Blair looked at Hunter and shook her head. She then turned her attention to Hatsue and Abunamon.
"There was no reason for that, Sayu," she said, following Mitsu and the others. "I mean, we're here to work together."
Calumon turned to face Abunamon.
"I think Hatsue and Hunter like each other," she said. "But they won't admit it due to their pride."
Abunamon nodded her head. "True," she said. "Hunter denies it because he doesn't want his girlfriend back home to get hurt when he and Hatsue are together."
Hatsue looked at Abunamon, Calumon and Blair. "Well, he was egotistical!" she said. "I had to smack some sense into him. And Abunamon, I can hear you and Calumon from over here." She turned away from her Digimon to keep going straight. Hunter's an egotistical baka and he doesn't think before he acts, she thought sourly. He actually thinks it's okay to insult everyone, and then he's hurt when they retort. Hatsue, shut up, he might have his inner demons to battle just like you. But... he's cute, though.
Hunter turned away from Hatsue and the other girls as he followed Mitsu and Kangamon. I can't believe that she had the nerve to hit me like that! he raged mentally. She's nothing more.... Oh, stop it, Hunter. Hatsue might be going through the same things. I mean she's nothing like Kelly, but she's cute though.
"You have a girlfriend," Karumon said.
Hunter stopped thinking and blushed for a moment. "Yes, I do," he said, smiling. "Her name is Kelly. She's really cool and she doesn't care what everyone says. I live with her."
Blair looked at Hunter weirdly as she continued to overhear him talking to Karumon. He has a girlfiriend, she thought. Why didn't I think about that?
"Whooo-hoo," 'Mitsu teased, smirking playfully. "You live in the same house with 'er? Gooo Hunter!" He clapped his fellow male DigiDestined on the back, chortling.
"Hurry uuuup!" Kangamon whined, thumping his tail impatiently. "WarGreymon-san says he's got somethin' important to tell you! Les' GO!"
"We're going as fast as we can," Abunamon said.
Hatsue glared at her in mock impatience. "Let's just get this over with so I can leave," she said.
Riley looked at Hatsue. "Just calm down," she said. "We'll be there soon."
Floramon looked at her. "WarGreymon doesn't appreciates us being late."
Blair managed to avert her eyes from Mitsu and Hunter to Kangamon and faced the girls. "Where to now?" Calumon said.
Hunter felt Mitsu slap him in the back after he told Karumon about Kelly. "Hey," he said. "Don't hit me there. Damn, that hurts."
Karumon looked at Mitsu. "He was talking to me," he said. "Not you."
'Mitsu shrugged. "Sorry, Hunts," he said to Hunter. Then, to Karumon, he said, "So I overheard you guys and commented. Big whoop."
Sensing that a fight could break out, Kangamon decided to respond to Calumon's question.
"We are to return to WarGreymon's headquarters," he replied, bouncing impatiently. "He will then assign us our first mission. Come ooooonn!"
'Mitsu nodded and smiled albeit roguishly. "Race ya there, everyone!"
"You're on!" Kangamon laughed.
"Ready? Set... GO!"
And the two shot down the hallway.
"Get over it Karumon." Hunter said.
He then ran after Mitsu and Kangamon with Karumon following behind.
"My feet were not made for running!" he said.
Riley laughed and followed Hunter and Karumon. Floramon followed shortly afterward.
Calumon had to hold onto to Blair as she followed Riley, Hunter, Mitsu and their Digimon.
"Not much longer," Karumon panted, struggling to keep up with Hunter. "My feet were not made for running."
Hunter glared at him. "Shut up, Karumon," he said.
Hatsue and Abunamon followed Riley and the others. "You like Hunter," Abunamon insisted. "I know it, Sayu." "No way," Hatsue said. "He's got a girlfriend back home, and I don't know what he's feeling about it. But I'll talk about it with Riley, she might know something about it."
"About what?" Riley said. Floramon looked at her. "WarGreymon isn't gonna be happy about this," she mumbled. "Let's get going."
WarGreymon's room was different.
Instead of being dark and heavily perfumed, the room was well-lit. The light made the room seem larger than it was before, and it almost seemed like a completely different room. The walls were a warm yellow-creme color, draped in velvety red banners with gold trim and designs, reflecting the plush red carpet that covered the floor. WarGreymon stood in front of a desk, silhouetted against a large window.
The dinosaur-like Digimon's _expression was somber, and his voice dark and melodic.
"You have now seen the face of the enemy that you must fight. Such a thing that can turn the most noble, the most respectable of our kind... into ruthless murderers."
'Mitsu and Kangamon's faces fell, and they lowered their eyes to the floor.
"You cannot let this Virus run rampant." WarGreymon studied the faces of the humans and their partners. "Innocent lives are lost every day to the hands of this Assassin. Even our benevolent rulers -- my dear friends... are afflicted with this disease." He lowered his own head in resign for a moment.
"Pegasusmon and Nefertimon -- ?" Kangamon asked softly.
"Yes." WarGreymon lifted his head. "The Virus is close to taking them as well. As soon as they fade, I am to take control of the Kingdom Server." He tilted his head to the side before speaking again. "I have many things of importance to tell you. Shall you listen?"
Hunter looked at them and didn't say anything. Karumon looked at him, thinking he's got some issues with himself and turned around to face WarGreymon.
"I'm a Virus Digimon," he said. "I'm not affected."
Hunter grumbled at Karumon, wondering why he got stucked with some dumb Digimon before he remembered Kazemon hiding in his shirt pocket.
"Virus Digimon have been reported affected," WarGreymon informed Karumon, watching the frog-like Digimon with mixed expressions on his face. "However, I do believe that you all -- " He nodded to the DigiDestined Digimon, " -- are safe from the Virus. You are all, humans as well, protected by your Digivices."
Hunter wanted to open his mouth but didn't say anything as Kazemon peeked out of the pocket. She was fortunate that the Virus hadn't got her but her tribe hasn't been so fortunate. Hunter pulled her out.
"What about her?" Hunter asked WarGreymon. "I found her on my shoulder in the forest."
Karumon looked at his partner. He was obviously concerned for Kazemon.
Hatsue looked at Hunter as she tried to keep to herself that it was nothing but it seems all too much for her to handle. Abunamon looked at her.
"She..." WarGreymon studied Kazemon for a moment in silence before continuing. "She is the lone survivor of the Kitsuin Tribe, isn't she? Tarot favors this one. She is open to the Virus, but she has a certain... destiny she must fulfill before she falls."
"How cute," Riley said, noticing Kazemon.
Floramon looked at her. "Stay focused," she said.
"So, all Digimon get inflicted with this Virus," Blair said. "Except for our Digimon."
Calumon nodded her head, continued to look up.
"No." WarGreymon shook his head. "All Digimon have the chance of coming down with the Virus; all but your partners. Your Digivices grant them -- and you -- immune."
Hunter turns away from the others, gripping his Digivice. Another flashback came, only this time his father took James and Marjorie with him to London, away from their mother. Nine-year-old James pleaded with his dad to take Hunter with him, but his dad refused on the grounds that their mom has custody of him.
"I'm not going to be separated from my twin brother!" James yelled. "We're two halves of the same person."
"James, let's go," their dad said.
He grabbed James away from Hunter and they boarded the airplane. It ends the flashback, Hunter begins to talk away, but Karumon stops him.
"They need you," he said..
"What could stop us from beating the Virus?" Riley asked WarGreymon.
Hatsue rolled her eyes as she turned away from Riley. Abunamon looked at her. "We don't know yet," she said.
Hunter glared at him angrily. "There are things I don't want to talk about," he said. "And you know very well that I'm not a people person." He continued to walk away from the others. Karumon followed him.
What an ignorant baka, Hatsue thought, facing Hunter. She looked around and followed the tall Filipino-American. Abunamon shook her head and followed her. "Where are you going?" Hatsue asked Hunter.
Riley looked at Blair and Mitsu. "Not again," Floramon said. "Don't those two ever quit?"
Abunamon looked at Karumon. "I was right," she said. "Hatsue-san does like Hunter and I think he likes her too." Hatsue glared at her Digimon brushing away a strand of blonde hair from her eyes. "I heard that," she said.
Hunter looked at Hatsue before facing Karumon. "I agree with you Abunamon. Both of them are inept to show their feelings."
"We can hear you from here," Hunter said. "You two don't say nothing about this to Mitsu and the others."
WarGreymon looked to Riley, and answered her question. "Anything and everything," he replied somberly. "The Virus itself will try to stop you -- those infected with it will, in any case. Also, there may be Digimon who wish for the Virus to destroy the DigiWorld, and will try to stop you from curing it -- you can never tell."
"Do we..." 'Mitsu fingered his reformed Digivice. "Do we use our Digivices to cure the Virus? Like... Like I..."
"Yes," WarGreymon said, nodding. "Your Digivices will know what to do."
"But -- !" 'Mitsu's clenched his hands into fists. "Renamon... she's...! If we cure... if we..."
WarGreymon looked at him patiently, and waited for him to finish. 'Mitsu suddenly felt a fresh peal of anger, anger at WarGreymon, anger that the Digimon knew what he was trying to say... and anger at him for making him say it. Before he knew it, he was shouting.
"I didn't CURE Renamon of anything! She's GONE now, she's GONE. What good is it if we just... if we're just going to KILL THEM by curing them?! Why is it that we're supposed to kill the ones we're supposed to be saving?!"
The DigiDestined remembered his place, and lowered his head and eyes. His fists tightened, and he fought back the tears again. Stop it, stop it, stop it, he told himself fervently. I... I let myself go back there. That was my one chance. I'm not going to do it again. Calm down. He stiffened his back and raised his head, his eyes hard. When he spoke, his voice was as cold. As if it were obvious that he was angry at himself, at his destiny, at the Virus... at the creator of the Virus. His pale green eyes flashed with justified anger and defiance swelled in his heart, and he lifted his chin higher to express it.
"I'm sorry for yelling," he said thickly. "But I want to... no, we need to know."
WarGreymon, apparently satisfied, nodded. "It is all right. You do need to know, and I understand your frustration. However, I am afraid I cannot answer your question. Our knowledge of the relationship between the Virus and the Digivices are limited. You must remember that the Digivices are a legend among the common people -- among the scientists -- regardless of the adventures of Pegasusmon, Nefertimon, and myself."
Hunter turned around and heard Mitsu yelling how much he failed in saving Renamon. He turned away knowing he too failed someone else as well, his own twin brother, James.
"I was supposed to be the older twin," he said. "Why did it have to be him? He deserved to live. James loved living his life and I let him die in London. I should've been in that car that day, not him."
Karumon looked at him questioning look on his face as he tried to stop Hunter from basking inside despair.
Hatsue looked at Hunter as she heard him blame himself for what happened to James and it brought pain to her to even remember her own sister, Sayuri. She could care less about her father since he abandoned her and forced her to survive on the streets.
"Hunter..." Hatsue said. "It isn't your fault in what happened to James. It happened to me before with my onee-chan, Sayuri-san. One year ago she died in a car crash. I haven't come to terms about her death... which is why I act out like nothing was wrong when it really was wrong. I couldn't stand to face everyone...." Hatsue struggled not to cry but it was hard not to do so as Abunamon walked to her.
"Mitsu," Blair said. "This isn't your fault what happened to Renamon. You did what you can for her. You have to let it go for now."
Personally I would like to slap Hunter and Hatsue across their faces for leaving, Blair thought darkly as she turned back to WarGreymon. They had no right leaving again, we need those two. She managed to hide her true feelings around him.
"How do we stop this Virus?" Calumon asked.
Despite the fact Hunter didn't like the other three, he felt like Hatsue related to him the most. She must've gone through the same thing I did, he thought as he came to her and hugged her. Karumon decided not to say anything to him and face Abunamon.
"I knew it," he whispered. "He likes her."
'Mitsu shook his head. "I'm not blaming myself for it," he said. "It's just... not fair." He shook his head again, but answered for WarGreymon. "Virus codes are sent out from one spot, a base of operations. Unless the head of that base is stopped, the codes won't stop being sent. And that brings me to my next point..." He turned his gaze to WarGreymon, not meaning to glare daggers but winding up doing so anyways.
"Viruses have to be created by someone. Do you guys even know who made the Virus?"
WarGreymon shook his head, and somehow, 'Mitsu wasn't surprised. "We have not been able to do much research on its origin."
"So we have to figure that out, too."
"Yes."
'Mitsu groaned inwardly, and sighed outwardly. "Great... we've no head on where to go..."
Blair looked at Mitsu weird but didn't press the matter. Still, she was mad at Hunter and Hatsue for leaving them and tried to calm herself down.
Abunamon looked at Karumon as she saw Hunter hug Hatsue. Hatsue was confused as the tall Filipino boy hug her. He and I... but why? she thought as she tried to push it away but she couldn't. "Domo Arigato, Hunter," Hatsue whispered.
Hunter broke the hug and faced Hatsue. "No problem," he said, slightly blushing. He then turned to Karumon and looked at him weird as he saw the frog Digimon smile. "Your names both start with H," Karumon said.
Riley turned her attention to Blair. "I won't show how mad I am as well," she said, facing Floramon. "I won't even mention it," Floramon chirped. "I think Hunter and Hatsue like each other, despite the fact Hunter has a girlfriend back home."
One could almost see 'Mitsu's jaw twitch.
"Whether they're gonna pair up or not," he said, abnormally calm, "doesn't matter. We've got to figure out where we can do good, so we can stop this Virus once and for all."
"I would suggest that you should head towards the village of Kitsuin, where Kazemon is from," WarGreymon replied. "There might be a few cases left there."
"What happened?"
"The entirety of the village were wiped out by the Virus," the Warp-level Digimon answered darkly. "We believed that there were no survivors, but Kazemon has proved us wrong."
"So... there might be more in the village, right?"
WarGreymon nodded. "That is what my hope is."
"How do we get to the village?"
"It is in the Tropical Jungle that surrounds the city. Kazemon should be able to guide you to the village itself."
"All right then." 'Mitsu raised his head, pale green eyes glittering once more with resolve and determination. "Ketsuin Village is our destination. C'mon, let's go round up the lovebirds and be on our way."
With that, the DigiDestined whirled on his heel and walked towards the door which they entered, carrying himself quite differently than he had before. Kangamon noted this, and smiled inwardly to himself. There were lives, there were people, who needed their help. The Digimon of Altruism knew that his partner -- and he, himself -- would work together to do anything to protect those in the line of danger... no matter the cost.
Hunter twitched as he heard WarGreymon tell them to head towards Kazemon's village. Kazemon peeked out of the shirt pocket, the boy hid her in during the time she was with him. Karumon looked at Hunter and nodded his head. "Hatsue, we need to go soon," Hunter said. He then turned to Kazemon and let her out of the pocket.
"Can you lead us to your village?" Karumon asked.
"I can," Kazemon nodded, facing her friend. She then sat on top of Hunter's shoulders and pointed them the way to her village.
Blair was relieved as she and the others were on their way to Kitsuin. I still have a bone to pick with Hatsue and Hunter, she thought. Maybe this is a good time to bring up my anger to those two.
Noticing the look on Blair's face, 'Mitsu asked, "There somethin' wrong, kiddo?"
Kangamon turned his head to glance at him, smirked inwardly, then continued hopping along. 'Mitsu decided to ignore him... for now.
Blair looked at Mitsu.
"It's Hunter and Hatsue," she said. "Those two ran off when we were still at WarGreymon's room. I still have a bone to pick with them."
Uh oh, Calumon thought. Blair looked at her Digimon and faced Mitsu.
"Eh, they chose to run off. They didn't really miss anything... Sure, it was impolite, but there's nothing you can really do about it." 'Mitsu shrugged off-handedly, linking his fingers behind his head casually.
"Like wha?." Hatsue said. Abunamon looked at her oddly but didn't press the manner.
"ÔMitsu-sama," Abunamon said. "Do you know who's behind the Virus spreading here?"
'Mitsu thinned his lips. "Unfortunately... I have no idea. I can't even guess, because we've just arrived here, and we don't know enough to formulate any hypothesis on..."
"What do you mean?" Blair asked. "Every problem must have a solution."
Blair didn't even care if she was causing attention to be around her. Calumon looked at her strangely and looked forward. I have a real bad feeling about this, she thought. Whoever is behind the Virus wants to make sure we don't succeed in getting to Kitsuin. But Kazemon should explain why she survived and no one else did.
Hunter didn't look too amused as he continued to further away from Mitsu and the others as far as he can.
Hatsue looked at Hunter and decided to sneak away from the others. "Hatsue!" Abunamon said. "Wait up."
"You'll need to go faster that that," Hatsue said. "And it's Sayu."
"I know, Blair, I know. I just don't know who's behind it." 'Mitsu shrugged. "We don't have enough information about anything..." He paused. "Though, I'm gonna kill whoever the culprit is," he added with a grumble.
Kangamon froze suddenly, tail stiff and nose in the air.
"What is it, bud?" 'Mitsu asked, coming to a stop next to him.
The Digimon shook his head. "It's nothing. C'mon, we'd better keep moving..."
Hunter looked at Blair and Mitsu and then noticed Karumon, Hatsue and Abunamon following him.
"Got bored with him," he said, facing Hatsue.
If Blair wanted to, she could've punched Hunter for his sarcasm. Calumon looked at her and continued walking.
"I think someone is trying to prevent us from entering Kitsuin," Blair said.
"But who?" Calumon asked.
Hatsue looked at Hunter and nodded her head. "They would've annoyed me anyway," she said. "You can call me Sayu. Maybe Hatsue because it's my real name." Abunamon turned to Karumon.
"Sayu-chan seems to like him," she said.
"You're right," Kangamon said to Blair, nodding. "We've passed this log before." He motioned towards a tree that had been felled by a storm.
"Well... we might as well make camp." 'Mitsu looked up, noticing the pastel-swathed sky. "We can just stop and stay here for the night."
