Nobody's Here But Me. (OPEN!)

[Latch Winters]

"Latch, why are we here?"

"Cuz I wanna be. Now be quiet."

His response to his partner's speech would usually have been more demanding and angry, but at the moment Latch was tired. He went over to a bench on the school's campus and sat down, putting Koromon next to him. There was no one here at the moment, and the emptiness of the place was something he appreciated. After a bit he yawned a little, sinking down in his seat a little and staring ahead.

To see him so calm as opposed to yelling at someone or beating someone up was rare, but there wasn't anyone around to yell at or beat up... Well, there was Koromon but he really saw no point in beating up on the little pink blob. Latch sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, starting to contemplate returning home already. He was sort of hoping someone would come by, so he could pick a fight with them and have something to do. He was already getting impatient with waiting for that though, almost to the point where he was starting to get frustrated.

Latch stood up after a while and started pacing, acutely aware of Koromon's eyes following his movements. "What the fuck are you staring at?!" He snapped irately, watching as the digmon sort of shrank back and didn't answer. He knew his partner wouldn't attack him in this stage, as it would be a losing battle on his part. After glaring at the little digimon for a while he snorted and resumed pacing, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Someone had to come along sometime, and when they did he'd be ready to fight them. Latch needed something to release all this sudden frustration on... He didn't even know what it was directed towards. That just frustrated him more though, making him pause a moment to kick a nearby trash can over. It barely made a dent in his anger though, he needed a real fight.

He hadn't set out to cause property damage.

[Mouse Gardner]

<sub><sup>It was so dark...i'd love to take you home with me and tuck you into bed
i'd love to see what makes you tick inside your pretty head ...so cold...
i wish that i could keep you in a precious chinese box
Mouse remembered a time when she would have felt vulnerable here.
on sundays i would pray for you so it would never stop
But it was different now, she had become stronger since then. No more would she be subjected to the abuse of her parents or their hateful looks. It was as if God himself had handed Mouse her digivice and presented her with a guardian angel. Granted, her guardian angel came in the form of a talking mutant claw, but who was she to complain? Mouse felt her heart swelling with love for her partner, a sense of security that she hadn't felt before. Tsumemon told her time and again that he would protect her and she believed every word of it.
i'd love to hear you laugh tonight, i'd love to hear you weep
And she continued to believe it even in the chill of night - homeless, hungry, but happy. Tsumemon had somehow convinced her that by running away from the camp her parents sent her off to would be a grand act of defiance that they were so well-deserving of. She couldn't begin to imagine how much money they must have sent to send her across the seas just to get her away from them - probably enough that if they were to find out that she didn't attend this camp it'd make them sorry.
i'd love to listen to you while you're screaming in your sleep
Hugging her legs close to her chest, Mouse lurched forward against a dumpster with a twisted smile. Her body quivered in the cold and all she could do was grin through her chattering teeth. This wasn't her home, no... Tsumemon was her home. And right then he had gone off to fetch her some food for the night. She didn't regret it and she knew he would return.. but for now.. it was so fucking cold.
i'd love to soothe you with my voice and take your hand in mine
Suddenly the loud pang of someone kicking something and cursing snapped her out of her trance. Perhaps entertaining company would keep her mind off of the chill. Tsumemon was her digimon, after all, he'd find her eventually. Besides, it was what he deserved for making her wait so long. After waiting a few moments to collect as much warmth as she could by hugging her legs she stood and started towards the voice.
i'd love to take you past the stars and out of reach of time
Sure, it was probably dangerous. Only punks would yell like that at a school - and Mouse in the real world looked not nearly as threatening as she did in the digital world. The girl was a scrawny thing and she was far from the ugly monstrous image she created for herself. Small, skinny, with wide and innocent looking eyes and a well-kept hairstyle. Her only source of warmth was a white summer dress that was more than enough cover during the day when the temperatures reached around seventy degrees. Now it was dropping to forty and below - damn Japan and its moody weather.
i'd love to see inside your mind, to tear it all apart
Finally she turned the corner, coming to a slow stop as she caught sight of the source of the noise. It was a boy - one older than her no doubt - but he wasn't Japanese. Must have been an exchange student as well. She kept quiet and cloaked in the darkness for a few moments before stepping out under a lamp, her head falling into a slight tilt. She scrutinized him, a small smile gracing her lips that hid a wicked thought. How worthless this boy's meat would be in the market. Too little flesh.
to cut you open with a knife and find your sacred heart
Once she realized she had been staring, Mouse greeted him with a nod and held her hands behind her back. "Don't take it out on the trash can." she began, turning her head to look at the impressive dent he had made in it. "It didn't do anything to you." i'd love to take your satin dolls and tear them all to shreds

i'd love to mess your pretty hair, i'd love to see you dead.</sup></sub>

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[Latch Winters]

"Don't take it out on the trash can. It didn't do anything to you."

He paused at the voice, nothing about the other's looks or gender or anything influencing his reaction as he proceeded to give Mouse a piercing glare. The pure amount of anger and animosity in his eyes may have scared one of a weak disposition off, despite the fact that it seemed chaotic in a way... As if it had no specific direction, only haphazardly throwing itself at anything he focused on. "Of course it didn't, it's a fucking trash can." He spat, his tone set in a sort of pointlessly hateful way. He snorted and glanced towards the can a moment as if contemplating kicking it again, however in the end he decided against it for whatever reason.

Latch looked the girl over a little, his hands curling into fists a moment as he gave a frustrated snarl. Just his luck, the first person to show up is a girl... He couldn't fight a girl, even he had some sense of decency. He was sort of kicking himself for it now though, feeling so unbelievably frustrated for a moment that he had to kick the trash can again to get it to subside. He didn't even care that he now had another spectator, though the thought did make him glance over at Koromon.

The little pink digimon was looking towards Mouse in a curious manner, but he didn't dare say a word... Not with the outrageously foul mood that seemed to be possessing Latch at the moment. He just watched quietly as his partner redirected his attention back to the girl, seeming to take a few moments to compose himself. "So what the hell did you come over here for? Was it seriously just to make that stupid comment?" He muttered, still glaring at her with that same gaze of misguided anger. He didn't really care why she had come over to talk to him, he would much rather she leave so he could wait for someone to fight in peace.

However part of him felt like she wouldn't be leaving anytime soon.

[Mouse Gardner]

Mouse continued to observe his behavior, not bothering to try and hide that she was smiling at his outbursts. It tickled her - to see someone reach such a high level of frustration that they felt the need to kick it out on inanimate objects. But that thought lead to another and her smile quickly faded, feeling her gaze sink somewhat. It made more sense to attack something that could feel pain. She wondered if that's what this boy was looking to do.
do you think you're better than me?
She could feel herself cringe at the idea of being beaten by a stranger - but perhaps it hurt less if it would be by someone she didn't know. Would the blows land without any passion behind them? He wasn't angry at her... it was something else. The notion that he wouldn't strike her out of anger towards her caused her to relax. That twisted way of thinking she had came in handy sometimes.
do you want to kill me or befriend me?
Mouse heard his profanities and his aggressive questions. He was listening to her, he had registered what she had said in his mind and he was responding to it. Despite that it was negative and violent, it was attention, and it was enough to keep her feet firmly planted on the ground. The girl raised her gaze to meet his again, continuing trying to dismiss that small twinge of fear that was eating at her.
let's imitate reality
"It's cold." she spoke with a small crack in her voice. Either it was because the volume of her voice surprised her into trying to lower it or that she actually was afraid of him. But what was there to be afraid of? She was invincible with Tsumemon.. wherever he was.
let's strive for mediocrity
"What's got you assaulting trash cans?" she inquired, trying to force a bit more confidence and comfort in her voice this time. Back and forth, she rocked on her heels and even met the gaze of Koromon a few times, offering him a small smile now and then. It wasn't clear whether she knew that he was alive or not - but she definitely seemed like she was trying to send it looks of comfort.
let's make believe we're al the same

let's sanitize our little brains

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[Latch Winters]

"It's cold."

Latch snorted at this statement, as if he didn't think it was cold at all. It was odd that he wouldn't feel it though, considering all that stood between him and the cold was a pair of frayed jeans and a dark red tank top. Still he didn't seem cold at all, even as the cold night air turned his breath to smoke... Perhaps it was his anger that kept him warm. He felt like that was stupid idea though, deciding to disregard the idea immediately.

"What's got you assaulting trash cans?"

"I'm pissed, what the hell else would I be doing it for?" He muttered, looking around a little for whatever reason. Latch figured the girl wanted to know why he was so angry, but he couldn't tell her because... He had no idea. He never had any idea when it was like this, when the rage would suddenly rise up within him from seemingly nowhere. He glanced over towards Koromon as he noticed Mouse sending him a smile, looking to his partner and seeing he was still looking at her.

Something possessed him to glare at Koromon with a clear demand to look away, seeming faintly satisfied as the in-training reluctantly turned his gaze to simply stare down at the bench. Latch didn't know why he was the least bit happy about this, nor did he really stop to think about it. He didn't want to think about it, not right now, all he wanted to do now was beat someone up. He was even.... Even starting to contemplate turning his fists on the girl, just for the sake of satiating the roaring anger within him.

[Mouse Gardner]

Latch's reasoning for his temper tantrum went one ear and out the other. Mouse had suddenly lost interest in the boy and began to gravitate towards the little pink digimon. Without looking at Latch to read his expression, she moved to where Koromon was and sunk into something of a half-crouch to level with him. "You're a digimon." she spoke softly to the creature, but loud enough for Latch to hear. The girl shifted to reach into her backpack and unwrapped a chocolate bar, holding it nearby the in-training's mouth but sure not to stick it right up in his face. "Tsumemon likes these. Want to try?"
i am the virus, are you the cure?
She didn't have to look to see that this may have angered Latch - blatantly ignoring him and stepping into his wrecking space. Maybe it was because she pitied the creature enough to put her safety on the line to make sure it didn't feel threatened. Somewhere deep down she knew she empathized with Koromon - perhaps not because of fear but because they knew they had to be quiet to avoid being hurt.
i am morally i'm morally impure
Before anything else could happen, Mouse turned her head slightly to see how Latch was reacting. But it was no use, her gaze lowered at his feet for the reason that she couldn't seem to make eye contact with him. She couldn't decide if she was afraid or intrigued anymore, the dark spore embedded in her neck had warped everything. It was almost like an adrenaline rush to her now, and she was just doing this for the sake of putting herself in possible danger... which was why her next softly muttered words surprised her.
i am a disease and i am unclean

"do you want to hurt me?"

i am not part of god's well-oiled machine
Although it had been spoken like a whimper, there was a twinge of a smile in her voice. Her expression at this point would be impossible to read, her bangs hiding her eyes and at this angle - her shoulder hiding a twisted little grin. Every little detail that her body language suggested that she wasn't afraid of Latch. But she was... wasn't she? Why else would she submissively offer herself to a stranger's anger?
do you think you're better than me?
I'm not afraid of you. do you want to kill me or befriend me?
do you think you're better than me?

I am so scared.

do you want to kill me or befriend me?

you're funny.

do you think you're better than me?

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[Latch Winters]

He watched in irate silence as Mouse moved to his partner, his frustration rising as he figured out he was now being ignored. Latch watched as the girl crouched to Koromon's level, not even feeling at all disgusted or disappointed in himself as he immediately thought of how easy it would be to kick her over and keep kicking her until she couldn't even move. That wasn't what he wanted though, he didn't want to beat up someone who would be defenseless against him like he thought she would. He wanted someone to fight who would fight back, who might have a shot at beating him or something.

"Tsumemon likes these. Want to try?"

At this he froze up a little, bringing himself out of his violent thoughts long enough to comprehend what she had said. Tsumemon... So she had a digimon too then? He had to wonder if the thing would come to Mouse's aid if he tried to beat her up, and maybe then he'd find someone worthy of fighting... But as he thought about it more, he also realized it might be a small worthless thing like Koromon. These thoughts were swallowed up again by his rage though, as he went back to noticing he was blatantly being ignored.

Latch really didn't like to be ignored, as most people didn't... However the difference here was he was already angry, and could get just plain out of hand soon if this didn't stop. He took a step forward as his hands curled into fists, a small bit of his mind having trouble believing he was actually thinking about this. He was actually heavily considering attacking the girl.

"do you want to hurt me?"

He paused at this question, something about it making everything come to a screeching halt for a moment. The tone of her voice however kicked everything back into motion, anger surging back up as he glared down at her. "You read my mind." He muttered, but despite this he didn't move to hit her... As if he was having second thoughts. He shook them off rather easily though, and without warning went to throw a punch at her.

"Bubble Blow!"

His hit was thrown off course, and a sudden stinging sensation coursed through his lower arm and hand, making him curse loudly and back away. Latch glared at the culprit, seeing Koromon just sitting there and glaring back with just as much animosity. The in-training had sat perfectly still as Mouse interacted with him, just having stared at her confusedly as if he had no idea how to react to her. As much as he loved a fight, almost more than Latch... He saw no reason to hit her.

He wasn't sure if it was because she had been nice, or because he thought she wouldn't make a good opponent... But either way he seemed to stand by his decision, despite the fact his little body was shaking as he waited to see how Latch would punish him. "YOU LITTLE SHIT!" His voice raised to a volume even he was surprised at, but he didn't stop to really think about it. Before Koromon could even really react his partner had struck him, sending him tumbling off the bench and onto the ground. He waited and braced himself for a kick or something but it never came, looking up to see Latch just... Standing there.

His partner seemed to have suddenly lost all the frustration within him, as if even he could tell what he had just done was wrong. Latch didn't go to his partner though, or even ask if he was alright. Instead he just shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest, muttering something under his breath about how Koromon should have known better. He couldn't know anything of the painful sting this caused in his partner.

[Simon Lovell]

"...Simon?"

There was a pause.
A moment of silence before Simon blinked open his eyes, only to be greeted with the dark interior inside his beanie. He exhaled sharply, shifting slightly from where he was sitting propped up against a wall before reluctantly going to lift his beanie up from over his eyes. There was no surprise in his expression to seeing Wanyamon staring up at him, as he had been expecting this. If anything, he looked rather annoyed.

"What?" Simon asked crossly, almost snorting a little. Wanyamon didn't so much as flinch however, simply hopping up to sit on his lap. Despite his agitation, Simon couldn't bring himself to push her off, instead just giving her a disdained and expectant look, as if to silently tell her this had better be worth bothering him.

"It's getting dark," Wanyamon explained quietly, seeming entirely unaffected by her partner's agitation. This was her way of telling Simon they should probably start heading home, reworded in a way so it seemed less like a suggestion and more like an observation. Simon was annoyed for a moment that Wanyamon thought he was dim enough not to see past this, but he let her have the benefit of the doubt and didn't respond. He knew if he went to speak it would just twist up into some kind of retort.

So, he said nothing, getting up from where he'd been sitting and letting Wanyamon side down off his lap. The digimon seemed to frown a little over the fact that she wasn't able to keep as close to her partner any longer, but she said nothing of it as the two began to head out from the school grounds.

They didn't get too far when Simon paused, seeming somewhat curious as he heard some kind of commotion coming from ahead. Wanyamon on the other hand, seemed less then enthused. She could hear the tone of one of the voices, nearly flinching as she heard a loud yell and quickly hopped near Simon. "Simon, don't.

Wanyamon was right to suspect her partner was too curious for his own good, as she found herself quickly hopping after him as he made his way toward the voices. She nearly told him this was a bad idea, but decided against it. That would most likely only make him want to do it more. He'd have to figure it out for himself.

Simon blinked as everything came into sight, for once his default expression of a frown fading into an almost confused look...spotting Koromon and almost immediately noting it was a digimon. He wondered why it was there, figuring one of these two people had to be its partner, looking from the girl to the guy. He hadn't seen what had happened, but the scene seemed a lot quieter compared to what he'd heard while walking up. It crossed Simon's mind to turn and leave, as it wasn't any of his business...however, his attitude got the better of him.

"For fuck's sake, do you people know how goddamn loud you are?" Simon asked with a bitter tone, voice raised enough so he was sure they would hear him. Wanyamon frowned at her partner's words and hopped behind him as if afraid or trying to keep out of sight. She hoped this wouldn't turn into anything serious.

[Mouse Gardner]

"You read my mind."

Heh.

That must have done it, then. Mouse's gaze slowly rose to meet Latch's with a similar animosity he had been displaying. Although this was different... she wasn't like this because of misplaced anger or hate. She was smiling, amused by his decision and prepared for the strike. Where would it land? Her nose? Her cheek? Right in the throat? The spore caused her to gleefully map out what would hurt the most on her body while he pulled back his fist.
do it...
do it...

DO IT!

"Bubble Blow!"

Something like lightning struck throughout Mouse's body as she saw Latch's fist engulfed in a flurry of bubbles. She quickly turned to see Koromon who had protected her, and any malevolent thought or feeling left her body in a blink. Rendered speechless, she watched the next events quickly unfold before she could react accordingly. A shout that hurt her ears, and a sudden strike to the poor creature. In mere seconds Mouse dropped down to her knees to collect Koromon in her arms carefully and hold him close to her.

A chill crawled up her spine while a pang of guilt hit her. Why did that just happen? Why did he protect her like that? Why risk the pain for someone else.. especially a stranger? All she did was offer him some chocolate... had it been worth taking pain for her? After thinking about it for a few split seconds she couldn't help a smirk, realizing that digimon were more human than they were.

It took her a moment or two to recover from this event, fighting away the feelings of regret and not facing Latch. Her fear had slowly begun to twist into detest towards the boy while she examined the digimon for any wounds. An exasperated laugh shook from her as she spoke to Latch lowly, "you're disgusting."

"For fuck's sake, do you people know how goddamn loud you are?"

The new voice snapped her out of her trance as she snapped her head in Simon's direction. No no no... no that wasn't good. That wasn't good at all.. If this boy's attitude provoked Latch she knew that he wouldn't hold back attacking him. She felt her fear slowly bubble up from her gut into her voice, "get out of here." she pleaded to Simon in a very soft, shaken voice.

No no... someone else could suffer because of her, she couldn't allow it. Mouse's eyes snapped open even wider as she felt the volume rise in her voice, "Leave!"

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[Latch Winters]

He just watched in silence as Mouse went and picked Koromon up, not even glaring at them anymore. Latch just felt sort of confused, watching as his partner looked at Mouse in that same confused way as earlier. It was clear Koromon wasn't used to such attention, the pink digimon's large eyes fixated on the girl's face with a mix of bewilderment and thankfulness within them. He seemed alright aside from a slight red mark where he'd been hit, other than that just seeming sort of shaken from the hit.

He didn't speak though, Koromon preferring to stay silent so as not to provoke Latch into another attack. His partner was seemingly calm for the moment, something he wanted to last for as long as possible. These periods usually didn't last very long with how erratic Latch's temper could be. He closed his eyes for a moment, taking this time to calm himself.

"you're disgusting."

The laugh and the words made Koromon's eyes snap open again, not even having to look at Latch to know his partner's anger was rising up again. The animosity sparked up again within Latch's eyes and he was once again glaring at Mouse... For no other reason than knowing somewhere within him that she might be right. He didn't move though, just snorting and looking off to the side as he struggled to pretend that he didn't care. However he blinked as he heard another voice, turning his head to look to the newcomer.

"For fuck's sake, do you people know how goddamn loud you are?"

This was great... He finally had someone to fight, as long as they didn't listen to Mouse's shouted advice. He nearly turned to tell her to shut up, but he was far more focused on his potential opponent. "I'm aware of it... But I also don't give a fuck. You plan on doing something about it?" He said with a smirk, an odd sort of excitement coming into his eyes. Latch wanted a fight... And now maybe he finally had one.

[Simon Lovell]

Simon's attention went to Mouse as she spoke to him, staring at her almost blankly as she pleaded him to leave. He seemed unaffected by her words, though Wanyamon however did not. The in-training frowned, partly due to the desperation in the girl's voice and partly because she knew the words would only reinforce Simon's decision to stay. No one told him what to do.

The boy nearly opened his mouth to ask why he should listen to her, though Latch's response to him rather easily drowned out anything he was going to say. Simon gave a light snort as he caught the challenge in the stranger's voice, any thought of turning and going home washed from his thoughts. He didn't even seem to take into account how much more frail he was then Latch.

"Well, someone needs to shut your mouth for you. You're obviously too much of a moron to do it yourself," the words came out of Simon's mouth without a second thought, as if he hadn't even needed to consider what he was going to say before speaking. Wanyamon seemed frozen almost at what she'd heard, whimpering slightly before hopping up and taking the back of Simon's pants into her mouth, tugging him back some. She knew this wouldn't end well.

Simon barely acknowledged his partner's concern, his only response to Wanyamon's actions a small shake of his leg to get her to let go of his pant leg. Her worries annoyed him and if anything just continued to strengthen his resolve to pick a fight. Maybe he felt like he needed to prove something, but that almost didn't seem to fit. He just liked to fight...even when it was obvious he was going to loose.

Simon refused to look like a coward.
Even if it ended up just making him look like a fool.

[Mouse Gardner]

Mouse felt herself shudder at the unfolding scene - keeping Koromon close and protected from the boys. Her eyes slowly squeezed shut as she fought away the images of their bloody and bruised bodies out of her head. Why was she like that? Why did she have to visualize all these horrible scenarios in her head? Mouse's mouth continued to open and close then utter and murmur 'stop' over and over. Stop, stop, and please stop.

It didn't take a genius to notice the age and size difference between Simon and Latch. She somehow knew that Latch wasn't the type to exercise restraint when it came to strength. Mouse found herself rocking back and forth with the little digimon, whispering and pleading to nothing in particular. Mouse could sense the closing distance between the two boys that were going to beat each other into a bloody pulp with her watching.

Please don't.

Please.

Please...

Chickens, pigs, cows, and many other animals flashed through her head as she unwillingly visualized inverted images of them being disemboweled. Something in her neck was giving off a hot pulse, and the dark spore inside of had began to root. As the tiny vein-like branches crawled into her nervous system, the girl fought back a soft laugh. Then before long her eyes snapped open to the point where it hurt, and her lips were tugged back into a glasgow grin. She shook with the strain of her muscles before releasing a horrid laugh as she sat between the two boys. The laughing drowned out her own thoughts of confusion - why was she laughing?! WHY?!

"HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!"

B̴LEED.͡

"Oh Mou–sey~"

The spore suddenly shrunk back from Mouse's neck and once again went dormant. The voice that had fought it away was so familiar, enough to regain her consciousness and cease her laughing fit. The smile melted off the girl's face and she glanced down at Koromon and her glowing pocket.

There was a light that fell from the sky, and Mouse knew what it came from the instant she heard the voice. Her laughter was soon replaced by soft sobs as the horrid grin she was wearing softened into a little smile. It was Tsumemon.. but.. something was happening to him. Something that had to do with the glow emitting from her pocket. "Tsu..me..mon..."

[ TSUMEMON DIGIVOLVE TO . . . _ ]

[ D R A C M O N ! _]

<sup>The claw shape-shifted into a demon in mid-air, landing on both feet and spinning to face Latch then Simon. The little digimon threw up his claws so that the eyes embedded in his palm faced both of them, his ever-lasting grin somehow widening with a flick of his tail. "Here's my suggestion, boys~ you stop this tomfoolery right now or you can both take ME on instead~ Take your pick!"

Mouse just stared in wonderment - it definitely didn't take her long to recognize her partner's cocky attitude. She was nearly rendered silent before perking up to speak to him again, "Tsumemon...?" The meek sound of her voice caused the digimon to turn his head slightly, and despite not having eyes - seemed to be looking right at her.

"Not anymore, dearest..." he stated fondly to her much like a parent would a child. "Your energy and distress caused me to transform – digivolve, we call it. Now we need to have a little talk about the company you've been keepinnggg~" Dracmon giggled and turned his head away from her, seeming to stare into the distance to the side while he kept his palms focused on both Latch and Simon. "Teenage boys are nothing but hormonally-fueled idiots! There's no reasoning with them, love."</sup>

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[Latch Winters]

"Well, someone needs to shut your mouth for you. You're obviously too much of a moron to do it yourself,"

Latch couldn't help smirking at this for whatever reason, hands curling into fists at his sides as he watched Simon... Most likely trying to figure out how exactly he should attack. He didn't really seem to care that Simon was younger and most likely weaker than him, if anything seeming almost glad about that. He needed someone to take his frustrations out on, not the other way around. "You really think you can manage it?" He spat, taking a step towards Simon and seeming to completely ignore Mouse for the time being.

Koromon on the other hand was focused almost entirely on the girl, this type of behavior extremely foreign to him. He had never seen someone beg like this, aside from maybe during the other fights he'd witnessed Latch being in... But that was different, this was like pleading for prevention instead of a cure. The other humans his partner had fought would be bleeding and begging for their lives... Which Latch would grant them, which was actually a foreign concept as well. When digimon fought, it was usually to the death, unless it was just something for fun; he supposed that's why his partner's victims got to live, because it was just for fun to him.

He was tempted to try and do something to comfort Mouse, but the truth was Koromon had no idea how to comfort someone. He was completely useless in this respect, and the only thing he really knew how to do was fight or be quiet. As a result he just stay silent and listened to the murmurings, feeling bothered by them. He couldn't really explain to himself how exactly he felt over it, it was just a bad feeling... And maybe it wasn't just due to the murmuring.

"HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!"

Both partner and digimon alike were startled by Mouse's sudden outburst, Latch looking back at her as if she had sprouted a second head. To him she might as well have, for the sudden shift in behavior was far from normal itself. Koromon felt like maybe he should try to get away from her, but he was just a little limbless blob... What could he do really? As a result he just stayed where he was, hoping that maybe things would get better or at the very least Mouse would calm down.

"Oh Mou–sey~"

All at once, just with that one voice everything was calm again, but Koromon was still sort of on edge from the new arrival. He could tell that it was Mouse's digimon judging by her reaction, but still he was nervous... Like he thought Latch might order him to fight or something. He was willing to fight but he didn't have the strength to back himself up against a rookie like Dracmon. He pretty much just decided to keep silent and listen as the dark digimon spoke, easily seeing that the comments were picking on Latch's nerves and just making him angry again.

"Beat it freakshow, I didn't come here to fight something like you." Latch's voice was oddly calm, something that actually scared Koromon... He was always more dangerous when he got that angry. It was a sort of angry where you couldn't really tell if you didn't know him, but he knew that his partner was absolutely seething with rage. It was pretty much just from the idiot comment, though it wasn't because Latch believed himself to be some sort of genius. He didn't like to be insulted, period.

[Simon Lovell]

"You really think you can manage it?"

...That was it.

Anything anyone could have been able to say or do to keep Simon from this fight was lost as the words left Latch's mouth. It wasn't just a question to Simon. No, it was another challenge. One that he definitely wasn't going to back down from now. It didn't matter to him how much taller or stronger Latch most likely was compared to him...or that he would more likely than not be coming home bloody and bruised. It was almost as if all common sense had completely left him, "Yanno, what I think? ...I think you should actually make a move instead of standing there trying to be threatening."

If Latch wanted a fight, he'd get one.

Wanyamon seemed horrified though, at this point fully aware that there was no changing Simon's mind. Maybe at the most, she could help ward Latch off her partner...though she knew in the end she too was no match against him unless she managed to digivolve.

Simon shifted as he caught the look of calculation in his opponent's eyes, a similar look in his own. Even if defeat was inevitable, he would still fight as best he could and for as long as he could. His muscles tensed as something happened, as he had been anticipating an attack...taking a moment to realize Latch had done nothing. Simon glanced over to what had made him twitch, watching as Mouse seemed to be having some kind of laughing fit. He stared at her in an annoyed confusion, though making sure not to take his attention away from Latch. "What the hell's wrong with-" Simon's words were cut short as something flashed in front of him, blinking and staring in mild surprise to see yet another digimon appear.

_{"Oh Mou–sey~"}

Simon stared at the digimon standing between him and Latch, a frown coming over his face as the rookie spoke to them. Telling him to do. A small huff came from him, giving Dracmon a defiant glare. Despite that Latch had already said it, he felt the need to tell him off as well, as if he thought his words had more value somehow, "Piss off. This isn't any of your business."

Wanyamon peered out from behind her partner and ended up frowning more. It was one thing to ward off someone like Latch...but to fight him off as well as a rookie digimon was most likely impossible for her in this state. _{"Simon, please. Lets just go."} Her voice was uncharacteristically stern for how passive she normally was, though it was still calm. It was no surprise to her when her partner seemed to ignore her all together though, something that made her frown and give a silent whimper. She didn't bother saying anything more though, knowing at this point it would be near impossible to change his mind.

[Mouse Gardner]

<sub><sup>Heart still throbbing after the strange outburst, Mouse loosened her grip around Koromon and went to gently rest him down on the concrete below them. There was a tinge fear in her eyes, and along with how quickly the blood drained from her face - she looked downright horrified. She attempted to slow her breaths despite the sudden stinging pain in the back of her neck. She was coming to the realization that this was probably the first time she ever really scared herself – and she didn't like it.

Meanwhile, Dracmon's tail continued to flick back and forth while he held back his little bouts of laughter. "Aww~What's the matter?" the little demon chirped, obviously unintimidated by the boys. If anything, his desire to teach them a lesson grew even more. However, Dracmon wasn't the violent type nor did he allow any of his actions be decided by something petty like anger. No, if anything he was tickled pink - and these neanderthals would learn a thing or two for threatening his Mouse. "Don't tell me you're afraid!"

Ah yes, that would work just fine. Both boys seemed to have it in for one another due to their insecurities with their ranking in the other's eyes. They were both like dogs - fighting for the title of 'alpha' by showing off their strengths and beating the other into submission. Dracmon kept musing by how cute humans were ... cute and disgusting. His attention was directed now towards Simon and Wanyamon, chuckling once again and loud enough for all to hear. "Could it be that the Cavemen are realizing they haven't a chance against a digimon? Better listen to your kitty cat, boy~ before I orphan the poor thing. Run along, now!"

If Mouse had been in a clearer state of mind she probably would have attempted to stop Dracmon from provoking Latch and Simon. However she felt that this punishment was necessary, and remained still and silent - watching... waiting for them to make a move while her fingers scraped against the cold ground below her. One...two...three... she counted away the seconds with each clip against her nail while waiting to see what would happen next.

She wouldn't try to protect them again.</sup></sub>

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