The Clash With Merukimon!

"Never had a nibble all day." Yushima remarked to the teens before him. "Must be the bait. I should use leeches."

"You sure are sneaky for an old dude, aren't ya?" Marcus joked.

"Maybe he's a Digimon like Keenan." Agumon remarked.

"Do me a favor. Just be quiet." Gaomon told the orange dinosaur.

"Are you absolutely positive we can trust this guy?" Yoshi asked.

"Yeah, he's the reason Marcus, Charlie and I received our Digivices." Ash reassured the others. "But if you're still skeptical, try reading his mind Yoshi."

"Good idea." Yoshi scanned his mind. "I trust this guy. He's also here to meet Merukimon."

"Come on, let's go." Marcus noted and ran after Yushima along with Agumon.

"Wait!" Yoshi called out.

"If you can't beat them, join them." Ami shrugged, following Marcus.

"She's right." Tailmon agreed, following her partner.

"Oh boy." Thomas sighed, taking after his girlfriend with Gaomon close behind. "Here we go again."

"Looks like it." Yoshi agreed, following Thomas' footsteps.

In the fortress…

"Tell me Keenan." Merukimon asked the boy. "What is it that is bothering you?"

Keenan hissed as he slammed his boomerang into the ice, recalling what Marcus had told him.

"Merukimon." Keenan told the Mega level Digimon. "Am I a Digimon?"

"Keenan…" Falcomon blinked.

"Why do you question yourself?" Merukimon asked. "You are a Digimon Warrior. Humans are the enemy."

"Keenan?" Falcomon inquired the silent boy as Gotsumon chuckled. "You alright?"

"I am Digimon." Keenan hissed. "Hu-mons evil."

Outside…

With Yushima leading the way, the group approached Merukimon's fortress gates.

"Okay." Yushima told the youngsters. "This is the place."

Suddenly, he turned around, tossing the Kuramon spying on them away with his fishing rod.

"Now that's what I call 'casting a Digimon away'." Marcus joked.

"Save the bad jokes. I wanted to catch a fish." Yushima replied, reeling his rod in.

"That was Kuramon." Thomas remarked, checking the data terminal. "Great, I sure hope he wasn't spying on us the whole time."

"I didn't know." Yushima replied. "Anyway, it's too late to worry about it now."

"Careful where you step." He warned as the group entered the fortress. "The ground is slippery."

"Hey!" Marcus complained when Yushima suddenly stopped. "Why don't you watch where you're going, old dude?"

"We are not alone." Yushima told him.

"Tsumemon." Thomas remarked, consulting the data terminal again. "An in-training level Digimon that can destroy data with amazing speed. They move very quickly and are difficult to detect."

By the viewing pool…

"Humans?" Gotsumon inquired when one of the Tsumemon reported back. "Here?"

"Pepper Breath!" Agumon was seen blasting away a Tsumemon as the group ran through the cavern.

Back with the DATS group…

"Double Backhand!" Gaomon knocked a couple more Tsumemon away.

"Seed Blast!" Lalamon unleashed her bullets.

"Fireball!" Guilmon spews out a powerful flame.

"Vee-Headbutt!" Veemon knocks down several Tsumemon with a headbutt.

"Fox Leaf Arrowheads!" Renamon throws sharpened leaves at them.

"Water Shot!" Gomamon produces a bursting stream of water.

"Pepper Breath!" Agumon's flame ball took out one of the Tsumemon that got past Lalamon.

"Cat Punch!" Tailmon's fists took care of the other two.

"Spit Fire Blast!" Agumon fired his charged up flame at the three Tsumemon on the ground.

"Get ready because we're coming for you, Merukimon!" Marcus declared.

Back with Merukimon…

"Merukimon!" Gotsumon hurried back to report. "They got past the Tsumemon. The humans have entered the castle!"

"Not to worry." Merukimon told him.

"Yeah, but…" Gotsumon protested. "They're here!"

"Me fight hu-mons!" Keenan declared. "I will destroy!"

"Keenan!" Falcomon took off after the boy.

"I don't understand why you let him go." Gotsumon turned to Merukimon. "You have a lot more power than he does. You can defeat those humans easier than he could."

"Keenan must fight these humans." Merukimon told him. "It is the only way for him to release his Digi-Warrior from within."

But humans are full of tricks. Gotsumon thought.

With the DATS group…

They were running into the castle, before emerging from the hallway.

"Look guys." Marcus noted, seeing the fortress from the other side of the ice bridge. "Merukimon's hideout. The Infinite Ice Ridge."

"It's pretty." Lalamon awed.

"Like a giant ice castle." Yoshi agreed.

"This might not be the best place to stop." Gaomon told her.

"Yeah, you're right." Thomas agreed. "I don't think this place is safe. We can be attacked from any angel at ay time."

"I say, bring it on already!" Agumon retorted.

"Yeah, what's Merukimon waiting for?" Marcus added. "I mean it's not like we're going to back down."

The team then ducked when Keenan's boomerang flew towards them.

"I beat you bad!" Keenan declared as he appeared in front of the group with Falcomon. "All hu-mons I will destroy!"

Is that… Yushima gasped. Could it really be?

"Go on ahead." Ash instructed. "We'll take care of Keenan and then rejoin you."

"I Digimon Warrior! I fight all Merukimon enemies!" Keenan declared upon landing.

"Out of my way, kid!" Marcus demanded.

"Keenan?" Yushima blinked.

"I knew it was you!" he added as Marcus and Keenan duke it out again.

"Pepper Breath!" Agumon fired his flame ball at the incoming Falcomon.

"Ninja Blades!" Falcomon released his attack, dodging the fireball.

"Cat Punch!" Tailmon knocked the shooting stars away with her fists.

"Seed Blast!" Lalamon added her attack.

"Sharp Claw!" Guilmon leaped up and slashed at Falcomon.

"Gao Rush!" Gaomon took opportunity of the smoke to attack, only to have Falcomon dodge the attack. The bird then appeared beside him, knocking him to the ground with a winged punch.

"Gaomon!" Thomas gasped.

Then, he and Yoshi were forced to split when Keenan attacked them. Marcus dived at the boy, knocking them both to the ground.

"Keenan, stop. You're not a Digimon." Yushima told the boy Marcus was wrestling with.

"I'm coming, Keenan!" Gotsumon called out on Yanmamon's back.

"Gotsumon!" Keenan beamed.

"Rock Fist!" Gotsumon smirked and released his attack.

Both Marcus and Keenan split off before the rock crashed them.

"Rock Fist!" Gotsumon then used his attack to send more rock crashing onto the fighting Digimon.

"I'm going to crush everyone here!" he laughed as the ceiling crumbled on top of them.

"Everyone?" Keenan echoed. "But that means you smash me!"

"Rock Fist!" was Gotsumon answer, sending his attack on a large pillar, causing it to fall to the ground and split. Marcus and Keenan fell through the crack on the ground.

"Boss no!" Agumon gasped.

"Keenan!" Falcomon cried out.

The ceiling above the two Digimon then cracked, causing both dinosaur and bird to fall in with their partners.

"Sir!" Gaomon covered his partner, with Lalamon doing the same with Yoshi.

"Lady Ami!" Tailmon rushed to her partner's side, shielding her.

Ash used his shield to cover himself, Greg and Charlie from the falling rocks.

On the cliff ledge…

"Gotsumon takes far too many chances." Falcomon remarked, before wincing in pain.

"Boss!" Agumon gasped, looking around when he awoke.

"Boss!" he called out in horror when he saw Marcus hanging just below them, the teen holding onto Keenan.

"Boss, no!" he gasped.

Up top…

"We're out." Gaomon told his partner as he dug them both out.

"Thanks a lot, Gaomon." Thomas replied.

"Yoshi, are you okay?" Lalamon asked, pushing the rocks off her partner.

"Yeah, but I don't know how." Yoshi replied.

"Where's everybody else?" Thomas asked.

"Right here." Ash shifted the rocks off himself, Greg and Charlie.

"Yeah." Tailmon added, as she dug Ami out.

"Don't move." Gotsumon threatened, holding Yushima hostage. "Everyone stay where you are. Got it?"

"Drop them!" he ordered, noticing both Thomas and Yoshi had their Digivices out. "Put them down nice and slow."

"This is not good." Yoshi noted after the two dropped their Digivices.

"Okay." Gotsumon added. "Do what I say and no one gets hurt."

"You know you're really not worth all this trouble." Yushima remarked.

"What did you say?" Gotsumon demanded.

"Merukimon, you're watching, aren't you?" Yushima called out. "I have something to say. You should really hear me out."

"Stop!" Gotsumon ordered. "Speak to me, not Merukimon!"

"Wait!" Merukimon halted the rock Digimon. "Being him to me."

"Of course sir." Gotsumon stammered. "Right away."

Both Thomas and Yoshi blinked at each other.

Yushima smiled as his plan worked.

On the cliff ledge…

"Boss!' Agumon called out, trying to reach to his partner.

Falcomon was about to attack Agumon when he winced and sat on the ground.

"Let go!" Keenan demanded.

"Shut up!" Marcus retorted.

"No hu-mon no save me. I save me." Keenan spat.

"You better get used to disappointment." Marcus told him.

Gritting his teeth, he managed to pull both of them up.

"You okay, Boss?" Agumon asked his panting partner.

"Yeah sure." Marcus replied. "Piece of cake."

"Why Gotsumon do that?" Keenan inquired, not understanding.

"Why me?" he turned to Marcus. "You save."

"Do I have to spell it out for ya?" Marcus asked. "We're not done fighting yet. I've got to win first. Got it?"

With a flame blast, Agumon got the four out.

"Boss!" the orange dinosaur told his partner.

"Thomas and Yoshi." Marcus noted, picking up the two Digivices.

"We need to find everyone fast." Agumon remarked.

"Yeah." Marcus agreed.

"Keenan." He turned to the younger boy. "We'll settle this later."

"Huh?" Keenan blinked in confusion.

"Agumon, let's go." Marcus told his partner.

"Right!" Agumon agreed and the two went after their friends.

"Keenan…" Falcomon muttered once the other two were out of earshot. "What if they are not like the humans from before who took Frigimon from you? What if we were wrong? And there are good humans too."

"Not true! All hu-mons bad!" Keenan spat, running off.

Meanwhile, Marcus and Agumon took off after their friends.

Before Merukimon…

"It's been a very long time." Merukimon told Yushima.

"And you haven't forgotten me. I'm really touched." Yushima added.

"You know Merukimon?" Lalamon asked.

"Sir, is this true?" Gaomon asked his partner.

"Could be." Thomas replied. "I have a feeling about ten years ago, he was part of the original Digital World exploration squad."

"Exploration squad?" Yoshi echoed.

"What happened to Keenan?" Merukimon asked Gotsumon as Agumon and Marcus hurried on.

"You see, it's… um… er…" Gotsumon stammered.

"You've been raising a human child." Yushima told the Mega Digimon.

"Keenan is like a son I never had." Merukimon replied. "His presence here helps me appreciate the human world better."

"If you feel that way, then why did you continue to attack them?" Yushima asked.

"Silence!" Merukimon hollered. "Have you conveniently forgotten that it was the humans who struck first?"

"We did not." Yushima insisted. "It's true that humans entered the Digital World before you entered ours, but we were never aggressive towards you. Besides, conquering the Digital World was never the intention of our exploration here. And you of all people should know that!"

"How dare you spit such lies to me!" Merukimon demanded.

"Which way, Boss?" Agumon asked once they arrived in the castle's hallways.

"Don't know. I haven't got a single clue." Marcus replied, before ducking when Keenan's boomerang attacked them.

"Keenan!" Marcus hissed.

"You fight me!" Keenan demanded.

"Bug off! I don't have time for you!" Marcus retorted.

"Fight me!" Keenan insisted.

Back with Merukimon…

"I was led to believe that we had written a treaty that would ensure stability between our two worlds." Merukimon spat. "Someone told me there would be no further strike from your world."

"Who's he talking about?" Yoshi asked.

"It was you humans who went back on the deal." Merukimon continued. "And in clear violation of the treaty, you destroyed several Digimon without warning."

"That's not true!" Yushima protested.

Back with Keenan and Marcus…

Marcus stopped Keenan's boomerang with his hands.

"You bad!" Keenan hissed. "No forget for Frigimon. Now you pay for it!"

"Get off of me!" Marcus pushed the child off. "Digimon can't die. They just get re-digitized into new eggs. How do you not know that?"

"It's not true!" Keenan shouted. "Mom not turned into egg. She go, disappear forever."

"What did you say?" Marcus gasped.

"That can't happen!" Agumon added.

"It did happen!" Keenan spat. "Mother gone."

Back with Merukimon…

"I'll never forget." Merukimon added. "The ruthless way you humans destroyed Digimon. Your actions were brutal. The attacks wiped out entire banks of Digimon data memory, causing so many innocent Digimon to become permanently deleted. And it all started with a human trick."

"That…" Yushima was stunned. "Can't be… it's not true! We wanted peace we were trying to figure out a way that Digimon and humans could all live together."

"Used from the same old lies!" Merukimon fumed. "Once again you humans have brought down the barrier that exists between our two worlds and you have done this to create chaos and destroy Digimon forever!"

"No!" Yushima objected. "Never! We would never do that!"

"Enough!" Merukimon hollered.

"These lies end now!" he powered up his attack. "You humans will be punished for the crimes you have committed. I will see to it that your tyranny will end!"

"Now!" he unleashed his power.

Back with Marcus and Keenan…

"Boss!" Agumon called out, seeing the smoke from Merukimon's attack fill the passageway.

Back with Merukimon…

"This ends now!" Merukimon hollered to the group which was blown away by his power.

"Not so fast!" Marcus jumped in, landing a punch onto Merukimon's face.

"You sure cut it close." Charlie sweat dropped.

"All right!" Yoshi beamed.

"Gang's all here, Merukimon." Marcus added, looking at Merukimon.

"The D.N.A charge is familiar to me." Merukimon noted.

"Well, I'm glad you heard of it." Marcus remarked. "I'm the famous Marcus Damon!"

"Damon?" Merukimon echoed. "Is it possible you're Spencer Damon's son?"

"How did you know about my father?" Marcus gasped.

"I am through talking!" Merukimon fired a blast at Marcus and Agumon.

"Fine!" Marcus retorted as he jumped back to avoid the attack. "I guess I'll just have to force the answer out of you then."

"Guys." He tossed the others their Digivices. "Let's go."

"Yeah!" They all exclaimed.

"D.N.A Full Charge!" The seven choursed.

"Agumon warp digivolve to MetalGreymon!" Agumon announced as he evolved.

"Gaomon warp digivolve to MachGaogamon." Gaomon declared.

"Lalamon warp digivolve to Angewomon." Lalamon announced.

"Renamon warp digivolve to Garudamon." Renamon declared.

"Veemon warp digivolve to AeroVeedramon." Veemon announced.

"Guilmon warp digivolve to WarGrowlmon." Guilmon declared.

"Gomamon warp digivolve to Zudomon." Gomamon announced.

"Merukimon!" Keenan called out.

"Keenan!" Gotsumon gasped.

"Gotsumon!" Keenan frowned.

"Keenan!" Merukimon hollered. "Stay out of this!"

"Let's get them!" Angewomon instructed as the seven Ultimate Digimon attacked.

"Heaven's Knuckle!" She fired a beam of sacred energy from her fist.

Merukimon simply slapped the attack away.

"Winning Knuckle!" Machgaogamon attacked next. Merukimon blocked the attack with a hand, tossing the Ultimate level Digimon away easily.

"Megalo Spark!"

"Fire Hurricane!"

"Hammer Spark!"

"Dragon Impulse!"

"Giga Storm!" WarGrowlmon, Garudamon, Zudomon, AeroVeedramon and MetalGreymon attacked once Machgaogamon was beaten back.

Merukimon simply leapt out of the smoke and attacked with his 'Thousand Fist' attack.

"Nice shot!" Keenan praised when the seven Ultimate Digimon were beaten back.

"It's just as I suspected." Gotsumon added. "They're far weaker than I thought."

"All seven of us attacked at the same time and it didn't leave a dent in him." MetalGreymon cursed.

"We need to combine our attacks against him." Marcus suggested. "We'll be more powerful that way."

"Hold on." Yoshi pointed out. "We never done that. It could be dangerous."

"That makes him want to do it even more." Thomas added.

"You of all people!" Yoshi scolded the rational blond.

"We're never taking the easy way out again. We're staying and fighting. Never surrender!" Marcus noted.

MetalGreymon nodded and the seven stood up.

"Fighting time!" He shouted.

"Yeah!" The other six Ultimate level Digimon chorused.

"Celestial Arrow!" Angewomon was the first to attack.

"Howling Cannon!"

"Twister Saber!"

"Glacier Spear!"

"Eagle Twister!"

"Radiation Blade!"

"Overflame!" MetalGreymon unleashed a wave of fire from his claw.

All those attacks combined in one blast to form a giant pink and blue arrow that hit directly into Merukimon's palm. He tried to block it, but we overpowered him as the three bystanders hit the floor. It seemed he was still standing, but a large part of the wall had been taken out, revealing the Digital Gate.

"The Digital Gate has been opened." Gotsumon realized.

"You actually weakened me." Merukimon confessed.

"Watch out!" Yushima warned as Merukimon powered up.

His warning came too late when Merukimon released his attack.

Ophanimon lifted her Beauty's Golden Shield to protect the group from the onslaught.

"Agumon!" Marcus gasped after the smoke died down, running towards his devolved Digimon.

"Lalamon!" Yoshi followed suit. "Hang in there!"

"Gaomon!" Thomas lifted his partner. "Are you okay?"

"Yes. Yes sir." Gaomon replied.

"I'm sorry Lady Ami, I tried." Tailmon muttered in her partner's arms.

"Guys." Ash, Charlie, Logan and Greg ran over to their partners as well.

"And now." Merukimon approached. "I will completely obliterate you!"

"Huh?" He frowned when Yushima stepped forward.

"Kamemon, realize!" he summoned his Digimon.

"Kamemon." The turtle Digimon said as he manifested.

"The T guy!" Marcus blinked.

"He fights?" Yoshi was surprised.

"D.N.A Charge!" Yushima called forth Kamemon's Champion form.

"Kamemon digivolve to Gwappamon!" The tortoise Digimon declared as he evolved.

Ami and Tailmon were too busy stiffling their laughter to explain any further.

"DJ Shooter!" Gwappamon released his attack. The discs sliced through the pillars of the castle, causing the ceiling to collapse on top of them. Merukimon shielded himself from the rock rubble as Gotsumon dived to avoid getting buried.

"We can't just run away!" Marcus protested as the group ran through the crumbling building.

"Yes. We can!" Yushima told him, pulling the teen along.

"Forget it!" Marcus shook off his hold. "We're finishing this right here and right now!"

"Your Digimon have nothing left. They can't fight anymore." Yushima told him. "We've been defeated easily. Protect your friends for now. Finish this later."

"I will not let you escape." Merukimon told the pair.

"Marcus." Yushima told the teen, passing Keenan to him. "Take care of Keenan. Make sure he gets back to the Human World."

"Hold on." Marcus remarked.

"Come on Marcus." Yoshi urged. "Let's get out of here! Hurry!"

"Not yet!" Marcus protested as Yoshi pulled him off. "Wait!"

"Come on!" he yelled to Falcomon.

"You won't get away!" Merukimon promised, charging up as the DATS teens hurried to the Digital Gate.

The group barely managed to leap into the portal just as Merukimon's attack clashed through the gateway.

In the Human World…

The portal opened above the sea and the group dropped into the water.

"I hate water!" Tailmon complained as she popped her head out of the sea.

Ami sighed and recalled the cat into her Digivice.

"She really hates water huh?' Thomas joked.

"You have no idea." Ami muttered. "I'm going to need lots of bribery just to pacify her."

"Bribery?" Gaomon blinked.

"Tuna and catnip." Ami sighed. "I just hope the catnip's effect wears off after two hours."

Just then, Sampson arrived in a chopper and rescued them.