Chapter 5

Kidnapper

Over the next few days, Jason and Renamon avoided each other. They still had their nightly conversations, but they never lasted longer then fifteen minutes. Both just didn't know how to deal with the questions in their minds, how to make the answers appear.

Rika and Tijgmon had also noticed something was different between Renamon and Jason. Usually, Jason was in a happy mood and would enjoy playing cards or another game with Tijgmon. Now, he just preferred to sit and stare out into the yard, his mood more serious then usual. Rika also noticed that Renamon, who said few words at all, had become almost completely silent. She could be standing in the room, and you would never know she was there.

One day, while Rika was at school and Tijgmon was out on patrol with Renamon, Jason was sitting on the edge of the pond, his mind wandering. Seiko walked up, a letter in her hand, "Jason, could you do me a favor and run this down to the post office. I would do it, but I am waiting on a call from an old friend I haven't talked to in a long time."

Jason smiled, masking the solemn feeling in his mind, "Sure, where is the nearest post office?"

Seiko smiled, handing him the letter, "Once you leave the house go right and keeping going for eight blocks. Then, take a left and go five more blocks. The post office is right there." Jason nodded his head, turning as he began to wheel toward the gate. As Jason rolled away, Seiko sighed. She also had noticed something was bothering him and Renamon, but did not know that they shared the same problem, questions with no answers and uncertainty about what answers they had.

An hour later Rika got back from school, and the first things she did was change out of her hated, green, school uniform into her blue jeans and heart t-shirt. She stepped out of her room, stretching a bit before she began to look around. Renamon and Tijgmon landed in the yard, Tijgmon falling flat on his stomach. The patrol had been a little more then the tiger cub digimon was used to. Rika began to walk across the yard towards Renamon, shaking her head as she said, "What did you do to him?"

Renamon looked down at Tijgmon, "I just went on my usual patrol route. He kept up, but I guess he can't handle it."

Tijgmon slowly got to his feet, swaying a bit before he glared up at Renamon, "Well, it doesn't help that I have to do a lot more running. You just do that little disappearing act of yours, and you can cover a couple blocks without running a step."

Rika smiled a bit, holding in some laughter as she said, "Well, I think Jason will have a bit more sympathy for you than me and Renamon."

Tijgmon blinked a few times, looking around, "Where is Jason anyway?"

Rika and Renamon began to look around, and Rika realized she had not seen him since she got home. The trio began to look around the house, but in a few minutes they realized he was no where in the house. Rika went into the dinning room where her grandmother was talking on the phone. Seiko looked up at her, smiling as she covered the receiver and said, "How was school today Rika?"

Rika walked forward, "Fine, but do you know where Jason is?"

Seiko nodded her head, "Yes, he is taking a letter to the post office for me."

"When did he leave?"

Seiko glanced mindlessly up at the ceiling, "We had just finished having lunch about fifteen minutes before I gave him the letter." Before Rika could ask anymore questions, Seiko was back on the phone talking to her friend. Rika quickly turned, heading back out into the yard where Renamon and Tijgmon were still searching for the hardwired tamer.

Rika walked up, a bit of a worried look on her face, "My grandmother said she sent Jason out to mail a letter, but that was almost three hours ago. He must have gone to the nearest post office, and that should have only taken him an hour, two hours at max."

Tijgmon stood perfectly still before he turned and began to run toward the gate. Rika and Renamon quickly followed after him. Renamon disappeared for a second, reappearing with Rika's digivice and card deck in hand. Rika took the tools of the tamer trade, slipping the card deck into the holder on her belt and clipping her digivice on the other side.

After running for a few minutes Renamon and Rika managed to catch up with Tijgmon, who had stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. He was still tired from going with Renamon on patrol. Rika and Renamon stopped by the worn out rookie, Rika pulling out her card deck as she said, "I think I have a better way to do this."

Rika picked out a card, swiping it as she said, "Digimodify, Oraclemon activate." Renamon's eyes flashed, beginning to glow as she gained the all seeing sight of the mega level, Oraclemon. She began to see a vision. She saw the post office, and Jason rolling out of the building as he began to make his way back to the house. Then, from the sky, a black figure lunged down and grabbed Jason up, pulling him out of his wheelchair. The figure paused on a rooftop, and Renamon saw what looked like a vampire. Then, the last part of the vision was an image of the clock on the post office tower. It read 2:30 in the afternoon.

The vision ended and Renamon held her head a second as the Digimodify wore off. She then looked at Rika and Tijgmon as she said, "Meet me at the post office as soon as you can, I have to run ahead and find something." Rika nodded her head, and then watched as Renamon disappeared into thin air. Rika then turned, scooping up Tijgmon into her arms as she began to run to a nearby bus stop.

Ten minutes later the bus rolled up to the post office. The building had once been an old school, and over the main doors was a large clock tower. The old clock was in full working order, and said the current time was 3:30. Rika set Tijgmon down, and began to look for Renamon. They soon saw her, rolling an empty wheelchair down towards them. Rika ran up, a hint of worry in her voice, "Did you find Jason?"

Renamon shook her head, "No, what ever kidnapped him is long gone. My vision showed me that he was taken out of his wheelchair right at 2:30."

Rika looked up at the clock tower, "That means he has been unhooked from a computer for about an hour, and that we have another hour to get him plugged back in before his brain shuts down completely."

Renamon nodded her head, looking over at Tijgmon, "Listen, digimon partners can usually sense where there tamers are. Tijgmon, try and sense where Jason is or at least in what direction we need to be running in."

Tijgmon shook his head, "I don't know how to do that. I don't think I am officially Jason's partner."

Rika knelt down, "Listen Tijgmon, you digivolved. If Jason's wasn't your partner, then that would have never happened. Now, he needs your help more then ever. Just try."

Tijgmon lowered his head, but then looked up with a determined look in his eyes. He ran around to the back of the wheelchair, and hit a button. Surprisingly, a part of the wheelchair began to open up, a screen and keyboard unfolding from the apparatus. The computer booted itself up, and Tijgmon quickly began to look around the desktop. Renamon and Rika looked at the screen, and saw that something was flashing on the desktop, as if calling them to click on it. It was the icon for the "Matrix-D" program.

Tijgmon quickly used his paw to type a few commands on the keyboard, and select the icon. He then turned to Rika and said, "Wait until I get to a safe distance and then hit the enter key." Rika nodded her head, and then watched as Tijgmon ran into the middle of the plaza that was in front of the post office. Tijgmon then gave Rika a single nod, and she returned it before pressing the enter key on the keyboard. The computer in the wheelchair roared to life, thousands of numbers crossing the screen.

Across town, as he was carried under the arm of his kidnapper, Jason began to wake up. The wheelchair was forming a weak, wireless connection. The computer was asking for verification on the activation of the Matrix-D program. Jason smiled, knowing that help was on the way as he returned a launch protocol to the program.

Back in the Plaza, Tijgmon had already digivolved into SaberTijgmon, but now he began his Matrix Evolution. He grew to be as large as a bus, the top of his head over two stories high. The armor on his body, and his limbs began to become metallic. Soon he back and front legs had become robotic, and his front pair had missile launchers built into the shoulder blades. Across his back it was a mixture of metal and flesh, with solid robotic parts connecting his four limbs together. The rest of Tijgmon's new body, including his head and tail, remained flesh and bone. Still, even they began to undergo changes. The black stripes across Tijgmon's back became interlaced with hundred of magical symbols that glowed blue for a second before disappearing. Finally, on his head, the left eye and a little flesh surrounding it became robotic, the eye glowing red.

When Tijgmon finished his digivolution Rika pulled out her D-power. The device took a second to scan before its info screen came up. Rika looked down, reading the screen aloud, "AlchemicTijgmon, an ultimate level cyborg. He is a creature created through alchemy, or the fusion of technology and magic. He can use his robotic limbs or magical powers to tear his enemies apart. He has three special attacks. The first is Laser Claw, the second is Missile Barrage, and the third is Alchemic End."

AlchemicTijgmon looked down at Rika and Renamon before he knelt down, "Hurry, get on. My cybernetic eye has found Jason. Who ever has captured him is heading for the Hypnos building." Rika and Renamon nodded their heads, quickly moving up onto AlchemicTijgmon's back. In between his front two shoulder blades a pair of seat seemed to grow out of the cybernetic metal. Renamon and Rika took a seat in those chairs, and then held on as AlchemicTijgmon stood up. Then, with a great leap, he began to run down the street. Rika noticed the AlchemicTijgmon's black stripes began to glow with blue mystical symbol. At the end of the street a large, circular symbol began to draw itself in the air.

With a leap, AlchemicTijgmon disappeared through the mysterious symbol. Several blocks away, the kidnapper was continuing to run across rooftops. Then, he stopped abruptly as a mystical symbol appeared in the air a few roofs in front of him. AlchemicTijgmon came flying out of the mystical portal. Rockets on the bottom of his feet coming on line. The rockets slowed AlchemicTijgmon's fall until he was hovering just a foot above the roof.

Renamon and Rika leapt down, landing in front of the growling ultimate. The kidnapper stepped back a bit, caught off guard by the appearance of such a large digimon. Rika recognized the kidnapper instantly. It was a Myotismon, and hanging under his arm like a sack of flower was Jason.

Myotismon began to frown, looking over Rika, Renamon, and AlchemicTijgmon as he said, "Well, this is an unpleasant surprise."

AlchemicTijgmon growled, "What are you doing with Jason?"

Myotismon looked down at Jason, and then began to smile as he said, "Why, I am taking him to my master. You see, this human has the power to bring thousands of digimon to this world. Right now, my master has managed to bring a few, but with this human he would be able to bring his entire army to this world. Then, it would just be a matter of time before the real world came to an end, and disappeared into oblivion. After that, well, my master doesn't usually let anything survive once it has outlived its usefulness."

AlchemicTijgmon could not stand it anymore, and began to charge at Myotismon. The vampire smiled, holding Jason up by his neck, using him as a shield. AlchemicTijgmon froze in his tracks. Myotismon smiled, "Now that's a good boy, we can't be hurting the human now."

Rika looked over at Renamon, who nodded her head, Rika quickly pulled out her digivice, and swiped a card as she called out, "Digimodify, Master of Time activate." For a second, Renamon disappeared into thin air. Myotismon blinked a few times, realizing the Jason had disappeared from his hand. He began to look around, and saw Renamon was holding Jason in her arms a few rooftops away.

The modify card Master of Time gave a digimon a brief control over time. Renamon had used the control to pause time, and allow her to get Jason away from Myotismon without the vampire digimon even noticing until it was too late. Myotismon himself was about to attack Renamon, but he soon remembered a much larger opponent was standing just a few feet away.

AlchemicTijgmon was already charging at Myotismon, the claws on his right front paw began to glow a dark orange. AlchemicTijgmon tried to pounce on Myotismon, but the vampire digimon had leapt up into the air and was now using his Crimson Lightning attack to strike AlchemicTijgmon on the head.

While AlchemicTijgmon fought with Myotismon, Renamon carried Jason over to where Rika waited patently. She laid him down on the ground before lowering her head down to his chest. She let out a sigh of relief, there was a steady heartbeat. Rika pulled out her cell phone, checking the time. It was four in the afternoon. That meant they had thirty minute to get Jason back to his wheelchair. Rika's eyes narrowed as that thought crossed her mind. They had forgotten to bring Jason's wheelchair. They had left it back at the post office.

Renamon realized that fact at the same time. She quickly looked up at Rika and said, "I can't get there and back in thirty minutes, not if I am carrying a wheelchair."

Rika nodded her head, and then pulled out her digivice, "Not as Renamon, but as Taomon you could just teleport their and then bring the chair here." Renamon nodded her head, and then stood up as Rika slashed the Matrix Digivolution card. In a few moments, the Tao sorceress, Taomon, was standing in front of Rika. She quickly held up her hand, and threw it down. In a cloud of smoke she disappeared. Rika watched the smoke dissipate before she turned back to the ensuing battle.

Myotismon was proving more then an equal match for AlchemicTijgmon. Myotismon was small, and could move around much quicker then the larger cyborg digimon. Tijgmon had several scratches and cuts across his body, but he never stopped.

Myotismon began to frown, and then said, "I grow board with this. I thinks its time I delivered the human to my master."

Myotismon quickly flew around AlchemicTijgmon, and began to walk across the roof towards Jason and Rika. Suddenly, it was like the vampire ultimate had hit an invisible wall. He fell back, but quickly stood up as he began to look around. On the top of the roof a very complex mystical symbol had appeared, and he was surrounded by a circle. Myotismon looked back and saw AlchemicTijgmon's eyes growing brightly as he called out, "Alchemic End."

The circle that trapped Myotismon began to glow brightly, and the vampire began to shout in pain. He was on the verge of bursting into data when something darted by AlchemicTijgmon, attacking him, and causing his special attack to ended before it could finish Myotismon off.

Myotismon quickly leapt away from Jason and Rika as he landed on a roof top a few buildings away. Beside him a strange figure landed, shrouded in black. Rika pulled out her digivice, and the display read, "LadyMyotismon, an ultimate level vampire digimon. The wife of Myotismon, she holds almost as much power as the vampire lord himself. Her special attacks are Crimson Rain and Breath of Shadows."

Myotismon smiled, setting his arm on the shoulder on the female vampire that stood beside him. She resembled Myotismon in many ways. She had the red mask on her face and the slightly blue/grey skin. She had a long cape, and long black hair that was even darker then the outside of the cap. She wore a long, form fitting dress that was a dark, forest green in color.

Myotismon glanced down at LadyMyotismon and said, "You have amazing timing."

LadyMyotismon smiled, "Thank you. Now, would you like some help with these children?"

Myotismon nodded his head, "If you will get the human to our master I will distract that overgrown alley cat." LadyMyotismon nodded her head, and began to fly through the air towards Rika and Jason. Myotismon also leapt into the air, flying quickly as he continued his fight with AlchemicTijgmon.

Rika stood up, wondering where Taomon was. LadyMyotismon drew closer, an evil smile spreading onto her face as her eyes locked on Jason. Then, out of nowhere, several paper talismans flew through the air, and attacked themselves to LadyMyotismon's face. Rika looked behind her and saw Taomon flying up. She dropped Jason's wheelchair beside Rika, and then began to fight off LadyMyotismon.

Rika quickly rolled Jason onto his back, and began to look through is hair for the metal wires. She found them, and began to follow them to their end. She then gasped, looking back at the wheelchair. When Myotismon had kidnapped Jason, he had pulled the wires between Jason's brain and the computer apart. The wires ripped apart, with several of them at different lengths.

Rika began to panic, rolling Jason back onto his back as she began to shake him, "Jason, Jason."

Amazingly, Jason was able to open his eyes. He looked around slowly, then up at Rika as he said, his voice slow and forced, "What…is…wrong?"

Rika grabbed the end of the broken wire, and held it in front of Jason's face. It took Jason about ten seconds to realize what Rika was holding. He then sat up, looking over at his wheelchair. He held his head, his brain nearing an absolute shutdown, as he said, "Bring…the…wheel…chair…closer."

Rika nodded her head, turning the wheelchair so it was right next to Jason. He reached out slowly, and unhooked what was left of his wires from the computer. The plug came out with a gentle snap, and Jason set it in his lap as he reached around his head, and pulled the other half of his wires in front of him. Then, with gentle hands he began to twist together certain wires. Rika watched anxiously, glancing down at the clock on her cell phone. It was 4:15. Jason had fifteen minutes left.

Finally, after ten minutes had passed, Jason held the plug up to Rika. She quickly took it, and snapped it into the computer. Jason shook his head a second, his mind's shut down coming to a halt. He had done enough to sustain his brain, but he couldn't concentrate anymore. If he became unhooked, he would only have five minutes before he was as good as dead.

Jason shook his head again, trying to do what he could to stay awake. Still, it was all for not, for he soon tipped over. Rika managed to catch him before his head crashed down onto the cement roof, and she said, "Jason."

Jason blinked his eyes a few time, his words still very slow and spread out, "I am all right, for now."

Myotismon was fighting back AlchemicTijgmon, but LadyMyotismon was loosing at the hands of Taomon. With a final blast from her talisman of light, LadyMyotismon broke into a cloud of data. Myotismon growled, looking around as he said, "I think its time I take my leave."

Myotismon flew away from AlchemicTijgmon, pausing as he called down, "Now, I shall give you a word from my master. He told me to either capture that human, or make sure he could not interfere. Now that you have stopped me from bringing him to my master, I am afraid you have only sealed his fate."

With that, Myotismon raised his arms up and launched his grizzly wing attack. Only a few bats began to fly through the air, but they went straight for the wires that connected Jason's brain to his wheelchair. Rika quickly smacked all of them away, but one managed to get through and cut a few of the wires that Jason had managed to repair.

Myotismon began to laugh as he turned, and flew into the distance. Taomon landed beside Jason and Rika quickly swiped a dedigivolution card. Renamon returned to normal, and quickly bent her ear down to Jason's chest. His heart beat was slowing down. AlchemicTijgmon landed beside Rika, his voice filled with worry, "Rika, come with me. Maybe we can get Yamachi back here in time to save Jason. He should be able to make enough repairs to buy Jason some time." Rika nodded her head, quickly hopping up onto the ultimate's back before disappearing through a mystical portal

Before Renamon knew it, she was left all alone with Jason. She looked down at him, her mind filled with endless thoughts. She had failed him. He had saved her life, and now she could do nothing to save his. She had betrayed there trust, and now it was going to cost Jason his life. Renamon soon found tears tugging at her eyes. As a battle hardened warrior, she would not let herself cry. Still, one tear betrayed her and slipped down her cheek. The tear dripped down, and landed on Jason's hand. To Renamon's amazement, the hand twitched a bit.

Renamon began to wonder if Jason would react to other things, if that would be enough to sustain his brain until Yamachi got there. Renamon tried pinching Jason, pulling his hair, and even hitting his shoulder. Nothing happened. Renamon began to run out of options. She then decided to try one other thing. With a gentle hand she lifted Jason up into a sitting position. Then, being careful of his wires and hair, Renamon brought Jason into a warm embrace. She then smiled, feeling his arms moving up to return the hug. Renamon was amazed how great it felt to be in Jason's arms.

The pressure of Renamon's body against his, the smell of her fur in his nose, and the warmth of her arms against his back was starting to force Jason's brain back online. Jason didn't understand how or why, but soon his brain was back up at 25 power. Jason smiled a bit, his mind clearing as he said, "Renamon."

Renamon nodded her head, a hope starting to flair up in mind and heart, "Yes Jason."

"Thank you for being here when I needed you the most. Now there is something I want you to know. That way, even if my brain shuts down and I die, you'll know how I feel."

Renamon pulled her head back a bit, surprised Jason was talking so clearly. In truth, Jason could not understand what was going on. His brain was operating so clearly, even though it wasn't attached to a computer. It was like several processes in his mind had shut down, and it was concentrating on certain tasks. His mind had cleared away so many thoughts only a single one shown through, and his entire mind was focused on that one thought.

It was the source of so much feeling and emotions for Jason, he was amazed it had gone unnoticed for so long. It had been hidden behind the many other thoughts in his mind, but now it was like the moon in a starless sky, standing out against almost pure darkness. The reason he could talk so openly with Renamon, the reason he had risked his life to save her, it could all be explained in three simple words.

Then, before Jason even knew what was going on, those three words escaped his lips, "I love you." Renamon almost dropped Jason when those words rang through the air. At that same moment, Jason's brain began to shut down again, jumping back down to roughly 15 capacity. Jason's eyes became distant, and he slumped over in Renamon's arms. Renamon was in a state of shock, but had enough sense to lay Jason back on the ground. Had she heard Jason correctly? Had he meant what he said?

Renamon was in such a state of shock she didn't notice AlchemicTijgmon return with Yamachi and Rika riding on his back. Yamachi leapt down, a coil of wires and a few other tools in his hands as he rushed over to Jason. He quickly began to sift through many broken and striped wires, starting to make repairs as Rika, Renamon, and AlchemicTijgmon looked on with worried eyes. Still, Renamon's worry outweighed Yamachi, Rika, and AlchemicTijgmon's put together. She needed to ask Jason if he meant what he said. Did he really love her, even though she was a digimon? She needed to know if those three words that had escaped his lips had meant anything, or was it just a side effect of his brain being put under such strain.