Tai knelt on the cold ground with tears streaming from his eyes. The pain echoing through his body could not match the deadly agony bursting from his heart. All he had ever wanted was to protect Sora from harm but in his greed and his arrogance he put her in danger. The image of Sora with Apocalymon’s hands wrapped around her body drilled into his mind. He couldn’t imagine what horrible ordeals she was enduring at his hands nor did he want to. He couldn’t bare the reality that he had created. TK walked over to him slowly.

“Tai I know how you feel but we need to decide our next move.” TK said gently.

Tai said nothing and merely nodded. He stood up and joined the group. Joe and Izzy looked completely lost. Matt paced back and forth looking nervous.

“We have to go after them.” Matt declared definitively.

“I agree with Matt. This is our fault and we need to save them. We need to leave now. Carry the Digimon and when they are rested we evolve them and use them to ride on.” Tai commanded.

Izzy shook his head back and forth.

“And where are we going specifically? He teleported out of here and we have no idea where he could be.” Izzy explained.

“Well then we are going to need your deductive reasoning. Now come on that’s an order. I am the leader here.”

“A good leader knows to listen to his men who might have an intelligent opinion.”

Tai sighed.

“Fine Izzy what do you think we should do?”

“Ok going into this with a lack of information would be suicide. We need to find Genai he has always helped us before and he will know what to do.”

Joe nodded in agreement.

“Genai’s place is only a days walk from here. He could be a great asset.” Joe said.

“What about the girls? Are we just going to abandon them? He has them and god knows what he is doing to them right now.” Tai yelled.

“My Admiral Akbar senses are tingling it’s a trap Tai!” Izzy yelled back.

“No it’s not. He had us all on the ropes if he wanted us dead we’d be dead.” TK reasoned.

“Then what’s his game?” Izzy asked.

“That’s the point it’s a game. He doesn’t just want to kill us. He wants to challenge us. He wants to push us to the edge of our sanity and break us. He wants to drive us apart. We can not let that happen. We have to stick together and stop him.” Matt explained.

“For once we agree Matt. We need to get out of here and save the girls. We have to search high and low.” Tai said.

“That will take too long. We don’t know where he is but we do know where Genai is. We find him and then focus on them.” Izzy demanded.

“Come on Izzy don’t you care about Mimi? You two are supposed to be together now.” Tai reasoned.

Izzy looked down in shame.

“Her life no more important to me than any of yours and much less so then mine. If want to go after them then fine but I’m going to find Genai.” Izzy said firmly.

“I’m with Izzy I don’t have a loved one out there. Besides I don’t know if they want me around anymore.” Joe said.

“Alright fine we will meet at Infinity Mountain in two days with a report. TK and Tai are you in?” Matt asked.

TK nodded but Tai did not look as convinced.

“I’m not going anywhere with you Matt.” Tai declared firmly.

“Tai this is not the time to dwell on the past. We both care for Sora. We need to work together to save her.” Matt pleaded.

Tai did not respond and merely stared directly to Matt’s right. It was the first time Matt had noticed that Tai had not looked him in the eye once since they arrived.

“What’s wrong Tai can’t be a man and look me in the eye?”

Tai grew angry at the insult to his manhood.

“Do you know why I can’t look you in the eye? It’s because every time I look into your eyes I see her love for you reflected in them. I see the two of you naked thrusting into each other moaning with lust. It started when you were dating and got worse overtime. I accept the fact that she choose you but I’ll be damned if I’m going to travel with you.” Tai stated.

Tension began to rise into the air again. Matt glared at Tai with mixed feelings in his heart. He was partially relieved to hear that Tai had let Sora go but furious at his coldness to him. Matt sighed.

“Fine we will split into three groups. Izzy and Joe will go to Genai’s place. They can take Gatomon with them. TK and I will search the east end of the island with Palmon in our care and Tai will take to the west with Byomon.” Matt stated.

Tai looked shocked at Matt leaving Sora’s Digimon with him. Did he possibly forgive him? Well it didn’t matter they had business to attend to. The group gathered and shook hands like men. Despite all the bad blood between them over the years this simple act of respect bought them a little closer together. They may have been separating but they were still a team and no amount of time apart would ever change that.