Disclaimer = I don't own Digimon (!)
A/N: Again, a long time since my last update but I definitely think that I've thought things through from here
Zero Slash One – thanks for all your reviews, I think there are some discrepancies and misunderstandings between us and this story but maybe there is just more planning behind Relena finding Marcus, I think it would give our readers something to think about
So without further ado, the next chapter
Chapter 07
"I don't understand Relena, why wouldn't you want to go home?" Marcus rubbed the stubble that was beginning to establish itself on the side of his face and around his mouth.
It had been a long time since he had managed to create some form of shaver for himself, but he was surviving.
"I mean, you and me are different. You can't really think of staying here, can you? I left the human world so that I could clobber the darkness out of Digimon. You? I mean, you have Thomas, your big house, and a room that is probably full of girly stuff. I don't know…" Marcus looked at the blonde girl, wondering why she truly wanted to stay. "Why Relena?" he mumbled.
"Ever since DATS came back, Marcus. I've felt like I want to have a change of scenery. Maybe this is that place. I don't know, I just want to be away from everyone else," Relena replied, partly doubting her sudden outburst and consideration to try, or refuse, to go home.
Marcus, on the other hand, couldn't fathom the fact that DATS had regrouped. "DATS got back together? I didn't think Sampson had it in him to head it up again. Certainly not after the last time. I guess that the digital gates have started opening again. Yushima was right then…" Marcus turned to face Relena, "Does that mean they've recruited another Norstein prodigy?"
"I'm not a Norstein prodigy, Marcus Damon. I'm nothing like my brother." Relena stopped talking, her fists clenched, "Why does everyone keep saying that? I don't plan fifty tactical situations for me and Renamon to carry out when danger shows its face. I stick to about three and that's it. Alpha, beta and gamma."
"Okay, okay, I hear you." Marcus straightened himself out, "So, one more time. Why don't you want to go home?" Marcus scanned the horizon of the digital world, feeling a little bit sentimental, "Sometimes. I wish I could go back there to see Kristy. My Mom and Dad."
At the mention of his Mother, he had to wipe the drool from the corner of his mouth after he remembered the delicacies that she would rustle up for him and Agumon.
"Oh Marcus, that is gross. The drool I mean. If it means anything, Kristy is doing fine," Relena smiled weakly, tucking her hands into the pockets of her jacket.
"No way? You and Kristy know each other? Other than that encounter all those years ago?" Marcus' mouth dropped in disbelief.
Relena nodded, "Well. Actually, we get on extremely well. Me, her, and Keenan too."
She started to observe Marcus' dramatic change of facial expression.
"Keenan… How is the little guy?"
Relena rubbed her eyes gently. "As much as I love the fact that you are reminiscing about the good old days with Thomas, and Yoshino but-" Relena froze, pointing over Marcus' broad shoulders.
"Marcus, what is that?"
Over Marcus' shoulder was a Digimon, standing up straight with its head tilted downwards and an eery, wide grin on its face. It reminded Relena of the jester in a pack of old playing cards her uncle would play with. The Digimon wore emerald tights and a purple blazer with jingling bells attached to the tails. Their eyes were no more than dark slits of black in a pool of white, they sent a shiver down Relena's spine.
"Who is that?" Relena asked again as the jester smiled creepily.
"Yeah, that's Jokermon. Not worth making a fuss over. She follows me wherever I go, normally sticking to the shadows. Just take no notice of her," Marcus turned Relena around to drag her away from Jokermon.
Knowing Jokermon was still there, didn't make the strange feeling Relena had go away.
"Where are we going, Marcus Damon?" Relena asked, nervously glancing over her shoulder to see Jokermon crawling along the floor like an animal, following Marcus and Relena. Her feet and hands digging into the dirty ground. A perverse smile on her face that made Relena squeeze Marcus' arm. Jokermon quickened her pace rapidly making her almost within touching distance of Relena's blue checked dress.
"Will you stop being so paranoid and petrified, Relena?" Marcus moaned.
"I will when she leaves me alone, Marcus!" Relena squealed, running away from Jokermon so that Marcus was between them.
"Ba!" Marcus jumped down at Jokermon who scattered away rigidly, "Yeah, go on!" Marcus shouted, waving his arms at Jokermon.
Jokermon snarled at Marcus before crawling away a few feet.
"Go on, get out of here!" Marcus yelled angrily.
"Yeah Jokermon, the boss doesn't want you hanging around," Agumon spat in his lispy voice.
"You tell her Agumon, come on Relena. Let's find somewhere to stay the night. Or a digital dive."
"What? You mean I have to sleep on the ground?" Relena folded her arms as she followed even closer behind Marcus. "Thank you, Marcus."
"What for?"
"For sending Jokermon away. I'm starting to regret being so positive about staying here and not returning home. It's not the place for me. Sometimes I don't think DATS is either and Tommy's a far better DATS member that I ever will be."
"You know Relena, the boss didn't always get along with Thomas, but they got over it and now, I think Marcus is a top boss." Agumon grinned cheerfully.
Relena returned a weak smile. She didn't really understand what Agumon was trying to say, but the thought was nice.
"Agumon…" Marcus gritted his teeth.
"Marcus, do you think I should go home?"
Marcus paused, not saying anything. "I think you have to go back, you're not ready to see the things that I've seen. The things that can happen in the digital world. Now, let's find you a digital dive."
Marcus seemed like he had made his mind up, he was determined to get Relena back home.
"Oh, okay," Relena looked glumly at the ground before following Marcus through the valley, wondering whether the others would realised that she was gone, "Kristy misses you Marcus. They all do."
"Really? You're probably just saying that."
"Boss! Boss!" Agumon waved the pair over to a cave, "I found a digital dive."
"That was quick, nice one Agumon," Marcus grinned, standing to one side of the portal, "Your carriage awaits. After you Miss Relena." Marcus muffled the laughter at the thought of his own joke as Relena approached the thing Marcus called a digital dive. She hesitated momentarily, before agilely into the digital dive, watching Marcus prepare himself to jump through. Almost instantly, the digital dive closed. Relena watched Marcus and Agumon disappear from sight.
"No, Marcus!" Relena yelled out as she was pulled away from the digital world, deeper into the digital dive. She closed her eyes and felt sick as she somersaulted through the air, hoping it would all stop soon.
When Relena came to a halt, she looked around cautiously. She was in a park, feeling the lush grass on her hands, it was dark. The only light around was emanating from the streetlights along the path through the park.
"Am I. Am I really home?"
Out of nowhere, came a couple of DATS cars at the gate of the park. Their sirens echoing in Relena's ears as she slowly got to her feet.
Two DATS agents got out the car holding out their digivices.
"Gomamon X realize!"
"Mushroomon realize!"
The two Digimon of the DATS agents appeared out of their digivices. Soldiers that reminded Relena of the SAS came running towards her, surrounding her completely.
"Target acquired and surrounded Commander." The lead soldier spoke through his comms link.
"No, I'm Relena Norstein." Relena started panicking. "I work for DATS too. I'm Thomas' sister, Relena Norstein."
There were murmurs and exclamations amongst the soldiers. Two DATS agents wearing purple and orange pushed through.
"You're Relena Norstein!?" The woman partnered with the Gomamon X gawped at Relena, "Stand down everyone." The soldiers suddenly stood up straight.
"Our apologies Miss Norstein. There were traces of a Digimon incursion. There was a chance that it could have been you. We didn't want to take that chance. Not after the Rhythm incident."
"Sorry about all this. So you're Tommy's little sister. I've heard so much about you. I'm Emma." She looked down at me with sea blue eyes. "Why don't we get out of here?"
Thoughts from AspiringWriterGirl = Hopefully I've tied loose ends in, and I know it would take far longer to find a digital dive but it's all for a good reason :P