Getting In Tune

[LoneWolf]

(ooc: This song doesn't exactly mean much, but it's a good one nonetheless. Listen!)

The sun was almost dipping below the horizon, and Kepura had finally finished everything he needed to for today. Over the past few days he nearly got used to the idea of his childhood fantasy come true, but it was still running through his thoughts all day.

Clutching the D-Power in his hand tightly, he walked at his normal pace on the path of the park. Most people would have seen this as frantic and too fast, but it was only because of his long legs. He smiled and looked down at the screen to an eager bird just dying to stretch his wings and be free from his cage.

"We'll be there soon, I promise," Kepura whispered. Checking around to make sure no one was looking, he darted off of the path and into the thick brush. Few people knew of the area through these trees, mostly his fellow High School students having after hours "fun."

He came to a clearing in the woods on top of a hill and activated the device. "It should be safe here." A small cloud appeared, and a Hawkmon hovered in the air.

"Oh, it is sooo nice to be out in the fresh air finally!" Zephyr chirped with fervor. He drifted down softly next to the human towering above him. "So, what is it we are doing here, exactly?" he asked politely.

"I figured it would be nice to relax out here. You can see the sunset and the entire city from this spot," he said, motioning out to the horizon beyond. "Plus, I brought some music and refreshment. Just kick back and chill, you know?"

"How delightful! It has been rather unpleasant dealing with that family of yours, always sneaking about. At least out here I have no one to worry about, right?"

"I hope so," Kepura replied, handing Zephyr a drink and pulling a music player out of his bag. He turned on a set of mellow rock tunes and lay down flat on the grass, getting comfortable.

[Jack]

Dracmon's head turned back and forth as he walked, hoping to detect the body heat of a potential prey animal with his primitive eyes. Jack followed close behind with his D-Power in his pocket

"Wouldn't it have just been easier to buy you a rat at the pet store?" Jack asked, getting tired of the fruitless hunt.

"But Jack, the hunt is what makes the catch all the more satisfying." The tiny vampire had refused previous meals offered at the house with the sarcastic remark of "Why isn't it moving?" and a dark grin plastered on his face.

Dracmon stopped and started swishing his tail eagerly as he pointed a claw at a nearby rabbit at the edge of a clearing. The creature seemed to sense them and turned it's head toward the pair. Dracmon extended his palms toards the creature and opened the oddly colored eyes on them "Eye of Nightmare" he muttered as the rabbit began to waver and finally fall to the ground under the vampire's spell.

Dracmon dashed towards it and scooped it up before delivering a killing bite to the neck and starting to feed. He was so engrossed in his meal that he didn't notice the other tamer and digimon nearby.

"Alright Dracmon, you've got your food, now let's go home." Jack said as he walked over and grinned at the blood-smeared face of his friend.

[LoneWolf]

Both tamer and Digimon were in a lower state of consciousness, with eyes closed and enjoying the music in peace. Zephyr was humming along and tapping his foot. "I rather enjoy this one," he muttered.

"Yeah, the guitarist is something else, right?" Kepura reached over to the dial to turn up the volume a little. He sat up and looked over the horizon to take in the beautiful swirl of hues the dusk created. A red, orange, and violet sky.

"Hmm..." Zephyr sat up and became alert. "Most curious," he said.

"What? What's going on?"

"It seems there is another Digimon nearby. I can sense it."

Sure enough, something starting beeping on Kepura's belt. He noticed his D-Power was acting strangely, the screen illuminated to reveal an arrow, rotating like the needle of a compass. "I'm picking up something with my Digivice. Ah, here it is." The D-Power had a profile on the nearby signal. "Dracmon, a Rookie Level. Virus attribute, it could be trouble."

"Oh my," Zephyr said. "What shall we do?"

That's a good question. What are we supposed to do? Kepura pondered.

[Jack]

Jack looked down at his pocket as it started to beep "What's wrong with this thing?" he muttered as he retrieved his D-Power.

Dracmon turned his gaze to a few trees. "Another Digimon, your D-Power is detecting it just as it see its blood. Let's kill it!" A large grin spread across the vampire's face as he looked expectantly at Jack.

"Hold on, we don't know what it is yet so let's not jump to conclusions before we investigate." Jack held up his D-Power and looked at the screen "Hawkmon, a rookie. Alright Dracmon, get ready."

The pair walked past a few trees, trying not to make noise, and came to a clearing with a tall kid and the Digimon in question.

"Think we should strike at 'em from here?" Jack whispered, but it was too late. The other tamer and digimon were staring straight at them. "Damn. Well I guess we'll have to figure it out as we go."

Jack stepped out into the clearing with Dracmon by his side and faced the others, bracing himself for what he thought would be an inevitable battle.

[LoneWolf]

The identified Digimon came into sight, but something unexpected along with it. Another tamer...So maybe they aren't looking to fight. Kepura thought. "Stay on your guard, buddy," he whispered to the Hawkmon.

"Don't worry, Kepura, it's another human with it," he whispered back. "I don't think there is anything to worry about." He raised his wings to his beak and called down to them. "Greetings, fellow Digimon! Would you like to...oh what was it...'chill' with us?"

Kepura was still far too nervous to say anything, he was frozen in place. At least on the show, virus Digimon were always wanting to cause destruction. On the other hand, a human meant that the Digimon was of a Digidestined, so they couldn't be really be bad, could they? The contradiction was too much to bear, any decision would be neglecting a reasonably outcome.

[Jack]

Jack raised an eyebrow in surprise at the sudden turn of events. "Stay wary Dracmon, it could very well be a trap. We'll play along for now, but be ready to strike" Jack whispered.

Dracmon raised his hands to get a better look at the pair, his tail still swished madly. "Right, just tell me when."

"Yeah, alright. We haven't got anything else to do." Jack tried to sound casual and ignore the adrenaline flooding his veins as he and Dracmon walked up closer to the other pair. "Should've know I wasn't the only tamer around. Your computer nearly explode too?"

[LoneWolf]

As always, it was discomforting meeting new people, but a fan of Digimon couldn't be a bad person in Kepura's eyes. Struggling to find the will to speak, he replied, "Um...yeah, it was the strangest thing. I wonder why we were chosen to get Digimon...there must be more Digidestined as well." He couldn't look at him directly in the face, but that was a habit he had with everyone. "It's so unbelievable. I'm ecstatic that I finally have what I've wanted all my life, but I can't help but worry. If the show is any indication, it means trouble is coming."

Zephyr's expression displayed his concern as his eyes shifted in all directions, looking for something that couldn't be seen. "I beg your pardon, Kepura, but I'm afraid I can feel something else coming."

"Something else?"

"Yes, quite...and it's big, too." The sun was out of sight now, and night had officially come. The air had a chill, and the wind howled ominously. Suddenly, the radio died out. Surrounding the group, the air thickened and obscured the landscape.

"It's just like when you first came here, Zephyr..." The cloud condensed until even holding out a hand in front of his face was beyond his vision. "Damn...it's either a Digimon or someone rolled one hell of a fatty."

Kepura and Zephyr cringed when a piercing scream echoed into their very souls. Covering their ears, they looked up. The cloud had disappated, and a demonic beast floated above them.


Pipismon - Armor Level

The bat creature swooped down, and they instinctly ducked out of the way. It glided a good distance away to where they at least had time to think...

[Jack]

Dracmon had sensed the beast comming in much the same manner as Hawkmon and tackled his human to the ground as it swooped over them. Jack held his D-Power tightly in his hand and eased Dracmon off of him.

"What the hell was that?" he shouted as he raised his D-Power in the direction the creature flew off in "Pipsimon. Armor level. Alright" He got to his feet and pulled Dracmon up with him. "You" he pointed at the other human. "You sent that thing after us didn't you?!"

[LoneWolf]

(OOC: ugh, painfully short.)

As always, the blame was placed on Kepura for things beyond his control. He was used to it, so he was able to shrug it off. Besides, it was a new face and he didn't expect a stranger to trust him. "Calm yourself. I had nothing to do with it," he replied with hardly any emotion whatsoever.

"Calm yourself. I had nothing to do with it," Kepura's voice seemed to echo seconds later. However, it was not an echo at all. The Pipismon had the remarkable ability to imitate any sound, and people's voices were no exception. It glided back towards the group, and this time low enough to touch them. He went towards the easiest target, being the tallest one, Kepura. Scratching with the blades he had for limbs, he tore right through the shirt fabric into flesh. After, it laughed maniacally and continued it's flight pattern.

"Oh dear, are you hurt, Kepura?" Zephyr inquired sympathetically, raising one of his claws to his beak.

"I've suffered from worse than this," he said, recovering and thinking. He spent a period of his life studying bats in particular, and he was sure of a method that would counter the Pipismon's superior agility and power. "In fact, his attack gave me an idea. It seems like his vision is sub-par at best. If he is navigating by sonar like real bats, then all we have to do is keep moving around and it will be harder for him to hit us." As much as I loathe running...

The Hawkmon nodded to show his comprehension and took off into the air. "I will try my best," he said, and soared higher and higher, maintaining a good distance away from the enemy while keeping within earshot of his tamer.

Breaking his hesitant habits in the urgency of the situation, he turned to Jack. "Two rookies stand a much better chance than one against this thing. Are you willing to cooperate?" Just as he finished his question he started to take hasty steps away to avoid another wound.

[Jack]

The angered look didn't vanish from Jack's face even after the Pipsimon proved it wasn't working with the other human. "I want to live just as much as you do, so for now we're stuck with each other." With that Jack followed the kid's lead and quickly backpedaled as the bat dove towards them, slashing through the air and missing him by only a few feet. "Your digimon's a bird, can it do aything with the wind to throw this thing off? If we can knock it down, Dracmon can look into its eyes and hypnotize it." that said, Jack leapt beackwards and fell to the ground. "Dracmon, shoot it down!"

"Blood Pulse!" the vampire screamed and launched a blob of crimson acid from his mouth as the Pipsimon ascended. The bat swooped past it with ease however and made a dive at the source of the noise. Dracmon opened the eyes on his hands, but was blown back by a sonic blast from the beast's maw.

"Where is that damned bird?!" Jack shouted and scrambled to his feet. He grabed a rock and tossed it at the Pipsimon, not hurting it, but at least making it turn away from Dracmon and towards him. Fear filled Jack's eyes as the beast glared at him. "I've got it distracted, now kill it!" he shouted and began to serpentine between trees and make sharp turns here and there.

(OOC: long enough for you whiner?)

[LoneWolf]

(ooc: yes, it was a very good post this time.)

A frown of discontent came over Kepura's lips when he saw Jack's reaction. It was part of his personality disorder, he felt anxious and uncomfortable when he didn't make the best first impression. I didn't say anything wrong, did I? Oh well, can't worry about that now... Jack had a suggestion, but Kepura dismissed it as not very effective. "Pipismon is a better flyer than Hawkmon, he won't be able to do anything."

The allied Digimon launched an attack, but to no avail. The bat's reaction was too great, it would take a two pronged attack to catch it off guard. After hurling a stone at the aerial ace, the Pipismon concentrated on Jack for a critical blow. Zephyr was high in the sky above, ready to strike. Just as the bat was opening it's jaws wider and wider, within yards of scratching Jack up, the hawk dive bombed it with it's beak, knocking it down. The beast howled in pain, sending out another painful soundwave as it crashed to the ground. Just as quickly as it fell, however, it was off again into the dark sky.

Zephyr shook it's head and took off again as well after the assailant. He took off the sharp feather from his head band and threw it at Pipismon. It whirred through the air, spinning like a boomerang. After the bat swiftly dodged, he turned back around, heading straight for Zephyr. The trick worked just as Zephyr planned it, the returning feather came back to slice Pipismon before the bird caught it again and dived down to avoid getting sliced himself. Battered a little, Pipismon was still coming ever closer to the tamers.

The special trajectory of the attack gave Kepura an idea for a risky but very effective tactic. He said softly to Jack to avoid being heard, "You'll know when to attack, just be ready to give the command." His tone grew much louder to reach the airborne Hawkmon. "Send your attack to this direction!" he called, pointing to Dracmon.

"But, Kepura!--" Zephyr exclaimed, confused. However, the confusion was only temporary as he soon figured out what he had in mind. "Feather Strike!" The feather spinned down to the ally Digimon, coming dangerously close.

Please, don't hate me... Kepura thought, his heart racing as he kept his eyes glued on the feather. Another screech and the Pipismon was diving in the direction of the feather, closing in behind it. Meanwhile, the feather slowed it's flight and turned around, avoiding Dracmon's face. The Pipismon was silent now and couldn't see that the returning feather was going to hit him. His flight was disrupted just before he mauled Dracmon, and landed softly to wipe his bloody face, right within attack reach.

[Jack]

Jack stopped and turned to watch as the Hawkmon divebombed the bat, smashing it into the dirt and into a tree, but doing little damage overall as it sprung back up and took to the sky again.

Jack's mind raced as he watched the two digimon fight in the air. This is amazing! It seems like something right out of the show... he thought of what it would be like if they won this battle, the stronger digimon he, Dracmon, and maybe even this other kid would face. His mind was so consumed in thought that he almost didn't notice the other tamer talking to him.

He snapped out of his trance and nodded. I hope he's right. I don't really have room to screw this up.

Jack was again, torn from his trance when he saw the feather boomerang headed towards Dracmon. He started to open his mouth, but remembered what the other tamer said. I've got to wait. This kid seems smart enough, I mean, he knew how to confuse the bat.... His blood ran cold as the blade drew closer and closer to his digimon and then, curve away.

The blade hit the Pipsimon square in the face and caused it to land. Dracmon raised his hands, his tail still swishing as he prepared. Jack watched as the creature started to bring its head up "Now Dracmon!"

"Eye of Nightmare!" the eyes on the vampire's palms sprung wide open and seemd to stare through the bat. Dracmon had the beast on the ground and in a trance within seconds.

"Now finish it off!" Jack shouted to his partner, his body shaking with adrenaline.

Dracmon leapt onto the creature's back, bared his fangs, and sunk them deep into its neck, draining the blood from its veins and soon reducing it to fragments of data which were greedily taken into the vampire as well.

Jack didn't know where to turn. He'd just witnessed something he never thought to be possible. He stood in awe as Dracmon casually walked over to him and looked up with his usual grin. "How'd I do?" he asked.

Jack managed to regain composure, though was still shaking, despite the surreal experience. "Well you killed it, but we're going to need to make you a lot stronger. That fight was a bit too closer for comfort." He turned to face the other tamer and grinned. "Brilliant planning back there. We make a pretty good team. What's your name anyway?"

[LoneWolf]

Zephyr descended down by Kepura after the Pipismon was struck and he retrieved his feather. He smirked and watched the adversary being finished off. Giving a signature gesture, holding up two of his claws, he said, "I found his voice slightly irritating. Perhaps he should try a different instrument, like the drums?"

Kepura's eyes were closed, he was finally able to relax now that the battle was over. He was back to his usual calm, hippy self. He lacked the excitement that Jack was experiencing. "My name is Kepura..." The way that Jack was talking about becoming stronger induced advice. "You know, a Digimon bound to a human has no need for absorbing data...their power comes from something else entirely." That kind of thirst was never a good thing, it could only lead to negative emotions. Still, it was beyond Kepura's control and he accepted that.

"It's getting late, I really have to get going. Are you ready, Zephyr?"

"Positively. I'm absolutely famished!"

(ooc: now mine was painfully short, oh well.)

[Jack]

Jack looked down at Dracmon as Keura spoke. "Well, Dracmon did that on his own really." He looked up to see Kepura leaving and walked up next o him. "Hold on now Kepura. If the show was any indication, this isn't going to be the only digimon showing up arond here and with both of our partners at rookie level, it may be wise to stay in touch. Name's Jack by the way. Got a cell phone or something in case this kind of thing happens again?"

Things could get troublesome for Dracmon and I if this kid goes it alone. We didn't have the easiest time winning even wih both of our Digimon. Then an idea hit him. "You seem to be a real fan of Digimon right? Well didn't the Digidestined stand together to take down threats? What do you say?" Jack offered a pale hand out towards Kepura and with it, a chance at mutual survival.

[LoneWolf]

Pausing to think, he turned back to look Jack in the face. He wasn't a fan of relying on other people, mostly because he wasn't accustomed to it. However, Jack's point couldn't be argued. Always being prepared, Kepura rummaged through his bag for a paper and pen and scribbled down his number and handed it over.

The chronic phlegmatic expression adorned his face as he took Jack's hand. He had a firm handshake, and some people always commented on that. Nodding and turning away, he mumbled, but still loud enough to be audible, "Until next time, then."

On his way home, he couldn't help but contemplate the danger that was without a doubt inevitable. The fight with Pipismon was too close for comfort, and also with the knowledge that came with being a huge Digimon fan, he knew that there were plenty Digimon that were bigger, stronger, and meaner. As much as he hated fighting, if it was defending his life then he would have to.

[exit]