Chapter Four: A Fiery Welcome

The door creaked open as David tried to sneak inside his house as quietly as possible. Renamon appeared behind him, silent as ever, her presence more reassuring than intrusive.

"You're late," a sharp, no-nonsense voice cut through the stillness of the entryway.

David froze mid-step, his heart sinking. "Oh no," he muttered under his breath.

Standing in the living room doorway, arms crossed and an expression that could melt steel, was Rika Nonaka—his mother. Her fiery red hair caught the faint light of the room, making her look even more intimidating. She tapped her foot, waiting for an explanation.

"Mom, it's not what it looks like," David started, his hands raised defensively. "We were—"

"I don't want to hear excuses," Rika interrupted, her tone sharp. "Do you know what time it is? You're lucky I didn't come looking for you myself."

David exchanged a nervous glance with Renamon, who wisely decided to stay out of this particular battle. "I, uh… got caught up with Alex and Brady. We—uh—were working on… school stuff."

"School stuff?" Rika raised an eyebrow, her arms dropping to her sides as she stepped closer. "David, I wasn't born yesterday. You think I don't know what's going on? You're hiding something."

David sighed, realizing there was no point in lying. "Okay, fine. I wasn't working on school stuff. We were… dealing with Digimon."

Rika's expression softened slightly, though her eyes still held their characteristic intensity. "Digimon?" she repeated, her voice quieter.

David nodded. "Yeah. Alex's Guillaumon, Brady's Terriermon, and Renamon—"

"I know about Renamon," Rika interrupted, glancing briefly at the elegant fox-like Digimon. "She told me when she first showed up. But that doesn't explain why you're sneaking in past midnight like some kind of delinquent."

David bristled at the word "delinquent" but wisely chose to keep his mouth shut. Instead, he tried to explain. "We got a signal on our Digivices. A Digimon came through—Devidramon. It was attacking, and we couldn't just leave it."

Rika studied him for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then, to David's surprise, she smirked. "Devidramon, huh? Not bad for your first fight. Let me guess—you got your butt kicked until Renamon bailed you out?"

"Hey!" David protested, crossing his arms. "We worked together, alright? Alex, Brady, and I actually took it down as a team."

Rika's smirk grew into a full grin. "Good. Maybe you're not as hopeless as I thought."

David's irritation melted into confusion. "Wait… you're not mad?"

"Oh, I'm furious," Rika said, stepping closer and flicking him on the forehead. "But you handled yourself better than I expected. That's what being a Tamer is all about—taking responsibility and standing your ground. Just don't make a habit of coming home late without telling me, got it?"

David rubbed his forehead, muttering, "Got it."

Rika turned her attention to Renamon, her expression softening. "And you," she said, addressing her old partner. "Take care of him. He's going to need it."

Renamon nodded solemnly. "Always."

As Rika turned back to David, her expression shifted once more into a teasing smirk. "You've got a long way to go, kid. But I'll admit—you might just have what it takes to be a Tamer."

David smiled, despite himself. "Thanks, Mom."

"Don't thank me yet," Rika said, turning toward the kitchen. "Your journey's just getting started. And if you ever need help… well, you know where to find me."

David watched her go, a strange mix of pride and exasperation filling him. "Man, she's intense," he muttered to Renamon.

Renamon's lips curled into a faint smile. "She's your mother. And she's right—you do have a long way to go."

David groaned but couldn't help grinning. "Yeah, yeah. Let's just hope I survive the next lecture."

As the house settled into quiet once more, David felt a renewed sense of determination. His mom wasn't going to go easy on him—but that was exactly what he needed.