After they had parked their car, Tai and Matt walked up into the apartment complex in Tokyo, by the renowned medical school.

"So is this were Joe goes now?" asked Tai as the two ascended the long staircase.

"Yeah, first year of medical school," responded Matt, "I bet the work load is stressing him out."

Tai smirked. "Joe and stress is like a car and gasoline."

The two chuckled when they reached Joe's apartment. The door was worn out and the paint had begun to chip from the wood. As Tai ran his fingers down the chipped paint he received a sudden influx of memories from his younger days with Joe and the rest of the Digidestined. Those days were a time when nothing mattered but saving the Digital World. It was perfect for their one track minds. Now, well, now everything seems to be so complicated.

"So you gonna knock or not?" asked Matt.

"Yeah," said Tai quietly knocking.

There was no answer and the two began to wonder if Joe had gone out or something. They were close to deciding to leave when Tai decided that since they had come all this way he might as well knock louder. Tai kicked the door with his soccer kicking foot and a groan came from behind the wooden door.

"Hello?" called a soft voice from behind the door.

"Hey Joe!" called Matt, "is that you?"

The door creaked open and Joe popped his head out of the crack. "Tai? Matt?" questioned Joe.

Joe's hair had grown wild and his glasses had slipped to the tip of his nose. He had bags and dark circles under his eyes and fatigue was ever present in his eyes. Joe Kido was a man who studied hard, worked hard, but slept little, making him rather sickly and ironic when considering his choice of profession.

"Hey Joe!" called Matt, "what are you up to?"

Joe shook his head and giave a smile. "He, nothing much, what are you guys doing here?"

Matt shrugged, "Just wanted to see an old friend, I guess."

"Well, come in!" laughed Joe opening the door.

Joe's apartment was similar to his face. It was a mess, despite Joe already living there for almost half a year. There was a computer on a floor and papers and assignments scattered around the apartment. There were even clothes and towels unorganized across the floor. In fact, the floor was barely visible.

"Whoa Joe," said Matt, "you're a slob!"

Joe blushed. "Well, I've just been busy lately.

"Yeah, I can see that!" laughed Tai.

Joe took a seat on a sofa in the living room. "So what's new with you guys?"

Tai sighed. "Do you really want to know?"

Joe raised his eyebrow, confused.

Izzy and Sora sat in front of the buzzing computer screen. The tensions of the dorm room in Kyoto were heightened as Izzy constantly pressed the refresh button hoping to get a message from Cody or Willis. Sora was anxiously twirling her hair as she gazed into the blue florescent light emitted by the screen.

"Is this really what you do all day?" asked Sora, getting bored, but in a worried sort of way.

"Hey, it's not a pretty job, but someone had to do it," responded Izzy. "My laptop is the central hard drive of every Digidestined."

"Speaking of every Digidestined," said Sora, "Has anyone been able to find TK or Davis?"

Izzy sighed, "Well, TK hasn't responded to any of our emails, but Davis did respond to one of our emails."

"Really!" exclaimed Sora, "what did he say."

Izzy shook his head in shame and laughter. "Here, let me pull it up."

Izzy typed into his computer and pulled up an email. It was sent from Davis's D3 directly to Izzy's computer.

Yo Izzy!

Did you say Kari is missing! Oh heck no! What the heck happened, I leave for a few months and now everything is falling apart. Don't worry, I'll be back. My parents are staying down here in Kyushu for a few more weeks, but I'll be back as fast as I can. On foot if I have too.

Davis

P.S. I'm running to you right now.

Sora raised her eyebrow in confusion and amusement. "Really?"

Izzy gave Sora a strange look. "You know how weird Davis can be sometimes."

"But," laughed Sora, "it'll take Davis weeks to get here! If he waited for his parents, he would be here much faster."

Izzy shrugged. "What can I say, Davis is weird."

Sora put her head into her hands. "Oh my God, Davis…"

Izzy gave an embarrassed chuckle.

Joe, Matt, and Tai walked around the mall in Tokyo. As they walked from store to store, Tai looked to the ground longingly.

Joe raised his eyebrows in sympathy. "Don't sorry Tai, we'll get Kari back. You know that when us Digidestined fight together, we always win."

Tai grunted unenthusiastically.

The group sat around a table at the food court.

"Hi Tai, I'm going to get something to eat, you want anything?" asked Matt.

Tai looked up. His face was haggard, but he was still able to manage a smile. "No thanks Matt, I'm not really hungry right now."

Matt nodded, "Okay."

As Matt and Joe walked away, the two of them thought about losing their own siblings. As Matt talked about losing TK and Joe thought about losing Jim they both shuddered at the thought of their siblings being lost somewhere in the big world. At least last summer Matt had an idea of where TK was, but Tai, he was almost completely in the dark. Kari was somewhere in America and she was under the control of what was believed to be Digital.

As Matt and Joe bought some food, they looked back at the table expecting to see a sobbing Tai. They were surprised that Tai was not crying. They were more surprised to find that he was not even there.

Ken ran across the rubble, holding Yolei in his arms.

"Ken, are we safe?" asked a frightened Yolei.

Ken looked down to his girlfriend and shook his head. "No Yolei, now yet."

Behind him there was a deep, evil laughter running after him.

"How about the others?" asked Yolei.

Ken looked back. He could see Kari running toward him. Her eyes red and an evil look on her face.

"Yes," said Ken, "I think the others are safe. Since the Kari isn't chasing them." Ken tried to give Yolei a grin, but she just gave him a frightened look, forcing him to harden his expression.

Kari approached the two quickly. "The digidestined must be eradicated!" she yelled with a bizarre voice.

As Kari approached, Ken jumped behind some rubble and set Yolei down. Ken listened for Kari's footsteps, but they were not noticeable. He began to breathe heavily and Yolei joined him.

"Don't speak, Yolei" whispered Ken. Yolei nodded in response. As they sat behind the rubble, a large concrete piece of the building flew over their heads. Ken froze in fear.

"Yolei," whispered Ken again, "I think Kari's strength might have been greatly enhanced."

Yolei grew pale and began to tremble at the thought of what could change Kari in such a strange way. What force was so powerful that it could turn sweet little Kari into one of the world's deadliest forces.

"You're right," whispered a deep, frightening voice that seemed to Ken to come from every direction.

Ken and Yolei's backs were suddenly hit with a cold draft when Kari lifted up the large rock on which Ken and Yolei were leaning. The two of them looked back to see Kari lifting the large piece of debris in her tender arms.

"Yolei," stuttered Ken.

"Yeah?" Yolei responded.

"Run!"

The two of them ran as Kari threw the large rock into the air. It was about to hit Yolei, but Ken quickly pulled her out of the way. Dust on the ground filled the air, giving Ken and Yolei some cover as they continued running.

"Where should we go, Ken?" asked Yolei.

Ken grabbed her hand. Dust had covered both their faces and Yolei could barely see out of her glasses, yet, behind them, behind the dust that covered the already dirty New York air, Ken could hear a deep laughter slowly approaching.

Ken shrugged. "Times Square!" He yelled.

"Why Times Square?" asked Yolei, confused.

"I don't know," yelled Ken.

Sora began stacking pencils on Izzy's desk as Izzy continued to peruse the Internet, looking for anything that could help in the group's problem.

"Hey Izzy," asked Sora, "do you have any more pencils, I used all the ones on your desk already."

"Heh," said Izzy, "reach for the stars."

"Okay," said Sora, I could do without the sarcasm."

"Prodigious!" shouted Izzy.

"What!" exclaimed Sora, dazed.

"Look at this!"

Izzy and Sora read an American news article about an explosion that had happened at a New York apartment building.

"An apartment building in the West Village?" asked Sora, "isn't that?"

"Yeah," said Izzy, "that's Michael's apartment."

"Oh my God, Izzy you don't think that…"

"I don't know, Sora," said Izzy, shuddering, "I really hope not."

The two of them stared at the computer screen for a while.

"Hey Izzy," began Sora.

"Yeah?" he said back.

"Your job sucks."

Izzy took a sigh and leaned back on his chair. "Yeah," he said, "I know."

Ken and Yolei arrived at Times Square, but there was an oddity that existed around the entire intersection of the streets.

"Ken," said Yolei, "there's nobody here."

Ken blinked in confusion. Never before in his life had he ever experienced an empty Times Square. He looked up and saw the strange aurora that still glittered the entire sky.

"I'm scared, Yolei."

Yolei blinked. "Ken…"she began to shiver.

Ken sighed. "I never should have told her I was scared" he thought to himself. "Now she's going to be frightened."

"Ken! Yolei!" shouted Willis, running over to them.

"Willis!" said Yolei, "where are you guys hiding?"

"Over there!" he exclaimed, "in MacLaren's Pub."

"Alright," said Ken, "let's go!"

Before they reached the Pub, Kari materialized in the middle of the sidewalk. "Where do you think you're going?" asked the possessed girl.

"New plan!" shouted Willis, "run the other way!"

The three of them ran, but Kari pursued, always a step behind them.

In the pub, Michael, Mimi, and Cody hid.

"We have to help them," said Cody, "I can't just leave them."

"Yeah," agreed Mimi.

"Alright," said Michael, "but Mimi, you stay behind."

"Why?" she asked.

"Because Mimi," said Michael, "I care about you, and I know that if I don't make it, that you'll be able to handle it."

"Handle what, Michael, what will I be able to handle?"

"The responsibility, Mimi," said Michael, "If Willis and I don't make it," Michael continued, "then you will be the leader of all American Digidestined."

"Don't say that, Michael!" exclaimed Mimi, "you will come back.

Michael blinked. "I hope your right."

"Are you ready?" asked Cody.

"Yeah," said Michael. The two of them ran out of the pub and toward the battle ahead.

Matt was driving his car with Joe next to him.

"C'mon Joe," said Matt, "we have to find Tai before he does something drastic and unnecessary."

"Like what?" asked Joe, looking out of the windows.

"I don't know," said Matt, "Tai's spontaneity is really dangerous. He might, I don't know. He might be on a plane to America right now."

Joe raised his eyebrows. "What do you think Tai will do if he sees Kari?"

Matt looked out into the distance. "I really don't know. I don't know if it would be good or bad."

Joe sighed. "Well, okay. Let's find Tai."

Ken, Yolei, Willis, Michael and Cody faced off against Kari.

"Why are you doing this Kari?" asked Michael.

"Didn't I already tell you?" asked Kari.

"Explain why!" yelled Michael. "I want to know why you want to get rid of us Digidestined."

Kari squinted her eyes. "The Digidestined is one of the few groups that could challenge the power of Lord Lucemon."

"Who?" asked Ken.

"Lord Lucemon!" yelled Kari, "the King of the Four Continents! The General of Generals! The New Digimon Emperor!"

Ken frowned when he heard the titles. "I've never heard of him."

Kari clenched her teeth and made her hands into fists. "Ignorance…" she whispered. "Ignorance!" she screamed and ran up to the group.

Before she reached them, Gennai (in Liu form) materialized in front of Ken and grabbed Kari's hand.

"That's enough, Kari!" yelled Gennai, "I've had enough of this. You've caused too much destruction in this world."

"What are you going to do to stop me?" asked Kari trying to free her hand from Gennai's grip.

"I'm changing field, so to speak."

Gennai took out a machine that looked similar to a Digivice, yet wasn't and lifted it up into the air. A bright light was emitted by the Device which touched the huge aurora that decorated the skies. The group first saw the colors of the lights, and then the heavens were opened and the Digital World became visible to the Digidestined.

Ken, Yolei, Michael, Willis, Cody, Gennai, and Kari began to slowly float upward. As the ascended, Yolei began to panic.

"What's happening, Gennai!" asked Yolei.

"I'm sorry Yolei," said Gennai, "but we have to defeat Kari in the Digital World."

"But what about the others!" said Ken, "what about Tai and Matt leading an army of Digimon?"

Gennai shrugged. "I don't know. But right now, we have to stop Kari from destroying the human world."

Ken nodded his head. "Well, if it has to be done."

Kari began snarling as she ascended, contrasting greatly from the Digidestined.

"Here we go," said Cody as the seven of them ascended beyond the aurora.

On the other side of the world, the streets of Shanghai were crowed and a soft rain fell across the city. By the Bund which runs beside the river, a teenage boy was walking by the river. When the rain began to fall, he put on his fisherman's hat to protect his head. As he walked a Chinese girl about his age approached him.

"Takeru?" asked the girl, "is everything alright? Everyone is waiting for you."

TK looked down at his smart phone. He was on the Internet and checking his email. He clicked the refresh button, but when he looked at the screen, there were no new messages.

"No, Lan Lan," said TK, "as far as I know, nothing is wrong."