"Go, go, go, go!" Tai hissed over his shoulder, "Come on, come one! Hurry it up!" He stopped and let everyone rush pass him, doing a feverish head count.

'1, 2, 3, 4, 5- no, wait, that's 5 and 6, Rosa's on Joe's back- 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and, oh thank God, 13. We're all here.'

They had to get out of the area. Fast. Like, now. He knew how their agents worked. If they even thought they were in the premises, his family was in big trouble. He had to keep them all safe, he just had to. The fire controller didn't want any of them to go through what he had gone through. What he, Matt, TK and Kari had gone through. Four words. Not fun in the least.

Tai wanted to be mad at someone. At Ken, at Davis, at anyone. But that wouldn't be fair. Calm down, Taichi. Things could be much worse. We just have to move fast.

"Yo, Matt!" He said in a loud whisper, "Is everyone over there?"

"Everyone is a safe distance away but you and Cody." The blond hissed back.

Tai looked to his right. Cody stood there, stone faced and determined.

"You ready, kid?" He asked. "We need to do this fast."

Cody gave a grim nod, silent as always. Sometimes, Tai really wished the kid talked…

"Alright. Be ready."

Tai pulled off his glove and held hand up, igniting his pointer finger. He slowly bent down and lit the leaf on the ground. This, in turn, lit the next one which lit the next one and so on and so forth. In a matter of moments the whole clearing was up in flames. Tai held up the hand with the glove on and slowly counted to ten. Then he brought it sharply down, which was the signal Cody had been waiting for. The small boy whipped his hands around in a windmill-like fashion and brought them together with a smack in front of him. Water poured out, extinguishing the blaze.

"Nice job!" Tai congratulated. "Much better then Matt, even! I'd like to see them try to pick up our sent through that!"

He turned excitedly to Cody, only the find that the boy was pale with a glazed look on his face. He swayed a bit on his feet, and would have fallen had Tai not caught him.

"You used up all your energy, you moron." Tai said softly, shaking his head. He lifted the smaller (Now knocked out) boy into his arms and walked to where the rest of his friends waited.

b..d..b..d..b..d

'Oh, my!" gasped Mimi as she saw the state of her friends. "Is he okay?"

"H-He's fine." Tai said. "J-Just used up-p-p all his e-energy."

"Tai." Matt stepped forward. "Are you alright?"

"M-M-Me?" The boy let out a deranged giggle. "I'm j-just f-f-fine! G-Great, even!"

Matt sighed, rolled his eyes and messaged the sides of his nose. "Too much fire."

Ken raised his eyebrows in a questioning manor at Davis.

"Fire's like a drug to him." Davis hissed. "Anything stronger than a camp fire makes him like this. All loopy and stuff, like he's high. Matt gets the same way in the snow."

Ken nodded and watched silently. Matt lifted the still- unconscious Cody from the now very tipsy Tai's arms. He looked at the small boy and sighed.

"Rosa?" Matt asked the youngest member of the group, "Could you get off Joe? He's the only one tall enough to carry Cody."

"B-But…B-But…" Rosa's bottom lip began to tremble, then her eyes began to water. "I WANT TO RIDE!" she balled

"You can ride with me, if you want." Everyone turned in shock to Ken. "It's-" He cleared his throat. "It's the least I can do. This whole thing is kind of my fault."

Sora blinked and cocked her head to the side. "We don't blame you, you know."

"I know. But I blame myself."

The other 12 exchanged looks. Yes, this kid was strange.

However, Rosa didn't seem to mind. She scampered down Joe's back and up Kens.

"Don't worry." She whispered. "I'll be very careful not to hurt your wings."

Ken smiled, although Rosa couldn't see.

b..d..b..d..b..d

"I…Can't believe it…" Sora's eyes were the size of dinner plates.

"Raise your hand if you agree that this is way too good to be true." Groaned Joe.

"Nothing seems…Wrong with it…" Mimi ventured.

"No way, I say it's a trap."

"Matt, you think everything's a trap." Tai snapped, the effects of his fire high having worn off.

All 13 children stared up at a barn. A very old but structurally sound barn. In the middle of nowhere. With nothing around it. In other words, the perfect hiding place for a group of runaway children who needed temporary shelter. Too convenient, in some peoples minds.

"It must be there for some reason, right?" Blurted Yolei.

Unnoticed by the rest of them, Ken had slipped Rosa off his back and walked to the right, the little girl following at his heels.

Davis lifted his nose in the air and took a good, long smell. "No one's been here for a while. Months, years even."

"But," Kari's voice had a nervous pitch in it, "There's nothing around. There should at least be a farm house, right?"

"I think there was one, at one point." 26 eyes were suddenly on Ken, but he didn't notice. His eyes were glued to the ground. "If you look here, there's a slight indentation in the ground." He began pacing the perimeter, carefully placing one foot in front of the other to show what he meant. "Right here. Like something very heavy sat on it for a very long time. And from the size, it seems to be just about the right dimensions for-"

"A house." Izzy breathed, coming over to look as well. "He's right!"

"Then why isn't it here now?" Demanded TK.

Ken shrugged, which he discovered was very hard to do with things growing out of your back. "Search me. Maybe there was a storm knocked it down and the rubble was cleared away. Or the house was picked up and moved, they can do that, right?"

There was silence. Ken looked up slowly from his feet. Everyone was staring at him. He cleared his throat.

"Yes?"

"How did you do that?" Yolei gaped.

Ken felt a red hot blush creeping up his face. "I, uh…Read a lot of mystery novels."

"Ah."

"So can we go in or not?" Wined Mimi.

"I don't see why not…" Tai mused.

Matt butted in, "I can think of a whole lot of reasons why not!"

"Yes, but you a pessimist. I'm an optimist and I say we do." the brunette turned to the rest of the group. "All in favor sat 'aye'."

"Aye!" Chorused all but Joe and Matt.

"Well…I don't know…" Joe voiced.

"Come on, Joe!" Mimi pleaded. "It'll be warm and safe and dry and you'll be able to heal Cody properly and…And…"

"Fine, fine! Aye!" the tall youth rolled his eyes. "Jeez."

"Looks like you're out numbered, Yamato!" Tai cheered. Within three seconds, Matt had him in a head lock.

"Don't. Call. Me. Yamato. Ever." He growled. "Or else."

"What, you'll freeze me, Mr. Icicle Man?"

The whole thing was about to become a full blown fist fight when Sora decided she had had enough. She lifted up her hand and sent a blast of psychic energy at the two which affectively blasted them apart. (AN- Just realized I made the red head the telekinetic. Ugh, can I rip off X-men anymore?)

"Okay, boys, play nice." She chided.

"Sorry, Sora." Both chorused at once.

Then the group disappeared into the barn.

b..d..b..d..b..d

"Tai, you're not going to set a fire." Joe glared at the shorter boy. Cody slept in the corner, healed but exhausted.

"But it might get cold!"

"May I remind you, you just had one of your worst fire highs in years? I'm not risking it!"

"Worry-wart."

"Better safe than sorry." Joe said, in a voice that implied that that phrase left his mouth often.

"Well I…You see…Fine." Tai relented, and Joe smiled, a bit smugly.

"Good."

Ken sat leaning on the wall at the far side of the barn, underneath a very unsafe-looking hayloft. He lay he head back on the wall and closed his eyes. Everything was happening so fast. Yesterday he had been a sick kid, unable to leave the house. Now he had wings and was on the run from some secret government thingy.

"What's in the bag?" Ken nearly jumped out of his skin, then turned to see, who else, Davis.

"Oh." He looked at Sam's old backpack. "Change of clothes, hoody, notebook, novel, and a picture."

"Picture?"

"Of my family." Ken answered quietly.

"I thought you hated your aunt and uncle."

"Not of them. Of my real family." Seeing that he couldn't explain it, he pulled said photograph out of his bag and handed it to Davis.

"Hay, you were a cute kid!" Yolei had materialized out of nowhere and was looking over Davis's shoulder.

Ken didn't really know what to say to that.

"Is that your brother?" Davis pointed to Sam.

"Yes-"

Yolei gasped "You have a brother? Where is he? Did you just leave him there? How could you-"

"He's dead." Ken said bluntly, then got up and walked away.

The purple headed girl blinked before burying her head in her hands.

"I just stuck my foot in my mouth again, didn't I"

Davis nodded. "Yup." He patted the girls arm, not unkindly. "Very badly."

"Rosa, it's time for bed." Sora called to the little girl.

"No! Nope! No estoy cansado! I'm not sleepy!" She said, skipping around and chanting in a sing-songy voice.

Sora sighed, than looked to Mimi, Matt and Izzy, who were standing behind her. "Help?"

"Come on Rosie!" Wined Mimi. "Sleep now?"

"No thanks."

"Well, I tried!" With that, the blue skinned girl went to talk to Joe.

Izzy rolled his eyes. "Come on Rosa. I'll tell you a story, and Matt will sing to you and-"

"No!" The girl looked around the barn, and a slow smile spread up her face. "I want Ken to put me to sleep."

"Ken?" Three voices chorused as one.

"Yeah! I like Ken."

Well it's worth a try… "Hay, Ken!" Sara called. The winged boy looked up and walked to her.

"Yes?"

The older girl sighed. "Rosie's being difficult, and she wants you to help her fall asleep. You up for it?"

Ken blinked. "I wouldn't know what to do."

"Oh, it's easy!" She gushed. "You just sit with her until she dozes off."

"Well, okay. Sure." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Matt elbow Izzy, and both of them snicker.

Oh, I see. Thought Ken, This is one of those 'test the new guy' things I read about.

"Come on, Rosa." He took the girls hand. "Let's get some sleep."

b..d..b..d..b..d

Rosa loved Hello Kitty.

I mean she really loved Hello Kitty.

The girl, like them all, had very few earthly positions, but everything she did have was done up in Hello Kitty. Her backpack, two of her three shirts, and her sleeping bag. Which she was now curled up in, eyes wide open and showing no sign of being sleepy.

Well, Sora said to sit with her… But what else? What do I know about kids?

So he closed his eyes and asked the question that seemed to be helping him more and more lately. WWSD. What would Sam do? His brother had tucked him in most of his life. Just do what he did.

Ken placed his hand on Rosa's head and stroked her hair gently. He hummed quietly and tunelessly, almost like a meditation chant. Ken felt a rush of warmth up his arm, and a faint tingle in his fingertips. Within 10 seconds, Rosa's eyes began to droop. 15, they were closed all the way. By 20, her breath was deep and even. The young girl had sunk into a deep, fitful sleep.

That wasn't too hard. Ken thought, smiling slightly. He got up and turned, only to find that, once again, everyone was staring at him.

"What?" He asked, sounding exasperated. This was getting old.

"What did you do to her?"

"What do you mean?"

"We mean," Izzy said, electricity crackling off his body, showing how flustered he was, "That it usually takes at least three of us and an hour and a half to get Rosie to sleep. You just did it in under a minuet."

"Well, I just-"

"I'll bet it's a secondary power!" Gasped Joe.

"A wha-"

"A secondary power." Joe snapped impatiently. "Most people who have a physical gift have another one. Like how Kari has her eyes and her mind reading. Or Yolei has wings and is a clairvoyant. "

"Oh." Ken blinked. "So, what can I do?"

"I'm not sure." Yolie mused. "Hypnosis, maybe…"

"Wait!" Izzy bust out. "I think I've seen something like this before. When I was…" The boy shivered and hugged himself. "You know…"

"Yeah, we do." Sora gave him quick squeeze. "How can we test him? To see if he has the whatever-it-is?"

"Simple," Izzy shook himself back to reality. "Ken, touch Matt's arm."

Ken blinked. "Pardon?"

"Just do it!"

"Fine!" Ken walked up to Matt, who was looking a little nervous, and placed his hand on his arm. To his surprise, he felt the warm tingle he had experienced with Rosa. Matt let out a small 'Oh!' and felt his eyelids begin to droop.

"Take you hand away." Izzy commanded. Ken did so, and Matt shook himself.

"That was…Relaxing?" Said Matt.

The red head grinned, "I was right! He calms! He has a calming effect on people!"

"So…I'm a walking sedative?"

"You could think of it that way, yes." Izzy stated.

Now, Ken thought he had been rather good up to this point. He had not freaked out when he found his wings. He had not run away screaming when he had met the rest of the kids, and saw what they could do. He had even been rather good about finding out his aunt and uncle had been part of Them, whoever they were. But now…This…He really needed to be alone.

"I-be-right-back." He said in a rush and scrambled outside.

"Wait, Ken-" Davis stopped when he found a hand on his shoulder. He looked into Tai's face.

"Let him go. He needs to be alone for a while. You have to admit this is a lot to take in."

"Yeah. You right." Davis agreed, wishing he could remember his past.

b..d..b..d..b..d

Ken's wings responded with barley a thought, and before he knew it he was on the roof of the barn.

He lay back on the slanted surface and stared up at the stars, trying to remember the giant star map Sam had tacked on their wall for a while, before Jen had taken in down.

There's Orion's belt…And the big dipper…The little dipper…And Gemini…Let's see how high you can count, Ken. One star, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight…

Had he had Davis's power, he would have smelled humans. Had he had Kari's eyes, he would have seen something.

But he had neither, so he didn't notice the four figures lurking in the woods, watching the barn…

b..d..b..d..b..d

…But they were there.

One, a girl with wild red-brown hair and a deep tan, was seated on the ground, leaning up on a tree with one leg extended and one pulled up to her chest. A deep scar slashed across her left eyebrow, a reminder of some painful memory.

Another, also female, was standing against the same tree, her eyes locked forward. She seemed to be the first girls complete opposite, having long, white blond hair pulled back into a neat braid and Irish pale skin. She was also wearing a floor length skirt where the other wore jeans.

Next to the standing girl was a small boy, also with white blond hair, who stood clutching the girls skirt for dear life. Perched on his nose was a pair of small, round glasses.

On a low hanging branch right above them, an older boy was seated, his legs dangling. He had clever looking green eyes and black hair that stood up like a hair brush.

The seated girl and the boy in the tree looked around 17, while the other girl looked to be 14 and the younger boy about 8. They were silent, watching. Then the younger girl spoke up.

"So that's Sam's brother? You can see the similarity. Don't you think, Gavin?" She asked the boy in the tree.

Said boy, now identified as Gavin, rolled his eyes. "Well, no duh, Patricia! You and Eli look alike. That's just what happens with siblings."

At the mention of his name, the little boy, Eli, squished closer to Patricia. She looked at him tenderly, then her eyes were back on Gavin.

"You think I don't know that? I mean, I'm not stupid."

"Sure you're not."

"What was that?"

"You heard me!"

"Oh, I did, you Goth wannabe!"

"Don't go there, goody-good nerd!"

"First I'm stupid, now I'm a nerd. Make up your mind!"

"I never said you were-"

"SHUT UP!" The seated girl whisper-yelled, and both shut their mouth's.

"Yes, Jun." they chorused weakly.

The four lapsed into silence once again. Then Patricia started, her hand flying to her chest. She looked at the girl called Jun with surprised eyes, then sat down next to her.

"What's wrong, Junie? What's upsetting you?"

"What?" The older girl looked in shock at the younger. "Nothing!"

A pair of eyebrows rose. "You're trying to lie to a girl gifted with empathy."

Jun sighed "Trish, sometimes I wish you'd stick to your illusions."

"Sometimes I wish I could. So what's bothering you?"

"It's just…" She let out a frustrated moan. "He's RIGHT THERE! My little brother is in that barn, less than 200 yards away, and all I want to do is run in there, give him the biggest hug ever and never let go. But I can't. At least, not yet, according to Genni. But…" Jun sniffled. "He doesn't remember me. He doesn't remember ANY of it. He doesn't even miss me."

"Maybe…" Trish began, "it's better he doesn't remember. He doesn't wake up with nightmares every night, like you, Eli and I do, and he's happy. Isn't that what you want?"

"Easy for you to say." Jun grumbled. "You have Eli in arms reach at all times."

"But Davis was my best friend." Whispered the blond girl. "I miss him and I want him back. But if he's happy…Well I guess I can deal."

"I miss Davis too." Piped up Eli, speaking for the first time. "He said he would teach me soccer."

Trish smiled fondly at her little brother and gave him a quick hug.

"Maybe you right, Trisha." Jun wiped away her tears.

"Guys!" Gavin interrupted, "We need to focus! Genni said to watch this group and make sure They don't get them. And we can't watch if you three are chatting it up."

"Your right." Jun sighed. "Sorry."

Gavin nodded, than reclined on his branch again. Jun put her head on the tree and Trisha resumed her earlier position. The only thing that had indicated anything had changed was that now, Eli was curled up with Jun, not Patricia.

b..d..b..d..b..d

Same time, unknown location

"How did they find us? How, how, how?" I thought hysterically, looking around.

They must have known a good deal about our powers, too, considering they attacked at dusk, when both twins are at their weakest. I can see Takuya trying to power up, and failing every time. Next to me, the small white dog Tommy had shape-shifted to cowered.

My gift was useless in a fight, and Takuya had told me to stay off to the side and protect Tommy. If that's all I could do right now, so be it.

We are getting creamed, and I wince at every time one of the kids I honestly thought of as 'my boys' take a hit.

HOW HAD THEY FOUND US?

I see something small speeding towards Koichi, hitting him before he saw it coming. A surprised noise left his person, and he fell to the ground, lost to the world.

Koji's tortured yell pierced the air as he rushed to his beloved twin's side, shaking him and begging him to wake. He got no response. I don't think he expected one. A roar of rage escaped his lips, and he would have completely pummeled them all had not the same small object that hit his brother collide with him.

Takuya was still trying to power up, and it still wasn't working. I saw his face change as something dawned on him. It was hopeless.

"Zoe, run!" He screamed, before he too fell.

I tried to do as he said. And I did, for a while. Tommy and I gave a good chase.

Then something hit the back of my neck and I blacked out.

b..d..b..d..b..d

Kari jerked awake, breathing heavily. She thought back to the dream she had just had, then groaned. That was no ordinary dream.

Who mind had she been projected into? No one she knew, anyway.

On the other hand, maybe it was just a dream. She had never done a mind projection on someone she didn't know.

She gave herself a shake and went back to sleep.

To be continued…

Did I just add Jun, three OC's and the frontier gang in here? Oh man, as if this plot wasn't already complicated enough…

So, thanks for reading, and review, PLEASE!