Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon. Digimon is the property of Toei Animation.

Tickling My Fancy

"Ugh, my head." Gatomon groaned, her consciousness slowly returning. She tried to reach a paw up to rub her aching forehead, but quickly found that her arm wouldn't budge. Huh? What was going on? With her mind still a bit hazy, any alarm she normally would have felt from such a strange development was abated for the moment. Instead her eyes fluttered open, her vision gradually coming into focus as she took in her surroundings. Wherever she was, it was dimly lit and smelled strongly of mold. Her head rolled to the side, allowing her get a look at the unresponsive paw. Her eyes shot open and she was suddenly wide awake from the sight that she witnessed. Her wrist was firmly chained and shackled to the table she was lying on. It didn't take her long to realize that the same was true for her other wrist, as well as both of her ankles. She was trapped!

Immediately Gatomon began to struggle against her restraints. The dungeon filled with the sounds of rattling chains and frustrated grunts as she thrashed about in a frantic attempt to break free from her bonds. Unfortunately after several minutes of fruitless flailing, it became clear that she wasn't making any progress. Forced to take a rest, her mind once again raced with questions about her predicament. What was this place? Why was she here? Memories of her time with Myotismon flashed through her mind. Could it be? Was he still alive?! The mere thought of seeing him again twisted her stomach into knots. No, no, Myotismon was gone! She and the other Digidestined had defeated him! At least that's what she told herself to try to calm her nerves. But if Myotismon wasn't responsible for this, then who was?

As if on cue, there was a loud clank followed by the squeal of rusty hinges as a door opened up behind her. Gatomon's sensitive ears picked up the footfalls of someone entering the room. The cat's heart pounded in her chest as she twisted her head from side to side, trying to catch a glance at her unseen assailant. A shadow loomed over her, the bat-like silhouette once again conjuring images of Myotismon in her mind. She held her breath as her captor finally stepped into view, at this point fully expecting to see her former master. But what she saw was not the old vampire that used to abuse her, and she felt just the slightest bit of solace at that fact. But her relief was short lived as she quickly realized who her captor actually was. An anthropomorphic bat with dark gray fur and long black hair... She had heard rumors about such a being who went around kidnapping heroes and innocents, and subjecting them to unspeakable horrors. Fear once again began to well up inside of Gatomon. If this being was even half as despicable as the rumors made him out to be, she was in serious trouble.

The bat turned around to face her, a wicked grin spreading across his muzzle "Hello Gatomon. Did you sleep well?"

"You'd better release me right now!" Gatomon scowled at the bat, trying to put on a brave face.

"Well, well, well, straight to the point, I see." the bat said smugly "You'll have to forgive me if I don't give in to your demands, but you are hardly in any position to threaten me. I trust you are already acquainted with your restraints. They were designed specifically for you, and I'm sure you will find that they are more than up to the task."

Gatomon growled, knowing that the bat was right "The others will come for me. There's no way you can take us all on at once!" she threatened.

"Perhaps not, but I can assure you that they will never find you." the bat replied confidently "You see this cozy little hell hole lies nestled snugly between worlds. So even if your friends thought to look beyond the digital and real realms that they know, it would take a miracle for them to pinpoint this exact location."

What was he talking about? Worlds beyond the ones they knew? Was it really possible? Or was he just trying to scare her? Whatever the case, she didn't want to stick around to find out. But in her current predicament there wasn't much she could do to stop him. She would have to endure whatever he threw at her, and keep an eye out for her chance to escape. In the meantime, maybe she could buy just a little more time for her friends to find her.

"Just who are you?" Gatomon asked the burning question.

"My, my, aren't we a curious one all the sudden. You know they say curiosity killed the cat." the bat flashed her a grin that gave her an uneasy feeling that he wasn't kidding "Still, I supposed it is only proper that you know the name of your captor. You may call me Nefarious."

If his name was to be believed, then this monster really wasn't a Digimon. "Why have you brought me here?" Gatomon continued her inquiry, even if she feared that she already knew the answer.

"Why it is quite simple. One of my other toys broke, so I need a new one to replace it. And I've been quite eager for a chance to finally play with you." the bat licked his lips "Now that introductions are out of the way, what do you say we get down to business?"

So the rumors were true, this manic planned on harming her for his own sadistic amusement. The hair on Gatomon's neck stood on end as she watched the bat strolled over to a nearby table and began to rummage through some instruments. She couldn't make out what he was going through, but she was sure it wouldn't be pleasant for her. Once again, she began to struggle against her bonds. Even if she knew it was a futile endeavor, she wasn't going to just sit idly by and let this monster have his way with her. After a few moments, Nefarious turned back to face Gatomon, that evil grin plastered on his muzzle. He approached her slowly, seeming to revel in the tension he was building until he loomed over the helpless Digimon. Only then did he raise his claw, finally revealing the instrument he had chosen for her torture.

A feather...? Was this some kind of joke?! All that build up, and the worst he could come up with was a harmless feather?! Gatomon couldn't help but actually feel a little insulted and angry at the unassuming weapon. He had trudged up old traumatic memories and nearly given her a heart attack, all so that he could tickle her?

"I bet I know what you are thinking." Nefarious spoke up "But I can assure you, this implement is more devious than you think."

He brought the feather down to her lower paw, holding the tip mere inches from her sole. It inched closer and closer until the fibers brushed lightly back and forth along the sensitive pads of her paws. Gatomon hardly noticed it at first, a minor nuisance at the most. But the feeling didn't stop, and the longer it lasted, the more irritating the sensation became. She wiggled her paw around in an effort to escape the onslaught, but the bat was diligent, following her little pads wherever they went. She tried to remain calm and keep her breathing steady as the tickling sensation dragged on. It was definitely irritating, but hardly what she would call torture.

No sooner had that thought crossed her mind, when she suddenly felt soft bristles brush over her other paw. The unexpected stimulation allowed a light giggle to escape her before she quickly returned to her stoic defiance. But with twice the teasing, it was becoming harder and header to maintain her composure.

"Why are you resisting? I thought laughter was supposed to be fun." Nefarious taunted her "Here, how about I lend you a few extra hands?"

Gatomon didn't even get a chance to respond before two more feathers began to tickle her right in the pits. She grimaced, trying hard to fight the sensation welling up inside her. But it was a losing battle; already small giggles were beginning to break through her defenses. The final blow came when yet another set of feathers started to tease her stomach. Unable to hold it back any longer, Gatomon burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter. But getting her to laugh was only the tip of the iceberg. With each passing moment more and more feathers joined in to tease all of her most sensitive areas. She wriggled and writhed, rattling the chains of her restraints as she pulled against them in an attempt to evade her ticklish torment. But it was futile; no matter where she tried to move, feathers relentlessly assaulted her from every angle.

How was this happening? The bat only had two hands, how could he possibly be hitting all her most sensitive spots at once? Gatomon tried her best to focus through the onslaught, looking down towards the troublesome titillaters. At first, the feathers seemed to be dancing through the air as if they had a mind of their own. But as she continued to observe them, she was able to make out a dark aura surrounding each of them. So that was it; this bat possessed some form of magical abilities. Though the concept of magic wasn't anything new to Gatomon, the fact that the bat had such abilities would make her escape that much more difficult. Unfortunately this was all the knowledge that she could glean for the moment. She could already feel her concentration slipping as the rain of feathers continued to tickle away at her vulnerable frame.

Her treatment dragged on for several minutes, and slowly but surely the seemingly harmless teasing was beginning to reveal just how truly insidious it really was. It was getting hard to breath, with her spasming diaphragm forcing all the air from her lungs. Her ribs began to ache and her muscles started to tire from constant struggling. Tears ran down her cheeks, belying the joyful sound of laughter she was giving off. She tried to be strong; it would be humiliating to succumb to such a pathetic form of torture. She had endured far worse at the hands of Myotismon. But still, her aching sides and burning lungs demanded respite. It was as the bat had said, this form of torment was more devious than she had imagined.

Even a will as strong as hers had its limits, and with the unrelenting tickles slowly chipping away at her defenses, it was only a matter of time before she finally cracked. "Hahahaha! Okay! Okay! Haha! I get it! Hahahaha! No more!" She manages to beg between laughs.

"Oh? What was that?" Nefarious pretended not to hear her, increasing the rate that the feathers were teasing her.

"Hahaha! No! Hahahaha! Stop! Stop! Hah!" Gatomon begged louder as the ticklish sensation intensified "Please! Haha! Can't Breathe!"

"Hmmm, if you say so." Nefarious stated, and just like that the feathers backed off, ending the exhausted Digimon's torment.

It took Gatomon a moment to even realize that her torture had stopped, but slowly her laughter died down, leaving her sweaty, drained, and gasping for breath. As the exhausted feline laid there, her thoughts turned to the ordeal she had just endured. Sure it had been worse than she thought, she even felt deeply ashamed that it had actually caused her to beg like that. But now that it was over, she couldn't help but wonder, had it really been that bad? If that was really the worst the bat had to offer, then she should easily be able to last until her friends rescued her, or she found an opportunity to escape.

"So how was it?" Nefarious asked "Be honest, am I every bit as terrifying as you feared?"

Gatomon couldn't help but grin smugly "Is that all you've got? You are nothing compared to my old master." she wasn't sure if it was the wisest decision to provoke her captor, but she didn't want to appear weak in front of him, especially after her earlier embarrassment.

"Is that so?" Nefarious replied "Well I have just one thing to say to that..." the bat leaned in close, whispering into her large feline ear. Gatomon's eyes grew wide with fear at the two words he uttered "April Fools..."

With a snap of his fingers, all the feathers that had been tickling her underwent a drastic change. The fibers violently tore themselves from their central quills, revealing that the quills were actually very sharp needles. The metallic menaces all turned their honed points towards the helpless Digimon, before one by one they began to descended upon her. Gatomon let out a shriek of utter agony as the first needle pierced deeply into her flesh, sending a jolt of pain up her spine.

"Ahh, now that's the sound I like to hear." the bat relished her scream "So much sweeter than those obnoxious laughs of yours. It was almost painful to keep up that ruse, but it was all worth it just to see the look of terror on your face when I revealed the truth."

Gatomon grit her teeth, trying to prevent any more cries from escaping. The last thing she wanted was to give that monster any form of satisfaction. But she still grunted and groaned as she attempted to endured the agony assaulting her. How long could she keep up this tough girl act? Not only was the constant stabbing pain whittling away at her defenses, but each needle seemed to strike at an ever more sensitive part of her body. Had the tickling been for more than just show? Had it allowed the evil bat to determine where she was most vulnerable?! Her pitiful whines slowly gave way to yelps and screams as the pain became too much to bare. Her body jerked and thrashed in anguish with each strike, futilely trying to escape the onslaught. Her paws, pits, ears, tail, and even her nipples; would any part of her be spared from this piercing agony?

Her answer came in the form of a needle sinking straight into her clit. Her back arched in sheer agony as she let out a scream so shrill that one would think she was being skinned alive. The pain was so acute that she hardly noticed that the rain of needles had come to an end. She just lied there, drenched in a cold sweat, taking deep ragged breaths and trembling violently from the abuse she had suffered. Tears of anguish streamed freely from her eyes while her wounds similarly cried rivulets of blood, staining her white fur with their crimson tears.

"Come now, did you really think I earned my reputation by tickling people?" the bat asked "Frankly I don't see why anyone would use such a pathetic excuse for torture. Especially when there are so many better options for taking someone's breath away." A wicked glint flashed in his eye as he spoke.

A sense of dread washed over Gatomon at those words. She knew the bat was planning something sinister, but she had no idea what form it would take. And now that the bat had revealed his intent to actually torture her, all manner of terrifying possibilities flashed through her mind. Her entire body tensed, bracing for whatever form of torment that would be inflicted upon her.

It happened in an instant. There was a sharp hiss, like air escaping a tire, and then a white hot flash of agony lanced through Gatomon's chest. She gagged up a splatter of blood, but any scream she wanted to release seemed to be caught in her throat. Her eyes turned downward, and her pupils shrank at what she saw. A long iron spike, jutting from her chest, drenched from tip to base in her blood. She simply stared at it, transfixed by horror and disbelief, her mind struggling to process the reality of what had just happened. That moment seemed to last an eternity, and yet it was all too short for the poor feline. Reality finally set in, and it was hell. She took short wheezing breaths, each one sending a surge of excruciating agony through her punctured chest. And yet, despite her desperate gasps for air, she couldn't seem to get enough of it. Her lungs burned and it felt like she was suffocating. Panic began to well up inside her; was this how she was going to die?

Nefarious saw the panic in her eyes, grinning to himself as he knew what she was thinking "Don't worry, I only punctured one of your lungs. You'll survive, though you may have trouble breathing for a while, and I'm sure it will be quite painful." he explained, like it was supposed to comfort her "I don't want to break you too fast, I just got you. After all, there are still so many games left for us to play together, and I can assure you, none of them will involve tickling." he let out an evil chuckle.

Gatomon was lost in a malaise of agony. A constant stabbing pain pounded in her chest, and her lungs felt like they were on fire. She could hardly focus on what the bat was saying. But she believed she caught the gist of it, and the thought of it filled her with dread. Was this really a glimpse into her future? What other kinds of sick plans did this madman have for her? Darkness crept in around the edges as her consciousness started to fade, the pain and exhaustion finally taking its toll on her body. The last thing she saw was that bat's smug face, grinning wickedly down at her as she sank into unconsciousness...

Gatomon shot up in shock, the sudden motion sending a surge of agony through her chest. She groaned in pain as she began to pant heavily, finding it hard to breath. Her paws instinctively wandered to her chest. The area was very sore and sensitive to the touch, but she could feel a patchwork of stitches, confirming her two worst fears. Her encounter with the bat had not just been some nightmare, and worse yet, she was still alive, still a prisoner to that maniac's depraved little games. The frightened feline slowly looked around at her new surroundings. This was not the same room as before. It appeared to be some kind of cell, with cold stone wall and no light source, save for what little trickled through the bars of her cell door. Both of her wrists and ankles were shackled together, and as if that wasn't bad enough, a ball and chain was affixed to her left ankle. Her white fur was dirty and stained with an alarming amount of blood. She thought to herself just how pathetic she mush look.

The poor Digimon made no attempts to move. She just sat there, totally defeated. Any hopes she had of escaping this place on her own were completely dashed. It was painful enough just trying to breath, let alone move or fight. Not since her time with Myotismon had she felt so utterly helpless. She couldn't believe this was happening again. Had she really managed to escape one hell, only to find herself trapped in an even crueler one? What had she done to deserve this?

The minutes dragged on as Gatomon suffered in silence; weak and tired, but in too much pain to make it back to sleep. Yet this was still preferable to being in the clutch of that sadistic bat. But how long would this reprieve last? How long until she was once again cast into the throes of agony? She tried not to think about it for fear of jinxing it... But it seemed she was already too late. Her ears twitched as she heard footsteps approaching her cell. Part of her hoped that it was her friends, here to rescue her from this hell, but deep down she had a gut wrenching feeling that it wasn't the case.

Unfortunately her suspicions were soon confirmed. That vile bat stepped into view and turned to peer into her cell, an evil grin spread across his face as he noticed her staring back "Oh good, you're awake." he observed "You passed out before we could finish our play time. But don't worry, I'll be sure to make up for it during our next game." Gatomon tried not to let his words shake her, but she couldn't seem to stop her body from trembling "Until then, I've brought you a little souvenir to always remind you of our first time together."

Nefarious reached a fist through the bars of the cell and let it open, allowing something to drop from his claw. A lone feather floated softly to the floor. Gatomon's eyes narrowed in terror at the seemingly harmless object, and she shuffled back against the wall as much as she could. She couldn't fully comprehend how such an ordinary feather could bring her so much dread, but every time she looked at it, she would flash back to that room and the horrors she had endured there. The evil bat chuckled at her reaction "My, my, it seems I've traumatized you. Who knew that such a simple prank could have such a profound effect. Maybe I should try this more often with my other victims." he let out a maniacal cackle as he left her alone with the feather.

Gatomon curled up and began to weep. She didn't care anymore if anyone saw her in such a vulnerable state. She just needed to vent all the pain and despair she was feeling "Kari, please hurry."