Okay, who the heck is this? I rack my brain, trying to rember if I've ever seen her before. But honestly, I've been so focused on the whole "reincarnated in the Marvel Universe with Digimon" thing that my brain is fried.
"Uh… hi?" I say, trying to play it cool. "Do I… know you?"
Her smile falters slightly. "Did you forget about already? That's kind of rude, Ethan. I'm your landlord, Olivia. We've talked a few tis. I even brought you cookies once, rember?"
Olivia? The na rings a bell, but I can't put a face to it. "Oh, jeez, Olivia, I'm so sorry!" I exclaim, feeling like a complete idiot. "I've been a little out of it lately. Brain fart, you know?" I give her an apologetic smile, hoping she buys it. "It's good to see you."
Her face is etched with worry. "Ethan, honey, I haven't seen you co out of your apartnt in like, a week. I was starting to get worried."
"Yeah, sorry about that. I've been… super busy with stuff." I give her a sheepish grin.
She sighs, and so of the tension leaves her shoulders. "Well, as long as you're okay. But seriously, Ethan, you need to get back to school soon. And," she hesitates, "about the rent…"
"I'll get it to you soon, I promise," I say quickly, already dreading this conversation. Man, the original Ethan must have been slacking big ti.
Olivia raises an eyebrow. "That's what you said last ti, sweetie. You're already two months behind, Ethan."
Two months?! Holy crap, this is way worse than I thought.
Olivia's voice softens. "Look, Ethan, I know you're an orphan, and you're a good kid. That's why I'm letting this slide for now. But you need to figure things out, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, I will," I assure her, itching to get away. "I'll get you the money soon. I gotta go, though. Huge stuff going on."
"Alright. Bye, Ethan!"
I give her a quick wave and all but bolt down the sidewalk, digging my phone from my pocket and glancing at the Digivice.
"She seems nice," Gatomon pipes up through the phone's speaker.
"Too nice," BlackGatomon counters. "Nobody is that concerned about so random tenant."
"She seed okay," I say, "for a landlord." The original Ethan didn't leave any mories behind, so this was technically my first ti eting her.
"Rember what's important," I mutter, focusing on the task at hand.
The Digivice app pinged, pointing toward a dark alley a block away. I quicken my pace, my heart starting to thump with a mix of excitent and nerves. This is it—my first real mission.
The Digivice app is going wild as I enter the park, indicating the Rogue Digimon is close.
"Gatomon, BlackGatomon, co out!" I command, pointing the Digivice forward.
In a flash of light, Gatomon and BlackGatomon materialize in front of . They land gracefully on the cracked pavent, their eyes scanning the surroundings.
"Where is it, Ethan?" Gatomon asks, her voice sharp and focused.
BlackGatomon stretches, claws extended. "Let's get this over with. I'm in the mood for a little action."
"According to the Digivice, it is close by."
"Hey, System," I say, tapping the side of my head, "What exactly does 'hunt' an in this context?"
[To hunt the Rogue Digimon ans to defeat it, revert it to a Digi-Egg, and use the Digivice to send the Digi-Egg back to the Digital World.]
"Whoa," I exclaim, surprised. "This thing can send Digi-Eggs back? That's so serious tech upgrades from the ani. Wait... if it can send things to the Digital World, does that an..."
[Digital World travel function is currently locked,]
Damn. Still, the fact that it exists is mind-blowing. The Digital World… I dream of visiting it since I was a kid. Knowing it's a possibility now fills with a stupid amount of hope.
"Okay, new question," I say, "Why can't I just, like, capture it? I rember in Digimon Xross Wars, they could just add Digimon to their team."
[It is possible to convince a Rogue Digimon to join you. However, only Digimon acquired through the system will be guaranteed loyal. It is up to you to convince the Digimon to join you.]
I nod, getting it. "Right, right. These aren't just pocket monsters. So of them are practically people, right? This isn't like catching a Pidgey and expecting it to suddenly be your best bud, no questions asked."
"There!" Gatomon says, pointing with her gloved paw. Yep, she's definitely locked on. "I sll it."
I look over to Gatomon. "Sll it? What does it sll like?"
"Trouble," she says, her face serious. "Up ahead, near the playground."
We move forward cautiously, and then I see it.
A Monodramon stands in the center of the playground, looking like a miniature, angry dragon. It's mostly blue with yellow eyes, and has these tiny, almost useless-looking bat wings attached to its arms. It's got claws that look way too big for its body and a horn sticking out the back of its head. Definitely not winning any beauty contests.
Even worse than its looks, though, is the sight around it. Several people are lying on the ground, clutching their arms and legs, groaning. So are bleeding.
"That little lizard did this?" I ask, my voice low.
"Looks like it," BlackGatomon hisses, crouching slightly. "Unless there's another culprit we can't see."
The Monodramon must have sensed us, because it turns, fixing its gaze on our group. It lets out a deafening roar, showing off rows of sharp teeth. This isn't just a warning; it's a declaration. This is its territory, and we aren't welco.
"LEAVE!" the Monodramon snarls, its voice surprisingly deep for sothing so small. "This is my territory now! You got two choices: scram, or I make you!"
I glance at the injured people, then back at the Monodramon. I can't just leave them here.
"Sorry, buddy," I say, stepping forward. "Can't do that. People are hurt. You need to chill out and co with us quietly."
***
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