Hi there guys. Hope you're all adjusting to Day Light Savings better than I am. I'm still not used to it. ^^; Anyway, we have a nice good chapter for you guys with plenty of that Takumi fluff that I think you'll enjoy.

"Takara Matsudaira" - Welcome to the show my friend. I hope you're enjoying the ride so far. We still got quite a bit to go so hope you stick around for more.

"Kameo1" - You can thank Kouichi for that. He's always got something planned, that devious mastermind. As for Kouji, we won't hear from him for a while but trust me, we'll hear his opinion on the whole thing and then some. In the meantime, enjoy some fluff and chaos.

"The Keeper of Worlds" - Agunimon would rock, I have to totally agree with you. As for the Spirits of Water... ^^; sorry but we won't be seeing much from her. We already have one spirit out in world as you'll see.

"Firehedgehog" - Thanks friend. Hope you enjoy this chapter too.

"wentvoltage123" - What can I say, we know how to wreck some internal damage on this boy's mental state. If you think this is rough, you ain't seen nothing yet. In the meantime, enjoy.

Hope to hear more from all you guys reading next week. And with that said, I won't keep you any longer.

Chapter 25: Radioactive.

The following days leading up to the inevitable holidays were nearly unbearable for Takuya. He watched as Ms. Kimura and Kouichi decorated and went about the holidays.

His injuries had healed, but they were still sore and his pride was still wounded. He didn't want to participate in the decorating, or watch holiday films, or anything to do with it. It pained him thinking his own family, who had disowned him would be celebrating the season without him and not miss him in the slightest.

"Come on Takuya, Please? Mom wants us to help her make cookies!" Kouichi pleaded that Friday night.

Takuya shrugged him away, "I'm not in the mood Kouichi..."

"Come on Takuya, you know how good these cookies are." Kouichi persisted, not wanting the Digimon boy to continue down this downward slope to depression.

Takuya sighed. "I'm not really all that hungry right now." He curled up in the couch and sighed again.

"Takuya…" The older twin sighed and tried pulling his friend off the couch but Takuya absolutely refused to move an inch from his spot. "Come on, you need to get up."

"Kouichi, everything going okay in here?" Tomoko asked, sticking her head into the living room to check on the boys. She wasn't expecting to find Kouichi struggling to pull Takuya free from the couch. "What in the world is going on here?"

"He won't budge…" her son explained, still trying to pry Takuya from his spot.

Tomoko sighed. She moved Kouichi back and into the kitchen. "Then let Takuya alone. He needs to have some space."

"Mom... He's isolating himself- he's depressed!" Kouichi argued, concerned for his friend.

The mother knelt before her son, "I know you're worried Sweetie, but you need to give Takuya some room. Forcing the holidays on him isn't going to make him feel any better."

"But-"

"Kouichi, imagine if you were him right now," she soothed, "Just let him have some room. He'll come around. Besides, you know he can't resist cookies."

Her last remark got the boy to smile, "Yeah, alright. Let's make some cookies and get Takuya out of his funk."

Takuya overheard them but didn't respond. He knew they were just trying to help but Takuya just couldn't feel the spirit of the things. Sure his time with Zoe was nice but it didn't do away with his feelings of abandonment.

What's worse, he was forced to stay cooped up in this house because he was no longer human. Anyone who'd see him would just see a monster or some wild beast.

The Digimon boy sighed weakly and curled up tighter in his spot.

"Mom, you sure this will work?" Kouichi asked, peaking into the living room. "He's been like this all week."

"Try to be patient Kouichi. I told you, we can't force these things." The mother replied while keeping busy. "Besides, tomorrow will most definitely turn things for the better."

"I hope so... Takuya's already had it pretty hard. I just want him to feel better." Kouichi said softly, rolling out the cookie dough. He cut out shapes with the cookie cutters and laid them on a tray.

Ms. Kimura hugged her son closely after putting the last tray in the oven. "He'll be okay Kouichi. And If Takuya's not okay, we'll help him."

The cookies were pulled out of the oven after the timer rang to cool. "Takuya? Would you like to come decorate the cookies with us?" Tomoko called from the doorway with a hot tray of cookies in her protected hands. She hoped maybe the smell would be enough to entice the depressed Digimon.

The scent of freshly baked cookies filled the air and Takuya took notice to it in an instant. His sensitive nose had picked up the scent almost instantly. He turned his gaze to the doorway where Mrs. Kimura was standing.

She had gotten his attention, now she just needed to get him out of his spot.

Takuya wasn't sure what to make of it all. He knew they were trying to help him; they had been trying all week to lift up his spirits. It's just been difficult for anything to brighten his mood.

The Digimon boy sighed and stood up from his seat. He could at least humor them he supposed. It got a smile from Tomoko when he approached the kitchen.

Kouichi smiled and lead Takuya to the kitchen table. He had laid out all colors of frosting and small candies to decorate the assorted varieties of cookies.

He smiled at Takuya, "Ready to have some fun Takuya?"

Takuya looked up, with half a cookie in his mouth. Kouichi grinned.

"If you don't eat them all."

The boy swallowed the rest of the cookie and smiled sheepishly. "I was hungry."

"Told you the cookies would work." Tomoko whispered to her son before going back to decorating the cookies. "Now our only worry is making sure he doesn't eat too many."

"I don't think that can be helped Mom." Her son replied as Takuya not so subtly snuck another cookie. Kouichi couldn't help but grin at how Takuya's mood was changing. "Good thing we made a whole lot of them."

Takuya savored the sweet taste and reached for another.

"Takuya, save the appetite for after we're finished." Tomoko warned, not taking her eye off her work.

He retracted his hand and instead went for the frosting, "Alright." He got a cookie and started to decorating it. He snuck a few pieces of candy that were broken or just needed to be eaten.

Tomoko stood after a while, leaving the boys to work on their cookies. She smiled at how easy it was to make Takuya forget his sorrows and pain. She started making dinner for the three of them, something simple and hot to counter the chilly day.

She had noticed Takuya's preference to raw food, particularly meat. She wasn't sure if this was the Digimon or whether he truly liked rare meat and vegetables.

"Alright boys, it's time for dinner." Tomoko called to the boys, getting their attention in an instant. She rolled her eyes, amused with how speedy the duo was to sit at the table.

Dinner was thankfully uneventful, Takuya's mood taking no change for the worse when they ate. Tomoko and Kouichi were both grateful that food seemed to be able to help Takuya for the better.

"Thank you for the meal Mrs. Kimura." Takuya said with his mouth full.

"Well, I'm glad you're feeling better Takuya." Tomoko replied, smiling at the Digimon boy.

He nodded with a smile and looked over to the numerous trays of cookies. "So, what'd you make all these cookies for? I lost count after the last batch."

"To eat and to share," she replied.

Takuya nodded, continuing to shovel food down his throat. Kouichi and his mother smiled as Takuya devoured his food.

"Slow down or you could choke!" Kouichi exclaimed with a light laugh. Takuya slowed down, heeding his friend's warning with a sheepish grin.

"Alright."

"You sure have an appetite today don't you?" Tomoko mused, letting Takuya have another serving.

Takuya grinned. "Yeah, well… I guess I was really hungry." He replied and put his plate away after finishing up. "so, um, what're we going to do now? The cookies are all decorated."

Tomoko pondered it for a moment but smiled. "Well, we could always watch some of those cheesy Godzilla movies you like so much."

That just got a large smile on Takuya's face; being one who's always enjoyed a good old fashioned monster movie, Godzilla in particular was one of his favorite franchises. "That sounds really cool."

With that the trio sat down after selecting a movie to enjoy. Takuya curled up on the armchair like a cat. He fell asleep after a short while into the film, feeling more at ease. Kouichi fell asleep soon after.

Tomoko rose, stopping the movie. She draped a blanket over both Kouichi and Takuya. She kissed them on the forehead before retiring to bed herself. "Goodnight boys, sweet dreams."

Takuya moaned sleepily, roused by the sound of the shower upstairs. He yawned and stretched lazily like a house cat would. He slept peacefully throughout the entire night.

"Good morning Takuya." Tomoko greeted, sitting at the kitchen table with a hot cup of coffee.

The Digimon boy wiped the sleep out of his eyes and stifled a yawn. "Good morning Mrs. Kimura. What time is it?" he asked, looking around for a clock to look off from. 10:15 from the digital clock by the television.

Tomoko saw Takuya relax back in his seat and yawn. "No falling back asleep now you hear? We have a busy day ahead of us."

"We do?" Takuya asked, confused. "What're we doing?"

"You'll see." She answered with a sly smile and left it at that and leaving Takuya even more confused.

The Digimon tilted his head to the side curiously but didn't pursue the matter. He didn't care too much for surprises in this state but he knew he could trust Tomoko.

The mother went out a while later, she aid to go grocery shopping but Takuya wasn't sure he totally bought it. They had plenty of food.

Kouichi did his best to distract the boy while he went about decorating the house with tinsel, holly and sneaking up some mistletoe.

"Kouichi? Why are you decorating the house?"

"For the atmosphere of course. Don't you think it'll look nice?" Kouichi answered while decorating the kitchen doorway. "Especially with the tree over there."

Takuya was confused and looked around the room. Granted the house did look nice with the holiday decorations but he couldn't stop having this suspicious feeling that they're hiding something. "I suppose..."

"Look, don't worry about it. It's a habit I have every year." Kouichi tried to explain before backing up and examining everything. "Perfect. It looks great, if I do say so myself."

Takuya rolled his eyes and did a double check of all the work. "It is nice."

"Thank you very much." Kouichi grinned and patted Takuya on the back. "What say you we break out some cookies?"

The boy nodded, going along with whatever the devious minded twin had in store. He knew he was up to something now, just not sure what yet.

Mrs. Kimura returned with groceries a short time later. She shooed the boys from the kitchen, complimenting their decorations first. "Go make yourselves busy for a while." She said and began to prepare something.

The boys shrugged it off and settled in front of the TV to relax for a bit. The doorbell rang and Kouichi rose to answer it, as Takuya would frighten any stranger who may be at the door. He didn't pay Kouichi any mind as he returned.

"Who was al the door?" he asked.

Kouichi shook his head, "Girls selling cookies."

Takuya rolled his eyes and continued watching TV. "I'll never understand how anyone has the patience to go door to door to sell cookies."

The elder twin snorted in amusement and patted the boy on the back. "One of life's great mysteries I suppose."

"Kouichi, Takuya. Can you come in here for a moment please?" Tomoko called out to them from the kitchen.

Takuya raised an eyebrow. "That was fast." When Kouichi just shrugged, the Digimon boy sighed and got up from his spot. It seemed like whatever they were hiding from him they were about to reveal. "Coming Mrs. Kimura."

The grin on Kouichi's face grew wider and wider by the second, making Takuya feel really nervous. Last time the boy was grinning this hard Takuya was drugged with catnip. "Why are you grinning?"

"Surprise!" Was shouted collectively, startling the poor boy who was left in the dark. Tommy, JP, and Zoe had all sprung up from the kitchen out of thin air as Mrs. Kimura and Kouichi just smiled at him.

Takuya started at them, eyes wide. "What- how-" he stuttered, "Why are you all here?"

"You've been moping around the house for days. We wanted to cheer you up." Kouichi said simply.

"You've really been out of it Takky. We were able to sneak right past you." JP added with a smile.

The boy looked at Kouichi, "Girls with cookies?"

Kouichi grinned, "So I lied, The only girl was Zoe and they had no cookies."

"Besides, you should have seen the look on your face!" Tommy exclaimed brightly.

Takuya snorted indignantly, but smiled all the same. He was touched his friends went to this extreme to make him feel better given all the recent events.

"So, are we going to have some fun or what? I worked really hard on these decorations." Kouichi stated and made a grand gesture to the entire living room.

The group collectively smiled, all impressed with Kouichi's work.

"I got the video games!" Tommy called out, breaking the silent moment of awe, and raced into the living room with JP behind him.

Kouichi grinned, seeing a good opportunity and hung back, letting Takuya and Zoe go ahead of him. His grin grew even wider than before as soon as they started through the doorway. "Oh Takuya, Zoe?"

"Hmm?" the two turned to look at Kouichi to see what he wanted. Takuya looked perplexed as the elder twin pointed towards the ceiling. "Uh… what…" he stopped as soon as he got a good look at what was hanging from the door frame.

"Correct me if I'm wrong but I do believe that's a mistletoe." Kouichi stated, amused with how both Zoe and Takuya turned red in an instant.

Takuya looked mortified, "Kouichi!"

"Rules are rules, You gotta kiss Zoe!" The elder boy taunted, grinning like a madman.

Zoe looked at Takuya, blushing. "Shall we then?"

The Digimon nodded, blushing more than she was. 'My first real kiss- and I'm not even human...'

She leaned forward, closing her eyes. Takuya did the same. They hesitated for a moment, their lips barely touching. He could feel her breath on his skin. Their lips met.

Takuya felt his heart jolt with excitement. He never wanted the moment to end. He wanted to hold her close and never let her go. They broke apart, Zoe smiling warmly. "Wow..." She breathed.

"Uh… yeah." Takuya answered with a happy but dazed look on his face.

Zoe giggled at Takuya's expression and took his hand, taking him into the living room. The touch had snapped Takuya from his daze and he couldn't help but smile a little.

Tomoko smiled at the couple and nudged Kouichi subtly. "A job well done Kouichi. You really made it work."

"I'm a match maker." Kouichi grinned at his mother and followed the others into the living room. He noticed the grins on Tommy and JP's faces and gave them the thumbs up without Takuya or Zoe noticing.

The Digimon boy was sitting comfortably next to the blond girl who was still holding his hand. He had no complaint but he just didn't know what to say to her.

Where would he move on from here? The last time they were this close it hadn't turned out well. But Dracmon wasn't around anymore to mess with him anymore.

The remainder of the evening went off without a hitch. The group enjoyed themselves, playing games and eating food. Takuya couldn't remember having this much fun in a long time.

JP and Tommy bid goodnight before long. Tommy was still too young to be out very late and JP promised to escort him home. The elder boy winked at Kouichi as they prepared to depart. Tommy hugged Takuya tightly, "Merry Christmas Takuya."

The Digimon smiled, "You too Tommy. I can't thank you guys enough. I don't know what I would do without you guys..."

"Aww, don't get sappy on us Takky!" JP mocked whined, earning an eye roll and a smile from Takuya.

The boy snorted, "It's the holidays. It's the rules to be sappy."

"Goodnight boys. Be safe tonight!" Tomoko saw them out with two steaming mugs of hot chocolate for the road.

Kouichi nodded to his mother and they slipped into the kitchen to clean up the food and put it away, thus leaving Takuya and Zoe alone.

Takuya scratched the back of his neck awkwardly and gave Zoe a small smile. "So, how've you been?" he asked lamely, knowing it was a generic question but had putty for brains at the moment.

"Takuya, try to relax. We never had any trouble talking before." Zoe told him and motion for him to sit down next to her.

He obliged and sat down next to her, trying not to be nervous in front of her. "I'm sorry; it's just the last time we talked alone…" he started, recalling how he made her cry and run off.

Zoe interrupted him, taking his hand again in hers. "I understand Takuya, you don't have to explain. And none of it was your fault. I wasn't upset with you."

"I know that… I just wish things were different. I still really c-care about you…" Takuya mumbled hesitantly, thinking back to when he first told her about his feelings for her to help him gain his confidence.

She smiled softly, "I know. I care about you too Taku. I want to be there for you. I promise, I'll never leave you."

Takuya looked away. "Zoe... I- I love you... I really do... I just... I..." he trailed off not sure what to say anymore. He loved this girl with all his heart, and he couldn't bear to see her get hurt. If anything were to happen to Zoe...

"Takuya." She got his attention, "I know you're scared and you have every right to be. I want to be there to help you get through this."

He looked at her, "Zoe... I"

She cut him off, kissing him on the lips again.

Any argument he had left had slowly vanished and Takuya found himself kissing her back, holding Zoe close to him in a tight embrace. He didn't want it to end. Time stood still for them, and it was like all their problems just disappeared.

Zoe pulled away gently and smiled at the boy. "I love you too Takuya, I'll always be here for you. Nothing will change that."

"Zoe…" He knew she'd do anything for him. Zoe was dedicated to him no matter what happened. "I don't know what to say…"

"Just let me help; be here for you." The blonde girl told him in response and kissed his cheek gently. "That's all I want."

"Okay Zoe." he said softly. Takuya leaned in closer, resting his head on the blonde's shoulder.

She pulled him closer, holding him gently against her side. "I'm not going to leave you Taku."

He purred softly as she ran her fingers through his hair. "I love you Z," he murmured. He closed his eyes contently.

"I love you too, Taku." Zoe whispered gently in Takuya's ear before resting her head gently against his. She signed in content and closed her eyes, enjoying the moment they had together.

Kouichi peaked into the living room and smiled at the sight. He pulled himself back into the kitchen to give them their moment.

"How're they?" Tomoko asked curiously, cleaning up the dishes from the celebration.

Her son grinned. "They're doing great. I knew we could get them together."

"Takuya really needed it. It's wonderful seeing this work out for him." Tomoko mentioned and sat down at the kitchen table with her son.

Kouichi nodded, "Agreed. This will help him out a lot."

The mother nodded and sighed softly, rising from her seat. "Would you like some tea sweetie?"

He nodded, "Please."

She busied herself with the tea, "Takuya is very strong. He's really overcome a lot in the last few months."

"I really hope we can keep this up." Kouichi sighed and gratefully accepted the cup of tea. "We still have a lot to worry about…"

Tomoko gently patted her son on the back. "Let's just take this one thing at a time. Taking everything at once is too much stress for anyone."

"Yeah…" He nodded, idly sipping his tea while trying to think everything through. Maybe there was a chance that maybe they could make things work with the Kanbaras. And of course there was the deal with the evil Digimon dog that was still on the loose. It had to be dealt with right away to get Takuya's human data back.

"Try not to worry too much." Tomoko tried to assure her son who looked frustrated for a moment with his thoughts. "Like I said, one thing at a time."

"Right. Thanks mom." Kouichi said softly. She poured the tea and pass a cup to him.

She smiled, "That's what mothers are for."

They sat there, enjoying their tea while Takuya and Zoe fell asleep in each other's arms in the living room. Tomoko phoned Zoe's parents to let them know she had fallen asleep and would be staying the night. She then placed a blanket over the pair, smiling softly.

The Kimuras then slipped upstairs to go to bed and leave Zoe and Takuya to sleep undisturbed.

Takuya moaned weakly, feeling the sun light breach through the windows and slowly wake him from his sleep. He gave a small yawn and snuggled in closer to Zoe, unaware of the position he was in. He just wanted to sleep in a little longer.

He simply enjoyed the comfort before he realized he had fallen asleep on the blonde's lap. Takuya nearly let out a surprised yelp and sat up suddenly, his face red with embarrassment.

"Mmm… Taku?" Zoe mumbled, waking from Takuya's sudden movements. She yawned and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "What's up?"

Takuya just sat there like a deer in the headlights. "H-hey Zoe."

"Good morning sleepyhead," she said with a warm smile. "You alright?"

The boy was still blushing profusely. "Y-yeah, did you sleep well?" he asked, trying to divert her attention.

She smiled more, "Very. How about you? No nightmares?"

"None." Takuya said softly, smiling a bit. He actually felt well rested for once. He relaxed and leaned back with a soft sigh of content.

"That's good to hear," Zoe remarked, "You looked awfully peaceful."

"Well, um…" Takuya wasn't sure how to respond at first; he was still flustered from waking up in Zoe's lap. "I was pretty comfortable".

Zoe smiled and scratched behind Takuya's ears, getting a happy reaction from him and getting him to ease up. The look on the boy's face was of pure bliss and he even started to purr happily.

"That feels really nice…" Takuya murmured and felt himself go limp on the couch, purring loudly and his tail wagging in content.

"Good morning you two." Tomoko came into living room and smiled at the sight of the two on the couch. "You two get a good night's sleep?"

Zoe smiled and nodded. "Thank you for letting me sleep over Mrs. Kimura."

"It's no trouble. Beside's it was getting late anyway. I wouldn't feel good about letting you be out on the trains so late," She replied with a warm smile. "Are you two hungry? I'm going to go make some breakfast."

The blonde looked at Takuya, still purring up a storm. "I'm famished, and if I know Takuya, he is too."

The mother laughed. "Boys. The best way to wake them up is with the promise of food."

"And a good rub behind the ears for Taku," Zoe added with a soft smile.

"It's adorable." Tomoko smiled at the two and nodded, going into the kitchen to get started on making breakfast. "You two just relax while I get it ready."

"Thank you Mrs. Kimura." Zoe thanked again and looked down to Takuya who was just zoned out in his spot next to her. "It is pretty cute." Takuya didn't bother with a flustered response like he normally would though due to his happy daze.

Kouichi came downstairs and soon after seeing the couple on the couch he grinned widely and snuck into the kitchen. "We really did it Mom. Oh man the guys are going to be so excited to hear about this."

"After breakfast." His mother responded. "Give them time to enjoy it before they're bombarded. Knowing you kids, the others will be easily excited with this."

"We can't help it! Takuya really needed this. The poor guy just needed to relax and feel safe and secure," Kouichi explained quickly, "I'll make sure they have some time to themselves. But I have to let the guys know- Kouji too. He'll be ecstatic- I wish I could be there to witness that..."

Tomoko laughed, "Kouichi be nice to your brother."

"I cannot help he is such a Debbie-downer all the time." Kouichi replied with a grin. Tomoko only rolled her eyes and laughed to herself.

Breakfast was served soon after and Takuya had broken from his stupor when the scent of eggs and bacon drifted through the air. The Digimon boy's demeanor had been bright and cheery, which was a major improvement from before. Sharing his feelings with Zoe had made all the difference.

"So, what do you kids have planned for today?" Tomoko asked the trio curiously as they ate.

Takuya gulped down his mouthful of food before speaking. "Well, I was hoping we could sneak out outside. If just for a little bit; you know, to get fresh air… just stretch out."

They noticed how Takuya seemed to be nervous with his words. He probably thought they would suggest otherwise to keep him safe from unwanted attention.

"I don't see a reason why we can't let you have some fresh air. You just need to make sure you're especially careful." Tomoko responded, unable to deny the boy of what he wanted. "Sound good to you guys?"

Kouichi looked at his mother quizically, "Are you really sure about this mom? I mean- It's broad daylight and someone might see Takuya-"

"I know that," Tomoko said, "It's rather cold this morning so maybe later in the day- most everyone will be at work or preparing for the holidays."

Zoe nodded, "I'm sure we can manage this- Wolf needs to go outside to play too."

"I'm still not sure about this..." Kouichi started.

"I though you were the 'fun' twin," Zoe shot at him with a sly smile.

"I am the fun twin." Kouichi replied trying hard to stay by his position.

"Come on Kouichi. I'll be careful. I just want to step out and stretch my legs. I've just been sitting down at the couch for these past few weeks." Takuya pleaded, even proceeding to give the elder twin the puppy eye treatment.

"We'll be okay. We'll make sure nothing happens." Zoe added in, helping Takuya persuade their friend.

Kouichi sighed and relented. "Fine. Later today we'll go out and have some fun. Sound good?"

"Thanks!" Takuya smiled happily, feeling giddy. "I can't wait to get out there!"

"Kouji's right- You're like a giant child sometimes," Kouichi remarked, earning him short glare and Takuya's tongue stuck out at him. "Case in point."

Takuya needless to say was overjoyed to be outside. The cool crisp air exhilarated him. He felt the need to run, to jump, and just burn energy. He knew better though. He had to stay in the walled back yard of the Minamoto household. Wolf growled at him lightly and Takuya kept his distance.

"Grumpy old dog." He muttered.

Zoe smiled softly, "Ah lighten up Taku."

"I'm fine." He melted the snow around him for the fun of it, and his naturally warm body did so on its own.

"So, what're you going to do?" Zoe asked curiously and surveyed how much room they had to exercise. It didn't look like there would be enough room to do much.

Takuya shrugged and folded his arms across his chest trying to think. He couldn't breath or light any flames in the neighborhood. Someone could possibly see and get them into a bit of trouble. "I dunno, I'm still trying to figure that out."

"Well, what did you want to do?" Zoe asked trying to get a clue on what he wanted.

The Digimon boy sighed. "Well, I was hoping to run around, jump the rooftops, toss and juggle flames. You know, cut loose."

"So what're we going to do?" Zoe asked and looked to Kouichi for his input.

"Well those are all out. It's too risky, you can't just hide and change back," Kouichi stated simply.

Takuya sighed, "I know. I just..." He snorted with annoyance. "This bites..."

"I know Taku- but until you get your human data back, there's not much we can do… and you can't take Cerberumon on alone..." Zoe reasoned, "Not like this."

He huffed, lowering his gaze. "I know that too- but I can't go on like this, and I can't fix this without tracking down that rotten mutt from hell and getting my human data back!"

Zoe looked at Kouichi. Takuya had a valid point. Cerberumon would need to be hunted down and defeated to get Takuya's stolen data back. Keeping him cooped up wasn't helping this situation in the slightest.

"What're we supposed to do then?" Zoe asked trying to figure out the best way to help her friend with his predicament.

"Okay, we wait till Kouji comes back from vacation. He should be home soon so we use that time to come up with a strategy." Kouichi suggested to the two. "We can figure something out like what we did with Dracmon."

Takuya thought on the idea. "Well, we were able to figure out how to beat Dracmon."

"We can figure this out. You've beaten Ceberumon before." Zoe added on, trying to assure the boy a little more.

"It's a bit different though. I can't turn into Agunimon… I don't have that power to do it." Takuya replied after giving it a thought.

Zoe bit her lip, "I know Taku, but you've really grown since then."

The Digimon smiled at her weakly, "Thanks Z, but... I'm not sure I can do this alone..." He then sighed softly, "I'm... I'm cold, I'll see you guys back inside."

Takuya got up and made his way back inside. He was about to open the door when Tomoko stepped outside. "You kids might want to see this..." her tone was ominous.

Kouichi ushered Wolf into the house as Zoe and Takuya followed Tomoko into the living room. There was a news report on the television. The Reporter was somewhere in the middle of Tokyo, with plumes of smoke billowing behind her.

"-early reports describe a large demonic knight figure with six purple wings and white armor."

Takuya stepped closer to the TV, trying to see if he can get a better look at the situation. The description was too familiar to the fallen angel that had once haunted his dreams. "It can't be…"

"…for safety reasons we're not able to get a closer look at the situation though some speculate that this incident has ties with those that occurred in the shopping district in Shibuya and train terminal…"

Zoe and Kouichi stood by Takuya's side as the camera tried zooming in to get a better look at the knight in the description. Their blood froze when the camera finally managed to zoom in close enough to show a blurry image of the creature.

"It's him… Takuya murmured weakly. "I know that's him…"

Zoe held the boy's hand, feeling nervous herself. "How can he be here…? Him of all things…"

"You kids know that thing too?" Tomoko asked, unnerved by how they were reacting to the news.

Zoe and Takuya nodded numbly. "He almost killed me..." Takuya whispered.

"ShadowSeraphimon..." Kouichi breathed, seeing the monster for the first time.