Love's Worth Everything
Book 5:
I'll Stop at Nothing
By: Emily Ishida
Anger rushed through Yamato's blood as he wildly tried to run, not exactly knowing where he was going, but definitely knowing why. He clenched his teeth while acknowledging his leg throbbing in pain as he dragged it along. Izzy ran close behind, with the assistance of a wheelchair.
"Matt! Motto yukkuri itte kudasai! I can't..." Izzy stopped to shift his position without hurting his rib, which didn't work. Matt realized how he was trying to make an effort to follow him, and stopped in guilt but determination.
"Sorry bout that, Izzy," Matt apologized. "I wasn't thinking. But if we don't get there he might have KILLED one of our friends!" Matt's words hit Izzy like a rock, and then Izzy rushed forward, not getting very far for how slow the wheelchair was. "Let me get that for ya..."
Soon Matt was pushing Izzy down the sidewalk, on one leg just like the medicine cart. But they were going faster....because of their need to stop the crazed man who originally would not even start such commotion.
Meanwhile, Mr. Tachikawa was on his way to the Ishida house. Behind his back, he carried a deadly weapon...a weapon that Mr. Ishida couldn't challenge without dying first...car keys.
Along his walk to the Ishida house, he realized that Sora Takenouchi was running back from a tennis match. Putting the keys in his coat pocket, he greeted her with a smile.
"Konban wa, Sora!" Mr. Tachikawa called out. Sora stopped short to talk.
"Konban wa, Mr. Tachikawa..." Sora huffed, tired from running. "Did you hear what happened to Mimi?"
"No, what?" Mr. Tachikawa asked, a little irritated about the subject. He knew...he just wanted to forget.
"Some man beat her...she was bruised pretty bad, and I think some bones were broken. That baka is really going to get it," Sora answered. "I'm on my way there right now...to the hospital."
"So desu ka?" Mr. Tachikawa asked again, stepping towards her. "And why would you do that?"
"T-to find out who did it, sir," Sora answered, unsure about Mimi's father now. She backed away a step. They were in a part of town that wasn't busy at all...it was next to an alley way...boy did Sora want to be downtown just now.
"Huh. And this 'baka'...what would you really do?"
"I-I..." Sora was dumbfounded by the force of bone and flesh that dug into her side. "UGH!"
"Yeah...you wouldn't harm a fly, Sora Takenouchi! Just as I thought...a weak little smart ass female..." Mr. Tachikawa cackled. Sora was in so much shock...and pain.
"IT WAS YOU!" Sora managed to say after a second. "It was YOU, you BASTARD!"
"SHUT UP!" A flying hand slapped Sora's cheek, shutting her up right away. "Fine then!" Pulling at her hair and dragging her into the alley way, Mr. Tachikawa Pulled the key's from his pocket.
"I-IIE!" Sora stammered, trying to pull away from his firm iron grasp. She breathed heavily with tears.
"Leave her alone, Mr. TACHIKAWA!" a voice raged. Mr. Tachikawa turned around to find Taichi running to him, a fist ready to punch.
"Ah, Mr. Tough Lover, huh? And exactly what do you plan to do abou-UGH!" Mr. Tachikawa was soon punched in the gut. After a few gasps, Tai was hit hard himself.
A raging battle took place in the alley way that night, an hour's worth of fighting, hitting, screaming, blood and violence. Not to mention cursing. Mr. Tachikawa left the two, beaten to a bloody pulp, and Tai...
Mimi's father a half an hour later found another victim...unaware that Matt and Izzy were close by.
"Izzy I can see Kari!" Matt yelled, still running. Kari was being pulled somewhere.
"Does this nightmare ever stop?" Izzy yelled back.
"Iie...not unless you think this drunk guy is a dream come true!"
"Shut up and get to her!" Izzy's words were harsh and violent, and full of fear. For when Matt finished his sentence, a scream from the alley way singed his ears.
When they had reached Kari's position, all they saw was Kari, laying still on the ground, shivering and choking between painful sobs. Matt rushed with Izzy to the helpless Kari.
"Kari? Kari are you alright?" Matt managed to ask, holding the fragile body in his arms.
"Don't let him come back! Dozo don't go, Yama!" Kari screamed, clutching Matt's shirt and crying into his shirt like the world was going to end. Matt could only look on with burning, tearful eyes.
"Shh...I'm here, baby...goshinpainaku...I'm here..." Matt hushed, stroking her cheek and kissing her forehead as he cradled the frightened Kari. Kari refused to let go of Matt. All Matt could ask her was what had happened. Finally, after a while, Kari was calm enough to explain it.
"I-I was coming down here to meet TK...a hand...such pain...pulled me into the alley, and threw me against the wall...his voice was so deadly...he said if he ever saw me again he'd do what he'd been planning to do to me all along! Matt don't let him hurt me! DOZO!" Kari squeaked, sobbing in fright again.
"Who was it, honey?" Izzy asked, placing his hand upon Kari's shoulder, offering comfort while she recovered slowly from the shock. His onyx eyes showed Kari warmth, and Kari was more willing to speak.
"Mr...Tachi..." Kari didn't finish, cause Matt already knew.
"MR. TACHIKAWA! I knew he'd do this!" Matt raged, holding Kari closer. "Kari you go home! We'll take care of..." Matt was cut off by another screaming, frightful girl's voice.
"Iie! Don't let me go alone! Dozo, Yama! Don't let me be seen by him again...I'm scared..." Kari pleaded, her eyes burning red with fear and tears.
"Shh...daijoubu, sweetheart..." Izzy hushed, holding her best he could, since he was in a wheelchair.
"We'll take her with us...I don't suppose she'll want to run, Izzy will you manage to hold her on your lap?" Matt asked.
"Um...I guess so...she's pretty light. But as long as she doesn't crush against me...my rib is broken, after all!" Izzy answered unsurely.
"Alright...Kari get on Izzy's lap," Matt demanded, soon riding down the street once again. The burning anger rushing through him proved that he was now on a mission...that was all he could think about. The Digital World and the Digimon they fought were so much easier to cope with than this mad man. He never really knew where he was going...but he was heading towards a cliff about a mile away near the outskirts of town. If this were a real nightmare...I'd be awake and screaming LONG before now! Matt thought with tears in his eyes.
"Moshi moshi?" a young voice answered on the other line.
"Konban wa, Mrs. Izumi. Is Izzy home?" Miyako Inoue asked, twirling the phone cord with her index finger.
"No, honey. I'm afraid he's not. Didn't you hear that he had a terrible accident?" Mrs. Izumi's voice was a little dim now, and she seemed a little angry.
"Oh yeah...I forgot...ojamashimasu?"
"Oh no, Yolei. It's not that...I'm a little upset about it though."
"Gomen..."
"That's okay, sweetheart. Was it something important?"
"Was what important?"
"What you were calling for."
Yolei hesitated, but decided that Mrs. Izumi had the right to know. "Um...hai...see...Izzy and I...are having a baby..." Silence fell over the phone line. Then Yolei decided to quickly get the rest over with. "And he asked me to marry him."
Yolei's heart skipped a few beats as she waited for Mrs. Izumi's response. Izzy never really asked her...but she knew he would. She thought for sure Mrs. Izumi would be furious. "naruhodo..." was her reply.
"Are you angry with me?" Yolei asked quickly into the speaker, her voice trembling in fear and sadness. Her tears proved to herself that she was afraid of hurting Izzy's mother.
"Oh iie, iie, iie! I'm just so surprised...Izzy never told me..."
"He didn't?"
"He kept on saying he had to go find another job...I guess I know why now..." Sobbing could be heard from the other line. Yolei's heart was so broken it felt so unfixable.
"Gomen nasai. I never should of..."
"Hai! Hai you should of! Don't think of it that way, sweetie. I'm so happy for you!"
Yolei's eyes were burning with tears of joy. It was going to be okay. "Arigato."
Mimi...Tai and Sora...Kari...now you, Mr. Ishida...but you'll get the better of it! Mr. Tachikawa thought to himself, holding the car keys in his pocket. His car was hidden next to the building next door to Mr. Ishida's place...and he already had it planned out.
Three knocks on the door and then a step back, Mr. Tachikawa awaited silently. Finally, the door was answered. "Konnichi wa, Mr. Tachikawa! Won't you come in?"
"That's alright. I wanted to invite you somewhere...to the park maybe...after what happened with Yamato I thought it decent to at least make it up to you," Mr. Tachikawa held the car keys to Mr. Ishida's view. "A ride, Mr. Ishida?"
Mr. Ishida gazed at the car keys. He was a little worried. What if Mr. Ishida was tricking him? "I don't know, Mr. Tachikawa. I have work to do..."
"Take a break! You work so hard anyway!" Mr. Tachikawa offered. Mr. Ishida was still unsure and again turned it down. "If we have to do things my way...then fine..."
"UGH!" Mr. Ishida fell to the ground in shock. He had been hit square in he jaw. "I KNEW you were still drunk!"
"Not drunk, Mr. Ishida...mad! It's YOU who has been better than me as far as parenting...Mimi has turned into a spoiled brat, and in order to be the best father I can be I have to stop her spoiled attitude..." Mr. Ishida began, but was cut off immediately.
"Beating her is NOT the key!" Mr. Ishida got on his feet again, but was knocked again to the ground.
"And since I'm a second-place father from spoiling my little girl, I have to find a way to become number one...this is the way to do it!" Beating Mr. Ishida out cold, he threw him over his back and headed to the car. He threw Mr. Ishida in the back seat, and started the car, driving into the evening like a madman, swerving from side to side and almost hitting a few people...including Matt, Izzy and Kari.
"What the hell?" Matt stammered, watching a car swerve past them. "Mr. Tachikawa! What if he has someone in there?"
"Get to them!" Izzy ordered.
Matt continued to run in the direction of the cliff. He knew that Mr. Tachikawa would be there.
Before they could go any further, they saw a girl holding an unconscious-looking figure limping down the sidewalk. They couldn't believe who they saw. "Tai! Sora!" Matt called out, waving to them.
Sora was holding Tai, her eyes wet with tears. "Yamato!" she cried.
Matt left Izzy and Kari to hop to the other side of the street. "What happened?"
"I don't know if Tai's okay! He's not speaking to me! He's not breathing, Yama!" Sora cried, adjusting her grip on Tai. "I think he's-"
"NO! We have to get help...aha!" Matt saw a taxi. He waved frantically, and the taxi stopped. "Get in, Sora! Tell him to take you to the hospital!"
"Hai, Yama..." Sora sobbed, holding the limp body closer.
"Go!" The taxi sped off. Soon Matt was on his way again.
Yolei, meanwhile, was already heading to the cliffs. She loved to go there and think. When she had reached the cliffs, she saw a familiar car parked at the edge, with the headlights on.
"Mr. Tachikawa?" Yolei whispered. She bent low behind a tree, watching as Mr. Tachikawa rummaged through the back seat of his black car. When she saw who he carried out, she gasped inwardly, biting her lip to prevent from screaming.
"This is it, Mr. Ishida..." Mr. Tachikawa raised the body in the air to send him down, when Yolei ran from the tree and pulled the man backwards to prevent him from throwing Mr. Ishida.
"NO!!!!!" Yolei screamed. Mr Tachikawa gasped and choked, and turned to face the frightened purple-haired girl.
"Ah, little miss smart ass, huh?" Mr. Tachikawa laughed. Yolei felt a ting of pain in her side, and everything became dizzy. As she fell she thought in sorrow, I'll stop at NOTHING to help your father Matt...I won't...Everything blacked out and she could feel and hear no more.
