"Artificial Intelligence often teaches a harsh lesson:

            Logic doesn't care."

                        -"All too Human", Andromeda

For LovelyLotus11, for mentioning me in her profile thing.  I feel special now! ;)

PS

I know its been forever since I updated, been madly busy!  I'm gonna try harder though, promise!

~

"Tamers…" The monster hissed finally, a sick, choking sound echoing from the being that would make any level-headed person weak in the knees.

"W-what do you want?" Ryo stammered, paralyzed with fear.  He knew he had to get Rika out of the house, but making a sudden move would more than likely get them both killed.

"…Tamers…" It repeated as it inched closer.  This thing obviously wasn't the most negotiable opponent.  Ryo slowly backed up until he was against the wall, taking sharp breaths in his desperation as his mind scrambled to come up with a plan but finished off empty-handed. 

            Ryo's hands searched around behind his back for something, anything to use as a weapon.  He recognized everything he touched, nothing that would be at all helpful.  A book, some piano music, a box of tissue, a pack of gum-

            -Unless you're planning on killing this thing with a refreshingly peppermint treat, you're shit out of luck.

            The creature stopped moving forward and changed it stance, and Ryo instantly recognized that it was ready to attack, to finish him off, then Rika, then his friends.

            "Incineration!" It said, its voice still barely a whisper, and Ryo could hear the fire gathering, preparing to eliminate him.  He realized that he'd closed his eyes, ashamed that he was acting so weak, but he'd admitted to himself he was helpless.  He could hear the fire shooting towards him, trying to burn him to ashes, and-

            -And there was an explosion from the opposite wall, causing Ryo to involuntarily open his eyes, allowing him to see another figure which he instantly recognized as a Digimon, a Diaboromon, leap towards him, blocking the attack.

            "Cable Crusher!" Diaboromon growled as he slapped the monster back, then charged to hold him back.

            Ryo was trapped in a growing confusion, only partly aware of what was happening, more aware of what could have just happened. 

            "Ryo!" Diaboromon yelled as the monster held onto him tightly.  "Get out!"

            "Why are you here?" Ryo yelled back, not caring if it wasn't the best time.  Still, the next thing he heard was better than the best thing he'd expected.

            "Cyberdramon sent me he's on his way; get out now!"

            Ryo stared blankly for a second, his heart telling him to try and help Diaboromon, his mind telling him to run, and his body trapped between the two.  Accepting Diaboromon was on his own, he ran towards the door, scooping up the jacket that he knew had his Digivice in it, and ran out as everything beside and behind him exploded in a powerful outburst of flames.

~

            Rika heard the explosion from the bathroom as she fixed her hair, unknowingly letting out a gasp as she ran towards the stairs and peered around the corner over the railing-

            -And there was Ryo, running, barely ahead of the fire.  He motioned and yelled for her to move, his voice barely audible over the bursts of flame.  She moved, and Ryo dove down the stairs, pulling into a roll on his right shoulder as he neared the bottom.

            "Let's go!" he yelled, even though he was right next to her.  She nodded and after Ryo grabbed two small pouches from the table near the stairs, they ran.

            The look she saw in Ryo's face was pure terror, something she'd never seen on the Legendary Tamer's face.  It was an eerie certainty that neither she or Ryo would never be going back to the house, but she was too scared to care.  She hardly even noticed that Ryo was holding her hand as they ran through the darkness.

            The only sounds were the crunch of the branches under their shoes, and their exhausted breathing, until they were joined by the high-pitched annoying ring of Rika's cellular phone. 

            She saw Ryo shoot her a look of confusion, but said nothing.  She angrily dropped Ryo's hand to grab at the small device, opening it up hastily.

            "Look, really bad time!" She snapped between a breath.

            "Rika, I just talked to Yamaki," Takato began. "Get to the park, fast!"

            Deciding against worrying him any further, she told him she would, hung up the phone, and relayed the message to Ryo.  They turned to the left, not slowing down.  Her legs and chest ached, but she found the strength in her fear to run faster.

            "Here, I almost forgot." Ryo said, handing one of the small pouches he'd grabbed in the house to her.  Rika fumbled to open it and to pay attention to her surroundings, but she managed eventually.  Inside the bag was a deck of cards bound together with a rubber band.
            "I think we'll be needing them." Ryo said without looking at her.
            "Yeah, me too." She replied, her voice barely a whisper.
            They sped through the darkness, Rika frantically swiping the branches scraping at her face-

            -And she felt a sharp pain in her left ankle as her foot twisted on a thick tree root.

            -And she was falling, ready to plant her face flat onto a thick rock-

                        -And Ryo tried to catch her, but his grip slipped, and he wound up underneath her as the fell forward-

                                    -And Rika landed on Ryo, and Ryo landed on the ground, letting out a muted "oof" as his back hit the grass, branches, and leaves.  Rika grunted out in surprise, and stared into Ryo's cerulean eyes as she looked down to him, noticing for the first time just how beautiful they were.  Ryo's hands were on Rika's back as he stared back into her own violet eyes.  Ryo obviously happy to hold her, Rika content to be held-

            -not the time or place for this, move it already!

            Rika mentally smacked her forehead as she stood up.

            "…Thanks." She said finally, extending an arm down to Ryo, who gratefully accepted it.

            "Which way were we going again?" He asked cautiously, scratching the back of his head.

            "I think we came from th-"

            -Rika was cut off by a shrill scream from the left of where they were, as they both turned in horror to see the Tamer-hunter-beast emerge from the shadows, screaming again. 

            Run!

"Run!" Ryo yelled as they took off the original direction they were facing.

            "We need to get to the park, come up with a plan, find our Digimon." Rika said holding back a panting gasp of exhaustion-

            -And when there wasn't an answer she looked, and saw that Ryo wasn't beside her, that he'd fallen fifty feet back, and that the Hunter was almost on top of him.


~

            Oh shit...

            Ryo stared as Rika ran, oblivious to the fact he'd fallen.  He turned to the monster as he struggled to stand, but couldn't find the energy.  He dragged himself against a tree which he leaned on as he stood, and as the monster was getting closer, except this time it was running after him.
            -Shitshitshit-

            Soon it would be on top of him, and he could almost smell the thing's breath as it opened its mouth and screamed as it ran towards him.

            Wait for it-

            -And it dove at him, an expression of purpose and hatred in the beast's eyes

            -And Ryo dove to the side, the thing missing him, but also missing the tree as it fell face-forward into the ground.  By now Ryo had found purpose to run again, and Rika had stopped and staring at the scene in horror.  He waved to her, signaling he was okay, and wondered as he had many times in the last few weeks if he and his friends would ever make it through this alive.

~

            Rika's heart started beating again as Ryo caught up to her, glancing back and seeing that the monster was close behind them, not gaining on them, but not falling behind. 

            "Go that way, I'll go this way!" Ryo snarled through gritted teeth as he pointed.

            "What?!  Ryo, no!" Rika tried to protest.  But it was too late, Ryo was already running to the left, and the monster was already after him.

            He's gonna die…

            "Tamer…" she heard the being whisper as it got closer to Ryo.

            "Rika…" a familiar comforting female voice murmured from behind her.

            "Renamon!?" Rika asked in disbelief as she stared at her friend who she hadn't seen in far too long.

            "Yes, Rika, but we have to get out of here.  We need to go to the Digital World, you'll all be safer there."

            "We gotta help Ryo first, he's gonna die!"
            "Of course." Renamon nodded, handing something to Rika.  She took it, the familiar weight of it allowing her to be certain even in the dark it was her Digivice.

            They sprinted in the direction Rika last saw Ryo, wishing over and over that he was all right.  She had the vision of the man, the police officer she'd seen the monster kill, for trying to protect them.  It wasn't even originally after him, what would it do if it got one of them?

            Please, not Ryo, not any of us.  None of us deserves to die to that thing…  Rika felt a cold hand squeeze at her heard as the beast screamed, knowing it must be close to Ryo. She and Renamon headed in the direction.  She was afraid to hear it scream again, but even more afraid that she wouldn't know where to look if it didn't.  Rika trusted her instincts and kept running.  If that bastard hurt Ryo, I'll tear it to shreds.  No way in Hell, not Ryo-

            -And she saw them, Ryo hurt on the ground backing up with obvious effort, the beast closing in on him-

                        -And Rika threw a rock at its head as hard as she could, turning its attention to her for a moment in hatred, then back to Ryo, then back and forth.

            Not Ryo.  NOT.  RYO.

            "You want a Tamer?" Rika screamed in frustration as she clenched her Digivice in her right hand, Renamon close behind her.  "Come and get me you useless piece of shit!!"

~

Alrighty, let me know what you think, thanks!

-N