Hunter's rage flared. Whoever invented the Virus will pay for this and he will make sure of that.
"Hunter," Karumon said. "I got an idea. I'll use my Swamp Fog attack. It will buy you, Mitsu and the others time to save the infant digimon."
"You better know what you're doing," Hunter returned.
Karumon nodded.
"Swamp Fog," he shouted.
Blair nodded her head and began picking up the baby Digimon one by one.
"Mitsu, Hunter," she said. "Help me in getting the infants to a safe area."
Hatsue shrugged her shoulders and followed them towards the bronze, blue and green dots. "At least there's going to be some fighting," she said, excited.
'Mitsu nodded in response to Blair, then he turned back to Ritamon.
"All right. You think you can help us?"
"Uh-huh!"
"Okay, then!" He stood and squared his shoulders. "Let's do this!"
All the while, the fight between Renamon and WarGreymon progressively became worse...
Hatsue sprinted faster than before just in time to see the three DigiDestined who were the green, bronze, and blue dots. "Great," she said. "Watashi no desaa, Hiroto Sayu."
Hunter turned around to see the pink dot turned out to be another girl with short blonde hair and dark eyes dressed in her own manner. "I'm Hunter," he said. "Can you help us out with saving the infant Digimon?"
Blair picked up another infant and took them to a safe area. She ran back for more of the digimon and turned to face a short blonde haired girl. "Hello," she said. "I'm Blair. Nice to meet you, Sayu."
Hunter glared at Blair and Sayu. "Mind helping us?" he snapped. "We can't do this alone!"
Hunter had no idea how right he was.
At that time, WarGreymon was struck down to the ground with an earthquaking SLAM! High above, Renamon laughed maniacally.
'Mitsu clenched his teeth together. Ritamon bounced forward, crying "WarGweymon-san!"
"S-stay back!" the fallen Digimon hero shouted beneath the rubble, struggling to rise.
Renamon let out a high-pitched cackle and dove for the ground, conjuring a sphere of crackling energy in her paws.
"RITAMON!" 'Mitsu dove, hit the ground, rolled, and threw himself over the small Digimon.
He didn't notice the glow of his Digivice.
The device exploded with green light that filled the entire room and pierced the windows, shattering the glass and sending the shards flying into disintegration. Renamon screeched in pain and covered her eyes in attempt to shield them from the light.
"Ritamon Digivolve to... Kangamon!"
When the light faded, a large, sandy-colored amber-eyed kangaroo-like Digimon stood protectively over Yoshimitsu. On its chest was a white angle-like design -- the Crest of Altruism.
Hunter watched, shocked, as Ritamon Digivolved into Kangamon. He then focused his attention to Karumon who hopped towards him with two more of the baby Digimon.
"This is the last of them," Karumon said.
"You better hope so," Hunter said. "I'd hate to leave someone behind."
Blair grabbed the remaining two from Karumon's back and brought them to safety. I hope I find my Digimon soon, she thought. I'm completely vulnerable without my a partner. So is Sayu.
"Rain of Pollen!" Floramon said.
When Riley finally caught up with Sayu, it didn't look like she was alone. She was helping Hunter, Blair and another boy.
Hatsue nodded as soon as she saw Riley and Floramon. "About time," she said. "Get over here and help us out."
Blair nodded her head. "Good," she said. "We can use all the help we can get."
Hunter and Karumon looked at Riley and Floramon. "What are you waiting for?" he called snidely. "Would you help us out already?!"
Riley glared at Hunter. "Hold your horses," she retorted. "It's obvious you rather rush than wait."
Hunter rolled his eyes at Riley and continued picking up the baby Digimon from the crossfire between Renamon and WarGreymon.
Blair shook her head at Hunter and Riley's bickering.
Normally Hatsue wouldn't defend Riley, but Hunter's ego was a big problem. "Listen, you egotistical jerk!" she snapped. "Why don't you back off of Riley and finish it up? For all we know that the fox Digimon might attack the infants again!"
'Mitsu stared up at Kangamon in wonderment. Somewhere in the back of his mind, it registered to him, That's my Digimon. That's my partner.
Kangamon glanced back at him, a smirk on his face. "Whaddaya know," he chimed, his voice bell-like, "I'm the Digimon of Altruism."
"Whaddaya know," 'Mitsu agreed weakly, sitting up.
Kangamon turned his head towards Renamon, who had recovered from the blast of light and was now powering up an energy sphere again. 'Mitsu couldn't see that Kangamon's amber eyes were full of sadness.
"I suppose I gotta take Rennie down, huh?" the Champion Digimon said quietly. "So that everyone else will be safe." He closed his eyes for a moment before snapping them open again. He cracked his knuckles. "Okay, then," the smirk reappeared on his face, "LET'S DO THIS!"
Kangamon bounded forward into the air, aiming straight towards Renamon. Renamon released the crackling energy sphere, aiming straight towards Kangamon.
If I move, then Mizzie and WarGreymon will be hit! Kangamon thought wildly. But what if I --
"Jump KICK!" Kangamon shouted, thrusting his foot forward at a point and driving it straight through the middle of the energy sphere, splitting it in half. The two pieces of the sphere were sent spinning wildly to the sides, one flying out an empty window and the other colliding with the wall near the entrance, showering the other DigiDestined with debris.
They'll be fine.
The momentum of the attack brought Kangamon face-to-face with a shocked Renamon. Knowing that whatever goes up must come down, Kangamon thought fast. He latched on to the Virus-infected Digimon with arms, hands, legs, feet, amd tail, he twisted around to where Renamon was facing the ground.
And then they began to fall.
Hunter glared angrily at Hatsue. He wasn't egotistical, just angry. Karumon noticed that Hunter wasn't paying attention to what he was doing.
"Could you just get over it?" he said. "I mean, we have baby Digimon that need to be saved."
Somehow, Kangamon managed to keep his grip on the struggling and thrashing Renamon. The ground was getting closer, closer, closer -- he had to time this right, or Renamon could pull out of the dive -- closer, closer, closer, almost time, and --
NOW!
Kangamon pushed away from Renamon and used the momentum from his push to twist around and land nearby the other DigiDestined. The push added extra momentum to Renamon as well, sending her flying down towards the ground faster and --
Boom!
Renamon collided with the ground, causing a small earthquake. Kangamon stood, panting slightly, adrenaline running through his digital veins, a wide grin growing on his face. After a few moments, he thrust a fist into the air and letting out a victorious "All RIGHT!"
"It's not over!" WarGreymon called; during Kangamon's moment, he had managed to get his feet. "That wouldn't have finished her off."
Kangamon directed his attention towards the small crater where Renamon waited.
"She's just momentarily stunned," WarGreymon continued. "It won't be long before she wakes up. And when she does, she'll be very angry."
Karumon looked at WarGreymon.
"How angry?" he asked, Hunter rolling his eyes.
"Must you ask that?" he retorted. "You just don't want to be here when she gets angry."
Blair shook her head. "Good grief," she said. She noticed a Digimon next to her with three right side triangles and an upside down triangle in the middle.
"Hello, Blair!" the Digimon chirped. "I'm Calumon! I'm your Digimon and friend in the Digital World."
Blair kneeled to get a good look at the Digimon.
"Very angry," 'Mitsu answered Karumon as the ground began to quake, "judging from all the commotion she's causing."
"GET BACK!" Kangamon shouted, running from the edge of the crater where he had been peering down it.
'Mitsu didn't hesitate to dive to the side. WarGreymon, however, stepped forward side-by-side with the Champion-level Digimon.
Blair and Calumon kept their distance from Renamon and the crater. Why does these things happen to me? she asked herself. But Calumon is cute...
Riley kept her distance away from Renamon. Floramon looked at her. "That is someone you don't want to be near when she's angry," Floramon stated.
"I was going to say that." Riley replied.
Hatsue noticed that Renamon was furious. Despite being warned, people who knew Hatsue knew that she was thick in the skull and overly suicidal at times. "I don't understand what I'm supposed to be afraid of," she snorted, walking forward.
Hunter turned to face Karumon. "Does that answer your question?" he retorted. "I really don't want to be here when she tries to attack us again!"
"Well, put up with it," Karumon said tightly.
Riley shook her head, wondering how did she ever wound up stuck in the Digital World with these crazy people.
Renamon wasn't just angry, she was furious. Her once-blue eyes were bright red, pupils slitted like a snake's. She snarled as she held her paws out in front of her, red-crackling black energy forming between them.
"Ready?" WarGreymon muttered.
Kangamon nodded.
"Go."
"Sand Kick!" Kangamon shouted, calling up an old attack. He kicked forward, and sand swarmed around Renamon. They could hear the energy thin and disappear and Renamon snarl in confusion.
"Terra FORCE!" WarGreymon shouted, lifting his claws up as a massive ball of fiery energy formed between them. He heaved the thing towards the sand-covered Renamon, who was now rubbing the sand out of her eyes.
Renamon let out a horrible shriek as the attack struck. As soon as the dust cleared, Renamon seemed to be suspended in the air, every appendage strung out and held by what seemed to be strips of humming data.
"Now! Yoshimitsu!" WarGreymon called, spinning around and facing the startled DigiDestined.
"Eh -- wha?" he blinked.
"Remove the Virus! Delete the infected data!"
"With what?!"
"Your Digivice!"
'Mitsu stared at the thing on his belt. "Whoa! It -- changed...!" He held it up. It was now roughly mushroom-shaped, with a speaker on the lower portion. A large button sat on the upper left-hand "corner", and an extendable antenna on the upper right-hand "corner". In the center of the upper part was a square screen with five buttons surrounding it.
"Which is the infected data?!" he demanded, pulling the Digivice off his belt.
"The black parts."
'Mitsu stared in dismay at the strands of data around Renamon. "They're all black!"
"Then Delete them all," WarGreymon growled. Kangamon lowered his head.
'Mitsu closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He stepped forward, ready to do his job.
Dammit, Hunter thought. Now what? He and Karumon saw Yoshimitsu step up with a weirder Digivice.
"You believe us now," Karumon said. "It's not a game, y'know."
"Shut up," Hunter snapped.
Blair and Calumon turned their attention to Mitsu and Kangamon. If only mine could be like that... she thought, glancing to her Digivice.
It suddenly struck 'Mitsu that he had no idea how he was going to delete the infected data.
I guess I could start out with holding it out...
He held out his newly-transformed Digivice in front of him with both hands. Suddenly, he knew what to do. He was so sure, so confident... He had rarely felt as if he knew exactly what was right.
He thrust the Digivice above him with one hand, snapped it down screen facing in, and then thrust it forward, screen facing Renamon, his free hand clenched in a fist and brought back behind him, feet spread apart and planted firmly.
"DIGI-PURIFY!" he shouted.
Light burst from the Digivice's screen and swarmed around Renamon, who let out an unearthly shriek. She trembled heavily as her body turned into black data code strips. Slowly, feet-up, the coding broke away in disintegrating shards. She lifted her nose to the sky as her torso and arms disappeared.
Soon, there was nothing left of the once-noble Renamon.
Slowly, the Digivice slipped from 'Mitsu's trembling hands and fell to the floor with a quiet click. The teenager's knees buckled, and he fell to his hands and knees. He squeezed his eyes shut as tears began to well up. He clenched his fists.
No. No. I promised myself I wouldn't cry back when I was eight. No. Everything's fine. I saved everyone. I saved everyone. Everyone's fine.
Except Renamon, some remote voice in his mind whispered.
Memories flashed before his closed eyes. Everything she had done for him. How kind she had been. And now... and now...
A tear fell, followed by another, and another, and another. Soon, the DigiDestined of Altruism was weeping, mourning the loss of his first Digimon friend.
Hunter shook his head and walked away. He didn't want to see anything that made him sad about what happened, or what reminded him about the death of his own twin brother, James. I have to get away from the others for now... he thought. I don't think I can handle it. Karumon followed him, knowing he didn't want to see anything that happened to Renamon.
"Blair, Mitsu and the others will be fine without us," Hunter said. "I don't want to go back to them for a while. It's too depressing for me to handle."
"I know," Karumon said. "But we'll need them later. But for now... we need time to ourselves."
Blair and Calumon didn't know what to do, but they tried to comfort Mitsu. Blair was aware that Hunter and Karumon had left. He doesn't like to show emotions to anyone, she thought, pushing a strand of red hair aside. That is real shady of him to just leave like that.
Hatsue followed Hunter and Karumon out of the building. She hated seeing people crying, it was too depressing and too much emotion for her to handle. It was the right thing to do. she thought. Too much emotions make me feel guilty. I hate them. I never cried when my dad died, despite that he deserved it for what he did for me. I didn't cry when my friend... when Makoto Sanjo... died. But I honored her. She noticed a pink and white fox Digimon follow her.
"Hatsue," she said. "I'm Abunamon, your Digimon."
"Domo Arigato." Hatsue said. "By the way it's Sayu."
'Mitsu distantly noticed Blair standing next to him. He grit his teeth together and clenched his eyes shut, willing the ebb of tears to stop.
There's no time for being weak like this, he apprehended himself. We've got to get going. We don't have time for me to sit here and feel sorry for Renamon. Who knows how many are suffering at the hands of the Virus right now. We've got to get moving!
Slowly, he lifted his head up. Kangamon stood in front of him, watching with concerned eyes.
"You okay, Mizzie?" the Digimon asked softly.
"...Yeah. I am now." And he flashed one of his smirks.
Riley and Floramon noticed Hunter, Hatsue and their Digimons were gone. Jesus... she thought. Don't they know we're a team? We need to stick together... But they just left.
"As soon as Mitsu gets up," Floramon said. "We'd better find Hunter and Hatsue. They just can't walk off like that."
Riley nodded her head. "I know," she agreed.
"They left?" 'Mitsu slowly climbed to his feet.
"They are safe in this building," WarGreymon assured, approaching the group. "They'll be fine."
"They'll get lost, though!" 'Mitsu pointed out. "I can barely walk around this place without losing my way!"
"...Point taken."
Hunter and Karumon knew Hatsue and her Digimon were following him and they confronted her. "Why are you following us?" he asked. "I'm not used to anyone following me like that."
Karumon rolled his eyes and faced Abunamon. "Hey, Abunamon. Long time no see. How are you doing?"
Hatsue glared at Hunter. "What does it look like?" she retorted. "I hate seeing people cry! It make me feel guilty. And besides... I can handle myself, Hunter."
Abunamon shook her head and faced Karumon. "Yes, it has, Karumon-kun," she said, ignoring Hatsue. "I think Hatsue likes Hunter."
"I do not like him," Hatsue scowled.
Hunter shook his head. "I already have a girlfriend back home," he said. "Her name is Kelly."
"I guess the ladies are all mine, then," joked an Osaka-dialected voice.
'Mitsu stood behind them, arms crossed. "You guys shouldn't run off like that. You wouldn't want to get lost in this huge building, would you?"
Hatsue rolled her eyes and muttered a stream of swear words in Japanese, ignoring Mitsu. No one told her how to live her life. Abunamon looked at Kangamon the two Digimon. "Nice to see you three again." she said.
'Mitsu gave Hatsue a look, catching what she was muttering. "Now, now, now..."
Kangamon blinked at Abunamon, then rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Y'must be thinkin' of another Kangamon. I grew up 'ere, and I don't recognize you or nothin'... sorry..."
Jesus, Hunter thought, away from Mitsu, Hatsue and the others. Karumon shook his head. "What do we do next?" he asked.
Blair and Calumon looked at each other. "Could we not fight, please?" she asked. "We're here to save the Digital World."
"That's right!" Calumon chirped. "We can't be fighting with each other."
"Well," 'Mitsu said, crossing his arms, "I think that WarGreymon will tell us that once we get back to him, all of us, together."
Riley looked at the others.
"We better go back," Floramon said. "I mean... Lord WarGreymon wouldn't like us gone."
Riley nodded in agreement with Floramon.
Blair and Calumon nodded.
"Forget it," Hunter said. "I'm going to be on my own. I don't care what happens." He turned away from the others and shut his eyes trying to forget about his parents divorce, his abusive step-father, and the death of his twin brother.
"Give them a chance, Hunter," Karumon said. "Just get to know them. Because whether you like it or not, you're stuck with them. You can't keep turning away from people forever."
Abunamon looked at Hunter oddly. "He's a hard brick," she said.
"Leave him alone," Hatsue said. "He's not used to having other people around him." She wouldn't admit it, but she knew what Hunter had to go through. She had an abusive and neglective father who hated her and left her on the streets. Unlike Hunter, Hatsue had to fight for her survival by stealing food and fighting others for money. When she was caught, she was sent to live with her loving aunt and uncle.
Hunter glared at Karumon. "Fine," he snapped. "But it doesn't mean I'm going to like them."
Blair and Calumon look at each other. "Not friendly is he?" Calumon asked.
Blair shook her head. "He's a brick," she said.
Riley and Floramon shook their heads. Riley began wondering how in the world she got stuck with someone who was a complete brick.
Hatsue and Abunamon shook their heads and faced Hunter. Hatsue slapped him across the face. "Get over it!" she said. "I don't like being around people, either! But you know what?! You better start dealing with it, Hunter. These people want to be your friend! And you're being a kuso baka about it. Open up already, will you?! Nobody likes a hotheaded baka like you around." Abunamon looked over at her partner and shook her head as Hatsue faced her. "I don't like him," she growled, trying to sound convincing.
"I wasn't going to say anything about that," Abunamon said.
Hunter glared hotly at Hatsue. "I am not a damned idiot!" he said. "I'm not used to being around anyone I don't know." He turned away from them. Karumon wondered what his partner was thinking.
"Oookay, everyone," 'Mitsu crossed his arms. "Come on. We don't have time for this. WarGreymon's waiting for us." And he turned and headed back in.
"It'll be all right," Kangamon added brightly. "WarGreymon will clear everything up and tell us what we're supposed to do next."
Hunter managed to mutter out a few incherent swear words to himself as he and Karumon followed Mitsu and Kangamon. He was still reeling over the fact that he got slapped by a girl.
