Chapter 2

A/n: Sorry about the wait for the chapter. Thanks for the reviews and support. I am glad you are enjoying the fic- please feel free to leave comments and other tid bits... they might make me type faster ; Seriously I need the outlit of writing right now... life is really stressful since I returned... want to go back to Japan!

The two men continued walking down the path in silence until the blonde began to speak.

"We just buried our dead this morning. A little later tonight, we will continue on to our headquarters where we have more security and protections in place." Continuing with a more stern tone, Matt explained about the area. "This is our ancestor's burial ground... so don't expect a happy welcome if you decided to explore."

"Did she lose someone as well?" Tai asked not being able to shake her image out of his mind. There was no reply as the two kept walking. "She looked so strong... everyone else was mourning like normal people... but..."

"Don't think she's heartless just because she isn't crying now." Matt interrupted. "Look, I'm sorry I was a jerk just now... everything is hectic and we're sitting ducks till our transport gets here- can we just get you safe and secured in the hanger? I'll answer your questions later, I promise."

The two men said nothing more as they continued towards a place that Matt called a safe hanger. Supposedly their transport would be around there later to pick them up. The blonde sighed in relief as the doors to the large metal hanger sealed shut and they walked down into a tunnel space. At the end of the tunnel there was a single room, the door itself was thick and secure. Behind that door, Tai was led into a dead end room.

"Have a seat... I'll get you some water and see what we have left around this place... it won't be much seeing we haven't been in here for a long time."

"What is this place?" Tai asked looking around at his surroundings. "It looks like something from the Cold War, but too modern and high tech to be a fall out or a bomb shelter..."

"well you are close." Matt replied as he returned with bottles of water. Throwing one over at Taichi, he then took a seat near by and opened his own bottle. Once he quenched his thirst, the blonde began again. "I told you earlier this isn't your time right? Well I wasn't kidding. The current date is 50 ACA... after they first attempted to colonize our world."

"Colonize?"

"Colonize... if you would even call it that. Take over, extermination, you get the picture... They've succeeded far too often and we need to stop them... that's where you come into the picture."

"But I'm just a college grad..."

"A what?" A confused Matt asked.

"Um, never mind... why me of all the people in the world?" Tai wanted to know this most of all.

"We don't know either. Just suppose with me a moment, suppose you could bring us the added power we needed.. would you help us?" The blonde's question only added to the doubt and worry Tai felt.

'Me? What could I possibly do? Possibly hope to accomplish? Why? Why me?' These and a thousand more questions raced inside his mind.

"It's kind of late to ask me now isn't it?" Tai asked knowing the answer already.

"Look, I'm sorry, really I know haw hard it is to have your life changed drastically... look around, you more than anyone else can see what kind of world we have right now..." Matt began. "If there was anyway to kill these bastards, don't you think we would have done it already instead of developing a one time chance to go back in time and get you? Our members aren't what they use to be... whole generations have been slaughtered or taken into captivity. All I know is that I will give my life in order to free them all..."

"I just don't see what I can do that none of your group can't." Tai sighed after taking a swig of the water.

"I'm sure once you get settled here, something will come up... if it means anything we'll have the best people protecting you. So you won't have to worry about the bugs getting close. And once we're at HQ, they won't be able to track us as easily."

"How come?" Tai questioned remembering the creatures that attacked earlier. They were a terrifying sight. He hoped they wouldn't meet up again.

"We have devices that confuse their senses."

"And you don't have one here?"

"It's still experimental and its hard to transport... our scientists have just figured the first system out. If we could, we would be using it all the time... but there are too many problems, you don't happen to be a skilled computer technician?" The other man questioned hoping their savior came in the form of a computer expert.

"Nope." Tai replied hating to dash the hope in the man across the room.

"Military experience?"

"None..."

"Weapons training?"

"I had a BB gun when I was ten... otherwise, no."

"What, may I ask, can you do?"

"Well... I had a part time job as a museum clerk... and I can fly airplanes." Tai said thinking over his life and also wondering exactly how he was suppose to help out this group. Seeing the hope in the blue eyes of the man before him and the serious question running through the man's mind, Tai felt depressed. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's alright. Sorry to confuse you even more. I am sure you are the one the prophecy told of... seeing the bugs attack you like they did proves you have something we need. We'll figure it all out once we get back to base. There's someone we can talk to and maybe he'll help us figure some things out." Matt said standing up and patting Tai's shoulder.

As he did, the ground under them began to shake. It was barely noticeable at first, however the tremors grew in strength until the light fixture overhear rattled. A violent sounding crash from outside rocked the building's structure and Matt quickly pushed Tai to the floor shielding him from falling supplies. Matt covered him with his own body, all Tai could do was gasp for air underneath the other man.

Objects fell off shelves and the room was quickly in disarray as the room continued to shake.

"What was that?" Tai asked hearing the other man curse above him.

"You don't go want to know." Came the reply. "I know I don't." The blonde said quickly dusting himself off and standing. Pulling the confused man to his feet, Matt took him over to a sturdy looking table.

"Stay under here."

"But..."

"No buts. I don't want you to move from under that table." Matt commanded as he ran for the door.

Tai watched as the other man left him alone in the now messy room. Thankfully the light fixture still illuminated the room. The noise from outside echoed off the walls. Closing his eyes as the room shook again with another violent explosion. He couldn't take it, the room was now becoming dangerous with the falling debris from the shelves overhead. Running to the door in between explosions, Tai tried to open the only means of getting out of his once safe haven.

Another large explosion from outside, one that was larger than the others sent Tai flying backwards and to the floor. Hitting his head on the stone flooring, the taste of blood came to his mouth. Laying there on the floor, Tai fought with the urge to just sleep and let what ever happened, happen.

Convincing himself he didn't want to die like this, he slowly moved back to his feet. Standing on wobbly legs, Tai returned to the door. He wasn't happy to find the door and door frame had taken on some damage as well in the shaking. It took him time to force open the thick hatch.

The view on the other side of the newly opened door caused Tai to drop to his knees. The once open and spacious tunnel was a mess of debris and clogged with fallen ceiling and clutter. Attempting to move some of the large pieces of rubble, Tai found that exit unusable.

"I'm trapped." He worried as he scanned the room for possible exits... none.

He was about to begin panicking as another rumble shook the room and only further added to his anxiety. The continued shocks of the battle up above and the misplaced items now all over the floor caused Tai to stumble and fall once again.

As he lay there on the cold and cluttered floor he felt like giving up once again. Closing his eyes he sighed and concentrated on the silence in between the violent shaking. A small sound coming from the ceiling caught his attention. Opening his eyes he continued to focus in on the sound. It reminded him of metal bending slightly and a random muffled curse every now and then had him wondering what exactly was coming towards him.

The sound grew louder and a small vent-like opening in the ceiling seemed to be the source of the noise. The sound from the thin vent metal holding a person's weight told him that someone was coming into the room soon via the air ducts...

He couldn't help being startled as the gate of the vent came flying off to make a deafening clank on the floor. Without moving his body he watched as a stranger started to make their way into the room. Friend or foe... Tai did not know what to expect.

It took only a few minutes as he heard continued soft grunts grow louder and nearer.

Two cream colored legs dangled from the vent as the figure began to slowly drop down. Next came shapely hips covered by a tattered and dirty black skirt. As Tai watched in silence, he could at least pinpoint that the visitor was defiantly female. Soon her chest and face came into view for only a second before she released her grip and dropped completely to the ground.

The crimson eyes and hair of the woman before him were unmistakable. she was the girl near the shrine. Still not moving Tai eyed her as she slowly got to her feet and began dusting herself off. Cringing as she brushed off her leg, Tai's attention was drawn to the red liquid running down her leg.

"Don't tell me you died after all the trouble to get in here." She said as she ripped her skirt and walked over towards him.

Tai could hear the irritation in her voice as she knelt by his side and looked over his bruises. Finishing ripping her clothes, she used the fabric to wipe the small trickle of blood off his head. Without hesitation she began checking him over and wrapping his head with the next bit of fabric from her now revealing short skirt.

Once she was satisfied with her hurried bandaging, the woman before him stood silently looking over their surroundings. He could tell she was scanning the area and assessing the situation. Losing her balance as another explosion shook the building, she tumbled down across his lap.

As if by sheer instinct, Tai protectively wrapped his arms around her as she remained still until the shaking stopped. The warmth of her body caused a strange feeling to grow in the pit of his stomach. He tightened his grip and pulled her closer to himself. As he did this, a sharp hiss came from her lips. Noticing he must have brushed against her injured leg, he quickly apologized and released her.

"Sorry." He whispered as he reached and undid his over shirt. Using his article of clothing as the dressing, he quickly returned the favor and tended to her leg before she could protest his action.

"You did a number on your leg... does it hurt?"

"It's fine." She said a bit harshly. Regretting her tone, the girl put her hand over his to stop him from shrinking back further. "Thank you, I'm fine. I came to get you out of here..." The tone was more gentle and for some reason comforted Tai beyond explanation.

"So, how are we going to do that?" He asked looking her over once again. His cheeks stained a light red as he noticed the perfectly shaped legs now exposed from her torn skirt.

"The same way I came in." She said moving back over to the vent she entered. Looking up she took a moment to assess things, she began to stack the strewn contents of the room below the vent. "You're not injured anywhere else?" Her voice almost echoed from the walls.

Tai looked up at her and nodded he was fine. Noticing her eyes on him, Tai got up and understood she was silently telling him to help. Forcing himself to his feet, he fought against the wave of nausea that hit. Leaning momentarily against the wall on the way over to the woman, he pushed the throbbing in his head to the back of his mind. More important things were going on...

"we should get out of here as soon as possible... we've moved up the meeting time with this current attack."

At the mention of the hostilities waiting for them on the outside, the expression on Tai's face soured.

"Don't worry, I'm not about to let you die now... let's get moving." She added confidently.

Her promise and determination relieved his worried heart to a degree. Just her presence around him seemed to calm him to a point. It was strange, an invisible connection was pulling him to her.

Following her directions, Tai made his way to her side and helped her create a makeshift ladder. As he was about to climb up to the vent opening, the lull in the shaking ended once again. A large chunk of the ceiling gave way as the room took another hit.

"We need to hurry, follow me." She said climbing into the vent. Doing as he was told, Tai quickly climbed up and in after her.

The vent was small and dark. Hardly able to see his hands as he crawled, Tai looked ahead of him and instantly blushed red. There in front of him was the tattered ends of the once long skirt, they barely covered to mid thigh as she crawled ahead of him.

Inside the tunnel, the fighting outside rumbled and vibrated off the metal they traversed. Getting use to the pace they traveled at, the lack of light and the constant view of his hands, Tai continued forward. Suddenly without warning his guide and bodyguard stopped. Running into her with his head, the two both cringed in pain at the collision. Tai's head once again began throbbing and the injured leg she had forgotten about was agitated by the light bump from behind.

Tai felt bad as he head her hiss in pain and drop to side.

"What's wrong? Are you ok?" He asked concerned.

"No, the tunnel's blocked... damn it!" She cursed more under her breath.