Reboot
Chapter 7 - Champion
Location: Shinjuku
Time: 14:27
Despite more recent events life wasn't all that great for Rika Nonaka. She had just come back from winning the Digimon Trading Card Championship and yet she felt it to be a hollow achievement, just like everything else she had accomplished in her time. School grades were on track to be good, her prowess at her hobby was unmatched, yet nothing stood out for her as remarkable. She was, at the end of it all, a no one.
Rika had no friends, but partly because she didn't want any. Since her father left her and her mother she found it hard to trust anyone, so much so that she found it much simpler to label everyone as untrustworthy and push them away for her safety. It kept her lonely but to her negative emotions were her fuel. Loneliness, depression, anger. These kept her going when nothing else did. She would aspire to make something matter in her life, no matter the cost. Rika wasn't going to give up until she found that very thing.
She shrugged off her long black coat and allowed it to pool on the floor of her room, uncaring of the item she would likely kick about a few times in her travel until she needed it again. She wore a wardrobe choice of almost entirely black and red, a far cry from the things she had when she was younger. She wore a black lace trimmed shirt, v necked with short sleeves all ending in the lace floral details. A red bleeding heart was emblazoned on the front, pierced with what looked like bullet holes. Her lower arms were bare except for her wrist bands made of black leather with a silver buckle. A black skirt hung from her hips, one with a red underlay that almost looked like a second skirt underneath. Her legs were adorned with black and red striped thigh high socks and ended in ankle high black heeled boots, boasting their own collection of buckles and the odd spike. A belt sat on her hips, purely for looks and to hold her trading card deck holder and reader.
Rika reached back and removed her hair tie, allowing her dyed jet black hair to fall from its ponytail to its relaxed place atop her shoulders - ending just below them. Her bangs, both a rich scarlet, framed her purple eyes in a way she loved whether her hair was up or down. Her belt was loosened before she removed it and dumped it on her desk, also uncaring of its position. The card reader came off the belt but she didn't care.
She knew her mother would disapprove just like always, being a fashion model meant she upheld certain standards and looks which Rika cared nothing for. They saw little of one another given how devoted to her work Rumiko was, and when they did see each other it was usually brief and filled with arguments. Rika's choice of style and actions clashed heavily with Rumiko's opinion of what her daughter should wear and do.
For Rika though it was just another day, another hollow pointless achievement that did nothing to quench the overwhelming feeling of needing something lasting in her life. She was dark, ruthless, cold. She knew it drove people away but she wanted it, being alone was all she knew.
With a heavy sigh she flopped onto her bed and reached for her music. With her headphones on her ears drowning out the outside world she flicked through to find the chosen soundtrack to forget her days, the roar of death metal filling her ears and allowing her to shut down for a little bit.
As she laid there Rika reflected on her bleak outlook. She knew where her life was taking her, she knew she would end up alone and empty - having achieved nothing but solitude and isolation. She didn't know a way to break away from that path, and she felt like there was something else her life was made for. Something that was approaching her akin to destiny. Rika didn't believe in such things but the strong feelings she got whenever she thought about herself were beginning to sway her judgement on that.
Laying on her bed wasn't doing anything for her. With a sigh followed by a grunt Rika got up and retrieved her coat from the floor before heading out, planning on wandering around until she was bored or tired. Her mother would disapprove again like always but Rika didn't care. In fact if it annoyed Rumiko then it was definitely worth doing.
Rika left her room and allowed her booted feet to take her randomly from her home. Where she went she didn't care, just as long as she was moving. All she was focused on was the tug she felt on her life, the sense that she was meant for something greater.
Her walking took her to the park nearby, to her spot where she could sit alone in peace and let her thoughts play out. She kept her music with her as a distraction and for something to entertain herself with, humming along with the words in her ears.
Her thoughts were wandering for a while, so much so that Rika lost track of how long she was there for. All she knew was she heard a cry that brought her back to awareness. For a cry to penetrate her headphones and cut through her music meant it had to be close, or very loud.
She was on her feet in an instant, her blood felt cold in her veins. She could feel the fear in the scream almost as if she had done it. Her eyes scanned around her for the source, her headphones pulled off to sit around her neck. That was when she saw it.
Despite her beliefs Rika was staring dumbly at what she identified as a Veemon digimon, standing over a young teenage girl with a menacing look. It had a bipedal dragon like appearance with a slightly larger, more rounded head. Two long crinkled ears swept back on its head and an equally crinkled tail stuck out behind it. It had three clawed toes and five clawed fingers, and a little horn to match on its nose. It was blue all over except for the lower face, neck and chest area which were white, with a yellow triangle behind each eye and a yellow V between the eyes on its forehead. Red eyes bored into the teen on the ground, the posture very menacing. So shocked by the sight that she almost didn't hear the words.
"I won't ask you again human, where is the Digimon Queen?"
The young girl just whimpered and tried to crawl away, shaking her head. "I don't know what you're talking about, I don't know any Digimons or queens. Please!"
Rika snapped out of her daze, recognising the title the Veemon used. Was it looking for her?
"I'm here, dummy." She didn't know if it was bravery or foolishness that made her speak up, insulting the creature in the process. Nonetheless there she stood defiant and strong, as if her mother had told her to do something she didn't want to do again.
The Veemon shifted its gaze to her, seeming to study her up and down. It approached her methodically, tactfully circling her. "Yes. Yes it's you. The Digimon Queen. Interesting in person, you seemed more… well, more, in the presentation. No matter, your skills are what I require."
Rika turned her head to watch the digimon, quirking a brow at the words it said. "Skills? Look I haven't agreed to anything-"
"But you will." Veemon cut her off. "You will be my tamer and make me stronger than any other digimon ever has been before." It stopped before her and spread its arms out, seeing Rika move to object again. "Do not act like you have a choice human, you belong to me now. Because if I can't have you then no one will."
The threat created a veil of silence between the two, the teen from before having escaped a short while ago. Rika thought about objecting but she stopped herself. Not because she wasn't given a choice, and not because of the threat. No, she stopped because she could, would become a real life digimon Tamer. It would take her to a whole new level, who needed a tournament trophy and title when you had a real digimon to call upon?
"Alright, I accept your-"
"Accept?" It cut her off again, seemingly agitated. "Acceptance implies you have a choice, which you don't. You are mine, end of story. I don't want to hear another word from you about choice or accepting or anything like that. Ever."
Rika blinked dumbly at the Veemon chastising her, even if she felt its beliefs about Tamer and digimon were wrong she also knew if it wanted to it could do a lot of damage to her. Her silence and lack of reaction seemed to convince the digimon that she had accepted her role and lack of control over the situation. It snorted at her and made to walk off.
"Take us home Tamer, I am hungry and tired. You will fix those problems."
Once more Rika bristled at the situation, being told what to do was something she loathed in her life and this digimon was doing it too. But she knew about prioritising, it was more important for her to get Veemon out of sight before she had a good talk with the arrogant dragon.
Having stuck to the shadows of the evening light as much as possible Rika managed to lead Veemon to her home. The blue colouring helped it blend slightly with the shadows to avoid being spotted, although it did notice the slightly convoluted route she took.
"You took longer on purpose. Why?"
She turned to the digimon, irate with the attitude. "I took that route to hide you. Whether you believe it or not people can't be allowed to see you, because if they do you'll be taken away and cut open in some lab. And I'm sure you don't want that do you?"
Veemon just scoffed with bravado. "Do you really think I'm that weak that humans can beat me so easily?"
"No, but I believe the countless humans that would come for you would eventually beat you, if only because you ran out of energy."
She could see as Veemon pondered her words carefully, giving her the sign that it understood the importance of what she said. "I see your point Tamer. Very well, discretion is a valid tactic in this case. But you should tell me these things before you merely act on them."
Rike sighed and rolled her eyes. "It's not like you were being very friendly with me or listening to things I said, how was I supposed to say it when all you seem to care about is yourself and what you can get?"
Veemon took its turn to bristle at her. Just as it made to argue it stopped, then sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry Tamer. I've treated you poorly and I apologise." Rika's surprise was obvious even to the digimon. "I wanted to act strong and in control because in the digital world I wasn't. I hoped that by coming here and finding the Digimon Queen that I could become stronger than anyone else, and that I needed to act how I did to prove my strength." It looked up at her with a softer expression. "Will you forgive me?"
Her attitude softened to the digimon and she nodded. "That's what Tamers are for yes?"
Veemon's face contorted into a vicious scowl. "Weak." Rika could only recoil from the sneer. "Do you really think that I'm so pathetic that I care about your feelings, human? You're nothing! You hear me? Nothing! Without me you're life will never have meaning or purpose, because your only responsibility is to make me stronger, and obey what I say!" The digimon looked like it would strike her, but didn't. "No more words. Fetch me food and give me a bed. Those are your immediate and only concerns. Go."
It took a good few moments before Rika recovered from the outburst, her feet having taken her towards the kitchen before she could react. Whether she liked it or not, Veemon was the one pulling her strings now. And it was more than capable or severing them and leaving her lifeless whenever it pleased.