Digimon Adventure Chronicles II: Secrets Revealed

...chapter NINE ~ In the Guise of an Angel

Daisuke was sprawled on a bench half sleeping already, despite having just re-entered the lobby of the mall. Takeru was pacing back and forth. As soon as Hikari opened the door to the building his trance was broken. She smiled at them as the group behind her shuffled in. The digimon that had been huddled in a circle in front of a large fountain looked up as well.

“Are you alright?” Takeru asked with worry.

“I'm fine.” Hikari replied, finally reaching him. “Didn't Gomamon tell you?”

“He told me,” Takeru said, “But that doesn't mean I believe it.”

“Well it's true.” Jyou said, watching Gomamon approach having heard his name. “He's human, and there's nothing we can do to him. Err...well let me rephrase that. Morally, we shouldn't harm him, not that that hasn't happened already.”

Takeru looked past them at the figure in Ken's arms he had never seen before.

“Who's that?” He asked.

“Who indeed.” Koushiro said.

“You mean...” Takeru muttered with surprise. “Thats...”

“That's him.” Mimi said, a sympathetic look on her face. “Apparently, Tai didn't get the full message and had Agumon and Gatomon attack him.

Takeru eyed the wounds on the man's face and winced slightly. “That wouldn't still be there if he was a digimon would it...”

“There's no way it would be.” She said, watching him as well to be sure he wasn't interfering with it.

“Guys?” Gomamon asked quietly.

“Yes, Gomamon?” Hikari addressed him.

“Me and the other digimon have been talking about what to do...about Myotismon. Angemon would like to talk to him.”

“Angemon?” Hikari asked curiously.

“Yeah. Hes been staying in the form a lot lately.” Takeru said, looking towards the angel. “I'm not sure how or why... He's never held a level above Patamon before... Actually, only Gatomon has I believe. It's odd, but it fits with the season..”

“I suppose so.” Hikari agreed. “But why does he want to talk to him?”

“Well...” Gomamon started. “He wants to propose a deal. Basically a 'we help him, he helps us' sort of thing.”

Hikari blinked at him. “Do the rest of us know about that?”

“It doesn't matter.” He said. “If it involves the safety of our partners then we've agreed that we're taking action.”

“That's rather bold of you.” Jyou said, surprised at the new attitude Gomamon was showing.

“Yeah....” Gomamon said quietly, “But like I said, whoever did that is going to be very powerful. Myotismon was a strong digimon, and look what happened to him. I doubt making digimon human is this creatures most powerful trick.”

“Right...” Hikari said, slowly. “I understand.”

“Great!” Gomamon said happily. “Angemon!” He called behind him. At the loud calling of the name, Vamdemon's attention snapped forward to the image of the angel standing from a crouched position in the center of the room. He moved forward and stopped beside Takeru.

“He's back there, with Ken.” Hikari said, unsure if she was making a mistake by handing Vamdemon over. He nodded and walked towards the two.

“Don't hurt him.” She called.

“I don't intend to.” Angemon said, not looking back.

He stopped directly in front of Vamdemon, who took in his appearance. His helmet wasn't worn, exposing his somewhat pale face and blue eyes, as is normal in angelic lines. His blond hair was neater than if he had just evolved into the form and ended at the bottom of his waist. He was wearing a shirt as well, which was designed specially with clasps in the back so that his wings could move freely.

“May I speak with him alone?” The angel asked Ken.

“Umm...” He glanced sideways at Vamdemon, who looked like a deer caught in headlights. “I think your scaring him.” The boy said softly.

“I apologize.” He reached forward and took Vamdemon's arm gently. He tried to pull away.

“You'll need to help him walk.” Ken said softly, allowing Vamdemon's weight to shift from his body to Angemon's. The angel simply nodded and began to lead Vamdemon away through the crowds..

“Where are you taking me?” He asked the angel fearfully, wondering if another attack was to come.

“I've heard that you haven't eaten in a few days.” Angemon said, continuing to look forwards and Vamdemon suddenly felt a strong desire to harm Jyou for having started the pestering in the first place.

“You really should eat something.” Angemon said, stopping a few feet from a stall.

“I'm not hungry...” Vamdemon muttered, unsure of the angel's intentions.

“You are.” He was told with a tone of authority he couldn't argue with. “Sometimes when a body is starved of nutrition it won't feel hunger, but that doesn't mean its not hungry.” He pulled him forward up to the stall.

“I like these.” He said, pointing to an almond covered pretzel. “I like sweet things. I think you would be better off with something simple.”

A woman approached the counter. “Good afternoon, my name is Donna. How can I help you today?” She asked, taking in the odd appearance of the angel, who was surely just a man with a realistic costume...with his arm wrapped around another man's waist.

Vamdemon sighed, and tried to fend her off. “I don't need anything.”

“A plain pretzel.” Angemon said, ignoring him. “No salt, and a fruit blend.”

The woman cast an odd look at them before moving back to complete the order.

“What do you want from me.” Vamdemon asked weakly, scratches from the earlier attack suddenly searing with pain.

“Information.” Angemon stated firmly, staring him in the eyes. “How did this happen to you?”

“It doesn't matter.” He said angrily, fighting the memory.

“Who or what did it?”

“Stop it!”

“Is it a danger to us?”

“Enough!” Vamdemon yelled, drawing a number of stares from other people. “It's not your concern, nor anyone else's for that matter. Leave me alone!”

“But it is.” Angemon said gently. “We need to know who is responsible for this so we can defend ourselves, and you, from it.”

Vamdemon almost laughed out loud. “Why would I have you protect me? Why would I want that? Even if I did, you wouldn't stand a chance. I let you defeat me that first time, and it took all you had even then to do it. The other two chances you had were just luck. If I couldn't beat this creature that transformed me what makes you think you can?”

“I believe we can.” The angel told him.

“It's not that simple.” Vamdemon growled.

“It is when one is the bearer of hope.” Angemon said with a smile. “Perhaps it is not as simple are merely believing, but I won't understand unless you explain. I'm not saying you must tell us every detail. I understand that there may be things you don't want to talk about.”

Vamdemon sighed once more, shaking his head.

“Take your time.” Angemon continued. “Talk as you are ready to talk. We want to trust you, we want to help you, and we want to keep our partners safe. You are the key to that.”

“Sirs?” The woman had returned. They turned to look at her. The man leaning against the angel looked more sickly than before.

“Your order is ready.” She said, staring at them once more.

“How much?”

“You work here right? You get this stuff for free.” She said, addressing Angemon, who looked slightly confused. She pushed the pretzel and drink into his hand. She leaned forward, over the counter so that her face was closer to theirs.
“And listen...don't let your manager see what your doing right now.” She said quietly. “It's a bad image for this time of the year. Angels are supposed to holy, not sinful..”

“What..?” Vamdemon asked aloud as Angemon led him a few feet away with a tighter grip than before and transferred the pretzel to his hand.

“It's a human thing.” Angemon said. “They have strange words for and concepts of love foreign of those we hold in the digital world. I'm not sure why, but they differentiate the relationships other than those of the opposite sexes.”

“What's the point of that?” Vamdemon asked with confusion. “Seems like a waste of energy.”

“I never said it made sense.” Angemon smiled. “I personally think it an oddity of the species but there isn't much that can be done.”

“Isn't it 'wrong' to take something without paying?” Vamdemon asked sarcastically, moving on to second thing he found odd and finally adjusting to the potentially threatening situation.

“It's her folly, not mine.” Angemon said with a shrug, glancing back at the stand. “It's not the first time someone's done that to me while I was here.”

“An angel has become a thief...how ironic.” Vamdemon laughed as he was led further down the corridor, still in the opposite direction they had come from.

“Eat.” Angemon ordered. Vamdemon stared at the food item that had been placed in his hand and reluctantly took a bite. It was indeed plain, but similar to the breads he ate as a digimon.

They stopped at a table with two chairs. Angemon deposited him in one and took a seat across from him.

“Gatomon's attack damaged you greatly.” He said, referring to the marks running down his face.

“Yes.” He said with a grimace and fought with the urge to touch them. “I couldn't block her with the damned lizard on top of me.”

“You were lucky. It could have been worse in many ways.” Angemon said quietly. “You could have lost an eye, or gone the way of your first downfall.”

“Gods, what if she evolved...” Vamdemon said, horrified. “I would have been dead for sure.”

“Indeed.”

“If you knew about what they were going to do why didn't you stop it?” Vamdemon demanded angrily. “If your so worried about protecting me...”

“I didn't know until it happened. Takeru received a message through his digivice.”

“I see...”

“So,” Angemon started, “Do you agree?”

“Agree to what?” Vamdemon asked, confused at the angel's topic jumping.

“To the deal I proposed? We protect you in return for information.”

“You mean I have a choice?”

“Of course you do.” Angemon said gently. “ It would be wrong to force you to do anything you didn't want to.”

“Ah, there's the righteousness I was expecting from you.” Angemon just gave a half smile, and waited for his answer. “I suppose...but-”

“Good.” The angel said, interrupting him and pushing the cup towards him. “I believe it was already being worked out where you would be staying. I think you are going to be shuffled around a bit until we figure out where your best placed.”

“You were anticipating my acceptance...” Vamdemon said, a worried tone creeping into his voice.

“Yes. Banking on it, actually.”

“Wonderful.” He muttered, feeling as if he were falling right into a trap.

“Did anything transfer to Earth with you?” Angemon asked. “Any material things?”

“Nothing. When I awoke I was naked in some alleyway. Some sap came along and gave me the crap I had on when the brat of light chased me.”

Angemon gave him a stern look at his choice of language.

“Sorry.” Vamdemon muttered, looking down at his half eaten pretzel.

“You will need to buy some possessions.”

“And how do you expect me to do that?” Vamdemon asked angrily. “I don't have any currency, and I don't think you would approve of mugging someone for it, although after that incident I'm not so sure...”

“I will get you some necessities.” Angemon stated.

“YOU have money?” Vamdemon asked incredulously.

“I do.”

“What did you do, steal it from your partner?”

“I 'worked' for it.” He said, grinning. “Stall staff aren't the only one's making mistakes with me. I've had men in suits come up to me and hand me cash on Fridays for my 'work' during the holiday.”

Vamdemon gave him a disturbed look, growing more and more amazed at the angels apparent lack of morality. “You are a mystery to me.” He said.

The angel smirked. “As are you to me. What is it like being human?” He asked.

“It's a pain in the ass.” He said with annoyance. Angemon gave him that look again. “Yeah, yeah, sorry.”

“Continue.”

“You have to adjust to everything all over again. I have only ever been my perfect and ultimate levels, so I've always been able to see in darkness and hear things that others couldn't. All of that has changed now. All of my abilities, gone. I can't fly, I can't eat what I'm accustomed to, which I discovered from Tailmon's now tastes horrid. I can't see, I can't hear, I can't smell, and I hate it.”

Angemon smiled once more. “You actions are like those of a child.”

“Whatever. I can't control it, really. I think humans lack some gene that allows them to control their emotions. I doubt you would feel much different if you were in my shoes.”

“Why is your hair so long?” Angemon asked. “You always kept it to the back of your neck as a digimon.”

“It's always been like that.” He said, making a face and shifting in his seat. “After I was born it grew quite fast, and has always stopped around this length. I had to cut it a lot for reasons I don't want to talk about all my life. Now I have no need to go through the trouble, though I suppose it wouldn't grow back quite as fast as I am now.”

“Doesn't that seem odd...” Angemon said quietly. “I've never heard of another Myotismon with fast growing hair, or any that had ever kept it this long for that matter.”

“Yes, well...” Vamdemon muttered. “It's a rather odd trait of mine. I have a lot of those.”

“Like your eyes?” Angemon asked.

“Yes...” Vamdemon said, staring at him.

“The eyes of your evolution line are green.” Angemon stated.

“...yes...yes they are supposed to be.” Vamdemon muttered, trying not to look at him.

“But yours are not.” Angemon said, watching Vamdemon intently. “It's almost as if you are an angel in disguise...”

“I suppose...” He muttered.

“You said that you've never been at a level below perfect...” Angemon said quietly, showing genuine interest. “Is that possible? I didn't digimon could hatch above fresh. Did you hatch from an egg then, or were you born some other way?”

Vamdemon gave him a deeply disturbed look and glared at him. “That is none of your business.”

“Oh, your starting that again?” Hikari's voice asked.

“Shut up, brat.” He growled.

“Every time someone tries to understand you, you push them away.” She argued.

“If you weren't such a nosy brat I wouldn't have to.”

“Behave.” Angemon said sternly.

“Whatever.” Vamdemon muttered and shifted in his seat once more.

Hikari huffed. “How come he listens to everyone but me?”

“I don't like you.” He said with a smirk.

Hikari looked to Angemon, hoping he would reprimand him once more, but he just shook his head. “He said he doesn't like you. I can't change that, Hikari.” He said, sympathetically.

“Right...” She muttered. “Did you have enough time?” He nodded. “What's the game plan then?”

“He needs clothing.” Angemon told her. “He said he doesn't own anything, and that has to change if he is to survive here.”

“Mimi said she wanted to help him if he did something like that. She'll be down soon.”

Angemon smiled. “That's good. Admitidly, I am not the best in such a department. Her help will be welcomed.”

She nodded, then turned to Vamdemon, who glared at her. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I just had the shit beat out of me.” He said both darkly and sarcastically, then shrunk back at Angemon's look. “Sorry.” Hikari laughed at the obedience Angemon had produced.

“I'm in a lot of pain, child of light. I'm not what I used to be. Look at me. My face is itchy and painful from Tailmon's claws and everything else hurts from the falls fleeing from you and the beating I took from Agumon. I can't even walk on my own at this point...”

“I'm sorry.” She said truthfully, still ashamed of her brother's actions.

“I hate being dependent on others.” He muttered, staring at the table. He reached for the cup Angemon had given him.

“I see your finally eating.” She said. Vamdemon ignored her and Angemon half smiled.

“I figured that since his previous diet was mostly liquid...he would be more willing to nourish himself if provided with such a thing. Actually I'm surprised he ate the solid first.”

“I see.” She said quietly and glanced backwards. “I have to head back and go with Takeru and Daisuke. Everyone else has already gone on their way. Ken is going to meet up with you guys in an hour or so, so watch out for him.” She said, turning and walking off.

“That's fine.” Angemon said, watching Vamdemon drink the fruit concoction. “I'm sure Mimi will have that cell phone thing, so it shouldn't be a problem. Does Ken have one?” He asked, slightly worried.

“Of course he does.” Vamdemon muttered, finishing the thick drink. “Don't you know, all teenage humans have those things.”

“And you would know better than I...who happens to reside with one because?”

“I spent hours and days and weeks picking through them looking for that brat.” He said, thumbing towards Hikari's still retreating form. “Does Mimi really have to 'help'?”

“Yes.” Angemon said pleasently.

“But...but...” Vamdemon tried to argue but his words quickly left him.

“What type of clothes do you want?” Angemon asked, ignoring his protests.

“Whatever.” Was the frustrated reply.

“You have to have some sort of idea.”

“The more of me that's covered the better.” He said grimly.

“Don't you want something for coming seasons?” Angemon asked, missing the tone of his voice.

Vamdemon gave him a perturbed look. “Coming seasons? Are you joking? I don't intend to be with this group any longer than I have to.”

“There's no guarantee this enemy is going to fall quickly.” Angemon said. “And no matter how long it takes, you will be under constant surveillance. If I were you, I would consider growing a little closer to some of us and making friends, since your going to be around us for quite a while.”

“No thank you.” Vamdemon said angrily. “I'm quite happy being alone. I will tolerate your presence, but I will not be a 'friend' to anyone.”

“Oh come on.” Mimi said, having found the spot they were sitting. “Of course you want to be a friend. It's the greatest feeling, knowing you have people you can lean on and trust in your times of need.”

He looked at her then down at the table. “Wouldn't it have been easier if you came with Hikari?” He muttered.

“Probably.” She smiled, with a small laugh. “But I got caught up talking to everyone else. I haven't seen them in so long.”

“...of course.”

“So are we ready? This is going to be so fun!” She exclaimed and did a little dance in place. “I'm going to pick the best clothes for you! Do you know your size?”

“My what?” He asked with annoyance.

She rolled her eyes. “You are so clueless sometimes, you know that? Your clothing size. You know, small, medium, large...”

“It doesn't matter.”

“Of course it does.” She said. “You don't want to get something that doesn't fit, do you?”

“I-hey!” He screeched as Angemon grasped the hood of his sweatshirt and pulled back. He peered inside then let go. Before Vamdemon could pull away he had done the same to the back of his pants.

“Do you like things looser?” He asked, addressing the flushed creature.

“What I have is fine...” He said breathlessly, flustered from the angels actions.

“Then he wants larges.” Angemon said. Mimi nodded with an amused look.

“Then lets go.” Angemon said, standing and tossing the garbage into a nearby pail. Vamdemon reluctantly pulled himself up and allowed the angel to pull him once more into the supportive embrace.

“Aw, how cute.” She squeaked, falling into step with them on the other side of Vamdemon, who shot her a venomous look.
She ignored him and smiled. “What a perfect atmosphere to go shopping!”