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Chapter Text

"W-What did you do?" Takato Matsuki asked, both his voice and eyes filled with disbelief.

Lopmon kept quiet, partially because she was a little ashamed. Her first encounter with the Tamers' de facto leader came almost immediately before his bio-merging with Guilmon for the first time, so she always thought of him as the group's white knight who was steadfast in the face of any challenge. Seeing both Takato and Guilmon currently unsure of what to do about the situation in front of them made her feel as though she had really done something wrong.

To top things off, the scene they had stumbled on was far from a conventional one. Guilmon's expression seemed to be going back and forth between shock and sadness as his gaze alternated between the utility shed he used to live in and the Tyranomon wedged in its entrance.

"That sounds like a loaded question to me," Suzie Wong answered, not nearly as worried as Lopmon was. This wasn't really a surprise to Lopmon, of course, as Suzie's confidence had always grown with her ability as a Tamer. She was far from the little girl she had been when they were first partnered together over four years ago.

"I just don't understand how this could have happened," Takato said, trying his best to be the understanding person he usually was.

"Is how this happened really more important than just figuring out a solution?" Suzie asked innocently.

"I think so," Guilmon muttered sadly.

"Let's agree to disagree."

"Have it your way then," Takato said with a sigh. He turned his full attention to Lopmon. "Okay, what happened?"

"Uh..." was Lopmon's initial reply, as she was unsure how to respond. Lying was out, as she had never been very good at it, but she didn't want to go against Suzie.

"You don't have to say anything, Lop," Suzie cut in quickly. "Remember that you have rights."

"No one's going to get in trouble, Lopmon," Takato assured her, his voice now completely calm and supportive. "I just think this would be easier to sort out if we had all the facts."

Looking from Takato to her pleading partner and then back again, Lopmon took a deep breath. "Well, when you put it like that..." she began.

"It started with a bio-emergence a little earlier this afternoon. We were the closest, and since the digimon in question was only at Champion-level, we figured we could handle it on our own. Not to get sidetracked, but I don't want this to sound like I'm bragging. We just know that you guys are older and busier now, and we just want to do our part, so-"

"Take a breath, Lop," Suzie said to stop her rambling.

"Right, sorry... Anyway, we head towards this digital field, which is a couple blocks away from the park. Except that by the time we arrived, the field had already dissipated and Tyranomon was wandering around the street, smashing cars and the like. Naturally, we saw this and assumed the worse, so we didn't waste any time jumping into the fray.

"I lept forward, taking Tyranomon by surprise and knocking him off his feet. He didn't retaliate right away, so I decided that was the best time to give him a warning. I told him he had one chance to leave peacefully, and that I wouldn't hesitate to destroy him if he continued to threaten this city."

"You did say that, didn't you?" Suzie commented.

"I believe in being fair but firm! And it payed off. Turned out that Tyranomon really wasn't interested in starting a fight. He was just a little disoriented from finding himself here in the Real World. So, just like we always do when wild digimon surrender peacefully, we offered to take him to the portal under the shed. That's where things got complicated."

"I figured that much," Takato remarked.

"Well, you know how it is. Typically, it's the smaller digimon that agree to return home. It didn't occur to us until we got here how difficult getting Tyranomon to an underground portal would be."

"That doesn't explain why you didn't just call someone to come help you."

"I said the same thing, but Suzie kept insisting that we'd be able to figure things out for ourselves. So, we sat and thought about it for a while. We knew we couldn't move the portal, and digging up the park to get closer to it didn't seem like a good idea, which didn't leave us with many other options. That's when you showed up."

"Sorry..." Lopmon said meekly as she turned towards Suzie. Despite believing that no harm could come from telling the truth, Lopmon couldn't help but feel as though she had committed some kind of betrayal. Thankfully, her partner wasn't as disappointed as she thought she would be.

"Don't worry about it, Lop," Suzie replied. "Asking you to lie is like asking Terriermon to stop talking."

Over the course of the story, Guilmon had digivolved into Growlmon and was in the process of pulling Tyranomon from the shed's entrance. There was a momentary struggle, probably more the result of the saurian not wanting to cause any more damage to his former home, but soon the wild digimon was set free.

"Well, there's that problem solved at least," Takato commented to no one in particular.

"Antylamon could've done that," Suzie chimed in. "We're not any closer to getting this giant bozo home."

"No offense!" Lopmon added quickly after noticing Tyranomon tilt his head at Suzie's words. The last thing they needed was the for the digimon to become upset because of name-calling

"I know," Takato said as he pulled out his D-Power, pushing a couple buttons and pointing it in the general direction of the portal. "Just give me a sec."

"I already tried this and nothing happened," Suzie declared as she did the same with her own device.

"Well, it should!" Takato shook his D-Power next to his head. "If the D3's can open the digiport, then our digivices should at least be able to manipulate the portal a little bit."

"Based on what evidence?"

"Hey, cut me some slack! I'm trying over here!"

"Don't you let your fiery temper get out of control with me!" Suzie snapped back, jabbing one of her index fingers up at Takato's face. "I'd like to keep my head on my shoulders, thank you very much!"

With that, Suzie's D-Power lit up. Lopmon wasn't sure if it was a direct result of their yelling or just a coincidence, but she wouldn't get a chance to ask. The light the device emitted made contact with the shed, resulting in a larger version of the portal appearing at the entrance. Without hesitation, Tyranomon strolled over to the portal and disappeared.

Lopmon didn't speak, waiting on someone else to be the one to break the silence. Aside from Growlmon returning to his Rookie form, there was no movement for quite a few seconds.

"So..." Suzie finally said, a nervous grin on her face. "What are the chances we can just forget this ever happened?"

It was at that moment that the portal closed, quickly followed by the shed's gate falling off its hinges.

"And what are we supposed to say to the others when they see this?" Takato asked.

"Can we fix it?" Guilmon asked, still saddened by the state of the shed.

Not that Lopmon felt his feelings were unjustified. She was sure that if she returned home that night and found the apartment collapsing in on itself, she'd be upset as well.

"I'll talk to Dad later and see if he knows anyone who can help out," Takato answered, trying to sound reassuring.

"And if he doesn't?" Guilmon persisted.

"We'll think of something, boy."

"Yeah..." Suzie added. "No reason to worry about anything."

"You're not out of hot water just yet."

"Oh, come on! You never would have even known this was me if you didn't happen to come by at the worst possible moment." Suzie then went silent, as she often did when she was thinking something over. "Why are you out here anyway?"

"That's..." Takato hesitated, having obviously not been expecting the question. "...not what we're talking about."

Lopmon then heard another set of footsteps climbing the stairs towards them. She was never one to believe in coincidences, but she found herself questioning this upon turning and seeing Rika Nonaka slowly approaching them.

"What the hell happened here?" Rika asked once she saw the shed.

"I'm more curious about what's happening here," Suzie replied, mischievous smile forming on her face.

Rika's attention snapped away from the shed. Much like Takato, she was caught off guard by whatever Suzie was insinuating. "Don't know what's going through your head right now, but it's not that."

"If that's the case, then you wouldn't mind telling me when my brother's gonna get here." Suzie casually looked away from Rika and up at the trees as she spoke.

"Does it matter?" Rika growled before looking over to Takato, who laughed nervously.

"I think it does a little bit."

"Hold on, Suzie," Lopmon whispered, not quite following what was going on. "I thought we didn't want Henry to find out about this." If anyone would lecture Suzie for breaking the shed, it would be him.

Suzie returned her focus to the two older Tamers. "He's not coming, is he?"

"I'm still confused."

Lopmon didn't get many answers after that, but Suzie did explain to her what blackmail was during the walk home.

Chapter Text

Despite a reputation for being a badass who played by his own rules, Impmon was still very protective of his human partners. So, when one of them came home covered with dirt and bruises, it was no surprise to anyone that this made him upset. What Impmon did find surprising were some of the specifics of how this occurred.

"What do yuh mean yuh didn't fight back?" Impmon cried out, a little more annoyed that Mako wouldn't turn away from emptying his school bag onto his bed.

Chapter Text

The sound of rain pounding on the roof only added to Jeri Katou's current frustration. Not that the bad weather was the source of it. That distinction fell to the two individuals sitting directly across from her.

"Seriously, another one?" Rika Nonaka complained. It was in her house that the group was currently gathered in, playing a board game to pass the time. The game, meant to simulate adult life, had just dictated that she add a second child to her family unit. "Isn't this something I would choose for myself?"

Chapter Text

The massive, insectoid form of GranKuwagamon flew forward, mowing down any trees in its path. Even bio-merged with Guilmon in their shared form of Gallantmon, Takato was just barely able to roll out the digimon's path. He reoriented himself for a counterattack, but by this point his target had flown back into the air.

In the aftermath of the D-Reaper's defeat, Hypnos set out to drastically overhaul its security protocols. Within the year, Shinjuku saw a huge decrease in bio-emergences, with Mega-level digimon like GranKuwagamon rarely making their way through. The exception to this trend seemed to be Shinjuku Park, which Henry theorized was the result of the portal underneath the utility shed.

Takato raised his weapons to prepare for when GranKuwagamon came back around, but that moment never came. Instead, the giant insect flew towards the person they were fighting alongside.

"Rika!" Takato called out as he sprinted forwards. The Tamer in question, who was currently merged with Renamon as Sakuyamon, turned around just in time to get tackled to the ground before GranKuwagamon's could come crashing to the ground.

Knowing Rika as well as he did, Takato did not expect much in the way of gratitude. Even to this day, she still felt as though needing to be rescued was a sign of weakness on her part. The anger he saw when looking down at the shaman's face, however, still left him a bit scared.

"I was fine!" Rika snapped. As if to prove her point, she stretched her left arm past his head and called up a barrier just in time to deter GranKuwagamon's follow-up strike.

The bug's claw bounced off the barrier, and rather than continue, the digimon flew off again. Having a brief reprieve, Sakuyamon didn't waste any time shoving Gallantmon off her.

"I can take care of myself, Takato," Rika stated as she stood up.

"I know," Takato replied as he trained his sights on GranKuwagamon once more. "Doesn't mean I'm not gonna worry about you."

Takato eyed the the digital field around them, noting it was starting to fade. He looked to Rika, who nodded to indicate they were on the same page. Once the field was gone, GranKuwagamon would be set loose on the city and there was no telling how much destruction would follow. They had to end the fight before that happened.

They broke off in different directions, with Takato charging to meet GranKuwagamon head on. At the last second, he leapt upward and slashed his lance across one of his opponent's wings. Results of this action were mixed.

On the one hand, GranKuwagamon's flight capabilities were successfully neutralized. On the other, it caused the digimon to lash out in pain, swinging a claw wildly and catching the side of Takato's head. He crashed to the ground just behind the insectoid digimon.

Takato stood up as quickly as he could, an act made slightly more difficult by the fact that his head was still spinning. By this point, he was face-to-face with the wild digimon bearing down on him again. Luckily, this wasn't cause for concern.

"SPIRIT STRIKE!"

Four fox-shaped attacks rained down on GranKuwagamon, with each striking one of the its legs and halting its advance. This left it vulnerable to a finishing blow.

"LIGHTNING JOUST!"

A bolt of energy shot from Gallantmon's lance, hitting GranKuwagamon and reducing the wild digimon to data. Takato let off a sigh of relief before turning to face Sakuyamon, who had landed right in front of him.

"You okay?" Rika asked.

"Sure," Takato answered, dismissing his lance and tapping a finger against his head. "Thick armor."

"Thick head is like it." The shaman closed the distance between them, taking hold of the knight's face-plate to examine where the claw had struck.

"Ow!" Takato winced.

"Oh, get over it."

"Guess this means you're still mad."

"Yeah, a little." Rika's tone softened, however, and she gently rested her hand against the side of Takato's head. "Doesn't mean I'm not gonna worry about you."

Takato didn't do much considering before raising his own hand placing it on hers. Again, he knew Rika well enough to know that gestures of affection weren't exactly something she was comfortable with and that what he was doing was essentially putting his person at risk. Yet surprisingly, she didn't pull away or resist. She only looked back at him nervously, or at least until...

"Ahem!" Renamon's voice jolted them both back to reality, causing them both to immediately separate.

"Are you alright, Takatomon?" Guilmon chimed in.

"I'm fine! I mean, why wouldn't I be?" Takato blurted out as they all let go of their Mega forms. He looked to Rika, who was currently avoiding eye-contact with him. "Sorry about all that. I guess I just get into the part when we become Gallantmon."

"Whatever," Rika replied, occupied with quickly tying her hair back into its signature ponytail.

"So..." Takato spaced a bit on what to say next. Even after all these years, he still occasionally felt like an idiot when he spoke to her. "You heading home?"

"Eventually..." Rika gave him her full attention now. "I was thinking about sticking around here for a little while."

"Perfect night for it." Takato looked upward, the digital field having long dissipated to reveal the stars above them. "You... want any company?"

Rika hesitated a second, obviously considering her choice of words. "You can stay if you want."

"Cool." Takato tried not to sound too eager. He then paused and turned to Guilmon, having once again almost forgotten his partner's presence. "What about you, boy? You wanna head home?"

"What should I tell Mom?" Guilmon asked in reply. A fair question, given the way Takato's mother may react if the saurian returned home alone.

"Just tell her I'll be home in a little bit."

"Okay..." Guilmon shrugged before turning to leave.

"I think I'll accompany him back," Renamon said as she turned to face Takato.

"Really?" Takato responded, trying not to sound surprised.

"Someone should keep him from getting into trouble. Besides, Rika's safe with you."

"Well, thanks, Renamon." Takato scratched the back of his head nervously. "That actually means a lot coming from you."

"And if you ever prove me wrong, I'll cut you into pieces so small that not even Guilmon will recognize you."

"Right..." Takato's entire body went cold. Renamon's words weren't a threat; they were a promise.

"Do you really think you could get the pieces that small?" Guilmon asked as the two digimon walked away. His tone was almost too casual for Takato's liking.

"I suppose we'd find out," Renamon answered in kind.

"You coming?" Rika called out to him, having already started walking.

Shaking the image of Renamon dismembering him from his mind, Takato quickly moved to catch up with her. They wandered the park for a bit, not really saying much of anything. Not that this was abnormal for the two of them. One of the many things that separated Rika from other girls was she never mistook lack of conversation for lack of interest in her. On the contrary, Takato knew for a fact that she sometimes preferred the complete silence.

Despite this knowledge, Takato still couldn't keep himself from running his mouth sometimes. His parents liked to refer to it as his "wonderful curse." Case in point, as the two walked into a familiar clearing, Takato couldn't find it in himself to keep quiet.

"This can't be the first time we've been back here, right?" Takato asked, coming to a halt to take in his surroundings.

"What do you mean?" Rika asked back, genuinely not knowing what he was referring to.

Takato looked at her and tilted his head. "Come on, there's no way you don't recognize this place."

Rika looked around again and her eyes widened in realization. "It's..."

"Yep." Takato plopped himself on the ground and leaned back against the chain-linked fence. The same chain-linked fence that Renamon had kicked Guilmon through five years ago, thus marking his and Rika's first meeting. "I wonder how long it ended up taking them to fix it."

"Probably not that long." Rika stuck her hands in her pockets as she continued to look around. "Feels like a lifetime ago."

"I mean, it was the day after Guilmon was born, so technically..." Takato looked up at her and smiled. She only rolled her eyes at him. "Still, I remember most of it clear as day. You called Guilmon a lousy fighter but insisted a fight was a fight."

"I remember..." Rika finally sat down next to him, pulling her knees up to her chest.

Her sudden change in mood made Takato feel lousy, as he wasn't sure exactly what was making her upset. Then he figured it out, which made him feel even worse. Rika still held onto a lot of guilt about her early days as a Tamer. Having believed that digimon weren't living creatures, she had indiscriminately killed a lot of them just so that she and Renamon could become stronger. The fact that she had been set on making Guilmon one of her victims only made things worse.

Takato and Henry had both made it a point to tell her that they forgave her and that she shouldn't dwell on the past. Like GranKuwagamon, most of the wild digimon they had fought back then were a threat to the city. Even if they had had a way to send them back to the Digital World, next to none of them would have cooperated. In the end, however, the only person whose forgiveness Rika wanted was her own, something she was obviously still working towards. At that point, it became hypocritical for Takato to push the matter any further, as no one had more difficulty letting go of past mistakes than him.

Still, that didn't leave Takato completely powerless. If he couldn't get Rika to let go of her guilt, he could at least try to make her feel better by getting her to think about something else.

"That day was also the first time you called me a Goggle-head," Takato said, smiling in the hopes that the slight shift in topic would be enough to bring her back.

"I called everyone that back then," Rika replied, still not looking at him.

"Yeah, but when you said it to me, you meant it."

"That's not a good thing, you Goggle-head!" Rika finally turned to him. There was a pause as she looked back at him with a renewed sense of annoyance. Takato held his ground, however, and she eventually shook her head and smiled too.

"I rest my case." Anytime he could get her to smile was a win in his mind.

"Shut up..." Rika paused again and her smile dropped away. While she didn't seem sad, her expression did seem to be one of contemplation. "You think I've changed since then, right?"

Takato's own demeanor fell away too, having been caught off guard by the question. He tried not to wait too long before answering. "Yeah, a little."

"Just a little?" Rika seemed disappointed by the answer.

"Rika, since when do you care what other people think of you?"

"I don't, but you and Henry and Jeri aren't 'other people.' You're my friends. You're important to me, and I don't want anything I do to push you guys away."

"That'll never happen," Takato stated. There was no doubt in his mind.

"It will if I really haven't changed in five years." Rika looked at the ground in front of her, causing Takato's heart to sink. He was losing her again and needed to think fast.

"Hey, no..." Takato grabbed her shoulder and waited for her eyes to meet his before he continued. "Look, I just meant that I don't think the Rika I met that day was that bad a person. You were just hurting and lost. When I look at you now, I don't see a different person. I see the person I think you always were underneath."

Rika didn't respond right away, but Takato wasn't bothered by this. He knew she and vulnerability still didn't quite fit together, so he knew when to give her a minute. The fact that she hadn't hit him or just gotten up and left was a good sign.

"I think I'm gonna throw up," Rika said, somewhat succeeding in lightening the tone of her voice. "You know that everything you just said was cliché, right?"

"Sorry..." Takato replied. He let go of her shoulder to scratch the back of his head. "It was all off the top of my head."

"I guess I should at least feel better knowing that you really haven't changed either. You and your thick skull, stupid optimism, and always trying to see the best in people."

"I guess I've never really been able to outgrow that last one."

"And don't you ever," Rika ordered.

"I promise," Takato said, knowing she would hold him to it.

Takato stood, feeling like the two of them were in a good place now and it was okay to keep moving. He extended his hand to help Rika to her feet, and was surprised when she actually accepted it and let him pull her up to him. Their eyes met again and there was another pause.

"Any other days you wanna reminisce about?" Rika asked, still holding his hand as she spoke.

"None in particular," Takato answered. His heart was beating faster now, the result of anxiety over the gamble he was about to make. "That day was special. It's not every day that you get to meet your dream girl."

"You know Renamon's not the only one who can kill you, right?" Rika's temperament stayed even, however, and she remained in place.

"W-What are you waiting for?"

"What are you waiting for?" Despite a mostly confident facade, it was obvious she was nervous as well.

"Honestly..." Takato concentrated on Rika's violet eyes, hoping that would calm his nerves. "I'm kind of expecting Henry to come out of nowhere and interrupt us."

"Oh, get over it."

And for a split second, as he placed placed his free hand on her cheek and leaned closer to her, he did. Unfortunately, that second came a hair too late. Takato's cellphone blared, causing both startled teens to jump apart.

Rika's face was red, and heat he felt on his own face told Takato he wasn't much better off. Not really knowing what else to do given the situation, he checked the caller ID on his phone and answered it.

"M-Mom?" Takato said nervously.

"I was just wondering if you could define 'in a little bit' for me," his mother responded.

"W-Well, I was... Y-You see, it's kinda like..." Takato looked to Rika for help, but she had already started walking away. Takato sighed and admitted defeat. "I'm leaving the park now."

"I hope so. I'm not stopping Guilmon if he tries to eat your dinner."

Takato hung up, too distracted to even say goodbye. Looking around his surroundings and at the girl he had almost kissed, Takato couldn't figure out if he was the luckiest or unluckiest being in two worlds. He decided the answer was both.

Chapter Text

"There's no way this is going to work."

Henry looked away from his computer screen to face his former coworker, one Alice McCoy. The blonde girl didn't look directly at him, however, as her blue eyes were trained on the monitor instead. Henry opted not to let her pessimism get to him, as she would not be standing in his apartment if she truly believed that. If anything, it was just part of what had become their usual back-and-forth.

It hadn't been that long ago that the two of them didn't get along at all, something Henry had initially attributed to Alice's digimon partner sacrificing himself during the fight against the D-Reaper. Following that conflict, they wouldn't meet again until they were both offered an opportunity to be interns at Hypnos, and it was during this time that they slowly gained a mutual respect for each other. Even after their time at Hypnos ended, Henry still turned to her for input on projects like the one he was currently working on.

"I don't see why you think this is going to be so difficult," Terriermon said, probably assuming he was speaking on Henry's behalf. "It's just an instant messenger."

"An interdimensional instant messenger," Alice replied, not turning to face the digimon either. "And are we even considering the risks involved here?"

"Everything's being routed through the Digital World," Henry explained. "The barriers between realities are more malleable there, so Izzy thinks that we shouldn't have anything to worry about."

"So we're doing this based off the hunches of a cartoon character?"

"He's only a cartoon character in our reality if it makes you feel any better," Terriermon commented.

"It doesn't." Alice finally broke away from the monitor to look at Henry, a raised eyebrow essentially asking for Henry to confirm his trust in the Digidestined of Knowledge.

Objectively, Henry should have had more trouble trusting Izzy and his friends. They had only met in person the one time, during a battle against an interdimensional threat. Somehow, though, that one meeting had been enough to forge a bond of trust between the Tamers and two different groups of Digidestined. If Henry was being honest with himself, the simple fact that they had met other people with shared experiences might have been enough to do that.

That was part of the reason why Henry was set on getting this messenger to work. When it came to being a Tamer, he and his friends only really had each other to confide in. Their families tried their best, but their lack of first-hand experience meant there were limits to what they could talk about.

"Izzy knows what he's doing," Henry stated, not hesitating in the slightest. "And he had me double-check everything he did, in case that makes you feel any better."

Alice only grunted in response, which roughly translated to her approval. She never argued for the sake of arguing, so her silence meant that the two of them were on the same page.

Henry didn't waste any time after that. He closed his current window so that he could initialize the software he had been working on. Within seconds, a chat window opened in the center of the screen.

Log-in successful.

Well, at least that works, Henry thought as he read the message on screen. Another indicator on screen told him that Izzy was already online. He leaned forward to type a greeting.

Henry: What's up?

Even Terriermon was silent as they waited for a reply, which would serve as an indication that the program was functioning properly.

Izzy: The usual for us. Hey, would you mind giving me a timestamp on this message?

Henry checked the clock on his desktop, having a good idea what Izzy was testing.

Henry: 12:31

Izzy: Same on my end.

"No lag," Alice said softly. Henry wouldn't have said she was in awe, but the success of the experiment definitely had her attention.

"Again, I don't see the big deal," Terriermon complained. "Isn't that the point of an instant messenger?"

"The 'big deal' is that it's instantaneous despite traveling between realities." Alice turned to Henry again. "How did you program this?"

"Not easily..." Henry answered. Difficulty at completing this task was only compounded by slower communication between realities. Prior to the program they were currently working on, their conversations were facilitated by an email system they had thrown together after their first meeting. This system took a few minutes deliver messages, and while this was not a long time in the grand scheme of things, it was a detriment when the pair of them were trying to program the exact same piece of software.

Not that all of their problems were solved now. They were still incapable of video and audio communication, and even ignoring that, Henry had no doubt that the current version of the software had a few bugs to work out. He returned to his keyboard to continue doing just that.

Henry: What's our next step?

Izzy: I'd like to do some stress testing. Hold on for a few seconds.

Henry sat back and waited for more notifications to appear on screen.

Yolei has joined the chat.

Yolei: Hello people of the chat! What's happening?

Ken has joined the chat.

Ken: Hey, guys.

There was a brief pause after Ken's message before he followed it up with a second one.

Ken: Wormmon says hi too.

Yolei: Tell him I said hi back!

"Can I say 'hi' too?" Terriermon asked, eyeing the keyboard.

"No," Henry answered instinctively. He knew his partner would try to say a bit more than just "hi."

"You're no fun."

Ken: Did you guys settle on a name yet?

Henry: We've touched on it. That hasn't really been a priority.

Yolei: Then I degree that to be this chat's first order of business!

"Don't you guys have something more important you should be going over?" Alice asked.

"Maybe," Henry replied with a shrug. "But this is the kind of thing the chat's ultimately going to be used for. I say let them have at it."

"In that case, can I make a suggestion?" Terriermon asked, already on his way to the keyboard.

"No!" Henry picked up the keyboard so it was out of his reach.

"Fine, suck the joy out of everything!" Terriermon crossed his arms and turned his head away from the computer.

Henry would have been relieved if he didn't know that Terriermon wouldn't give up so easily. He cautiously set the keyboard down, keeping his partner in his line of sight as he turned his attention back to the monitor.

Izzy: We've typically been just referring to it as the D-Chat.

Yolei: That's it?

Izzy: DigiChat has also been on the table.

Yolei: I'm starting to realize how much we suck at naming things.

"Which is why you should ask someone who thinks outside the box," Terriermon claimed.

Henry sighed. "You know what? Fine," he said as he let Terriermon have the keyboard. "Have at it."

Terriermon said nothing in response. He only cracked his knuckles and smiled as he typed. By the time Henry realized what the digimon was doing, it was already too late.

Henry: We should name it Alice, after my favorite muse.

"Terriermon!" Henry snapped as he yanked the keyboard away. Not that Terriermon could offer much resistance, as he was already on the floor laughing. Henry turned to Alice. "Sorry about-"

"Just don't worry about it," she said, lifting her hand to just the right spot so he couldn't look her in the eye.

Henry: Ignore that. Terriermon was just proving I should always trust my instincts.

Yolei: Sounds like whenever we take Davis out in public.

Ken: Yolei...

Yolei: What? You know it's true!

"Hold up," Terriermon said as he lifted himself back onto the desk. "Let me have it back. I have a real suggestion now."

"No way," Henry replied sternly. "You've used up every chance you're ever going to get."

"Oh, moumantai, Henry. What's the worst I could do?"

Henry found himself unable to respond right away. Not because he couldn't think of an answer to the question, but because too many came to his head for him to choose from. Then, before he could choose his response, the computer monitor flickered before displaying a bright blue screen.

"Okay, I'm pretty sure that wasn't my fault," Terriermon said with a nervous laugh.

"Dammit," Henry grumbled under his breath. He clicked his mouse and hit a couple buttons on the keyboard, confirming the computer had crashed.

"Hardware problem?" Alice asked as she leaned closer to inspect the damage.

"Don't think so. Half this stuff is brand new."

"And what about the other half?"

"We won't know til I try to reboot this thing." Henry reached over to his computer tower to do just that.

"You're going to have to move quicker than that." Alice beat him to the reset switch. She was a type-A personality, so her efforts to take control of the process did not surprise Henry. That, however, did not mean Henry wasn't a little irritated, particularly when she tried to reach over him to take over the mouse and keyboard as well.

"Relax, I've got this." Henry took hold of her hand before she could reach the mouse, a gesture he probably wouldn't have thought much about if not for Terriermon snorting instantly afterward.

"I had no idea you could be so manly and impulsive, Henry," Terriermon teased. "Grabbing a lady's hand without permission... the shame."

Henry and Alice both paused at the comment. Feeling his face heat up, Henry slowly retracted his hand. He wanted to apologize, but wasn't sure if that would make things worse. Especially considering he was having trouble looking at the American girl now.

"Grow up," Alice whispered, sticking both her hands in her armpits and taking a step back.

"I'm pretty sure that's the problem," Terriermon commented. "Good thing I'm here to chaperone you two."

Henry glared at his partner, who only grinned in return. Said grin, however, turned into confusion and disappointment when Terriermon looked to Alice for her reaction. She had apparently decided not to pay him any mind.

They spent the next couple minutes sharing an awkward silence as the computer rebooted. Henry lept at the first opportunity he got to restart the "D-Chat," just so he could have something else to focus on. Luckily for him, Izzy, Yolei, and Ken were still present when he logged back in.

Henry: Sorry, computer crash.

Yolei: Same on our end.

Ken: I suppose we could all run diagnostics to be sure, but I'm guessing it was a software issue. Probably a bad line of code.

Yolei: I love it when you talk dirty.

Yolei's message received no replies, or at least initially.

Yolei: I didn't mean to actually type that.

Izzy: That was my theory.

"What about you, Alice?" Terriermon asked. He sounded like he was trying to tease her, but his usual confidence didn't seem to be present. "Should Henry start talking dirty too?"

Alice did not so much as blink at the comment, instead keeping her eyes on the chat's conversation. Henry would have been lying if he said he wasn't impressed by her composure.

Terriermon's eye twitched. "I said-"

"She's ignoring you, Terriermon," Henry stated, hoping to put the digimon out of his misery.

"W-Well, tell her she's not allowed to do that!"

Henry managed to not laugh out loud. He returned to his keyboard, sensing that their business here was almost concluded.

Izzy: Ken's most likely correct. My recommendation is that we call it a day for now.

Henry: Okay, I'll talk to you guys later.

After the others returned the sentiment, Henry closed the program down. He considered today's tests to be a success, all things considered.

They all ended up going quiet again, even as Henry walked Alice out of the apartment. Reaching the door, Henry decided that it was best to stop the silence. He didn't want Alice to think there was suddenly a problem between the two of them.

"Hey, thanks for coming over," Henry said just as she passed through the threshold.

"I'm not sure my presence really helped anything," Alice replied, speaking as though her statement was more an observation than a knock at her own self-worth. Not that she ever gave the sense that her confidence was ever in doubt.

"You're honest, and that goes a long way when working on a project like this." Henry smiled, hoping to get across that he was returning the sentiment. "Plus you actually understand what I'm talking about. All my other friends just smile and nod when I try to explain this stuff."

"Well, I doubt any of them are taking classes in interdimensional communication." Alice then paused for a brief moment, looking away from him for a split second before looking at him again. While she wasn't exactly smiling, she did seem to be frowning less than usual. "You're welcome."

Henry let the words sink in before deciding to push his luck. "You know, I'm meeting the rest of the gang in the park next weekend. We're not doing anything special, but you're more than welcome to join us."

"I'm busy, so I probably wouldn't be able to make it," Alice said as she started to walk away. She then paused again to turn around and look Henry in they eye. "Just let me know ahead of time in the future."

"Definitely," Henry confirmed. He closed the door behind him once she was out of sight, returning inside to find Terriermon waiting for him on the kitchen table. The smirk on the digimon's face told Henry that he had some comment to make, leaving Henry to debate whether or not he should just ignore his partner.

"You gonna invite any other girls to join the team?" Terriermon asked, his earlier lapse in conviction now gone.

"I'm not inviting anyone," Henry answered with equal conviction. "She's already one of us, Terriermon. There's no reason to treat her otherwise." Plus, if connecting scattered Digidestined was the point of what they were working on, Henry could think of no better place to start than right at home.

"Is that the only reason?" Terriermon's smile widened.

"You think I'm a sucker for a pretty face?"

"Hey, I didn't say anything about her being pretty."

Henry didn't reply right away, and not only because he didn't want to give Terriermon more ammunition. He used the word to describe Alice without even thinking, a notion that left him with a bit to think about.

"Something to consider the next time you ask her to come over," Terriermon said as he jumped off the table. Before he left the room entirely, he turned back around. "Just remember to keep your hands to yourself."

Henry sighed. "I'm never living that down, am I?"

"Not as long as I have a say."

Henry conceded it was a small price to pay. Again, the day had been surprisingly productive.

Chapter Text

The scene playing out in front of Henry was a familiar one. The entire group was gathered around a picnic table in Shinjuku Park as two of their own played the Digimon Trading Card Game. While the game was a hobby that most of them had outgrown, three of the Tamers still fit into its target demographic. Of course, this also led to a couple of the group's older members using them as an excuse to still partake in the matches that happened every so often.

Watching Kazu frustrate himself while looking over his cards, however, made Henry question whether or not this was a good thing. Again, this was a familiar scene, and not just because of the nostalgia of it. This was the fourth time in as many weeks that Kazu was playing against this particular opponent, and things were going about as well for him as they had previously.

"Nope," Suzie taunted as Kazu traced his hand over the cards he was holding. "No... not that one either." Normally, Henry would warn his sister against being overconfident, but the Kazu's track record made that lesson difficult to instill.

"Would you knock it off?" Kazu barked as slammed his cards on the table. "You don't even know what cards I have in my hand?"

"Well, not exactly." Suzie placed her index finger on her chin and looked off into the distance just to her right, essentially pretending to be deep in thought. "But I do know every card in your deck now, and no card you own can help you here." She then snapped her fingers and smiled. "Unless you've changed your deck since last week. Have you changed your deck since last week, Kazu?"

"No..." Kazu growled through his teeth.

"Well, then you're screwed."

"Suzie..." Henry warned, deciding this was where to draw the line. Her only reply was a shrug before settling down so that Kazu could take his turn.

"Okay..." Kazu said softly, allowing some of his usual overconfidence to come back to him. He placed down a modify card. "Beat that."

"Okay," Suzie replied. She set her own card down, winning the game.

"Awesome!" Mako cheered, no real regard for Kazu's wounded pride.

"That's four wins for Suzie," Ai reaffirmed softly. She wasn't so much boasting as she was happy for her friend, but that didn't seem to matter much.

"How many wins is that for you, Kazu?" Kenta asked, definitely intent on rubbing the loss in his best friend's face. Kazu had spent years mocking Kenta for how often he lost, so he wasn't going to miss an opportunity to return the favor.

"Shut up, Kenta!" Kazu snapped before turning his frustration back to Suzie. "I wanna play again."

"Why?" Suzie asked with a raised eyebrow.

"So I can win, obviously."

"But I thought we established you can't." Suzie looked around the group for support. "Seriously, did you hear a word I said?"

"Oh, I heard you..." Kazu turned back to Kenta. "Kenta, I need your cards."

"I... don't have any," Kenta replied.

"Really? You don't any cards on you?"

"I mean, I have MarineAngemon's modify cards, but I don't know how much good they'll do you."

"Well, they're a start." Kazu started looking from person to person, likely trying to figure out who he would have the best luck with. "What about you, Chumley?"

Takato, who had been focused on whatever he was drawing in his notebook, snapped his attention upward. "Sorry, I don't even have those on me today," he said.

"Of course not... Hey, Henry-"

"No," Henry said plainly, deciding their was no point in mincing words here. In all honesty, he couldn't figure out why Kazu expected different from any of them.

"Jeez, what kind of Tamers are you people?" Kazu continued his search until his eyes landed on his next victim. "Mako, buddy, you wanna do me a favor?"

"Uh, well..." Mako began nervously, looking to Suzie for either approval or disapproval. She only shrugged, likely not caring either way. "Sure, I guess."

"You're the best, dude!" Mako barely had a chance to pull his cards out before Kazu snatched them out of his hand. "We just need a little time to get set."

"Take all the time you want," Suzie replied as she and Ai walked off, heading towards a large tree not too far from the table.

Henry looked to the rest of his friends, none of them really surprised by Suzie's choice to leave. Henry doubted any of them wanted to watch Kazu obsess over a lost cause, and he considering following his sister's lead. Before he could, however, Jeri stood up and beat him to it.

"I'm gonna get out of the sun," Jeri explained.

Without giving an explanation herself, Rika stood up to follow. This caught Takato's attention, who up to this point seemed content to continue drawing while Kazu picked apart Mako's card collection.

"You're leaving too?" Takato asked. He wouldn't ask her to stay, as much as he obviously wanted her to.

"Yeah," Rika answered as she turned back to face him. "Watching Kazu bang his head against a wall goes from funny to sad pretty quickly." She didn't waste another beat before resuming her departure.

"Yeah, well, we'll see who's sad when I win the next game," Kazu called out to her.

"I don't think she has to worry about that," Takato commented as he returned to his notebook.

"You sayin' I can't win?"

"Well, your history kinda speaks for itself," Kenta chimed in.

"What history?" Not surprisingly, Kazu's fragile ego was showing again.

"As far as I know, you've never beaten Suzie, Henry, or Rika," Kenta listed off. "Takato's beaten you more times than you've beaten him."

"Alright, I get it, Kenta..."

"Hell, even Jeri beat you the one time you forced her to play against you."

Kazu jumped upward to get in Kenta's face. "I said I get it!"

Henry sighed and shook his head. He wondered if it was too late to follow the girls' example.

While Jeri's departure from the table had meant to be a way avoid listening to Kazu obsess over a card game, she found herself enjoying the side effects of her decision. The temperature was fair and a nice breeze had kicked up. It was also quiet so far, with the only noise coming from Suzie and Ai, who were sitting across from her.

Leaning against the tree next to Jeri was Rika, who was keeping to herself. Jeri found this funny in its own way. Rika acted like she preferred the quiet and would rather be alone, but she could have gone anywhere else in the park for that. Though she would never admit it, she had gotten too used to being around the others to go anywhere else.

"Funny how no one else seems to be around today," Ai pointed out suddenly, looking around the Tamers' immediate vicinity.

Her observation was correct. Besides them and the boys still sitting around the picnic table, the area's only other occupants were the digimon. The lot of them were playing tag, or at least one of Calumon's complicated variants of it.

"We have a nice spot here," Jeri said. "It's not the shed, but it'll do."

"Yeah..." Ai's half-hearted reply was followed by a quick but noticeable glance towards Suzie.

"What?" Suzie asked suspiciously.

"Nothing!" Ai replied nervously, usually one to avoid stirring up trouble with people who weren't her brother or Impmon. "I was just thinking it's a shame that a Tyranomon got wedged in the door."

Suzie snapped her attention towards Rika. "You said you wouldn't tell anyone!"

"I didn't," Rika said casually, not even bothering to face her accuser.

"Who did then? Takato wouldn't have said anything."

"Have you met him?" Rika's reply wasn't an unfair one. While Takato would never intentionally go back on his word, he was often too absentminded for his own good.

Still, Jeri was unconvinced the revelation of whatever part Suzie had played in damaging the shed was the root of problem. While Rika and Suzie never actually fought, it did seem like some kind of small competition had started between them. Suzie in particular seemed set at beating Rika at something, thought at what Jeri hadn't figured out yet.

"Maybe we should drop this," Jeri suggested, not looking to take sides here.

"Who blabbed, Ai?" Suzie asked, ignoring Jeri. "Tell me, now!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about!" Ai called out, not thriving under the pressure of being in Suzie's crosshairs.

So much for the quiet, Jeri thought as she looked away.

As Kazu and Kenta continued to bicker, Henry tried to find something else to concentrate on. Eventually, the digimon ended up in his eye-line. Even with them enjoying their game, he couldn't help but worry about them a little bit. There was always a risk in bringing them out in public like this, given the public's very mixed feelings towards them. Henry hated to admit it, but that fear of digimon was likely why they currently had this section of the park to themselves. On the bright side, people staying away was preferable to the handful of run-ins they had with digimon protesters.

Henry decided to drop the line of thought altogether, feeling as though there was more important things to focus on than hate and fear. He looked back at his friends, finding Mako looking in the digimons' direction as well. Henry understood, knowing that the boy would at the very least be more comfortable playing with them than being stuck next to Kazu.

"Why don't you go join them, Mako?" Henry suggested.

"Because he's having fun right where he is," Kazu said before Mako got a chance to answer himself.

"I guess..." Mako said as he sunk lower in his seat.

"Why are you holding him hostage again?" Henry asked, knowing that he wouldn't like any answer that Kazu gave.

"Relax, Henry; no one's being held hostage." Kazu held up Mako's cards as though that made everything okay. "Mako's just helping me."

"No, you're helping yourself," Takato corrected.

"Why is this so important to you anyway?" Henry asked, hoping that changing his question would yield a clearer answer.

"As if you don't know the answer already..." Kazu said as he shook his head. "Explain it to them, Kenta."

"I'm with them, actually," Kenta replied. "Who cares if you can't beat Suzie?"

"First of all, I can beat her. Secondly, it's important because..." Kazu proceeded to explain his reasoning, which only convinced Henry to try and tune out Kazu's voice.

Suzie sat back down after a bit to shuffle through her cards, though Jeri knew that the younger girl's hunt for answers wasn't over. She didn't give up easily, and was likely just biding her time for now. Still, Jeri was looking to keep things calm, so she took the momentary silence as an opportunity to shift the conversation.

"Are you changing up your strategy for the next game, Suzie?" Jeri asked.

"No," Suzie answered, sounding almost disinterested in the topic.

"Why not?" Jeri questioned further. In addition to wanting to keep the conversation going, she was also a little curious about the girl's reasoning. "Isn't that what Kazu's doing?"

"Kazu's changing his cards, not his strategy."

"Is there a difference?" Ai asked, suddenly becoming interested as well.

"Big difference," Rika chimed in.

"Kazu's entire playing style is based around brute force," Suzie explained. "It doesn't matter what cards he has. He'll always assume that might makes right, which makes him predictable."

"It's actually kinda sad how little he's learned." Rika's assertion was harsh, but again not inaccurate. It also didn't help that Kazu often refused to admit his own faults.

"Honestly, he should learn to take his cues from the others."

"I guess you can't be surprised, though," Ai added, seeming a bit nervous. "He's not as smart as Henry is."

"I guess not," Suzie replied, obviously not finding how specific Ai's statement was as weird as Jeri did.

"Or as cute."

Suzie's cards fell from her hand. "What?"

Ai's face turned red, as she probably hadn't meant to say that last thought out loud. "I-I... said I think Henry's cute."

"No, I heard the words. They just don't make sense when you use them in the same sentence." Suzie looked around the group, now searching for a completely different set of answers. Her luck at finding them was about the same.

"Well, tough!" Ai's nervousness went away as she suddenly turned to face Suzie, conviction in her eyes. "Love doesn't have to make sense!"

"You think you're in love with my brother?"

"I don't think anything."

Jeri had to use all her willpower to not laugh out loud. She couldn't decide what was more adorable: Suzie's frustration or Ai's first crush.

"But... Henry?" Suzie questioned. "He's all old and serious all the time and into nerdy stuff and old."

A small part of Jeri wanted to bring up the way that Suzie used to adore Ryo, but kept quiet for a couple reasons. Firstly, she didn't want to call an eleven-year-old a hypocrite, and secondly because the thought of Ryo brought her back to Suzie's scuffle with Rika a few minutes. She wondered if it was just the result of misplaced jealousy on Suzie's part, but again chose to keep quiet about it. Instead, she filed the thought away as something for later consideration.

"I prefer to think of him as thoughtful, intelligent, and mature," Ai said as though she were lost in some kind of daydream. Her gaze drifted back towards the picnic table as she spoke.

"That's really sweet, Ai," Jeri said, trying to be as supportive as she could. "But I think Suzie's just concerned that there's a bit of an age gap between you and Henry. He might have trouble thinking of you in the same way."

"That's okay. I can wait for him to be ready."

"Yeah, but I don't think Alice will wait that long," Suzie commented as she picked her cards back up.

Ai twitched at the mention of the name. "Who's Alice?"

"Excuse me, but what?" Takato blurted out, dragging Henry's attention back to Kazu's rant.

His focus had been briefly shifted towards the girls when Ai had suddenly started yelling. He decided to forget about it, partially because he couldn't make out what she was saying but mainly because he knew her distress had nothing to do with him.

"You heard me, Chumley," Kazu answered. "Ladies dig a winner."

"Winners at a card game designed for children?" Takato probed.

Kazu hesitated for a second. "Yep."

"Alright, then which 'ladies' are you trying to impress? Because the last time I checked the only girls around here are eleven and..." Takato trailed off as his line of sight moved to girls in the distance. Then realization hit. "Really, Kazu?"

Henry shook his head and willed himself to stay quiet. He wasn't about to get dragged into whatever Kazu was trying to sell.

"Really," Kazu confirmed, obnoxious grin on his face.

"Do you really think Jeri cares whether you win or not?" Takato asked, sounding like he hadn't quite wrapped his head around the conversation they were having. "Especially with you being the sore winner you are."

"Eh, girls don't know what they want til you show 'em."

Takato gripped his pencil tighter. For the first time that Henry could think of, Takato looked like he wanted to punch Kazu in the face. Normally Henry would just say that Takato was just being overprotective of Jeri, but Kazu's comments weren't sitting well with him either.

"Maybe take it down a notch, Kazu," Henry suggested. "You're talking about our friend, not a piece of meat."

"Why are you guys getting so bent out of shape about this?" Kazu asked. "Aren't the Ice Queen and Morticia enough for you two?"

"You're being disrespectful," Henry answered, deciding to let all the insinuations of his last question go. At least for the time being.

"Just tell him like it is, guys," Kenta cut in before turning to Kazu. "You don't have a chance with Jeri."

"Based on what?" Kazu shot back.

"Facts. She called me sweet the other day. Sorry, pal, but she's already chosen her man."

"Aw, nuts..." Takato said under his breath. "Not him too."

"You're really surprised that you weren't the last person to have feelings for Jeri?" Henry asked. The girl in question was outgoing, smart, and fun to be around. Looking at things objectively, it was only a matter of time before interested parties started to show themselves.

"I guess not." Takato looked on as Kazu and Kenta continued to argue in front of him.

"First off, you're delusional!" Kazu yelled. "Second, I so do have a chance!"

"Only a chance at striking out!" Kenta countered.

"Are girls really all you guys think about?" Mako asked as he slowly slid away from Kazu.

"I..." Takato began before pausing to look at his notebook as he considered his answer. "...don't have an easy answer for you, Mako. You'll see when you're older."

"The short answer is some of us more than others," Henry added as he glanced at Takato's notebook. He didn't actually have to see what was on the page to guess who the subject was. "Sometimes it's just the one girl, depending on your luck."

Takato took a second before catching on to what Henry was implying. His response was to slowly close the book and lean on top of it, almost as though he were trying to make sure it stayed shut.

"Sounds awful," Mako stated.

"You have no idea," Takato confirmed before turning his attention back to Kazu and Kenta. "Alright, guys... enough!"

Henry sat back as Takato switched over to "leader mode," getting his two arguing friends in order by switching their focus back to the card game. It was not an easy feat, but Takato did manage to show off the years of practice he had at the job. Henry had trouble deciding whether or not he was disappointed, given how rarely he had to step in to help him nowadays.

"...because she's a hussy who thinks because she traveled across an ocean she can just take whatever she wants! And... and..." Ai trailed off, now out of breath. Not that this surprised Jeri, given the colorful vocabulary she had just run through.

"You feel better?" Suzie asked dryly.

"No," Ai whined. "And now my chest hurts."

"You'll survive," Suzie reassured her friend as they shifted to a different topic of conversation.

"Well, that was dramatic," Rika observed, speaking softly so that only Jeri noticed.

"Let her be," Jeri replied. "She's still got a bit to learn about love."

Rika snorted. "First thing she has to learn is that love is something you only find in fairy-tales."

Jeri held in her laugh. Not because she didn't want hurt anyone's feelings, but because Rika had left set herself up to get knocked down and Jeri was not about to pass on the opportunity. "That's a bold declaration coming from someone whose boyfriend can literally turn into a white knight."

"He's not my boyfriend." Rika tried to keep her composure, but Jeri could tell she had hit her mark. Jeri had initially worried that Rika's denials about her relationship with Takato would grow old, but for her, the fun of them had come back around.

"Whatever you say, your Majesty."

"Don't try to be cute, Katou." Rika's use of Jeri's last name was usually a sign that she'd had enough.

"Who's trying?" Rika glared at Jeri, causing her to cave. "Fine, but can I ask one more question?"

"Go ahead," Rika answered begrudgingly.

"What word would you use to describe your feelings for him then?" Jeri asked, doing her best to speak genuinely again.

Rika looked over to Takato, almost like she needed to see him before she could put her words together. He was talking to Kazu and Kenta, showing an authority that Jeri didn't think anyone believed he would ever have. It was moments like these that made her question whether he was the same boy who used to doodle in the back of Ms. Asaji's class or someone else entirely.

"I trust him," Rika said finally. "More than I do any other human being."

That sounded like love to Jeri, but she didn't say so out loud. Rika would catch on eventually, assuming she hadn't already.

Then, with ridiculously perfect timing, Takato waved them back over. None of the girls rushed back, most of them probably feeling like the outcome was guaranteed.

"You ready to lose?" Kazu asked, usual cockiness now back.

"Yeah, yeah..." Suzie answered dismissively as she sat down.

Ai picked a spot between Suzie and Henry. "Is this seat taken?" she asked the latter innocently.

"It's all yours," Henry answered, obviously not looking into any of the subtext of the question. He acknowledged Jeri and Rika as they reclaimed their spots. "You guys talk about anything interesting?"

"Just the usual angst," Jeri replied. "You?"

"Same."

"And girls," Mako said absentmindedly.

"Really?" Rika asked. She looked to Takato, who only laughed nervously.

"Actually, it was mostly about Jeri," Mako added.

"Me?" Jeri would have been lying if she said she wasn't a little concerned.

"All good things," Kenta said quickly. "Not that there are any bad things to begin with."

"Okay..."

"Just shut up, Kenta," Kazu cut in. "Jeri's gotta focus on me kicking Suzie's ass."

"Did you just threaten to beat up my little sister?" Henry asked, not quite angry yet. In his defense, he had probably had enough of Kazu for one day.

"It's not really a threat if you can't back it up," Rika pointed out.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kazu snapped.

"I'm saying that an eleven-year-old girl would beat you up." Rika rolled her eyes as spoke. "Suzie's right; you really don't pay attention."

"The more things change..." Takato said softly as he opened his notebook up to a blank page.

With that, Jeri refocused on the game being played in front of her. She decided that she would be best off if she stopped reading into things for one day.

Chapter Text

Despite what some seemed to believe, Renamon was not someone who preferred her surroundings to be quiet at all times. On the contrary, noise was often a good thing in her mind. It kept her alert to her immediate vicinity, and was often a source of information for her. This wasn't always new information, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

That was the case on this particular afternoon. As she sat on a high branch of a tree in Shinjuku Park, her friends and fellow digimon scurried about beneath her. They were playing some game they had come up with on the fly and seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Renamon took a second to focus more closely on the four digimon beneath her, finding that their number had suddenly decreased to three. She began to look around to figure out where her missing friend had disappeared to, only for the answer to drop himself right in front of her.

"Hiya!" Calumon yelled happily.

Renamon made it point to not let her surprise be shown. Calumon knew nothing about subtlety, so the fact that he was able to sneak up on her was more down to her own carelessness.

"Hello, Calumon," Renamon said calmly.

"Wanna play?" Calumon asked, cheery demeanor remaining constant.

"I'll pass, thank you."

"You sure?"

"Eh, don't waste ya time wit dat stick in da mud, Cream Puff," a voice called out from below them, signaling that the game being played had been momentarily paused.

"Yeah, she's too afraid to join us anyway," another added.

Renamon sighed, deciding it was better to face her hecklers now rather than let them go on. She phased out of view and then reappeared on the ground in front of them.

"You think I'm afraid?" Renamon asked, looking right at Terriermon as she spoke.

"That's what I said," he reaffirmed proudly.

"Of what, might I ask?"

"Nothing!" Guilmon cut in nervously. "We all know you're not afraid of anything, Renamon."

"I disagree," Terriermon sang in response.

"What's she afraid of then?" Calumon asked as he landed on the ground at Renamon's feet. He looked between his friends with wide eyes. "Losing?"

"Nope."

"It's pride," Impmon answered confidently, crossing his arms and grinning as he often did when he thought he was correct about something.

Renamon blinked. "Please elaborate," she requested.

"You're afraid dat if you play wit da rest of us, you'll look stupid."

"That's absurd," Renamon stated, knowing no other way to describe Impmon's assessment. She was a warrior at her core, and the notion that she was concerned about appearances was so farfetched that it bordered on insanity.

"Then why do you sit out of all our games?" Terriermon goaded further.

"Simple..." Renamon planted her feet and crossed her arms. She wasn't going to give any ground here. "I don't partake because there would be no sport in it. My agility is far greater than any of yours. The game would stop being fun for all of us if I won every time."

Terriermon's grin somehow became larger. "Oh really?"

"I'm only stating the facts."

"Whose facts?"

"Terriermon..." Guilmon whined. He was wise enough to understand that continuing down this path would not yield positive results for anyone.

"Hows about a little wager?" Impmon suggested slyly.

"I'm listening," Renamon replied, her curiosity piqued.

"Tag," Impmon declared. "Da four of us against you. If you can dodge us all for two minutes, you win."

"Any other rules?"

"You can't phase outta view, and we gotta tag you with both hands."

"Fine, I accept your terms." Renamon decided that, at the very least, the exercise wouldn't hurt.

"Hold up," Terriermon cut in again, now stroking his chin like a cartoon villain. "Every good bet has to have stakes."

"Oh!" Calumon chimed in. "What if the looser has to crawl on the ground like Wormmon? Or hop around like Frogmon?"

Terriermon shrugged. "Either works for me."

"Why not both?" Renamon put forward. It made no difference to her what menial task they would have to perform afterwards. "Now can we get started or do the four of you need a minute to come up with a strategy?"

"Feeling generous today, are we?" Terriermon raised an eyebrow in her direction.

"I won't even listen in to your conversation," Renamon assured him.

"Okay..." The four of them gathered in a small circle and began to converse.

Renamon backed away and leaned against the nearby tree and watched. She kept her promise and didn't eavesdrop, but had no reservations about watching them and reading their individual body languages.

Terriermon and Impmon seemed confident, with the former in particular doing quite a bit of the talking. He apparently had a plan that he thought would work. Guilmon still seemed weary about the whole situation, which was not surprising. He had never been very competitive. Finally, there was Calumon, who just seemed happy to be involved.

Eventually their huddle broke and they lined up in front of her. They seemed ready, or at least as ready as they could be given the circumstances.

"On your mark, boys," Renamon taunted.

"Ready, set, go!" Calumon said instantly as he threw himself forward. Predictable, but understandable. He was here to have fun, not win a bet.

Renamon easily sidestepped the tiny Celestial and allowed him to tumble off into a nearby bush. She turned back to the other three, curious what they would try to do.

"Who's next?" Renamon asked, receiving a swift answer.

Impmon and Terriermon broke off into separate directions, with the obvious intent to surround her. A fair enough strategy, if not a little short-sighted. She had plenty of options when it came to dodging them.

Renamon waited a couple seconds before jumping into the air and onto the closest tree branch in reach. She quickly looked below to see how her opponents would adapt. Impmon stopped short to avoid crashing into the others. The other two kept moving, with it quickly becoming apparent that this was by design.

Guilmon spun around at the last second, allowing Terriermon to catch his tail. After the completion of one full rotation, Terriermon let go and allowed the momentum to send him flying in Renamon's direction. It was a clever trick, one she was disappointed she hadn't anticipated.

All Renamon could do was act on instinct. She propelled herself off the branch and allowed Terriermon to collide with the tree's trunk. She landed back on the ground soon after that, knowing she would have to react again soon.

Impmon leapfrogged off Guilmon and was soon falling downwards at her. In a bit of a compromised position at the moment, Renamon could only roll out of the way at this point. Luckily, Impmon couldn't course correct while in the air and ended up crashing into the spot on the ground she had once occupied.

That only left Guilmon. While not particularly agile, he could shoot straight forward like a rocket and she was currently on the ground with no easy way to dodge. As Guilmon charged, Renamon considered her options before literally springing into action.

Pushing her arms hard against the ground, she launched herself into the air and over Guilmon. As Renamon somersaulted and landed back on her feet, the saurian ended up face-planting hard.

None of them made any immediate attempt to follow up their actions, leading Renamon to conclude she was victorious. She straightened out her posture to address them.

"I guess that's that," Renamon began. "I admit I've had fun, but-"

"Gotcha!" Calumon suddenly cheered.

It took Renamon a couple seconds to register what happened, and even at that point she was unsure how to properly react. What else could she do besides stare at Calumon as he clung to her right arm?

"And with time to spare!" Terriermon joined in as he returned to ground-level.

"So what are ya gonna do first, Fox Face?" Impmon teased as he strolled up to her. "Crawl or hop?"

Renamon glared down at him, but quickly stopped. After all, she had lost on the terms she had agreed upon. She felt her shoulders sink, unsure how to mentally prepare for how she was about to debase herself.

Perhaps pride had been a factor after all.

Chapter Text

Rika glared at the computer screen in front of her, trying and failing to convince it to surrender to her. Accepting that the machine was unlikely to be intimidated, she turned her attention elsewhere in the hopes of getting a different result. While the one other person in the room was unlikely to buckle either, Rika was not one to back down from a challenge.

"I don't want to do this," she stated as definitively and defiantly as she could.

"You never want to do anything," Jeri replied. As usual, she was unfazed by Rika's demeanor.

"I just don't see the benefit to this."

"You mean besides the fact that Henry asked us to test the program?" Jeri was without a doubt better at sounding like a disappointed parent than Rika's actual mother.

Still, Rika wasn't sure what Jeri had been expecting when she arrived at the Nonaka household. Yes, Henry had asked all his friends to test the instant messenger that he had been working on, but that was also why Rika felt she could pass on being a beta tester. He had asked all of his friends to test it, and pretty much all of them had agreed to do so. Even Takato, whose relationship with computers was tentative at best, had taken to using the "D-Chat" regularly.

"I'd like another reason, yes," Rika requested, holding onto the false hope that Jeri would just give up.

"Alright," Jeri answered immediately. "Honestly, Rika, this is just as much for your benefit as it is for Henry's."

"Excuse me?" Rika's eyes widened enough that they actually hurt a little bit.

"You heard me. Look, I didn't want to be the one to tell you this-"

"I highly doubt that."

"-but you suck at making friends."

Rika paused and considered protesting, but couldn't bring herself to do so. "So what? I already have enough of those."

Jeri sighed and crossed her arms. "Okay, name five."

"Easy."

"That aren't in this house right now."

Crap, Rika thought. Renamon had greeted Jeri upon her arrival, so she was already down two easy picks.

"Still no problem," Rika began as she thought over her choices. "Well, there's Takato and Henry obviously."

"How about the other three?" Jeri probed.

"Don't rush me!" Rika snapped before resuming her line of thought. "Calumon and Guilmon seem to like me."

"They like everyone, but fair enough. Who's your last pick?"

Rika paused again. Other names and faces came to mind, but she couldn't bring herself to admit that any of them were her friends. She looked to Jeri, who had started grinning, likely have determined what was going through Rika's mind.

"You know I go to a different school than you do, right?" Rika asked. "For all you know, I could have plenty of friends there."

"Do you even know any of those girls' names?" Jeri questioned.

"That depends," Rika admitted begrudgingly. "Do you want their real names or the names I gave them?"

"Don't bother. You're only proving my point."

"Whatever..." Rika returned to her computer screen, letting the cursor sit over the program she was being coerced into launching. "I don't see how this thing fixes that."

"Think of this as getting your feet wet." Jeri reached over and clicked the mouse for her. "We have common ground with these people, so getting to know them will be easy."

Rika slouched down in her seat, deciding she could play along for the time being. She glared in Jeri's direction though, as a promise that their debate wasn't over.

Jeri giggled, almost as though she had read Rika's mind. "Oh, don't be like that. You'll have fun."

"No, I won't."

"We'll get to help out Henry, catch up with some old friends..." Jeri had walked across the room at this point and opened her own laptop. "Bury a few hatchets..." she added quietly as she ducked her head behind the screen.

"What was that?" Rika snapped, now more discouraged about what she had just agreed to take part in.

"Hey, I bet the program's done booting up!"

Rika glanced at the computer screen, finding that Jeri was correct. She also found some other users were already logged in, their messages popping up as Rika finished logging in.

Sora: It's about time.

Though she would never admit it to Jeri, Rika felt some relief at seeing Sora's name pop up in the chat. During their brief time fighting alongside the Digidestined, Sora was one of the few of them that Rika was able to get along with. The two of them had stuff in common, and Sora was typically easy to talk to. Rika's one real gripe with the girl was that, like Jeri, she tended to insert herself in and try to solve everyone else's problems, but no one was perfect.

At least she doesn't pretend to be perfect, Rika had to remind herself as the next name popped on screen. She definitely didn't harbor any particular fondness for this individual.

Kari: I'm sure they have a good reason for being late.

"Jeri..." Rika growled, her eyes locked on the screen. "What is this?"

"Like I said," Jeri replied innocently. "Burying hatchets."

"No."

"What?"

"I said no."

"Why not?"

"Because..." Rika paused for only a second, knowing that taking any longer would signal to Jeri that she didn't have an answer. "There are no hatchets to bury."

There weren't, and that was the whole truth. Yes, Rika and Kari had gotten into a not insignificant argument when they first met. Yes, this argument had been down to Kari being condescending and judgmental while also acting like she could do no wrong. No, Rika did not hold any old grudges. She was completely over the whole experience, so much so that she never needed to talk to the Digidestined of Light ever again.

Rika looked at Jeri, who was already staring back at her. Jeri stayed quiet at first, leading Rika to wonder if she's actually won the argument. Naturally, however, this couldn't be the case.

"Prove it," Jeri finally said.

"What?" Rika responded without really thinking.

"Prove. It. Have a civil conversation in this chat and I'll never bring it up again."

"You're on." Again, Rika's response was more down to instinct than something she had thought out. Before she could even entertain the notion of reconsidering, a notification went off on her computer.

Jeri has joined the chat.

"Perfect!" Jeri cheered. "Okay, remember, no talking out loud. If you have something to say, say it in the chat."

Rika grunted in agreement as she leaned towards her keyboard. She knew she had to start somewhere.

Rika: Hey.

Jeri snorted, but Rika didn't even bother turning to face her. With any luck, the rest of the chat would start their own conversation and she would just be able to sit back and wait for it to end.

Sora: Hey yourself.

Kari: What are you guys up to?

Jeri: Teaching Rika the value of socializing.

Why that little... Rika resisted the urge to look in Jeri's direction. She mentally kicked herself for not predicting that Jeri would basically throw her into the middle of the conversation.

Sora: A noble cause.

Rika: Ha. Ha.

Jeri: It's why we took so long. Getting her to sign in was like pulling teeth.

Kari: Sounds like it would be an uphill battle.

Rika's first impulse after the last message appeared on screen was to shoot a remark back, but she managed enough self-control to hold off. Kari wasn't doing anything the other two weren't and, looking at the situation objectively, was being less antagonistic than Jeri was.

Rika: Can we talk about something else?

Jeri: Like what?

Rika waited before typing a response. There weren't any specific topics that interested her at the moment, but she was willing to try anything at the moment.

Rika: I don't know. Ribbons? Flowers? Whatever it is you girls talk about that isn't me.

Sora: Well, I've had enough flowers for one day. Mom made sure of that.

Kari: I'm sure she wasn't that bad.

Sora: "You have to be more delicate, Sora. How can we expect anyone to purchase these if they're not aesthetically pleasing?"

There was a brief pause before the next message appeared on screen.

Sora: That's my impression of my mother, in case anyone was wondering.

Kari: We gathered.

Jeri: I doubt the rest of us would've had much to say about flowers anyway.

Rika: Next topic then.

Rika sat back, again hoping that conversation might be able continue on without her. For a few seconds, she allowed herself to believe she was in the clear. Then the next message appeared on screen.

Jeri: What did you have in mind?

"Stop that!" Rika snapped, this time not hesitating to look in Jeri's direction.

"Stop what?" Jeri replied absentmindedly, eyes not even bothering to leave the screen in front of her.

Rika clenched her fist together, restraining herself from yelling again. The way Jeri was acting shouldn't have come as a surprise to her at all. They had made a bet, and of course she would be playing to win. Rika's only real question was whether Jeri's competitiveness was something she picked up from their time together or was who she had been all along.

Rika: Nothing in particular.

Kari: That doesn't help us much.

Rika typed without thinking. It didn't register to her what she had done until after she had sent the message.

Rika: Well, I'm sorry that we all can't be perfect like you, Princess.

There was a more than noticeable pause before the next message came through. Rika made it a point to not look in Jeri's direction. If she did, she would find either a look of triumph or disappointment, and she wasn't in the mood for either.

Kari: Who said I was perfect?

Rika: It doesn't matter. Let's just forget about it.

Kari: I don't think we should.

Sora: Maybe shifting this conversation in a new direction isn't such a bad idea.

Jeri: Or we let them hash it out.

Rika held off from returning to her keyboard. She was not in the mood for a long talk about her feelings, and knew she had to think of something to avoid this. The problem was that one of the people she would usually turn to for advice on damage control was actively working against her.

Kari: I just want to know what Rika's problem is.

Rika: I don't have a problem.

Admittedly, Rika's own instincts were an issue as well. She found herself wondering if simply yelling what she was feeling at the screen was worth a try, rather than continuing the argument through the chat.

Kari: Yes, you do. Or do you have another way of describing your attitude problem.

Rika: I don't have an attitude problem.

Rika ignored Jeri's laughter.

Rika: I'm just not overly sensitive like some other people.

Kari: There's a difference between being insensitive and being a word that I don't feel comfortable spelling out right now.

Rika: Who's stopping you? Go ahead and spell.

Kari: Maybe I will!

Sora: Enough! Both of you are gonna stop this right now or, Sovereigns help me, I will use all of my exclamation points!

Rika took Sora's message as a marker to pull her hands away from the keyboard, and the lack of any immediate message afterwards told her that Kari had done the same. She thought about apologizing just to put an end to things, but she didn't feel like she was entirely at fault here. Nor was Kari, for that matter.

Jeri was at least partially to blame for, having organized the whole thing without bothering to share her intentions first. Jeri being Jeri, her intentions had been in the right place, but they were hindered by the fact that her desire to help people sort out their problems was more of a compulsion at this point. Some things were better left alone to sort themselves out, with third parties causing more issues than solving them.

Ultimately, Jeri was still figuring out the differences between these two kinds of instances. With Jeri being as smart as she was, Rika often wondered if her tendency to not see which conflicts to steer clear of was less her not knowing the difference and more just her aversion to facing her own issues dead on.

Before the D-Reaper, Jeri typically kept her pain and sadness hidden behind a constant smile and a sock puppet. All these years later, the puppet was gone and Jeri tended to be more honest about how she felt. Still, Rika knew better than anyone that old habits died hard. Could she have traded one mask for another?

Realistically, Rika wasn't likely to figure out those answers then and there. With that said, Rika did come up an idea for maybe putting an end to the problem immediately in front of her. She leaned forward and typed slowly.

Rika: Jeri, are you alright?

"What?" Jeri said under her breath. Rika chanced a glance at her, finding a confused look on her face.

Jeri: Of course. Why wouldn't I be?

That's right. Two can play at that game, Katou, Rika thought as she typed another response.

Rika: I don't know. I just worry about you sometimes.

Jeri: Well, thanks, but I'm okay.

Rika: Are you sure?

"Stop that," Jeri said, this time out loud and in Rika's direction.

"Stop what?" Rika replied absentmindedly. She knew she just had to draw this conversation out a little longer for the real fun to start.

Jeri: I'm positive.

Kari: And I'm lost.

Jeri: There's nothing to be lost about. Everything is fine.

Rika: Everything?

Jeri: Yes!

Sora: You're getting a little defensive, Jeri.

Rika let a small smirk come to her face. She leaned back, having accomplished what she had set out to do. If anyone could give Jeri a run for her money, Sora could.

Jeri: I'm not defensive.

Sora: But something is bothering you?

Jeri: Yes, this conversation.

Sora: Well, let's talk about that.

Jeri: I don't want to.

Sora: Why not?

Rika used the moments in between messages to look over to Jeri for her reactions, and was not disappointed by what she saw. It was a decent representation of how Rika had felt a little while ago. By this point, Jeri looked back at her, accusation written all over her face.

Jeri: Because that's exactly what Rika wants. She's making up imaginary personal problems so we don't focus on hers.

Rika waited for the next message to appear, to see if Jeri's last desperate play was enough to swing things back into her favor.

Sora: Maybe, but we don't deal in double standards here. You're obviously upset too.

Jeri: You can't be serious right now.

Sora: Don't worry, Jeri. We're all your friends and we're here to support you.

Jeri gently put her forehead against the table in front of her. After a couple seconds, she lifted it and began typing again.

Jeri: I actually have to go take care of something. I'll talk to you guys later.

Jeri has left the chat.

Jeri gathered her things and moved to the door, sliding it open slowly and deliberately.

"Seriously, though, are you okay?" Rika asked, trying to not let her genuine concern be overshadowed by how amused she was.

Jeri turned around and looked at Rika with a death stare, or at least what could pass for one on Jeri's face. "By no means is this a win for you. We'll finish this another day."

Rika gave no response as her friend finally departed the room. For some reason, she found herself unsure if she should take the threat seriously or not. Rika eventually just shrugged the feeling off.

What's the worst Jeri could do, anyway? Rika wondered as she returned her attention to her own computer. She found a single new message waiting for her.

Kari: Is she going to be alright?

Rika: Yeah. I'll check on her tomorrow just to be sure.

Rika was going to just turn off the D-Chat without another word, but another message appeared before she could move the cursor.

Kari: Will that be before or after you find a box of kittens to throw into a river?

Rika took a few seconds to consider her response before actually typing it out.

Rika: I have no issues with kittens. Cat owners, on the other hand, are the ones who have to watch out.

Kari: Are they now?

Rika sighed before leaning forward to respond again. If it meant putting Kari in her place, she could stay online for a little longer.

Chapter Text

Calumon was bored.

Not that he hadn't tried his hardest to not be bored, but not being bored was not easy to do. He had tried playing a game, but games were more fun with friends, and no one in the Katou's tavern seemed interested in playing at the moment. He had tried eating, being that the tavern always had some food lying around, but he could only eat so much before that stopped being exciting too.

Well, that or he ran out of food, which did happen occasionally.

In desperate times like this one, there was only one person Calumon could turn to. He floated around the tavern, eventually ending up in the stockroom where he found exactly who he was looking for. She was sorting through the bottles of green chili sauce that Calumon was not supposed to ever drink from, no matter what.

"Jeri!" Calumon called out as he dropped himself right in front of the girl, causing her to almost drop one of the bottles. She caught it, though, just like he knew she would.

"Hey, Calumon," Jeri said with a smile. "Is something wrong?"

"You wanna play?"

Jeri sighed. "I told you I would see if I can after the lunch rush." This wasn't the first time this "lunch rush" had kept her from playing, making Calumon wonder why these people couldn't rush to some other meal instead.

"How's that not over yet? It's been like an hour already."

"Calumon, we just spoke five minutes ago." Jeri's words didn't sound right to Calumon, though she had always told him that lying was bad, so he guessed what she had just said was true.

"I don't know if I can wait another fifty-five minutes, Jeri." Calumon was sure that if he waited for her that long he would explode, and probably take the whole building with him.

Jeri didn't reply right away, instead putting her hand on her chin and making the scrunchy face she did when she was thinking. After a few seconds, though, her smile came back.

"In that case, I might have something for you to do," Jeri said.

"What is it?" Calumon asked, now listening as carefully as he could.

"Are you sure you want to know?"

"Do I ever!" Calumon was excited instead of bored now.

"Are you sure?" Jeri lowered her head to look him straight in the eye. "This isn't just some errand. This is a mission. I need someone brave and reliable to complete it."

"I'm brave and reliable!"

"Okay, here it is: I lent Rika one of my favorite books, and she said she finished it. I need you to go pick it up at her house and bring it back to me."

"Is that it?" Calumon asked quietly, wanting to make sure Jeri didn't have anything else to add.

"That's it. Can I count on you?"

"You betcha! I'll be back with that book before you know it!" Calumon gave Jeri a quick salute before turning around and flying off.

Before even he realized it, Calumon was outside and on his way to Rika's house. Some people gave him weird looks as he floated over their heads, but he quickly stopped paying attention to them pretty quickly. He would do such a great job that Jeri would never trust another mission with anyone else ever again. There was nothing that could stop him.

Calumon stopped as he passed Shinjuku park. He couldn't decide if he should keep going or not. On the one hand, Jeri had said the book was at Rika's house. On the other, Rika spent a lot of time in the park, so there was a good chance she was there now. He thought about it for a while before moving in either direction.

In the end, Calumon decided the best way to complete his mission was to be thorough. He moved into the park in search of Rika. Also, if he stumbled on someone else who wanted to play instead, that wouldn't be so bad either.

Calumon quickly made his way to the Tamers' usual spot, finding a few of his friends were gathered around a picnic table. More specifically, he found Suzie and Kazu playing the Digimon card game while Lopmon, Guardromon, Kenta, MarineAngemon, Ai, and Mako watched. Rika was nowhere in sight, but Calumon decided to approach anyway.

Calumon landed himself on the table, right in between Lopmon and MarineAngemon. "What are we doing?" he asked.

"I'm not even sure anymore," Lopmon answered as she shook her head.

Looking around the rest of the group, everyone else seemed to have different feelings about the game going on in front of them. Kazu had all his attention focused on Suzie as he waited for her to take her turn. Suzie, on the other hand, seemed really tired, almost like she wasn't having fun. Not that Calumon could blame her. He always found this game to be a little boring, involving too much sitting around and doing nothing.

Also, the rules were a bit too convoluted for his taste.

Everyone stayed quiet for a few more seconds, as Suzie looked back and forth between the cards in her hand and the ones in play. Finally, she lowered her hand and looked at her opponent.

"Okay, my turn's done," Suzie said calmly.

"That's it?" Mako asked as he looked at the cards in Suzie's hand and reached for one in particular. "But what about-"

"Quiet!" Ai snapped as she pulled her brother's hand away from the card.

This whole exchange left Calumon a little confused, as he couldn't understand how a card Suzie didn't play could be so special. He must have been the only one who felt this way, however, as no one else said anything. Not even Kazu, who couldn't take his eyes off his own cards.

"Okay, try this one!" Kazu yelled as he slammed one of his cards onto the table. "I'm pretty sure that means I win."

Kenta leaned forward to inspect the game. "It... does."

"Well played, Kazu," Guardromon cheered. "I only doubted you for a second."

"Like I said," Kazu gloated. "No one's better at this game than I am."

"I wouldn't go that far," Kenta commented.

"You know what I mean!" Kazu shot back before looking over to Suzie. "Well?"

"What?" Suzie replied.

"You don't have any comments to make?"

"Nope." Suzie shrugged and went to start gathering her cards. "You won and it's finally over."

For them it was, anyway. Calumon, on the other hand, was still curious about that card. He walked over to it and flipped it over. The first thing that stood out to Calumon was how shiny the card was compared to all the rest, with his eyes drawn to the picture of the Crest of Light in its center.

Again, Calumon didn't really have any experience with this game, so he didn't know what this card did. With that said, how pretty the card was alone should have been enough to make Suzie play it. Jeri had always told him how it was good to get a second opinion when he was unsure about something, so that's what he decided to do.

"What does this card do?" Calumon asked as he held up the card for everyone to see.

"Well..." Kenta answered, pausing for what seemed like a long time to read the card. "...it wins games."

"What are you guys talking..." Kazu moved over and his eyes locked on the card. "...about?"

"That's enough of that, I think," Suzie said as she snatched the card from Calumon and put it back in her deck.

Kazu turned his attention to Suzie. "Was that card in your hand?"

"I mean, who can remember?" Suzie replied with a nervous laugh. "You won that match, like, forever ago."

Kazu's response was to slam his cards back on the table. "Rematch. Right now."

"Why?" Suzie spat back at him. "You just won!"

"Only because you let me. Now shuffle your cards so I can beat you fair and square."

Instead of arguing, Suzie let out a whimper before burying her face in her arms. "I'm really starting to hate this stupid game."

"There, there," Ai said as she placed a gentle on Suzie's back.

"Don't worry, Suzie," Lopmon added as she climbed onto the girl's shoulder. "I'm sure he'll beat you next time."

"No, he won't," came Suzie's muffled reply.

Looking around him, Calumon decided it was best for him to leave. He wasn't interested in watching another game, and his friends all seemed too busy to help him find Rika.

Calumon wandered out of the park, ready to continue his quest. It was then, however, that a familiar smell caught his attention. Deciding that he was no use to Jeri on an empty stomach, he followed the smell all the way to the Matsuki bakery.

With the bakery in sight, the smell wasn't the only familiar thing that Calumon was greeted with. Familiar faces and voices were also waiting for him at the entrance.

"This is outrageous, I tell ya!" Impmon hollered with a fist in the air. "I oughta sue this establishment!"

"Do you even know how to do that?" Guilmon asked in response.

"I could figure it out!"

"What's wrong?" Calumon asked as he landed right next to Impmon.

"Discrimination, that's what!" Impmon jabbed a finger up at Guilmon's face. "Pineapple-head ain't lettin' me in."

"Sorry," Guilmon replied with a shrug. "Mom says you're not allowed inside when we're busy."

"Why?" Impmon raised his voice, and it looked like he was looking around Guilmon to yell into the store. "Because she's a racist?"

"She said you cause trouble for paying customers."

"What? Name one time!"

"Well..." Guilmon placed one of his claws on his chin. "There was that one time when you set that one guy's pants on fire because you wanted the line to move faster."

"You can't prove that was me." Impmon crossed his arms and looked away.

"Oh!" Calumon chimed in. "How about that time he tried telling the customers the pastries were stale so there'd be more at the end of the day?"

"Don't help him, Calumon!"

"Mom also says you take stuff from behind the counter without paying," Guilmon added.

"Hey, a mon's gotta eat! What else am I suppose ta do?"

Calumon paused and looked at his friend. The problem Impmon was dealing with wasn't one he usually had to worry about. Typically, all he had to do was ask nicely and his friends and their families would share with him. Then again, Impmon was never very good at asking nicely. There was also one other thing that he still had trouble doing.

"You should try apologizing to Mrs. Matsuki," Calumon suggested.

"Fer what?" Impmon asked back.

"For all the bad stuff you did."

"What good would that do at this point?"

"Sometimes all people want to hear is that you're sorry." Calumon shrugged. "At least that's what Jeri says."

"J-Jeri?" Impmon sputtered. For some reason, he seemed nervous all of a sudden.

"That's what I think she said anyway." Calumon looked back in the direction he had arrived from. "Do you think we should go ask what she thinks?"

"No!" Impmon jumped into Calumon's path. "I mean, uh... what I'm tryin' ta say is that there's no need ta go involvin' third parties right now."

"You sure?"

"Positive!" Impmon was smiling, but somehow still seemed nervous. "In fact, I think I'm gonna take ur advice so you won't have ta tell Jeri about this. Ever."

"If you say so." Calumon was a little confused, but glad things got sorted out.

Turning around, Calumon was considering going into the bakery himself when his attention was pulled away by someone coming out of the alleyway at the side of the bakery. He turned again, finding this person to be Takato.

"Where are you going, Takato?" Guilmon asked.

"I, uh, have to go take care of something," Takato answered, almost seeming more nervous than Impmon had been just moments ago.

"Do you want me to come?" Guilmon seemed worried all of a sudden.

"N-No, that's okay, boy. It's nothing life-or-death." Takato looked away from them and in the direction he was inching towards. "At least I hope not."

"Okay..." Guilmon replied as his partner took off.

An idea suddenly popped into Calumon's head, one that he felt like he should have thought of sooner. Not wanting to miss a chance to complete his mission, he flew after Takato as fast as he could.

If there was anyone who could take Calumon to exactly where Rika was, it would definitely be Takato. The two of them were best friends, always spending time together. Sometimes, they would even spend that time with no one else around, which seemed a bit odd to Calumon. He had always felt as though the more friends he had around, the more fun he could have. He had even asked Jeri what kind of games Takato and Rika could play on their own, but Jeri's only response had been "I'll tell you when you're older."

Luckily, it didn't take very long to catch up with Takato. Calumon rounded a corner, finding that the boy had stopped to stare inside a store window. Calumon moved closer, only stopping himself from greeting Takato when he realized the store in question was a flower shop. Calumon stared inside as well, trying to figure out what Takato was doing, but soon got tired of waiting for answers.

"Whatcha looking at?" Calumon asked.

"Jeez, Calumon!" Takato jumped backwards before collecting himself. "Don't sneak up on me like that."

"Sorry." Calumon looked back at the store. "Are you thinking about buying flowers?"

"No..." Takato scratched the back of his head. "Well, maybe... I don't know."

"That's a lot of answers for one question, Takato."

"I realize that..."

"Then you should make up your mind and pick one."

"Probably..." Takato sighed. "I don't think Rika's much of a flower person anyway."

Takato's last statement didn't make much sense to Calumon. Flowers were pretty and smelled nice, so the idea that anyone, including Rika, wouldn't want any seemed like crazy talk. If anything, Takato just needed a little help.

"Or maybe you just have to pick the right kind of flower," Calumon declared as he moved into the shop.

"W-Wait, Calumon!" Takato called after him, probably wanting to thank him for taking the initiative.

Things seemed to have worked out perfectly. Calumon would be able to pick Jeri's book from Rika and leave her a bunch of pretty flowers in its place. He would basically be completing two missions at once!

Calumon paused in the middle of the store, taking a second to look at all the flowers around him. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something about the selection wasn't sitting right with him.

"Don't run off like that," Takato said as caught up to him.

A girl trying to organize some of the flowers turned around and approached them. "Do you guys need help with anything?" she asked with a smile.

"We're just browsing, thanks."

"Okay, if you need anything-"

"I got it!" Calumon called out as he jumped into action.

The answer was obvious as far as he was concerned. Takato was so caught up trying to pick one kind of flower when what he should have been doing was getting one of each.

"Okay, first we need one of these," Calumon said as came to some blue flowers and yanked one free from the bunch. He then saw some yellow flowers near by. "Oh, and one of these!"

"Calumon, wait!" Takato yelled as he tried to catch up with him.

"Don't worry, Takato! I've got this!" Calumon continued to pick out flowers. He grabbed a red one, a purple one, a pink one, and even one he couldn't quite describe the color of. He continued this pattern until a pair of hands grabbed a hold of him.

"Gotcha!" Takato called out, though Calumon wasn't too disappointed by this. He was basically carrying all the flowers that could fit into his arms already.

"So how'd I do?" Calumon asked.

"Well..."

Calumon's eyes wandered to the rest of the shop. Somehow, a bunch of flowers and shelves had just fallen to the floor while he had been putting Rika's bouquet together. The girl who worked there just stood over the mess, looking at Calumon and Takato with wide eyes.

"So, uh..." Takato let out a nervous laugh as he held out Calumon and the flowers he had collected. "How much for these?"

"We should go to that store more often."

"I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Why not? Shopping there was really fun!"

"Not for all of us..."

Calumon wasn't exactly sure who Takato was talking about. Granted, the girl at the store did seem a little grouchy when she was ringing them up, but maybe she just wasn't used to having that kind of fun. Maybe she would feel better by the next time that he stopped by.

From his spot on Takato's shoulder, Calumon stared at Rika's front gate as they waited for the girl in question to come greet them. For some reason, Takato seemed really nervous. Calumon, on the other hand, was more excited than he had felt all day. He was just seconds away from completing his mission.

Then, just before Calumon was going to jump over the gate to get Rika himself, it creaked open and she stepped out.

"So, what do you want?" Rika asked bluntly.

"T-To bring these to you," Takato answered with a nervous smile on his face. He held out the flowers, some of which were now drooping downward.

Rika accepted them, looking them over with a raised eyebrow. "Well, these are... varied."

"I had some help picking them out."

Rika looked over to Calumon. "Yeah, I bet."

They both went quiet, only staring at each other for the next few seconds. Calumon thought about speaking up to break the silence, but a voice in his head told him not to, and he decided to listen to it for whatever reason.

"So..." Takato began. "I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry."

Rika crossed her arms. "Sorry for what?"

"Huh?" Takato looked confused all of a sudden.

"You don't even remember what it is you said, do you?"

"Hey, I remember everything I said the other day. I'm just..." Takato's voice got lower. "...having trouble figuring out what made you mad..."

Rika looked away from him. "You are so dense, you know that!"

"Okay, first off, that's not news to anyone." Takato's voice sounded like it was getting louder, little by little. "Second, that definitely doesn't explain what you're mad at me for."

Rika glared at Takato. "Well, let me explain it to you then! Have to do it out here though! Inside, you might lose focus and start ogling at my mom!"

"Th-That's not... I didn't... I wasn't..." Takato's face turned red, and Calumon could actually feel the heat coming off him.

"Take your time, Goggle-head."

"That's not what I meant!"

"Then what did you mean?"

Calumon wasn't completely sure what was going on, but he also couldn't turn away either.

"You made a comment about how you looked like your mom," Takato explained. "And all I said was how that was a good thing."

"You're not helping your case any!"

"I was just being honest!"

"Yeah, honest about how you have the hots for my mother!"

Takato's eye twitched as a bunch of sounds that weren't words came out of his mouth. It seemed like Rika had broke something in his brain. Calumon reached over and tugged on the boy's hair, but didn't get much of a response.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Calumon asked.

"Who cares?" Rika replied, crossing her arms again. "He brought it on himself."

"I think you brought a little of it too."

Rika's eyes locked on Calumon. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"The two of you are really close, and you expect people who are close to you to disappoint you," Calumon explained calmly. "Then when they don't disappoint you, it makes you nervous and causes you to fall back on your first instinct, which is to push people away."

At least that was what Jeri had said, right before telling Calumon to not tell Rika she had said it. Though that did seem to go against when she had told him that lying was bad. Calumon decided that this was a fair compromise, with Rika hearing the truth and Jeri not getting in trouble for it.

Speaking of Rika, she hadn't stopped staring at him for the last few seconds. Right before Calumon could ask if she was okay, however, she broke the stare to look over the flowers in her hand. She then looked at Takato, who looked less broken but still nervous.

"Look, Rika," Takato began. "I just-"

"Shut up," Rika said.

"Okay."

"Do you wanna come inside?"

It took Takato a second before he nodded. Rika motioned towards the front door and waited for him to jog up next to her.

"Oh, that's right!" Calumon called out as he jumped from Takato's shoulder to Rika's. "Jeri sent me to pick something up."

"And what was that?" Rika asked.

"I can't remember."

"Of course not..." Rika sighed and rolled her eyes. "That's fine. I think I know what she sent you here for."

Calumon sat on one of the tavern's bar stools as he watched Jeri quickly leaf through the book in her hand. She then quickly shut it and smiled, which told Calumon that she was satisfied with his work.

"Mission accomplished?" Calumon asked with his own smile.

"Definitely accomplished," Jeri confirmed. "Thanks again, Calumon. You're my hero."

"No sweat, Jeri!" Calumon hopped onto the bar. "I had a lot of fun on the way."

"Really? You actually weren't gone as long as I thought you'd be."

"You want me to tell you what happened?"

Jeri looked around the tavern, which was pretty empty at the moment. "Sure, I've got some time."

"Great!" Calumon cheered as he began to tell his story.

Or at least as he began to tell the fun parts of his story. Those were the only bits that really mattered.

Chapter Text

Terriermon took pride in how rarely he found himself at a loss for words. He acknowledged that this talent could be a double-edged sword at times, in that words would occasionally come to him in such large numbers that he had difficulty choosing between them. One of these scenarios was currently playing out right before his eyes.

It reached a point where Terriermon was pretty sure that Henry had forgotten he was in the room, too busy digging through the clothes in his closet to notice or care. Terriermon didn't let this bother him though, mostly because he knew why his partner was acting this way. Still, he felt like he had bided his time long enough.

"So..."

"Not now, Terriermon," Henry said instantly, apparently having not completely forgotten about the Digimon in the room.

Terriermon grinned. "I was just gonna say that I can help you."

Henry turned to face him. "No offense, but you're not exactly known for your dress sense."

"Rude," Terriermon grumbled. It wasn't his fault most manufacturers didn't make their clothing with Digimon in mind.

Before he could reply in any other way, Henry grabbed a shirt and pair of pants and left the room, almost bumping into Suzie and Lopmon on the way out.

"What's wrong with him?" Suzie asked.

"He's got a date," Terriermon answered proudly.

"It's not a date," Henry called from the bathroom. "Or at least I don't want to assume it is," he added, low enough that Terriermon might have missed it if not for his heightened sense of hearing.

"I don't know why not." Terriermon spoke loudly to make sure his partner heard him. "Alice very specifically asked if you were free tonight."

"So she ended up asking him out?" Suzie asked, not much surprise in her voice.

"Don't think she minded much, though," Terriermon replied in a sing-song voice. "She strikes me as the kind of girl who likes cracking the whip."

"Terriermon..." Henry warned as he reentered the room, having not changed his clothes while he was gone.

"What? She's not even here right now."

"Wouldn't talking about someone behind their back still qualify as rude?" Lopmon asked.

"Yes, Lopmon, it would." Henry looked from her to Terriermon.

"Did I miss the fun police handing out badges?" Terriermon asked with the hopes of getting a genuine answer.

"So, basically, you don't want to overdress?" Suzie cut in before he got one.

Henry slowly turned to face her. "Basically..."

"I see..." Suzie placed a finger on her chin.

"You have thoughts?" Henry asked with all the enthusiasm one could expect from a sixteen year old having to ask his younger sister for dating advice.

"Where are you going?"

"To a movie."

"What movie?"

"We haven't decided yet."

"How late will you be staying out?"

Henry raised an eyebrow. "Are you interrogating me?"

"Yes," Suzie answered without skipping a beat.

"Why?"

Suzie put on a playful smile. "Because I want you to remember how annoying it is to have an overbearing older sibling in this situation."

Henry sighed. "You don't have any actual advice, do you?"

"You know that I'm eleven, right?"

"Which is why you need help from a professional!" Terriermon quickly pointed out, not wanting to miss an opportunity to reinsert himself into the conversation.

Henry pinched the bridge of his nose. "For the last time, spending a week going through Jaarin's DVD collection doesn't make you some kind of love doctor."

"C'mon, Henry!" Terriermon couldn't figure out why his partner was being so difficult. "Just ask Takato how great a wingmon I am. I helped him win his dream girl, didn't I?"

"I have a feeling that any progress Takato and Rika have made has been despite you."

Terriermon crossed his arms. "Okay, now you're just being mean."

"May I make a suggestion?" Lopmon asked suddenly, silencing everyone.

"Sure," Henry answered.

Lopmon took a second, looking between the various faces in the room as though she were having second thoughts. "I won't pretend to know about human courtship, but even if Alice is only looking for friendship, she's doing so because she likes you as a person. Perhaps all this overthinking defeats the purpose of that?"

Suzie eyed her partner closely. "That's a pretty long-winded way of saying 'be yourself', Lop."

"Sorry..."

"You know what? Don't be." Henry dropped the clothes in his hands on his bed. "Thanks, Lopmon, I'm gonna do that."

With that, Henry left the room, not even waiting to hear Terriermon's thoughts on the advice he had just been given. The room went quiet after that, at least until they heard Henry leave the apartment and close the door behind him.

"How long a head start are you gonna give him?" Suzie asked, as though she knew exactly what Terriermon was getting ready to do.

"Just long enough for him to get to the lobby," he answered. "These legs weren't built for running."

"You're going to follow him?" Lopmon asked with genuine confusion.

"Duh."

"Don't you think he'd want some privacy?"

Terriermon didn't give an immediate response, not really understanding the intention behind the question. He looked to Suzie for clarification, but all he got from her was a shrug. He ended up throwing the thought out, deciding it was wasting his time.

"Alright, I'm off," Terriermon declared as he moved for the door.

"Make sure you bring back something I can hold over him!" Suzie called after him as he rounded a corner.

Making his way to the Wong's fire escape, Terriermon paused to survey the street below. After spotting Henry, he dove off the building, outstretching his ears so that he could glide safely to the ground. He had little trouble keeping pace with his partner after that, a sign that Henry was nervous and that Terriermon was going exactly where he needed to be.

The movie Henry and Alice had ended up choosing was uneventful. While this disappointed Terriermon a bit, it didn't surprise him, given how humans tended to look at talking during a screening as some kind of taboo. What actually surprised him and worried him just as much was how that trend continued after they left the theater.

Terriermon carefully followed the two teens as they walked the city streets, just closely enough that he could hear them when they spoke. Not that it really made a difference at the moment.

"So..." Henry began. "Did you like the movie?"

Alice glanced at him and shrugged. "It was okay."

"Right..." Henry replied before silence followed. Again.

Sheesh, Terriermon thought as he scurried up a nearby tree. At least when Takato gets nervous he can't stop running his mouth.

Eventually they came to an American style diner, entering and picking a booth with barely a couple words shared between each other. They dropped their coats on the seats before Alice gestured towards the bathrooms and walked away. Henry sat down, leaning forward with his brow wrinkled, which was what he typically did when he was in front of his computer trying to solve a problem.

The coast now as clear as it was going to get, Terriermon darted towards the diner, moving inside and only stopping once he was standing on the table right in front of his partner and looking him in the eye.

"What are you doing over here?" Terriermon questioned, trying his best not to draw too much attention to their booth.

"T-Terriermon?" Henry's eyes went wide with genuine surprise.

"Don't you 'Terriermon' me. Now answer the question."

"I'm... not doing anything."

"Exactly!" Terriermon jabbed a pointed finger in his partner's face. "I thought you were just gonna be yourself."

Henry crossed his arms. "How am I not doing that?"

"You're being all..." Terriermon took a second to look at his partner and try to figure out the right word. "...polite, and not the normal kind of polite you are on your own. It's like you're holding back."

Henry looked away for a brief second. "Okay, maybe a little, but I don't want to start an argument."

"Why not?" Terriermon glanced in the direction Alice had left in. "Isn't that what the two of you do?"

No sooner had he finished the thought that a light bulb turned on in Terriermon's head. He had an idea, if not the solution to Henry's problem.

"Terriermon-"

"Make her mad."

Henry raised an eyebrow "What?"

"You heard me." Terriermon gestured to where Alice would be sitting had she been present. "Antagonize her. Trigger her. Get a reaction."

"Why would I do that?" Henry asked, not trying to hide how skeptical he was.

"Because you like this girl."

"And how is insulting her going to help?"

"I didn't say anything about insulting her," Terriermon clarified, a little annoyed by how he had to explain everything. "You worked together all that time, so you have to know what gets her talking."

Henry paused, as he often did when considering something he had just heard. "Even if, how do I know this won't make things worse?"

Terriermon couldn't give a straight answer, as not everyone had his sense of tact. Still, Henry's question meant he was willing to give the idea a chance. All he really needed was one more push.

"I bet you it won't," Terriermon said, placing his fists on his hips as he spoke.

"What?" Henry asked, confused again.

"And if I'm wrong, I won't tell anyone what a dead fish you've been, and I'll stay out of your personal business from now on."

"You should be doing that anyway," Henry growled.

"I didn't hear a no," Terriermon sang.

Henry shook his head. "And what do you want if you end up being right?"

That was the question of the day. He thought about it for a second, but only one reward seemed appropriate given the situation.

Terriermon smiled. "You have admit that I'm the best wingmon a Tamer could ask for."

"You're not gonna rest until I use the word, are you?" Henry asked wearily.

"Moumantai, Henry," Terriermon reassured his partner. "You can wait til we're home to say it."

"You're so gracious," Henry mumbled.

Terriermon pointed at one of the diner's menus. "I also want hash browns."

"Do you even know what hash browns are?"

"They look fried and not very good for you, so that's good enough for me."

Unfortunately, that was where their conversation would have to come to an end. Terriermon could just make out the sound of a door opening, which signaled that he would have to make himself scarce.

"Sorry, gotta disappear!" Terriermon considered leaving the diner entirely, but instead settled for simply jumping off the table and into the seat next to Henry. With the same motion, he also threw the boy's coat over himself.

"Terriermon!" Henry hissed.

"Shush!" he whispered back. "You'll give me away."

"She's not going to fall for-!"

"Are you okay?" Alice's voice suddenly cut in.

"Y-Yeah..." Henry replied nervously. "I was just, uh... I'm fine."

"Alright..." Terriermon heard the girl sit down as she spoke.

"So, you know what you're gonna get?" Henry asked.

"Yes," Alice answered, though the silence that followed confirmed she wasn't going to elaborate.

Said silence continued for a little bit after that, with it finally being broken by Henry letting off a quiet sigh.

"So..." Henry began, sounding a little reluctant for Terriermon's taste. "I uploaded that patch you wrote for the D-Chat."

Alice waited a heartbeat before answering. "And?"

"We're still getting the same error message."

"Then you messed up the application of it," Alice explained, a hint of irritation in her voice.

"I don't think so," Henry replied, though his voice actually sounded a little lighter if anything.

"Well, that's obviously what happened."

"Are you sure you didn't make a mistake?"

Alice paused again. "Positive."

"Then I'm stumped," Henry responded, probably with a smile on his face if Terriermon had to guess.

"Do you remember what you did exactly?"

"Parts of it. Do you really think you can figure out what went wrong right here?"

"That's the plan," Alice answered over the sound of a napkin dispenser being emptied. "Excuse me, do you have an extra pen?"

"Sure..." came the confused reply of a nearby waitress. "Are you guys ready to order?"

"The deluxe cheeseburger, hold the onions, please."

"I'll have the same, just minus the cheese," Henry added before pausing for a second. "And... an extra side order of hash browns, please."

The waitress quickly repeated their order before walking away. There was silence again between the two teens, but luckily, it didn't last.

Alice sighed. "Terriermon can come out as long as he stays quiet while we work."

Terriermon instantly threw Henry's coat off of him. "Hey, once the food gets here, you won't hear a word from me!"

"You knew?" Henry asked, looking between the booth's other two occupants.

"He's been following us since the movie theater," Alice replied before pointing her pen in Terriermon's direction. "For the record, you are not invited next time."

"Whatever you say," Terriermon said innocently, which earned him a sideways glance from Henry, who likely knew the words were empty. Not that he could ever make that promise in good conscience.

After all, if he did he wouldn't be able to call himself the best wingmon in two worlds.

Chapter Text

"That's my turn," Kazu declared confidently, knowing that his moment had finally come.

He surveyed the cards in front of him one more time, followed by a sense of satisfaction washing over him. He had stacked his HiAndromon card with enough modify cards that nothing his opponent put out would be able to overpower it. On his next turn, he'd take the win.

Chapter Text

Jeri was always hesitant when it came to telling Rika about developments in her personal life, good or bad, as the girl in question only really had two modes. Typically, either Rika's reflex against showing her emotions would kick in and she would act indifferent, or her overprotective instincts would activate and she would jump into action.

"I'm going to cave his skull in!"

Sitting in the Nonaka's backyard, it was plainly obvious to Jeri that she was looking at the latter scenario.

"Don't you think that's a little drastic?" Jeri asked, hoping her friend was only venting and not being serious.

"No, drastic would be marching over to his house right now and killing him on his front stoop," Rika answered as she paced back and forth. She then stopped in place for a moment, as though she were mulling something over in her head. "Which, on second thought, is exactly what I'm gonna do!"

Again, Jeri wasn't sure how seriously she should take the declaration. "Rika, you're not going to murder Kazu."

Rika sighed and seemed to calm down. "You're right."

Jeri let herself smile. "See, now can we just-?"

"Renamon would be better at hiding the body."

"Wait, what?"

"Renamon!"

As the kitsune materialized in front of them, Jeri felt her heart skip a beat. While she never believed that Renamon would intentionally harm a human being, Jeri suddenly found herself wondering if the Digimon would do so at Rika's command. The notion instantly grabbed hold of Jeri, to the point where she acted without thinking.

"Stop!" Jeri screamed as she jumped to her feet. "No one is hiding any bodies!"

Silence and stillness immediately followed, and Jeri was sure that even if she had closed her eyes, she would be able to feel the eyes of her friends staring at her.

"Look..." Rika began. She placed her hands in her pockets and kicked at the ground beneath her. "I'm sorry, but I still don't like the idea of you going out with him."

"Be that as it may, Rika, but this is what Jeri wants," Renamon said as she stepped forward. "We should respect her wishes."

With the notion put forward, Rika's attention snapped back to Jeri. Actually feeling the pressure of being looked up and down, Jeri looked away from her friend, which she acknowledged was her first mistake.

"Except that this isn't what you want, is it?" Rika asked, though she sounded as if she already knew the answer.

Jeri didn't have any words to reply with in that instant, only able to turn back towards her friend. Upon making eye-contact, however, it seemed that words weren't necessary.

"Dammit, Jeri..." Rika took a single step backwards and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Then why would you agree to go out with him?"

"I don't know..." Jeri tried her best, but she couldn't come up with a better answer. She knew it hadn't been a matter of pity, as not only had Kazu never been one to accept anything on those terms, but also because she herself would never look down on her friends in such a way. There was some other reason she had agreed to go out him, and she had nearly mentally exhausted herself trying to figure out what that reason was.

"This will not end well," Rika said, snapping Jeri out of her thoughts.

"Maybe it won't be that bad?" Jeri put forward, though Rika's expression remained unchanged.

"Jeri, you know Kazu. He'll take things too far, and then what will you do?"

Jeri tried to stand up taller. "He would never hurt me."

Rika crossed her arms. "Not physically, maybe, but he's never exactly been a good sport about not getting his way."

Jeri found it more difficult to speak up on that point, as she knew what Rika was saying was true. Kazu was stubborn, and very much had a one track mind as a result. Back during their first trip to the Digital World, he and Kenta had basically forced themselves into the group, despite not having partners of their own at the time. At many points the two had been hindrances to the mission, often made more difficult at many points by the pair refusing to acknowledge and take responsibility for their behavior.

It didn't help that, all these years later, Kazu really hadn't outgrown these traits, as poor Suzie could readily attest. The girl's only real misstep had been being better at a card game than Kazu had, and his refusal to just accept the skill gap led to a series of rematches that left neither party happy. Jeri couldn't help but worry about a date with Kazu being much the same way.

"Well, I can't change things now," Jeri said as she straightened herself up and prepared to leave. "Anyway, I have to get to work."

"Would you like for me to escort you home?" Renamon offered, something she had never done in the past.

"No thanks," Jeri replied politely, or at least as politely as she could as she tried sort out why the offer was made in the first place. "I'll be okay."

"Just please be careful," Rika added calmly.

Jeri smirked in response. "You understand the irony of that request coming from you, right?"

"Jeri..."

"I promise, okay?" Jeri started walking away, waving to Rika and Renamon both as she did. "I'll call you the first chance I get."

Jeri tried to let her mind go blank on the subway ride home, but her effort seemed to have the opposite effect. The ambient sound of the train running against the tracks, coupled with minimal but still present conversation going on in the car made her feel claustrophobic. She was having trouble breathing and she couldn't figure out why. All she knew for certain was that she had to get off the train or things would only get worse.

The very second they reached the next stop, Jeri stood right up. She couldn't make out the PA system dictating the train's current location, but that wasn't a huge issue. She had been counting the stops and had made this trip plenty of times before. She knew she could walk home once she was above ground and knew exactly where she was.

Not long after stepping off the train, Jeri found herself wandering around Shinjuku Park. Despite her original intention of heading straight home, her legs seemed to be taking her anywhere but, seeming instead to be content to follow her directionless train of thought rather than what they were originally instructed.

"I was thinking that you and I could hang out sometime. You know, just the two of us."

The moment repeated itself in Jeri's head, both with Kazu's confident grin on his face and her own genuine confusion as to what she was being asked. She had been tired at the time and her mind was on other things, so there was a chance she had misheard him.

"You mean like a date?"

"I mean exactly like a date."

Jeri had a taken a couple seconds to let the words sink in, replaying them a couple times to be certain of their meaning. Not that there had really been any question on the matter, as Kazu had plainly spelled out what he wanted from her. There was no reason her answer couldn't be equally straight forward.

She also wasn't lacking for legitimate reasons for declining either, not the least significant of which was the simple truth: Jeri did not have any romantic feelings towards Kazu, and she knew perfectly well that pretending otherwise would only end up hurting them both.

And even if, for whatever reason, she was afraid of being that honest with him, Jeri had the option of falling back on school and work as an excuse. She was busy, after all, and dating wasn't a priority for her at this point in her life.

Before Jeri could put forward either response, however, a voice from the darkest corner of her mind spoke up. This was the same voice she had spent the last quarter of her life learning to ignore, and the reason why she liked to keep herself occupied with work. Still, despite all this practice, the voice spoke loudly and with authority.

"It's your destiny to be alone."

The words echoed on Jeri's head, despite her knowing them to not be true. She knew her friends cared about her, just as she knew they were there for her if she needed them.

Of course, this didn't stop the voice in her head from telling her otherwise. Telling her that Takato and Rika would grow tired of her being their third wheel. That Henry going to school overseas was inevitable, especially with Alice in the picture now. That Suzie, Ai, and Mako were growing up and soon wouldn't need any of the older Tamers to look after them. That Calumon was fickle and would wander off one day and never return.

With all that weighing on her subconscious, and Kazu standing in front of her waiting for an answer, Jeri made a mistake. A small one in the grand scheme of things, maybe, but still one she would never be able to take back.

Jeri came to a halt with that thought, taking a second to determine where her subconscious wanderings had taken her. Looking up a familiar set of stairs, she found that her unintended destination was Guilmon's shed, which was fitting in a way. The Tamers hadn't spent much time here as of late due to its current condition, which made it the perfect spot for Jeri to take a few moments to collect herself.

She approached slowly, surveying the shed's cracked and crumbling infrastructure. Word was that Yamaki was trying to balance using Hypnos resources for repairs while also trying to keep said repairs off the record. Unsurprisingly, anyone with authority over him would tell him to simply bury the portal should they learn of its existence, something Yamaki didn't seem ready to do quite yet. The portal was a resource after all, one the Tamers had made use of over the last few years.

For now, however, it was a place for Jeri to sit for a moment, something she did in silence until she was interrupted by faint noises coming from the shed behind her.

"Good fer nothin' greaseballs," came familiar grumbling. "They ever come back this ways again, I'll-"

"Impmon?" Jeri questioned as the Digimon came into view.

"J-Jeri?" Impmon stopped right in the doorway, likely having not expected anyone to be waiting for him. "W-What's up?"

Jeri looked past him into the shed. "What are you doing?"

"Just showin' a couple Numemon the exit." Impmon crossed his arms and looked back towards the portal. "I'll tell yuh, little punks were so ready to cause trouble, but the second they realize they gotta fight, they beg yuh to let them go home."

Jeri forced a smile. "Sounds like everything worked out in the end, though."

"Guess so," Impmon replied with a shrug, pausing for a second as he turned back towards her. "Anyway, I gotta get goin'."

"See you later."

Impmon started to leave, though stopped in his tracks after a couple steps. He glanced back at Jeri, looking like he was debating something in his mind. Before Jeri could ask him if anything was wrong, he turned all the way around and returned to her.

"Hey, look..." Impmon began nervously. "I don't mean tuh pry, but, uh... are you doin' okay?"

Jeri's mind went blank for a brief moment as she tried to decide how to answer. She seriously considered deflecting, acting like nothing was wrong so that he wouldn't worry. For that moment, however, despite her practice at it, she couldn't bring herself to lie. A different voice in the back of her mind spoke up, this one telling her it was okay to let her guard down in front of her friends.

"I made a mistake," she finally confessed.

Impmon sat down next to her. "We talkin' a 'left the fridge open all night' mistake or an 'accidentally light the couch on fire' mistake?"

"A small one, at least I think. I just..." Jeri's eyes dropped to her hands resting on her lap. "I don't understand what I'm doing wrong."

"What do yuh mean?"

Jeri clenched her fists together. "It's the same empty feeling, over and over again. Every time I think I've gotten rid of it, it just creeps its way back in. It's got to be something I'm doing, otherwise it wouldn't keep happening."

"It's not your fault, Jeri. You can try all yuh want, but yuh can't control the way yuh feel."

"But why not?" Jeri snapped in Impmon's direction.

"I don't know..." This time, his gaze dropped away from her.

They both went quiet for a few seconds, causing a pang of guilt to form in Jeri's chest. She knew she had to apologize, but once again her mind went blank as she tried to put the words together.

"I'll tell yuh what I do know, though," Impmon continued as he turned to face her again. "Tryin' tuh hide how you feel ain't ever gonna make anyone feel better."

"And what if being honest ends up hurting someone else?"

"Take it from someone who tried tuh fight a Deva because he didn't want anyone tuh know he was hurtin': Someone else is probably gonna get hurt anyway."

Silence fell between them again, though it was different this time. Jeri didn't need Impmon to elaborate further, as they both knew what he was referring too. The only real dilemma she had was what she would choose to do with the advice she was being given.

"Anywhos..." Impmon said as he stood up. "Moral of the story is if yuh feel sad, feel sad. Anyone who actually cares won't think any less of yuh."

"Thanks, Impmon," Jeri replied, reaching over and pulling him into a hug before he had a chance to pull away.

"D-Don't mention it."

Despite part of her wanting to hold onto Impmon a little longer, just as an experiment to see how long it took before he tried to squirm out of her arms, Jeri released him and stood as well. She had one more detour to make before finally returning home, one she knew she couldn't put off any longer.

Jeri stood on the Shioda's front stoop, right hand wrapped around her left elbow and her brain doing its best to keep her feet from pacing back and forth. In reality, it had only been about a minute since Kazu's mother had answered the door and offered to go fetch him, but time felt like it was moving a bit slower at the moment.

Eventually, she heard the door start to creek open, causing her to stand at attention. Kazu didn't waste a second before stepping outside, doing so like he didn't have a care in the world.

"Guess someone couldn't wait for Saturday night, huh?" he asked, the tone in his voice matching the big, confident grin on his face.

"Actually..." Jeri paused for a split second, her conscience weighing her down as she spoke. "We need to talk about that."

"What for?" Kazu's grin faded as he gave her his undivided attention.

Jeri took a deep breath. "Kazu, there's no easy way to say this, so I'm just gonna say it: I can't go out with you."

"Why not?" Kazu's expression remained neutral, which Jeri didn't know whether to take as a sign that he was keeping his emotions in check or if he genuinely didn't have a clue as to what was happening.

Regardless of either, she tried to keep her attention forward and her voice even. "I haven't been feeling like myself lately, and because of that I wasn't thinking clearly when we spoke the other day. The truth is that I really don't think I should be dating right now."

"What about when you're feeling better?"

A pause followed, leaving Jeri with one last chance to not take the conversation any further. It would have easy to simply tell him what he wanted to hear and walk away. So easy to leave things as they were so that she wouldn't have to deal with the pain of knowing that she created a rift between herself and a friend. In the end, though, she knew she would only be postponing the inevitable.

"No, Kazu," Jeri began slowly, maintaining her composure by some miracle. "I'm sorry, but I just don't feel that way about you."

Kazu stayed quiet at first, refusing to look her in the eye. Not that Jeri could blame him, being only able to imagine what he was thinking at the moment. Still, Jeri waited, knowing that she needed both his confirmation that he understood what she was telling him as well as to face the consequences of her mistake.

"You should go," Kazu finally said coldly, still not willing to look at her.

"Okay," Jeri managed to reply before walking. This time, she knew there would be no detours on her way to her destination.

Jeri closed the door behind her as stepped into her bedroom. Her father hadn't argued when she told him she didn't feel well and wouldn't be able to work that night. He had simply nodded and told her to let him know if she needed anything. She wasn't sure if she would take him up on the offer.

For a few seconds, Jeri just stood in the center of her room, not sure what she should or even what she wanted to do. Then a lump formed in chest, followed shortly by her legs starting to feel weak.

She pushed towards her bed, laying on her side and pulling a pillow to her chest in the naive hope that it might lessen the pain there. She was eventually distracted from it instead, by the heat building up in her eyes. Tears and a few sobs followed shortly thereafter.

Laying there in that moment, Jeri wasn't sure of much. She wasn't sure how long she been keeping these feelings inside or how long it had been since she had last let them out. She wasn't sure if she wanted to talk to someone, what she would say to them, or even who she would talk. She only knew that, before any of that was decided, she wanted to finish crying.

Chapter Text

Takato slouched lower in his chair, tired despite not having even started the task he had originally sat down to do. It wasn't that he hadn't tried, as proven by the paper and various pencils scattered across his desk. The assignment had him second guessing himself every time he attempted to start it.

"Drawing yourself shouldn't be this hard," Takato groaned into his hands.

"Do you need me to hold the mirror for you?" Guilmon asked as he approached the desk.

"That's not really the issue." Takato sat up straighter. "I'm just kinda lost as to what I should draw."

The prompt seemed pretty straightforward on the surface. His instructor wanted the class to complete self portraits, with the only restrictions being they had to be performing an activity and that activity couldn't be related to drawing. Takato figured these rules were meant to encourage creativity and self reflection, though he wondered if his current identity crisis was also an intended part of it.

Takato glanced at his computer, which currently had a window open to Henry's D-Chat program. After logging in and seeing who was online, he thought it would have been helpful to get some fresh opinions on the matter. Progress was a little slow at the moment.

Davis: I still say you should just draw a picture of Gallantmon.

Takuya: Didn't he just say he didn't want to do that?

Davis: Yeah, but it's still an option.

The conversation had been going in circles like this for a few minutes now. Some different ideas were thrown around, but none of them felt right to Takato. It was getting to the point where he worried he was being too picky and was deliberately wasting his friends' time.

Tai: You never explained why you didn't want to go with that.

Takato started and stopped typing his response a couple times, not being entirely sure how to summarize his thoughts. Partly was the simple fact that Gallantmon was representative of himself and Guilmon, meaning that this didn't feel like the answer to his current problem. He also wasn't comfortable with the image of himself that going this route presented. The last thing Takato wanted to do was make himself out to be some kind of hero or savior to the rest of the class. He didn't consider himself to be anything of the sort, and definitely not any more so than the rest of his friends.

Takato: It just doesn't feel right.

Davis: Not sure why. You give me this assignment, and I wouldn't hesitate to draw myself on Raidramon's back.

Tai: The reason is Takato's ego isn't half the size of yours.

Takuya: Maybe you just have to look at this from a different perspective.

Davis: Such as?

Takuya: Not sure. Was kinda hoping Tai would swing in with a suggestion.

The chat went quiet, all of them likely waiting to see if Tai came up with anything. No response came, however, leaving Takato a little disappointed. While he respected and wanted Davis and Takuya's opinions, he would have been lying if he claimed he hadn't logged in looking for Tai's advice. Maybe simply due to the experience that came with being the oldest of the four of them, Tai seemed to have an innate ability to say the thing Takato needed to hear when he was stuck on something.

"They mean well, at least," Takato said softly as he scrolled up and down through the chat, hoping that maybe something that was said previously would become some kind of inspiration.

Takato glanced to his right, not necessarily expecting Guilmon to still be paying attention though still curious where his attention was. He found his partner with a single claw on his chin and his eyes locked on the computer screen.

"Something on your mind, boy?" Takato asked.

"Just thinking..." Guilmon turned away from the screen to face Takato. "You normally don't have this much trouble when you draw me or the others."

Takato knew that Guilmon was right, and even had the stacks of drawings and rough sketches to prove it. Off in a corner were three particular pieces, each of one of the three individuals he was conversing with right at that moment. Having only met them in person the one time, Takato had mainly based them on his impressions of them from their conversations while testing the D-Chat over the last couple months.

Takuya's sat on top of the pile, being the most recently completed. In it, he sat with his feet up on his desk while spinning a soccer ball between his fingers. Slightly younger than the rest of them, he gave off a more laid back demeanor, or at least that was what Takato had been trying to capture. Sunlight came in through a window, causing Takuya to cast a shadow in the shape of Agunimon, the Legendary Warrior of Fire whose spirit Takuya had been partnered with. Takato had been particularly proud of this last bit, thinking of it as a fun way to highlight Takuya's unique connection to the Digital World.

Next was Davis, a drawing that Takato had had some fun with. Davis stood up at his desk, talking at and basically shouting into his computer screen. A grin was plastered across his face, to show he did so more out of enthusiasm rather than obnoxiously, because that was basically who Davis was. His optimism was infectious, coming across even through text on a computer screen. The scene's final touch was DemiVeemon, who sat next to the keyboard while looking up at his partner with a curious look on his face.

Lastly was Tai, the drawing that had started this exercise in the first place. Tai leaned forward, chin resting on the palm of one hand while the other hovered just above the keyboard. He was ready and attentive, while still somewhat relaxed. Again, Tai was the oldest and most experienced of them and he carried that with him, but never used these traits to hold himself above his friends. Agumon completed the piece, standing on his tip-toes with claws holding the edge of the desk, eagerly trying to get a view of what was happening on the computer screen.

"Sorry, Takato," Guilmon said, drawing his attention back to the present. "I can't think of anything."

Another thought crashing into Takato's head kept him from responding to Guilmon's apology. He had been spending so much time looking outward and trying come up with an answer that he never considered trying to look from the outside-in and try to approach the assignment the same way he did the drawings on the desk. Before he could ask Guilmon whether or not he intentionally meant to give this advice, a new message appeared on screen.

Tai: Sorry, my keyboard spazzed out on me.

Davis: I thought Izzy Tai-proofed your whole computer.

Tai: Haha.

Tai: I just had a thought, Takato. Maybe you should try looking at this from the outside-in. Like, how would you approach this if you were drawing anyone else?

A small smile tugged at Takato's mouth. It was at least reassuring to know that Tai's brain went to the same place his did. He leaned forward to return to his keyboard.

Takato: That makes sense. The thing is I never really think much of it. I just kinda follow my instincts.

The same doubts as earlier started to come back up as well. This whole approach still hinged on how he looked at himself, and Takato worried about trusting his own judgment. Once more, he reminded himself this was likely the point of doing a self portrait.

Davis: Sounds like you need a second opinion.

Takuya: Isn't that what this whole conversation is about?

A pause in the chat followed, which soon became clear was due to Davis typing out his whole response.

Davis: What I mean is Takato said he does this by instinct. Maybe he's just thinking about this too much. Yeah, we talk on here a bit, but we only know him so well. I think he should just pick someone he trusts and just go with what they say.

Takato could feel his part of brain getting ready to start running in circles, to try and figure out who would be best to ask for help here. He managed to cancel this out, however, simply by glancing to his right one more time.

"Hey, Guilmon," Takato began as he put his thoughts together. "What do you think of when you think of me? Like, what's the first thing that comes to mind?"

Guilmon stayed quiet at first, instead resuming his "thinking pose" from earlier. A few seconds passed before he lifted his head to face Takato.

"Bread."

"What do you mean by that?" Takato asked curiously, knowing from experience not to dismiss his partner's thoughts until after he explained himself.

Guilmon smiled. "When I used to live in the shed, you never forgot to bring me food, even though you were afraid of Mom and Dad finding out about me. You're kinda like that with everyone. Always thinking of them first."

Takato let Guilmon's words sink in. Even putting self doubt aside, he needed a moment to figure out how he could translate them. After that moment passed, however, an image popped into his head.

The image was years old, during the very earliest days of his time as a Tamer. In front of the utility shed, Takato sat with Guilmon at his side, with day-old bread in hand as Guilmon excitedly accepted it.

Takato's mind jumped back to the parameters of the assignment, unable to come with any rules that specifically said he couldn't include anyone else in the finished product. Forgetting the rules, though, it was a drawing of Guilmon that had forever changed his life all those years ago, so including him in a portrait of this nature only felt right.

"What would I do without you?" Takato asked as he smiled himself.

Guilmon gave an enthusiastic shrug. "Probably fight less Digimon."

Takato laughed under his breath and returned to his keyboard.

Takato: Thanks, guys! This really helped!

Davis: No problem!

Takuya: Wow, did Davis actually give good advice?

Tai: Yep, he did.

Tai: Also, Takato, don't be so hard on yourself with stuff like this in the future. Next time you're busy seeing the best in everyone else, maybe project some of that inward.

Takato typed a quick response to say he would try his best before leaning back to gather up the supplies he needed to finally start his homework. He kept the chat window open as he worked, however, glancing at it every so often as the conversation continued without him. After all, a support group worked both ways.

Chapter Text

The job had almost been quick and straightforward. A derelict ship, long thought lost decades after the war it had been commissioned to fight in. Luckily, these late 25th century destroyers had been built to last, with atmosphere still being recycled and artificial gravity functioning just well enough that they could navigate the vessel. Takato couldn't explain the science if his life depended on it, but that didn't mean he didn't appreciate it in moments like this.

What he didn't appreciate were the guns currently aimed at his face. They had just finished clearing out the engineering deck, and had barely stepped through the bulkhead when they were ambushed by four armed individuals wearing masks and pressure suits with matching insignia and numbers on their shoulders.

To Takato's immediate right, Henry stood calmly and vigilantly, probably weighing their options and trying figure out a way out that involved no one getting shot. On Takato's left, Rika glared at their competition, though they probably weren't the sole focus of her anger. They had been under the impression that they were only ones with the destroyer's coordinates, and thus Rika had lost the argument about bringing any kind of weapon so they could defend themselves.

"You got any more crew on board?" one of the pirates asked as he stepped forward. He was the largest, and at least the de facto leader given the large "1" on his suit.

"Nope, just us," Takato answered, which wasn't a lie at this specific moment in time. He took a deep breath and continued delicately. "So here's a thought: Why don't we get out of your hair? Give you space to work?"

Number One focused on Takato and tilted his head. "And why would we let you do that?"

"Because this is unmarked salvage," Henry interjected. "Technically, none of us have done anything illegal yet."

"So why not keep it that way?" Takato added quickly.

The pirates went quiet, at the very least considering their offer. Then their eyes wandered to the bag slung over Henry's left shoulder.

"Hand it over," Number One demanded.

For a fraction of a second, Takato wondered if they could bluff their way out of this standoff. In reality, the contents of Henry's bag were the main reason they were collecting salvage from this vessel. The ship's energy cells were long lasting, powerful, and extremely valuable if one knew who to sell them to. Henry was currently carrying two of them, with about half a dozen more still sitting on the engineering deck, with the original plan having been the carry a couple at a time back to the airlock.

"As if!" Rika snapped before anyone else could respond, drawing all eyes to her.

"Rika..." Takato cautioned, empathizing with her but also more concerned with getting them all out alive.

"No, this is crap, Takato!" Rika turned her head to face him. "That's our salvage!"

"You let your crew talk to you like that?" Number One asked Takato.

"He's not the captain," Rika stated without skipping a beat.

"And what, you are?"

"It's more of a flat team structure," Takato explained with a friendly shrug.

The pirate snorted before lumbering over to Rika. Despite being hidden behind a mask, it was clear that his eyes were wandering all over her.

"If you're so attached to the bag, maybe I can take its worth out of you."

"I dare you to try," Rika growled, not so much as blinking to break eye contact.

"You have a chance to walk away from this," Takato warned, clenching his fists and trying to keep his own anger in check. He suddenly found himself significantly less compelled to negotiate with this particular group. "Don't make this more difficult than it has to be."

"Are you threatening me?" Number One barked, shifting his gun in Takato's direction.

"Here!" Henry called out suddenly. He held the bag with the energy cells in an outstretched arm. "Just take it and let us go."

Number One grunted, and seemed to relax as he turned his body to face Henry.

Takato risked a glance at Rika, expecting at least more frustration on her part. Instead, however, he found her eyes locked on Number One's sidearm, loosely holstered on his waste. Takato tried to follow her eyeline, finding the rest of the pirates currently focused on the exchange. By the time his eyes had already found their way back to Rika, she was already in motion.

Rika grabbed the gun, angling it downwards and pulling the trigger so that it fired into its owners foot. The other pirates turned around immediately, though Rika seemed ready for them. Leveraging Number One's new injury, she pulled hard just as bullets started flying in her direction. Number One barely had a chance to scream before he was perforated by his own crew.

One of the rounds had gotten past Rika's shield, however, and struck her in the abdomen. Luckily, killing one of their own had shocked the other pirates just enough that they momentarily stopped shooting, giving Rika just enough time to slink around the corner where Takato and Henry had taken cover.

"Rika!" Takato called out as he pulled her the last couple steps of the way.

"I'm okay..." She slid back against the wall, out of breath. "Just a bullet wound..."

Without any medical training to speak of, Takato couldn't be sure exactly how life-threatening Rika's wound was. All he could say was she was bleeding more than he was comfortable with at the moment.

Boots hitting metal caught all their attentions, a reminder they still had three pirates to deal with. Without looking out from cover, Rika aimed the gun she had stolen over her shoulder, firing a couple quick shots. The footfalls stopped and were instantly replace by more gunfire.

Takato knew they needed to run, but doing so without a plan guaranteed they would be shot in the back. Looking for an escape route, his eyes fell on the bag Henry had managed to hold on to, and an idea began to form.

"Hey, Henry..." Takato began, already questioning his plan. "How long would it take for an unstable energy shell to explode?"

"A couple minutes, maybe," Henry answered, concern in his voice. "Depends on how damaged it is. Why?"

Takato's eyes drifted from the cells to the gun in Rika's hand, quickly followed by reluctant nods from all three of them.

"Can you walk?" Takato asked Rika.

She lifted herself to her feet. "Does my life depend on it?"

They waited a couple more seconds for the right opportunity. The gunfire paused again, which hopefully meant the pirates needed to reload. They were not going to get a another chance for their next play.

"Now!" Takato shouted, and the pieces fell into place.

Henry tossed his bag around the corner, as Rika leaned out of cover. She aimed and quickly fired off two rounds, both of which connected with their target.

Thankfully, the pirates instantly understood what was happening the second the bag started to spark. They turned and ran, giving the three of them the perfect opportunity to sprint in the opposite direction.

"How far do we have to get?" Takato asked as they made their way down the metal corridor.

"We just blew an energy cell right outside of engineering," Henry explained frantically. "How far do you think?"

"Right..." The chain reaction that was about to be set off sunk in for Takato. He quickly pulled his goggles over his eyes and clicked on their comms. "Jeri!"

"At your service!" a voice chirped back.

"We need extraction!"

"How quickly we talking?" Jeri asked hesitantly.

"Now!" Takato replied as explosions echoed in the corridor behind them.

"Right, hang tight."

The comm clicked off, and after what felt like an eternity later, they reached the airlock they had originally used to board. Peering outside the window, Takato finally felt some relief as a vessel emerged from the asteroid field that had kept the destroyer hidden all these years.

Grani.

Despite its once vibrant red and yellow color scheme now being rusted and faded, the Arc-class transport never looked so beautiful. Elegantly and precisely, it managed to dock itself to connect the two ships' airlocks. The door had barely begun opening before the three started squeezing their way through.

"Go!" Takato shouted into the intercom as soon as the airlock resealed itself.

As soon as they stepped into the ship proper, Rika dropped to the deck, adrenaline likely having finally worn off. Luckily, Takato wouldn't even get the chance to ask if she was okay. Suzie waited for them just a few feet from the airlock, medical kit in hand.

"Any other injuries?" Suzie asked as she knelt down next to Rika. From her bag she pulled out a handheld medical device and began to scan the bullet wound.

"Do our wallets count?" Rika commented, not looking at anyone in particular as she spoke.

Further responses were interrupted by Grani suddenly shuddering. The four of them all looked to each other, but they had no answers between them.

"That didn't feel good," Takato said to break the silence.

"Let's go see what's up," Rika responded as she started to stand up.

Suzie immediately grabbed her and pulled her back to the deck. "You need to stay put."

"Says who?"

"Says your doctor."

Rika snorted. "Except you're not a doctor."

Suzie's eye twitched. "I basically am."

"Based on what medical degree?"

Suzie went quiet, though this wasn't necessarily a surprise to anyone. It was common knowledge on the ship that Suzie's lack of formal medical training was a sore spot for her, and at least part of the reason she was on board in the first place. In her defense, the fact that she was as knowledgeable as she was in the field was a testament to her innate ability, and it wasn't as though there were that many official certifications between the rest of them.

Regardless, Rika seemed satisfied with her own assessment. "Yeah, that's what I thou-ow!"

"Oops!" An innocent smile came to Suzie's face as she pulled a needle away from Rika's injury. "Good thing I know where to put this thing or that could have ended really badly."

Rika glared at the ship's medic before looking downwards, her way of silently admitting defeat.

"Why don't the two of you finish this argument in the infirmary?" Henry suggested to his younger sister. "We'll check in with Jeri."

Quick acknowledgments were shared amongst them before Takato and Henry turned and made their way up to the bridge. Grani shook a couple more times on their way there, a reminder to Takato that nothing could ever be simple for them.

"How are things looking?" Takato asked as they finally reached their destination.

"We have a tagalong," Jeri answered in a cold monotone. This was what they had come to refer to as Jeri's "Pilot Mode", a calm and collected demeanor that she adopted when focusing on the task in front of her. While this was initially a bit off-putting when she first came on as Grani's pilot, this quickly became a way of reassuring Takato that she was going to get them out of whatever scrape the crew found themselves in.

Glancing at the monitor for Grani's rear camera, they saw a small craft in hot pursuit. Almost certainly the pirates' ship, it was armed and shooting at them, a situation probably not made better by the fact that Grani didn't have any weapons of its own. Their only saving grace was that the pirates operating the ship were clearly not at Jeri's skill level.

"Don't these guys have anything better to do?" Takato muttered.

"Can we shake them?" Henry asked.

Almost on cue, the destroyer they had left in their wake finally lit up. The resulting explosion blew the ship apart, and managed to destabilize the surrounding asteroid field, creating yet another problem for them to deal with.

Jeri peeked at the monitor and turned her eyes forward again. "It's gonna be close."

"What do you need?" Takato asked. Despite his limited technical knowledge, he knew full well that Grani was a transport ship first and foremost, so there couldn't be any mistakes if they wanted to get through this.

Jeri hit a button and pulled up on the controls. "Henry in the copilot's seat."

"What's our play?" Henry asked as he sat down.

"How long would it take to cut and reignite engine two?" Jeri kept her eyes forward.

"About ten seconds."

"Could you please cut that in half?"

"Maybe..." Henry pulled up a couple new windows onto the display in front of him. "Just say the word."

A missile flew just past Grani's nose, directing Takato's eyeline forward and alerting him to a sizable asteroid that was about to intercept their flight path. With only vague theories as to what was about to happen, he braced himself against the hull and crossed his fingers.

"Now!" Jeri called out, and her maneuver went into motion.

With power cut to their second engine, the ship lurched, doing a barrel roll of sorts that Takato felt despite the artificial gravity doing its best to compensate. Within a few seconds, the asteroid was out of his line of sight.

Engine two hummed back to life, and Grani leveled itself out. They shot forward, though a scraping noise echoing from beneath them indicated they were not quite as clear of the asteroid as Jeri had estimated. That aside, their course out of the field looked clear, and taking one last look at the rearview, the pirate ship tumbled out of control in a different direction, likely not having been as lucky when it came to dodging the rocks and debris.

"So..." Jeri hit a few commands to engage the autopilot, then spun around with a warm but still nervous smile on her face. "I take it things didn't go as planned."

Takato shrugged. "When do they ever?"

"Is Rika okay?"

"Suzie didn't seem worried," Henry answered, his eyes still glued to the monitor in front of him.

Jeri stood up and stretched. "Well, in that case, we got a message from The Grey Sword while you were out. They might have a lead on a job."

"See?" Takato said as some enthusiasm found its way into him. "Everything'll work out."

"As long as they don't jump ship again," Henry added quickly.

"I'm sure that was a misunderstanding," Takato countered, as he tried not dwell too much on the last time the two crews worked together. "Did they send a rendezvous point?"

Jeri placed a gentle hand on her station. "Course is already set. ETA is about twelve hours."

"Awesome! Let's do a team meeting a couple hours before we arrive. That works, right?"

Jeri gave a thumbs up as she stepped off the bridge, and Takato took Henry not objecting as a sign to leave him to whatever he was currently occupying himself with. Less than a minute later, Takato was stepping into his cabin, though anything else was interrupted by someone slipping through the door just as it closed behind him.

"Did we get away okay?" Rika asked. She gave no indication that she had just been shot.

"We scraped by," Takato answered, still not able to hide his concern. "You?"

"Have a look." Rika pulled back her coat and lifted her shirt, revealing the clean bandage work that was Suzie's trademark.

Takato's eyes lingered on the wound, having to stop himself from reaching a hand out to it. The moment back on the destroyer played in his head again, causing his body to tense up. He acknowledged that things could have been a lot worse, but those thoughts weren't making him any more comfortable with what had happened.

"What were you thinking?" Takato asked when he finally looked back up at her.

Rika lowered her shirt and crossed her arms. "I was thinking that food and fuel cost money, and our supplies of both are very low right now. We have to take risks if we want to survive out here."

Takato sighed and scratched the back of his head. "I know."

There wasn't much of an argument to give on this point. They struggled to make ends meet a lot of days, so Rika's words rang true. Takato just wished that they didn't.

"Good news is we've got a lead on a new job," he said quickly to change the subject.

Rika raised an eyebrow. "From who?"

"The..." Takato hesitated, anticipating her response. "...Grey Sword."

Rika stayed straight-faced. "Just so we're clear, if Tai leaves us holding the bag again, I'm gonna be a little pissed."

"Got it," Takato confirmed, now stuck anticipating that response should the required conditions be met.

The pair of them went silent again, which wouldn't have inherently been an issue had Takato stopped staring at his crew mate. Again, a lingering side effect of all the thoughts brewing in his head at the moment.

"Stop that," Rika requested, likely having deduced where his thoughts currently were.

"S-Stop what?" Takato replied, though he knew that playing dumb probably wouldn't work here.

"Worrying. Look..." Rika closed the distance between them, taking his hand and placing it gently on her bandaged wound. "I'm right here. It'll take more than a bullet to get rid of me."

There was no melodrama or even sarcasm in her words. Just a simple promise from her to him. Looking into her eyes, it was clear that she intended to keep it.

Following that, it wasn't entirely clear who kissed who. The only certainty was neither of them resisted after the fact. The kiss deepened, with Takato holding Rika tighter against him, refusing to let her go-

"What did you say this girl's name was again?"

Rika's question snapped Takato back to the present, back to the Nonaka's household where the lot of them had chosen to gather. He looked to Rika, whose face was a slightly redder than normal and voice wasn't hiding her irritation, and then to the other four sets of eyes and ears he had been relaying his "story idea" to.

"I..." Takato's mind went blank as he tried to remember what details he had and hadn't shared since he started talking. "...didn't?"

"Oh, we know who she is," Terriermon commented, though his voice lacked his usual light and teasing tone. If anything, he seemed a little upset.

"Everything okay, Terriermon?" Henry asked, apparently just as confused as the rest of them.

Terriermon crossed his arms and averted his gaze from all of them. "You mean other than the fact that Takato didn't think I was cool enough to be included in his story?"

"I think you're missing the point."

"I wasn't in it either," Guilmon added, though briefly paused to place a thoughtful claw on his chin. "At least I don't think I was..."

Takato's brain hit a speed bump before he could respond. Given the source of his idea, the Digimons' absence didn't sit right with him. He made a mental note to think on this later.

"Perhaps we're getting off topic," Renamon suggested. "If I recall, Takato was asking for our opinions."

"R-Right, yeah," Takato replied, some of his thoughts coming back to him. "I was wondering if you guys would read this as a manga." He noted a subtle glare from Rika. "Or something similar to it! You know, some details can change."

A brief but notable pause fell over the group, with sideways glances being exchanged between them. They were all clearly waiting for someone else to speak first.

"Well, clearly I don't matter here," Terriermon said, still refusing to look at any of them.

"I would read it," Guilmon declared confidently.

"I mean..." Rika gave a slight shrug. "I would buy it."

"How do you mean?" Takato asked, genuinely curious what the distinction was.

"I think what Rika means is that we're your friends," Henry explained. "We'd buy it regardless to support you. As far as whether we'd read it if your name wasn't on it..." He paused briefly to consider. "The idea sounds interesting."

"Kinda reminds me of that one anime you asked me to watch with you," Rika said, trying to sound aloof.

Takato squinted at her. "You mean the one you made us watch every episode of over a single weekend?"

Rika shrunk a bit. "I liked the music..."

"Where did this idea come from?" Renamon asked, her attention and focus not wavering.

"Last night," Takato answered nervously. "Honestly, it's stitched together from bits of a dream I had."

Rika hid her face behind one of her hands. "You and your dreams..."

"So this is a new idea?" Renamon followed up.

Takato nodded. "Brand new."

Terriermon enthusiastically jumped forward. "Well, then we have to workshop this idea!"

"Terriermon..." Henry sighed.

"Moumantai, Henry." Terriermon clasped his hands together and put on an innocent face. "We want this manga to be the best it can be, right?"

"Which I'm sure involves the inclusion of a certain white and green Digimon."

"See, now you're getting it!"

Rika rolled her eyes. "Well, I just thought of something that would keep me from buying a copy."

After a couple seconds of deliberation, Takato pulled out a notepad and pencil. Even Terriermon sometimes said the right thing by accident, so there was no harm in at least hearing him out. At the end of the day, feedback was feedback.

Chapter Text

Takato took a sharp turn around the street corner, using a telephone pole as leverage to keep himself from falling over. In the corner of his eye, he noticed Guilmon almost trip over his own feet, barely managing to stay upright and keep pace.

The afternoon had started with a text from Rika, claiming there was an emergency at the Nonaka household and that they needed to get there stat. Knowing Rika wasn't one for melodrama, Takato had basically dropped the chores his mother had asked him to complete and tore out of the Matsuki bakery as fast as his legs would carry him. All things considered, they were actually making pretty good time.

As focused as he was on getting to their destination, he wasn't so lost in thought that he missed Henry coming down a different road as they reached the same intersection. With Terriermon attached to his shoulder, Henry adjusted his pace so that he and Takato were jogging alongside each other.

"You too?" Takato questioned, more for small talk than for an actual answer.

"Yep..." Henry replied, concern in his voice. "Did she give you any details?"

Takato shook his head. "Not unless you count all the exclamation points in her message."

"You'd think something bio-emerged in the middle of her house," Terriermon commented.

"Doubt it," Henry said as the Nonaka residence came into view. "Hypnos would have sent out some kind of warning."

Takato took half a second to consider the possibility, and found himself agreeing with Henry. Hypnos aside, the neighborhood around them was calm and quiet, making it highly unlikely that a wild Digimon that Rika and Renamon couldn't handle had appeared. A voice in the back of his head said that something else was going on.

"Moment of truth..." Takato muttered as they arrived at the front door. He hit the doorbell immediately, and reflexively started holding his breath as he waited for someone to answer.

Renamon answered the door, with the lack of any obvious injuries to her person leading to some relief. Still, she gave them know verbal greeting, which brought up a whole number of other questions.

"What's the sitch?" Terriermon asked, breaking the silence.

Renamon hesitated before looking back into the house. "It would be easier to show you."

No objections were given as she led the four of them inside. They walked in silence with the exception of Guilmon, who lifted his nose and sniffed into the air as they walked.

"Smell something weird?" Takato asked.

"I..." Guilmon glanced around uncertainly. "...don't know."

Takato wouldn't get the chance to ask a follow-up question. Rounding the last corner leading to the house's backyard, he froze in his tracks as he saw the person waiting for him, needing a couple seconds to process who he was looking at.

Granted, he liked to think he could pick this person out of any crowd, so it wasn't her identity that stumped him. Instead, it was how she presented herself that caused his brain to crash, wearing a light blue sundress with her red hair tied in a loose ponytail.

"Hey," Rika said nervously, her face turning a light shade of red as she looked away from him.

"Hey..." Takato repeated, his brain registering how long he had been staring. "What's the emergency?"

"You're looking at it."

Takato blinked, taking another couple seconds to realize that Rika's mouth hadn't moved when she had answered him. It was definitely her voice, however, and ruling out ventriloquism at least for the moment, he slowly turned his head to where he thought the voice had originated from.

Sure enough, off to the right with more typical attire was Rika, her arms crossed and a glare on her face. Flanking her were Jeri, Suzie, and Lopmon, though their presence didn't seem like the most pressing question at the moment. Looking back and forth between the two Rika's, Takato finally began to wrap his head around the situation.

"Oh..." Takato said without thinking.

"Yep," Rika grunted, impatiently drumming her fingers against her arms.

"This is-"

"A disaster, I know, let's deal with it."

"You don't think you're exaggerating a tiny bit?" Suzie asked snidely.

"Don't you dare," Rika growled as she turned to point a finger at the younger Tamer. "Especially since this is your fault."

"How?" Suzie spat back. "The sparring session was your idea!"

"And using a Mega-level modify card was yours!"

"We don't even know that's what-!"

"Alright, enough!" Henry cut in, silencing everyone. After waiting a second to make sure they weren't going to continue arguing, he looked directly at Jeri. "What happened?"

Jeri sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "It was my fault. I spaced out while they were talking about how they handled that last bio-emergence. The next thing I knew they were arguing, and that turned into Rika having Renamon and Lopmon spar to make a point. Suzie swiped a card, Lopmon began to glow, and suddenly that Rika just faded into the middle of the yard."

Another pause fell over the group, and for Takato at least, it became a bit clearer as to what had happened. The "new" Rika had slipped into their reality from a parallel universe, something the Tamers had contended with in the past. Exactly how Lopmon had tapped into this power was unclear, but Takato imagined it was among the many things they would have to figure out in the near future.

Before he could point any of this out, however, he noticed Guilmon had approached the other Rika, eyeing and sniffing her with an innocent curiosity.

"Everything alright, Dinoboy?" she asked, anxiously taking half a step back as he approached.

"At least now I know why my nose was so confused," Guilmon answer, before pausing and recoiling a bit. "Sorry, am I annoying you?"

She paused herself, almost as though she were considering Guilmon. A playful smile suddenly finding its way to her face.

"Nope!" she proclaimed before reaching out with both hands and scratching Guilmon under the chin. Guilmon acted surprised for a split second before melting into her hands.

"Oh my Sovereign..." Terriermon looked on with wide eyes and a blank expression. "What am I watching?"

"Stop staring," their Rika ordered.

"I really would if I could."

"Hey..." the other Rika stood up straight and approached the rest of the group. "I know I'm the outsider here, but shouldn't we focus on a solution to this whole mess."

"No, you're absolutely right..." Takato replied, though found himself pausing with a single question on his mind. "Your name is Rika, right?"

She raised an eyebrow in a manner that was both annoyed and familiar. "Why wouldn't it be?"

Renamon stepped forward and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "It's a long story, but rest assured we will do everything in our power to get you home."

Henry nodded when all eyes fell on him. "Right, I'll head over to Hypnos to do some digging."

"Can I stay here?" Terriermon asked eagerly.

"No," Henry answer, completely ignoring the mischief in his partner's voice. "I actually might need your help."

"Aw..."

"We should go too, in case we can lend assistance," Lopmon suggested to her own partner.

"Yeah..." Suzie exchanged glares with Rika. "Probably for the best."

"Would it be better if I came with you?" the other Rika asked.

"That's a good question." Henry placed a hand on his chin, taking a moment to consider. "Do you have a DigiVice?"

"A what?"

"Then maybe she'd be more comfortable here until we need her," Takato suggested. While he still didn't understand the science of it, he knew that their individual DigiVices had signatures unique to their realities. Without one of her own, this Rika wouldn't really have much to do at Hypnos besides sit around and wait.

"I'm fine with whatever," she said with a nod.

"She's surprisingly agreeable," Jeri commented.

Rika shot her a sideways glance. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"I was making an observation." Jeri raised an eyebrow. "I just assumed you two would have the same temperament."

Rika crossed her arms. "Well, you were wrong on that count."

Jeri rolled her eyes, followed by a slight smirk coming to her face. "She actually reminds me of Kari a little bit."

Rika's eyebrow started twitching, though she seemed to simmer out. "Satisfied?"

"I am, actually." Jeri turned away from Rika and towards Takato. "I'm gonna go with Henry. You can babysit the twins."

"Wait, what?" Takato finally realized how the groups had just been divided.

"Don't get any funny ideas while we're gone, Takato!" Terriermon called back as the Hypnos team migrated out of the house.

Takato didn't dare look back at either Rika once they were alone. In this moment, he couldn't imagine anyone fantasizing about this kind of situation.

Rika was angry, made all the worse by the fact that she wasn't entirely sure where to direct her anger. Part her understood that no one within her field of vision was in the wrong, but that only meant she had no one she could justifiably vent at. Instead, she tried to sit apart from everyone else and ignore them until everything was resolved. Of course, that was seeming more and more to be easier said than done as friendly conversation around her continued.

"So you know what Digimon are, but you're not a Tamer?" Takato summarized, a mixture of politeness and curiosity in his voice.

"Bingo!" Rika's double chirped, enjoying the attention a little too much as far as Rika was concerned.

The nature of the multiverse and the deviations between their two realities had naturally come up, though the only determined differences between them were the ones they already knew about. Their worlds seemed more or the less the same, and the event that had led this version of herself to come into existence still wasn't clear. Of course, Rika wasn't in any hurry to find out what said moment was.

"What do you think you're up to in that world, Renamon?" Guilmon asked, convincing Rika to pause her own thoughts and look up.

"Hard to say, really. I could be doing anything." Renamon paused, glancing in Rika's direction. "Probably feeling a lot less fulfilled, though."

Takato paused himself and looked downward. "Yeah, I can't really imagine a world where Rika never became a Tamer."

"Yep..." Rika's double chimed in, her upbeat demeanor dropping away and she stared at Takato with an empty look in her eyes. The yard around them stayed quiet long enough for everyone to notice.

"Sorry!" she exclaimed upon realizing this. "That sounded a bit more narcissistic than I meant it too."

"No, by all means," Rika commented, almost unable to help herself. "I'm sure you'd make a great asset to the team."

"Okay, seriously, what is your problem?" her double snapped back, obvious irritation bubbling beneath the surface.

"I don't know what you're talking about." It was not lost on Rika that she received stares from Takato, Renamon, and even Guilmon.

"Oh, give me a break!" Her double stood up and crossed her arms. "Look, I get that having me here isn't ideal, but this isn't how I wanted to spend my afternoon either, so maybe take five seconds to breathe and stop acting like such a brat!"

Rika stood as well. "What did you just call me?"

"So, what, you're a deaf brat too?"

"Hey, here's a thought!" Takato leapt upwards and positioned himself in between the two of them. "Let's talk about anything else!"

Rika's double paused, taking half a second to calm down and put on an innocent smile. "Sorry, I really don't mean to be such a pain."

"Don't worry, it's no problem." Takato nervously scratched the back of his head.

"Yes, it is, but thanks for being so patient." Her hand gently rested itself on his elbow.

"Alright, I've had enough of this," Rika muttered as she turned right around and marched away. She wasn't sure if she was going to her bedroom, the bathroom, or even out of the house entirely, but she knew she had to remove herself. Ultimately, it wouldn't matter, as footfalls fell into step behind her immediately after she tried to leave.

"Rika!" Takato called after her.

"Now's not the time, Takato," Rika stated as she stopped to face him.

"You know you can tell me anything, right?" Concern and sincerity were written all over his face.

Rika sighed "I mean, you say it every chance you get."

"Because it's true."

Rika hesitated, guilt for how she was acting taking over. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I just want to wrap this all up and pretend it never happened. Is that alright?"

Takato's eyes sank to the floor. "I guess so."

Feeling stuck like this wasn't a new feeling for Rika. It was too familiar, a common byproduct of her innate ability to always say the wrong thing. She had always been able to tell herself that this was just who she was, and her friends accepted her and she didn't need to change.

Except now she was in the vicinity of proof that this wasn't necessarily the case. The version of her that had just dropped herself into their reality seemed easy to talk to, free of whatever damage that had made Rika as cold as she was. Rika couldn't blame her friends for taking a liking to this variant of her, as she was a step closer to the friend they all deserved.

Before Rika could even entertain the idea of verbalizing any of these thoughts, however, the sound of the front door opening echoed in the distance, and it dawned on Rika that things were still very capable of getting worse.

At no point had Henry known what to expect when he had arrived at Rika's house. Multiverse doppelgangers aside, he had not been expecting to find his younger sister at the center of the emergency he had been called to help resolve. Jeri had mentioned a bio-emergence from earlier that day, one he had not been aware of, though it was common practice for Hypnos to only alert the Tamers closest to the disturbance.

Regardless, what was done was done, and Henry knew what was best was to focus on the present. Knowing there wasn't much they could do on their own with limited resources, he led his group to a less bustling corner of Shinjuku, where a pair of inconspicuous office buildings marked Hypnos' current base of operations.

Hypnos' original headquarters had been the center of the D-Reaper's invasion of the Real World, and had sustained significant damage as a side effect. While repairs were under way, Hypnos and its staff were relocated to this facility, and even when repairs to the Metro Building were complete, it was decided the nature of this location was a better fit given the sensitive nature of Hypnos and its work.

Of course, a new base meant new amenities, most notably a sizable basement that had been repurposed into a meeting area reserved for the Tamers. Resources included a training room, dedicated computers of their own, and the small common area Henry's group currently found themselves in, waiting on one final person to arrive so they could get to work.

"Alright, where do we start?" Alice asked as she pushed her way through the door. Henry had already explained the problem to her over the phone, so she was likely looking to get to work.

Henry stood up. "Yamaki has everyone on alert in case things deteriorate like they did last time. They'll help if they can, but this is our project."

Alice nodded. "Are there any other details we might not be considering?"

"Maybe..." Jeri answered from her corner of the room. She scratched her temple, taking a second before looking at the rest of the group. "There wasn't a tear or portal like we've dealt with in the past. Lopmon just let out a burst of energy and the next thing we knew, there were two Rika's."

"Could you describe this energy?" Alice kept the tone of her voice neutral, her way of staying objective and making sure she only got the facts of the problem she was trying to solve.

Jeri paused for only a brief second. "White... and wavy."

"Wavy?"

"It looked like the tears we've seen before, but calmer."

"You have a theory?" Henry asked after Alice didn't put forward a follow-up question.

"Not quite yet." Alice looked over to Suzie and Lopmon, who just approached the rest of the group. "What card did you use?"

"This one," Suzie replied calmly as she presented them with an Ophanimon card.

The card's presence in his sister's collection wasn't a surprise to Henry. Lopmon's status as a Data-type Digimon meant she was could be less effective against Virus types, so Suzie tried to supplement this with Vaccine cards. In addition, Suzie had always favored the Gatomon evolutionary line.

Alice leaned forward to inspect the card. "Is there anything special about Ophanimon?"

"She's one of the Celestials," Lopmon explained. "There's a few myths surrounding them, but if they ever did exist in our Digital World, they're long gone now."

Alice stood up straight and crossed her arms. "The question becomes whether or not they can move through realities like the Sovereigns can."

Suzie shrugged. "One way to find out."

She motioned to swipe the card through her DigiVice, and Henry made it over to her just in time to catch her arm before the card made contact with the device.

"Hold on a sec!" Henry ordered, too much having already occurred to take any unnecessary risks.

"What?" Suzie looked back up at him, confusion and annoyance all over her face.

"That's how this all started."

"That wasn't my fault!"

"You weren't completely blameless either." Henry tried to speak softer, hoping to better get his point across. "You're making rash decisions, acting like you don't understand the consequences of your actions."

Suzie paused, breaking eye-contact. "I do understand."

"That's just it..." Henry shook his head. "I know you're smarter than this, but we can't trust you with this until you act like it."

Suzie took a couple seconds to look back up at him, wide eyes betraying a stare he rarely saw from her anymore. His words had hurt her, more than he thought they would.

"Fine..." Suzie essentially shoved the Ophanimon card into Henry's hand before sulking off, Lopmon not more than a couple steps behind.

"Henry..." Jeri said softly, clearly wanting to help as she always.

"It's what she needed to hear." Henry told himself he would apologize later, when they'd all had a chance to calm down.

"Besides, we need to confirm if it's the card that caused this," Alice added. Her voice stayed neutral, but the fact she was agreeing with him at all doubled as a sign of support.

"Okay then..." Henry looked to his own partner, who had been uncharacteristically quiet during the whole exchange. "Time to suit up, Terriermon."

Terriermon didn't say anything at first, only replying with a raised eyebrow.

"That's a very pretty dress."

Rika tried not to hold it against her mother for trying to make polite conversation. As unrealistic as it might have been, Rika had hoped to have her double sorted and sent back to her reality before her mother and grandmother returned home, but luck was clearly not on her side. With explanations now out of the way, everyone was now crowded into the kitchen, with Seiko trying to stay busy by one of the cabinets while Rumiko fixated on the copy of her daughter that sat directly across from her.

"Thank you," Rika's double replied nervously. "You gave it to me, actually."

Rumiko snapped her fingers. "Yes, I thought it looked familiar. An industry contact of mine designed it. I thought about buying one for my Rika, but then I realized I knew better."

"Please don't start," Rika grunted softly.

Rumiko shrugged. "I'm not, but you have to admit that it looks good on you."

Rika crossed her arms and averted her eyes. "Wouldn't know, I've never tried it on."

"Right..." Rumiko turned her attention elsewhere. "What do you think, Takato?"

"I..." Takato froze, eyes bouncing around the room once he realized that everyone was looking at him. He stood and sputtered for a few more seconds before his shoulders sank, likely realizing he had gone too long without giving an answer.

"I'm gonna go see if the pond out back is deep enough for me to drown myself in." Without another word, he spun around and dragged himself outside.

"Takato..." Guilmon whined as he chased after his Tamer.

Renamon did a quick double take before giving the rest of them a polite bow. "I'm sure he's only joking, but in an overabundance of caution..." She quickly stepped out as well.

"You should be nicer to your boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend!" Rika snapped as she turned to face her double, not looking for anymore commentary on her life.

Seiko coughed from her side of room, turning around when she realized everyone had stopped to look in her direction. "Sorry, these cabinets are dusty..."

Spinning back around, the other Rika rolled her eyes. "Could've fooled me."

"Don't see how." Rika got up from her seat, with the intent of leaving the room.

"You know what?" her doppelganger said loudly and clearly. "That's actually good to know."

"And why's that?" Rika asked through her teeth.

"I have no way of knowing when or even if I'll get home." Her double put on a show of acting innocent, speaking softly and placing her index finger on her chin. "Takato's really sweet, and I'm clearly his type, so I figure it's worth a shot to try building a life here."

Rika instinctively started clenching her fists together. "Yeah, sure, why not...?"

"Would he be weirded out if I sang for him?"

"Okay, conversation over!" Rika slammed her fist onto the table, as an alternative to slamming it somewhere else. Still, her double only stared back at her, no sign that she was intimidated in the slightest.

"Rika..." Seiko finally stepped forward, her words and disapproval apparently directed at the both of them. After a couple second, the pair of them begrudgingly relaxed.

"Whatever..." Rika's double shook her head. "Another unresolved argument to add to the pile. When does Dad get home so we can round out this afternoon?"

Rika's chest went cold, realization finally clicking into place. For hours she had been trying to piece together what moment in her life had led to this deviation, what her own mistake had been that led to this perfect version of herself. As it turned out, it wasn't a choice she had made, but one someone else had.

On a good day, Rika could tell herself she was over how her father had walked out on them. It still hurt sometimes when she thought about it, but it didn't have any say in how she lived her life. Apparently, however, it had more than a say. Rika couldn't even bring herself to be mad at her doppelganger, instead knowing that she just had to sit with her own damage.

"What?" her double asked after the silence had gone on for a few seconds.

"He's not coming home," Rumiko answered calmly, in a way that only twelve years of acceptance could allow her.

"Why not?" Rika's double looked from face to face with a nervous fear. "He isn't-?"

"No, he's alive," Seiko assured her.

"As far as we know," Rika added, deciding she was past hiding the venom at this point.

The kitchen went quiet again, her double's eyes falling on the table in front of her. She was calmer, no trace of confusion on her face. It wasn't lost on Rika that this was what her friends saw when she was lost in thought, or how difficult she could be to read for that matter.

The silence was finally broken by Takato charging back into the kitchen, cellphone in one hand and DigiVice in the other.

"We've got a problem."

"The interdimensional kind?" Rika asked, at the very least knowing that she could use a distraction.

Takato paused, collecting himself. "Uh, no, the normal kind, actually. Bio-emergence, and Hypnos says we're the closest."

Rika nodded and moved to the door. "Perfect, let's get to it."

Her double quickly stood up to try and intercept her. "Rika, wait-"

"Save it." Rika didn't bother turning around all the way to face her. "Once we're back, we'll check in with Henry and hopefully get you back to living your own life."

She was out the door two seconds after that, with Takato, Renamon, and Guilmon close behind. When she got back, she would just stay clear of her double, not needing any more reminders of her own defects.

Chapter Text

Despite the regularity of how often the Tamers dealt with random bio-emergences, Takato tried to take every encounter as seriously as he did during his early days of dealing with them. After all, each one was either a Digimon who was simply lost and wanted to return home or one that was capable of and dead-set on causing damage. Unfortunately, they were currently dealing with the latter scenario.

Worse still, the Raremon that had appeared had chose a residential area as its exit point, and a moderate number of civilians had gotten caught in its digital field. On their own, Raremon probably wasn't much of a threat, but Guilmon and Renamon having to be conscious of everyone else around them added an extra layer of challenge to this battle. They were currently on the back-foot, trying to both dodge and redirect the sludge monster's attacks.

"There's your opening, get 'em!" Rika yelled just as Renamon dodged one of Raremon's strikes. She spun around, landing a kick to the wild Digimon's eye that left them stunned.

Takato chanced a glance at Rika. Given the day she had been having, taking her out was a bit of a gamble, as he wasn't sure if she was too distracted to concentrate on the fight or if the fight was just the distraction she needed. So far, she seemed to be at the top of her game.

"This is your last chance to surrender," Renamon offered as her opponent stilled recoiled from her last strike.

Only snarling in response, Raremon lashed out, faster than any of them thought they could. Renamon took the hit, being sent flying through a nearby fence. Guilmon charged forward in response, only for Raremon swing their free appendage down and pin Guilmon to the ground.

Takato quickly pulled out his modify cards for one that might help, but was momentarily distracted by screaming coming from the opposite side of Raremon from him. A young girl had been separated from her mother in all the chaos, and she was attracting Raremon's attention.

Raremon reeled back, letting out a glob of toxic liquid from its mouth and in the little girl's direction. She likely would have been have been consumed by the attack if someone else had not stepped in and pulled the girl out of the splash zone.

Takato had to double-take, to confirm that Rika was still standing by his side. When he saw that she was there with a shocked look on her face, he looked back to find that it had been none other than Rika's own alternate universe doppelganger that had come to the little girl's rescue. When and why she had followed them was anyone's guess, but her timing had been spot-on.

Deciding that it was time to put a stop this fight, Takato finally chose a modify card. Swiping it through his DigiVice, Guilmon began to glow in response, growing and changing shape until Growlmon took his place.

With increased size and strength, Growlmon easily shoved Raremon off of him. Glaring down at the wild Digimon, Growlmon opened his mouth as fire began to build up at the back of his throat.

"PYRO BLASTER!"

The flames rained downward, incinerating Raremon within seconds. Not long after that, the digital field collapsed around them.

With the dust settling, Takato made his way over to the other Rika, who was in the middle of being thanked by the little girl she saved and said girl's mother. Waiting a moment so she could take in their gratitude, he let them step away before approaching himself.

"That was a close one," Takato said lightly.

Rika's double smiled modestly. "Tell you the truth, I was kinda terrified once my brain caught up with the rest of my body." She looked past him, watching Growlmon as he de-digivolved. "Thanks, by the way."

"No problem," Guilmon replied with a smile.

"He wouldn't have needed to save you if you stayed out of trouble in the first place," Rika said as she joined them, somehow seeming more tense now that the fighting was over.

Her double frowned. "I was just trying to help."

Rika crossed her arms. "Well, you could have helped by not being a burden on the rest of us."

Her double's frustration seemed to soften, her eyes sinking to the concrete under their feet. She had been taking Rika's comments up to this point, and even returning a few of them in kind, but this one seemed like it actually hurt her. Takato turned back and forth between the pair of them, looking for some sign that Rika was picking up on this.

"Fine, I'll let the little girl die next time." The other Rika turned on her heel and walked in the general direction of the Nonaka residence.

"Rika, she did save that girl's life," Takato pointed out once they were alone.

"Renamon could've done that," Rika countered, though she wouldn't look at him as she spoke.

"No, I couldn't have," Renamon said as she approached them. "I was incapacitated by that last attack."

Rika shook her head. "Still, she could have died too. What was she thinking?"

Renamon paused, then shrugged. "I think you're in the best position to tell us that."

Rika looked off in the direction her doppelganger had left in. Though her expression stayed mostly blank, Takato could tell she had a lot on her mind. Knowing her, she was wrestling with a decision she was about to make.

"When you told me to suit up, I thought you wanted me to put on a lab coat or something like that."

Through the observation window looking into the Tamers' training facility, or "Danger Room" as Takato liked to refer to it, Jeri watched Rapidmon's shoulders sink in disappointment. Henry had reservations about using using this card on his partner, so he had taken the precaution of having Terriermon digivolve to his Ultimate form. Still, no one really seemed any more at ease, and rightly so given how many variables were still unknown.

"Stand by..." Henry instructed from his spot next to Rapidmon. Calmly and deliberately, he swiped the notorious Ophanimon card through his DigiVice.

Rapidmon's right forearm began to glow, changing shape into a gauntlet holding a golden javelin. Briefly examining it, Rapidmon gave a sideways glance, only for Henry to motion to room around them.

The Danger Room was currently configured into an arboreal setting, with a forest several times larger than the room's actual dimensions should have been able to allow. Jeri wasn't knowledgeable in the science behind it, other than that by studying digital fields and other similar phenomenon, Hypnos had been able to distort the space within this arena and create what they called a digital zone, essentially a tiny Digital World. The application of this technology wasn't entirely clear either, though Jeri assumed it wouldn't be limited to a gym for the Tamers' personal use.

"Hi-ya!" Rapidmon called out as he flew forward, jabbing and swiping at the trees around him. An impressive display of precision, yes, but nothing resembling the display of energy Lopmon had put out when Suzie had used the card.

"Okay, come back up," Alice said into the intercom. As Henry and Rapidmon moved to exit the room, she refocused on her computer monitor, almost glaring at it.

"Something wrong?" Jeri asked as she circled around to get a view of the screen.

"No strange readings..." Alice didn't look up as she spoke, eyes locked on a graph that Jeri decided not to even try to comprehend. "Not even a trace of the distortions we've seen before."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Technically, no. Here, take a look." Alice through of an overhead map that looked vaguely familiar to Jeri. "This is Rika's house, right where her double slipped through. Not a trace of any kind of interdimensional breach, almost as though the tear opened and then immediately healed itself."

"So what makes this breach different from the others?" Jeri questioned. Again, she wasn't up to date on the science, but she had seen the damage done by these tears firsthand. This whole incident seemed clean by comparison.

Alice frowned. "I don't know, and I hate not knowing."

"I'm just saying..." Terriermon's voice stalled any further conversation as he and Henry entered the room. "I think I'd look good in one."

"Oh, I have no doubt that you believe that," Henry replied dryly before looking to Alice. "So nothing?"

She shook her head. "No, and my bet is that it'll stay that way until we get Suzie to replicate what she did exactly."

"Right then..." Henry sighed and looked over his shoulder at the door behind him. "I'll go get her."

He motioned for Terriermon to hop off his shoulder before turning around. He walked deliberately but slowly, clearly trying to mask his hesitancy. His last conversation with his sister hadn't gone well, but Henry wasn't the kind of person who would let that interfere with what they had to do. Still, he looked like he needed help, and as soon as he stepped out into the hallway, Jeri followed.

"Hey, Henry," Jeri called after him, causing him to pause and wait for her to catch up. "Do you want me to talk to her?"

Henry hesitated, briefly looking away from her. "I didn't want to ask."

Jeri tilted her head and tried to smile. "That didn't sound like an answer."

Henry crossed his arms and looked away again. "Well, she might actually listen to you, and it would give me a little extra time to figure out what to say to her."

"Okay, sounds like a plan!" Jeri gave a quick thumbs up and moved to walk past him.

"Jeri, wait," Henry said suddenly, causing her to pause and turn back around. "You know none of this is actually your fault, right?"

"No, it just feels like it is," Jeri replied nervously. This wasn't a line of conversation she wanted to pursue at the moment, especially with a friend who was observant enough to get wise as to what she was hiding. Even her brief reply had been more than she wanted to say.

"I know all of us look to you to be one of the adults in the room, maybe a little too often..." Henry spoke softly, clearly making it a point to choose his words carefully. "...but that doesn't mean you can't let yourself off the hook once in a while."

"I'll remember that if you will." Jeri waved as she turned around and continued across the hall.

Jeri wasn't ready to talk about her recent breakdown, as she really hadn't had enough time to make sense of it herself. She needed time, and while she knew that her friends would support her, she also didn't want them treating her like she was made of glass. Her spot on the team was tentative as it was, and if she wasn't allowed to be present to support her friends, then she didn't know what her purpose was.

She shook the thoughts from her head upon entering the Tamers' common area and spotting Suzie and Lopmon sitting in the corner, the former organizing her modify cards on a small end table. Jeri took a deep breath, reminding herself she had a job to do.

"Hey," Jeri said softly as she approached. "They're ready for you in there."

Suzie didn't look up from her cards. "As long as I don't screw things up again."

"You didn't screw anything up." Jeri sat down on the couch next to her. She had figured this conversation was going to be a bit more complicated than simply bringing the younger Tamer into the next room.

Suzie snorted. "No, Henry and Rika both agree that I did, and you're the first person to disagree with them."

Jeri only hesitated for half a second, knowing she had to approach things honestly as well as being supportive. She wasn't going to argue that Suzie had done nothing wrong, as she had been present for both incidents that afternoon. While dealing with the bio-emergence that led to Rika and Suzie butting heads, the pair had been out of sync, tripping over each other and almost seemed liked they were competing with one another rather than working together against the wild Digimon. Their eventual win had been more a result of force of will than skill and teamwork, and that animosity had carried them all the way back to Rika's house. In other words, nothing that could be placed solely on Suzie's shoulders.

"I like to think there's a difference between screwing up and making a mistake," Jeri summarized.

"The mistake was Rika and me getting called to the same bio-emergence," Suzie countered, eyes bouncing between the cards in front of her.

Jeri nodded. "Because the two of you don't work well together, I know."

"It's not fair." Suzie finally turned to face Jeri, quiet frustration clearly bubbling below the surface. "I've seen her make plenty of stupid decisions without thinking and somehow it's only wrong when I do it."

"That might be part of the issue." Jeri could only guess at what had actually been going through Rika's mind earlier, though she liked to think she had gotten good at guessing. "Your brother, Takato, and Rika rely on one another to cover each other's weaknesses. Rika, subconsciously or not, expects you to fight like Henry."

"It's not like I don't plan things out!" Suzie jerked a finger towards the end table. "You know how much thought I've put into picking my modify cards? But in a fight, a Tamer has to trust their instincts!" Suzie paused briefly, seeming to calm down. "At least that's what Ryo used to say."

"Is this about Ryo?" Jeri asked without thinking. The question had bothered her before, and this felt like the best setting to get an answer. "Is that why you've been so set on competing with Rika today?"

"Maybe..." Suzie eyes suddenly went wide and her face turned red. "N-Not in the way you're thinking! I'm not Ai, okay? I know that he didn't- that he couldn't... I'm not like Ai!"

"Then what's the reason?" Jeri tried and failed to not smile as she spoke.

Suzie looked away and started fidgeting with her hands. "I learned how to be a Tamer from Ryo, and he was better than Rika. If I'm not better than her, does that mean I've let him down?"

"No," Jeri stated instantly, not needing to reflect on it in the slightest. "Though I think we're inching closer to what the real issue is."

"And what's that?" Suzie looked back at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Rika might expect you to be like Henry, but you expect yourself to be like Ryo," Jeri explained as she stood up. "I say stop trying to emulate other people and just be you."

Suzie tilted her head. "And then... what? I'll just stop making mistakes?"

"Let's settle for just not making that mistake." Jeri winked at the younger Tamer. "Trust me, if you point out someone who doesn't make mistakes, I'll point out someone who's faking their way through life."

"What were we talking about again?"

"Mistakes, made by you and Rika and other people, and how we're going to set them right!" Jeri took a single step backwards, towards the exit. "Come on!"

Suzie sighed, though seemed to be smiling underneath it all. She patted Lopmon on the back before the pair of them stood up and followed Jeri's lead.

By her own request, Rika's returning from dealing with wild Digimon was not treated as any kind of special affair. She was sure some people would argue that she was taking these fights to lightly, but it helped her maintain a sense of normalcy by treating the ordeal like returning home from school at the end of the day. On this day in particular, that trend was not broken.

Still, Rika could sense a slight air of tension around her as she stepped through the front door. Despite not wanting to do so, she made it point to track down the source of this tension, eventually arriving at her bedroom door.

There, Rika's doppelganger sat with her back leaned up against the outside of the door, lost in thought and staring into space. Rika stared for a moment herself, not quite sure how start this conversation given how their previous ones had gone. Eventually, she opted for whatever popped into her head first.

"Your dress is ruined," Rika pointed out, her double finally realizing she was standing there.

"I guess," she replied apathetically, barely glancing at her clothing which had been ripped and stained due her proximity to Raremon's acidic attack.

"What are you doing?" Rika asked as she sat on the ground as well, though made a point to keep about a meter between them.

Her double shrugged. "My thoughts were that I'd go to my room, but then I realized at the last second that this isn't my room, but then realized I didn't have anywhere else to go, so here I am."

Everything around them seemed to go completely silent around them, leaving Rika to shift uncomfortably in her spot on the floor. Part of her even seemed to forget what they were meant to talk about, leading Rika to actually look in the opposite direction, hoping the answer would just come to her.

"Mom and Dad aren't happy."

Rika turned back instantly at the sound of her double's words, finding her looking downward, almost like she were speaking to the floor. Again, Rika didn't feel like she had an appropriate reply.

"They've never said it, and they try their best to pretend, but I can tell," her double continued, little to no emotion in her voice. "They stuck it out for my sake and they're miserable because of it."

"That's not on you," Rika replied. It sounded like something Takato might say, and for what it was worth, she felt like she meant what she said.

"Feels like it is." Her double clenched her fists around the hem of her dress. "Like I'm so fragile that I would break if anyone made a decision for themselves for once."

"Is that why you threw yourself into that fight back there?" Rika questioned, still feeling like she was missing some context for their current conversation. "To prove them wrong?"

Her double finally looked at her and shook her head. "No, because I knew they were all right."

Rika raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"When the D-Reaper came, the Tamers from my world stopped it," her double explained, somberness leaking into her voice. "They saved Shinjuku and the whole planet."

"What's that got to do with you?"

"Absolutely nothing, and therein lies the problem." Rika's doppelganger hesitated, but seemed to force herself to stay focused. "Some of the Tamers didn't make it out of that battle. I didn't think much of it at the time. They were just some names from a tragedy that I assumed had nothing to do with me."

Rika felt her chest go cold, part of her brain trying to force the rest of her to figure out how that battle had gone without her presence. To guess which of her friends had died. Rika pushed those thoughts away, deciding that she didn't want the answers to those questions.

"Guess you're putting the pieces together," her double continued as she looked her over, obviously reading her expressions. "It was a shock for me too, arriving here and realizing people were dead because I was too weak to be a Tamer."

"If you were really that weak, you wouldn't have even tried to save that little girl," Rika countered, partially because she meant it, but also because she wanted to steer her own mind from the dark place it was going to.

"Don't patronize me," her double snapped as she rolled her eyes.

"I'm not." Rika summoned up all her willpower to not do the same. "Look, becoming a Tamer was down to a lot of factors, some of which we still don't understand."

Rika intentionally paused, to try and track where her doppelganger was mentally at this point in the conversation. She had looked away, though whatever annoyance that had caused her previous outburst was gone and had made way for guilt to return to her face.

"The main thing was choice," Rika continued, deciding it was all or nothing by this point. "I chose to be a Tamer. You wanna stop feeling weak? Well, stop acting like you are and get out of your own way."

Her double turned back around with wide eyes. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Fine, I'll play along..." she muttered before shaking her head and refocusing. "You've been nothing but angry and insecure since I got here. Maybe instead of getting jealous of me because your friends like me better-"

"Care to rephrase that?"

"-stop acting so closed off and defensive around the people who care about you. The fact that they've lasted this long with your attitude means they want to be close to you. Give them a chance or they're gonna move on."

Rika remained still and silent at first, a bit awestruck if she had to admit it. For one thing, she hadn't been expecting their discussion to me turned in her direction. Second were the words themselves. While she hadn't been told anything she didn't try to tell herself on a regular basis, the words hit different when being said out loud and to her face.

"You know, I punched my last doppelganger in the face."

"Yeah?" her double replied, playful grin one her face. "Try that here and I'll punch you right back."

"Yeah, that tracks..." Rika said under her breath as she leaned her head back against the wall behind her.

The silence around them resumed, though the tension holding the house seemed to disappear. Rika tried not to dwell too much on it, chalking it up to taking the first steps towards making peace with herself.

The sun had barely started to set by the time Henry's group returned to the Nonaka residence. None of the specifics of what they had uncovered were explained, other than that it would be best to send the other Rika home from here, so that she could return to the spot she had been taken from. Naturally, there were still some questions, but there didn't seem to be a lack of confidence on anyone's part.

"So it's as simple as that?" Takato asked, knowing from past experiences that interdimensional integrity was more fragile than one would think.

"Not exactly," Henry answered, focus split between Takato and his sister, who sat a little ways away from them with her partner and Jeri. "A lot of our tests were inconclusive. We know it works, but we're not clear on the how and why."

Terriermon groaned. "I don't suppose we could just call it magic and wash our hands of it?"

Henry shook his head. "I won't feel comfortable leaving it alone until we have at least a working theory."

Knowing he didn't have much to contribute on that front, Takato gave his friend a nod and the pair of them separated. While Henry moved to go talk to Suzie, Takato walked over to the two Rika's in the middle of the yard.

"Am I interrupting?" he asked once he got close enough.

"Just wrapping up our goodbyes," Rika replied, glancing at her double, who finished scratching Guilmon behind the ear before turning to give Renamon a gentle handshake.

Takato took a step forward. "Well, in that case, take care of-"

His farewell was cut short by the other Rika stepping forward herself, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.

"You too, Gogglehead."

Takato sputtered, feeling his face heat up. Put on the spot, he lightly patted her on the back with his right hand.

"Don't push your luck," Rika growled from behind him. Takato didn't feel confident guessing which of them she was talking to.

"Remember what I said," Rika's double said as she finally released him, crossing her arms and looking at her namesake with a playful smile.

"Same to you," Rika responded nervously, not a trace venom or animosity in her voice.

Feeling things were as resolved as they were going to be, Takato gave one last wave as he led Rika and their partners away, leaving Rika's doppelganger to wait for her portal home.

Getting closer to their friends, they found Henry looking over a laptop screen, Suzie's DigiVice connected to it via a wire. Henry paused for a moment, looking away and picking up a trading card sitting next to the DigiVice.

"Are you done yet?" Suzie asked, less impatiently and more nervously.

Henry didn't look up from the card. "Just making sure I didn't miss anything."

"Is that the only reason?"

"Yeah..." Henry paused, finally unplugging the DigiVice and handing it and the card to Suzie. "I trust you."

Suzie hesitated, briefly looking up at her brother like she had something else to say. She ended up staying quiet, turning around and leading Lopmon to the middle of the yard.

"Try not to mess this up," Rika said calmly as Suzie passed them.

"Just stay out of my way," Suzie replied nonchalantly, not even bothering to turn around.

"You two getting along?" Jeri chimed in, a subtle grin on her face saying that she understood way more about that brief interaction than Takato did.

"Maybe..." Rika hesitated, then sat herself right next to Jeri. "Sorry about snapping at you earlier."

"You don't have to be sorry about that." Jeri spoke calmly and her tone was confident, but her previous grin seemed to disappear entirely. "We both were a little out of sorts earlier."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, we're good."

While the way Jeri was speaking and acting wasn't necessarily out of character for how she normally carried herself, Takato still felt like something was missing. He stopped himself from pointing it out, however, partially because he didn't know exactly what he would be pointing out, but also because of a flash of light in the corner of his eye catching his attention.

Said light faded, revealing Antylamon standing in the middle of the yard. Without wasting a second, Suzie swiped a modify card through he DigiVice, causing her partner to radiate a white light.

"My question is how are we gonna know she's being sent back to the right reality?" Terriermon piped up, which was a valid question to his credit.

Either completely ignoring Terriermon's concerns or perhaps as a direct response to them, Antylamon knelt down, gently touching Rika's doppelganger with the tip of her finger. The girl started to glow as well, and though she seemed nervous at first, she relaxed herself just as she started fading from view.

"It is done," Antylamon concluded, looking towards the group and giving a single nod.

Henry looked over the Tamers' common area one more time, making sure nothing was out of place. Mostly satisfied with the state of the room, he closed the door behind him and started making his way across the hall.

"Doesn't Yamaki have people to clean this place up for us?" Terriermon complained from his perch on Henry's shoulder.

"I just wanted to make sure for myself," Henry replied as they arrived at the Danger Room's observation room. "Everyone's juggling a lot right now and there's a chance stuff could fall between the cracks."

Pushing the door open and peering inside, Henry's once over of the room froze when his eyes passed over the control console. There, sitting exactly where they had previously left her, Alice stared intently at the main monitor.

"So you're telling me you had no ulterior motives for coming back here, right?" Terriermon asked, arcing an eyebrow grinning like he had other comments to make.

Not really interested in hearing any of those comments, Henry committed to entering the room. Crossing the room to the main console, he was about halfway there when the sound of his footsteps caused Alice to look over her shoulder.

"Hey," Henry said with a quick wave. "Whatcha got there?"

"Just the data from earlier." Alice turned forward again once Henry arrived at her side. "Something's not sitting right with me."

Henry nodded, relating to the feeling all too well. "Have any other tears opened?"

"None, but that's not what's bothering me."

"The original opening, huh?" Henry leaned forward, rereading the same graphs and charts for what felt like the hundredth. Like earlier, he wasn't seeing much in the way of patterns and correlations.

"We still have no idea what caused it." Alice leaned back in her chair, dropping her elbow onto the armrest and resting her chin in the palm of her hand. "It definitely wasn't the card that did it, or at least not on its own."

"Maybe Lop has some leftover Deva powers that we never knew about," Terriermon suggested, the tone of his voice mostly serious.

Henry gave the idea some serious consideration, admitting to himself that it could have been a possibility. They knew for a fact that the Sovereigns possessed the ability to travel between realities, and it wasn't impossible that Zhuqiaomon shared this power with his servants. The sticking point was that the Devas had bio-emerged the same as every other wild Digimon, which begged the question as to why none of them had made use of it.

Alice suddenly leaned forward again, shifting around the windows on the monitor and opening a couple new ones. "What do you guys know about Lopmon's evolutionary line?"

"Not much..." Henry paused to consider. "As far as I know, Suzie has always had her bypass the Champion level whenever she digivolves, so we're only really familiar with the two forms."

An image of Lopmon appeared on screen, from what Henry recognized as Hypnos' Digimon database, an amalgamation of data collected by the Tamers and then supplemented by meta data from the trading card game. Alice clicked a couple more times, bringing up a new image of an angelic and bestial looking Digimon. According to the database, it was one of Lopmon's potential Mega forms.

"Cherubimon..." Terriermon read off the screen.

Henry read over information provided by database, only being vaguely familiar with Cherubimon. Henry's eyes locked on one line in particular, which labeled it as a Celestial Digimon, the same label Lopmon had used to previously describe Ophanimon.

"Mind you, evidence is circumstantial," Alice said after the silence had persisted for a few seconds. "Still..."

"You think it's a latent ability," Henry concluded, still unable to look away from the screen.

Alice shrugged. "Could be the Ophanimon card provided the missing pieces of code needed to drudge the power up."

Terriermon sighed. "Suzie and Lop are gonna flip when they hear this..."

Henry was almost certain his partner was correct. He wouldn't keep this information from sister, but he couldn't make up his mind if this was a potential asset or a new problem to deal with. Knowing their luck, however, the one certainty was that they would find out in due time.

Rika took a couple extra seconds to stand outside the Matsuki bakery, staring inside and gathering her nerves. She had a few things she needed to say once she stepped inside, and the last things she wanted to do was forget any of it or miscommunicate her point. Luckily, the day was basically over and the bakery was mostly empty, so there wasn't much to worry about as far as distractions went.

Deciding she was about as ready as she would ever be, Rika took the first step forward and moved through the front door. Again, there wasn't much in the way of foot traffic once inside, with the first person she encountered being Takato's mother, who turned at the sound of her approaching.

"Oh, hey, Rika," Mie Matsuki said softly as she continued taking down the bakery's front display. "You looking for Takato?"

Rika nodded and made it a point to try and speak politely. "Yeah, if he's not too busy."

Mie rolled her eyes and gestured behind the counter. "He's catching up on some chores he ducked out on earlier. He should be just about finished."

Stuck on what the appropriate response was, Rika simply nodded again and moved in the suggested direction. Sure enough, she found Takato right behind said counter, cleaning out one of the shelves. His back was to her, and since he didn't even pause from his current chore, it was likely he was completely unaware of her presence.

"You missed a spot," Rika said, telling herself she had done so against her better judgment.

Takato yelped and jerked upwards, bumping his head into the shelf above him. Rika had considered waiting for him to finish, but knew he would have been startled anyway when he turned around and found she had snuck up on him. She felt bad for a second, but knew this would have more or less been the outcome one way or another.

"You hurt yourself?" Rika asked once he turned to face her.

"Just my pride. Also, my head." Takato finished massaging the spot that had hit the shelf and gave her his undivided attention, curiosity all over his face. "Is everything alright?"

Rika had to pause, to keep herself from deflecting the question. "I thought we should clear the air."

"About what?" Takato asked with a raised eyebrow.

Rika took a deep breath. "I wasn't fair to you, or anyone for that matter, during all that crap earlier."

"It was a weird situation." Takato put on a reassuring smile. "Definitely shocked the heck out of me when I walked through the front door."

"Yeah, but you handled it better than I did." Rika crossed her arms, glancing away from him for a split second.

Takato shrugged. "That's debatable."

"No, it's the truth." Rika uncrossed her arms and leaned forward, her hands gripping the counter between them. "And you were right. I can tell you anything. I just..." She paused briefly, the words coming to her one at a time. "...was too stuck being me about the whole thing."

Takato leaned forward as well, his smile becoming a more neutral expression. "I can listen right now if stuff is still bothering you."

"I was upset." Rika paused again, still fighting against her instincts to walk away rather than open up. "I mean, obviously, but I was worried that you guys liked the other me better. That you would choose her over me if you had to, and the worst part is that I couldn't even blame you."

The bakery around them seemed to go silent, and Rika looked down at the counter between them. She was torn, on the one hand knowing Takato and her friends and how ridiculous she sounded, but on the other having to admit to herself that this was how she felt. She wondered if she would have been better off just keeping quiet.

"I know, it's really dumb," Rika concluded, feeling as though she had said enough and it was time to let the conversation be.

"Yeah, kinda."

"Excuse me?" Rika's eyes going wide and darting upwards.

"W-What I meant was that the other you was nice and all, but she wasn't you." Takato smiled back at her nervously, like he had surprised himself just as much as he had her. "It just felt like she was missing something, and I'd always choose to be..." He hesitated, then seemed to find his confidence. "...with you over any version of her any day."

Rika managed to smile and roll her eyes at the same time. "I guess you are kinda dense like that."

Takato scratched the back of his head. "That's not debatable."

Suddenly feeling a lot better, Rika was about say her goodbyes and walk away, but stopped herself at the last second. For the life in her, she could not definitively say what her reservations were when it came to her relationship with this boy.

At first glance, it was possible it was all down to superficial reasons. After all, going to an all-girls school meant Rika was in proximity to all kinds of gossip and chatter that grated on her. There were days she was convinced that all her classmates talked about were boys, and wanting and having a boyfriend of her own would have made Rika no different from the lot of them. Thinking on it, however, this felt all the more like a weak excuse.

Rika wondered if the real culprit was the one romantic relationship she had firsthand knowledge of to use as a comparison, that being her parents. A shrink might try to convince her that she was afraid that any relationship she entered was doomed to end the same way, that any partner she took might abandon her much in the same way her father did.

Of course, this line of thought almost made her angry at herself. The fact was that she knew Takato, and even if this particular kind of relationship wasn't for them, he was physically incapable of walking away from the people he cared about. This all amounted to the divide between them being down to flawed reasoning and Rika's own cold feet, both of which she was tired of fighting against.

Oh, get over it.

Rather than turning to leave like she intended, Rika took a step forward, reaching a hand to Takato's cheek to pull his face face forward, and pressing her lips against his.

This was also possibly the most awkward moment of Rika's life, and not only because of the counter between them. It took a moment for Takato to actually start kissing her back, and even then it was clumsy and unpracticed on both ends. Still, there was a warmth and comfort that came with the moment as well, and neither of them bothered to stop until they were reminded that they didn't have the bakery all to themselves.

"Not in front of the bread, Takato."

Rika and Takato both jerked backwards, finding Mie watching them with a deadpan expression on her face. Takato just stood there twitching and sputtering, and with the heat she was feeling, Rika didn't want to guess how red her face was.

"Alright, I'll talk to you tomorrow then!" Rika said way louder than was necessary as she beelined for the exit.

"Sounds good..." Takato replied weakly from behind her.

Part of her said she was running away from her fears, but Rika felt confident in choosing to ignore that voice. After all, being more open about how she felt was a new commitment on her part, and she felt like she was already off to a strong start.

Chapter Text

"Get that thing away from me!"

Guilmon looked down at the tray in his claws, then back up at the woman who had just shouted at him. He thought about it hard for a couple seconds, trying to figure out why she would be angry at the sliced up cinnamon roll he had offered her a piece of. After all, she hadn't even tried it yet, and the whole reason he walked around with free samples like this one was so customers could try the new foods that Takato's parents made.

It was only when he was in the middle of wondering if the woman simply didn't like cinnamon that Guilmon looked a little closer at her eyes, and realized that she wasn't looking at the roll. She was looking at him. She was looking at him and glaring at him with the same mean eyes that the protesters that he and Takato occasionally ran into had, the protesters that hated Digimon and their human partners by extension.

Taking a nervous step backwards, Guilmon wasn't sure what to say. He considered apologizing, just to avoid causing any trouble, but he didn't think he had done anything wrong. Luckily, Mie stepped out from behind the counter and stood herself in between the two of them.

"Is there a problem?" Mie growled through her teeth, looking like she wanted to get mad and yell herself.

"I'll say..." The mean woman looked up at Mie while pointing at Guilmon. "How can you run an establishment with one of those creatures running around?"

Mie crossed her arms and started drumming her fingers. "That's none of your business."

The woman rolled her eyes. "That's until it infects the food with some kind of virus."

"Well, you're free to spend your money elsewhere." Mie raised her voice slightly, gesturing to the from door. "In fact, please do."

"What I should do is call the police or animal control to drag that thing out of here."

"Call him a thing one more time and I'll kick you out of here myself!" Mie pointed an angry finger in the woman's face, causing her to flinch and step backwards.

"M-Mom..." Guilmon muttered, still unable to get the words out. He had the same feeling in his stomach that he got when a wild Digimon appeared that wanted to fight instead of being sent home. His brain was only stopped from racing when a hand grabbed his shoulder.

Guilmon looked upward at Takato's father, Takehiro, who looked calm but smelled like he was a little bit nervous. Takehiro gently nudged Guilmon back towards the register while he took steps towards the argument in the middle of the bakery.

"Maybe we should all just take a deep breath," he suggested, though no one seemed any calmer.

"Aw, nuts..." Takato poked his head into the bakery as Guilmon reached the register, having been upstairs doing homework since he got off school. "Everything okay out here, boy?"

"I, uh, well-" Guilmon's head was a mess of thoughts, which were all interrupted when Mie started yelling again.

"Yeah, well you'd change your tune if you knew what he and my son have done for you over the years!"

Takato sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Why don't you step out of the bakery for a minute, Guilmon, and wait for this to die down?"

"Okay..." Guilmon nodded, walking away from his partner and only pausing once everyone else was out of sight.

Guilmon knew that Takato had only meant for him to leave the bakery itself, and at the most go upstairs and wait in their room. Without thinking, however, his legs took him out the side door of bakery and continued to take him away from his home.

To no surprise of his own, Guilmon eventually wandered to his old shed in the park. Even after years of getting used to living in Takato's family home, the shed still felt like a safe space for him. In a weird way, his life was a little simpler back then, not having to worry about anything except staying hidden from people who weren't even looking for him in the first place.

Now that everyone knew about him, on the other hand, it explained a lot about why he had to stay hidden in the first place. The mean woman from earlier may have been the loudest about it, but she wasn't the first person to be mad about the fact that he lived in the bakery. Over the years, many customers would enter and make comments under their breath if they didn't just turn around and leave at the sight of him. Guilmon would have been fine it was just a matter of them not liking him, except that he knew these people not liking him made trouble for Takato and his family.

Stepping up to the shed's gate, Guilmon sniffed the air around him, making sure there was no one else inside. Nobody was around, but some new scents still lingered around it. Repairs to the damage caused by Tyranomon had started and were moving slowly, but some progress was being made. The cracks in the walls and ceiling were being filled, a new gate to replace the broken one leaned against the side of the shed, and a few stray hand-tools were scattered around the inside. The hole in the floor that led to the portal still remained, but Takato had assured him that the people fixing the shed were being watched to make sure there were no accidents.

Guilmon stared at the hole in the ground for a moment, catching himself wondering what would happen if decided to use the portal and return to the Digital World right then and there. He wouldn't, knowing that even if he wanted to he would just make everyone worry and they would probably chase after him to bring him home. Still, he couldn't help but imagine that things at the bakery would quiet down without him around to cause trouble.

"Hello?" a voice that Guilmon didn't recognize called out, pulling Guilmon's attention back towards the path.

Sneaking the best he could so that he wouldn't be seen, Guilmon followed the voice, finding a small boy taking careful steps forward. The boy, with dark hair and looked like he was about the same size and age Suzie had been when they all first met, had a nervous look on his face.

Guilmon stayed off to the side for a moment, not sure if the boy would even want his help to begin with. That didn't sit right in his stomach, however, and after taking a deep breath, he took some careful steps forward of his own.

"Are you okay?" Guilmon asked softly as he stepped onto the path.

The boy made a small hop backwards, probably having been startled a bit. Thankfully, once he turned and actually saw Guilmon, he didn't seem any more scared than he had been a moment ago.

"I don't know..." The boy nervously fidgeted with his fingers. "I was at the playground and wanted to do some exploring and now I'm not sure where I am."

Guilmon couldn't help but smile at the explanation. Between Calumon and Terriermon, he knew a little bit about going on accidental adventures. He refocused on the boy, approaching him carefully and giving him a strong sniff to isolate his scent.

Turning his nose outward, Guilmon began to sort through the park around them. Between the boy himself and places that smelled a bit like him and people who smelled like they had been in contact with him, Guilmon felt confident that he could figure out the right direction.

"Hm..." Guilmon took one last second to consider before pointing back down the path. "Smells like you have to go that way."

The boy glanced down the path and then back at Guilmon. "Can you show me the way?"

Guilmon hesitated for half a second, still nervous about the possibility of running into another human who didn't want him around. After that half a second was up, however, he knew there was only one decision to make.

"Okay, hop on!" Guilmon chirped as he leaned downward so the boy could climb on his back.

The boy stood still for a few seconds, using that time to look Guilmon over. Once done, he seemed to relax, eventually climbing aboard as instructed. With his passenger secure, Guilmon stood up slowly and began his march.

Still, it didn't take long for Guilmon to recognize that something was out of place. The boy was fidgety and nervous, less so than he had been a moment ago, but Guilmon could still smell and feel that he was on edge. Guilmon wasn't sure what to say, but not liking how this feeling reminded him of how he had felt when the customer at the bakery was yelling at him, he decided to just say the first thing he thought of.

"So what's your name?" Guilmon asked, smiling as he spoke in the hopes that the boy would do the same.

"Satoru..." his passenger answered, still sounding a bit sad.

"Nice to meet you, Satoru," Guilmon continued, deciding that any kind of answer was a sign he should push on. "I'm Guilmon."

"Nice to meet you too..." Satoru replied, the tone of his voice not changing.

"You know, it's okay to be scared sometimes," Guilmon said softly, trying his best to think of something smart and reassuring to say, like Renamon would.

"I'm not scared!" Satoru snapped, reminding Guilmon of Impmon just a little bit. A pause followed, though, and the boy seemed to calm down. "I was just a little worried about not being able to find my way back."

"Okay..." Guilmon nodded, hoping he hadn't said the wrong thing by accident.

"It's just..." Satoru paused again, smelling a little confused in that moment. "My mom's probably worried. She told me to stay put while she went to the bathroom, but I wandered off anyway."

Guilmon had to pause himself after hearing the story, something about it sounding familiar. He couldn't figure out why, though, so he decided to put the thought away and think about it later.

"I get scared too. Sometimes when I have to fight a big, tough Digimon, and sometimes..." Guilmon hesitated, remembering his family getting yelled just a little while ago. "...other times too."

"You're the knight, right?" Satoru perked up, suddenly sounding more interested in what they were talking about.

"That's me! Well, me and Takato..." Guilmon occasionally forgot why everyone knew about him these days. "Did you see us on TV?"

"No…" Satoru shook his head before hesitating. "Well, maybe, but there was another time before that, I think."

"When?" Guilmon glanced over his shoulder to look at the boy.

Satoru crossed his arms and looked upward. "I was really little. I'm not even sure where we were or what we were doing. I just remember giant tentacle monsters coming out of the sky, and you jumping in and saving us at the last minute."

Guilmon instantly knew the day that Satoru was talking about, when an army of Parasimon had opened a portal from the Digital World. They had almost lost that fight, and he and Takato had only been able win by calling on the power that Grani had given them, Gallantmon's Crimson Mode, and destroying all of the Parasimon with one attack. Guilmon did his best to remember the rest of the fight leading up to that moment, trying to figure exactly when they could have saved a little boy and his mom. They had been doing their best to save everyone, and all the fighting and chaos of that battle had blurred together over the years.

"I guess this is the second time you're saving me," Satoru concluded, putting on the most genuine smile he had since they met.

Before Guilmon could figure out what the right way to respond was, they arrived at the playground they had been journeying towards. Guilmon scanned the area, ready to fall back on his nose one more time before his eyes stopped on a couple police officers talking to a lady with the same color hair as Satoru. This lady eventually looked past the officers and spotted them, not waiting another second before jogging in their direction. Guilmon cautiously sniffed the air, the mix of scents telling him that this lady had to be Satoru's mother.

"Jeez, Kiddo," she said as she stopped right in front of them, worry and relief both on her face. "Way to give your old lady a heart attack."

"Sorry…" Satoru's head and shoulders sank.

Their reunion was cut short by the two police officers approaching them. Realizing that their hands were resting just above the guns on their wastes and that they were glaring directly at him, Guilmon felt his whole body go rigid.

"Son, I'm gonna need you to step away from the creature," the older looking officer said slowly.

"Did I do something wrong again?" Guilmon asked, looking to each of the humans around him for an answer.

"Those things can talk?" the younger officer asked nervously.

"Guess so…" the older one answered before looking directly at Guilmon again. "Did you take this boy?"

"What?" Satoru's mother snapped her attention over to the officers and raised an eyebrow.

"N-No…" Guilmon couldn't help but worry that there wasn't a correct answer to the question.

The officer stepped closer. "Then what were you doing with him?"

Satoru hopped off Guilmon's back stood himself in between them. "He was helping me find my mom, you big jerk!"

The officer's eyes darted between the two of them before shaking his head. "Regardless, it's going to have to come with us."

"What for, exactly?" Satoru's mother asked calmly, though her facial expression stayed the same.

"It could be dangerous," the younger police officer piped up, stepping forward a bit faster than his friend.

"He's not dangerous!" Satoru snapped. "Guilmon protects everyone!"

Satoru reeled his foot back, then flung it forward and connected with the younger officer's shin. As the officer yelped and leaned down to massage his leg, Satoru's mother grabbed hold of her son under his arms and pulled him away, finishing the motion by putting herself directly in the middle of all of them.

Everyone stood still, leaving Guilmon confused about what he could do to help. Part of him wanted to run, and he might have been able to able escape, but he knew that was definitely the wrong thing to do. He knew he needed to stay, to make sure he wasn't causing trouble for anyone else.

"Do you have any friends, Guilmon?" Satoru's mother asked suddenly, a small smile on her face.

"Yeah, lots…" Guilmon answered, confused as to how his friends could help them when none of them knew where he was.

"And what would they do if they found out you were taken by the police here?"

"Are you threatening us?" the older officer growled.

"I'm just asking questions." Satoru's mom shrugged. "But seriously, Guilmon, would they try to break you out or something like that?"

Guilmon shook his head. "No, but they would probably have to call Mr. Yamaki, and he'd probably get really upset."

"Mr. Yamaki's pretty important, I take it?"

"Yeah, he's in charge of Hypnos." As Guilmon's brain caught up with his mouth, he got a little scared that he had said something he wasn't supposed to.

"What the hell's a Hypnos?" the younger officer chimed in.

"Pretty important government agency from what I've heard," Satoru's mother explained casually. "You probably want to stay off their bad side."

"And what do you know about it?" the older officer asked, now looking extra grouchy.

"I'm a journalist, actually." Satoru's mother pulled a small white card out of her pocket and handed it to the police officer. "So in the very off chance my info is wrong, I might feel the need to report on the incident that occurred here today and how it was handled."

The older officer held the card tightly, bending it a little bit, and then turned to his partner. "Come on, I don't want to deal with the paperwork today."

He pushed the card back into its original owner's hands and walked away. The younger officer paused for just a second, a confused look on his face, but quickly fell in step behind. Once they had gotten a good ways away from them, Guilmon nervously looked over to the mother and son who had protected him.

"Sorry about all this…" he said softly, looking downward slightly as he spoke.

"Nothing to be sorry for," Satoru's mother replied as she placed the palm of her hand on top of her son's head and gently pushed down. "If anything, I owe you for looking after the park ranger here."

"Mom, stop it!" Satoru tried to wriggle free, but his mother held him in place.

"In fact…" She held out the card the policeman had given back to her. "Why don't you hold onto this, just in case I can pay you back."

Guilmon accepted the card, taking a second to read it over. Above what looked like a telephone number and email address was a name, Sachiko Fujinuma.

"Okie dokie," Guilmon said politely, giving them both a single nod.

"Maybe now we head home?" Sachiko suggested to her son.

"Fine…" Satoru groaned before looking forward again and smiling. "See you later, Guilmon."

"Bye-bye!" Guilmon waved as they walked off, though he didn't waste more than a couple seconds before turning around and rushing away himself. Feeling a lot better than he had earlier, he suddenly realized how much he wanted to head home.

Guilmon had considered sneaking around and entering through the alley, but his legs carried him to the bakery's main entrance. Luckily, the only obstacles for him getting back inside were Mie and Takehiro, who were outside and staring into the front window.

"Are you sure about this?" Takehiro asked calmly.

Mie crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Are you not?"

Guilmon glanced through the window, noticing that Takato was struggling to hang up a poster of some kind.

"Watcha doing?" he asked, getting the adults' attention.

"Hey, Guilmon, perfect timing!" Mie smiled and gestured at the poster. "We're taking an extra step to make sure that what happened today doesn't happen again."

"This might not work completely," Takehiro added, sounding a little worried. "Some people are just determined to start trouble."

Mie shrugged. "At least it's clear where we stand." She paused to look over the poster, then sighed. "Takato, it's lopsided!"

Takato's shoulders sank before he pulled the poster down and attempted to pin it up again. It took a couple attempts, but this gave Guilmon a chance to get a good look at it.

The first thing that caught his attention was the drawing at the center of it, showing him, Renamon, and Terriermon wearing aprons and oven mitts, carrying trays of bread. Guilmon couldn't help but think of what was probably his brightest memory from the D-Reaper invasion, when he and his friends had spent the morning in the bakery making Guilmon Bread.

Once the poster was up, however, Guilmon noticed the words written above the picture. The message was short and simple, but it still kept his attention:

This establishment supports the Tamers and their Digimon partners

"We should ask the Katou's if they want Takato to make one for them too," Mie said confidently before walking back into the bakery.

Guilmon hesitated before following, not quite able to take his eyes off the poster. A warm feeling formed in his chest, one that almost made him wonder why he had been so upset earlier. He supposed he could figure it out later, especially since he finally had his appetite back. He finally went inside, curious as how much of his family's leftover bread would be waiting for him.

Chapter Text

Squeezing the spigot on the water cooler as hard as she could, Tally Onodera didn't care if she broke the thing. With how the previous night had gone, she had the right to be mad, and no inanimate object was going to guilt her into calming down.

"And do you know what he said to cap it all off?" Tally almost shouted as she spun around to the one coworker who was present to listen.

Riley Otori sat calmly at the break room's circular table, gently drumming her fingers on her coffee mug. Her patience was truly her best feature, for which Tally was too grateful to question whether or not she actively anticipated an earful when starting small talk.

"Something else to make you mad, I take it," Riley answered evenly.

"Yeah, I hear government jobs are pretty lousy, but don't worry, babe." Tally deepened and dumbed down her voice, wanting to recreate exactly how stupid her date had sounded. "If we get married, you don't have to keep working."

Riley shrugged. "To be fair, it does feel like we're underpaid sometimes."

"Yeah, well this is my thankless government job!" Tally slammed her cup on the table as she sat opposite her counterpart. "If he knew half of what I did for this city, he'd be offering to be the homemaker."

"So I take it you won't be seeing him again," Riley said before taking a sip from her mug.

Tally sank in her seat, suddenly feeling sapped of energy. "I'm gonna die alone, aren't I?"

"Probably not?"

"Why'd you phrase that as a question?"

"Oh, look at the time!" Riley looked down at her wrist that most certainly did not have a watch on it. "We should get back to it."

"Right…" Tally sat up straight, though didn't feel any more lively. "Don't we have any interns left that can cover the rest of this shift?"

"We only ever had the two." Riley stood and pushed her chair in.

"And why did we reduce their hours again?"

Objectively speaking, Henry and Alice's presence at Hypnos had always been a bit of an anomaly. Despite being more talented than some of the adults the organization would headhunt for staff, their positions had been put under a microscope by people outside of the building, only being approved due to their connection to the digital threats that Hypnos defended the city against.

"Child labor laws," Riley summarized.

Tally snorted. "Well, I remember treating them like the younger siblings I never had."

"Don't you mean the children you never had?" Riley asked on her way out the door.

"You know I don't!" Tally called after her before deflating again.

Now alone, Tally considered taking some time off from work, basically a daily conversation she had with herself. She had plenty of sick days and vacation time to take advantage of, and no one would fault her for doing so. The real issue was more down to her own stupid conscience. She took pride in what she did for a living, knowing what she did was important, and she knew her stepping away meant either doubling Riley's responsibilities or leaving her seat in the hands of someone less capable.

Plus, what would I even do with my free time? Tally thought, shrugging as she finally stood up. Waste more nights on mouth-breathers?

Resolving to pick up this conversation at the same time tomorrow, Tally moved straight for the exit, determined not to let anything delay her from returning to work.

That was until a small white and purple creature casually glided right past her head and in the opposite direction. Heading straight for the break room fridge and opening the door way more easily than his tiny arms should have allowed, he quickly began to shuffle through some unmarked containers, not a care for anyone who may or may not be watching.

"Calumon?"

"That's my name!" the Digimon in question chirped as he poked his head out of the fridge.

Tally questioned what she was watching for a split second, but how instinctively Calumon went through his motions on top of how no one had ever complained about missing food convinced her it didn't matter. If anything, Calumon's presence itself was the bigger question mark. The Tamers and their Digimon typically didn't come up to this floor without someone being alerted beforehand, so him being here brought up an old itch in the back of her head.

"Do you just come through the front door and ride the elevator up?" Tally asked.

"Pfft!" Calumon waved a dismissive hand at her. "Front doors are for squares."

Tally sighed, concluding that further questions wouldn't go anywhere. She would probably report a potential security breach out of obligation, though her and Riley had once had a serious conversation as to whether or not Calumon could teleport.

"You've got a unique way of looking at things, you know that?" Tally put forward instead.

"I do have more fun than most people," Calumon replied, clearly accepting the compliment.

"I'm a little bit jealous."

Calumon paused briefly, letting the fridge close behind before floating back towards Tally. Stopping when the two of them were at eye-level, he squinted and leaned closer, as though he were examining her.

"Are you feeling okay, Tally?" Calumon asked as he continued his examination.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Your face is looking all wrinkley." Calumon poked at the skin under Tally's eye.

"Don't push your luck," she replied through her teeth as she swatted his hand away.

"Oh, I know!" Calumon piped up, completely undeterred. "We should play a game. That always helps me feel better."

Tally wouldn't get to even try to formulate a genuine response to the suggestion, as a steady chirping noise pulled her out of her head space. The building's "silent" alarm was meant to alert the staff of a imminent non-emergency situation, most often a low-level wild Digimon trying to bio-emerge within the city. Whatever it was, though, it needed her attention.

"That might have to wait," Tally said as she committed to returning to work.

With Calumon keeping pace with her, Tally jogged across the hall, barely pausing her stride to swipe her ID card at an electronic lock that separated her station from the rest of the building. Stepping into the main Hypnos control hub, she scanned the monitors lining the walls to get some indication of what they were dealing with.

The hub itself had been reorganized a few times over the years, between Hypnos changing the location of its headquarters and experimentation to figure out the most optimal way to manage the city's defense. It's current format had Tally and Riley in their original and elevated workstations, with articulated arms allowing them to shift around the room, though now supported by a number of other techs working at ground level. These techs reported directly to them, and dealt with the more minute details of their operation, which meant they didn't have to micromanage the way they had during the initial wave of bio-emergences.

Mitsuo Yamaki stood at the center of the action, a lighter in his hand and scowl on his face. Hypnos' leader only took his eyes off the surrounding monitors when Tally passed by him.

"I see you've finally managed to dig up a new intern," Yamaki said, deadpan delivery and trademark sunglasses making it difficult to determine if the comment was a joke or not.

Tally glanced over her shoulder at Calumon before giving an aloof salute. "I believe his enthusiasm will make up for his lack of experience, Sir."

Yamaki didn't give them any further consideration, turning his attention back to the hub. As Calumon wandered off to marvel at one of the monitors, Tally finished her walk to her station.

Once she was seated and comfortable, Tally hit the control yoke that controlled her ascent. Eyeing the blinking red light that everyone was focused on, she slipped on her electronic visor and lowered her hands to her control panel.

"What's the situation?" Tally requested.

"Tracer's locked onto a mid-tier threat," Riley explained. "Champion level, maybe Ultimate, got itself caught in The Net."

The Net, of course, being Hypnos' primary line of defense against digital threats. A grid lining Shinjuku's digital infrastructure, it had proved to be the most effective deterrence against wild Digimon to date, particularly against higher level threats once they were properly detected.

"We're casting it back?" Tally asked, more to confirm that this threat didn't call for anything more than basic protocol.

"That's the plan." Riley hit a couple buttons and pivoted towards the target. "Takemi, hit the switch."

The tech in question called out an affirmation, and within a few seconds, the red dot on the map faded from view, their "nudge" enough to encourage it to return to the Digital World. Aside from the usual humming and beeping of machines, the room was quiet for a brief moment following.

"This screen looks fuzzy," Calumon said suddenly, still fixated on the same monitor as before.

"Looks alright to me," Riley replied, though the tone of voice said her curiosity was piqued.

Tally didn't see anything either, though their current lull gave them a moment to be thorough. Pulling up a couple commands on her screen, she prepared to take a closer look at that spot on the grid.

"That's not what he means," Yamaki cut in, always two steps ahead of everyone else. "Tally-"

"Already checking…" Tally accelerated her key strokes, eventually landing on on what they were afraid they were all looking for. "Networking in that sector is flooded with garbage data."

Yamaki clicked his lighter. "Peel it back. Now."

"Executing…"

Tally worked quickly, wiping away the smog of data that was flooding their sensors. Eventually, she was successful, revealing a blinking red dot underneath it all. Larger and darker than the last, which coupled with additional data she was receiving could only indicate on thing: Mega level.

Worse, power fluctuations from The Net itself were all over the place. By all appearances, this wild Digimon was trying to brute force its way through the barrier. Not a brand new tactic as far as any of them should have been concerned, but a troubling one either way.

"High priority target confirmed," Tally reported.

"Deal with it," Yamaki ordered, before facing the rest of the room. "Scan the rest of the grid for any kind of static."

"Roger… that…" Tally found her attention drawn back to her readout, noting one more fluctuation. "Huh?"

As if in response, the whole hub flickered before going dark. A single second later, lights and systems came back to life, though the fact they had gone out at all had put them all on alert.

Tally's immediate response was to retaliate, though her first attempt at making contact with her control panel was met with a spark. Another followed, until smoke actually began to rise out of her workstation.

"Status!" Yamaki called out.

"Th-That's not fair," Tally muttered to herself as she pulled off her visor.

"Riley!"

"Back up power is holding," Riley responded, eyes not leaving her personal display and hands staying planted on her control panel. "Rerouting to security subsystems."

"Little bastard…" Tally growled, her station functioning just enough that she was able to lower herself back to ground level.

"Target is on the move!" one of the techs dictated. Sure enough, all indications were that this Digimon was digging deeper into The Net.

"I see him!" Tally pushed herself off her seat, ready to go to war. A more logical voice in her head suggested that she calm down, though that voice clearly had not been living the same twenty four hours she had just been through. She had every intention of taking her frustration out on the creature who had dared to make things worse.

Racing across the room to the nearest station, Tally all but pushed its tech aside and started to input commands.

"Ma'am, I can-"

"You type like an old lady, Sakamoto," Tally spat back at the tech in question, shutting him up instantly. "No, you can't!"

Tally finished typing her sequence, just about ready to follow through. They still had a decent window to fight back, but their enemy was smart, which meant they had to be precise with their timing.

"You have a lock?" Riley called down to her, multiple encounters like this one meaning that the two of them were on the same page on how to respond to setbacks.

Tally glanced upwards, hands still hovering over the last button she had to press. "Just need you to back me up."

Riley nodded and went to work. "Reallocating power for you…"

"Now!" Tally jabbed her finger into the console, and let The Net do the rest.

Looking back up at the spot on the grid, the marker at the Digimon's location began to shake and then shrink. While it was difficult to say exactly what was happening from their perspective, Tally guessed boosting The Net's power output at this spot would likely disintegrate the Digimon and any leftover data. She might have felt bad in any other instance, but this was an organized attack, not just on the Real World but on Hypnos itself.

"Ma'am?" Takemi's voice called out across the room. "There's another, buried under a second cloud of garbage data."

Tally looked to the appropriate monitor, seeing another flashing light indicating another Mega had been lying in wait for them. Still on edge with no other real course of action, Tally straightened herself out and prepared to continue the fight.

"Acquiring…" Tally called back as she looked over the nearest readout, not quite sure what their next play would be.

"Negative, power's too low." Yamaki suddenly appeared at her side, pausing for a split second to click his lighter once more. "They played us."

Tally finally let herself exhale. "Copy…"

"We're not done yet, people. I want half of you assessing damage and repairs, and the other half seeing if we can't use what power's left to funnel this hostile to a less populated location." Yamaki paused one more time, then looked upwards. "Riley, alert our associates."

Riley gave a quick salute. "On it, Boss."

Tally dragged herself back to her station, which seemed significantly less on fire than it had been a moment ago. As she sat down, Calumon landed next to her.

"Now I see why everyone around here is so high-strung," he said, sounding a little tired himself. "Your games are no fun."

"Never get old, Calumon." Tally pinched the bridge of her nose and leaned back in her chair.

Calumon shrugged. "Well, I haven't digivolved yet."

Tally knew she had a long night ahead of her, regardless of how easily the Tamers dealt with this wild Digimon. With that in mind, though, she had a renewed commitment to having a conversation about taking some time off the following morning.

Chapter Text

As the final school bell of the day rang, Kenta didn't bother trying to stop Kazu from dodging him at the door to their classroom. This had become a regular occurrence of their day, and the unspoken agreement between the rest of them seemed to be to give Kazu his space for now. Takato showed some concern as well, though Kenta knew that Takato juggled few different hats both as a Tamer and personally, so there was only so far that Kenta could expect him to split his attention. Jeri, on the other hand and almost uncharacteristically, stayed quiet and barely acknowledged the change, which worried Kenta that there was more going on than he had been informed on.

Kenta hung around for a moment as his other two friends shuffled out of the classroom, less unsure of what his next destination was and more uncertain if following his day as normal was for the best. The fact was that he was worried about Kazu, and he wanted to do something about it. Opening his phone, though, the problem was apparent in the form of weeks worth of unanswered text messages of varying length he had sent Kazu. As much concern as Kenta might have had, his friend didn't seem to want any of it.

A tapping sound on a nearby window paused Kenta's uncertainty. Turning his head and finding MarineAngemon floating just outside, Kenta walked over and unlatched the window so his partner could enter.

"Hey, buddy," Kenta greeted, hoping for something else to think about for at a least a moment.

A disgruntled chirp from MarineAngemon confirmed otherwise, the Digimon in question frowning and motioning to the phone in Kenta's hand.

"Oh, this?" Kenta closed the phone and shook his head. "Kazu's still ignoring us."

"Puh," MarineAngemon replied succinctly, or at least that's what would have been heard by anyone who was only listening to his words. The team's smallest Mega communicated better through intent and emotion, and one had to be paying attention to catch his exact meaning.

In this instance, his response translated to: "You have to assert yourself more, Kenta. Kazu is used to being the one in charge in your friendship, so you have to stand up for yourself if you want him to acknowledge you. Just speak up, because you have a lot more to say than you give yourself credit for."

Kenta sighed, as that was what he had thought he had been doing in recent years. He had tried standing up to Kazu and speaking his mind more often, but this was where they had ended up regardless. Whatever the underlying reasons, Kenta couldn't help but feel that he was leagues behind MarineAngemon when it came to communicating with others.

"Alright, I'll think on that." Kenta motioned for his partner to follow him out of the classroom. "We have somewhere to be in the meantime."

MarineAngemon's advice made sense, but acting on it was something he would still have to figure out. Unfortunately, a walk up a single flight of stairs and down the hall wasn't enough time to solve the problem, and he soon found himself at the entrance to the school library and needing to shift his mindset elsewhere.

Upon entering, Kenta spotted Miki seated at a small table off to the side, dark hair the same short length it had been since they were young and wearing the same dark blue school uniform as the rest of their female peers. On top of her pile of books was her cellphone, which she casually poked at with one hand while resting her chin in the palm of her other.

Taking a deep breath and trying to focus, Kenta strode forward. For better or worse, MarineAngemon floated slightly ahead of him, stopping himself at the center of the table before Kenta had a chance to sit down. Miki's eyes lit up the instant she took notice.

"Hello there, Cutie!" Miki gently pinched the Digimon's cheek between two of her knuckles.

"Hiya!" MarineAngemon replied after Miki let him go, in one of his rare though not unheard of dips into plainer language. While he kept up his friendly disposition, he did float backwards a bit, having never particularly liked being handled in that way.

"Shh!" the librarian hissed in their direction.

"Sorry," Kenta whispered back as he quickly took his seat next to Miki. As he clumsily fished through his bag for a history textbook, he turned to face his study partner. "Where should we start?"

A sly grin took over Miki's face. "Probably wherever you stopped paying attention."

"So the beginning of class then?" Kenta finally found his book and placed it on the table.

"Seriously?" Miki's grin was replaced with a raised eyebrow. "You weren't hiding one of your manga between the textbook pages again, were you?"

"No!" Kenta flinched upon being shushed by the librarian again, and lowered his voice appropriately. "I've just got, uh… taming stuff on my mind."

Miki paused, nervously glancing at MarineAngemon before looking down at her pile of books. "Then maybe you should be laying off the taming stuff."

Kenta paused himself, realizing where he had accidentally steered their conversation. "That's not really the issue."

"Then what is?" Miki asked, slightly more confidence in her voice.

"It's complicated…" Kenta hesitated, worried he would miss the mark in translating his thoughts. "Basically, Kazu's been avoiding the rest of us and won't explain why."

"Sounds like the pressure is getting to him."

Kenta inhaled to respond, but bit his tongue. "Maybe…"

The last thing Kenta wanted to to do was start an argument, especially considering that Miki's intentions seemed to be coming from a well-meaning place. Being a Tamer was a dangerous occupation, and she seemed genuinely worried for him. In all honesty, he couldn't outright tell himself that she was wrong. After all, part of his reason for starting these study sessions with her was to form connections with people outside of his team, and he was suddenly struggling to come up with an excuse for that line of thought other than wanting to one day move away from defending the city from wild Digimon.

Maybe even sensing his exact line of thought, MarineAngemon tilted his head and floated forward. Kenta knew that his partner wasn't much for fighting either, and would likely stick by him should he ever decide to put his D-Power away. Still, MarineAngemon seemed both concerned and nervous, likely still stuck on the matters he had voiced earlier.

Any response Kenta might have made never materialized, interrupted by the library door loudly sliding open. Ignoring the glare she received from the librarian, a girl with light hair and pigtails scanned the room, eventually settling on Miki and charging forward.

"There you are. What are you even-?" She paused, an unamused expression coming over her as her gaze fell on Kenta. "Oh… you."

"Hey, Ayaka," Kenta replied, trying to keep his voice neutral at the very least.

To Kenta, Miki and Ayaka together represented a time long past. Back when Takato was only just beginning his sketches of Guilmon, they had been Jeri's closest friends in Ms. Asaji's class. Now, however, he couldn't remember the last time he had seen Jeri spending time with either of them.

"Yuh-huh." Ayaka's expression didn't change as she turned back to Miki. "Can't you tutor the hopeless later?"

"Not if I want to pass the next test," Miki shot back defensively. "I'm not exactly an expert in this stuff either."

"Fine…" Ayaka resigned, slouching down into an empty seat and angling herself so she was looking away from Kenta.

"Pih," MarineAngemon piped up immediately afterwards.

Ayaka glanced in the Digimon's direction. "Nobody asked you."

"You understand him?" Miki asked curiously.

"Don't need to." Ayaka closed her eyes and stuck her nose in the air. "I'm sure it's trouble, one way or another."

"He's not that bad," Miki replied, though her words seemed a little strained, lacking the enthusiasm from when Kenta had first entered the room.

"That's just what he wants you to think." Ayaka waved a finger in her friend's face. "Remember Takato's big, dumb dinosaur-"

"Guilmon," MarineAngemon interjected quickly.

Ayaka paused to glare at the Digimon. "I heard he bit one of the customers at the Matsuki bakery the other day."

"Really?" Miki looked to Kenta with uncertainty.

Kenta adamantly shook his head. This was his first time hearing this rumor, and couldn't imagine how it had started. The only version of this story that he could let himself believe was that Guilmon took a bite out of something a customer was buying, but even then he knew Guilmon to have more self control than that.

Ayaka shrugged. "I mean, what can you expect from a kid like Takato. Always quiet and always lost in his own world. It's only a matter of time before people like that snap."

"Pih…" MarineAngemon floated closer to Kenta, sad eyes making his intents clear. "Kenta, that's a gross mischaracterization of Takato and Guilmon. I know you don't like listening to people talk about them like that. You should say something."

While his partner's words rang true to him, Kenta couldn't find the strength to speak up. He told himself that Takato would have just let the words wash over him, not even bothering to stop to feel hurt or insulted. Still, the notion felt more hollow the longer he sat with it.

"Same goes for that Henry Wong across the hall," Ayaka continued, like she had forgotten or just didn't care about her present company. "I never see him talking to anyone, and I don't trust that kind of energy."

"That rabbit of his is a little annoying," Miki added without skipping a beat.

"Dog," Kenta squeaked out just as quickly, before his brain could stop his mouth from operating.

"Excuse me?" Miki replied absentmindedly, finally looking back in his direction.

"Terriermon isn't a rabbit. He's a dog. It's in the name. Terrier-mon." Kenta hesitated when he realized that the whole table was suddenly looking at him, but his mouth kept running anyway. "It's actually kinda funny, because Lopmon, who looks like a brown version of Terriermon, is considered a rabbit."

"Oh, save it for your weird cult meetings," Ayaka responded, this time speaking directly to him.

"C-Come again?" Kenta suddenly felt a lot more rigid, and couldn't place his finger on why. Ayaka's remarks had been mean-spirited up to this point, but her demeanor and the air around them had shifted, and her words seemed more targeted.

"You heard me." Ayaka spun around in her seat to more easily face him. "That's what you people do. You suck kids in and turn their lives inside-out."

"Ayaka…" Miki said softly and cautiously.

"Hey, you're the one who's always saying you feel bad for what they did to Jeri." Ayaka paused as though she were waiting for a response from her friend, then shrugged when she didn't get one. "Though Jeri always was kind of a basket case."

Kenta's hands instinctively tightened around his books on the table. "Don't call her that."

"It was that raggedy puppet that drew your friends in, wasn't it?" Ayaka leaned closer, continuing like she couldn't hear his words. "Then your little 'adventures' messed her up so bad that her family had to drop her in a psych ward to keep her from having a complete meltdown."

"Please stop."

"Do you think she can be trusted around sharp objects?"

"Take that back!" Kenta stood up, and for a moment, the rest of the library seemed to disappear around him. "You have no right to talk about Jeri that way. You don't know half of what she went through, which you would if you were ever actually her friends."

Miki reached out towards him. "Kenta-"

Kenta waved her hand away. "No, the fact that she's still pushing forward says that she's stronger than any of the three of us, so show a little respect." He paused, then pulled up the last bit of resolve he had. "To all of my friends."

"Puh!" MarineAngemon floated back to the center of the table, tiny arms both situated on his waist.

Kenta's eyes went wide. "Come on, MarineAngemon, that language is a little uncalled for."

Turning back to the table, Kenta looked to his classmates, expecting an earful from at least Ayaka, but both were quiet. Miki wouldn't look back up at him, the shame on her face making Kenta feel a little guilty about snapping at her. He would make a decision on whether or not to apologize later, as he was currently unsure if he was even in the wrong.

To his surprise, Ayaka was trying and failing to look him in the eye. There was definitely more of a mix of emotions on her face, but Kenta felt he could pretty confidently find traces of guilt among them. Not feeling the need to pile anything else on, Kenta gathered up his belongings and moved to walk away.

"I'll see you guys later." Kenta moved straight for the door, pausing only one more time to to turn sheepishly to the librarian. "Sorry about the noise."

Before he knew it, they had made past the school gate and stopped at the nearest street corner. Taking one last breath to bring himself back to the present, Kenta turned to MarineAngemon, who fluttered around him excitedly.

"Pih!" MarineAngemon chirped. "I'm so proud of you, Kenta! I know it wasn't easy, but the others would be really grateful if they had heard what you said. Great work!"

"Thanks, buddy," Kenta replied as he pulled his cellphone out of his pocket, knowing exactly what he was going to do next.

He wasn't going waste time with any more vague text messages. He was going to call Kazu directly and finally sort out what was wrong with his best friend.

Or at least that was his intent, right until his scrolling through his contacts was interrupted a notification appearing on his screen. The message was from Riley and Hypnos by extension, and seemed to be addressed to all the Tamers. Already having a pretty good idea what the subject of the message was, Kenta hesitantly opened and read its contents.

"Mega level Digimon expected to bio-emerge in Shinjuku Park within the next ten minutes. Recommend you all meet up and deal with it as a group."

Kenta turned to his partner hovering over his shoulder, who seemed to be reading the message as well, and the two exchanged a nod. It seemed like he would be having his conversation with Kazu face-to-face.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Kenta kept a vice grip on each of his knees, which was all he could do to keep them from shaking. He felt as though he had been on edge all afternoon, and even arriving in the Tamers' common area in Hypnos' basement hadn't done much to change that. He looked to MarineAngemon floating by his side, who seemed calmer than he was, but there was worry in the Digimon's eyes all the same.

Hypnos calling for all of the Tamers to show up for a single bio-emergence should have been the first clue that something was wrong, though the severity still managed to go over Kenta's head. Even the explicit confirmation that they were dealing with a Mega had felt mundane after all these years, and the urgency wasn't felt when he arrived at the agreed meeting point. Kenta had been the first to arrive, though Ai, Mako, and Impmon arrived only a couple minutes after. With Takato and the rest confirming that they weren't far behind, the coming fight was looking to be a standard affair.

That was until MarineAngemon and Impmon sensed a disturbance in the direction of the digital field. The field apparently kept them from picking apart the specifics, but they knew a fight when they felt one, so the group had run on ahead, and it was good that they did.

By the time they had arrived, the digital field had dissipated and Kazu and Guardromon looked like they were in a bad state, so letting the wild Digimon go free in favor of getting their friends back to Hypnos and their medical staff had seemed like an easy decision to make.

Things fell into step pretty quickly after that. Kenta had been pushed out the exam room with assurances that both Kazu and Guardromon would be fine. Kazu's parents had arrived shortly after that, leading the Tamers to move down the hall to the common area for the time being.

Kenta looked up and around the room, to where Takato and Rika were standing. Neither they nor Guilmon and Renamon had sat down since jogging into Hypnos right behind Kenta's group, though Kenta could clearly tell that their worries were different from his.

"Did anyone catch which direction Diaboromon took off in?" Rika asked, arms crossed and fingers tapping against them.

"Not specifically," Takato answered, pausing to scratch the back of his head. "I think they were more worried about Kazu."

"I could try to see if I can smell him," Guilmon suggested, looking around the group for a reply.

"Might be our best option." Renamon nodded and looked to Takato. "Unless Hypnos surveillance has yielded anything new."

Takato shook his head. "They came up empty. Riley said they'd double check though."

Kenta's hands tightened around his knees, stumped in figuring out how his friends' remained so calm, so focused on their duties. MarineAngemon fluttered closer to him, trying to be supportive, though Kenta didn't feel any less uneasy.

"I just don't get how the field disappeared so fast, especially for a Mega," Rika said, frustration subtle but there. "It's not like Renamon and I were kicking our feet. You?"

Takato shrugged. "I mean, I had to stop by home to pick up Guilmon, but we went straight to the meeting point after that."

"Then how did we miss it?"

"Faster materialization rates aren't unheard of," Renamon offered. "Devidramon breached their field before we arrived, while IceDevimon and Makuramon seemed to have been moving about freely long before we discovered them."

"Yeah, I remember…" Rika rolled her eyes before turning to Takato, who was staring off into space. "Takato?"

"I don't know…" Takato hesitated before looking up at the rest of them. "Yamaki called this attack coordinated."

Renamon crossed her arms. "Then the question becomes who would put this much care into their bio-emergence?"

"Could be a new player," Rika put forward.

"Definitely can't rule that out." Takato placed a hand on his chin. "I just can't shake the feeling-"

"Does it matter?" Kenta asked, not shouting though loudly enough that everyone turned towards him.

The rest of the room was quiet at first, awkward glances being exchanged before attention was returned his way. Even just a few hours ago, Kenta would have cracked and folded under this kind of microscope. Not now, though, as too much had happened in that span of time. He caught a glance of MarineAngemon in the corner of his eye, watching him, at a loss for words for the first time that Kenta could remember.

"A little bit," Takato replied nervously. "We need to know what we're facing."

"Takato, our friend almost died," Kenta said through his teeth.

Takato's eyes fell to floor, guilt all over them and the rest of his face. Part of Kenta felt bad himself for putting his friend on the spot, but he also knew it needed to be said.

"I thought Kazu was okay," Guilmon said uncertainly as he stepped forward.

"And he almost wasn't!" Kenta snapped as he jumped to his feet.

To an extent, Kenta could see where his friends were coming from. They had lost people, comrades who fell in battle right in front of them, which made any fight they walked away from small victories. Leomon and Ryo's deaths, however, did not make Kazu's injuries insignificant.

"I just don't get how you can all act like nothing happened," Kenta concluded, his fists still clenched at his sides.

"You need to calm down," Rika instructed, slowly and calmly, like she had been when discussing Diaboromon.

"Why?" Kenta shot back instinctively.

"Because even if we're being insensitive, you're not making things better by telling us how we're supposed to feel." Rika paused to pinch the bridge of her nose. "Look, I'm sorry if my way of coping seems wrong to you, but someone has to work the problem. That way, no one else gets hurt like Kazu did, or worse."

Her voice and demeanor were even and diplomatic, a far cry from the girl that Kenta had gotten lost in the Digital World with. She very clearly still wanted him to just shut his mouth, but now she cared enough to try to be understanding and meet in the middle. It was enough of a gesture that Kenta found himself taking a deep breath and a step back. He was still upset, but he was able to tell himself that staying mad at his friends wasn't helping.

"Right," Kenta said as he sat back down. "Sorry…"

"Don't worry about it." Rika sat herself down on a nearby couch. "We're gonna figure this out."

As MarineAngemon hovered over to Kenta's side, Takato moved to sit down next to Rika. Though the room was suddenly a lot calmer, Kenta couldn't bring himself to believe that the most difficult part of their day was over.

Two scanners separated the Hypnos lobby from the rest of the building. One for humans, the other for Digimon, and both meant to scan for weapons, viruses, and whatever else was considered too dangerous to gain access to the facility. Passing through them was usually simple, yet Terriermon quickly realized he was the only one to do so.

Looking over his shoulder and through the opposite scanner, he found Henry looking over his own shoulder. Behind him, Suzie stood with her phone in her hand, in the middle of typing a text message.

"Everything okay?" Henry asked.

"Just texting Jeri." Suzie set her phone down in a tray being held out by a guard. "She says she's two minutes behind us."

Henry said nothing and stepped through his scanner. He was trying to hide it, but Terriermon could see the stress in his eyes. As for the source of his partner's stress, Terriermon had one or two guesses besides what happened to Kazu, and everyone seemed like they were a bit stressed out since Henry and Suzie walked into the apartment with news of a Mega appearing in Shinjuku Park.

"Sheesh, extra grouchy today?" Terriermon jabbed in Henry's direction, partially because he knew his role, which was to keep a sense of normalcy when things got rough.

"Now's not the time," Henry replied as he retrieved his phone from the guard.

Terriermon snorted. "No kidding?"

"We're in a tense situation," Lopmon offered as she hopped through the scanner.

"Because Kazu got beat up?"

"Terriermon…" Henry warned.

"It was bound to happen eventually," Suzie commented as she passed inside.

Lopmon sighed. "Suzie…"

An odd quiet seemed to fall over them, one that Terriermon wasn't quite sure how to break. Said quiet ended up lasting until they made it to the elevator and Henry pushed the call button.

"Look," Henry began delicately as he looked to his sister. "I know he upset you-"

"I'm over it," Suzie said quickly and confidently.

The chime of the elevator rang out and the doors parted. The four of them didn't waste another second before stepping inside.

Henry raised an eyebrow as he hit the button to take them downstairs. "Just like that?"

"Eh." Suzie shrugged. "Kazu either has the self awareness to understand he was wrong or he doesn't, in which case we'll be back here the next time he picks a fight he can't win."

"That sounds a little callus, Suzie," Lopmon said, looking up at her partner with just a tiny bit of disapproval.

"Because it is," Henry pointed out, less subtle about his disapproval.

"No, it isn't." Suzie stayed focused on the door in front of her. "Callous would be if he died and I made those comment. Instead, he finally learned a lesson."

"Makes sense to me," Terriermon added.

"See?" Suzie looked up at her brother through the corner of her eye.

Henry shook his head. "He's not a moral authority."

Terriermon crossed his arms. "I'm just saying, I bet Rika would agree with her too."

"Please stop talking." Suzie glared down at Terriermon.

Henry sighed and looked forward. "You're both incorrigible."

The elevator door slid open on cue, letting them step out just as quickly as they had entered. The Tamers' common area wasn't more than a few seconds walk from there, though they paused before entering as another trio approached from the opposite direction. Coming from what Terriermon assumed was the bathroom, Ai, Mako, and Impmon walked at a casual pace, though Ai seemed to pick up speed a bit upon noticing them.

"Suzie!" Ai called out, quickly composing herself and bowing when she made it to the door. "Hello, Henry."

Her face seemed to turn red with her greeting, leaving Terriermon scratching his head a bit. He also could have swore he heard Suzie growl under her breath.

"Hey," Henry responded, probably not able to see her face from that angle. He looked to the others. "You guys doing okay over here?"

"I guess so," Mako answered with a shrug, seeming to be unaffected by the afternoon's events.

"Meh," Impmon spat out. His arms were crossed and his attention was focused on the floor in front of him.

"What's wrong with you?" Lopmon ended up being the first to ask.

"That Diaboromon chickened out on us."

"You think that's odd?" Henry asked.

Impmon finally looked up. "The last ones we ran into wanted to gut me, so yeah."

Henry crossed his own arms, pausing and considering for a split second. "It could have been a different Diaboromon."

Terriermon grinned. "Yeah, not everything's about you."

"Somethin' smells off." Impmon quickly refocused forward before Terriermon could say what came to his mind. "No comments."

By this point, the lounge door opened, Takato and Rika stepping out with Guilmon and Renamon just a step behind. They held there for a moment, a subtle signal they wanted to discuss something.

Ai confidently looked upwards. "Well, now that you're here, Henry, I'm sure we'll work this out."

"That's the hope," Henry replied with a friendly and oblivious smile.

"Let's go have a seat," Suzie said through her teeth as she grabbed Ai by the arm.

Ai looked frantically between her and Henry. "Wait, Suzie-"

Suzie gave a gentle yet still firm tug, dragging Ai into the common area with Mako and their partners in tow. Still curious, Terriermon couldn't help but raise and ear as the door closed behind them.

"When are you going to stop this?" Suzie hissed.

"Love is a game of patience, Suzie," Ai replied in kind. "I'll stop when I've won."

"I really don't get either of you," Mako commented as the closed door muffled them further.

"I think the six of us should take the lead on this one," Rika suddenly put forward, clearly not in the mood for any nonsense.

"Don't we always?" Terriermon asked as he looked forward, deciding to file away the younger Tamers' conversation for a later time.

"We work the field, quickly and efficiently," Rika continued without even looking in his direction. "In the off chance the fight comes this way, I think Beelzemon and Antylamon can hold their own against a single Diaboromon."

"Is that the entirety of our plan?" Renamon asked, mainly towards Henry.

"I'm workshopping an idea or two in case Guilmon can't pick up a scent," Henry confirmed.

"And after we track our prey?"

No responses were immediately given, though all eyes had turned to Takato. Even if they didn't always label him as the leader, Takato was at the very least their group's moral compass. As much fun as Terriermon had fun giving him grief, he trusted the boy to steer them in the right direction.

"Business as usual," Takato said, with both somberness and conviction. "With what Diaboromon did to Kazu and Guardromon, we shouldn't bet on them being willing to talk this out."

"Perfect," Rika concluded with a nod. "Since we're all on the same page…"

Rika's thought seemed to trail off, her attention wandering back towards the elevator. Curious, Terriermon turned right around, instantly finding the reason for the sudden silence.

Jeri stood there waiting, patiently and politely. For whatever reason, though, no one seemed interested in picking their conversation back up. It took Terriermon a couple seconds to realize he was in the same boat, almost as though the energy drifting between the humans was keeping him from figuring out how to break the silence.

"Sorry, am I interrupting?" Jeri asked, beating all of them to the punch.

"No, we're just wrapping up," Henry answered, keeping a neutral tone in his voice.

Another pause followed, with Terriermon staying quiet on purpose this time. Knowing that he was missing some context, the best he could do was watch for clues as to why everyone was walking on eggshells. Then he would feel a little better about speaking his mind.

"How's Kazu?" Jeri asked calmly, as she would have with any normal conversation.

"We haven't seen him yet," Takato replied. "Doctor said he should be fine, though."

Jeri waited a second, then took a step forward. "Good, then I'll head inside and-"

"Wait, Jeri, are you okay?" Takato asked urgently, stepping into her path.

Jeri sighed before smiling. "Peachy."

Takato nervously scratched the back of his head. "Sorry, but you've seemed a little off lately."

"Must be all the extra hours I'm putting in at the tavern," Jeri suggested with a shrug.

"It's just…" Takato averted his eyes briefly before locking his vision forward again. "You know we're here if you need someone to talk to, right?"

Almost instantly, Jeri covered her face with her right hand, followed by the sound of air coming out of her nose. Terriermon zeroed in on her, trying figure out what emotion she was hiding. Jeri moved her hand eventually, not only revealing no tears in her eyes, but also that she was smiling and failing to hold in laughter.

"I guess we missed the joke," Terriermon commented, looking to Guilmon and Renamon for help, though they seemed just as focused forward as everyone else.

"I'm sorry, but it is a little funny," Jeri said as she started to compose herself. "Remind me, how often have each of you turned down the same offer from me?"

"The problem is it's a double standard with you," Rika stated defiantly. "You always want to talk about us, but you stonewall us whenever we ask about you."

Jeri frowned. "I'm not exactly sure what you guys want from me."

"Nothing from you," Takato cut in, making his usual effort to play the diplomat. "Just for you to know that you're not alone."

"Well, I feel alone."

A different kind of silence followed, like someone had gone out of their way to stomp on the eggshells that everyone had been walking around. Varying degrees of guilt, concern, and shock seemed to be washing over the group. Given her wide eyes, Jeri had also been surprised by the words coming out of her mouth.

Takato stretched a hand out to her. "Jeri-"

"I know I'm not, for the record, but I have to tell myself so every morning for it to stick." Jeri hesitated, latching her right hand onto her left elbow. "Because there are some days I don't feel whole, and if I stopped to talk about my own feelings every time I felt a little sad, my day would stop."

Terriermon didn't need that specific context explained for that instant. They had all been present when Jeri had lost Leomon, and for as much as she kept close to the chest, she had been more open about her mother's death in recent years. As much as Terriermon wanted to lighten the mood, telling Jeri to moumentai felt too dismissive, even by his standards.

"Sorry if you were expecting some big reveal, or even something you guys could instantly fix," Jeri continued softly. "I'm dealing with this stuff on my own time though, so you don't have to worry."

"And you want us to just ignore you?" Takato asked, the explanation seeming to have made him more upset. "I'm sorry, Jeri, but after what just happened with Kazu-"

"Takato, you don't want to go down this road." All vulnerability seemed to drain from Jeri's face, her eyes suddenly becoming more stern. "When was the last time you actually let yourself get upset?"

Takato's demeanor seemed to crack. "I, uh…"

"You're afraid of your own emotions. Afraid that something or someone will break if you let yourself get mad at any of us." Jeri paused and shook her head. "My point is that you're not really in a position to tell me how I should express myself."

"He's just trying to understand and help," Henry said defensively, having been quiet a lot longer than Terriermon had expected him to be.

"Understand or control?" Jeri turned to Henry with a raised eyebrow. "Then again, being a control freak is more your area, isn't it, Henry? The way your tunnel vision is, I'm genuinely worried about the day you learn that you can't fix all the world's problems on your own."

Terriermon looked back up at his partner, who looked like he was biting his tongue. The worst part was that Terriermon couldn't bring himself to disagree with any of Jeri's words, all concerns he'd had at one point or another over the years he had spent at Henry's side.

"That's enough, Jeri," Rika ordered as she stepped forward, though Jeri seemed unfazed.

"And Rika, who's two for two when it comes to picking fights with herself when the multiverse starts acting up. Should we shift this conversation to you and how worried I am that you might hate yourself?"

The longer the silence between them lasted, the more off his game Terriermon felt. Any other day he would have been able to ask a question or make some kind of comment to distract the group. Eventually, he ran out of time to come up with either.

"You're right, though." Jeri spoke more gently than before, almost apologetically. "Me bottling everything up and expecting the opposite from you is a double standard. Maybe that's all the more reason to try giving each other space more often."

Jeri clenched her fists together and marched through the middle of the group, passing the common area and rounding the next corner she came across. By the time Terriermon finally figured out what to say, her footsteps were out of earshot.

By the time she had turned a second corner, Jeri had to stop, sitting herself down next to the first doorway she came across and pulling her knees up to her chest. Just due to her head spinning and racing, she wasn't positive where she had stopped herself. She didn't consider this section of the Hypnos headquarters a maze by any stretch, but it was also not a place she spent a lot of time in.

Jeri's mind held on that thought, wondering if that was part of the reason she had been so upset with her friends. For obvious reasons, she didn't receive the same notifications of wild Digimon that the rest of the Tamers did, usually learning about them either long after the fact or through more public announcements of larger threats. This would have been fine, except that only Suzie had thought to let her know about what had happened to Kazu, which didn't help the feelings of isolation that Jeri felt from the others sometimes.

In their defense, Jeri knew they thought they were protecting her, but the idea that she was being coddled almost made everything worse. The fact was she had been taking steps to address her recent feelings and behavior, so not only was Takato ambushing her like he had unnecessary, but also a little insulting.

Of course, she also knew that she had been in the wrong with the way she had just spoken to her friends. Jeri was committed to apologizing to them once she found the courage, though that came with another uncomfortable thought. With how overprotective they could be, she worried that they would try apologizing to her, and that could potentially be enough to start the whole cycle again.

The whole scenario felt less upsetting and more frustrating, so much so that Jeri's first instincts were to lash out. Balling her fist, she swung it backwards and slammed it into the door she was sitting next to.

The sound of the impact wasn't met with any kind of response, or at least not at first. After a couple seconds, shuffling noises came from within the room. As the door opened, Jeri was almost too embarrassed to turn to see who she had disturbed. She did turn, however, being greeted by a pair of black jeans, which she followed upwards past a shirt of the same color to find blue eyes staring down at her.

"It's not locked," Alice pointed out, casually gesturing towards the door.

"My bad…" Jeri replied, at a loss for a more appropriate response.

At first, Alice said nothing, taking a moment to scratch her temple while not taking her eyes off Jeri. In the few interactions they had, Alice didn't typically give off a lot of obvious emotion, making her a bit difficult to read. That said, Jeri was getting the sense that the girl was less annoyed and more curious.

"So the whole gang got called in for this one?" Alice asked as she sat down next to Jeri, stretching out one of her legs while lifting up her other knee to rest her arm on.

"I guess so," Jeri answered, deciding to humor the conversation. "You?"

Alice nodded. "Henry asked me to come."

"I guess he would…" Jeri replied awkwardly, her previous feelings of isolation from her friends coming up again. She knew Alice had become an asset to the team, so she tried not take Henry's choice personally.

"I still look to my right sometimes."

"Come again?" Jeri raised an eyebrow, almost wondering if she had dozed off and missed the context of the statement.

"For Dobermon." Alice looked to the opposite wall. "Even after all these years, there are small moments that I catch myself expecting him to be there."

The intention for their current conversation finally clicked for Jeri. Again, the two of them didn't talk much, but they knew enough about each other to recognize the one thing they had in common, which Alice was clearly trying to make use of now.

"Part of me hoped that feeling would go away," Jeri confessed, not seeing the point in denying it.

"So far, seems like getting used to it is the best we can do." Alice paused, then looked back to Jeri. "Maybe that's for the best, though. It means we haven't forgotten."

Jeri nodded. As much as she went out of her way to circumvent her own emotions, the last thing she wanted to do was forget her lost loved ones.

"Basically, the way forward is a work in progress," Jeri summarized.

"Well, I do know one thing." Alice spoke louder and clearer, like she was finally getting to her point. "A lot of people won't understand you, but you've got friends who at least make the effort to try."

"And what if I'm punishing them for trying?" Jeri asked, unable to shake her guilty conscience.

"Well, if you're just looking to avoid uncomfortable conversations, moving to a different continent is a way to go." Alice's deadpan made it difficult to tell whether she was joking or completely serious. "I doubt things are actually that bad, though, so I would see what your friends think before you commit to a move."

Jeri smirked, regardless of what Alice's intent had been. She meant to thank her, but almost like she sensed the intent, Alice instantly stood back up.

"Anyway, I'm gonna have to finish sorting through this scrap if we want to find that Diaboromon." Alice stepped back through the door and gently closed it behind her.

Jeri made a mental note to ask Henry what the best way to thank Alice was. In the meantime, she wanted to see to her other friendships, and she had a good idea as to where to start.

Upon arriving at the infirmary, Jeri made the decision to wait a couple minutes before entering. This choice payed off, with the resident doctor stepping out with Kazu's parents just behind. Having gotten the best moment she was going to get, Jeri pushed through the door.

Once inside, Guardromon was the first occupant she took notice of. Tucked in a corner of the room without much in the way of traditional medical equipment, he seemed to be sleeping soundly. Jeri wasn't so surprised by this, knowing that Digimon recovered from injuries differently from humans, plus Guardromon's body being made of some Digital World metal meant there wasn't much to be done for him once he stabilized.

Kazu sat opposite his partner in a nearby bed, left leg in a cast and elevated by a harness. He was conscious, with Jeri struggling to decide whether that added to or took away from her relief. He eventually noticed her approaching, greeting her wide and surprised eyes.

"You feeling any better?" Jeri asked, stopping at but not sitting in a chair at the foot of the bed.

"Doc say my leg's not broken, so there's that," Kazu answered nervously. "Get the feeling that walking's gonna be a bitch for a little while, though."

"At least that's something…" Jeri replied awkwardly, realizing that she hadn't put much planning into what she was actually supposed to say.

Apologizing was not her intent, as she had already done so as much as she was going to in their last conversation. She supposed damage control was more her goal, to see how repairable their friendship was and make the effort to get things back to normal. Again, though, she was kind of winging it in regards to what that entailed.

"I don't like you." Kazu's words snapped her back to the present.

Jeri's expression sank. "I guess you wouldn't…"

"W-Wait, n-no, that's not what my stupid mouth meant to say!" Kazu's eyes got wider as he started flailing his arms about. "What I meant is I don't like like you."

"Good?" Jeri tilted her head, confused though not necessarily upset by the direction this conversation was heading in.

Kazu collected himself, little by little. "Look, I've been denying a lot of stuff lately, and I was taking some of that out on you, which led to me acting… well, you know."

"Insecure, stubborn, and kinda like a pig."

"Okay, ouch." Kazu crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "Just because it's true doesn't mean it doesn't sting a bit."

"Sorry…" Jeri anxiously fiddled with her fingers and briefly averted her eyes. "I'm still coming down off the high of telling off the others."

"No kidding," Kazu commented, interest piqued. "How'd that go?"

Jeri counted on her fingers. "I told Takato he's emotionally repressed, called Henry a control freak, and accused Rika of hating herself."

Kazu snorted. "Eh, well, I'm sure they'll forgive you."

"So I keep hearing…"

"Speaking of…" Kazu hesitated, then looked directly at her. "I'm sorry. Sorry for putting you in that position, and sorry for how I treated you afterwards."

"Kazu-"

"And if you can forgive me, I'd really like to go back to being friends."

A pause followed, with Kazu very clearly on the edge of his seat as he waited for a response. Taking a couple more seconds to think on it, Jeri could think of only one way to do so. She frowned and averted her eyes, and in the most dignified way she could, finally sat down.

"I'll have to think about it." Jeri held her pose for a little longer, before looking at him through the corner of her eye and putting on a gentle smile.

"Yeah, yeah…" Kazu rolled his eyes, then gestured to the end table at the foot of the bed, on which was what looked like a thin, wooden back scratcher. "Can you pass me that? It feels like a family of lice is having a rave inside my cast."

Jeri pinched the bridge of her nose. "For the record, that is the grossest way you could have phrased that."

"Please, that's not even the grossest way I thought of just now."

Quickly and accurately, Jeri grabbed the stick and whipped it in Kazu's direction. As she had absolutely predicted, he caught just before it hit his face. With that, she leaned back, deciding to let normal patterns find their way back from there.

Chapter Text

Alice flicked the needle of the Geiger counter in her hand, without much intent behind her actions. She knew it wouldn't help, more likely to damage the device than get it to run more efficiently, but the gesture helped her to better focus on the task right in front of her. She glanced at the hand-sized monitor she had wired to the device, the breakdowns of her scans so far not showing any new information.

A sudden tick of the needle caught her eye, leading Alice to quickly change directions as she walked across one of the craters left behind by the previous fight with Diaboromon. Unfortunately, this shift caused her to directly cross paths with Guilmon, forcing both of them to stop in their tracks.

"Sorry…" Guilmon said nervously as he lifted his nose off the ground.

"It's fine," Alice replied quickly, having lately been making the effort to not take out her frustration about how she could be easily distracted on others. Besides, not only had both she and Guilmon made an honest mistake, but he was also the most mild of the distractions in the immediate area.

Henry stood at the edge of the crater, and though he was currently quiet, Alice was getting glimpses of what was going on behind his eyes every time her eyeline wandered in his direction. She wouldn't say that he looked angry, but he was clearly concerned and possibly a little upset that he had lost their last debate. After assembling the device she was currently operating from old Hypnos equipment, Henry's expectation had been that Alice would not be joining the Tamers in the field, a notion she was quick to shoot down.

Then there was Rika, who stood off to the side while having a conversation on her cellphone. While she seemed to be making an effort to keep her voice low, she still spoke loudly enough that she could be plainly heard.

"Aren't we always?" Rika asked, a brief pause quickly following. "Don't answer that."

Another pause followed, the other end of the call clearly saying their piece, with Rika rolling her eyes at least once.

"I promise I won't start any fistfights." Rika looked down at the crater and then to the rest of the group.

Rika shook her head, though now a warm smile had found its way to her face.

"Of course you don't…"

She pinched the bridge of her nose, though she kept smiling.

"See you later, Jeri," Rika concluded as she ended the phone call.

She returned to the group shortly after, moving herself to stand in between Takato and Renamon. She seemed to spend a moment taking in the whole scene, before directing her attention forward again.

"You guys find anything yet?" Rika asked none of them in particular.

"Nope," Guilmon answered with a shake of his head.

"Potentially," Alice put forward, checking her Geiger counter one more time.

"How's that thing supposed to find a wild Digimon when we can't?" Terriermon called down from his spot on Henry's shoulder.

"Because it's not scanning for the Digimon." Alice turned back around to face the group again, each of them with an expression on their face that seemed to be asking her to elaborate. "It's scanning for everything else."

"Like what?" Takato asked with a genuine interest in his voice.

"Tally mentioned that this Diaboromon was using garbage data to hide its presence, and I'm still picking up feint traces of that." Alice paused to look through her readings again. "I'm also scanning for traces of interdimensional energy as well."

"Should we be worried about that?" Henry asked, a bit more urgently than the others.

"Well, it has been at least two weeks since our last incident, so we might be due." Alice shrugged and looked back up at him. "Readings are negative, though."

"Does that thing play MP3's too?" Rika commented snidely.

"It also doubles as an E-reader."

Another tick of the needle drew Alice's attention back in, cuing her to take a few more steps in that direction. The readings didn't increase in intensity, but they remained consistent. Calling up what leads they had actually started the night with, the readings seemed to be leading her in the direction Diaboromon had fled in.

"There's a trail," Alice summarized as she stepped out of the crater and motioned towards the treeline.

"We following or what?" Terriermon asked eagerly.

"We should be cautious-" Renamon began before cutting herself off to look intently in the direction Alice had pointed towards. "Movement."

Guilmon and Terriermon followed suit, staring off into the brush. Every one of them knew that their target was concealing its scent, so there was no way of knowing what they were dealing with until they confirmed contact. They all remained still and waiting for a few seconds.

"Hm…" Terriermon broke the silence first, raising a hand to his chin. "Give me a sec."

He propelled himself off Henry's shoulder and into the foliage. The area around them went silent again, though this silence was interrupted a bit more abruptly.

"Eep!"

"Do Diaboromon sound like that?" Alice asked, though she felt like she knew the answer.

"To be fair, I've never had a conversation with one," Renamon replied, squinting as she looked forward. "With that said, my personal biases insist that they don't."

As a group, they moved forward and emerged onto the nearest path. Once out in the open, it didn't take much analysis to deduce what they had previously heard. Terriermon stood by two high school girls, both looking like they were dressed for jogging. If Alice had to guess, the two of them had fallen backwards when Terriermon had jumped out of the bushes and scared them.

"Yep, like I figured," Terriermon commented, sounding almost disappointed.

Their nervousness and confusion came across as genuine to Alice, but she also believed in double checking her work. Holding her Geiger counter above each of their heads, she waited to make sure the needle didn't move and the screen didn't present any new data. Satisfied, she turned back to the Tamers.

"They're clean." Alice paused, hovering her device over the path and seeing the needle wiggle somewhat. "Trail leads this way."

"Cl-Clean from what?" asked the first girl, who had curly brown hair and glasses.

"Foreign garbage data used to mask digital signatures." Alice paused again, noticing the counter's needle had gotten stuck once more.

"And you needed a gizmo to tell you that?" the second girl asked, her having long black hair and sounding noticeably more confident than her friend.

"Digimon can be tricky." Alice took a couple more steps to see if it helped her readings. Against her better judgment, she shook the device in her hands to see if she could get the needle to come loose.

"Not to nag on you for being thorough, but are we done here?" Rika asked impatiently as she stepped closer.

"Nonaka?" the second girl asked, looking past Alice as she stood up.

Rika's expression sank as she turned to the girl. "Ah, crap."

Terriermon raised an eyebrow. "You know them?"

"They're in her class at school," Renamon explained as she approached her partner's side.

"You don't say…" Terriermon looked up at them, a slight smirk forming at the corner of his mouth.

"Toshiko and Kayoko, if I'm not mistaken." Renamon indicated the girl with the glasses and the one with the long hair as she spoke.

"Sh-She t-told you our names?" Toshiko asked, still nervous as she stood up and inched closer to Kayoko.

Renamon shook her head. "I just pay attention when your instructors take attendance."

"That's creepy," Kayoko stated, crossing her arms and looking the kitsune up and down.

Renamon hesitated for half a second, eyes getting slightly wider. "I prefer to think of it as being observant."

"The two ain't mutually exclusive, bushy tail."

"Why are you even out here to begin with?" Rika cut in, sounding more impatient than she had just a moment ago.

Kayoko pivoted in Rika's direction. "What, you own this park or something, Nonaka?"

"Not remotely what I meant," Rika said through her teeth as she crossed her own arms.

"Toshiko's giving me some pointers on running and breathing exercises," Kayoko elaborated, the tone of her voice lightening, almost taunting. "You wouldn't know this being the class recluse and all, but she's the school's resident Leg Queen."

"Please don't call me that in front of other people," Toshiko requested, her face turning red as she buried it in her friend's back.

"Learn to take the compliment, Toshiko." Kayoko reached around and pinched the shy girl's cheek, causing her to retract even more.

"Sorry, don't mean to interrupt…" Takato carefully stepped into the middle of the conversation. After nodding to Rika, he turned to face her classmates. "I'm Takato, by the way. What I think Rika's trying to say is that tonight's not the safest night to be out running."

Kayoko looked Takato over, much like she had Renamon. "What are you, her translator?"

"Among his many other titles," Terriermon said as he climbed onto the top of Takato's head.

"Let's not start this…" Takato said softly as he looked up at his new passenger, before facing forward again. "Didn't you guys hear the news announcement about the Digimon on the loose?"

"We in fact did…" Toshiko muttered.

"And maybe one a year is as bad as those warnings make them out to be," Kayoko said nonchalantly.

"Because they do their jobs," Toshiko insisted, sounding the most confident she had since they met.

"Are we ready to keep moving yet?" Henry whispered to Alice, having moved to stand to her right while everyone else was occupied with the discussion going on amongst them.

Refocusing, Alice looked back down at her counter and slapped it with the palm of her hand. "Almost…"

"So when you're not taming, are you in a band?" Kayoko asked, having put Rika back in her sights.

"Rika's our lead singer," Terriermon claimed excitedly.

Rika jabbed a finger into the Digimon's face. "I swear to whatever digital deity you believe in-"

"She really is a good singer," Guilmon added, though his expression sank the second Rika glared back at him. "Sorry…"

"Why are you asking this?" Rika asked her classmate, clearly fighting against her promise to Jeri about not starting any fights.

A sly grin came to Kayoko's face. "The boys are still wearing their school uniforms, and you've got this whole punk rock thing going on. Not that I don't like it, but it sticks out."

Alice couldn't bring herself to disagree. All of the other Tamers had shown up at Hypnos still in whatever they had been wearing that day, with the one possible exception being that Takato was wearing his usual pair of goggles. Only Rika seemed to have taken time to change, and if Alice didn't know any better, she would have claimed that Rika was wearing the exact same outfit that she had been wearing when they met fighting the D-Reaper all those years ago.

"I'm not in a band," Rika answered, holding onto what was left of her composure.

Kayoko's grin widened. "So it's a vanity thing."

"I really like this one," Terriermon chirped, unable to take his eyes off the confrontation.

Alice, on the other hand, was starting to lose interest in the whole scene. The issue was that their best method for following their one lead wasn't cooperating, likely a crossed wire or something similar due to how quickly she had made her modifications. The best she could do short of opening the device back up and attempting repairs was to stare at it and wait it out, with both options wasting time as far as she was concerned.

"Is it broken?"

Turning to her left, Alice suddenly became aware that Toshiko had walked away from her classmates' standoff. Upon realizing that she had Alice's attention, however, Toshiko quickly averted her gaze and tried to hide her face with one of her hands.

"N-Not that it's any of m-my business!" she added just as fast.

Alice hesitated for one more second, then shrugged. "No more broken than when I put it together."

"That's a sh-shame." Toshiko looked up, maintaining semi-consistent eye contact. "Guess there's no way of figuring out where this Digimon is going instead, huh?"

At first, Alice was ready to dismiss the idea, given how little they knew about this Diaboromon's motives. Then, almost like getting kicked in the back of the leg, she suddenly realized that that assertion wasn't entirely true. Shuffling some leftover pieces in the back of her mind, she began to put together the beginnings of an idea.

"Toshiko, right?" Alice asked, looking intently at the other girl.

"That's my name," Toshiko confirmed, her cheeks turning a little red again.

"Your talkative friend should listen to you more often." Alice spun around to her right, finding Henry waiting for her.

"We ready?" he asked, to which she nodded.

Henry looked to his friends in front of him, Takato being the first to take notice. The two exchange their own nods, and from there, it was clear they were back on the clock.

"We should let them get out of here," Takato suggested to Rika as he gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I think we should head in the opposite direction," Toshiko told her friend as she took hold of her hand, having once again snuck across the group.

"But I didn't get to challenge her to karaoke yet," Kayoko pouted.

"You'd lose," Rika insisted as the two of them walked away from her.

"I'll believe it when I live it, Nonaka," Kayoko called back before the pair committed to leaving.

Taking the cue, Alice turned right around and resumed following their initial trail, though now with a slightly different plan.

The Geiger counter managed to pull itself together just long enough to help them pick a direction. It wasn't much, but it was what they needed for the moment. Everyone seemed to be walking at attention, though the tension they had been feeling when investigating the battlegrounds had passed, at least for most of them.

"Is everything alright, Rika?" Renamon asked as they stepped into another of the park's open areas.

"Just what were the chances of running into them here?" Rika grumbled, hands stuffed in her pockets and eyes on the ground in front of her.

Alice couldn't keep herself from attempting to do the math. Factoring the number of people who lived in the city and how many of them frequented this park on a daily basis, the encounter did feel like a stretch. Granted, there were plenty of other factors that they couldn't account for, but the numbers weren't quite adding up when left simply to random probability.

"Chances are pretty high if the encounter was by design," Alice said as her train of thought concluded itself.

Rika looked up and arched an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you believe in destiny and garbage like that."

"Not specifically." Alice paused briefly, not quite having any theories to offer instead. "That said, coincidence and I don't see eye to eye either."

"Cryptic much?"

"When it suits me."

"I think what she's saying makes sense," Takato said with notable hints of optimism in his voice. "As much as I believe we choose our own destiny, it does kinda feel like things get dropped in front of us sometimes."

"Free will and destiny are two different things," Rika argued. "They can't exist in the same space."

Renamon turned to her partner. "Unless we assume the universe operates under the principle that certain points are fixed and it's up to each of us to choose a direction when we reach them."

"Like picking what you want to eat for breakfast," Guilmon suggested enthusiastically.

Renamon shrugged. "Honestly, I'm struggling to come up with a better analogy."

"But then what are the fixed points in this theory?" Henry asked, his tone a bit more thoughtful and serious than his friends'.

"Our sample size of alternate realities isn't that large in the grand scheme of things," Alice pointed out, having put a significant amount of thought into the topic in her own time. "We'd have to fall into quite a few more of them to begin to piece together that list."

"You're not suggesting that we start poking holes in reality again, are you?" Henry's eyes lit up with any concern that wasn't in his voice.

"Not actively." Alice maintained direct eye-contact with him, hoping it would ease his worries. "Though if and when the next opportunity presents itself, I'd like to collect more data."

"Well, I'll pass on that field trip if it's all the same to you guys," Rika put forward, a bit more aloof than she had been at the top of the conversation.

"Yeah, maybe it's for the best," Takato added sentimentally. "Besides, I like the way things are in our reality."

"And there he goes…" Rika rolled her eyes, though the tone of her voice stayed soft. "Guess you can't end the night without one corny line, right?"

Takato hesitated, then smiled. "You don't seem that bothered by my lines."

"Says who?"

"Your face, right there." Takato reached out, pointing a finger at the corner of her mouth.

"No it doesn't." She quickly batted his hand away, though with a minimal amount of force.

"Sure it does." Takato brazenly lifted his hand back up. "You're smiling, right in the corner of your mouth."

To his credit, a small but indisputable smile had appeared on Rika's face. In response, she grabbed hold of his hand and moved it back downwards, though didn't let go this time.

"So you're an expert on my face now?" Rika teased, any pretense that she was annoyed now completely dropped.

Takato nervously scratched the back of his head with his free hand. "Potentially…"

"Henry…" Terriermon whined as he poked at his partner. "Takato and Rika are being gross again. Tell them to stop."

"Sure, I'll reprimand them in a minute," Henry replied with no commitment in his voice.

"You joke, but you don't know what they might get up to once they get started." Terriermon crossed his arms and glanced towards the Tamers in question. "Guilmon says their scents have been all over each other. Like, more than usual."

"G-Guilmon!" Takato shouted, his and Rika's faces both turning red.

"Oh, you know he can't keep a secret!" Terriermon scolded.

"I try my best but sometimes my mouth does things without my brain's permission," Guilmon added sheepishly, now seemingly unable to face any of them.

"Seriously, how do you think we found out it was Suzie who wrecked the shed? He let slip to Impmon who told everyone else."

"Sorry…" Guilmon repeated for what felt like the hundredth time that night.

Alice quickly withdrew her attention from the exchange going on around her as they made it to the edge of Shinjuku Park. Stepping onto the sidewalk, Alice looked out into the city in front of them. While not devoid of life and traffic, it still managed to seem quieter than usual.

She checked the needle of her Geiger counter one more time, finding the readings acceptable for their current purposes. Switching the device off, she turned back around to face the group.

"Alright, the best I can tell, Diaboromon exited the park here and headed straight that way," Alice explained as she pointed directly behind herself.

"Maybe he wanted to go shopping downtown," Terriermon commented.

"How do we know he didn't change directions?" Rika asked evenly.

"Kazu and Kenta's accounts," Alice answered in kind. "They each describe a Digimon with a goal but not one who seemed all that discreet. While we still don't know what their goal is, I'm willing to bet they headed straight for it."

"So our best course of action would be to follow their supposed trajectory," Renamon summarized.

Alice nodded. "We can alert Hypnos to focus their scans for anomalies and narrow our search."

Terriermon sighed. "So we still have a bunch of walking to do?"

"Like you were planning on doing any walking period," Rika pointed out.

"Snacks would help," Guilmon said confidently, prompting a nonverbal conversation to break out amongst the group.

Takato took half a step forward. "Well, if you guys aren't against a quick detour, I can remedy that."

Alice didn't see any benefit in disagreeing. Once messaged, Hypnos would need a brief window to adjust their search parameters, which gave them a quick moment to spare. Plus, she didn't remember seeing any of them eat dinner before they left for the park. Even regardless of any of that, until the wild Digimon made a move, they were playing a waiting game anyway.

Leaning against a wall in the alley outside the Matsuki bakery, Alice took the moment of quiet to look over her Geiger counter, to see if there were any quick repairs or adjustments she could make in their current environment. Nothing was standing out, which annoyed her despite telling herself that it was out of her hands. Alice also conceded she had the option of focusing her attention elsewhere while half of their party parsed through the bakery's leftovers.

Henry and Renamon remained outside as well, the former standing at Alice's side while the latter stood by the opposite wall. Renamon didn't seem to be paying them much mind, and even if she secretly was, Alice didn't worry about the fox Digimon having Guilmon's trouble with keeping other people's confidence. Henry, on the other hand, kept glancing her way as though he had something to say to her.

In Henry's defense, Alice wasn't much better off in this exact scenario. Not all that long ago, she wouldn't have hesitated to be blunt about what was on her mind, but things between them felt different now. Alice often found herself not only feeling obligated to consider Henry's feelings, but actively wanting to as well. She had trouble putting a label on what their current relationship was, and not out of some naive misunderstanding of romantic relationships.

If anything, Alice's confusion was down to a misunderstanding about herself. Watching Takato and Rika flirt with each other, and then their reactions to Terriermon's accusations of physical intimacy between them, Alice felt a familiar wall that she had always been vaguely aware of between her and her peers. The truth was that she often didn't see the appeal of said physical intimacy, and couldn't even say that she wanted it to appeal to her. To Henry's credit though, and perhaps adding to why she had become so attached to him, he didn't seem much more interested in that aspect of a relationship than she was.

Still, putting labels and conventions aside, Alice knew her feelings for Henry were different from what she had felt towards other peers in the past. Whatever they ended up calling their relationship, she wanted to explore it and see what it developed into, and she knew that involved communication.

"Is it what I said about exploring alternate realities?" Alice asked, lowering the Geiger counter to her side so she could focus.

Henry hesitated, avoiding her gaze just long enough to tell her that her assertion had been correct. She waited for him to choose his words, and he eventually faced her again.

"Have you ever thought about following through on that?" Henry responded, confident but also gentle in his tone, telling her it was a genuine question and not him looking for a specific answer.

"Once or twice," Alice confessed. "Chances are there are realities where Dobermon is still alive, and maybe even one where he is and I'm not. Part of me thought it'd be worth it to be with my friend again."

"I can't say I'd feel much different in your shoes," Henry replied with clear sincerity.

"The rest of the time it's just a hobby though," Alice added quickly, hoping her own sincerity came across. "Hypnos isn't devoting a lot of resources into studying this multiverse phenomenon, so it is a bit novel feeling like I have my own field of study."

"So no plans on leaving then?"

Alice sighed. "I suppose this is the part when you say you'd miss me."

Henry smirked. "As a matter of fact, I would."

"Good," Alice replied with a nod. "Then I promise to stay in our reality."

Alice glanced up at the night's sky, taking a deep breath before letting her instincts kick in. For a reason she couldn't quite articulate, she bumped the back of her free hand into Henry's. It took a split second for him to respond, but their fingers started clumsily latching onto one another until they were interlinked.

"So…" Henry began awkwardly. "Enjoying the field work so far?"

"It's been enlightening." Alice turned to face him again, narrowing her vision. "Where's this going?"

"It's just…" Henry paused and looked away for a couple seconds, causing a number of suspicions to flare up in her brain. "You usually decline when I ask if you want to spend time with the others."

"Sometimes I'm busy." Alice paused as well, tempted but not wanting to break their streak of open communication. "Just because I don't physically attend school doesn't mean I don't have my own studies to keep up with."

While her words were truthful, she knew they weren't the complete truth. The pair of them had had a couple brief discussions about Alice's attempts at readjusting to her old life after she played her part in defeating the D-Reaper, but Henry didn't often push the subject. While she liked to think of herself as past it, Alice also admitted that letting her guard down was still a bit difficult.

Henry gestured into the bakery. "Okay, but when you're less busy, the others seem to like you."

"Takato seems like he's innately friendly to most people." Alice's thought process paused, to put a similar label on Jeri as well. She quickly shook her and returned her attention to Henry. "Rika seems less taken by me."

"Relatively speaking, the two of you are actually getting along pretty well." Henry looked across the alleyway. "Renamon?"

"By my estimation, yes," the kitsune confirmed.

Once again being honest with herself, Alice admitted that she had not hated the night so far. Even through the moments where her attention wandered, she hadn't felt like she was on the outside of this particular group, more just not used to the patterns the six of them clearly fell into. Also, her being a regular member of the team was clearly important to Henry.

"Okay…" Alice conceded. "I'll check my calendar."

Before Henry could reply, Alice leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder. Doing so was an experiment on two fronts, to see if she could end their current discussion, and to determine if she found the position comfortable. The first objective was a success, and she was confident the second would be so as well with some minor adjustments.

The door to the bakery suddenly unlatched, quickly followed by Henry's cellphone starting to ring. Pushing themselves off the wall, Alice stepped over to the others to let Henry take the call. Unsurprisingly, they were mid-conversation.

"Just imagine it for a second, Takato," Terriermon said confidently, a roll in his hands as he sat on Guilmon's head. "Terriermon Bread! It basically sells itself."

"Yeah, I'll bring it up at the next staff meeting," Takato replied with hints of sarcasm, pausing to look over to Henry. "What's up?"

"Not sure yet," Alice answered. Henry's body language said he was more confused than worried.

Takato looked on for another second before presenting Alice with the brown bag in his hand. "Want something? You have your pick."

"As long as what you pick is bread," Terriermon added without skipping a beat.

"Lack of choice doesn't seem to be bothering you," Rika commented just as quickly.

Alice tuned out the bickering for the moment, peering into the bag before picking a roll that was a respectable likeness of Guilmon's head. No sooner had she gotten a look of approval from the Digimon in question did Henry make his way back over to them, at which point she refocused on the present.

"That was Riley," Henry explained without being asked. "They don't have a reading just yet, but they want us back to following our lead as soon as possible."

"Was that it?" Alice asked, something not quite sitting right with her.

Henry crossed his arms. "She didn't say anything else, but she sounded a bit more urgent than when we left."

"Better get back to it then," Takato concluded, looking to Alice again.

Understanding the request to find them a heading, she turned to face the street in front of the bakery. Without another moment's hesitation, she led her friends forward.

Chapter Text

Organizing her modify cards had always felt like a contradictory activity to Suzie. Leafing through them one at a time, the obvious intent should have been to arrange them in the order that was most efficient in a fight. Except the glaring flaw in that logic was that every fight was different, and there would always be cases where the number of unknowns made setting a reliable card order impossible, let alone setting a perfect one.

Some choices were a given, like putting a throwaway card on the top of the pile. That way, she had something to transmute into a Blue Card so that Lopmon could digivolve to Ultimate. Suzie also liked to keep Vaccine cards within her reach, as a leg up on the Virus types she felt like the Tamers were always facing. Beyond that, though, she sometimes wondered if she might as well shuffle her deck like she would in a match.

To be fair, it wasn't like she had much else to do in the infirmary room the remaining Tamers had gathered in while Henry's group searched for Diaboromon. Looking outward, most of them hadn't moved since the last time Suzie had checked on them. Lopmon sat on top of her head, attentive and patient as ever, and likely wouldn't move unless prompted to.

A little ways away, Ai and Mako sat on opposite sides of an end table they had moved, having cut their own deck of modify cards and seemed to be sorting them into piles. Despite their silence, arched eyebrows and fluctuating expressions meant they had still found a way to argue with each other. Impmon sat on the floor at the foot of the table, leaning back against it with a neutral look on his face.

Kenta occupied a chair at the foot of Kazu's bed, the two of them and their respective partners only recently having paused their small talk as a courtesy to Jeri. She was the only one in the room making any noise, wrapping up a phone conversation with Rika if Suzie had been hearing correctly.

"Just be careful out there," Jeri requested, the concern in her voice genuine.

Jeri paused, listening to Rika's reply. In the middle of said pause, a smirk appeared on her face.

"I know you guys will be fine." She paused again, this time to lean back in her chair. "Honestly, I'm more worried about you and Alice being together."

As Rika gave her reply, Jeri's smirk and eyes widened.

"Oh, I'm not worried about that. I just don't want you two becoming best friends behind my back."

Jeri's eyes closed for a moment, clearly her efforts to hold back laughter.

"Remember, she'll never love you like I do!" Jeri insisted, putting an extra dose of fake drama into her voice. After one last pause, she hung up her cellphone.

"Everything seem okay?" Kenta asked almost instantly.

"Sounds like it," Jeri answered, mostly confidently.

"Relax, Kenta," Kazu cut in, apparently having gotten some of his bravado back. "That Digimon was tough but he wasn't that tough. Honestly, having to face all three of them, I almost feel sorry for him."

Suzie found herself wishing the night could be that simple. In the more recent years, she would usually have pushed back against being left behind while the older Tamers fought a dangerous wild Digimon, but this time she hadn't. Not that she was remotely scared of this Diaboromon, but she felt like her rash judgment over the last couple months was finally catching up with her.

As if to drive the point home, Suzie looked back down at her cards and found one with the image of an Ophanimon staring back at her. Potentially having the ability to rip a hole in reality, she wasn't even sure she felt comfortable calling this option a wild card. With this in mind, she made it a point to place this card at the bottom of her deck, to know exactly where it was but also to not be within easy reach.

Suddenly feeling a bit more antsy, Suzie pocketed her cards and stood up. The possibility that Diaboromon could be targeting Hypnos wasn't lost on any of them, and Suzie understood what her current responsibilities were. Whether she would actively patrol or just ended up wandering around to stretch her legs, she walked out of the room, avoiding eye-contact with the rest of her friends as she did.

Stepping out into the empty hall, Suzie glanced both ways, unsure of which direction to pick. A slight shifting of the weight on top of her head delayed her making a final decision.

"What's on your mind, Suzie?" Lopmon asked, though their connection and her previous view of Suzie's cards meant she likely had a few guesses. "I mean, besides me, of course."

"Just thinking," Suzie answered as she turned to her right and started walking.

"About what?"

"More just in the general sense." Suzie paused after only a few steps, stopping to lean herself against the wall. "I don't even know what I'm worried about. Tonight's just another night."

"Still, it doesn't hurt to be prepared," Lopmon replied warmly, a soft smile appearing on her face.

Suzie paused, looking down at the floor and then back up at her partner. "I feel like I've forgotten how to do that."

Lopmon shrugged. "Maybe you have."

"Well that's not very encouraging."

"I-I was going for honest." Lopmon nervously scratched her face, clearly still not completely comfortable with being forward despite years of encouragement and practice.

Suzie sighed. "I guess everyone else would agree with you."

"The others want you to think through your actions, which isn't wrong, but that doesn't mean you should ignore your instincts," Lopmon explained, gaining her confidence back. "I still trust them, and so should you."

"Which is fine until I screw something up again." Suzie's eyes were drawn to the cards attached to her waist.

"And that's when your friends step in to help you," Ai's voice suddenly chimed in, drawing Suzie's attention to the left where her, Mako, and Impmon stood just outside the infirmary.

"Besides, it's not like we haven't beaten Diaboromon before," Mako added casually as he and his sister moved to stand on opposite sides of Suzie.

Ai frowned and shook her head. "Mako, we almost didn't make it out of that fight."

"Eh," Impmon piped up as leaned against the wall next to Mako. "We was outnumbered that go around. Now we got the numbers advantage."

"Good to know someone isn't lacking confidence," Lopmon commented quietly, in one of her rare instances of sarcasm.

Suzie giggled under her breath, though kept her focus on Ai and Mako. Nods and smiles were exchanged between the three of them, assurances that the twins had Suzie's back and that she had never doubted that fact.

They might have even gotten around to verbalizing some of those thoughts had the lights above their heads not started to flicker.

Jeri caught up to them just as Suzie hit the call button on the elevator, with a halfhearted story about wanting to take a walk. Suzie couldn't think of a reason to try and dissuade her from joining them, and with Kenta having apparently volunteered to keep Kazu company, she supposed it wouldn't hurt to have one of the older kids present.

After a short walk following stepping off the elevator, their group was standing in front of another security checkpoint. A few minutes of bureaucracy later, they were allowed entry to the main Hypnos hub, which seemed to be as busy as could be expected given the day's events so far.

"Jeri!" Calumon's voice broke through all the noise as he flew over to greet them.

"I've been wondering what you've been up to," Jeri replied as the little Digimon landed in her hands.

"I'm helping Tally fix her flying chair," Calumon beamed as they moved to the center of the room.

"He's quite the attentive supervisor," Tally confirmed, a wire stripper in one hand and a handful of cords in the other. By the look of things, her control panel had seen better days.

"What brings you up here?" Yamaki asked calmly, not moving any closer from his spot in the middle of the hub.

"Just a hunch," Suzie answered innocently, rocking back and forth on her heels as she glanced over the many monitors around her. While she was far from a tech expert, she liked to think that living with Henry and her father would help her spot something if it were out of place. "Is the electric bill payed up?"

Yamaki held is vision on her for about half a second before looking upwards again. "The building's power faltered right before Diaboromon bio-emerged. We're running diagnostics and internal scans as a precaution."

"Internal scans as in something might have found its way into this building?" Jeri asked, remaining calm though clearly at attention.

"Like he said, just a precaution," Riley called down from her workstation.

"But what if we do got a visitor?" Impmon insisted.

"Building security is increasing patrols in key areas."

"We should be helping them," Suzie stated, both firmly and instinctively. "A wild Digimon smart enough to get in here is too dangerous for them to face alone."

Yamaki nodded. "Have the security checkpoint give you radios on the way out, to keep in touch."

"Alice sent up some info to narrow our search parameters," Riley relayed down to them. "Should I tell the away team to come back in?"

"Negative." Yamaki clicked his lighter. "A wild Mega still takes priority. Check in with them and tell them to redouble their search efforts."

Suzie had no intention of sitting around and waiting for more orders to be doled out. With one last look to Ai and Mako to make sure they were on the same page, she turned back around to the hub's entrance.

Suzie poked her nose into a couple empty office cubicles, which were apparently workstations for daytime staff that didn't factor into dealing directly with the threats Hypnos defended against. Whichever department this was, however, it didn't seem to be the intended target.

Looking over her shoulder, Jeri followed just a step behind, having chosen to partner up with Suzie while Ai and Mako took the floor above. No reports from them or the building's security had been made, and with Riley having said she would let them know the second anything abnormal was detected, all that they seemed to have been left with was an uncomfortable silence.

"You know you don't have to be searching with us, right?" Suzie told Jeri, a voice in the back of her head feeling as though the words needed to be said.

Jeri shrugged aloofly. "Well, I can't very well search alone, especially with Calumon moonlighting as a Hypnos tech."

"You know what I mean." Suzie didn't need to be psychic or even particularly intuitive to see through the older girl's deflection.

"I do, on both counts." Jeri's expression became a bit more muted, not quite sad but also not happy either. "Sometimes I forget you're about as old as we were when the Digimon first appeared."

Suzie hesitated, knowing full well that Jeri knew better than anyone that her place wasn't in the field. If Suzie was being completely honest, though, she preferred having Jeri around over her other older teammates. Jeri listened to and heard everything she had to say and always looked to her as a capable member of the team, which alone was a stark contrast to Henry's overbearing personality, Rika's attitude, and Takato's short temper. Of course, there were more factors to consider than just that.

"It's not that I don't want you around," Suzie said eventually, just managing to keep eye-contact. "I'm just worried I can't protect you as well as the others could."

That worry was justified as far as Suzie was concerned. She and Lopmon still hadn't bio-merged, or even gotten the latter to digivolve to Mega like Impmon could. Granted, this wasn't something they had ever actively pursued, but it was still a disadvantage they carried into a fight. Adding that to the questions the Ophanimon card hard raised in regards to Lopmon's origins and latent potential, Suzie wasn't sure she was fit to be protecting anyone.

Jeri's smile suddenly came back. "Funny, but that's almost word for word what I was thinking."

"Where does that leave us?" Lopmon piped up softly.

"That depends," Jeri replied with another shrug. "You guys mind humoring me while I try anyway."

Suzie slowly smiled, a feeling similar to what she had felt earlier with Ai and Mako coming up. Despite her obvious restrictions, Suzie still trusted Jeri, and knowing Jeri, it was that same sentiment she was trying to communicate.

"We got something," Riley's voice said through the radio in Suzie's hand. "At about the same time the lights flickered, a maintenance log appeared on our main internal server, which is not something we would have approved given current circumstances."

"Then what's the play?" Suzie asked into the radio.

"The server's on the floor just below the main hub. I'll meet you there."

Without waiting for any kind of confirmation from one another, they made a beeline straight for the nearest stairwell. Conversation didn't pick back up, the only audible sound from them being their footfalls as they ran upstairs. Suzie couldn't help but a feel a little uneasy, mostly for the typical reasons associated with running into battle with an unknown enemy, but something else was poking the back of her brain that she couldn't quite place.

The line of thought didn't have any time to go any further as they rounded a corner and arrived at an empty security station in front of an open door. Riley arrived at about the same time, though any greetings were cut short by screaming coming from the server room.

"Ai!" Suzie yelled as it clicked who the voice belonged to. She barged inside, and became instantly aware of what had triggered that reaction from her friend.

Two members of the Hypnos security staff lay completely still on the ground. Ai knelt down in front of them, hands clasped over her mouth and eyes wide with shock. Mako steadied himself against a nearby wall, though didn't take his eyes off the scene either.

"No, no…" Ai muttered.

"Guys, we don't gotta wait here," Impmon pleaded as he walked to each of his partners and ineffectively tugged at them. He paused when he realized everyone else had stepped inside.

Suzie approached slowly, noting the guards' blank expressions and discoloration around their necks. Whether they had been strangled or had had their necks snapped, Suzie's medical knowledge didn't go deep enough to say. She looked to Jeri, who had a neutral expression on her face as she knelt down next to Ai and put a hand on each of the girl's shoulders. Meanwhile, Riley only paused for about a second before stepping past the bodies and over to a nearby computer monitor.

Letting it all sink in, Suzie found that she was more angry than distraught. Angry at the Digimon that had done this, maybe. Angry at Yamaki for ordering the guards to step inside without one of the Tamers nearby, or if that hadn't been the case, angry at the guards ignoring orders to wait. Angry at herself for being too many steps behind this intruder.

"Contact confirmed," Riley said calmly, pausing to look over her shoulder. "Two casualties in the server room."

"Damage report?" Yamaki replied instantly over the radio.

"None that I can see. It looks like they were trying to access information." Riley hit a few keys, then tilted her head at the monitor. "These are tech specs for the Danger Room."

"Get down there."

It took a false start or two, but the group eventually found their footing again. Now down several floors and moving as a group, the Danger Room wasn't more than a few steps away. Suzie couldn't come up with an idea for what the intruder wanted the Tamers' training facility for. While she understood how impressive the technology was, she didn't know what use a Digimon would have for it.

Once again, though, the line of thought went no further. Just as they began to close on their destination, Lopmon shifted uneasily from her spot on Suzie's shoulder.

"What's wrong, Lop?" Suzie asked as she slowed down slightly.

"Metal footsteps," Lopmon answered, throwing herself upwards without a moment's hesitation.

She began to spin rapidly, the little brown twister making contact with the nearest ceiling panel. The impact caused the panel to fall out of place, and with it, a lamp-sized cylinder with arms and legs fell at their feet.

With a mostly metallic body and glass casing making up the top of its head, Suzie didn't need her D-Power to identify Datamon. While not particularly intimidating, she knew she was facing an Ultimate and made it a point to not let her guard down.

"Quite perceptive," Datamon said as he picked himself up. "Though now I know what areas my Data Cloud falls short in."

"Think on it while you still can!" Riley snapped as she took a step towards the Digimon. "This is your first and last eviction notice!"

"After all the strings I pulled to distract you from my materialization, do you really think I'll scare so easily?" Datamon raised his hands up, in some kind of ready position. "I've already dirtied by hands with your human germs once today, and I'll gladly do so again."

"You're nothing but a little monster," Ai growled, with a quiet anger that Suzie had never seen from her friend.

"Am I now?" Datamon's voice quieted some as he narrowed his vision. "And what is it you intend to do with me then?"

"Take you down!" Mako shouted as he moved to stand next to his sibling. "Impmon!"

"Right!" Impmon leapt forward to position himself in front of his partners, all three ready to charge forward.

Suzie suddenly realized what was about to happen. "No, guys, wait-!"

Too little, too late as Mako clamped a hand down on the DigiVice Ai was already holding. It lit up, as did Impmon, giving way to his digivolution into Beelzemon.

It was at the end of the process, however, that the flaw in their plan became evident. Beelzemon finished his transformation in hunched-over position, the only way he could fit in this hallway. If everyone's current lack of mobility wasn't concerning, Datamon's grin at facing a Mega certainly was.

The little metal Digimon sprang forward, latching himself onto Beelzemon's face. Using all the strength and momentum he had and then some, he pulled Beelzemon downward, shifting just enough to slam the Mega's face into the floor.

With the same motion, Datamon outstretched a free hand, launching tiny missiles from his fingertips and blowing the nearest door off its hinges. Before the smoke could clear, he scampered through the doorway.

"He's going for the Danger Room," Suzie grunted as she climbed over Beelzemon.

"Go after him!" Riley called out. "I'll head for the control console and try to lock him out."

Suzie didn't even bother to give an affirmation. With Lopmon in tow, she sprinted forward and down a small stairway, eventually emerging in the room in question.

Deactivated as it was, the Danger Room was just a paneled box, with completely blank surfaces save for the observation window where the control console was located. At its current scale, it was large enough that Antylamon could fit inside it, but not big enough that she would be able to effectively fight. Suzie was considering the use Lopmon's Champion form when the sound of a panel being ripped off a wall directed her attention to the opposite side of the room.

"Contemptable fleshbags," Datamon said irritably as wires from his own person seemed to integrate into circuitry he had just exposed. "You unleash your D-Reaper on our territory, our world, and then deem it fit to exterminate us when we attempt to find sanctuary elsewhere."

"What is your plan here?" Suzie asked, her and Lopmon carefully stepping closer to their enemy.

"Retaking what you stole from us." Datamon paused, looking around the room before grinning again. "I begrudgingly admit that what you stole you also improved upon, though that only makes it more fitting that we use it to destroy you."

Suzie grabbed her DigiVice. "Is that all you need to hear, Lop?"

On cue, Lopmon flew forward, though Datamon didn't so much as flinch. With a gesture of his hand, the Danger Room came to life, rocky surfaces now coating the walls. Said walls began to shift around them, causing both Suzie and Lopmon to hold in place, at least until it became clear what was about to happen.

"Lop, brace yourself!" Suzie called out, reflexively ducking down and trying to shield her head with hands.

Not that she expected that to do much as the walls and ceiling came crashing downwards with the obvious intent of crushing them, though luckily, the impact never came. Opening her eyes again, Suzie saw the walls slowing down and even retracting some.

"Persistent fleas," Datamon muttered, slack on the wires attached to him giving him room to walk away from the wall he was plugged into.

Suzie stood up straight, also noticing some slight shaking and distortion on the walls around them. If she had to put money on something, her bet was that this was Riley's doing. Their cave-like surroundings never faded, but Riley's save had left them a tunnel right towards Datamon.

As Datamon continued his clumsy hand gestures, individual rocks began to wriggle themselves free from the walls, indicating that he still had some control over the environment. Feeling current circumstances were more than manageable, Suzie pulled the first few cards from the top of her deck and picked the one she thought would be most helpful.

"Digi-modify!" Suzie slashed the Gatomon card through her D-Power, just as the rocks began to fly.

With her new catlike reflexes, Lopmon ducked and dodged out of the way, eventually leaping closer to Datamon. Now within striking range, she pulled her arm back.

"LIGHTNING PAW!"

Lopmon threw her punch, clocking Datamon in the face and sending him sliding backwards. Extending one of his mechanical hands, Datamon tried to counterattack, though Lopmon was able to easily sidestep out of the way. Closing the distance again, her tiny fist connected a second time and managed to knock her opponent off his feet.

Clearly annoyed but not defeated, Datamon stretched his arm out in Suzie's direction. Feeling the rocks beneath her feet start to loosen some, Suzie returned her attention to her surroundings. Nearly tripping over herself as the rock under her foot gave way, Suzie dove and rolled aside, just barely dodging the rocks falling from above her head.

"Suzie!" Lopmon desperately called back to her.

"You traitors are too easily distracted!" Datamon taunted, having taken the opportunity pick up a sizable rock himself and slam it on top of Lopmon.

Her partner now pinned and barely back on her own feet, Suzie tried to think of a new plan. What ended up worrying her most wasn't so much that she had no ideas, but that one specific one stood out to her, and it was sitting at the bottom of her stack of modify cards.

Suzie was nervous that her earlier doubts and the corner she was backed into were coloring her thoughts, and that there was a more obvious answer she was overlooking, which didn't even account for the unknown side effects the Celestial energy would have in their current setting. Still, control of the Danger Room gave Datamon too huge an advantage, and they needed a way to flip the fight upside-down, either by wrestling control away from him or shunting him out of it.

Unfortunately, Suzie had let herself hesitate. Another rock fell towards her, grazing her arm and causing her to drop her DigiVice. Before she could reach to grab it again, Datamon's mechanical hand extended towards her, grabbing her by the throat and dragging her back towards him.

"As I said, only fitting," Datamon said sadistically as he squeezed.

Too far away to even ineffectually kick at the Digimon, Suzie grabbed and pried at the hand currently choking her. She couldn't think, not even having enough air to cough. The thoughts she could form were less fear of her death and more disappointment in it. After everything she had been through, she didn't want to die, not here and not like this. She wanted to keep fighting, and she felt like she could make it happen if she had just a little more leeway.

Just as her vision started to dim, almost as though her thoughts had been heard, a purple blur arched over her head and landed next to the arm that was holding Lopmon in place.

"Guess who's back, bucket head!" Impmon shouted as he grabbed hold of the arm and tugged hard.

Suzie felt the vice grip on her throat loosen some, not enough that she could free herself but enough that she could breathe. She glanced in the direction Impmon had come from, finding a small but significant hole had been taken out the digital zone, also likely courtesy of Riley. Through it, she could see the Danger Room's entrance, as well as Ai and Mako holding their D-Power and whatever modify card had made their partner so spry.

There was some movement behind them, but Suzie found her eyeline drawn forward again. Behind Datamon, Jeri approached holding a fire extinguisher, which she bashed into the shoulder that was holding Suzie upward.

"Let her go!" Jeri slammed the extinguisher down a second time, this time succeeding in getting Datamon to release Suzie so he could swing at her instead.

Suzie dropped to the ground, though not before noticing the gap in the digital zone get slightly bigger. Adrenaline kicking back in little by little, Suzie sat upwards, seeing that Datamon had knocked Jeri backwards some and was approaching her.

"And what did you expect to accomplish with that?" he asked, almost manically.

"This." Jeri aimed the fire extinguisher, this time using it for its designed function, spraying the wiring connecting Datamon to the Danger Room before turning it on the Digimon.

Datamon raised his right arm to block the foam, not hurt but now overtly angry. He screeched and grabbed for Jeri.

"BLAZING ICE!"

Suzie turned at the sound of one of her partner's signature attacks. In the chaos, Impmon had finally lifted the rock on top of Lopmon, giving her a chance to flash-freeze the extinguisher foam.

Significantly slowed but not stopped, Datamon continued at a crawl's pace towards Jeri. He might have reached her, had another metal arm not entered the fray, essentially chopping off Datamon's frozen arm and the frozen wiring in one swing.

"Hands off the lady, brigand!" Guardromon commanded.

Datamon screeched again, bringing around his remaining hand and letting loose another handful of little missiles. Guardromon grabbed Jeri to shield her, though the barrage never made contact, intercepted by a heart-shaped barrier. Suzie looked to her left one more time to confirm Kenta and MarineAngemon's presence.

It was at this point that the rock tunnel around them began to dissolve, confirmation that Riley had regained control. Datamon's eyes darted around the room like he had lost his sense of direction.

"No…" he hissed, a new set of wires ejecting from him as he scrambled back to the exposed wall panel.

Now officially done with whatever game their intruder was playing, Suzie looked over her shoulder and located her missing D-Power. Knowing exactly what needed to be done, she dove backwards and reclaimed the device. Her throat sore and muscles aching, she pulled out her now infamous Ophanimon card and swiped it with no fanfare.

As Datamon plugged back in, Lopmon began to glow, white tendrils emitting from her person and embedding themselves into the digital landscape. The zone began to condense, phasing through all of the room's occupants but one.

Like a gravity well, the Danger Room's contents crashed into Datamon. His last screams sounded incoherent to Suzie, though she admitted that could have been because she had zero interest in anything he had left to say.

Eventually, the digital remnants dissipated, leaving the Tamers and their partners surrounded by nothing but a paneled box. With that, Suzie finally let herself exhale.

"So where did you send him?" Suzie asked her partner, who had returned to her spot on top of her head as they walked back to Hypnos' main hub. Her voice was raspy and it still hurt a little bit to talk, but Suzie's curiosity got the better of her.

"I don't think I sent him anywhere," Lopmon answered as she thoughtfully scratched her chin.

"How's that?" Impmon chimed in. "Didn't you use them crackly Sovereign powers of yours?"

Lopmon stared off into space. "Well, yes, but once I had my footing, I didn't see the need to push past any dimensional barriers. I just felt Datamon pushing and I pushed back."

"So basically you sent him to oblivion," Suzie summarized, unable to resist putting on a playful smile.

"Please don't phrase it like that." Lopmon hid her face behind her ears, possibly even blushing under her fur. "You're making me sound like one of my old coworkers."

Suzie found herself laughing and coughing at the same time.

"So's warpin' reality somethin' she can just do now?" Impmon asked, causing all of them to perk up and listen attentively. Eventually, all eyes fell on Riley.

"That might be more a question for Shibumi," she offered, raising her hands defensively. "Though I know the Danger Room distorts space, so might have been more of a tandem effect with the environment you were occupying."

Suzie was okay with accepting that explanation for the time being. She knew Henry would have plenty of questions and theories once they relayed the story to him, so it wouldn't hurt to leave the subject on a shelf for a little while.

Besides, it was at that point that they made it to their destination. Stepping back into the hub, it was about as busy as when they had left, which Suzie couldn't quite decide if she would label as reassuring or disconcerting.

"Did we find that Diaboromon?" Riley asked as they made it too the center of the room.

"We have another problem," Yamaki replied without taking his eyes off the map of the city. "Our guest sent a sizable data packet out from inside the Danger Room."

Riley's eyes lit up as she looked upwards. "Can we trace it?"

"Easily," Tally answered, now back in her usual chair with Calumon sitting on the headrest. "Little glitch must have been in a hurry."

"Where'd it go?" Ai asked nervously.

"Looks like somewhere in Ichigaya."

"Ichigaya?" Suzie muttered to herself, something about that section of the city clicking in her mind. She couldn't place why at first, but then the events of the day started to fall together, forming a very specific picture.

First had just been Datamon's tone and demeanor. While the Tamers had struck down many wild Digimon over the years, he didn't seem to be talking in the general sense when he brought up their actions. His experience with them seemed more personal than that.

Then there was his fixation on the Danger Room. Hypnos had not limited their studies to digital fields when developing it, branching out to any and all digital phenomenon they came across, and Tamers had had run ins with quite a few.

Lastly was just the simple web of different evolutionary lines all Digimon were capable of. There were plenty of different Digimon that Datamon could potentially digivolve from and into, but one possible Mega form was currently staring them right in the face.

"What's wrong, Suzie?" Jeri asked suddenly, likely having picked up on how lost in thought she was.

To be fair, Suzie couldn't blame Jeri for not instantly hitting the same conclusion she had. While Jeri had been given plenty of first hand accounts on the day of the incident, she had missed it in its entirety. Suzie herself hadn't even been at the center of the invasion, though memories of it still stood out. Her throat still sore, she summarized with a single word:

"Parasimon."

Chapter Text

Rika still rejected the idea that this night had anything to do with fate. Yet there was a small corner in the back of her mind that couldn't bring itself to be surprised. She wasn't happy in the slightest that it was a Parasimon that she and her friends were currently pursuing, but it made a certain amount of sense to her that they would eventually come up against a foe that would take losing a bit too personally.

Burying her frustration for the moment, though, Rika skidded to a halt at the approximate address that Hypnos had sent their way. Despite not being completely covered by an invasion of wild Digimon, the neighborhood managed to feel familiar enough. As Takato and Guilmon and then Henry, Alice, and Terriermon arrived at her side, they looked outwards for their target.

"There," Renamon pointed out, casting a paw upwards at a corner building.

Diaboromon stood on the rooftop, looking like they were staring into space. Looking closer, it became quickly apparent that the Mega was not alone. Whether by intent or just the failing of its camouflage, the spidery silhouette of a Parasimon could be seen attached to the side of the same building.

Rika felt the skin on her back manage to both go cold and start to squirm as she traced the outline, following a long tentacle into the back of Diaboromon's neck. Apparently, for all the new tricks Parasimon had learned to get itself here, it still fell back on the old favorites.

"Priority?" Henry asked urgently.

"We cut Diaboromon loose from the mind control if we can," Takato answered. "Still, be careful. We don't know exactly what their plan- woah!"

The bulb of the streetlight above them burst, electricity beginning to stream out of it. Every other light followed suit, as did every building and electronic device in their line of sight. The power began to pool upwards into a sphere above them, and it was only then that Rika was able to recognize the volume of data being drawn together. Then, just as Diaboromon leapt up into the sphere, the intensity picked up.

Henry, Alice, and Terriermon braced themselves at a nearby bus stop. Guilmon just managed to wrapped his tail around the streetlight post while grabbing onto Takato's waist just as his partner started to be pulled off the ground.

Rika felt her own feet lift off the sidewalk, though didn't go up much further before her own partner appeared at her side and snatched her out of the air.

"We ready?" Renamon said into her ear.

"You even have to ask?" Rika confirmed as she pulled her D-Power off her belt. Concentrating as the device began to glow, she held it tightly against her chest.

The light enveloped the two of them, resulting in a familiar alteration of self and purpose. Syncing their thoughts and movements, Sakuyamon burst from the light, first order of business being to help the Tamers regain their footing.

Pointing her staff downwards, the shaman called up a set of barriers, securing her friends and holding them in place. One less thing to worry about, Sakuyamon turned back around, bracing herself for what might come next.

As the winds started to die down, the data sphere slowly sank to ground level. Only about three or four stories tall, its surface was mostly transparent with a pink hue to match the armor of a Parasimon, though the chaos of energy and data at its center still obscured inside activity.

Feeling the environmental hazards had passed, Sakuyamon eased her grip on her barriers. With quiet affirmations from her friends, the group carefully approached the sphere.

"Anyone else think that was a little excessive?" Terriermon commented.

"Interesting…" Alice took one more step forward, flicking on the Geiger counter she had been lugging around all night and pointed it at the sphere. "It is excessive, and a bit of a convoluted plan, but they got where they wanted to go in the end."

"You still sound impressed," Henry pointed out.

Alice shrugged. "I respect the hustle."

"What exactly did they do?" Rika asked impatiently through her Mega form, not remotely in the mood for banter.

"When a Digimon dies in the Digital World, assuming they aren't loaded, their data is recycled by the digital ecosystem. Not so much the case here." Alice let her counter fall to her side as she turned around to face the group. "The data is dispersed, but it doesn't have many places to go on the material plane."

"I'm sensing an 'unless' buried somewhere in that lore dump," Terriermon chimed in, next to no amusement in his voice.

"All that data…" Guilmon took half a step closer, eyes glued to the sphere. "It smelled like Parasimon."

Alice placed a hand on her chin and looked over her shoulder. "It could have been a consequence of destroying such a large concentration of them in one place, maybe add some lingering effects of the Sovereigns' Gift…"

Henry crossed his arms. "In other words, Parasimon's data has been embedded in this area's digital infrastructure, waiting to be woken up."

"And that's where the Danger Room's architecture comes in," Alice continued, taking one more glance at the counter at her side. "It lets the lone survivor drop a digital zone in the middle of the city so they can operate under Digital World rules."

"Which allows the dormant data to be absorbed," Renamon added, shifting Sakuyamon's vision back to the sphere's center.

There, the data settled, a small but distinct shadow taking shape. Visibility cleared even more, revealing a six-legged figure with a pointed tail. A black shell and purple underside led up a horned head with a gaping jaw.

"Armageddemon…" Henry said uneasily as he stared down at his DigiVice's holographic display.

"Aren't they supposed to be enormous?" Takato asked nervously.

"That one probably is," Alice replied, almost eerily calm. "Remember, the Danger Room displaces mass and data to allow freedom of movement to those within its confines."

"Which means…?" Terriermon asked, leaning closer with a raised eyebrow.

Alice sighed. "The zone is bigger on the inside."

"Why didn't you just say that?"

"I thought I did."

"This actually might be a good thing," Takato said, his conviction suddenly coming back.

Terriermon snorted. "You mind explaining this silver lining for us?"

Takato gestured to the sphere. "If we get in there and defeat Armageddemon before they escape, we stop it from doing any damage to the city."

"Sounds like a plan," Rika confirmed, having no objections on the matter. "You guys ready?"

Takato nodded, moving to stand next to Guilmon. Henry did similar, though hung back for an extra second.

"You better get clear," he said to Alice.

She shook her head. "It won't do me any good."

"What data are you basing that on?"

"The data that says I'm not going anywhere." Alice took a short walk back to the bus stop bench, sitting to make a point.

Henry raised a hand as though he had more to say, but immediately lowered it before turning around to take a couple steps towards the data sphere. As he approached, Rika clocked the disappointment on his face, though whether that was from not being able to convince Alice to leave or in himself for having started the argument in the first place, she couldn't know unless she asked him.

Putting off side conversations for the moment, however, Rika raised Sakuyamon's left gauntlet and tapped a finger against the digital zone in front of them. A small but notable shock ran down her forearm on contact.

"Quirky…" Rika commented, softly enough that only her partner heard her.

"But not impenetrable," Renamon replied confidently, planting the base of their staff on the ground.

Another of Sakuyamon's barriers wrapped itself around their group, before slowly lifting off the ground and pushing into the opposing sphere. There was some resistance, energy sparking as they forced their way through, though it was only a couple seconds before they breached their enemy's defenses. Noting Takato and Henry pulling out their own DigiVices, Rika released her hold on the barrier.

With a pair of light shows to match her previous one, her friends transformed as well. Henry and Terriermon merged into the towering green mechanoid that was MegaGargomon, thrusters on their back igniting to keep them airborne. Takato and Guilmon became Gallantmon, though their Mega form's inability to fly meant they immediately started gliding downwards.

Gallantmon eventually found his footing on one of the many pieces of debris floating around them. Rika assumed the chunks of rock were just constructs of the digital zone, instead choosing to focus on Armageddemon, who floated at the center of the zone as though gravity didn't apply to them.

"Where do we even start with this thing?" Rika asked, noting their opponent being just as large as Alice had said they would be.

"Maybe the Trinity Burst can take them down?" Takato suggested.

"The problem is that if we miss, we'll be completely vulnerable," Henry pointed out.

"In other words, we gotta soften 'em up first!" Terriermon called out enthusiastically, MegaGargomon shifting into an attack position.

"GARGO MISSILES!"

MegaGargomon's shoulder mounted artillery let loose, the two yellow projectiles sailing across the zone and hitting their mark. Armageddemon lurched, apparently stunned by the attack. Intent on keeping them that way, Sakuyamon directed her staff forward.

"AMETHYST WIND!"

A cloud of petals materialized around and converged on their target. Armageddemon stayed in place, maybe even stuck their due to the nature of their evolution, though seemed more irritated than hurt. Their jaw opened, a glow emanating from the back of their throat.

Luckily, a lightning bolt struck Armageddemon's jawline, one that Rika knew could be traced back to Gallantmon's lance. Armageddemon flinched on impact, causing the fireball they were about to shoot to fly off course and hit a random piece of debris.

Sakuyamon braced herself, shielding her face against the resulting heat and shockwave of the impact. She quickly recovered, expecting their opponent to stay on the offensive. Instead, Armageddemon stayed completely still, eyes fixed on the floating rock Gallantmon stood on.

The whole digital zone suddenly began to shake, almost as though it were upset. Armageddemon let out a roar that echoed around them.

"Crimson Death!"

"I think they're talking about you, Takato," Terriermon put forward without skipping a beat.

"Yeah, well I know they're talking about me!" Takato countered in kind.

Armageddemon started to convulse and drool, their eyes rolling up into their skull. A pair of spindly legs fell out of its maw, followed by the unmistakable tendrils and bulging eyeball of a Parasimon. The iris shrunk as it zeroed in on Gallantmon, the white of the eye becoming bloodshot.

"Okay, I'm gonna vomit," Rika said, mostly joking.

"Looks like a DNA Digivolution that didn't quite take," Takato offered, clearly put off, though not quite as much as she was.

"It looks like a target," Renamon stated, to which Rika couldn't disagree.

The three Megas nodded to each other, all knowing what their course of action was. Gallantmon leapt upwards first, leading the way forward. Sakuyamon and MegaGargomon flew after him, all set to converge on Armageddemon's mouth.

Parasimon seemed prepared, launching its tendrils at them. Not at all interested in a repeat of their last encounter, Rika threw Sakuyamon's fist forward, hurling a trio of spirit foxes at the oncoming tentacles and dissolving them.

The way clear, Sakuyamon drew closer to Gallantmon and MegaGargomon, the energy of their "Trinity Burst" crackling to life and starting to surround them. All seemed well, until Armageddemon shifted its center mass.

Pods on their back opened up, though instead of launching another attack, more of Parasimon's tentacles emerged. Caught off guard by the sudden counterattack, the three of them didn't have time to dodge. The last thing Rika felt was a cold and familiar jab in the back of her neck.

Being out of breath didn't stop Henry from continuing his sprint down the hallway. He did find himself slowing down for half a second, losing his train of thought as to where he was even going. He quickly wrote the lapse off as mental exhaustion, however, finally arriving at the door to his apartment.

The key to the lock seemed to get stuck, leading Henry to very seriously consider breaking the door down. With another couple of seconds of applied force, the latch came undone, allowing him to throw the door open. Not even bothering to take his shoes off, he sprinted just a couple more meters.

Henry hesitated at the sight of his family's living room. Furniture and electrical appliances were overturned and thrown on the floor without any real pattern behind them. A breeze caught his attention, drawing his eyeline to the living room window, which had been smashed inward by whatever had broken into the apartment.

Though the most notable source of dread was plainly visible outside of the broken window. Above the Shinjuku skyline, a crackling rift was opened, pouring energy and chaos downwards. Worse still, the hole in the world seemed to be descending, with no answer as to how to stop it anywhere in sight.

"H-Henwy?"

Turning right around at the voice, Henry found Suzie huddled up on the one upright couch in the room, fingers wrapped tightly around her DigiVice. She seemed so… small, almost wrongly so. Henry quickly shook his head, telling himself it was all the cuts and bruises on her person that made his sister seem so helpless. Having hesitated enough, he approached her.

"Suzie!" Henry reached out for her, though slowed down and held in place when she recoiled from him. "Where is everyone?"

"They're gone," Suzie answered, tears in her eyes and her voice catching. "Mommy, Daddy, Lopmon… all gone."

"It's okay." Henry tried approaching again, not sure what else he could say. "I'm here now."

"Where were you?" Suzie jabbed an accusing finger in his face, finally giving him a good view of her D-Power. The casing was cracked and the screen displayed nothing but static.

"Suzie-"

"I was so scared!" She stood up, screaming and crying in his face. "I though my big bwother was supposed to protect me!"

Henry reached out again. "I can still-"

"No you cant!" Suzie reeled back, hurling her DigiVice in his direction.

Henry ducked out of the way, turning around just quick enough to watch it fly out the broken window. Having succeeded in distracting him, Suzie ran past him and deeper into the apartment. Henry tried to follow her, but gave up after hearing the slamming of her bedroom door. After all, he had already failed her.

The air in Rika's bedroom went cold, causing her to jerk upright. Setting her MP3 player aside, she slowly stood up, at first unable to put her finger on what was out of place. Then she listened, the sound of whispers surrounding her, getting louder and clearer as though they were getting closer.

"She's finally alone. What do we do?"

"Kill her now?"

"Make her suffer!"

"It's just a game, after all. Make her play!"

The room around her distorted, the shadows quickly sharpening and taking shape. Even as outlines, Rika recognized them all. Lynxmon, Vilemon, Allomon, and plenty of others looking to join them. The chill in her spine deepened as a white, demonic wing appeared in her peripheral vision.

"We would have been so perfect together…"

Rika immediately turned on her heel, running for her bedroom door. She flung it open, before stepping outside and slamming it shut again and causing everything to go quiet.

Except now everything was a little too quiet. Rika craned her neck, an uneasy feeling forming in the pit of her stomach. She took careful steps, reluctantly trying to follow the feeling to its source.

"Mom?" Rika called out as she walked. "Grandma?"

She picked up her pace as she moved from room to room, opening and closing doors and finding literally nothing. Bedrooms had no furniture, and the refrigerator and kitchen cabinets were barren. It wasn't even as though the place had been ransacked with things removed in a hurry. It was almost like the house had always been empty.

Her heart-rate becoming irregular, Rika broke into run as she bolted out of the kitchen. The run didn't last, however, as the house's backyard caught her eye. She slowed down, but couldn't bring herself to calm down.

The first thing Rika noticed as she stepped onto the grass was how dull it was, how the blades seemed to crunch and break as she walked over them. The pond that had been the yard's centerpiece was dried up, not a single sign of life within. It was what was at the center of the yard, however, that caused Rika to freeze in place.

A single playground swing, squeaking as it swayed ever so slightly back and forth, despite there not being a breeze of any kind present.

Besides clearly not belonging, the swing made Rika angry, right to her core. She marched over to it, ready to tear it down with her bare hands if she had to.

Once her hand made contact, however, a cold jolt took ran down the base of her neck to the bottom of her spine. She fell backwards, hitting the grass hard, just as her surroundings seemed to close in on her. She looked away from the swing, feeling like the silence and emptiness was screaming at her.

Takato felt hopeless as he dragged himself along a path in Shinjuku Park. He had just caught sight of his intended destination, a sight that caused him to go numb.

The utility shed that he and his friends had spent so much time in was almost completely gone. The walls, gate, and ceiling had been knocked over, leaving nothing but a crumbling foundation. Adding insult to injury, its destruction seemed inconsequential to what had happened to the rest of his surroundings.

The sky was a hazy orange, like it had been set on fire. The woods that usually concealed the shed were completely leveled, providing a clear line of sight to the surrounding city.

Or, more accurately, it would have provided a clear line of sight were there a city left to see. From his current spot on the shed's steps, Takato couldn't see a single building taller than a single story left standing.

"How…?" Takato whispered under his breath, mostly unable to form thoughts.

"Isn't it obvious?"

Takato turned back to the path, a figure in a dark gray hoodie standing there, glaring daggers back at him. Goggles cracked and darkness in his eyes, Takato wished he couldn't recognize his own face.

Takato hesitated. "Why did you-?"

His other self shook his head. "Not me. Not alone. This is who we are. Who you are."

There was no deception in his counterpart's eyes and voice. Not that Takato had any doubts to begin with. If anything, he questioned more how he ever tried to deny to himself what he was capable of.

As if to drive the point home, something between a roar and a scream echoed in the distance. Realization hitting, Takato sank to his knees.

Crouching down to steady himself, Henry couldn't think of anywhere else to place blame but himself. He could have prepared more, done more research, and come up with some kind of plan or solution to prevent the worst from happening. He had let his sister and everyone else he cared about down, so felt he deserved no less than having to resign to his fate.

"Henry…"

Holding her knees tightly against her chest, Rika knew it was her own fault that she was alone. She had pushed her family away, kept herself closed off from them and gave no incentive to stick around. For so long she held onto the idea that her isolation was her strength, but that couldn't have been farther from the truth. In reality, her drive to be the best and leave everyone else behind had been to cover her own weakness.

"Rika…"

Unable to look upwards, Takato simply held himself in place. The longer he sat there, the more resolved he was to just stay there. He was dangerous, so dangerous that the entire city had payed the price just for letting him walk freely within it. At the mercy of his own rage, everyone else would clearly be safer if he just died here on the shed's stoop.

"Takatomon…"

Henry spun around at the sound of his name being called, to an armchair turned on its side. Leaning up against it, Terriermon stood with his arms crossed and an impatient look on his face.

"Look, I get she'll always be your little sister, but still not comfortable with that being the version of her your subconscience conjures up." Terriermon looked past him, a brief twitch coming to his eye. "Way too many bad memories."

"Terriermon?" Henry spoke slowly, as his thoughts caught up with themselves. Inconsistencies with Suzie's appearance and the lack of specifics of the crisis outside registered to him, and memories of the unfinished battle in Parasimon's digital zone returned. "We're still fighting Armageddemon, aren't we?"

Terriermon stood up straighter. "Cool, since we're all caught up, can we get back to squishing that bug?"

"Except this doesn't change anything." Henry's body suddenly felt heavier despite his mind clearing.

"How so?" Terriermon asked, his eye twitching again.

Henry shook his head. "I wasn't ready for this fight."

"Moumentai, Henry," Terriermon said as he approached, the tone of his voice softening some. "It's not like Parasimon sent out a memo about a second invasion this morning."

"Still, I could have done more to prepare." Henry found his vision dropping, unable to look directly at his partner.

"No, you couldn't have."

"Why not?" Henry snapped, annoyed though finding some energy coming back to him.

Terriermon smirked. "Because as smart as I know you are, I also know how dumb you can be."

Henry raised an eyebrow. "In what way?"

"Well, you can't spot a fake Suzie, for starters." Terriermon pointed at him and then down the hall for emphasis. "The real Suzie would never cry about you not protecting her."

"No, she'd want to fight," Henry conceded, how his sister had grown and changed retaking a foothold in his mind. "By my side if she couldn't take the lead herself."

"Ding ding! He finally gets it!" Terriermon cheered as he hopped around in a semicircle coming to a stop again. "Same goes for me, for the record. If anything like this ever happens, I'll be right there with you."

"But what if I do let you down?" Henry asked, his doubts still feeling like a cloud in his head.

"Darn, I never thought of that," Terriermon replied, not hiding the mocking tone on his voice.

"Terriermon…" Henry warned impatiently.

Terriermon shrugged. "I don't know how else you expect me to react to that. Do you walk around expecting the rest of us to let you down?"

"Of course not."

"Alrighty, then I think this conversation is over."

Henry hesitated, the last couple points in their argument catching up with him. Even with his thoughts completely clouded by Parasimon's nightmare world, he doubted he could have missed the smug look on Terriermon's face.

"You think you're really clever, don't you?"

"Tiny bit." Terriermon pinched two fingers before tilting his head. "Hey, I don't expect you to stop trying to carry the world on your shoulders, but can you at least remember that you don't have to, at least not alone?"

"I'll do my best," Henry answered confidently, suddenly finding that he had the strength to stand up straight.

Looking up, Rika had not expected to find Renamon seated on the swing in front of her. It still swayed to the nonexistent breeze, and while Renamon seemed content to sit there, she kept her gaze focused and forward.

Under her partner's gaze, Rika felt her memories click into place. An unfinished fight hung front and center in her mind, as well as the familiar sensations in her neck starting to make sense.

"I let it happen again," Rika concluded, upset though lacking the energy to be mad at herself.

Renamon nodded. "In this instance, we all did."

"Doesn't exactly make me feel any better." Rika reflexively tightened her arms around her knees.

"Fair enough," Renamon replied, her voice even and patient. "Do you need a moment?"

"I…" Rika hesitated, not sure if she could stand if she wanted to. "...don't know."

"I'll be right here when you're ready." Renamon spoke sincerely, though also wasn't being subtle about her intentions.

Rika narrowed her eyes on her partner. "I see what you're trying to do."

"I hope it's working."

"You can't speak for everyone." Rika raised her voice slightly, glare fixed upward.

"No, but I am curious as to why they would feel differently." Renamon's voice became firmer, hints of disapproval coloring her words.

Rika rolled her eyes. "Where do I start?"

"With your family, perhaps." Renamon gently gestured to the empty house around them.

"I push them away," Rika argued, though was strangely finding it difficult to bring up recent and relevant examples. "This place may not be real, but it can be."

"That's not set in stone," Renamon countered without hesitation.

"Why are you even arguing?" Rika snapped, growing impatient with her partner's patience. "You know this better than anyone."

Renamon raised an eyebrow. "Do I now?"

"Please…" Rika grunted, the earlier whispers from her bedroom ringing in her ears. "I used to treat you like a thing. A thing that I used to kill any Digimon we came across."

"Correct, you used to do those things," Renamon explained, never losing her conviction. "Then you chose a different path."

Rika shook her head, guilt feeling like weights on each of her limbs. "Walking in a slightly different direction doesn't change what's behind me."

"No, the lives we took are forever lost to us," Renamon said somberly, briefly averting her eyes for the first time since she had appeared, though quickly regaining her composure. "Making amends is a challenge, one we have to choose to not walk away from."

Renamon's words hung in the air, as did the intents behind them. Once again, Rika found herself stuck on how unsubtle her partner could be when it suited her.

"I still see what you're trying to do."

"I still hope it's working."

"What happens if I can't be better?" Rika asked, uncertainty still clawing at the back of her mind.

"Then I'll still be by your side." Renamon pushed herself off the swing and extended her paw downward. "That is my promise."

Suddenly feeling lighter, Rika reached out to her partner, allowing herself to be lifted back to her feet.

Takato was initially speechless at the sight of Guilmon walking back and forth on top of the shed's ruined foundation. The saurian Digimon seemed a bit depressed, even taking a second to lean down and scratch at the ground under his feet.

Guilmon sighed. "Just because it's not real doesn't make breaking it any less mean."

"Not real?" Takato echoed, the words not quite sinking in for him.

"Yeah, don't you remember?" Guilmon replied as he looked up and over his shoulder. "We're still fighting Parasimon."

"Right…" Takato knew he should have felt relieved as his memories came back, but he couldn't shake the thought that his immediate surroundings being fake didn't change the reality they reflected.

"What's wrong?" Guilmon turned around, a mixture of confusion and concern on his face. "You don't think we could really do this, do you?"

Takato shook his head. "Not us. Me."

"I don't follow."

"It's always me who loses control, boy," Takato explained, eyes bouncing between his partner and the desolated park as he spoke. "Worse, I lose control and you're always the one who's first to pay the price."

"But I'm fine." Guilmon took a second to look himself over.

"No thanks to me." Takato's vision fell back to the ground beneath him. "You'd be better off with literally anyone else as a partner."

"No, I wouldn't." Guilmon stomped his foot down, clearly for emphasis. Looking back upwards, Takato found his partner staring back at him with newfound intensity. "You're not bad because you feel sad or angry, Takato."

"Sometimes I wish I didn't feel anything at all."

"Then you really will be just like him." Guilmon pointed down the stairs and towards the path.

Takato turned around, looking to the spot where his double had been standing before Guilmon appeared. His mind clearer, Takato now understood he hadn't been speaking to a reflection of himself, but a memory of an alternate version of himself he had met a few months back, one who had lost his way. Still, despite the thought registering, it wasn't able to console him in that moment.

"But what else can I do?" Takato summarized.

"I don't know," Guilmon answered sincerely, his previous intensity deflating.

Takato acknowledged that it wasn't fair to expect an answer to a problem that he couldn't solve himself. Even learning to accept that part of himself didn't necessarily mean he could control it, and on that front, he didn't feel like he was any closer to a solution than he was on the day he first turned his partner into Megidramon.

"I do know that not feeling anything means you wouldn't be able to feel happy either," Guilmon continued confidently. "Didn't you say you were happy with the way things are in our reality?"

"I did…" Takato replied, recalling the earlier conversation with the others. He had meant what he said then, and believed it now.

"So shouldn't we be trying to protect it?"

"Yes, we should…"

It took a second before Takato realized he was standing up straight again. Looking around, he wondered if his being unable to do so had been Parasimon's influence. With that in mind, though, he knew the the thoughts and doubts that had been racing through his mind had been his own. Even his current environment felt like an old nightmare, the easiest one Parasimon had to grab at. Whatever the reason, he would have to make time to think on it later.

Moving up the last few steps to the shed, Takato closed the distance between himself and Guilmon. Pausing, he couldn't help but notice the curious look on his partner's face.

"What's on your mind, boy?"

Guilmon tilted his head, eyes locked forward. "None of us are afraid of you but you, Takato."

At first, Takato could only nod, surprised and relieved at how often the sentiment was proven to be true.

"So how do we get out of here?" Henry asked as he took one last look around the ransacked apartment.

"I dunno," Terriermon answered with a shrug. "Was kinda hoping you'd figure that part out."

Henry glared downward. "That's not funny."

"Fine, fine…" With a playful grin on his face, Terriermon reached behind his back and somehow managed to produce Henry's D-Power.

Rolling his eyes yet still smirking, Henry reached down and placed a hand on the device. It lit up in response, and the nightmare around them vanished.

"We ready?" Renamon asked calmly.

"You even need to ask?" Rika replied in kind.

Without another word, Renamon pulled out Rika's DigiVice from what seemed like thin air. Rika grabbed hold of it, letting a familiar alteration of self and and purpose take hold again.

"Thanks, Guilmon," Takato said, not quite yet having the words to express how grateful he was.

"No worries," Guilmon replied with a contagious smile. "It's in the job description."

"Is it now?" Takato made a note to ask where he had picked up that joke later.

"Yep, and so's finding this when you lose it." Guilmon proudly presented Takato's DigiVice.

Grabbing hold and letting the resulting light surround them, Takato found his resolve.

Rika's eyes snapped open, back at attention and locked on their current opponent. She didn't so much see the Parasimon tendril on Sakuyamon's neck disintegrate as much as she felt it. Reorienting herself into a more battle-ready position, she set her sights on getting some payback.

Though apparently Armageddemon had picked up on this sentiment. Despite the giant bug lodged between their jaws, they let out a roar, the resulting shockwave propelling the three hostile Megas backwards. Settling for about half a second, pods on Armageddemon's back opened and released a volley of missiles.

MegaGargomon responded quickly, however, readying every armament on his person and instantly returning fire. His salvo met Armageddemon's, resulting in a chain reaction of fireworks that cleared the zone of live ammunition. Obviously frustrated, Armageddemon poised themself for a second attempt.

"Not this time." Sakuyamon aimed her staff forward, calling up the largest barrier she could and wrapping it around Armageddemon. The missiles still fired, though detonated on making contact with the barrier, engulfing Armageddemon in a ball of flame and smoke.

Almost immediately after, however, the barrier shattered, Armageddemon having forced their way out. Injured and agitated, they flew forward, front legs in an attack position.

Before their opponent could close in, Rika caught a crimson glow in the corner of her eye. Having sprouted five glowing sets of wings as his armor changed to match the color of his aura, Gallantmon flew upward. With a broadsword in the place of his lance and shield, being wielded with all the power that his Crimson Mode granted him, the knight cleaved off the Armageddemon's front left leg.

Armageddemon froze in place and began to shake, before letting out an erratic shriek. Parasimon's eyeball jerked to the left, locking on Gallantmon. The iris sparked, before firing off a pink energy beam.

Gallantmon evaded by dashing to his right, escaping without a scratch. Tired of watching and waiting, Rika willed Sakuyamon forward, with MegaGargomon right behind. Parasimon's gaze instantly shifted in their direction, however, firing off another beam that warded them off of their approach.

Seemingly instinctively, Parasimon switched their eyeline back over to Gallantmon, who was making a beeline forward again. Another beam fired, though Gallantmon didn't dodge this time, instead using his sword to block the beam and allow him to keep moving forward.

Having flown to her right in the hopes of gaining a support position, Rika quickly clocked Parasimon's eye as Gallantmon's target. Swinging his sword just out of arm's length of the eyeball, he dissipated the beam, and quickly reared the weapon back with the clear intent of impaling Parasimon.

"Takato!" Henry suddenly called out, causing all of them to hesitate and refocus.

At an almost unrealistic speed and angle, Armageddemon's scorpion-like tail had extended and maneuvered itself around its owner to stab Gallantmon in the back. Heeding Henry's warning, the knight pivoted, though the tail still managed to dig out a chunk of the armor plating on his back. With a frustrated snarl, Armageddemon swung their right front leg, swatting Gallantmon away and into a piece of floating debris.

As Parasimon's eyeball began to glow again, Sakuyamon instantly flew to intercept the attack. Luckily, the beam never got to fire, halted as MegaGargomon grabbed Armageddemon's tail and their attention along with it.

"Let's see how you like it!" MegaGargomon taunted, yanking hard and pulling the tail clean off. Before Armageddemon could turn all the away around, MegaGargomon swung the tail like a mace, bludgeoning their opponent over the head.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Sakuyamon doubled back, landing on the piece of debris Gallantmon had crashed into. The knight was picking himself up, and while he had no serious injuries, any wings on his back that hadn't been sheared off were mangled and broken.

"Are you alright to move?" Sakuyamon asked despite the answer being obvious.

"Not quite," Takato replied in a slightly strained voice. "I've got a plan though."

"What kind of plan?" Rika questioned, unable to keep herself from raising an eyebrow.

Looking back towards the fight, Armageddemon had leapt forward, tackling MegaGargomon and crashing him into a sizable chunk of rock. One way or another, they needed to get back into the fight to help.

"We need a second to concentrate." Gallantmon gestured towards the battle. "Can you catch?"

"Catch what?" Rika felt an irritated prod in the back of her mind.

"You'll know."

Rika sighed, deciding to save any snide remarks for later. She trusted Takato, which overwrote any concerns in the moment.

Lifting off the floating rock, Sakuyamon flew forward at top speed. Glancing ahead, Armageddemon backed off of a stunned MegaGargomon, the eyeball hanging out of their mouth beginning to glow for a follow-up attack. Regardless of whether or not Takato was ready, Rika knew that they needed to intervene, so backup ideas were already running themselves through her head.

"Now!" Gallantmon's dual voice called out, as if the knight could hear her thoughts.

Glancing back just in time to see Gallantmon throw his sword forward, Rika's first reaction was confusion. As Gallantmon shifted back to his base form and the glowing sword approached, however, she decided to roll with it. Just as the weapon caught up with her, she dismissed Sakuyamon's staff and grabbed hold of the hilt.

On contact, the sword's aura enveloped her. The yellow of Sakuyamon's armor became a deep crimson, ten angelic wings grew out of her back, the two fox tails at the base of her mask took the shape of Guilmon's signature wing-shaped ears, and all culminating in a blue DigiCore with a hazard symbol forming on her chest.

"You okay, Renamon?" Rika asked, herself adjusting to the new form and power she assumed came with it.

"Never better," Renamon answered confidently. "Let's walk all over them."

Armageddemon roared again as they released Parasimon's energy beam in Sakuyamon's direction. Rika and Renamon were both ready, however, flicking their shared wrist upward and bisecting the beam with their new sword. Parasimon's eye twitched, and unfortunately for them, Sakuyamon's version of Crimson Mode was far from out of tricks.

Tracing the sword across the air in front of them, red petals materialized in the blade's wake. Pointing it forward, Sakuyamon unleashed her newest attack.

"CRIMSON WIND!"

The petals crystallized and began to glow before shooting forward in the blink of an eye. At first, they surrounded Armageddemon, but just as quickly closed in on and embedded themselves in their target. Armageddemon writhed in pain, leaving them open for a follow-up strike.

As Sakuyamon dashed forward, Parasimon took notice, responding by desperately trying to withdraw back into Armageddemon's mouth. They moved surprisingly quick given the circumstances, but they weren't quick enough.

Sakuyamon flexed her wings and in a flash, she was at Armageddemon's jaw, grabbing a handful of Parasimon's tendrils and coiling them around her free arm.

Without a second thought, Rika thrusted the sword forward, driving it right into Parasimon's pupil. Armageddemon went rigid, and two seconds after that, Parasimon burst into bits of data.

Rika breathed a sigh of relief, though stayed at attention as Armageddemon started to glow. The Digimon began to shrink, huge amounts of data flaking off of them. Knowing they had to act fast, Sakuyamon dug a hand into the center of the remaining data and concentrated.

"Hold on now…" Rika said under her breath, fishing around before gently grabbing hold of what she was looking for. Pulling out, she looked down at Sakuyamon's palm, finding a little blue Digimon with two antennae and a set of feelers underneath a single closed eye. Tsumemon, if her memory was correct.

Turning her attention outward, Rika was slightly surprised to see that the digital zone had already disappeared. Glancing around, some cracks and potholes had formed in the road beneath them, but damage to the surrounding area remained minimal. She very quickly spotted Gallantmon, having sat down on the sidewalk next to the bus stop Alice was still seated at. Henry and Terriermon, already separated, approached them, the latter having planted himself on his partner's head.

All worries now at ease, Sakuyamon set herself down. Gallantmon looked up first, eyes moving back and forth between the shaman and the In-Training Digimon in her hand.

"Nice catch," Takato voiced warmly.

"What happened up there?" Alice asked none of them in particular. "Looked like Parasimon grabbed you, but you guys shrugged it off pretty quickly."

"Not entirely sure," Henry answered, placing a hand on his chin. "I'm guessing they couldn't handle juggling six minds at once."

Alice paused, then nodded. "I suppose the bio-merged conscience would present a problem for them."

"Better question…" Rika looked to Gallantmon, presenting his broadsword and Sakuyamon's crimson armor. "How'd you know this would work?"

"From the D-Chat," Takato replied, nervously scratching the back of his armored head.

"Come again?" Rika probed, something about his answer irritating her.

"Well, not the program specifically." Takato's voice cracked, though remained mostly steady. "Tai and Davis told me about how they beat an Armageddemon a few years ago, by having Omnimon give his sword to Imperialdramon."

"Let me get this straight…" Rika hesitated, replaying the the key moments of the fight in her head before glaring downwards. "You bet our lives on a plan thrown together by a bunch of Goggleheads?"

"Uh oh…" Guilmon squeaked out when Takato didn't respond.

Within a split second, Gallantmon lit up and separated into his component parts. An obvious and desperate ploy to both seem helpless and retreat from Sakuyamon's reach.

"Wow, man…" Takato laughed nervously. "Guess that fight really took a lot out of us."

A ploy that he should have known wouldn't work.

Rika immediately released her grip on her own Mega form. Leaving Tsumemon in Renamon's hands, she marched over to Takato as he scrambled to his feet.

"Where ya goin', Takato?" Rika asked, trying not to raise her voice. "I'm not mad or anything like that?

Takato backed away slowly, bumping into the bus stop. "You kinda sound mad."

"No, I'm just…" Rika paused to analyze his movements, to guess which direction he'd try to escape in. "...worried. After all, a lady should attend to her knight in shining armor."

"We really don't have to conform to those archaic gender roles."

"I'm always enamored by how mature you all are," Alice deadpanned.

"You really have no comments about this?" Henry asked upwards.

Terriermon scoffed. "I don't have any interest in their foreplay."

Suddenly feeling merciful, Rika took a deep breath and relaxed her posture, which Takato mirrored in response. Whatever the method, they had won and they were all in one piece, which earned him a stay of execution at the very least. They would return to Hypnos to report in and deal with the usual bureaucracy, but Rika had a gut feeling telling her that the night was finally over.

Chapter Text

At first, Rika thought she would just wait for the dreams to pass. She told herself it was just because of how re-encountering Parasimon had dug up old memories associated with that initial invasion, and that her mind would eventually bury said memories. Even calling them nightmares was giving them too much credit, so she was ready to just stick it out for a few days.

Then a few days did pass, without the restless nights going with them. Images of a playground at sunset continued to bounce around her head, with the occasional verse from a song she very much wished to never hear again, let alone sing herself. Being honest with herself, Rika knew the subconscious reason for it all, to highlight mental baggage that was still holding her back four years later.

Eventually, Rika decided that she would follow her nature, and deal with the source directly. After twelve years, it was time to confront her estranged father.

Of course, that turned out to be easier said than done. Going to her mother, Rika learned that points of contact between her parents had become nonexistent over the years. Rumiko had some threads she could try to follow, but couldn't make any promises as to them leading anywhere.

In the end, it was Guilmon of all people that presented a solution. Rika wasn't even certain he had been paying attention when she told her friends what she was trying to do, but before she knew it, Guilmon had dug up a business card and a story about an investigative journalist he had run into a couple weeks back. Another week after that, Rika had an address that was within a train's ride from the city.

The biggest decision following that was whether or not Rika would make this trip alone, not being entirely sure which she would prefer. Rumiko offered to go, though Rika could easily tell that her mother wasn't enthusiastic about going, having put that part of her life to bed long ago. In the end, her friends offered to go in her mother's place, and to Rika's surprise just as much as anyone's, she accepted.

As the train pulled out of the station, Rika settled into the small group of seats with her friends, having chosen a window seat for herself. Takato sat to her right, attention locked on a sketchpad he was scratching away at. Directly in front of Rika was Jeri, who gazed out their shared window. Henry sat at Jeri's left, reading some book that Rika didn't recognize.

The Digimons' attendance was a little spottier. Renamon was accompanying them, though did so out of sight and in her own way. The usual challenge of getting him on a train had ended with Guilmon remaining behind, much to the saurian's disappointment. Conversely, Terriermon was currently wedged in between Henry and Jeri, barely putting any effort into pretending to be a stuffed animal as he looked around the train car. Luckily, it was mostly empty, so keeping up appearances wasn't a priority at the moment.

The car was also quiet. Not so much in any way that felt paranoid or judgmental, but it still made Rika feel uncomfortable. This wasn't her friends' typical behavior in this kind of environment. While Rika appreciated the quiet sometimes, it felt like everyone was aware of that and actively trying to appease her. Having had enough, she looked to each of them before taking a deep breath.

"Not a single comment from any of you?" Rika asked, trying her best to not sound confrontational.

Each of her friends looked up from what they were doing, though none of them replied immediately. Instead, they glanced at each other, as if debating between themselves who would answer the question.

"I mean, no comments, anyway," Takato said, nervously scratching the back of his head.

Rika leaned forward. "Okay, what's that mean?"

Terriermon perked up. "That no one's looking to get threatened with physical violence today."

"Terriermon…" Henry warned as he closed his book.

"It's just that there really isn't anything to say," Takato cut back in before the Digimon could elaborate. "We know this is a big deal for you, so none of us wanna make this any more stressful than it already is."

"Plus, we don't really have any advice to give you either," Jeri added. "This is uncharted territory for us."

"Fair enough…" Rika conceded, pausing for a second. She accepted their answers, but wasn't quite ready to accept the silence yet. "How do you think you'd handle being in my shoes?"

"I'm not sure." Takato glanced upwards, thoughts clearly circling in his head. "Honestly, it's hard to even think about."

Rika nodded, even smirking a little. "Yeah, I guess it's hard to imagine your parents pulling a disappearing act."

Takato's shoulders sank. "If anything, with the way my mom is, it's more a matter of figuring out how to pull a disappearing act on her."

"Hey…" Rika said, softly but sternly. "Don't talk about her like that. She's only hard on you because she worries."

"How can I forget?" Takato replied as he sank in his seat.

Memory suddenly jogged, Rika pointed a thumb at his bag. "By the way, your mom wanted me to make sure you brought some school work with you."

"I did…" Takato whined.

"It's a long train ride, both ways. You can spend a little time studying."

"I know…"

"And don't give me that tone."

Takato sat up straighter. "Sorry…"

"Seriously?" Henry said after a brief pause, looking down at his partner. "You have nothing to add?"

Terriermon shook his head. "I think they've just said it all."

Rika paused again, her brain suddenly catching up with the conversation they were just having and the insinuations that seemed to have come out of it. Her face heating up, she risked looking to Takato again, but found he was avoiding eye-contact.

"Still, can't really complain," Takato put forward. "There's only been one time in my life when I felt like I couldn't tell my parents something."

Rika couldn't help but smile again, knowing full-well how Takato was raised reflected in how he interacted with and treated other people. He was typically an open person, in a way that less obligated others to do the same, but more encouraged them to do so. While open communication was still a work in progress for the Tamers, they were still significantly better at it than when they had all first met, largely down to how Takato had rubbed off on all of them.

Still, Rika was also more than aware that their imperfect communication was no better reflected than in Takato's contradictory nature. Open and honest until he thought his feelings were a burden on the people around him. He didn't lie about his feelings per se, but he became a bit less direct if he thought he was sparing someone else his problems.

Case in point, Takato had been honest about the hallucinations forced on him by Parasimon in their last battle, and had even shared how seeing a leveled Tokyo had made him feel. With that said, his answers had been quick and succinct, like he still wasn't quite comfortable owning up to that part of himself.

Rika still couldn't trace back to where this particular chip on his shoulder came from, as no story Takato or his parents had ever told her made sense of it. With that line of thought came Rika's first time wondering how much Takato's parents knew about Megidramon and similar incidents that followed.

"Back to your case, though," Henry put forward, cutting off Rika's line of thought. "Closest thing to that my family had to deal with was after my dad didn't tell us how Juggernaut would affect the Digimon. Even then, I was the one keeping my distance from him."

"How did you guys end up fixing things?" Jeri asked softly, which knowing her, came from both wanting to encourage the conversation and her own curiosity.

Henry paused, even taking a second to glance outwards. "There wasn't any one thing that did it. It was a while before we had a real conversation, even after the Digimon came back."

"For the record, I thought you were all being melodramatic," Terriermon chimed in immediately.

Henry arched an eyebrow at his partner. "Dad's decision almost killed you guys."

Terriermon shrugged. "Yeah, and he apologized to me for it, which is more than I can say for other people who have almost killed me over the years."

"I've never tried to kill you," Rika said through her teeth, not needing any clarification where the conversation had been steered.

"Yes you did," Terriermon shot back at her.

"No, I only ever went after Dinoboy," Rika pointed out, mostly holding onto her patience. "You, on the other hand, almost brought a parking garage down on my head."

"Oh yeah…" Terriermon paused to stroke his chin. "Did I ever apologize for that?"

"No."

"Huh…" Terriermon shrugged again, which Rika almost pointed out still wasn't an apology.

"But that's the gist of it," Henry concluded, speaking loudly enough that it was clear that he was trying to cut the conversation's current detour short. "The way back for us was a slow one."

"How do you feel now?" Jeri probed further.

"It's not a good memory, but I think we're past it." Henry placed a hand on his chin, not looking directly at any of them. "Mom likes to always point out how similar Dad and I are. Guess that's helped me understand things from his perspective better, even if I still don't agree."

Based on everything she knew about Henry, all that rang true to Rika. Not unlike Takato, Henry could be contradictory if circumstances were right. Despite how level headed and open minded he typically was, he could also be stubborn. Rika could very easily imagine Henry being angry at his father while silently mulling over the circumstances that led to Hypnos and the Monster Makers deploying Juggernaut in that final battle.

"And now you're getting ready to go to your dad's alma mater," Terriermon added enthusiastically.

"I haven't even applied yet," Henry argued, though without much conviction.

"Oh, come on, Henry." Terriermon smugly crossed his arms. "You really think we're not gonna get into Stanford."

Henry hesitated before his eyes darted towards his partner. "Wait, who said you were coming with me?"

"Who said you have a choice?"

"Don't worry, Henry," Jeri cut in, her neutral tone quickly making way for a wide grin and her fist pumping in the air. "We'll all visit, and take America by storm!"

"Maybe storm wasn't the best way to describe it, Jeri," Takato offered with a nervous laugh.

"No, her word choice was intentional." Henry sighed, looking to Jeri only to receive a mostly innocent smile in return.

"Would your dad even be okay with you making a trip like that?" Rika asked Jeri, noting how reserved she had been up to that moment.

Jeri shrugged, though kept smiling. "I'm sure he could be."

"Are you actually?" Terriermon questioned.

Jeri rested her chin in the palm of her hand, gazing out the window again. "Being honest, I wouldn't say he's any less strict than he was before everything with the D-Reaper, but he tries to be more understanding."

"Well, at least something good came out of that mess," Rika put forward. It went unsaid amongst the group that how emotionally distant Jeri's father was contributed to all the repressing she did, so it was reassuring to hear that they had reached an understanding.

Jeri nodded. "Dad's still not the best at talking about his own feelings, but he was supportive when I started seeing a therapist after you guys saved me, and didn't ask any questions when I told him I wanted to start my sessions again."

"You went back to therapy?" Takato asked, mostly curiously, though Rika could detect a slight hint of concern in his voice.

"Sorry!" Jeri turned back to the group, placatingly waving her hands at them. "That wasn't meant to be some big secret. Honestly, I kinda just forgot I hadn't told you guys yet."

"For how long?" Rika asked, hoping her tone was a bit more neutral than Takato's.

"A few weeks now." Jeri kept smiling, though nervously started massaging her wrist. "I had a talk with Impmon that made me realize that just wanting to have everything together wasn't enough to make it so."

"They got you on happy pills?" Terriermon asked without hesitating.

"Terriermon!" Henry hissed, one of his rare instances of actually being angry at one of his partner's comments.

"What?" Terriermon whined, almost indignantly. "You act like I'm supposed to automatically know how all this works."

"It's alright, Henry," Jeri said calmly before looking down to the Digimon in question. "No, I'm trying to do this without meds for now."

"Why's that?" Terriermon asked, significantly more tactfully.

Jeri looked away again, down at her hands. "You know, it's funny, but if anyone else told me they were on medication, I like to think I'd be supportive and wouldn't think any less of them. When it's me, though, I guess I'm still a little scared that I'd stop thinking and acting like myself. Weird double standard, huh?"

"Not as weird as you think," Takato replied, so softly that they probably only heard him because of how close they were sitting to one another.

"The sessions are helping though!" Jeri seemed to bounce back, smiling as the enthusiasm came back to her voice. "Turns out I had a lot more thoughts to sort than I realized."

Rika found her eyes drifting down to Jeri's hands again, noticing she was picking at an armband on her right wrist. Pink, purple, and blue in color, Rika couldn't recall ever seeing Jeri wear it before.

"Anything in particular stand out?" Rika asked as she looked upward again.

"Nothing that can't hold for another day," Jeri answered warmly. Whether consciously or subconsciously, she pulled the sleeve of her shirt over the armband. "Think I've been center of attention enough for now."

"Anyway," Takato said, slowly scratching the back of his head as he turned to face Rika again. "Sorry we can't be more help than that."

Rika looked to each of her friends one more time, not quite as disappointed as Takato seemed to think she was. No, she hadn't gotten the answers she had asked for, but there was some reassurance in being reminded of the more positive traits they had all picked up from their families. Much as she had grown closer to her mother and grandmother over the years, when thinking about the ways she had changed for the better, Rika gave a lot of credit to the people currently in front of her.

"Eh, you guys are already helping plenty," Rika summarized as she leaned back in her seat and settled in for the rest of their journey.

What was left of the train ride passed without any real excitement. Spurts of silence and small talk made up the bulk of it, eventually ending with the intercom announcing the stop they had all been waiting on.

Now getting to the later parts of the afternoon, Rika led the group through a suburban neighborhood, stopping on the corner of the street they had been originally pointed towards. With one last deep breath, Rika stepped away from her friends, knowing she had to at least do this part on her own.

Rika expected the walk past the last couple houses to feel longer than it was, but instead she arrived at the house in question before she knew it. The neighborhood was quiet, and she couldn't see or hear any signs of activity within the house itself. That said, any doubts they had been given the wrong address ended once she saw her father's name plastered on the mailbox.

After staring at the front door for a few seconds, Rika instinctively took half a step forwards, only to retract once her thoughts caught up with her. Maybe odder than her stopping before reaching the stoop was realizing the reasoning for it. She didn't feel nervous or afraid, or even the smallest sense of dread at the idea of reuniting with her father. Instead, it was a single realization, one she hadn't even considered in the weeks leading up to this moment.

"I don't have anything to say to him."

"I'm sure you'll think of something," Renamon replied confidently from Rika's left, having appeared the second she hesitated to step forward.

Rika shook her head. "No, I mean I have nothing I want to say to him."

"Being perfectly honest, Rika, you've actually been a bit more reserved about making this trip than I thought you'd be," Renamon pointed out as she turned to look the house over, casing it more than likely.

Rika couldn't deny it. Despite the determination she had felt to see this day through, her usual drive, the fire she would normally pour into something she set her mind to had been missing the last couple weeks. With the thoughts and memories crowding her brain in that time, she had jumped to the most obvious answer as to how to get them to settle down. Suddenly, nothing felt as cut and dry.

"What does that say about me though?" Rika asked calmly, still trying to fit the pieces together in her head.

Renamon turned back towards her and gave a slight shrug. "I believe that's for you to interpret."

Rika thought back to the arrival of her alternate universe counterpart, almost a month ago at this point. She remembered the emotions she had felt finding out that her namesake's father was a part of her life, and the insecurity she had felt on realizing the change in temperament and demeanor his presence had caused. More than any of that, though, she was scared of her friends finally realizing how defective she was.

On the thought, Rika looked down the street in the direction she had come from. Takato gave a reassuring smile and a wave in her direction. Terriermon looked like he was getting impatient and complaining from his spot on top of Henry's head, who himself looked like he was losing interest in pacifying his partner. Jeri simply stared back at her, completely neutral expression on her face.

"Maybe it says more about them," Rika said quietly, something finally clicking into place.

She thought back to the train ride, though not to the communication, open mindedness, and acceptance her friends learned from their families and extended to her. Much simpler than that, Rika zeroed in on the first thing they had done that day, the one thing her father had stopped doing over a decade ago: They had shown up.

They had shown up, and would always do so unless she forced them to stop. Same for her mother and grandmother, the former only currently absent after being persuaded to be so. In the end, there wasn't much else for her to ask for.

"Let's get out here," Rika said as stuck her hands in her pockets and motioned back towards the rest of their group.

"Are you certain?" Renamon asked back, though maintaining the confidence she had started the conversation with.

"I don't need this," Rika concluded, speaking with more conviction than she had felt all day. "All these years, I thought I had something to prove to him, to show him what his decision led to. Now I know what that is."

"And what's that?"

"I got them." Rika gestured to the others before turning to look her partner in the eye. "I got you."

Knowing she didn't need to elaborate, Rika turned away from her father's house and started walking. Not once did she feel the need to look back.

"What about your father?" Renamon asked as she followed behind her.

Rika shrugged. "He didn't even know I was coming, and he knows where to find me if he wants to talk."

"Very well," Renamon replied. Without facing her, Rika could hear a smile in her partner's voice.

"Everything okay?" Takato asked as they got closer, surprisingly more curious than worried.

Rika smiled. "Better than ever."

"Find what you were looking for?" Jeri joined in, though her tone and her own smile said she knew the answer.

"More or less." Rika slowed down a hair as she made it to them. "Let's go home."

"Wait, we came all this way and we're leaving already?" Terriermon complained as everyone fell in step beside her.

"Why do you sound so disappointed?" Henry asked, almost cautiously.

Terriermon seemed to deflate. "Because I bet Renamon a thousand yen that Rika would deck her dad, right in the schnoz."

Henry rolled his eyes. "Do you even have any money?"

"No, so you're gonna have to pay her now!"

"I accept both cash and personal checks," Renamon confirmed smugly.

"I am sorry, by the way," Rika felt compelled to say. She scratched at her cheek as it started to heat up. "For dragging you guys out here and wasting the day."

"Actually, I had fun today," Takato replied, not an ounce of insincerity in his eyes or voice. "We should all take a real trip sometime."

"Stanford, Stanford!" Jeri chanted playfully.

Henry sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that day. "I'm not winning that one, am I?"

"Guess that depends on your definition of winning," Rika teased before looking forward once more.

The sun was starting fall to the horizon, though Rika wasn't worried about any coming darkness. Not as long as she had her family.

Chapter Text

Waiting at his school's front gate, Takato scanned the small crowd of people moving past him and towards the building. While he was looking for one person in particular, that didn't stop him from glancing from person to person, the current festival going on inside having attracted more than the school's typical student body. Still, through all the banners and decorations, through the people of all ages dressed anywhere from casually to full costume, he spotted his person.

Rika stepped through the crowd, having found a balance between not rushing and not dragging her feet. She approached directly, likely having spotted him before he had her.

"Hey, you made it!" Takato called out, no part of his brain trying to convince him to dial down his enthusiasm.

"You surprised?" Rika replied. Though she raised an eyebrow, she spoke calmly, meaning she wasn't offended. "I told you guys I was coming."

"No, I just, uh…" Takato scratched the back of his head, still smiling but also a bit stumped on how to respond. "That's what people say, isn't it?"

A brief silence between them followed, slightly awkward but not necessarily uncomfortable. Little by little, interactions between them had stopped being meticulous strategy games and moved more towards being a casual dance that they occasionally forgot the steps to. Takato didn't let that bother him though, knowing they had also become good at finding their rhythm again.

Eventually, Rika smirked and crossed her arms. "We really still have to do this, huh?"

Takato shrugged. "At least until Renamon teaches us that telepathy thing you two do."

"So…" Rika looked past him and towards the building. "Why's your school having a culture festival in June?"

"Officially, this isn't our culture festival," Takato explained, almost reciting how the event had been explained by the faculty and student council. "It's a summer festival to make up for the one that got canceled last fall."

"Right…" Rika nodded after a quick pause. "That whole Pumpkinmon and Gotsumon fiasco."

Takato sighed, the bio-emergence and resulting incident replaying in his head. "Yeah, people still aren't happy about it."

"What did your class cook up?" Rika asked quickly, shifting his focus.

"I'll show you!" Takato shifted his body and did his best approximation of a cordial gesture to the school. "Right this way, milady."

Rika rolled her eyes and laughed under her breath. "Is this gonna be your thing now?"

"I could compliment your hair," Takato replied as they started walking, pausing on one last thought. "Or your shirt."

"Please don't."

Takato didn't push his luck, instead continuing to grin, satisfied with their current rhythm.

Renamon held her gaze on the trading cards in her hand, trying to decipher them and determine which was best suited to her current strategy. She felt slightly frustrated, despite knowing she had no reason to feel that way. Back in the familiar surroundings of the newly repaired utility shed, she felt mostly at peace here. She seriously wondered if the Digimon Trading Card Game simply brought out the worst in people.

"I said it's your turn," Terriermon, her opponent in this instance, repeated. He sat across from her looking past his own cards, and didn't seem to be having any more fun than she was.

"I'll play…" Renamon hesitated, then selected and presented a card. "...Hyper Chip."

Terriermon raised an eyebrow. "What does that do?"

"I'm not sure…" Renamon pulled the card back up, squinting to read the text on it.

"Then why'd you play it?"

"Because it always seems to work when Rika uses it."

"This is stupid!" Terriermon finally snapped, angrily dropping his cards on the mat. "Why are we stuck here and not at the festival?"

"Because we're not allowed to attend," Renamon answered as she set her own cards down.

"Yeah, all because of a couple of doofuses with gravel and squash for brains." Terriermon crossed his arms and glared downwards.

"Unfortunately, what's done is done." Renamon shifted her attention to the shed's final occupant, who had his snout buried in the brown paper bag that contained their food for the afternoon. "Don't eat the entire bag."

"Too late," Guilmon confirmed, pulling his face out and holding the bag upside down to show it was empty.

"Great…" Terriermon grumbled. "Now I'm bored and hungry."

Renamon gave no reply, not really having one to give in the first place. Between the shed's restoration and restrictions on festival attendance, it had seemed like a natural fit to have the three of them spend the day together. What wasn't considered was how they would fill that time.

"You know how we could fix both those things?" Terriermon asked, irritation in his voice giving way to a more mischievous tone.

Renamon crossed her arms. "Were you not paying attention to our previous conversation?"

Terriermon shrugged. "I have very selective hearing."

"It would be fun if we could go," Guilmon chimed in, innocently though not helpfully.

"You're telling me you're not the tiniest bit curious?" Terriermon put forward with clear intentions.

"About what?" Renamon replied, only then realizing she was trying too hard to feign ignorance.

"These festivals are a longstanding human tradition, after all." Terriermon grinned, clearly having put subtlety aside for the moment.

"I'm aware." Renamon felt a thought scratch at the back of her mind.

"I bet Rika uses every excuse she can to get out of going to the one's at her school," Terriermon continued confidently. "How many chances are you gonna have to go to one?"

Renamon silently eyed Terriermon up and down, realizing that he had already made up his mind. That ultimately left her with three options: She could try to stop him, let him go, or go as well to ensure he stayed out of trouble. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that she had made up her mind as well.

"So I says, hows about I light this matchstick," Impmon recited, telling his tale with what felt like too much enthusiasm as their group walked through Shinjuku Park.

"We were all there…" Lopmon pointed out, trying but failing to keep the annoyance out of her voice. She was trying her best to be patient, but she had reached her limit of grandstanding for the day.

"Oh yeah…" Impmon paused before his eyes lit up again. "Well, how abouts-?"

"I'm sure we've heard that story before too," Lopmon put forward, more forcefully than she normally would.

Impmon crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "Sheesh, what's bitin' you, Lopsy?"

Lopmon's eye twitched. "Please don't call me Lopsy."

"Ain't that what your partner calls you?"

"It's not and that's different."

"Seriously, though, are you okay, Lop?" Suzie asked, concern in her eyes as she stopped to look down at her.

"I'm alright." Lopmon's eyes dropped downward, embarrassment creeping forward as her brain caught up with how she was instinctively acting. "It's just a little grating."

Suzie tilted her head. "Even Terriermon doesn't do that to you."

Lopmon paused, unable to deny the fact or find a source of her current demeanor. Looking to Impmon specifically, while he did have a tendency run his mouth, she was exposed to him often enough that she should have been used to that habit. She paused on the thought of their evolutionary lines, her having recently been revealed as a potential Celestial while Impmon digivolved into a Demon Lord. The two were opposites according to old myths Lopmon had heard, though she doubted their newfound knowledge was what caused the disposition shift.

"I think it's just the heat," Lopmon offered instead, taking only a quick glance at the sun as it beat down on them. She had never taken to summers in the material world, possibly down to a combination of her fur and ice-based attacks. It didn't help that she was walking on her own rather than taking her usual spot on Suzie's head, a choice Lopmon had made to spare her partner from having to share the burden her fur created.

"Guys, we should focus," Ai called back to them. "The others are trusting us to patrol while they're at their festival."

Mako rolled his eyes. "Ai, you're acting like an evil Digimon is hiding behind that tree over there."

"One very well could be!" Ai snapped, before calming some and continuing down the path. "Come on."

Mako leaned forward as though he had more to say, but stopped when Impmon put a hand on his arm.

"Let's let her have this one," Impmon suggested. They fell in step behind Ai before Impmon looked up at his partner. "Hey, pal, you ain't tired of my stories, right?"

"Of course not," Mako replied without a second's hesitation. "Even if I don't always get your punchlines."

"She's been like this since Datamon," Suzie said softly, holding in place as the others moved ahead of them. "At first I thought she was just trying to impress Henry, but now I think she's still getting over what happened."

"That wasn't an easy night for anyone," Lopmon replied, remembering the human bodies Ai stumbled on, as well as the tense battle with Datamon that followed.

At present, the older Tamers had never specifically asked them to patrol today, as Hypnos' surveillance and digital countermeasures meant that they didn't do regular patrols on a normal day. This specific outing was down to Ai's initiative, and while her renewed commitment to being a Tamer was admirable, no one wanted her to burn herself out.

Realizing Suzie was still quiet, Lopmon looked back up at her partner. Suzie stared forward at their friends, laser focused and clearly thinking through the situation. Her expression suddenly deflated, giving way to what Lopmon could only describe as strained and reluctant. With a deep breath, however, Suzie forced an innocent smile onto her face.

"Actually, yeah, Lop," Suzie said loudly and unprompted. "I think Henry did mention them having ice cream at the festival."

The trio in front of them slowed to a stop and turned back around.

"Ice cream would be nice right about now," Impmon said as he glanced up at the summer sky.

"Maybe, but we have a job to do," Ai replied, though the resolve in her voice seemed to have wavered.

"Ai's right," Suzie added, though the knowing tone of her voice remained the same. "Henry was really looking forward to today."

"As he should," Ai grunted, as though she were wrestling with herself.

"Especially after Alice agreed to go with him."

"We should go patrol by the school," Ai spat out before turning back around and marching forward. "We can't know for certain that there won't be another bio-emergence there today."

"How did you learn to do that?" Lopmon asked her partner, slightly awed by how precise and effective she had been.

"From spending my whole life as the youngest sibling," Suzie answered as she picked Lopmon up and started following their friends. "So how many scoops do you want?"

"You made it!" Jeri cheered the second she caught sight of their group from the classroom's entrance.

"Why do people keep pointing that out?" Rika asked softly, though still sincerely.

Not having a straightforward response, Henry looked past Jeri, getting a glimpse into his friends' classroom. Inside, they had managed to create a respectable representation of a tavern, complete with curtains drawn on the windows and overhead lights dimmed. Desks, chairs, and other furniture were rearranged and decorated, separated into a bar on one end and small tables organized throughout. Henry just managed to spot Kenta ducking and dodging from table to table, dressed in black clothes and a white apron to match the rest of his classmates.

"So whose idea was this?" Henry asked as he returned his attention to his friends.

"Jeri's," Takato answered enthusiastically.

"Well, not completely…" Jeri gave a modest shrug before leading them inside. "Us being us, we sometimes miss the meetings that decide these things. The rest of the class seemed set on doing some kind of café, so I suggested something a little different, and here we are."

"Still think we should have gone with the maid café," Kazu called out from behind the bar, where he leaned against the counter.

Jeri turned in his direction. "Then maybe we push for a cross-dressing one on the next go-around."

Kazu snorted and leaned back in his seat. "Jokes on you, I could rock a maid outfit."

"So where are we sitting?" Rika asked as she eyed the rest of the room.

"Hmm…" Jeri placed a hand on her chin before searching the room. "We're a little crowded so why don't Henry and Alice take a seat at the bar while you and Takato take that table in the back corner."

Rika raised an eyebrow but didn't protest, following Takato over to their table. Henry found his seat directly in front of Kazu's spot, noting his friend's injured leg elevated on a chair behind the counter. Alice took a seat to his left, though kept her attention on Jeri.

"Did you engineer that scenario?" Alice asked, only the bare minimum accusation in her eyes.

Jeri scoffed. "It would take a real sociopath to start meticulously seating people around the time they assumed Takato would take his break to go meet Rika."

"When exactly did you become so calculating?" Henry asked, only slightly worried.

"Didn't you know?" Jeri put on an empty stare, her eyes and voice both becoming cold and emotionless. "The true Jeri Katou was never rescued. You have spent your most recent years living with the D-Reaper's last agent."

Henry shook his head. "That's not funny."

"That was not an attempt at humor, Subject Henry Wong."

"Jeri…"

"Fine…" Jeri's shoulders sank before turning around and going back to work.

"I'll give them credit," Alice said as she turned back around. "This place seems popular."

"Maybe too popular…" Kenta commented, suddenly appearing at Henry's right and slouching against the bar.

"Out of breath, Kenta?" Kazu teased.

"Yes!" Kenta snapped indignantly.

"It's not just their class," Henry explained, returning his focus to Alice. "I think the whole school has been clamoring for this since last fall."

"You keep mentioning an incident, but what exactly happened?" Alice asked with a genuine curiosity.

"A Pumpkinmon and Gotsumon bio-emerged the night before the festival," Kenta answered as he stood up straighter. "Turned the whole school upside-down."

"Luckily, they didn't hurt anyone," Henry added, having not been present himself but having heard enough accounts of the night in question. "They must have thought the whole thing was some kind of game."

"So you got them back to the Digital World?" Alice probed further.

"Uh, no…" Kenta replied nervously. "They said they were destined for Hollywood and were heading west."

Alice hesitated for half a second. "Wouldn't it be more efficient to go east?"

"Never argue with crazy, Morticia," Kazu declared cockily.

"That nickname ends today." Alice slowly craned her neck to glare daggers at Kazu. "Understood?"

While Kazu didn't cower or even flinch, he did the smart thing and kept his mouth shut. Feeling that issue was resolved, Henry let himself relax. After all, the day was going smoothly and he couldn't come up with a reason to let himself get stressed out.

Without leaving the shadow of the alley across from the school, Renamon analyzed the grounds for the easiest way inside the building. Simply vaulting over the school walls wasn't an option, as even if the streets had been vacant, they would be spotted the second they reached the other side. Renamon eyed the main gate a little closer, seriously considering the possibility.

While the ban on Digimon remained in place, she had one ability to potentially circumvent that. Her Kohenkyo allowed her to disguise herself, though her lack of practice with it meant it wasn't a guaranteed success. While Renamon could potentially take on a human shape, she was limited to individuals she was familiar with, and even then she had trouble changing the color of her eyes. Plus, using this ability didn't account for her co-conspirators.

"So how do we do this?" Terriermon asked, almost as though he sensed her current line of thought.

"The most sensible option would be to simply turn around," Renamon answered plainly.

Terriermon arched an eyebrow. "Did you really think that was gonna work?"

Renamon shrugged. "We have only truly lost when we are without hope."

"Well, then I'm the Destroyer of Hope."

"Do we have any cardboard boxes?" Guilmon offered thoughtfully.

"Let's assume we can't find any," Terriermon replied sarcastically before turning back to Renamon. "Why can't you just teleport us inside?"

Renamon crossed her arms, slightly irritated by the question. "Because teleportation is not an ability I possess."

"Yes it is."

"No, it is not."

"I thought it was," Guilmon cut in, energetically gesturing with his claws. "You know, when you do that woosh thing and you disappear and then, woosh, you're somewhere else."

Renamon paused, knowing what the two of them were referring to. Colloquially, they referred to this ability as phasing, which was actually just a variation of her Kohenkyo used in tandem with her agility. It allowed her easier movement from location to location without being detected. The catch was that it required significant concentration, the amount of which would increase exponentially if she wanted to even attempt it with another individual.

"That's not teleportation," Renamon summarized.

"Whatever…" Terriermon sighed and dragged himself back down the alley. "We'll try the backdoor then."

Renamon looked to Guilmon, who put on a concerned expression before following after Terriermon. Doing the same, Renamon couldn't shake the sense of anxiety building in the back of her mind. She knew she couldn't walk away, however, as she suspected damage control would soon be needed.

"That's it," Kenta declared as he sat on the floor behind the classroom's mock bar, like it would protect him from everything else in the room. "I've hit my limits."

Kazu glanced around real quick, making sure no one else was approaching his position. With Henry and Alice having moved to an actual table and no one else calling for his attention, he grabbed his crutches and took the few steps over to where Kenta was sitting.

"I'm guessing there won't be any hosting in your future," Kazu pointed out as he stopped next to his friend.

"Don't you think you're being a little melodramatic?" Ayaka asked as she looked down from the opposite side of the counter, judgment and condescension front and center in her voice.

"You can tag in for his tables and find out," Kazu shot back in kind.

Ayaka hesitated before rolling her eyes and pointing at Kazu's injured leg. "I still think you're faking to get out of having to help."

She marched away without looking back, only stopping as she passed by Jeri and Miki. Kazu couldn't quite make out what they were saying by this point, though it seemed business related. Ayaka and Miki's emotions seemed a bit more muted, while Jeri smiled and gestured around the room as though she were explaining something.

"Do you think that's them making a show of getting along or actually getting along?" Kazu asked as he stopped staring.

"Not sure," Kenta answered as he stood back up. "I just know that Jeri deserves friends that try harder."

Kazu's thoughts latched onto the statement, just as memories of the last couple months started knocking on the door to his brain. He looked down at his leg and then over to his best friend, eventually letting his mouth act on its own.

"She's not the only one."

"What do you mean?" Kenta replied, oblivious as ever.

"Did I ever thank you for saving my stupid ass a couple weeks ago?" Kazu asked, genuinely unable to remember.

"I think so." Kenta looked away and placed a hand on his chin. "Honestly, didn't really think much of it at the time."

Kazu smirked. "Well, thanks again then."

"No sweat." Kenta nodded, though paused after that, suddenly staring off into space.

"Something else wrong?" Kazu asked, getting the feeling that his friend had latched onto a thought just like he had.

"Nothing…" Kenta shook his head and tried to stand up straighter. "It's dumb."

"You're dumb anyway, Chumley," Kazu jabbed, trying to lighten the tone of his voice. "Might as well not deny it."

"I guess I'm not always sure why I'm still fighting alongside the rest of you guys." Kenta didn't look back at him, bits of shame on his face and in his voice. "Some days it's obvious, when we actually save lives. Other days, I think I'm only doing it because I think I have to."

"You ever consider taking a break?" Kazu suggested without thinking on it much.

"Can we do that?" Kenta turned towards him, sounding and looking surprised.

"I mean, I have to." Kazu gestured at his leg, still a little annoyed by his current status. "Plus, between Hypnos and Takato, Henry, Rika, and the kids, we've got the coverage. At least as long as another Armageddemon doesn't bio-emerge."

"Okay…" Kenta nodded after a brief pause, some resolution on his face. "I'll think about it."

Kazu shrugged, feeling he had said his piece and that they had gotten just about everything they would from sitting and talking about their feelings. With some downtime on its way, they would have a chance to figure out the rest at their own pace.

Takato read over the menu his classmates had thrown together, not entirely sure what to order. He hadn't been heavily involved in creating it, so couldn't confidently piece together what each item was. Drinks were a handful of nonalcoholic cocktails, themed and named after what would be found in an actual tavern, which he knew next to nothing about as it was. As for the few options when it came to food, he knew one of the dishes had chicken in it, though he knew his classmates had had a few false starts when it came to cooking earlier.

Hoping for help from someone at least slightly more cultured than he was, he looked across the table. Rika wasn't looking over the menu, however, eyes moving across the room.

"Is Kenta gonna be okay?" she asked, sounding more curious than concerned.

"Uh…" Takato watched his friend almost trip over himself before heading over towards the bar. "Most likely?"

Rika smirked. "So on a scale of him to Jeri, how well have you been doing?"

"I like to think I hold my own." Takato scratched the back of his head, relieved that no screw-ups or accidents were coming to mind. "This isn't exactly what we do at the bakery every day, but there's some overlap."

"Doesn't look like a ton of fun." Rika's expression became a bit more muted, her attention returning to the room around them.

"It's not a lot of the time."

"Jeri says she wants out." Rika paused, eyeline suddenly snapping back towards him. "Not here, today, but her family's tavern. She's thinking about getting into teaching, but isn't set on it yet."

"Yeah, that would suit her," Takato replied, remembering Jeri telling him something similar not too long ago. "Meanwhile, I have no idea what I'm gonna be doing in a couple years."

"Please…" Rika shook her head, a confident smile coming to her face. "Takato, we all know what you want to do. The question is are you gonna try for it?"

Takato hesitated, knowing what she was talking about. He had been drawing for fun long before they had ever met, and never hid from her or any of his other friends that it was a hobby that he had started taking more seriously in the last couple years. Even putting aside whether or not he wanted to create his own manga one day or become any kind of professional artist, however, a lot of other questions had to be considered. First and foremost being where he would start, be that applying for an art school or trying his luck without the professional training. Success wasn't guaranteed either way, so it came down to which gamble he was more comfortable making.

"I'd like to," Takato finally said, still not quite convinced. "Who knows? Riley was saying the other day that if Yamaki had his way, we'd each have badges and full salary. Digimon included."

Rika raised an eyebrow. "Still sounds more like a fallback in your case."

Takato shrugged. "Isn't it for all of us?"

"Some of us aren't good at much else." Rika's expression stayed the same, though she looked away from him again. She wasn't much more certain about her future than he was, hence why it wasn't a topic they directly asked each other about.

"Anything you're not good at you just haven't tried yet," Takato put forward, not feeling the need to even think about his words.

Rika looked up at him, her previous confidence coming back. "This wasn't the tangent I meant to take us on. Honestly, was more annoyed because some of the girls in my class are already asking about our culture festival."

"Asking in general or you specifically?" Takato failed to hide the surprise in his voice.

Rika frowned, not a trace of amusement on her face. "That part I don't want to talk about."

"Maybe it'll be fun?" Takato offered with a forced smile.

"Yeah, like blunt-force trauma to the skull."

"I'm allowed to come, right?"

Rika hesitated, eyes falling to the table between them. "Well, I assumed my boyfriend would show up."

"You'll have to let me know the day-" Takato line of thought froze, the words he had just heard sinking in. "What did you just call me?"

Rika shrank in her seat. "You heard me, Gogglehead."

Takato cleared his throat. "Right, I'll clear my calendar."

Not feeling the need to pry any further, Takato went back to reading the menu. He was seriously considering picking something at random, just because luck was sometimes on his side.

As much as Renamon was against giving Terriermon any amount of credit, his suggestion of finding an alternate entrance had bore fruit. Maneuvering around the school grounds to one of its auxiliary sections not in use for the festival eventually led them to an unlatched window. At the moment, they crept down an empty hallway towards the main facility.

"All clear," Terriermon whispered as they rounded another corner.

"For now," Renamon replied, unable to keep herself from rolling her eyes.

Terriermon shrugged and kept walking. "Eh, you're just jealous that my plan actually worked."

"And what, might I ask, is the next part of this plan?" Renamon was able to keep the disappointment out of her voice thanks to her complete lack of surprise at their current situation.

Terriermon's eye twitched as he looked over his shoulder. "We wing it."

"Maybe we should go back," Guilmon suggested nervously as he stopped in his tracks.

"But we're this close." Terriermon stopped as well and turned to face them.

"Except you have no means of going about the festival undetected, which means you might as well be on the other side of the city," Renamon pointed out, though anticipating that the facts wouldn't sink in.

"Just moumentai already." Terriermon waved at her dismissively. "I've got this."

"Uh, guys…?" Guilmon tried to cut in, having turned his attention away from them.

"You've hit a wall," Renamon said to Terriermon, choosing to dealing with Guilmon's concerns in a moment. "It's best if you withdraw."

"Guys…"

"It's just a minor setba-" Terriermon suddenly paused and raised an eyebrow. "Why do you keep saying you?"

"It's objective fact that none of your abilities will help you here," Renamon argued, making it a point to choose her words carefully.

Terriermon eyed her closer. "You're trying to unload us so you can sneak about on your own."

"Someone's coming!" Guilmon whispered urgently.

Saved from having to respond, Renamon looked forward and listened carefully. A trio of footsteps approached, but the familiar hum of an electronic device kept her from going for cover. Instead, she carefully stepped to the next corner, peering around it and having her suspicions confirmed when she was greeted by three human children.

"What are you guys doing here?" Suzie hissed, turning off her DigiVice's radar and pocketing it as Ai and Mako brought up her flank.

Terriermon snorted. "Same thing as you guys, I bet."

"You all need to clear out," Suzie ordered, irritation evident in her voice.

"You're seriously gonna tell me that Lop's not here?" Terriermon asked defiantly.

"Her and Impmon are waiting outside," Ai explained.

"So they don't make a scene." Suzie's vision zeroed in on her brother's partner.

"We're not making a scene," Terriermon argued.

"Not yet," Renamon commented dryly.

"Whose side are you on?"

Suzie sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Look, what if I just grabbed you something from the festival instead?"

"No dice." Terriermon crossed his arms, sounding almost insulted by the offer. "If all I wanted was food, I could have gone somewhere else."

"Terriermon…" Suzie warned.

"Someone else is coming this way," Guilmon said as he stepped in the middle of the argument.

Renamon turned her senses outward again, this time picking up something from the direction she, Guilmon, and Terriermon had initially come from. More footsteps and the sound of plastic wheels, and this time she didn't recognize who was approaching.

"This time we should hide," she instructed softly.

"Where?" Guilmon questioned as his eyes searched the hallway.

"Christmas at Grandma's?" Mako motioned towards his sister, who sighed and nodded reluctantly.

The pair of them moved to grab hold of Guilmon, leading him to a conveniently placed utility closet. Seemingly catching on, Suzie moved to stand in front of the closet, as they closed it behind them.

Noting the limited dimensions of the closet, Renamon decided it would be best to simply phase out of sight. She would have done just that, had her concentration not been broken by a pair of small hands latching on to her tail.

"What are you doing?" Renamon all but shouted as she looked over her shoulder.

"What's it look like?" Terriermon answered, as though she were the crazy one.

"Let. Go."

"Not a chance."

Annoyed and distracted by the literal pain in her backside, Renamon acted on instinct. Propelling herself directly upward, she dug her paws into the ceiling tiles, holding her body as flush against it as she could given her passenger. She hoped that the approximate three meter gap between the floor and ceiling was enough that they would go unnoticed.

"Are you lost?" a voiced called out from below.

Through the corner of her eye, Renamon saw a pair of male students pulling a cart with about half a dozen different cakes and pastries on it. Thankfully, their attention remained on Suzie as they passed directly below her.

"Oh gee, I guess I am," Suzie replied, putting an innocent expression as she put her hands behind her back and kicked at the floor. "I should have known the bathroom wasn't down this way."

"Yeah, you missed it by a lot," the second student added as he pointed down the hall. "Only thing back the other way is cold storage for stuff like this."

Though she was trying to be patient, Renamon knew she couldn't remain in her current compromised position. Disregarding her own physical ability to stay perfectly still, she could feel the ceiling materials breaking apart in her grasp. She would have to move, and while she took pride in her stealth capabilities, she knew environmental factors would make moving without making any noise difficult given the extra weight she was currently carrying.

It also didn't help that she hated when others touched her tail, let alone grabbed and held on to it. As much as Renamon tried tell herself that this was simply a hardship that a warrior like herself could push through, it didn't make the sensation any less irksome.

"I don't suppose you could show me the way back?" Suzie requested, raising the pitch of her voice and sounding more childlike.

"I guess so…" the first student replied as looked back and forth between her and the cart.

Feeling the ceiling tile starting to give as well as Terriermon starting to pluck individual hairs from her tail, Renamon decided to seize her opportunity.

"When they start to move, I'm going to swing you backwards," Renamon barely whispered, so low that only Terriermon's heightened hearing would detect. "Just glide back around the corner and you'll be fine."

"Don't even try it," Terriermon warned in kind.

"I have to."

"Nuh-uh."

Ignoring him, Renamon looked downwards again. The two students exchanged a shrug before starting to pull the cart and lead Suzie away. Letting her tail slacken, Renamon began to follow through with her plan. Once again, however, her concentration was abruptly interrupted.

In an instant, the grip around her tail tightened, and was promptly joined by a set of teeth clamping down on it. Renamon stiffened, and her grip finally gave way. As though fate ordained it, the pair of them crashed right into the cart.

In all the battles Renamon had fought over the years, the physical pain of the impact was benign by comparison. The emotional pain she felt as she sat up, covered in whatever dessert had been on the cart and with all eyes in the hallway on her and filled with various degrees of shock, was another story.

At a complete loss for words, Renamon could only turn to her right, glaring down at the Digimon responsible for this end result. She wasn't sure how long she sat there, weighing the option of striking him down and loading his data, but he eventually took notice.

"What? You think I'm happy about this?" Terriermon asked as he traced his finger along a chunk of cake that had landed right-side-up. "How do you think I'm gonna get into the festival now?"

As Terriermon licked the frosting off his finger, Renamon continued to stare without blinking, mentally listing the ways she could pay him back for this.

"What did you do?" Takato asked, concerned though surprisingly calm given the small pieces of the story he had been given.

Lopmon couldn't help but think back to the afternoon from a few months ago, when Takato had stumbled upon her and Suzie after they had lodged a Tyranomon into the utility shed's door frame. Not necessarily an out of place comparison, given that this was the location the Tamers were currently occupying, but the contrast was still notable. The mood of among them was much calmer than it had been that day.

With the evening setting in, they were all sitting on and standing around the steps leading up to the shed, having quickly migrated there after exiting the school grounds. Lopmon still didn't have a complete set of details of the incident, though Suzie had made it seem like the end result was the best case scenario. Not feeling any particular anxiety on the matter, Lopmon contently finished what was left of her ice cream cone.

"Our operation was compromised," Terriermon summarized, having been overtly frustrated since leaving the school.

"Why was there an operation in the first place?" Henry asked, he and his partner currently situated a couple steps behind Takato.

"I doubt he put that much thought into it," Rika commented, herself seated next to Takato with her chin resting on his shoulder.

"Festival was probably no fun anyway…" Terriermon grumbled.

"I thought it was really fun," Calumon chimed. Having joined the group during the transition from the school to the park, he currently sat near Jeri on the bottom step.

Jeri arched an eyebrow. "I don't remember seeing you over there, Calumon."

"Well duh!" Calumon replied with a giggle. "That's part of the game, silly!"

"In other words, you guys really got showed up," Suzie said with a smirk.

"I don't sneak so well," Guilmon replied, himself curled up in the grass next to the steps.

"So then what's everyone else's excuse?"

"Dead weight, I imagine," Rika commented before any of the Digimon could.

"No comment," Renamon deadpanned from her spot on the top step.

Suzie's smirk became a wider grin. "Or maybe old age is just catching up with you guys."

"Suzie…" Lopmon cautioned, sensing mischief in her partner's demeanor.

"What are you trying to get at?" Rika questioned, mostly calm but with a slight edge o her voice.

"Ooh, ooh!" Terriermon suddenly perked back up. "I know how we can settle this!"

He scampered away, heading straight for the shed. Within moments, he returned with two stacks of trading cards in his hand.

"Any objections?" Terriermon asked, obvious excitement in his voice.

"Fine with me," Rika answered nonchalantly.

"Let's do it," Suzie confirmed, still smiling.

Suzie and Rika each took their positions opposite each other, taking a moment to set up the game. As they did, the rest of the group reorganized itself into a loose circle around them.

"Are we sure we want to let them play this game?" Henry asked no one in particular.

"Worst case scenario is that one of them is a sore loser and they start to hate each other," Alice said from Henry's left, her neutral tone making it difficult to tell if she was joking or not.

"That's certainly one way of looking at," Jeri chimed in, her tone a bit lighter.

Alice shrugged. "Considering we got barred from your school's fireworks show, this seems as fair a substitute as any."

"I'm sure it'll just be a fun game," Takato said optimistically, having already produced his sketchbook.

Henry sighed and looked over his shoulder towards Renamon. "Sometimes I worry we're the only sane ones."

"A burden we must bear, unfortunately," the kitsune replied as she brushed some cake crumbs out of her tail.

As the game started, Lopmon let her attention wander, finding her friends' patterns much more interesting than that of the game. Ai finding a seat next to Henry while her glares towards Alice went unnoticed by the older girl. Running and opposing commentaries on the game from Mako and Impmon and Kazu, Kenta, and their partners. Rika's usual stoic expression opposite Suzie's smile, the latter clearly having fun with the game. Jeri's own soft smile as she pulled her knees up to her chest and watched both players. Terriermon, Renamon, and Guilmon losing interest in the game, instead exchanging jabs and laughs amongst themselves. Calumon occupying his own little world. All capped off by Takato managing to capture a surprisingly accurate sketch of all of them.

In other words, a normal night in their ever chaotic lives.