Combustion

She doesn’t pay attention.

Of course she doesn’t pay attention. Her spirit is back, glowing pink on the screen her of her D-tector- it’s finally back, finally she can be useful again, finally, finally

She hadn’t noticed, how hard it was to breathe, without the blessing of the wind.

So no, Izumi does not pay pay attention, because air is flowing freely in her chest for the first time in days. Tomoki does not pay attention, because the feverish heat on his skin he hadn’t noticed is gone. Kouji does not pay attention, because for all his attempts at looking tough and adult and better than them, he’s still at his core a creature of impulse rather than caution. And Takuya definitely does not pay attention, basking in glory and victory.

Junpei only, Junpei does.

“LOOK OUT!!”

Junpei notices. But Junpei is slow.

Takuya only has the time to turn back, catching the end of the digicode reformation sequence- and Grottomon’s hammer slams into Vritramon.

“Don’t underestimate me!” he roars. Takuya falls on one knee, thrown off-balance.

His digicode flickers, for a second.

(Because Takuya has been fighting, against Gigasmon and instincts and foreign memories and the fire between his ribs, and Takuya is tired, so tired.)

Grottomon snatches both fire spirits- and Takuya screams .

Tomoki flinches , his hands flying to cover his ears. It’s nothing like the overdramatic gruff of irritation, nothing like the sudden outbursts when bickering with Kouji with Izumi. This isn’t anger. This isn’t even fear.

This- coming from the bottom of his lungs, this is nothing but pure unfiltered pain .

Grottomon himself jerks back at the scream, clutching the spirits at his chest. Something’s wrong, Izumi thinks; getting her spirit torn was uncomfortable, but not painful . Something is wrong.

Takuya’s voice dies down, and the boy falls down, face in the dirt. The sudden silence rings loudly to their ears.

“...hah! You idiots!” Grottomon chuckles- but they can all tell it’s uncomfortable. He didn’t expect this reaction, either. “So maybe you got your spirits back, you’re still down your best fighter!”

Kouji shakes his head (a little like a dog who’d dipped into water, but Izumi will never say that to his face.) “We can still take you down!” He growls back.

He raises his D-tector, and the whole group follow suit- Takuya lost his spirits getting them back, they’re not gonna let the guy go this easily.

“Spirit…” Grottomon takes hold on his hammer, standing straight and confident.

“Evoluti-”

Grottomon starts, when Takuya jumps on his back.

“Give it back.” his voice raises, raises- heavy as a hurricane, louder than a freight train. “GIVE IT BACK!”

His fist lands square on Grottomon’s nose, hard flesh and solid bones on raw data.

“GIVE!”

bared teeth and bare knuckles, a flurry of snarls and hits and want

“BACK!”

skin scraping against rock

“MY!”

red, red, so much red flying and raining over his face

“FLAMES!”

“Takuya, stops!” Junpei’s the careful one in the group- but that’s precisely why he runs toward the two fighters; because Takuya’s bones crack at each punch and something an awfully lot like blood taint the warrior’s face. “Takuya! Stop!”

But Takuya doesn’t stop. He’s not the smartest of the group (that would, arguably, be Kouji on a good day, when he has his impulse control in check.) he’s not tough, not strong- especially compared to digimon. But by god, is he stubborn .

“Let me- go!” Grottomon jerks once, twice, and sends Takuya flying in the dust. The boy immediately gets back on his four and- oh, god, his fingers are twisted . He purses his lips and growls - something raw and beastly and so jarringly human .

Grottomon gets the right idea and wastes no time in digging his exit.

“GET BACK!” Takuya scrambles to get back on his feet. Nope. Nope. Nope. Someone has to put their foot down.

“Takuya, stop .” Junpei rushes in to grab the boy’s arm, physically holding him back. “It’s over, we’ll get him next time, calm down-”

Takuya turns his head around.

This, Junpei realizes, has been a mistake.

His eyes have no warmth and no pupils. Brown orbs staring past him somehow, looking at him but not recognizing him.

Oh, god, this is Vritramon all over again in fancy human skin.

“Takuya…?” he asks, hopeful.

The boy rears his head back and smashes his forehead against him.

“GIVE BACK! MY! FLAMES!” Takuya bolts, jumping right into Grottomon’s hole.

He doesn’t even look back.

There is a long, long moment of silence.

“...Bokomon?” Tomoki’s voice barely raises above a whisper. “What happened to Takuya?”

“...I don’t know.” the book stays at his belt. Useless. “I really, really don’t know.”