Digimon World Tour Chapter 34: Optimization, a digimon fanfic

Digimon World Tour

Recap

[Rika] So, on the way to Stockholm, I got a call from this guy named Christophe Beck. He wanted Kari and me to audition for this Disney flick called Frozen, and he sent us this song which was way out of my league. We were greeted at the hotel by Benny and Björn, the guys who wrote that song Greg used on me in the karaoke parlor. On the day of the audition, I nailed the song in one take, but those hotshots in Burbank decided they wanted Idina Menzel instead. Are you kidding me? I gave them a piece of my mind. However, Tactimon really got to "Let it Go" with his unsealed Sword of Storms. He and Laylamon took over the Royal Palace, while the girls, Thomas and me got stuck dealing with 100 Swedish zombies. By the time we got there, Digimon were being turned back into DigiEggs left and right! The only survivor was Patamon. So now, we're flying back to Japan for a bit more training. Ugh, I hate losing!

Chapter 34: Optimization

Matt

It finally happened, and I never saw it coming. Gabumon was now a DigiEgg. In fact, most everyone's Digimon except T.K.'s was. It was the exact opposite of what happened the first time Angemon appeared in the Digital World. I don't think I really understood how he felt at the time, but now there was no possible way I couldn't. We each took the subway home. I stopped to sign a few autographs once in a while, but I wasn't thinking about the fame. I was just thinking... I had lost my best friend.

That night, I went in my room, turned on my lamp, and realized the DigiEgg onto my bed. I just sat there Indian-style on the bed, facing what was my partner. "Well, we're back home, in Japan. I don't know if you can see anything inside that egg... Gabumon, or whatever you are now, but we're home." He still didn't say anything. As pathetic as it sounds, I moved the DigiEgg around and did my own impression of Gabumon. "Yep, home sweet home." I sighed. It just wasn't the same. For the first time in years, I was completely alone. I hadn't felt this terrible since the first night after I returned from the Digital World the second time. I tried to put on a brave face, but then I softened it. I didn't know what to think.

Greg

I walked in through my apartment door. "Home again, home again, jiggity jig," I called loudly to my family. That's what Mom always said when we were kids upon coming home from a long trip. A reptile wearing a kendo outfit approached me and bowed. "Welcome home, Greg-sama," he said. I covered my eyes. "Oh wait, wait a second. You're... Kotemon, right?" I uncovered my eyes. "Correct." I reverted my Digivice to normal and looked him up on my Digimon Analyzer. "Hmm... 'Kotemon, Rookie-level Reptile Digimon. An honorable Digimon who is a master in the martial art of kendo.' Interesting. Do you practice with Cody?" "Hmm? Oh yes, yes. Gary and I are taking classes with him and his grandfather. I find the practice and bonding opportunities very effective."

"Awesome. So, where is everyone?" I asked. "Your mother, father, and Gary went out to a Mexican restaurant and left me here. Mexican food does not agree with me." "Oh." "And I have already cleaned out the food from the refrigerator. Er... my apologies." I checked the fridge. Sure enough, he had. "Uhhh... ohhh-kay, then. I'll just order a pizza." I picked up my cell phone, called Pizza-la and ordered the usual Hawaiian Delight. Nobody does Hawaiian pizza better than Pizza-la.

"By the way, Greg-sama, where is Veemon-kun?" Kotemon asked. I hung up. "First, please drop the honorifics. Those are reserved for Dad trying to impress the boss. Second, I'll show you where Veemon is." I realized the DigiEgg onto the couch. Kotemon looked at it. "Oh..." "We had a killer battle in Sweden. ...He didn't make it. He's... just resting now."

About 20 minutes later, the pizza delivery man dropped by with the pizza. I paid him and sent him off, completely in English. I put the pizza box on the table in the living room and turned on the TV to a Big Bang Theory rerun. "You want a slice, buddy?" I asked the egg next to me. The egg said nothing. I sighed. "More for me, then." I opened the box and chowed down on a slice. I got up, walked to the fridge, opened a can of soda, then sat back down on the couch. I lifted my can. "Here's to you, Veemon." Kotemon helped himself to a slice.

Rika

Anya decided to crash at my place for a while until we got back on tour. Mom and Grandma seemed to be OK with it. We took turns at my mirror, brushing our hair. We put the DigiEggs in the moonlight.

"Anya?" "Yes, Rika?" "You know... I never thought I'd get so attached to Renamon. I know you're gonna find this hard to believe... but I miss her. I miss everything about her, the way she observes the moon, her early morning t'ai chi, heck even her lecturing me about who I sleep with." "You know she is not dead, and neither is Lalamon." "I know that, but..." I turned away, then slowly turned back towards Anya. "For the first time in over a year, I'm alone. I'm actually alone, and it hurts."

My eyes started watering up. Anya tried putting her arm around me, but I backed away. "No! No! I don't want you to see me like this, Anya. I'm supposed to be... supposed to be the strongest of the girls. Something like this is gonna ruin my reputation." "What reputation? I don't know anything about a reputation." I tried to fight back the tears, but it was no use. Finally, I let Anya put her arms around me.

Thomas

I went to work arranging our setlists for the American leg, although with the way things were going, I was not entirely convinced we would have an American leg. And yet, I was not entirely convinced we wouldn't. One thing I knew for certain. Without Gaomon by my side, I was powerless and alone. We were tailor-made for each other, and I knew it.

Marcus

I thought about that last battle in the palace. It was brutal. I spent some time talking to my egg in my room. "You know, Agumon... what we did, in that castle... it didn't work out well, did it? And now, you're stuck in that egg and there's nothing I can do." I got worked up, so I stood up and aimed for the wall. "And it hurts like hell!" I punched the wall, creating a huge dent. I looked back to the egg. "I don't know what I have to do, but I'm gonna do everything it takes to bring you back. You hear me? YOU HEAR ME!?"

Kari

I called Tai into my room. I sat there on the bed, gently stroking my cat Miko. "So, how were things while I was gone?" I asked. "Eh, fine. Joe graduated from high school early, so now he's spending way too much time at the base. All the Digimon can go to Ultimate now. Oh, and we all got copies of your band's album for free. When's the second one coming out?" "I don't know. I guess I hadn't thought about it too much. We're still having difficulties with our new label, but that's not too important right now." Tai put his arm around me. "Hey, don't worry about it. You gave it everything you had." "But it wasn't good enough. If Rika and I hadn't gone to that audition, we could've been there sooner." "Hmmm... If I had been there-" "No, Tai. They need you here." "Oh." We hugged it out.

T.K.

I laid on my back on my bed, staring up at the ceiling. "Hey, Patamon. I've been thinking." "What?" "Well, remember when I was eight, and you Digivolved for the first time, then became a DigiEgg?" "Yeah? What about it?" "Well, compared to what I saw in Stockholm, Devimon was a walk in the park." Patamon's ears drooped. "T.K... you can't blame yourself. We all tried our hardest, but Laylamon and Tactimon were just too tough." "Uh uh. In the end, the only person I can blame for any losses is me. We have to get stronger. I have to get stronger. The only question is... how?" Patamon yawned. "Why don't you get some sleep? We'll think about it tomorrow." "OK."

The next day (the 28th), Commander Sampson called us in for a special meeting about our next move. We met in a large classroom. After waiting for a few minutes, Dr. Damon walked in with someone else. It was a lion-type Digimon that looked like a Japanese gang leader. He had a stem in his mouth, which he chewed on. "Hey, Dad! Who's the furball?" Marcus asked. "So glad you asked, Marcus. This... is BanchoLeomon." Dr. Damon wrote down the name on the board. "Huh? BanchoLeomon?" we asked at the same time.

I looked him up on the Digimon Analyzer. "'BanchoLeomon, a Mega level Beast Man Digimon, derived from the Banchō and the lion. He lives faithful only to the "Justice" in which he trusts. As he is a boss that only serves his own "Justice", if something becomes an obstacle to that "Justice", he will see them as "Evil" and they will become an enemy that he has to eliminate.'"

He spoke. "Right. Marcus, your dad told me a lot about you. I hope I don't have to keep you in line." "Is that a challenge?" Marcus shot back. BanchoLeomon just snorted with a grin. " You're about 1,000,035 years too young to take me on, kid." "You mean you're that old?" Greg asked. Kari, Matt, and I laughed at that one. Perfect timing.

The lion just turned to Greg. "You know, kid, you've got a pretty big mouth on you. You should learn to shut it. You might live longer." "Oooooooh..." the rest of us said. Marcus stood up. "Hey, you better not be threatening my friends like that, or else you're gonna get a taste of this!" he threatened, pointing to his fist. BanchoLeomon slammed his paws on the table. "You idiot. Your fist isn't a thing that makes you strong. There's a major difference between guys like you and guys like me. I possess something you don't have and perhaps never will. Power. You'll never be a great fighter without it. You're not in my class, so I'm putting you in it. Now let's get a couple of things straight. I saw what happened in Stockholm, and I'm disgusted by it. That's why my partner and I want to help you. DATS has created technology that might, and I mean just might, allow all of your Digimon to reach Mega level, but it's not going to mean a thing if you don't have enough strength in here..." He pounded his fist to his heart. "...to make it happen. The next two weeks are going to push you even further than you may have realized."

"Whoa whoa, tough guy. Who's your partner?" Matt asked. Dr. Damon raised his hand, and Marcus' jaw dropped. "Don't look so surprised, Marcus. You know how tough I can be," Marcus' dad said. "You- you- mean I'll have to put up with him when I come home?" Marcus stammered. BanchoLeomon got right up to Marcus' face. "Oh yeah, and we're gonna have lots of fun." Greg broke out laughing. "What's so funny, four eyes?" Marcus scowled. "You! Hahahahahaaa! You're scared of Leo the Lion, and you gotta take him home with you. Hahahahaha!"

"Quiet!" BanchoLeomon roared. That shut him up. Dr. Damon wrote the word "Team" on the board, then put down two tally marks. "Now listen up. BanchoLeomon and I have a very simple system for discipline. Each time one of you acts up, or tries to be a wise guy, I'll put a tally mark up on the board. You'll have a chance to take marks off based on your performance. At the end of each session, each and every one of you will run a lap around the track for each and every mark up on that board." We all groaned at that.

Dr. Damon was serious about all this, because he'd written a rubric. I felt like I was back in school. After we'd gone over the rubric, BanchoLeomon went right into teaching as he wrote "DigiSoul" on the board. He leaned in with both paws on the table. "Now... what is DigiSoul?" Thomas raised his hand, and the teacher called on him. "Based on my understanding, DigiSoul is human emotion given power. This power can be channeled and converted into energy which the Digimon uses to Digivolve," Thomas answered.

"Exactly!" Dr. Damon wrote it again on the board, with "Digi" in red, and "Soul" in blue. BanchoLeomon continued, "There are two important elements to DigiSoul. First, 'Digi'. Short for 'Digital'. And second, 'Soul'. Dr. Damon, how does Webster define 'soul'?" Dr. Damon quickly looked it up on his cell phone. "Got it. 'soul: the spiritual part of a person that is believed to give life to the body and in many religions is believed to live forever; the immaterial essence, animating principle, or actuating cause of an individual life.'"

Marcus yawned loudly, and BanchoLeomon put another tally mark on the board. "If you cannot comprehend what I am about to teach, and you cannot gain control of your DigiSoul Charge, then you and your Digimon have no future," he said. "Yeah, well do ya have to make your teaching so boring?" Marcus grumbled.

BanchoLeomon put two more tally marks up on the board, then erased them. "Perhaps... you are right. It looks like kinesthetic learning might be needed. Unfortunately, we can't do that without your Digimon present, and for most of you..." He chewed on his stem some more, thinking. "We'll have to borrow your DigiEggs so we can hatch them and bring them back up to at least Rookie level. Follow me." We went to a computer station so the others could install an app in their Digivices to hatch the DigiEggs.

The next day after school, everyone reported back to the base with their In-Training Digimon.

Greg

We had a few minutes before class, so I used the computer to pull up a YouTube video of "SexyBack" so DemiVeemon could show off his new moves. Right at the start of the second verse, he fell asleep. I felt a small, sharp claw tap me on the shoulder. I turned around, and there was an unamused BanchoLeomon. "I like Justin Timberlake as much as the next Digimon, but you should just sit down," he said sternly. I sheepishly took DemiVeemon with me and we went to our seat.

"Dr. Damon and I have discussed it, and we've decided that perhaps the best way for you to gain experience is though kinesthetic learning. So from now on, this is a physical education class. DATS has provided all of you with a complete wardrobe of workout apparel. Don't get used to it though, because in the real world, you're not going to have all this."

So, we went into the locker rooms, changed clothes, and then reported to the large indoor gym. Inside, it looked like it was set up for a simplified version of American Gladiators. Dr. Damon even wore an official's shirt with a whistle.

["Playing to Win" (Extended Rock Mix)

Written by Graeham Goble, John Farnham, David Hirschfelder, Stephen Housden, Spencer Proffer, Wayne Nelson, and Steve Prestwich

Performed by The Teenage Wolves

Lead Singer: Greg Logan (Doug Erholtz)]

With that, the 10-day long training begins. Greg and T.K. go against each other in the game of Powerball, with Matt, Marcus, and Thomas defending. For those who have never seen it, the event is conducted on a larger, rectangular playing field with two ball buckets, each in a semicircular safe zone on either end of the field. Contenders are required to alternate which end of the field they took their scoring balls from. Five scoring cylinders are spread out, with one placed in the center of the playing field, with goals scored there worth more points. Each contender has their own colored scoring balls which are in two separate bins, and have to try to place them into one of five scoring cylinders while avoiding the defenders. The rims of the scoring cylinders are sized such that the contenders generally have to slam dunk the ball into the cylinders to score; a ball thrown from a distance and getting into a scoring cylinder is a legal goal, but scoring in this manner is very difficult. A contender is required to forfeit the ball in hand and pick up a new ball if, before scoring a goal, he or she is tackled to the floor or out of bounds by a defender, or drops the ball onto the floor.

With Greg's size and T.K.'s height, the only struggle the two have is Marcus. Thomas plays the defending game strategically, perhaps a bit too much.

Greg: (VO)

If you want me, come and get me
You don't have a chance if you don't move now
I'm not waiting any longer
You know that I'm playing to win this time

When you make your move, I won't hesitate
If you take too long, you could be too late
This time I'm playing to win

Later, it's switched up with Marcus and Matt challenging each other, with the other three guys defending.

Band: (VO)
If you want me, come and say it

Greg: (VO)
Don't wait around for another chance

Band: (VO)
Make your mind up, make your play

Greg: (VO)
You should be playing to win this time

Rika and Kari challenge each other to a two-man tug of war, conducted on tilting platforms. Kari starts with her platform tilted back, while Rika starts tilted forward. Each one pulls hard on the rope to try to knock the other one off. Kari surprises herself by knocking Rika off, and the latter has to run a lap around the arena.

Band: (VO)
When you make your move, I won't hesitate
If you take too long, you could be too late
This time I'm playing to win

Meanwhile, the Digimon work out on a small jungle gym. They eventually get strong enough to the point that they Digivolve on their own to their Rookie forms. BanchoLeomon and Dr. Damon bump fists.

In another game, a giant maze is constructed across the entire length of the arena floor. The contenders (in this case, Thomas and Rika) are given 45 seconds to negotiate their way through it. Inside are four blockers (Greg, Marcus, Sadie from PurityxSpirited, and Anya), armed with blocking pads to impede their path. Thomas uses his tactical mind to get past Marcus, while Rika infiltrates her way through. Both make their way to the exit.

Band:(VO)

When you make your move, I won't hesitate
If you take too long, you could be too late
This time I'm playing to win

Greg: (VO)
All those wasted years, didn't know I was only a motion away
I got what I wanted from me
I didn't see it was not what I needed
Well, I was a fool

The Digimon go into a training room of their own, a sort of Danger Room with traps, projectile firing devices, flamethrowers, and mechanical dangers such as presses, collapsing walls and the like. Renamon and Veemon jump from wall to wall, disarming the traps and taking out robotic versions of Troopmon with their Diamond Storm and Vee Punch.

Band: (VO)
This time I'm playing to win

Patamon and Lalamon get in some target practice, while Gatomon perfects her Lightning Paw against Gaomon. Agumon and Gabumon get in some sparring practice.

Greg: (VO)
If you want me, come and get me

Band: (VO)
You don't have a chance if you don't move now

Back to the humans, we come to a final obstacle course, a sort of Eliminator. Matt and Thomas scale a reverse treadmill belt each, then cross a pit by using a handbike. They then climb up a cargo net and ride down a zipline to the ground floor.

Greg:(VO)

I'm not waiting any longer
You know that I'm playing to win this time

Band: (VO)
When you make your move, I won't hesitate
If you take too long, you could be too late
This time I'm playing to win

When you make your move, I won't hesitate
If you take too long, you could be too late
This time I'm playing to win

This time I'm playing to win
(Greg: You know that I've made up my mind)
This time I'm playing to win

(Greg: Whooaaaa)
This time I'm playing to win

They then use ropes to scale and go over a Plexiglass wall, then dash to go over a hurdle to the finish line. It looks very close, but in the end, Matt wins. He drops to the floor in exhaustion.

The scene moves to 10 days later.

Greg

We stood in front of BanchoLeomon in our DATS uniforms, at ease. We were disciplined, cultured, in perfect military order... or at least faking it. BanchoLeomon walked back and forth, inspecting us. Izzy, Commander Sampson, and Cody looked on. "Now, I can't speak on behalf of Commander Sampson, but let me just say... you did great. You came in here as rock stars who failed miserably against two overpowered Mega-level Digimon and now look at you. Primed, prepared, and ready to fight. Well... almost." Izzy and Cody walked out with suitcases. They opened them up to reveal rectangular handheld devices, and each one had three buttons slanted side by side. The ring was in a half-circle, and the screen was brand new. Plus, there was this little red rectangular button on the side of it. We each picked up the one that was in our color scheme.

Izzy looked so proud as he told us about our new equipment. "This is the Digivice ic5 Burst. In a true return to tradition, this is handheld, and much larger than the traditional Digivices some of us had when we were kids. This can do everything your old Digivices could do, and more. What I'm particularly proud of is the Qualcomm MSM8255 1.4GHz Scorpion CPUs and the Adreno 205 GPUs I myself installed in each and every one, not to mention the 1 GB ROM and 8 GB of storage-" "Yeah, quick question. Why the switch back to handheld?" Marcus interrupted.

Izzy sighed. "For future reference, Marcus, please don't interrupt me. Thank you. After much personal experience, I found the wrist-mounted models made bloodflow to my right hand quite restrictive. From a production angle, it's easier to make a handheld with a beltclip rather than design something that would fit the wrists of every member." "Yeah, Izzy had a hard time with my Digivice," Cody agreed.

We were soon directed into a large room with a lot of technical equipment and a few virtual reality pods, the kind you might find at a large arcade. Izzy continued, "I assisted Dr. Damon with this particular project. Those pods you see immediately in front of you are called Optimizers." "Optimizers? What do they optimize?" Matt asked. "You, of course. Or to be more specific, your bodies." We all looked confused at that.

"Allow me to explain. Using a Digivice, humans can allow a Digimon to instantaneously Digivolve to a higher level by sharing their energy. This takes a large amount of energy merely to reach Champion. In the past, Digivolution to Ultimate required the use of a Crest, such as the ones T.K., Kari, Matt, and I had. New research has shown us that this is no longer necessary. However, that does leave the question of Mega-level Digivolutions to be investigated. I personally have poured in countless hours of research on my own time to discover the answer. The only people whose Digimon have reached Mega-level on a regular basis are Tai, Matt, and Davis and Ken as a singular unit. I've determined that the reason the former two were able to proceed that far was because of augmentation caused by Angemon and Angewomon's arrows of hope and light." T.K. raised his hand. "Wait a minute, Izzy. I remember when we were in Colorado, and Kari and I were able to Warp Digivolve our Digimon." "Ah, but that was momentary, and a one-off instance. Not enough data was collected."

"Don't see why he gets to interrupt," Marcus grumbled to me in a low tone. "He raised his hand," I whispered back. Izzy continued. "After hours of conclusive research, I have come up with conclusive evidence. The reason the rest of us were not able to Digivolve our Digimon to Mega is—" "Because ya didn't get lucky!" Marcus shouted. "You! SHUT UP!" BanchoLeomon roared. We all shut up as Izzy looked to BanchoLeomon and nodded, happy with his enforcer's work.

Then, he turned back to us. "As I was saying, my theory is that the human body can only support so much emotional energy, or DigiSoul. What this machine does is enter your brain and optimizes it by removing the restraints so 100% of your strength can be used. Normally, we use a little more than 10% of our brain. This procedure allows an extra 5% to be used for DigiSoul support purposes, thereby not only granting you more DigiSoul to use, but also supporting your body in the transfer to your Digimon. Not only that, but it does the same two things to your Digimon."

Matt raised his hand. "So in short, it's putting your brain on steroids?" Izzy's eyebrows went way up. "Yamato. I would never even suggest such a thing. What on Earth are you implying?" "Well, you know, our brains are getting jacked." "Optimized," Izzy corrected him.

Some of us were skeptical about it, me included. "Eh, I don't know, Izzy. I wouldn't put myself in any machine that does things to my brain. I like it just the way it is, you know?" "Well, Greg, there is another way this can happen. You could attempt to knock down Animatronic figures for hours. Trust me, this is much less painful. I guarantee it." "All right."

So, we each were seated in these pods. We took off our old Digivices and gave them to Dr. Damon and Izzy, who inserted them into the machines. Once I'd gotten comfortable, small headphone-like speakers popped out towards my ears, a visor went in front of my eyes, and my shoulders were held back by the restraints as the pod door closes. The next voice I heard was Dr. Damon's. "All right, everyone. Just relax. Soon, you will enter a void of nothingness, but your Digimon will be with you. Once you have arrived, try to establish some sort of bond with your Digimon." Then, I heard white noise as the massage feature turned on.

At the Bagra Army's headquarters, a new Digimon arrives. He is a black knight with a mechanized look about him. He carries a double spear that looks like a pugil stick. He walks in like he owns the place. Tactimon and Blastmon take notice. "And who might you be?" Tactimon inquires. The knight pushes him aside.

The knight speaks. "My brother! I have come, just as Dragomon requested." Lord Bagra turns to see his brother. "Ah, AxeKnightmon. So good to see you again." "I have no time for trivialities, brother. It seems you have failed spectacularly in your efforts to decimate the DigiDestined." "Yes, indeed. But if you are going to fail, then you must fail spectacularly!" "Silence! Your incompetence is astounding. If you want to kill someone, you must attack them where they live. That is why I am planning an assault on Tokyo, Japan. At your command, I will send out three Digimon."

Video footage pulls up of the three Digimon in question. First, a black-and-white version of Taomon. "From the east, Doumon. His Kimon Tonkou attack will trap one of the DigiDestined." Second, a golden version of a crowned Etemon. "From the west, KingEtemon. His arrogance will be lead to the DigiDestined's downfall." Next, a Digimon that will look very familiar to Tamers fans. "From the south, Justimon. He comes along like the wind, swings down his hammer of justice, and leaves like the wind."

Lord Bagra sits and prepares a cup of tea. "Make it so," he directs. AxeKnightmon raises his spear and presses a button in the center. This sends a signal that dispatches the three.

Matt

I just let myself relax and went into a void of nothingness, just like Marcus' dad said. I was just floating around in space. "Huh... so this is nothing, huh? It's even emptier than when Apocalymon beat us the first time. I'm not even data, I'm just... me." Soon, Gabumon joined me. "I'm here too, Matt." "Awesome. So, what are we supposed to do now?" My partner had to think about that. "I don't know. Do we have to say anything?" "Uh... no, he just said 'establish some sort of bond'. I'm cool with doing it quietly." "OK."

I thought about the good times I'd had with Gabumon over the years, and some of the bad times as well. We'd gotten into a lot of trouble together, and I know that my buddy was always there for me. I really cherish that friendship. It's something I shouldn't, and don't, take for granted.

"Gabumon?" "Yeah, Matt?" "I've been thinking about it, and I probably shouldn't have sent you back into that fight with Laylamon. ...Especially when you were hurt. I'm sorry, man." "It's no problem, Matt. What's done is done." I smiled. "Thanks."

T.K.

I'd gotten used to this whole void of nothingness bit, but it was still weird. I found some solid ground to put my feet on, but then just decided to float around. Patamon and the younger version of me joined me. "Hey there," Young T.K. said, waving. I returned it with a "Hey." Patamon was just happy about the whole thing. "Isn't this exciting? I'll finally get to Digivolve to Mega-level! YAY!" He and Young T.K. kept cheering. I still couldn't wrap my brain around it.

"Are you OK?" the younger me asked. "Yeah, but what Izzy said got me to thinking. Back when I was a kid, I didn't think too much about not being able to bring Patamon to Mega-level. I was just eight or nine years old, I didn't know any better. I was just glad I was able to help Matt fulfill the prophesy." "That was pretty cool," the younger me admitted. "More recently, I just thought Davis and Ken were lucky stiffs. Maybe I was a little bit jealous, but I knew that I had more experience than both of them. I never really thought about my potential until Izzy brought up what he did." "Well, maybe now it's time you started. It's just like I said, T.K. You probably don't even realize what kind of power you really have, but now you will. Oh what am I saying? I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together, right?" "Right!" all three of us agreed.

Kari

I didn't know whether this was magic or technology. Then again, I've been wondering that for a long time now. Gatomon joined me. "So, Kari, I'm finally going to Digivolve to Mega. Are you excited?" I grinned. "Sure am. I've never been more excited in my life."

"Me neither!" my younger self agreed as she floated down. "It's me again," I remarked. "Yep." "What are you doing here, and why do we keep running into each other?" She laughed. "Silly, I'm you. Don't you realize how big this moment is?" "Yeah, I do. It's just that, I can't help but think that T.K. and I are... well, different. Like, we have these advantages that the others don't have. I wish they had Crests too, just so they could know how amazing it is to have one."

Gatomon stepped forward. "Just think of it this way. Davis and Ken, Tai, and Matt were the only ones whose Digimon could reach Mega-level when all those Control Spires popped up in the Real World. Nobody else got that chance. Now, it's our turn." Young Kari agreed, "You said it. We came late into the game, so don't you think we deserve to be on equal ground with the others?" "I know, but... it's not very fair to the others," I said.

Gatomon clenched her paw. "There's a huge difference between being nice and being a pushover, Kari." "I am not a pushover!" I insisted. "Right! Start acting like it. You think life's fair? You're dead wrong! Life will never be fair, so you have to just take the good with the bad. If you get an advantage, you don't worry about whether it's fair or not, you take it because you deserve it!" I gasped. "Gatomon... you're starting to sound like LadyDevimon." The younger me looked shocked as well.

"Eh... you're right. I'm sorry." I rushed over and hugged Gatomon. "It's OK, you were just caught up in the moment. I forgive you." The younger me let out a great big "awwwwwwwww".

Thomas

I checked my surroundings carefully. I must give DATS proper credit for generating such an elaborate experience. I kept track of my own brainwaves as they dropped from beta to theta. Usually, I would have to use an isolation tank to reach this level. Soon, Gaomon joined me.

"Sir. I'm looking forward to finally reaching Mega-level. What about you?" "Of course. I'm just amazed at how much work this organization has shown in their attempts at sensory deprivation." "Yes." We didn't have much to say after that. No words were necessary.

Rika

I looked around. "Big white walls of nothing, check. Me defying gravity, check. Renamon?" Renamon appeared. "Double check," she said. "Hmm... so, Marcus' dad wants us to establish a bond. I don't think we need to." I did a backflip in midair. "Yeah... screw that."

Renamon floated on her back. "You missed me, didn't you? Just admit it." I just looked to her and shook my head, trying to hide a smile. "All right, I did." What happened next couldn't be described in words. It was good to have her back.

Marcus

So I was floating around in a whole bunch of nothing. Big whoop. Agumon showed up and we started firing punches at each other. We matched blow-for-blow. "So, what killed you?" "It was that stupid lady Digimon. Her nails are... too sharp, Boss!" "Heh, you're telling me. She dishes out a pretty good kick, too. We're not gonna let her beat us again, are we?" "Heck no! We're gonna get stronger together!" "Yeah!"

Anya

Lalamon and I floated throughout this white void of space. "Lalamon?" "Yes, Anya?" "There is something I have not told you about myself. It it something about my past." "Go ahead and tell me."

"My father is a mediator and diplomat, specializing in global conflict. We had just gotten out of a war with the Republic of Ichkeria, foreign mujahideen and al-Qaeda. Now we were in insurgency. In 1999, my father had to leave for Chechnya, in the hopes of ending the conflict quickly. Misfortune followed him as he was held hostage by Caucasian militants. He was only supposed to be away for two weeks, a month at the most. We did not hear from him until New Year's Eve. Mother, my sisters Sonya and Lara, and I were to stay strong in the hopes he would return. It was all we could do. He was in our prayers. We did not know if he would make it back alive. It just took too long. Thankfully, he returned in March of the next year. He had not been hurt, thank goodness."

"Wow, you're right. You hadn't told me about that. Is that what helped you be the person you are now?" "Precisely." "Wow..." For a long time, there was silence. "Anya?" "Yes?" "I missed you." "I missed you as well." We ended up hugging each other, which I admit is not very Russian.

Greg

My first reaction was "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh-kay. What have we here? Nothing." "Yep, looks pret-ty blank to me," Veemon said. I turned, and there he was. I gave a short nod, and he returned it. "OK, so what do we do now? Am I... supposed to give some sort of speech?" "Yeah, I think so, Greg." "Oh, all right."

I cleared my throat. "Whew, what a wild ride this has been. When I first met you, Veemon, I didn't know what I was getting myself into. When I saw that Davis already had someone like you, I was concerned. I didn't want to disappoint anyone. When you Digivolved into AeroVeedramon for the first time, I felt something different. I think- no, I know you've changed my life. You've given me a confidence that things will get better, even if I have to fight for it myself. There are some things I can't do on my own, and that I shouldn't even try. You and I are going to get through this fight together. As long as I have my friends, all my friends, by my side, nothing's gonna tear us apart. Nothing." Veemon applauded, whistled, and cheered. "That was awesome!" "Thanks, buddy."

Just then, Dr. Damon's voice came in. "All right. Now that you've established some bond with your Digimon, we're beginning the optimization process. I want each of you to ignite your DigiSoul as if you were about to initiate a Full Charge." I clenched both my fists, let out a short roar, and did as I was told. "Very good. Now, on the count of three, I want you to ignite it even further. Push yourself to the very limits, and then control it with the force of your will. Ready? One... two... three!" I yelled at the top of my lungs, pushing my DigiSoul to its very limits. That turbine in my heart was going at full blast, and I didn't know how long I could hold it. Dr. Damon went on. "Here's a question for all of you to think about. What does your heart desire? What is it you want?"

The answer, to me, was easy. "What do I want? I want to use my power to help others!"

Rika

"I want to fight alongside Renamon, and my friends!"

Kari

"I want to grow stronger with Gatomon so both the Real World and Digital World can live in peace!"

T.K.

"I don't want the powers of darkness to hurt any of my friends!"

Marcus

"What do I want? I want to protect Agumon! I want to protect everybody!"

Thomas

"A peaceful world!"

Anya

"A world filled with love and understanding!"

Matt

"I just want to defeat the Bagra Army and protect both worlds."

Izzy

From outside the pods, I could observe what was happening. Their DigiSoul was covering their bodies, almost about to eat them whole. Suddenly, the light went into their hearts and their bodies gained a soft aura around them, then died down automatically. The pods beeped, and then opened. The optimization was complete, and they were ready. Matt was the first to step out of his pod. "Whoa... I don't know what you and Dr. Damon did with this machine, but it works! I'm charged up and ready to go!" Marcus was next. "OH YEAH, BABY! I'm ready to rock and roll! Owwwwww!" He fired a few punches in the air. Rika was after him. "Gotta give props to you and Dr. Damon there." Overall, the optimization was a complete success.

At that point, the alarms went off. The city was under attack, and we all rushed to the screens to see who was causing heavy property damage. It was not one, but three Digimon, and all of them coming from different directions. They were all converging on one point, the Fuji TV Building. BanchoLeomon analyzed the situation. "Oh no... it looks like we have a Kamen Rider from the south, a taoist from the east, and..." "Is that Etemon wearing a crown?" T.K. asked. Matt nodded. "But look at where they're all headed! The Fuji TV Building. Dad's in trouble!"

I turned to the team. "All right, now pay attention. The call for Digivolution to Mega is 'DigiSoul Charge Overdrive'. There are also two modes on this Digivice that will change the game forever. Barrier Mode gives you a shield to protect you and those in closest proximity, while Aura Mode enhances your strength and abilities." "Learn this lesson well, DigiDestined. Real power is in your heart, and backed by an unwavering courage," BanchoLeomon added.

"All right. Thank you, Dr. Damon, Izzy, and BanchoLeomon. For everything," Matt said. They then took their new Digivices, clipped them on their belts, and went on their way. I didn't even get a chance to wish them good luck, so I joined them just in case they needed me.

Matt

Izzy joined us in the parking garage. "So you want to come along too, huh?" I asked. "Absolutely. I figure if there are three threats, then we should split up in three cars. Kari, T.K., and Greg can be one team; you, Rika, and Marcus on another, and Thomas, Anya, and me in the last." He showed us his own new Digivice. Before I could say anything, Rika was already at a car. I shrugged and just went with it.

"I call shotgun!" Marcus called as he got in the front seat. "Same here!" T.K. yelled, but Kari cleared her throat. "Ladies first," she gently insisted. Greg got excited at the idea, but Anya cleared her throat. We split up and drove off, finally arriving at the Fuji TV building. We got out of the cars and ran toward the scene. It was brutal. They were all cutting away at the building. People were running out left and right. T.K. and I rushed inside to look for Dad, but he was busy leading other people out. We got him out to safety.

"T.K.! Matt! What are you two doing here?" Dad wanted to know. "It's OK, Dad. We got this under control," I reassured him. We stood in a line, took out our Digivices, and pressed a button to suit up. "All right, guys. It's time to accelerate into overdrive!" "Yeah!" the others cheered. We posed again with our Digivices and called on our Digimon.

"Gabumon!" "Patamon!" "Gatomon!" "Veemon!" "Agumon!" "Tentomon!" "Renamon!" "Gaomon!" "Lalamon!" "Realize!"

Our Digimon came out of our Digivices and got ready for battle. We ignited our DigiSoul and got in position.

[BGM: "Chouhatsu Infinity (Instrumental)" by Oku Keiichi]

"DigiSoul, Charge!" I called, slamming my palm over the sensor. Then I tilted it at a horizontal angle and thrust it forward. "OVERDRIVE!" The power circled into a spiral until it hit Gabumon. Then, it gave him the strength to jump up and start Digivolving.

"Gabumon Double Warp Digivolve to..." He then whited out and spun around, growing into his new form. Instead of becoming MetalGarurumon, he became even more metallic. He became a gigantic, humanoid robotic warrior. He grabbed his two greatswords and slashed with them in the air. "AncientGarurumon!"

T.K. went after me. "DigiSoul, Charge! OVERDRIVE!" "Patamon Double Warp Digivolve to..." Patamon became a tall figure equipped with holy blue and silver armor that shined in the sun. The Crest of Hope appeared on his plackart, as a breechcloth dropped down below it to reveal DigiCode. The final touch was a blue winged helmet. He posed with his sword. "Seraphimon!"

Kari tried throwing a little flair into hers, but it was basically the same. "DigiSoul, Charge! OVERDRIVE!" "Gatomon Double Warp Digivolve to..." Gatomon transformed into a tall angel with blue armor and a blue helmet. She had six wings, a shield with a unicorn's head on it, nothing covering her belly button, and high heels. She posed with her spear. "Ophanimon!"

Greg was next. "DigiSoul, Charge! OVERDRIVE!" "Veemon Double Warp Digivolve to..." Veemon's legs became longer and muscular. Blue armor electrically attached itself to his body. As he stretched out his hands, his wrists became equipped with devices that lit up. His horn became much longer and more like a strengthened fin as the gold V was majestically painted on his front. As he flew out, all the white faded away as his true form was revealed. All in all, he looked like a majestic knight. "UlforceVeedramon!"

Marcus looked up at the others. "Whoa, pretty awesome. But now it's my turn! DigiSoul, Charge! OVERDRIVE!" "Agumon Double Warp Digivolve to..." This new Digivolution grew longer arms and legs, plus his tail became a circle with spikes around it. His whole body became covered in red, gold, and white armor; with RizeGreymon's jet wings glowing in jet red. "ShineGreymon!"

He was followed by Thomas H. Norstein. "DigiSoul, Charge! OVERDRIVE!" "Gaomon Double Warp Digivolve to..." Once again, Gaomon's body became longer and stronger. His boxing gloves were replaced by shielded fists with sharp metal claws popping out. He also gained a red cape and looked like a knight as well. "MirageGaogamon!"

Anya went after him. "DigiSoul, Charge! OVERDRIVE!" "Lalamon Double Warp Digivolve to..." Once again, Lalamon became a beautiful, well-endowed woman dressed in an outfit resembling a rose. Her eyes were covered with giant rose petals. She was much more alluring this time around. "Rosemon!"

Rika followed her. "DigiSoul, Charge! OVERDRIVE!" "Renamon Double Warp Digivolve to..." The fox-like Digimon became an armor-clad and well-endowed female Digimon. She jumped up to cover the sun, flipped, and landed on her feet. She quickly spun with her scepter and revealed her name. "Sakuyamon!"

Finally, Izzy took his turn. "DigiSoul, Charge! OVERDRIVE!" "Tentomon Double Warp Digivolve to..." Tentomon became much larger, maybe about a thousand times his size. He also changed his appearance to that of a Hercules beetle. What really stood out was his gigantic horn and scissors. "HerculesKabuterimon!"

We just stood there in awe of our Digimon's new forms. Finally, Marcus raised up his fist. "It's fightin' time!" The Digimon charged into battle.

Author's Notes:

Rather than use MetalGarurumon or ZeedGarurumon, I decided to go with AncientGarurumon just to be different and match the bipedal theme of the other Digimon. Plus, AncientGarurumon is one of the legendary "Ten Legendary Warriors" that saved the ancient Digital World. So, there's a tribute to Frontier in there.

Greg, Marcus, Thomas, and Anya's Mega Digivolution descriptions were borrowed from Digimon Savers International. Heck, this is pretty much a remake/reboot of Chapter 30 from DSI.

Pizza-la is an actual Japanese pizza chain that offers a really decent pizza.

The American Gladiators events played here are Tug-O-War, Powerball, The Maze, and Eliminator.

There are several ideas I'm toying with for this battle. According to Digimon Tamers: Battle Spirit Ver. 1.5, Ophanimon can only be used for a limited amount of time. Considering how overpowered Ophanimon actually is, this may not be such a bad idea.

" I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together" comes from "I Am the Walrus" by The Beatles.

The Optimizers are fashioned after Kaiba's virtual reality pods, isolation tanks, and massage chairs.