Imposter Syndrome
A/N: Bear with me, I haven't watched Digimon 02 in a long time. I'll be using the dub names and terms here (sorry, I know some people aren't keen on that!).
Just about anyone who knew T.K. Takaishi would've described him as an all-around good kid. He did well in school, participated in afterschool activities, respected his elders, and was helpful and kind.
That was why when, that evening, T.K. left the house he shared with his mother, it stoked the curiosity of his digimon partner Patamon. T.K.'s leaving wasn't especially unusual per say, but night was approaching fast. He'd often be busy with homework or either talking to the other Digidestined, one of his other friends, or his older brother Matt.
He found T.K. at the park, sharing a bench with a middle-aged man Patamon had never seen before. At first glance the man looked harmless enough – chubby, unimposing, almost like a kindly teacher. He was nicely dressed in a white dress shirt, suspenders, trousers, and fedora, all of which were black. The two appeared to be having a conversation, though Patamon couldn't make out a word of it since both were speaking in hushed tones. As a digimon he did have a sharper sense of hearing than a human being, but even he would have to get in closer if he wanted to hear them. Flying over to a tall tree which stood over the bench, he perched on a branch above the humans, trying his best to avoid disturbing the leaves, and listened closely. T.K. was in the middle of saying something.
"... keep up appearances so the family and the other humans don't start getting suspicious. If I quit basketball without a good reason, people would want to know why!"
"Hmm. I wonder if being among these humans for so long has caused you to go native?" Whoever the man was, he wasn't Japanese, but Patamon couldn't place his accent.
"What do I have to do to prove my loyalty to you? Haven't I been reporting back everything that's been going on here in Odaiba?"
The man only mildly returned T.K.'s frustrated look. "You may want to lower your voice. Wouldn't want to blow your cover, now would we?"
"If you're just here to make fun of me, then I might as well leave." T.K. stood. "This is just a waste of both our time."
"Sit down." It was an order. When T.K. remained where he was, the man repeated himself, a note of ice now edging his voice. "Sit. Down."
That time T.K. did as he was told. He refused to look at the man, instead glaring straight ahead.
Patamon had seen enough. taking to the air, he landed on the bench, right between the man and T.K. Fronting the stranger, the guinea pig-like digimon flared his wings in order to make himself appear larger. "Leave T.K. alone!"
When Patamon had made his entrance, the man had jumped to his feet, but his surprise was momentary. "Well now, what's this?" Leaning in closer, he studied the scowling Patamon. Some strange new breed of cat?" Behind his thick spectacles, his beady eyes gleamed balefully.
T.K. quickly scooped Patamon up and held him close to his chest. "He isn't a cat!" He took in a few slow, deep breaths, gathering himself before speaking again. This time, his air was more relaxed and casual than before. "It's one of those high-tech toys – you know, the ones that talk and stuff. One of the human children gave it to me as a birthday gift." He laughed.
"You will tell me what that creature is." The man sternly pressed. "I know it isn't a cat. And it's certainly not a toy!"
"It – he's called a digimon, from the Digital World." T.K. reluctantly admitted. "Please, I'm not lying!" He insisted when the man's face hardened. "He's not any threat to Gunmar!"
"'The Digital World.'" The stranger scoffed. "You must value your life so little, to continue telling me these bold-faced lies."
"It's not a lie! Sixteen years ago, when I was at summer camp, I was transported to the Digital World with my brother – the older human boy – and some of our friends! It's in a different realm, like the Darklands. We were all chosen to protect the Digital World from evil. I - I guess it can't distinguish between a Changeling and a real human..."
The man's eyes lit up in triumph. "So, you have been keeping secrets. Yes, in fact… I do seem to remember hearing about strange occurrences here in Japan before." After a moment of silence, he seemed to finally arrive at a decision, and he looked T.K.'s way once more, regarding the boy down the length of his nose. "Gunmar will be contacting you tonight. You will tell him everything you know about digimon and this Digital World. If you are truthful and Gunmar believes he can make use of your information, then perhaps you'll be forgiven for your untrustworthiness."
Patamon practically seemed to expand with anger. It was only the slightest of squeezes from T.K. that stopped him from rushing right at the man and blasting him in the face with a Boom Bubble. Just barely though. He refused to take his eyes off him. Patamon had never attacked or fought a human before, but in this case, he would make an exception. Something about him set Patamon on edge.
"Yes sir…" T.K. forced out between gritted teeth.
the man picked up the long coat he'd placed on the bench earlier and put it on. adjusting it around himself, he then turned on the heels of his fine black leather shoes and strode briskly away. He didn't bother glancing back at either T.K. or the still-scowling Patamon. Patamon stuck out his tongue at the retreating figure. The admittedly juvenile gesture brought a smile to T.K.'s face.
"T.K., I don't understand. Who was that?" Patamon asked. "And what did you mean when you said, 'human children'? You are a human!"
"Let's go home, Patamon. I promise I'll tell you everything there, but you need to stick close to me, okay?" While T.K. had calmed down enough to release his partner, who was now airborne beside him, he made sure to watch the shadows carefully.
Back at the Takahasi residence, T.K. and Patamon were upstairs in his bedroom. T.K. was sitting backwards in a chair, his arms crossed on the headrest. Across from him, on a desk he had there, was Patamon, who was watching him intently.
"So… you're not the real T.K.?"
"Mmm-hmm."
"The real T.K. is still a baby and stuck in some place called the Darklands?"
"Right."
There was a length of silence. Then, "T.K." His expression one of utmost seriousness (which looked a little out of place on the face of such a cute little digimon), Patamon stared at him. "I really think you should tell Davis and the others about all this."
"What? No way!"
"But you said these Gumm-Gumms want to rule Earth! They're no different from evil digimon like the Dark Masters or Myotismon! Do you want them to come here and start attacking Odaiba? And what about all those human babies? Someone has to save them!" Personally, to Patamon, Gumm-Gumms, which is what the trolls who lived in the Darklands were known as, sounded more like a candy then wicked creatures who lived for death and dominion over all other creatures. T.K. had also told him about Gunmar, their monstrous ruler. T.K. as well as that creepy man from the park, Otto Scaarbach, took their orders from Gunmar. They, like all Changelings, were actually a different species of troll the Gumm-Gumms had created with the help of an ancient sorceress.
"What do you think is gonna happen once the others find out I'm not who I say I am? I've been lying to everybody for years! They'd hate me! And you know how Matt is – I don't even want to think about his reaction!"
Winging his way over, Patamon plopped down on top of T.K.'s head. "I know it's not going to be easy. But just remember that no matter what happens, I'll always be by your side. We're partners."
Reaching up, he plucked Patamon off his hat and held the digimon out in front of him to regard him earnestly. "When we first went to the Digital World and Devimon tried to kill me, you sacrificed yourself to protect me. You didn't think anything of it, you just did it! Gunmar would never do that for anyone, certainly not somebody like me. In his eyes, everybody is either a tool waiting to be used or a weakling. I don't even know any Changelings who'd do what you did for another Changeling. Nobody cares about anybody else – not the way humans do! Maybe… maybe that's the real reason why we hate them so much. It's jealousy." He laughed shortly, then blinked rapidly a few times in an effort to rid his eyes of unshed tears before speaking again. "But after that, that was it. I couldn't keep helping the Janus Order. I don't want to hurt humans. Or see them be hurt."
"Exactly! So that's why we gotta stop 'em! Listen, I'm not scared of some big talking rock. If this Gunmar shows his face around here, then I'll digivolve and fight him." Patamon declared.
"Good ol' Patamon! I bet you could kick his butt, huh?" As he ruffled Patamon's velvety head, he and T.K. shared a laugh.
T.K. set Patamon back down on the desk before he went over to his book bag and retrieved one of his textbooks from inside it. Pulling the chair up to the desk with his free hand, he settled down with the thick book. That moment of humor he and Patamon had just shared, while brief, seemed to have alleviated some of his anxieties, although Patamon knew they were still lurking under the surface.
"What do the other Changelings call you?"
The question caused T.K. to glance up. "You can just keep calling me T.K. I had a different name, but that was a long time ago, before I was a Changeling." He had paused what he was doing, looking as if he was peering at some memory that had been dimmed by the fog of time. "If we are able to get the real T.K. back, what are you going to do then?" He suddenly asked.
"We'll cross that bridge when we get there."