The blackout effectively reduced Kaito to a panicked ball curled against the back of the room, where the room's computer was.
Absinthe said he was going to remove Kaito's friends, make him alone again, and Kaito called his bluff. The thief challenged his tormentor, more or less declaring war upon the agent in the Mansion... and then the black out happened.
He wouldn't put it beyond Absinthe to be the one responsible for it. In fact, he truly believed it, that it was the other's intention to shut down the network and isolate him until he could be found.
So when he heard the door open in the pitch black darkness, he had to physically throw a hand over his mouth to push the whimper down.
But then there was light in the form of a butterfly, and Kaito could only stare. Two Conans, one familiar and slightly older, the other younger, but undoubtedly the same person. "C-Conan?" Even on that one word, Kaito's voice cracked.
The older frowned. "...it's not him," he said. "Unless he can set off an EMP. Leormon and I felt it, so it isn't a simple power cut," he said, walking towards Kaito, Leormon jogging forward to look over Kaito, more confident in his steps being a cat and having quite excellent night vision.
"The computers and phones went out too. But the other me could still send this," the younger said, gesturing to the butterfly, looking around for a chair or something to block off the door, not noticing at first as a few more butterflies appeared, some more golden and even a few blue.
Kaito reacted first to Leormon, shrinking back slightly before he reached his good arm out to the cat like creature. The arm stopped half way though, and dropped again to hold his broken arm held in a badly made sling. In the lightening room, it was easy to tell that the sling was probably something Kaito tied himself, as was the toga-like cloth that was his only source of clothing aside from the bandages.
"So... it's not him?" Kaito's eyes shifted between the two Conan's as if willing one of them to reassure his fear, then finally dropped back to Leormon. ".... it's so like something he'd do."
"Impossible for him to do," Conan said, looking over his arm.
Leormon moved over, nuzzling Kaito's hand. "We're Digital too."
"The chance he found something that would make us react like that and NOT put us under is near impossible. It's far more likely something the Mansion is doing. It'd mess with enough people to be without things," Conan said, moving towards a bed in the room and pulling off the sheet. "Not to mention it knocked out my D-comm and D-reader. We're probably only up because the Mansion wanted us to be."
The younger looked at Conan. "...okay, I have no idea what you're talking about, but you also have to consider he's knew here. To knock out the power in a place you know better than him would be stupid," he said and looked around at the butterflies. "...gold. At least we have an escape route then."
When nudged, Kaito gave in to the urge and wrapped his arm around Leormon's neck. He pulled the large feline close, for warmth and simple companionship. He had felt like he was bereft of it for so long that he trembled lightly against Leormon as he breathed softly into his fur.
He didn't know what to say, not yet. He had needs, clothes, food, care for his wounds, but he couldn't voice any of them. He just... needed a moment to compose himself now that he was amongst company again.
Maybe even pull up his torn and broken poker face.
When he did speak, it was just a whisper to say, "T-thank you all for coming."
Leormon made a surprised noise, but didn't move away. He stayed still, letting Kaito cling to him since he couldn't easily return the gesture, especially without hurting Kaito's arm. Besides, it seemed like he needed something to hold onto.
"That's what friends are for," Conan said, pulling out a pocket knife to cut up strips of the sheet. "I'm going to need to make you a proper sling."
"I said I'd help. I wouldn't go against my word," the younger said.
"What did you mean by escape route?" Conan asked.
He paused. "Ah, the golden butterflies. That's a sign that he says I can get us away. A sort of...teleportation trick."
"Good. I can't use my Digi-soul, so we'd be no chance until the Mansion returns power. Leormon might fight, but he can't evolve," Conan said.
"I'm not ready to fight yet," Kaito whispered, his body still shivering lightly. However, something in his tone was different. It held more promise than before, like saying he's not ready now, but he will be.
His eyes flickered briefly to the butterflies, showing he was listening even though he didn't respond.
Glancing at older Conan over the golden fur, the magician nodded his head in understanding. "I did what I can for it the past day, but there's only so much I can do with one arm. He splinted it for me before I came here, but when I met him again in the Mansion, this version took it off."
"Thanks," Kaito said, although he hadn't let go of the large feline to begin with. He shifted his body such that his left arm was free and no longer blocked by Leormon.
"He's older. He said... he said he was from my future." Kaito's eyes looked to younger Conan for a few seconds, believing he would understand past and future the best out of everyone here, and quickly looked away.
What Absinthe told him still haunted him badly. His arm around Leormon tightened.
"Older...?" The older Conan murmured, working on Kaito's arm. He glanced at Kaito's face. "He-"
"He said something bad has happened," the younger said. "Whatever he said...it implied you broke and lost, doesn't it?" Oh, he knew this game. He knew it well.
Kaito face buried into Leormon's fur and he gritted his teeth silently. It was impossible to tell whether it was in response to the words or his arm being shifted, but the silent tears he cried into the yellow fur was confirmation enough.
The older Conan didn't have a chance to say anything.
"It doesn't have to be that way," Conan said. The older glanced at him and after a moment, returned to focus on the splint, letting the other speak. "Time isn't set in stone. If the older me is where he is, that itself is absolute proof of this fact. You aren't beaten yet. Not by a long shot."
Kaito grimaced slightly at the splinting and used the pain as a focus to draw himself back. "I know..." he murmured, not completely confident but at least not denying it.
"I'm going to fight him here... I don't know what happens, but I know I have allies here." He lifted his head, his eyes still a bit reflective but no longer welling in saline pools. "Right, Leormon?"
Kaito pulled back enough to give Leormon a near smile and uncurled his arm to ruffle the digimon's hair.
His answer, when he gave it, was directed to the young Conan. "Nothing much has changed... you guys might still know more about him than I do." He took a shaky breath and tried to think back to their brief encounter in the infirmary.
"He's older... I will say by two to three years. He remembers this," he touched briefly on his splinted arm, "and claims it was many years ago for him. He's definitely new to here, so we have home grounds advantage."
Like how well that turned out back in his bolthole. Kaito shuddered and tried to shake the feeling away. He wasn't alone in the Mansion.
Absinthe said he was going to remove Kaito's friends, make him alone again, and Kaito called his bluff. The thief challenged his tormentor, more or less declaring war upon the agent in the Mansion... and then the black out happened.
He wouldn't put it beyond Absinthe to be the one responsible for it. In fact, he truly believed it, that it was the other's intention to shut down the network and isolate him until he could be found.
So when he heard the door open in the pitch black darkness, he had to physically throw a hand over his mouth to push the whimper down.
But then there was light in the form of a butterfly, and Kaito could only stare. Two Conans, one familiar and slightly older, the other younger, but undoubtedly the same person. "C-Conan?" Even on that one word, Kaito's voice cracked.
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"The computers and phones went out too. But the other me could still send this," the younger said, gesturing to the butterfly, looking around for a chair or something to block off the door, not noticing at first as a few more butterflies appeared, some more golden and even a few blue.
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"So... it's not him?" Kaito's eyes shifted between the two Conan's as if willing one of them to reassure his fear, then finally dropped back to Leormon. ".... it's so like something he'd do."
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Leormon moved over, nuzzling Kaito's hand. "We're Digital too."
"The chance he found something that would make us react like that and NOT put us under is near impossible. It's far more likely something the Mansion is doing. It'd mess with enough people to be without things," Conan said, moving towards a bed in the room and pulling off the sheet. "Not to mention it knocked out my D-comm and D-reader. We're probably only up because the Mansion wanted us to be."
The younger looked at Conan. "...okay, I have no idea what you're talking about, but you also have to consider he's knew here. To knock out the power in a place you know better than him would be stupid," he said and looked around at the butterflies. "...gold. At least we have an escape route then."
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He didn't know what to say, not yet. He had needs, clothes, food, care for his wounds, but he couldn't voice any of them. He just... needed a moment to compose himself now that he was amongst company again.
Maybe even pull up his torn and broken poker face.
When he did speak, it was just a whisper to say, "T-thank you all for coming."
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"That's what friends are for," Conan said, pulling out a pocket knife to cut up strips of the sheet. "I'm going to need to make you a proper sling."
"I said I'd help. I wouldn't go against my word," the younger said.
"What did you mean by escape route?" Conan asked.
He paused. "Ah, the golden butterflies. That's a sign that he says I can get us away. A sort of...teleportation trick."
"Good. I can't use my Digi-soul, so we'd be no chance until the Mansion returns power. Leormon might fight, but he can't evolve," Conan said.
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His eyes flickered briefly to the butterflies, showing he was listening even though he didn't respond.
Glancing at older Conan over the golden fur, the magician nodded his head in understanding. "I did what I can for it the past day, but there's only so much I can do with one arm. He splinted it for me before I came here, but when I met him again in the Mansion, this version took it off."
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"...this version?" Conan asked, moving over to Kaito. "Let me redo your arm, all right."
"You can hold onto me if it hurts," Leormon said, nuzzling his shoulder.
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"He's older. He said... he said he was from my future." Kaito's eyes looked to younger Conan for a few seconds, believing he would understand past and future the best out of everyone here, and quickly looked away.
What Absinthe told him still haunted him badly. His arm around Leormon tightened.
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"He said something bad has happened," the younger said. "Whatever he said...it implied you broke and lost, doesn't it?" Oh, he knew this game. He knew it well.
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"It doesn't have to be that way," Conan said. The older glanced at him and after a moment, returned to focus on the splint, letting the other speak. "Time isn't set in stone. If the older me is where he is, that itself is absolute proof of this fact. You aren't beaten yet. Not by a long shot."
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"I'm going to fight him here... I don't know what happens, but I know I have allies here." He lifted his head, his eyes still a bit reflective but no longer welling in saline pools. "Right, Leormon?"
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"Then the first things first," said the younger Conan. "Tell us everything you know about this Shinichi and we'll defy fate."
The older chuckled. "Looks like you got a pretty good ally here, Kaito."
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His answer, when he gave it, was directed to the young Conan. "Nothing much has changed... you guys might still know more about him than I do." He took a shaky breath and tried to think back to their brief encounter in the infirmary.
"He's older... I will say by two to three years. He remembers this," he touched briefly on his splinted arm, "and claims it was many years ago for him. He's definitely new to here, so we have home grounds advantage."
Like how well that turned out back in his bolthole. Kaito shuddered and tried to shake the feeling away. He wasn't alone in the Mansion.
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"And he immediately tried to resplint it..." The older Conan murmured.
"That is odd. Especially if he did it from the first time," the younger said.
"Which implies something changed," Conan said. "How was he acting when he found you? Was it at all different?"
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