Count to Ten
Disclaimer: If I owned Digimon, I would be writing scripts instead of fanfiction.
AN: This requires some knowledge of binary. When you count in binary, a finger up is a one and a finger down ins a zero, your thumbs are the ones place, your index finger is the twos place, and so on. Four is represented, therefore, by a middle finger up; that explains the part... oops, I was about to spoil it.
Are you sure you want me to do this, Ms. Takaishi?
Yes, Izzy. For some odd reason, ever since summer camp TK's almost hero-worshipped you. He specifically asked me to have you babysit.
Okay, but I think it might be a mistake...
An hour after that, Izzy walked into the Takaishi apartment. TK's mom had a job interveiw, and Matt was on a date with Sora. So the job of babysitting fell to Izzy. He didn't have the faintest idea why he had agreed to do this, and was quickly beginning to regret his decision. Although TK had matured greatly in the Digiworld, time back among his peers had regressed him back to your average second grade boy. And the mythical average second grade boy was unfortunately rather hyper.
Though slightly daunted by the sugar-fueled ball of energy facing him, Izzy valiantly tried to maintain a semblance of control over the situation. So... TK? Do you want to play a game or something?
Sure! Let's play hide-and-seek! You're it!
How far should I count? Ten?
And with those words, the blob of sugar high occaisionally called TK ran off through the apartment.
Does he drink coffee or something? Izzy wondered. Then he began to count to ten—in binary. One, ten, he called, and then yelled, Ready or not, here I come!
Hey! You cheated! TK called from behind the TV.
No, I didn't.
Yes you did!
I counted to ten—but I counted to binary ten, which is the same as normal two.
Cool! Teach me to count in binary so I can cheat at hide-and-seek too!
A little later, they were seated at the kitchen table. There was a stack of blank paper in front of them.
Now, TK, the normal way of counting is called base ten. This is because it's based on the number ten. Each digit in a base ten number represents ones, tens, hundreds... etcetera. In base two, or binary, you use ones, twos, fours, eights... and so on.
So to count on your fingers in binary, you use your thumb for the ones place, your index finger for the twos place, your middle finger for the fours place... like this.
He made a fist and stuck out his thumb. This is one, same as in base ten.
He withdrew his thumb and extended his index finger. Two in base ten is ten in binary.
Extending his thumb again he continued. Three is eleven.
He paused, blinked, and looked at his hands. Well, maybe we should skip four.
Five is a hundred and one, he stated,with his thumb and middle finger extended but no others. He continued to count in binary until he reached base-ten ten. Then he asked, So, do you get it now?
No, but that's okay. Let's just play hide-and-seek. But don't cheat this time.