ch. 14 - Small Miracles Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. I do own Trikmon©, and the concept of this story. If you want to see past chapters and/or fanart for this story, go to http://www.crosswinds.net/~filldnothingness. It has a guestbook now. I'd be ever so grateful if you signed it! Come on, sign it.

Author's Notes: This is it. The last chapter. All that's left is an epilogue. So, expect this to be a long, all out slugfest. I... I can't believe this is actually ending. I never thought it would, to be honest. I'd just like to thank everyone who's reviewed so far. You all have been just so great when it comes to this fic, it's amazing. It really is.

***
The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth
***

Chapter 14: Small Miracles

To be honest with himself, Izzy was expecting... more. Granted, the outside of the black building was smooth, and had no discerning features save the entrance, but he had thought there'd be something --anything-- once they got inside.

Wrong.

The inside of the building was just as plain as the outside. Slick, dark walls, ceilings and floors greeted them. There were pathways that seemed to go nowhere and everywhere all at once, and the place had a dim but unidentifiable lighting source. The whole thing made Izzy uneasy.

And it sure the hell didn't help that Ken Ichijouji was behind him.

"How are we ever going to find our way around here?" Matt asked, breaking the tense silence.

"Follow me," Palmon said taking the lead, her footfalls quick and sure.

"How do you know where you're going?" questioned Ken, blue eyes narrowed skeptically.

"Mimi's my partner," she sniffed, obviously annoyed that someone would even ask her such a thing. "I can just feel where she is. I could find her anywhere."

She didn't wait to see if they were following; she quickened her pace, disappearing into a dark corridor in front of them. Calling out for her to slow down, Matt and Gabumon followed. Izzy would have done so as well, if he weren't suddenly preoccupied with the seemingly blank wall.

"Izzy?" Tentomon prompted from behind his friend.

"I was just theorizing," Izzy murmured. "This building is not a natural part of Odaiba. It was probably created from data by Trikmon. As such, if we destroy him, this place should disintegrate."

"So?"

"I was wondering exactly what he's done with the adults," explained Izzy, still brushing his fingertips against the wall. "Just what will happen to them if Trikmon is defeated? There's so many possibilities. They could just appear back at the same exact places they were when they were taken. Or they could be stuck in the Digital World, and we'll need to retrieve them. Or... " he took a shuddering breath. "Or they could... "

"They could just vanish," Ken finished for him.

Izzy's head snapped towards the blue haired boy. "Yes," he grunted, voice low. "They could just vanish. And it would be your fault."

Ken winced at the verbal slap, then glared. "We should get going," he muttered through clenched teeth.

"Agreed." Izzy turned, walking away with loud footsteps.

With a snort of annoyance, Ken followed, leaving Tentomon and Hawkmon looking distressed at each other.

"Why?" Hawkmon asked, confused.

Tentomon sighed and shrugged, walking over to his partner without so much as a word. It was far too exhausting to explain, anyway.

***

"Iori," Armadimon turned to his friend, "I think I can hear them."

"Where are they?" the eleven year old asked, emerald eyes darting back and forth.

"Down this hallway," Armadimon grabbed the boy's shirt sleeve, dragging him along. He frowned when Iori suppressed another yawn. "Are you okay, Iori? You said you had enough sleep for this."

"I did," insisted the boy. He forced back one more yawn. "I'll... I'll be fine."

"You sure?"

"Positive," Iori said, more firmly than he felt. His eyes wanted to close so badly. But he refused to let them. He had agreed to go on this final attack, and he was not going to back down now.

"Okay," Armadimon nodded, not really believing him. He knew his friend far too well. Iori was barely alert, which meant he would need to be as sharp as a razor.

The fatigue that seemed to be holding onto Iori's legs with vice like grips was also responsible for a pounding headache that was quickly forming behind his eyes. The boy took a deep breath, trying to relax the tense muscles, to no avail. He stumbled slightly, trying to rub his temples.

"Iori?" Armadimon grabbed his partner's shoulders.

"I'm fine," Iori irritatedly stated, stubbornly pushing his friend's hands away. "I'm fine. Let's go. We'll never catch up to them if we don't hurry."

Iori stalked past, leaving Armadimon to blink in surprise. Iori never lost his temper. At least, not without a really good reason. Armadimon couldn't understand what would make him snap at him so. Then again, Armadimon had never gone a day without sleeping for at least ten hours of it, so the side effects of sleep deprivation were lost on him.

However, he did know his friend was in danger in his current condition. And that was quite enough to make the Gijinka digimon worried.

***

"Patamon!" T.K. cried, one hand cupped around his lips to further the sound. "Patamon, where are you!?"

Twenty minutes of searching, and still no sign of his friend. There were small fires burning around them now, children and Ghastlymon still scattered about. Thick, black smoke circled around the blonde boy, making it difficult for him to breathe, let alone see.

"Pata- !" He began coughing, the smoke inhalation a bit too much for him, his eyes tearing up from it. "P-Patamon! Pat-Patam-mon!

T.K. continued to stumble along, bleary eyes scanning the massive crowd for a now familiar little boy with light orange skin, and darker hair.

He didn't bother turning to see the Ghastlymon stalking him from behind. He knew. He just didn't care.

Patamon had to be out there somewhere. He just had to be. He couldn't lose Patamon again. Not ever again. So, he had to be out there safe, just lost. Just lost, that's all. The alternative was...

T.K. spun on his heel, smacking the following Ghastlymon in the face, not bothering to wait and see it dissolve. He had better things to do.

"Answer me, Patamon!"

***

Yolei felt her heart try to tear its way out of her chest when she spotted the fight at the building. She had been expecting something large, definitely, but not anything at this scale. Regular, every day children were fighting. Some she even recognized from school.

"Who are they?" Wormmon asked.

She didn't answer at first, too busy watching the all out war. Those children were fighting so hard. And they weren't even Digidestined. A proud smile tugged at Yolei's lips.

"They're friends," she said. She looked down at the boy. "You ready?"

He nodded, determined. "Let's go help Ken-chan!"

"Right." With her hand firmly in his, the two ran, trying their best to avoid the battle. Yolei was unarmed and untrained. Her body was still bruised and it hurt to breathe in too deeply. She was in no condition to fight. Wormmon was just a small boy and had no attack; he couldn't really give a proper offense or defense. So, running it was.

However, running wasn't so easy for Yolei as it usually was. Her body was still aching at every point, and rapid movement was something that it was loudly objecting to. But she ignored it, keeping up with the surprisingly quick Wormmon as best she could. She could feel the heat of the flames all around her, and hear the shouts of unknown children. Battle cries. She didn't see anyone she recognized, though.

"We should get to the building!" she shouted. "Maybe everyone's inside."

"Okay!" Wormmon called back, tugging her along.

They kept moving, going past a few teenagers ganging up on a Ghastlymon, cheering as it disintegrated before their eyes. Obviously, they had pent up frustrations of their own from this ordeal. Yolei could not blame them. She was missing family, too. But she had Hawkmon and the other Digidestined as support. Who did these children have, though? She doubted all of them had family members still left in Odaiba.

Yolei nearly stumbled over Wormmon, when the boy came to a sharp halt. Arms flailing, she managed to catch her balance.

"Hey!" she shouted. "What was that-?"

Her questioning stopped abruptly when she saw what was in front of the two of them. A Ghastlymon. A very angry one, at that, and Yolei was sure that didn't bode well. After all, the creatures normally looked unexpressive. She didn't even realize they could show expression in any way. And, if this one was angry...

Wormmon pushed her out of the way, the two of them falling safely to the ground as acid flew dangerously close to them. They landed in a tangle of limbs, and as they scrambled to get up, Wormmon saw the creature preparing for another attack out of the corner of his eye. The boy knew that if he left Yolei to her own devices he could escape. He was quick enough. However, in her current state, Yolei wasn't. And Ken had asked him to protect her, and if that's what Ken wanted, then that's what Wormmon would do, regardless of his own personal safety. Closing his blue eyes, the green skinned boy covered a protesting Yolei the best he could, and prayed for the best.

"Cat Scratch!"

Wormmon's eyes flew open at the familiar voice, and he turned his head in time to see three red bursts of power slice through the Ghastlymon, killing it almost instantly.

"Wormmie-kun!" Gatomon cried, running over with Kari quick on her heels. "Are you okay?" When the boy nodded, she sighed with relief, and helped him up, holding him a little tighter than necessary.

"What are you two doing here?" Kari demanded, pulling Yolei to her feet.

"Um, we came to help?" Yolei offered with a sheepish grin.

"We're going to help Ken-chan," Wormmon said, firmly.

Gatomon's eyes widened with worry. "But, Wormmie-kun, you... " Her protest died on her lips when he looked at her with the most determined expression she'd ever seen on him. No matter what she said, he was going to go through with this. She sighed, her shoulders sagging slightly. "Okay. He went into the building with Hawkmon and a few others."

"You two be careful if you're going," Kari warned, looking pointedly at Yolei and her bruises. "We're going to stay out here and help the other kids."

"All right," Yolei nodded, before turning to Wormmon. "Ready?"

"Ready," the boy answered. He walked past Gatomon, his hand brushing hers for a moment, so slightly it was impossible to tell whether or not it was deliberate. She still stared after him. "C'mon."

"Coming," Yolei said, following. A thought struck her, and she turned to Gatomon. "Hey, when did you learn your attack?"

The small girl crossed her arms, a sour expression forming on her face. "No one tries to hurt my Kari when I'm around!"

***

Palmon could feel the hairs on her neck stand up, a cold shiver running up her spine. "Mimi's close," she whispered.

Behind her, Matt raised a brow. "You sure?"

"Absolutely." She turned a corner, not bothering to look at him. "I can feel her here. Like a... buzzing in the back of my mind."

Matt and Gabumon exchanged glances. They weren't about to question Palmon. They knew what it was like to have such a strong bond between Digidestined and Partner. Still, having the Gijinka flower girl in the lead was making Gabumon uncomfortable. Right now, Palmon was so.. angry. She was practically shaking with rage. Matt, Gabumon decided, wasn't in much better condition. It was like a scowl was permanently etched onto his face. Gabumon just hoped the two didn't do anything foolish when they did finally face Trikmon.

What Gabumon didn't realize, though, was that it wasn't Matt and Palmon he should have been worrying about. It was the two quiet young men that were a little bit behind him that were cause for worrying.

"Can I ask you something?" Ken prompted, voice low.

Izzy's shoulder's tightened a bit, but he managed a shrug. "Sure."

There was a tense beat of silence. "What is it about me that you hate exactly?"

Izzy forced down an indignant snort. "Which would you prefer? The long, or the short analysis?"

"Izzy, please, not now," Tentomon pleaded.

"Oh, no. Don't stop now, Izumi," Ken heckled, sharply. "Not when it's getting good. And, I'd really like to know."

"Ken, this isn't the time," Hawkmon muttered, already knowing how this would end.

"We don't know when or if we'll ever have the time again," Ken argued, eyes still focused on the back of Izzy's head. "Might as well get it out while we can."

"I'm actually going to agree with you on that," Izzy finally turned to glare at the younger boy. "We should just settle this now."

"No, not now," Hawkmon said, annoyed. "We have more pressing matters."

"So, you going to explain yourself?" Ken asked, ignoring Hawkmon. Crossing his arms, he glared at Izzy. "Any time now."

"But there's so much to list," Izzy remarked, his frown deepening. "For one, I wouldn't trust you with anything, certainly not my life."

Ken arched a brow. "Likewise."

"Guys... " Tentomon implored, distressed. "Relax."

"For another," Izzy continued, "you've been nothing but an arrogant bastard since you arrived in the house."

The indigo haired boy simply shrugged, apparently not offended. Izzy's eye twitched.

"You've held back vital information. You haven't offered help to anyone. You've put everyone's lives in danger," the redhead continued, relentlessly. "You got Yolei injured. You-"

"Go back a step," Ken interrupted, irritation finally showing on his face. "What was that last accusation?"

"Stop it already," Tentomon hissed. "Palmon and the others are far ahead. We'll never catch up if you two keep bickering."

"I said," Izzy spat, venomously, "that you got Yolei injured."

"You take that one back, Izumi," Ken's hands curled into fists. "I did no such thing."

"Like hell you didn't," Izzy snarled. "She put herself on the line for you, and she got hurt because of it."

"Miyako made her own decision," Ken stated, darkly. "I have no control over her."

"Bull," Izzy spat. "You've been manipulating her since day one. If she wasn't so damned nice she would've seen that before you got her hurt."

Ken grunted, teeth clenched. "So, that's what this really is about, huh? Miyako? Jealous, Izumi?"

"Consider me a worried friend," Izzy said, slowly, trying to keep his anger in check.

"Oh, I see now." Ken nodded. "You're upset that Miyako isn't interested in you. Well, then, you only needed to have told me. I can clear this mess up right here and now."

Izzy stared at him, wary. "... How?"

Ken smirked. "Miyako's mine."

"Crap," muttered Tentomon.

The redheaded genius didn't say a word. He merely snarled, lunging at the taller boy with a speed no one gave him credit for. The two went tumbling to the ground, fists and expletives flying.

"Stop it this instant!" Hawkmon demanded, looking between the two fighting boys and Tentomon, who looked back in defeat. "Do you want Trikmon to know exactly where we are? Have you completely lost your minds?" When Ken's response was to punch Izzy in the gut, Hawkmon threw his hands up in disgust. "Why my Yolei would want either of you is a mystery to me!"

"Son of a- " Izzy managed to connect a strong right hook across Ken's face, taking satisfaction in the sound of bone against bone. The redhead grunted in pain when Ken retaliated with sideswipe against his skull. The two continued to punch and kick, rolling on the ground, both trying to pin the other down in an attempt at proving dominance. As crazy as it seemed to Tentomon and Hawkmon, the two brawling geniuses saw the fight as necessary. Their egos would not be denied. No one was going to stop the fight until there was a clear winner.

Well, almost no one.

A strong hand suddenly grabbed Izzy by the scruff of his neck, and yanked him off Ken. A powerful, open-palmed punch to the redhead's upper chest sent him falling back to the ground, gasping for air. The same strong hand then reached down, and grabbed a shocked Ken Ichijouji, pulling the young man up, only to have him brutally uppercutted, so that the indigo haired boy fell to the floor, holding his now bleeding nose.

In between the two fallen geniuses stood a very red eyed, very tired, and very, very angry Iori Hida. He glared down at them both, practically shaking with rage.

"What are you doing?" he demanded. "We're supposed to be helping, not hurting one another! How do you expect this to solve anything?"

"Stay out of this, Iori," Izzy ordered.

"I will not!" shouted the younger boy. Next to Tentomon, Armadimon flinched. Lack of sleep did not do his partner good. "Your fighting is pointless. It's not going to do either of you any good. What was it about, anyway?"

Neither genius answered.

"Well, fine then," Iori said, frowning. "That just proves this was stupid. Now, you two are going to get up, and we're all going to go get Trikmon. Is that understood?"

Ken scowled, wiping away the blood from his nose. "When did you start-"

"Just say 'yes,' dammit!" Iori ordered, causing everyone to gape in astonishment at him. He took no heed of it, and began to stalk down the corridor Palmon, Matt, and Gabumon had disappeared into. "Come on! We're wasting time!"

"Um... he didn't get enough sleep," Armadimon excused his friend, shrugging apologetically. He then ran to his partner to escape the stares. "Wait up, Iori! And, please, calm down."

The four people left stared after the two retreating figures for a silent moment. Finally, Izzy stood up, brushing himself off.

"Let's go," he said, making it a point not to look at Ken.

With a sigh, Tentomon followed, throwing the remaining two a weary look.

"You all right?" Hawkmon asked, offering Ken a hand up.

"Sure," Ken uttered, getting to his feet. "Just a few bruises, that's all."

"Ah. Good."

Hawkmon suddenly reeled back, and punched Ken hard in the stomach, making the boy double over.

"Wha- " Ken choked.

"That was for fighting over my Yolei," Hawkmon stated. "In the future, be aware that Yolei is not an inanimate object, and therefore does not belong to anyone. In other words," he narrowed his eyes, "she's not yours, Izzy's, or anyone else's for that matter. Are we clear?"

"Crystal," Ken managed to gasp, doing his best to stand up straight again.

"So glad," Hawkmon nodded, before turning away. "Come along. We don't want to be left too far behind."

***

"C'mon!" Joe called, waving his hand. "Move it along. Hurry!"

Torch still in hand, the blue haired Child of Reliability ushered unarmed children away from the fight. It seemed that, no matter how many Ghastlymon they took down, double the amount would suddenly appear out of nowhere. It looked like there was no end to the creatures.

Because of that, the Digidestined's allies were slowly but surely losing weapons and protection. Shepherding the unarmed children off the battlefield had somehow fallen onto Joe's shoulders. But if there was one thing Joe was good at, it was taking responsibility.

"You okay back there, Gomamon?"

The Gijinka digimon nodded from the back of the line of fleeing children. "Fine, Joe!"

The normally loudmouthed redhead was too busy making sure everyone got out safely to make any smart quips. Gomamon knew when the time called to be serious. They were losing badly needed fighters, but without weapons the children were more harm than good. Gomamon saw a few come back with newly made torches, and for those brave few he was grateful. The Ghastlymon kept coming while their number decreased. A battle that had originally looked hopeful was steadily looking bleak.

"Gomamon!"

"Eh? Whoa!" Gomamon dived out of the way in time to barely miss a blob of acid hitting him squarely on the side of the face.

As he stumbled back to his feet, Gomamon could hear the leaving children screaming in fear. Teeth clenched, he held his torch up, staring down the Ghastlymon that had appeared. Behind him, the kids, teenagers and below, began to run, some falling down and getting trampled over in the process.

"Calm down!" Joe ordered. "You'll never get out like this. Careful, careful! Don't push!" He turned his attention to his friend, who was now in a staring contest with one of the enemies. "Gomamon?"

"Keep leadin' them out, Joe!" Gomamon declared, eyes never leaving the Ghastlymon. "I can handle this."

Joe almost called back to argue, but decided against it. He trusted Gomamon with his life. His partner wouldn't let him down. The blue haired boy turned back to the children. "Quickly now. Don't shove! You'll all get out."

"C'mon, ugly," Gomamon murmured, the torch in his hand swinging a bit. "Ya know ya want me. Wouldn't my head just look fantastic mounted on your wall? C'mon. Make the first move. I dare ya."

The Ghastlymon decided to take Gomamon up on his dare, shooting out balls of acid at a rapid pace. Cursing, the Gijinka digimon backed up a few steps, barely avoiding be struck on the leg. Silently reprimanding himself for his earlier barbs, Gomamon steadied himself, before rushing forward, swinging his torch in a wide arch, knowing that he moved quicker than his opponent.

Therefore, it took Gomamon by surprise when the Ghastlymon managed to swat the torch away with one slimy arm, and hitting Gomamon in the chest with the other. The shocked redhead fell to the ground with a hard thump.

Gomamon eyed his shirt, now dripping with whatever it was the Ghastlymon were made out of. Hastily and carefully, he pulled the fabric over his head and off, flinging it away as if it were a snake. He didn't want to end up like Mimi. However, he now found himself shirtless and torchless, a combination Gomamon was not particularly thrilled with. He scrambled to his feet to avoid another acid attack, barely registering a panicked voice coming towards him.

"Gomamon!" Joe called, frantic. "Gomamon, get out of there!" Much to the redhead's surprise, Joe jumped protectively in front of him, holding his torch in both hands. Coal black eyes narrowed at the Ghastlymon, and Joe muttered lowly, "Stay away from him."

The Gijinka digimon blinked. "J-Joe?"

"Remember when I said it was my turn to take care of you?" The blue haired boy didn't turn. "Well, I'm doing it. Now, go help those kids get out of here."

"B-but Joe-"

"This is my responsibility!" Joe stated. "Now, go!"

Gomamon watched his friend a moment longer, then slowly began to back away, heading towards the children. Still, he didn't let his partner out of his site. Joe, for his part, wasn't taunting the Ghastlymon, nor was he standing there in fright. He simply stood there, torch held surprisingly steady, back rigid. Besides his slight chest movements from breathing, he was a still as a statue. The Ghastlymon made no movement either. It looked like the two were sizing each other up. Perhaps, Gomamon realized, they were.

A few feet away, something erupted in flames. Joe never caught exactly what it was, but the fiery explosion hinted that it wasn't a Ghastlymon. A sea of red came soaring towards him, and Joe flattened himself to the ground in an effort to avoid it. The flying blaze flew over him, singeing his back and hair in the process. Dark, thick smoke filled his lungs, and unable to get a decent breath of fresh air, Joe passed out. The Ghastlymon, who hadn't been quick enough to move, scattered into so many bits of data.

Gomamon watched, horrified, as the bright explosion ceased, and revealed a much more dangerous situation; Joe lay, unconscious, as the fire now raged around him, some of the edges nearly close enough to cook him.

"Joe!" Gomamon took off, back down to his partner, only to stop at the inferno's wall. Bright, red tongues strained to lick at him, and the Gijinka digimon backed up a few steps, an arm held in front of his face for protection. "Joe, wake up!"

The blue haired boy remained motionless on the ground, as flames danced dangerously close to his arms and head.

Gomamon panicked, his usually razor sharp wit failing him as terror seemed to grip his throat. He couldn't get to Joe through the fire. It was much too intense to dare to run through. And Joe wasn't even awake. He was just lying there as the flames skipped closer. The digimon could already see some blue hair burning away from the heat. Joe was going to die in there, and he couldn't do anything about it.

The redhead's heart beat faster. This was his fault. If he hadn't have gotten cocky, the Ghastlymon wouldn't have disarmed him and knocked him flat. Then Joe wouldn't have had to come to his worthless rescue. Gomamon clenched his teeth. He didn't care what Joe said. He was the digimon partner. It was his responsibility to protect, not Joe's!

"Joe, get up! Please?! You have to get up!"

He had failed. He had failed in protecting his partner, his best friend. He was supposed to be counted on. He was supposed to be support. Everyone had faith in Joe, and Joe had faith in him. And he never let Joe down. That's how it worked! Why wasn't it working like that anymore?

"J-Joe!"

What was wrong with him? He had always been reliable before. Was he defective? No, no that couldn't be it. He wouldn't allow that to be true. He wouldn't allow himself to let his best friend down. He wouldn't allow Joe to die.

Gomamon outright refused to fail.

"Deep Water Arc!"

The temperature and air pressure fluctuated for a split second, before the surrounding air moisture collected into a deafening tidal wave, climbing high above Gomamon's outstretched arms, before crashing down upon the inferno, and snuffing it out in one fell swoop. Gray smoke raised, as the ground hissed like a skillet. The whole thing lasted but a few moments, but Gomamon was convinced it was an eternity.

Walking quickly through the smoke, Gomamon knelt by Joe, gently shaking him on the shoulder. "Joe? Please, Joe, be okay."

There was silence for a full, awful minute. Then, Joe began coughing hard. He turned on his side as the hacking fit continued, and his fingers curled in reflex. The stinging of the burnt appendages forced Joe's coal black eyes open, and he brought his hands to his face for inspection.

"Ow," he muttered, gazing depressedly at his unnaturally pink fingers.

"You okay, Joe?" Gomamon asked, looking down on his friend in concern.

"Yeah, I guess. All things considered," he added. The older boy blinked a few times then, as if he felt something out of place. Reaching up, he gingerly placed a hurt hand on top of his head. The instant he detected the burnt hair, he moaned. "I knew I wasn't going to get out of this in one piece," he complained. "Oh, well. I guess it's back to short hair for me."

With a quavering sigh, Gomamon smiled.

***

"Patamon!" T.K. called out.

His voice was getting raw, but he ignored the pain. He had to find him. He had to find Patamon. He was there somewhere! Somewhere, dammit! T.K. just hadn't caught sight of him yet, that was all. Children ran by him, and his blue eyes scanned the smaller ones. None of them was the child he was looking for, though. He wasn't surprised. If Patamon saw him, he'd make his presence known.

However, Patamon was only a small boy. He couldn't possibly see over the crowd. Therefore, T.K. had to make himself heard.

"Patamon, answer me!" he shouted. "Where are you? Talk to me, Patamon!"

Through his hollering, T.K. didn't hear the enemy that had decided to follow behind him.

***

"I don't find this amusing," Trikmon complained, much like a child who wasn't getting his way. "They weren't supposed to get help from the leftovers. That's cheating!"

From his position in the room, Gennai snorted. "Cheating is such a relative term," he reminded the digimon. "All's fair in love and war, as they say."

Trikmon glowered at the little man, curling up on his throne, his long fingers tapping the jagged armrests. "They won't stop me. They can't."

"They will, and they can," retorted Gennai, before coughing as his sick lungs ached.

"I don't even see why you have a problem with this, Gennai," Trikmon said, suddenly amused at the man's pain. "It was bound to happen sooner or later. I'm just giving destiny a push."

"More madness than destiny," Gennai choked. "You're proof of that."

"I'm not mad at all. Not at all!" Trikmon argued, a grin playing on his white lips. "To be insane, one must not understand the difference between right and wrong. Good and evil. But I do know the difference.
"I'm most definitely right. But I'm most definitely evil, as well." A full, sharp toothed smile appeared on his twistedly handsome face. "See? Perfectly sane."

Gennai shook his head. "Disappointing. You had such potential. You could've done so much."

"I am doing quite a bit, old man," Trikmon huffed, feigning hurt. "You just don't appreciate my hard work. Does he, pretty one?" he crooned, letting his long fingers play in Mimi's hair. The girl, cinnamon-brown eyes glazed over, sat there silently.

"Why must you play with her?" Gennai asked, worried for the girl.

"She's fun to play with!" Trikmon answered, swooping her up into his arms, and pulling her close, so they were both sitting on the throne, her in his lap. He nuzzled his face against hers, pleased at the involuntary shudder from Gennai. "She's pretty. And she's soft. I like her softness," he confessed, with a voice like shattering crystal.
A smile appeared on his face. "Are you jealous, Gennai?"

Gennai grunted, deciding that he couldn't reason with the creature.

"He's jealous," Trikmon whispered to Mimi, who obviously had no response. "He's jealous of me. Because I have you, and because... " His sentence trailed, so he could press his ice cold lips against her temple for a second. "Because I can do something he can't. I can make us whole. Everyone, and everything whole."

"They need to be separate!" Gennai shouted, regretting it almost instantly, as he began to cough again, this time harder.

"So you keep saying in your annoying way," Trikmon scowled. "And yet, here I am, a testament to how wrong you are. Part human flesh, part digital."

"You were just a mistake! An accident," Gennai said, wearily. "It's one thing to create a digimon with human DNA by chance. It's another to combine the worlds. You'll destroy them both!"

"I don't believe you," Trikmon waved the accusation away. "You'll see. You'll see that I'm right. We'll all be very happy in our new world. Better and stronger than ever. And I shall show the way!"
His triumphant speech halted, as Trikmon's face perked. "Oh, pretty one, do you hear them?" He giggled, burying his face in Mimi's hair. "Your partner and a few others are coming. I do believe they want you back. So, why don't you greet them?"

Trikmon leapt up, Mimi in his arms, and jumped off the throne with grace. Placing her on her feet, he grinned. "Go say hello to your friends, pretty one. Make them feel... " he grinned turned malevolent, "welcome."

Without even blinking, Mimi walked out of the room, heading towards the people who were there to rescue her.

***

Yolei felt a cold shiver run down her spine, as she and Wormmon made their way through the building. The onyx walls reflected their warped images dully, their feet making clicking sounds along the floor. What she wouldn't have given for a little sunlight.

"The very least this place could have is a window," Yolei muttered, shuddering.

"What was that?" Wormmon questioned, a few steps ahead of her.

"Nothing," she answered, shaking her head. "Are you sure this is the way?"

"Yes," he nodded. "I can feel Ken-chan. He's near."

"Okay. Guess I don't have much of a choice but to believe that," Yolei frowned, eyes darting back and forth. "I just wish we knew exactly what we're going to find."

"We're going to find Ken-chan," Wormmon said, stubbornly. "That's the important part. Everything will work out when we find Ken-chan."

"Sheesh, you've gotta lot of faith in him," she smiled, appreciatively. "Well... Hope for the best, prepare for the worst."

***

Wiping the dirty sweat away from his eyes with a sleeve, T.K. took a deep breath and tried again. "Patamon, answer me! Where are you, Patamon?"

Nothing but crackling fire called back. T.K. could feel his heart plummeting further down as his anxiety rose. Where could the small child possibly be? It was impossible for him to have just disappeared. Surely, T.K. would've found him by now. The only other possibility was...

No. No, T.K. refused to accept that idea. It would never happen. Never again. Once was horrible enough. He wouldn't go through something like that again, not if he could help it.

Something hissing flew past his left side, and T.K. dropped his torch as pain laced his arm. He looked down for a moment at his arm; there was a large hole in the sleeve, the ragged edges still sizzling, and his exposed flesh was bubbling in some spots, in others it was bleeding. Holding his wounded appendage, T.K. spun around to face the Ghastlymon that had attacked him.

The creature sludged forward, knowing that its intended victim was now unarmed. Every step it took T.K. matched with a step back. His arm was killing him. It felt like it was on fire, and the pain kept on getting worse each passing second. He was gripping the hurt appendage so tightly, his knuckles were white.

He still hadn't found Patamon, though. So, he couldn't die just yet. He had to find Patamon first, and make sure he was all right. He had to. T.K. stumbled back a bit to evade another shot of acid, this time to his chest, only to smack against a lamp post. The back of his head bounced off the metal, making him see white spots for a moment. The Ghastlymon continued its advance.

T.K. inhaled sharply between clenched teeth. His arm felt about ready to fall off, and he couldn't even see straight. Patamon was still lost, and it didn't look like he was going to have the chance to find him. The blonde bit back a scream of frustration. He wasn't going to find Patamon. He'd never know what happened to his friend. He'd lost him again.

The gelatinous creature moved closer.

"Patamon," T.K. murmured, his legs giving out. "Patamon, I'm sorry."

The boy closed his blue eyes away from the sight of the thing that would soon kill him, and balled his fists in self hatred. He couldn't believe it would end like this.

"Oxygen Arrow!"

T.K.'s eyes flew back open, just in time to see something shoot through the Ghastlymon, leaving a gaping hole. The creature quivered in what appeared to be pain for a few moments, before dissolving into scattered data.

"T.K.! T.K., are you okay?"

The boy let out a small gasp, from pain and relief. "Patamon... "

The Gijinka digimon ran to his fallen friend, worry filling his wide blue eyes. "T.K.," he said, wincing at the sight of his partner's wound, "you're hurt."

"It's nothing," the blonde lied. "I'm just glad you're all right." He smiled. "That was some pretty fancy shooting there."

"Ya think?" Patamon brightened.

T.K. nodded. "I have to say it was impres- Look out!" Reaching out with his good arm, he grabbed hold of Patamon's shirt, pulling the startled boy out of the line of an acid shot from an approaching Ghastlymon.

"Don't worry," Patamon stated, eyes narrowing as he got his baring. Standing protectively in front of T.K., he raised his arms as if holding a bow and arrow, and aimed at the monster. "Oxygen- "

"Aries Rage!"

A ball of fire soared through, scorching the Ghastlymon in a matter of seconds.

"Need any help?" Tai called, jogging towards them, with Agumon by his side.

"I could've handled it," Patamon pouted.

"Sorry," Agumon apologized. "Just wanted to lend a hand."

"Of course, you could've handled it," T.K. said, patting his partner's head. "But, we're a team, remember? Gotta stick together."

"Yeah," Patamon relented. "Okay."

"C'mon," Tai knelt down, putting his arm around T.K.'s waist. "Let me help you up."

"It's my arm that's injured," T.K. argued, weakly. "Not my legs."

"Let me help, anyway," Tai said. He smiled, good naturedly. "I hate to be the one to tell you this, T.K., but you look like hell."

T.K. snorted. "Gee, thanks."

***

The floor was freezing. It was strange, the thought that had just struck her. But, as Palmon walked down another dark, ornamentless corridor, it was hard not to notice how chilling the ground was beneath her bare feet. For a brief moment, she wondered if she should've taken Mimi up on her offer of a pair of shoes.

Mimi. That brought Palmon back to what was really important. Getting her partner and best friend back. And she was going to do that, even if she had to go through Trikmon himself.

"Hey," Gabumon whispered from behind her. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Matt asked, quietly.

"Sshh, and listen."

Palmon stopped walking, doing as Gabumon bid. She strained her ears and concentrated. Sure enough, she could hear a soft tapping, like shoes clicking along. And it was getting louder. Someone was walking towards them from the opposite end of the hall. The trio tensed as they saw the beginning of the figure's outline. Whoever it was kept coming closer, with steps methodical, until the person was close enough for them to make out in the dull light.

"Mimi," Palmon cried, about ready to run to her partner in joy. But Matt's hand on her arm stopped her, and she finally saw the coldness in Mimi countenance, the dull look in her eyes. Palmon's heart crumbled. "Oh, Mimi... "

The pink haired girl stopped a few feet in front of them, looking out without truly looking.

"I don't know if you can hear me, Mimi," Matt began, cautiously edging toward her, "but believe me when I say this is for your own good."

Without another word, Matt tackled Mimi to the floor, ignore Palmon's angry cry. For a moment, Mimi didn't struggle, and Matt was able to turn her around so he could gingerly kneel on her back. He didn't want to hurt her, but if his last "fight" with her was any indication, he didn't want to take any chances either. However, when he reached for her wrists, Mimi placed her hands flat-palmed on the floor, and pushed up, easily knocking Matt off of her.

Mechanically, Mimi lashed out, making Matt slide across the floor with a quick side kick, before she stood up to face Gabumon and Palmon.

"Mimi, I really don't want to do this," Gabumon said, taking a step forward. "But you're really not leaving me any choice."

"Don't hurt her!" Palmon demanded, as Gabumon took tight hold of Mimi's uppers arms.

Hurting Mimi was the least of Gabumon's concerns, as the pink haired girl took advantage of their closeness, kneeing him squarely in his stomach, before wrenching out of his grasp to upper cut him hard. As Gabumon stumbled back, holding his jaw, Mimi turned her attention to Palmon, who backed away, arms up in defense.

"Please, Mimi," she pleaded brokenly at her friend's menacing figure. "Please, stop, Mimi!"

Mimi didn't even blink, pulling back her hand to punch her best friend in the face. Palmon closed her eyes, unwilling to attack her partner, even in self defense. But instead of the punch she was expecting, Palmon heard the air rush out of Mimi's lungs, as Matt grabbed from behind, slamming her into the wall. The Bearer of Sincerity struggled, her increased strength making it difficult for Matt to hold on, and he almost lost his hold on her. Only a winded Gabumon joining him in keeping Mimi pinned to the wall stopped the girl from escaping. She stood there, thrashing in their arms, as the two boys used all their strength to hold her there. Palmon looked on in horror, unable to move.

The group that had been straggling behind them arrived a couple minutes later, staring in shock at the sight in front of them. Iori even rubbed his eyes a few times, wondering if his weariness was playing tricks on him.

"Should we help?" Tentomon asked.

"Just go!" Matt ordered, giving Mimi in extra push when she almost slipped out of his grasp. "We can handle this. You guys go after Trikmon. Move!"

Hesitantly, they obeyed, though not without Hawkmon checking to see if Palmon was okay.

"Fine, fine," she muttered, green eyes locked on her partner. "Just go with the others." But when the second group left their sight, Palmon said, "Please, be gentle with her."

"We're trying," Gabumon swore, wincing as Mimi kicked his leg for what seemed like the tenth time. "I just wish she would be more gentle with us!"

"She'll be fine, Palmon," Matt promised, hoping to himself that he was right. "She'll be just fine."

Palmon nodded, but the worried expression never left her face.

***

The group that went ahead Gabumon, Matt, and Palmon took in their surroundings with justifiable apprehension. They had been walking the dark corridor for what felt like hours, but was probably only minutes. When your surroundings don't change, it's hard to tell time. Even Ken and Izzy, who had earlier been doing nothing but glaring at each other, were now feeling the anxiety of the situation catching up to them.

"This hall doesn't seem like it's ever going to end," Armadimon observed, glancing warily around.

"Keep sharp," Hawkmon advised, taking in the seemingly eternal hallway. "Just because we can't see it, doesn't mean it's not there."

"Right you are, my fine, de-feathered friend!" said a voice like violin strings snapping. "In my home, anything is possible. After all, I created it."

The corridor melted away like so much candle wax around them, revealing a dull looking room, not unlike most of the building. The only differences were Gennai, strung up at one corner, and a twisted throne in the center of the room. Something tall and thin sat on the throne, black bandages wrapped around the figure as if it were scarred from head to toe. Long, white fingers strummed the arms of the throne, as the creature's head hung forward, stringy ebony hair covering a pale, cruel, and handsome face. It tilted its head up, brutally light blue eyes shining through raven locks, and a smile appeared, pointed teeth flashing.

"I was wondering when you'd arrive," Trikmon said. "I was getting bored."

"You know we're going to stop you," Ken warned him, violet eyes narrowed.

"And just how are you going to do that, father?" Trikmon challenged, leaping off the throne with ease. His smile deepened as the group stepped back from him. "The digimon you have right here have no powers from what I've seen. And you certainly can't fight against me.
"Besides," he shrugged, "as I said, this is my home. I can do anything here!"

It was a slight tremble at first. Barely noticeable. Then, abruptly it became a massive quake, shaking the room to its roots, and causing everyone save Trikmon to fall to the ground. Izzy thought it to be an earthquake, until before his wide black eyes, chunks of the floor and walls gave way, flying about the room like missiles, crashing in different places with deafening impacts.

"Come now!" Trikmon shouted. "Surely you're not just going to lie there. Where's the fun in that?"

Izzy watched in horror as a chunk of debris slammed into Tentomon, sending his partner skidding across the floor, only stopping when he hit the wall. Izzy's attempt to crawl over to him was quickly halted when a piece of what used to be the wall collided against his shoulder, allowing him to hear a sickening crack. Izzy fell to his side, gripping his damaged shoulder in pain.

"Hmph," Trikmon pouted. "I don't think this is fun enough. Not nearly enough!"

The room erupted with whipping gusts of wind, gale forces that send everyone scattering about, unable to keep their footing for long. Ken tumbled along the ground, not seeing where he was being tossed. Something cold grabbed him by his hair, and hauled him roughly up so violet eyes could look in to nearly white ones.

"Are you enjoying the game, Father?" Trikmon asked, gazing down at him. "I know it might seem a little unfair for you, but my home, my rules. I do hope you don't mind."

As if he weighed no more than a feather, Trikmon flung indigo haired boy away, allowing him to once again be pitched about by the winds. A portion of floor knocked into Hawkmon's skull as he was flown around, and Trikmon laughed as if it was the most amusing thing he'd ever seen.

"Yes, yes!" he cried. "This is much better!"

"Iori!" Armadimon shouted, grabbing hold of his partner's arm as they were sent close together. "Grab hold!"

Iori struggled for a moment, his eyes tearing from the air rushing into them. His fingers fumbled, then latched onto Armadimon's arm in a tight grip. "Don't let go!" he called, wincing as a bit of debris hit his elbow, sending pain shooting through his arm.

They tumbled about the room for a while, Iori watching his friends being crushed into the walls, and slid across the floor, all the while sections of the building smacking against them, bruising them even more than they already were. One piece hit Armadimon in the face, and the digimon's grip faltered.

"Armadimon!" Iori screamed, tightening his hold.

The Gijinka digimon shook his head, his grasp once again firm. "I'm fine," he assured his friend. "I have a tough shell, remember?"

Iori still looked concerned, not liking the cut across his partner's cheek. A sharp piece of floor sliced into Iori's arm, and the boy accidentally let go with a shout of agony. Armadimon tried to grab him, but the two were flung in opposite directions, Iori managing to slam into Gennai, and get entangled in the strings that held the old man.

Armadimon felt his heart stop as a large section of black rubble went hurtling towards his friend and Gennai. They were going to be crushed, no doubt about that. And even though he was now being flung back towards Iori, Armadimon knew he couldn't do anything. Getting in the way of the object would just make him die, too. He couldn't allow Iori to die, though. He couldn't let his best friend be taken away. He had promised Iori from the beginning of this adventure that he'd protect him, and he'd meant it. He was not going to go back on his promise.

"Gold Bullet!"

A sphere of golden radiance flew steady, despite the high winds, and decimated the rock of floor that was meters away from the vulnerable Iori and Gennai. Not being dumb enough to second guess his new ability, Armadimon used it again, this time using the backlash of the attack to propel him towards Iori. The green eyed boy grabbed Armadimon's collar when he got close enough, and the Gijinka digimon took hold of the strings that confined Gennai.

"Good work, my boy!" the old man congratulated him. "Now, get me out of here. And hurry! We don't have much time!"

"What are you doing over there?" Trikmon demanded, alerted to something by the blazing attack. He growled when he saw Iori and Armadimon pulling on the strings that held Gennai. "Get away from him!"

"Hurry! Hurry!" Gennai demanded.

"This isn't working," Iori complained, watching his fingers bleed from the sharp strings.

"I said stay away from him!" Trikmon snarled, now walking toward them. He waved his hand nonchalantly, causing Ken, Tentomon, Izzy and Hawkmon to be flung about even more fiercely, as Iori and Armadimon held tight to Gennai in order to not be thrown, as well.

"Watch your hands, Iori," Armadimon warned, before holding one hand up to the restraints. "Gold Bullet!"

The strings shattered like glass, and Gennai collapsed to the floor, unmoving regardless of the gale force winds. Like a snake, he snapped his small arms out grasping Iori and Armadimon, before disappearing in a pixelated cloud.

Trikmon roared in anger. "Damn him!" he shouted. "Damn him, damn him, damn him! How dare he cheat like this! I should- " He stopped, the fury on his face melting away, as a smile replaced it. With a strange giggle, he snapped his fingers, causing the winds to cease, and the four remaining fighters to collapse to the ground.
"Oh, Father," he called out in a sing-song voice. "There are people here to see you. I'm surprised I didn't notice them before. Too preoccupied, I guess. Well, let's fix that."

With another snap of his fingers, the room shifted slightly, and two new figures shimmered into view. Ken watched, feeling his hope sink lower every second. With wide brown eyes, Yolei gripped Wormmon's shoulders, and the boy gazed around in shock.

Trikmon smiled. "Now, we're going to have some real fun."

***

Iori blinked, startled at where they were. The large, high-ceiling room was almost black as pitch, save for the platform that they stood on. A simple looking computer sat there, on and listing out numbers at rapid pace.

"Where are we?" he asked, finding his voice.

"The control center of the building," Gennai answered, slumping to the ground. "Where Trikmon is growing his virus."

"His virus?" Armadimon repeated.

"Yes, a virus that will combine both our worlds, much like he is a combination," Gennai explained.

"He can do that?" Armadimon questioned, eyes wide.

"I don't understand," Iori said, frowning. "Couldn't he just do that himself? Why does he need to make a virus to do it? And why would he want to?"

"He's a digimon, not God," Gennai huffed. "Even he has his limits. And as for why, only Trikmon knows for sure. Maybe it's his way of having his life make sense. Of having some purpose to it.
"Regardless, we need to recode the virus. Make it halt its progress, then regress."

"Then do it," Iori said. "Before we run out of time."

"Does it look like I can even move?" Gennai demanded. "Those restraints were wasting my energy away every moment. I used what little I had left to transport us here. I'm barely staying awake as is. You," he turned to Iori, "need to do it."

"Me?" Iori shook his head. "But I'm not good at computers like Izzy or Yolei."

"I'll tell you what to do. All you have to do is type what I say," Gennai explained. "Now, get to that computer before we're too late."

Iori hesitated, then walked over to the machine. It was humming, a blue screen showing hundreds of white numbers and letters that all looked like a jumble to him. He bit his lip in apprehension.

"You can do it," Armadimon said behind him. "With Gennai helping, it can't be that hard."

"I... I suppose," Iori consented, though not very convinced.

Armadimon patted his friend's shoulder. A sudden thought struck him, and he turned to Gennai. "Hey, how did you manage to get us here? I didn't think you could do that."

"My dear boy," the old man chuckled, "I haven't managed live this long without learning some tricks along the way."

***

Though his body was aching, Ken hustled to his feet, hurling himself against Yolei, sending her to the ground before a floor piece hit her. However, not before it hit him. They fell together, him flinching from the pain.

"Ken-chan!" Wormmon cried, moving to his partner's aid.

"Not now, little maggot!" Trikmon growled, sending a chunk of rubble into the small boy's stomach and causing him to tumble across the floor, green arms wrapped around his wounded abdomen.

The debris got thicker, zipping past the occupants, making them all scatter in an effort to avoid being hit. All but Ken, who knew what would happen if he moved. So he stayed where he was, biting back shouts of agony as bits and pieces of stone hit him.

"Ken, get off!" Yolei demanded underneath him. "You're just making yourself a target!"

"Yes, Father, do remove yourself from her," Trikmon cooed. "It'll be so much easier to kill her when you're not in the way."

Another portion of wall hit Ken's back, and the momentum of the impact caused the two slide across the floor and into the wall, Ken still refusing to let go of her. They stayed there, her with her back against the wall, and him kneeling protectively in front of her, arms flanking her body. Yolei screamed as stones the size of her fists collided against Ken's vulnerable form, making him wince but not move away from her.

"K-Ken-chan!" Wormmon sputtered, wiping away the blood that was dripping from the side of his mouth. With shaking legs, the boy stood. "Leave Ken-chan alone!"

"I said not now, you fool!" Trikmon snarled, allowing another rock to crash into the small Gijinka digimon. "Waste of my time.
"Father, dear Father," he turned his attention back to Ken. "Won't you move? One hit to her person. Just one scratch, and I won't hurt you anymore. Wouldn't you like that?"

"Go to hell!" was Ken's immediate answer.

"Ken, what are you doing?" Yolei asked, crying. "Have you lost your mind? Just let him hurt me. You're going to get yourself killed!"

He looked at her tear filled face, with its fading bruises and cuts, inflicted days ago because she tried to save him. She had tried to protect him, and had gotten herself hurt for it. Well, it was his turn now. "No, Miyako," he shook his head. "I won't let him hurt you anymore."

Trikmon snorted. "How amazing noble of you, Father. Truly, it is. Stupid, but noble." He slowly raised a hand, a faint light glowing in his palm. "But now I'm bored, and I want this to end. Soul-"

"Light Blades!"

Trikmon cried out in fury and pain, glaring down at his arm, which now had shining shards of energy embedded in it. The things exploded, and the creature shouted again, this time more out of agony than before. When the smoke cleared, Trikmon's arm was in tatters, and the thing was fuming. Bright eyes flashed over at Hawkmon, whose hands remained outstretched, a determined look on his scratched face.

"I won't allow you to harm Yolei again," the white haired boy said, voice low. "Not in my presence."

Trikmon howled his frustration. "What I wouldn't give to have you worthless pieces of trash let me get my work done!" With a wave of his good arm, Hawkmon was assaulted by debris from all sides, pummeling the digimon to the ground, unable to defend himself. Despite his injured arm, Trikmon managed to smile, taking pleasure out of Yolei's screams of concern. "Now, just stay down."

"You wouldn't be acting so hot if I could digivolve to Mega Kabuterimon," murmured Tentomon, dodging yet another projectile, Izzy close behind him. "If I was back to myself again... "

"Oh, are you still harping on that?" Trikmon scoffed. "Don't you have any idea how blessed you are? Do you know how long I worked to create the wonderful forms you have now?
"You're just like me." His voice turned an odd pitch, a wild look filling his eyes. "I'm not a fluke. I proved that to Gennai with you. He was wrong, and I was right. I was not a mistake. I was not an accident. I was a deliberate creation. Made to show the way!
"Change you back to your old forms? Why would you want to do that?" Trikmon laughed, sounding more and more maniacal as he ranted. "Don't you see? You're perfect just the way you are! I made you! You can't change back. Ever!"

"W-what?" Hawkmon choked, coughing blood into his hand.

"You stupid fools, don't you understand?" Trikmon demanded. "You can't go back. You're like this permanently! Just... like me," he added, suddenly calming. He turned back to Ken, who was still covering Yolei. "I'm still bored, Father. Now, how should I change that?"

***

He typed as fast he could, repeating with the keys everything Gennai told him. Still, Iori wasn't sure that what he was doing was right. It still looked like nothing but a garbled mess to him. How could this new random bit of code negate the already seemingly random code on the computer? He really wished Yolei was awake and with him. She'd understand this, and probably handle it a lot easier and quicker than he could.

"J884-701220A2... " Gennai rambled off from his position on the floor. "You got that?"

"Y-yes," Iori said, typing in the last key.

"Good. Now then, 6EL510375S4TR8... " the old man began again, apparently unaware of Iori's apprehension.

"You're doing fine," Armadimon whispered to his friend.

"I guess," Iori replied, punching in the numbers and letters as quickly as he could. He wasn't as literate with a keyboard as he'd like to be, and he didn't like this 'trial by fire' way of learning. "I just don't understand. Combining both worlds? That was his plan from the start? Then why all this?"

"Less talking, more typing!" Gennai barked. "We don't have time."

"But I-" Iori began.

"Tell me, child," Gennai began, "do you think that if Trikmon had simply stayed in the Digital World and tried to do this, that I wouldn't have contacted the twelve of you? That you Digidestined wouldn't have used your digimon at their top levels to take him down quicker than he could blink?"

"Well, I suppose not," Iori relented. "We probably would have tried to stop him."

"No trying about it, boy. You would've stopped him," said Gennai. "So what better way to keep you in the dark about things then to throw something at you that would put you totally off kilter? You were all so busy making sure the other children were safe, and worrying about yourselves and your parents, you never even bothered to think about what Trikmon was planning, did you?"

"I... no," Iori admitted, softly. He hung his head, shoulders slumping. "No, we didn't."

"Exactly. Most of this was just a smoke screen to cover up the grand scheme of things," Gennai sighed. "Now, let's get back to work, shall we?"

Iori nodded. "Okay." When he looked back at the computer, though, he blinked in shock. The screen was blurry. Everything was blurry. He rubbed his eyes, which cleared his vision a little, but not by much.

"Are you all right, Iori?" Armadimon asked.

"I think so. Yes," the boy said, squinting so he could see better. Now was not the time to let his sleep deprivation get the better of him. "Continue, Gennai. Please."

"Very well," Gennai said. "472B1K103C7... "

***

"Well, Father?" goaded Trikmon. "How do you propose I end my boredom?"

Ken didn't answer, too busy biting his tongue to force down his screams, as small sections of the room, some larger and sharper than others, collided against his back. He had closed his eyes a few moments ago, no longer able to look at Yolei crying over him, pleading for him to move. Even when she tried to push him away he wouldn't budge. He was not going to let her get hurt again. Not because of him.

"Oh, fine, then," Trikmon sighed, disappointed. "Don't answer me. I guess I'll just have to end this without hearing one final retort from you. We can't have everything, as they say."

With a snap of his long fingers, a piece of the floor pulled itself away from next to Trikmon's feet, and floated next to his hand. It spun there, changing shape, from a malformed cube, to a sharp, black stoned steak. It hovered there, as if obediently waiting for its master to give it its orders.

"I really do suggest you move, Father," offered Trikmon. "This one won't just break against you."

"Oh, God! Oh, God!" Yolei cried, golden brown eyes locked onto the floating shrapnel.

She looked around the room, where rubble was still flying. Hawkmon was lying on the floor, coughing, blood on his hand and mouth, indicating internal injuries, something that made Yolei even more worried. Wormmon kept trying to get up, only to be struck down again by the shooting stone. And Izzy and Tentomon were making their way towards Yolei and Ken, but the debris was forcing their progress to a painful crawl.

She turned back to Ken, who still hadn't opened his eyes, and oh, how she wished he'd look at her now. One small look. Anything to make her have a sliver of hope about survival. Instead, she sobbed as one more rock cracked into Ken's skull. It looked like it might have knocked him out, blood suddenly oozing from his hairline down his neck. But he shook his head and held firm.

"Please, move," Yolei begged. She looked past him, and watched in horror as the steak stiffened, taking aim at them. "Ken, please! You've got to move now!"

"I'm sorry, Miyako," he apologized, "but I can't do that."

"For God's sake, why not?" she questioned, her tears now burning down her face.

"Because... " he opened one violet blue eye. "I don't think I could stand seeing you get hurt because of me again. I don't think I could stand seeing you get hurt, period." His eye closed again. "I won't let it happen."

Yolei stared, her mouth open to say something, but nothing but air came out.

"Well, that's lovely. Heartwarming, really," Trikmon commented. Then, a twisted smile appeared on his face, his needled teeth glittering. "And now it's over. This ends here!"

The piece of shrapnel took off like a bullet, tearing through the air quick enough for it to make sound as it cut through the wind. Yolei screeched, closing her eyes and wrapping her arms around Ken in a hopeless attempt to protect him. The projectile continued to barrel forward, aimed for the back of Ken Ichijouji. And the shard finally came into contact with flesh, tearing through it like it was paper, cutting through muscle, chipping bone, and spilling blood, until it finally rested, its momentum unable to carry it completely out of its victim's body, leaving it embedded there.

And the victim stilled where he was, fists clenched in pain, vocal cords temporarily paralyzed from it, and tears forming at the corner of his eyes. But he didn't regret his actions. He had protected her. He did what he had to do.

Yolei's golden eyes fluttered open, and widened at the sight before her.

"Izzy!"

Ken's eyes snapped open at her cry, and he took a chance, and turned his body partially in order to see behind him. There Izzy Izumi stood, his back towards them, and his arms held out. He wasn't moving, didn't even look like he was breathing. And on his lower left side, was the large stone shard resting, impaled there, the ragged tip sticking sickeningly out of his back, coated with crimson.

"Izzy!" Yolei called again, now hysterical.

The redhead finally turned, pale faced but calm. "You okay?" he asked, voice eerily steady.

Ken nodded, but Yolei continued to cry, now shaking from her sobs.

"That's good," Izzy commented, his tone strange. He looked thoughtfully down at the piece of shrapnel. "I don't think it hit any vital organs. I'll probably just bleed to death."

"Oh, God!" Yolei wailed, her grip on Ken tightening.

"Why?" Ken asked, knowing the other genius was probably in shock.

"She was in danger," Izzy answered, a matter-of-factly. "Why else? You did the same." Then, after giving Ken a final nod, he collapsed.

"This," Trikmon bellowed, fangs clenched, "is inexcusable! Totally unacceptable! I... Will... Not... Have... This!" He reached out his good arm, a faint glow emanating from it.

"Jupiter Circuit!"

"Dammit!" Trikmon cursed at the pain, as a high wattage bolt of blue lightening struck his hand.

"You've done enough," Tentomon growled, running to his partner, who was still heavily bleeding. Taking Izzy's barely breathing form into his arms, Tentomon glared up at Trikmon. "I'll kill you with my bare hands if I have to now!"

"You'll do nothing!" snapped Trikmon, waving his burnt hand, and sending both Tentomon and Izzy sailing across the room. They both hit the wall, Tentomon deliberately taking the brunt of it. With another wave, the soaring projectiles in the room stopped cold, dropping to the floor with a loud crash.
Trikmon turned back to Ken and Yolei, fury in every inch of his form. "I am no longer bored, Father," he declared. "Now, I am very angry."

***

"A638GP23DA100109... " Gennai murmured, his sickness still getting to him. It would take awhile before Trikmon's restraints lost their effect on him.

Iori rubbed his eyes again, trying to keep his vision clear as he typed in the code. " ...9. Okay, Gennai. What's next?"

"5729V36M41. That's it," the old man sighed. "That's all there is."

Iori nodded, typing the last part. ...36M41... Wait. Did he just press an 'm' or an 'n?' He wasn't sure. His sight was still blurry, and those keys were right next to each other. "Gennai, I think- "

"Did you type it all in?" Gennai asked.

"Yes, but- "

"Then hit 'enter.' Quickly, boy."

"But I'm not sure- "

"Hurry up, my boy," Gennai hustled. "We don't have the time for insecurities!"

"I... " Iori bit his lip. Could he hit the 'back' button first, and just make sure? That's what he would do. Just in case.

"Here, let me do something," Armadimon said, annoyed at being rather useless. He reached over, and before Iori could stop him, hit 'enter.'

"Armadimon!" Iori scolded, his heart sinking.

"What I do?" the digimon asked, innocently. "Did you want to do it?"

"It's not that. I just... " Iori shook his head, then turned to Gennai. "Gennai, what would happen if part of the code is wrong?"

"Oh, I'm not really sure, actually," Gennai replied. "Maybe nothing. Maybe Trikmon's virus will simply go on. Or perhaps it could even make it worse."

Iori flinched. "Worse?"

"It's a possibility," nodded Gennai. "We'll have to wait and see."

Iori groaned, but waited silently. Then after a full minute, "When will we know?"

"Soon," was the soft answer.

Then, as if to prove Gennai correct, the entire building began to quake. The control center started to crumble, bits and pieces falling away like dirt.

"Is this supposed to happen?" Iori called out above the noise.

"Yes!" Gennai shouted back. "The dimensional rift is sealing. It's causing the whole city to move! We have to get out of here."

"Then, let's go!" Armadimon said, pulling Iori along, and helping Gennai to his feet. He looked at the old man expectantly. "Zap away!"

Gennai sighed. "I already told you I used what little energy I had to get us here. We'll have to run."

Armadimon looked disappointed, but nodded. "Okay, then."

"Wait!" Gennai cried, as the other two began to make a break for it. "You can't expect me to make it very far. You'll have to carry me."

"Oh, brother," Armadimon muttered, but grabbed onto him, anyway. "Hold on, then. We're making a break for it!"

***

"What's that?" Palmon screamed, the ground below her moving.

"Earthquake!" Matt answered, still with his hold on Mimi. "We have to leave, now!"

"Right," nodded Gabumon. He took a strong grip on Mimi's arm. "We'll just have to deal with her kicking."

"Exactly," Matt said, mirroring his partner. "Let's move it or lose it!"

"Oh... Ow... " someone moaned. Someone familiar.

Palmon was the first to react, pushing Matt and Gabumon away. "Mimi? Mimi!"

The Bearer of Sincerity groaned again, her hands reaching up to rub her face. When she looked up, Palmon nearly sobbed with joy. Mimi's eyes... They had depth to them again, focus and sparkle. Living eyes.

"Mimi!" Palmon cried, hugging her friend fiercely.

"Palmon?" Mimi said, weakly. "Where am I?"

"You honestly don't want to know," Matt swore, relieved. Gently, he placed a hand on her head, running his fingers through her hair. "Don't do that to me again, okay?"

Mimi looked at him, confused. "Do what?"

"Um, I would really love to prolong the reunion," Gabumon said, anxiously. "But I think it's time for us to go."

"Yeah, right," Matt nodded, wincing at how the building shook. Hustling Palmon and Mimi along, the four made their way to safety.

"Mimi, I don't understand," said Palmon, as they walked. "How did you wake up?"

"Well, I don't exactly know what you mean by that," Mimi admitted. "All I can remember is being cold, and being near Trikmon."

"Near Trikmon?" Matt repeated.

"Yes," Mimi answered. "It seemed like I was with him all the time. Then, just a few moments ago, he seemed to get really far away. Like... like he was weak, or tired. Next thing I know," she waved her hand around, "I'm being held like a criminal!"

"Sorry about that," Gabumon flinched.

"Never mind," Mimi shook her head. "Let's just get out of here. This place is giving me the creeps!"

***

Trikmon fumed at the two teenagers before him. One of his arms was immobile, the other's hand was injured. And all because he was trying to get rid of two worthless pests. Surely, something a mediocre as this shouldn't cause him such problems.

"I do hope," he snarled, slowly making his way toward Ken and Yolei, "that we don't have any more fruitless interruptions. I'm getting rather annoyed by them all."

Ken turned himself to face Trikmon, arms back, still protectively flanking Yolei. "Why do you have to hurt her?" he demanded. "Why not just me? I'm the one you wanted to begin with."

"And she's the one you cried over!" Trikmon shot back. "And she's the one you feel for. And quite frankly, dear Father," Trikmon smiled, "I truly enjoy hurting you in any way possible.
"Now, do me one final favor," requested Trikmon, holding out his hand to them. "Don't move."

"No!" A small, green and purple blur attached itself to Trikmon's leg, pounding on it with small, pink fingered fists. "Leave Ken-chan alone!"

"Wormmon, no!" Ken shouted, about ready to pull his partner away.

"Oh, when will the tedious interruptions cease?!" Trikmon declared. Much like he had when Wormmon was still in his original form, he lifted the small boy up by his head, taking pleasure in his struggles. "Now, now, little bug. Why so intent? You have to know you can't defeat me. Especially not in your condition," he added, taking note of the blood resting on the green child's lips. "Just give up."
Trikmon flung the boy back, letting him land on his back, before turning his attention back to his two intended targets. "Now, where were we?"

Wormmon stumbled back to his feet, this time running over to kick Trikmon in the leg as hard as his small body allowed. "I said leave Ken-chan alone!"

"And I said 'give up!'" snarled Trikmon, striking quicker than a cat, and hauling Wormmon up by his neck. "Why must you be such a trouble maker?"

The room began to shake then, and Trikmon's eyes dilated, his already white face managing to get even whiter.

"No... " he murmured. "It's not possible... They couldn't have... Damn Gennai!" he shouted, tightening his grip on Wormmon's neck, causing the boy to gurgle. "Damn him! Well, fine then. Fine! I'll just finish this up, and start something new, that's all. Yes," he nodded, the crazy look back in his eyes. "Something new, and better. All I have to do," he turned to Yolei and Ken, who glared back up at him, "is get rid of you two, and I'm gone.
"Do you understand that, little maggot?" he asked Wormmon, shaking him. "I'm going to kill them. I'm going to kill your precious 'Ken-chan,' and there's not a damn thing your pathetic little soul can do about it. Do you have that?" Trikmon shouted, staring into Wormmon's wide true blue eyes. "He's already dead as far as I'm concerned. Dead!"

Wormmon stilled, his face becoming almost serene. He let his grip on Trikmon's arm go, and held his hands palm out towards the creature's face.

"Chaos String!"

Hundreds of shimmering strings emerged, wrapping around Trikmon like wire, and causing him to drop Wormmon to the floor. The small boy kept his hands up, eyes narrowing as the sharp threads looped about Trikmon's thin frame, surrounding his arms, legs, abdomen and face.

"I won't let you hurt Ken-chan," Wormmon declared, firmly. "Not anymore."

"Don't be an idiot, bug!" spat Trikmon. "This can't stop me. String can't stop me!" he pulled at the threads to demonstrate, only to have his fingers sliced in the process. His movement made his trap tighten around him, and he could feel it cutting into him.

"You hurt Ken-chan!" Wormmon angrily accused. "You leave him alone now!"

"Can't... stop me!" Trikmon snarled, yanking on the strings, his fingers bleeding, and the wires closing in. "You... can't stop me!"

"You're cruel," Wormmon told him. "People died because of you."

"You're just a bug!" Trikmon declared, trying to reach out to grab the boy. Wormmon tugged on the threads, and they tightened around Trikmon even further, now completely embedded in him, causing him to bleed everywhere. He stared at the crimson stain he was making, and laughed. "See? Blood. Part digimon, part human. It's natural. It's normal. I'm not a fluke!"

Wormmon frowned. "You're crazy."

"You're a bug!" Trikmon repeated, furiously. With a snarl, he spun towards Ken and Yolei, and leapt, pulling back for one last blow.

"Don't touch Ken-chan!" Wormmon ordered, and pulled back on the base of the strings as hard as he could.

The sharp threads cut through Trikmon like he was air, and for a moment he actually looked scared. He looked down at Ken, who was glaring up with hate and fear. The creature shook its head, as if in a moment of clarity.

"Father?" Trikmon murmured.

Then, he scattered into data.

The room fell silent for a moment, the rumbling of the quake the only noise, until that too died down.

"The rift must've sealed," Ken said, eyes still focused where Trikmon used to be.

"Ken-chan!" Wormmon cried, rushing over to his partner, and throwing his arms around him. "Are you okay? Did I do good?"

"You did fine," Ken muttered, patting him I'm the back. "You did wonderfully."

"It's... over," Yolei sighed.

The building began to quake again, this time stronger than before, and Yolei yelped in fright.

"I thought the rift was sealed!" she shouted.

"It is!" Ken said, standing up with Wormmon in his arms, ignoring his aching back. "Izzy mentioned that without Trikmon, this whole place could fall apart. I guess he was right. We need to go!"

"Agreed!" yelled Tentomon, running over to them with Izzy in his arms. Hawkmon stumbled behind him, holding his bleeding head. "Izzy needs help. Now!"

With that, he took off, not waiting to see if anyone would follow him. Yolei, meanwhile, ran over to her partner, and put her arms around him for support.

"Hawkmon, how hurt are you?" she worriedly, asked as they made their way out, Ken and Wormmon ahead of them.

"I'm fine as long as you're uninjured, Yolei," he answered, turning to her with a smile. "Though I really wish you wouldn't place yourself in such dire situations."

"Sorry," she whispered, giving her friend a slight hug, then quickening her pace.

***

Outside the building, Matt, Mimi, Palmon and Gabumon had made it out first, with Iori, Armadimon, and a tired Gennai close behind. They had watched the dimensional rift to the Digital World seal back up with their own eyes, relieved and excited at the success of it.

Moments later, the seemingly endless Ghastlymon the other Digidestined and children were fighting suddenly disintegrated with no obvious cause. People and Gijinka digimon alike had looked around in wonder and shock.

Then, the most incredible of things happened. The dark fog lifted, and the sky opened up, revealing a bright sun and little clouds. An endless blue sky greeted them all, and the children greeted it back with cheers and shouts. They hadn't seen this friend in a long while.

And then, as if someone wished to top that miracle, a loud pop echoed around, and more voices joined the fray. Deeper, older voices. From cars, and stores they emerged. From houses they walked out from, and from sidewalks they gazed about in surprise.

Tai was the one to say it first. "They're back. All the adults. They just... reappeared!"

"I can't believe this," Sora said from beside him, split between happiness and weariness.

"Mama!" A child suddenly shouted from the crowd. That was all it took. Children took off towards home. No longer warriors, they were simply children, who sorely missed their families. The battle was nothing. This reward, however, was everything.

"Hey!" Agumon shouted, pulling Palmon close to him, protectively. "Look at the building!"

The Chosen Children and their digimon turned, watching the black building wide eyed, as it began to tremble, falling apart. Before any of the pieces landed, they pixelated away. It started to crumble at a rapid pace, looking nothing like the tall, ominous structure they had first seen in only a matter of minutes.

"Gang way!" someone shouted from the doorway of the tumbling building. Before their eyes, Tentomon, cradling a wounded Izzy to him, bolted out of the place, Ken and Wormmon not far behind. Only a few minutes later, Hawkmon and Yolei emerged, he nearly yanking on her arm for her to keep up with him. They made it to the group in time to just turn back around and watch what was left of the place scatter to bits.

"What happened?" Tai demanded.

"Trikmon's dead," said Ken. "And that's... all I really feel like saying now."

If Tai was going to argue, he never got the chance. "Izzy needs a doctor!" Tentomon declared, showing his wounded friend to Joe. "He needs one now!"

"Yes, he does," Joe muttered, black eyes locked on the shard embedded in Izzy side. He placed his index and middle fingers on Izzy's pulse point, and sighed when he felt something. Terribly faint, but it was there. "Come on. It looks like all the adults are back, and they were returned to where they were taken. So, chances are there will be people at the hospital. I hope," he added, softly.

Tentomon followed him, worry all over his face. The rest of the group stood there, apparently unable to think of anything to say. Or maybe they were too scared to say anything, afraid that they'd jinx something. Silence abounded as they looked at the ground or checked on their own wounds.

Finally, Davis murmured, "Well, it's over."

"Yeah," agreed Sora, though her heart wasn't in it. Wearily, she placed her head on Tai's shoulder. "We won."

"So, we did," Tai stated, his voice worn. "So, why don't I feel like celebrating?"

No one spoke after that.

Epilogue: Wrapping Up