Chapter Text
Series: Services Rendered||Title: Tough Lessons
Characters: Daisuke, V-mon, Ken, Wormmon||Ship: Ken x Daisuke
Chapters: 1-3||Words: 3,472||Total: 3,472
Genre: Angst, Drama||Rated: PG
Notes: This is the sequel to Price of a Cure. Yup, finally got to writing what happens next to poor Daisuke.
Summary: Kaiser has lessons to teach Daisuke. Daisuke would rather not learn, thanks all the same, especially since this involves V-mon and a lot of pain.
Daisuke wasn't one to be afraid. He wouldn't have lifted the Digimental of Courage otherwise. But seeing those sharp violet eyes of the Kaiser staring at him, full of seething rage, made him fear not for himself, but for his partner. He could already clearly tell that nothing he would say would calm Kaiser down. And just submitting wasn't in his nature at all.
He truly had no idea of what to do. But Kaiser didn't let him wonder for long. With his grip tight on Daisuke's shoulders, he dragged him along through the corridors of the fortress, until they reached a vast room with several Ringed and Spiraled Digimon gathered together. V-mon had pattered along beside them, clearly wanting to do something to stop the Kaiser from manhandling Daisuke, but that didn't look like it would happen.
Daisuke kept his mouth shut, no matter how much he really wanted to rage at the Kaiser. He still didn't have all of his strength back, so even if he could have, it wouldn't have been for nearly long enough to be satisfying. So he waited to see what Kaiser wanted of him. He'd not forgotten that threat to teach him that "Kaiser owned him". He wasn't sure if he'd ever forget something laced with such rage and smug satisfaction.
Kaiser dropped his grip and folded his arms over his chest. "This is your first lesson - the only real lesson you need. Absolute, complete obedience to me. I am your master now. For so long as I choose to keep you."
Daisuke pressed his lips together. He'd heard that before. Kaiser certainly said it often enough.
"V-mon. Fight my servants." He nodded towards the ten or twelve Digimon who waited. "They won't reformat you and you can't reformat them. Consider it a sparring session if you like." His lips thinned in satisfaction. "It ends when I say it ends, not one second before."
"Why should I?" V-mon snapped. Daisuke muffled a snicker, though not very well. Kaiser regarded them both coldly.
"Because if you don't, Daisuke will. Is that what you want?" One eyebrow raised ever so lightly. V-mon clenched tiny blue fists .
"Then let me evolve and I'll tear right into them!"
Kaiser's smile somehow added an extra layer of smug. Daisuke wondered how he did that. "No. You're going to have this little sparring session while you're at this level. You won't be cracking any of the Rings or Spirals, either. All you need to do, until I declare this done, is survive. And if you don't?" He shrugged. "We'll see what happens then, won't we?"
Cold fingers of fear latched themselves around Daisuke's heart. The first words that wanted to rise to his lips were an empathetic denial of what the Kaiser ordered. But Kaiser ignored him and pointed towards the Digimon.
"Go." His attention flicked over to the gathered Digimon. "Attack V-mon. Do not kill him. Combat only."
The Digimon surged forward as if his words unlocked something inside of them. V-mon growled - Daisuke wasn't sure if he'd said anything or if he just ground his teeth together - and charged forward with the best headbutt he could manage. Soon he could hardly be seen in the mass of surging bodies, save for the occasional flicker of blue darting here and there.
Kaiser settled himself into a chair that manifested out of nowhere, then looked at Daisuke and pointed to a position at his feet. "On your knees," he ordered casually. Daisuke winced. Today very clearly wasn't anything like his day. Slowly, carefully, so he didn't risk falling - he suspected Kaiser would get a kick out of that and refused to give him the pleasure - Daisuke lowered himself to his knees and tried to get as comfortable as he could.
His new position put him exactly where he needed to be to have Kaiser rest a hand on his head. It kind of felt good - though Daisuke didn't want to admit it. He'd always had a weakness to having someone rub his head. Jun did it now and then, and so had his parents. A few days earlier, before all of this, V-mon had even figured out how to do it. But having the Kaiser do it wasn't something he'd ever thought about. He thought it felt even better now, when he had so little energy and could already feel himself melting at the touch.
What made it worse was that doing this while V-mon battled gave him two things to focus on and he didn't have the energy or strength to center on both of them. He couldn't see much of V-mon, but he could feel those far too gentle fingers brushing over his scalp and going down to the nape of his neck. He dropped his head a little, a quiet little noise slipping out between his lips. Hearing that tensed him; Kaiser had made it very clear that he didn't want Daisuke to make noises. But there didn't seem to be any punishment coming for this.
Slowly he relaxed. As much as he hated the very concept, if it could possibly lead to Kaiser getting bored and releasing him, Daisuke was all for it. It probably wouldn't succeed but he had to try something.
He managed to lift his head enough to catch a glimpse of V-mon, gripped in a Minotaurmon's beefy grasp and being slammed hard on the floor. He would have gotten up and run over there if it wasn't for Kaiser's slightly tightening grip on him.
"You're going to stay right here," Kaiser purred, far different from his usual harsh tones. "Those are your orders. And you, my pet, obey your master's orders."
Daisuke closed his eyes and shuddered, biting his lip. He couldn't have hated this more if he'd tried, but he was more than willing to put in the effort. Kaiser's hand continued to caress through his hair. Daisuke thought he could actually feel the other's smug satisfaction.
I don't want this. I want to be out of here. I want V-mon out of here. He told himself that as many times as he could. He would keep on telling himself that for as long as it took.
His stomach rumbled clearly. Kaiser had fed him earlier, but after everything that happened, it all seemed to have processed, leaving him with an empty hole in his stomach. He pressed his lips together harder and tried not to think about it. He wouldn't get anything to eat until Kaiser said he did anyway.
Daisuke's life had suddenly become one of bonds and restrictions, unable to move or speak or think as he pleased. And he knew he could only really blame one person for it - himself. If he'd done things differently, if he'd paid attention to where they were going so that they hadn't trespassed into Death Rosemon's territory - well, he wouldn't have been poisoned. And then he wouldn't have been cured by the Kaiser and be right here, right now.
The Kaiser could have just given them the cure. He didn't have to do it like this. Daisuke wanted to believe that. He knew it was probably true, but the Kaiser wouldn't have even had the option if he'd just not gotten himself poisoned in the first place.
"You're hungry, aren't you?" Kaiser asked. Daisuke knew he could answer direct questions. Kaiser would probably get violent - again - if he didn't. So he nodded, and when that didn't seem enough, essayed speaking.
"Very hungry." The hand on his head tightened the slightest bit and Daisuke mentally sighed. "Master."
Kaiser tapped one finger on the arm of his throne and Wormmon wriggled up. Daisuke couldn't see him very well but he thought the little bug looked sad.
Join the club, friend, Daisuke thought. He wondered if he'd ever have the chance to talk to Wormmon. If anyone knew anything about the Kaiser that might get him bored, Wormmon had to be that person. Digimon. Whatever.
"Have a meal brought," he ordered. "Have enough made for two and bring it here."
Wormmon nodded, hesitating for a few seconds. Kaiser turned his cold eyes on him, and the little Digimon hurried away without saying whatever was on his mind. Daisuke couldn't help but wonder what that might have been. He suspected he wouldn't find out any time soon.
Kaiser's hand dropped back onto his head, and Daisuke had to struggle to keep his thoughts focused with the warmth that flowed from the touch on his scalp. He tried to focus on V-mon instead. This was sort of successful, except that seeing his partner getting tossed around and slammed hard into walls and the floor and hardly being able to walk in those few moments when he could stand didn't make it easy.
Daisuke's throat closed. He couldn't even swallow for the lump of rage there. He wasn't sure if Digimon actually bled or not but he could see bruises flowering all over V-mon and there didn't seem to be an end to the enslaved Digimon assaulting him. Daisuke clenched his fists, shaking. He couldn't take it. He could have managed it if it were him out there being beaten to a pulp. But V-mon? Whose only crime was to be his partner?
This is because of me. Because I got the Kaiser mad. It all came back to him, didn't it? If he'd stayed out of Death Rosemon's territory then he wouldn't have been poisoned in the first place and if he hadn't been poisoned he wouldn't be here and if he weren't here then he wouldn't have made the Kaiser angry and V-mon wouldn't be suffering like this. It was his fault. There wasn't any getting around it.
"Stop it! Please!" Daisuke broke, tears spilling down his cheeks. He jerked around to stare up at the Kaiser. "Please, let him be! Stop hurting him!"
Kaiser glanced down at him, ever so amused. Daisuke didn't miss the sharp gleam of amusement in those eyes - exactly what he didn't want if he wanted to get out of here. But he didn't care right now either.
"What did you say?"
Daisuke hated the sound of Kaiser's voice. But he wasn't going to back down on this. He tried hard to swallow and still couldn't get past the harsh lump of hurt in his throat. "I said stop hurting V-mon. Please." Oh. He thought he knew what Kaiser wanted. "Please, Master. Please. If you want to hurt someone, then hurt me."
Kaiser smiled a slow, languid smile. "But I am hurting you. Just because you're not the one being pulped doesn't mean you're not being hurt."
"Stop it anyway. You hurt him enough." Daisuke wiped at his eyes. He wasn't ashamed to cry, not when V-mon hurt so much, but he hated Kaiser seeing him cry. It made him feel so powerless, ramming home that that was exactly what he was.
"Have I now?" Kaiser leaned back and rested his chin on his fist. "I will say you beg very sweetly. I might be persuaded."
Daisuke barely noticed Wormmon entering with the food, let alone the way his stomach rumbled fiercely, not if he had a chance to get V-mon's torment to stop. He rearranged himself so he knelt directly in front of Kaiser, staring down at the floor, doing his level best to look humble. He hated every second of this but he knew Kaiser well enough to know that anything less wouldn't do it.
"I beg you, Master. Stop hurting V-mon. He's going to die." He thought he remembered something the others had mentioned about how Digimon didn't actually die, but he was in too much of a hurry to care right now. He wasn't going to let V-mon suffer if he didn't have to.
Kaiser made a soft noise and Daisuke decided he hadn't done enough yet. "Please. Hit me if it makes you happy. You can do anything to me, just let him alone!"
"Of course I can do anything to you. As long as you're here, you belong to me."
Daisuke winced; he wasn't sure what else he could do to get V-mon to be spared. Then Kaiser's whip-handle tucked under his chin and his head tilted upwards. Kaiser smiled down at him. It made Daisuke's stomach churned violently.
"For now, I will grant your request. But I'm sure you've learned your lesson - you're not going to disobey me again, are you?"
Slowly Daisuke shook his head. He wanted out of there, but not at the risk of V-mon dying or deactivating or whatever it was that happened to Digimon.
Kaiser nodded in approval, and that just made it all worse for Daisuke. "Very well. Now, open your mouth."
Daisuke did at once. He knew where this was going, and wasn't surprised when Kaiser set a bit of tuna roll on his tongue. He ate quickly, eyes darting over to where V-mon lay on the cold floor, exhausted and battered. He barely seemed to move at all. Had it been too late? No. No, it couldn't be.
Kaiser tapped him on the nose, a tiny frown quirking his lips. "You pay attention to me, not him. You will have to earn being able to talk to him again. Wormmon, have V-mon taken care of and put into a cell."
Daisuke wanted to watch as Wormmon managed to get V-mon to his feet and they trundled out of the room. Instead he kept his attention on Kaiser. It was for his partner's sake. He could never ever forget that. Everything, absolutely everything that he did, would be to keep V-mon from being hurt like that ever again.
But he had to hope that V-mon would be all right, that his groveling and obedience would satisfy Kaiser enough not to hurt him anymore. At the moment, it was the only hope that he had.
Kaiser all but vibrated in glee. He hadn't broken Daisuke - he knew far better than that. But he'd at least cracked him, and that made it all the more fascinating. How far could he push the other before he either rebelled and found a way to flee - presumably with his partner - or he broke entirely, becoming a useless nothing? Kaiser wasn't sure which one he really wanted and thought he would have a great deal of fun finding out.
He could keep track of many events going on at once, more so than the average human. So while he fed Daisuke, he also kept track of Wormmon taking V-mon to the cell and tending his injuries. Those had to be impressive; several of his largest and strongest Digimon had thrown him around like a rag doll for nearly half an hour. Digimon wounds tended to heal quick and clean, so Kaiser wasn't worried about it. He also watched the Chosen on a secondary screen; he knew that sooner or later they would encounter Motomiya Jun, and he found himself interested in what would happen then.
But he did rather like feeding Daisuke all this time. He paused to toy with Daisuke's hair a little, savoring the way the other twitched at his touch. Breaking down like that might not have broken Daisuke, but it cost him dearly, whether he knew it or not. Daisuke might resist again later - he probably would, in fact. It might not require something this drastic to dissuade him, but certainly reminding him of it would do.
Once he'd finished dinner, and the Chosen didn't look as if they would be doing anything interesting while he could watch them, he dismissed the observation screens and stood up. Daisuke started to stand, but Kaiser sent him to his knees with a look.
"Follow me. On your knees. I like the sight of you like that," Kaiser ordered. "Keep up."
He turned and headed out at a brisk pace. He knew Daisuke wouldn't be able to do as he was told, not crawling like that. It just wasn't humanly possible. But he had plans for what to do when the other failed.
Truth to tell, he didn't move so fast that Daisuke lost sight of him. He knew the other wouldn't be able to find his way around the fortress just yet. Perhaps he could teach him a few short paths at a later point. Right now he knew that Daisuke would be far too worked up to retain much more information than what he already had, and he still hadn't recovered fully from the poison and the recovery.
I should do something about Death Rosemon. The issue with that was that Death Rosemon was an Ultimate Digimon, even more powerful than a Perfect level. He hungered for a slave of that power, but acquiring it wouldn't be easy at all. Of course, that just meant it would be all the sweeter once he acquired her.
If a Ring can manage an Adult level or lower, and a Spiral can conquer a Perfect level, what configuration can be used for an Ultimate? That teased at him. The answer wouldn't be easy to come by and it wasn't as if Ultimate level Digimon just wandered by waiting for him to capture them so he could test them.
How very rude of them. Didn't they know he was the Digimon Kaiser and therefore the rightful ruler of this entire world? How dare they not surrender themselves to his majesty? He would have to see to it they suffered for that.
And Daisuke would be right there to watch them suffer the whole way. He licked his lips in anticipation. What a glorious path glittered before him. Making this deal was the best decision that he'd ever made. Nothing could stop him now.
V-mon didn't think he could move a single muscle. He wanted to very much. He wanted to headbutt the Kaiser right in the face, all things considered. But just moving hurt so much and he eventually stopped trying. He was stubborn, but a stubborn mind couldn't force a battered body beyond a certain point.
Gentle pods nudged at him, and he thought about trying to open his eyes. It wasn't worth the effort, he decided, and just lay where he was.
"I have food," a quiet voice murmured, and he wondered if he should make a second try to open his eyes. When they flickered open a fraction, he saw the green Digimon that hung out with the Kaiser there. A small bowl of something hot and great-smelling sat on the floor next to him. V-mon blinked at that. "Can you try to eat?"
V-mon considered that. He did his best to heave himself up and then flopped right back down. Slowly he shook his head, or made such an attempt. Clearly he wasn't having the best of luck.
The other Digmon regarded him briefly, then settled down right next to him, supporting him. "Try again?"
V-mon wouldn't have bothered if whatever was in that bowl didn't smell so good, reminding him of how hungry he was. He needed to help Daisuke and he wouldn't be able to do that if he didn't eat. He pushed himself up one more time, and with that help, he could get a clawed hand around the bowl. He even lifted it without spilling too much and poured it down his throat.
The bowl clattered to the floor after he finished it and he slumped down and away from the stranger. "Thanks," he whispered. He felt a little better, but not in condition to go banging on the Kaiser. "Who are you?"
"Wormmon. I'm Ken-chan's partner." The bug Digimon watched him worriedly. V-mon wasn't sure if he should trust him if he were the Kaiser's partner. He didn't have a choice right now, though. Wormmon checked him over carefully, far more gentle than he would have thought a servant of the Kaiser could be. "I'll get you some more food. You'll have to stay here and rest, though."
V-mon dragged up some extra strength from somewhere. "Where's Daisuke?"
Wormmon stopped while on the way out. "He's with the Kaiser. He - he begged for Ken to stop hurting you." The bug hunkered down a little more. "That made Ken very happy."
That wasn't at all what V-mon hoped to hear. He wanted to hear that Daisuke had beaten up the Kaiser and now they would be going home after he freed all of the Kaiser's slaves.
Well, we can just do it together, then, he decided, and closed his eyes. It would be easier once he recovered from this. That meant getting some rest. Maybe when he woke up, he'd be able to see Daisuke. He looked forward to that.
To Be Continued
Notes: Been a while since I worked on this series. But here we are with the next piece. I am having far too much fun with this! Update in two weeks!