A/N: Character study. Yes, Mimi is a ninja.
Joe always thought that of the five girls, it was Mimi who surprised him the most.
She didn't like fighting. She never had; she was different from Yolei, who strove to become stronger and occasionally got some satisfaction out of beating enemies to a pulp. She didn't enjoy the physicality of it like Nicole, who in fact loved fighting purely for the sake of it and could be often found practicing various moves while waiting for something like cooking ramen. She wasn't like Sora, who incorporated the thoughts of a warrior into her lifestyle, from her training to the calm awareness of everything around her. She wasn't like Kari, who took pride in her technical abilities, practicing constantly as though her desire to protect the others and not let herself become the victim was driving her to perfection.
If anything, it was like she was two separate people.
Talking with her around the house, watching her at the orchard, seeing her gossiping about cooking and clothes and what the other Digidestined in the world were doing, was what he remembered of her. She was straightforward about her opinions, like she always had been, and held a great compassion for all those around her. She was older, yes, more mature, more responsible with an independent streak, but to him it was still Mimi.
In combat, she changed completely.
Gone was the sweet girl with a love for flowers and the color pink, who liked conversing with others and enjoying life. There were no hats, no frills, no gentle touch.
"Joe, are you ready?"
There she was, standing before him ready to depart on the latest mission. Her outfit was black, just loose enough to allow her flexible and quick movement, leaving nothing uncovered except for her head, though she had a hood and mask prepared - ideal for stealth work in the dark fortress they were headed to. He saw the knives, the pouch on her thigh, the tools on her belt, the fuuma shuriken on her back. Her long hair was bound tightly into a bun, held by small black hairclips and done neatly.
Her eyes were alive, focused, and deadly.
Joe knew why she had chosen this role. It was because of the fighting – she didn't enjoy getting hurt, or charging into battle like several of the others. She had chosen the path of one who struck from the shadows, never being seen or heard, denying the target a chance to resist. He knew she had the ability to fight if forced into direct combat – he had seen it multiple times – but it still scared him at times to see her like this, especially when he remembered who she had once been, long before the decision to live in the Digiworld.
"Y-yeah," he stuttered, adjusting the strap on his shoulder that held his spear. Gomamon and Palmon were waiting for them outside; now it was time for them to shift their mindset and infiltrate the fortress. He thought back to the mission plan, going over in his head all the roles they had to play, the methods for this particular place, the best ways to finish quickly and efficiently.
He supposed that when it came to the things they did, he changed too.