Kitty: OMG! I haven't written anything in so long. I'm so sorry. I uploaded Chapter Twenty today and decided I needed to highjack my Latin teacher's computer to start chapter Twenty One. I hope I get done sooner than chapter Twenty. You know, I actually had it completed like before Christmas, but when I tried to put on my flash disk, it got corrupted and deleted pieces of itself. So, here goes Chapter Twenty One, which is only going to be on my flash disk.

I didn't get it uploaded sooner than twenty…

Chapter Twenty One

Judgment

Sirens screamed from out in the street.

"It came from in there!"

"The screams came from in there!"

"Kids went in there, officers!"

"I saw the Chosen Children."

"Why are the Chosen Children here?"

"Who was screaming officers?"

The muddle of panicked, excited voices drifted past the open door. Koushirou, Tsumi, and Mimi stood and stared in horror at the sobbing boy.

"Iori-kohai, we have to go. We have to go now. The police will take you in!" Tsumi walked towards him and touched his shoulder.

"How will we get out of here in time?" Mimi muttered.

"We'll escape through one of the back windows." Palmon suggested.

"We have to hurry." Gizamon said hearing footsteps rush up the stairs.

"Come on, Iori-kohai. We have to go." Tsumi tugged on his arm. "Let her go."

"Iie."

"Onegai, Iori-kohai." Mimi begged.

"Iie."

"Demo…"

"Let him stay."

"Izumi-san?" Tsumi whipped her head around.

"We can't force him to forget he murdered two living beings. We can't force him to leave the girl he loves who he attacked. Without being punished for-" a group of police barged in with their Digimon "- his crime, then he'll never be able to save others. The burden would be too great on his soul."

"Izumi-Deity." All the police bowed. They stood up quickly and gazed in horror at the gore and flesh all over the foyer. "Wh-what happened?" One man left the room green in the face.

"It was me." Iori whispered. "Please, save her. She's still alive." Iori moss-green eyes were dark and blank as he rose with Chichi limp in his arms.

"We need the paramedics up here stat." radioed one man. "I'm Sergeant Tasaka. We need to question you all about…about th-this." The man waved a hand over the room.

"I did it." Iori said.

"D-demo-"

"Move away, please, we're here for the- Oh, Deity." a group of four paramedics rushed into the room and stopped dead. "Where's the living body?"

"Here." Iori stepped forward. The paramedics quickly opened the rolling stretcher and let Iori put her down. The paramedics quickly strapped Chichi down and led her away.

"Our detectives will want to look this over."

"You don't have to. I did it. I have to go to jail." Iori said turning slowly and meeting the Sergeant's eyes.

"It's procedure. Let's go to the station and talk about what happened." The man wiped his sweaty forehead nervously.

"Hands above your head and against the wall." A woman ordered Iori stepping forward with a disgusted expression and handcuffs in her hands.

Iori moved to do so, when the Sergeant reached out and grabbed his shoulder.

"Lieutenant Mitsuki, onegai, don't be so hasty. I'm sure he won't attack all of us."

"Demo-!" Iori started.

"You can't treat him like that!" Lieutenant Mitsuki burst out. Her Cerberumon growled threateningly.

"Like what? A Deity?" one of the officers scoffed.

"He admitted to murder! Judging by his hands and the lack of a weapon, he tore whoever those chunks belonged to in pieces with his bare hands!" The officers and Sergeant paled.

"Hai, that is what it looks like, but he is a Deity. And aren't people innocent until proven guilty?"

"HE'S PROVEN HIS GUILT! HE'S ADMITTED IT!" shrieked Mitsuki. "Deity or no, the boy obviously wants to go to jail! Let's treat him like a damn criminal 'cause that's exactly what he is!" She stopped, gasping and her chest heaving. The Sergeant wiped his forehead again.

"Take a walk home and cool down. Officer Jiiro will take your car back to HQ. Tomorrow, I expect a level head and an apology to his young man." He said with a slight crack in his voice. Mitsuki eyes narrowed dangerously as Cerberumon's claws dug into the wood floor as his growls grew louder.

"Let's go, Cerberu." Mitsuki hissed.

"Yeah, the stench of justice is starting to get under my skin." Growled Cerberumon is his throaty voice.

"I'm sorry for that. She's headstrong and still new."

"She's the only real officer here." Iori muttered.

"Mitsuki-san is right." Koushirou's hand fell on Iori's shoulder. "Iori won't be able to look in the mirror without being punished. He deserves a fair trial and a real punishment. No matter what title he's been given."

"You may think of us as heroes. But that's not all we are. We're people too and we should be treated like it." Mimi added.

"Hai, hai, Deities, demo…because of his admitted guilt; his punishment won't be as harsh. There's guilt plea-" The sergeant wiped at his forehead.

"Save it for our lawyer to figure out." Koushirou said harshly.

"Hai, Izumi-Deity." The Sergeant bowed and the others followed suit. Tasaka hesitantly grasped Iori's shoulder and pulled him towards the door.

"Don't I need handcuffs? And what about my partner?"

"Iie, iie. We're grown men and quite capable of handling an eleven year old."

"Your Upamon is unconscious." Added the Sergeant's Toucanmon.

"He's thirteen." Tentomon corrected.

"And I doubt you'll be able to stop him if he … does this again." Koushirou waved his hand over the blood and gore and the additional officers going through their rote procedures.

"Er, well, demo…"

"I think it's best if I have handcuffs on, sir." Iori said lowly, holding his hands at his back.

"R-right." Tasaka handcuffed Iori quickly, wiped at his forehead once more and led the group out the door. Koushirou followed, the girls and Digimon trailing behind him.

When they got to the stairwell, Mimi collapsed into Koushirou's arms.

"What are we gonna do, Shirou-san? What happened?" Mimi sobbed.

"I never thought Hida-san could… could d-do that." Tsumi said rubbing her arms.

"Izumi-san, there was a stink in there!" Gizamon said agitatedly, shifting on his webbed feet.

"I feel the same, Izzy. There was definitely something wrong with Iori and Upamon." Tentomon concurred.

"I know. It was Armegeddemon."

"When did he start possessing us?" Mimi whispered.

"When the game started nearing the end." Said Palmon. Mimi sniffled.

& & &

Iori curled around Upamon, sobbing. He couldn't seem to stop. Everyone was too horror-struck, too awe-struck to do anything. They never spoke to him, besides in unintelligible stammers, and refused to speak of Chichi…the victim. A wretched little sob escaped him again. What hurt him the worst was that he remembered the pleasure, the release that woke him from his blank dream, woke him into that bloody nightmare. How could he do that? Rip and mangle a body to pieces and rape a little girl and still feel pleasure? Was it him or the monster that had taken over his mind?

His body began to quiver as he sniffed, this time it wasn't sadness. His eyes narrowed, anger radiating from him like a furnace. That abomination that called itself a digimon killed Karisama-san and raped Chichi. He hurt Wizardmon. Because of that monster he was going to rot in this cell. The group was incomplete and they needed to train! He had the strongest mind besides Koushirou, and he was still taken over by that… that fiend! Iori punched the cot hard. Upamon stirred. That thing is going to pay! He sat up, ready to break out, his eyes smoldering, but that little voice echoed through his head.

Iie…He flinched and closed his eyes, breathing hard. Chichi, I'm sorry.

"Hida-sama?"

His head jerked up and his eyes met those of the officer that stood up against the Sergeant.

"Lieutenant Mitsuki…" Iori trailed off uncertainly.

"Don't take what I did in there personally. I don't like preferential treatment based on money or fame. It's injustice." Mitsuki explained with a frown he realized was not directed at himself. "I know you did it, but I don't think that was really you. You had to have been possessed by something. No normal teenage boy could have torn apart a grown man who overweighed him by approximately one hundred pounds."

"I am a Deity." Iori said bitterly.

"No, you're just a Hero." Mitsuki smiled.

"We have to get you out." Cerberumon growled.

"But you wanted me in!"

"That was before. This is now. The digimon are going insane, unlike most people I studied the digital world. There was record of the digital World during the First Invasion. The digimon went insane then, too. We need heroes. But you needed to be put in jail before someone busted you out. Healing process, self-reflection, due process of law, blah blah. Back up."

"Nani?"

"Back up now!"

"Upamon!" Iori grabbed him and curled around him protectively.

"You okay in there?"

"Hai."

"Get out, we have to go." Came the rough voice of Cerberumon.

Iori felt himself being yanked out of the cell and being dragged hurriedly. His vision cleared and he started running with the dragging hand.

"Where are we going?" Iori asked.

"The temple, of course. You have to get to the Digital World."

"Why are you doing this?"

"There's no way anybody can defeat whatever is messing up this world besides the Chosen Children. They'll be pretty hard-pressed without you." She grinned over her shoulder.

Iori let the strange woman lead him from the jailhouse. His thoughts were tumbling over themselves.

Can I really fight with the others? I'm a criminal, a murderer! Can I really be called a Chosen Child anymore? He bit his lip hard.

Mitsuki darted towards the doors across the open area of the central desk. She gasped in surprise as something jerked her backwards. She turned with apprehension and persistence etched into her face. They slid away into surprise seeing only Iori.

"Hida-sama...we have to hurry, they're going to be following us in seconds!"

"I can hear them coming, Rika, we have to go." rumbled Cerberumon.

"I can't! I can't be a Chosen Child! I'm a murderer and I'm weak! I can't save thousands of people when I couldn't even protect a girl I knew from myself!" Tears rolled down Iori's face. "I remember liking it, Officer Mitsuki. I woke up liking it! I'm a monster, too!" His fingers dug into Upamon slightly.

Mitsuki kneeled down and hit his chin with one knuckle.

"No… your body liked it. You woke up, ne? You didn't do it, something else did it."

"Kurisarimon possessed my mind and I could fight him! I had no idea what he was doing until I woke up."

"Because he possessed your mind, he was enjoying it. And your body enjoyed it because that's what hormones are supposed to do, like sex. Your body is blind to anything but sensation. Now, stop crying and let's get going. You can talk to a real shrink later, okay?"

"Where are we going to go? The Temple is the other way."

"I think the hospital first."

Iori's green eyes widened.

& & &

RING RING RING!!!

Mr. Hideki got up from his evening paper. It had been so quiet since those Chosen Children had gone to Chidori-chan's room for a private conference. Hopefully, the Chosen Children's purpose will be figured out soon and they could all know peace. He picked up the phone on the fourth ring.

"Moshi Moshi, Hideki resi-Sumimasen...Oh, hai. Chotto matte, onegai." He set the phone down on the table. "OH MY KAMI! WHAT DO THE POLICE WHAT WITH MY CHIDORI-CHAN?!" ... "Ahem, CHIDORI-CHAN! The phone!"

"DOOMO ARIGATU! I have it, Otousan." Mr. Hideki glanced at the phone in front of him and picked it up. He stared at it for a few minutes and then slowly put in back on the cradle. She'll tell me if I need to know. He told himself.

& & &

"Nani?!"

"How?"

"Iori-kun would never do that! Impossible!"

"He did. That Sergeant Tasaka you told me about was the one who told me. He said one of his officers helped with the escape. A...Mitsuki, Rika."

"Lieutenant Mitsuki? Demo she wanted him in jail!" Mimi protested.

"It seems like she had a radical change of heart." Chidori shrugged. "The fact is: Hida-san escaped, with a woman named Mitsuki, Rika, and the sergeant wants us to find him and hide him before they're forced to go look for him."

"I don't think we should. Hida-kohai thinks he's the criminal, even though Kurisarimon is the one who actually did it. He wants to repent. He hurt Karisama-chan and it's killing him." Koushirou pointed out.

"Hai, demo...if he really wanted to stay in jail...well, juve, then he wouldn't have allowed the jail break to occur." Jyou said.

"...I get the feeling that Mitsuki-san is behind this. Let's go find him. We have to get to Digital World for the Final Battle anyway." Taichi decided.

"Alright! Let's go!" Daisuke jumped up eagerly. "...Ano...where are we going?"

"Ugh."

& & &

Iori slid into the darkened room. Wires, plastic tube, and machinery glinted in the dying sunlight. The whirring and beepings of the quiet machines made his pulse race faster. Sweat gathered onto his palms as his feet shuffled over the cold white tile. White crisp sheets and a thin blue blanket covered the unconscious form. The bandages that covered her pale skin made him wince. His eyes traveled up the skinny tubes that flowed with blood and chemicals that were pumped into her small adolescent body. He reached out and his fingers hovered over her face.

Iie. He pulled his hand back sharply and watching through a film of tears as her chest moved up and down.

"She's in a coma." Iori spun around. His muscles relaxed seeing Takeru in the doorway. "A few of us realized at the same time where you'd go first. We ran here to grab you and take you to the Digital World."

"D-Demo Chichi..." Chichi wanted to go back. She wanted to fight with me. He turned back to Chichi's prone figure.

"Chichi has enough to deal with right now. She needs to get stronger and heal and… wake up…" Takeru voice trailed off.

"Takeru...what is it? Is there something you're not telling me? Is she going to live?"

"Calm down, shhh. I never said she was going to die." Takeru quickly grabbed a hold of Iori and held him really tight. "The doctors say she'll live. She just needs to heal and rest. I promise you, she'll live." Takeru smoothed Iori mussed hair as Iori's tears fell heedlessly from his eyes.

"I'm so scared. Takeru. I'm scared that I'll be possessed again, that I'll hurt somebody again. I'm scared she'll die, that I won't be able to fight like a true hero. I'm tainted now! I had evil in me Takeru."

"Demo you're not evil. You're my DNA partner, you know? I could tell if you were. We have to defeat Lowvell and find away to make everything right again."

Iori's hands grasped Takeru's shirt tightly.

"You're right. Lowvell is evil. Kurisarimon is evil. They have to be deleted forever. No more reincarnation, no more being remade from digital matter, they have to be...vaporized. They hurt her, they hurt so many! The digimon and Izumi-san and Takenouchi-san and Daisuke-san! They hurt all of you! I have to fight them and destroy them! They have to be destroyed for good!" Takeru's eyes widened as a blinding red-gold light flooded the room. He backed up and saw Iori's lips covered in the light.

"Iori! Iori, what's going on?"

"They have been judged as unworthy of another chance." The light faded and a tag clattered to the ground. Takeru's eyes however were riveted on Iori's lips.

A crest was fading from sight.

"Iori..."

"I-I...I have a crest."

"It's...it's time to go fight, then."

"Yeah..." He bent down and picked up the small square-ish disk.

As they left the room, he turned back to look at her once more.

"Aishiteru, Chichi-chan."