Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.
As I expected this story as not as popular because it's not the main characters, but I tell you this is just another delicious layer of the Tiramisu that is the Digital Record Series. When this comes back to Novel 5 it's going to rush back and hit you like a freight train. I also have not heard from anyone in awhile as far as a review so either I am doing good or their is just no interest. We're going to finally be getting into Digimon related content next chapter. It will be worth the wait.
Chapter Five: The World is Full of Detritivores
Rei stared listlessly out the window, noticing two birds flapping and flying in the air through the clouds. He noticed the windows had been nailed shut as if someone would jump to their deaths from the window; Not that he would jump himself, though the thought did cross his mind about avoiding the suffering and ending it all. Of course, if he did that, surely that bastard Goumatsu would win.
A knock on his door distracted him and immediately one of his family members entered into the room, a nurse having escorted him there. He held a briefcase in his hand and set himself down aligned with Rei Kurenada's bed.
"It's been a while Rei," his other uncle Fujiwara said. His stern, but kind grayish green eyes were pleasant to behold when mostly everyone else's looked like waters someone was going to drown in.
"I'm pleased to see you," Rei replied. "It must be something if you are here."
Fujiwara took off his glasses, placed his hands on his knees and bowed his head.
"I'm sorry about what happened to Hiroki and Asaki his sister. It completely threw me off, but they had died from natural causes. I won't bring it up anymore," he said. "Just know you have my condolences."
Rei looked over at him and simply smiled, throwing him off.
"Why are you apologizing?" he questioned. "The nature of things is to die, and the nature of people is to lie. You can't change their nature," he said. "I don't even trust you, though I will take your information into consideration."
His words seemed to distance Fujiwara who instead opened up his suitcase on the table and started going through it.
"Unfortunately," he swallowed, "I have other news for you."
"Other news? Why?" he said a bit nervously. "It's not like someone else died."
His eyes stared directly into his and Rei opened his mouth aghast.
"Unfortunately," he said, "That is exactly what seems to be the case. Your father Reikoji Kurenada, died in a car accident two days before coming here," he said clenching his fists together.
"Here?" Rei Kurenada said hardly able to believe it. "You mean he came here to see me?"
"Yes," he replied. "And on his way here three of his tires burst while driving and he died when his vehicle collided with an oncoming semi-truck. I'm sorry Rei," he said sorrowfully, but as if trying to stay professional.
"Well," Rei said putting up his hands to his face resting his chin on them. "This just keeps getting worse and worse," he noticed. "Is that all that's happened since then?"
Fujiwara shook his head. "No. And it's sickening that you have to hear this from me," he groaned.
"Does it have something to do with the suitcase?" he asked. "Show me."
Fujiwara sighed and showed him the contents of the suitcase. Inside, the only thing he could make out was a thumb disc drive, barely taking up any room within it.
"What is this? Some sick joke?" Rei Kurenada snickered twitching anxiously.
"I'm sorry," he said closing his eyes. "But, after the events of what happened, and your father passing away shortly after there was a meeting to decide upon his inheritance."
"Oh, this is going to be good," Rei rolled his eyes. "Do tell."
"Uncle Goumatsu organized the whole thing and his lawyers fought with heads of estate regarding his finances and how his portion of the inheritance would be divided out to you, but, unfortunately, both sides reached a stalemate. It was a pretty heated affair since there were your other surviving siblings involved. Naturally, a good portion of it would go to you, but-"
"-Right," he replied. "I had been admitted to a mental hospital. That devious snake took advantage of that to probably legally oust me from my own inheritance," he snarled.
"Sort of," Fujiwara replied. "It seems at first he tried to claim guardianship over you but being through high school and already independent at least that part of his was foiled. So, you are able to keep your portion," he said.
Rei Kurenada stared at him, his eyes dangerously twitching. "Tell me,"He said. "How was this resolved regarding my father's estate?"
Fujiwara swallowed heavily and tilted his glasses on his face. "Because of your condition somehow Goumatsu cheated you out of your father's inheritance. It came down to a family vote as far as what to do which Goumatsu himself proposed. It seemed fair, but, as you know, greed is anything but that."
"Oh, I am quite convinced," Rei smiled. "Do tell me more. I want to know all of the names of the traitors."
Fujiwara furled his eyes against his face. "Just myself, Korogi, and Aunt Tamako," he said. "Everyone else took side with him. In doing so, per the agreement everyone got a ½% increase on their own portions. While he got a 1% increase."
His eyes opened wider realizing the circumstances of what this meant. "And what of my father's property?"
Fujiwara crossed his arms and nodded his head down. "After all that your father has his study is permanently preserved. There was no negotiating that for Goumatsu though I am sure he would have sold all the possessions and pocketed it for himself. Truthfully there should not have been anything left for you that he would not have given you. It should be yours."
Rei engraved his fingertips over his eyelids and pressed down deeply discouraged. "And if I bothered hiring a lawyer, I'm sure we both know what would happen to him," he said starting to laugh. "Really uncle, you are one greedy selfish bastard of a pig. No, that would be an insult to pigs."
"Agreed," Fujiwara said. "But Goumatsu is now three times as powerful as he used to be and is wielding it quite savagely. Anyone not loyal to him has been a little worse for the weather. He is trying to suck up as many of the family finances as he can."
Rei mused over the words, not quite sure if he was in his right mind just yet.
"Tell me Fujiwara," he said. "How long have you been here? Have you been watching over me long?"
"Why do you ask?"
"You claim to have been here, but your coat is wrinkled more than a day's worth," he said. "Your slacks also have a stain on them, and your shoes have not been polished," he observed. "I know how you pride yourself on your appearance Fujiwara."
Fujiwara shook his head managing a slight grin. "I was hoping you would not notice that," he said, "But it seems you've figured it out. And I'm sure you know why I was here."
"Of course," Rei replied. "What else but to protect me from the assassination squads of Goumatsu?"
"Quite right," he replied. "They attempted to poison you thrice. Two in yesterday's meal for breakfast and dinner, but also in your IV," he said. "I have been standing guard for quite some time. It seems Goumatsu is quite desperate to get your share."
"I can imagine," Rei said. "I am grateful to you for saving me," Rei said bowing his head slightly. "Nevertheless, this is the last time I will bow to anyone," he said. "I have had it with this farce."
"What do you plan to do?" Fujiwara asked. "Do you plan on killing him?"
"Oh, I'm pretty sure someone else is just dying to have that honor," he grinned. "But no. I am sick of being surrounded by death," he said covering his mouth. "Even reading the obituary paper each day makes me nauseous."
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I plan on disappearing," he said. "For good this time. Goumatsu will come after me again. But after I disappear with my funds, I'm going to change my identity. Unfortunately, you may not ever hear from me again. And, if I do live awhile longer, I will come back and skewer him."
Fujiwara gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. "I expected you to say that much," he said regretting it. "After all you've been through, I don't blame you. You need a fresh start in life."
"And I intend to have it," he answered getting up. "I'm well enough to get out of here." He tried to get out of his bed, but nearly stumbled, Fujiwara catching him and holding him up giving him his shoulder.
"What I am I going to do with you?" Fujiwara slightly grinned.
Rei stared away annoyed. "I don't know, drop me off at the airport or something?
"Maybe," he contemplated, "But, I think I have a better idea…"
Rei stared at him wondering what he had been planning, but realized his alternatives were probably not as safe as his were.
"All right, I'll bite this time," he said. "What did you have in mind?
Rei's eyes twitched as he listened to Fujiwara introduce a family friend's 'niece' to the dean of students at Honyu university.
"I see," the family dean said, a man of impeccable character, straggly hair and mustache.
"So, tell me Fujiko Kurenami what are your plans for attending college?"
Rei Kurenada stared away, unable to stop his eyes from twitching. He cleared his throat and his pride and begin speaking in a fake female voice.
"I intend to earn a master's degree in computer programming also with a joint master's in bio technical applications as well as molecular theory."
The Dean's glasses fell slightly down his face. "I see," he said. "Quite a focused study."
He seemed to be staring at her for whatever reason blonde hair and uniform to see if it met standards. His complexion also had a touch of makeup, Rei wanting to kick himself and Fujiwara for talking him into his new identity.
"How long were you planning to take?"
"Only eight years," she replied. "I have done all of my elective courses prior to college. I really wanted to get a head start," she smiled.
"Beautiful, studious, and a desire to fulfill the passions of your career," the Dean said. "I, Ajuro Kanabeiya, approve!"
Back in the hallway Rei Kurenada cursed a million things in his mind as Fujiwara followed after him.
"Are you still mad at me?" he questioned. "This was the safest route to take. I'm sure Goumatsu will be looking for a male of your description in colleges all around," he said.
"I'm not that upset about it," he said, his eyes visibly peeved towards him. "But I will bide my time. One day I will get the chance I need to eliminate that savage animal," he said. "And when I do, the next will be those who sided with him."
"Of course," Fujiwara said. "I also plan to stay as far as I can away from them," he said. "My family and I have already left the estate. And I have your possessions as well. Hopefully this nightmare will be over sooern before later."
"What's the fun in that?" Rei Kurenada questioned grinning. "Let the pig fatten himself up for the slaughter. It will only make that oh so much more enjoyable."
For the next few years Fujiko dominated her field. She advanced earning her degree in not eight years, but seven, and, after her dedicated time in college she accepted a job working for a government agency regarding creating defenses against hacking programs, but to him, Rei could not have been more bored in his life.
Typically, his day consisted of having a cup of tea, then creating hack free programs and even counter hack programs that completed the task the hacked ones intended to do to the government. He was deemed agent 'mirror' in that regard in the agency, a title he did not care for.
"People imagine working for the government is so exciting," he sighed. He looked down on his workstation bored out of his skull creating programs. Often times it took him late into the night. Eventually he planned on leaving to forge a certificate so he could ditch the Fujiko persona, but for now he needed the protection from Goumatsu.
"I wonder," he said aloud. "How is that fat porker nowadays? Is he fat enough to slaughter?"
He sighed working on his program reflecting on the day. He got along with his other coworkers soon enough, and, although he did find some of his coworkers attractive, he almost despised them because he compared them to Asaki, a woman who was untouchable in his eyes. She was his and no one else would ever have her. She was untainted in his memories, except by death.
As his coworkers came in for the day he exchanged pleasantries, then staring over at a disc of his that he kept for so long. He had never bothered to open up the thumb drive his father had left him as the memory of his father only embittered him for all that he had been put through.
"Say Fujiko," a male coworker said curiously, "What's on that thumb drive anyway?"
She smiled tipping glasses up to her blonde hair. "No idea," she replied.
"Don't you want to look at it?"
"I'm afraid of what I will do if I ever do so," she said. "Memories would only infuriate me to no end!" she said sarcastically.
"Huh," the man replied attempting to pick it up, but Rei grabbed his forearm and squeezed it forcing him to drop it.
"Do not touch my property ever again Suzumaru," he said glaring at him dangerously.
"Y-yes ma-am!" he exclaimed retreating away.
Rei Kurenada stared at him annoyed and then picked up the thumb drive half haphazardly.
"All those years," he said aloud. "And yet I still have not opened it? Why do I care if someone else touches it? It's only my inheritance," he said looking at it.
That whole day he could not help but focus on it despite annoyed with his employer. He thwarted two cyber hacks that day and retrieved back one million dollars from those that attempted to steal from them. It was all in a day's work, but it became so dull he tired of it.
When his shift finally ended, he was about ready to shut down his computer, but stopped, glancing over at the disc drive, all the other employees having already gone home.
"What difference would it make?" he glared at it, still staring at it, imagining the few times he saw his father look at him, nod his head and smile.
He gritted his teeth, picked it up, and jammed it into the slot to look at the contents, but first easily circumventing the company firewall.
"I hope you aren't a waste of my time," he groaned uploading the documents to the screen.
As he tried to a password icon came up for him to insert one.
"Are you kidding me?" he scoffed. "This is my inheritance and it's asking me for a password?"
He stared at the screen and tapped his fingers on the keyboard. "No wonder those sacks of garbage didn't want this thumb drive," he said. "It's utterly useless."
At the moment he was about to exit out he remembered a few words scrawled on the notes he had seen all those years ago. They were etched in his mind and he could not help but wonder at them.
"Hmm," he said. "The notes my uncle talked about were about a digital world and monsters. It's only seven characters," he contemplated. He tried digital which was denied. Then monster, which also had been denied.
"Of course, it would not be that easy," he said staring intensely at it. "What if it's a combination of the words? Let's see," he said, his fingers itching to type.
"What about Monital?" he said. Of course, it was denied. "Then Digster?" he said, but it was also denied.
"Hmmm," he contemplated. A new idea came out and he wondered about it sounding out the syllables on his tongue inputting the code.
"Then," he said slowly typing the letters. "Digimon?"
At the instant he hit enter a screen popped up with only two sets of numbers on the screen.
"24 degrees North, 80 degrees Northeast," he said writing down the coordinates.
"What on earth?" he said wondering about it staring at the coordinates. "Why does this sound so familiar?" he said.
He looked down near the bottom of the screen and saw a strange message. "In solitary darkness, the light finds a way?" he wondered reading it.
He wrote down this riddle on a piece of paper and stuffed it into his pocket.
"Even though you're gone," he grimaced, "You still find a way to plague me father. But this," he said irritated. "This will be the last time!"