Chapter 3: Many Meetings

TK leapt quickly out of the box car he had taken to Chicago. It hadn't taken very long for him to realize that he was going to need all his money for food, the solution: sneak onto a train bound for Chicago, not exactly something he had done before but it had worked out. He snuck out of the train yard careful not to be seen and headed in a direction that seemed collegey, and like everything else so far left it all up to chance.

Melissa ran like she never had before, pure adrenaline fueling her actions. Her sanity was stretched to the limits and beginning to fray. It was still following her, she could feel It. Her feeling was all she had to go on, because she was too afraid to look back behind her. In a fit of brilliance she ducked into an alley, dove behind a dumpster, and curled up into a ball burying her head in her arms and breathing heavily.

TK leaned back in the chair he was sitting in. His college search had proved fruitless, but he had found a good and pretty much deserted pizza parlor. He was just agreeing with Patamon that the pizza was better here than at home when he heard someone behind him click their tongue. "Well look what the cat, or should I say batpig, dragged in." a woman's voice commented.

TK turned and found himself facing yet another old friend, "Uh , hi Sora what brings you here?" he asked the red head nervously.

"How about you TK; why don't you explain what you're doing here?" Sora prodded him.

TK was suddenly hit by a brilliant bit of inspiration, "You're still Tai's girlfriend right?" he asked.

Sora rolled her eyes, "No, I'm only visiting this country, and the town he goes to school in, and waiting here for him because I hate him." she said sarcastically.

So Tai would be here soon, TK filed that fact away in his head. "So it's fair to say you know where he lives?" TK continued.

"What do you want?" Sora asked suspiciously.

TK took a deep breath, it was now or never. "I need to fix things with Kari." He explained. "The only problem is that I have no idea where she lives."

Sora smiled a smile that was both happy and laughing at him. She wrote something down on a napkin and handed it to him. "Now get out of here before Tai gets here." she commanded.

TK quickly finished his pizza, grabbed his stuff, and paid. He walked quickly down the street in a daze; he had her address, there was no way he could be stopped, everything was perfect. Then someone walked or rather ran into him.

Kari was actually happy she had given in to her mother's wishes, though she wouldn't admit it to anyone. The music was great and she couldn't help but think that she had heard of the main band back home, of course they were from Odaiba. She had chatted with some people from school, and a couple of her brother's loser friends had even tried to hit on her.

Kari walked over to the wall and leaned against it. Her head was pounding and she felt like falling to her knees and screaming. And in the back of her mind she could feel an aura of darkness growing around her. It's just the music she told herself, just the loud pulsing music. Someone chuckled behind her and the feeling of darkness exploded forcing her to stumble backwards.

"Never thought I'd see you again my pet." the person said.

Kari shivered; she knew who it was without looking. Richard. The man she hated almost as much as she hated TK. What TK had done to her emotionally; Richard had done to her physically, and doubtless taken more pleasure in it. She backed away shakily, her hands grasping her splitting head until she felt a wall behind her. In her mind's eye she saw Richard's hand reach out, but it never reached her.

When she opened her eyes she realized that she had been chanting 'No!' over and over. Then she saw Richard's hands clawing at his throat trying to get what looked like a keychain lanyard off his neck. As his struggles began to get feeble the man choking Richard released him and Richard feel face first onto the ground gasping weakly for air.

The man behind Richard was tall and thin with short brown hair, he was dressed in green pants and a black shirt with a rattlesnake on the front, and over his eyes were sunglasses. He stepped forward and reached out. Gatomon was between him and Kari in a second, "Don't come any closer." She hissed her claws ready.

To the surprise of all three of them a skull hopped in front of the man. "Don't you dare lay a paw on him." it warned.

Again surprisingly the man began to laugh. "Your loyalty, bravery, and devotion are all duly noted Skullmon," he said, "but be real the cat could kick your ass, easily, remember your limits." He turned back to Kari, "Now would you like a hand getting up, black haired girl who looks traumatized?" he asked as he reached his hand out again.

Kari took her hand and let him pull her to her feet. "Thanks," she said, "I'm Kari."

"Jack." Jack said shaking her hand. "You wanna go backstage and ditch this asshole?" he asked nodding towards Richard.

Kari nodded and Jack led her towards the door that led to the area behind the stage. As they neared the stage the girl singing gave Jack the finger. Almost reflexively Jack returned the favor and yelled something about later. When they got to the door Kari wondered how they would get past security but, the guard merely nodded to Jack and let them through.

They went up a small staircase and then Kari saw him. He was leaning against the wall wearing the same clothes his brother always had when the first met. Kari lunged forward ready to give him the beating she had always said she would. Kari made it three steps before Jack grabbed her.

"Do I really want to know why you brought a disgruntled fan back here?" Matt asked Jack who was still holding back the struggling Kari.

"I'm no disgruntled fan!" Kari yelled. "You're saying you don't remember me you asshole! Now you're really going to get it!"

Matt scratched his head, "Do I know you?" he asked the girl.

"She says her name is Kari." Jack said above the curses Kari was flinging at Matt. "Mean anything to you?" he asked.

Matt smiled and chuckled a little. "So sorry Kari," he said, "I dint recognize you with black hair." The only reply he got was more cursing, "You also seem to have me confused with my kid brother." he added.

Kari looked away sheepishly. "Sorry," she mumbled, "it's been three years and I kind of jumped to conclusions. You and he do look a lot alike though."

Matt continued chuckling, "Yeah, we both have blonde hair, blue eyes, and are stunningly handsome." Kari rolled her eyes at the last one.

Jack leaned back against the wall and watched the two, apparently, old friends talk. He wondered why Kari was so pissed at Matt's younger brother, even after three years. As his mind wandered an event flashed before his eyes. He saw powder, a plastic tube, a guy on the floor laughing stupidly, another guy apparently passed out on the floor, Kari crying, and a blonde girl that looked concerned. Jack brought his hand up to his head. The headache that had been bugging him for the past couple weeks was back, and with a vengeance.

"Jack, get over here now." Matt ordered.

Jack looked up, the girl was gone and Matt was arguing with someone on his cell phone. "Yes mom, I'll keep an eye out for him." Matt said. Okay mom, okay, bye." he hung up the phone. Matt looked over at Jack, "I've got a request." he said, Jack raised an eyebrow.

TK pushed the girl that had run into him off himself and stood up. "Why don't you watch where you're going." he spat.

"Why don't you stay out of my way!" she yelled back twice as vehemently.

Suddenly she heard something and her eyes widened. She leapt behind TK using his legs as cover. "It's back, It's back, It's back." she mumbled repeatedly her voice getting more and more frantic each time.

TK scanned the night searching for 'It.' Then he saw It: the tall black body, the horned head, the long arms, the hole filled wings. A specter of his past, it was the creature he still had nightmares about; even after nearly ten years. "Devimon." Patamon hissed from TK's shoulder.

Devimon just glared at them for a moment then vanished back into the shadows. TK started after his old nemesis, but the girl grabbed his ankle preventing him from moving. "You're not going anywhere." She told him as she got to her feet.

TK couldn't believe this girl; one minute she was on the ground scared out of her wits, and the next she was ordering him around. "What do you want?" he asked gruffly.

"You are now my …" she trailed off when she saw Patamon. "Awww what a cute little digimon you are." she cooed as she cuddled the batpig.

TK sweat dropped, "Weren't you just busy commanding me?" he asked.

The girl looked over at him, "Don't interrupt me." she commanded. "As I was saying, because you're the only one It has ever been afraid of you are now my personal bodyguard."

TK shook his head and turned to leave, Patamon fluttered over to him and landed on his hat. "Forget it." he told her, "I have things to do." As he left he failed to hear the girl's footsteps behind him. Abruptly he stopped and smacked himself.

"What's wrong TK?" Patamon asked.

"I just realized we have no way to get to New York." he said glumly.

Behind him the girl laughed, "Sounds like you now need me as much as I need you." she noted.

"You could -" TK began but the girl cut him off.

"Easily." she stated. "And my name is Melissa, I suggest you use it."

"I'm going to New York to get back together with my old girlfriend." TK warned her in case she was getting ideas of that sort.

Melissa shrugged and rolled her eyes. "Tell her I'm your cousin." she suggested. She smiled at him evilly, "And use my name blondie."

"TK," TK said, "my name is TK not blondie, Melissa."