Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

Warnings: Sexual content.

Notes: This is an edited version of the chapter, in accordance with this website's censorship policies. For the uncensored chapter, see my AO3 account under the same username.

Captive

Chapter Twenty-One

Miyako was still angry the following day. So angry, in fact, that she didn't have any room left in her to be sad.

It was kind of nice, she'd admit, to not be sad for the first time in forever. But the anger wasn't exactly pleasant, either. It roiled inside of her, seeking an outlet, making her feel like she was itching all over.

She was just sick of the whole damn mess. Sick of lying, sick of feeling guilty, sick of being selfish. Most of all, she was sick of the Kaiser and his laundry list of issues. Miyako wasn't sure if he was using her as a toy, as some kind of emotional crutch, or as a twisted combination of both. Whatever the case, she was completely and utterly done.

He said he loved her? Well, maybe she believed him. And maybe that was something she could use against him, the way he used her love of Hawkmon and the other Chosen against her. Give him a taste of his own damn medicine for once.

Hikari looked worried. "Are you sure about this, Miyako-san? You'll be vulnerable without Hawkmon."

Miyako crossed her arms defiantly. "It's fine. You guys don't have to protect me."

"You say that," said Takeru, frowning slightly, "but that doesn't necessarily make it true. Unless there's something you're not telling us?"

Miyako would've flinched if she wasn't still so angry. Stupid Takeru and his stupid perceptiveness.

Daisuke snorted. "Miyako couldn't hide something to save her life."

"Like you're one to talk!" she snapped at him.

Iori remained pointedly silent, though the constipated look on his face let her know that it was making him very uncomfortable to do so.

Finally, a twinge of guilt just barely broke through the rage. She let her arms fall to her sides. More calmly, she said: "There actually is something I'm not telling you. But I will tell you, after you let me come with today."

"Wait, seriously?" said Daisuke, as Iori visibly relaxed.

"Maybe I'm not as bad at keeping secrets as you thought!" yelled Miyako.

"Well..." said Hikari. "We've all noticed that you've been acting strangely."

"Except for Daisuke-kun," Takeru noted.

Daisuke's face screwed up in consternation. "I noticed! I just thought it was because of stress!"

"Can we just go?" Miyako asked, restlessness clawing at her insides.

"I agree," chimed in Tailmon. "We can save the bickering for later."

Although Miyako was technically the oldest of the active Chosen Children, she often thought that Tailmon acted the most like an adult. And not just because that was the name of her evolutionary form. She sent the feline a grateful look.

Everyone fell silent. Then Takeru said, "Will you do the honors, Miyako-san?"

Nodding with grim determination, Miyako held out her digivice and shouted, "Digital Gate open!"

"It's strange," Iori mused, as they approached the Dark Tower. "The Kaiser's been much more aggressive with us recently, but he hasn't sent a single slave in to fight us yet."

"It's making me a little nervous," Hikari admitted.

"More aggressive?" Miyako frowned. "In what way?"

"He's been swarming us," Takeru answered. "Relying more on sheer numbers as opposed to strategy. In some ways, it's actually been easier on us."

Iori nodded. "It's almost like he hasn't been giving his slaves any detailed orders. And since their autonomy is limited by the Evil Spirals, their numbers have ended up impeding their ability to act cohesively."

"But he never just leaves us alone like this," said Daisuke. "Hikari-chan's right: it's creepy."

"I'll say," Miyako muttered. She had a feeling she knew the cause of the Kaiser's sudden recklessness, along with the reason behind his hesitation now. "If I were to guess, I think he's working on something big," And his loss of focus made sense, in light of what had happened to his mother. But she wasn't going to bring that up just yet.

"Sounds likely," said Takeru.

The four remaining digimon partners armor evolved and destroyed the tower, but were still met with no resistance.

As they walked back to the Digital Gate, Miyako felt cold determination settle over her. It was time to end the secrets.

All five Chosen ended up sitting cross-legged on the floor of Iori's bedroom, with the partners amusing themselves in the living room. They were looking at Miyako intently, causing her stomach to twist.

Finally, she gathered up the nerve to say, "The Kaiser's been using Hawkmon and Agumon in order to blackmail me."

The shock was immediate. Hikari was the first to respond, sounding grave. "What has he been making you do?"

Miyako sighed, trying to think of the right words. "He's just been making me spend time with him, really. Nothing-" She blushed hotly. "Nothing like what Dagomon was planning."

Hikari looked visibly relieved.

"So..." Takeru's eyebrows were high up on his forehead. "He's been blackmailing you into dating him?"

It sounded so silly when it was put so plainly. "Pretty much, yeah."

"I think that might be understating it," Iori said, coming as close to scowling as she'd ever seen him. "It's highly immoral on its own, but the Kaiser is hardly a normal person. He probably subjected Miyako-san to verbal and psychological abuse on top of the blackmail."

"That asshole!" Daisuke yelled, his hands balling into fists. "Why didn't you tell us about this sooner?!"

Miyako felt tears starting to prick at the corners of her eyes. "I was scared. And ashamed. I didn't know what to do." Her bottom lip began to tremble. "I'm the worst."

Hikari shook her head. "Not at all, Miyako-san. It's a normal reaction, given what was at stake for you. But I'm very glad you've finally managed to tell us."

"So you're the reason he wasn't attacking us today?" Takeru asked. "Could it be that he's reluctant to risk hurting you?"

"I think so," Miyako replied. At some point, Iori had gotten up to get her a wad of tissues, and she took them from him gratefully. "Physically, at least. I may have crossed a line today, which means he might do something to Hawkmon." She'd been too angry to consider it before, but a knot of dread had started to tighten in her stomach ever since they'd returned from the Digital World.

Takeru frowned deeply. "It's like Iori-kun said: psychological abuse. He's used to getting his way with violence, but he can't rationalize that in the context of a human girl, so he uses manipulation instead."

"This explains why he hasn't used Hawkmon or Agumon against us," Iori said, nodding.

Miyako took in a deep breath. "He will, if I stop doing what he says."

"That's fine!" Daisuke said, voice thick with emotion. "I'd rather have a straight fight than know you're suffering for our sake!"

"Daisuke-kun is right," said Hikari, firmly. "We can't expect you to bear that kind of burden, Miyako-san."

"We should just storm his base and get them back!" exclaimed Daisuke.

Miyako shook her head. "He'll be expecting that, and have at least one contingency plan in place. But probably more than one." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "He probably has a contingency for every possible outcome, actually. I think..." She took another deep breath. "I think the only way we can defeat him without consequences is if we convince him to surrender of his own free will."

"Do you think it's possible?" Hikari asked.

"I don't know," Miyako admitted. "He really hates you guys, and is completely obsessed with conquering the Digital World. He's told me that he doesn't plan to stay there forever, but..."

"But?" Takeru pressed.

"...His mother's in the hospital, and even that wasn't enough to convince him to leave. So I don't know if I believe him."

After a long moment of silence, Iori said, "Scum."

Miyako didn't know why, but her stomach twisted at the word.

"...Would you like us to end for the day, Miyako-san?" asked Hikari.

Suddenly unable to find any words, Miyako nodded.

The first thing Miyako did when she got back to her own apartment was check her D-terminal, only to find that she had no new messages.

But even with the ever-present fear that was still gnawing away at her insides, she felt as though a massive weight had been lifted from her shoulders. The others knew. They knew and they didn't hate her.

She hadn't told them everything, of course. But only when it came to stuff that was meant to be private. However much Miyako hated herself for giving into her own weakness, it wasn't as if it had any impact on the outcome of the conflict. It was just a personal shame she'd have to live with for the rest of her life.

She figured that Ken was giving her the silent treatment in order to punish her, so she decided to go to him instead. She packed her backpack with a sleeping bag and went back to the lake where they'd had their picnic.

The lake was a considerable distance from the Digital Gate. It was also pretty chilly. As such, she only walked for a few minutes before laying her sleeping bag down on the flowers and snuggling inside. She closed her eyes, then, taking in the scent of fresh crisp air and wildflowers.

She was awoken by gentle shaking, and realized as the Kaiser's shadowed face came into view that she'd forgotten to take off her glasses. There was a raw spot on her nose where the bridge had rubbed against her in her sleep.

"You've made your point," he said sharply. "You'll get sick again if you sleep out in the cold."

"We haven't established that you even can get sick in the Digital World," she responded, words slurred slightly with sleepiness.

"I don't care," he hissed. "Either go back home or I'm taking you to my base."

She yawned, her jaw cracking, and became aware of an insistent ache in her lower back. "Your base, then. I wanna talk."

"Fine," he ground out, standing from his crouch. Miyako zipped down the side of the sleeping bag, wiggled out of it gracelessly, and stuffed it back into her backpack. Then, she stood as well, wobbling slightly. He reached out and steadied her gently.

"'M sleepy," she murmured, leaning against him. He was warm and solid and smelled really good.

His arms wrapped around her, pulling her in close. "You can sleep in my room. We'll talk tomorrow."

Shaking her head, she said, "Has to be now." She snaked her arms under his coat, resting her head against his chest. "Are you mad at me? 'Cause I'm still mad at you."

He said nothing for a few long inhales against her hair. And then: "...It made me sick, seeing you with them."

"I think I need to pee," she said.

The sound he let out was halfway between a sigh and a laugh. "I'll get the Airdramon."

Miyako shook her head hard. "I'm not riding a slave. We'll go back to my room and redirect. It's quicker, anyway."

"You're being silly," he said, a little fondly.

"I'm not," she insisted, then pulled back and grabbed him by the arm, tugging him after her. "I hate riding on your slaves. It makes me feel like a piece of shit."

He allowed himself to be led, even as she stumbled every-so-often in the semi-darkness. "You are being silly, but I'll do it this way if that's what you prefer."

She rolled her eyes but didn't reply, focusing on the warmth of his hand through the glove. When they arrived in her bedroom, she ditched the backpack while Ken input the coordinates on the Digital Gate program. She'd forgotten to turn off the light, which would earn her an earful the next morning from her mother about wasting electricity. Still, she didn't mind; she could see Ken properly now, without any goggles or gloves or wild hair.

"It's ready," he said, straightening, and Miyako took the opportunity to spin him around and kiss him.

He kissed back eagerly, sliding his hands into her hair. She whimpered softly into the kiss, her entire body heating. But then she remembered the growing discomfort in her bladder and pulled away. "Just give me a second," she said, and tiptoed as quickly as she could out of her room. On the way out, she took note that it was just after one in the morning. Both of her parents were predictably, and thankfully, asleep.

She was back quickly, eager to get to the relative privacy of his base. "Okay. Let's go."

He nodded, reaching into his pocket to pull out his digivice.

She kissed him again once they were in his control room, making quick work of tossing aside his goggles. From there, they stumbled together to his room, unable to keep from kissing each other for any extended period of time. Miyako felt like she'd explode if she wasn't kissing him. Touching him. They fell together onto his bed, and then his hands were all over her, as if he didn't know where he wanted to touch the most.

Moaning, she groped blindly for the bulge she knew had to be there, and earned a hiss when she found it. He pulled back from her with evident reluctance, saying, "W-wait, Miyako-san. I want-"

She pulled her hand away, panting. "What?"

He swallowed visibly, trembling. Idly, she realized that she was trembling too. "I-" he licked his lips, staring down at her with naked want. "It's too embarrassing to say. Can I just-" He swallowed again. "Can I show you?"

She nodded vigorously, because she could barely stand that he wasn't doing whatever-it-was already.

A few seconds later, their clothes evaporated in a haze of data.

Miyako was still lying on her side when he came back to the bed, and Ken was temporarily mesmerized by seeing the way her breasts were pressed together. The sight was made all the more enticing by the evident lack of any intent to draw attention to herself. She was just comfortable and relaxed: eyes closed, mouth slightly parted, hair cascading onto the pillow.

Lying there like that, she reminded him of some ancient fertility goddess, all smooth soft skin and gentle curves. The only thing that ruined the picture was that she was still wearing her glasses, though that had a different kind of charm.

Her eyes fluttered open as he shifted onto the bed, a small, sleepy smile playing across her lips. "You have a lot of stamina, Ken-kun."

He knew she was referring to the way his sweatpants had tented, and a flush spread hot across his cheeks. It really wasn't fair, how pretty she was. "S-sorry," he said, lying down with his back facing her.

He felt the bed shift as she shifted closer to him, and he didn't resist when she pulled at his shoulder. Once he was on his back, she grinned at him. "There's something I want to try," she said.

His stomach twisted. "Um. What?"

Her honey-brown eyes sparkled with mischief as she reached into his pants. Then, before he could formulate a coherent sentence, her head was between his legs.

It was at that point that he lost the ability to even think coherently.

She was...she was...

"Miyako-san-" he managed to gasp out. "I-I can't-"

She hummed, and it was just too much. He slapped a hand over his mouth in a vain attempt to keep from making too much noise.

He opened his eyes blearily, feeling her pull away, and barely resisted the urge to curl up into a ball of mortification.

"...Are you okay, Ken-kun?" she asked, sounding worried.

"I'm fine," he muttered. "It's just embarrassing." Pulling up his pants, he said, "It...it must've been disgusting. I'll go get you some water."

"It wasn't so bad; just a little bitter." His face burned even hotter. "But thanks. That would be nice."

Miyako was dressed in a pair of his pajamas when he returned with the glass, sitting cross-legged on the bed. She eagerly gulped down the water he handed her and placed the empty cup on the bedside table.

At length, Ken said, "...I thought you were angry with me."

"I was," she replied, putting the pillow upright against the wall and leaning back, pulling her legs up to her chest. "I still am, actually."

And here came the part he'd been wanting to avoid. But, at least she wasn't crying. "I'm still angry at you, as well," he said, as the memory of seeing her with the impostors managed to chase away most of his lingering embarrassment.

"I know." She pushed a strand of her behind her ear. "It's the real reason why you won't give Hawkmon back, isn't it? Not wanting me to fight anymore, I mean."

He didn't bother to deny it.

"You said it made you sick, seeing me with the others? Well, that's how I feel every time I think of Hawkmon in one of your cells."

He swallowed past a sudden lump in his throat, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "I don't know what else to do," he admitted. "I don't think I'll ever see you again if I give him back." Saying it out loud felt a little like being punched in the stomach.

"Ken-kun..." She took a deep breath. "What would it take for you to surrender?"

He chuckled at that, bitterly, feeling something like hopelessness rising up in the back of his throat. "Is this the part where you martyr yourself, Miyako-san? Where you graciously offer to tolerate me indefinitely in exchange for my cooperation?"

"...Yeah. I guess so."

He was disgusted at himself for finding the offer genuinely tempting. If he were a better person, he might just be able to endure it again. He'd be able to say: I can give up anything as long as I can still be by your side. But he knew her, now – knew that she cared for her friends more than she would ever care for him. And he could just picture what their relationship would be like, once he surrendered: awkward, stilted conversations, every touch and kiss she deigned to give him preceded and followed by careful glances to make sure that none of the others had seen. She would try; he knew that she would. But it wouldn't be enough.

"I decline, then," he said, his hands clenching into fists.

She shifted to the opposite edge of the bed. "Whether you give Hawkmon back to me, or kill him, or make me watch as you hurt him-" her voice hitched, before she managed to continue. "Whatever you choose to do, Ken-kun, that's on you. But I can't do this anymore." She stood up. "I don't know if I'll never want to see you again. I actually do care about you, even though you've hurt me a lot. But..." She picked up her digivice from the bedside table. "But, if I ever do decide to see you again, it'll be on my own terms."

He felt like his heart was being ripped out of his chest. "I could just make you stay, you know."

Her voice remained steady, this time. "You'd keep me locked up here, even if it means that I'd lose any chance at having a real future, or that my family thought I was dead?"

He felt his eyes burning, and was struck by the mental image of Miyako, trapped in her old cell, broken and miserable. Fighting down a sudden bout of nausea, he finally managed to say, "I wouldn't."

There was a long pause, and then: "I'm gonna go now, Ken-kun."

He didn't turn around to watch her walk away.