Extra Chapter
Let's reach 400 Power Stones for an extra chapter
***
I'm well rested after that Hulk incident. Now, MailBirdramon and I are soaring over the endless blue of the Pacific. The Digivice is pinging like crazy, tracking the last Rogue Digimon from the mission.
"Anything on that radar of yours, MailBirdramon?"
"Nothing besides water, which is a lot of nothing, if you ask me," MailBirdramon says. "Are you sure about this location?"
"The Digivice is never wrong."
I gotta figure out how to deal with this thing. Ocean-based Digimon aren't exactly my specialty. I don't have a single aquatic Digimon in my party. Sure, Agumon and Gabumon can pack a punch, and Gatomon's got that whole Holy Angemon evolution line, but none of them are exactly built for deep-sea combat. I mean, I could use Digi-Modify to give them some kind of breathing apparatus, but fighting underwater is a whole different ballgame. Movement is slow, visibility sucks, and the pressure… well, let's just say it's not ideal for a lizard or a cat.
"We are approaching the last known location," MailBirdramon says. "The area looks empty."
"Let's descend lower."
I scan the surface, but it's all horizon and waves. Guess this thing's hiding way down deep.
"It really must be deep in the ocean," I think.
Suddenly, a voice booms across the water, distorted by a megaphone. "Cipher! This is Agent Coulson of SHIELD! We need to talk!"
MailBirdramon and I whirl around. I spot a SHIELD ship cutting through the waves toward us. Coulson's standing on the bridge, the megaphone practically glued to his face. Seriously, does this guy ever take a day off? I guess you do not get to that position without being a workaholic.
"What do you want, Coulson?" I yell back.
"We need to discuss the Digimon situation! Can you come aboard?"
I weigh my options. On one hand, these guys are SHIELD. I don't want to get tangled up in their web of secrets and agendas. On the other hand, they're the only game in town when it comes to dealing with threats of this scale. And honestly, my curiosity is getting the better of me. Plus, MailBirdramon can handle anything they throw at us. I could use a ride that's safer than hugging the bird when taking a flight.
"Alright, fine! But don't try anything funny, Coulson!" I shout back. "MailBirdramon, take us down."
MailBirdramon banks sharply and glides towards the SHIELD vessel. As we approach, I see the agents on deck tense up. They eye MailBirdramon like he's a walking, talking WMD, probably because he is.
He touches down gently on the helipad, the metal groaning slightly under his weight. The agents take a step back.
I hop off MailBirdramon. The agents part, letting Coulson approach. He smiles, all practiced charm.
"Cipher, glad we could finally have a chat."
"Yeah, yeah. Get on with it, Coulson. What do you want?"
"We believe a cooperative effort would benefit both parties. SHIELD has resources, intel..."
"And I have Digimon," I cut in. "Let's not beat around the bush. This is where we start doing politics, right?"
He raises an eyebrow, but doesn't deny it. "We could offer support, protection..."
"I work just fine with my Digimon, Coulson. We've handled bigger messes than you probably know. I don't need SHIELD, and frankly, I don't trust you guys. I know you think these things are a threat that can be captured." I point at MailBirdramon. "I'm not going to let you experiment on them."
"I can assure you…"
"Save it," I say, turning back to MailBirdramon. "We're done here."
Before I can even give MailBirdramon the signal to take off, Coulson steps forward again, his voice gaining an edge of urgency.
"Cipher, wait! Look, I get it. You don't trust us. But this isn't some two-bit thug we're talking about. This Digimon… it's been causing problems. Big problems. Ships disappearing, power outages, weird energy readings… and I confess that SHIELD is ill-equipped for this sort of thing."
He pauses, letting that sink in. "We've been tracking it for weeks, but it's like trying to catch smoke. It moves fast, it's strong, and it disappears into the deep. We think… we know… that it's only a matter of time before it hits a major coastal city. We could really use your help."
I stare at him, trying to gauge if he's laying it on thick or if he's genuinely concerned. Okay, he is somewhat serious and I want to finish this mission as soon as possible.
"Fine," I finally say, making sure my voice leaves no room for misinterpretation. "I'll temporarily cooperate. But let's get one thing crystal clear, Coulson. I'm going to eliminate this Digimon. Not capture it, not study it, eliminate it. And SHIELD is not getting its hands on it. Understood?"
"Understood," Coulson replies immediately. Too immediately.
"If you even try to double-cross me, if I see one SHIELD scientist with a net creeping up on my Digimon, it's on you. I'm out. You can deal with the giant ocean monster yourself. And trust me, Coulson, you don't want that responsibility."
I let my words hang in the air, hoping he understands the gravity of my threat. I might be a newbie in this superhero world, but I'm not stupid. I know SHIELD operates in the gray, but I'm drawing a hard line in the sand. I also do not like how SHIELD operates.
He holds my gaze for a long moment, then nods slowly. "Understood, Cipher. We want this threat neutralized. How can we help?"
I guess I will have to keep an eye on them.
"Give me everything you've got. Locations, energy signatures, any intel on this thing's abilities, whatever you've got. But remember," I repeat, pointing a finger at him. "No tricks, Coulson. Or you'll regret it."
I turn to MailBirdramon. "Stay here. If they do anything funny to you, feel free to blast them to kingdom come."
I head toward the ship's entrance, the SHIELD agents parting to let me pass. I can feel their eyes on my back, but I don't care. I have a Digimon to hunt, and a temporary truce to uphold. Time to gear up and dive in.
***
Donate Power Stones to support this novel
Advance chapters in patreon.com/Najicablitz