Author's Note: Here's Part three and it's uber-long. Major Tai bashing on the way
Disclaimer: *dancing around like a loon* Don't own nutin', don't own nutin'!
Another four years had passed since the last adventure in the Digital world. Kari, Yolei, TK, Davis, Cody, and Ken were in high school. Sora, Matt, Tai, Mimi, and Izzy were in college or university, and Joe was a young, struggling doctor fresh out of university. Matt's band had finally made the big time, and millions of fan girls around the globe fell asleep with his picture under their pillow.
One day shortly before graduation, when they had all been depressed about going to different colleges (or universities), Izzy had burst in all excited about his latest discovery. When grumpily asked why he was so happy, he excitedly told them about a program that he had developed. By matching the programming of the D3s with the old Digivices (and a very long technical rundown, besides), he had managed to reformat the old ones to act as a D3. In other words, anyone with a Digivice could open a Digiport from anywhere. The Digital world could be used as a short cut between campuses.
Now it was the second year of college for Sora. She lived in residence with three other girls, all of whom happened to be madly in love with Matt and his band. Sora had shown them the album of pictures from the last few years of her and Matt. They thought the photos were doctored, and Sora didn't disillusion them. Sora and Matt spent quite a bit of time together, actually. He was on tour most of the time, and she was studying hard, but in the space of minutes they could be together.
Sora's major was in mythology, like her dad. She specialized (without telling anyone) in mythology that pertained to the Digital world, and Biyomon often came into the real world to help her out with reports or essays. Quite a few demonstrations had been spiced up by Biyomon pretending to be a stuffed animal, then talking or flying around the room. Gabumon was also a frequent visitor to Sora's room. When Matt couldn't make it, Gabumon showed up with a message. Biyomon corralled him into helping Sora as well.
Tai had chosen a college as far away from Sora and Matt as possible. Sora had heard (from Biyomon, who had heard it from Agumon) that when his new girlfriend had asked him to take her to Matt's concert, he had dumped her on the spot.
It was a Tuesday night when Izzy stepped out of Sora's laptop into her dorm room.
"What is it, Izzy? I have a test tomorrow and my roommates are asleep!" she asked as he brushed himself off.
"Matt's gone missing." he said, brusquely.
"What?"
"Matt's gone missing. TK went to see him and he's gone. It'll be all over the papers tomorrow."
"Was he kidnapped? Or is he just...gone?"
"I don't think it's kidnapping. His stuff was gone. I think he's in the Digital world somewhere."
"Could be. Have you spoken to Gabumon?"
"No. Tentomon tried to find him, but he's gone, too."
Sora sat down on her bed. "Oh dear lord. Do the others know?"
"Everyone except Tai." Izzy replied. "We're sending a search party tomorrow. Will you be on it?"
"Hell yes!" Sora exploded. There was a grunt from the other room and the sound of someone getting out of bed. "Oh, shit," Sora said in a whisper. "I'll try and get ahold of Tai. Now go! If one of the profs find out I had a guy in my room, I'd be in such deep shit you wouldn't believe."
Izzy stepped back through the Digiport, Sora clicked off the computer and her light, then burrowed into her bed, praying no one was awake.
The next morning, Sora found a short email from Izzy.
Sora,
Tai missing too. Kari found out. Search on Fri.
Tell no one.
Izzy
Sora went down to breakfast with a worried frown on her face. Her friend, Mai, bounced into the seat next to her.
"Hey, Sora, you had a guuuuuy in your room last night. I heard you two. Kept talking about guys named Matt and Tai, and some really weird names." she said. "I'll bet they were code for some kinky thing you two are going to do tonight - ow!" Sora had whapped her with the milk carton. Mai rubbed her arm and continued. "So, is he cute? On the scale of Matt Ishida, that is. Is he?"
Sora laughed. "He's a shrimpy nerd whose favourite word is 'prodigious'."
"So is he cute?"
"Oh, shut up."
Another of Sora's friends, Sandi, sat down beside them. "Hey Sora, have you seen today's issue of the National Inquirer?"
Sora snorted. "Like hell I did. That stuff is crap, and you know it."
"I think you'd be interested in today's headline." she plopped the magazine down in front of Sora. Sora stared at it.
SUPERSTAR MATT ISHIDA MISSING!
RUN AWAY WITH OLD HIGH SCHOOL FLAME!
Underneath it was a picture of Matt and Sora. It was one of the ones taken in the Digital world on one of their innumerable picnics. Sora quickly flipped to the story, which was adorned with various pictures of her and Matt. She scanned it briefly (it was a load of crap) until she came to the acknowledgments.
"Special thanks to Mr. Tai Kamia for additional reporting and photographs."
"That bastard!" she exploded, leaping to her feet. "That mother-fucking bastard!" By now the entire dining hall was staring at her. Mai pulled her back down.
"Who, you mean Matt?"
"No, Matt is a sweetie," Sora said absently. "He'd never do this. But Tai..."
Mai looked around. "OK, girl, we have to talk about this somewhere else. We'll go back to the room, and you will tell me EVERYTHING, including that boy that was in your room last night."
Sora sighed. "You're right. At least you will know the truth, even if no one else does."
Mai and Sora picked up their stuff and left the dining hall. They made it back to the room and plopped down. Sora started speaking first.
"I don't know if I'll tell you everything, but any questions I will answer completely truthfully."
"More than yes/no answers?" Mai asked. Sora nodded. "Fine," Mai continued. "That headline, is it true?"
"Matt is missing. He didn't run away with me, though. I have no idea where he is."
"Then those pictures were real? He actually WAS your high school flame?"
"Yes, and he still is."
"How do you know he was missing?"
"Izzy told me, last night. That's why he was here."
"Who's Izzy?"
"Can I just say an old friend?"
"Fine. But how did he get here? I know he isn't a student here."
"This gets a bit tricky. He emailed himself to me."
Mai raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"That's the closest I can get to the truth."
"Last night, I heard you and Izzy or whatever talking about this Tai. Then this morning you called him a bastard. Why?"
Sora sighed. "Now THAT takes some explaining. About six years ago, I was Tai's girlfriend. Not too serious, at least on my part. I never really loved him. I loved Matt, but Matt was his best friend, so you can see. Me and Matt were trapped together for a night by accident, and it turns out he loved me too. My true feelings came out, and, well, you know." Mai gasped. Sora whapped her on the arm. "Not that you know. The next day, we told Tai about it. He took it pretty hard. He broke Matt's arm and almost killed him. Since then he's been avoiding both of us. He thinks he can still get me back, and he's been trying for six years. He made a cave fall in on us. Luckily, Matt outran the cave-in, mostly, and got half buried under a pile of rubble protecting me from harm. That broke his leg and my ribs. Tai went missing shortly after Matt, yesterday. Izzy sent me another email."
Mai interrupted. "So this Tai sold those photos to the tabloid? But how would be know Matt was gone? Oh, Izzy must have told him."
"That's the strange thing," Sora said. "Izzy didn't. We couldn't find him. But still..." Suddenly Sora's eyes widened. "Oh my god!" She dashed for her computer and hurriedly scrawled an email.
Izzy,
Need someone right away. Might have clue.
Sora
"That'll do it." Sora muttered to herself.
"What'll do it?" Mai asked
"You might have hit on something." Sora replied. "Izzy's sending someone over."
"What do you mean, someone else?" Mai asked suspiciously. "If Tai was in denial, why didn't he just leave? There was something holding him there, wasn't it. And you people are involved in Matt's disappearance! I knew it!"
Sora sank into her chair. "Shit. I knew this was going to come out sooner or later." She leaned forward. "Mai, I love you like a sister, so please believe me. Were you in Tokyo when the big monster scare hit about six or seven years ago?"
"No, I wasn't, but I heard about it." Mai replied cautiously.
"Those monsters are the responsibility of a small group of people. Kids, really, twelve of them. Me, Matt, Izzy, and Tai are part of that group. Matt's disappearance has something to do with them, I'm sure."
"That little bird-thing, she's one of those monsters, isn't she?" Mai said.
"Mai, you act like such a bimbo sometimes, but you really amaze me." Sora replied. "Yes, that's Biyomon. She's my partner."
Sora's laptop beeped once and she sprang up. She quickly scanned the message, then nodded once. "Stand back, my friend, help is on the way." Mai stood back a bit and looked at Sora curiously as she pulled out her Digivice and yelled, "Digiport, open!"
The screen glowed and a second later, three figures were in a heap on the floor on top of Sora. They quickly stood up and Sora made a quick round of introductions.
"Mai, these are three other members of the team. Meet TK Ishida, Kari Kamia, and Izzy Koushiro. Izzy, Kari, TK, meet Mai, my roommate." To them she added. "She knows about the Matt-Tai thing, and a bit about the Digimon. Sorry, but I had to do it. I promised the truth."
"No problem, Sora," Izzy said. "Promises are promises."
Mai was staring, open-mouthed, at the three people who had just appeared.
"TK - Ishida?" Mai stammered. "As in Matt's little brother?"
"Oh dear Lord," TK sighed. "Forever with the 'Matt's little brother'. I feel like Aaron Carter."
"Wait," Mai's eyes narrowed. "Kari Kamia? Wasn't that Tai's last name?"
Kari sighed. "Yes. I hate to admit it, but Tai's my big brother."
"And the famous Izzy." Mai finished. "Hey, he is kinda cute."
Izzy blushed and looked quizzically at Sora. Sora sighed. "They weren't asleep. They heard us last night."
"Ah." Izzy moved into the main room. "Now what did you call us for?"
"Have you seen this?" Sora handed them the National Inquirer. They scanned it for a moment. Kari had the same reaction Sora had.
"That bastard! That stupid, filthy bastard! How could he do that to you? Both of you!"
"I know," Sora said. "He's a fucking bastard. But the real question is, since Izzy couldn't get a hold of Tai, how did Tai know that Matt was missing? Even if he found out through Agumon, it would have been late last night, too late for a National Inquirer headline this morning. Therefore, he would have known already that it had happened or was going to happen, at least a day in advance."
"Very good, Sora Holmes." TK said.
"Elementary, dear Watson." Sora's face clouded. "But if Matt is in the clutches of that bastard..."
"I know," Izzy said. "We'll get Matt back, I promise."
"Where would Tai have taken him? The Digital world, or somewhere in the real world?" Kari mused.
"Probably the Digital world. Here, he could be found too easily. Matt's famous, for crying out loud." TK put in. "Besides, it would have provided a good getaway. I'm sure Matt would have a computer around all the time, so all Tai would have to do is pull him through."
"If we go on the Digital world theory, we can find them pretty easily." Izzy said. Everyone else looked at him. He sighed. "When I put the software in the old Digivices, I found that the interface program had a special feature. It puts an electronic tag on each person, so you could track the person once they're in. Unfortunately, the software could only be accessed automatically by the Digivice to make sure the person got home safely."
"Than what good is that to us?" Mai asked. She blushed as everyone looked at her. "Hey, I'm not a complete ditz. If that program is in these Digivice things and we can't access it, how the hell are we going to find Tai and Matt?"
"I like her." Izzy remarked to Sora. "Almost as smart as me." He turned back to Mai. "Actually, I was just getting to that. I was bored last summer, so I decided to download and reformat the program. Now I can access it from my Digivice, if it's hooked up to a computer, and we can find out where they are. Unfortunately, the search is very slow. The D3s and reformatted Digivices can do it almost instantly, but the download takes ages. It could be days, even weeks before we can find them."
"Hey, if you can use this tracker, why didn't you use it to find us when we were trapped underground?" Sora asked.
"Your Digivices hadn't been reformatted yet. The program only tracks users that open Digiports. You couldn't." Izzy explained.
"Izzy, we should set up that tracker-thing now, then run it while we search here." Mai said. "We could take shifts to watch it, and the rest could use police records and crap like that to try and find Tai."
"Good thinking." Izzy said. "Sora, can we use your computer? And can someone open a Digiport while I set it up?"
"Sure you can use my computer. It's the same model as yours, so you won't have any trouble." Sora said.
"I'll open the port," TK offered. He whipped out his Digivice and held it up. "Digiport, open!"
"Sora, that's what you did last night, when you sent Izzy home." Mai said. "What does it actually do? You said emailing was the closest approximation. What is the truth?"
"It's a download." Izzy explained, head bent over the computer. "When we open a Digiport, we're preparing for a download. Then when we enter, our thought patterns our downloaded and we're reformatted in the Digital world. After I left Sora's place and was in the Digital world, I'd just open another Digiport to my campus and get undownloaded."
"I see." Mai said, "But-"
"Shh!" Izzy said. "The search program is starting. I have to set it to track Matt and Tai. Since I don't have their Digivices, this might be hard. I need to concentrate."
Sora, Mai, Kari, and TK left the room and talked quietly outside.
"I'll go home," Kari said. "Maybe Tai said something to Mom, or left a phone number. I can always hack into his files if need be."
"Good idea," TK agreed. "I'll go to Matt's band. They know me. I'll ask some questions, see if they saw anything."
"Me and Sora will use the school computers to look for more leads," Mai said. "We'll leave Izzy here with the Sherlock program. Be back here in an hour, see what we found, and relieve Izzy. 'K?"
There were agreements from all around. Izzy was still using Sora's computer, so they opened a Digiport on Mai's to send Kari and TK home. Then Sora and Mai spent a fruitless hour in the school computer lab (the computers were faster than either Mai or Sora's) trying to find any clues at all. Kari was put on Sherlock duty, and the rest went back to their search. This continued for two weeks. Two weeks where Mai and Sora skipped classes, fought off the tabloid and news people who tried to get an interview, and Sora kept having nightmares about what Tai was doing to Matt. The closest lead that they had gotten was that Tai had taken a room at a motel near where Matt's band was playing, and that one of the band members had seen a guy matching Tai's description in the audience the night before Matt disappeared.
It looked pretty hopeless until the afternoon at the end of the second week, when TK burst into the room where Sora, Mai, Kari, Izzy, and Joe (who had joined the search) were leafing through newspapers, trying to find something to help.
"I found them! I found them!" TK cried exultantly.
Sora leapt out of her chair and rushed over to him. "You found him? You found Matt?"
TK nodded. "Well, I found Tai. The search still hasn't picked up Matt's."
"Tai's is good enough." Sora said. "Where is he and can we get there?"
"He's in that cave system that he had collapsed. I could watch his movements once I picked up the signal. As far as I can figure, he's in the big main one."
Sora whirled around. "Izzy, keep the location fixed. Kari, TK, come with me. Joe, get the others, then join us. We'll meet by Rail Town."
"Whoa, Sora, calm down," Joe said. "You can't just go barging around the Digital world. Agumon has nothing to do with this, but Tai might have subverted some virus-types. If Ken did it, so can Tai."
"You don't understand!" Sora exploded. "Tai has Matt! Tai will kill Matt! We can't waste any more time. Already we've lost days. Who knows what could have happened to him?" she dropped to her knees. "Please, Joe. We have to help Matt, and we have to do it now, before any more time is wasted. Please."
Joe threw up his hands. "Fine! I'll get the others, but first I have to stop by my practice. I'll close it up and get my med kit. We might need it."
"Thank you, Joe, so much." Sora sprang up. "OK, Kari, TK, let's go." she glanced at Mai, who was looking at her hopefully. Sora paused. "Uh, Mai, you can come, too. You've help so much, we're not going to let you get left out of the dramatic rescue scene."
Mai sprang up. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!"
Izzy frowned. "I don't know, Sora. You have to be Digidestined to go through a Digiport."
"But do you?" Sora challenged. "We've never tested it. It might work."
"Fine, we'll try." Izzy flipped open his own laptop, which he had brought for research, and opened a Digiport. "Joe, you go and get everyone. Then TK and Kari can go, and Sora can try and pull Mai through."
"Sounds good," Joe nodded. "Rail Town, right?"
"Yup," Sora said.
"Do you want me to find Agumon and Gabumon, as well?"
"Sure, that'd be a big help. Maybe Agumon could talk some sense into Tai. Now go!" Joe stepped through the Digiport, then Kari and TK. Sora grabbed Mai's hand and held up the Digivice. "This might tingle, if it works." she reassured her. "And don't let go of my hand. We don't want you stuck mid-download."
Mai bit her lip. "OK, I'm ready."
"Man, you have courage." Sora commented. She braced herself and said, "OK, let's go." She felt the download and wondered if Mai would make it through. That question was easily answered, as Sora tumbled onto the grass of the Digital world and felt Mai fall beside her.
Mai sat up and brushed herself off. "That was cool! Can we do it again?" she looked around and commented, "So this is the Digital world. Nice place."
"Hey, she made it through!" TK said from nearby. He was standing beside Kari a little distance away, Patamon perched on his head, like always. Gatomon was there beside Kari, and Sora wondered briefly where Biyomon was, until a pink Digimon-sized lump hit her in the chest.
"Sora!" Biyomon chirped.
"Biyomon!" Sora chirped.
"Sora!" Mai chirped. "Is this the same little stuffed animal you use for presentations?"
"Ya, this is Biyomon." Sora answered. "Biyomon, this is Mai."
"Nice to meet you, Mai," Biyomon chirped. "You must be Digidestined, then."
Mai looked confused. "I'm not Digi-anything. Sora just pulled me through."
Biyomon frowned. "That's impossible. Only Digidestined can get through, even if they don't have a Digivice."
"We'll puzzle it out later." Sora interrupted. "We know where Matt and Tai are. We're going to rescue Matt and beat the crap out of Tai."
"That's good." Biyomon agreed. "Is it just you three - four?"
"No, we're meeting everyone else at Rail Town. It isn't too far from where Matt and Tai are."
"It's pretty far from here." Biyomon thought for a moment. "Hey, I can go to Birdramon and give everyone a lift!"
Sora shook her head. "No, that might alert Tai to the fact that we're there. You are pretty flashy."
"Me and Patamon can armor-digivolve." Gatomon suggested. "We don't have to fly, and if we stick to the trees we'll be protected. It'll take days to get there, otherwise."
"Good idea, Gatomon." Kari agreed. "Ready?"
"Go ahead." Gatomon and Patamon chimed in together. Mai stood in amazement as they amour-digivolved. She blinked a few times, as if trying to reassure herself that it was, indeed, real. Sora poked her.
"What're you trying to do, catch flies?" she joked. Mai smiled ruefully and closed her mouth. TK and Kari mounted the now Pegasusmon and Nefertimon.
"Who's riding with me, and who's with Kari?" TK asked. "I'd say go with me. You can't trust women drivers."
"TK, may I remind you that you are currently surrounded by women?" Sora remarked acidly as she swung up behind Kari. "That might not be the safest comment to make."
"Too true, too true." TK agreed. He smiled at Mai. "Hey, Mai, looks like you're with me."
"Oh, joy," Mai murmured as she swung up with TK's help. As Pegasusmon took off at a gallop, she squeaked and clutched at TK to avoid falling off. He cocked an eyebrow at her.
"I thought you were into my brother. I'm flattered, but I'm taken."
"Oh great. I'm stuck with the comedian." Mai said dryly, still hanging on for dear life.
On Nefertimon, Sora was running over her plan. It was her fault that Matt was taken (not really, but she had convinced herself of it), so therefore she had to get him back. Tai would listen to her, no matter how crazy he might be. The others sure as hell wouldn't let her go. That meant she'd have to sneak away. She remembered where the caves were, and once she got close enough, her Digivice would kick in and she could track Tai.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Kari called back
"Oh, nothing." Sora forced a smile on her face. "Just thinking about where we can go to celebrate after we get Matt back." Kari laughed.
"So you really think it'll be easy, do you?"
"Yes," Sora replied, lying through her teeth, "I really do."
The rest of the team was awaiting their arrival at Rail Town. Tentomon had managed to find Agumon and Gabumon, who were both there. Agumon knew nothing of what Tai was doing. He looked every bit as haggard as Gabumon. Sora performed the customary round of introductions, saving the lone Digimon for last. When she hit Agumon, she said, "And this is -"
"Agumon." Mai interrupted. Sora frowned.
"How'd you know that?"
Mai looked confused. "I don't know. I just did."
Sora shrugged. "Weird. You probably heard me and Izzy talking about him."
"Yeah, probably." Mai agreed. "Well, nice to meet you, Agumon."
"Same here, Mai." Agumon replied.
"So what's the plan of attack?" Kari asked.
"It's like this," Izzy, their tactician, replied. "Tomorrow, early, we'll take the back way into the caves. We're hoping Tai will be asleep or have just woken up. We'll spring out, overpower him, and then Sora and TK will go to get Matt."
"Simple." Sora mused. This fit in well with her plans. She'd just have to get up and gone before the rest were stirring. "Sounds good."
"We're set up at the Rail Town hotel," Yolei put in. "We should get some supper, then hit the hay early." Trust Yolei to think of food.
"It's dinner," Ken said jokingly.
"Nope, supper," TK replied.
"It's food to me." Mimi put in. "Can we get going?"
The food was good, not that Sora noticed. She was too excited to taste the food. She ate mechanically and excused herself early. She pretended to fall asleep, but really was waiting until the rest were all asleep. She waited breathlessly, eyes closed tight, until she was sure that they were asleep. Quietly, being careful not to wake Biyomon or Mimi, who slept in the next bed. Grabbing her coat from the chair where it rested, she slipped out the door. She didn't notice the two eyes that watched her go.
Sora made her way silently out of Rail Town, heading for the caves. About halfway there, her Digivice picked up the signal, so she moved more quickly, sure of her target. She didn't notice the ghostly shapes slipping by her in the dark woods. She did notice the shapes as she arrived at the tunnel to the caves. She paused, thinking they were guards, then noticed the human-like shapes gathered around them. She drew cautiously closer. The two large shapes were revealed to be Nefertimon and Pegasusmon. She swore silently. They had followed her! Sora edged around the clearing to the cave entrance, praying that they wouldn't see her. Suddenly, Joe loomed in front of her.
"I thought that this was a team effort."
"How did you guys know I was gone?" Sora demanded quietly.
"Cody was still awake." Joe replied. "He warned the rest of us."
"Damn Cody," Sora swore. "OK, Joe, out of my way. I've got to save Matt." She tried to sidestep him, but he stepped in front of her again.
"No, we've got to save Matt. You're not going alone."
"Move!" Sora demanded. She tried to side step him again, but he grabbed her shoulder and spun her around, marching her back to the others. She struggled, but Joe's grip was too strong.
"Cody was right!" Mai exclaimed when Joe brought Sora back.
"Hey!" Cody said. "I'm always right."
"Well now that the gang's all here, can we get on with it?" Sora asked somewhat bitterly.
Izzy glared at her. "Yes. We'll go down one by one. When you reach the big cavern, circle around and position yourself behind one of the big stalagmites. When Tai comes out, jump him on my signal."
"Can we go?" Sora said testily. She was getting jumpy.
"Yeah. Joe, you go first. Then Kari, Sora, TK, Mimi, Cody, Davis, Yolei, then me. Mai, you might want to stay back. It could get dangerous, and you don't have someone to look after you."
"Are you kidding? I risked a download and monsters to get here, and you want me to stay behind." Mai grinned. "Besides, I have Agumon to protect me. And Gabumon."
"True," Izzy agreed. "OK, let's go."
As Sora descended into the almost total darkness, she started feeling apprehensive. Tai was insane. She, of all people, knew this best. The others might believe her, but they didn't fully realize what he was capable of.
The familiar cave greeted her. The skylight in the rock threw a beam of moonlight into the center of the cave. She skirted it and took up a position behind a pinnacle of rock. Biyomon fluttered silently up to a rock ledge above her. Sora kept her eyes on the clearing in the cave, waiting for Tai to appear. She checked her Digivice. It showed that he was still in the adjoining cave. She glanced up again. No sign of him.
Suddenly, she felt an arm around her, pinning her arms to her side. A large hand covered her mouth before she could make a sound. Sora struggled, but felt something cold and metallic press against her forehead. A gun. Sora stiffened up and stopped struggling. A cold and ragged voice hissed in her ear. "Hello, Sora. Take a little walk with me." Despite the sinister overtone, Sora would have recognized the voice anywhere. It was Tai.
Tai prodded her forward. Biyomon hadn't noticed Tai; her attention was still focused on the moonlight-illuminated cave. Sora tried to alert her, but Tai pressed the gun into her forehead. "I will shoot you," he hissed. Sora stopped trying to get Biyomon's attention. Tai half-dragged her to the center of the cave. When he stepped into the shaft of moonlight, Sora heard gasps all around her. Tai spoke out loud.
"Unless you want Sora's brains smeared over this cave, I suggest you leave. Now." Mai started from her hiding spot towards Tai and Sora. Tai swung the handgun to point at her. "Now." he repeated. She stopped and backed away. Tai pointed the handgun back at Sora's forehead. Sora saw shadows flickering against the wall and back up the passageway. When they had all left, Tai removed his hand from Sora's mouth.
"Why, hello, Sora. Pleasant seeing you here." He remarked amiably
"Get your hands off me, you bastard." Sora swore.
"Tsk, tsk, Sora, what strong language. You never swore before Matt corrupted you. I guess he's a bad influence."
"Matt's a better influence than you, Tai."
"Why don't we discuss this in more comfortable surroundings," Tai suggested. He forced her to another cave. Sora saw a Digivice lying on the small table. That was how he had tricked them all into thinking he was asleep. Tai deposited her in a chair at one side of the room. He took a seat in front of the door, lying the gun on the table beside him. He casually lid one hand on it as he spoke to Sora. "So, Sora, how are things with you? School going well?"
"Where's Matt?" Sora asked flatly, rubbing her arm where he had bruised her.
"Such a one-track mind." Tai replied. "Did you enjoy my little article?"
"That was a dirty trick, Tai. Those pictures were private. Besides, you know the whole story was bullshit."
"I was hoping that would slow you down in your search. Being bothered by the paparazzi can really interfere with one's life."
"You're a full-fledged bastard. Where's Matt?"
"Oh, you'll find that out soon enough, my dear Sora. You might even get to see him free."
"What do you mean?"
"All you have to do to see Matt free again is say you hate him and love me."
Sora started up from her chair. "I'll never say that! I hate your fucking guts. I'll never drop Matt, no matter what you do to him or me. Never. I'll hate you forever, Tai. I thought I loved you once, but now I wonder how I could ever have felt such a good and pure feeling for a low-down, dirty bastard like you."
Tai rose in rage. "You slut! You dropped me the first time another guy crossed your path. I'll make you pay!" He strode over to her and grabbed her by the hair. Sora shrieked as he hauled her away down another corridor. He stopped in front of an iron grate covering a cave entrance. He unlocked it and hurled her in. Tai slammed the door shut. "We'll see if you'll still take that attitude when I check in on you again!" he spun around and stomped off.
Sora drew a deep breath and sat up. She wasn't really hurt, but winded from being hurled against the wall. She sat still for a moment, but heard a noise from the shadows of the other end of the cave-cell. She shrank back against the wall.
"Stay back!" she called, scrabbling around for something she could use as a weapon. "I'm warning you, stay away! I - I'm armed!" her hand closed on a thick stick. She raised it, ready to defend herself against whatever else was in the cave.
"Sora?" a voice issued out of the darkness in a whisper. It was cracked and broken. "Sora? Is that you?" The voice was pitiful, a mockery of the croon that had millions of teen girls swooning everyday, but Sora would have recognized the voice anywhere in any state.
"Matt!" Sora dropped her stick and rushed forward, almost colliding with the figure that lurked in the darkness. "Matt," she said again, in a lower voice. She reached up to touch his face, to assure herself that he was real. What she found shocked her. His cheeks, which had once dimpled for her, were now sunken caves, and his lips were swollen and cracked. There was a sheen of dirt and sweat covering his face, and half-healed gashes on one cheek. His hair was limp and matted. Her hand moved downward of its own accord, and she gasped at the thin shoulders and jutting ribs. His hand moved up to catch her, the wrist painfully thin, and pull it away from his body.
"Good thing it's dark, so you can't see the state I'm in."
"Don't talk like that!" Sora exclaimed. "What happened? You've been missing for two weeks in the real world."
He moaned. "Oh, god, it feels like forever." He shifted position slightly, one emancipated arm coming up to rest on her thigh. "Where are the others? TK? Gabumon?"
"You don't know where he is?"
"No, should I?"
Sora shook her head, then realized he couldn't see the movement in the dark. "Gabumon's been missing since you were."
"Tai," Matt rasped. "He must have . . . somehow. Gabumon was too much of a risk."
"What happened? How did he do this?" Sora asked.
"I'm not sure." Matt moved again, and Sora moved with him, so that they were both leaning against the wall, pressing as close to each other as they could. "All I remember is my dressing room door opening and footsteps behind me. I started to turn around, and I heard this whistling and something hit me in the neck. The next thing I knew, I was tied to the back of a Skullgreymon, my head hurting like hell, and having no idea where or when I was. Tai untied me sometime later with a smirk and dragged me in here." He winced at the memory. "He literally dragged me, over the rockfall and everything. Every once in a while, he comes in and beats me, telling me to dump you and he'll release me, calling you awful names and making the worst insinuations." He shuddered. "He never feeds me. He gave me water, twice. I've been going mad thinking what was happening, worrying that he had you in the same position."
"Oh, god, Matt, I've missed you so much," Sora sobbed, burying her face in his shoulder. "He's been horrible in the real world. He wrote a story for a tabloid, all about how you ran away with me, with all these pictures of us—it was awful!"
"Diversion," Matt hissed as a slight movement put pressure on his ribs. "If the world thought I was with you, no one would think I'd been kidnapped."
"Oh, Matt . . ." Words were lost as they kissed, hungrily, needily. They pressed together in the dank pit, grasping at each other like two drowning sailors. They only stopped when there was a rattle of chain from behind them, and something heavy struck Sora across the back, drawing a sharp cry of pain and causing her to tumble across the sandy floor. Tai stood, illuminated in the glow of a flashlight he held pointed at the two of them.
"Do I have to hose you down," he sneered, "Like two rutting dogs?"
"Bastard," Sora gasped from behind clenched teeth.
Tai strode over to her quickly. "Come here, bitch," he growled, grabbing her roughly and binding her hands behind her with a length of coarse rope. He kicked something behind him, and illumination flooded the cave from an incongruent overhead projector and portable generator. Matt flung his hands up to cover his eyes from the unwelcome light. Sora gasped as the full extent of his condition revealed itself in the harsh glare. Cuts had festered on his face and arms, his skin was sallow and yellow. His nose was broken, and he was smeared with grime. His manky hair had dried blood matted in it, and his clothes, which hung off him in tatters, were covered with blood and other things that Sora didn't want to identify. Hands and feet suddenly too large for their skin looked monstrously huge.
"Look," Tai said triumphantly. "Look at your 'love'. Isn't he disgusting?"
"Matt!" Sora cried hoarsely, lunging for him, but jerked back sharply by the rope, to sprawl at Tai's feet.
"Look, woman! Take a good long look!" Tai laughed, a sound scarily devoid of humour. "Reject him. Reject it, and say you'll be mine. What can that deformed Caliban offer you now?"
"Sanity," Sora snarled. A backhand caught her unawares, and she slumped to the floor. She struggled weakly to move towards Matt, but another pull on the rope stopped her. It didn't stop her from seeing Matt rise from a snarl, moving faster than possible in his weakened state, and launch himself at Tai—only to be thrown back contemptuously against a rock wall. Sora heard a loud crack and screamed her fury. The rope slithered out of Tai's grip as Sora struggled towards Matt's still form. She managed to roll him over with no arms, and felt a huge wave of relief as he opened his eye and gave a small smile up at her. She leaned down to kiss him, but before their lips met, Tai hauled again on the rope, and Sora felt a shoulder joint pop. She swallowed a cry of pain.
"Tai, you're sick," she said, as reasonably as she could. "You need help. Look at yourself! We used to be your friends!"
"You betrayed me!" he roared. "You dangled something in front of me that I could never have, and just when I thought I could, you snatched it away!"
"It's been six years!" she pleaded. "We were in high school! No one stays with their high school boyfriend for the rest of their life!"
"You've stayed with him!" Tai countered. "What could he have given you that I couldn't've?" He tugged on the rope again. "Huh? What?" Without waiting for a reply, he spun around, spraying her with sand, and storm away, still dragging on the rope. She staggered to his feet before he could pull her over the sharp rocks at the cave entrance, but he barely paused to slam the grate behind him. Sora twisted. The light had gone out, but Matt's dim form slammed against the cage, and his anguished howl rent her heart.
"Why are you doing this?" she gasped. No answer. "Why?" she demanded again.
"Because you belong with me," he snarled, stopping suddenly. He spun, and grabbed her by the bound arms. "You belong to me, Sora, and nothing that fink, that traitor can do or say will change that."
She struggled weakly, but his hands bit into her skin like steel. "Tai, I never belonged to you." she said. "Never."
"You do!" he roared. They were back in his main chamber. He flung her down on the ground and quickly tied the rope to one of the table legs, above a knob so it couldn't be slid down. "And I'll show you why," he threatened.
Sora felt, truly, for the first time utter terror as a notion of what his proof might entail entered her mind. She thrashed wildly, trying desperately to get free and ignoring the fact that she couldn't move her left arm at all. It did no good, as Tai simply sat on her hips and as good as ripped her T-shirt off. She screamed, knowing it wouldn't do any good, and thrashed harder. Tai only grinned lecherously as his hands explored the exposed planes of skin on her torso. She screamed again . . . and heard and answering roar.
Tai started and spun around as a familiar orange figure crashed through solid rock into the cave. "Greymon," Sora gasped. Greymon roared again, and revealed a familiar figure clinging to his back. "Mai?"
"Greymon," Tai called. "It's good to see you again! Come here, partner!"
Greymon scooped him up in one massive claw. "You're no partner of mine!" he roared.
Tai gaped. "What?"
Mai popped her head up. "Interesting thing, these Digibeasts," she quipped. "They smell bastardness!"
"You are not worthy of being a Digidestined," Greymon added. "There is a new one to take your place." Mai waved her fingertips.
"You!" Tai twisted. "You did this!" he howled, pointing wildly at Sora. "You and that traitor who wears the badge of friendship!"
"Ah, shut up, ye bloody great moron," Mai drawled.
"Sora!" TK's blessed voice filtered through the rock dust filling the air. He and Kari pounded into the cave — and TK stopped short, blushing. He looked away quickly, and Kari ran over to untie Sora and drape her coat around Sora's battered frame, while Tai watched impotently from above.
"Where's Matt?" TK demanded.
"This way," Sora said, leading on wobbly legs and with one arm dangling loose. She led them quickly back to the cave cell, where TK made short work of the grate. "Matt?" Sora called softly.
"Sora?" TK and Kari gasped at the croak. Matt came slowly to the entrance. "TK? Kari?"
Kari's eyes filled with tears. "Oh my god, Matt . . ."
He took a long, slow breath. "I'll be fine."
"Come on," TK said. "Let's get you to Joe."
"Gabumon?"
They glanced at each other. Kari nodded to TK. "I'll go find him, if he's here. You get these two to the doctor."
"Aye, ma'am."
***
"All our adventures seem to end in the emergency room, don't they?" Sora murmured quite a few hours later, as Matt lay with his eyes half-closed on a hospital gurney, an IV attached to his arm and myriads of bandages, casts, and machinery attached to him.
"Mmm, hmm," he replied. "I don't mind, as long as that emergency room has you," he said, lifting one thin hand to stroke her cheek. Sora had suffered from a dislocated shoulder and several minor cuts and bruises; Matt, however, was severely malnourished, had broken ribs and one leg, was dehydrated, and also seemed to be running three viral infections at once, not the least of them being pneumonia. The doctor had ordered a minimum of a week's stay in the hospital, and a month of bed rest following. His band's next tour had been canceled, but their manager estimated that Matt's illness would only boost sales for the next concert.
"I can't believe that nightmare is over," he said.
"I'm so glad you're safe," Sora said, gazing at him tenderly. "I was terrified that Tai would kill you."
"Sometimes I'd hoped he would," Matt said quietly.
"Oh, Matt."
***
Matt was released the next week, still looking dangerously thin, but with the superficial injuries healing nicely and the infections gone. Thousands of flowers and get-well cards were starting to pile up outside the modest two-story house his band used to crash between gigs. Sora as good as moved in, as she wouldn't leave his side. He was equally unwilling to let her out of his sight. Even with Tai accused and convicted, and safely ensconced at a high-security mental hospital, both were terrified about what would happen if he managed, somehow, to escape, into either worlds. Izzy assured them that there was no way that Tai could get back into the Digital world now that the Powers That Program had kicked him out, they were still nervous. When weeks passed and nothing happened, they breathed a bit easier, and Sora went back to classes. Her professors gave her a chance to catch up, and she worked even harder than normal to get back on top. She was in the middle of an essay when a phone call from Matt put her off balance.
"Hey, love,"
"Matt! Hi! How are you?"
"Much better now I'm talking to you."
"Flattery will get you everywhere."
"Listen, I was thinking . . . we've scheduled my comeback concert for two weeks from now—"
"Two weeks? Are you sure you'll be up to it?"
"I'll be fine." He assured her. There was a pause. "I was wondering . . . did you want to come?"
Matt had never invited her to one of his concerts before. "Of course! When is it?"
"Well . . ." As Matt laid out the details, Sora felt a little bubble of happiness well up inside her at the thought of Matt, fleshed out and well, and doing what he loves.
***
"Are you sure you're up to this?" she asked for the thousandth time that hour, as she flicked a stray strand of hair from his face.
"I've already told you, I'll be fine," he said soothingly. Sora looked at him skeptically. His cheeks were still a bit hollower, and he was thinner than she would have liked, but he did look fairly healthy. "Now we're starting in a sec," he said, as the opening band filtered backstage. He kissed, long and deep. "I love you."
"Love you, too." She kissed him on the cheek again before he strutted on stage. Even from the protected backstage, the cheers of the crowd overwhelmed her. She felt so happy. In a sea of loving fans, Matt had picked her. She made her way to the edge of the stage and perched on one of the lighting cases to watch the show. She loved hearing her Matt sing, even if it was distorted by the mikes.
The show was winding down when Matt stepped up to the mike and said, "Now, just for you guys, here's a brand new song that I wrote while I was out of it," Pause for screams to die down. "Here goes."
Sora's eyes widened as she listened to the lyrics.
"Living in the dark,
Bleeding on the outside
Living in the dark,
Living to die
Life for a lie
Death for the truth
I'll take the hangman's noose.
'Cause there's an angel out there
An angel of hope,
Guiding me back to earth . . ."
Her eyes filled with tears by the time the song was over. She hurriedly wiped them away as Matt stepped up to the mike when the final strains had died away. "I've got my own angel of hope," he said, as the screams rose again. He turned to the side. "Sora," he said simply, holding out his hand.
She would have frozen if a stagehand hadn't forcibly shoved her out there. She slowly walked to centre stage, oblivious of the thousands of people watching, of the television crews broadcasting it to the world. She put her hand in his, and he dropped to one knee. Her heart thrilled. In slow motion, she watched him reach into his pocket and pull out a small jewelry box.
"Sora, will you marry me?"
Time slowed and stopped. "Yes. Oh, god, Matt, yes!"
He jumped to his feet and swung her around in a joyous hug. They kissed once, slowly, sweetly, and he slipped the simple silver band with one brilliant sapphire onto her finger. Then, she suddenly remembered the crowd as the cheers (and sobs) rose higher. They turned to face the audience, and Matt looped one arm around her waist. "Goodnight!" he roared to the crowd, and the curtain fell.
"I love you," he murmured.
"I love you," she replied. And that, as they say, was that. Alternate Ending – the really depressing one.
He jumped to his feet and swung her around in a joyous hug. They kissed once, slowly, sweetly, and he slipped the simple silver band with one brilliant sapphire onto her finger. Then, she suddenly remembered the crowd as the cheers (and sobs) rose higher. They turned to face the audience, and Matt looped one arm around her waist. He lifted his chin to say something, but his words were drowned in the single roar of a gun. Sora screamed and Matt sagged against her. A form rose from the edge of the stage. Sora gasped as she saw who it was.
"Tai!"
He slowly moved the gun to point at her. "You think you can get away with—" His words were cut off as two burly bouncers slammed into him, making him drop the gun and forcibly carrying him away. The audience was silent.
"Matt!" Sora turned back to her fiancé. "Oh, no, no, please no, Matt!"
His face was a ghastly shade of white, and a neat red hole marked the entrance wound, right over his heart. He opened his eyes, smiled at her—and sagged down onto the floor, his eyes suddenly unfocused and skin cold.
"Matt!" Sora sobbed, over and over. "Come back, Matt!" She draped herself over his body, sobbing, as the band stood nearby, uncertain and afraid.
The curtain fell.