Thanks for all the reviews...I've got more author's notes at the end of this chapter but for now just read...

Chapter 14: Scrambling

"There is no digimon called Baransumon." Pseudomon spat at the beautiful woman.

"Of course there is!" Elecmon's voice was swirling with joy, "I should have known when you were first born."

"What are you talking about?" Ken asked curiously. He had compiled lists of all the digimon that existed during his reign as digimon emperor but had never seen Baransumon.

"There is a book that all caretakers of primary village are sworn to read and memorize. Among the hundreds of pages there is an insert about Baransumon: an ancient digimon that won't evolve until balance needs to be restored."

Pseudomon had been listening to Elecmon speak but recoiled at his words, "Balance! There is no such thing as balance. I'm going to rule the digimon and human world in darkness because I'm determined to do so."

"No, you will not." The woman spoke again, Light and darkness are in a never ending war, but you are attempting the unimaginable: to eliminate light completely. You have no idea about the consequences of your actions."

"The world will survive without light; it will be better than ever!" Pseudomon shouted. His inside smoke had turned red and his body was tense. "Just you wait, in 30 minutes you'll see my utopia. " He paused, "I've changed my mind - no, you won't. DARK MASSACRE!"

The red energy was released once again with its thundering bang but before it could do any damage Baransumon held out her staff and absorbed the energy.

"Damn you! DEATH GRIP!" When the black hand touched Baransumon's skin it shattered like glass.

"I, Baransumon protector of the supreme balance, charge you, Pseudomon, with obstruction of the laws of this universe. Your punishment is complete destruction of all your data, goodbye." Baransumon swung her staff over her head then planted it fiercely into the ground. Within one extremely long second Pseudomon was being absorbed by violet light. As he vanished an eerie laugh overcome him.

"I'm dead but my utopia won't be if hope is alive." At last Pseudomon was gone completely.

"What did he mean?" Patamon asked Baransumon from across the room while hovering over Tk's still, motionless body.

"Must we really kill Tk?" Kari asked as well as she touched his sunken face softly. The other digimon and digidestineds were anxious for her response.

Baransumon turned to them with a frown, "My job is to restore balance by any means necessary."

"So, you're going to kill him! That's bullshit." Davis shouted while getting to his feet.

"If I must, I will." Baransumon didn't look any happier about the idea then everyone else in the room. "However, you've got 28 minutes to figure out another solution before I must act."

Everyone was stunned for a moment longer then Tai, being the leader that he was, riled everyone together. "C'mon guys. Let's get working. Izzy, Ken, Yolie; run down to the main computer and stop it from working. Joe, Cody, Davis, Sora, and Mimi; take the digimon and go see if you can destroy the drug releasing machinery. Matt and Kari; you guys try to get Tk awake. Maybe he'll be able to bring hope back to our side."

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"Tk, c'mon lil bro. Wake up." Matt tried again. Baransumon had transported everyone back into the dungeon so they could begin trying to stop the impending cleanse; however, after ten minutes no one was making much headway. For Matt, who's job it was to revive Tk, this meant that Tk hadn't moved a single muscle.

"He's too sick." Kari signed as she cradled his head protectively, "I don't think we can wake him in time."

"No Kari!" Matt snapped, "Don't give up hope. Not now when we need it the most."

"Hope." Tk's dry lips mouthed as his body began to twitch.

"Tk!" Patamon cried in excitement. The others in the dungeon were too preoccupied to notice the brilliantly timed recovery.

"No!" Tk screamed as his eyes shot open. While the cerulean blue remained the same the rest of his eye was coated in bulging, red blood vessels. "Pain. Baby. Death! Pain." He muttered loudly to himself.

"Tk, it's me, Kari. You're safe now." She tried to raise her voice louder than his own but he just got louder.

"No!" He weakly fought his way out of her arms but Matt held him down.

"Teeks, you're safe." Matt tried to reassure.

"What's wrong with him? Where is my Tk?" Patamon said with tears in his eyes as Tk continued.

"Death! The darkness...it's coming...thump, thump, thump...you hear." Tk's ramblings didn't make any sense. All they knew was that he was frightened and traumatized. "Baby...don't let them go to darkness. Pain...my God, the pain!"

"Tk, please calm down. I love you." Tk finally turned his eyes towards Kari and then looked down at his hands. They shook.

"I hurt my love...I hurt the light. These hands touched her." His voice shook worse than his hands.

"Matt, if Tk remembers hitting me do you think he remembers building the computer?" Kari asked hopefully. Matt quickly caught onto her idea.

"Teeks, listen to me." He grabbed Tk's hands to steady them. "I know you're in pain and hurting but we need your help. I know you love the human and digital world so please try to focus."

"Matt?" Tk's voice cracked and he looked sadly into his brother's eyes. "I did it...I'm the darkness."

"No, you're not!" Patamon shouted. "I know my partner and you are farthest thing from the darkness, Tk."

"Tk, please. I believe in you." Kari pressed her lips to Tk's forehead in a soft and nurturing kiss.

"Get...me u...up!" Tk mumbled and Matt did as he said.

"Tai!" Matt called and he came running over instantly. They both took one of Tk's arms around their shoulders and supported him in a slow walk towards the giant computer nearly 15 feet away.

"Good to see you, Tk." Tai said happily. Tk didn't reply and they continued forward.

"Tk?" Ken said in awe at his approach. Yolie and Izzy looked over instantly.

"My...my di...givice?" Tk tried to say clearly.

"We've tried to remove it from the computer but it unaccessible." Izzy reported.

Yolie added, "It's completely cemented into place."

"Guys!" Davis shouted as they entered the hallway from the connecting room. Behind him Joe, Cody, Sora, Mimi, and the digimon were looking frantic. "We tried destroying the vials of the drug but can't, but what's worse is that that giant screen just brought up a port to the human world. It looks like it will open at any second!"

"What?" Tai said in disbelief. "We've still got time!"

"Only seven minutes." Tentomon corrected frantically.

"Move me." Tk cried. Izzy, Ken, and Yolie had been working from a central monitor when trying to dismantle the machine, but Tk had Matt and Tai move him towards the leftmost electrical board. "Agumon?"

"Yes?" Agumon answered eagerly but before Tk could say anymore his body started shaking worse then before and he screamed. He began to move so violently that the boys couldn't hold onto him any longer.

"Tk!" Kari said while trying to get close but was once again smacked out of the way.

"Kari?" Gatomon said as she rushed to her side. "Are you alright?"

"I'm not worried about me." Kari shouted as Tk continued to writhe and scream.

"I'm worried about everyone." Sora said loud enough for all to hear. "We've got 5 minutes left."

As if in response Tk's screaming lessoned slightly and he was able to raise his arm to point at the control board.

"What should I do, Tai?" Agumon asked unsurely. Tai's answer was delayed as he momentarily froze. "Tai!"

"Melt it! Just melt it, Agumon!"

"PEPPER BREATH!"

The fire hit the small control board and melted it instantly.

"What! Nothing happened." Davis shouted.

"No!" Izzy shouted back, "The electric current strengthening the wires attached to the digivice has decreased. If I had time I could remove it."

"You don't have time." The room became quiet at the first syllable of Baranumon's voice; even Tk's screams had completely ceased. She appeared out of nowhere with a grave look on her face. "You've got no time left." She pointed her staff towards Tk's stilled body on the ground. "I'm sorry but I must act."

"No!" Kari jumped between Tk and the staff. "You can't kill Tk."

"You yourself were willing to kill him earlier to save the world." Baranumon reasoned as her face remained unchanged.

"Only because that wasn't the real Tk anymore. This Tk hasn't done a thing wrong; why should he die?"

"It is a sacrifice to save the world."

"No! If you kill him than you have to kill me." Kari yelled.

"Us too!" Patamon and Gatamon were beside her. But, then Kari felt a feeble hand on her shoulder. She didn't need to tilt her head to know whose it was; she would recognize that subtle touch anywhere.

"Tk?"

When he spoke he didn't shake like before but he was still not well. "Stop it guys, I'm not more important than both worlds."

Kari's eyes welled up into tears and she looked over her shoulder at Tk, "You are to me."

"One minute." Tentomon buzzed again in the background.

"I still can't get it off." Izzy muttered. This entire time he'd been focused on removing the digivice to no avail.

"Everyone," Tk said solemnly, "I love you." Then he turned towards Baransumon, "I'd like to go on my terms."

Baransumon nodded slowly, "If you wish."

No one expected Tk to move that fast in his weakened state but he did. In a flash he'd lunged through the cluster of digidestineds and pushed Izzy to the ground. With one last mighty scream he plunged his arm into the heart of the giant computer and griped his tiny, green digivice. It took the last of his strength to rip the digivice away. He celebrated his success with a cocky smile for less than a second before the electricity overtook him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

There were 21 seconds left on the clock. They were 21 seconds away from darkness taking complete control of both worlds. When the computer sputtered and all power seemed to fade "21" still flashed on the screen like a constant reminder of their near failure. Alas, Takeru Takashi was only 21 years old when he died.

Wow, is everyone ready to grab their pitchforks and attack me? I've got only one thing to say to try to stop your attack: there are 2 more chapters before this story ends. Make your assumptions based on that.

Next Time: Did you think that Baransumon was just a simple, plot enabling character - well, you're wrong. There's more than meets the eye.

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