I am still very excited to work on this project, but since I am so anxious about doing this idea justice, I have been taking my time to think about the direction I want to go with it. I do think I could easily take this and create a whole alternate ending to the 02 season, and making that decision is why its taken me so long to post this chapter. I can't promise a regular schedule on this while I have other active projects, but I will be working on it when I have the time and inspiration. Thank you SO much for the reviews!
T.K. looked out over the gray landscape, mesmerized by the silent waves lapping up onto the salt and pepper sand. He blinked once, and then again, and finally he closed his eyes tightly and shook his head. It took a moment to realize that his head was throbbing. He couldn't remember anything—his mind felt like an empty void. Darkness was slowly eating away at him from the inside. He could feel it.
He felt disconnected. Everything inside felt dark and hollow.
The feeling that someone was watching him sent a chill down his spine, but he felt unnaturally calm. He didn't feel the fear he should have. He didn't even know if he cared about the danger. In fact, he almost laughed at the thought. He turned his head to look down the beach. A shadow stood just barely within sight, cloaked and somehow familiar. He took a step forward, not back. Another step, and even two more. The figure shifted ever so slightly, excited by T.K.'s suddenly steady pace toward it. When had he even started walking? Why was he walking toward guaranteed danger? Why wasn't he running away? He forced his legs to stop. He closed his eyes and looked away from the shadowy figure, clenching his fists. His body was fighting him. His mind even. He couldn't fight it, and a part of him… it didn't want to. He inhaled deeply and slowly before relaxing his hands and unclenching his fists, slowly opening his eyes to look back out over the beach. The figure was gone. He frowned.
The silent waves suddenly crashed over the sand with a crisp sound. The dull silence was suddenly gone, and he almost felt like he could breathe for the first time since opening his eyes. T.K. felt like himself again for the first time. The darkness, the hollow emptiness, the fearlessness—gone. Panic rose in his chest and his vision blurred. A sharp snap made him cry out in pain as his memories popped back into place. He remembered who he was; he remembered where he was, and he remembered what had happened before he'd lost consciousness.
T.K. was jolted awake as someone pulled him to his feet forcefully. His legs were no longer bound, however, in their place he had been gagged. He still felt hot, and his head throbbed. He opened his eyes as cool air hit his face. He was on the loading docks. Cargo containers, wooden pallets, and cement, all the visual aid he needed to tell him where he was. That and the salty ocean air. A far away hum of a barge rang and helped pull him further from his incoherency.
Before he could fully gather his composure, he got shoved forward by a firm grip from behind. Mummymon, he presumed. Rounding a corner, he winced, closing his eyes as the digimon rather unkindly pulled at his already tender shoulder.
His chest tightened at the sound of Matt's voice. "T.K.!" Opening his eyes, he quickly located and made eye contact with him, but he didn't have time to react, as he was shoved onto his knees, the rough concrete breaking skin at impact. He let out an involuntary muffled cried. Closing his eyes, he bit down hard on the gag, turning the cry into a groan.
Gasps from many of his friends confirmed everyone was there.
"Don't hurt him!" Davis shouted angrily.
"Oh sorry? Was that a little too rough?" Mummymon chuckled. "I forget how weak humans are, compared to us digimon."
T.K. felt disoriented and weak, but forced his eyes open, seeing Ken and Davis standing beside Matt and Tai.
"Let him go!" Ken yelled—his voice full of anger and fear. "I'm the one you want!"
Oikawa laughed. "You're not wrong, Ichijouji."
Matt growled. "You think you can get away with this?"
Oikawa laughed again. "I do, actually."
"You're the one who called us here, so what do you want?" It was Tai who spoke this time.
"It's simple, really. As long as you don't interfere with the children that I set free last night, your friend here will remain mostly unharmed."
"What—!" Matt started, but Davis yelled over him.
"You expect us to let you keep him?!" He was irate at the offer and wasn't attempting to hide it one bit.
"How else can I keep you to your word? With no leverage, how can I trust you to keep your word?" Oikawa lifted his hands in the air, shrugging. "I have to have someone." An evil smile lifted the man's lips. "So, unless Ken would rather take his place?" Oikawa gripped T.K.'s arm tightly and yanked him up. Blood slid down his legs from the open cuts on his knees and he fought hard not to show how much pain he was in. "What do you think, Ken?"
Ken's face showed distress, but he took a step forward without hesitation. "Fine—"
"Not happening!" Davis grabbed Ken's arm firmly. "Let T.K. go or else!"
"No deal, kid." Oikawa made a dissatisfied grunt. "Well, then I guess our business here is done. You get in our way, and he'll be the one," he jerked T.K. closer to him, this time making T.K. whimper in pain. "Facing the consequences."
Matt shouted along with many of the others. He was dizzy from the pain and his mind felt hazy. He couldn't make out what was being said anymore.
A sharp pain ran down his neck and then a sudden moment of clarity hit him. T.K. looked up to see Oikawa was handing him back to Mummymon, realizing Oikawa's grip had loosened and Mummymon hadn't yet grasped him. T.K. took the chance and yanked away from them, falling to the ground.
He knew it wouldn't buy much time. Probably not enough to give his friends the opening they needed, but it was a last-ditch effort before they took him away from his only hope of rescue.
It was loud—too loud. He shoved his eyes closed and rolled onto his side to shield himself from whatever was happening. Someone grabbed his arm, yanking him to his feet abruptly. It wasn't gentle, but he could tell they weren't trying to hurt him.
"Ken, move it!" The relief T.K. felt when he heard Davis's voice next to him almost made his knees give out. A furious battle was ensuing just above their heads as they shoved him forward.
"Get down!" Ken yelled over the commotion as they ducked behind some cargo containers, separating them from the rest of the group by an intense digimon battle.
Davis reached up and pulled his gag down. T.K.'s throat was too dry to talk. How long had he even been gone? No food or water. So much pain. He winced as his head throbbed.
"T.K." Ken said his name worriedly. "Are you okay?"
T.K. swallowed hard and closed his eyes, nodding. "Mmm…"
Davis was about to say something when an attack erupted nearby, forcing them to run. T.K. didn't run as much as they carried him.
"We need cover!" Ken shouted.
"There!" Davis yelled, pointing ahead. An open container sat in front of them. Another blast sent metal and broken pallets shooting through the air. With no other options, they dove inside. Just as they entered, something slammed into the metal container, tilting it a few feet onto its side and jamming the door in place. They all staggered, falling at the impact. The door being wedged nearly shut, only a small amount of light streaming in.
It took T.K. a minute to regain his bearings, the battle outside muffled by their shelter. Ken was hovering over him worriedly while Davis attempted to open the door enough for them to escape.
"Damn it!" Davis growled. "It won't budge."
"Are you sure you're alright?" Ken's voice was quiet.
T.K. gave a nod, even though he clearly wasn't. He tried to move, the binds around his wrists painful. He winced as he fought against the restraints, forgetting how raw his skin had become under the rope. "Ah…" he bit back a pained whimper.
"T.K.?" Ken looked at him apprehensively.
"Tight…" he managed to say between clenched teeth.
Ken nodded quickly, looking behind T.K.'s back. "Davis, help me get him untied."
"Right." Davis was beside them quickly.
"Can you lean forward so I can see the knots better?" Ken asked, while looking at the binding.
T.K. did as he was asked, inhaling sharply as he put more weight on his knees, the cuts searing with pain. He stifled a groan, wincing.
It only took them a minute before he felt the restraints give and then fall away. He pulled his aching arms in front of himself, reaching out to support himself with one, unable to bear any weight on the other. He was visibly shaking, trying to hide the fact that he needed to gasp for each breath, the pain in his neck only growing worse.
Ken shifted around T.K., so he was kneeling in front of him, the concern on his face clear. "Hey, talk to us. What is it?"
T.K. inhaled shakily. It was getting harder to breathe. He felt lightheaded, like he may pass out. He reached up to grab his head, leaning forward, wavering in place.
Davis grabbed hold of his arm. "T.K.!" His voice was full of concern.
The container shifted with a sudden jerk, leveling, making T.K. lose his balance, but both Ken and Davis helping steady him. A second later, the container door was ripped away, the bright daylight blinding.
ExVeemon let out a sigh of relief and turned to yell out that he'd found them.
Ken's concerned expression deepened. "Hey, T.K., can you stand?"
"I…" he inhaled shakily, embarrassed, feeling pathetic. He shook his head.
Davis pulled T.K.'s arm up and around his neck, helping Ken pull him to his feet. "You good?"
T.K. was regaining some of his composure, whispering. "Yeah."
As they exited the container, the others had just reached them. The commotion of everyone yelling and talking all at once only proved to make his headache more intense. It wasn't until Matt's grabbed hold of him that his mind settled, that he could relax, drowning out everything else, dulling his pain.
"Matt…" His voice trembled. Tears slid down his cheeks as he buried his face in Matt's chest.
"T.K.!" Matt wrapped his arms around his brother, pressing his face into the top of T.K.'s head. "I'm here, I got you."