Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon, but the Angels and the Rivets are both mine.

Of Rivets and Angels

Chapter 3: Ransom

T.K. leaned back on his straw-stuffed, frayed old mattress, half-dozing. Mia was out on patrol. They often did this: One would stay and get some shut eye until midnight, while the other scoured the area for clues, or late-night Rivet attacks.

On the back of his eyelids was a bit of a movie…a kind of dream, the kind you get when you're not quiet, but almost asleep, and the ones you remember after they happen. It was so enjoyable he never wanted to wake.

In this dream, she wasn't laughing at him, but with him. Everything about her was beautiful, her hair, her eyes, her smile…how could he ever have forgotten her? It was a mystery, but here she was in his arms, and he could practically feel her hot breath on his neck…

Damn. he thought sleepily. Why can't I just be happy with what I have? I mean, Mia's nice…we've been together a long time…and she's…interested…

His fingers brushed against his lips as the memory of the kiss came back. She's really interested… he murmured to himself. So why can't I think of anything but…Her?

She's our true love, you idiot! his heart snapped angrily. It doesn't matter what she did!

You're crazy. his head thought It's only 'true love' if both people feel it. She didn't…Mia does…

But do you? the heart yelled back.

Yes!

No you don't, stupid! I'm your heart! You can't lie about your feelings to me! She's just a friend, and you know it! Kari's the real deal!

Then why'd she reject me, then?! the mind insisted. She doesn't care, then neither do I! And that's final!

We're in love! You don't just forget that!

There was a CLUNK sound from the door of the shack, interrupting the mental argument. T.K. knew the sound a little too well: It was the sound of a knife being buried into the wood of the door.

T.K. leapt out of bed and flung the door open, just in time to see two rivets, about twice his size each, rounding the corner down the street. His eyes drew to the knife in the door. A butcher knife, looking like it'd been stolen from a meat shop because it was stained with the red juice of raw meat, and was holding several pictures face-down on the door.

T.K. pulled the knife out, threw it to the ground, and yanked the pictures into view. As he flipped through them, one at a time, his eyes widened at each one.

The first showed a girl with brown hair…Kari…being forced into the back of a car by several men in the trademark Rivets jacket. The next, obviously from the inside of the car, was a girl with long purple hair crouching over a boy with black hair, clutching his stomach and grimacing in pain…Ken and Yolei…and he could see Kari gazing out from one of the windows.

The last one was the classic ransom photo: the victim, Kari, tied hand and foot and bound to a chair, a gag over her mouth and a knife to her throat. A newspaper in the background was dated April 7th, 2007 showing that it was taken the day before.

T.K. could feel his hands shaking. "How could they?" he whispered to himself. "How? How did they know? Why her?"

They followed me! he suddenly realized. Damn it, Mia…You had to make me walk her home, didn't you?!

No good blaming Mia now. He had to figure out where the Rivets had taken Kari! The answer, however, was plain as day: written on the back of the hostage picture with the knife to her:

367 N. West 32nd

That was it! The address, where she was. He dropped the other two pictures onto the floor and grabbed his jacket from the wall.

Don't go alone! a voice in his head warned. More likely than not, it was his common sense. It's a trap! Wait for Mia!

No! There might not be any time! his insane, love-sick heart shouted with every beat. Kari's in danger! I have to save her!

The heart was much louder, and won without a fight. Five minutes later, he was scaling the fire escapes and jumping from rooftop to rooftop, looking for 367 North West 32nd.

~ * ~ * ~

"T.K.!" Mia called, leaping down from the rooftop and running inside. Her face was flushed and her hair was messy, but she'd had such a rush that night. "Your shift's up…T.K.?!"

Her partner was nowhere to be found. His bed was empty, and his jacket was missing. This wasn't right at all…

"T.K.? T.K.!" she called again, searching through the whole place. "Where are you?! T.K., can you hear me?!"

Back at the front door, a butcher knife on the floor caught her eye. It looked to be stained with…Blood?!

With relief, she realized it was only juice from raw meat. Stolen, no doubt, another Rivet trick. But what was T.K. doing with something like that…?

She spotted two pictures and picked them up off the floor. Her eyes widened. "Oh god…" she whispered, then ran out the door. "T.K.! Come back! T.K.!"

Within a second, Mia was up the roof and leaping from one to another. She didn't know where he'd gone, but if he gave himself up…she could never forgive herself for not being there. She had to find him!

~ * ~ * ~

The dark quiet of the night, the moonlight filtering in slowly from one of the high windows, down on the sleeping captive. She was still bound hand and foot, and her head hung limp, finally giving into the warm exhaustion of sleep.

Suddenly, one of the windows cracked open. There was a small creak, but not enough to alert anyone.

T.K. leapt down from the window. He could see the large doors across from him, partially open with so that a single person could slip in or out. They'd be expecting him to come in that way. He wanted to set her free first.

Silently, stealthily, he crept to her side. He had to admit, she looked rather…rather beautiful sitting there, bathed in moonlight, still in her school uniform. But no time to waste on that now. He pulled a small pocket knife from his belt and began working on the ropes around her arms.

About half way through, she felt the hand on her wrist and woke up. Her eyes widened when she saw him, and she muffled something against her gag. "Shush." he warned in a whisper. "They'll hear you."

He finished on her arms. She pulled the gag off as he started on the coils around her ankles. "Why do you keep saving me?" she asked, still whispering.

"It's…It's my job…" he muttered, as the last rope snapped. He stood, pulling her by the wrist. "We gotta get outta here."

"You know that's not what I meant." she snapped her hand back. "You told me yourself, there are lots more around here. So why do you always save me?"

"Kari…" he began, then clapped his hand over his mouth to keep from saying anything else so stupid.

She was startled. "How…How do you know my name?" she gasped. "I never told you when we talked before…and you never told yours…"

Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! he felt like hitting himself. You're not supposed to know her!

"Have you been watching me?" she demanded. "Is that why you know who I am? And why'd they kidnap me of all people? What's going on? Who are you?!"

T.K. sighed. "I guess I couldn't hide forever…" he muttered, pulling off his dark glasses and turning to face her.

She gaped for a moment, eyes wide, mouth open. Then she stepped forward and touched his cheek like she couldn't believe what she was seeing, or like she was staring at a dream. "T-T.K.?" she whispered. "Is it really…?"

T.K. turned away. "Come on." he muttered coldly. Those wounds in the past do not heal so easily. "We should get out of here."

Kari was hurt. Why was he so mad at her? She'd never done anything…Had she?

She gagged on the memory. The dance. Three years ago. The longing, aching sincerity in his eyes…The crushed face as she laughed…Tears…Tears! She hadn't seen those before…

That's why… she thought. He told me… Three years ago…He was serious…Oh god, how could I be so stupid?!

She approached him nervously, then touched his arm. "Did…Did I hurt you that bad?" she asked gently.

He flatly refused to look at her. She sighed, gazing away hopelessly before muttering. "I've missed you, T.K.…"

There was a low laugh from the shadows near Kari. "Ain't that just the sweetest thing you ever saw?"

T.K. stiffened and Kari gazed around in fear. All around them, Rivets appeared in the doors, the windows, from crevices and rafters. There must have been at least two dozen of them.

T.K. glanced towards the door. It was still open, and there was a straight path right to it. He glanced sideways at Kari. "You make a break for it." he muttered out of the corner of his mouth.

Kari was startled. "But…But T.K.!"

"Just go!" T.K. snapped. A Rivet lunged forward. T.K. punched him in the stomach, then flipped him over his shoulder. "I'm the one they want, not you. So get out!"

"I can't just leave!" she cried, backing away. "They could kill you!"

T.K. gave another kick, then some guy grabbed him from behind in a strangle hold. "You've got a better chance of helping me out there!" he groaned, gathering his strength to throw him away. "You gotta find…the Angels…Get Mia…She'll know what to do."

Kari watched, wide-eyes, as her old friend threw his attacker into two of his fellows. "Who's Mia?!" she cried, and started for the door.

"My partner!" T.K. gasped. He was bleeding above his right eye. "Just find her! She'll…She'll help! Now go!"

Kari finally obliged, sprinting into the streets. Tears sprouted in her eyes as she ran from the scene, and it was good she left when she did.

T.K. threw another into a pillar, but he was tiring. He didn't know how much longer he could last against the whole gang…

"Guess you heart outweighed your head, eh, Angel-Boy?" someone growled from behind him. T.K. turned just before the heavy cement slab connected with his skull and everything went black.

~ * ~ * ~

Kari ran through the streets. Ran had started pouring down, and she'd been soaked a long tome ago, but she still didn't stop.

I've gotta find her. she thought desperately. I've gotta find that girl…Mia's what he called her…Gotta hurry, gotta hurry…T.K.'s in trouble!

She tripped and landed face-first in a puddle, water splashing everywhere. She raised to her knees, but didn't get all the way up. She was too busy crying, shaking with every sob. "It's…all…my…fault!" she choked out. "I'm the reason he ran away…I'm the reason he's probably dead now! It's all…my…fault…"

She was sobbing there for several minutes, before something over-took her and she collapsed into a deep sleep.