A talkie, but you need that sort of thing to make a good story, to care about the characters. Other than that, not much for me to say here for once.
Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do hereby state that I do not own the rights to Digimon. Thank you, and have a nice day.
…
"Hey, get up." Arthur said. "Geeze, every month, there's one day where you just don't wake up until I make you." I rolled out of the bed and fell onto the floor, making him and Scott laugh. After a few seconds I rolled under the bed and he looked under it at me. "Come on, Mao, we've got to go visit Riley's today."
"Tired…" I said quietly. "Need, sleep." He reached under but couldn't grab me, so I closed my eyes.
"Scott, can you push him out with your staff and a pillow?" He asked.
"If I can manage it." Scott said. "I'm not exactly totally awake, myself…" He yawned and after a few moments I felt something pushing me, and when I was in the open, Arthur picked me up and put me on my feet. "Come now, if I have to wake up, so do you. No special treatment, remember?" I groaned quietly and walked over to my belt and pulled it on. As I went to walk back, Arthur picked me up.
"Come on, sleepy." He said. "We're going." I kept moving my feet and they both laughed as he carried me to the stairs, setting me down to let me walk on my own. When I got to the bottom, someone else picked me up.
"Oi, you look positively knackered, shorty." Sarah said. "Out watchin' the full moon or somethin'?"
"More or less…" I said tiredly, my feet still moving. She laughed.
"Like a little windup toy, eh?" She asked. "Switch off already, or you'll walk clear to Australia when I set ya down." The others laughed as I stopped, so she set me down. I stood for a moment before stretching as the others walked over.
"I've already said my farewells to my parents." Annabelle said. "We should get going, right, Riley?"
"I guess…" She said quietly.
"What's wrong?" Arthur asked. "Worried your parents won't like us?"
"I know they won't…" She said. She walked out the door so we all followed. When we got to the front, however, there was a large limousine waiting, big enough for Daisy to fit inside. "W-what's this?"
"Oh, this is, well, the family car…" Annabelle said. "We can use this until, Daisy reaches a, um, more manageable size."
"I, don't think I can drive that." Arthur said. "S-Sarah?"
"Nah, 's got a driver, don't it?" She said. "We get in, give an address over the intercom, they take us there. Right?"
"Y-yes." Annabelle said. I walked down the steps and looked up at it. I reached up toward the side skirt and found it was just beyond my reach. The others laughed as I jumped and climbed up, sitting on the side.
"Well, one thing's for sure, it's not built for Lena, Harrigan, Riley, and me." I said. They walked over and I stood up, jumping and opening the door. As it swung open, I leaned down as Harrigan reached up. The others got in through other doors as I helped him in, followed by Riley. As I stepped in, I saw that it was almost big enough to be a home. "This, is huge."
"Yes, it's, well, it was meant for Daisy's current form, in advance." Annabelle said quietly. "We knew she'd grow to be, well, big. It's actually more of a bus, but, it's classified, as a limo…" I jumped onto a seat and a small hatch opened. I looked in to see various beverages and snacks. "It's, stocked with anything a, well off family would have…" I reached in and pulled something out that I didn't recognize.
"What's that, Mao?" Riley asked.
"I have no clue…" I said.
"Oh, th-that's a, Swedish gourmet chocolate." Annabelle said quickly. "I wouldn't eat that if I were you… It, it's got, alcohol in it. A, a lot, to be honest. Brandy, I think." I sniffed it a few times before looking.
"Well, I've already touched it." I said. "I'm sure your parents wouldn't want me to just put it back now." She sighed as Percy held his hand out.
"May I?" He asked. I put it in his palm and he looked it over before putting it in his mouth, and his eyebrows rose. "It's not bad… A little strong, but, good for after dinner, I expect…" He seemed surprised. "Two kinds of brandy?"
"Y-yes…" Annabelle said. I looked in again before closing the hatch.
"Is there anything, uh, the rest of us can eat?" Arthur asked. "Without getting, uh…"
"Without getting completely pissed?" Sarah finished. Riley giggled as Annabelle sighed. She looked around before opening a small fridge and looking around.
"We're in my parents' section." She said. "I think we should go about, eight rows forward." I jumped down and we all walked, though Percy laughed.
"This is possibly the best chocolate I've ever had." He said. "It lingers on the tongue, and the two types of brandy work together with the chocolate and each other."
"You know a little about brandy?" I asked.
"I have been to tastings with some of my family and very close family friends." He said. We all looked at him. "Well, we are, okay… My father is an accountant of some skill, and my mother is a lawyer of some renown. While we are not quite this well off, we live fairly comfortably." We sat down and another hatch opened by me, but not by the others.
"Why is it the others don't do that?" Sarah asked. "I sat down, nothin'. What's the deal?" I looked in.
"Mao's a Virus." Scott said. "I'd guess that he's opening them by thought, or, by accident."
"The latter is my guess…" I said. "I've never seen a sandwich this small before." I pulled out a small thing of sandwiches. "Did they quarter these?"
"That's how my mother prefers them…" Annabelle said. "Apparently they're easier to eat. Finger sandwiches…" I pulled one out and looked at it before just eating it whole. "Um, those are…" I looked at the rest of them. "Arugula…" I swallowed it and closed the bag, putting it away as they laughed.
"And cucumber." I said. "I can deal with cucumber, but, something's either bad with the arugula or it just isn't for me."
"Mom doesn't care for it." Arthur said as he opened a panel by him. "So uh, Riley, where is your house?" She sighed quietly and shakily pressed a button as I looked over.
"Destination, young miss?" The driver asked. He had a fairly posh accent, and the image of a fairly aged man with white hair and a mustache appeared in my mind. Riley spoke quietly into the speaker for a few seconds. "At once. I estimate thirty four minutes, forty at the most, if traffic is unfavorable." The line went quiet as we looked at her.
"Uh, just…" She started. "You'll see." She went to a small panel and looked in as I went back to mine.
"Hey, chips." I said quietly. I pulled a plastic bag out and looked at it. "What are these?"
"Specially made, um, kumquat chips…" Annabelle said. We all looked around.
"Any chance we can stop by a McDonald's on the way?" Arthur asked. We all laughed as the intercom came on.
"Consider it our first stop." The driver said. We all continued laughing as the limo turned.
…
"So, these're your friends." Riley's mother said. I couldn't help but think of the wicked witch's theme from The Wizard of Oz whenever I looked at her, and I was half expecting her to start cackling while flying monkeys came out of the various half open doors all around. The moment we came in, she had been swearing very loudly, apparently cussing out her husband. Then she yelled at Riley before lighting a cigarette just prior to spotting the rest of us. "Figured you'd be by a little later." Riley looked down, shaking slightly. "Let me guess who's who here… Short purple one's Mao, right? Got the guns… You, Mr. Mountain, have got to be Percy… What's eh, what's the rest of the names…"
"I'm Arthur, ma'am." He said calmly. She nodded.
"Marine's boy." She said. He nodded shakily. "Figured. Got the look about ya. Tougher than most, got manners… Riley's real dad's a marine, died after she was born stoppin' some jackass tryin' to rob a bank." Riley was silent, so I walked up to her as her mother spoke to the rest. I took her hand lightly and she looked at me as I started walking her to the side door. She followed, and let go as we got to the step. She sat down and seemed about ready to cry.
"I'm sorry." She said. "Mom, doesn't like visitors much. This, is as nice as she's been in years… Probably 'cause of Sarah and Ann."
"Could be worse." I said. "She could have hid the BS until we started leaving, and then find a way to keep us here." She laughed quietly. The house was a mess, with half eaten food on the floor, stains that reeked of liquor, and more than a few piles of cigarette butts, half smoked cigarettes, and ash all over the place. I was genuinely surprised there weren't small fires all over as well. "So uh, I guess this'll be our one time over here, if just to make sure she doesn't have to keep up the act?" She nodded.
"I, I'd prefer that, a lot." She said. I patted her shoulder lightly. "She'd prefer it, t-to save on, groceries…" Harrigan walked over and sat in perfect time with me, and she looked at me. "Mao, d-do you think I'm, weak?" I shook my head.
"No, I don't." I said. I looked over my shoulder as the others were trying to speak, but her mother was just holding the whole conversation on her own. "Living with that old dragon, you're a lot stronger than, well, the rest of us." I looked to see her looking at the ground, so I put my hand on her shoulder. "Hey, for real." She looked at me. "Worst I had to deal with was finding food, you know, meat trees. It was 'where's the nearest meat tree', or the occasional 'what's that huge thing running at me, oh, it's a Monochromon, I'd better climb up that meat tree'." She laughed. "Your mom? Way worse. You can run all you want, but it's there, like… A hat you forget to take off because it's so comfortable you think it's part of your head." She laughed some more, looking at her shoes.
"Thanks." She said quietly. We were silent for a little while. "Six more years, a-and I can leave… She doesn't know that they're paying yet, s-so I can put some money away."
"And Harrigan can help with that." I said. He nodded. "That'll put you ahead a little faster."
"I just, have to make sure, we live that long…" She said. "Once she knows, she'll, try to make me pay for stuff, or, or she'll steal it if she can find the, account numbers…"
"Well…" I started.
"I can't run away." She said. "I'm too young, and, I don't know my family. No one could take me in… And the police would always bring me back here…"
"From now on, though, if we keep up the rotation…" I said. She looked at me. "You'll be here, what, once a week to get your schoolwork." She was silent for a moment.
"Y-yeah…" She said, somewhat hopefully.
"And, if you want, you could stay at headquarters." I said. "We'd drop you off when you wanted us to." She laughed quietly. "And, Mara doesn't mind company… Heck, she likes having visitors, especially Arthur's friends." She smiled as I looked back, and her mother was dragging the others, save for Daisy, into the kitchen. She was in the front yard, though by the sound of her footsteps, she was moving. We looked over as she walked around and saw us, so she walked over and sat by us. "Hey."
"Glad I'm big." She said. "Bigger, than that door." We laughed.
"Lucky you." I said. "How bad is it in there?"
"Ba-a-ad…" She said, drawing the word out.
"She's, cussing again." Riley said. "A lot."
"Yeah…" Daisy said. "A lot."
"Smoking, probably blowing it in their faces." Riley said.
"And at me." Daisy said. "And Mao."
"And here I thought she liked me." I said. "I mean, she actually bothered to remember my name." Riley sighed.
"I wish I was Arthur's sister." She said. "Nice mom, probably a nice dad… A cute baby sister… Food."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"M-mom, doesn't cook." She said. "She buys, some food, and, beer… Doesn't pay the water bill, s-so we, drink at the water fountains we can find. At the park, mostly, and Harry has a straw…" I made a fist where they couldn't see.
"Your dad?" Daisy asked.
"Never here." Riley said. "R-real dad's, dead, step dad… H-he's really creepy… Keeps saying stuff like, how he can't wait for me to, grow up and, f-fill out… I don't want to know what that means."
"How about, I drop by that once a week?" I offered. They looked at me. "That way, you don't deal with either of them. Send some cash with me once in a while, they let you keep the job, and you don't have to put up with them, ever again." She smiled a little.
"Good idea." Daisy said. Riley nodded, but she looked up a little as we did. "Bio-Emergence."
"No, it feels, different." I said. "Like, focused."
"From a computer?" Riley suggested. I looked at her and she seemed surprised. "What? Harry and I are, you know, really connected. My hair stands up when it happens." I nodded and looked over my shoulder.
"Mine would too." I said. "If I had hair." We turned to the house and got up as the others started leaving, quickly.
"You feel that?" Annabelle asked.
"Feel what?" Riley's mother called.
"An Emergence!" I called. "We're off duty, but we should still check it out just in case."
"Keep the kid safe!" She yelled. "Or I'll kick your Tamer's ass!"
…
We walked in as a teen stood up, clutching a Wormmon to her chest protectively, as though we were going to hurt them. The digital worm shook slightly, obviously fearful, and Arthur looked at Percy.
"So, what's the plan?" He asked quietly. Percy looked through the handbook for a moment before tucking it away.
"Miss, might I ask your name?" He asked kindly. She turned away a little. "Do not worry, we aren't here to separate you from your new friend." He gestured to us. "This is more or less how we met our friends, save for Daisy, a Togemon outside. Daisy somehow ended up in a flower shop, probably from a computer on a table when she was a Rookie. We just need to report to our boss about this. We just need your name, a picture of you and your friend, and an address, and we can send you your Tamer ID card." She slowly turned back and I looked up, grabbing Arthur's phone.
"Hey." He said.
"I can handle this." I said. I walked over and jumped up onto the table near her as she watched me. I held my hand out to her. "I'm Mao." She slowly took my hand.
"C-Casey, River." She said shakily.
"Nice to meet you Miss River." I said. "If the boss says you two can stay together, then that's the truth. He wouldn't lie, especially if he knows for a fact from the handbook." She slowly set the Wormmon down, so I turned to him. "Do you have a name?"
"No, not yet…" He said. Casey slowly put her hand on his head.
"Um, Jim." She suggested. He looked at her and wagged his tail end from side to side.
"Jim…" He repeated. "I like that. It sounds friendly." He turned to me. "I'm Jim. It's nice to meet you, Mao." He lowered his body, facing the desk, so I bowed.
"It's nice to meet you, Jim." I said.
"S-so it's, just, a picture?" Casey asked. I nodded as I stood up.
"Just a quick picture of you both, an address, and you'll get the card in the mail." I said. "I don't know when, but, you'll probably get a letter and a temporary ID, and, you might be able to go right to headquarters to pick it up." She nodded slowly and stepped back a little as I readied the phone. "Okay, just hold that pose… Maybe, smile a little?" She laughed with the others and smiled, so I took the picture. I turned it to her and she looked at it.
"Thank you." She said. I turned it back as Jim stood up a little, so I took a picture of him. I turned it to him as he looked at it.
"Thank you." He said. "I'm glad there are such nice people and Digimon here. The Dark Area is very scary lately. Tamers and Digimon running around, calling themselves an army." I lowered the phone.
"Tamers?" I asked. He nodded.
"We've recently been warned of an army of Tamers in the Digital World." Percy said. "Did you hear any names?" Jim shook his head.
"No, I was warned that it was a bad idea to be near them." He said. "Is it really bad news?"
"Well, kind of." I said. "But, don't worry. You're here, and they're back there. If they do come here, get to safety and hang tight for the DGA. But I doubt they will anytime soon." They seemed worried, so I just put the phone in my belt. "If you see them…" I pulled a card out of my belt. "Call one of these numbers." I gave her the card and she looked at it. "Tell us, or whoever they transfer you to, where you are, and we'll be there, quick as we can. And with Arthur's driving, believe me, you'll barely have ended the call." She laughed and picked Jim up again, holding him in a light hug.
"Thank you." She said. "I was, kind of worried."
"Well, just don't cause any trouble." Arthur said. "We do have to send bad Digimon back, one way or another. Jim seems really nice, so, sending him back to the Digital World is the last thing we want to do." They both laughed as I jumped down and walked over to him, handing him the phone. "Thanks buddy."