Ben10 & Digimon Tamers

Heroes and Humanity

Part 02: Humanity and Heroes

The Beginning – Chapter 17

Originally Written: Monday, June 22, 2015 214PM to Tuesday, June 23, 2015 258PM

. . . . .

Swamps and Fridge looked around, awed into silence. People walked and rushed by them, hustling and bustling. Some sat in the outdoor dining area of the Matsuki Bakery, drinking various teas and drinks while taking occasional bites of the various wheat based pastries also in their possession. A cool breeze swept through the area as they made their way to the bakery.

"I told you Alex said we should have gotten here before the afternoon rush." Swamps watched a group of small kids run their parents ragged, faces covered with powdered sugar and cream as they ran about the area.

Fridge looked down at his bag. He peeked inside at the music player and headphones. "But, the store was selling these so cheap!" He held the bag close to him, squeezing the bottle of water also in the bag.

"Alex won't be happy." Swamps just repeated as they walked into the bakery. "You know how he is."

"He won't mind." Fridge insisted. The two looked around and stepped in line. Many young adults walked with headphones on their heads, in their ears, and around their necks. Even the adults walked around or stood in line holding cell phones and other media devices. Many spoke on the phone while they waited.

They watched in wonder as a young male ahead of them in line paid for his order. He placed his phone in his pocket, and it sat forgotten there as he took a seat and dug into his cup of drink and a bagel.

"I think Alex knew what he was doing when he asked us to get him those cream puff things." Swamps laughed. "He's gonna be mad, it took us so long."

"Not when he gets a bite of one of those things."

The two grabbed their order of cream puffs and a few random odds and ends. The cashier, Mayumi Matsuki, gushed into a fanatic bread based tirade when Swamps mentioned he had no clue what most of the items on the menu were. Now they sat at a table further delayed, surrounded by various appetizer sized servings of pastries Mayumi unloaded onto them for eighty percent off, and three servings of large sized bubble tea and the cream puffs on top of it all.

Thoughts of Albedo being annoyed left their minds the moment Swamps took a bite of cream puff and the cream gushed out the pastry.

Fridge laughed at him, pointing.

"Yea, yea." Swamps murmured, licking his lips. At least the sugars from it would serve some value. He hoped it didn't give him a stomach ache. "These are good." He smiled, licking cream filling from his fingers.

"Don't eat Alex's." Fridge held a small croissant in his hands.

"What kind of-" Swamps thought for a moment, "-human do you take me for?"

"The kind who can rival Humphrey in appetite."

Swamps kicked Fridge under the table. "I think we're doing pretty good with the names."

Fridge nodded, falling silent. "If only appearance was this easy."

"Hey, this isn't for us. It's for Alex." Swamps pointed at him.

"But that's exactly what I mean..." Fridge shook his head, "I've been trying to find a way to relate, so that I may better understand what he's going through."

"Any luck?"

Fridge shook his head again, "All the issues that accompany this lifestyle are temporary for us and not for him."

Swamps propped his head up on the table. "You regret that whole thing back in America?"

"I do." Fridge lowered his eyes, "We are happy. He is not. That's all that matters." Fridge sighed.

"I think," Swamps looked out the window, at a red eyed human, walking with gusto as he delivered people's orders of pastries. "That we all thought it was a good idea at first. He'd be happy eventually right? Not like we've trapped him here."

"But that's the problem." Fridge pushed his paper plate away. "We did trap him. Humans aren't known for breathing in space, and him going home would be like Humphrey trying to live in an apartment made for Spinelli."

Swamps watched the male enter the building, carrying to metal trays under his arm. "Are red eyes common in humans?"

"You weren't listening to me-," Fridge gripped the edge of the table and scowled. His grip on the table slackened. "What?"

"There's a waiter with red eyes walking around." Swamps kept his eyes trained on the male until he disappeared into the back.

"Sean." Fridge snapped his fingers in front of the male's face. "Focus."

Swamps looked back at him. "What?"

"Was his gaze creepy?"

"No. His eyes aren't as intense as Alex's." Swamps rubbed a hand behind his back. "Just thought it was interesting." He shrugged his shoulders, a small smile on his face.

Fridge nodded. He ran a hand against the smooth wooden table. "We should be getting back."

"Thought you said no rush?"

Fridge looked at him lopsided as Swamps shoved the rest of the creampuff in his mouth in one fell swoop.

Swamps looked at him, cheeks full of pastry.

"Weren't you the one who told me to hurry up?" He shook his head as Swamps held up a finger. The first time Swamps spoke with a mouth of food after he met Albedo and the others, Hugh whacked him hard with his tail.

Swamps chewed slowly as he watched a blond man wearing a black suit enter. The man stood patiently on line, a pair of black sunglasses sitting on his head. Swamps pointed behind him, with just a finger, eyes narrowed the slightest bit.

Fridge turned sideways in his seat, and glanced at the line. A discreet look Albedo drilled into them when he found out they were headed to Japan. Fridge turned back around, still and silent, "Plumber?" he mouthed to Swamps.

The male shrugged his shoulders. "Could be." Swamps mouthed back.

"Alex said Plumbers in Japan wear business suits." Fridge mouthed eyes shifting.

"J-just, act cool." Swamps looked at the male holding up the line as he held a short conversation with Mayumi. He lowered his head, "When ya lose ya cool, that's when you're caught."

"I'm not even going to ask why you know what." Fridge looked out the window, holding his cup of bubble tea.

"I don't blindly follow the government." Swamps casually responded.

Fridge sighed audibly, "Didn't even ask."

Mayumi slinked off to the back of the store, leaving customers waiting in line. A few minutes later she returned, the red eyed boy in tow. The blond haired man walked up to him and said something quiet enough that neither Swamps or Fridge could hear. The boy dropped his head and nodded, eyes somber. He led the man outside and around the back.

"Curious." Swamps spoke up.

"Let's not confront anyone, okay?"

"I wasn't gonna." He quickly responded, folding his arms. "Got more important things to focus on." He leaned on the back of his chair and looked out the window. "You regret getting him out?"

"Who? Alex?" Fridge tilted his head.

"Yea. From you-know-where."

"No!" Fridge pressed his hands to the table. "I'd do that again and again and again."

Swamps smirked, "We know right and wrong, Frank." He popped a doughnut hole into his mouth. "Better than most, I think." He pointed to Fridge, the male looking at him disgusted as he spoke with his mouth full. "What? Humphrey isn't here." He grinned.

"I'm gonna tell him." Frank frowned.

"I'm kicking your ass if you do." Swamps' grin got wider.

"You'd have to touch me first." Fridge folded his arms.

"Just what do ya think kicking is?"

Fridge rolled his eyes. He turned his head, just catching the older man and male entering the store. "Hm?"

"All this way for that?" The boy called, red eyes shining with mirth. "You could have just called." He held out a hand.

"Tell that to my wife." The man smiled as Mayumi handed him a bag of pastries.

Mayumi grinned at him, wagging her finger. "Don't deny a woman her desserts."

"She's getting her dessert, even if the world is ending." The man responded. The conversation continued on for a short bit, too quiet for Swamps and Fridge to hear against the background noise of the bakery. The man said his goodbyes sometime after that, and the duo watched him leave a short bit later, carrying a paper bag of purchased items.

Swamps and Fridge fell into quiet chatter at the table as they slowly packed up their belongings. They left much more quietly than they came in, subdued and serious.