Chapter 101: True Emotions

Andromon

2 Days

 

I had heard rumors of his presence in this city. Myotismon’s words continued to ring in my ears as I walked through the moonlit streets of Yew, and even though word of his demise came to me a while ago — along with his destruction of the northernmost part of this city — they continued to haunt me. I know I had no emotions with which to feel this way — they died with my humanity when I became Andromon. Neither Human, nor completely a Digimon, either. But even so, his words…they continued to unease me, confuse me. Could it be that my heart is actually beginning to remember how to feel? I wasn’t even sure if I had a heart anymore. Probably not. But if I did…that would certainly explain the emotions I was told I wasn’t supposed to have…by everyone I have met ever since I became this form.

“Everyone…except for Thomas,” I muttered. “The only one who has yet to berate me, he is…him and his friends…” My thoughts turned immediately to the three…They had never really specifically mentioned anything about whether or not I should feel emotions; however, they also haven’t said that I couldn’t…I quickly pushed all of these thoughts from my head. I had to focus on the task at hand. I had to find him. Even if he kills me as soon as he sees me, I had to find him. The chance that my questions would be answered was something I was more than willing to risk my very existence over, and I wouldn’t give up until I found him. After about an hour of walking, the scent of carnage caught my attention. “Odd…in the northern part of the city, I am not…yet the aroma of death lingers fresh on the air…”

“Who goes there?!” An enormous Digimon glared down at me. He stood on the ground, and yet he was taller than every building around. “There should be no survivors…who are you?!”

“You have been sought out intentionally…There are questions for you, I have,” I said. “My name is Andromon.”

“…A Machine Digimon? Or perhaps—”

“Not a Digimon at all, I am,” I interrupted. “Or, so I have been told since turning into this monstrosity you see before you.”

“Why have you come here?” His voice sounded less angered, and truly curious by this point. “What questions did you have for me?”

“…Your ally…Myotismon…Told me about you, he did,” I said. “A Machine Digimon, you are, and yet you possess emotions. Please…tell me…how I can get my own emotions, Machinedramon.”

“…Emotions…are not something you can simply ‘get,’” Machinedramon said. “You either have them or you don’t. Nothing to it.”

“But it’s different for us!” I yelled. “We’re machines; just hunks of steel! Some of us have emotions, and some of us don’t!”

“Which is exactly what I meant by ‘you either have them or you don’t,’” Machinedramon said.

“And I…I’m a step further from different,” I said. “Created…in a lab, I was…the researchers…they forcefully combined a Human with Digimon DNA. They failed…and thus, I was created, doomed to never be either race ever again…”

“Oh…so, you were a prototype for those Bio Hybrids Lilithmon has working for her…” Machinedramon stared down at me silently for a few seconds. “…Myotismon…said you have no possessions because of your origins, didn’t he?”

“Yes. Not the only one, he was, but his words sting the most.”

“That’s probably what I hate the most about that bastard; he’s never direct with someone unless he’s insulting them,” Machinedramon spat.

“You do not like him?”

“Hardly! I hate him even more than DeathPhantomon and Lilithmon! That is definitely saying something!” Machinedramon said.

“He told me you have true emotions…what do you do…to experience yours?”

“You want to prove him wrong, don’t you?” I nodded. “…I feel happiest…when I am destroying things. Rampaging through a city like this one, killing innocent people, seeing the streets stained red with all the blood…nothing makes me happier than seeing something so artistic. If you want to prove Myotismon wrong…then do as I do, Andromon.”

“Do as…you…” I turned to a building beside me, opening up my chest plate and preparing to fire a Gatling Attack.

“No, not that one,” Machinedramon interrupted. “Not just any building. If you want my advice, if you want my help, then you will go after a particular building. If you can get rid of that one, then you may be at my side as much as you wish.”

“At your…side?”

“We both hate Myotismon. We are both mechanical Digimon. Furthermore, to be honest, I do not particularly mind your company, Andromon,” Machinedramon said. “Destroy this one building for me…you will experience emotions as I do…this is beneficial to both of us.”

“…Where is this building?”

Thomas Kasuto

Saias’s Villa

5 Hours

 

“You killed him?!” Statch gazed at me in awe. Zelda and I had just returned home. Statuedramon was the first to greet us, and his first words were ‘where the hell did you two go off to?! Do you know how worried we’ve been?!’ as he dragged us into the living room, where Luna, Chrysania, and Pheragas sat. “You actually did it?! How?!”

“I thought the plan was to wait a little longer for Apollomon to return,” Luna said.

“…I take it this means they haven’t returned yet,” I said. Luna shook her head sadly.

“They’ll be okay, mommy,” Chrysania said, placing her arms around the sorceress’s slim waist. Luna reached down and patted her on the head. “Mr. Apollomon’s really super strong, and, and he’s got Dianamon and BlackGaomon with them…they’ll be okay…”

“…Sure they will, sweetie…”

“So, vhy is it you two decided to go to de desert, den?” Pheragas asked. “And how did you get back so quickly?”

“Well, we didn’t really decide to go,” I said. “SkullCaliphmon just kind of showed up and took us to his castle without our consent.”

“He used one of his attacks to take us there in only a few hours, rather than days. It seemed like an instant to all of us, though” Zelda added. “After Thomas…after he killed him, we had to walk all the way back.”

“Wait, you killed him?” Statch asked.

“All I did was punch him in the skull,” I shrugged. “He was…saying some terrible things about her…I just got so mad that I punched him. He flew over his throne and landed in its shadow, and next thing I know, the part of his skull where I hit him broke apart and left a big hole, and he died.”

“You punched his skull in,” Statch said. “You literally fractured his skull…with your bare hands…Remind me to never piss you off again…”

“It seems your title of ‘The Assassin’ is well deserved, indeed,” Luna said. “You permanently killed an unkillable man. Twice.”

“And now, ve ah left vith eight to kill,” Pheragas said. “Vut ah your orders, Thomas?”

“…I really think we should go looking for Apollomon,” I said. “But we don’t have any idea where they went; we don’t even know where Seraphimon is…”

“If we find him, he might be able to tell us where Apollomon, Dianamon, and BlackGaomon are,” Luna suggested.

“I think one wild-goose chase is enough; I say we focus more on Apollomon than Seraphimon,” Statuedramon said. “If we decide to go searching for them, that is!”

“We’ll all go along with whatever you decide to do, sweetie,” Zelda said, gently squeezing my hand.

“…Luna…you fought Generalmon, right? Did he tell you anything in particular that might reveal where he might be?” I asked.

“Actually, he did; he seemed to have a pretty deep grudge against the entire city of Acacia,” Luna said. “I don’t know what would drive someone to hate an entire city like that, but I’d be willing to bet that if he’s anywhere, that’s where he’d be.”

“And this Generalmon…is he strong?” I asked. “I know you fought him on your own, Luna, but how strong do you think he is? Would we be fine as a group?”

“I think so,” Luna shrugged. “I’m not even that strong, and I killed him by myself. Though, he did break a few of my ribs in the process…”

“…Okay, here’s the plan,” I said after a moment’s thought. I opened my mouth to speak again when Statuedramon suddenly sprung up.

“I hear something!” he said frantically.

“What is it?” Luna asked.

“…Sounds like…” he gasped. “Everyone, get down!” Without hesitation, all of us hit the floor as two missiles soared through the air and crashed through the windows, exploding.