Digimon Adventure: Continuing Evolution

Interlude I

Odaiba, Japan; September 12, 2010 – 3:04 pm

Two weeks later, Tai got a text from Izzy asking for him and Kari to meet with him. Curiously, the text also stipulated that he should come in professional attire as well. And despite Tai's questions, Izzy refused to elaborate further.

"Should I change into something nicer too?" Kari asked, gesturing to her white floral blouse and jeans.

"He didn't say anything about that, so I would think you'll be fine," her brother replied. He dug out his grey suit jacket and slacks that he usually only wore for job interviews, and a white collared shirt which he tried to smooth out the worst of the wrinkles with his hands before putting it on. Lastly, he pulled out a skinny black tie that he managed to wrangle into a crooked half-windsor before Kari insisted on fixing it.

"Honestly, Onii-chan, you really are hopeless," she said affectionately as she straightened his tie. "And aren't you going to do anything about your hair?"

Tai ran a hand over his scalp. "What's wrong with it?"

Kari shook her head, grinning in disbelief as she turned away and let it go.

"It's a real hit with the ladies," he continued. "They love the messy unkempt look."

"Mmm-hmm," she agreed sarcastically.

"You humans and your obsession with your appearance," Gatomon derided, seemingly oblivious to the irony as she fastidiously licked her paws clean, "I'll never understand it."

Kari watcher her partner in amusement, hands resting on hips. "Indeed. Are you ready to go, Tai?"

"Uh, yeah, just a sec." On a last-second impulse Tai opened his drawer, retrieved his goggles, and stuffed them in his pocket.

When they reached Izzy's office, the company president eyed Tai skeptically. "That's the best you got, huh? I guess it'll have to do." Then he noticed his blue tennis shoes. "Come on, Tai! Couldn't you have put on some brown loafers or something?"

"I don't have any, Izzy! This is what I had on such short notice!"

Izzy ran a hand down his face. "I'd let you borrow some of mine, but I don't think your feet would fit in them. And I don't suppose you could have combed your hair for once, either. Whatever. It's fine."

"What are we doing here, anyway?"

Izzy moved past them and shut the door to his office, as if to ensure no passersby would hear, before answering. "I've acquired permission for you to see Menoa."

Tai's mouth fell open. "No way. Seriously? Izzy, you're amazing!"

"She's being held inside the U.N. Detention Unit at Scheveningen Prison in the Netherlands. Here's your clearance paper that you'll need to show to the guards to get inside." Izzy handed him a sheet of paper with a picture of his ID and several lines of text in Dutch. "You wouldn't believe how many favors I had to call in to get this."

"Great work, Iz. I owe you one."

Izzy snickered. "You sure do."

"So how do I get to the Netherlands?"

Izzy gestured to Kari. "That's what she's here for. I put out a request on INDICON for an open digital gate in the surrounding area, and a local Dutch girl named Lieka answered it. Kari will use her D3 to take you to her house a couple of miles from the prison. Oh, that reminds me." Izzy pulled out a small wad of Euros and handed them to Tai. "This is for anything you might need while you're there. There's a bicycle rental shop just down the corner from Lieka's house; I'd suggest taking one of those to the prison."