Author's note: Okay, I hope that this fic hasn't been to confusing with all the flashbacks. But, to let you know, everything is now in the present tense. No more flashbacks. Now, just so that it's not even more confusing, I know that in the last part, I didn't have a present tense for Matt, and just went right back into the flashback. I'm sorry if that made it confusing! But it was still a flashback, and not present tense! And, just to let you know, Sora has regained consciousness, now!
~*Once Upon Forever Part 5*~
~*Matt's point of view*~
"So." Tai stood up, looking straight into my eyes. "Three days ago, Matt, you said to let the guilty pay. You still up for it?"
My eyes stared back into his. "I don't run away from a fight," was my answer. "Especially not a fight that may determine our freedom. Our future."
Mimi reached for my hand, intertwining her fingers with my own.
"We need a plan," Sora's voice was soft, but full of understanding of what we must do.
"Yes," Izzy agreed. "It would not be logical for us to go into battle without a plan. The chances of us actually winning would be one to…"
"Never tell me the odds!" Joe groaned, his face white at the prospect of loosing, and, with that, loosing all thought of freedom. He took a deep breath. "Wouldn't it just be better to walk away silently? We don't have to fight!"
I looked at him with scorn in my eyes. "You're wrong. We do have to fight. Even if we don't, they'll find us anyway. We're fighting for our future, here, Joe. Our freedom. We have to show them that we're not going to walk away silently. Show them that we're not going to give up our freedom! Our future!"
Mimi looked up. "As much as I hate to admit it, Matt's right. But we still need a plan."
"We strike unexpectedly, in the middle of the night." I said, my voice cold. But, I didn't feel cold inside. That's just what I wanted them to think. I didn't want them to think that I was emotionally confused. I couldn't let them think that…
But, inside, I didn't know if I would be able to go through with a plan. What if my rage consumed me, and I became a killing machine? Or what if I suddenly grew fearful, and backed out…chickened out? What if…
"That's not a plan, Matt," Kari rebuked.
"You have a better idea?" I shot back at her. Kari just shook her head, looking at the ground.
Surprisingly, it was Mimi who came up with the plan. Her face white, she laid out a plan that I knew must have been forming in her mind for the past few days.
"We…" her voice faltered for a moment, then picked up strength. "We infiltrate the place. In disguise, of course…" she took a deep breath before continuing. "We act as if we're…as if we're one of…them. Two of us…or maybe three…no more than that, I would think. Whoever it is captures the rest of us. When those of us captured are sentenced to torture, which I would expect, whoever is doing the infiltrating agrees, volunteering to set it all up."
She seemed to have trouble going on. I soon found out, as the plan would require horrible torture. "Those who are captured…may have to go through torture…while the other two or three…the "enemies" get away, get ready, and strike back with full strength.
"Then, a group of…maybe three…or even two…rounds up all the witnesses and…" she choked. "Either kills them or tortures them into silence…" she choked again, her face becoming even whiter at the prospect. "While the others escape. We can't all escape to the same place. One here, one there. In different countries. Different continents. So that no one ever finds us all."
I was shocked. I wouldn't have thought that it would be her to come up with a plan like this. Not Mimi. Not Mimi, who just wanted peace, just wanted to be able to live out her life…long as it may be, in peace, with family and friends. The plan was…I guess, for any normal person, suicide. Murder. But, I guess, not for us. God…even I wouldn't have dared to voice a plan like this…but it was sensible.
The others accepted. Tai with a disturbed look. Sora and Kari, both looking like they'd just stepped out of a battle with their inner selves. Joe, with a face as white as, if not whiter, than Mimi's. Izzy, who looked as if her were silently discussing the odds with himself. TK, with a look of hope that it would all work out. And me, agreeing coldly, but inside writhing and turning at the prospect of it all.
As it turned out, Tai and Izzy would be our "captors." I thought that I would have hated that job, watching my friends being tortured. But when I found out what I had to do, I wished that I could take Tai's place. Or Izzy's. Or anyone else's on Earth.
I, along with Mimi, would be responsible for the last job. The job of "Either killing them or torturing them into silence."
But then, I guess that everyone thought that I would be able to stand it. And I wasn't about to back out…to let them all know just how scared I really was. And Mimi. Mimi had volunteered, obviously not wanting me to go through what she knew would be emotional torture, alone.
I was glad that she was coming. But also hesitant about it. I didn't want her to experience it. Didn't want her…caring, cheerful Mimi, to have to kill someone. But, then…I guess there was no choice. The choice was her's alone. Just like it was my choice not to back away. To act fearful. When, in truth, I had never been more scared.
~*Kari's point of view*~
You would think that things just couldn't get worse, from there.
But believe me. They could.
We all went to sleep. We would need all the energy we could muster for our mission tomorrow. Mimi had walked away to a small stream. She had said that she wanted to clean herself up, a bit.
No one had thought there was any danger in that.
But believe me. There was.
We woke up in the morning. Mimi wasn't there. Matt went searching for her.
And returned alone, carrying a small silver bracelet that Mimi always wore.
She had been captured. Which meant that we now had a real reason to fight. We couldn't let them hurt Mimi.
We were going to go through with it. We were actually going to go through with it. I couldn't believe it! Who knew how many people we were condemning to death, just so that we could live in freedom? It made me sick just thinking about it. But still. I knew it was our only way. There was no peaceful way out of this. I wish there was, but there wasn't. Oh, God, how I wish there was, but that didn't change the fact that there wasn't.
The worst part, I knew, however, would be the torture. Selfish as it may seem, I didn't want to be tortured!
I still couldn't believe that we were actually going to go through with it. How many people might we kill? It was…inhuman, almost! But yet, at the same time that I thought this, I had a part in it. I had agreed. Though it had been after much inner conflict, I had still agreed.
And so, I was standing at the edge of the forest, TK on one side of me, Sora on the other. Matt stood behind me, hands clasped, while Joe stood beside him, complaining all the while.
Had we not been able to live forever, we would be walking into murder! It would have been suicide! But what could I do but go along with the plan? I had agreed, after all.
I took in deep breath after deep breath while Tai, trying to be gentle, bound my arms behind my back. It had to look as if he and Izzy really had captured us. That they loathed us as much as everything else did.
"Everyone ready?" Izzy's voice was somewhat hesitant.
"Wait." Joe's voice silenced everyone. "Maybe someone should stay behind. Just in case something happens."
I knew that Joe was just trying to get out of torture. But, hell, I wish I could do the same.
"Joe," Tai sighed. "I thought we all agreed on this plan."
"I know. But still…" Joe argued.
Tai began to speak again, but never got to finish his sentence, as Sora cut in. "No, Tai. Maybe Joe's right. Maybe two of us should stay behind. Any volunteers?"
How I wished I could volunteer. But I wasn't about to step out and let one of my friends take my place. Let one of my friends be tortured in my place. No. That wouldn't do.
It seemed that everyone else thought along my train of thought. No one else volunteered. Not even Joe, though everyone knew that he didn't want to go through with the plan.
After what seemed like eternities of silence, Tai spoke, taking the place of the leader he was. "Joe and Sora," he said briskly. "You stay behind. Follow at a safe distance. If something goes wrong, it's all up to you."
In a way, I wished that he had picked me to stay out of the fight. Out of the "Torture Zone." But, in another way, I was glad that he hadn't. Like said earlier. At least I was taking the torture in place of Joe or Sora. At least I would have that to comfort me.
"Let's do it."
I couldn't believe that Matt could be that calm and cool at a time like this! We were going into torture! But then, I guess that was his way of dealing with it all.
I found myself shaking my head. It was all so…bizarre. Years ago, we fought to save everyone. To save the Digiworld. Now, we walked into what would normally be slaughter. But this time, it was to capture or to kill, not to free and to save. It made me feel sick inside.
And yet, I had agreed.
We were nearing our destination. Maybe another half-mile, and we would once again be within civilization. Within the city that had banned us out forever.
Forever. That word had a new meaning for us all, now.
I could feel TK's hand, reaching for mine, as we still had a bit of flexibility left. I even felt my hand return his gentle squeeze. But, in truth, I was not responsible for it. For anything. My body was running on automatic. I was almost unaware of everything.
And then, we were there.
There. Our destination. The point where Matt…and Mimi, might very well have to kill in order to save our freedom. Mimi still had her part in the plan. We assumed that, upon being rescued, she would be able to carry out her part.
Freedom. It had never seemed so important to me.
We all took our places. Sora and Joe receded a few steps into the forest, waiting, on edge, in case anything were to happen.
TK, Matt, and I waited while Tai and Izzy re-bound our arms together, trying to be gentle, yet pulling the rope tight. Way tighter than before.
I could feel the rope cut into my skin. A very unpleasant feeling.
I could just see TK form the silent words 'I love you, Kari,' with his mouth. I returned them. Still almost unaware that I did so.
Freedom. Yes, we were fighting for our freedom.
~*Mimi's point of view*~
I slowly and groggily opened my eyes. Where was I? Last I remembered, I was by the stream.
And now, I was here. I was in a small room. Almost as small as my walk-in closet at home.
My wrists and ankles were bound, and I lay, sprawled across the floor.
It was then that I remembered. I had been attacked. All I could remember was three men stepping from the shadows and walking towards me.
I guess they must have knocked me out. Because I couldn't remember anything else.
Our plan…I guess now my friends had a real reason to go through with the plan. The plan that I had come up with. I knew that I would be expected to carry out my part of the plan. The part that I would do with Matt.
The part that meant that I would possibly have to kill.
I could have cried. Not for myself. But for my friends. I knew that what we were about to do would tear them apart. It would tear me apart, too, but I was more worried for my friends.
And, strangely, worried for our enemies, as well. The likely had no idea what was coming. And if she and Matt were to have to kill…well, they likely had no idea that they're deaths were so near, either.
I was shaking. Weather it was in anticipation of being rescued, or fear of what I knew I had to do, I didn't know.
How I wished I could be with Matt, right now.
But I could do that after this.
Yes. Afterwards, we would all have to escape to different parts of the world. We would be separated.
Oh, TK and Kari would go in the same direction. And Tai and Sora. And Matt and I. But we would still be scattered.
But, hey. I always wanted to travel. Maybe Matt and I could go to Europe. We could reside in France. Paris, here I come.
Who was I trying to fool? I was still shaking.
~*Sora's point of view*~
"Is everyone ready?" Tai's voice sounded as shaky as he looked. We had fought numerous times. But never had we gone up against our own race. Humanity. Never had we gone in to…kill. But we needed to, right? We needed to, if we were to be free.
I still didn't like it. In fact, I was almost ashamed of Mimi. Ashamed at her for coming up with such a sickening plan. Bloodshed…what if we had to kill?
Matt stood near me, to my left. Kari and TK stood one on either side of him.
"Sora," Joe whispered, tapping me on the shoulder.
With a start, I almost fell to the ground. I had been so deep in thought…the others were moving forward. I watched them go. I almost hoped that I would not be needed.
Everyone was moving forward, with the exception of Joe and I. We would trail behind in a few moments. Tai and Izzy herded everyone deeper into the city, floppy hats and large coats hiding them.
I knew that the people in the city would recognize them immediately. They would make way for our 'captors.' Right. Our 'captors' were really two of us. But they didn't know that. They didn't need to know that.
A few seconds later, I realized that Joe was moving forward, glancing back at me. I quickly shook my head and followed him. We would need to be close by, just in case our help was needed.
We soon reached a large building. It must have been where Izzy had been held, for I could see him tense up, even from a distance.
Joe and I crouched behind a low bush, just meters away from the building. Here, we could watch safely the happenings of our plan. Hopefully.
Two men met Tai and Izzy. Pulled everyone roughly into a small room.
Without thinking, I crept up to a window. Looking nervous, Joe followed me.
And, before I knew it, Tai's foot was in one face, Izzy's fist in another. I guess they had decided to ditch the torture part of the plan. Good idea.
A very good idea. Torture was never pretty.
~*Tai's point of view*~
We were in! Yes!
Izzy and I hadn't really planned to forget the torture part of the plan. I guess we were just so mad that we plain out attacked.
We were now trying to move inconspicuously through the hallways.
Right.
Sooner or later, hopefully later, someone would find two men, bound and gagged, lying on the floor near the entrance of the building. Make that two unconscious men. We had been angry.
I looked at my companions. Kari's face was white, and she looked silent and solemn. TK walked ahead glumly, as if hating the whole prospect of the plan. Matt's face was also pale. I knew that he was worried sick about Mimi.
Speaking of which, where was she?
Matt finally spoke up, speaking in low tones so as not to be detected. "Look. We're in. Maybe we should split up and try to find her."
I knew that he was talking about Mimi. Everyone knew that he was talking about Mimi.
"Matt, that wasn't part of the plan…" Izzy began before he was cut off.
"I don't care!" Matt hissed. "She's got to be somewhere and I plan to find her! We can cover more ground if we split up!"
I glanced around. No one was within sight.
As Izzy had said. It wasn't part of the plan. But then, Izzy and I hadn't exactly followed the plan, had we? And Matt was right. We could cover way more ground if we split up.
I took a deep breath. "Okay. Kari and TK, turn down the right corridor," I announced, pointing before starting to untie their bonds. "Izzy and I will turn to the left. Matt, straight ahead."
Izzy knew that he had been defeated. Shrugging his shoulders, he set to work helping me.
"Whoever finds her first, get her outside," I said, knowing very well that my orders would be followed without hesitation.
I hoped that we could get her out. I really hoped that this would work.
~*Matt's point of view*~
If they had hurt her, I would kill them! I swear…if they so much as damaged one strand of hair on her head they would be dead!
I never should have let her go off alone! I should have known that something would happen! That she might be captured!
God, if something happened to her, I wouldn't be able to live. I just wouldn't be able to go on. And it would be all my fault
I kept walking down the long, straight corridor. Every time I came to a door, I stopped, listened, and carefully opened it.
Every time that I found nothing, I became more impatient, worried, and angry.
I really hoped that I would be the one to find her. Because I knew that if one of the others found her, they would just get her out. They would not fight. They would not kill. They wouldn't make Mimi's captors pay.
And I knew that I would.
If something had happened to her…
No. I couldn't think that way. I just had to believe that she would be all right. That I would get to her in time.
I would, wouldn't I?
I had reached that last door at the end of the corridor. I pressed my ear to the wood. I listened as intently as I knew how.
There were voices. Well, one voice. Was someone talking on the phone?
Maybe I should pass this one by. There was someone in there. And if Mimi wasn't in there, then I might draw un-needed attention to us.
But what if she was in there? I couldn't take that chance.
So I opened it.
And found Mimi, bound and gagged, sprawled on the floor.
A man stood, bent over her. Speaking menacingly to her.
She looked up. Saw me. Our eyes met.
She was okay! She looked pretty much unhurt!
I was so happy to see her that I could have cried. And I would have, had we been alone. But right now, I had revenge to take.
So with one, smooth movement, the man was down. I had kicked him between the shoulder blades.
Reaching down I tore the gag from Mimi's mouth. Kneeling by her side, I reached for my pocketknife and hurriedly cut away the ropes that bound her wrists together.
She would have to untie her ankles. I had a soon-to-be dead man to deal with.
And then I saw the flaw in it all.
The man pulled a gun from his coat pocket.
A gun! I had been so stupid! Of course he had a gun! Why wouldn't he? I could have slapped myself.
I turned back to look Mimi in the eyes. I wanted to see her. I needed to see her. I knew that the sight of her would give me strength.
I knew that a bullet couldn't kill me. But it would hurt. It would be painful. So very painful. And I was no use if I was in total, complete pain.
I closed my eyes. Silently counted to three.
On the third second, my eyes flew open. Anger flowing through my veins, I launched myself at the man.
It caught him off guard. I knocked him to the ground. Reached for his gun.
He pulled the trigger. The bullet sailed harmlessly passed me. He hadn't taken the time to aim properly.
He cocked the trigger. This time, he took the time to aim. I knew that it would hit me.
But not if I got the gun. I reached for it again. Grabbed the barrel.
And yanked it from his hand.
Now I had the upper edge. Now he was a dead man.
A flash of movement caught my eye. Mimi had freed herself, and was up and moving. Her movements were slow from the lack of circulation.
"Matt…don't…" she pleaded. Her eyes were large and bright with unshed tears. "Matt…show me that you've still got a human side…"
Her voice was tearing me apart! I knelt there…staring into her eyes, while she stood, pleading with me, both with words, and without.
"Matt…" her voice was about to break.
I looked away from her face and down at the man who was looking with fear into my eyes. No! I couldn't let him go! He had tried to kill me! So why couldn't I try to kill him?
"Matt…"
That's why. Her voice haunted me. Haunted me with its simplicity…it's pleading…but most of all, with its humanity.
"Matt…"
God! I couldn't do it. If I did, Mimi would hate me forever. And, while I could easily live with the guilt of another's bloodshed, I couldn't live without Mimi.
With a grunt of disgust, I threw the man to the ground, kicking him one last time, savagely in the side, while he let out another groan.
Then, I turned and, taking Mimi's hand, walked away.
But I couldn't stop myself from looking back into his eyes.
And as our eyes met, and I saw the fear and hatred in them, I knew that it wasn't over. We would meet again.
And so, two sets of eyes stared into each other…one, fearful and hatred-filled. The other, cold, distant, un-caring…but also filled with hatred…and both, with the knowledge that we would meet again and fight out this fight. Battle out this battle. One on one. Me and him.
But for now, I would leave. Walk away. Follow Mimi away from here. To start another life. God only knew where TK and Kari, where. Tai and Sora, Izzy and Joe. All I knew…or at least, all that I hoped I knew, was that they were safe.
But, for now, I was with Mimi.
So, with that, with that knowledge burning deep in my soul, I tore my eyes away from his, and, turning, walked calmly away.
But not without knowing, that, one day, two sets of eyes would once again stare into each other. One, fearful and hatred-filled. The other, cold, distant, un-caring…but also filled with hatred.
The End.
Don't worry…there WILL be an epilogue! I've already got the idea for it! I hope that you all liked this! Please review!
Gatomon_1