Part Four - The Plot

The computer room is probably the most unsafe place for them to have these conversations, but at least if their digimon get caught talking they can blame it on the screens. So they all gather there the next day because Daisuke doesn't have practice and computer club got canceled.

Iori crosses his arms. It's probably meant to look mature and stern but in tiny Iori it really only comes off cute. At least that's what Daisuke's heard whenever he's passed by the class tutors who help him out. "And we're sure that this person isn't the Kaiser," he starts after Daisuke finishes explaining. Hikari shifts on her feet and he turns to her. But she's not looking in his direction, rather out the window.

"Hikari-chan," Takeru starts and she blinks, shaking her head and making herself pay attention..

Daisuke doesn't know what to think of that so he shakes his head no. "I don't think so. The Kaiser is really intense and angry but that guy was way too calm. It was weird."

"He's really tried to hide himself from us, though," Miyako comments. "The Kaiser, I mean. He must be using Ichijouji-kun as a proxy."

"Why would he do something like that?" Iori's voice aches with something. "What's so important that it's worth torturing other people?"

Hikari looks away again. A breeze ruffles some of the papers.

"Why don't I just ask him?"

"What?!"

He winces under the shouts from all four of his friends.

"Why does it matter?" Iori starts. Daisuke huffs at him.

"Well, you asked!" he points our, rather reasonably.

"That doesn't mean I actually want an answer, Daisuke-san!"

"Why not? He might have an important reason!"

Iori's jaw drops. He catches it as Miyako manages to say. "Are you saying there's a good reason?"

"No way!" Daisuke waves his hands. "But there has to be a reason. What if we can help? What if we can solve his problem without him staying with the Kaiser and then we'll have an in."

"He'll still have hurt innocent digimon," Iori says, acidic.

"We have to hurt innocent digimon to get them free," Daisuke points out.

Iori's expression looks particularly murderous. It's kind of funny.

"I don't think he'll tell you the truth." They all turn to Takeru. Hikari leans back. She's being a weird quiet, at least to Daisuke. Takeru sits in his squeaky chair, rubbing Patamon in the head.

"Why not?" Daisuke asks. "'s not like I'm gonna use it against him."

"The Kaiser might." Takeru looks serious. "Since he approached you in the human world, he probably has a loose leash but even so, that may just be because he can't be caught here. He didn't get too close the first time, right?"

"No…" Daisuke thinks about it. "But if he's safe in the real world, there's no reason to lie about it."

"There's every reason if he's being watched out there," Takeru says. "We need to be careful."

"I think Daisuke-kun can do it." Hikari is smiling as she turns back from the window. The sunlight is not hitting Daisuke at all from his corner, but he feels warm anyway. "He's good at making friends."

Daisuke's heart thumps. "You can count on me, Hikari-chan!"

Hikari smiles, but to him, somehow, her heart doesn't seem in it.

Takeru goes to Daisuke's next soccer practice.

He's a mess on the field, so he doesn't play. Not even Taichi could help him. But he did know how to play the game, so he could give more pointers. Of course, it also meant he could watch the Kaiser's helper: Ichijouji Ken.

Patamon crawls under the bleachers. He can hear his paws scratching in the dirt. Good. Maybe he can eavesdrop. He has the best ears after all.

Daisuke is watching Ken too as he stretches. But there's a familiar gleam in his eyes, a promise of a battle, of winning.

Ken is injured, Takeru notices immediately. It's very small, a slight limp on the leg but he stumbles every now and again. It's an odd place to be hit, like… an animal bite? Or a burn? Not likely something that would happen at home anyway.

Takeru watches Daisuke pass the ball, sliding in between gaps between other kids. He's a bit klutzy but on the soccer field, Daisuke was confident and knew exactly where to stand and run to.

"He's very good at this."

Takeru doesn't jump, but the urge for a weapon (a hard tree branch, a rock, anything) flares, just for a second. Then he looks down at Ken, who has sat down on the bleachers. "Having fun," Ken continues, sipping water. "Riling people up. He's not a chessmaster by any means, but he sure is competitive. It looks like he's similar in the digital world, isn't that right?"

Takeru glances around towards the others watching, but no one else is paying them any attention. "A bit. He's a kind person who wants to support others and give it his all. You two would be good friends."

"That's conceited to assume."

"It probably is." Takeru grins. "But, I want to hope for the best. I'm sure you understand."

"I used to do that." Ken settles. "But now I just want to survive the best I can. I'm all my parents have left you see."

"Sounds exhausting."

"It is a bit. I was hoping to change it, you know, normally." Ken laughs. "But I can handle things this way for now. If they don't worry, they'll take care of it."

Takeru swallows. "And by that, you mean…"

"Oh, well…" Ken laughs. "When they have another baby. They'll be busy with that and by that time, I'll be on my own, and I'll be free."

Takeru stares at him. He said that with a straight face. "What? But they love you." It's one of the few things his family had gotten right.

"Yeah, and?" Ken shrugs. "They love me because I'm fulfilling my role. That won't last forever. It's like with the Kaiser. Once he's done with me, he'll probably get rid of me. I need to be sure that won't happen."

"you think another kid is capable of murder?" It's not that Takeru doubts that. Considering he and Hikari, all the older chosen, killing Digimon wasn't exactly an impossibility. That didn't mean they wanted to.

"I wouldn't be surprised." Ken shrugs. "Or he'd threaten me if I ever set foot in his kingdom again."

A whistle blows and Ken straightens up. "Oh, it's my turn. Keep this a secret from Motomiya-kun? I want him to be a real friend and if he feels sorry for me, that won't do at all."

Takeru watches him go. Then he slumps a little. "What do you think, Patamon?"

"I think he wasn't lying!" Patamon waits than hops up into his lap. "But what he said wasn't the truth. There was something watching me over there, but I didn't want to spook him."

"Good work." He pets Patamon once more and goes back to practice. At the very least, they would go into the Digital World in a couple of days.

Maybe confronting him there would get more answers.