Milo sat in the darkness of his room, the sun long since going down. His AI Chatbot sat unresponsive for a change while a green bar steadily filled next to it. Milo's D-Streamer connected to his laptop filled him with excitement, making him too restless to go to sleep. The AI picked up on his unusual enthusiasm and the chat that followed explained Milo's intentions.
Milo didn't know if it would work; as a matter of fact, every bit of his conscience was telling him that this would likely kill his computer. But the idea of finally having a partner—and it being his personal AI no less—had him feeling not only daring but almost silly.
It took obtaining this transfer program to realize he had a partner all along.
As the transfer neared completion, his moment was interrupted by a hard knock on his door. Milo spun back in his chair reactively, feeling a jolt up his spine. He didn't want to answer, but he knew it was in his best interest to. "Yeah?"
The door opened revealing a tall brown-haired man, dressed in business casual attire. Upon looking at Milo on his computer, his exhausted eyebrows furrowed, his gaze drawn to the screen. "Are you working on Homework this late at night?"
Milo took a moment to formulate a response. Due to the lack of a father figure in the house, his older half-brother Mason took on the role of "man of the house. Compared to his other half-sibling Madison, Mason tolerated very little and was very strict. Late-night cramming implied laziness. Milo learned from his sister's mistakes, though it wasn't as if he could tell him that he was up this late on a school night downloading something video-game-related.
"Um...yeah, I have a math quiz tomorrow, so I was just making sure I'm good for it.
Mason didn't seem convinced. "Get to bed. It won't do you any good if you're falling asleep doing it.
Was he really buying it? Milo continued to play along, "Come on," he nervously laughed, "Leave me with some dignity, will you?"
The sudden chime from his D-Streamer startled Milo and sent another jolt through his body. The transfer was completed and the audio on his device was on.
"Oh...I see." Mason walked into the room. Milo reactively grabbed his D-Streamer from his desk and held it to his chest.
"It was charging!" Milo spat. "I wasn't playing with it!"
"I told Mom that stupid game was going to be a distraction."
"It hasn't been! As a matter of fact, I'm doing better because of it!"
"How exactly will that help with your schooling?"
Milo obviously didn't have an answer for that. He was doing better mentally, he thought, since he had people that he could call legitimate friends, but what did Mason care about other than academics?
"You get your progress report tomorrow, don't you?"
"Yeah, and?" Milo knew what he was getting at, but he let his irritation speak for him.
Mason crossed his arms, "since you're so confident, prove it. If you've dropped in any of your classes, then I'm taking that toy of yours."
"One, its not a toy, and two, that's not your call, so back off!"
"Excuse me?" Mason growled, his response flipping the switch back down in Milo. "Who in the hell do you think you're talking to?"
Milo felt the overbearing aura radiating from Mason. It stirred a mix of emotions within; anxiety, hatred, helplessness...he couldn't stand Mason. Or Barry, or any of the others who've subjected him to undue pain and misery.
Yet while he knew his enemies, he also knew what battles to pick. This wasn't one of them.
"I'm sorry..." Milo sheepishly surrendered.
Mason unfolded his arms and turned for the door, "Go to bed."
Compared to his knock from before, Mason closed the door like a normal person. Milo exhaled and turned to his laptop, reaching for his D-Streamer. He switched through the options until he reached the display option for the designated partner Digimon and pressed the button on the side. The small projector lit up but an error message quickly appeared.
Unrecognized or corrupted data file.
After a momentary pause, Milo reactively tossed his device without care back on his desk. It served him right he thought. He gave up his endeavor and went to bed, discouragement carrying him into slumber.
As if he needed a Digimon partner anyway...
Chapter 6: Tutoring Session
"Okay...so at least my parents aren't gonna kill me," Kaden commented, his progress report showing Bs and B minuses for most of his scores. His parents weren't enforcers when it comes to his grades, but they didn't expect him to be a slacker because of it. Numerous threats have been given over the years, especially recently since its fairly common for him to be in some sort of trouble. Keeping his grades afloat made him just shy of a complete delinquent in their eyes, despite his righteous nature fueling his actions.
"Wish I could have grades like that..." Milo said in a low tone as they crossed the street from the train station, heading for TCG Towers as were their after-school custom.
"Not so great, huh?" Kaden asked, feeling sympathy for his friend. "If you need help I wouldn't mind studying with you."
Milo looked to him and pulled up his progress report for his friend to see. Kaden's eyes nearly bulged out of his head in shock. "What?! Dude you ace'd everything!"
"Mmhm." Milo nodded.
"So why the long face?" Kaden asked, not understanding why his friend was upset.
"Because its expected of me." Milo sighed. "More than my Mom, My Brother is really uptight about my grades so I'm forced to keep my grades high.
Kaden pondered his words for a sec and came up with an idea. "Wanna trade reports?"
"Didn't you hear what I said?" Milo responded.
Kaden paused and retracted his suggestion. "Yeah, you're right. Nevermind."
Milo sighed, "Even if we did trade reports, how would I explain to them that I suddenly am taking senior-level classes?"
"Okay, I get it, I didn't think that one through," Kaden said. "Have you tried talking to your mom and brother about easing up?"
"It's not worth it," Milo said.
"What? Of course, it is! If you're being overwhelmed, then you need to speak up!"
"Maybe it's not worth speaking up."
"Well if you continue to think like that then nothing will change," Kaden stated.
Milo held himself back from answering. Kaden clearly wasn't taking a hint; either that or he truly believed that he could solve problems by force. In Milo's case that couldn't happen. He was the youngest in the family, and his brother had been granted too much power in their family dynamic. That's just how it was, nothing more than that.
"Well?" Kaden pressed crossing his arms, "Tell me I'm wrong?"
Milo looked to him once more, "You're wrong," and picked up his pace, leaving Kaden surprised by the answer. Kaden ruffled his hair and followed behind him. "Bro, stop being stubborn!"
Kaden and Milo walked through the doors, drawing the girl's attention. Both boys sensed the unusual tension in the air and were hesitant to greet them. Kaden slowly and awkwardly proceeded to make his way to the counter door and into the back. Milo could fill him in later when it was safe.
"We'll continue this conversation at home..."
"I'm not going to his class, and you can't make me."
"Well, if you're not going to give me a good reason, then I'm not scheduling you to work."
Hearing that made Kaden pause at the counter's door. "Wait, what's happening?"
"Don't worry about it," Riley answered sharply, to which Kaden tensed.
He should've known better.
"You guys got your progress reports today, right?" Sierra asked.
"Don't answer her!" Riley barked at the two boys.
"I didn't even say anything that time!" Kaden exclaimed.
"Hush you!" Sierra snapped at Riley. "Yes or no?"
Both Kaden and Milo nodded. Milo, having as much sense as Kaden in this moment, recklessly spoke up, "Could it be that you're failing a class...?"
"It's none of your—!"
"Not only is she failing, but she's been cutting this one class since the beginning of the semester."
"It…wouldn't happen to be Mr. Dawson's class, is it?" Milo asked.
"It is…how did you know?" Sierra asked, not expecting Milo to predict it.
"Cool, I had him last year. He's cool." Kaden stated.
"Yeah, I don't have a problem with him either," Milo added, causing Kaden to turn to him.
"So you have Dawson too? What period?"
"9th," Milo answered.
Kaden blinked and turned to Riley, "Dude, you're flunking 9th-grade math?!"
"Actually, it's the other way around..." Milo noted, drawing attention back to him. "I'm taking 11th-grade math."
Kaden needed a moment to process that. "What?"
"I hate Dawson; he's a creep!" Riley remarked, earning a scowl from Sierra.
"Dawson? Please, the dude's a marshmallow; everyone loves him." Kaden pointed out.
"Milo, you're taking his class?" Sierra focused on the younger teen.
"Yeah...and well, not to add insult to injury, but I'm actually on track to get an A this marking period..."
"Really..." Sierra pondered. "Hmm…in that case, can you do me a favor?"
Milo blinked, getting a strong feeling he knew where this was going. "You want me to tutor her, don't you?"
"What?!" Riley gasped.
"You read my mind!" Sierra clapped. "You don't mind, do you? I'll even pay you."
"Well..." Milo looked to Riley, who wasn't keen on this idea, and then to Kaden, who also didn't know what to say in this matter either. He finally turned to Sierra and nodded nervously, concluding it was the safest answer to give, given the context of the situation.
"Glad to hear it." Sierra smiled. "Kaden, punch in, Riley, punch out, Milo, I owe you big."
"I never agreed to this!" Riley growled.
"You wouldn't be in this situation if you just went to class, right?" Sierra stated more calmly. "Be grateful I'm not throwing you into a tutoring center."
Riley glared daggers into Sierra's back. Kaden came behind the counter and patted the girl on the shoulder. "I don't see the big deal; at least you don't have to deal with customers."
"That's not the point," she shoved his hand away and stormed to the back, leaving him rendered speechless.
"Don't worry about her," Sierra said, finishing up her work. "She'll get over it."
"You sure? She looked really upset..." Milo pointed out.
"She's throwing a tantrum." Sierra continued. "She knows she's wrong but won't admit it. Kind of reminds me of a certain someone I used to know..."
Kaden picked up on the implication and smirked. She was talking about Syl and how at times, the V-Streamer Idol would privately get bratty when things went awry. No one except he and Sierra knew the true side of everyone's favorite Zenith Princess. "I'll be praying for you, bro."
"Gee, thanks..." Milo replied, feeling the support. By this point, Riley returned with her school bag.
"Let's just get this over with." She said as she came out from the counter.
"You two can go hang upstairs in the food court," Sierra suggested. That way, Riley can't sneak off anywhere where I can't see."
Riley clicked her tongue, taking offense to the comment, and walked off towards a nearby escalator. An off-guard Milo scurried behind her, leaving Kaden and Sierra alone.
"Welp, guess I better jump in," Kaden said.
"You do that," Sierra waved off as he headed to the back. When the coast was clear, Sierra sighed and rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on. "Lord Azulongmon, give me the strength..."
It wasn't long after Kaden punched in and got to work that another teen entered the building. He had coffee-colored skin and short dreads that favored his left side. He wore a black V-neck t-shirt, an olive jacket, black jeans, and a chain.
"Riley!" The teen exclaimed, "…is not here."
"What's up, Nico?" Kaden acknowledged.
"Bro, where's Riley? She said she was working today."
Kaden seethed before answering, "Yeah…so what had happened was—!"
"She's upstairs getting tutoring," Sierra answered, inserting herself into their conversation.
"Tutoring?" Nico repeated. "She said she was passing everything."
"She's been cutting Dawson's class since the first week of school, and now it's coming back to bite her," Kaden explained.
"She had Dawson this semester?" Nico repeated.
"Huh, so you didn't know either? Small world!" Sierra smiled.
Nico took note of the high-pitched sarcasm and shrewdly avoided replying. "Anyway…I have a ton of time to kill, so I'm gonna go say hi."
"Make sure Milo's still alive for me," Kaden instructed.
Nico stopped mid-step, "Hold up; you sent Milo to tutor her?! Why would you do that to the poor kid?!"
"Bro, he's acing Dawson!"
"Algebra 1 is a joke; anyone can ace it," Nico replied, not seeing his point.
"Milo is in Riley's class," Sierra reinserted herself.
"…oh." Nico said, understanding now, "So he's smart-smart."
"He's smart-smart." The two confirmed.
"Gotcha…well, my report is decent enough, though I could've used the help during the SATs last year.
"Oooh, thanks for the idea. I'm gonna keep that in mind for Riley." Sierra said.
"I…okay, I'm gonna go check on them," Nico said, opting not to give Riley any more reasons to come after him.
"Thanks a lot. Have a good evening," Kaden smiled, handing his customer their change.
As the customer waved off, Kaden closed the register and slumped back on the counter behind him. Throughout the early part of his shift, his mind has been busy. Grades aside, his match with Homura was steadily approaching. They agreed on a date for the end of the month, near Halloween. That more or less has them six weeks since they met IRL to battle once more. Two of those weeks were already gone, leaving him the whole month to prepare. Though with Riley's situation being what it is, how much time will he be able to practice?
"Hey, are you thinking of hiring more people by chance?" Kaden turned to Sierra as she came out from the back.
"If Miranda wants to. I'm waiting for her to call me back about the Riley situation. If both of you guys are at school until 2:45 PM, and she has her second job, then we're gonna need another person here.
"Milo?" Kaden suggested.
"Too young." Sierra shot down quickly. "Plus, I need his eyes to make sure Riley goes to class."
"True…guess I'll just ask around at school if anyone's looking for a part-time job then…" he tried thinking on the spot, but no one immediately came to mind. Afterward, another thought crossed his mind that he's been curious about but hesitant to bring up in Riley's presence. "So…"
"What's wrong?" Sierra asked.
"What happened between you two? You guys have been at each other's throats since after we went to the restaurant."
"Oh, that…" Sierra said, hints of guilt laced in her tone. "She accused me of something, and I reacted in a way I shouldn't have. Since then, things have been tense between us."
"Have you tried talking to her?"
"Naturally. But whenever the chance arises, she thinks I'm coming down on her for something, sparking another argument, so I just gave up trying. That's not to mention this new situation on my hands…"
"Aren't girls bratty at this stage in life?" Kaden asked as if his opinion on teen girls had weight behind it.
"Some but not all. Before the assault, she's always been laid back and easy-going. She kept to herself and did things at her own pace. If she ever did get nasty with anyone, it was reactionary. She made sure she didn't start anything to avoid confrontation."
"And now it's the opposite…" Kaden replied, comparing the two versions of Riley he knew about in his head. Of course, she was trying to better herself, but maybe she was trying too hard and biting off more than she could chew.
"Changing subjects, are you ready for Homura?"
"Ha-ha…not really," Kaden admitted. "I don't know if you've heard, but my deck has seen better days since I faced Riley in Omnia. Between my loss against her, and people seeing my deck too often, I've been dealing with more counter strategies than I expected.
"I think your rush strategy works fine," Sierra explained. "All you have to do is establish your momentum early and don't let him get too far ahead himself."
"Obviously," Kaden replied. "Wouldn't be a rush deck otherwise, now would it?"
"Have you considered DNA Digivolution?" She asked.
Kaden hesitated. "I…no."
"Would you, if given the opportunity?"
"It would change my entire deck structure," Kaden answered. "Plus, I don't want anyone to claim that I'm cheating again."
"I understand that, but matching his strength would be a good idea. The biggest weakness of a rush deck is running out of steam before—!"
"Don't you think I know that?!" Kaden snapped, quieting Sierra. "As I've said, the last few matches I've had recently haven't been flawless…"
Sierra took a moment to respond, giving Kaden a chance to speak up still, "Sorry. I didn't mean to snap."
Sierra sighed, reminding herself she had two teens to look over, "Don't worry about it. I just want to make sure you have every chance to defeat him. Having a mix of early rush tactics and fluid late-game strategies may paint more consistent synergy, as opposed to rush tactics and an emergency UlforceVeedramon if things get dicey. The lack of Level 5s in your deck is synonymous with pulling a plank off a bridge before you reach the end. Jump if you can, but why work harder when you can be smart about it?
"I understand your point," Kaden replied. "I know the Colosseum has been offering rental decks recently. If he's down, I'll probably rope Nico in for some late-night practice—!
"BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAY I CAN TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SOMEONE BEING NICE AND SOMEONE LOOKING FOR AN OPPORTUNITY!"
Riley's voice echoed hard, bringing the surrounding area to silence. Upon seeing Riley bolting down the escalator, Sierra felt a chill run down her spine. Before either she or Kaden could process what happened, she was already gone, leaving a trail of tears in her wake. They turned towards the door, then up above them, where Milo stared back, just as confused and speechless himself. Nico appeared beside him, and then afterward, Milo was seen coming down the stairs with his stuff in hand.
"Milo, wait up!" Nico exclaimed.
Kaden quickly came from around the counter to intercept Milo before he could run. Surrounded by both boys, he gritted his teeth, shoved Kaden, and left the store. The three, ignorant of the staring crowd behind them, were left worried, with Sierra feeling the worst of it.
Kaden leaned over the counter, lost in thought. It was a few minutes after eight, and with no luck in contacting either of the two, he more or less gave up trying. He wanted to know why they both left upset and what Riley was screaming about. Milo was definitely not the type to use tutoring as an excuse to get close to Riley…right? If anything, he was a shaky leaf when approached with the idea. Was he shy then, being alone with her? he's a kid and all, but…maybe he did have a crush on her…wait! Then did that mean he got rejected? Dang it, Milo, Kaden thought. Why try to make your move when all of this other stuff is happening?
Sierra was in the back talking with Miranda, who finally reached out, and Nico was hanging around the terminals and battling what was left of the evening patrons until Kaden was able to leave. It was a crazy day that needed to end.
As Nico's opponent left, he looked over to Kaden, lost in deep thought. "Bro, battle me."
Kaden perked up, "Can't, still on shift."
Nico scoffed, "It's dead, and you guys are closing soon. Come on; it'll take your mind off things."
Kaden thought for a moment. He did plan to ask Nico to practice with him tonight, and it was true; the store was quiet. Without thinking further, his body moved to the counter door and swung it open. "If Sierra yells at us, it'll be your fault."
"Then you better make sure that rush deck of yours can end this quick," Nico answered as Kaden approached the terminal.
After linking his device to it, his cards materialized for his access. Kaden drew, as did Nico, the pair staring one another down. This was good; it would give his mind a break from everything. An opportunity to de-stress.
"Let's go," Nico stated.
Kaden nodded as well.
"DIGI-GATE: OPEN!"
"I'll start by hatching DemiVeemon. I'll then digivolve it into Veemon, and play Rina Shinomiya from my hand." Kaden began his turn, summoning Veemon in his Raising Area and Rina to follow.
DemiVeemon (BT2-002)
Color: Blue
Level: 2
Veemon (EX1-013)
Color: Blue
Level: 3
DP: 2000
Rina Shinomiya (BT2-086)
Color: Blue
MEMORY
0-1(Turn Change: Nico)
"When Rina enters play, I reveal the top three cards of my deck and take one card with 'Vee' in its name from among them to add to my hand." The cards revealed were BT2 Veemon, ST8 Veemon, and EX1 ExVeemon. Kaden opted for ST8 Veemon and sent the rest to the bottom, ending his turn.
"My move," Nico drew. "Come to think of it; you have yet to see my new deck, right?"
"You stopped maining MegaGargomon?" Kaden questioned.
"You'll see," Nico smirked, "I'll start by hatching Gummymon."
The card flipped over, revealing a green variant of Riley's Kokomon; the main difference aside from the color was the larger singular horn compared to Kokomon's small three.
Gummymon (EX2-004)
Color: Green
"Gummymon digivolves into Terriermon, and then I play Betamon from my hand." Nico continued by transforming Gummymon into his partner Digimon and summoning the amphibian Digimon.
Terriermon (EX2-025)
Color: Green
Level: 3
DP: 1000
Betamon (BT7-044)
Color: Green
Level: 3
DP: 2000
MEMORY
3-0
"When Betamon is played, I reveal the top three cards of my deck, and I can choose between a Green Digimon or Tamer from among them to add to my hand," Nico explained as the cards revealed themselves. BT2 MegaGargomon was joined by two new cards, a Digimon called Poumumon and a Tamer named Willis. Nico took Willis and sent the others to the bottom. "I end by digivolving Betamon into Gargomon."
Betamon growled as green binary infused into it, transforming it into Gargomon, a bulker Terriermon variant with red markings on its face, gun turret gauntlets, and a bullet belt on its torso and jeans.
Gargomon (BT3-048)
Color: Green
Level: 3
DP: 4000
MEMORY
0-1(Turn Change: Kaden)
Kaden drew and smirked. "So much for trying to choke me out. Veemon moves out, then I play Hammer Spark for extra memory."
MEMORY
1-2
"Veemon Digivolves into ExVeemon and Security Attacks!" Kaden exclaimed, transforming Veemon into its muscular variation. It unfurled its white wings and blasted forward across the virtual battlefield.
ExVeemon (EX1-014)
Color: Blue
Level: 4
DP: 4000
MEMORY
2-0
ExVeemon pulled its fist back and punched the first of Nico's security. MetalTyrannomon roared to life from it, but before it could retaliate, it grayed out and fizzled out of existence, thanks to ExVeemon's jamming.
Nico
Security: 5-4
"Eh, it was worth a shot," Nico shrugged.
"Try harder," Kaden played another card. "I play Davis to reveal the top 3 cards of my deck, allowing me to snag a blue Digimon and green Digimon from among them."
"And to prevent me from choking you."
"That too," he chuckled as Davis materialized on his side of the Battle Area.
Davis Motomiya (BT3-093)
Color: Blue
MEMORY
0-4 (Turn Change: Nico)
The cards revealed were Lighdramon, Armor Texture, and Magnamon. Kaden's grin grew wide at the sight. "Let's go!" and he snagged the two options, adding them both to hand.
"Don't get too excited," Nico drew, "You gave me plenty of Memory to shut down whatever you're cooking up."
"Love to see it." Kaden taunted.
Nico obliged. "Terriermon moves out, then I play Willis from my hand."
As Terriermon hopped forward, A blonde-haired, green-eyed tamer materialized, wearing a grey long-sleeve shirt and maroon open button-down with dark grey jeans and sneakers that matched his button-down. Terriermon hoped and swung itself onto Willis head, getting comfortable.
Willis (BT8-091)
Color: Green
MEMORY
4-1
"When Willis enters play, I can hatch a Digi-Egg in an empty Raising Area, so I hatch a second Gummymon. And since I played a green tamer, Terriermon gained me a Memory.
MEMORY
1-2
"Typical green," Kaden commented.
"Oh it gets worse," Nico noted. "Gummymon will digivolve into another Terriermon, and by suspending Willis, I can digivolve my other Terriermon into Gargomon for one less Memory.
Kaden watched as Gummymon digivolved into another Terriermon, and the other Terriermon hop off Willis to digivolve into a second Gargomon.
Gargomon (EX2-026)
Color: Green
Level: 4
DP: 5000
MEMORY
2-1
"My new Gargomon will attack ExVeemon, while my initial one will Security Attack!" Nico made a finger gun and aimed at Kaden, "Target locked and fire!"
Both Gargomon adhered to the command, with ExVeemon charging as well to counter.
Gargomo: 5000 DP
ExVeemon: 4000 DP
ExVeemon intercepted Gargomon and held it in place while the 2nd one made it past him. Despite the height and overall strength, Gargomon was able to slip underneath ExVeemon and jab it in the gut, unleashing its Vulcan blasts through an uppercut that sent ExVeemon flying into the air until it dispersed. Meanwhile, the other Gargomon fired directly, the bullets making their mark until the Security broke. From it, came Flamedramon, who roared at the fall of its comrade and locked gazes with the now hesitant rabbit.
Gargomon: 4000 DP
Flamedramon: 5000 DP
Flamedramon ignited itself in flames and shot after Gargomon, the bunny firing back in an attempt to slow it down. With a forceful, flaming tackle, Gargomon was sent flying back to Nico. Flamedramon channeled the flames into its claws and fired off as fireballs that overwhelmed Gargomon, taking it out.
Kaden
Security: 5-4
"Well then…guess I'll play Terriermon to end; that way, there won't be any Hammer Spark shenanigans."
Another Terriermon appeared, glowing green and visually affecting the Memory Counter in its unique way. Kaden bit the inside of his lip. On one hand, he kept himself from being choked out by Nico, Terriermon locked out any other memory-gaining methods…
That rabbit-dog thing was priority #1, he told himself.
Terriermon (BT3-046)
Color: Green
Level: 3
DP: 2000
MEMORY
1-2 (Turn Change: Kaden)
Kaden drew and examined his hand. With nothing on his field except Tamers, he couldn't respond to Terriermon right away. All he could do is rebuild and survive a turn. "Davis sets my Memory to 3 to start."
MEMORY
2-3
"I hatch DemiVeemon, digivolve it into Veemon, and play two more Veemon to end my turn."
The trio of Veemon took their positions, with the two taking the lead looking to one another for assurance.
Veemon (BT3-021)
Color: Blue
Level: 3
DP: 2000
MEMORY
3-0
0-3(Turn Change: Nico)
"Time to bring the pain, Terriermon," Nico said as he drew. "I move the Terriermon in my Raising Area forward and play Henry Wong from my hand. Terriermon's effect, plus one Memory for playing a Tamer."
The new Tamer that stood alongside Willis had short navy-black hair with gray eyes, wearing a black t-shirt, sleeveless orange vest, brown pants, and gray sneakers, along with a pair of green-tinted sunglasses resting on his head.
Henry Wong (EX2-061)
Color: Green
MEMORY
3-1 (Turn Change: Kaden)
1-0
"Since it's still my turn, I suspend Willis to make Terriermon digivolve into Gargomon for free, and then I'll attack your Security with it! Henry's effect triggers: If my Digimon with 'Gargomon' or 'Rapidmon' attacks, I can suspend him to suspend one of your Digimon. I'll suspend one of your Veemon."
Kaden snickered as Terriermon digivolved and went into action immediately. It used one of the Veemon as a springboard to get within firing range of Kaden's Security.
"In addition to all of that, since Veemon was suspended during my turn, both of my Gargomon get +2000 DP thanks to their respective Terriermon. Their Gummymon as well will draw me a card for each."
Gargomon: 4000-6000 DP
Gargomon: 5000-7000 DP
Gargomon gleefully unleashed a small barrage of bullets, taking out another of Kaden's security. To the latter's dismay, Ice Wall was revealed. In any other situation, it would've been ideal, but in this case, with Terriermon present, it was wasted.
Kaden
Security: 4-3
Nico let out a sigh of relief, "Wow, I'm lucky."
"Must be all of those rabbit feet you have," Kaden said with disappointment in his voice.
"Maybe, who knows?" Nico chuckled as he moved his hand over to the stronger Gargomon, "Come on, lady luck, Security Attack! Let me hit a Hammer Spark!"
The second Gargomon flipped over its counterpart and held in its barrage so the built energy made its gauntlets glow green. With a powerful punch, Kaden's third Security was shattered. However…
"Guess luck's not on your side," Kaden smirked, revealing the contents of his Security, "UlforceVeedramon with 12,000 DP!"
Gargomon: 7000 DP
UlforceVeedramon: 12,000 DP
Nico's expression soured some as the azure knight dwarfed his Digimon, using its cyan blade to strike it down with no effort. As Ulforce disappeared, Kaden stared ahead.
"Got any other surprises?" Kaden asked.
Nico pondered whether to make one final play or pass it over. Knowing that the two Veemon have Jamming made them huge threats. He had an answer for them but was it worth it…?
"Well?" Kaden pressed.
"Fine…but remember bro, you asked for it." Nico took a card from his hand and cast his arm away. "Terriermon, Armor Digivolve into the Gunslinger of Destiny!" Without declaring the name, Nico slammed the card onto the terminal, causing the machine to shine with gold light.
Kaden was taken aback by the flash and reactively shielded his eyes until it was safe to look. "I didn't expect you to have armor…"
"I just have one specifically." Nico clarified. "Like your Magnamon, it was a token of appreciation from the Zenith District."
Hearing that made Kaden perk up. Looking into the terminal, he was shocked to see Rapidmon, a Terriermon variation made into a slim, cyborg Digimon. However, this one was different, namely, it was shining gold in color compared to the usual green.
Rapidmon (BT8-039)
Color: Yellow/Green
Level: 4
DP: 6000
MEMORY
0-3 (Turn Change: Kaden)
"A… Level 4 Rapidmon?" Kaden blinked. "I never knew it was a thing."
"It's not just its looks that should surprise you. Upon digivolving, I suspend your other Veemon and follow it by giving them both -5000 DP!"
"What?!" Kaden exclaimed.
"Kaden!" Sierra's voice suddenly snapped, causing both teens to tense. They looked up, seeing the woman with her arms crossed and annoyed. All the while, Rapidmon unleashed a barrage of lasers that depleted the pair of Veemon's DP and deleted them.
Veemon: 2000-0 DP
Veemon: 2000-0 DP
"Um…it was Nico's idea!" Kaden immediately shifted the blame.
"WHAT?! I DID NOT—!"
"I don't…want to hear it." She cut him off. "Just finish up so we can begin closing, will you?"
Kaden and Nico looked at one another and back at Sierra, "Um…is everything okay?"
"Just peachy…" Sierra answered.
It clearly didn't sound like it, but Kaden wasn't gonna press. With his field empty and him being at 3 Memory, he drew, hoping to end this work day on a somewhat high note. "Huh, look at that."
"What?" Nico asked.
"Lady luck has my back this time around," he said revealing Hammer Spark.
Nico rolled his eyes. "Hate you right now…"
"Your risk didn't pay off in the long run," Kaden said, moving Veemon forward. "I activate Hammer Spark to gain a Memory."
MEMORY
3-4
"By the way, remember the Armor Digimon I got early on?"
"…yup."
"Good," Kaden grinned. "Veemon Armor Digivolves into Lighdramon and suspends Rapidmon!"
Veemon roared as the binary code infused and transformed it into the quadrupedal beast of thunder and lightning. After which, it conjured lightning in its horn and cast it toward Rapidmon, paralyzing the golden-armored Digimon.
Lighdramon (BT8-053)
Color: Green/Blue
Level: 4
DP: 5000
MEMORY
4-2
"Next up, double options! Fire Rocket and Lightning Blade to give Lighdramon +2000 DP, Piercing, and Security Attack +1!" Kaden played the pair of cards, empowering his beast. Nico didn't say anything, as his facial expressions did all of the talking.
Lighdramon: 5000-7000 DP
MEMORY
2-0
"Attack Rapidmon!" Kaden exclaimed, sending his beast onward.
Lighdramon: 7000 DP
Rapidmon: 6000 DP
With Rapidmon paralyzed by Lighdramon's initial strike, it struggled to defend itself. Lighdramon blitzed forward, the friction from the lightning igniting flames around it, and as a result, ran through Rapidmon in blinding speed, as well as having its horn logged in the faster reacting Security. Rapidmon's armor and Nico's initial security broke simultaneously, revealing the BT3 variant of Rapidmon, whose 6000 DP came up short to Lighdramon. Following that was Betamon, who definitely faired no better.
Nico
Security: 4-2
"And to end, I'll play Armor Purge to swap Lighdramon for the Royal Knight of Miracles: Magnamon!"
Lighdramon began to glow as the armor dispersed and swapped itself for the golden armor, turning it bipedal and humanoid. Nico's Terriermon looked on in envy as its draconic counterpart hovered, staring down at it with a sense of superiority.
Magnamon (BT8-038)
Color: Yellow/Blue
Level: 4
DP: 7000
MEMORY
0-2(Turn Change: Nico)
"Magnamon unsuspends via Armor Texture's effect, and per its effect, having Flamedramon and Lighdramon in my trash boosts it by 4000 DP for the turn. Veemon's IE as well, when unsuspended, I gain a Memory.
MEMORY
3-2
"Okay, I'll give that to you. Nasty comeback." Nico drew.
"Would you expect anything less from me?" Kaden asked.
"I mean…"
"What?"
"I'll admit, this armor rush gimmick is dope and all, but…real talk, Gurenmaru will eat you alive if you throw this at him." he drew for turn. "Henry sets my Memory to 3, I hatch another Gummymon into Betamon…and I play Dino Memory Boost to suspend Magnamon."
Kaden's eyes widened a bit upon the reveal of the Option card. A silhouette of a raptor-like dinosaur appeared on Nico's side and charged Magnamon through, the effects of it paralyzing it and grounding it.
MEMORY
2-3
3-0
"Gummymon lets me draw, and Terriermon gives me a Memory, putting me to 1. Gargomon, Security Attack!" Nico commanded, sending his bunny forward yet again with a barrage of laser bullets.
MEMORY
0-1
Kaden
Security: 2-1
The Security shattered, and Kaden smirked in response, "Security Trigger: Plasma Shot!" Magnamon attracted the shards of security and converted them into energy. As it did, Kaden continued, "Gargomon gets -4000 DP, and an additional -2000 along with Terriermon for the two Armor Digimon in my trash!"
Nico quickly remembered the effect of the option card and grew bitter. "Give me a break…!
Gargomon; 4000-0 DP
Terriermon: 2000-0 DP
Magnamon proceeded to cast the balls of plasma at its targets, draining them of their strength and causing them both to collapse into binary. As they dispersed, Nico sighed. "So long as that's the last surprise, I still have this…I think. In the meantime, here's a Pomumon to shut down Armor Texture, assuming it's your last Security."
Pomumon, a dragon-fruit-inspired Digimon, materialized. It had feathers that were pink with green edges, purple feet, and a beak muzzle like that of a prehistoric bird, along with pink talons.
Pomumon (BT9-047)
Color: Green
Level: 3
DP: 2000
MEMORY
1-2 (Turn Change: Kaden)
Kaden didn't deny that. Though unbeknownst to Nico, he had a surprise waiting. "You are the second person to tell me I stand no chance of facing Gurenmaru right this second. Davis sets Memory to 3 and I draw."
MEMORY
2-3
"Just saying," Nico defended. "It's not that this deck isn't strong, but, I don't know, just feels like it could be…more representative…? I guess?"
"'Representative?'" Kaden blinked.
"You know what I mean, bro? I mean, like, more like you."
Kaden scoffed, "You mean the plethora of Veemon I have isn't a dead giveaway? One more Hammer Spark and then Magnamon, Security Attack!"
MEMORY
3-4
Magnamon zoomed ahead and spread its limbs, glowing in a golden aura and beaming Nico's Security.
Nico
Security: 2-1
"That's exactly what I'm saying," Nico insisted, "Security Trigger: Terror Cluster sends Magnamon to the bottom of your deck, source and all."
"Basically, what I'm saying is, this deck may be representative of Kaden Grant, but this doesn't represent Cobalius the Imperial Knight." Though Magnamon's beam was reflected back at it, and it was wiped from Kaden's field, Nico noticed that Kaden wasn't bothered.
Comparatively, Kaden was taking Nico's words and thinking about them for a moment. It wasn't something that came to mind immediately, but…so much for trying to de-stress.
"At the very least, Riley offered me advice after our match before." Kaden took two cards from his hand and revealed them. Nico, in turn, was surprised but further validated, nonetheless.
He wasn't fighting Cobalius; he was fighting Kaden.
Davis and Rina stepped forward and had blue binary encircle both of them. In moments they transformed into Digimon themselves, humanoid Digimon in silver wolf armor, Rina's variation of it noticeably feminine in appearance compared to the normal variant.
Lobomon (BT4-025)
Color: Blue
Level: 4
DP: 5000
MEMORY
4-2
2-0
"My first Lobomon, Final Security Attack!" Kaden pointed, sending Rina-Lobomon forward. Drawing her blades, she flipped and crashed into Nico's final Security with a wide grin. Rapidmon materialized and aimed its cyborg arm forward toward her back.
Lobomon: 5000 DP
Rapidmon: 7000 DP
Rapidmon fired the rocket, but Rina-Lobomon backflipped over it and countered with her blades. Landing, she swung, rather recklessly, intercepted by a triangular shield Rapidmon threw up. In her disorientation, it fired it, deleting her in the process.
Nico
Security: 1-0
"Lobomon, Direct Attack!" Kaden finished, sending his final Digimon ahead. Davis-Lobomon crosses its blades, running the blades against one another to create waves of plasma energy to fire. The waves crashed into Nico's side, ending the game and declaring Kaden the winner.
"As you can see, I'm strong enough to beat Gurenmaru," Kaden stated.
Nico chose to nod, pulling away from the Terminal. "Fair enough. Be sure to let Cobalius know."
"I do," Kaden said, further insisting.
Nico didn't push further, looking over to Sierra, who's been watching the events this whole time. "Have a good night."
"Likewise." She waved.
Nico then took his leave, and once he was gone, Kaden let out a pent-up, aggressive sigh.
"Go home, Kaden," Sierra told him.
Kaden turned to her. "But what about—!"
"Everything is done." She said. "Go home and get some sleep. Start tomorrow fresh."
The soft tone she gave made his chest tight. He obeyed her instructions, grabbing his stuff in the back. "Good night… Sierra."
"Good night Kaden." She replied.
Kaden gave a nod and took his leave. As soon as he got outside, Veemon appeared on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"
Kaden started walking, ignoring his partner. Veemon slinked back into Kaden's D-Streamer, understanding quickly that Kaden wasn't in the mood to talk.
Milo finally left his bedroom after calming down. Madison checked on him the second he walked in, and as distraught as he was, he was able to escape her interrogation. He slept it off, only awakened by the sound of his mother coming into the house.
He waited and listened as the wooden staircase outside creaked until it stopped and was replaced by knocking. "Milo?"
"Come in," he said.
Principal Richardson came in, dressed down in a t-shirt and pajama pants as opposed to her usual business suit attire when she was at the school. She had a soft look of concern on her face, as she closed the door behind her. "Madison said you came in upset. Is everything all right?
Milo sighed without turning to face her. "Lot of stress…"
"Is it Mr. Marshall again?" Her voice hardened.
"No…I said something wrong that hurt the feelings of one of my friends. And…I don't know how to fix it."
"Oh, sweetheart…" Principal Richardson consoled her youngest in her arms. Milo would otherwise exclaim that he was too old for this, but this was a rare moment when he needed it. "Everything will work itself out."
"I hope…" Milo sounded unsure of that.
"Come on, tell me more. What did you say to your friend that made them upset with you?"
Milo sighed, figuring he had nothing to lose, "Before that, I have a question…"
"What is it?" she asked.
"Well…I've heard some rumors going around…and I wanted to know if you knew about them…" Milo began; unbeknownst to him, Mason was outside the doorway, listening in. The man listened intently to the conversation as Milo began talking. He was bothered by what he heard, focusing on the specific names Milo mentioned. When he heard enough, he returned to his room to utilize the information in ways he saw fit…
When Kaden woke up the following morning, he learned that his father left without him. As it turned out, a case suddenly sprung up and garnered his attention that early morning. Rush Hour didn't bother him too much, but there was a certain luxury of being able to get a ride to school, even if traffic played a factor.
As the train approached, he was determined to start the day on a better foot. Yesterday's stresses were left behind. If they ever came back, he'd address them then. Boarding the train, he caught a quick glimpse of Riley across the way. He didn't usually take the train, so this was the first time he'd seen her outside of school and work.
Squeezing his way through students and business people, he made his way over to her, surprising her when she looked up.
"Good morning," Kaden said with a smile.
Riley took her headphones out and gave him a small wave. "Don't you usually get rides to school?"
"Dad went to work early, so I'm stuck on the train today."
"Ah,"
"Yup…" Kaden trailed. "By the way…"
"What?" Riley asked, inches from putting her headphone back in her ear.
"You and Milo…"
"Oh, right. You haven't talked to him?"
"He's ghosted me," Kaden admitted. "I'm hoping to see him at school."
"Right…same here. I need to apologize for what I said."
"I know its none of my business, but you could've handled that more tactfully…"
"I'm aware."
"I mean, he's just a kid. He probably hasn't experienced being rejected before."
"I know, Sierra, already—wait, what?!"
The Train came to a screech, nearly toppling Kaden over. He was able to lean up against the window but, in doing so, found himself leaning over an already flustered Riley. "Personal space!"
Kaden yelped and quickly pulled back. "My bad!"'
"Anyway, back up!" Riley said with her face red. "What the hell makes you think I rejected him?!"
Kaden paused, suddenly feeling unsure of his irrefutable evidence. "Well…what you said yesterday…"
"Was about someone else!"
"…Nico?"
"NO!" Riley shrieked, gaining stares from those surrounding them. Upon noticing, she sunk into her chair, writhing in embarrassment. Kaden as well was growing comfortable with the stares.
"Does it have to do with the 'other person' you mentioned?" Kaden asked hesitantly.
Riley's silence more or less answered that.
Kaden bought a clue and kept quiet for the rest of the train ride. Even when they got back to the surface, Riley remained silent, letting Kaden know that she was mad at him.
As they approached the school, a short, husky gentleman in a suit was seen interviewing people back and forth, notably students. Kaden was quick to recognize the person. "That's Detective Howard..."
"Is that someone you know?" Riley asked.
"Yeah, he's a former detective from my Dad's precinct. They go way back."
"Mhmm…" Riley said, pretending to care. She noticed him talking to one student who seemed to be informed on whatever the situation was and realized it was Dexter, Barry's sidekick.
"Though last I checked, he moved to Cisco City to join AEGIS. What brings him back here?"
"Let me know when you find out." Riley patted him on the shoulder.
"Where are you going?" Kaden asked.
"Class starts soon." She waved, walking towards the building. She didn't mean to ditch him like that, but the last thing she wanted to be was roped into an interview with yet another authority figure as well as deal with Barry in any form.
As she slowly disappeared amongst the crowd in front of the school, Kaden made his way over to Detective Howard as he finished talking to Dexter. The teen noticed Kaden approaching and reactively scurried away. Kaden found it weird, but likely he may be thinking that Barry will start something if they were in close contact.
In any case, that was far from important. "Detective Howard!" Kaden called.
The stocky man turned and grew a wide grin. "Well, if it isn't Kaden Grant! How you've been?!"
Kaden gave the man a firm handshake, happy to see him after so long. "Not too bad, yourself?"
"Well, as you can see, AEGIS is keeping me on my toes," he chuckled heartily.
"I can tell. Speaking of which, what are you doing here? Did Cisco City deal with all of its cyber crimes?"
"Well, I can't explain much, but I will say this: a teacher at this school was reported missing not long after midnight."
Kaden was taken aback by that, "wait, seriously? Who?"
"They go by the name of Samuel Dawson…" he then noticed Kaden's face. "I take it you know him?"
"…yeah," Kaden answered, feeling nervous. "He's…uh, a popular teacher here."
Detective Howard wrote that down. "Anything else you can tell me?"
"Um…" Kaden was at a loss for words. If anything, the fact that Riley was just talking about him the day before… was a scary coincidence. "I don't…sorry."
"Well, I'll be in touch with your father, sharing any information that may come up."
"Um, if this is a missing persons case…then why is AEGIS involved?" Kaden couldn't help but ask.
Detective Howard sighed and placed his hands on his hips. "until we get more information, my hands are tied. Sorry kid."
"It's no problem. If I learn anything, I'll have my dad let you know."
Detective Howard nodded. "Please do."
Kaden nodded and walked off toward the school building. Kaden was aware of AEGIS through incidents involving Omnia but nothing beyond that. Why would they be involved in a missing person's case if their expertise is cybercrime? And why would Mr. Dawson be targeted? This was getting to be too much…
"Um… Kaden…?" Dexter's voice made Kaden stop and turn. The lanky teen looked timid as he did but also resolute about something. "I…I mean, we need to talk…"