Let's reach 400 Power Stones for an extra chapter
***
-Coulson-
Back at the dumpster, I rub my temples, trying to shake off the lingering effects of those damn mushroom spores. What the hell just happened? One minute, we had this "Cipher" kid cornered, and the next, a damn mushroom monster is gassing my team. I can't believe I got hit by that attack.
"Report!" I snap, my voice raspy.
"Everyone's recovering, sir," Agent Grant Ward replies, his face still pale. "Just some dizziness and disorientation. No lasting damage."
"What about the kid and the Digimon?" I ask, already knowing the answer.
"Gone, sir," Agent Melinda May says, her voice flat. "We have no idea how they disappeared. No sign of forced entry or escape routes. They just vanished."
I scan the area, my eyes landing on the flickering screen of the electronics store. It's like they just walked into that TV. It is all so bizarre. "Run a scan of the area," I order. "Check for any residual energy signatures, anything out of the ordinary."
As the team begins sweeping the area, my phone chirps. The caller ID reads "Director Fury." Perfect. Just what I need.
"Coulson," I answer, already bracing myself for the inevitable barrage of questions.
"Status report," Fury barks, wasting no time on pleasantries. "What the hell happened in Times Square?"
"It's complicated," I start, knowing that's the understatement of the century. "We made contact with the individual we've been tracking. Goes by the name 'Cipher.' He has those creatures, the Digimon. And… well, he got away."
"Got away?" Fury's voice rises a few decibels. "What do you mean, he got away?"
I take a breath, recounting the events as calmly as possible. "He summoned another one of those Digimon, some kind of mushroom thing. It released spores. Incapacitated my team. He vanished shortly after."
"Digimon?" Fury repeats, clearly intrigued. "Tombstone mentioned something about that, as well as this Chosen Child nonsense. These Digimon—are they hostile?"
"Potentially," I reply. "This one used some kind of sleep gas. But based on what Tombstone said, the Digimon seem to follow Cipher's orders."
"I want this Cipher found," Fury orders, his voice leaving no room for argument. "Find him and those damn Digimon. I want to know what they are, where they came from, and what they're planning. This just got a whole lot more interesting, Coulson."
"Understood, Director," I say, ending the call.
I turn back to May and Ward. "Looks like we have our marching orders. Forget the residual energy scans. We are going after Cipher and his Digimon."
-Ethan-
I step back into the Digi-Home, Cutemon clutching my arm, still looking shaken up. "Safe and sound," I murmur, trying to reassure it.
Suddenly, my Digivice glows, and Gatomon, BlackGatomon, Agumon, and Gabumon materialize beside us. "What'd we miss?" Gatomon asks, stretching.
BlackGatomon sniffs the air. "Who's the pink puffball?"
Cutemon shrinks behind me, peeking out with wide eyes. "Chu… Who are they?"
"Everyone, this is Cutemon," I say, patting Cutemon's head. "Cutemon, meet the gang."
Gatomon softens, her usual sharp gaze turning gentle. "It's nice to meet you, Cutemon. I'm Gatomon."
BlackGatomon circles Cutemon, a playful glint in her eyes. "And I'm BlackGatomon. Don't let the cute face fool you; I can be pretty scary."
Cutemon squeaks, but Gatomon swats BlackGatomon's tail. "Behave yourself. She's been through enough already."
"Hey, Cutemon, are you hungry? All that running must've worked up an appetite."
As if on cue, her tiny stomach lets out a loud grumble. "Chu… a little, chu…" she admits, face turning pinker.
"Alright, chow time!" I head over to the Digi-Home's kitchen area and start pulling out grub. Salmon for the cats, some dino-sized steaks for Agumon, and a pile of veggies for Gabumon. I set everything down, then realize Cutemon is just staring at the spread with confusion.
"Chu… what are those?" she asks, tilting her head at the salmon.
Gatomon chuckles. "That's salmon, kiddo. Here, try it." Gatomon nudges a piece closer to Cutemon. "It's good for you."
Cutemon hesitantly nibbles at the salmon. Her eyes widen. "Chu… it's yummy, chu!" Soon, everyone's chowing down, teaching Cutemon about Earth food.
As I watch Cutemon happily munching away, a thought strikes me. I bring up the Digi-Goggles and scan her.
[Cutemon]
[Level: Rookie]
[Type: Pixie]
[Attribute: Vaccine]
[Special Move: Healing Glow, Immediate Healing, Healing GlowⅡ, Supersonic Wave, Ultrasonic Wave]
[A Pixie Digimon found in cold regions. Cutemon may be timid, but it loves to pull pranks and is full of enthusiasm. What look like rabbit ears on its head are in fact a type of sensory organ that allows it to immediately pick up on the approach of other Digimon. Cutemon will then quickly hide away as a result, meaning it's extremely rare to actually see one. If you do catch sight of a Cutemon, you're either exceptionally lucky, or it's about to lure you into one of its pranks. Its trademark scarf is very warm, and surprisingly effective at keeping out the cold. Should you ever get ahold of one somehow, you can truly count yourself lucky. Cutemon has the ability to heal wounds, and will sometimes stealthily approach an injured Digimon to help it recover. If you ever find your cuts and scrapes have suddenly vanished, it's probably one of Cutemon's cute little pranks.]
Seeing her stats—that healing ability is too good to pass up—I really want her on the team. I can't really force her, can I?
"So, Cutemon," I begin, trying to sound casual, "what do you plan to do now?"
"Chu… I don't know, chu…" she replies, fiddling with her scarf.
"Well, you could go back home," I suggest.
"Chu… I can go back, chu?" Her eyes light up with a glimmer of hope.
"Sure, I can send you back to the Digital World if you want. No problem at all." I gesture towards my Digivice. "One quick zap and you're back in familiar territory."
She looks down, her ears drooping slightly. "Chu…"
I can practically see the gears turning in her tiny head. What's she thinking? "What's wrong?"
"Chu… I do want to go back home, but… what then, chu? I'll just go back to my village, but it's so boring there. I always wanted to go on an adventure, but because I'm weak, my parents don't allow me to leave the village, chu…"
Aha! This is my chance. "Well, what if you didn't have to go back? What if you could stay here, with us?"
"Chu… I can, chu?"
"Yeah! We could go on an adventure together. Plus," I add, leaning in conspiratorially, "I could really use someone who can heal. We get into a lot of scrapes, you know?"
"Yeah, you will get hurt a lot, chu," she giggles.
Agumon and Gabumon exchange a glance. Gatomon smirks, and BlackGatomon just rolls her eyes, but I see the hint of a smile playing on her lips. "So what will it be, Cutemon? Do you want to join us?"
I hold out my hand, hoping she takes it. Agumon, Gabumon, Gatomon, and BlackGatomon all flash her encouraging smiles.
Cutemon looks from me to the others, her eyes sparkling. "Chu… okay! I'll join you, chu!" She grabs my hand with her tiny paw.
"Awesome!" I grin, scooping her up into a hug. "Welcome to the team, Cutemon!"
[Mission Complete: Subdue Cutemon! Reward: 10x Supply Boxes!]
"Yes! More free stuff!" I exclaim. Gatomon rolls her eyes while BlackGatomon cheers with Cutemon. More boxes means more Digi-Coins, which translates to more food and possibly, more ways to get stronger. This is a great day!
***
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