Crows, Fur, and Motorcycles [Career] (Cole) [Fin]

Speaking of goggles...

Something in the distance Ravenna did indeed hear, at first a low hum, but as it neared it became louder and louder, the low hum slowly becoming a dull roar. If she had an ear for motorcycles, this was the unmistakable sound of a V-Twin engine, a constant throttle letting the engine rawr consistently as it sped through the desert. A trail of sand left by the rooster-tail of the bike would come into view first, just a cloud visible, followed by the figure of the bike itself peaking over a dune and down into a gully. It ripped across the desert using specially made off-road tires, and with each smaller tune would even come off its wheels before softly landing again. 

The figure on this motorcycle would be Cole, a rather recent upgrade to his options for transport both in the Human and Digital Worlds, the bike was customized to go where there was no roads, and packed some light gear on it--including a sleeping bag on the back luggage rack, tied on tightly. The man sported some of his usual attire, with some new additions. His white sleeveless shirt, and gray button up shirt left open was normal, as was his jeans--but his converse high tops was replaced by a pair of steel toed boots, something he'd learned to wear in the Digital World.

The man's face was mostly covered, a mildly large pair of black and silver, clear lens biker goggles over his eyes--and his entire lower half of his face under these goggles was covered by a black and white bandanna. As the man ripped across the desert, his shirt and bandanna both flapped in the wind, as well as his keychain hung from his belt loop on the right side of his hip--a new addition to it--a small item known as a V-Pet...this is where Tsuki and Kuyo stayed when Cole rode his bike. Having joined P.R.O.F.I.T. seemed to have let Cole upgrade his gear...

Cole's jade hues peered ahead as he rode, he seemed on a mission, focused, like he had somewhere to go...but really he didn't...just chasing more pointless leads. As he looked ahead, he'd squint, able to see something--or someone rather--perched upon an abandoned trade cart. The man paid no mind, approaching and quickly passing the figure at speed, a gust of wind with some sand flying in his wake. But suddenly the rear wheel of the bike locked up, and came skidding to a stop--Cole dropping his foot down to support himself as he turned to look back, seeing the young Ravenna...he blinked behind his goggles.

"Is that Ravenna...? The hell she doing all the way out here?" he asked himself. He was a good 50 or so feet from Ravenna, the man turning the bike around and cruising up slowly to her, before stopping about 10 feet away. Behind his bandanna he smirked--the man's hands coming up to slide his goggles and bandanna down to hang around his neck, revealing his face. "I didn't know Ravens hung out in deserts." he'd call out to her, giving Ravenna a smile as he leaned forward over the handlebars of his bike, arms crossed ontop of them to support him. Suddenly a voice chimed from Cole's V-Pet. "Ravenna!"--this was clearly Tsuki's voice. "Who is Ravenna?" another new voice called, one Ravenna had never heard before with Cole.

Cole would go ahead and put down the kickstand to his bike, pulling his leg over it as he got off the bike--the man walking up towards Ravenna as she responded to him, the man's smile shifting to raising an eyebrow. "...Trash to eat?" he'd question her. Suddenly light blazed out of the V-Pet hung from Cole's belt loop, lines of digital code whipping about and forming together, Tsukihikari coming to appear next to Cole. Her cheery voice a moment ago was gone. "Someone stole a Gabumon's pelt?!" she asked in horror at the thought, the BlakGabumon seemingly almost hugging herself as if someone was trying to take her pelt, just from the thought of it. "T-thats awful! Who would do that?!" she cried.

Cole blinked, looking to Tsuki. "Wait...your fur can come off?" "W-well....yeah."--Tsuki blushed--"Its kinda like being naked...the fur is our clothes...you know?" she'd explain how the fur meant a lot to Gabumon species Digimon like her. "That is something I'm glad I've never seen..." the other voice commented, finally appearing from the V-Pet just like Tsuki did, a BlackAgumon appeared, giving the girl a smile and small wave. "Hello. They said your name is Ravenna? I'm Kokuyoseki--but you can call me Kuyo." Kuyo introduced himself while smiling to the girl. "Oh, he wasn't with us when we met Ravenna huh...Yeah this is my twin brother. Sadly he's a lot like Cole, now I got two of them to deal with..." Tsuki said, sighing in annoyance at having to deal with two boys who liked to get in over their heads.

Cole was still wondering what Ravenna meant by trash to eat....the man pretty much in his own world of thought as the Digimon spoke to the young Spirit user.

Kuyo gave Ravenna a nod and then almost as if he was ADHD he quickly seemed to find interest in something else, the BlackAgumon turning and wandering around, looking about. Tsuki sighed. "Don't mind him, he...is a Curiousmon at times." Tsuki said, rubbing the back of her head with the digipun. She'd watch as Ravenna reverted back to her Human form, this also seemed to snap Cole out of his little world of thought, attention back on the younger girl. Both and and Tsuki listened to what Ravenna said, and Tsuki was quick to nod. "Yes of course I'm willing to help! Thats just awful and...just...whoever did that deserves to be punished!" Tsuki said, oddly fired up by all this. Cole huffed a sigh. "Guess thats that then...yeah we'll help ya' out Ravenna, doubt I'm gonna get Tsuki stuffed back in this V-Pet now that she's all riled up." Cole went on to say, glancing to Tsuki once during his words, but mostly keeping focus on Ravenna.

Kuyo chimed in. "Hmm? Of course we don't mind, Agumon like me just don't wear such a useless pelt." "Useless?!" Tsuki was steamed by her brother's antics, sighing in annoyance afterwords. Kuyo looked at his sister, nervously rubbing the back of his head...Cole simply shook his head and walked back over to his bike, pulling his leg over the machine to take a seat on it, the soft suspension lowering under his weight. He shuffled about among the small pack of items he kept hanging off the back luggage rack of the bike, and suddenly Ravenna would find a helmet being tossed gently her way. "You look tired, hop on and we can get going." he said with a smile, a hand pushing the starter button on the bike to bring its loud V-Twin engine back to life as his other would fix his Goggles back over his eyes, and the bandanna over his nose, mouth, and jaw--covering the lower half of his face. He didn't wear a helmet yet seemed to keep one around for passengers.

Tsuki's ears lowered and she looked over to Ravenna. "Try dealing with these two for two weeks straight. I swear they feed off of each other's brashness..." Tsuki griped, but she wouldn't let it get to her much...she was more saying this to tease Kuyo and Cole. Kuyo was just still nervously rubbing the back of his head, 'heheheh'ing a bit. About that time Cole had gripped his V-Pet, pressing a button, and both Digimon would be Digi-tized and return into the device. "Aww, I wasn't done stretching my legs." griped Kuyo from the V-Pet. "Sorry buddy." Cole commented.

Cole watched Ravenna almost completely fumble with the helmet, the man snickering as she barely caught it. He nodded when she asked about him wanting her to ride on the bike, giving her a smile. She'd agree, reluctantly it seemed. "I'm not gonna do anything that's gonna risk getting you hurt, I would feel bad." he explained as she sat down on the bike behind him. The man felt her arms curl around his lower torso as she held on, and it drew a hint of a blush to his face--luckily perfectly hidden under the goggles and bandanna.

He'd ignore his flustered feeling and glance down to his keychain--where his V-pet, multi-tool, flashlight, compass, and keys hung. "Tsuki do you know the ruins Ravenna is talking about?" "Yeah they are most likely the ones West--North West of here." she responded from the device. Cole gripped his compass to level it out, checking their heading.

Dropping the compass to let it hang off his belt loop, the man's hand came up to the throttle of the bike and gave it a rev before releasing the clutch. He turned slowly, getting to the correct heading before he'd start going a bit faster, but for Ravenna's sake, he was going much slower then he had been when she first seen him, making it a mild ride for her to keep her calm...he couldn't hear her breathing having increased over the motor, but depending on how close she was hanging onto him he may feel her heart beat through his back--and know she was nervous.

Either way they was on their way now, roughly 30-40MPH through the sandy dunes. He'd been going over 100MPH when he passed her earlier. It'd be clear he was being considerate for how Ravenna felt getting on the bike with him, and trying to make it a good ride for her. The breeze they caught would feel amazing under the blazing sun, likely similar to how it felt for Ravenna when she flew. Cole glanced over his shoulder for a second to look back to Ravenna, but quickly back forward to pay attention to his riding. "Doing alright back there? Hope so. So whats the deal anyways, how'd you get roped into finding a Gabumon's pelt?" he'd ask loud enough she could hear him over the bike, wind, and through the helmet she had on.

Cole would continue to skillfully navigate the duo through the dunes, trying to stick between them and slowing down if having to crest one, again a stark difference to catching air like he was earlier. He heard Ravenna respond, shaking his head. "You're fine, you just had seen me blasting through the desert like a DemiDevimon out of hell, had all the right to be nervous. But you should know better of me by now." he said, smiling under his bandanna as it softly whipped in the breeze as they went along. Obviously the 'Bat out of hell' was replaced with something a bit more topical for the two and their past experience.

"As for the Gabumon, I feel bad for him. Thats just wrong...and a fur collector? Heh...I guess Human world problems happen in the Digital World too huh..." the man reflected as they went, thinking a moment for how much that seemed like a human flaw, yet...here in the Digital World, they also had these issues. Really makes you know they are equal to humans and not just some creatures...

By now Cole had been traveling the Digital World for roughly a month, it'd been about 3 weeks since he'd met Ravenna...frankly it was nice to see a familiar face, Cole only interacted with a couple people on multiple occasions and Ravenna was becoming one of them. It was nice having her around...now if only he could get the blush off his face before they arrive so she doesn't see it.

Soon they'd come to the top of a crest, and the heights of the ruins sticking out the dunes of the desert came into view. Cole would stop atop this crest, putting his foot down to keep the bike with him and Ravenna on it stable as he looked over to this place. "That it?" "If you see anything out here, and its not just a single tree, then yeah...I'd say it's it." chimed from the V-pet. This kinda noted how barren this area really was...she can't even see whats going on and just off Cole asking confirmed it.

Cole sighed. "Well if its got possible hostiles in it, we better approach on foot, cause the sound of the engine will tip them off..." Cole suggested, a finger flipping a switch that killed the engine of his bike. "Please tie the helmet back onto the back." he noted to Ravenna, motioning for her to step off the bike. Once she did and put back the helmet Cole would step off the bike too, slipping his Digivice from his pocket.

With the press of a button, just like with Tsuki and Kuyo and the V-Pet, the bike turned to pure data, digi-tizing, and was sucked into the D3. Just like that, it was stored. Cole would pull down his bandanna, revealing the lower half of his face, but kept the goggles on...they was trying to hide the fact he was still flustered from having had the attractive female holding onto him. Sadly a bit of this could be seen in his cheeks. "We ready?" he'd ask, letting her lead the way.
 

Cole would hear Raye mention that it was convenient that he could store the bike as he did--the man nodded in agreement. The tall man would slide the Digivice back into his pocket, glancing over to Ravenna as she seemed to have caught a look at a scar on his cheek. This of course happened a few weeks back, now healed, but still visible--a small slice across his cheek from DemiDevimon's sharp air crescents. She seemed to get the same idea, the man nodding in response.


"Yeah...that 'fur ball' cut me up pretty good that night. Its sad, the injuries from him are visible, but it was the ones from Nero I was feeling for the next few days...I actually went home after I woke up the next day, I had to rest up for a couple days. If you was wondering why you didn't see me the next morning, thats why." he'd explain to her what happened after they parted ways that night. The man had to have time to recover and spent time preparing, gathering new gear, with a little help that is...new friends, new opportunities, right? It was clear this was a smarter and more level headed--well prepared Cole compared to the one Raye met three weeks ago.

Cole would follow Ravenna as she would lead them down the sand dune and into the ruins area itself. Finding a weathered and nigh easy to miss archway, the two would sneak their way in, Cole removing his goggles and letting them hand from his neck along with the bandanna after they got inside so he could see better. The sounds of pickaxes echoed through the ancient temple, and it'd confirm Raye's rumor she'd heard. Cole nodded, but soon his ears burned. The two was forced to slip around a corner and hide, squeezing behind a pillar with Raye. Tsuki and Kuyo kept quiet, they didn't wanna blow the two's cover by speaking up and making the V-Pet containing them make noise.

The foot steps grew louder, then slowly, quieter, they passed by. Cole would peek out to make sure the coast was clear, and slipped back out. They'd find a crack in a wall, just big enough for them to squeeze through--Cole glanced in and seen it was clear of patrols, before trying to fit himself through the tight crag. He slipped into this passage and waited for Raye to follow, before continuing ahead. This allowed them to avoid most patrols until the passage ended with another opening. Cole glanced out but quickly pulled his head back in, foot steps nearing and passing soon after.

Cole sighed a breath of relief he hadn't been spotted, glancing out once more. Good, clear. He pulled his head back in. This one was a bit tighter then the last crack in the wall they'd gone through, he was unsure if his whole body would fit. "Ladies first...I don't need to get stuck and trap you in here Ravenna." he whispered to her, stepping aside to let her by. He still hadn't taken to calling her Raye yet. 

Cole had listened when Raye let him know what she'd been going through with the whole past events they'd went through, that she seemed to struggle coping--having nightmares. He'd hold off for now, but he wanted to talk more about it when they had a better chance too and wasn't playing Tomb Raider in some ruins full of hostile 'mon, the two having to get face to face in some hideing spots, which understandably left both them feeling a bit..awkward.

The man had stepped aside to let her through and the tight space forced them a little uncomfortably close, a slight flustered expression on Cole's face as she slipped past him and then would squeeze her way through the opening. His ears burned with what she found on the other side, and his eyes narrowed, him sighing. He'd go ahead and try to fit through, half way he seemed to get caught--the man's arms both pressing against the wall to pull him through, before finally he'd pop out on the other side, landing next to Ravenna after the grip on him had been let go, the man wincing once before turning and sitting up to look and see what she saw.

Cole grit his teeth as anger started to swell in him, but having learned from his past, he'd keep a level head here. He'd notice these same paths Raye did and motioned for her to lead the way again, him following after her as she did. They'd find themselves in a cave-like tunnel. The duo made their way in, but the sound of running foot steps suddenly burned Cole's ear. Ravenna probably didn't see it coming but one of Cole's arms curled around her stomach from behind and she was suddenly yanked behind a thick stalagmite, Ravenna finding her back against Cole's chest and sitting down just in front of him, as his arm let go of her, a second later two Digimon running by, nearly having seen them. Cole sighed another breath of relief. "T-to close..." he said, blushing a little when he realized how close he'd pulled her to him during that interaction. They couldn't hear it but Tsuki was trying her best to not snicker at this from inside the V-Pet. She could hear it in Cole's voice. Kuyo on the other hand was just wondering why his sister was holding in a snicker, tilting his head in confusion within the digital space they had been transported too.

Cole would get back on the trail through the cave, and they'd soon find an open cavern. They had a nice spot to hide just off to the side of the entrance, Cole slipping over there and motioning for Raye to follow--him looking over to see what he could inside of the cavern. It was a large room, corners filled with stolen goods, and a large chair between these stacks of valuables. Sitting upon the large chair was a dark skinned and sinister appearing Leomon. He was clearly corrupted. Another new addition to this Leomon was a headdress covering the top of his head and parts of his mane...The Gabumon fur! Cole's hand gripped into a fist upon seeing the cruel use of the stolen pelt...