CHAPTER 37
CONCEALMENT
Despite being Friday afternoon with very little homework assigned, the computer lab's air was cold and tinged with gloom and frustration. The kids had filled Izzy in on what had transpired in the jungle, and it had not put him in a good mood; he leaned back in the swivel chair, his arms folded and his brow knotted, unpleasantly silent.
The others watched him, not sure what else to say or do. Tai stared through him. Davis chewed a stray fingernail as he watched Kari clutch Gatomon uncomfortably. TK gazed out the window at the leafless treetops. Cody's head was bowed and his eyes were closed, seemingly in meditation. Yolei, oddly, was awake and alert, and fidgeting with Poromon's fur as she sat, much to Poromon's annoyance. The other Digimon mulled on the floor, waiting for anyone to say anything. Finally, Tai took a deep breath. "I just don't get it," he said, "how did Arukenimon actually turn a Crest evil?"
"'Cuz she's a wicked old witch, that's why!" Upamon huffed.
"No, Upamon," Cody said, "he means how did she actually do it?"
"But how do we fix it?" Patamon asked. "Gargomon's a jerk, but nobody deserves that!"
"Couldn't we fight it out of him?" asked Yolei. "We got rid of Dark Spirals like that."
"But this's inside of him, Yolei," Poromon objected beneath her tugging fingers. "We can't get at it like that… ow! Stop it!"
TK sighed and rubbed at his forehead. "There's no good way to deal with this," he said.
"What?! Sure there is!" Davis huffed, pushing himself off the wall. "We've put up with worse crap than this! We saved Agumon, an' we can save Gargomon!"
Kari sighed. "But even if we did save him, would it help?" she asked.
"Maybe," Gatomon said with a shrug. "He'd be eating some serious Crowmon if we were the ones who rescued him."
"It won't," Cody said, not even looking up. "He hates humans because of the Emperor. Our saving him won't make him change his mind."
"Boy, you're real helpful, aren't you?" Davis grunted.
"That's enough," Izzy said, grabbing everyone's attention as he stood up. "Let's stay away from the politics for the time being."
Gatomon's tail twitched and Cody resumed his meditation. Izzy looked at TK and Kari. "I want to speak to Gennai about this," he said. "Can one of you escort me there?"
"Why don't we all go?" Poromon asked. "I still don't know who he is!"
"Yeah, what if you run into Blackrapidmon?" Davis asks. "Or even worse, Blackwargreymon?"
Izzy noticed Yolei squirm in her chair. "No, you should rest for a while," he said. "You've been fighting hard for the past week, and you need to take a break… Besides, you have to get ready for your Kyoto trip, right, Yolei?"
Yolei's cheeks burned as everyone looked at her. Sleeping through lunch had cured her fatigue, but now her nerves were frantically tense; Izzy shining a light on her made her think they all knew her afternoon plans. "Err, uh, yeah," she managed.
"I can do it!" Demiveemon said, hopping up and down. "I don't hafta rest! I can save Gargomon and kick Arukenimon's butt easy!"
"Heh, that's it!" Davis laughed, mashing his partner's head in a friendly noogie. "We'll show 'em how we roll!"
Kari had to smile. "That's good spirit, Demiveemon," she said, "but Izzy's right: you need to rest once in a while. If you're all worn out, fighting will be a lot harder."
"Violence again…" Cody sighed as he got up. "Why do you always assume we have to fight?"
"Uh, 'cuz the eight-legged lady wants us for dinner, kid," Davis grunted. "How many times you gotta see that?"
"I'm simply saying there must be another way," Cody retorted, scowling at the older boy. "Violence should be our last move, not the first."
TK sighed and shook his head. He appreciated Cody's beliefs, but he also knew more about the Digital World… and in his experience, some conflicts could only end when one party remained. Cody noticed the gesture and looked at him strangely. "TK?" he asked.
TK sighed and pulled out his D3; he didn't want to start an argument. "I'm all set, Izzy," he said. "Did you want to go now?"
"Yes, I think that would be best," Izzy said. "Kari, are you ready, too?"
"Um, OK," Kari said, producing her Digivice and looking at Tai. "I'll see you at home later."
Kari and TK pointed their D3s at the computer, and a bright flash later, both of them, as well as Izzy, Gatomon and Patamon, were gone. "Say what you want about going in; it looks way cooler on this end," Tai chuckled as he picked up Kari's backpack and his own. "C'mon, guys, I'll walk you home."
"Aww, you don't need to, Coach," Davis said. "We're not preschoolers."
"Yeah," Tai said, grinning impishly, "but the longer I can put off finishing our science presentation, the better."
Cody looked surprised. "I would think it's fine, since Izzy's helping you," he said.
Tai coughed and looked sheepish. "Well, that's just it: it looks like Izzy did ALL of it," he said. "I've gotta add my own touches or the teacher won't think I helped."
"Heh heh, I hear ya, Coach," Davis cackled, scooping Demiveemon up. "Let's swing by the I-mart and—"
He nearly jumped out of his skin as the lab door slammed shut. Tai, Cody and Upamon looked just as surprised. Yolei was gone, and Poromon with her. "That was… new," Cody managed.
"Damn!" Davis said, "where's she goin' like a horse on fire?"
… … …
The setting sunlight stung Blackwargreymon's eyes; there was far too much light in this world for his liking. He would resume his search once night fell.
He landed next to a lake where a rusty old trolley car lay lopsided on the shore. He looked around at the trees and rocks, but none of them looked burned or ravaged. He growled and clenched his fists; Blackrapidmon hadn't come this way. He could track the Crest easily before that woman had coated it with her wretched control spires, but… He forced himself to relax. Though he had never known that kind of frustration before, venting it was not becoming of a soldier.
He strode to the water and knelt, lowering his hand into the coolness. As he leaned down to drink, though, a footstep made him leap up, claws ready. A small orange dinosaur-like creature smiled up at him. "Hi!" it said with a wave of its paw. "You look kinda familiar… Are you lost?"
Blackwargreymon's muscles stiffened, and his stance did not waver. In his experience, foes either leaped in to attack or ran away screaming; never did they… greet him. "If you desire a fight, I warn you: it shall be quick, and you shall lose," he stated.
"What? No, I'm just being friendly," the dinosaur said. "My name's Agumon. I protect this lake."
Blackwargreymon watched his foe, but the little dinosaur didn't look very threatening. He lowered his claws ever so slightly. "Why do you address me?" he asked coldly. "Stronger creatures flee when I approach."
Agumon chuckled. "Yeah, I guess," he said. "But when I Digivolve, I turn into Wargreymon, too! That's why I'm not scared!"
Blackwargreymon regarded Agumon for a few moments more, then lowered his claws and turned away. "Speaking to me without desiring to fight…" he grumbled. "You're either very trusting or very stupid… not that those aren't the same."
Agumon cocked his head to one side. "Huh? I never heard they were… What do you mean?" he asked.
Blackwargreymon hesitated, then turned back towards Agumon. How very intriguing: while other Digimon ran away yelping in terror, the little one spoke to him without a second thought… and then dared to ask a question. The denizens of this world were a strange lot. "Perhaps you can help me," he said. "I have questions that need answers as well."
Agumon scratched his head. "Um, I didn't know there'd be a quiz," he said, "but OK."
… … …
Yolei dropped her backpack next to her door and sat down on the side of her bed, still panting hard from her school-to-home sprint. "Yolei! What… ack!… what was that all about?!" Poromon demanded as he squeezed himself out of the bag.
"I had to hurry back," she said, looking at herself in the mirror and trying to straighten her hair. "Mimi's coming over for another lesson."
"Another one?…" Poromon asked, looking upset. He never said anything, but he didn't like Mimi's lessons. Every time Yolei had one, she changed a little more: first her clothes and how she smelled, and then her whole room and his comfy nest. In between that, she seemed to have become crabbier and even nasty toward their friends. He didn't know what would happen the next time, but he was afraid to find out.
The doorbell rang. Yolei rushed out and came back chattering with Mimi, who clutched the same jingling, jangling bag she had brought before. "So, here we are," Yolei finished, taking the bag and putting it on her bed. "What's on the agenda today?"
Mimi looked around the room and smiled wryly at her pupil. "Wow, it still looks good," she said.
The room certainly was cleaner: clothes were still in the closet or the dresser; the books and games were still neatly shelved; and the air smelled the same as the rest of the apartment. The biggest change was a fluffy red donut-shaped cat bed on the floor near the closet. "Oh, you got him a bed?" Mimi asked. "That's adorable!"
Yolei grinned widely. Even if it was an old bed that just she pulled out of the neighbors' garbage and cleaned up, Mimi's praise warmed her insides. Poromon ruffled his feathers and pouted. "It's not very nice," he complained. "It's not like my nest at all!"
Yolei chuckled awkwardly. "Uh, yeah, he's still getting used to it," she said, getting between her guest and him. "He tries to flutter up and sleep with me most nights… but that's sure not happening!"
"Really?" Mimi asked, looking at him with surprise, "but he looks perfect for sleeping with! All fuzzy and round… like another pillow!"
Yolei blinked. Poromon scowled. "I'm not a pillow!" he protested. "Just because I can be squished like I'm full of beans doesn't mean—"
He was cut short when Yolei scooped him up, squeezing a little too hard. "Oh, that? I was just kidding!" she laughed. "Sure he's welcome up there!"
Poromon gave a little "urp" and she dropped him. Mimi unzipped her bag and rummaged around in it. "OK, this is going to be important," she said. "Everything I teach you today, you're going to make a daily routine. Set aside an extra hour every morning."
Yolei's smile fell; she liked to spend all but twenty minutes before school blissfully unconscious. "An hour?!" she groaned.
Mimi glared at her. "Do you want to land this guy, or not?" she asked bluntly.
Yolei's shoulders sagged. She may have not figured Mimi out yet, but Mimi had her figured out down to the last detail. "What do I have to do?" she asked with a sigh.
Mimi pulled the chair away from Yolei's desk. "Sit down," she ordered. "Now where's the nearest electric outlet?"
"Well…" Yolei started, pointing at the one just beneath the desk. About twelve cords were jammed into its sockets, most of them leading towards the TV. Without a second thought, Mimi reached down and pulled the whole mess loose. "Hey!" Yolei huffed.
"Your parents will thank you when the bill comes," Mimi said, pushing her back into the seat. "Sit still."
Mimi turned back to her bag. Yolei wondered just what was in store for her… but if there was anything she had learned from being around Mimi, it was that the girl was confident in her own skills. If she taught Yolei exactly what she did, then she would have Ken eating out of her hands in no time… and hopefully more than that. She told herself again that it was going to be worth it.
Mimi stooped under the desk and plugged something in, and Yolei heard something behind her start to hiss. She spun around and saw Mimi approaching with a mirror in one hand and a steaming clamp-like device in the other. "OK!" she beamed, her gleeful expression like a mad scientist's. "Let's burn some life into that rat wig!"
All color fled Yolei's cheeks. It had better be worth it.
… … …
Despite his brother's warning, the boy took the device in hand, inspecting every part of it. Suddenly, the computer screen lit up eerily and a great wind pulled him towards it… and the next thing he knew, he was flat on his back surrounded by fresh grass, with a green wormlike creature watching over him.
Ken sighed as he finished reading the passage a sixth time. He had been trying to write his story since he got home from school, but once that paragraph had spilled out onto the screen, he had hit a wall. He had stared at the words for the last twenty minutes, trying to find a way to keep typing… but nothing had come. As soon as he wrote about Wormmon, all the inspiration flew from his mind like smoke from factory pipes.
He scowled at the screen; how could a genius like he be stymied by a few lines of text? He forced himself to type "the worm," but no other words came after them. His hands trembled over the keyboard, aching to keep dancing on it, but he just could not supply them with any other words to type. Thinking of how to write about Wormmon yielded nothing but stifling mental silence. He tried to look at the rest of the passage, but found he couldn't; his eyes were stuck on "the worm" and would go nowhere else. He read it three times, four times, and again a fifth time. Suddenly, his hands balled into fists and he shoved the keyboard to the side with a huffy snarl. How could he even dare to say anything about Wormmon?! What right did he have to mention him after he…?!
He jumped out of his chair and closed the file. He couldn't look at it any longer. He had wasted enough time; there was work to be done destroying control spires. He pulled his D3 out of the drawer and held it up to the screen.
… … …
Yolei's teeth crunched on each other as the hissing tool floated over her left ear again; how good could it be to have something that hot tearing through your hair? She could imagine her whole scalp withering and crusting up like an overdone hot dog. The burning aura passed down her neck again and she shuddered, all while Mimi hummed to herself. What in the world was she doing?! Yolei's mind raced with all sorts of nicknames Davis and the others could drop on her: "fry face," "nuke nose," and "lava zit" all sounded like fair game. If she could move fast enough, maybe she could grab the mirror and club Mimi out, then flee to the nearest pharmacist to—"OK!" Mimi broke into her thoughts. "All done!"
She looked up in surprise. The hissing had stopped, and her skin was cool again. Mimi smirked and handed her the mirror. "Take a look, fraidy cat," she said. "I could be a real stylist!"
Yolei stared into the looking glass, unable to register who she saw. It was her face, all right, but her droopy, pasta-like purple hair had been replaced by a shiny, lively lavender waterfall. Her cheeks tinged pink. "I…" was all she could get out, but her face said everything: never in her life had she thought she could look so… pretty.
"See? It doesn't take much," Mimi said, beaming. She fished a folded piece of paper from her bag and put both the iron and it on Yolei's desk. "I wrote down exactly what I did. You need to do the same thing every morning. Think you can handle that?"
Yolei looked at herself in the mirror again, still not quite believing what she saw. It would cost a whole hour of sleep… but if it really kept that amazing hair on her head, it would be worth it. "Yeah," she said.
"OK, then, on to part two," Mimi said, digging in her bag and pulling out a dozen colorful bottles, several shiny tubes, a few brushes and some plastic canisters. "Foundation, blush, mascara, powder for reducing shine, nail polish, lipstick and perfume," she said as she placed them on the desk. "Whoever you're trying to attract, these will seal the deal."
Yolei's eyes bugged as she looked at all the stuff. "This is more stuff than I use for my model kits," she said.
Mimi gave a weak, annoyed chuckle. "Yeah, don't mention those to him," she muttered. "Now, the first thing to put on is foundation. That clears up blemishes and helps the rest stay on."
Yolei picked up a bottle and read the ingredients label, but she didn't recognize any of the chemical names. "I have to put ALL of this on?" she asked.
"What? No way!" Mimi said, "but you gotta have choices, right? We're gonna find colors that look good on you, and then a nice perfume to top it all off."
Curious, Yolei picked up a clear bottle, opened it and sniffed at it. It was a strange but alluring odor. "This is nice," she said. "What's it called?"
Mimi's smile fell. "That's nail polish remover," she said. "Let me pick something for you."
Yolei's pink cheeks flushed red. "Err, yeah," she mumbled.
Mimi dabbed a little puffy thing into the foundation and started rubbing it on Yolei's face. Instantly Yolei started to snicker. "Hey, stop it," Mimi scolded.
"It tickles!" Yolei said, still giggling a little.
Mimi gave her a sour look, but couldn't keep it for long. "Yeah, I know, but try to hold still," she said, going back to rubbing. "And whatever you do, don't sneeze; you'll ruin it."
"Speaking from experience?" Yolei asked.
Mimi chuckled. "Yeah," she admitted. "Oh, that was so embarrassing. I was getting ready to go out with the running club captain last year, but right in the middle of putting on mascara, I sneezed all over the place! The pen jerked up and…"
As the girls talked and laughed, Poromon watched quietly from the bed, unsure of where things were going, but liking them less and less.
… … …
An obsidian giant groaned, then hit the dirt and broke in two. One less spire dominated the Rail Town skyline. Ken looked at it with disgust; seeing them pop up in places he had already cleared weighed on his already sunken spirit. Unless he did away with Arukenimon and Mummymon, he would never be free of the black curses.
He wandered through the abandoned city, the wind the only sound in his ears. Unlike Suadi Arugula, no Digimon had returned to Rail Town, and it still lay in ruin. He bit his lip as he walked past the town square, where the train Metalgreymon destroyed still lay among the skeletons of sheds and offices. He wondered why the Resistance hadn't swooped down on the place like they had on Spaghetti Junction. Maybe even they thought it wasn't worth fixing…
He turned a corner and came to the railroad junction, now just a sad mess of old rails half-buried in the dirt. One lonely locomotive engine stood on the tracks, several empty cars sagging behind it. The scene reminded Ken of grainy postwar photos from history books. Despair welled up inside him and his whole body shuddered; after creating such scenes of destruction, he didn't have any right to write about Wormmon. With a feral snarl, he kicked a wave of dirt at the engine.
Something shiny and red flew up in the plume, and then there was a quiet clattering against the locomotive. A low hum made him look up, and then the engine's wheels shook, trails of steam puffing out between them. The derelict locomotive roared to life like an angry bear awakened from hibernation, smoke wildly spewing from its smokestack and axels, making him cover his face. The train's wheels began to spin, grinding furiously atop the rails and spitting sparks every which way. Slowly it moved forward, the abandoned cars behind it shuddering one after another as they were pulled along. The seemingly possessed train puffed louder and sped up, heading straight for the end of the tracks.
He stumbled back as the train smashed through the barriers, but instead of crashing into a heap, it arced upward and soared into the sky. It circled around the town three times, and then with another eerie whistle it flew up and into the clouds.
Ken stared after it, unable to pull his jaw off the ground. A flying train… the Digital World could still surprise him.
… … …
"I don't understand why you would speak to me without desiring to fight," Blackwargreymon rumbled, looking down at Agumon curiously. "Do you not realize that I could reduce you to ash in seconds?"
"I don't think you would," Agumon said with a shake of his head. "I know what it's like to be Wargreymon, too. I bet you've got a good heart down in there!"
Behind his stoic face, Blackwargreymon's mind hit a stumbling block. He had never heard the word the little dinosaur had used. "What is this 'heart' you speak of?" he demanded.
It was Agumon's turn to be confused; who didn't know what a heart was? "Um… well, it's, uh, something that helps you feel stuff," he tried. "When you care about others, that comes from the heart… Oh! And when you care more about someone else than yourself, that's called 'love,' and it's the best thing a heart can feel!"
Agumon smiled, but Blackwargreymon was not impressed. "It sounds trivial and foolish," he scoffed, looking away. "This 'heart' does you more harm than good."
"What? No way!" Agumon said. "See, when a whole bunch of people care about each other, they can all work together and do stuff that just one person couldn't do! That's what makes a heart strong: it connects you to others!" Seeing Blackwargreymon was still unmoved, he scratched his head. "Isn't there anyone you feel connected to?" he asked.
Blackwargreymon stared at the lake silently, taking in the little dinosaur's question. Yes, he was connected to someone; that was the reason for his mission, and why he was in this Digital World in the first place. It didn't have the feeling that the creature was talking about, however… Indeed, it had no feeling at all. Why should it? He looked down at Agumon, who watched him curiously; the weak little creature might be helped from 'feeling,' but he could see no benefit for himself. "What a confusing idea, your 'heart,'" he said. "Why would one choose to place his well being in the hands of others when one clearly fights better alone?"
Agumon blinked a few times; how could anybody fight alone? "Uh… maybe you need an example," he tried, deciding to take an Izzy-like approach to the situation. "See, a long time ago, Tai and I got split up from the rest of our friends, and when we were looking for them we ended up at this theme park…"
… … …
Gatomon stared intently at the oversized tuna floating past the window of Gennai's sitting room. Her tail swished and her mouth uttered little chattering sounds as her eyes followed its every move. Kari sighed. "Gatomon, stop trying to charm the fish," she said. "Come over here."
Gatomon sighed and slunk back to the table. "This place is torture," she grumbled. "I hoped my tail ring would be fixed by now, but it isn't… and there's a buffet right outside and I didn't bring a snorkel."
Gennai offered a sympathetic smile as he poured a saucer of tea for her. "I'm sorry, Gatomon," he said, "it's a very delicate piece of equipment. I promise it'll be ready soon."
"In the meantime, I could borrow TK's dad's fishing pole for you," Patamon said.
"Yeah, it's not like he uses it much," TK said, smiling. "Not since that time I tried to practice my 'cat's cradle' on the string."
"TK, Patamon, please," Izzy shushed them, "you derailed my explanation!"
From his spot by the projector screen, Gennai chuckled. "Ah, the follies of youth," he murmured. "Izzy, the last thing you said was that they found a piece of your Crest in a jungle. So you have seven pieces now, correct?"
The others' faces fell. Izzy swallowed. "Um… actually, that's not accurate," he said. "While Davis and the others did find the Crest, things became… complicated."
"Yeah, that big bully Gargomon got it first," Patamon huffed, "and then Arukenimon used it to turn him into Blackrapidmon!"
Gennai's smiling mouth thrust down somberly, and his bushy eyebrows knotted into a frown; he almost looked frightening. "She used a Crest?" he asked, his voice stony.
"That's why we're here," Kari said. "Do you know how to save him?"
Gennai turned away, his arms folded behind his back. "Those Crests were meant only to work with their corresponding Digivices," he muttered.
"Maybe the Control Spires she utilized helped her bypass the Order's security programming," Izzy suggested. "Having used ten spires, perhaps it's possible…"
"Whew," Patamon sighed, "I bet the Order never saw this coming!"
They looked to Gennai for a response, but he gave none; he kept his back to them, staring at his bookshelf and thoughtfully massaging his wrists. TK coughed to break the silence. "Could we break the spires?" he asked. "That would free the Crest…"
"How?" Gatomon asked, "Blackrapidmon's not a spire; he's an Ultimate, and he moves! Fast!"
"Are the spires part of his armor?" Izzy asked. "If they are, perhaps we can damage them enough…"
"No, they went inside him," Patamon broke in. "It was like she turned him into a Spire-Born!"
"But maybe he has a weak point somewhere on his armor?" Izzy tried.
"Why?" Gatomon retorted. "This isn't a video game, Izzy! Not every Digimon has a big, fat bulls-eye somewhere!"
As the others argued, Kari found herself thinking back to when Andromon attacked her in Metal City. She had dropped her D3, and then the Dark Ring around Andromon's neck had fallen apart. Since the spires gave power to those rings, she wondered if would they react the same way. "Hey," she began, "what if we—"
Suddenly, everyone jumped as the water outside shuddered and rippled, and all the fish took off in a panic. An eerie wailing drifted in from above them. "What the?!" Patamon yelped.
TK bit his lip; if Blackrapidmon or Blackwargreymon had found them, he didn't want Gennai dragged into the fight. "We'd better get out there!" he yelled.
The kids and their partners raced out of Gennai's house and up the stairs. They arrived at the surface just in time to see a rickety old locomotive train chug across the treetops, whistling amid its smoky belches. "Woah!" Patamon gasped.
"Prodigious!" Izzy declared.
As they gaped, the train circled the lake, dove down and clipped the marsh grass, then lurched up into the air and vanished to the south with another wheesh.
The kids were so flabbergasted, none of them heard Gennai come up the steps behind them. "My, this is getting serious," he said, sounding as if he were saying he thought it would rain.
"Gennai, is that normal?" Izzy asked, turning around. "I mean, I know we rode a flying trolley once, but…?"
"Yes, it's not often a train jumps the rails quite like that," Gennai said, smiling. "There must be something amiss with the engine."
Kari watched him, unsure what to make of him; the old man had just been acting dead serious.
"OK, as weird as that was, can we get back to the problem?" Gatomon asked. "How do we deal with Blackrapidmon?"
"Or Blackwargreymon," TK added.
"Or ANY of this?!" Patamon finished. "It's gone crazy since we shut Ken down!"
Gennai hesitated, looking as if he were about to say something… but then he changed his mind and shook his head. "If you kids'll excuse me, all that excitement wore me out," he said, turning and starting back down the steps. "I need a rest. Have a good weekend."
"What?! But Gennai!" Gatomon objected, but the stairs and the old man vanished, showing only the murky surface of the lake. Patamon puffed himself up angrily. TK stamped his foot in the grass.
Izzy folded his arms and scowled at his reflection. "That was certainly informative," he muttered.
"What're you talking about, Izzy?" Patamon objected. "That was a whole lot of nothing!"
"If he knows anything, he can't tell us," TK sighed, "or he won't tell us."
"Quite a quandary, for sure," Izzy said. "We don't have enough information to go up against our enemies, and with Yolei going to Kyoto between Monday and Thursday, we'll have less manpower… I'm afraid there's not much we can do for a while."
"So just when things are getting rough, we get stuck?" Gatomon huffed. "No way!"
"Maybe you just need more big brains," Patamon said. "Izzy, why don't you and Ken work on it together?"
"Ken…?" Izzy murmured. His grudge against the Digimon Emperor was minimal, but he certainly didn't feel like making a social call.
"I guess this next week we just stick to wrecking spires," TK sighed, "and running from whoever wants to chase us…"
While Izzy ruminated and the others fumed, Kari pulled out her D3 and looked it over thoughtfully.
… … …
Mimi's tongue darted from one side of her mouth to the other as Yolei felt the pen rub across her eyebrow. "Mmm… just a little more… Ah!" she said, and made one last stroke. "Done! Oh, and don't lick your lips for a few minutes."
Yolei wrinkled her nose and grimaced; it felt like Mimi had really laid the cosmetics on thick, like a few dozen layers. "Do I have to make balloon animals now?" she asked.
"You'll get used to it," Mimi said, strangely unfazed by the quip, "but it's worth it; look at yourself!"
Yolei took the mirror she offered and once again marveled at what she saw: complementing her flowing purple hair was a lively, gorgeous face. Her eyebrows were full and bright, and light purple eyeliner complemented her hair color and made her gaze more exotic. Her usually pale cheeks were healthfully pink, and her lips glistened with a lavender tinge. For the second time that afternoon, she could hardly recognize herself… but she did see she looked hot enough to melt cheese. "That's… that's really me?" she asked, a warm joy creeping over her. "I-I'm…"
Mimi grinned. "Cosmetics: a girl's real best friend!" she giggled. "I've gotta say, once you're all made up, you've got a lot going for you!"
Yolei looked back at the mirror, then up at Mimi. Both girls wore genuine smiles. "Thanks, Mimi," she said. "I—"
"Oh, we're not done yet," Mimi said, reaching for her purse. "Get on some good clothes. I'm taking you to the mall for the second half of the lesson: attitude."
Yolei blinked, puzzled. "The same mall?" she asked. "Won't you be, you know, embarrassed?"
Mimi smiled and patted her on the shoulder. "That's not going to be a problem this time, I'm sure of it," she said. "Now let's see you pick a good outfit."
Bursting with the pride of being trusted to dress, Yolei threw off her school getup and jumped into the closet. She emerged with several shirts and skirts and held them over her body, looking at the little mirror Mimi held for her. "Boy, maybe I should get a long mirror," she muttered as she tossed a blue shirt back into the closet.
"It wouldn't hurt," Mimi said, "but this is fine for now."
Poromon bounced into the air as a skirt flopped onto the bed. "Yolei! Watch where you're throwing stuff!" he yelped. "Besides, what's wrong with what you had on?"
"Oh, please," Mimi sniffed at him, "don't you have any fashion sense?"
Poromon glared at her. Even though she was a Digidestined, the girl really got on his nerves; she was turning his partner into somebody else.
After several more projectile clothing volleys, Yolei emerged with a triumphant "OK!" She wore a brilliant new outfit: purple stockings; a red skirt, a lavender camisole; a crimson jacket; and a thin purple choker around her neck. "Awww! That's so cute!" Mimi said, pretending to wipe a tear from her eye; she had taught her well. "Let's go show you off!"
"All right!" Yolei agreed, grabbing her purse off of her nightstand. "Poromon, we'll be back in an hour or two, OK?"
Poromon looked shocked. "Yolei, you know you're not allowed to go out!" he objected. "You're grounded, remember?"
"Big deal," Mimi said, "her parents aren't home now, and they won't be back before we are! They'll never know you're gone!"
Yolei hesitated at the thought of defying her parents, but she was too enticed to back down. "You'll be fine on your own, right?" she asked him.
Poromon sagged on the bed, furious but defeated. "Yes," he muttered.
"OK!" she laughed, obviously not picking up on his ire. "Off we go!"
Laughing and complimenting each other on their outfits, they left Yolei's room and walked past the older Inoue siblings, who were watching TV in the living room. All three of them did double takes as the apartment door closed. "Was that… Miyako?!" Momoe asked.
"I think so," Chizuru said. "Huh! Who knew she could get her glam on?"
Mantarou stared at the door for a few moments, then shrugged and turned back to the show.
… … …
The sun slowly oozed below the skyline. Cody pulled his jacket up a little bit; night came on quicker in the late fall, and so did its chill. His mother would certainly have words with him for being out alone after dark, but he was willing to take the scolding; he needed information. "I don't get it, Cody," Upamon said, glancing up at his partner. "Why're we gonna do this?"
"Because he knows TK better than anyone," Cody said.
"I don't know," Upamon sighed, "he's really mad at us."
Cody swallowed as he approached the high school's auditorium and heard faint jazz music drifting from its windows. Upamon was right about that; Matt could spew hatred as harshly as the Digimon Emperor. He hoped his small peace offering would quench the flames.
He walked inside to see the jazz band going through their practice. Cody could hear sadness and frustration pouring out of Matt's saxophone. The boy knew how to get the most out of his instrument; he blew as soulfully as the recordings Cody had heard in furniture stores.
The song tapered out, finished. Appropriately, Cody set Upamon down on a seat and clapped. The band members looked up and grinned. "Well, how 'bout that!" the pianist laughed, "we've got ourselves a little fan club!"
"You're very good," Cody said. "I'll come to your next concert."
The singer cackled and bowed lightheartedly. The bass player grinned and gave a nod of his sunglasses. Matt, however, scowled at him like he was intruding. Cody took a deep breath and walked over to him. "Senpai," he said with a respectful bow, "may I speak with you for a moment?"
"Whoo! Kid's all polite and stuff," the pianist chuckled. "Maybe he wants yer autograph, Squeals."
"No, he doesn't," Matt muttered. "Excuse me, guys; I'll be right back."
He hopped off the stage and signaled for Cody to follow. Cody picked Upamon up and followed him to the door to the hallway. Matt glared at him so intensely, Cody half expected lasers to shoot from his eyes. "What do you want?" he growled.
"I wanted to ask you about something," Cody tried, "about TK. Ever since Blackwargreymon showed up, he's been acting… different."
"Mind your own business," Matt scoffed. "You wouldn't understand what he's been through. And there's no way I'm helping you after…" He trailed off, the rage in his eyes clouded by a touch of grief.
Cody saw his opportunity. "Senpai… Yamato," he said, "Gabumon is alive."
Matt turned wild eyes on him. "Alive?!" he asked, grabbing Cody's shoulders. "You're serious?!"
"I am," Cody said, "Blackwargreymon stopped his attack after we fled."
"He's just fine!" Upamon added. "He told us himself!"
Matt released Cody, his hands shaking. For a moment, the younger boy thought he saw a relieved smile cross his face. Matt straightened up, then pushed open the door. "C'mon, I'll get you a soda from the machine," he said. "We can talk there."
Cody smiled, too, his worries gone; just as he hoped, Matt wouldn't stay angry after he knew his partner was all right.
"Soda?" Upamon asked. "You mean pop, right?"
"Oh, shush," Cody muttered. "Thank you, senpai."
They walked down the quiet, empty hall to the vending machine, where Matt dug into his pocket. "Good thing the music teacher likes my band, or we wouldn't be able to do this at night," he said. "What flavor?"
Cody looked at Upamon; he would be the one drinking most of it. "Peach chocolate mango with extra fizz!" Upamon said.
"How about orange?" Matt grumbled, pushing the can at Cody.
Upamon blushed with embarrassment. "That's good too," he said quietly.
Matt snapped open his lemon-lime soda and leaned against the wall. "Now, what you were asking," he said, looking up at the ceiling. "You remember what we told you in September. TK's thing about evil Digimon started when we fought Devimon on File Island. Patamon had to become Angemon to get rid of him."
As Upamon sucked on the can, Cody scratched his head; it was hard to imagine a gentle person like TK being willing and eager to kill Digimon, even if they were evil. "So… it's about duty?" he asked. "Patamon becomes a holy creature, so TK thinks it's his job to go after evil ones?"
Matt sighed and took another swig. He didn't care for Davis or Yolei, but Cody seemed to have a better mind, even if it was inexperienced; he would at least answer his question. "No, it's about fear," he said. "Angemon had to use his own life force to kill Devimon. He knew he would change back into a DigiEgg and grow again… but we sure didn't." He took another gulp. "None of us knew much about Digivolution then, so we thought that was the end of Patamon."
"Oh…" Cody murmured, seeming to sense where the story was headed.
"Even if it was just a few moments, that sudden shock of loss scarred him," Matt went on. "His anger towards Blackwargreymon and the rest is because he's afraid he'll lose Patamon again… for good." With a loud crunch, he smashed the can in his hand and pitched it into a recycling bin across the hall. "I can relate," he said, sounding bitter again.
"Huh? Whaddya mean?" Upamon asked, losing interest in the soda for a moment. "We just told ya Gabumon's OK…"
"None of your business," Matt muttered, his cold demeanor returning in full force.
Cody hesitated, then decided to ask anyway. "Is there another way to deal with evil Digimon besides…?" he tried.
Matt looked down at him with nothing short of disgust, as if their friendly rapport never happened. "What? You think you can make friends with them?" he scoffed. "That you just have to say one thing and it'll be like snapping off a Dark Ring?"
"That's not what I meant," Cody said, irritated at being patronized. "We can't call ourselves heroes if we just destroy our enemies without trying to reason with them."
"Is there a Digimon jail we could put them in?" Upamon tried.
Matt just shook his head. "I thought you were the smart one," he grunted, pushing off the wall. "I have to get back to practice; you can see yourself out."
Cody watched Matt stomp back into the auditorium, his stomach churning. He felt more bothered now than he did before the meeting.
Upamon burped. "Whoops, musta drank too fast," he reasoned. "Cheer up, Cody! We could try building a Digimon jail ourselves!"
Cody looked down at his friend, then up at the ceiling. Though he hadn't taken his jacket off, he shivered.
… … …
"I don't know about this, Mimi," Yolei said, her stomach churning as the mall's escalator loomed in front of her. "It's already dark out… What are we going to do?"
"Relax," Mimi said, "the cool kids don't go home just because the sun went down; they come to the food court to hang out and eat what they want."
Yolei felt a small rush of joy. It cost a little money, but if she ate away from home, she wouldn't have to fight anybody for the last slice of pepperoni pizza. "Wow," she murmured.
"It's also a place to meet boys without a lot of pressure," Mimi went on as they got off on the next floor. "Maybe try taking your mystery guy here when you get back from Kyoto."
Yolei's cheeks flushed at the thought of sucking down ramen noodles across from Ken; wouldn't it be great if he liked the same flavor she did? She imagined tucking into a giant bowl of ramen with him, maybe feeding each other with their chopsticks… A low whistle came from somewhere near, snapping her out of her fantasy. "There we are!" Mimi chuckled, patting her on the shoulder. "It's working already!"
Yolei looked around the food court and noticed a lot of people looking at her. She was used to being stared at, but suddenly the looks were different… almost welcoming. Girls looked her over with mixtures of surprise, adoration and envy. And, more to her liking, boys were ogling her, including several good-looking ones, like the one who had whistled. Her heart raced as she took it all in, happy but also a little confused; was this all just because she changed her looks?
"Feels great, doesn't it?" Mimi giggled. "C'mon, let's eat at my fave place."
She led Yolei to a set of tables at a French-style café on the edge of the food court. Yolei was surprised to see that patrons were getting their food brought out to them by employees. "Waiters in a food court?" Yolei asked. "Is that legal?"
"It's high-class," Mimi said. "Everyone who's anyone comes here!"
Yolei wasn't sure one could classify a bunch of cheerleaders and jocks as 'everyone who's anyone,' but Mimi had her in a chair before she could speak up. A waiter approached them with a notepad and pen, seeming to bristle when he noticed Mimi. "Hello, what would you two like today?" he asked.
Mimi motioned for Yolei to order first. Yolei didn't know what they served, but she did know she was next door to broke. "Um, just some water, please," she said.
"I'll have an avocado salad with lite raspberry vinaigrette dressing, and a glass of sparkling water with lemon," Mimi recited. The waiter started to leave, but Mimi said "oh!" and he regretfully turned back around. "And only a light sprinkling of that dressing, not like last time," she added.
The waiter made a sharp jab on his notepad and went away. Yolei looked at her teacher, who didn't seem to have noticed. "What was that about?" she asked.
"It was kind of soggy last time," Mimi said, turning back to her. "Now, for the last part of the lesson: attitude. To complete the effect you're going for, you need to change yours."
Yolei raised an eyebrow. "What?" she asked.
"I'm going to be totally honest," Mimi said, leaning in closely, "the way you act isn't feminine. You're like a mix of a shameless otaku and a sugared-up, loudmouth grade-school boy. And most boys I've come across, well, they want to date girls."
Yolei's teeth gnashed instantly. "Hey!" she snapped, clamping the table with her hands, "I am TOO a girl!"
"Calm down; your makeup's going to run," Mimi said, shushing her with her hands. "I mean a boy wants someone who isn't going to be like his guy friends; someone different than what he's used to… You know, special."
"Why didn't you just say that?" Yolei grumbled.
"If you want to get out of the 'just friends' zone," Mimi went on, "you have to ditch the quirks and be more like other girls: elegant but inviting; sassy but sweet; promising what they dream about, but also standing out from the pack… like me!"
Yolei went from angry to confused. "Doesn't having quirks make you stand out?" she asked.
"Yours are all the wrong ones," Mimi said. "For example, you keep calling yourself 'Yolei,' but I know that's not your real name. Why do you call yourself that?"
"That's the name of my avatar on the Net," Yolei said. "What's wrong with that?"
"What's right with it?" Mimi retorted, rolling her eyes. "Using that says you spend too much time on computers! Besides, it sounds weird anyway… like an overcooked Chinese noodle dish. What's your real name?"
Yolei trembled with rage from Mimi's assault on a core aspect of her being, but she made herself remember the older girl was trying to help. "It's Miyako," she muttered.
To her surprise, Mimi smiled. "Really? Miyako?" she asked. "That's a pretty name! Why don't you go by that?"
Yolei sighed. "Miyako" meant "beautiful fragrance," but she caught too much flack from her siblings for not living up to it; one more reason she went by "Yolei" everywhere outside of home. "Well," she began, "I—"
Suddenly there was a thud and a yelp, and then water splattered across the table, making the girls jump; the waiter had stumbled and spilled Mimi's drink. "Oh, no!" he spluttered, setting the tray down and using the napkins to wipe it up. "I must have tripped!"
"Err, that's OK," Yolei started. "It was just water—"
Mimi's shriek cut her off. "My skirt!" she yelled, leaping up to reveal the wet garment. "Look what you did to my skirt!"
The waiter stiffened. "I'm sorry!" he spluttered.
"What is WRONG with you?!" Mimi assailed him. "First you get my salad all yucky and then you spill water all over me?! Do you know how much this dress cost?! Where'd you learn how to be a waiter?!"
Other mall-goers were starting to turn and look at the scene. Color drained from the college-age boy's face. "W-wait!" he stammered, "it was an accident! Please!"
"You shouldn't even be a waiter, you dumb klutz!" Mimi went on ranting. "Where's a manager? I want to talk to a manager about you!"
"AGH! No!" the waiter hissed. "Look, your meal's on me, OK?! Just please stop!"
Mimi slowed to a pant, then relaxed. "That's better," she said. "Now clean this up and get me a fresh drink… and bring dessert, too!"
The waiter scampered away like she had set fire to his pants. Mimi sat back down in a dry chair. Yolei was absolutely shocked. "Mimi," she said, "that was awful!"
"What do you mean?" Mimi asked, pulling out her makeup mirror and looking herself over. "He almost made us take a bath and I'm supposed to tell him it's OK?"
"But…" Yolei trailed off, looking down at the floor where the waiter had tripped; there was a small indent in the tile that could catch someone. "What if it really was an accident?" she asked.
"It was still his fault," Mimi sniffed, resuming her usual demeanor. "If you're just going to chalk everything up to accidents, you're never going to get anywhere."
"Get anywhere?…" Yolei asked.
"See? That's another lesson!" Mimi said, suddenly realizing her genius. "If someone messes up, you can use it to get something free or make yourself look better!"
Yolei wasn't sure what she thought of that; she often heard her parents grumbling about jerky customers in the I-Mart who tried complaining as a way to get something for nothing, and she herself hated giving in to someone making a scene, like throwing an Arukenimon-grade temper tantrum… but still, the waiter HAD made a mistake… "I don't know…" she said.
The defeated waiter returned with a fresh salad and drinks. "And… what did you want for dessert?…" he muttered.
"Well, um…" Yolei stammered, not sure if she should actually take advantage of the poor man's bad luck.
"The desserts here are really yummy," Mimi said, already thinking of other things. "You should get the crème brulee! Oh, and after this, why don't we go to the arcade?"
Yolei blinked. Mimi was openly saying she liked the arcade? And she wanted to play with her? Her ethical worries were shoved out of her head in an instant. "Really?" she beamed. "OK! I should show you 'Alley Brawler;' that one's really fun!" She looked at the waiter and nodded. "I'll have a slice of crème brulee," she said.
… … …
"…So thanks to Sora, we didn't eat the mushrooms and kept our brains," Agumon finished. "See? A heart helps everybody!"
Blackwargreymon folded his arms. "A curious story," he said, and it certainly had been: poison that destroyed memory; creatures that existed only to deceive; and still others who worked to improve conditions… Much like the land itself, the Digital World's inhabitants were a disjointed mess of contradiction and chaos… yet he couldn't help but be intrigued.
"Um… OK," Agumon said, not sure if he'd gotten his message across. Tai had told him this creature was made from Control Spires, but he wasn't so sure any more; Blackwargreymon had a complex way of thinking… not to mention strange. "So, uh, do you understand about hearts now?" he asked.
Blackwargreymon's aura turned solemn again. "As insightful as it was, your story hasn't convinced me," he growled, turning to face the sunset, "and I've been delayed far too long. This 'heart' may give you strength, but I have no use for it."
"Oh, don't say that!" Agumon pleaded. "Everyone uses his heart sometime!"
Blackwargreymon started to leave, but then his mind took him back to the small flower he protected from the witch's Mammothmon. He stopped and stared at the trees nearby. If he truly shunned the 'heart' that Agumon championed, would he have done such a thing?
"Maybe it's a lot for you to understand right now," Agumon said, walking up beside the warrior. "How about we start small. Let's be friends!"
Blackwargreymon regarded him. "Friends?…" he asked.
"Yeah!" Agumon said. "If I care about you and you care about me, then we're friends! That's proof you use your heart!" He offered his claw. "What do you say?"
Blackwargreymon hesitated. While other creatures fled or died before him, the small lizard was willing to approach him, speak with him, and even trust him like one of his own kind. A strange, warm new feeling crept over him, one that both made his heart race with anticipation, and his joints shudder with terror. For a moment, his hand relaxed and started to reach for Agumon's… but then it clenched again, and the creature turned away; it was no path for a soldier to take, especially when so much was still at stake. "No," he growled, "I cannot abandon my mission."
Agumon's smile faded. "Oh…" he said.
Blackwargreymon started walking away, planning his next flight path. He had to find that Crest fragment… and destroy the disgraceful creature it resided in. Then he had to track down the humans who held the other fragments and do away with them as well. Then…
"Wait!" Agumon's voice intruded, making him turn back. The little dinosaur came a few footsteps after him and looked at him hopefully. "Will we see each other again, at least?" he asked.
Blackwargreymon was silent. Again, the little creature's bravery surprised him. "Perhaps," he rumbled, then launched into the night sky.
… … …
"Whoo!" Mimi panted, wiping her brow as Yolei and she left the arcade. "I never thought I could get so sweaty standing still!"
"That's an arcade for you," Yolei chuckled. "Everyone's trying hard not to get their ass kicked."
"I sure got lots of that," Mimi sighed. "At least you took it easy on me later on."
"No, you just got better," Yolei assured her. "If you keep up that practicing, you might win… if I sneeze during a fight, anyway!"
The two girls laughed happily as they strode towards the exit. This was the most fun Yolei had ever had with someone besides Cody or Davis in… well, ever. Despite her revulsion at the start of these lessons, she really liked hanging with Mimi now.
"I didn't think video games were all that cool, but that one gave me a rush like a clearance sale," Mimi went on. "I wonder if—OH!"
Mimi stopped dead in her tracks, her elbow catching Yolei in the chest. "EOW!" Yolei huffed. "What—"
"Oh! Hey! Mimi!" a familiar voice made her forget the injury. Joe had just walked into the mall and noticed the girls, and now he was coming towards them. She went pale, suddenly remembering how she looked now; what would he say?
Mimi clenched her fists. "Joe…" she snarled through clenched teeth.
"I thought you might be here," Joe said. "I just heard from Tai that… oh?" He stopped and looked at Yolei, who bit her lip and withdrew a step. Joe blinked a few times, then turned back to Mimi. "Sorry, can I talk to you alone for a minute?" he asked.
Yolei's mouth almost hung limp; with her new hair, clothes and makeup, Joe didn't recognize who she was.
"I don't want to talk to you, Joe," Mimi said, looking away.
Joe frowned and pushed his glasses up, trying to look sterner. "Mimi, come on, don't be like that," he said, "things are really getting serious, and we need your help!"
"I told you before, Joe!" Mimi snapped, "leave me alone!"
Joe hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. "No, Mimi," he said. "I'm not going to let you keep running. I know you don't like it, but you're still a part of this—"
"No I'm NOT!" Mimi screeched, making both Joe and Yolei wince. "How many times do I have to say it?! I'm NOT going back! I'm NOT going to go through it again! And you CAN'T MAKE ME!"
"I… You, you need to stop being so selfish!" Joe stammered, her outburst routing his brief moment of toughness. "I mean, how are you going to feel if things get even worse, and you weren't there to save—"
"Shut UP!" Mimi yelled, stamping her foot; Yolei saw tears forming in her furious eyes. "Go AWAY!"
"But Mimi—" Joe tried again.
Yolei put her hands on Mimi's shoulders and scowled at Joe. "What's wrong with you?!" she demanded. "Whatever you're talking about, she obviously doesn't want to be in on it! Can't you see?!"
Joe started to sweat. So did Yolei, now that she noticed their yelling had arrested the attention of several shoppers, including a security guard. She swallowed hard and decided to finish the salvo. "So get lost, already!" she barked at him.
Joe's clenched fists trembled, and his face was pale. With a frustrated scoff, he turned and walked out of the mall. The tense moment passed and the shoppers went back to their business. Yolei patted Mimi's still trembling shoulder. "Hey, it's OK," she said, "it's over now."
Mimi looked at her, then breathed deeply. "Y… yeah," she managed.
Yolei was glad to see Mimi was all right, but then she remembered Joe and felt bad. "That was kind of mean," she admitted.
Mimi folded her arms and looked pouty. "It's not like I want to be mean," she grumbled, "but when people like him don't get the message, you have to get louder!"
Yolei sighed. She hated to admit it, but maybe Mimi was right. But more important to why she stuck up for Mimi, maybe the older girl really had a good reason not to want to be with the other Digidestined, and Joe just wouldn't let it go. That was harassment, after all; the way Davis messed with her, she could almost relate. If Joe was following her around like that, then maybe he deserved the tongue-lashing. Then again, she felt bad for yelling at him; she had been so caught up in defending Mimi she had forgotten what a nice guy he was. It was a good thing he hadn't recognized her.
"But hey," Mimi broke into her thoughts with a sad smile. "What you did there… Thanks."
Yolei quietly smiled back. "No problem," she said.
"You've learned pretty well," Mimi said. "I think you're ready to be the new you all by yourself."
Yolei looked up, her heart swelling with pride. "R-really?" she asked.
"Totally," Mimi said. "You've got the looks, the moves… Whoever this guy is, he'll be in for a big surprise!"
Yolei beamed and, before she knew what she was doing, grabbed Mimi in a big bear hug. "Yes! THANK you!" she squealed.
"OK, OK, Mimi can't breathe!" Mimi rasped, and Yolei sheepishly released her. "Now, just remember what I taught you and try it in Kyoto," she said.
"Yeah, cool," Yolei chuckled, then thought of something important. "Hey, could you help me pick out a few good outfits before you go home?" she asked.
"Sure!" Mimi laughed, "but if you end up getting kissed because of them, I want full credit!"
The girls zipped up their jackets and headed out of the mall. "Hey, we should do this again when you get back," Mimi said, "they might have the winter lines set up then!"
Yolei beamed. "Really?" she asked, delighted at the invitation. "Sure! Then I can show you 'Tales of Smashing' in the arcade! That's a great one…"
Laughing and carrying on like two sisters, the girls headed off into the city night.
… … …
With several unearthly shrieks, Blackrapidmon again flailed and strained, desperate to break free of the thick webbing that plastered him to the canyon wall. He kicked his feet in the dirt and twisted his head this way and that, but to no avail. "Ho ho ho… I told you before, silly rabbit!" Mummymon cackled, not even looking up from sewing Arukenimon's hat, "as long as that stuff's got you, you're not going anywhere! Ah… done!"
He bit the thread and offered the garment to Arukenimon, who placed it on her head with a smug smile. "Things are finally going right again," she purred.
"Oh, yes," Mummymon agreed, leering at Blackrapidmon. "With this powerhouse on our side, getting the last Crest will be like taking candy from six overgrown babies!"
"And once we have that…" Arukenimon growled, then stopped and thought for a minute. "Ugh, but we need to find it first."
"Yes, the old girl's not the speediest thing in the Digital World," Mummymon agreed, glancing at his beat-up old jeep. "Say! Why don't we have Blackrapidmon fly around and—"
Arukenimon had her fist in his eye before he could finish. "Is your brain as shriveled as the rest of you?!" she hissed.
"What?" Mummymon asked, rubbing the injury. "If you want to search quickly, he's got plenty of juice in him!"
"You saw what he did in the jungle!" Arukenimon huffed. "We can't just make him run errands! He would leave so much destruction, those brats would come right after us!" She paused and scratched her chin, her rotten smile returning. "Then again…"
"Now don't start that again," Mummymon warned, growing serious. "You know we can't kill them yet!"
"And why not?!" Arukenimon fumed. "If they get the Crests, it won't matter how many spires I create!"
"We're going at it the best way right now," Mummymon said. "You have to trust the plan, my dear."
Arukenimon glared at him through her sunglasses. "We can't use Blackrapidmon. Not for this," she said. "If Blackwargreymon crossed paths with him, they could sink File Island in their exchange. We'll save him for the children, and nothing else."
Mummymon leaned heavily on his cane, biting his lip in thought. "What should we do to find the last Crest, then?" he asked. "The children always seem to know where they are."
Arukenimon fumed. "It's because…" she began.
Just then, the jeep radio crackled to life. "…And that's the Santa Geria weather report on the sevens," the announcer said. "Breaking news, Digimon: there have been at least a dozen claims throughout the Digital World of a train flying through the air. Though no official sources have confirmed this, all of the claims say the train is similar to one of the locomotives from Rail Town. In the absence of their leader Gargomon, a Resistance spokesmon says they have dispatched a team to the city to investigate."
The radio fizzled and went silent. Arukenimon glowered at Mummymon. "You know where we're headed," she said.
"To get the radio replaced?" Mummymon joked. He jerked away as she swung.
… … …
Davis's jaw locked as he tried to get his arm to stop shaking. The tiny stabilizer wing clamped between his tiny tweezers had to be put in just the right spot on the Foke-Wulf Fw190 A-8/R-2, or it wouldn't line up with the one on the other side of the tail fin. He had managed to get just enough glue on it; all he to do was stick it at just the right spot. He closed one eye and stuck out his tongue, then slowly moved in to place it…
A screech like an elephant being crushed by a monster truck made him spasm forward, knocking the tweezers out of his hand. The tiny wing plopped down, glued to the desk. At least fifteen different cuss words tried to escape his mouth at once, and he leaped out of his chair and almost tore the knob off his door. He knew who just ruined his new model.
He stomped next door and burst into Jun's room, where her CD player was blasting the screechy noise. She lay on her bed, tossing Demiveemon up into the air like a rag doll. "Dammit, Jun!" he yelled, running up and snatching him away. "I don't take your crap without askin'!"
Jun rolled her eyes and sat up. "Gee, sor-RY, Daisuke, I was just looking at it," she laughed. "Hey, what do you think of my new music?"
Davis looked at the CD player, which sounded like it was choking on its own vomit to him. "That's music?!" he asked.
Jun held up the CD case, which showed an old black-and-white photograph of a man blowing on a saxophone. "It's John Coltrane," she said. "I heard he's one of Matt's favorite musicians!"
Davis scowled at the case, then stiffly turned off the player. "Matt's a jackass," he snapped. "Find some other guy to drool over."
Jun's mouth dropped open for a minute, then she returned the glare. "Wha… what?!" she asked, getting off the bed and towering over him. "Shut your mouth! What do you know?!"
"More than you know 'bout jazz," Davis said. "Like you're actually into this stuff!"
Jun's face looked like a burnt strawberry. "At least I'm GETTING somewhere!" she snarled. "Not like you with your coach's sister!"
Davis just rolled his eyes and left. As soon as he shut the door, the obnoxious music started up again. He plodded back to his room and looked over Demiveemon. "Hey, are you OK?" he asked.
"I'm fine, Davis! I was havin' fun!" Demiveemon said, then cocked his head to one side. "Do you really think Matt's mean?"
"Sure he is!" Davis huffed, putting Demiveemon down next to the model and grabbing his tweezers. "You heard what he said; jerk wants us all to drop dead." He pried the little wing off of the desk and reached for the glue.
Demiveemon was quiet for a minute, then scratched his head. "But maybe he was just upset," he said. "Y'know, like when I broke one of your planes…"
Davis hesitated, then put the tweezers down. Demiveemon had a point; he had been furious at the little guy for smashing the model, but once he realized it was an accident and saw how sorry Demiveemon was, he had calmed down. Maybe Matt was the same way. And since Gabumon was still alive, he didn't have reason to be so angry. Besides, Matt was a Digidestined, and Tai seemed to trust him like a brother; he couldn't stay sore at someone his coach liked. "Huh… you're right," he said. "Y'know, little buddy, we should go talk to 'im."
Demiveemon's ears perked up. "Really?" he asked.
"Well, we'll let 'im cool off a few days, then go see what's up," Davis said. "Heh… It's not like we've got anyone else to hassle while Yolei's gone."
"Yay!" Demiveemon chirped, jumping up and down. "We're gonna be Matt's friends again!"
"Whaddya mean 'again?'" Davis cackled wryly. "This'll be the first time."
The phone in the living room rang, and a few moments later, Davis's door knocked. "Daisuke," his mother called, "it's for you; someone named Koushiro."
Davis blinked in surprise; he had no idea why Izzy would call him. He walked outside and took the phone. "What's up, Izzy?" he asked.
"Hello, Davis," Izzy's voice came, "I was wondering if you could do me a favor, considering that Ken seems most comfortable around you…"
Davis wasn't sure what Izzy was leading him towards, but it had to be important enough to warrant the call. "I'm listenin'," he said, taking the phone into his room and shutting the door.