A handful of the Digidestined team were hanging out at the front steps of Tai's apartment building for their usual "study session". Only a few of them actually studied. Izzy was plugging away at his computer while Yolei sat by his elbow, doing her nails in a glittery shade of light purple. Tai was quizzing Sora about something or other, Matt was playing air bass, and TK and Davis were arguing over what TK's name was. Davis insisted TK's name was TA.
TK rolled his eyes. "Don't you think I'd know my own name?"
"Well you've never corrected me before," pointed out Davis.
"I have!" cried out TK. "So has everyone else!"
Davis whipped his head around to look at Kari. "Right his name is TA? And no one told me otherwise?"
Kari barely looked up. "Sorry, Davis, his name's TK and yes we have told you millions of times before."
"Oh."
"Finally, resolution to this nuisance," muttered TK.
"What was that TJ?" demanded Davis. TK reddened and leapt to his feet.
"My name's TK for cryin' out loud! We've been friends for three years now and you still can't get my name? It's two freakin' letters! T! K! TK! TK! Got that? Get it right, you half-wit!" he yelled. All eyes were on him. More than one jaw dropped to the concrete. Never before had they seen TK erupt with such vehemence, abhorrence rancor, pugnacity and abolishment.
"Take it easy TK," said Kari, forcing him to sit down. "He's never got it right in the past, and I don't see why he should now. You should be used to it by now, so why bother?" TK grumbled a little then engrossed himself in his chemistry book.
"Ya know," said Matt, neatly changing the subject. "I had a very interesting conversation with Ntropy 7th period."
"Serious?" asked Yolei. "Us too, but during math." She included Izzy.
"Ntropy's in your class too?" asked Matt. Yolei nodded.
"So Ntropy's either a Senior or a Junior," deduced Tai.
"Our mystery informant," laughed TK. "Is right under our nose and we haven't a clue who he, or she is."
A sudden ringing erupted into the air. The 02s slapped at their pockets or dug into backpacks in search for their D-Terminals. "It's Ntropy," announced Kari, stating the obvious.
"Quick! Log on!" yelped Yolei, reaching across Izzy's keyboard, getting totally in his face.
"Jeez, all right!" came Izzy's muffled cry. Sure enough, a chat box was open. A little smiley face was blinking.
"Hi!" a disguised digitalized voice piped out of the speakers. "Don't worry, it's just me. I got tired of typing," said Ntropy in way of apology, knowing it had scared the heck out of them. "
"What's up Ntropy?" said Tai. "Any leads?"
"I got more than just a lead, I got it."
"Whaddaya mean ya got it?" demanded Davis. "Got it as in got it got it? Or you just got it." Got it? Well, I don't got it. Do you got it? I sure don't got it…Did anyone got it?" He scratched his head confusing himself.
"Er…I got it. Take it how you want it, but I got it." The screen flickered and a file got transferred onto Izzy's computer. "These are the digidestined."
"I don't believe it!" cheered Sora. "Great work!" Yolei and Kari grabbed each other's hands and jumped up and down excitedly.
"Turns out, they were closer than we thought," said Ntropy. A folder expanded on the screen. Its icon was decorated with a little swirly thingy that looked like a flame. "Support Digidestined, fire element," The file opened and a complete personal bio scrolled on screen as well as a photograph. It was of a girl around 11 with green clipped auburn hair that angled just below her shoulders. She wore blue flares and a green and blue tank top. "I believe you know her."
"Se-ren-dip-ity," Izzy drawled.
"That's Jinjo!" Tai whipped his head around to face his friends. "That's one of Cody's school friends!"
"Correct-o-mundo, Tai. Jinjo Ikari," chirped Ntropy. The next file glowed. Its front was decorated with a chunky looking thing that looked like a rock. Sort of. "Next one's obvious." The file opened and a bio and picture of Cody appeared. "Cody Hida. Support/02 Digidestined of the Earth Element."
"Figures," said TK. "There's always someone from the previous team."
"Third SupportDD, is…" Ntropy keyed up an electric drum roll along with the file. This time it was a picture of a 12 year old with hair so dark it was blue and light blue eyes. "Travis McKinnon, Element wind."
"What!" chorused Tai and Matt. "Oh man oh man oh man…" muttered Tai. "I knew that kid was something, but not this kind of something."
"Fourth one is none other than," A picture opened, revealing an 6 year old with black hair that flipped out at her shoulders. She wore a cute little yellow jumper with a big red bow at the back of her head. "Sefie Sakura Dincht."
"Little Sefie?" said Izzy in amazement.
"See it and believe it," said Ntropy. "The kid has the Water element."
"Who's the fifth?" asked Kari. "I'm dying to know."
"Now you know how we felt," said TK recalling the trials they had to face in finding the 8th child.
"That's the problem," said Ntropy. "For some reason I couldn't find the last one."
"Perhaps he or she isn't in the Japan database?" said Izzy.
"Explain."
"Maybe the next child is in the US, just like Willis was."
"True that," muttered Ntropy. "It's worth a shot. I'll look it up."
"Funny," said Yolei. "All of Cody's friends are the Digidestined. Maybe he hangs out with someone else. Could be the other Digidestined."
"Who else does he hang out with?" asked Sora. "I only know those three."
"No wait," said Izzy frowning. "I saw him with the new transfer student. I forgot his name."
A little gagging sound came from Ntropy's end of the link. "Ntropy! Are you all right?" said Sora in alarm.
There was a little more gagging before Ntropy croaked out an answer. The digitalizing made it sound even weirder. It was more like a drowning cat who was trying to speak Spanish with a French accent while playing the kazoo...badly "Uh, nothing. I'm just a little surprised at who the next Digidestined is. I…kinda…know him…Uh, yeah…uh…"
"Well," said Yolei planting her fists on her hips. "Who is it?'
The filed popped onto the screen. A kid with spiky brown hair appeared on the bio. He was around 11 with a kind of glazed expression on his face. "Maxim Fernando, Electric element."
"I knew it!" proclaimed Davis. "I knew it!"
They could hear faint murmurings of disbelief from Ntropy. "I don't believe it. I can't. It's not…why him? Dude…"
"Are you all right?" questioned Izzy. "Ntropy?"
"Yeah, yeah. You better get going and contact the new support DD. Round 'em up and I'll have the portal program ready for them. I'll contact you the same time tomorrow." The screen blinked out.