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Chapter 2:

Confused Destiny

Memories of a forgotten past were coming to the surface more and more as Rukan sat at the same booth in the diner from the night before. He was relieved that the same waitress wasn't there to harass him though plenty of people were staring at him. He ignored them and looked over the device on his arm.

He was genuinely hungry this morning and the remains of a rather large breakfast sat on the table in front of him as he thought everything over. Why was that woman haunting his every thought? He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw a bit as everything was frustrating him. He had links to his past but now they only made him ask more questions. Nothing was clear cut and understandable.

With a sigh he opened his eyes only to see a man in a black suit with dark sunglasses sitting across from him. The man sat there quietly for the time being as the two sized each other up. The blonde hair told Rukan that this man was the most dangerous of the dangers Rena had warned him of. At least they were punctual.

"And you are," Asked Rukan folding his arms across his chest and conveniently into his trench coat where he knew his blades were.

The man lifted a hand and smiled, "I'm Yamaki from the record company. We would just like to know where you were last night. Your band mates were quite worried about you."

The man spoke in Japanese which Rukan understood just fine but it worried him a bit as he knew no one around them would understand at all. Just to spite the man Rukan kept his words in english as he responded, "I don't think that's any of the company's business. Now bug off. I don't like suits."

The man chuckled softly before tilting his head to the side, "That's an interesting watch you have there. I don't believe we recall you having it before. Pick it up here in New York?"

"I said scram," Shouted Rukan making sure to get everyone's attention in the diner. The man behind the counter looked Rukan in the eyes as if asking the silent question, 'should we do something about this guy?'

Rukan nodded slowly as the man spoke up, "Oi we don't appreciate people pesterin' our patrons buddy. Leave the kid alone. He gets enough attention as is and he's good for business. Scram like he said or I'll be throwin' you out."

Yamaki frowned before standing up and smoothing out his suit, "We will meet again Mr. Hisashi. The company has taken quite an interest in you."

Rukan stood up and slammed his hand down on the table, "You made one huge mistake Yamaki! My band doesn't have a record label! We are independently owned and produced! Do your homework next time you try and stalk someone!"

The blonde man frowned a bit more before turning and leaving the diner as Rukan sat himself back down with a huff. The manager behind the counter looked to him but Rukan just waved him off wanting to be alone with his thoughts. As he saw Yamaki leave a black car pulled up and he stepped inside.

Rukan's pupils dilated as he knew another flashback was coming on. He gripped the edge of the table tightly and clenched his jaw as it felt like his head was going into overdrive. He was swimming through a sea of memories unable to pick one out from the whole but only wait until one decided to show itself.

Rukan saw a young man run out the front of a warehouse in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo only to be met by the same blonde man. He couldn't hear what they were saying but he saw the fight break out. Some sort of air powered guns were being fired but he couldn't see anything clearly at all. It was like there was a heavy fog around them garbling everything.

In an instant he was taken forward seeing the man next to his mother when he felt a sting in his neck. The memory faded and he found himself back in the diner again. A few people were staring but Rukan ignored them and went back to looking over the device on his wrist. With a heavy sigh he stood up and looked to the manager, "Thanks Mike. I'll probably be around later."

"No problem kid. You just keep doin what you're doin. You're a good kid," Replied the man with a friendly wave.

Rukan secretly hated it when Mike called him kid but he figured it was a tradeoff for the manager's sympathy. He didn't get much of that these days and one source was good for getting a bit of stress out. Walking out into the street again Rukan pulled his cell phone out of his pocket with a frown. He saw he had missed nearly twenty calls the night before.

Sending a text to the band mates to tell them he was alright, Rukan navigated the menus until he reached a contact labeled Mom. He sighed closing his eyes before closing the phone and stowing it away. He hadn't talked to her since he was eighteen. Calling now would just be awkward and he honestly didn't want to know the answer.

Rukan wandered the streets until he reached Madison avenue. Looking up at the gardens he frowned thinking to himself. Was this all he really wanted? Was this really his destiny? Running from the fan girls, and sometimes boys. Living his life truly alone?

The Hisashi sat himself down on the back steps of the building before putting his face in his hands and gritting his teeth softly speaking, "What do you want from me?"

He looked up at the cloudy sky and he felt the now familiar sensation rising up from the depths of himself. He knew he was about to have another flashback and so he grabbed the railing as the sky grew darker. The world around his melted away and he stood in a ruined street in some Japanese city. He looked up and saw a massive centaur like creature staring him down.

He heard himself speaking, "It's do or die. Beat it!"

Rukan's eyes went wide as the creature charged. This was a flashback, it couldn't possibly hurt him could it? He held his ground until the last moment when his heart gave way to weakness and he leapt to the right watching the creature run by.

A loud laughing was echoing in the sky making Rukan look up as a figure decended from the storm freezing the memory while it spoke with it's raspy deep voice, "Yes... Remember. Remember me. Remember your queen!"

The figured looked just like Rukan with long silvery hair and a pair of kama's in his hands. He chuckled a bit louder as he pushed them together forming a great scythe as soon the darkness was so great that only the lightning strikes from the massive electrical storm above would illuminate him.

Rukan scowled as only one word was on his lips, "Wrath..."

"Good boy! You remembered. Now lets see how kind the years have been to your skill," Shouted the man as he leapt forward with impossible speed swinging the great blade in a huge swath. Rukan was fast enough to pull his blades free but as he held the digicarbide blade Wrath fell to his knees and let out what seemed like an impossible scream.

Rukan ran forward but Wrath looked into his eyes before he struck. The eyes begged, pleaded for an end. Rukan stopped before striking as he saw the pain the man was in. Looking into his own eyes he just couldn't strike. He kicked the scythe away before falling to his knees and speaking, "You've every right to exist..."

"You didn't always believe that," Replied Wrath as he still shook in pain as Rukan gripped the carbide blade.

Rukan shook his head, "I don't remember it."

"That makes two of us. I don't think I was exempt from what happened," Replied Wrath with a hiss, "But... Where is she... my queen... I can't hear her anymore. I've spent years in this prison and I can't hear her song anymore. Her siren like voice calling me to arms. Willing my arm to be her weapon and my heart to be her own."

Rukan closed his eyes and shook his head, "I don't know... It's so fucking frustrating! I finally meet someone with all the answers and she just lets me go without them. Now I have more questions than ever and these flashbacks aren't helping!"

Light pierced the sky making the two of them shield their eyes. After a few moments they both looked up and saw a young girl standing there with her hands on her hips. A shadow seemed to follow her around as she looked at the two rather disappointed, "You forgot... typical... rushing in without a hope or a prayer. I always said you survived on blind luck hero boy."

"Rukan what's going on," Said the young man shaking his shoulder and snapping Rukan back into reality. Looking up he saw Shinji, the band's drummer was shaking him to consciousness. The drummer looked rather confused as Rukan blinked a few times and he shook his head quickly.

"What's happening to you lately? You're missing practice, you go off by yourself, you're just not the same," Said Shinji as he looked into Rukan's bizarre green eyes. Japanese didn't normally have green eyes. Shinji's were the normal dark brown. He looked everything like the classic J rocker. A black getup with more metal than cloth and the wildly spiked black hair that if let down would probably reach the top of his hips.

Rukan stood himself up as he held his head and sighed speaking, "It's one of those personal things Shinji."

"Personal? Rukan we're all the family any of us have. If you can't talk to your brother then who can you talk to," asked Shinji as he sat down on the steps next to Rukan and pulled his companion down to sit next to him.

Rukan was a bit surprised by the motion and the words. He sighed and spoke softly, "Last night I was almost mugged. Don't worry I set him strait but it's what happened after that... There was this woman in yellow and purple that just sort of appeared out of the darkness. She moved impossibly fast. I think she knocked me out actually."

He opened his mouth and poked at the hole in his jaw where the missing tooth should be. Shinji looked a little surprised but let Rukan continue the story.

"I woke up in a grungy place I think she lives in. She gave me these," said Rukan as he pulled out the blades before pointing at the card holder on his hip and the blank watch like device.

"Ever since I've been having flashbacks. I think I'm remembering things but they are all mixed up. I know what I am seeing isn't right or how it happened before. It's frustrating as it only leaves more questions than before. I see... monsters. Men in black suits. Everything seems like it wants to hurt me somehow," Finished Rukan with a deep sigh.

Shinji nodded as he said, "Yeah... I can see where that would get to you."

"Yeah the crazy part is I saw one of the men in black suits today. He confronted me in the diner I go to. Mike threw him out but... He got under my skin," Said Rukan nodding slowly.

"Suits always kinda creeped you out. Remember LA when that official came to see the concert. You spent all of the pre show in the dressing rooms as far from the suits as you could. In fact I think that's why you decided to tour outside of Japan wasn't it? All the businessmen in the streets," Said Shinji.

Rukan hadn't really thought about it before but he had avoided men in suits since he could remember. It was like he had some sort of deep seated fear of them. He sighed heavily with a nod, "Yeah... It is pretty weird. I think... I saw Kyoto destroyed."

"Maybe you were there ten years ago when that storm nearly completely destroyed the city. Weird thing is a lot of people that were there don't remember what happened exactly. No one knows what caused the phenomena but the government hasn't allowed any research into it. The whole thing was handled by HYPNOS... More creepy guys in suits," Replied Shinji with a frown on his face.

"HYPNOS... Just that name makes something squirm inside me. It makes me wanna punch something," Said Rukan as he put the blades away.

"I don't know man but everyone's inside getting ready for the show tonight. Oh and nobody cares about what you said to Rolling Stone by the way... if that's why you are avoiding us," replied Shinji as he stood up and offered Rukan a hand.

"For the love of god how many times does that have to come up. I'm gay okay... It's really not that big of a deal. I knew I shouldn't have taken that interview," said Rukan as he took the hand and let his friend help him up.

Shinji laughed and shook his head, "Hey hey it's cool man. Ever since we haven't been able to make enough albums to sell. Our MP3s are selling like hotcakes. Biggest month in our whole career."

Rukan took a peek at one of the monitors in his dressing room and frowned as he saw the place was packed again. Shaking his head with a slight smirk he looked into the mirror as his stylist was putting on his makeup and making sure not a hair on his head was sticking up. Rukan closed his eyes with a bit of a sigh as the stage call was made. He hopped up making sure his trench was on just right before running out of his room and to the stage.

Running out of the right wing into the hot lights he grabbed the mic just hearing the roar of the crowd. He couldn't see any of them as the lights were always in his face but the sheer amount of sound was enough.

"Hello New York! We're Kyubi no Shogun! Are you ready to rock," shouted Rukan into the mic as the crowd erupted into cheers. It wasn't but a few seconds before the familiar guitars and drums started up behind him but they only got a few notes off before the stadium went to black. The power was out thanks to the storm outside most likely.

Rukan frowned as he saw the crowd but then a bolt of light erupted from the middle of the crowd and they began to scream. A monster stood amongst them huge and towering above them all. The crowd began to run as the sludge like creature raised it's head and roared. It turned it's gaze to the stage and charged making the band run.

Rukan dashed for the backstage area but his boot got caught under a guitar cable and he shouted as he fell to the ground. Time seemed to slow again as the creature was right on top of him lunging with a huge arm to swipe at him. He was able to reach into his coat and pull free the blades hiding beneath to cut into the arm as the creature howled in pain and backed away.

It roared again just as Rukan was getting to his feet but as it slammed it's arm into one of the walls and the whole light rig came down blocking the way behind the stage. Rukan looked back to the creature as it opened it's mouth and he saw light in the back of it's gullet. His eyes went wide as it grew brighter until it shot forward blowing a hole in the stage leaving a raging fire behind.

The Hisashi felt his heart beating faster than he had ever felt but at the same time a familiar calm came over him. It was like his eyes were already finding weak points in the monster's movements. His body began to move like it was on auto pilot leaping high into the air as the creature swiped the stage and he landed soundly on the monster's arm only to be thrown into the air.

Rukan spun about so he was facing downward even as the watch blinked to life speaking in a familiar voice, "Raremon. Threat level yellow. Champion level Digimon."

It was like Rukan's body knew what to do as the creature sent one of it's stretchy goo like arms to the ceiling after the Hisashi he spun to the left and drove his blade into the muck making it howl as he rode it down to the main body.

As he stabbed into the creature he saw a flash of him sliding on his back under a spider monster slicing the tonto into it's belly and watching it burst into green data. Rukan leapt off the great sludge beast as it tried to pick him off it's back. Rukan palmed the Tonto as he flew through the air and snapped his wrist sending the blade spinning through the air and into the eye of the monster.

He had a flash of a tonto flying through the air and snapping a power line free to fall onto the centaur monster he saw before making it burst into green flecks of floating data. Rukan leapt forward grabbing onto the creature's arm and letting it rip him from the ground as it reached for the blade in it's eye. He used it as a method of snatching back the tonto as he flew past from the momentum. He was flying directly at a wall at high speeds. Rukan quickly spun about in the air as his feet landed firmly on the wall and he kicked off with a loud shout bringing both blades close to his chest. As he passed the creature one last time he brought them apart in a huge X making the creature howl and burst into green data flecks.

He landed hard letting out a few yelps of pain as the fire began to rise higher from the stage. It was running along the roof already and the air was heavy and hot. Rolling to his side Rukan got up the strength to slowly get to his feet and he saw himself in the ruined city again facing down the centarumon.

He opened his eyes wide as it began to charge but this time he didn't flinch. He turned to face it with returned determination in his eyes even as blood began to trickle down the side of his head from his hard landing. He let out a great battle cry and ran directly at the monster leaping into the air to drive both blades into it's chest and using them he began to climb up.

The creature stumbled and fell roaring in pain as Rukan jammed both blades into it's shoulders. He quickly used the curved Digicarbide blade as a handle to swing himself around while dragging the tonto through flesh and metal alike. Rukan landed on the creature's back before he drove the Tonto cleanly into it's spine making it erupt into green data.

Reality began to come back into focus as the fire had spread to all over the stadium. He had little time to get out before he was doomed. Looking about quickly Rukan saw a rafter about to fall on him. He dodged before seeing the hole in the roof it left behind. Quickly he turned and held his breath as he leapt into the fallen rafter and began to run up the burning material.

The warrior closed his eyes as he got into the smoke layer unable to see anything now anyway. He continued to run until he felt himself starting to fall. He opened his eyes wide and reached up falling just shy of the lip of the roof. He began to fall but felt himself caught and moving at incredible speeds. He coughed a few times as he had taken a gasp of dark smoke during the fall. His lungs burned and ached while his eyes watered making it impossible to distinguish what the yellow streak was.

Rukan was dropped at the main entrance to the building and the streak disappeared just as quickly as it had come. He got to his feet quickly looking around only to see people trying to escape the fire pushing against the doors but they didn't seem to move. Rukan saw a black car speeding away outside and frowned a bit more. Yamaki he'd kill innocent's just to keep the secret! Or maybe just to kill Rukan.

The Hisashi leapt through the crowd before delivering a devastating kick to the tempered glass. He had no idea how much strength he had hiding inside his form. The glass almost seemed like it rippled along the surface before it all blew outwards. Standing there completely in shock at what he had done it took him a few moments before he started helping people through shouting for them all to stay calm and not push.

It wasn't until he looked outside that he saw bolts of light appearing all over the city and creatures emerging from them. His eyes went wide as he felt a flashback coming. He helped the last person through before falling forward out of the building and coughing hard. He spit out great wads of phlegm and spittle trying to get the irritant out of his system. When he looked up he saw Kyoto again under a similar storm.

"It's happening... again," were the last words out of his mouth before he fell to unconsciousness from the smoke.