Chapter Twenty

An Interrogation

Digimon hustled about Primary Village, busing themselves in the town's reconstruction. Golden armadillos hauled away large quantities of plaster. Yellow scary apes set to work plastering salvageable bits back into place. A British hawk conducted two huge snowman-teddy-bears in stacking giant ABC blocks. There were more kinds of monsters present that I ever cared to see and though Veemon (Jessie's digimon's new name) excitedly pointed out each and every one, kindly providing anyone who cared to listen not only the digimon's name, but character attribute and special attack.

Luckily, Veemon's endless stream of introduction didn't last forever, for Justin was leading us weary group of travelers back to the farm house. Anything in Primary Village that remotely resembled technology had been smashed to smithereens during the attack.

On the outskirts of the village, ten yellow and white, and purple armed foxes came running towards us as one military unit.

The foxes came to a halt before us, striking an arm to each of their chests.

"We Renamon will escort you," the digimon said as one.

Leomon grunted and the Renamon split into formation around us. Matching our pace, they marched along, eyes scanning the skies. When the demolishment of the forest came to an abrupt end with lazier fine differentiation and tree once again filled the terrain, three Renamon split from the group to scout the forest, and with no provocation from Leomon.

No further danger disturbed out quiet walk, though I did notice Impmon unsuccessfully try and stalk us from afar. The Renamon of course noticed and dismissed him, and so he continued to dart from tree to tree and remained a good twenty-feet behind for no intelligent reason at all.

The sight of the farm house did not inspire any kind of relief in me. However, as we trudged through the field of fertilizer to the dirtied television set, an emotion close to anticipation arose within me. Without any tree to inconspicuously hide behind, Impmon tucked his hands behind his back and attempted to whistle unassumingly as he followed behind us.

Twenty feet to freedom and the insufferable Numemon came slugging through the manure at a remarkably fast pace. They barred our path to the blessed T.V. and plead in their stupid mad-hatter-esc voices:

"Oh, please don't go yet!"

"Yeah, please don't. We made you chicken soup and bread rolls and sausages!"

"We got blankets and coco!"

"Please, please, please…" and on it went.

"Shut up!" Sarah yelled and Impmon snickered from behind.

Their nasty eyes attached to flimsy green appendages brimmed with tears. "But, we did it all for you."

"Hey, hey," Justin said, coming to kneel in the muck with the muck. "We really appreciate the gesture, but we have to get out of here before we bring more trouble down on you."

"But, you're here to protect us. That's what you are here for."

"We can only do so much and I don't want this place to end up like Primary Village," Justin said.

"At least stay for dinner. It'll all go to waste."

"Yeah, they'd be expecting you to leave right away. I'm sure a couple hours won't make a difference. And you all must be hungry. I know I am!"

I couldn't even imagine these things eating.

"I don't see the problem, Justin," Koromon said. "And besides, I'm hungry!"

"Alright, alright. I am too. Come on let's not upset our hosts further," Justin said and lead us back into the farm house.

The smells of soup and fresh bread at once sent my mouth watering and I realized that I was hungry. The table was set with fancy glass bowls and red napkins with flowered holders. A Numemon pulled a chair out of each of us, and two were on the table ladling out the steaming soup and passing out the bread and sausages. Another was making rounds with a tray of hot coco balanced on its head. Its eyes were parted to either side of the platter. I didn't think wealth and goopy monsters could go well together, but somehow the Numemon managed it.

The soup was rich with spice and delicious and I made a point of not asking what they put in it. The bread rolls broke apart into perfect flacks and melted in my mouth. Maybe I've been a bit too hard on these guys. They can't help being hideous to look upon.

Koromon sat on the table, consuming more than was physically possible for his body size. Where did it all go?

Leomon and the Renamon's each accepted a bowl and ate their soup on their feet with no small amount of digi-dignity. Impmon even managed to sneak a bowl before the Numemon chased him out of the house. The Numemon must have prepared a feast to manage to feed everyone till their stomachs were full enough to burst. I expect the soup to run out, but they just kept on ladling bowl after bowl after bowl after…bowl… after bowl… after—

Brian was uncharacteristically quiet. He did not eat hungrily, but he did eat. Wizardmon sat beside him, quietly consuming his own soup and I got to see his scarecrow mouth for the first time. It was weird, but considering the strangeness of digiworld I'd give it a three out of ten. Judging by the occasional looks Brian darted at Wizardmon, I'd say he wasn't as pleased with his choice as he had been last night.

Josh and Sarah seemed to be running on automatic, but Terriermon was just as enthusiastic as Koromon. The floppy eared digimon devoured at least seven bowls.

Veemon was chattering quietly with Jessie, who smiled at him with controlled patience.

"Veemon, I don't want to talk right now. And I don't think anyone else wants to either, so please, not now," Jessie said.

"Right, zipping it," Veemon said and made a zipping motion across his mouth and there was silence once again.

We dallied an hour and Justin profusely thanked the Numemon for the meal.

"Come back anytime!" they said.

"Hey, you coming?" Justin called, waving at Impmon, who was standing aloof from everyone else and looking dejected.

"What me?" he asked pointing at himself.

"Yeah!" Justin said.

Impmon's eyes darted to Sarah. He took two steps toward us, froze and shot an unprovoked glare at the Numemon, and then abruptly closed his eyes and shouted: "Sike! Like I'd want to go to stupid world fill with stupid humans basking in all their stupidness!" And he once again ran off.

"You're stupid!" Sarah shouted after him.

He looked over his shoulder, but was too far for me to see his expression and he kept on running.

"He'll come around," Justin said and messed with the dials on the television.

And, finally, we left Digiworld.

Now let me see. Justin had a small room. And it was in the same state of disarray as we had left it. There were six people: Justin, Jessie, Josh, (hey' that's a lot of J's!) Brian, Sarah, and me and there were five digimon: Leomon, (who still had to guard Sarah and I) Wizardmon, Terriermon, Veemon and Koromon…

Needless to say we were pretty cramped and the funny smell in the room became all the more potent. Jessie did not wait to be excused. She hustled out of the room, with Veemon on her heels and I was quick to join them.

There came a startled scream which sent out a chain of screams which I took no part in. I did flinch and cover my ears. And when all the screaming was done, a woman, who I assumed to be Justin's mom, gasped:

"Justin! I didn't hear you come in. I can't believe I didn't hear any of you come in. How many people are in there?"

"Sorry, just me and some friends," Justin said, pushing his way through the small crowd.

"They're not staying for dinner are they?" Justin's mom asked as she pointed to each of us humans, counting under her breath.

"Ah, no we just ate a big lunch. We'll be heading out in just a bit."

"Oh, okay," she said, lowering her finger and looking relieved. "Well, you kids have fun." And she waltzed off down the hall.

"She doesn't care that it's school day?" Jessie muttered. Her brows furrowed and she gazed at her shoes. "I can't believe I'm missing another day of school."

"At this point she's given up on my high school education and is just hoping I go to community college when I'm eighteen. And don't worry, you'll get used to it."

And that apparently was the wrong thing to say.

"I don't want to get used to it! I had a perfect record before yesterday! If I become unreliable I'll be kicked out of all my clubs and I might have to go to military school, and I'll never get into a good university and my parent's dreams will be ruined and everyone will call me a wanna-be-drop-out and I'll never be accepted or admired by anyone!" Jessie brushed angry tears out of her eyes.

"I'll accept and admire you," Veemon said.

"That's very sweet, but it doesn't help," Jessie said.

After a brief silence, Justin took Jessie's hand. "Hey, it'll work out. Come on. Let's chill for a bit in the den. I need to call Caroline anyway, and to avoid any missing person's report being filed, I'd suggest for you all to get a hold of your families. Just to let them know your safe-"

"But, we're not," I couldn't help but interject.

"Yeah, well, you don't want to worry them about something they can't see or understand," Justin said.

"What are we going to do?" Sarah asked.

"I'm not sure yet. I'll find a place to relocate in the digital world. Maybe Josh and Jessie can patrol with Caroline or me."

Part of me dearly wished that it would be Justin who'd go patrolling with Josh and Jessie and the desire had nothing to do with the events of Primary Village. I also noticed that Brian did not ask about going on patrol, he did shoot Wizardmon another dirty look though.

'Just a bit' turned into 'just a couple of hours.' And for a while it was a pretty quiet wait in the den. That was after Justin decided to retreat into his room. The call to Caroline had, unsurprisingly, turned into a loud heated argument and to avoid a lecture from his mother, Justin thankfully left us out of it.

Round and round the sofa's Terriermon hopped from one to the next and after several 'I don't want to talk right now's' from Jessie, Veemon joined him. The two digimon childishly skipped along the couch spines, deftly missing our heads. If they hadn't been, someone would have probably snapped at them earlier.

I suppose now was the processing time because no one was really talking. Leomon gave us some space and set to gazing through the blinds. On the lookout for another attack I guess. Wizardmon drew Brian away from the group, but did not leave the den. I could see their far less acoustic but no less heated argument. Fortunately, I was far enough away to not hear what they were saying.

Sarah took the opportunity to nap and I had half a mind to join her, but instead I asked Jessie for her phone. I hadn't taken part in the family calling when everyone else had, seeing as I didn't have a cell. Maybe I should have spoken up before now, and I can't say why I didn't. I guess I was just putting it off now that I finally had the chance to talk to my parents.

"Hello?" my dad asked.

"Hey, it's Tonia," I said.

He let out a long sigh. "Hey, how are you doing?"

"I'm fine," I said.

"Are you still at your friends?"

"Yes."

Silence.

"Okay. Uh, did you want to see your mother in the hospital?"

"Mom's still in the hospital?"

"Yeah, Doctor's want to keep an eye on her, just to be sure."

"But, they said she was going to be fine."

"They just want to be sure," he said again.

"Okay," I said.

Dad let out another sigh. "Hey, how long do you think you can stay at your friends?"

Forever probably.

"I don't know."

"Okay, we'll work it all out when you come see us. How fast can you get here?"

"Dad, I didn't say I was coming."

More silence.

"She really doesn't look bad," dad said. "You should see her. She's worried about you."

"Okay," I said. "I'll come as soon as I can."

"Alright," he said and gave me the address and room number and phone number I could use to call mom. And then he said he loved me and we hung up.

Was it just me or was there a more pungent silence after my call?

"Oh, Tonia," Jessie said when I returned her phone. She took my hand and pulled me into a hug. "I'm so sorry. Here I am wining and you're the one that has it the worst. Is your mom going to be okay?"

"Yeah," I said and awkwardly patted Jessie on the back. "And I think we're all pretty screwed."

Josh snorted. "Yeah, some more than others. Oh, god. Sorry, that was insensitive."

"I didn't notice," I said at last breaking out of Jessie's hug.

"Course you didn't," he muttered and as Terriermon was skipping past him, he snatched his digimon by the ear and pulled him into his lap.

"Hey!" Terriermon said.

"Stop it. It's driving me crazy."

"Well what am I supposed to do?"

"Sit down like a normal human being."

"But I'm not a normal human being. I'm not even a human being. I'm a digimon and as I digimon I have to stay fit!"

"Well do push-ups or something."

"I can't my arms are too small and my ears are too big."

"Then use your ears, just stop running around my head!"

"Oh, I never thought of that," Terriermon said and pushed himself from Josh's lap and onto the floor and started to do ear-ups.

"Me too!" Veemon said and joined Terriermon on the floor.

And for a moment we all watched the digimon work out. Their grunts and the ticking of a wall clock where the only sounds to disturb the quiet. Brian and Wizardmon had finished arguing and rejoined the rest of us on the sofas.

There came the thumbing of feet racing down the stairs and down came Justin, he shot right past us in his haste to reach the front door. The abruptness and speed of his movements put the already riled up group of teens on edge into a state of panic. Brian shot to his feet spitting an oath at Wizardmon to: 'obey or so help me…' Josh rolled over the sofa back and hid behind it, leaving a puzzled Terriermon and Veemon to pause in their exercises. Jessie also ducted behind the sofa, and out of sheer reflex, I joined her. The only ones unperturbed were Leomon and Sarah, who was quietly snoring on the couch.

But alas, our efforts to bolt for cover were in vain, for all Justin did was open the front door and allow a fuming Caroline to enter. She paused in the doorway frowning around what appeared to be an all but empty den. Seeing no danger, I was the first to regain my composure and sit down.

Traveling behind Caroline was her faithful companion, Palmon and Justin, still hoisting Koromon around under his arm. The digidestined and their digimon watched the lowly tamers slowly peek their heads from behind the couches and let out weary breaths before having a seat again.

Veemon nudged Jessie with his elbow and said: "Don't be so jumpy. You have me to protect you now."

A nervous half smile was Jessie's response.

After looking the group over, Caroline spoke in a remarkably normal and none hostile tone. "I'm glad that most of you are bonded to digimon now. You have my sympathies for the events that took place this afternoon. That is an unfortunate circumstance to bond with a digimon. I won't say that it won't always be like that, because it probably will and it would be great if you could head home now to relax and get to know your new partners, but unfortunately we do not have such luxury."

Caroline must have been practicing this speech to speak so eloquently and with so little curse words. She must have been saving it up once everyone had a digimon so they could be properly initiated.

"Josh, you and Jessie will now go with Justin and he'll show you the ropes of patrolling and bring you to a relatively safe distance from the gate, just so that you could maybe get a look at it and know it's general location, because that is where Myotismon has set up his headquarters in the human realm, and that is where we'll eventually be attacking to regain control of the gate." After a brief pause in which everyone waited for her to continue she said: "Well, what are the three of you waiting for? Get moving!"

And with that, Jessie, Veemon, Josh, Terriermon, Justin, and Koromon left the abode in less than enthusiastic spirits. Josh and Jessie looked very much as if they'd rather be doing anything else.

Once the front door shut behind them, Caroline whipped out her digivice and a bright light beam shot out of it, striking Wizardmon square in the face. His hat tumbled off, revealing his blonde pony tailed head. He put his hands over his face and bit off a stream of digi curses.

"What the fuck?" Brian said.

Caroline held up one finger for him to be quiet, but kept her eyes on Wizardmon. "What the fuck is right."

Wizardmon peered at her between his fingers. "I've been beaten enough for one day. Do that again and I'll show you what it's like to have your eyes burned out."

"The fuck?" Brian said, but this time addressing Wizardmon.

Caroline's expression didn't waver, but she did not send out another ray from her digivice. "You're about to die," she said. "I will not have you as a liability."

At this, Brain threw himself protectively in front of Wizardmon. "He's my digimon! He's part of the team. I won't let you kill him!"

"He's the reason behind the attack at Primary Village," Caroline said, meeting Brain's defiant stare.

"What are you talking about?" Brain said, just as Wizardmon denied:

"I had nothing to do with it!"

"So they just happened to know our precise location after entering into the digital world and moved a raid from Myoticmon's castle to Primary Village in less than a day?"

"Is it so shocking for them to guess the first place you'd go after entering the digital world? You had humans in need of digimon and where does the majority of picking take place? They hardly needed any intelligence from me, not that I provided any or have even been in contact with them since speaking with Bakamon last night before bonding with Brian."

"That's a well thought out defense," Caroline said, just as Brian gaped:

"What? You're accusing him of being a wizard spy!"

Caroline visibly struggled to contained her annoyance and let out a long breath before growling: "This isn't a fucking video game."

"I know it's not! My friend's almost died today! And I already spoke with Wizardmon about holding out. He's going to fight for us from now on! He's with me and I'm with you!"

"What do you mean," Caroline said in a voice cold enough to make me shiver. "holding out?"

Brian glowered. "He's on our side. He's my digimon and will protect me no matter what and to him today that meant that if it came down to it he'd side with them rather than fight when there was no chance of succeeding and have me get killed."

And for a time there was quiet as Caroline, Brian and Wizardmon had a stare off. I wondered why Justin's mom hadn't popped her head in to see what all the shouting was about and wondered even more at Sarah's ability to sleep through all this. I also admired Leomon's determination to continue to gaze indifferently out the window.

At last Caroline relented. "You're on thin ice," she said to Wizardmon. "Next time I get even a whiff of foul play, you will die right then and there and I won't give two fucks what he has to say about it. Do I make myself clear?"

Wizardmon broke away from her stare: "Abundantly."

"Good, now I'm going to the digital world and will be back here in under an hour. If I should return to find anyone missing, Lillymon will hunt you down and blast you into bits."

"Enough with the death threats!" Brian snapped.

Without bothering to reply, Caroline retreated up the stairs. Palmon followed after and gave Wizardmon an 'I'm watching you," gesture.

In an exaggerated sigh Brian sunk into the couch. "What a bitch."

"It's alright," Wizardmon said, sinking in next to him. "I know a fouler puss."