I don't own digimon.

Story 55

The frustration of Maki Himekawa

Maki Himekawa couldn't believe what Homeostasis had made her do. Even days after the fact, it still felt absolutely unbelievable. This mission required the utmost stealth. Giving away your status as alive was an easy way to put a massive target on your back for people to go after. Which made it all the more impressive that they hadn't been jumped in some fashion.

'Are you still mad about that? God. Put on your big girl panties.' Homeostasis announced and Maki raised a hand up to her forehead. Pain surged across her head, refusing to let go and instead growing with intensity. What she would give for something resembling some relief at this point. But Homeostasis wouldn't allow for it.

"Yes, you just had to flaunt that you were in the real world. The least you can do is tell me where to find Menoa." Maki announced as she finished her coffee. Heading for the trash, the government agent couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching them. It had been that way the last couple days. Even as they made their way up north and crossed state lines. No, it just got worse with every step taken.

'Maybe if you didn't keep a five feet berth from most technology, then maybe it would be a heck of a lot easier. Bitch.' Homeostasis announced as Maki approached the door. While the cafe had been a nice place to stop off, they needed to head on. She had already paid for the drink and this felt like she was on the verge of getting thrown out anyway. No small part to Homeostasis and their insistence of dropping such foul language wherever they went. It was actually starting to get annoying apologizing to people. Not that anyone really attempted to get close to them in the first place. She was considered dead by all accounts. Who would be dumb enough to try and disturb a zombie? No one, that's who.

"The longer that I can keep you in me, the longer they have to not deal with you." Maki remarked as she shifted her purse ever so slightly. Outside, the city proper stared back at them. People went about their schedules, far too busy too pay Maki Himekawa any mind. If they did, her face would likely not even register to them. As it should be.

'You know, a swim sounds kind of nice right about now. Perhaps you can swim better than your ex.' Homeostasis announced in her mind, Maki doing her best to shove that suggestion away. Leave it to this entity to try and do everything in their power to kill her once more. Annoying as this was, she had gotten used to this constant taunting. Would be kind of nice to have something to spice this up. At least in a way that didn't hurt people or

"Is this all you have? Bitching at me and making references to Daigo. You have to have something else that you can talk about." Maki countered and was met with a long sigh from within her mind. The government agent took that as a 'no'. So she forced her attention ahead. If she was lucky, maybe this would actually be a dec-

"Maki Himekawa, we need to talk." a voice announced and Maki stared up. A large bulky figure floated in the air, sparkly dark blue armor on full display. Yellow eyes stared out through a massive blue helmet, a pair of gnarled bat wings hanging from the side. A massive cape hung from the back of their armor, decorated in the colors of the rainbow. A large sword bounced up and down against the palm of his hand, broken and worn from the battles fought. Did little to obscure the massive wedding ring on his finger that served to finish off this strange

Below the figure was a short man. Dressed in a gray business suit, faded brown eyes were set against ragged skin and auburn locks of hair on the verge of going gray. A pouch filled with what Maki could assume only to be stones hung at his side.

"Who the hell are you?" Maki announced and looked around for somewhere to hide. While the coffee shop she had just exited came to mind first, that was likely the worst place the government agent could head towards currently. Not only would she be putting the lives of a crudton of people at risk, that was just inviting actual government agents to come knocking and attempt to arrest her. Instead, she needed to find somewhere with a bunch of alleyways and dead ends. That should make for an easy getup. Unless she got lost and/or Homeostasis tried to fuck her over in some fashion. The latter was more likely than the former knowing her luck.

"I am Rune. If my memory serves me correctly, you fucked my friends and I over god knows how many fucking time loops ago. As the last one of my particular group, Hazard and I thought it would be best to repay the favor."

Maki rolled her eyes. Just one more mess to add to the list. While this whole 'time loop' thing didn't quite make sense in her mind, an explanation likely existed. Whether it would come from Rune or Homeostasis, remained to be seen. Bolting off, she could already feel a lecture coming on. Whether or not it was a lecture that she actually needed remained to be seen.

'Oh right. Those fuckers. I don't really get why they hung on for some long. They should've just accepted their fate for the balance of both worlds.' Homeostasis announced in her mind and Maki resisted the urge to slap herself. It would only hurt herself and just make the entity poke fun at her misery. Worse, it might split them apart and allow for Homeostasis to go and possess someone else. That part especially had to be avoided at all costs.

"Perhaps because they want to create a future separate from you." Maki thought and was met with laughter. Figures. The only thing that mattered to Homeostasis was the 'balance'. God forbid they try and actually empathize with another human being. No, that was asking far too much out of them in the grand scale of the universe.

'Do you think I give a rat's ass about any of them? Fuck no.' Homeostasis announced as Maki turned a corner. All while rocks went flying and what appeared to be javelins of all projectiles came rushing by. Ignoring them to the best of her abilities, she looked about for the next alleyway. While this particular one was longer than most, it had to end eventually. Once it did, she would be out in the open for Rune and 'Hazard' to take pot shots. Or whatever else they had for attacks.

"Where do you think you're going?" Rune announced and pulled his arm back. Throwing his stone out like a baseball, Maki ducked at the earliest possible moment. Just catching a glimpse of the projectile passing right over her head, the government agent watched it land near the exit of the alleyway. Burrowing into the ground, thick green vines sprouted forth and sealed off the exit. "We have much to talk about and I can't have you just running off all willy-nilly."

Maki rolled her eyes. Part of her was tempted to just blow them off and plead ignorance here. While technically responsible for what had happened with Rune and his friends, that had likely been caused by another Maki. Or a similar version of her from a past something or other. But the government agent had a feeling that wouldn't quite go over as well as it sounded in her head. Still worth a shot. But at the same, it was still a good idea to ask for clarification in the hopes of getting the couple to divulge whatever secrets they had within them.

"I have no clue what you're talking about." she announced and got an eye roll from both of her pursuers. Figures. So much for that angle.

"Oh right. They kept you in the dark as you played with forces well outside your capabilities. Would want their precious toy to know what they were doing with the other experiments. Heaven forbid you know they were playing God and splicing humans and digimon together for their own twisted gains." Hazard announced and Maki froze. Mouth opening up, the words refused to come to her. That couldn't be right. She had full control of that facility. If illicit experiments and/or procedures were occurring, she would've known. At least, the government agent thought she would know. Was this the work of that mysterious man? Maybe. Maki was actually surprised that she hadn't seen a trace of him up to this point. Knowing him, he was likely watching from the shadows. Probably chuckling along because he thought this was incredibly funny for whatever reason. That sounded like the kind of thing he would do. Where had that bastard gone? Part of her had hoped to find some clue of his whereabouts, but that had been a fruitless search. "Answer me, damn it! For the lives that you allowed to be wasted and the people who actually did search for them, they at least deserve that. Or are you too proud of being hoisted by your own petard to even admit that?!"

Maki stared down at the pavement. Taking a moment to compose her thoughts, the government agent's expression changed.

"Go fuck yourself." Maki announced and cracked her knuckles. A shame she didn't have a gun on her person currently. This would make this far easier of a problem to deal with. "I did everything for the sake of getting just one more chance at seeing my partner. If you were in my shoes you wou-"

Rune interrupted Maki's monologue by way of a slap. Pulling his hand back a second time, this slap came out a heck of a lot faster.

"You know what, Ms Himekawa? I have. I've been in that terrible headspace. I know the want to get back at the forces to be in the hopes of retrieving what you lost. It isn't worth it." Rune announced and was met with a shove.

"Don't you even dare compare me to you!" Maki announced and knocked Rune to the ground. Putting a foot on his stomach, she began punching his face and chest. The nerve of this asshole. Thinking that he could somehow have an inkling of being unable to find any help by way of her teachers. Who would even believe her story in the slightest? No one would. They would think she was telling lies and have her kicked out. Nor could she tell her parents. Her words would fall on deaf ears and they would think she was mentally unstable. Then they would send her away to never be seen again. No, this idiot wouldn't understand. Probably was making up half the shit that was coming out of his mouth. Why else would he blabbering like that? Probably just to throw her off in the hopes of murdering her. The absolute nerve. She had places to be and people to kick the shit out of. The faster she got done with this mess, the fas-

"I hope you drown in a pool of your blood." Rune announced as a knife came out. Thrusting it upward, he managed to get a hit in. Scurrying out from under Maki's foot, he took the time to get one more slash in. Then it's back over to Hazard. Sword now pointed at the government agent, he looked more than keen on putting it to use on her.

'What the fuck did you think would happen there?' Homeostasis announced as Maki looked about for a way out. But all that accomplished was her getting stabbed even more. Running for the vines, an attempt was made to climb up. She didn't get particularly far on that front. "Don't get me wrong. You very much should murder them.'

Maki rolled her eyes, turning to face Rune and Hazard.

"Let's say that I do. Would it even make you happy?" Maki announced and was met with an eye roll from Rune. Knife going away for just a moment, his hands went to his side. Hazard landed at his side, sword still pointed her way.

"Let me answer that with a question of my own. Let's say that you did manage to get Tapirmon back as your partner. Would it have justified the crimes and atrocities that you've committed?" Rune countered and silence fell over the arena. Maki closed her eyes. Memories of days long gone flooded back into her head. Getting to meet her digimon partner, going all about the Digital World in the hopes of finding the answers to the questions burning about their head. Only to run into one form of problem or another and then needing to use their digimon to get themselves out of a jam. Those had been some of the happiest moments of her life. But they couldn't last forever. Only a fool would believe it to be the case. She had been that young, naive fool. Thinking she was somehow invincible, nothing capable of pulling her down. Then it came time to give up their digimon partners. In the heat of the moment, her younger self had faltered under the weight of the sacrifice. And when the dust settled, the only thing she felt was heartbreak. A piece of her had been forcibly ripped out and she was forced to deal with the consequences far beyond her imagination.

"Yes." Maki announced and stood up straight. But instead of finding Rune and Hazard standing before her, she was all alone. In their place was a newspaper of all things. A new copy, it looked to have just been purchased by the couple for one reason or another.

'Leave it to you to fall for such an obvious trick.' Homeostasis announced as Maki approached the newspaper. Picking it up, her gaze came upon the front page.

Menoa Bellucci's New York Trial pushed further back

Below that was a nicely written article about trying to find a place to begin the first of many trials for Menoa Bellucci's mass kidnapping.

"Thanks, asshole." Maki announced and stuffed the newspaper into her top. Turning her focus ahead, she found the vines to be gone. Letting out a sigh, she let the temptation to look about for her attackers to fade. They had failed in their mission. That was all that mattered.

'If anything, you're the bigger asshole.' Homeostasis announced as Maki headed off. There was still a long ways to go and she wanted to get there sooner rather than later.