Word Count: chapter: 700||story: 4,900||Chapter Count: 7/22


Yuujin's stomach gurgled. He stared down at it; he knew it didn't care about his situation. It was only a stomach and it only knew that it wanted to be filled. It didn't care how or with what – though like anyone else he had preferences – just so long as he got some food inside of him.

For that matter, his throat ached as well, since he hadn't had anything to eat since he'd been at home last. There was only so much that swallowing could do.

He thought about banging on the door Biomon had vanished through and demanding of whoever showed up to give him something to eat. But his body didn't move, even when he tried to get himself up.

That worried him more than he cared to admit out loud, even in this place where only Offmon could hear or see him.

At least he thought only Offmon could. What if the Four, or that fifth voice he'd heard, monitored him from somewhere else? They would know he was worried, even if they weren't certain of about what.

It wasn't just the hunger and thirst that sent chills up his spine. He had no idea of how long he'd been here anymore. Time stretched out ahead of him and behind, to every side, and he couldn't get a fix on how much of it passed. Staring at his Seven Code band didn't help. When he thought he'd noticed a time and then looked again later, sometimes it seemed earlier and other times so much later that he wasn't sure he hadn't fallen asleep.

They couldn't fool with time here. He told himself that more than once. What they could do was confuse his perception of time. How they did that ranked high on his internal list of 'I have no idea'. Along with their real purpose in keeping him alive.

He had guesses and wishes and hopes about that, most of which involved Leviathan's plan backfiring on him, but he didn't know. Couldn't know. The Four – or Five – didn't speak to him. Didn't even enter the room after that one brief visit from Biomon.

If it weren't for that visit and Offmon's presence, Yuujin wondered frequently if something happened so they were the only living beings left in any world. He couldn't hear anything going on from outside. Not so much as a footfall.

"Offmon," he murmured, more for the sake of hearing something than anything else. "Is there any way you could become Shutmon right now?"

With Shutmon they could possibly get out of there and at least cause some damage. Being outnumbered, he couldn't be sure if they could actually escape or not. It would be worth trying.

Offmon frowned, but slowly shook his head. "I would still need your Appli Drive Duo." He leaned closer to Yuujin, tears sparkling for a few heartbeats. "I'm so sorry, Yuujin. If I'd gotten you out too..."

"It's not your fault," Yuujin reassured him, resting one hand on his buddy's shoulder. "It's theirs."

Offmon sniffled a little more, wiped his nose on his jacket sleeve, and turned those large eyes of his back up to Yuujin. "When are we getting out of here?"

"As soon as we can." Yuujin wished he had better news, or at least more news, to tell him. Unfortunately, their freedom depended not on what either one of them could do but on Haru's actions or whatever the Four/Five/whatever did. Or in worst case, what Leviathan wanted.

That thought by itself sent shudders through him no matter what. If Leviathan wanted him as bait for the others, to finish them off, then what would happen if he somehow did?

He tried not to think about that possibility. The idea of Haru being defeated and not being able to rise back up made him want to snarl and stomp whoever did it into the ground. It wasn't right. It shouldn't happen. Haru was already orders of magnitude stronger than he'd been before. He'd find a way through all of this.

That didn't stop him from being worried, though, let alone from wondering about food, water, and why he couldn't always move when he wanted to.

To Be Continued

Notes: The idea that he might be Leviathan's android spy hasn't occurred to Yuujin. Or Offmon. Why should it?