Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Key-Seeker ❯ Agent ( Chapter 4 )
Sam employs the world's most unlikely secret agent: Jun Motomiya.
Anime/Manga: Digimon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 02.17.2002 | Pages: 5 | Words: 9.5K | Visits: 219 | Status: Completed
The boy wandered half-blind across a desert of dark sand. To the west, the sun was sinking, turning the sky a deep crimson that he had never seen in a sky before, a bloody shade that phased straight into black where the light began to fade. There were no stars, and the thin curve of a moon was as red as the sun, like a stained sword. The desert was flat and bare, without even a bit of dead grass or the skeleton of an animal to show that anything had ever lived there at all. There was only the boy, lost and alone. He didn't remember how he had come into this ghastly place. All he knew was an overwhelming sense of failure and rejection - he had let someone down, and they had turned him away. He just wasn't good enough, so they had sent him here to wander alone. Somehow, he had to get back to civilization, but where was that? All he could see for miles around was flat black sand and a flat black sky, with the sun sinking in the distance. He ran for it, as if to try to catch up with the daylight. His footsteps were silent on the sand. When at last he stopped, exhausted, nothing had changed, and he couldn't even see where his footprints were. Dejected, he sat down on a rock and watched as the sun fell lower and lower and the darkness became ever more complete.
"Please," he begged, "don't leave me alone here! I'll do better next time! I can do whatever you want. Just give me a chance! I don't want to be alone!"
Even as he spoke, the last rays of the sun vanished, leaving him in utter blackness... and he woke up.
Sam sat up in bed, panting a little from the after effects of the dream. He'd had the nightmare many times over, usually when he was frustrated by some turn of events. He recognized that it was only his overactive subconscious chiding him for not living up to his own standards of perfection, but still, there was something about seeing that scarlet sun against the black sky that put a chill in the pit of his stomach.
"It's all that boy's fault," Sam muttered, just for the comfort of hearing his own voice. "If he hadn't smashed my CD, this wouldn't be happening. Even with my computer repaired, I can't do anything without that CD!"
Then he reconsidered. True, the disk had been valuable, giving him the capability to create his Glitches and Spies that let him keep track of what was going on in the Digital World, but there were still a few things he could do from his side of the barrier. After all, it was really a Digivice that he was after, and he knew of at least five people in this world who had them. Four of them were out of his reach, but the fifth was practically a phone call away. He wouldn't even have to get near the boy in question. He had someone else now who would do his dirty work for him and would never even know what she was really doing, the world's most unlikely secret agent: Jun Motomiya.
Early the next morning, Jun herself sat at the breakfast table, pretending to be interested in the Saturday morning cartoons that danced across the TV screen, all the while watching a figure who was slinking up the hallway. Davis was doing his sneaking routine, shuffling through the shadows and trying to be invisible, but his new limp was giving him problems. Jun was used to the act; she'd seen it every time her brother had managed to kick a soccer ball at a lamp or had gotten a low grade on his report card. Now Jun watched him and wondered what he'd managed to do wrong this time. He seemed to be trying to hide something behind his back. After a few moments of observation had revealed nothing, she spoke up.
"And just what do you think you're doing, Davis?" she asked.
The boy jumped guiltily. "Nothing!"
"Whenever you say 'nothing,' it always means you're up to something," Jun replied. "Go on, spill it, or I'll tell Mom and Dad."
"I'm not doing anything," said Davis, wincing a bit at the mention of his parents, "so just stay out of my business, okay? It doesn't concern you."
"You're hiding something," Jun persisted. "Come on. I promise I won't tell anyone if you're in trouble. What is it?"
"You're so nosy," Davis muttered. "For your information, I'm not doing anything wrong. I'm just taking some food to my room, okay?" He held out the thing he'd been hiding behind his back, which proved to be a paper sack full of various edibles.
"What's that for?" asked Jun. "And why did you have to hide it, anyway?"
"I had to hide it so you wouldn't ask what I was doing with it!"
"Well, it's too late now. What's it for?"
"In case there's a bomb raid," said Davis offhandedly. "If I get trapped in my room, I don't want to starve." He turned around and began heading for his room. Jun followed him.
"You've been acting so weird lately," she said. "Ever since that first day of school, you're hardly home, and when you do come home, you don't tell us where you've been."
"Well, it's not like you care."
"And then there's that scar on your leg," Jun continued. "You don't really think you can convince me you were in a motorcycle accident, do you?"
"I've been inducted into a gang. This is my badge of membership."
"Very funny," Jun replied. "Don't let Mom and Dad hear you say that, or they'll have you locked up or something."
"Don't you tell them, then," Davis replied. "While you're at it, why don't you tell me where you've been? You didn't come home for dinner last night."
"For your information, I was on a date," said Jun.
"Yeah, sure, and I'm a nuclear physicist."
"It's true! I met a guy at the mall, and he took me to dinner," said Jun. "And you'll never believe who it was - Sam Ichijouji!"
Davis whirled in place, and Jun backed away a little in surprise. Her brother's eyes had suddenly gone serious, more serious than she had known they were capable of being.
"Say that name again," he said.
"Sam Ichijouji," Jun repeated. "Have you got a problem with that?"
"Yes!" Davis snapped. "Jun, you can't date Sam! He's dangerous!"
"What are you talking about?" Jun asked.
"Just trust me on this one," answered Davis. "Sam is crazy. You can't trust him. He puts up a good front, but he'll turn on you when you least expect it. He's already tried to hurt me and my friends, and I don't want you to get hurt, too."
"Davis, what are you talking about?"
"You don't really need to know. I'm just telling you, Sam's trouble. Stay away from him... and stay out of my way when I'm doing things. It's dangerous, and it doesn't concern you!"
"Quit it; you're scaring me," said Jun. "Davis, if you don't tell me what's going on, I really will tell Mom and Dad!"
"Tell them if you have to," Davis replied. "Ken ran away from his family, and I can do it, too."
With that, he turned around and marched into his room, slamming the door behind him, leaving Jun to stand and stare. In the ensuing silence, the telephone rang.
"I'll get it!" she called, bounding for the phone. She caught it on the second ring and answered, "Motomiya residence, Jun speaking. Can I help you?"
"Just the person I wanted to hear," said the voice on the other end. "Hi, Jun, this is Sam."
"Hi, Sam!" she chirped. "I wasn't expecting to hear from you again so soon."
"I just called to tell you how much I enjoyed dinner last night," Sam replied. "I was wondering if you'd like to get together again sometime this weekend?"
"I'd love to!" Jun replied. "When? I'm free all day today."
"I have a soccer game tonight, but if you'd like to meet me at the mall later today, I think there's a good movie playing. We could grab a burger somewhere and then go see it."
"I'd love to," Jun replied. "Um, hey Sam, can I ask something? Did you and my brother have some kind of a fight or something?"
Sam skipped a beat before asking, "Why? Did he say something about me?"
"I don't know. Sort of. He got really upset when he found out we went out together last night... He said you were dangerous."
"Ah. Don't worry about that," said Sam. "We had a disagreement the other day, that's all. I can explain it for you later, if you want. You might be able to help straighten things out. You know, act as a go-between. You do get along with him, don't you?"
"Most of the time," she said. "But there's not trouble or anything, is there?"
"I'll explain it all later," said Sam. "Just keep an eye on him, okay? He might be up to something."
"He was acting kinda strange earlier," Jun replied. "This is so weird. I wish you'd tell me what's going on here."
"I'll explain it all later," Sam repeated. "I promise. Just meet me at the fountain in the front of the mall, and we'll talk someplace where it's private."
"Okay," said Jun dubiously. "Can I ask one other question?"
"Sure. Anything."
"Did your brother... do you know what happened to him?"
There was silence on the other end of the line.
"Sam? Are you still there?" asked Jun.
"Did you hear something about my brother?"
"Well, Davis did mention him, sort of," Jun replied. "He said Ken ran away from his family. Did he?"
Sam sighed. "That's a long story, but I'm not sure I can explain it on the phone. I think I've said too much already - I don't want to scare you away. Weird things are going on right now, and I don't want to see anything happen to you, but you can be a big help to me if you're not afraid. You're not afraid, are you?"
"I don't even know what's there to be afraid of yet," said Jun.
"Well, meet me for lunch anyway, and I'll try to explain it all. Then you can make up your mind."
"Am I in danger?"
"Not yet."
"Is Davis in danger?"
"Probably."
"And you?"
"I'm pretty sure I am."
"In that case, I want to help," said Jun. "I'm not leaving my little brother in danger, and I'm not leaving you, either. I'm not as much of a ditz as people think I am. If I can help in any way, I will."
"Great! I had a feeling I could count on you," said Sam. "Anyone as beautiful as you had to have a good heart."
Jun felt herself blushing. "When do you want me to meet you?"
"Is noon all right with you?"
"It's fine. I'll see you then."
"I'll look forward to it. Bye, Jun... and thanks. I can't tell you how much it means to me to have someone on my side."
"Bye, Sam, and you're welcome."
Jun hung up the phone thoughtfully, still trying to adjust to this turn of events. Half of her was saying that Davis was right, that this Sam was crazy, with his hints about danger and secrets. It seemed strange that he refused to tell her what was going on...
*Then again, Davis isn't telling me much, either,* she thought. *Whatever he says, he didn't get that scar in an ordinary accident. It looks more like a burn, and how would he get a burn like that? To go all the way around his leg like that, it would have almost had to be done on purpose. I thought he was kidding about that gang stuff, but what if he's not? That would explain why he's never home. It might explain him stealing the food, too, especially if he really is planning on running away. I wonder what Sam has to do with it all? And Ken?*
On the other hand, there could be some ordinary, sensible explanation for all of this. Maybe she was just overreacting, or maybe this really was some weird fantasy cooked up by her new friend. Still, it was hard for her to believe that someone as nice as Sam could be lying to her about something like this.
*He'll explain it all,* she soothed herself. *He promised me he would. Sam will explain it so it all makes sense...*
Confused, she sat on the sofa and stared thoughtfully at the ceiling, chasing her thoughts around in circles. Part of her wanted to stay with her original resolve, to stand by her new friend as long as he was in trouble. Part of her wanted to believe this was all a big joke or a misunderstanding and she wouldn't have to deal with it. Part of her wanted to go find a new boyfriend and forget all this. She didn't know how long she stayed there, lost in thought, before she was roused by the sound of someone hitting buttons on the touchtone phone. She knew her parents were still in bed, enjoying their day off, and since she was no longer using the phone, there was only one other person in the house who could be causing that sound. Jun felt compelled to get up and investigate, creeping along until she was close enough to hear her brother's side of the conversation.
"Hello? ... Hey, it's me, Davis. Are we going again today? ... Yeah, I figured it was time you and Kari got yours. Are you okay? You looked kinda rough yesterday after you got beat up. He must be pretty strong for his age... Yeah, I'm fine. Sam didn't manage to hurt me too bad... She feels guilty? Why? ... You tell her not to worry about it... Hey, listen, the reason I called is, I think I did something dumb this morning... Yeah, I know, you don't have to remind me. You're getting as bad as the others... Anyway, I was talking to my sister, and I think I accidentally let slip that Ken is still alive... No, I didn't come out and say I've met him or anything dumb like that, I just sort of mentioned him. With any luck, she'll forget later. The last thing we need is for her to get involved... It's not just that. You aren't going to believe this, but I think Sam's got her on his side. He took her out on a date! ... I'll be careful. Don't worry, I'll come up with something to tell her. I wish I could run away to the Digital World. Sometimes I think Ken's got the right idea... Yeah, I'll see you there. Bye!"
The phone clicked back onto the hook, and Jun quickly darted back into the living room before Davis could see her, but he seemed too occupied with his own problems to notice her. He ran into his room, slammed the door, and rummaged around in there for a time. Then he came out carrying his backpack and ran for the front door.
"Where are you going?" Jun called to him.
"To another dimension," shouted Davis, and he left the apartment. Jun stared at the closed door for a minute. Then she sighed and turned her attention to the clock, waiting for noon to come and thinking that she seriously needed to talk to Sam.
The Digidestined arrived in the Digital World and were surprised by an encounter with Ken. It was not that they were surprised to see him; they were getting used to the idea that wherever they went in the DigiWorld, the Paladin wouldn't be far away. What surprised them was that for once, he actually seemed relaxed. He was lying on the side of a grassy hill with Wormmon curled up next to him and various other Digimon scattered around nearby. The day was warm, and he had tossed his cloak and gloves aside, baring a pink scar on one arm that matched the one Davis had gained fighting the Glitch. He appeared to be in a better mood than the Digidestined had yet seen him as he watched the clouds and chatted with his Digimon friends. One of them, a shaggy beast covered in brown and blue fur and a mask over its face was serving him as a pillow. When the kids appeared, it twitched its long snout, pricked its floppy ears, and opened two surprisingly blue eyes to stare at the new arrivals. It whispered something to Ken, who sat up and stared.
"You're back." The statement was more of a question than a reproach.
"We're looking for our Digimentals," Kari explained. "Don't let us bother you."
"You're not bothering me," said Ken. "Actually, today has been quiet. Sam usually sends me at least one Glitch to play with before he goes to school. It's almost like a game to him." He moved to pick up his gloves and slipped them on self-consciously, covering the scar.
"You don't have to hide that from us," said Cody. "I have a feeling most of us are going to have a few war wounds before this is over." He gently touched the reddish line that angled across his face.
"I prefer not to have to look at it," Ken replied. "It brings up unpleasant memories."
"I can understand that," said Gatomon. "Why do you think I wear gloves? It's not for fashion."
"Well, you're not going to be bothered by any more Glitches for a while," said Davis proudly. "I busted your brother's computer for you. I also smashed this creepy-looking CD he had in it... I have a feeling he's going to have a hard time causing trouble here for a while."
Ken's eyes brightened a bit. "Really? You actually did that?"
"Sure! Why not?" Davis replied. "It seemed like the best thing to do at the time."
"You shouldn't have gone there. It was too big of a risk," said Ken, "but I'm glad you did anyway. It probably won't be a permanent fix, but... thanks. Thanks a lot."
"Anyway, we figured now would be a good time to look for our Digimentals, now that Sam can't bother us with his monsters," said TK. "We didn't really mean to disturb you."
"Hey, Ken," said Yolei, "why don't you come with us?"
"Huh?" For once, the Paladin seemed to be at a loss for words.
"Yeah, that's a good idea," Davis agreed. "If we're going to be fighting a war together, we ought to all be friends. We ought to all spend some time getting to know each other while there aren't any of those creepy creatures around to cause problems."
"I don't know... what do you guys think?" Ken asked the Digimon.
"I want to go with them," said Wormmon, giving his partner a pleading stare. The Digimon that they'd been resting on nodded its agreement.
"Well, all right," said Ken. "I guess it wouldn't hurt... but I'm mostly doing it for you."
"What is that funny little thing, anyway?" asked Yolei, looking at the armored animal. It got up to investigate her, sniffing her ankles like a dog before rubbing up against her leg affectionately, closing its eyes and making happy little chirping noises.
"It's a Tapirmon," said Ken. "It likes me. I don't know why, but it's always hanging around."
Yolei dropped to her knees next to the Tapirmon, the better to scratch its ears. "I like him. He's cute."
"Not cuter than me, I hope?" asked Hawkmon.
"Of course not!" Yolei laughed, hugging her partner.
"He'll probably follow us a while," said Ken. "And then he'll disappear just when you least expect it. He's a strange creature - hardly ever talks, but he's more powerful than he looks."
The Tapirmon, knowing it was the topic of conversation, opened its eyes and looked up into Yolei's, and she felt a little shiver run through her. She couldn't imagine why, for there was nothing in those pale blue pools that was unfriendly, but she got the eerie feeling it was looking straight through her, and she blinked away involuntarily.
"I see what you mean," she said.
"Don't worry, he won't hurt you," Ken assured her. "Anyway, if we're going to go, can we get going, before I change my mind?"
"Good idea," said TK. "We shouldn't waste what peaceful time we've got."
Sam studied his reflection in the window glass of a small shop, self-consciously smoothing his hair and adjusting his glasses. It was unusual for him to be this nervous, but this was an unusual situation for him. He was used to being on television or performing feats of mental agility before an audience of hundreds, but he had usually avoided the dating scene. For one thing, he was too busy with schoolwork and his extracurricular activities (not to mention his Digital World project) to devote time to anyone else. He told himself that there really wasn't anyone out there who could compare to him, or even hold his interest long enough to make it worth the effort. He just hoped he could pull off his lovestruck act long enough to convince Jun to do what he wanted her to do. How hard could it be for a master manipulator like himself? With that in mind, he took one last look at his reflection and went to look for his date.
The focal point of the mall's food court was a fountain, rising four tiers high and spraying water nearly twelve feet above the ground before splashing down into a basin. Children tossed pennies into it and made wishes, while adults sat on the wide rim of the pool, laying down their shopping bags and resting their feet. Today there was someone else there, a reddish haired girl dressed more nicely than usual, passing the time by reading a book. Sam walked over and sat down next to her.
"Must be interesting," he commented.
Jun jumped. "Oh! I didn't see you coming."
"That's all right," answered Sam. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to leave you waiting."
"I wasn't waiting long," Jun replied. She had closed the book and set it down, and Sam studied the cover with interest.
"Alien abductions?" he remarked. "I didn't know you were interested in that sort of thing. Do you really believe in creatures from other worlds?"
Jun blushed. "It's silly, isn't it? But it is interesting. I mean, the universe is so big, you'd think there would have to be someone out there besides us, wouldn't you? Or am I just being crazy?"
"No, I don't think you're crazy at all. I believe in other worlds myself," Sam replied. "It's one of my hobbies, actually."
"I'm glad someone takes me seriously," said Jun. "I don't dare let my parents find out I'm interested in this stuff. Even Davis thinks I'm a little crazy."
"He does, hm?" said Sam. "He would say that."
"You think he knows something he's not telling? Is that what you were talking about earlier?" asked Jun. "You aren't going to really tell me he's involved in some kind of alien invasion or something, are you?"
"Well... what do you think?"
"I don't know!" Jun exclaimed, loudly enough that a few of the people nearest to her turned to see what she was shouting about.
"Shh," said Sam. "Keep it down. Listen, why don't we go find somewhere less public where we can talk?"
Jun nodded, and they picked their way through the crowds and down a corridor, the kind that led off to the restrooms and the phone booths. There was also a waiting bench next to the telephones, so they sat down there. The hallway was empty, but the slick walls made sounds echo, and they kept their voices quiet.
"Are you okay?" asked Sam, noting the worried look in her eyes.
"Yes... no... I don't know," she said. "You've gotten me all confused. Yesterday, everything was fine, and now nothing makes sense. Where does my brother go all day? Where did he get that scar? What has your brother got to do with it all? How do you know so much, anyway? Why did Davis say you were dangerous?"
"First tell me what you've heard, and I'll see if I can make some sense of it for you," said Sam.
"I don't know! Davis is never home anymore - he's always out with his weird friends. He's got that weird burn on his leg, and when I asked him about it, he said he'd joined a gang. He told me he was running off to another dimension, and then you come along asking about spaceships and things and scare me. And there was this weird phone call this morning, Davis talking about getting something, and somebody feeling guilty, and Ken still being alive, and saying you hurt him. Is Ken alive?"
"He is. He's the cause of all this," Sam replied.
"Where did he go?"
Sam gave her a long, thoughtful look. "You wouldn't really believe me if I told you another dimension, would you?"
"This is getting creepy," said Jun, turning away. "Davis is right - you are crazy."
"No, listen," Sam begged. "There is another world, and I can prove it to you. I've seen it with my own eyes. It's called the Digital World."
Jun's eyes widened. "That's the place Davis said he was going!"
"Right," Sam replied.
"And... that's where Ken is too, right? That's why the police could never find him, because he was in another world."
"Right again! You are smart. I knew you'd be able to help me," Sam replied. "Ken was the first one to go into the Digital World. He found the key that opens the door, and when he found out there was a whole other world out there where he could be the only human and never answer to anyone else, he stole the key and ran away. I tried to stop him, and I've been trying to bring him back ever since. Only problem is, I can only look through the door, not actually pass through it. If I had the key, I could bring Ken back home where he belongs, and the key could be put to some good. It's not fair that a whole world should belong to one person."
"So, what's Davis got to do with it?"
"He's been helping Ken," said Sam. "Like I said, I can't go to the Digital World myself, but I've been doing everything I can from this side to convince Ken to come home. He won't listen, though. He's determined to stay where he is, and he's convinced your brother and a few other people to help him. That's what Davis and I disagreed about - he damaged my computer, my only link to the Digital World, trying to get me to leave Ken alone."
"I don't know... I still don't think I believe any of this."
"As I've said, I can prove it. First of all, the Digital World is inhabited by monsters called Digimon. Ken and all his followers have a Digimon partner that serves them. I've been told recently that five of these creatures have passed over the border into this world, one for each of the children. I'm willing to bet Davis has one with him, and if you check his room tonight while he's asleep, you'll find it."
"A... monster?" Jun quavered.
Sam nodded. "Just a small one. They're harmless enough in this world... almost cute."
"Hm. Davis was sneaking food into his room this morning. Do you think it was for the... what did you call that thing? A Digimon?"
"Very likely. I'm told young Digimon are always hungry," Sam replied factually. "Oh, and one other thing - the most important thing. If Davis is traveling to the Digital World, it means he must have a key with him. He probably keeps it near him during the day, but when he's asleep..."
Sam was interrupted by the bleeping of a cellular phone. Sam looked startled for a minute before realizing the phone was his own, and he self-consciously pulled it out of his knapsack.
"I'm sorry, this will just take a minute," he apologized to Jun. He flipped open the phone. "Hello?"
"Hello there. I hear you had a little accident," said the voice on the other end of the line.
"A - Arukenimon?" Sam stammered. "I wasn't expecting to hear from you."
"I'm sure. That was careless of you, letting my disk get damaged."
"It wasn't my fault! Blame it on that interfering kid. He's the one who broke it - I tried to stop him."
"We'll worry about excuses later. You should be thankful I'm feeling forgiving. As a matter of fact, I have another proposition that I think you will find more interesting than our previous arrangement."
"What have you got in mind?"
"I'll be around later to discuss it with you. I'm just calling now to let you know I have things well under control in the Digital World. As for you, you had better start moving faster. Three years is a long time to wait, and what have you got to show for it?"
"Give me another twenty-four hours, and I think I can show you something interesting," Sam replied.
"Oh, really? I'll be looking forward to that." It was difficult to tell if Arukenimon was being sarcastic or not. "What have you got in mind?"
"I can't explain now; there's someone listening," Sam replied.
"Later, then. Tomorrow." There was a click, and Sam sighed and put the phone away.
"Who was that?" asked Jun. "Arukenimon? Is that a name?"
"Arukenimon is a Digimon," Sam answered. "Don't worry, though - she's on our side. She taught me most of what I know about the Digital World. She was just calling to give me a tongue-lashing over the CD your brother broke."
Jun looked worried. "He didn't get you in trouble, did he?"
"I don't know. I hope not. Arukenimon is a big help when she's being friendly, but she has a nasty temper."
"I hope she doesn't get mad at you for what my brother did," said Jun. "I just can't believe all this is happening... Do you really think I can help?"
"Of course you can! You can make all the difference in the world," Sam replied. He reached into his knapsack and took out a folder, flipping it open until he came to a picture, meticulously sketched on clean white paper. "Do you think you would recognize this thing again if you saw it?"
"I think so," asked Jun. "What is it?"
"This is the key I'm looking for - what's called a Digivice," Sam replied. "All you have to do to make this whole ugly business go away is to go into your brother's room while he's sleeping... and steal it."
There was no denying that having the Digimon Paladin traveling with the Digidestined made a walk through the DigiWorld a different sort of experience - less of a trek into the unknown and more like a walk through someone's garden. There was something about the way that other Digimon behaved around their champion that made them feel safer. Wormmon rode proudly on his partner's shoulder, quite clearly Ken's favorite, but every creature whose path they crossed were pleased to see Ken, and he treated them all like old friends. Even creatures who might have ordinarily been dangerous, like a snoring Monocrhomon that they disturbed, became peaceful when they realized that the Paladin was with them.
"I'm starting to see why you're so dead-set on trying to protect this place," Davis remarked. "You know everyone here."
"I don't necessarily know them," Ken replied, "but they know me, and they know why I'm here and what I'm doing. When I came to this world, I was just a little boy who didn't have anyone but Wormmon to protect me. I was hurt and frightened - my brother had threatened to kill me. I didn't know what I was going to do. The Digimon sort of adopted me. The whole world did. The least I can do is pay it back."
"That's really amazing," said Yolei. "I can't imagine what it would be like to have the whole world looking after you."
"It's kind of strange," Ken replied, "but it's good. You can't blame me for feeling more like a Digimon than a human. My parents never cared much about me, and you know about Sam, but even some of the Virus Digimon here will listen to me I ask them."
"You're lucky," said Davis glumly. "I wish I'd found this Digivice thing sooner. I would have moved here with you."
"What for?" asked Ken, surprised.
"My parents don't think much of me, either," Davis replied. "Nothing I've ever done is good enough for them. If they're not ignoring me, they're running me down or telling me I'm lying about something."
"At least you have parents," TK muttered.
Cody looked surprised. "What do you mean by that?"
"Oh, my parents got divorced when I was really little," TK replied. "I've lived most of my life with my mother. My brother lives with my dad, so we don't get to see each other much."
"Oh," said Cody. "So yours are still alive. My father was a policeman, and he got shot in a gunfight. That's why my mother and I are saying with my grandfather now."
Ken was staring at them all as if they had all just stepped down out of a spaceship. "How did you all survive?"
"I don't know. We just do, I guess," said TK. "Human beings can get through just about anything."
"You didn't think you were the only person in the world who's ever had family problems, did you?" asked Yolei. "I know I fight with my older sisters and brother all the time... though none of them have threatened to kill me yet."
"I guess I'd never thought about it," said Ken. "I guess none of us have it all that easy, do we?"
"Yeah," Davis replied, "and that's why we've got to stick together. When it all comes down to it, who else have we got?"
"Us!" Veemon exclaimed.
"Absolutely," Ken agreed. "They've been the best friends anyone could ask for. I would have been lost without Wormmon here to protect me."
The other Digidestined nodded, looking to their own companions, remembering when they had first looked into each other's eyes and realized that this what who they had been waiting for.
Just then, Ken felt his partner shudder, and he turned to him in alarm.
"You okay, Wormmon?" he asked.
"I think so," said Wormmon uncertaintly. "Just for a minute, something didn't feel right. It's gone now, I think."
"I don't think so," Kari said. "I feel it too - there's something wrong around here. We should go back."
"What could be wrong?" asked Ken. "I don't see any problems. There aren't many creatures who would attack me, and if there were, our Digimon could fight them off."
"I think you should listen to Kari," said Davis. Yolei and Cody, used to the way he pursued the girl, just rolled their eyes, but Davis ignored them. This had nothing to do with his crush - well, almost nothing. Kari honestly looked uncomfortable, her skin pale and her eyes dark and frightened. Wormmon didn't look happy, either, and he kept twitching his antennae as if there was some far-off noise that he wasn't sure he was hearing. "It's better not to take any chances. Isn't there another route we could take?"
"I don't know what your problem is," said Yolei. "You're getting scared over nothing. If we walk around this place, we'll waste hours for no good reason, and I don't have time for that."
"I agree," said Ken. "What danger could there be? If you're right about Sam not being able to make any more monsters, we should be perfectly safe."
"I'm with Davis," said TK. "When Kari says there's trouble, there's trouble. She's sensitive to these things. I say we should get out of here and wait for whatever it is to go away."
"Let's be democratic about this," said Cody. "Ken and Yolei want to stay; Davis, Kari, and TK want to leave. I'm the deciding vote, and I say we leave. Kari and Wormmon are right - there is something about this place that feels wrong."
"Hm," said Ken. "Well, I'm not going to argue with all of you and my partner, too. We'll just have to take a roundabout way."
"Not so fast!" buzzed a voice.
Everyone spun in place. Blocking their way was a huge green insect, something akin to a praying mantis, with huge sickle-blades tipping its arms. Several pairs of eyes widened.
"What is that?" asked Cody nervously. "I hope it's friendly!"
"Not hardly! That's a Snimon!" Kari replied. "I remember it! Myotismon sent it when he was trying to capture me!"
"Well, this one's not going to do anything to us now," said Ken. "Snimon, what are you doing here? Why are you trying to stop us?"
"I've been commanded to destroy," the Snimon replied.
"Commanded? By whom?" asked Ken.
"I've been commanded to destroy," repeated the Snimon. "Twin Sickles!"
Ken dove out of the way just in time to avoid the flashing blades, tumbling across the grass. He and Wormmon landed in a pile of leaves, and Davis and Yolei went to help them up.
"Toldja something bad was going on here, and you didn't believe me," said Davis as he hauled Ken to his feet.
"I don't understand it," Ken muttered. "Why is he attacking us?"
"I've been commanded to destroy!" shouted the Snimon, flashing its blade-hands.
"Yeah, yeah, we know!" Kari shouted back at it. "I think we should talk about this somewhere else - like, someplace where he isn't!"
"Great idea," said TK, studying the map. "The cave with the next Digimentals should be just up ahead. Let's make a run for it, guys!"
The Digidestined and their partners made a frantic dash through the forest with the Snimon following closely behind, hewing down trees with its blades as it attempted to chase them through the dense woods. The kids were forced to deal with tangled undergrowth and thorny shrubs that tore at their clothing, and Davis labored to keep up with his friends on his bad leg. He tripped over a root and went sprawling; Kari paused long enough to help him up again, and he limped along leaning on her shoulder. TK, seeing Cody struggling through weeds almost as tall as he was, boosted the boy onto his back and carried him. Yolei found herself almost having to drag the confused Ken and his fidgety partner. Finally, they came to a jutting rock in with a deep crack in its side, and they made their way gratefully into the dark. Panting from the run, they dropped to the floor to rest against the cool walls.
"Is everyone okay?" asked TK.
"I could really hate Sam for creating those Glitches," Davis muttered, rubbing at his leg. "This is getting ridiculous."
"I'm fine," said Cody. "Thanks for the help, TK."
"I still don't get it," Ken muttered, absently stroking Wormmon's head in an effort to soothe him. "I thought I was on good terms with the Snimon. I've never had one try to hurt me before. What did we do to him?"
"Well, not all Digimon are completely good, you know," said TK. "Some of them will attack you just for spite."
"Never! I don't believe it," said Ken.
"TK's right. There are evil Digimon," said Kari, "and I've seen them. I've had to fight them before."
"You fought them," Ken repeated. "Fought, as in... a battle to the death?" He nervously hugged his caterpillar to himself.
"Don't look so scared! What do you think we are, some kind of Digimon serial killers?" asked TK. "We were chosen to fight evil. That's what Digidestined do. If we hadn't fought and destroyed the evil Digimon, this world might not even be here today, and a lot of innocent Digimon would have been hurt and killed for no reason. I remember my first real battle, the fight with Devimon..." He closed his eyes and shuddered. "I never want to see anything like it again."
Patamon snuggled up to him. "It's okay, TK. It's over now, and I'm still here for you."
"And Myotismon," Kari whispered, hugging Gatomon. "Or Venom Myotismon. I never really stopped feeling like that battle was all my fault."
"If it hadn't been for you, he still would have found some other reason to cause trouble," TK assured her. "Hey, you didn't get to meet Etemon. He should have been blown up just for his singing!"
Kari giggled a little at that. "That's what Tai always tells me.... Then there were the Dark Masters. I was so proud of Tai when he and WarGreymon fought Metal Seadramon."
"Yeah, so? I was the one who tricked Puppetmon," TK boasted.
"But it was your brother who actually destroyed him!" said Kari. "Just like my brother fought MachineDramon... I helped with that a little, didn't I?"
"You sure did," TK agreed. "You and those Numemon! But Patamon and I get the credit for Piedmon, don't we?"
"And all of us helped destroy Apocalymon," Kari finished.
Ken was staring at them both, wide-eyed. "You two fought all those Digimon?"
"Right," said TK. "But they were evil Digimon. They didn't want anything but to take over the Digital World and hurt other Digimon, just like your brother does. I agree, most Digimon are good, but every once in a while there's one so dangerous that it has to be removed for the good of everyone else."
"I think maybe I understand," said Ken hesitantly. "I have to think about it, though."
"That's our Ken," muttered Yolei. "Never makes up his mind in a hurry."
Ken raised an eyebrow. "Your Ken?"
Yolei blushed. "Oh, you know what I mean!"
"Anyway," said Cody, "now that we're down here, shouldn't we be looking for those Digimentals?"
"Right as usual," said Davis. "Who goes next?"
"Well, it seems like it ought to be TK and Kari's turn," said Yolei, "but they already have their Digimon."
"Doesn't matter," Ken replied. "Digimon won't be much good right now without something to protect them from the Spies. They're still out there, hiding. Even with Sam's computer down, it'll be months before we can clean them all out."
"We'll have a look, then," said TK. "Come on, Kari, let's have a look at these eggs."
As they had come to expect, the eggs were in the very back of the cave, resting on a low block of stone. One egg was mostly golden and emblazoned with the Crest of Hope, and was crowned with a tiny pair of wings that resembled Patamon's ears. The other was in softer shades of silver and white, save for a pair of oddly pawlike protrusions that looked a lot like Gatomon's, and the front of the egg sported the Crest of Light. The kids reached for their respective Digimentals, and the eggs came free of their stands and fell into the Digidestined's hands as if they'd been waiting to get there.
"That was easy," TK commented. "Let's hope it'll be just as easy to get rid of that Snimon."
"Not a problem, once our Digimon armor-digivolve," Kari replied. "Ready, Gatomon?"
"You got it," the cat Digimon replied.
"Me, too!" Patamon agreed.
"Then let's see what these eggs can do," said TK. "Digi-Armor energize!"
The other Digidestined, waiting further along the cave, turned suddenly to see gold and white light flaring from the place their friends had gone. The brilliance was too great for them to see what was happening, but they could hear clearly enough as their Digimon friends made their transformations.
"Gatomon, armor-digivolve to... Nefertimon, the Angel of Light!"
"Patamon, armor-digvolve to... Pegasusmon, Flying Hope!"
Then the room went black again, and the kids, still dazzled by the lights, only got an impression of rushing wings as something whooshed above them.
"Watch your heads!" laughed TK somewhere up above them.
The Digidestined followed the sounds to the mouth of the cave and looked around. Soaring around in circles through the sky were TK and Kari, riding on the backs of two remarkable flying animals. One had all the attributes of the classical Pegasus, decked out in golden armor. The other resembled some kind of Sphinx, but with wide white wings.
"Hi, guys!" Kari called. "Say hello to our new Digimon! Aren't they cool?"
"Awesome," Yolei agreed. "Let's see that overgrown grasshopper challenge us now!"
As she spoke, there was a roar from somewhere near them, and a number of trees dropped with a rush of leaves.
"Speak of the Devimon," TK muttered. "Here he comes! All right, Pegasusmon, show me what you can do!"
"I'm ready for him," said Pegasusmon. "Star Shower!"
Pegasusmon's creamy wings went dark, briefly showing the star-spangled void of space, and bursts of energy rained down on the Snimon. It screamed and flashed its sickles, forcing Pegasusmon to make a dive for safety.
"Don't let him have all the fun, Nefertimon," said Kari.
"I don't intend to," Nefertimon replied. "Rosetta Stone!"
Pink light flared, and the Snimon suddenly found himself being struck by flying stones. The first one hit him and shattered, but the next few were sliced to harmless rubble by his flashing blades. It hissed angrily and began moving in on Nefertimon, but Pegasusmon distracted him by flashing a series of energy bolts at him. Nefertimon joined in, shooting bolts of energy from the cuffs on her forelegs.
"Way to go, Kari! Teach that bug who's boss!" Davis cheered. "Man, these new Digimon are awesome."
"But they're not awesome enough," said Ken seriously. "They're barely even fazing that thing. If those Digimon don't have any better attacks than that, they're going to be sliced to ribbons, armor and all."
"Well, isn't that optimistic!" said Yolei. "Why don't you do something about it instead of standing there talking?"
"I intend to," Ken replied. "I'm beginning to think your friends are right about this - if that Snimon isn't destroyed, someone is going to die for it. Wormmon, get ready for battle!"
"I'm not sure I like that idea," said Wormmon nervously. "Something still feels wrong around here."
There was a sudden shriek as Nefertimon misjudged a dodge and began to fall. TK just barely managed to catch Kari, but her Digimon didn't fare as well. She dropped through the canopy of a tree to land in a prickly bed of branches, where she struggled to untangle her wings.
"It doesn't matter how you feel about it. I don't like it either, but we have to do something," said Ken. "Digivolve!"
"All right," Wormmon sighed. "If you insist. Wormmon, digivolve to... Stingmon!"
The Snimon was startled to see a large green wasp come bursting out of the trees. Stingomon swooped down to Nefertimon and helped lift her back into the sky.
"Thank you, Stingmon," she said. "You're a true gentlemon."
"Thank me later. Right now, I just want to get this over with," Stingmon replied. "Can you two hold that thing still for me?"
"No problem," said Pegasusmon. "Help me out, Nefertimon!"
The cuff's on the two Armor Digimons' forelegs began to glow golden, and sparks formed between them, creating a rope of light. The Golden Noose was deftly wrapped around the Snimon's arms, stilling its blades.
"Hold him steady, now!" Stingmon called. "I'll take care of the rest. Spiking Strike!"
A blade of pink energy extended from his wrist, tapering to a sharp point. Though the Snimon struggled to escape, the noose held, and the insect Digimon's last sight was the great green wasp driving home the point of his sword. Then the Snimon vanished in a cloud of digital sparks. Tired from the fight, the Digimon dropped to the ground. The Armor Digimon shifted back to their natural forms, and Ken went to console his partner.
"You did the right thing," he said.
"I guess so," said Stingmon, "but I didn't like it."
"Neither did I, but there was no other choice."
A peal of laughter rang out. Confused, the Digidestined looked around to see a woman standing on the lowest branch of a nearby tree, a woman in a red dress and a pair of strange purple glasses, and she held a flute carelessly in one hand. Her head was thrown back, long silver- white hair spilling down her back to bell out in the wind, and she was laughing scornfully down at them.
"Do you mind telling me what's so funny?" Ken snapped. "Someone just died here. You shouldn't be laughing."
"Oh, but it's so funny," said the woman coolly. "Such a lovely bit of senseless overkill, Paladin. It's a wonder you chose to follow the path of light; darkness suits you so well."
"What are you talking about?" asked Ken.
"Very simple," said the lady in red. "Allow me to demonstrate. Stingmon, kindly show this boy who your true master is."
"Huh? What do you mean?" asked Stingmon. "I never answer to anyone but Ken!"
"Is that so?" the lady replied.
She raised the flute to her lips and played a few notes, and the wasp seemed to stiffen in response. He walked slowly forward until he stood almost directly below the woman, and then he dropped to one knee in a subservient bow. Ken, shocked, tried to run to his partner's side, but Stingmon batted him out of the way, sending him sprawling in the dirt.
"Isn't that a pleasant sight?" asked the woman. "Even the most loyal Digimon will turn against his best friend if I wish it. How much easier do you think it is to make an innocent Snimon do my bidding?"
"I get it," said Yolei. "That Snimon didn't want to attack us - you forced him to!"
"Finally you figure it out," the lady replied. "In other words, Paladin, you just killed an innocent creature for no reason at all. How does that make you feel, hm?"
"You tricked us!" Ken shouted back. "We didn't have any choice!"
"You had all the choice in the world. You could have stopped him. You could have escaped him. You could have just stayed under that rock until I grew bored. But you chose the easy way out and killed one of your precious Digimon friends for the sake of humans you barely know. How do you think the other Digimon are going to feel about that?"
"They won't find out," Ken said.
"They will. I can make sure of it," said the woman. "And once they find out what their precious Paladin is really like..."
"The truth will come out," Ken ground out.
"I'm counting on it," said the lady with an icy smile. "Farewell, Paladin."
Then she was gone, somehow vanished into the treetops. Stingmon shook himself as if coming out of a dream.
"What happened?" he asked. "What am I doing down here?"
Ken didn't answer. He stood stone still, his fists clenched at his sides, trembling slightly.
"Ken?" said Davis. "Hey, Ken, are you okay?"
"She's right," whispered Ken. "It didn't deserve to die. We could have found some other way."
"We had no way of knowing," said Kari. "Ken, don't pay any attention to what that woman is saying. You know she's just messing with your mind."
"No," said Ken. "You warned me something like this would happen. You knew something was wrong, and I was so proud of myself... I thought I could handle anything. If I had listened..."
"That creepy lady would have found us anyway," said TK. "Quit trying to put all the blame on yourself. You're not the only one who wanted to keep going."
"You're only trying to make me feel better," Ken muttered.
"And you're being stubborn," said Yolei. "What's done is done."
"Well, that doesn't mean I can't feel sorry for it," snapped Ken. "Please, just... go away. I want to be left alone."
"I think we'd better do like he says," Davis told his friends.
"I think you're right," TK replied. "Come on, gang. Let's give Ken his space."
The Digidestined walked slowly away, leaving Ken standing with his head bowed, tears building in his eyes.
"This won't go unpunished," he said. "A life for a life. She meant for that creature to die. No matter what, I'll make her pay the price for it."
Jun stared at the red numbers on her alarm clock and thought about why she wasn't sleeping. It was well past eleven, and she had school in the morning, but she was determined to stay awake a little longer. She had to know the truth. Not only that, but, though she hated to admit it, she was frightened. Even though Sam had dropped the whole subject as soon as she had agreed to go along with his scheme and had been very sweet to her throughout the rest of the date, she hadn't forgotten just how strange this situation was. She couldn't forget the look in his eyes when he had spoken of opening the door to this other world. Not only did he believe everything he was saying, but he was desperate to have this Digivice thing in his hands. Either all this was real, or he was completely insane. Or both.
The numbers on the clock shifted to twelve midnight, and Jun thought, *Davis will be sound asleep now. Now I'll find out what this is really all about.*
Silently, she slipped out of bed and padded into the hall without even her slippers. In the pitch blackness of the hallway, she needed to feel where she was going, so she let her feet slowly pick their own way to Davis's room. Very gently, to avoid the tiniest squeak, she pushed the door open. That was unnecessary; Davis snored so loud it was a wonder he didn't wake himself. She tiptoed into the room. Davis's room had a window, and the thin curtains weren't enough to keep out every bit of light. The lamps outside gave everything in the room a faint outline of illumination, allowing Jun to see her brother sprawled over his bed in a position that didn't look like it would be comfortable at all, and she wondered again how he managed to get any sleep. She also noted that he still had that old moth-eaten teddy bear clutched to his chest. No, wait - that didn't look quite right. Jun leaned closer to get a better look and gasped at what she saw: a tiny blue creature that was snoring in a quiet imitation of Davis. Jun jumped backwards in surprise and stumbled on a pair of shoes. At the sound of the noise, the blue creature twitched a bit and rolled over.
"Want s'more ice cream, please," it murmured sleepily, and went back to snoring.
*It's real,* thought Jun. *Sam was right after all - my brother really is keeping a monster in his room - and it talks!*
Jun shook her head, trying to rid herself of the dreamlike feeling that hung over her. Now was not the time to get frightened. Sam was trusting her, and she wouldn't let him down. Keeping as much distance as she could between herself and the snoring monster, she made her way to Davis's desk and began going through his things.
*I have to find it,* she told herself. *If I were Davis, where would I hide something I didn't want anyone to know I had?* She turned it over in her mind a while and decided, *If I were Davis, I wouldn't even think of hiding it; it's just drop it somewhere and forget it until I needed. That means it's probably here somewhere. Let's see, books, papers, soccer magazine, another magazine, half-eaten candy bar - ick! - more papers... aha!*
From out of the chaos, Jun extracted a palm-sized device with a small screen and an a sprinkling of buttons, identical to the one Sam had showed her. As soon as she had identified it, she shoved it deep into the pocket of her robe and hurried out of the room.
*Mission accomplished,* Jun thought. *This will prove I'm not as stupid as people think!*