Ben10 & Digimon Tamers

Heroes and Humanity

Part 02: Humanity and Heroes

Presage – Chapter 76.1

Originally Written: Friday, April 21, 2017 1205AM to Monday, June 05, 2017 343PM

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A/N: I'm not sure if I made this clear, but any chapters with "Part #" or "Chapter ##.#" in the name, will all be uploaded at once. I don't want you to have to wait weeks to get through Part 1 to # or whatever. I feel like leaving cliff hangers ruins the effect of this story, so I'm trying to avoid that. For example, this chapter is a Part 1, and there'll be a Part 2 uploaded directly after it. The chapters are still in order, despite being labeled "76.1" and "77.2". Unless I upload them in the wrong order, which I've done before...

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This was the fifth Leomon he had come across, yet still, for the life of him, Albedo could not get over how tall they were. Their hands and feet were enormous. With a single hand they could probably smoosh his head flat. The only two in the group who rivaled the digimon's height were Beelzemon and Hugh. Hugh even surpassed it! He thought he'd have a full blown panic attack if he came across one while in his Galvan form.

Luckily, they all were mostly kind so far. Especially after he did some favor for them. Ryo explained that it was his wording throwing them off. "Scan" in the digital world meant the same as "absorb", and that meant to kill the Digimon to absorb their data to make yourself stronger. As a result, Albedo had to explain in excruciating detail that when he said "He wanted to scan their data", he really meant "analyze their data" and he had no intention of killing them.

The first one wanted to arm wrestle Hugh. The shy alien obliged with some coercion. Hugh won that match, to his own surprise. The next one wanted to fight Cyberdramon. He stood now, while his data scanner worked on the latest Leomon he had come across, examining Ryo's D-Arc again. The others' D-Arcs couldn't create a whip as Ryo's could. He was pretty certain they couldn't.

The third Leomon wanted a companion. Albedo nearly had given up in pure frustration at that point, but one of the little In Training Digimon following their little group around, a Poyomon, decided it liked Leomon more than Swamps. So off the Leomon went, with a Poyomon on it's head.

Albedo flipped the D-Arc over. He held it up to the sunlight. When Cyberdramon sparred with Leomon, it took both Beelzemon and Ryo to calm the digimon down. Terriermon explained that something had Ryo on edge, and that it was transferring to Cyberdramon. The explanation sounded plausible. He didn't exactly have any evidence to counter such reasoning.

Ryo had tamed the digimon with skill and fluency that said he had to do this before. If Ryo noticed that Henry took a few steps away from him since the event, he hadn't said anything. He couldn't see why. The only real point that would stop Cyberdramon when tied up would be the digimon's neck. Restraining the limbs would just annoy him. Certainly Ryo wasn't trying to choke his own Digimon. Maybe it reminded him of Trang...

"How long will this take?" The Leomon asked. It's voice was scruffy, and it seemed a bit bored of sitting without being able to move.

"About 15 more minutes or so." Albedo replied.

"Hm." The Digimon replied.

Fridge sang another soft song. He never seemed to tire of singing.

Jenrya leaned closer to him, watching him fiddle with the device.

Hugh sat on his other side. He ignored the alien looking at Henry with that odd look he'd fallen into the habit of using lately.

"You humans are close." The Leomon commented.

Jenrya flushed.

He lowered his head.

"They're in a relationship." Swamps explained. "Humans get closer than allies or friends. Closer than two folks who like living together. It's weird."

The Leomon raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Like a digimon is said to become with a human to make them strong?"

"Closer than that." Terriermon and Beelzemon replied at the same time.

"How close do they get?"

He covered his face with a hand. He could feel Jenrya's heat from his reddened face against his skin.

"T-they'd die for e-each other many times." Hugh made his own attempt at explanation. He sat with the laptop on his lap.

"Would a Tamer not die for it's human?"

"Yea...but it'd be insultin' of a Digimon's strength if we'd let our human die." Beelzemon said.

"Gee thanks." Ryo muttered. Cyberdramon snorted. He laid on the grass next to Ryo, resting.

"It is hard to explain if you haven't experienced it yourself," Albedo kept his head down low. "I myself can't really explain what has attracted me so much to Jenrya. I don't understand why he likes me so much, more than others he knows, either."

Jenrya wrapped his arms around him, holding him tight. "I love you," he whispered in his ear.

He shivered, blinking quickly as he shifted his eyes, studying the ground. "Yet, here we are."

"Humans are odd." The Leomon commented. The other Digimon, Swamps and Fridge mainly, agreed. They fell into conversation Albedo wasn't concerned with. Jenrya kept whispering in his ear.

"Jenrya?"

"Hm?" The male rested his head on Albedo's shoulder.

"Is Ryo covering something up?" He spoke softly, hoping Ryo didn't hear him. "It's nice to not have to travel to and from the Digital World daily to analyze the additional data I require, however, we did plan to leave days ago. If anyone notices your disappearances..."

"It's alright." Jenrya replied, "They're just making sure the security systems are running smoothly. It's easier to do when we're not there."

"Why didn't he say so?" He narrowed his eyes in thought.

"He thought it would make you anxious. You've been doing well, lately. He didn't want to-"

"-I'm stronger than that." He looked down at the ground. He ignored the recognition that he didn't feel like he was strong within himself.

"We know." Jenrya nibbled on his ear.

He felt his face heat up something terrible. The Leomon was still watching them even though he was speaking with the others.

"Don't worry about it too much."

"I'm not." He snapped. "And stop it." He whispered.

Jenrya laughed, shaking against his frame. "Oooh!"

"Hm?"

"A Digignome." Jenrya dropped his arms.

Albedo turned around. He looked at the golden creature. It fluttered around without a care in the world, giggling. "I know you said it's a Digignome, but what creature is this?"

The conversation around them died down.

"It's not a Digimon." Jenrya explained. "They've been around longer than Digimon. They grant wishes as they travel around the Digital World. They show up in the real world too sometimes."

"I see." The creature stood on the ground, and looked up at Albedo. It tilted it's head curiously.

"Whoa. Cool!" Swamps leaned over, nearly falling back on the sand.

"Maybe some luck will come your way." Jenrya smiled at him.

"Careful. They are skittish creatures." Leomon spoke.

"Have you seen them before?" Fridge asked their new companion.

"I have seen a few. They like Leomon for some reason."

Albedo moved to his knees to get a better look at the digital creature. "It doesn't look like any being I've seen before." He laid Ryo's digivice on his lap. Maybe his mentor would be more familiar with an alien that resembled it. Not that he would be asking to find out.

The Digignome giggled and smiled brightly at him. Then it disappeared in a burst of sparkles and light. Albedo jumped back, blinking. He looked around, as Jenrya laughed.

A small orange ball came tumbling towards the group. Swamps picked it up and rolled it back the way it came. The digital creature stood with a group of Digimon and Digignomes off to the west. A group of various rookie digimon looked at them curiously as the ball rolled toward them.

"Told you we were close to one of the small villages popping up." Ryo spoke up smugly.

"I didn't think that close." Jenrya reached for Albedo's hand. "How far away is it?"

"Half hour walk max, I think."

A braver Palmon walked up ahead and picked up the ball. It titled it's head and looked at them, wide eyes blinking.

"Whatcha playing?" Swamps sat up and rested his elbows on his knees.

"Kick the ball." The digimon replied as she held up the ball with her long tendrils.

Swamps looked at the digimon, confused, "Like, soccer?"

"Is that what humans call it?" The Palmon tilted her head.

"We digimon don't usually get a chance to play such things." Leomon explained. "Not often. It's only recently that we've even had such a chance."

"Do you want to play?"

Swamps looked back at Albedo, grinning.

"Oh no." Albedo shook his head. Of course Swamps would get soft for a plant-like creature. "You can go if you want, but I am still analyzing this data."

"After?" Swamps wiggled nonexistent eyebrows.

"You still look ridiculous doing that, you know." Fridge commented. Hugh snorted in laughter.

"No." Albedo sharply looked away. He heard the young digimon chattering away, growing bored at waiting for their friend to return with the ball.

"Alright then." Swamps stood up and stretched. "I'll play."

The group of digimon looked at him with wide eyes.

"Wow!"

"You're tall!" One of them shouted.

"Just a bit." Swamps grinned. He turned around and looked at the group. "Anyone else?"

Beezelmon shook his head and pointed to his feet, with his large claws sticking through the boots. "If I was Impmon..." He shrugged.

Albedo looked at Fridge who had a finger tapped against his chin, "No flying. And no phasing through the ball."

Hugh snorted in laughter again. Fridge stood calmly and followed the group.

Ryo watched the duo, arms folded.

"We'll be fine." He continued.

"I know you'll be fine." Ryo breathed out a soft laugh.

Albedo looked at the data scrolling down his laptop screen. He glanced at Jenrya for a moment, red meeting silver, before looking away.

He looked at Ryo, confused. The male stood unsure, and shy in a manner he wasn't used to. Almost as though he had to convince himself, Ryo pushed himself forward, following the group. If he knew that suggesting Ryo go with them would have resulted in seeing such a look on Ryo's face, Albedo wouldn't have suggested.

Swamps, who was walking backwards, looking at them, waved to Ryo with a wide grin on his face.

Jenrya wrapped his arms around his torso once more. "From what I know, he hasn't played soccer in a long time." Jenrya spoke softly.

Albedo looked at him.

Jenrya smiled a solemn smile. "He hasn't had the time."

"I see.."

"Human...Albedo, is it?"

Albedo looked at the Leomon. "Yes."

"I have decided on my favor." The Leomon looked at him with bright blue eyes.

Albedo nodded.

"Join me at my village."

Albedo blinked as the digimon pointed in the same direction Swamps and the other digimon had headed in. He shook his head, "As long as I don't have to play any soccer."

The Leomon laughed, a bright smile on his face.