise, he had become quite good at it in only a few minutes. He had the basics down pact and even combined some of the basic moves for more effect.
You can do it, Garth told him. It was time to move out to the surface. The shaking was becoming worse now and was impeding even some of the larger breeds of Digimon now. Garth kept their balance though and only hit the wall a few times during their march, which was a short one.
It was quite cold out that night and it made Garth thankful for a fur coat. But it was quiet as well. Over the dune-swept horizon, they could discern the chariot of ForceWarGreymon detaching from the rest of the main bulk with a handful of fighters. Garth could only come to one conclusion and Michael was on the bounce with his thinking. The monster was coming after them.
“Mason!” He heard his name from somewhere. “MASON!” It was louder. Mason turned to the left, then the right, and found nothing on either side of him. It sounded like it was Marcus calling. But in this cacophony, who could tell? He was a Leomon, though. Mistakes like that did not come easily. “Mason! Are you deaf!”
“Youch!” Something had yanked his tail and nearly pulled it off. He turned around snarling, finding Marcus looking up at him with a wad of fur in his hands. “Why you little—”
“Calm down!” Mitch had not heard anything until Mason’s painful yelp. “You weren’t paying attention and he needed to get you to listen somehow, so don’t get all worked up abut it.”
“Neither were you!”
“Will you shut up already! The others sent me to tell you that if things got bad we’d be leaving.” Marcus blurted it out, exasperated by the shuffling, shaking, bumping, bruising, and painful whelps appearing on his body. “And I heard on the way down here that you guys are moving out. And the flyers are being sent out again.”
“What for,” Mitch asked, surprised that the flyer’s had even landed at all.
“Stop the bombings, duh!” Marcus sighed. This whole ordeal was taking too much time. The flyers had landed and that meant that he had to get back to the other hanger as soon as humanly possible. Marcus dispatched himself as the ground units marched out into the open night.
“You there!” Someone called. The human halted, turning to the voice of an overly massive Monochromon. “Yes, you! Where are you going?” The beast was stomping towards him, fully intent on carrying him out the hanger doors.
“I was sent to deliver a message,” Marcus replied hastily. “I’m with the flyers, not you guys!” That was only a half-lie. He was not actually sent. “I can’t go out there, either. I’m human, I’ll be killed!”
“You’re deserting, aren’t you?” The Monochromon had stopped a foot short of Marcus and was now breathing in his face. The boy had no knowledge of how to read the body language of a Digimon, but was fairly sure that it was angry with him. “On my back, you,” it ordered. “You may be human, I don’t know. But you’ll fight like one of us.”
Marcus found himself being picked up by his shirt collar and hefted onto the monster’s back. He fought and kicked at him, but was not allowed off as the Digimon started charging out into the battle with Marcus virtually tied to his back. The hanger bay closed behind him with a creaking grate, sealing him out.
I’m gonna die, Marcus thought, trembling. I’m gonna die out here… He held on to the Monochromon’s rough exterior until he was allowed off, all but inches from an enemy soldier. Marcus stared at the gaunt form in front of him, just waiting for it to attack. He could hear the artillery in the background, booming away at irregular intervals. The soldier raised a fist in the air, preparing to crush Marcus. I don’t pray, I don’t do church. But if there’s a god, help me.
“Critical Punch!” Marcus ducked, futilely trying to avoid a blow that never came. Subconsciously, his eyes closed. When he opened them again, he found the last fragments of the enemy fading away and Patrick glaring at him through the faint mist. “I swore to myself and to you that I wasn’t gonna let you get yourself killed.”
FLASH!
As him and Pat merged into their Ultimate form, it seemed to Marcus that he could almost hear a choir singing in the back of his mind. Pat, he muttered, I think I’m ready to talk now. The human breathed heavily in the evening air through his partner’s body. Relief washed over him as he realized he was safe again. Pat must have been looking for him this entire time. They lifted off, spreading their wings out for a bombing run on the artillery mounts.
They were both rapidly depleting their energy reserves trying to elude claws and energy spheres that were being deployed by ForceWarGreymon. There had not been any chance to land a hit of their own without opening themselves to attack. Garth understood that no matter what they did, unless they digivolved they would fall to him. He wouldn’t let Michael fall into his hands.
“Just give up the human,” the WarGreymon told them harshly. “I have no intention of harming him unless I am attacked.” Momentarily he had paused his attack, giving the two an opportunity. Michael took it himself and let loose a Howling Blaster aimed at the only bare patch of scales that he could find. “Do you honestly think an ice-sickle is going to hurt me?”
He was right about that. Only a small frost built up around his neck. And that was easily shaken off. “We don’t care!” Michael declared. “You took our friends!” Michael let off a second Howling Blaster. It too did nothing to the monstrosity.
Back off, Michael. We’re getting too close to him! Their muzzle was only inches away from their foe, too close to dodge the next attack. A quick stroke with his left claw and Michael was sent flying with Garth about ten feet. They landed with a sharp bark on their side, vulnerable to a follow up that was taken advantage of shortly after.
“Terra Crush!” An immense orb of scarlet light was thrown at them with deadly aim. Garth tried to take control. He had learned to shield Michael from what pain he could, but it was too much this time. The attack did not subside. “Pain, young human! Embrace it, fore that is what you will know for many years until the death of your friends!”
Michael did not know the pain. Garth had gone unconscious and inadvertently dissociated himself from Michael, who was now huddling behind him. There was not even any heat coming from the crimson inferno. It was all light; life sucking light meant to kill whatever it touched.
Finally, ForceWarGreymon ceased his attack. Garth did not move, or attempt to move. Only laborious, shallow breaths showed that he had any life at all in his body. Michael hid close to his partner’s body, trying to remain hidden. Whatever cries he might have wanted to cry, he stifled them before they had a chance to escape his mouth.
“Human…” ForceWarGreymon was inspecting the front of Garth’s body. He would soon move around to the back and discover Michael. He wanted him alive, though the child did not know it. “Human, I know you are alive. I would not kill something so valuable.”
Garth… Michael wanted to weep. He buried his head in Garth’s fur, still trying to not shed tears. Garth! Wake up! Wake up! Images of his mother lying in a pool of her own blood came flooding back into his memories. That horrible man who killed her was standing over the body calling to Michael like ForceWarGreymon was doing now. Garth? He’s gonna get us! Wake up!
The boy was scared. He was angry. He wanted to run away like he always did. But he couldn’t leave Garth to die. Michael knew he would die too if he did nothing. But what was he to do? He was only a kid. Garth only taught him the very basics of fighting and that was with a Digimon form like his partner’s. He could not do a thing as a human and it was painful to think about.
But he had to do something! He loved Garth. He was like a brother to Michael. He had never had a brother, but he knew that he had to help a brother. He had to protect Garth like Garth had shielded him. Michael stood, facing ForceWarGreymon with an expression of determination.
“Ah,” the dictator said. “There you are. I was wondering why you hadn’t answered me yet, human. Now you will come with me or I will be—” The next few words were muffled due to the rock that dented his helmet. “That was not very polite, human.”
Michael threw another stone at him. It hit his head again, this time in a bare patch on the jaw. “I won’t go with you! You’re a bad person.” He dived under the legs of his opponent just as a claw came down where he was standing. A thin tail dangled in front of Michael and he pulled it hard. “A bad person!” he screamed again.
“AHHRGH! You little mutt!” He turned to find nothing but a few footprints in the sand. ForceWarGreymon shouted again as his tail was wrench even harder a second time. “When I get my claws on you…” He started a string of curse words that Michael had only heard once or twice in his life. “Screw baiting your friends. I’ll kill them one at a time starting with you! TERRA CRUSH!”
Michael avoided it, just scarcely missing a row of jagged stones jutting up from the dusty desert ground. He picked one of them up and threw it, almost catching the dark dragon in the eye. Michael sidestepped a claw attack.
How could this child be so quick? The chase was beginning to get to ForceWarGreymon. This human had avoided every attack thrown at him and showed no signs of tiring. And my tail! That wretch is going to get it! “Feral Claw!” He missed the human again.
The boy was running circles around him in dizzying succession. He tried to trip Michael, succeeding in only making him stumble a bit. He just kept zipping between ForceWarGreymon’s legs and getting behind him to yank his tail again. “Slow down, human! I just want to play with you…”
“You hurt my friends and you’re just like the man who killed mom!” His tail was twisted again and he had to suppress a painful shriek. “I won’t let you hurt me or anyone else!” Michael blared once more. “I won’t let you! I won’t!”
Michael was breathing heavily now and starting to slow down. Constantly, he thought of Garth just laying prone in the dirt. He could not stop. He had to keep ForceWarGreymon occupied. He had to keep Garth safe. Michael no longer cared if he cried or not. He shouted and screamed and screeched at the evil that was trying to get him. Only anger and fear kept his legs from giving out.
Garth! “Please wake up!” He sobbed, running to the left of the claws and then to the right from the Terra Crush. “Wake up Garth! Please! I kneed you!” He could not keep going forever. But he couldn’t hide anywhere or abandon his partner. His knees and hands were bleeding from all the falls he had taken. The child’s head hurt from all the crying and shouting. He kept pleading to Garth to wake up.
This was the only time in ForceWarGreymon’s lifetime that anyone had ever evaded him for so long. And making him even more infuriated was that it was a human child less than ten years old! Not only was not catching his dinner, but he was being humiliated in the process. He reached once more for the boy, catching him hard and squeezing.
“You, human,” he said, snarling like a mad dog, “you are going to be my dinner tonight! And I am going to make you hurt like you’ve never hurt before!” He continued to squeeze, concentrating on only Michael. The boy was gasping for breath, straining to cling to his life. “Any last words, human?”
Michael barely heard him over the thoughts crowding his head. He was apologizing to Garth and to the others for letting them down. He was crying for his mother and remembering her praying over him. He was remembering how his mother cradled him when he came home crying and how Garth had done something very similar when they first merged. And now he was seeing Garth up and walking, stalking around behind ForceWarGreymon as silent as a cat.
“Well human? Speak now or do not speak at all!” Michael cried out from the pain that was being induced. “You cannot repress your agony forever, human…”
“Garth!” Michael cried. “Help me!”
“AAAHHHHHHHRGH!” ForceWarGreymon was howling in pain. His poor tail got it again and now was missing a fair sized chunk. He dropped Michael in the torture he faced, not even noticing that his query was gone. His screaming increased anew as a lighting quick slash shredded what was left of his tail. ForceWarGreymon was bleeding profusely.
Michael had dashed around the bleeding monster again and embraced his partner, crying liberally into Garth’s mane. “Michael!” Garth muttered, finding his snout embedded in the human’s shoulder. The needed to merge again. “On my back, Mike,” he commanded. Michael complied gladly and then melted into the Garurumon with a blast of light.
Can you still fight, Garth asked.
Yeah! Lets get ‘em! Michael felt a renewing of his spirit and strength. Garth felt it too. Both of them felt the night. They felt a slight breeze and heard ForceWarGreymon preparing to attack again. Garth did not move. Time slowed for them, the moonlight pounded against their skin, the cold night embraced them.
Michael, I’m proud of you. The voice was almost invisible between his and Garth’s meditations. The sand was grainy and cool beneath their paws. Faintly, they heard the sound of the Terra Crush coming at them. Their eyes opened.
“Garuru Kick!” Garth swept the feet from under their foe, who fell like a ton of bricks. They were taller than he was now, on two legs. “Michael is right, you’re an evil being.” Their strength had increased ten fold. Reflexes had become quicker. But still both of them knew that they could not fight ForceWarGreymon.
He had had enough anyway. The WarGreymon was loosing a lot of blood and could not fight in that condition. His anger had been subdued long enough for him to realize that. He pulled himself to his feet, dusting off his armor, now slightly bloodstained. “I’ll be back for you, human,” he said before jumping on his chariot and driving away. He crested the dunes where his army was supposed to be to find piles of destroyed artillery and other units being towed away.
My cannons! The small military force of his had been decimated and blown to smithereens by the defending city. And all those Digimon below were sure to outnumber him and destroy him if he engaged. Especially in his current condition, he couldn’t fight even an ultimate. That WereGarurumon had overestimated him. Hastily, ForceWarGreymon sneaked around into the night and back to his dominion.
Those children will not defeat me again, he growled mentally. The losses he sustained had only been a small fraction of a vast army, but it showed clearly the capacity of those children to destroy him. They were as big a threat as the prophecy had predicted. Next time he would have to plan his battle more carefully, and expect the unexpected.
Tonight he was disconcerted by the fact that the village had two extra entrances that he had not seen. They had had more troops than he expected as well. And the tactical mastermind behind the village was even worthy to be commended by his standards. This beating he took was going to be reflected upon exceedingly painstakingly. ForceWarGreymon would not soon forget it.
Angrily, he turned his thoughts to other things. His tail needed repair work done on it and he still hungered for meat. Tail first, he decided. Then I’ll pick a servant to cook for me. He laughed sadistically as he sped into the night.
:
:
:
:
