"Who is it, Mom?" Takeru called, leaning back in his chair. He heard the door open, but he didn't hear anything after that. "Mom?" There was still no answer. Takeru swore the woman was going deaf. He glanced back at his desk, at some paper he was doodling on to pass the time. He'd woken up just a little while ago, and he wasn't quite awake enough to leave the darkness of his tiny room.

Patamon, who was snuggled in Takeru's sole thin blanket, let out a yawn and rolled over, not paying much attention to whoever had decided to visit their apartment.

"Who could be here this early?" Takeru muttered to himself as he stood up, stretching his arms lazily. He walked towards the door, then stopped suddenly, his ears perking up at the sound of unfamiliar voices.

"Patamon?" he turned back towards his bed, speaking quietly. The small digimon didn't respond, so he repeated, "Patamon!"

"Wh-what?" he grumbled, rolling over to face his human partner.

"Do you hear those voices?"

The small digimon rubbed his eyes and sat up, sniffing the air. "Takeru, whoever's here, they smell like digimon to me!"

"Digimon?" Takeru said quietly, walking towards the door again. He cracked it open and peered out, his eyes focusing on the unsettling image of two Bakemon speaking to his mother. The boy's skin turned pale, and he quickly shut the door again.

"There's Bakemon here!" He said, dashing as quietly as he could towards the bed. "Come on, you've got to hide!"

Patamon flapped his tiny wings and hovered in the air, now completely awake. This wasn't the first time Patamon had to hide from an evil digimon, but it was the first time he'd have to do so in Takeru's own house.

"What do they want?" The little digimon asked as he flew over to Takeru's small closet. He nestled himself on the top shelf behind some crumpled up clothes.

"I don't know." Takeru responded, "But I'm going to find out."

"Be careful!" Patamon warned him as he huddled down into his hiding spot.

Takeru heard him, but the blonde was feeling pretty confident. Out of all the digidestined, he figured he looked the most different. There was no way the Bakemon could match him to the small little boy that they remembered.

"What do you want?" Takeru said coldly, stepping out of his room and shutting the door behind him. He caught his mother's worried glance, trying to reassure her. However, she still looked plenty scared.

"Takeru, go back in your room darling, I can handle this."

Takeru didn't budge. For so long, his mother had protected him. She'd worried about him when he went off to fight Myotismon the first time, and he'd barely escaped from that alive. He didn't want to worry her anymore, but he wasn't the child he used to be. Growing up in Myotismon's world had hardened his being, and now it was time for him to protect his mother.

"You heard your mom," one of the Bakemon said cruelly, "get lost. We're dealing with important business."

Well, at least the Bakemon had mistaken him for some young pest, but still, he was angry. There often wasn't a time where Takeru wasn't at least slightly angry, but this topped most moments.

"What business?" Takeru asked, narrowing his eyes. He had no intention of leaving them alone.

The Bakemon who'd spoken before opened his mouth again, but the other Bakemon nudged him in the side. "Don't lash out at this useless kid. We don't have any time to waste, and who we're looking for isn't here."

"You're lucky we're on a tight schedule, you little brat," the first Bakemon spat at Takeru before following his comrade out the front door, "but watch yourself. If I even hear about you stepping out of line, you're in for it."

The blonde held his breath for a few moments, then let it out in one giant sigh once he was sure the two digimon weren't coming back. "They didn't hurt you, did they?" He asked, forming fists with his hands as he looked down at the floor."

"They didn't do anything to me." His mother replied shortly, "But you should have listened to me and gone back to your room. What would I have done if they took you away?!"

"They won't, Mom. They can't even recognize me."

"It's not worth the risk, Takeru."

The boy held his breath. This argument wasn't worth it. "Why were they here, anyways?"

"They didn't say." Mrs. Takaishi replied quietly. "But it sounded like they were looking for someone."

The blonde remained silent. Who could have been so important? Who were they looking for? For years, Myotismon had his henchmen out on the prowl for the eight digidestined children. Why was their search now narrowed down to one?

"Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes." The older woman went on, changing topics so suddenly yet so naturally. The blonde fought the urge to roll his eyes. He hated how confrontations with evil digimon had become routine. As much as his mother tried to keep their lives normal, it really wasn't worth the effort. She could smile and cook breakfast like she used to, but all it took was one glance out the window to remind the boy that nothing had been normal for years. He always thought she needed to stop pretending, but he didn't want to be the one to burst her little bubble of imaginary happiness. He just… how could he act normal when this was all his fault?

Mrs. Takaishi disappeared down the hall and Takeru returned to his room to tell Patamon the coast was clear.

"That was a close one." The small digimon sighed, flying back down to his partner's bed. Unbeknownst to him, the blonde was eyeing a small backpack in the corner of his closet, right near where Patamon had been hiding.

"Too close." Takeru replied. "My mom's not safe with the two of us here."

"Where do you expect me to go?!" Jyou exclaimed, picking up Sora in his arms. His heart was pounding at what felt like a million beats per second.

"I don't know!" Said Shuu. "Just, away from here! Here, go hide in the kitchen! I'll distract those digimon, and you run for it!"

"But Shuu-"

"Jyou, don't argue with me about this!"

Jyou nodded grudgingly. As much as he didn't want his older brother to risk his safety, he knew the digimon would leave Shuu alone. They had nothing to harm him for- so long as Jyou made it out without being seen. Jyou dashed into the kitchen and shut the door just as the Bakemon burst inside.

Jyou could hear his older brother talking to the monsters, although their voices were muffled. He couldn't make out what they were saying. The boy looked around nervously, Sora's weight in his arms growing on him.

"Ah! There!" He exclaimed quietly, dashing for the small pantry. If Jyou held Sora really tightly to him, both of them could fit inside the small walk-in-space.

"Jyou?" A different voice asked, causing Jyou's heart to jump as he sped towards the pantry doors. "What's going on?"

The boy looked over his shoulder and his eyes fell onto Gomamon, who was sitting across the kitchen floor with crumbs on his cheeks. Obviously he'd gotten into the food.

"Gomamon!" Jyou replied, not sure if the presence of the digimon made him more or less nervous. "I'll explain later, but Bakemon are here! Quick, hide!" The boy opened up the pantry doors and ushered his partner inside. Gomamon didn't hesitate. As quickly as he could, Jyou shut the doors behind all of them and the walk-in-space became dark, aside from a small sliver of light from the space between the door and the wall.

Jyou was trying to control his breathing so he could hear his brother better, but it seemed to be impossible. He exhaled heavily and loudly, the warm air causing him to sweat. "What do we do?" He whispered to his partner, grimacing, trying to hold Sora up against his chest. Gomamon opened his mouth to answer, but he promptly shut it once he heard the kitchen door open. Jyou peeked through the crack and saw two Bakemon enter, a small gasp escaping his mouth. Instantly, Gomamon slapped one of his fins over it and held his breath.

"Did you hear that?" One of the Bakemon said to the other, taking a moment to scan the room.

"Hear what?" The other digimon answered, looking down at the ground. "Hey… look…" His eyes focused on something, but Jyou couldn't tell what. "Are those… crumbs?"

Instantly, Jyou glared at Gomamon. The small seal digimon gave an apologetic look, biting his lip. The Bakemon noticed a trail of crumbs leading directly to their hiding place. It was only a matter of time before they were caught, and the two evil digimon were already hot on their path.

Jyou clenched his teeth together and looked down at his partner, a feeling of odd strength coming over him. In the past Jyou would have been the first one to give up hope, but he couldn't now. He looked down. Not with Sora relying on him.

"Gomamon, listen to me, I need you to attack them. We need to have enough time to get Sora away from here."

"Jyou, but that'll out you! You'll have to go into hiding all over again! Are you sure about this?" His digimon looked up at him worriedly.

Jyou grunted and nodded. "I'm sure."

"Alright then…" Gomamon said, readying himself. "I've been waiting years to do this."

The Bakemon were right up against the door now. They'd followed Gomamon's trail of crumbs to the pantry. One of the ghost digimon reached out to open the door, but just before he could, Jyou slammed it open, throwing the digimon aside. A split second afterwards Gomamon jumped at the other Bakemon, slashing him across the face with his claws.

Both the Bakemon stumbled backwards, shocked at what they were seeing. "Euh.. Digidestined! Digidestined! He's a chosen child, don't let him get away!"

But it was too late, Jyou had already dashed out of the kitchen, Sora still in his arms. He grimaced at trying to run while holding all her weight, so as fast as he could he moved her onto his back and let her arms dangle over his shoulders to make sure she didn't fall off. The girl's head rested on him as he ran out of his apartment. "Come on, Gomamon!"

"I'm coming!" The small digimon exclaimed, struggling to keep up with his partner's long strides.

The two of them ran along, the Bakemon behind them, but not yet close. They'd managed to put a lot of distance between themselves thanks to Jyou and Gomamon's quick thinking.

"I can't run for much longer!" Jyou yelled to Gomamon in between breaths. "We'll have to find somewhere to hide!"

"Eh, here!" Gomamon said, turning suddenly and running down a darkened alleyway. He figured hiding was better too. They hadn't run into anyone else on the streets yet, but it was only a matter of time until someone noticed the small digimon running around. The less people that saw them, the better.

Jyou barely hesitated before he followed his partner into the dark. It was creeping him out, but at least they'd be safe. Gomamon lifted up one of his flippers and waved them down so they could crouch behind an overflowing dumpster. The smell was wretched, but it was the safest thing they could do. The boy could hear the two Bakemon shouting frantically, their voices getting louder and louder. He leaned back against the wall so he could peek through the space behind the dumpster and saw the two evil digimon flying past. They didn't suspect a thing.

"Whew." Jyou sighed quietly, letting himself relax. Gently, the boy took Sora off his back and laid her down so her head was rested on his chest. "That was a close call."

"You're telling me." Gomamon replied.

Jyou leaned his head against the cement wall of the building behind him and shut his eyes for a moment. "When do you think we should go back to check on my brother?"

"Let's… let's give it awhile…" The small creature replied solemnly, aware of how much Jyou was worrying. "Just in case. We wouldn't want anyone to follow us back, right?"

"Yeah."

Gomamon was the one to sigh now. He knew that Jyou wasn't happy, but then again, he hadn't been happy in years. It tore the small digimon apart thinking about the constant stress and guilt his partner felt.

"What are you doing here?!" Mimi exclaimed, trying to catch her breath. She'd stuffed Palmon under her bed just in the nick of time. The girl glanced behind the two Bakemon who now stood before her, at what used to be her bedroom door. Half of it was still attached to the hinges, but pieces of splintered wood now littered her floor.

The Bakemon stared at the girl long and hard, and Mimi knew if they thought enough about her, they'd figure out who she was. "Get out!"

"You're not really in a position to be bossing us around like that." One of the Bakemon spat, narrowing his eyes.

"Yeah!" The other one added on, before turning to his partner, "but mouthing off like that does make her a suspicious person, doesn't it?"

They both laughed, and Mimi's eye twitched. If only she could have Palmon digivolve and beat the living daylights out of those two, then she'd have the last laugh. But she couldn't do that, as much as she wanted to. That would be more trouble that Mimi didn't want to have to deal with that day.

To be honest, though, Mimi wasn't sure how the Bakemon hadn't recognized her already. Perhaps it was her new hair-do. She always wanted to dye it pink, and she figured it'd be the perfect disguise. She didn't want to do anything else too risky though, so she kept her mouth shut, even though all she wanted to do was beat the living daylights out of those dirtbag Bakemon.

"Search the room." One of the evil digimon said suddenly, glancing menacingly at the girl. "Leave no stone unturned."

And that was the moment Mimi knew she was in real trouble. If they looked under her bed, they'd find Palmon, and she wasn't sure if her and Palmon could take on two Bakemon on their own. They hadn't fought anyone in years! Besides, there could be more creeps on their way, too. The girl bit her lip as she tried to form some type of plan. For years, Palmon had protected her from harm. Now it was her turn to do the same.

"Hey!" Mimi called out, jumping off of her bed. "I thought I told you two to scram! Don't touch my things!"

Both the Bakemon eyed her angrily. They were getting frustrated with her outbursts. The digimon who was searching the room stopped and floated over towards her. "You really need to be taught a lesson about respect for your superiors!"

"Superiors?!" Mimi rolled her eyes, trying to purposefully sound insubordinate. "You two dumb goons have never been my superiors!" Then, the girl put on her finishing touch. She leaned forward and smacked one of the Bakemon square in the face. "I told you to get out!" And then, her tone of voice changed. It became quieter, secretive. "You won't find anything here! I've hidden nothing, so nothing will show up."

Mimi bit her lip and stood straight now, hoping Palmon would get the hint. She knew her partner was probably struggling with herself under the bed, trying to figure out whether to come out and protect Mimi, or whether to protect herself. In the past, Mimi and Palmon had discussed what they'd do if anything like this ever happened. Mimi told her partner she'd rather be taken hostage, if she had to be, as a regular civilian instead of a chosen child. Then if need be, Palmon could come and try to rescue her. The girl had hoped that nothing like that would ever have to happen, but as Mimi stared into the vengeful eyes of the two Bakemon, she knew it was about to. She braced herself as the digimon came forward and grabbed her by the arms.

"You're coming with us." One of them spat, pulling her away.

"You won't have me forever!" Mimi yelled back at them, glancing back at her bed one last time. She breathed a sigh of relief. Palmon was sticking to the plan. However, her heart ached- she knew Palmon must be struggling heavily. It was against her nature to let Mimi get into trouble. But, times had changed, and so had the two of them. Mimi was ready for what lie ahead of her. If she was brought to Myotismon, or even just to his castle, she'd be able to get an inside look at what was going on.

Before she knew it, the girl was out on the streets being pulled towards Myotismon's headquarters. People were running around like mad- mother's were pulling their children along, and men were struggling to get home to their families. The city was in chaos, but what for? Mimi was sure she'd find out.

Back at her apartment, Palmon crawled out from under the bed once she was sure the coast was clear. Her eyes were angry, but her heart was sad. As much as she wanted to protect Mimi, she had to obey her partner's wishes. She knew if she didn't that both of them would be in trouble. But now their plan was in action. Palmon dashed to Mimi's bedroom window and scanned the streets. Sure enough, there was Mimi, still in her pajamas, getting pulled away. The little green digimon narrowed her eyes. "Don't worry Mimi, I'm coming."

Taichi slammed his apartment door after the three Bakemon had finally gone. He turned around and faced the mess that was left. The digimon had trashed the place. His couch was turned over and his closets had been emptied of their contents. The blanket on his bed was torn and thrown onto the floor, and all his kitchen cabinets had been opened. He grumbled something too himself as he wondered where to start cleaning. The boy walked over to his couch and flipped it right side up again, grunting as he did so. Now that was done, but honestly, he was too flustered to start cleaning anything else. What else could Myotismon do to him? He'd separated him and his sister- and he still didn't know her whereabouts. He'd obviously gotten hold of Birdramon, which meant that Sora was probably in danger. And now, after he'd messed with the people Taichi cared about, he'd sent his henchmen to search his house. For a moment, the boy wondered if any of those instances were connected, but he was too exhausted to contemplate the idea.

For as exhausted as he was though, he'd had enough. For years, he'd been a fighter in the night- hiding in the darkness, picking off weak henchmen, saving civilians, but it wasn't enough. It was his responsibility to protect the entire world, and he'd already let everyone down once. After four years of living under Myotismon's rule, Taichi could feel himself cracking.

The boy grabbed his coat and dashed out the door. He had an idea. The streets were starting to calm down now, thankfully. If the Bakemon were searching for something, their search appeared to be coming to an end. People were beginning to walk slower and things didn't seem as chaotic. The boy passed an alley and noticed a pair of feet sticking out from behind a dumpster. He paused for a moment and looked down into the darkness, and perhaps if he wasn't in such a rush he would have checked to see if whoever it was was okay, but he simply didn't have the time. He sighed and continued on. The quicker he got back home, the better.

The boy walked into a bar about 8 blocks away from his building. It looked old and run down, but it held a few secrets if people were willing to look for them. The bartender eyed him from across the counter before walking cautiously over to him. "What can I do for ya?"

"I'm a weary traveler," Taichi began slyly, "I just need to use your restroom."

The bartender put down the dish he was washing and pulled out a key from his pocket. "You know where it is?" He asked.

"I do."

Taichi knew where he was going, but he wasn't headed to the bathroom. This bar was the secret entrance to one of Odaiba's black markets. There was a locked door next to the actual bathroom with stairs that led underground. There were a few other entrances elsewhere, and another bar a few blocks away that hid the entrance to the Odaiba RHQ. Taichi'd been there quite a bit too.

Not many people underground knew he was a chosen child, though. Revealing his identity was risky business. His short haircut hid his true identity quite well, especially when it came to the dimwitted Bakemon, but it also worked on people who were bitter about his original loss to Myotismon. It was never good to run into them.

Taichi held onto the key tightly and walked over to a small corridor that held two doors. He looked behind him before unlocking the second one and disappearing into the dark stairwell. He let his eyes adjust for a moment before stepping more quickly, turning once he'd gone completely down the stairs to take in Odaiba's black market. The underground cavern was quite large, and it would keep expanding in the future as long as Myotismon still had control over Tokyo. There were aisles and aisles of little stands, illuminated by candles.

It was fairly busy for something most people shouldn't have known about. People browsed stands that sold banned food, old magazines, and other reminders of the past. Taichi wasn't here to look for such useless trinkets, though. He was here for a riskier reason.

At the end of one of the pathways of stands, there was one that not many people stopped to look at. Taichi, however, had his eyes glued on it. He pushed past some people, trying not to rub anyone the wrong way. The last thing he needed was to get into a tiff with someone that was up to no good.

He walked past a magazine stand, ignoring the shop owner who nearly shoved one in his face. The older man said something about each issue being cheap, but Taichi only grunted in return. He kept his eyes straight ahead as he walked past a stand that sold knives, the shopkeeper eyeing him curiously the entire time the brunette was in his sight. Taichi felt a chill go down his spine, but he ignored it. Most of the people that visited the black market were simply creepy, not evil.

Unfortunately, perhaps the creepiest man of them all ran the stall that Taichi was headed towards. He was close enough now to make out the outline of the shop at the end of the aisle, even with the dim lighting. There was no sign on it, but you'd have to be really dense to not realize what was sold there. Out on display, there were guns, and behind the stall, there were more guns. There were handguns and rifles and every type of bullet you could ever need. Taichi looked over the selection carefully, and he could feel the shop owner glaring at him.

"You wanna buy somethin'?" The man asked, his voice gruff.

Taichi looked up at him. He was old and overweight, and his long grey hair was pulled back into a low, loose ponytail. A few strands fell down into his face, masking some of his thick, worn skin. He didn't look terribly friendly, to the point where if Taichi wasn't even looking for something here, he would have felt obligated to buy something anyways.

"I do." The brunette said, pointing towards one of the hand guns. "That one."

Taichi decided that one would do nicely. It'd be easy to hide so he could carry it around- he'd take tons of digimon by surprise. And if any of them decided to break into his house again, they'd be in for it.

"That's 92740 yen." The man said, still looking skeptical. He leaned back against the wall and looked the brunette over.

"92740 yen?!" Taichi asked, trying to keep his voice down but still managing to sound shocked. There was no way he could afford that! He only had half of the money he'd need.

"Do I need to repeat myself?" The shopkeeper asked, narrowing his eyes at the boy.

"No." Taichi grumbled, glancing back at the gun. The boy knew he needed it, but how was he going to pay for it? He could do odd jobs around the city and make the money he'd need in a few days, but what if his home got invaded again before that? What if his identity was found out and he was overpowered? Honestly, the thought of being locked away for the rest of his life so he could sit and think about how he let humanity down didn't sound like too bad of an option. It was one he deserved, probably, but he wasn't getting locked up anywhere before he found his sister. The events of that morning had been too close of a call.

"Look," Taichi went on, figuring he might as well try and barter, "I don't have all the money now, but how about I make you a deal?"

The old shopkeeper pushed himself off the wall and leaned slightly over the table. "I'm listenin'."

Taichi knew he'd be able to make the money, it would just take time. But he was also sure the shopkeeper would say no to his offer if there was nothing extra in it for him for waiting. "Give me a week," the boy said, "and I'll pay you what I owe you- doubled."

"Do ya take me for a fool, kid?" The shopkeeper asked, flashing his yellow teeth. "I've seen yer kind before. You come in here thinkin' if ya can just get yer grubby little hands on a weapon ya can save the world, but ya get yerselves killed before I get the rest of my money."

Taichi sighed. "I'm not trying to save the world. I'm not in that business."

The old man leaned forward, his husky voice quiet. "Then what kinda business are ya in?"

"I'm in the business of staying alive, sir." Taichi said simply, trying hard not to look distastefully at the shopkeepers wretched appearance.

The older man leaned back and grumbled something Taichi couldn't hear. He glanced at the gun, then back up towards the boy. "Fine. Ya got yerself a deal. Ya got one week to get me the money you owe me, doubled. And if ya don't, well," he let out a small chuckle, "let's just say I don't ever forget a face."

Taichi nodded, repressing the uneasy feeling that was making his stomach flip. He had a feeling he'd just gotten himself involved in something he shouldn't have, but he needed a way to protect himself. No one was going to stop him from finding his sister. No one.

The chosen child paid the shopkeeper and took the gun, concealing it under his jacket. The growing feeling of uneasiness Taichi felt was pushing him to leave, so he did, just after reassuring the shopkeeper that he'd definitely be back in a week with his money.

The old man stared at him as he walked off, rubbing his chin. He glanced over towards a man from another stall and beckoned him over. "Look at that boy walkin' off over there. Just bought a gun, says he'll pay me double."

The other man pushed his crooked glasses up on his nose and ran a hand through his wispy dark hair. "How many times have you heard that before, Kenta?"

"Too many." He groaned. Kenta watched Taichi walk off for a second longer and dug his hand into his pocket, pulling out the money that he'd just been paid. He split it in half and gave a portion to the other shopkeeper. "Take this and follow him. Find out where he lives. I'm not getting cheated anymore, ya hear?"

The man looked down at the money in his hand, his glasses sliding right back down on his nose. An ill-intentioned smile formed on his face. "Certainly."

"What do you mean you haven't found her yet?!" Myotismon yelled, standing up from his chair. He raised his hand and forced it down, causing the shaking Bakemon in front of him to be thrown to the floor.

"I'm- I'm sorry, master!" He pleaded, his face against the ground. "She's hidden well, but please, there are other Bakemon still searching! We're going as fast as we can!"

"It's not fast enough!" Myotismon roared, throwing his hand to his side, tossing the Bakemon effortlessly into the wall beside him. The ghost digimon let out a wimper and he fell to the floor again. "Now get out! I don't want any of you resting until the bearer of love is found! Or any of the other digidestined, for that matter!"

The Bakemon picked himself up and hurried himself out. The door shut and Myotismon sighed, slinking back into his stone chair. "Those damn children.."

"Sir, if I may.." a voice spoke from behind Myotismon's throne.

"What is it?" The evil digimon barked.

Phantomon showed himself, bowing slightly as he levitated forth out of the shadows. "With all due respect, sir, are the Bakemon really the right digimon to do this job?"

Myotismon grumbled. "Perhaps not, but what are you suggesting?"

"Master," Phantomon began, kneeling before Myotismon's throne, "send me. Put me in charge of this mission, and I won't fail you."

Myotismon looked at him skeptically. "And how do you know that?"

"Because," Phantomon smiled deviously, "these children are acting like cowards, hiding in the shadows. They won't simply come out by themselves. We have to draw them out, and isn't it convenient, we have someone who's very important to the bearer of love at our disposal."

"Mm." Myotismon thought for a moment, remembering how the bearer of love escaped his grasp. He didn't want to believe it, but her crest's petty power had helped her, along with that wretched woman. The vampire digimon grimaced, remembering the light that shone from the chosen child's crest once he came into contact with it. It pained him to remember, and that angered him. "Do whatever it takes, loyal servant. I want that girl back here, alive. She'll lead me to the other children, and then I'll destroy them all."

I am SO sorry that this took me so long to write. I had this chapter done months ago, but then my computer crashed and I lost everything. This is the third time it's happened to me, but it wasn't any easier to try and re-write everything, which is why it took me so long. I tried to recreate this chapter so it'd be the same as it was before, but it didn't come out as well as I wanted it to. I'd just like to thank everyone who's been reviewing and reading this story! It means a lot. I hope you all enjoy this chapter as much as you seemed to enjoy the last three. Once again, I'm sorry that this took so long, and I'm sorry if it seems a bit rushed. I tried to edit it multiple times, but I really didn't want to keep you all waiting anymore. Thanks so much!

Surflilu.