Chapter 6: Son

Disclaimer: I do not own the Digimon franchise.

D.A.T.S.

He wasn't entirely sure how he'd found it. He'd just followed the sound. That comforting, digital sound that drew him to that exact location. He closed his eyes and fell forwards, letting himself be surrounded by the comforting depths of the Digital Gate.

Marcus wasn't sure where he'd come out, only that it would be in a secluded location and that the DigiGate would remain open until he returned. That's the way Digital Gates worked. He wasn't sure why, but they did.

When the light around him faded, he found himself in a dark, damp alleyway in what appeared to be a human city. Graffiti covered the brick walls and an unpleasant smell permeated the alley, coming from the bins lined up along the sides. He wandered out of the alleyway and into the light of a flickering streetlight. Stopping, he took in his surroundings, taking note of the lack of traffic, rows of houses and streetlights and a small shop, closed down for the day. It wasn't an area that he recognised, but he was clearly in Japan, if the fact that he understood the name of the nearby shop meant anything.

He wasn't exactly paying much attention to his surroundings as someone suddenly slammed into his side, knocking him to the ground. Rubbing his side, he sat up to glare at his assailant, whether accidental or not.

"For goodness sake, watch where you're -" He paused as he opened one eye and took in the sight before him. It was only a boy. Maybe 15 years of age, but no more. He sat up with a grunt and Marcus was able to see more of him.

His slightly wavy red hair reached until just above his shoulders and had a rather slight build, making him seem rather small for his age. He was wearing a simple black form fitting t-shirt, light blue jeans, white socks and black trainers. He rubbed his head as he sat up. Marcus got to his feet and held out a hand to the human, resisting all his urges to drink blood. He didn't know who could be watching.

"Are you alright, kid?" he asked hesitantly. The boy took his hand.

"Sorry about that… I could be better…" he responded, rubbing his head as he got up.

"Are you hurt?" Marcus inquired, taking another good look at the boy and noticing his striking blue eyes and pale skin.

"No… It's… It's complicated…" he muttered. His eyes seemed to become a shade darker and colder from anger.

"… Are you alright? Is something bothering you?" Marcus wasn't even sure why he was asking this question. Maybe something about the boy screamed that he could be the new person that he was looking for or maybe he just wanted to get this over and get back to his mission. He liked the sound of the latter. The boy, nevertheless, shook his head, his eyes losing their anger.

"No… Sorry…" There was a pause. "It's none of your business."

Marcus hesitated. "You know, I've got my fair share of problems. I'm willing to listen if you have a problem. It might make you feel better," he told him.

"I suppose that there's no harm in it… I don't see how it matters, anyway…" the boy chuckled uneasily before regaining his composure. "I'm Kenta Wakahisa (1). I just ran away from home, too, and for exactly the same reasons… That man killed my Mum and got off scot free… I'm not staying there anymore…" he told Marcus, his eyes becoming dark and cold again. Marcus now noticed what appeared to be a dark bruise on the side of his neck. He let a false look of worry cross his features.

"You're hurt… Did he hit you…?" Kenta nodded.

"Mm-hmm… I'm going to make him pay one of these days…" His hands curled into tight, shaking fists at his sides and he gritted his teeth in anger.

Suddenly, Kenta whirled around, the sound of a voice shouting down the street. He backed up slightly, his eyes wide with fear as he watched the approaching silhouette in the distance, a bottle hanging from its hand, dimly illuminated by the glow of a streetlight. Kenta turned towards Marcus.

"I-I'm sorry! I need to go!" he stammered, preparing to make a run for it.

Marcus, however, was not about to let him leave. Narrowing his eyes slightly, he reached out and grabbed the wrist of the fleeing teen, stopping him in his tracks as Marcus attempted not to accidentally crush his arm. Marcus glanced at him.

"Your dad?" he asked quietly.

"N-no! A friend of his! Now, let me go!" the boy demanded, his tone urgent.

Marcus was silent for a few seconds as he glanced back down the road at the muscular figure, its stumbling gait forcing Marcus to question the individual's sobriety. He stumbled into the light of another streetlight, illuminating him. He was a large, muscular man with short brown hair, messy stubble, a sweaty orange t-shirt, brown trousers and black shoes. He shouted out again, his slurred voice clearer.

"Get back here! Your father isn't done with you yet!" he called out, throwing the arm holding the bottle out as if to emphasise his point, accidentally striking it on the building next to him. With a crash, the bottle shattered and the contents spilled out onto the ground uselessly. A slurred expletive escaped his lips as he stared at his lost alcohol before charging forwards, his drunken mind already blaming Kenta for the loss of his precious drink.

Marcus could help but smirk. "Pathetic humans," he muttered in amusement before turning to Kenta. "Stay here," he ordered, his voice level before chuckling. "I'm amused…"

Marcus let go of Kenta's arm and walked towards the larger man, the scent of alcohol reaching his sensitive nose as he got closer. Ignoring Kenta's shouts behind him, he continued forwards, only stopping when he had reached the man. Smiling pleasantly, he looked up at the man.

"Hello," he smiled. "My name is Marcus. What's yours?" he asked innocently.

"Get out of my way, kid!" was the only answer that he received as the drunken man brandished his bottle.

Marcus frowned in disappointment. "You don't want to tell me, huh?" he sighed before shrugging. "That's disappointing… I like to know people's names… Do you know why?" he asked, his smile returning.

Sick of Marcus's games, the man swung his bottle at him, determined to get him out of the way. Raising his left arm, Marcus grabbed the man's wrist and squeezed painfully, stopping his arm in its tracks. Marcus's smile grew wider as he stared up at the man before him.

"I like to know people's names because it's only fair. After all…" Marcus's voice lowered to a whisper, his smile remaining. "… I'll be killing you in a few seconds…"

The man let out a howl of alarm as Marcus flung him away, his body crashing into the wall, the bottle slipping from his hand and falling to the ground, shattering on impact. Marcus was before him again, his hand tightening around the man's throat.

"I'll give you one more chance. What's your name?" Marcus asked, watching as the man choked and squirmed under his crushing grip. The man opened his mouth, attempting to make a sound, but failing as Marcus's hand continued to crush his throat. A few seconds passed before Marcus frowned like a child. "Too slow… You're boring…"

Thud!

All it took was tightening his grip. Marcus crushed the man's neck, ripping through skin and snapping bone like wet paper, the man's disembodied head falling to the ground uselessly as blood spurted, showering Marcus. Marcus's frown deepened as he spat out a small quantity of blood.

"The alcohol ruined it…" he muttered to himself, attempting to rid his mouth of the foul taste.

"You aren't human, are you…?" a voice rang out, snapping him out of his thoughts. Marcus's eyes widened slightly in realisation and he turned slowly, his golden eyes falling on Kenta who took a step backwards in slight alarm. "Your eyes... Your strength... They're not natural. What are you…?" he asked hesitantly, yet not backing up.

"… Yes… I'm not human… I'm… What do you humans call us…? Vampires, maybe?" Marcus mused.

"You... seem to drink blood... Then, you're a vampire..." he responded, all hesitation gone, something else shining in his eyes. Determination, Marcus decided, alongside a slight hint of fear. It was to be expected. "You have power, right? The power to help me get revenge on that man…"

Marcus couldn't help but smile to himself. Here he was looking for another person to join the ranks of the undead and a human simply presented itself to him. This was easier than he thought. There was only one more thing to take care of before he returned to the Digital World and that was to make him one of them. If all went well, Marcus would be home with Sangloupmon very soon. 'How delightful,' he chuckled inwardly.

"… Yes… and I can give it to you… All I need are two small things…" Marcus began cryptically.

"My blood and my soul, right?" Kenta finished with an air of finality.

"No. Your blood and your humanity. Your soul is yours to keep," Marcus informed him.

"… What about the daylight and running water and all that?" Marcus stared in confusion. "You know… How vampires die in the daylight and can't cross running water…" He was cut off by a loud howl of laughter from his new acquaintance.

"Y-you humans seriously believe that?!" he laughed. "What do you all take us for?!"

"… I'm guessing that's a no, then…?"

"… So… What's your decision…?" he asked.

There was silence as Kenta thought for a moment.

"… If I go with you and become one of you… Can I ever come back here…?" he inquired hesitantly.

"… You have friends here…?"

"Just one… I can't leave her alone…"

Marcus began to walk back into the alleyway.

"… Sure… I'll open the Gate for you any time you want…" Kenta followed curiously.

"… Gate…?" His eyes fell on the Digital Gate and he recoiled in shock. "What is that thing?!"

"The Digital Gate back to my world. The world where you'll be staying. It'll stop humans from discovering you," he responded. Marcus turned and walked back towards him. "I'll warn you now. There's a chance that this may fail. If that happens, you'll die. I'll give you the chance to run away now," Marcus warned. Kenta nodded.

"I already ran away. Death was probably waiting for me anyway… I have no objections…"

Marcus paused for a few seconds, studying the boy. "Very well, then..." he responded, unable to prevent a wide smirk from growing on his face, his fangs protruding from his lower lip. His eyes, drawn to Kenta's pale, soft throat, watched the teenager swallow in apprehension, his bravery and determination leaving him as Marcus took a step towards him, taking a step backwards, his back bumping against the wall as he did so.

Marcus advanced with no intention of halting, fixated on his target, his golden eyes seeming to glow in the darkness as a primal instinct awoke within him, demanding that it be satiated as quickly as possible. The scent of iron filled his senses as he neared Kenta, watching as the boy began to shiver under his stare. Before the boy could react, a primal hiss reverberated through the alley followed by a quiet whimper as Marcus lunged forwards, sinking his fangs deep into the boy's throat, penetrating his artery.

A warm rush of blood filled Marcus's mouth, the red, metallic-tasting liquid slipping down his throat in seemingly never-ending quantities. Kenta didn't struggle, but kept his back firmly pressed against the wall until his legs gave out a short time later, his vision blurring and his consciousness slipping as Marcus guided him to the ground.

It wasn't long before Marcus had him drained dry and it was only then that he pulled away from the young man before him. Taking in his glazed eyes and grey skin, Marcus came to the conclusion that there was no more that could be done. The virus was within him. It simply needed to take hold and the human world was not a place where that could happen.

Marcus reached out and picked the boy up, gently carrying him in his arms with more tenderness than he had ever displayed during the boy's life. The boy was no longer human. Whether the virus took hold and resurrected him as one of the undead or not, the boy was one of them now in one way or another.

"The Undead or one of the Children. Which one he will become remains to be seen," Marcus pondered as he stepped into the Digital Gate, hearing a whoosh as the Gate closed behind him. "Until then, rest..." He whispered, staring down at the still form in his arms, a fond smile gracing his blood-covered face, his dull golden eyes softening. "No matter what happens, you're one of us now... son..."

1 day later...

Sangloupmon watched in slight wonder as Marcus continued to remain vigilant by the bedside of the boy who he had brought back the day prior. He was by no means strong-looking, Sangloupmon had decided. To be honest, he wondered why Marcus had not brought back a more suitable host for the virus. This boy was thin and scraggly. He was by no means the muscular individual who he had expected Marcus to bring back.

Yet, Marcus's strain of the virus was within him now. That made him Marcus's property. Whatever Marcus wished for him to be, he would be, and what Marcus thought of him was already apparent. He was something special. Something that Marcus had created with his own two hands. He had no doubt that the boy would rise and he wanted to be there to see it, almost like a doting father wishing to be there to witness the first steps of his child.

It wasn't until later that day that the boy showed signs of waking up and Marcus, who had begun to relax in his seat by Kenta's bedside, immediately became alert, sitting forward in his seat. Sangloupmon's sensitive ears picked up the sounds to Marcus's quiet words of encouragement, willing the boy on.

"You can do it... Keep going..." he muttered, placing a comforting hand on the boy's arm, watching as his slightly glowing blue eyes opened, attempting to focus on the world around him.

Kenta's eyes fell on Marcus who gave his arm a reassuring squeeze. The boy opened his mouth to speak, becoming slightly startled as no words came out. He looked up at Marcus, his eyes displaying slight panic as he attempted to speak again, failing every time he tried. Marcus leaned forwards, looking into his eyes.

"It's alright," Marcus told him. "Your body is going to behave very differently, now. You won't be able to speak in the same way that you did before, but you'll learn how to do it soon enough."

With great difficulty, Kenta pushed himself up, propping himself up on his elbows. Marcus reached out and wrapped his arm around Kenta's shoulders, allowing Kenta to use him for support as he sat himself up against the wooden headboard of the bed, his bed sheets sprawling over the bed as he pushed them off himself.

Kenta took a few seconds to look around the room. It was small and sparsely decorated, but what was in it had obviously once been of the highest quality. Dust caked the wooden floorboards and the wooden drawers beside the bed that Kenta was lying in, the varnished surface worn away, and tattered, greying curtains, once a light cream colour, hung from the window, blowing slightly in the warm, gentle breeze, the dust along the windowsill shifting with each puff of air that made its way past the grubby windowpanes.

A wooden table, once perfectly polished and shining in the digital sunlight, had fallen into disrepair, the surface having worn away after many years of use and many more of disuse. Parts of the table, once carved intricately, had worn and chipped away leaving it a shadow of its former self. A wardrobe in a similar condition lay just to the left of the door.

Kenta was brought back to reality as Marcus began to speak again. "You'll be back to your old self in no time. The virus has settled in and your body is a bit slow to start," Marcus explained with a smile. "You should be fine in a few minutes."

Kenta slowly nodded, his tired mind coming to terms with what Marcus was telling him. Suddenly, he jumped as Marcus's head snapped towards the doorway as something bolted down the hallway. Marcus's eyes narrowed. Sangloupmon had only been there moments prior. What was going on?

There was a moment of tense silence as Marcus focused on the doorway almost as if he was expecting Sangloupmon to return. After a few moments, Marcus felt a tug on his sleeve and turned back to Kenta, the boy shooting him a questioning look. Marcus smiled reassuringly.

"It's alright. One of my friends was over there. He just left. I thought that something was wrong, but it appears that that isn't the case," he explained, his smile widening as he shifted in his seat.

However, before Marcus could continue, the door, which had lay slightly ajar, burst open, Sangloupmon's lupine form appearing in the doorway, his glowing red eyes wide with panic. Marcus stood up from his seat, his eyes trained on his friend, ignoring Kenta as he started, staring at the Digimon with slight panic.

Ignoring him, Sangloupmon entered the room, quickly making his way over to Marcus, his long tail swishing behind him. Marcus frowned as he noticed his friend's fearful, worried expression. Taking a few steps towards him, he knelt down to his height so that they could speak properly.

"Marcus! News from the Dracmon!" Sangloupmon began, his voice trembling.

Marcus nodded. "Go on," he encouraged, placing a hand on Sangloupmon's furry neck in reassurance.

Sangloupmon stared deep into Marcus's eyes, peering past the bat wing-like protrusions on either side of his head. Gaining courage, he stood up straight, his blade-like claws clicking on the floor as he did so. His expression became serious as Marcus removed his hand from his neck.

"Marcus… The Asmodeus System has been activated… Prepare yourself…"

D.A.T.S.

(1) Kenta means "strong" and "big" and Wakahisa means "forever young," hinting towards the fact that when an individual becomes infected by the virus, they cease to age.