Ben10 & Digimon Tamers
Heroes and Humanity
Part 02: Humanity and Heroes
What Happens in Bellwood... – Chapter 55
Originally Written: January 29, 2017 1113AM to January 30, 2017 351AM
. . . . .
"You want to what?" Rika looked at Henry, folding her arms.
"Not 'want to', 'am going to'." Henry looked down at the table. Once more they were at Rika's house, where there was more than enough room for everyone to comfortably sit around. "I think it's important that..." He sighed softly, He couldn't be sure how much they knew concerning the legality of Albedo's stay in West Shinjuku.
Ryo and Jeri kept looking at each other, an act which made Takato sulk and not pay much attention to anything going on around him but that. Rika was also a bit more dour than usual at Ryo's actions. Kazu looked at him like he was nuts. Henry couldn't be surprised, he just said he wanted to exile himself alongside Albedo.
"He just wants to be with Albedo, guys." Kenta murmured. "That's all it is."
Henry looked at the male. Kenta always surprised him with how much he understood as they all got older.
Rika shook her head, "Gogglehead." She muttered, "You act like you knew they were looking for him.
Henry's look gave her all she needed to know.
"If you're going to be like that, I should be put under house arrest too." Takato eventually said, "I knew they were looking for him. Didn't tell them anything." He took great interest in Grandma Nonaka's koi pond.
Kazu and Kenta looked at him.
"It'll be a regular party," Jeri giggled as he pressed her fingertips together.
Rika snorted. "Don't lump me in this. Gogglehead the Ego may be getting tolerable, but not that much. Is Fridge involved in this too? I bet he is."
Ryo looked at her, "They're all in it. Fridge, Swamps, and Hugh." He flopped back onto the grass as Rika cussed.
"I know this can't be much help to you," Henry said, "but I think-"
Ryo waved a hand, "I'll go down with the ship." He spoke with a sigh, voice resigned.
"I don't get why he's being punished anyway? He's the only reason Japan got through the invasion." Kazu folded his arms as he scowled.
"It's not enough to absolve him, I'd wager." Kenta replied.
"Saving the planet itself from becoming some other alien's colony isn't enough to absolve someone's, whatever the heck he did? What kind of governing is this?"
"We're very small on an intergalactic level." Ryo spoke plainly, "Intergalactic crime is no joke."
"How? How!?" Kazu held out his hands.
"He is an alien that attacked the spokesperson of another planet." Rika folded her arms, "It's probably still messed up, but ugh," she shook her head as Kazu groaned, "just one thing after another."
"Life gets boring when nothing happens." Jeri smiled.
"Only when it calms down between the big things." Kazu whined, "You know, the odds of them putting you two together are slim to none." He looked at Henry, grim.
"It'll be fine. He'll know I'm there." Henry smiled. 'And whoever attacked him will know for sure I'm onto them.' He clenched his fists. The culprits had no idea of the anguish they put Albedo through. They probably didn't care either.
Henry felt it though. His scattered choppy thoughts that were too faded in his own mind for them to be his. The paranoia that had Henry always wanting to look over his shoulder even when there was no need to. The currently faded anger that occasionally would swallow him so suddenly it left Henry dizzy, nauseous and staggering... He didn't know who those culprits were, but he'd know when he saw them, and they would get their comeuppance.
"Maybe you being there will make him behave." Takato scratched his cheek, "He has quite a mouth on him. Doesn't even need to curse." He chuckled nervously.
"I'm hoping that too." Henry looked down at the grass. He heard the digimon playing around or talking among themselves. Even after all this time, Guilmon and Calumon were the loudest and most childlike in their play. "It won't help if he's giving the plumbers a hard time." He looked up, shifting his eyes.
Ryo and Jeri glanced at each other once more. Henry imagined Jeri's inner self giggling at something only she and Ryo knew. It didn't comfort him and from the way Takato kept working to avoid focusing on his girlfriend looking at Ryo that way, it didn't comfort him either. He wasn't surprised.
"If you see Fridge, bonk him upside the head, or glare at him." Rika glared off to the side.
"Not opposed anymore?" Henry smirked wryly at her.
"Ugh." She looked at him and scowled.
He refrained from ginning. According to Terriermon, during his bouts of anger he looked like an enraged Albedo for a few moments, before the nausea and loss of awareness kicked in. Somehow, he found that comforting.
"You'll do what you want anyway, dumb as I or anyone think it is." She waved a hand. "Stubborn men. Just try not to wind up there for ten years or something."
"I can't imagine it'll be that long." Henry grinned, "Unless I bonk Fridge upside the head."
"Dude!" Kazu laughed.
"Glare at him instead." She shook her head, though she was smiling.
"Deal." He smiled warmly at her.
"Are you sure about this?" Ryo looked at Henry, his head tilted forward just enough to do so.
"More than sure." He clenched his fists. "This is my fault too, and my responsibility."
"If this works, you won't be able to change your mind."
"I'm more than sure, Ryo."
Ryo folded his arms behind his head. He looked up at the sky. "Alrighty then. I'll see what I can do."
Jeri giggled, sounding far too gleeful. Henry had a feeling she knew what thoughts were running rampant through his head. He wouldn't be surprised if she did. After all, people tend to not let people they hate live in their apartment. He hoped he'd get more leads on the two wrongdoers first. They would not like it all if Jeri found them instead.
