'Kidnap part 1: Trial'
==Tuesday afternoon, Human World
All day, Kari had been fighting an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. She knew, without knowing how, that Gatomon was in some sort of trouble, but she had no way of checking until school was out for the day. She considered asking Kyle and Ryo to check on her, but she had no idea where her partner was. Gatomon had told her that she had to check something out in the eastern part of the digital world, but that was a day before Marine Devimon attacked part of Kyle and Ryo's home world.
At least school is out now, she thought to herself. The 'second wave' of digidestined (as Davis liked to call the group) had agreed to meet at TK's home. It was more convenient, as Cody and Yolei lived in the same building. Pity it was near the top of the apartment building.
As she exited the elevator, she nearly bumped into TK's mom. "Oh, hello Kari" she said. "TK told me you were coming over. Just knock and he should let you in." Kari thanked her, and went to the door. She went to knock, but found the door was slightly ajar. Curious, she walked in.
TK's home was a fairly small apartment; enough room for him, his mother, a small kitchen and dining area, and still had space for a small sofa, easy chair, and a TV. As she entered, she heard TK talking to someone, wait, two someones. After a second, she recognized the voices. Davis she could understand, but what was Izzy doing here?
"It is weird" TK said, "but there's no point getting worried about it until we know what caused it."
"But all those portals going down at once can't be a coincidence" Izzy replied. "I know the pattern is irregular, but it covers too wide an area. I emailed Kyle, and he and Ryo are going to set up a portal we can use; Andromon's going to give them a hand. It'll come out near Shogungeckomon's village, I figured we could use that as a staging area, if needed."
"Any idea what wrecked all the TVs" Davis asked.
"Not yet" Izzy answered. "But those portals aren't much more durable than an average TV set. Might have just been an earthquake or storm."
"Fair enough" TK's voice echoed. Kari, a bit worried, wondered what they were talking about.
"So," Davis' voice said, "have you told her yet?"
"I hardly think this is the time" Izzy's voice came back, sounding a bit hurt. Kari leaned closer. Izzy with a girlfriend, she wondered. What will Mimi think?
"I'm not saying right now, but you shouldn't leave this sort of thing off too long, that's all I'm saying. Hey, what's the worst that can happen?"
"Davis," Izzy's voice showed long-suffering patience, "do you honestly think that I can just walk up to Kari, tell her that I've had a crush on her for about a year now, and that all will just be well?"
"Yeah. What could go wrong?"
"Voice of subtlety" TK wisecracked. A sound got his attention. He walked over to the entry hall, where he saw the door closing. "Did Davis leave it open" he wondered.
==Digital World, some hours ago
"Well, that was nice" Shogungeckomon said, stretching after a long nap. "Now I'm rested and ready to carry out my duties here. Retainer, what is the first order of business?"
A ball-shaped digimon wearing a hood and carrying a sword looked over the day's agenda. "Nothing, sir" he replied.
"Eh? Nothing, Ninjamon? No taxes?"
"Paid."
"Maintenance?"
"Everything's repaired."
"My annual musical tribute?"
"The CDs will be on the shelves next week."
Shogungeckomon thought for a second. "Well, back to sleep." With that, the Ultimate digimon flopped over and fell asleep. Sighing, Ninjamon bowed and left.
Outside, the digimon reflected on the past few months. From slave to the emperor to loyal retainer for the head of this village. Not a bad life, he reflected. Though part of him wished for a rematch against Shurimon. Or that red bug...Scizormon?...that he'd heard about.
"Who's there?" Spinning around, Ninjamon searched for the source of the sound he'd heard. A faint scratch, of claw on wood. He'd lived too long to mistake sounds like that. He ran back into the room he'd just left...
And saw a shadow of silver...no, white leaving as his master screamed silently, his body de-resolving. "Master!" Ninjamon watched, horrified, as Shogungeckomon's body was completely destroyed. "Sound the alarm" he yelled. "Our Master is destroyed!" Pulling his sword out, Ninjamon chased after the shadow.
The chase went on for some minutes, Ninjamon being astonished by the agility of his quarry. Then, the assassin dropped into a shadowed alleyway, Ninjamon closing in. "Now I have you....YOU?" Ninjamon couldn't believe what he saw. For it was the face of Gatomon that stared back at him!
"Me," the dark, husky voice replied. Then her eyes glowed red, and Ninjamon fell.
==Human World (Now)
"Kari?" Yolei flinched as Kari started. "Easy! It's just me. What's wrong?" Beside her, Cody looked up at Kari, concern on his face.
"It...it's nothing" Kari replied. She had slipped out, trying to come to terms with what she had overheard. Izzy...liked her? Her, of all people?
"Some nothing" Yolei replied, not convinced. "Come on, everyone's waiting for us." Yolei led Kari inside. Cody followed, wondering what had gotten into Kari.
Inside, everyone got together in the living room. "So, what's the big emergency" Yolei asked.
"It started yesterday" Izzy said, retelling Yolei and Cody what he had told Davis, TK, and, unwittingly, Kari. "Kyle said he'd contact me once the new portal was set up, and0" a beeping noise came from Izzy's computer. "That's probably him now." Izzy opened up his laptop, accessing his email program. As he did, he wondered what had gotten into Kari; she had been looking at him oddly the whole time, and was unusually silent. He filed it away for later consideration as he read the message. "The portal's ready, but something big's happened in Shogungeckomon's village. He says he'll tell us what's happened when we get there." Everyone pulled out their digivices, and went through the portal.
==Digital World
On the other side of the portal, Kyle and Ryo waited for the other digidestined to show up. "Is Ken with you" Ryo asked as Cody came through and the portal closed.
"Nah, he lives across town" Davis said. "I let him know, and he said he'd catch up with us when he could."
"So what happened" TK asked.
Kyle and Ryo looked at each other, uncomfortable with what they were about to say. "Shogungeckomon's been destroyed." Kyle waited for that to sink in.
"H...HOW" Davis half yelled. "He's an ultimate digimon!"
"They...have a suspect. Kari, you'd better sit down." Kari did so, feeling a cold spike of fear in the pit of her stomach. "Ninjamon was there, and he was able to identify the digimon who did it."
"No...not..."
Ryo nodded. "They have Gatomon now, awaiting trial."
==
Gatomon sat in the cell, miserable. After the attack outside of Shogungeckomon's village, she had come to in a small abandoned shack. Staggering out, she had walked into an angry mob of Mushroomon and Floramon who had grabbed her and were intent on ripping the digimon apart until Starmon of all digimon had intervened and taken her here. On the way, he had told Gatomon what had happened.
"Now, I don't think you'd have done all that" Starmon reassured Gatomon, "but the evidence against ya is a mite bigger than Deputymon's ego. I'm gonna have to keep ya here until we get this investigation all done with."
Here. In jail. Outside, Gatomon heard the sound of metal on stone. "Executioners already" she wondered out loud. "Is this it?" The door opened, and Gatomon's eyes widened as Scizor, followed by the digidestined, walked in! "Kari!"
Kari ran to the door to Gatomon's cell. Starmon opened the door and the two embraced each other. "I didn't do it" Gatomon said, trying not to cry.
"I know" Kari said. "We'll find out who did."
"Umm, guys" Davis said, looking out the window. "We got company."
"What's going on" Cody asked.
"Them folks are mighty riled about Shogungeckomon. I think we got the makings of a lynch mob here."
"How bad-" June started to ask, then was cut off as a section of the wall of Gatomon's cell was torn off. As the dust cleared, the digidestined saw a small army of digimon, mostly plant type, led by an insectoid figure. The red bug hovered on wings, stinger pointed at Gatomon
"There" Flybeemon roared. "That is the one! She must pay for her manifold crimes!"
In the time it took the other digidestined to get ready to battle, Scizor interposed himself between Gatomon and the mob. While the bug pokemon didn't say anything, his expression and stance clearly invited anyone to just try coming near Gatomon. Those digimon with more sense (or weaker spines) backed off, but a few of them rallied around Flybeemon, still calling for Gatomon's life.
"Out of the way, pal. You have no idea what that...thing has done!" Scizor narrowed his eyes, urge to use this interloper as target practice almost overwhelming.
"Enough!" Several throwing stars landed between the two monsters. Ninjamon appeared between the two. "That's enough, both of you! Everyone go home NOW!" The crowd dispersed, Flybeemon staring balefully at Gatomon, then flying off. "It is a good thing I stopped you" Ninjamon said to Scizor. "That crowd would have torn you apart." He stopped, and appraised the bug pokemon. Then again, he thought, maybe not. He's got to be an armour digimon, maybe even a mid range Champion level. "What's your name?"
"Scizor."
==
"And that's everything" Ninjamon said, recounting the events of Shogungeckomon's passing. "I'm sorry to have to put you through this, but that is what I saw."
"But...Gatomon couldn't have done all that" Kari protested.
"It's a sad fact, but there are still some who believe that she could" Ninjamon replied. "Some digimon haven't forgotten Myotismon yet." Gatomon, sitting beside Kari, stiffened a bit.
"I got it" Cody said. "It must be a Bakemon that did it! We've seen one change into a likeness of Gatomon before."
"Sadly, no" Starmon said. "A Bakemon can change its shape, but it can't use the powers of a digimon. And Ninjamon said that he got hit by a hypnosis attack that matches Gatomon's."
"What's up with that guy leading the mob" Davis asked. "Waspmon?"
"Flybeemon" Ninjamon said. "He came here recently. He's pretty old, for a champion level digimon. Keeps to himself a lot, lousy at a party. I don't know what he's got against Gatomon."
"Maybe it was another Gatomon" TK said. "We've seen duplicate digimon before."
"It is possible" Starmon said, "but Gatomon's appearance here makes her the only suspect we have. If I let her go, we got a whole town blowin' higher than up."
"Then I'll stay" Gatomon said. "The only way out of this is for me to prove to everyone I didn't do it!"
"You mean 'we' have to prove it" Ryo said. "Can you hold the trial off till the weekend?"
"I don't know" Starmon said. "The town's pretty strung up. Ah, sorry," he said to Gatomon.
"The longer, the better, then" Kyle said. "We'll have a better chance if everyone's calmed down."
"I don't get it" Cody asked. "Shogungeckomon will come back right?"
"It's not that easy" Patamon said. "When you're reformatted, you lose almost everything. And there's no guarantee that you'll come back the same digimon, if you don't have a partner." TK put his hand on Patamon's head, remembering the fight against Devimon.
"But what do we do until then" Yolei asked. "I want to help too, but how do we explain to our parents that were trying to solve a murder mystery?"
"That's why I want to hold the trial off until the weekend" Ryo said. "Kyle and I can poke around here, try to build a case up."
"I'm a trainer, not Officer Jenny" Kyle said, trying to lighten the mood a bit. Davis groaned, as did the partner digimon there. "Hey, we'll figure it out, no worries." The digidestined got ready to leave. As they did, Ninjamon pulled Kari aside.
"Kari" he said, "I am experienced with deception to some degree. I told you what I saw. That is not necessarily what happened."
Kari nodded. "Thanks."
==
The week passed slowly for Kari. Anyone who saw her wondered if she had become a basket case, though anyone saying so usually had to deal with either Davis, TK, or the pair, which was enough to knock anyone back. Davis and TK co-operating on something? Unthinkable! Though she didn't say anything, she was grateful for the privacy the two boys were giving her. Keeping up with school was hard enough as she waited for the trial to start.
==
It was slow going for Kyle and Ryo too, but they didn't notice it as much; they quickly became so wrapped up. Kyle's first thought was to check the place where Shogungeckomon was killed; "not the most original idea," he admitted, "but it's a start."
After two days of going over the crime scene, and retracing the path that Ninjamon followed in his pursuit, both trainers were nearly ready to throw up their hands. "I just don't get it" Ryo said, frustrated. "Nothing adds up!"
"I know" Kyle replied. "Even if Shogungeckomon was asleep, there's no way Gatomon could have nailed him in one shot."
"What puzzles me is why whoever did this didn't finish Ninjamon. From what he said, he got hypnotized, knocked out. Why would you leave a witness behind?"
"And stagger out of an abandoned shack the next day like you'd gone five rounds with a Gyarados, yeah. You see anything" Kyle asked Cyberarcanine.
The armoured pokemon looked up. "Maybe. Come here." The two trainers and their pokemon came over to where Cyberarcanine was. "Look closely. What do you see?"
Charmeleon squinted. "Looks like a pair of slash marks."
"A pair, yes. Gatomon's gloves have three claws, not two."
"It's a start" Kyle said.
==Wednesday
Kari knocked on the door to Izzy's home. His father opened the door. "Oh, hello Kari. Did you want to talk to Izzy?"
"Yes, please" Kari replied, trying not to show any emotion in her voice.
Tch, she's figured it out, Izzy's father thought to himself, reading Kari's expression. "Well, he's in his room, I'll go get him."
"It's OK, it's kind of private." Kari trailed off, not sure what else to say. Izzy's father nodded, and showed Kari in.
Izzy's room door was slightly open, so she let herself in. She saw Izzy at his computer, Tentomon sitting beside him. The two were focussed on the screen, Kari noting that he had some kind of internet chat window open.
"Two slashes, huh" Izzy mused, unaware that Kari had entered. "Well, it's a start. Tentomon, What does Gatomon's Lightning Paw attack do? Is it a cutting attack?"
"No" Tentomon replied, "it's more of a swipe than a cut. It's like Scizor's Quick Attack; not as powerful as some Champion level attacks, but it's much faster and more accurate."
"What's really confusing" Izzy went on, "is that Gatomon doesn't have
nearly enough power to be able to take out an Ultimate digimon in one shot.
Certainly not quickly enough
to get out before Ninjamon came back. What do you think Tentomon? Tentomon?"
Izzy looked at his partner, who was looking at the door to his room. Turning
in his seat, he saw Kari standing there, face unreadable.
Tentomon looked at Kari, and said "I'll just let myself out" to no one in particular, before flying out of the room.
There was an awkward silence between the two digidestined. Izzy finally broke it. "Well, I was just talking to Ryo and Kyle, they said that they might be able to find proof that Gatomon didn't do it, and the trial's been set to Friday so we can go there and be there if we're needed and I know you'll want to be there-"
"Stop" Kari said quietly, cutting Izzy off. Izzy stumbled verbally, and did so. "I heard everything."
"Oh," Izzy said quietly, misreading Kari's tone. "I'm sorry, I got a bit carried away."
"No. On Tuesday afternoon. I heard you and TK and Davis talking." Kari walked over to the edge of Izzy's bed and sat down, facing the boy. She saw Izzy realize what she was talking about. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Izzy stammered, unable to make a coherent reply. Finally, "I was scared."
"Of me?"
"Of me" Izzy said. "I thought you might laugh, or I might blow it and scare you away. I...I'm not good at that sort of thing, like Davis."
Kari blinked. "You thought Davis was...was good at..." Kari couldn't help it, she started laughing. After a few seconds, Izzy realized how silly he sounded, and started laughing too. After a few minutes, they calmed a bit, the laughter having dispelled some of Kari's uneasiness.
"No...He was good at telling people how he felt" Izzy managed after recovering. "That's what I envied. He could just say what he felt. No holding back or hiding, he just said it."
"That is one of his nicer points," Kari agreed, "but a bit of tact never hurt." Kari took one of Izzy's hands in hers. "Izzy, you could never scare me away. But I had no idea you felt like that about me. Though it seems like everyone else did."
"Well, TK did say that, yeah."
Kari sighed, and stood up. "Maybe," she said, "after this is over, we can talk about this properly?"
"I'd like that."
==
Gatomon stayed in her cell the whole week. It was Wednesday, and it was a few hours yet before the digidestined would be able to arrive. She heard a door open. She looked up, wondering if Kari had snuck out of school early. Her heart fell when she saw Flybeemon enter.
"So, still waiting? Just to let you know, I'm prosecuting you. And I will be there when they wipe you out." Gatomon stepped back, confused by the hostility this digimon was showing.
"Why? What did I ever do to you?"
"You don't remember? How about this name: Kunemon Plateau." Gatomon shrank back, as if the name itself wounded her. "So, you do remember. I was there too; I was just a rookie digimon, but I swore if I survived I'd hunt you down. I knew this whole 'good little digimon' thing was just an act."
"No...please..."
"TOO LATE" Flybeemon roared. "I'm gonna get revenge for what you did!" His stinger snapped up, aiming at Gatomon...
A bubble of air slammed into Flybeemon, knocking him away from the cell, causing the stinger to fly wide, and imbed itself in the wall. Gatomon saw Patamon fly up, ready to fire again. He didn't get the chance, as Eevee, rage apparent in his eyes, tackled Flybeemon and drove the enraged digimon into the wall. Starmon and Scizor ran in, wondering what the noise was.
Flybeemon got up, got ready to attack, and saw that, even if he did get past Scizor and Starmon, who were blocking him now, his chances against the other two monsters were low; the evolution pokemon looked quite ready to attack again, as did Patamon. "Later" Flybeemon snorted, walking out.
"You all OK" Starmon asked Patamon and Eevee nodded, still keyed up and wondering if Flybeemon was going to attack again. "I don't know how he got in, but he ain't doing it again!"
"You OK" Patamon started to ask, then stopped when he saw Gatomon sitting down, weeping quietly. He shared a look with Eevee, who shot a look at Starmon. He pulled out a key, and let Eevee and Patamon into the cell. Scizor and Starmon left the room.
"Hey, don't worry, he's gone now" Patamon said.
"It...it's not that" Gatomon sobbed. "Maybe I do deserve this. I've done enough terrible things..."
"That's a lie and you know it" Eevee snapped.
"You don't know" Gatomon snapped back. "But I was terrible..."
==Years ago, digital world
Myotismon looked over the plateau. "So, this is where the resistance is hiding. My agents have ferreted out most of the rebels, but the leader is in there somewhere. Gatomon, go find them. You know the price of failure."
Gatomon nodded. "At once, my lord" she said coldly. She headed into the village, looking for the leader of the rebels. "Baromon" she called, "Come out and face me!" The ring on her tail glowed softly, warning her of an attack. Jumping, she just avoided the meteor that slammed into the ground near where she just was. "There you are!"
"I am here, Gatomon. Where is your master?" Baromon circled Gatomon warily, waiting for an attack.
"Myotismon doesn't have time to waste on insignificant fools like you. As for me, well, my calendar is wide open." At that point, a net covered Gatomon. At first, she tried to break through the gossamer-like web, but a painful surge of electricity stopped her.
"Now Baromon" the Kunemon said. "Finish her off before Myotismon gets here!" Growling, Gatomon swiveled around, and hypnotized the rookie digimon. Kunemon fell asleep, and the net fell away.
"You always hide behind rookie digimon?"
"Well, your master does it a lot." Baromon shot forward, fireball building in his hand. Gatomon dodged to the side, and as the digimon passed by, Gatomon got behind him, and struck the digimon with a fully powered Lightning Paw. Baromon staggered from the blow, then looked at Gatomon. "I...I see..." he said, then disintegrated.
Gatomon regarded the Kunemon, still asleep. "You're not worth it" she said, walking back.
==
"After that, Myotismon's forces rolled over the place. With Baromon gone, there was no one strong enough to match Myotismon. Those Kunemon he didn't destroy either escaped, or were enslaved."
"The Dokugumon we fought" Patamon said. "That was...?"
"Yes. That place was where Myotismon built his castle."
The three sat silently for a time. Then, Eevee spoke. "You didn't have a choice...?"
"If I failed, Myotismon would have tortured me. Even when I thought I did as he told me, I was..." Gatomon pulled one of her gloves off, revealing an 'X' shaped scar on the back of her paw. "He told me once that this was a reminder of what happens when I fail, that even his best assassins were still under his power..." Patamon and Eevee winced.
"But you weren't, even then" Patamon said. "You could have destroyed that Kunemon that attacked you, but you left him alone."
"And if this Myotismon guy is as bad as everyone says he was" Eevee added, "then you've got nothing to be ashamed of; Digitamamon was one of his agents, and he's come out OK."
"And if it wasn't for you, we'd never have beaten Myotismon. Or the Dark Masters."
Gatomon finally smiled a bit. "Thanks."
"No prob," Eevee said. "We angels gotta stick together, right?"
Next Episode:
The trial begins, and the digidestined must prove Gatomon is innocent.
But, the Dark Ocean makes its move, and Sneasel is revealed to the digidestined.
Next time on Digimon: Digicross...
'Sneasel's Gambit'