[h2][center] Mari Hasagawa [/center][/h2] When the mist rolled in, Mari Hasagawa was in the middle of her morning class. The teacher, the affable Ms. Kanako, was busy writing her math equations on the board. As for Mari herself, she was also busy writing the same equations in her notebook. At least, until her Digivice vibrated in her pocket. She swiftly took it out and read the message on the screen. [i]Tch, why do they have to come in a time like this?[/i] She raised her right hand. "Miss Kanako! I need to use the bathroom! May I be excused?" A blush crept onto her face. This would never not be humiliating. She was already a senior highschool student. Everyone knew you should take care of your business beforehand like a grown young adult. The teacher faced her, a teasing smile on her face. "Again, Ms. Mari? This is the third time this month. Perhaps you should lay off the soda a bit." Soft chuckles and giggles came from her classmates. Her face grew even redder as she gave a glare at their direction. "Very well. You may leave. But try to return to class faster this time." "Thank you, Ms. Kanako!" She gave a quick bow before making a beeline to the classroom door. Once outside, however, instead of going to the restroom, she quickly descended the stairs and ran to the courtyard. [i]This fog… it really is happening again.[/i] There, she took out her Digivice, held it near her chest, and shouted, "Come out, you stupid ghost! We got a job to do!" A bright light fired from the device, manifesting a creature unlike any animals that had ever existed in this world. A Digital Monster. Or a Digimon for short. She still remembered that day when she first met him. She was lounging back on the living room, watching TV, when he suddenly came out of the screen and crashed onto her. Before she could say anything, he immediately declared that she was her tamer and that he would follow her to the ends of the earth. Chaos ensued. Mari ran for her life, thinking he was a ghost and a monster, which, in retrospect, was spot on in describing the Digimon. And thanks to his ability to phase through walls, no matter where she hid, she could not escape from him. But, eventually, she calmed down and listened to his story. It was then that her eyes were opened. She realized the existence of a different world, a Digital World, made by humanity's technological advancement. She couldn't forget that. She refused to forget that. And so, when the agents came, she decided to join. "Hello, Miss Mari! Good morning! The weather sure is nice today, huh?" "Are you blind?!" Mari yelled. "Look at all this fog! Your friends have come. Again!" "Ooh, I see. I see." The Ghost Digimon moved his head back and forth. "Then hop on, Miss! Tell me where the big baddies are!" Even though the creature was technically a ghost, it was still solid, enough that Mari could hug him and let him carry her to her destination. And thanks to the fog, no one would see them flying through the air. The monster was big, almost as big as her. She could simply wrap her arms and legs around its body. "Go to Akihabara. It's the closest from here." "Akihabara, here we go!" She braced herself, gritting her teeth as the monster took off. ----- When they arrived, it didn't take long until she identified the problem. A big, house-sized Kuwagamon roaring from a distance as it wandered through the streets of the district. So far, no one had noticed its existence. The heavy fog had made the streets clear from the usual crowds that infested them. Which meant it was still the prime condition to dispose of it. Zero casualties. That was one of the motto drilled into her when she became an agent. She descended, staring right at the giant bug monster without fear. ...Okay, that was a lie. There was fear. A lot of it. But she remained strong. For her anger was bigger. She was angry that she was dragged off her school to beat this stupid bug. Champion-level authorized. As the Digimon in front of her was a Champion, it was the perfect match. She took out her Digivice and placed it near her chest once more. “Ghostmon, Digivolve! Obey my command and transform into Wizardmon!” A bright light fired from the device once more, this time enveloping the Digimon in front of her. She too was shining and a gust of wind seemingly came out of nowhere, making her long wavy hair and school uniform flutter wildly. Digivolution. A power born out of the bond between the Tamer and her Digimon. When the light receded, the ghost had transformed into a humanoid dressed like a wizard, just like its namesake. Its size was still smaller than the giant bug in front of it. But it didn’t matter. She knew that he was more than a match for it. “One minute. I want to see you defeat that thing in one minute.” “Very well, Mistress Mari. Your command shall be done.” The wizard attacked first, firing a lightning bolt spell towards the bug. It was his signature move and his most powerful spell. The creature didn’t realize the attack was coming. It was still too disoriented by the sudden change of the environment it was suffering from. One minute, it was in a forest, the other, it was in this strange land filled with concrete. Thus it received the full strength of the wizard’s attack. It roared as half of its body was burned to a crisp. It quickly identified its attacker. Another Digimon. But there was another creature behind him? What was that? It didn’t care. It screeched as it charged towards the pair, intending to swing its giant claws at the Digimon. And perhaps munching on the strange creature. She looked somewhat delicious after all. Unfortunately, it never made it as its legs were locked in place by the ice the Digimon had conjured. “Finish him.” “Thunderbolt!” The Digimon fired another lightning bolt. And this time, it was powerful enough to disintegrate the creature’s body entirely. Unable to maintain its consistency, it returned back into data, before disappearing completely. To where? Mari had no idea. Nor did she care. “One minute to the dot. Good. You’re getting better at this.” Mari smiled, placing her hand on her Wizardmon’s shoulder. “Now, let’s just hope that the others are already finished with their opponents as well. I would hate having to waste my time even more than I already am.”