*************************************************************************************************

Joey couldn't believe it...The glowing kid from the other night had been more than enough, but now he stood in front of a guy that made that ‘Taichi' look like a saint. The gangster wasn't even sure he could stare this creature in the eye. It was huge and not exactly Earth based but Joey didn't mind too much. He'd seen stranger things.

"So." It said, voice resounding off the walls and ringing around him like a reverberating gong. It was strong and powerful, demanding the upmost attention and Joey who was stoned on some form of pick me up for the fourth or fifth time that day, wasn't showing that respect.

"So what?" The gangster spat, "You're the one who called me here. What the hell do you want?"

The tall man's eyes narrowed considerably as if he was measuring Joey's worth. Long fingered knuckles cracked in murderous anticipation but seconds later, those fingers clenched in restraint. "Last night, you met a boy." He said in long, measured tone.

"Boy?" Joey asked dimly.

"This boy had certain abilities..." The man ventured again, voice lowering dangerously.

"Ah!" Joey nodded, "The little brat who fried me and my boys! Yeah, I remember him. What do ya want him for?"

"His name. What was it?"

"Taichi. He said his name was Taichi." Joey answered, beginning to get slightly unnerved by the malicious smile growing on his contact's face.

"Excellent," The dark man replied, lip curving up into a wicked grin, "Mr. DeSalvo, I may just have a job for you. You will be well paid for your services, of course."

That woke Joey up, "How well?"

"I cannot disclose that until I know the job is done."

"The job WILL be done. You just tell us who you want us to whack and they'll be at the bottom of the ocean by morning..." Joey exclaimed heatedly, enjoying the preposition already. He was sorely out of money. Unfortunately for him, his contact knew that all too well.

"Oh, but I don't want you to kill anyone." The man said.

That elicited a strange look from his gangster friend, "Listen, man, we're not hired little town pick pockets alright? We do murder...call it our specialty. You insult me with this shit."

"I need you to find this Taichi boy." The man explained, turning his back away and looking at the sky longingly as if craved to own it.

"That's all?" Joey muttered, surprised, "Don't you want us to put a bullet in his head or something? After last night, I wouldn't mind doin' it."

"No, you fool," His companion answered, "That *boy* could destroy you all before you could even pull a gun. I just need you to find him, then call me, I'll give you directions then."

"Can't we even rough the kid up a little?" Joey asked, voice almost begging.

"All in due time."

Joey snorted and with a rough nod, turned and headed towards the door and his car waiting outside. Just as he reached the warehouse doorways though, the dark man he had stood with called out to him, "Whatever you do, don't let the boy see you. If he gets away, I will hold you personally responsible and I'm warning you now, I do not tolerate failure."

Joey shook his head less than fearfully, "Don't worry, we're the greatest hit squad in town. We'll get the little punk."

"I hope very much for your sake that you do."

Joey sighed and continued his trek out the door. Shaking his head he vaguely began to wonder how he always seemed to end up working for these arrogant assholes.

*************************************************************************************************

Finding the kid had been too easy. It seemed the little guy lived in an apartment building not far from the alleyway where he'd saved the girl's life the night before. Not very smart tactics. If he was going to piss off the Mob, the least he could've done is moved to the other side of town. Obviously, he'd never heard of the motto "The Mob never forgets." It held all the truth in the world. They never forgot, and Joey was looking forward to pounding that point into this little punk's head.

"Hey, Joey," A voice from the backseat of his expensive stolen car spoke. It was Sato, who was holding a pair of heavy duty binoculars up to his eyes, staking out the tall, rundown apartment building in front of them. "I think I got him. Fifth floor, third room down. It's a short kid with brown hair right?"

Joey nodded, "That's our son of a bitch. Our employer will be pleased."

"Let's just hope he pays up like he says he will."

"You know what we do with liars, Sato."

"Oh, yeah." The man in the back seat mimed his hands falling over a large cliff and landing with sound effects on the ‘ground'.

Shaking his head in disgust, Joey pulled out his cell phone and rapped in the number. It didn't take long for the other voice to fill the line, "What is it?" It snapped.

"Hey Boss, sorry to bother you, just thought maybe you'd want to know we've located that kid for ya." Joey replied, letting a tone of pride enter his voice.

"Good," The man answered quickly, "Don't move from where you are. We must wait until tonight..."

"What are we going to do tonight?" Joey asked suspiciously, already seeing himself being suckered into another job.

"We're going to pay Mr.Taichi a little visit and then, my gangster friend, you may have all the revenge you want." The man replied.

Joey smiled, liking the sound of the idea already, "Pleasure doing business with you."

"Oh, the pleasure will be all mine," His employer said, voice laughing heavily, "Just wait and see."

**************************************************************************************************

Tai slammed his door and jumped up to land unceremoniously on his couch with a thud. It had been a long day. Longer than usual. His head throbbed with an all too familiar migraine coming on. The headaches came all too often these days, usually coupled with long sleepless nights and horrible dreams that would leave him shaking and sweating in his mass of blankets.

Tai buried his face in his hands. He was screwed up and he knew it. What he wouldn't do for a beer and a bottle of extra strength Tylenol...If only he could afford it. His little apartment wasn't much, but it kept a roof over his head and gave him a safe place to sleep at night. But now he was on the verge of losing it too. Tai hated watching his life change to shambles right in front of him but he couldn't blame anyone but himself. If only he'd stayed home...if only he hadn't run away then maybe things would have been different. Now all he had to look forward to was some cardboard box in a back alley begging for a few yen. Boy, that future looked damn bright. For someone who once saved the world, things had sure gone downhill.

Taichi shivered slightly as the strange sensation that had plagued him for the entire day returned in brilliant techno colour. He felt as if someone had been following him. He figured he was just being paranoid and that it would go away once he got home but, here it was, still hovering in his subconscious ready to pounce.

Standing up, he rubbed his temples and trudged over the window where he gazed out into the barely lit street before him. *Something* was out there. Waiting and watching for him. He tried to squelch the fear inside him. He was being crazy. No one even knew where he was. Why would they be watching him?

A flicker of movement entered his view and Tai almost jumped out of his skin. It couldn't be HIM. There was no way...and yet, there he was. It was the "gangster" from the night before...Joey, was his name. One of the guys Tai had taken upon himself to nicely fry. Joey just seemed to be casually crossing the street, but the grim look on the man's face paired with the ominous feeling of being followed all day made Tai begin to wonder if he'd been discovered.

Taichi never imagined that these guys would get ticked off enough to actually come after him to exact a little revenge. It was crazy. It was insane. It was like having to save the world from killer monsters, and if Tai hadn't already done that he wouldn't believe a second of what was happening now.

C'est la vive. Tai shrugged and walked over to his coat. He could leave now and still get away before Joey and his fun little clan of hit men came knocking at his door. It would mean a few nights on the streets but weighing life on the street to no life at all definitely pointed to the first as preferred. All he had to do was find a quiet little place to hide out until the pedophile and whacked out cronies decided he wasn't worth the wait. No problem. He could handle that.

Tai moved swiftly to the door where he quickly turned the knob and frowned. Locked? How could it be locked? The door locked from the inside not the...

"Ohhhhh, SHIT!" Tai cried, yanking at the exit with renewed purpose. Calm turned to panic and the boy came to the realization that someone had blocked him in. His eyes swept the apartment in a desperate search for something to pry the door open with. This was the only way out. If he couldn't get out of here, he wouldn't get out. Period.

"Damn metal doors..." He cursed softly. Giving up his search, he settled for shoving his full weight against the hard steel entrance. Ten minutes and an incredibly sore shoulder later, Tai came to the conclusion that that was NOT such a good plan.

He sighed, "Now what, Kamiya? Wait for someone to walk by and politely tell them you locked yourself in your own apartment?"

Silence fell but in this silence he thought he heard something. It was soft, so soft that at first Taichi wasn't even sure he had heard it. But no, there it was...a barely audible hissing noise that seemed to becoming from everywhere at once.

With a rush of apprehension, Tai slid down to his heating grate and found himself smelling the air suspiciously. They wouldn't!...An odd odour caught his attention and Tai winced...Yes, yes they would. He was being gassed. Whether or not it was poisonous was something Tai was going to be able to find out first hand.

Leaping to the window, he found it too was mysteriously locked. Pure, utter dread filled him as the world began to spin and the gas filtering around him started to take effect. Tai didn't have much time left. He needed to do something and he needed to do something fast. Pulling himself across the room, his fingers blindly found themselves around the telephone receiver. Picking it up in an slow, anxious manner, he lifted it fearfully to his ear.

Dial tone! His mind screamed, Please let there be a dial tone!!

YES!! With a burst of relief, he heard the long, unbroken sound of the functioning phone. Tai could've cried in joy, had he been able to. The gas now forced him to his knees and it took all his limited concentration to find the numbers on the telephone. Without his mind working, his hands found the first number his mind came up with. The only number that he was sure of.

Fingers found 7...5...8

The door suddenly swung open and a mob of ghost faced men filed in, guns in hand, fighting through the thicket of fog that now surrounded the room.

9...5...6...

"The kid's got the phone! Someone stop him!"

3...RIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNGGG!

Pick up...for the love of God, pick up...

RIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNGG!!!

DAMN YOU! Pick up the phone!

RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNGGGGGGGGG!!!

Please...Help me...God, pick up...pick up...pick up...pick up...

RIIIIIIIINN---"Hello!?"

"Yamato...I need your help...1-21-16...Kudasai!"

The phone slipped from Tai's fingers and the boy felt the world collapse around him. The gas took a death hold of his mind, the darkness encroached his vision and his body crumpled into agonizingly slow heap on the hard floor. Somewhere in the distance, on the phone still hanging limply and unused from the table a single voice could be heard;

"Taichi? Is that you? Are you there?! Answer me! TAI!!!"

Joey pulled off his gas mask as the cloud began to clear out the open door. A wicked smile crossed his face as he let his gaze fall on the unconscious boy lying at his feet. To the frantic shouts on the telephone, the gangster lifted the receiver and placed it down on it's stand with infinite flourish.

The dial tone reigned once more.

Joey's smile grew impossibly wider, "No one can help you now, kid."

**************************************************************************************************

RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINGGGGGG!!!!

Yamato Ishida awoke suddenly to do a 1080 off his bed and was deposited with twin thuds and twin curses on his hardwood floor. Bright blue eyes found their way out of a mess of covers and to his small clock radio sitting perched on his bedside table.

3:00 a.m.

Who in the right mind would call him at three in the morning? Someone with a death wish obviously. He wasn't even sure that he even wanted to answer. If they were going to call this early they didn't *deserve* an answer. The phone rang again, this time urging him up out of the pile of fluffy comforters that had been his only solace after his not-so-graceful dismount from the bed.

"Yeah, yeah...I'm coming." He moaned, pulling his sore body up and straightening his loose and crumpled t-shirt. Climbing over piles of messy clothing and a fallen guitar, Yamato managed to get over to the annoyingly loud phone by the fourth ring.

"Hello?!" He demanded.

The only sounds were breaths that came in soft, short gasps. Matt frowned, wondering who would be calling so early in the morning to do nothing but breath into his phone.

An eyebrow shot up in realization. "Pervert." Matt muttered, pissed off even beyond words. He'd fallen out of bed, gotten up and crashed all the way over here just to find out that it was some guy or girl trying to get their ya ya's making random obscene phone calls. Great. Peachy. Just special. Anger taking over, he lowered the receiver once more.

He would have hung up, if he hadn't heard the tiny, weak voice come over the line. A voice so painfully familiar that Yamato's heart almost ripped out of his chest. A voice that Matt didn't think he'd ever hear again.

"Yamato...I need your help...1-21-16...Kudasai!"

Tai? Matt's mind supplied numbly. Tai was calling HIM? After everything he had done...after everything he'd said... Tai was asking HIM for help? The shock almost knocked Yamato to the floor. He'd given up hope that the younger boy was even still alive.

Suddenly, the phone spoke a final frightened cry and fell silent. Yamato blinked and felt a frown of worry come over him, "Taichi? Is that you? Are you there?" Fear took over, "ANSWER ME! TAI!!!"

Two dreadfully long, silent seconds passed...

CLICK. BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP...

The dial tone flooded over the phone line and Matt was left shouting Tai's name to the prissy operator recording tell him over and over to ‘hang the phone up now' even though the blond boy refused to.

Tai was alive! He was in trouble, but that wasn't the point...He was alive! Weeks and months and years of overwhelming guilt suddenly dissolved into nothing. Yamato's mind fought to remember what Tai had told him...1-21-16. An address, obviously. Bad news being that finding an address in Japan was about as easy as finding a needle in a haystack and Tai sounded urgent.

Yamato steeled his will. He'd do it. He'd find Tai. He HAD to. He'd make up for all those years ago...

Changing quickly into something a bit more street worthy, Matt snatched his Crest Of Friendship off his table and grabbed his sleek black helmet. Feet hurrying down to the garage, he pulled his smooth, blue motorcycle from the doors and twisted the clutch until the machine roared to life in the night air.

Slamming the helmet none to gently over his wild blond hair, he pushed the visor over his shiny blue eyes and sped into the night...

1-21-16

1-21-16

1-21-16...

**************************************************************************************************

Joey had to hand it to the guy, he may not be the prettiest thing to look at but his employer sure knew how to make an entrance. The smoke had just cleared the apartment and Joey's gang had taken up residence there, lounging on couches and chairs, pilfering fridges and cupboards and surrounding the small room with enough artillery to take out a small country. The poor kid would probably have an aneurism when he woke up.

"This is him?" The tall, dark man asked, regarding the unconscious boy with a look that could have sliced through plated metal.

Joey nodded, "Same kid as last night."

The man bent down and lifted the collar of the kid's shirt, reaching around his neck, he pulled out a long string pendant from hidden underneath. It was small and square shaped with an odd sun-like pattern on it. Whatever it was, Joey's dark employer seemed more than happy to see it. "Excellent."

Joey frowned, "Why? What's so special about that stupid lookin' necklace?"

"It's the key to everything I've wanted for a very long time. This crest is proof that this boy is the one I have been searching for." The man explained in a mock gleeful manner that didn't suit his aura.

"A key to what?"

"A world you cannot possible begin to understand...With this power I can take over this pathetic excuse for a planet." His contact said, a ‘psycho bad guy from the movies' look taking residence upon his features.

Joey's eyebrow lifted. Well, that was great. He was employed by yet ANOTHER nutcase. "Take over the world? You're kiddin' right? How can this little, brown haired freak of a kid help you take over the world?"

"You will see." Was the crisp reply.

"Oh goody." Joey muttered under his breath.

"What?"

"Nothing. Didn't say anything."

"Good," The man said, "Then we can begin."

"Call me out of the loop but, uh, start what?" Joey asked.

"I'm not paying you to question me, Mr. DeSalvo."

"You paid me to get the kid, and I did, so I'm out of here." Joey told him angrily.

"If you assist me this one last time, I may be able to give you a little...bonus." The dark man said.

That stopped the gangster in his tracks, "What kind of...bonus?"

"I can be very generous to my friends."

Joey's smile became very helpful, very fast, "Whaddya need Boss?"

"Take the boy to the roof...we can do it there." His employer told him, his back already turned and heading to the outside stairwell that lead up to the empty apartment building roof.

Once he was out of sight, Sato gave Joey a long look, "Take the boy to the roof..." He mocked, "We can do it there...Man, Joey, where do you pick up these freaks?"

Joey's gaze turned stony, "He's paying us good, Sato, so stick with me on this one. If he doesn't pay off he'll take an ‘accidental' fall off his beloved roof."

Sato bent down and easily hefted the still unconscious young man into his arms, "Don't see what's so special about shorty here but whatever you say, Joey."

The gang, guns and all, proceeded to follow their dark contact up the grid iron stairs to the dirty and dank roof. The wind ripped at the large group gathered there, pulling at hair and jackets, but none of the unscrupulous men seemed to take notice of the cold, years of criminal activity hardening their outlook on the world considerably. At that moment, all eyes were on the mysterious dark man who wouldn't even give a name. The assembly were not a bunch to be double crossed and they, as always, were ready to make anyone who dared to cross them pay with their lives. It was simple. It was melodramatic. But hey, it was the mob.

"Put him right here." The man ordered Sato with a quick gesture to the ground below him. Sato just jerked his head in a nod of acquiesce and placed Taichi none to gently on the gravel floor.

The guns stood back, awaiting what the man in black would do next and all were surprised when he reached out and placed his hands ritualistically above the sleeping boy.

Sato cast a long, disbelieving look at Joey, who shook his head slightly to stop the other man from doing anything stupid. Besides, this guy had told Joey that he could take over the world by simply using this kid and if he was going to crash and burn, the gangster wanted to be first in line to say ‘I told you so'.

Storm clouds rumbled in the distance and lightning began to streak across the sky in a brilliant light show that served to bring out the wicked and sick gleam in the dark man's eyes.

It was this moment that the boy's brown eyes began to slowly flicker open. He groaned loudly as his fingers found his forehead and Joey lowered his gun at him, remembering quite well what he had done the last time they'd run into each other. Their malicious, dark counterpart gazed down at the boy hungrily, a wicked and joyous smile coming over his face.

Taichi raised his eyes, "What the...?"

The man said one word, "Digidestined."

Taichi's eyes narrowed as he rose cautiously to his feet, "Who are you?"

A smile was all he received in reply. Joey saw the boy stiffen as he regarded the lightning filled sky. A look of pure apprehension leaked onto his young features and the light ripped across his brown pupils as Taichi's gaze shifted swiftly to the gangster's employer.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Taichi demanded in horror, the wind whipping a lock of brown hair out of his eyes.

The dark man regarded Taichi with resentment, "I think you know."

The brown haired young man shook his head in vehement denial, "You can't do this. There's no way to open the rift. The portal to the DigiWorld doesn't just open to everyone's leisure."

"I'm not just trying to open the portal, Guardian." Came the man's reply. He turned away, black overcoat blowing in way that looked like the man had large black wings. The gusts had pulled his long, straight hair out of his hat and it now swung behind him like a vicious tail.

Taichi looked like he wanted to run from that stormed filled roof, but with that many guns pointed at his chest, Joey figured the kid wasn't stupid enough to try. But as the lightning and thunder increased around him, Joey was wondering whether HE should stick around.

"You see, I have the key to your precious DigiWorld now, Guardian," The man's voice echoed through the winds to catch in their ears.

Taichi didn't move. The boy looked strange. Like he was older than his twenty some odd years. The heavy wind pulled at soft brown hair and silent eyes watched his rival with not a single trace of fear dancing in them. His hands remained clenched at his sides and his face stayed completely emotionless.

Course, heavy laughter filled the night and the man turned back around with slow gracefulness that Joey had never seen in all his life. But that wasn't all. The gangster almost cried out in fear when he saw his employers eyes.

Red. They were shimmering, devilish, blood red.

Long black hair, whipping in the wind, framed a pale face that were punctuated by two spheres of red crimson that shone like death in the darkness. He lifted black gloved hands and smiled once more, showing off rows of perfect white teeth.

"You see, Guardian, I have the key," He approached Tai, black boots pounding on the ground as the storm increased and another rap of thunder sailed through the clouds.

Black hands reached towards the violent sky, and those wild red eyes began to shine with such intensity it drowned out the rest of his godless face. The lightning gathered, the thunder roared, the wind whipped around and pushed the gangsters back until all that was standing in the center of the empty roof was the brown haired Guardian and the black haired man. Face to face. Will to will. Eye to eye. Neither flinched. Neither moved...

Until the dark man smirked at Taichi, "The key... is you."

Taichi's head snapped up and his face drained of all color. Denial flooded Taichi's eyes like a torrent river. Joey watched the two stand there as the world seemed to crash and collapse around them and there, in the sky, a long beam of light careened to Earth to come in contact with those two raised, gloved hands.

The dark man lowered red eyes to his prey and sent the ball of light straight at the younger man. Pale, brown eyes widened in realization as the orb spun towards the Guardian boy.

"NO!" Tai cried, squeezing his eyes closed and lifting his arms; palm out to stop the man's impossible blow. When those brown eyes opened once more, they shone with undeniable orange glow as they had in the alleyway with Joey's gang.

Halfway to it's intended target, that ball smashed into a million fragmented pieces and shimmered into nothingness, seemingly exploded by some unseen force. Joey blinked. Had the kid done that? Had the kid stopped that crazy attack?

The dark haired man lifted a hand, "Impressive."

Glowing orange eyes cut him down, "I'm full of surprises. Just stick around and find out."

"You cannot protect this world forever, Guardian."

"If it's to protect it from assholes like you, I will." The boy snarled.

That same eerie laugh broke the night, "Then who will protect you?"

Suddenly, the lightning seem to converge from the sky and shoot down straight at the Earth...and straight towards Taichi. The kid had no time to prepare. No time to react. The fierce lightning slammed heavily into the Guardian and not even a scream could be heard over the crash of sparks and shatter of pavement and gravel that pulled the boy from view. The sky continued it's attack on Taichi and the dark man laughed at the sight, as if supremely entertained by watching the boy suffer.

When the light started to fade away, two orbs of orange could be seen in the fiery light. The dark man's red eyes narrowed as he watched crimson flames wash out of the destruction. These flames began to take shape...the shape of Taichi.

Exhausted and bloodied, the Guardian stood among the fire calmly gazing out at the man who had just sent the storms to destroy him. "COURAGE FIRE!"

Joey was QUITE familiar with that attack.

The fiery vortex was sent spinning at the dark haired man. It didn't seem as strong as the time it was used on Joey, but from the gangsters point of view, the kid looked a little worse for wear. He wasn't sure how much longer the boy would hold out...especially against Joey's employer, who seemingly had a bit more to him then what first met the eye.

Certainly A LOT more. The dark man simply grabbed the edge of his black coat and pulled it up as a shield as the fire surrounded him. As the brilliant flames died down, he straightened up slowly and smiled wickedly at Taichi, who stood wavering tiredly on his feet. With indefinite flourish, the man slid a long, black sword from his trench coat and brought it to attack position in front of him.

The Guardian took a small step back, and to Joey's amazement, back flipped out of the dark man's range. This show of skill must have slowed the boy down because the man whirled and sent the sword spinning like a spear, hissing through the air and coming in contact with Taichi along the ribs, leaving a huge, ugly gash.

With a small cry, the young man fell to his knees, grabbing the open wound and watching the red already staining his arms. Joey sighed and realized, with surprise that he was the only gang member left on the roof. All the others had been scared away by this other worldly showing of power. It didn't matter, anyway. This was it...the boy couldn't fight any longer. There was no way anyone could possibly get up after being sliced right open with a sword...but the gangster watched in utter shock as Taichi's brown eyes found the weapon sitting embedded in the ground not far away.

Blood covered hands reached for the blade, and his torn and battered body dragged itself along the ground. Desperation seemed to fill the air as the boy clamored for his last and only hope of survival. Trembling fingers found smooth metal and Taichi fought to find a hand hold...and failed, as the dark man yanked the hilt up and stood victorious over the fallen young man.

Still shining orange eyes gazed upon his dark executioner and the twin red orbs seemed to capture the boy's gaze and hold it, "We have come to the end, Guardian."

Blood seeped down Taichi's cheek from an open wound on his forehead and it fell on the ground leaving small crimson pools. They looked like reddened tears of pain, never quite ceasing to stop.

Despite his agony, the boy shook his head, "You will not win."

"I already have."

Golden eyes closed in defeat and red ones narrowed in triumph. The dark man raised his blade over the Guardian. Lightning glinted off the blade and highlighted the scene with chilling serenity. Joey watched, unable to move or speak as there in front of him, two figures, one stood tall, a sword lifted to the heavens and the other, slumped helplessly on the ground, awaited his fate. The picture was beyond description and belief.

The dark man grinned, "I will enjoy destroying this beloved world of yours...piece by piece...and I will truly enjoy destroying your other Guardian friends. I will send your decapitated head with my regards."

Taichi swallowed a hollow breath, "You bastard..."

That smile just broadened, "I'll see you in hell, Guardian."

Golden eyes watched that blade fall towards him. There was no where to go. No where to fight back. All he could see was the sharp end of the sword coming...coming to end his life. Questions invaded Tai's mind; Was it all a waste? Everything he'd done? Everything he'd been? Was he a failure? Was this the way it was supposed to go? Was it the way it was supposed to end?...Did they still love him, even though he was gone? Did anyone even care?...Who was he? After all this...Who...was...he?

The blade continued it's descent...

Unrelenting...

Unstoppable...

Unyielding...

Too late for questions...too late for answers...too late for regrets.

The world closed to darkness.

"TAI! NO!"

Black hair whirled from angry red eyes as the dark man's blade sideswiped the Digidestined boy and instead knocked him into blissful unconsciousness as just the hilt caught his head. The dark man turned to see a blond haired boy standing on the roof top now, his wild blue eyes flaming with fury.

"You're too late." The sword bearer said.

Preying red eyes returned their gaze to the crumpled young man at his feet and with an arm, he seemed to grab the empty air in front of him with a fist. A strange red glow began to form around the man, making his already glowing eyes look even more intense. The glow seemed to extend to Tai because the limp body seemed to shimmer orange.

Suddenly and quite violently, the sharp sun pattern that made up the Crest Of Courage seemed to rip from Tai's chest and fly into the torrent sky above, looking oddly out of place among the storm clouds.

Then, as quickly as it had appeared, the symbol shattered. It's tiny, golden debris raining amongst the lightning. Ribbons of blue seemed to invade the skyline, slipping along and leaving odd distortions. It was if the world around them had suddenly began to melt.

Taichi's body immediately began to grey as if his very soul had been pulled from inside. Red eyes turned to the newcomer, "I have opened the gate."

"You stupid SON OF A BITCH!" The blonde cried, "What did you do to him?!"

"Every door has a key...Once the lock is opened, what is the use of keeping the key?" The man replied, looking down at limp body with disdain, "Your friend is dead."

Yamato Ishida's blue eyes grew bluer as the arrogant man in front of him dismissed Tai as if he was trash. Matt cursed himself. He'd hurried. He'd tried. But he hadn't gotten here in time. Tai was gone. He'd failed him again...just like he had all those years ago. Uncontrollable anger took over.

"You BASTARD! I'LL KILL YOU!" The blue eyed boy cried.

Laughter was his opponent's reply.

Tai was his FRIEND, dammit! He didn't deserve to die like this...completely alone at the hands of this maniac. Tai had made some mistakes, but this wasn't the way it should have ended...Tears of bitterness stung at his eyes, but it didn't give in. He wouldn't give in.

Matt would fight.

Fight for his friend.

The Crest Of Friendship began to glow...

"LIGHT BLADE!"

The brilliant white sword with it's ordinate hilt and emblazoned winged circle, appeared in a blinding flash of white light in Yamato's hands. He was almost surprised to see it. It had been years since he had needed to use his crest and yet, here it was, feeling familiar and right in his grasp. He raised his shimmering blue eyes to his rival.

"Another Guardian, are you?" The dark man said, raising his shadow filled sword and beginning to circle around the younger man.

Matt didn't reply, he just sprang forward allowing the blades to crash together in a rain of sparks. The red eyes widened slightly as the Guardian of Friendship attacked viciously, the sword slamming down with such incredible force that it knocked him off balance once or twice...and the blue eyed boy didn't show any signs of letting up the onslaught.

With desperation, the dark man called on a tendril of lightning from the sky and it came, slamming into his opponent and sending him flying to the ground. The dark haired man, swung his blade casually, "I'll kill you, just like I did your pathetic friend."

Matt lay on the pavement, wincing from the shock of the attack as the man approached, coming to stand over him just like he had Tai's body, "You're more disillusioned than I thought."

"Oh really?" A leg shot out and kicked the white sword from Matt's numb hands. The blade clattered and spun across the floor a few feet away.

"I never dreamed I'd get to kill TWO Guardians in one night." The sword went up and Matt's heart contracted. This guy was going to kill him...and then he'd go after the others and kill them...one by one...This couldn't happen!

"Give my greetings to your friend in whatever corner of hell I send you to." The man snapped happily, bringing the sword down.

Matt closed his eyes in wait, but opened them again immediately when he heard the dark man scream in pain. Light had filled the roof and had drove his opponent back, his red eyes now shielded against the mysterious attack.

Not taking a second to think about how lucky he had been, he rolled backwards, coming up with his blade once more in his hand. The dark man's eyes seemed to refocus long enough to see Yamato standing in front of him...and he didn't have anytime to react as the blue eyed boy took what was left of the strength inside him and drove the blade into the man's body.

A howl of agony filled the roof.

The man staggered but did not fall. Instead, he stared at the blade sticking out of him in fascination and with a grunt, pulled it out. Deep, red blood ran along the tip and dripped on the ground. The man with the red eyes smiled psychotically at his wound as if he was glad to see it. He lifted that look to Yamato.

"I'll kill you...All of you." He whispered. Then he turned and walked mechanically to the edge of the roof and threw himself off. Plummeting down like a hawk catching the wind.

Yamato gazed in shock after him, watching as his opponent landed gracefully on his feet and avoided getting splattered on the pavement below. With one last sparring glance, he disappeared, still bleeding into the cover of the night. It wasn't humanly possible...There was no way he could've survived. And yet... This guy was bad news. Yamato's eyes raised to the distorted sky. What had he said? "I've opened the gate." Could've he had meant the DigiWorld gate? The sky had never looked this strange since the time the Dark Masters had brought the Digital World into this world...If that was true, then this was big trouble.

Yamato turned to Tai's dead body with anguish ringing through his mind. If he'd gotten here a few minutes earlier! Walking over he bent beside his friend's body and felt for the nonexistent...pulse...? PULSE! There WAS a pulse! Tai was still alive! The boy didn't look very good but there was still hope... Carefully picking the unconscious boy up he carried him through the roof door and back down to the street..

From the corner of the roof, Joey DeSalvo watched the two leave, eyes wide and mind in shock at the events he had just witnessed...

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Matt walked out of Tai's apartment building to find a world in panic. People gazed at the strange melting sky and ran, frightened into their homes. Yamato sighed, this was going to be one hell of a mess to clean up.

"Hey! Yamato!" A voice cried, as suddenly a jeep swung up to the curb beside him. A pair of familiar blue eyes looked out at him and Matt smiled, he knew that this guy was hanging around somewhere. Who else did he have to thank for that last minute attack that had saved his life?

"Hey, Takeru. How'd you know I was here?" Yamato asked his sibling.

"When there's lots of lights and screaming girls, where else would my brother be?" The reply came. "Now get in, people are staring!"

"Why would they be staring at me?"

"Well, you're covered in blood and you're carrying a twenty one year old man in your arms...why WOULDN'T they stare?" Takeru asked.

"Fine," Yamato said. He carefully placed Tai in the back seat and then jumped in the passenger side before he caught a few more stray glances.

Takeru quickly took off down the street but gazed at Tai through the rear view mirror, "Is he okay?"

Yamato shook his head and gazed at the blood on his hands...Tai's blood. "I don't know. He needs help. Fast."

Takeru nodded, "We can go to my house. It'll be safe. We'll call Jyou. I just hope he'll come this late."

"I think we've got bigger problems."

"That guy you were fighting with?"

"Yeah."

"Who was he?" Takeru wondered.

"I don't know," Yamato replied, looking out the windows at the silent city, "But he's out there and he's going to try again."

Takeru looked at his brother, fire in his eyes, "We won't let him."

"He's not your ordinary---"

"We WILL stop him."

Yamato laughed tiredly, "Alright, alright...we'll stop him."

"I think it's time we called the others..."

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Oooooh, boy...that's a lot of work...anyway, in part three. A reunion!! ::sniffles:: Koushiro admits he was wrong. What exactly DID Yamato do to Taichi 2 years ago?...and who's that "Dark Man" anyway?...Stay tuned and remember to feed the feedback monster!