DISCLAIMER: The following story contains various themes and subject matter that may not be suitable for children under the age of thirteen. Viewer discretion is advised.

Digimon

GODFALL

By. Sonfaro

Chapter 16

A/N: Overslept yestarday. Here you are. If something reads wrong/weird let me know.

We just have to get out of here.

If we can save the girl from the crazy digicore inside her then there's an added bonus, obviously. But right now I'm just concentrating on uploading this virus buster program, reclaiming my digivice, and getting the four of us as far away from this place as possible. Preferably in one piece.

But if I know Tai, we're not leaving until we've done all we can for it… her.

So we stand together, his arm loosely draped across my shoulders, our eyes both focused on the enemy before us. Datamon hangs there, his mind still possessing the body of my girlfriends clone. Her face is scrunched up in a painful grimace, red eyes seething with hatred for us both. Gabumon and Agumon stand their ground in front of us, their own faces filled with the determination to protect us at all costs. They're going to have their work cut out for them in a few seconds. There are at least four sharpened spears made of dark network cables pointing in our direction. One for each of us. I guess Datamon is done fooling around.

I turn to Tai, feeling his weight on my shoulders. "We've gotta get my digivice out of that console before he finishes… whatever he's trying to do."

He nods. "Any ideas?"

I suck my teeth. "Just the beat the bad guy part –"

He pulls his arm from around my shoulder and glares at me. "Girl."

I roll my eyes. "Right."

He frowns and looks to me. "You okay?"

I bite my lower lip. "Nn… Ribs still hurt. You?"

"Mn…" He makes a face, his free hand absently running up and down his injured limb. "My arm aches… Don't think I caught a virus though."

I nod, again thankful. "Good."

He gives a sigh, turning back to the menacing figure of the clone preparing to strike like a snake, chocolate brown eyes seeing something beneath the hatred. "She's still in there Matt," he tells me with a muted breath. "She's still alive."

I look at him, knowing what she is. Knowing why he's gotten this attached to her. Knowing that you can't help the way you feel about someone. No matter how wrong those feelings may be – or who they're really for. I look at him and I nod. "I know."

"I gotta get her out."

"I know."

He gives me a halfhearted smile and turns back to the menacing sight of a multi-limbed girl with red eyes. I do the same. He's right. She's still alive, if you can call it that. Somewhere deep inside her is the girl we started our journey with. The girl with Sora's memories. The girl we call Rei. She's been lied to, abused, mentally raped and robbed of her own control.

But she's still alive.

I spit, blue eyes keeping hold of the squirming threat before us. "What do you want us to do Tai?"

He then gives me a look. It's a look I've gotten to know very well. A look that has led to many a painful memory, shrugs and half-hearted apologies. "Trust me," he says.

I frown. "I trust you with my life fearless leader. Just don't do anything psychotic."

Tai glares at me, but I wink to let him know I'm joking… mostly. He nods and steps forward tentatively, a hand across his bandage once again. Agumon snarls and takes a step with him, but I hold out a hand and he quiets down. We have to believe that Tai has this under control. We have to believe in him.

"Alright Data-wuss," he says through clenched teeth and a forced smile. "Let's talk."

Okay, not how I would have started…

The clone seethes at this offer, ginger hair falling in front of her/his eyes. "THERE IS NOTHING MORE TO SAY," Datamon whispers. "NOW… DIE."

A tendril shoots out from the floor beside the clones' hip, racing towards him at high speeds. In the blink of an eye Agumon has stepped away from me, his keen eyes tracking the chord at a rate I can't even imagine. His mouth is open and flames lick at his jaws before I can even blink.

"Pepper Breath!" The miniature tyrannosaur calls as his primary attack shoots just inches away from Tai's face. The big haired lug doesn't even flinch. The ball of flame that Agumon fired catches the wire before it can reach its target. The black chord sizzles into data before it can touch Agumon's partner, the individual bits of data dissipating into nothingness before Datamon's possessions eyes. The clone flinches like a child whose hand was scalded on the hot stove. Emboldened, Agumon opens his maw again.

"That's enough."

The look from Tai is enough to make Agumon choke on his own smoke. "Nn… Tai?"

Our leader ignores us. He turns back to the clone and continues right where he left off. "Come on Datamon, I'm not going to go through with this fight until we talk for real."

"THEN STAND STILL. I'LL DO ALL THE TALKING WHILE YOU DISINTEGRATE!"

A second wire shoots from the ceiling, flying past the clones head. Agumon is again on the ready. "Pepper-"

Before he can finish however, a second wire shoots out from the palm of the girls' hand. Agumon has no sooner let the word 'breath' escape his gums than the wire comes for Tai with reckless abandon. The first is utterly disintegrated. The second comes really close.

"Blue Blaster!"

Tai ducks as my partner lets loose a stream of chemical flame, the result engulfing the line closest to Tai in blue flame. As the wire dissipates the flame travels up the line back towards Datamon, who snarls through the clone and cuts off the wire from the hand connecting it. The black chord falls to the floor like a dismembered appendage, bursting into digital nothingness on impact.

I smile. Gabumon's not such a bad marksman himself.

But despite all of that, Tai barely turns his head other than to give a rather weak: "Thanks."

I step up. We tried our best. "Tai, stand back and let us –"

"Not until we've talked," he tells us quietly. I want to say more but a look from Tai shuts me up. He then turns back to the clone with a frown on her face. "C'mon Datamon. We can do this all day. You shoot two, three wires and my friends protect me. Or we could hash this thing out: mono-y-Digimon-o. Right here, right now."

The clone seethes again, teeth hissing with a computers rage. "THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN OFFER ME THAT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO MY PLANS."

"Ah, but there's the problem. You're expecting your plan to go off flawlessly. But you didn't plan on the Digidestined."

The clone sneers. "OF COURSE I PLANNED FOR YOU, YOU BIG-HAIRED BUFFOON. HOW ELSE COULD I HAVE GAINED ACCESS TO YOUR DIGIVICE?"

Tai makes a face and waves a hand towards the possessed teen. "I don't mean the four of us. Not just us anyway. Things have changed Datamon. You may well kill us today –"

I blink. "Uh… Tai? Positive thinking please?"

He ignores me. Obviously. "- But now our friends know you're here."

"YOU THINK I FEAR A HAND FULL OF HUMANS STILL IN THEIR ROOKIE STAGES?"

"A handful?" Tai laughs then, a calculated taunt I've seen him make before. It does its job of providing a distraction and causing the opponent to slip up, but it's a reckless maneuver, and a dangerous one when dealing with an unstable force like Datamon's current mental state. My hand absently reaches for my digivice, and I curse myself further as it grasps empty air. But Datamon doesn't fire another vine, and Tai continues his verbal gymnastics. "I guess the dark network doesn't keep track of the real world that much huh? We are millions strong now, Datamon. And if you're having so much trouble with the four of us, what makes you think you can outlast a full on assault for that long?"

The clone prepares to speak, then freezes in place. The red in her eyes flickers as Datamon processes what was said. And then the wires aimed at us begin to slowly lower back into their compartments. The Data-Rei-monster continues to glare hatefully at the four of us, but with each passing second the pure rage from before is replaced by a cold disgust.

Tai lets a hand trace the edge of his bandage as he smiles. "That's what I thought. Now I can go ahead and give the word and my people won't touch you. You can slink off into the sunset alive and well. Maybe even build your own empire elsewhere. There's no need for hostilities. Right?"

The clone is silent for a moment, thinking. "…AND WHAT PRAY TELL DO YOU HAVE IN MIND?"

Tai takes a deep breath. "The way I see it we should get some things out of the way. First off, let's get terms right. Rei is a person. An intelligent being. She deserves… deserved to be treated like that. No more of this 'it' or 'construct'… no none of it."

"…"

"Datamon?"

"AGREED…"

"Second off, and I'm sure it hasn't taken you any time to figure this out: I despise you. I'm sure you hate me too. No need to get so worked up if you were apathetic to me. Am I right?"

The clone frowns but nods. "CORRECT."

Tai licks his lips. "What if I offered myself to you? My life in exchange for theirs. Would you take it?"

My eyes go wide. "Tai! You're not seriously –"

"We're negotiating," he says sternly. And then he turns and looks at me. There's a twinkle of something dangerously playful in his eyes. "Anything is on the table. Myself included."

I glare at him. He's toying with him. He has no intention of negotiating with Datamon. The whole thing stinks – it reeks of Tai being a reckless, brash… egotistical…

Tai being Tai.

I sigh and back away. It's his call, though I hate it. But if he gets us in trouble I swear I'm punching him in the eye.

He rolls his shoulders and turns back to our enemy. "So Datamon. Would you?"

"…PERHAPS."

The t-rex at our feet shifts uncomfortably, emerald eyes wide with fear. "Tai…"

"Not now Agumon," Tai tells him. "We're making a deal."

He takes another step away from us, arms extended. The clone seems to lower his/her guard for a moment. "What do you want from me? Would it be like absorbing my data? Or…"

At this, Rei is made to lean back against her wiring, the expression forced onto her face one of pleasure. "I DESIRE MORE THAN JUST YOUR DATA DIGIDESTINED. WANT THE THING INSIDE YOU. THE THING YOU USED TO KILL ETEMON. THE UNTANGIBLE IT THAT FELLED AN ENTIER EMPIRE. I WANT YOUR SOUL TAI KAMIYA."

Tai blinks, obviously as annoyed as I am at the melodramatics. "What would happen to me?"

The disgusting smile returns. "YOU'D BECOME SOMETHING GREATER. YOU'D BECOME PART OF ME. YOUR MIND WOULD BECOME A PART OF MINE."

"Instantly?"

"NOT… INSTANTLY." The clone makes an odd face as if it's admitted more than it planned to. "IT TAKES TIME FOR ME TO… DIGEST."

Tai blinks. "Wait… You want to eat me?"

The clone smiles. "IN A MANNER OF WORDS…"

"My mind… and my soul too?"

"IF YOU BELIEVE IN SUCH A THING."

Tai frowns. "Like Rei's soul huh? Trapped inside you?"

I shiver despite the warmth in the room. The way Tai says it is haunting, as if it's the only thing Tai has thought about in the whole world. Datamon must have been as taken aback as we were, for the clones head shifts backwards and her face contorts into an over the top expression of confusion."…WHAT?"

His face has a curious expression on it. "Then I'd be where she'd be..."

I clear my throat. "Tai..."

He blinks and turns my way. He was getting off track. He recognizes that. He takes a breath and keeps going. "Sorry. I'm just a little peeved… you're wearing my friend for a face right now. It's kind of infuriating. Now back to what you'll do with me."

"ARE YOU SAYING YOU'D GIVE YOURSELF TO ME?"

"It would come with the guarantee that you let these others go."

"…I MIGHT BE WILLING TO DO THAT-"

"Including the girl you wronged."

Datamon makes a face on the girl. "JUST WHAT IS IT THAT I HAVE DONE TO HER THAT WAS SO HEINOUS DIGIDESTINED?"

"Oh, aside from jabbing her with a million different wires?" My leader furrows his brows. His voice is cold. "You lied to her."

"SHE WAS MINE TO LIE TO."

"You knew she had become self-aware long before she broke free of you. You knew she would have rejected your plan outright. You knew that without her your plan would never get off the ground. So you lied to her. She was desperate for help. Yet you continued to lie to her."

"IS THIS YOUR IDEA OF 'TALKS' DIGIDESTINED? MORE JUDGEMENTAL ACCUSATIONS? SHE IS MY CREATION. MINE TO DO WITH AS I PLEASE."

I shift uncomfortably and take a step towards him. Tai has gotten off track. I'm not sure if it's his feelings or his anger but if he keeps going like this we'll get nowhere. "Tai…"

He pays me no mind. "She was your daughter…"

"DIGIMON DO NOT HAVE OFFSPRING." Datamon causes Rei's head to tilt in curiosity. "HER CODE CAME BOUND WITH CERTAIN ELEMENETS FROM YOUR SORA. THESE ELEMENTS WERE DISTORTED DURING HER CORRUPTION. MY DATA AND YOUR REIKO SAIBACHI'S DATA WAS USED TO FILL IN THE GAPS. THAT IS ALL. BESIDES. WHAT DOES IT MATTER?"

Tai is quiet for a moment, chocolate brown eyes simmering in anger. I say nothing. I only watch as my leader regains his composure and finally gets back on track. "You're right. It shouldn't matter much to me either way. It shouldn't but it does." Tai licks his lips and rolls his shoulders. His eyes never leave hers, and he looks as if he's still searching for her in those eyes that belong to Sora. "Now, here's what's going to happen. I give myself to you. You are going to release everyone – including Rei, and give up this control the Digiworld plan of yours. You're going to possess one of your little Gizmon mechs and you're going to skitter off into the sunset. I don't care where you go. Folder. Modem. Heck, I hear Witchenly is dying to be taken over. Build yourself a nice little evil empire or something. So long as you never cross paths with Digidestined ever again. Everyone wins that way right? We don't lose anymore human lives, and you don't get your butt kicked. Sounds like a plan tin-head?"

"THAT IS YOUR PLAN?" Datamon sounds insulted.

"Take it or leave it Datamon," I chime in. Tai gives me a look but I shrug. It's not going to make a difference either way.

"THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS," Datamon screams within Rei. "YOUR OFFER IS AN INSULT."

"Maybe," Tai smirks. "But it's the only one you're getting."

"THIS INSOLENCE WILL NOT GO UNPUNISHED!"

"Is that supposed to scare me?" Tai shakes his head. "Maybe it would have… when I was twelve. But I've faced Demon Lords, Dark Dragons, and my mom's cooking. There's nothing you have that would worry me either. Especially not now. You have to borrow other people's bodies to do anything, right? And even then you fail."

"I AM NOT A FAILURE PUNY HUMAN!"

"Face it Datamon. You're nothing anymore. You're don't even have wireframe, do you?" When Datamon hisses for his answer, I know we've got him on the ropes. "It's over," Tai says with determination. "Now. Give us back Rei."

The clone glares at him. "REI…" Datamon spits through her. "SHE DOESN'T EXIST KAMIYA. SHE IS A FIGMENT OF YOUR IMAGINATION – PIECES OF VARIOUS MINDS ATTEMPTING TO RECTIFY ONE ANOTHER AND FAILING AT EVERY TURN. SHE IS A FAILED CREATION OF MINE. FLAWED. THERE IS NO NEED TO WASTE YOUR LIVES ON THIS PROGRAM. THE CONSTRUCT IS WORTHLESS."

"You may have been her creator, but you're wrong about her. Rei is not worthless." Tai face lowers to the floor. I can see his eyes close, and I can only imagine he's remembering how she used to be just a few short hours ago. "She's been kind to us. She's helped us on this journey. And though you've managed to taint her spirit, I'm still willing to fight for her. We're not giving up. We stopped you before, we can do it again!"

"That's right!"

I blink. That voice belonged to my partner. "Gabumon?"

My dog-lizard hybrid marches beside Tai, paws clenched into fists as he stands his ground with our leader. Gabumon doesn't usually like making speeches, and almost never without asking me. This is a rare happening. "I'm not going to let you trample on the life of my new friend," he tells the clone with no hint of his usual shy demeanor. "She has suffered enough. It's time you let her out!"

I shake my head. "Gabumon…"

He looks back at me with those mostly-puppy dog eyes. "Sorry Matt," he tells me before turning again towards the clone. "But I can't simply stand by."

I blink again. And then I sigh. "Nn… I guess it can't be helped. She worries me to no end, but she's a sweetheart." I set my hands firmly on my hips, taking a step forward to join my friends ahead. "Don't think I'm not willing to fight for her either!"

Tai looks at us with a warm smile. "You guys…"

"…"

"Agumon?"

The little dinosaur tilts his head in thought, before the sides of his thin mouth lift upwards into a smile of his own. "Hehe… I finally figured out why she smelled so weird. She's spent most of her life being used by a stinker like you." And with that the most vocal opposition to Rei stands again with us, his claws flashing in the dim light. "I'm not her biggest fan. But if Tai wants to protect her, I want to protect her. And that's that!"

The clone shakes his/her head. "PROTECT? WHAT ARE YOU PROTECTING? A BALL OF DATA THAT PULLED AWAY FROM ITS MASTER? A BRAINLESS CONSTRUCT? SHE ISN'T EVEN HUMAN OR DIGIMON!"

"She doesn't have to be!" Tai declares.

"She's alive," barks Gabumon.

"And our friend!" Snarls Agumon.

I wipe the sweat from my brow. "And we are getting her out!"

The clone looks at us like we're the ones who look unnatural, her lip curled in disgust. Datamon shakes her/his head. "HUMANS AND THEIR LOYALTIES. SOON, IT WILL BE A THING OF THE PAST."

"Last chance Datamon," Tai warns his nemesis. "Give up the girl, or face the consequences."

"THOSE HOLLOW THREATS… WILL BE THE LAST WORDS YOU SPEAK!"

"So that's it huh? Back to being enemies because you wanna keep playing false-god?"

"NO KAMIYA," The clone smiles again. "NOT FALSE."

The tension is rising. I frown. "Tai?"

He whispers back to me. "Get ready."

I nod. I'm not going to be much good without my digivice. But what I can do, I plan to. We're coming into the final stretch here. Tai's made his offer, and it's been rejected outright. Nothing left to do now but send this metal demon back to primary with a foot up his disembodied metal bum.

Just as soon as we figure out how.

Agumon and Gabumon return to their defensive posture, waiting for the inevitable strikes to appear. Tai's already starting. Doing what he does best.

Annoying the hell out of someone.

"Wow. Talk about presumptuous. I mean you're grumpy enough to be god but seriously. Where's your beard and thunder finger?"

"WHAT?"

"And what poor decision making skills. And this from a living computer? Dang… C'mon Datamon, are you serious?"

"WHAT IS THIS KAMIYA?"

Tai smirks, hands on his hips. Defiant. "What it's always been Data-chump. Us being the good-guys, and you being an idiot."

"IDIOT?"

Tai continues laughing. "Seriously. You wouldn't know a good deal if we had Etemon on a silver platter and told you: 'Hey Datamon, here's Etemon free of charge!"

"YOU ARE IN NO POSITION TO MOCK ME!"

Tai pouts. "What are you talking about? I'm always in position to mock somebody. It's my thing."

"I GROW TIRED OF YOUR 'THING'. I GROW TIRED OF THESE HUMAN BLUFFS. I GROW TIRED OF YOU. I DON'T CARE HOW MANY BRATS YOU HAVE ALLIED YOURSELVES WITH. SOON NONE OF IT WILL MATTER. THE FINAL PROCESSES OF MY TRANSFORMATION ARE NEARING COMPLETION."

Tai makes a face. "Then what do you want us to do?"

The clone's eyes narrow. "…DIE."

Tai shakes his head, that smirk still plastered to his smug face. "Now Datamon. We both know we're not going to do that. Is that all?"

The wires at Datamon's feet begin moving once more. His/Her eyes narrow into slits, fingers twitching in anticipation.

Tai sighs. "Then I guess we have nothing more to say to each other do we?"

The wires rise around his/her waist and that sick, disturbing smile grows wider. It's clear the choice is made.

"Matt?" Tai whispers to me.

I gulp. "Yeah?"

"Here he comes…"

I barely have time to breathe.

A single wire barrels towards us at incredible speeds. Agumon's fireball is on it in seconds, just as the next wire comes forward towards us. Gabumon takes care of that one. Then the clone roars, and I know things just went from 'pretty bad' to 'holy crap'. Because four wires pop out of the woodworks and aim themselves directly at us.

"Tai!"

"Mn!"

I grab hold of Tai by the edge of his shirt and spin us to the side, barely avoiding the first strike. Tai returns the favor when the second breezes past my ear. We duck together to give Agumon a better angle at the wire just above the clone – no go however, as Datamon sends extraneous line to take the brunt of Agumon's Pepper Breath. I wince and lean Tai downwards as Datamon tries to spear us through the neck. I barely have time to register the movement before he's pulling me into another spin towards the floor. I feel the wind above my hair and know we've avoided another strike – especially when Gabumon's chemical fire pours after it as he launches his Blue Blaster attack. We roll once across the marble before I shoot a leg out and pull us back up – just in time to avoid the wire that shoots through the floor.

It's like we're dancing. Except we could die if we stop, I'm not dancing with the girl I love, and he's not dancing with somebody he's trying to bone...

…

Don't say it. I'm not yaoi. Not gonna happen.

Its in-between the rolling, grunting, totally manly dodging of the deadly wires that my eye catches hold to something that Tai is doing. The action worries me to no end. Despite the threat of our immanent deaths, looks like he's having the time of his life.

I frown, not in the mood. "What is it?"

The psychopath is smiling. "He's wheezing."

I look at him as if he's lost his mind, but just after the next dip to avoid a Pepper Breath that rolls above us I look to the clone.

He/She's wheezing.

Holy crap, Datamon is wheezing!

I blink unsure of what to do with this new information, but knowing full well it's important. "Tai?"

"I'm thinking," he tells me. "Agumon, Gabumon… Stall!"

Our Digimon hear the order and nod. After fending off two more wires headed our way, Agumon leaps in front of my partner, his orange face turning beat red before his flame engulfs the floor. "Pepper Volcano!"

A wave of fire crests towards Datamon's current form, and the clone is forced to rise above it. He sneers and prepares another wire, but Gabumon has replaced Agumon in positioning, his chubby stomach expanding with digital air. "Blue Cyclone!"

A gust of chemical fire bursts from deep within Gabumon like a digital tornado. By itself Gabumon's Blue Cyclone isn't much better than his Blue Blaster. But combined with Agumon's flame and the entire floor before us becomes engulfed in flame. Datamon shrieks as the base of his wire catches fire.

We don't hear the shrieks of pain long though, as several nozzles poke out the side of the walls and ceilings to send streams of white cloud down onto the floor, calming the blaze. Fire retardant. The researchers were well prepared. Still, it's bought us some time. The four of us regroup at the far wall, trying to come up with a plan before Datamon turns back to us.

"You two okay?" I ask our partners.

"Fine," says Gabumon.

"Hungry," says Agumon.

"Oh… Me too," Gabumon grumbles before glaring at Tai. "That Reese's cup better come with a full saucer of milk."

"Not just milk," Tai assures him. "It'll come with a side of Oreo's too. How's that?"

"Mmmm…."

I sigh. "Gabumon, get your tongue off the floor. This place hasn't been swept in years."

Gabumon looks sheepishly at me, wiping his tongue off with his fur while Agumon laughs at him. I simply shake my head at the partner who's got to be on his way to digital diabetes and turn back to the Digidestined of Courage. "Well, any ideas Tai?"

My brunette friend places a hand to his chin. "If he's wheezing then that means he's having trouble with his form. He's pushing Rei to the limits trying to keep track of the four of us. That means…

"He can't focus on everything at a time," I realize. "He's been a disembodied spirit so long he's forgotten that physical forms spend energy."

"So do digital ones," Agumon pouts before Tai pops him on the snout.

"You know what I mean," I sigh again. "It means that he's at a disadvantage. It means that, sooner or later he's gonna run out of steam. It means-"

"It means while he keeps his eye on one of us, the others can be dealing the final blow," Tai interrupts.

I blink. His face has a far away look to it. "What do you mean?"

"I... I mean we split up," he says with a nod. "One of us provides the distraction while the others upload the program and get those people out of there."

I've heard this plan before. "One goes in, one stays out…"

Tai hears my hesitation. "It worked last time."

"Barely."

He shrugs. "What choice do we have?"

Agumon's voice shifts us from our conversation. "Guys?"

We both look up. With the flames dying down, the flame retardant begins seeping out of the room, pulling away the clouds of coolant that were giving us cover. Through the smoke stands… or rather floats the clone, red eyes glowing through the fog, teeth once again barred in an unholy smile. He hasn't spotted us yet… But it's only a matter of time.

I turn back to Tai. "Your call fearless leader."

He nods. "We split. Gabumon, the pods. Matt your Digivice. Agumon give us some cover-"

Agumon blinks. "You?"

He stretches his wounded arm and gives us a cocky grin. "Dancin' with the devil!"

I glare at him. He's in no condition to face off against Datamon by himself. I go to say just that but my DNA partner beats me to the punch.

"Matt?"

"…Yeah."

His eyes shift to the ground. "Whatever happens… I need you to keep going. Don't look back. Got it?"

My frown grows deeper. "What are you planning to –"

"Just promise me you won't look back bro."

"But Tai –"

"Promise me!"

That's an order. And what kind of an XO would I be if I didn't follow orders?

"Fine…" I tell him through clenched teeth.

If he notices my disapproval he doesn't show it. He doesn't have a chance to say much else anyway. The wind kicks up around us, blowing the cool froth everywhere. I shield my eyes with my palm until the winds die, and then look up. The clone is using two wires connected to her hands as fans to propel the air about the room. We have only a second to regard her/him before Datamon turns a head and sets crimson eyes upon us. The smile he/she gives is unearthly.

"DIGIDESTINED…"

Tai doesn't hesitate. "Go!"

"Pepper Breath!"

The ball of flame races towards the possessed clone just as Gabumon and I take off. The distraction is definitely working though, as I manage to slip just under the girl without so much as a scratch. Gabumon has to hop over a wire, but even he manages to get passed the Digimon/human hybrid mind without injury. Agumon launches another Pepper Breath before rolling out of the way of a flailing wire, and moves to launch from another angle. So far so good.

Datamon snarls through Rei and swivels her about the wires. I take my eyes off him and focus only on the console, trying to keep my heart from exploding through my chest. Behind me, I can hear the sound of wire whipping into position, and I know that Datamon has prepared to stab me in the back with one of his deadly wires. But before that happens I hear the sound of a struggle and suddenly another voice. One I'm far more welcoming too, despite his lunacy.

"Uh-uh," I hear Tai say. "You're dancing with me now!"

I hear Datamon's sneer as I run forward, sending electricity across every pipeline as he focuses on Tai. I hear Tai's grunts and coughs as he dodges the wires as best he can. I hear Agumon shooting again and again, trying to give his partner cover. I don't look back. I can't look back.

If I look back I'd see what's happening to him and I might forget all about my Digivice and uploading the program and saving these people I've never met. If I look back to see what Datamon's doing I might forget that I'm a Digidestined and come back charging to save him. And then Datamon would have us both.

So I don't look back.

Not that I could. I'm too busy ducking and jumping over various chords that pop up from one side or another. They're not purposely trying to attack me; at least I don't think so. But they're the byproduct of Datamon trying to catch my partner. Gabumon scurries as hard as his little legs can carry him, rolling through wire attacks as they burst through the floor after him. From the corner of my eye I can see he's making good time.

Of course paying attention to the corner of my eye instead of where I'm going is going to get me in trouble. A simple loop in the floor catches my feet. I catch myself before I fall – I kind of expected I'd have to deal with one of these things eventually. The shock though, is something I don't expect.

It's not just that it's annoying like static shock. Nor is it like getting a jolt from a wet amp - I've felt that, and it wasn't pretty. This felt cold. Like someone had taken a tiny metal chain, stuck it in the freezer for a month, and then started whipping my bare foot with it. Over and over again. I'm wearing some pretty thick doc martens. I shouldn't feel anything.

I keep going. I'm only a few feet away from the consol and I can't dwell on the feeling too long. But in the back of my head, if only for a second, I'd hate to think what it would feel like it I had actually been struck.

It takes me a second to completely right myself, and only a few more to reach the abandoned console in one piece. I set two hands on the edge: it's the happiest my hands have ever been to touch something cold, metal and unfeeling . Beneath a layer of metal filled with buttons and knobs is my digivice, the gift that's sparred my life more times than I can remember. Time to bust it out.

"Tai! I'm there, we've got – "

I look back.

Why did I look back?

I'm not sure how he did it, but Tai has climbed his way onto her. Literally. His hands have caught hold of his/her wrists while his feet are planted on his/her knees. Datamon shakes and sways, trying to toss him like a rodeo bull, but Tai has caught her firmly, and he isn't letting go. Their faces are inches apart, Data-Rei's furious and Tai's confident. They both look crazy. Only Rei has an excuse.

"Tai! What the hell man!"

"Whoo-hoo! Ride 'em Tai!" Agumon cheers from across the room.

I frown, turning my back to the console. "Tai Kamiya, you get down from there right now!"

If he hears me then he's doing a real good job ignoring me... (there's a fist to the eye in his future, I can see it). He keeps his focus instead on the clone. "C'mon Data-wuss," I hear him hiss. "Can't you do better than that?"

The clone glares and opens her mouth. A wire slowly extends from her throat.

It nearly catches him in the face when Datamon first fires it. He leans back to avoid it, and the two of them nearly crash to the floor from his weight. Datamon retrieves the wire via swallow, and then opens her mouth again. Tai's grin widens.

Datamon fires and Tai tilts his head and lets go of her hands. He's falling for less than a second though as both palms catch hold of the wire at once. He screams, and my heart sinks.

"Tai!" I scream again. He can't hear me. His mind is focused on one thing right now.

Datamon.

The wire goes limp for a second before squirming around like a worm on a hook. Tai holds on, never letting go. His teeth barred and eyes furrowed, Tai sends his rival words that chill my spine. "You wanted me," he says with a terrible grin. "You got me."

And then he takes the wire and jams it into his wounded arm.

Things slow down to a crawl for me. I watch as his back arches in shock. Sound is muffled and I can barely move. I don't hear him scream. I can't do anything.

Agumon roars and charges, but is flung away by a single wire. Gabumon tries to double back, but the dark network blocks his path as well. I can't feel anything. I can't move anything. I can't do anything. Even if I wanted to I wouldn't be able to. I just don't care anymore.

Psychopath…

Idiot…

…

Tai…

You damned jerk…

Why?

I can't answer that. I can't even breathe. All I can do is watch in horror as Tai's body goes limp and Datamon's wires wrap around him, the wire in his arm pulsing and throbbing. There is nothing left anymore. Nothing at all.

It's like I'm slipping into darkness.

GODFALL

16

Digimon