Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. Characters; Rocky (me); Kara (FallenAngel01) and John (tobiisagoodboy94)
A/N – There is a poll regarding the submitted OCs from the forum on my profile. If you haven't already voted and would like to have your say and pick your favourite five OC submitted characters. Closing date for submission of OCs is the 3rd of July! That's today (but I will make sure that there is a little extension for those outside the UK)
Chapter 07 – Johnathan Bradley
My feet pounded the pavement as I pursued DemiMeramon, unable to believe that Rocky had just been kidnapped by DEPT. Personally, I couldn't understand what they would want with him- I couldn't think of anything special about him that would explain why.
The more I ran, the more out of breath I became. I could hear the strong beat of my heart in a pathetic attempt to try and help keep me running.
From what I could remember, we were getting perilously close to the DEPT headquarters, and my efforts to keep up with an in-training Digimon were hopeless. He was getting further and further away. There was only one thing I could think of doing now; it was just wrong on so many levels.
I stopped running and heard the silence of the streets. The skies were tinted and darkening as night crept up on us, it reminded me that Dad would no doubt be wondering where I was. Deep down, I wished that Rocky had never gotten a Digivice, or a Digimon. He didn't know anything about DEPT, nor did he understand the complexity of the Digimon. It was far beyond anything he could ever imagine.
"I better just go home…" I murmured, rubbing the back of my aching neck.
Deep down, I felt kind of bad- because I had given up so easily; it wasn't like me at all. I kept turning back to look in the direction of the DEPT headquarters.
Stop it, John. Get a grip.
Thoughts raced about my mind, I rubbed my forehead in the hope that they would just go away…
Maybe Rocky was better off. For all I know, DEPT could help him get back to his ordinary and possibly dull life. My conscience told me that I shouldn't worry about Rocky, he was old enough to take care of himself, and that I might be able to get away with not knowing anything about Rocky's kidnapping. That is - should anyone ask.
I was sure that Kara would, but if I played my cards right, then I might be able to lie my way out of it. I didn't want to lie – especially not to Kara, but sacrifices had to be made.
The walk home gave me time to think. I kept hearing a dog barking in the distance which distracted me a little.
I started to think about Sarah – about how she worked for the DEPT. It was unbelievable, as she never seemed like the person who would be okay with what they do. They completely destroy living beings. I-, I don't know how anyone could do that. Of course, I had destroyed Aegiomon- but that was to save Kara. I felt bad about it beyond imagination.
Sarah seemed so nice when I first met her. She had black hair- just like mine, but her skin was more of a tan colour, whereas mine was pale, like a sheet. Whenever I was with her, she gave off a sense of kindness and good-will. Never did I ever think that she would work for them.
I couldn't help but hover by the front door of the Bradley flat, contemplating whether I should confront Sarah. She might know what they were going to do with Rocky, and she was only next door.
What was the harm in asking? I thought, shrugging my shoulders a little.
As I walked towards her door, the light on the wall was flickering – just like it had done so for as long as I can remember. I could hear the dull buzzing of a fly, or some sort of insect. It was the only thing that filled the silence as I approached Sarah's door. Suddenly, it dawned on me that it was dark- so it was late. I checked the Digivice's clock.
19:24:04
Sure. It wasn't too late, but when there wasn't an answer at the door, I peered into her apartment through the window.
"That's weird," I whispered upon seeing the inside of Sarah's apartment.
Through the white, lacy curtains that reminded me of Grandma Bradley's house, I could see barely anything furniture inside. All I could actually see was a single chair that faced a T.V, and what looked like a dirty white outdoor table surrounded by four fold-up chairs. It was like it she wasn't living there- or that she couldn't afford much more.
But something was definitely wrong.
I heard a door open only a few metres away and saw Dad poke his head outside.
"Oh, I thought I heard you, what are you doing, son?" he asked, a gentle smile appeared on his face.
Letting out a deep breath, I eventually managed to muster up something to say.
"Nothing really- I was just coming back home. Just coming back now." I wandered towards the door. "So what's for dinner?"
Dad stepped back inside the apartment. There was a hint of basil, or some other kind of herb, in the air.
"Just a tomato and basil pasta bake – nothing too special."
"Sounds fine with me," I sighed.
It was a meal that I had loved, ever since I was a child. The crispy pasta that was laced with grated cheese. A tangy taste of sliced cherry tomatoes sandwiched between two layers of penne pasta. It had to be penne pasta. To me, it just wasn't the same pasta bake if it wasn't penne pasta- just a kook of mine. Dad understood that it had to be penne when I refused to eat tomato and basil pasta bake with some other pasta that's name sounded like falafel.
"Don't worry son, it's got penne pasta."
I could hear Dad chuckling to himself.
"Dad, what can you tell me about Sarah?" I asked as I walked into the kitchen and spooned out some dinner for myself.
Dad's dark, thick eyebrows rose. "Why do you ask?"
I looked awkwardly about the kitchen. "I don't know- there's something weird about her. It's just, she's been living next door for a little over two months- and I can't help but feel that- that we know nothing about her. Does she have a family? What does she do for a living?"
Dad went silent and tilted his head a little. "Well, I have to agree with you there. I don't actually have a clue myself. I have no idea whether she has a family, or what she does as a job… To be honest, I don't even know her surname."
Dad went through to the living room to sit in front of the television; no doubt he would watch some programme about storage wars in America.
I sat down at the table in the kitchen and pulled out my phone, I had a text. From Kara.
Hey, I hid Commandramon and went back to the cinema, but you and Rocky didn't come back- I was left standing all alone at the cinema… Where were you two?
Any good feeling I had in me had disappeared; this was going to have to be the time to make out to Kara that I hadn't seen Rocky at all. The last thing I wanted was for her to know that I had just stood by and let Rocky get captured. She would just get mad or panic and storm into DEPT. It might only get her and Lalamon captured.
Not if I couldn't help it.
My thumb darted about my phone's screen as I manifested a response to her text.
Kara, hi. I didn't want to say anything, but Rocky wasn't at home. I didn't meet him on the way to his house, and I don't mean to tarnish his name, but maybe he didn't want to come to the cinema with us. Maybe we can try and arrange another date?
I could tell that sometime in the future that she was going to figure it out- but I wasn't going to let that stop me. For the time-being, it would have to do, I just had to convince myself that it was going to be alright.
The next morning, I woke up to stare at the same old white ceiling and was instantly reminded of the fact that I had lied to Kara. The feeling in my stomach made me feel awful.
But it was all for the best. Rocky would be better off without knowledge of the Digimon or DemiMeramon.
"John? You awake now?" Dad knocked at my bedroom door.
"Yeah, awake," I moaned groggily, still feeling half asleep as I lay in bed.
Without even having breakfast, I was out of the door and about to head towards school. A niggling feeling made me knock on Sarah's door, but there was no answer. I assumed she had stayed out all night. Either that, or the DEPT wanted for her to work late, to assist them in securing Rocky.
"Something is just not adding up here," I mumbled, walking quickly away towards the stairs after realising I was running a little late.
I sprinted across the estate, dodging the basketball game and heading straight into the alleyway. This time, I saw the girl with the dog walk past the other end of the alleyway- at least I didn't have to jump over her dog again.
When I made it to the school, Kara was sitting on a bench in the courtyard, she had a book sitting open on her lap. As I approached her, I noticed that she was still on the same page. It was almost like she wasn't really reading the book.
"Kara? You okay?" I asked, sitting down beside her and nudging my cap a little. After a long silence, I had to say something else. "You aren't upset about Rocky, are you? Because he's a jerk- I don't think he's worth it."
"John!" she gasped in disbelief and stared at me with those blue eyes. "You can't say things like that. He- he's got an explanation." Kara looked back at her book and suddenly shut it. "I know he has."
I rolled my eyes, as much as she was kind and caring, she was definitely naïve sometimes. That, to me, was her one weakness. Apart from that, there was very little to dislike about her.
"I'm going to classics now, I'll see you later," Kara squeaked, her voice cracked a little.
Almost immediately, she stood up and quickly almost ran inside, leaving me by myself.
I watched the miscellaneous group of other school kids walk into the school building.
Throughout the day, I realised that Rocky wasn't actually at school. This had probably upset Kara. I wondered what DEPT could possibly want with him. Maybe I should investigate for myself.
"John, I better show you where Commandramon if, then I got to check that the our new Hamilton resident is okay…" Kara murmured at the end of the school day as I shoved my history folder in my locker.
I couldn't bring myself to say anything, I just nodded.
We walked in silence towards Commandramon's new hiding place. It was around the back of a pet grooming shop where there were some poodles and Yorkshire terriers being washed and groomed to an incredibly thorough standard.
"He's here. I've got hope to be able to check up on him," Kara whispered, lifting up an old cardboard board to reveal Commandramon sitting comfortably amongst what can only be described as a cardboard box fort.
"Thanks for checking up on him," I replied.
She looked at me with a peculiar expression. "What? I'm not the one who has been checking on him-"
"Kara!" I heard a girl yelp.
Instantly, I snatched the box from Kara's grip and dropped it over Commandramon. I turned my head to see a girl standing at the back door of the pet grooming shop.
She had short, copper hair tied in two stubs that were meant to pass off as bunchies. I couldn't help but like the hat she wore, it was a beige colour with a thick, light mustard colour trim.
"John, this is Hope. She's staying with my family for a while." Kara raised a gloved hand to the girl.
Oh, so when Kara said 'I've got hope to be able to check on him,' she meant she had gotten this girl to check on Commandramon- and not that she hoped to check up on him. Well that makes sense now that I think about it.
"Autumn!" the girl snapped, a little exasperated. "Come on Kara, I told you to call me Autumn."
"Okay," Kara sighed, letting out a deep breath. "Autumn, this is John."
"So he's Commandramon's partner?"
"Yeah-"
"We got a problem, Kara," Autumn interrupted Kara. "The DEPT have kidnapped someone who lives really near to us. Labra and I were out walking when we hear a commotion. Then we saw a van drive past, a black DEPT van, it drove past so quickly that, by the time I decided to follow, it was long gone."
Kara's eyes widened. "We better go back home and pick up Lalamon. Is Labra with you?"
I shook my head. "Who is Labra?"
"Labra's her dog. He's a real cutie, and so well trained…" Kara smiled as she spoke about this Labra dog. Then she swiftly shook her head and blinked rapidly. Kara turned back to Autumn and added, "We'll go to DEPT tonight. We can stop for Rocky on the way."
"Sounds like a plan, Kara, but I'll have to wait until my shift is finished." Autumn glanced momentarily at me. "Is he coming with us?"
"Do you want to come, John?" Kara asked, barely looking at me.
"I have to… I can't let you both go alone. You might need my help," I replied boldly. "Commandramon, let's go."
My partner burst out of the box fort, ready for action.
"Ready when you are, John," Commandramon said, looking around the area. "Area's clear. Come on Miss Hope. Let's go Miss Kara." He walked past me and the two girls.
"I don't think they'll notice if I'm gone." Autumn moved her hat a little. "Labra. Come on, Labra. Here boy!" Autumn called out, patting her knees.
Out of the back door, an obedient looking white dog bounded cheerfully towards us. It had what looked like dark purple ears and a thick, illustrious tail. He ran up to Autumn and jumped up at her, his paws scraped at the shorts of her dungarees.
"It's okay boy. You don't have to keep it up with these guys." Autumn lifted the dog off the floor and held him close to her.
"Oh geez, thank gawd. I cannot bear to keep up the act. I mean, I'll do it for you Autumn, but something I cannot stand the high pitch voices people talk to me in. Not to mention, there was a little poodle in there that was practically coming onto me." The dog shuddered in her arms.
My mouth dropped open.
He just spoke. Labra the dog just spoke.
"Hang on, did he-? I mean, he- he. He just spoke!" I exclaimed in shock.
Autumn laughed joyfully. "He's a Digimon, he's called Labramon and he's my best friend. He has stayed with me through everything, and I couldn't ask for a better Digimon partner."
"Enough chit-chat, let's go!" Labramon jumped down from his partner's arms and scampered towards the road.
The two girls scouted the area ahead and we snuck Commandramon through the quiet streets of town towards Kara's house where we picked up Lalamon.
With Lalamon in tow, we were once again heading towards the DEPT headquarters.
It began to dawn on me that we had no plan, but I only realised this when we were by the entrance to the headquarters. We had walked along the muddy forest in order to avoid the vehicles that would have gone up the pathway to the headquarters.
"Hang on, so what is the plan here? Guys?" I asked quizzically.
Labramon seemed to have it all sorted. "Autumn and I will give ourselves up to DEPT whilst you and Kara sneak in the back loading bay with Commandramon and Lalamon." Labramon scratched his ear vigorously after finishing his simple plan.
I wasn't in the mood to argue with the Digimon so I nodded.
"Perfect, now to go and get caught. Easy as pie." Autumn clapped her hands together. "Kara, I'll see you inside. Keep in touch by text, girlie."
Autumn ran off towards the road with Labramon and froze when she must have seen a DEPT van.
I pulled Kara back and watched as Autumn lifted her hands up in front of her, and Labramon began to growl and stand protectively in front of his human partner.
"She'll be okay…"
"Don't say that, John," she squeaked, walking away from me towards the fence border of the DEPT compound.
Lalamon hovered beside me, which surprised me. I expected her to go after Kara.
"Don't worry about her, John. She's just a little upset right now, and stressed- and worried about Autumn," Lalamon tried to reassure me, before flying after her human partner.
The closer we got to DEPT, the more I was able to think about what would happen when we find Rocky.
"What's bothering you, John?"
I looked down and saw Commandramon surveying the area, sticking close beside me. The wind began to blow through the trees and leaves fluttered down around us.
"Nothing Commandramon," I whispered.
"John…" Commandramon was urging me to tell the truth - it was like he knew I was lying. "What happened?"
"I watched Rocky get kidnapped. I just stood back and watched him get kidnapped. I don't think I can forgive myself. If I could go back and change it, I would do everything in my power to stop the DEPT kidnapping Rocky. I even left DemiMeramon to go into DEPT."
"John…"
"I know, Commandramon, but this is my chance to redeem myself. Maybe DemiMeramon is okay for all we know."
A scream up ahead startled me.
"Kara?!" I yelled.
I ran through the forest in the direction of the scream, panicking that something had happened to Kara. When I found her, she was on the floor.
"Kara, what's wrong?"
"I- I think I saw. I think I saw DemiMeramon." She rubbed her eyes. "Oh John, you don't think that Rocky was the one who got kidnapped?" She looked at me, desperate for me to answer. "Johnathan?"
The use of my full name was something few people did.
"I- Kara, I think- It's."
This was it, this was my chance to come clean, but I couldn't do it.
"I don't know, Kara. I suppose it's possible," I murmured, scratching an itch above my right eyebrow with one finger.
"We have to keep moving. Maybe we'll find DemiMeramon- or Rocky inside." She looked longingly in the direction of the DEPT headquarters.
I felt a twinge in my chest, it felt so hard to keep lying to her.
"Come on, we've got some saving to do." I held my hand out to her.
She took my hand and I pulled her up.
"Yeah, we have to go now."
We crept through the forest and along the fence that bordered the DEPT headquarters.
"Kara, get down," I whispered swiftly.
I had dropped to the floor as I saw the soldier standing boldly on the other side of the fence. He had his hands behind his back and looked like a real soldier.
Kara began to giggle and held her hand over her mouth. "John, it's a projection. Look." She went right up to the fence and waved, but he didn't even flinch. "See?"
"Right."
Kara and I walked further around the compound, towards the loading bay at the back of it.
There were two large trucks parked up beside the loading bay. One was open and I could see large crates inside. We found a hole in the fence and crawled through.
Being on the inside of the compound made it seem more dangerous – even if it wasn't the first, or second time that I had been there.
"See anyone?" Kara asked me.
I started to look cautiously around the building and into the loading bay. No one was there.
"I'll go first. Then you when Commandramon says to go," I ordered her.
Before she could answer, I rolled up against the truck. Pressing myself against the truck, I sidled alongside it. I could feel my heart raising and there was a gentle murmuring coming from around the front of the truck. There was a click as the driver side of the truck's door opened. In a swift, single movement, I dropped to the floor and rolled onto my back. I tilted my head back to see their dark brown army boots step out onto the concrete floor.
I expected them to walk towards the steps that led to a door inside of DEPT, but instead, they pointed towards Kara and Commandramon. As my head slowly moved to look at them, I saw my red baseball cap lying on the floor, parallel to my body, but not under the truck.
"Huh?" they murmured.
"Yo, Durphy! Hurry up!" I heard another soldier call out, attracting the owner of the army boots.
Yo? Since when did soldiers say yo?
I clamped my mouth shut and closed my eyes momentarily when the boots walked towards the stairs. Not by themselves- clearly 'Durphy' was going inside. When I was positive that it was silent, I rolled out from under the truck and grabbed my cap.
"That was too close." Kara came around the edge of the building and stood beside me. "Let's get this over with."
"Alright."
The silence indicated no soldiers, but as I peered around the front of the truck, I saw a metal panel beside the door. Like one of those locks where you need a specific number to get in.
"There's a pin code to the door," I murmured.
"That's nothing, leave it with me, come on." Commandramon went to the door and prised the cover gently from the wall.
Curious, I went over to him and watching him twiddle the coloured wires. When he connected two separate wires, a green light came on and there was a loud click as the door unlocked.
"Nice one, Commandramon!" I exclaimed, high fiving my partner. "After you, my man."
Inside, it was a little busier than my first visit to DEPT to investigate what they were doing with the Digimon. We dived to one side, onto a staircase when we saw a man in a lab coat step out of a room talking to their assistant.
"Yes, those results are intriguing. I'm surprised at how strong it is. I didn't expect such positive results," the man said enthusiastically.
"Indeed, but the boy hasn't revealed anything, not even when we threatened total deletion of his Digimon. He called our bluff. We could really do with having his Digimon here," the assistant replied.
Kara and I exchanged a mortified look before creeping up the stairs as the voices got louder.
"Maybe we shouldn't resort to bluffing so easily. Why don't you go and give the General these results. They could be what we are looking for to break the bond."
"Are you sure? Do you think the technology is ready?"
"Well, there's only one way to find out… Well, what are you waiting for? Go upstairs to see the General."
The word 'upstairs' echoed in my ears and we quickly scampered off up the stairs - trying to be quiet.
Commandramon opened the first door at the top of the stairs. It led us to a long walkway which was pressed up against one side of a room. The walkway was what looked like a large laboratory. There were scientists working away at a huge machine. Whatever the machine was, it was certainly important to DEPT.
Commandramon crept across the walkway and pressed himself against the door, blocking it in case anyone used the walkway. With that reminder, I pressed myself against the door, thankful that there was no window in it. Kara and Lalamon ducked down to have a closer look at what was going on.
A commotion happening down below caught my attention. I peered over the edge of the walkway to see Autumn getting hauled into the room below us.
"Autumn!" Labramon exclaimed, darting about the laboratory, dodging the scientists and soldiers.
"Do it, Labramon! Digivolve!" Autumn pressed something on the digivice attached to her wrist, which caused Labramon to glow.
I had to shield my eyes as a bright light blinded me. Through the gap between my fingers, I could see Labramon changing shape. The little dog like Digimon was growing so big.
"Labramon digivolve to Seasarmon!"
My head dropped a little as I saw a ginormous dog like creature which had a horn on its head and around his neck. Even from such a distance, I could still see his ferocious looking brown eyes.
"Autumn, look out!" he yelled in a strong, masculine tone.
His human partner dropped to the floor, her arms held up by the soldiers.
A door below us opened and in stepped the General, an assistant and another soldier.
"Sun's courage!" Seasarmon boomed.
"Woah…" I whispered when I saw the attack.
Numerous bright, white arrows coursed through the air and pierced the floor around Autumn, causing the soldiers to let go of her.
She crawled away and leaped up onto Seasarmon's strong back.
"Go, Seasarmon!" she screamed, gripping some of the horns around his neck in her hands.
"Not so fast, girlie. Go, soldiers," the General ordered, waving his arm forwards and pointing towards Autumn and Seasarmon.
The soldier dropped to one knee, lifting a large weapon to his eye level. As he fired it, a dark purple sphere shot out towards Seasarmon.
I heard Kara gasp and grip Lalamon tighter.
"Autumn!" Seasarmon jerked to one side, sending Autumn flying across the laboratory.
She rolled across the laboratory, tumbling away from any scientist or soldier. There was an almighty scream as she saw the sphere hit Seasarmon, just before he jumped away. The beast like dog crashed to the ground, shrinking in size.
Now, Seasarmon was much smaller –he was Labramon.
"Labramon!" Hope exclaimed, holding a limp Labramon in her arms. She scurried backwards as the soldiers closed in on her.
"Oh, this is too good. It looks like we have our test subjects." The General laughed loudly and stopped when he noticed everyone staring at him. "You said you needed a test subject, didn't you Mrs Wallis?"
My eyes grew wide when I recognised the assistant. It was Sarah.
"Amelia?" the General asked.
She lied to me. She lied about her name. How could she be so cool about it?
I was surprised that I hadn't twigged it before, her voice was slightly different to when I spoke to her before.
"Well… I mean- yes, but she's just a child," Sarah- I should at least call her Amelia now- protested. Her voice quivered, it was riddled with panic and a little fear.
"So? Go on then. Start it up."
Kara began to twitch. "Oh Lalamon, we have to do something."
"But Kara, what can we do?" Lalamon asked quietly. "We can't give our position away."
Kara looked down as if she knew the answer.
Amelia went towards the machine and started to play with the dials, switches and levers slowly. I had the feeling that she was stalling.
The soldiers prised Labramon from Autumn's grip, much to her protests and screams. Autumn lashed out, trying to deliver weak kicks.
"Autumn, no! Let go of her!" Labramon snapped as he was carried away and put into the right chamber of the machine. When the door closed, the little dog slammed into it, growling ferociously.
"Labramon!" Autumn screamed out helplessly. She was thrown into the left chamber of the machine.
"Start-up the machine!" the General called out.
Amelia pulled out a key from under her lab coat and put it into a key slot on the control board of the machine. She slowly turned the key and lifted a plastic lid over a red button, but she hesitated.
I watched the General stride boldly towards her and slammed a hand down on the red button.
"No!" Autumn screeched as she saw Labramon writhe in pain in the other chamber. She pressed her hand up against the glass and sobbed.
Then her knees buckled and she collapsed, clutching her head in pain
"Au- Autumn, don't… Don't worry, about me…" Labramon whimpered as a bright green hoop dropped down over Labramon's chamber.
"Lab-ra-mon!" she wailed.
The green hoop went down to the bottom of the chamber.
"Oh no," I whispered.
Labramon was gone. The right chamber was completely and totally empty.
"No!" I stood up and screamed in frustration, before freezing up when I saw all those eyes on me.
Oh no. What have I done? None of this would have happened if I hadn't stood by and watched Rocky get kidnapped.
A smirk crept across the General's face. "Look who it is. It looks like we have a few more volunteers." There was a glimmer in his eye that told me that we might be in complete and total danger.
Thoughts from AspiringWriterGirl = So a huge thank you to bubblytiger3 for allowing me to be so harsh and cruel just then to Autumn. And did you notice that there was another submitted OC laced into the story? NO? What?! :L
By the way, you can check out The Tangled Web topic in a forum called Digital Connections where I will keep you updated on the next publish date, opportunities to have your say in what could happen in the next chapter and just helpful little hints :B
So yeah, hope you enjoyed this chapter, let me know what you're thinking so far
