Chapter 5: Early Risers
"Brendan, get up!" Herpetomon said, shaking me awake. I sat up quickly, put on my glasses and saw that not only was it 3 in the morning, but Herpetomon was in alert mode and the D-Gadget was rumbling.
"Oh great, I don't believe this" I got up and put on some cloths. Herpetomon was staring at the wall, probably seeing through it to where the Digimon would bio-emerge. "Alright, let's go." I said opening the window. As before Herpetomon grabbed me and we jumped out the window. It was a freezing cold November night, or rather, morning. Herpetomon began running towards the merge point as I groggily followed.
"Be especially careful in this fight there'll be no back-up this time. We're the only ones crazy enough to be out at this time in the morning." I told him. He managed a chuckle through his generally serious and focused alert-mode demeanor. We were being led down a street that led to the ever-populated Rt. 18. We'd have to be careful since the Rt. 18 area is always bustling. I hope Herpetomon is rested enough because he'll need it. We soon reached the digital field and luckily it wasn't in the most populated area of Rt. 18. The field soon engulfed us and we were thrust into the familiar feeling of waiting for the unknown. I whipped out the D-Gadget while Herpetomon looked around for the emergence point. Then the display popped up. "Mushroomon, small, annoying, and fungal. Their attack is poison mushroom." I explained. "Don't worry about it, he's a rookie. You should be able to handle him." The bio-emerge started, only there were two spaces where Digimon were emerging. I was standing behind Herpetomon and the two Digimon emerged one next to the other in from of him. They appeared and they were in fact mushrooms.
"You are most unlucky," one of the mushroomon said. "Yes, you shouldn't have come, resistance is useless." Sneered the other.
"Is that so?" Said Herpetomon "Well, I think I'll take my chances" he said running up to them. They split and ran around him. "Poison Mushroom!" They both called their attacks. Herpetomon anticipated this and jumped out of the way of their attack. He landed quickly after their mushrooms flew past each other. Herpetomon lunged towards one of the mushroomon "Lizard Claw" He called. He hit the Digimon spot on and it was knocked back to the wall of a house nearby. Then his 'brother' dashed in front of him and defended him. "Poison mushroom!" He threw a small purple mushroom at Herpetomon. Unfortunately it hit him.
"Herpetomon, are you alright, what did that attack do?" I called to him.
"Ragh, I can't move, paralyzed." Herpetomon said, trying to move his arm. This is bad. The two mushroomon went back into their circling strategy again. Herpetomon was totally immobilized, and I felt utterly useless. It's times like these where I wished I could rush in and save him, but I couldn't risk that or we'd both die. I had to do something. The mushroomon both pounced on Herpetomon and began berating him. There had to be something I could do. I looked at the D-Gadget and began flipping through the channels. I figured the blank channel would grant some kind of hidden power, but alas, nothing happened. Herpetomon was in trouble he had been beaten to the ground.
"Herpetomon, I'm sorry, I wish I could help you, but there's nothing I can do." I called to him.
"Brendan, just trust in your relationship with me, feel the power inside of you, after all… you make me stronger." Herpetomon said meekly. I didn't understand what he meant, and I couldn't do anything.
"Herpetomon! I'm sorry! There's nothing I can do." I called. Suddenly from the D-Gadget I heard a voice say, "Flare activated" With that a brilliant light engulfed Herpetomon. He was able to stand up and he had soon come out of the paralysis. Then in a sudden burst he threw the mushroomon off him. They each went flying in opposite directions. Herpetomon stood up straight, and the brilliant light faded.
"Whoa, I don't know what that was, but I must say it was rather leet." I said with a laugh.
"How is that possible, how did he come out of the paralysis?" the mushroomon said.
"The power of my tamer set me free." Herpetomon said "Allow me to show you what else this power can do", he jumped at the smaller mushroomon, "Lizard claw!" This time the miasma around his claws completely annihilated one of the mushroomon. "Now it's your turn." Herpetomon said, turning to the other mushroomon. The other mushroomon ran, as to be expected. Herpetomon performed another jump, "Lizard Claw!" Like with the last one the mushroomon was completely destroyed. Herpetomon just stood there holding up his hand, which was still glowing green, then he turned and looked at me as his eyes were going back to brown.
"Oh my god, you are so cool!" I told him.
"You know it" Herpetomon replied. It was at this point that I remembered I still have school later. So we quickly ran home. Herpetomon jumped up through the window and I used the key under the doormat. I quickly got into bed because I needed the sleep now more than ever. Before I went to sleep I turned to Herpetomon and said "We both pretty much understand what that power was right?"
"Yeah, let's just leave the 'why' for later, again." He responded. It was mutually understood that this "Flare" is basically a short energy burst that can be used when the Tamer or Digimon is in dire straits. Like a Digivolving, but it Flare only lasts for a little while.
After a while I was fast asleep.
It's around 2pm on Monday. It's been a long day, everything seems so boring without Herpetomon around. I sat around in school tapping my fingers, itching to get home and see Herpetomon. I brought the D-Gadget to school with me, I kept it in my locker, but hopefully I wouldn't need it. I wonder what Herpetomon did on his day alone. I felt kind of lame leaving him alone, but there's really no way around it. Plus if he is like me then he enjoys he's peace and quiet.
Finally at 2:40 school ended. I went out to the bus where Anissa and the others were waiting. We went through the standard random and goofy afternoon conversations. The bus left at 3:00 and I was on my way home. We hit some traffic but I eventually got home at 3:30. I took a taxi so I wouldn't have to worry about other people coming and finding Herpetomon. Speaking of whom, when I entered the house I found him sitting in my room, drawing.
"Hey, how's it going" he said. Looking up from whatever he was drawing.
"My day was good. What did you do all day?" I asked, heading over to the bed.
"I slept almost all morning, then I watched TV for a while and than about an hour ago I decided to draw something." He said. I looked over his shoulder to see what he was drawing.
"And what did you draw." I asked because I couldn't make it out.
"I was drawing what I figure my higher forms will be. It's really nothing." Herpetomon said modestly. I could see that half of the sketches were huge behemoths with big gaudy horns and such.
"Wow, delusions of grandeur much." I said, Herpetomon began laughing.
"Yeah, well I'm no artist. You're the creator, why don't you draw some ideas?" Herpetomon suggested.
"Maybe later. I have tons of work to do." With that I set my things down and began down my homework. Herpetomon continued with his sketches while I did my homework. Things went on like this 'till mom came home and made dinner at 6:00. We had meatloaf. I ate plenty then when the parents left I brought some in to Herpetomon. I finished my homework in the afternoon and then we went to bed at 10:00. It was a pretty average day and I was glad I had a system we could go by.