A Very Muddy Situation

Kevin rolled his eyes at Hadon. He was used to Hadon's attitude, but even this time he seemed more serious, as if his trust had truly been broken. As they walked through the swamp, Kevin kept pace with Hadon the whole way. He would look at him when he could, while making sure not to walk into any trees or steep slopes like Taru.

"Look, Hadon. I've told you this when we started at the base. I am not, and have never been, against you in terms of your missions and your goals. I am on your side the whole way. However, what I do disagree with on occasion are your methods. Like Taru here, for example. You told this poor girl, and all of us, that she was going to die if she didn't tame your Digisoul. You of all people know how I feel about innocent people being killed or dying for no reason, especially if I can prevent it. Byakko City may have been a long time ago, but that place stays with you forever. That is why I acted the way I did in the cave. I am not trying to betray or overrule you. I merely wish you would stop being so aggressive when it is not necessary. I will cut down any enemy in my path without hesitation and you know it. However, I cannot intentionally harm, or allow harm to come to, an innocent bystander when they do not deserve it. You know the Record as well as I do. This girl is quite literally nothing. It just irks me when you do that for no reason other than to amuse yourself. If you take it upon yourself to not see the difference between a simple ethics disagreement and true mutiny, that's your own damn problem." Kevin was very straight-forward in his speech and his body language did not reflect aggression or anger. It was as if he was just talking about the weather.

"And to answer your question, of course I have the injections," Kevin pulled out a small pouch from his inner jacket pocket and flipped the top open. Inside were 5 closed hypodermic needles filled with an odd, green colored liquid. We only know what happened up until this morning. Never know what poor sap we're gonna run into before we actually do it. In any case, I'm always prepared." Kevin replaced the needle pouch in his jacket an continued walking.

Hadon listened to Kevin's concerns and attempt to explain himself and Hadon stopped to look back at him. "You claim to be on my side but then you decide to interject yourself in my affairs. I don't expect you to understand or even like my methods, but I do expect from you and everyone else in Genesis to respect them. I don't do anything unless it's for a reason. I never act unless it is for a greater purpose. Wasting time is the worst thing one can do, I hate it. I've far more experience then you, I know much more then you. I see miles ahead while you look in front of your own two feet. While you're running, I'm flying. The Record describes a person and not a heart, that is it's flaw. Where you see 'literally nothing' I see an empty canvas worth painting. Do you want to know what I saw? Why I bothered to assist? It wasn't for my own amusement as you so simply put it, this girl...Taru, was prepared to lift her sword and do battle against impossible odds. She showed courage against a monster several hundreds of feet taller then she. I saw a will to live, she has something to live for and nothing to die for. That is why I assisted." Hadon at this point got right in Kevin's face and pointed back to the cave. "What that was back there? Was to strengthen that resolve. To eliminate all traces of doubt and fear, to eliminate the unknown and embrace it. Yes, I told her a lie but it was needed for her to awaken the flicker of power I saw when we got here. She just needed a strong enough push. A push I knew I could give her. Someone who can stare death in the face and sneer at it's cold embrace and defy it so strongly, THAT Kevin....that was the person I saw. Not literally nothing as you and the Record so easily describe. So don't you damn well tell me what is necessary." Hadon lifted his hand and pressed his pointer finger on Kevin's chest. "So the next time you think I'm amusing myself, keep it to yourself and don't ever....ever...get in my way again. If you can't understand that, well, that is your own damn problem." Hadon turned around after he said his piece and began to walk towards Zhu Que. "Now let's go, we're wasting time...and you know how much I hate that." Hadon said switching gears almost immediately. He walked forward laughing loudly at the joke he just made. "Oh and bring those serums, Kay kay!"

Shade looked at Kevin and Wyatt, "Please, trust that Hadon will do the right thing. I know it seems like he is heartless but I've seen him change drastically from when we first met. From best to worse and back again. He's trying to atone for his past sins his own way." Shade then flew forward to catch up to his partner.

Kevin took in all of what Hadon was saying, but ultimately just rolled his eyes at the name Kay Kay once more. Kevin looked at Shade as he offered mildly reassuring words. He simply nodded and thought to himself that Hadon needed to get over himself and relax. Whether Shade could detect that or not was not Kevin's concern. For now, though, arguing would get him nowhere. Instead, he just remained silent. He didn't care to get in the last word, but he tried to make his body language say that he was not submitting to Hadon in a defeated way. He just couldn't be bothered to continue fighting.

During all this, they continued to walk out of the forest. Kevin took the opportunity to think about Taru and her history. Her clumsiness almost got her killed this time, but maybe it was for a greater purpose. He wondered how she would fare with the DDNA infusion and if she would want to join Genesis. Would she even have a choice?

"Hadon, what do we do when she wakes up? She knows we know things we shouldn't know. Are you planning on letting her leave and tell people about us? Or is going to be forcefully persuaded to join us?"

Hadon shook his head, "Please stop asking questions, you're worse then a book of riddles. Let's just let things play out for a bit okay?" Hadon said smiling, he turned to look at Kevin "I'm gonna pick up the pace, don't fall behind now okay?" Hadon smiled then braced Taru tightly so he wouldn't drop her. "See you in Zhu Que!" Hadon then ran forward at super human speeds using his digisoul as a catalyst. Shade covered his face from the debris Hadon kicked up, "Seriously?" Shade said wiping mud from his clothes, "Hey Kevin, remind me to impale that man later okay?" He said before taking off into the sky to follow after Hadon.