Chapter Thirty-Three:

Showdown Between Geniuses, Thomas Versus Nanami!

"This place here is the best lookout position. Here we can see if anyone or anything is coming towards us over the sea." Thomas explained. We were standing inside ElDoradimon's tower, where four windows gave us a great view.

"But, if anything, the real attack'll probably come somewhere else." Kidd said. "As Thomas said, this place is the best to find out where they'll strike."

"Well, aren't you two good strategists?" Yoshi complimented.

"I'm no Duftmon, but I guess this'll have to do." Kidd replied with a smile.

"I'm glad to know that our hero's son came up with this great plan." Baronmon complimented Marcus, who was standing nearby and who had absolutely nothing to do with Kidd, Gaomon and Thomas's strategy.

"But…" Thomas trailed off, and I could see the confusion in his eyes.

"It was Thomas's plan, Baronmon." I told the mayor. "He should get credit for this."

"But, if not for our hero's son, we would not have Thomas's strategy." Baronmon countered.

Thomas snorted angrily. I shrugged and mouthed: "I tried." Kidd had the look that he just drank something foul on his face, and Gaomon's eyes narrowed.

"Yeah, so deal!" Marcus said proudly. "But I think that we should get them first!"

"That's a horrible plan Marcus!" Thomas snapped.

"How?" Marcus demanded.

"Well, for one it's half-assed! For two, attacking them first could be more deadly than them attacking us! Haven't you ever studied the American Civil War?" Thomas shouted.

"That's America though, they're always picking fights! (sorry, but it's true)" Marcus snapped.

"Well then, if we were countries, you'd be America in this situation!" Thomas retorted.

"Wouldja all just plain SHUT UP for about 2 minutes!!" I yelled. "If anything, Marcus; you're plan is half-assed. Thomas's plan is well-thought-out and will probably work! I can't say about yours, but maybe you should listen to each other instead of letting petty differences in IQ get in your ways!" I had to say it fast, because with the looks on their faces I knew they would start it again.

"Umm…I'm standing here with a descriptive picture of the enemie's leader here." Ninjamon said, holding up a roll of paper. Yoshi took it with a sigh and unrolled it. She almost burst laughing.

"We're facing a stick figure…" she laughed. I looked at it. The picture looked as if a four-year-old me drew it, then Kidd erased it and re-drew it in his style.

"Did this man have a white labcoat and loose glasses that he should really have fixed soon?" Thomas asked, looking at the picture.

"Yes." The Ninjamon replied.

Every one of us said: "Kurata!"

NNNNN

"We know where the enemy is hiding. We must attack Kurata before he attacks us!" Marcus announced in front of all the digimon in the Sacred City.

Everyone cheered. Keenan and some of the Ninjamon offered to join up with Marcus to make the attack.

"Wait, this is all a trap!" Thoams said, standing up from his chair.

"A trap!? What's wrong with you, this plan's foolproof!" Marcus retorted.

"Yes, in the fact that a fool is leading it! Listen to me, defending the Sacred City is our main priority right now! Attacking them, when they're just going to come for us, is pointless!" Thomas said to everyone.

"I agree with Thomas." I said. "I don't mind attacking first, but when we're dealing with Kurata, this gets personal and I want it done right! Plus, with Thomas, yeah, he may over think, but what would you rather have? A half-assed plan that your legends son just came up with by gut instinct, or one a genius you've come to trust has created?"

"Well said Loaño." Yosuya said with a smile.

"Either way, not to bust your bubble Marcus, I agree with Thomas, Gaomon, and Kidd's plan." I finished, stepping beside my friend.

"We should stay exactly where we are and wait for him to attack first!" Thomas reminded.

"Then we'll do it ourselves!" Marcus yelled.

"Marcus, you're a fool! Kurata's not an idiot! If you do this, there's more than a 90 percent chance the city will fall!" Thomas snapped.

"Who gives a rip about statistics anyway? If we go, then it'll be over with sooner than anything!" Marcus said stubbornly.

"Marcus, you're being arrogant!" I told him. "Listen for once!"

"I don't care, we're doing it and that's final!" Marcus said, ending it.

And who made you leader? I thought angrily, but I couldn't bring myself to say it because: despite him not having the goggles, he was more like Tai than anything else. Except that Tai didn't pick hand-to-hand fights during Middle School, nor was he ever interested in it. And, he had a good relationship with Matt.

It does not matter whoever elected him Loaño. All that matters is basis of opinion. And right now, the opinion is in favor of Marcus. AA told me.

Only because Spencer was a kickass guy 10 years ago.

Good point.

NNNNN

"Next time you see me, I'll have defeated Kurata!" Marcus bragged before he and Agumon jumped onto a digimon and it sped away across the sea.

"If you come back at all…" Thomas murmured.

"Why does he do that?" Gaomon wondered aloud.

"Marcus only does this stupid stuff because he knows that if he messes up, he'll have Thomas to back him up." Yoshi said to Lalamon, and not in answer to Gaomon's wondering.

"Men are like that sometimes." Yosuya said.

"Either way Thomas. I have your back." I said to him, trying to comfort him as best I could.

"I know." Thomas murmured sadly, but I could see the determination on his face: Thomas wasn't about to let the City fall under his watch.

NNNNN

"Three Gizumon XT, five o' clock." Gaomon alerted him.

"Good, let's do this!" Thoams said.

"Guys, attack!" I shouted.

Deputymon, Tankmon and Centarumon each blasted the Gizumon XT, but completely missed as they dodged.

The remaining Ninjamon rose from the water and threw shuriken's at them, destroying two with a fiery blast.

"Dancing Meteors!" Baronmon did a series of movements and threw fireballs at it, destroying it.

"Yes!" I cheered.

"Those were scouts. The real attack will come by the waterfall." Thomas said grimly.

NNNNN

(Thomas & Gaomon)

"No attack yet…" I murmured, looking at the tumbling water. Gaomon stood beside me, searching as equally hard as I was. "But we'll be ready."

"Really? You sure about that?" the familiar voice came from the top of the waterfall.

"Nanami!" Gaomon alerted.

"You've forgotten me already?" Nanami said sweetly. "Like you said, if the waterfall is destroyed, the water will wash away ElDoradimon. I knew you would come alone here."

"Well, aren't you so smart?" I grumbled.

"Aw, you're just upset because I found out your plan!" Nanami said. She jumped down, letting her umbrella catch the wind and drift her down behind me.

A sudden pain hit my ribs, telling me that she kicked me there so I would face her.

"I hear you're very smart…but I'm sort of a genius myself, you see…" Nanami said ominously.

"I don't care. Leave us, or I'll make you!" Gaomon demanded. "Double Backhand!" he rushed up to attack her in a whirling tornado.

She pushed him back effortlessly.

Then, she appeared next to me. "You know Thomas, we're exactly the same…you're lonely, geniuses were never meant to have friends…" she said quietly.

"I have friends. They would never…" I began.

"You do? Who? That blonde girl who thinks she can do anything she wants? She's no better than Ivan, if you ask me. A half-digimon girl who can't even control her own strength! But, I guess I shouldn't be unappreciative…thanks to her DNA, Kurata's cracked the code of being able to fuse humans and digimon. Then, POOF, came us!" Nanami laughed.

So that was why Kurata was over so often when we were children…he was giving Loaño all of these bogus tests and I didn't even know it! I thought with horror.

"She isn't like you at all. AA is a sentient being that can do so much more than you think or say! And Loaño's my best friend; she has been as far back as I can remember. If you've come to talk me into surrender, keep trying, it won't work. But if you've come to fight, let's do it then!" I snapped. Honestly, Lo has done a lot for me, and I know she would back me up anytime.

"You say that…but what if she's just your friend for your genius?" Nanami was really trying hard. And I was getting sick of her downing my friends.

"Let's just fight and get this over with!" I shouted.

"Fine, you want to die, then you can! Bio-Hybrid Digi-Soul, Full Charge! Bio-Hybrid Digivolve to………BioLotusmon!" a tall woman stood now, wearing purple and her head was covered by a green rose. She held two staffs, one with snakes intertwining and the other with just a blunt thing on it.

"You'll never win!" BioLotusmon taunted.

"We'll see! Digi-Soul, Overdrive!" I shouted, slamming it into my digivice.

"Gaomon warp digivolve to………MirageGaogamon!"

The two charged at each other, but Nanami knocked MirageGaogamon back easily, as if she were flicking a fly off of her.

"Join me Thomas, then we can be everything we've ever dreamed!" BioLotusmon hissed.

"Never you snake!" I shouted in defiance. "MirageGaogamon, new plan!" I jumped up on his shoulder and planted myself there. I whispered my plan to him.

"Sir, are you sure?" he asked cautiously.

"Yes, just do it!" I ordered.

"Fine!" MirageGaogamon jumped up and ran straight into BioLotusmon. She yelped with surprise, and pulled out her snake staff. The black snake uncurled and tried to blast MirageGaogamon and I away. I held on as best I could.

"Now, MirageGaogamon!"

"Sir yes Sir, Full Moon Mirage!" MirageGaogamon, now in point-blank range, fired his yellow stream of energy at BioLotusmon, causing her to scream and glow red.

"HOW!!" she screeched.

"I acted on instinct." I said. "I knew that MirageGaogamon could defeat you at point-blank range."

BioLotusmon dug her staff into the ground and it exploded, destroying the waterfall.

"No!" I shouted in protest, but what was happening to BioLotusmon caught my attention.

She seemed to be…degenerating…

A heart-patterned Digi-Egg appeared nearby, and Nanami fell down, exhausted. I picked her up.

"I wasn't…defeated by you…Thomas H Norstien………I was defeated by…by…Marcus Daimon's power…" she murmured before passing out.

"What? What did she mean by that?" I wondered.

NNNNN

I saw explosion occurring in two directions: by the waterfall and on the shore where Marcus was dumped off. I felt bad for opposing Marcus, but it felt better to stand up for what I knew would work.

What is it that makes me feel this way? I wondered. I haven't known Marcus as long as Thomas…but I still felt like I was being ripped to shreds inside…

That feeling, I have yet to see…AA told me, humans are interesting, and confusing. But I placed my trust in them because they can become great things. You feel this way because, face it, you like Marcus, and Thomas is your best friend.

You know all of this, how? I asked.

Well finally getting things sorted in your head is really paying off. Besides, I have had that sort of friendship with Merukimon-aniki and SaberLeomon. It helps to have these personal experiences yourself before you give advice.

I just hope both of them are okay…