Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Bad Moon on the Rise ❯ Crescendo ( Chapter 3 )

Rika returns to her thoughts on Renamon after shooing Takato away, in no mood to talk to him. She tries to put everything into proper order, attempting to make sense of the situation. Unfortunately for her, everything seems to point to only one conclusion, that the Renamon she knows has nearly killed several innocent people. Takato's revelation that Renamon wasn't entirely at fault makes little difference. There is blood on her partner's hands, and neither one of them will ever be the same.

 

The girl jumps slightly as a familiar sensation reaches her brain, and is confirmed when Renamon phases into the room. Rika leaps up from her seat, throwing her arms around Renamon's neck, burying her face in Renamon's chest.

 

“Tell me it's not true,” Rika orders, lifting her head. “Tell me that it's all some enormous mistake.” Renamon only shakes her head.

 

“I'm sorry, but I can't tell you that.”

 

Rika pushes Renamon away, bringing her hand across Renamon's face. “Damn you, Renamon!” Rika screams as the digimon recoils from the blow. “How the hell could you do this?!” Her hand meets Renamon's cheek again to punctuate the remark. “How, after we shared so much, could you do this?!” Rika raises her hand again, but Renamon grabs it mid-swing.

 

Renamon's other hand goes to the back of Rika's neck, pulling the girl's head in closer. Her mouth closes over Rika's in a rough kiss. Rika struggles, but Renamon continues to grip Rika's hand tightly. As the kiss continues, Rika slowly relaxes, allowing herself to get lost in the moment. Renamon lowers the two of them down onto the couch, her hand straying to the bottom of Rika's shirt…

 

 

******

 

 

Henry regains consciousness a couple of hours later, groggily getting to his feet. He rubs his neck where Renamon has struck him, nursing a new bruise. Quickly looking up, Henry sees that the full moon is halfway through its ascent into the night sky. The next thing that registers is the cell phone in his pocket ringing almost frantically. Henry shakes his head to clear the last of the cobwebs from it before answering. The voice on the other end belongs to Takato.

 

“Henry!” he exclaims. “I've been trying to get through to you for nearly fifteen minutes! What happened?”

 

“Renamon happened,” Henry groans. “I managed to find her, but she clobbered me and fled. Don't worry about that, what was so urgent?”

 

“I was worried that something bad may have happened. Guess it did,” Takato says. “You all right?”

 

“Yeah, just a little sore,” Henry answers, rubbing his neck. “But now we don't have a lot of time to stop Renamon from hurting anybody else. For that we'll need Guilmon's help. I'll meet you at the park.”

 

“No good,” Takato replies. “They've completely cordoned off the park. I was barely able to get Guilmon out before they cut it off. There isn't going to be a single person there.”

 

Henry curses to himself. Renamon won't show up somewhere where there aren't people. “Well, hell,” he says to Takato, “looks like we'll have to go to Plan B.”

 

“Which would be?”

 

“Give me a minute… Of course! We use Guilmon to sniff her out. He can find anything with that nose of his.”

 

“Great idea,” Takato agrees. “I'll be right there with Guilmon.”

 

Henry says what doesn't need to be said. “Hurry.”

 

 

******

 

 

The moon is full and bright in the sky, making darkest night bright as day. The shadows are all the more long and black, perfect for hiding in. Just the way she likes it. From the roof of the building, she lifts her muzzle into the air and lets out a piercing howl. Her usual hunting ground was deserted, forcing her to find a new place to prowl.

 

The alleyways are suitable enough with a myriad of shadows to hide and hunt in, though the prey is nearly nonexistent. From her spot in the darkness she sees no living beings save a few rats. One such vermin decides to investigate the newcomer, sniffing around her leg. Growling softly, she stabs a claw downward, impaling the beast. She sneers as the pitiful creature squirms its last before flinging it away to bounce off a wall to the ground.

 

Her sensitive ears pick up human voices, getting louder. Baring her teeth in a mockery of a grin, she slinks off to find the source. She licks her lips in anticipation of the moment and the taste of hot flesh and blood. And this time, this time nothing will stop her from feeding.

 

Darkness is the perfect cover for her motions, and the full moon only makes the shadows blacker. Two potential victims come into view, taking advantage of the night themselves. Fear wafts from one of the pair, along with a scent that makes her wrinkle her nose in disgust. Snatches of conversation reach her ears.

 

“Isn't that a bit much?” the fearful one asks. The other shakes his head.

 

“It's high quality stuff. Nothing but the best.”

 

Their conversation is interrupted as she chooses this moment to make her move. Baring her teeth, the huntress emerges from the darkness. The smell of fear grows heavy as the man's mouth drops in a silent scream. Her lip curls up slightly, enjoying the panic in the man's eyes. He backs away slowly, and his companion looks at him curiously.

 

“What the hell's wrong with you?”

 

The man doesn't answer. Instead he turns tail and runs as fast as his legs can take him. His friend reaches a hand into the pocket of his jacket. “Whoever's behind me,” he says, “you just cost me a valuable customer.”

 

The huntress readies herself as the man turns around, drawing a gun. She lashes out with razor-sharp claws across his wrist, and he drops the gun with a scream as blood sprays from the wound. He falls back, clutching his ravaged hand, face ghostly white. The huntress pounces on him, bearing his weight down to the ground where her claws continue to rend flesh.

 

 

******

 

 

A shiver runs down Takato's spine as he hears the cries of the victim. A glance at Henry and Guilmon confirm that they too hear the sounds.

 

“It's coming from over there!” Guilmon points. They all race off towards the source of the screams, hoping to get there before the unthinkable happens. As they run through the alleyways, the screams get louder and louder until…

 

“They stopped…” Takato says, aghast.

 

“That may just mean he's unconscious,” Henry says, quickening his pace. “Just means we have to hurry more!”

 

The trio does just that and they soon arrive on a gruesome scene. The sheer amount of blood is enough to make them fight to keep from throwing up. There in the middle of the alleyway, in the center of a spreading pool of blood is a man's devastated body.

 

Henry hesitantly steps foot in the sticky fluid on the ground and goes over to what's left of the man. “No pulse,” he reports. “God… there's nothing to provide a pulse…”

 

“What… what do you mean?” Takato asks, trying to avoid looking at the carnage.

 

“His chest is ripped open… His heart isn't there anymore…”

 

As Takato digests this information, Guilmon lowers his head and growls past Henry. Takato sees motion behind Henry and gasps, “Look out!”

 

Henry's eyes widen as he propels himself into a forward roll just as claws swipe the air where his head had just been. He ends the roll facing the darkness of the alleyway as the source of the attack comes into view.

 

The news reports didn't do her justice. She vaguely resembles Renamon, but about twice as thick and twice as shaggy. Vicious claws adorn her reddened paws and large fangs emerge from her bloodstained muzzle. She hunches over, looking between Henry and Takato, as if sizing up her next meal.

 

“Hard to believe that thing's Renamon…” Henry says, backing slowly away. “Still, we need to stop her without hurting her too badly.”

 

“Right,” Takato nods. “Just try to knock her out, Guilmon. We don't want to kill her.”

 

Guilmon nods his acknowledgement and springs at the creature. A beeping at Takato's hip diverts his attention, and he looks at his digivice strangely.

 

The huntress deftly sidesteps Guilmon's charge, kicking his back savagely. Guilmon stumbles forward, but he still blocks a claw swipe and the two begin to grapple.

 

Takato pulls out his digivice and the familiar analyzer screen pops up. The information contained on it, however, is less familiar.

 

Henry moves closer to read the screen. “What the…? That's not exactly Renamon…”

 

Takato double checks to make sure he's reading the display right. “No… Says here that it's Werenamon, Champion level… Champion level! Guilmon!”

 

Takato looks up to warn Guilmon just in time to see the digimon in question get flung into a wall. Guilmon slides down to land in a heap, shaking his head.

 

“Guilmon!” Takato cries as the huntress stalks closer to the fallen Rookie. Guilmon looks up in time to dodge a punch coming at him. The huntress spins around, leaving a large dent in the side of the brick wall.

 

“Does that say anything useful?” Henry asks, one eye on the battle, the other on the screen.

 

“According to this, she's now Werenamon. Champion level, Virus type. This Digimon is a Renamon that has been infected with a virus, causing it to evolve into this dark beast,” Takato reads. “A virus?”

 

“Pyro Sphere!” In desperation Guilmon launches a fireball at the huntress, but she slams it away with her arm. She pounces again, pinning Guilmon to the ground.

 

“Come on, Guilmon,” Takato encourages his partner. He reaches to his pocket and pulls out a card. “Digimodify! Strength activate!”

 

With a burst of power, Guilmon pushes the huntress away, and she lands on all fours. He charges forward, clubbing his arm into her head, and she goes sprawling.

 

“That's it!” Henry exclaims, snapping his fingers.

 

“Yeah,” Takato agrees. “I think we're going to come out on top.”

 

“Not that!” Henry shakes his head. “Cards! I know we've got cards that destroy viruses! If we use one of those in Rika's Digivice, Renamon should be cured!”

 

Werenamon has other plans though, and she lashes out with a vicious spinning kick, her heel connecting solidly with Guilmon's skull. The sound of the impact resonates through the maze of alleys and Guilmon stumbles, stunned. He stops and shakes his head and it looks as if he'll recover. A second later, he collapses senseless to the ground.

 

“Guilmon!” Takato cries, rushing over to his fallen friend. He shakes the unconscious lizard, but Guilmon is out cold. He doesn't notice the large paw heading for his head, but luckily Henry does.

 

“Look out!” he yells, and Takato hurls himself backwards, rolling to land reclined on his back. He scoots back as fast as he can, getting distance from the beast and scrambling to his feet.

 

Werenamon advances on the two of them, teeth bared in a sinister snarl. “What the hell are we going to do now?” Henry asks.

 

“There's got to be a card I can use, or something I can do!” Takato says frantically.

 

“I'd suggest running,” Henry offers, “but we can't just leave Guilmon behind…”

 

The huntress crouches, preparing for one final pounce. Takato and Henry cringe back, hearing one final growl. Suddenly, her growl turns into more of a gurgle, and the Tamers open their eyes to stare in horror. The huntress joins their stare, all eyes trained on her chest and the large piece of silver sticking out of it.