Created By: Jason Wong
"So, what's your plan?" prompted TK. "And how do I fit in?"
"TK, I'm going to ask you to do something that you might find embarrassing. But It's the best way to smuggle Tai out of the school." said Matt. "I need you to swap clothes with Tai. That way, it'll look like I'm taking you home after school."
TK was anything but calm with Matt's suggestion. "Are you crazy?! I'm not undressing here. What if someone sees me? What if Mr. Fugiyama comes in? I'm not doing this." yelled TK hysterical.
"Guys, please step outside." said Matt. "Make sure no one interrupts us. I need a private word with my brother."
Everyone hurried outside except for Matt, TK, and an inattentive Tai. The group strained to hear the conversation through the doorway.
"...Kari..." said Matt.
"...You wouldn't..." replied TK.
More muffled sounds were heard followed by a length of silence. Moments later, an extremely embarrassed TK emerged, deaked out in blue shirt and brown shorts. Matt followed with Tai who now looked just like TK, except there were pieces of brown hair sprouting from under the hat. And the shirt's tall collar managed to hide the dark ring from sight. Matt, Izzy and Tai left first, followed by TK, Kari, and finally a few minutes later, the rest of the group.
"Just get over here Joe." shouted Matt. "I'll explain when you get here."
"Interesting." said Izzy, who was examining Tai.
"I feel stupid" whined TK. "I want my clothes back."
"I think you look cute TK." said Kari.
TK turned a bright cherry red as he suddenly remembered Kari was with them.
"What's interesting?" asked Matt.
"There allot of codes in this collar. But allot of them correspond to the digivice codes. This collar acts almost like a digivice." said Izzy
"And that means?" asked Matt.
"Well, nothing really. But Tai was reborn of digicode, so this collar may act like a remote control to something. It's broadcasting something or rather. But it looks like meaningless junk." said Izzy.
"Well, it looked like the emperor was trying to do something with that collar." said Matt.
"I suppose that if finished, the collar would have interfaced with the control spires. With Tai as a slave, the digimon emperor could maintain his reign of terror all day and night." said Izzy.
"You'd think he'd have heavier guard on him then." said Matt.
"Oh, I don't think so. The emperor wanted to minimize Tai's contact with anyone until the program was complete according to the data I've found. Things from his past could disrupt the ring. The guards probably threw you in by mistake." said Izzy.
"So, we can still make him remember?" asked TK.
"Possibly." replied Izzy.
Just then the phone rang. It was Joe.
"Sorry Matt." he said. "I can't make it today. I'll be by tomorrow afternoon."
"Sure. It's getting late anyway." said Matt.
"Yeah, we've got to run too. Our parents'll be worried." said Izzy.
Kari, and Izzy left as Matt turned to TK. "Now that they've left, you can change and get back home before mom gets worried."
"Oh, don't worry." said TK changing. "I'm staying here tonight. Mom said it was ok."
"She did? When?" asked Matt surprised.
"I phoned a while back. Mom says that you should have some old pajamas that'll fit me." said TK rummaging through a box of Matt's old stuff.
"Uhhhh... Ok. Just goto sleep. And keep Tai with you. I don't want dad seeing him." said Matt.
"Don't get all puffy about it." said TK. "You're such a worry wart. Everything's going to turn out fine. You'll see."
That night, TK tossed and turned under the covers. He was having enormous trouble sleeping. Everytime he managed to dose off, nightmares filled his dreams. Nighttimes full of torture, needles, wires, machines and gruesome tests. And there was always a lasting laugh in the background. The everlasting laugh of the digimon emperor. TK glanced at his brother with envy. At least he's getting a good night's rest. He considered waking Matt up, but decided against it. Matt would only get upset and insist on babying him. He glanced at Tai who's face was lit by the pale moonlight.
"Wait a minute. There aren't any windows in here." thought TK. TK searched around for the source of the light and gasped when he saw it.
It was his own digivice. TK picked it up and stared in fascination. The small screen was scrolling by at an incredibly fast rate. Then TK remembered what Izzy had said.
"The collar works almost like a digivice."
"Was Tai somehow interfacing with his digivice?" thought TK. "That would explain the dreams."
Knowing that he would never get back to sleep after this discovery, TK pulled out his D-Terminal and a small link cable. He carefully brought Tai to a sitting position and linked up with the collar. With hours before morning, he began to type away.
"Takeru, what were you thinking?" exploded Matt.
TK had been awoken by a furious Matt the next morning. Matt's use of TK's full name was an indication of just how mad he was.
"I just wanted to try something." said TK.
"Next time tell someone. Me, or Izzy, definatly Izzy. He knows what he's doing. He's our expert. You could have fried Yamagi's brain here.
TK cringed. Not only was Matt using his full name, he was also using Tai's real last name. It was only on official documents now, and Matt must be terribly upset over the fact that TK had been messing with the ring.
"But I didn't." said TK. "And I thought it would work."
"Your D-Terminal says you logged on at two in the morning. Do you always get your brilliant ideas in the dead of night?" said Matt calming down.
TK ignored his brother's sarcasm. "Look, it just came to me. Nothing happened so let's leave it at that." TK wasn't sure he wanted to tell Matt about the rest of the things that occurred the previous night just yet.
"Fine. Joe and Izzy are coming over today. Go get dressed and I'll make us brunch. Dad's already left for work." said Matt.
When TK emerged, Matt was frying up some eggs and was in general creating a meal that rivaled his mother's cooking. They'd just started to clean up after eating when a loud thump from Matt's room was heard.
"What was that?" asked Matt.
"Probably just Tai. Must've rolled off the bed." said TK. "I'll go check it out."
Just then the phone rang.
"Hello?" asked Matt.
"Hi, it's Joe. I just wanted to make sure today was still on." said Joe.
"Yep. Just come over sometime." said Matt.
"Do you really have Tai? Cause that's what Izzy was telling me." asked Joe.
"Yes. He's got a really strange control ring around his neak. We want you to check it out to see if it's removable." said Matt.
"Just come over ASAP. Call Izzy too. Sometimes he get's a little too wrapped up in his internet surfing." said Matt.
"Will do." said Joe.
"Oh, and...." said Matt as he dropped the phone. A huge bulk of a monster had emerged from his room just after TK had tumbled out.
"Matt, Matt, what's going on?" demanded Joe.
But Matt had already launched himself at the mysterious creature, whatever it was.
"What was the mysterious thump? What is the monster? Where did Tai go? Find out all this and more in "Rebirth of a Leader" part 3. Coming soon.