Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth IS Chapter 2: Birth of the Cyber Sleuth Ichika!, a X-overs + Anime X-overs Crossover fanfic

A/N: Looks like we're off to a good start. Now before I start this chapter, I would like to go over a few things. After this chapter will be the seven part mini-arc called IS Girls and Digimon Partners, it will focus on a IS girl who will receive their own partner Digimon. And after that will be filler chapters since I am planning to make this story the longest story ever than MegaMan X IS, it will feature three filler chapters before Ichika and the gang start on a case featuring anime characters whom Ichika and his friends meet and befriend. So without futher ado, here is Chapter 2 of Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth IS! But before that, here is an anime intro for Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth IS!

(Joy to the World from Neo Angelique Abyss plays)

We see Ichika in cyberspace with his eyes closed before he opened them with a smile as he held out his hand towards the screen as it zooms out and the title for the story appears in cyberspace.

We see Ichika and his Agumon overlooking Tokyo with smiles. We see Houki at her family's shrine with Leomon beside her.

We see Cecilia and Renamon having tea, then we see Ling and Gatomon playing video games in Ling's room at the IS Academy.

We see Char and Biyomon cleaning their room, we see Laura, Gen, Wizardmon and Bearmon side by side in thought.

We see the Sarashiki sisters hanging out with Monodramon and Palmon.

We see Nokia, her two Digimon, her Agumon nicknamed Tai and Gabumon as a silhouette of a mysterious knight looking Digimon appeared behind them.

We see Ichika and Arata walking past each other slowly

We see Kyoko Kuremi smiling along with her cousin Satoru and Twoearle in the Kuremi Detective Agency.

We see many anime characters in shadows.

We see Yuuko with her back turned before she turned to the screen with a worried expression.

We see Rie Kishba smiling calmly but sinisterly as a shadow of a mysterious pink knight looking Digimon appeared beside her.

We see anime villains in shadows and next scene shows five kids, four who looked familiar playing in an unknown area

We see Ichika clenching his hand as he looked at the screen and Connect Jump into an appliance.

We see Ichika and GeoGreymon battling evil Digimon and Phantom Task agents in the real world, aided by Houki and Leomon, Cecilia and Kyubiimon, Ling and Gatomon, Char and Birdramon, Laura and Wizardmon, Tatenashi and Strikedramon and Kanazashi and Togemon. We then see Ichika and RizeGreymon battling Asch the Bloody and AxeKnightmon.

We then see our heroes fighting the Eaters while our heroes are fighting alongside with Graham, his Digimon partner Guilmon, Robin and his Digimon partner, Falconmon, Whitney and her Digimon partner Hawkmon. Then Ichika's Agumon warp Digivolves into ShineGreymon to take the fight to the Eaters.

We see Akemi Suedo grinning manically as three sinister looking Digimon appeared behind him in shadows with glowing red eyes.

We see Mirei Mikagura smiling in the Digilab.

We see the Ghost Boy in White looking at the screen.

The final screen see Ichika and his seven friends along with Nokia, Satoru, Gen, Graham, Robin and Whitey smiling as the screen shows ShineGreymon and most of the heroes' Digimon partners in Mega forms in shadows while one of them is at Champion level

Chapter 2: Birth of the Cyber Sleuth Ichika! Enter the Kuremi Detective Agency and the Mysterious EDEN Syndrome!

Not long after appearing in the middle of the street and being saved by this unknown woman, Ichika was wondering what had happened to him that caused his body to be nothing but data. As they were driving down the road, the woman decided to break the ice by asking him what had happened to him.

"I'm more used to strange phenomena than most…" The woman mused. "But I've never seen the likes of this before. Can you hear my voice? Are you able to speak?" Ichika nodded as she smiled "That's good. I wasn't sure what I was going to do if you weren't human."

"Well, thank you for helping me back there." Ichika said in gratitude. "I was worried that something might've happened to me if you haven't arrived when you did." He then started looking at his digitized body. "But now, I don't even know how did this even happened to me."

"I see. So you have no idea what is it that happened to you." The woman understands as Ichika nodded in response "If you have questions, ask them now. I'll answer whatever I can."

"Okay, I do have some questions for you." Ichika began his questions. "So where is this place we're in? It's not like any district I'm familiar with."

"You're in Shinjuku." The woman answered him. "I was out working, looking for something, when I came across you here. You might not believe that, but it's the truth. I'm heading to my agency's office in Nakano. You can tell me the details when we get there."

"Wait, I'm in Shinjuku?!" Ichka gasped in shock "How did I wind up here in Shinjuku of all places? I was still in my house when all that craziness happened!"

"I understand your present situation, but you need to calm down." The woman reasoned as she calms Ichika down. "Right now is not the time to be worrying about the details until we can come up with a more conclusive answer to your predicament. If you rush into this blindly, you won't get anywhere fast."

"You're right, I'm sorry for my outburst like that." Ichika apologized "I guess I was so caught up in wondering about my current situation that I wasn't thinking straight. I hope you can forgive me for that."

"It's alright, I'm sure you're just reacting how anyone in your position would react to." The woman smiled "Until we can find out what happened to your body, you'll have to take one step at a time." Ichika nodded "Now what's your second question? I'm assuming you'd want to know more about your situation, right?"

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot." Ichika remembered. "So for my second question, what happen to my body? I'm nothing but a walking stack of data."

"It looks like your body is in an extreme digital state, as if it were an cyberspace avatar, yet somehow here in the real world." The woman answered as she ponders this. "If that's true, then this is a very interesting phenomenon. Hmmmm."

"So basically I'm stuck like this until we find something relating to what happened to me?" Ichika asked, feeling a bit down.

"That's the gist of it, I suppose." The woman answered with a nod. "If this is your body now in a more digitized state, I can only imagine what might've happened to your real body."

"I'd rather not think about that." Ichika sighed in worry. "Now for my last question, do you know where my friends have gone?"

"No, there wasn't anyone else around. Just you." The woman answered him while shaking her head no. "You're wondering whether the same thing might've happened to your friends?"

"No, I'm sure they're alright." Ichika answered with a reassured tone. "They've managed to escape before all that craziness happened to me."

"I see…" The woman said as she nods in understanding. "I can't tell you to not worry about them, but your first priority should be taking care of yourself."

"Yeah, I suppose that makes sense." Ichika agrees with a nod. "Now for my real last question, who are you exactly? I feel like I know you from somewhere."

"Who am I? Ah, I haven't introduced myself yet." The woman smiled "I should have done that earlier, but you were such a curiosity that it completely slipped my mind. Sorry." She cleared her throat that while swiping her hair strand aside. "I'm Kyoko Kuremi. I'm just a humble detective and a childhood friend to Chifuyu Orimura."

"Wait, you knew my sister?!" Ichka gasped in shock "I thought you looked familiar, but I couldn't seem to remember you."

"That's understandable since you were still a small boy back when we were still in high school." Kyoko smiled "We can catch up on the details later, right now there's something more important to do and that's to restore your body back to normal." Ichika nodded in agreement as she continued to drive to their destination.

Not long after meeting with Kyoko Kuremi and knowing more about his situation, Ichika was now calm about what had happened to him, but he still needed to know about how to restore himself back to his original body. Kyoko recommended her detective agency to him as a way to find out what happened to his body becoming a giant clump of data and restoring him to his former self. Ichika accepted the offer and the two continued on towards their destination, Nakano Broadway.

After driving for a couple of minutes, Kyoko drives her car into a parking garage and parks in a reserved parking space for her. "Ok, here we are. This is where my agency's located and where we'll be helping you in your predicament, Ichika-kun." She opens her door and exits the car as Ichika did the same. "But if we're going to head inside, you'll need to cover yourself seeing as your body is nothing but data." Ichika looked at himself and knows she's right as she opens the trunk and takes out a cloak. "Here, wear this for now. It'll keep you covered up until we reach my office."

"Thanks again, Miss Kyoko." Ichika said in gratitude. "I don't really want to scare everyone here like I did back at Shinjuku. If you haven't arrived then, I don't think I'll ever hear the end of it from my friends." Both of them chuckled a little.

"I can tell they'll probably be worried sick about you." Kyoko smiled "Also, you don't have to be so formal. Just Kyoko is fine for me. You know, I have a cousin who's about your age right now. How old are you?"

"16, why?" Ichika asked in confusion.

"What a coincidence, my cousin just turned 15 last week." Kyoko answered with a smile. "I'm sure you two will be great friends, he can learn a lot from you. Come on, let's head for the office. They're probably still waiting for us." Ichika raised an eyebrow, but nodded in agreement as he follows her to the office.

Meanwhile...

Inside the Kuremi Detective Agency, two people were clearing up most of the office. One was a young man around Ichika's age with shoulder length dark brown hair, green eyes behind his glasses and working on his laptop on a table in the center of the room. Unknown to him, there was also a girl sneaking up behind him with a glint in her eyes. She was about the same age as Ichika with silver hair that reaches down to her lower back, blue eyes, a white lab coat, black shirt, magenta skirt, two white belts and a noticeably large chest as she jumps into the air and lands right on the boy's lap.

"Satoru-kun, here I come!" The girl shouted pervertedly "I was able to clean up that side of the office in record time." She leans in closer to the boy's face. "Now we can have all the fun we want. So how about you get off your computer and play with me?"

"Twoearle, cut it out!" Satoru scolded her with an annoyed grunt. "You know this isn't the place for that! Kyoko-nee's going to be back any minute now and I don't want her walking in on us doing that in her office. Plus, there are people walking around Nakano and we can't have them complaining about all the noise."

"But doing that in the office just makes it all the more exciting!" Twoearle said with a smile. "Besides, she won't be back for another hour or so." She grabs his hands and places them on her breasts while lying him down on his back. "Which means we still have plenty of time for some hot, steamy fun." As she leans in and was about to kiss him, the door to the office opens as Kyoko and Ichika enters, only to stop in their tracks to see them about to do it.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt." Kyoko said with a calm smile. "I guess I came back much too early. We'll leave you two alone for now." If they could see Ichika's face, he'd be blushing brightly while she closes the door.

"Wait, Kyoko-nee! This isn't what it looks like!" Satoru yelled frantically. "I wasn't planning on doing that to Twoearle in your office!" But it was too late as Kyoko closed the door and he was left hanging with his eyes becoming white dots.

After an hour of clearing up the misunderstanding, Ichika was finally able to explain about his situation to them. Ichika was sitting on the right sofa, both Satoru and Twoearle were on left one while Kyoko was at her desk as all three of them understood what had happened to him. Satoru and Twoearle were even amazed at Ichika's body being turned into data, yet could still see he was very much human.

"I see. You've got a good grasp on the situation." Kyoko nods.

"Yeah, that's how it all happened." Ichika said in agreement. "When I tried to get away from that…whatever it was, this happened to me and I ended up in Shinjuku where you found me."

"It makes a lot of sense when you think about it." Satoru stepped in "That place in Shinjuku, the one where you appeared when you logged out from cyberspace. It's the same, or very similar, to the place you logged in to EDEN at, isn't it?"

"No, it's not." Ichika shook his head no.

"Hmm…" Kyoko pondered as she scratched her chin. "Well, you're talking to us now, but it seems there's another body out there for you as well."

"Wait, another body?!" Ichika gasped in shock "What do you mean by that?"

"I believe this is what she means, Ichika." Satoru explained to him. "Your mental data was separated from your physical body and manifested itself here in the real world independently. Or maybe your real body was somehow moved to Shinjuku where it was corrupted into the form you have now." He then takes off his glasses. "But either way you look at it, your body is now in this state and we don't know what happened to your real body." Twoearle nodded in agreement while Ichika lowered his head.

"The whole situation is entirely too peculiar. Yet here you are, standing before us, as much as that shouldn't make sense." Kyoko mused. "At present, I can only form a simple hypothesis. We need to gather more information, and quickly." She places her hand on her chin. "Going by the book, you should check out where you logged in to EDEN… which was where?"

"Hold on, there's something I want to know.' Ichika interjected as he looked at Kyoko, Satoru and Twoearle suspiciously. "Why are you guys helping me? This isn't some part of some wicked scheme or anything, is it?"

"Hmph, where are you now?" Kyoko asked back with an amused chuckle "You are at the Kuremi Detective Agency, which has solved a number of rather bizarre cases, including cyber-crimes. I can think of nobody suited to solving the mystery of what happened to you than right here. And you're even sitting on the sofa for clients while my cousin and his friend are sitting on the sofa for us taking the case." Both Satoru and Twoearle nodded in agreement.

"But if you guys are helping me, don't I need to pay for my case?" Ichika asked again. "That might be a problem since my body's in this state and I can't seem to find my wallet anywhere."

"No need to worry about compensation. Your very existence is all the payment we need." Kyoko smiled "Let's pretend you've boarded a luxury liner. Say, the Mary Celeste." Ichika just sweat dropped while Satoru and Twoearle faced palmed. "Anyway, let's get back on track here. Where did you log in? But first… Before we do anything else, we must do something about your appearance. You can't even walk around outside like that. And it looks pretty unstable, as well."

"I'm afraid she's got a point, Ichika." Twoearle agrees with Kyoko. "You've already given everyone back at Shinjuku quite a scare before and the only reason you managed to get inside Nakano is because you were wearing something over you. Plus, I don't think a body comprised of data can last in the real world for long periods of time."

"Yeah, I know…" Ichika slumped in depression. "But what can I do about that? It's not like I wanted to be like this in the first place." He leans back on the sofa as his new friends all thought what to do next until Kyoko spoke up.

"I've had a good look, and you are truly a mass of data: a true digital body." Kyoko explained. "Yet you can hear our voices, sit on my sofa, talk to us. Proof that you obey physical laws." The three friends all turned to her. "A digital body with real-world characteristics. Let's call it a "half-cyber body." Hee hee!"

"That actually does make sense, Kyoko-nee." Satoru agrees with a smile. "Even though his body is nothing but data, he can still physically touch objects like normal."

"Indeed it is, my apprentice." Kyoko smiled in agreement. "If his body is comprised of data, then it could be easy to do something about his appearance. Incorporate compatible data and make repairs." She turns her attention back to Ichika. "You should have the same basic structure as an avatar used within EDEN. It would be excellent if there were avatar parts in the data found lying around in Kowloon. The only issue is whether or not you can log in in your current state."

"Yeah, that is a problem…" Ichika agrees with a sigh. "I'm not even sure how this body would react to a computer or anything electronic. There has to be some way for me to enter EDEN again." As everyone ponders what to do, he turns his attention to the TV right behind Satoru and Twoearle. He stands up from the sofa and walks over to the TV.

"What is it? Did something happened to the television?" Koyko asked as Ichika just stares at it.

"I'm not too sure…" Ichika answered her as he looked at the TV carefully. "It's almost like I heard someone's voice just now… It was calling to me…" He continues to stare at the TV until he hears something.

"Over here. Jump." A strange voice told him.

"What the?! What was that?" Ichika gawked as he stepped back a little. "And did it say "jump?!" What did it mean by jump?" Suddenly, data started emitting from the TV and on instinct, he stretched out his hand to the screen as a portal opens up and he jumps in.

"What the hell?!" How did he do that?" Satoru gawked "He just jumped into the TV like there was a doorway!"

"Quickly, you two! Follow him!" Kyoko issued. "He's going to need some help if he wants to find where his data parts are! I have a feeling we're in for something big and he'll need all the help he can get." Both Satoru and Twoearle nodded as he takes out his Digivice which was a high tech phone.

"Hey Dorumon, can you hear me?" Satoru asked the phone. "We're about to head back into cyberspace to help a client and new friend of ours. Are you ready to help him?" From his Digivice, a small purple dragon appears on screen.

"I'm ready when you are, Satoru." Dorumon answered him with a nod as Satoru looked at Twoearle who nodded and he nodded back before they jumped into the TV after Ichika.

After being instructed to jump into the TV by a strange voice, Ichika finds himself in an unknown area that seems to lead him forward, but with two branching paths ahead.

"Whoa, what is this place?" Ichika asked in amazement and shock. "Did I end up here by jumping into the TV back in the office? And what was that voice I heard earlier?" Before he can get his thoughts out, he heard a familiar voice calling out to him.

"Boss, you're okay!" Agumon shouted in relief as he ran up to him. "I knew putting me inside your Digivice would save you!" Ichika looked behind him as he jumps into his arms.

"Agumon! There you are!" Ichika smiled in relief as well. "Yeah, I'm still alive, thanks to you. Your quick thinking really saved me from that monster." He places his partner back down while looking at his body. "Although, it didn't save all of me. We were just lucky to have escaped from the monster."

"I'm sorry I wasn't fast enough, Boss." Agumon apologized as he lowered his head despondently. "If I had been by your side, this wouldn't have happened to you. I don't know if I'm fit to be your partner." He felt Ichika's hand on his head and started petting him.

"Don't worry, Agumon. I don't blame you for what happened to me and I never will." Ichika smiled with reassurance. "You did the best you can and I'm proud to call you my partner. So if we ever run into that monster again, we'll give it a beatdown it won't forget!" Agumon nodded in agreement and were about to proceed forward until they saw Satoru, Twoearle and a new face with them.

"Ichika, wait up!" Satoru called out to him. "We're here to help you!" He, Twoearle and Dorumon stopped in front of them.

"Guys, what are you doing here?" Ichika asked with a gasp. "I thought you were still back at the office with Kyoko." He then noticed Dorumon with them. "And who's that with you? Is he another Digimon?"

"Yeah, he is. This is Dorumon and he's my partner." Satoru answered him with a nod. "We followed you in here after you just vanished into the TV like that. Kyoko-nee thought you could use some help in finding the avatar parts." Twoearle and Dorumon both nodded in agreement.

"Thanks, you guys are the best." Ichika smiled "With all of you behind me, I'm are we'll get through this together." He turns his attention back to pathway as his friends all stood beside him. "Ok, now let's head back to EDEN. If we're going to solve the mystery of what happened to me, that's the best place to start. You guys ready?" Agumon, Satoru, Twoearle and Dorumon all nodded. "Okay, then let's go!" The five friends all charged forward as they headed back for EDEN.

As our heroes continue to fly through the digital tunnel, Satotu and Twoearle were amazed at what they were seeing for the first time. They couldn't believe they were really inside cyberspace without having to look through special equipment or reading about them in books, but really seeing it up close and personal.

"This is just amazing." Satoru gasped in awe. "I've only read about all these radio inside every electronics like computers or TVs, but seeing them up close like this is a real sight to behold. You'd only see these waves in books or you need like special equipment to even see them, but here we are inside cyberspace! Scientists would kill to come inside machines and see all these waves up close like this!"

"Well, I wouldn't say that, but I can understand what you're saying, Satoru-kun." Twoearle agreed with a smile. "As a scientist myself, I can definitely see why you would make that comparison. Seeing all these waves up close and not from a screen or on a piece of paper, it's almost like we've entered into a different world." She turns her attention to Ichika. "So what happened to you back at the office, Ichika? You were staring at the TV until you did something right before our eyes and entered the TV screen. How did you do that?"

"It's kinda hard to say, but I was urged by this voice I heard." Ichika answered her as he pondered about the voice he heard. "It told me to jump into the TV, so I took a leap of faith and ended up here. Then not long after, you guys showed up and now we're all flying through cyberspace from inside the TV."

"Hmm, this voice you heard might know something about that." Satoru guessed. "If you're the only one who heard that voice, then whoever told you to jump must know something about your half-digital body." The three friends all thought for a moment before he brushes it off for now. "You know what, let's leave it out for now. We still need to find a way to restore Ichika's avatar and gather more information about what happened to him." Ichika and Twoearle nodded in agreement as the five friends continued on until they reached the end of the tunnel and exited.

After exiting the digital tunnel, our heroes find themselves back in EDEN, but on top of what looks like a tower with more people interacting with one another. Ichika, Satoru and Twoearle looked around their new location as they realized where they were.

"Hold on, this is EDEN, right?" Satoru asked in confusion as he looked around. "The tunnel we were in led us all the way here to EDEN?"

"It looks that way." Ichika answered him with a nod. "I guess the tunnel or anything electric all leads to EDEN in some way, but I get the feeling it might work on some of them like the TV back in the office." Satoru nodded in agreement as the two boys were looking around, Twoearle looked behind her and saw the portal closing.

"Boys, we might have a problem." Twoearle gulped. "Our way out just closed on us!" The boys turned around and saw that she was right, their only way out had closed behind them after stepping into EDEN.

"That's just great, so now what'll we do?" Satoru groaned. "How the hell are we going get back to the real world with our only way out closed off?" Before anyone could answer him, Ichika's Digivice rings and he answers it as Kyoko appears on screen.

"This is Kyoko Kuremi. Can you hear me?" Kyoko asked him.

"Kyoko!" The three friends shouted in relief.

"There you three are, you had me worried for a moment." Kyoko sighed in relief. "I nearly lost you three, but I managed to get a trace. Ichika, what the heck happened? It looked like you were sucked into the terminal and just disappeared."

"I'm not even sure how to explain it, but it was just out of this world." Ichika explained. "After I went inside the TV, I was really going through this tunnel inside of cyberspace. You wouldn't believe what we were seeing while flying through that tunnel!" Satoru and Twoearle nodded in agreement.

"I see. I'm guessing you three have passed through the actual network lines themselves." Kyoko nods in understanding. "The office terminal is connected to EDEN's network. You three rode within the wires as data and appeared in EDEN. So then for you three, the network appears as an actual series of roads."

"That would explain how we ended up here in EDEN." Twoearle agreed with her as she figured it out. "Because the terminal back in the office's connected to EDEN, it was easy for us to follow the roads and find ourselves right here in EDEN. But there's one thing I'm wondering." Everyone all turned to her. "If Ichika was able to enter the TV and find his way into EDEN, just how does that work for me and Satoru-kun? We're still fully human, yet here we are in EDEN and completely fine." The boys nodded in agreement as Kyoko places her hand on her chin.

"If I had to guess, it's because both of you were with Ichika during your trip through the network." Kyoko theorized. "Seeing as how he entered the television and I told you two to follow him, he seems to be able to protect you because of his half-digital body. As long as you two are with him, he can keep your bodies safe from being digitized like his." The three friends all breathed a sigh of relief as she turned her attention to Ichika. "Still, it's shocking to see you make such a direct transition from the real world to the digital one. To submerge in the digital world by touching the terminal. A dive… no, a jump! From now on I'm going to call that ability of yours a "Connect Jump." What a happy little unexpected accident! Now you three con go look for avatar part data. Head for Kowloon. There's plenty of junk data lying around in Kowloon. It should be easy to find what you need." The three friends nodded in agreement as she ends the call.

"Ok, now that we've got our objective, let's head for Kowloon." Satoru smiled. "If we can find the avatar parts there, we can restore Ichika's avatar back to its normal self. Not only that, but we can also find some clues on what really happened to him before meeting us." Ichika and Twoearle nodded in agreement and headed for the terminal before Ichika stopped in his tracks.

"This way. Come on." The same voice from before said.

"Huh?! What was that?" Ichika looked around "Was it that same voice from before?" He looks behind him and sees a bright light. "I guess if the voice wants me to go in to the light, then I should go in that direction." He then starts walking towards the light as his friends noticed him walking in the other direction.

"Hey Ichika, where are you going?" Satoru called out to him "I thought we were heading for Kowloon, what's gotten into you all of a sudden?"

"I heard that same voice from before and it's telling me to go this way." Ichika answered him as he looked back to his friends "I don't know why, but I feel like I should go to where the voice is coming from." Twoearle and Satoru looked at each other before shrugging their shoulders and started following him into the light.

As the light dissipated, our heroes find themselves in an unknown room with a pillar of screens in the center of the room. There were also six panels all around the room, four near the corner and two on walls on either side. In the center of the room, there's a woman standing before them with light purple hair and eyes, glasses, a black dress with a white buttoned up shirt underneath and a light purple bowtie. In her hand is laptop and next to her is a black cat lying on a circular bench.

The woman looked at Ichika and his friends as she adjusted her glasses. "Ah, so you can hear my voice. Welcome to the DigiLab. This place has a faint connection to the Digital World. A paradise for Digimon. I am Mirei Mikahura. I open this paradise unto you and your friends!" The three friends looked at her with confused expressions.

"Digital World? What's the Digital World?" Ichika asked in confusion as he titled his head.

"It's okay if any of you don't know about it. For now, at least." Mirei answered him. "When the time comes, I expect you three will know what you need to know."

"Fair enough, I suppose." Satoru nods in understanding. "Since we'll be leaving that question for another time, here's our second one. You call this place the DigiLab, right?" Mirei nodded "What is the DigiLab?"

"The Digital Monster Laboratory… You could call it the "DML" for short, I suppose." Mirei answered him with a calm smile. "I recommend calling it the "DigiLab," though."

"If you want us to call it the DigiLab, then we'll call it just that." Ichika smiled in agreement "I suppose you like the name DigiLab better than those other names you told us about, right?" MIrei nodded "Sounds fair, but now that just leaves another question. How did we managed to even get here?"

"I called you… No, that's not quite it." Mirei corrected herself. "It was you who called to me."

"Wait, me? I was the one who called you?" Ichika asked in confusion.

"Yes, that's right. You are the one who called me." Mirei answered him with a nod. "You and your friend are beginning to develop a deep connection with Digimon. Our strings of fate intertwined and drew me in, and so I found you. In other words, it was you who called out to me. But that's enough of that for now. First off, I'm sure you three are wondering what kind of place is this, right?" The three friends all nodded "Go and check it out with your own eyes." She sits down on her chair as she opens her laptop while the three friends looked at each other.

"So, what do you guys think?" Satoru asked his friends. "Should we check out this DigiLab of hers and see what it has to offer?"

"I'm not too sure about that." Twoearle answered as she looked at Mirei suspiciously. "She does seem nice and everything, but I'm not fully on board with this whole DigiLab thing yet. For all we know, this whole thing could be a setup." Out of nowhere, Mirei appeared right next to her.

"A setup, you say." Mirei said, still smiling. "I'll have you know that this DigiLab is no setup in the slightest, but a paradise for Digimon."

"AHH!" The trio jumped in surprise. "Where did you come from?"

"Well, you three are standing right in front of me, so it's easy to hear you talking." Mirei answered them. "Plus, I can see that you don't trust me yet and that's perfectly fine with me." She then glances at the two boys. "Speaking of which, I've noticed you two have Digimon. Mind telling me how you acquired them and how long you've had them?"

"Well, I met Agumon just recently." Ichika answered her. "It was during my first trip inside EDEN where I was meeting up with some friends of my, but something happened and I ended up like this. He was given to me by someone named Yuugo."

"Wait, you met Yuugo too, Ichika?" Satoru asked with wide eyes. "That's also what happened to me with I first met Twoearle and Dorumon a month ago."

"Oh right, I remember that day." Twoearle agrees with a smile and blush. "That was when you saved from that thing when it was chasing me and that's when you and Dorumon protected me." She then grabs Satoru's head and pulls him into her breasts. "And I'm still grateful for you two when you save me back then. If you want, I can still give you that special service I was talking about before we were interrupted." Both boys blushed brightly as they knew that she was talking about while Mirei just smiled.

"Well, I believe it's safe to say that both your Digimon are in good hands." Mirei said in approval. "And from what I can see, both your Digimon have found fine partners. Now with that out of the way, why don't you three explore the DigiLab for a bit? I'm sure you'll find everything you need for the journey ahead is right here." The three friends all nodded in agreement and started exploring the lab. A few minutes later, our heroes were at the terminal and ready to leave. "Do you three understand the DigiLab? Use it carefully to further your interaction with Digimon. Let me see if you and your friends are the people I thought you might be. Finally, one last thing. A small token for you, Ichika." Ichika started glowing as he and his friends all jumped in surprise.

"Whoa, what was that?" Ichika gawked "I'm glowing! What did you give to me?"

"That, my friend, is called the Hacking Skill." Mirei answered him as she begin explaining. "Hacking skills shine in combination with Digimon use, but are dangerous if used for unscrupulous hacking purposes. How you use your skills is up to you. Never forget that. You can deepen your special ties with the Digimon. Live with them. Share their joys and sadness, and grow together! By deepening your bond with the Digimon, they'll surely offer you their aid. It is a very important ability. It will even change your life."

"Wow, thank you, Mirei-san." Ichika smiled in gratitude. "I'll be sure to use your gift for something good and not use it for selfish reasons. We'll take your advice to heart and deepen our bond with Digimon." Twoearle and Satoru both nodded in agreement. "But there's something else I really want to know. Do you know anything about the Connect Jump or how I can control it?"

"Connection Jump… That's what you call your curious ability." Mirei said as she pondered this. "I know nothing of this power. It's like a hacking skill, but… well, different. But I'm certain it's a skill that will serve you in unique ways. I'll see you later. Take care." The three friends nodded as they stepped onto the terminal. "By the way, you three were heading for Kowloon, I suspect?" The three friends turned to her and nodded. "Just this once, I'll let you three use the special exit. Next time, go to the access point, if you please." The three friends nodded as they vanished in the same light that brought them to the DigiLab

After meeting with Mirei and seeing the DigiLab, she was able to send our heroes to Kowloon to find Ichika's avatar data and restore him back to normal. As the light dissipates, Ichika, Satoru, Twoearle, Agumon and Dorumon all found themselves back in Kowloon where Ichika was attacked and his body became data.

"So this is Kowloon?" Satoru asked as he looked around. "The last place where you were still fully human before becoming this, Ichika?" He gestured to Ichika's hall-cyber body.

"No doubt about it, this is the place." Ichika answered with a nod. "This is where I first met Agumon and being turned into a massive clump of data. Of course, this is also where I got separated from my friends when we tried to escape last time. But we can worry about that later, our first priority is to find those data parts and restore my avatar back to normal. The problem is that I don't even know where to look, they could be anywhere in Kowloon."

"Not to worry, Ichika. I've got the solution to our problem." Twoearle smiled. "Just before we followed you into EDEN, I was able to grab Satoru-kun's laptop and brought it with us. With this, we'll be able to find those data parts and restore your avatar back to its former self. And maybe, we'll be one step closer into finding out what happened to you before."

"Nice work, Twoearle. Leave it to you to always be prepared." Satoru smiled as he gave her a thumbs up. "Now let's fire up my laptop and let's see where the data parts are located." Twoearle nodded in agreement as she flips it open and turns on the screen.

"Ok, now let's see where the data parts are." Twoearle frowned seriously as she types away on the laptop. "Hey, there's one not too far from our location. It's just right past Galacta Park down this pathway."

"Great, now let's head over there." Ichika said happily. "And once we find that one, we'll find the remaining three in no time." Satoru, Twoearle and Dorumon all nodded in agreement as he turns to Agumon. "Well, here we are again, Agumon. Right back to the place where we first met. We may have lost that battle before, but I'm certain we'll get stronger for next time. So then, are you ready to help our new friends in solving this mystery?"

"I'm more than ready for anything, Boss." Agumon answered with a nod. "I couldn't do much before because of that thing, but I can help you right now. So let's get out there and show them what we're made of! It's fighting time!" Ichika nodded in agreement as they fist bumped.

"It sure has been a month since we've had to do this, but it's time to get to work." Satoru said seriously "Our new client and friend is in need of our help and we have to help him. I know it's been a long time since our last battle, so let's hope we're not rusty. Are you ready to help our new friends?"

"I'm ready when you are, Partner." Dorumon answered him with a nod and smile. "It's been a month since we've been out on the field, but I can handle anything that comes our way! As Agumon said, it's fighting time!" Satoru nodded in agreement as turns to face Ichika, Twoearle and Agumon who also nodded in agreement and headed out to find the data parts.

As our heroes make their way to Galacta Park where Ichika met Nokia and Arata for the first time, they were stopped by a familiar firewall that was still blocking the only entrance into the deeper parts of Kowloon.

"What the?! Where did this firewall come from?" Satoru gawked in shock. "Did someone put it here to try and keep us out of getting to Galacta Park?"

"No, it was used to keep me and my friends from escaping before." Ichika answered him as he remembered the firewall. "When we tried to leave last time, this was placed right here to block us and we couldn't log out." He punches his fist into his palm. "Dammit, I can't believe I completely forgot about the firewall! It was keeping us from leaving last time, and now it's preventing us from getting in! And without Arata, there's no way we can get in!

"So what are we going to do now?" Twoearle asked in concern as she looked at the firewall. "Our only way in is blocked off and I can't find any other entry points. So are we going to head back to the real world and start all over?"

"No, there has to be a way inside!" Agumon urged. "I'm not going to give up that easily! Even if this stupid firewall blocks our way in, I'll just destroy it myself, if I have to!"

"I don't think that would be wise, Agumon." Dorumon said calmly. "Even if you were strong enough to destroy the firewall, what's to stop another one from forming in its place? We need to come up with some way to open the firewall without destroying it."

"So just how are we going to do that, Dorumon?" Agumon asked while glaring at Dorumon. "While we're standing here and twiddling our thumps, Boss's data is on the other side of this wall mocking us and we can't do anything about it!"

"Hold on, Agumon. I think there is a way to get past the firewall." Satoru thought of something. "Ichika, you remember the gift that Mikagura woman gave you before she brought us here?" Ichika nodded "I think you can use those hacking skills she gave you to open the firewall and we can continue on!"

"Wait, you're right! I can use the gift she gave me!" Ichika agrees as he remembered the gift he got from Mirei. "She said that it would help me in unique ways and I think unlocking firewalls is one of them." He turns to the firewall and walks toward it "Now, all I need to do is use one these new hacking skills Mirei gave me and we can continue on. Now which one that's used for unlocking firewalls?"

"Hold on, let me see what kind of abilities she gave you." Satoru interjected as he turned to Twoearle. "Hey Twoearle, can you start up my laptop for me? I need to find out what kind of abilities that Mirei woman gave to Ichika." Twoearle nodded in agreement as she flips open the laptop and holds on to it as he types away. "Ok, it says here that you can use the Wall Crack. This skill allows you to unlock firewalls blocking your path depending on what level and resilience it has. So far, the only level you can unlock is the Level 1 firewall which is yellow and that's the one blocking our path. There are some other colors depending on the level, but this is the only one you can unlock right now."

"Got it, I'll unlock this firewall now." Ichika said with a nod as he stands in front of the firewall. He then extends his hand to the firewall and concentrates for a few seconds until the lock on the firewall opens and the wall's deleted. "Guys, it worked! It really worked! I was able to unlock the firewall and it opened the way for us!"

"Way to go, Ichika! Now we can continue on!" Satoru cheered "Now let's hurry and find those data parts. Who knows what'll happen if someone or something finds them and uses them for other purposes." Ichika, Twoearle, Agumon and Dorumon all nodded in agreement and continued on into Galacta Park until they were called by Kyoko.

"Kyoko!" The three friends gasped.

"It's me! Whew, I finally got through to you three." Kyoko sighed in relief "I lost your trace info, and had to search again. Where did you three wander off to this time?"

"Kyoko, you wouldn't believe what just happened before." Ichika answered her as he began. "We were about to enter Kowloon until I heard that voice again and it led me to this bright light. Satoru and Twoearle followed me into the light and we found ourselves inside this place called the DigiLab. We've even met this woman name Mirei Mikagura and she runs the DigiLab." Both Satoru and Twoearle nodded in agreement.

"I see. So you three ran into Mirei Mikagura." Kyoko nods in understanding.

"Wait, you know her, Kyoko-nee?" Satoru asked confusedly.

"Yeah, you can say we're acquainted." Kyoko answered "Regardless, for there to have been natural progression where you three meet her… You seem to have the craziest luck, Ichika." Ichika laughed nervously while Satoru, Twoearle, Agumon and Dorumon all sweat dropped. "Anyway, let's assume you three carried out your original objective. We'll start by…"

"Hate to break it to you, Kyoko-nee. But Ichika was already able to break through the firewall." Satoru said with a smile.

"What? You've already broken through the firewall?" Kyoko gawked before smiling. "Well done! You saved me some time. Hee hee!" She clears her throat. "All right, on to our next move. I scanned the area around the entrance to Kowloon and marked key junk data sites. Junk data will serve as your body parts. You three need to go find and retrieve some. It's something of a stopgap measure, and it may not be a perfect solution, but I'm sure your skills are up to the task. This is the key step to returning your body to normal, so buck up and get to work!"

"But how are we going to return my body to normal?" Ichika asked in confusion and concern. "I know this wouldn't be easy, but couldn't they have made it a little more easier?"

"It's okay. Searching for body parts isn't as hard as defeating 48 demons, now, is it?" Kyoko asked back "Think of it as an emergency measure. I look forward to meeting you in your in your normal body." She ends the call as our heroes looked at each other and nodded before heading off the return Ichika's body back to normal.

Not long after getting a call from Kyoko and getting past the firewall, our heroes continued on down the same path Ichika took on his first time in Kowloon before meeting with Agumon and his new friends.

Satoru was looking at the map on his laptop as Twoearle held it for him. "Ok, so according to the map Kyoko-nee sent us, we should be coming up on the first data part right about now." Everyone looks ahead and sees the first part right in front of them. "There it is, the first avatar part!"

"Great, that just leaves three more parts for us to find." Ichika said as he walks over to the avatar part and outstretched his hand until he touches it and absorbs it into his body. "Okay, that's the first one recovered. So any leads on the other three?"

"Hold on, let me check the map." Satoru answered him as he looked at the map. "Hmm, looks like the other parts are further deep inside Kowloon. We'll have to search hard if we're going to find all of them." Ichika, Twoearle, Agumon and Dorumon all nodded in agreement as they continued their search.

For the next hour, Ichika and his friends were looking all over Kowloon to find the three remaining avatar parts to restore his body back to normal and solving of the mystery of what attacked him before. After searching for half an hour, our heroes were able to find the remaining two avatar parts and only had one more to find.

"Okay, that's two more avatar parts." Ichika said happily. "Now that just leaves one more to find and my body should be back to normal." He turns to Satoru and Twoearle. "Hey guys, any luck on finding the last one yet?"

"Just a moment, Ichika. We're looking for it now." Satoru answered as he types away on his laptop. "Okay, I got its location. It's located at the very back of Kowloon, just down that way. There also seems to be an old terminal that's been out of service for years." Both Ichika and Agumon gasped after hearing it. "I take it you guys know that place?"

"Know it? That's where we were last time when right before Boss became like this!" Agumon answered with a growl. "It was also where we fought against that thing, but none of our attacks couldn't even scratch it!" He clutches his claws in anger. "When I find that thing again, I'll make it pay for what it did to Boss!"

"Agumon, you need to calm down!" Dorumon reasoned with him. "I can understand how you feel, but you can't win a battle with anger. You need to keep a level head or your opponents will use your anger against you." Agumon just went silent.

"Agumon…" Ichika whispered softly as Satoru placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Give him some time to cool off, Ichika." Satoru said with a smile. "I'm sure seeing you in this state might've taken a toll on him and wants to make sure it doesn't happen again. I'm sure he's just worried about you and wants to see you safe." Ichika nodded in agreement. "Now let's continue on and find that last avatar part. Once we find it, we'll be one step closer to solving this case." Twoeale, Dorumon, Ichika and Agumon all nodded in agreement and continued on. Unknown to them, three silhouettes were watching them enter the next area before vanishing from sight.

As Ichika and his friends entered the final area, they saw the final avatar part resting at the top of the stairs where the old terminal's located and where they fought the mysterious monster. They made their way up the stairs before finding the final avatar part just past the old terminal.

"There it is, the final avatar part." Satoru smiled. "Now that we've found all of them, we can restore Ichika back to normal." He turns to Ichika. "Ok, you know what to do, Ichika." Ichika nodded in agreement as he touches the final avatar part and absorbed it into his body. A few seconds later, Ichika's body was restored and both he and Twoearle can finally see his face.

"Yeah, I'm back to normal!" Ichika cheered as he leaped for joy. "Now I won't have to worry about scaring people again." He turns to Satoru, Twoearle and Dorumon and smiled at them. "I couldn't have done it without the help from you guys, I owe you big time. Thank you for helping me restore my body back to normal." Both Satoru and Twoearle smiled and nodded until his Digivice rings and answered it as Kyoko appeared on screen.

"Kyoko!" The three friends gasped.

"Nice to see you three managed to find the avatar parts." Kyoko smiled in approval "Hmm… You at least look normal again. It's not a perfect solution, but it's a big step. The objective has been met. Come back to the agency, you three."

"But how do we do that, Kyoko?" Ichika asked confusedly. "Our only way back closed off and we don't see anywhere else to exit." Satoru and Twoearle nodded in agreement.

"What's that? You don't know how to get back?" Kyoko asked back "Hmm… Try logging out like you always do."

"Log out like we always do?" Satoru repeated with a question mark above his head. "How do we do that?"

"Since you three went in through an agency terminal, my guess is that you should come out through one." Kyoko answered him before going into deep thought "But to be honest, in your case, I don't know what'll happen until we try. In the worst case, if Ichika's data gets scattered throughout the network, we'll salvage as much as we can." Everyone gasped in shock. "Hee hee, I'm joking! Sort of."

"Sort of?" The three friends asked in annoyance as Kyoko ends the call.

"Well, that was a gruesome way to end your call..." Twoearle muttered with the bored dotted eye look. "I can't believe she would try to scare us like that."

"Still, she does have a point." Satoru figured. "If we don't find out what happens to Ichika if we try to log out, his data could be scattered all over the network and it'll take years to salvage every last piece of him. We'll have to head back to the entrance of Kowloon and try logging out of the terminal there to see what happens." Twoearle, Ichika, Agumon and Dorumon all nodded in agreement as they make their way back to the terminal at the entrance.

After making the trip back to the entrance, our heroes stop in front of the terminal as Ichika steps forward. "Ok, here we go. If what Kyoko said is true about something happening to me, we'll have to chance it by logging out." He turns to Satoru and Twoerle. "So, are you two ready to try logging out and see what happens?" Satoru and Twoearle nodded in agreement as both boys put their Digimon partners back into their Digivices. All three of them hold hands as Ichika starts logging until they vanished.

After finding all the avatar parts and restoring Ichika's body back to its former self, our heroes logged out of EDEN and returned to the agency back in the real world. As they appeared back in the office, Kyoko was behind her desk waiting for them to come back in one piece.

"Hey, Kyoko! We're back!" Twoearle greeted.

"That you are. Welcome back, kids." Kyoko smiled in agreement. "Hehe! You made it back in one piece, didn't you, Ichika? I wouldn't have expected anything different." Satoru and Twoearle nodded in agreement while Ichika rubs the back of his head in embarrassment. "Still, those abilities border on the unreal. Maybe the reason you still adhere to physical laws has to do with an instinctual fear present in all physical organisms."

"Is that really true, Kyoko-nee?" Satoru asked in question. "The reason why Ichika can still interact with objects in the real world is because of that fear?"

"Well, it's a possibility. But it's not a proven fact." Kyoko answered him. "But seeing as how Ichika can still physically touch objects in the real world, who's to say that's not the case." The three friends all nodded in agreement. "Hee hee! This is all truly fascinating!" Before anyone could continue, they heard someone calling out.

"Pardon me, Kyo-chan. Sato-kun. Two-chan." An unfamiliar voice said as everyone turned around to see a man walking into the office and closing the door behind him.

"Detective?" Both Satoru and Twoearle asked.

"There you go again, sneaking up on us, old man." Kyoko sighed.

"Oops, I'm sorry. I did it again." The man apologized as he rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"That you did, Detective. You really need to break that habit of yours." Tworeale puffed her cheeks in anger.

"And could you stop calling me Kyo-chan?" Kyoko asked while looking at the man in annoyance. "It's embarrassing. That was a childhood nickname."

"The same for me with Sato-kun. It's really embarrassing." Satoru agrees with a sigh.

"And that goes triple for me with Two-chan." Twoearle also agrees "I know we've known each other for a month, but it's really embarrassing when you call me that. Although, I wouldn't mind it if Satoru-kun was the one calling me that."

"Not going to happen, my young friends. You three will always be Kyo-chan, Sato-kun and Two-chan to me." The man smirked "No matter how old you get, or how brilliant of a detective you become! Hahaha!" Kyoko, Satoru and Twoealre all blushed in embarrassment as the older man continues laughing while Ichika was confused.

"Well, with that out of the way, let me ask you something, old man." Kyoko began as she cleared her throat. "How long have you been there? What have you heard?"

"I just got here. Is something wrong?" The man asked before noticing Ichika with them. Oh, you have a client. Sorry, sorry! Were you going over a case?"

"No, this is—well, client of sorts, though of a somewhat unconventional nature." Kyoko answered him with a smile.

"Oh? Just who are you, then?" The man asked Ichika while crossing his arms.

"Sorry, can't tell you. That's a secret." Ichika answered quickly with a sheepish grin as the man just looked at him suspiciously.

"Hmph. Like I said, no one in particular. Not yet." Kyoko stepped in while Ichika just rubbed back of his head and smiled. "Ichika, let me introduce you. This is Detective Matayoshi. He's an old friend from when my father and aunt, Satoru's mother, ran the agency together, and both I and Satoru trust him completely. He's the most elite detective the force has on cyber-crimes."

"It's true, and he was also like a father to us." Satoru agrees with a smile. "Well, second father to Kyoko-nee, but still a father figure to us nonetheless." Matayoshi nodded in agreement.

"I'm flattered to here you say that, Sato-kun." Matayoshi smiled "Looks are deceiving, you were thinking? Well, I suppose I don't exactly fit the mold. But if I did, I'd never be able to tag along with the shadier element." He realized what he just said and started laughing. *Oops! A slip of the tongue! Hahaha!" Soon, everyone else joined in on the laughing.

"So, is there something afoot?" Kyoko asked as soon as they stopped laughing. "If it's a case, sit on the sofa and wait a bit. I'll just whip up some tasty coffee..." That made Satoru, Twoearle and Matayoshi flinched in fear.

"No, thank you! There's no case today! No need for coffee!" Matayoshi frantically stated before regaining his composure "I heard a rumor about the EDEN Syndrome. I thought you three might be interested, Kyo-chan. Sato-kun. Two-chan."

"Let's hear it, then." Kyoko said while nodding as she leaves her desk and sits on the left sofa with Matayoshi sitting on the right. Satoru and Twoearle sits with Kyoko on the left sofa while Ichika stands next to them. Matayoshi glances over to Ichika as they stared at each other for a few seconds.

"Um, um… ahem!" Matayoshi cleared his throat while Ichika tilted his head in confusion.

"No need to worry about my assistant, old man! This is someone with a rather… special connection with EDEN." Kyoko explained with a smirk. "My assistant has the potential to become something of a specialist in the field." The three friends all nodded in agreement. "Let's hear what you have to say."

"I see. If you can vouch for your assistant, that's fine." Matayoshi nods in agreement as he began. "The rumor concerns the special ward in the hospital where they're isolating the EDEN Syndrome patients." He realized Ichika was confused by this. "Oh. Do I need to explain what EDEN Syndrome is to your future specialist?"

"Please do." Kyoko answered with a nod.

"It's a rare condition where EDEN users suddenly lose consciousness, and are unable to wake up." Matayoshi explained. "We see more and more patients with each year, but the cause, symptoms and treatment remain a mystery. There's a special ward at Central Hospital for EDEN patients. Treatment and a search for the cure are underway. But information there is kept heavily restricted. There are facilities even relatives can't enter. The rumor is that they're concealing facts to help protect Kamishino's image. This remains firmly under rumor territory for now. But lately, there have been happenings behind the scenes at Central Hospital."

"Behind the scenes? Meaning Kamishino Enterprises, right?" Kyoko asked while frowning seriously.

"Yes. The hospital is under Kamishino's control." Matayoshi answered, frowning as well. "The same Kamishino who runs the EDEN Network. The number of patients is increasing, and symptoms are getting worse. Now of all times is when Kamishino needs to come clean, not remain silent."

"He's not joking. There have been more reports of the EDEN Syndrome cases." Satoru agrees, also frowning. "I've just looked up more cases of the EDEN Syndrome over the past couple of days and there've been several more people falling victim to it."

"Right on the money, Sato-kun. But that's not the only concern." Matayoshi agrees before he continued "An alarming number of people are being admitted to the hospital in question, and security in the special ward has allegedly been beefed up. This means something is afoot."

"It was going to happen eventually." Kyoko frowned seriously as she said that.

"Yes, indeed." Matayoshi agrees with her.

"Hee hee! Think I'll put some coffee on after all! We can toast the agency's success!" Kyoko smiled as Satoru, Twoearle and Matayoshi filched in fear again.

"Oh, look at the time. I'd better get back to the station." Matayoshi laughed nervously. "Sorry, but let's save the toast for another time. See you later!" He stands up from the sofa and walks over to Ichika as he whispers in his ear. "I'd watch out for her coffee. Especially the color, and the solid chunks floating in it. I fear the day is coming when I'll be forced to actually taste her coffee. That day won't be pretty…" He finished his warning and walks out the door.

"Okay, what was that all about?" Ichika asked "What did he mean I should watch out for her coffee?" He shrugged his shoulders and waited as Kyoko searches on her computer.

A few minutes later...

"It was as he said." Kyoko said seriously as she looked at the screen on her computer. "'Fresh' info on EDEN Syndrome is hard to come by. Kamishino's behind-the-scenes restrictions are doing their job. And security will only get ramped up all the more from here on out." She puts her hand on her chin. "There's something happening in EDEN, then you show up in your weird body, and at the same time, Kamoshino's apparently on the move. Is that all merely coincidence?" She shakes her head no. "No, it has to all be connected. The rationale is plain as day. No leaps in logic necessary."

"So what are we going to do now?" Satoru asked as he crossed his arms. "If we can't gather information on Kamishino from here, how are we going to prove they're behind something?"

"There's one thing we can do, but it's a more direct approach." Kyoko answered him as she began explaining her plan. "We're heading to Central Hospital. We need to get as much info as we can before security is stepped up." Satoru and Twoealre nodded in agreement as they looked at Ichika and smiled. "We'd be thrilled if you come with us."

"Wait, me?!" Ichika asked while blinking. "Why would you want me to come along?"

"You might be able to get some info on your current state." Kyoko answered him. "Seek and ye shall find! Knock and it shall be… No, in your case, let's go with "Open Sesame." Heehee!" The three friends just sweat dropped as she stands up from her desk. "Okay, now that we've got our objective, let's head over to Central Hospital. I'll let you know what you need to do once we arrive." The three friends all nodded in agreement as they made the trip to Central Hospital.

After an hour drive, our heroes have arrived at Central Hospital and were ready to gather info on the EDEN Syndrome. As they entered the lobby of the hospital, Kyoko starts to come up with a plan for them.

"Well, what to do?" Kyoko wondered as she scratched her chin. "At times like these, I tend to start off with a frontal attack. Let's try direct negotiation to get us into the hospital's Special Ward."

"A frontal attack? That seems a bit sketchy, Kyoko." Ichika said in confusion and having doubts about this plan.

"Heehee, you're a pretty sharp one!" Kyoko smirked "But preconceived notions can sometimes lead to unintended consequences. Don't ask for details. They say that ignorance is bliss, after all. I'll give you three instructions later. Until then, gather info inside the hospital." Satoru and Twoealre nodded in agreement while Ichika was confused.

"Wait, gather info?" Ichika asked as he titled his head in confusion. "How are we going to gather info here in the lobby?"

"Asking questions is the most fundamental cornerstone in detective work!" Kyoko answered him. "I wasn't joking when I said you could become a specialist in the field, my dear prospective assistant." Ichika tiled his head in confusion as a question mark appears above him. "Become a GP, and record my activities in a chart, or become a boy with shining red cheeks… It's really a lot of fun. Hee hee!" She walks off towards the front desk while Ichika slumps and both Satoru and Twoearle sweat dropped.

"Well, I guess we're on our own from here on out." Satoru muttered. "Let's see what kind of info we can gather from the people here in the lobby. Let's split up and see what we can find out about the EDEN patients in the Special Ward." Ichika and Twoearle nodded in agreement and were about to split up until something caught their eyes.

Near the elevators, they see a girl about their age in a black and white dress talking with one of the nurses. The girl had a sad look on her face as the nurse placed her hand on the girl's shoulder and was reassuring her about something before taking her leave. The girl then turns her attention to the three friends and all four of them stared at each other for what seems like forever, almost like they were trying to read the other's thoughts.

"Ichika, don't just stand there. Say something to her." Satoru whispered to him.

"Huh, me? Why me?" Ichika asked in confusion with a blush. "What am I supposed to say to her?"

"I don't know, say anything!" Twoearle answered him with a scowl. "We're supposed to be looking for info around here and she was talking to the nurse before. She might know something about the Special Ward here."

"Okay, okay! I'll ask her!" Ichika complained as he rubbed his temples before regaining his composure and started thinking. "Ok, so what should I say to her?" He thinks about it for a few seconds before a light bulb chimes above him. "Got it! I know what to say to her!" He clears his throat and smiled at the girl. "Hello, my name is Ichika Orimura and these are my friends, Satoru Kuremi and Twoearle." The two friends in question waved at the girl, but she was still silent as they sweat dropped. "Ok, that didn't work. Let's try something else then." Before he could say anything, the elevator chimed as the doors opened and the girl walks in. The door closes behind her and she went to the upper floors.

"Well, that didn't go as planned." Satoru frowned dully. "She left on the elevator before we could even ask her. Oh well, we'll just have to count our losses here and move on. Let's get back to our original objective and ask around the lobby." Ichika and Twoearle nodded in agreement as they split up and asked around the lobby.

For the next few minutes, Ichika, Satoru and Twoearle all went around the lobby and asked around. They spoke with other patients, doctors, nurses, visiting relatives and the receptionist at the front desk. After asking around, our heroes regrouped with each other near the elevators.

"Well, I've got nothing on my end." Satoru rubbed his temples. "Not many people know about the EDEN Syndrome or about what's really going on. What about you two? I hope you guys had better luck than me."

"Unfortunately, I didn't have that much luck than you." Ichika sighed. "I asked around the lobby about what they know about the EDEN Syndrome or Kamishino's recent actions, but all I got was nothing but rude comments or just being called an idiot who hates Kamishino Enterprises."

"My end's just about the same as you boys." Twoearle agrees, frowning angrily "All I got was being hit on by some idiots who wanted to look at my chest or give me the time of my life. I even had one idiot who looked under my skirt where I lost it and kicked him right in the family jewels." Both boys winched in pain from hearing that. "Besides, the only one who can do all those things to me is Satoru-kun." She latches onto his arm and pressed her breasts against him. "And I'll be more than happy to let him." Satoru blushed brightly while Ichika just smiles at them

"Well, I can see she'd rather prefer you over those other guys." Ichika said cheerfully. "You must've really caught her heart and she'll even do anything you want her to do. Believe me, I'd know that all too well."

"Wait, you too?" Satoru asked with raised eyebrows. "So you've had girls fawning over you as well?" Ichika nodded "So how many girls have you charmed?"

"Believe it or not, my entire school." Ichika answered with a sheepish grin "Because I was the only guy in the whole campus where all the girls, including seven of my friends, fell in love with me and I had to survive with my wits. Of course, Houki and the others were the ones trying to get my attention most of the time."

"Wow, I guess you have rougher than me, Ichika." Satoru said as he gave Ichika his sympathies. "Having all those girls in one place fighting for your affection and you had to survive by your wits alone." Ichika nodded as he changed the subject. *Anyway, since we didn't find anything here, let's see where that girl was heading. Which floor do you think she took the elevator to?"

"Let's get on the elevator and find out." Ichika suggested "She might've been here for a reason and we need to find out." Satoru and Twoearle nodded in agreement as he pressed the up button and the elevator doors opened. As they entered the elevator and the door closes, there was a button that said "Special Ward" on it and the three friends knows exactly where to go as he presses the button and the elevator went up.

As the elevator Ichika and the others were in went up, the doors from the second elevator opened and the same girl from before walks out into the lobby where she meets up with seven familiar faces. Houki, Char, Cecilia, Laura, Ling and the Sarashiki sisters all entered the lobby and meet up with the girl.

"So, how is he? Is he going to be okay?" Houki asked in worry. "When we heard he was brought here, we couldn't help but come over and see if he's still okay."

"Yes, he's doing all right for now." The girl nods in understanding. "He's stabilizing right now and he should be asleep. Follow me and I'll take you to him in the Special Ward." The IS girls all nodded as they followed her back into the elevator and went up to the Special Ward.

Once the elevator reached its destination, the doors opened up as our heroes walked out and entered the hallway. But unlike the lobby, the hallway was eerily quiet and there were no patients, doctors, nurses or visitors around. The only people around were two guards standing in front of a sealed off room.

"Okay, now this is just freaky…" Satoru muttered as he looked around. "There's no one around here and it's so quiet. Why is this floor the only one that's just silent?"

"There must be some reason why it's all quiet here." Ichka answered him as he tensed. "That's the reason why the elevator leads up here." As he looks down the hallway, he sees the two guards standing. "Hey, there's some guards over there. Maybe they might know something." Satoru and Twoearle nodded in agreement as they walked down the hall to talk with the guards. "Excuse me, but we want to ask you something? Are there people behind that door you're guarding?"

"Yes, there are. But I'm afraid the three of you can't enter." The guard answered him. "This is the Special Ward. Unless you're family or hospital staff, entry is strictly prohibited." The three friends looked at each other and nodded.

"Ok, thank you for the help, sir." Satoru said in gratitude. "We'll be taking our leave right now and you'll never see us again." The three walked down to the center of the hallway where they're far enough from the guards and huddled together. "No doubt about it, that's the Special Ward... With them having guards here, that must mean your real body's inside that room."

"But how are we going to get inside with those guards there?" Twoearle asked him confusedly as she looked at the two guards from the huddle. "They said that only family and hospital staff are allowed to enter and we're neither of them. So how are going to sneak past them?" As the three think of a plan, Ichika's Digivice rings and he answered it.

"It's me." Kyoko answered.

"Kyoko, perfect timing. We could really use some help right now." Ichika smiled as he began explaining the situation they're in. "We found the Special Ward, but there are guards keeping watch and we can't get in. They say only family or hospital staff are allowed in."

"I see, that could be a problem." Kyoko as she scratched her chin in thought. "We can ride the elevator to the Special Ward floor but can't enter the rooms without permission. It goes without saying we have no such permission. What do we do now?" She thinks for a minute until a light bulb chimes above her head. "We take out the two guards and hack our way past the door, which is likely locked, to get into the room. This is what I call frontal attack, but it takes time to prepare, and the risks are high. Let's not rely on a frontal attack now. We'll trust in your abilities—our trump card."

"You mean my Connect Jump?" Ichika asked with a serious frown.

"Yes, that's the one." Kyoko answered him with a nod. "The terminal in the nurse's station should be connected to the hospital network. I don't need to spell it out for you, do I?" The three friends all shook their heads no as she ends the call.

"Ok, let's head for the General Ward." Satoru agreed. "That's where the nurse's station is located and that's where you can enter the terminal. We don't have much time, so let's get going." Ichika and Twoearle nodded in agreement as they got back on the elevator and rode it down to the General Ward. At the same time, the second elevator opens up as the girl and the IS girls walked out and headed for the Special Ward.

As the elevator doors opened, our heroes stepped out from the elevator and entered the General Ward on the 12th floor. They looked down the hallway to find the nurse's station at the end and a terminal needed for Ichika to use his abilities.

"Ok, there's the terminal right where Kyoko-nee said it would. Right by the nurse's station." Satoru smiled. "If we can get close to the terminal, Ichika can use his Connect Jump to enter it and get inside the Special Ward." He turns to Ichika. "And since it's your real body that's inside that room, you'll have to go it alone from here."

"But what about you guys?" Ichika asked him in concern. "If I go into the terminal alone, how would you know what's going to happen?"

"Not to worry, Ichika. I've got the perfect solution for it." Twoearle answered with a smile. "I've been inventing these for three days and now, it's time to use them." She reaches into the pockets on her lab coat and takes out three small devices. "These communicators will allow us to stay in contact with each other, even if we're far apart. They also have a built in camera and it connects wirelessly to Satoru-kun's laptop. As long as one of us has one, we'll be able to see what the others are seeing." Both boys nodded in agreement as each of them takes a communicator and places them on their ears.

"Ok, now I'm ready to go." Ichika smiled. "Once I get inside the Special Ward, I'll let you guys know what's going on." Satoru and Twoearle nodded in agreement as he walks over to the terminal. He looks around to make sure no one was watching before nodding and activates Connect Jump to enter the terminal.

"Okay, he's inside the terminal now." Satoru nods as he got his laptop ready. "Now all we have to do is wait until he lets us know he's inside the Special Ward." He flips up his laptop open as their communicators connected to his laptop as the camera on Ichika's communicator activates.

Inside cyberspace

After entering the terminal, Ichika arrives inside the hospital's network where, unlike the last network, is a straightforward road. Agumon appears next to him and they both knew what to do.

"Ok, here we go again, Agumon." Ichika smiled heroically. "We need to make our way to the other side of the network and get inside the Special Ward. We'll be able to get some answers there. You ready, partner?"

"You know it, Boss!" Agumon answered "Now let's inside that Special Ward place and find your real body!" Ichika nodded in agreement as they start making their way through the network before reaching the end of the tunnel and exit from cyberspace.

Inside the Special Ward

After exiting the hospital network, Ichika appears inside the Special Ward and looks around. "Ok, I'm inside the Special Ward. I'd better let Satoru and Twoearle know." He touches his communicator and calls his friends. "This is Ichika, I've made it inside the Special Ward. Are you two getting all this?"

"Yeah, we're getting it, Ichika. Looks like the room isn't just sealed outside, but also inside too." Satoru answered as he brought up a map. "All the patients are sealed up on both sides of the room. Something must be up if the guards are stationed at the entrance, but what?" Before anyone could answer, Ichika's Digivice rings and he answers it as he and Twoearle can also hear.

"You've managed to get there without incident! Hee hee! Just as I expected it would go!" Kyoko smiled.

"Kyoko!" The three friends all said happily.

"Okay, let's move into action." Kyoko smirked. "Get the data from the room in the back while keeping an eye on the patient. Satoru, I trust you're ready at the keyboard to gather the info?"

"I'm ready, Kyoko-nee." Satoru answered her with a nod. "Once Ichika gets the info from the backroom, I'll be ready to gather it."

"But Kyoko, isn't that a crime to steal information from the hospital?" Ichika asked in concern.

"That's for the authorities to decide, not us." Kyoko answered him with a frown. "If it's against the law, then the law will try to stop us. But until then, we're in a bit of gray area. Detectives generally operate unchallenged when it comes to this sort of thing." She ends the call.

"She's right, Ichika. You're going to have to go against the law in our line of work." Satoru agrees with her. "There are times where the law can't do anything or is used against us, so we have to take the job in these kinds of situations. It's not pretty, but that's how it works in the life of a detective." He ends the call as Ichika went silent before walking towards the room in the back of the ward.

As Ichika walks towards the backroom, he stops in his tracks and turns to his left to see his physical body lying in bed with a breathing mask on his mouth. "No way! Is that… me? Is this my… physical body?" He takes a deep breath and calms down. "That was shocking but… I wasn't expecting to see that my own body in such good shape. I should be happy, I suppose. But if I'm being kept in an isolated ward… …then I really must have EDEN Syndrome." He slumps down in depression. "What am I going to tell Houki and the others about this?" He continues on to the backroom as the doors opens for him and he sees one computer still active. "Okay, I'm at a still active computer and searching now. Satoru, are you getting all the information here?"

"Oh yeah, I'm getting everything here." Satoru answered him as he looks carefully at the screen. "From what we're seeing, I can tell you this is much more serious than we thought. I'll read through each of the files and we'll see what's really going on." Ichika nodded as he sends the files to his laptop. "Ok, I've got the files. Now we'll see just what kind of scheme Kamishino's been hiding."

"File 001: EDEN Syndrome. A mysterious illness whereby people suddenly fall into comas while connected to the EDEN network. Originally, the term was given to the incessant vomiting and other symptoms common to those unused to spending time in the Digital World. But now, EDEN Syndrome is used to describe the more serious malady of inexplicable loss of consciousness while connected to the EDEN Network. After an extended time in a coma, the body weakens, becoming more susceptible to complications. In the worst cases, this has led to death."

"So all the patients here with EDEN Syndrome are in comas…" Twoearle muttered as she ponders this. "That must be the reason why they're all isolated in that one room with two guards standing out front."

"That's not all, let's check out the second file." Satoru continued. "This one says they're looking for ways of treatment to get everyone out of the EDEN Syndrome."

"Fiel 002: Treatments for EDEN Syndrome. No effective treatment has been found for EDEN Syndrome. Research continues into treatments and cause of this unexplained illness."

"Wait, no treatment have been found yet?" Ichika asked in shock. "But I thought they might've already found a way to cure all the patients by now. So why are some of these people are still in comas?"

"We can worry about that detail later." Satoru answered him as he selected the final file. "There's one more file here and it's about the hospital's association with Kamishino Enterprises."

"File 003: Association with Kamishino Enterprises. EDEN is a large-scale digital space operated by Kamishino Enterprises. Deeply affiliated with government agencies, EDEN's business areas are expanding quickly. Immediate improvements and user training must be provided to warn users against long login times. Furthermore, the EDEN interface uses Kamishino Enterprises' proprietary technology, making further research sharing problematic."

"Problematic, huh?" Satoru asked with a frown. "Looks like Kamishino isn't as squeaky clean as they say. If all the research is done with Kamishino's technology, then something must be up if there's a problem in sharing research with others. Okay, Ichika, we're done here. Come on back where you came and we can let Kyoko-nee what we've got."

"Roger, I'm heading back now." Ichika nods as he began to exit the room. "I guess you weren't kidding, being a detective does have to deal with these kinds of—what the?!" He stops in his tracks to see the girl again, but this time with his friends all with her as well.

"Houki? Ling? Char? Laura? Cecilia? Tatenashi? Kanzashi?" Ichika gasped in shock.

"Ichika?" The IS girls all gasped.

"Why are you here?" The girl demanded as she glared at him. "This area is supposed to be off-limits, with guards watching over the only entrance. How did you get in here? Did you do something with the guards? Who even are you?"

"I could ask you the same question. Who are you?" Ichika countered.

"Don't answer a question with a question! Answer me!" The girl shouted in anger.

"Ichika, what's going on here?" Char asked confusedly as she looked at him on concern. "Why aren't you in bed? You have the EDEN Syndrome, don't you?"

"Well, if I'm going to get out of this alive, I'll have to think of something." Ichika smiled sadly as he said this "If you want to know, then here's your answer. I'm just a plain old detective assistant." The girls all gasped in surprise.

"Detective assistant?" Ling asked as she glared at Ichika. "Ichika, what the hell are you talking about? What's gotten into you all of a sudden?"

"Wait, is Kuremi…" The girl was about to ask before stopping herself. "I see. Well, never mind, then." She turns to Ichika. "You came to investigate EDEN Syndrome, right?" Ichika nodded "Was there something you wanted to ask?" Ichika jumped in surprise at how cooperative she is. "I'll answer your questions. Don't get me wrong. I'm just trying to come clean in order to clear my own name, here." Ichika calms down a little. "I am in debt to Kamishino, so if you have a few questions, I can answer them, I think."

"If you're willing to answer my questions, then that;s fine with me." Ichika smiled which made the girl blush but made the IS girls a bit jealous. "So, are you ready for the questions?" The girl nodded as he clears his throat. "Okay, here's my first question to you. Who is that patient in the room next to us?" Everyone turns to Ichika's body lying in bed as the IS girls all gasped in shock.

"No…it couldn't be…"Houki stuttered in shock as she took a step back while looking at Ichika's real body on the bed and then to Ichika. "There's just no way… It's impossible…right?"

"That patient here?" The girl asked confusedly. "He was just brought in. He wasn't here a few days ago. Are you worried about him? Oh!" She looks at the patient in the bed, then looks at Ichika and back at the patient. "You two look exactly alike! Do you have a twin, perhaps?"

"No, I'm afraid I don't have a twin." ichika shook his head no.

"Hmm. I see." The girl nods in understanding. "That's… quite the coincidental resemblance then."

"Ok, now for my second question." Ichika said, hoping for a way to return back to his real body. "Is there a cure for EDEN Syndrome?"

"I've never heard of anyone recovering from it." The girl answered him sadly. "Someone I know has been stuck in a deep sleep… for a full eight years, now. I'm sure he'll be fine. Someday he's sure to wake up. For now, all I can do is wait."

"Wait, eight years?!" Ichika gawked "Your friend has been asleep here for eight years?" The girl nodded in response. "If that's true, then there's really no cure for the EDEN Syndrome?" He shakes his head "Anyway, on to my final question. What happens if you contract EDEN Syndrome?"

"What happens? Well, as you can see, patients with EDEN Syndrome all fall in a coma. I've never heard of other symptoms. Do you know someone who's shown by other symptoms?" Ichika shook his head no.

"Well, there's one more thing I want to confirm with you." Ichika said seriously. "There are rumors Kamishino's involved in some kind of conspiracy."

"That's a… misunderstanding! A mistake!" The girl protested. "Kamishino wants to find a cure for EDEN Syndrome, too! That is why they built this special ward and have specialists round the clock looking for a cure. It's ridiculous that anyone should suffer because of EDEN! I've… I've got to do something!"

"Hold on, why did she get all defensive?" Ichika asked confusedly. "If she was trying to defend Kamishino, then something must be up." Before anyone could say anything, his Digivice rings and he answers it. "Kyoko!"

"I apologize for interrupting such an important conversation, but you have an uninvited guest." Kyoko said with a frown as she ends the call quickly. Everyone turned towards the entrance and hears a childlike voice coming from outside.

"Hello, guards! Thanks for working so hard! Ooh! Another hottie!" An unfamiliar voice said happily and oddly.

"Ok, now that was just disturbing..." Tatenashi muttered with a sweat drop. "Who in their right mind would even sound like that?"

"Miss Rie? We weren't expecting you here!" The girl gasped.

"Check out the bulging pecs on this guard!" Rie squealed. "One look and my heart is all aflutter! Oh! I can't resist! *poke, poke, poke!*"

"Miss Kishibe! I'm on duty!" The guard panicked.

"Ooh! So hard!" Rie giggled playfully.

Kyoko contacts Ichika again. "Rie Kishibe. Making the rounds behind the scenes? I'm curious on what a Kamishino bigwig is doing here. We got the information we needed. Now get out of there. No need to overstay your welcome." She then noticed something on her end. "Oops! I've got a visitor as well. Regroup with Satoru and Twoearle and let's meet in the lobby, then! Don't rush, and don't make a fuss!" She ends the call as Ichika searches for a place to hide.

"Ichika, what the hell is going on here?" Houki demanded "And who was that woman you were talking to? Is there something you're not telling us?"

"I wish I could tell you, but I can't right now, Houki!" Ichika answered with a frown as he continued looking around for a place to hide. "All I can say that something strange is going on and someone is behind it! But right now, I need to get out of here!"

"Everyone, hide! Quickly!" the girl issued as everyone nodded and ran into the backroom.

Once Ichika and the IS girls had hidden in the backroom, Rie Kishibe entered the ward and walks down the hall right to where the girl was standing, guarding the backroom.

"Oh, dear Yuuko-chan. You're well, I trust?" Rie asked with a calm smirk.

"Miss Rie. What happened today?" The girl named Yuuko asked with a nervous smile "I don't recall seeing your name on the approved visitors' list."

"Oohoohoo! No, I'm not!" Rie chortled. "Maaaaybe I was just struck with a sudden urge to see my dear, darling Yuuko-chan!"

"Are you worried about me being all by my lonesome?" Yuuko asked skeptically as she glared at Rie.

"No. My Rie Senses were tingling, and I had to come see if you were being a gloomy gus again." Rie answered as she crossed her arms and smirked playfully at Yuuko. "I knew it! This is all so terrible, isn't it?"

"Nor particularly." Yuuko answered with a sweat drop.

Oohoohoo! Look at you, acting all strong. But I know. I know all about it!" Rie squealed. On the other side of the door Yuuko's blocking, Ichika and the IS girls were listening in on her and Yuuko. "By the wayyyy! What HAVE you been doing here?"

"Nothing… Nothing special." Yuuko answered with a fake laugh.

"A picnic of sorts?" Rie asked in curiosity.

"Yes! I mean, no… No, it's…" Yuuko tired to correct herself.

"Jeez, that Rie woman really has Yuuko wrapped around her finger." Tatenashi winced. "I can't help but feel sorry for her for having a guardian that acts like…that of all things." Her friends all nodded in agreement.

"Yes? Dear Yuuko-chan, is there something the matter?" Rie asked in concern, but Yuuko didn't answer. "No? Is there perhaps someone else here? Perhaps… a boyyyyfriend?" That made Ichika flinched and blushed brightly.

"No! It's nothing like that!" Yuuko answered with a stutter as she blushed madly.

"Or maybe it's a girlfriend?" Rie asked as she chortled some more. "Oohoo! Shall I have a little look?" This time, that made the IS girls all flinched and blushed brightly. "Doing something unscrupulous in that room? Or better yet, something scandalous! Oohoo!" And this time, all of them flinched and blushed even brighter.

"Ah!" Yuuko flinched as Rei starts walking towards the door.

"Damnit, she's coming this way!" Laura growled. "If she finds us here, she might think we're doing something scandalous in here! We have to get out of here, right now!"

"But how are we going to escape?" Kanzashi asked in worry "The only way out is in front of us and if we walk out, she'll catch us for sure!"

"Wait, I know how we can escape." Ichika figured out a solution as he looked at the computer in his direction. "I can use my Connect Jump on that computer over there. We can use it to get out of here without getting caught." The IS girls all looked at him in confusion.

"Connect…Jump?" Cecilia asked confusedly "What is this Connect jump, you're talking about, Ichika?"

"I'll explain everything later, Cecilia." Ichika answered her "Right now, we've got to get out of here before she finds us."

"I don't know, Ichika. I'm having some doubts about this Connect Jump thing you have." Ling said skeptically. "How do we know it can work for us? And if it doesn't, won't something bad happen to us?" Her friends all nodded in agreement.

"Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to all of you." Ichika reassured them with a smile. "Plus, I really want all of you to meet my new friend and partner." He holds his hand out to them and they blushed. "Now come on, let's go. We're getting out of here together." The IS girls all nodded in agreement as they joined hands while also grabbing his and he uses his Connect Jump to enter the computer.

Back outside of the room, Rie stops at the door and starts to call out. "Now, now. I've got you all figured out! You can come out now, Yuuko-chan's new squeeze! My name is Rie, and I am tasked with being Yuuko-chan's guardian, here. Holding hands, or locking lips! Guiding each other step by step toward adulthood!" The door opens to reveal the room was empty. "Well, drat! There's nobody here!" She turns her attention back to Yuuko. "But dear Yuuko-chan, it doesn't matter. You can bring one or two boyfriends, or even three dozen of them, if you'd like. Why, when I was your age… Oohoohoo! Now, then. Let's check in and see how he's doing. Don't you think he'll be happy to see two of us, together?"

"Um, sure." Yuuko answered with a sigh as Rie walks away. She then looks at the room in confusion. "Where did they…?" Our view turns towards the computer still active on the desk.

After managing to escape from being caught in the Special Ward, Ichika brought the IS girls into the computer with his Connect Jump ability and escaped just in time. Once they've entered cyberspace, Houki and her friends all couldn't even believe what they were seeing.

"Whoa, where are we?" Ling gasped in shock as she looked around "Are you guys seeing what I'm seeing?"

"We're seeing it, but we can't believe it, Ling." Cecilia answered her with a startled nod as she too look around. "We're inside cyberspace! How did we even get here?"

"You can thank my Connection Jump ability." Ichika answered with a smile. "We're inside the hospital's network, this is how I was able to get inside the Special Ward undetected and ran into all of you again. Guess I didn't expect to see you girls to visit the hospital where my body's in."

"But we didn't expect you to actually still be standing after we heard you'd gotten EDEN Syndrome." Laura retorted. "When we've heard the news about people falling into comas because of the EDEN Syndrome, we feared that you were one of the victims and we were right." Her friends all nodded in agreement. "But if you were in that bed we saw earlier, how can you still be right in front of us?"

"Believe me, it's a long story, but I can't tell you right now." Ichika answered her with a sigh. "Once we get out of here and regroup with Kyoko, Satoru and Twoearle, I'll tell you everything." His communicator then rings and he answered it. "Hold that thought for a moment. Yes, this is Ichika."

"Ichika! Boy, are we glad to finally hear your voice." Satoru sighed in relief. "We've lost contact with you before and was trying to reach you. So what in the seven hells happened inside the Special Ward? And who are those girls with you?"

"I'll tell you about it later once we meet up in the lobby." Ichika answered him with a nervous laugh. "Let's just say we had a narrow escape and had to do some quick thinking." The IS girls all nodded in agreement. "So what happened on your end? Kyoko had an uninvited visitor to her location, so I can guess the same happened to you two?"

"Yeah, we had to make a quick getaway from some guards patrolling the General Ward." Satoru answered him. "I can tell you that being cramped in a tight space with Twoearle wasn't easy, but we had to endure it until the guards lost our trail." Ichika and the IS girls all blushed at what he meant. *Anyway, we'll be heading down to the lobby to meet with Kyoko-nee. We'll see you and your friends there."

"Roger, over and out." Ichika cuts the channel "Ok, let's head back to General Ward in the real world and meet up with them in the lobby. We can explain everything there." The IS girls all nodded in agreement before he remembered something. "Oh right, there's still someone else I still need to introduce you to."

"And who would that be, Ichika?" Char asked confusedly. "Who is this person you want to introduce us to?"

"I wouldn't say he's a person, per say. But he's someone I can count on to have my back." Ichika smiled as he made Agumon appear. "Everyone, this is Agumon. A new friend and partner." The IS girls all were shocked at seeing Agumon who waved at them.

"Yo, how's it hanging, ladies." Agumon greeted "I'm Agumon, Boss' partner. Nice to meet all of you."

"Whoa, what is he?!" Ling gawked "He looks like some kind of dinosaur that can talk!"

"Believe me, I thought so too before." Ichika smiled "He's actually a Digimon, short for Digital Monsters. I met him during my time in EDEN before all of this happened. But unfortunately, I can't really say much more than that because we're pressed for time. Once we're back out in the real world, we'll explain everything back at the office." The IS girls all nodded in agreement as they followed him and Agumon back to the other end of the tunnel.

As they were heading back to the General Ward, Houki and her friends were all looking around them and seeing all the radio waves from every single electrical device ranging from computers to cellphones.

"Wow, I still can't believe we're inside an actual network." Cecilia gasped in awe. "You'd only see these in science books or just on a computer screen. But seeing it all of this from the inside of a computer, it makes you wonder how much we really know about what's going on behind the screen." Her friends all nodded in agreement while both Ichika and Agumon smiled.

"Ya know, Satoru said the same thing the first time him, Twoearle and myself entered into the network." Ichika laughed heartly. "That was also when I used my Connect Jump for the first time and this is my second time using it.* He looks at his hands. "I get the feeling I'll be using this for other situations like this down the line." Agumon nodded in agreement.

"So how did you come up with the name Connect Jump?" Kanzashi asked him out of curiosity "Was it because you jumped inside a computer or something like that?"

"Yeah, this happened before with the TV back at the agency." Ichika answered her with a grin. "And also, Kyoko's the one who came up with the name after using it for the first time. Since then, we've stuck with the name and so far, it's been really helpful for us." As he continued to explain, he noticed Agumon was feeling tensed and stopped in his tracks. "Agumon, what's wrong?"

"Boss, there's someone else here besides us. I can sense it." Agumon answered as he got ready. "I can smell another Digimon here waiting for us."

"Who's waiting for us, Agumon?" Char asked and before Agumon could answer, something comes swinging into view and hits Ichika in the face, knocking him onto the ground.

"Ichika!" The IS girls all shouted.

"Boss!" Agumon also shouted as he and the IS girls rushed over to him.

"Well well, lookie what I found here. A couple of bugs trying to escape." An unfamiliar voice laughed cruelly. "I guess the masters were right to have me waiting for you losers." Everyone turned around to see a muscular Digimon resembling an ogre wielding a bone club. "Now that I've got you squirts right where I want you, time for us to have some fun."

"Hey, just what gives you the right to attack out friend like that?!" Ling glared at him angrily. "And who the hell do you think you are, anyway?"

"The name's Ogremon, little missy." Ogremon answered with a sneer. "I've been sent here by my masters to stop you guys from escaping from here. Since you losers all know too much, I'll just have to delete all of you!" Agumon and the IS girls got into battle stance.

"Dammit, we can't fight him here!" Houki growled in anger. "If only we had our ISes, but we're inside the hospital's network. If we fight here, we'll just end up damaging everything!"

"Then let me fight Ogremon." Agumon urged. "You guys can take care of Boss while I hold him back." He walks over to Ogremon and gets into a battle stance. "Okay, big, green and ugly! Let's see what you've got!"

"Heh! A Rookie Digimon like you is gonna challenge a Champion like me? This'll be fun! Pummel Whack!" Orgemon threw his boneclub at Agumon who was knocked back a little. The boneclub went back to Ogremon and he caught it. "Is that it? I expected a Rookie like you to fight back! Well, let's try this on for size! Bone Mace!" Ogremon yelled as he slams his boneclub at Agumon who dodge rolled out of the way.

"You think you're so tough just because you're a Champion, huh?! Then try this on for size, buddy! Pepper Breath!" Agumon spit fire at Ogremon who swatted it away, Agumon sweat dropped. "Uh-oh…"

"Pummel Whack!" Ogremon laughed evilly as he threw his bone club at Agumon again, giving him medium damage. But Agumon stood firm, but barely standing.

"Oh no! Agumon!" Kanzashi gasped in shock.

"Ah crap, this looks bad…" Ling grimaced as she gulped nervously.

"What's the matter, dino-breath?" Ogremon sneered as he walked slowly and menacely towards Agumon. "Where's that spunk you have?"

"Oh no… If this keeps up…" Cecilia stammered. Suddenly, Ichika slowly stands up. "I-Ichika?!" She gasped, her friends noticed.

"Agumon…" Ichika smiled wearily at his partner. "You're not gonna let an evil jerk like him win, are you? I remember what Yuugo told me about Digivolving to become stronger." Agumon paid heed to Ichika's words as he remember what Yuugo told him and Ichika about Digivolving. "So if you can Digivolve, we might stand a chance!"

"Digivolve? What the hell is Digivolving?" Laura muttered.

"Y-You're right, Boss! There's no way in heck I'll lose to this jerk! So lend me your strength, Boss!" Suddenly, Agumon started to glow.

"Now you're talking!" Ichika grinned as he stands by to issue orders.

(Brave Heart Tri from Digimon Adventure Tri plays)

"Agumon… Digivolve to…!" Agumon started to be embodied in orange light and started to grow until the growing stopped and reveal Agumon in a new form. Agumon now looks like an orange Tyrannosaurus rex with orange eyes, and spikes on its arms, shoulders, and jaw, with blue tips on them. It has blue stripes on its legs, arms, neck, torax, mouth and tail. It wears red training bracers and a brown helmet with three horns and multiple spikes on it. The helmet also has red stripes, and the spikes have red tips. "GeoGreymon!" GeoGreymon roared.

"N-No way! That dino-brat digivolved?!" Ogremon gawked before he regain his composure and yelled "I can still take you on! Pummel Whack!" He threw his club at GeoGreymon but the now Champion partner of Ichika used his tail to whip it away.

"Now the tides have turned, Ogremon!" GeoGreymon yelled heroically as he got ready to use one of his attacks. "Mega Shot!" GeoGreymon fired a fireball from his mouth as it gave Ogremon bigger damage.

"Whoa! Did you guys see that?!" Tatenashi gasped in awe and shock.

"Yeah! Agumon just got bigger and is whooping some ass!" Ling cheered.

"Alright, GeoGreymon, kick some tail!" Ichika grinned as he gave his partner a thumbs up.

"Right away, Boss! Mega Roar!" GeoGreymon let out a mighty roar that hit Ogremon for even bigger damage. "Horn Impulse!" GeoGreymon yelled as he charged towards Ogremon and rammed into him, giving him bigger damage than before.

"I-I'm getting out of here!" Orgemon panicked as he tried to escape.

"Oh no you don't! Mega Flame!" GeoGreymon breath out a powerful breath of fire onto Ogremon, Ogremon screamed in agony as he was instantly deleted.

"Amazing…" Houki whispered in awe as GeoGreymon roared in victory as he reverts back to Agumon.

After GeoGreymon deleted Ogremon and reverted back to Agumon, Ichika and the IS girls all rushed to him and make sure if he was okay. Agumon fell down on his butt while panting heavily until his partner and new friends all surrounded him and he looked up with a smile.

"Agumon!" Everyone all smiled in relief.

"Hey guys, I'm back." Agumon smiled back "Whew, that was a tough battle. Ogremon ready had me on the ropes there, but I was able to be him. I did good, didn't I?"

"You were more than good, you were awesome, Agumon!" Ling cheered "I can't believe you were able to take on that Ogremon guy and kicked his ass into next week!"

"You were able to protect us from Ogremon and managed to pull through." Char smiled "You were very brave to fight him off by yourself." She hugs Agumon and kissed his head. "That's my thanks to you, Agumon."

"Well, I couldn't have done it without Boss." Agumon chuckled nervously. "It was thanks to his will that helped me Digivolve and delete Ogremon." He turns to his partner and gave him a thumps up. "You really did it, Boss! Your strength really helped me Digivolve and delete Ogremon!"

"No Agumon, we both were able to delete Ogremon as a team." Ichika smiled "I was able to remember what Yuugo said to us back when we first met. We just have to believe in each other and that's what helped you Digivolve." He extends his hand to his partner. "So, what do you say, Agumon? Let's both work hard and watch each other's backs."

"Count on it, Boss!" Agumon nodded in agreement as he takes his partner's hand into his claw and both shook hands.

"Now that Ogremon's out of the way, let's continue on back to the real world." Ichika smiled. "Kyoko and the others are still waiting for us in the lobby. I'm sure they'll be exited to meet all of you." Agumon and the IS girls nodded in agreement as they continued through the tunnel and headed back to the real world.

Back in the General Ward, Ichika and the IS girls appeared in front of the nurse's station and were back in the real world. Houki and her friends all looked around and breathed a sigh of relief to be back in the real world again.

"Whew, that was some ride back there." Tatenashi sighed in relief. "Not gonna lie, I thought my heart was about to stop when that Ogremon creep was about to beat Agumon. Still, it's great to be back in the real world." Her friends all nodded in agreement.

"Believe me, it'll take some time to get use to." Ichika smiled "After using this ability twice now, I'm starting to get the hang of it better, but I still have to know when and where to use it." He turns to his friends. "Anyway, let's head down to the lobby. They're still waiting for us." The IS girls all nodded in agreement and headed for the elevators.

Meanwhile in the lobby, Kyoko, Satoru and Twoearle were sitting in the waiting room for Ichika to return safely. Once they heard the elevator doors open, they saw Ichika and the IS girls walked out and stepped into the lobby.

"Hey Ichika, we're over here!" Satoru called out as he and Twoearle waved him down.

"Hey guys, I'm back!" Ichika greeted "Sorry we're a little late, things got crazy and it took us a while to deal with it." Both him and Satoru fist bumped while Twoearle walked over and they high five each other as Kyoko walked up to the group. "Hey Kyoko, I'm back."

"That you are, Ichika." Kyoko smiled "You escaped that predicament all on your own. Hee hee! See, I knew you could do it!" She then noticed the IS girls right behind Ichika. "Oh, and I see you've brought some company with you. I'm assuming they're your friends, Ichika?"

"Yeah, they're my friends from the IS Academy." Ichika answered her. "But I can tell you the rest later back at the agency. We don't want to risk getting caught while we're still here."

"Indeed, we could be in trouble the more we stay here." Kyoko agrees "Now, then, shall we head back?" Everyone nodded in agreement as they left the hospital and headed back to Nakano.

Later

Back at the agency, Kyoko was sitting at her desk and listening to what Ichika had learned while investigating the Special Ward. From learning that his physical body being brought there only recently, meeting up with Houki and the others while they were visiting, nearly getting caught by Kamishino's bigwig and getting into a battle with Ogremon and having Agumon Digivolve for the first time.

"I must admit, you've managed to gotten out a number of scrapes, Ichika." Kyoko said in awe as she put her hand on her chin. "I didn't think they'd send in another Digimon to attack you if you and your friends managed to escape the Special Ward." Ichika nodded before slumping in disappointment. "Still, I can't imagine what the shock of seeing your own body from the outside is like. If we think of it like an out-of-body experience, maybe we can find a solution."

"Out of body experience?" Ichika repeated in confusion. "What do you mean by that, Kyoko?"

"Think of it like this, you're the first EDEN Syndrome patient to exhibit these particular symptoms—the first "irregular" amongst them." Kyoko explained "Simply knowing that is a major step in getting to the bottom of this." Ichika cheers up a little.

"Yeah, you're right, Kyoko." Ichika agrees "As long as I know my body's still safe for now, I can rest a little easier. But knowing that they're doing something under people's noses, I can't let this go unpunished. If they do managed to make a move, I'll be ready for them."

"I can understand your feelings, but we can't do anything at the moment." Kyoko reasoned. "Unless we gather more information, we'll just be running about blind. We can't rush the investigation. Mustn't hurry things along. Stay calm, stay cool." She closed her eyes as she started to remember something. "Doggedly and with your might, exhibit endurance like hard black iron. My father used to say that all the time."

"Your father used to say that, Kyoko-san?" Houki asked in awe "Those are some words he lived by, didn't he?" Kyoko nodded "So where is he now?"

"He's long gone now." Kyoko answered her with a sad sigh "Died in action years ago. They say he was working on a big case, but he never came back alive. Those words I just said we're the last things I remember of him before his death."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know." Houki apologized "I didn't even realize your father died until now." She turns to face Satoru who had his head down. "But if you two are cousins, dose that also make him…?"

"Yeah, my uncle." Satoru answered with a despondent sigh. "He was the brother to my mother who also died alongside him during that same case. Ever since they've died, I've been living with Kyoko-nee for years now. She's also now my guardian." Twoearle pulls him into her breasts, but he didn't even struggle this time.

"I'm sorry, maybe I shouldn't have brought that up." Houki apologized.

"It's all right, we've managed to overcome their deaths." Kyoko smiled. "It may have taken some time for Satoru, but he was back to normal self in no time. But back to the issue at hand! What are you and your friends planning to do next, Ichika?"

"Hmm, that's a good question." Ichika agrees "I never really gave it much thought until you asked. I'm not even sure what to do next."

"That so? Well, you must have something planned." Kyoko murmured in understanding. "Don't you want to return to your original body? Don't you want to know the truth of what happened?"

Ichika thinks for a minute before nodding his head. "Yes, I do want to return to my original body and I do want to know the truth about what happened!"

"Hehe! Good answer, Ichika." Kyoko grinned. "Hmph. Then it's decided. You and your friends should work here, as my assailants."

"Your assistants!" Everyone gasped in shock.

"Yes, all eight of you will be working as my assistants." Kyoko smiled "There'll be many cases dealing with EDEN and cyber crimes. The more work you do, the more clues we'll be able to find. Don't worry. I am certain of your potential. And while you're at it, I'll cover your rooms and boards. Heh. Besides, with Ichika's talents, who else is better suited for cyber-investigations. I'm expecting great things!"

"Don't worry, you can count on us, Kyoko!" Ichika gave her a thumbs up. "We'll be helping those in need and making sure the cyber crimes are dealt with!" The IS girls all nodded in agreement.

"Excellent! We have an agreement." Kyoko nods "From this point forward, all of you are my assistant Cyber Sleuths!" Ichika and his friends all nodded in agreement "Hmm. Have a seat on the sofa and wait. I'll make some coffee. We'll drink a toast to celebrate!" That made Satoru and Twoearle flinched in fear as she walks over to the coffee maker.

"Oh no, not another one of her special coffees." Satoru gasped in horror. "I don't know if I can even take another sip from it again. I nearly died just from the smell." Twoearle nodded in agreement as she remembers the first time she drank one of the coffees.

"I don't know what you two are complaining about." Ling assured them. "There's nothing wrong with coffee. I'm sure it's just your imaginations playing tricks on you guys."

"You don't understand, we're not trying to scare you or anything like that." Towearle reasoned with a stutter "Kyoko's coffees aren't anything made from this world! She mixes in ingredients that aren't even made for coffee in the first place! You guys need to get out of here while you still have a chance!"

"I'm sure you're both just exaggerating." Cecilia said "I'm certain her coffees are not as dangerous or lethal as you say it is." Just then, Kyoko came back with eight cups of coffee in her hands.

"Here you go, everyone. Seaweed and red bean paste coffee. My specialty." Kyoko smiled "Just this thing you'll all be needing for what's ahead." Everyone all looked at the cups of coffee as the seaweed and paste swirled around. "Oh. I know it looks all fancy, but wait until you all get a load of the flavor and aroma!" She takes her cup and holds it out. "Here's to you, Cyber Sleuths!"

"Well, here goes nothing!" Ichika gulped as he and the IS girls all drank their cups of coffee before falling down onto the floor with a loud crash.

"We tried to warn them…" Satoru sighed.

To be continued…

Next chapter: IS Girls and Digimon Partners: Part 1 of 7: Houki and Elecmon

A/n: Sorry it took so long for this chapter to be finished. Anyway, next up is the first part of the 7 part mini-arc where the IS girls get their Digimon partners, first up, Houki and Elecmon. See you then.