"TK, I'm scared." Minami whispered the word softly, face partially buried into Tk's shoulder, wide and frightened eyes looking out at the world around her, pressed so close to TK, as if she believed that he had the ability to shield her from the rest of the world. She seemed so small like that, a child, and TK's heart clenched. At some point during their journey both of them had passed out from fear and being battered by the waves. The pair had awoken to find themselves in a large circular white room with a high ceiling along with an observation window. Empty, for now at least. The strange architecture of the place reminded TK of the digital world, particularly of the place where Tentomon had digivolved into Kabuterimon for the first time, except that place had been all gold hues and reflected rainbows of color. This place was only stark white and sterile.
"I… I'll protect you. We'll get out of this." TK said the words like he meant them, recalling the time when he was a small frightened child in the digital world and Matt or Tai or Joe had held in such a similar way. Back then, they didn't know how to protect him any better than TK knew how to protect Minami now, but the sentiment had comforted him back then, and he only hoped it managed to do the same thing for Minami now.
The sharp tap of feet on the floor rang through the building, and TK felt himself tense as Minami's breath hitched.
"Ah, the child of Hope, fallen into my grasps yet again." TK's head jerked up at the words, panic and adrenaline pumping through his veins at the words. Words he hadn't heard in a long time. A title that had once been dear to him, and that he had given up for the greater good. A man was now stood in the observation room, and took TK a moment to place the face as the man who had been on the TV advertising the V-pet.
"How do you know that name?" TK snapped, almost snarled, at the man, as if merely his words and the glares in his eyes would free the pair of them or make the man spontaneously combust. It was a taunt, and TK knew he was rising to the bait, but couldn't help himself.
"You don't remember me? Well, I do admit I am but a shadow of my previous self, the last piece of data of who I was. That's the funny thing about your merciful way of fighting, so different form the new ways. That destroyed data just floats around, finding it's way to primary village. That should have been my fate, a time of reverie to regain my strength until I could rise again, but your companions -" The word was spat with the upmost contempt. "-they hunted down my data before I could return there. Scattered it to the wind until it was no longer a part of me! I am but the last grouping of it, but I WILL return to my previous glory!" The man shouted the statement, looking very high and mighty up in his observation room. TK sneered at him.
"Okay, great to hear. And you are…?" He made a little circular motion with his hand. Minami was trembling. He needed to seem confident, if only for her sake.
"I am the incarnation of those who died." TK's eyes widened in shock, night terrors of an eight year old boy who had seen too much rushing back to the forefront of his mind like the tide coming in. His blustering facade broke and a tremor ran through his hand, blood running cold through his veins.
"You, you can't be…" He tried to form the words, but his tongue froze and lips refused to cooperate and make the right movements. He could not make himself say the name outloud.
"Please, call me Mephistomon." All of a sudden TK was eight again, scared, and hopeless. This was the creature that had taken away his hope once, and now he wasn't even armed with it like before. He was just an empty vessel. The place where it used to be. "How delightful to see you. The fates must really be in my favor to deliver me with such a perfect sacrifice for my reascent." Mephistomon said the words with a purr in his voice that sent chills up TK's spine. "Perhaps we should have a chat. Catch up, eh?" And then the man was gone, and TK knew that all that waited for him was his doom.
oOo
"Whatever's going on we need to meet up with Takato." Henry told Terriermon. After the strange phone call Henry had gone straight for the news channel on his hotel's television. The malfunctioning of electronics was a clear sign that whatever was going on had to do with the digital world. And to affect the world at such a large scale… Henry clenched his digivice all the tighter in his hand.
The wind of the pier was harsh and carried with it a foreboding chill. Henry cast a quick glance at his phone - no new messages. His attempts to reach Rika had yet to yield any results. He just hoped if nothing else, she was safe. He typed the number in again regardless, blindly hoping it would somehow connect this time, and raised the phone to his ear.
"Um, Henry?" Terriermon spoke up, tugging on Henry's pant left.
"Not now Terriermon." Henry replied, listening intently to the subtle sounds of the phone working.
"Henry…" He persisted, voice rising in volume.
"I said not now!"
"Isn't that our boat?" Terriermon pointed out to the ocean, and Henry sharply turned his head, already letting out a small swear. Sure enough there was the boat, on fire, at full speed, heading straight for the dock that the two of them were standing on.
"Not good, not good-" Henry reached down and snatched up Terriermon into his arms and made a dash across the dock as the wood splintered and broke apart under his feet. The planks beneath him lurched as the boat groaned and tore through the dock. Henry made a last desperate leap from the dock, away from the trajectory of the boat and landing, skidding his hands and knees on the concrete and sand. The boat collided with the shore and ceased its moments with a loud shriek of metal against rocks, kicking up a spray of sea water.
"Henry!" Terriermon squirmed out of his partner's deathlike grip, placing his two little paws on either side of Henry's face, lifting it up to the light. Henry in turn let out a small cough and winced before rising to his feet. Terriermon brushed some of the sand out of the man's cobalt hair, fussing over the little scratches. "Are you okay?"
"I'm… I'm fine." Henry assured. He turned to look at the boat, which fell over onto its side, loudly impacting against the water, another wave of water rising with it. "I guess we're not going to see Takato." Henry reached into his pocket and withdrew his phone, letting out another quiet litany of swears as it refused to turn on despite his panicked push at the buttons. He let out a frustrated breath and threw the phone at the ground. "Great, what now?"
"Momentai." Terriermon replied, comfortingly patting the back of Henry's leg. "We'll figure something out. Only so many bad things can happen to one person at a time, you know. Something good has to happen eventually." Henry gave Terriermon a disbelieving look.
"Joe." A deep, double layered voice called out, and Henry's head snapped up, recognizing the strange, ethereal tone. "I need you now. Come, take my hand, and let us save your fellow men." Henry stared at the air as it rippled, the very fabric of world rippling like a curtain in the wind, showing the smallest of glimpses of a place deep and dark behind it. A steely blue eyes, reflecting an unearthly light, stared intently at Henry.
"Told you so." Terriermon said.
oOo
"All alone, child of Hope?" TK continued to test his bonds, feeling the area around his wrists starting to bruise. The room that he had been moved to was smaller than the previous one, almost claustrophobic, especially with the man from earlier, Mephistomon, looming over him. He had been chained to the wall, leaving him with no way to hide and no way to run. "Where is your little partner, hm? Did you abandon him the way the world abandoned the data of all the Digimon that comprise me?" TK glowered at Mephistomon but refused to rise to the bait. "And that gaggle of children you used to run around with? Did you leave them as well? Or perhaps… perhaps they left you? The young shy one. The baby of the group. Not even able to cling to his Hope." TK bit his tongue, feeling that deep seated anger in him boiling up. It didn't matter what Mephistomon said to him, he had to keep faith that Takato would come for him and Minami. Takato had Guilmon and that strange Digimon that emerged from the laptop. If he got Henry, they could probably take care of this. Finish what apparently TK and the others had failed to do.
From his jacket pocket, something began to vibrate and let out a small tone.
"Hm? What this?" Mephistomon leaned forward, head twitching in an uncanny way. He reached into TK's pocket and grabbed something, but not before TK managed to headbutt him. He cursed and pulled back with a hiss. "Insolent boy." He opened his hand to reveal TK's digivice, humming excitedly, small screen flashing colors like it hadn't in weeks.
"Give that back!" TK cried out, unable to keep up his silent treatment any longer. The cold iron dug into his skin as he strained against it, reaching towards his digivice.
"I don't think I will, perhaps I shall-"
"I said give it back!" TK cried out, voice bouncing off the walls. Something inside of TK's chest welled up and surged forward, and with it his digivice sparked to life, light bleeding from it, and for a bare moment TK could have sworn it was yellow once again.
When the light died down Mephistomon was on the other side of the small room, hand clutched to his chest, hissing and face full of fury that made it adopt a distinctly animalistic quality. In the space between TK and Mephistomon sat the digivice where Mephistomon had dropped it, once again devoid of life.
"How did you…" Mephistomon looked up at TK, but only saw surprise. With a grumble Mephistomon took another step back. "Whatever, this isn't over. You can have a moment of reprieve, but when I'm done here there will be no place for you to seek refuge, and your pitiful light tricks won't be enough to save you."
He walked away after, leaving TK alone in the room, straining against him bonds to try and kick his digivice back over to himself.
oOo
"Daughter of Sincerity, you are needed." Rika looked up from card formation in front of her, the double layered voice calling to her from the ripple in the air.
"Get out." She retorted, reaching over to turn up her radio as it read out the numbers of flights that had crashed in the past hour, comparing their numbers to her mothers flight ticket, just to be certain, although by now she had it memorized, ingrained in her mind.
"I told you she'd be like this." A familiar voice rang through the air, and Rika caught a glimpse of a green and cream colored ear.
"Terriermon?" She said out loud, and with a small flicker and short burst of wind Renamon was at her side.
"Come on Rika, Takato and TK need us." An orange vest and cobalt hair.
"Henry." Renamon said, and then looked at Rika, who gave a nod.
"Let's go save goggle head and bucket hat."
oOo
The sounds of splashes and spluttering bounced off the pristine metallic walls as four heads emerged from a circular pool of water, greedily gasping for air.
"I don't like water anymore." Growlmon grumbled as his slick claws struggled to gain purchase on landing.
"Agreed." Takato commented as he lugged his water logged body onto the floor. Kai, who had already managed to get on reached down to help pull him up, and never had Takato been so happy to have his feet on solid land. Seasarmon surged from the water like a great wave, shaking the water off of him furiously, the low growl that had been ever present in his throat reaching a crescendo. His face swiveled from side to side, taking audible sniffs of the air. He gave a small bark and turned his head towards the hallway.
"There. Minami." His gravely voice was full of urgency and he took off at a sprint down the hall, leaving wet footprints behind him. The others fumbled after him, wet sneakers and paws struggling not to slip on the wet ground.
"W-wait up!"
oOo
"I'm sorry, Tai, but I'm not getting any readings for Omnimon." The two friends sat in the apartment, faces lit up by the computer. Izzy leaned forward and meticulously retyped the line of identification code - a long series of ones and zeroes - and pressed enter again. After a moment the computer sputtered out a annoyed beep.
"I- I swear that it was him!" Tai inserted, standing up from his chair suddenly, causing it to squeal against the floor as he paced the room. This a small groan and a pop of his knees IZzy got to his feet and gently placed a hand on Tai's shoulder.
"I know. I'm not saying it wasn't him. There have been strange readings recently, and that odd moment at the mall. Things are pointing towards a possible change. He might have contacted you, but if he did he isn't on this plane anymore." Tai didn't seem comforted, and IZzy could only imagine what his friend was going through. It had been ages, decades, since he had heard the sound of Tentomon's voice, analytical and jittery, the click of his mandibles that would accent every sentence. Just the thought of it made his heart clench and throat feel thick.
"It had to be him…" Tai said softly, looking down at the digivice he had gently cupped in his hands.
"By the way Tai, I've been wondering, why haven't you called the others yet? If it truly was Omnimon, wouldn't this involve them?" At the question Tai sighed and ran a hand through his hair, only making it stand up all the more.
"You know I can't remember their numbers, much less their fake names, wanting to start over and everything." Tai looked over at a picture on the desk wistfully, full of eleven kids smiling brightly at the camera. "Do you even recall the last time they talked to me? They said to never call, they don't want to see my face, much less my false hope. I could never stand that way of thinking. How do you move on from missing your other half? How can you try and forget them and everything that happened between us? I never wanted to forget a single moment at it." His fingers lightly brushed against the young blonde haired boy who stood proudly next to his older brother. "...even the tragedies."
oOo
"Nothing sir." Riley reported.
"Then try again!" He shouted in anger, in desperation, playing white his lighter and holding it so tightly that it almost seemed like the cold metal would melt into his skin. There was no way it hadn't been him, he double checked, triple checked his memory. That just wasn't a voice you could forget. No, it was a voice that was lodged in his dreams and haunted his nightmares. Maybe if Omnimon was okay, as alive, than that meant that - no, don't think like that, you abandoned that delusional dream long ago. You faced reality. You are saving others from the same fate.
He couldn't even bring himself to believe his own words.