The Fox and the Bear (Noxis)

The duo walked along the plains like free men, their care free attitudes radiating with each step. Just a few weeks ago, their heads would have been on swivels, keeping on guard for any Terminus officials who might spot them. Graedon and Everett had gotten into trouble around Terminus recently, from theft to starting a fight just outside the city walls, to making a mess and causing a ruckus. Sure, they weren’t the only ones to blame for the fight, but in the eyes of the cops, they were fully responsible.

Sharing the flask and having a cigar, the sinister pair laughed and joked about. They remembered their most recent scrum in the woods, how some stupid rookie digimon let itself be skewered. How another one had to be dragged away by its tamer, and how a third one ran away in pain. Those kids all believed they would be able to take him on when he didn’t even have to digivolve to ultimate! It was almost cute how weak they were… almost.

Everett and Graedon walked along, their thirst for trouble had grown since it’d been a few days of boredom. Fighting those kids was just as fun as mugging that partnerless tamer back in the Southern Tropics, but now they needed to do something. They had plenty of whiskey left, but no parties to go to; what kind of fun was that?
Taking a puff of his cigar, Everett exhaled a thick toxic cloud, his eyes shifting to something nearby.
”Hah! Check it out, Grae,” remarked the cocky lawyer.
”Something for you to do. Want to go have some fun? Go see what they’ve got on ‘em. I’ll catch up in a sec.” without hesitation, the thug-like bear let out a wicked cackle and darted towards the tamer in the distance.

As he approached, he came upon a digimon which looked familiar. A purple fleeced fox-like rookie, just like the one he nearly killed in the woods!
”Hey chumps, what’s kickin?” he jeered, a crooked grimace flashing his jagged teeth.
”What’re you in such a hurry for, got somewhere to be?” the Bearmon stood directly in front of the two strangers, blocking the trail which led towards the city.

Bearmon eyed the boy, a puzzled look on his face. This stranger, despite his mischievous tone, remained very polite in his response. And that Dorumon greeted him so openly, but it matter for Graedon wouldn’t be returning any courtesy today. The bear wrinkled his nose and extended his arms, cracking his knuckles loudly. He arched his back in a lengthy stretch, let out a relieved groan, knowing he was wasting the other duo’s time.

Finally, after delaying his response, he circled around the tamer and his digimon, scanning the boy’s pockets for anything that might look good.
”I’m just wondering if you guys got anything good on ya.” he looked Dorumon in the eye, his own glare reflecting trouble.
”I mean I know that this overgrown rat probably don’t got anything, but you boy!” He cackled slyly, stopping a few feet in front of the tamer.
”I could use some bits, and that device you’ve got there can fetch a pretty penny you know.” He looked at the duo dauntingly, a smug expression plastered on his face.

Everett was catching up, he overheard his digimon partner toying with the others. He chuckled under his breath, walking up to the group.
”You could always just pay the ‘mon to go away. Some bits might get him to piss off.” Rett puffed on his cigar as he concluded his statement, exhaling the ashy cloud towards the other tamer and his partner.
”But y’know,” he started, shrugging his shoulders.
”That’s up to you to chumps.”
The man took one more puff of his imported smoke before throwing the still-burning butt at the Dorumon’s feet. Graedon laughed mockingly at the sight, wondering if the little digimon would ask his tamer to pay up so they could leave. He looked like a wimp, looked like the kind of digimon that would tuck his tail between his legs at the first sign of danger. Then again, this kid might not even see danger if it hit him in the face with how oblivious he was at Graedon’s first impression.

No matter, he would test that theory soon; danger was definitely going to hit him smack in the cheek.

Laughter escaped both the Bearmon’s and the tamer’s lips, their faces flushing slightly red as they struggled to catch a breath. They were chuckling so hard, these kids really thought they could seem so menacing? It was adorable, and in fact, a little pathetic. It would have been easier for them to just roll over, give up their possessions, and scamper away with their tails tucked in between their legs. Instead, the fools decided to challenge them.

Everett and Graedon stopped laughing, and immediately their chortling expressions were wiped. Menacing grimaces popped onto both of their smug faces, and Graedon cracked his neck and knuckles, stepping forward to be just inches away from the Dorumon’s nose.
”That’s a pretty stupid move there, kiddo.” he purposely spat as he spoke, hoping to invoke some more anger and disgust in his soon-to-be opponent.

The short haired man strode forward casually, his chest tall as he reached into his blazer pocket and pulled out a flask. Taking a swig of his whiskey, he glanced at the other tamer.
”Huh, a wise guy eh?” he started arrogantly.
”Such naivety, tsk tsk.” he placed the flask back into his pocket.
”In a few minutes you’ll be wishing you just paid up.” Everett sighed, turning his back to the two strangers, and very leisurely started to walk away. He raised his hand into the air, snapping his fingers a single time.

And that was all Graedon needed to hear. In the blink of an eye, his fist became engulfed in dark energy.
”Tyrant Punch!”
At point blank, the ebon bear digimon thrust his fist in one powerful punch at the Dorumon’s stomach. The black matter which surrounded his hand flung forward, adding extra damage to the bruin’s already heavy hit. If this hit the Dorumon, especially at such close range, he’d definitely feel a world of pain stir inside his gut.

The ebony bruin snickered as his attack connected, and immediately the adrenaline rushed through his body. Everett smirked as he watched, the stench of his cigar filling the nearby ozone. The two strangers, now opponents, were fools to fight back. The human would make it out alive… maybe, but the digimon? Graedon had already set his target, and unless that rat could digivolve passed ultimate, he was set on hitting the bulls-eye.

Everett joined his partner in laughter with a subtle menacing chuckle.
”You shouldn’t have done that.” he stated with arrogance.
”It’s all you, Grae. Have fun, break a leg!”
The bear laughed at his tamer’s joke.
”Oh I will,” he replied.
”But not my own, of course.”
The tall man would let the digimon do whatever he pleased. It proved to be entertaining, and it kept the bear excited. Their journeys always boiled with amusement, even if it was at the expense of another. And that’s why he loved the digital world so much; it was a free for all, almost anarchy. To a man of corrupt law, this was newfound power. There was no longer a need for loopholes, no requirement for knowledge of a particular system. If he wanted something here, he was able to simply take it.

With the conversation at hand, Graedon’s focus had slipped. However, it was briskly forced back with a thud, and the Bearmon ended up landing flat on his butt, his chest in a heap of pain. Coughing, the rookie tried to regain his footing, and though he was slow to regulate his breath, managed to stand back up.
”Good,” he muttered in a raspy voice, grabbing his chest as it throbbed.
”I like ‘em with a bit of attitude.” As he jeered at the opponent, he subtly gave a hand signal behind his back. It was a quick heads up to his tamer that an uncontrolled attack was coming; something Everett always expected when Graedon fought in his rookie form. The man was familiar with his digimon’s move pool, after all. Reading the sign, Everett spun around and began walking in the opposite direction, trying to get as far as possible in the few seconds he was given. Graedon, who didn’t want to blow his cover, looked back at the wandering tamer in disdain.
”Hey, hey! You just gonna leave me to fight, ya big baby?” he shouted in a slightly broken up voice. His breath was starting to normalize, but yelling still took quite the effort.

Moments after he cried out to Rett, the bruin unleashed an unannounced attack. Sending his body into a whirl, the Bearmon began spinning like a top, black energy flinging in all directions, the flurry of dark matter threatening to hit anyone within a 35ft radius. If Dorumon and the human were still as close as they’d been, they would be showered with the searing and painful vigor. Not only that; the energy possessed paralyzing qualities. If either of them were hit, they’d suffer full body paralysis for a brief period of time; just enough time to do some real damage.

”ALL RIIIIGHT!” Bearmon rejoiced as his spinning came to a halt, the masses of dark energy no longer flinging in every direction. His body hopped back to a ready-to-fight position, fists up and feet firmly planted on the ground. He knew his attack had hit from the nearby dialogue, and right away Graedon scanned the battlefield. As the digimon’s eyes landed on the opponent, he relaxed his stance, noting that the Dorumon was losing his ability to move.

Perfect.

He casually walked up to the paralyzed rookie, his toothy grimace menacingly plastered on his mug.
”Huh.” he paused over the twitching foe, looking down at him with a wicked stare.
”Looks like you’re stuck.” He began taunting Tetsu, his tone boasting with superiority.
Graedon’s fists both flared up again, the black fire-like substance enveloping them completely. He stretched out his hands and cracked his knuckles over his enemy’s body.
”Real bad timing.”
With that Graedon pulled back his fist, his entire hip and shoulder swinging backwards. He then thrust his side forward, his burning fist leading the charge, propelled by his side as his hip and shoulder powered into the punch.
”Tyrant Punch!”

The sinister bear targeted his blow at the Dorumon’s head, his aim was to pulverize the foe’s face and skull. What he didn’t bother to notice was the metallic sheen on the lilac-haired digimon. His attack was headed right for his enemy at full force; in moments he would find out just how much damage the plated fur would be able to absorb.

Snickering, the bruin watched his adversary be swept away and crash on the ground. His body compressed the terra beneath him, the earth giving way and dipping into a small crater. Sky blue eyes traced the rookie digimon’s movements, scrutinizing him as he stood up heavily. Graedon knew that his foe wouldn’t last, and right now this was purely drawing out into a game of cat-and-mouse.

Everett kicked back from afar, raising a brow as the lilac fleeced rat stood up. Foolish move, he thought, but he shrugged it off. He understood the will to fight, even if it meant a loss. What Tetsu didn’t know, however, was that the Bearmon in front of them was a killer. He had no moral qualms when it came to deleting digimon, as demonstrated by taking the life of the kind-hearted Kyo, the one who wanted to befriend them in the first place. In fact, the bruin got a kick out of it, big time. Everett wasn’t a murderer, though he’d represented hundreds of them in the court room; and won. He was the reason that psychopaths still roamed the streets in England and Japan, and frankly, he could care less. He didn’t care that Grae was merciless, because at least here he didn’t have to pull the strings of the system to get away with it.

Bearmon kept his head on a swivel, following his opponent’s actions as he prepared for an attack. His fists sparked ablaze, he was prepared to counter whatever Dorumon threw his way. And alas, there it was, though the size of the cannon ball was much larger than before. Graedon had originally planned on catching it, though he quickly realized that it was much too large, and travelling much too fast, to do this successfully. By then, however, it was too late, and the bruin had no choice but to brace for it. He quickly pressed his elbows up against his sides, creating a cradle of sorts in front of him. He flexed his gut and crunched it inwards a little, hoping to be able to cushion it at least somewhat. His feet planted firmly on the ground, he awaited impact.

THUD!

Pain coursed through his body, his back landing flat on the ground, his lungs unable to contain any air. Graedon was significantly winded, his torso screaming, his stomach flooded with a world of hurt. His chest felt like it had cracked, and each thumping heart beat seemed like it chiseled away at the inside of his ribcage. He was stupid to think he could catch an iron sphere of that size and speed, and that’s all he could focus on right now aside from the agony.
”God damn it Grae!” yelled his tamer. Everett’s face flushed red, his teeth gritting. The man’s eyes shifted from Tetsu to Graedon, back to Tetsu again. He was getting frustrated, though concern reared its head too.
”You’re better than this! Get up!” Rett’s hand travelled to his side, gripping the digivice latched onto his belt. Energy sparked upon contact, the device flaring with violet light, suddenly emitting a loud screech. A stream of light shot at the grounded bear, and his body became wrapped in a black light-like glow.

The Bearmon’s eyes shot wide open, his body ceasing to throb. Vigor raced through his veins, and suddenly he felt alert and powerful.
”Bearmon digivolve to…” his silhouette lifted into the sky, his limbs elongating, body swelling in size. The cute rookie’s features morphed into that of a disfigured monster, his eyes sewing shut and his skin pierced by razor-tipped spikes. The digimon’s chest burst, a gas pipe connecting itself to his snout, forming a mask connecting directly to his lungs. What was once a bear cub with a cap had molded into an abandoned, torn up teddy bear, taken straight out of a child’s nightmare.
”Porcupamon!” his voice was raspy, short and breathy, like a smoker who could barely breathe without aid of a machine.
”Let’s get rid of you now. Bravery won’t save you.” with that, the twisted teddy launched his attack, madness brooch, straight at the foe. Ten sharp spikes were ejected from his body at a high speed, each projectile heading in Tetsu’s direction, aiming to skewer the poor rookie.