Chapter Eleven: Brady's Upgrade

The next day, the group gathered at Brady's house, where Henry had promised to show them something important. Brady had been buzzing with excitement all morning, barely able to sit still as they waited in his room.

"I don't get it," Alex said, leaning against the wall. "What's the big deal?"

Brady smirked. "You'll see. Trust me, it's worth the hype."

David crossed his arms. "This better not be another one of your weird science projects."

"Dude," Brady scoffed, "this is way better than science."

Before anyone could respond, Henry walked into the room, holding a small metal case. The second Brady saw it, his grin widened.

"Alright, Brady," Henry said, setting the case on the desk. "I think you're ready for these."

He popped it open, revealing a deck of gleaming Digi-Modify cards. Alex, Kari, and David leaned in for a better look. Each card had a different image on it—some depicting weapons, others showing shields, speed boosts, and power-ups.

"Whoa," Kari breathed. "What are those?"

Henry smiled. "Digi-Modify cards. Back in my day, we used these to help our Digimon in battle. They can give temporary boosts, new attacks, even armor."

Brady's hands hovered over the cards like they were sacred artifacts. "And these are mine?"

Henry nodded. "You're ready for them. But don't go using them recklessly. They give you an edge, but strategy matters more than raw power."

Terriermon, perched on Brady's shoulder, grinned. "Oh, man, this is gonna be fun."

Brady picked up one of the cards, his fingers shaking slightly. It showed an energy burst with the words Hyper Speed Boost written across it.

"So, I just swipe them through my Digivice?" Brady asked.

"Exactly," Henry said. "Your Digivice will recognize the effect and apply it to Terriermon instantly."

David raised an eyebrow. "Sounds kinda overpowered."

Henry chuckled. "There are limits. The effects don't last long, and the stronger the card, the more energy it drains. But used right, they can turn the tide of a fight."

Alex crossed his arms. "Sounds useful. Guess that means Brady finally has to take battles seriously."

Brady rolled his eyes. "Ha-ha, very funny. Just wait, I'll be the MVP of our next fight."

Kari picked up a card labeled Lightning Strike. "Do we all get these, or just Brady?"

Henry scratched the back of his head. "Right now, Brady's the only one getting them. But if you can find more, there's nothing stopping the rest of you from using them."

Brady smirked, shuffling the deck in his hands. "Guess that means I'm ahead of you guys for once."

Alex and David exchanged looks.

"Not for long," David said with a smirk.

Henry patted Brady on the shoulder. "Just remember—power without control is dangerous. Make sure you use these wisely."

Brady nodded, his usual cockiness tempered by the weight of responsibility. "Got it, Dad."

Henry smiled. "Good. Now, why don't you take them for a test run?"

Brady's eyes lit up. "Oh, you don't have to tell me twice!"

Terriermon hopped down, landing in a ready stance. "Let's do this!"

Brady swiped the Hyper Speed Boost card through his Digivice. Instantly, Terriermon glowed with energy, his body vibrating slightly before he vanished in a blur of motion.

"Whoa!" Alex shouted, barely able to track Terriermon's movements.

Terriermon zipped around the room, bouncing off walls and furniture faster than the eye could follow.

"This is insane!" Brady laughed. "I could get used to this."

Terriermon landed in front of them, panting slightly as the glow faded. "Okay… that was cool. But also exhausting."

Henry nodded. "See? Short bursts, but effective."

Brady grinned. "Oh yeah. This is gonna change everything."

The others couldn't deny it—Brady had just leveled up their game. And with stronger enemies bound to appear, they were going to need every advantage they could get.