Disclaimer: See previous chapter.
TK followed Kira to the abandoned warehouse district and into warehouse 14A.
"I'm back," Kira called out, "and I brought someone with me."
"Who?" a young boy's voice called back.
"Come out and see." she answered.
Suddenly four other children came out of the shadows and looked TK over.
"Hey kid," said a boy just younger than TK, "why don't you tell us your name, age, and where you're from, and we'll tell you the same."
"Alright. I'm Takaishi Takeru, but I go by TK. I'm 14 and I'm from Odaiba.
A young boy stepped forward. He came up to TK's stomach, and had short spiked black hair and deep brown eyes. "I'm Hamamoto Ichiro, but everyone just calls me Ro. I'm 9 and I'm from Kobe."
Next a young girl spoke up. She had long red/brown hair that went halfway down her back. She came up to just bellow TK's shoulder. She had red eyes that reminded TK of Sora. "I'm Asanuma Sumiko, but my nickname's Mickey. I'm 11 and I'm from Kyoto."
The girl standing by her spoke up next. This girl was just a couple inches taller than Mickey. She had blonde hair up in a bun and sea green eyes. "I'm Maruyama Haniko, but I go by Hannah. I'm 12 and I'm from Hamamatsu."
The other boy was the last to speak. He was about Hannah's height with deep blue hair (think Jyou) and the same color eyes. "The name's Omura Chuichi, but you can call me Chi. I'm 13 and I'm from Yokohama."
TK smiled "It's nice to meet all of you." He turned to Kira. "I know your name Kira, but I don't know your age or where you're from."
Kira smiled back. In the light TK could see that she was about 4 inches shorter than him. She had shoulder-length brown hair and blue eyes, much like TK's own. "I just turned 14 and I'm from Sakai." she answered.
"How long are you staying TK?" Mickey asked.
"As long as you'll let me."
This answer seemed to satisfy them as everyone nodded their approval.
Over the next weeks TK felt at home with the other kids. Being the oldest he felt naturally responsible for everyone else. None of the kids resented this, if anything they felt relieved to have someone to depend on and trust.
TK learned a lot about the others over time. He remembered a specific conversation that they had two weeks ago.
~Flashback~
The kids had all been eating dinner and TK noticed that Hannah was being unusually quiet.
"Something wrong Hannah?" he asked.
She looked up at him. "I... saw my brother today. He didn't see me, but I almost wish he had. Kai wasn't the reason I ran, and I miss him."
"I know what you mean." Chi said, "I miss my older sister and younger brothers too. We didn't get along really well, but that doesn't mean I didn't love them."
"I miss my little sister," Mickey said. "She was only a year and a half younger than me, so we were pretty close."
"I had 2 younger brothers," Kira voiced. "They were a pain but I loved them anyway. I wish I could see them again without the risk of being caught and sent home."
"I had an older brother, he's 13. We were really close when we were younger, but not so much when we got older. What about you TK? Any sibs?" Ro asked.
"Yeah, I had an older brother. We were really close until a couple of months before I ran. He just didn't have room in his life for me anymore."
The other kids nodded in understanding and the rest of the meal was silent.
~end flashback~
TK frowned at the memory. He hadn't noticed it at the time, but they had all been speaking past tense, as if their brothers and sisters weren't their brothers and sisters anymore. It was as if they could never go back to their own lives. 'Maybe we can't'
He shook off the thought and returned to the task at hand. Stealing food. Yes, TK, the perfect child, was stealing. It wasn't something that the kids were proud of, and they never stole more than they absolutely needed. They had tried to get jobs to pay for the food, but they were too young. They often went days without food or clean water, but they never once complained.
After grabbing the food and starting back to the warehouse, TK went back to thinking about his surrogate family. Each had talked to him at different times and he now knew their stories and they knew his, minus everything digiworld related.
Ro had been the first to talk. He had adopted TK as his new older brother right away. His real older brother's name was Ryo. Ro's mother had died when he was three so it was just the brothers and their father. His dad had two jobs, so he was hardly ever home. His brother had started becoming really withdrawn about 8 months before Ro, feeling alone and unwanted, ran. All of the kids craved some attention, but Ro needed it most of all. TK was the one who gave it to him.
Kira came to him next. She had already told him why she ran when they first met, but she told him a few more details. Her younger brothers were Mikey and Trevor. Her parents still lived together, but were always out with friends. When they were home all of their time was spent on the boys. Kira was just an in-house babysitter, but she didn't blame her brothers she blamed her parents.
After Kira came Mickey. Mickey's little sister was named Mamie. Mickey's dad walked out on the family when she was 7. Her mom blamed the girls, but mostly Mickey. After 4 years of verbal abuse she couldn't take it anymore and she ran.
Hannah followed Mickey. Her brother was named Kai. He was 15. Their parents dumped them with their aunt and uncle when she was 9. They were very bitter about having to take care of Hannah and Kai, and tried to make their lives a living hell. Kai was a social butterfly and often avoided the house via his friends, but Hannah wasn't so lucky. She had to do all the chores and cooking and was basically treated like a slave. When she was 12 she finally got the courage to run.
Chi came to him last. He had been on the streets the longest; he ran 3 weeks before TK. His sister was named Rena, and his brothers were Cho and Boe. His parents had split and all of the kids lived with their mom. She had recently gotten a new boyfriend who lived with them. He was a drunk and verbally abused the kids, especially Chi. He had even gone so far as to hit Rena a few times. Chi decided that he wasn't going to be a quiet victim, so he ran.
TK smiled as he thought of everyone individually. They had come to depend and trust him indefinitely, and he was like a big brother to all of them. It was nice to feel needed.
His thoughts were interrupted by a girl's scream coming from the warehouse district.
A/N: Well? Should I go on?
TK followed Kira to the abandoned warehouse district and into warehouse 14A.
"I'm back," Kira called out, "and I brought someone with me."
"Who?" a young boy's voice called back.
"Come out and see." she answered.
Suddenly four other children came out of the shadows and looked TK over.
"Hey kid," said a boy just younger than TK, "why don't you tell us your name, age, and where you're from, and we'll tell you the same."
"Alright. I'm Takaishi Takeru, but I go by TK. I'm 14 and I'm from Odaiba.
A young boy stepped forward. He came up to TK's stomach, and had short spiked black hair and deep brown eyes. "I'm Hamamoto Ichiro, but everyone just calls me Ro. I'm 9 and I'm from Kobe."
Next a young girl spoke up. She had long red/brown hair that went halfway down her back. She came up to just bellow TK's shoulder. She had red eyes that reminded TK of Sora. "I'm Asanuma Sumiko, but my nickname's Mickey. I'm 11 and I'm from Kyoto."
The girl standing by her spoke up next. This girl was just a couple inches taller than Mickey. She had blonde hair up in a bun and sea green eyes. "I'm Maruyama Haniko, but I go by Hannah. I'm 12 and I'm from Hamamatsu."
The other boy was the last to speak. He was about Hannah's height with deep blue hair (think Jyou) and the same color eyes. "The name's Omura Chuichi, but you can call me Chi. I'm 13 and I'm from Yokohama."
TK smiled "It's nice to meet all of you." He turned to Kira. "I know your name Kira, but I don't know your age or where you're from."
Kira smiled back. In the light TK could see that she was about 4 inches shorter than him. She had shoulder-length brown hair and blue eyes, much like TK's own. "I just turned 14 and I'm from Sakai." she answered.
"How long are you staying TK?" Mickey asked.
"As long as you'll let me."
This answer seemed to satisfy them as everyone nodded their approval.
Over the next weeks TK felt at home with the other kids. Being the oldest he felt naturally responsible for everyone else. None of the kids resented this, if anything they felt relieved to have someone to depend on and trust.
TK learned a lot about the others over time. He remembered a specific conversation that they had two weeks ago.
~Flashback~
The kids had all been eating dinner and TK noticed that Hannah was being unusually quiet.
"Something wrong Hannah?" he asked.
She looked up at him. "I... saw my brother today. He didn't see me, but I almost wish he had. Kai wasn't the reason I ran, and I miss him."
"I know what you mean." Chi said, "I miss my older sister and younger brothers too. We didn't get along really well, but that doesn't mean I didn't love them."
"I miss my little sister," Mickey said. "She was only a year and a half younger than me, so we were pretty close."
"I had 2 younger brothers," Kira voiced. "They were a pain but I loved them anyway. I wish I could see them again without the risk of being caught and sent home."
"I had an older brother, he's 13. We were really close when we were younger, but not so much when we got older. What about you TK? Any sibs?" Ro asked.
"Yeah, I had an older brother. We were really close until a couple of months before I ran. He just didn't have room in his life for me anymore."
The other kids nodded in understanding and the rest of the meal was silent.
~end flashback~
TK frowned at the memory. He hadn't noticed it at the time, but they had all been speaking past tense, as if their brothers and sisters weren't their brothers and sisters anymore. It was as if they could never go back to their own lives. 'Maybe we can't'
He shook off the thought and returned to the task at hand. Stealing food. Yes, TK, the perfect child, was stealing. It wasn't something that the kids were proud of, and they never stole more than they absolutely needed. They had tried to get jobs to pay for the food, but they were too young. They often went days without food or clean water, but they never once complained.
After grabbing the food and starting back to the warehouse, TK went back to thinking about his surrogate family. Each had talked to him at different times and he now knew their stories and they knew his, minus everything digiworld related.
Ro had been the first to talk. He had adopted TK as his new older brother right away. His real older brother's name was Ryo. Ro's mother had died when he was three so it was just the brothers and their father. His dad had two jobs, so he was hardly ever home. His brother had started becoming really withdrawn about 8 months before Ro, feeling alone and unwanted, ran. All of the kids craved some attention, but Ro needed it most of all. TK was the one who gave it to him.
Kira came to him next. She had already told him why she ran when they first met, but she told him a few more details. Her younger brothers were Mikey and Trevor. Her parents still lived together, but were always out with friends. When they were home all of their time was spent on the boys. Kira was just an in-house babysitter, but she didn't blame her brothers she blamed her parents.
After Kira came Mickey. Mickey's little sister was named Mamie. Mickey's dad walked out on the family when she was 7. Her mom blamed the girls, but mostly Mickey. After 4 years of verbal abuse she couldn't take it anymore and she ran.
Hannah followed Mickey. Her brother was named Kai. He was 15. Their parents dumped them with their aunt and uncle when she was 9. They were very bitter about having to take care of Hannah and Kai, and tried to make their lives a living hell. Kai was a social butterfly and often avoided the house via his friends, but Hannah wasn't so lucky. She had to do all the chores and cooking and was basically treated like a slave. When she was 12 she finally got the courage to run.
Chi came to him last. He had been on the streets the longest; he ran 3 weeks before TK. His sister was named Rena, and his brothers were Cho and Boe. His parents had split and all of the kids lived with their mom. She had recently gotten a new boyfriend who lived with them. He was a drunk and verbally abused the kids, especially Chi. He had even gone so far as to hit Rena a few times. Chi decided that he wasn't going to be a quiet victim, so he ran.
TK smiled as he thought of everyone individually. They had come to depend and trust him indefinitely, and he was like a big brother to all of them. It was nice to feel needed.
His thoughts were interrupted by a girl's scream coming from the warehouse district.
A/N: Well? Should I go on?