Tai pushed through the foliage and held a low hanging branch back while Sora passed him. "It's so strange, there isn't a living thing around." She commented and she went over to Matt. Matt stood with his hands on his hips, "any idea what we can eat around here?" He asked and Joe started walking, "Maybe there are some berries or-" "a vending machine!" Tai cut Joe off and Matt, Sora and Joe looked to where Tai was pointing. Tai lowered his hand and moved towards the vending machine that was between two trees. "Anyone got a quarter?" Sora asked and Tai smirked, "no but..." he stopped and looked around at his feet, "aha!" He picked up a rock and pulled his arm back, "step back!" He yelled and once his friends took a step behind him he threw the rock towards the vending machine. The glass door shattered and Tai pulled his clenched fist down in triumph. "Got it!" Joe stepped forward and reached his hand inside and started pulling food out of the machine, "hope you like obscurely labelled food. What's 'Fun Nuns'?" He asked and Matt approached the machine. Tai watched his blond friend reach out and touch the front of the vending machine. "Nice going goggle head. The door was unlocked." Matt moved the door showing it opened and Tai sweat dropped, "uh-" Sora then put a hand on Tai's shoulder, "you were going for style points right Tai?" Tai quickly nodded, "of course." Sora giggled and walked over to Matt and Joe. "Well it's not much but it's something. We've got 'Foond Dip' and 'Mon Bars.' Whatever those are." Matt grabbed the packages out of Sora's hands and inspected, "let's hope it's edible." He commented. Tai walked over and grabbed some food. "Well food hasn't killed us before." He smiled and Joe frowned, "sure except for when we were tricked by food from Devimon, when Megaseadromon lured us to a pretend burger shack oh! And let's not forget when Digitamamon made Matt and I work our debt off after he fed us. But sure Tai, food has never killed us before." Tai pulled a face, he looked down at the bundle of food in his hands and held up a bar to Joe "Digi Sludge?" He offered and Joe wasn't amused.
Tai pushed open the front door of the mansion, "we're back!" He yelled as he entered the house. He moved into the living room his arms full of food. "Where'd you get all that?" TK asked as Tai dropped the food on the coffee table. "Vending machine." Mimi started sifting through the pile of food while Joe, Sora and Matt added to it, "how strange." She said picking up a package. Izzy handed something to TK "well we are in the digital world, remember the phone booths?" TK then jumped in "or the amusement Park." The group nodded and Tai stepped forward, "Alright, we need to ration this. We got lucky but I'm not sure if we can find something like this again." Matt nodded "yeah there wasn't a sign of life out there. It seems we're the only things here." The group was quiet. Tai felt a draft and looked behind him, "is the front door open?" He asked and Sora nodded, "I couldn't close it my arms were full." She stepped back and Tai waved at her to stop, "I got it." He marched over to the front door. He put his hand on the wood and peered outside. He was frozen a moment. He could see something moving. Almost a dark wisp or puff of smoke gliding towards him. Tai inhaled just as the wisp lunged towards him. He let out a cry as it knocked him over. He slammed the door shut as he fell backwards and then he smelt the strong smell of burnt toast in his nose. He inhaled and it was gone. "Tai?" Tai turned to see his sister walking towards him. "You okay?" She asked and she gently crouched down next to him. Tai nodded, "erm. Yes. Yes. I uhh thought I saw something." Kari looked worried. She extended her hand to him and pulled him to his feet. Once standing Tai removed his hand from his sisters and then inspected her, "how's your head?" He asked and he could see small bits of dried blood in her hairline. She nodded, "hurts but I'm okay." Tai smiled. He liked when she was honest. "What happened to you though?" She asked and Tai stopped a moment. He wasn't sure what he saw, if he saw anything. He put an arm around Kari, "oh nothing, got spooked by my own shadow. Come on let's eat." He then guided his sister to the living room.
"Well there is no sign of our digimon." Sora announced and Tai watched her hang her head. "And none of our digivices our working. I tried to see if I could get a signal on TK's but it's like it's broken. I can't seem to activate it at all." Izzy informed the group. Tai placed the wrapper of a 'Mon Bar' he had just eaten on the table. He then rested his elbows on his knees and addressed the group. "So Matt, Mimi, and Joe don't have their digivices." He clarified and the group nodded, "neither do I Tai." Kari piped in and Tai frowned. "Half of us with no digivices and no sign of our partners. What on earth is going on." Tai mumbled the last part to himself. TK stood, "so what can we do? I feel like we're stuck waiting for something to happen to us." Tai watched the group slowly nod. He too, agreed with TK but he didn't want the group to lose moral. "We should probably partner up. If we're separated, we should at least have someone who doesn't have their digivice partnered with someone who does." Mimi then stood, "Alright Izzy you gonna protect me?" She asked and Izzy blanched, "Uhmm... yes?" He said unsure and Tai looked to Matt and the two of them snickered at Izzy's face. "Joe I'll stick with you." Sora nodded at the oldest boy. Joe nodded and Tai looked at Matt. "You and me?" He asked and Matt smirked, "like you could get rid of me." Tai then looked to TK and his face went serious, "make sure you protect her Teeks. I'm counting on you." Tai said referring to his sister and TK matched his expression and nodded firmly. "I promise." He said and Tai then looked over the group. "Alright, I think that's all we can do for now." The group went somber. Mimi exhaled and sat back down on the couch, "I hate feeling so useless. Palmon needs me I just know it!" Tai frowned thinking about Agumon. His voice had sounded so pained. He shook the thought away. "We'll find them Meems. We always do." He tried to boost some confidence back into the group. Sora and Kari both stood. "I think it's about time we get some sleep. Who wants first watch?" Sora asked and TK then stepped forward, "I'll take it." Izzy then rose his hand "I'll go after you TK." Joe then nodded, "then me." Sora chimed in, "I'll go." Tai then shook his head, "no I'll finish the night after Joe. Tomorrow night the rest of you can keep watch. It doesn't make sense to drain all of us. At least this way half of us have had a full nights rest. The group quietly agreed with Tai and he stood and looked to Mimi, "so what's the bed situation?" He asked and Mimi frowned, "three beds and eight of us." Tai thought a moment. "Two to a bed and one person keeping watch..." "that's seven." Joe commented, TK then put his hand up, "I'll take the floor." Tai looked to TK. "You sure?" He asked and TK nodded, "yep." Izzy then sighed, "guess I will too." Tai cracked his neck, "Alright, let's get some sleep." TK gave the group a wave and sat down on the couch. Tai and the rest of the digidestined started moving away from the living room. He looked and saw his sister hanging back. He raised an eyebrow and was about to stop when Izzy walked next to him, "Tai how are you feeling about this? Does it feel, like a trap?" Tai focused on Izzy, "I trust you guys. We're together, that's the best we can hope for. That we stick together." Izzy nodded and they started making their way up the stairs. Mimi led them into the bedroom and she went over and pulled a blanket and a pillow off one of the beds. "It's not much but you sure you're okay on the floor?" Izzy nodded, "I'll take Joe's spot when I wake him to go on watch." Tai saw Mimi nod and then she grabbed Sora's hand and the two crawled into one of the beds. Tai watched Matt lay down next to Joe. Tai then inhaled noticing his sister was missing. He snapped his head to look at the bedroom door and was relieved to see her duck into the room. "Kar, were here." He called to her and he scrunched his face seeing his sisters cheeks were red. She approached him and Tai quickly put a hand to her forehead. Kari batted his hand away, "Tai? Stop. What are you doing?" She stepped back and Tai frowned, "you looked flushed. I was making sure you didn't have a temperature." Kari's cheeks went more red and she quickly turned away, "I'm fine. I'm not sick." She said quickly and Tai raised an eyebrow at her, "but your cheeks?" He asked and Mimi and Sora giggled. Tai looked over at the two girls and frowned, "What are you giggling about?" He asked annoyed and Sora put a hand over her mouth while Mimi smirked, "I might have an idea why Kari's cheeks are flushed." Tai then saw his sister whip around and address Mimi and Sora "Mimi! Don't!" She exclaimed and Tai was confused, his sister sounded embarrassed. He shook his head "girls." He huffed and he laid down. He could hear Mimi and Sora laugh and he looked to the bed next to him to see Matt smirk, "you know what they're laughing at?" He asked his friend and Matt nodded, "best you don't. I fear I might be an only child if you find out." Sora and Mimi laughed harder and Tai's mouth gaped still lost in what was going on. "Whatever, night." He gave up on trying to understand the girls and rolled onto his side. Kari crawled into bed next to him and he stared at her a moment looking at her forehead. "Don't worry about me." Kari whispered and Tai sighed, "yeah, sure." He mumbled and Kari gave him a soft smile. "Night Tai." She said softly and Tai nodded closing his eyes, "Night Kar." And then he was asleep.