Part Two – Battlefields

The second time Daisuke met the mysterious stranger he was at their school. He didn't go there, the Tamachi grey uniform that destroyed all individuality (mom's words, not his) was stark against the bright colors of his much more ordinary classmates. And he was talking with his coach, which sent his hackles rising as the man turned to him.

"Oh, Motomiya!" he greeted, watching the boy turn with him, with no recognition in those eyes, a deep and uncompromising blue. Different from Takeru's he noted. They were somewhere in some deep murk, unlike Takeru who had left it behind. Strangely poetic but it did its work. "This is Ichijouji Ken-kun. He got an injury in a previous game so he can't play for a while, but he wanted to volunteer with another team in the meantime."

"I don't want to get rusty," said the other boy in that exact voice, the voice that had felt no fear inside the bowels of a monster. "And they don't like having non-players show up on the field. So I figured I could help out here!" He bowed a little. "My name is Ichijouji Ken, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Uh…" And Daisuke didn't know why he was bowing back or being nice or anything ."I'm Motomiya Daisuke. So you're… what, our water boy?" He didn't mean to sound rude but that was... it right?

The coach's eyes went wide, but Ken just laughed like he'd told an awesome joke. "I can be, but I was hoping to help with footwork and balance issues. Soccer is one of the only things I can beat my brother at, so I'm pretty confident in myself there." He winked.

And Daisuke… didn't know how to take that, but a part of him rose at the challenge buried in that good-nature, honeyed voice. "Think you can keep up with a bad leg?"

Ken's smile matched his, all sharp teeth. "I'm looking forward to it."

"So," Takeru said, one eyebrow high on his forehead. "You're telling us, you saw a guy when we were in Kaiser territory… and now he's volunteering at your soccer club?"

Daisuke huffed. "Yeah, at least I think it's him. He's got this kinda… weird vibe." He looked up from bouncing the soccer ball he'd 'borrowed'. "Reminds me'a you a bit Takaishi."

Takeru blinked. "Me?" He glanced at Hikari-chan, who had just been listening quietly, perched on her chair. "Do I seem like a villain to you?"

She smiled at him in a way that made Daisuke's cheeks burn with envy, soft and warm and also playful like a candle. "Some of the time, yes."

It was always like this. They were always close like this, and Takaishi made Hikari-chan smile like she could put down her guard in a way Daisuke could never get her to. It was just so annoying.

"Rude," he said with a little smile of his own. It burned. "Anyway, Daisuke-kun...this is awesome! We might have an ally to the Kaiser we can get information out of."

For a moment, Daisuke wanted to preen, because hey, he'd done good without trying very hard. But there was that very hardwired part of him annoyed with Takeru that was saying 'don't make fun of me you ass'. But he just shrugged it off a bit and said, "I guess. I'll be able to talk to him or something." Slowly, the idea warmed up to him. "Hey, maybe I can convince him to join us! Not work for that dirtbag!"

"If anyone could do it, Daisuke-kun," Hikari said with such conviction it set his heart ablaze. "It's you."

And if that wasn't motivation, nothing was.

Ichijouji Ken did not feel the same.

"I can't believe you think you can invade anything."

Kaiser-kun was being particularly ornery today, which considering the quiet trampling of the world around him meant people would be too much because success would be tainted by people, and the one rabbit wouldn't try to dye himself in brown and pink paint again. Small victories, and large complications. Kaiser-kun liked when things followed the programming.

"I can't believe you don't think of these things yourself," Ken shot back without heat. The ghost did not follow him, nor did it make any noise. So he ignored him. "It's not my fault you don't interact with people your own age, Wallace."

The whip cracked close to his ear, followed by the green form of his partner leaping to his defense, screeching "How dare you attack Ken-chan?" until Ken pulled him off the other boy's face with a laugh.

"It's okay, Wormmon," he said, bringing him close before Wormmon could get whipped. The ghost made a sound at his ear. "Kaiser-kun is just grumpy that I'm right and he's wrong."

"Child of kindness, my right food," muttered the Kaiser. "Get out."

"Going, going!" Ken left at once, practically skipping. Wormmon seethed in his arms, taking twice as many antennae strokings to calm down. "It's okay, Wormmon, don't worry. He's just embarrassed that he didn't think of that."

"He could be nicer to Ken-chan," muttered the caterpillar with a huffing sound. "You're helping!"

"I know, I know," he soothed gently. "But Kaiser-kun is very tense right now, since we're so close."

"Still," he mumbled. Then he straightened in Ken's arms. "We're being followed, Ken-chan."

Ken glanced behind him. Nothing. Then he smiled. "Don't worry Wormmon," he said again. "That's just Nii-san, worrying about me like always."

Wormmon clacked his mandibles. "But Ken-chan-"

"Don't worry," Ken repeated, still smiling steadily. "I'm fine, Wormmon, but thank you."

He went through the portal.

Osamu didn't come along. But that was fine. He couldn't for now, and soon he would.

"Don't worry, Nii-san," he said, steady as a river in spring. "I'll save you soon. You'll be free of this place."

And it didn't matter what he had to do, or who he had to use, to get it done.

As the light faded away, leaving the tunnels of the Kaiser's base to darkness once more, Ichijouji Osamu let out a heavy sigh and faded away, blurring once more into butterflies the color of pitch and took to the world again. Eventually, they alighted at the sight of a yellow dinosaur, snoring sweetly in a failed attempt to guard the television fizzing out of signal just behind a tree stump.

Osamu solidified once more, as much as he could, and pressed his hand to the screen.

"Please," he whispered. "Work this time."

The scientific method could suck a lunar rock.

But he tried again anyway, and again, and something clicked.

And he stared out to bedroom dimly lit and a boy and a girl settled at a desk with a cat at her side.

"I swear I'm missing a number, Hikari-chan," said the boy with a huff.

"I'll check when you're done okay?" she said in a distant, distracted voice. She was looking at the computer.

She was looking at him.

Perfect.