Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon. Toei Animation does.
Ch. 35 Double Trouble Part I
January 2005. Odaiba, Japan. One week ago…
"Tsukimi Rhapsody? What's that?" Tai asked curiously, halfway round the rice ball he was currently stuffing his face with.
"The name of the blog I'm gonna set up. I just told you this a second ago-and leave some for the rest of your teammates, Gluttonmon!" Jun shrieked as she swatted him up-side the head or tried to.
Tai weaved to the left, nimbly ducking her hand, and swiped another rice ball from the tray she had just set down beside him on the bench. Between her and Matt, his reflexes had grown quite polished.
It was after school hours and they were on the sidelines of the soccer field watching the team do wind sprints. Even though Tai was barred from playing courtesy via the back brace, he felt like he should still be there in person to support his team, especially since he had all but abandoned them for a few weeks earlier with his own personal lack of self confidence and crippling anxiety. Also, after what had happened with LadyDevimon and then Fujiyoshida City, it felt nice to do something completely normal for once.
So for the past few days, Tai had maintained the routine of attending practice and giving moral support from the bench and occasionally Jun would show up with snacks she had made the night before for the entire team. Though initially weary of her, soon she had gained high favor with Tai's teammates over this.
"Ne, why didn't you ask her to do this back when you first started dating?" Asama had remarked the day Jun had begun this ritual.
"She cooks a kick-ass curry," Kitagawa hummed in agreement.
"See if you can get her to be our manager, Captain!" first year Katsuhito had pleaded.
"Sano's the captain now, not me," Tai had chastised, not even bothering to refute the fact that he and Jun had not been dating when they first started hanging out together. Looking back, it was all very confusing. "Jun has her own career path picked out already so I don't think she's interested."
"Some colleges give students their own dorm rooms. Would you move in with her if she asked you?" Sano teased with a playful nudge between Tai's ribs.
"My family owns a shrine, Kamiya-san," the new coach, Okudera had offered, his eyes twinkling in mischief behind his glasses. "We can conduct any formal ceremonies you two would like to partake in the future."
That had led to Tai spewing out his sports energy drink through his nose and proceeding to both sputter and cough while his teammates had whooped and hollered excitedly. When he could finally draw enough air back into his lungs enough to focus, he instinctively looked at Jun. However, her back had been turned to him as she cut up grilled sausages over a large container of edamame so he could not see her expression. Her earbuds had been plugged into her phone and she was swaying to and fro with whatever music was on her playlist, so he couldn't be sure if she had heard all that for which he found himself oddly disappointed.
"Tsukimi Rhapsody…" Tai said testing the name out loud again. "Sounds like a funky rock band name. Matt was telling me the other day he was thinking about changing his band's name to Knife of Ramen or something."
Jun wrinkled her nose unimpressed. "Well that just sounds ridiculous."
"And Tsukimi Rhapsody doesn't?"
"No, because it reminds me of us on our first date together!" Jun chirped, her smile as bright as the sun.
Tai blushed and stammered, "That wasn't… we weren't even technically friends back then."
"Co-conspirator frenemies?"
Tai had to laugh at that remembering how chaotic the first couple of weeks had been at school with Jun and how different it was now. "I guess."
"If I'm going to be a photographer/journalist extraordinaire I'm going to have to build up some photos and blog posts to gain some followers in the few months I have left until graduation so I can show my potential employers!"
"What topics are you aiming for?"
"The ones that gain attention, I suppose. I'd best start here at school: I can put down my part as producer of Fact or Fiction: Brave Hearts. And I could interview the school council on their goals and aspirations for the future…" Jun trailed off side-eyed him from underneath her lashes. "Maybe the soccer team too?"
"You gonna jump me fresh out of the shower again?"
"Only if you want me too…" Jun said in a coy voice.
Tai gulped as a wave of heat flashed through his body at her heavy gaze. He found himself running a hand through his hair in an effort to smooth his bushy locks back in what struck him as a bird preening its feathers.
"Well," he began, trying to play things cool as he stepped closer to her.
What he was going to say he didn't know, but it didn't matter because the thing Tai knew to be true about himself, despite the praises Davis sung about him or the admiration of his fellow soccer teammates, was that he could bluff a good game, but in the end he more often than not made a fool of himself.
Which he did the moment he put one foot out in front of the other-and immediately stumbled over a lunch cooler someone had left lying on the ground.
Tai pitched forward letting out a startled yelp and grabbed the edge of the bench with both hands as he went down to avoid smashing face-first into it and wound up like a twisted pretzel sprawled on the ground. Above his head, he could hear Jun asking him if he was alright. A bit dazed, he lifted his face up, any response he had dying in his throat as he got a good view of the exact color, shape and wear of what Jun wore beneath her skirt from his position and eye-level.
He stared.
Jun stared.
I should get up, Tai thought in the back of his mind.
I should apologize, came his second thought, even though he was not at fault for the situation he found himself in.
"S-Strawberries," was what came out of his mouth in a breathless squeak, his eyes wide as saucers.
Jun very calmly took a bottle of Pocari Sweat, poured it over his upturned face, then walked away without a word.
That was how Sano and the rest of the team found him a few minutes later flat on his back, the chill of the January grass seeping into his thin overcoat, with one arm flung across his eyes to block out the glare of the pale sun above.
"What happened? Did you and Motomiya-neesan get into a lovers' spat?"
"Dude, if this means we have to start bringing our own bentos and snacks again, I'm kicking your butt all the way to Kyushu."
"Did you trip, Cap–sempai? Your nose is bleeding."
"I have seen the heavens," Tai said, taking his arm away to stare up at the cloudless blue sky. "And it was glorious."
He did try to call her later to apologize properly only to be blocked every time by her karaoke voicemail. He didn't bother leaving any messages. He thought that was probably for the best. It would give him the entire night to brainstorm how to grovel appropriately for her forgiveness. However, he didn't even have to hunt her down. Jun was already waiting for him outside his homeroom the next day.
He tried to play it smooth, only being himself, his brain latched on the two lines he had practiced beforehand: "Please forgive me for yesterday" and "Don't take out my stupidity on the team."
So the word-vomit that came out instead was: "Please don't forgive my stupidity!"
Then Tai just snapped his mouth shut and stared at her lamely. Yep, that apology was a real winner for sure.
Jun arched an eyebrow at him, not at all fazed by his lack of decorum. "Tch, we have a long way to go in this relationship if a flash of panties immobilizes you."
"Oi."
"It's true. Think back: the first time in the locker room when I saw you bare-chested certainly didn't make me freeze to the spot drooling like some deer-in-headlights over your toned abs and lean muscles."
Jun had fine-tuned a verbal tactic to shoot off insults that sounded like compliments and thus it was very confusing to come back with any kind of retort on the opposing side.
Tai just stood there awkwardly, feeling like his entire face was wreathed in flames and mentally willing the final bell to ring so he could escape into his classroom.
"I just came to wish you luck. You have a Literature exam right?" Jun beckoned him to lean closer until their foreheads almost bumped, then cupped her hand around her mouth to whisper in his ear. "It's goldfish today."
She leaned back on her heels to smirk at him as he stood paralyzed to the spot, his brain short-circuiting at the power contained in those three little words as what felt like electric tingles shot across his body.
"Hope you ace that test, Taichi-kuuuuun!" she shrieked as she skipped away cackling in fiendish glee.
Fun facts: Tai did not ace that test.
oOo
January, 2005. Tokyo, Japan. Present day...
His friends were jabbering incoherently, pointing at certain posts, and reading them outloud often with excited squeals. They seemed to recognize a lot of their owners as apparently a good number of them were other Digidestined they had met on their Digi World Tour or so they had dubbed it. Or as Tai referred to it: That Trip He Couldn't Make Because He Was Stuck At The Hospital But That's Ok He Wouldn't Change It Because He Got To Tell Jun How He Really Felt.
It wasn't enough. Tai wanted to see it for himself; write his own cryptic comment and see if Jun could tell it was from him. He wanted to reverse time and go back to those few short blissful days where he and Jun had been officially a couple and the sheer drama it had caused at school for them essentially imploding the Love Pool Square.
Being a Didgidestined with the fate of two worlds in one's hands was exhausting. Just for one day he wanted to go back to being a normal teenager.
Tai wasn't thinking about what the final outcome would be right then. He wasn't even thinking of being a good friend or a responsible Chosen Child. His head was full of Jun, her eyes gleaming with a freshly concocted scheme; her mouth curved into a crooked grin and how bubbly her laughter sounded when she was happy… at how shaken she had seemed the last time they talked and the sadness leaking in her voice when she said she had to leave.
His eyes darted to the exit where Jumonji had left not too long ago, something about "sharing well-rewarded smokes with my crew". He guessed it had to do with wherever Aozaki had disappeared to last night and whatever illegal substances he had gotten his hands on. Tai was glad Jumonji had the sense to celebrate outside and not in the presence of his sister and the rest of the younger kids. Still, he wished he had stayed for a bit longer so Tai could have requested another burner phone off him. He couldn't be too far off. If Tai hurried, he could still catch up to him. He was beginning to see firsthand the benefits of having a gang leader as your self-proclaimed bff.
The problem was that Matt wasn't going to let him out of his sight, not after what Tai had asked of him earlier. He all but radiated this message as he sat dutifully by Tai's side far apart from the rest of their friends. Tai wasn't planning on caving to his Foolish Hero Complex, but the future was unforeseeable. He didn't know what to expect or have any idea of what he should do in case the worst happened concerning Agu-Agu. Above all else, even the danger of a dual bond, his greatest fear was becoming a distraction to the team yet again.
So Matt lingered and Tai stewed, inwardly frustrated at his friend's presence.
A slight cough sounded on their right and both of them whipped their heads to see Ken standing there, eyes diverted and pale hands clutching at the ends of his scarf.
"I need… to speak with Tai…" Ken all but whispered.
"Just the two of you? Is that a good idea?" Matt asked, looking between them, eyebrows slightly furrowed.
Matt hadn't been there when Tai had lost his composure towards Ken. No one but Davis had witnessed that. No, Tai realized, what was making Matt so tense beside him was the memory of that night Daemon had seized control over him to get to Ken.
Ken's hands dropped from his scarf and balled into fists. Now he matched Matt's wary gaze with his own guarded expression, a tiny gleam of defiance in his eyes. "Darkness has touched us both in ways you can not comprehend. I need to talk with him alone."
Wow, Ken could be so dramatic at times, Tai thought. Still, there might be a better opportunity for him to step away from Ken than there was with Matt.
"Go," he said to Matt. "I'll be fine. Gatomon said my threads have mended extraordinarily well," he added when Matt didn't budge.
Matt stood up with a long-suffering sigh. "Five minutes," he warned as he headed towards the others. "Five minutes of brooding and bonding is all you two get before we all do a group huddle and plan our next course of action for the day."
Tai waited for Ken to speak first, having little to no desire to listen to anything the boy had to tell him.
Would it be another attempt to sway him on the opinion that the fate of two worlds resided on the function that Agu-Agu needed to be wiped from existence? (Tai wasn't buying into that pitch).
Perhaps dig into the deep recesses of his mind if he had any recollection of Daemon's possession over him (Tai didn't) and if he knew why Digital World Satan wanted the Dark Spore so badly?
Was he–unlikely–here to claim he had thought things through during the night, decided he was in the wrong and had come to apologize?
Ken didn't bother to sit down and said none of these things. Instead his eyes darted to the exit briefly before he spoke ever so softly.
"You have five minutes now to do what you wish."
Tai startled at his words, the confusion evident on his face because Ken bit his lip and looked sideways.
"When the people who care about you are worried, sometimes they can be… overbearing…" his eyes lingered on the other children huddled around the laptop, their voices a distant excited murmur. "They mean well, but they do not understand."
"Understand what?"
Now Ken looked at him, an odd collected calmness gathered on his face. "That sometimes sacrifices are necessary."
Tai was on his feet now visibly bristling, but Ken put up one hand.
"Five minutes," he said again. "T.K. said he would distract him."
From the center cluster of the group, Matt's voice rose with a peculiar tenor.
"Who is Yuri and why does keep mentioning 'borscht' in every one of his posts?"
The emptiness of the room was filled with Yolei and Sora's frenzied high-pitched giggling.
Some part of Tai's mind felt grateful towards Ken for understanding enough to allow him this small breath of time alone. However the other half was raging that the boy was only doing this out of a guilty conscience for what he believed was the only future option.
"Gatomon said it was my choice in the end," Tai declared, a resolution burning brightly within him. "That I would be willing to do what needs to be done when the time came. So I'm telling you right now, I have decided. My choice is to save BlackWarGreymon from himself. And he's not going to be anyone else's sacrifice."
He might have been expecting Ken to protest, but the boy didn't. Only inclined his head in acknowledgement before turning away.
Tai should have left then. Just bolted for the exit and the brevity of freedom that awaited him, but he couldn't leave after making such a bold proclamation. The conversation between him and Agu-Agu on the food court's terrace weighed heavily upon his thoughts and his next words were blurted out carelessly.
"Do you ever have dreams?"
Ken had paused mid-step looking halfway behind him. "What?"
"You said remembering past experiences already forgotten might be possible because of the bond's disconnection, but what about dreams?" Tai licked at his chapped lips struggling to explain. "Do you ever have dreams that are… different? Like you're staring into a picture with you in it but you know it's all wrong. And it's hard to make sense of them because you can't remember all the details?"
Ken stared at him for what seemed an eternity. Ken to his detriment didn't blink. His face was set once again in a familiar brickment of stone, his eyes achingly hollow. "I would count myself fortunate not to remember any of my dreams."
oOo
The sunlight was near blinding after being inside the abandoned mall's darkness for so long. Tai squinted at the phone's screen as he tried to think up a clever pen-name that would ensure Jun to recognize it was him even incognito. He briefly dwelled upon "orangedino_whiteknight" before deciding that was too obvious and overly egotistical to boot. With a small smile, he finally typed "pandamon88" and signed in with his new account. Now he had to find a good thread to comment on.
"Why are humans always looking at those little box things?" Agu-Agu questioned out loud somewhere from behind (having appeared at his side and followed him on his way outside).
"It's a communication device," Gazimon explained, surprisingly savvy. "Etemon had a giant one inside his trailer. It was manned 24/7 on standby for whenever he issued out orders. I was one of his top techs!"
"So there's a tiny digimon inside that thing at all times?" Agu-Agu gasped, sounding amazed. "How does it eat? Do the humans feed it by pressing the buttons?"
"Quiet!" Jumonji shushed them as he threw his arms around their shoulders. "Our boy Taichi here is becoming a man! We must not interrupt the wellspring of devotion he wishes to shower upon his woman, abazure though she may be."
Tai would have walked away to find a more solitary spot to compose his thoughts but he had less than four minutes now before his absence inside was noticed, so he had to think swiftly.
Thank you for creating a community where we can all share our support. Always remember which direction you want to run screaming! -pandamon88
He decided that message was both generic and cryptic enough for anyone else besides Jun's searching eyes and hit 'enter'.
Tai heaved a sigh of relief as the tension he hadn't noticed he was holding melted off his back. Jumonji was grinning as he took the phone back.
"A man on the run from the law is always appealing to the ladies!" he bragged, flexing his bicep through his striped shirt. "They love themselves a handsome rebel! Just you wait, Taichi. As soon as the world recognizes you as the hero you are and you return home to your woman, she'll be all over you like flies on honey!"
Tai remembered the way Jun had last looked at him from underneath half-lifted lashes, eyes hot and heavy filled with warmth and wanting… and he shivered for an entirely different reason besides the cold.
"Can the little digimon inside the box answer questions?" Agu-Agu demanded impatiently, his one-track mind solely focused. "You can ask it anything? Because Taichimon asked me once if I knew what Plato meant and I was wondering–"
"DON'T LOOK THAT UP!" Tai screeched, lunging at the phone as Jumonji looking nonplussed started punching the name in.
Footsteps pounded on the cement as Aozaki rounded the corner, hair windswept and eyes full of panic. "Boss, we got trouble!"
A moment later, Kurogawa appeared pushed backwards by a violent blow that would have smashed his skull in had he not deflected it with his aluminum bat.
"Damn bastard!" he swore, spitting a mouthful of red liquid at the individual he was clashing arms with.
The person was tall and lumbering, proudly displaying his bare arms in the midst of winter. His dark hair was spiked and bleached at the tips, and he wore a bandana with a shark-tooth pattern around the lower portion of his face. The veins in his muscles bulged as he pressed down harder upon Kurogawa gripping the weapon of his choice: a black bokken.
"You come crawling back for seconds, Shindou-kisama, eh?" Jumonji growled, his face darkening, punching his fists together, both adorned with shiny brass knuckles. "Don't be a sore loser. We beat you and your gang fair and square!"
"HA!" Shindou shouted, his eyes full of contempt falling on Gazimon and Agu-Agu. "You broke the rules when you dragged the aliens into our turf war! Do you know how many of my boys your scruffy gutterrat slashed up? And you have the gall to think you won by your own merit?"
"I beat your ass before and I can do it again! There's only one of you and four of us!" Jumonji exclaimed with a broad sweep of his arm.
"Please tell me you're including Gazi into your calculations," Tai hissed because the only thing he could think of right then was that if he gained any more injuries to his person, Joe was going to cause bodily harm himself next time he saw him.
"Boss, we need to split! He snitched to the badgecaps!" Aozaki warned but it was too late.
With a guttural snarl, Shindou bore all his weight down and viciously headbutted his opponent above their crossed weapons. Kurogawa went stumbling backwards blindly, holding a hand to his nose that was spilling blood.
The next instant there was a swerve of tires as a swarm of sleek black vehicles surrounded them from all sides. There had been no sirens to announce their coming and from their exterior, they looked like shadow versions of Self-Defense Force jeeps. The people who stepped out did not wear standard police uniforms, but military gear with helmets, face shields, and each sporting a long-barrelled assault rifle aimed at them all.
"URAGIRIMONO!" Jumonji roared, spittle flying from his mouth in his anger.
Shindou only let out a mocking laugh. "You broke the streetcode first. You brought this on yourself." Then he splayed his arms wide and took several steps backwards.
It was obvious he had made a deal with the authorities beforehand for they did nothing to stop him and allowed him to pass until he had disappeared from sight behind the military vehicles.
"YOU'LL NEVER TAKE US ALIVE!" Jumonji cried, face purple from indignation and bruised pride.
The courtyard rang out in a collective symphony of safety's being switched off as the barrels of a dozen or so more guns were pointed at them.
"Of course, if you want to take us alive, that works too! We're flexible!" Tai yelped as he raised both hands in the air in surrender.
If anyone was going to kill him, it would be Joe. Unless Matt beat him to the punch.
This was it. In the end, Oikawa would follow through on his goal and take those poor kids down with him and the Digidestined would be rotting in some jail cell as Daemon and whatever else dark forces out there wreaked havoc.
"Easy there, now," came a soothing voice as another person exited from one of the vehicles. He wasn't wearing military gear. He was young and looked oddly out of place in a dark suit and tie, like some salary man swept up by accident in some action movie.
"Remember the director's orders. We're only taking them in for questioning. No need for brute force." He leaned on the car door and spoke again in the easy-going manner as if he were inviting them all out for coffee instead of arresting them. "Why don't you boys come with us quietly, okay? We got some hot food back at the precinct. I bet you're all famished." Then focusing his attention on Tai, an odd note crept into his tone. "Where are the rest of your friends? Are they inside?"
Tai thought briefly about warning the others via his digivice but that meant he would have to lower his hands and that was not a viable option with the amount of fire-power surrounding him.
Then the man did a strange thing. He looked at Agu-Agu next to him. The small dinosaur hadn't been too alarmed when Shindou had burst on the scene or when the vehicles had pulled up. He had been taking things in like a fascinated child watching tv. Only now, Tai realized, Agu-Agu had stopped observing his surroundings and was finely attuned to his partner's emotions which were sky-high with stress and anxiety. Agu-Agu had pressed himself tightly against his side as violent trembles racked through his small body.
It wasn't fear, Tai recognized with alarm as he caught sight of his partner's eyes: black pupils narrowed into slits like a cat in wide gold irises. It was aggression.
"Are you worried about your friend?" the man asked, keeping his voice calm and steady. It took Tai a second to realize he wasn't talking to him, but to Agu-Agu. "We won't harm him or you, I promise. We just want to talk."
The man was addressing a Digimon like he would a small child. In all of their encounters so far, none of the police or military had acted like Digimon were anything other than brainless monsters. This man acted like he expected Agu-Agu to talk back.
Gazimon never gave him the chance.
"PITFALL CLAW!" he belted out his battle cry as he dove both claws into the cement in front of him.
The ground rumbled and shook as fissures split down through the asphalt and spread out like threads of a spider-web. The attack caught everyone off-guard, most of the armed men toppling over off-balance. Their negotiator was hanging onto the car door for dear life even as the vehicle heaved and bucked from the impact running underneath the ground.
Somewhere amidst this, a shot was fired. One lone bullet split the air from a trigger being pulled involuntarily. The sound ricocheted off the empty courtyard, ringing in everyone's ears at its deafening velocity.
No one was hurt. The gun's aim had been off, courtesy to its owner's bodily functions being momentarily thrown askew.
Still, the sound hit its mark like a gun being fired at the starting point of a race.
Jumonji and his gang bolted every which way and like a pigeon startled badly, Tai rushed after them un-thinking. Too late did he realize he was running in the opposite direction of the abandoned mall, but the gunshots popping at his heels kept him from turning around.
"Don't shoot! They're only kids!" shouted the voice of the negotiator, sounding panicked.
"Those kids' pet monsters pulled a building down on my sister and now she's in the hospital!"
"They're alien sympathizers and national traitors!"
Tai rounded the corner in the nick of time and heard the tell-tale pings of bullets plunging into the brick's mortar.
Well, that escalated quickly, Tai thought, pulling out his digivice.
"Matt, get out of there! They've got guns!" he shouted into it.
"Who does?" Matt demanded. "Where are you? What–"
"Just go! Contact me later! I'm fine, I'm with Jumonji!"
The expletives dropping from Matt's mouth most guaranteed that no, Matt did not find that fine, but then he was abruptly cut off from whatever was happening on his end.
"Taichi, here!" Jumonji waved, motioning to his brilliant get-away plan.
The cover to a man-hole had been lifted and set aside and the pungent odor from the sewer below wafted heavily to Tai's nose.
"Oh, hell-no."
oOo
At least, it's warm down here, Tai thought, trying to find the silver lining to his sticky predicament.
Literally.
He tried really hard not to imagine that substance sticking to the bottoms of his shoes as he trudged along. They were going to be unsalvageable at this rate. First his coat, now his shoes.
Good thoughts, good thoughts, he chanted in his mind as he peeled off Matt's jacket and tied it around his waist.
You've been sludging through sewage for so long that you've gone noseblind so hey, at least the smell can't bother you anymore! His brain supplied in a cheery act of revenge.
That much was true. The last time he had dry-heaved was half an hour ago so success!
"Jumonjimooooon," Gazi whined, tugging at his partner's pant leg. "When are we gonna get some grub?"
"Two battles in one day will do that to ya," Jumonji nodded, stroking Gazimon's tufted ears affectionately. "We gotta wait 'til we reach the end though. Knew I should have swiped some snacks from that 7/11!"
"Oh, wait," Tai said, remembering the sweet bun Matt had given him earlier. Fishing it out from his pocket he handed it to Gazimon, "Here."
Gazi practically devoured it whole and spent several seconds licking his claws.
"Sorry I don't have one for you," Tai told Jumonji who only shrugged.
"Little guy is more important. I've skipped meals before. You had breakfast though, right? Kuma said he gave blondie and glasses some supplies."
"Oh, uh…"
Agu-Agu sidled up between them, puffing out his chest proudly. "I ate enough for both of us, don't worry!" Then looking at Gazi said, "Make sure you eat more later! We have to be strong to protect Taichimon and Jumonjimon!"
"I did protect us! Did you see what I did back there, Jumonjimon?" Gazi said, flexing his claws. "I combined two attacks just like ya told me to do!"
He did, Tai noted. Pitfall was usually a more defensive move, where the Gazimon would burrow into the ground to attack later or dig holes and cover them back up as booby traps for their foes to fall in. Attacking with their claws was their usual go-to move, but Gazi had combined the two of them to create a new offensive move altogether.
He supposed he was grateful that this Gazimon was on their side at least.
"Taichimon, that human felt different from the rest of them," Agu-Agu said as they made their way forward.
"What do you mean? That guy who was talking to us?" Tai said thinking back on that out-of-place man in the suit. Who was he anyway?
"The rest of them felt… blocked," Agu-Agu struggled to put into words. "He had the same sparklies as you and the others."
Tai paused at that. "What do you me–"
"Intruders, up ahead," Gazi snarled, crouching low to the ground, his tail lashing agitatedly behind him. Tai and Jumonji tensed in waiting.
It was dark in the sewers with no lighting overhead unlike the video games he had played. Occasionally, Jumonji would turn his phone on but it didn't provide much aid and just drained the battery. Tai's eyes had adjusted to the darkness long enough now to know the different outlines of his party, but the moving masses up ahead were ones he was unfamiliar with.
Gazi seized up as the shadows moved closer then in one powerful leap he sprung at them. He vanished within the body of the dark mass in a tangle of claws and twisted limbs. A mixture of growls and yowls echoed off the walls of the tunnel.
"Gazi!" Jumonji cried in alarm, fumbling with his lighter, which let out several pathetic wet sputters.
"Ummm, maybe don't set this place ablaze?" Tai hissed at him, grabbing his wrist.
A small shape peeled itself away from the main fighting body and almost bounced over to them. Bright white light seared their vision and they threw up their arms to shield their faces from it.
"Are you the ones who kidnapped Gazimon?" a tiny voice squeaked in outrage.
Tai squinted through the brightness trying to see until at last the light was lowered from them to reveal a Chuumon, a flashlight twice the size as him, clutched in two tiny paws.
"Jumonjimon, look, it's my squad!" Gazi crowed happily, unraveling himself from the shadow-mass to throw his front claws over the shoulders of two equally scruffy-looking Gazimon with glowering twin expressions aimed solely at the two gob-smacked humans.
oOo
"And then I read another post out loud not realizing it was in French and now Sora has been wheedling me on why I haven't ever written a song in French–like she will not get off this subject–and I don't understand–shut up, T.K., it's not funny!"
"But you guys are ok? You got away safely, right?" Tai asked into his digivice remembering how easily the men had fired their weapons on runaway kids.
"Yeah, yeah, we busted outta there on Imperialdramon pretty quick," Matt sighed heavily on his end. "We're just running around like chickens with our heads cut off as usual." Disapproval was laced thickly in his tone. "I can not believe you ditched us again."
"Not on purpose," Tai bleated.
"It was on purpose. I told you not to go anywhere."
"Actually you didn't–"
"It was implied!" Matt swore, not bothering to hide his anger. "First you give me that speech about choosing between you and the team then you run off. What am I supposed to think?"
"I just wanted some space," Tai said quietly. "I didn't know those guys would show up, whoever they were."
"Izzy said they're some type of specialized SWAT team. Apparently, the government doesn't have much faith in policemen overpowering teenagers with alien friends." Another sigh. "You still won't tell us where you are?"
"Couldn't even if I wanted to," Tai laughed. "Took a couple of wrong turns, but Gazi says his squad can lead us out. As soon as I'm on the surface again, I'll take my bearings and give you my location."
"You had better." Then softer, Matt asked. "That website… Jun created it, didn't she?"
"How'd you figure?"
"The name… and I still remember that day back when you claimed you weren't dating how you said you'd gone to the arcade to eat tsukimi udon together."
"We really weren't dating then," Tai said, although looking back, he could see how every one of his and Jun's interactions with each other would be confusing to onlookers.
"That's why you went outside right? To ask Jumonji for his phone to make contact on her website." A hurt note had entered Matt's voice. "You could have told me what you wanted to say and I would have posted it for you."
"That's not the same and you know it," Tai said a bit sharply. He took a breath. "I'm not going to run off again, Matt, I promise."
The silence on the other end told him that Matt wasn't buying it.
"You told me on the train, remember?" Tai prodded. " 'Friends don't let friends carry burdens alone'. I won't run off."
He heard Matt unleash a shaky breath. "Jerk," he scoffed and Tai grinned.
"I'll see you soon and I'll bring the calvary."
"Yeah, yeah, a yankee mohawk dude and his furry goon squad. Oikawa won't know what hit him."
"He can honestly say he never saw us coming," Tai stifled a laugh.
"Stay safe."
"You too," Tai said before putting away his digivice and glancing at the odd group of companions that had joined them.
Apart from Chuumon and the two other Gazimon, there were also two Sukemon and three Numemon. They were currently all clustered around Gazi who was retelling the story of his and Jumonji's partnership with great embellishment. From what it sounded like, Jumoni had not rescued Gazi from some rival delinquents but from three Devimon which he had busted all their jaws with one punch. Then in Jumonji's time of need, Gazi himself had taken out a swarm of Mamemon with a flurry of special moves he had honed on his time on earth.
The Sukemon clapped their hands impressed while the Numemon and Chuumon stared in awe, but the two fellow Gazimon crossed their arms and shook their heads in unison.
"Well, he's obviously fine if he's still making up crap like that," one said to the other.
"I guess we don't have to kill you after all," the other said, casting a reproachful crimson eye at Jumonji.
Jumonji looked delighted like he had just struck the lottery. "It would be an honor to cross claws with such noble creatures full of fighting valor such as yourselves! I'll take you on anytime, anywhere! Our battle will be the stuff of legends!"
"Oho?" Gazimon #1 said, flicking his tufted ear in interest.
"Ohohoho?" echoed Gazimon #2 mimicking the first.
"We are not having any battles in this sludge-infested place!" Tai declared, deciding to put a stop to it before things got really messy… and smelly.
"Is that your human?" Gazimon #1 asked Agu-Agu.
"Yes, Taichimon is mine! You can't have him!" the small dinosaur cried, clutching Tai about the middle possessively.
"I don't want him," Gazimon #1 tsk-ed. "I just think it's weird. All the humans have been doing ever since the portal belched us out here is try to capture or attack us. Now this guy," he pointed a claw at Gazi, "says he and that guy," he pointed another claw at Jumonji, "have bonded and says he'll get us home eventually but he's not going to be parted from him."
He looked back at Agu-Agu. "And you don't seem to want to leave this human's side either." A strange glint ignited in his eyes as a growl entered his voice. "Is that what being around humans for too long do to you? Do they make it so you have no free will and are bound to them forever?"
A second passed in which Tai thought there might be an actual threat in his words. He felt Agu-Agu stiffen under his touch. But the situation was immediately diffused by Gazi smacking his friend across the head with his claw.
"Stop that! These humans prove not all humans are bad! We're going to help you, so you hafta be nice!"
"Owwie," Gazimon #1 sniffled rubbing his sore head. "You can't help us if you're lost in these tunnels too."
"But you said you knew the way out," Gazi said.
"No, I didn't," Gazimon #1 said, blinking through his tears.
"You said it then!" Gazi exclaimed, rounding on his other friend.
Gazimon #2 shook his head wide-eyed.
"Well, someone said it!" Gazi cried looking around.
One of the Sukemon jumped up and down and waved their hand. "Ooh, ooh, that was me! Only, I mean it as more of a statement: 'oh, look, we're gonna get out of the tunnels now' ."
"Why would you want to leave this place at all?" one of the Numemon asked, sounding puzzled.
"I know, right, it smells divine!" said another Numemon inhaling deeply.
"And there are no WaruMonazemon to enslave us or other Mega levels trying to eat us!" agreed the third Numemon.
"There's less humans down here too!" the tiny Chuumon piped in.
Tai shot Jumonji a despairing gaze. "We are never getting out of here."
oOo
It was a motley crew that trekked through Tokyo's underbelly, not that anyone could see them, but Tai knew they made an odd sight: a group of Numemon at the front sniffing at the air for what they deemed "the least foulest smell", the two Sukemon behind them with Chuumon perched on top of the right one's back pointing the flashlight to illuminate their path, the trio of Gazimon in the middle and the two humans along with a small black dinosaur bringing up the rear.
"Why do we get the honor of walking in the back?" Jumonji pouted, his pride at being a leader who usually walked up front stinging a little.
"You two are the largest. You can ward off the predators more easily," Chuumon squeaked.
"Predators?" Tai muttered trying to think of any large Digimon that dwelled in sewers.
"Yo, my cousin flushed a baby alligator down the toilet one time," Jumonji nudged him with his elbow. "That was years ago. Keep a sharp eye out. Bet that motherfrakker is huge now."
Haha, I'm going to be a croc snack, Tai thought, biting back a yelp as a drip of water splashed from overhead onto his neck.
A warm snout nuzzled into the palm of his hand. "Don't worry, Taichimon. I won't let anything harm you," Agu-Agu swore fiercely. "But if you're scared, we can sing a song!"
"What?" Sometimes the small dinosaur said things so far out of the left field, it was hard to follow how his mind worked.
"The gold-armored one, back when he was smaller, he told me you and the other kids would sing songs back in his world when you first arrived."
It didn't make any sense what Agu-Agu was saying. He was speaking of WarGreymon as if he had encountered him as Agumon. However, if he couldn't recall any memories of his life before his current form, then he should not be able to remember this small detail. The only two times Tai could think of where Agumon had been alone with BlackWarGreymon was in the Digital World… then in the real world on Mt. Fuji…
"What songs?" Tai asked carefully, not sure how much he could poke before too many memories leaked through whatever mental block the small dinosaur had placed on his mind.
"Hmmm, there was one about… buffalo… I think…"
"Oh," Tai said, a memory of his own drifting up.
They hadn't been in the Digital World for too long, only a handful of days, but they were already homesick. They had been dredging through sewers then too. Mimi had randomly belted out the first chorus to "Home On the Range" more out of boredom than anything else. But it had kept their spirits up for a little while as their dredging turned more into a determined march to get through their less-than ideal surroundings.
"That one… Mr. Fujiyama taught us that one in camp. He said he learned it from his time abroad in America," Tai said.
"Sing that one!" Agu-Agu insisted, leaning his small body closely against Tai. "That one is his favorite! He misses it!" Then turning, he pressed his snout into Tai's stomach so that his next words were barely audible. "He misses when you were smaller too."
"What–"
"AHA! I know that song! Learned it to impress some American chicks at the beach! Had a simple melody! Here I go!" Jumonji cried, getting worked up. "Home, Home, on the raaaaange! Follow my lead!"
If there were any predators lying in wait, Digimon or human, Tai was certain they were all scared off by the sheer volume of bad singing and off-key vocals that rang out across the sewer-system. At one point, when neither he nor Jumonji could remember the rest of lyrics, Gazi had jumped in with a line of his own making so ridiculous it had sent them near-collapsing in fits of wheezing to the sludge at their feet. Gazi had claimed spontaneous singing had been required on his resume for when he applied to be one of Etemon's underlings, and Tai hadn't really wanted to know the details on that, but it sounded like what the monkey king would have done, yeah.
Tai was glad for the singing. He tried not to think too much on what Agu-Agu had said or the implications on how he had even known these facts. He couldn't be worrying about that right now, not yet, not until he was back with his friends, and not even then. Not until Oikawa had been taken care of… without BlackWarGreymon being their sacrificial lamb.
He watched the small dinosaur carefully, the way the folds of skin around his golden eyes crinkled in laughter, at the way he kicked up his hind claws in tune to the rhythm of the song; how he nudged his way inside the center of the odd pack of Digimon and knocked shoulders playfully with everyone in a display of camaraderie that he never openly showed when he was around the rest of the Digidestined's partners.
Let him have this, Tai thought, not sure who he was pleading with, but just that someone, something out there would hear him. Let him live a happy, carefree life. He deserves this. How can anyone claim he doesn't have a heart when he is full of such powerful emotions? Please.
The Numemon's nostrils had reached a ladder built into the wall that ran up to the surface.
"After you," they sniggered to the two humans, weaving their eyeballs to and fro.
"Oh, sure, now we get to go first," Tai muttered, gripping the first rung and beginning to climb.
"Well, there might be predators up there too," Chuumon chittered nervously. "Scare them off for us!"
"Of course. Come on, Agu-Agu, do what I do!" Tai called down, hoping the small dinosaur knew where to place his claws.
He had another problem when he reached the top of the ladder and pushed against the manhole cover and it didn't bunch an inch. He had to climb back down and let Jumonji take a shot of it. The delinquent spent several minutes huffing and puffing as he strained against the weight of it and let several colorful curses.
"How'd you get the last one off?" Tai asked curiously.
"AAAAHHH, that one…. HHNNNNGGHH… was already uncovered…. RAAARRR," Jumonji wheezed, before finally relenting his manly pride. "Dammit, GAZI!"
"I got it! Have a taste of these claws!" Gazi cried, bounding up the rungs of the ladder and slicing his claws in an x-fashion across the manhole's cover which exploded into the air like someone popping open a soda bottle.
The surface above was a bitter, freezing reminder that it was winter and surprisingly still daylight. Tai shivered as he climbed out and almost missed the warm smelliness down below. Almost.
"Come on, Agu-Agu, I got you," he called, reaching out a hand to grasp his partner's claw.
The small dinosaur was heavier than he looked and it took both him and Jumonji to haul his body weight over the opening.
"Are there any predators?" Chuumon hollered up at them.
"Nah, you big sissies," Gazi leered at his squad, strutting along the perimeter of the manhole. "You can come up now. There's nothing–"
"Watch out!" Jumonji shouted, flinging Gazi out of the way just in time for a thick net to come spiraling out of nowhere and topple him sideways into the concrete. A shriek of pain tore out of his throat as sparks of electricity began shooting throughout the net.
"Jumonjimon!" Gazi cried springing towards him, claws raised downward in an act to tear him free.
Another net came whirling out of the open, ensnaring its intended target in its wake and soon Gazi's pained screams were mingling with his partners as the electric current ran through it.
Agu-Agu started forward as if he might run to help them, but Tai threw his arms around him and dragged him low to the ground, curling himself into a ball as small as possible. He kept waiting for a net to fall over them but he got a shadow instead.
Lifting his head, he saw one of the specialized SWAT team members standing over him, their head covered by a face guard. The barrel of his rifle was slung casually against his shoulder not pointed at him, but that didn't really give Tai any relief.
"Up," was the order he was given and he went along with no struggle.
He was filled with fear, not for himself, but for Agu-Agu, at what they might do to the small dinosaur, at what Agu-Agu might do to them if they tried to separate them. But no one made any motions to rip his partner from his grasp, and for now at least, Agu-Agu went along docile in Tai's arms as the soldier steered them to one of the military vehicles and threw them in the back before slamming the doors in their faces. A moment later the floor vibrated underneath their feet as the vehicle began to move.
Tai couldn't hear Jumonji screaming anymore. He couldn't hear Gazi. They were alone in the darkness and the only sound besides the muffling rumble of the vehicle was the mad pounding of his heart and the blood rushing in his ears.
"Taichimon, where are they taking us?" was the only question Agu-Agu asked him on the drive but Tai had no answers to give, no words of comfort to offer.
He didn't know how long they were on the road for, it might have been five hours, it might have been five minutes. Tai had lost track of the time. The darkness around him did nothing to stop the vivid image of Jumonji and Gazi writhing in agony under the nets as sparks flew across their bodies. What had happened to them?
The vehicle gave a shudder and went still and Tai knew they had stopped. Still didn't know where they had taken them or what they wanted. Didn't know if he was next on their list of being tortured all because he was deemed an "alien sympathizer and national traitor".
The doors to the vehicle swung open, allowing golden sunlight to stream inside and illuminating the figure standing in its direct path.
"You're a very hard person to get a hold of," the negotiator's calm, steady voice said with just a hint of exasperation. "Sorry for what happened back there–both times now. I was told I had a clean team but some of the troops had family members hurt by your monster friends and they can be really petty sometimes. You can come out now, you know."
The man stood aside and took several paces away from the doors for good measure. Tai stood shakily to his feet, clutching Agu-Agu tightly against him and cautiously made his way forward.
When he finally set foot on solid ground, he found himself in what seemed to be a large warehouse stacked high with boxes. Not a jail cell then. Hadn't this man mentioned a precinct before though? Had that been for show? Was he only pretending to work for the government? Yakuza wore suits too. In the tv shows, they were always out for control. Maybe they had decided to dip their fingers in the latest alien craze.
"You have questions I see," the man said walking to the center of the warehouse where under a square patch of sunlight streaming down rested one lone square table and two chairs. "Sit," he mentioned.
Tai's eyes darted around looking for a way out but they fell across the soldier lingering near the back of the vehicle instead. The soldier cocked his face guard at him and patted the gun resting at ease across his shoulder in warning.
Tai edged towards the table, keeping a firm grip on Agu-Agu. "Who are you?" Tai asked the man who had already taken a seat.
The sun shone down upon dark tousled hair and a smile that was curved halfway as if laughing at some secret inside joke.
"You can call me Agent D. Pleased to finally meet you, Mr. Starlord Galaxeo."
To Be Continued…
A/N: *kicks down door* WHADDUP BITCHACHOS, I'M BACK! I told you no matter how long it took, no matter how many hiatuses I was gonna finish this fic! By golly, this thing is twelve years old now. This is personal now. I cannot rest until this monster is finished. Ya'll do know this was supposed to be a one-shot, right? Like the first chapter was supposed to be it? *ugly laughter*
Kisama: bastard
Uragirimono: traitor
I don't know what to tell you except one day, Tai woke up in my head from hibernation and was like "ok, let's get writing" and I had to obey. So yeah, I had to split the chapter in two parts, because wow, the scenes in my head were not as long, but next chapter, they'll pay off! Fun facts: I was playing Blitzkrieg Bop by the Ramones during the whole fleeing the spec ops and the sewers scenes. It just gave me happy adventure vibes!
Please do leave a review. It's the only payment I get and it just inspires me to write more. If you don't know what to say, just comment what made you laugh, your fav line, scene, etc. I dropped more foreshadowing here, heehee. See you all again, soon!
