Better the Devil You Know

Chapter 1: Trouble in Paradise

Hello ladies and gentlemen, I'm the Alpha Phoenix. I thought introducing myself was a good place to start this and now I'll quickly add in the disclaimer.

I don't own Digimon or any other copyrighted thing mentioned in this story. If I did own Digimon this fic would be a new season and you'd be watching it instead of reading it. Also there'd be a lot more Takari as I'm a huge fan of both Takeru (TK) and Hikari (Kari). That's something you'll defiantly notice if you haven't already.

Besides Takari, the other pairings in this story are Sorato and Kenyako. There's also some PataGato later in the story.

I'll add a quick summary before I start. Revenge is what he's after and now it is his chance. Two Digidestined find their hidden emotions surface as they live their greatest dreams and worst nightmares at the same time.

(Later additional author's note: Chapters 1 to 13 edited on the 17th September 2011 to correct some errors)

Enjoy.

The warm midday sunlight radiated through the windows, illuminating the main living space of the medium sized apartment. The door handle of the grey main door moved down, allowing the entrance to open for a young teen brunette girl to step into her home. She was followed in by a taller blonde teen boy who was carrying two plastic shopping bags.

"You know I would have carried one of them, TK," the brunette's mahogany eyes glanced with slight disapproval towards the blonde as he walked into the open plan kitchen and placed the bags down on the granite worktop. "After all, I did pay for half of it," she sighed and finished her pose by placing her hands on her hips to make sure she got her point across.

TK's sapphire blue eyes looked up from the bags and focused on his best friend. The taller teen, by around 20cm, smirked when he saw the brunette's pose. He knew that she didn't approve of him doing things like this for her. TK looked back down to the bags and opened them to look through the items they had brought. "Kari, your bag was heavier than mine with all the tins of tuna for Gatomon in here. Besides, I wouldn't have been a proper gentleman if I didn't carry it for you," he teased.

Kari laughed as she walked over to him. "Since when did you become such a gentleman?"

"I've always been a gentleman," TK glanced up while faking a look of hurt. It didn't last long as Kari laughed again, forcing him to laugh with her. Her laughs usually had that affect on him. He sighed and took one last look into the bags. "I think we've got everything. We wouldn't want Patamon and Gatomon to be upset because we forgot something."

"All they care about is that we visit them and occasionally bring them food. I know Gatomon will be missing her tuna," Kari stared into the bags to make sure everything was still there before letting out a sigh. "It's a shame the Digimon have to stay in the Digital World."

TK sighed too. "I know, but they can't stay in our world for too long without loosing their energy and they might need their energy to fight again someday."

"I know," the brunette replied with a slightly saddened tone to her voice.

The messy haired blonde placed his hand on her shoulder. "At least we still get to visit them regularly unlike after our first adventure."

His trademark hopeful grin spread across his face and Kari's mood instantly lightened as she looked into his eyes. That smile and the hope she always saw in his ocean coloured orbs never failed to cheer her up. The teen girl felt a slight heat develop in her cheeks at the thought of it.

"I think we have everything," TK said as removed his hand from her shoulder to pick up the bags so they could move on to their next destination.

"Great," Kari snapped out of her train of thought. "I'll quickly grab my camera and make sure I look ready."

"Make sure you look ready?" The teen boy gave her a quizzical stare, looking up and down her. "You look beautiful just as you are."

He looked at her shoulder length chestnut hair that was pinned in place on her left side by a pink hairclip. She was wearing a long sleeved pink shirt over a white t-shirt, which covered her developing breasts and slim figure. The top was teamed with a light blue denim skirt and pink striped white sneakers that allowed her beautiful legs to see the world.

TK's eyes returned to Kari's face. He noticed her cheeks turning a rosy colour and then he realised what he said. His cheeks quickly turned red as the heat rose to his face. They both broke eye contact and looked shyly at the ground. The blonde made a mental note that moments like this were starting to happen a lot more regularly.

"Um, thanks," Kari quietly replied as she tried to hide the growing redness of her face.

Her almond eyes returned their gaze to TK so she could observe him. She noticed he was wearing clothes she'd helped him pick out during spring break. The teen boy had on a short sleeved green shirt, which covered his slim upper body, and the dark blue denim shorts she'd picked out for him to wear with that shirt. She looked at his green and white striped sneakers.

'His and hers matching sneakers and I'm wearing the clothes he help me pick too,' she thought, making her cheeks turn an even deeper shade of red. Kari looked up to his blonde head. She still thought her best friend didn't look right without a hat on. When they were eight he wore a green baseball cap and after that hat there was his once trademark white fisherman's hat. It was the one he wore when he moved back to Odaiba and then for the rest of the time they were in elementary school. He had stopped wearing it once they entered Junior High for three reasons. It was now too small for his growing head, it use to fly off his head every time he played his favourite sport, basketball, and their teacher told him: "Hats aren't part of the school uniform."

TK's eyes moved away from the floor, which had all of a sudden seemed very interesting to him, and back to Kari's mahogany spheres. The brief eye contact quickly returned the slightly fading blushes back to their cheeks as they both looked back down to the floor to try and recompose themselves.

Neither of them had noticed a tall, older teen with extremely wild brown hair enter the room during their conversation. He'd listened to them and, noticing their reactions, decided to interrupt them in the typical style of an older brother.

"She thinks you're cute," he teased his younger sister and her best friend.

"TAI!" Kari instinctively protested as she turned around to give the surprise intruder a death stare.

Tai laughed at his younger sister. "You're turning into a tomato," he teased her as her face turned crimson red. "Hikari Kamiya and Takeru Takaishi are in…"

"Aren't you meant to be playing in a football match today?" the teen girl quickly changed the subject as she folded her arms.

"Yeah and I'm running late, but I thought I'd say hi and bye to you both before I left," Tai chuckled as he made his way to the shoe rack by the main door.

"Then get going," the annoyance was clear in Kari's voice.

The older sibling shook his head and laughed again as he placed his Astroturf football boots on. "See ya later," he smiled and waved to the two younger teens.

"See ya Tai," TK waved back as the heat in his checks died down.

"Bye," Kari huffed as she watched her brother leave the apartment.

"We should get going too," TK said as he lifted the shopping bags off the counter. "We don't want to be later than Davis."

The brunette laughed as she turned around to face her best friend again. Somehow the little joke about Davis and his poor time keeping eased the awkwardness which was there just seconds ago. "You're right. Can you imagine anyone turning up later than Davis, other than Tai?"

TK laughed with her has they made their way out of the apartment and headed to Yolei's.

Two boys sat quietly on the pink quilted bed of what obviously was a girl's bedroom. The smaller and younger of the two had short dark brown hair and was wearing a purple t-shirt in addition to his black jeans. The older of the boys was wearing a white short sleeved shirt, with the outline of a red dragon on the back, and dark blue jeans. He had medium length, styled dark purple hair which matched his violet eyes. They were both staring at the door and listening to the shouting match taking place on the other side.

"NO! YOU CAN'T FILM US GOING TO THE DIGITAL WORLD!" screamed a girl in anger.

"Please Yolei," another girl pleaded. "It's so cool."

"NO!"

"Why can't I? I'll work one of your shifts in the store."

"Because we would all be in a lot of trouble if the video ever got on into the wrong hands," Yolei finished as she opened the door to her bedroom. The long, purple haired girl slammed her door shut in her sister's face before turning to the two Digidestined boys in her room.

"Sometimes I wish I never told them I'm a Digidestined," the tall girl sighed as she readjusted her slim, rectangular glasses. They were a lot cooler than her old 'goldfish bowl' glasses as she now called them. With the exception of her glasses, her dress sense had remained the same over the years. She still preferred her black cargo pants to the green school skirt she was forced to wear most weekdays of the year. Yolei also kept her choice in t-shirts the same as she was wearing a newer version of her Radio t-shirt.

Yolei made her way to her computer desk and sighed again as she sat down on the pine chair. The violet haired boy walked over to her and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"They think it's cool that we're Digidestined and just want to see some of the things we do," the tall teen boy offered her a reasonable explanation for her sister's actions.

"I guess you're right Ken," Yolei looked up at him and smiled. "It's like when we first started dating, they always wanted you to come here because they couldn't believe I have the boy genius Ken Ichijouji as my boyfriend."

Ken smiled back before bending down to kiss his girlfriend on her soft lips. It was just a quick kiss but it was enough to change Yolei's mood.

"How are you finding Odaiba, Ken?" asked the young boy who was still sitting on the bed.

"It's good Cody," the older boy smiled and looked at his younger friend. "Seeing Yolei and going to the Digital World with you guys is a lot easier. Going to school with Davis has been, um, interesting too."

Cody and Yolei laughed remembering some of the crazy things Davis had done at school before Ken moved to Odaiba, including playing football inside and breaking six windows in one year.

"Thinking of school, Mimi is moving back to Japan in a few weeks. Her Dad has got a new job here and the school year is over in America," Yolei enthusiastically informed her friends. "We'll get to see her everyday at school."

"That's great. I bet old older Digidestined are really excited," Ken answered fondly as he remembered Mimi had helped him join the group so they could fight Arukenimon.

"We finish school in March and start the new school year in April, like most schools in Japan. I'm guessing the school year is different in America, right?" Cody pondered aloud.

Ken looked over to him. "Yeah, it starts either late August or early September and finishes in June."

"It's not fair. Their summer holiday is one month longer than ours," Yolei complained. "We only get from mid-July to late August. Imagine the extra time we could spend in the Digiworld if we had another month off."

"We'd still be waiting for the others to turn up now even if we had another month off," Ken laughed. "And besides, in two weeks time we'll have our summer break too."

"Then we can spend all our spare time with our Digimon," Cody smiled as he thought about seeing his Digimon partner, Armadillomon, more often.

"But we still don't get that extra month," Yolei sighed before looking to her alarm clock. "Kari, TK and Davis are late."

"Davis is always late," Ken chuckled. "In fact I think I'd be very worried if he did turn up on time or early for something. That would mean something was terribly wrong."

"But TK and Kari are never late," Cody pointed out.

"Kari and TK will be together somewhere," Yolei smiled. "They spend a lot of time together, hence the rumours at school about them secretly dating. You must admit they would make a really cute couple, they're perfect for each other."

Cody and Ken were about to reply when the bedroom door opened and the subjects of the conversation, TK and Kari, walked in.

"Hey guys," TK smiled and waved to his friends.

"Heya," Yolei replied. "And where have you two been?" The purple haired added extra emphasis on the 'you' part.

"We've been to the shops to get our Digimon and ourselves some food for the picnic," Kari smiled as she closed the door behind her.

"So you weren't on a secret date like the rumours at school said you were?" Yolei teased her younger friends. The older girl saw it as her way of making them realise their true feelings for each other.

"No!" Kari protested. Her cheeks, along with TK's, began to turn a shade of pink for the second time that day.

"They say the only reason TK keeps turning down all of his fan girls is because of you, Kari," Yolei continued as she watched the brunette's and blonde's faces turn bright red. "Actually, now I think of it, you're like his number one fan girl."

"TK and I are just friends," Kari replied somewhat unconvincingly. "We're best friends so of course we're close. That's all Yolei."

Yolei was going to continue but realised Kari sounded a little hurt as she finished her sentence. The older decided to stop her banter and allow her friend's faces to return to a normal colour.

"Now, as normal, we're waiting for …" Cody was cut off by a panting goggle-headed boy walking into the room.

"Sorry I'm late guys," the brown haired boy in a red Manchester United football shirt and denim shorts apologised between breaths.

"What was it this time, Davis?" Yolei asked pre-empting an excuse from her younger and out of breath friend.

"I forgot to set my alarm clock," Davis panted. "Then I couldn't find my goggles. I can't go to the Digiworld without them."

The purple haired girl shook her head in a disagreeing reply to her younger friend's obsession with the goggles before reaching over to her computer desk for her red and white digivice.

"Is everyone ready?" Yolei asked as she pointed the screen of her digivice to her computer monitor. "Digiport open!" She yelled after the other Digidestined unanimously informed her they were ready to go.

A bight white light formed around the children of destiny as they we sucked into the computer monitor like water down a drain.

The sunlight of the clear sky reflected off a calm, peaceful lake causing it to glisten as small waves gently rolled up the shoreline. A soft breeze rustled the leaves of trees in a nearby forest as it cooled the midday heat. The plants of this forest shared the ground with random, unorganised street signs which had no relevance to the area and were a long way from any road. Two trams also sat out of place at the edge of the lake, looking as if they were abandoned there and lost without their rails. The final random misfit was the small grey TV that sat on the lake's shore near the trams.

A group of six Digimon walked out of the forest and towards the TV, chatting with each other as they did so. Walking at the front of the group was a small blue and grey, dragon-like creature that walked upright on his two legs. To the right of the cheerful dragon was a smaller green caterpillar-like Digimon which had a vertical purple mouth and lots of fast moving purple feet. Four more Digimon strolled along behind the other two. On the left of the group walked a yellow armadillo. Next to him was an orange and cream cross between a bat and a hamster that used its ears, which resembled bat wings, to fly. To his right was a cat Digimon that walked on her hind legs. Her fur was white with purple tips to her ears and had a corkscrewing purple stripe down her tail. The feline also had yellow and red gloves covering her front paws. Finally, walking on the far right of the group was a white and red feathered bird with black wing tips. The group reached the side of the random television and stopped, waiting for their friends to arrive.

Suddenly a bright white light emitted out from the screen of the TV onto the shoreline of the lake. The light remained for a few seconds before dying down and revealing what it had delivered to this world. A pile of six groaning, entangled bodies lay on the ground where the light had once covered.

"Wow, this place looks like paradise. Good choice Kari," Yolei approved as she separated herself from the heap she and her friends had landed in.

"I told you it was beautiful," Kari looked around and smiled when she saw her Digimon partner. "Gatomon," the brunette cheered as the cat Digimon jumped into her arms.

"It's beautiful when you're not being attacked by Seadramon. Isn't that right, Patamon?" TK laughed as he placed the food bags on the floor, allowing his Digimon to fly into his hands.

"Yep it is, TK," Patamon, the bat-hamster, replied. The joy of seeing his human partner again was clear from the size of the smile on his face.

"And it's better than last time we were here too, TK," Kari remembered back to the end of their first adventure.

"Yeah, last time we left here we didn't know if we'd ever see our Digimon again," TK hugged Patamon tightly. "Fortunately, now we can travel back and forth to see our friends when ever we want."

"I guess us newer Digidestined are lucky we can open the Digital Gates when we want to," Davis smiled before his stomach growled loudly.

The blue dragon Digimon laughed at his partner before his stomach also signalled to him he was hungry. The Digimon looked up to his friend. "Davis it's food time."

"Sure thing, Veemon," he replied as he pulled his black rucksack off his back and opened it up.

"Hawkmon, I brought you your favourite cake." Yolei smiled at her partner as she reached into a bag she brought to pull out the confectionary item. The purple haired girl knelt down to the red and white bird Digimon who thanked his partner as she handed him the gift.

"I hope you brought me some prune juice," the yellow armadillo Digimon asked Cody.

"Of course I did Armadillomon," the young boy with short brown hair replied.

"It's so good to see you again Ken," the green caterpillar Digimon's joy from seeing his partner again was clear in his voice as he ran up to the violet haired teen.

"It's good to see you too Wormmon," Ken replied as he scoped the small Digimon up in his arms.

The Digidestined and their Digimon sat at the edge of the lake, chatting fondly of old memories from their past adventures. The food had long been eaten, mainly by the Digimon, and everyone was now relaxing in the paradise of the Digiworld.

"Do you remember when Davis wanted to chop off Shogungekomon's hair?" Yolei laughed. She was sitting with her left arm interlinked with Ken's right arm.

"Yeah," Cody replied, laughing too. He sat up against a tree next to Armadillomon. "The Gekomon went crazy."

"Then Kari called him insensitive and he sulked for a week," Veemon teased his partner and joined in with the laugher. He was laying down next Davis, who was also joking about it.

"Hey, the big dude needed a new haircut and I offered him one," Davis added has he placed his hands behind his head and stretched out his legs.

"Using the super sensitive shampoo that you said you use?" Kari teased him. She was sat with TK and their Digimon at the edge of the lake. "The same super sensitive shampoo you tried to use to convince me that you were sensitive."

"Yep, using that very same shampoo," Davis laughed. "Yolei's family's convenience store has some if you need some."

The ground suddenly shook violently, instantly ending the laughter. A low rumble matched the vibration of the ground and a couple of trees fell over in the forest with loud cracks. The ground stopped shaking just as suddenly as it had started. Several loud, monstrous roars echoed over the lake making the Digidestined and their Digimon jump to their feet.

Six black skinned dragon-like Digimon jumped out of the forest and flew into the air. These demonic Digimon each possessed four glowing red eyes, a long black tail and four torn black wings. Their salivating mouths were lined with jagged sharp teeth. They had long forearms which ended in red razor like claws. Their hind limbs were thick and looked like they could pack a mean kick that could cause a lot of damage with the grey claws protruding from their feet.

"Devidramon!" Ken yelled, remembering the demons from his time as the Digimon Emperor.

"Everyone digivolve!" Davis screamed out his order as he turned to face Veemon.

The Digidestined's digivices and their Digimon began to glow a brilliant white light that signalled the start of the Digimon's digivolutions.

"Veemon digivolve to Exveemon!" The blue and grey dragon grew in size as the white light enveloped his body. A pair of white wings grew out of his back and the small horn on his nose grew into a large blade. His tail extended too as a large cross appeared on his chest. The light died down to reveal Exveemon's blue colour, white mouth and white chest.

"Wormmon digivolve to Stingmon!" The worm Digimon's body grew upwards and took the form of a tall humanoid bug. Four see through wings grew out of his back as large black claws grew on the end of his arms and legs. The bright light faded to show his green colour and large red compound eyes.

"Patamon digivolve to Angemon." The bright white light of digivolution surrounded Patamon's body, allowing him to take the shape of an angel. He possessed six white feathered wings, a large golden staff and a grey helmet that covered his eyes. The digivolution ended, presenting his white body to the Digiworld.

"Hawkmon digivolve to Aquilamon!" Hawkmon flew up into the air as his body as wings grew in size. Two large grey horns protruded out of his white feathered head and the claws on his feet took a more vicious shape. The light faded away, showing the red and white plumage of the giant bird Digimon.

"Armadillomon digivolve to Ankylomon!" Armadillomon's body rapidly expanded and began taking the form of a metal plated dinosaur. He had large spikes along his spine and sides as well as a large club at the end of his tail. The digivolution light revealed his yellow body with a purple stomach.

"Crimson Claw!" All the Devidramon roared their attack in unison and dived towards the now champion level Digimon partnered to the Digidestined. They all had their blood red claws outstretched, ready to slash the chosen Digimon.

Exveemon used his muscular legs to force himself into the air and into the path of one oncoming dark dragon. The blue dragon clenched his fist and threw a punch in the direction of the Devidramon attacking him. His fist collided head on with the right claw of the winged demon, knocking them both backwards through the air. Both Digimon regained control of their flight and turned to face each other.

"Spiking strike!" Purple spikes protruded from the attachments on both of Stingmon's arms as he flew into the air to face his attacker. The Devidramon charging Stingmon had both his claws out in front of him as he dived towards the green and black bug Digimon. Stingmon's attack smashed into the claws of the Devidramon in the same way Exveemon's fist had with the other Devidramon. Both Digimon pushed off each other and Stingmon took up a position next to his DNA digivolution partner, Exveemon.

Angemon was using his experience with Devidramon to lure the bad tempered monster towards him as he hovered in the air. The demon drew its claw back and then swung it forwards, taking a swipe at the angel. Angemon flew out of the way of the attack and over the evil Digimon. He spun around and drew his right fist back. A golden light formed around his hand has he did so.

"Hand of Fate!" Angemon yelled his attack before thrusting his fist forwards. He knew his attacks were most affective against evil Digimon like the Devidramon, which was proven when the golden energy struck the back of the black dragon. The Devidramon roared in pain as it shattered into millions of tiny pieces of data.

Gatomon crouched on the ground, waiting for the Devidramon coming towards her. She had the most experience with Devidramon because of her time working for Myotismon, the demon she eventually defeated. The Devidramon swung its claw in her direction but missed as Gatomon jumped onto it and then leapt for its head.

"Lightning Paw!" Gatomon clenched her yellow paw and her fist made contact with the demon dragon. The force of the attack knocked the Devidramon to the ground.

"Grand horn!" Aquilamon yelled his attack as he flew head first towards the Devidramon coming his way. The black winged monster barrel rolled out of the path of charging giant bird and flew past him. Both Digimon turned around and faced each other.

"Tail hammer!" Ankylomon bellowed the name of his attack as he swung the club on the end of his tail in the direction of the on rushing Devidramon. The black dragon pulled out of his attack and avoided the clubbed tail before landing on the ground in front of Ankylomon.

"One down, five to go," Davis shouted before turned to face the other Digidestined. "I say we DNA digivolve and finish them off."

The other Digidestined nodded in agreement and told their Digimon to move into position with their DNA partners for the joint digivolution.

"Exveemon…"

"Stingmon…"

The white digivolution light surrounded the bodies of the two Digimon as their joining started.

"DNA digivolve to Paildramon!" Stingmon's green and black armour enveloped Exveemon's body as they combined. Six wings appeared on their back, one pair blue, one pair white and one green pair. The digivolution completed after a red helmet formed over the now single being's head and a pair of guns appeared on its hips.

Angemon flew down to Ankylomon and landed next to him. The energy of DNA digivolution shone out of their bodies as the union began.

"Ankylomon…"

"Angemon…"

"DNA digivolve to Shakkoumon!" A large metal armour covered humanoid Digimon formed from the two champion level monsters. It was silver in colour and had a single pair of white angel wings protruding from its back. Shakkoumon hovered in the air using jets in his feet.

Aquilamon flew down towards Gatomon and the light of digivolution took over their bodies.

"Aquilamon…"

"Gatomon…"

"DNA digivolve to Silphymon!" Gatomon's and Aquilamon's bodies combined into a humanoid figure. Silphymon had a human head with Gatomon's ears, a white upper body with a metallic chest plate, feathers protruding from its claw tipped arms and Aquilamon's red feathered bird feet.

"Time to end this fight," Davis ordered as he clenched his fists. "Get them!"

"Desperado Blaster!" Paildramon took a hold of the guns on his hips and aimed them in the direction of the Devidramon. He pulled the triggers and fired blue energy bullets out of the machine guns. The bullets tore through the two Devidramon that were opposing Exveemon and Stingmon moments ago. The two demon dragons were unable to withstand the attack of the ultimate Digimon and shattered into data.

"Static Force!" Silphymon placed its hands out in front of its body. A pink energy ball formed which it then threw in the direction of the Devidramon that was once attacking Aquilamon. The energy enveloped the dark Digimon's body and turned it to dust.

The Devidramon that had been attacked by Gatomon jumped into to the air and flew towards Silphymon. It with drew its claw and prepared to attack. "Crimson claw!"

"Watch out Silphymon," Kari screamed as she watched the demon dragon flying towards her DNA digivolved Digimon.

"Astral Laser!" A light covered Silphymon's body as it turned and flew towards the attacking Devidramon. The DNA Digimon released the light from its body and majestically corkscrewed out of the way of the virus type at the last second. The light collided with the Devidramon, instantly deleting it.

"Justice Beam!" Shakkoumon fired red beams out of his eyes in the direction of the Devidramon that Ankylomon was fighting with. The beams burned through the demon dragon, turning it into data.

A bright light emitted from the DNA Digimon as the split apart and returned to their normal forms. They ran back to their human partners, who had already begun to collect all their stuff so they could return to Earth.

"I say we better get out of here before any other evil Digimon turn up," TK spoke to the group as he picked up the bags he brought with him. "We should take our Digimon back with us too."

"Yeah," Kari added as Gatomon returned to her side. "We should let Izzy know about this."

Ah, the end of the first chapter. It's meant to be a basic reintroduction to the characters and get the plot rolling. It is also meant to fill you in on some of the events in the year and a half between the end of the second season and this story, like Ken and Yolei being together.

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