AC: It took a while to write this chapter, with a writer block and finished the first tome of an original story on FictionPress, it was a little busy.

Chapter 3: Back Home, But No Longer Safe

Ryo quickly returned home with Monodragon discreetly following him. Once he was home, he opened the door and entered with the purple dragon before closing and locking behind him.

The boy put his hand on his forehead and lightly panted. He felt a little safer inside of his house compared to the outside. He was glad that no one suspicious was around his house before he entered. He sat on the ground, "Thank god it's over," he had enough for an entire week of things like that.

"What do you mean?" Monodramon asked.

He gazed at the digimon and knew that it wasn't really over, "I mean the kidnapping thing."

"With me with you, it's over. Rest assure," the purple dragon replied with a smile.

The boy lightly smiled. It was good to know there was something positive over the horrible day he had. He checked on the clock and saw it was only 1 P.M. The house was empty as he expected. He wondered what he should do when he remembered that Ken witnessed his kidnapping, "Mom and dad must already know I have been kidnapped. I have to call them!"

He quickly stood up and walked towards the phone when it suddenly rang. He stood there and checked who was calling him. It was an unknown person who called him. He remembered he lost his cellphone and wondered if it was the digimon who called him. He hesitated. It might be the kidnapped calling and checked if he was there. They wanted his Digivice after all for whatever reason.

Monodragon walked by his side and asked, "Are you alright?"

He couldn't stand anymore and grabbed the phone and nervously said, "M-Mushi Mushi."

"Calm down Ryo. It's me Millenniumon. There is no reason to be afraid," the voice of the digimon came.

The tension was gone and the boy could relax, "I thought it could have been the kidnappers."

"But it's not. Ryo… Are you alright?" his partner asked.

The boy hesitated to reply as he thought back, "I'm not hurt. I managed to escape thanks to Monodramon."

The purple dragon heard his name and gazed at Ryo and the phone. When the boy was looking away, the purple dragon frowned for a second before simply curiously looking at him.

"Monodramon?" Millenniumon asked.

The moment he heard the question, the boy knew Millenniumon didn't send the purple dragon to save him, "He came to save me when I was capture with Elise. He's with me right now."

He heard only his partner grunting for a moment, "He better not try to hurt you Ryo. I should be grateful he saved your life while it is still currently impossible for me."

"What do you mean?"

"As I told you earlier, only the weak digimon can appear right now, and I'm a far from weak. Extremely far from that. As long as the final impact doesn't strike, I cannot protect you directly. No matter how much I wish I could Ryo," his partner softly told him with an apologetic tone.

"You are still helping me the way you can," Ryo replied as he thought back of his warning, "I dropped my guard and they capture me Millenniumon."

"You were supposed to be safe, but seems they didn't care or were ready to pull the risk. I should have been more precise Ryo. Don't think too much about it. I'll continue to watch over you. So…You better get a new cellphone if I need to communicate with you," his partner said.

"Sure and-" he remembered why he came to the phone and asked, "Is there anything else?"

"No. I wanted to be sure you were safe Ryo."

"Then I have to call my parents. They must be worried sick," the boy said.

"Sure. Hold on Ryo." Millenniumon said before he hung up.

"Hold on?" Ryo wondered. He sighed as he knew that it will turn to the worse. It was obvious that it wasn't about calling him back since he hung up after all. He then called his mother and he didn't have to wait for long.

"Mushi Mushi," his mother weakly said. The boy knew she was worried sick and exhausted herself.

"It's me mom," Ryo said.

"Ryo! Where are you? Did they do anything to do?" she asked him many questions and he couldn't reply. He waited for her to calm down when he heard a male voice telling her to be calm.

"Who is that mom?"

"It's the police," She replied.

He was glad it was then and not someone suspicious, "Mom. I'm currently home right now."

"H-how? Ken told me you were kidnapped by masked men!" his mother replied.

He could hear the commotion among the policemen and policewomen. He replied, "It's a long story mom, but…" he gazed at his partner, "there is someone who saved me. He entered in their place and get me and another one out of there. I quickly returned home and I'm calling you right now," he briefly explained.

"Ryo. Just be very careful. We are coming home right now. The police wants to question you and I want to be sure you are completely fine. Don't open the door to anyone," she ordered.

"Don't worry. I won't at all," he said. They both hung up.

The boy remembered that his friend was the witness of his kidnapping. He felt a little guilty not going to school to reassure his friend, but it was best that he reassured his own parents. Also, it might put Ken in danger if he went to him and with the police coming, he felt safer already. He gazed at the purple dragon and corrected himself, safer with other humans around him.

Monodramon was about to ask something when the phone rang again. The purple dragon sighed as he put his hands over his stomach while the boy answered.

"Moshi. Moshi."

"Ryo?" the voice of his father called him.

"Dad!" Ryo felt relief that he called him despite being busy at work, "Did mom just call you?"

"Yes. She told me you were home and called her. The police are also about to come and ask what happened. You can tell me Ryo," his father said.

Ryo explained the same thing he said to his mother, leaving the Digimon element out of it and calling Ryo his savior. He concluded, "I was lucky that someone came to save me dad. It might never come back alive."

"Ryo. Do you know who kidnap you?" his father asked.

Ryo wondered what his father meant, but answered, "I don't know. I just saw a man in white blouse who wanted something from me and her, but I don't know what. He said that he wanted to kidnap someone else too and-" he realised he had to warn the police about it, "That someone might be in danger."

"Three persons, right?" his father asked, no sounding that surprised about it.

"Yeah," Ryo asked uncertain. He wondered what was going on with his father. He even asked himself if he knew more about it than himself right now, "Dad. What's going on?"

"Many things. Be extra careful from now on Ryo. I think that guy is someone who works with me and wants to use you for his advantage against me. My work got more dangerous recently and I've… put you in danger. I'm sorry Ryo," his father said.

"Dad. It's not your fault," he said.

"Maybe," his father doubtfully replied, "Do you still have your cellphone on you? I tried calling you when you disappear, but I got no answer."

"They took my cellphone," Ryo replied.

"Okay. I'll find you a new one as soon as possible. They might try to get to you again. I'll warn your mother about it too," his father said.

"Dad. What kind of job are you doing right now?" Ryo asked as he grew more worried for his family.

"That's top secret right now. Ryo. Did he call you?" his father suddenly asked.

"Who?" the boy asked confused.

"You're… friend," he said the word friend in a strange way, implying it wasn't Ken or Osamu.

It was then that Ryo realised what his father was possibly implying, "Dad. How do you-"

"I have to go. Whatever happen, make sure to listen to him. I love you Ryo. Everything I'm doing is for your own safety," his father said before hanging up.

The boy hung up and put his hand on his forehead as he started to lightly sweat. He realised that his father possibly knew about Millenniumon. He felt even more tired now with everything he was learning with just a phone call and it was too much for him. He wondered if he imagined that part with everything that happened today.

"Ryo. I'm hungry," Monodramon whined. He heard the sound of his stomach, confirming it.

The boy also realised that he was hungry too, "Let's eat something before the cops and mom show up," he hesitated a few seconds before saying, "I think you should hide when they are here. I don't think a purple dragon is something they can handle."

"They won't see me," Monodramon replied. He whined again, "But I'm still hungry."

That little distraction put everything he was thinking away for now and focused more on what was to come. Ryo had one last thought for Ken and told himself to speak to him as soon as he could to reassure him.

Ryo's father was a man with peach skin, short black hair and brown eyes. He wore a white coat with black pants as he walked in the corridor. He put his cellphone back in his pocket and was nervous. He grumbled, "I can't believe that bastard did it."

He didn't pay any attention to anyone else who wore the same coat than him. He walked towards his own office.

"Mister Akiyama," someone said as he walked by his side.

"What is it?" He asked the man.

"Have you check the cause of the earthquake?" the man asked.

"Not yet. I had something else in my mind," he replied. He gazed at the man and said, "File the information. I'll check it later."

"Sure," the man left him alone.

Mister Akiyama continued when he stopped as he saw someone. The short man with brown hair and brown eyes stopped near him. Ryo's father clearly saw that the man was pissed off, "Mister Ito."

The man stopped, "Mister Akiyama?"

"I know what you tried to do today," he warned Ito.

"Oh really," the man replied as he crossed his arms.

"Listen Ito. If you try anything against Ryo, this will be the last thing you'll do," he warned him.

The man chuckled, "Then you should've let him out of this… And not bring him in," he replied before walking away.

Ryo's father frowned as he walked faster in his office. He closed the door and grunted, "That bastard! Like hell I'll let him do whatever he wants."

He put his hands on his forehead.

"Despite what he said. You shouldn't regret it mister Akiyama," someone said. He checked on his computer and sat it glitching out. After a few seconds, the face of Millenniumon appeared on the computer, "Speak up your mind. They can't hear anything for now."

He walked closer to the computer screen and grunted, "I just learn that Ryo was kidnapped by that bastard! You were supposed to watch and protect my son!"

The digimon remained calm, "You are upset Mister Akiyama and since it is my failure, its legitimate."

"Ito told me that I put my son more in danger, but you claim that he will be safe from anything that is about to come! Did you just use me for your own gain only?" he asked in accusation.

Millenniumon showed his hands and defensively replied, "There is no need to make such accusation's. I will not let anyone hurt Ryo at the best of my capacity. Sure. Ryo might be more in danger in the short term, but when the real danger comes, I will be here to protect him."

"You don't do anything to protect him right now!" he yelled at the digimon.

The digimon chuckled as he put his hand on his mouth, "Please. Do not doubt me," he then seriously looked at the man and said, "I am doing everything in my current capacity to protect Ryo. As of now, I cannot appear in person to protect him, so guiding him to safety is what I can do… As long as he had any electronic object with him," Ryo's father was about to say something, but was cut, "I didn't forget the deal we made mister Akiyama. The pact we made, just like them, gives me the capacity to do great things as long as Ryo is alive. So, it is in my best interest that Ryo is safe," he lightly smiled as he added, "As for Ryo, I don't have to protect him because I need too anymore. I like your son mister Akiyama. I promise that those who tries to hurt Ryo, are not going to live long after messing with him."

Ryo's father nodded, "You better hold your part of the bargain."

"As I said. Don't doubt me," the digimon replied before ending contact.

The man sat on his chair and put his hands on his forehead. He wondered if he made the right decision, "I hope I might the right decision. Just… Don't die Ryo."

AC: This is the end of this chapter.

Next: Reassurance.