"I appreciate you having me here, Headmaster Lancaster," Ben said as he was welcomed into the office of Riverbed Academy's leader.
The office itself was neat and orderly, a bookcase covering the whole left side of the spacious room, and a piano neatly placed in the other. One would think it was less of an office and more of a gutted-out studio apartment given the size of it.
Headmaster Lancaster rose from his desk several feet away on the other side of the room, where large window-paned glasses lined up behind him, allowing the sun to shine through. "As always, it is my pleasure to host AEGIS whenever they need my assistance. Please, send Melanie my regards."
The sound of Director Whitaker's first name unsettled Ben a bit. While it was true that both William Lancaster and she were colleagues at one point in their younger years, the fact that he casually used her first name in this situation almost made it seem like he knew they were coming.
"Will do, sir," Ben said respectfully as he approached the desk. The two men shook hands firmly and sat, with Ben readying himself for his interview.
"So, as we discussed over the phone, I just had some questions to ask regarding an investigation we're holding if you don't mind?"
"But of course, ask away," Headmaster Lancaster waved.
Ben felt the urge to drop the formalities and get straight to the point, just to see how confident Lancaster was. "Do you know anything about Digimon?"
"Of course, I do. Layla Saiba was once a part of my school's Student Council as President at one point. On top of which, I held stock in SAIBA Enterprise moons ago as well."
"Huh, she never mentioned that…" Ben muttered, catching Lancaster's attention.
"Are you here to address the rumors that have been circulating within my campus recently?" He asked.
Ben snapped back into it, "Um…yes, actually. I see you are aware of them after all."
"Indeed," he nodded. "While I'm not completely aware of the details, there have been rumors of talk of Digimon circulating on Social Media. Now, as you can see, I am too old and too busy to indulge in the discourse, which is why I allow my Grandson and the rest of the members to monitor it for me."
"Can you be more specific about the rumors? One student I ran into a few minutes ago said that your Student Council members were in possession of the programs themselves."
Headmaster Lancaster remained confident, "That is false. As you and I are both aware, AEGIS has in its possession everything confiscated from SAIBA Enterprise during their tenure as a Gaming Corporation. If there was a case where Digimon has infiltrated the school grounds, I would look for the source of the leak within AEGIS."
"So, you're implying there may be a traitor within our organization?"
"I'm implying you're not going to believe anything I say no matter how I word myself. As I said, there is no Digimon here at my school. And if there are, then there's only one place where they could have come from."
Ben narrowed his gaze. Lancaster was correct in the fact that Ben didn't trust him whatsoever. But at the same time, Lancaster was intent on sticking to this alibi of his.
"Alright then," Ben stood. "If there are any updates, please be sure to call me."
"Absolutely, Agent Merlo. Absolutely." Headmaster Lancaster acknowledged. On that note Ben took his exit, leaving Headmaster Lancaster pondering the conversation in silence.
Ben opened the driver's side of his car while Layla scrolled down the contents of her phone. "Nothing?"
"Waste of time," Ben exhaled, closing the door. "Man thinks he's playing me but it's obvious. By the way, since when were you on the Student Council?"
"Why does that matter?" She asked, her tone somewhat aggressive.
"Was just wondering if you had any thoughts since you know that man better than I do likely."
"Didn't do much if I'm being honest."
"Why not?"
Layla looked over to him as if the answer were obvious. Ben bought a clue and accepted his failure as such.
"All of my responsibilities fell on my VP, Dion Allister, who I hear became a faculty member after graduation."
"Okay, so he's next on the list," he said, starting the car up.
Layla perked, hearing the click of the turn signal. "You're not gonna just go look for him now?"
"It can wait. It's almost 9:00 AM and my stomach is eating itself inside-out."
"Then I'll look for him. I'll arrange to be picked up afterward."
"Nope, we're getting breakfast."
"Why? I'm not hungry."
"Because this is my way of making things up to you," he turned with a small smile.
Layla paused for a second and rolled her eyes, "What are you gonna tell Whitaker when we don't show back up at a decent time?"
"I'm gonna tell her that we got a lead that took us over to Cisco City and we'll be back this afternoon."
"The only lead your following is your stomach."
Ben chuckled, "trust me, you'll see what I mean after breakfast."
Ben turned the steering wheel, pulling off the curb as they proceeded to drive down the street towards the highway leading up to Fresco Bridge…
Chapter 5: Calm Before The Storm
"One can only wonder what you're trying to get at…"
"Says the one who instigated this challenge."
"Would it be all right if I tell him? This is punishment."
"Punishment?"
"Punishment, for defying our Queen."
"Of all the petty things I've heard… You're not gonna say anything about this?"
"He's not…"
"How did she get you?"
"What?"
"How did she get you? What does she have on you to make you swear loyalty behind closed doors?"
"That's none of your concern."
"Whatever… my heart's desire…She promised me…whatever I desired."
"Interesting… So, because she promised you your 'desire,' whatever that may be, she had you go after my sister and ruin her reputation in the school? Why, were the Digimon not enough for you?"
"What are you getting at?!"
"Just needed a confession is all."
Nick stopped the recording and looked up to the other two before him. "I then proceeded to beat Dion and threatened Isabella to not mess with Mikayla going forward."
"Yeah, by choking her out!" Zack added.
"I told you before it's not as serious as you're making it," Nick insisted before an anxious Zack.
"Bro, are you kidding? You literally attempted to choke out the Student Council VP!"
"Will it help my case if I say she deserved it…?" Nick asked, giving Zack a surreal sense of déjà vu.
Zack sat down at the foot of Mikayla's bed and tried to process all the information together. Mikayla sat opposite of him, curled with her face in her knees, her eyes staring at the boy who she felt a level of animosity towards.
"How did you know about the Digimon?" Mikayla asked, her words somewhat muffled by her position.
"Rumors here and there," Zack admitted, holding his forehead in his palms. "I heard how the Student Council members had access to them, so I wanted to find out what they knew."
"By 'using' me as a throughway…" Mikayla said, causing the guilt to weigh down Zack more.
"I'm really sorry…the situation I'm in is really…"
"You could've been honest from the start. I would've understood."
Zack scoffed, "No, you wouldn't."
Mikayla uncurled herself and folded her legs Indian style so she could lean in. "Try me."
Zack turned to her and saw the seriousness in her face. Willing to give it a shot, he turned his body completely towards her, as the siblings listened to him.
"Alright, the truth is…I think I'm a time traveler…sort-of."
"A time traveler…" Nick repeated. "Continue."
Zack blinked. "Um…that didn't faze either of you why…?"
"Just keep talking." Mikayla insisted.
"Oh. Okay, well…" he exhaled. "Basically, yesterday was a do-over for me, I think. I woke up, having a dream that played out almost one-for-one to what happened yesterday. The main difference was, Wallace offered me a place on the student council, bribing me with the Digimon. I had a really bad experience with them in the past, which caused me to react and punch him in the middle of the courtyard. And, after being dorm-bound, my computer was hacked by a Digimon called Darkdramon, who was chasing another Digimon named BanchoLeomon. Oh! And there was this ball of light who went into my screen, pulling BanchoLeomon out and creating this," Zack flashed his D-Streamer. "All the electronics in my room started to go crazy, and somehow I was able to escape Darkdramon, who turned into this cloud monster thing, and it chased me up to the roof where I had to battle it. Before the battle finished there was a bright light, and I woke up. Things played out similarly, but that's when I asked you about the Student Council; because I wanted to know what Wallace knew about the Digimon."
Nick and Mikayla continued to stare at him, showing clear interest in what he was saying, rather than thinking that he was crazy. Naturally, Zack found that weird.
"Why aren't you guys reacting? Did none of that sound insane?"
Nick crossed his arms. "It's because we remember all of that."
Zack's voice caught. "What…?"
"The same thing happened to us," Mikayla continued. "We both remember hearing the commotion coming from your room that night and we followed you up to the roof and watched from the doorway. We must have been caught in the flash of light too or something."
"So then…you heard what Darkdramon said, right? About AEGIS creating him?"
They both nodded. "We also heard about what you said about your family."
Zack grew quiet, his expression growing solemn. "It was during Millennium Day…"
"Nick told me about it," Mikayla explained. "We also lost our Mom when we were young too. We're the only family we have left so…"
"We make the most of it," Nick finished her thought. "That aside, it's true that the Student Council has Digimon. Upon joining, we were given D-Streamers as an incentive to stay on board. Now that we're both off it, Isabella and the others are likely going to be coming after them."
"Isabella?" Zack repeated. "Not Wallace?"
"Isabella is the one we need to look out for," Mikayla explained. "There's something really off about her."
"What makes you say that?" Zack asked curiously. "I know that she probably orchestrated this whole video mess for you embarrassing her yesterday—!"
"I caught her in the library with Kenny," Mikayla said flat out. "After we ran into each other, I wanted to tell you what I saw, but I choked. Afterward, she came here and threatened me if I breathed a word of it to anyone."
Zack was speechless for a moment. "What did…what did she say to you?"
Mikayla turned to Nick, so he spoke for her. "Isabella threatened to kill me if Mikayla didn't swear her loyalty to her."
Zack continued to be dumbfounded. "You're…kidding, right?"
"She's not human…" Mikayla replied. Zack processed her words, realizing she wasn't saying that to be insulting. "That may be mean to say but…"
"Going forward, watch your back when dealing with the members, especially Isabella. She's had an unusual grip on things as of recent, and it's becoming more noticeable."
A theory was already beginning to take root in Zack's mind, but he wasn't ready to explain it. If anything, he would have to explain his 'dead' sister and uncle staying at his place first to have it make sense.
And he wasn't ready to completely divulge that information quite yet.
A knock at Mikayla's door alerted the trio. Mikayla got out of her bed and headed over to answer it. "Who is it?"
"Riverbed Academy Security; Is this the room of Ms. Mikayla Brant?"
Mikayla hesitated, quickly opening the door, finding the pair of security personnel on the other side.
"Can I help you?" She asked, sheepishly.
"We're looking for a Zachary Sullivan. He is to report to Headmaster Lancaster's office immediately."
"The Headmaster?" Zack asked, getting up. "What for?"
"Are you Zachary Sullivan?"
"I am, can I ask what this is about?"
"We've had several reports come in about you assaulting a student in the lobby this morning?"
Zack's eyes widened a bit, the events quickly coming back to him. Oh…
"Your Guardian has already been alerted and are on their way as we speak. In the meantime, do you mind coming along with us?"
…crap. "Yes sir." Zack couldn't argue with the officers, reluctantly following them out of the room. "I'll be back you guys."
"We're not going anywhere," Nick replied.
Zack nodded, taking one final look at Mikayla before they pulled him away. She stared back, before breaking eye contact first, Zack figuring that the situation was a reminder of what he did to further add to her current stress. As the door closed behind them, Zack followed the officers on their way to meet with Headmaster Lancaster.
Being escorted by Security made Zack feel as though he was a prisoner walking across a prison yard. Students who passed by couldn't help but notice and recognize him, instilling in him the sense of silent embarrassment as he trekked.
At this point the school day was just about over, some of the students walking about the campus, some leaving to explore the neighboring shops and restaurants, while others who didn't dorm on campus took their leave to catch the train in the nearby subway station. Zack however was thinking about the fact that his "Guardian" was alerted about this mess. Assuming they meant "Uncle Darren," he was hesitant to see which side of the coin was gonna be present when he got there. Not to mention that this will eventually get to his father at some point since he had to file his cell number for emergency contacts.
With a deep sigh, he braced for whatever was to come of this conference…
When arriving in the room, Zack immediately replayed the moments in his head. When Headmaster Lancaster escorted him personally, for getting into it with Wallace in the 'dream,' he remembered going in the opposite direction of the Student Council office. Likewise, the second they exited the elevator, the guards went left, approaching the double doors leading into this office. Knowing what he knows now, it felt like he was surrounded on all sides.
The guards opened the door and motioned for Zack to walk in. At the sound of the door, he saw Uncle Darren and Evelyn, the latter immediately skipped up to him in excitement. The sight of it made something in Zack set off, which resulted in him nearly knocking over when Evelyn tackled him. Despite her small frame, she had weight to her.
"Zack!" She exclaimed, nuzzling against his blazer. She looked up with her crystal blue eyes and wide grin, giving Zack an awkward feeling that made him uncomfortable.
"Mr. Sullivan, welcome." Headmaster Lancaster made out, motioning him to come into the room.
Zack nodded with a little nervousness in him. "Come on, Evie." He pulled her off gently and took her hand, to which her smaller hand curled.
"She's been asking for you," the man said as they approached closer. Going by his tone, Zack felt a sense of relief, taking it to be BanchoLeomon in control.
"I can see that…" Zack said, growing comfortable as the seconds rolled. He took a seat next to him and looked up at the Headmaster, who also seemed to be positive. "Hello, sir."
Headmaster Lancaster smiled, "I must say, I've enjoyed talking with your Uncle here. Though I never was able to meet him in person up until now, it's as though we've known each other for quite some time."
"Likewise, sir." BanchoLeomon nodded.
"Yes, well as I was explaining before I called you here because of an incident that took place this morning. It seems as though Zachary here was in an altercation with another student."
"Oh? And why is that?" He turned to Zack.
"Because he was insulting a friend of mine and I kind of lost my head for a second…"
"I see…" He said, letting the thought sit for a moment. "Naturally, this can't go unpunished, correct?"
Zack tensed.
"Indeed. While we had yet to make an announcement, he was en route to become the newest member of the school's Student Council. However, it damages the image if situations like the one that led to Mr. Sullivan's offense are exposed to the Student Body. The students here look up to the members, and they themselves have to lead by example. If they show signs of showing a bad one, they are terminated without question."
"So, was it you that told Wallace to remove Mikayla from the Student Council?" Zack asked, naturally off the cuff and with no prior thought.
"I leave the Student Council responsibilities to Wallace," Headmaster Lancaster stated.
"Even if she's being framed, you still wouldn't bother to hear her case?"
"It's not my jurisdiction."
"Not your—what?!" Zack snapped.
"Calm down…!" BanchoLeomon grabbed his arm, making the rising boy reverse back into his seat. "Mind explaining to me what this was about?"
Headmaster Lancaster folded his hands. "There is another issue with one of our former Student Council members, in where she was caught persuading a student into giving up a position on our School Blog's editorial team. I left the responsibility to my Grandson, the Student Council President, so he can learn how to make quick decisions in the face of tough situations."
"And outside of Zack punching a student, does he have any further connections to this former member?"
"She's my friend!"
"Not that I'm aware." Headmaster Lancaster replied.
"Then it's not your concern," BanchoLeomon told him.
"What do you mean?! It's plenty mine!" Zack scolded. BanchoLeomon turned to him, and he grew silent, realizing it finally.
"It's not your concern, understand?" He repeated, a faint glint of yellow coming through his eyes.
The former released his grip and Zack calmed down. "Yes, Sir."
The Headmaster reinserted himself in the conversation, "as I was saying, while Wallace isn't interested in taking Ms. Brandt back, I just received word that her brother, Mr. Frost has resigned as well. If we could help it, I would much not rather lose another—"
"Then I'm out too," Zack stated, cutting off the Headmaster. "If you want, I can tell Wallace myself."
The door behind them opened, entering Wallace and Isabella, both of whom were clearly distressed.
"You as well are free to step away if you would like," Wallace told him. The statement took the Headmaster by surprise, as well as it did Zack.
Zack's gaze narrowed. "Are you sure?"
Wallace nodded, "I'm serious. You're not going to turn your back on either of them, I can tell that already. Just know though that you make yourself an enemy of the Student Council if you commit to this."
Zack was taken aback. "Enemy? What do you mean by—?" Zack felt a tug of his jacket. He looked down, finding Evelyn hiding between him and the Headmaster's desk, visibly distressed.
"Are you okay?" Zack asked.
"We're leaving," the man next to Zack stood up.
"Yeah but—"
"I said let's move." He reiterated. Zack could tell that something was making him upset, which was unusual for him. The man was acting as he would expect BanchoLeomon to, but his tone was definitely Darkdramon so…
Who was in control?
Not questioning it, Zack hoisted Evelyn into his arms and the girl curled herself around him, latching on securely. As they walked, Wallace stopped him.
"They told you, didn't they?" Wallace asked.
"About the Digimon? Of course, they did. Tell you the truth that was my reasoning for wanting to join. I had a feeling, but I wanted to see what else I could learn about them."
Wallace looked over to him. "Are you satisfied?"
"For the moment. There's still more than I need to know, but for now, I'll work with what I learned."
"I see. Well then, would you like to know everything then?"
Zack didn't know how to answer that, giving Wallace the incentive to explain further. "The score is 1-1."
"Score?"
"Isabella defeated Mikayla, and Nicholas, Dion. That leaves us to decide it."
"What makes you think—!" Zack paused and realized. "You too…"
"Friday Evening. That gives you three days to prepare. If you win you will learn how we obtained the Digimon, and you can do whatever you want with the information. If I win, then you will remain on the student council and keep quiet about the Digimon."
"What about Nick and Mikayla?"
"The article is being taken down and the removal of the video itself is still being worked on," Wallace explained. "The Student Council has no use for them, so to target them without a warrant doesn't benefit us."
Zack bit his tongue, unsettled as to how easily they dropped members who went against them. He looked at his arm, the device holding steady. "Did you jump back in time too? Is that why you've changed so much?"
Wallace silently moved away, coming closer to his Grandfather. "You're free to take the days off leading up to Friday evening. I want you mentally prepared for the event."
Zack nodded, looking over to Isabella who's been quiet since they arrived, her fingers lingering around the base of her neck. The girl narrowed her gaze when she noticed Zack staring, causing him to focus his attention on her eyes.
"I'll see you guys on Friday then…" he said, rocking Evelyn before he and his 'uncle' made their way out. Zack finally understood what Mikayla meant.
She had the eyes of a monster for sure.
After a few minutes, they arrived back at the dorms where Zack motioned to hand Evelyn back over. "Wait here. I'm gonna go and get my friends and we'll head back to my place."
However, Evelyn protested, grabbing tightly on his blazer, and wrapping her legs tighter around his torso. "I wanna stay!"
The added speech threw him off a bit. "You're talking…"
"That's been happening for a while," The man crossed his arms. "When I woke up she was annoyingly talkative like she ate a search engine."
Okay, that sounded like a Darkdramon thing to say. He gave up fighting with Evelyn to turn his attention back to him, "What was with you back there?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, that whole 'parental' bit you did. Was that an act or something?"
Darkdramon hesitated to answer, giving Zack even more suspicion. "What happened while I was gone?"
Darkdramon gritted his teeth, ripping Evelyn from his arms, and causing the little girl to react in kind. With a slight pinch on the back of her neck, Evelyn settled out of her tantrum and Darkdramon threw her over his shoulder.
"We'll see you back home," he said, taking his leave.
Zack felt a twinge of guilt, seeing the passed-out little girl thrown over the larger man's shoulder, but he could only focus on one thing at a time. He's got three days until he faced off against Wallace and he needed help to prep.
As he walked into the building he immediately came across Ken who was leaning up against the wall nearby the security desk. Zack was quick to remember the events of the morning and felt mixed emotions upon finding the boy before him.
Ken meanwhile looked up and seemed happy to see Zack, indicated by his body language and the fact that he approached Zack.
"What do you want?" Zack asked Ken as the boy came closer.
"How did you know the footage was fake?" He was straightforward with his question.
"Because I trust Mikayla. Do I need any other reason?"
Ken scoffed, "you're more naïve than I am. Didn't think you'd
fall for her façade too."
"Façade? Did her rejection hit you that hard that you became delusional?"
"Being delusional and waking up to the truth are different things." Ken continued.
"You want the truth? It was Isabella who kissed you, not Mikayla."
"That's not what the footage says…" Ken replied.
Zack was growing annoyed, ready to drop the conversation before pausing and realizing what was happening. "God I'm such an idiot…"
Ken grinned. "Took you long enough."
"Why? Why set Mikayla up like that?"
"Per the narrative, I'm following," Ken answered without hesitation. "No malicious intent outside of that."
"What? Did Isabella promise you something too?"
"Isabella?" Ken furrowed his brow. "In her dreams."
Zack was confused. "You're not making any sense."
"Trust me, it'll make sense in due time. Just keep playing your roles the way you have been." Ken reached into his pocket and pulled out a card. "Scan this with your D-Streamer. It'll come in handy in your battle against Wallace."
Zack looked down, realizing it was a Digimon Card, a Digi-Egg specifically. It had the image of a blue jellyfish with claws on its tendrils.
"Tsumemon…?" Zack read the name as he took the card.
"A card that makes moves when it has copies of itself," Ken explained. "Like say, an army of Commandramon at your disposal?"
Zack hesitated, looking up at the boy. With a smirk, Ken pulled away and walked towards the entrance. "I'm gonna go and deactivate the virus and delete the footage; it's served its purpose. In the meantime, focus on doing your best. Trust me when I say that whether or not you win will set the status quo going forward."
Zack watched as Ken exited the building, watching him until he disappeared past the building. He looked down at the card once more and slid it into his blazer. Afterward, He reached into his pocket, pulled out his phone, and called. "Nick? Yeah, I'm all done with the Headmaster. Can you two meet me downstairs? I'm gonna need your help with something. Yeah, I'll explain on the way."
As he hung up, he remained skeptical. Even so, if it was a method to have an edge on Wallace, then it was something to consider.
"Accepting Wallace's challenge was a dumb move, to be honest," Mikayla said as he walked along with Nick while Zack took the lead. By this point, they were well beyond the school and were approaching the block where Zack's house was.
"Well, if I manage to beat him then I can get off the student council while learning the truth about the Digimon," Zack answered, bearing in mind the comment made came from Mikayla, rather than Nick. While he would've been more straightforward in response to Nick, answering Mikayla wrong could lead to further consequences.
"That's if you win though." She further added.
Zack grew quiet. As he thought, she was still mad, and it was growing evident that she was reluctant on coming. Nick didn't say it, but he likely had to drag her along with him. Obviously, a simple "I'm sorry," didn't cut it and make things better; not that Zack can blame her honestly.
"What do you have in mind? Are you gonna use that Green deck from before, or do you have something else?" Nick brought it up.
"Actually…" Zack began, "I was thinking of a Black deck; specifically, the one Darkdramon used against me."
"How are you going to do that?" Mikayla asked. "Do you have access to the list of cards somehow?"
"Well…guess you can say that." Zack vaguely answered as they approached the gate to his front yard. The easier option was to just show them what he means rather than answer it straight.
As he reached in his pocket for his house keys he began to hear commotion. Then a crash. Then screaming.
"No…!"
"Put that down!"
"I want Zack!"
"I told you, you runt he'll be here when he gets here!"
"Zaaaaaacccckkkk!"
A sudden rush of adrenaline kicked in, guiding Zack into fidgeting with the door and getting it open. The trio was left in shock at the display before them.
While the screaming and fighting reverberated against the walls, the war zone in the background grabbed their attention harder. The two disguised Digimon stumbled out, with the little girl running away from the older man, who found himself covered with various food products, his golden eyes sharp as a raging predator's.
"You little brat…!" He angrily growled.
The little girl turned, holding in her possessions more things she grabbed from the back. She chucked them and continued to scream. "Go Away! I want Zack!"
Zack's patience cracked with each crash of his father's possessions, being used as haphazard projectiles. He was afraid to see what the back of the house, and upstairs for that matter looked. But in the meantime, this had to end.
With a strong whistle, the pair stopped, and Evelyn's tears became those of enthusiasm. "ZACK!"
"Gotcha!" Darkdramon came from behind, startling the girl. She cried again, attempting to resist arrest.
"Zack!" She whimpered, reaching out desperately for him.
"What did you two do to my house?!" Zack demanded, catching the little girl off guard.
"She woke up earlier than she should've," Darkdramon said. "Once she realized you weren't here she lost her mind and started wrecking the place."
Evelyn finally broke free and dashed over to Zack, clinging to his leg in security. Zack, however, reacted pushing her off him. "Why did you do that? You knew I was going to come back, right?!"
Startled, Evelyn didn't know what to say, the feeling of betrayal overwhelming her small frame. "…I'm sorry…"
"No! You know you could've hurt him or yourself you know. Even if you guys aren't family he's the one taking care of you while I'm at school. He deserves to be respected; do you understand me?"
Evelyn, nodded, resisting the urge to cry.
Zack exhaled, storming to the back to assess the damage. Like he expected, it was worse than he thought. The living room was turned upside down, with couch cushions turned over picture frames and a lamp toppled onto the floor, while the fridge on the opposite end was wide open and covered in food stuff inside and the immediate area surrounding. It was a miracle that the TV remained unscathed, and the stove wasn't cranked up.
"I swear this better be the only time I walk in and find this mess! If this happens again I'm gonna—"
"Zack that's enough," Mikayla interjected, consoling the little girl in her arms.
"Mikayla, really? Do you not see this mess?" Zack challenged. "My father doesn't have any clue that these two are here. What if he comes back and finds the house totally destroyed?! How am I going to explain his expensive stuff is trashed?"
"It's not fair for you to blame her for it though. You should've brought her here yourself." She continued. "She's obviously attached to you."
"She was in good hands."
"Apparently not; no offense."
Darkdramon crossed his arms, "none taken."
"I'm sorry Zack…" Evelyn continued to whimper.
Zack looked down at the girl, who fully acknowledged how she made Zack felt. She knew she was in trouble and her expression showed she was remorseful.
The longer he stared the more she looked like her…
"I need to go to the bathroom. Just make yourselves at home for a minute." Zack said breaking off from them and running upstairs.
Mikayla watched as Zack shot past the other two as they approached and saw the rooms for themselves. Mikayla also noticed the color of the man's eyes shift to green and then blue, which fit more uniform to the blonde hair.
"We'll leave Zack to it for now. In the meantime, we'll clean up." BanchoLeomon, who now took control said, resting his hand on Nick's arm. "Can you tend to Evelyn in the meantime…Mikayla, was it?"
Mikayla nodded. "Pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise. And you are?" he turned to Nick.
"Her brother, Nick." He answered, similarly over this like Zack was.
BanchoLeomon paid his passive answer no mind. "Nick, let's get this place spotless."
"You heard him," Mikayla said. "Come, Evelyn, let's get to know each other, okay?"
The little girl nodded, with the older girl taking her off towards the back entrance that lead out to a patio area.
BanchoLeomon smirked at the display, "She seems natural at dealing with young ones."
"Growing up in an orphanage does that to a person," Nick said.
"I see…" He said, turning towards the couches. "I believe the dish rags are in the drawer next to the sink. I'll take care of this side and you care for that side over there.
Nick nodded, locating the rags to begin his part of the clean-up process. All the while BanchoLeomon silently flipped cushions and straightened up the living room.
All the while thinking that Evelyn will be in good hands…
"Evie! Evie where are you?!" Zack's young voice rung in the air between screams and explosions all around. The streets vibrated with the stampeding of people running for their lives, while the air grew hot from the flames that continued to erupt.
"Save…your sister…" the woman's voice continued to echo through each step on the chaotic Cisco City street. As the seconds grew, he came to fear the worse. What if he didn't find her? What would he tell Mom? What if…what if he found her too late? What if he couldn't make it back…?"
"Help…" He slowed. "I—I can't find her…someone help please…"
The otherworldly roars of the creatures bellowed in the sky as more monsters appeared around them, smashing cars, punching buildings, all in an attempt to stir the randomized chaos like the wild animals they were.
"Zack!" A voice caught his attention, spinning him around in a complete 180. His heart stopped as he saw his little sister in the hands of an AEGIS Agent, safe and sound. He found himself able to relax finally, proceeding to make his way towards them. The little girl, with a desperate, relieved smile broke from the Agent and ran for him as well, attempting to reach his brother.
"Evie…!" he cried as he bolted. "Evie!"
"Zack…!"
As the siblings grew closer in distance, Zack was at arm's length to grab her…
Zack jumped up in his bed, startled, and with heavy breathing. He found himself in a dark room—his bedroom, and it took a minute for him to realize that he was asleep. Recollecting himself, he remembered that while he said he was going to the bathroom, he actually went to his old bedroom to blow off steam. A wave of emotions overtook him and he must've crashed from the weight of it all.
It was already dark, the sun disappearing from his window, replaced by the navy-blue shadows of the night sky. He didn't think he was out long, but it was long enough for it to get dark on him.
A knock was heard on his door, grabbing his attention. He trekked through the dark and opened it, revealing BanchoLeomon, evident by the blue eyes that illuminated in the doorway.
"What's up?" Zack asked, finding himself yawning some.
"Dinner has been prepared if you're up for it." He stated.
That surprised Zack. "You can cook?"
"It was your friends. It seems that Nicholas has quite the talent, it seems."'
"Wait, you mean they stayed this whole time?"
BanchoLeomon nodded. "As we were cleaning up it seems that they grew comfortable. If you don't want them here then I could—"
"No no, it's fine! I'm glad they stayed it's just…I didn't expect all of this out of them."
BanchoLeomon grinned, "it seems that you are well-liked."
"I guess…" Zack said, feeling the tingle of guilt sit in his stomach. "On an unrelated note…"
"You want to know what's been happening between Darkdramon and me?"
"Do you mind?"
BanchoLeomon entered the room while Zack went over to turn on a light. Closing the door behind, BanchoLeomon took a seat and closed his eyes, allowing him to shift personas to Darkdramon. Rather than shifting from calm to snarling, Darkdramon carried the solemn expression that Bancho had just before.
This was enough information for Zack to realize something was wrong.
"This 'form'… it's going to do us both in." Darkdramon didn't mince his words, jumping straight to the point.
Zack swallowed hard, the information hitting somewhat hard. Despite knowing them for a day and a half, his empathy was taking hold. "No wonder you wanted me to focus on separating you. Being fused like that is hurting, right?"
"The heart, soul, whatever you wanna call it, of a Digimon is called a 'Core.' It is the center of our being, carrying with it all of the binary code that makes up who we are. Each of which creates a body to protect itself. AEGIS in their time since requiring the Digimon has made it so as long as it stays intact, Digimon can regenerate even if the body is destroyed, by becoming a Digi-Egg. However, Morphomon screwed with our programming, placing BanchoLeomon's core remnants inside of me."
Zack was able to fill in the blanks. "So, you're reacting to it as a body would with antibodies, right?"
Darkdramon nodded. "A security measure to make sure I nor other of my D-Brigades are compromised. She did it to save him, not realizing she doomed us both."
"Okay, so now what? The way you were acting before made me think for a second that you were BanchoLeomon. Is your core trying to absorb what's left of him or something?"
"No clue. What I do know is if we don't split soon, then the Core itself will overload and corrupt. If the Core corrupts, then…"
"…I get it." Zack acknowledged. "It gives me another reason to beat Wallace Friday night." He reached into his pocket and pulled the card out, grabbing Darkdramon's attention. "Someone told me this card will give me an edge…"
"Don't even think about it!" Darkdramon replied sharply.
Zack paused. "Why what's wrong?"
"That!" He accused, pointing at the card. "Where did you get that?"
"Why?"
"I don't need to give you a reason. Hand it over."
Darkdramon attempted to snatch the card, but Zack's quick reflex pulled back, "do you want my help or not?"
"If you plan on infecting my team with that parasite, I'll consider my options!" he roared.
"Not like I have to use your deck," Zack reminded, accessing the menu of the D-Streamer. He skimmed through while Darkdramon waited patiently for Zack to realize. "Where's the deck I was using before?!" He looked up at Darkdramon, who continued to stand. "Did you…?!"
"Trap me in that stupid thing again and I'll blow it off your wrist from the inside." Darkdramon threatened.
Zack's eye twitched. "You realize you're giving me more incentive to use this thing, right? Don't test me!"
Darkdramon scoffed, "You think you scare me? You're nothing but a reckless, self-centered punk. Making moves without thinking of the consequences, thinking you're doing the moral thing when in reality you're only trying to serve yourself. You wanna use that card? Fine. But keep in mind that thing is always hungry. And it won't stop until its devoured everything in its path. What are you going to do if the world crumbles because of you doing the 'right thing?' What kind of hero does that?"
"Who said I was a hero?!"
"That brat, that's who!"
Zack got quiet. He was referring to Evelyn. The dream flashed once again, and Zack crumbled back on the bed. Darkdramon slowly calmed down and turned back to the door. He left Zack inside and once the door closed, he exhaled, easing the breath as the pain encroached in his chest. He looked over, finding Nick leaning against the side of the wall.
"Was just about to come to get you guys," Nick said.
Darkdramon stared briefly before moving for the staircase. "Forget you heard any of that."
Nick watched as the man went down the staircase, shifting his eyes a little.
"No promises there…"
Meanwhile, Evelyn remained cradled in Mikayla's arms, long since passed out and resting peacefully. Mikayla as well was lost in the moment, the sensation giving her a sense of warmth and peace, in an otherwise hectic 24 hours.
She brushed Evelyn's hair aside the same way she remembered her mother doing her. She felt the wave of memories flood her, resurfacing emotions that she kept tucked away behind her happy-go-lucky persona. Emotions in her heart slowly formed into a soft melody in her mind, and then words from her lips…
~In light of all the trials ahead,
along the streets of Riverbed.
All the things…clad in Red,
remind me of the things I've said.
I wish this life were never true;
the sins I bear, I'll ever rue.
All the things…shaded Blue,
Hold me back from reaching you.
Baby girl, and beloved son.
All the things…I wish I'd done…
Shining bright, the Yellow sun,
The path to freedom, you must run.
Lured along by the Emerald Queen,
They will come to intervene.
All the things… silenced by Green,
are all the words… I truly mean.
Though nothing stops a parent's love,
which transcends across the skies above.
Of all the things meant to be,
a purple veil covers thee.
Even if… overtaken by Black.
a parent's love…will lead them back…
And the one who lives to see things right…~
A small curl formed on the side of Evelyn's peaceful face, the melody soothing her as she nuzzled herself. Mikayla watched as a tear dripped onto the little girl, before wiping it off and finishing her thought.
"…of all people, it's the Woman in White…"
[Riverbed Academy Courtyard, Friday Evening…]
The outer courtyard was filled with students who caught wind of the challenge that Wallace issued out in the following days leading. While Mikayla's situation began the week, the match between Wallace and Zack was the closer. Zack went between his dorm room and his house, both to spend more time with the house guests at home and to see if he could gather any last-minute information leading up to the big night. Overall, on the latter end of things, not much outside of people eager to see the rumors come to fruition. The students acted as if the events from several years prior never happened to begin with and were just excited to see actual Digimon after such a long time. While it didn't bother Zack, as he expected as much, it did create some pressure on him. He had little to no experience using Black, both now and in the time when the game was still popular. And yet, he's lost the option to play with the deck using BanchoLeomon due to Darkdramon being petty, for lack of a better term.
And speaking of, he also noticed Ken had disappeared since their last meet-up as well. The boy seemingly disappeared out of sight, and no one seemed to care if at all. He asked both Nick and Mikayla who still attended school, and despite his relationship with the latter still strained, neither of them has seen him. Going by Mikayla's behavior, he assumed that she was worried about him, and while Zack was tempted to tell her what he told him, something held him back from doing so.
Things were also tense between Zack and Darkdramon, due to the conversation from the other night. However, thanks to BanchoLeomon's influence, Darkdramon willingly provided aid to Zack, teaching him how to utilize the D-Brigades and offering his support by inserting himself back into the D-Streamer. Meanwhile, Mikayla opted to babysit Evelyn, whom she bonded with over the last several days.
It was these moments where Zack began to realize how selfish he truly was to the people around him, and it was beginning to get at him. It seemed like the only one he didn't offend was Nick, who seemed passive in hindsight about things. However, that aside, He forced himself to admit that had it have not been for them, he wouldn't reach this point, where he would find out the truth of the Digimon; why AEGIS created them, why Wallace and the other Student Council members have them, and why was it that he was in this precarious situation in the first place.
Evelyn struggled in Mikayla's arms in an attempt to see over the heads of several tall students, which prompted Nick to take her and hoist her on his shoulders. This brought a wide smile on the little girl, who could see Zack feet away in the middle of the crowd of people.
"Who would've thought you were good with kids?" Mikayla said, finding her brother and Evelyn adorable.
"Never said I was bad with them." He said as Evelyn lightly bounced about. He held her steady by her legs, lightly tapping her now and again to tell her to relax. "By the way…I heard you reciting that poem the other night…"
Mikayla paused, regressing where she stood. "I'm not going crazy, am I?"
Nick shook his head. "There's no doubt. Everything played out like we were told."
Mikayla exhaled, thinking deeply of the circumstances at hand. "The night the Liberators arise…"
"The Woman in White will guide us…" Nick uttered, looking up at the little girl who remained oblivious to the conversation. "Let's see how far she'll go."
Zack in the meantime equipped his Bluetooth in his ear and set the D-Streamer to Field Mode, which would allow the Digimon to appear the same way they did on the rooftop that night. He then watched as the crowd cheered, with the middle before him splitting apart to allow Wallace, Isabella, and Dion through. The crowd was in an uproar as the trio appeared, giving the impression that they were a little too excited, even for their standards.
Even the cheering of Wallace's name set the unusual mood. Wallace's calm demeanor that he displayed over the last week was replaced by a steeled expression. Zack picked up right away that Wallace was here to fight.
"For someone who wants the Digimon to remain secret, you sure publicized this event quite a bit huh?" Zack pointed out as his opponent's companions moved to opposing sides of the crowd.
"It was agreed upon that you will be made an example out of," Wallace replied, setting himself up.
"For defying the Student Council?"
"For picking fights, you have no hope of winning."
Zack patiently chose his words before replying. "You've changed, you know that?"
"I can say the same for you," Wallace replied.
Dion walked in the middle of the two, clapping his hands, and gearing the crowd to cheer even more. "Is everyone ready to get this battle started?!"
The crowd roared in various tones and whistles, all in agreement with that statement. Dion was loving the energy that they were giving him and looked towards both players. "Alright Tamers, let's have a clean battle all right! Give the students of Riverbed a show they won't ever forget for a long time!"
It didn't take Zack long to see people pulling out their phones, taking selfies, and likely hitting the record button. He looked back to Wallace and motioned. "This stuff is gonna end up on Social Media if you don't stop it…"
"It's fine. Just focus on us." Wallace replied.
That surprised Zack. "Alright then, have it your way. In that case, why stop with the student body? Let's really give the world a show then!" The security cards materialized on his side.
"Careful what you wish for," Wallace said as his cards spawned. "You may just regret it."
"I doubt it."
Dion looked once more to make sure they were ready. "Alright! On Three: One, Two…"
"DIGI-GATE: OPEN!" The crowd erupted, as black and yellow digital gates overlayed one another above them. With the stage set, the battle between Zack and Wallace was set to begin…