[tri OOM] Takeru does his whole angel knight thing

[angry_friendship_wolf]

Takeru feels like he’s going to throw up.

He feels disconnected from himself somehow. Like he’s piloting his body from inside without really being a part of it. He can feel the nausea, hear his heart thumping, see what’s going on with crystal clarity, but he’s a layer removed from it all.

The Mystery Man knows exactly what he’s doing, he realises. Take away his brother, dash his hopes in Warudamon, bring the Infection straight to him in a way he can’t ignore, and then, for the final touch, bring back Devimon.

Seven years and Takeru still remembers Angemon burning a hole through Devimon, expending all of his life doing so, and then dying in front of him. His first kill, and the first time he lost his partner. “We’ll see each other again, if you wish for it.”

“What’s wrong?” The Mystery Man says. A shift of static, and he’s taken the shape of Takeru’s brother, a grim smile tugging at his lips. “You don’t look so good, kiddo.”

Togemon lunges at X-Lilithmon, only to be batted aside. Kabuterimon grabs Devimon to wrestle him down, but a blast of shadow sends him careening back into a building. Shurimon pulls the shuriken from his back but never gets a chance to throw it before he’s slammed into the ground by a burst of violet energy.

“Don’t pay any attention to him!” Patamon says, still straining in Takeru’s arms. “Focus on me.”

“You could stop this, if you wanted to,” the Mystery Man says, stepping closer. “If your Crest won’t work, then why not force its hand? Let all that resentment and spite and rage come pouring out of you. Blacken it, and we’ll see what kind of monster Patamon becomes.”

“I won’t -- …” Takeru starts.

“Why not? Either you do, and everyone is saved, or you don’t, and everyone dies,” the Mystery Man says. “And then I’ll take what’s left of you and show it to your brother, and he’ll blacken his own Crest trying to get at me. Either way, my little experiment runs uninterrupted.”

Takeru opens his mouth to say something, but words won’t come out. He’s distantly aware that he’s breathing fast, his chest burning as he tries to fill his lungs with air. The Mystery Man gives a soft chuckle.

“Well, it’s up to you. I’m going to start picking off your friends, though. Tell me when you’re ready to play along.”


---


Yamato opens his eyes.

He’s slumped in a chair at one end of a circular room, the roof far too high for him to see. This must be the tower he’d seen, then. The place where Daisuke’s being held -- and sure enough, as he turns his head to the other side of the room, he sees a tank just like the one that was holding Miyako and Hawkmon, with Daisuke and V-Mon floating sedately within.

Something moves behind him. Wood scraping on metal. Scuttling. A sweet smell hits his nose just as he whistles the first bars of a song, summoning Cisco’s stungun to his hand and angling it back over his head to fire a quick shot.

It’s only when he looks back that he realises just how close Jureimon was. It’s paralysed in place for now, but a few more steps and it would have been right on top of him.

“Sorry,” he says, patting Jureimon’s arm. “I’m not going to fall for the same trick twice.”

That jolt of electricity isn’t going to hold Jureimon forever, though. He crosses to the tank, settling at the console and starting work. It’s easier to free Daisuke than it was Miyako -- Koushiro’s had time to prepare programs to ease the process along, and Yamato’s fairly proficient at using them.

When the tank opens, spilling liquid out onto the floor, Yamato is there to grab Daisuke and V-Mon as they fall, hoisting the younger boy up into at least a sort of standing position.

Daisuke blinks blearily at him. “... Yamato-senpai? Wuddayudoonghere?”

“Long story. Let’s just say I’m rescuing you,” Yamato replies.

V-Mon’s eyes are fluttering open too now, although he seems almost as groggy as Daisuke.

“Is Taichi-senpai he -- … ?”

“No. C’mon, we need to move. Can you walk?”

“Yeah, yeah, I …” Daisuke opens his mouth and yawns loudly, adjusting his feet so that he’s leaning against Yamato, one arm curled around V-Mon, instead of slumped against him. “I think so. Is that an evil tree?”

“Focus, Daisuke, I am begging you.”

“Why is there an evil tree here?” V-Mon asks.

Yamato shuts his eyes, just for a moment. For Daisuke and V-Mon, this isn’t too bad, but … god, he’d forgotten what they could be like.

Jureimon picks that moment to start moving again, one limb creaking towards them as he shakes off his paralysis. Of course he does. Yamato supposes he shouldn’t be surprised -- Jureimon’s far from the strongest or sturdiest Digimon of his level, but he is still a Perfect-level.

“Daisuke! The evil tree is angry!” V-Mon says sharply.

“Yamato-senpai! The evil tree is angry!” Daisuke adds, his entire demeanour switching from ‘curious’ to ‘panicked’ in a split second. “Do something!”

Yamato growls, raising the stungun again. This time, the pulse of electricity is batted aside by a sweep of Jureimon’s cane.

“Do something else!” Daisuke insists, squeezing Yamato’s shoulder hard enough to bruise. “That just made it angrier!”

“I don’t have my powers or Gabumon,” Yamato snaps. “Can you run?”

“I can barely walk.”

“Fine,” Yamato grinds out, as Jureimon creaks towards them, slow but getting faster with every step. “Can you fight?”

“I -- V-Mon, can we fight?” Daisuke asks, glancing down at his Digimon.

“I think so?”

“Great! Cool! Cool. Great!” Daisuke says, crouching (and dragging Yamato nearly off his feet as he does) to set V-Mon down. The Digimon wobbles a little, but keeps his footing as Daisuke rises again. “Let’s do this.”

Yamato’s about to open his mouth to suggest Fladramon, make the obvious point that fire would work best for dealing with a tree Digimon, but Daisuke’s already summoning one of his Digimentals, and it isn’t the Digimental of Courage.

“This is overkill,” Yamato says flatly, as the golden, shimmering object takes shape in Daisuke’s hand.

“You’re overkill! V-Mon!”

Yamato actually has to shield his eyes as the Digimental of Miracles activates, releasing a wave of energy that engulfs V-Mon.

“V-Mon, armor evolution! The Radiance of Miracles, Magnamon!”

“This is really overkill.”

Magnamon holds out his arms, golden armour blazing with light, before stretching out both claws in front of himself. “My most powerful technique! Hidden Art: Super Maximum …”

“You don’t need to do this.”

“... Ultra Annihilation Quasar Big Bang Force …”

“Literally why.”

“... Shining Gold Solar Storm!”

The beam of light doesn’t just destroy Jureimon, Yamato’s pretty sure it atomises him, and the wall behind him, and a line of forest past him, before shooting over the town and towards the horizon.

Daisuke cheers loudly as Magnamon shrinks back to V-Mon. Yamato just … stares. Blinks slowly. Stares some more.

“You okay, buddy?” Daisuke chirps.

“... Let’s just … let’s just go, Daisuke.”

“Cool! I call myself Dai-chan now!”

“Cool! I will never call you that.”

Yamato isn’t sure where the door to this tower was, but it’s not like that even matters now, when an entire side of it (right up to the ceiling, as far as he can tell) has just been vaporised. He leads Daisuke out through the gap, going slowly to keep the boy from falling over.

“Dude,” Daisuke says as they get out. “What’s up with the town?”

Yamato feels a spike of panic as he turns his gaze down towards the town. There are fires here and there, not extensive but starkly visible nonetheless, but that’s definitely not what Daisuke means. What he means is the miasma of violet and red energy swirling above the town plaza, surrounding some kind of Digimon.

“Nothing good. V-Mon, do you have another evolution in you?” Yamato asks.

“I can do this alllllll day,” V-Mon chirps.

Daisuke apparently takes this as his cue -- aw, Yamato doesn’t need to spell out all his instructions in exacting detail now, the kid is learning -- to hold out his hand, summoning the Digimental of Friendship to it in a flash of blue.

V-Mon takes a step forward as blue light gathers around him, shaping itself into the vague forms of Garurumon, then WereGarurumon, then MetalGarurumon, before it collapses in on him. Yamato feels the sharp tug of power as Daisuke links up with him and forcibly tugs out his energy to fuel the evolution. It’s never exactly enjoyable, but Yamato’s used to it.

“V-Mon, armor evolution! Thundering Friendship, Lighdramon!”

Daisuke uncurls his arm from Yamato, taking a few shaky steps towards Lighdramon, with Yamato shuffling along after him, hands out to catch him if he falls. The boy seems to be able to hold himself up under his steam now, though, at least for long enough to climb onto Lighdramon’s back. Yamato clambers on behind him, gripping the back of his jacket to keep himself steady.

Then they’re off, bounding down the hill towards the town. Yamato should be panicking, he knows he should be, he can feel the edge of absolute terror for his brother and his friends gnawing at the edge of his thoughts -- but he’s in combat mode now, and any other emotions he might have feel deadened.

Lighdramon is fast, at least, as quick and agile as Garurumon, darting down the hillside so fast that the trees and grass (and charred, smoking strip of ground) are blurs. Yamato can see the Digimon battling more clearly now, enough so that his wrist computer gives a chirp, opening its Analyzer app.

“X-Lilithmon, Ultimate Level Virus-attribute Demon Lord Digimon.
A Demon Lord Digimon who confounds with its array of bewitchments. Its right arm corrodes anything it touches, rotting its opponents’ bodies such that they suffer even in death.

Devimon, Adult Level Virus-attribute Fallen Angel Digimon.
A Fallen Angel Digimon clad in black cloth. Although it was originally a shining Angemon-species Digimon, it has become a demon with a cunning and fiendish personality.”

Yamato swears under his breath. Of course the Mystery Man would use Devimon, of course he would, he has to know what seeing Devimon does to Takeru.

Gabumon, Togemon, Kabuterimon, and Shurimon were sprawled out over the ground, with Devimon hovering above them, and Takeru was shaking, nearly crying, with one arm curled around Patamon and one hand clutching his digivice.

Yamato wonders if he’s got his powers back at first. Then he sees the Mystery Man nearby, grinning wildly, and the black leeching into Takeru’s digivice, and -- …

He’s blackening his Crest. The mental image of Taichi’s Crest turning pitch black, of Greymon’s flesh sloughing away to reveal SkullGreymon, how it had ripped apart its opponent and turned its attention immediately to ripping apart its friends, come rising up like they were just yesterday.

He practically flings himself off Lighdramon’s back, hitting the ground running (as he feels pain shoot up his legs, it occurs to him that as soon as he slips out of battle mode, he’s going to be in for a world of aching), closing the distance between himself and Takeru.

One arm curls around Takeru’s shoulder, dragging him into a hug. The other snatches his wrist, squeezing until the boy’s fingers start to go weak and he drops the digivice.

Takeru seems shocked to even see him there, just staring at the ground, shoulders quivering. Yamato eases up his grip on the boy’s wrist, hugs him a little tighter. He wishes he could hold his brother even tighter, but with the boy clutching Patamon in his arms like that, Yamato doesn’t want to suffocate the poor Digimon.

“Taking pages from Taichi’s playbook now, kid? I’m almost hurt,” he murmurs. Takeru doesn’t say anything, just gives a muffled sob against Yamato’s chest. “Hey, it’s okay. It’s okay, kid. Everything’s going to be okay.”

“Warudamon, she -- …” Takeru trails off into a choked noise.

Yamato turns a sideward glance over at X-Lilithmon, floating high above the town. He guesses he knows where it came from now.

“Yeah, I know. I was going to tell you, she -- …” Yamato sighs, setting his chin against the top of Takeru’s head. “I know it’s not what you wanted. Things must feel pretty hopeless right now, huh?”

Takeru doesn’t say anything. Yamato knows him well enough to know that’s a ‘yes.’

“She never gave up. Even knowing things might end like this, she did everything she could,” he says softly. “And Patamon did the same thing, right? He didn’t give up, even for a second.”

“I can’t do it all over again,” Takeru says. “I can’t lose Patamon again. But I don’t -- how are we even meant to stop this? I can’t see any way through.”

Yamato grimaces. “I wish I could tell you that we’ll definitely cure the Infection, and everything will definitely turn out okay, but I can’t. That just wouldn’t be true. But we’re going to try. If there isn’t light at the end of the tunnel, we’ll just keep digging our way through until there is.”

Takeru gives a humourless chuckle against his chest. “And if we fail?”

“Then we’ll pick up the pieces and keep going. You’re the strongest person I know, Takeru, no question about it,” Yamato smiles. “Patamon thought so, too. And we’ll all be there to help you up.”

Takeru is quiet for a moment. Then, slowly, he gives another sob against Yamato’s chest, before bawling outright, tears flowing thick and fast as he wails into Yamato’s chest. Yamato lets go of his wrist entirely, settling his arm around his brother’s shoulders.

“That’s right, let it all out, kid,” he says.

He’s not expecting Mimi to sprint over and throw her arms around them as well, then Daisuke from the other side, then Miyako, and then -- with a slightly nervous demeanour -- Koushiro.

“You should’ve done this before! We could have cried together,” Mimi says -- cheerfully enough, but Yamato can hear her crying too.

“Honestly, you guys are going to make me tear up too,” Miyako adds. “I’m fine, though! It’s cool! I’m fine.”

“I … I really don’t know what’s going on,” Daisuke says. “And the old Daisuke would be teasing you, but Dai-chan is a mature, emotionally sensitive guy. Because that’s cool.”

“I’m never going to call you that,” Takeru laughs.

“Takeru?” Patamon asks.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m -- …”

“How sweet,” the Mystery Man says. With a derisive noise, he gestures up to Devimon. “Now that you’re done having your touching emotional moment, though, I am actually going to murder all of you. Devimon, kill them.”

They scatter, but Devimon is quicker, raking a blast of shadow across the ground towards them. It’s just about to hit when Yamato hears the beating of butterfly wings, and the hum of a Crest activating.

Not his. There’s no cold air or suddenly appearing moon. Instead, golden light bursts out of Takeru’s chest, expanding out into a dome of light around them, pushing back Devimon’s blast before dissipating it altogether.

The Mystery Man’s smug little smile dims, even if only a little. As the dome collapses into glowing feathers, Takeru glances down at his chest, where his Crest pendant is glowing faintly, giving off a pulsating yellow aura.

“Takeru-kun …” Koushiro says quietly. “Your Crest …”

“I’m so sick of you ruining everything you touch,” Takeru snarls, hunching his shoulders and stepping forward. He lets go of Patamon, who flutters up next to him, glowing faintly now, as he bends and plucks his digivice from the ground. “Stop standing there with that damn smirk on your face!”

The bars on his digivice fill up all at once. Light explodes out of him, spiraling into Patamon as the tiny Digimon rises up, wings growing vast and feathered.

“Patamon, evolution! Angemon.”

Across the plaza, Gabumon, Togemon, Kabuterimon, and Shurimon struggle to their feet. Lighdramon bounds up to them, prancing around them like an excitable puppy. Devimon pulls back, moving to hover near the Mystery Man, as X-Lilithmon’s attention swings towards Angemon.

“Aw, man, I wish Magnamon wasn’t on recharge,” Daisuke grouses.

“Whose fault is that?” Yamato replies. He grumbles, rubbing a hand across the back of his neck. “Koushiro, Mimi, Daisuke, Miyako, the five of us will deal with Devimon. Takeru, can I leave X-Lilithmon to you?”

Takeru gives him an uncertain look. It’s not a fair order for him to give, Yamato knows that, not when Takeru must still be devastated over what’s happened to Warudamon -- but she’s a Demon Lord Digimon, and Takeru and Angemon have a type advantage that none of the rest of them do.

“Yeah,” Takeru says eventually. “You can count on me. It’s … it’s what she wanted, right? She wouldn’t want to be … that thing.”

“Right,” Yamato says, giving him a faint smile. He steels himself, turning to the rest of them. “You have your orders. Let’s finish this.”


---


“Koushiro, Mimi, Hammerhead Maneuver,” Yamato barks.

Kabuterimon slams into Devimon, driving him back towards the edge of town, and Togemon is quick to follow up, sprinting in close to drive one boxing-glove-clad cactus arm up into his stomach.

Devimon spins up into the air, stretching his wings out to catch himself and thrusting one claw out.

“Miyako, Daisuke,” Yamato calls, flicking his hand. “Tarantine Maneuver.”

With a roar, Devimon fires off a blast of shadow. Shurimon darts in front of it, pulling the massive shuriken off his back to use as a shield, letting the beam land against it and push him back. Lighdramon, with Gabumon clinging to his back, leaps over his head, horn crackling with electricity. The blast of lightning hits Devimon’s chest with a smell like burning leather, sending him flying back into the town wall, just in time for Gabumon to breathe fire over him.

“Mimi, Miyako, pin him there,” Yamato says.

A storm of needles and shuriken skewer Devimon by his arms of legs, fastening him to the wall. Yamato peels back his lips into a grin.

Devimon groans, trying to pull himself free of the wall, dragging chunks of masonry out as he pulls himself forward. It doesn’t matter. With a little time, he could get free and go on the offensive again, but Yamato has no intention of giving him that time.

“Finish him off.”

Moving as one, the five Digimon start charging their attacks. Devimon gives another roar, dragging one arm free, then struggles with the other, hauling it away from the wall inch by inch. Not fast enough.

“Petit Fire!”
“Mega Blaster!”
“Chiku-Chiku Bang Bang!”
“Blue Lightning!”
“Momiji Oroshi!”

Five attacks converge on Devimon’s chest, then tear straight through and into the wall behind him. With a low, echoing scream, Devimon flickers, then shatters into blocks of data, dissolving away as his scream fades.

One down, one to go. Yamato turns towards where Angemon and X-Lilithmon are weaving about each other, climbing higher and higher into the air as they spiral around. Angemon’s staff swings out, catching X-Lilithmon across her claw; she sends out a tendril of shadow that just barely misses Angemon’s leg; a blast of light from Angemon’s hand sends her flying backwards, but doesn’t do any damage.

Takeru takes a deep breath, as the light from his Crest pendant grows brighter, spilling out around him and refracting into rainbows as it hits the air. His digivice changes colour, turning from grey-blue to glowing yellow.

“Angemon, super evolution,” Angemon calls, as his body burns with light. Two extra wings unfurl from his back, as armour materialises around him, clamping onto his arms and face. Two yellow ribbons encircle his chest to trail out behind hi,. “HolyAngemon.”

A sword of pink light slides out from his wrist, sweeping across to catch X-Lilithmon across the face, leaving a glowing line over her features.

“How cruel,” the Mystery Man says airily. “You’re hurting your own allies, you know, Takeru-chan.”

“Be quiet,” Takeru hisses.

“You -- …”

“I said be quiet,” Takeru snaps. His blue eyes suddenly burn yellow, his entire body exuding light. Yamato feels a wave of gentle warmth hit his face, as glowing feathers start to swirl around the boy.

“HolyAngemon, ultimate evolution,” HolyAngemon says, spreading his hands out. Two more wings stretch out behind him, before all of them turn from white to gold, shining and metallic. Blue and gold armour clamps onto him -- arms, then legs, then his chest, and finally a helmet. The Crest of Hope appears across his stomach in a flash of fire. “Seraphimon.”

Yamato’s never seen that Digimon before. His Analyzer app activates, chirping at him.

“Seraphimon, Ultimate-Level Vaccine-attribute Seraph Digimon.
A Seraph Digimon that is dressed in holy armor that shines silver, and possesses ten golden wings. As the highest-ranked being among Angel Digimon, it rules over them all. Although its true face and personality is hidden behind a mask and cannot be glimpsed, it is the being closest to the divine.”

The Mystery Man’s smile fades entirely. “Time for me to take my leave,” he murmurs, snapping his fingers. A distortion opens next to him. “Until next time.”

Yamato lunges for him, but he darts into the distortion, shutting it before Yamato can reach him.

X-Lilithmon gives an unearthly shriek, stretching her hand out in front of her, energy gathering in her palm. “Seventh Fascinate.”

Seraphimon seems unconcerned, stretching out all ten of his wings, drawing light in towards them. One by one, seven bright points of light gather in front of him. “Strike of the Seven Stars.”

The two blasts land against each other, darkness and light, shoving against each other for a fraction of a second before light pushes through, scattering the darkness and engulfing X-Lilithmon.

As it fades, Yamato sees her drop towards the ground, slowly shrinking back into Warudamon. He sprints over, catching her before she can smack straight into the ground, and slowly setting her down on the flagstones.

“Ah,” Warudamon says quietly, staring straight up at the sky. Yamato doesn’t think she can see anything, if her blank gaze is anything to go by. “Not how I wanted to go out, but I suppose this will do.”

Takeru hurries over, crouching at her other side, reaching forward to grab one of her hands. He doesn’t say anything, just squeezes it, as Seraphimon shrinks back down to Patamon and lands atop his head. Gabumon pads up behind Yamato, sliding an arm around his shoulders.

“How strange,” Warudamon says, turning her head towards Takeru. “It feels like it’s been an eternity for me, but for all of you … new faces, new names, and you’ve barely changed at all.”

“Get some rest,” Yamato says softly. “Whatever task you were given, you’ve fulfilled it and then some. You’ve done enough. So rest for now, and when you’re reborn -- let’s meet again, okay?”

Warudamon chuckles. “A new me. What a strange thought that is,” she says. “Still, I don’t hate it.”

Then she’s gone, dissolving into cubes of data and drifting away, back towards File Island and the Village of Beginnings.