Digimon World Tour Chapter 30: London Calling, a digimon fanfic

Digimon World Tour

Recap

[T.K.] Hey, guys. Thomas got this e-mail about a conference in Cairo, Egypt. When he got there, though, he didn't get any new information. But what he did get was tricked. Mummymon used some hocus-pocus and psychology to take him to ancient Egypt. At the Temple of the Sphinx, he nearly died along his boat ride to the Underworld, only for this new Hunter Hideaki to show up. The two argued about money and street food, but Thomas ended up having to relive his mom's death. That stinks! It shook him up so much that Cerubumon nearly took Gaogamon down. But after seeing his mother again, Thomas got just what he needed to Digivolve him into MachGaogamon, a boxer with a rocket pack! Mummymon went flying and Cerubumon went down for the count!

Chapter 30: London Calling

T.K.

When we weren't rehearsing, we were sightseeing. Kari and I updated that photo we took in New York while standing in front of the lion at Trafalgar Square. We took more pictures and long walks through Kensington Gardens, and I'm pretty sure we made out on the London Eye while our car was stuck at the top.

Greg

Matt called Commander Sampson, who immediately rented us out a studio at Abbey Road. I love having connections.

There's something that just has to be said about T.K. and Kari. They really enjoy their responsibilities as DigiDestined.

Once, a group of Sepikmon and Sorcermon had taken over Leicester Square. I was called to join them. Since they were only Champion-level, we thought we could get away with Armor Digivolving. After we had suited up and summoned our Digimon, we Armor Digivolved them. T.K. and Kari called out "DigiArmor Energize" with huge, genuine smiles on their faces. I really hadn't noticed it before until now. You could just sense immediately their naturally extreme enthusiasm.

"Patamon Armor Digivolve to... Pegasusmon, Flying Hope!"

"Gatomon Armor Digivolve to... Nefertimon, the Angel of Light!"

I just stood there, watching. T.K. waved his hand in front of my face. "Uh, Greg? What are you waiting for?" he asked. I came back into reality. "Oh, um, sorry about that. Now, where was I? Oh yeah, the DigiEgg of Friendship." I selected that option on my Digivice, pressed "Enter", and then held a pose. "DigiArmor Energize!" I had my swagger on, but it just couldn't measure up to them.

"Veemon Armor Digivolve to... Raidramon, the Storm of Friendship!"

We mounted our Digimon and rode off. Those who could go airborne did, while Raidramon and I zoomed through the streets of London at breakneck speed. "YEEEEEEEEEEEE-HAWWWWW!" Unfortunately for me, I was followed by a police cruiser. They had their siren going, so we pulled over. The officer walked out and stood at our side. "Gawdon Bennet! All right. Do yew know 'ow fast yew was going? OK?" "Uh, I'm sorry, officer. I'm on my way now to Leicester Square. You see, I'm with the Digital Accidental Tactics Squad, we're a Digimon crimefighting unit..." "Blimey! Digimon, eh? Reckon I saw some ov what in da news on da telly. Thee're talkin' abaaaht those gian' monsters, right? Nuff said, yeah?" "Of course. Look, officer, you don't understand. There are Digimon attacking Leicester Square right now." "And what do yew reckon dis fn' is what yer ridin' on, eh?" Raidramon introduced himself. "My name is Raidramon, the Storm of Friendship." "Awright geeezzaa! Stawm ov Friendship, eh? I'll be da judge ov that. Now, yew was goin' 105 in a 30 mile per 'aaahr zone. Can I see yaaahr license an' registrashun? Sorted mate." I showed him my badge. "Lawd above! Well I'll be doggoned. Thee really are serious. All right, go ahead, innit." I saluted him. "Thank you. Your entire world thanks you." Then, we sped off.

When we arrived, we saw the problem right away. Sepikmon, this monkey creature from Papua New Guinea, was throwing his boomerang around and ridding London of all impure beings. Impure Londoners were disappearing left and right, and this was an Armor level Digimon! And Sorcermon was no different. He fired multiple ice creations from his staff and even froze a police officer in a block of ice. Right away, we went to work. "Shock the monkey, Raidramon!" I called. "Got it! Blue Thunder!" I leaned back, and he fired a powerful electric shock from the three protuberances on his back. It caught on Sepikmon's tail and sent him jumping, and throwing the boomerang at us. We quickly got out of dodge. "Star Shower!" The cluster of stars from Pegasusmon's wings broke away at the ice creations going everywhere. Nefertimon went to work on breaking the block with the bobby in it. "Queen's Paw!" Those jewels kept cutting away at the ice block, but it wasn't enough. "The jewels are too small! I wish we had some firepower," Nefertimon lamented.

Just then, we heard a familiar voice. "You say you need firepower? Then please allow me to be of assistance." I looked around, and there was Izzy. All three of us were taken aback. "Izzy? What are you doing here?" T.K. asked. The genius let out a short wave. "Salutations, all. I was in the neighborhood, so I thought I would drop by." "But then who's at the base?" "Yolei." "Oh. All right then." Izzy got in position to bring out Tentomon. "Tentomon, realize!" In seconds, the red ladybug Digimon digitized onto the scene. "Ta da! So, this is jolly old England," he buzzed. "Well right now, it's jolly cold England, so are you gonna help?" I countered.

"All right, all right, don't get your knickers in a bunch, Greg," Izzy said as he set up his Digivice. "Let's see, we'll select the DigiEgg of Courage... alternate mode... bingo. Are you ready, Tentomon?" "Ready as I'll ever be!" Izzy got into a masculine, yet intelligent and authoritative pose. "I've always wanted to say this... DigiArmor Energize!" The energy transferred over to Tentomon, who became covered in a DigiEgg frame.

"Oh boy! Tentomon Armor Digivolve to... FlaWizarmon!" This new Digimon carried two staffs with him and had a hat with goggles and a top that looked like flames. "Oh snap, he's a goggle boy just like Davis," I realized. I looked him up on my Digimon Analyzer. "'FlaWizardmon, an Armor-level Wizard Digimon whose name and design are derived from flame and the mythological wizard. He hails from Witchelny.' Witchelny? Never heard of it." "Maybe that's a typo," Kari suggested.

[BGM: "You're Gonna Get Your Fingers Burned" by The Alan Parsons Project]

The Digimon went back to battle, when the monkey jumped on top of me. "Huh? Hey! Get off me!" I tried to throw him off while keeping my balance on Raidramon. It failed miserably because we both fell off. "So you wanna play rough, huh?" I wrestled with that Digimon, but he kept beating me on the head with his Spirit Boomerang. It was all I could do to kick him away from me before I had a chance of blacking out. "Are you OK?" Raidramon asked. I just nodded and remounted him.

Sepikmon came face to face with FlaWizarmon. The good wizard raised his red wand and generated a storm cloud that rained fire on the monkey, setting his boomerang on fire. Sepikmon dropped the boomerang like a hot potato and went ape on him. "Beam of Isis!" Nefertimon shot him in the back, making her the new target. FlaWizarmon used his two wands like clubs and beat up the monkey. It almost seemed like FlaWizardmon was toying with his opponent.

In the meantime, Pegasusmon and Raidramon teamed up on the snowy Sorcermon. T.K. and I discussed strategy. "All right, you take him from the air, and we'll sneak up on him. What do you think of that?" I asked. "Sounds like a plan to me. You ready, Pegasusmon?" "Ready!" Pegasusmon flew up high. "Mane Wind!" He blasted a shower of needles, but just as Sorcermon created a shield to protect himself, Raidramon snuck up on him and snapped at Sorcermon with electrically-charged jaws. That severely weakened Sorcermon. My partner really tore into him and then tossed him into the ground, turning him back into a DigiEgg. FlaWizarmon ignited his fingertips. "Magical Ignition!" He pressed his hand on Sepikmon's chest and set him on fire, reverting him back to a DigiEgg. We cheered.

FlaWizarmon used his wands to bring everything back to normal, defrosting everything and bringing back the supposedly impure Londoners who had disappeared. "Bravo, FlaWizarmon. Return." Izzy brought him back into his Digivice, then hitched a ride with Kari as we went back to the studio.

Sampson

I reviewed the video feed from the Leicester Square attack. With Scotland Yard involved, I feared for the worst. My job description has been drastically altered to conducting damage control with law enforcement agencies and other miscellaneous companies. "And this is why I don't put Koushiro in the field very often," I sighed, going straight for the Alka-Seltzer. "You must admit, Lord Bagra's forces are becoming stronger than ever. The operatives will have to remain vigilant," Kudamon said. I dropped the two pills into a glass of water, waiting for the fizz. "Indeed. I shudder to think what will happen if the Security Council loses faith in us. All of Planet Earth sent into a panic." I downed the glass while Kudamon responded. "Why wouldn't they be already? I'm just glad things haven't fallen as far as they could've gone." "Right, my friend. Well, I guess it's back to work."

Marcus

So, Izzy showed up out of the blue here in London. Just perfect. The last thing I needed was that genius punk telling me I didn't have any focus. So, when they arrived at the studio, I took Izzy to the side. "Hey, genius! Come over here. I got something to show ya!" "You do? All right." We went into another room, and I ignited my DigiSoul all the way so it covered my body. "How's that for focus, Bug Boy?" "Quite fascinating, but I've already reviewed your battle footage at Disneyland Paris. Still, you do deserve to be congratulated for your accomplishment." "Gee, thanks." He looked kinda puzzled. "I was being completely serious, but oh well."

We gave him a tour of the place, and he seemed pretty fascinated with it. During the tour, Thomas rushed up to us. It looked to me like he'd drank one too many cups of coffee. "Marcus! Izzy! You're never going to believe this, but guess who I just found recording in the studio next door." I took the first guess. "Uh... that freaky progressive rock group you're always talking about?" "No! The London Symphony Orchestra!" Figured. "Don't tell me you're into that 'classical music' crap, Thomas." "First off, you have no taste, you barbarian. That's beside the point, however. They're recording the piano concertos of Rachmaninoff, but I convinced them to work on the side on a few of our tracks!" At least Izzy was mildly excited. I just didn't care. "Prodigious, Thomas. The London Symphony Orchestra is legendary. Congratulations." The two shook hands on it, and I knew this was going to be less fun than getting teeth pulled.

Two hours later, Thomas handed me some sheet music and I looked over it. "What is this!?" I demanded to know, shaking it. "That is 'Silence and I'," he answered. "There's no beat, no rhythm... this is boring! This is crap! This is not what we are!" "Marcus, I am not going to waste this opportunity. We have the London Symphony Orchestra, and we're going to use them!" "Then you're gonna do it without me!"

Matt walked in the room. "So, what have we got here?" he asked. Thomas handed him the sheet music. "Ugh, not this again. Okay, okay. Norstein. I get it. You're a huge Alan Parsons Project fan. I like some of their stuff too, and I really appreciate you getting this orchestra to work with us. However, you're gonna have to tell them to go back to whatever it is they're doing, because we've got more important things to worry about." "Like what, Mr. Ishida?" Matt cleared his throat and looked around. "Something I can't talk about here. Now, where's Greg?"

Greg

Earlier that day, Rika said she needed some help writing a love song. I'd heard somewhere that a number of successful songs were written in the toilet stalls of Abbey Road Studios, so I tried my luck. I had a pen in my hand and was writing down some possible lyrics on toilet paper. I shared my lyrics with the guy in the next stall, a Mr. Sumner. "So, how does this sound, Mr. Sumner? 'I'm sorry I don't understand/Where all of this is coming from/I thought that we were fine'." "Oh, you can do better than that. If you can't use a nine-letter word at least once in each verse, then you're not writing properly." "'Understand' has ten letters in it." "Oh. Carry on, then."

Just then, I heard someone walk in. "Logan! You in there?" It was Marcus. "Yeah, I'm in one of the stalls. Just writing some lyrics." "You're writing lyrics, too? What's the matter with you people? First, Matt and T.K., then Rika, and now you." I got up, put the sheet of paper in my pocket and walked out of the stall towards the sink. "Just because you can't write anything doesn't mean we should be punished for it." "Who's your friend?" Mr. Sumner asked from inside his stall. "Oh. Well, when you finish, you can meet him."

Marcus cut in."Greg, we don't have that long! Matt wants us in a meeting, pronto. Says it's important. But hey, who is that guy?" "Oh yes. Mr. Sumner, this is Marcus Damon, the drummer for The Teenage Wolves. Marcus, this is Mr. Sumner. He claims he's with The Police." "The police? So, you playing bodyguard for somebody?" Mr. Sumner just laughed at that. "No, not at all. It's a pleasure to meet you, Marcus. I've heard a lot about you from your friend."

"Well, don't spend too long in there. If there's one thing I can't stand, and I got a whole list of 'em, it's a cop who spends too much time off the job. Now come on, Greg. Let's get going." I dried off my hands. "All right, all right. Thanks for the help, Mr. Sumner. Talk to you later." "Good luck in your songwriting endeavors, young man," he said as we left.

Marcus walked me to a conference room, where the rest of the band was meeting. "So, what took you so long?" Matt asked. "I was writing lyrics on the toilet, and I got a little help from a Mr. Sumner. He claimed to be with The Police." A look came over Matt's face. "Wait a second. Sumner, the Police... is he still in there?" "Uh huh." "Everyone to the men's room! He was in there with Sting!" "Wait, I was in the bathroom with Sting!?" Matt, T.K., Marcus, and I rushed back to the men's room.

Izzy

The girls, Thomas, and I stayed behind. "Why aren't we going?" Rika asked. "We have more pressing matters, like that attack earlier today," I replied. I slowly paced the floor back and forth. "Why would the Bagra Army only send in two Armor-level Digimon? It must be some sort of a trap. Very suspicious."

Thomas thought it over himself. "Hmm... you may have a point there, Izzy. The only Armor-level we've faced before this was the night we shot that Renault advertisement. All the rest have been Ultimate-levels. Perhaps this is to lull us into a false sense of security, to lower our guard." By George, he had it! "My thoughts precisely!" "Oh brother," Rika groaned, rolling her eyes.

"So, when should we plan out our strategy?" Anya inquired. I thought it over. "Right after we get Sting's autograph. Does everyone have a pen?" Rika pulled out hers and grinned. "Now you're talking," she smoothly replied. We made our way to the men's room, where the girls waited outside.

Thomas and I walked in to find Sting himself, the former bassist of The Police, washing his hands. He looked squarely at Greg. "I should have known better. And you call yourselves professionals. Professional artists do not hound other artists for autographs, you... dingus. I'm afraid I must now write a song about you, and people like you. That is, if I haven't already." Greg's glasses nearly slid off his face in disbelief.

I stepped in. "Sir, please forgive my friends. We don't mean to hound you like this. It's just that, we never expected to see you here at Abbey Road." "And who are you?" I bowed. "Koushiro Izumi, a friend of The Teenage Wolves." "We'd offer you our autographs if you offer us yours," T.K. offered. Sting thought it over as he dried his hands. "Hmmm... all right. You seem like a reasonable lot. What harm could it do?" We cheered, high-fived and fist-bumped each other.

At that point, T.K.'s cell phone rang. "Oh, excuse me, guys, I have to take this." He left to take the call in another room.

T.K.

I answered it. "Hello?" "T.K.? It's me, Dad." "Oh, hey, Dad. How are you doing?" "All right, I guess. We're taking a half-hour break from the next newscast." "That's great." "So, where are you?" "Abbey Road Studios. Sting was in the bathroom." "Really? That sounds exciting. Look, I gotta cut to the chase here. Your mother called me a week ago, said she told you why we split up." "Right, she did." "Said you got really upset." "Yeah, I did. Why aren't you two getting back together? Why is our family still the way it is?" "All right. Are you sitting down?"

I sat down in a reclining chair. "Now I am," I said. "Good. I just wanna make sure you're prepared to take this. Takeru... it would never work out." "W-what do you mean?" "You know how some people are alcoholics? Well, I'm a workaholic." "You are?" "...Let me put it this way. I am a typical Japanese man- a reserved, almost distant person who devotes himself to his job. My work is my life, T.K. Your mother was once like that. We had the presses at our feet. We had the world at our feet. And then, your mother became accidentally pregnant with you. I thought we could handle it with Matt, but you were an accident."

My eyes widened. "I was an- accident?" "Yep. Anyway, your mother told you that I became even more distant when I got that promotion. But what you don't know is that she became overwhelmed and resentful. It's true, I wasn't there to support her. When I found out she was having an affair, I was shocked. I thought she'd be angry with me, but I didn't think she'd take it that far. I blamed myself. Was I wrong to work nights and to try to build a good life? All work and no play had just cost me a wife. After I apologized to the doorman, I called the lawyer." "But Dad, it's just... it didn't have to be this way." "It did, son. It did. I left to protect both you, your brother and her from people like me. Can you imagine what would happen if we had stayed together? You would hardly see me. I wouldn't be there for your basketball games, your brother's concerts, or anything. You, Matt, and your mother would complain all the time, and that would affect my performance on the job. You'd never be truly happy with me." "Dad-" "I'm not finished! You know that movie 'The Parent Trap'? Lies, all of it. If you ever try getting your mother and me on that date while you and your brother sang 'Let's Get Together', I'd be yelling at both of you for wasting our time. I let her go because I loved her. And when you truly love someone, T.K., sometimes you have to set them free." It was a lot for me to take in. Dad continued, "I want to share with you a dream I have every once in a while."

["Fortress Around Your Heart"

Written by Sting

Performed by The One and Only, Genuine, Original Ishida Family Band feat. Sting

Lead Singer: Hiroaki Ishida (David Greenlee)

Backing Vocals: Sting (Himself), Yamato "Matt" Ishida (Michael Reisz), Takeru "T.K." Takaishi (Michael Cunio)]

This dream sequence takes us to Ras Al Khafji, a town on the border between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The day is January 29, 1991; although Hiroaki and Nancy are as they are in the present day. The two walk through the city, seemingly happy and content to be with each other. Rumors of war spread quickly through the camp. Nancy starts to get worried, and it's up to Hiroaki to do his best to protect her.

Hiroaki: (VO)

Under the ruins of a walled city
Crumbling towers and beams of yellow light
No flags of truce, no cries of pity
The siege guns had been pounding through the night
It took a day to build the city
We walked through its streets in the afternoon
As I returned across the fields I'd known
I recognized the walls that I'd once laid
I had to stop in my tracks for fear
Of walking on the mines I'd laid

This story is mixed with band footage of the Ishida family band. Hiroaki is on his Spector NS-2 bass guitar and lead vocal, while Matt and T.K. accompany him with their electric guitars. On drums, we have Michel Takaishi. Playing keyboards is Al, Hiroaki's brother and Matt and T.K.'s uncle. You may remember him from the movie. Finally, we have Sting on saxophone, just because this is his song. One thing I should point out, Hiroaki is not exactly the best singer in the world. He's passable, but that's why Matt, T.K., and Sting are there as backup.

Band:
And if I built this fortress around your heart
Encircled you in trenches and barbed wire
Then let me build a bridge
For I cannot fill the chasm
And let me set the battlements on fire

The Iraqi offensive in the Battle of Khafji began on the night of January 29, when approximately 2,000 soldiers in several hundred armored fighting vehicles moved south. The Gulf War's first ground engagement was near observation post 4, built on the Al-Zabr police building. Hiroaki has volunteered to help the United States Army lay mines for the Iraqi army. Prior to this, Nancy and Matt were placed in a secure position away from any enemy forces, with WereGarurumon on guard. Hiroaki's work is done, but now he has a problem of his own. He must get back to the secure position without walking on the mines he'd laid.

Hiroaki: (VO)
Then I went off to fight some battle
That I'd invented inside my head
Away so long for years and years
You probably thought or even wished that I was dead
While the armies are all sleeping
Beneath the tattered flag we'd made
I had to stop in my tracks for fear
Of walking on the mines I'd laid

Band: (VO)
And if I built this fortress around your heart
Encircled you in trenches and barbed wire
Then let me build a bridge
For I cannot fill the chasm
And let me set the battlements on fire

Hiroaki uses a primitive videophone to explain his situation to his now ex-wife. However, coalition soldiers at observation post 4 open fire on the Iraqi column, but this largely ineffective fire draws a heavy Iraqi response which forces the company to retire south, by order of its commanding officer. To cover the withdrawal, the company's platoon of LAV-25s and LAV-ATs (anti-tank variants) moves to engage the Iraqi force. One of the anti-tank vehicles opens fire, after receiving permission, at what it believes is an Iraqi tank. Instead, the missile destroys a friendly LAV-AT a few hundred meters in front of it. Despite this loss, the platoon continues forward and soon opens fire on the Iraqi tanks with the LAV-25's autocannons. And caught in all this fire is poor Hiroaki. Just then, T.K., as he is now, appears and summons Patamon. Using his old D-3, he Armor Digivolves Patamon to Pegasusmon, and the two ride towards Nancy's position. However, it quickly becomes too late as a number of A-10 ground-attack aircraft arrive. They find it difficult to pinpoint enemy targets and begin dropping flares to illuminate the zone. One of these flares lands on a friendly vehicle, namely Pegasusmon, and the three go down.

Hiroaki: (VO)
This prison has now become your home
A sentence you seem prepared to pay
It took a day to build the city
We walked through its streets in the afternoon
As I returned across the lands I'd known
I recognized the fields where I'd once played
Had to stop in my tracks for fear
Of walking on the mines I'd laid

This is mixed with more band footage.

Band:
And if I built this fortress around your heart
Encircled you in trenches and barbed wire
Then let me build a bridge
For I cannot fill the chasm
And let me set the battlements on fire

Following the incident, the company is withdrawn and the remaining vehicles reorganize into another nearby company. With observation post 4 cleared, the Iraqi 6th Armored Brigade withdraws over the border to Al-Wafrah under heavy fire from Coalition aircraft. Coalition forces had lost 11 troops to friendly fire and none to enemy action. As the song ends, Matt and WereGarurumon are the only ones left, and they look like they've seen battle. An injured Hiroaki and T.K. frantically search the area for Nancy, but she's nowhere to be seen. A dejected Hiroaki hobbles to a wall and lights up a cigarette. The dream ends there as we go back to reality.

T.K.

I had to wrap my brain around Dad's dream. "So, all you got out of that dream was that it's a bad idea for you to remarry Mom?" "I'm afraid so, son." My heart sank like a 20-pound brick. So this was what it had come down to. All my hopes and dreams of us being a real family, shattered into half a million pieces. I put Dad on speakerphone so I could drop my head on my desk and cry. "So now what?! What do I have left to hope for? Huh?! Tell me!" "T.K..." "For years, I've wanted you and Mom to get together so that we could be a family, and now you tell me it's never gonna happen?! I mean, how fair is that?!" "It's not your fault, it's the Japanese government's fault. They don't allow for joint custody." "Then why don't we move?!" "Takeru, get a hold of yourself!" Dad sharply ordered.

I sniffed and calmed myself down. "Now listen carefully, son. I know you're big on hope, and it seems like there isn't any for you at this moment. But that's where you're wrong. You shouldn't hope we get together, because it would never work. Rather, what you should hope for is that you'll learn from our mistakes and not do what we did when you get your own family. Ambition is a great thing, but you should never let it stand in the way of your relationships with the people you love. We'll never be a nuclear family, but that shouldn't stop you from living a happy life. You have everything in front of you, your entire future in the palm of your hands. You're together with Matt now, and isn't that what you always wanted?" "..Yeah." "See, you should be happy. One day, you'll have your own family, and I hope you can give your children everything they deserve. Everything your mother and I weren't able to give you." I sniffed again, and wiped away my tears. "You... mean that?" I asked, my voice still choked up. "Yes. Now, I'm going to call Matt later tonight and break the news to him. I just thought I should call you first because your mother said you were worried. I love you, T.K., and I always will." "I love you too, Dad. It was nice talking to you." "You too. Bye." He hung up.

Dad was right. In my illusion, I'd thrown away my real parents, completely stripping them of who they really were, just so we could be a nuclear family. It was all wrong, and I knew it. Yet, I'd held onto that hope because there was nothing else. My true wish was that who my parents are in real life didn't exist, just so I could be a normal kid and live with my brother like a normal kid. What I wanted was wrong, and that's why MaloMyotismon tempted me with it.

I reluctantly walked back into the recording studio and explained the whole thing to them. "And you've dealt with this for how long?" Sting asked. "Nine years." He then put his hand on my shoulder. "It seems to me you've dealt with it very well, son. Your father is doing the best he can for both of you and your mother."

The orchestra conductor interrupted us. "Excuse us, Sting, but you are wasting valuable studio time." Sting waved him aside. "All right. So, Matt tells me you have just an hour or two before your soundchecks. We should at least get one take down now."

Our concert was scheduled for 8 PM, so we had to be finished by 6:30 so we could have enough time to eat, do the soundcheck, and psych ourselves up for it. Things went pretty smoothly until about 7:35, when our Digivices went off.

Greg

We quickly put down our instruments and went back to the green room. Matt answered his Digivice. "This is Matt, come in." "Yamato. We've spotted a squadron of Troopmon heading towards the Lloyd's of London building on Lime Street. They're being led by Mervamon and Karatenmon, both Ultimate-levels. Get there on the double!"

We all groaned. "Commander, it's only 25 minutes to showtime. We're not gonna make it," Marcus complained over his Digivice. "Marcus, I'm aware of that, but here's something you need to be aware of. The Lloyds building is unique in that its services, such as staircases, elevators, electrical power conduits and water pipes are on the outside." "Are you kidding? Boy, these British people are weird."

As usual, Thomas came up with a very logical conclusion. "So that means, any damage done to the exterior could affect much more than just that building. Thousands of lives are at stake." "But who's going to cover the concert?!" Marcus demanded to know.

Thankfully for us, the commander was prepared. "We'll just have to ask Mr. Oakenfold to cover for you until you return. Besides, this takes precedence over your musical careers. I'll alert him now. Good luck, and Godspeed." "Sir, yes, sir!" we answered. We hung up afterwards, then looked to each other.

Matt took the lead. "All right, guys. Looks like we've got a real challenge on our hands. We better suit up for this." "Right!" we agreed. We selected the "Suit Up" options on our Digivices and posed.

[BGM: "Power Rangers Zeo Instrumental Theme" by Jeremy Sweet and Ron Wasserman]

Rather than get an nine-way Suit Up sequence, we get bits and pieces of each of the main seven. That's followed by a shortened version of Anya's Suit Up sequence, followed by a shortened version of Izzy's Suit Up sequence.

Greg

Minutes later, we hailed a pair of taxis and rode to the building so we could give our Digimon a rest. Heaven knows they'd need it. It came out to £32 for both taxis. I gave our cab driver a £20 note. "Keep the change," I said.

We looked up at the building,and it was huge to say the least. Surrounding it were swarms and swarms of Troopmon, led by their leader. He was a bird-like ninja Digimon, with jet black wings and a purple ninja outfit. Kari looked him up. "Hmmmm, so this must be Karatenmon, 'an Ultimate-level Wizard Digimon whose name and design are derived from the mythological Karasu-tengu. As a wandering warrior, he has been taught by many masters and gained arcane abilities.' Oh, I wish it would tell me what his attacks are. Wait a second... got it! 'Satori and Feather Flare'."

I looked up some more details. "'He excels in Shugendo-' what the heck is that?" Izzy had an answer and was more than willing to share it. "Shugendo is a highly syncretic Buddhist religion or sect and mystical-spiritual tradition in which enlightenment is equated with attaining oneness with the kami -" "OK, so?" "You did ask." "All right. Thanks, Izzy." He smiled. "You're welcome."

After we summoned our Digimon, Marcus and Agumon went screaming into the fray (as usual). That guy wanted to be the ultimate fighter, and he wanted it badly. They punched, slashed, and Pepper Breathed their way through. Thomas devised a strategy. "The first thing we should do is evacuate the building. Greg, you and Raidramon go in there and look for any stranded people that need rescuing." "Sorry, bro. Raidramon can only fit one person," I pointed out. "Well then, they can follow you." "All right, but why do we get to do rescue?" "Because AeroVeedramon is too large and we can't risk any collateral damage to the building. The idea is to have as few 'large' Digimon on the outside. Lilamon, WereGarurumon, and Taomon are just the right size."

Marcus

I don't know what's wrong with some of the people I call teammates. They just wanna stand around and talk strategy all day. Heh, like that's gonna do them any good. A real man doesn't need a strategy. He just goes out there and gets the job done. That's what Agumon and I did, and we were doing a pretty good job too. But then, I spotted this Digimon with huge melons, and I mean huge. They were coming right out of her bra. "¡Ay, caramba! Get a load of that, Agumon!" I called. He looked. "Where, Boss, where? Ohhhhhh... look at that sword!" "No, you idiot. Her breasts. They're humongous!"

She heard me. "So, you are admiring my mammary glands, yes?" "Uh... yeah. What'd you do, get implants? Cause if ya did... they're working for you, honey." She just chuckled, then pointed her sword at me. "I hope you like them, because they'll be the last thing you see! I am Mervamon, and I am not to be trifled with. Please, allow me to... entertain you." She did this sort of dance that was elegant, nothing like anything I'd ever seen before. Well, except maybe in some of those foreign movies Kristy's into. "Awww yeah, work it! Lemme see those moneymakers!"

"Uh, Boss... I don't think you want to see her moneymaker. She's gonna swing it at you!" Agumon screeched.

"Huh?!" He was right! She swung her sword, and I ducked before she could get to my throat. I put my hands up. "Look, I already got a girlfriend, and if she wasn't busy getting strategy from Sir Dorkalot and Nerdstein over there, she'd kill me. Now, I'm not gonna hit ya-" "Big mistake! Hebi Punch!" She swung at me with the snake on her other arm. I jumped up and dodged it, then landed right back on my feet. "Uh uh uh, I ain't finished yet. What I was gonna say was, I'm not gonna hit ya, but I've got no problem sicing my cyborg dinosaur on you. You ready, Agumon?"

"Yeah!" He got in position, while I charged up my DigiSoul all the way and flipped open the sensor. "DigiSoul… Full, CHARGE!" The power went to Agumon, and he Digivolved."Agumon Warp Digivolve to... RizeGreymon!"

Thomas

Of course. Marcus just had to bring out RizeGreymon. I automatically recalculated my strategy. "Marcus! Get RizeGreymon up into the air, away from the building!" I ordered through my Digivice. "Nothing doing, Thomas. Haven't you ever drained pasta before?" "What does that have to do with this battle?" "Everything, man! The lower you dump the pasta into the colander, the more likely you'll get it all in, and the less likely you'll make a mess."

"He has a point, you know," Izzy said. I sighed. "Are you really taking sides with him?" "On that, yes." Now I understood why Commander Sampson had so many migraines. "All right. Move out."

Greg, T.K., Izzy and Kari selected the DigiEggs from their Digivices while the rest of us charged up our DigiSoul completely. Those fully charging their DigiSoul went first.

"DigiSoul! Full, CHARGE!"

"Lalamon Warp Digivolve to... Lilamon!"

"Gaomon Warp Digivolve to... MachGaogamon!"

"Renamon Warp Digivolve to... Taomon!"

"Gabumon Warp Digivolve to... WereGarurumon! Aroooooooooooooooo!"

The others activated their Digivices. "DigiArmor Energize!"

"Patamon Armor Digivolve to... Baronmon, the Courageous King of Spirits!"

"Gatomon Armor Digivolve to... Butterflymon, the Fascination of Knowledge!"

"Veemon Armor Digivolve to... Raidramon, the Storm of Friendship!"

"Tentomon Armor Digivolve to... FlaWizarmon, the... aww, forget it!"

"Please be careful with the building, all right?" Kari asked. I nodded and the humans moved out. Greg rode on Raidramon through the building while the other humans and Digimon went inside. We looked for our next opponent, Karatenmon.

Greg

We rode through the building. "All right, everyone out! This building is under attack! Everyone out!" I shouted. "We want to protect you!" Raidramon quickly added. Those people screamed their heads off and ran out like crazy. Butterflymon used her Sweet Pheromone attack to draw out some of the more frightened people.

We climbed up the stairs to the 11th floor, home of the Committee Room. It looked like something from a royal court, but it didn't matter. Some executives were still trying to hold a meeting. "All right, you lot! Everyone out!" I called. They turned towards us and screamed. "My word! What is that thing you're riding, young man?" one executive gasped. Raidramon introduced himself. "My name is Raidramon, the Storm of Friendship. Now please, get out for your own safety." "Rather!" So, everyone cleared out. One nerdy executive asked me, "Are you a Doctor?" "Nah man, I'm a musician," I answered.

Marcus

"Solid Strike!" RizeGreymon really let Mervamon have it with the impact strength of his revolver. The Digimon with big boobs didn't give up easily. "Madness Merry-Go-Round DX!" She did a spinning slash, and tore off part of RizeGreymon's arm, making him bleed. "Ahhhhh!" "Hang in there, RizeGreymon!" I shouted up to my friend. I roared some more as I charged up my DigiSoul and ran towards her. The two of us fought long and hard, until I realized I was outmatched by her sword. I may rush into battle, but I'm not stupid. I backed away.

In the meantime, Karatenmon had come in with his two blades. "So, you think you're worthy to control this beast? Both of you are so much alike. You're both too fiery and too large for your own good." "Seriously? I'm in the best shape of my life!" I shot back. "You're still too hot-headed, fiery, and out of control. You think nothing of strategy, only giving in to your base desires. Like Mervamon's breasts." "Well, duh, have you seen them?" "Yes, I have." "And they don't do anything to you?" "Well..." "What's the matter with you? Can't you admire a woman's honkers when you see them?"

"Shut up, Marcus!" Rika barked as she ran up and hit me upside the head. Karatenmon turned to her. "And you. Your tough exterior hides your true feelings. You're ashamed to face who you really are, so you create a facade and a false bravado that masks your femininity." She didn't know what to say, so she angrily pointed at him. "Rrrrgh... enough of your talk. I didn't come here for any psychotherapy. Taomon, walk all over him!"

"Right! Talisman of Light!" Taomon painted something with her calligraphy brush and sent it the tengu's way, but he flew away too quickly. The attack exploded and hit a pipe, shooting out water everywhere. "Feather Flare!" He flapped his jet black wings, driving his feathers in Taomon alongside a shock wave.

Matt

WereGarurumon helped those still trapped in the building get out safely, while MachGaogamon took care of the Troopmon. "Howling Cannon!" He released ultrasonic waves with a single howl, driving the troops out of their minds. "Retreat!" the lead Troopmon called, and they retreated through the streets. Finally, everyone was evacuated. And it was about time, because MachGaogamon and RizeGreymon were about to go for the kill.

"Rising Destroyer!" RizeGreymon fired a beam barrage from his chest-cannon and the three beam cannons extending from his wings. In a strange stroke of luck, the attack was focused enough to heavily damage Mervamon and do as little damage as he could to the building. "Gaoga Tornade!" MachGaogamon circled Karatenmon with maximum thrust and unleashed an extremely high-speed barrage that was too fast for the crow. Lilamon finished both of them off with her Marvel Shot. WereGarurumon and I let out a victory howl. "Arrrroooooooooooooooooooo, YEAH! Way to go, team!" I cheered.

By the time we came back to Royal Albert Hall, everyone was gone. We rushed into the Green Room to change, but Paul was there waiting for us on the couch. "Sorry, mates. The Mayor of London and the Prime Minister declared a state of emergency. Lloyd's of London got attacked, so the police arrived and cleared out the music hall. Everyone got a full refund." "Well, that's showbiz for you," Izzy said.

Luckily for us, that gave us more time to practice for our performance on The Voice UK.

["I'm Still Here (Jim's Theme)"

Written by John Rzeznik

Performed by The Teenage Wolves

Lead Singer: Marcus Damon (Quinton Flynn)]

We move now to April 13, 2013. As we conclude the opening sequence to "The Voice UK", the audience at MediaCityUK in Manchester is packed. The hosts, Holly Willoughby and Reggie Yates, enter to cheers and applause, waving to the crowd. Holly is first. "Thank you, thank you. Welcome to Night Two of The Voice UK Series Two!" The audience cheers as Reggie picks up where she left off. "All of you watching tonight may very well hear the next biggest voice in the entire United Kingdom!" The audience cheers even louder. Holly continues. "But before we continue with the blind auditions, we have a special treat for you. With us tonight is one of the hottest singing sensations from Japan. They have a number of top ten hits around the globe, including... get this... four in the UK!" The audience lets out a giant "ooooooooh". Reggie introduces them. "Please welcome, from Odaiba, Minato, Tokyo, Japan... the Teenage Wolves!"

The audience cheers as the hosts get out of the way and the band appears on stage. Marcus is up front this time, so the session drummer is at the drums. Marcus opts to use a stand microphone, milking it for all it's worth. The song starts up.

Marcus:

I am a question to the world,
Not an answer to be heard
Or a moment that's held in your arms.
And what do you think you'd ever say?
I won't listen anyway…
You don't know me,
And I'll never be what you want me to be.

And what do you think you'd understand?
I'm a boy, no, I'm a man..
You can't take me and throw me away.
And how can you learn what's never shown?
Yeah, you stand here on your own.
They don't know me 'cause I'm not here.

Marcus takes the mic off the stand and operates the stage.

Marcus:
And I want a moment to be real,
Wanna touch things I don't feel,
Wanna hold on and feel I belong.
And how can the world want me to change?
They're the ones that stay the same.
They don't know me,
'Cause I'm not here.

He approaches the four judges (will. , Tom Jones, Jessie J, and Danny O'Donoghue) and tries to interact with them. He has Jessie J interested in him, until Rika gives the singer a glare of death from her keyboard. Marcus backs away, but continues to operate the stage. The audience is eating this up, as we get more shots of the band.

Marcus:
And you see the things they never see
All you wanted, I could be
Now you know me, and I'm not afraid
And I wanna tell you who I am
Can you help me be a man?
They can't break me
As long as I know who I am

And I want a moment to be real,
Wanna touch things I don't feel,
Wanna hold on and feel I belong.
And how can the world want me to change?
They're the ones that stay the same.
They can't see me,
But I'm still here.

They can't tell me who to be,
'Cause I'm not what they see.
Yeah, the world is still sleepin',
While I keep on dreamin' for me.
And their words are just whispers
And lies that I'll never believe.

And I want a moment to be real,
Wanna touch things I don't feel,
Wanna hold on and feel I belong.
And how can they say I never change?
They're the ones that stay the same.
I'm the one now,
'Cause I'm still here.

I'm the one,
'Cause I'm still here.
I'm still here.
I'm still here.
I'm still here.

As the song concludes, the crowd goes wild. "The Teenage Wolves, everyone!" Holly announces. The crowd goes wild again.

Sampson

The damage done to the Lloyd's of London building was ultimately considered acceptable when everything was considered. "It seems the Bagra Army is playing for keeps, Kudamon." "Indeed they are."

Author's Notes:

I know, y'all are disappointed because you didn't get to see MegaKabuterimon. Well, this only goes to show that sometimes bigger is not always better. Maybe some other time.

Next chapter: Davis' Veemon vs. Greg's Veemon. Who will triumph?

I also took some artistic license with The Voice UK.