Jade, Ice, and Talon

Chapter Eight - "Mind of a Killer"





Hmm. Now from what I\'ve learned about fire, how could I apply that to my intentions? It will not be a simple task, no. Perhaps, maybe I am thinking in too small a scale. What\'s the sense in simply manipulating the few? That\'s it. That\'s beautiful, that\'s the end of it. But not yet, no. I need to make sure that this was not just a simple fluke. Perhaps I\'ll test them all, and their critters, as well. Who know what it\'ll do to a digimon? That\'s a curious prospect in and of itself. If it did that to Cody, will it change the digimon in the same way, or will it effect digivolution? And from only a short time of exposure, it did such to Cody...Hmm. I\'ll need to play before I make it global; I could be asking for dangerous reactions if I bolt headlong into such a scenario. But, I will need to see what a lengthened exposure will do. Theoretically, it should magnify the effects, but that\'s not always the case. Like bisephenol a, the small effects are the most potent, while the large doses are completely harmless. I\'ll have to pick one of them to extend the test with; likely the male. But why stop there; why not lure all of them? The old ones too? Hmm. I\'ll create a cafuffle later to justify them calling them for help, but for now, I have a soccer game...





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Davis awoke, feeling better then he had in a long time. He honestly hadn\'t expected to fall asleep in the middle of the afternoon like that, but it seemed Jade wasn\'t offended - she too had fallen asleep. He\'d also never imagined he\'d score with Joe\'s old flame, never mind any girl at all. How would Joe take it? He knew Joe still loved her - but, they came from different worlds. Would the same apply to him and Jade? He certainly hoped not. He\'d like to at least be able to say his first girlfriend lasted longer than a one night stand. He\'d actually like to have one girlfriend, ever - but he knew at his age, that wasn\'t likely. But now, neither were awake - his watch had rudely awoken him and his lady. He\'d set it to remind him that he had soccer practice in an hour. Normally, the practices were in the afternoon - but thanks to the rising mercury, the ability to play outside came with several risks. So, taking advantage of the night cool air and the spring break, the Soccer Coach scheduled the next couple practices for 10 pm. He\'d wasted no time getting into his gear; the train ride was half the time, now. Jade had opted to come along; she wanted to see this soccer-god that she\'d heard a lot about. Maybe even score a story about him. That was SURE to get her some cash. She too was changing into the gear. Supposedly, this soccer-god was a genious, and quite the attractive guy, as well. Someone that perfect HAD to have secrets, and she was just the lady to find them out. She pulled on the tight-ish blue tacky shorts that Davis had spares of, and tugged on the overly-tight white and blue top that he had as well. It was his size, and didn\'t really fit her moderately-sized breasts. If Davis had breasts, it would have fitted. Jade giggled at that mental image. She wouldn\'t go near anything with breasts...





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Davis stayed in the car a moment to thank Joe for the ride, while Jade bounced out to look around. She\'d never seen pictures of Ichijouji, but she\'d heard a lot about him. Being out of the country a lot did that to one\'s star knowledge, local or otherwise. The crowd in the stands was already unbelievable; obviously, most of the city had heard that Ichijouji was training with the other Soccer Players tonight. Davis said the coach had some "challenge" thing going for them tonight. Whoever this Ichijouji person was, he certainly wasn\'t apparent to Jade. She expected someone with a throng of women around him, but she saw no one yet.

"Who you looking for, Jade?" Davis asked, as if it wasn\'t already obvious.

"That Ken Ichijouji fellow. I was thinking I could score a good story off him." Davis frowned.

"He\'s not all THAT interesting..."

"Oh please," Jade laughed. "Don\'t get jealous. I just want a story, okay?" Davis sighed softly.

"Yeah, I guess. I trust you, I just don\'t trust HIM..."

"Isn\'t that a way of not trusting me too? He can\'t do anything I don\'t let him."

"I guess you\'re right. I just don\'t like that guy, he\'s got a major ego and he thinks he\'s the god of soccer."

"Isn\'t he the number one MVP in Japan?"

"That\'s besides the point! He\'s still not the best ever..."

"Maybe so. But if you got that title, and if you were labeled a miracle genius boy, wouldn\'t you have an ego?" Again, Davis frowned.

"You\'re not supposed to be right all the time."

"Get used to it, babe, I\'m always right."

"You THINK you are..."

"I know I am."

"Yeah, yeah...That jerk\'s car pulled up, go get your story." Jade smiled. He had a good heart, even when he was wrong. She started walking over to the blue sedan that had stopped, and a figure stepped out of the passenger\'s side. Jade raised a brow. Blue hair? He wasn\'t even wearing a soccer outfit. He had on black pants and a fancy white top.

"Hey Ichijouji, how are you gonna kick some balls in THAT?" she called out. The young genius slid his cold gaze to her for a second as he stepped across the field. Several women lept from the stands to rush over, but security wouldn\'t let them.

"I hope you don\'t believe that I\'m using this outfit for soccer practice, woman." He commented back, gliding past her. "That would be completely illogical."

"Don\'t most people arrive wearing their gear to save time?" The soccer-god stopped, and turned towards her.

"If you haven\'t noticed, woman, I\'m far from most people."

"The name is Jade, not woman. I\'ve heard alot about you, Ichijouji, actually. In fact, I\'d like to learn more from the horse\'s mouth. I don\'t suppose you\'d grant me an interview?" Ken\'s eye rose slightly.

"You\'re a reporter? I should have known. I must admit, you\'re ingenious to use such a medium to get me alone. What paper are you from?"

"Actually, my intention was to play soccer, but when I heard you were going to be here as well, I thought I\'d jump on the chance. I\'m actually freelance with several papers, but no contract. I\'ve given articles to the New York Timely, The National Geographer, Nikkei Shimbun, the Calgary Heralder, and the New Zealand Timely. I give my stories to the highest bidder."

"Curious. You have enough skill to gain money from those papers, and yet you don\'t settle with one? Perhaps you\'re not as good as you seem to come across as."

"I\'ve got a few stories out. I just don\'t like to be tied down and told what to write; I like to follow my camera."

"Oh please. I understand as well as you do that those papers are all owned by the same man."

"So what if they are?" Jade inwardly gulped. Maybe she wouldn\'t gain this story after all.

"You only call yourself freelance because you want to feel free. Talk to me after the practice; perhaps I\'ll grant you your little interview. I must say, it\'s nice that they\'ve finally hired security. The throng of fans surrounding me was getting a bit much." Ken kept walking then, aiming himself towards the soccer group, whom were exercising.





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"Okay kids, that\'s enough for tonight. Jogi, you need to work on your slide kicks, they\'re getting rusty. Davis, it looks like you\'re getting rough with your sweep kicks, fix that up before next week. Jade, nice to have you around to balance the team, and especial thanks to Ken for coming despite his busy schedule. He\'ll be here next week too, so I hope you all glean some special skill from him. See y\'all next week!" boomed the coach. He\'d drilled them hard with both team and one on one competitions. Everyone was more than tired, and more than ready to get home to bed. That is, accept for Jade. She was eager to see if the famous genius boy would grant her the interview she wanted. The crew were starting to dribble away one by one when Davis tracked over.

"Jade, are you gonna come back over, or what?" he asked, as a curious Ichijouji watched from nearby. What was that digi-twerp doing near her?

"Well, I paid for a room, I might as well use it. Besides, I was going to meet up with someone, so you go on home, and I\'ll come by in the morning for our little road trip." Davis knew precisely what she meant. There was no way out of it.

"Okay. Bye hun." he replied, and kissed her on the cheek as he drifted away towards Joe\'s awaiting vehicle. Once the teen was gone, Ken slid over with thinned eyes.

"You\'re dating HIM?" he asked, almost too judgmentally.

"Well, yeah. I guess he\'s more like a side-pet." she passed off. She needed good rapport with this guy, no matter the cost.

"You need better taste in pets."

"He isn\'t all THAT bad."

"I suppose that\'s a matter for the beholder to determine. In any case, I don\'t care either way. After this interview and next week\'s practice, I likely won\'t see you ever again, so you can date whom you please." Jade\'s eyes lit up.

"Does that mean you\'ll give me an interview?"

"I suppose so, yes. But it\'ll have to be tonight; I don\'t have time tomorrow, or all this week actually. What\'s open at eleven thirty at night?"

"7-11 and the beach?"

"It\'s not quite the Chardonnay Table, but adequate." Jade opened her mouth to respond, but the shuffling of many feet caught her attention. She slid her eye over towards the sound, and caught a glimpse of a throng of women who\'d found a gap in the fencing.

"Run!" she exclaimed, grabbing the teen\'s hand. Ken hadn\'t noticed them right away, moreover taken aback from the sudden grasp.

"What the-" he exclaimed, and was jerked slightly as she tugged him off at a dead run. He glanced behind them, finally seeing the reason. "Oh." Ken bolted alongside her, with curious soccer on-lookers gaping at them.

"KEN! KEN! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" the girls screamed, whom were being chased down by a security guard nearby.

"This way!" Ken commanded, darting along with Jade behind an old dug-out across the field. The opening in the back of it led to an alleyway. Jade released his hand as they slid to a stop, Jade hunched over, breathing tiredly.

"Did they see us?" she huffed, glancing over at the dugout nearby.

"I don\'t believe so." Ken replied, not even showing any exhaustion.

"Wow, I always wondered what it was like to be famous."

"Not so glamorous, is it? Running for dear life."

"They\'re not THAT dangerous, are they?"

"Oh, they\'ll manhandle me. You\'d probably be safe, though. Fangirls can get very vicious. It gets stressful."

"Have you ever had to run like that, before?"

"Yes. But, most of the time, they give up once I bolt. Those girls were pretty set on getting me, because they\'d been held back."

"How does that work?"

"Ever forget to feed a pet? They eat more vigorously if they\'ve been waiting. The same thing applies to the females in pursuit of me. So, shall we start this interview, Jade?" Jade frowned. She had forgotten her recorder.

"Well, I don\'t actually have my stuff here. Could we stop by my hotel room? I can make you green tea, and then there\'s no chance of horny fangirls mobbing you there." Ken laughed, ever so faintly.

"I suppose that\'s fitting enough."





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AN: It\'s getting betterrrrrrrrrrr! Why do YOU think Ken let her have an interview? Obviously, he has other intentions...Muahaha!