DSI: RELOADED Chapter 32: A Call to Arms, a digimon fanfic

Digimon Savers International: RELOADED

Recap

(Tentomon) When we arrived at the Sacred City atop ElDradimon, Mayor Baronmon welcomed us with open arms. Unfortunately, we weren't given the warm welcome we were expecting. Instead, our human partners were promptly tied to the stakes, and we were tied up as well. We ran into Yushima, and then I channeled my inner J. Pierrepont Finch and distracted the mayor while the other Digimon freed the humans. After Marcus punched out Cerberusmon and revealed his DigiSoul, Baronmon remembered what his dad had done and hailed us as heroes with a banquet. Thomas became jealous of Marcus, so Greg and Veemon went out to comfort him. Aww, what a nice guy. Soon, we were under attack. We fought Gizumon XT in the sky, while our partners fought regular Gizumon using the DigiSoul Aura. Then, Keenan came back with a group of Ninjamon and saved the day. I just hope those Bio-Hybrids don't show up again!

Chapter 32: A Call To Arms

Greg

That morning after breakfast (fruit), Tom showed us what he thought was the best strategic point to stage our defense against Kurata. "From here, we can spot anyone coming near ElDradimon, plus a 360-degree view surrounded by water removes any threat of a sneak attack," He said, sounding just like a realtor, especially with his necktie. At least he didn't have his shirt tucked in. "Yes. You chose an ideal spot. I am very impressed with you," Baronmon agreed.

Then, Marcus just had to open his mouth and brag about his father for what must've been the 50th time in just 18 hours. "My dad was able to protect this place once, and now it's my turn to try!" he insisted. "For the love of humanity, Marcus, would you please shut the hell up about your dad?! We! Don't! Give! A! DAMN!" I emphatically stated. Baronmon glared at me with daggers in his eyes. "How dare you say such things about the savior of this city!" He then proudly turned to Marcus, and continued, "That's the voice of a hero's son if ever I heard one. I'm entrusting you with the safety of our capital, my friend!"

"That's a lot of responsibility, Boss!" Agumon said. "Yeah!" Marcus agreed.

"Why is he giving Marcus the credit when it's your plan, sir?" Gaomon asked Tom. "He's the legend's son," the blonde answered.

"It's just like you said, Thomas. You'll just have to do something to show him up," I said. Tom shook his head. "Heh, like that'll do me any good."

Kurata

We quickly set up base at Point 303. One thing about my organization. Some naysayers may call us evil, but boy, are we efficient. Speed is our motto, stealth is our standby. Nanami had the spyglass and she observed ElDradimon. "Hmmm... nice positioning for a defensive strategy. They must have a very smart general over there," she noted.

"I'm sure it was Thomas' plan," I said while looking through my designer binoculars. "Thomas..." she repeated.

I began to list off his credentials. "Yep, Thomas H. Norstein, Stockholm Royal Class of oh-eight. Thomas' IQ is far higher than all the others. He's pretty much the genius of the group. He comes up with all of their strategies, consistantly outthinking his opponents." I shot her a sly smile. "Just like you, my dear," I added.

"How interesting," she said as a smile came to her lips. Kouki popped his empty bag of chips. "It doesn't matter what kind of plan they come up with. I'll crush 'em with my bare hands," he vowed. He crumpled up his bag and threw it on the ground.

Ivan picked it up and threw it away. "Tsk tsk tsk. Trash must be disposed of properly. See, if everyone followed the rules like me, we'd be winning. But I'd never say I thought we were losing out loud." "You just did!" Nanami barked.

"Can we go already?" Kouki groaned. "Relax, Kouki. There's no need to hurry," I said. That took him by surprise. I continued, "Don't you find it a little boring to simply win? I wouldn't mind toying with them for a little while first."

Greg

The one problem of being in the Digital World is the lack of modern plumbing. Even in the Sacred City, it's difficult to maintain sanitation standards. So I stripped down to nothing and took a swim in the lake. I swam far out enough to where I wouldn't actually pollute anything, did my business, then swam back, making sure to wash my hands. Anya spotted me with her binoculars, and boy, did she look shocked. While I got dressed, she chewed me out in Russian.

Later, we got called for a press conference, or the closest thing they have to that in the Digital World. Baronmon insisted that Marcus sit in the center throne, which he happily did. All these Digimon I had only seen on the TV series were there. It was fascinating. Baronmon raised his hands and delivered the message. "Everyone, listen up. Our legend's son is going to deliver a message for us." Marcus stood up and cleared his throat.

"Don't screw it up, Mr. Legend's Son," I quietly sneered. If looks could kill, the glare he gave me was an absolute massacre.

I brushed it off, and Marcus began. "We know where the enemy is hiding! We must attack Kurata before he attacks us!" That shocked everyone. "All right. We're with you," Baronmon said. "Us too!" Keenan boldly added. "We're sick of seeing Kurata hurt Digimon," Falcomon said.

"Also for Merukimon and Frigimon. Revenge time! Who's with me?" Marcus asked. All the Digimon cheered and swore their undying loyalty to Spencer Damon's son. I felt like I was watching one of those old Errol Flynn films on Turner Classic Movies. Marcus flexed his arm in agreement. "Good. The more friends, the more power," he said.

Tom looked very uncomfortable about the whole thing. "You feel like playing Mr. Smith Goes to Washington?" I whispered to him. He nodded, then spoke up. "Wait! This is a trap!" That shut everybody up.

Tom stood up and went on. "This whole thing isn't like Kurata at all. He's never been this careless before, so why should he start now? Look at how easy it was to find his location. He wants us to get our troops out of the perfect position that we're in." I stood up and joined in. "That Thomas H. Norstein found," I emphasized.

That brought out even more shock as I began what I thought was one of my smarter speeches. "Yes, my friends, Thomas here found your perfect defense. Thanks to his plan, we have a secure position. Kurata and his troops will now have to cross deep waters to find us. It was Thomas, not Spencer Damon's son, who found it. I wish to put that on the record." Tom and I fistbumped.

Marcus was livid. "We should stay exactly where we are and wait for them to attack us," Tom went on. "Aren't you overthinking?" Pumpkinmon asked from the audience.

Gary stood up and spoke. "Friends, Digimon, citymen, lend us your ears. Two options are presented before you today. On one hand, you could support Marcus, the son of the hero who saved your beloved city. He is reckless and impulsive and will have you jumping in the well before you can figure out how deep it actually is. With Thomas, on the other hand, you have a well thought-out plan, a guiding hand who would not lead you astray."

"Well I don't care if it is a trap! We can defeat Kurata on his turf or ours," Marcus stated.

"But you'll be playing right into his hands. Right now, he can't get to us as long as we stay where we are," Tom protested.

Marcus gathered Agumon and Keenan close by him. "Then we'll attack by ourselves! No one says you have to go!" "You don't get it, Marcus. This isn't a schoolyard fight. If we don't use strategy, the Sacred City will fall!" It became a shouting match as Marcus roared, "A good defense is a good offense! I say we attack and that's that!"

The crowd cheered and hailed Marcus a hero. Now it was Tom's turn to be livid. "No. Why doesn't anyone understand this is wrong?" he wondered in discouragement.

"Well... it might be best if you just went with the general consensus for now," Yushima said. Tom gasped. "No way. Even you..."

I had to think about it for myself. "Well, now that I think about it, we are in a good position. However, those Gizumon XTs can fly. If they attacked from the air, then there'd be no other place to go but in the water. How many of those Digimon do you think can swim? And even if it is a trap, we can't just stand here and do nothing. I'd love to stand by your side, Tom, but I'm afraid Marcus has something of a point," I reluctantly said.

Tom gasped again and then stormed out of the room. "Wait, sir!" Gaomon called as he followed his partner.

Later that afternoon, right around sunset, we gathered outside the city as Marcus gave his parting words. His tone was nothing but sheer arrogance. Being hailed as a hero had done nothing but inflate Marcus' ego. "Next time you see me, I'll have defeated Kurata! So take care of this place for me until I get back, OK?"

"If you come back," Tom pointed out. "Heh, yeah. You keep dreaming, pal," Marcus snapped back.

"Anchors away!" Agumon shouted from down below. As Marcus made his jump, the boat sped off without him and he landed in the water.

I looked down. "Missed it by that much," I chuckled. Marcus came up for air. "HEY! Aren't you forgetting somebody?!" he barked. Agumon shrugged. "Sorry, Boss. You snooze, you lose!"

With that, Marcus started swimming. I turned back to the others and shook my head, smiling. "I always knew Marcus was all wet," I said. Anya decisively approached me, and did she look mad. "I saw what you did there, and in the conference too. You actively tried to discredit Marcus," she accused. "I've been trying to do that since I first met him," I said defensively. "Well I don't like it. Not one bit!" I had to keep backing up.

She continued, "You're not exactly the most ideal Tamer yourself. Everyone has flaws, but that doesn't mean you and Gary can continue to attack him like that." "I wasn't attacking him personally!" I insisted. "I don't care. I want you to apologize to him. All right?" I guess I had backed up too much because I fell in the water. I came back up to the surface.

"Aww come on, babe! That wasn't very nice!" I called back up to her. "Serves you right!" she shouted back down. "All right. Before I start my swim, would you do me a favor?" "What?" she asked. "Ask Veemon to come down with me."

Thomas

Veemon did a cannonball dive off the edge. "YAHOO!" I looked over the edge and shouted down to the two. "Look, I appreciate your efforts. You can come back after you apologize... I guess."

"Right! Come on, Veemon! Did I ever tell you about the Ironman triathalon?" Greg asked. "No," Veemon said. "Well, part of it includes swimming!" He started doing a freestyle and Veemon followed.

I shook my head at the whole thing. "I can't believe these people would follow that reckless fool," I told Gaomon in disbelief. "I fear for their future," my partner grimly agreed.

"What do you think, Anya?" Lalamon asked. "Marcus doesn't mind taking risks, because he knows that if he screws up, Thomas and Greg have his back," Anya answered.

"Huh?" That opened my eyes. For the first time in my career at DATS, I realized I was being taken. I was nothing more than a backup plan, a failsafe. I mentally registered Anya's statement as a complete paradox. No one is willing to listen to me the first time, they just count on me to get them out of trouble. I clenched my fist and became determined to come up with a brilliant strategy.

Gary

With Aura Mode being unlocked on our Digivices, my training became more important than ever. I decided to run through some drills through the Sacred City. Tentomon flew in during the middle of some hip twisting drills. "Hey, Gary," he said. I jumped in the air and attempted to twist my hips three times before landing. I only made it twice. "Hi," I finally answered. "What are you doing?" "Hip twisting drills."

I did another one. "That looks... interesting. So, are you ready for the battle ahead?" Tentomon buzzed. I stopped. "Tentomon. I've been doing some thinking. There's a civil war in the team. Half the men with Marcus, half with Thomas. There's a lot of suspicion and hate. I can't believe we're fighting each other, when we should be fighting them."

Tentomon thought about it. "It's what Kurata wants, isn't it?" he asked. I nodded. "It makes me sick. But, what can we do? If we pick a side, the other one will hold it against us. I'm sick of fighting."

I considered it further. "Kenta was an alright guy when I first met him. He seemed OK to me. Greg got along with him just fine. But now, he's our enemy." It nearly brought me to tears. "Why must it be this way?" I painfully wondered. All Tentomon could do was nod his head and put one of his talons on my back.

Greg

When Veemon and I reached the shore, we ran after the others. By the time I caught up with them, I was out of breath. "...Hi... Marcus," I panted. "Greg! Veemon! What took you guys?" Marcus asked angrily. I caught my breath. "We're not planning on staying... Anya wants me to apologize." "Oh? Well I don't need it! You've gotta pick a side." "No, Marcus. I don't want to pick a side. I shouldn't have to pick a side. In fact, if it were up to me, I'd be the leader. I just keep my mouth shut and try to keep the team together. But you, you don't know when to shut up; you don't know how to shut up! I want to tell you a story about American history. In 1960, Senator John F. Kennedy and Vice President Richard M. Nixon participated in the first televised presidental debate. Kennedy appealed directly to the American viewers. Nixon appealed to and attacked his opponent."

"What's your point, Goggle Brain?" Marcus shot back. I went on, "The only reason you had more sway over those Digimon than Thomas did was because you have charisma. You're the hero's son. Thomas has good points, but you won them over. You stole credit for his plan! Have you ever thought about how that makes him feel, to be discredited?" "I'm not gonna stand here and be held back by him, or you! We've got to attack now!" "Would you listen to yourself? You don't make sense! You're walking into a trap!" "Then let me walk in it! Besides, I thought you were going to apologize." "I thought you said you didn't need it." "Well fine!" "Fine!" "Fine!"

"Come on, Veemon! We're going back to the Sacred City," I firmly said, turning around to walk back. "Can we not swim this time?" Veemon pleaded. "Would you rather fly back?" I asked. Veemon smiled. "Sure."

I took out my Digivice and ignited my DigiSoul, taking a breath to calm myself down. "All right," I finally said. The great thing about this Digivice is that it can be used for all the Digivolutions, not just to Mega. It's like the Nintendo DS being used for Game Boy Advance games. I called, "DigiSoul, Full... Charge!" "Veemon Warp Digivolve to... AeroVeedramon!"

As I observed the Digivolution, a thought came to mind. "Eh... why didn't I think of this before?" I got on board and we took off.

"So, how'd I do?" I asked AeroVeedramon. "Hmmm... Anya's not gonna be happy with you, I'll just say that," he plainly answered.

I patted him on his side. "That's what I like about you, buddy. You're not afraid to tell it like it is." "Huh? Gizumon XT straight ahead!" he quickly said.

My eyes went open like a lens. "Let's rock and roll!" I directed, emboldened. "You got it! V-Breath Arrow!" AeroVeedramon released a heat beam, but all it did was attract the others to our position. "...oh my," I yelped, realizing what I had gotten myself into.

[BGM: "You Don't Believe [Instrumental]" by The Alan Parsons Project]

"RETREAT! RETREAT!" I ordered in slight fear. "But Greg, you just said let's rock and roll," AeroVeedramon countered. "Right. We're rolling out of here!"

I turned around, and there was a whole swarm of them. I quickly pulled out my earpiece, put it on, and urgently pressed the talk button. "Thomas, this is Greg. I'm headed in your direction, I've got Gizumon XTs on my tail." "Haaah... what were you thinking?!" Tom demanded to know. "I had just compared Marcus Damon to John F. Kennedy. I was emboldened, and I stepped into it." "Yes, you did. All right, let me think for a second... Try coming in at an arc, give us a good position to attack them." "Roger, General Norstein!"

AeroVeedramon and I swooped in at an arc, enough to where we wouldn't get hit but the Gizumon would. From the corner of my eye, I could see three Digimon attacking. They were, from left to right, a Deputymon, a Tankmon, and a Centarumon. All three attacks went out, and all three missed. I didn't know what happened after because we flew back behind the city, where AeroVeedramon powered down after I got off.

Veemon and I ran to the front where Tom and Gaomon were waiting. "You made it just in time, sir. Baronmon just destroyed the last Gizumon XT," Gaomon proudly informed me.

"Good. What do you need us to do?" I asked. Tom stood there, looking concerned at the situation at hand. "Those were just scouts sent out to gather information about our setup. The real attack will come from the waterfall. Greg, I'm putting you in charge of keeping watch in the front in case more scouts arrive. These loyal troops are yours to command. Are you up for it?" My eyes widened at that. Finally, the opportunity to lead that I had so deserved. I saluted. "Yes sir! You can count on us!" I confidently said.

Tom nodded. "Good luck then. Come on, Gaomon! Let's go!" "Sir yes sir!" Gaomon obediently said as the two ran off.

I took a moment to address my troops. "All right. My name is Greg Logan, and I'll be your commanding officer this evening. I don't have a speech prepared because we don't have time for one. I will say this. Your friend and mine Thomas H. Norstein has entrusted me to help you protect this city. I can't promise you anything on the same level as Spencer Damon, but this city will not fall under our watch." The Digimon on post cheered. "Glad I have your support," I said before clearing my throat.

I continued, "I want you to remember that no bastard ever won a war by dying for his world. He won it by making the other poor, dumb bastard die for his world. Digimon, all this stuff you've heard about us not wanting to fight, wanting to stay out of the war, is a lot of Unimon dung. Gary and I are Americans, and Americans, traditionally, love to fight. All real Americans love the sting of battle. When you were kids, you all admired the champion marble shooters, the fastest runners, big league baseball players, the toughest boxers. Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser. Americans play to win all the time. I wouldn't give a hoot in hell for a man who lost and laughed. That's why Americans have never lost and will never lose a war, because the very thought of losing is hateful to Americans. Now, some of you Digimon, I know, are wondering whether or not you'll chicken out under fire. Don't worry about it. I can assure you that you will all do your duty. Kurata and his team are the enemy. Wade into them. Spill their blood. Shoot them in the belly. When you put your hand into a bunch of goo that a moment before was your best friend's face, you'll know what to do."

Just then, Gary went berserk. "SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" he shouted as he rushed towards me. "Gary..." I started, but he cut me off. "Cut the crap, Gregory Thomas Logan! One of Kurata's troops is your friend, Kenta Kitagawa. How can you say things about him? Do you really want to hurt him?" "Well, no, but..." "But nothing! I think this has all gone too far. I want to defend this city, I want to protect the whole Digital World, but not like this! Not when we're fighting ourselves." He stared at me with big puppy-dog eyes, almost in tears.

I was not going to let this get to me, not in front of my troops. I had to make an example of him. "Why, hell, you are just a coward," I bravely said. Then, I slapped him hard in the face and held him up by his collar. "Don't you dare go soft on me now, Gary. You're a Logan, and a Logan does not go soft in the heat of battle." Suddenly, Gary countered and I soon found myself on the floor with his foot firmly on my chest. The Digimon gasped.

He started growling at me. "Now you listen to me, hot shot. It seems you're letting this power go to your head. I don't see my brother in front of me. I see Marcus Damon. You're getting to be just as bad as he is, and I won't stand for it. You want to be a general, you give your troops respect. I'm willing to fight alongside you, but not because I enjoy it. It's because it's my duty. My duty!" We glared at each other for a while. Then, Gary helped me back up to my feet. "Thanks," I briefly said. Gary gave me a hug.

The two of us decided to direct the troops together.

Thomas

I left Greg in charge of the troops for a number of reasons. The main one is that it would keep him away from the real attack. Don't get me wrong, Greg is a good person and a loyal ally, but he has no head for strategy. He'd get in the way. Granted, it would be less so than Marcus, but I fear he's just as much of a threat as him when he applies himself.

Anyway, Gaomon and I quickly made our way to the waterfall. It was quiet. Too quiet. "No signs of an attack yet. But when they do, we'll be ready," I noted. Just then, I heard a voice. "You sure about that?"

I looked up, and standing on a high rock structure was that girl we had run into earlier, the Lolita. "My my. Have you already forgotten the sound of my voice?" she asked seductively. She turned her umbrella away and revealed her face. It was her!

"You!" I breathed. "Nanami!" Gaomon added.

The girl released a seemingly evil smile, then continued on. "Like you said, if the waterfall is destroyed, the lake water will wash away ElDradimon. It is the one weakness in your plan for defending the capital." I gasped at that. How could she have figured it out? I hadn't counted on anyone else to figure that out, but she had.

Now, she was planning on using it against me. She continued. "So, with the rest of your troops in place for a frontal attack, I knew you would come alone to the one location that needs the most protecting." I struggled not to let her get to me.

"Well, I guess you have it all figured out," I said, going into the defensive. "Oh, any general with a little common sense could see it. Don't you think, General Thomas Norstein? I hear that you're considered some sort of genius. It'll be an interesting challenge to see if I can outwit you. Because you see... I'm sort of a genius myself."

She jumped off the structure she had balanced herself on and floated down on her umbrella. She went ahead of me, and then without warning, executed a kick that caught me off guard. I recovered nicely. "Sir!" Gaomon gasped. "I'm all right," I reassured him. Nanami held up her forearm with the Digivice and softly giggled.

Greg

I turned to my partner. "Veemon! I'm putting you in front as UlforceVeedramon. This time, we know what we're up against. I'm not going to call for a retreat this time out of fear." "You mean that?" "Yes I do." He clenched his fist in determination. "Then I'm ready!" Veemon decided.

He climbed up to the rail as I took out my Digivice Burst and thrust my free hand out to the side, igniting my DigiSoul. As if by unspoken mental command, the DigiSoul completely swept over my body. I was ready to go. Veemon jumped off the rail in a dive.

"DigiSoul, Charge! OVERDRIVE!" "Veemon Double Warp Digivolve to... UlforceVeedramon!"

He drew out his Ulforce Saber from his bracelet and stood ready to attack.

Thomas

"Double Backhand!" Nanami deflected this and jumped up into the sky, flipping over the water. Gaomon followed her but she threw the umbrella in his face, then kicked him in the abs while his vision was impaired. She grabbed the umbrella handle and launched him into the water. "It's like she's able to read his movements!" I observed in shock.

She landed on a rock. "Uh. It's really not that difficult. Actually, nothing is that difficult, when you're as smart as I am. To be honest, sometimes having all the answers can get kind of boring. It's a curse." That sent my blood boiling. Gaomon climbed out of the water, catching his breath.

She went on. "Still... there's one question I haven't figured out the answer to yet. Why?" She closed her umbrella. "Why are you fighting on their side?" she asked me. "What?" I gasped. "It isn't like Digimon do anything for you. Why are you wasting your obvious genius on those pathetic creatures?" she continued in her drawl.

"The Digimon are my friends! They connect with us internally on an emotional level," I answered, again putting up a defense. Gaomon walked back to my side. "You tell her, sir," he agreed. I developed a question of my own. "And you? Why do you side with Kurata when he makes the innocent suffer so much?"

After staring at me for five seconds, she let out a chortle. "What are you? Some sort of defender of justice? Acting so noble, when actually you just love the superior feeling you get from helping the weak. You joined DATS to boost your own ego!" That set Gaomon off in an outraged jumping punch. "How dare you say that!" he shouted.

Nanami met the punch with her own open palm, blocking the attack. "Are you through being silly?" she asked.

The two engaged in a high-flying game of cat and mouse. "Gaomon! Be careful!" I cautiously called to him.

After Gaomon fired a punch, Nanami jumped off and floated back in my direction. "Look. I understand. You're lonely."

She landed by my side. "There's an emptiness in your heart you can't satisfy," she cooed. "What do you know?" I growled back.

Her voice became softer, more seductive, as if she was trying to lure me in. "Oh I know quite a bit about you, actually. After all, we are the same. You can't help but feel lonely, can you? You're surrounded by inferiors. There isn't a single person who understands you, not a single person you can relate to. You're a prisoner of your own intellect. Being a genius means being lonely."

"You still haven't answered my question. Why are you siding with Kurata?" I asked insistantly. "Hmm?" I turned her around and grabbed her by the shoulder, being as gentle as I could given the circumstances.

"If you're such a genius, why would you take orders from a fool who only wants to destroy what he fears?" I asked. "Hee hee, you're cute. Who said I was on anyone's side? Hunting Digimon just happens to be an enjoyable hobby that I like to dabble in," she simply replied.

"Say what?" Gaomon asked in mild outrage. Nanami went on, "Like I said, when you're a genius like me, life is so boring. But now, I've found something that really piques my interest."

She slowly and gently grabbed my wrist. "Thomas H. Norstein. Join up with me," she said. "What are you talking about?" I asked. "Only geniuses can understand each other. Join forces with me. Together, we can change this world into anything we want it to be." I couldn't help but stare into those eyes of hers.

Just then, I heard explosions. That only meant one thing. "They're self-destructing!" I realized. "The others! We need to get back. They might need us," Gaomon heavily suggested.

Nanami continued seducing me. "You know this isn't the place for you. Why? Why do you fight your true feelings?" She gently touched my face. "Let's make this world interesting for both of us," she sighed.

I slapped her hand away. "No thanks. I want to use my genius to help Digimon, not destroy them," I said. That didn't faze her. "Funny, for a genius... you're a fool. I guess I'll just have to make you understand."

"We defeated you once before. We're just going to win again," I confidently stated. Nanami prepared herself. "Last time was different. I'm much stronger now than I was before."

She leaped up high on top of the waterfall. I had to stand back so I could see what was happening. She began to glow again with dark DigiSoul, then brought her Digivice forward. "Bio-Hybrid DigiSoul... Full, Charge! Bio-Hybrid Warp Digivolve to..." She transformed into a female humanoid Digimon based on the Lotus. "BioLotusmon! Kurata upgraded our data and now our Bio-Hybrid fusion is stronger than ever. What took you and your Digimon months to acheive, Kurata did in one night. Ha ha ha! Let me show you! My new power surpasses even your Mega-level Digimon!"

"Beyond our Mega level!?" Gaomon asked me in shock. I stood on my guard and unclipped my Digivice Burst. "We'll see about that," I said as I got in position, allowing my DigiSoul to cover me at the recommended level. "DigiSoul, Charge! OVERDRIVE!"

"Gaomon Double Warp Digivolve to... MirageGaogamon!"

["A Call to Arms"

Written by Tony Banks, Phil Collins, Christopher Neil, B.A. Robertson, and Mike Rutherford

Performed by Greg + The Garage

Lead Vocals: Gary Logan (Yuri Lowenthal)

Additional Vocals: Tentomon (Jeff Nimoy)

Backing Vocals: Pumpkinmon (Neil Kaplan), Greg Logan (Doug Erholtz), Veemon (Derek Stephen Prince), Alan Carvel, Christopher Neil, Linda Taylor, Brianne Siddall]

Back at the Sacred City, the conflict begins. Gizumon XT and Gizumon AT calmly march on, like the robotic soldiers they are, and fire on all fronts. The first ground engagement is near observation post 4. Coalition soldiers at observation post 4 open fire on the Gizumon column, but this largely ineffective fire draws a heavy Gizumon response which forced the company to retire, by order of its commanding officer, Greg. The battle continues on, but the scenes alternate with performance video of Gary's makeshift band. Pumpkinmon creates and plays makeshift drums, while other Digimon create makeshift instruments. Greg plays a makeshift guitar, while Veemon wields a makeshift bass guitar. Gary is lead singer.

Gary:

Pass the word, it's a call to arms
Midnight man at your door
Blackened faces run in the night
Daybreak under the floor
Bring my bow
Fill my head with flame, and we must
Let them know that the torch is lit again
Crystallize the pain behind your eyes
Are you ready to fight?

(Tentomon: You hear the drum and run) run for your life
(Tentomon: Sweet Avalon, the heat is on)

Gary and Greg use bows and arrows and their own DigiSoul to attack the Gizumon forces. One of the arrows cracks some glass.

Gary/Tentomon/Backing:

In other words, I hope and pray
That time and tide wash the hate away
A simple man with simple thoughts (Gary: a man with simple thoughts)
Who turned to force as a last resort

The senseless violence and bloodshed continues. To cover the withdrawal, the company's platoon of Tylomon move to engage the Gizumon force. One of the Tylomon opens fire, after receiving permission, at what it believed was one of Kurata's units. Instead, the attack destroys a friendly Tankmon a few hundred meters in front of it. Despite this loss, the platoon continues forward and soon opens fire on a Gizumon-AT with another Tankmon's Hyper Cannon attack. The fire could not penetrate the Gizumon's armor, but did damage its optics and prevented it from fighting back effectively. Sepikmon's Charming Dancing summons Digimon spirits back from the dead, including a zombie SkullGreymon, to attack two Gizumon-XTs. UlforceVeedramon and HerculesKabuterimon don't slack off, either. The Sacred City takes quite a bit of damage, though. The others contribute as well.

Gary: (VO)

All around us, chaos reigns
Buildings crumbling down
Silhouettes in the fiery rain
Timbers crash to the ground
Bring my spear, invested with my youth
Bring the children near, they must now be told the truth
Old and young and those of foreign tongue

Are you ready to fight?

(Tentomon: You hear the drum and run) run for your life
(Tentomon: Sweet Avalon, the heat is on)

We see a picture-in-picture of the performance, with the battle taking the larger portion of the picture. A scrolling, black ticker gives additional details on the battle in a yellow, Helvetica Narrow font as it happens.

Gary/Tentomon/Backing:

In other words, I hope and pray
That time and tide wash the hate away
A simple man with simple thoughts (Gary: a man with simple thoughts)
Who turned to force as a last resort

In other words, (Tentomon: Sweet Avalon, the heat is on)

I hope and pray
That time and tide keep the day away
When simple men with simple thoughts (Gary: men with simple thoughts)
Will turn to force as a last recourse

In other words, (Tentomon: Sweet Avalon, the heat is on)

I hope and pray

That time and tide wash the hate away
A simple man with simple thoughts (Gary: a man with simple thoughts)
Who turned to force as a last resort

As the song fades out, the battle seems to be going from bad to worse. Greg and Gary prove themselves to be competent and capable military leaders, although not as strategic as Thomas. The two forces continue to go at it, neither one backing down. Little do they know what danger awaits them.

Thomas

I rode on top of my partner to the top, then I jumped off. "We don't know how powerful she is yet. Be careful," I advised. "Yes sir."

At least BioLotusmon was polite enough to warn us. "Here I come!" With incredible speed, she came forward. Before either one of us could see what was truly going on, BioLotusmon attacked him from behind into the forest. "I'm so fast, I make a rocket look slow," she bragged. MirageGaogamon charged in for a slash, but she disappeared. When I saw her next, she was high up and holding up her rod. "Seven's Fantasia!" she called. A rainbow beam hit my partner, and he fell to the ground.

"MirageGaogamon!" I called, running to him. I was stopped by her staff. I looked up, making sure to focus on the face. "Thomas, please reconsider. Don't you long for a change?" she pleaded. Her two snakes slithered off her rod and floated toward me, their faces becoming Nanami's. They all came to me.

I heard her voice in stereo. "Forget those unappreciative fools. We'll create a new world! Yes!" I stared into her eyes as I felt her fingers stroke my face. "Only someone like me can appreciate and unlock the real you. Together, we can rule the world, maybe even the universe!" she softly murmured. I had to fight to stand firm.

"No! I'm not an egomaniac like you. I realize you have to rely on your friends if you hope to achieve real power," I firmly said. "Friends like Marcus Damon, or Greg Logan?" "That's right. Their physical and mental strength has saved me many times."

She smirked. "Uh huh, so those are the types of fools you rely on." "They're friends, not fools," I argued. "You might think they're your friends, but you don't need them. They need you. They keep holding you back, dead weight always needing your help to save them, and preventing you from reaching your full potential."

"That's not true!" I said. Perhaps there was some truth in what she said, though. I had to convince myself that it wasn't the case, and I was losing. Still, I kept up a good front. Her case became much stronger. She continued, "Forget about these charity cases and come with me. Together, we could become GODS!"

I felt myself become surrounded by copies of Nanami, all calling my name. Her grip was closing in. Thankfully, MirageGaogamon came to my rescue. "LET HIM GO!" he yelled. He broke her grip and I was freed. I had to catch my breath.

"Sir, are you all right?" he asked me. "...yeah," I panted.

"Sir, she can predict my every move. Plus, she's faster than I am," MirageGaogamon reported. "Right! New plan!" I called, taking out my laptop. "Sir yes sir!" He charged ahead, awaiting my order.

I called it out. "Hit her hard! Use Attack Pattern Gamma Formation!" "Right!" He quickly dashed behind her. "Double Crescent Mirag-!" Before he could execute the attack, BioLotusmon quickly evaded the attack and struck hard from behind. "Is this the attack plan of a genius? I've never seen anything so predictable!" she grumbled.

"Ugh... now, sir?" MirageGaogamon asked. "Yes, now! Switch to Omega Pattern!" I directed. "Sir yes sir!" He found his way out of her grasp and went up high, preparing to execute Omega, creating a kaleidoscopic effect. All of them struck at once, but she avoided the attack by jumping into the air. Then, she brought out her rod again. "Seven's Fantasia!" This time, her attack was aimed at me and I took the full brunt of it.

["Don't Hold Back"

Written by Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson

Performed by The Akihiro Kurata Project

Lead Vocals: Nanami Ono (Philece Sampler)]

At this point, Thomas H. Norstein is thrust into a sequence of sweet temptation, on the borderline of a freakout on the edge of an euphoric fantasy world. The promise? World domination. We find Nanami decisively strutting around in her Lolita outfit, making any offer that she thinks he'll accept in a bid to make him completely lose his fighting spirit. The setting is heavily influenced by the works of Peter Max and Italian-Canadian photographer and director Floria Sigismondi; and also offer living contradictions. The scene is itself cold and corporate, and yet seductive and acidic.

Nanami:

Some are born to lose their heads
And some are born to use them
And some will never know their ends
And some are born to choose them

Don't you let your fantasies be blinded by the light
You don't have to save your wildest dreams for the night

Don't hold back,

Reach out!
Touch the sky with your mind's eye,