Disclaimer/Note: You know by now, of course, that I don't own Digimon. In case you didn't realize it by now, I am wavering between using Japanese and English names. This may turn out to be AU because some things will happen that I know wouldn't/couldn't/didn't happen in the TV series/manga.
Chapter 2 Infection and Realization
It was well past 8 o'clock at night by the time the duo arrived home, wet and tired, and after nearly collapsing from sheer exhaustion in the shower, TK decided to go straight to bed.
Patamon decided to stay awake for a little bit, mostly because he had a lot on his mind. Among other things was his partner's blatant obsession with the secrecy of their archipelago. He had voiced his opinions about this to TK, but the answer was very vague. 'I'm afraid the others would ruin the solitude and calmness of the place if they knew about it.' He didn't know exactly what he meant, but after a few pensive moments he kind of deciphered it to be a place untouched by digimon and human alike. That kind of purity was rare in both worlds, so he wished to protect it. 'Well, TK, I'll help with that job.' Patamon was used to Takeru's inclination to keep all burdens to himself.
In fact, few people knew that the seemingly outgoing and open Takeru was in reality a very introverted and secretive person. He's so good at hiding it though, that certain persons who think they could read him like a book (Kari and his mom to name two) in reality know almost nothing about him. His secret base was also his spot to have his desired alone time. Patamon and Matt were the only ones who could fathom his complex mind, but even they didn't know everything about his enigmatic psyche. Patamon was very deep in his thoughts over this subject that he didn't notice the figure floating just outside the window of TK's room.
A being shrouded in a black cloak hovered outside apartment 506 of Odaiba Grand Suites. He pulled an ice pick from his belt and started to create a hole in which to enter the room through the window. The glass was very stubborn in letting the killer in even until the end. It took him a good five minutes to make a decent hole and the glass decided it wanted to fall into the room, and would have shattered on impact were it not for a clawed hand that shot out of the mass of ebony. "That was close," it whispered to itself. He crept into the room by what seemed to be the head first and slinked to the floor. At that moment, two intense azure eyes shot open. 'Damn! He must have sensed me.' The sapphire pools darted across the room looking for the cause of the disturbance. Reaching into the clouded abyss of black, the assassin pulled out a blow dart gun and proceeded to knock the victim out before he struggled. 'This was easier than planned. The way master was talking about this boy, you would've thought he could destroy the world. And now for the virus.'
A certain potential angel sensed the aura of darkness only too late. He snapped out of his thoughts and darted from his bed in the closet only to find a human-like mass plunging a syringe into his charge's neck. "NOOO!!!"
The being looked up at the scream to see a peculiar flying sprite in a doorway. It chuckled to itself and merely stated in a monotone voice, "All is going according to our master's wishes. You cannot stop us, now. Your friend will soon be dead by our newest weapon. Hope will cease to exist, and despair will engulf all living." And with that, he faded away into nothing.
"No, TTTTKKKKK!!!!! I'll save you!" Patamon rushed over to the body of the boy. He was visibly paling and retching as in pain, even with the sedative. "Great, what am I thinking? I don't know the first thing about medicine!" Patamon flew hastily around the room thinking of an idea when, suddenly, he paused. "Wait a minute, from Takeru's body I'm sensing... That's it! That must be how this poison works!" He flew down to the flailing teen and stopped. "The virus is causing a huge influx of power to appear inside his body. If I don't stop it, it will surge beyond the ability of the body to withstand it and he'll disintegrate. I'm really sorry, Takeru. I know you'll hate me for sacrificing myself, but you must live!" He flew over to the night table where TK's D3 was sitting and picked it up. "I'm truly sorry, but this is how it must be." After muttering his regrets, a momentary flash resounded through the room. It was so bright and powerful that it was later said that this flash could be seen through all of Japan. The spectacle was over before it started, nevertheless in a certain apartment, a teenager continued to slept peacefully, oblivious to the celestial phenomenon that occurred in his room, and, more importantly, unaware that his best friend had ceased existing physically in this world.
It was the phone that brought TK into the waking world, that and a very sharp pain from his back. "Ow! Why does my back hurt so much? Maybe I fell off the bed onto something and got back up without realizing it. Or maybe I got shot by a guy trying to kill me. That dream was so real though...hey, where's Patamon?" The phone realized that back pain and nightmares were more pressing at the moment, so it stopped ringing and started its message.
"Hey TK, it's Davis. I know, I know, I'm not usually awake this time of the morning, but I decided to make an exception and grace the Earth with my presence earlier than usual. Anyway, I called because I wondered if you could hang out today since you don't have anything life-altering to do today and no school to boot. Call me back when you wake up! Buh bye!"
The message revitalized TK and he managed to sit up on his bed. 'I'm soo tired, I don't think I could put up with Davis all day. He's getting better, but he's still too hyper for me to handle. And man is my back is killing me. I wonder why it hurts so... '"OH MY GOD!!!!!"
It appears that he found the answer to his question, as he was staring in utter disbelief at two appendages sprouting from his back that had apparently gotten there overnight. The appendages in question fit perfectly into the category of 'wings.' The pain was understandable, for the wings were crushed under his body from his position on the bed.
Takeru managed to stop hyperventilating enough in order to get his thoughts straight. "Okay...huff...I am...huff...definitely hallucinating." He got up and walked out of the room. "I am closing my eyes, going to the bathroom and looking into the mirror. The wings will NOT be there. I will be PERFECTLY fine. That one dream is psyching me out emotionally. I'm a normal human."
He slowly moved his hands from his eyes and looked into the large panel of glass. Much to his dismay, the wings were there, seemingly taunting him. But the most shocking thing was that he looked NOTHING like TK, the digidestined of hope that he was yesterday, and more like TK, the mutant human that completely changed appearances including hair/eye color, not to mention wings, overnight. After five seconds of staring at his new self in the mirror, he did what any respectable person would do in his case. He fainted.
This will be covered in more depth in the next chapter, but I just wanted to clarify this now to prevent any confusion. Patamon did NOT merge with TK. You'll find out everything eventually.
