Digimon Savers International: RELOADED

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Savers/Data Squad, etc. ©1999-2013, 2018 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, Studiopolis, Disney-ABC Domestic Television etc.

All Rights Reserved

Recap

(Tentomon) While Thomas was making sure his family was safe and Marcus was out searching for his father, the rest of us were trying to cheer up Takato, who was still feeling guilty over his past sins that he didn't really commit. Just then, a tornado appeared near Marcus' house, dropping off a group of baby Digimon and an old friend Kristy recognized, Biyomon. Unfortunately for her, Biyomon lost his memories. We did our best to keep those little scamps in line and happy, but it started wearing on Anya's nerves. Later on, Leopardmon attacked so Gary, Anya, Takato, and Keenan stormed into action with us as we defended the house. Takato finally got over his fears and was rewarded with a Digivice upgrade. Kristy nursed Biyomon back to health and became the first Tamer in history to generate DigiSoul from a high note. She earned a Digivice iC and used the DigiSoul Full Charge to Digivolve Biyomon into Garudamon. Soon after that, all four of us went into Burst Mode and defeated Leopardmon once and for all. I'm sure the human world will be in great hands with Takato, Henry, and Rika protecting it!


Chapter 46: The Shield


["Just When I Needed You Most"

Originally Written by Randy VanWarmer & Tony Wilson

Performed by The Damon Family [Marcus Damon (Quinton Flynn), Kristy Damon (Melissa Fahn), Sarah Damon (Mary E. McGlynn)]

Backing Vocals by Brian Beacock, Terrence Stone, Quinton Flynn]

The scene starts as we find Marcus reflecting just outside of Craniamon's domain. He is out by a lake and is throwing stones into the water. He remembers himself and his dad trying to skip stones at a lake back home. The music starts. Then, his mind drifts back to the day Spencer left for the Digital World. Marcus was only 8 years old, and he couldn't really do anything to stop him. It was raining, and like the good trooper he was, Spencer took his backpack and supplies, packed them in the car, and drove off.

Marcus: (VO)

You packed in the morning, I stared out the window
And I struggled for something to say
You left in the rain without closing the door
I couldn't stand in your way

Now I miss you more than I missed you before
And now where I'll find comfort, God knows
'Cause you left me just when I needed you most

Marcus/Backing: (VO)

Left me just when I needed you most

Back in the present, Marcus quickly wipes a tear away from his eye. In the real world, Kristy and Biyomon are back at the base, reflecting on Spencer. The two of them stare out the window, looking at the chaos. By the chorus rolls around, Marcus' face fades in.

Kristy:

Now most every morning, I stare out the window
And I think about where you might be
I've written you letters that I'd like to send
If you would just send one to me

'Cause I need you more than I needed before
And now where I'll find comfort, God knows

Marcus/Kristy:
'Cause you left me just when I needed you most

Left me just when I needed you most

As the autoharp plays, Kristy joins Sarah as the two of them tend to the younger Digimon and the families of those involved. Outside, there's still chaos and terror as Knightmon seek to destroy Tokyo on behalf of King Drasil. Sarah reflects on her husband.

Sarah:

You packed in the morning, I stared out the window
And I struggled for something to say
You left in the rain without closing the door
I didn't stand in your way

Now I love you more than I loved you before
And now where I'll find comfort, God knows
'Cause you left me just when I needed you most

Marcus: (VO)

Oh yeah

Sarah/Marcus/Kristy/Backing:

You left me just when I needed you most

You left me just when I needed you most

As the song concludes, we return to the Digital World, where Marcus is about to go to work.


Marcus

Agumon and I rushed up the hill. The sooner we got up there, the sooner I could spend some "quality time" with my dad, who thinks he's this god of the Digital World, King Drasil. Gotsumon lagged behind. "Could ya... could ya... hold on a second?" he panted, struggling to get up the hill.

"Sorry, man, but we just don't have any time to rest!" I countered, and Agumon backed me up like a good employee. "That's right, we're in a hurry to give King Drasil a beatdown!" Well, at least I thought he was backing me up.

I stopped. "Oh... sorry, Boss. I forgot King Drasil was your father," Agumon apologized. I turned my head to him. "Don't sweat it, Agumon. I'm kind of in a hurry to take him down myself." Just then, something headed in our way really fast, so we dived to avoid it. Everyone ended up on the floor, and my eyes darted around the area while I was still on my stomach.

"What the heck was that?" I wondered to myself. "That was a warning. The next one won't miss." I recognized that voice. That was the jerk from earlier, Craniamon. "You again!" I shouted to him. Gotsumon recognized him too. "Ca-Craniamon!"

"This time, you will not defeat me!" the Knight claimed. Oh, so he wanted to throw down. I'd be happy to let him have it. "Hey, tin can! Stay out of our way! I don't have time for this, I've gotta have a sit-down with my dad!" I shot back. "That is impossible." "Oh yeah, why?" "It is impossible because you will be eliminated here and now." "Huh?" "King Drasil has already made his decision. The human race's destiny has been decided. You Digimon, there is no point in just throwing away your lives with his. If you renounce your allegiance with this human and surrender to King Drasil, you will be spared," Craniamon offered.

"Cut the crap! Like I'd ever submit to you!" Agumon shot back. Gotsumon wasn't so sure. "I, too... I, too, don't believe that they're wrong. But, could you go over those choices one more time? I'd just like to know my options."

"You fools. King Drasil's decision is final. You shall perish with the humans," Craniamon decided. "Over my dead body!" I exclaimed. "That's the idea."

I finally got up and let him have it. "Why, you overgrown muffler, do you realize what's happening on Earth right now!? People's homes have been destroyed and families have been separated!" "You humans are the cause of all your suffering. The egotistical behavior of your species has angered King Drasil." "Yeah, well I have news for you. Your king is a human, so that means he's the cause of all this, too!" The two of us stared at each other and growled for a while, staring each other down man to mon. "What's the matter? Am I making too much sense?" I added. I must've gotten him angry because he drew back his spear. "Do not make me repeat myself. King Drasil's decision is final! It must be enforced!" Then, he pointed his blade down to me.


Agumon

Boy, when the Boss lets you have it, he really lets you have it. Anyway, he and Craniamon continued trash talking for what must've been forever. Even while we were running to beat the Royal Knight up, the Boss kept talking about human potential. Then, he finally shut up and punched Craniamon's fist, doing this really awesome back flip while pulling out his Digivice. "AGUMON! DigiSoul, CHARGE! OVERDRIVE!"

"Agumon Double Warp Digivolve to... ShineGreymon!"


Marcus

I landed on the ground feet first, and so did ShineGreymon. Then, Craniamon raised a glowing hand. "Arise, my Omni Shield!" All of a sudden, a shield generated from some sort of blue thing, and he lowered it. It had some sort of skull on it. "What kind of a shield is that?" I wondered. "This is a gift from King Drasil himself. I told you I planned on never losing to you again, and now you shall find out for yourself. My Omni Shield can block any attack. It is the perfect companion to my Duo Solar Spear, which can pierce through any material! If you have the kind of potential that you humans claim to have, then I am laying down the gauntlet right now. Avoid my spear and destroy my shield." "That shield's as good as gone! Let's go!" I called. So, we rushed off and went to work.


Greg

There is nothing in either world more exciting or more terrifying than free falling at an incredible height without a parachute. And yet, that's exactly what Tom, Anya, Gary, Keenan, and I were doing. I didn't know what to think. I'd fallen incredible distances before, including a water landing in the dark. Nothing had ever happened, but you can never be too sure around this place. So, I screamed with the rest of them and maintained a full eagle position. Thankfully, our Digimon were right behind us and swooped in to save us. Within seconds, I was hanging onto UlforceVeedramon, while Rosemon carried Anya in her arms. "There, there. I've got you," the flowery Digimon said, soothing her. "Many thanks, Rosemon," Anya replied.

"The turbulence has swept us further from our projected landing point than I had originally calculated," Tom said. "Well, of course it did. It's Murphy's Law, bro, but we're gonna deal with it like we usually do," I answered. "I'd go with Finagle's Law of Dynamic Negatives, personally," Tom disagreed.


Marcus

So, we went at Craniamon's shield with the usual amount of enthusiasm and power. If you don't go all out, why bother in the first place? ShineGreymon went first, speeding ahead. "SHINING BLAST!" He ran into the shield and created a giant explosion, but no dice. "Huh. Please, if you're not going to take this seriously, then just give up now," he taunted. Then I made a running start and jumped, yelling as loudly as I could through the smoke. His shield was harder than anything I'd hit before. It felt like I was slamming into two tons of bricks, but I'd toughened up my hands thanks to all that training. I fell back and landed on my feet, shaking off my hand and pretending to be in pain. "Kidding! Now, ShineGreymon!" I called. My partner went from behind and fired an attack at him. "Glorious Burst!" "Power of Breath!"


Gotsumon

I watched intently from behind the rock, scared out of my little rock head. "Big explosion, scary explosion, this can't be good!" I panicked. Just then, I heard an annoying voice behind me. "I'll say. This is TOTALLY AWESOME!" I turned around, and there was quite possibly the most obnoxious Digimon I had ever had the displeasure of knowing. He was a small, red dragon with blue eyes, a spiky mouth and a V-shaped forehead. His green headphones blared his favorite rock music non-stop. Some Digimon actually like him, but I think he's a pest.

"Oh... it's just you, Shoutmon," I said flatly. "Hey, why so disappointed?" he asked.

Then, he got a good look at the battle. "Whoa... now that's something you don't see everyday. A human. What's his story?" I explained it to him. "That's Marcus Damon, who's probably just as annoying as you are. The giant Digimon's ShineGreymon, Agumon's Mega level. Marcus used DigiSoul to Double Warp Digivolve him to where he is now." He looked mesmerized by it. "DigiSoul? Wicked. It looks like they're fighting Craniamon, but why are they just aiming at his shield? That'll never work." "Craniamon made up his own rules for this battle. If they break the shield, they're free to see King Drasil." "Throwing down the gauntlet. Oh man! I love this! The two underdogs sticking it to the MON!"

He clenched his fist and looked all excited and pumped up, or whatever. Then, he turned to me. "You know what this awesome battle needs?" he asked. "What?" "An awesome soundtrack."


["Rock of Ages"

Written by Joe Elliott, Steve Clark, and Robert John "Mutt" Lange

Performed by Def Leppardmon

Lead Vocals: Shoutmon (Ben Diskin)

Backup Vocals: Cutemon (Ben Diskin [speaking], Rick Savage [singing]), Ballistamon (Kyle Hebert), Dondokomon (Todd Haberkorn), Gotsumon (Michael Lindsay)]

Gotsumon finds himself with a makeshift guitar made out of wood. "How did I get myself into this?" he groans. Meanwhile, Shoutmon finishes what he thinks is a suitable vocal warmup. "OK, guys. HIT IT!" Shoutmon calls. Cutemon counts it off, "Gunter glieben glauten globen". After this, Dondokomon starts pounding his own head with his sticks as the song slowly starts up and Shoutmon gets into the performance with his usual passion. The others use other elements and natural items to make up for instruments.

Shoutmon:

(spoken)

Alright
I got something to say
Yeah, it's better to burn out
Yeah, than fade away
All right
Ow
Gonna start a fire
C'mon!

(singing)

Rise up! Gather round
Rock this place to the ground
Burn it up, let's go for broke
Watch the night go up in smoke
Rock on! (
Backing: rock on!)
Drive me crazier, no serenade
No fire brigade, just Pyromania, c'mon

Backing:

What do you want?

Shoutmon:

What do you want?

Backing:

I want rock'n'roll

Shoutmon:

Yes I do.

Backing:

Long live rock'n'roll

ShineGreymon continues all the attacks he can think of in a bid to destroy Craniamon's shield. But no matter what he throws, the shield takes a licking and keeps on ticking. Marcus hears the music and starts jamming out while cheering on.

Shoutmon:

Oh let's go, let's strike a light
We're gonna blow like dynamite
I don't care if it takes all night
Gonna set this town alight, c'mon

Backing:

What do you want?

Shoutmon:

What do you want?

Backing:

I want rock'n'roll

Shoutmon:

Alright!

Backing:

Long live rock'n'roll

Shoutmon:

AWWWWWW YEAH YEAH!

And this sets off Shoutmon's Soul Crusher or Bellow Blaster attack, in which he uses his mic to amplify the energy of the heated emotions blazing within his chest, then bashes Craniamon. Because passion is the very source of the attack, it definitely inflicts damage, although it's comparatively small. Marcus notices this and is quite impressed.

Shoutmon/Backing:
Rock of ages, rock of ages
Still rollin', keep a-rollin'
Rock of ages, rock of ages
Still rollin', rock'n'rollin'

Shoutmon:
We got the power, got the glory
Just say you need it and if you need it
Say yeah!
Ooh yeah

(spoken)
Heh heh heh heh
Now listen to me

Shoutmon goes back to his band and rocks out while ShineGreymon and Craniamon are continuing to exchange blow for blow.

Shoutmon:
I'm burnin', burnin', I got the fever
I know for sure, there ain't no cure
So feel it, don't fight it, go with the flow
Gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme one more for the road, yeah

Backing:

What do you want?

Shoutmon:

What do you want?

Backing:

I want rock'n'roll

Shoutmon: (spoken)

You betcha.

Backing:

Long live rock'n'roll

During this instrumental bridge, we see the makeshift band jam out while Marcus intensely looks on. In the meantime, the others are intently flying towards the fight in search for our hotheaded hero. Meanwhile in the Human World, Magnamon (not our Magnamon) and Dynasmon find they can continue their assault on those pathetic humans and preserve themselves much easier now that Marcus and ShineGreymon are being distracted. And so, they proceed to lay waste to the Minato ward. What they didn't count on were the "Primary Colors" (Takato, Henry, and Rika) and their Digimon (Gallantmon, MegaGargomon, and Sakuyamon) making trouble for them. The three Mega Digimon pull off a spectacular formation of attacks. Magnamon tries to blow up Gallantmon Burst Mode's shield, but is unsuccessful. Then we shift back to the performance.

Shoutmon/Backing:
Rock of ages, rock of ages
Still rollin', keep a-rollin'
Rock of ages, rock of ages
Still rollin', rock'n'rollin'

Shoutmon:
We got the power, got the glory
Just say you need it and if you need it
Say yeah!
Say yeah!
We're gonna burn this damn place down, woo hoo
Down to the ground
Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh

As the song ends, we find ShineGreymon on his back in a crater, with Craniamon pointing his spear down at him.


Gotsumon

"OK, you got a few hits in. Now what are you gonna do, Shoutmon?" I asked. He looked on at the battle and said, "Well, I'll admit we were lucky this time. What we actually need is strategy and someone who can lead this ragtag team into victory. One day, I hope to find that someone, and when I do, my dreams of becoming Digimon King will be one step closer to reality."

"Why don't you ask that human over there?" Cutemon, the rabbit, suggested, pointing to Marcus. I violently shook my head. "Uh uh. He's already got a Digimon partner. He can't have two," I said.

Shoutmon looked it over. "Heh? Ugh... oh well. Maybe, one day. Anyway, let's go, guys. I'll catch you on the flip side, Gotsumon. Thanks for playing with us, and keep on rockin'!" The group of rockers walked off with their "instruments" in tow.


Marcus

That Digimon band left before I got a chance to thank them for helping out. Still, I knew that they only did some damage, but it wouldn't take him down completely. I had to focus on the battle at hand. "Get up, ShineGreymon! On your feet!" I ordered. ShineGreymon struggled, but he eventually got up. My inner will kicked in again, because my Digivice's rectangle Signal Port lit up again.

I brought my hand into the light. "GeoGrey Sword!" I called. That allowed my partner in crime fighting to pull out the GeoGrey Sword from the ground, showing it off decisively to our enemy. "How interesting," Craniamon noted. ShineGreymon threw down the gauntlet. "Let's duel!" Then, he flew up and started the duel. Soon, it was sword against shield, with the spear coming out in a clincher. I stared at it in shock. It was our easiest target, but we couldn't attack it. My employee's blade fit exactly in one of the slots on the shield.

"It's no use. Unfortunately for you, I don't feel a bit of the potential your human partner has talked about from this battle. It's time I put an end to this," Craniamon said. ShineGreymon ended up on the ground, but faked him out by jumping up and spinning his sword. The impact created some sort of wind, but then... something really wrong happened. The GeoGrey Sword shattered in pieces. "The GeoGrey Sword..." I gasped.

Then, Craniamon picked him up and threw him on the ground. "As I thought. Now you will learn the true power of the Duo Solar Spear! And the mighty strength of the Omni Shield!" he shouted as he started spinning his stick around.

Greg

My Digimon Analyzer claimed UlforceVeedramon was the fastest of all the Royal Knights. We didn't go at full speed in order to keep up with the others. We kept flying, thinking about Marcus. Well, most of them thought about Marcus, I tried staying away from it. We had to believe we could rescue him, or at least help him out. It seemed to be a recurring trend. I tried changing the subject multiple times, but Tom wouldn't have it. I even tried some rapping.


["The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air"

Written by Will Smith and Quincy Jones

Performed by Greg Logan (Doug Erholtz)

Beatboxing by UlforceVeedramon (Derek Stephen Prince)]

We get various shots of the sky while UlforceVeedramon beatboxes to get the beat established.

Greg: (rapping)

Now, this is a story all about how
My life got flipped-turned upside down
And I liked to take a minute
Just sit right there
I'll tell you how I became the prince of a town called Bel Air

In west Philadelphia, born and raised
On the playground is where I spent most of my days
Chillin' out maxin' relaxin' all cool
And all shootin' some b-ball outside of the school
When a couple of guys
Who were up to no good
Startin' making trouble in my neighborhood
I got in one little fight and my mom got scared
She said-


Greg

Tom cut me off. "Greg! We don't have time for this! Marcus is in trouble, we have to hurry!" he said urgently. "How do you know he's in trouble? I mean, I'm worried about him too, but we don't know what's going on right now with him. For all we know, he could be laying a smackdown on all of them, just like he usually does," I tried to reason. "Greg's right, we have to believe he's OK," Ravemon encouraged us. "Marcus can handle anything, this should be no problem... right?" Anya asked.


Marcus

I fought like crazy, even trying to get a few punches in, but no good. I ended up on my back in the crater, faintly looking up at the sky. My vision started getting blurry. "Urgh...!" I grunted. "What are we gonna do now, Boss?" ShineGreymon quietly asked me.

I lifted my fist up and opened it. Greg and the others... they'd been giving me a hard time about not being able to create DigiSoul on my own. Up until now, I'd always needed to punch a Digimon to make my fist glow. Well, there was that one time I was able to Full Charge by myself, but that was more of a fluke. Or was it? I let Thomas' instruction fill my head and I repeated it to myself. "Search deep inside... your very being... for that energy, then allow it to surface... in your open hand." I clenched my fist and opened it again, searching. I got a spark. Once I grabbed it, I forced it to expand and grow until it completely covered my hand.

Then, I got up as if nothing happened. "What do you think we're gonna do? We're gonna keep fighting, of course. If he knocks us down a hundred times, we'll fight him a hundred more. And if he beats us a thousand times, then we'll try a thousand more. And if he knocks us down a million times..." ShineGreymon got up. "We'll fight him a million more?" he asked. "Exactly. We'll never give up!"

"How would I know they wouldn't quit?" Craniamon grumbled.

I continued my pep talk. "Listen up, ShineGreymon. As long as we have faith in our hearts, we can't lose! We're the ultimate team, and no one can beat us!" "I'm with ya, Boss." "That shield goes down first. Seems like he's pretty proud of that gift from my dad." "Looks that way." "Try to imagine that shield bursting into a million tiny pieces, just like he did to the GeoGrey Sword!" "Got it."

Then, I took my DigiSoul to its ultimate level, as I let out a primal roar and got into position, thrusting my hand into the light. "CHARGE! DigiSoul...BURST MODE!" ShineGreymon took on all the power and used it to go to the next level. "ShineGreymon, BURST MODE!"

He landed on his feet and stood ready. "Now go smash that shield right out of his hands!" I ordered. So ShineGreymon flew up and started slashing away at the shield. I started running up the wall, ready for a punch, but I got knocked away back into the ground. I still had my DigiSoul charged up, so I did the next best thing. "DigiSoul Aura Mode, ON!" I went into full Aura Mode, so I was ready for anything. Together, we struggled and fought against that overgrown coffee grinder. The more we fought him, the more he knocked me down, and the more I got up. I could've gone all day if I had had to. I probably should correct that. We could've gone all day if we had had to. Soon, we were back on our backs.

"It seems to me that humans enjoy useless struggling," Craniamon said. "You don't know if it's useless or not until the fight is over!" I shot back. "As long as we have faith in our hearts, we can't lose," ShineGreymon added. "We'll never quit, so you might as well get used to it!" I finished with a smile. "In that case, I'll end it!" the Royal Knight shouted, as he swept his spear at us. We stood there, riding out the storm until we were on our backs again. The impact of the blast had knocked me out of Aura Mode. "If the only way to defeat you is to destroy you, then so be it. Shock Ringer!" I just laid there helplessly. As he fired the attack, we heard someone else. "Full Moon Blaster!" It created a massive explosion, but we weren't hurt.

When the smoke and dust cleared, I found myself high in the air, with Thomas supporting me by the arm. "That's enough!" Thomas shouted. "You're not going to lay another finger on our friends!" Anya added. "Leave the Prince of the Digital World alone!" Greg chimed in. Keenan added, "Give up now, Royal Knight!"


Greg

I had just called Marcus the "Prince of the Digital World". Hey, I had to say something that wasn't generic. "Why are you here? Are my mom and sister all right?" Marcus asked, worried. "Relax, they're fine. And we came because we care," Tom answered.

"In fact, Marcus, your sister's now one of us. She got a Digivice using your old Game Boy Color," I added. That set him off. "She what!?" UlforceVeedramon chimed in, "I know, it was incredible. You never told me your sister was a good singer, too." "'Eternal Flame'," Anya recalled. "By the way, bro, Takato, Henry, and Rika are on guard, and you're welcome," Gary said.

It was a nice moment, but it couldn't last forever. We had some fighting to do. "More humans with the same foolish attitude. How can you just head into battle without any chance of winning?" Craniamon asked us. We just turned to him and painted on our best smiles. "What? You don't have a chance," Tom cheerfully answered.

Anya joined in. "Let me tell you something about the human heart and spirit. It gives us the opportunity to rise above the odds, even when nothing is in our favor." "And Marcus has more heart and spirit than anyone I've ever known," Tom said. This took Marcus by surprise. "Hmmm?"

"We're the Digimon Data Squad. There isn't anything we can't overcome. Get in our way, and you'll find out," Anya went on. "So you see, Craniamon, you never had a chance. And you never will, because nobody, and I mean nobody, breaks the Data Squad," I added.

Marcus finally got away from Tom's support and back on his feet. "That's what I've been trying to tell you. Human potential is something that never stops flowing from our bodies and minds, as long as we never give up!" "Childish nonsense!" the Royal Knight scoffed. We pulled out our Digivices and proceeded to show him a thing or two. All five of us charged it at the same time, so it was almost as if there was a split screen. "CHARGE! DigiSoul...BURST MODE!" The transition to Burst Mode wasn't a normal one because we were riding them, but it was still pretty cool. "MirageGaogamon, BURST MODE!" "Rosemon, BURST MODE!" "Ravemon, BURST MODE!" "UlforceVeedramon, BURST MODE!" "HerculesKabuterimon, BURST MODE!"

"Attack Formation!" Tom called. "No roll call, first?" I asked. "We don't have time," the blonde answered. So, we simply answered, "Roger!" "You're all Burst Mode? When'd that happen?" Marcus asked in surprise.

"A few days after you left, Marcus," I answered. He nodded then laid down the plan. "Cool. OK, listen up. The key is his shield, everybody aim for it! If we destroy his shield, we'll lower his defenses and can attack him full on!"

Marcus, thinking? It was a miracle! "Whoa... Marcus the Strategist. That came out of left field," I said. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but... good plan, Marcus. I guess there's a first for everything," Tom added in amazement. Marcus looked ready to go. "OK, guys, let's do this!" he called. "Right!"

"Go, ShineGreymon!" ShineGreymon was the first to strike with his fiery sword, but he did no good. Our Digimon fired their attacks, one after the other. "Final Mirage Burst!" "Kiss of Breath! Mmmmuah!" "Crimson Formation!"

I held on for dear life. "Dragon Impulse X!" We slammed and sliced into the shield, then went back. "Mega Electro Shocker!" That should've done it, but the shield stayed up. The Royal Knight was starting to lose his patience. If somebody were attacking my shield, I'd be pretty miffed as well.

"I'm telling you, it's useless. No matter how many times you try to attack, my shield will not fail me!" Craniamon proclaimed. As he was flying up to attack us, something happened. The shield started to crack.

I perked up at that, pumping my fist. "Bullseye, baby! Yeah!" I cheered. "Now's our chance. Quickly, attack!" Tom ordered. "Sir, yes, sir!" MirageGaogamon answered as he sped off with his weapon.

After he struck at the knight, Rosemon got her chance. "Jewel! Of! Heart!" She fired off her jewels at Craniamon, who also jumped up high before being slammed back down into a crater by HerculesKabuterimon. ShineGreymon got to finish him off. "FINAL SHINING BURST!" He put his body and soul into inducing a massive eruption. Craniamon put his not-so-faithful shield up and promptly took the hit, cracking the shield even more. Then, Marcus jumped off with his fist clenched towards the knight's face. "You wanted me to show you, Craniamon. Well, I'm showing you now! HUMAN POTENTIAL! RRRAAAGH!" And as usual, the knight put up his shield and Marcus punched right through it, shattering it into millions of pieces. Tom, Anya, Gary, and Keenan looked on with their Digimon in amazement. I just let out a Rebel Yell.

Our enemy considered his plight. "My shield. Gone! The human bested me," he lamented. We lowered ourselves down, and I was itching to prove myself. "Marcus, can I finish him off?" I eagerly asked.

"No!" Marcus barked before he turned back to Craniamon. "So now that your shield has more pieces than a jigsaw puzzle, let us through!"

The knight lowered his giant spear at Marcus' feet. "I lay down my spear in defeat," he solemnly said. This took us aback. "Huh?"

"You mean you're giving up?" Marcus asked. "You have proven me wrong, and I am willing to admit it. You have destroyed my shield and have met the terms of my challenge, so I accept your victory. You have handled my strongest spear and have defeated my strongest shield. You may now enter the Server Tree and seek out the destiny that awaits you." "Seriously? Just like that?" Marcus and I asked at the same time. "You have proved your potential to me, human, and you have done so with honor. Now hurry and go, before I change my mind."

Marcus handled his victory with gratitude and humility. "Sounds good. I appreciate this." "Marcus, what if he's setting us up for a trap?" Tom inquired suspiciously. "Don't worry, Nerdstein," our hothead sneered, "he wouldn't do a thing like that." "Marcus..."

"How can you be so sure?" Anya wondered. "Because he put his spear down, Anya. Now, come on. We don't want to be here when he changes his mind," I suggested. So, we started running.


Author's Notes:

Yes, some of you anime enthusiasts already know that Ben Diskin can't sing. I considered using Jerry Jewell, Samuel Vincent, and even Joe Elliott for Shoutmon's "singing" voice. However, after listening to one of Ben's podcasts on SoundCloud, I decided to use him just for a laugh.

The reason I included Shoutmon, Cutemon, and some of the other Fusion/Xros Wars Digimon in this chapter is because I don't anticipate doing a Fusion International fanfic. After all, Greg heavily borrowed from Mikey's DigiFuse sequence for his Biomerge sequence. I'd be happy to let anyone borrow my character for a Fusion FF though. Just send me a PM.


Japanese Exclusive

["Steppin' Out"

Words by: Shouko Ohmori

Music by: halta

Performed by: Greg Logan (Junichi Suwabe) and Veemon (Junko Noda)]

It's a slow day, so Greg, Gary, and Tohma are hanging out at the mansion, in a Band Hero jam session. Tohma has managed to add some files of his own, and Greg is looking through them. "Nē, V-mon. Dono yō ni kono yaku ichi? [Hey, Veemon. How about this one?]" he asks, pointing to a track entitled "Steppin' Out". Veemon looks it over. "'Steppin' Out.' U ̄ n... Kyōmibukai. Watashi wa mae ni sono 1 o tameshita koto ga nai. Awaya, nazedeshou ka? ['Steppin' Out.' Hmm... interesting. I've never tried that one before. Heh, why not?]" He seems to agree to it, so Tohma sets it up as the group gets to their positions. In addition to sharing vocals, Greg and Veemon each play the electric and bass, respectively. Gaomon positions himself by the drums. The song starts up.

Greg:

Gumare kawareru itsu demo

Veemon:

yuuki ga kokoro ni areba

Greg:

Kagami ni utsutta jibun

Veemon:

ima, buchikowasun da

Greg:

Kinou no namida kawakasu kaze

Veemon:

ga dokoka ni aru kara

Greg:

Atarashii shuuzu haite doa wo

Greg/Veemon:

aketara...

Steppin' out, steppin' out, steppin' out motto hayaku

Chigau basho e takai kabe e keagare

The intensity increases.

Greg:

Ugokidaseru sa doko e mo

Veemon:

yuuki pasupooto ni shite

Greg:

Nanimo kawaranai yatsu wa

Veemon:

nanimo kaerarenai

Greg:

Kizu darake no haato demo

Veemon can't seem to keep it together as he stumbles over the pacing of the next line. Greg attempts to help him out.

Veemon:

yume miru chikara aru kara, aru kara

Greg:

Yabureta shatsu nugisutete iki wo

Greg/Veemon:

suttara...

Steppin' out, steppin' out, steppin' out motto hayaku

Hikaru ashita e tooi sora e habatake

Steppin' out, steppin' out, steppin' out motto tsuyoku

Chigau basho e takai kabe e keagare

Oh yeah! Steppin' out

steppin' out

In the instrumental bridge, Veemon concentrates on his part, but he seems to get the hang of it. Tohma is quite impressed.

Greg/Veemon:

Steppin' out, steppin' out, steppin' out motto hayaku

Hikaru ashita e tooi sora e habatake

Steppin' out, steppin' out, steppin' out motto tsuyoku

Chigau basho e takai kabe e keagare

Oh yeah! Steppin' out,

steppin' out

As the song ends, the humans and Digimon fist bump each other in congratulations. "Watashi wa anata no 2-dai ni sore o te ni motte iru. Kore wa kanari odorokubeki monodatta. [I have to hand it to you two. That was pretty amazing.]" Tohma says. "Sate anata wa nani o kitai shite ita? Heibon'na nanika? Mochiron, watashitachiha haishin sa remasu. [Well what were you expecting? Something mediocre? Of course we delivered,]" Greg answers. Tohma just smiles and shakes his head.