[Notes:

Eeesh…this part sucks even more than Part 2. Even MORE things not-happening! Well, I did get some points across and some new things hinted at, but this chapter moves AWFUL SLOW and I hate it. I was also writing much of this one while occupied with other things, so I'm sure I made a buttload of mistakes in it. Since I've just recently seen Ryo in the show (I've had eerily bad luck about EVER seeing him on the show), I can't ensure everything is correct when I'm talking about him…so I guess you should consider this fully AU. @_@

Actually, yeah. This will be fully AU. And I'm ditching that Biomerging crap (i.e. Takato + Guilmon = Dukemon) because it scares the hell out of me and gives me nightmares. I'll be having something VERY much more interesting planned for that in the next chapter…WHICH I HOPE LIKE HELL WILL HAVE SOME ACTUAL PLOT. As for the Leomon Dying issue, I'm not sure whether to keep that or not, since it'll be an important point in the story later on. But I guess I'll worry about it when it comes. But gee, messing and mucking up the couples is just so gosh-darned fun, ain't it?! XD

…um, yeah. Try to enjoy this if you can. *_*]

"It was a dark and stormy night…neither of them knew what hit 'em. It was just a matter of time before the beast hungered for MORE…more blood from HUMAN FLESH…"

"Mm…"

"Oops. Er, maybe whispering would bring more dramatic effect."

"Takato…what are you doing?"

"…nothing."

"That doesn't look like nothing in your hands."

"Uh…"

"And it sounds like you're narrating rather than just saying nothing."

"Yeah…"

"Takato?"

"Lee-chan?"

"Get back to sleep."

"Um…sure…"

"I just couldn't help but notice that Ruki and Hirokazu were gone," noted Takato as he pulled the covers over him.

            Lee was silent for a moment, then sat up in bed again. "They're gone?"

"They're not in their beds," Takato pointed out.

                        Immediately, Lee brandished a flashlight and turned it on, aiming at the table.

"One of the cards are gone," noticed Lee. "So one of them is outside the room. The other's probably using the toilet."

            "With the lights off?" wondered Takato, glancing at the bathroom, which was as dark as the rest of the room.

"I won't ask," Lee muttered as he laid back into bed. "Don't worry about it, Takato."

            Takato blinked. "Are you sure?"

Lee sighed and tugged Takato back to the bed. "Positive. Now let's get some sleep, okay?"

                        "Okay…"

*

"Asshole!" Ruki shouted with a glare. "I can't believe you're out here following me!"

            "Hey hey hey," Hirokazu protested, holding his arms out. "Look, I noticed you were gone, but I didn't come out here to look for you! I can't sleep just as much as you can't!"

                        "Yeah," Ruki said as she brushed a strand of hair from her face. "Right. Why can't you sleep?"

Hirokazu shrugged and looked up at the sky. "I dunno. Somethin' on my mind bothering me. Or someone."

            "Sounds like you know who," Ruki accused.

"Same for you!" interjected 'Kazu. "You can't sleep because of somebody…" He grinned. "A him…"

Ruki's eyes widened. "It's not who you think it is, Rooster-Head!"

            "Likely story," Hirokazu said with a smug smile. "The Digimon Queen misses her King."

Ruki turned her head away. "I don't know what you're talking about."

            "To tell you the truth, I've been thinking about him too," admitted 'Kazu. "He just feels so close by…"

Hirokazu suddenly found himself in the deadly grasp of Ruki. She was shaking, crazed with anger.

                        "If you tell anyone…and I mean anyone…I will fucking CASTRATE you."

The captive bluened and nodded. "Why the hell would I tell anyone, anyway?! Come on, put me down…!"

Ruki huffed and threw Hirokazu into the sand. Then she turned away like nothing happened.

            "Now get out of my sight. I'll come back when I'm good and ready."

"I'd love to," said Hirokazu, with a fake sigh. "But I only brought one card with me…such a pity…"

                        Ruki glared back at Hirokazu, similar to how Terriermon glared at Lee.

"You…WHAT?!"

            'Kazu grinned sheepishly. "Yup, you heard right. One card. Once I go, you're stuck out here."

"Give me that card!" demanded Ruki. "It's mine, and you said so!"

"I said nothing of the sort," insisted Hirokazu. "I simply said you forgot your card. This one here is mine."

            "LIAR!" shouted Ruki, pointing at him. "I SPECIFICALLY heard you say," she created a Mock-Hirokazu voice. "I believe this is yours!"

                        Hirokazu scratched his head. "Maybe…"

Ruki's pointing hand turned to the side, palm-up. "So hand it over. We'll go back in when I say so."

            "Not so fast!" Hirokazu reached into his pocket and pulled out a rubber stamp.

"What do you think you're doing…?"

                        Hirokazu remained silent as he slammed the stamp against the card. When he pulled back, the card was now marked with Property of Shiota Hirokazu in ink.

"Maybe I DID say it was yours, but now it's not!" Hirokazu said with a laugh. "And this won't be coming off for a few days!"

            Ruki took a threatening step towards him. "If you think a little INK is gonna stop me from—"

"Hold up!" cried 'Kazu. "This isn't working out! Come on, listen to me!"

                        Ruki folded her arms and tapped her foot. "Thirty seconds."

Hirokazu blinked. 30 seconds was a lot by Ruki's standards. Had it been Takato or Lee in the situation, she would never even think of giving them 20. Nonetheless, he didn't waste his time.

            "It's obvious that both of us are having sleeping problems, apparently over the same person," he stated. "I dunno about you, but I think it's obviously a sign. Something's gonna happen, and it's gonna involve Ryo. Why else would just the two of us, who have almost nothing to do with each other, end up with such a feeling? Look, I know it's late, but if we go back to bed now, we still won't be able to sleep. We need to find a nice place to just sit down and sort out our thoughts on this."

            Ruki slowly nodded, not exactly wild about admitting Hirokazu was right for once.

"Okay…I guess it can't hurt to do your suggestion," she admitted. "But the second I start feeling sleepy, we're heading back."

            "Fair enough," agreed Hirokazu. "I know just the place where we can do our thinking."

Ruki grumbled and shook her head. "This should be rich…"

                        "Yep, the bar!"

Ruki frowned. "You just wanna get drunk, then party 'till you drop."

            "Only half-true, my dear Makino…"

Slowly but surely, Ruki was getting PO'ed again. "NEVER refer to me in that manner again."

"If you say so," Hirokazu said with a shrug. "But it's just a little creepy out here, don't you think?"

            "I find it quite soothing."

"I have the caaard…"

            This did not impress Ruki. "I don't give a damn. There's no way you're getting me in that bar."

*

"I can't believe he got me into the damned bar."

            Hirokazu looked around. "Just act natural, Makino. I have this under control."

"It's your paid trip," muttered Ruki. "You might as well act like you got it under control."

The bartender came to Ruki and Hirokazu's side of the bar. "What'll it be?"

            "Piña Colada for me," ordered 'Kazu.

            "Strawberry Daiquiri," ordered Ruki.

"I take it, non-alcoholic?" assumed the bartender. "You kids look awful young."

            Hirokazu grinned and held out a few $100 bills. "We didn't eat our veggies and it stunted our growth, my man."

The bartender smiled. "I agree completely, sir!"

                        Ruki sighed and looked to Hirokazu. "Are you sure we should do this so late at night?"

            "Hey, you wanna sleep, right?" reminded 'Kazu. "Believe me, we'll think much easier with a good drink."

"I really don't trust you," Ruki said with a frown. "But I guess you won't have it any other way."

            "Enough bickering, Makino," Hirokazu persuaded. "Let's try and think about our problem…okay?"

"Okay." Ruki yawned and stretched a bit. "So, we both keep sensing Ryo, like he's around here…near us…"

                        "I know he's here," Hirokazu said with a sneer. But he was actually serious. "I can almost smell him."

"That's freaky," Ruki commented. "But why would he follow us and not tell us…?"

            "You know Ryo, he's always got his own agenda," explained 'Kazu. "He's planning a surprise."

Ruki looked down. "Maybe he's just shy…"

                        "Dude, Makino. Ryo and shy don't belong in the same sentence together."

            "Perhaps not," Ruki figured. "But then that has to mean he's gonna surprise us somehow."

Hirokazu snickered to himself. "I can't believe you still have the hots for him after all this time."

                        "I do not!" Ruki shouted back. "And don't you DARE tell Juri, either."

"Hey, Juri's my friend too," said 'Kazu. "And I wouldn't hurt her feelings. She's too nice to all of us."

            Ruki nodded slowly. "All right, then."

The bartender returned. "Here's your drinks, you two."

            "How much is that gonna be?" asked Hirokazu as he dug into his pocket.

"You well enough covered that expense," the bartender said with a wink. "Enjoy, kids."

                        "Sweet," 'Kazu said to himself as he began to drink. "You know, I always admired Ryo…"

            "Like I couldn't tell," said Ruki as she sipped her drink. "You look just like him."

"I did NOT copy his looks," 'Kazu defended. "I swear I didn't. Never knew the guy on the day I decided my hair should defy gravity…"

            "And how long ago was that?" Ruki asked drolly.

"Since…I was four," 'Kazu responded, and took another drink.

                        "I'm sure," doubted Ruki.

"You know," delved Hirokazu. "If by any chance something happens to Ryo, like he got disabled or killed or something, that would make me the Digimon King. You know that?"

            Hirokazu noted an instant glare appearing on his friend's face.

"You can NOT prove that, you lame EXCUSE for a Tamer."

                        "Ahh," Hirokazu leaned back in his hair. "I'm afraid I'm telling the truth. Trust me, I looked at the rankings. No one's better than me, chica. Not Kenta, not Lee, and definitely not Takato."

            "No…!" gasped Ruki. "You can't! You're lying!"

Hirokazu shrugged. "Ask him yourself, if he does show up. I talked to him privately in the Digital World one time. I'm totally serious, he told me that if there's ever a circumstance that prevents him from any longer being a Tamer or a card-player, that he'd give the champion position role to me."

                        "You can't…" Ruki whispered. "You can't be destined to be the King…"

            Hirokazu narrowed his eyes. "Whatsamatter, Makino? Scared of being Queen to me?" He stuck his tongue out.

"Not scared," Ruki claimed. "Just not interested. I hate your guts, Shiota. I regret ever having to meet you. So of course I'm not WILD about the idea of you being a ruler WITH me."

Hirokazu frowned. "Hey, it's not like we have to start dating or anything if I become the Digimon King. Stay with Juri for all I care. It doesn't really matter."

            "It just doesn't fit well with the image I'm trying to make for everyone, seeing as I am the Digimon Queen."

"Image, huh?" Hirokazu blinked. "What kinda image is that?"

                        "The image to never be weak," explained Ruki. "Male or female. I'll look like I'm saying gibberish if my companion is a goof like you."

            "Maybe…" assumed 'Kazu. "But I think there's another hidden reason. You were always the most layered person I knew, Ruki."

                        "Layered?"

"Like an onion," Hirokazu said with a grin. "Layered, and deadly."

            "I'm just going to pretend that was a compliment."

*

Hours later…

"Sooo, you'd rather be eaten by snakes?"

            Ruki nodded, woozily. "Like shit I'm gonna follow Okaasan's footsteps."

"I know how it is," Hirokazu awkwardly sympathized. His face was chronically flushed a deep red. Ruki was similar.

                        "I know how it is," Ruki mocked. "That's what you've been saying all this time and you never say why!"

            Hirokazu slumped forward towards Ruki. "Because I know…Otou always wanted me to work in carpentering."

"You don't say," mused Ruki. "Well, what DO you wanna be when you grow up?"

'Kazu looked up and thought for a moment. "I dunno, really…I never really thought about it!"

            Ruki gawked at him. "At your age…?! Great…"

"Ruuuukiii….what's wrong with that?"

            Ruki stuck her nose up in the air. "It's people like you who're doomed to be fast food servants eternally."

"Aw…" Hirokazu cooed. "But I'd be special! I would prepare my fast food with love…!"

            "And I'd prepare fast food with my IRON FIST. Get it?"

Ruki shoved her fist near 'Kazu's face to emphasize her point. But he only laughed.

            "Relax, I'll get a life goal soon," he giggled as he drank his fourth Piña Colada to the halfway mark.

Ruki played with her drink absent-mindedly, her third Strawberry Daiquiri. "Once you get a clue, yes."

                        Hirokazu thought for a moment. "You know, when I was little, I always wanted to be a hero."

            "Be specific," requested Ruki.

"A hero who saves damsels in distress," Hirokazu described. "The knight in shining armor, the guy who protects the ladies, that sorta thing…." He sighed. "Sometimes it pops back up on me…"

            Ruki only smirked. "Too bad, though. Digimon Kings won't be doing that much of it, and you can't count on the fact that you'll NEVER have to rescue me."

                        'Kazu shook his head. "Never count your chickens before they hatch. I'm sure I recall Takato and Lee telling me about all the times Renamon saved your ass. And I always think 'Damn, all those opportunities taken away from me to show my potential'…it's rather heartbreaking, but I least I know people or Digimon can still kidnap your ass."

            "Why are you so interested in rescuing me, anyway?" asked Ruki, intrigued.

"You'd be the most fun to rescue," Hirokazu said with a wink. "To melt that icy cold heart of yours into the beautiful one I see potentially within you."

            Ruki looked nervous. "Only Juri and Renamon have ever said that to me."

"Well, now I have. And I've had that feeling all along, Ruki. You're not as cold as you make yourself out to be, and we can tell because you're so nice to Renamon and Juri. So you can easily be just as nice to us."

                        Ruki shrugged. "Why should I be nice to you? You and the other guys are utter assholes."

            "Point taken," murmured 'Kazu as he looked out the window, to see daybreak just around the corner.

"It's that late already?" Ruki wondered, following Hirokazu's gaze. "Great…"

                        "Say, Ruki…" Hirokazu mentioned suddenly. "If you would go out with a guy, of the four of us, who would you choose…?"

            Ruki suddenly blushed. "Why the hell are you asking me that?"

"Just a tad curious." Hirokazu grinned as he looked back at Ruki.

                        Although well-drunk, Ruki could see a bad pickup line from anywhere. She stood up, picked up the remainder of her Daiquiri, and threw it on Hirokazu.

"I reiterate; you ARE an asshole!!"

            Hirokazu could only make himself grin after that attack. "Mm…delicious!"

"Forget this," Ruki growled. "I'm going back to bed."

            "Wait!!" Hirokazu stood up and held Ruki's hand. "You can't go yet!"

"Like the FUCK I can't."

                        "You really can't!" cried Hirokazu, looking as if he would break down in sobs.

Ruki softened and sighed. "Why, then?"

            "If you don't mind…" suggested Hirokazu. "I kinda…wanna see the sunrise."

Ruki lowered her head. "No. We are going back now."

                        Tears welled in 'Kazu's eyes. "But I must…! I've never seen one before!"

            Ruki rose an eyebrow. "You've gotta be kidding me."

"Never on the beach before…and I'm sure it would look so beautiful. Have you ever seen one, Ruki?"

            Ruki blinked. "Well…not that I remember."

"Then let's go back out!" urged Hirokazu. "Not likely we'll get this chance again, hai?"

            The fear-inducing girl stared hard into Hirokazu, trying to see if he was just pulling her leg. However, her thorough scanning found nothing that implied that he was joking. Hirokazu actually looked sincere like a child about to cry. Did he act this immature all the time when he was drunk…?

            "Guess not," Ruki mumbled. "Okay, okay. We'll watch the sun come up. But we REALLY need to head back after that. Do we have a deal?"

                        Hirokazu nodded energetically. "Hai!" He maintained a soft, yet firm grip on Ruki's arm as they dashed back out to the beach side, just in the area they were before.

*

Rapid, annoying beeping…over and over…never stopping…

BEEP!…BEEP!…BEEP!…BEEP!

How annoying.

Jenrya Lee aggravatingly sat up. "Whoever's got that alarm, make it stop now…"

            Lee wasn't getting much of a response from the other sleeping party. He looked around for the clock.

"Kenta…it's next to your bed…shut it off…"

                        Kenta yawned and turned over. "'Kazu's closer to it…turn it off, 'Kazu…"

            Lee narrowed his eyes. "He's not there. Turn it OFF, Kenta."

Kenta grumbled and sat up. "All right, all right…" he mumbled as he shut it off. He put on his glasses to get a clear view of the time.

                        "6:25? Gimme a break."

Takato and Juri also started to wake up.

            "Mm…morning already?" Takato guessed as he stretched.

Lee suddenly remembered the small conversation he had with Takato that night before, and froze.

                        Juri did her own stretching out. "Hmm…Ruki-chan and Hirokazu-chan woke up early…"

Takato realized Lee had recalled their absence last night, as it slowly came back to him as well.

            "Juri," Takato said in a serious tone. "Something's wrong."

"What's up, you guys…?" wondered Kenta as he started to get out of the bed.

            Lee turned to Kenta and Juri. "They did leave early…almost three hours early."

Juri was baffled. Kenta looks disbelieving. "What ARE you saying…?"

            "Takato and I…we didn't see Ruki or Hirokazu anywhere around 3 in the morning…"

"They probably didn't come back," Takato explained. "So, something's up."

Juri was instantly worried as she got out of bed and started looking around the room. Kenta's attention was well-caught as he tried to comprehend how this could happen.

"'Kazu's been so psyched for this trip…" he said to no one in particular. "I guess it makes sense that he wants to be ready as early as possible…"

            Juri looked down. "Ruki-chan wasn't that enthusiastic, though. I can't see why she'd want to get up so early."

"That settles it," confirmed Takato. "We should look for 'em."

                        "Apparently they didn't leave any notes or anything," noted Lee as he looked around the door and tables.

            "Then we have no leads," Kenta said with a sigh.

"Which means they could be anywhere," worried Juri.

            Takato formed a fist. "And since when has that stopped us when we were on a mission?!"

Kenta narrowed his eyes. "I don't think this was a Digimon's doing, Takato."

                        Takato sweatdropped. "That's not what I mean—"

            "Look, Takato," said Lee. "Hirokazu and Ruki are tough guys. They're pretty much the two strongest people in our team. Out of all of us here, they would probably be in the least amount of trouble."

                        "That's right!" Juri shouted via puppet. "They don't let others push 'em around!"

"Exactly," agreed Kenta. "I know 'Kazu won't let anyone push him around. And I honestly think no one would even wanna BOTHER Ruki. I'm sure they're both fine…wherever they are."

"Come on, just because we have no clues, that doesn't mean we can't look around for them!!"

            "We do have a schedule to follow," reminded Lee. "Day on the beach, remember? Besides, Takato…this place is huge. It'd take us forever to scale all the floors of the hotel, and the beach is a lot bigger."

                        "We'll keep an eye out for them," promised Juri. "A wide open eye!"

            "I just hope they're okay," said Kenta. "I know Hirokazu has a tendency to be random, but to just leave us behind…?"

            Lee smiled and started getting a new set of clothes out. "Knowing 'Kazu, he probably has plans for us."

"I sure hope you're right," Takato mumbled. "I guess we should just get ready, then…"

*

            "Mm…nice breeze, huh?"

"Ugh…'Kazu, you've been calling everything nice. Nice sand, nice sky, nice climate, nice ME…will you think of another adjective for once?!"

                        "Excuse me for trying to lighten the mood…"

Ruki frowned and turned away from Hirokazu. "You're such a mushy drunk," she commented.

            "Ah, well…it's nice to unwind," Hirokazu admitted as he started taking off his shirt.

Ruki was panicked. "'Kazu, what the hell are you doing?!"

                        'Kazu narrowed his eyes. "Take it easy. I'm just burning up."

            Ruki folded her arms. "And somehow, I have a REALLY hard time believing that."

Hirokazu shrugged and took his shirt off. "Believe whatever you want. But I'm not gonna melt out here just because you don't like anyone showing some skin."

Ruki rolled her eyed. "Fine, do what you want." She unfolded her arms and leaned back, one of her hands landing over a random shell. Ruki failed to notice. "This sun needs to hurry up."

            Hirokazu relaxed and spread his arms back in the same fashion of Ruki. His arm opposite of Ruki's had landed over the same shell.

                        At the same time, Hirokazu and Ruki looked over to the area where their hands touched.

"Huh," Hirokazu sputtered out. "H-how about that. A shell."

            "…yeah."

                        They both looked away and blushed, quite furiously. Their hands didn't move.

            "Well, I guess…" Ruki trailed off. She was too scared to continue.

Hirokazu smiled stupidly. "See, I'm not such a bad person. I'm completely touchable, and so are you."

            Ruki's hand started to shake a little as she turned to look at 'Kazu. "First time we've done this and not throw punches, I guess…" she said shyly.

            Hirokazu's smile changed from stupid to sincere. "I knew I could finally see you. The real Ruki."

Ruki blushed even more, but made no reacting movements when Hirokazu started holding her hand in his.

            Almost unknowingly, both Tamers started to scoot closer to each other, until their legs practically touched.

"Can you see the sun yet?"

            Ruki took her eyes off Hirokazu and squinted. "Not really, but I can tell it'll come here in a second."

"Good," 'Kazu sighed peacefully. He then blinked to notice Ruki was using her free hand to grab his own free hand.

                        Pulling them even closer together. Both started to sweat a bit.

Hirokazu looked a little uneasy as Ruki started to pull herself over Hirokazu's lap. Not that Ruki was doing her part confidently, but he was amused. He had broken her icy social barrier.

                        Just with a little intoxication!

"I hope you know the consequences of this," Ruki said as she turned sideways, so she could look directly into the object of her drunken affections. "We're…unfaithful. And we can never tell anyone."

            Hirokazu winked. "Need I say how long it took for Takato to learn that I dumped him for Kenta?"

Ruki moved in to whisper. "I don't want to leave Juri…"

            "Won't be a problem…I can't dump Kenta. Can't make myself do it…"

                        Ruki pulled away slightly. "So neither of us want to end it with them…why are we doing this?"

Hirokazu smirked and pulled Ruki back in. "You can stand for another close friend, my dear Makino…"

            Their kiss was an oddly tender one.

*

"Ahh…that's good. Now I have some awesome morning footage. Sunrises look so pretty on the beach."

            Kenta was brushing his hair. "Seriously, Takato. Please tell me you brought that video camera for some OTHER reason."

                        Takato looked back to Kenta. "Well yeah, I've got a blank tape in my bag so we can film our trip."

Kenta sighed. "Good enough, I guess. Just don't get too obsessed with that thing. You're starting to scare me."

            Lee chuckled a bit from the corner he sat at. "Don't nag at him, Kenta. He already doesn't like me doing it."

"Yeah," Kenta acknowledged as he folded his arms. "And what're you doing?"

Lee looked up from his work. He had completely claimed an entire corner of the room with his things. He was leaning back on a chair, and in his lap was a laptop.

            "Oh, Lee-chan…" grumbled Takato. "I thought you said you wouldn't stay glued to a computer for the trip!"

Lee only shrugged. "You promised you wouldn't bring the video camera, and you did anyway."

            "Yeah, but YOU'RE actually trustworthy," complained Takato.

                        "Well, to be honest, it wasn't a good idea for me to NOT bring it," Lee said with a smile.

"You get a lot of junk mail too, right?" asked Kenta as he cleaned his glasses.

            "Tons," groaned Lee. "I'm still deleting all the junk I got yesterday. This is so ridiculous."

"Well, surely you have SOME real mail, right?"

            Lee shook his head. "Only real stuff is from my friends online screaming for me to come back."

"So, what happens when you…like…don't check your mail for a few days?" asked Takato.

Lee and Kenta stared at Takato with horrified looks. Confused, Takato could only look completely clueless.

            "Perish the thought, Takato!" Kenta gasped.

"My box could get completely filled in a matter of a couple of days…" Lee said worriedly. "That would take me HOURS to sort through…"

                        Takato gulped. "Geez, sorry I asked…"

Lee gave Takato a reassuring smile. "That's why I brought the laptop. I just need to check my mail a few times a day, and that's all I do. The rest of my time, I'm spending on this vacation, and with you."

            "You…really mean it…?" Takato asked, beaming with delight.

Lee nodded, then looked back to his laptop. "Well…maybe check on some of my favorite sites now and then—"

                        "Lee-chaaaan…"

"I was kidding, really!"

Juri emerged from the bathroom. "Okay, bathroom's free, boys."

            "What's with it with girls taking forever in the bathroom?" wondered Takato, scratching his head.

"Oh, it's simple," said Kenta. "It's all the foreign smelly stuff they have. They spend lots of time making themselves smell nice so they can seduce men."

            "Why do you say that, Kenta?" Juri inquired, with her hands over her hips. "Have YOU done it lately?"

Takato and Lee started snickering.

            "Oh, shut up! I have not!" Kenta grumbled. "Now are we gonna go, or not?"

Takato looked reluctantly to the front door. "Are you sure we shouldn't wait until we hear from those two…?"

            "We've been sitting here for hours," Lee said with a yawn. "If they were going to contact us, they would've done it a long time ago."

                        Juri tried to look calm. "Well, no sense in wasting a good day! Maybe we'll find them on the beach."

"I can't imagine where else they'd be," Kenta figured. "But let's hurry up and go before all the good spots are taken."

            "The sooner we get there, the better chances we'll have of spotting them…" Lee trailed off as his eyes wandered over to Kenta, who picked up a long and very skinny abstract object. "What the?"

            Kenta grinned. "Yeah, I know we're filthy rich right now, but what's the harm in getting a little more out of the trip?"

                        "A metal detector?" gawked Juri. "I can't believe you brought that all the way over here!"

            "Hey, America's beaches may not be like Japan's," countered Kenta. "I might actually find something!"

"Other than aluminum cans, right?" joked Takato.

            "Ugh, don't remind me," Kenta sighed. "Hirokazu would know all the good spots to scan, though…"

Lee smiled. "C'mon, Kenta. Let's not dwell on that and get out of here!"

            "We'll help you out later," promised Juri. "Deal?"

Kenta looked up and smiled. "Sure. Thanks, guys."

*

It was getting late in the morning. The sky was deep blue, and there were hardly any clouds in the sky. The sun shone almost blindingly over the inhabitants of the beach, creating nothing less than perfect conditions for anyone wanting to romp around and have fun at the shore.

            Kenta didn't waste any time and went right to using his metal detector, yet remained close by his friends.

Takato played in the water for a bit, but he was lacking a partner to play with, as Lee and Juri resorted to lounging and tanning. So, Takato went back to land to make a sandcastle, which Juri agreed to help with. Lee just smiled and resumed lounging.

Takato finished making a ditch surrounding the actual castle. "How're the towers coming out, Juri?"

            "Almost done," called Juri as she busily shaped the last few tower tops. "Are you gonna get water for the moat?"

"Thanks for reminding me!" Takato remembered. He ran to the shoreline and scooped up a bucket of the salty water.

            Juri wiped her forehead once and admired the detailing she and Takato worked on for the castle for nearly 2 hours. It was quite large, as many passerbys noticed and congratulated the pair of their handiwork.

                        She looked over in Lee's direction. "What do you think of it, Lee?"

Lee turned one side. "Oh!" He took off his sunglasses. "Hmm…"

            Takato came running back with the water, and proceeded to fill the ditch.

"Looks really pretty," Lee complimented. "But…" He tilted his head to a side. "Is it me, or is it slightly lopsided?"

                        Takato and Juri blinked simultaneously. "Lopsided?"

"Kinda," Lee said with a nod. "It's not that bad, but noticeable enough."

            Juri turned her head to the same angle as Lee's, then bent down. "Ohh…he's right…"

"Ah, who's gonna notice?" Takato said as he plunked into a patch of sand, resting on his arms. "People seem to like it."

            "Right," Juri agreed. "As long as it looks nice. I wonder if there's any sandcastle contests here…"

"Like we'd win," Takato remarked. "I've seen people make castles like these, only 30 feet tall. Trust me, we could spare the embarrassment."

                        "Don't be so hard on yourself," Juri said with a giggle. "At least you can make a better sandcastle than the five of us."

            Takato narrowed his eyes. "Well, don't exclude yourself. You helped me make a lot of this. If you didn't, it'd probably be a lot more lopsided than it already is."

            "I guess," said Juri. "But I would've never come up with the moat idea."

"And I'd never have the patience to detail the towers so well!"

            "Well, I could never proportion the castle right!"

Lee sweatdropped. "Guys, you're fighting over compliments. Moumantai, hai?"

            "Guess you're right," Juri calmly admitted. She looked beyond Lee. "Found anything yet, Kenta?"

Kenta frowned as he was in the middle of digging up…a soda can tab. "Believe me. If I find anything, I'll let you know."

                        "I hear some people have a tendency to lose their gold watches on American beaches," recalled Takato.

            "Gold watches?! Argh!" Kenta sped past the three Tamers with his metal detector.

            Juri giggled briefly. "Poor Kenta. He's so out-of-place without Hirokazu."

"He always was," mentioned Takato, scooping up handfuls of sand boredly.

                        "I'm getting a little hungry…" Juri said quietly. "Anyone else up for something?"

            Lee sat up. "Actually, I could go for something. Something…cold."

"I'm up for that," concurred Takato. "Ice cream or something."

                        Juri turned completely around. "I think I remember seeing an ice cream stand close to the start of the beach. Should I go and get a menu?"

            Takato smiled. "That'd be great of you, Juri."

"I'll be right back!"

            Suddenly, Kenta came running back. "Did Katou-san just say ice cream?! I'm like, soaking in my own sweat!"

"She's getting a menu," Lee told him. "Stick around, will you?"

                        Kenta took a deep breath and sat down cross-legged. "This is so exhausting."

Takato chuckled. "Maybe you should consider taking a break, Kenta. You should see how red you look."

            "That's why I stopped when I heard 'ice cream'…" Kenta noted, still breathing heavily. Then he stopped.

"Yeah, but you might need more than that," explained Takato. "You don't exactly exercise or— Kenta…?"

            Kenta seemed to stop all movement, as he was looking directly at something with widened eyes.

Lee started to notice the sudden pause. "Uh…Kenta? Daijoubu?"

                        Kenta only pointed in the direction of where he looked. Takato and Lee followed the gaze…

Off in the distance, a long stream of dust clouds trailed along the beach in a diagonal line, heading right for the hotel.

            "Someone's in a hurry," figured Lee.

"Look…" Kenta said emotionlessly, still pointing.

            Leading the trail of dust and sand were two very recognizable people.

"So…they HAVE been out here this whole time," Takato acknowledged. "But since 3 AM…?"

            "I don't think so," Lee said. "Something's up. We should ask them, but…"

"They run too fast for me," Takato immediately said.

            "Me too," Kenta quickly added.

Lee sweatdropped. "Maybe Juri will run into them…"

*

"Menu…? You're gonna order, right?"

            "Of course!" Juri replied. "I just need to let my friends know about the flavors."

The ice cream man shrugged and handed Juri a menu. "You wouldn't believe how many kids run off with these things."

            Juri took it. "That's odd…"

"Isn't it?" The ice cream man scratched his head. "I'll never understand kids these days…uh, no offense, of course!"

            "None taken," Juri accepted. "Because I know you're talking about the boys."

                        The ice cream man grinned. "Well…girls can be a little sneaky too, but I'm sure you're not like that!"

"I'm as sweet as they come!" Juri said with a smile. "By the way, don't you get hot under all that hair…?"

The man shrugged. "At least I keep it all up. I dunno, I've always had lots of hair…people called me Tree-Head throughout my school years, but eh. It's what I'm used to. I wouldn't butcher this mop for all the money in the world."

            Juri looked amazed. "You really wouldn't…?"

                        "Eh, I kinda lied. I'd like to be out of this job as soon as possible."

"Knew it," Juri bowed. "But believe in me, and I'll bring your menu right back!"

                                    "Never doubted ya for a second," the man said and leaned against the wall of the stand.

Juri started walking back to her friends, going over the list of flavors. But then she noticed a small commotion taking place not far from her. She looked that way and noticed the trail of dust and sand being created by two people in a huge hurry.

            "Oh! Ruki-chan! 'Kazu-chan!"

Juri started to chase after them, but was appalled to find, in a split second, they had run clear to the hotel.

            After looking highly concerned for a bit, Juri ran back to her friends.

*

"Ow! Will you let go of my wrist now?!"

            "Alright…we ARE inside now…ow…"

"Ditto," Ruki said with a wince. "What…happened?"

"I'm trying to remember, myself," said Hirokazu, clearly looking exhausted. "Goddamn, I hope I don't have sun poisoning."

            Ruki glanced at Hirokazu's still-bare back. "It looks pretty overdone. I'd stay indoors for a few days if I were you."

"Not that you look much better," he commented. "Though I will admit, it's funny to see you in a different skin tone other than Dead-Person-Pale."

            "And the price I pay for being that," grumbled Ruki, examining her arms. "I look like a cherry, now."

Hirokazu started staggering to the elevator. "I wonder how long we've been out there…"

            "Long enough to be sunburned to all hell," Ruki answered as she followed him. "I can't believe we slept in so late."

                        "Really? What time is it?"

Ruki looked down at her wrist. "Past noon. I do kinda remember us being up a little late…"

            "Yeah, insomnia attack," recalled 'Kazu as he rubbed his temples. "Now my head wants to cave in."

The elevator door opened, and the two entered.

            "I don't care how long we've been sleeping out there. I'm going right to bed," said Ruki as the doors closed.

"Oh, crap!" shouted Hirokazu. "Takato and the others must've been looking all over for us today…! I set that alarm clock for 6 in the morning!"

                        Ruki looked uneasy. "Where do you suppose they are…?"

            "They'd better be looking for us, those ungrateful slobs…!" Hirokazu formed a fist. "Then again, I did plan for everyone to be out on the beach today…damn it! I was also supposed to get that car looked at later today!"

                        "Guess we screwed over our own first day," figured Ruki. "We'll make it up. I just wanna sleep."

"Yeah…" Hirokazu groaned. "No way I can get myself to do anything today…head hurts too much…"

            The elevator reached the top, and the pair left for their room.

*

"So it WAS them," confirmed Lee, appearing to be in deep thought. "Wonder why they were in such a hurry…"

            "I never knew 'Kazu ran that fast…" admired Kenta. "He should've been on the track team this year!"

                        "Ruki was with him," added Takato. "So they've probably been together the whole time."

"But for what?" Juri asked. But she wasn't expecting a response. "One of us should follow them."

            "Forget it," Kenta denied. "I've already pooped myself out from running. I need ice cream before I even THINK of moving."

                        "I can't go," argued Juri. "I have to return this menu as soon as possible!"

            Lee shrugged. "Hey, if they went back to the hotel, they're probably just going back to our room. So at least we know where they are. And I'm hungry."

                        Takato fell into the sand on his back again. "Let's just eat some ice cream first…"

Juri sighed in defeat. Still, as worried as she was for Ruki, she couldn't break her promise to the nice Ice Cream Man…

            "All right then," she consented. "Here's all the flavors: Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, Mint Chip, Coffee, Cookies n' Cream, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Chocolate Cherry Jubilee, Pistachio, Raspberry, Butter Pecan, Rocky Road, Neapolitan…need I go on…?"

            The boys shook their heads, signifying their readiness.

"All right!" shouted Juri, wielding a pencil. "Order up!"

                        "That Jubilee thing sounds pretty good," spoke out Lee. "So I'll take that."

            "You know," said Takato. "All my life I've lived in a bakery, so we really only had one ice cream readily available to eat; Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. I spent almost EVERY year of my freaking life eating Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream. And you know what? It's time for a change. Juri, sign me up for STRAWBERRY!"

            Juri giggled and started writing the orders down. "You're one step closer to being a big boy, Takato!"

"Well, I'm not Takato," said Kenta. "And I don't want something new. Mint Chip as always, Juri."

"Got it!" Juri announced with a smile. "I'll be right back!"

                        With that, she was gone again.

*

"Ugh…I feel so crappy, I can hardly sleep…"

            "The more you talk, the harder you make it," groaned Ruki.

Hirokazu staggered up from his bed. "Fine," he said. "You have any ideas?"

                        "Didn't anyone bring medication?" wondered Ruki. "Sleep medicine would be nice."

"I don't think Kenta did," Hirokazu guessed with a yawn. "As far as I know, Takato has no medication…I dunno about Lee."

            "Forget it," grumbled Ruki as she dropped back down on her bed, face-first. "I just need something to get rid of this headache."

"Maybe we both caught some kinda bug…"

            "Maybe…"

The pair rose their heads as they heard something click and turn. The front door opened, and the remaining four Tamers went through quickly.

            "Hirokazu! Ruki!"

            "Oh…" Juri gasped, putting a hand over her mouth. "You two…you're…"

"Sunburned. Completely," finished Ruki. "And before anyone asks, no, we don't know how we got outside long enough to fry."

Lee blinked. "What's the last thing you guys remember…?"

            "Ruki and I had sleeping problems," admitted 'Kazu. "Not at the same time…but we kinda ran into each other outside, anyway. It was really late…maybe 2 AM."

                        "Yeah, Lee and I noticed you were gone like an hour later," Takato mentioned.

"I won't ask how," said Ruki. "I KNOW we both eventually went back inside for a drink…after that it's all blank in my mind."

            "What did you drink?" Lee asked suspiciously.

                        Ruki gave Hirokazu a tired glance. "Do you remember?"

Hirokazu looked ill. "Totally blank here…"

            "Of course," Lee said, without amusement. "I can only suppose you both got too drunk to remember."

                        "That might explain the splitting headache," muttered 'Kazu.

"Wait a second—ow!…I don't really even drink that much. And when I do, it's not with this loser!"

            "Maybe he spiked your drink," Takato suggested jokingly.

"Very funny, Goggle-For-Brains."

                        "At least you're okay," said Juri. "But it's best you don't go outside for a while…"

            "A while?" asked Lee. "Juri, I don't think they should be out for a few days!"

"They are pretty burnt…" Juri noted. "Oh, but what can they do all cooped up in here…?"

                        "Believe me," assured Hirokazu. "I won't be doing ANY moving today…"

"Same here," added Ruki. "Too painful. You guys go on out and have fun. We're not going anywhere."

            "Are you sure?" asked Takato. "The beach won't quite be the same without you guys."

Kenta took a bite out of his ice cream cone. "Yeah, 'Kazu, you and I always hunted for gold on the beaches together! I'm coming up with nothing so far!"

                        "Hey, it's America, people dump their jewelry carelessly everywhere all the time…"

            Kenta looked down. "I guess. Just get well soon, okay?"

"Where'd you guys get that ice cream?" Hirokazu asked as he looked up at the others.

            "There's a stand outside," replied Juri, licking her Vanilla ice cream. "You want some?"

"It might help," Hirokazu said with a smile. "What say you, Makino?"

            "I guess," sighed Ruki. "Only if they have something I like. Like Chocolate."

"What would an ice cream place be without chocolate ice cream, Ruki?" 'Kazu asked. "Geez. Do they have Rocky Road?"

            "Yeah," answered Takato, who started on eating his cone.

"Good. Go get us some ice cream, then."

                        "I sure hope it doesn't melt by the time we get back into the hotel," worried Juri.

"Oh," added Ruki. "I want you to get something for Renamon, too. She must be frying outside."

            "Sure," agreed Lee. "What does she want?"

                        "Renamon," Ruki murmured lazily. Her Digimon promptly arrived next to her.

"Is there anything you need?"

            "Go with my friends," the Tamer ordered. "They're getting some ice cream for me, and since you've done such a good job lately, you can have some too."

                        Renamon paused for a moment. "…Okay, Ruki-sama."

"And make sure the ice cream doesn't melt. If they let it melt, walk all over them, Renamon."

            "Of course, Ruki," acknowledged Renamon, as she walked toward the others.

"Now that you have incentive, hurry up and give me some damned ice cream."

*

            "Ruki sure knows how to get her way," Kenta commented as they exited the hotel.

"Order up, Renamon!" chirped Juri, holding up a menu. "What flavor do you want?"

                        "…I'll have to think about that for a moment."

"Haven't you ever had ice cream before?" asked Takato.

            "Maybe once or twice," said Renamon. "I can't really remember…"

                        "I've never known someone who doesn't remember ice cream," exclaimed Kenta.

"Ruki probably doesn't let her get out enough, except to fight," figured Lee. "Oh well. Better decide on something before we get to the stand, Renamon."

                                    "I'm thinking…"

After a couple of minutes, the group had reached the stand.

            "Thanks for letting me use this again," Juri thanked as she returned the menu to the Ice Cream Man. "I knew I'd need to use it again."

                        "So, you DO need some more, huh?" the man said with a smile. "Okay, lay the orders on me."

            Juri quickly jogged her memory. "One Chocolate, one Rocky Road, and-…Renamon?"

The Ice Cream Man slowly noticed the slender, tall figure behind the shorter ones. His eyes widened when he noticed this was no human in a fox costume.

            "Um…oops," squeaked Juri. "I thought Americans were used to this sort of thing…"

"I told you they'd freak out," Kenta whispered to her.

                        "I will have Neapolitan," Renamon requested.

            "Wait a second," gasped the man as he backed into the wall. "You're…"

"My name is Renamon," introduced Ruki's partner. "A pleasure."

            "You're a DIGIMON…!"

Everyone gawked at the man for a moment.

            "You…know what a Digimon is!" Lee exclaimed.

"Well…yeah…" the man stuttered. He paused, then quickly served the three ice creams. "Here you go! Bye now!"

            He abruptly closed his windows and pulled the curtains over them.

                        There was a long pause…

"You forgot to take the money!" Juri called out.

                        No response.

Renamon frowned. "I didn't ask for ice cream with an ugly rainbow on it."

*

            "Ugly rainbow? Renamon, that's that Neapolitan ice cream IS," said Ruki.

"Is it?" she inquired. "It sounds sound like a flavor that would have such a thing…"

                        Ruki sighed. "It's chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry all together…I KNOW I fed you ice cream before."

            "I'm sorry," apologized Renamon. "Forgive my ignorance. But it was good."

"Then that's all what matters."

            Takato paced around the room, eating a Popsicle. When he got to one end, he looked over at Lee, who was seemingly busy at work on his laptop.

                        "Whatcha workin' on?" Takato asked.

            "Call me crazy, but that guy looked familiar," said Lee. His eyes weren't moving from the screen. "That…guy that gave us the ice cream. It's too freaky to be a coincidence that he just happens to know about real Digimon."

            "You don't say," Takato mumbled as he took a bite out of his Popsicle. "What did he look like to you?"

"Like someone we should know about," Lee figured as he looked up to Takato. "Just a hunch, though. I guess I could stand to relax some. I did promise you that, didn't I?"

            Takato chuckled and put his free arm around Lee's neck. "If you think it's that serious, I don't mind you working. Besides, it's getting late. There's not much else to do now except sleep."

                        "Well…" Lee grinned. "I was kinda interested in seeing how nice the arcade was in this place…"

            "You haven't been there yet?" asked Kenta. "I can't believe you haven't!"

"Well, I don't consider playing video games as spending time with Takato," admitted Lee. "I'd still like to check it out, out of curiosity…how nice is it, Kenta?"

            "I can't begin to describe," Kenta sighed. "I'll leave it for you to find out."

Lee closed the lid on his laptop. "Well, without any information on that guy, I can't really do much work, can I?"

                        "I'll go with you to the arcade if you want!" offered Takato. "I like playing games! I just suck at them.."

"I thought you were gonna do your movie," Juri reminded.

            "Nah, I decided against a sunset scene," said Takato. "So I'm holding off filming 'till tomorrow."

Juri smiled. "Oh, okay! I'm a little tired, actually. I think I'll just watch TV before I turn in."

            "I know where the arcade is," informed Kenta. "So I can take you guys there."

"Great!" said Takato. "Then let's go!"

            Hirokazu suddenly burst out from the bathroom door, wearing nothing but a towel.

"Nobody's going anywhere!" he shouted. "I need some of you to come with me. Once I get dressed, we're leaving."

                        "Where do you think you're going?" Ruki asked. "Neither of us are going outside."

            "Goddamn Makino," Hirokazu said, clearly annoyed. "It's gonna be nighttime in a few minutes. Ease up."

"But it still hurts to even move," she whined. "I can't believe you were even able to take a shower…"

            "Pain or no pain, I need to get that other van fixed!" 'Kazu shouted. "I was supposed to have it done today!"

"You could've just asked one of us to take it in for you," said Lee. "I wouldn't mind."

                        "OHHH NO," growled 'Kazu. "None of you are touching my cars ever again. ESPECIALLY you, Jenrya. These are MY cars and only I can touch them! Capishe?!"

                                    "Sorry for offering to be nice," Lee muttered.

            Hirokazu shrugged. "Once I get that other van fixed, maybe I'll consider LENDING it to you guys."

"Why else have two vans," Lee said, rolling his eyes. "All right, how many of us are going?"

                        "You are, for one, Lee-kun. Because you're such a smart-ass about everything."

            "Fine," he sighed and stood up. "Even though I never understand why you need me to tag along when you have CAR PROBLEMS…seeing as I know nothing about them."

                        "I just do it to annoy you," Hirokazu told him. "Duh. Ruki, you're coming too."

                        "Huh?!" Ruki sat up, aggravated. "Why do I have to go?!"

            "Because you're a whiner," answered 'Kazu. "The rest of you, stay and do whatever. We'll be back in a few hours."

            "Are you sure you'll be alright?" Takato asked worriedly. "I can come if you want…"

Hirokazu held out a hand. "Not to worry, Takato-kun. I promise we'll all come out alive. But it'll be a lot more convenient to have two vans instead of one, and seeing as we'll all have specific plans to follow out soon for the trip, it's best we get this done as soon as possible."

                        "Okay then…" conceded Takato. "Just be careful."

            "And Ruki," noted Hirokazu. "It won't be so bad outside, okay? Just chill out."

Ruki stood up, not looking impressed. "Let's just get this over with."

*

            "Ugh…it's so muggy out here. I think I'll stand inside for a while," decided Ruki as she walked into the direction of the store. "Do you guys want anything?"

                        "I'm just gonna get something to drink out of a machine," Lee called back as he walked to a Coke machine and started looking at his choices.

            "I'll be busy," announced Hirokazu. "The guy says if we do some of the work ourselves, he'll cut down the fee. So come back here when you're ready, Lee!"

"Sure!" Lee shouted back, still eyeing the machine. So many options…so many sweet, caffeine-infused carbonated drinks.

            /Tamer…/

                        Lee blinked and looked to the side. Nothing but darkness. He shrugged, and started putting change into the machine.

            /Silly Tamer…/

Lee punched the button for a Regular Coca-Cola. There was a brief pause. …He pressed it again.

            "Of COURSE you're sold out," Lee grumbled. "Everything I like has to be sold out…"

/Foolish human!/

                        Lee frowned and hit the Sprite button. The frown vanished when he heard the 20 oz. Bottle tumble down through the machine, and into the bottom tray.

            He smiled and picked it up, opened it, and immediately drinking it.

/Engaging in such primitive human rituals…stupid Tamer./

                        Lee immediately made a 180° turn-around. "All right, who's there?!"

No more voice. And still the same old darkness.

            The half-Chinese Tamer started to look nervous. The more that voice spoke to him, the more inhuman it seemed.

                                                ….A Digimon?

"Jenrya! Move it or lose it, bucko! You know I can't do this alone!…OW! Especially not with me in pain like this!"

            Lee snapped out of it and looked to Hirokazu. Something still didn't feel right…

                        "Earth to Lee!" 'Kazu shouted. "Kami-sama! This isn't the time to be spacing out! HEY!"

            Lee silently walked over to Hirokazu, looking thoughtfully down at his Sprite.

                        "What's with you?" 'Kazu asked as he carefully removed a wire. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

            "Hirokazu-kun…you…heard it too, right?"

                        Hirokazu looked up from his work. "What're you talking about?"

Lee folded his arms and shuddered. 'Kazu's eyes widened as he realized Lee wasn't joking, or just spacing out.

            "I don't wanna jump to conclusions…" Lee whimpered. "But something's following us…"

Hirokazu rolled his eyes and went back to work. "Stop fakin', Lee." He scoffed. "Get me that new wire on the ground."

            Lee obeyed, still moving slowly and looking nervous. "It was calling me Tamer, 'Kazu. Tamer. Like it knows."

                        "And, like, who doesn't know…can you plug this in?"

            "It also called me a foolish human, 'Kazu…" Lee continued, quietly. "Just like the stereotypical evil Digimon…"

                        "The socket's right here, Lee…pay attention!" ordered 'Kazu, not buying a thing Lee said.

Lee started plugging in the wires, but still seemed fully absorbed in his own paranoia.

            "'Kazu…what if some evil band of Digimon followed us to Hawaii? We're defenseless here…only Ruki brought her Digimon, and if these alleged Digimon are anything above an Ultimate level, we could be in BIG trouble…"

                        Lee finished the wiring and looked up. Hirokazu was no longer with him.

"Hirokazu-kun…?!"

            All of a sudden, the van's engine started. Lee jumped back in surprise, until he heard a familiar cheer.

"Works like a charm!" shouted Hirokazu from the driver's seat. "And you said you didn't know anything about cars, Lee!"

                        Lee sighed, not in the mood to scold Hirokazu for being rude.

"I'll get Ruki, then…"

                                    Lee started walking to the store.

/So, you DO fear me, Tamer./

            That was enough for Lee to turn around and look all over. No sign of a body where the voice came from.

/Foolish boy. Can't even detect me. You'll be a fun playmate once the stage is set./

            "Who are you?! Come on!" demanded Lee. "I don't have my Digimon with me, but I can still kick the crap out of you if I have to…!"

/So damned harsh./

                        Lee softened a bit. "Look, if you're not evil and after my life, I don't want to hurt you…! But you have to tell me who you are and what you want from me!"

/I think the former was obvious from the start. No matter. Things will be clear pretty soon./

            Lee was looking all over the place, fully cautious. "Coward…"

/Fine. Go backwards, five steps. Then look up./

            Jenrya Lee obeyed, though he knew he wouldn't like what he'd see. And though the details were completely shunned by the darkness, Lee could distinguish a tall body standing on top of the roof of the gas station.

"Now…what's your name?"

            "You'll be learning it anyway, a little later on. But know this, Tamer, those fools who called for your help will NOT be getting their desired wish…! That, I promise you!"

                        Lee was bewildered. "W-what?! Nobody called for us!"

            "You may think that now…but if you think this is just an innocent vacation…you are horribly mistaken."

Lee gritted his teeth. "Enough of this psycho-babble! Give me some facts…!"

"Who are you talking to?"

Lee quickly turned around and assumed a defensive pose. "…Ah! Ruki?!"

            "Are you blind or something?" she asked as she passed him, carrying a bag of food. "Hirokazu's been waving at you for nearly two minutes. Get in the car, we're going."

                        Lee couldn't believe it. "Didn't you see?! I think there's a Digimon up on that roof!"

            Ruki looked up where her friend was looking. "Yup. A big ol' invisible one. Come on." She continued to walk.

"No, I'm serious!" Lee shouted, trying to stop Ruki. "It was talking to me! I think we're in trouble!"

                        Ruki sighed and took out her D-Arc. "Well, according to this, you're full of crap. Let's go."

            Lee grumbled and followed Ruki to the van. "Why don't you believe me…?"

"Because I hate you the most," explained Ruki as she took the shotgun seat. "Hirokazu, has he been bugging you about a Digimon?"

                        "He's fakin'," Hirokazu repeated. "Just don't pay attention."

            "I'm so GLAD to see you two have so much faith in me," growled Lee as he took a backseat.

With everyone all set, the car pulled out of the station and back to the hotel.

*

"Are you still kinda hurting, Makino?"

            "Yeah," nodded Ruki. "It's not so bad moving around now…but if I get scratched, it's hell-pain."

"Same here, mostly," agreed Hirokazu. "Maybe if we cover ourselves in blankets, we can still go outside tomorrow.."

                        "You both are nuts," commented Lee. "Just swim in the indoor pool or something."

            "Don't talk to us, psycho," Ruki said jokingly. "You should stay inside just in case you start hallucinating a bunch of Digimon out on the beach tomorrow."

                        "I'm telling you, I saw a Digimon!"

            "Lee, if you say 'Digimon' one more time, I'm kicking you out," threatened 'Kazu. "I don't want you scaring the other guys into thinking we'll be attacked in the middle of the vacation! They're a lot more gullible than me and Ruki, y'know."

            Lee grumbled and leaned back. "Fine. But if we DO get attacked, it's all your fault, Hirokazu."

                        "It's a bet!" shouted Hirokazu as he sped across the highway. "And Makino?"

                                    "Sure, why not? I love to make Lee look like a moron."

Meanwhile, outside, Renamon was traveling on the hood of the van. She looked up at the moonlight thoughtfully, much like her Tamer. It was odd how they both went under similar procedures to be calm.

            "I wish Ruki was more wary…" Renamon said to herself. "After all…I don't feel alone in this place…"

She knew, deep down, that somewhere out there, that mysterious alleged Digimon was watching her…and laughing.

                        "I don't want Lee to be right… Please, let us have world peace."

Somewhere out there, that Digimon WAS watching Renamon, and laughing.

            "I do prefer a piece of the world myself. HAHAHAHA!"

[It'll be continued…with something hopefully more interesting. T_T]