Created By: Jason Wong
Joe was petrified. Only seconds before he'd been arranging things with Matt, when suddenly a scream issued. Joe tried to find out what had been going on, but no one answered his voice. He heard loud wumps and yells before the phone abruptly disconnected.
"Matt, TK, anyone! Hello!?!" shouted Joe. Only the automated voice telling him to hang up.
"Damn it." muttered Joe as he dialed another number. The phone rang eight times before anyone picked up.
"Hello?" asked Izzy.
"Something's going down at Matt's place. They're under attack." said Joe frantically.
"You don't suppose it has anything to do with Tai, do you?" asked Izzy. "Could the emperor have located them to retrieve Tai?"
"You're the expert on that Izzy. But I think we should get over there pronto." said Joe. They could be hurt, or...."
He let the word hang, not even wanting to think of all the possibilities. Joe quickly assembled a bag full of equipment he thought he might need, then he sprinted for Matt's apartment. he met up with Izzy halfway there. They approached the apartment with great caution. There was no response when they knocked and no sounds emerged from the apartment. Joe was about to break the door down when a voice issued from inside.
"Hold on a sec, We're all ok."
The lock turned and a horrible looking TK welcomed the two guests in. They surveyed the room with disbelief. The phone had been ripped from it's jack, the table had overturned spilling it's contents all over the place and there was a dent in one of the walls which looked very fresh. Izzy quickly reconnected the phone and began to clean up while Joe attended to Matt and TK's bruises.
"So, it is him." said Joe to TK as he spied him in the corner of the room sulking.
"Yeah." replied TK. "He's a pretty good fighter too."
"So, what happened? Did the digimon emperor send a digimon? And how did Tai break out of the control of that ring?" asked Izzy.
"It wasn't a digimon Izzy. As for the ring, I think I deprogrammed it." said TK. "As for what happened...."
Matt launched himself at his unknown opponent. The two wrestled on the ground. With an amazing display of strength, Matt was hurled across the room into the wall. Jumping up, Matt rushed his opponent. But his foot got tangled in the telephone chord, violently ripping it from it's jack. Matt fell short landing on one end of the table causing all the remaining food and dishes to rain all over the room. One of the saucers removed a particularly large sheet from the assailant's head while a bottle of syrup exploded in TK's face, showering him with a golden goo. Matt let out a gasp as he saw his opponent's face for the first time.
"Tai?" he demanded.
Tai didn't reply, he just stood there in shock before collapsing in the corner of the room.
"And it's been pretty much like that since then." said TK.
"Ok, Matt'll be fine. But Tai doesn't look like he's got a scratch on him." said Joe.
"Excuse me, but how did you crack those codes?" asked Izzy. "I worked all night on them and couldn't break them. Neither could my pal Willice from America."
"Ask TK." winced Matt as Joe applied medication. "He did something with his D-Terminal last night."
"TK?" asked Izzy.
"I had a vision, nightmares really. It was like Tai was showing me what he'd been through. And in those dreams I saw some of the things that were on a computer screen. And I tried it out." said TK.
"Then why'd he attack Matt?" asked Joe. "And how come he's not hurt, but Matt is."
"Oh, that." said TK. "He got confused. He managed to get a sheet stuck over his head. He though Matt might have been the emperor. But I can't awnser your other question."
"I might though." said Izzy. "The emperor pictures himself as perfect. Most dictators do. If he were to leave someone else in charge while he's gone, he would want them to be their image of perfect. He tried to make Tai superhuman. Thus the incredible strength and reaction time. I'm betting his intelligence would have been augmented as well when done."
"Tai?" asked TK cautiously as he approached Tai.
"Careful TK. We don't know what he'll do." said Matt
"It's ok, I don't think he'll hurt me." said TK. "He's just scared and confused."
In a low voice, barely audible to even TK, he hear Tai speaking. "TK, you and Matt have to watch out."
"What?!" exclaimed TK.
"What is it?" asked Izzy.
"He said that Matt and I should watch out." replied TK.
"What?!" yelled Matt. "What for? Explain it Tai!"
Tai remained passively silent which only served to enrage Matt more. Especially after the tenth time.
"You said we were to be friends forever." said Matt. "And as a friend you should tell me."
"You're not Matt. The power of leadership changed you too much." said Tai quietly.
"Tell me NOW!!" demanded Matt advancing menacingly on Tai.
"Matt don't." said TK realizing what was on Matt's mind. "You'll only regret it later."
"Keep out of this." said Matt hotly as he brought his hand into a fist. "I'm getting the answers I want."
It was like meeting his brother for a second time. The Matt TK knew would never have yelled like that in a situation as this. He realized that the burden of leadership had altered Matt. But he couldn't tell if it was for better or worse.
Tai executed a swift movement as Matt brought his fist down and he was neatly flipped onto the sofa.
"Do you really want to know?" shouted Tai as Matt slipped off the couch clutching his wrist. "I shouldn't even tell you after that, but I will because even though you've changed so much, TK's grown to be like the you I remember. The emperor wants us. And he'll use us to take over the world."
"What?!" exclaimed Izzy.
"WarGreymon, MetalGarurumon, MagnaAngemon. The three most powerful digimon in the digiworld." said Tai. "They do whatever we command them to, even if they know it's wrong. The emperor wants them, and through us he will. He's probably already got disguised digimon looking for us."
"And the collar does?" asked Izzy.
"It's a control device, closely linked to the control spires. It leaves you helpless. Your mind is free to do whatever, but the spires command you." said Tai. "I guess because TK reminds me so much of my closest friend when I died, I was able to contact him."
"So that's what those emissions were." said Izzy.
Joe looked slightly sickened. "Well Tai. That collar is embedded into your neak. Removal means surgery. So you're pretty much stuck with it for a while."
"I suppose our work here is done." said Izzy. "We should call the others and prepare a strategy in order to defeat the emperor."
"That's probably the best course of action." agreed Joe. "How about we meet in the park at say... three?"
"Sure. Izzy, you phone up the old gang and I'll phone the new kids." said Matt. "We need this done as fast as possible."
TK looked on with mild concern as he held Tai close. Matt's new personality was becoming apparent. TK had heard that some people were born to lead while others were crippled with it. It looked like Matt was being crippled by it, he was rushing into battle. TK wondered how he'd react if he had to suddenly be leader.
"Don't worry TK." whispered Tai. "I know you'll be fine under pressure."
TK was spooked, it was like Tai had read his mind.
"So let me get this strait." said Davis. "The emperor wants to capture us and use us as pawns in world conquest?"
"Just Matt, TK, and I." corrected Tai. "Everyone else is seen as expendable."
"Why not just use the rings on the digimon?" asked Kari, raising the point TK had been thinking of.
"Then the digimon will resist." said Tai. "There have been times when he's nearly lost control of a couple. And no ring is able to generate a control field after a digivolve. If we are controlled, they'll listen through thick and thin."
"Like me and Gabumon when we fought Tai. He stood by me, even when he knew he risked both are worlds in the process." said Matt.
"I say we barge in and destroy both the emperor and his palace." said Davis.
"Too risky. The palace will be heavily guarded." said Izzy.
"Not so fast Izzy. We'll have the element of surprise. We can win. We'll go in with our most powerful digimon." said Matt.
"Guys!" exclaimed TK running up with Yolei. "The emperor's dark spires. They prevent the digivolving process."
"What?!" exclaimed everyone.
"Here's the data we collected Izzy." said Yolei. "It blocks the regular digivolving process, but we are still able to digivolve. It's a new way called armor digivolving."
"Incredible." said Izzy. "According to the data, I conclude that Veemon will digivolve to Flamedramon, Hawkmon to Halsemon, Armidillomon to Digmon, Patamon to Pegususmon, and Gatomon to Nefertimon."
"We'll attack with these new forms." said Matt. "We can still win."
"Actually, I believe we should go in full power. Let's destroy the control spires." said Izzy.
"We'll digivolve in a non controlled area and attack." said Matt.
"It's too far, they'd be forced to de-digivolve way before the target." said Joe.
"Fine." said Matt coldly. "Let's begin the operation."
With that Matt walked away. "Come on!"
"We'll catch up in a minute." called Sora.
"Did anyone get a chill there?" asked Joe.
"Matt's become quite a cold guy since this emperor showed up." said Kari.
"It's the burden of leadership." said TK. "It's bringing out his cold side. The one where all the people he knows are expendable."
"Tai, I think you can help. Just shoulder some of the weight." said Izzy.
"Ok." said Izzy. "We've now destroyed eighty percent of all the control spires. Only the most protected areas remain."
"But we still haven't found Agumon." said Matt who had warmed up considerably since Tai took back some of the leadership. "He's our strongest digimon."
"We'll have to proceed without him. We'll lose some strength, but we should still have enough." said Tai.
"I still can't believe it." grumbled Davis to himself off in the background. "Angemon? Angewomon? How can I compete with that?"
"Davis, come on." said TK.
"Yeah, we need you." said Kari.
"Sure thing Kari." replied Davis with a faint glimmer. There might still be a chance for him afterall.
"Ok, if we cut strait through here we have a good chance of penetrating the palace." said Matt.
"According to scans, this area is protected with digimon no higher than Champion. But there are great numbers to make up for that. Our first target should be the control spire. Flamedramon, Halsemon and Pegususmon should hold off the enemies while Digmon and Nefertimon destroy the spire. they we can all digivolve and proceed to the palace." said Izzy.
"Ok, we meet here after school tomorrow." said Matt.
"OK, and make sure your digivices work, replace the batteries if you have to." said Izzy.
"Kari, actually everyone. Don't blow Tai's cover. We've hidden him so far, but just in case he doesn't make it out, I don't want his family to have to bear his loss again. We'll let it be know that he's alive after we beat the emperor." said Matt.
"Where are Kari and Sora?" demanded Matt. "They're already a half hour late."
Both TK and Davis were worried and had concerned faces. "Kari wasn't in school today, but her mom said she went." said TK. "Do you think one of the emperor's henchmen got them?"
"If that stinkin emperor lays one finger on Kari. I'll, I'll..." said Davis.
"Can it Davis." said Tai. "We'll have to hope they're all right and go without them."
"Let's go." said Matt pulling out his digivice. "We can't afford to wait anymore."
"Digiport open." shouted Yolei.
The group successfully broke through the area and soon arrived outside the emperor's palace.
"That was too easy." said Tai. "It's like he wanted us to get through. Davis, TK, stay back. We might need you for backup."
"But--" exclaimed both TK and Davis simultaneously.
"No buts. If we don't send word after ten minutes come in after us." said Tai.
"Guys, wait for us." called a voice.
"Kari?" asked Tai as he whipped around.
"Yeah, something came up. Sora and I had to check it out. But Sora's disappeared." said Kari panting.
"Damn." said Tai. "I bet the emperor's captured her."
"Let's go." shouted Matt. "For Sora."
The group blasted through the front doors and found themselves in a sealed room. The doors they'd busted down had clamped shut locking them inside the building.
"What?" questioned Tai as he glanced around. "TK!! DAVIS!! Didn't I tell you to wait?"
"Yeah but..." said Davis.
"We've got trouble." said Izzy.
"What is it?" asked Matt peering through the green haze surrounding them.
"GAS!!" exclaimed Joe.
"Gas... we... have... to...." said Tai before collapsing. The others collapsing around him as they inhaled the gas.
Tai awoke to the feel of cold steel pressing against his neak. Standing over him was Matt.
"So you're awake." said Matt as he sat down on Tai's stomach causing Tai to wheeze. "Any last words? You're finished."
Tai hadn't a clue what Matt was referring to until he noticed a dark ring around Matt's foot. The emperor had been busy while they were knocked out.
"Matt, please. It's an illusion Matt. It's me Tai. Please Matt, you've got a dark ring on your foot." pleaded Tai, wheezing out the words.
"You can't trick me." said Matt. With that, the pressure increased and a thin line of blood appeared on Tai's throat.
Will Tai survive this ordeal? Where are the other digidestined? What's happened to Sora? Will they finally overcome the emperor? Find out as the series concludes in "Fall of a Tyrant" coming soon.