Episode 8: Eyes

"Whachu doin'?" Jellymon floats next to Shelby's head.

"I'm trying to find more information on Digital Waves." Shelby taps rapidly on her keyboard.

"Like the one that swept me up?"

"Exactly. I'm trying to find what causes them to appear in our world and understand why Digimon keep crossing over from the Digital World to ours."

"Didn't Connor say they collide in your data lines?"

"Yeah, but the question is why do they collide? That's what I'm trying to find out." Jellymon hovers closer to Shelby's head. "Hey Jellymon, can you not hover next to me while I'm typing?"

Jellymon darts away. "Sorry!"

"Not to worry." Shelby stops typing, studying the pages she finds. She lets out a loud sigh. "It's no use."

"The internet is amazing, though! The way you can look up anything right away! We only have the libraries in the Digital World."

"The library…" Shelby repeats before smiling. "I think we'll make a trip there tomorrow! Since I can't drive and Connor is busy, I'll call Sara and see if she can take us."

"Are you going to the game tomorrow?" a boy asks his friend.

"Yeah! I'll be there!"

The two friends walk through the downtown area, passing by some buildings. The boy notices something and turns to the wall. Nothing. "Huh?"

The friend turns to him. "Hey, what's up?"

"I don't know." The boy turns back. "I felt like something was staring at me. The heebie jeebies." The boy shrugs and the friends continue on their way. As they leave, a shadowy figure appears on the building wall before disappearing in a second.

Shelby approaches the library entrance. "Thanks for taking us here."

"Not a problem!" Sara opens the door. "I was hoping to get out of the house today, anyways."

"What are we doing here?" Patamon wonders, wrapped in Sara's arms.

"We're looking for infomation," Jellymon explains on top of Shelby's head like a hat.

Sara looks away from the library computer screen. "What book are you looking for, anyways?"

"I'm looking for any books on Digital Waves." Shelby clacks away at the keyboard.

Sara leans back in her chair. "Doesn't your college course cover that?"

"It does, but it doesn't teach us anything that we've been seeing with Digimon or Digital Space or really anything. If it did, Digimon would be more than an online rumor."

"Why not ask Connor?"

"He does know a lot about Digital Waves, but not even he knows everything."

"Strange," Patamon states, "He seems like the kind of person that would know just about everything."

Shelby stops typing on the board. "No good. The only book that they have has already been checked out."

"Try another time, I guess," Jellymon sighs. "This library is nothing like the libraries at home."

"They have libraries in the Digital World?" Sara asks.

"Loads!" Patamon responds.

"Your world is starting to sound similar to ours," Sara comments.

As they exit the library, they turn out onto the sidewalk to the downtown area. "I'm hungry," Patamon whines.

"I know a good place around here!" Sara tells everyone.

They walk by a building. Flinching, Shelby looks over at a wall of the building. Nothing. Confused, Shelby raises an eyebrow. "What…?"

Noticing she has gotten significantly ahead, Sara turns back around and jogs back. "Hey! What's up?"

"I felt something staring at me." Shelby grabs Jellymon's tentacle.

"I didn't feel anything," Jellymon states.

"Maybe the hunger is getting to you?" Patamon suggests.

Shelby shakes her head and shrugs. "Let's just get to this place already." They continue on their way. Once out of sight, a red eye appears on the wall for a moment.

"Food time!" Patamon takes a big bite out of his sandwich.

"You shouldn't take that big of a bite!" Jellymon scolds Patamon.

"What's your next plan?" Sara asks Shelby. "Nothing on any web searches, I take?"

"No, it's weird." Shelby sets down her fork. "I researched more into it on the web and nothing has turned up. The only thing I found was the research paper by George Kenway that started more investigations into Digital Waves."

"Huh… That is bizarre." Sara twirls her fork, wrapping the noodles around it. She brings the fork up to her mouth.

"By the way, I wanted to ask you: Have you decided on a name yet?"

Sara brings her fork back down. "Well…" She pauses for a moment. "I have a couple in mind: Rohan or Aster."

"I think either would fit," Shelby smiles.

Sara blushes slightly. "Thank you."

"A name for what?" Patamon interjects.

"A pet or…?" Jellymon questions.

"You'll just have to find out when he's ready." Shelby winks at Sara. Looking like she's about to burst into tears, Sara smiles.

As they leave the restaurant, Shelby holds the door open for a couple of men walking in. "Thank you!" One of them says. As the door shuts, Shelby overhears him say, "She's so adorable with that jellyfish hat-" The door shuts. Standing in place, Shelby looks disappointed.

"What's wrong?" Jellymon worries.

Sara turns back to her. "Everything okay?"

"I hate it when people look at me, especially like that," Shelby laments. "I'm at the end of my first year at college. Which has been very rewarding. But I know I'm growing up much faster than everyone in my age range. And it's a strange disconnect from all of you. The worst of it are the, 'Mature for your age,' comments I get every so often. I didn't do this for maturity. I did it because I wanted something more for myself. This so-called 'maturity' just came with it, I guess."

"Men are a piece of work sometimes," Sara groans. "I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for," Shelby explains.

"I know, but…"

"It's not like you're commanding them to say things to her," Jellymon interrupts.

Sara nods. "That's true."

"We're gonna be late!" Patamon reminds them. They all nod and keep moving.

After walking for a few minutes, Shelby looks over at a building and gasps, "Sara!"

Sara runs to Shelby and looks at the same wall. "What the-?!" Several red eyes were staring at them from the wall.

Jellymon gets off of Shelby's head, extends her full body out, and floats next to her. "That's so creepy…"

"Another Digimon?" Shelby pulls out her Digivice. An imp-like, shadow creature emerges from the wall of eyes.

=Digital Analyzer=

Name: Eyesmon

Level: Adult

Attribute: Virus

Technique: Wicked Thought Eye

"That's impressive for your age," a voice states.

"What?" Shelby turns to Sara. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"I wish I did that."

"I just…" Looking at the many eyes still on the wall, Shelby's face becomes flush. "Stop…" Sara looks over. Eyesmon's many eyes begin glowing. "Stop looking… I don't want…" Her breathing gets heavier as Eyesmon approaches her. Shelby holds her head.

Letting go of Patamon, Sara pulls out her Digivice and transports them all to Digital Space. "Shelby!"

"Bibi Thunder!" Jellymon discharges several bolts at Eyesmon. The force throws Eyesmon back against the wall of eyes.

Patamon turns behind him and sees another Eyesmon. It fires twin pairs of beams out of its eyes. Patamon dodges the attack. "Air shot!" The attack blows Eyesmon away as several more begin to surround them.

Sara tugs at Shelby's arm. "We need to go!" They flee the scene as Patamon and Jellymon stick close from behind.

Eyesmons start emerging out of the other buildings. "How old did you say you were?"

"That's not your business!" Distraught, Shelby falls on to the ground and closes her eyes.

Twin pairs of beams fire from one of the Eyesmon's eyes and hits Jellymon, falling next to Shelby. "Shelby!" Jellymon quickly rises back up and pulls at Shelby's arm. "Get up!"

"Stop looking…"

"Not good!" Sara looks at the several Eyesmons that have begun to surround them.

"Air shot!" Patamon hits one of them, just for two more to take its place.

Jellymon floats upwards. "Bibi Thunder!" Jellymon hits two more. Six more appear. The Eyesmons begin to circle around the group. As they make faster laps, they clump together before forming a dragon-like form with several eyes all along the body.

"Air shot!" Patamon hits Eyesmon's new form. Nothing. Eyesmon approaches them.

"Bibi Thunder!" Hitting Eyesmon with all her energy, Eyesmon remains unphased. Several beams shoot out of Eyesmon and hit Jellymon.

Falling next to Shelby once more, Jellymon looks over at her partner in distress. "Just leave me alone…"

"Shelby…" Jellymon crawls over to her. Trying to comfort her, Jellymon places her hand on Shelby's arm. "Don't let them bother you. They're only going to pull you down with them."

Opening her eyes to Jellymon's words, Shelby sits up and turns to her. "I don't want people to think I'm too mean."

"That's their problem!" Jellymon exclaims. "It's not about them! It's about YOU and how YOU feel!"

"How I feel?" Shelby looks Jellymon in the eyes.

"Yes! If they're making you feel bad, they have no business being a part of your life! It's not mean! It's taking care of yourself!"

As Eyesmon approaches them, Shelby stares at Jellymon for a moment. "...You're right." Shelby stands up. Her Digivice starts to glow. "Shutting out some people isn't mean. It's just taking care of myself."

Jellymon smiles and floats up next to her. "Exactly!"

Eyesmon's eyes begin to glow. "Let's start by shutting this asshole out!"

"Couldn't have said it better myself!" Jellymon smiles. As Shelby's Digivice glows bright, so does Jellymon. "Jellymon evolve!" As Jellymon's body becomes bigger, her body suit becomes more of a midriff top and shorts with long boots. Her jellyfish body sinks down to cover her eyes. "TeslaJellymon!"

=Digital Analyzer=

Name: TeslaJellymon

Level: Adult

Attribute: Data

Technique: Punishöne

Shelby stares at TeslaJellymon, surprised. "She…evolved like Wormmon."

"Wow…" Sara exhales.

Eyesmon fires several beams from its eyes at TeslaJellymon. Dodging at high speed, TeslaJellymon avoids all the attacks. "Come on! This is too easy!"

"You're so cute!"

"Stop gawking at a minor!" Shelby demands.

Eyesmon quickly charges at TeslaJellymon and attempts to chomp her. "Vorsprite!" Electrifying her whole body, TeslaJellymon rams into Eyesmon before it bites her.

"Amazing…" Shelby looks in awe.

The impact slams Eyesmon against the building. Eyesmon roars and fires several beams from its eyes. TeslaJellymon evades the attack and closes the distance between them. "Physalist!" Sparks of electricity leave TeslaJellymon's hand as she strikes with the palm of her hand at Eyesmon, sending an electric shock throughout its body. Eyesmon scatters into the imp-like forms and surrounds TeslaJellymon.

"TeslaJellymon!" Shelby calls out as the Eyesmons' eyes glow.

"Get out of there!" Patamon cries.

"Tchehehe!" TeslaJellymon sticks her pointer finger out and ticks it left to right. "Don't underestimate me!" She smirks as her body begins to spark. "Punishöne!" Discharging a massive amount of electricity, TeslaJellymon hits every Eyesmon, disintegrating their bodies to data.

As their data disappears, Shelby comes running up to TeslaJellymon. "You're amazing!"

TeslaJellymon turns to Shelby and floats downwards. "Only because you're amazing." TeslaJellymon smiles before devolving back to Jellymon.

Shelby presses the button for them to exit Digital Space. "We should probably make our way to the park."

Sara nods. "Let's get going!"

Entering the park, they see Connor with the others. "Hey!" Shelby calls out.

Connor turns to them. "There you are."

"Sorry we're late!" Sara apologizes.

"We had a Digimon attack us," Patamon explains.

"It happens," Connor shrugs.

"We just got here, too," Herissmon tells them.

"Tchehehe!" Jellymon laughs. "We would've been toast if it wasn't for me!" Everyone turns their attention to Jellymon. "I evolved for the first time today!"

"That's amazing!" Lauren congratulates.

"Hmph! I got my second evolution today!" V-mon gloats.

"No way!" Jellymon pouts. "That's no fair!"

"Oh come on!" Ezra complains, turning to Herissmon. "When are you going to evolve?!"

"Hey hey," Connor tries to calm everyone down. "It's not a contest."

"We have something more important to discuss," Renamon reminds everyone.

Everyone turns to Renamon. "Sorry," Jellymon expresses.

Lance takes a breath and turns to Connor. "Actually, when V-mon got his second evolution, we met someone. He said he knew you."

"Well, I am known to a lot of tamers, so that doesn't surprise me."

"We asked who he was," Lance continues, "but he told us to ask you."

"Did he have a Digimon with him?"

"We pulled the information on our Digivices." Lance gulps, steeling his nerves. "Does the name Negamon mean anything to you?"

Connor's eyes widen, stepping forward at Lance. "You met him?!"

Lance steps back, "Who is he?"

Taking a step back, Connor looks to the direction where the building is in Digital Space. "Edward."

"Edward?" Lauren repeats.

"We…" Connor stutters. "We go way back."

"Is he a friend of yours?" Patamon questions.

"Wouldn't call him a friend," Wormmon answers.

"He's the reason why the Digital World is in disarray," Connor explains. "I should've been able to stop him and I couldn't."

"Let us help you!" Lauren suggests.

"He's my responsibility. You all shouldn't take the load because I failed."

"We all need help sometimes!" V-mon advises.

"No, I have to do this on my own." Connor begins to walk away.

"Where are you going?" Lance worries.

"I need to think some things over. I'll be in touch." Connor turns the corner of a building, leaving.

"Connor!" Lauren steps forward to follow him, but Renamon stops her.

"Leave him," Renamon suggests. "Let him figure it out."

V-mon looks up at Lance's face. "Lance?"

Concerned and disappointed, Lance looks at the building Connor turned at. "Connor…let us help you…"