This chapter is primarily for character development, but it serves to advance the story a ways, and introduce more information about the Optimizer. It's a tricky device, but once even basic understanding is achieved, it turns the Digimon tied to it (Mao) into a much more dangerous contender.

This chapter is brought to you courtesy of MitzvahRose, the first reviewer. Thanks are in order, so… Thank you MitzvahRose for liking this story. The rest of you, thanks as well, but not quite as much. Not enough I'm going to start handing out free cookies or dedicate chapters to all of you, but still, thanks.

You might notice I'm doing this stuff betaless lately. This is because my beta writers are busy with their lives and I'm not the type to try to say that my time is so important that it needs to be taken care of as I ask it so. No, I'm a patient Demon, so I will wait until they have some free time they don't mind letting me take up with my stuff. Otherwise, I'm on my own. That said, TomA62975 is an artist on DeviantArt. Look at his work if you'd like. He's very good (In this Demon's humble opinion), and has created a picture involving my little buddy, Peewee the Kiwi. *Small reddish brown Kiwi walks over and squeaks as he waves with his foot* Now, onto the Disclaimer.

Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do hereby state that I do not own the rights to Digimon. I own the laptop and have passable knowledge of the subject, and I like it enough that I'm willing to do research and come up with stuff like this. If, for some reason, the actual owners of the rights to Digimon want to use my characters for a new series and use this as the basis for the plot and/or Manga, I'll be happy to lend a hand now and then if you'd like. It won't happen, but hey, it never hurts to try, right?
…

"My, what a handsome Devimon you are." One of the three Rosemon said kindly. I smiled as she and her friends moved closer. I moved my arms around two of them as she leaned up to me, her hands on my bare chest. "Do you, have it in your heart to, take care of all three of us tonight?"

"I'll certainly do my best." I said softly. "I don't like seeing lovely ladies disappointed." They giggled together as she leaned a little closer, when something started buzzing. I groaned disappointedly. "Maybe next time, ladies."
…

I sat up slowly and sighed heavily as Arthur turned off his alarm. I dropped down to the floor as he put his pillow over his head.

"I hate your alarm clock." I said tiredly.

"I hate waking up." He said through the pillow.

"Well, were you having a dream like mine?" I asked. I walked over and yanked his covers off of him. "Three Rosemon, and I was a Devimon." He laughed. "Things were going great, and then that, confounded clock pulls me away." He sat up. "Rosemon. You know what they look like? They're, just beautiful. Mega level, and I was just a Champion!" He got up and walked into the bathroom while I grabbed my revolver. "Next time I'm going to unplug that thing, and I'm going to hide it!" He laughed as I sighed.

"Well, I was just dreaming about, the job…" He said, yawning at the end. "This, cute girl with a, an accent I can't quite remember…" He laughed. "I wish she was real. She'd be a great, eh, friend." I laughed quietly as I opened the door. I heard him changing as I walked out.

"I'm going to see if we're walking again." I said. He laughed as I walked down the hall. I walked down the steps and smelled something cooking, and I heard it too. I made the last step with a careful jump, landing silently.

"Mao, please don't jump the last step." Mara said. I lowered my head.

"How do you always know?" I asked. She laughed as I walked into the kitchen.

"I can feel the floor shake a little bit." She said. "You're light, but not that light." I laughed as I walked in and got up onto my usual chair. "I took Kelly in early so she could play with her friends. Is Arthur up yet?"

"I hate his alarm clock." I said. "I was having a good dream for once, and it's gone with a… Bzzzzz." She laughed as she set a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon in front of me.

"Arthur needs to get in early." She said. "And you're going with him again. You have that sculpture to talk about." I nodded as I grabbed the fork. "You know, I'm still amazed how dexterous you are. You have three fingers, and you can still hold a fork better than my son." I laughed quietly as I looked at my hands. "And you're a gunman. Excuse me, gunmon." I smiled as I heard Arthur walking down the stairs. "Don't jump Arthur. Mao tried, and failed to sneak it past me." He walked in and I laughed as he sat down. "Hurry up now. I want to make sure you get in early to talk to the principal about your new job. If you have to leave on a job, he needs to get the calls before you do so he won't bother me later." He nodded as she set a cup of coffee in front of him, and a cup of tea for herself while I reached for my glass of milk. "You too, Mao. We have to hurry." I nodded.

"I'll make an exception this time." I said. She laughed as I drank a third of the glass.
…

"So, Mao, I think it's your turn." Mr. K. said. I walked up to the front and set the small sculpture on the table before I climbed onto the chair, and then onto the table. "So, you've created a, blue Patamon?"

"Actually, it's called Tsukaimon." I said. "The day before I came to this world, I was in a place called the Dark Area, and I was resting at the edge of a cliff after a long day of training. A Tsukaimon came up behind me with a group of DemiDevimon, and they wanted me to break into a vault and steal some money from a Myotismon." I picked up the sculpture. "After refusing several times, she had them try to attack me, so I retaliated by shooting them all. I scared her, I guess, so she decided to attack me." I pointed to the wing. "I shot at her as she ran at me, but I just shot her wing off." I set it down carefully. "But she still tackled me and sent me over the edge, and I'd fired all six rounds from my revolver. She was trying to make sure she took me out, but I had the luck of being able to channel a fireball through the barrel. I finished her with it, caught a rock with my Blazing Lasso attack." I held my hand up with both fingers and my thumb held up. "Three feet from the ground." The class laughed. "One more second, and I wouldn't be here right now."

"That's quite the story." Mr. K said. "Does anyone have any questions?" I sat on the edge of the table and a girl raised her hand.

"What exactly brought you here?" She asked. I shrugged.

"Well, before that day I was being attacked, and I never did find out why." I said. "I was given a way to this world, so I figured I'd take a chance and try to avoid fighting for a few years… So far, I've been unsuccessful, and I'm going to work for the DGA…" I laughed with the class for a moment. "Arthur, remind me again why I'm still your partner." He laughed with us all, but the girl raised her hand again.

"But, what exactly brought you here?" She asked. "Did you Bio-emerge like most Digimon do, or did you find a portal?"

"I made it to a portal." I said honestly. "It led to the computer classroom… It was the afternoon, and Arthur was helping the teacher move some things." I looked at her and saw that she wore a green jacket and a dark gray shirt, but her eyes were covered by brown hair. "We talked for a bit about where I was, and the next thing we know there's some strange light covering his arm." I pointed to Arthur as he held up the Optimizer. "That appeared, and it had a picture of me on it, so we figured, rightly so, that Arthur's my Tamer." She was quiet and no one else raised their hands, oddly enough.

"If there are no more questions?" Mr. K. asked. No one asked anything so I slid down to the floor.
…

"Okay, now that we've got the paperwork out of the way." The chief said. He pulled something out of his desk and held them out. "Here are your badges." Arthur slowly took his while I stood up and leaned forward, putting one hand on the desk as I reached out with my other hand. I took the badge and moved back, looking at it. It looked like a modern police 'shield', made of polished brass, with the letters 'DGA' written in the center, and 'Digital Guardian Agency' along the top. "Memorize the badge numbers, and always keep them nearby. Never forget these." He leaned forward, so Arthur and I did as well. "They have GPS tracking chips in them, so that's another reason to keep them close." He moved back and pulled out his own, which was more ornate with silver lettering and a little more polish. "If you're ever in a scrape, press the DGA down and it'll activate an alert that'll tell us you need help and can't call in." He put his badge back and Arthur put his in his shirt pocket while I clipped mine to my belt.

"Thank you, sir." Arthur said. "We'll make sure to take care of them."

"Mine won't leave my belt unless I'm polishing it." I said. "I just hope I don't accidentally set off the alarm."

"You need to use a bit of force on it." He said. "I polish mine every night." He laughed quietly. "But that's enough about this. You should go meet your immediate superiors. Head over to the lab and meet them by the requisition office, pick up your basic gear, and get acquainted with the lab techs." He saluted, which we returned as Arthur stood up. I jumped off of the chair and we walked out. "Welcome to the DGA gentlemen." We walked out and turned down the hall, and I smiled as I put my hand on the badge.

"So, how do you feel?" Arthur asked. "You're a real officer of the law now." I smiled wider.

"I've been dreaming of a moment like this for a long time." I said. "Ever since I was a Tin Yaamon." He laughed.

"You dreamed about a lot as a Tin Yaamon." He said. "You've had Baffle since just after you left that stage." I grinned.

"Yup." I said. "And so far, things are looking up." We walked into the lab and toward a caged area, and I couldn't help but spot Percy standing by it with Scott on his shoulder. Scott looked back and I waved. He tapped Percy's shoulder and he turned.

"Hey, look who it is." He said cheerfully. "Arthur, Mao, it's good to see you, mes amis." Arthur laughed as he walked over and shook Percy's hand. "How have you been?"

"A little busy, at school, but we're great." He replied. "We, uh, we signed on after all." Percy laughed and Scott smiled as I jumped up and grabbed the table in front of the cage near the window and pulled myself up to see over it, though I didn't climb onto it. "We're supposed to meet our, immediate superiors here?"

"Ah, this is incredible; I am here to meet my new partner." He said. "I was told I would know him by his badge number." I looked over as Arthur pulled out his badge. "Yes, this is it. Seven, six, one. You are my new partner." He patted Arthur's shoulder, and Arthur just laughed. "I had a feeling about you two. The chief asked what I thought of you, and I told him you would make a good agent, and Mao looks powerful for a Recrue, a Rookie. I never would have thought he'd make you my partner." Arthur smiled as I looked back when a glass container was pushed forward onto the table by a young woman wearing glasses.

"Mr. Rowe?" She asked. I pointed my thumb over my shoulder and she giggled, reaching out and patting my head. "I know, silly Impmon." I smiled as she looked up, setting a clipboard down as I looked at the contents of the container. "If you'll just sign this, I can give you your basic equipment, and I'll be back with your battle gear."

"B-battle gear?" He asked. I saw a set of keys, a few cards, a smart phone, and two small headsets.

"Yes, just precautionary things in case a Digimon gets too close." She said. "I trust that this cute little Impmon will keep you safe, but just in case you need a little help, we want all of our Tamer teams to be safe and ready for anything." He signed as I took the cards out and looked at them. "So, here you, oh. Yes, that's a gas card. The keys are labeled, but one is to a vehicle that will be signed out in your name."

"A vehicle?" Arthur asked.

"Yes, because you have your driver's license." She said. "Mr. Canterbury doesn't drive." I looked over at him while Arthur looked up.

"I prefer to walk or ride my bicycle." Percy said. "I am not much of a driver. Some would call me 'Lead Sole Percy'. Once I press down on the gas, I just press it to the floor." He laughed. "And there are not many cars I can fit into easily." They both laughed as I looked at the card while the young woman cleared her throat.

"Continuing, the card is to pay for gas only." She said. "But you can use it for other vehicles you own or purchase. The other card is a keycard meant for your room."

"Room?" Arthur asked. She nodded as I looked at the smart phone.

"You have the option of staying here to rest." She said. "No cost to you as well, you can just stay here, with access to a washroom, as well as a personal locker to keep a few things you might want to have on hand. You don't have to worry about it, but it's good to have the option." Arthur nodded as she held out her hand, so I handed her the phone. "This is a pre-paid company smart phone, and it's completely yours. The plan is great, unlimited minutes, unlimited texting, camera, video, and unlimited internet. You don't need to worry about paying any bills, it's all taken care of." She handed it back to me and I looked at it. "And these headsets are for keeping you away from the battles but still letting you stay in contact with your partner." She handed one to Arthur while I put the other one on my belt. "Part of your kit includes replacement batteries. They don't go through them very fast, but replace them as you need them, and remember that you can ask for more whenever you need them."

"Thanks." Arthur said. I handed him the phone and the woman nodded.

"Mr. Canterbury, would you let him know what's in the combat kit?" She asked. "I'll go and get it for him."

"Of course Melissa, take your time." He said. She giggled as she walked away with a smile. "So, your kit comes with some very useful stuff. Uh, do you have a firearm license?"

"N-no." Arthur said. "Mao does the shooting."

"Well, they'll get you a license later then." Percy said. "Standard procedure. Until then, we'll have to let Mao use it. Hope you don't mind a modern sidearm." I laughed.

"I'll use it if I have to." I said. "Save on reloading."

"That reminds me, how much do you spend on bullets?" Percy asked.

"Nothing." I said. "I make my own." I dropped down and held out my hand. "It's a technique unique to me, as far as I'm aware at least." I focused and lowered my voice to a hiss. "Shadow Reload." A single bullet appeared in my palm. Percy snapped his fingers.

"I forgot about that part." He said. "I saw that in the video." I let the bullet go and it disappeared as it fell. "So, apart from the pistol, a forty five, you will have a baton, a set of brass knuckles, and a stun gun. Not much, but it gets the job done. So far, I have not had to use any of it, but I am glad to have it." He opened his coat and gestured to a handgun. "So far, I have the fifth highest shooting score in the agency. I wish you good luck on your proficiency test." Arthur rubbed his head and I heard something being set down. "Ah, here it is. What I told you was your matériel de l'infraction, your offensive equipment. As you can see, there is a vest here, and it is quite tough. They had to special order one for me, and it is still being shipped. It is the best available." I looked up as Arthur slowly took the vest. "Bulletproof, stab-proof, and yet it is very lightweight. Your shoes will be specially grounded in case of electrical attacks, and there are a pair of glasses that will let you zoom in on the battle, as well as adjust to changing light conditions. Retour en haut de l'équipement de ligne, top of the line equipment." I jumped up again as a few magazines were put on the table.

"Did I hear that you don't have a license for a firearm yet?" Melissa asked. Arthur nodded. She held the handgun out to me. "Then don't let him have this until he has that license." I took it and looked it over as I dropped to the floor again. It was a decent model, a Springfield Armory with a red grip and a fourteen round magazine. It'd definitely be useful against Rookies, but not much higher than that. Maybe as a noisemaker or distraction tactic, but otherwise it'd be just something to annoy Champions or higher leveled Digimon. "By the way, Mr. Rowe, the scientists found something interesting about your Digivice." I looked up at him as he looked at the Optimizer. "They said that there's some kind of emitter on the forearm near your wrist." She reached out and tapped a round spot that had a small lens. "Did you ever notice the button behind it?"

"No, I didn't." He said. He looked at it as he turned a little. "Do they know what it does?"

"They don't, but they suggested you try it out." She said. "They think it might be some kind of improved scanning system." He looked at the spot and then at where she'd touched it. He pointed the lens at me.

"I hope that isn't some kind of weapon." I said. He looked at me for a second before he pointed it to my left and pressed the button. A small flat light moved up and down for a few seconds before the Optimizer beeped twice. He looked at the display as we all looked at him, and I saw a few scientists looking over.

"No target." He said. "Scan, incomplete. It is a scanner." He pointed it at me. "Okay, let's see what it says about you." He pressed the button and the light moved up and down my body for a second before it beeped at a higher tone. "Scan complete. Subject, Mao? It knows your name. Let's see, age, seventeen? I thought you were like, ten." I crossed my arms.

"Sixteen years in the Digital World and one here." I said with a shrug. He looked at it.

"Unable to acquire further data." He said. "Subject linked to Digi-Optimizer. Wearer name… It knows my name." He held it out and I looked at it.

"So it does." I said. "Hey, Scott."

"What?" He asked warily.

"Mind posing for a scan?" I asked. He looked at Percy as he reached up. Scott jumped onto his hand and then to the ground near me.

"Does it feel funny?" He asked.

"Not really." I said. "A little warm, but nothing to worry about." Arthur pointed the lens at Scott as he turned.

"Well, okay." He said. "If it doesn't hurt." Arthur pressed the button and scanned Scott, and the Optimizer let out two higher pitched beeps. "What was that?"

"Scan complete…" Arthur said. "New, attack?" I felt strange for a moment, like the Optimizer was doing something, but it was different from physically changing me. "Bubble Blast?"

"That's an attack I use." Scott said. "It's a big bubble full of air. It isn't very strong, but, an Impmon can't use it, even if Mao is different." Arthur held the screen down to me and it showed an image of me inhaling deeply, my stomach expanding until I exhaled a large purple bubble almost as big as my body. Images appeared in my head and I stretched my arms.

"Maybe I can." I said. "I mean, the Optimizer can modify my data so that I can be stronger or faster, so, maybe it can add some data that would let me mimic attacks. It's not impossible. If you absorb all of the code of another Digimon, you can use some of their attacks, right?" They all nodded. "So, maybe this is a way for me to do that, and not have to delete another Digimon, or learn it in advance for a fight."

"I'd like to see that." Scott said. "It'd sure be useful." I nodded and put the handgun in my belt as I turned and jumped up to the table and grabbed the holster for it.

"We'll figure it out later." I said. "I think Arthur and I should probably be heading home soon. His mother said she's making steak tonight, trying a new recipe, and I don't want to miss that." They all laughed as I clipped the holster to my belt.