2515/What A Ride

What A Ride
Date of Scene:	23 June 2015
Location:	Foxtrot Ranch
Synopsis:	Duke comes back home to the Ranch to tell everyone what he has learned and what could be coming.
Cast of Characters:	132, Alexis, 695, Duke

---

Duke has posed:
Duke had been missing for a bit and while he was going to come back with Doran, something drew him back away. The Digimon had been scarce, but he did speak up over the radio recently, so he did seem that he was still alive--and himself.

For everyone else well...

Once they came into the room, they would find a Medieval Dukemon sitting on the couch, feet propped up on the sofa table, crossed over at the ankles. Remote in one hand, along with flipping channels as he casually says, "Five hundred and forty two channels... with nothing good on. People have horrible idea what entertainment is."

Alexis has posed:
"FLAAAAREON!" The gleeful cry resounds as the red and yellow fluffball of fox comes sliding down the the railguard of the stairs. Only to shoot off the end, tumble fluff over tail through the air a few times, and land in a random stack of bedding hay. Fwoomp.

"I really wish Tempest would stop putting parkour ideas in your heads. It works much better with two feet instead of fou--" Alexis stops partway in, blinking a couple of times. It wasn't a surprise to see Duke back. He did say he would eventually come 'home', after all.

Seeing him lounging around in his Ultimate form like it was casual friday, on the other hand, that's a bit different. He could barely willingly hold onto that stage when he had wandered off.

"Eh," she finally remarks as she folds her arms and leans on the railing. "I had to lock out the pay-per-view functions so Scorch would stop trying to request the... child unfriendly channels."

"Typhlosion! (That was totally a documentory!)" The flame badger shouts from somewhere in another room.

Beelzebumon (132) has posed:
     The sound of an engine can be heard freom outside as Beelzebumon pulls up to the barn atop Behemoth after doing a bit of driving. After parking inside of the barn itself and putting up Behemoth's kickstand, he stretches out and pops his neck before making his way into the house proper and heading straight to the kicthen to get himself a beer.

     Along the way, he passes by the living room, at first not even noticing the large armored figure seated upon the couch. It isn't until he's passed the door that he stops.

     "Wait a minute."

     After backpedalling a few steps back to the open door, he rests his arm against the frame and snorts disgruntledly before saying, "Bout damn time you came back, you royal pain in the ass. Ya done with all your soul searching?"

Duke has posed:
The former Royal Knight continues to flip channels, till he lands on some music channel playing classics-- more correctly a piano piece. His gold eyes glance over to Alexis about then. They had a different kind of look in them. More steady, sureness, confidence. Though there was still a bit of dullness to them, he was-- not as perhaps lost as he once was. "I guess it could be worse. He could been using my bed while doing so."

It was a bad joke, but a joke never-the-less.

"He and I would have to have some words if he was."

When Beelzebumon realized he was in the room, Duke could only closes his eyes with a mild grin behind the face plate. "You could say that. I am still unable to remember anything of grand importance, but I've come to some understandings."

Duke then looks over his shoulder to Beelzebumon, those gold eyes staring him down. "And you actually /kept/ your promise. That /must/ have been painful to bare it for /this/ long, huh?" He then hits the off button to the TV.

"But I am home to stay... for the most part." He uncrosses his feet about then. "However, you may want to get yourself the whole pack Beelzebumon. There is some information you may want to hear... all of you may want to hear."

The former knight goes to stand up, "Where is Doran at anyways?"

Alexis has posed:
Alexis pffs, rolling her eyes. "He's not that hard to keep around. My shed is full of bike tools and I kept the cooler full of beer." She's not afraid to make a teasing jab or two at the demon biker brawler.

Though afterwards she glances towards the doors. "I'm presuming out hunting or something. Though I think he does it more for the excersize than anything else."

Doran (695) has posed:
"I'm right here," Doran's voice pipes up from the doorway as the small Dorumon pads into the house right on cue. He looks tired and a bit dusty, perhaps fresh from another hunt as Alexis suspected. His ears prick and twitch as he studies Duke's Ultimate form, and he seems to look suddenly less tired. "I knew you'd stay in Ultimate form eventually."

Ryuu peers into the house from a window, eyeing everyone who's inside. "Info, huh?" The large Ouryuumon seems to settle himself down on the ground, if the implied movement of his body is of any indication. "Must be pretty big if you're telling everyone to take a seat and grab a drink before you say anything else."

Beelzebumon (132) has posed:
     "Well, let's just say it was no picnic, and not just for the reasons of wanderlust," Beelzebumon replies, before glancing over at Alexis, "Your friend here has some really demented pets, and I ain't an animal person."

     Then when Duke says he should probably just bring the full case instead of a single beer, Beelzebumon narrows his eyes slightly, then says, "That bad, huh? Well, seeing as I got no reason to stick around here any longer while you're back, I may as well plunder the fridge before I go."

     Like Beelzebumon needed an excuse to drink an entire case of booze.

     It doesn't take long for him to return with an six-pack of booze in hand, and as he takes a seat and cracks open his first can, he remarks to Doran, "Hey fuzzbutt."

Duke has posed:
Duke goes to stand up once everyone is in the area and steps around the table with ease. He doesn't have his weapon in sight nor his cape. His gold eyes look at everyone in the room, he gives a nod to Doran, before turning to face forward. The way his foot sweeps is controlled, instinctive. Yeah-- he was getting back into his old rhythm.

"I have come to realize a few things while I was gone. Maybe it was already shared-- maybe it wasn't. The realization is that I was Dukemon of the Royal Knights. One of Yggdrasil's chosen and I /should/ have gone back with the others." He shifts his weight. "But I didn't... and I still don't have the full answer, but I do know that I stood against what Yggdrasil was doing-- what /we/ were doing and seemingly the only one who remembered what my job was as a Royal Knight in the final moments."

The Digimon shakes his head gently. "I'm the only one who did and I paid that price it seems, but... I also know who created the DEXs-- why--- and from who. I also know that Gaonoir is /not/ a normal Digimon... as in... there is nothing /normal/ about him."

Beelzebumon (132) has posed:
     At first, Beelzebumon doesn't react as he listens to Duke's plot dump while drinking his beer... he already knew who Duke was, and he knew the old Duke well enough that he figured defying Yggdrasil would have been completely in character for him.

     And then Duke gets to the part about knowing where the DEX-Type Digimon came from, which prompts a sudden sputter and coughing fit from him as he sets his beer aside and thumps on his chest to bring up the booze that went down the wrong tube. Then in a hourse voice, he says, "*cough* What do you mean, you know who made the DEX?"

Alexis has posed:
"Flareon! (Thank you!)" the flareon chirrups as she pops her head out of the hay finally, a goofy grinning floppy eared expression on her face. Clearly someone took Beelz's demented pets comment like it was a compliment.

Alexis holds out her hands in a sort of apologetic gesture. "We.. already kind of knew that, after what my Murshana saw in your dreams. But Doran and I figured you wouldn't believe it until you found it out for yourself so we kinda kept it to ourselves and just kept an eye on you."

Seems like it's turned out for the better that way, anyways.

At the second part she cocks her head to the side a bit, causing a brief sway to go down through her pigtails as she does so. "Y'mean that black mutt thing that's been showing up on the news reports fighting you guys?"

Doran (695) has posed:
Doran settles down in a spare chair and starts brushing the dust out of his fur. He nods a bit at Alexis' admittance, but doesn't seem to react beyond that to the first part of the infodump about Duke's identity. He was... kinda there when it all happened, after all. He's known since it happened.

However, his head lifts when the DEX'es are brought up, then his gaze sharpens on Duke at mention of Gaonoir. It isn't he who says anything, but Ryuu who's still outside: "Wha'dya find out, Duke? Don't leave us hangin' here."

Duke has posed:
Duke looks at each of them, "First the DEX project... as it was known to us Royal Knights." There was a close of his eyes, a uncurling and curling of his fingers. How to explain this--- how to explain this without giving to much away?

"The DEX Project was created by Yggdrasil based of a no longer existing Digimon's data. We Royal Knights were aware of this project, but not the extent of what it would cause. How much devastation--- but we also became aware if Project Ark." Duke's voice takes a much darker tone to it. "We /knew/ that Yggdrasil would wipe out everything and everyone... and only those chosen would remain alive."

Duke lowers his head. He can feel his core thumping almost, as if he can almost hear the voices. The cries-- memories locked away in the void that he just can't find the key for. Yes... this all sounds right to him, it all sounded right to him when it was explained. He takes a heavy breath before he continues. "That is why we Royal Knights were immune... and why... the DEXes did not harm any who Yggdrasil had picked out. We /knew/ this... but no one did anything."

"Because why would we question Yggdrasil's will... and his... logic. Why would we have to believe that he would turn on us and cast out those closets to him out." His hand fully tightens before it relaxes. "This is why I am here, because I questioned that will... to many times and could not stand by while it happened around me."

"Not with what I knew."

Duke's shoulders slumped. "...and I knew far before I ever reacted... I was to slow."

Alexis has posed:
Alexis makes a face. "The more I hear about Yggdrassil the less I like him... it... whatever you would call it

Beelzebumon (132) has posed:
     "Damn... sure would love to find the one responsible for spawning those... /horrors/, just so I could punch him in the face. Guess I'll just have to settle for our 'great and glorious god' instead..." Beelzebumon says with a sigh, before chugging down the rest of his beer. Duke was right, he /is/ gonna need the entire case.

     "Now, what's this about that shadowmutt not being a normal Digimon?"

Duke has posed:
Duke's eyes gaze over to Beelzebumon. Those gold eyes staring at him. "The Digimon used for this was tricked. Tricked by Yggdrasil with no way out. If that Digimon is alive, which I doubt by now... they were as much of a victim in this as everyone else was."

Doran (695) has posed:
Doran eyes Duke with a stare that is at once scrutinizing and unreadable. "So that was it." His voice is bitter, sneering without needing to raise his voice. It's a harsh sound. "Wipe out the Demon Lords and anyone not absolutely loyal to Yggdrasil. And anyone with an X-Antibody once that manifested."

Ryuu snorts softly. "Everyone's a victim somehow. Every single one of us." Doran's wings flutter once, but he says nothing more. "Alright, now we know where those /things/ came from, at least for the moment. So what's this about Gaonoir?"

Duke has posed:
Duke inhales deeply before he continues on about Gaonoir. "Gaonoir is indeed the shadow pup. I was able to fight him one on one in the desert, using the bright sun at high noon to keep him from being able to depend on his abilities."

Duke's gold eyes look over to Ryuu, then to Doran, to Beelzebumon, and finally to Alexis as he speaks. "When we get damaged, our digital matrix structure can be seen, he--- doesn't have this." He looks to Beelzebumon about then. "His entire internal frame work is nothing but a black void. I... I don't think there has ever been anything like that before, has there?"

Far as Duke is aware, Beelzebumon is the oldest member here, outside of Ryuu-- who he looks to next.

Beelzebumon (132) has posed:
     There is just a look of disbelief on Beelzebumon's face at this little revelation, before finally he replies with just a plain, flat, monotone, "... What."

     Then he follows this up several moments later with, "How? What the hell /IS/ he? I've never even /heard/ of anything like that before... the fuck is Yggdrasil /thinking/?"

Alexis has posed:
Alexis actually grins a little at first, when Duke explains how he used location and time to keep his foe from getting too much of an advantage. Sounds like the training for tactics as well as fighting paid off a bit. Well, maybe retraining would be more accurate now.

The moment is gone with the rest of the explaination. "So he really -is- a monster." She walks over to pick her flareon out of the straw, holding the firefox in her arms. "I mean, you're all monsters. But a -monster-. You know what I mean. Made to be a freak on your so-called god's leash, on purpose."

She pauses again. The snarls softly. "Like Mewtwo, but this freak was actually kept under the master's control."

Doran (695) has posed:
Ryuu's golden crest hides any brow-furrowing, but the Ouryuumon's eyes still narrow noticeably. "I've never heard the like," he admits. "Even the DEXes had an internal framework. Never thought it was possible."

Doran's tail thrashes. "I hadn't either... no tales, no nothing." He frowns a bit. "But /how/?"

Duke has posed:
The Medieval Dukemon can only shrug to Beelzebumon helplessly. It seems even Duke is rather beside himself on this fact as well. He doesn't have answers, he doesn't know. His gold eyes do look over to Alexis, "Calling him a monster isn't that far off, given he can remove DigiCore's from someone without harming the core."

He then looks to Doran and Ryuu. "I really don't know, just what I saw. Including he confrmed what we may already knew. The Digital World-- it is still alive. A new one, thus Project Ark was successful." Duke would be frowning if he could. "It is more then likely that Yggdrasil is now moving his people out to exterminate all that remains... and anyone who could be a threat. If the Exiles gather up together in to large of numbers right now..."

The former Royal Knight hands both tighten up. "It could be an easy removal of many lives. Given Yggdrasil knows how to get to us, but we not to him." He grunts then looks at everyone again. "Gaonoir also called himself not only the shadow of the past, but also the shadow of god." Duke forces his hands to relax again. "And he knows my DigiCore is not up to speed... it is if he is waiting for it to become so... which is... concerning."

Beelzebumon (132) has posed:
     There is another pause from Beelzebumon as new information comes to light. Information which kind of throws his brain for a total loop... so much so in fact that he wordlessly opens another can of beer and chugs the entire contents in one go before slumping forward with a distant look on his face.

     And then he just kind of smiles.

     Not his normal, shiteating grin or a sadistic slasher one. Just a smile half formed on his face, "... A new world. Another chance. Provided of course we can beat the stuffing out of Yggdrasil." Then the smile just drops off his face, "Course, then he'd probably just whip out his little world-eaters again just to spite us."

Alexis has posed:
"Sounds like Yggdrasil isn't waiting for you guys to gather together in an easy target, if he's already got his mongrel hounding you." Idly Alexis brushes her fingers through the Flareon's headfur. She was still primarily a fire type trainer, so having one at hand was a bit of a comfort during such a heavy conversation. "I'm just stabbing the dark here, but my guess would be that the computer freak wants to know what went wrong with his previous followers. Your incomplete mental state may be a hinderance to that?" She shrugs a bit again. "Just from my previous experiences with monster creating mad scientists."

Doran (695) has posed:
Doran and Ryuu share a look at the news that the Digital World does indeed still exist somehow, a simultaneous expression of disbelief on their faces. "I thought he said..." Doran begins to say, but pauses mid-sentence. "No, he was lying then. But why change his story now...?"

Ryuu snorts softly. "Why hide it? Exiles are appearing left and right as it is. If things keep going the way they are, we might get sic'd with the DEX'es no matter what we do."

Doran tilts his head to Alexis' point, then his ears flatten. "Possibly. Or perhaps there's more to it than just 'capturing'. I mean, Digimon have always been under Yggdrasil's direct oversight... but now, there's a group of us who've adapted to the Multiverse. Maybe that has something to do with it?"

Alexis has posed:
"Maybe the DEXs don't work outside of the digital world?" Alexis offers for another possibility. "It's not like they can just swoop in and tear the Multiverse apart like whatever they did to your world."

Doran (695) has posed:
Ryuu shakes his head. "Maybe so. But we don't know, and I'm betting Yggdrasil doesn't either." He scratches at the purple mane of hair out the back of his helm. "An' that's the problem. There's gonna be a point where he'll want to find out what limitations -- if any -- his favorite li'l freaks have on the Multiverse... or those of us out in it."

Duke has posed:
Duke looks at Alexis and his eyes narrow slightly. "What worries me is if there is one of Yggdrasil's mon out here, there could be more we have yet to see or even.. bigger problems." He closes his eyes. "If we gather in one place to tightly, it make an easy target. He could be using Gaonoir like a shepherd, rounding up the flock into one place they think is safe, before releasing the wolf to eat everyone."

Duke opens his eyes. "No Exile can know what we know. Not yet. The more people know, the greater risk it hitting Yggdrasil's ears... and I don't think we are ready for that."

Duke looks to Ryuu, then to Alexis, then back to Ryuu. "If I have learned anything," He looks to Doran, "Is that my nightmares are possible hints of my deeper self trying to get back out... of who I /was/ and will /be/."

He looks to Beelzebumon then. "It is very possible that if Yggdrasil can not have his way, /if/ the Royal Knights fail... he may send /them/ after us." His eyes narrow as he stares down at Beelzebumon. "Because they are his last defense... and his most powerful of guardians... are they not, Demon Lord?"

Beelzebumon (132) has posed:
     Beelzebumon cracks open another beer and takes a sip, then looks over at Duke, "As far as I know, yeah. The Knights were always his most powerful servants. Those DEX beasts were only dangerous because of sheer numbers and the fact that their presence ate away at the world around them. Against Digimon strong enough, or those with the Antibody, they weren't all that effective."

     Then he takes another swig, "But then again, we didn't have freaky mutts made out of darkness either, so Yggdrasil could have very well made, or be making something even more dangerous than his Knights or his Hellbeasts."

Alexis has posed:
Alexis huffs out a sigh into her bangs. "That's a lot of answers.... but most of them still just leave even bigger questions open. Like why does he have his pooch collecting cores, if they're from digimon he didn't want in his new world in the first place?"

Doran (695) has posed:
Doran's eyes narrow as the pupils constrict to slits. "Maybe because they're not going home at all. They're caught, experimented on, and eventually destroyed." He shrugs coldly. "They're gonna die anyway. Might as well make use of them."

Ryuu gives Doran a harsh glare. "Devil's advocate, are we?"

Doran levels a long glare at Ryuu in kind. "Makes logical sense, doesn't it? Matches what we've seen from and heard about Yggdrasil, yeah? So."

Alexis has posed:
Alexis huffs again, crinkling her nose. "I hate to say it, but Doran does kind of have a point. To toy with is probably the only use he thinks they have."

Duke has posed:
Duke falls quiet and snatches one of those beers left-- probably the last one Beelzebumon has. "Or maybe he also has plans to send his angels." The former Royal Knight says. "Either way. I am going to get some air now and enjoy the stars."

He starts to make his way outside, popping it open. "Food for thought everyone." He raises the can. "Cheers." Then walks out to head for the roof.

Alexis has posed:
"Stay away from the Flaaffy field," Alexis warns after him. "There was a thunderstorm last night and most of them still have fully charged wool." Followed by a soft sigh as she stoops to set the Flareon down finally. "Food for thought, stuff of nightmares."

Doran (695) has posed:
Ryuu disappears from the window as Duke leaves the house with beer in hand. "I'll come with you," he says as he slinks his long body around to move beside the former Royal Knight.

Doran emits a long sigh of his own. "With barely a dream in sight," he adds to Alexis as he gets up as well. He looks down at his fur and grumbles. "Better go get a bath before I track more stuff around."

Duke has posed:
Duke climbs up there and once he does arrive, he actually Degenerates back down to Guilmon X for and actually /now/ drinks the beer. He does give it a funny look, he always does, but he drinks it all the same. Mostly cause it will knock his bum out later and he might sleep past all the crazy nightmares of his memories.

He also doesn't protest against Ryuu joining him. He isn't even aware of the connection-- well-- sorta...

Doran (695) has posed:
Ryuu is careful to not lay on top of Alexis' house, instead sitting on the ground and crossing his arms over his thin chest as he sits near the edge of the roof closest to Duke. He waits for everyone else to disperse enough so they're alone, then he gives the Guilmon-X a strange look with one eye.

Disappointment?

"You told them."

Duke has posed:
The Guilmon X sips the can, with his eyes closed, before one gold eye opens and gives the mucher larger Digimon a look. It wasn't a rather dead-pan look, before both his eyes opened and he stared fully at Ryuu.

Contemplating was on his face, then confusion, before his ear fins tucked back slightly. "Told them what?"

Doran (695) has posed:
Ryuu emits a low rumble. "Dukemon, do not play games with me." There is a quiet note of warning, somewhat ominous. "You were not supposed to share any information gained in the ruins."

Duke has posed:
Those gold eyes narrow and they stare right back at Ryu. "So you know then... of the conversation." The young Guilmon X's eyes go sharp. "I didn't day his name, because they never believe me, but to remain silent on it... even on some of it... I couldn't do that."

He sneers his sharp teeth at the dragon Digimon. "Silence. Non action." There was a flicker of blue in his eyes. "That is what got me here in the first place. To repeat the mistakes..."

Doran (695) has posed:
Ryuu bares his teeth right back, taking no gruff from the Guilmon-X. "Non-action is hiding in a hole for years, fearful of the reprecussions of sticking your head out too far. Silence is seeing what is wrong and doing nothing about it. YOU have neither one."

He leans his head in, his throat pressing just a little bit on the rooftop's shingles. "Do not avoid making past mistakes only to make new ones instead, Duke. I really do hope you've made the right choice." He pulls his head back. "I just don't know if he can handle an escalation."

Duke has posed:
The Guilmon X stands up quickly and stares at the dragon Digimon dead on, there was a flicker in his body, as if wanting to evolve but he was holding it back, but it was in his eyes. "Who says /he/ would have to handle /anything/." The Digimon huffs out with a bit of smoke from his nostrils.

"I am Dukemon. I /was/ Dukemon and I /will/ be Dukemon. Even if cast out, I'm still a Royal Knight, right? I am the one who remembered the code. /I/ am the one who stood down my own /god/." His shoulders tense up about then, there was a spark of energy around him. "No one can prepare for anything if they are kept in the dark!"

Doran (695) has posed:
Ryuu just stares at Duke, his Digital Interface glinting in the starlight. A few seconds pass in silence between them, then the Ouryuumon throws back his head and laughs a long, loud belly-laugh. It isn't scornful or anything -- it's honest if rough, as Ryuu tends to be anyways.

"You sure haven't changed one bit. Still that same honest Royal Knight who strives to be better than he is, even when others grow complacent. I see why Beelzebumon liked fighting you during the war -- I enjoyed fighting you the most that one time myself... and you'll probably recall that defeat in time."

Ryuu settles back down somewhat, his gaze turning distant. "But still you don't understand, Duke. What makes you think he'll just sit back and watch AGAIN?" He shakes his head. "No. If his fears come true, he will try to handle /everything/."

Duke has posed:
"And if he does, no matter /who/ he is and what he /was/ or will be, I wont let him. Even if it means staring him down in combat." Duke says firmly and the belief is there in his eyes. However he inhales deeply through his nostrils, closes his eyes, and eventually flops back.

"Now... could we just drop this an enjoy the stars....?"

Doran (695) has posed:
Ryuu chortles. "That'd be interesting to see," he comments to himself softly, but he doesn't press further. "Fine, fine." He settles down further and falls silent, content with the answers... even if /he/ may not be.