Kurata's Real Plan

"Try to avoid him, Miragegaogamon!" Thomas told his partner, now faced with ShineGreymon Ruin Mode.

Miragegaogamon dodged the first attack, only to be slammed down into the water by ShineGreymon Ruin Mode's energy lash.

"Double Crescent Mirage!" MirageGaogamon emerged from the water, releasing his attack. ShineGreymon Ruin Mode simply blocked the attacks with his shield.

"All those Digimon who made the ultimate sacrifice while fighting side by side with you, you've betrayed every one of them!" Marcus shouted as the two Digimon continued to fight. "You'll pay for desecrating their memories!"

"MirageGaogamon!" Thomas gasped when the wolf took a blow from ShineGreymon Ruin Mode and was sent crashing to the ground.

"Sir." MirageGaogamon told his partner as ShineGreymon Ruin Mode charged up his attack. "Stay away."

"Finish them off!" Marcus instructed. "Make them pay!"

"Shut up!" Charlie shouted.

"Stop!" Kristy cried as she hugged her brother. "Don't!"

"This isn't like you, Marcus." She begged him. "Thomas is your friend. If you hurt him, you never forgive yourself."

Her plea came too late when ShineGreymon Ruin Mode clashed into Miragegaogamon and Thomas.

"I believe it's wiser to retreat." Ami advised, as Ophanimon carried Thomas off and MirageGaogamon rolled out of the way. Meanwhile, ShineGreymon Ruin Mode's attack razed the city to the ground.

"You… aren't mad?" Thomas was surprised.

"What? You think I was aiming for you back then?" Ami raised a surprised eyebrow. "That guy I took out was Bull; I met him in the Underground, sexually harassing the female servers. Dare-nii informed me that Kurata sent him here to keep an eye on you, to make sure you do your job."

"In other words." She grinned. "I saved you from being busted. By the way, great acting back there. You should try for an Oscar."

"Ha, ha." Thomas remarked sarcastically.

"Besides, knowing you like I do Peacock, you have your reasons for doing this." Ami told him. "And the only reason I can think of on why you would is because of one person."

"It's Relena, isn't it?" she asked knowingly.

"Figures." She smiled when Thomas remained silent.

"Leave." Imperialdramon FM ordered. "It's not safe for any of us to stand around here while ShineGreymon's rampaging."

After having Thomas get on MirageGaogamon, the three Mega Digimon turned to escape from the out of control ShineGreymon.

"What is ShineGreymon doing?" Marcus inquired when he saw ShineGreymon Ruin Mode's attack ravage the harbor.

"BanchoLeomon?" he blinked and the golden lion appeared before him.

"He's running amok. I warned you about the dangers of using the 'Burst Mode' and now ShineGreymon cannot control his own power." BanchoLeomon explained.

"'Burst Mode'?" Marcus echoed.

"Quick, back into the Digivice." Thomas told his partner after they had landed, recalling Miragegaogamon.

Meanwhile, ShineGreymon Ruin Mode's power went out of control as he fired streams of his corrupted power at the Gizumons around him, destroying them.

"Damn, looks like we have to do some damage control." Ami remarked on Ophanimon's shoulder as she watched ShineGreymon Ruin Mode's rampage.

"Guys, we have a situation here." She informed her surrogate family through her communicator.

"What is it, D?" Duke asked.

"'Burst Mode' gone berserk." Ami replied simply.

"Damn! Who?" Dare cursed.

"Do you even have to ask?" Ami questioned.

"Right, stupid question." Dare replied. "I'm sending Angel over."

"I strongly suggest you get the hell out of here." Ami advised the blond on the ground.

"Agreed." Thomas nodded and he took off.

"Thomas!" Yoshi called out after the blond, only to have one of ShineGreymon Ruin Mode's attacks clash onto the ground before her.

"ShineGreymon, stop attacking!" Marcus shouted at his partner. "Come back down!"

"Forget it." BanchoLeomon told him. "Once the 'Burst Mode' is been corrupted like this, there's nothing that can be done. You'll have to wait until he self-destructs."

"No…" Marcus gasped.

Back with Kurata…

"I think maybe this is a good time for us to leave as well." Kurata noted.

Back at the harbor…

"BanchoLeomon." Marcus turned to the lion. "Please watch my sister."

"Marcus!" Kristy called out as her brother took off.

"Stop it ShineGreymon!" Marcus shouted at his partner. "That's enough! Just cut it out! That's an order!"

"Please stop!" he pleaded. "I'm begging you!"

His remorseful tears dripped down to his Digivice, causing it to glow.

ShineGreymon Ruin Mode started yelling in pain as Marcus' regret overtook him.

"What's happening to him?" Marcus asked, seeing the wincing ShineGreymon Ruin Mode.

"Strike of the Seven Stars!" came Seraphimon's purifying attack.

"Eden's Javelin!" Ophanimon's cleansing light removed the rest of ShineGreymon Ruin Mode's corruption and returning ShineGreymon into a digiegg. Ami caught the egg within her arms as Ophanimon flew underneath it.

"I do believe this belongs to you." She told Marcus, handing the egg over to its owner as she stepped down from Ophanimon's hands and recalling her partner into her Digivice.

"ShineGreymon?" Marcus muttered at the egg in his arms. "What have I done?"

"NO!" he yelled out.

Back in Angel's Bath House…

Marcus was looking at Agumon's digiegg.

"Why did he turn back into a digiegg?" Yoshi asked.

"Maybe he used up all of his Digital energy after his battle with MirageGaogamon." Miki suggested.

"There's an easier explanation." Angel cut in. "Ames and I have Seraphimon's and Ophanimon's attacks purify ShineGreymon's corrupted DigiSoul and hereby returning Agumon into a digiegg. "

"Hey, how long does it take for a digiegg to hatch anyway?" Kristy asked.

"Nobody knows for sure." Lalamon replied. "It could take a day, or a week, or even maybe a year. Sometimes, it never hatches."

"That's not going to happen!" Marcus retorted. "He's going to hatch any minute now! You'll see!"

"But even he does hatch; you should know that he won't retain any of his previous memories." BanchoLeomon entered the room.

"What are you talking about?" Marcus demanded.

"Be prepared Marcus." BanchoLeomon advised. "After his rebirth, Agumon probably won't even remember your name. If you plan on continuing this fight with Kurata, you're going to have to do it without Agumon's help. I'm sorry Marcus."

"If only Thomas was around, we could use him at a time like this." Megumi noted.

"That jerk!" Marcus retorted angrily. "I don't ever want to hear his name mentioned around here again."

"Marcus!" Sarah chided.

Back with Thomas…

Having arrived back at Kurata's lab, Thomas and Gaomon exited from their ride.

"Gaomon." Thomas turned to his injured partner. "Are you okay?"

"I'm a little banged up." Gaomon replied. "But I should be fine, sir. Don't worry."

As they entered the building, Keenan and Falcomon peered out from behind the sedan.

In Kurata's office…

"Thomas." Kurata greeted the blond. "I'm glad to see that you're able to make it back safely." Before sneezing in the presence of Gaomon.

"Excuse me." He remarked after sneezing. "I see you brought your puppy with you."

"I've told you I'm not a dog!" Gaomon retorted.

"Well, whatever you are, I'm allergic." Kurata commented as Keenan and Falcomon listened in from the air vaunt. "Anyway, I'm quite surprised to see you two deck it out. I didn't think that ShineGreymon have that sort of power hidden within himself."

"Actually Professor." Thomas corrected. "It's very likely that power was not emitting from ShineGreymon."

"Oh?" Kurata inquired.

Looking at his Digivice, Thomas added, "This new Digivice must have increased Marcus Damon's D.N.A Charge to an explosive level. If I experiment on this Digivice, perhaps I could harness that power to allow Miragegaogamon to beat ShineGreymon."

"I don't think ShineGreymon would be giving us anymore trouble." Kurata pointed out. "After your battle, ShineGreymon turned back into a digiegg."

"What?" Thomas gasped.

"And I don't know why." Kurata added. "But frankly, I don't really care, because the important thing is, he's not around any longer to meddle with my plans."

"Which are what?" Thomas asked.

"Let me give you the full tour." Kurata offered.

In Kurata's underground lab later…

"What is that?" Thomas asked, looking at the incubating Belphemon in the test tube.

"Allow me to introduce you to Belphemon: Sleep Mode." Kurata remarked. "He's a powerful Mega level Digimon. Belphemon can be so cute when he's in sleep mod, but I assure you, Thomas, his 'Rage Mode' is much more terrifying. I brought him back with me from my second trip to the Digital World sometime ago. I found him there, deep within some ancient ruins. The hieroglyphs told a story of how Belphemon awakens from his slumber every one thousand years to wreck havoc and destruction. In the end, he was defeated by that blasted Lilith girl, his digiegg sealed up in a box with her seal. But, I knew just what to do with such unlimited potential power. I brought it back with me and begun to nurture it. Soon, my doubts turned to convictions. I'm now positive that Belphemon is the most powerful weapon that this world or any other world has ever known."

"I see." Thomas noted, realizing what Kurata meant. "I finally understand now why you put some much effort into destroying Digimon, so you could gather up all their life force energy."

"I needed that energy to awaken Belphemon." Kurata added. "And thanks to the destruction of ElDradimon, I finally have enough."

"So, your plan is to annihilate the Digital World." Thomas concluded.

"Well, that's what I had in mind at first." Kurata corrected. "But not anymore. Now that I have the unlimited power of Belphemon at my disposal, the obliteration of the Digital World is far too small a goal. Considering my new position, I've decided to take over the Human World and keep the Digital World around as my backyard. This way, I'll be King of both Worlds! And if I get tired of those dirty little Digimon, I can always destroy the Digital World whenever I want to; especially after I've gotten my hands on that crystal that blasted Lilith girl has, I can revive the Digital World with that power and destroy it again whenever I please!"

"Excellent plan." Thomas noted.

"Yeah!" Kurata agreed.

"You never get away with it Kurata!" Keenan shouted, coming down at the scientist with his boomerang.

"Gaomon!" Thomas told his partner.

"Sir, yes sir." Gaomon replied.

"Double Backhand!" he attacked Keenan.

"No get in my way!" Keenan retorted.

"Keenan!" Falcomon jumped in to save his partner.

"Ninja Blade!" he fired his attack at the leaping Gaomon.

"Firecracker Smokescreen!" he unleashed his smoke when his blades missed Gaomon.

"Gaomon!" Thomas called out, seeing his partner engulfed in Falcomon's smoke.

Gaomon landed beside him after Falcomon escaped with Keenan.

"Intruder alert!" Kurata pressed the emergency button. "Do not let them get away!"

Thomas and Gaomon nodded at each other and went off after Keenan.

"We have to tell the others about what Kurata is planning to do." Peckmon told his partner as they fled. "We can't let him wake up Belphemon."

"Hurry Peckmon, Gizumon are following us." Keenan remarked.

"Hang on." Peckmon added, dodging the Gizumons' laser beams.

"We'll handle this." Thomas told Kurata once they arrived on the battlefield after Gaomon exited. "Call off your Gizumons so they don't get in our way."

"How do I know I can fully count on you, Thomas?" Kurata asked.

"Because I know as well as you do that we can't let him escape after what he saw." Thomas replied. "Trust me."

"Ready Gaomon?" he called out to his partner. "D.N.A Charge, Overdrive!"

"Gaomon double warp digivolve to Miragegaogamon!" Gaomon declared as he evolved.

"Keenan." Peckmon told his partner, as Miragegaogamon blocked his path.

"D.N.A Full Charge!" Keenan called forth Peckmon's next level.

"Peckmon digivolve to MegaSeadramon!" Peckmon announced as he evolved.

"Are you really turning against us, Miragegaogamon?" MegaSeadramon asked the Mega Digimon.

"I'm simply following Thomas' orders." Miragegaogamon replied.

"And I'm simply doing my fucking duty!" Ami retorted as she arrived to the scene with Ophanimon Burst Mode.

Back in Angel's Bath House…

"Haven't you four found anything yet?" Marcus scolded the four adults working on the computers.

"Calm down." Miki told him.

"This is a much older computer. It doesn't have half the speed the one at HQ had." Megumi added.

"Where's Yushima disappeared to?" Yoshi asked. "Maybe he switched sides like Thomas."

"I'm picking up a Digimon signal." Lalamon informed her. "One is MegaSeadramon, the other is Ophanimon and the third is Miragegaogamon!"

"Are you sure?" Marcus asked.

"Please don't tell me Keenan, Ami and Thomas are fighting." Kristy begged.

"Sorry, it's them." Lalamon replied.

"We have to help them." Megumi told the group.

"Keenan is no match for Thomas." Miki added. "And since Thomas is still Ami's boyfriend, I don't think she would attack him."

"No one leaves!" BanchoLeomon interjected.

"But BanchoLeomon." Yoshi blinked at the golden lion. "Keenan and Ami need us."

"Right, so out of my way!" Marcus retorted.

"Haven't you hears a single thing I've been saying?" BanchoLeomon rebuked. "What can you hope to accomplish without your Digimon partner?"

"I don't need Agumon to take care of Thomas." Marcus replied. "All I need are my two bare hands!"

"Did you not hear ShineGreymon screaming? Did you not hear his pain?" BanchoLeomon inquired.

"I did and that's why I'm going." Marcus replied.

"Then stay." BanchoLeomon advised. "Because the reason for his pain was that he lost control of the 'Burst Mode' because you lost control of your emotions. Because your D.N.A Charge was channeled into such an angry and spiteful vengeance-filled level, ShineGreymon begun to lose control of his own emotions."

"It's all my fault." Marcus realized. "I was the one who caused him to go into the 'Bust Mode' in the first place and I'm the one responsible for turning him back into a digiegg."

"I warned you of the dangers." BanchoLeomon reminded him. "Yet you still fell prey to your own emotions and now unfortunately, your friend must pay for your selfishness."

"It's my fault, mine alone." Marcus remarked before the ground shook.

Up top, Crowmon crashed into a building as a result of Miragegaogamon's attack as Keenan leapt off his partner.

"Leave Crowmon alone!" Keenan shouted.

"MirageGaogamon!" Thomas called. "Focus on Keenan instead."

"Sir, yes sir." Miragegaogamon replied.

"Keenan, watch out!" MegaSeadramon warned, as Miragegaogamon dived towards the child.

Grabbing him by his claws, he flew off before Miragegaogamon's claw hit.

"Double Crescent Mirage!" Miragegaogamon fired his attack at Crowmon, only to have Ophanimon Burst Mode block the attack with her 'Beauty's Golden Shield'.

"MegaSeadramon, get Keenan out of here. We'll take over from here!" Ami told the sea serpent on Ophanimon Burst Mode's shoulder as she and Ophanimon Burst Mode moved in between Miragegaogamon and MegaSeadramon

"Right." MegaSeadramon nodded and took off.

"How can you turn on your friends like this?" Ophanimon Burst Mode asked the blue wolf.

"Thomas is the only friend I care about." MirageGaogamon replied. "I must do what he says."

"In that case," Ami replied. "I have nothing to say. Unfortunately for you, I'm no Marcus. I'm actually pretty good at avoiding my own feelings. Otherwise, I'll be sick of what I'm about to say."

"Ophanimon, finish this." she instructed coldly. "Turn him into a digiegg if you have to."

"Understood." Ophanimon Burst Mode replied.

Back in Angel's Bath House…

'I can't let Keenan down." Marcus told BanchoLeomon. "I have to go out there and help him."

"You still don't understand, do you?" BanchoLeomon inquired.

"I get it." Marcus replied. "Because of my jump-in-first-head style, Agumon has turned back into a digiegg. But we still have a fight to finish and I just can't stand by and watch as Thomas and Kurata take down what's left of DATS!"

"Don't you give me that face!" he retorted, seeing BanchoLeomon's disapproving glance. "And don't you look down on me!"

"Marcus!" Sarah chided.

"No more fighting!" Kristy pleaded.

BanchoLeomon merely blocked Marcus' outraged fist with his hand.

"What?" Marcus demanded.

"Your fighting stance stinks." BanchoLeomon remarked. "You certainly didn't inherit it from your father, that's for sure."

"You knew him?" Marcus asked. "My dad?"

"Your father's moral character and fighting stance were unsurpassed amongst humans." BanchoLeomon informed him. "You cannot begin to compare yourself to him in any way whatsoever. Look at you; how he managed to produce an offspring like you will be a mystery to me forever."

"I'm not... that bad." Marcus protested.

"Yes, you are." BanchoLeomon corrected, releasing his grip.

"He knew Spencer." Sarah muttered after BanchoLeomon exited.

"Sefirot Crystals!" Ophanimon Burst Mode fired her crystals at Miragegaogamon, sending him crashing onto the road.

"MirageGaogamon!" Thomas rushed to his partner's side.

"Sir, stay away!" MirageGaogamon told him. "They are serious about this."

"No!" Thomas gasped when Ophanimon Burst Mode unleashed her 'Eden's Javelin' attack on the wolf, not giving him any respite.

"My armor…" Miragegaogamon gaped in shock when his armguard cracked under the intense barrage, having been wounded before by ShineGreymon Ruin Mode's previous attacks.

"If Thomas' your only friend, then what am I to you?" Ophanimon Burst Mode screamed as she dived, stabbing the wolf's wound with her lance.

"MirageGaogamon!" Thomas shouted in horror when Miragegaogamon howled in pain, devolving back into Gaomon in a burst of light.

"Whether or not to finish him is up to you." Ami told her partner.

Ophanimon Burst Mode nodded, lowering her 'Shining Javelin'.

"I understand." Ami noted, realizing what she meant.

"Tailmon did love you, you know." She told the rookie Digimon before Ophanimon Burst Mode flew back to Angel's Bath House.

"Gaomon…" Thomas picked up his devolved partner after the battle.

"I'm fine sir." Gaomon assured him.

"But I guess," he added, looking at Ophanimon Burst Mode's back. "We both betrayed the women we love."

Back in Kurata's lab…

"Welcome back." Kurata greeted the duo. "Nice job, considering you had to go up against the girl you love. The rage of women can be terrifying. I'm sorry I ever doubted you. I suppose all my plans will go much smoother now that ShineGreymon is completely out of the way for good."

"Yes." Thomas agreed. "And my sister will finally get the cure she needs to lead a healthy life in a peaceful world."

"Well said Thomas. Well said." Kurata turned to him. "So, what are we waiting for? Let's get started on creating that new world together right now."

In Relena's hospital bed…

The younger Norstein was reading a book on her bed when a knock sounded on her door.

"Come in." Relena told her guest.

"Check-up time." Yushima told her, as he and Kamemon entered, dressed as doctors.