Digimon Shadow Force Ch1: It Begins

"Alright class if you could all settle down", said the teacher, "I could introduce you all to our new student".

"Wonderful", said a voice in the back of the classroom as a girl in the front rolled her eyes.

The new student leaned against the wall beside the door as the class quieted down. He was silent in an attempt to mask his nervousness from the attention he was getting. The boy had brown eyes, long, dark wavy hair that pointed in all directions like a porcupine with an afro. He also had the height of an average 14-year old, but the musculature of someone who runs miles often. In contrast to the uniforms everyone in the class was wearing, the new student wore a white t-shirt, torn up blue jeans and worn tennis shoes. Because he stood out, the boy felt awkward.

Mr. Neeson continued, "It has come to my attention that some people in this class are responsible for the recent pranks happening in the school library. I'm not saying any names, but you have been warned. Any more shenanigans in this institution will be dealt with by the authorities. Now where was I? Oh yes, new student". The teacher sat in his desk and motioned for the boy to take his place in front of the board. The boy, while walking across the room, couldn't help but notice the glazed look coming from the majority of the class. At least eight guys and girls already had their heads down on their desks as he began to speak.

"My name is Devon Norris, and I am from Greenville, North Carolina. I just moved to New York two days ago because my mom got a job in Manhattan as a cook. I am Filipino on my mom's side. I am a first-year here at Akira High School…" "Well duh, you just got here!", muttered the girl up front. The rest of the class giggled. Devon cleared his throat, uncomfortable in his situation. The teacher shushed her, causing her to look at her desk under which her right hand was using a hidden cell phone to text her annoyance to fellow peers. "I apologize for the student's lack of interest Mr. Norris. Why don't you take a seat? There is an empty desk at the back corner beside Dillon over there", said the teacher. "Yes sir", replied Devon. In a second, he picked up his backpack and walked between the rows of desks to the back. He couldn't help but notice the boredom in everyone's eyes as Mr. Neeson began his lecture on American History.

As Devon took his seat, the boy identified as Dillon yawned and looked over to him. The boy was the shortest person in the class according to Devon's observation. The boy also had brown eyes, but his were darker to the point where his pupils were hardly visible. He was very skinny and had short black hair that pointed upward at the front. Devon couldn't help but notice that the other guys in the class had short hair too. "Psst. Hey, listen", whispered the boy. "I know you're new here and all, so let me give you some advice. This guy will put you to sleep everyday unless you eat a sugary breakfast. Also, I'm Dillon". "Nice to meet you", replied Devon. "And thanks for the advice. I'm Devon, but I guess you know that already." Both students chuckled as they turned their heads over to the teacher who was writing on the board. Half of the class, including Devon and Dillon took notes as the rest either slept or pretended to listen. After what felt like hours passed, the hour long American History class ended with the intercom making a ringing sound. "This information will be on the test next week!, shouted Mr. Neeson. "Don't forget to study!" As he said this, the entire class simultaneously bolted out the door.

Dillon and Devon talked with each other as they made their way to their second class for the day. "What is North Carolina like? Do you guys have trees there? I love trees! I wish I was a tree. Do you like trees?", asked the inquisitive Dillon. "Yeah we do", said Devon. "We don't think about them though. Are you a freshman too?" "Yeah", said Dillon. "I enrolled here last fall when school started. You've missed out on an entire semester. So why did you decide to enroll here in the first place? This is a private school you know". The two boys made their way up the stairs as they continued their conversation. Devon thought for a moment, looking for the right words to say. "Well, I'm not sure what I'm gonna be after I graduate. My mom's new job means that I can afford to go here. It sucks moving though. I'll miss my old life back home, but I guess it's not so bad here. Do you have to wear the uniforms though?" As Devon said that, Dillon paused to examine his own uniform. Every student enrolled in Akira High School was supposed to wear matching uniforms. The boys wore red sweater vests with brown long pants while the girls wore matching shirts with black skirts.

Since it was Devon's first day, he was free to wear his white t-shirt and blue jeans with tennis shoes. He would also have to get his hair cut short like everybody else. Dillon explained it to him as the made it to their next class. "No way!", shouted Dillon. "You're taking zoology too? This is my favorite class! YOU WILL LOVE IT! It's about animals and stuff. The teacher is really pretty too. Her name is Miss Gordon. You're gonna like her. She gives out easy A's." "Cool", replied Devon as they took their seats in the back of the room.

Dillon turned out to be right. The woman teaching the class looked to be in her late twenties. Her brown hair was tied in a bun and she wore a lab coat tightly around her hourglass body. She wore glasses and had dark, brown eyes that turned to look directly back at him. Oh crap, thought Devon. She noticed him ogling her. With a smirk on her pretty face, she moved from her lab table over to the board. "Today class, we will discuss lab safety. I see we have a new student. Why don't you stand up and introduce yourself?" Devon looked over at Dillon who gave him an expression that can only be translated in the guy body language as "You're gonna be saying your name a lot today". This is going to be a long day, thought Devon.

As the day went on, Devon and Dillon shared many classes together and talked about their hobbies and interests. Both watched TV in their spare time at home, but Devon preferred biking and jogging like an outdoorsman. Dillon had Asian roots like Devon, although instead of being half white and half Filipino, Dillon was half Chinese and half Japanese. Dillon admitted that he was rather shy around girls, looking at the floor whenever he got near one. He also admitted to Devon about keeping to himself mostly but being friendly to everyone. Devon, on the other hand, was the more outgoing of the two, making more friends as the day went on. Both were nerds at heart, although Devon was better at hiding it whenever the need arose. Dillon seemed very excited about the most simplest of things. Dillon loved nature and visited Central Park every weekend by himself. He also had an extensive knowledge on all things nature thanks to his laptop and the school library. Devon was more into sports like basketball and baseball while Dillon loved hockey and lacrosse. As the day at school went to a close, Devon knew he had made a best friend.

As they made their way out of the school, three girls and some boys blocked their exit. Devon recognized one of the girls as the one who made fun of him in class earlier that day. "Anyways, a good shrimp is a cooked shrimp", said Dillon who was lost in thought. "You can make just about… uh-oh, it's the popular kids. They pick on freshman like us, so we better turn around and…" As Dillon said this in a nervous tone, the group turned their attention to them. "Well if it isn't little Barfbag", yelled one of the jocks as the rest of the jocks snickered. "Where's my lunch money and who is your friend?" Dillon hesitated to speak as he looked to the floor. "It's my lunch money Crash and you know it! Please stop taking my lunch money. Without it, I'll starve." The jocks laughed as the girl looked at Devon and turned to Crash. "That's the kid I told you about from NC", she said in annoyance. Crash looked at Devon and nodded. "Word of advice new guy: you don't want to be around this loser. He throws up in P.E. every day and he can't even lift a piece of paper without getting his baby bones broken. You work out? We could use a guy like you on the team".

Dillon kept looking down with tears in his eyes. "Let's just go", Dillon begged. Devon, angered by this, walked up to Crash and the jocks as the girls stood to the side and stared with interest. Devon stood eye to eye with Crash as he spoke in an intimidating voice. "Pick on somebody your own size you piece of garbage". The girls, eyes wide open, gasped as Crash's face turned red. "What did you say to me punk? This is my house. My rules". Devon drew his face closer to Crash's face as he spoke next. "You heard me. You're just a pathetic wimp who craves attention by picking on the weak. We got a name for people like you in the Philippines. It's "Ganda". Dev chuckled as he said this, knowing that the word actually means "beautiful". The rest of the group hooted in praise while Crash's face grew redder. "Ha-ha Crash, that guy called you a bad word in another language!", shouted one of the jocks. "Shut up Malcolm! I ain't scared of nobody", yelled Crash as he looked up to see a teacher and a cop looking at him from the balcony on the second floor. Dillon looked up at Devon with amazement and concern, pointing at the crowd of students that were starting to gather around the spectacle.

"We better go", said Dillon. "I agree", said Devon as he glared at Crash one last time before they left. "This isn't over", Crash cried out. "You'll be sorry!", yelled Crash as the whole crowd cheered and hollered for Devon. Meanwhile, the teacher and the cop left the balcony as the crowd dispersed on its own. The girls giggled. "That guy sure showed Crash a thing or two". "Whoever he is, he's cute", said the other girl. "Oh brother", the mean girl muttered. "Let's go honey", said the girl to the still fuming Crash. "Okay Rachel", said Crash. "Let's go home. But first, I think me and my boys here ought to pay that punk a little visit in the subway and teach him a lesson. Ain't that right boys?" The jocks yelled in agreement.

Dillon and Devon made their way into the subway. Although he was new, Devon had learned how to use the subway to get home on his own thanks to his mother. Dillon was silent for awhile as they sat in the train. "You didn't have to do that", said Dillon. "You could have gotten hurt". "Sure I did", said Devon. "Who else was gonna stick up for you? You?" Dillon looked back down to the floor as tears flowed down his cheeks. Shocked at what he said, Devon added, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. Look, jerks like that guy used to pick on me all the time back at my school. I didn't want to see it happen to you." Dillon looked up in curiosity. "What did you do to get them to stop bullying you?", he asked. Kevin thought for a moment, looking for the right words to say.

"Well, it all started over some Digimon cards…" As Devon said this, Dillon's eyes grew wide with fanboy excitement, interrupting him completely. "Digimon? I love Digimon? Do you still have the cards?", asked Dillon as he wiped the tears off his face. "Well, yes. But I don't play it as much. You kinda need a buddy to play the game and it was hard to find one back home to play it with me". "I could battle you! I have tons of cards!", screamed Dillon as the other occupants in the train continued their business with disinterest. "Sure man", responded Devon. "Anyways, when I was a little boy my dad gave me my first card. He was in the military and he had to work a lot so it was usually just me and my mom living near Fort Mag." "It must have been tough with your dad away from home", replied Dillon.

"I used to keep that card in my pocket all the time. I started collecting them after my father died. By the time I entered middle school, I had a deck full of Digimon cards. It helped me recover after he was gone." "I'm sorry", said Dillon as the train reached his stop. "It's my stop. I'm sorry about your dad. He must have meant a lot to you", said a sympathetic Dillon. "It's okay man. Seriously though, we should meet again sometime to talk", said Devon as Dillon got up to leave. "It's alright man. And yeah we should hang out again. I know this cool spot in Central Park where we could play Digimon and hang out. We'll talk about it tomorrow okay? Also if you don't mind me asking, what card did your dad give you?" Devon thought to himself and, smiling, replied: "BlackAgumon".

After Dillon left, Devon sat there in his seat thinking about what he was going to tell him about his past. Part of him wanted to tell his first new friend about the time he beat up two bullies to get his cards back. Most importantly, however, he wanted to tell him about the new "friend" he made last month in his hometown when the event started. It was partially because of this event that made him move to New York with his mother. He had to start fresh in an environment where people don't get spooked by the unusual. It was probably best to not tell him, thought the Tamer as he reached his stop.

Walking along the steps to the exit, Devon couldn't help but notice he was being followed. Turning, Devon saw that no one was at this stop. It was relatively silent down here. Beside the subway rats, he was alone. Weird, he thought. Exiting the subway, Devon walked past an alley only to find himself surround by five hooded figures. One of the bigger hoodlums shoved him to the wall inside the alley as other city people walked past. "Your money or your life dude. Take your pick", said the big guy pinning Devon to the wall. Three of the hoodlums had weapons. They held a knife, pipe, and skateboard in their hands as the fifth member punched Devon in the gut.

"OOOf!", gasped the boy as he doubled over in pain. "I don't have any money. Take my phone,", said Devon as he looked back at the masked men. "Well that's too bad, new guy. I told you that you were gonna pay. Nobody messes with us or else they get a new face. Who has the knife?", said the leader as the knife-holding guy handed it over. Recognizing the leader as Crash, Devon glared intensely at the leader as he sharpened his knife. "I am gonna enjoy this", Crash muttered. Signaling the big guy to get out of the way, Crash stepped towards Devon with the knife.

I could use some help right about now, Devon thought. His back against the wall, the boy stuck his hand in his pocket for his special card and more importantly, his D-Power. Whispering, Devon closed his eyes and held the card his dad had given him inside his pocket. "Whatever you're doing, it's not gonna work. We got you surrounded!" said Crash as the others laughed mockingly. "Your face is mine."

I hope this works, thought Devon. Suddenly, a gray fog appeared in thin air in the alley as it covered the gang. Panicking, four of the guys shouted as they could not see in the fog. "What's goin on? I can't see!", yelled the big guy. "Shut up Malcolm," said Crash. "Now where did that rat go?" "Over here", replied a confident Devon as he stood in the farthest end of the alley where the fog was darkest.

"This has gone too far dude, I'm out of here", said a frightened Malcolm as he and the others ran out of the alley. "Where are you going cowards? Get back here!," yelled a red-faced Crash as he turned to face the boy alone. "I know it's you Crash", said Devon. "And I'm not scared of you or your knife. If you leave now, I won't tell anyone what happened here. Just promise me you won't pick on anyone again."

"SHUT UP!", yelled an enraged Crash. "You can't tell me what to do. I got a knife. I have all the power. You better be scared cuz I'm gonna make you pay for what you said to me at school today". With that, Crash walked into the darkness where Devon was standing. "I was afraid you'd say that. I think it's about time you met one of my friends", said Devon as he stepped to the side, revealing a large, inhuman silhouette standing behind him. The creature had the shape of a t-rex and stood above Crash's height. Crash stopped walking and stood there in surprise.

Devon turned to his friend. "I think it's time we show Crash here what we do to bullies down South. Right BlackAgumon?" "Riiiiight Dev", growled the creature. With that, the creature lunged forward, headbutting Crash in the chest and knocking him backwards. Crash screamed like a little girl as he dropped his knife on the ground. "EEEEEEEK! MONSTER!", screamed Crash as his face turned white. The creature Crash saw was black with bright green eyes and at least 7-feet tall.

Staring into Crash's eyes, the creature leaned back and yelled, "Pepperbreath!" Suddenly, fire shot out of the creature's mouth onto the ground where the knife was. The knife was incinerated instantly. The heat was so intense, Crash's eyebrows burned off. Screaming, Crash turned and ran.

"That's right, remember what'll happen if you mess with anyone again!", yelled Devon. Laughing, Devon fist pumped the creature. The creature stepped out of the shadows, only to reveal a short, black dinosaur with big green eyes. The height of the creature was just an illusion from the shadows and fog. In reality, the Digimon barely stood 3-feet tall. "Thanks Black, I owe you one. Probably went too far with the entrance though", said Devon.

BlackAgumon sighed and talked with a childlike voice. "But you were in trouble! I just wanted to protect you. Besides, who would believe him if he tells anyone about me?" "Thanks Black, but I can take care of myself. I just wanted to teach that guy a lesson is all. And you're right. This way, that guy loses his "respect" and no one else has to get hurt. Now let's go home I'll tell my mom what happened so she can make you your favorite." "Oh boy!", cheered Black. "Your mom is gonna make BlackAgumon shaped cookies again? They're my favorite." "Sure buddy, whatever you want", replied Devon.

With that, Black disappeared into the shadows as Devon made his way out of the alley and towards his home. This is gonna be a good year, he thought as he crossed the street. "With a real Digimon at my side nothing can touch me", said Devon. Unfortunately for our heroes, Devon was going to regret believing that this week.

Meanwhile, a scientist back in Tokyo, Japan was analyzing readings of cryptic data coming from a massive computer. There was a whole room full of computers and scientists running wild. Next door, a large surveillance room, dubbed the "Grid Room", held two women in lifts who analyzed local anomalies in the digital network. The scientist checked his watch. Almost time to leave, he thought.

Without warning, the computer set off an alarm as it printed out sheet after sheet of technical data. Picking up the first sheet in the stack, the scientist read its content. Dropping the sheet, the man gasped in horror. "My God", he said. "The computer must have malfunctioned. It says that the United States has a concentrated amount of anomalies that have bio-emerged simultaneously in the state of New York. That's impossible", said the scientist to his co-workers. Debating amongst themselves on the validity of the readout, the scientists were about to reach a consensus when the bell rang. "Time to head home and worry about this tomorrow", said the scientist as everyone cheerfully left the building. Little did he know, a war was about to start in New York that would determine the fate of two worlds.