Episode 2: Breaking the Habit
Ryan put the watch on and looked at it.
"Hit the bottom right button!" his partner said, excitedly. Ryan slowly hit the button, and once he did, his right arm shook uncontrollably.
"Whoa..!"
"It's a nerve scan! So no one else can use the D-Plug. Every time you use it, it scans your nervous system to make sure it's you." Ryan's arm finally stopped shaking.
"Wow... Not bad..."
"By the way, my name's Kumamon!" the little Digimon greeted with a smile.
"Oh, uh, I'm-"
"Ryan, I know. I've been waitin' for a kid with the name Ryan Stacey for my whole life! ... That's you, right?"
"Uh, yeah."
"Good." He smiled again. "Now let's get home!"
"Yeah... Just don't let anyone see you."
"Got it!"
On the other side of town, in a large lake, a Seadramon came up out of the water and hissed. Ruki and Renamon ran up to the edge of the lake.
"This one's gonna be a real pain..." Ruki mumbled. "Good luck with it..." Renamon leaped into the air over the lake and shot an attack at it, to no avail.
"Whoa, what's THAT?!" Kumamon was referring to the ice crystals flying in the air in the distance. Ryan looked as well.
(Ruki..?!) "C-come on, Kumamon! Let's go check it out!" Ryan ran off, Kumamon trying to keep up.
"Diamond Storm!!" Another attack, same result. Seadramon was getting bored. He finally just swatted Renamon down with his tail, into the water, and held her there.
"R-Renamon..!!" Ruki gasped to her partner. "Argh! Why can't you evolve?! Oh man... Oh maaan...!"
"Bear Fist!" Suddenly, Kumamon flew into Seadramon with deadly force. Well, for a Child. Seadramon hissed and backed off, now changing his target to Kumamon.
"Renamon!" Ruki ran to the edge of the lake and dove in for her partner. Ryan, meanwhile, stood behind Kumamon, both ready to kill.
"Kumamon! Teach me how to use this D-Plug!" Kumamon looked back.
"Alright, not much time! Just hit the 'scan' button, and once you do, just yell out a command! WHOA!!" Kumamon jumped, dodging an Ice Blast attack.
"Alright, here goes..." Ryan sighed. He hit the button and it send a slight jolt through his arm. "M-Metal Parts!" At the sound of Ryan's voice, a flat green beam came from the D-Plug and went from the top of Kumamon to the bottom, attaching a steel helmet and claw to him.
"Bear Fist!!" Kumamon leaped at the Seadramon once again, this time whipping a steel claw at it. He slashed the Seadramon across the stomach and made him hiss. He slowly sank into the lake, and by the time his head was nearly under, he shattered. Kumamon, now free of armor, landed on the land as Ruki swam up to shore.
"Renamon!" Ryan called as he ran over to them. "You alright..?" Renamon coughed a little.
"Yes, I'm fine..." Ruki looked at Ryan.
"How did you...? What's that watch?"
"Oh, this?" Ryan looked at it. "It's called a... 'D-Plug'."
"I wish I had one... Renamon's been barely holding out as a Child lately..." Suddenly, a bright silver light shined from the D-Plug. "Whoa!"
"What the heck?!" Ryan jumped back in surprised. The light became a concentrated beam that found its way to Ruki's D-Arc, then it went into it and made it glow. Ruki dropped in in surprise as it became a metallic blue-colored D-Plug, and fianlly stopped glowing.
"Wow...! How'd you do that?!"
"I-I didn't! Man, this thing's freakin' me out!"
"Well... If it works.." She it on and just like Ryan, she was shocked. "Ow!!"
"Whoops, forgot to warn you," Ryan laughed. "It scans your nerves." Her arm stopped shaking and she rubbed it.
"Man, does it have to be so... .... Weird?"
"It seems a little strange to me..." Ryan mumbled. "So now what?"
"Don't know. I was supposed to do something... Can't remember now, though... Oh, CRAP!! I was supposed to go pay something! G-gotta go!" With that, Ruki and Renamon darted off. Ryan looked at Kumamon, Kumamon looked back, and then they just shrugged.
"Well, whatever," Kumamon sighed. Ryan sat down on the ground and looked out over the lake, Kumamon next to him. "So... Is it fun being a Tamer?" Ryan sighed.
"Yeah... But something still bugs me..."
"What's that?"
"... That shadow..." Ryan's heart stopped at the thought of it. "It could probably destroy me with one blow..."
"Not with me around, it can't!" Kumamon courageously assured him. Ryan laughed a little.
"Thanks. ....."
***FLASHBACK***
"Come on, I know they're sour, but be a man!" There was that woman again. Her name was Jenny - she was someone Ryan knew through his grandma. She was babysitting him last night. She found some extremely SOUR strawberries that Ryan wouldn't eat.
"Hey, what, just 'cuz I can't eat sour stawberries, I'm a little girl?" Ryan laughed.
"No, no, but you'd be more grown-up if you could!" Finally, she had enough. She started forcing him to eat them. Then, the scene of them in bed, and Ryan's conscious coming to him about midway through their 'session'. She leaned in and whispered to him, "I don't care about anything... Marriage, my kids... Nothing... I will TORTURE you until you give me what I want... Just like when I had to feed you... You liked that, didn't you...?"
[She was eleven years older than me! What was I thinking?!]
***END FLASHBACK***
Suddenly, the darkness ran through his heart again, and he held his stomach, leaning over. "A-aah..!"
"Ryan? You okay?" Kumamon asked, poking his arm. Ryan looked over at him from the corner of his eye.
"Kuma... mon....." he panted, and fell over unconscious.
"Ack! Ryan?!"
Ruki and Renamon walked through the streets, being stared at. Some in awe of her fame and beauty, some in awe of Renamon's ears other than that of her human state and her tail (she was in Gijinka form). Ruki couldn't really focus, since all she could think about was Ryan and his D-Plug. (That thing...) she thought. (What does it do, exactly? I mean, that was the same light that Kumamon used to repel Renamon that night. Is that light... ... What IS it?)
"Ruki?" Renamon's voice brought her back to reality.
"Oh, yeah, what?"
"You passed up the door." Ruki looked back where Renamon was to see the door she was supposed to go into.
"Oh, uh, sorry..." She turned around and the two walked into the room. An older lady greeted them at the desk.
"Hello, young ladies! How are you two doing today?"
"F-fine," Ruki studdered. She still wasn't fully in reality. The woman wrote down some things.
"Alright, you'll need to go take the test in the junior high building. It's to the left, across the street. Talk to Mr. Wosley."
"Alright, uh... Thanks." The two walked out and talked as they went.
"Ruki, where is your head today? You're never like this," Renamon asked, a little concerned of her partner's focus when fighting.
"Um... I just can't quit thinking about Ryan..." Renamon looked at her a little strangely, then Ruki stared at her expression momentarilly, trying to figure out what the reasn for it was. "... N-no! Not HIM! His D-Plug."
"Oh," Renamon said calmly, looking back at where she was walking. The crossed the street and got in front of the building. Suddenly, Renamon grabbed Ruki from behind and rolled around behind the side of the building.
"He-" Ruki started, but Renamon covered her mouth.
"Shh!" she whispered. "There's something dangerous behind that wall!" The two peeked around the corner at a dark-looking young man - a Gijinka or some sort. He had ears like Tailmon's, only gray, and a black and gray tail.
"It's just a Gijinka," Ruki whispered back. "Come on, he won't even notice us." The two rolled around the corner and slipped into the building. The Gijinka looked at the door at it shut, giving it a piercing glare.
(There they are...)
"Ryan?! Ryan! Wake up, kid!" Ryan's focus went slowly from blurry to clear as he saw Kumamon standing over him.
"What... Happened...?"
"You passed out. The D-Plug glowed about five minutes into your coma and woke you up."
"The D-Plug...?" Ryan slowly sat up and looked at it.
"Yep. Each D-Plug has a unique ability, so I heard. Maybe this one's to... wake up people?"
"Maybe...." Ryan stared at the D-Plug, wondering himself what the ability could've accomplished.
Ryan put the watch on and looked at it.
"Hit the bottom right button!" his partner said, excitedly. Ryan slowly hit the button, and once he did, his right arm shook uncontrollably.
"Whoa..!"
"It's a nerve scan! So no one else can use the D-Plug. Every time you use it, it scans your nervous system to make sure it's you." Ryan's arm finally stopped shaking.
"Wow... Not bad..."
"By the way, my name's Kumamon!" the little Digimon greeted with a smile.
"Oh, uh, I'm-"
"Ryan, I know. I've been waitin' for a kid with the name Ryan Stacey for my whole life! ... That's you, right?"
"Uh, yeah."
"Good." He smiled again. "Now let's get home!"
"Yeah... Just don't let anyone see you."
"Got it!"
On the other side of town, in a large lake, a Seadramon came up out of the water and hissed. Ruki and Renamon ran up to the edge of the lake.
"This one's gonna be a real pain..." Ruki mumbled. "Good luck with it..." Renamon leaped into the air over the lake and shot an attack at it, to no avail.
"Whoa, what's THAT?!" Kumamon was referring to the ice crystals flying in the air in the distance. Ryan looked as well.
(Ruki..?!) "C-come on, Kumamon! Let's go check it out!" Ryan ran off, Kumamon trying to keep up.
"Diamond Storm!!" Another attack, same result. Seadramon was getting bored. He finally just swatted Renamon down with his tail, into the water, and held her there.
"R-Renamon..!!" Ruki gasped to her partner. "Argh! Why can't you evolve?! Oh man... Oh maaan...!"
"Bear Fist!" Suddenly, Kumamon flew into Seadramon with deadly force. Well, for a Child. Seadramon hissed and backed off, now changing his target to Kumamon.
"Renamon!" Ruki ran to the edge of the lake and dove in for her partner. Ryan, meanwhile, stood behind Kumamon, both ready to kill.
"Kumamon! Teach me how to use this D-Plug!" Kumamon looked back.
"Alright, not much time! Just hit the 'scan' button, and once you do, just yell out a command! WHOA!!" Kumamon jumped, dodging an Ice Blast attack.
"Alright, here goes..." Ryan sighed. He hit the button and it send a slight jolt through his arm. "M-Metal Parts!" At the sound of Ryan's voice, a flat green beam came from the D-Plug and went from the top of Kumamon to the bottom, attaching a steel helmet and claw to him.
"Bear Fist!!" Kumamon leaped at the Seadramon once again, this time whipping a steel claw at it. He slashed the Seadramon across the stomach and made him hiss. He slowly sank into the lake, and by the time his head was nearly under, he shattered. Kumamon, now free of armor, landed on the land as Ruki swam up to shore.
"Renamon!" Ryan called as he ran over to them. "You alright..?" Renamon coughed a little.
"Yes, I'm fine..." Ruki looked at Ryan.
"How did you...? What's that watch?"
"Oh, this?" Ryan looked at it. "It's called a... 'D-Plug'."
"I wish I had one... Renamon's been barely holding out as a Child lately..." Suddenly, a bright silver light shined from the D-Plug. "Whoa!"
"What the heck?!" Ryan jumped back in surprised. The light became a concentrated beam that found its way to Ruki's D-Arc, then it went into it and made it glow. Ruki dropped in in surprise as it became a metallic blue-colored D-Plug, and fianlly stopped glowing.
"Wow...! How'd you do that?!"
"I-I didn't! Man, this thing's freakin' me out!"
"Well... If it works.." She it on and just like Ryan, she was shocked. "Ow!!"
"Whoops, forgot to warn you," Ryan laughed. "It scans your nerves." Her arm stopped shaking and she rubbed it.
"Man, does it have to be so... .... Weird?"
"It seems a little strange to me..." Ryan mumbled. "So now what?"
"Don't know. I was supposed to do something... Can't remember now, though... Oh, CRAP!! I was supposed to go pay something! G-gotta go!" With that, Ruki and Renamon darted off. Ryan looked at Kumamon, Kumamon looked back, and then they just shrugged.
"Well, whatever," Kumamon sighed. Ryan sat down on the ground and looked out over the lake, Kumamon next to him. "So... Is it fun being a Tamer?" Ryan sighed.
"Yeah... But something still bugs me..."
"What's that?"
"... That shadow..." Ryan's heart stopped at the thought of it. "It could probably destroy me with one blow..."
"Not with me around, it can't!" Kumamon courageously assured him. Ryan laughed a little.
"Thanks. ....."
***FLASHBACK***
"Come on, I know they're sour, but be a man!" There was that woman again. Her name was Jenny - she was someone Ryan knew through his grandma. She was babysitting him last night. She found some extremely SOUR strawberries that Ryan wouldn't eat.
"Hey, what, just 'cuz I can't eat sour stawberries, I'm a little girl?" Ryan laughed.
"No, no, but you'd be more grown-up if you could!" Finally, she had enough. She started forcing him to eat them. Then, the scene of them in bed, and Ryan's conscious coming to him about midway through their 'session'. She leaned in and whispered to him, "I don't care about anything... Marriage, my kids... Nothing... I will TORTURE you until you give me what I want... Just like when I had to feed you... You liked that, didn't you...?"
[She was eleven years older than me! What was I thinking?!]
***END FLASHBACK***
Suddenly, the darkness ran through his heart again, and he held his stomach, leaning over. "A-aah..!"
"Ryan? You okay?" Kumamon asked, poking his arm. Ryan looked over at him from the corner of his eye.
"Kuma... mon....." he panted, and fell over unconscious.
"Ack! Ryan?!"
Ruki and Renamon walked through the streets, being stared at. Some in awe of her fame and beauty, some in awe of Renamon's ears other than that of her human state and her tail (she was in Gijinka form). Ruki couldn't really focus, since all she could think about was Ryan and his D-Plug. (That thing...) she thought. (What does it do, exactly? I mean, that was the same light that Kumamon used to repel Renamon that night. Is that light... ... What IS it?)
"Ruki?" Renamon's voice brought her back to reality.
"Oh, yeah, what?"
"You passed up the door." Ruki looked back where Renamon was to see the door she was supposed to go into.
"Oh, uh, sorry..." She turned around and the two walked into the room. An older lady greeted them at the desk.
"Hello, young ladies! How are you two doing today?"
"F-fine," Ruki studdered. She still wasn't fully in reality. The woman wrote down some things.
"Alright, you'll need to go take the test in the junior high building. It's to the left, across the street. Talk to Mr. Wosley."
"Alright, uh... Thanks." The two walked out and talked as they went.
"Ruki, where is your head today? You're never like this," Renamon asked, a little concerned of her partner's focus when fighting.
"Um... I just can't quit thinking about Ryan..." Renamon looked at her a little strangely, then Ruki stared at her expression momentarilly, trying to figure out what the reasn for it was. "... N-no! Not HIM! His D-Plug."
"Oh," Renamon said calmly, looking back at where she was walking. The crossed the street and got in front of the building. Suddenly, Renamon grabbed Ruki from behind and rolled around behind the side of the building.
"He-" Ruki started, but Renamon covered her mouth.
"Shh!" she whispered. "There's something dangerous behind that wall!" The two peeked around the corner at a dark-looking young man - a Gijinka or some sort. He had ears like Tailmon's, only gray, and a black and gray tail.
"It's just a Gijinka," Ruki whispered back. "Come on, he won't even notice us." The two rolled around the corner and slipped into the building. The Gijinka looked at the door at it shut, giving it a piercing glare.
(There they are...)
"Ryan?! Ryan! Wake up, kid!" Ryan's focus went slowly from blurry to clear as he saw Kumamon standing over him.
"What... Happened...?"
"You passed out. The D-Plug glowed about five minutes into your coma and woke you up."
"The D-Plug...?" Ryan slowly sat up and looked at it.
"Yep. Each D-Plug has a unique ability, so I heard. Maybe this one's to... wake up people?"
"Maybe...." Ryan stared at the D-Plug, wondering himself what the ability could've accomplished.
