Estray On Course (Event | Zeus)

Following somewhat closely behind the Black Salamon as she led him through the streets of Tokyo, Zeus couldn't help but pause at every reflective surface to inspect himself. "Haha, looking dandy!" It was either that or some sort of variation of it as the feline pointed finger guns at his often distorted reflection. Occasionally he'd wink, less often he would simply complain about modern art these days.

In truth, Zeus had absolutely no idea where he was headed, or even why he was headed that direction. It didn't matter, he was carrying on with his duties. At least partially, there was something he was supposed to do, but surely someone with a memory as powerful as his could only forget nothing short of menial dribble. "Don't bother trying to remember things; if something is important you will know." At this point in time there were over a hundred precepts, with more being generated daily. Perhaps even hourly on particularly exciting ventures or long train rides. Ikou would possibly be able to publish the complete set at the end of this.

As the duo arrived at the park, the Gatomon couldn't help but take note of the serenity. He had been to parks before, mainly the green spaces in Diode, but it was never so... empty. "Hah, I need to tell Prometheus about this. Naturally, an explorer like me would know all of the good places, but this is something else! He'd hate it! Hohohoho!" Clearly pleased with himself, the feline took a sit next to his newly found company, casually spreading himself to occupy as much space as possible in what was a strange way of establishing his space. "Mmm, although a pitiful slab of happiness compared to the glorious acres of Diode, this place will serve Zeus just fine." The now slightly stale and squashed bread was produced from his pouch as Zeus ripped it in half, tossing some toward the Black Salamon. "Soooooo.... I couldn't help but notice you completely messed up the way. That's alright, not everyone can do it like Zeus, though, it just means you'll spend more time basking in my presence now." A hearty chunk of the bread was bit off. "I totally understand if it was intentional!" He'd say between chewing, tossing crumbs all over.

Zeus' constant self-adulation was but amusing to the dark kitten. It was an oddity how convinced the lad was of himself, yet everything he did was done with a coltish attitude. Regardless, she could at least easily agree that modern art was quaint at best, rubbish at worst. It lacked precision and artistic passion, not to mention talent. Symbolism, meaning and reflection were of course fine, but if they were deprived of a proper frame then they were but shallow attributes applied to something insignificant - similar to political speeches.

For a moment, Ikou contemplated her new acquaintance's most recent precept. As someone who was burdened with a ceaseless capacity for remembering, she personally wished that his statement was universal. "Perhaps." She agreed unsurely, wondering what it felt like to misremember the unimportant and trivial things in life. Did her memory imply that maybe all she had done and accomplished throughout her existence were worthwhile retentions? Hardly... though it allowed her to be who she was these days. The paths of fate and destiny were certainly dubious.

"Who?" The BlackSalamon asked calmly as she sat down on the spring's edge, curious of who this Prometheus could possibly be, if he was at all to begin with. She disliked doubting the white Gatomon, but he often gave her reason to be prudent thanks to his burlesques and ostentatiousness. Potentially one day when he matured she would take him at face value. For now however, she was content to repose by his side. Delighted that he took her invitation, she decided to lean ever so slightly backward to relish the soft noise of the water flowing behind her.

"Your admiration for Diode is misplaced, dear. Or are you captivated by Anode's beauty, indifferent to those suffering in Cathode?" Ikou wondered openly. Truth be told she considered the civilization of the digital world a collapsing wreck - or rather a ticking time bomb. If unrest, strife and the gaps continued to linger then there was a great chance of insurgence that will cost uncountable lives. On Earth it was no different. The Royals were frequently feared, shunned and not respected for their success. Why? Because they had power, influence and affluence were most did not. If the benefits of riches were not utilized properly then they were solely disadvantageous in the long run.

Gladly accepting the piece of bread despite a wholesome meal awaiting her, she gently bit a chunk off while listening to Zeus' patronizing and watching, to her dismay, his messy mannerisms. He clearly was a digimon, that was for sure. "In a sense, it was intentional." The BlackSalamon answered chummily as she rolled her golden eyes, still perplexed about how anyone was capable of feeling such pride. It was without doubt a curiosity.

Nonetheless, there was something else on her mind that had dwelt ever since the advent of their journey. Their private minute seemed perfect to finally voice her thoughts. "You mentioned the factions before. I take it you are aware of the ongoing conflicts?" She asked almost rhetorically, confident that the sportive chap would never admit a shortage in anything. For once, that was maybe for the best.

"Oh, my brother. Between you and I..." The feline would shoot a dirty glance in all directions, ensuring the emptiness of the park persisted before leaning in. "...not nearly as attractive and handsome as I am. Poor soul, being unwillingly compared to ol' Zeusy. I feel the most primal of pains in his unfortunate existence of being so close to me yet not me." In truth, Promethus probably didn't stop to think about these things, but admittedly the Gatomon had lost sleep over not being able to have more of himself around.

Zeus picked up a flat stone, holding it against the moonlight to inspect it. It felt real enough, even if this world had awful rending and a poor physics engine. Otherwise how could he ever lose his footing? Shoddy work, that was the only possible way. He'd chuck the rock into the spring, attempting to skip it, but ultimetly causing it to sink in one go. "Hah, flawless rock toss! Couldn't fail if I even tried!" BHe'd exclaim loudly, piercing the silence with a chuckle. His ears perked as he'd turn toward the Black Salamon. "All parts of Diode are beutiful in their own way. Even the slums make you appreciate the amount of detail provided so that even the most meek and filthy have a place to prosper in their own little way." Zeus felt immense pride in the next statement, something that was hard to distinguish from any other word he spoke, yet his cockiness somehow inflated even more. "Why, it's currently even better to live in that hamlet because I have graciously chosen to establish myself as a resident after a request from the president himself. So, in reality Cathode has 100% more Zeus than Anode and therefore is the place to be!" The Gatomon, clearly pleased with himself after having won the argument laid back, grinning. "Surprised I know such important people? I wouldn't be, but I understand if you are. I am full of surprises and an interesting man."

Picking up a blade of grass to chew on, the feline listened at the prod question the Black Salamon posed. Seesh, she spoke a lot, this took away valuable Zeus time, but someone as caring as him would of course allow it. "Nobody will blame you for that. The greatest tragedy in this world is that I can't accompany myself in my travels, I completely understand the overwhelming desire to listen to my tales, fret not." He'd give a nod before patting the other Digimon on the head in a sign of understatement. "Ah, more or less. I don't cloud my mind with such trivial non-sense. My brother is more concerned with it than I am, though... hmm, actually, I think the leader of one of those requested to see me, but alas I'm busy defending the innocent and cannot make it. Truly a shame." The feline paused to sneeze once more, rubbing his nose with a finger. That blasted pollen was a sign of how crude this place was. "For them of course, I'm never shameful." He clarified

So... Prometheus was supposed to be Zeus' envious brother? Though siblings were quite a rarity in the digital world, it was not hard to believe that her chummy acquaintance considered someone dear to him despite his unrivaled hubris. It was beyond her to grasp who willingly chose to share a family circle with him, but in the end it was their decision to make. Whoever this unseen cadet was she hoped he was content. "Of course..." She commented tersely, confident that her dialog partner was fully convinced of his own impressions and opinion.

Watching him pick up a stone, inspect and feebly toss it into the spring, Ikou honestly did not know what to say or think that was not an obvious repetition. Shrugging unwoundedly, she instead carefully contemplated his views on the slum Cathode. Although she figured that he was right with his assessment that its ancient architecture was not shabby, it clearly missed the point of her previous statement. Aesthetics were fine, but they mattered not if they lacked 'humanity'. Ultimately however, after the white Gatomon's lengthy speech, she got exactly she answer she sought. "You are indeed... peculiar." She stated disimpassionedly, sighing once with similar indifference as to that her current companion displayed.

Still, the dark kitten wondered how he had possibly achieved a meeting with Diode's president. Considering the resulting ostracism, it must have been a malefaction of sorts. Likely unintentional, but given Zeus framed everything as an act of heroism and talent he was probably declared a terrorizer or goof that was intolerable. Seemed like a fair judgment to her. Fortunately, it was not a subject that required further discussion. As her relaxed escort had put it - the today was important to him, not the past or future. It so happened that the present was of great significance these days.

Ikou's ears peaked while listening attentively, hoping to understand where the Gatomon's volatile allegiance rested in the ongoing conflicts among rivaling factions and species. She did so after ignoring and dismissing another verbal display of weary chutzpa and his admittedly pleasant caressing. Yet truth be told his apparent desire for absolute independence was admirable. Though misguided in her eyes, he undeniably had a strong heart filled with conviction. Perhaps that was precisely what she needed. "Plenty of innocents might need protection soon. I could use your help with that if you are interested."

Zeus calmly yet politely explained at the tiny insect hologram before turning to Ikou. "It's normal for a celebrity to have issues like so, but a paragon of communication like me powers through with 0 issues."

In truth, Zeus had a vague idea of what Lanius wanted from him, but he was sure that anything he did would be as good as the combined efforts of a small army, so it was all good. Anathema should seriously consider promoting him further, which to his delight was mentioned. A small start toward a long road in the right direction. "Oh please, the pleasure is all mine, there's no need to flatter me. It's quite cumbersome to have to return these compliments and I don't want to be dishonest by saying something just to be polite, thank you for understanding. Yes, yes, glory onto me." With that, the hologram vanished, leaving him and the Black Salamon in silence. "It looks like those pesky royals are being a royal pain, hohoho! Did you enjoy that? That was merely one of the many Zeus jokes I sometimes make, I know, you're probably dumbfounded by my vast array of skills, but please do not be intimidated, I'm just like you deep deep down!"

The feline winked, cracking a wide grin. He'd turn toward the fountain stretching himself. "I pray to the Gods for the royals. In this world of conflict and distrust many fight their own strife unaware that the greatest hunter of all has just joined the fray." The Gatomon chuckled, turning to face Ikou once more. "Alright, I shall now draw my terrifying weapon; the life ender. You might have already seen it as it's simply my claws. Drawing it is more of a mental state for me, but I assure you I'm 100% lethal right now. Oh yee of little faith who stand in my path." The Digimon puffed his chest, eyes narrowing as he'd scan the area for a few moments before abruptly taking a seat. "And just like that no royals to be found, they all fled. I don't blame them, if it were me against Zeus, I'd also run. Another crisis averted by my iron will and nothing more."

As Ikou beheld the surprising and unpleasant interaction between Zeus and a hologram of Lanius of all people, she could not help herself but blink in disbelief. How was it possible that someone as chummy and self-proclaimedly heroic as her new acquaintance chose Anathema and its leader as a reasonable cause to pursue? Of course she had not forgotten that the coltish Gatomon did not take this conflict nor its factions seriously, but did he truly not comprehend what he was involving himself with? These mindless savages were the antithesis of what he supposedly stood for. Bestial, avaricious... villainous.

When their brief yet almost fated conversation ended, the BlackSalamon honestly did not know what to say for a moment. Folding her forelegs, her eyes narrowed in an attempt to regain sufficient composure to contemplate the intel she had just received properly. If anything, why would they decide to cooperate with the Heralds? Their ambitions were absolutely opposed in every conceivable way. Did both not wish to subjugate the other species? Didn't the militants consider humans inherently inferior? Why would they permit them to advance their aspirations? The Royals were far less of a threat and made more sense to temporarily liaise with. Curious...

At least it was information she gladly shared with her colleagues and superior. If these digital monsters got involved then there was good grounds to be concerned. The collateral damage and potential loss of innocent lives had to be considered thoroughly for various, obvious reasons. Though amused by her current companion's unintentional irreverence, Ikou did not feel like chuckling or smiling. Utterly ignoring his jests, she carefully cogitated about her next steps. For once it was critical to convince Zeus of something, hence she probably had to utilize his own personality against him. It was not a shtick she enjoyed, but sometimes the heroes had to get their paws dirty.

"I am affiliated with the Royals..." She eventually spoke her mind, carrying herself with great placidness as she usually did. Doubting that this revelation would shatter her escort's self-delusion, she still wondered what his reaction was bound to be. Indifference - a second of trepidation - open and immediate hostility? No matter what, she hoped to be able to appeal to his sense of justice and morality. "...And it's quite inconceivable that you support Anathema. Don't you realize what evil they crave?" She asked with slight exasperation, inquisitive for the excuses that awaited her from the 'warlord'.

Zeus had just closed his eyes, his grin beaming after an exhausting amount of work on his duties as not only a paragon of digital and mankind, but also apparently a warlord of Anathema. No one would object to a vacation at this point, yet he would honourably refuse his much earned rest simply out of his burning passion to serve. "Huh?" A single eye would open to stare at the Black Salamon as he would gently prop himself up half way using his arms. He;d give the now revealed royal a stare down for a few seconds before chuckling.

"Fool! Did you never consider that being in this situation was precisely what I intended?! How pitiful. This was but a simple test, I for once knew of your true affiliation the moment I laid eyes upon you, yet I quickly devised a test to allow you to prove yourself." Zeus boasted, picking himself up as he would brandish his claws. "Now that you have revealed yourself of your own volition, I shall in turn show mercy. I, Zeus, the greatest of knights shall allow you a second chance to overturn your wicked ways and join me, least you face the mighty titan that is I." The Gatomon declared, readying himself, a look of sheer determination clouding his visage. "Normally I would strike you down as I have done thousands upon thousands of times in the past, yet with my incredible foresight I have already seen that you will accept my invitation. Fret not, for Lanious will not object to my sage wisdom, he consults me very often." Another crisis averted. Zeus's glorious retribution and unparalleled wisdom how thwarted yet another misguided royal and converted them to... the feline paused. "Anathema...? Bah, I have been in organisations with better names, I even led a few myself. Much better names, the best perhaps." He'd give a nod of reaffirmation before pointing a finger to the sky.

"This wickedness you speak of; ti's but merely the deception of a rotting mind. You see, 'there is no good not evil' simply right and wrong, and nothing Zeus is a part of can ever possibly be wrong, least I change my mind. An important precept which is guaranteed to always set you on the correct path." The Gatomon folded his arms across his chest, standing tall with his conviction. "Now, since you have insisted, I shall bestow more wisdom upon you on our way to Diode. There, we'll meet Lanious and I will declare this misunderstanding to be over."

Zeus' words were disheartening to say the least. A fool accusing others of foolishness; a quaint event. Naturally, he spun everything in such a way that it made him appear victorious to himself. There was no point in this farce he played, but to keep his folly of a self-image he probably had no other choice. Was he even capable of comprehending what he was doing, or was he merely a blasé passenger of his instincts and desires? It was difficult to tell since the person next to her lacked a true character; a soul. Whatever had happened to him had rendered him an insouciant shell of emotions.

"As usual, you are mistaken. I won't betray myself by accepting your invitation, nor will I go to Diode." Ikou said calmly as she slowly got up on her paws. Sighing quietly and shaking her head weakly, she strode a couple of graceful steps away from the white Gatomon. For a moment she closed her golden eyes in an attempt to maintain her composure. The hushed ripple of the spring's water, not to mention the mild summer breeze, were gently caressing her body and agitated spirit. Still, a shame born out of guilt lingered to plague her mind. In a sense she liked her new acquaintance, but any meaningful relationship with him was unfeasible. She was likely not the first 'companion' to conclude that.

Turning around to face Zeus, the BlackSalamon could honestly not believe what she was hearing. A supposed hero that was incapable of considering morality? He was but an unintentional charlatan who was too narcissistic to recognize his hubris. "Correct path - no good or evil - seriously? Lanius is an avatar of all that is wrong with this world and our own. A warmonger and depraved savage whose craving for power is only overshadowed by his regressiveness. He respects neither life nor liberty and will happily destroy the lives of the very innocent people you swore to protect."

It was almost with a glare that Ikou firmly uttered these statements. Those were the attributes Anathema enrobed themselves with, and their deeds had solely served to prove this. They were the other side of the coin they shared with the Heralds, simple as that. Biting her lower lip, a hint of sadness enshrouded her previous exasperation. Bristling once, the dark kitten tapped the solid rock of the fountain's edge beneath her. "And he manipulates you too... alluring you with meaningless promotions to commit his crimes. It's... inconceivable..." She spoke reservedly, disbelief remaining stronger than trepidation.

The BlackSalamon mustered the remnants of her volition to look him deep into his eyes. Was it truly futile to convince him of his mistakes? He did not have to admit them, but she did not wish to encounter him in battle. Not because she was afraid - perish the thought - but he seemed like a decent person on the inside. Being manipulated into doing the dirty work of vile forces was unbecoming.

"As usual? No, that would be very unusual and unlikely." Zeus was taken aback by the dishonest statement, brushing it as a language error. He had been wondering if his word play was too advanced for the minds and ears of mere peasants for some time now and this was a very concerning result. Perhaps he would have to spend some time downgrading his speech in an effort to be more understood. No, he should try to teach others instead of limiting himself. The feline reached into his pouch, rummaging about as he'd give out a sigh.

He'd ignore the majority of what was said about Lanius, instead fixated on trying to find a single, golden ring he had tossed somewhere. "Ah, no. You're describing the president so far." He'd mumble, his eyes lighting up with joy as he'd feel something circular between his claws. "Ha!" The golden objected he produced was none other than his very own holy ring. The power of a champion in an easy, trendy and wearable manner. Only Zeus could have all three in his pocket, or all four depending on how one defined things. In his case it was all five, or six. Why not seven? The Gatomon took a moment to visualise eight things in one before shaking his head. No, that was improper.

"No one manipulates Zeus! Except Zeus, and I have manipulated myself into being a true and honest paragon. I am addicted to injustice." The cat paused for a moment, pursing his lips. "Fighting it I mean, obviously. I normally wouldn't clarify these things, but I'm generous enough to give you a pointer." The ring slipped on the tip of his tail, abruptly stopping just below the tuff at the edge to stay suspended in mid air. There was no light, no flashy transformation, and most importantly; no indication that anything about him had changed, sans the faint glow of the ring behind him. It was a rather plain transition from a ringless Gatomon to a ringed one, yet the power spike it carried with it was nothing to joke about.

"Fine then. Run along, begone. You are lucky I'm a generous man who was willing to share his wisdom. Yet, you repay this generosity with what? Running?" At this point, Zeus's ego had gotten the better of him, causing the Gatomon to suffer a momentary laps in judgement, though he would never admit to it. In the blink of an eye, following a downward motion of Zeus's right hand as if to strike something in front of him, a lighting bolt would suddenly pierce the sky, filling the area with light. A split second later, the lighting would impact the area where Ikou was standing followed by the deafening roar of thunder.

"You can't run from the heavens."

---

Log:

• Zeus digivolved into his Champion form; Gatomon (Ringed)
• Zeus's has 2 rounds of cheer remaining due to Conqueror -> Cheer: The affected target's Damage Scales for all attacks or moves they perform are increased by one grade.
• Zeus's STATIC FIELD is in effect -> STATIC FIELD - Every time Zeus uses an ability that connects to a target, anyone within 10 feet of the target (including the target) has an average chance of receiving a small amount of damage in addition.
  
• [ THUNDER BOLT ] - Zeus calls down a bolt of lighting from the heavens above, dealing heavy damage (Moderate + ability plug in). This ability has a small chance of causing paralysis to the target (3 rounds). (3 round cooldown)
• Due to cheer, THUNDER BOLT deals MASSIVE damage instead.

STATIC FIELD proc: jc9FYfCt1-100
THUNDER BOLT paralysis proc: 1-100

1-100·1-100

Zeus thought that she was describing the president of Diode and not Lanius? Given a second of examination, he was probably not wrong with the former statement. Of course Ikou did not appreciate the megalopolis of the digital realm where few individuals prospered while the rest suffered and was barely capable of outlasting until the next day. That however did not mean that Anathema's eternal overlord was better - far from it. What was a parasite to another but a proof of the follies that plagued the past and present? Whatever the future demanded to free itself from them was something she gladly committed to.

Narrowing her golden eyes, the BlackSalamon focused on the item that he retrieved from his furry gloves. It was... a ring? And the digimon in front of her was a Gatomon. Blinking a couple of times, the conclusion was simple. He currently had the power of a Rookie, but for some reason he had chosen to restrain himself, which seemed totally out of character. But if he put that artifact on, then he'd digivolve into a Champion version of himself. But for what purpose? Could it be that he desired to... the nerve this insufferable fraud had.

Assuming a defensive position, it was hard for Ikou to believe that her new acquaintance was so blinded by his ego and superior's will that he would rather resort to violence than heed the wisdom he supposedly cherished and spread. Then again, what did she expect from him? What was he more than another avatar of vices. Pride was his, so much was obvious. Coming to think about it, he and his sponsor were likely able to be close friends; at least until the inevitable moment of treachery. The militants had a tendency to solely exist to attain sway by any means.

"I have no idea what you are saying, dear. I am not running." She stated firmly while becoming witness of his physical movement. But did Zeus seriously reckon that she'd simply let him do as he pleased? Naturally he did, but the figure of speech retained its meaning. As white light engulfed her, the blinding gleam and deafening bang of lightning and thunder were conspicuous to everyone with a minor amount of attentiveness. So, he truly was attacking her?

Thankfully, the canting braver was not the only person with an ace up their sleeve...

Tapping into the powers recently attained, she felt the electricity of her adversary's skyward bolt linger around her frame - yet not within. Bearing her pronounced teeth and breathing heavily, the BlackMeicoomon mustered every ounce of her empyreal might as radiant energies twisted and turned the levin so it did not strike her. Merely its static aura singed her dark fur, but that was a worthwhile price and pain. "Who said I intend to... villain?" The tousled feline asked with a sharp tongue, glad that previous notions of politeness could be discarded. Self-evidently she'd keep her class, but from now on it was going to be enjoyable again.

"Gleaming Riposte!" Ikou bellowed as she redirected Zeus' attack back at him, holding its original velocity and gaining additional strength. Combined with the radiance of holy forces she had infused into it, her counter was maybe a shocking surprise - pun entirely intended. Regardless of the result, slowly advancing to her opponent if he sought to continue this farce would be her steps that followed.

This outcome was a shame, but if she had to fight for a good cause then she happily did. Who it was that opposed her and those who benefitted from her aspirations did ultimately not matter.

---

Log: 1-100

Lighting bolt rarely missed, at least according to Zeus. He had used the ability a total of 4 times in reality, mainly on stationary targets, yet surprisingly it had never been redirected. In fact, when coming up with the attack he had never considered the possibility of that happening. The Gatomon narrowed his eyes. "Suppose I created yet another test of will for myself. Well done."

Zeus unfortunately wasted, or i his words 'invested', the time he had to react in thinking about his greatness, causing his own Thunder Bolt to pierce through him with what many would conciser a devastating amount of force. Luckily, his lighting resistance had made the incredibly disruptive ability somewhat bearable, yet he still found himself soaking wet. The resulting shockwave had tossed him onto the nearby spring. What was worse was that his vision was blurred, possibly due to his own attack or perhaps some external factor he hadn't even considered. Regardless, the Gatomon picked himself up, his fur clinging onto him like wet rugs. "Hah, as expected of my own attack! No wonder I actually felt that." Noticing that it was considerably harder to move whilst wet and blind, so instead he choose to simply lean against the ledge of the fountain.

"You're a bit of a jerk, aren't you? Going around, randomly redirecting lighting against a genuine hero. I'd say you and the president are essentially the same person." Zeus declared, pointing a claw at a nearby tree. "Truly unworthy of my time and efforts. Nah-ugh. Though you would have some use in amplifying my already super strong and incredible attacks. I could even reclaim Anode, not that I care or couldn't without you, mind. It's like a human cleaning out the garage; you mean to do it, but it's not top priority unless you have someone who offers... regardless! Bottom line is that you suck." The Digimon produced a soaking wet piece of paper from his pouch, grumbling at the wet ink before tossing it away. "Come up with your own moves; attacks and naming are both important, try to make up of your own instead of stealing the ones someone else made. There you go, new precept you should follow. Thief!"

Clearly irked, Zeus made a second attempt to climb out of the fountain, this time tripping on the edge, but miraculously catching himself before the impact. "See that? Lighting reflexes. You're extremely lucky I'm letting you go. Go on, run." He'd taunt, dustitng himself off with little success.
"I'll tell your buddy, Mr. G, that there's another one of him running around. Maybe you two can hang and steal people's style together. Seems to be your thing anyway. Which are you are stealing from him, or he's stealing from you. Who knows? Who cares? Not Zeus."

An actual compliment? No... it was unlikely that it was directed at her. Shaking her head as she stood on the fountain's edge, Ikou breathed heavily while her sore body was filled with great tension. The strain of rapid digivolution and a too close for comfort riposte had taken their toll on her stamina, not to mention the electric shocks she had suffered from her former companion's attack. If long fur was not covering the entirety of her frame, every muscle and sinew could have probably been seen. For the moment, her splayed claws had to suffice to declare her vigor.

However, as the BlackMeicoomon beheld Zeus inside the spring's water, she relaxed rather quickly as she recognized that the battle was already over. Sighing quietly, she folded her arms and it was with narrowed, golden eyes that she carefully observed her rival's next steps. Fortunately, he did not carry himself with hostility, although the words he uttered were quite the contrary. Naturally, it was to be expected that the white Gatomon would never admit missteps, which made her wonder why he was so eager to proclaim their clash finished. Did he not seek to defend his pride and claim retribution? Curious...

Seeing no point in attempting to dispute her escort's statements, she simply allowed him to let his frustration run rampant in the hope that it was enough to ease his mind. Of course Ikou dismissed the curbed insults and witless comparisons. Especially the latter confused her more than it aggravated her. She and the president of Diode were supposed to be alike? Hardly. If she was the supreme leader of this megalopolis, she'd usher in a revolution of precepts to establish a smaller gap between the wealthy and the poor so everyone had the chance to savor civilization's amenities.

Regardless, watching Zeus pout and throw an unsubstantial tantrum was certainly telling of his true character. Whatever spark of heroism was within him was either utterly enshrouded by narcissism or plainly non-existent. Truth be told though, the dark cat had no desire to patronize him any longer. "You are speaking flim-flam, dear. Besides, did you honestly expect that I do not protect myself? Not to mention that your ambush was the opposite of heroic - it was villainous." She calmly countered his allegations. Self-evidently she did not anticipate him accepting responsibility. That would be a miracle.

Yet the Gatomon was starting to confuse Ikou with his rambling speech. Blinking a couple of times with an expression of perplexity, the unwound feline who was obviously not departing sought to dig deeper into the subject matter. "Mr. G? I take it you mean the president? I've never met him. However, has he... done something to you in the past?" She asked kindly, still wondering whence her dialogue partner's striking characteristics came from. This brashness, arrogance, craving for acknowledgement and hero worship and his confused remnant of goodwill... they had to originate from somewhere, not?