Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. Let's leave it at that.

Balaammon

Gatomon was rudely deposited on a stone tile floor in front of an elaborate throne. Sitting on this throne was a giant black cat digimon. He wore necklaces, bracelets, anklets, and belts of colorful feathers interspersed with bones, with various animal skulls for pendants. He looked at the smaller digimon with disdain and irritation. Around the shadowy, spacious room, Gatomon saw various other terrifying digimon watching her intently.

"Well…well…well," the black feline spoke, "look what the bat dragged in. I find it hard to believe this pathetic creature is the protector of the Digidestined of Light."

"Who are you?" Gatomon demanded.

"I am Balaammon, ruler of this…"

"You're Balaammon?" she spat. "What do you want with Kari!"

"You'll find out in good time," he replied coldly. "Tzabkaanmon, Sinanmon, tie her up."

Monsters resembling a rattlesnake and a scorpion came forward. Gatomon soon found herself wrapped tightly in rope, and hanging upside-down.

"Now," said Balaammon, "we wait for your friend the Digidestined of Kindness to take the bait."

It didn't take long. Less than an hour later, Ken burst through the door. His eyes sought Gatomon, then locked onto her like the room wasn't full of terrifying monsters.

"You do know this is a trap, right?" Gatomon's voice didn't hold even a trace of the fear she felt.

Ken started walking towards her, but realized he couldn't possibly free her under the circumstances. "Let her go!" he demanded.

"You're a brave little human," Balaammon said approvingly. "Barging in here with all of these demons, and demanding the life of this runt. She's not even your digimon; she's Kari's. How unfortunate she couldn't be here."

"What do you want with us?" Ken asked.

"You're power." Balaammon sounded as if this should be obvious. "Light and Dark—both powerful on their own, but if I wielded them together…I would be almost invincible."

"Our power," Ken repeated incredulously. "How exactly did you think you could get it?"

Balaammon tapped his claw on the armrest of his stone throne as he spoke. "At first I thought I could trick you into releasing it by having some of my servants attack you, but I think that plan was fundamentally flawed. Your power doesn't quite work like that, I think. First, of course, I had to get you down here. I sent my messengers to bring you."

The four owlmon landed in the rafters above the throne. "Sorry we are, you digidestined. You digimon as well," they apologized. "Merely we messengers. Merely we are ordered, merely we obey."

Balaammon silenced them with a harsh look. "Your latent power makes you very sensitive to psychic impressions. I took advantage of that to send you dreams that would make you separate from your group to discuss them. This part of the plan worked perfectly. But then my incompetent messengers got her"—he glared at Gatomon—"instead of the girl."

"So your plan failed. Why don't you let us go," Ken said. His words had a threatening undercurrent.

"You didn't let me finish," Balaammon chided. "I now believe the only way someone could use your power is if you give it up willingly. My new plan was to corrupt you and Kari, and the three of us could wield your combined power together."

"Corrupt Kari?" Ken snickered. "Good luck."

"I was more worried about you, actually. Sometimes doing evil once makes it easier to fall into it again—like a drug. But in other cases once someone turns from evil to good, no force can make him turn back—like chicken pox, you might say. I fear you may be the latter. Which is why you are free to go. The owlmon will create a portal that will take you back to the digital world."

"And what about Gatomon?" The human's hands clenched into fists.

Balaammon smiled, displaying long, yellowed fangs. "We will keep her here, send a message to the Digidestined of Light, and torture her to death if her partner does not come."

"No way!" Ken shouted.

Balaammon adopted a self-satisfied expression. "You are so predictable, human. There is another solution I'm considering. One, I think, you will find acceptable."

"What?"

"My sources tell me you're very good at ball. We enjoy a good ballgame around here even more than torture and carnage. Play me, one-on-one, no powers involved. If you win, you and Gatomon will both be returned unharmed."

"And if you win?" Ken asked suspiciously.

"You give me access to your power. And we keep Gatomon."

Ken examined Balaammon's muscular bulk. "How do I know you'll keep your end of the bargain?"

"We denizens of the demon underworld may love to cheat, steal, and backstab—big fans of your administration, by the way—but we are incapable of breaking promises. It simply isn't in our nature. Perhaps whatever power put the worlds together gave us this as our major handicap. Besides, how do I know you won't break your end of the bargain if you lose? We'd kill you, of course, but you'd probably prefer that. I guess we'll just have to trust each other. Is it a deal?"

"Ken, NO!" Gatomon shouted.

Ken looked back and forth from Gatomon to Balaammon. "Deal," he said darkly