Digimon World Tour Chapter 19: Life in the Fast Lane, a digimon fanfic

Digimon World Tour

Chapter 19: Life in the Fast Lane

Rika

We decided to take a flight the next morning from Paris to Munich. It'd take about 90 minutes, but it'd give us more time, so it was worth it. My thoughts kept coming back to what Marcus and I did that night. He'd successfully stripped me of my virginity, but it felt good. Marcus Damon was thorough and direct, but gentle too. I felt so safe in his arms, free to be myself and just let go. He didn't miss a single place. I wanted stimulation, and he gave it to me. I felt things in places I didn't know I could feel them in.

Greg

I thought about what I'd done, too. I decided I had to do what was best for her, so I called home. Dad answered the phone. "Hello?" "Bonjour, Dad. I'm calling from Paris." "Greg! Do you realize how early it is over here? It's 5:30 in the morning! This better be good." "Well, I'm calling not as a band member, but as a concerned older role model. Would you get on the horn with Mrs. Damon and Ms. Nonaka? Their children are consummating their lust and are dancing in the sheets." "Nonaka... oh yeah, that girl who wanted you to get in her pants. And you're only doing this as a concerned older role model?" "Yeah, Dad." "Greg... I don't know why you get yourself involved in this. As a concerned parent, I'll do it." "Thanks." "Don't mention it. And next time, don't call us this early in the morning so you can tattle on them."

Rika

When we finally arrived at our hotel in Munich (The Westin Grand München Arabellapark Hotel, Marcus was happy about that), I checked my messages. Mom had left a text message for me. "Mr. Logan called, said you and this Marcus guy were having sex. Hope you had protection. Mom." I sent a text message to Marcus, telling him to meet me in my room. He showed up a few minutes later.

"Yeah, so my mom flipped when she found out we had sex. So what?" he asked. "So, mine didn't. Ya know, Marcus, there's something I hadn't told you about me," I said. "Yeah?" "Well, you know how my mom looks smoking hot?" "Yeah?" "She's only 31. She was a teenage mom, had me when she was only 18. Grandparents insisted she marry my dad, the two broke it off after five years." "Yeah... some people don't stick together anymore. Shame. ...Wait a sec, you had protection, right?" "Cervical cap. With spermicide." "Awesome. And you kept it in there for a while?" "Overnight." "Good."

Matt

After we'd unpacked, and Marcus and Rika had their little pow-wow, we decided to tour the city. We got free tickets to both BMW Welt and the BMW Museum. Thomas was particularly interested in this brand. I assumed that because he probably has at least one of them at home. Turns out the place wasn't as exciting as I thought it was. We didn't drive any cars, we didn't actually do anything except walk around and look at their latest models while our tour guide read what must've been a script written by the BMW advertising department. At least they gave us a tour of the factory when they found out who we were. That was pretty cool.

When we got back into the showroom, Marcus decided to act on his own as he jumped into the driver's seat of a BMW Z4. He put on his shades and pretended like he was driving it. "Um, excuse me, you're not supposed to be in there," the tour guide hesitantly said as she wrote something down on her notepad. "Look, babe, there's something you don't know about me. I'm what ya might call... a rock star," Marcus rebutted, "Now, your little spiel and Willy Wonka tour was nice and all, but I want to see some real action."

Thomas started counting to ten, and when he got to seven, he decided to open the door and attempt to pull Marcus out. "You'll have to forgive Marcus, we haven't housebroken him yet," he noted. "You calling me a dog, Norstein?!" the one in the driver's seat shot back. "No, but your mother had a pretty loud bark." "Hey!" And the two fought, one to get out, the other to stay in. They got carried away, and every last bit of that German engineering had to be put to the test just to make sure those two didn't break anything. Rika shook her head.

So, needless to say, we were kicked out of BMW Welt. We decided to enjoy the afternoon at a beer garden, which is a large outside area, usually located under large horse chestnut trees for shade. Contrary to popular belief, you don't actually have to get a beer when you're at a beer garden. In fact, none of us ordered any beer because we were all under the legal drinking age. That was cool with me. Dad gave me a beer once, but I thought it was disgusting. I spit it out and never drank again.

We went for the big pretzels and the cured fish. While I chewed on my pretzel, Rika chewed Marcus out. "Marcus, you idiot! I know I'm a rebel, but even I follow the rules some of the time. Besides, you were eyeing that tour guide like she was a piece of meat." "Geez, Rika, I didn't know you were the possessive type." "You had sex with me! I'd like to think I'm something more to you." "Geez, just because I bang a girl who happens to be in the band doesn't mean a thing." "Oh, so now I'm just a girl who happens to be in the band? Huh?" "Yeah! You wanna make somethin' of it?" "You bet I do!"

Just then, an older gentleman who looked like Sgt. Schultz nudged us. "Please, do not discuss such things here. There are innocent Kinder around," he pleaded. Kari shut them up while Thomas apologized in what I thought was perfect German. "Es tut mir leid, Sir. Meine Freunde sind ein bisschen gröber als die meisten Menschen ihr Alter. Wir ahnten nicht, es waren Kinder herum. [I'm sorry, sir. My friends are a bit cruder than most people their age. We didn't realize there were children around.]" "Das ist in Ordnung. Nur vorsichtiger sein in Ihre Gespräche beim nächsten Mal. [That's all right. Just be more careful in your conversations next time.]" "Danke. [Thank you.]" "Nichts zu danken. [You're welcome.]"

"Well, what'd you say to him?" I asked him when he came back to our table. "I said Marcus and Rika were a bit cruder than most people their age, and that we didn't know there were kids around. He said that was all right, but to be more careful next time. Then, I thanked him." I patted him on the bag. "And that's why you're a valuable asset to the team," I said.

We decided to go to Allianz Arena to do some soundchecks and rehearsals. Apparently, the label hadn't done their research, because we were playing in a soccer stadium. It may have had capacity for 71,437 people, but it wasn't ideal for bands like ours. We just decided to roll with it, and even found some time before setting up the equipment to play a quick game of soccer, like we did when Tai Dark Digivolved Agumon to SkullGreymon. It felt good to get the blood flowing again, and just to have a little fun.

During the soundcheck, Greg worked on tuning his guitar. "You know, guys, I've been thinking about this whole incident between Marcus and Rika. We will note that neither one of them are virgins any longer, and I think there's something wrong with it." "Eh, mind your own beeswax! I'm feeling no regrets, at all," Marcus shot back. "Oh really? I'd say you two were living 'Life in the Fast Lane'." "Here here," Thomas agreed. "Oh yeah? Well why don't you put your money where your mouth is, and we'll just see if you're right," Marcus countered. Greg nodded. "You guys know that song?" he asked. "Sure," T.K. said. "Then let's go."

["Life in the Fast Lane"

Written by Joe Walsh, Glenn Frey and Don Henley

Performed by The Teenage Wolves

Lead Singer: Greg Logan (Doug Erholtz)]

Marcus taps out the beat, and Greg plays the signature riff on his electric guitar as the song starts up. Rika cringes at the line "terminally pretty".

Greg:

He was a hard-headed man
He was brutally handsome, and she was terminally pretty
She held him up, and he held her for ransom

in the heart of the cold, cold city

Marcus smirks as he continues playing, knowing the lyrics are about him. Rika, not so much.

Greg:
He had a nasty reputation as a cruel dude
They said he was ruthless, they said he was crude
They had one thing in common, in they were good in bed
She'd say, "Faster, faster. The lights are turnin' red."

Band:
Life in the fast lane

Greg:
Surely make you lose your mind

Band:

Life in the fast lane

Greg looks back to Rika and asks, "Are you with me so far?" This only infuriates her.

Greg:
Eager for action, and hot for the game
The coming attraction, the drop of a name
They knew all the right people,

they took all the right pills
They threw outrageous parties, they paid heavenly bills
There were lines on the mirror, lines on her face
She pretended not to notice,

she was caught up in the race

Out every evening, until it was light
He was too tired to make it,

she was too tired to fight about it

Band:
Life in the fast lane

Greg:
Surely make you lose your mind

Band:
Life in the fast lane

Life in the fast lane,

Greg:

Everything, all the time

Band:
Life in the fast lane

Greg:

uh huh

The band plays the instrumental, as Rika considers the message Greg is trying to relay. And part of her is riled to no end.

Greg:

Blowin' and burnin', blinded by thirst
They didn't see the stop sign,
took a turn for the worse
She said, "Listen, baby. You can hear the engine ring.

We've been up and down this highway;
but we haven't seen a thing."
He said, "Call the doctor. I think I'm gonna crash."
"The doctor say he's comin', but you gotta pay him cash."
They went rushin' down that freeway,
messed around and got lost
They didn't care, they were just dyin' to get off, and it was

Band:
Life in the fast lane

Greg:
Surely make you lose your mind

Band:
Life in the fast lane

Life in the fast lane,

Greg:

everything all the time

Band:
Life in the fast lane

Greg:

Uh huh

Band:
Life in the fast lane

Life in the fast lane

Rika

Right after the song ended, I left my post at the keyboards and decisively walked towards Greg. I stripped him of his guitar, then I sweep-kicked him, bringing him just a bit more down to my level. Then, I grabbed his shirt. "Now you look here, buddy," I snarled, "Somehow, your dad found out about what Marcus and I did in Paris. You must've snitched on us. Now, just because you missed your chance doesn't mean you get to make us miserable." "Can I help it if I care about you?" he asked. "I don't want you to care about me! I'm not going to have anybody tell me how to live my life! Not you, not Renamon, not anyone!" Then, I let him go and calmly walked back to my keyboards. "Sorry the rest of you had to see that," I briskly half-apologized.

Marcus

I always thought Rika had plenty of balls, and this only proved it. Matt helped Greg up, and then Greg approached her, putting his two hands on her board. "You don't know what you're doing, little girl," he coldly said. "I'm 14!" Rika answered defiantly. "You're 14? Could've fooled me. But then again, you really are your mother's daughter." Rika's eyes widened. "You take that back!" "The shoe fits, doesn't it?" "I said take it back!" The two got closer and closer in each other's faces, until I grabbed Greg by the back of his shirt and threw him to the side. "Don't you ever get in her face again!" I warned.

Kari grabbed her whistle from around her neck and blew it loudly. T.K. and Matt just glared at us, with disgust in their faces. The older Ishida punk decided to speak up. "All right, that's enough. This is why The Beatles aren't together. Marcus, you and Rika keep your affair to yourselves. Greg, while I appreciate you trying to be the moral force here, that's not your place. If they want to wreck their lives, that's their business." "You're just saying that because you and Sora hadn't done it yet," I shot back. He turned to me and growled, "Quiet, Damon!" Then he went back to the others. "Rika, if I ever hear that you get pregnant by Damon here, you two are having a shotgun wedding. And you better believe I'll be holding the shotgun. Understand?" Rika just turned her head away. "And if Matt doesn't, my dad will!" Greg chimed in. "Shut it, Logan!" Matt barked.

T.K.

What Greg did, while it was well-intentioned, was pretty low. I was concerned about Rika, but I didn't say anything. Nobody said much of anything to anyone at dinner that night. Later, we retreated to our individual rooms, where I wrote an e-mail home to Mom and Dad. Patamon landed on my head and read the e-mail. "You're not gonna tell them about what happened today, are you?" he asked me. "No, Patamon, I'm not. It's not my place. Marcus and Rika are wrong doing what they did, but what Greg did was just as bad." I paused to read it over. "Hmm... I should add some of these to my memoirs," I said. "Good. Are you going to include me?" "Heh heh, of course I will." "Yay!"

Rika

That night wasn't one of my prouder moments. I just sat with my back to the wall, listening to my MP3 player with the headphones on, and crying. That was one thing I'd swore I'd never do, especially after Dad left. I thought I had thick skin, thicker than any of the others. But I was wrong. Renamon was working on something, but I didn't care. I just thought about what Greg and the others had said. Who were they to tell me how to live my life?

My stupid sobbing must've gotten to her, because she approached me. "Is there anything wrong?" she asked. "Oh no, I couldn't be better," I sarcastically quipped through tears. "Oh really?" "Greg basically called me a witch with a capital 'B', said I was no better than Mom." "I never heard that come out of his mouth." "He didn't have to actually say the word... his tone said it all." "I hate to say 'I told you so', Rika-" "Then don't!" She let out a sigh. "Rika... I understand." "No, you don't." "I do. I know you want to be happy, but..." I met her eyes with daggers in mine. "I said don't!" I shouted.

She was taken aback. "Well, at least be glad Marcus was enough of a gentleman to defend you," she finally said. "Yeah." She had a point. Maybe Marcus was bull-headed and cocky and a jerk, but he rushed to my side even when I didn't think I'd need him. He didn't judge me because of what we'd done, and he made sure I had protection. But I just wasn't sure. I wiped away my tears. "Renamon?" "Yes?" "Do you really think... Marcus and I have a possible... connection?" "I wouldn't know. I didn't have sex with him. Think about it. What was that like?" "Well...I felt safe and secure, and he asked me whether I liked what he was doing to me all the time. It didn't hurt at all. Marcus Damon was thorough and direct, but gentle too. I felt so safe in his arms, free to be myself and just let go." "Could this perhaps extend to outside the bedroom?" I had to think about that. Outside of the bedroom, we'd done a lot together already. He took me with him chasing thrills through Dreamworld. "When I think about it, Marcus could be one of the best friends with benefits I've ever had," I realized. My partner facepalmed. "Rika, you're missing the point. Could you imagine yourself spending the rest of your life with him?" "No! Not... right away, anyway... Heh, maybe I'm not so sure. I'd have to think about it."

Anya

I thought the situation over long and hard, and something disturbed me. "What seems to be the trouble, Anya?" Lalamon gently asked. "Hmm... it's most troubling. There seems to be a double standard. T.K. and Kari are a couple, and everyone likes it. When Marcus and Rika bond, however, certain people don't seem to like it." "I think it's more of what they're doing and not the fact they're a couple." "Hmm?" "It seems to me that if Greg's story is to be believed, Rika is only interested in satisfying her sexual appetite." "And that is wrong." "Yes. But, you also have to consider that Rika's her own person. While premarital sex is technically wrong, she does have the right to do whoever she wants." "Hmmm..." "Are you considering going one step further with Greg?" "No, I can anticipate what he will say. I tried seducing him on our first encounter, you remember that." "Yes?" "So I do not anticipating him changing his mind. However... I think he will be open to a relationship." I smiled, thinking about the first time we had met. He was so kind, so friendly, so warm. I found my thoughts kept returning to him. If only I could get to him. If only he asked me.

["If You Asked Me To"

Written by Diane Warren

Performed by Anya Rădulescu (Kate Higgins)

Backup Singer: Lalamon (Dorothy Elias-Fahn)]

As the song starts, Anya gets up, draws back the curtains and looks out the window from her Westin Executive Club Room, looking out right to the Bavarian Alps. Lalamon comes to join her.

Anya:

Used to be that I believed in something

Used to be that I believed in love

It's been a long time since I've had that feeling

I could love someone

I could trust someone

I said I'd never let nobody near my heart again, darlin'

I said I never would let nobody in, but...

(Anya/Lalamon: If you asked me to)

I just might change my mind

And let you in my life, forever

(Anya/Lalamon: If you asked me to)

I just might give my heart

And stay here in your arms forever

Anya/Lalamon:

If you asked me to

She exits from the window and sits down at her computer, attempting to work on her report. As we see her typing, what she actually types are the next few lines of the song in Russian.

Anya:

Somehow ever since I've been around you

Can't go back to being on my own

Anya/Lalamon:

Can't help feeling, darlin', since I've found you

She stands up and starts pacing around, rehearsing what she's going to say. Throughout the song, she gains more confidence and determination.

Anya:

That I've found my home

That I'm finally home

I said I'd never let nobody get too close to me, darlin'

I've said I needed, needed to be free

Anya/Lalamon:

But if you asked me to

Anya:

I just might change my mind

And let you in my life, forever

Anya/Lalamon:

If you asked me to

Anya:

I just might give my heart

And stay here in your arms forever

Anya/Lalamon:

If you asked me to

If you-

Anya:

Asked me to, I will give my world, to you baby

I need you now (Lalamon: I need you now)

Ask me to, and I'll do anything (Lalamon: Anything)

For you baby, for you baby

(Lalamon: If you asked me to)

I'll let you in my life forever

(Lalamon: If you asked me to)

All you gotta do is ask me to,

All you gotta do, All you gotta do

All you've got to do is ask me to!

(Lalamon: If you asked me to)

I'll give you my heart, I'll give you my world!

Everything! Everything, baby!

(Lalamon: If you asked me to)

Just ask me to!

(ad lib)

(Lalamon: If you asked me to)

I just might give my heart

And stay here in your arms forever

If you asked me to

Anya settles back on the couch, satisfied. Just then, her Digivice beeps.

Anya

I switched my Digivice to its normal mode and answered it. "Hallo? Anya speaking." "Anya, this is Commander Sampson. We've just detected a few Digimon signals at the BMW plant. Get a team and report there on the double!" "Yes, sir!" I signed off, then made my way to Greg's room.

There, I found the others. Matt had called a meeting. I knocked on the door and Greg let me in. I nodded, then walked inside, just as Matt was talking. "So, that's the gist of it. Who wants to go on this mission?" he asked. Everyone except Matt and me raised their hands. "Hmm... I think I'll pick Rika... and Greg." "What?!" Rika barked. Greg's face went into a state of shock. "Um, Matt... I don't want to question your authority or position, but you've basically put me in a cage with a pit bull," he said. Rika growled menacingly for effect.

"I know, I know, she tried to kill you today. But trust me, you two have differences to settle, and this is the only way you can settle them. Joe and I did the same thing, " Matt said. "Oh... really? Because I don't remember it that way," T.K. challenged. "Well, we did. You must've been separated from the group or something." "Yeah, I was busy looking for you."

"Excuse me, but there is an obvious problem here. You are sending out two people who only hours ago were at each others' throats," I started. "I think I'm the victim here, Anya," Greg calmly insisted. "Speak for yourself," Rika snorted. Matt became more decisive. "All right, that definitely settles it. You two are going together, and that's final!" he decided. Then, he turned to Thomas. "Thomas, you're the only rational person here, it seems. Would you make sure these two don't kill each other?" Thomas saluted. "Yes, sir!" he said. And so, the three left. I would have to wait until later to declare my love. It gave me more time to think.

Greg

We decided to take the stairs down as a warmup. Once we were in the stairwell at ground level, Rika started laying into me. "All right, Logan. Let's get one thing straight here. You and I are through. Technically, that makes me your ex. I am a free woman, and I'm allowed to do anyone I want." "And as your 'ex', I'm still your friend. I still care about you, about everyone. I'm sure Matt and T.K. feel the same way. And as the oldest, I think- I think I have some obligation to look out for you younger people," I said. "Trust me, you don't. I can take care of myself!" "Fine. Be that way." "Break it up, you two. We have a mission, and I'm here to make sure you don't kill each other. Now focus!" Thomas ordered.

I sighed, and we went out through the front until we went behind the hotel, where nobody could see us. We switched our Digivices to normal mode, then got ready to suit up. I got in a defensive stance. "Ready?" I asked. Rika was more than ready, she was already doing it. When she finished, I struck a pose. "Henshin!" I shouted, selected the "Suit Up" option.

[Same transformation sequence as from Chapter 15, except this time, we focus on Greg.]

Greg

The three of us set up our Digivices. "Gaomon/Veemon/Renamon, realize!" we called. Within seconds, they were out. "Sir!" Gaomon greeted his partner. "Gaomon, we've got the coordinates here to BMW Headquarters. You should have seen them inside your Digivice when Commander Sampson sent out the notice," Thomas said. "Sir, I think I can sniff out the motor oil." Gaomon sniffed the air, then gave his analysis. "Hmm... I think I might have to rely on those coordinates after all." I groaned.

Veemon then turned to me. "Greg?" "Yeah, Veemon?" "Am I gonna have to Armor Digivolve to Raidramon again?" "You got to fight as Flamedramon last time." "Yeah, but I've got a sneaking suspicion you don't like my Champion form." "And why would you say that?" "Because it kinda looks like GeoGreymon. Ya know, big and bulky. Like you." "Hmmm... you're kinda right about that. Plus, it can't fly or really be used for transport." "But it can smash things and set things on fire, right? It's good for sumtin', isn't it?" He was starting to become desperate. I just gave him a reassuring smile "Of course it is, Veemon. Tell you what, when we get there, I'll let you fight as Veedramon. You can tear the whole place up if you want." His eyes sparkled with excitement. "Aww, gee. Thanks, Greg." "You're welcome."

Rika

"Ridiculous," I muttered. "I disagree," Renamon replied. "Whatever. I'll send you out as Kyubimon and keep you that way the whole time." "Fine by me," Renamon said as she got in position.

Thomas

We prepared for Digivolution. Rika and I flipped open our sensors. I held out my hand and snapped my fingers, while Rika closed her eyes and fired a punch straight forward. Either way, it ignited our DigiSoul. "DigiSoul... charge!" "Renamon Digivolve to... Kyubimon!" "Gaomon Digivolve to... Gaogamon! Rawr!"

Greg selected the appropriate DigiEgg from his Digivice, then posed. "DigiArmor Energize!" The energy transferred to Veemon. "Veemon Armor Digivolve to... Raidramon, the Storm of Friendship!"

We mounted our Digimon and were off. When we turned onto Paul-Neu-Weg, Rika said something. "Thomas, Greg. I've got an idea for the next album. Do either one of you know Patty Smyth?" "Not personally," I replied. "Well, do you know 'Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough'?"

"I think I do... oh, wait. Do you want me to sing Don Henley's part?" Greg asked, perhaps realizing what was to come. Rika just answered with a sly grin and, "The punishment fits the crime, doesn't it?" "If you do it, maybe she'll finally leave you alone," Raidramon suggested. "All right. Count us off, Thomas." So, I counted them off.

["Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough"

Written by Patty Smyth and Glen Burtnik

Performed by Rika Nonaka (Melissa Fahn) and Greg Logan (Doug Erholtz)]

As Thomas, Greg, and Rika make their way down the highways and byways of Munich, the latter two attempt to move on with their respective lives and make sense of the aftermath. Rika does most of the talking, or in this case, singing.

Rika:

Now I don't wanna lose you
But I don't wanna use you
Just to have somebody by my side

And I don't wanna hate you
I don't wanna take you
But I don't wanna be the one to cry

Greg and Thomas roll their eyes at this.

Rika:

And that don't really matter to anyone, anymore
But like a fool I keep losing my place
And I keep seeing you walk through that door

Greg does join in during the chorus at Rika's behest. We get your standard shots of Munich at night.

Rika/Greg:

But there's a danger in loving somebody too much
And it's sad when you know it's your heart you can't trust
There's a reason why people don't stay where they are

Rika:

Baby, sometimes love just ain't enough

Now I could never change you
And I don't wanna blame you
Baby, you don't have to take the fall

Thomas facepalms. Greg agrees with the Austrian's reaction, and sets the record straight.

Greg:

Yes, I may have hurt you
But I did not desert you
Maybe I just want to have it all

Raidramon, Kyubimon and Gaogamon just silently continue on, probably wondering, "Why are they doing this now?" We get shots of Munich at night as they avoid traffic.

Rika/Greg:

It makes a sound like thunder

It makes me feel like the rain

Rika:

And like a fool who will never see the truth
I keep thinking something's gonna change

Rika/Greg:

But there's a danger in loving somebody too much
And it's sad when you know it's your heart you can't trust
There's a reason why people don't stay where they are

Rika:

Baby, sometimes love just ain't enough

And there's no way home
When it's late at night and you're all alone
Are there things that you wanted to say?
And do you feel me beside you in your bed?
There beside you, where I used to lay

Greg answers all three questions with, "No, no, and no." "Rika, this is a farce!" Thomas sighs, exasperated. "Oh shut up, you wouldn't understand," Rika shoots back. "Norstein's absolutely right, we never slept together and you know it," Greg says, completely agreeing with Thomas. "My name is Thomas." "Of course it is. It was only one date." "Just zip it and sing, we're almost done," Rika grumbles. Greg rolls his eyes.

Rika/Greg:

And there's a danger in loving somebody too much
And it's sad when you know it's your heart they can't touch
There's a reason why people don't stay who they are

Rika:

Baby, sometimes love just ain't enough
Baby, sometimes love, it just ain't enough

Oh!

Oh, oh!

No.

They finally arrive outside the BMW Munich plant. "I'm just glad that's over," Kyubimon says.

Greg

I dismounted Raidramon, who quickly reverted back to Veemon. We took a look around. "Hmm... it seems to be oddly empty this time of night," Thomas observed. I approached the door and tried to open it, but it wouldn't open. "Door's locked. We can't get in... the normal way," I said. Veemon let out a devilish grin. "Then that just means we'll have to make an entrance!" he concluded. I let out a short nod, then got in position.

I stood with my two feet apart, equally balancing the weight. I flipped up the sensor on the Digivice, then thrust my open right hand to the side, allowing the DigiSoul to ignite. "DigiSoul...Charge!" I then struck what I thought was a defining pose as the energy transferred to my partner. "Veemon Digivolve to... Rrrraagh! Veedramon!"

Then, I pointed the way to him. "Go make a door!" I called. "Sure thing! Cutting Shoot!" Veedramon yelled, as he used his claws to create multiple flying blades of wind. That smashed through some of the glass and created a mess, not to mention setting off an alarm system. "Nice going, Logan. Now we'll have to work fast," Rika grumbled. We rushed inside, making sure to be careful of the glass shards.

We raced down the halls until we got to the main assembly line. It seemed the machinery was working by itself, creating cars. We looked around until we found the power source. It was one of those old-fashioned androids with a slightly cracked glass skull. I looked him up on my Digimon Analyzer. "'Datamon, an Ultimate level Android Digimon. He was once a Vaccine Digimon used to restore crashed computers, but he was attacked by a strong Virus Digimon, which destroyed his logic circuits and, of course, made him run wild. He re-constructs the data selfishly, even with normally-running computers.'"

He turned and noticed us. "Ah! Who are you, and what are you doing here?" he demanded to know. "That's funny, we were going to ask you the same question," Thomas coolly said, not even breaking a sweat. "I am Datamon, and this is my new headquarters. I was asked by Lord Bagra to position myself here until the time was right." "You can tell Lord Bagra that his mission will fail, because we're here to stop you!"

"Tom, we should cut the chit-chat and just fight him," I suggested. "I couldn't agree more!" Datamon said, as he plugged his fingers into the mainframe. All of a sudden, the machinery went berserk. We had to get out of the way so we wouldn't get hit by German car frames. Kyubimon got hit by one, throwing Rika off and onto the ground. "Rika!" I gasped. Then, I rushed to her side and offered to help her up, but she stood up by herself and dusted herself off. "I'm fine," she insisted with a scowl. I just stared at her with concern. Then, I turned to Veedramon. "Veedramon! You're our muscle this time! You're big, and you're strong! Just be careful!" I shouted to him. He gave me the thumbs up and went to work melting the machinery with beams from his mouth.

"Fox Tail Inferno!" Kyubimon fired off her usual round of fireballs around Datamon, creating a cage. "Sir, you might want to get off before I execute this attack," Gaogamon warned. Thomas dismounted, then Gaogamon jumped up and prepared for his attack. "Dash Double Claw!" He approached Datamon at a speed no one could see, jumping right into the fiery cage. Then, he fired off an X-shaped wave by slashing his claws. Datamon tried to fight back by shooting giant shards of glass, but the Digimon were too fast or too hard-headed to care.

Veedramon was a one-mon powerhouse, taking out everything in sight. There was no way to question his courage or his devotion to his job. By the time things were heating up, the fire and police departments arrived. One police officer approached us, and he had a gun. "Alle von euch! Legen Sie Ihre Hände jetzt!" he shouted. Thomas put his hands up right away. Then, the officer looked to me. "Das heißt, Sie auch!" he barked. "I'm sorry, I don't speak German," I meekly answered. "PUT YOUR HANDS UP!" the officer roared. "Oh..." I put my hands up just like the rest of them. The Digimon continued fighting, making sure to stay away from us. "You are all under arrest for trespassing, breaking and entering, and mass vandalism," the officer went on. Thomas, while keeping his hands up where the authorities could see them, approached the officer and explained to him, in what had to be German, what was going on. As if that wasn't enough, Datamon fired another large shard of glass in an effort to flatten the German cop. Thomas put his hands down and tackled the officer out of the way.

We were urged by the authorities to move away from the scene as the Digimon continued. Apparently, they'd called the SWAT team and aimed a cannon at Veedramon! I ran towards them and kept them from firing at my friend. The fire department hosed Datamon down, causing him to malfunction. That was just enough for Gaogamon to take him out with a Spiral Blow. That attack not only blew away Datamon literally, but also the authorities metaphorically. Thomas spent the rest of that fight explaining what Digimon were, why they were coming into the real world, and so on.

Even after all that, we were still forced to go to the police station after the battle was over. Our Digimon were secured inside our Digivices and were promptly confiscated until we were cleared. Thomas had Commander Sampson's phone number, so he made the call. After about half an hour, he passed the receiver to the police chief. I couldn't tell what he was saying, but Thomas guessed that we'd be in the clear soon. After the phone call, the officers apologized to us and gave us back our Digivices. We were even given an escort back to the hotel.

When we returned, it seemed we had made RTL Nachtjournal, in one of their late breaking news bits. Thankfully, we weren't identified as the rock stars we were, but boy did that arouse suspicion. Later, Commander Sampson came over our Digivices. "Team, I was not impressed by what happened this evening. I sent you out on a covert mission, and you failed! Now, I can't cover for all of you all the time. I also realize that it can't be helped at times, but we must be more careful. Understood?" "Yes, sir!" we answered in unison. "Very good," Kudamon's voice said over the device. That weasel always has to get the last word in edgewise.

Before we went to bed, Rika took me to the ice machine. She sighed. "Look, I appreciate what you did for me tonight. I think we're still good friends, and I'd want to fight by your side any day of the week. You stay out of my business, and I stay out of yours. Are we even?" She offered her hand. I thought about it, then accepted it. "We're even." We shook hands on it.

The concert the next night went off without a hitch. Nobody in the stands seemed to care about the incident, they were too busy having fun. We knew that we'd have to be more careful, though.

Author's Notes:

If you've noticed a trend here and you've been keeping track of your music history, you'd have noticed that in the first and third songs of this chapter, Greg is singing lyrics originally sung by Don Henley. Now, Mr. Henley was the drummer for The Eagles. The Wolves' drummer is Marcus, but it wouldn't have worked in the context. By the way, Mr. Henley also plays percussion, guitar, keyboards, and synthesizers.

"If You Asked Me To" normally continues to fade, but I didn't want to leave Anya singing forever.

Yes, the romance is coming in full bloom. Will it be settled? Who knows? What will happen in Zurich?

Again, if you have any comments or questions, please feel free to review or PM me at DigitalCorp. I'd be happy to answer any of your questions.