A/N: sithlorde1988 here, with another chapter of Digimon Data Squad Redux (rewrite)! Gonna be honest, didn't think I'd find myself working on another chapter of this quite so soon but it is what it is. For those of you reading this story that read Pokemon: Shuffled Journeys, I have a new poll up on my profile that you can vote on. Unlike the previous one, this is merely to determine if I do all the regions in a singular story or if I do one story for each region Ash goes through (note that I'm undecided at this time on if he goes through either the Orange Islands or Gen 9's region). So you can go vote on that. Usual disclaimers apply! That said, on with chapter 2!
Chapter 2: The Prodigal Return! Welcome to DATS!
(in an airplane currently flying over DATS HQ)
"Sir, we're about to land at DATS HQ. Prepare to disembark when we land." A female flight attendant said to the lone passenger of the flight, a young man who looked to be about Marcus' age with blonde hair and brown eyes. The young man nodded.
"Very well. Thank you for the heads up. I will start getting ready now." The young man said to the flight attendant. The flight attendant bowed.
"Very good. I'll leave you to your preprations then, Thomas." The flight attendant said to the now-named Thomas before leaving the room, allowing Thomas to stretch out a bit before standing up and pulling a Digivice similar to the ones that Yoshino, Kyori and even Marcus had (though his was blue rather than the pink, grey-silver and orange colors that the other three's came in) and looked at it, staring at the dog-like Digimon contained within.
"This is it, Gaomon. We're finally back at HQ. Feels like it's been so long since we left, doesn't it?" Thomas asked the now-named Gaomon.
"Sir! It has been a while since we left DATS HQ on our mission, sir. But it's still nice to be back. Doubtless the Commander will be pleased to see our return. Too bad the Austria branch of DATS wasn't nearly as efficient or effective as this one. But no matter, we're back now and that's what matters. Don't you agree Gaomon?" Thomas said. Gaomon nodded inside the Digivice. Thomas smiled.
"Then let's get going!" Thomas said, gathering his things as the plane landed. Gaomon nodded.
"Sir, yes sir!" Gaomon said as the two got off the plane and headed towards DATS HQ.
(At DATS HQ, with Sampson, Marcus and Kyori)
"So you're Marcus Damon, and you managed to partner up with Raptor-1...I mean Agumon. That in and of itself is impressive. However, there's still the matter of you and Raptor-1 trying to run from our agents initially. Granted you did work with them eventually. So I can't be TOO upset with you. And as for you, Kusanagi! You're lucky things worked out the way they did or you'd be in a ton of trouble too! Not only did you recklessly reveal several confidential details of yours and Yoshino's investigation you even took it upon yourself to initiate contact with Agumon.
Had things not played out the way they did, you could've ruined everything. However, they worked out for the best so we can overlook this impulsive behavior...THIS time. Well done, both of you. Not many people can take out a trio of Champion-level Digimon on their first try, even if they DID have help from Yoshino. So, rather than punish either of you like I probably should, I'm going to extend an invitation to the both of you to join DATS. And Damon, before you protest, take this into consideration. If you and Agumon join, we don't have to keep hunting him anymore. And I'm sure that's what Agumon wants is to be free. So think about THAT before you reply to my offer. I already have a good idea of how Kusanagi will reply however." Sampson said to Marcus and Kyori, who took turns wincing as Sampson tore into them before eventually smiling as he finished speaking.
"Sir, or I guess it'd probably be Commander now, I see no reason to turn your offer down. So while I can't speak for Marcus, I for one accept your offer. At the least, it'll give me an excuse to keep in better contact with Yoshino." Kyori replied to Sampson. Marcus stroked his chin, actually considering the offer.
"Normally, I'm not much of a team player, Sir. However, if this will make Agumon happy and stop him from being hunted, I can make an exception for this. So like Kyori said, I accept your invitation to join DATS. Count me in, Commander." Marcus added, surprising both Kyori AND Sampson by briefly bowing to Sampson. Sampson laughed at this.
"Very well. Welcome to DATS, both of you. And Kusanagi, don't expect this to be just constant social calls. Being a DATS agent is lots of hard work and due diligence. If you don't believe me, ask these two ladies over here." Sampson said, jerking a thumb over his right shoulder at Miki and Megumi who had chosen that moment to walk into the room.
"Ask us what, Commander?" Miki said, before noticing Kyori and Marcus. She and Megumi exchanged looks as they looked the two over.
"And are these two joining DATS?" Megumi added, letting herself take a slightly longer time looking Marcus over than she did Kyori, much to the slight unease of Marcus.
"I was just telling Kyori and Marcus here that being a DATS agent isn't just idle socializing, Miki. It's about lots of hard work, due diligence and raw effort. And to your question, Megumi, yes they're joining DATS. They literally just joined up in fact." Sampson replied, as the girls nodded, turning to Kyori and Marcus.
"In that case, welcome to DATS, gentlemen. I'm Miki, and the blonde next to me is Megumi. Nice to meet both of you." Miki said to Marcus and Kyori, ignoring the indignant huff from Megumi at how blandly she was described. Megumi then smiled as she looked at Marcus.
"Like Miki said, my name is Megumi. But despite what she thinks, I'm more than just a ditzy blonde. But yeah nice to meet you two. Especially you, handsome." Megumi added, turning to face Marcus directly before giving him a teasing/playful wink, making him flush slightly in confusion and embarrassment at her complimenting him. Kyori now smirked, seeing a chance to get back at Marcus for the teasing he did when he and Yoshino had had their moment the day he and Marcus had gotten their Digivices.
"Lookie there, Marcus. Looks like I'm not the only one who's popular with the ladies." Kyori teased Marcus, laughing. Marcus huffed.
"Oh shut up, Kyori. Excuse me for not expecting to be flirted with while we're here." Marcus said rolling his eyes but chuckling at Kyori's joke just the same. Kyori turned to Miki and Megumi.
"Oops, sorry ladies. Didn't mean to ignore you there. I'm Kyori Kusanagi, and the one Megumi over there called 'handsome' is Marcus Damon. I usually allow my friends to call me Kyo for short, but as I don't know you two that well just yet, I hope you'll forgive me if I wait to extend you that courtesy for now." Kyori said, introducing himself and Marcus to Miki and Megumi. Miki smiled, nodding at Kyori.
"That's quite all right, Kyori. I understand. Nice to meet you both." Miki replied. Megumi just nodded to Kyori before letting herself look Marcus over again.
"So your name is Marcus? That's a nice name. But what's nicer is how chiseled you seem to be already. Yet you don't seem to be much older than our other agent, if you are. How old are you?" Megumi asked Marcus. Marcus frowned.
"I'm 14. And what other agent? Are you saying there's more of you than just me, Kyori, you, Miki, Commander Sampson and Yoshino?" Marcus asked Megumi, who giggled.
"Of course there is, silly! But not all of us are at this HQ. Some of us are at other branches of HQ. But that's all I know mostly on that subject." Megumi replied. Miki rolled her eyes.
"Go figure Megumi takes to the strong guys. I half-thought she'd been carrying a torch for Commander Sampson." Miki joked, smirking at Megumi who looked disgusted by Miki's attempt at humor. Behind her, Kyori also looked disturbed by the idea.
"First of all Miki, EW! Secondly, Commander Sampson's WAY too old for me! No offense, sir." Megumi replied. Sampson chuckled at Megumi's response.
"None taken, Megumi. And speaking of other agents, I wonder how Norstein is doing?" Sampson mused. As if on cue, the door opened once again, admitting a blonde-haired, brown-eyed young man about Marcus' age, who was carrying a blue Digivice. The young man saluted Sampson.
"Thomas H. Norstein, reporting for duty, sir! I'm back from Austria!" The now-named Thomas said to Sampson who laughed.
"At ease, Norstein. And good timing. I was just musing on how you were doing." Sampson said to Thomas, who frowned as he saw Kyori and Marcus.
"Are they civilians, Commander?" Thomas asked Sampson, jerking his thumb towards Kyori and Marcus.
"No, Thomas, they're new recruits. Thomas, this is Kyori Kusanagi and Marcus Damon. They just joined up with DATS." Sampson said as Thomas nodded.
"I see...nice to meet you, gentlemen. I am Thomas H. Norstein. Welcome to DATS." Thomas said to Kyori and Marcus.
"Yeah, yeah, nice to meet you too Nerdstein." Marcus replied, as Kyori subtly elbowed Marcus in the ribs.
"Marcus, behave. He's just trying to be sociable, I think." Kyori hissed to Marcus who grumbled under his breath at the elbowing, but Kyori ignored him before looking at Thomas.
"Nice to meet you as well, Thomas. Did I hear you say you'd just gotten back?" Kyori asked Thomas politely, trying to smooth over Marcus' faux pas while being genuinely interested in getting to know Thomas. Thomas nodded.
"That's correct. I've been away working with DATS' Austrian branch so I could spend some time in my home country. I have to say, I'm glad at least ONE of you has some sense and doesn't just mouth off." Thomas said to Kyori, ignoring the spluttering Marcus as he focused on Kyori.
"I see. Well welcome back then. Hopefully you manage to settle in okay." Kyori said. At that moment, Thomas frowned, realizing something.
"Say, where's Yoshino? Shouldn't she be here as well?" Thomas asked, as both Marcus and Kyori winced.
"She would be, except Commander Sampson got all sorts of pissed off at her when we came back because she didn't do a good enough job protecting the car she took to get me and her to Marcus' house. Suffice it to say the details of that are a very long story and I'm not sure if we have enough social time to cover them right now. Since Commander Sampson said being a DATS agent isn't all socializing and all." Kyori answered Thomas. Marcus laughed.
"Be fair, Kyori. That WAS partly OUR fault for not keeping those Digimon away from the car. But who would expect that it'd take just ONE mis-aimed attack to blow up a car?" Marcus said to Kyori, ignoring Thomas' wide-eyed look of surprise at Marcus' statement.
"I'm not denying or disputing that. But at the same time, if you hadn't ran off with Agumon, we wouldn't have been in that situation in the first place." Kyori pointed out. Marcus huffed but nodded.
"Fine, I'll give you that one. So what's the next move Commander?" Marcus said to Kyori, before directing his question towards Commander Sampson.
"Basically, Kyori is correct, Thomas. But I also punished her because she let Marcus escape the house to go attack a Digimon at his sister's school. Luckily for him there weren't many witnesses to deal with but it was still damn foolish of him." Sampson said to Thomas, before turning to glare at Marcus near the end of his explanation.
"And to your question, Marcus, nothing for now. YOU need to be educated on the by-laws and guidelines of being a DATS agent as well as being a Digimon tamer. Because Yoshino is too busy to instruct you on these things, and because I can't do it, I'm assigning Thomas to teach you these things. As for Kyori, I'll let Miki and Megumi decide which one of them can educate him." Sampson said, ignoring the twin expressions of disbelief coming from Marcus and Thomas. Kyori for his part shrugged, not having a preference on which of the girls taught him since he was okay with either one. Megumi had a thought though and spoke up.
"With all due respect Commander, is making Thomas train Marcus wise? Why not have Miki teach Kyori what he needs to know while I teach Marcus what he needs to know. Thomas can then choose if he wishes to help teach either of them, or if he would rather go get settled in to being back." Megumi said to Commander Sampson who snorted at Megumi's suggestion.
"That's smart, but how do we know you would be focused on teaching Marcus the ins and outs of DATS life rather than focused on flirting with him? Besides, Thomas has to learn to be able to work with all DATS agents so he can be able to adapt to any situation. However, if Miki agrees, she can teach Kyori. That much I agree with." Sampson replied, ignoring Marcus' dropped jaw, Thomas' perplexed expression, Kyori's non-commital shrug, Miki's giggles and Megumi's red-faced splutters of denial of Sampson's response.
"Give it up, Megumi. Even the Commander can tell when you're into someone. Not that I'm judging you, but how do you know he is interested in you that way?" Miki pointed out to Megumi. Megumi glared at Miki, her anger temporarily overriding her embarrassment at being called out by everyone.
"For your information, I CAN be professional when the situation calls for it. Just because I find Marcus handsome doesn't mean I can't be a good teacher." Megumi huffed, crossing her arms in indignation. Kyori chose that moment to laugh at Megumi's comment.
"No offense to either of you, but if we're unsure of anything here, it's not whether or not you can teach, because I'm sure you're able to do that well, but rather whether or not Marcus can actually feel that way about anyone or if his only love is fighting." Kyori joked, causing Miki and Thomas to laugh at Kyori's joke while Marcus and Megumi both huffed and glared at Kyori, for different reasons. (For Marcus, he didn't appreciate the joke, while Megumi was offended on Marcus' behalf even if she did realize Kyori had complimented her) Thomas shook his head and spoke up at that moment.
"I appreciate you offering to take work off my shoulders, Megumi, but if the Commander wants me to teach this knuckle-dragger the ways of DATS, I'll humor him. Even if I do think Marcus has much less brains than he does brawn." Thomas said, making Miki giggle at the quip while Megumi and Marcus rolled their eyes. Kyori just shrugged.
"Be fair, Thomas. While it IS true Marcus doesn't necessarily have the most sense of us all, he does have enough brawn and heart to make up for it. So I think you should at least give him a chance. And while I DID just poke fun at him, I wasn't trying to offend him with my joke." Kyori said. Marcus smiled slightly at Kyori's defense of him.
"Nah, I knew you were joking, Kyori. Though I don't think Nerdstein is very funny with his humor. But I guess if I have to learn from him, I will." Marcus said sighing. Megumi giggled.
"Thomas might seem rough around the edges, but he really is a good guy once you get past all that. And if he consents, I can help teach you stuff too. Kind of a 'good teacher, bad teacher' type deal if you know what that is." Megumi said to Marcus, who shrugged.
"That's up to Thomas, I guess. And I think you mean 'good cop, bad cop', don't you?" Marcus replied to Megumi, unsure if she was getting her terms mixed up or not. Megumi shook her head.
"No, I meant what I said. But I find it funny you'd think I meant that." Megumi said, playfully giving Marcus a light punch on the shoulder. Marcus initially flinched, then smirked as he felt the punch.
"That was pretty good actually. You're all right, Megumi." Marcus said smiling at Megumi who looked away to keep the color out of her face at Marcus' compliment. As Kyori opened his mouth, presumably to poke fun at Megumi, Miki cut him off.
"And don't even bother trying to tease her, Kyori. Way the Commander tells it, you're no better when it comes to Yoshino." Miki said dryly, making Kyori sputter indignantly before turning to Miki.
"No fair. Don't turn that on me like that, Miki. And Yoshino and I are just friends, close friends granted, but friends." Kyori said, crossing his arms.
"Friends, right. And friends regularly cuddle like you two did that night you got your Digivice." Ryudamon jokingly quipped from Kyori's Digivice. Miki and Megumi blinked.
"Was that from your Digivice, Kyori?" Miki asked. Kyori nodded.
"That would be my partner Digimon deciding to join in on poking fun at me." Kyori said in a deadpan tone but shrugged.
(Back with the Damons and Yoshino)
"This is the worst. I can't believe I get stuck watching Marcus' family while he and Kyori get to go off and do who knows what." Yoshino said, crossing her chest and huffing as she leaned back on the couch she was laying on, Lalamon safely secured inside her Digivice. However, Yoshino was quickly reminded she wasn't alone by a giggling coming from behind her.
"Come now, dear. It's not that bad, is it? I know Kristy and I aren't probably the most fun to be around at times, but I'm sure you're enjoying yourself at least somewhat." Sarah's voice could be heard lightly chastising Yoshino. Yoshino winced as she turned around.
"Oh, I didn't realize I wasn't alone. I'm sorry Sarah. I'm just annoyed that the others got to go out and do stuff while I'm the only one who thinks to stay behind to make sure you and Kristy are safe. I didn't mean any offense to you with what I said. I was just pouting and being a bit bratty." Yoshino said, giving Sarah an apologetic look. Sarah smiled at Yoshino, gently laying her hands on Yoshino's hands, ignoring the surprised/embarrassed expression on Yoshino's face.
"That's okay, Yoshino. I get that you're feeling left out. But I have a feeling that at the very least, Kyori will probably make it a point to make it up to you somehow. And I'm sure that would please you more than anything. And don't try denying it. I saw that look you gave Kyori when he wasn't looking. And unlike Kristy, I know how it feels to have a crush." Sarah said to Yoshino, smiling at her. Yoshino couldn't reply at first, her face both red and pink from embarrassment plus shocked by Sarah's statement.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Sarah. Besides, who's to say Kyori even likes me that way anyways? After all he's been away who knows where the past four years. Granted he claims his mother sent him away to some monk training area but I have a hard time believing he couldn't have made his way back here sooner if that were the case. Am I being foolish to doubt Kyori? Because I feel like he wasn't giving me the full story when he said that." Yoshino said with a sigh, Sarah giggled slightly at Yoshino's remarks.
"Not at all. You're just being worried for your friend. But in all seriousness, I think you're not giving him enough credit. I may not know him OR you all that well yet, but I have a feeling Kyori is too honorable to lie to someone as close to him as you clearly are, even if he won't admit that he feels that close to you. Just be patient. Eventually things will work out for you two if they're meant to do so. In the meantime, just enjoy having him back in your life even if it's just as friends for now." Sarah suggested to Yoshino who actually had a thoughtful expression on her face as she pondered Sarah's suggestion.
"That's...actually not a bad idea. Besides, it's not like I have anything to lose taking your suggestion given that Marcus is a bit young for me and I don't think Kyori has any interest in you or Kristy. Um, no offense to either of you Sarah." Yoshino said, belatedly blinking as she realized how offensive her response might come off as. Fortunately, Sarah waved it off with good grace.
"That's quite all right. Frankly he's young enough to be my son almost so I'd be too old for him anyways. Besides, I'm already married. So you have nothing to worry about from me. And well, Kristy's only eight so it's highly unlikely she'd take a romantic interest in anyone at her age. At worst, she'd be apt to develop an innocent crush or infatuation that should subsist quickly if it does occur. And somehow I doubt Kyori is her type anyways. And as for Marcus, I don't think he'd even know the first thing about being into a girl, much less knowing anything about romance. So I think you're quite safe in that respect. Assuming, of course, you're only into guys that way. Not that I'd judge if that isn't the case mind." Sarah replied, as Yoshino went slightly wide-eyed at the last part of Sarah's response.
"N-no, you're quite correct. I've never felt that way about a girl in my life, and I doubt I ever will." Yoshino replied after turning her head away to hide her embarrassment at Sarah's remark about her sexuality. Sarah nodded to Yoshino.
"Then I think you can relax. Odds are good you're gonna be the one for Kyori sooner or later anyways." Sarah remarked, making Yoshino blink.
"You think so? I mean, he's my best friend and all, but do you really think there's a chance that it could be more someday?" Yoshino asked in surprise. Sarah smirked at Yoshino.
"I know so. But be honest, you don't just like him as your friend, do you?" Sarah asked Yoshino, who blushed slightly as she looked down.
"N-no, I don't. I've honestly had a crush on him since before he left to go away. I just never said anything to him because at the time we were both still just starting our teen years, and I didn't think he saw me as anything more than his best friend. Besides, I have no idea if he even was able to appreciate girls that way back then." Yoshino replied after getting her blush under control. Sarah nodded.
"To be fair, I don't think you give him enough credit. I can only guess, but if you and he were as close as you're suggesting back then, I'd be surprised if he didn't feel the same way about you even if he himself didn't know it at that time. After all, we both know girls are more cognizant of such things than guys are, dear." Sarah said, giggling. Yoshino nodded.
"That's true. I guess for now all I can do is be patient." Yoshino said eventually. Sarah smirked as she replied.
"Exactly. And your orders were to watch us, were they not? Nowhere in those orders did it say you had to watch us here at home. We could always go out and look around the city under your watch if you're that bored, Yoshino." Sarah pointed out.
"True, but what if we run into another horde of Digimon like we did before? We got lucky that Kyori and Marcus were able to get Digivices or we'd have been overrun that day since there's only so much Lalamon can do by herself." Yoshino replied. Sarah thought of something.
"Is Lalamon your Digimon? I know Marcus has Agumon and Kyori has Ryudamon, but I don't recall you showing us your Digimon before that fight." Sarah asked.
"Yes, that's correct. However, I'm not strictly speaking supposed to let her out unless absolutely necessary and I somehow doubt an introduction is counted as necessary, I'm afraid. But I'm impressed that you were curious enough to ask, Sarah." Yoshino replied.
"Fair enough. So shall we go take a walk around the town so you can get out and stretch your legs then?" Sarah asked Yoshino, who shrugged.
"I don't see why not. Beats sitting around here being mad at the guys at any rate." Yoshino said. Sarah smiled.
"Very well then, I'll go get Kristy ready." Sarah said, as she walked out of the room. No sooner than Sarah left the room did Lalamon speak up from inside Yoshino's Digivice.
"Is what Sarah said true, Yoshi? Do you have feelings for Kyori?" Lalamon asked, intrigued. Yoshino sighed but nodded.
"Yeah, it's true. However, that doesn't mean he feels that way about me." Yoshino replied.
"Fair enough. I was actually going to point out that we should be cautious if we're going to take Sarah and Kristy for a walk. After all, you said yourself there could be more Digimon attacks. And let's be real, you got lucky that Marcus was able to get Agumon free to Digivolve him to defeat that Kokatorimon. Otherwise we'd all have been screwed." Lalamon helpfully pointed out. Yoshino huffed.
"Oh be quiet, Lalamon. And we won't go that far, just to be safe. Just a quick walk probably around the block and back should suffice, I think. Besides, pretty sure Marcus and Kyori would be pissed if they saw us walking the streets with Sarah and Kristy, orders or not. So we can't go that far anyways." Yoshino replied. Lalamon nodded. At that moment, Kristy and Sarah re-entered the room.
"So, Mom says we're going for a walk?" Kristy asked uncertainly. Yoshino smiled, getting on her knees so she was more or less at eye level with Kristy before nodding.
"That we are, Kristy. Is that a problem for you?" Yoshino asked Kristy. Kristy giggled as she shook her head.
"Of course not. I was just surprised you'd want to do that given you had said before we couldn't leave the house. Why the change of mind?" Kristy asked Yoshino.
"It's kind of a long story but basically I got bored. And your mom suggested that a walk could be a good idea. Way I see it, there's no harm in a walk around the block a few times." Yoshino said to Kristy. Kristy nodded.
"Makes sense to me. And it's really not a crime to be bored, Yoshino." Kristy chided Yoshino playfully as Sarah gasped.
"Kristy, that was rude! And did she say you could call her by her first name?" Sarah scolded Kristy. Yoshino laughed.
"Like you have any room to talk on that point? You call me by my first name all the time, Sarah. And I don't mind Kristy calling me by my first name if she wants to. After all I'm not THAT much older than she is. I'm only 18 to her I think you said 8?" Yoshino asked Sarah. Kristy heard this and cut in.
"Almost 9!" Kristy pointed out with a smirk. Yoshino nodded.
"Oh, is it that close to your birthday?" Yoshino asked Kristy who nodded.
"Next week is my birthday." Kristy replied happily. Yoshino nodded slowly.
"That's great! Got any plans for that day?" Yoshino asked Kristy conversationally as the three girls started going on their walk, Kristy having to take slightly longer strides to keep up with Sarah and Yoshino. Yoshino saw this and smirked, kneeling down.
"Get on my shoulders, Kristy. You can just ride up there so you don't have to wear yourself out keeping up with us." Yoshino said to Kristy who nodded and climbed up onto Yoshino's shoulders.
"Thanks. And to what you asked, I'm not sure yet. Most likely just hanging out with family and things like that? Might have a friend or two over, I dunno." Kristy replied after the walk had resumed. Yoshino nodded.
(Meanwhile, back at DATS HQ)
"Gotta love how obvious the difference between Kyori and Marcus is, don't you agree Thomas?" Miki asked Thomas as the two sat in the breakroom, having given Kyori and Marcus a 30-minute break in their lessons so as not to burn them out. Thomas nodded.
"Kyori is a very quick study, unlike Marcus. Teaching him is like pulling teeth almost. But he HAS picked up a FEW things, to be fair to him. But I think that's only because Megumi has more patience for him than I do. But that could be because where I favor well-laid strategies and calculated planning, Marcus tends to favor swinging first and planning later." Thomas mused. Miki laughed.
"Sounds like Marcus is the Yin to your Yang, or would that be the other way around? Either way, I guarantee the only reason Megumi's so patient with him is because of her blatantly obvious interest in Marcus. How she could be like that this fast I don't know." Miki said shrugging.
"I'm told the heart works in mysterious ways. So far be it from either of us to try and fathom how that makes sense. Either way, the sooner those two finish their lessons the better off all of us will be." Thomas said which Miki nodded in agreement with.
"That's a fair point. I suppose we should get back to their lessons pretty soon then." Miki said.
"In a bit, yes. For now let them enjoy their break." Thomas replied.
(outside the breakroom)
"Am I the only one who thinks what we've been learning isn't all that fun?" Marcus asked offhandedly. Megumi frowned at him.
"It might not be fun Marcus, but it's still necessary if you're going to make it as a DATS agent. Besides, if you're that bored of these lessons, maybe I'll just have to give you incentive to finish them." Megumi said to Marcus with a wink, making Marcus blink at Megumi in surprise, while Kyori rolled his eyes.
"Do I REALLY need to hear you trying to seduce him right now? At least get a room so you have some privacy. Besides, last time I checked, this is only a 30 minute break, not a multi-hour break. So you wouldn't have enough time for more than a quickie if that's the kind of 'incentive' you were alluding to. Unless my mind's just in the gutter and you meant a different form of 'incentive', in which case I apologize for making assumptions." Kyori said, trying not to be annoyed at Megumi flirting with Marcus. Megumi got annoyed at this.
"Oh shut up Kyori. Not my fault you have bad luck with girls and can't get your crush to notice you." Megumi replied, sticking her tongue out at Kyori in a decidedly childish fashion. Marcus laughed at this.
"Ooh, you got told by a girl, Kyori! That's gotta suck for you." Marcus joked. Kyori frowned.
"Be that as it may, Marcus, at least I understand what we're learning." Kyori replied. Marcus gaped at Kyori's comment before his eyes narrowed.
"Are you saying I'm dumb, Kyori?" Marcus asked Kyori who shrugged.
"Why would I say something like that? You assume too much, Marcus." Kyori replied calmly. Marcus growled and made to throw a punch at Kyori, when the alarms chose that moment to go off. Sampson came walking out.
"Where's Thomas and Miki?" Sampson asked Megumi by way of greeting.
"In the breakroom comparing notes on how their 'students' are doing. Why do you ask?" Megumi replied.
"Our sensors are picking up the presence of an unidentified Digimon in the city, fairly close to Marcus' house. And before you ask, it's not Lalamon. There's a seperate signal aside from hers being detected." Sampson said to Megumi who frowned.
"Well, which Digimon are we talking about?" Megumi asked just as the breakroom door opened up and Miki and Thomas filed out of it.
"Commander, what's the situation?" Thomas asked while Megumi quietly filled Miki in.
"Our scanners are picking up the signal of a Rookie-level Digimon in the city heading towards the Damon residence, and it's showing signs of possibly Digivolving." Sampson said to Thomas. Miki frowned as she studied the readout.
"Uh sir, might want to make that FOUR Rookie-level Digimon signals, not counting Lalamon's signal." Miki said as Sampson ran to the screen, swearing under his breath as he confirmed what Miki had said. Sampson turned to Thomas, Marcus and Kyori.
"Norstein! Take Damon and Kusanagi and head over to the Damon residence in case Yoshino needs backup since I doubt she'll be able to fight all those Digimon off by herself. Miki and Megumi will remain behind to help me calibrate the Digital Dive for when you bring back the DigiEggs to transport them back to the Digital World. Are we understood?" Sampson asked Thomas who saluted.
"Sir yes sir!" Thomas replied as he returned the salute. Thomas then went off to grab Kyori and Marcus.
(Back with Yoshino, Sarah and Kristy)
"See? So far so good. Nothing to worry about." Yoshino said to Sarah and Kristy, who shrugged. After a moment, Kristy's eyes went wide as she pointed behind Yoshino.
"Yoshino, look out behind you!" Kristy called out making Yoshino spin around, just in time to dive out of the way of a pair of attacks aimed directly for her. Yoshino swore softly.
"Lalamon, REALIZE!" Yoshino said, extending out her Digivice and releasing Lalamon for Kristy and Sarah to see, both of whom were awed by Lalamon's appearance. Lalamon frowned as she recognized the group of Digimon swarming her and Yoshino.
"This isn't good, Yoshi. How did a Veemon, Gabumon, Patamon and Tentomon get over here? I thought Digimon weren't allowed out of the Digital World?" Lalamon said frowning as she dodged a Boom Bubble attack from Patamon before glaring at it.
"NUTS SHOOT!" Lalamon said as she fired off a barrage of nuts at the Patamon, driving it back a ways before giving off a light grunt as she was double-teamed by Gabumon and Tentomon who hit her with a Blue Blaster/Super Shocker combo, throwing her to the ground and dealing substantial damage.
"Well, it seems we have no choice, Lalamon! Here we go!" Yoshino said, pulling her Digivice out. Her hand then was filled with pink energy.
"DNA CHARGE!" Yoshino called out as she slammed her hand onto the Digivice. Lalamon glowed pink for a moment.
"LALAMON DIGIVOLVE TO!" Lalamon said as she got taller, grew long arms and a tail while her pink and green body became mostly green save for her head which literally resembled a sunflower with a smiley face. After the transformation she emerged as...
"SUNFLOWMON!" The now-Digivolved Sunflowmon cried out as she stared down the Digimon.
"SMILEY SLAP!" Sunflowmon cried out, extending her lengthened arms to slap Gabumon and Tentomon who flew into the nearby wall with a grunt, before landing on top of Veemon and Patamon in a pile. All four Digimon glared at Sunflowmon before being encased in energy as they Digivolved. After the light subsided in place of the four Rookies was a blue and white wolf, a giant blue bug with a grey helmet, a blue dragon with white wings and a yellow "X" on its chest and a literal angel with a helmet with a cross on it.
"That's not good! They've Digivolved from their Rookie forms to become Garurumon, Kabuterimon, ExVeemon and Angemon respectively! This is gonna be a lot harder!" Sunflowmon cried out as the four Champion-level Digimon stared her down. At that moment, Garurumon staggered back a bit as he felt something punch him in the face, as everyone present turned to see Marcus staring down at Garurumon with anger on his face.
"How dare you pick on my family and friends you creeps? Time for the ultimate team to teach you a lesson! AGUMON, REALIZE!" Marcus said then lifted his free fist that he'd punched Garurumon with which now glowed with orangish-red energy. "READY AGUMON?" Marcus asked Agumon.
"READY BOSS!" Agumon said in agreement. Marcus nodded.
"YAHHH! DNA! CHARGE!" Marcus called out as he slammed his glowing hand on top of his Digivice.
"AGUMON DIGIVOLVE TO! GEOGREYMON!" Agumon called out as he Digivolved into GeoGreymon. GeoGreymon stared the four Digimon down.
"MEGA BURST!" GeoGreymon yelled out, shooting a fireball at Garurumon and Kabuterimon who were hit by it and both reverted into DigiEggs. Unfortunately for GeoGreymon AND Sunflowmon, Angemon and ExVeemon had snuck up behind them while they were busy with Garurumon and Kabuterimon.
"VEE-LASER!" ExVeemon called out as he crossed his arms and fired an X-shaped laser from his chest which hit GeoGreymon, knocking him to the ground with a grunt.
"HAND OF FATE! PUUUNCH!" Angemon called out as he reared a hand back, firing a burst of holy energy from his fist at Sunflowmon who was pushed backwards by the impact but stayed on her feet. As the two remaining Champions advanced on Sunflowmon and GeoGreymon, a voice from nearby caught their attention.
"OI! Haven't you cowards heard it's rude to pick on defenseless Digimon and ladies?" Kyori's voice could be heard razzing the confused Angemon and ExVeemon as he leapt down to join the others with Thomas close behind. Kyori looked at Thomas.
"Ready?" Kyori asked Thomas who nodded.
"Ready." Thomas confirmed as he and Kyori stood side by side, each flicking a hand towards the Champion-levels that became covered in blue/grey-silver light respectively.
"GAOMON/RYUDAMON, REALIZE!" Thomas and Kyori shouted in unison as they pulled their Digivices out and Gaomon and Ryudamon materialized.
"Gaomon, you and Ryudamon are executing plan C-4!" Thomas called to Gaomon who nodded.
"Sir yes sir!" Gaomon said before exchanging a determined nod with Ryudamon.
The screen then cut to a split-screen of Thomas and Kyori.
"DNA! CHARGE!/DNA CHARGE! YAHHH!" Thomas and Kyori called out as they slammed their charged up hands on top of their Digivices making blue and grey-silver streams of light hit Gaomon and Ryudamon respectively. The split-screen then panned to shots of Gaomon and Ryudamon.
"GAOMON/RYUDAMON! DIGIVOLVE TO!" Gaomon and Ryudamon called out as they Digivolved. Gaomon got longer, his boxing glove hands gained spikes over the tops of the gloves like claws, his tail got rounder and fluffier, his appearance became more dog like and his bandanna he had became much longer and split into two red ribbons trailing off his neck. Ryudamon went through the same transformation as he did previously but with the addition that his tail lengthened a bit more and he had more of a glare. The two emerged from the transformation as...
"GAOGAMON/GINRYUMON!" Gaogamon and Ginryumon called out as they finished Digivolving. They then looked at each other.
"You take Angemon and I'll handle ExVeemon." Ginryumon said to Gaogamon who nodded.
"Prepare for defeat, fool! METAL ARMOR BLADE!" Ginryumon called out as he literally spat a giant metallic spear from his mouth right towards ExVeemon who grunted as it drove itself through his chest before both ExVeemon and the spear exploded into data, reverting ExVeemon into a DigiEgg. Gaogamon turned to Angemon.
"Now for you. GAOGA HOUND!" Gaogamon called out as he turned into a blue stream of energy, charging through Angemon and emerging behind Angemon as Angemon keeled over, yelling in shock as he exploded into data, reverting into a DigiEgg. Kyori and Thomas high-fived at this.
"And that's a job well-done for us!" Kyori said pumping his fist in excitement before running over to check on Yoshino. Thankfully she was fine aside from being a bit shaken from the sudden attacks. Kyori gently placed a hand on Yoshino's shoulder causing her to look up at him.
"Oh, Kyo! You're back!" Yoshino said, smiling as she looked at Kyori.
"For now at least. Techincally Marcus and I are still in the middle of being initiated as new agents. We were just granted leave to deal with those Digimon that tried to jump you and the Damons. Marcus was PISSED when he heard who the Digimon were targeting too. The only reason I wasn't as pissed as him was because I had faith you could at least handle yourself long enough for us to get here and back you up, though I'm willing to bet you could've handled it on your own if there'd only been one or two Digimon rather than the four that did jump you. And for what its' worth, I'm sorry you got stuck watching the Damons, but you really are the most responsible of us so really it's a compliment to you if anything." Kyori said to Yoshino as he smiled at her making her look away briefly so he wouldn't see the pink tinges on her face as he smiled at her.
"That makes sense, actually. Was that Thomas who showed up with you? I thought he was still away on training?" Yoshino asked Kyori.
"Nah, apparently he got back right as Sampson was welcoming Marcus and I as new agents of DATS. Frankly, I'm not sure which surprises me more: the fact Marcus willingly joined DATS, or the fact that Megumi seemed to have an immediate crush on Marcus." Kyori replied to Yoshino, who giggled at the mention of Megumi liking Marcus.
"That doesn't surprise me. Megumi's always been the type to like a guy with muscles unlike Miki who's more reserved and frankly doesn't show much sign of a sexual preference one way or the other actually. But that's not worth thinking about here. What's important is you're part of DATS and we have a lot more chances to see each other now." Yoshino said, smiling as she surprised herself AND Kyori by launching herself at Kyori and hugging him close to her as she nuzzled her face into his chest playfully.
"Ah, feeling frisky are we Yoshi? What about all the people who could see us? I thought you weren't a PDA type of girl?" Kyori joked, laughing as he briefly stared into Yoshino's eyes.
"Frisky? Hardly. Just happy to see you is all." Yoshino said, then she leaned in and kissed Kyori on the cheek to his surprise.
"That's for making sure I was okay." Yoshino said giggling before she seperated herself from Kyori. Kyori nodded.
"But of course, Yoshi. I'm not gonna let some Digimon try and destroy you if I can stop it. I care about you too much for that." Kyori said. Before Yoshino could reply to that, Thomas and Marcus came up to Kyori.
"Time to go back to HQ, Kyori. We'll have time for more talking later." Thomas said gently to Kyori who nodded.
"Sorry, gotta cut this short. We can finish this after Marcus and I finish DATS training." Kyori said to Yoshino, gently stroking her cheek. Yoshino blinked at him, blushing as she felt his fingers on her cheek. But before she could say anything Kyori had hopped into the car DATS had provided for him, Marcus and Thomas to head to the Digimon attack, but not before he'd laid one last kiss on Yoshino's cheek without thinking about it. After the car had pulled away, Yoshino had to turn away to get the redness in her face under control from how unexpected Kyori's actions had been. She knew Sarah and Kristy were probably giggling nearby but she didn't care.
(Back at DATS HQ a short time later)
"So let me get this straight. Damon jumped out of the car, WITHOUT authorization, leapt down to attack a Digimon, ignored orders and almost compromised the mission? Do I have that correct?" Sampson asked Thomas, not looking at Marcus at that moment. Thomas nodded.
"That's correct, Commander. Marcus acted like a loose cannon. Luckily things worked out for the best but they could easily have gone the opposite instead had Kyori and I not been ready with a backup plan to cover the off chance that Marcus would go off half-cocked like he did. Kyori seems like he'll make an exemplary agent since he did fantastically in the battle and he learned his lessons fast. Marcus, however, was much slower. Had it not been for Megumi having the patience to explain things slowly to him, we probably wouldn't have gotten much done with him. So I find that for now at least, he's unfit for field work." Thomas said, ignoring Marcus huffing behind him.
"Excuse you? How dare you call me a loose cannon and half-cocked! I'm sorry I was worried about my family and wanted to be sure they were okay! That's what the man of the house does, Thomas! And with my dad not around, I'm automatically the man of the house! So I'm sorry my protective instincts don't mesh well with your 'plans'. You really are a Nerdstein, aren't you?" Marcus said in an annoyed tone. Kyori winced at how pointed Marcus' words were. Thomas frowned at Marcus.
"Be that as it may, you nearly jeopardized the mission because of your impulsiveness. You need to learn how to work as a team more or you won't get very far in DATS." Thomas said to Marcus.
"Is that why you find me unfit for fieldwork, Thomas? Because you think I'm not a team player? Well news flash, Agumon and I are the ULTIMATE team! So I am SO a team player. So quit judging me." Marcus said crossing his arms. Thomas' eye twitched.
"You don't get it, do you?! Just because you and your Digimon work well together doesn't make you a team player. A team player would be able to work with other people! But since you're so full of yourself, maybe you don't have what it takes here. Commander, I move that Marcus be dismissed from DATS, effective immediately!" Thomas said, as Marcus' jaw dropped while Kyori facepalmed.
"SAY WHAAAAA?" Marcus screeched after Thomas had finished speaking. Sampson raised a hand to stop Marcus, though.
"Damon, just because Thomas recommends something DOESN'T mean I listen. I take his findings into account but the final say is mine. And no Thomas, I'm not dismissing Marcus. He could use some improvement, but I think if he turns out to be half as good as I think he can be, it'd be a waste to dismiss him. In fact, starting now, you and he are to be partnered together. I think you two could bring out the best of each other if you give each other a chance." Sampson declared. For one of the few times since returning home, Thomas was stunned. And Marcus wasn't much better.
"YOU EXPECT ME TO WORK WITH HIM?" Marcus and Thomas shouted simultaneously pointing at each other, then blinking at their unified shout. Kyori actually laughed at this.
"Look at that. You two are already speaking as one. That's a sign of a good team right there. I agree with Commander Sampson." Kyori spoke up. Sampson smirked.
"Glad you agree Kusanagi. I'm assigning you a partner as well. From now on you're to work with Yoshino on cases whenever she needs it. Keep in mind there'll be some cases though where she might have to take the case alone so don't expect to do every case as a duo with her." Sampson said to Kyori. Kyori smiled at being partnered with Yoshino. Miki and Megumi giggled at the expression on Kyori's face.
"Ooh, looks like someone gets to work with their friend." Miki teased Kyori playfully. Megumi huffed.
"So all I have to do to get a cute guy partnered to me is constantly disagree with them? Seems counterintuitive, doesn't it Miki?" Megumi said in irritation.
"Trust me Megumi, you got lucky not being given Marcus as a partner. Sure you'd have possibly had a lot of time with him, but would you have been able to keep your work relationship with him seperate from your personal relationship, especially if things had changed between you two at some point?" Kyori pointed out calmly. Megumi shrugged.
"You're probably right, but doesn't mean I can't be disappointed." Megumi said. Then Megumi, Miki AND Kyori all winced as they heard the sound of fists flying.
"Let's hope Marcus and Thomas can work together without killing each other." Kyori deadpanned. Miki and Megumi nodded as one. Megumi then summed up their thoughts.
"Agreed. That would be disastrous..."
Next time on Digimon Data Squad...
"WHAT? The Commander partnered Thomas and Marcus?"
"My brother is NOT a team player. Just putting that out there..."
"That looked like it hurt."
"We HAD that wrapped up until YOU bungled it up, Marcus!"
"Since you two let that Digimon get away, we have to hope it doesn't cause any more damage! Until then you're forbidden from going after it until you two can work as a team!"
"What're you doing, Nerdstein?"
"They're both in deep shit now, methinks..."
End recap AND chapter
A/N: And yep another episode down! And yes I may or may not have assimilated episode 2's plot into this chapter while going moreso over episode 3. But I was kinda on autopilot somewhat for most of this, but I think it came together fairly well. And yes I know, not quite as long as the first chapter, but not every chapter is gonna be long.
And for those curious, I'm undecided at this point on if the Marcus/Megumi dynamic will be merely one-sided on Megumi's side or if I'll make it a mutual pairing and make them a thing full-on. As for the rest of the characters, I'm admittedly unsure of if I'll pair anyone with anyone else, though I won't deny that I'm considering a Thomas/Nanami pairing down the line when the Bio-Hybrids appear in the story but I'm open to making that a Miki/Thomas/Nanami triangle instead.
And I didn't realize until I was typing this chapter that there was an episode of Data Squad where Yoshino actually reunites with a childhood friend in Neon Hanamura, so I have an idea for how to work around that episode given part of the plot of it involved Yoshino pretending to date Neon. But I think I know how to handle it so it fits in this story. That said, hopefully I've been doing good with this story so far. No clue when the next chapter will be since I kinda just take it day by day on which story I update.
Odds are though the next story to get an update will probably be either A Mine is A Terrible Thing To Waste Redux (rewrite), Shuffled Journeys or possibly even Frozen II, though the latter is pretty unlikely as I'm still working out the particulars of how to keep that story going. For now just enjoy this chapter. And as I said in the opening A/N of this chapter, I have a new poll up on my profile for those who want to vote on it, especially those who are reading this that also read Shuffled Journeys. That said, until next update, keep reading, enjoying and hopefully leaving reviews! Until next update, sithlorde1988 out!
