The next few days are relatively quiet. I spend most of my ti training with Gatomon and BlackGatomon. I have them use the Strength Plug-in to simulate how it feels. Punimon mostly chills in the Digi-Ho, playing with Koromon or napping.
Finally, it's Monday morning, and I drag myself back to Midtown High. I'm getting close to finishing my classwork, which is important for maintaining my scholarship. Gotta keep up the facade of being a normal, academically inclined student.
As I walk through the halls, I spot Gwen leaning against a locker, chatting with Peter. I jog over, plastering on my most charming smile. "Hey, guys, what's up?"
Gwen smiles. "Hey, Ethan! Not skipping school again, I hope?"
Peter nods in agreent. "Yeah, man, we were starting to think you vanished again."
"Nah, just been, uh, busy," I reply, trying to sound casual. "So, what's the gossip? Anything interesting happening around here?"
Gwen leans in conspiratorially. "Did you hear about Tombstone? He got taken down! The entire city is buzzing. Dad's been working overti on the case."
"No way!" Peter exclaims, his eyes wide. "Seriously? Who could possibly take down Tombstone? That guy's like a brick wall."
Gwen shrugs. "That's the thing; nobody knows for sure. Dad's team is completely stumped. The rumors going around are wild, though."
"Oh yeah? Do tell," I say, trying to sound interested. Inside, I'm doing ntal gymnastics, trying to figure out how much they know or suspect.
"Well, the word on the street is that it was so dude in a black and orange jacket," Gwen says, glancing around as if checking for eavesdroppers. "And get this, he had two cats with him!"
Peter bursts out laughing. "Two cats? You're kidding, right? Tombstone, the city's most notorious cri boss, gets taken down by a guy and a couple of cats? That's insane!"
I force a chuckle, trying to play it cool. "Yeah, sounds pretty far-fetched to . I wonder what really happened?"
"Dad says it was a professional job. No witnesses, no real evidence, just a lot of very ssed-up bad guys," Gwen adds, shaking her head. "He's pulling his hair out trying to figure it out."
"I bet," Peter says, still chuckling. "So, what do you guys think? Vigilante? Superhero? Or just so lucky dude who stumbled into the wrong place at the right ti?"
I shrug, pretending to consider the possibilities. "Could be anything, I guess. New York's full of surprises, right?"
A guy in a black and orange jacket with two cats? Yeah, that's totally not .
"Anyway," I say, clapping my hands together, "enough true cri. What are you two doing later? Maybe we could hang out? Catch a movie or sothing?"
"I can't," she says quickly, a hint of disappointnt in her voice. "I have to go to Oscorp. I'm helping Dr. Connors with so research."
My eyebrows shoot up. "You work at Oscorp?" I ask, genuinely surprised.
"Yeah, I'm an intern there. Didn't I tell you? I thought I did," she replies, looking confused. "You don't rember?"
I scratch the back of my head, feigning forgetfulness. The truth is, I don't recall jack from my previous life, so all of this is new to . "Uh, guess it slipped my mind," I chuckle sheepishly. "Oscorp, huh? Must be pretty cool."
Peter's eyes widen. "Cool? Man, it's the dream! I'd love to work at Oscorp one day. Doing science stuff, you know? Maybe work with Dr. Connors myself."
"Alright, you two, break it up," Gwen says, glancing at her watch. "It's almost ti for class. Don't want to be late."
We all nod and start heading in different directions, towards our respective classes. Peter waves and heads off, muttering sothing about needing to ace the next science quiz. Gwen gives a small smile before disappearing into the English hallway.
Oscorp… That na triggers a flood of mories from my past life, all the movies and comics. It is a breeding ground for supervillains and crazy experints. Dr. Connors? The Lizard? Norman Osborn? Green Goblin? It is all coming back to .
I wonder when Peter is going to get bitten by that spider and gain his powers. Should I interfere? Nah, I should probably stay out of it. Peter is destined to beco Spider-Man, and I have my own problems.
The neon heart of Tis Square beats with a relentless pulse. Tourists snap photos, taxis honk, and street perforrs hustle for attention. Suddenly, a ripple of static washes across the massive LED displays that define the skyline. Images blur, colors distort, and a collective murmur rises from the crowd as the screens begin to glitch in unison. Then, in the center of one enormous display, a small, pixelated tear appears.
From this digital fissure, sothing erges. A small, pink, rabbit-like figure tumbles out of the screen and lands softly on the crowded sidewalk. Its large, floppy ears twitch, taking in the cacophony of sounds and lights. The figure is small, about the size of a large plush toy, and exudes an aura of gentle innocence amidst the urban jungle. The shadow it casts is strangely elongated and distorted, like the shadow of a much larger beast.
The creature blinks its big, round eyes, taking in the dizzying scene. Gone are the familiar, pixelated landscapes of its ho. The air slls of exhaust fus and hot dogs, not the clean, digital breeze it is used to. People rush past, oblivious to its presence, their faces buried in glowing rectangles.
She wanders tentatively, her small paws padding softly against the concrete. The towering buildings loom overhead like digital monoliths, their surfaces reflecting the chaotic energy of the city. She stops near a hot dog stand, peering up at the vendor with wide-eyed curiosity. These tall, strange beings are not like any Digimon she knows. They are… different.
"Chu… where am I, chu?" she wonders aloud, her voice barely a whisper above the city's roar. "This doesn't look like ho, chu."
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