Standard Disclaimer: MUST YOU CONTINUALLY ASK ME WHAT YOU ALREADY KNOW? I DON'T OWN DIGIMON!
Author's Notes: Yarg. Only three chapters left until Housemates ends. I must say, it feels like I've been working on this story longer than I really have; I started it on the 18th of February (although it was removed due to the original chapter 10, thus forcing me to upload it again on the 30th of March). Only a little more than seven months. Feels a lot longer than that. o.o
Anyhow, at my current rate, Housemates should end in the month of October.
And FYI, the second Tamers movie 'Runaway Locomon' (originally titled Runaway Digimon Express) will air 3-PM/2 Central on Sunday, October 2nd. Every Sunday after that, another Digimon movie will be airing (the final two Digimon movies 'Adventurer's Battle' and 'Revival of the Ancient Digimon'). Can you say 'yay'?
To the reviews!
Cloud-821: Yep. After this fic is 'Battle of the Shinobi'.
Dark Qiviut: Yeah. I utterly despise blame being placed where it doesn't belong. On a story-related note, I do like using ellipses, aka '…' Why? Because to me, it shows characters drawing out a sentence for dramatic purposes. For instance, in dialogue, it represents a few moments of silence before continuing on.
As for JyouraKoumi…he doesn't get into my head. He only proves how petty he is with his worthless flames. You don't need to fear any of his ilk getting into my head (look at my reply to him further down). And since you reviewed twice… (boots you off a cliff)
And yes, I watched Naruto. And I liked it. :P
Chibi-Kari: Never forget. (www(dot)valdezlink(dot)com/media-hi/sunrise(dot)jpg)
Yamimaru: I decline your challenge. I have other plans for Zero 2. Come the final chapter of Housemates, I'll reveal the next three stories in the timeline.
blazing fury: (chuckles) The final story in the timeline actually takes place in Zero 2's future…and that's all I'll say. ;)
Crimson G: Later? What about Now? I WANT MY CANDY!
Sora Potter: Nope. :P
Dot Cubed: …Ninjamon helped Davis with the 'clothes on the flagpole' prank, remember? He's the one who actually swiped Yolei's clothes from the locker room, silly. :P
Anthony1: Battle of the Shinobi.
Bluesv20: I only said 'Deep South'. Doesn't necessarily mean Florida.
Digi fan: Read and find out!
JyouraKoumi: Yes. I like Mimato. Is that a problem?
Yami Vizzini: (laughs) I was just being frank.
Ficmaster: Patience, boy.
Flame Extinguisher: Thanks a bunch. (tosses him a gold coin)
simply just being: Trust me, this is the LAST PRANK WAR CHAPTER. Okay?
Silver Warrior: Most likely.
SamuraiSirius: Not telling. My location is a secret; should I reveal it, FFnet assassins would track me down and kill me. :P
miss.free.style: Yes, Davis did. And as for Davis' talk…what was so 'un-Davis' about it?
David,the brother of Davis: Ooh. MUFFINS! (snarfchompgulp) Welcome, by the way. ;P
duskmon87: Simple; work on the sequel. :P
Crest of Water: You flatter me too much. However, I'm glad to see that you're warmer to the idea of Daikari and Davis now. :D
And no, I don't mind long reviews.
krb one: Welcome! This is the last chapter for the pranks…wait. You haven't read Revision? o.o
Hurry person! You must read the prequel to this story!
american idiot 101: Welcome to Zero 2!
Ninetalesuk: You're welcome.
(WARNING: Some would consider the final scene at the end of this chapter to be rated 'T'. You have been warned.)
Begin!
xxxx
Chapter 25: The Return of the Prankster
xxxx
/Rooftop, Inoue Apartment, Odaiba, 10:51 PM/
Davis' brown eyes widened slightly at the sight of the ninja Digimon standing before him. "…what do you need help with?"
Ninjamon smiled inwardly. He had already gotten on the foolish human's good side by helping him out with that inane prank against Yolei eight days ago. Hopefully, he would be able to dupe him again. "Well…it's actually more of a favor."
"Eh? What do you mean?" asked Davis, his curiosity piqued. The nighttime breeze suddenly picked up in strength as the seconds ticked by.
Ninjamon smiled calmly. "I'd like for you to open a Digiport to sector 01-100-CHI. Two friends of mine are there…and they're intrigued about the Real World. They'd like to come."
Davis was silent for a moment.
Then he answered, "I don't know…I mean, how do I know you're a pretty good guy and all, but I don't if your friends are evil Digimon in disguise or flesh-eating monsters or something like that."
Ninjamon sweatdropped. …so he is not as foolish as I thought. Very well; he would sweeten the deal. "Oh, they're good guys all right…but if need be, I can do another favor for you. I could prank the girl again for you."
"Nah. I'm done with the pranks for now." After replying, though, Davis sported a rather annoyed scowl. Though I'd like to get her back for putting that Torture-Cola in my system.
Ninjamon's eye twitched; he could tell that by Davis' facial expressions that he was NOT done with pranking the lavender-haired partner of Shurimon. Well…I can make him agree quite easily. "What if I told you that one of my friends can prank Yolei in such a way that it won't be traced back to you…and that the prank will be all of her own doing?"
Davis tried his hardest not to respond. The idea was SO tempting…after all, the flagpole prank had been linked to him (despite the fact no one saw him aside from Ninjamon)…then again, he had left his trademark hanging on the flagpole. "…alright. Since you're an okay guy, I'll bring your two buddies over…but no pranks. Okay?"
"Understood," replied Ninjamon with a slight smirk. Even so, he still intended to get a battle with Shurimon underway; he had done quite a bit of investigating in the past week…and now he had an idea that would guarantee a battle with Shurimon. "Where's the nearest computer?"
Davis suddenly grimaced. "Oh yeah…it's in Yolei's room." Gah…I can't open a Digiport with her in there!
Ninjamon calmly smiled. "Don't worry…I can assure you that no one will know. No one at all…"
xxxx
/Yolei's Room, Inoue Apartment, Odaiba, 11:00 PM/
Yolei Inoue slept soundly, a small, satisfied smile on her face.
Poromon slept soundly as well, his tiny, pink form slowly changing in size and rhythm with his breathing.
All was dark, save for the little light on her computer that indicated it was on. The monitor was dark.
Suddenly, Yolei's door opened slowly…and two shadows rushed in.
In less than a second, the two shadows had their fingers stuffed into the ears of the two sleepyheads.
Davis and Ninjamon looked in moments later. "Wow," whispered Davis. "Those Shadow Clones of yours are cool."
"It's SHADOW IMAGE," corrected Ninjamon as he quietly walked over to the computer. A third Shadow Image stood guard outside of Yolei's room.
"Whatever," muttered Davis as he flicked the monitor on and activated the Digital World Grid Map. "What sector did you want?"
"Sector 01-100-CHI."
Davis selected the sector and held his blue D-3 to the screen. "Okay…Digiport open."
Light erupted from the monitor as Davis and Ninjamon stepped back. The two Shadow Images remained silent as they kept any and all sound from reaching the ears of Yolei and Poromon. The Child of Miracles frowned, wondering how long it would take for the two Digimon to arrive. The Champion merely smiled; things were going according to plan.
Suddenly, the light faded as two figures quietly set foot on the carpet. As the light from the Digiport faded, Davis managed to get a look at them due to the dim light of the monitor.
The one on the left was easily as tall as he was; and unlike Ninjamon, he was all limbs, little body. His skin was a light-yellow color, and his large arms and legs were thick and muscular. The body, however, was no more than a little tiny orb with a face; by all logical means, it was only a head. He wore a green bodysuit, with the cuffs of the uniform ending at the ankles and wrists. White tape was wrapped around his fists: done for the purpose of support. He wore wooden sandals with black straps; enlarged for his particularly hefty feet. Finally, holes were cut in the body suit to reveal his blue eyes and toothy mouth. His voice was gruff and deep. "I am Taijamon, master of the physical taijutsu arts."
The one the right was smaller; only about as large as Ninjamon. His entire body was covered by a black bodysuit that covered him from head-to-toe. As if that weren't enough, he also wore a blue cape, complete with a hood that covered his eyes. His eyes were little more than red dots; his face was hidden in darkness (in a way, he resembled Digitamamon's in that regard). His hands and feet were both covered by black leather gloves and shoes, respectively, and his voice was whispery in nature. "Genjamon. Master of the illusionary genjutsu arts."
Davis blinked as the Ninjamon turned the monitor off before speaking. "You see Digidestined? They are sort of like my training buddies…they both compliment my own ninjutsu arts…and before I explain my plan to you, I'd like you to see something."
The third Shadow Image – the one that had been standing guard outside Yolei's room – suddenly went into Davis and Mantarou's room. Moments later, it walked out, a white plastic bag over its head.
Davis blinked as a sudden smell entered his nostrils. EGH! WHAT IS THAT? He grabbed the bag, taking note of a note (heh, that rhymed) taped to the side. "I can't read it…"
"Mind's Flame," muttered Genjamon as he held his thumb up high; a small blue fire flickered into existence on it. Not bothering to ask how Genjamon did that, Davis read the note.
xxxx
Dear Davis,
Remember the Numemon you left in my room? These are their droppings that I spent most of my morning cleaning up. By the time you read this, I'll be back in bed. I may have violated Mom and Dad's no-pranking rule…but I had to get in the last word.
Don't get any ideas.
Your oh-so loving sister, Yolei
xxxx
Davis growled; the sarcasm was just OOZING off of 'oh-so loving'. You…YOLEI…
It suddenly occurred to him; Ninjamon had just saved him from a prank. Davis couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude for the athletic Champion. Silently placing the bag on the floor, the Digidestined boy said, "Alright. Take this trash out, and I'll agree to the prank. I'll be at my school at 7:30 tomorrow morning. Tell me your plan then…I've got vengeance to extract."
Ninjamon smiled as Taijamon grabbed the bag of pink feces. "Don't worry…we won't disappoint." Suddenly Genjamon muttered, "Teleportation."
At that, the trio of ninjas disappeared. The Shadow Images dissipated moments later. Without wasting another second, Davis crept back to his bed…wondering inwardly what Ninjamon had in store.
xxxx
/Rooftop, Inoue Apartment, Odaiba, 11:09 PM/
As the three Digimon reappeared on the rooftops, Genjamon fell to his knees. The Teleportation move required a lot of energy on his part, and it taxed his mental energy considerably. "I certainly hope the lengths you're going to…in order to guarantee the battle…are worth it."
"They are," replied Ninjamon with a haughty grin. "I have to say that the girl's rivalry with the boy is making it easy to dupe him into doing our bidding…by tomorrow morning, our fight with Shurimon will be assured."
Taijamon snorted. "This can't be worth all the trouble for one fight. So what if he beat you?"
"This opponent is…unique. Like us, he is also trained in the ninja arts…and I suspect he has a large repertoire of moves. I have reason to believe he knows not only ninjutsu…but taijutsu and genjutsu as well. The ultimate ninja…after all," The ninjutsu user glanced at his allies. "That is why I so eagerly made an alliance with you two, is it not?"
Taijamon grunted. Genjamon merely said, "Just enlighten us as to this 'plan' you're going to unveil to the boy. We put our trust in you to set things up on this end for our arrival…so the least you could do is tell us."
"Oh, but of course," remarked Ninjamon with a smirk. He spent the next several minutes detailing his plan and why it would work.
In the end, the other two Champions were in agreement; the plan was poised for success.
"In the meantime, let us go into hiding." As Ninjamon spoke, he cautiously gazed around him, keeping his senses open. "There's a Mega-level Elitemon that patrols this city…and I wouldn't advise running into him."
Taijamon and Genjamon nodded before disappearing with Ninjamon into the night.
xxxx
/Next Day/
/Kitchen, Inoue Apartment, Odaiba, Monday, December 12th, 7:05 AM/
Davis yawned silently as he slowly walked into the kitchen, wearing his clothes for the day. Seeing as how it was getting colder, he had to dress accordingly: blue jeans, a white shirt, and a dark blue jacket. Of course, he had his standard goggles, and his backpack was slung over his shoulders. Veemon was right by his side.
Meanwhile, Yolei was sitting at the table, busy eating through her scrambled eggs (with Poromon eating his own bowl of cereal). She still wore a large T-shirt – this time in a pure red color – from the previous night, as she had yet to get dressed.
Davis shot her a glare.
Yolei merely smiled innocently, as if saying, 'Ha ha, you can't do anything.' And Davis knew it.
Feh. We'll see who laughs last Yolei, thought Davis with a frown as he grabbed four breakfast bars out of the pantry, handing three to Veemon. "I'm gone," muttered Davis as he walked downstairs through the convenience store.
Subaru and Sasuke – the latter in the throes of restocking the dreaded 24-pack soda shelves – both replied, "So long."
And with that said, Davis was out on the street, walking towards school. As Veemon immediately gobbled the three breakfast bars (nearly forgetting to take the wrappers off in the process), the Child of Miracles found himself wondering what exactly the trio of ninja Digimon had in store for Yolei.
xxxx
/Outside Odaiba School, Odaiba, 7:29 AM/
As Davis stood quietly under a barren tree, his (STILL non-existent) eyebrow twitched. WHERE ARE THEY?
He had been waiting outside of the school for the past three minutes. Just by looking over at the soccer field (where Veemon was right now), he could tell that all of the other Digidestined – save for Yolei (and Joe and Ken, but they went to different schools) – had already arrived. Even Daichi had already gotten here (as evidenced by Impmon's rather unhealthy beating at the hands of an irate Gatomon, who had gotten little sleep last night due to Tai's snoring. Impmon should've learned by now not to make puns about cats when Gatomon was around).
But the trio of ninjas weren't.
Davis Inoue grimaced. Darn it…I want to get this plan done with before Yolei gets here!
7:30
"Greetings."
"WAH!" yelped Davis as he glanced upward, seeing Ninjamon, Taijamon, and Genjamon standing upon the branches. "How the, but, wha!"
Ninjamon smiled. "Never underestimate the ninja."
Davis just sighed as he rubbed the back of his head. "You guys took long enough though…"
Taijamon grumbled, "We came at 7:30…as requested."
Davis sweatdropped. "Oh yeah…heh heh…"
"Enough of the chit chat," interrupted Ninjamon. "Before I tell you of this plan, I have to ask you one thing…is there a certain someone that Yolei has a crush on?"
Davis blinked at the sudden question. Crush on? Well…let me think. Only one person came to mind: Ken Ichijouji, the Child of Kindness. "Ken Ichijouji."
Ninjamon blinked out of mock surprise. "Is that so? My…I guess I shouldn't be surprised that the target of her affections is a fellow Digidestined…that only makes things easier!"
"What are you talking about?" asked Davis out of curiosity and slight frustration. He wanted to know the plan, and now!
"Well you see, being a slight fan of the Digidestined, I took it upon myself to find out what they do for hobbies. It was during this pursuit that I had discovered Ken Ichijouji plays soccer…and he has a game today." Ninjamon smiled inwardly; he had already rehearsed this whole act. The plan had been laid down long before yesterday; he had found out about Ken's game four days ago. To be blunt, when he wanted something, he WANTED it. He remembered Ken's face from the battle underneath File Island…and seeing as how the boy was a celebrity (although why the populace named him 'The Rocket' was beyond him…), it had been easy to find out where he lived…and where he went to school. After that, he had unearthed the fact that he played soccer. After that, the plan had been set in stone.
All that had been left was to get the details down with Taijamon and Genjamon…and he had done that quickly last night. They knew their parts.
Davis snorted. "Well? Tell me this special plan of yours!"
Ninjamon smiled. "I will."
He took a few minutes to talk. As the Digimon spoke, people who were passing by were wondering why Davis was talking to a tree; unbeknownst to them (and Davis), Genjamon had already cast an illusion upon themselves, making them appear invisible. However, to make it so that Davis could see them, there was a 'distance limit' to the illusion; everyone within five feet of their location could see them. It was a complex illusion, but it served its purpose.
When Ninjamon finished speaking, Davis was in absolute awe. This plan is so…so…PERFECT! He resisted the urge to jump and down out of sheer vengeful joy. Oh, Yolei was going to get it! She was going to get it SO bad! "You. Are. A. Genius."
Taijamon and Genjamon sweatdropped as Ninjamon proudly flexed his muscles. Glory hound.
Davis grinned as he look around; Yolei wasn't here yet. "Now all we have to do is wait…"
"But before we do anything, you must sign a contract," muttered Genjamon as he pulled out a small piece of white paper.
Davis blinked out of bewilderment. "Contract? Why do you need a contract?"
Taijamon simply rumbled, "Genjamon is a stickler for punctuality." It was true; he and Ninjamon had both had to sign contracts of alliance (with a no-backstabbing clause, to boot) with Genjamon before the genjutsu user would join them.
"Sign at the bottom please," whispered Genjamon as he handed Davis the paper and a pen. The Digidestined took a moment to look at the contract.
xxxx
Dear the undersigned,
You, hereafter referred to as the first party, have agreed to entail the services of Genjamon, hereafter referred to as the second party. By agreeing to entail the services of the second party, you also, by rule of association, entail the possible resources and assistance of Genjamon's allies, hereafter referred to as the third party. By signing this contract, the first party is agreeing that all services of the second and third party are legally given with no other motives or drawbacks.
By signing this, the first party is ensuring that the second and third party's services will be used in ways that are fitting for their abilities. Doing otherwise would constitute a waste of precious time and resources. By signing this contract, the first party is agreeing that, should these services be entailed for reasons that are minor/trivial/insignificant/unimportant, compensation will be required. The terms by which this compensation will be enacted will be settled at a later date.
By signing this, the first party also agrees that the second party has the right to cancel this legally binding contract at any time. If this contract is cancelled, the second party has no obligation to fulfill the initial terms under which the contract was signed.
Be strong.
Be vigilant.
Be adept.
Signed:
We look forward to working with you in the future.
xxxx
Davis blinked at the wordy contract. "Egh…is this really necessary?"
"It's mostly superficial," replied Genjamon. "But I like to keep an official record of any times I give my services. I even have several different types of contracts, depending on the agreement involved. Call it a personal foible, if you will."
"What's with the three lines before the last part?" asked Davis as he looked at the strange phrases between the last paragraph and the underlined space where the name went.
In response, the genjutsu-using Champion shrugged. "I ran out of words to write with, so I went with what sounded good." Well, that was partially true.
Davis facefaulted. "Eh, oh well…" He grabbed the pen and signed his name. "Davis…Inoue…there."
Ninjamon smiled as Genjamon pocketed the contract. "Then it's settled."
Taijamon suddenly frowned as he gazed into the distance; his eyes were fixated on the intersection adjacent to the school, where a good majority of students walked through. "Speaking of 'settled'…the target is here."
Davis and the other two Digimon turned around to see none other than Yolei Inoue walking towards the school. Like everyone else, she had dressed appropriately for the weather: dark red sweatpants with white stockings, a yellow T-shirt, a purple long-sleeved jacket, and a red beret to cover her head.
The Child of Miracles couldn't help but grin. "Okay…so you can take it from here?"
"Of course," muttered Genjamon as his eyes began to glow. As the Digidestined boy quickly scampered into the building, the Digimon muttered, "Hypnotism's Stare…"
An invisible wave of power erupted from his eyes, silently rushing toward Yolei Inoue. In seconds, it slammed into her head.
At that moment, Yolei felt an extreme migraine claim her. "OW!" The Child of Caring briefly stumbled as she clutched her head, pain radiating from the skull down. "Owie owie owie ow…"
Then, as suddenly as it had come, it vanished. The lavender-haired girl blinked as she rubbed her cranium. Weird…where did that come from?
Meanwhile, Genjamon smiled as the target continued into the school. "Success." Hypnotism's Stare was another complex technique of Genjamon's; it was basically an inserting of instructions into the brain so that it would act in a certain way at a certain time. The only way for the hypnotic spell to end, however, was if Genjamon snapped his fingers.
To be a little more specific…the spell put upon Yolei would activate at three o'clock this afternoon.
Until then…
Ninjamon turned around towards Taijamon and Genjamon. "If things go according to plan, I'll be able to carry out everything else from here on out. I'll still need you Genjamon…to break that spell when the time is right."
"Very well," grumbled the mighty taijutsu user. "I will relocate to the docks…and find a hiding place. I will wait for you two there."
Ninjamon and Genjamon both nodded before all three of themran off throughthe dimness of the morning air.
xxxx
/Mrs. Hakashi's Class, Odaiba School, Odaiba, 2:58 PM/
Yolei Inoue sighed as she gazed at the clock. Although she wasn't part of Mrs. Hakashi's homeroom class (in which Davis, Kari, TK, and Daichi were members of), she did have to come with her 8th grade classmates to the room for math. Essentially, she was being taught pre-Algebra; next year was Algebra for her.
Even so, Mrs. Hakashi was going over a lesson Yolei already knew: stem-and-leaf plots, along with the median, mean, mode, and range. Yeah, kind of boring for someone who often fixed Cody's computer.
2:59
The Child of Caring nonchalantly started to pack away her books as the teacher rounded up her lesson and began discussing upcoming events. She mentioned a soccer game for the high schoolers, but that didn't interest her. She wasn't really that big of a soccer fan; she only went whenever fellow Digidestined played.
At the same time, she wondered about the sudden headache from earlier in the morning. Where had it come from? It had been like a literal lightning bolt striking down on a sunny day; so unexpected, and so odd. What was that all about?
3:00
The final bell rang.
It was at that moment that Genjamon's hypnosis took effect.
On the inside, it felt like her brain was suddenly shoved through a space the size of a micron while simultaneously being twisted into a bowtie. On the outside, it merely looked liked her eyes suddenly glazed over.
Yolei Inoue, now under the control of Genjamon's spell, lazily got up and walked off, leaving her books behind.
Within the space of a few minutes, she was already out of the school, lazily walking towards the nearest bus stop. Her destination: Tamachi.
Meanwhile, Poromon was confused as he watched Yolei suddenly get on a bus from afar. "Huh? What's going on?"
"Yo."
Poromon turned around to see Davis, with Veemon at his side. As Veemon snacked on a chocolate muffin (Digimon were really thankful for vending machines, natch), the boy asked, "Where's Yolei?"
Poromon shrugged. "Don't know. She just left without saying a word to me. Any idea where she might be going?"
Oh, I most certainly do, thought Davis slyly. However, he quickly answered, "Eh, who knows with her? Come on; I'll take you home!"
The In-Training shrugged, not knowing what exactly was going on. But hey, Davis and Yolei were siblings, and they lived under the same roof; there was no harm in going home with his two friends. "Alrighty, but I get to ride shotgun!" He quickly flapped his wings, getting on top of Veemon's head.
The Rookie sweatdropped as he walked alongside Davis towards the intersection. "Why do I suddenly feel like a taxi?"
xxxx
/Soccer Field, Tamachi School, Tamachi, Tokyo, 5:27 PM/
Unlike Odaiba, Shinjuku, or Shibuya, Tamachi wasn't exactly a real city district; it was actually the informal name of the area surrounding the Tamachi Station in Tokyo's Minato ward. In general terms, Tamachi was part of three different areas: Shiba, Shibaura, and Mita. Considering that Tamachi wasn't a real district to begin with, it was mostly known for the fact that it is home to the headquarters of several major companies and organizations, such as Morinaga or NEC.
Of course, it was also known for one more thing.
Ken 'The Rocket' Ichijouji.
There was only one school in the Tamachi area, and it was made to encompass all students from first grade to twelfth grade. As such, it was a fairly large facility. However, over the past several years, the school had garnered a very noticeable reputation due to two students.
Sam Ichijouji. And later, Ken Ichijouji.
The Ichijouji brothers, through their immense intellectual and athletic talent, had brought the spotlight to the Tamachi area many times in the past. Such fame was not without benefits; many students had joined up or transferred to the school (thus bringing in more revenue) just to see Ken.
But that's beside the point.
Right now, we turn to a soccer field situated to the rear of the high school facility and to the front of the middle school facility (the school was built as three blocks separated by fields). A large crowd had gathered in the stands.
After all, a game was going to begin in three minutes…between the Tamachi Titans…and the Shinjuku Shoguns.
Ken calmly kicked a soccer ball over and over again into the air, practicing before the game began. The coin toss had already been decided; Tamachi would be kicking off and facing eastward. That should give us one quick point.
In case you're curious, Ken was still the forward for the Titans.
Despite the fact that the power boost provided by Demon's Dark Spore was gone, Ken had worked hard to keep his athletic skills and grades up to his usual standard. Granted, it wasn't that hard – he was quite gifted, after all – but he often had a bit of difficulty remembering old school lessons. Also, fatigue tended to set in rather quickly.
Even so, Ken didn't mind; instead of breezing through everything, he would work there on his own strength.
"GOOOOOOO ROCKET!"
The Child of Kindness blinked as he looked at the section of the stands dominated by girls from his school, all between 6th and 9th grade. To be frank, all of those girls had a crush on him. To show their devotion, they had formed a fan club: the Female Rocketeers.
Ken sighed as he walked onto the field. It's not that he didn't appreciate the support…but such lavish support had always rubbed him the wrong way. For all he knew, he had only gotten all of that support due to the Dark Spore…
The dark-blue clad Shoguns stepped onto the field. The gray clad Titans followed Ken onto the field. The cheers were beginning to drown out even the announcer's voice. And here's an interesting fact…guess who the announcer was?
"Welcome ladies and gentlemen to another game of soccer, featuring our own Titans against the visiting Shoguns of Shinjuku! Will the Shoguns have what it takes to take down the Titans under the lead of Ken 'The Rocket' Ichijouji? We're about to find out! Good luck Ken!"
It was Wormmon.
You see, due to his distinctive accent, the school (upon enacting a similar policy similar to that of the Odaiba school in regards to Digimon) had offered Ken's partner a job as an announcer for games. Of course, Ken knew that Wormmon was only offered it because of his celebrity status as the Rocket. He didn't mind; it was something Wormmon enjoyed doing.
As Ken took his position on the field, he glanced at the stands one last time.
That's how he saw Yolei Inoue sitting in the stands.
The Digidestined boy blinked out of surprise; he hadn't actually thought anyone would come to a low-profile game like this. Oh well…the support is nice.
The whistle blew.
Ken immediately took the ball and bolted down the field.
One minute later, the Titans were ahead by one point.
"Ken has scored!"
xxxx
/Soccer Field, Tamachi School, Tamachi, 7:43 PM/
Five seconds left.
The Shinjuku Shoguns, desperate, drove right down the field towards the Titans' goal. Ken immediately stole it at midfield and kicked away. The Shoguns' one chance of scoring another goal was lost.
Not that another one would've matter: the Titans had thrashed them 7 to 2, with Ken providing four of the goals.
As the Tamachi locals erupted into a tremendous cheer, Wormmon clearly spoke. "Well folks, this has been another dominant game on the part of the Titans. The Shoguns fought valiantly, but there's just nothing that can stop the Rocket!" At the same time, Yolei was calmly walking down the steps of the stands.
The Female Rocketeers simultaneously yelled, "THAT'S RIGHT!"
Ken quietly muttered his thanks as a teammate handed him a towel, which he promptly used to wipe the sweat off his forehead. A cameraman from the local Tamachi station (and it was a small station; only about as big as two McDonald's stacked on each other) recorded the footage of the game's end; in a few minutes, he'd be in the station minivan, heading back to the station to get the footage ready in time for the 8 o'clock news.
As Ken neared the sidelines, he suddenly saw Yolei walking towards him. "Oh. Hello Yolei!"
Yolei said nothing.
Ichijouji blinked as the Child of Caring continued to walk over. He couldn't quite describe it, but…something was wrong with her eyes…
Suddenly, without warning, Yolei wrapped her arms around him and planted her lips upon his.
Sure enough, a bystander saw…and pointed. "LOOK!"
Naturally, everyone did look. Including the cameraman.
Everyone's jaws dropped. Cameras flashed. The Female Rocketeers froze out of sheer horror. Ken was slightly surprised…but then again, it wasn't the first kiss Yolei and he had shared. However, he had to wonder…why NOW? In front of his fans. Fans who tended to get a bit obsessive, for lack of a better word.
Five seconds after the kiss.
On a nearby rooftop, a familiar figure snapped his fingers.
Yolei's glazed eyes suddenly came back into focus. "Hmm?"
Where was she?
She looked around; she was at a soccer field…and judging by the uniforms of the school children in the stands (well, a good majority of the school children anyway), she was at Tamachi. Why am I in Tamachi?
Then, she saw the reflective lens of the large, handheld camera that was recording footage. Why is it looking at me?
She looked in front of her…and realized that her arms were around Ken, who was looking at her with a rather confused gaze.
It immediately occurred to her.
For some reason that she couldn't fathom, she had decided to lock lips with Ken. In public. In front of many people who had a crush on him. With a camera rolling.
Needless to say, her reaction was impulsive and immediate.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"
Yolei shrieked. Moments later, she was gone, a dust trail in her wake.
Ken blinked as she ran off for the nearest bus stop. She can run awfully fast when she wants to.
Meanwhile, atop the roof of the high school building, two familiar Digimon looked down at the scene.
Genjamon – the one who had snapped fingers – calmly said, "I have done my part…although I still don't see the necessity of this. I can understand your want for a personal guarantee…but won't my contract suffice?"
"I don't trust the Digidestined to live up to the contract," muttered Ninjamon with a sneer. "So I wanted a second guarantee…from our future opponent." He then pointed at the large group of females in the stands: the Female Rocketeers. "Look at their faces…you can SEE the anger on them from here."
Genjamon remained silent as he gazed at the girls; sure enough, he could see expressions of anger, fury, jealousy, resentment, and even hate. "My goodness…those girls really are as devoted as you say they are."
Ninjamon snickered. "I know." He had found out about the Rocketeers while investigating for Ken's whereabouts; after eavesdropping on one of their meetings, he thought of the possibilities. "By the end of this week, I'll have our opponent's guarantee."
Genjamon sighed. "Fine then…I'll be with our ally Taijamon at the docks. We'll be waiting for you there."
Ninjamon smiled as Genjamon vanished. Heh heh…soon Shurimon…
xxxx
/Living Room, Kamiya Apartment, Odaiba, 8:10 PM/
"Greetings everyone, welcome back to the Tamachi 8 o'clock news. We have just received footage from the Tamachi game…and well, the Titans, under the guide of Ken 'The Rocket' Ichijouji, won 7 to 2 over the Shinjuku Shoguns. However, the most interesting 'play' of the day actually occurred after the game ended."
At that moment, a still picture of Yolei and Ken locking lips was seen.
Seconds later, Kari spit all of her soda out on the TV.
Tai blinked as he watched Kari cough ferociously. Then again, he couldn't blame her; it's not often you see a friend kissing another friend of yours (and a celebrity to boot) on TV. Heck, the only reason they had turned to this station was to see how Ken's game had gone. "Well…that's unusual."
"Not only that," sputtered Kari as she wiped the carbonated dribble off of her chin. "But it's out of character…Yolei may like Ken, but she's not one to be romantic. ESPECIALLY in public. So why?"
Tai could only shrug.
And at the Inoue Apartment, Davis was watching the same broadcast.
And he was bawling his eyes out due to laughter.
xxxx
/Next Day/
/Auditorium, Tamachi School, Tamachi, Tuesday, December 13th, 5:25 PM/
"This emergency meeting of the Female Rocketeers is now in session!"
One girl spoke to over 200. Her spiky black hair and fierce brown eyes seemed to compliment her Tamachi uniform (a gray, button-up, long-sleeved vest over a white undershirt, a red tie, and a dark gray skirt that went down to the thighs). Her skin was only somewhat tanned, and her hair's length only grew out to about five inches (a nice change of pace from Tai's tremendous do). The knee-length socks were gray in color, and she wore black dress shoes. Her name: Tatsuki Tamashiro.
Grade: 8th
Hobby: Head of the Female Rocketeers.
Currently, she was in the school auditorium (normally used for basketball games, it also had an elevated section of the polished wooden floor that could be used for speeches or plays), speaking to all members of the Female Rocketeers. To signify the meeting, there was a large banner strung across the wall: it featured a purple rocket with Ken's visage rocketing through space.
"HAI!" roared the girls.
"As you all know, one of the long-term goals of our group is to get Ken's first kiss!"
"YES!" roared the audience.
"But…" Tatsuki clenched her fists angrily as she pulled out a picture of Yolei kissing Ken. "But as this picture clearly shows, his innocence was plucked by a lavender-haired CHARLATAN!"
"BOO!" growled the Rocketeers.
An orange-haired girl from the 7th grade blubbered, "E-E-Even though we had some members become his girlfriends…we never got a kiss!" It was true; the few girlfriends that Ken had had before his Digidestined days were from the Rocketeers…but it was mostly publicity. The affection was all one-way.
"True! Yet we always retained hope!" roared a dark-haired girl from the 9th grade. "But then THIS travesty happened!"
"THAT'S RIGHT!" roared Tatsuki. "And this one goal is only ONE! What if she gets to other goals before we do? Like the first date? The first time on the amusement park ferris wheel? Or even…MARRIAGE?"
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" squealed the Rocketeers; that was their ultimate goal! "NO! WE WON'T ALLOW IT!"
Tatsuki grinned. "Good…so we must make sure this girl leaves her paws off of our Rocket!"
"YEAH!"
"Problem is…" Tatsuki sweatdropped out of slight embarrassment. "We have no idea who she is, or where she lives…"
All of the girls in the auditorium facefaulted.
All of a sudden…
"Heh heh heh heh…" Laughter echoed down from the rafters above.
The girls all looked around out of confusion and fright. Tatsuki roared, "WHO'S THERE?"
Suddenly, from the shadows of the rafters…
"Greetings."
Tatsuki whirled around to see a smirking Ninjamon. "A DIGIMON!"
There was a mixed reaction from the Rocketeers; some screamed, some squealed, some blinked, some glared, and some went 'oooh…'. You get the picture.
The little Champion calmly said, "Relax…I'm only here to offer you some help. Help with your little 'girl' problem…"
This statement caused Tatsuki to blink. "What…what do you mean?"
"I mean…that I can get the 'charlatan', as you put it," answered Ninjamon with a smirk.
This reply caused Tatsuki to blink. However, as the full implications set in, she smiled. "I see…" She immediately whirled around and boasted out loud to the group. "Did you hear, fellow Rocketeers! The one who selfishly stole away Ken's innocence is finally in our reach!"
"WOOOOOOOOO!" cheered the rest of the all-female group; revenge was in their grasp!
Ninjamon smirked. "Don't get too excited…kidnapping her right now would be bad, as she has school tomorrow, and suspicions would immediately be aroused."
Tatsuki sweatdropped. He's got a point.
"But don't worry…" Ninjamon suddenly jumped onto the rafters. "I shall bring her to this auditorium four nights from now…on Saturday. If I'm correct, schools are closed Sunday…so you'll have her all to yourselves."
He then vanished into the shadows.
Tatsuki grinned as she turned to face her fellow Rocketeers. "Everyone hear that? Everyone be here by 8:00 AM Sunday morning! If that Digimon keeps his word, we'll have that horrific girl to ourselves!"
"YEAAAH!"
"Rocketeers…DISMISSED!"
"HAI!"
xxxx
Fast-forward!
xxxx
/Yolei's Room, Inoue Apartment, Odaiba, Saturday, December 17th, 10:59 PM/
"Ah…I'm looking forward to a nice, relaxing day tomorrow…" Yolei sighed as she snuggled under the covers with Poromon.
Now, she had had time to simmer down over the last few days…but there was no doubt within her mind that Davis had had something to do with the incident on Tuesday. Trouble was, she had no way of proving it. At least with the incident on the flagpole, where there had been no 'hard' evidence (if you didn't count Davis' admission to the fact he did it), he had left his calling card. But the last one…there were no fingerprints of Davis' to be found.
Plus, her social life had suddenly become a lot more hectic. Everyone at school was asking her questions…lots of questions.
'Is the Rocket a good kisser?'
'Are you two dating?'
'When you kissed, did he French you?'
Yolei shuddered with embarrassment; that last question had resulted in her impulsively slapping the offender (Daichi, FYI) in the face. Pervert.
Still, it's not like she faulted Ken; after all, she HAD been the one to make the first move, albeit unwillingly. And besides…the kiss had been…kind of nice…
She was thinking too much about it. It would blow over eventually. Just sleep…
"ZZZ…zzz…ZZZ…zzz…"
Yolei stared with envy at her partner, who was bundled up onto her pillow. I wish I could sleep like that. The Child of Caring plopped down and stared at the ceiling for a few minutes, feeling slightly itchy in her purple pajamas (hey, it was getting colder). Finally, she fell asleep.
Moments later, Ninjamon stepped out of a shadow, a cruel smirk on his face. Hee hee hee…
In his right hand was a cloth soaked with chloroform (an anesthetic liquid that, if used correctly, could knock out someone).
In his left hand was a small wooden box. It was being held shut by a small slip of paper; it was a paper tag of Genjamon's, with some kanji written on in red ink.
Ninjamon calmly set the box down on the floor, six feet away from the door. This should be a nice surprise for whoever decides to walk in tomorrow. A malicious grin coated his face.
He immediately pushed the rag against Yolei's mouth and nostrils. Her eyes shot open momentarily before they once more shut; now a deeper darkness than sleep had claimed her: unconsciousness.
Ninjamon grinned as he hoisted her body over one shoulder and opened a window. He calmly hopped out and closed it behind him. Finally, he smiled as he jumped from wall to wall until he reached the nearest rooftop. Yes! There's only one more step after this…and then the battle is truly assured!
Ninjamon grinned maniacally as he leapt as fast as he could towards the Tamachi shool's auditorium. Once he crossed Rainbow Bridge, he'd be free from the Mega Elitemon…and then he could take his time.
xxxx
/Next Day/
/Kitchen, Inoue Apartment, Odaiba, Sunday, December 18th, 8:47 AM/
Davis – still clad in blue pajamas – smiled as he leaned back in his chair, chomping down some instant-ramen (Miso flavor) as he did. "Just a bew more daysh until the Emberor's Birfday. Then it's out of skewl for the whole day!"
WHAP!
"OW!" yelped Davis as he impulsively swallowed. Chizuru had been the one to slap him upside the head. "WHAT WAS THAT FOR?"
Chizuru calmly muttered, "Talking with food in your mouth is bad table manners."
Davis grumbled as Veemon happily slurped down his own cup of Beef-flavored instant-ramen (for those curious, this is cup #3). "Yum!"
As Mantarou cleaned the dishes – his parents, Momoe, and Jun were already working down in the store – he asked, "Is Yolei still asleep? It's almost nine!"
"Eh, it's a free day. Who cares if she oversleeps?" Davis slurped down the rest of his ramen.
Chizuru said, "She wouldn't want to sleep the whole day away. So go wake her up."
Davis immediately protested, "WHY DO I HAVE TO DO IT?"
"Because you're the only one here who's yet to experience the wrath of a cranky Yolei," sarcastically replied Mantarou. "But seriously though, it'd be a good way to get on her good side; she hates oversleeping."
Davis grumbled as Veemon quickly ran to the pantry and pulled out another cup of instant-ramen. "Fine then." As he left the kitchen, the last thing he heard was Veemon turning on the microwave.
In reality, Davis wanted to wake Yolei up. Of course, this was only because he had found out it would help him get on her good side; now that he was officially done with the pranks (at least, for now…heh heh…), he wanted to bury the hatchet.
He stopped outside of her door and knocked on it. "Yolei, wake up."
No answer.
Another knock.
No answer.
Five more knocks on the door.
Still nothing.
Davis sighed. You just HAVE to make it tough on me, dontcha? He opened the door.
To his surprise, Yolei wasn't in there. "Huh?"
At the sound of his voice, Poromon finally began to stir. "Rrrgh…what a wonderful dream…"
Davis blinked. Where is she?
Then he noticed the box on the ground. Wha? The Child of Miracles knelt down and glanced at it. It was a simple wooden box…almost like the kind you'd keep a pendant or key in. However, instead of golden locks, there was a paper tag with red kanji – Japanese characters – on it.
Kanan.
Davis blinked; those characters stood for 'fire calamity'. What the heck is this? He decided to do the only natural thing he could do; he opened the box with his right hand, thus ripping the tag.
Immediately, the fringes of the torn tag ignited with red fire.
xxxx
From outside, one could see the Inoue Apartment.
Moments later, there was a flash of light from Yolei's room as fire and smoke erupted from it. Glass shattered against the asphalt. A badly burnt Poromon – thrown clear out of the apartment by the explosion – landed with a thud on the sidewalk, wincing out of agony.
In Yolei's room, everything was coated with soot. Her bed was on fire. The box had been vaporized. The computer had melted.
Davis could only blink out of utter shock. Wha…what just…happened…?
He looked down at himself. His clothes were on fire…but he couldn't feel them. Why? Why couldn't he move his right arm?
Then he looked down.
"!"
Then he realized why he couldn't feel anything. Why the only sound coming out of his mouth was pained gasps.
He was in shock.
HIS RIGHT ARM WAS GONE.
xxxx
To be continued…
Next time…
Chapter 26: The Trouble with Fangirls
xxxx
Author's Notes: If you thought Ninjamon's surprise was going to be another clichéd 'smoke bomb'…well, you were wrong.
It'll be interesting to see how this changes things…
Two more chapters left to go!
See you soon, and please review!