The creepy one was touching him. His skin crawled as he desperately tried to ignore the situation by glaring elsewhere, unable to move as he was. It only gave the appearance that he was staring at the other guy at the computer. But that one never turned away from whatever he was doing, and Tai wanted to puke.

Again.

Who knew how long he'd been unconscious for… but he'd awoken some time ago with severe nausea. The scenery was different again… but he'd been too busy ignoring his personal creeper and not egg him on via eye contact to really study it. It wasn't really working, which was only making his stomach flip even worse.

He didn't know if he liked being this clear headed at the moment. A thousand thoughts and 'what ifs' assaulted him as he sat there. Questions… instincts… all of it coiled in his chest and he felt like he could jump up at any given moment and run. And the touching. It was a sensation that he didn't dare describe, even to himself. Mostly on his upper arms, but one or two slipped to his lower back since he'd woken up and he wanted to slug the pervert.

But with his hands, knees and ankles bound, he found he barely wiggle away… especially being wedged in a corner by the enemy.

"Would you quit fondling him and get your ass over here? You've been loafing around long since we got here." Annoyed, but the guy at the computer still didn't turn away, continuing the tap tap on the key board.

"You're a jealous cow." The hallowed face had a very off setting stare. "Loosen up a bit, would ya? We've got a prime future athlete here, and all you've done is star at the computer!" Tai almost sighed in relief as the attention shifted to the other person. And he promptly stiffened at the feeling of a hand on his leg. "Amazing body over here."

He simply reacted. His strength at nill, his balance gone… still he moved like lightning. Coach would be proud… his head swung in an arc as if he were in a game, his torso twisting. He turned into the other and connected with his head. It hurt… the loud and awkward smack made his vision blur and his ears ring… and the remnants of his headache returned in full force… but the man fell over sideways with a loud, rewarding cry.

Tai smiled darkly at the other, self-satisfied.

He yelped when the man recovered quickly and grabbed him by his hair. As he smacked the ground, he realized vaguely that it was an oddly familiar feeling, and Koromon flashed in his mind. But there was something else about it all that made his lingering sick feeling ten times worse. A pull at the edge of his senses that he couldn't ignore.

He cried out at all of that. He cried out at the vice-like grip at his ribs and the pressure on his legs. But it was gone in a flash, and he surged to his knees, ready to stand up and fight instead of whatever. His eyes met the creeper's, and for a moment, he was paralyzed. The gaze went right through him.

But only for a moment. The eyes shuttered and crossed. The color that erupted from somewhere was vibrant and gory and he could do nothing but gawk at all of the blood that fell like rain around him. The man fell sideways in slow motion, and his eyes finally broke their connection.

Startled and more than a little afraid, Tai stared at the man in disbelief. There was a convulsive twitch that was fascinating and utterly horrifying, and he just couldn't look away. Not even when the man who'd saved him… who'd brought him to the bathroom and made sure he'd eaten… stepped up and mumbled, "Told ya you were an idiot…"

He continued to stare even when the man knelt into his line of sight. "Your spunk did that. That's alright. He was a waste of space anyway. Nice headbutt, kid." Tai barely pulled his attention away from the murder he'd just witnessed. "I've got to get back to work. Lots of data to collect for the boss." A strangely thoughtful frown. "Here."

And vertigo. He held tight as the floor vanished and he was draped over a shoulder. The guy had a hard gate that had him biting his tongue in a small attempt to keep from being sick. He didn't lift his head to see the surroundings as they, or rather, he, walked. Not with the pounding in his head and the exhaustion creeping up at that point he couldn't really exact.

"I guess if the electricity is out, I can't get back to working.

All he could see in his mind was crimson staining the tan colored floor. His skin itched. 'Why do they call it "Cold Blood"… when it is very much warm?' he wondered.

Something surged in his heart. He felt like he could cry a river and defeat a mountain in one go. It welled up and threatened to consume him. Maybe he whimpered like a kid… he may have shouted. But it was intense and… familiar.

And the last thing he saw before he again lost consciousness… were two scarlet eyes staring back at him.

=/=/=

A/N: I debated whether or not to air this chapter. I know it's pretty short, but in the end, it was probably the best choice.