U/N: So this is the first late chapter of 07. Funny how it's chapter two. Oh well… here it is. This is the first one I wrote alone, and we see some of the other characters paths from the virus. Here we go :D

Title: Digimon Adventure 07: Virus

By: UrazamayKing

Disclaimer: We don't own Digimon or its characters.

Part 1: The First Two Days

Chapter 2: Breathe

Kurayami Motomiya:

Running for my life had never felt so wrong.

I'd done it before, sure. Running from darkness had been my entire purpose until the other Digidestined came along and changed the path my life was heading down. Not to mention Fanglongmon's lies keeping me running from the light. Running from love, running from fate, and now running away from a family I'd always wanted but never deserved.

But all of that was different than running from the fog of violet death that was coming for me now.

It was strange, knowing that I was running directly toward it too, knowing that the only safety was in the home of the infant digimon nearby. It was my only chance of safety because I was just too far from any other hideouts.

It was just impulse that my legs were carrying me to a place I could sit and cry safely, because I didn't even want safety. No. I didn't deserve safety.

I had adamantly refused to believe that I could ever be the person that everyone had known I could be. I was wrong, and they were right. I had done it, taken away the very reason to keep someone safe. Their life. So why should I be granted the honour of continuing the life that was ahead of me?

I didn't want it. I didn't want to become the monster that I was surely meant to be. Some days the darkness would seem so easy to control, and then a simple trigger would set it off, flooding to every corner of my soul and forcing me to do bad. I'd nearly killed Moretsuna before, but I stopped myself. Only to do it for real mere moments ago.

My jaw dropped and a scream escaped my lips as I fell to my knees. I couldn't breathe suddenly. Those memories would never leave me alone. The sight of the holes in his back growing and seeping through, deleting him like an unwanted file on a computer. But that wasn't what he was. He was bad, and he was hurting my friends, but he was still a human being. He was a person, and I'd seen so many deaths in my life already, but never had I been the sole cause of one.

Slowly my head lifted and I caught sight of the purple fog shooting toward me and everyone else. To Haruki. Daisuke. Labramon.

The only people who loved me anymore. Now that my grandfather was gone, there was no one left for me. He was the only person who'd ever truly loved me from the start. He was gone—Moretsuna had killed him.

Rage surged through me again and my fingers curled up in the damp dirt I'd fallen into. "Stop!" I screamed, realizing my anger. I threw the dirt aside and fell to my side, landing painfully on a few stones poking through the ground.

It was with a painful flash of my grandfather's smiling face that the tears started. I could not stop remembering what had happened to him. How had someone so pure left this world with such hatred? Murder left no room for kindness, and it was not fair. It was not something I could bear to think of any longer.

But I wouldn't have to.

Just a little longer and the fog would take me. Moretsuna would have his revenge on his killer. Surely he was behind this. Surely the man with no sanity left had concocted the force of destruction big enough to wipe out an entire race. Genocide was the greatest evil above only murder. It was only fair I was taken along with it.

I had killed someone. I was wrong. I did it. I killed someone. Norn was wrong. Hikari and my friends were wrong. Dr Chiryo was right. I was broken and damaged enough to take that out on someone else. Haruki would never be safe with me. So what purpose did I have of going on?

"Just because your therapist tells you that you could kill someone doesn't mean anything." Norn had told me not long ago when I had fallen into the same position I was in now, "The man is insane. I know you, I really do. I trust you and I care about you. You couldn't hurt a fly. Not on your own accord. Kurayami, you're not the darkness you think you are. You are merely a dam keeping the negativity from the world. That's a big burden to play, but I would bet money that you would never kill someone. Especially Haruki."

And she was wrong.

If she was wrong about me, was she wrong about my purpose in this world? Was I really a dam keeping the negativity from the others? If I were to die, would darkness pour in through my heart and devour the world, just as it was doing to me? Was it worth it? To chance the lives of everyone who had put their trust in me, just to take my own pain away?

Selfish.

I was selfish.

I couldn't do this to them.

I had to keep going.

I willed myself with all my might to simply stand up. I had to get up. It was one of the hardest things I'd ever had to do. And then I was running and stumbling and whatever else I could do, forcing my way toward Primary Village.

The leaves on the trees were curling up with anticipation as their fate ploughed toward them like a wrecking ball, destroying all life in its path. The air seemed calm and stale, but it didn't know what was coming. Not like I did. My feet were sliding in the damp, murky ground as I slammed my heavy shoes with every stride. Every step seemed to set off a chain of thoughts and flashes of memories.

My grandfather taking me from my mother one night when she was storming through the house, screaming like a banshee. I didn't understand then. But I understood now. The darkness was taking her heart.

My father unable to look after me, being too caught up in his own grief to look after a child.

Crying myself to sleep, on the nights I actually managed to get any sleep, afraid of the eyes in the darkness watching me, waiting for me. Preparing me for a time when my heart would be dark enough for them to take.

Being trapped in the darkness with Dragomon's oppression.

Fanglongmon destroying towns—homes—lives. The tears poured faster when I remembered the war against Gennai's Agents… He had taken so many lives in one night. He was heartless. And I shared that heart for so long.

Apocalymon taking the life of one of my only friends. But I didn't care then. I hadn't even had my own soul.

I saw my mother's lifeless body.

Then a flash from her eyes as she drowned her son.

A flash of that portrait in my room. My supposed uncle meant to watch over me to keep light in my heart. A fat load of good that did.

My mother's body decaying in front of me as the darkness finally left her heart.

A reflection of a monster standing over Moretsuna in Dr Chiryo's office. And then his death by the hands of the very same monster.

I had become the monster the world had always been conditioning me to turn into. I had finally allowed the darkness in and succumbed to the weakness of my nature and let my pathetic willpower fail me. I had killed a man, left everything behind, and lost everything I'd ever loved.

And now I was going to lose my own life too. I could see Primary Village just ahead of me, waiting at the bottom of the hill, animated and filled with infants. But the virus was faster than me, and I would never be able to beat it. I couldn't. I'd been selfish to try to die. If I'd been stronger, smarter, better… than I would have been able to beat the death machine into the village, and the supposed dam of negativity would live on to soak up the darkness meant for everyone else. But if that dam was shattered, than the negativity would reach Daisuke and Labramon. And Haruki.

With a furious scream I pushed with all my might, kicking off the ground as hard as I could, staring toward the sky, dead ahead, as the virus came in contact with the barrier from behind. At least I knew the barriers would hold, but there was no chance I'd be as safe as everyone inside. I wasn't fast enough, even with my extra force and determination.

My mother had taken the darkness from her father and passed it to me. If I died here, the darkness would simply move on to Haruki. I didn't need proof to believe that. I needed to live, to save him from the fate I was falling prey to.

For a moment it seemed that I may actually win the race with the increased speed I had gained from rushing down the hill. But then I tripped.

And all I knew was tumbling and crashing and flailing. I screamed, with more fury than fright or pain. And then I had reached the base of the hill, coming to a complete stop, laying on my back in the wet grass. I opened my eyes and saw the virus creeping down the barrier just over top of me.

With a panicked squeal I rolled to the side and entered the barrier as the fog crashed to the ground and continued on its way, seeping across the grass the way that I'd come.

My heart was pounding hard enough that I could see my chest thumping along with it, my breathing was hasty and pained, and I could not muster enough strength to actually remove myself from my place in the dirt. But I'd made it. I was alive now, even if I didn't deserve it. Haruki deserved it. He needed me to live so he could be happy, and even if I was meant to live an eternity of sadness—it would be worth it, just for him to be the person I wish I could have been. My grandfather had said it best. He had Daisuke's heart. I could never infect that with darkness.

I would never forgive myself for even taunting Daisuke with darkness when Fanglongmon was at his highest threat. I could never allow either of them to feel what darkness really felt like. To know what it was like to really be alone. They would both thrive on love, and that was something I'd always wondered; was darkness really the opposite of light, or was it truly the counterpart to love?

"Close call, there."

I gasped and sat bolt upright, turning my head sharply to where a dark figure was sitting, his arms crossed looking to me, rather unimpressed. I recognized him as Devimon, and I relaxed, oddly. He was sitting underneath a tower of lettered blocks in the shadow they cast from blocking the violet light from up above.

"I came here to be alone," Devimon said, "If I was to die, I wanted to be alone." He looked up to the fog above us and sighed as a complete and total stillness seemed to settle in around us. "I suppose you Digidestined aren't entirely useless after all. These bubbles you've concocted really have come in handy."

"Wasn't me." I said, but my voice was weak and worn. I was suddenly very aware of the tear stains on my cheeks so I pulled the sleeve of my sweater tighter and wiped my face, turning away from Devimon to look to the fog. It was strange that it was emitting light. Something so dark in aura and intent should not have been producing something as soft as light. Though, fittingly, the light was dim, damp, cool and inconsistent, just barely sneaking its way through the folds in the thick foggy clouds.

"Either way," Devimon said, leaning back against the tower of blocks. "I'm impressed." And then he actually smiled. I didn't mean to be rude by staring, but I was in shock. How could someone made of pure darkness be smiling and thankful and… kind? He raised his brows and leaned forward again. "Something wrong?"

Before I could answer I heard a high-pitched voice coming from my left and I instinctively ducked behind Devimon to keep hidden.

"Come with me!" The voice said, "I'll show you where the others are!"

The voice that responded was accented and lower, almost elegant. It was Hawkmon. "That would be nice. We'll need to find a way out of this mess as soon as we can."

"You don't have to go, you could stay with us!" The higher voice said. "Biyomon is here, she'll be happy to see you."

"Yes, I am aware she's here," Hawkmon replied his voice louder now as they were passing close by. I pressed myself up against Devimon and saw Hawkmon walking side by side with a Nyokimon down a path that weaved around more blocks and children's toys.

"You're pretty smart!" Nyokimon said brightly, "Hey! I'm Nyokimon by the way."

"Yes, I'm aware of that too," Hawkmon, folding his wings.

"'Aware'" Nyokimon mocked, "What a funny word! Ha ha!"

Hawkmon stopped walking and looked down to the Nyokimon. "Are you doing alright?"

Nyokimon shook her whole body and then looked to the ground, "Just nervous."

"No need to be nervous." Hawkmon said, patting the Nyokimon's back. "Come along. I'll keep you safe." Nyokimon seemed content with this and she and Hawkmon continued down the path to where Biyomon was apparently waiting.

I sighed and leaned back knowing I'd gone unseen and laid back on the soft ground of the Primary Village. I was more comfortable laying there than I'd been in quite a while, but I knew it was no time to sleep. Not now. Not even if I could manage to forget everything that was going through my mind. "So why are you hiding?"

I had almost forgotten Devimon was still here. I opened one eye and looked to him, trying to ignore the eerie way the violent tinted light cast long, drooping shadows across his face. I closed my eyes again and shrugged my shoulders, "I just need some time to myself."

"I know what that's like." Devimon said. I felt him standing, his weight caused the ground to shift and I slid toward him slowly. I stopped myself by grabbing to the loose material that made up the ground and looked up to him. "Don't worry," He told me with a gentle look, "I won't tell Angemon you're here. He's in charge around here now. Well, him and that loud red creep."

"Thanks," I said feeling mixed emotions of having Angemon here. It was comforting, and horrible. He needed to be with Takeru and with my son. Hope was the only thing that could keep someone searching for the light, and I needed them to always help Haruki do just that. To always find the light, even in the darkest of times. "Well, I'll let you get to your sulking then." Devimon said, using his long legs to take him along the path Hawkmon had just gone.

I fell back again, but kept my eyes open now. I knew already what I wanted to do in my time alone. I wanted to not be alone. Conflicting, yes, but also true. I needed one person to come to me and tell me what I'd done was okay. If she could do that, I could maybe convince myself that I'd be okay too.

"N-Norn?" I said, my voice weak. There was no response, only the chilling wind seeping in from the virus, hopefully carrying only clean air. "Norn?" I said, my voice more clear this time. Still there was no response. I waited a moment more before shouting out, "NORN!"

But she did not come.

And she would not come.

I had disappointed her, just like I'd disappointed myself and my friends. She had been so sure of the person I was, and I had proven her wrong and became the darkness she fought to keep at bay. I was her enemy now. She wouldn't come… she wasn't going to come back for me.

I closed my eyes tightly, trying to listen to the silence and imagine what it could have been like if the virus had reached me. What it would be like to live an eternal nothingness with no more pain.

But the sounds of the babies' cries were too loud and I could not block them out. I threw my hands over my ears and began crying again, thinking of the baby I'd left behind. Thinking of everything I'd left behind.

I was alone now. Just like I wanted.

Neo Saiba:

"What just happened?"

Her words echoed around my brain like a painful pounding of a drum, reverberating straight to my core. It was loud, constant and strong. It affected me as much as it had simply because of the faces that formed as a result. Everywhere around us people were curling their lips into the same malicious, yet slightly guilty, smiles. Everyone aside from the two of us, Evelen and myself, seemed to have understood the severity of what we had just lived through. What had just happened, and why we had been so rudely forced out of the Digital World at such a quick pace. Her father, the one who had rushed us, was the one in charge, and oddly the one with the least excited expression. Like he simply did not care about what had just happened. Like it did not please him, or put him off any.

Kansui, Evelen's brother was smiling smugly along with the others. So much so that Evelen rounded upon him when no one bothered to give either of us an answer. The three of us were standing in the midst of the mob, everyone seemingly watching us, waiting to gauge our reactions when Kansui inevitably told us. We were pushed against the metal fence that was concealing the now hazardous concrete stretch, the caution sign hanging over Evelen's head. I tried to keep that far from my mind, as it was entirely unsafe, not to mention disgusting, and instead let my mind focus on all the faces slowly getting closer.

"Answer me." Evelen shot, slamming her fist into her brother's arm. "Why did we have to go so fast?"

I turned my head, eyebrows raised, to Kansui who smiled, and looked to his father. "Father, shall I explain." His father did not look away from the sky where he was staring, and Kansui faltered, then turned to his sister, "We won, my dear."

"What does that mean?" Evelen said through gritted teeth.

"It means a virus has plagued the Digital World and it has deleted all life." What he said could not possibly be true. How had we been in league with the enemies, literally inside their base, and not heard any news of an oncoming virus. I for one did not believe it. Kansui seemed the type to be a compulsive liar. But why was my built in lie detector not alarming me of his falsities?

Evelen turned to her father, pushing Kansui aside. "Father!" She shouted. She looked ready to scream again but slowly his head turned toward his daughter. "What did you do?"

"I did nothing, Evelen." Maugrim said with his rocky and cold voice. "I merely stepped aside, and allowed personal matters to settle themselves."

"But you knew!" She shrieked, swinging her fist back and then flying it toward her father. He caught her arm just before her fist hit his chest and he threw her back quickly, where she slammed against the metal fence.

"Of course I knew!" Maugrim said, his voice loud and chilling. The entire crowd was now silent as they watched his face turn red, highlighting the scar on his cheek. "I have told you before I refuse to indulge myself in the affairs of the lesser minded." Evelen blinked back tears, but next to her Kansui stood, his arms crossed as he nodded away to everything his father was saying. He did after all think lesser of anyone aside from his father and himself.

"But that's cold." Evelen said, angry. "You're heartless!"

"Hold your tongue, girl." Maugrim said firmly. "You would do well to not speak to me in such ways." He took a step forward, and his leg buckled slightly. My eyes fell to his right thigh where he had dark fabric tied tightly, like he'd been wounded. Had he had something to do with the destruction of the base?

Kansui nodded once again, this time going as far as to stand next to his father. "You see, my dear sister, Father and I had a plan all along." Evelen looked furious still, but Maugrim's face calmed, uninterested. Almost annoyed. "Do you recall that errand I asked you to do earlier this very day? The one in the basement? That was because father spotted a girl in the sky. She was going to foil our plan. But Father and I, together, thought quickly. You were sent away, and were none the wiser."

What in the world did a girl in the sky have to do with any of this? I was quite lost honestly, but potentially as angry as Evelen. I surely would be if I were to find that Kansui's claims of a virus were proven to be true. A virus sent out into the world to delete all life would imply Rei and Dracomon were killed. Kiyoko. Mari. Hideto. He still thought I hated him. Could he not see in my face that I found his family to be as utterly intolerable as he did? Was he simply blind to the obvious truth that I would always be his friend? I owed him that much. After all he'd gone through with me, I would be a fool to let him go. He was a wonderful friend. Often irritating, but wonderful all the same. He could not die. Nor could Rei. Or Dracomon. Or any of the others. Well, I didn't care much about the lives of most of the others. But Allias III. My sister. My partner. They meant something to me.

"You're a horrible person," Evelen said, a single tear falling from her face. She turned to her father and begged him with her eyes. "Tell me he's lying."

"He is not." Maugrim said, his face emotionless. His brows flicked inward as the news settled in. "You may relax, girl." She looked up, appalled. How could he expect her to relax now? Even I understood that logic, despite knowing nothing about women. "The shields the humans erected shall remain intact. They will hold firm and they shall be safe."

I nearly sighed in total relief. They would all be safe. I knew it to be true. Hideto had not been within the confines of a barrier, and yet I knew him to be smart enough to rescue himself in time of trouble. Evelen did not find the same relief that I had. "But the digimon?" She asked, immediately regretting her decision.

Every eye turned on her, and the malicious smile faded into an equally vile frown. The eyes all shot hatred Evelen's way. They could not fathom the idea that she cared for the creatures. "You care more for the digimon than for our own plan?" Maugrim asked, his voice low, a scarcely audible growl. Evelen looked away, ashamed, and said nothing. They had a plan that did not involve the digimon? In which evil cult had I found myself indulged within? Were they were not the scum I had initially thought them to be, but merely bystanders? A third party in the war that was seeking neither peace, nor glory, but something else?

Maugrim turned on the spot and stalked out of the clearing. Every figure in his way was quickly removed as though his glare could part them like the Red Sea. Bitoru and Aesop, Maugrim's right hand men followed quickly behind him, keeping close. He seemed annoyed at their proximity but did not ask them to leave.

Many others in the crowd made their leave, taking their cue from Maugrim's absence and stalked off allowing me a clear view at the abandoned shack I had followed Evelen into merely ten days ago. Kansui seemed to be following his father as well, as his personality would suggest he would, but instead he took a stand in front of his sister and smiled. "Father is brilliant." He said with immense admiration. "Taking us out of the Digital World while he still could. I knew all along of course. He trusts me greatly. You, he does not." He looked down to Evelen. "And to think, you care more for those digimon than for your own happiness. Foolish. They were not meant to survive. With them gone there is less in our way. I won't say I'm happy they're gone, but that's only to not upset you further. Because I am. I'm glad the scum are defeated. Just as Father—" Evelen had punched him directly in the face and before I had even absorbed the wonder of the moment she had gone, pushing her way through the crowds.

Kansui was spinning around, clutching his bleeding nose, gasping and nearly convulsing. I was about to set off after Evelen when a hand was placed on my shoulder. I turned to see Aesop, one of the kindest people in the camp. "Maugrim would like to speak with you." He said to me softly. I turned to see Maugrim standing, his arms crossed, gazing toward me. It seemed to me that he didn't like to be kept waiting, and so I followed Aesop toward him, not hesitating a moment. I wasn't particularly scared of the man, although that seemed to only aggravate him, rather than set him off.

I stopped in front of him as he sat down on the step leading to the shack, and he rested his elbows on his knees as he leaned forward, relaxing, his massive arms hanging down in front of him, almost menacingly. Like he wanted me to understand just how much stronger he was than I. "You wanted to see me?" I asked, crossing my arms, my eyebrows raised.

Maugrim looked up from the ground, and grunted his answer. He was silent for a moment and I seriously considered turning away, uninterested in watching a man as his face tightened and twitched. But soon enough he did make the trip worth my while. Or he attempted to I suppose. "You are hardly welcome." He said simply.

"I may not entirely be welcome here," I told him, smirking slightly. I gestured toward the hazardous waste dump, "but neither are you. This is a government owned property that is meant to be avoided. I don't think anyone, even someone as menacing as you has any claims over who sets foot here."

Maugrim ground his teeth together, furious, and then he leaned back, his shoulders popping. He reached his hands out and wrapped his fingers together, cracking his knuckles threateningly. "You may stay." He said, as if had been choice. "Because I am indifferent to your status at this time. If, at any point, I decide you are a detriment to my goal, I will not hesitate to kill you." I had to admit to being a little nervous that time, but I played it off by rolling my eyes. Bitoru looked to me, shocked, like I was an escaped patient from a nearby asylum with the way I was speaking to a man he was evidentially frightened of. "Moretsuna is dead, and I am down one pawn. You will fill that role nicely."

"Oh, you'd like me to lash out irrationally at anyone and everyone?" I asked, once again, rolling my eyes. It was now a nervous twitch, but I was sure it seemed like I was simply irritated.

"No," Maugrim said, nearly cracking a smile. "I have other plans for you." He looked up and locked eyes with me and I was met with the stare of intense ferocity, coldness and hatred. I chose not to respond, instead watching as he stared, waiting for him to blink, to move, to breathe. But he did not.

Instead, the eye contact was broken by Kansui who practically materialized next to his father, tissue handing from both nostrils, catching the blood. In his hands was a binder in which he propped open on his lap. "Father," He said proudly, "I was wondering which suit you think I should buy next. I was thinking perhaps the navy suit. But this deep navy one looks inviting too. What do you think?" As he finished his sentence Maugrim stood and walked off, not bothering to answer his son for a moment.

"Just remember," Maugrim said, "I'm watching you." It was clear he was talking to me and not to his own son who nodded quite awkwardly. But then Maugrim was off, without looking back once.

"Mhm, right." Kansui said, "I agree. Deep navy matches just a little bit too well with my eye colour." Bitoru and Aesop turned to follow Maugrim and Kansui looked up to me. "Which is a dark blue, as you can see." They weren't. I turned and walked away. He was annoying, and needy. I wanted to see Evelen, he was of no use to me at the moment, if ever.

I pulled my cellular phone from my jacket pocket and called Hideto.

"The number you have dialled is two stars to the right and straight on until morning."

I paused staring at the phone. That was odd. The Digital World and Earth had been able to be contacted through our phones for quite a while now. What was it that was keeping him from me? Were the worlds still separated so absolutely? We'd been able to get through with that strange device that Kansui seemed to understand more than either Evelen or myself. Perhaps I could use it to return to the Digital World and find Rei, Dracomon and the others. Though it could be dangerous. The virus could still be afoot. It seemed impossibly rash to set foot in the Digital World without a better understanding of what was going on.

But still, it wouldn't be a bad plan for later.

"Neo! Darling!" I immediately tried to think of an escape plan, but knew it was futile. She'd already seen me. I turned to her and saw Yorokobi rushing toward me. Her arms open wide. She hugged me tight and I squirmed in her embrace until I could push her away. "We've won. Isn't that wonderful?" I raised my eyebrows, annoyed. But who was I to say anything? I'd deleted the Digital World myself once. "In the end my useless brother picked the wrong side."

"He's not useless," I said flatly.

"Not totally, no." Yorokobi laughed, "You are right there. He gives me great joy to think of him. Now." She let out a high laugh, "Now that I know I was right and he was wrong. I do so love being right."

I would have argued more, but her father intervened. "Dear," He said, stepping out of the crowd. "Your mother is searching for you and your brother. Have you seen him."

"Oh, no." Yorokobi shook her head. "The last I'd seen him he was wandering around with that blanket slung over his shoulder like some hobo." She shuddered at the thought of being related to him. "Truly remarkable who you find yourself related to, isn't that right Neo?" My first thought was my mother, and that irritated me. I wish I'd thought up a clever retort to defend Hideto, but instead I'd agreed with her on whichever subconscious level my mother settled at. I'd not spoken to her in years. I didn't care for her voice, or her attitude, or the way she treated Rei. I simply didn't care if I ever spoke to her again. "Well, I'll be seeing you, Neo!" Yorokobi said, "Mother awaits." Shigoto, her father, led the way through the crowd for her, probably to find Puraido, her brother. He was acting oddly, but who was I to judge? I was infiltrating an enemy base. Unsuccessfully, I might add, as Maugrim was entirely onto me and I had been brought on as a prisoner and nothing more.

And my kidnapper was dead ahead finally, sitting by herself, leaning against the metal fence. I walked up to her as casually as I could possibly muster, and stood over her with my hands in my pockets, casting a shadow. She looked up, her eyes dry now, angry. "What do you want?"

"I want to talk." I told her, as gently as I could. "You seem upset."

She rounded on me, her fingers curled into little fists. "No offense, Neo, but this is none of your concern." She snapped, "I humbly request that you keep your nose out of my personal familial quarrels."

"How distant could you possibly be?" I asked, irritated.

Evelen looked flabbergasted, her mouth dropping open, annoyed, "Me?" She shot, "Me? I'm distant? Coming from the man who took a year and half to tell me his last name!"

"Oh, so this is payback?" I asked, "I've kept things from you and now you won't talk to me?"

"Oh it must be about you, right?" She asked, getting to her feet, "I couldn't possibly have anything in my life about me. It's always about you. Or him. Nothing could ever be my problem, or my life. I don't get to have one of my own apparently because—" She paused, apparently she'd said too much, "You, Neo, are a bundle of broken goods. That's what you are. You're broken."

As if she was one to talk. Everything I'd learned about her since I'd practically forced her to open up to me had been proof that she was definitely beyond repair. "I'm only trying to help you."

"And I don't want your help, Neo!" She yelled, "I don't mean to be rude, but how is this so hard for you to understand? I don't want you meddling with my life, I want you to stay out. I want you to back off, and I want you to stop talking to me more than once a week. I told you I wanted to keep things private and you were okay with that. But now, you're stalking me and hanging around the people who know what little they do about me? Well even if you find things out from them, you won't from me. I want you to go away."

I stood, silent, staring at her. How could one person be so utterly, irreversibly closed off from anyone around them? It was like she had actually removed her mind and heart from her body simply to keep them safely hidden from those around her. Truly, she was insane. And I honestly hadn't the foggiest idea of how to respond to such ridiculousness.

"Neo!" She yelled, "Get lost! Leave me alone!" I still merely stared at her as she anxiously ran her tanned fingers through the ponytail on the top of her head. "Fine. I'll go." She turned and walked off, her feet stomping with each step.

"Whatever." I said under my breath.

"Oh what was that?" She asked, turning back.

"You had to have the last word, didn't you?" I growled. "Little Evelen won't let anyone in because she has a compulsive need to know more about those around her than they will ever know about her. The little princess has a trust problem and now it falls on everyone else to bow to her every whim." Her bottom lip quivered like she was about to scream her little head off, like I'd gone too far. Instead of responding, she crinkled her nose and turned back, storming off. "You are so damaged!"

"So are you Mr Saiba." She said loudly over her shoulder, "So shut up."

"I knew it." I said under my breath, turning away from her and letting her go. "She just had to have the last word. She's so frustrating." The words seemed fake to me as they escaped my lips. She didn't seem frustrating to me at all. She seemed genuine. Like she was a real person... a person who had not gone through what I'd gone through, and yet possibly just as bad—worse maybe. Not caught up in the nonsense of the Digital World, not anything else. Just a person who was as damaged as I was. And I chased her away, because I was a bad person. But if I was right about her, then she wasn't a good person either. Not particularly. She'd come back, because we were both horrible people.

That, I was hopeful for.

But as for now, I'd wait around for my first orders as Maugrim's newest 'pawn'. Because that's all this was to him, was a game. I merely wondered what the prize would be for him when he won.

Next on Digimon Adventure 07: What's on The Other Side of the Door for Kiyoko and Miyako? Where are they? What troubles have they found themselves in?