Let's reach 250 Power Stones for an extra chapter
***
The cafeteria was buzzing, a low din of a hundred conversations, clanking trays, and the general chaos of high school lunchtime. The fluorescent lights hummed above us, making everything a little too bright. I sat at our usual table with Peter, Gwen, and Jessica, picking at my soggy pizza.
Jessica, on the other hand, was practically radiating sunshine. She was not hunched over her tray, hiding behind her dark brown hair like she used to. Instead, she sat up straight, a genuine smile playing on her lips, her blue-gray eyes sparkling as she chatted animatedly with Gwen about some art project. She was actually engaging. It was a welcome change, for sure.
"So, Jessica," I said, leaning forward a bit, "what is with the sudden burst of happiness? You are practically glowing these days."
She laughed, a light, airy sound I had not heard from her much before.
"Oh, you know," she replied, a mischievous glint in her eyes, "just feeling better, I guess. It is nice to be back in school and everything."
She took a bite of her sandwich, still smiling, clearly keeping a secret to herself. Classic Jessica, I thought, always the mysterious type. Still, it was good to see her like this.
"Speaking of new things," I said, changing the subject and looking at Peter, then Gwen. "I have some pretty big news, actually."
Peter immediately perked up, his eyes wide with curiosity. Gwen paused, a half-eaten chip poised near her mouth.
"I have been working with Tony Stark recently," I announced, letting the name hang in the air for a moment. Peter almost choked on his soda. "We are co-founding a new tech company. It is called DataStream Dynamics, or DSD for short."
Peter, after a moment of stunned silence, managed to find his voice. "Yeah," he confirmed, a nervous excitement making his voice crack a little. "It is true. I am actually going to be a part of the team. Mr. Stark wants me to help with some pretty cutting-edge stuff for the Arc Reactor. It is going to be amazing."
Jessica just blinked, a piece of lettuce hanging from her lip. "Wow," she said, her voice a little muffled. "That is… huge."
Gwen, always the most composed, still looked a bit surprised, but a proud smile started to form. "That is incredible, Ethan! And Peter, congratulations! That is an amazing opportunity."
"Thanks, Gwen," Peter said, beaming.
"Well, it gets even better," I continued, turning my attention to Gwen. "I mean, Peter is already on board, obviously. But, Gwen, you would be a perfect addition to the DSD team too."
Gwen's eyes widened, genuinely surprised by the invitation. "Me?" she asked, a slight blush rising on her cheeks. "Oh, wow. That is… really nice of you, Ethan. I am so happy for you guys, truly. But, what exactly would I even do? What does DataStream Dynamics actually… do?"
"Great question," I said, taking a sip of my soda. "We are building a next-generation virtual reality network. Think of it as a whole new digital world, called EDEN, where people can work, shop, communicate, and just live their lives inside the internet. It is going to be massive. A total game-changer."
Gwen listened intently, her brow furrowed in thought as she processed the information. Her usual scientific curiosity was clearly piqued, and I could practically see the gears turning in her head.
"Well, Gwen," I began, putting on my most charming smile, "with your brains, I figured you would be the perfect person to help us design the user interface. Think about it: a virtual world needs to be intuitive, engaging, and, honestly, look good. You have a great eye for design, and your scientific background means you can grasp the technical stuff, too."
Her eyes widened even more, and a slow smile spread across her face. "You really think so?"
"Absolutely," I insisted. "We are talking about building a new frontier here, and we need the best minds. Plus, it would be a shame to waste all that artistic talent on just, you know, regular art projects."
"I am in!" she declared, her voice filled with genuine excitement. "This sounds incredible. I would love to help."
Peter clapped her on the back, grinning. "Awesome, Gwen! This is going to be so cool, all of us working together."
Jessica just nodded, a thoughtful expression on her face. "It sounds like a big undertaking," she said, still smiling. "A whole new world, huh? That is pretty wild."
"It is going to be a lot of work, that is for sure," I said, leaning back in my chair. "But with the three of us, plus Tony and Olivia, I think we have a real shot at making something revolutionary."
"Hey, so," I whispered to Gwen, leaning in a bit closer so Jessica, who was now fully engrossed in Peter's excited ramblings about his Stark Industries internship tasks, wouldn't hear. "The… 'activity' has been picking up. A lot more signals than usual lately."
Gwen's playful smile faded, replaced by a serious, focused expression. Her eyes met mine, confirming she understood my coded language.
"Yeah," she murmured back, her voice low. "I noticed that, too. Renamon and I had a pretty rough time with that last one, the Apemon. That guy, Thorne, he was… intense."
"Tell me about it," I sighed, thinking back to the chaos in Harlem. "It feels like things are escalating. We really need to step up our game, coordinate our patrols better. We can't afford to be caught off guard."
"I totally agree," she said, nodding firmly. "Renamon and I have been training almost non-stop. We are getting better, definitely, but… it is not enough, is it?"
I just shook my head, my gaze drifting over to Jessica, who was laughing at something Peter said.
"It is never enough," I confirmed softly. "There are too many unknowns out there. Too many things we don't understand yet."
Gwen shifted in her seat, her voice dropping even lower. "That is actually something I wanted to talk to you about, Ethan."
"Oh?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Renamon… she is amazing, obviously," Gwen continued, her fingers fiddling with the edge of her tray. "But I want to help her get stronger. Like, really strong. She's already Kyubimon, but I know there's more, right? Ultimate level, maybe even beyond."
I nodded slowly. "There is always more power to be found."
"Exactly!" she exclaimed, a flash of determination in her eyes. "So, I was wondering… could you help me with that? You always seem to find the right… resources. I want to find the items that can help Renamon reach her full potential. Anything you can do."
I chewed on my lip for a moment, weighing her request. Evolution items weren't exactly growing on trees, and the system shop prices were ridiculous. Still, Gwen was a Tamer now, and a damn good one. She deserved the best.
"I can definitely look into it, Gwen," I told her, keeping my voice neutral. "I can't promise anything, you know? These kinds of things are pretty rare. But I will keep an eye out for anything that might help Renamon digivolve further."
"Thank you, Ethan," she said, a hopeful smile returning to her face. "That means a lot."
Jessica, who had been chatting with Peter about something I had not quite caught, turned her attention back to Gwen and me. I could not help but notice her eyes lingering on the small space between us, where our heads had been close together as we talked in hushed tones. A faint, almost imperceptible pout formed on her lips. It was a fleeting thing, but I saw it.
Huh, I thought, that is kind of new.
I had always thought Jessica was the quiet, observant type, perfectly content to be in her own head. I guess even she could feel a little left out sometimes. I mean, Gwen and I had just been talking about Digimon and power upgrades, which was definitely not something you just blurted out in the middle of a cafeteria.
Just then, the bell rang, a shrill, piercing sound that cut through the cafeteria's din, signaling the end of lunch. Gwen and I immediately pulled apart, the unspoken conversation concluded. I tried to catch Jessica's eye, to offer some kind of explanation or a friendly smile, but she quickly smoothed her expression into something neutral, though the slight downturn of her mouth still hinted at her unspoken feelings.
"Alright, I have to run," Peter said, grabbing his backpack. "Got Mr. Harrison's class next. You guys coming?"
"Yeah, I am right behind you," I replied, slinging my own bag over my shoulder. I glanced at Jessica again, but she was looking down at her tray, slowly gathering her things.
Gwen gave Jessica a quick, concerned look, a silent question passing between them that I could not decipher. Then, with a slight shrug, Gwen headed off, presumably to her next class.
I exchanged a quick, confused look with Peter, but he just shrugged back, already halfway out the door.
"See you later, Jessica," I called out, trying to sound casual, but she did not even look up.
"Yeah," she mumbled, her voice barely audible over the receding chatter of students.
I followed Peter out of the cafeteria, a strange knot forming in my stomach. I figured I would just ask her about it later. Or maybe I would just ask Gwen. It seemed like Gwen always knew what was going on with everyone, especially Jessica. Still, I could not shake the feeling that something was off, that I had missed something important.
***
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