A few weeks without posting, I just don't know why. But I'm posting now, late into the day. Again, I don't know why. But here we are, chapter ten of Digital Sheriff (Name can still change if anyone's got anything better). I'm also taking a few OCs, but reserve the right to refuse if I can't think of a way to use them. And they won't appear for a while anyway because of the stocked chapters I've got setting up.
Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do hereby state that I do not own the rights to Digimon. Thank you, and good night/day/whenever-it-is-for-you-when-you-read-this-story.
…
"So, do you think you're ready to go in?" Arthur asked. I nodded as he pulled on his hoodie. "Good, because Annabelle keeps asking if you're alright. I keep saying 'you know Mao, he wouldn't tell anyone but my mom if he wasn't feeling good'." I laughed quietly as he pulled his cap on. "I'll say this, you've got better luck with girls than I ever will. I mean, you have not one, not two, but three female humans worried about you." I counted on my right hand.
"Annabelle, Mara, and Kelly." I said. I got up from the floor as he got his keys.
"Yeah." He said. "And don't forget Daisy. She's worried too. How often does someone have an artery opened by the equivalent of a bullet and not die from it?"
"Depends on how close a surgeon is when it happens." I said. He opened the door and I followed him outside. "So, back to base."
"Yeah, and I heard from Percy that we're getting an assignment to go to a school." He said. "It's their career day, and the chief thinks we're the best choice this time around. I think it's a Junior High. Percy's going to talk to the others with Scott while Ann and Daisy do a speech on how Digivices are used in a battle situation. Me and you, we're there to test any hopefuls. If anyone has a Digimon, we can offer practice battles in the courtyard. No Baffle, no Red Tips, and be careful with your fire." He looked at me and I nodded.
"Got it." I said, making the OK gesture.
"We'll head to base, talk to Percy, load up the stuff we'll need, and, go to the school." He said. "Honestly, I just hope we don't make fools of ourselves." I laughed as he unlocked the door, and I jumped up, but he pointed at the seat.
"Fine…" I said. I grumbled as I got into the booster seat. "You know that if I ever manage to naturally Digivolve, I'm making good on my threat to destroy this thing." He laughed as he closed the door and started the engine. He got ready and started driving while I looked ahead. "Any chance we can stop somewhere and get breakfast first?" He laughed.
"Mom packed us lunch." He said. "Think you can ignore it for a few hours?" I thought about it.
"I can." I said. He turned a corner as I crossed my arms. "Why do I have to sit in this seat here, and not in Mara's car? Not one police officer ever pulled her over because I wasn't in a car seat, no one from the DGA bugged us then, so why now?" He shrugged.
"Beats me." He said. "But rules are rules. I don't want to get called into the chief's office and get yelled at because you won't sit in that thing."
"You try it." I said. "My tail's pushed up my back, or smashed under my leg, or just otherwise uncomfortable." He smirked and I tried to lean back. "And it's not exactly made to let me lean back even a little."
"Well, we could cut a hole in the back…" He said. "I'm not sure how we could lean it back. Unless you have an idea."
"Hinges, cut it in half so it'll move a little." I said.
"No, I don't think that'd work." He said. He turned again. "Just, bear with it. I'm sure you'll Digivolve soon… Is there, like, a usual age where Digimon do that naturally?" I blinked.
"How would I know?" I asked seriously. "I lived alone my whole life. More or less, I just… I don't know."
"Well, when did you first Digivolve into a Rookie?" He asked. I thought for a few minutes.
"Let's see…" I said quietly. "I think, I was about eight days old, after I hatched, when I went from Fresh to In-Training… And, two months from there, to Rookie… And it's been, a little over sixteen years from there." I scratched my head. "No consistency with me so far."
"Well…" He said slowly. "What about… Well, can't be your diet. What about what you were doing?"
"No, that has little, if anything, to do with it." I said. "The only times it does have something to do with it is like, certain armored Digimon. With some, it just appears, but with others, being in an area with the metal makes Digivolving a lot easier and much more likely."
"If only we knew what your next form was, we could try to find a way to do that." He said. He slowed to a stop in the parking lot and turned the engine off as I undid my seatbelt. "Hey, before we head in, don't try to prank everyone by acting tired or weak. I'm sure Annabelle would not stop yelling at you for the rest of the week." We both laughed as I opened the door and jumped onto the step and then the curb before closing it. He got out and looked at the door. "Oh, and I'm sure Daisy's going to hug you again." I sighed.
"Well, thanks for warning me…" I said. "Okay, I'll need a chair, and a six foot stick." He laughed and walked past me while I moved my tail a little.
…
I let out a quiet breath while Arthur flipped through the magazine. We had two hours until they would be ready. Daisy was standing in the sun, just enjoying the light. Or possibly photosynthesizing. Annabelle and Percy were talking while Scott rested on Percy's shoulder. I'd long since lost the topic, just a step away from sleeping.
"Hey, Mao, check this out." Arthur said. I opened my eyes. I was on my stomach on cold stone, my arms at my sides and my tail resting between my legs. As I looked at the picture, I blinked.
"I was pretty close to sleep there…" I said. "Blurry…" He moved it closer and my eyes widened as I whistled. "Nice. I like it. Nice body there."
"Who's got a nice body?" Daisy asked. The others looked over as Arthur turned the magazine, and I closed my eyes. "A gun?" I moved my arm over the page and Arthur guided my finger.
"Note, the slide." I said. "Here, are shallow vertical grooves to let you, grab it more effectively." He moved my finger to the right a little. "The hammer, has similar grooves on the top, to help you pull it back if you feel like it." He moved my finger to the left. "And the end of the barrel, has this compensator, to reduce recoil."
"How do you know where he's pointing your finger?" Annabelle asked.
"I know guns." I said tiredly. "GunImpmon, remember?" They all laughed as he let go of my hand and I moved it back to my side.
"Eyes closed, magazine facing away, and you trust Arthur?" Daisy asked. "Maybe he got the hammer and barrel backward."
"I know which way the magazine is facing." I said. "So I know which way the gun is facing…" I yawned quietly. "And besides that, one look is all I need for that baby. Chromed for the shoot, polished walnut grip, skeletal trigger and hammer… Forty five caliber, replica of a Springfield armory, model nineteen eleven. Want the serial number?" They laughed as I sighed. "Then good day. I'm going to nap."
"Well, we've got a little time…" Arthur said. "We could get lunch."
"Enjoy." I said. I heard him get up, along with the others.
"I'll bring yours by before we're on." He said. I raised and waved my tail once before letting it drop. They walked away and I felt like I could really sleep as the sun began warming me.
'An hour's nap sounds good…' I thought groggily. 'No more staying up late watching… Comedians.' I smiled a little, remembering one. 'Worth it, though.' A few minutes later, I was just about asleep when I heard someone nearby.
"Get him!" A young voice said. I opened my eyes and heard a whoosh, like a stick, and I rolled quickly. A loud cracking sound broke the air and I saw, a masked face, and a bamboo sword on the brick. I rose quickly.
"What the h…" I started. It was a Digimon, that much was certain, because the brick had cracks, and the bamboo sword was okay. "Now hold on a cotton-pickin'…" The Digimon jumped up and swung, and I saw a kid swinging his hands just like the Digimon was. I dodged and moved back before jumping on its head and landed on the ground, shaking my head. "Just…" I ducked under another swing.
"Okay Harry, take him out!" The kid yelled. I looked briefly. It was actually a girl. I was rewarded with a near hit to my head, just barely going over the tips of my ears. I looked back and dodged from one side to another before drawing Baffle and stepped in, putting the barrel at Harry's chin, stopping him. "Hey!"
"What's going on?!" Arthur called.
"Mao!" Annabelle and Daisy called together.
"Don't let him hurt my friend!" The girl yelled.
"Call your partner off." Percy said quickly. The Digimon and I stared into each other's eyes for a moment as the others rushed over.
"Harry, s-stop." The girl said defeatedly. He lowered his weapon and I stepped back, holstering Baffle. "Y-you know this, Virus?" I groaned and turned, pointing at her.
"I may be a Virus, but I'm no more dangerous than that Patamon right now." I said. I looked over my shoulder. "No offense, Scott." He moved his wings as I looked back at the girl. She wore a red baseball cap, turned backward, rectangular black glasses, a red shirt with black sleeves, and a Jolly Roger logo. She had black boxing tape on her left hand, and red boxing tape on her right, red cargo pants, with zippers on the leggings, but the leggings zipped on were black. The weirdest part was that she wore a black running shoe with red laces on her right foot and a red running shoe with black laces on her left. She was a little pale, with black hair with red streaks. "I'm just glad I unloaded my gun before I got to the school, because I nearly pulled the trigger." She lowered her head as Arthur walked over to me, and Annabelle walked over to her.
"What are you doing out of class…" She started. "What are you doing here? This is the Jr. High school."
"I, got a year ahead." She said. "Advanced placement…"
"And, you're out of class, because…" I said, gesturing. To my surprise, the Digimon, a Kotemon, mirrored me with the same hand.
"I got done with work early, heard there was a practice battler here…" She said. "I wanted to see if I could get a match before anyone else was out here…" I looked at Harry, and, again to my surprise, he was looking at me, and we looked at her at the same time.
"You, wanted to challenge me?" Arthur asked. "Don't get me wrong, I'm okay with that… And it looks like you got your wish anyway."
"Wait, you're the practice guy?" She asked quickly. I smirked. "And, he's your partner? He's got a gun! And he's an Impmon! They're not dangerous!" I crossed my arms, narrowly avoiding getting hit by the bamboo sword.
"I'm only not dangerous when I'm not supposed to do my job." I said. Arthur laughed and put his hand on my head.
"Mao, is a GunImpmon." He said. "He's, different. A lot stronger. Have you seen the news lately?" She blinked and looked at the others as Percy laughed.
"What's that got to do with anything?" She asked.
"Mao has defeated many Champion level Digimon." Percy said. "Tyrannomon, Greymon, Monochromon, if he gets the drop on them, there are few that can stand against him." Daisy walked over and put her hand on my shoulder.
"He even beat a Myotismon." She said. I knew Scott was going to say something, so cleared my throat.
"To be honest, Scott did most of the work as an Angemon." I said. The girl crossed her arms.
"You couldn't beat Harry without that gun." She said. I put my hands behind my head.
"I think I could." I said. "He never hit me."
"Prove it." She said.
"Um, we don't even know who you are." Arthur said. "We kind of have to wait. I'm not about to get yelled at by my boss just because of some hotheaded kid and a Kotemon wanting a private match before the others… That's not to say I wouldn't mind a private match after school, if you don't want a crowd."
"You're on!" She said. "And the name's Riley Soren!" Harry walked over to her and struck the same forward leaning pose she had. "And this is Harrigan, my best friend." Arthur laughed as I smiled.
"Should be a fun fight." He said. "Just make sure it's worth the wait." She smirked while the others laughed. "And watch the stick."
"Shinai." She said. "It's called a shinai."
…
I held my arm across my chest while Harrigan held his shinai in front of him. I switched arms as Riley groaned.
"Are you ready or what?" She asked.
"Anytime, squirt." I said.
"Hey, you're shorter than me!" She said. The others laughed.
"Yeah, but I'm seventeen." I said. "You're twelve."
"Okay Harry, Hothead him!" She called. Harrigan ran at me, his Shinai bursting into flame, and I lazily stepped aside as he swung down hard. He hit the ground and looked at me.
"Fire Kick." I said smugly. I spun around in a roundhouse, and he blocked it with the flaming sword, held at an awkward angle, yet he had managed to hold it with both hands, arms crossed with his right hand up, his left on the end of the blade. "Hey, that's pretty good. I'll have to remember that one." I pointed my finger at him as he started pushing against me, making me hop back. "Big-Badda-Boom Shot." The larger than normal fireball hit him and threw him back a good twenty feet. He skidded and I stepped back.
"What the heck was that?" Riley said. "Try it again! Put a spin on it!" Harrigan charged me as I moved back a little.
"You know what you're doing Mao." Arthur said quietly through the headset. "Let's see what she's got." The whole day, a group of kids had shown their best, but it was hardly worth noting. A few Patamon, an Agumon, and two Gabumon, and not one original tactic… Or any tactic. Just a basic attack, rush toward me and claw. Riley had ideas, and Harrigan knew what he was doing.
"Matchhead!" Riley called. The tip of the Shinai lit, but suddenly the flame shot out and I narrowly avoided the flame.
"Whoa, nice one!" Arthur called. I jumped back and rolled before pointing both fingers at him. As expected, he dodged to a side, and I smirked as I took off at him, jumping.
"Imp Fire Kick!" I called. His glowing eyes went brighter as my foot impacted his mask, throwing him back as I did a backflip, pointing my fingers at him. "Double Badda-Boom Shot!" I hit both shots, and to my surprise, he swung at me again. The flaming shinai connected and threw me aside, though I rolled. It was weakened in heat, but felt solid. I looked up as he stood.
"Great shot Harry!" Riley called.
"Hey, Arthur, he's not bad." I said quietly, so he'd hear, but no one else would. "I've got half a mind to ask if she'd join the DGA." He laughed as I got up and moved my hands out in front of me. "Okay Harrigan, let's see if you're fast enough for this."
"He's got more of those fireballs!" Riley said. I smirked.
"With me, you might say it's, fire and ice." I said. "Infernal Funnel!" Harrigan began rushing me but a circle of red formed in the ground and he skidded as it turned black in the center while chunks of ice flew up. He went to go around but I made them all fly around me. As he waited for a moment to strike, I made them fly toward him, but I jumped onto the portal, falling through it into a small sub-dimension. Few Impmon even knew about that part. I landed on a particularly large stone and looked up with a grin.
"Mao, where are you?" Arthur asked. I blinked.
"These things are, impressive." I said. He laughed. "I'm in the Infernal Funnel. Few know that you can drop inside it for a quick hiding place, and still see above you." I looked up and saw Harrigan looking around. "I just need one more portal, and then I'm done playing."
"Playing." Scott repeated. "Is that what you call it?"
"This is the best way to see what Harrigan and Riley can do." I said. "Don't forget, Kotemon don't have a wide variety of techniques, whereas, I have a growing library thanks to the Optimizer… And there's my chance." I created a portal in front of me and one on a wall behind Riley, while Harrigan's back was turned. "Infernal Funnel." I looked through the portal and jumped up as high as I could and angled down. "Imp Fire Kick!" I shot through the portal as he turned, and he barely got out of the way, though I smirked as I jumped higher as the portal grew. Arthur pulled Riley aside as the others gasped. The rock flew through and hit the ground in front of Harrigan, but it threw him as I spun and turned. "Fire Kick!" I kicked him in the back and he flew toward the rock, hitting it and falling to the ground as it began vanishing back to the sub-dimension. I set my foot down as he breathed quietly, and held his free hand up.
"What the heck was that?!" Riley called. "Cheap move!"
"You said no gun, and no gun was used." I said. "You never said I couldn't use the alternative purpose of one of my moves." She grumbled as Arthur patted her shoulder.
"Hey, you have to admit, that was a surprise." He said. "I didn't even know he could do that… But I think Mao was genuinely impressed. Usually he wouldn't do a backflip kick, nor did I know he could do that either." She glared at me as I rubbed my shoulder.
"I daresay you are skilled enough to join the DGA as it is." Percy said. She looked up at him, mouth open. "I would not joke about this, young mademoiselle. You and Harrigan have talent. Scott and I were talking, and we could put in a word with the chief, if you wish to…"
"You're darn skippy we want to join!" She said quickly. Harrigan jumped to his feet and mirrored her perfectly as she leaned toward Percy, hands held slightly up with a bright look in their eyes. "We've been training for years! Harry and I have been together since I was four! I know we can do some good…" She and Harrigan stepped back, lowering their arms. "Mom keeps saying no, but… She said if someone would vouch for me, promise to keep me safe… She says I can join the agency, if, I can also, keep my grades up kinda high." Arthur patted her shoulder again.
"If anyone can keep you safe, Percival Canterbury is someone you can always count on." He said. "But leave the shooting to us, and of course, Mao." They looked up at Percy, Riley smiling a little. She then looked at me as I held my hand up to Arthur, who handed Baffle to me. I spun it twice before holstering it with a smirk.