Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Masks ❯ Clay Trap ( Chapter 5 )

Chapter 5: Clay Trap

 

“Takato, please help me to understand you calling me at three in the morning?” Henry growled over the phone, not even bothering to sit up in his bed.

 

Takato then went about the evening's events for both himself and the Boy Wonder.

 

“You mean Rika kissed you again,” Henry asked, sitting up, “This time with her … whoa …” Henry then stood up and kicked Terriermon's small bed, “Ok, come on over. Bye.” Henry said hanging up his phone, but jumped when a tapping came from his window.

 

The Digimon Tamer pulled open the curtain to see Robin perched on his windowsill holding a cell phone. “Damn it, Takato, I wish you'd stop pulling that shit!”

 

“Whoa … Henry cussed,” Terriermon yawned sleepily, sitting up, “Cool. Goodnight.” He then laid back down and went back to sleep.

 

Takato hopped into the room and pulled off his mask, “Help,” He whimpered, his eyes filled with confusion.

 

“Ok, let me think,” Henry said sitting down beside his best friend. “Alright, you've liked Annie since Gotham, but you also like Rika. Annie's back and likes you. Rika loathes you but tongue kissed Robin an hour ago.”

 

Takato nodded rapidly.

 

“Momentai, Takato,” Terriermon rolled over, “the solution is simple, the miracle of threesome, you just decide on who straddles and who faces.”

 

“IT WAS YOU!” Henry pointed his finger at the Digimon, “I WAS GROUNDED FOR A MONTH BECAUSE OF THAT PAY PER VIEW, AND IT WAS YOU!!!”

 

The Digimon and Tamer then turned to their surprisingly quite friend. Takato's face was the color of his Robin vest and he had a dreamy smile on his face.

 

“Oh God … he's actually thinking about it!” Terriermon blanched.

 

“Yup …” Takato sighed before shaking his head, “I mean NO! Besides, one, Rika would kill me for even THINKING about it, and two, Rika likes Robin, not Takato, and I can't exactly … ya know with a mask on!”

 

“And why not?” Terriermon challenged with a grin.

 

“I can't believe we're having this conversation at three in the morning …” Henry said, rubbing his face.

 

“You'd never handle being around Dick,” Takato grinned, “We had some interesting conversations, for no other reason then to stay awake on stakeouts.”

 

“Seriously though, Takato,” Henry said looking at his friend, “I think you should tell her the truth. It's like your leading her on. She can be a bitch sometimes, but she doesn't deserve that. Let her see the real you, and let her decide what she wants.” 

 

“How am I supposed to show her the real me when I'm still a bit fuzzy on that?” Takato muttered under his breath. 

 

“I can't tell you what to do,” Henry said hoping back in bed, “You have to decide for yourself. Just think about it and do what you feel is right. What would your mentor do in a situation like this?”

 

“Batman?” Takato looked away in thought, before chuckling, “if he was me, he'd piss off both of them and make them not want to see my face ever, ever again.”

 

“Ok, one bit of advice,” Henry blinked, “Don't do that.” 

 

“Right, we'll I better go, Tamer meeting tomorrow?” Takato asked putting his mask back on.

 

“Yup, be a good time to take Rika to the side and set the record straight.” Henry advised, “I'm certain she'd keep your secret, might blackmail you into something with it, but probably won't be completely unentertaining.”

 

“Oh, go to sleep, Brainiac,” Robin chuckled before jumping out his bedroom window.

 

---

 

Takato stood nervously before the Nonaka home, before finally sucking in a breath and knocking. After a few moments Rika's mother and grandmother opened the door.

 

“Hello, you must be Gogglehead, Rika speaks of you often,” Rika's grandmother smiled warmly, “She's in her room, you can go on up if you want.”

 

Takato blushed and nodded before taking steps up the stairs and slowly making his way toward the girl's bedroom.

 

“Why am I so nervous? The worse that can happen is she was to tear out my heart and shove it down my own throat … bad thought, bad thought, think happy thoughts,” Takato thought out loud.

 

He finally timidly knocked on her bedroom door, and her muffled voice called from the other side, “Door's open. Come on in.”

 

Takato took a deep breath, and entered the bedroom, but nothing could have prepared him for what he saw.

 

Rika and Annie sat on their knees on Rika's bed, both dressed in nearly transparent teddies, both fondling each other. “Hey, we thought you'd never get here!” Annie chirped flirtily.

 

“Yeah, it's not nice to keep ladies waiting, Gogglehead,” Rika winked.

 

“W-w-w-w-w-w-w-what?” Takato blushed crimson. 

 

“If you don't want them,” Bruce Wayne in his trademark three-piece suite said, stepping out from nowhere, “I'll take um off your hands.”

 

“NO!!!” Takato screamed, sitting up in his bed, covered in sweat, “DAMN YOU, WAYNE!!! DAMN YOU!!”

 

“TAKATO!” Mrs. Matsuki yelled from down the hall, “Watch your language, young man!” 

 

Takato shook his head, “can I not have a nice dream without him screwing it up?” Takato shook his head. He looked at his clock and saw that he still had three hours till his meeting with the other Tamers.

 

“I'm going to tell her the truth,” Takato nodded to himself. “I've faced psychos, monsters, Digimon, demons, and evil girls in spandex, I can tell Rika the truth and live to tell about it.” He then glanced in the mirror, “Oh who am I kidding, I'm gonna die.” 

 

---

 

Rika sighed as she laid on the living room couch her feet propped up on the back, and her deck in her hands flipping through the cards aimlessly.

 

“Bread,” Rika said out loud, “tasted like bread. Matsuki Bread.”

 

 “Want some bread, dear?”

 

“Oh, no, thanks, Grandma!” Rika called, not looking up from the couch, mostly to hide her blush, “I was just thinking out loud.”

 

Before her grandmother could question more, the telephone rang. Her grandmother grabbed the phone before Rika could get up, “Hello? Yes, one moment please,” Grandmother nodded, and quickly made her way into the kitchen. 

 

Curiosity got the better of Rika, and she followed, but didn't enter the kitchen, instead leaned against the wall, listening to her mother closely.

 

“Hey, why am I not surprised you'd only call when you need something,” Rika's mother replied somewhat heatedly to whomever she was talking to on the phone. “Yes, I'm still keeping an eye on Tim,” she replied.

 

“Tim? Who's Tim?” Rika whispered, narrowing her eyes.

 

“Why do you keep torturing the boy, hasn't he been through enough?” Rika's mother asked, “What? They're here? Don't move him somewhere else, I don't think my daughter could handle it. No, no they're just friends, but Rika has a hard time with friends, so please … I understand … what did you say? You're not moving him? Thank god …”

 

“I know him? Who the hell is this Tim?” Rika asked again, getting into the conversation.

 

“WHAT? YOU'RE HERE TOO??” Her mother sounded ecstatic, “oh please come by, Bruce, I have someone I really want you to … oh … oh I see … I understand …maybe some other time then …  I'll continue watching over him, you did a good job and you'd be proud of his foster parents, he's a fine young man. Bye.”

 

As soon as Rika heard the phone hang up, Rika took a flying leap back to the couch, getting settled right as her mother and grandmother exited the kitchen. 

 

“Rika?”

 

“Oh, hey Mom,” Rika faked a yawn and stretched, “I was half asleep, what's up?”

 

“I thought you were meeting your friends …” Rika's mother's sentence was cut off when Rika jumped to her feet throwing her cards in all directions.

 

“Dang it! I forgot!” Rika half screamed, running toward the door chanting `dangitdangitdangit!” 

 

She dashed out of the house. After around a minute she ran right back in, “Shoes! Shoes! Shoes!”

 

She literally hopped into her sneakers, and ran back out continuing her `dangitdangitdangit!' chant.

 

---

 

“Rika … I'm … Robin.”

 

“No, sound too much like Bruce,” Takato shook his head as he walked toward the park talking to himself.

 

“Hey, Rika, those were some hot lips. Yeah you guessed it, I'm Robin, wanna kiss again?” Takato sighed and slapped his forehead, “Now I'm sounding like BB, there has to be an easier way to do this …”

 

“Just tell the truth,” Takato sighed, not watching where he was going, “Just tell the truth …”

 

“GOGGLEHEAD, WATCH IT!” He heard Rika cry, and looked up just before the running girl collided with him, sending them both to the ground with a thud.

 

`At least I landed on something soft …' Takato thought, his vision blocked by whatever pillowed his face from hitting the ground.

 

“Goggles …” Takato heard Rika growl.

 

He slowly brought his arms to the side, and suddenly got a sick feeling when he felt his hands land on what felt like, but he hoped wasn't, Rika's knees. “Goggles … move … now…”

 

Takato, being careful not to make any sudden movements, eased his face back and glanced up, and it was exactly as he feared, and beyond his control a drop of blood slid from his nostril. His face had landed safely in Rika's crotch. `Oh God, I was right, I am gonna die …”

 

Rika jerked him to his feet holding him inches from her own face, “Gogglehead, I hope you're all set, because you're about to go to the next world!”

 

“Rika it was just an accident,” Takato rambled, “I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!” 

 

When he opened his eyes, he was surprised to see that her face had lost all its rage as well as its color.

 

“Can't be … almost the same … almost the same …” Rika mumbled, dropping Takato in her stunned state.

 

“Um … I'll see you at the shed! Bye Rika!” Takato called, getting out of there while the getting was good.

 

  Rika watched him go then reached up to touch her lips, `it wasn't similar, or close,' Rika blinked, her heart racing, “Takato and Robin have the exact same breath … is he … are they …”

 

---

 

Takato finally made it to the shed and was surprised to see the group gathered around Annie. “Hello, Takato,” Annie smiled sweetly, “We've been having a informative conversation on Digivolution. I find your friend Guilmon's evolutions very interesting.”

 

“Um … ok …” Takato said, Bruce's voice in the back of his mind telling him that something very bad was about to happen.

 

“I wonder, is there a Digimon more powerful then Megidramon?” Annie inquired strangely.

 

“Not sure, we never really stuck around long enough to see how strong that thing was,” Kazu stated, shrugging his shoulders.

 

“Hey, Gogglehead,” Rika called from behind Takato, making the boy stiffen quickly. “Can we talk for a second?”

 

“Hmm does she know, Tim?” Annie grinned at Takato, making Rika snap her head toward the girl.  

 

“Annie …” Takato said, half warningly half fearfully.

 

“I hope you don't mind, I brought a old friend with me,” she said rolling her neck slightly, grinning somewhat insanely. “He's missed you lots, Boy Wonder.”

 

Takato's eyes widened in realization, he did the one thing Bruce warned him against before all else. “Don't trust sweet smiles, goddamnit! EVERYONE GET OUT OF HERE!” he called before a large clay mass shot from the ground knocking the teen into a tree.

 

“Takato!” Rika called only to be pulled away by Renamon.

 

“He's ok,” Henry responded watching as the mass of clay merge into a towering monster.

 

“What kind of Digimon is that?” Terriermon asked hopping in front of Henry protectively.  

 

“It's not a Digimon,” Takato said in a voice nothing like his usual, “It used to be a man, it's just a shell now. Nothing but a wad of pathetic clay.”

 

“Watch your mouth, Batbrat!” Clayface barked, stepping toward Takato menacingly.  

 

“Get everyone out of here!” Takato yelled, grabbing for his deck. `No time for getting in costume, lets see what the slimy jerk thinks of my other look,' he thought smiling evilly, “Guilmon! Ready?” Takato called as his Dinosaur-like Digimon ran to his tamer's side.

 

“Guilmon ready, Takatomon!” Guilmon growled, shinning his teeth at the monstrosity.

 

“I'm going to stop you this time and free Annie from your control once and for all, Clayface, and this time Batman isn't here to save you!” Takato sneered, not caring who heard him, and quickly slashing his card through his D-Arc.

 

“GUILMON MATRIX DIGIVOLVE TO …” Guilmon cried out as he and Takato began to glow and slowly move toward one another, merging together, and in a flash Guilmon and Takato were replaced by a single towering force to be reckoned with, “GALLANTMON!”

 

“Nice trick,” Clayface said unimpressed.

 

Clayface then turned to the seemingly insane Annie, “Would you like to give it a try dear?”

 

“Of course father!” Annie said in a chipper voice as Mudfrigimon hopped from the girl's backpack.

 

Annie hands turned to clay for a moment before a D-Arc appeared in her right hand and a card appeared in her left.

 

“Oh no you don't!” Rika called swiping her own card.

 

“RENAMON MATRIX DIGIVOLVE TO …” the Kitsune Digimon called out as she and her Tamer began to merge together to the Digimon's Mega-form “SAKUYAMON!”  

 

“Good, we get to have more fun,” Annie said swiping her card before the two Mega Digimon could move in.

 

“MUDFRIGIMON MATRIX DIGIVOLVE TO …” the small bear-like copy and its `tamer' melted into clay and mixed together before taking a shape similar to one that none of the Digimon Tamers ever wanted to see again, “CLAYMEGIDRAMON!”

 

“Ok … this is bad,” Kazu said, looking at the towering dragon with what looked like melted armor.

 

“No kidding,” Kenta responded as the two ducked behind the shed, “We've faced worse before.”

 

“No we haven't,” Kazu shook his head knowingly, “That mofo is UGLY!”  

 

“I've heard my big brother talking about Clayface before,” Suzie said, ducking beside them, “If Robin were here he'd be able to stop him, he has before!” she said dreamily.

 

Kazu and Kenta glanced at each other and sweat dropped before turning back to the fight.

 

---

 

“Henry, make sure we're alone. We'll hold them off, but we'll probably need your help!” Gallantmon barked, using his shield to deflect a pair of clay blasts from the two monsters.

 

Henry nodded and he and Terriermon went to work making sure the area was clear.

 

While Henry distracted Gallantmon, Clayface took the initiative and dove into the cracks of the Digimon's armor. “Let's see what happens when I push out, shall we?” Gallantmon heard Clayface's voice as he felt as if he was being torn apart.

 

Gallantmon screamed before he exploded in light and Takato and Guilmon flew in separate direction, Guilmon bouncing along he ground and Takato disappearing in the bushes.

 

“TAKATO! GUILMON!” Sakuyamon called out in concern, before turning her attention back on the two monsters.

 

 “Two on one now, huh babe?” Clayface laughed approaching the lone Digimon.

 

“Make that two on two,” Rapidmon stepped up beside the Digimon-Tamer combo, “Henry sent me to back you up.”

 

“Make that three on two,” a third voice said, and Robin swung in landing straddle Claymegidramon's neck. “Girl, you used to be pretty, but now you've gotten really ugly …”    

 

Robin glanced up to the Digimon, “Be careful with him,” He said as the dragon began to try to buck him off, “If anyone can take this thing down in a hurry it'd be me, be back when I can!” he said as the monster jumped and bucked away from the others.

 

Claymegidramon finally threw Robin off and the Boy Wonder collided against the tree. He shook his head and jumped to his feet, barely dodging a barrage of clay spikes. “Annie! What's he done to you?” Robin called, glaring up in the demon's eyes.

 

“You still call me that?” Claymegidramon asked, showing its sharp brown teeth, “The Annie you knew is dead, I was merely a copy. I was supposed to find you and find out about your new identity, and you fell for it beautifully!” she laughed, throwing some more spikes Robin's way.

 

The emotion drained from the Dark Squire's face, not even flinching when a spike cut across his arm. “I have a question, do you have your father's weakness toward acid too?”

 

The fake Digimon blinked a few times, before a small sphere hit it in the chest, breaking open and released a bubbling fluid on the monster's chest. “Does that hurt? That's battery acid, straight from Energizer batteries.” Robin stated emotionlessly. “I'll make it stop, I'll put you out of your misery, old friend,” he said, pulling his gloved hands from his cape holding four spheres in each. “Goodbye, Annie.”

 

---

 

Robin quickly made his way back, and wasn't surprised to see Rapidmon had Matrix Digivolved with Henry to make Megagargomon. He was surprised to see the towering green Digimon on the defensive, and Sakuyamon missing. “Have to end this fast before anyone else is hurt.” Robin thought pulling out some more battery acid spheres from his utility belt. He double jumped from the side of a tree and prepared to throw them as Clayface turned to him.

 

“TAKATO! NO!” Megagargomon called as Clayface smiled at the incoming Boy Wonder. The clay monster's chest rolled back, revealing an unconscious Rika entangled inside him.  

 

Robin's eyes widened and he dropped the spheres to the ground. Clayface laughed and ceiled his chest back up before whipping several razor sharp tendrils at Robin, cutting armored tights and skin, sending the boy to the ground with a sickening thud.

 

“Let her go!” Robin shouted, pulling himself to his feet.

 

“Or what?” Clayface laughed, glaring at the Boy Wonder and Mega Digimon who were helpless to fight back. “I can feel her inside me, Tim, she's gasping for air, shame she's not conscious. It is so much fun to feel them suffocating and fighting for air, I bet she would have been a fighter, wouldn't she?”

 

Robin quickly glanced around. He had lost his last acid bombs, but then his eyes settled on a power line going through the park. “Megagargomon, get that power cable, when I give you the signal, jam it into the bastard.”

 

“But Rika, what about her? She's still in there!” The mechanical Digimon questioned.

 

“She won't be for long …” Robin said, before surprising the monstrosity and diving inside him.

            ;     

“TAKATO!” Megagargomon called, but it was too late. He gulped and quickly did as told, and watched the confused Clayface carefully.

 

Clayface laughed heartedly, “Suicidal freak,” He laughed, feeling the Boy Wonder moving around inside him. “How's this, boy?” he asked, adding a few sharp blade-like pieces inside him.

 

“He stopped?” Clayface asked looking down at himself, “Did I get him?”

 

The answer to his question came from a grapple firing out of his shoulder and the injured Robin repelling out of him like a bullet with Rika cradled in his arm, “Megagargomon! Now!” Robin called out.

 

The towering Digimon quickly jammed the power cable in the still surprised Clayface's mouth. Less then a moment later the monster screamed out in pain and collapsed backwards his body hardened like a stone.

 

Megagargomon sighed and quickly de-Digivolved back into Terriermon and Henry as Suzy, Kazu, Kenta, and the barely standing Renamon limped out from behind the shed.

 

“Thank goodness … oh my goodness,” Kenta gasped, seeing Robin's face.

 

“RIKA!” Robin called, lowering the girl to the ground. He quickly lowered his ear to her mouth, and placed his hand over her chest, “She's not breathing … no heartbeat! Rika!”  

 

Robin quickly went to work at giving the girl CPR. “Come on, Ice Queen, don't you give up!” he said between trying to breath for her. “Rika, don't you dare leave me!” He ordered pounding on her chest, before breathing into her mouth again, “Breathe damn it!”

 

“Rika, I need you with me, so come back!” Robin growled on the verge of tears, “I don't care if you think I'm the most pathetic thing in the world and call me that stupid Gogglehead name, just come back!” he continued breathing into her mouth as the others began to lose hope.

 

Robin breathed into her mouth again, shrugging off the hand Henry placed on his shoulder. “I'm not giving up on her!” He shouted before pounding on her chest, “Rika! You're not! Aloud to! Go before! I get the chance! To tell you I-“ he was cut off as Rika gasped, rolled to her side and began to cough up clay.

 

“W-what happened?” Rika breathed rolling back on her back.

 

“Had a bad experience with Clayface, Rika,” Robin said, smiling at the girl. His smile faded when he saw her blank surprised stare.

 

Robin glanced around and saw Kazu, Kenta, Suzy, Jeri, and the Digimon were looking at him with the same stare.

 

He then turned to Henry who was outlining a mask on his face with his forefinger.

 

Robin blinked and reached up to touch his face, and felt his stomach drop. He lost his mask inside Clayface. He then smiled at his friends and chuckled lightly, “Um … I can explain …”

 

To Be Continued …

 

Next Chapter: Takato Unmasked