One Choice

Intro: Yea, here's the fourth chapter! Sorry it kinda took a tad long to get it out-_-;;; I had a very mild case of writer's block plus my stupid brothers wouldn't get off the computer... Basically all that happens in this chapter is more Rukato fluff and how the enemy appears^.^ I think there will be around 6 chapters k? I'm almost done…

Chapter 4



'Don't worry,' thought Takato angrily. 'Don't worry Rika, Jeri. We'll find you and get you out of this mess, I promise.' He raced along the streets, looking for any sign of them. Henry, Kazu, Kenta, and Ryo were searching the other sides of the town. Behind him ran Guilmon, and above him, hopping from tree to tree, was Renamon.

They searched everywhere, and finally met back at the park, exhausted. "Any sign of them?" asked Takato, searching their faces. Henry shook his head, he was as angry and unhappy as Takato was. He missed Jeri.

"Not a trace," said Ryo, a hint of sadness in his voice. Labramon and Gatomon shook their heads also.

Kazu and Kenta smiled. "We think we may have found something that has to do with them!" said Kazu happily. Kenta nodded. Kazu grabbed Takato's arm and ran off. "We'll show you! Come on!"

"Where are you taking us?" asked Takato. "

"The west side of town," said Kenta. "You know that old abandoned building on Main Street down there? Well, it's not old anymore."

Takato stopped. "You're taking us to a used to be abandoned building? What's that got to do with anything?"

Kenta kept on walking. "No, that's not the point Takato. The building that's now not abandoned went from abandoned to in business in one day! Besides, there was no shop sign or anything."

"Maybe it's an office building," said Henry, getting reluctant now.

"Oh come on!" cried Kazu. "There's no logo anywhere on the place, and it looks deserted, we tried to go in but there's some weird force field around it."

"Why didn't you say so?" said Takato. "They're bound to be there, come on!"

They ran over and found that Kazu and Kenta weren't kidding. The old building now stood towering over their heads, and for some reason there were storm clouds over it. There was no roof, the highest point kept building itself. "Whoa," said Henry. "We have to get inside, they are definitely in there."

Takato walked up to the building and was a few feet from the door when he smacked into the force field and was thrown over backward.

"How the heck to we get inside?" asked Takato, rubbing his nose.

"What's that?" asked Ryo pointing toward the building. They turned and saw BlackGatomon, a menacing look on his face, float downward.

"Well, well, well," said BlackGatomon. "Look who's here."

"You!" cried Takato, growing angry. "Give them back!"

"Ha! Like I'd do that inevitably," said BlackGatomon. "I'm here to make a little deal…"

"What might that be?" asked Henry, enraged.

"I'm so glad you asked," said BlackGatomon, a sneer in his voice.

* * * *

Rika awoke and looked around. She tried to move, but for some reason she couldn't. Looking to her side, she saw she was chained and so was Jeri, who hung unconscious on the wall beside her. Rika struggled a little, and gazed around. "Where are we?"

They were in a giant throne room, on the northern wall stood a platform with red curtains draped around the wall. It looked like a huge dome. On the east wall lie only one thing, a digimon card, but it was too far away to see exactly what it was. On the west wall was where she and Jeri were, along with a smaller set of chains beside Rika.

"I think I know what those are for…" she said thoughtfully. On the south wall was a battle arena, actually, the middle of the floor was one. It was just a flat, football field like arena with markings.

'Stupid cat,' she thought. 'He caught me when I was doing my hair, so he didn't realize I had pins…'

She slid a pin from her palm to her fingers and carefully worked on her chains. She heard a click and her arm came free. 'One down, three to go,' she thought, and carefully began to pick the other locks.

* * * *

BlackGatomon smiled. "I'll let you inside, but only if you hand over the Gatomon."

Takato's eyes widened. "No…"

BlackGatomon laughed. "Either your puny friends die, or you hand the Gatomon to me…" His eyes glinted. "And watch your pathetic worlds collide and corrupt in Bastemon's waking."

"You can't do this!" cried Henry.

Labramon came up. "Takato…listen…you must be reasonable here…"

"But…" he whispered. "Jeri….Rika…"

"Listen Takato," said Henry, sadness in his voice also. "I want them back too, but if we don't hand over Gatomon, we're sacrificing 2 lives, whereas, if we do hand her over, we sacrifice millions…" Takato didn't respond. "Please Takato…"

"But…." He said softly. He was on all fours, staring at the ground. Tears were running down his cheeks and his blood was boiling with anger. He clenched his fists and sat up. "I'll make you pay…."

"No Takato!" cried Henry, trying to restrain the enraged Takato. Takato ignored him and stood, his whole body tense, his D-arc clenched in one hand. "I'll make you hurt…" BlackGatomon was a tad taken aback by his outburst. Takato came closer, his anger rising with every step. He'd make BlackGatomon pay for taking them, pay for anything he's done, pay for threatening their world.

BlackGatomon stopped and sneered. "And just what is the cute little Gogglehead and his dinosaur going to do?" He said, mocking Rika's voice. Takato clenched his fists to keep from lashing out.

"Stop it," said Takato, growing angrier by the minute. "Stop it right now!"

BlackGatomon laughed. Takato finally reached his highest point. "I'll make you hurt for what you've done. I swear I'll save them, and you aren't going to change anything. You pathetic little baka…." He raised his fist, he had cornered BlackGatomon, who was looking at him, totally freaked out now. "I…"

"Takato!" cried Henry, finally getting a better grip on Takato. "STOP!" Takato paused, shaking. "Listen Takato, don't do this. Remember when we were in the Digital World and you got angry like this?"

Takato stopped, and his eyes widened. He remembered that day so well he could relive it. He remembered MegiDramon, what he had done to his Guilmon, Rika snapping him back to reality, Jeri….poor Jeri…

Takato's eyes softened. His knee buckled and he sunk to the ground. "I….can't….do…it…"

Henry still held his arm. He slid the D-arc out of Takato's hand. Henry released Takato, who was still trembling. Takato fell to his hands and knees and began to cry. Henry knelt beside them. "It's ok Takato…"

"But…I…want them back," he sobbed. Henry held out Takato's D-arc to him. "So do I, but that's no reason to go crazy," he said. "We'll get them back…."

Takato nodded and took his D-arc. BlackGatomon was still paralyzed in fear from what had just happened. Takato raised his D-arc and swiped a card, and said in a calmer voice, "Digimodify! Matrix Digivolution activate!"

Rapidmon, Cyberdramon, WarGrowlmon, Leomon, Guardromon, and MarineAngemon went after BlackGatomon, who easily dodged their attacks and smacked everyone to the ground. Only WarGrowlmon stood back up. "Atomic Blaster!" It hit BlackGatomon square in the mouth.

It was Takato's turn to sneer. "How do you like that?"

BlackGatomon looked a little surprised, and maybe frightened. He shook it off. "You haven't won yet Takato."

"Atomic Blaster!" cried WarGrowlmon, sensing his tamer's anger. They made a direct hit, and it actually sent the digimon over a few feet before hitting the wall. "Yea! We got him!" cried Takato.

BlackGatomon wiped the blood from his face and smiled. "Silly old Gogglehead…" he mocked Rika's voice.

Takato couldn't take it anymore. "STOP MOCKING RIKA!"

BlackGatomon sneered. "Cat Kick!" WarGrowlmon was thrown over, but he got up, growling. "Don't you dare hurt Takatomon!"

BlackGatomon sneered and swiped him again. WarGrowlmon just got back up again. "Radiation Blade!"

"That's his most powerful attack!" cried Labramon, pushing Takato out of the way. The whole place was soon shrouded in a red mist, and everyone but BlackGatomon and WarGrowlmon was down on the ground, waiting for the mist to leave.

Then suddenly, there was an explosion.

* * * *

Rika had finished picking her locks and was free, and began to start on Jeri. "Hang on Jeri," said Rika. "I'll have you down in a jiffy."

Jeri looked up. "Rika, you are so brave sometimes…" Rika looked up and saw a hint of sadness in her eyes.

"It's ok Jeri," she said. "We'll get out of this. I bet Henry and Takato are probably already here…"

"I have a question," said Jeri thoughtfully, rubbing her wrist. Rika had freed both her hands and was working on her legs.

"Shoot," said Rika, not looking up.

"Do you like Takato?" she asked.

Rika looked up, both surprised and startled. Jeri giggled a little at her face. Rika blushed and turned back to working on Jeri's locks. "Well…"

"Don't worry," said Jeri. "I don't really like him that much anymore, I have a crush on Henry."

Rika raised an eyebrow. "Really?" The last lock clicked open. "There. Come on!"

She and Jeri ran down some dark hallways, looking for any sign of a door. "This place is a maze…" she growled. "When I get out of here, I'm going to find that cat baka and kick his…"

"Rika!" cried Jeri in shock. "Mind your language."

"Right," she said, and kept moving. "I think we're almost out, there's a light up ahead."

"Good," said Jeri. "This place is creepy."

All of a sudden some red mist filed in. "What's that?" asked Jeri. Rika stared at it a long time. "I have no idea."

Soon it was shrouded around them. For some reason they couldn't breathe correctly and began to cough. "Now I remember what this is!" Rika choked out. "It's WarGrowlmon's Radiation Blade! The mist weakens you, and then explodes! We have to get out of here now!" Jeri nodded and Rika forced her down, and they laid there for a moment.

Then there was an explosion, throwing them off their feet and outside. The force field flickered and disappeared, and BlackGatomon was thrown against the wall again. Rika looked up from her position. "We're out!"

"Rika!" cried Takato. "Jeri!" His grip on his D-arc loosened, his anger was washing away.

Rika got up and sprinted to where they were, but BlackGatomon blocked her path. He was severely wounded, but he could move. "Why you little…" BlackGatomon made a grab for her, but she ducked and Renamon came up and smacked him in the face. Rika ran toward Takato. "Takato!"

"Rika!" cried Takato, he hugged her and twirled her around. "I was so worried about you…"

Rika faced him and smiled. "Well, I'm fine." She turned to BlackGatomon. "We have to stop him. Come on!"

BlackGatomon smiled and turned. "Aww…the two lovebirds are back together. Time to break up!" He threw Takato against the wall with psychic power.

"No!" cried Rika. She turned to BlackGatomon. "You'll pay for that…"

BlackGatomon cackled and she ran up to him, ready to strike. He caught her arms instead and held her above him. "Nice try." He took her D-arc in his hands and allowed it to hover in front of him.

Rika struggled to get free but it was no use. "Takato!"

Takato got up and ran toward her. "Give her back!"

BlackGatomon saw him. "Do not attempt to defy me." He picked Rika and Jeri up and threw them back in their chains. "No! Rika! Jeri!" cried Takato, running toward them, but BlackGatomon threw him back. "No…"

He turned toward Guilmon. "Guilmon!" he cried, and pulled out his D-arc, but before he could do anything BlackGatomon appeared and swiped the D-arc and his cards out of his hands. Then he took all the digimon up in the air and threw them in chains.

"Pathetic humans," said BlackGatomon. "Soon you will welcome a new era! The era of destruction!"

"No!" cried Labramon, running up, he had been the only digimon not thrown in chains. BlackGatomon threw him back and he landed in Takato's lap, severely wounded. "You must stop him…"

"I know," said Takato, looking up. "But what can we do?"

BlackGatomon smiled, holding the D-arc and the card in front of him. "I have finally won against you Labramon, and now you will witness your precious world's destruction…" He flew over to the struggling Gatomon and put a paw on her chest. She stopped and her eyes clouded.

"Don't give up Gatomon!" cried Labramon.

"Stop!" cried Takato. "You can't do this!" He ran toward BlackGatomon. "I won't let you destroy us!"

BlackGatomon grinned and swiped the card. He and Gatomon then said simultaneously: "Digimodify! DNA Digivolution Activate!"

End of Chapter 4



Ooooh cliffhanger. Lol. Anyway, the next chapter is the second to last chapter *I think* and it has the battle and all that good stuff. The Tamers are in a sticky situation eh? More Rukato in the next chapter! Oh yea, for those of you who don't know much Japanese (like I do) "baka" means idiot, brat, etc. By the way, Takato, Henry, Jeri, Kazu, Rika, and Kenta are all 10 years old, or that's what I've heard. In the US Takato actually confesses that he *sorta* likes Jeri! There's hope for Rukato!!! Yay!!!