"Hey, uh, Jewel?" I said, trying to sound normal, even though I was still out of breath. "What are you doing here?"
My grip on my Digivice tightened. This wasn't exactly how I pictured this going down. I mean, here I was, trying to be all heroic with Renamon, and then suddenly, boom, a real superhero just swoops in. Jewel, in her bright white suit and that cerulean sash, was practically glowing under the streetlights, her pink hair like a neon sign in the dark.
She just held Impmon, who was squirming now, like he was a particularly stubborn cat. My Digivice was still buzzing in my hand, but it felt a little useless at the moment. It was awesome to see her, don't get me wrong, but it also felt like she just… complicated everything. This was my mission. Renamon and I were handling it. Or, you know, almost handling it.
"Just making sure this little guy doesn't cause any more trouble," Jewel said, her voice sounding just as friendly and reassuring as it did on the news. "He seemed to be having a little too much fun with the purple fire."
Impmon finally managed to wriggle enough to stick his tongue out at her. "Hey! I wasn't hurting anyone! Just livening things up!"
"Who are you?" Jewel asked, her voice polite, but her grip on Impmon was firm, and her eyes were a little too sharp. "I was dealing with this."
My stomach tightened. I just stood there, my Digi-Camo probably still flickering a little, trying to look like I knew what I was doing. My Digivice felt heavy in my hand, and Renamon shifted subtly beside me, a silent reminder that I wasn't totally alone, even if I felt like it. I wished Ethan were here. He was good at this part.
"Uh, I'm… Proxy," I blurted out, the name feeling clumsy on my tongue, like a bad lie. It was the first thing that popped into my head, from some old sci-fi movie Peter liked. "I was, you know, also tracking him."
Impmon just kept squirming in Jewel's hold, his tail lashing back and forth like a mad whip.
"Hey, I told you, I wasn't doing anything bad bad," Impmon whined, his voice getting higher. "Just a few sparks! It's called performance art, lady! You're totally overreacting!" He tried to twist around, but Jewel held him tight. He was a menace, but I felt a weird pang of something, seeing him struggle like that.
"You have to go back to the Digital World, Impmon," I said, trying to make my voice sound firm, even though my heart was still doing acrobatics. "You can't just go around setting fires here."
Renamon stood beside me, nodding in agreement. She was all about order, and Impmon was definitely not.
"That's right," Jewel added, tightening her grip on Impmon. "This isn't a playground for… whatever you are."
Impmon scoffed, twisting his head to glare at her. "The Digital World is a boring data-dump! There's nothing there for me! And what right do you two have to tell me what to do, anyway? You don't even know what you're talking about!" He looked at Jewel with an expression that was almost sad,
Boots crunched on gravel as black-clad figures emerged from the treeline, rifles raised. My stomach clenched, the casual park suddenly turning into a war zone. Jewel's grip on Impmon tightened, her posture shifting to shield him, a natural instinct. I felt a flicker of respect for her.
"Uh, those are your friends?" Impmon quipped, his voice a little less confident now, which was a good sign. Neither Jewel nor I humored him. We just stared at the new arrivals. They were definitely not cops.
Jewel and I instinctively pressed back-to-back, a silent agreement forming between us. Renamon crouched low in front of me, her golden claws extended, ready to defend. The agents fanned out, their weapons humming with a low, charged energy. I could see the glow building at the muzzles, a chilling blue. My heart hammered against my ribs, a frantic drumbeat against the sudden quiet of the park. We were outnumbered, and I knew what those kinds of hums meant. This was bad. Really bad.
I quickly scanned the agents, my gamer instincts kicking in. Six hostiles, all armed with what looked like modified assault rifles. Their armor was light, designed for speed, not heavy combat. No obvious weak points presented themselves. I noticed small energy cells clipped to their belts, probably powering their weapons. The rifles themselves hummed, indicating some kind of energy weapon. Their movements were precise, military-trained. My mind raced through scenarios, calculating angles and cover. We needed an exit strategy, and fast.
"Surrender now!" the lead agent shouted, his voice echoing in the sudden quiet of the park. "The creature is coming with us!"
Jewel scoffed under her breath. "Like hell it is." She tightened her grip on Impmon, then whispered to me, "Looks like we're fighting our way out of this one, Proxy." I nodded, my heart pounding a steady rhythm against my ribs. Impmon, usually so defiant, had gone completely still in Jewel's arms, his green eyes wide. He finally understood the gravity of our situation.
Jewel passed Impmon to me, her movements fluid and confident. "Hold him tight," she said, her voice low. I clutched the squirming Digimon to my chest, feeling his small, tense body. She cracked her knuckles, a sharp, clear crack that cut through the tension. I felt a surge of understanding pass between us. There was no time for introductions or explanations, only survival. Renamon's fur bristled, tiny sparks of static electricity dancing along her golden coat. The air around us felt heavy, thick with the promise of impending chaos.
An agent lunged forward, his movements quick and practiced. Renamon's tail swept low, tripping him easily, sending him sprawling across the dirt. Leaves scattered around him. Jewel moved with startling speed, her hand a blur as she disarmed another agent with a fluid strike, the energy rifle clattering to the ground. I ducked just in time, a stun beam sizzling past my ear, and Impmon yelped, clutching me tighter. The park had erupted into pure chaos.
"We need to move!" I yelled, my voice cracking slightly.
Impmon clung to me, his small body pressed against my chest. Renamon moved like a golden blur, deflecting another agent's attack with her paw. Jewel was a whirlwind of white and blue, her fists connecting with sickening thuds. She looked like a dancer, each movement purposeful and powerful. I needed to help, but I couldn't risk Impmon. The priority was getting him out of here safely. I scanned the perimeter, looking for any opening, any path that wasn't covered by armed agents. We were surrounded.
***
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