"Alright, so it's decided. Tai will get his sister and TK-" Izzy began.
"Because they are probably together," interjected Mimi
"Yeah, yeah," grumbled Matt.
"Enough about Matt's brother getting more than him, we need to concentrate on the task at hand," continued Izzy. "After Tai rounds up those two we will meet in Matt's apartment to discuss this message I got from Genai."
"Can you at least tell us what this mysterious message is about?" Joe asked indignantly. "I mean you said it was for all of us."
"It will take explaining and I don't want to explain twice. You can wait fifteen minutes." Izzy stopped and glanced down the street. "This is where I turn. I'll see you in fifteen minutes." He turned on his heel and walked quickly down the street, pushing past crowds of celebrating students.
Tai glanced after him and shook his head. "I wonder what's eating at him. He has not been the same this last month…"
"It's probably just some computer game getting delayed," laughed Mimi as the group continued down the street. "Ah well, here's my stop."
"Yeah, mine too," Joe said hurriedly as he walked off to follow Mimi. She turned to wait for him as he quickly walked across the terrace to where she was standing.
As the remaining three members walked towards their shared building Tai leaned in to Matt. "I didn't know Joe moved."
"I don't think Joe moved," Matt said with a grin stretching across his face.
"So him and Mimi are…?" Tai cocked his head to the side. "I did not see that coming."
Sora shrugged. "You'd be surprised what people do."
Tai looked at Sora strangely. "You and Izzy both have been weird today."
Sora glanced up at Tai. "Just contemplative I suppose. It's nothing to worry about."
Tai shrugged as the group of three began to climb the stairs of the apartment building. At the fifth floor Tai stopped. "Well I'll see you in fifteen. I'm gonna have to get a crowbar to get those two apart. You guys wanna help me out?"
Matt shook his head. "I gotta clean up and inform my mom about the rabid group of teenagers that will be invading her house in fifteen minutes."
Tai laughed. "Yeah yeah, I get it. Sora, how about you?"
Sora also shook her head. "I've got to stop at home."
Tai shrugged. "Ah well, I can handle this one solo. Wish me luck." With a broad smile Tai strolled down the hallway to his room. Matt and Sora turned to each other and shrugged. They turned and began to climb the winding concrete stair well. When they got to the first landing after the 5th floor, Matt stopped.
"What is it?" Sora asked.
Matt took a step forward and embraced Sora, pulling her close. Sora's breath caught in her throat, and she raised her lips to meet his. They stood on the landing kissing for a moment, and the sun's rays seemed visible as the light intertwined the embracing couple. Matt ran his hand down her back and pulled his lips back slightly, breathing in her scent and resting his forehead against hers.
"I hate having to hide this," Matt grumbled.
Sora shrugged, but smiled when she did. "You know how people are."
Matt gave her his adorable half smile. "You're right, but I just want the whole world to know."
Sora laughed. "You're just made because everyone thinks your brother is getting more than you," Sora teased light heartedly.
Matt shrugged, and kissed her one more time. "Come on, I do actually need to clean up a bit and warn my mom."
Sora smiled and grabbed his hand as he led her to his apartment.
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"So Izzy, what's the big news?" Tai asked impatiently as he paced up and down the floor of Matt's room.
Izzy glanced uninterestedly up from his laptop. "TK and Kari aren't here yet. I'm not explaining this twice."
"I told you, I couldn't find them. I called Kari but she didn't pick up, I'm not some kind of Kari locator," Tai said exasperatedly. "Let's just go without them."
"We need everyone." Izzy went back to typing on his laptop.
"GAH!" Tai ran his fingers through his hair in utter exasperation. You've been unbearable lately man. What's your deal?"
Izzy stopped typing. By this time Sora, Matt, Mimi, and Joe had gone completely silent "Everyone has their reasons." Izzy's voice was like ice.
Tai shrugged. "No need to get angry. I'm just concerned."
Izzy chuckled, obviously embarrassed. "Sorry Tai. I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just been a tough final week, that's all."
Tai smiled, the lights from Matt's room bouncing off his teeth. "No need to be sorry, we all have our weeks."
Suddenly, the door to Matt's room slammed open, and a laughing TK and Kari fell into the group's midst.
"Hey guys… sorry we're late…" TK stammered, not sure how to continue.
Matt gave TK a glanced at TK out of the corner of his eye. "You missed the bus home, right?"
TK gave a broad smile. "Sure."
"Missing the bus? Is that what you kids are calling it these days?" Tai nudged TK in the side.
TK shuffled away uncomfortably as the group in Matt's room suddenly seemed preoccupied with the band posters on Matt's walls.
"Uh… what guys?" Tai looked around, confusion etched into his features.
"Umm, Tai… I mean should you be teasing TK… I mean Kari is your sister…" Matt stammered out uncomfortably.
"Oh, yeah I guess. I don't know, I guess I just don't care. I mean I figure TK couldn't even really do anything to her, if you get my drift." Tai stuck his tongue out at TK and shoved him a little.
"Oh don't worry about that bro," Kari said with a coy smile as she slipped past TK and sat down on Matt's blue comforter.
"When you say things like that, then I start to worry," Tai sighed as he plopped down onto Matt's gray carpet.
"Aha!" Izzy exclaimed from the corner. "I've got it. Alright, so I bet you are all wondering why you've been gathered here today. We have a minor… situation you could call it. A new… digidestined I suppose has appeared."
"A new digidestined? What's so bad about that?" Joe asked inquisitively.
"Well for one, he seems to have no partner digimon… also… he's preaching." Izzy said.
"So like Jehovah's witness?" Tai laughed.
"Well it isn't a conventional religion, it seems more zealous… I say we go and check it out, I just think we should make sure he isn't up to anything." Izzy concluded with a nod of his head, and the group nodded with him.
"So fire up the portal, and let's rock!" Tai leapt up, producing his old digivice. "It will be cool to see Agumon again!"
"Yeah, it's a shame that all our digimon had to back to the digital world after you tried to roast your teacher with Agumon," Matt teased.
"You know I'm right about that," Tai glared at Matt. "Anyways, enough chit chat. Let's go."
"Initializing portal, alright, here we go!" A bright light shown from Izzy's laptop, and the eight digidestined were swept into the digital world.
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With a hard thump, Matt landed on the dusty ground of the digital world desert in the middle of what used to be an old ghost town. Amongst the crowd of digimon was a medium height figure, donned in a cloak and what appeared to be a mask. The figure glanced at Matt and threw his hands into the air. "The gods have arrived!"