Watch where you step... [completedz!]

[observer]

Another day, another trace, another puzzle clicks into place. And all of it making a record within everyone's memory. Depending on contents, it may be forgotten, or it could be the case of "I remember it as if it happened yesterday". Depends on the person, really, and if he or she bothers to remember something. Significant or no...

After some time of wandering through the Forest of the Mist, that Bermuda triangle of the digital world, our travelers finally managed to see something aside from trees, its black image standing apart of the usual background. Some building ... it was... And there were noises coming from it too, making it easier to find. What could it be? They did not know. Find out? Why not?

The renamon lead the other two digimon here after a day or two of running in circles. Wait. Did she lead anybody? Well, yes and no. The boy and the digimon she met ... they sort of just followed. Why not? They had no particular destination to go to, not one she knew of anyway, and she did not mind company. The digimon was pretty rough now that he evolved, but the boy was nice, during the time he wasn't busy cursing everything for the broken tv... She pitied him, it must have been horrible to be stuck in a completely foreign place, all of his friends and family left behind... But he did not look like he need any compassion or encouragement she could offer anyhow... The boy was strange indeed, the fox did not understand him. But admired already, she gave him that much.

The ground was littered with small metal parts and ash, as they approached the smog-covered factory. Up close it was possible to tell it was one. Smoking pipes, pollution, artificial lights ... yeah, classic example of industrialism. She breathed the air. Yes ... this place was definitely familiar... or the stench at least. She coughed.

- This ... place. Factory... technology... Familiar... Computers here ... tv screens... Lots! - she said to the other two as they approached the main entrance. But, sadly, it was locked. It rarely went open, only when Andromon said so, until then ... well, it was as locked as a fortress. Looking at the grayish metal doors she sighed. No one around here ... Doors looked too. But then... - Closed... Pity... About ... me ... ask ... no one... can. Empty...

[yagami]

"It'll be fine, we'll find another way out and have you home in no time. This is the digital world, there're screens everywhere!" Monodramon said, attempting to lighten the mood as he and Ryusuke trailed a few steps behind Renamon. While rather blunt, Monodramon was still rather upbeat despite the fact that his partner was now trapped in the digital world. While Monodramon did feel admittedly guilty over his part in the incident that had resulted in their current situation, he was still optimistic about the overall outlook - while they may not have been readily apparent, there were pathways between the digital world and the real world scattered all over the place if one merely knew where to look, and while Monodramon was unsure of how exactly he knew that, he was sure of it just the same.

"I don't wanna talk about it." Ryusuke said wearily, small bags under his eyes and having fallen towards the rear of the group while still managing to keep up. While he'd simply intended to return Hopmo - no, he called himself Monodramon now - to the digital world and then attempt to part amicably to live their own seperate lives out in relative peace, the whole plan had completely backfired, destroying the only way home that Ryusuke knew of and could be reasonably sure of finding in the middle of the technology foresaken forest. While he'd quickly recovered from the initial shock and dismay within a matter of minutes of losing his one way home, that mood had quickly given way to one of wearied irritation, although he'd retained enough sense to keep it out of his voice when speaking to Renamon, or when she spoke to him - it wasn't in any way her fault, and she'd actually been attempting to help him when it'd happened. As soon as he saw the factory, however, Ryusuke's entire demeanor changed at the sight of relatively familiar technology. Technology usually meant screens, which in this case hopefully meant a way home, a fact reiterated by Renamon as a grin grew on his face, the human breaking into a quick sprint to put himself at the front of the group, only stopping when Renamon noted that the doors were locked.

"Who needs doors? When there's a will, there's a way." Ryusuke muttered, grin still plastered across his face. A large complex like this had to have more than one entrance, it just wasn't logistically possible for there to be only one way in. As he kept looking, though, Ryusuke had to admit the place was built more like a fortress than a factory - the exterior walls were rather bare, offering no footholds or other ways of scaling them, and he saw no other entrances in either direction. Ignoring Monodramon as the dragon digimon walked up to a be within a few feet behind Ryusuke, the teen's expression gradually began to grow more serious as he struggled to see a way into the place, relaxing his stance as he focused more of his energy on thinking and observation, gold eyes darting across the nearly monotone gray wall in front of the group.

[thal]

- ~ - ~ -



~ - ~ - ~

WON'T LET YOU SLIP THROUGH MY FINGERS

"High time you faced it Valoos, me lad! Tha there jus' ain't no way in or outta this here factory 'cept tha big locked door, like I told you so in first place!" The amphibian's obnoxious voice was grating Valus' nerves, more so now than it had before because it was smug now. For about an hour they'd been walking along the perimeter of this impregnable metal wall. He had, rather, with ModokiBetamon following him and heckling his efforts. He'd given up now, and was heading back to the main entrance so that he could get his bearings and go home. Another day wasted all for nothing! It made him livid, even more so considering his recent encounters.

Junk, that was what he felt like. Scrap, like the heaps of discarded metal and wire that surrounded the landscape around the factory. The Digivice in his pocket was just a copy, he had learned now. Sold to him by people who'd made him promises that played on his ignorance regarding this virtual world.

It had been several days since he'd learned that now. Several days without closure, unable to forget the knowledge that burned like an unwelcome flame at the back of his mind, the Digimon that was supposed to be his slave openly defying him and belittling him through her utter ignorance. She thought he was just worrying over nothing, and once the initial drama had been exhausted, she had stopped pretending to concern herself with his painful feelings. They were too complex for her to understand, and they were nothing to do with her in general.

Left with no outlet for his frustrations, Modoki sticking close to him at all times perhaps out of her enjoyment in seeing her captor go through such stress, Valus knew better than to tempt her tongue with any sort of comeback. Rounding the corner of the last wall in dull silence, he paused suddenly. Squinting at the foreground in an attempt to penetrate the thick fog of pollution with his gaze.

"Oh, tha what I think I see? People! I see them, right I can! Lookie Valoos! Lookie there! Hellooooooooooooo loves! Look at us! Look at me, HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! D'you reckon they heard tha my lad, rightly?"

Glaring at his Digimon and scowling with disgust, Valus was forced to turn his attention now to the other people before them, since there was no longer any way to avoid an encounter. He could see two Digimon! At least, two non-human shapes, their outlines distorted by the smoke. The other was human, and a very short one at that. Another child? Hopefully not another chosen one, come to rub his face in and brag about how amazingly special he was.

[observer]

Who needs doors? Indeed, who needs them? Except when they circled the perimeter of the installation, the answer became painfully obvious for the three of them. Doors weren't needed for people big and strong enough to make their own entrance, if need be. They weren't such. They were the ones who needed doors. Without one, they couldn't possibly enter the well-guarded facility. What could they possibly be hiding there?

The renamon approached the wall, putting her hand on the cold surface, looking up. No curves, on ledges, no nothing she could latch on to to reach the windows that were nearly a hundred meters higher. If it only was lower ... but she can run up the wall only so high... It was never an option. Another sigh came out - they'd have to wait until it opens... Or continue their trip. Sad. She really hoped coming here would help the boy... And herself. She remembered being inside ... which she can't prove true or false unless she comes in. She needed to get in too! Next piece of the puzzle ought to be there!

- Remember ... inside... Door closed ... can't get... - she said without much enthusiasm...

But then a sudden and rather boisterous voice. It did not come from the inside, but rather from the outside, which made her turn around quickly, eying the mist with a suspicious and cautious glare. Who was it? Was it a friend? A foe? She did not know, only silhouettes - one small, and one tall. The tall one looked ... humanoid.

The fox felt a jolt of fear going down her spine. She was not able to control it. Even now she had to work a bit to suppress her fear when around Ryusuke, who was a genuinely good guy, but when facing an unknown human? Incoherent pictures flashed in front of her widened eyes again. On an impulse, renamon took a step back, moving behind the boy and the monodramon, they were obviously braver than her, and called out to them:

- Someone ... comes... Two...

[yagami]

As Ryusuke continued to inspect the wall and doors, remaining in the same place while Renamon began inspecting seperate sections of it, his expression began shifting back towards one of irritation, his eyebrows furrowing in frustration and his mouth setting itself into a small frown. There had to be a way in, but the wall didn't change in either direction he looked, with the doors in front of them remaining the only visable feature. It made no sense - the place was obviously maintained to some degree since the walls were slightly tarnished but not to the point of breaking down, but the structure had obviously been there for a long time. Someone was taking care of it, and people or digimon obviously came and went every now and then otherwise there wouldn't have been much point to installing a door to begin with. The problem, however, was that none of those observations helped them - he and the two digimon near him were just as trapped outside as they had been from the start, and the door showed no signs of opening anytime soon.

Ryusuke was just beginning to consider taking a walk around the structure when he heard a loud voice off to his right, which while not particularly attention grabbing given the digimons' ability to speak made him turn his head to find the source of the sound when combined with Renamon's reaction. Taking a half step around so that he was facing both the massive wall and the two new arrivals, Ryusuke's expression again changed, this time to one of light shock before one of hopeful optimism- while it was still difficult to tell, one of the forms further down the wall looked human. Ryusuke didn't even hesitate.

"HEEEYYY! Over here!" Ryusuke shouted out, waving arm over his head as he turned to fully face what could have easily been another human as well as his way back home. While there was every chance that the other person was just as lost as he was, it was still possibly the first human he'd seen since arriving in this world, and there was just as much a possibility that they knew of a way back to their world. Monodramon, having wandered a few meters down towards the left hand side of the wall, immediately turned at Ryusuke's shout before beginning to walk back towards his partner, a feeling of mixed hope and dread inside of him as he saw the other human shaped form. While it'd be gratifying to know that he hadn't inadvertantly trapped Ryusuke in the digital world on a long term basis, it also meant that his partner could very well be returning home, and given their interaction so far he doubted that Ryusuke would let him go back to the real world, or that his partner would come back to the digital world.

[thal]

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~ - ~ - ~

WON'T LET YOU SLIP THROUGH MY FINGERS

There was no possible way to avoid an encounter now, Valus lamented. His partner springing away from her place by his heels and bounding over to the new arrivals with her characteristic loping gait. Patting down his coat quickly, he closed his hands around the lumpy shape of his Digivice in the left upper pocket, to reassure himself that it was still there if for no other reason.

Letting his arms drop inconspicuously to his sides, he followed, albeit slower. Too slow to beat Modoki there. "My, fancy meetin' a nice sort like you in this dodgy place! Half a part o' me thought this place was right near haunted! So it did!"
Catching up to her, already she was caught up in her own favorite hobby - meddling in the lives of others. "Valoos here an' me just went round all outside this place, but not one way in could we find, could we?" And to top it all off, no subject was confidential to her. He had to do something to divert her, and quickly.

"It's true. As far as I can tell there's no way in, attacks don't even work well." Shrugging at the other human, a short boy with long blond hair, Valus shook his head. "Sorry to be the harbinger of bad news." Glancing from him to the two other Digimon, immediately Valus attention was drawn to the one who looked like she was frightened. Frightened of who? ... could it be him?

That made him feel a little bit more confident, knowing that outnumbered as he was, he could probably sway their group if he wanted enough to do it. He was still frustrated, not being able to get inside this factory and now having to deal with several more people before he could go home. In his voice, he tried not to let it show. But his shoulders were tense, his body quite stiff, as though he was expecting some sort of attack to occur at any moment.

Body language never mattered to Modoki though, and for her it was a personal victory to entangle Valus inescapably in one of her hour-long conversations about subjects that were vague at best. Grinning in a crocodillian fashion, she jumped up and down on the floor, starving for attention. "Tha, but sure is nice meetin' someone else! Makes all tha trouble worth it, so it does! Valoos here calls me Modoki cos my full name be so long an' tiresome to say like! So, Modoki I is!" Rolling his eyes, Valus couldn't be bothered to try to hide his cynicism, it didn't feel like there was any point even trying to.

"Val-lus. Valus is my name. Who are you? And how do you have two Digimon?"

He wanted to leave... but first he had just a few questions. Also, it put off the task of literally dragging Modoki away from her new chat buddies, which he would inevitably have to do once he wanted to leave.

[observer]

The renamon only stood, half-hiding behind the boy and his digimon. Half-hiding, because the two were shorter than she. Funny thing, it was, especially to a third party. She was the more strongest-looking of the three, and yet the most cautious, more ... cowardly-looking. The other two stood confidently, because there was no reason to be afraid, just a random guy with a random digimon. The renamon was the only one whose stance was to bolt away. But she kept herself from walking away, because Ryusuke was around. He was confident, so there was no danger, was it?

- Va...lus... Pleased to ... meet. - she said, nodding her head in a greeting. That was a part of what little Babamon told her about how to behave herself when talking to others. She did not know much, but the basics were enough. The human... Her gaze fell on him once more... Or, better to say, a conglomerate of glances - she looked away every time their glares met. He looked ... strange. Distant. Eyes... they were not warm. At all. Agitated. Dark. Scary. No, she would rather let Ryusuke talk to him. They both were humans, after all. Her second glare fell on Modoki.

The fox felt herself more comfortable with the smaller digimon. She was not scary, at all. Her speech pattern was ... rather strange, broken. Like hers. A bit of familiarity, maybe? She was talkative too. The renamon did not mind talkative people. They often just needed someone to talk to. She could listen. She looked at other people again. Ryu, this ... Valus, Monodramon. They did not look down at Modoki, who looked at them, shooting glares, waiting for a feedback. Kneeling down, to be on the same height level, she said to the small green digimon.

- To you ... too ... hello. Rena... mon, I ... am. - she said, and then remembered something. This digimon, it did not seem familiar, and yet... maybe at some point in their lives one met another? Who knows, and it did not hurt to try. She did have a habit of asking people she saw for the first time if they have ever met...

- Apologies, but ... question. Before ... saw me... you... any chance?

[yagami]

Lowering his arm and grinning as both shapes stopped, Ryusuke's curiosity was momentarily piqued by the fact that the human shaped form seemed to be doing something with its coat, only for his attentiont to be drawn by what looked like a frog of all things.

"Don't worry, it's just ModokiBetamon. We're far enough away from water that she won't be any threat if it comes to a fight." Monodramon said cheerfully, walking up to stand next to Ryusuke.

"Why is it that everything we've met has resulted in you thinking about a fight? And how can you even tell it's a she?" Ryusuke said, edging away from Monodramon as the purple digimon simply shrugged in response. Ryusuke was a little worried by the fact that the creature seemed to think of little beyond how he'd measure up against another digimon in a fight the instant he saw another one - such bloodlust was usually the sign of a diseased mind, and as Monodramon had proven before he wasn't so easy to ditch. It wasn't like Ryusuke could do much more than keep an eye on him, though - if a problem emerged he'd try and deal with it then, but until that point came denial and repression was the order of the day. The arrival of the other little digimon didn't help much, either - Ryusuke was tempted to take a step back as the thing immediately started chatting upon arrival within comfortable hearing distance, and the only thing that kept Ryusuke's attention was the passing remark that she and the human she was with had already tried and failed to find a way into the factory as well. At least some bit of good news came from it - Ryusuke no longer saw the need in walking around the complex looking for a way in.

"It's fine, it actually saves me a bit of trouble. I was just thinking about walking around to look for another way in." Ryusuke said, simply shrugging as he hid his disappointment - as he'd thought, trying to force their way in wouldn't work, either.

"It's Yagami. And they're not 'mine', whatever that means. Renamon's just helping me find a way back home, and Monodramon's..... I have no idea what's his deal, he's been following me for the better part of two or three days now." Ryusuke said, glancing over his shoulder and again puzzled by her behavior. Whatever her problem was, she didn't seem to have it with other digimon - she'd exhibited the same signs of fight or flight behavior back when they'd first met, although he hadn't seen it since.

"You're my partner, why wouldn't I stay with you?" Monodramon piped up, again seemingly dismayed and confused by Ryusuke's seeming indifference to his presence.

"And I keep telling you that I never agreed to anything to begin with, and that I have no idea what that even means." Ryusuke said, voice slightly irritated as he glanced back at the dragon. He'd admit he didn't quite understand what had happened when Monodramon had changed into his current form, but he was still too irritated by the loss of the only way home that he'd been aware of to think back on the incident in detail. He'd do it when the irritation began to fade with time, but for the moment he needed a clear head.

[thal]

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~ - ~ - ~

WON'T LET YOU SLIP THROUGH MY FINGERS

Valus frowned as he heard the Renamon speak first, her broken speech yet another thing that singled her out from her companions along with her flighty stance, which disturbingly mirrored his own. Suddenly self-conscious, he attempted to compose himself and force his muscles into an impression of a relaxed state. Not wanting to be bested in his composure by a beast of all things.

At least now the introductions were over. Such things made him impatient, and already he had enough knowledge to answer several of his pressing questions. The way the boy - Yagami - spoke of his partnership with the dragon hinted that he was indeed one of those fortunate enough to receive a partner for absolutely free. But he didn't seem to have it quite so cushy as those two other girls had... the way he was acting, it was almost as if he didn't particularly care for having a Digimon, the matter of ownership prompting him to take up a defensive.

And then... two or three days did he say? Here, in the Digital World?

"You've been stuck here all that time?"

Suddenly Valus felt a shiver run down his spine at the thought of being trapped here in the Digital World, of being stuck with his fate constantly in the hands of a partner he couldn't trust. How the other boy seemed so relaxed considering the circumstances he had no idea. And this fox, Renamon... she was technically wild?

"Renamon, right you are? Lemme see now my love... don' reckon I seen anyone like you 'afore. Hard to tell sometimes, like! Very unique fur I note, mus' be a special one!" Seeing someone lower themselves specifically to speak to her, Modoki seemed overjoyed, or at least - in higher spirits than usual. Speaking with a slightly more somber note of voice than Valus had thought her capable of... not that he was paying much attention to her words at this point. "And wha' 'bout you me lovely lad? Strong-looking you are, to be sure!" Yagami's nightmare situation was of much greater interest to him. He needed to know how it had happened, so that he might avoid such a fate for himself.

"I haven't been here long. But I've been back and forth home several times... I've never been trapped." For a moment, he considered going into greater detail, but he hesitated and paused before speaking again. "Don't you have family? People that will worry?" Feigning that the concern in his voice was out of comradeship and not fear for his own situation, while Valus tried to keep the other human talking, his partner took it upon herself to lower her voice. Nodding at Renamon very specifically.

"Tell me, dear. Wild you be, still? A word to tha' wise ones... don't let them get'cha." Turning to Monodramon suddenly, she piped back up again. "Remind me of somebody though, you kinda do. I reckon... oh, nevermind! Cripes!" Settling almost flawlessly back into her stride, regardless Modoki's eyes couldn't help but linger on Renamon's when their gazes would pass. Something envious about her stare that didn't quite match her capricious smirk.

[observer]

- ... Love? - the renamon looked at the frog-like digimon in a bit of confusion, not quite understanding what she meant, sent in a bit of stupor and paying no attention to whatever conversation humans were having between each other. She did not want to talk with scary-looking human, but ... why did the digimon call her "love"? Did they knew each other that close in the past? That was a hopeful thought, until the fox finally got it. It was a figure of speech! Of course. She chuckled a bit at her own silliness...

- Oh... understand, I do... Way of addressing... - she said among chuckles, and what Modoki followed to say confirmed her guess - it was only a figure of speech, the digimon did not see her before. Pity... The fox frowned a bit when she heard, but was not too disappointed. She had asked many digimon on her path before, this was just one more... She half-lost interest, that is, until the digimon commented on her fur...

The renamon looked at herself then. She indeed, too care of her appearance quite well - remembering what Babamon told her: "You are quite beautiful my dear, don't let that beauty fall prey to neglect, and keep it for other people to see..." She did not know if those words were said as encouragement because of her issue with scars which coated her body, or were genuine, but she did make sure every day her coat remains clean, silky and soft at all times. And now, maybe for the first time, her efforts were appreciated...

- Um... thanks... - the renamon said witha bit of a blush, and wanted to say something flattering in return, but ... there wasn't much she could say about modokibetamon - she was, well, a frog-thing with a fin. So she simply kept quiet, not knowing how to lie. Still, the digimon wanted some more attention to her person, and she would keep talking to her for as long as she wants, if need be. Because she was nice like that.

Then came more questions about if she was a lone digimon, and ... a warning? Seriously, what was that? Maybe it was some error in her way of interpreting the interesting dialect. Avoid them? Who were "they"? That was important, the fox's stare changing into frightened very fast - she was quick for emotion switch. And why did she call her "wild"? She did not understand. At all, which lead to something funny.

- ... Wild? No... Wild ... crazy... mindless... running ... instinct... No... Civil... am. - she explained, which was rather silly, considering the meaning to the word was used in a very different context... There was still issue about "them" though. She remembered it, and decided to ask, but later on. She had a hunch that misterios "they" could be humans, considering how the scary human glared at her. Captured? But this was just a speculation she'd rather talk about later...

And then Modoki mentioned she did remind her of someone. The renamon's ears perked up immediately when she heard that. Even if she stopped mid-way, this was important! Maybe she knew her after all! Regaining a lot of interest, the fox moved closer to the frog-like digimon, whispering to her:

- You ... did know? Familiar ... someone? Modoki-san... tell ... please. Very ... important! Can't ... remember ... self. Must ... know... - she said respectfully, as to an adult, because, frankly, the smaller digimon did sound much older than she, and Babamon taught her to respect elders! The renamon looked at the smaller digimon with somewhat pleading eyes, hoping for an answer...

[yagami]

"Yeah. I really don't comprehend it, but I understand enough to know how to get back to our world. The problem's just finding ano-" Ryusuke started, intending to voice a full reply to Valus until he something ModokiBetamon was saying caught his attention. He'd only been paying a small amount of attention to the other conversation going on alongside his and Valus', but the last sentance that came out of the small frog like digimon's mouth illicited an automatic response from Ryusuke - while he wasn't sure if the thing was referring to him or Renamon, all of the digimon that he'd spoken to so far seemed to be somewhat familiar with his situation, far more than Ryusuke himself was. While the chances were slim, he wasn't about to pass up the chance to find out more information that could prove useful, either to him or Renamon.

Renamon, however, beat Ryusuke to the punch, although he made note of the "they" that ModokiBetamon referred to as he turned to face and looking down at the smaller creature, with Monodramon looking at ModokiBetamon as well before shifting his gaze back to Renamon and then Ryusuke, remaining quiet himself. While he knew some things, Monodramon was just as curious as Ryusuke to find out what ModokiBetamon knew - so far the dragon digimon had been going on little more than feelings, gut instinct and information that he could not remember learning himself. Monodramon was about to voice an answer to Valus' question before he remembered that he didn't know himself, with Ryusuke automatically answering a second later.

"I'm hoping it won't come to that. My dad's not usually home and I don't know where my cousin is at the moment, and it was friday when I got trapped here. Chances are the school will just write me off as sick during the first day or two, so I'm hoping to be back before anyone comes looking since it'll be easier than explaining any of this." Ryusuke said to Valus, glancing over to the other human before he continued to look down at the green creature, face slightly set yet at the same time bearing an expression of openess and curiosity.

[thal]

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~ - ~ - ~

WON'T LET YOU SLIP THROUGH MY FINGERS

The edges of Modoki's sociable smile wavered a little at the Renamon's drastic reaction, which had the effect of catching Valus' attention just as Modoki's words had caught Yagami's. Chuckling as if she hadn't noticed, her eyelids drooped a little in a sympathetic half-frown, passing off the fluctuation in her smile as a sign of the sympathy she felt towards the creature that referred to her with the honorific "san" out of consideration. Something she didn't get very often, and less than ever since she'd been partnered.

"Oh, I'm sorry love. That was just me thinkin' how I was like you once, before I got myself captured like I did. Silly thing really!" Valus' eyes flashing, his muscles seized up for a moment and he held his breath, still uncomfortable confessing to the truth that really he wasn't supposed to be here. Addressing it made it feel more real - like it was - and brought back memories of Shion and Chinatsu with their happy partners, talking about superstitious nonsense like destiny and fate. "Jus' sayin' is all I am, be careful right you are. There be folks in these parts that catch Digimon and sell em' to humans."

Although scarcely anything could stay her tongue for long, Modoki seemed noticeably uncomfortable about the direction the conversation was taking. She couldn't bring herself to lie though... not that she was much good at that in the first place. And she felt genuinely sorry for the Renamon who seemed so hopeful for an answer. The best she could really offer under the circumstances was a fair warning.

"... it's one of the only other ways for people to get here." Whirling her gaze, Modoki was surprised to hear Valus speak up, obviously not willing to let her testimony be the only one standing. "Digimon are sold back in the real world for a costly price, but it isn't all that well known." speaking openly now, Valus' words brought back memories of the days spent caged and waiting to Modoki, who dropped her gaze and sulked quietly. Quite aware of her partner's hardly subtle reminder that if not for him, she would still be in that place. And that out of the many caged and miserable creatures she had hardly been his first choice.

"Either you come here because you wanted to, or because you're one of those chosen. The whole system is rigged." Putting a particular emphasis on the word chosen, hissing it like some sort of curse, Valus squared his jaw and shrugged.

"That's just the way things are here."

[observer]

- C ... captured? - the fox's eyes widened in horror as she heard the sad albeit short story the small frog digimon told her. Captured... sold. By humans. How could this be? And yet ... there was that abnormal fear and wariness of them, wasn't it? Maybe this was the reason she was so wary? Because these ... two-legged creatures were hunting them? Hunt digimon, enslave them? The nerve...

- Poor ... digimon... Poor ... Modoke-san... - the renamon's voice was laced with genuine pity for the creature in front of her, as her hand stretched out and petted her back. She was sorry for her, to be captured ... it must have been an incredibly horrible experience. The fox had it in her core that slavery=bad, therefore any who was subjugated to it would have her pity... But there was more. The frog did say that the fox reminded her ... of herself, before the capture. This was ... bitter. Renamon could feel the bitterness, and a grim hint coming with the warning... Of folks who catch digimon and sell them to humans.

Suddenly, the renamon felt ... something. It was a very familiar feeling... Too familiar, and a strong one. It easily overpowered any sort of fear towards the frog digimon's master, as did it overwhelm her peaceful nature, succumbing it into something more ... dark. Violent. The change was seen in her stare, in her stance. Curious, frightened eyes became ... focused, determined. Icily cold. So common to her species. Her stance changed too. From a rather flighty one to confident... Almost a battle stance, considering how the muscles tensed and bulged on her hands, which clenched fists. The way human talked about selling and slavery like it was no big deal was the last straw - for pity's sake, how dare he speak like that? How dare that human ... ugh... She stood up, turning her body in a way she could face both humans now. Humans. She was angry at them. And it showed. If eyes could kill both boys would fall down dead at the same minute, judging by the stares she was giving them. A completely different renamon ... it was...

- So... this how ... humans ... treat ... view digimon? Goods? Mer... chandise? ... Slaves? How ... nice of you. - a rather wrathful and scornful voice was heard... Someone just got angry, hasn't she? Beware the nice ones...

[yagami]

Ryusuke was still watching the smaller green digimon when the meaning behind her words, combined with what Valus himself had just said, clicked into place. Even after his brain had worked out what it meant, it still took Ryusuke a moment to consciously comprehend and understand it, and the moment he did an feeling of icy cold spread over his body. While something had admittedly felt a bit off about the way Valus and Modoki interacted, the thought of the digimon actually being forced into the partership that Monodramon kept going on about had never occured to Ryusuke, at least not until the evidence had been spoken aloud. Not only that, but slavery had been all but extinct in the world he and Valus came from, and the few species suspected of being sentient were under international protection, and the digimon themselves left no room for the argument that they weren't self aware - they were capable of fluid, informed speech, as well as looking after their own self interests.

Ryusuke was in such shock over the revelation that he was completely unaware of the change that overcame Renamon as he took an involutary step back from ModokiBetamon, still trying to come to grips with the realization. Monodramon, however, was aware, taking a few quick steps forward to place himself between his oblivious partner and the angry digimon that looked perfectly ready to attack either Ryusuke or Valus - unfortunately, attacking the latter would mean going through the former because of her having hid behind him before.

"Calm down...... I don't want to fight, but I will if you force me." Monodramon warned, somewhat shocked with himself to find that he actually meant what he said. Normally he couldn't get enough of fighting - he didn't really understand why, but he enjoyed it immensely, a desire that had only increased since digivolving from Hopmon. This was different, though - he'd come to like Renamon as a friend during the short time he and Ryusuke had spent with her, and he didn't want to cause her any harm if he could avoid it, let alone reconfiguration. He would have been happy to fight ModokiBetamon, but this situation was far from ideal, and he didn't want any part of it. His partner had more than proven that he was capable of handling himself when they'd first met, but at the moment Ryusuke was completely out of it, leaving his partner as his only line of defense.

[thal]

- ~ - ~ -



~ - ~ - ~

WON'T LET YOU SLIP THROUGH MY FINGERS

Seeing the way the three others gathered before him reacted to his words... Valus felt better. Like some portion of the weight he'd been carrying had been lifted from his shoulders and given to them to bear instead. His words inspiring outrage, despair and disbelief in those who heard them, it actually gave him a kind of satisfaction! Waking them up to reality like that. He wasn't the one feeling betrayed anymore - it was them, they were feeling it now and he was just a bystander. He felt better, and they felt worse! It was great!

"What's the matter with the lot of you? Don't tell me you're actually surprised by this?" he said in a tone of voice that wasn't quite jolly, but was in definite higher spirits than it had been up to this point. It wasn't often he got people to react so strongly like this, and he wanted to milk the moment for all it was worth.

"Rena' dear! Don' get all worked up about it fer my sakes!" Raising her voice, Modoki backed up a little, placing herself almost fearfully in front of Valus. Her dorsal fin swaying, electricity building up inside as it started to whip through the air gradually. "Act now? We'll end up in a right mess, so we all will rightly! I'm beggin' you on their behalf! Though Valus was obviously too caught up in gloating, Modoki for one had the same idea as Monodramon, the exception being that even under the best circumstances she hated fighting.

It all seemed so pointless to her. Unlike her partner, who would obviously have preferred a Digimon he could have controlled easier, or one who enjoyed battles more. That would have been true slavery. Like this, there wasn't as much he could do. Hampered as he was with a partner who disapproved of violence. She wanted to keep it that way, but... she was scared after the last time. If Valus was put in danger, it would probably happen again. He would make it happen.

She didn't want to Digivolve.

But Valus wouldn't care about that. He was on top of the world still now that he'd found a way to make others feel the same way he did constantly. She wanted to turn and tackle him to the floor, to shout at him to run, but if she tried that the chip would go off and shock her. Pain if they escaped, and pain if she fought. She could think of no other way to avoid it.