Digimon Tamers Zero Two

by MasterCaedus

Tasuke, or Taj, was raised by his 'Uncle' Henry Wong, ever since his parents left when he was very young. In that time, Taj has come to hate his parents and anything related to them. Especially Digimon, the fictional creatures his parents had loved when they were around. But when he gets a real Digimon, Taj must fight Digi-agents of other countries for a chance to find his parents.

3. Partners: Finding Black Jerkmon!

AN: Hey everybody, sorry this took so long. My computer finally broke down and I needed to get a new one before I could do anything. On top of that, it was Thanksgiving, so I got to spend a lot of time with family. Which reminds me, I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving.

I hope you enjoy this next chapter. I had fun writing the character interactions.

Anyhoo, time for responses:

To SeekerOfDarkN: I'm glad you loved the pilot chapters. I hope that it can live up to expectations and that the rest of the main cast as they show up will entertain as much!

To smartalec121: Thanks, I'm glad you like the character dynamics. Black Guilmon is my favorite for interacting with the others, just because of how confrontational he can be. I'm glad you like Henry's life as adoptive parent, I thought it fit pretty well in my gut. As for Jaarin being May's mother, there is a reason. I hope it doesn't disappoint when it eventually appears.

To G3r1k: Thanks. Tamers was always my favorite season. For one because they all had a Digimon best friend but also became a Digimon, which is awesome. Kotemon is a fun Digimon. He's got a cool design.

Episode 3: Partners: Finding Black Jerkmon!

"Okay, I am finally willing to accept," I began, leaning back on the crappy stool May had for me in her room, "that I am a... Digidestined. I mean, I thought it was a dream. Or with Black Guilmon, maybe a nightmare. But I'm sure it happened now."

Dorimon glared at me from May's lap. "Yeah, because me talking to you for the past three days didn't do that?" she inquired. The tiny Digimon sighed. "May, why are we listening to your dumb friend today? It's Friday! You know what that means! Candy day!"

"We're busy, Dorimon. Remember how long it took for me to get used to the idea that you were a Digimon?" May asked, reaching down to scratch the Digimon's belly and get an appreciative growl out of her. "I screamed every morning for a week when you spoke to me!"

"I think having May around made this a lot faster," I explained. I tapped my chin. "And quieter. No screaming from me."

"Yeah, if May hadn't been around, you'd never get used to it!" Dorimon shouted, jumping from May's lap and over to mine. She kicked me in the gut. "So you better thank her, Jerk!"

"Dorimon' right," May said, wagging her finger at me.

"I – Thanks," I told May. I shoved the annoying in-training Digimon into the ground, grinning at her yelp of surprise. "Now... can I ask you a few questions. Like why I needed to bring all of these?" I patted the box on the ground to the left of my stool. "I mean, Digimon are one thing, but Digimon cards? What's the point?"

"Ah, now for the fun part of this," May said as she pulled out her 3D. "So... it's all connected to this thing. At least, that's what I've learned from the data I've downloaded."

I pulled out my own 3D. "Well, I know it's a Digivice. I'm assuming that comes with the whole 'Digivolution' thing," I pointed out.

"Yep, and that's where this comes in," she explained before entering her own Digimon app, D-444d. The screen turned black, revealing a menu and buttons. "Now, I don't know what all of it means. Merge rate, defense alert, and key are all... weird. They don't have any way for me to change them, and the data I get from them is... incomprehensible. The first two have a bunch of words I don't understand, and the last one I only get every third byte when I download, and always the same third. I'm trying to figure that one out."

"Okay, then tell him all the cool stuff you do know, May!" Dorimon shouted, standing up on her hind legs and leaning against May's shin with her front legs. "Like how to make me digivolve... if you'd let me digivolve."

May shot the Digimon a dirty look. "Well," she began, turning away from her Digimon, "there's one big one in here." She pointed at a menu labeled Dorimon, then pressed it. The screen changed from the menu, something else quickly expanding into view. The side of the phone popped open and sparks danced through the new opening, just as the screen turned into a deck of cards. "The phone can scan any Digimon cards you have -"

"Which is why you made me bring mine," I interjected, earning the exact same glare from Dorimon and May.

"Which is why I made you bring your cards," May explained simply, her annoyed glare yet to vanish. "And you can set up decks. I imported mine from the Digidestined game. You see, this little button in the corner that says import? It's that easy!"

"Okay, and why?" I repeated, crossing my arms and leaning against the wall.

"Well, it lets you do things to your Digimon, but in real life!" May explained excitedly. She turned her 3D back to her then pressed on the screen. "Just watch, Taj!"

Dorimon sighed. "Here we go again," she growled under her breath.

"Digi-Modify: Hyper Wings activate!" May said, grinning widely.

Dorimon whined as six white, angelic wings shot out of her back. She slowly drifted up on the wings, each maybe six inches long, and hovered. "And now I'll be floating for ten minutes. Great."

I ignored the tiny monster's complaining, and instead entered my own Digimon's app. Unlike her own 3D, mine had a warning screen pop up when I opened the cards. 'Out of Range.' I turned the phone around to show May. "Hm... I guess these won't work if we get too far separated from our Digimon."

I scoffed. "You didn't already know that?"

May shook her head. "I'm never all that far from Dory. She's in the car or running around school when we're there, and she's always with me whenever we're anywhere else," she explained. May shrugged. "Benefits of her in-training form being the same size as a purse dog."

"And some students leave food in their unlocked cars!" Dorimon shouted excitedly.

"Oh, I – wait, you stole my cookies!?" I snapped at the floating Digimon in front of my face. She just laughed and drifted past me on her glowing wings. I narrowed my eyes at the Digimon for a moment, then swatted her. Dorimon yelped and began to spin until she bounced off of a shelf. I smirked at the Digimon before turning back to May. "Okay, so you can give your dog wings."

May scoffed indignantly. "I can do a lot more," she said indignantly. Her expression turned to one of embarrassment. "Uh, I may or may not have accidentally turned Dorimon into solid metal with a steel skin card. When she was on my bed."

My face lost its emotion for a moment, then broke into laughter. "That's how you broke your old bed?"

"It was one accident! And... I almost never use the card upgrades anymore," she admitted sullenly. "If I did anything serious, whoever is chasing Dorimon would definitely find her... and take her."

I stopped laughing like I'd hit a brick wall, and suddenly felt unsure of what to say. "Then I guess, uhm, that you and I better keep her safe," I said, grabbing the spinning and shouting Digimon and steadying her. I softly pushed the tiny creature towards her Digidestined. May smiled thankfully and pulled the winged Digimon into her arms with a tight hug. I smiled at the scene, just a girl and her dog. Her ugly dog. Her ugly, digital dog. "Now, how does Digivolution work?"

May froze and her hug tightened on Dorimon. "Ack! May! Choking... me!"

May let up with a start and smoothed Dorimon's hair. "Oh, I'm... I'm sorry, Girl." She turned her attention to me and frowned. "It doesn't. If my Digimon – or yours – ever Digivolve, then it's over. It's bad enough you've got an angry, fire-breathing dinosaur running around looking for a fight, can you imagine if we had two? Or worse, if Black Guilmon was suddenly the size of Greymon? These people chasing my – our Digimon would immediately get hold of them. And then they'd tear them apart, or... or enslave them!"

"I can take care of the both of us, you know," Dorimon said indignantly from inside of May's arms. She began to move around excitedly. "Especially if I digivolved! Dorumon kicks butt!"

"Dorimon!" May snapped, causing me and her Digimon to flinch. May's voice became low, commanding. "You cannot Digivolve."

After a few moments of tense silence, I coughed and raised my own 3D. I pointed at the bottom left corner of the screen. "So, I noticed when you were showing me your 3D that yours has a difference from mine."

May leaned in closer. "Merge rate... 0? Mine's never dropped below 25 percent!" she said, letting go of Dorimon completely and pulling my Digivice from my hands. She frowned and turned around, pulling a chord out that connected her computer to my 3D.

"So, you're not even going to ask permission?" I inquired dryly, watching as she ignored me and began to download the data from my 3D.

"You know you can't talk to her when she's like this," Dorimon said as she drifted to a stop beside my head.

I scoffed. "Anytime she gets interested in something computer related, she drowns everything else out," I agreed with a grin. "Still, it doesn't happen too much, anymore."

After a little while, May's computer beeped and she finally pulled my Digivice from the computer and tossed it back to me. She didn't turn to me, so it nearly sailed past where I could reach and I crashed over the edge of the bed and to the ground. Thank God her parents and brothers were out; didn't need them rushing in and seeing a flying dog. I popped up over the edge of the bed, barely clutching my Digivice. May still hadn't noticed. "Hm... I – wait! This is another third of the Key data! It doesn't have a single bit of information in common with mine." She went quiet and still for a moment, then stored the data. "Interesting... Whatever the Key program is, we're supposed to be able to use it, but only together." She grinned and turned to me. "It's just like the shows! Digidestined can only do great things together!"

"But what does it open?" I asked.

"A door, Dummy!" Dorimon said from beside my head. The wings flickered as I turned to her. Dorimon frowned as I did, something slowly turning on gears in its binary brain.

"Is there a problem, Ugly?" I asked the Digimon.

Dorimon growled for a moment, then stopped. "So, we know your Digimon partner is Black Guilmon," Dorimon said slowly. "Umm... What's a 'Guilmon?'"

And then her wings were absent, just like my ability to answer that question .Dorimon yelped and hit the ground, tiny stubs of legs wiggling wildly in the air as she tried to roll over. "May! Help me, I'm turtling!"

X X X

Henry Wong sat at the desk in his basement, hands clutching at his hair as he stared down at the crackling screen that rested on the wooden table. His computer, plugged into the tiny machine by a single cable gave a quiet readout that revealed almost nothing. Henry eventually surged to his feet and kicked the stool, sending it tumbling tot he ground as he snarled with rage and pulled at his hair. "I just... Dammit," he growled, letting go of his hair. He walked over to the wall and leaned against it, falling to sit down and bury his face in his knees. Momentai yipped and rushed down the stairs, leaning against his side to comfort him. He looked over at the dog and smiled sadly before placing a hand on the terrier's head. "I'm driving myself crazy with this."

Momentai looked up at him and cocked his head to the side. "Just... can I pretend, for a minute?" Hentry asked the dog, earning a blank, happy stare. Henry shook his head. "Yeah, okay. Why am I asking?" Henry picked up the dog and put him in his lap. "For the next few minutes, just sit there and let me pretend you're Terriermon. Then maybe I'll give you some treats." More blank stare.

So Henry answered for him, putting on a high pitched, sarcastic tone of voice. "Jeez, Henry. Talking to a dog? People are gonna start talking!"

He sighed and shook his head. That didn't sound quite right. Even if it had been decades, he should remember how Terriermon spoke a little better than that. Henry took a breath and changed his voice a bit, making it more sarcastic and slightly less high pitched. "Ahem... Momentai, Henry! No one could flawlessly copy perfection!"

Henry glared at the happy dog. "Yeah, that one sounded about right..." The dog yipped and cocked its head to the side, tongue rolling out as it panted. Henry shrugged. "Terriermon, how the hell am I going to find you or the others? Tasuke deserves to know his parents, the other Digimon deserve to see their partners, and... dammit! I deserve to see you again!"

The dog whined and leaned up to lick at Henry's face, trying to calm him. Henry laughed and brought the dog in for a hug. Taking on the Terriermon voice again, Henry said, "C'mon, Henry, you and I both know you've got this! You know those computers better than your dad now."

"Thanks, Terrier-"

"Besides, my partner has to be a genius. I mean, look at me!"

Henry frowned. "Maybe I'm getting too in to this," he muttered under his breath as he realized he had interrupted himself.

The static on his D-Power digivice continued crackling along. When he'd first seen that the D-Power had finally done something more than sit there silently, he'd been ecstatic. This was progress! Maybe something he had done to it had activated one of the device's systems or a D-Power like Takato's or Ryu's had connected with it from the Digital world. When the static had continued without a break for three days, no matter what he did or what card he slid through the Digivice, he had asked himself a single question: had it activated because of the Black Guilmon?

It made a certain level of sense, even if it terrified him. He had checked it for the first time in a couple days immediately after his meal with Gethen, and it served to reinforce his worry that this Black Guilmon was connected to Takato. He had briefly wondered if Tasuke was indeed involved, but the boy hadn't done anything in the past few days that Henry or his friends had done as kids when they had first received their Digimon. No, Tasuke had stayed home or went over to see Jaarin's family every day. No adventuring or sudden changes. And no D-Power. Which, to be fair, didn't mean much. After all, Henry was almost certain that groups like Hypnos or D-CARD had either found or developed new digivices by now. Still, he believed Tasuke was not involved with real Digimon. He hadn't come home with bruises or burns yet, after all.

Henry sighed and put Momentai down before pushing up to his feet, groaning at the creaking in his knees. "Wow, when did you get older than your dad, Henry?"

Henry froze and shook his head. "Yeah, I'm getting way too in to this," he groaned. He walked up the stairs, Momentai bounding up beside him. "I need a break."

X X X

I took a bite of my Cinnabon as I walked outside of the mall where May and I had met Black Guilmon a few days earlier. I had decided after leaving May's house that I was going to look for him, even if the Digimon had been... less than nice. We were partners, and if the shows and games were anything to judge by that meant that we'd need each other soon. Bad attitude and all. I took another bite of my cinnamon roll before turning to walk towards the parking garage.

It was a mess, people all around the building. Construction engineers planning how to fix it, building inspectors and cops investigating how it had been destroyed, and men in suits whispering to each other. I walked up to the police line, thankfully disguised by the crowd of people that were ogling the destruction and whispering about what could have caused it. This got me close enough to one of the groups of suits to hear a snippet of their conversation before they saw how close the crowd was getting and they bolted. Something about 'unsure if it was the target.' I hoped these weren't the guys hunting down Dorimon. If they thought the destruction was Black Guilmon or Dorimon's fault, then it would be hard for me to run around with my Digimon. I might actually have to listen to May and avoid getting Black Guilmon up to snuff for whatever world ending threat was coming. I mean, I hoped was coming. I mean – Agh, can't I just want to live out my oldest childhood dream?

It was weird. I still hated the card game, and that stupid game that had given me Black Guilmon. They reminded me too much of my parents even still. But a real Digimon was something to be excited about.

Anyways, I tried to get a good look at the destruction that Black Guilmon had unleashed on the parking garage. It was... bad. I hadn't really noticed during the fight but he had not cared at all about collateral damage. The Pyro Grenade that had hit the ceiling had apparently collided close to the edge of the top floor, and the destruction had only weakened the building. Cars had fallen both into the garage and out of it, crashing into the parking lot below. And then there was the support beam that the Gotsumon had hit. The collision had weakened the concrete and another part of the ceiling was clearly caved in. I took another bite instead of grimacing. Yeah, getting caught was bad for one more reason now: I'd probably have to pay for that.

I turned and walked away, making sure to avoid pulling out my 3D until I was well away from those suits. When I got to the door of the Target, I tossed the empty Cinnabon container into the trash and checked my bag to make sure the other one was still okay, then pulled out my Digivice. I tapped on the BG-444d app and tapped again to access the map. Apparently Black Guilmon had run south after our meeting, into the north edge of a park not far south. The label on the map said 'William Frederick Hayden Park.' Luckily it looked like he was on a trail connected to a suburban area, but far enough off that nobody would find him on accident. He was smart, at least. If I headed over there, I'd run in to him sooner rather than later with my compass. I shoved my 3D back in my pocket and took a deep breath. Time to find Black Jerkmon.

It took five minutes to get to the corner connected to the park trail, and another thirty minutes of walking before I realized I was not dressed for this. Slip on sneakers did not make for a good hiking shoe. On the other hand, it was too late to care about that. My compass was moving from side to side pretty quickly, now, meaning I was close enough that the smallest movement on Black Guilmon's part made the compass move like crazy. I sighed and stretched my neck then glanced up at the sky past the sparse trees. It was almost dark. Hm... this had been a really dumb decision. Incredibly dumb.

"What are you doing here?"

I yelped, spun around, and fell to my back. The glowing yellow eyes and steaming fiery mouth of Black Guilmon were all that were visible in the darkness under the shade of the thin line of trees we were beneath. He took a step towards me, out of the shade, and his red lines and outline were soon revealed. "Answer me, Tasuke!"

I swallowed my fear and stood up straight. "You could say please," I told the Digimon, earning an angry scoff from the dinosaur.

"No," he said indignantly. He growled and stood up as tall as he could. "I see your personality hasn't improved."

I crossed my arms. "MY personality!?" I shook my head. "I -"

"Shut up," he suddenly said, rushing past me and stuffing his head in my backpack – it must've gotten slightly opened once I'd fallen down. He made muffled noises – words, I think – before tearing his snout out of my pack. "You have a Kin Nae Bon?"

I turned around, dumbfounded. "A... what?"

"Kin Nae Bon! The sweet, spicy things from that building!" he growled, his usually reptilian pupils rounded now. "Gimme gimme gimme!" Even his voice was slightly less angry.

"A... Cinnabon?"

Black Guilmon's head tilted to the side. "Cinnabon?" he inquired. He leaped forward, tearing my backpack from my shoulders. "Gimme gimme gimme!"

"Jeez, and here I thought you were a dangerous monster," I said dryly. He raised a claw and – "No! I can unzip it, don't just... and you've torn my backpack to shreds. Great."

He pulled his head out of my backpack's tattered remains, entire face coated in frosting and cinnamon. "More."

"I don't have more," I growled. Then I gestured at the backpack. "Or a backpack to carry any more, you moron."

He didn't seem concerned with that, as he tackled me to the ground, his feet keeping my shoulders trapped against the ground. His sharp teeth leaned in towards my face, eyes reptilian once more. "More..." he growled threateningly.

Well, this seemed as good a time as any. "Well, if you came with me, I could... buy you more?" I suggested, hoping that was enough.

Black Guilmon leaned back. "If I came with you?" he repeated. He took a step off of me. "No. No, I don't think so." His long tongue stretched out and he licked his own face clean.

I propped myself up on my elbows. "And why not?" I asked indignantly. "Am I not good enough?"

"No," Black Guilmon answered plainly. His eyes met mine. In a mocking voice, he continued, "Not yet. You still believe in a child's fantasy. That we're going to be friends and play together and save the world!" He laughed sarcastically and his voice returned to normal. "The closest you're going to get is helping me kill whatever humans are chasing me."

"I'm not killing anyone," I growled.

"Fine. Then the Digimon they send after me at least," he growled dismissively. "It's their data I really want, anyways."

I shook my head. "I'm honestly not too happy about that either," I told him.

He growled, "Tough luck. Data will help me Digivolve faster, and then I'll be the strongest."

I knew I wasn't going to get anywhere with this. He'd conceded on murdering people, I guess I could work on him murdering Digimon as we went. "Ugh... Whatever. As long as you don't attack May or Dorimon again." I got to my feet and groaned. "It's dark."

Black Guilmon raised an... eye... crest. He looked at me nonplussed. "But the path is visible right there," he said, gesturing with his head.

I followed the gesture with my head, then turned back to him. "To you, maybe."

He looked even more confused. "... Can humans not see in the dark?"

It was my turn to be confused. "... No..."

"Huh," Black Guilmon simply grunted. He turned his glare towards me for a minute, then sighed. "Well... Follow me." And then he began walking in the same direction that he had gestured.

"Wait, are you... helping me?"

Black Guilmon stopped moving and looked back at me. "You gave me a Kin Nae – Er, a Cinnabon. So just follow me." He began walking again.

"Well, if you won't live with me, how are we going to meet up when another Digimon shows up?" I asked as I began to follow.

Black Guilmon didn't look back at me. "I can smell my prey as they appear. If anything shows up, I will be there to load the data," he said with a hungry grin.

My frown deepened. After a while: "BG, can I ask you a question?"

Black Guilmon stopped walking. "What did you call me?"

"BG..?"

He glared at me. "No."

I sighed. "Black Guilmon, can I ask you a question?"

He began walking again. "I don't think I could stop you."

I laughed. "True," I admitted. My mood soured. "So, why do you want to load the data of other Digimon?"

He tossed another confused glance towards me. "To grow stronger and Digivolve, I told you."

I shook my head. "But everything I know about Digimon says you need me to Digivolve."

He shrugged. "Loading Data can't hurt. It can only make me stronger," he explained simply. "And if I grow strong enough to defeat a Champion as a Rookie, then imagine what I could do as a Champion, or an Ultimate... A Mega."

"Okay, so it's to get stronger." I nodded. "Okay, so are you trying to do something?"

He nodded. "Load data."

"I mean is there a reason to load data?"

"To get stronger."

I sighed, annoyed. "Is there a reason to get stronger?"

That one seemed to really confuse him. He stopped and turned to me again. "Is there a reason to get stronger? What do you mean?" he inquired slowly, as if thinking I was trying to trick him.

"I mean... like are you trying to save some village in the Digital world?"

"Why would I do that?"

"Uh... get revenge?"

"No, not yet," he supplied.

"Er... finding someone?" I suggested, my deepest wish leaking out for a moment.

"I have already found you. What reason is there for strength beyond strength, Tasuke? Strength is its own reward," he explained, turning around and loping down the path. "When you have strength, you can claim ever greater strength, whenever you want."

"Unbelievable," I muttered under my breath. "My Digimon partner is psychotic."

Still, he was getting me out of this park, so he obviously wasn't the absolute worst. I shook m head, forced the memory of my destroyed backpack from my mind, and followed the Digimon back to my car. Well, now that I knew where he was, maybe I'd bring him another Cinnabon as thanks for saving me. Maybe the sweetness would make him less sour.

X X X

Lucas Gethen was a patient man. It was a prerequisite for running a government agency so deeply involved in an underground war of information and living, breathing weapons of mass destruction. Acting too soon, revealing your hand? A death sentence. Acting at the right moment with the right agent could very well bring victory, strengthening Gethen's position and the range of his power. And Gethen prided himself on always making that right decision at the right time, making the Digimon Center of American Real-world Defense a rival to even the mighty Hypnos in Japan. D-CARD and its sub-group D-CADD were on the verge of overtaking Hypnos, even. D-CARD needed the power of this Hazard Digimon either in their own hands or destroyed before it was discovered and taken in by someone else. Gethen needed eyes on the Hazard, and he wanted eyes on Matsuki. He needed them both.

Which is why his legendary patience was running quite thin. He was still in one of D-CARD's offsite offices in Denver, waiting for his agents to find a Digimon they should have caught days ago. If the creature wasn't found soon, he would grow... displeased. Being displeased Thankfully he didn't have to wait with Agent Zubel. He had been sent home after the day they had spent with Henry Wong.

The agent was far too enamored with the stories about the old Digimon Tamers, almost romanticizing their adventures. It was a common issue with the younger or less experienced agents. The ones that had seen the brutality of a fight between powerful Digimon tended to lose that outlook. Two Ultimates clashing inspired awe, but it made one realize that Digital Monsters were not heroic creatures sent to save humanity. They were beings that desired power, for whatever reasons they had, and would do nearly anything to get it. And the Tamers that the various Digital divisions connected to those Digimon were the same. They wanted to become the strongest.

Gethen tapped his finger on his desk while his other hand supported his chin with his index finger running along the side of his nose. He took a deep breath and continued to tap the desk, though the annoyed feeling had dulled, if only slightly. All he could do was wait for some sign of the Black Guilmon. It was inevitable that the Black Guilmon's... Digidestined partner would use him in battle, whether to test his or her strength in battle or to follow some misguided belief that he or she had regarding their fate as a Digidestined. And since Digidestined did, somehow, have a tendency to congregate, that meant...

He lowered his hand from his face and pulled out his phone, dialing his best agent. "Agent Estevez," he said in greeting.

"Oh, Sir!"

"Starting in a few days, you'll be transferring to a school in Colorado when your mother finds she is being offered a better job by an old client," he told the young man on the other side of the line. Gethen leaned back in his desk chair and kicked his Burberry shoes atop the desk. "I have an important assignment for my most promising agent."

The other side of the line was quiet for a moment before a different voice started to speak. "Is that the G-Man? Tell him I want more chocolate!"

"Not right now!" the agent hissed at his partner before returning to the conversation. "Of course, Sir. May I ask about the assignment now, or would you prefer I wait for official briefing when I arrive?"

Gethen smiled at the professionalism. "The information is quite sensitive, Agent Estevez. I do not want to risk it falling into enemy hands," he explained simply. "However... I believe I have found Digidestined."

The line was silent for a moment. "Yes, Sir. I will report to the Denver office as soon as my cover is established."

The other voice groaned. "We have to meet the G-Man again? Fine... But he better bring chocolate!"

"Huckmon, stop it! I'm sorry, Sir."

"No, no. It's fine," Gethen said with a smirk. "Hard working Digimon deserve rewards. I believe your preferred type is 77% dark, yes?"

The Digimon started cheering. "Get a good night's rest. You'll likely be moving tomorrow. I expect you the day after at the latest," Gethen stated matter-of-factly before ending the call. He placed his phone on the table and smiled. Agent Estevez, while young, was his most impressive agent. And having him nearby when Black Guilmon's Digidestined inevitably made a mistake would mean the Hazard Digimon would soon be in the palm of Gethen's hand. And if the Dorumon was there, all the better. With those three Digidestined together, the next phase of D-CARD would no longer be simply a plan with groundwork being laid. It would be enacted.

Gethen took his feet off of the desk one after the other, then pushed up to his feet. He was in a good mood, and that called for some kind of celebration. He needed a good meal. He was thinking... Mediterranean. Yes, that sounded good. He checked his cufflinks and smoothed over his burgundy suit. "Take messages, I don't want to miss anything," he told the secretary as he exited. He tossed a glance at the man. "Oh, and before I forget... Send a message to the main office to force a captured pair of Veemon to Bio-emerge somewhere in the city. We need to smoke out the target."

"Of course, Sir," the young man replied. He then looked down and picked up the phone, dialing the main office.

Gethen turned away and grinned. Now that his patience had been renewed, he knew everything would be nearly perfect. And once his agents in the Digital World captured Takato Matsuki, everything would be perfect. Yes, once this domino fell, the others would just be a matter of time. Gethen took his first step towards the future, grinning even wider.

X X X

I sighed as I finished up building my deck for real Digimon fights, and placed the ten cards on the table. I had at least a couple hundred other ones in the box to my left, but I figured that a few good cards covering my bases would be better than dragging around that box everywhere. And less of a reminder of... everything.

Which reminded me that I needed something to carry the deck around in; keeping them in my pocket would demolish my cards, which would be pretty bad if I needed one in a pinch. Unlike May, I preferred the real thing to swiping a screen. I pulled the box of cards onto my lap and began rooting around. "I know it's in there," I grumbled as I sifted through the cards I'd left out of my deck. A few good cards, but mostly based on giving Virus attacks to Data and Vaccines. Not worthwhile for helping Black Jerkmon in a fight. I finally pulled out the card case I was searching for and put it on the table next to the deck.

I was about to drop the cardboard box and shove it unceremoniously under my bed to be forgotten when something caught my eye. I reached in and pulled the card out, frowning. It was a simple card, with a single image covering the face. Just a red Digital Hazard over a clean black background. There was no card description or explanation of its effects. Just the image. I frowned and flipped the card over, seeing the same blue back of the card, then returned to the face in surprise. It was... just another alias card. But – it was – and now – I shook my head and tossed the card back into the box. Jeez, I must have been exhausted. Hiking with Black Guilmon, then the drive home, and everything else must have taken more out of me than I thought if I was seeing things like that.

I shoved the box under my bed and pulled out my 3D to check in on Black Guilmon. Thankfully, after we'd parted he'd headed right back out into the park, just far enough from any trails that I thought he was safe for now. Hopefully he could pretend to be calm – I know, I know, that's beyond wishful thinking – and just hide out long enough that those weird government suits hunting him down would just move on. And once that happened, we'd have a ton more freedom for hunting down any bad Digimon trying to come to the real world, and we could do it without getting discovered. At least, once I managed to come up with a good lie to tell Henry. After all, telling him I had a Digimon was out of the question. He wouldn't understand something like that; he'd probably think I was crazy!

Huh, I wonder just what Gethen is up to, looking for Black Guilmon and me. And who is the Agent Estevez guy he was talking to? Another Digidestined? But why aren't they called Tamers like Henry, Rika, and me? Well, at least Black Guilmon was a little nicer to Tasuke, even if it was only because of the Cinnamon Roll. Maybe he'll be nicer next time on Digimon: Digital Monsters!

Or maybe he'll be back to his normal Black Jerkmon self. I hope not!