Between Life and Eternity
By CyberDracomon, King of Takari

Chapter 3 - Infection

There was an immense chill in the air from the events they had just witnessed. Necromon, supposedly destroyed, stood before them, the manipulator of this whole situation, and worse of all, his infectious touch had found Kari. She was still on her knees on the dusty ground of the digital wasteland, still panting from the strain of whatever Necromon had done to her. While Patamon and Gatomon had little alternative but look on in horror, TK remained kneeling beside her, still not sure what to think or do. Meanwhile, Necromon's mouth curved into a satisfied smirk.

"My wings..." He said, looking down at Kari. "How easy this could all be with the power of flight once again at my command..." Necromon stepped closer, reaching out with his good arm toward Kari as if to draw the power out of her. TK stood and put himself between Kari and Necromon, preventing his approach. He was quickly joined by Patamon and Gatomon, both ready for anything.

"You have to go through us first!" Gatomon warned. The thread seemed to fall on deaf ears as Necromon's tentacles took aim at Gatomon and Patamon, both poised to strike like a snake the second they became aggressive.

Suddenly something broke through the air, something that brought their attention back to Kari. She was chuckling... Now up to a sitting position, her newly formed wings stretching themselves out, Kari was watching their actions and had, for some unknown reason... began to laugh at it.

"What an excuse for a macho showdown, this is too good!" She shouted. TK almost had to take a step back... Did Kari actually say that? It barely even sounded like her, even the tone of her voice was different somehow.

"I am inclined to agree..." Necromon said, drawing TK's attention once more, turning back to face him. "Let us end the showdown... Come to me." He reached out with his good arm, his open palm turned up as if to offer her something grand. Patamon and Gatomon looked back, watching her reaction. Kari shifted positions, folding her legs now. She looked up to the sky, holding a finger to her lips, to the two Digimon it looked like some deep-thinking pose some cartoon character would use.

"Hmm... Nah, don't wanna." She said, quickly giving her wings a flap to lift herself off the ground, just high enough to get to her feet. "I wasn't laughing at TK, anyway. It's you that's hilarious, trying to act tough when you've got more pieces missing than a yard sale jigsaw puzzle!" TK turned his head to glance back at her, almost as if to check to see if it was the same girl behind him that was there a minute ago...

"You... you refuse!" Necromon said in surprise. "You are a part of me, you cannot refuse my commands!" Kari smiled innocently at Necromon, starting to come forward. Patamon and Gatomon quickly noticed her feet were no longer on the ground, the wings seemed to work without flapping... She came up behind TK, who still hadn't turned completely to face her, and quickly embraced him from behind, letting her arms hang down across his chest. She moved her head beside TK's to look on at Necromon, still smiling.

"Oh, but watch me do it so easily!" She taunted. "Besides, how could I choose you over something this sexy..." With that she quickly turned her head and gave TK's ear a playful nibble, an action that made TK jerk his head away out of shock. He wasn't even sure Kari ever used the word sexy in her life! Let alone while facing down a Digimon trying to take control of her, now a Digimon who was growing angry at them.

"Of all the insolent..." Necromon's outrage briefly gave way to something in the distance that had caught his attention, turning to face it momentarily before returning his eye's glance to TK. "You are fortunate I am still incomplete... By the time we meet again, our friend Alex will have ensured that I am strong enough to take my wings back by force." Necromon's form suddenly started melting before them, like a plastic figure under a magnifying glass, though much quicker. The dark purple fluid oozed into the cracks under their feet until it had completely vanished, taking only a second and leaving no trace save for the discarded coat still on the ground.

"...What scared him off so easily?" Patamon said, finally managing to break his own shock at the events they had just been a part of. Kari released TK and turned around, looking off in the same direction Necromon had before his departure.

"Oh, Alex and his little henchman are on their way!" She announced. Kari stretched out her arms, then brought her hands together, cracking her knuckles as if eager for their approach. "Guess I get to have some fun after all!" She started off to intercept them, only for TK to quickly grab onto her shoulder, pulling her back and toward the monitor leading home a few yards away.

"Nobody is having fun here..." TK said sternly. "I don't want him to know you're infected, he might be willing to do the same thing to you that he's done to a lot of Digimon so far." Kari folded her arms and resumed smirking, putting up little resistance as TK pulled her to the monitor, Patamon and Gatomon in tow. He quickly retrieved his D-3 with his free hand and aimed it to the monitor, opening the gate that quickly drew them in. By the time Alex arrived the only trace of their presence was a dim glow on the monitor's screen that quickly vanished, and the coat, something that only made him wonder who else was there...

Kari's computer quickly flared to life as the gate to the digital world opened, the light emitted by her monitor literally spitting TK, Kari, Patamon, and Gatomon back into the real world. Once they arrived, their eyes quickly turned to Kari, nobody sure of what to make of her actions a moment ago.

"...What, you're looking at me like I grew wings or something!" She said innocently before giggling. "Oh yeah, I did, didn't I?" Kari continued to smile sweetly at them as they looked her over, trying to take all of this in... Gatomon in particular was taking her time, being connected to Kari made this much harder for her to cope with.

"...It still feels like Kari..." She said, referring to that connection. "But something's different... It's like half of it is her, half is someone else..." TK raised his hand toward one of Kari's newly grown wings, hesitating before taking a light hold of it. It twitched slightly as his fingers closed on it, but quickly relaxed.

"I figured this would happen, the whole 'is she real?' bit." Kari said, watching TK as he felt the bat-like wing. The wing folded up slightly, breaking from TK's grip, then extended again, the tip moving up to TK's face, just enough to lightly brush against his cheek. The boy took a step back out of the wing's reach, an action that made Kari giggle somewhat.

"Well you aren't acting much like the real Kari..." Patamon replied. "But you still think you are her..." That's what was getting to TK, whatever influence the wings were having, it didn't seem to be complete. Parrotmon and Digitamamon acted completely different while Necromon was infecting them, Digitamamon even sounded like it was the talons infecting him that were speaking.

"Oh, no kidding, Patamon?" She said sarcastically. "Who else would I be? A pair of wings and new eyes and suddenly I'm an alien?" Gatomon was about to answer when TK raised his hand, motioning her not to. This was getting repetitive, she was convinced she was Kari, there was no changing that. They were going at this the wrong way.

"Okay, you are Kari." TK finally said, drawing her attention. "But you have to agree you aren't acting anything like you were a week ago, or even a day ago." Kari moved into an almost mocking thinking pose, a finger to her narrowed lips and a wandering look in her upward-turned eyes.

"Hmm... Oh yeah, guess I am, aren't I?" She finally concluded, looking at TK once again. "Feels like the wings got rid of all my worries about maintaining an image. I'm just acting how I want!" TK didn't press the issue any father, despite not agreeing with it... He didn't want to get pushy and upset her until he was sure how much the wings changed her.

"They did more than that, though..." Gatomon said. The feline Digimon bound up to Kari's bed, turning as she landed to look Kari as eye to eye as she could manage. "How could you tell Alex was coming before we left?" TK and Patamon both mentally kicked themselves, failing to pick up on that.

"Hmm... Dunno." Kari replied. "I felt something coming, and something in my head knew it was Alex." That one gave them all the same idea. Alex had to have some way of finding Necromon's parts, the wings must have felt whatever that method was.

"I could track him the same way if you want!" She continued. "Might solve a problem or two, wouldn't it? Take him and his Digimon out of the picture completely?" TK had to do a double take upon hearing that. Everything else he could chalk up to Kari's inhibitions being removed, now she was saying things Kari would never say.

"...Kari, did you just hear yourself?" Patamon chirped, obviously as taken back as TK. Kari turned and glanced at him curiously, as if she really didn't hear what she said or understood it's implications.

"Well, yeah, I did say it after all." She replied. "I don't mean to kill him or anything, just knock him around until he goes away." TK shook his head in disappointment and frustration.

"Kari, that isn't the point." He said firmly. "We're Digidestined, protectors. We don't pick a fight just to make things easier for us. If Alex were an evil Digimon, fine, but he's trying to accomplish the same goals as us, his method is just twisted. We have no right to simply attack him, and the Kari I know... the Kari I love, would never want to hurt someone like that. Even with those wings influencing you, you should know that." Kari's eyes widened slightly as if the truth was dawning on her. After a tense moment she closed her eyes, casting her head down, away from TK.

"You're right..." She said, her voice sounding like the Kari they were familiar with again. "These wings are messing with my mind, I can't let them control me like that..." TK released a breath he wasn't aware he was holding, a show of relief.

"You're stronger than they are, you have to remember that..." TK said. "We'll find a way of getting them off as soon as we can." Kari lifted her head, opening her eyes once more. She nodded to TK in agreement.

"I won't let them get the better of me again, I promise..." She said, reassuring him. TK smiled, glad to hear the familiar tone of Kari's voice again. The conversation did remind him, though, Izzy or Ken had to be done by now, he needed to get home and check.

"TK, think we should get home?" Patamon said, almost as if reading TK's mind. "We can't get rid of those wings until we know what Izzy found out." The teen boy's glance turned to his Digimon partner, nodding his agreement. Again he turned to look at Kari, a slight worry in his eyes.

"You going to be okay for a while?" He asked. "I'll come back as soon as I check in with everyone." Kari smiled slightly, shaking her head at his question.

"You don't have to worry, I think I'll be okay for an hour or two." She replied. TK stepped closer, drawing Kari into a quick embrace, one she returned as if by instinct. TK turned his head to give her a quick kiss on the cheek as they parted.

"Sure I have to worry, I'm the boyfriend, it's my job." He joked. Kari giggled slightly, nodding in understanding. TK's glance turned to his partner Digimon, who was already taking to the air. "Let's hope for the best, Patamon." He said, starting to walk out of Kari's room. Patamon nodded in response, quickly following after him. The two girls left behind watched them turn the corner, the opening and closing of the front door coming soon after. Kari stepped over to her bed, turning to sit down beside Gatomon, being careful not to hit her with one of her new wings in the process.

"Gatomon, you mind if I get in a nap while they're gone?" She asked her feline partner. "I have a feeling I'm going to need it." Gatomon glanced at her briefly before taking a second to stretch out, pushing her arms and tail out to relieve some of the stress.

"Actually I could use a cat nap myself..." She replied. "I'll curl up on the couch for a while, let you have some time to yourself. I know you haven't had much of that lately." Kari chuckled slightly and nodded to her.

"Go on, you earned whatever rest you can get." She answered. Gatomon turned and hopped off the bed to the floor below, bounding out of the room on all fours. Kari stood from the bed and walked over to the door of her room, lightly closing it. Once the door was shut, she let out another chuckle, this one just for herself.

"Wow, the drama classes paid off after all!" She said happily. Kari turned around and stepped across the room to the window of her room. She took a brief second to unlock it before pulling it open, sticking her head out. Kari looked down, at least ten stories down to the alley between apartment buildings. She didn't need much thought before pulling herself out of the window, catching the air with her wings to fly from her room and begin descending to the ground below...

TK entered the door of his apartment, stepping in with heavy footsteps. He swung the door closed behind him without turning, and when he heard it shut, he let himself fall backward onto it, letting his head lightly bang against it. He couldn't bother to feel the sting from the impact, his mind was too busy sorting through everything, it consumed his every thought on the walk home. He couldn't even feel the cold bite of the wind outside. He thought it was hard just knowing something was wrong with Kari, he couldn't believe knowing what it was only made it harder on him.

"Patamon, you here?" TK yelled into the apartment. His flying partner usually beat him back home when he was on foot, the advantage of having wings. Upon yelling, the only response that came was some odd pounding sound, almost like glass... TK jumped off the door when he realized what it was, jogging the distance through the apartment's front room and hallway to reach his room. He opened the door to see Patamon standing on the ledge outside the window, wrapped up in his own wings, shivering from the cold. TK wasted no time crossing his room and pulling the window up. Patamon unwrapped himself and darted into the room, his human partner quickly shutting the door behind him. TK turned to find Patamon already on his bed, crawling under the covers and turning around to face TK, still shivering.

"Patamon, I'm sorry!" He said. TK stepped over to the bed and reached out to Patamon, taking hold of him under the blankets. He picked up the hamster Digimon, who was surprisingly cold to the touch, and held him close, an apologetic hug as well as trying to warm him up.

"TK, I doubt it was your fault the window slid shut." Patamon replied. The human boy turned back to the window, glancing around it, then to the floor below it. Sure enough, a length of plastic tubing TK used to prop the window open had fallen somehow. He always did that when he left with Patamon, it let the small Digimon get back in while TK was still a good distance from home.

"It might have been, I did pick that pipe..." TK joked. It drew a chuckle from Patamon, who was starting to stop his shivering.

"Oh yeah!" Patamon chirped. "I almost forgot, I heard the phone ringing while I was out there. I think they left a message on your machine but I couldn't hear who it was." TK mentally kicked himself for missing what was probably a call about Kari. He started off for the main room of the apartment, still holding onto Patamon with both arms. The phone sat on a counter that divided the kitchen and living room of the apartment, and as TK approached it, it was signaling a message had been left. He was in such a rush to check on Patamon it slipped his mind to look.

"Patamon, how about you find something warm to eat while I check the phone?" He suggested. Patamon eagerly nodded at the suggestion, letting TK set him down on the counter before he bounded off to raid the pantry. The teenager turned attention to the phone, punching a button to play back the message, muttering a quick hope under his breath.

"...Hey TK, it's Matt." TK's breath sighed with disappointment as his brother's voice rang through the machine's speaker. "If you're there, pick up... Not like you to be out so late on a weeknight, bro. Everything okay? Anyway, Mimi wanted to invite you and Kari over for dinner, just wanted to know what time was best for you two. Get back to me soon." Not such an unusual message from his brother, he had invited Kari and TK over numerous times since his engagement to Mimi. Oddly enough it was TK's strong relationship that got Matt through the rough spots in his own.

"TK, it's Ken." TK's thoughts broke as the second message came through his ears. "I think I've done all I can on this Alex Ryuujin, it's a little hard to explain on a message, call me as soon as you get this." The answering machine beeped, signaling the end of the messages. TK wasted no time in picking up the receiver, punching in Ken's number as quickly as he could without messing it up. Placing the receiver to his ear, he waited nervously as he listened to the dial tone... One ring... Two rings... Now three... Four... Five... TK's nervousness grew as the idea of Ken not being there crossed his mind.

"Ichijoji residence." The receiver finally said, Ken's voice coming through loudly, letting TK release his tense breath.

"Ken, it's TK, I just got your message." He answered. TK glanced back to Patamon as he spoke into the phone, noticing an empty packet of instant cocoa and his digital partner trying to maneuver in the air over a ceramic mug while holding onto a gallon jug of milk.

"TK, good timing." Ken answered. "I was just about out the door when the phone rang." TK smiled to himself, at least one thing today had some good timing to it.

"I'm glad I did, things got worse..." He answered back, a notable noise of curiosity coming from Ken's end. "The effect on Kari's eyes came from an infection, a piece of a Digimon is literally part of her now... She's back in her apartment now with a pair of purple wings." There was a moment of silence over the phone, a very understandable one.

"...I didn't think merging human and Digimon data was possible..." Ken replied. "If the circumstances were better I'd be fascinated. Maybe Izzy's tests will figure out that part of this problem." That was what TK was hoping for now. His eyes came back to Patamon, now flapping his wings in front of the microwave, watching his mug of cocoa rotate.

"Let's worry about one thing at a time for now..." TK responded, refocusing once more. "What did you find out about Alex?" He could hear a few pages moving around on Ken's end, probably containing what he found.

"Well, I'm not sure it's even him..." Ken replied. "Can you give me a description?" TK hesitated a second, trying to imagine Alex better in his mind... He found it harder than he thought it would be, considering the only times he saw him he was angry at him or battling him.

"Let me think..." TK responded. It took another moment before TK's mental image formed. "He's about my height and age... Short, light brown hair, almost a dark blonde. Blue eyes, kind of pale... He looked American, now that I think about it." That fact almost slipped his mind, the last name Ryuujin was obviously Japanese, it threw him off until now.

"Well it seems to match..." Ken said. "I couldn't find anything about any Alex Ryuujin. I did find a match on the last name, it was on a cached website on a search engine, mostly broken images and links, no way of knowing how old the page was, but it gave some info. The website used to belong to an orphanage." That part came as a surprise to TK, the thought hadn't crossed his mind before. No wonder Alex seemed to always be in the digital world, he had no place in the real world.

"That would explain a few things..." TK replied. "What makes you think this is a match, you said you didn't find anything about Alex Ryuujin." He checked up on Patamon again, who now had his cocoa on the counter beside the microwave, taking a sample sip. He quickly jerked away from it, flapping his wings at the mug, apparently too hot for him to drink.

"I'm not sure there is an Alex Ryuujin." Ken said. "The listing's description fits perfectly, but the name attached to it is Alan Ryuujin, not Alex." That part only confused TK, but of course there were explanations.

"Maybe that's a listing for a brother." He answered. "That's the most obvious thing, right?" From the receiver came a disagreeing noise from Ken's throat, already batting down the idea.

"Can't be sure, orphanages with websites don't usually list siblings." He said. "Potential parents are usually reluctant to separate them, but they simply can't afford to adopt both, either. It damaged the chances of adoption for both of them. Those same websites should still list both children, though, typically a last name is omitted from both in that case. This one didn't." That seemed to make sense, he could easily imagine situations like that... TK glanced once more to Patamon, who was drinking down his cooled down cocoa rapidly. He raised the mug more and more, draining more of the beverage. In his eagerness he started leaning back to get the mug high enough, until he accidentally toppled over onto his back, the mug fitting over his face and his hind legs flailing. TK had to hold back a laugh as best he could. Patamon eventually popped the mug off and sat back up, a chocolate ring around his dazed face. Now there was no way TK could hold back, freely laughing at the sight.

"...TK, is something about all this amusing you?" Ken finally said after a moment of silence on his end. TK took a few breaths, getting out the last of his giggles before attempting to talk again.

"No, of course not, sorry." He said. "Patamon's just being Patamon, that's all... Here's what I don't get. Why would he change his name? Alex and Alan isn't that big of a jump." TK almost looked back at Patamon again, but had to stop himself, knowing he'd only laugh again.

"Why else?" Ken answered. "For this exact reason, to make it harder to find out about him. He obviously wants to be left alone, what better way than adopt a new name. The closer to his original the easier to get used to it." That, again, made sense. TK was starting to realize how good Ken was about this kind of thing, he might made a decent detective someday at this rate...

"What about the sword he's carrying?" TK continued. "Shouldn't that have made it easier?" Again the same noise that usually accompanies a shade of the head, still as bad to hear as it was before.

"When I said a one of a kind item would be easier to find it was with the assumption that someone would know about it other than the owner." Ken replied. "I couldn't find anything about a magnetic sword anywhere, except a few discussions on websites about them saying they would be too fragile or would lose their charge easily." TK sighed slightly, that was their best bet on finding out Alex's, or Alan's, past. As long as he was still hostile he wasn't sure what else he could get out of him.

"Oh well..." He breathed. "Thanks for everything, Ken... Anything else I should know?" TK risked a glance back at Patamon, relieved to see him balling up a paper towel that had cleaned off the chocolate from his face.

"Just one thing." Ken said. "Be careful of that sword yourself. Humans are as much digital in that world as the Digimon, even if you get a minor cut it might be enough to destabilize you... I don't know if you'd be able to recover." That thought hadn't occurred to TK until now... It was so natural to be in the Digital World to him that he forgot he was nothing but data there just like their Digimon... The Digimon killed by that blade didn't even last long after the blade first cut them, what chance would a human have...

"Good advice, thanks..." TK replied. "I better get back to Kari, we need to go over it all before we return to the Digital World." He glanced over the clock, noticing how long it had been. It was almost 4pm now, and he had no intentions of being in the Digital World at night.

"Alright." Ken responded. "Good luck to all of you. I'll talk to you later." With that the call ended, TK removing the receiver from his ear and replacing it on it's cradle. His glance came back to Patamon, who, to say the least, looked less than happy for some reason.

"...Do we really have to go back out in the cold?" He said sheepishly. TK gave it a quick thought. He didn't want to make Patamon fly in the cold after being left in it so long, he was probably just now getting warm... TK turned back toward his room as an idea hit, stepping out of Patamon's sight. The orange Digimon made a quick glide across the kitchen to the front counter, wondering what TK was up to... It didn't take long to get an answer as TK came back, a duffel bag hanging off his shoulder. He guided it by the strap down onto the counter top, quickly undoing the zipper.

"This should work." He said. "I wrapped a blanket around the inside of it, should keep you warm easily." Patamon smiled, standing up on his hind legs and stepping over, glancing inside. It didn't take him long to approve, hopping in the middle of the curled blanket, shifting as he moved down into it to get comfortable.

"Right, so what are we waiting for?" He said, glancing up with a smile. TK smiled back, zipping the bag up about halfway so Patamon wouldn't smother but still keep him hidden. Taking the strap again he hung it back over his shoulder, being careful with it as he turned and headed back to the door, not wanting to keep Kari waiting any longer.

The streets of Odaiba were busier than usual as TK walked down the sidewalk, the duffel bag Patamon was hiding in swaying slightly as he moved with the crowds. The blonde teen took as much care as possible to keep the passing pedestrians from hitting Patamon as many seemed to hold little regard for what happened to his personal cargo.

A few moments after the crowds got really bad, they suddenly thinned, a surprise to TK. Glancing ahead he could see where many people where stopped, looking at something coming up the other way. The group was so thick he couldn't even see what they were gathered around, just that it was moving, the crowd stepping backward to keep up with it while others came around from the other side, trying to get a better view over or between the people keeping ahead of whatever it was.

"Would you people back off!" An all-too familiar female voice suddenly cried. "You could suffocate a girl at this rate!" TK suddenly held his breath, slightly praying to himself it wasn't who he thought it was... Sure enough as the crowd parted and the path was cleared, Kari stepped out from it, still wearing her new wings, glaring back at them as she walked passed.

"Of all the rude, obnoxious..." Her rant was interrupted as she looked up, her eyes finding TK, her nearly gritted teeth now smiling. "Oh, TK! Didn't see you there!" Before TK could ask what was going on he found Kari quickly approaching him, wrapping her arms around his neck in a fast embrace. TK barely had enough awareness to realize she flew the distance, wrapping his own arms around her waist and forcing her feet to the ground, hopefully to make it look like she had jumped.

"What are you doing outside!" TK said under his breath, just loud enough for her to hear. "You can't let anyone see you with wings and purple eyes, what if someone you know sees you, what if your parents or Tai see you like this!" Kari looked back into his eyes, an obviously false, almost mocking look of sadness in her expression.

"You're not happy to see me...?" She said coyly. "I came all this way just because I missed you!" It was too obvious which Kari was speaking now... The wings must be better merged with her than TK originally thought, it was if it knew how to act to get them to leave her alone. The boy took a second to glance around, open street to the right, open alley to the left... It would have to do. TK pulled Kari to his left, moving both of them into the seclusion of the alleyway. He went a few yards in before stopping, glancing back. A few on the streets gave some odd looks down the small passage but continued on, until eventually nobody was watching. It was probably the one good thing about Kari's flight into his arms, they probably just looked like they were trying to get some privacy.

"Okay, I don't know who you think you are, but you're not Kari." TK said sternly. He waited for an angered response, but instead, to his surprise, he got a mischievous smirk and chuckle from the girl in his arms.

"Sorry, sweetie, you're wrong again." She began. "Everything that is Kari makes me, so I am Kari... just, adjusted." TK was about to respond when he felt Kari pull at him, turning him around and putting his back to one of the walls of the alley, all with relative ease. The child of hope stood there surprised, not knowing the physical changes to Kari would include strength.

"I could show you just how adjusted, TK..." She continued, her tone turning seductive. "I'm usually so reserved... So shy... That could change now, TK. In fact..." Kari moved her head closer, then around TK's head, bringing her mouth to TK's ear. "I think I could be quite the opposite for you now..." The blonde teen couldn't imagine a more uncomfortable situation to be in. Still, at the same time, he would be lying if he said it wasn't tempting...

TK's thoughts were thankfully broken with an odd, yet familiar sound below him... He managed to turn his eyes downward, just now realizing the gym bag carrying Patamon had gotten caught between them, and the sound... TK barely braced himself in time before the bag suddenly inflated from the air of Patamon's Boom Bubble. The force from the nylon bag suddenly becoming an air bag was enough to catch Kari off guard and break her grip on TK. He quickly kneeled down and unzipped the bag to check on Patamon, knowing that couldn't have been pleasant. He was relieved to see that, though stunned, the little Digimon was okay. TK had to remember to thank him when he came to for getting him out of that one. He rezipped the bag and stood up, his stern glare returning as his eyes found 'Kari'.

"If Kari was the opposite of how she is, I would never have fallen in love with her..." He explained. "If you can say something like that, you obviously aren't the Kari I love... Whoever you think you are, I want her back, and I want her back now." For the first time since the wings grew, Kari's expression showed an honest reaction, surprise. A silent moment passed, as if time stopped, before her smirk finally returned.

"Well, since it seems I can't please you any other way..." She said, her eyes cast down. Kari closed them completely, opening her wings as widely as she could. Slowly the leather webbing and thin fingers holding it began to retract into the main limb of the wing, like it was actually reversing it's growth until all that remained were two long limbs from her back. Like the wings before, they also began to return to where they grew from, shrinking back into Kari until they were gone, leaving only the tears in her shirt to indicate they were ever there. TK stepped closer to her as she opened her eyes again, the sincerity in them returning despite their violet color remaining.

"TK..." She said, her voice trembling slightly. Kari turned her head slightly to avoid looking directly at TK out of shame. "I'm sorry... I can't believe what those wings tried to make me do, what they made me become..." Her boyfriend was quick to put his arms around her in a comforting embrace, though she didn't return the gesture.

"You don't have anything to apologize for..." TK said gently. "Those wings made you into that, it wasn't your fault..." Kari remained still a moment longer before finally returning TK's hug, pulling him closer.

"It... It was so bizarre." She explained. "It felt like... I was in control, but my thoughts and actions were changing as I thought them... I didn't want to say or do anything I did, but something made me feel like I should..." TK wasn't completely sure he understood, it was, as she said... bizarre. It wasn't important now, all that mattered was that she was herself again.

"...Don't worry, we'll get rid of the wings and Necromon, I swear it..." TK said. He broke their embrace, Kari now looking him in the eyes again. "We should get back to your place, Gatomon's probably worried sick by now." She nodded, already worried about Gatomon, as well...

The three stood in front of the door to Kari's apartment, Patamon now on the floor between TK and Kari. There was some confusion about why he left the safety of the now-empty gym bag hanging from TK's shoulder, but the Digimon waved it off as saving himself from embarrassment from Gatomon seeing him that way. Neither understood it, but didn't question it, either. Not knowing what to expect, Kari took hold of the doorknob and let herself back in, the two boys in tow.

"Gatomon, are you still here?" Kari called into the apartment. It took little time for the feline Digimon to scamper around the corner on all fours, standing on hind legs and looking up to them, an obvious worried look across her face. It faded as she realized the wings were gone, but not completely.

"What happened to you!" She shouted. "I was only asleep half an hour and you were gone, even you couldn't have snuck by me in the living room to leave." Patamon stood up himself and stepped over to Gatomon, palms pointed to her, trying to get her to calm down.

"Relax, everything's okay." He said, now just a foot from her. "The wings took over a bit but Kari's got them under control now." Gatomon's eyes widened slightly at the announcement, an entirely expected reaction.

"How am I supposed to relax knowing that!" She said, her slight panic renewed. "What if they go completely out of control and-" Gatomon's rant was cut mercifully short by Patamon's paw, now placed over her lips.

"You relax because you know it's happened and Kari's perfectly fine." Patamon said. "Don't worry about the what-ifs or you'll drive yourself nuts, just have faith in what the four of us can do." Gatomon's expression calmed down enough for Patamon to remove his paw, letting Gatomon smile slightly at his words. TK and Kari watched on, both slightly smiling themselves, just now realizing why he wanted out of the bag. Patamon wanted to make sure it was him that calmed Gatomon down as they returned, knowing she would be upset.

"I hope it was a good rest, we're heading back." TK announced. "Ken found out a few things about Alex, we need to find him. He might know how to remove Kari's wings, or at least how to find Necromon." Gatomon nodded, understanding. She turned and headed back to Kari's room, Patamon quickly behind her. TK and Kari entered the apartment finally, shutting the door behind them, and followed after them.

Kari's room and computer were always a familiar back drop, but going into the Digital World always brought an ominous feeling with the room. Suddenly Kari's personal space was the last bit of the real world they were in before abandoning it for a digital landscape, a feeling only made worse when having such a serious purpose for entering.

"Are you sure you want to come?" Gatomon asked her partner. "The rest of us can find Necromon on our own, it could be too dangerous for you to come to the Digital World infected." Kari shook her head, refusing the thought.

"I can't just stay behind while you three put yourselves as risk for me." She replied. "I wouldn't feel right unless I was there to help however I could." TK would argue the point with Gatomon, but he learned a long time ago how much more importance Kari put on others instead of herself. She was so selfless you couldn't change her mind when she was like this.

"Can't argue it, Gatomon." Patamon said as if reading TK's thoughts. "You know her mind's made up better than anyone." Gatomon smiled at him and shrugged her shoulders slightly.

"Can't blame me for trying." She replied. TK took the liberty of activating the gate, and as it came to life, a tenseness seemed to ease from their minds. Maybe it was the comments made before they entered, maybe it was activating the gate itself with no turning back. Regardless, as they left their world, they felt as if their situation had improved just my beginning the effort.

As soon as they entered the Digital World, however, things changed. Their first sight as they stepped foot on the digital ground was Alex, with Aeromon and Chameleamon to his sides, standing with his arms folded, his eyes sharply glaring at TK as soon as they fell upon him. Out of instinct TK and Gatomon both stepped in front of Kari, though neither appearing like they were defending her. They didn't want to give anything away, but what bothered TK was if Alex knew they were arriving here at this moment, or if he had been waiting here this whole time...

"I thought you wanted to stay out of you way." TK said. "Now you get in our way?" Alex smirked slightly, somehow amused by the comment.

"You did it first, this is only fair." He replied. "Eye for an eye and all that..." TK didn't like the cocky tone of his voice, there was something about it that made him worry but he couldn't quite tell what.

"So tell us why you're here." Kari said, now putting up her own front. She didn't want to make it seem like she was being defended, either. "We're kind of in a hurry, if it's not important can you just let us through?" Alex's smirk faded as the glare turned to Kari, as if angered at her interruption.

"Oh, I'll get to you in just a second..." He said, returning the cold glare of his light blue eyes to TK. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised someone as soft as you would harbor a piece of Necromon..." The blonde-haired boy returned the glare, if only to hide his surprise... Did he know about Kari or was he guessing?

"Look, do you see any extra parts here?" Gatomon asked. The feline Digimon hoped she could throw him off whatever idea came into his head. "Nobody's growing new limbs, nobody's out of control. I think that sword's magnet is messing with your head." Alex looked down at Gatomon, then back to TK... and then at Kari. He raised a hand to his neck, reaching into the neck hole of his shirt.

"Actually, I'm just taking a guess..." He admitted. From his shirt Alex drew out a grey chain, thin with something mounted on it, it was hard to make out. He pulled it over his head, letting the mounted piece slide to the bottom of the chain. It looked like a tooth or fang, yellow in color... But the odd part came when it started to rise, pulling the chain tight as it came up, the tip stopping when it began pointing straight out, directly at Kari. Alex moved his arm to the side, watching the fang closely as it was pulled with his arm, but kept it's target. He moved it to the other side with the same result, the fang pointing to Kari. Suddenly any idea of keeping Kari's infection a secret was long gone, a sense of panic replacing it.

"This is a fang from Necromon." Alex explained, moving the chain back around his neck. "It's pointed me to every piece I've destroyed so far without fail... and if your girlfriend's purple eyes are any indication, I doubt it's failed me now." The teen finished replacing the necklace, tucking it back into his shirt. His hand came down, moving to grip the handle of his sword, the realizations setting in now.

"You can be serious!" Patamon yelled. "It's bad enough you've killed innocent Digimon, but you can't kill your own kind!" Alex glared down at the hamster Digimon before drawing his sword, looking back up as he pointed it toward Kari, a sudden dread filling her.

"...I already vowed to rid this world of Necromon." He said. "If it means killing a human... so be it!" TK watched on, unmoved from his stance in front of Kari. It was starting to become all too clear how dangerous Alex was, and just as clear to TK was his mistake of underestimating him...

End Chapter 3

Next: Chapter 4 - The Inevitable