Message from the Author: Thank you for reading my story so far. I've been working on this story for the better end of two years now. I've only posted it recently to make sure there was a good amount of the story to begin with, and to make sure most of the kinks, typos, and errors were worked out, as well as to make sure it read well. This is my first FanFiction, and I am still learning how to write well. New chapters may take a while to be posted due to these reasons. I want the best version of this story to be posted here, so bare with me. Thanks again for reading, here's the next chapter.
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After the pair learned about each other's histories, they felt much better connected with one another. Understanding time was of the essence, they continued their trek.
"This is where I was when I heard the noise of the machines." The pair was situated at the bottom of a small embankment. "I hid here to avoid being spotted. The noise came from that direction." Renamon pointed towards the embankment.
"Okay, we should move in that direction until we find tracks. We should be more cautious during our movement; the enemy has been operating in this area. I'll lead. Do as I do."
The lieutenant swung his rifle to his back, and climbed up the side of the short embankment, which was only about 10 feet tall. Upon reaching the top, he scanned the area. Spotting no signs of intelligent life, he looked down the embankment and signaled for his partner to move up. She jumped to the top of the embankment with ease.
"I wish I could do that." the lieutenant commented. "Let's move."
The pair moved cautiously through the woods. The lieutenant, leading, was careful to avoid stepping on branches and such, as to make less noise. His partner moved behind him, stepping where he had previously stepped. They traveled for almost half a mile like this, until they reached some vehicle tracks in a much more thinly wooded area.
"Tracks." 2LT Joseph whispered. He moved to them and examined them.
"There are both tire and tread tracks here." He told his partner. "From the direction of the tread marks, it seems they were moving this way." He indicated the direction of travel with his arm. "This couldn't have been more than a company sized element."
They handrailed the tracks, making sure to keep a decent distance away from them in case enemies were still on them. They moved along for some distance, eventually coming to an intersection with a trail. The trail was improved with gravel. The lieutenant signaled halt.
"This is a road. An improved road. It is definitely used regularly." The lieutenant pondered for a moment. "Renamon, do digimon make roads like this?"
"No. I've never seen anything like this before." She moved closer to get a better look at the road, her curiosity piqued. She found it interesting how the road had two paths, each individually covered in gravel, separated by a small median. All the trails she had seen and used before were simple dirt paths.
"Renamon, what are you doing?!" The lieutenant loudly whispered. "You're compromising our security!" He began to move up to her position.
"Vee Headbutt!" A juvenile voice rang out. Renamon looked just in time to be greeted by a powerful headbutt by a short, blue figure. Its attack connected with her chest, sending her flying several yards back along the road.
"Shit." 2LT Joseph whispered to himself.
The lieutenant dove to the ground and flipped the safety off on his rifle. He aimed at the little monster and fired. The round clipped the tip of one of its floppy ears. It quickly scurried behind a tree. 2LT Joseph fired a couple more rounds into the tree. Renamon, recovering from the surprise attack, tracked the rounds fired into the tree. She moved to attack the creature.
*BANG* *BANG BANG BANG*
The lieutenant came under fire from further up the road. He rolled a few times until he was behind a tree. Meanwhile, the creature and Renamon fought in a fast-paced melee, throwing, dodging, and taking punches from each other.
That muzzle report was familiar. The lieutenant thought. He fired a couple rounds in the general direction of the incoming fire. There was a short reply of a couple rounds, one hitting the tree he was hiding behind.
That was definitely an M4.
"AMERICAN. I'M AN AMERICAN." The lieutenant bellowed out.
"What unit!" A male voice yelled out in response. There was a quite distinguishable Korean accent.
"Twenty-Second Infantry, Tenth Mountain!"
"Ninth Infantry, Second I-D. KATUSA!"
"A KATUSA?! Pick up and get the fuck over here, soldier!"
The soldier got up and ran to the lieutenant's position. He was definitely a Korean, in an American uniform, with the South Korean flag patch on his shoulder. A KATUSA. The young man was of good build, and about 5-foot-8. Short by American standards, but average height for Koreans.
"That was some serious blue on blue there…" 2LT Joseph stood up and spied the rank on the soldier's IOTV. "Corporal."
"Sorry." The man stated. "I didn't think there was any friendlies out here…" The soldier spied the lieutenant's rank. He quickly assumed the position of attention and saluted.
"Corporal Ku, reporting, sir." The lieutenant returned the salute.
"At ease, Corporal." He eased up. "You're alright. I'm Lieutenant Joseph. We are going to have to have a long conversation sometime soon, but I've got to help my partner right now."
"Partner?" The corporal's curiosity piqued, and he also seemed to remember something.
"Yeah, she's being attacked by a little blue monster."
"Oh, you have a partner, too! That little blue devil is my partner, Veemon." He turned towards the road. "Veemon, break off and come here!" He yelled out.
"Renamon! Stop fighting and come to me!"
The two digimon stopped fighting and quickly jogged over to their respective partners, quite adverse to each other along the way.
"Why did you stop me from fighting her." The little blue one complained. "I was winning." Renamon seemed to find the comment distasteful, as well as untrue. The corporal had a sympathetic face.
"What do you need, my tamer." Renamon said to the lieutenant. She stood closely behind her tamer's right side, holding his left shoulder with her left hand as to prevent herself from assaulting Veemon. Veemon stood next to his tamer, visually taunting Renamon.
"This is Corporal Ku of the KATUSA's. They are South Korean Army soldier's attached to the Second I-D. He is a friendly. That is Veemon, his digimon partner." He nodded to the corporal.
"This is Lieutenant Joseph of the Tenth Mountain Divison. He is an American, and he is friendly. That is Renamon, his digimon partner." He looked down to Veemon, who was still tense. "They are friendly." He said again.
Renamon extended her hand to the corporal to shake his hand. He quickly responded with a handshake. "Nice to meet you, Corporal Ku. It is good to have friends around here."
Veemon, not wanting to be shown up, extended his hand out to 2LT Joseph. "Nice to meet ya, buddy." He smiled. The lieutenant shook his hand.
"Now you two better shake and make up." The lieutenant said. "I don't want any bad blood between us." The two shook hands, with Veemon much more agitated than Renamon.
"Now that that's all out of the way, we really need to have a long talk." The lieutenant said.
