The girl crouched under a digital tree, glaring at the cold rain. "It's simple. Izzy was complaining about the latest virus going around, and... it just hit me. Ken's control of this world is through computers, and he's expecting us to fight him with our digimon. We've been fighting this war for years, because he has a lot of Digimon who waste away quickly, and we have a few digimon who can rebuild their strength--and we treat them right."
Hawkmon mumbled something about being awakened at three in the morning.
Yolei was too immersed in her work to hear her partner's remark, luckily for him. She typed at her D3 furiously and, in her excitement, failed to notice a soft whoosh that grew more and more pronounced against the staccato rapping of the rain on grass and leaves. Hawkmon, for his part, realized too late what was happening. He groaned. "Yolei... my dear..."
"Shhh, I almost got it." She waved her hand vaguely in Hawkmon's direction. A shot of bright fire scorched the handheld computer. She turned, more annoyed than anything. "Hey, since when do you shoot fire?" At his mournful expression, she turned herself further.
"Clever plan, girl." A slender young man grinned at her from his perch atop a winged digimon. "I could use your skills in maintenance of my Empire. If you ever realize the inferiority of your... friends," his lips curled in distaste, "I would be happy to set you to work for me. I would appreciate your unique talents more than they ever could."
Yolei scoffed. "You wish." She cast one last look at her ruined D3. "Well, you might as well let us go." Shivering, she crossed her arms and stuck out her lower lip. She really hated this weather, come to think of it.
The Emperor pretended to consider this. "It is three thirty in the morning and very unpleasant here. You're right."
Yolei's head jerked up. "I am? I mean, of course I am." She stared at him, mystified. Hawkmon fluttered near his partner, equally confused.
"You are. But I would hate to think that I came out here for nothing. I think that a hostage might... shake up this infernal stalemate that has plagued our little war."
The girl paled. "A hostage? Umm, I don't think that would be very good." She chuckled nervously. "You-you know how Davis can be. He'll just charge in and ruin everything. Yeah, that's Davis for you."
"Quite right," Hawkmon chirped up. Ken and Yolei shot him twin glares, and he ducked behind the latter.
The Emperor's twisted grin never reached his eyes, hidden behind black glasses. "And you're amusing. Pity." At an elaborate hand-gesture, five digimon stepped out of the shadows. Five tall, lean, tortured shapes Yolei couldn't identify. If she had her D3, she could've looked them up in an instant, but noooo.
Hawkmon leapt into the sky and sped away. Yolei silently wished him luck; if he could avoid Ken's sectors, he could wait until the digidestined came and tell them what had happened to his partner. Suddenly, she realized that her glasses had fogged up. All she could see now were dark shadows advancing on her. Well, Ken had another thing coming if he thought she would passively let herself be taken by... whatever those things were. She screamed shrilly and ran straight into the nearest one, as best she could judge. Yolei had always liked the element of surprise.
Hawkmon mumbled something about being awakened at three in the morning.
Yolei was too immersed in her work to hear her partner's remark, luckily for him. She typed at her D3 furiously and, in her excitement, failed to notice a soft whoosh that grew more and more pronounced against the staccato rapping of the rain on grass and leaves. Hawkmon, for his part, realized too late what was happening. He groaned. "Yolei... my dear..."
"Shhh, I almost got it." She waved her hand vaguely in Hawkmon's direction. A shot of bright fire scorched the handheld computer. She turned, more annoyed than anything. "Hey, since when do you shoot fire?" At his mournful expression, she turned herself further.
"Clever plan, girl." A slender young man grinned at her from his perch atop a winged digimon. "I could use your skills in maintenance of my Empire. If you ever realize the inferiority of your... friends," his lips curled in distaste, "I would be happy to set you to work for me. I would appreciate your unique talents more than they ever could."
Yolei scoffed. "You wish." She cast one last look at her ruined D3. "Well, you might as well let us go." Shivering, she crossed her arms and stuck out her lower lip. She really hated this weather, come to think of it.
The Emperor pretended to consider this. "It is three thirty in the morning and very unpleasant here. You're right."
Yolei's head jerked up. "I am? I mean, of course I am." She stared at him, mystified. Hawkmon fluttered near his partner, equally confused.
"You are. But I would hate to think that I came out here for nothing. I think that a hostage might... shake up this infernal stalemate that has plagued our little war."
The girl paled. "A hostage? Umm, I don't think that would be very good." She chuckled nervously. "You-you know how Davis can be. He'll just charge in and ruin everything. Yeah, that's Davis for you."
"Quite right," Hawkmon chirped up. Ken and Yolei shot him twin glares, and he ducked behind the latter.
The Emperor's twisted grin never reached his eyes, hidden behind black glasses. "And you're amusing. Pity." At an elaborate hand-gesture, five digimon stepped out of the shadows. Five tall, lean, tortured shapes Yolei couldn't identify. If she had her D3, she could've looked them up in an instant, but noooo.
Hawkmon leapt into the sky and sped away. Yolei silently wished him luck; if he could avoid Ken's sectors, he could wait until the digidestined came and tell them what had happened to his partner. Suddenly, she realized that her glasses had fogged up. All she could see now were dark shadows advancing on her. Well, Ken had another thing coming if he thought she would passively let herself be taken by... whatever those things were. She screamed shrilly and ran straight into the nearest one, as best she could judge. Yolei had always liked the element of surprise.