So far it seems this story isn't being well read, but hopefully it'll pick up sooner or later. If not, I'll have to start advertising, and that would involve me having a Demon Kiwi driving a motorized sandwich board, and think we'd all like to avoid that… *Small Kiwi with red eyes drives into the room with the sandwich board, his tail feathers wagging* Well, not Peewee. He likes stuff like that. *Peewee waves his foot* Why, I do not know.
Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do not own the rights to Digimon. Thank you for reading, if you are reading this.
…
"Hey, freak, where'd you get that gun?" A Digimon asked. I looked over and saw that it was a Tsukaimon with a group of DemiDevimon.
"I've had it since I Digivolved." I said with a shrug. "Why do you care? You don't have hands." They laughed as I got up from the small cliff I was sitting at. "That can't be the only reason you're here. What did you want?" There were six in all. Perfect in case they attacked.
"We want you to help us steal treasure from Myotismon." It said. I figured it was a female. I just caught that feminine undertone in her voice that would normally be hidden by the pitch. "There's a lot of nice stuff. Even some new guns. All you have to do is take out a few guards and help us get in, and we'll all be rich."
"I think I'll pass." I said. "I prefer hard work to thievery." They laughed again.
"Trust me, this will be hard work." She said. "Kill the guards, get into the safe, put the money and stuff in the bags, and then running out. A lot of hard work."
"Well, in your case the hardest part would be, getting the money in the bags." I said. She seemed confused. "Well, you don't have hands, so you'd have to put the money in with your mouth, and then carry it that way." She growled. "Besides, Myotismon wouldn't be happy to find his guards dead, and he'd definitely come after us. You're planning will get you all killed one way or another."
"You don't talk to pretty Tsukai like that!" One DemiDevimon said angrily. It flew at me and I ducked aside before I focused.
"Imp Fire Kick!" I called. I jumped as it turned as my foot burst into flame, and I kicked it toward its friends. Two went down with it and the other three seemed about to attack so I held out my hands. "Burning Fence!" I summoned a pair of pink and purple flames and threw them in front of me, where the erupted into a mesh fence that arced above me, as was my intent. They couldn't attack from the front, only from the sides or from one open point. Sure, I was at the edge, with only a few feet, but I still had my gun just in case. "Still want to fight? I'm not even trying." That wasn't totally true. My attacks did take a bit of energy, and I had just gotten done with my training. I was at just under a quarter of my usual stamina thanks to the two attacks I had used. I preferred just attacking with my hands and feet, but I didn't want them to keep attacking me. I hated fighting for the sake of protecting my life. If I fought, I just wanted practice, with no chance of anyone getting hurt or killed.
"Either you help us, or I tell Myotismon that you're plotting to steal his money." Tsukaimon said. I laughed.
"Try, and I'll shoot you." I said threateningly. She stepped back as I heard wings behind me, so I turned, drawing my revolver like lightning, and shot the four DemiDevimon in succession. They all fell as their bodies returned to their base coding. They'd never hit the ground. As I turned, they were backing away as the fence faded. The DemiDevimon suddenly opened its mouth.
"Demi Dart!" It called. It summoned a needle full of poison and launched it, but I just shot it, the bullet continuing on to hit it in the middle of the skull on its mask.
"Y-you're a freak." Tsukaimon said.
"What's your point?" I asked. She seemed determined to get away, but she wasn't flying yet. "I bet you're thinking 'did he fire five shots or six' right now." She swallowed, and I saw she really was thinking that. "Well, you just ask yourself one more question, 'do I feel lucky?' Well? Do ya, punk?" She rushed at me and I fired, but I just hit her left wing, blasting it off but not close enough to her head to kill her. Before I could react she smashed into me and threw us both off of the cliff. I struggled, knowing there were branches I could use my Burning Lasso on, but she wouldn't move away, and she was hitting me with her wing. 'Enough of this!' I focused energy into the barrel and put it to her head, making her laugh.
"Y-you're out of bullets now!" She cried. I couldn't stop my smirk.
"Badda-Boom Shot." I said darkly. She gasped as I pulled the trigger, and a crimson burst of flame cleared both sides of her head. I quickly threw her aside and formed the flaming rope. "Burning Lasso!" I threw it and caught a long rock, pulling the loop around it quickly, and I managed to catch my feet against the wall, but I heard a loud thud. I looked back to see I had landed against the wall not three feet from the ground. "No way." I laughed as I holstered my revolver and Tsukaimon's body vanished into code. I was tired, but thankfully alive. As I let go of the rope I heard a loud buzzing and looked around, and it hit me.
…
I opened my eyes as I sat up from my hammock and looked around as Arthur grabbed his alarm clock and switched the function off. I yawned as I dropped to the ground and stretched. Arthur just groaned loudly.
"I don't wanna go to school today!" He said pitifully. I walked over to his bed, knowing full well what his mother would do if she saw him like this. Grabbing the blanket I jumped pack and pulled it off of him, making him put his pillow on the back of his head. "Leave me alone Mao, I'm tired."
"Come on Artie boy." I said cheerfully. I climbed up onto a window ledge and looked out with a smile. "It's a beautiful day out." He groaned.
"For you or for me?" He asked. I laughed. It was dark out, very cloudy, with strong winds and a very high chance of rain.
"Point taken." I said. Jumping down, he got up and put his feet on the ground, rubbing his face. He got up and went to his bathroom as I walked over to my personal stand and grabbed my belt and put it on.
"Mao, did I dream about dinner last night?" He asked. "I, fell asleep on the couch, right?"
"About those guys from the agency?" I asked. He sighed heavily as I grabbed my revolver and looked at it before holstering it. "Sorry, but they were here." He turned on the sink and I heard him splash his face a few times before turning it off.
"And they really, offered us jobs?" He asked.
"That's how I remember it." I said. I walked over to the door and reached up to turn the handle. "They offered us a beginning level job in a new team."
"This is unreal." He said. "I… I need some time to think about it." I opened the door and turned as he walked out.
"Take all the time you need." I said. "But first, today is that thing in one of your classes where you're supposed to bring something interesting to talk about, right?" He put his hands to his head.
"Oh no, I forgot all about that!" He said quickly. "I don't have anything to take to show them!" I laughed as I turned, but he suddenly picked me up.
"Hey!" I said. "What's going on here?"
"Mao, I need a favor." He said thoughtfully.
"Arthur, I have a gun." I said. "They wouldn't let me in."
"I'll have you check it in." He said. "I'll talk to the principal before school starts, and he'll hold it for you." I squirmed. "If not, I'll give it to mom to hold onto for the rest of the day." He walked us out of the room and I gave up on getting loose as he jogged down the stairs.
"And you're carrying me, because…" I asked. He stopped at the door and set me down.
"Sorry, but this is kind of something I've been hoping on for a while." He said. "Come on, please, I kept telling everyone that I'm a Tamer, but they just won't believe me. I've got pictures, but they say I photo-shopped you in." I sighed.
"Fine." I said. "I'll help how I can." We walked into the kitchen and saw breakfast on the table, on hotplates to keep them warm, and a note. He walked over as I climbed onto my chair. "What does it say?"
"Let's see…" He said quietly. He picked the note up while I grabbed my plate and set it down, licking my lips.
"Sausage, an omelet, and hash browns." I said. "Your mom is really good to us." I grabbed a fork as he sighed.
"She called the school ahead." He said. I looked at him as I ate one of the sausages. "She got permission for you to have your gun in the school." I lowered the fork. "How does she do this stuff? She's, psychic, clairvoyant, something. You have to keep it unloaded and I have to hold your special bullets in my backpack, and it can't leave my person… You can't point it around at all. It stays in the holster until I show you to the others, and you're to participate in each class of the day somehow." I shrugged and continued eating, happily. "And, the reason she left the note is because I have to drive us to school. She had to take Kelly to an early class and won't make it back in time. After we're done, I want to get in early. I want to get into my art class so I can sign up for something." I nodded and began working on a cup of hot cocoa that was sitting on a hotplate. "Let's hurry." I shook my head and set it down.
"Not with your mom's cooking." I said. "Food this good needs to be enjoyed." He laughed. "I'm not speeding up for anything." I noticed a covered plate and opened it, and licked my lips again. "Then again, I think your mom wanted me to." He laughed.
"Tiramisu." He said.
"The one thing that'll make me eat fast." I said.
…
I looked at the clay in front of me and thought for a few moments. Just this class and then it was the last class of the day, the one where I would be presented. The idea behind this was that we were supposed to make the clay into the shape of something familiar, and then paint it. Apparently I would come back if I finished it, or take some tools home and paint to finish it, and then bring it in, and I would then talk about it and what it meant to me.
'What should I make this?' I thought. My dream came back to me and I grabbed a small knife and began carving it. Luckily it was about big enough for my plan. 'Yes, that should do just fine.' Luckily my memory was great, so I could easily make the clay into whatever form I wanted with the equal dexterity I commanded.
"So, Mao, what are you going to make?" He asked. I carved it in a specific curved, carefully.
"Something familiar." I said. "Had a dream about it this morning."
"Man, that memory of yours is amazing." He said. I nodded as I carefully worked the shapes I wanted near the head. I was fast, something that came with being a Digimon, and combined with my dexterity I could make this exactly what I wanted.
"Such speed and technique." The Teacher, 'Mr. K.' said. "You're quite good. Perhaps I could enroll you as my aide." I smiled a little.
"I think that might be a bad idea." I said. "So many ways to play practical jokes in here…" He laughed as I moved along the back end.
"May I ask what it is now, or is it a surprise?" He asked after a moment.
"A surprise." I said. "Even Arthur won't know what it is until I tell why I made it." I moved it along a specific path and began carving it out as Mr. K. walked away.
"Is that, a Patamon?" Arthur asked.
"Nope." I said. "Similar though." He laughed as I worked on the edges of the wings. "You know, the structure of a Patamon's wing is actually different than this one?"
"Really?" He asked. He was interested, genuinely. I knew this kind of stuff mostly because I paid attention. I pointed at the tips.
"Patamon wings are a little narrower." I said. "Just a little, but it does affect how well they fly. These wings, also have denser membranes, and are connected by slightly thicker bones. Here." I tapped near the spot carefully. "In full size, a fifth of an inch makes up the physical difference." He made a musing sound.
"Any other clues?" He asked.
"They're a little lighter despite the size difference." I said. "You'll know when I get the paint. Just don't spoil it for the others." I carefully made the sides to the right size, and then began working on the face. "Do you think I can get this class though? I like this. It's fun." He laughed quietly and I carefully turned the clay and thought about the image in my head. "Hmmm… With, or without… Would it be more interesting if I use the early part of my story, or the later end?"
"Does that mean I get to know what it is?" He asked.
"Later." I said. I shrugged and focused on a specific point. Remembering bad dreams was irritating, but for this class, it was okay. It would make for a decent story, and it might feel good to get it off of my chest. Just the story of 'taking down' the DemiDevimon and shooting the wing off of the Tsukaimon and falling down a cliff, only to snag a rock with just a few feet to spare before death. "The later part. More fitting, less to work on." As I worked, I carefully cut the wing away and finished the bottom portion of it when I raised my head quickly. "Arthur…"
"I know, I can…" He started. He was interrupted by his phone vibrating.
"Arthur, what can you, whatever you were going to do?" Mr. K. asked.
"Digimon Bio-Emerging." I said. Arthur answered the phone. "We might have to leave…"
"Y-yeah, I'll stay back then." Arthur said. "Okay… Th-thank you."
"Who was it?" I asked as he closed the phone.
"The Digital Guardian Agency." He said. "They're sending a guy, new guy, didn't get his name. He's got an Ultimate level Digimon who can handle the problem, a pair of BlackGreymon, nothing big." He ran his fingers through his hair before putting his phone away.
"How did they know you were planning to go?" Mr. K. asked. I just went back to work.
"They know some Tamers go to Bio-Emerging Digimon." Arthur said. "That's why the DGA was formed, because of people like, well, me, with Digimon like Mao." I nodded.
"Yesterday we took down a very angry Tyrannomon." I said. "An Agent of the DGA decided to step in, and they offered us a job last night. I guess, that's why they have Arthur's number." I tilted my head as I carefully worked on the underside.
"Well, I'm glad you'll be staying." Mr. K. said. "And I must say, the level of detail on your little sculpture is amazing, but why did you remove the ear?"
"Wing actually." I said. "I'll explain with the story that goes with her." I finished the last of it and nodded. "And now I just need some paint… Blue and white, and a little bit of red." I got off of my chair as Mr. K. laughed and guided me to the paint area. I jumped onto a small chair and looked for the specific shade. "Wow. You are well equipped for any painting situation." I took a small dark blue, a bright white, and a decent red.
"You'll need a good brush." He said, handing me a set.
"Thank you." I said. He nodded.
"Tomorrow, I'll be waiting for that story." He said. I nodded.
"I won't forget it." I said. "It's why I'm in this world and not the Dark Area of the Digital World." I got down and went back to the table, jumping up and setting the paint down while Arthur continued working. "Slow going?"
"I'm trying to make, a specific object." He said. "One that even you, will never guess."
"Buraimon." I said. He lowered his clay. "You've got a steep angle on the hat, and the cut was over the left eye. His sword was just a little shorter as well." He looked at me. "Hat, swords, we saw him yesterday." He laughed and went back to it as I began putting the paint onto a piece of paper.
"Wait, is that…" He started. I just nodded. "From the dream?" I nodded again. "You'll tell the class tomorrow?"
"It's a good story." I said. "Mr. K. said to go with the first thought that came to mind, she was the first thought that came to mine."
…
I leaned back as Arthur worked things out over the phone with the DGA. He wanted to come in after school, and we were just waiting on our turn. He was allowed since it was a 'job opportunity', and I told him I'd go with whatever he wanted to go with. So far he just wanted to see what it was all about, sort of look things over and make sure we knew what we were getting into.
"Mr. Rowe, are you ready?" The teacher, Miss Li, asked. Arthur shook his head and I got up and stretched as he closed the phone.
"I'm sorry, I…" He started.
"Just come up." She said. We walked up to the front as he put his phone away. "I believe all money for the bets should come forward now. Seeing as I was the only one who bet that he was telling the truth." As we got to the front, a large amount of money made its way forward. "That is two hundred dollars. Lucky me." Arthur seemed confused as she split the money and handed half of it to him. "And here is their formal apology." He slowly took it and looked at me as I shrugged.
"Don't look at me." I said. "I'm not enrolled here." He put the money away and cleared his throat.
"So, uh, this is Mao, my partner." He said, looking at the class. I climbed up on the table and sat down. "As you can see, he's a Digimon, specifically a GunImpmon. I'm not sure if there are others like him, but, if there aren't, I've got the coolest Rookie ever." There was quiet laughter. "And this is my Digivice, or, as I call it, the Digi-Optimizer."
"How does it work?" A girl asked.
"Well, I take this stylus…" He replied, taking it out. "And I use this screen, and move data from one part of his body to another to make him faster or stronger." I stood up and felt my legs weakening slowly as I flexed my arms. The muscles slowly grew and the class murmured quietly. "I can only move so much at a time, but this lets Mao keep up with fast enemies, grapple with strong ones, or just pack one very mean punch." I flexed just my right arm as it grew to nearly twice the normal size, and I gave a toothy grin as my body returned to normal. "It also lets me make sure I know every single move he can use. That, we can't demonstrate, but I can explain if anyone wants."
"What kind of attacks does he have?" The girl asked.
"Can he fly?" Another asked.
"Can he Digivolve?" A boy asked.
"Uh, let's go with the flying thing first." He said. "He can't, yet. And he can't Digivolve yet, nor do we have any idea if he can at all, or what he might be able to become. As for attacks, he's got a good few." He cleared his throat. "His most used one though is a variation of one used by normal Impmon. It's called Badda-Boom." I held my index finger out like a gun. "Most Impmon form a little fireball at their finger and just flick it out. Slow, but does the job of hurting an enemy. Mao uses what he calls the Badda-Boom Shot. He holds his hand like so…" I turned to face the side so they could see. "And moves his thumb like the hammer of a pistol. The fireball is hotter, flies much faster, and has force behind it that can actually knock unprepared or weaker Digimon on their backs easily." I turned back. "Then there's his favorite, the Imp Kick. He lights his foot on fire and then kicks his enemy in the face or chest, or in the butt if he can get behind them." The class laughed. "But the coolest attack, in my opinion, is his Blazing Lasso. He makes a line of flame with a loop at the end, and just like a rope lasso, he catches his enemy with it and holds them in place." I pantomimed using a lasso. "Recently, he held the mouth of a Tyrannomon shut to wear it down before another Tamer came by…"
"Hold on, Tyrannomon is a Champion." A boy said quickly. "He's a Rookie, right?"
"True, but he's a powerful Rookie." Arthur said. "We've faced a few Champions, and we've beaten them on our own. The only reason we were having trouble was because we couldn't surprise it. I've got proof." He tapped in a few commands on the wrist keyboard and beckoned the boy forward, and he held out the screen. "This is the data we gathered from defeating it the other day. The Digi-Optimizer scans opponents for weak points, but it also records the battles." I looked over and saw my dodging skills at work.
"Blazing Lasso!" My voice called from the device, but also from a nearby TV. I looked up as the lasso wrapped around the muzzle of the red dinosaur.
"We had a bit of help, in about…" Arthur started. I counted the seconds down until… "There he is."
"Buraimon, aid the gunmon!" The man called. Buraimon rushed forward quickly. "Give it a good one!" Buraimon approached rapidly and drew his sword.