A/N: sithlorde1988 here, with another chapter of Digimon Data Squad Redux (rewrite)! I know it's been quite awhile since the last update but I've had a lot of other things need my attention in terms of story updates in the past couple of weeks plus I took a couple days off after the last update I did (and I earned those since that last update took literally over a week to get done between typing the chapter out and then the drawn-out editing process that followed, but that was moreso on me for having to revise my work like three times before it was finally ready to go!) so this is probably beyond overdue! That said, hopefully updates on this should be more frequent! Anyways, on to chapter 4!
Chapter 4- Can Digmon Dig it?! Bringing Teams Together!
(Updated intro)
When you have to face a fight
Be strong and give it all your might!
*the camera shows Thomas, Yoshino and Marcus cruising around the city in a patrol car, their Digimon stowed away in their Digivices, before panning to Kyori walking through town as his Digivice was sitting snugly on his hip, Ryudamon riding shotgun inside it*
DIGIMON! DA-DA-DATA SQUAD!
Unleash your soul!
And when your reach your goal...
*Camera shows Yoshino and Kyori soaring through the air before being caught by their Digimon partners in Champion forms, then pans to show Marcus and Thomas riding on their partners' Champion forms before the screen shows silhouettes of taller versions of all four of their Digimon's Champion forms*
Prepare to Digivolve!
DI-DI-DIGIMON!
Never surrender!
Never be outdone!
Cause the challenge ain't over!
It's only just begun! DIGIMON!
*Camera then cuts to a group shot of Kyori, Thomas, Yoshino and Marcus spinning around in place as they ride an elevator up somewhere, before panning to a triple split-screen of Yoshino, Marcus and Thomas having full-body versions of their respective DNA charges surround them then panning to a singular shot of Kyori's DNA charge surrounding his body before cutting to a shot of all four of them shooting upward off-screen in flashes of their respective DNA Charge colors as the Digimon Data Squad logo pops up on screen ending the intro*
(end intro)
(In a patrol car, with Thomas and Marcus, some time after the end of chapter 3)
"So, now how do we find Drimogemon since he got away from us?" Marcus asked Thomas, genuinely curious. Thomas shrugged.
"Not sure, Marcus. I think first and foremost we need to get our partners to get along again so that doesn't screw us up again when we go to fight Drimogemon again." Thomas replied and Marcus nodded. The two then made to drive to Thomas' house to figure things out...
(Meanwhile, elsewhere with Yoshino and Kyori, shortly before the end of chapter 3)
"Ugh...someone turn off the room." Yoshino said as she put her hand over her face as the light was bothering her (of course that could also be because she was a tad hung over from the sake, but that's just a guess). Kyori quietly chuckled as he gently pressed a kiss to Yoshino's cheek.
"Poor Yoshi. I'll go get you something for that hangover, sweetie. Just sit there and relax." Kyori said, smiling as he got up after pulling his pants back on so he was at least partway decent in case someone came over while he figured something out for Yoshino. He then went out to the kitchen, eventually finding the aspirin in a cupboard, pouring Yoshino a glass of water and getting a couple of them for her to take, before walking back to her bedroom and gently sitting them on the nightstand next to her.
"There you go, Yoshi. I set some aspirins on your nightstand with some water to take them with. If you want to go back to sleep, you can take those. I'll take over watching the Damons if you want a break to rest up." Kyori said supportively to Yoshino who smiled at the offer.
"Would you?! That'd be so great! No offense to Marcus' mom and sister, but there's only so long one can do the same thing for and not get bored of it. So you taking a shift would be amazing. Thank you so much, Kyori." Yoshino said happily to Kyori who smiled, gently hugging Yoshino before laying a tender kiss to her lips.
"No problem. After all, that's what I'm here for, to shoulder your burdens for you when they get to be too much for you. Plus I do owe you for not trying to take some of the pressure off you sooner before. So yeah I don't mind one bit taking this shift for you, Yoshi. So you just rest that pretty head of yours while I make sure Marcus' family hasn't gotten itself in any further problems. Hopefully Thomas and Marcus figured things out for themselves so they can help out with fieldwork." Kyori said as Yoshino smiled up at him.
"Aw, you're so sweet, Kyo. Go on then and go do our job before I get too tempted to want to jump you." Yoshino said teasingly as Kyori smirked.
"You say that like I'd be opposed to that at all. But I think we both know I wouldn't mind it. But I do agree I need to get to work so I guess I should go." Kyori said as he pulled his shirt back on, to Yoshino's disappointment, and tucked her in before playfully spanking her on his way out to the car, ignoring the squeak of shock from behind him as he walked out of the room.
"See you later, beautiful. Try to get over that hangover, yeah?" Kyori said teasingly as he left. Yoshino smiled, shaking her head fondly as she went back to sleep while Kyori got into the patrol car and headed to Marcus' house to take the next shift watching the Damons.
(meanwhile, at the Damon residence)
"I wonder if Marcus and Thomas managed to deal with that Digimon?" Kristy asked her mom after the two had sat around for awhile waiting for word from either Marcus or Thomas. Sarah shrugged as she looked at Kristy.
"Honestly? I have no idea. All I know is that they're trying to stop it and that either Kyori or Yoshino should be here soon to keep an eye on things and basically be our protection detail, or something to that effect. But I could be wrong on that, Kristy." Sarah said uncertainly. Almost as if on cue, right about that moment the front door opened up, making both Kristy and Sarah turn towards the living room as they heard someone walk in.
"Anyone at home in here?" Kyori's voice could be heard calling out, not wanting to just make himself at home without making sure that if there was anyone home they knew he was here so he didn't scare anyone. Sarah and Kristy exchanged surprised looks, as they didn't think Kyori would be the one to show up, much less that soon after Marcus and Thomas had left (even if it was about an hour and a half afterwards).
"We're in the kitchen, Kyori." Sarah called to Kyori who walked into the kitchen, and smiled as he saw both Sarah and Kristy there.
"Good, you're both home. Not that it'd have been a problem if one or both of you weren't here, but this way I don't have to deal with the headache of coordinating an extra protection detail. But anyways, sorry I was late getting here. Let's just say I was having an important...eh, I guess we can call it a 'discussion' of sorts with Yoshino. Needless to say, she wanted a bit of a break since she wasn't feeling well and I was done more or less with being initiated so I figured I'd take some of the work off of her shoulders. So yeah I'm in charge of watching you two for now. Hopefully Marcus and Thomas managed to figure out how to get along, or else this is gonna turn into a serious pain before too long I suspect." Kyori said to Sarah and Kristy by way of explanation, making the latter blink in surprise and the former nod in understanding.
"I know Marcus introduced Thomas as his partner, but they have to work together?! I thought it was just a formal way of saying co-worker. My brother may be a lot of things, and I mean A LOT, but there's a lot of things he's NOT. And my brother is NOT a team player. Just putting that out there." Kristy said conversationally, a small smile on her face as she spoke. Kyori frowned slightly as he saw her cheeks go a tad red when she mentioned Thomas.
"Not that it's my place to judge, but aren't you a bit young to be having crushes Kristy? Or was I imagining it when I saw your cheeks go a bit red when you mentioned Thomas?" Kyori asked Kristy in a curious tone, making her huff a bit.
"I'm almost 9! And just because I find him handsome, does NOT mean I have a crush on him! I swear I just had this same conversation with my brother when he and Thomas were here!" Kristy said, crossing her arms as she pouted. Sarah giggled as she ruffled Kristy's hair, ignoring the look of indignation on Kristy's face as she did so.
"Egh, can't say I have room to judge you for liking someone older than you. Because really I'd be a hypocrite if I did considering Yoshino and I like each other and she's a couple weeks older than I am. So I can't really judge you for being interested in him even if there is a bit of an age gap between the two of you. I mean, I guess as long as you're in no rush for anything to happen, it's not impossible though I think for you maybe you should just be ready to be there for him however he wants you to be. Though maybe not TOO much so since I don't think you want to be the reason that a)Thomas gets killed and b) your brother gets in trouble for killing him for being interested in you. So keep that in mind, yeah?" Kyori said gently to Kristy who nodded in understanding.
"That's a fair point. And Marcus did say as much when he and Thomas came over earlier to try to get in contact with you. Apparently there's another Digimon rampaging through the city and he and Thomas had to go and confront it since you and Yoshino weren't available for contact/comment so it fell to them." Kristy said smiling as she mentioned this, not seeing Kyori frown at her comment looking confused and frustrated.
"They're fighting a Digimon?! But the Commander, on Yoshino's suggestion, forbade those two from doing fieldwork until they could work as a team! And I can't exactly go reinforce them unless I figure out someone else to watch you two or risk bringing you along and hope I don't get reamed too badly by either the Commander, Yoshino OR Marcus afterwards." Kyori said frowning. Sarah laughed at Kyori's remark.
"You say that like we'd get into trouble. We can always wait in the car while you help Marcus and Thomas deal with the Digimon." Sarah suggested, as Kyori nodded.
"That makes sense. Did Thomas and Marcus happen to say where the Digimon was located?" Kyori asked.
"I think they said something about it being downtown." Kristy replied, sounding a bit unsure.
"Though by this point the fight might be over." Sarah added as an afterthought. Kyori nodded before looking at Sarah and Kristy.
"If I take you with me, will you stay in the car no matter what you see?" Kyori asked Sarah and Kristy who reluctantly nodded. Kyori frowned.
"Okay, before I agree to anything, can I use your phone to try and contact the Commander to get his opinion on how to proceed?" Kyori asked Sarah who nodded.
"That's fine. If you want, Kristy and I will go wait in the living room so you can have privacy." Sarah said as Kyori nodded.
"Very well. But don't go TOO far. I still have to be able to monitor you until the Commander sees fit to lift the watch he has your family under, though it IS for your protection while Marcus gets fully endorsed as a DATS agent." Kyori explained to Sarah who nodded and led Kristy from the kitchen as Kyori picked up the phone to dial the number of HQ. Eventually Miki answered.
"DATS HQ, Miki speaking." Miki said. Kyori smiled at the familar voice.
"Miki, it's Kyori. Marcus' mom and sister just told me that Marcus and Thomas are out fighting a Digimon against Commander Sampson's orders, but I can't go to back them up since I have to cover Yoshino's shift since she's not feeling that good at the moment so unless I take the Damons with me, we might have to rely on Thomas and Marcus to get the job done and then try to be lenient when we lay into them later for their idiocy." Kyori said to Miki who blinked at Kyori's explanation.
"Are you sure?" Miki asked after she recovered from her shock. Kyori nodded, then frowned when he remembered Miki couldn't see a nod through a phone.
"I'm positive. Unless you're suggesting I was lied to by an almost 9-year old girl, Miki. But I don't think Kristy would lie about something like that." Kyori said simply.
"I see. Let me go consult the Commander and get his opinion then I'll call you back." Miki said to Kyori.
"Acknowledged. I suppose in the interim, I should just keep on watching the Damons until I hear back from you?" Kyori said to Miki.
"Exactly. Nice to see you're dedicated to doing your job as Yoshino's partner." Miki said teasingly making Kyori roll his eyes.
"Hey, ease off on the teasing, Miki! Joking or not, that's my girlfriend you're talking about!" Kyori quietly scolded Miki without thinking about it, with the result that Miki blinked on the other end.
"Did you just say what I think you did?!" Miki asked Kyori, forgetting that Megumi was nearby and heard her yell.
"Who's that on the phone? Isn't that for business only?" Megumi asked Miki in confusion who smirked.
"Oh, it's just Kyori updating me. Apparently Thomas and Marcus defied the commander and went out to fight a Digimon downtown. He was calling to get advice on how to handle the situation. As for what you heard me yelling about, apparently he and Yoshino are an item now." Miki said to Megumi who actually pouted at this, to Miki's surprise.
"Oh, no fair! How come Yoshino got a man before we did? RUDE!" Megumi huffed, crossing her arms and walking off, as Miki blinked.
"I didn't think she'd be jealous of that. Pouty maybe, but not jealous." Miki said to herself before going to find Commander Sampson after hanging up the phone on a spluttering Kyori, who'd just realized what he'd said and to whom. After he hung up the phone he then facefaulted to the ground.
'IDIOT! Why did I blurt that out to Miki of all people?' Kyori chastised himself in his head. As he picked himself up off the floor, he heard giggling behind him, and he turned to see Kristy walking back into the kitchen.
"Since when does getting debriefed involve you ending up on the floor, Kyori?" Kristy asked Kyori teasingly prompting him to roll his eyes at her.
"Very funny. But you'll learn in time that sometimes you have things thrown at you that you can't possibly begin to expect so facefaulting, which is what I just did, is really the only viable response to those situations. So I don't want to hear you teasing me about it. That'd be the same just about as if I'd teased you for getting red-faced and tongue-tied around Thomas, just to name an example." Kyori explained to Kristy, ignoring the pout on her face at his response.
"Whatever. So what did they say?" Kristy asked, changing the subject.
"For now, we stay where we are. I'm to wait for further instructions from base before doing anything so for now I'm just watching the two of you." Kyori replied offhandedly. Kristy nodded as Sarah walked back into the room, looking at Kyori.
"So we're just sitting tight for now and trusting Marcus and Thomas to handle it?" Sarah asked Kyori.
"For now at least. I might get different instructions when someone from HQ makes contact in a bit so for now we can only wait." Kyori said to Sarah who nodded.
"Fair enough. I guess in the meantime I can whip us up something to enjoy, if you're hungry at all?" Sarah suggested as Kyori shrugged.
"I did eat a bit when I was hanging out with Yoshino but I guess I could still eat a bit." Kyori said after a pause to consider his options. Sarah nodded and started heading into the kitchen to cook, Kristy shrugging before deciding to help out, leaving Kyori to shrug as he sat by himself and pondered the current situation while he awaited orders from HQ...
(Over elsewhere with Marcus, Thomas and their partners)
As the car pulled into Thomas' driveway, Marcus gaped at how fancy and lavish the mansion they'd pulled into looked. He then turned to Thomas in surprise.
"Is that place seriously all yours, Thomas? It's pretty fancy looking!" Marcus said to Thomas, both genuinely impressed with what he'd seen and shocked that Thomas was so well-off. Thomas nodded to Marcus' question, his face showing his amusement at Marcus' reaction.
"Indeed it is, Marcus. I DID mention I came from a rich family, did I not?" Thomas asked Marcus, who nodded.
"You did, but you also said you didn't have a lot of fond memories of your family either, if I remember what you told me right." Marcus pointed out knowingly. Thomas blinked at Marcus actually remembering what he'd told him and nodded approvingly.
"I'm impressed you remembered that. But anyways, we came here because no one would expect to find us here. So this makes a good place for us to get Agumon and Gaomon to work together again before we go chase after Drimogemon. Does that make sense?" Thomas said to Marcus who shrugged.
"To a point, it does. But at the same time, how do we get Gaomon and Agumon to get along? They seemed pretty cheesed off with each other last time they were out of their Digivices." Marcus said to Thomas who stroked his chin in thought before getting an idea.
"That's true. But maybe if we let them out where we can oversee, we can step in if needed to get them to reconcile. After all, we can't exactly fight Drimogemon if we're not on the same page. Not to mention, I think we need to coordinate our attacks more, or put more simply, to be able to communicate more effectively so we can keep our Digimon from accidentally hitting each other with their attacks. What do you think, Marcus?" Thomas said to Marcus, who frowned as he considered Thomas' words carefully before speaking up once more, a slight smile on his face as he spoke.
"That idea makes a lot of sense. I did notice that our Digimon weren't exactly moving to communicate well with one another in the previous battle. So that could at least partially be both of our faults for fighting in front of them. After all, they say that a good team learns from each other's example. Or at least I'm pretty sure that's how that saying goes. Or did I remember it wrong?" Marcus said to Thomas. Thomas nodded to Marcus' question, looking amused that he'd remembered that saying.
"No that's exactly how it goes. And I agree that our fighting before isn't really the best example for us to be setting. I can't guarantee we won't still butt heads when it comes to helping you learn, but I think at the least, we can both agree to not let that carry over to the battlefield. Otherwise, we have no shot at getting our Digimon to reconcile if not get along. Agreed?" Thomas said to Marcus. Marcus pondered Thomas' words for a brief moment before nodding in agreement.
"Agreed. I can't promise I'll get better about baiting you right away, but I will at least try to not pick as many fights with you. But don't be surprised if I slip up every now and again. After all, I've fought for so long that it's kind of in my nature to pick a fight every so often even if I don't always realize I'm doing it. But I can at least try to not be so insufferable with you. Granted it won't be easy but I think I can manage it." Marcus said making Thomas smile at him in surprise as he nodded.
"That makes sense. I, in turn will try to have more patience with you, but being a man of tactics first and foremost I tend to not be the most patient by nature. That being said, maybe we should let our Digimon out of their Digivices seperately so we can speak to them one on one in the hopes of forestalling a fight between them until we can get each of their sides of things to try and figure out how best to get them to work together. If nothing else, it might be the best way to not get a world-class dressing down from the Commander, along with probably Yoshino. Both of them are probably pissed after seeing our fight on TV most likely, and I feel it's a safe bet that Kyori's probably not much happier, even if he's usually pretty level-headed from what I've seen." Thomas remarked as Marcus chuckled at Thomas' statement.
"That's true, but take it from me, Kyori might be a hot-head but if he does lose it he can do some damage. Before he walked off on his own, I saw him taking on a couple of thugs and he decked them pretty efficiently. It was almost as if he had some skill at martial arts. Considering he mentioned something to me about being sent off to be a monk, that would make sense." Marcus pointed out making Thomas look at Marcus in surprise before speaking.
"I could see that being the case. Granted, I feel like he's not the type to lose his cool easily, though I will say he seemed rather close to it when he hung up on me that day with Drimogemon, though again that was probably because I made the tactical blunder of catching him at a bad time." Thomas said conversationally making Marcus laugh as he remembered the day that Thomas had mentioned quite well.
"That's true, but at the same time, he was the one who let himself get to base at a time like that. I still think that was Yoshino's influence though. I could see her being the top in that relationship or at the least a switch. Then again, I wouldn't be surprised if both of them were switches." Marcus remarked as Thomas rolled his eyes before shrugging.
"Let's say for argument's sake that you're correct. I personally have a hard time imagining Kyori as a switch. I think he could arguably be either a top or a bottom, though. But not a switch, since I feel like he's not quite that quick to adapt. But that's just my opinion." Thomas pointed out as Marcus nodded. The two then went into seperate rooms to let Gaomon and Agumon out of their Digivices to speak to them after that...
(Meanwhile, back at Yoshino's place with Yoshino)
Yoshino slowly sat up in her bed, seeing the pills and glass of water that Kyori had left out for her that morning, smiling happily as she carefully took them while drinking the water quickly, sitting on her bed as she waited for the medicine to kick in and ease more of the edge from her slight hangover. Yoshino stroked her chin in thought as she waited. 'Who knew Kyo was so knowledgeable about remedies and stuff? I knew he had changed from the last we saw one another when we reunited, but I didn't think it was to this extent. Still, I must admit that I'm impressed with it. Hopefully he's not having too much of a hard time watching the Damons.' Yoshino thought to herself as she finally felt good enough to go straighten up the mess that she and Kyo had made before in the throes of their passion and love, stopping after a bit to turn on the TV.
However, it was probably a good thing she sat down as she did so, as the headline had her jaw dropping. Apparently, the fight between Thomas and Marcus that Kyori had stepped in to break up had made it onto the news, and was one of the top stories. Luckily for all of them, there seemed to be no mention of Digimon or DATS in the headlines, so that was at least good. Still, hopefully Kyori or the Commander decide to be the one to ream Marcus and Thomas for this since she didn't feel much like doing it at that moment. After the news was over, Yoshino finished straightening up her house and took a shower after changing into her DATS uniform, deciding to go see if Kyori needed help with the Damons...
(Meanwhile, at DATS HQ while everything is happening)
"Remind me to yell at Damon and Norstein later if they don't clean up their own mess." Sampson said to Miki and Megumi, while massaging his temples to stave off the slight migraine he was getting from seeing them make the news with their scuffle during their failed mission to dispose of a Drimogemon. Miki giggled.
"I think they'll actually surprise us all before this is over. Though I'm not yet sure if it'll be in a good way or not to be honest." Miki said off-handedly. Megumi huffed.
"I think it'll be in a good way. If nothing else, I just have that sense." Megumi remarked as Miki smirked.
"And you're sure you're not just saying that to come to Marcus' defense?" Miki said to Megumi who crossed her arms and stuck her tongue out childishly at Miki.
"Maybe I am. Or maybe I truly do believe that." Megumi said making Miki blink owlishly as she turned to face Megumi, surprised by how calmly Megumi had answered her.
"I half expected you to be more angry about that. Maybe you're finally chilling out a bit?" Miki asked Megumi, who shrugged before replying.
"Probably I just realized it wasn't worth getting angry over it, and also I know we need to focus on our jobs first and foremost." Megumi said with a shrug.
"Fair enough. That makes a fair amount of sense." Miki said in a professional manner, as Sampson huffed before speaking up in a blunt, no-nonsense tone.
"Now that you two are done arguing, what's the current status and location of not only Drimogemon, but of Damon and Norstein?" Sampson asked Miki and Megumi.
"As of this moment, Drimogemon is making its way this way. Not sure why, but he is. As for Damon and Norstein, they're currently at Norstein's mansion apparently trying to get Agumon and Gabumon to reconcile for the sake of being able to work together to stop Drimogemon. Not sure if they're just determined to redeem themselves for before, or if possibly they couldn't get in contact with Yoshino and Kyori when they went into battle with Drimogemon? But either way they're at Thomas' house right now." Miki replied, smirking at the surprised look on Megumi's face and the unreadable look on Commander Sampson's face.
"I see. I think I know why they couldn't reach Yoshino and Kyori, and if I'm right, Kyori had good reason to be unavailable as did Yoshino. Granted, hopefully it doesn't interfere with their status as partners. I don't think it will though, since Yoshino's pretty professional about that sort of thing and Kyori struck me as a relatively level-headed sort of guy from what I've seen of him so far since he joined DATS." Sampson said as Miki and Megumi nodded.
"Fair enough, sir. Though if Drimogemon is heading here, should we try to get Yoshino or Kyori over here to head it off?" Miki asked and Sampson shook his head.
"Not necessarily. I think we can at least hold him off for awhile so we can bring in Kyori or possibly Thomas and Marcus to reinforce us." Sampson said in a decisive tone. Miki and Megumi nodded their agreement. Megumi smirked before speaking up, a mischievous grin on her face as she spoke.
"If we do bring Kyori in, do we wait until after Drimogemon is beaten to tease him about him and Yoshino, or do we do it before?" Megumi asked impishly, making Miki and Sampson roll their eyes in disbelief before Sampson spoke up in a blunt tone.
"We're NOT teasing Kyori, Megumi. If you want to do that you can do that on your OWN time, away from the base. Do I make myself clear?" Sampson said firmly making Megumi nod her agreement as Miki giggled at Megumi getting scolded by the Commander.
"Crystal, Commander. Wait, unless I'm wrong, I think I see Yoshino headed this way as well, probably chasing after Drimogemon." Miki said in surprise. Sampson nodded.
"That sounds accurate. Yoshino probably saw Drimogemon and decided to intercept it before it can get here. Miki! You and Megumi get ready in case you have to help defend this base from Drimogemon!" Sampson said to Miki and Megumi who nodded as they saluted. After they left to do as he had ordered, Sampson sighed as he rubbed his forehead in annoyance and irritation but then let himself be immersed in his thoughts for a moment.
'Hmm...Is it me, or does it seem like things have gotten a lot more interesting since Kyori came back to town? I feel like he'll probably change DATS and for the better. That is, assuming he doesn't let himself be consumed in his feelings for Yoshino first. Either way, maybe I won't need to bring out my ace in the hole just yet. But maybe I should have it at the ready for the off chance it ends up needed.' Sampson thought to himself as he pulled out his own Digivice, which was similar in make and design to Kyori's, except where Kyori's was a mix of black, gold and to a lesser extent silver, Sampson's was a blend of black, red and a slight bit of crimson, and looked at it, knowing he couldn't stay out of the battles forever, but planning to be ready if the occasion comes that his assistance would be needed, making him nod to himself as he walked out of the room...
(Outside of DATS HQ, with Yoshino)
"Go figure we'd be the ones to find Drimogemon first, Lalamon. This is the worst. Oh well, I guess we should try our best to keep him at bay for now. Lalamon, REALIZE!" Yoshino said as she pulled out her Digivice and Lalamon materialized from it as she glared at Drimogemon before speaking up to catch his attention.
"And WHERE do you think you're going, Drimogemon?" Lalamon asked Drimogemon who huffed as he turned to face Lalamon.
"Not that it's your concern, but I'm trying to find a way back to the Digital World so I can get more powerful to defeat some Digimon that nearly destroyed me before they ended up turning on each other which allowed me to escape in the ensuing chaos and confusion. Do you mean to stand in my way?!" Drimogemon said making Yoshino roll her eyes.
"Oh, please. Thomas and Marcus might be absolute idiots at times, but they wouldn't attack a Digimon unless ordered to. And last I checked you were marked as a threat to the peace which is why they were sent to fight you in the first place. And as for finding a way back, that's impossible. The only transport to the Digital World is at DATS HQ, and we only send defeated DigiEggs through that transport so unless you want us to turn you into a DigiEgg, you're out of luck for finding a way back to the Digital World. However, if you surrender, maybe we'll spare you and let you go about your business. What's it gonna be?" Yoshino asked Drimogemon who huffed.
"Why would I surrender to a naive girl like you and her shrimp of a partner? Don't be ridiculous. But if you mean to stop me then prepare to fight!" Drimogemon said as he charged at a shocked Lalamon who barely dodged out of the way of the tackle before she was skewered on Drimogemon's horn.
"Lalamon!" Yoshino cried out in horror as she snapped her fingers to make her DNA Charge appear.
"DNA CHARGE!" Yoshino said as she slammed her DNA onto her Digivice, making Lalamon glare at Drimogemon.
"LALAMON DIGIVOLVE TO..." Lalamon said as she started her Digivolution sequence. After it was over, she announced her new form as a...
"SUNFLOWMON!" Sunflowmon said as she glared at Drimogemon before speaking up in annoyance.
"Okay, I might have felt sorry for you before, but after you tried to kill me, I got over it! TAKE THIS! SMILEY SLAP!" Sunflowmon said as she started slapping Drimogemon in the face repeatedly, making him stagger back a bit before she glared at Drimogemon.
"SUNSHINE BAZOOKA!" Sunflowmon said, aiming a burst of sunlight that she fired from her face, hitting Drimogemon's feet, but due to her slightly miscalculating the angle of her shot in her anger at Drimogemon, instead of hitting him full in the face, it launched him up into the air as he flew off into the distance.
"AAAHHHHHH!" Drimogemon yelled as he vanished from sight in a twinkle. Yoshino and Sunflowmon both blanched at this.
"Well shoot, that didn't go to plan. Uhh, my bad Yoshi." Sunflowmon said sheepishly as Yoshino groaned while rubbing her forehead in irritation.
"Ugh, this is the worst. Hopefully Kyori's having better luck keeping an eye on the Damons." Yoshino said to Sunflowmon.
"I'm sure he is. I mean, he just has to keep an eye on Marcus' mom and sister, right? That's not that hard." Sunflowmon said with a shrug. Yoshino blinked.
"I wouldn't say that. I mean, Kristy can be quite mischievous and willful when she wants to be. And I wouldn't put it past Sarah to mess with Kyori over his feelings for me." Yoshino said, blinking as she started thinking about Kyori, and wondering how he was doing...
(At the Damon house, with Kyori, Sarah and Kristy)
"Wow, this is pretty good, Mrs. Damon. I didn't realize you were such a good cook." Kyori said to Sarah who giggled at Kyori's compliment before smiling at him.
"Thank you Kyori. But you can call me Sarah if you want to. I don't mind." Sarah said to Kyori, who seemed to consider this before speaking again.
"Are you sure? ...Eh, if you say so Sarah. However, if I'm able to call you Sarah, I in turn invite you to call me Kyo if you wish. Kristy can do the same as well if she wishes, though probably not around Marcus in case he takes it the wrong way. After all, look how much he's already apt to thrash Thomas half the time. Then imagine how much worse it'd be if he thought I was getting too close to his little sister, which for the record and with all respect to Kristy, is not something I'm interested in, partly because she's a bit young for me, and partly because I am quite content with Yoshino. Again, no offense to you Kristy." Kyori replied as Sarah and Kristy giggled at his response.
"None taken, Kyo. Besides, while I do admit you're rather cool, I'm not really drawn to you like that. Besides, as you yourself said, Yoshi would probably take issue with it if we did end up that close to one another." Kristy said sagely as Sarah nodded before speaking up.
"Kristy's right. Besides, I think she prefers her guys blonde, intelligent, sophisticated and polite, not to mention older than her." Sarah said teasingly as Kristy huffed, her cheeks going a bit red from her mother's teasing before she spoke up once more.
"Not funny, Mom! And besides, you heard Thomas. I'm a bit young for him anyways. Besides, I think he sees me more as a sister than anything anyways, and I'm okay with that honestly." Kristy said with a soft smile as she relaxed a bit.
"Honestly, I feel like you might be better off waiting for a guy closer to your age, Kristy. Call it a gut hunch if you will, but I sense you'll find someone sooner rather than later. Not sure when exactly, or who it'll be, but that's what my gut tells me. And given this is the same gut that guided me to finally getting together with Yoshino, I'm inclined to listen to my gut on this. And Sarah, I didn't think you would get in on teasing Kristy." Kyori said with a smile as Sarah chuckled.
"True, but I think you forget something, Kyo. Us mothers are equal-opportunity teasers to our kids. Ask Marcus how many times I've teased him before." Sarah said as Kristy giggled at her mom's reference to teasing Marcus. Kyori shrugged but nodded as he spoke up once more.
"Fair enough. I wonder why no one's gotten back to me yet on the subject of what to do with you two if I have to go assist Marcus and Thomas." Kyori said with a frown. Sarah shrugged before Kristy spoke up with a shy smile on her face.
."Maybe they sent someone else to do it instead? After all, from what Marcus has said, there's more agents there than just you, Yoshino, Thomas and Marcus isn't there?" Kristy asked, recalling a conversation she and Marcus had had about DATS one day after he'd joined up with the group.
"That's true, Kristy. In addition to us four, I recall that Miki, Megumi, Commander Sampson and I think a few others are also able to use Digimon." Kyori said with a nod. Sarah smiled as she looked at Kyori before speaking up once more.
"What about that old man who gave you and Marcus those Digivices when you two first managed to Digivolve Ryudamon and Agumon, Kyo?" Sarah asked Kyori.
"Old man? Oh wait right, almost forgot about him. I'm honestly not sure if he's part of DATS, much less who he is. But I did get the sense he's an ally at the least." Kyori said to Sarah, smiling as Ryudamon chimed in from inside of Kyori's Digivice.
"Kyo, do you think Yoshino's still resting? Also, why are we just talking when we could be going after Drimogemon?" Ryudamon asked Kyori who frowned.
"Because Ryudamon, I told Yoshino I'd cover her shift this time and I mean to stick to that. That and I'm still waiting on word of what to do with the Damons if I do end up having to help defeat Drimogemon. Not to mention, I have no idea where Drimogemon even is right now so I couldn't go after it even if I wanted to. Now hush and relax." Kyori said bluntly to Ryudamon who shrugged but nodded as he spoke up once more.
"Yeah, all right, that's fair enough Kyo." Ryudamon said with a nod, relaxing inside Kyori's Digivice. After he did that, Kyori shrugged as he relaxed, getting comfortable as he waited with Sarah and Kristy for word from HQ on how to handle the Drimogemon situation...
(Meanwhile, at Thomas' mansion with Thomas and Marcus)
"So you see Gaomon, you have to try to have more patience with Agumon. Sure he and Marcus can be hard to deal with most of the time, but that doesn't mean we can lose our patience with them so easily. I know I have no room to talk given you saw me literally go to fisticuffs with Marcus, but we do need to try and get along with them for the sake of DATS, if no other reason. Also, I don't think Agumon meant to hit you before. I think he was just acting in the spur of the moment and it didn't occur to him to warn you to move because everything happened so quickly. So can you consider making nice with him, if for no other reason than to be able to be more efficient in battle?" Thomas said to Gaomon who crossed his arms before sighing and nodding to Thomas as he spoke up.
"Sir, I can see where you're coming from. But you could be right. I did rush in there rather quickly before. Still, that was humiliating, being hit by that attack like that. But I guess I do need to be the bigger mon here. So if it means that much to you sir, I'll try to play nice with Agumon, as long as he's willing to make nice too." Gaomon said making Thomas nod his understanding of Gaomon's response before speaking up.
"Fair enough, Gaomon. Hopefully Marcus is having similar luck with Agumon that I had with you." Thomas said and both he and Gaomon winced as they heard Agumon yelling from the other room at that exact moment, and his tone was not a happy one.
"WHAT?! What do you mean we have to make nice with them, Boss?! Gaomon got in my way as I attacked! It was his own fault he got hit! Why should I have to apologize to him when it was his own fault he got caught in my attack?" Agumon said huffily to Marcus who frowned as he glared at Agumon.
"Because, Agumon! If I can come to an understanding with Thomas, which wasn't easy by the way, you can make up with Gaomon. Besides, you didn't exactly try to tell him to move from what I saw before. Besides, if we're going to be the ultimate team, we have to be able to rise above our haters and be the better person, or mon in your case. Thus, you should apologize to Gaomon, even if it's just for the sake of being the bigger mon. Plus we have to get along for the sake of the team. Besides, I think you're only like this because you saw me get into that fistfight with Thomas before. Just because you see me do something Agumon does NOT mean you can do the same!
After all, a real man can own up to when he's made a mistake and accept responsibility for it! So can you accept that we all messed up before and make nice with Gaomon?! Or are you going to be the reason we get barred from going on further missions until you stop being such a stubborn doofus and actually try to get along with Gaomon?" Marcus said scoldingly to Agumon who crossed his arms petulantly before sighing and nodding.
"I don't wanna! But if it means that much to you Boss, I guess I can at least try to apologize to Gaomon." Agumon said reluctantly making Marcus smile as he clapped Agumon on the shoulder appreciatively before speaking up once more with a smile on his face.
"Thank you. That's all I can ask of you Agumon. Now let's go make nice with Thomas and Gaomon, yeah?" Marcus said as Agumon nodded. They then went into the room where Thomas and Gaomon were waiting as Gaomon looked over at Agumon and spoke up.
"Agumon..." Gaomon started before Agumon spoke up, holding up a claw to stop Gaomon.
"No, let me go first. I'm sorry. I should've warned you to get out of the way before just attacking. I still think it was your own fault for jumping in the path of the attack, but I recognize and own that I could've tried to give you time to get clear before attacking. So yeah my bad. Can we put this behind us for the sake of DATS? I'm willing to try to work together better if you are." Agumon said to Gaomon who smiled as he approached Agumon with a smile on his face.
"Agumon, I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have leapt into your way like that. But at the same time, I thought it was the only way to stop Drimogemon from escaping. But seriously, from now on, at least TRY to give me or anyone else in the line of fire a chance to get out of the way before you attack. Can you do that Agumon?" Gaomon said as Agumon nodded, smiling as he held out a claw to Gaomon before speaking up with a nod.
"I can do that. So, are we cool? Y'know, friends and all that?" Agumon said to Gaomon, offering his claw for Gaomon to shake which Gaomon did happily as he spoke up.
"Sure thing, Agumon. We're cool. And we're definitely friends." Gaomon said with a smile as he shook Agumon's claw, which was impressive given he had boxing gloves on his hands all the time. Agumon nodded as the handshake was sealed between him and Gaomon.
"Good. Now to find Drimogemon so we can finish him off and make up for our mistakes from before." Agumon said to Gaomon who nodded.
"Agreed. Y'know, I think maybe we should try to come up with a plan of attack now so that when we find him, we're not just improvising it and possibly leaving ourselves to make the same mistakes that we made before. I'm sure between Thomas and Marcus, our partners can make a good attack plan." Gaomon said to Agumon who chuckled.
"That's true. Besides, with Boss's brawn and Thomas' brain they could be a really incredible team if they actually tried working together." Agumon said with a laugh. Marcus huffed but nodded, conceding Agumon's point as he spoke up once more.
"Fair enough. But I am trying to get smarter at least a bit so I can try to not just get in the way." Marcus said honestly making Thomas smile.
"And you are getting better about it, even if it is a very slow process that can be frustrating at times. But you do have potential." Thomas said to Marcus who nodded. At that moment, a crash was heard outside making Thomas and Marcus exchange wide-eyed looks as they shot to their feet.
"Do you think that was Drimogemon?!" Marcus asked Thomas, returning Agumon to his Digivice as he spoke. Thomas shrugged as he did the same with Gaomon.
"Not sure, but one way to know for sure. Let's go investigate!" Thomas said to Marcus who nodded his agreement as they raced outside. Once they got outside, they were shocked, but not surprised, to see Drimogemon laying in a crater unconscious in front of the house. Marcus and Thomas looked at each other before exchanging resolute nods.
"Ready?" Marcus asked Thomas who nodded as he spoke up, a smile on his face.
"Of course. Gaomon! It's time! REALIZE!" Thomas said as he made Gaomon materialize from his Digivice. Marcus nodded as he pulled his Digivice out as well.
"Aw yeah! It's fighting time! AGUMON! REALIZE!" Marcus said as Agumon also materialized from his Digivice, looking ready to battle.
"Yeah! I'm with ya, Boss!" Agumon said as he waved his arms excitedly like windmills. At that point, Drimogemon came to, getting to his feet and glaring at Thomas and Marcus.
"YOU! I was hoping I'd find you again! Let's finish what we started! Except THIS time I'm not the same as I was then!" Drimogemon said as he flexed and a ring of data swept over him, and when it was gone, there was a different Digimon standing where Drimogemon had previously stood. Thomas blanched as he saw this, noticing how the new Digimon was more armored in appearance, having a lot more drills than Drimogemon had previously had, and he was mostly yellow and purple except for a few pointed bits and the like on his face, looking like he was ready to fight even more.
"Oh no! He's Digivolved from Drimogemon to Digmon! I didn't think Champions could become Armor level without the Armor DigiEggs! But apparently they can! Marcus, we need to take this up a level!" Thomas called to Marcus who nodded before speaking up.
"I hear ya! IT'S FIGHTIN' TIME! YAHHHH!" Marcus shouted eagerly as he threw an uppercut at Digmon, hitting him in the chin and making his DNA charge appear at the same time that Thomas snapped his fingers to make his own DNA Charge appear. Both exchanged a resolved nod before a split-screen shot appeared of Thomas and Marcus holding their Digivices.
"DNA CHARGE!/DNA CHARGE! YAHHH!" Thomas and Marcus said, simultaneously slamming their glowing hands onto their Digivices.
"AGUMON/GAOMON DIGIVOLVE TO!" Agumon and Gaomon called out as they went through their Digivolution sequences, eventually finishing them by becoming...
"GEOGREYMON/GAOGAMON!" GeoGreymon and Gaogamon called out in unison as they finished Digivolving. Marcus and Thomas looked at each other and nodded.
"Gaogamon! Run circles around Digmon and try to do some damage! With any luck we can create an opening in his armor for GeoGreymon to exploit! Marcus! Make sure that GeoGreymon has a Mega Burst charged up and on standby for once the opening is made so he can finish it!" Thomas explained to Marcus who nodded and looked at GeoGreymon before speaking up, nodding to Thomas as he spoke.
"You heard the man GeoGreymon! Get ready! This time we're finishing off the fight for sure! And without hitting our allies on accident hopefully." Marcus said as GeoGreymon nodded sheepishly as he did as Marcus asked. At that point, Gaogamon ran circles around Digmon who got dizzy trying to track him. Eventually he got dizzy and staggered.
"Perfect! Now's my chance! GAOGA HOUND!" Gaogamon said charging towards Digmon at high speed, slamming into him full force and knocking him on his butt.
"SPIRAL BLOW!" Gaogamon said as he shot tornadoes from his mouth at Digmon who was pushed backwards, wincing as cracks were created in his armor, and a big part of it even fell away to reveal an opening on Digmon's chest big enough for a Mega Burst to go through.
"NOW!" Gaogamon said to Thomas who looked at Marcus before speaking up.
"This is it! Time for you and GeoGreymon to finish it!" Thomas said to Marcus who nodded, punching his fist into his open palm in excited determination.
"Gotcha! IT'S FIGHTING TIME GEOGREYMON! LET'S END THIS!" Marcus called to GeoGreymon who nodded before looking at Digmon.
"Well Digmon, it's been real but this is the end for you! EAT THIS! MEGA BURST!" GeoGreymon said as he fired a Mega Burst into the open spot on Digmon's chest making him cringe as he yelled out while glaring at GeoGreymon and Gaogamon.
"ARGH! CURSE YOU GEOGREYMON AND GAOGAMON!" Digmon yelled out before exploding into data and reforming into a DigiEgg. Thomas and Marcus grinned, exchanging a fistbump as Thomas scooped up the DigiEgg and got it ready to transport back to HQ.
"All right! We did it! Now to get this back to base! Time to redeem ourselves!" Marcus said happily as he and Thomas returned their Digimon to their Digivices and got into the car to head back to headquarters, not wanting to be around when people came around to see the damages the fight had caused...
(Back at DATS HQ with Yoshino and Sampson)
"My bad, Commander. I should've been more careful with my aim. But I wasn't and as a result, who knows where Drimogemon is now? I'm prepared to accept whatever punishment you deem appropriate for my failure, sir." Yoshino said to Sampson who smiled and waved the apology off as he spoke up.
"Not necessary, Yoshino. You may have accidentally launched Drimogemon into the distance but you also saved DATS from who knows what sorts of damages in the process. So if anything you didn't fail that much. Besides, I think we have someone waiting for orders on how to proceed with their situation." Sampson said making Yoshino look at him in confusion before speaking up uncertainly.
"Sir?" Yoshino asked Sampson uncertainly. Sampson smiled as he spoke up to clear up Yoshino's confusion.
"Oh, Kyori called earlier. Apparently he saw Thomas and Marcus' fight on the news and heard from the Damons that they were planning on going off on their own to stop it, despite being expressly forbidden from doing so until they can get along. So he was asking if he should just let them or if he should bring the Damons to HQ so he can go and back them up if needed. I eventually told him to stay where he was though since I knew we could handle it just fine, and I was right. Granted I didn't think you'd launch Drimogemon off into the distance, but I was otherwise correct. Now to hope we can find Drimogemon soon before he causes any more damage." Sampson said as the doors opened right at that moment to both Sampson and Yoshino's surprise, and Thomas walked in with Marcus, a DigiEgg tucked under his left arm carefully making Sampson's eyes go comically wide at seeing this, while Yoshino's jaw dropped in shock. Sampson was the first to find his voice.
"Damon? Norstein? Explain why you have a DigiEgg with you!" Sampson ordered Thomas and Marcus as Thomas spoke up.
"Commander, allow me to present the defeated DigiEgg of Digmon who was previously Drimogemon. Marcus and I found him in front of my mansion and defeated him after a short battle. Hopefully this will make up for our abysmal showing before as well as serve as amends of a sort for humilating DATS with our conduct previously as it was unacceptable, unprofessional and frankly inexcusable. But Marcus and I have talked things out and come to an understanding of sorts. But if you want to punish us for going against direct orders like we did, we'll accept that since we did defy orders even if we managed to stop Drimogemon as a result." Thomas said as Marcus nodded his agreement.
"I'll forgive it this one time since you were able to not only work together as a team, which I was hoping for, but also you cleaned up your own mess in the end. So well done you two. As for your punishment for defying orders, well I'll just extend the amount of time you two have to work together. Until I say otherwise, you and Marcus are now partners. So I hope for your sakes, you've actually learned to get along." Sampson said to Thomas and Marcus who nodded and saluted.
"SIR! Understood, Sir!" Thomas said happily. Marcus smiled as he spoke up, a smirk on his face.
"I might not always get along with Thomas sir, but I'll at least make the effort to do so for the sake of the team. I make no promises past that though." Marcus said, winking at Thomas as he spoke to Sampson. Sampson chuckled at Marcus' response before nodding.
"Very well, that's all I can ask of you two. Hand that DigiEgg over to Miki to deal with! After that, you two are dismissed to head back to your houses for now! And Yoshino, go with them! After all I get the sense you'd rather be hanging out with Kyori than lounging around here at HQ." Sampson said to Yoshino who smiled and nodded.
"Acknowledged, Commander." Yoshino said with a small bow. After Thomas handed the DigiEgg over to Miki, the trio exited HQ and departed for their houses (or the Damon household in Yoshino's case) looking excited...
(Meanwhile, at the Damon house with Sarah, Kristy and Kyori)
"Well, I guess I'm staying put according to the Commander. Hopefully they have things under control over there." Kyori said to Sarah and Kristy as he finished talking to Sampson. Kristy giggled as she looked at Kyori, smiling as she spoke up with an amused grin on her face.
"This is true Kyo, but you're forgetting that between the Commander and the others, they have a lot of skilled Digimon users at HQ so it should be fine. Meanwhile, you get to hang with us, and eventually once your shift is over, you have a girlfriend waiting for you." Kristy pointed out as both Sarah and Kyori gaped at her before the latter spoke up.
"First of all little one, since when does an almost nine year old think she has any room to talk to me about having a girlfriend? You're kinda young to be commenting on that, aren't you? That said, you're not wrong." Kyori said, his face slightly pink from embarrassment at Kristy bringing up Yoshino. And of course because it's Kyori, right at that moment the front door opened up as they heard another voice call out to them.
"Hello? Anyone home?" Marcus' voice could be heard calling out as Sarah and Kristy blinked in surprise before the former called back to Marcus.
"We're in the kitchen, Marcus!" Sarah said to Marcus who eventually walked into the kitchen, but he wasn't alone. To Kyori's surprise, Yoshino was with Marcus.
"Oh, hello Kyo. I guess you're still on shift?" Yoshino asked Kyori who nodded before speaking up.
"Yep. That I am sweetie. Though maybe since he's here, we can have Marcus take over for awhile so you and I can go hang out." Kyori said to Yoshino who giggled and nodded. Marcus smiled and clapped Kyori on the shoulder as he smiled and spoke up.
"No worries Kyo, I got you! Go on and have some fun with your girlfriend! I can watch over my family for a while. After all, with Drimogemon defeated, we have some free time now so we might as well make the most of it." Marcus said to Kyori who smiled as he spoke up once more.
"Very well, if you're sure Marcus. and well done for cleaning up your own mess. I knew you could do it. Yoshi, shall we go spend some time together?" Kyori asked Yoshino who giggled and nodded.
"Yes, yes we shall. Luckily I rode back with Marcus so we can take your car Kyo." Yoshino said to Kyori who smiled as he nodded.
"And this is why you shouldn't be in a rush to get into a relationship, Kristy." Marcus said sagely, ignoring the twin glares he got from Yoshino and Kyori as a result.
"I'm pretty sure Kyori's nothing but a gentleman with Yoshino." Kristy pointed out as Sarah and Yoshino nodded their agreement.
"And Marcus can't talk about relationships since he's still single." Kyori said simply before walking out of the room hand in hand with Yoshino, ignoring the gaping Sarah and Kristy that they'd left behind while Marcus just smirked as he watched the duo go, knowing they were suited to each other...
(Preview of next episode/chapter)
"What do you mean I have to take supplementary exams to save my grades?! It's my sister's birthday and I promised I'd be there for her!"
"Marcus, I would be honored to stand in for you on your sister's special day. You leave everything to me and focus on your grades."
"Out of all the Digimon for it to be, WHY did it have to be a Citramon?! UGH! This sucks!"
"That bounced off?! Ugh, this is the worst..."
"Let's go Ryudamon! We have to end this quickly! DNA CHARGE!"
"This birthday is the best one I've ever had! YAY!"
(END OF PREVIEW AND CHAPTER)
A/N: Finally, this chapter is done! I have NO clue why it took me literally over two months to get this done! I guess sometimes inspiration is slow to hit. *shrugs* Oh well, as a Youtuber I watch sometimes would say, 'It do be what it do be.' That said, my apologies for this extremely too late update! To be honest, I'll try to be faster on the next update but I make no promises! Hopefully I can get both Shuffled Journeys and Pyrex Chronicles off of their slow-burn type out processes as well, but I make no promises on either. I'll do what I can! So try to be patient with me and until next chapter, sithlorde1988 out!
