Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Strange ❯ Part 5 ( Chapter 5 )

Title: Strange
Rating: R (for language)
Warnings: OOC, angst
Pairings: Kensuke and Kenyako on the side.
Summery: When nature is overruled by nurture, the sins of the family can be devastating. Maybe the wrongs can be righted. Maybe Ken and Daisuke can help each other, if they get over their own problems first.
Disclaimer: Digimon and the characters within belong to their respective owners. No profit is being made.

Author's notes: Here's a bit more into how this works. Comments and criticisms are more than welcome. If anyone had further questions about what's going on here, feel free to ask in a review or comment and I'll try to answer it in the next chapter posting or in the story itself.

 

Also, the other day my computer's modem apparently died, which means it is now only a glorified typewriter with a screen (And my monitor has had one foot in the grave for years). This means I don't really have access to my Livejournal or my email, at least not as I had before. I'm posting this before I really wanted to because 1) It's been over a month since the last chapter and 2) I have found the time to work on the story so I'm actually almost finished with the next chapter. BUT, I can't work on this on my mother's computer and her computer's A-drive has been busted since she bought it (And it may have just broken mine by extension, but I haven't had time to check that yet.) My boyfriend's new computer doesn't have an A-drive OR a program for writing documents (unless I wanted to type it up in txt document, which is a bad Idea because my spelling is horrible.) And, I can't spend hours in the library. SO, I dunno when I'll be able to get the next chapter out. Please just bare with me; I'm working on it. Sorry for any inconvenience.

 

But, on a brighter note…

 

Part 5

 

“I'm bored,” Ken said as Daisuke found him ten minutes later, after Daisuke had finished being stunned stupid.

 

“Uhh,” he said, unintelligibly.

 

“Are you hungry?”

 

“What? Um, I guess so.”

 

“And I suppose you want hamburgers.”

 

Daisuke just shrugged.

 

“What's the matter? Don't you like hamburgers?”

 

Daisuke shrugged again, “They're ok.”

 

“Excellent.” Ken started heading for one of the paths that led out of the park. “As I said before, I'm bored.”

 

“And I suppose you want me for entertainment…” Daisuke said carefully.

 

“Quite the contrary. I can make my own entertainment, what I need from you is assistance.”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“I'm tired of babysitting and I feel my talents could be better utilized in other… pursuits.”

 

Daisuke threw up his heads in frustration, “Would you just speak English! GAH! You are such an ass.”

 

Ken chuckled, “I'm thinking of taking over the school.”

 

“What?” Daisuke half squeaked, half shouted. “You can't be serious.”

 

They were on the street now, headed away from the park, but not towards the school or Ken's house.

 

“Keep your voice down. Yes, I am very serious.”

 

“But that's like….” Words failed him. He didn't like the way this sounded; Daisuke knew that Ken could be a little cold and a bit mean sometimes, but he couldn't possibly…

 

“Stay with the conversation, Daisuke. I'm not talking about enslaving the World, it's a high school.”

 

“So you're going to enslave a few hundred students and an over worked faculty?”

 

“Grow up. I'm not enslaving anyone, it's too much work and it's not a stable hierarchy. Some upstarts, authority figures, or random do-gooders always show up and upset the status quo. No, it's much easier to have people want to follow you.”

 

Daisuke started laughing, “You're weird. That was a joke, right?”

 

“No. It wasn't.”

 

“But… how would you do something like that? That's like… mind control or something.”

 

Ken had stopped on the sidewalk and was holding open a door to a little shop, motioning for Daisuke to step inside. Ken entered after him and let the door swing shut behind the both of them. The bells on the door jingled quaintly as Ken stepped around him and headed to the counter.

 

It was a little Mom and Pop convenience store, in which Daisuke had never been; in fact, he didn't think he'd been on the street it sat on before. It didn't look like a standard burger joint; it didn't even look like it sold hotdogs. Daisuke hunched his shoulders and followed Ken to the front, wondering why they were there.

 

He smiled. “Hello, Inoue-san,” Ken said to the lady at the counter.

 

She was sorting out packages of something and at Ken's greeting she looked up and smiled. She looked vaguely familiar to Daisuke but he couldn't put his finger on it.

 

“Oh, hello, Ken,” she said. “Miyako isn't in yet.” Then, she seemed to think better of what she had just said and looked at the digital display for a moment before turning back to the two teens in front of her. Her head tilted, as she regarded them, “Shouldn't you two gentlemen be in school?”

 

“Yes, Mama. Actually, the English Club is having a field trip today. We were excused from normal classes for the late departure. I just thought we'd come here and pick up some of your famous rolls for lunch. I was just telling my friend, Davis, how delicious they are.”

 

Daisuke nodded briefly while he tried not to laugh. Of course, this must be Miyako's mother; he had heard some time ago that her parents owned a store.

 

The woman smiled in delight, “Oh, that's so kind of you to say. But,” her smile faltered, “we sold out an hour ago and I haven't had the chance to go back and make some more. I'm sorry.”

 

“Oh, don't trouble yourself,” Ken said, smoothly.

 

Daisuke looked away to roll his eyes; Ken was really laying it on thick.

 

“You're such a nice young man. I'll be sure to send some with Miyako next time. But, since you're here, we do have plenty of lunch items. Please, look around.”

 

“Thank you,” he turned and poked Daisuke down one of the isles.

 

“That was—”

 

Ken nudged him, “Shh! Wait until we are outside. Pick something.”

 

Not one to waste this kind of opportunity, Daisuke ran up and down the isles picking up junk food with little to no nutritious value while Ken moved at a more sedated pace, picking up actual food. The second time Daisuke tried to speed past Ken in the isle, Ken stepped in his way. Quietly, he said, “I hope you can pay for all of that.”

 

Daisuke looked embarrassed for a moment before slowly turning around and moving to put some of his items back.

 

Ken snorted and poked Daisuke again, in the same place, harder this time.

 

“Ouch!” Daisuke wanted to rub his side, but he didn't really have a free hand to do so.

 

“Counter,” Ken said, briefly. They walked up and deposited all their things in front of Inoue-san. Ken offered her a few more compliments while she rang up and bagged, which he insisted on helping with, their things. He gave her one more compliment, along with the money, handed Daisuke the bags, and headed for the door.

 

“What the Hell was that about?” Daisuke asked once they were outside.

 

“That was me paying a visit to my girlfriend's mother, making sure her day is nice, being helpful, and perpetuating her good impression of me.”

 

“What?”

 

“I want Miyako's mother to like me as much as, if not more than, Miyako herself. She will be an important ally to have later. I plan on exploiting her daughter, and Miyako is not nearly the idiot she presents herself as. If Miyako get any idea that she's not being treated properly, she'll run home and complain to her mother. I want her mother to turn her around and send Miyako back to me.”

 

Daisuke stared at Ken, slack jawed, and then he tripped on a crack in the sidewalk. He shook his head, “Umm, wow. You've really thought about this…”

 

“Marginally,” Ken agreed.

 

“But… Ok, I see that's how you'd get Miyako to like you, umm `want to follow you,' but the rest of the student body? I mean, they all can't be your girlfriends,” he almost choked on the last word.

 

“It's ok, Daisuke. You don't have to be my girlfriend, unless you want to. Otherwise, you can be my minion.”

 

Daisuke really did choke that time. He sputtered and hacked for a minute, until he realized that Ken was laughing. “ACK!” he choked one last time before taking a deep breath. “You're laughing! That was a joke? That was a joke, right? I didn't think you could make jokes.”

 

Ken's laughter had died down to a mirthful chuckle. He led Daisuke around a corner to a little outdoor café. They sat at one of the shaded tables and Ken took a sandwich out of one of the bad. Daisuke took a bad of chips.

 

“Ok! Ok!” he said, not really pleased that Ken was still laughing at him. “You still haven't explained the whole taking over the school thing. I mean, unless you really do plan on using mind control.”

 

“You make things too difficult. It's a high school. Most of the students there break their backs trying to conform and fit in the group. It's a simple matter of using popularity. And blackmail.”

 

“Ok, so Miyako is supposed to help with the popularity,” he paused for Ken's nod. “And I guess I'm supposed to help with the blackmail.”

 

“Hardly.” Ken finished off his sandwich before continuing. “I told you, I can make my own entertainment. I need you for something different.”

 

“Well, what is it?”

 

“I need you to help me with him.”

 

Daisuke stared at him for a moment before breaking into laughter, “You're tired of babysitting Ichijouji so now you want me to do it? Give me a break.”

 

“No. I told you, he needs to grow up, but it's not going to happen overnight. I'll need you to be there when I can't, to make sure that he doesn't mess up the plans and to protect him.”

 

“Daisuke's brows furrowed, “Protect him from what?”

 

“Himself, people trying to get to me.”

 

“Who would be trying to get to you?”

 

“It's high school politics, Daisuke. It won't kill him, but it might damage his psyche.”

 

“You mean more than it's already been damaged.”

 

“Exactly.”

 

“Why do through all of this if it's such a risk to Ichijouji?”

 

“There is risk in everything. Pushing him in any direction is dangerous. But this is my personal project, and I'm dragging him along, kicking and screaming if necessary, though it shouldn't come to that.

 

“I'm going to build an empire,” he smirked in spite of himself, “an empire out of a high school, but an empire none the less. There will be people I will tread on and others I'm willing to make equals. Him, whether he wants it or not, Miyako, if she can handle it, and maybe you.”

 

Daisuke snorted, “Don't you think I'm already your equal?”

 

Ken leaned back and regarded him coolly, “You don't think of yourself as my equal, so you're not.”

 

“Heh, right, whatever.” Daisuke rolled his eyes, “I think what he really needs protection from is you.”

 

Ken smirked again, “I said that, first and foremost.”

 

Daisuke opened his mouth to contest, but then he realized it was true, “Protection from himself,” he said with no small bit of irony.

 

Ken nodded, “It will take time, but there's hope for you yet. Hope for both of you.”

 

He laughed again, “Yeah, Ok. So what am I getting out of this?”

 

“You mean aside from popularity and uncontested run of the school? My help, of course, though you haven't decided what you want help with either.”

 

Daisuke's expression darkened, “You know what I want.”

 

“You're life will never be that perfect.”

 

He looked at Ken sharply; angry at the smile he saw floating around the edges of Ken's mouth.

 

“I can't bring your sister back from the dead, you said so yourself,” Ken said focusing on Daisuke's expression.

 

“I know that!” Daisuke yelled, pounding his fist on the table. He gained the attention of several of the café's patrons, but he ignored them. “I know my sister's gone! I know! But my father's not. But he's not here, is he? He just left! And my mother…. My… mother….” He looked down and grabbed the edge of the table, taking deep breaths to calm himself.

 

Ken watched him with something akin to sadness in the depths of his eyes, “What about your father?” he asked softly after two minutes had gone by and all the other people had returned to their lunches. “Do you want him back? It can happen, Daisuke, but do you really want it? Would you pull him back to your broken family after so long without him, now that you're used to life without him? Could you do that to your little brothers and sisters, take away their father like you lost yours? Would it be worth it to bring him back to a place where he was so obviously unhappy just to fulfill your sense of loss or revenge or missed time, or whatever?”

 

“Shut up,” Daisuke said finally, without any rancor. What Ken was saying made too much sense, these were things he had thought about before. Shaking his head again, he looked back up to face Ken, “Of course I don't want that.”

 

He shrugged, “If it's just the money you're pissed about, you can get that easily enough. You're almost at the age or majority, and he's been gone for so long, it would be easy to put you in control of her assets. Of course, that would mean your mother would have to stay exactly like she is….”

 

“You know I don't want that.”

 

“I was planning on doing something about your mother, you can call that a freebie.”

 

“Something like what?”

 

“I don't know. I'm not a psychiatrist. Your mother is seriously ill. There is not much that can be done, short of institutionalizing her, or killing her.”

 

Daisuke glared at him, “Don't even joke about something like that.”

 

Ken stared back at him, blankly, “I wasn't joking. But I know neither one of those is acceptable to you so I'm not suggesting them. I'm just telling you what your options are as of now.”

 

Daisuke looked away again, “Sometimes…sometimes I hate you.”

 

Ken frowned at that, “You can't just snap your fingers and make your mother better. She needs help, serious help. Anything I do could just make her worse.”

 

“I know! You just don't understand. I see her everyday. She's right there! Just… I can't reach her.” He was trying not to lose it again, but he was near tear. It was just so frustrating for him.

 

“I do know, but it's really not that simple.”

 

Daisuke sighed, “I know…. Fine. Whatever. Just… forget it.”

 

“Daisuke…. Daisuke,” Ken waited until he was looking at him. “I'm going to help you with this, I will. I just haven't figured out how, yet. You help me, I help you, remember?”

 

He nodded but didn't comment.

 

“Good,” Ken said. He reached into the bag, pulled out a turkey sandwich and passed it over. “Try this.”

 

Daisuke ate the sandwich. It was good and it made him feel slightly better but he was still rather depressed. No matter what he said, he didn't really believe that Ken could help him.

 

“Are you ready?” Ken asked after Daisuke finished.

 

“Ready for what?”

 

“Come on, Ken stood up. “We still have a lot to go over.”

 

Daisuke just nodded, stood, and followed him away.