The other kids needed Izzy

The other kids needed Izzy's help. Tai and Matt, as well as Metalgarurumon and Wargreymon, were in the clutches of Piedmon; yet, despite this, the boy was running away! After all that fuss he'd made of never being allowed to fight . . . the least he could have done was go back to help!

Izzy tended to be a rational thinker. It was because of this rationality that he knew that fighting would only result in his being turned into a keychain, that he knew that even Megakabuterimon wouldn't be strong enough to even hurt Piedmon. It was because of this he knew that everyone else was running with him, that he had every rationalization for fleeing from this threat.

But his normal, rational thoughts were escaping him. He was a coward for running, especially since he'd complained that he wasn't taken seriously enough. Now, just when things really counted, he was running! Running away . . .

Suddenly, he halted at the edge of a huge chasm. Everyone stood with him, gawking. The exception was Gatomon, who immediately leapt across to help the team.

Izzy went over to take his turn. Everybody else but Joe had already gone across; even now, he tried to formulate excuses why he shouldn't go, why he should stay and fight. Just like he'd been saying he'd wanted to do. But his mouth was dry; he grabbed the trapeeze bar as he was lifted to it, almost eagerly.

"Piedmon!" shouted someone as the big clown made his entrance. Maybe it was Patamon, maybe not.

Joe pushed Izzy away, just in time to be covered by a huge white cloth, the same kind that had turned their friends into keychains.

"No!" shouted Izzy, looking back at the older boy.

White filled his vision; a moment later, there was one of the keychain-cloths on him, suffocating him from all angles. He threw his arms out, trying desperately to get the thing off of him before it started working.

"Izzy!" cried Tentomon.

"Don't!" Izzy tried to shout as the sheet started to evaporate. His voice no longer worked, however; his vision was dimming, but he could still see Tentomon as he was taken down.

No! Tentomon!

A moment later, blinded, he felt something wrap around him. It was sort of a faraway feeling, as though someone were grabbing a case that held him. Dimly, though he could tell it was said but inches from his ear, he heard someone say, "My name is Izzy, and I think I'm so smart, but I still wasn't able to keep my friends from being turned into keychains by Lord Piedmon."

Then, he was deaf. A moment later, completely numb. In a matter of seconds, there was nothing. Nothing but horrid consciousness.

Izzy felt immensely guilty, just existing there. Joe had made sure everyone else had made it across before him; Tai and Matt had rushed straight to the aid of their Digimon. Sora was protecting TK and Kari; they were the only three that had gotten completely across, except for a few of the Digimon. Tentomon . . . he'dd sacrificed himself to try to save his partner. What had Izzy done? Nothing . . . nothing at all.

Though never one to show much emotion, Izzy felt almost as if he were about to cry, or scream, or . . . something. It was all just too much. Too much . . . overloading his brain . . .

"How much space do you think you have left in that brain or yours?" Tentomon had once asked him.

Not enough, apparently.

Help me . . . he thought, trying to project to whoever might have been listening.

Please . . . somebody help me.

* * *