002: Video/Action--Backdated to after the attack

[alive_through_luck]

Video:
[The view that shows on the D-Terminal is nothing more than the giant crater left behind after the attack. There's some lingering dust floating around, but otherwise, it's just a vast...nothing. Duo's breathing can be heard in the background, heavy as though catching his breath. That was a pretty steep slope to climb, but he did it...

And now there's nothing to go back to. He's lucky to even be alive, he knows, but of course, he made a deal with Death before. That's all this is, right? This is part of the deal? He can live while others die.

Like Solarmon.

The screen moves to focus on a Digiegg that seems to be resting next to Duo. His hands are shaking ever so slightly now, either from strain or from nerves it's hard to say at first. That is...until he actually speaks.]

I-I found it...Solarmon's gone and I found this when I woke up. I dunno what it's for and I dunno where I am and...and...

[There's a quiet sniffle before his voice drops.]

Why does this keep happening?

[The feed cuts out just as the view of Mount Fuji shows up.]

Action:
[Duo is sitting on the edge of the crater with a Digiegg sitting next to him. His D-Stream and D-Terminal are also on the ground with the Digiegg. He's covered in dirt, his cassock is torn, and the only thing he has left from the party was the mask Roze gave him to wear for the masquerade. It's hanging around his neck, the actual mask turned around backwards to face behind him.

He's shaking, and in an attempt to try and stay warm, he's curled up some with his knees pulled to his chest. His eyes are focused solely on the crater, though really, he's not focused on anything at all. He's simply staring, lost in his own little world.]

Comments

[alive_through_luck]

[Duo doesn't react at first, still staring at the crater before he finally blinks and looks up at Hisame. He just stares at Hisame for the longest time before he stands up and throws his arms around Hisame's waist. He's shaking, but he doesn't make a sound as he just clings to the older boy.]

[alive_through_luck]

[Duo simply clings to Hisame tighter, trying so hard not to actually cry. Boy, that'd be embarrassing. He shakes his head against Hisame with a soft whimper.]

...H-Hisame...

video

[badluckbabe]

[Aw geeze...]

Kid, hey are you checking your messages?

video

[alive_through_luck]

[There's a good long moment before Duo bothers to answer. He sniffles and wipes his eyes with the back of his wrist.]

M'here...

Re: video

[badluckbabe]

Pick yourself up!

Come on if you just sit there you're gonna die! Do you really want that kid?

video

[alive_through_luck]

I can't die. The soldiers said I made a deal with Death. S'how I made it through so much.

[He's quiet, but serious.]

Re: video

[badluckbabe]

You may not be able to die, but that doesn't mean you can't get mangled.

[Video]

[alley_kit]

[When the message comes through, Kit is both relieved and worried. Relieved, because Duo is alive! Worried, because of the state he's obviously in. And that egg next to him... oh...]

Duo...? Duo, it's Kit. Can you hear me?

[A legitimate question, given the situation.]

[Video]

[alive_through_luck]

[Give him a moment to answer. He's surprisingly pale when he comes up on the screen, wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his cassock.]

K-Kit?

[Video]

[alley_kit]

Yeah. I'm at a place called Primary Village. It's the place where baby Digimon come from. I'm OK, and you're gonna be OK too.

Most everybody made it out of the city OK before it got destroyed. Some of 'em came here, and others got to the terminals and got away on Trailmon. And they've got people looking for anybody that might've got left behind, so somebody should find you before long.

You're gonna be OK, Duo. And everybody else will too. Even Solarmon.

[Video]

[alive_through_luck]

But...I don't know where Solarmon is...

[It never occurred to him that his partner would be the one in the egg.]

[Video]

[alley_kit]

[So he didn't know yet. That made things a bit more complicated. How to tell him without upsetting him more?]

See that big egg? That's Solarmon. Least it was, and will be again, eventually.

See, Digimon aren't the same as people. When... something happens to them, they don't really die, they just sort of... start over. They go back to being an egg. If you take care of the egg, it'll hatch into a baby digimon, like these guys.

[Kit briefly turns the D-terminal's camera around so that Duo can see several nearby baby digimon, who had come over to investigate this particular newcomer to their home. She then turns it back on herself.]

Then the baby will eventually evolve back into Solarmon. Least that's how Takato explained it, and Emmy says the same thing.

[video]

[lovespinkbirdies]

Duo!?

[ Chika's not completely sure what to think about this, seeing Duo there like that on the video. And that he has an egg near him. It's... it's obvious what that means, but... but... ]

You're still there!? Are you hurt or anything!?

[ She'll deal about what it means that he has an egg instead of Solarmon later. Right now she needed to check on her friend. ]

[video]

[alive_through_luck]

...I ain't hurt...

[The words are quiet when he answers some time later. He looks at the screen for a brief moment before he looks away, likely at the crater.]

You okay?

[video]

[lovespinkbirdies]

[ Chika sighs, glad to hear it, though she can't help but keep frowning a bit. ]

I'm okay. I... I got some people out of the city before... before the blast hit.

[video]

[alive_through_luck]

Did you...get caught in it, too?

[video]

[lovespinkbirdies]

No. I didn't...

Biyomon and I were... well, we were going to head back in when it happened. We... when we could barely see anything afterward, we didn't think to go back and check.

[ She frowns a bit. ]

I... I'm sorry.

[headseraph]

. . . The egg is Solarmon. [She holds up her own egg, looking rather serious.] They . . . when you . . .

[She's not sure how to word any of this, so she just quiets and hands the D-Terminal over to Floramon, who seems much more chipper. Not super chipper, but not as down as Shiki.]

When a Digimon's data gets messed up, we turn into eggs. Your partner will be a-okay when they hatch again, promise.

[alive_through_luck]

[Duo blinks and looks off-screen before he focuses his attention on Floramon.]

...Y-You mean he's broke?

[A very childish question, but Duo is a child after all.]

[headseraph]

Nah, he's not broken. It's kind of like being sick, you know? Solarmon just has to rest and he'll be all better.

[There's a pause, and then the D-Terminal gets handed back to Shiki.] How are you feeling, Duo?

[alive_through_luck]

[Duo's rubbing his eyes with the sleeve of his cassock when Shiki comes back on the screen.]

M'not hurt.

[headseraph]

That's good. [She wasn't too worried about that, but it's still good to know.] I'm glad you're okay. Are you heading to HospiTown?