CHAPTER FOUR

Any of you guys seen anything that looks like this?"

The two boys on the bike looked up with blank faces, scratching their chins at the picture of the digivice that Matt held out. Tai sighed in defeat; these were the twenty-second and twenty-third persons of the day who gave them a what-is-this-alien-thing vibe. Matt crossed them and went ahead; Tai nodded in thanks at the boys and jogged after.

On another note, he needed to do the talk with Matt.

This was going to be awkward. Talking about feelings and relationships to Matt had always been intimidating. Tai knew how deeply Matt cared, but as soon as anyone made a slight mention of it, he'd shove his hands in his pockets and walk off in a different direction.

"Um, hey," Tai hesitated, "Are you eating well?"

Matt glanced at him sideways, "Hmm."

"And, how's the band going?" Tai was internally cursing himself. It was as lame as lame could get.

"We split up into a new band," he said. Did he sound genuinely interested?

"Ohhh." Tai hoped that didn't sound like an overreaction.

"You okay? You sound nervous. Is anything bothering you?"

Damn it. That was supposed to be Tai's line. He grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "Ah, no, actually I..." his mumbling died down to an inaudible volume. So Sora and Matt were at odds and upset. But to think about it, he probably wasn't the best person to give them relationship advice. Should he just back off from stepping into that particular muck and let them be?

"What, Tai?"

"Uh, I uh - I talked to Sora." He had done it. He could possibly a dig his own grave at his position and lay there forever.

"I see."

That was it? No, no. Tai began, "I just -"

"I'd have asked you to stay out of it but in any case you know us better than we know each other."

He blinked confusedly even as Matt gave him a ghost of a smile (it was a smile, right?), before he stuttered, "Huh? Yeah, hey - listen. I don't mean to - you know, intrude into your privacy... I don't like how you both are hurting. So fix it, you know? Communicate."

Matt exhaled, "Easier said than done, Tai."

So Matt was hell bent on not sharing. Fair enough, Tai realised, there was no point further digging into the subject. The day had been a waste anyway; not a single green signal about the lost digivice. Tai tried to bring himself back to the more pressing issue: if they didn't find the damned digivice within the next few days, he'd be done for. He wondered if he should've brought Agumon with him. Although he was certain the digimons were safe within Izzy's firewalls, what if someone tried to... kidnap him? After all it made sense, what purpose could the digivice serve without the digimon?

"Ssshhh," hissed Matt.

Tai raised an eyebrow, "I didn't say anything."

Matt stuck close to him and breathed a raspy whisper, "Pretend a conversation. I think we are being followed."

Tai's senses flared up. He knew he couldn't just turn around; that would alert the stalker. He casually put an arm around Matt and started with an animated tone, "Ah, well. School project's going awry. Let's just ask Izzy for more blueprints from his laptop, why don't we?"

He looked up at Matt. Did the code work? Did he still think they were being followed? Did the stalker buy that? Matt seemed slightly impressed. "My treat for the lunch. I need to find an ATM though. I'm out of cash."

So that was the plan. They'd call Izzy and ask him to let the digimons out, and the most convenient pathway for them would be an ATM machine. That was nicely done, by the way.

It was dead afternoon. Fewer people on the roads, and even fewer open shops. The area was unfamiliar to them, so it would take them some navigating to search out an ATM. In the mean time, they needed a way to stall the stalker from attacking, if it were to. Matt hissed again, "What's the plan now?"

"If I had my way I'd turn around and punch."

"... Okay, Tai, no."

"Thought so. Let's just keep looking for the ATM. If we're lucky enough -"

Both of them were frightened out of their wits as Matt's phone rang out in full volume. Tai peeked at the screen - it was T.K - all while he sniggered at what was possibly Matt's new musical obsession. The blond guy punched him aside even as he put the phone against his ear, "Yeah, T.K. What happened - what? Okay, okay, just bring her home. We're coming back."

"What happened?" teased Tai, "Wham broke up and nobody told you?"

Matt was unfazed. Something seemed wrong. "It's Kari. She fainted in the school hallway."

Kari wondered how long she'd be able to prevent this investigation with reasons as flimsy as feigning unconsciousness. Not to mention she already felt guilty about it.

"Hey," came a familiar voice.

She blinked weakly. It was the Takaishi household. Did she not realise being brought here? Did she actually faint? She had no idea. She looked around; T.K stood at the corner of the room in a splitting image of his elder brother, arms folded and expression unreadable. Her heart throbbed in fear; did he see through her doubts? T.K would be the last person she'd want to dig further into this; she knew he could break her guard more easily than she could even imagine.

"Are you okay?" he asked. She nodded.

The next thing she knew was the hurried sound of footsteps, an urgent knock on the door and her brother ramming into the scene, panting for breath. He came into a sudden halt at the sight of her, palms on his knees, heaving a giant sigh of relief. "What - what had happened," he uttered in between his shallow breaths.

Her insides churning into a guilty knot, she tried to put out a coherent answer, "I think my blood pressure dipped."

Tai reached out to check her forehead, "Do you have a fever?"

"Nah. I'm fine now, really. Just don't tell mom."

Kari was taken aback by what was a sudden whoosh of wind, that turned out to be Matt thunderous arrival and flinging of his fist at her brother that almost knocked him over against the wall. He roared, "You dumbass!"

"Matt!" T. K chastised him even as he ducked out of the way, a little confused.

Tai glared up, rubbing his face, "What the hell was that?!"

Matt seemed to be in a fit of rage. "Could you listen to me just for once? I asked you to stop a hundred times, but no, you had to have your way!" He went ahead and grabbed Tai's collar before anyone could make a move, "Whoever was following us, you led them straight up here. Who's going to take responsibility for that?!"

Kari moved her arms around her sides. It felt as if her insides had disappeared and all that was left was guilt. She was certain that her vague plan would stop Tai and everyone else from venturing into danger. To be honest, she'd have told them the truth, but if the Secretkeeper thing wasn't lying, she couldn't afford to risk its existence either.

Had she inadvertently brought them more trouble? No, that couldn't be. Whatever that was, would've attacked the two of them. Now there were four. They had a better chance at winning. It was okay to deceive if it saved lives.

"Well?!" Matt was ready to render more blows but he let go as Tai's face fell and he lost the urge to retaliate. "You're right," Tai mumbled, "It's - it's my fault."

Kari tried to intervene. "Onii-chan - "

More people. Sora, Izzy, Mimi and Joe. Everyone was here now. Sora stepped into the awkward silence of the room, "Kari, you okay?" before she noticed the palpable tension between a furious Matt, his arms folded and back turned at them, and a worried Tai, sitting on the floor against the wall, lost in thought. She dared to question, "What's going on?"

After a split-second of even more awkwardness, T.K decided to answer, "Matt thinks someone has been following them and might've been led to this place."