Najicablitz
patreon
Digimon Ch 29
🕑 Added 2025-09-09 14:40:03 +0000 UTCOkay, this is it. Time to put Olivia's lessons to the test. She showed me all sorts of promising places to invest – tech startups, renewable energy companies, even some obscure biotech firms. I nodded and pretended to take notes, but I had a different plan.
As soon as I got back to my apartment, I logged into the trading platform Olivia set up for me and went all in on Stark Industries. Every last dollar of that fifty grand, plus a chunk of the money I liberated from Tombstone's hidden stash, went straight into Stark stock. Gatomon and BlackGatomon watched, amused, as I clicked the final button, feeling a rush of excitement and maybe a little bit of terror.
A few days later, I'm walking down the halls of Midtown High with Gwen and Peter, and all anyone can talk about is Tony Stark's triumphant return and the official shutdown of Stark Industries' weapons division. It's the headline on every news site, the topic of every hallway conversation, and the subject of hushed whispers in every classroom.
"Can you believe it? Tony Stark's back!" Peter exclaims, his eyes wide with excitement. "And he's shutting down the weapons division! That's insane!"
Gwen nods, her expression thoughtful. "It's a pretty big move. I wonder what it means for the company?"
I shrug, trying to act casual. "Probably means their stock is gonna tank." Inside, I'm doing mental cartwheels, picturing the exact opposite happening.
"Yeah, but Stark's a genius," Peter counters. "He'll come up with something else. Maybe clean energy or advanced robotics. He's always got something up his sleeve."
"Gotta run, guys," I say, clapping Peter on the shoulder. "Got some… uh… important business to attend to."
"Alright, Ethan," Gwen replies, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Don't get into too much trouble."
"Wouldn't dream of it," I say with a wink before turning and heading down the hallway.
I'm halfway to the exit when someone suddenly steps in front of me, blocking my path. It's a girl I've never seen before, and she looks like she's about to faint. She's got this mousy brown hair hanging loose around her face, pale skin, and these big, blue-grey eyes that seem way too big for her face. She's wearing the most generic outfit I've ever seen: jeans, a plain t-shirt, and a hoodie. The poor girl is trembling like a leaf. Is she cold?
"Uh, hey," I say, tilting my head slightly. "Can I help you with something?"
"M-my name's Jessica," she stammers, her voice barely above a whisper. "Jessica Campbell."
"Hey, Jessica." I give her a small smile, trying to put her at ease. "Have we, uh, met before? You just seem really..." familiar. Like I've seen her in the background.
She shakes her head, her eyes darting around nervously. "N-no. I just... I wanted to talk to you."
"Well, we're doing that right now," I state.
Her eyes widen and she nods quickly, flustered. "R-right! Yes."
Her voice is so timid. Maybe she's got a crush. Or maybe she's another victim of Flash looking for payback. Either way, she's clearly nervous. I should probably be nice. I wonder what she wants to talk about?
Taking a deep breath, she straightens her shoulders, a newfound resolve hardening her gaze. "Ethan, I... I think I'm in love with you!" she blurts, her face turning bright red
Whoa. Did not see that coming. I mean, me? Getting a confession? Flattering doesn't even begin to cover it.
I stare at Jessica, who's now practically vibrating with nerves. I can almost see the thoughts swirling around in her head – Did I say too much? Did I ruin everything?
"Wow," I say, probably sounding like a complete idiot. "That's... something."
I need to say something else. "Jessica, why do you like me?"
She blinks, surprised by my question. "I… I've been watching you since freshman year," she admits, her voice a little steadier now. "From the side, always. I know you probably didn't even notice me, but I've seen how you are, how you treat people... and after what happened with Flash... I just had to tell you."
So she was always watching me? It is like I saw her in the background, always in the back. It's kind of sweet, and a little creepy. I'm touched by her honesty, the sheer guts it must have taken for her to put herself out there like this.
But, honestly, I'm not in the market for romance right now. I've got Digimon to train, a world to save, and a sweet stock portfolio to manage. Not to mention missions from the System keep pouring in. Plus, dating a complete stranger? Sounds awkward. But I really don't want to shatter her heart, so I need to be tactful.
"Jessica," I begin, choosing my words carefully. "This is... really flattering. But I'm not really looking for anything serious at the moment. How about we start as friends? Get to know each other better?"
Her shoulders slump slightly, and her face falls a little, but her eyes still hold a glimmer of hope. "Friends?" she asks, her voice small.
"Yeah," I confirm with a reassuring smile. "Friends. No pressure, no expectations. Just hanging out, getting to know each other."
A small smile graces her face, relief flooding her eyes. "Okay," she says, nodding eagerly. "I'd like that."
"Great!" I state. "Well, I should probably get going. I'll see you around school, Jessica."
She gives me a shy wave. "Bye, Ethan."
As I turn to leave, I can't help but think she's actually kind of cute. Those big eyes, the nervous energy… there's something endearing about it. Maybe being friends wouldn't be so bad after all. But before I can dwell on it, my Digivice buzzes urgently.
Ding-dong!
I pull out the Digivice, expecting a message from Gatomon or BlackGatomon. Nope. New mission alert. Great timing, as always. I tap the screen, and the System displays the details.
[New Mission Available!]
[Eliminate Rogue Digimon!]
[Location: Los Angeles, California!]
[Reward: 10x Supply Boxes]
I stare at the screen in disbelief. Los Angeles? Seriously? That's across the country. It's one thing to deal with rogue Digimon in my backyard, but now I'm supposed to hop on a plane and become a Digimon hunter on the West Coast? That's ridiculous.
"Are you kidding me?" I mutter under my breath. "There has to be some kind of mistake."
I reread the mission details, but there's no mistake. The location is definitely LA. This is going to be a problem.
How am I supposed to skip town for a Digimon hunt when I have school, rent, and Olivia breathing down my neck about those stocks? Plus, what kind of Digimon is causing trouble in LA that requires my immediate attention? This is a mess.
