Tamers: Stuck in Paradise - Season 2
Part 6
by Christian "Sid" Lang
Standing in the dead-end alley, facing his executioner, Veemon keeps asking himself one question:
Whatever did I do wrong?
"So, I guess the bird warned you." Gatomon whispers.
Veemon gulps. No use in denying the obvious.
"G-G-Gatomon, please calm down, I thi-"
"CALM DOWN?" the Champion Digimon yells and jumps off her wall.
She lands on top of some garbage cans and hisses menacingly.
"You hurt Renamon's feelings." she whispers.
"I-I-I-"
Wait a sec. I'm going to die because of THAT?
But Gatomon is not finished yet.
"You made her run away crying."
Maybe I can dash past her... No. She quicker. And determined.
"You practically sent her into T.K.'s bed." Gatomon is now almost shouting at him.
Veemon's eyes widen.
"Pardon me?" he whispers, not believing his ears.
She jumps at him and hits his face with one paw.
Veemon almost falls, but quickly recovers.
A quick check tells him that she hadn't used her claws. Yet.
"Liar!" Gatomon sneers.
OK, now what? Veemon asks himself.
I'm no bad fighter. But she is a Champion. Plus she has her Holy Ring back.
Veemon shakes his head.
God, what am I thinking? I couldn't possibly hurt her! I still love her!
He slowly moves backwards, trying to buy some time.
"Dude." a familiar voice addresses him.
NOT NOW! I'm busy!
"Dude, ya gotta listen to me if you wanna get outta here alive."
"No, don't listen to that moron!" another familiar voice tells him.
Oh terrific. At least I'm not going to die alone.
"I admit that your problem is... unique." Davis mutters.
"Kari, Ruki and Gatomon want to kill you. Renamon simply wants you..." he continues.
"Don't rub it in." T.K. mutters.
His head is resting on the table. Davis feels pity for his friend.
"OK, then I'll try to give you a word of wisdom." Davis decides.
T.K. looks up at him and laughs shortly.
"A word of wisdom coming out of your mouth. That'd be something new."
Davis politely ignores the remark and starts to think.
"OK. I got something. Do you still love Kari?"
T.K. blinks and cocks his head.
"Of course I do." he answers.
"Even though she... kicked you?"
"Uhhhh... Yeah. I still love her."
"And you wouldn't mind if she kicked you again?"
T.K. suddenly frowns. and stares at Davis.
"Oh, my fault. Let me put it this way: Would you risk another kick if it would bring her back?"
T.K. gulps and thinks shortly.
"I guess so."
Davis smiles and leans over to his friend.
"Then go back and tell her you love her."
T.K. stares at Davis.
"That has been your word of wisdom?" he asks.
"Geez, do I look like Conficius? I'm just telling you not to give up."
There is a moment of silence.
"Well, maybe you're right." T.K. finally mutters and stands up.
"Yeah, go for it. Oh, and tell Ruki I love her!"
Kari Kamiya does something she rarely does: She panics.
Murder always looked easy in the movies.
On the other hand, the murderers always got caught in the movies.
I should feel lucky. I don't have to worry about the corpse. Kari thinks and laughs nervously.
She is pacing through the apartment, staring at the blood-stained baseball in her hand.
Tai is out with their parents. Good.
Ruki is in her room and might come out any second. Not good.
What should I do? Kari asks herself frantically.
She briefly considers talking to Ruki. Tell her everything.
Then she thinks about it.
If it weren't for the weapon, it'd be the perfect crime.
She'd just have to get rid of the baseball and-
"Kari?"
Kari jumps when she hears the voice in her back.
"RUKI!" she yells and turns around.
Ruki is standing in the living room and frowns.
"Everything all right?" the oblivious girl asks.
Or maybe she is just pretending to be oblivious.
"Are you hurt?" Ruki then asks, pointing at Kari's hand.
Kari looks down and sees the blood-covered baseball.
MORON! MORON! MORON!
Kari knows that it's over. Sobbing, she sinks onto her knees.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!" she cries.
Kari can hear Ruki coming closer.
Then the other girl kneels, too.
"What's the matter?" Ruki asks, concern showing on her face.
"I'm sorry! She was just there and... and I have been so jealous! And then..."
Kari gasps, trying to control her breathing.
"And then I killed her! I killed her! But I didn't mean it! Really! Please forgive me!"
"You killed somebody? Who did you kill?" Ruki asks.
"Renamon!"
"Why, Veemon? WHY?" Gatomon yells, tears showing in her beautiful eyes.
"Gatomon, please believe me! I have no idea what you are talking about!"
Veemon is standing in a corner now. The love of his life is only a meter away.
"LIAR! You sent her to T.K.! Why? I thought you liked me! Loved me!"
Suddenly, Gatomon stops dead in her tracks. then her eyes widen.
"Of course! You wanted me to hate her so I'd be yours for the taking!" she mutters.
"What?" Veemon asks in confusion.
"You knew we'd find out about T.K. and Renamon sooner or later." she hisses.
"I'd be angry with Renamon, she'd leave me for T.K." she continues her theory.
"And then you'd be there. To comfort me."
Veemon gasps when he hears this theory.
"Gatomon. Please let me explain what happened." he finally sighs.
Her punch sends him against one wall.
"LIAR!"
"Please! I didn't knew this would happen!"
Her next punch hits his stomach.
Although his instincts tell him to defend himself, Veemon does not fight back.
"She came to me believing we were in love!" he shouts.
Curled up on the ground, he braces himself for the next punch.
It never comes.
"She saw that dumb newspaper photo and misinterpreted it!" he whispers.
When she still doesn't beat him, he continues.
"She really thought that she and I were a couple."
"And you told her otherwise? Why?"
"I only love you. And I told her that she was mistaken."
"And then she ran?"
"Yeah. I couldn't even tell her about your feelings for her."
Veemon looks up again and sees that Gatomon is crying.
Slowly he stands up and carefully approaches the cat.
"I'm sorry. I just thought that... you..." she whispers.
"It's all right. I understand." Veemon whispers and hugs her.
Days ago, he would have been in Heaven.
But by now he knows that he is simply hugging her as a close friend.
Nothing more. But also nothing less.
Hawkmon is pacing through Yolei's room.
Finally his partner arrives, too. She had been shopping, as usual.
"Good morning, Hawkmon." she greets him happily.
Her smile fades when she sees his face.
"What's wrong?" she asks.
"Do you have a black dress? I think there will be some funerals soon."
Kari blinks in confusion.
OK, now this is eerie. she tells herself.
Ruki Makino, partner of Kari's murder victim, is laughing.
"Jeez, that was a good one. Really." the red-haired girl tells her.
"Uh, Ruki?"
"You know, I actually believed you for a second!"
"Ruki?"
"But you can't fool me. You aren't the insane-murderer type."
"Ruki."
"I mean, you're so kind and all. Maybe angry, but hey, I mean-"
"RUKI!" Kari yells, startling the laughing Ruki.
Kari gives Ruki the baseball.
Ruki frowns and takes a look at the blood stains.
"Is that... real blood?" the Tamer finally whispers.
"As real as our Digimon." Kari answers.
"Man, I almost made the biggest mistake of my life." Gatomon mutters.
Veemon strokes her head and nods.
"I hope you forgive me for all that punching?"
"Sure thing. Love makes us do weird things."
"Would you have fought back later?"
Veemon stops his stroking and looks at her.
"I mean... if I had actually threatened to kill you." Gatomon explains.
"I don't know." he admits.
Gatomon shrugs.
"Thanks for everything, Veemon." she whispers as she hugs him again.
"Don't mention it. But you should look after the others now."
She cocks her head.
"Well, Renamon is still out there." he suggests.
Her eyes widen.
"Right. But where is she? The city is too big." she sighs.
"Maybe Ruki has an idea. After all, she-"
"Of course! You're a genius!" Gatomon cheers, startling Veemon.
Ruki's D-Arc can trace her in no-time! Gatomon thinks as she starts to run.
"Gatomon?" Patamon carefully asks as he is flying through the alley.
I've heard her voice, I'm sure of it.
"Gatomon?" he calls again.
"Patamon, down here!" a familiar voice calls him.
Patamon frowns when he sees Veemon. He hadn't hoped to see him anywhere near Gatomon.
Then he sees Veemon's bruises and almost cheers.
She dumped him! She kicked his dumb blue tail to Mercury!
"You look... hurt." he greets his 'friend' as he is landing.
"Yeah. Short encounter with Gatomon." Veemon explains.
"Oh. Really. Any idea where she went?"
"Kamiya's. She wants Ruki to help her look for Renamon."
Patamon's wings go limp.
"Why does she want to look for Renamon?" he asks.
"No-brainer. She loves her. And I think she'd do anything to help Renamon."
"Veemon. I ask you as a friend: Is that the truth?"
Veemon frowns, then seems to understand Patamon.
"It is the truth. You and I love her. But she loves Renamon."
Patamon sighs.
"I can understand your feelings, Patamon. Accept it. We're just her close friends."
T.K.'s partner looks up at the bruised Rookie.
"You're right. Maybe I should start behaving like one." he whispers.
Veemon shrugs and checks his bruises.
"Yep. Let's just hope that we're all fast learners." he adds with a chuckle.
Part 6
by Christian "Sid" Lang
Standing in the dead-end alley, facing his executioner, Veemon keeps asking himself one question:
Whatever did I do wrong?
"So, I guess the bird warned you." Gatomon whispers.
Veemon gulps. No use in denying the obvious.
"G-G-Gatomon, please calm down, I thi-"
"CALM DOWN?" the Champion Digimon yells and jumps off her wall.
She lands on top of some garbage cans and hisses menacingly.
"You hurt Renamon's feelings." she whispers.
"I-I-I-"
Wait a sec. I'm going to die because of THAT?
But Gatomon is not finished yet.
"You made her run away crying."
Maybe I can dash past her... No. She quicker. And determined.
"You practically sent her into T.K.'s bed." Gatomon is now almost shouting at him.
Veemon's eyes widen.
"Pardon me?" he whispers, not believing his ears.
She jumps at him and hits his face with one paw.
Veemon almost falls, but quickly recovers.
A quick check tells him that she hadn't used her claws. Yet.
"Liar!" Gatomon sneers.
OK, now what? Veemon asks himself.
I'm no bad fighter. But she is a Champion. Plus she has her Holy Ring back.
Veemon shakes his head.
God, what am I thinking? I couldn't possibly hurt her! I still love her!
He slowly moves backwards, trying to buy some time.
"Dude." a familiar voice addresses him.
NOT NOW! I'm busy!
"Dude, ya gotta listen to me if you wanna get outta here alive."
"No, don't listen to that moron!" another familiar voice tells him.
Oh terrific. At least I'm not going to die alone.
"I admit that your problem is... unique." Davis mutters.
"Kari, Ruki and Gatomon want to kill you. Renamon simply wants you..." he continues.
"Don't rub it in." T.K. mutters.
His head is resting on the table. Davis feels pity for his friend.
"OK, then I'll try to give you a word of wisdom." Davis decides.
T.K. looks up at him and laughs shortly.
"A word of wisdom coming out of your mouth. That'd be something new."
Davis politely ignores the remark and starts to think.
"OK. I got something. Do you still love Kari?"
T.K. blinks and cocks his head.
"Of course I do." he answers.
"Even though she... kicked you?"
"Uhhhh... Yeah. I still love her."
"And you wouldn't mind if she kicked you again?"
T.K. suddenly frowns. and stares at Davis.
"Oh, my fault. Let me put it this way: Would you risk another kick if it would bring her back?"
T.K. gulps and thinks shortly.
"I guess so."
Davis smiles and leans over to his friend.
"Then go back and tell her you love her."
T.K. stares at Davis.
"That has been your word of wisdom?" he asks.
"Geez, do I look like Conficius? I'm just telling you not to give up."
There is a moment of silence.
"Well, maybe you're right." T.K. finally mutters and stands up.
"Yeah, go for it. Oh, and tell Ruki I love her!"
Kari Kamiya does something she rarely does: She panics.
Murder always looked easy in the movies.
On the other hand, the murderers always got caught in the movies.
I should feel lucky. I don't have to worry about the corpse. Kari thinks and laughs nervously.
She is pacing through the apartment, staring at the blood-stained baseball in her hand.
Tai is out with their parents. Good.
Ruki is in her room and might come out any second. Not good.
What should I do? Kari asks herself frantically.
She briefly considers talking to Ruki. Tell her everything.
Then she thinks about it.
If it weren't for the weapon, it'd be the perfect crime.
She'd just have to get rid of the baseball and-
"Kari?"
Kari jumps when she hears the voice in her back.
"RUKI!" she yells and turns around.
Ruki is standing in the living room and frowns.
"Everything all right?" the oblivious girl asks.
Or maybe she is just pretending to be oblivious.
"Are you hurt?" Ruki then asks, pointing at Kari's hand.
Kari looks down and sees the blood-covered baseball.
MORON! MORON! MORON!
Kari knows that it's over. Sobbing, she sinks onto her knees.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!" she cries.
Kari can hear Ruki coming closer.
Then the other girl kneels, too.
"What's the matter?" Ruki asks, concern showing on her face.
"I'm sorry! She was just there and... and I have been so jealous! And then..."
Kari gasps, trying to control her breathing.
"And then I killed her! I killed her! But I didn't mean it! Really! Please forgive me!"
"You killed somebody? Who did you kill?" Ruki asks.
"Renamon!"
"Why, Veemon? WHY?" Gatomon yells, tears showing in her beautiful eyes.
"Gatomon, please believe me! I have no idea what you are talking about!"
Veemon is standing in a corner now. The love of his life is only a meter away.
"LIAR! You sent her to T.K.! Why? I thought you liked me! Loved me!"
Suddenly, Gatomon stops dead in her tracks. then her eyes widen.
"Of course! You wanted me to hate her so I'd be yours for the taking!" she mutters.
"What?" Veemon asks in confusion.
"You knew we'd find out about T.K. and Renamon sooner or later." she hisses.
"I'd be angry with Renamon, she'd leave me for T.K." she continues her theory.
"And then you'd be there. To comfort me."
Veemon gasps when he hears this theory.
"Gatomon. Please let me explain what happened." he finally sighs.
Her punch sends him against one wall.
"LIAR!"
"Please! I didn't knew this would happen!"
Her next punch hits his stomach.
Although his instincts tell him to defend himself, Veemon does not fight back.
"She came to me believing we were in love!" he shouts.
Curled up on the ground, he braces himself for the next punch.
It never comes.
"She saw that dumb newspaper photo and misinterpreted it!" he whispers.
When she still doesn't beat him, he continues.
"She really thought that she and I were a couple."
"And you told her otherwise? Why?"
"I only love you. And I told her that she was mistaken."
"And then she ran?"
"Yeah. I couldn't even tell her about your feelings for her."
Veemon looks up again and sees that Gatomon is crying.
Slowly he stands up and carefully approaches the cat.
"I'm sorry. I just thought that... you..." she whispers.
"It's all right. I understand." Veemon whispers and hugs her.
Days ago, he would have been in Heaven.
But by now he knows that he is simply hugging her as a close friend.
Nothing more. But also nothing less.
Hawkmon is pacing through Yolei's room.
Finally his partner arrives, too. She had been shopping, as usual.
"Good morning, Hawkmon." she greets him happily.
Her smile fades when she sees his face.
"What's wrong?" she asks.
"Do you have a black dress? I think there will be some funerals soon."
Kari blinks in confusion.
OK, now this is eerie. she tells herself.
Ruki Makino, partner of Kari's murder victim, is laughing.
"Jeez, that was a good one. Really." the red-haired girl tells her.
"Uh, Ruki?"
"You know, I actually believed you for a second!"
"Ruki?"
"But you can't fool me. You aren't the insane-murderer type."
"Ruki."
"I mean, you're so kind and all. Maybe angry, but hey, I mean-"
"RUKI!" Kari yells, startling the laughing Ruki.
Kari gives Ruki the baseball.
Ruki frowns and takes a look at the blood stains.
"Is that... real blood?" the Tamer finally whispers.
"As real as our Digimon." Kari answers.
"Man, I almost made the biggest mistake of my life." Gatomon mutters.
Veemon strokes her head and nods.
"I hope you forgive me for all that punching?"
"Sure thing. Love makes us do weird things."
"Would you have fought back later?"
Veemon stops his stroking and looks at her.
"I mean... if I had actually threatened to kill you." Gatomon explains.
"I don't know." he admits.
Gatomon shrugs.
"Thanks for everything, Veemon." she whispers as she hugs him again.
"Don't mention it. But you should look after the others now."
She cocks her head.
"Well, Renamon is still out there." he suggests.
Her eyes widen.
"Right. But where is she? The city is too big." she sighs.
"Maybe Ruki has an idea. After all, she-"
"Of course! You're a genius!" Gatomon cheers, startling Veemon.
Ruki's D-Arc can trace her in no-time! Gatomon thinks as she starts to run.
"Gatomon?" Patamon carefully asks as he is flying through the alley.
I've heard her voice, I'm sure of it.
"Gatomon?" he calls again.
"Patamon, down here!" a familiar voice calls him.
Patamon frowns when he sees Veemon. He hadn't hoped to see him anywhere near Gatomon.
Then he sees Veemon's bruises and almost cheers.
She dumped him! She kicked his dumb blue tail to Mercury!
"You look... hurt." he greets his 'friend' as he is landing.
"Yeah. Short encounter with Gatomon." Veemon explains.
"Oh. Really. Any idea where she went?"
"Kamiya's. She wants Ruki to help her look for Renamon."
Patamon's wings go limp.
"Why does she want to look for Renamon?" he asks.
"No-brainer. She loves her. And I think she'd do anything to help Renamon."
"Veemon. I ask you as a friend: Is that the truth?"
Veemon frowns, then seems to understand Patamon.
"It is the truth. You and I love her. But she loves Renamon."
Patamon sighs.
"I can understand your feelings, Patamon. Accept it. We're just her close friends."
T.K.'s partner looks up at the bruised Rookie.
"You're right. Maybe I should start behaving like one." he whispers.
Veemon shrugs and checks his bruises.
"Yep. Let's just hope that we're all fast learners." he adds with a chuckle.