"I'm sorry," Koichi sighed once the door was closed and he could let his guard down. He moved over to the kitchenette, pressing his palms to the counter and hunching over. Squeezing his eyes shut. "That wasn't what you wanted to hear."

"The only thing I'll ever want from you is the truth," his twin answered, coming up behind him and folding his arms.

"Even when you won't tell me the truth?" Koichi turned to face his brother, his gaze the most mild, passive form of accusatory. Koji sighed, nodding to himself. "Everyone's different today, you don't have to pretend they're not. If you're worried about what Tache can see through me-"

"It's not that," Koji cut him off with an intense look. "It's not that at all."

"Then what?" The light twin let out another sigh, moving his hands into the pockets of his khaki capris, muscular arms left bare by his blue tank top. He looked like a savior, one of those rugged antihero types everyone was so fond of. Yet Koichi knew better…

"It's Dorian's machine," he finally said, frowning. "I won't let anyone use it unless you are 100% comfortable with the risks."

"Well, I can assure you, there is literally nothing in this world, no set of circumstances or threats, that would make me comfortable with that thing."

Koji's frown deepened and he looked… taken aback. Once again, Koichi had said the wrong thing. He licked his lips nervously, blinking as if that could keep the fear at bay. What did they want from him? Stupid question. He knew what they wanted: that boy from the Digital World who'd stared down Cherubimon and rejected power. The one who was willing to die for their cause. And he had died for them. That's why this was all happening, because he'd died but hadn't stayed dead. Because he couldn't be who they wanted. Like Dorian said, he was what he was and there was no changing that.

"Koji," he tried softly, folding his own arms. "Do you need me to use that machine?"

His brother looked at him for a long moment, as if to study something that couldn't notice it was being watched. Koichi looked back, unfaltering, but not unafraid. He opened his mouth to answer, but was preempted by something unlikely.

"Hey," Takuya greeted awkwardly, plowing through the door without knocking, yet simultaneously stuck on the threshold. One hand was squeezing the handle like a tourniquet and the other held a small glass of water. The twins frowned at him, one amiable and the other suspicious, but he didn't seem to notice their disapproval. His eyes locked with Koichi's and he swallowed, pushing forward stiffly and offering up the water. "Sorry."

"There's no need," said Koichi with a small, confused grin, accepting the glass. In a gesture of good faith, he took a drink, then pulled back making a face.

"What? What's wrong," poked Koji, his eyes moving from his brother to Takuya's shifty form and back. Koichi laughed a little, taking another sip and making the same face.

"It's just kinda bitter. We should talk to Dorian about the water supply." Another drink, then he returned his attention to Takuya, shaking his head. "You don't have to be sorry. I realized this was going to be hard for you, it's why I wished none of you were involved. Now… I understand how much I need and rely on you all. You know that, right Takuya? You know that I trust you and am glad you're here now?"

"So why won't you help," he sighed heavily, his chest collapsing under the weight of his plea. "It's not like we're asking you to give in to Tache-"

"But you are." Koichi's stare was hard but calm, his will so powerful Takuya could literally feel it on his skin. "You may not think it's a big deal, that these abilities are simple and you can just… turn them off, but that's not how it works. I don't control them, It does."

"But you are in control," Takuya insisted, wriggling his fingers nervously and exchanging an expectant look with Koji. The light twin remained silently removed, disapproving.

"No. You overestimate me," Koichi whispered, shaking his head and giving a small smile. Then, as if to snap the moment like a twig, he threw back the rest of the water, gulping it down quickly and shuddering. "Was that all?"

"Actually," Takuya shifted his weight, suddenly nervous, his eyes fixed on the empty glass in Koichi's hand. "Dorian has something else he wanted to discuss. Sent me down to make amends and bring you two back."

"Seriously," snorted Koji, not sure if he found Dorian's summons or Takuya's sudden willingness to be his lap dog more frustrating.

"Dude's got needs," Takuya shrugged, growing anxious as his eyes flicked to Koji, but were quickly drawn back to the glass.

"It never ends," Koichi said to himself, making a face and shaking his head. Takuya moved stiffly back to the door, opening it without warning and looking back expectantly. The dark twin winced at the sudden inflow of the world, like a wave of heat washing over him. His entire body tingled, his balance swaying for just an instant. Then, gripping the glass defiantly, he marched through the door, looking encouragingly back at his twin. With an exaggerated sigh and a face of his own, Koji followed, narrowing his eyes at his best friend as he passed. Takuya looked away, shameful, but defiant, letting the door close behind them and then taking the lead.

He'd thought the warmth was just a response to the wireless traffic that was always lurking outside the Faraday cages, but it didn't recede like he would've expected were that the case. Instead, the heat got worse as they moved up the stairs, the air growing more and more saturated with each step, until Koichi had to stop at the sixth floor landing, his breath shallow. How were Koji and Takuya not dying right along with him? It was so hot! He looked at them, perplexed, and at first they looked back, equally perplexed. Then they jumped, rushing to his side, their gazes falling to his feet. Strange, there wasn't anything at his feet. Nevertheless, Koichi looked down too, curious, and noticed something glinting in the morning sunlight. The glass he'd been holding was there now, broken on the floor. How'd that happen? Regardless of how, it remained a mess and he could hardly expect his friends or brother to suffer for his negligence. He reached down and grabbed the largest shard, gripping it tightly so it wouldn't slip through his sweaty fingers. Must've been the heat…

"Koichi stop! Drop it! You'll hurt yourself!"

Koji's voice rang through the building, resonating in the steel supports, and drawing Koichi's attention to his brother's frantic face. The younger twin had grabbed onto the hand holding the glass and seemed to be trying to pry open his fist. But if he did that, the glass would fall back to the floor and all progress in cleaning up the mess would be lost.

"It's fine," Koichi reassured, smiling as one might to a disturbed child. "I was carrying it, I can clean it up."

"Nii-san!" Koji gave him a wild, disbelieving look, his voice coming from far away. "Nii-san, please let it go, please! You're hurting yourself! You're bleeding!"

Bleeding? Koichi looked at his fist absently, noticing the bright red that was oozing between his fingers. Interesting. He'd felt no pain- still felt no pain. With a shrug he decided to ignore his brother's request, brushing past him in a new quest for the trashcan in Dorian's apartment. The door handle was slippery, and he could feel hands on his arms and back, gripping. Something inside him responded, like a muscle twitching in his mind, and he felt the pressure lighten. He pulled away, experiencing the first tinges of unimportant pain in his shoulders. It didn't matter; they couldn't hurt him. Nothing could.

"Oh god. Oh god! What's wrong?! What happened to him?! What have they done?!"

Izumi's voice. He looked up and saw her at the door, face pale, eyes wide in horror. She didn't understand that he wasn't hurting. Not at all. For the first time in a long time he didn't hurt and that felt good.

"It's alright," he said reassuringly, smiling. She didn't seem to hear him. Her expression became more concerned, even as she stepped aside to let him pass. He moved to the table, recalling that the trashcan was somewhere around that and still intent to fulfill his clean up mission with the glass. Vaguely, he noticed that Dorian wasn't there. Weird, but not important.

He was just shy of finding his goal when the shock wave hit. He staggered back as if physically struck, reaching out wildly for something to catch himself, feeling his back collide with a taught, fleshy wall. A wall that felt like fire. Reeling, he spun, his uncoordinated fingers finding the edge of the table and grasping at that instead. They slipped on the laminated surface, but stopped his tailspin. Koichi looked around, seeking out something familiar, but the world had gone overcast grey. Instead of friends, his gaze found only pillars of light in the darkness, much too intense to look at directly. And voices. Voices everywhere.

"He's out of control. This isn't how it was supposed to happen! But for Shinya… Anything for Shinya. If this is what it takes then fine."

"What have we done? If I'd known- If I'd asked- Is it worth it? Will he forgive us? This has to help! This has to be necessary!"

"It's worked quickly. Interesting. And he seems to be sensitized to the signal already. That's good. Very good."

"Nii-san, calm down. Breathe slowly. You're alright. You're going to be fine, just breathe. It's not real, calm down."

He tried, he really did try, but the breaths simply refused to come in anything but short pants, his shoulders heaving. The heat had dissipated, leaving something much worse as his world continued to darken. Cold. Cold and wet. Koichi looked down at his feet, gasping and recoiling. Water- a dark pool of water, lapping at his ankles, sucking at his shoestrings, rising. It was coming from him, leaking out of his being, spreading. Dark gel coated his hands, black and ice cold, and from that gel the water poured, splashing into the ocean around him. He held them out and away from himself in horror, releasing an audible cry. The muscle in his brain flexed again, twitching out of control.

"Koji! Koji help!"

They can't hear you. No one can hear you because secretly, you don't want them to. Secretly… you want this. You've been aching to come back, haven't you. Aching to return to where you belong.

The tree… it was behind him. Koichi's breath caught as he both refused to look and couldn't stop himself. There it was, growing out of the water, pale, fleshy roots twisting towards him in an inevitable dance. Sacs of black mist swung at their tips, taunting him, tempting him, promising all the power he'd lost and more. Promising what his friends had so desperately wanted, offering the knowledge they'd all but begged him to retrieve. But in exchange for what? What did they want from him?

The roots attacked, coiling around his arms, legs, and torso, pulling him towards the tree trunk even as he kicked and thrashed.

"No! No, not again! Please no!"

The roots paid him no heed, squeezing the blood from his limbs, dragging him with fatalistic intensity. His eyes caught a glint of red in the grey and, with shrinking horror, he knew what was waiting for him. A sandstone chair just like the one from his dream, back arched over the seat, chains encircling. Except this time barbs ran the length of the chair's spine and, as he watched, Tache's shadow arms emerged from the headrest, long fingers beckoning. He grabbed the armrests as the roots twisted him around, resisting as they tried to force him into the chair. It was futile; they both knew it. Chains wrapped themselves around his forearms and calves, binding him to the seat ever tighter as the roots continued to push. He let out a scream of agony when they impaled him on the barbs, throwing his head back into Tache's waiting fingers combed through his hair, gripping his skull so tightly Its nails dug into his face.

I've been waiting for you. I've been waiting for this ever since they took you from me. We're going to be whole, Koichi, if only for a moment. Admit it, you're just as excited as I am.

"Koji," he wined, trying to focus, to push back through to reality. Just for a moment. Just long enough to call out to his brother. A single pillar of burning light glowed in the distance, a point of warmth he could still hold onto. It spoke words he wished he couldn't hear.

"Let it happen. We need you to let this happen. Stop fighting, Koichi, just relax."

"It hurts," he yelled, trying to explain, trying to make the light understand and come save him. But already he knew his cries were in vain. The light was thrown into shadow as a giant, thick root burst from the ocean depths, swinging a sack of black mist the size of a watermelon at its tip. His voice died in his throat, any further attempts at struggle smothered by fear. The root approached his trembling form like a sea serpent, slowly yet deliberately.

They've abandoned you Koichi, can't you see that? They've sent you to me in search of answers and I shall provide, but I want something in return. Now, stop resisting, or this is going to hurt even more.

The root pressed its cargo into his face and it exploded, coating his sinuses and lungs and eyes in dark powder. He choked on it, sucking in air to cough, but the root would not allow that. With Tache and the chains holding him in place, there was nothing Koichi could do. It rammed him, piercing his skin and burrowing into his stomach. His eyes went wide, his lips parting as every cell in his body was infused with Tache's virus, his fingers flexing in one last valiant tug against his restraints. Then all he knew were nightmares.