[SQUIRE] JR-01 Legends of Lost Lake

[Lord Pouchlaw]

[SQUIRE] JR-01 Legends of Lost Lake.
by Darrel Vanwinkle (Lord Pouchlaw)
May 26th, 2023

Chapter One.
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Jerry Squire Rivers was a Leo with brown hair, green eyes and light brown skin. He wore a silver stud in his left ear. He was five foot eleven inches tall and weighing about one hundred fifty six pounds. He typically wore a white tee shirt, blue jeans and blue and grey sneakers with red laces. In his new life, he Beta tested partner games for the Dream Team in privacy. In the evenings, he got martial arts training from Master Splinter (TMNT,) Jackie Chan (Jackie Chan Adventures) and Grandpa Master (Jake Long American Dragon.)

Grandpa Master said, "Foo Dog is keeping an eye on Jake."

Jerry said, "That's okay, sir. I respect your being here instead."

Grandpa smirked. "If only Jake respected me."

Splinter said, "My boys went on an outing with Casey and April. Besides, training a new student is fun."

Jackie said, "Jade is spending an evening with my grand-uncle."

Jerry said, "I have tea brewing for after the lesson. I hope Nedwin pays you gentlemen for being here tonight."

When the martial arts session ended, tea was served but then the evening was cut short for some as Foo Dog called Grandpa Master on the phone telling how Jake got into a scrap with the Dragon Master. And Grand Uncle commanded Jackie to return immediately to help defend the shop. Master Splinter smiled as he watched the others leave and then he sipped on his tea a little. "I left a note for Leonardo and Donatello. But otherwise, I don't carry a cellphone with me." He chuckled. "I'd never get any privacy with one of those damned things on my person. Thank you for making this tea for us, Jerry. I always felt sorry for your original base identity. But with this new version of you, I get another chance to educate you in a proper way."

Jerry smiled at the somewhat younger appearing version of Master Splinter. "I know you are into girls, Splinter, but I've seen art on the internet where you are sexually showing a handsome boy a good time. Does that ever happen with you?"

Splinter slyly grinned at Jerry. "As long as I had privacy away from my sons, it could. Are you asking if I would play with you?"

Jerry blushed. "Did the original version of me ever ask to do it with you?"

The rat man set his tea cup down and replied, "He often had flings with a lot of species; I think he was afraid I would say no. He had respect for me, although loving rats as much as he did."

Jerry smiled. "Perhaps you can teach me something he was afraid to ask you to teach him."

Fun was had with Master Splinter before he headed off for the night. The following afternoon, a trio of archers arrived with Nedwin's permission to give Jerry some archery lessons.

Green Arrow, Hawkeye and Arabian Arrow were all assisting Jerry with his archery lessons in Lost Lake. Nedwin paid good money to get these archers to come in exchange for money to the charities of their choice. Or their own pockets if they simply need the cash. For Arabian Arrow, it was a welcome change of pace to be away from the Toon Titans for a necessary instructional. Not to mention, Jerry always fed his instructors whomever they were to be. GA remarked, "A little more steady when aiming, Jerry. Otherwise, you are a pretty good shot." Hawkeye smiled. "It is nice to be able to train you without your counterpart's cronies being around to interfere." AA grinned. "It is good to teach anyone without all the lame humor flying around in the background. Although I don't mind Ernie's company."

Jerry chuckled. "The kawaii little dragon boy is difficult to dislike, Argo. You are lucky he likes you so much."

Hawkeye remarked, "I've not had a call in the Avengers in a while. So this was a welcome outing to help you, Jerry."

GA said, "I am having to attend JL meetings weekly although they are mainly processing new members. It kind of makes us originals feel as if we were put out to pasture."

Jerry asked, "Whatever happened to the old the league has to approve by vote new members bullshit? I recall back when Batman Four kept trying to convince my counterpart into joining the JLU."

GA smirked. "That rule is still in place, although Man-Hunter and I managed to initialize an in-training protocol for new members seeking inclusion into the league. This means that before a vote can occur, the subject must have submitted a certain amount of hours on Monitor Duty and on-board training sessions with an authorized League Member." Hawkeye asked, "So what is your schedule like week to week, Jerry?"

Jerry replied, "When I am not Beta Testing games for the Dream Team, I am overseeing the Digimon citizens of Lost Lake as the main caretaker. Then my training schedule is as follows... on Monday evenings, martial arts with Splinter, American Dragon's Grandpa Master and Jackie Chan. Tuesday evenings is my Archery lessons with you guys. On hump day evenings, I spend the time in training sessions with various Digimon and partner card monsters. Thursday evenings are spent in my programming lessons. Friday evenings are used to run tests on my Meta-Genes to see if I am developing any powers due to my association with empowered instructors. I get most weekends free to do as I like, although I do get visits from people my counterpart has considered loved allies and friends. The Horse and the Zamaks have not bothered me as yet. Which is kind of strange since they would have pestered my counterpart relentlessly by now."

GA chuckled. "Boy ain't THAT the truth!"

AA said, "It is hard to believe that an appearance and name change makes the difference in keeping the tire kickers away. But I know it to be the truth; I had to do it myself back on Toonmasters when I stopped being Sahara Hunter in exchange for becoming Arabian Arrow. The bad guys whom were hunting my past self celebrated SH's demise and actually sent AA the promised bounty reward for killing off my other self. Some people are so stupid. But I could use the money." GA then asked, "Have you developed any powers to speak of, Jerry? Or is that a classified topic?"

Jerry looked at Green Arrow and said, "The last testers said that I am developing something, but it is too small to classify at this current time. Which means it has not manifested itself as yet. My counterpart would have had powers erupting left and right by now; but I seem to remain stabilized for the time being. I think it may be for that reason that the others are staying away from me. Because I am not sporting the Bugs Bunny look, my counterpart's associates don't have any interest in me. The team doctor would normally have stuck her nose in here by now especially since I have Digimon and partner card monsters locally, but I've not heard a peep out of the digital busy-body Doctor slash Battle Card Police Officer."
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End of Chapter One.

[Lord Pouchlaw]

Chapter Two.
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Hawkeye chuckled. "Had it been your counterpart around Lost Lake, his associates would have invaded the region by now leading the villains right to him. So you may be right; they are not that concerned with you." Jerry then said, "I get to see the minor DAC members visiting occasionally, but they are not here for me. They are checking on their interests. Vance checks on the local Stealthmon and Kahidomon communities. Luke spends time with Dragarulimon. If Faroth comes around, I've never caught a glimpse of him. Kirsto comes into the area to play his Irish flute music for the Digimon citizens on the edges of the forest. I think Kirsto has a treehouse somewhere out there." GA's communicator then beeped. "Ollie speaking." And then he rolled his eyes as he looked at the sky. "I'm on my way, Superman. I was giving an archery lesson to a paid client. This was that day. No, no, I'm on my way. You're not telling Batman to butt out, are you?" He lowered his arm as he looked to the others. "He hung up. Look, I got to go. They are conducting a vote tonight."

AA said, "We'll hold down the fort, GA. We don't have to be anywhere tonight."

Hawkeye said, "I'd be with Black Cat, but that's hardly what I would call an emergency since she is capable of holding her own."

Green Arrow then collected his gear and departed.

Jerry said, "So much for my providing him with dinner tonight."

AA grinned. "He will be upset when he remembers that you were having a meal in reserve for us."

An hour passed with more archery lessons and then Green Arrow walked back in and joined the others. "Zatanna teleported myself and my motorcycle back to Lost Lake after the voting was conducted so I could rejoin the lessons and get my meal. I am beginning to regard the league as the Joke Laughers of Agony instead of the Justice League of America. The new talent shouldn't even have gotten as far as they did. I've seen better participants among the fans. Hal told them that the next vote should be for serious members and not comic relief. I think they interrupted a date he was on. Shazam kept his cool for a change since everyone else on the team seemed to be venting. Wisdom of Solomon must have been making him think of doing something away from the League."

Jerry asked, "Was Batman Prime super focused?"

GA replied, "He made his vote and then he just got up and left without a word. I think his rogues gallery were being a pain again."

AA said, "For a hero with no powers, he sure has a lot of enemies."

When the archery session ended, dinner was served and then the archers departed for the night. Later the martial artists had returned and another martial arts lesson was provided and soon, they were also gone for the night as well.

And then it was Wednesday. As if obeying the old got to cause trouble on a Wednesday, Joanie Zamak showed up in Lost Lake. Jerry had been making his rounds when one of the town's digital guardians gave him the warning that she had arrived.

Having not looking like Gerard Prince at all, Jerry went about with his schedule. If she got into his face, it would prove that she was doing the horse's dirty work by looking for the newest Gerard Prince. Not even the Devil Kangaroo had been bothering him and now she was in Lost Lake. Normally, she would be over in Camp World instead of slumming on LA-TAP. He knew that Nedwin was completely against the All-Stars invading the newest project. So he wondered whom spilled the beans to actually look here. He would inform Nedwin about this later. He was NOT and would NEVER be Gerard Prince, despite his knowing that he was a counterpart with a different appearance and a diffferent name. He didn't even had the Prince boy's memories.

There were two official eateries in Lost Lake; the one for DAC members and their partners to dine at; and then there was the one for norms like Jerry to dine at. As was mentioned before, no one on DAC ever dined with him although he would catch glimpses of their being in town.

Just as he was starting to think that her being in town was just a coincidence, when he reported to the Beta Testing chambers to get his second part of his daily schedule started, he encountered the nosy doctor within looking over the new releases. Choosing to ignore her for now, he simply walked right passed her location without a word. He inserted his ID card into the reader and smiled for the camera which permitted the door to open to permit him access to the testing division. Stepping into the small foyer and stopping, the door closed behind him and Nedwin's patented scanner scanned him for illegal trackers and other unauthorized commuicators. Then the second door opened and he went on inside to get busy on what he was scheduled to do.

Joanie never tried to get into the beta testing chamber, although she did watch from the safety window.

Jerry placed his head set over his head, ears and eyes... then he picked up the new Safety Bracer prototype and placed it on his arm. "Begin test." The automated opponents attempted to initiate challenges at Jerry's position. "I challenge you!" And as programmed, nothing happened. Then a second opponent pointed his bracer at Jerry and said, "Let's Duel!" And a digital challenge grid and platform was created around Jerry and the challenger. A digital screen appeared to the side where Nedwin's image appeared on-screen. Being very quiet at that point, Jerry whispered, "Does she have permission to be here? Look to the watchers window, Nedwin." Nedwin's quiet reply was, "First I've heard about this; I'll pull her aside and speak to her. You just do what you were hired to do."

Out in the spectator zone, Nedwin appeared without warning and he yanked the Zamak woman away from the window. "You better have a good reason to be here, Dr. Zamak. While you would have Card Police permission to be in Lost Lake, you do not have my direct permission to be invading the Dream Team's Beta Testing Labs." She replied with, "Wyzowlmon whom I am good terms with mentioned that the Dream Team had a new beta tester and I wanted to get a look at the testing agent. Hackers and Modders have tried to weasel their way into Beta Testing before; Raluta was world's worst for abusing a Beta Game run to learn the exploits. So as you stated, I have the right to investigate questionable testers. Whom is he and why the big secrecy?"

Nedwin replied, "Mister Rivers was quality graded by the Dream Team to test new battle games and new MMOs. He is required to live in Lost Lake but he does not wander around in public wearing a Safety Bracer to draw attention to himself; like you would. He obeys all the rules and he has never incurred a complaint from any of the locals in this version of Lost Lake. Besides, like the horse, I know whom you think you are looking for. As you can see, we have no blond haired, blue eyed, fair skinned human boys at this location. And no ever-full donut boxes, either. If there was a Gerard Prince at this location, the Devil Roo would have been here already. As for Wyzowlmon, as much as I hate to do this to him, but he is becoming a threat to the Digital Grid. Normally he would mind his own business and only mention things to Gotolmyrrmon. Telling a civilian information is against the Digital God rules. I have to wonder if he is infected with a Macrosoft virus. While you may investigate the public areas in Lost Lake, I am going to have to ask you to leave the Beta Testing Labs which you have no authorized access permission to even be within at the moment. No one ever watches Mister Rivers and you are doing it. He informed me that you were disturbing his concentration. If I catch you in here again, I will send you to Cheetahroyiffmon all bent over and naked. Now get out."

A digital Warrior Guardian then escorted Dr. Zamak out of the labs and directly back to the entrance of Lost Lake. "Until you obey the rules for visitation, Dr. Zamak, your visitation rights have been revoked. Come with an official DAC team member escort next time."

And then the gates into Lost Lake were closed and the guards drew their weapons and blocked the only way inside. Joanie wondered why Nedwin got so offensive with her doing her job; but she chose to simply leave for now.

Nedwin then said to Jerry, "Evicting her like that won't last long. We will have to move you to a new private location. Wyzowlmon was the one whom broke the rules this time."
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End of Chapter Two.