Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Deep As You Go ❯ Eyes of Mercy ( Chapter 14 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Deep As You Go Part Fourteen

Disclaimer: Digimon and Ken and everything like that doesn't belong to me. It's all very sad. Any resemblence between this fic and Empress of the Eclipse's "Only One" are entirely my fault because I've bugged her room. (Where? I'll never tell. Mwhahahaha!)

Author's Notes: Readers, meet Chapter Fourteen. Chapter Fourteen, meet readers. Finshed it just in time too. (And I come bearing gifts! I now have a website : http://diamondroad.cjb.net. There's probably nothing there that you people would care about since all my completed fics are here, but visit it anyway and validate my existence. Pretty please?) Also, this chapter's a little longer than usual. And lastly, those of you who've been thinking that this fic's been awfully devoid of smut lately, consider this chapter a gift ^_^

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"Daisuke! What's wrong, what happened?" Wormmon was waiting when Daisuke returned to the van, looking highly upset and rather miserable. "Did you see Ken-chan? Is he okay?"

"Yeah, I saw him." Daisuke sighed. "But he's definitely not okay. He's....I don't really know what he is. Different. He's not like the Ken I left behind. He even said so." Daisuke lowered his head into his hands. "He thinks I hate him. But--but I'm afraid that he's the one who hates me. He said he didn't want me there. He--he even threatened to hurt me if I didn't leave. I don't think he would actually do anything, but--but he just looked so upset when I was there. I don't even know if I'm really helping or just making things worse."

"I don't think things could get much worse," Wormmon pointed out.

"You weren't there. The stuff Ken said...he said he's been seeing visions of the Kaiser, that the Kaiser's talking to him." Daisuke glanced over at Wormmon, who had an odd look on his face. "Do you know anything about that?"

"Ken-chan's mentioned it before," Wormmon said slowly. "He never talked about actually seeing the Kaiser, but he used to say that sometimes he could hear the Kaiser's voice in his head, especially at night. It used to scare him."

"It's not scaring him anymore," Daisuke said miserably. "Or at least he won't admit it if it is." He fell back in his seat. "Man, how am I gonna help him if I can't even figure out how he's feeling? He keeps saying that he was lonely when I was gone, that he missed me, but it's like all that was in the past. But I'm sure that something in him really wants me to help him. I've told him hundreds of times that I care about him, that I want to help him, that I can't hate him no matter what and that I didn't leave because of him, but he just won't believe me. He keeps saying that I'm lying, that nobody cares for him. But I know that I care for him, and you care, and Takeru and the others care. So how do I get him to believe me? I--I don't think that I can help him alone. That therapist lady was right, he's sick--like sick in his head or something. I wanna get him help and make everything better, so he'll stop seeing the Kaiser and stop thinking all those bad things about himself, but I can't help him if he doesn't want me to. It's not like I can just tie him up and drag him to a hospital or anything either. I have to convince him that I care about him, make him see that I'm worried about him. But I don't think there's much else I can do."

"There has to be something," Wormmon said desperately. "We're--we're not going to leave Ken-chan here, are we? I don't want to leave Ken-chan in such an awful place, all alone."

"Like hell we're going to leave him!" Daisuke said violently. "We're staying here until he finally listens to me. There's no way I'm going to abandon him again. Maybe if I just keep trying he'll see that I'm not lying. I don't get why he doesn't believe me when I tell him I didn't leave because of him. If I had I wouldn't be here now. So there's no way I'm leaving, not without Ken! If we have to, you and I'll set up camp outside his door and tackle him every time he leaves until he finally gives up and sees reason."

"He won't like that," Wormmon pointed out. "You said he wasn't happy to see you."

"That's putting it lightly." Daisuke sighed again. "I've never seen him like this. It's not like when he was the Kaiser, but he's not my Ken either. When he was the Kaiser he always seemed so....smooth. So in control. I mean, yeah, evil and heartless and all, but he always seemed like he knew what he was doing. When we fought him, I thought he was just being evil because he enjoyed it. It always seemed that way. And then after... he was depressed, yeah, who wouldn't be after all the shit he's been through? But he wasn't this bad. We were able to help him last time. He didn't want us to help, but he let us. This time he won't even let me get close to him. Sometimes he'll seem like the Kaiser again, but just a little. He almost slapped me before, and then I felt kinda like he was the Kaiser. But the rest of the time, I knew he was Ken. The old depressed Ken, but magnified like a zillion times. I'm not sure if I can save him this time."

"But you still have to keep trying," Wormmon said.

"I know. I didn't say I was gonna stop." Daisuke closed his eyes wearily. And it really hurts, too. How could he ever think that I hated him? How could he think I was lying? He's my best friend, I'd do anything for him! There's no way I would lie about something so important. But I don't know what else to say, what else to do. He really needs a doctor, and I'm not one. But I'm the only person who can convince him to let himself be helped, so I have to think up something else. Something else I can say, something that will convince him. Something, anything, that'll help Ken stop hating himself and show him that there are so many people who care for him.

Anything that can show Ken that he's never gonna be alone, not ever again.

"Daisuke? Are you okay?" Wormmon's voice was gentle.

"Yeah," Daisuke replied. "Well, no, not really. I'm not gonna be okay until Ken is. I'm just really tired right now."

"You can take a nap if you want," Wormmon said. "I'll keep watch on Ken-chan's room. If he leaves I'll wake you up."

"And then we can follow him and he can yell at me some more," Daisuke said darkly.

"If--if you don't want me to--"

"No, no, I do." Daisuke put a hand to his head. "Sorry. I'm just really worried about what I'm gonna do next, and especially about what Ken's gonna do next. I just feel like if anything happens to him it'll be all my fault for leaving. Not just when I went to America, but even for just leaving that stupid room. I wasn't going to, I really wasn't. I was just gonna stand there until he listened and came with me. And then I left anyway and....I don't know. I just don't want to leave him alone again. I want to have him here with me, where I can talk to him and tell him that everything's gonna be fine and that I'll fix it all. I guess it's a dumb thought, but.....but I feel so damn useless, lyin' here while he could be doing who knows what up there."

"I'll tell you the second he exits the room," Wormmon promised. "We won't let him get away this time."

"Thanks." Daisuke leaned back as if to sleep, but his eyes were still open. He lay awake for a very long time, waiting for Ken's door to open.

Ken lay with his back pressed against the bed, the sheets twisted up about him, his hands curved into claws as he clutched spasmodically at the bed beneath him. The Kaiser ran his tongue along Ken's chest, his body pressed up close against the other boy's.

The sheets were stained red with blood and soaked with sweat; they smelled foul but Ken didn't care. Long scratches ran down his chest and arms, and he was finding it hard to breathe.

"Isn't this what you asked for?" the Kaiser asked idly, biting Ken's ear. He ran the fingers of one hand gently down the length of Ken's cock even as the other hand roughly raked Ken's arms; new scratches appeared where the sharp nails touched him. "Pain. To hurt."

"Harder," Ken whispered, his voice hoarse from screaming. "I want it to hurt more. Please."

"Whatever you ask, darling." The previously gentle hand squeezed lightly at Ken's cock and he gasped, muscles tensing. The Kaiser kissed him again, biting Ken's lower lip as he did. "Was that good? Or shall I do more?"

"Whatever you want," Ken choked out. "I don't care, I don't care, just make it hurt and--" Ken gulped down the lump rising in his throat. "Just do what you want and make it hurt. Make me forget everything. Make me forget him."

"You will forget," the Kaiser whispered huskily, burying his face in Ken's collar, licking and biting. "The rougher the better, my dear. I promise I won't let up. Then you'll forget him. You won't even be able to pretend that it's his hands on you, his lips, his tongue. It's only me, always me, doing what I please. What I do best."

"I--I know," Ken gasped out. "That's why I want it to hurt, don't you see?" His voice dropped off for a moment as the Kaiser's hand began stroking his length again. "He wouldn't make it hurt. If--if it hurts then I know I'm not thinking of him, just you. Then I can forget him. The blood's better than--better than--"

"Better than wishing it was your darling Daisuke on top of you now?" The Kaiser laughed. "You're a disgusting creature, my love. A perfect little whore chained to his own fantasies. Utterly contemptible."

"I know," Ken repeated. "I know, I know, I know. That's why you have to make it stop. You have to. You're the only one who knows how to."

"I always have," the Kaiser said. "Don't fret, darling, you ruin my fun. Just lie back and enjoy the touch. Enjoy your own rotting little fantasy world, your dear phantom lover. Without me you'd be dead by now. So relax and let me pleasure us both at the same time."

Ken didn't reply. He simply dropped his head against the pillow and laid his arms flat, letting the Kaiser do as he wished. A quiet moan escaped his lips as the Kaiser bit hard on one erect nipple and scratched him hard along his inner thigh. The Kaiser smiled and kissed Ken gently on the lips.

"Good boy. Now, roll over."

Ken hesitated briefly and the Kaiser, suddenly angry, slapped him hard across the face.

"I said, roll over. Oh, and be a dear and dig my whip out of that duffel bag, will you? I know you brought it."

Ken paused again, then did as commanded. One hand reached for the duffel bag lying beside the bed and he carefully unzipped it and dug around inside while the Kaiser leaned over him and kissed him between the shoulder blades.

Ken's hand dug around through the duffel bag for the whip. Suddenly, his hand clasped around the crest of kindness. He glanced down at the small item.

What an utter lie. I don't deserve this stupid thing. Look at me here, letting my own dark side tear me apart inside and out. Ken grimaced and half-threw the crest back in the duffel. It's all just one big joke, isn't it? My whole life is just one cosmic joke. There's no other explanation for my existence. All that I've ever done is cause pain to everyone around me, and that's why they all left me. That's why I'm all alone now, except for the Kaiser. Why give the crest of kindness to me if not as some sick joke, a cruel laugh at my expense? It's not as if it's something I deserve. All my so-called kindness was just weakness in disguise.

Ken's hands clenched around the base of the Kaiser's whip, it felt familiar and cool against his flushed skin. Behind him, the Kaiser's soft kisses stopped as the apparition positioned himself above Ken.

"The whip, precious?" Ken heard the Kaiser's voice ring in his ears, but suddenly it was as if he couldn't see his constant companion anymore. Ken felt as though he could hear the Kaiser, feel him, but now only as a nebulous presence behind him, waiting and watching, but blurred and indistinct. He felt very dizzy all of a sudden, and his head was pounding.

The whip flashed across Ken's shoulders at the moment the Kaiser thrust into him. Ken arched his back, fingers twisting in the sheets, suddenly unaware of whether it was the Kaiser or himself who held the whip.

The Kaiser thrust inside him again and again the whip flashed out and pain shot along Ken's back. A whimper tore itself from his lips, and he bit down hard on his lower lip to keep from screaming.

How can it hurt so much? Ken wondered feverishly. He's not here. He doesn't exist. There's no one moving inside me now, there's nothing but me... He felt the Kaiser move inside him again. A moan escaped his lips and he could feel his own cock grow more erect. Again the whip struck him. Ken felt a thin trickle of blood drip down his back. Still nothing but me. My hand on the whip, my mind in the gutter, my own stupid brain and desires making up something that can't be true. Am I even alive anymore? Maybe I'm bleeding more than I know. Maybe I'll go into shock and be found like this, dead, my naked body twisted up in the sheets, destroyed so totally that no one will even recognize it. No one will ever know I've died. Unless I'm already dead, and this is hell, and I'm just too stupid to realize it.

Behind him, he heard the Kaiser whisper something as his phantom lover continued to thrust in and out of Ken's body. The whip flashed out at intervals, striking Ken hard and waking him up just when he felt certain that he was about to lose consciousness. The mixed sensations of pain and pleasure blurred inside him and mixed, becoming one, and when Ken came he wasn't even aware if the sensations he felt around him were from the Kaiser climaxing inside him or the whip striking his back.

Completely spent, Ken fell forward limply onto the bed, not caring that the sheets were still stained with his own blood and cum. The Kaiser still moved inside him, unconcerned over the fact that Ken's strength had waned.

He's not real, Ken thought dizzily. Of course he can continue. He'll always be inside me, tainting me, making me the wretched thing I am. I'm a disgusting creature with him inside, and worse without him.

Ken buried his face in the pillow, half-smothering himself in an attempt to slow his quickened breathing. He remained face down until spots began to dance before his eyes from lack of oxygen, and then turned his head aside just in time. His entire body trembled with weakness and something just beyond it, something hovering just out of reach on the fringes of Ken's mind.

Ken thought he must have passed out sometime after that, because when his thoughts finally became something resembling lucid he was lying wrapped in the Kaiser's arms. The Kaiser leaned forward and kissed him gently on the lips.

"Feeling better, my love?" There was a touch of sarcasm in the words. "You were so unresponsive before, I thought perhaps you weren't enjoying yourself." He grinned wickedly. "I know I was."

"Did I...." Ken trailed off, putting a hand to his head and wincing at the soreness in his scarred arms.

"Aw, poor baby," the Kaiser said with a distinct lack of sympathy. "Was I a little too rough? Never mind, it doesn't matter if I was. I was only letting you have what you asked for."

"I know that," Ken muttered irritably. He was suddenly very aware of the grimy sheets and his own blood-streaked body. "I should wash."

"Not now," the Kaiser said, pulling Ken close. "Don't you want to cuddle a while? I'm sure I could make you feel....much better." His smile left no doubt to what he meant.

"I need to wash. I feel disgusting." Ken sat up abruptly and immediately wished he hadn't. His entire body was extremely sore and it hurt to move. His vision blurred slightly and he barely managed to keep himself from collapsing back into the Kaiser's arms. For his part, the Kaiser simply watched Ken and smiled wolfishly.

"Feeling foul, my dear? Or has it just finally occurred to you exactly what you are?" The Kaiser ran his tongue over his lips once and then laughed.

"Stop laughing," Ken mumbled dizzily. "It makes my head hurt when you laugh like that." This, of course, only made the Kaiser laugh harder. Ken winced and clutched painfully at his head.

"Poor pet," the Kaiser said. "Why not lie back down? I'm here waiting for you."

"No," Ken said immediately. He suddenly felt very dirty. "I--I need to get cleaned up. I don't like the way this feels." He stood carefully, leaning heavily on the headboard. The Kaiser watched dispassionately from the bed as Ken stumbled towards the bathroom.

"I'll be waiting for you here, love," the Kaiser told him, stretching out. "Try not to trip and crack your head open, will you? It would be inconvenient for the both of us."

"Your concern is touching," Ken muttered blearily as he staggered into the bathroom, half-collapsing against the sink. He lowered his head and closed his eyes, waiting for his breathing to return to normal. Minutes passed, and finally Ken looked up.

His own face stared back at him from the cracked mirror. There were large dark circles under his eyes, and his skin was absolutely white. His bangs fell limply over his forehead, nearly covering one eye, and his hair was tousled. The red marks on his body stood out starkly against his pale skin.

"You look like shit, my darling," the Kaiser laughed from the bedroom.

"I know," Ken murmured. He stared fixedly at his reflection for a moment, taking in the sight of his face. I look revolting. Of course I do. I'm sick. What other explanation is there? Why else would I let the Kaiser do what he does to me, and ask for more when he's done? He doesn't even exist, but I'm still his slave somehow. Ken suddenly turned away from the mirror, unable to stand the sight of his own haunted eyes. With trembling hands he turned on the sink and splashed his face with cold water, trying to wake himself up a bit more.

There was the sound of movement from the bedroom. Moments later, Ken felt the Kaiser wrap a hand around his waist, kissing his ear.

"I thought you were staying in there," Ken said dully.

"I was," the Kaiser said simply. "And now I'm not."

"I told you, I need to wash." Ken half-heartedly tried to push the Kaiser away and nearly ended up collapsing. The Kaiser caught him easily and kissed him again.

"I thought we'd wash together," the Kaiser purred. "Doesn't that sound fun?"

Ken didn't reply. With a heavy, resigned sigh, he stepped out of the Kaiser's embrace and turned on the shower. He stood staring at the water, not moving. The Kaiser leaned against the wall and smiled.

"Well? I thought you needed to wash."

"Give me a minute," Ken said, still staring at the water. After a long moment he sighed and turned back to the Kaiser. "I'm disgusting, aren't I? Absolutely disgusting."

The Kaiser's only reply was a nod accompanied by a predatory smile.

"Daisuke, wake up! Wake up!" Daisuke awoke to the sound of Wormmon's voice. The little Digimon was trying to shake him awake.

"Mwuh?" Daisuke mumbled sleepily as he forced his eyes open. He sat up carefully and groaned at the soreness in his back and neck from being forced to sleep sitting up. "Wha's goin' on? 'Mergency or somethin'?"

"Ken-chan's left his room," Wormmon said urgently.

"Huh?" Daisuke shook his head to dispel some of the sleepiness and leaned out the window. "Where is he? Did he leave?"

"He's over on the steps right now," Wormmon said, climbing around Daisuke so that he could get a better view of the window. He pointed. "See? I saw him start walking down and I thought he was leaving, but he stopped."

"Okay, I see him now," Daisuke said as he caught sight of Ken standing near the top of the stairs, trying to light a cigarette. Ken glanced toward the van, and Daisuke and Wormmon managed to duck back inside just in time.

"What's wrong?" Wormmon asked as Daisuke crouched low in the seat.

"I think he saw us," Daisuke murmured, trying to roll up the window slowly so that Ken wouldn't notice what he was doing.

"You don't want him to?"

"If he knows I'm here he might run off before I can follow him," Daisuke said.

"But won't he recognize the van?"

"Damn!" Daisuke slapped his forehead. "I didn't think about that. Maybe he won't remember what it looks like."

A moment later there was the sound of a rock hitting the window shield. Daisuke glanced up and saw Ken standing in front of the van, glaring inside. There was a noticeable crack in the window where the rock had hit.

"Takeru's not gonna like that," Daisuke muttered under his breath as Ken started walking away.

"Are you going to follow Ken-chan?" Wormmon questioned. "Or I can follow him? Maybe he won't notice me."

"Nah, I'd better do it. You wait here and keep an eye on things. He might try to lose me and run off when I'm not looking or something." Keeping his head down, Daisuke carefully slid out of the car. Ken was already nothing more than a blurry figure in the distance. Making sure to keep a reasonable distance behind him, Daisuke followed.

Ken wandered aimlessly along the street, apparently not even aware where he was going. Daisuke kept a discreet distance behind him, ducking out of sight whenever he could, though he had the disturbing feeling that Ken knew exactly where he was, though the other boy never once turned to look behind himself. Ken turned a corner and Daisuke momentarily lost sight of him. He rushed forward, not wanting to lose Ken completely, then skidded to a stop the moment he turned the corner. Ken was leaning heavily on the wall of the building beside them, his back turned and one hand pressed up against his head. He had begun to shake again.

"Ken!" Forgetting all pretense of secrecy, Daisuke moved forward and knelt beside Ken, who had fallen weakly to his knees.

"G-go away." Ken turned his head away from Daisuke, letting his hair shield his face. He tried to push Daisuke away, but there was no strength behind his movements. "I don't need your help. I-I'll be all right in a minute."

"Yeah, sure you will," Daisuke muttered. "Ken, you look awful. Come on, let me help you up." He touched Ken's arm, and felt Ken's muscles tighten beneath his fingers a moment before Ken slapped his hand away.

"I don't need your help," Ken said. "Not to stand, not to live, not to anything. I can get up myself. It's just a little dizziness, because I didn't eat yesterday. I don't need you."

"You're still shaking," Daisuke said, the concern evident in his voice. "Just let me help this one time, okay? There's a cafe over there, where you can get something to eat. I'll take you there and then I'll leave you alone, okay?"

"Don't lie," Ken spat. "You always lie, always. Everyone lies to me, except the Kaiser. He's the only one who cares enough to tell me the truth." He gave Daisuke an icy glare. "Leave me alone? That's a laugh. I know you were following me, and I know you've been watching my room. I still recognize Takeru's van." Ken laughed bitterly. "Was the worm with you, too? I thought I saw him, but I wasn't sure if he was real. Sometimes I'm never sure what's real and what's not..."

"Ken...." Daisuke stopped and bit his lip. "Why can't you jut let me help, even for something little like this. I wanna help you. It's not a lie or a trick or anything, I swear!"

"I'll be fine in a minute," Ken said quietly, trying to convince himself. "It's just a moment of weakness, like always. My entire life is just thousands and thousands of moments of weakness, all heaped upon each other, covering me. This one will pass, just like all the others. And another one will come, and it'll pass too." He glanced defiantly up at Daisuke. "And it'll pass without your help. I don't need you."

Putting one hand up against the building to steady himself, Ken rose on trembling legs. Refusing to look at Daisuke, he stumbled forward towards the cafe. Daisuke stood and watched him until Ken had entered the building and disappeared from sight, then once more followed after him.

Ken was already seated when Daisuke entered the cafe. Daisuke was surprised and somewhat disturbed to see that Ken had sat himself in a booth, and seemed to be talking to the empty space across from him.

"Can I help you?" Daisuke jumped and whirled, finding himself face to face with a waitress.

"Um....I'm with him." Daisuke pointed hastily to Ken.

"Him? Oh!" The waitress looked surprised. "I saw him yesterday. I didn't think he'd be back, though. Not after he asked so many questions about that rattrap of a motel..."

"Yeah, that's just, uh...I'm gonna go over there, 'kay?" Without waiting for a reply, Daisuke walked over to where Ken was sitting and slid into the seat across from him. Ken looked up from the menu and scowled.

"I thought you said you wouldn't follow me," he said.

"I said I wouldn't follow you if you let me help you," Daisuke reminded him. "You haven't let me help you yet."

Ken opened his mouth to reply, then stopped. The Kaiser had been sitting across from him, and had looked highly annoyed to be sharing his seat with Daisuke. However, a wicked look suddenly came over the apparition's face as he leaned over, wrapped an arm around Daisuke and began kissing his neck.

"Isn't this what you would like to do?" the Kaiser laughed. "Touch him? Am I playing out your own fantasies, dear?"

"Ken?" Daisuke leaned forward worriedly. Ken seemed completely unaware of him all of the sudden. The other boy was staring at something just beside Daisuke, something that was invisible to all eyes but Ken's.

"Am I making you jealous, love?" The Kaiser moved over and kissed Daisuke on the mouth. Ken tried to close his eyes, but it was as if they were wired open. "Poor thing. Perhaps you'd like a threesome?" He ran a hand along Daisuke's arm, and blood appeared there that only Ken could see. "We'd break him, pet. He'd never be anything more than our slave then, a whimpering little creature like yourself, slave to the touch and the heat. Would you like that?"

"S-stop it," Ken said hoarsely.

"Stop what?" Daisuke felt a growing sense of dread. "Ken, what is it? What's wrong?" He knew even as he spoke that Ken couldn't hear him. He was trapped in some small world of his own, a world that Daisuke couldn't even begin to imagine.

"Don't be so sad," the Kaiser murmured, kissing Daisuke again. One hand disappeared down Daisuke pants, while the other scratched him along the face; more phantom blood appeared where the nails touched Daisuke's skin. The Kaiser pressed himself closer to Daisuke, and it seemed to Ken that blood appeared wherever the Kaiser touched, wherever there was skin on skin. "It will be fun, you'll see. If you can't forget about him, we'll just have to make him ours. He might even enjoy it, at first. You did."

"Stop it!" Ken said more forcefully, one hand going to his ferociously aching head.

"Make me," the Kaiser laughed. He kissed Daisuke once more, then detached himself from Daisuke and leaned over the table, kissing Ken hard on the lips. He ran a hand gently down the side of Ken's face, barely touching him. "My poor, beautiful, wretched pet. Are you upset, because he'll respond to me when he has nothing but contempt for you? Your weakness is rooted in your pathetic affection for him. Give that up, and then I'll stop." The gentle hand turned rough, and the Kaiser's nails raked him hard across his cheek.

"Ken!" Daisuke leaped to his feet as Ken suddenly brought a hand up to his face and scratched himself across the cheek, drawing blood. Ken didn't even seem to know what he had done; he was staring at his bloody nails with a dull, confused look. As Daisuke watched, Ken seemed to fold in on himself, wrapping his arms around his body and shaking his head wildly.

"Not here, not here..." Ken gave a strangled gasp as the Kaiser ran a hand under his shirt. "Just--can't it wait until later, I don't--"

"Who do you want?" the Kaiser whispered. "Will it be me or him? You can't have us both, my dear, not unless you let me break him. He'll never consent otherwise. Why should he? You're disgusting and worthless. Without me, you'd have nothing, and you'll never have his love without mine."

"I--I don't care about him." Ken swallowed hard as the Kaiser climbed into his lap, straddling him. "I--I--"

"Yes?" The Kaiser's eyes glittered violet behind his sunglasses. "Don't cry, love. Don't be weak. Embrace me, and be free."

Ken closed his eyes and shook his head. The Kaiser kissed him lightly, and each kiss felt like a spear of fire touching his skin.

"Ken, look at me!" Daisuke crawled into the seat beside Ken and grabbed him by the shoulders, trying to snap him out of it. "What is it, what's wrong?"

Ken cried out and Daisuke looked around helplessly. The few other people in the cafe were giving them odd looks, but no one seemed willing to step forward and help.

Dammit, what do I do? Daisuke thought wildly. He doesn't even see me!

"Ken!" Daisuke shook his friend hard, and Ken suddenly gave a strangled gasp, his eyes shooting open. He stared straight at Daisuke for a moment, obviously disoriented.

"D-Daisuke..." Ken coughed out, then stiffened as he felt the Kaiser's lips on his. He shuddered at the touch even as he leaned into the kiss.

"Are you okay? What happened?" Daisuke felt the nervousness return as Ken's eyes briefly took on that earlier distracted look. When Ken didn't answer right away he tried again. "Ken, what is it? What's wrong?"

"I..." Ken stopped. He looked up into Daisuke's eyes. "Y--you aren't bleeding."

"No," Daisuke replied, uncomprehending. He paused. "Did--did you think I was?"

"I don't know," Ken whispered. "I don't know what I'm seeing, what I'm hearing..."

"Ken, listen," Daisuke said gently. "I don't know what just happened, okay? You--you had some kind of fit, or something. See, you're bleeding." He lightly touched the scratches on Ken's cheek, and Ken flinched.

"I didn't do that," Ken said softly. "The Kaiser did."

"No, Ken." Daisuke tried to keep his voice calm. "You did it. It--it was like you didn't even see me." He swallowed heavily. "You need help, Ken. You have to listen to me, okay, because I'm really worried about you. You need help, or you're gonna hurt yourself, and I'll never forgive myself if I let that happen." He stopped, waiting for the reaction. To his surprise, and concern, Ken just laughed bitterly.

"Too late," he said in tones of purest loathing. "Too late." Carefully he pulled one arm out of the sleeve of his coat, revealing his bare arm. Long red scars ran all the way down it. "You see? It's too late. I can't be helped now."

"That's not true," Daisuke said stubbornly. "It's not too late 'cause I'm not gonna let it be too late. I can't let you do this to yourself, Ken."

Ken didn't seem to hear him. He was staring off into space, listening to the taunting voice inside his head.

"See how he tries to hide his disgust?" the Kaiser laughed. "He saw you, pet. He said it himself. He knows how sick you are now, how you hunger for me. He knows you're nothing but my whore."

"Ken? Aw, come on, don't do this to me again." Daisuke touched a hand to Ken's shoulder, and this time Ken recoiled as if had been slapped, sliding backwards so that he was pressed up against the wall, as far away from Daisuke as possible.

"You saw," he gasped out.

"Saw what?" Ken didn't answer. He had begun to tremble again.

"You know," Ken said. "You know what I am. You said you saw him hurt me... that it was just me. You know. You--you weren't supposed to know this much. You weren't supposed to know anything."

"Ken, calm down," Daisuke said in soothing tones, as if trying to talk to a wounded and possibly violent animal. "What are you talking about? I don't understand."

"Go away," Ken said, more a plea than a command. "Please...just go away. It'll-- it'll stop in a minute. It has to."

"I'm not going to leave," Daisuke said. "You can't force me away this time, Ken! I'm going to help you or--"

He didn't get a chance to complete his sentence. Ken dived forward, trying to escape. Daisuke grabbed at him and Ken scratched his arm. Daisuke pulled back with a curse as blood ran down his arm. Ken took advantage of the moment and his fist flashed out, hitting Daisuke hard. Daisuke fell back and Ken ran out of the cafe, ignoring Daisuke yelling after him.

"Running away again?" The Kaiser shook his head. "You're always running away, aren't you dear? No wonder they all hate you."

"Sh-shut up," Ken panted. "I know I'm running again. I know." But this time I'm not running away, he thought resolutely. I know exactly where I'm going this time.

And when I get there, I'll make sure that everything will stop. I'll make sure that I never run again.

----

I know, I know, another cliffhanger type ending, please don't lynch me. We're gettin' into the homestretch now (and as of this chapter, this is officially the longest fic I have ever written. It feels so milestone-y!) Anyway, blah blah blah next-chapter-coming-sooncakes.