Kari was riding Nefertimon on her back, flying through the air as they ran through a clearing sky. Kari was anxious when she received a text from TK, saying Angelus wanted to meet him and his brother alone. So why did they have to do this alone? They didn't stand a chance against him. He could probably destroy them in minutes.
When they made it to the other side of the clearing, Nefertimon landed gracefully while Kari took off at full speed, trying to catch up to Matt and TK. When they reached an airport dock, they saw ambulances and police cars, setting up the crime scene tape. Kari tried to get close enough to see what was going on, but they were already surrounded by police, making it difficult for her to hear anything. She had to be patient and let the police handle things on their own.
"Kari!" Tai shouted from distance, running towards her. "Kari! There you are!" She turned, walking towards him, and while Nefertimon reverted back to Gatomon, away from the crime scene.
"What happened?" Sora asked quietly.
"I don't know, I haven't gotten the chance to talk to anyone yet," said Kari. Tai frowned; he was used to being the one asking questions.
Sora nodded, frowning, but said nothing. The detective approached them with a stern look on his face, looking at each of them individually. "Excuse me, are you friends of Matt and TK?" he asked. He looked about his late 40s. He had a brown trenchcoat, grey pants, black shoes, and white shirt with black tie. He had black hair, brown eyes, and his face was shaven clean.
"Yes, that's right," said Tai.
"And where are your parents?" he asked.
"They're busy at work," said Kari, "so we volunteered to look after our friends." It was true enough, though she wasn't sure if they would be able to keep up the lie much longer. The detective looked at them skeptically, then sighed. He showed them a badge.
"Well, I'm Detective Tsukino Yu, and I'll ask you guys questions here," he said, taking a note out of his trenchcoat pocket.
"Okay," said Tai, nodding his head.
"You're all friends with Matt, correct?" the detective asked again.
"That's right, and we're also friends with Matt's brother,TK," confirmed Sora.
The detective raised a hand to his chin and nodded thoughtfully. "Are you guys in school together?" he finally asked.
"Yeah, we've known each other since elementary school," Sora answered.
"Did something happen? Please tell me Matt and TK are okay," begged Kari.
Detective Tsukino sighed before speaking, "Well, I'm afraid they didn't make it," he replied gravely. "Their bodies were found that night by a group of people. They had puncture wounds on their necks, draining blood."
"Oh, my God," whispered Kari, putting a hand to her mouth. She could barely believe her ears. How could something so horrible happen just like that? Matt and TK couldn't be dead!
"That can't be true! We have those text messages from them earlier today!" protested Tai, eyes widening with anger. "They said they met Angelus at the dock, and that's where they went when they got into trouble," said Taichi, shaking his head. He hated how things like this always happened to his best friends. If only he could stop Angelus from killing them…
Detective Tsukino sighed heavily and shook his head. "I'm sorry, but your friends' deaths are still fresh," he said. "We're doing everything possible to locate their bodies. I'll let their parents know so they can notify yours. Is there anyone else who can corroborate what you say?"
"What about that old man Whistler? Is he dead?" asked Sora.
"No, he's barely alive. He was pretty beaten up, lying down unconscious when we arrived. They managed to put him in a stretcher before carrying him away," said Tsukino.
"Oh, no," breathed Sora. That was the last person to be seen with Matt and TK. Kari wondered what was happening now.
Kari saw the body bags approaching, and her heart sank even further. They were definitely going to take the body bags inside. This was not fair. Matt and TK weren't supposed to die. Not after everything they had gone through to achieve their goals. Kari watched as the men removed the bags from their bodies, placing them aside as they moved away.
Her eyes swelled in tears, which she stubbornly refused to let fall. She needed to stay strong for Matt and TK's sake. She'd promised to protect them, and she couldn't break that promise! The next thing she knew, Sora was pulling her in a tight hug.
"Shh, it's going to be okay…" said Sora, quietly.
"It's not fair…" muttered Kari.
"I know...but you need to stay strong," said Sora. "Remember what Matt told us?"
"…' Don't let yourself grieve'…" mumbled Kari, sniffling as she pulled away from Sora.
Sora smiled softly. "He's right. You two will get through this because Matt and TK love you too much to die, I'm sure of it."
"Thanks, Sora," said Kari. She wiped her nose with her sleeve and gave Sora one final squeeze before returning her attention to the crime scene.
The investigators cleared up the crime scene, then the ambulance took away the body-bagged corpses to where the police could identify them. Once the area was clear, Kari started crying openly as she watched the police cart the bodies away in the ambulance. She buried her face in Tai's jacket, holding onto him tightly. The others joined in on the silent weeping, not wanting to disturb Kari.
Tokyo Wangan Police Station- 1:34 AM
In another building in Tokyo, Tsukino Yu sat at his desk, reading over reports that had been sent to his office from different officers on various investigations across Japan and around the world. His fingers flew over the keys of his keyboard as he scrolled through his screen for more information from any sources he could find.
Tsukino heard knocking on the door to his office. "Come in," he called.
"Detective, we have visitors to come to your office," said his secretary.
"Alright. Send them in," said Tsukino, turning his chair to face his office door.
The parent of Matt and TK walked into his office, they took their seats in front of the detective's desk. Tsukino looked up curiously at them, noting their troubled expressions.
"Mr. and Mrs. Ishida?" he asked, getting their attention once again.
"Actually, my last name is Takaishi. We're divorced," said Nancy.
Tsukino nodded in understanding. "Okay. Well, let's begin with your sons' case," he said.
Nancy inhaled deeply, closing her eyes. Her sons had died, and it was her fault. If only she had never married Malcolm, she could have prevented this from happening. But then she realized how foolish that was; Malcolm would've been the death of her eventually anyway.
"Your sons were involved in a gang war between multiple gangs. One group was led by a leader named Angelus, and the other by a young woman named Darla," explained Tsukino.
Nancy closed her eyes, trying to calm herself down. She needed to think rationally about this. Her sons' deaths wouldn't bring them back.
"Angelus targeted the brothers due to their influence in a lot of illegal activities and businesses that involve human trafficking, drug dealing, prostitution, gambling, child prostitution, and other forms of abuse and cruelty. Unfortunately, both Matt and TK were murdered by this man Angelus, and their bodies were found lying down on the docks," Tsukino continued.
Nancy opened her eyes and stared straight ahead at Tsukino, shocked. "How did Angelus kill them?" she asked.
"According to witnesses, Angelus and Darla killed them, leaving punctures on their necks and a message to their friends saying they were going to meet Angelus at the docks at 10:00 PM the previous night with the intention of making sure everyone was ready to witness what they were planning," said Tsukino.
"Why did they meet this guy? Who the hell is Angelus?" asked Malcolm, angrily. He knew very well what kind of man Angelus could be, and that his sons' deaths would hurt the family. It felt like the universe wanted to punish them.
"Unfortunately, we don't know why they met or planned to murder someone, but we do know that Darla and Angelus used Matt and TK to join their cult, but both Matt and TK refused to join, and both were attacked by a gang shortly afterward," said Tsukino.
"What kind of cult?" asked Malcolm, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.
"A Satanic cult, apparently, it's Order of Aurelius," said Tsukino.
"Order of Aurelius? What the hell does that mean?" grumbled Malcolm.
"According to one of our informants, it basically means Devil's Cult. Apparently, Angelus and Darla have been preaching that it is their duty to destroy mankind by murdering people from all walks of life," answered Tsukino.
Malcolm growled impatiently under his breath, clenching his fists in his lap. He knew those damn idiots weren't going anywhere if it wasn't for them, that was for damn certain. And it was all their fault for not accepting his offer to become Apostles!
"So, you're telling me that these bastards killed our sons so they could force them to join their cult?" asked Malcolm angrily, glaring at Tsukino.
Tsukino sighed. "Yes, Mr. Ishida," he admitted. "But they won't succeed. As soon as the police catch them, they'll have nowhere to hide," he reassured his client, hoping that the detectives caught them quickly.
"Then what do we do?!" snapped Malcolm, standing up a bit from his seat.
"You're going to leave town until they have been caught," informed Tsukino. "Do not worry, I promise that we'll find the men responsible for your sons' deaths," he added reassuringly.
Malcolm shook his head furiously. "I'm not going anywhere!" he yelled. "I'm going to find that bastard Angelus who murdered our boys!"
"Sir, please calm down," begged Tsukino.
"How can I be calm, Detective?! My sons are dead, and nothing is going to change that! The only thing we can do is focus on finding out who's behind the attack on my children! I want justice!" shouted Malcolm.
Nancy placed her hand on his shoulder, calming him down before he got himself worked up.
"Malcolm, please. You need to remain composed to give the police time to find out who has done this to our children. There are many ways for people to get information about people like Angelus. The police may discover the identity of the person responsible sooner than later," pleaded Nancy.
Malcolm clenched his fist in annoyance, but he sighed in defeat. He couldn't argue against his ex-wife. He knew she was right, but it didn't make him happy either.
"Fine," he stated. He gazed at Detective Tsukino with narrowed eyes. "But I want to know what you're doing, Detective. I want to know who's behind this. And make no mistake, when I get my hands on whoever did this, there will be hell to pay," he vowed darkly.
"Very well. So your occupation is news reporter, correct?" asked Tsukino.
"Yes, I worked for Sakara TV Network for 12 years," he answered.
"I see. We'll do our best to find those monsters, Mr. Ishida," said Tsukino. "If anything catches up, just call me immediately."
"Thank you, Detective," he bowed respectfully. "We appreciate it."
THE NEXT MORNING IN MOTOMIYA RESIDENCE 6:30 AM
This Saturday morning, Davis could hardly sleep last night because Matt and TK were dead. He couldn't believe it had happened so suddenly, but apparently, there was nothing else to do but get up early and prepare for their cremation. He got out of bed and walked into his sister's room to check on her, seeing that she could barely sleep at night because of her crush's death, Matt. Jun had been crying all night, her eyes were covered in tear stains on her nose bridge.
Davis sat next to her and gently held the back of her neck. "Hey, how're you doing?" he whispered softly. She looked at him through a puffy red, red face and sniffled, rubbing her nose.
"Tired," said Jun, softly.
He nodded with a sad smile. "It must be so hard for you to cope with everything today. I know this is hard for both of us. You can go back to sleep if you want," said Davis, rubbing Jun's back as she shook her head vigorously and wiped her tears from her cheeks with her fists.
"No, I won't. If I sleep, I'll never wake up, and then I'll have another nightmare, and I don't want to dream about Matt's death," answered Jun sadly, wiping her eyes with the hem of her shirt sleeve. She sniffled again, taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Davis, what am I saying? It's not like we've ever talked about anything like that," She laughed sarcastically and looked away. "We should probably start getting ready now, though."
Davis didn't say anything; he knew that Jun was right. They'd already wasted enough time by just standing around in bed, crying and talking. soon.
Jun stood up and went over to her closet where she began to pick out clothes for herself to wear. As they finished freshening up, they walked to the kitchen where their mother made bacon & egg. They ate their breakfast quietly, avoiding talking. After breakfast, Davis drove them to the cemetery, trying to keep Jun's mind off her worries by keeping her occupied with small talk. They arrived at the graveyard and walked together to the grave of their best friends.
When they reached the gravestone, Davis parked his car in front and turned off the engine. Jun opened her door and stepped out, walking towards the church while he followed his sister. They entered the church and there were people in there already, lining the aisle. Some people wore black clothes with tuxes or suits while others wore dresses or skirts. There were also a lot of flowers surrounding the gravesite, including white carnations, lilies, daisies, and other kinds.
When Kari saw Jun and Davis appear in the church, she came to hug Davis tightly. He hugged her back before pulling away slightly, giving Jun a soft squeeze on the shoulder. They started looking through the crowd until they found TK and Matt's coffins. Both coffins were on display in front of each other. The funeral director explained that there will be a service at 9:00 AM.
Tai walked to them, wearing a black suit without a headband. He was glad they arrived in time.
"Hey, man. Glad you're here," said Tai, patting Davis' back. "Is she okay? Your sister looks terrible."
"Yeah, she could hardly sleep because of Matt's death. She had been crying for hours," said Davis.
"Oh. Let's find an empty bench so we can sit down. This place is packed," Tai gave Daivs a sympathetic look before walking away to sit down. There were Izzy, Cody, Yolei, Ken, Mimi, Sora, and Joe seated on the bench.
"So, how are you feeling, Davis?" asked Cody as Davis plopped himself on the bench across from them.
"I'm okay, I guess. Where's Blade?" he asked.
"He's at the hospital with Whistler. He said he had to stay with him for a while, and he never leaves his side," explained Tai.
"Oh, I see." Daivs looked down at his hands, fiddling with his thumbs. "So, how are Mr. Ishida and Ms. Takaishi doing?" he asked.
"Well... they were devastated when Matt and TK died. But they haven't said much about it except that they miss them," said Ken.
Davis nodded in understanding. They all sat silently for a few more minutes, listening to the choir practice behind the church. Then suddenly, everyone jumped when the choir director called everyone to line up in the center of the church for mass. Davis, Tai, Izzy, Yolei, Ken, Joe, Cody, Mimi, Sora, Jun, and Kari went inside. On cue, the choir director began singing. Everyone sang along. When the song ended, the choir director thanked everyone and asked them to go to their assigned seats. The priest stood up on his podium and gave a eulogy.
"Thank you for all coming here today. We are gathered here today to mourn our loss of these wonderful young men, who we all admire and respect very much. These boys were brothers who loved each other very much. We would give almost everything in exchange to save them from the cruel world. Today, we remember those precious memories with love and hope to always share them with each other. So I would like you all to pray with me," he gestured to the congregation, "and join our hands for prayer for their souls." Everyone bowed their heads and clapped their hands together in prayer.
"Dear Lord, thank You for blessing these two boys with life, and may we continue to share them with the rest of the world. May God keep us safe as He does them, Amen." The group all rose and joined hands. When everyone was back in their original seats, the choir director continued to speak.
"Before I start, I would like to invite someone to come and say some words," The choir director paused briefly to let his guest stand in front of the congregation.
Mr. Ishida walked up to the podium, he shook his hand. He scanned the audience before speaking. "Good morning. I'm Malcolm Ishida, and I'm the father of Matt and TK. Um, I would like to say something in memory of them. In honor of these two great men, our sons. They were such brilliant children, strong-willed fighters, good students, loving parents, and loyal friends. I wish that I could be there with them, to see how they grew. To watch them grow. To watch them become successful people. That I might be able to be proud of them as well," Malcolm bit his lip, looking down. Nancy wiped her tears with a handkerchief as he continued his speech.
"My boys, they were so special to me. Their laughter filled my house, their smiles brought joy to my day, and their hugs helped me sleep every night. I love them dearly, so please remember them with kindness and respect. Thank you, and God bless everybody!" Malcolm took his seat and put the microphone away as everyone applauded.
And the priest took the microphone and said, "Thank you, Mr. Ishida. Now would anyone like to have a eulogy speech?"
Davis raised his hand.
"Alright, come on up," said the priest.
Davis approached the podium after the last person, the organist, left.
"Um, hi guys. My name's Davis Motomiya. I'm a friend of Matt and TK. And yeah, they were really awesome kids, too. I'm happy that all of you are here. Well... let's just get one thing straight..."
Davis cleared his throat as his voice cracked, "Matt is still with us, even if we cannot see him, we have his love. And he is watching over us. He knows we are doing our very best to take care of our families and to help take care of ourselves. But that doesn't mean that his absence won't feel like a huge weight pressing on my shoulders, knowing he is gone forever. And it will never get easier no matter how many years pass, I promise you. Thank you. For your prayers. And for your strength during these sad times."
Davis put the microphone down, got up, and headed back to his chair while Tai patted his shoulder sympathetically. Next, Tai stood up and walked to the podium, clearing his throat.
"Um, hi. I'm Tai Kamiya, and I'm also a friend of Matt and TK. When we were at the summer camp as kids, Matt was a loner. He didn't seem interested in making friends and playing with other kids, which caused a lot of strife between the both of us. And we fought each other sometimes but in the end, we did make peace by forgiving each other's mistakes. And that's when our friendship changed into something much different than what it was before. We became close friends, we shared secrets, and we talked about a lot of important stuff. Sometimes you don't think you need friends, but once you do, that's when you know you've lost your right to live without them. Because Matt taught me that you can't survive alone, and he told me that if you have to be alone and feel scared to survive, then at least you have someone to hold onto. Even though he was the best friend I ever had, I'll treasure the friendship we had all the same. I learned a lot from him." Tai smiled sadly, looking down, before putting a smile on his face again.
"Thank you, Matt, for everything," Tai took his seat. Everyone clapped and the music started again. They remained quiet, not daring to sing.
And last Kari went to the podium and gave a eulogy speech.
"Hi, I'm Kari Kamiya, and I'm a friend of Matt and TK," she said softly. She swallowed hard; it felt like there was this giant knot in her throat, which made it hard to breathe. "It took me a while, TK and I met each other in our childhood, when we were eight. TK was sweet, friendly, smart, kind, brave, and selfless. He was a hero, a defender, a protector, and a fighter. He knew that the world was cruel, that people would always betray and kill you. He wanted to change the world. And, through hard work and determination, he did. His dream came true. Now, thanks to his dedication and drive, a great world exists. A new world with peace, freedom, justice, prosperity, and hope," she paused to wipe tears from her eyes. "TK would want us to live our lives, to follow our dreams, and make our own way in the world. He would want us to be happy. And I know that he would be so proud of us. Thank you, Matt, for teaching me that. Thank you, TK, for being my friend. Thank you, everyone, for being here today. I love you all." she finished.
Everyone clapped as Kari walked back to her bench, Sora and Tai comforted Kari by patting her back and rubbing her arm. She sat next to Davis and hugged him tightly, burying her face in his shoulder. The congregation broke into applause.
"I thank you for the wonderful speech. Matt and TK were indeed amazing, but now, they can rest in peace," said the priest, giving his eulogy for Matt and TK. The music continued as everyone left their seats and headed out towards the church.
The gravediggers grabbed two caskets from the wagon and carried them to the grave site. They started digging with spades and shovels and began filling the grave with dirt, rocks, and sand until they reached the bottom. The two holes were deep enough for them to lay Matt and TK's bodies in. They lowered the caskets gently to the ground and covered them with dirt and soil. Two tombstones engraved their names and date of birth and death. The priest began preaching.
"May these two young men rest in peace in the arms of Jesus. May we honor their memory with a funeral that will never be forgotten. We will not only remember the love and sacrifice they showed for this country, but we will show their legacy so that they will be remembered as symbols of justice for others. As a courageous warrior and son of faith, who sacrificed his life to save thousands from despair. Let us remember those that fell in battle. Our heroes shall be honored forever. And we are reminded of the sacrifices that Jesus made in His name. Amen." his speech and the congregation responded with an amen. Some people held up flowers and said a few words of remembrance as well. After a few moments, they left the graveyard and headed home.
ST. LUKE INTERNATIONAL HOSPITAL 2:00 PM
Whistler stirred awake slowly, blearily looking up at the light streaming in from his window. The sunlight had a tendency to blind him whenever he opened his eyes, and so it was no surprise that Whistler was groggy when he woke up. He looked around for where he was. He realized he was in the hospital bed and quickly sat up as memories of last night came rushing back to him. He remembered Darla beat him into a pulp and got knocked out cold, and the vampires held Matt and TK as hostage. He wondered what happened to them. He glanced at Blade's sleeping form on the cot next to his, then he opened his eyes to see Whistler sitting up.
Blade looked over at him. "You're awake. How are you feeling?"
Whistler shrugged. "This bitch beat the shit outta me, but I'm alright," he replied as he rubbed his head and the bandage was patched on his forehead. "What about the other two? Where are Matt and TK?"
Blade shook his head slightly. "They're dead. They killed them while you were unconscious."
Whistler felt himself going pale. Matt and TK were dead? He wasn't even able to kill Darla, and they killed them anyway?
"Oh, goddammit!" he plopped himself into the pillow, frustrated by what was happening.
Blade put his hand on Whistler's shoulder. "Take it easy. You tried your best."
Whistler sighed heavily. "I just… I can't believe I failed," he murmured, his voice low and hoarse.
"Don't do that to yourself," Blade chided, his voice soft but firm.
"We'll find Angelus and we'll kill him sooner or later. But right now you need to focus on recovering."
Blade pressed the button and the door swung open again revealing a nurse who walked in.
"Good afternoon, sir," she greeted with a small smile. "How are you feeling?"
The question caught Whistler off guard for a moment before answering, "Um, I don't know… kinda sore… and kinda hungry."
The nurse smiled at him
sympathetically and placed some sort of tray down beside him on the bed. It had teriyaki chicken, fruit cups, rice, miso soup, and apple juice.
"Is there anything else I can get you, sir?" she asked.
"Uhh…" Whistler paused to think, "I guess a soda would be nice."
She gave him a sympathetic smile before turning to go. Before leaving, she said, "I'll let the doctor know you're awake."
After she left, Blade leaned over the bed. "Are you really okay with eating this? We could always throw it all away."
Whistler shook his head, his stomach growling. "No, this is fine," he said as he picked up one of the chopsticks. He hesitated. His hands shook as he began cutting into the chicken. His mouth watered as he took a bite of the meat. It was delicious and he couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten. He continued eating until he was finished eating. Then he set aside the chopsticks, laid his head back against the pillow and closed his eyes.
"Ahh, I've never thought about how amazing chicken food tastes. It's like heaven," Whistler sighed happily, his eyelids fluttering closed.
A door knocked lightly against the frame and Whistler opened his eyes as the door opened wider. A dark haired man with glasses stepped inside.
"Hello, Sir," he greeted Whistler. "I'm Dr. Higa, I'm here to check on your health. Are you doing better?"
Whistler nodded. "Yeah, my head still hurts a bit, but my stomach feels okay," he explained. "And thank you for asking, but I don't have any symptoms of a concussion. Do we need to talk about what happened yesterday?"
The doctor chuckled lightly. "Well, I suppose you could say that. You were attacked by a gang of vamps during a routine patrol, yes?"
"Yes, how do you know about vampires?" asked Whistler curiously.
"Drusilla was my patient, telling her traumatic experience about Angelus killed her family and made her insane before he turned her into a vampire." said Dr. Higa.
"Wait, Drusilla? The girl with a soul?" inquired Whistler.
Dr. Higa nodded. "That's correct. She told me about everything," he said.
"Drusilla was abducted by those vamp gangs. TK and Matt were trying to save her, but they got killed by Angelus and Darla last night." said Whistler.
"Oh, my God," whispered Dr. Higa. "Where is Dusilla now? Is she okay?" he asked anxiously.
"I don't know, but she's somewhere in Angelus' lair. We were tracking her right now, but she disappeared without us knowing and we haven't been able to track her since," replied Whistler.
"Did she leave behind a note saying where she was going? Maybe a note telling us where Angelus is? If she has a cell phone number, I can call her and tell her where we are, maybe she can help us track her?" suggested Dr. Higa.
Whistler shook his head, "No, she did not mention a phone number. And we were hoping to get her back home today, but things happened pretty fast. I failed."
"Okay, I'll contact Detective Tsukino and ask him to find out where she may be. When we find her, I promise to help you both get justice for what happened." said Dr. Higa firmly.
Whistler smiled. "Thank you very much. That means a lot to me."
"You have my word," vowed Dr. Higa. "Now, I should go get you the medicine for your pain. You take care of yourself, Sir."
The doctors exited through the door and Whistler sighed deeply. He lay back down onto his pillows, pulling the covers up around him.