Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Fated ❯ No Way...! ( Chapter 10 )

Fated: Part Ten

No Way...!

"Where are you, Goggle-head...?"

Rika looked out at the sky, her lavender eyes tired and scared; the stars were beginning to appear.... So then... night was falling.... It was going to be dark soon. Would they... be able to find him before then...? If so, would he...?

Hush! She had to stop being so pessimistic! They WOULD find him! Yes! He would be sitting there... laughing at their antics-- like some stupid type of joke! Yeah, that's right! A sick joke, yet one that would receive a few chuckles.

But... would he be the only thing they found...?

The redhead sighed. Only time would tell... although time, like fate and destiny, wasn't always caring.... She just hoped that it wasn't too late.... The strange thing was... it felt weird... when he wasn't there. Like a piece of her heart was missing.... As if she were only half there. Could she...? With a mangled grumble, Rika walked on.

A sign. She just needed some sort of sign....

~*~

Kazu slumped and hugged his pillow. Screw that.... He didn't care WHY Henry wanted to see them all now.... It was getting darker out, and he wanted sleep. Besides... Wong was late! If he was gonna call some type of meeting... he should at least come on time!

Kenta yawned. Man... he should've brought his pillow. Envious of Kazu's near-slumber experience, the boy was half-tempted to snatch the bundle of comfort away from him! It just wasn't right that he got to sleep while no one else had that luxury! He stood up, approached his sleeping friend and....

"Sorry I'm late-- my mom wanted to know why I had to leave!"

Jeri giggled. "It's okay...." Then again... when her parents discovered that she'd snuck out.... Oh well... she'd worry about that later. "Why did you need to see us...?"

The two boys glared daggers toward their blue haired friend. Yes... they wanted a good reason, too. And if he didn't come up with one, then....

"Takato's missing."

Okay-- THAT was a good reason.

"You mean missing by... he's not here at this meeting-- right?" Kazu glanced at his friends and chortled nervously as they all came to the conclusion that he had been dreading. No.... He couldn't be gone! "Come on! T... Takato can't.... Can he...?"

Oh... what was going on with this world...? "Are there any clues...?" Jeri whispered. Henry looked so lost.... He must've just recently been informed of their friend's disappearance.... But why, if he had, would Takato leave...? She knew him rather well-- he'd never do something like that! He'd never even joke about something like that....

Henry, exhausted from the jog, sat near the slide (where Kenta had claimed a seat). Everything was just so... so confusing! First his dad... and now Takato...? It didn't make any sense.... "Rika called me...," he informed them wearily. This got Kazu and Kenta's attention; they were still quite interested in Takato's relationship with the 'Digimon Queen.' "She said... that not even his parents know where his is. They have, however, contacted the police...."

Kenta snorted angrily. Like that would do any good! "They're not gonna do anything until he's been missing for so long!" They were lazy, fat bums at times.... On the movie screen or in real life-- it didn't matter much....

"Yeah... that's what Rika said." His eyes trailed over to read Jeri's face.... She smiled and shook her head; with a small grunt, she stood and walked over to sit next to him. At that moment, they both needed a little comfort.... At least they had each other.... He went on:

"Let me tell you-- she's really stubborn.... With or without our help, she's gonna go and look for him.... Actually... she's already out there searching."

Really...? Well, if she could do it, then so could he! Kazu tossed his pillow toward Kenta, sniffed proudly and exclaimed, "I'm helping!" Oh, yeah.... He wasn't tired anymore! If a friend needed help, they didn't have to look any further!

Growling a warning, Kenta clenched the sheet-covered headrest. "Count me in as well," he muttered. Had to control his temper, ya know! Fighting right now would not help Takato in the least.... Kazu would get it later, though.... Big time.

A smile formed; Henry's eyes relaxed. "I figured you guys would.... That's why I asked you to come...." Jeri's facial expression told him her answer... and made him feel better. God... right now, he was scared.... Scared for his father... who had been missing for a while now. Scared for his friend... who had, only the day before, comforted another friend having family problems.... But, most of all, he was scared... for everyone around him. Were they about to do something... that many would consider dumb?

What if something were to happen to one of them...? Then what? What would he do-- run around and scream and cry? That wouldn't help them in the least.... So then... he was also scared of himself. Scared of what he may do-- wrong or not-- because it could change his life....

"Here's what Rika told me to do...."

~*~

It was so quiet... and dark... and scary... and....

Boring.

At this rate, he WOULD fall asleep! Still... why did they need him to do so...? What diabolical scheme did they have in store for him...? Closing his eyes, he sighed inwardly. It... was so confusing. The more he thought about it, the more his head hurt! And he didn't even know those people! Why in the world would they be interested in him?! Well... maybe they knew him in some other way....

He shuddered. Have they been spying on him?! Good Lord-- THAT was freaky....

Wait. Did anyone even know he was missing...? Did they? If they didn't, then... what was going to happen to him?! So then... he was stuck in a place of total mystery... with no one worried about his whereabouts....

Man-- he was screwed.

~*~

Okay... he could do this! No problem! He'd just take a quick glance around and run out-- not that hard! Besides... he wasn't some sissy boy! Ooh, no! He was brave! Mighty! Fearless! A gallant knight atop his daring steed, both prepared to wage war against any type of melancholy! A--

"Uh... Kazu? Are you gonna just stand there...?"

Huh? Wha...? The brave, cunning knight turned to face his friend with a laugh. God... he'd been off in one of his worlds, hadn't he...? He'd completely spaced out.... Oops.... "Yeah, yeah...." With but a wave of his hand, he left Kenta and entered the musty alley. Besides the stench... it wasn't all that bad! See? He was not a--

"Grrr-row...?"

"AHHHH!" he shrieked, nearly falling on his butt! Kazu scrambled out of there as fast as his legs could carry him. Oh, God! There... there was something in there! He didn't know what it was... but it couldn't have been good.... He looked up to Kenta, body trembling with fear. "So-something big-- maybe a killer! Or... or even--"

"A kitten...?"

"Yeah!" That was right-- a... what?! "Wait-- what...?" The boy turned... to see Kenta, annoyed greatly by Kazu's overreacting, holding a little grey ball of fuzz in his arms. Oh... heh. He... he knew that! Of course he did! Grunting, he stood and dusted off his backside. "Just... seein' how alert you are...," he muttered. It wasn't like he was scared or anything! Nope-- not him!

Kenta lowered his head. Yes... he was very, very ashamed. They were doing something serious, and Kazu STILL fooled around! Henry would get it later... for making him be partners with 'the jokemister!' Gee... the blue haired boy had seemed pretty set on going off with Jeri.... Alone, too! Why--

"Hey, Kenta? You comin'?"

Nodding, the boy sat the cat down. It whined lightly, then ran off past the trash cans. He really had to stop complaining. They were all friends... and right now, Takato's safety was the most important thing on everybody's list....

~*~

"I'm... scared."

Jeri moved her head to face Henry. What... did he mean by that? "Scared...?" she inquired softly.

The blue haired boy stopped and hung his head gently. He murmured, "I'm scared... of myself...." So scared... that he just wanted to end it all.... Of course, he'd never do such a thing, but... sometimes emotions made people want to try some pretty desperate tactics.... That just scared Henry even more....

What...? Of... of himself? Why...? It confused her slightly; everyone was worried-- of course they were. But to be scared...? And of himself...! "Why... would you be...?"

He smiled sadly. That... was Jeri, for you. Trying to find a way to put the guilt and pain on something else.... Except... this time, it wouldn't help him. With a laugh, he began walking again. He had to stop worrying people-- especially Jeri. She didn't need to know everything that was bothering him.... I mean-- she already worried enough! Why should he stress her even more? "Never mind...," he mumbled lightly, hoping to leave it at that. When he saw the look on her lovely face, he flashed her a grin. "I mean it-- it's nothing!"

Geeze... what a fake grin.... He was acting oddly today... not extremely, but there was something different about him.... Was it because... someone else had disappeared? Someone that he knew and was pretty close to...? But why would he say that he was scared of himself... and not mean it? She... she wanted to know-- just like before.... She wanted to barge into his life with a large wooden log in tow. She wanted to know what was on his mind.... Said she:

"If you say so...."

You mean... she wasn't going to dig any deeper? She was done? No more questions...? Sighing, Henry dropped the cheery smile and continued walking. Sometimes... Jeri just surprised him. Earlier that day, she had gotten the reason for his distance out of him; and yet... now, she did not pursue his new, more frightening thoughts.... Why? He didn't know....

Suddenly... something clasped over his hand. It was... warm. Trailing his eyes down, he saw a blushing Jeri... squeezing his hand reassuringly. He himself also turned a light shade of pink.... Was... was she trying to comfort him...? Even though she did not know what was wrong...? She... she was giving him some of her strength, eh? Giving it to him in order to fight the battles within his mind....

Smiling sadly, Henry tightened his grip on her hand-- not too tight, though. She was such a strong person... if not physically, but mentally.... Her heart was one of the biggest he'd ever seen... and that was one reason why he liked her so much....

~*~

Nothing. She had been searching for hours... and STILL no sign whatsoever! Not a single sign to prove that he was alive and well! Not a thing pointing her in the correct direction! She was at a loss, you could say.... Then again... as much as she wished, there probably wouldn't be any signs....

None.

As that simple, yet devastating realization hit her... she fell to her knees, landing gently on the pavement below. It... it couldn't be true! She just wouldn't believe it! Not... until she saw proof.... Oh-- she had to find him! She just had to! Maybe... maybe one of the others had been lucky-- maybe they found him! Yes. She shouldn't think such horrible thoughts! Who would she be if she always did that?

'Every cloud has a silver lining,' or something like that. That's what she had to keep thinking....

Still... she couldn't stop them from entering her mind.... It was scary, alright? I mean-- having her best friend disappear without a trace... was not helping her complicated life, now was it? Especially when this strange, uneasy feeling was bursting from within her.... It made her feel... funny. Not funny 'ha-ha,' but more like funny as in different.... He made her feel special and--

FLASH!

A blinding blast of light erupted from a building not too far from the girl! It faintly glowed a bright rainbow shade... then faded back to normal. Like it had never happened in the first place....

Okay... THAT wasn't an everyday thing, was it? And if you wanted to call it anything... I'd say 'a sign' would be best. Rika gasped. Perhaps... perhaps that was her sign! Maybe it was meant for her and her alone! What if... Goggle-head was there?!

Without thinking of the consequences... the redhead jogged toward her only clue....

~*~

God... he almost fell asleep! He mentally wacked himself for his lack of will power. He shouldn't be tired! Really, now! He'd slept pretty gosh darn good last night! Why on Earth would he be so... so sleepy? Unless... those people did something to him.... What if they drugged him or something like that...? He shuddered at the mere thought of it.

Then again... he could just be tired out of boredom.

By now, someone had to know that he was gone! How much time had passed? Three hours? Four? He didn't exactly have a watch (heck, it was too dark to see, anyway), so he didn't know. Heh... his mom would go nuts once she found out.... Yeah, okay-- so she was a little... overprotective and emotional at times. But what was wrong with that? He sometimes got that way as well! And she was his MOM, for goodness sakes!

What about Kazu, Kenta, Henry and Jeri...? Did they know of his capture? Probably not.... Knowing them, they were out playing cards or something similar to that.... Even if they knew... would they care? What about...?

Rika.

Yes... she must've known! It was his ritual to go and visit her every single day! He'd never missed one (well, except for back when they first became acquainted)! And now, she was dealing with family problems.... He would not leave her side when she needed him most! If he didn't show up... what would she do...? Perhaps....

Ch-chk....

Ooh, man! Who was that? What was that?! It was so dark-- he couldn't see a thing! It was starting to get annoying.... Straining his ears, he listened; he heard movement! Actual movement! Someone was in there with him, and he was trapped! With a slight grunt, he demanded, "Who's there?"

"Gee... I come, hoping to find you, and when I do... you yell at me?" answered the invader, voice dripping with false anger. That voice... he knew that voice! "A lot of thanks I get, eh?"

It... it was her! "Rika!" he yelped. Thank God! Someone had found him! He was sorta happy... that she had been the one to find him.... At least this told him that she cared somewhat. "Anyone else...?"

He was alive! God had shown her the correct path, and it led her straight to her best friend! Now... if only she could maneuver her way to him through the darkness.... There was, like, no light at all! It was a maze-- a stupid maze where Takato was the 'cheese' and she was the 'mouse!' "Nope.... The others must be searching still." At least... she thought so. For all she knew, Kazu and Kenta had gone home to snooze some more! Ooh... that made her angry! They had better be out there still! If not, she'd truly kick their butts!

Others...? What others? "You mean... the police, right?" he asked with a nervous chuckle. Yeah-- it had to be. They wouldn't let children do this kind of thing alone... would they?

Rika snorted loudly. She had made her way over to his... 'bed rest.' Oh, yeah-- that was the best way to put it.... "The police?! You've got to be kidding me!" Like they'd let her go out and look for him! Heck, they wouldn't be able to do anything this early in the disappearance, anyway! "Henry, Jeri, Kazu, Kenta and I started our own little search party. We've actually been out for a while...." He looked slightly confused; a laugh escaped her lips. He was so dense sometimes! Grinning, she flicked his nose affectionately. Idiot.... "No... we didn't tell anyone where we were going!" she exclaimed. He could scold them later. Right now, his safety was all that mattered. She went on:

"Besides! We thought that you'd be dead by the time the pros started looking!"

Ignoring her last comment... Takato's mind fluttered. Only... his friends? No one else...? It must have been hard for them.... "Thanks...," he muttered. Huh...? He could feel Rika poking and prodding at the metal latches over his wrists and ankles. Like that would do any good.... "It's no use... I've been trying for a while now, and-- well-- I'm sorta still here...." Yeah... and his arms (and legs) were raw and sore and longing for some nice, cold water.... If she could just.... "Look around-- I think there's a switch box on this thing."

Okay... so she had to look for a small... 'switch' board... thing. That didn't sound too hard.... Would it be on the front...? Side...? "I'll see...." Sighing, she began to walk around the bed; her hand trailed over the edges... attempting to locate the box. All that it was succeeding in, however, was making her mad....

Takato was completely and wholly shocked. Rika was there-- saving him! Wasn't it the guy's job to do that...? Heh-- too many movies. Then again... he was her best friend.... She cared for him... just not as much as he wanted. Not nearly as much as he wanted....

One thing that was really bugging him was.... "How'd you find me...?"

There! A little cube-shaped obstacle in the path her hand was following! That had to be it! If it wasn't.... Reaching out to test the switches, she answered: "This building... something strange was happening to it right before I came...." She flipped the first switch.

Click! Chk-chk!

Ah... that was much better! The brown haired boy felt his arms become free. You know what...? It felt so good! Being forced to lay a certain way was NOT fun, let me tell you! It was just... uncomfortable! Very, very, very uncomfortable! Rubbing his wrists tenderly, he whispered, "Strange...? What do you mean?" Thinking for a moment, he decided to go on: "I know that they're up to something... but what? That's the main question...." He had no clue.... The only hint he had was....

"They... wanted me to fall asleep. I don't know why, but I DO know that... that I almost...." His almond eyes widened in the darkness. Another click went off; his legs were free! It felt even better now... but he could enjoy his mobility later.... Licking his lips, he turned to Rika (who had moved back to his side). He said, "I almost fell asleep... right before you found me!"

What?! What did he just say?! But... that light.... Then, just maybe.... "We've got to get you out of here!" she hissed. Whatever they had planned, it was serious! That light had told her enough! It looked as though it were to spread throughout the world!

Before anything else was said, though... Takato pulled her into an embrace that seemed so unplanned and nervous.... Why...? He had to leave-- those people could be on their way right now to fix everything! "Stop...," she pleaded, voice no higher than a whisper. "You need to get away from here...."

One moment-- just one. That was all he needed... to tell her. Okay, so it was rather awkward in the timing... but it was something he had to do.... And it just felt right-- ya know? "I... I have to tell you something...."

Rika tensed up; her breath turned into short gasps. What... what now...? What the heck was he talking about? Didn't his safety matter to him at all? It did to her! Looking into his almond orbs... she felt the same presence from the other night... when they almost.... No... she had... to get him out of there.... She... slowly felt herself get lulled closer.

God... he'd never felt this way about anyone before.... This feeling was so... so different from the ones he normally felt.... "Rika...," he whispered, already well aware on what they were going to do.... It didn't matter.... Why? Because... because he loved her. But to say it-- that was the hard part. Tilting his head, he hoped to finish what he wished to say before they came any closer.... "I... I lo--"

The lights snapped on; people poured in through the doors. Rika and Takato, both of whom were surprised to heck and back, flung apart and studied the predicament they had gotten into.... Alright... they were in trouble. They were surrounded! Man! How many people were there, anyway?! Without uttering a word, the men and women lashed out at the children.

No! They... they had him! He didn't want to be separated from Rika! As they tried to force him down on the bed, he scrambled forward slightly. Oh, buddy! He fought ferociously! He wasn't about to let them do that! "Let go!" he raged, reaching out desperately.

She... she had found him, and now they were trying to take him away from her?! She would NOT allow it! Not now, not ever! "No!" Her hand brushed up against his... then they were yanked apart. They were going to do something to him... she just knew it! Something unknown, yet frightening all at the same time! They... were they going to hurt him?!

"TAKATO!" she cried, tears falling down her saddened face. Her violet eyes begged for a miracle... but knew that none would appear. Still... she didn't want to see him hurt. She cared about him too much to see him writhe in agony.... She... she.... Oh, my.... The thought struck her suddenly, and she instantly felt the urge to begin bawling right there.

Takato let out a howl of anger as they tossed Rika into a separate room. It wasn't fair! And... and she had actually called him by his real name! Not 'goggle-head' or 'goggles' or anything like that! Just plain, old... Takato. A salty droplet of water rolled down his cheek as the metal straps clamped down on his skin once more....

For the first time in his life... he was truly scared. Not for himself, though... but for Rika. "Please... be okay...," he muttered as the 'attackers' exited as quickly as they had appeared... and he was left in the darkness yet again....

~*~

Rika fell forward, landing on the carpeted floor. It... it couldn't be real.... They had taken her away from him.... How... how dare they! They had no right! It just wasn't fair.... Growling, she stood and began to slam her fists on the door. It hurt, yes... but she wouldn't stop. Takato needed her! She wasn't about to give up on him! The only thing that made her really ticked was his stubbornness!

"Hitting that door won't do you any good...."

Wha...? A voice...? Then... there must've been a person in there! The redhead turned, astonished that she had been thrown into a room containing actual people! But... something wasn't right.... The floor had carpeting.... Prisoners wouldn't be kept in that kind of a room... would they...? And that voice... there was something about that voice....

In front of her... was a desk with a large, black chair behind it (although it was turned to face the wall-like window for the time). Okay-- she definitely knew that this was someone of great importance.... Just how important were they, hmm? How high up were they on this little 'outing?' Why? Well... she wanted to give him a piece of her mind-- that's why! "Who are you?" she asked, taking a step forward.

He was... slightly disappointed, you could say. Hiding his intention to sigh... he muttered, "Why, I'm surprised you don't remember me... Rika." With one quick movement, the man turned his chair and rose up.... If this didn't help her... nothing would.

No... no-- it couldn't be...! It was... impossible, right? Rika brought a hand to her mouth. She didn't know how to react... so she simply rasped:

"No... no way...!"

~*~

A/N: Mwahaha.... Cliff-hanger! *notices the glares* Ah... gomen, gomen! I didn't mean to take so long with this chapter! In fact, I've had it done for a while! Some of you know this already, but... I'll say it again. First of all, my mom wouldn't let me on for a while because it took me a week to clean the bird cages.... Heh-- yeah, I'm lazy. I just didn't think she wouldn't let me on! She usually did any other time! Also, I have only four more days of school (I can skip out on the finals!). I have a report, a project, tests and a few other things to finish by then. Some are actually due Monday, so.... Again, I'm sorry.... I had hoped on posting this earlier today, but... I got to go see 'Spider-Man.' It was a pretty good movie, but the end... wasn't what I thought it'd be.... I understood why it ended that way, but....

Anyway, I'll make it up to you guys! I'll try to finish the next chapter as soon as I can! One little question that I asked in an earlier chapter: who wants Ryo, Mako and Ai in this story?! I need to know! If no one says anything, I'll go along with my sister.... The more reviews I get, the luckier you'll be in seeing that certain person. So please review and tell me!!!! Also, does anyone know where I got the idea for the 'rainbow' color? Heh-- my sister can't figure it out! It's really not that hard, if you think about it.... Well, I'd better get going! Enjoy the preview!-Angel-Chan (This chapter long enough for ya, Eagle_33? I do believe it's one of the longest parts so far!)

Fated: Part Eleven

The Plan

FLASH!!!

Everything was so bright.... What was going on?!

"Ah... so he has finally fallen asleep."

Rika turned, confused even more now. What did he mean by that? What... what had they done to him...?! Was he being tortured? Oh, God... she didn't want him to die....

Right as she was about to ask him... a loud BOOM echoed from the sky. The redhead brought her attention back to the window. What... what the heck...?! Above the building... the clouds swirled and rumbled and raged; the strange, rainbow-colored light shot out from the very building in which she stood once more. It spread out across the sky... and seemed to travel on. What she didn't know was... that it was actually surrounding the entire world....

Rika stared at the scene, mouth open in a dumbfounded gape. What...? Something was... coming from the sky! Objects-- oddly-shaped ones-- seemed to form within the clouds! They fell, tossing and tumbling in the air. Slowly, as they came into view... the girl understood what he had meant. But how could it be...? How could he possibly be able to create...?

"Digimon...." she mumbled, placing a hand on the cold glass.