Hey again. This is a day or two later than I wanted to post this but procrastination called. It's a bit of a cliffhanger, but fear not I will deliver to you the next chapter as soon as I can.

Just to answer the reviews of the last chapter:

Vigatus: Thanks, I'm very much a 'shades of grey' person when it comes to these moral dilemmas so I wanted to write it accordingly.

Aizawa Li Syaoran Vessalius: The Digimon are working on it, don't worry, and it is fun to write the playful segments.

Mimato love 4ever: Glad you enjoyed it. In all honesty, I'm not much of a Mimi fan, and Matt… well, never mind. But I wouldn't feel right if I didn't do each character justice as different people have their own favourites and none of the characters are actually bad people. Personally, I hate it when fanfic authors rag on and make villains out of characters they don't like for no reason, so no matter who's your favourite, you can expect they'll get fair treatment from me :) (or at least I'll try my very hardest to make everyone happy).

As always I hope you all enjoy and feel free to leave ideas and comments on this story and chapter in the reviews if you like.

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon or any of the characters, they are the property of Toei Animation.

The survivors in the convention centre all watched in silence as Colonel Takagi addressed them. It had been revealed to them that the undead hordes had amassed and surrounded the convention centre in a matter of minutes, far faster than any thought possible. The Colonel himself appeared to be in a state of shock and disorientation as he had not expected the situation to develop so rapidly. His lack of understanding regarding the true nature of the plague was evident and he had clearly underestimated Daemon and his minions, not that he knew a banished digital being was behind it. Takagi was quick to finish his address, saying that he needed to be out with his troops to command them. His parting order to the civilians was that they remain in the main floor area and not to venture outside or into the atrium. With that he marched hurriedly out to convention centre entrance.

T.K. sat with the Digidestined and their families, unsure of what to say. Joe and his father had rushed over and informed them all only a few minutes before Takagi had formally informed them, so hearing it from the Colonel was of no surprise to them. Yet, to be told officially that their sanctuary was surrounded by an army of flesh eating monsters was no less disheartening, especially when the announcer, a tough and hardened military man, seemed to be so overwhelmed by it.

T.K. had been sitting between his brother and Kari as the announcement was made and they too were silent, along with all the other Digidestined and their families. The realisation that Daemon's legion of undead had come had hit them all hard psychologically. They now knew that hiding away in the convention centre was no longer an option. Of course it was possible that the hordes could be held off, but no one was willing to bet their lives on it. As the crowds of other survivors bustled about, some making preparations for evacuation, others merely trying to occupy themselves and bury the crushing fear at the back of their minds, the Digidestined and their families all remained in a state of stationary silence.

T.K. did not have the words to describe what he was feeling. As the bearer of the Crest of Hope he was doing his utmost to remain optimistic, confident in his belief that the ragtag force of soldiers, police officers and security guards could successfully defend the convention centre until their Digimon defeated Daemon once and for all. However, T.K. could not ignore the distinct possibility that their defences would fail, forcing them to flee for their lives. If it came to that, he resolved, he wished only for their survival.

Unconsciously, he took hold of Kari's hand, a firm but gentle grip which she returned. Physical gestures like this had always been so natural for the pair, and even with T.K.'s growing feelings for her, this type of contact with Kari did not embarrass him, at least not at the current time. At that moment it was a show of care and friendship as far as he was concerned.

Both he and the brown haired girl looked up as one of their number finally found the strength to speak.

"Well I think what we have to do now is clear." Matt and T.K.'s father, Hiroaki Ishida, said vaguely in his typical gruff voice.

"And what might that be, Hiroaki?" Susumu Kamiya, Tai and Kari's father, asked somewhat impatiently.

"Isn't it obvious? We stick together and wait this out." Hiroaki replied, slightly taken aback by Mr Kamiya's tone.

"Wait it out? Do you seriously think this will all just blow over or something?" Susumu asked incredulously.

"Look, I'm sure there's no need to panic. The men and women defending this place are mostly professionals and I'm sure they can hold those things off." Izzy's father, Masami Izumi, said calmly, stepping between Hiroaki and Susumu.

"Professionals? Half of them look like they don't even know which end of the gun the bullets come out of!" Davis's father exclaimed, jumping in.

"Exactly, we can't be sure that the Colonel's rabble can hold them off. We can't take that risk; we have to do something other than just wait it out." Yolei's mother joined in.

The Digidestined watched in surprise and embarrassment as their parents argued like children. The pressure was clearly getting to them and at this point it seemed as though they were unwilling to trust anyone's opinion but their own. T.K., Matt, Tai and Kari were particularly uncomfortable as their fathers had been the ones that had ignited the argument.

T.K. glanced at Tai, who was sitting on the other side of Kari, and saw him look over at Matt. They both rolled their eyes, chuckling and T.K. was fairly sure he knew why. The pair had always argued much like their parents were now and it must have been truly bizarre for them to see the same thing played out between their fathers now, years later.

After a minute, with the parents still embroiled in their argument and the kids looking on uncomfortably, T.K. saw Tai and Matt look again at each other. The two both nodded and stood up, preparing to put a stop to the senseless bickering. Mimi, however, beat them to the punch.

"Everyone, please! Can't you see all this fighting is getting us nowhere?" she exclaimed, catching everyone off guard.

Mimi's mother and father, Keisuke and Satoe, both turned to her with looks of concern.

Keisuke looked at his daughter worriedly. "Mimi, honey, we're all trying to work this out, so maybe if you just left it to the adults-" he said, but Mimi jumped in.

"Dad, look at how far 'the adults' have gotten. And I may be just seventeen, but that does not give you the right to treat me or any of us like children!" she asserted strongly, the building frustration evident in her flushed cheeks.

T.K., along with everyone else, was stunned. Mimi was very vocal when she was younger, but more recently she had become more soft spoken and controlled. She was still talkative and energetic, but with big issues and weighty discussions she would normally hold her tongue and simply listen. Her outburst had come from nowhere, and T.K. thought that maybe the weight of the situation was getting to her as well.

Mimi was breathing heavily, but T.K. could tell that she was not yet finished. Sure enough, she opened her mouth again to speak.

"Please, I just want you to stop arguing amongst yourselves. Mr Kamiya, Mr Motamiya and Mrs Inoue are right, but there's nothing else we can really do for now, so we may as well get settled in and try to stay calm." she said, wearily.

Before anyone could cut across her, Cody too got on his feet, another surprise for T.K. and the others.

"Mimi's right." Cody declared. "Sure, there are no guarantees that the Colonel's people can defend this place indefinitely, but like Mimi said it's not like there's anything else we can really do but wait it out."

Just as with Mimi, everyone was nothing but surprised with Cody. While Mimi had only become more reserved in recent years, Cody had always been very quiet. Ever since T.K. had first met him, the youngest of the Digidestined had never been afraid of sharing his opinion, but he tended to be the shiest out of all of them. Rarely had he ever spoken out so strongly, and the fact that he had marked the seriousness of the circumstances.

To this the parents had no retort. T.K. could see that they all knew Mimi and Cody were right. Mimi's father was the first to speak.

"I'm sorry sweetie, you're right and I never meant to treat you like a little kid." Keisuke told his daughter, gently hugging her as part of his apology, and she hugged back, showing her forgiveness.

Susumu Kamiya and Hiroaki Ishida both looked to one another, both clearly embarrassed at their hotheadedness.

"Hey, sorry for biting your head off like that Hiroaki." Susumu apologised.

"Don't worry about it Susumu, I could see where you were coming from. No hard feelings?" Hiroaki replied, extending his hand.

Mr Kamiya nodded and shook hands with Mr Ishida, the two wanting nothing more than to put their rather humiliating argument behind them. As T.K. and Kari both looked on, only one thought ran through the blond's mind.

"Wow, you don't see that everyday." he whispered to Kari, receiving a nod and a tentative giggle in return.


Several hours had passed since the announcement and sporadic gunfire could be heard coming from outside the convention centre. Accompanying the sounds of firearms was the occasional scream of pain, gruesome reminders of the deadliness of Daemon's horde. Sitting alone on his canvas bed, Cody was left to his thoughts which were slowly drifting into his past and the loss he had once suffered.

Cody's grandfather was sleeping and his mother was fetching their rationed dinner from the convention centre cafeteria, where the Digidestined had earlier gone to collect lunch. For some reason, Cody could only think of his late father at this time. Hiroki Hida had been a dedicated police officer, a man of wisdom, courage and conviction. To Cody, although he had been only a young boy at the time, his father had been perfect and someone he had always aspired to be like.

Cody's father had died in the line of duty, protecting the lives of complete strangers. Cody saw it as a cruel irony that such an end befitted a man like Hiroki, as he had always put his life on the line for the sake of others. It struck the young man as strange that his thoughts should dwell on someone long dead at this time, even if that someone was his father.

Perhaps, Cody thought, it was the sounds coming from outside. Maybe the shouts and gunshots from the police officers, security guards and soldiers reminded him of what his father would do in this situation. Hiroki Hida would have doubtlessly volunteered to be on the front line, personally fighting off the threat to the lives of his friends, his family and also to those he had never even met. The thought brought a smile to Cody's face, but it was bittersweet. His admiration for his father's deeds was undying, but he could not help but wish that, for once, the man had not risked his life, that he had not given his life so that another could live on.

Cody hated it when these thoughts would surface. He felt so selfish and spiteful and he was ashamed that he was even capable of thinking like that. But he missed his father deeply, more so than he had ever admitted to anyone. Did he not deserve to have his dad with him as he grew up?

Cody sighed. Sometimes he found it difficult to control the bitterness, but he had always managed to maintain his mental composure. Whenever he got like this he would always think of his mother, who had always made him feel loved and supported, his grandfather, who ensured that Cody grew up with guidance, and also his friends. This last group always made him feel welcome and he had long lost sight of the distinction between his friends and his family; to Cody they were one and the same.

Cody managed a smile as he now began to dwell on these happier thoughts. He could not linger on these sentiments for long, however, as Mimi, Davis and Ken came to join him.

"Hey Cody, what are you doing here by yourself man?" Davis asked in his usual carefree way while taking a seat next to him on the bed.

"Not much, just thinking I guess." Cody replied vaguely.

"Thinking about what?" Davis asked with a heavy sense of curiosity.

"Oh, this and that." Cody told him evasively.

"Come on man, what's on your mind?" Davis questioned even more intensely.

Cody was starting to feel uncomfortable. He considered Davis to be a good friend, but sometimes he was far too pushy and impulsive and at the moment that was certainly the case. Ken, however, stepped in before Davis could push any further.

"Hey Davis, I'm pretty sure it'd just be stuff about Kendo, probably nothing too interesting. Right Cody?" he interjected.

"Er, yeah, right." Cody agreed awkwardly.

"Oh, OK then." Davis said, oblivious.

Cody flashed a quick smile at Ken to show his thanks and the dark haired teen winked back at him, mouthing, "No problem."

"So what have you all been doing all afternoon?" Cody asked after a few moments of silence.

"Well, most of us have just been spending time just with our families. Mum's acting like she has a split personality, as usual, and Dad is in heroic mode." Mimi said, sighing at the end of her second sentence.

"Do your parents always act like that?" Davis questioned with a hint of amusement.

"All the time. It's strange to think I used to be just like my Mum." Mimi said with a small laugh.

"What made you change?" Ken queried.

"You guys." Mimi replied simply.

"You're just saying that." Davis said with amused cynicism.

"No I'm serious." Mimi insisted, "Before I went to the Digital World and met the others and then you younger guys I complained about everything and kept jumping between being happy and sad and angry. Being around you all made me grow up, I guess; calmed me down."

"Well it's good to know I could give something back after you guys all helped me so much." Ken told her with a soft smile.

Cody had listened to the conversation with great interest. He had heard stories about what the original group used to be like from T.K. and Kari, but he never realised how much they had all truly changed for the better. He had known that Tai had been something of a hothead, much like Davis had been during Cody's own Digital World adventures, and that Izzy had been a major introvert. But for others like Mimi, Cody knew very little of how much they had grown by being a part of the Digidestined. To him it was proof of just how valuable the friendship the team shared truly was.

"Hey Cody." Mimi said, breaking him from his thoughts.

"Yeah Mimi." Cody acknowledged.

"I never really thanked you for backing me up during that argument earlier today." she said bashfully, "I don't like getting in the middle of fights like that and it was nice to have someone helping me out."

Cody was taken aback. He had not thought what he did was all that much so he was surprised to receive such sincere thanks from Mimi. While the older Digidestined now saw their younger counterparts more as equals rather than protégés, Cody still looked up to them a great deal and Mimi's gratitude for such a minor act was something he was not sure that he deserved.

"You don't need to thank me for that Mimi. You were right anyway, so it's not like what I did made any real difference." Cody told her, slightly embarrassed.

"Cody I do need to thank you. I'd cut across all the adults, even my own parents and I don't think I could have handled it if you hadn't have stuck up for me when you did."

"Well, ah, you're welcome." Cody said shyly, tentatively rubbing the back of his head.

Davis chuckled. "Hey Cody, it's either really hot in here, or you're seriously embarrassed." he said pointing at Cody's flushed cheeks.

Cody flushed even darker in humiliation at this, but Ken once again came to the rescue.

"C'mon Davis, Cody's just humble, you know how he is." he said.

"Yeah, true. That's why we love him so much." Davis replied jovially as he mussed up the younger teen's hair.

Cody scowled slightly at this, but at least Davis was no longer poking fun at him. The moment was interrupted when Cody's mother called him over to eat with her and his grandfather.

"Gotta go guys. Sorry I can't stay and chat." Cody told them apologetically, though secretly being a little relieved to have a break from Davis's teasing.

"That's OK, I think we should all go back to our families for the time being." Ken said knowingly.

Cody walked over to where his mother and grandfather were seated on the old man's canvas bed. As he went, he again reflected happily on his friendship with the other Digidestined. If nothing else, they would see each other through their current ordeal, together as always.


Izzy drummed his fingers on the top of his laptop. Something was bothering him about the undead army outside their doors. It was the way they moved, the way they seemed to work as one. Whatever the reason it was eating away at him with each passing moment.

Izzy had spent every minute of the last three hours, following a rationed dinner with his parents, trying to figure it out. Something was not right about it, but he just could not figure out what it was. The computer genius was sure that this small detail, whatever it was, was out there for him to find and could very well be vital to their survival. His lack of success, though, had him slightly disheartened.

Izzy's musing was disturbed as Ken approached and sat down next to him.

"You look like something's bothering you Izzy." the younger teenager said matter-of-factly, "Is there some problem you can't figure out?"

"Am I that transparent?" Izzy replied with an amused laugh.

"Well you have been sitting here on your own for over three hours and you usually only isolate yourself when you're trying to work something out. So yes, you are that obvious." Ken replied, chuckling.

Izzy smiled. Once Ken had joined their group, he found the young genius the easiest to relate to out of all the Digidestined. Izzy thought it was probably due to both of them being highly intelligent. Each could understand the other much easier and there was no need for them to dumb down their words when they conversed with each other. Plus, it was refreshing to find another person who enjoyed algebra.

"I assume you've come to offer your qualified assistance?" Izzy queried.

"Ready and willing." Ken replied jovially.

"Prodigious." Izzy said simply. It felt good to use his signature phrase again. The past two days had not had much occasion for him to say it.

"So what have you been trying to figure out all this time?" Ken asked, eager to become involved.

"It's those things. There's something about their organisation and movement that bothers me." Izzy replied, now becoming more serious.

"What about them? Do you mean their speed or some kind of leadership structure?" Ken questioned.

"Not exactly. When we were dodging through the streets yesterday, I observed how those monsters behaved in group formations, and from what I can tell they appeared to all follow a uniform pattern of movement and direction." Izzy informed him, "However, when you observe how they act as individuals, they appear no more intelligent than a bunch of farmyard animals."

"You mean that they're acting as though they take orders from some form of hive mind or something?" Ken offered.

"Exactly. It's significant, I know it is. I just can't seem to figure out why." Izzy responded.

"What more are you seeking to discover?" Ken asked.

"If I can discern what is directing them we might be able to shut it down." Izzy replied.

Izzy racked his brains. He was becoming frustrated now because he knew the answer was probably staring him in the face and the fact that he could not see it was killing him. There had never been a problem he could not solve and he was in no mood to meet his match now, not when it could be a matter of life or death. Ken, however, was to provide his inspiration.

"Daemon must have been working on this relentlessly if it's as complex as it appears." the younger genius said absentmindedly.

Izzy slapped a hand to his forehead before exclaiming, "Daemon! Of course, how could I not see it before?"

"Hmm, what?" Ken said confusedly.

"Ken don't you remember what Gennai told us? The virus or whatever is infecting everyone is connected to him!" Izzy said excitedly, almost shouting.

"Wait, Izzy are you trying to tell me that Daemon is personally controlling those monsters? How?" Ken questioned, a little overwhelmed by Izzy's revelation.

"Daemon is capable of opening gates or rifts between worlds, right? So, it's not much of a leap of logic to think that he could exert his will through dimensional barriers, especially with something that is tied directly to him." Izzy explained.

"But if he's doing that, wouldn't he be wasting what power he has left?" Ken asked, still a little uncertain, "It doesn't seem like the sort of move that Daemon would make."

"That's just it. He's in a no win situation. No matter what he does he'll die. I think he's personally exerting some control over the infected so that he can be certain we've been destroyed." Izzy hypothesised.

Izzy saw Ken's eyes widen and his face light up. Now that he could see Izzy's thinking on the matter clearly he looked as though he completely agreed. After a moment, however, his face fell again.

"What use is this information to us though? We can't touch Daemon." Ken pointed out.

Izzy frowned. "Hmm, maybe there's nothing we can do with it, but perhaps Gennai and the Digimon would find it useful." he said.

"You're right. If anything else they'll at least be aware of Daemon's full power and capabilities when they finally face him." Ken agreed.

"OK, can you go grab Tai so I can let him know and I'll set up a link with Gennai." Izzy told his fellow genius.

"No problem, I'm on it." Ken replied as he rose to his feet and headed off to find Tai.

Izzy sighed as he typed on his laptop, setting up a connection with Gennai. This whole ordeal was proving to be a multilayered puzzle, but each detail they discovered never brought them any closer to bringing a swifter end to the madness. All the redheaded genius hoped for now was for Gennai and the Digimon to infiltrate the Dark Ocean and destroy Daemon as soon as possible.


Ken reclaimed his seat next to Izzy as he returned. He had found Tai with Sora and her mother, the latter of which had only just fallen asleep. While he had only gone for Tai, their leader had insisted on bringing Sora and Matt along to speak with Gennai. Tai had also wanted all the other Digidestined to be present as well, but everyone else had been busy. Mimi, Cody, Yolei and Davis were all spending time with their families, Joe was with his father tending to a small group of teenagers who had gotten into a brawl and T.K. and Kari had slipped off somewhere together. Regardless, they could all be informed later.

Ken had told the older three of his and Izzy's new discovery, or theory to be more precise. While at first cynical, Tai, Sora and Matt had quickly seen the logic in Izzy's conclusion.

"It does sound like the kind of thing an evil freak like him would do." Tai had commented.

The older three all took a seat on the canvas bed opposite the one on which Izzy and Ken sat. All the while, the redheaded genius was typing away furiously on his laptop. Before anyone else could say anything, though, Izzy spoke up.

"Thanks for joining us you three. I've established an uplink with Gennai and now we just have to wait for him to accept the connection." he informed them.

"Well that was quick." Tai remarked.

"Please, remember who you're talking to." Izzy replied with a small smirk.

Just then, a small video chat window popped up on the laptop screen and an image of Gennai appeared. Seeing this, Ken caught Tai, Sora and Matt's attention and beckoned them over to where they could see the screen.

"Izzy? Is everything alright on Earth? Why have you contacted me?" Gennai questioned with concern.

"Well, our shelter has been surrounded by Daemon's monsters." Matt told him calmly.

"What? Oh my. I-" Gennai said before Izzy interrupted him.

"That's true Gennai, but it isn't why I decided to contact you." Izzy hurriedly told the digital man.

"If not because of that, then why?" Gennai asked, confused.

"You see, Ken and I were trying to figure out why all the infected were moving as a cohesive group, since individually they have no more than animal intelligence." Izzy said.

"And I assume you have found something." Gennai replied expectantly.

"Not exactly found. I'd call it more of a theory on my part, rather than a factual discovery." Izzy explained, "What I believe is that Daemon himself is exerting direct control over the infected masses here on Earth. I'm certain that he does not control each one individually, but gives direction to the group entire."

"We couldn't really use this information much to our own advantage here, but we thought you and the Digimon may find it useful." Ken added.

Gennai remained silent for a few moments, seemingly contemplating what they had just told him. Eventually he spoke.

"Yes, I knew the virus was connected directly to him, but I did not foresee anything like this." he mused.

"So you think Izzy is right?" Sora asked him.

"I do Sora. Izzy's theory fits with what evidence we have, although I must admit it was a slight surprise to hear it." Gennai responded.

"So what does this mean for us?" Matt asked.

"It's good news in a way. Although his minions will be far more effective as a group, Daemon himself would have to be expending power in order to facilitate such a measure of control." Gennai told them.

"So, if Daemon is actually controlling the infected, he's making himself weaker by doing it?" Tai surmised.

"Exactly, so his defeat will be that much easier." Gennai said, nodding.

Ken was happy to hear Gennai's confirmation of his and Izzy's hypothesis. While it did not change their situation on Earth in any immediate way, it was heartening to know that everything was now less of a mystery.

"Thank you for informing me Izzy, however I must go now." Gennai said.

"Wait, how come? We just got onto you." Tai questioned, a little taken aback.

Gennai stared back at them mournfully.

"The virus that hit the Digital World two months ago. We have spent every day since repairing the damage it did to this dimension." he explained, "To communicate with, or travel to other dimensions, however, requires that we stop work entirely. In addition, to prevent further damage to our world, we must set up safeguards. Speaking to you now I have firewalls enabled. It also means that we had to stop work on infiltrating the Dark Ocean."

Ken noticed Izzy recoil slightly at Gennai's words. The digital man had not told them of the safeguards communication with them required, and Ken saw a flash of guilt fly across Izzy's face.

"Gennai… I'm-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to put your work in jeopardy. I-" Izzy rambled apologetically before Gennai stopped him.

"Izzy, it was my choice to accept the connection, and moreover the information you have provided me may prove vital. There is no need to apologise." he told the young, redheaded genius.

Izzy calmed himself and nodded and Gennai smiled warmly at the five of them.

"Stay safe, Digidestined." he said to them before disappearing from the screen.

The five teenagers sat in silence for a minute. Matt was first to speak.

"I guess that's that then." he stated simply.

"Yeah the old man sure has a way with words… Well, young man now, I suppose." Tai agreed.

"OK, I'm gonna get some sleep. No sense being tired if something happens." Sora told them, but speaking most directly to Tai.

"Cool, I'll just go hunt down Kari and T.K. and make sure they're keeping it kid friendly, if you know what I mean." he said with a wink.

The other four all laughed at Tai's words, knowing that the younger two were so oblivious to each other that they were unlikely to be doing any more than talking. Izzy yawned and closed his laptop, wishing them all goodnight as well. Ken and Matt both returned his wishes and moved off towards their own beds. As they walked slowly, Ken decided to make small talk,

"I don't know how I'm going to be able to sleep with all that gunfire and everything coming from out there." he commented a little uneasily.

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Matt replied.

The two continued in silence for another moment before Matt spoke again.

"You scared?" he asked simply.

Ken was a little surprised by the question, but answered truthfully.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't." he told the blond.

Matt smiled warmly and patted Ken on the shoulder.

"Just try not to think about it for now. Don't fret about things you can't control; just make sure you're ready to act if and when the time comes." Matt told him wisely.

Ken was startled by Matt's soulful attitude, but it did not last long enough for him to question the older teenager about it.

"Anyway, I've gotta go follow Tai and make sure he doesn't give T.K. a heart attack. See you in the morning." Matt said cheerily as he dashed off.

Ken just stood there. He was surprised by the way Matt had just spoken to him, but the more he thought about it, the less stunned he felt.

Ken knew that Matt had always been the most reserved of the older group. But he had also heard stories from T.K., about how his older brother was affected by their parents divorce and how he had come to terms with it all. While very solitary and somewhat emotionally fragile, Matt had done his best to provide T.K. with a caring and reliable older brother.

While Ken related to Izzy the easiest and got along best with T.K. and Davis, he found that Matt was the one he respected the most. He was calm and authoritative, but also emotionally guarded. Ken found that Matt in many ways resembled how he had been at one time, a lone wolf of sorts. At the same time, however, Matt also reminded him a lot of his brother, Sam. Before he had been killed in a traffic accident, Sam Ichijouji had in many ways been like Matt. He was cool and composed as well as being very protective of Ken, much like Matt had been, and to some extent still was, with T.K.

Ken sighed at the memories. He had long come to terms with the loss of his brother. Nevertheless, he still missed him and he knew that his parents felt the same way. When Ken had run away to the Digital World as the Digimon Emperor his mother and father had been in hysterics, unable to sleep properly and worrying themselves half to death. The possibility that they had lost another child had nearly killed them.

As Ken lay down on his canvas bed he looked over to both his parents, who were asleep on their own beds just a few feet away. Ken swore to himself that they would never have to go through the same ordeal again. They deserved a little more peace in their lives.


Kari exhaled slowly and calmly as she sat right next to T.K. in the far corner of the main floor area. The two had slipped away from their families and the other Digidestined for some quiet time to just talk and they had been sitting comfortably on the floor with their backs against the wall for a good two hours now. There had been periods of chatter between them, but they had mostly been content to sit in silence, comfortable simply with each other's presence.

If Kari was honest with herself, she was terrified of what might happen. The undead hordes could break through the convention centre's defences and swarm the survivors at any moment. But she also had T.K., and somehow she was able to block out the fear and discomfort with him around.

With T.K. there with her she was serene and strangely contented. Kari had never felt like this with anyone or anything else. Sure, her family and other friends made her feel safe and happy, but with T.K. there was a sense of fulfilment that she had not found anywhere else. With Kari, T.K. elicited a unique feeling, an indescribable emotion. She knew what most would call it. The word excited, perplexed and terrified her all at the same time. But above all it burdened her, for it demanded that she release this feeling and expose it to the one who had instilled it in her.

Kari wondered if this had changed how she acted around her best friend. She had never thought too deeply about it and she assumed she had hidden her true feelings well. The past few days, however, had made her think twice. Just yesterday, T.K. had acted so nervous and unnatural when they had first met up at school. Now that she thought on it, their first meetings of every day had gone like that for some time now. Had T.K. figured out what she was feeling? Had her attempted secrecy failed?

The thought that he had seen through her friendly façade terrified her almost as much as the threat of death that surrounded their sanctuary. T.K. might think she was crazy, or pathetic. He might never look at her the same way. For all she knew, he could be drifting apart from her as these thoughts crossed her mind.

Her breathing grew deeper and her heart rate quickened. She might not be able to have what she truly wanted, he might not share her feelings, but to lose him as a friend was worse than she could bear.

Kari looked over to T.K. only to find him gazing at her. She blushed and lowered her eyes, just missing the reddening of his own cheeks. When she looked back, however, he gave her the warm smile that she loved so dearly, the one he had always given her before. Kari saw that smile as a mark of their friendship, as much as anything they had ever done together. She smiled back at him. She now had proof that nothing had really changed; they were still the best of friends and she breathed a sigh of relief.

Now that she was looking directly at T.K., though, she could now see that he was thinking hard about something. It appeared as though he was contemplating something to say to her, but could not find the words. This piqued Kari's curiosity.

"T.K. is everything alright?" she asked with some concern.

"Yeah, um… well, there's something I want to say to you… but I, um… I'm not sure how to say it… or even if I should say it." he said, stumbling with his words.

"T.K., you know you don't have anything to worry about. You can tell me anything and no matter how you word it I'm sure I'll understand what you're trying to say." she reassured him, smiling warmly at him.

"Yeah, I know… It's just, um…" he muttered while fidgeting nervously.

Kari was worried now. He had never acted this nervously around her, not since they first met and even then he had warmed up to her and settled down in a matter of seconds. What could he possibly have to say to her that had him so flustered? Perhaps the 'proof' that nothing had changed between them was not what it seemed.

"T.K.?" Kari said anxiously, dreading what he might possibly say to her.

"I… well, you…" T.K. stuttered.

The blond boy sighed and looked at her, his face filled with an emotion she could not read. Taking a deep breath he began to speak once again, this time with calm and clarity.

"Kari, we've known each other for seven years now, and I can tell you honestly that I have never had, nor could I have asked for a better friend." he said seriously.

"T.K. you don't need to be embarrassed to tell me that." Kari said, a little surprised that he had not said something more shocking.

"No Kari, that's not all I have to say." T.K. replied.

Kari's heart dipped. Surely he could not be about to tell her what she feared he would.

"Over the past year or two, things have changed." he told her, "We've both grown up. We're not just kids anymore Kari and… the thing is…"

"What?" Kari asked, deeply fearful of what the answer may be.

T.K. paused. A strained expression was evident on his face.

"Kari I-"

"T.K.! Kari! Geez, we've been looking everywhere for you two."

The pair looked up to see Tai and Matt standing only a few feet away, both wearing identical wicked grins.

"Tai, Matt… we were just-" T.K. started to explain, but was interrupted by Matt.

"Making out, yeah we know." Matt joked, his smirk widening while Tai laughed hysterically.

Both T.K. and Kari went bright red. Kari diverted her eyes directly at her feet in embarrassment.

"Matt shut up." T.K. said, looking sideways, trying to avoid his brothers teasing.

"Look, we just wanted to grab you two and get back to everyone else. We all need to get as much sleep as possible in case something crops up and we need to move." Tai told them, calming down from his laughter.

"Yeah, whatever." T.K. grumbled, helping Kari to her feet.

Before they could move anywhere, however, the doors to the atrium burst open and a flurry of shouts echoed across the floor.

"Fall back! Fall back! They're overrunning our outer perimeter!" a soldier yelled.

At that there was pandemonium with civilians running every which way, defence personnel rushing in from the atrium and Matt and Tai dragging their siblings back to the Digidestined and their families.

Kari now felt her two greatest fears had come true. The undead had breached their defences and they would soon be upon them. But just as crushing was her belief that T.K. was lost to her. She had never felt worse in her life.


In the plane of darkness, Daemon observed the progress of his minions through a small dimensional rift that levitated gently in the palm of his hand, a misty orb that seemed almost out of place in the hand of such a dark and wicked being. Seeing the defence forces crumble and retreat brought a sick and twisted joy to him. He cackled malevolently as he watched his undead army storm up the steps and enter the convention centre atrium.

"I have you now Digidestined. Your ends will be my comfort as I die." he hissed venomously as the swirling fog coated him in a veil of darkest grey. This was what he had waited so long for. His moment of vengeance had arrived.