Renamon stood looking out at the bright city lights. Somewhere, a siren wailed
its alarm through the streets. Cars honked, engines roared, people yelled. Above,
two or three stars poked through the jealous brightness of the city's glory.
Rika was out there, somewhere. Renamon needed to help, but didn't know where
to start.
"Rika," whispered Renamon, a tear running down her face.
Roland appeared next to her in his digimon form, similar to Renamon, but more
of a grey wolf than a yellow fox.
"I talked to the police," he said.
"I know."
Roland sighed. "They don't have any clues yet. They searched her room. No signs
of struggle, no footprints, the window wasn't forced, nothing. They even
checked for fingerprints. In fact, the only evidence for it being a kidnapping
at all is the note, and the fact she didn't pack up any clothes. They say she
could have just written the note herself."
"She didn't run away." Renamon was shaking.
Roland nodded. This was hard on all of them, but Renamon especially. He stepped
closer to her.
"I went over the house myself, for scent, after the police left. It was too
muddled to tell for sure, but someone was in that room. I couldn't follow the
scent, though."
Renamon sat down on the building's roof. "Is there no hope, then?"
Roland sat down next to Renamon. "No, there's hope. Her digivice wasn't in
her room. If she has it with her, then Mr. Wong says he can make a device that
can track its output. If she is within a hundred miles, we'll be able to find
her."
Renamon nodded that she understood. It was slim hope indeed. Even if Rika didn't
lose it somehow, it was unlikely that the kidnappers would let her keep it,
unless she hid the digivice. Every passing moment lessened the chance that
they would be able to find Rika.
Roland stood up and turned to leave. "I need to get back. Mr. Wong will need
my digivice to help make the machine."
"No, please stay," said Renamon, also standing back up, "Henry can help his
father. I don't want to be alone tonight. Please."
Roland stopped, then nodded. "All right." He remembered the night he lost
Kijutsumon. He wished someone had comforted him, then.
Together, they watched the city in its noisy, nervous, fitful sleep.
* * *
The next afternoon. Birds were chirping, the sun was shining, and in the
distance, children were laughing and playing. Oblivious to the cheeriness of
the day, several boys and a girl, most about twelve years of age, were locked
in serious discussion.
Henry and Roland took turns explaining things to the other Tamers.
". . . digivice was missing from her room," continued Henry, "My father thinks
he can make a machine to track it. If it is within a hundred miles, we should
be able to find it."
Jeri looked down at the grass, concern written across her face. "What if she
doesn't have it, or they take it. What then?"
"Yeah," said Takato next to her, "Don't we have any other clues?"
Henry nodded at Roland, who spoke up. "Last night after the police left, I
went sniffing about. The scent was muddled by all the activity, but I think
there might have been a digimon in there. I wasn't sure at first, but after
talking it over with Renamon, we agreed someone needed to go the the digital
world on an information-gathering mission."
"Hey, cool," said Kazu, "can I come, too? I'd love to go back there, now that
the devas are gone."
Roland shook his head. "Sorry, no. Only Renamon and I will go. Pure humans are
just too slow, and we'll have to really move if we get in trouble. Besides,
we know the digital world better than anyone else."
Kazu grumbled a bit, but didn't protest too much; it did make sense.
"All right, then," said Henry, "If no one else has anything to say, we'd better
break up this meeting." He looked over to the large pond, where all the digimon
but Renamon were having a splash fight. Surpisingly enough, Terriermon was
winning. He was using his ears to sort of perform a double-splash move, which
Takato agreed was brilliant.
Roland called Renamon over. "Come one," he said, "We've got to go digital."
its alarm through the streets. Cars honked, engines roared, people yelled. Above,
two or three stars poked through the jealous brightness of the city's glory.
Rika was out there, somewhere. Renamon needed to help, but didn't know where
to start.
"Rika," whispered Renamon, a tear running down her face.
Roland appeared next to her in his digimon form, similar to Renamon, but more
of a grey wolf than a yellow fox.
"I talked to the police," he said.
"I know."
Roland sighed. "They don't have any clues yet. They searched her room. No signs
of struggle, no footprints, the window wasn't forced, nothing. They even
checked for fingerprints. In fact, the only evidence for it being a kidnapping
at all is the note, and the fact she didn't pack up any clothes. They say she
could have just written the note herself."
"She didn't run away." Renamon was shaking.
Roland nodded. This was hard on all of them, but Renamon especially. He stepped
closer to her.
"I went over the house myself, for scent, after the police left. It was too
muddled to tell for sure, but someone was in that room. I couldn't follow the
scent, though."
Renamon sat down on the building's roof. "Is there no hope, then?"
Roland sat down next to Renamon. "No, there's hope. Her digivice wasn't in
her room. If she has it with her, then Mr. Wong says he can make a device that
can track its output. If she is within a hundred miles, we'll be able to find
her."
Renamon nodded that she understood. It was slim hope indeed. Even if Rika didn't
lose it somehow, it was unlikely that the kidnappers would let her keep it,
unless she hid the digivice. Every passing moment lessened the chance that
they would be able to find Rika.
Roland stood up and turned to leave. "I need to get back. Mr. Wong will need
my digivice to help make the machine."
"No, please stay," said Renamon, also standing back up, "Henry can help his
father. I don't want to be alone tonight. Please."
Roland stopped, then nodded. "All right." He remembered the night he lost
Kijutsumon. He wished someone had comforted him, then.
Together, they watched the city in its noisy, nervous, fitful sleep.
* * *
The next afternoon. Birds were chirping, the sun was shining, and in the
distance, children were laughing and playing. Oblivious to the cheeriness of
the day, several boys and a girl, most about twelve years of age, were locked
in serious discussion.
Henry and Roland took turns explaining things to the other Tamers.
". . . digivice was missing from her room," continued Henry, "My father thinks
he can make a machine to track it. If it is within a hundred miles, we should
be able to find it."
Jeri looked down at the grass, concern written across her face. "What if she
doesn't have it, or they take it. What then?"
"Yeah," said Takato next to her, "Don't we have any other clues?"
Henry nodded at Roland, who spoke up. "Last night after the police left, I
went sniffing about. The scent was muddled by all the activity, but I think
there might have been a digimon in there. I wasn't sure at first, but after
talking it over with Renamon, we agreed someone needed to go the the digital
world on an information-gathering mission."
"Hey, cool," said Kazu, "can I come, too? I'd love to go back there, now that
the devas are gone."
Roland shook his head. "Sorry, no. Only Renamon and I will go. Pure humans are
just too slow, and we'll have to really move if we get in trouble. Besides,
we know the digital world better than anyone else."
Kazu grumbled a bit, but didn't protest too much; it did make sense.
"All right, then," said Henry, "If no one else has anything to say, we'd better
break up this meeting." He looked over to the large pond, where all the digimon
but Renamon were having a splash fight. Surpisingly enough, Terriermon was
winning. He was using his ears to sort of perform a double-splash move, which
Takato agreed was brilliant.
Roland called Renamon over. "Come one," he said, "We've got to go digital."