Author's Note: The chapter came together pretty quickly, so I thought I'd go ahead and add it now as an extra apology for taking so long with the last chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.

Chapter 11: What Must Be Done

Immediately after the battle, Johnny had called for an ambulance to come for Himeko and Kudamon. He then called both Arthur and Matt to inform them of the situation. When the ambulance had arrived, Johnny and Elecmon had ridden along with Himeko and Kudamon, neither of whom showed any signs of waking up. A few minutes later the ambulance had arrived at the hospital, and Johnny and Elecmon had gone to the main reception area to wait for the others. Eventually Kari and T.K. had arrived, along with the rest of Team Excalibur, Sora, Matt, Yolei and Ken.

"What's happened to my brother?" Kari asked with a look of fear on her face as she and the others walked up.

Johnny shook his head. "Raguelmon nabbed him and Agumon while Elecmon and I were fighting Toya and Kotaro's sister. I'm sorry. I really screwed up."

"No, my old friend. The fault is mine," Arthur declared. "I should've given Tai more protection to anticipate a diversionary tactic such as this."

"Arthur, you can't plan for everything," Artemis told him.

"Besides, we were already stretched pretty thin as it was," Jason added. "With you and Gwen looking after T.K. and Kari, me helping Izzy to locate Meiko and find a cure for the Meiko virus, and Artemis and Cindy keeping an eye on Norn, we didn't have anyone else besides Johnny to help protect Tai."

"My group should've picked up the slack there," Matt interjected.

"Will you great leaders stop feeling sorry for yourselves already?" Gwen interrupted. "This pity party you're having isn't going to solve anything. The fact is Meiko got the better of us. None of us ever expected her to use Kotaro and Toya's poor sister as a pawn."

"What the hell happened to my sister?" A familiar voice cut in.

The others looked and saw Kotaro and Toya standing before them. Detective Matayoshi was with them.

"How did you boys find out about this so quickly?" Yolei asked.

"Actually Gwen and I were with Detective Matayoshi when we got Johnny's call about Tai and Himeko," Matt revealed. "The detective went to go get the boys."

Detective Matayoshi nodded. "It was the least I could do. Is it true Himeko and her Digimon have have become victims of this 'virus'?"

"I'm afraid so, Detective," Jason answered. "And Izzy and I have still yet to find a cure."

"The hospital's already got her set up in a room," Johnny added.

"Right. I'll talk to the admissions nurse and take the boys up to her room," Detective Matayoshi replied. "Then I'll call their parents and let them know what happened. What a time for them to be out of town."

"Their parents aren't here?" Ken asked, surprised.

"They left today on a trip to Kyoto," Toya explained. "My father was invited to speak at an academic conference there."

"Anyway, I'll take care of the boys for now," Detective Matayoshi continued. "But later I'd like to know more about what happened."

With those parting words, Detective Matayoshi took Toya and Kotaro over to the admission's desk and let the older Digidestined talk amongst themselves. Suddenly Kari's phone began to ring.

Kari looked at her phone's screen. "It's from an unknown number."

"Unknown to the device, but I think we all have a pretty good idea of who is calling," Arthur declared. "Kari, perhaps you should put the call on speaker."

Kari nodded and put her phone on speaker mode before answering. "Who is it."

"Hello, Kari dear," a familiar voice responded over the line. "It's been too long since we last played together."

"Meiko! What have you done with Tai?"

Meiko laughed. "Don't worry. I haven't killed him…yet. Sure, that was my initial plan, but I thought of something way more fun. Why don't you come and get him? I'll send you the location of the meeting spot. Hope to see you soon."

The line immediately went dead. Soon after, Kari was notified about a new email on her phone. She checked it and saw it contained some sort of URL. Kari showed the message to T.K. and the others.

"You should forward it to Izzy and have him take a look at it," T.K. suggested.

"I'm already on it," Kari responded as she began fiddling with her phone.

"Perhaps we should move to some place more private to discuss our next action," Arthur suggested.

"There's an empty private waiting room down the hall I think we can use," Johnny answered.

"Arthur, you realize of course that this invitation Meiko sent is obviously a trap," Jason pointed out.

"Indeed I do," Arthur confirmed as he adjusted his glasses. "But I believe it is a trap we must step into."

Kotaro and Toya were in Himeko's hospital room with Vic and Hackmon. The two Digimon had arrived via the screen of Toya's laptop, which had a connection to the Grid. Himeko was lying unconscious in a hospital bed as if she were asleep. Kudamon was nearby inside a glass case, also unconscious.

"Kotaro…do you think this somehow our fault?" Toya asked. "Do you think maybe this happened to Himeko because we got involved with all of this Digidestined stuff?"

"Don't be an idiot," Kotaro responded. "The only one to blame is that crazy cat lady who's after Norn."

"I bet if we beat the crap outta her, Himeko and Kudamon will wake up," Vic assumed.

"I'm afraid it is not so simple," Hackmon told them. "Those corrupted by the Child of Darkness can never awaken again. It is as Master Gankoomon has said."

"So what do we do?" Toya asked.

"Not sure," Kotaro answered. "But I know some people we can ask."

It hadn't taken Izzy to get back to Arthur and the others from his office. The URL in the email Meiko had sent Kari turned out to be the key to open a digital gate to some sort of server on the net. It was apparently inside this server where Meiko would be waiting for them.

"With the lives of Tai and Agumon on the line, we clearly have no choice but to walk into what is an obvious trap," Arthur declared. "Which means we must proceed carefully."

"Maybe, but we can't take too long," Kari declared. "The longer we wait, the bigger the chance of something bad happening to my brother."

"Indeed! The time for hesitation is over, Child of Leadership," a deep familiar voice declared.

Everyone looked to see Gankoomon emerge from the screen of the smart T.V. inside the waiting room through a portal of white light. Gennai and the Sistermon sisters were with him.

"Far too much has already been lost," Gankoomon continued. "The Child of Darkness has now claimed the older sister of Hackmon's partner, and very soon she may claim the Child of Courage as well."

"This entire situation has gone too far," Gennai added. "Meiko has to be stopped…by any means necessary."

Arthur pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and nodded. "This venture into Meiko's server will be our final battle with her. And we will put an end to her…one way or another."

"Bro, you sure about this?" Johnny asked, stunned.

"I'm not fond of the idea of taking another human life, but I fear we no longer have any choice."

Matt sighed. "You might be right."

"There has to be some way we can save her," Yolei interjected. "I mean we saved Ken."

"I wasn't nearly as far gone as Meiko is," Ken pointed out.

"Indeed. Meiko seems to be beyond redemption," Arthur declared.

"It may not seem like it, but killing Meiko is the best thing any of you can do for her at this point," Gennai told them. "It'll be an act of mercy."

"I'm not down with any of that," a familiar voice interrupted. Everyone looked and saw Kotaro standing in the doorway with Vic, Toya and Hackmon. "Don't get me wrong, that crazy cat lady needs to be stopped. But killing her can't be the answer."

"Kotaro, nobody likes the idea, but it doesn't seem like we have a choice anymore," Sora told him.

"Sure we do. We beat the crap outta her and lock her up somewhere. Plus maybe…if we take her in alive, maybe we can get her to undo what she did to my sister and everyone else she got her claws into."

Arthur sighed and shook his head. "You really are proving to be a disappointment, young Kotaro. I understand where you're coming from, of course. But your thinking right now shows how naive you truly are. Clearly you are far too immature to be involved in this matter any further."

"On that note, who should go on this rescue mission?" Ken asked.

"My team will go into the server. This of course will include Kari and T.K."

Kari nodded. "There's no way I'm going to just stand by while my brother's in danger."

"And if Kari's going, so am I," T.K. declared.

"I shall accompany you," Gankoomon told them. "So shall Noir and Blanc."

"I'll come with too in order to provide support," Gennai added.

"Master!" Hackmon spoke as he stepped forward. "I would like to accompany you as well. It is my duty as a knight in training."

Gankoomon crossed his arms and looked down at Gankoomon. "You will have to bring Toya along as well."

Toya stepped forward and stood next to Hackmon. "I am prepared to come with too."

Gankoomon eyed Toya. "You surely know how dangerous this mission will be, and of what must be done. You will not only be taking the life of another Digimon, but of another human as well."

Toya looked to Hackmon and then back at Gankoomon. "I understand completely. I don't like the idea, sure. But I can't let what happened to my sister happen to anyone else. Besides, I've been part of all this since the day I met Hackmon. His duty has also become mine, and I'm prepared to see it though whatever it takes."

"Are you both certain? Is your resolve firm?"

Hackmon and Toya nodded. "We will do whatever it takes! For the sake of our two worlds!"

Suddenly Toya's D-3 began to spark with red electricity and let out the cry of a single word. "BIOMERGE!"

Toya changed into a ball of orange-red energy and entered Hackmon's body. Soon after, Hackmon became enveloped in a pillar of orange-red light.

"Hackmon, biomerge digivolve to…Jesmon!" Hackmon called out from inside the pillar as he transformed.

The pillar of light faded and revealed the little dragon in a new form. He had become a lithe humanoid dragon covered in bone-white armor. The armor covering his torso resembled a ribcage and had a large blue gemstone jutting out on the front. A red came hung from his back, and he had a long tail ending with a red and grey sword blade decorated with glyphs of the Digital World. His legs ended with blades similar to the one on the end of his tail, and on both of his forearms was a small white shield, each one also equipped with a blade.

Gankoomon smiled and nodded. "Jesmon…a new Royal Knight. You made me proud, my apprentice."

Noir sniffed as a tearful smile came to her face. "I always knew the little gecko had it in him."

Blanc began crying into her sleeve. "HACKMOOON!"

Gennai smirked. "I knew Toya was the right choice for Hackmon's partner."

"Well, it appears our rating party has been decided," Arthur observed.

"The rest of us should probably stay here and wait in case things go south," Matt suggested.

"Agreed. And someone should remain with young Kotaro and make sure he stays by his sister's side,"

"Ken and I can keep an eye on him," Yolei declared.

Arthur nodded. "Very good. The rest of us should head to Izzy's. We'll move out as soon as possible."

Kotaro put his hands in his pockets and went out into the hall, with Vic following close behind. When they reached the elevator doors to go back up to Himeko's room, Kotaro got out his phone.

"Who're ya calling?" Vic asked.

"The only person who's not gonna treat me like crap right now," Kotaro answered.

Team Excalibur and the other raiding party members went to Izzy's company while Matt and Sora went to T.K. and Kari's place to keep an eye on Norn. As soon as the raiding party had arrived, Izzy prepared the large flatscreen in his office to open the digital gate URL Meiko had sent Kari.

"Now I can't tell you what's going to be waiting on the other side of this gate," Izzy told the team. "So be ready for anything."

"We understand," Arthur responded.

"Sir Dorumon, it will be an honor to fight alongside the progenitor of all us Royal Knights," Hackmon told Arthur's partner.

Dorumon simply barked in response.

"Mr. Pierce, I've noticed that Dorumon isn't very talkative," Toya observed.

"I'm afraid in his current state, Dorumon has the mentality of a dog," Arthur responded. "And please, Toya. I insist you call me Arthur."

"Are we really doing the right thing?" Cody wondered as he stood next to Izzy's desk. "I mean we have to save Tai and Agumon, but do we really have to kill Meiko as well?"

"Given how the situation has developed, I don't think we have any other logical option at this point," Jason responded.

"I do wish there was some other way though," Cindy remarked.

Artemis put an arm around Cindy. "So do I, but I don't think there is anymore."

Izzy typed a few more keys, and suddenly a tunnel of red light formed on the flatscreen.

"The gate's open," Izzy told them. "If you can, try and contact us from the other side."

Arthur nodded. "Everyone, it is time to do what must be done."

With those words, the members of Team Excalibur and Toya pointed their D-3s at the gate. Seconds later they and their Digimon were all pulled into the tunnel of light. Gankoomon, the Sistermon sisters and Gennai followed them soon after. Once the members of the raiding party had gone though, the gate closed and the screen went dark.

"I hope we're all doing the right thing," Cody remarked.

Izzy tented his hands over his keyboard. "I can't say whether this path we're on now is right or not, but I think Arthur and the others were correct. This is what must be done."

Author's Note: I had originally planned for Hackmon's evolution into Jesmon to happen during a battle, but with the way this story has developed it seemed more appropriate to have it happen in this chapter. Toya is the Child of Dedication, so it only seemed right to have Hackmon's Mega evolution occur when Toya was declaring his resolve to go with Team Excalibur on what is going to be a very ugly mission.

So we're coming up on the final battle, which I admit is arriving sooner than I had planned. I realized though that I've needed to make a little course correction where this story is concerned. I'd like to take this moment to thank everyone who's read and reviewed this story so far, despite all of its staggering delays in progress.

Please review and let me know what you think.