Dear everyone, there is no excuse, I honestly just really suck as a person... I went off to grad school, fell in love with a great guy and gave myself to my studies, internship and him, totally losing all time for my story. But alas, I am back! I promised to never abandon a story again after having to abandon one years ago about Hitsugaya from Bleach. So, without further ado, this is a short chapter but I hope it helps to say I am very sorry to my dedicated readers:(

After drifting in and out of a fitful sleep, Tai sighed with frustration. It was late evening and he was only day four into recovery. Joe had let him walk a bit a couple of hours ago but constantly kept an eye on him. He wanted to kick something—like a soccer ball—and lose himself in physical activity. His body was stiff with disuse and his arm was consistently throbbing.

Gennai and Joe had taken blood samples earlier that day and Tai was waiting to hear the shitty news. Izzy was working with Yolei on what these brandings could mean or at least how they function. So far, Agumon and Kari insisted on sleeping in the same room, checking on him each hour and making sure he was monitored whenever he was allowed out of bed to stretch his limbs. Thankfully, the rest of the gang realized how it irked him and left him alone.

There was a soft knock at the door and Agumon poked his head into the room.

"Taichi? Can I come in?" he asked softly. Tai smiled and opened his arms. The orange digimon immediately ran up to the bed and jumped into his partner's welcoming embrace.

"What's up, buddy?" Tai asked, petting the little dinosaur's head.

"Joe said you should take a walk outside for some fresh air."

"Is that so? Alright then, guess if that's what the doctor orders." Tai pulled his aching body up into a sitting position and sighed at his arm. "I wonder if they found out what's wrong with me yet."

"I think Joe wanted to talk to you about it. We should go meet the others; they're waiting!"

When Tai slowly walked outside to the front area of Gennai's abode, he was surrounded by worried faces. All the digidestined, plus their digimon and Gennai's assistant digimon were all sitting down. There was a plethora of food on a long tablecloth along the center of the yard.

"Tai, come on and eat. We have a lot to talk about." Said Izzy. He patted the spot next to him, which positioned Tai beside Gennai at the head of the cloth and in front of Joe. The rest were piled in, all looking expectantly at their elderly friend. He cleared his throat and turned to Tai.

"I know you do not want the spotlight or the worry. But, I feel as though these brandings could mean something huge and something terrible in store for you. There is no way to sugarcoat my conclusion these past few days, my boy." Tai waited, exhaling heavily as he sat back.

"Well, lay it on me Gennai. I can handle it."

"After researching the symbols and Izzy deciphering the meanings, we concluded that these are a cycle… a cycle of death."

BOOM!

The wall opposite exploded as a large, dark figure smashed through the wood. The kids screamed, ducking and covering their faces to shield from the debris.

"GET DOWN! ALL OF YOU, GET DOWN!" Shouted Gennai, his voice coming out strangled as Tai shook his head to clear the ringing of the explosion. The figure, massive compared to the small room, loomed over the group, locking eyes with Tai. Its body resembled a mismatch of pieces of metal, all different shades of grey, bronze peeking through some cracks. He grunted, slowly reaching out to the goggled boy.

"TAICHI, MOVE!" Without hesitation, Tai ducked as Agumon sprang towards the creature.

"PEPPER BREATH, PEPPER BREATH, PEPPER BREATH!" He pelted the newcomer is balls of flame, attempting to hit it's beady, red eyes. The lump of a head grunted once again, and swatted the digimon away like a fly.

"Hey, don't you touch my partner, jerk face!" Tai screamed, running towards his fallen friend.

"Halt, Courage, for my strike is true. I was told to bring you back, but not unharmed."

"Help Tai, Gabumon!"

"You too, Tentomon!"

"Right!" they exclaimed in unison. However, their heroism was thwarted as the new digimon released his power.

"SWORD STRIKE!" The digimon raised both arms, pointing them directly at the incoming digimon. Suddenly, two blades flashed with amazing precision and speed as they pierced both smaller digimon in different shoulders. Pixelated blood, a lighter red compared to the dark of human's, poured out of the wounds.

"No, Gabumon!" Matt cried, catching his fallen digimon in shaky arms. "What the hell just happened? Digimon can bleed?" He looked towards Gennai, whose face was white with confusion and, so help them all, fear.

"Now, then, allow me to take what I came for." The large digimon said, once again walking towards Tai.

Tai heart was beating out of his chest while sweat beaded on his brow. This digimon met serious business and from what he could tell after that insane attack, he could potentially kill his partner. His friends were frozen in fear and indecision. No one wanted to attack for fear of the digimon aiming anywhere else but the shoulder of their partner. Tai began to think, rapidly peeling through possible escape strategies. As the digimon edged closer, his brain stopped. His arm, a dull throb, had begun to pulse again under the mental strain and fear of the situation, causing his blood to boil and vision to become hazy.

It is happening again… shit.

He heard the faint call of his name, Agumon shaking his arm as Bearmon ran up tell him something.

All went black.

"What is happening to Taichi, Bearmon?" said Agumon, backing up slowly from his human partner. Tai's face drained of color before Agumon saw the color change in his eyes. They were black rimmed surrounding a red iris. The brands on his arm began to pulse a weird blue as the veins in his arms and face lit up. Tai looked almost…demonic.

And in the eyes of a loyal, dedicated digimon, his partner was swallowed by something pure evil.