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“Well, this is quite the predicament we’ve got ourselves into, isn’t it?” Ken’s dry comment made Daisuke’s already sour mood worse. It was bad enough that he was trapped in this stupid cave without V-mon, why did he also have to be trapped with the goddamned Kaiser of all people?
“Sure is.” he bit out. Closing his eyes, he took a few slow breaths - getting frustrated wasn’t gonna help him here. As much as he hated to admit it, it looked like he’d have to work with Ken on this. “Got any ideas on how to get outta here?”
Ken scoffed. “We’ve barely been here for two minutes, I have nothing to work off yet. Such impatience isn’t going to do us any good.”
“Sorry that I’d rather be back with my partner and friends.” he grumbled. Rubbing his face with a heavy sigh, he looked around. The place was dark and damp, the only light source being the hole in the ceiling through which they’d fallen. “You have flying digimon, right? Can you call one in here to get us out?”
Ken sent him a perplexed look. “Why on earth would I help you ? As far as I’m concerned, this is a great way to get you out of my hair for good.” He went to stand.
And immediately collapsed with a sharp cry.
Instinctively, Daisuke reached out to grab him. “Whoa! What happened?” Ken hissed and gripped his ankle. A light went off in Daisuke’s head. “A sprain?”
“I hope it’s only a sprain,” Ken scowled. “Just my luck.” With that, he reached into his pocket. There was a pause, in which his searching became more frantic. He patted his pockets, tugged at his cloak, looked around at the rubble-strewn ground.
Daisuke raised an eyebrow. “What’ve you lost?”
Ken gripped his hair. “My fucking digivice.” he grit out. “Without it, I can’t send out a distress signal.”
“Meaning no flying digimon to help us.” Daisuke surmised. “Looks like we’ll be helping each other after all.” Ken said nothing. Daisuke glanced over and saw he was still holding his hair. “Yo, try not to freak. I don’t care that much about working together, so long as it gets us both home safe and sound.”
“I’m NOT working with you, dammit!” he yelled, trying to stand and tumbling yet again.
“You will, or you’re gonna fucking starve to death down here. Then who’s gonna take over the Digital World, huh?”
“SHUT UP!!!”
“Or what?! You’re gonna crawl through the fuckin’ dirt in some random direction? Get even more lost?! Don’t be stupid! You and I both know there’s no way either of us are getting outta here alone so stop being so goddamn stubborn and just accept that we gotta work together!!” Daisuke shouted, his already-thin patience snapping altogether. Ken just gaped at him, silent while Daisuke tried to rein in his temper.
After a few long, quiet moments, Daisuke had calmed down enough to speak up. “I still have my D3. Maybe I can track yours down with it, then you can send your distress signal and get us the hell outta here. It’s gotta be around here somewhere, if you still had it before we fell.” He pulled the device from his pocket, fiddling with the buttons.
“Not a bad idea. For you, anyway.” Ken ground out.
Daisuke scoffed, rolling his eyes. “You gotta learn how to compliment someone properly.” His D3 beeped, showing another dot nearby. “I just hope these things are tough enough not to break. Says it’s under that rubble over there.” He pointed a little ways away.
“You’re going have to look for it. My leg-”
“I know, I’m planning on it.” He paused, looked around in the low light.
“What are you looking for now?” Ken sounded tired.
“Something for a makeshift splint, to keep your ankle from moving too much and getting injured worse.” Ken was silent - when Daisuke glanced back at him, he was staring in disbelief. “What? Unlike you, I actually give a shit about other people.”
That snapped Ken out of it, and he rolled his eyes. “Don’t waste your energy on others.”
“I’ll spend my energy how I please, thanks.”
Ken snickered. “I didn’t think you’d know how to be sarcastic.”
“Yeah, underestimating people is a common theme for you.”
The air felt much lighter now, the pair snarking at each other while Daisuke searched through the fallen rocks. It felt… nice, to just talk like this. He wondered if this is what it’d be like to be friends with Ken, without all this damned Digimon Kaiser bullshit.
His chest ached.
“Ah, found it.” Daisuke called back. He pulled the black and white digivice from the rubble carefully, examining it as he picked his way back over to Ken. “Doesn’t look any worse for wear, either.”
“Well, that’s one good thing today.” Ken grumbled, taking the device when Daisuke offered it. After a few button presses, the screen lit up red, a soft beeping emitting from it. “There, the signal’s being sent.”
“Great.” Daisuke replied absently, going back to the pile of debris.
“What, you find something else?” Ken’s voice floated over. Daisuke grinned as he picked up a bundle of sticks he’d piled together.
“Yeah, some supports for your leg. Just need a wrap, now.”
Ken considered him for a moment, then reached up and unclasped his cape from his shoulderpads. “Will this do?”
Daisuke raised his eyebrows. “Should do the trick, Might have to rip it up, though.”
“Just do it, I can program a new one easily.”
Daisuke knelt in front of him, tearing up the cape. “Hold these in place.” He gestured to the sticks. Ken did as he was told, Daisuke carefully wrapping the tattered strips of cloth around them. Tying them tight, he sat back. “That should do it, at least until we can get you to a real doctor.”
“I have a team of medics in my base.” Ken murmured. There was a long pause. “Thank you, Motomiya. You could’ve left me in this hole with this injury.”
“I coulda, yeah. But like I said before, I care about others. Even my enemies.” His smile was small, genuine. “I kinda wish we weren’t enemies. Why are you so set on enslaving digimon and ruling the Digital World?”
Ken pressed his lips together. “It’s not really your business.”
“So, a personal reason then.” Daisuke sighed. “Well, it doesn’t really matter. It’s my job as a Chosen Child to protect the Digital World, so I guess we’re always gonna be enemies.”
“Why protect it? It’s just a bunch of bytes and data.”
“It’s not.” Daisuke said, frustration leaking back into his voice. “Digimon are alive.”
“Don’t be ridiculous-”
“How do you know they’re not alive?”
“How do you know they are alive?” Ken shot back.
“‘Cause I’ve held my partner in my arms. ‘Cause I’ve laughed, and played, and fallen asleep with V-mon, shared emotions with them. Something like that can’t be faked.”
Ken didn’t speak for a long time. In the distance, Daisuke could hear the calling of an Airdramon. “I guess we’ll never see eye-to-eye on this.” Ken murmured.
“Guess not.” Daisuke agreed, glancing up at the Airdramon as it clawed its way into the cave. Settling on the ground, it bowed its head to allow Ken up onto it. After a moment, Ken looked down at him.
“Come on,” he said, holding out a hand. “As a thanks for helping me, I’ll at least take you out of this godforsaken hole in the ground.”
Daisuke smirked slightly, taking Ken’s offered hand. “Thanks.”
The Airdramon lifted up, soaring out of the cave’s ceiling and settling a little ways away. Daisuke hopped off.
“Daisuke!!!” He whipped around, just in time to get tackled to the ground by a blue and white blur.
“Oof! Hey V!” he laughed breathlessly.
“I’m so glad you’re okay!” They cried, big red eyes swimming with tears. “I thought you might’ve been really hurt. I wanted to help, but I couldn’t find a TV nearby. I had to go all the way to the nearest village!”
“Thanks, buddy.” Daisuke smiled, gently rubbing his partner’s head.
“The others are on the way! But I guess you don’t need ‘em now.” V-mon laughed a little. Then he tensed up. He must’ve spotted Ken.
Ken seemed to notice, too. Probably not hard, considering he’d been quietly watching the reunion. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to attack.” He drawled. “I owe your partner, after all. Call it a temporary truce.” He glanced past them and smirked slightly. “Tomorrow, we’ll be back to normal. Rest well and prepare.” With a haughty laugh (that sounded almost forced), Ken was whisked away by his Airdramon.
“Daisuke!” A chorus of voices called out his name. Taichi was the first to reach him, stumbling to a stop beside him and staring after Ken. “What was that?”
“He said it’s a truce,” V-mon said. “Because Daisuke helped him.”
Daisuke scratched his head. “It was all I could think to do. He was hurt.” He shrugged.
The Chosen stared for a moment, then Sora sighed and spoke up. “You’re too nice for your own good sometimes,” She said softly. “Come on, let’s get you home. It’s getting late.”
Daisuke let his senior pull him to his feet, patted himself down and reassured his friends with a grin. “Right.” With one last look at the horizon, he turned and followed his friend home. Maybe one day...