The following day...
Takato was sleeping in his bed with the two Dracomon.
On the other side of Shinjuku...
A now adult Izzy Izumi was sitting at his desk. In the 20 years since Malomyotismon's defeat, he had established a organization to counter the activities of Hypnos.
His organization would help good-natured Digimon find their partners as most of the people employed there have Digimon partners. They were operating under the orders of King Drasil.
This organization was responsible for the Dracomon twins appearing in the real world.
"So far things are going well." Izzy mused.
King Drasil warned him about a prophecy concerning the Dracomon brothers bridging Digimon and humans.
Flashback
The organization's base of operations was located two miles away from Hypnos. Two thousand humans that had Digimon partners were employed there.
"I need to speak to you." Izzy heard a voice in his head. It belonged to King Drasil.
He recited the prophecy about the twin Dracomon saviors.
Upon a sunny day in the Human World that is cloud free
Twin Dracomon siblings arrived in the Human World with the aid of a tech wiz human
The twin siblings were smitten with a bright kid with a bright future
This bright kid will go on a journey of growth upon being partnered with the twin Dracomon siblings
But the bright kid's future will be clouded by a disaster with his impending sacrifice
The sacrifice of the bright Kid will cleanse the demons of their darkness
End flashback
"What does it entitle?" Izzy mused to himself.
This was something he would figure out over time.
Mimi walks over to Izzy and places a bag in his arms.
"Huh?" He blinks, his eyes coming back into focus. "What's this?"
"I know that look! You are not hiding behind your computer again without any food or drink." Mimi answered, looking angry. Then she clapped her hands.
"Now! Tentomon!" She calls, turning to the door.
"Oh! Uh, what was I supposed to do?" Tentomon asked nervously.
"This thing." Palmon is heard.
"Oh!"
Both Mimi and Izzy watch as Tentomon flies into the office, pushing a cart with a microwave, Palmon helping him push the cart into the room.
"What's the microwave for?" Izzy asked. "Don't tell me Tai needs a place to crash again."
"Oh Izzy, don't be silly. It's for you and Tentomon." Mimi told him.
"Yeah!" Palmon smiles.
"Since you boys will be up all night. You'll need fuel." Mimi smiles.
A few hours later Matt and T.K walk into the office.
"Hey Izzy, do you?" T.K starts then stops when the boys walk into the office. The normally clean office is dirty with pizza boxes, take out and popcorn bags.
"Need help." T.K finished his sentence.
"Izzy, where are ya, man?" Matt asked. Tentomon comes out from underneath a blanket.
"Palmon ate the pickles, not!" His sleepy panic quickly disappears when he saw the brothers standing in the doorway. "Oh! Hi boys."
"Tentomon." Matt chuckled. "Izzy around?"
"I'm here." Izzy yawned loudly as he sat behind his computer.
"Mimi called Sora, who called me, then I called T.K." Matt starts.
"Anyway, we came to help." T.K added. "We brought Joe and Tai too."
"And my lawyer will hear about this!" Joe complained as Tai pulls him into the office. "It's my day off."
"We talked about this Joe! And the girls will have our heads!" Tai said. Suddenly Willis walks up to them.
"Oh!" The blonde is surprised to see Tai. "Hi Tai."
The leader of the Digidestined blinked in surprise. "Oh hi."
T.K turns around and smiles. "Willis, hey buddy! Long time no see."
"T.K, hi." Willis said. "Kari called me."
"About what?" T.K asked the blonde.
Meanwhile...
Black Gabumon and Guilmon begin their search for their destined Tamers. They also wanted to know more about their lives.
"Alright, here's the plan. You'll ambush them at Shinjuku Park and I'll follow suit at our Tamer's house."
A boy around 9 years old wearing a blue shirt and goggles walked into the open design of the apartment.
"How can I play soccer when I'm stuck in here?" He complained.
Meiko Mochizuki walked into the living room, her long hair pulled up into a high ponytail. "We've talked about this. No more soccer indoors. Those glass doors are very costly! Took my whole paycheck!"
The boy sighs.
"But it's a new city! And a great day outside." He pauses for a moment.
"Mom? Can we have a cat?" He asks.
His mother looks up from a box she was going through. "I can't keep your room clean, and last time your room was clean, you shoved everything into the closet. And do you remember the squirrel?" She shudders.
"I remember the squirrel." She shudders again. "And the raccoon." She shudders a third time. "Fine, go to the park."
"Yes!" Cole cheered, then hugged his mother.
"Thank you!" He grabs his soccer ball before dashing to the front door. "Love you, mom!"
"Cole!"
He screeches to a stop, and slowly turns to her. "Yes?"
"Be safe, and be home as soon as the street lights come on."
He nods.
"Yes, ma'am." With that, he leaves.
Cole then arrived in the park and started kicking the ball around until the ball hit something. It was a red lizard with a blue V-shaped mark on his forehead.
"What are you?" He asked.
"I'm Red Veemon." Red Veemon introduced himself to Cole.
Then Black Gabumon and Guilmon came into the park looking for their destined Tamers.
Cole laid in his hospital bed, looking out the window.
"Cole, honey, you're going to be okay, okay?" Meiko told him, holding his hand.
"I know mom." He smiled. "You don't have to be so brave all the time just for me."
She smiled as she gently pushed his bangs off his forehead with her free hand. "Yes I do."
There's a knock on the door before it slides open, revealing Mimi and Izzy walking in.
"Mei Mei!" Mimi cried, rushing in as Izzy closes the door. "Cole." She plops down on the edge of the bed. "Are you okay kiddo?"
The boy smiles. "Hi Aunty Mimi, hi Izzy. Yes, I'm okay."
"Meiko, I hope you didn't try to contact who know who." Izzy tried, looking at her.
"No." Meiko shook her head, she looks away. "I did try Kari, but I."-
"You got scared." Mimi cuts in gently.
"Yes."
"I know who my dad is." Cole said, making the three adults look at him inn surprise.
"You do?" Mimi asked in surprise.
"Yeah, he's on my birth certificate. Taichi Kamiya." Cole folds his arms. "He can stay in the dark for all I care."
"Cole, your dad." Izzy started, until there's a knock on the door and it slides open to reveal the doctor walking in.
"Huh? Izzy? Mimi?" Joe asks, blinking. "I thought I read Kamiya. And not one of yours." He looks down at his clipboard again with a frown.
Meiko stood up. "Joe? You're my son's doctor?"
Joe blinks, looking up from his clipboard. "Meiko?"
She nods.
"Details later Joe." Mimi said. "We have a sick kid right now."
"Oh, right." Joe moves to the bed as Mimi steps to the side. "Hi kiddo. I'll be your doctor, you can call me Joe."
Cole smiled. "Hi."
Joe blinks, studying the kid in front of him. The boy has Tai's hair and eyes. "Are you."-
"Yes, he's Tai's son!" Mimi cuts in. "Joe focus!"
"Okay, okay." Joe straightened himself and focused on his job. "So, kiddo. What's going on?"
Cole presses his lips together. "A Digimon attacked me in the park."
"What kind of Digimon?" Joe asked.
"A Digimon that has a fur coat."
"Fur coat?" Mimi asks, quickly digging into her purse and scrolling through pictures. "This Digimon?"
Cole nods. "Yeah."
Mimi shows a picture of Gabumon to Joe.
"Matt would never attack anyone." Joe frowned.
"The one in the park was black and there was a dinosaur-like Digimon too."
"Hmm." Izzy hummed, a thoughtful expression on his face.
Some time later...
"Hi Meiko!" Palmon greeted her after Meiko opened the front door of her apartment to find Mimi and Palmon.
"Palmon." Meiko smiled, bending down to hug the Digimon. "It's good to see you."
"You too." Palmon smiled as they pulled away from their hug. "You look great."
Meiko smiled. "Thanks. And so do you."
"Aw." Palmon blushed.
"Come in, come in." Meiko stepped to the side with the front door open.
"I'm sorry about Cole." Palmon said, looking up at Meiko. "Is he okay?"
"Thank you. Yes, he's okay. Right now he's taking a nap in his room."
Mimi paused as she stood by a closed door, hearing snoring. She giggled. "Sounds like him."
"Mimi, that social worker is here."
Mimi fell onto the couch in shock.
"What?" She gasped. "Well if he tries anything, he can't because he has no jurisdiction here."
"And if that fails Tai-"
"Tai doesn't know about Cole." Meiko firmly and gently cut in, walking up and setting a tray of orange soda onto the coffee table.
"But wasn't that the plan?" Palmon asked. "I mean, you said once Cole got older, you were going to tell him."
"And...he's married." Meiko started to cry. Palmon hurried over to her.
"Don't cry Meiko! I'm sorry!"
Meiko smiled.
"It's okay." She gently patted Palmon on her head, making the Digimon smile. She sighed as she stood up and walked up to the sliding glass door of the small porch. "He's happily married. With 3 kids."
"Tai isn't going to suddenly leave Bianca." Mimi said. "He's not like that at all."
"I don't want Tai to do that anyway!" Meiko shouted.
"What do you want then?" Mimi asked gently. "Tai is eventually going to find out about Cole. Kari's one of the elementary school's teachers."
"Mimi, with that social worker constantly checking on me. I...I don't have a plan." Meiko turns to her. "I, if Tai could just acknowledge Cole as his own." She trails off. "Maybe that could be enough to stop that social worker."
"Whoa, wait a minute." Mimi stiffens up. "This part is new."
Unbeknownst to the two women, Cole had his bedroom door cracked open as he looks out at them.
"He's threatened to take Cole away from me." Meiko confirms. "Tai is on Cole's birth certificate. That's why Cole has his name and not mine."
"I know that sweetie, but..." Mimi trails off.
"Threatening to take Cole away is pretty serious." Palmon said. "And that jerkface doesn't have the means to do that! Why does he want-" She pauses, stopping herself. "It's because of me and Tentomon, isn't it?"
Mimi blinked. "Huh?"
"The social worker doesn't like Digimon." Meiko confirmed it. She walked up to kneel in front of Palmon, who was in tears.
"Cole totally trusts you Palmon." She said. "And so do I. Cole loves it when you and Tentomon play with him."
Palmon grabbed her in a tight hug.
Mimi sat there on the couch, stunned.
"Meiko." She paused. "Tai needs to know about this."
"No!" Meiko cried after pulling away from her hug with Palmon. "Cole doesn't want Tai to know about him. And if that's what my son wants, I'm going to honor it."
"But Tai-"
"Tai has enough on his plate." Meiko cut in. "He has a full time job and he's a full time dad with three kids as well as a full time family man. I don't want to disturb that. What's it going to look like if the ex suddenly comes up to his front door and says 'Remember that hot summer we had together not too long after your Digivice turned into a rock? We have a son together'" Meiko wrapped her arms around herself. "I don't want to ruin things for him."
The following day Meiko and Cole are in the park. Meiko is sitting at a park table watching as Cole plays with his soccer ball.
"Meiko!"
She jumps up, startled and turns to see Kari walking up to her.
"H-hi Kari." She greeted her nervously.
Kari instantly frowns.
"What's wrong?" She asked, worried.
Meiko looks around. She then sees a slick black SUV parked in the parking lot. Meiko turns back to her.
"I'm sorry Kari. I...I thought this would soften the blow for later."
"Soften a blow?" Kari asked, confused. "Why?"
As if on cue, Cole's soccer ball rolls over and stops underneath the picnic table and he jogs over.
Kari's eyes widen in shock. The boy looked exactly like Tai, the same puffy hair, his chocolate eyes and the goggles, the goggles!
"I'm sorry mom." He apologized, starting to get down on his hands and knees getting ready to crawl under the table.
"Cole." Meiko reached for his arm.
"Come here, sit." She instructed.
Cole instantly tensed up, looking at Kari suspiciously.
"No." He took a step backwards. "She works for him."
"Would I be calmly sitting here if she did." His mother responded. "Sit with me."
Cole studied Kari, then moved to sit next to his mother, who wrapped her arm around his shoulders.
"Cole, this is my friend Kari." Meiko said. "And...and your dad's sister."
Cole blinked, his eyes widen.
"Um, hi." He greeted her.
Kari nods.
"Hello." She smiles a little. "He looks like Tai."
"Tai can't know."
Kari blinks.
"What? What do you mean Tai can't know?" She looks at Meiko, then at Cole, then back at Meiko. "My brother won't take him away. I promise!"
"If Cole is taken from me, I would rather be by his father instead of that social worker."
Kari frowns. "What?"
"First. Where's Gatomon?" Meiko asks.
"Ah, she's at home with T.K." Kari answers.
"What's going on, Meiko?" She asks. "Are you in trouble?"
"You can say that, yes."
Kari soon noticed that Cole was looking at her, then at the sleek black car in the parking lot, then back to her as he tries to be discreet.
Closing her eyes, Kari took a deep breath then opened them.
"I'm calling Ken." She pulled out her cell phone. "He's a friend and a detective."
She started to dial the number.
"Kari no!" Meiko cried. "Please. I've been handling this on my own for years."
"I am not going to sit here with you telling me my brother's son is in trouble!" Kari said hotly. "No. I can't do that." She lifted up her cell phone again and dialed a number. "Detective Ichijouji please."
It was late when Meiko and Cole return home.
"It sounds like all of dad's friends know about me now." Cole said as he held his soccer ball. "It's only a matter of time now."
"Maybe this is a good thing." Meiko told him. Cole looks up at her.
"I don't want to be taken away!" He cried with tears coming down his face. "Not by that social worker and definitely not by dad!"
Meiko turns to him. "Nobody is taking you from me." Then the doorbell rang and on impulse she grabbed her son tightly.
"J...just answer the door." Cole said. He backed away. "I'm going to hide." With that he did a 180 and fled to his bedroom, his door closing in his wake.
Taking a few deep breaths, Meiko hesitated in answering.
"Meiko?" Izzy's voice is heard.
Meiko walks over to the front door and opens it. "H-" She starts and trails off when she sees Tai standing next to Izzy.
"Tai?" She gasps.
"Izzy!" She looks at him.
"It's not my fault!" Izzy cried, frantically waving his hands.
"Ken told Yolei and Yolei's a bigger gossiper than Mimi." He explained.
Tai has an unreadable look on his face "I made him bring me here. I want to see him. I want to see my son."
"NO!" Meiko slammed the door closed.
"Meiko!" Izzy's voice called as the doorbell constantly rings along with knocking. "Meiko please."
Closing her eyes tightly, Meiko opens them before slowly turning around and opening the door.
Tai and Izzy stood there. Tai didn't look happy while Izzy looked uncomfortable.
"Can you please let us in?" Izzy asked. "I think your landlady went to get her broom."
Meiko took a step outside, looking right at Tai.
"Are you going to take him from me?" Her voice shook.
Tai stares at her with shock.
"No." He said firmly. "I just want to meet him."
Meiko turns to look at Izzy, who nodded.
"Okay." She decides. "Come in."
The three walk into the apartment. Tai looks around.
"My parents help me with Cole when I need it. Birthday cards and Christmas cards every year. They visit too." Meiko told Tai. "They love him."
Tai nodded, liking that.
"I like that." He turns around to face her.
"You should have told me." He starts with his famous temper.
"Tai." Izzy said with a warning tone.
"I made a choice!" Meiko said firmly. "He's my son!"
"Our son!" Tai shot back, ignoring his childhood friend. "You should've told me!" He starts to roar. "I would've-"
"Don't blame this on me!"
Izzy sweat drops as he plops down in the Lazy Boy chair.
"I knew I should've made Matt come with me." He groans.
"I'm not blaming you!"
"Yes you are!"
"You should've told me in the first place."
"And get yelled at? I don't think so!"
"I'm not yelling!"
"You are yelling!"
"STOP!"
The hot argument stops short as all three adults turn to find Cole standing in front of his bedroom door with a red Veemon standing next to him.
Tai has a comic look on his face.
Meiko walks around Tai and up to Cole.
"Tai Kamiya." She starts. "Meet your 9 year old son Cole. Cole, meet your dad."
Tai stood rigid with the same comic look.
"Uh, is he okay?" Veemon asked.
"Should I shock him?" He asks, almost excitedly.
"No." Cole turns to him, then back to Tai. "But he's not moving."
"It's a normal Tai reaction." Izzy responded gently as he stood up, walking up to his childhood friend. Izzy waved a hand in front of Tai, then pinched him.
"OW!" Tai screamed, turning to Izzy.
"That hurt!" He looks back at Cole.
"I need a drink." He said, deadpanned.
"Oh! We have cold and not cold." Veemon said.
"Hey! Where are you going?" He asks as Tai leaves the apartment. Red Veemon turns back around. "Was it something I said?"
"Izzy, will you please go after him?" Meiko asks.
He nods.
"Of course. Good night everyone." As he moves to the front door, he pulls out his cell phone.
"This time I'm calling Matt for backup." He said to himself.
The ringing of a cellphone pulled Matt and Sora from their sleep. Matt rolled away from Sora and reached his cell phone that's charging on the night stand, his hand knocking over his wallet and smacking into the alarm clock before finding the cell phone; grabbing it Matt pulled it out of it's charger and looked at the caller ID before flipping it open. "Izzy, it's 1 in the morning. Can't this wait?"
Sora half-listened, then grunted when Matt suddenly bolted up on the bed.
"What?!" Matt demanded, all sleep gone. "Just make sure he doesn't do anything dumb. I'm on my way!"
"Matt." Sora winced when her husband turned on the bedside lamp and watched as he put on his boxers and then a pair of jeans.
"Sorry hon." Matt snatched up a shirt and put it on.
"What happened?"
Matt turns. He then leans down. "Gotta go bail Tai out of a drunken funk."
"Again?"
"Yep." Matt leans down, kissing her gently before searching for his wallet on the floor. He then jogged out of the bedroom.
Sora sighs heavily. "Tai, what did you do this time?"
Outside a bar in the middle of the city
Izzy watches as a black Ford Mustang pulled into the parking lot.
"Finally!" Izzy breathed, watching as the roof of the convertible closes. Then a minute later Matt and Gabumon climb out and Matt locks the door as he and his Digimon partner walk over to Izzy.
"What's going on Izzy? How drunk?"
"Well, one shot turned to two, then it turned to five."
"But what happened?" Gabumon asks.
"Tai." Izzy hesitated for a long time, debating if he really should tell them, his eyes to the side as he tried to think. "He...he's a dad."
"It's too damn early for this." Matt grunted, turning. "Let's go home Gabumon."
Gabumon looked back at Matt and then Izzy.
"Sorry Izzy, that's nothing new." He ran after Matt.
"Wait, Matt!" Izzy ran after him, sliding to a stop in front of the blonde.
"You got me out of bed for something we all know. We all know he's a dad. Goggle-headed dad, but a dad of three." Matt unlocks his car and opens the driver side door. "Gabumon, let's go home."
"Four! Tai's a father of four!" Izzy exclaimed.
"Mimi's gonna tear me a new one for this." He muttered.
"Now that's new." Gabumon said.
"And the kid doesn't belong to Bianca. Otherwise none of us would be here right now." Matt added.
"Explain, now." He demanded, closing his driver side door and locking the car again.
Izzy closed his eyes tightly.
"Tai has a son with Meiko Mochizuki." He looks at Matt. "That's all I'm saying. Tai needs to explain the rest."
Matt ran his hands through his hair as he paced back and forth. "What am I supposed to do? The bar doesn't allow Digimon inside, so pull him out here."
"It's better for you to go get him." Izzy said. "I'll stay out here with Gabumon."
"If Tai gets me arrested again, Sora is not going to be happy." Matt walked up to the bar.
Matt's blue eyes scanned the loud bar, even though it was getting close to closing the bar is still strong.
"Hey Matt Ishida." The bartender smiled as he walked further into the bar.
"Haven't seen you in a long time." She smiled flirty at him. "Where've you been hiding?"
"Hiding with my wife." His band used to play in the bar back during college.
Matt's blue eyes landed on Tai who's in the back. And the blonde made a beeline for the back.
"Tai." He grabs Tai's arm. "Come on man, let's go."
Tai pulls his arm free. "Go away."
"Can't do that." Matt then took in Tai's appearance. "You're a mess dude."
Tai snorts.
"That's exactly what Izzy said." He looks at him. "What are you doing here? Dealing drugs, hope you said goodbye to T.K. Sora's going to be so angry with you."
Matt rolls his eyes.
"Alright." He sits down in front of him. "You fathered a kid with someone else. Tai, it's not the end."
"End of my marriage with Bianca when she finds out. Agumon and I will have to live with my parents." Tai grabs his head and slouches down.
"You're acting like a child Tai."
Tai's eyes harden. "Good to know that you care! You can leave now."
Again Matt rolled his eyes. "What happened?"
The leader of the Digidestined looks lost, his eyes unfocused.
"During that summer after we defeated Eosmon, I went and stayed with Meiko Mochizuki. We had started dating. While together, we heated up that summer." He began to explain, his eyes still not focused.
Matt had a chance to say something. "But you didn't meet Bianca then. You didn't know her during that time."
Tai shook his head.
"I had no idea Meiko was pregnant and I left. If I'd known I would've helped. I would've been there for her." He shook his head again. "Now she thinks I want to take our son from her."
"That's harsh. But you walked away first." Matt looked at his watch, then stood up.
"Come on." He grabs Tai's arm and lifted him up. "You're coming home with me."
"On that lumpy couch? I'd rather have the floor." Tai stumbled as he walked, then crashed into a chair and tables. "Oh, I'm sorry."
Matt grabs Tai's arm again. "New couch. Come on, buddy."
After Izzy left, Meiko sighed heavily.
"It's time for bed for all of us." She decides, hugging Cole.
"I'm sorry mom. I should've stayed hidden." Cole apologizes.
"No. It's not your fault." Meiko squeezed him to her side. "You and Veemon return to your room and go to bed." She let him go.
Cole turns and disappears back into his room. Red Veemon started to follow, but stopped and turned back around to watch Meiko walk towards the balcony. The Digimon followed her.
Meiko sits down in a lawn chair and sighs heavily.
"Was it my fault?" The Digimon asks, making her look at him. "Did I say something wrong?"
"No Veemon, nothing at all."
"What's going to happen now?" Red Veemon asks.
"Well, we are going to stay away from Tai until he has the chance to calm down." Meiko answered. "In the morning I'll take Cole to his first day of school. You'll stay with me while he's in school."
Red Veemon pouts at the idea of Cole going off to school. "What happens to me?"
Meiko smiles. "You'll be keeping me company until it's time for me to go to work, then I'll drop you off at Izzy's place and you'll stay with them until I come get you."
Red Veemon nodded. "Okay. I like that plan." He turns to head back into the apartment.
Meiko lifts her cell phone, scrolling through her phone book before finding who she wanted.
'Tai knows about Cole and he's not happy.' She texted.
The phone buzzed as she got a return text from Mimi.
'I know. Izzy came home and told me what happened. It'll be okay. Don't lose sleep over it.'
Closing her phone, Meiko sighed as she pushed herself up and walked back into the apartment. Walking into Cole's bedroom, she smiles as Cole is now sleeping so she tucks him in. "Goodnight Cole, my son."
Red Veemon is also fast asleep. Meiko picks up a blanket and gently places it on him. "Good night Veemon." She got up and walked out of the bedroom, leaving the door halfway open.
Meiko walked into her bedroom, hiding herself under the blankets and falling to sleep.
The next day...
Cole sat in the principal's office with Meiko.
"All the paperwork is in order." The man behind the desk nods. "We do have a school policy. No Digimon is allowed inside the building. They can be disruptive towards learning."
"Understood." Meiko nods. "His Digimon is currently at home."
The principal nods.
"Good. Now your last name is Kamiya?" He asked, looking at Cole.
"Yes. Kari Kamiya is my aunt."
"While in her presence with others, I'll need you to call her Miss. Kamiya and not Aunt Kari."
Cole rapidly nods. "Yes sir, I don't have a problem with that."
The principal stands up. "Very well. I'll show you your homeroom."
The three walk out of the office. Meiko smiles as she hugs Cole.
"Have a good day Cole and I'll see you after school."
Cole hugs his mother tightly.
As she leaves Meiko and Bianca bump into each other.
"Oh sorry." Meiko apologized.
"It's okay, really." Bianca smiles.
Joe is in the hallway, poking his head around the corner.
"Old girlfriend." He whispered, looking at Meiko.
"New girlfriend, now wife." He looks at Bianca. "Feel the tension."
But both women walk in different directions without looking back.
"Ah, okay. They don't know about each other yet." Joe said to himself.
He hoped it would stay that way.