Chapter 5: In All the Old Familiar Places
"So basically, what you're saying is," Jack slowly summarized, "that you're monsters from another dimension created by the Internet, and we're some of, if not the, only people who know about this?"
"Pretty much," Zurumon said.
"Okay," Jack replied. "I just wanted to make sure I had that straight."
"I must say," Choromon added, "that you're taking this awfully well."
"Eh, I've had some strange dreams in the past. I'm sure I'll wake up from this one shortly," Jack answered.
"Now really," Megan said, "do you honestly think you'd dream about someone like me? You want me to pinch you? How about a slap? A slap's good too."
With that she, none too gently, slapped Jack upside the head.
"Nice one!" Zurumon cheered.
"Why I oughtta." Jack leered, facing Megan angrily.
"Now come on you two," Choromon reprimanded. "There is a time and a place for violence. This is not it."
"Yeah, yeah," Jack grumbled, "So this isn't a dream. I must be losing my mind, that's it."
"In order for that to happen, you had to have a mind to lose." This came from Zurumon.
"Zing!" Megan chuckled. "Huhhh, so, now what?"
Jack looked at his watch. It was getting late.
"I don't know about you," he said, "but I've got a party to go to. Is there any way you could, umm, turn off? This has got to be murder on my batteries."
"You don't have to worry about that," Choromon reassured him, "We're using our own power source. Your batteries aren't doing anything."
"Fine, just don't start talking. I don't know how I'm gonna to explain this to anyone."
"I will observe the goings on in complete silence, I assure you."
Jack flipped his cell phone shut, a window on the cover allowing the LCD screen to show through, and clipped it to his belt.
"Maybe I'll see you around somewhere," he said to Megan, as he walked away. She shook her head and smirked yet again as she walked off in the opposite direction, phone to her ear, apparently having a conversation with Zurumon.
As Jack turned, he could have sworn he saw a shadow in an alley way move. It was probably just an optical illusion. Jack sighed and climbed into his car. He had to hurry, if he was going to be on time for Lisa's party.
*******
A lone figure stood in the alleyway, its body cloaked in darkness. It observed the two humans talking to their phones. It looked like the boss was wrong, there were still some left, at least two. This was a matter of utmost importance, and now time was of the essence. If something major wasn't done soon, they would have to begin ahead of schedule. The boss would not like that at all, but then again, the boss never liked anything. The figure relaxed its concentration, allowing its physical body to fade as its essence returned from whence it came. It needed to strike hard, fast, and in the least expected place.
*******
Jack arrived at his house a few minutes after he left the arcade. It was time to get his party on. He went all out, putting gel in his hair ("Makes me glad I don't have that stuff," Choromon remarked), getting into his best casually formal clothes, splash of cologne, the works. Jack checked himself out in the mirror.
"Snazzy," Choromon declared. "You humans sure do clean up well."
"Thanks, I think."
Jack pulled up to Lisa's apartment building. It was time. He knocked on the door, and his sister let him in.
"Don't embarrass me, little bro, or I'm gonna have to hurt you, got me?" she warned Jack.
"Will do!" Jack said, snapping to attention with a mock salute.
"Yeesh, did you use enough cologne? It smells like Calvin Klein exploded on you."
"Excuse me, sis, I've got to be a gracious guest and say hello to the host of this little suaree."
"Looks like that word of the day calendar paid off," Jack's sister remarked to his back.
Jack ignored her, and spotted Lisa off in a corner, talking to someone. He made his way over to the pair, but stopped short when he saw whom she was talking to. Her friend turned, and looked at Jack.
"YOU!!!" they both said in unison.
"Well," Lisa said, "I'd introduce you to my friend Megan Johnson, but it looks like you two have already met."
"So basically, what you're saying is," Jack slowly summarized, "that you're monsters from another dimension created by the Internet, and we're some of, if not the, only people who know about this?"
"Pretty much," Zurumon said.
"Okay," Jack replied. "I just wanted to make sure I had that straight."
"I must say," Choromon added, "that you're taking this awfully well."
"Eh, I've had some strange dreams in the past. I'm sure I'll wake up from this one shortly," Jack answered.
"Now really," Megan said, "do you honestly think you'd dream about someone like me? You want me to pinch you? How about a slap? A slap's good too."
With that she, none too gently, slapped Jack upside the head.
"Nice one!" Zurumon cheered.
"Why I oughtta." Jack leered, facing Megan angrily.
"Now come on you two," Choromon reprimanded. "There is a time and a place for violence. This is not it."
"Yeah, yeah," Jack grumbled, "So this isn't a dream. I must be losing my mind, that's it."
"In order for that to happen, you had to have a mind to lose." This came from Zurumon.
"Zing!" Megan chuckled. "Huhhh, so, now what?"
Jack looked at his watch. It was getting late.
"I don't know about you," he said, "but I've got a party to go to. Is there any way you could, umm, turn off? This has got to be murder on my batteries."
"You don't have to worry about that," Choromon reassured him, "We're using our own power source. Your batteries aren't doing anything."
"Fine, just don't start talking. I don't know how I'm gonna to explain this to anyone."
"I will observe the goings on in complete silence, I assure you."
Jack flipped his cell phone shut, a window on the cover allowing the LCD screen to show through, and clipped it to his belt.
"Maybe I'll see you around somewhere," he said to Megan, as he walked away. She shook her head and smirked yet again as she walked off in the opposite direction, phone to her ear, apparently having a conversation with Zurumon.
As Jack turned, he could have sworn he saw a shadow in an alley way move. It was probably just an optical illusion. Jack sighed and climbed into his car. He had to hurry, if he was going to be on time for Lisa's party.
*******
A lone figure stood in the alleyway, its body cloaked in darkness. It observed the two humans talking to their phones. It looked like the boss was wrong, there were still some left, at least two. This was a matter of utmost importance, and now time was of the essence. If something major wasn't done soon, they would have to begin ahead of schedule. The boss would not like that at all, but then again, the boss never liked anything. The figure relaxed its concentration, allowing its physical body to fade as its essence returned from whence it came. It needed to strike hard, fast, and in the least expected place.
*******
Jack arrived at his house a few minutes after he left the arcade. It was time to get his party on. He went all out, putting gel in his hair ("Makes me glad I don't have that stuff," Choromon remarked), getting into his best casually formal clothes, splash of cologne, the works. Jack checked himself out in the mirror.
"Snazzy," Choromon declared. "You humans sure do clean up well."
"Thanks, I think."
Jack pulled up to Lisa's apartment building. It was time. He knocked on the door, and his sister let him in.
"Don't embarrass me, little bro, or I'm gonna have to hurt you, got me?" she warned Jack.
"Will do!" Jack said, snapping to attention with a mock salute.
"Yeesh, did you use enough cologne? It smells like Calvin Klein exploded on you."
"Excuse me, sis, I've got to be a gracious guest and say hello to the host of this little suaree."
"Looks like that word of the day calendar paid off," Jack's sister remarked to his back.
Jack ignored her, and spotted Lisa off in a corner, talking to someone. He made his way over to the pair, but stopped short when he saw whom she was talking to. Her friend turned, and looked at Jack.
"YOU!!!" they both said in unison.
"Well," Lisa said, "I'd introduce you to my friend Megan Johnson, but it looks like you two have already met."
