Chapter 3: Don't Leave Me
Tai woke half an hour later with a killer headache. "Man what happened?" he asked himself. He looked around the room to get a feel at least of where he was. Quickly he recognized the familiar furniture of his sister's room.
'Wait where's Kari?'
"Kari you can come out now. This isn't funny." He paused to hear a response but nothing come. "KARI?" He tried again but still nothing.
'This is not good. And why does my neck itch?' The brunette pondered as he scratched the area where he was bitten. As soon as he did that all the memories of what happened after the lights went out come flooding back to his head. "Shit I have to get to Matt," the teen said and booked out of the house.
As he ran through the city to his apartment a dark figured watched his movements from high above the roof on a swamp of bats.
"Yes my boy run. Run to your boyfriend. Make him feel safe for now. But soon he will have no one."
"Master shall we go now?" Kari asked standing behind the man.
"Yes my Darkness. It is time for you to meet the others." The person slashed at the air in front of them creating a portal between this world and the Digi World. The bats easily carried their cargo into the other world that was no longer the place the children had fought hard to protect.
"Yama-chan are you here?" Tai called opening the door to his place.
All the lights where off leaving the place in complete darkness. 'Shit I don't like the feeling of this.' Tai thought before turning on a switch.
The lamp on the ceiling flickered on showing the semi-clean living room and the kitchen with dirty dishes in the sink. Tai honed his sights on the bedroom door next. He was glad to see it slightly opened even if there was no light pouring out. Matt was never one to leave the door open so having it this way gave the Warrior of Courage hope that his boyfriend was back.
"Matt-chan?" Tai whispered softly into the room. There was no verbal response but a lump on the bed moved. "Sleeping without me. I'm hurt," the brunette joked silently waking to the bed. He lay down wrapping his arms around the sleeping teen only to feel the blond tense and whimper to the touch. "Matt what's wrong? Its only me," Tai reassured the other.
"Tai-chan?" a hoarse voice asked.
"Yeah its me. And have you been crying?" the brunette inquired.
Matt turned around to face his boyfriend. In the dim light Tai could see the dry tear stains on Matt's face and his lip was slightly puffy and had dried blood on it.
"Matt what happened to you?" Tai softly demanded sitting up and cuddling the blond.
"My dream. It…really…happened…And…TK…is…missing," the Warrior of Friendship snuffled out trying to hold back the tears. "Then you weren't here when I got back. I was scared Tai." Matt finally broke and let the tears fall again.
"Shhh, don't worry now. I'm here and you're safe. I promise I won't leave you alone again. And as for TK we can spend tomorrow looking him. Sound like a plan?"
The blond nodded into the other's chest gaining a feeling a safeness that was missing a few hours again. Tai spent the night awake watching Matt sleep and stroking his smooth golden locks making the teen relax and get a good night's sleep.
"So Matt where should we start?" Tai asked after the two left their house.
"My mom's first. If anything she should know what happened to him," the singer stated simply.
Tai nodded and got in the driver's seat of their jeep. It was still morning (8:30AM) and traffic was just now starting to settle down form the morning rush time. The drive over to Odaiba was slow and quiet. Tai could tell that Matt wasn't in the mood to talk so he just kept the radio on.
"Yama we're here," the brunette said pulling into a parking spot in the garage thus pulling the blond from his thoughts.
"Oh, yeah thanks Tai," he said and flashed a half smile. His mind was still out of it just thinking something bad happened to his brother.
"Matt I promise we'll find TK. Don't worry so much." Tai pulled Matt over to give him a comforting hug.
"I hope you're right Tai," Matt said resting his head on his boyfriend's chest.
"Of course I am. Now let's go talk to your mom and find out what's up." The Warrior of Courage released the other and both got out of the car.
"Mom, TK, I'm here," Matt called into the apartment. The place looked like no one had been there for a few days. The mail had piled up in front of the door and the dishes were still in the sink needing to be washed. "Mom? TK?" he called again walking farther into the place. "Is anyone here?"
"Matt try TK's room. If he's sick he might be asleep not hearing your calls," Tai explained standing behind his koi.
Matt nodded and went to the last door in the hallway. The door had a rainbow sign that read 'Takeru's Room' and below that was a 'Keep Out' sign. Taped to that sign was a note: 'TK I'm going on a business trip this month. I'm sorry I have to leave you home alone like this. I hope you feel better soon baby. ~mom'
"TK? You in here buddy?" Matt asked opening the door a creak to see inside. Blue eyes quickly fell on an empty messy bed. But it didn't look like it was just a slept in mess. It seemed like there was a struggle on it. That or the Warrior of Hope was sleeping with Kari.
"Any luck babe?" Tai asked standing behind the blond. Matt only shook his head before leaning back on Tai's shoulder trying not to cry. "What's wrong?"
"Mom's gone on business. And it looks like TK's been kidnapped." Matt finally began to cry.
"Shhh, Yama. I promise we'll find TK. Even if we've got to search all the worlds out there. Now come on. Staying here wont get us anywhere." Tai turned Matt around and place a kiss on his boyfriend's forehead and also kissed the tears away.
"You're right. Let's get out of here." The blond sniffed letting the brunette lead him out of the apartment.
"Where are we going Tai?" Matt asked after they were driving for a few minutes.
"I have to check a few things out. But I promise this is connected to TK," Tai explained giving Matt's hand a squeeze.
"Tai do you know something you're not tell me?" the Warrior of Friendship questioned in a cold tone. Tai glace at the cold blue eyes that were staring at him and sighed.
"I might. I just want to confirm it first before getting you worried more."
"What is it Taichi?" Matt's voice still had that coldness. Tai sighed again. Matt only used his complete name when he was mad and didn't want to be avoided.
"Kari told me the other are missing too. She tried e-mailing and calling them since she had a dream similar to the on you had. But no one replied to the messages. Then last night the power was cut off and she was missing when it came back on. Now I want to see if the others really disappeared or just didn't get the messages." After Tai finished the explanation Matt remained silent just looking out the window.
The rest of the day was just like the beginning. Tai drove all around to discover that no one had seen his friends for a while. Matt seemed to get more distant as the day went on and discovering TK wasn't the only one missing now didn't help his mood. They were only beginning to realize that danger was getting far too close to them.
"Tai?" Matt whispered when they got back home.
"Yeah babe?" Tai turned to the blond who had barely said anything all day. "What's up?"
"Tai, do you promise not to leave me? I don't want to be alone." The blond began to cry for the second time that day.
"Yama, I promise I'll always be here for you. Don't worry," Tai whispered hugging the blond and letting him cry himself to sleep. "I'll never leave. After noticing Matt stopped crying Tai carried the blond to their bed and laid him down. "Sweet dreams my love." Tai kissed Matt's forehead before cuddling him and falling asleep himself.
Darkside of the Digiworld:
"Yes boys enjoy this while you can," a dark figure said watching Tai and Matt in a viewing portal.
"Master when shall we attack the Warrior of Courage?" a boy in a white hat asked.
"Soon my Knight of Hopelessness. Soon," the mon replied. "By the way how is Darkness adjusting to everything."
"She is getting used to things. Hatred and Selfishness are teaching her everything. And also keeping the light way from her," the blond boy answer his 'master'.
"That is very good. Now leave me and rest. You will need your strength soon my boy. Also inform the others that we attack in two days. Muwhaha!" The evil laugh sounded throughout the castle and in Tai's dream.
