I sorry about the wait, but I'm still getting back into the school schedule. But here is an update and I hope you like it.
Back to the tamer's universe. Hopefully things will go well there. As always, tell me what you think of my writing. I love feedback from my viewers. To start off, I shall check in on our amnesia-stricken tamer. And I shall bring in some interesting stuff from Hypnos.
A dark cave, twisting downwards, seemed to be DemiDevimon's destination. Ryo and Monodramon eyed the black hole uneasily. If the boy remembered the human world at all, he'd have compared it to an entrance to the Underworld. The deep darkness seemed foreboding and sinister. The virus type assured them it was safe and the fastest way to their next target. Neither of the two digimon nor the human was prepared for a cloaked figure to step out of the shadows suddenly.
"Whoa!" shouted DemiDevimon, nearly tumbling out of the air in surprise. "Trying to give me a heart attack or something?"
"You require a heart to have an attack," the shape replied, a female voice emerging from beneath the hood. She seemed to be staring at the virus, but neither her eyes nor any of her face could be viewed. "I come to deliver a message to each of you, along with gifts to aid your coming ventures. But not all I have to say should fall upon all ears."
"Hey, anything you tell the kid, you tell me first," growled DemiDevimon possessively.
The figure asked, "Do you wish for all your secrets to be spilled out? If you do not wish to reveal everything that swirls behind your yellow eyes, you shall accept the gift of privacy for yourself, Ryo, and his partner. If you like, I shall speak to you first of the matters that you need to hear."
The bat glanced around uneasily. While the small digimon didn't trust the mysterious person, he did not like the idea of her blabbing anything to his new little minions. But, the question was, what exactly did she know? Could she actually hurt his position?
"How much…?" he began.
"Devimon," interrupted the cloaked being, loading the single word with so much meaning and a hint of threat.
DemiDevimon blanched before muttering, "Let's talk then."
Miss Suzuki, after several difficult hours of trying to explain her concerns about Hypnos without sounding obsessive as the whispers about her suggested and lacking her documented proof from the agency, sighed with relief. Even without the proof, the red-haired woman finally convinced the men in charge that maybe things at Hypnos might not be ideal.
Rather than marching down to the building and dramatically firing fifty percent of the corrupt employees, as the woman secretly hoped, Mr. Yamamoto decided on a video conference. Miss Suzuki requested to remain in the room on the condition that she remained silent. She couldn't wait to see their expression as the Hypnos group crumbled without their leader. She frowned at the memories of Yamaki's impudence, the white digital anomaly, and Kokoro's behavior the night before. Such embarrassment would not be tolerated. There would be vengeance and their power would be taken.
The screen came to life as Mr. Yamamoto settled into his chair comfortably. The dark-haired man seemed surprised that Yamaki wasn't on the screen. Miss Suzuki smirked as Tally and Riley greeted him. The two were little more than glorified secretaries, left to deal with their boss's absence. There couldn't be any possible way they could maintain the illusion that Hypnos' operation, and Yamaki's leadership, remained on track and in control of the situation.
"I would like to speak with Mr. Yamaki," the dark-haired man informed them. "There have been a few… complaints that there might be some irregularities down there. I would just like to straighten out a few things."
"I'm sorry, but he is unavailable," the brunette technician apologized. "We'd be happy to assist in clearing up anything that is concerning you."
Mr. Yamamoto narrowed his eyes, "I see… There are a few concerns that Hypnos is no longer fulfilling its main purpose."
Another face appeared on the screen. A man, holding a stack of papers, sat down between Riley and Tally. Suzuki realized with a start that it was Hisao Olkowski from school. He looked tired but triumphant.
"I disagree with that statement, Mr. Yamamoto," he remarked. "My name is Olkowski and I'm a lawyer. I've been examining several documents for this agency and not only is Hypnos as a whole completing its objective, but Yamaki personally is fulfilling his duties in all his actions. In fact, there is no breach of contract that I can see."
"What?" gasped the red-head, her manicured hands balling into fists by her sides. "You can honestly stand there and claim that the… the mockery that you're calling Hypnos is actually following that mission still?"
"Very easily, Kirai Suzuki," he nodded. "The original purpose of Hypnos was simply to deal with 'monitoring electronic communications.' Later, it gained the new responsibility of 'deterring digimon when they attempt to Bioemerge and to prevent it if possible.' Hypnos is not technically obligated to destroy any digimon at any point."
"But…" she tried to interrupt, but the man continued smoothly.
"And, yes, Hypnos does its best to go beyond that rudimentary goal. It ensures that any digimon that appears in our world is dealt with effectively. And the most efficient methods of handling any problem involve using the right tools for the job. Why fumble with unfamiliar situations when an expert is easy to find and far more skilled? That is why those like Janyu Wong and his friends were hired; they're experts in their field."
Yamamoto nodded understandingly, "True, there is nothing that states Hypnos must destroy digimon. I can see you have done your research, Mr. Olkowski. There are still a few other matters that Miss Suzuki raised." He glanced at the red-haired woman in her dark suit, glaring at the screen in disbelief and anger. "She's been trying to pass off this far-fetched story of…"
"He's using kids!" screeched the woman, pointing her finger accusingly at Riley and Tally. "Yamaki is encouraging those tamer kids to run into dangerous situations with unstable digital creatures. He trusts these children with the safety of our world instead of agents from Hypnos. He doesn't deserve to be running anything!"
The infuriated woman noticed that Yamamoto seemed frustrated by her continued interruptions. She knew that she was treading on thin ice, but her revenge against the absent blonde man seemed too close now. All she needed to do was convince at least Yamamoto. Once she gained this man's support, he'd help show the others in power the truth.
Olkowski took a deep breath, "No one would force young children into dangerous situations. But there are extenuating circumstances. They seek out Bioemerged digimon on their own. Most of them also demonstrated their capability during the D-reaper incident. While Hypnos does not force the tamers into these battles, they do not stop them. Because, as bad as it may seem, they are the best at dealing with digimon."
"Don't forget," she snapped. "They are children. Parents and guardians make decisions of importance, not them. How can Hypnos allow young children to fight their battles, to fulfill their responsibility to stop these digital anomalies, and still claim to be following the best course? These tamers should be prevented from being in such dangerous situations for their own safety, not allowed to run around unsupervised. If Yamaki actually approves and accepts this behavior, he is not only unfit to run Hypnos, but is also a danger to society!"
"Miss Suzuki, I gave you permission to sit in on this conference on the condition you remain silent," warned Yamamoto. "If you choose to interrupt again, you will be removed from this building and relieved of power until such time you can act in a responsible and calm manner."
Narrowing her eyes, the woman grew quiet. He'd just threatened to fire her, or rather suspend her temporarily. Her revenge would be incomplete if she couldn't gloat over Yamaki and possible take over his precious Hypnos. Unable to argue her views further, she resorted to glaring at the three individuals on screen.
Yamamoto, ensuring the red-head would not interrupt again, sighed, "At least one of her points is valid. If Yamaki is allowing or even encouraging those children to place themselves in dangerous situations, even if they commit these actions on their own regardless, there is a problem. They are not employees of Hypnos and making use of the resources of Hypnos by civilians is prohibited. If what Suzuki has told me is true, that the tamers are given near complete freedom to deal with Bioemerges as they see fit and even that they might be using information or other resources from Hypnos, there is reasonable cause to remove Yamaki from power."
Olkowski exchanged a look with Riley and Tally. Suddenly, Miss Suzuki wondered about the oddity of encountering two old schoolmates in two days, both supportive of Yamaki and Hypnos.
"I actually can explain why there is no problem," the lawyer declared calmly. He pulled out a small stack of paper. "True, they are legally too young to formally join any agency, nor could they claim any legal responsibility for their choices regarding digimon and Hypnos. Because of their age, important decisions lie with their legal guardians. That's why they signed these contracts for their children."
"Contracts?" asked Yamamoto.
"Contracts of a partnership between the tamers and Hypnos. Written to protect the interests of both parties, it ensures that the children not only will he supervised in their dealings with Bioemerges, but also that Hypnos is responsible for their actions. It even has a clause included that it can be dissolved if the interests of both group no longer coincide," Olkowski explained. "The parents signed for their children. When they get older, they can choose to sign on to Hypnos officially. Until then, they are closer to unpaid volunteers or interns. They have many of the benefits of being an employee in regard to access and assistance, but without some of the higher responsibility or expectations that you require for official employees."
After several moments of silence, all while Suzuki stared at the screen awe-struck, Yamamoto shook his head in amazement, "You realize that we'll need to go over that agreement with our lawyers, of course. But… it sounds as if you have covered every legal angle you could for both sides. I just wonder if those parents know what they are agreeing to let their children do by signing that contract."
"I'll fax you copies immediately," the lawyer informed him. "And the parents do understand. But we agree that, not only can we not stop our children from trying to fulfill the responsibility they feel, if we try to prevent them from placing themselves in dangerous situations, they'll only be more at risk. We'll agree to this arrangement because it will give our children help." He sighed softly. "And from what it seems to us, Mr. Yamaki does what is best for everyone. Someone else would not understand the full extent of situation. And Miss Suzuki," he smirked, "my wife, Kokoro, wishes to remind you to stay away from our family."
"You and her?" she shrieked, her mind finally connecting the last name of the lawyer, the name of two of the children's files, and the woman's extreme reaction at the mention of those specific kids. He, Kokoro, the kids, Ai and Mako, and the digital monster, Impmon, were together. "You married Kokoro? And you allow your children to interact with those things? I can't believe it."
"I asked you several times to be silent, Miss Suzuki," reprimanded a seriously annoyed Yamamoto. "Since you cannot control yourself, I'm now asking you to leave the room. I shall deal with you later."
Unable to think of anything to save herself, the red-haired woman slowly walked towards the door. Her high heels clicked on the floor as she stepped away. She glanced back one last time.
"I'll talk with the others, Mr. Olkowski," assured the dark-haired man. "They won't be happy, but their greatest concern is staying out of trouble with the public. Anything that can be covered legally, they wanted it. If it is of questionable legality, as was the original purpose of Hypnos, they want it hidden or easy to dispose of. In this case, it seems to be all three should be in effect."
"Secrecy of the children's involvement is problematic," remarked Riley, "but we intend to keep them low profile in some aspects."
Frowning to herself, Miss Suzuki closed the door and heard no more of the exchange. She was left with her thoughts and hatred.
Destiny, wrapped in her dark cloak, considered the rookie before her. The current mission required that she retrieved certain items of power from another reality, transport a Digi-Gnome to that reality, and now she needed to transport the crests to the tamers. The only problem with that was she now faced speaking to this troublesome virus. Actually, she needed to speak to three individuals that would be problematic.
DemiDevimon represented the possible imbalance to come. His future actions would create a threat to the human and digital worlds. Unfortunately, she could not discourage him. Rather, she'd be encouraging him.
Ryo, on the other hand, seemed more promising. He may not remember, but he spent much of his life tangled in the web of fate. Like her, the brown-haired boy found his way to other times and realities. This human deserved the crest to help him and his partner.
The partner of the Legendary Tamer was a real piece of interest. Monodramon seemed innocent and curious. But she knew that in his small form lay the awareness of a powerful digimon. That awareness, slumbering in the rookie's subconscious, would awaken upon reaching the ultimate level. There would be a blood-thirsty and violent personality emerging then, but the more concerning fact was predicting how Ryo and Monodramon would handle this awareness while lacking knowledge of who and what it was.
Sighing as the girl contemplated her upcoming conversations, not to mention visiting the other tamers; she turned her attention back to the conniving virus.
"DemiDevimon, I bring you news on your coming venture to gain power," she began. "I know what you seek. And you shall find that strength. 'The Bat shall become the End, his new form gained by the mislead servants. Though the Digimon King and the vessel of the Thousand Year Monster wish to be protectors, they will know not what they do until the time is too late.'"
"Okay, that sounds good," grinned the bat. "I get to win. Glad to hear it, whoever you are."
Destiny continued, "Be warned, however. 'The End shall end if he ignores the harmless. The small and meek is not the weak. The youngest of mind and form hold the power to stop the threat. Defeat comes from the least expected quarters.'"
The virus blinked in surprise, "That's it? A weird cloaked figure shows up, spouts gibberish about me winning, and then adds a riddle about someone being dangerous to me without any real information? Who can stop me? Come on, fill me in."
She shook her head slowly, "That is all I have for you. Just take heed of what I've told you. Now, do not listen to the others' words. If you try, I will share your secrets."
Glaring at her, DemiDevimon shot into the tree. Destiny couldn't tell Ryo and Monodramon about their death and who caused it anyway. It would disrupt the prophecy. But the heartless viral rookie didn't know that.
"Look, I just want to know how to get out of here," groaned Kenta. "Do any of you know how to get to the forest level?"
"Nope, nope," grinned the bluish-purple digimon. He looked like a tadpole with small claw-hands and a couple pointy teeth. Its large fin-tail propelled it through the water easily. And it swam with two more of its kind. "Why would we go there? It isn't wet enough."
The boy, moaning in frustration, checked his D-arc. "Otamamon; an amphibian digimon. This virus type uses its Stun Bubble to blast its opponents out of the water."
"No good," sighed MarineAngemon as the strange digimon swam off. "Pii pii pu-pii."
"I know, but someone has to know how to get out of here," the tamer answered, kicking his legs to swim closer to his partner. "Even if these rookies are nice, the higher level digimon are more likely to attack. Asking these guys is dangerous, after all."
"Pii pii. Pii pii pipii!" the pink mega remarked.
Kenta frowned, "I'm not a coward and I know you're a mega. That doesn't mean I plan to go ask the tougher digimon anyway. Why cause more problems than we have already. Even if you think you can handle it, forgetting for a moment that you're better at support than direct combat, I don't think I could help you enough to risk a confrontation."
The aquatic mega glared scoldingly at the boy, "Destiny. Pii pii, pu-pii pii pii."
"I understand Destiny told me not to doubt myself like that and not to stay in the background. I know I'm supposed to have confidence. But you and I both know that my card abilities are miniscule. Let's try to be realistic about my capabilities."
"Pii pii."
"Fine, next digimon. No matter the level or demeanor, we'll ask. I just hope it doesn't eat us," declared the tamer. "I'm not a coward."
Okay, let me know what you think. I hope you enjoyed it and I'll try to get back into my usual updating schedule. Until then, please review.