Replacement

Odaiba junior high...

The classroom was filled with the buzz of talking kids. T.K sat alone in the back, disposing of old papers as he emptied out his backpack of unwanted cargo. This week's gossip: the broken friendship between him and Kari.

"I heard he and Kari broke up."

"They weren't even together!"

"Well, I just know that they're no longer friends." T.K ignored the whispers. He did, however, get annoyed by all the ogling eyes that stared at him, watching his every move.

"What are you all looking at?" T.K's outburst startled the class. Everyone became silent and only footsteps were heard.

"What did you do to Kari T.K?" Yolie made her way through the crowd and slammed her hands on T.K's desk.

T.K kept his cool and replied in a flat tone. "Nothing."

"Then why was she crying?"

"She was crying?" T.K took sudden interest

"Yeah, she said something about you and a fight and...wait, don't change the subject! So what did you do?"

"I didn't do anything to her! It's Tai who I have a problem with."

"Tai?"

"Yeah, we got into a fight yesterday."

"Are you hurt?"

"No, it was more verbally."

"What about?"

"He was speaking ill of Matt and he even threatened me!"

"Oh my.."

"And he told me to stay away from Kari! He's forbidding her to socialize with me, Sora, or Matt."

"Sora and Matt? What do they have to do with this?" Cody popped up from behind Yolie; having listened to their conversation as he made his way to his desk.

"I don't know..." T.K looked at his desk as he pondered about the situation and Yolie and Cody just looked at each other and shrugged.

"Don't worry about it T.K." Yolie put her hand on his shoulder "We'll figure this out; everything is going to be ok."

"Thanks, Yolie."

RING! The alarming bell silenced the chattering. Everyone turned to look at it and then sat on their desks, waiting for their teacher to arrive.

Odaiba high- after school...

Having good grades and a good reputation among the teachers really paid off when you needed something. After having asked if they could use the music room, Matt and his band sat alone in the room, practicing for their upcoming gig. Well, if you could call it "practicing." They were mostly just goofing off and eating junk food.

"Hey guys check this out." Matt grabbed his friends' attention by putting fries up his nose; one in each nostril.

His friends burst out laughing at the sight, but grew quiet and weary as they noticed their intruder. Matt still chuckled as he turned around to see what his friends were looking at. Kitty stood at the entrance of the room, giving an uncertain smile.

"Uh, I'll handle this." Matt whispered to his friends as he disposed of the soiled fries and fixed his hair and smoothed out his wrinkled shirt.

He walked over to Kitty, grabbing her by the arm and leading her outside.

"What's wrong?" She asked as he abruptly let go of her arm as if it burned him.

"What do you want?" His cobalt azure eyes glared at her.

"I wanted to see you."

"Why, so you can slap me again?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb with me."

"Matt, I seriously don't know what you're talking about."

"Yeah right. Don't play games; I don't want to have anything to do with you." Matt turned in disgust, ready to leave when he remembered something. "Here, take it, I don't want it." he threw her the phone and walked away

Kitty furrowed her eyebrows in anger and left. 'Ken's not going to like this.'

Ken's house...

Wormmon sat helplessly on Ken's bed as he lectured Kitty.

"How could you screw this up?" he shouted at her. "They're supposed to be against each other, not against you!"

"Sorry, I don't know what happened." Kitty repented her mistakes

Ken was about to respond, but then stopped to think. "I think we have to get rid of her."

Both Kitty and Wormmon looked up in surprise and fear. "Get rid of her?" Kitty asked

"Yes, she's messing this up." Ken sat on his chair and folded his arms across his chest. "I want you to bring her to me, then I'll deal with her." he smirked.

The next day- Odaiba high, after school...

Tai had just been dismissed from soccer practice after picking a fight with the referee; he furiously exited the field. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" he mumbled under his breath.

Without notice, he walked in on the tennis courts, which were surprisingly empty. He paced around, examining the courts when he noticed a lone figure in the distance. It was her.

Tai curiously and silently made his way through the bushes and got closer to the girl. "What is she doing?" he saw her walking through a court; fiddling with the net. It had been days since she had played; her hand was still injured.

He watched her with sorrow, guilt, and longing. How he wanted to run to her and hug her. To feel her warmth, smell her scent, and hear the soothing lullaby of her delicate voice. Lost in a pool of emotions, Tai didn't notice when Sora was out of sight. He stood up and walked around; searching for her.

Sora had been lured by the sound of a crying cat. It seemed to be coming from inside the school; in the girl's locker room. She followed the whimpers and searched for the creature through the sea of lockers. "Here kitty, kitty, kitty."

Tai listened to her callings from outside the door. He smiled at her concern for the lost cat. Suddenly, a loud screech was heard followed by a loud and hard thump of a falling body. Tai's ears perked up and without hesitation, he entered the locker room, searching for Sora.

"Sora?" he whispered, trying not to be caught if in the case there were girls in there.

"Sora, can you hear me?" he walked from isle to isle

A small cry of pain echoed through out the room, coming from an unknown place due to its resonating sound. The cry was then followed by muffled screams and curses and ended with another cry of pain. Silence permeated the room.

"Sora?" Tai now frantically ran around the room.

He stopped between two isles of lockers where he noticed a rope that was slightly tainted with blood on the tip. He observed the object when he heard the door opening. He ran to it and caught a glimpse of what appeared to be Sora. Confused, Tai observed the rope once more when he heard the door open once more and laughter of two unknown girls was heard. "Crap!"

Tai silently dodged the girls and quickly exited through the back door. Outside, Sora was no where to be seen. It was as if she had vanished from the face of the earth.

Ken's house...

"Here she is." Kitty carelessly shoved Sora into Ken's room, causing her to fall on the floor.

"Did my parents see you?"

"Your dad was sleeping on the couch so he didn't hear me come in and your mom was too busy washing the dishes."

"Good."

"What are you going to do with her master?"

"I'm taking her to the digital world."

"Why there?"

"Because no one will look for her there."

Sora's eyes widened in horror. Is this really happening? Wormmon had a grave expression on his face; he seemed to feel sympathy for the girl.

Ken picked Sora up by the hair and secured tape over her mouth so she wouldn't scream. "Let's go." he looked at Kitty

"Wormmon, stay here and stall in case my parents come looking for me."

Wormmon nodded at his orders and watched Ken and Kitty take their prisoner through the screen of the computer; taking her and locking her away so she can be replaced by her Doppelganger, Kitty.

TBC...