Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Ruin ❯ A Life Destroyed ( Chapter 1 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
Disclaimer: Digimon and all related characters, items, ideas, etc. belong to Toei animation and any other companies unknown to me. This fan fiction is intended solely for entertainment purposes. Any and all ways to make money off of it is not through my actions. Misuse of this fan fiction in any way will result in persecution to the full extent of the law.
With the exception of anything related to Digimon, this fan fiction is a work of my imagination. Any characters resembling real people (living or dead) or things are entirely coincidental.
The year is 2300. Earth is in a terrible state. After an enormous meteor hit Earth and ushered in a Nuclear Winter, metropolitan cities became slums, and crime rules the streets. Gangs, riding Hoverbikes, terrorize the homeless. Lands once lush with plants and animals are scorched and lifeless. Summed up, the world has collapsed.
But for some, life is not over. Money can be made in delivering raw goods for criminal organizations. Specifically for one 18 year old teen, by the name of Taichi…
"200,000 yen for three tons of spices? That's it? You gotta be kidding me." Taichi argued.
"I can barely afford to keep my group alive." The short, fat man, known only as Newt, said with a sneer. "Let alone give tips to punks like you." He turned around, but Taichi grabbed his shoulder.
"How do you expect me to make a living? My wallet is thinner than ever."
Newt grumbled. "Taichi, I know you've been faithfully delivering me stuff for six months,"
"Seven."
"Right, seven months, but I can't offer anything more. 200,000 yen, take it or leave it."
Taichi glared at the boss of the local Pub. "I know some groups who'd pay twice as much for half of these spices."
The balding man sighed. "Very well, I'll add another 25,000. But that's it." He took out a large cube shaped device with a slot on the left side. From his pocket, he pulled a blue piece of plastic, about the size and shape of a credit card out, and slid it through the opening. The number '225,000' showed up on a little screen, then the money-carrying card popped out. Then Taichi pulled out his own blue card, and put it into the same opening. The word 'Transferring money…' blinked on the screen, then it flashed, 'Transfer complete.' Taichi's card popped out, and then he was 225,000 yen richer.
"Nice doing business with you again Newt. I've gotta take the Peregrine for a new repulsion engine."
"I ain't surprised. That junk pile is held together with spit and rubber bands." Newt mumbled and turned away
"Hey, don't insult my ship!" Taichi grabbed the Pub boss by his shirt collar. "She's been faithful to me for two years."
"Hmph, I don't care about your ship, just your cargo. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a bar to run." Newt waddled off the loading platform.
Taichi pocketed his card, then went to the Peregrine, his own airship. It was an old, reliable ship that he had gotten at some grimy shop for a fairly cheap price. It was truly a diamond in the rough. She had two enormous wings that could be folded back for speed and forward for maneuverability. Weapons were limited but sufficient, a small laser turret at the top and a pair of 42mm machine guns in front. 2 large engines in the back, and 2 each on either backside, making 6 in all, which allowed the Peregrine to reach up to 450 kilometers an hour. However, there was a reason the ship came so cheap. Everything from the nuclear reactor to the gauges on the H.U.D needed repairing. But Taichi never seemed to have enough money for it.
He went into the pilot room and sat down in the right chair. Taichi's partner, Agumon, occupied the other one. The Digimon was doing his favorite thing, sleeping. "Hey you Slothmon, wake up!" The pilot roughly shoved him off the seat."
"Oomph! I'm up, I'm up!" Agumon wearily stood back up, rubbing his head. "So, how much did we make today?"
"Enough for a new repulsion coil, and some food." Taichi began powering up Peregrine. The engines throbbed to life, and the electronics in front of the duo glowed green across the board. A moment later, Taichi's ship rose from the small platform, turned ninety degrees, then surged forward. Agumon put on Auto pilot, then hopped off his seat and headed off to the food storage for his other favorite thing, eating.
Taichi reclined in the pilot seat, and looked at the rubble that was once Odaiba below. He could spot gangs messing around, families huddling by fires, and street races by guys on motorcycles. Yeah, Earth was really at a low point. But he would live through it. His dream was to run a raw goods business, but for now, he was just some delivery guy with a rotting ship living in an old apartment in the ruined city of Odaiba. But who knows when he'd hit the big time.
At about 7 at night, Peregrine arrived at the body shop. Taichi gave the money needed, then went onto the streets with Agumon to the local bar. He paid for the food and drinks as well. Agumon, though less than half of Taichi's size, ate more steak then he did. After the quick dinner, the partners headed for the parking lot. Along the way they passed by a dark alley, which they heard several people talking. Taichi's curiosity got the best of him and he stopped to listen.
"No, I'm serious! I don't have it!" The voice of a girl about Taichi's age pleaded.
The sound of knuckles hitting flesh rang out, followed by a cry of pain. "Listen bitch, I let you into my group, and I expected you to pick some pockets." Another punch was thrown. "You aren't pulling your weight, and I don't like that."
"Please Ray, I… I can make up for it! I promise!" The girl said weakly, trying to escape from a beating.
"Too late for that." He snapped his fingers. Apparently, there were several more people, because a series of knuckle cracking caused the girl to whimper in fright. Taichi couldn't stand the sounds of pain, and ended up running into the alley. "Hey! Lay off of her!" He shouted at the four men.
Immediately, all of them stopped and turned towards the intruder. "This ain't your business punk, get yourself and that shrub you call your hair outta here."
"Now you've done it." Agumon muttered.
Taichi took several steps forward. "No one insults my hair. I said to quit beating on the girl, now do it before I kick your ass so hard, you won't be able to sit down for a month."
The tall leader of the gang snarled. "Get him!" He shouted to his three cronies.
Taichi took a fighting stance. The first guy was small and skinny, and quickly fell under a kick in the face. The two others double-teamed him. One of them pinned his arms while the other punched his chest. Taichi broke free of the iron grip, then did an uppercut square in one's jaw, and then roundhouse kicked him. He landed and curled up, fighting to regain his breath. The third man took off with the other two painfully following him.
The victorious Taichi went over to the battered teen girl. "You OK?"
"Yeah, I'm fine…Unh!" She tried to stand up but her knees buckled and gave out.
"They got you pretty good, eh?" Taichi reached down to help her.
The girl gratefully accepted his hand. "I should've know it was a bad idea to join them." Taichi finally got a good look at her. She was a small, skinny girl, nearly a head smaller than the teenage pilot was. Her cloths were torn and ragged, and her orange-red hair was messy. She looked like a regular woman living in the slums. "Uh… I'm kinda far from my hut. Could you give me some help getting there or something?"
"I don't think so. My ship can barely hold me and my partner, and I'm busy." He began to turn away.
"Wait! Please, I can hardly walk, let alone go twenty blocks!" She pleaded.
Taichi turned and looked into her deep brown eyes, and something made him say, "All right, I guess."
"Thanks, lead the way."
Taichi walked out of the alley with Agumon and the girl behind him. She began to stir up a conversation. "So, um… what's your name?"
"Taichi." He responded simply.
"My name's Sora. I live in the northern side, with my Mom. We sell some flowers there. It's not much, but we get by. But we're in a tough spot right now, and I thought I could join a gang and get some money. Didn't work out." She looked down at the cracked asphalt. "They beat me, raped me, and occasionally raided my house. I was supposed to have 1,000 yen by today, but I could only come up with half that." Sora looked back up. "There, I told my story, now let's hear yours."
Taichi sighed. "Mine's not very glamorous either. I used to live in Tokyo, but my family went broke, my sister caught a bad case of pneumonia, and died. Then my Dad kicked me out when I was 14 for wanting to be a pilot. He said I was living in a dream world, and that I'd never be good for anything.
I got a job as a cargo unloader. Two years of that and I got my pilot license and got a decent ship called the Peregrine and a partner, Agumon back there. Since then I've been delivering goods to people. That's about it."
Sora nodded. "Yup, we're just two rejects in the city, scrounging for money.
The trio arrived in the parking lot, where Taichi's ship sat waiting. He opened the hatch with a remote, and walked inside with Sora and Agumon behind him. Taichi and Agumon plopped down into their seats.
"Where am I going to sit?" Sora asked.
Taichi motioned at the floor.
"Hmph." Sora grumbled then sat cross-legged on the hard ground.
The Peregrine's engines roared to life. After going up about 50 feet, Taichi shoved forward the throttle, which made Sora fall back and hit the door of the pilot room.
"Hey! Not so fast!" She complained as the pilot broke 300 kilometers an hour.
The ride took only a few minuets. By eight P.M, Sora had pointed out the entrance to her house. Taichi slowly lowered Peregrine and lowered the hatch out. Sora waved good-bye and shouted "Thanks!" The pilot watched her as she entered her house for several moments. Agumon snapped him out of his trance, and he began to take off, when Sora came bursting out, waving her arms and tears in down her cheeks.
"Keep her on stand-by, I'll see what's up." Taichi leaped from his seat and ran down the boarding ramp.
He met a babbling, sobbing Sora. "Taichi… my house… my Mom… gone… dead…! Everything!"
"Calm down, and catch your breath!" Taichi commanded her.
Sora pointed to her house. "In there, in there!"
Taichi pulled himself away from her grip and went into her small, underground house. Inside, it looked as though a bomb had gone off. Cabinets and their contents were across the floor, the garbage was tilted over, the small table was broken in two and the garden of flowers had been crushed and burnt. But the most horrifying thing was what happened to Sora's mother. She was lying spread eagle on the floor, viscously stabbed and cut. A puddle of blood was under her, and the stench of death reeked in the hut.
Sora walked in sobbing, and buried her face in his chest, crying out every last tear. Taichi could only stand there and comfort the girl whose life had fallen apart.