Fight or Flight [Sophie & Lantis]

Few people in Tokyo dared to tread in the Entertainment district of Shibuya anymore. Partly because, according to Sophie's records acquired from salvaging former DATS outposts, an incident involving digimon had reduced this part of the city to rubble in a short time. Nobody knows how, nobody knows what, but, it simply happened. The government, or as Sophie believed, DATS' operations had hidden the true story.

As veiled with mystery as the story was, and even if over the years the entertainment district had been repaired, the legends still remained, and bit by bit, the precincts closed down from lack of business. It was such a conundrum that it seemed that those in control of the Shibuya ward had no idea what to do in the near future. Could the monsters return one day? Did the monsters even exist? Was it an immense disaster such as a gas explosion covered up by the government? Few knew.

But that story was for another time. For now, AEGIS agent Sophie James and her partner Lantis the Leomon were conducting an urgent operation. A very urgent one.

An unknown Perfect level had entered the area, according to the data from her modified digivice. And an unknown Perfect level on Earth could mean a disaster on the scale that rendered the district condemned those years ago.

Sophie had been terrified that it may have been an aggressive, wild digimon. But she saw that it was actively avoiding human contact. That was a relief. It made her believe that this digimon may just very well be a tame one.

Gradually, she and Lantis began to close in on its movements. In the night sky, they saw the digimon seemed to have a dark purple fur. Sophie had never seen a digimon like that, neither had Lantis.

"Perhaps I could convince them to calm down?" Lantis suggested, seriously.

"How?" Sophie asked him, eager to hear an option.

"I could offer a peaceful meeting" Lantis explained. "I'm a Champion, they're a Perfect. They'd have no reason to fear me".

"Lantis... I don't know..." Sophie said, but, she realized they had little option here. The more they pursued in silence, the more nervous their mark would be and possibly become aggressive. There was little else but for Lantis to shout out to the digimon.

"Helloooo!!!" he yelled, cupping his paws around his mouth. "We don't want to hurt yooouu! Please! Stop running and talk to us!!"

He hoped there would be a reply of sorts. He didn't know what he could even do if the Perfect level turned out to be hostile.

Sophie was startled a little when the digimon turned to face them, holding its weapons at the ready. Lantis instinctively stood in front of his partner sword drawn, but thankfully the digimon didn't strike. It then said it was willing to talk. Its voice seemed... feminine. So this digimon seemed to be female, but all that changed was the pronouns in which Sophie and Lantis would use.

She said she was willing to talk. That was a little relieving. "Very well" Lantis said, slowly lowering his weapon.

Sophie then answered K's questions. "I'm Sophie James of AEGIS and this is my partner Lantis. Yes, it's our job to investigate digimon appearances on Earth, but we will only engage in combat with those that have been proven hostile. You have not proven to be a threat, so we only wish to learn of your situation so that no harm can come to you. We will help you to either return to your world or learn to survive on this one".

At least, that was what Sophie saw as her options. If this digimon didn't want to return to the digital world, there was little that Sophie could do to compel her. Her options were simply that limited until Lantis could evolve. But she seemed civilized at the very least. Hopefully they could come to an arrangement.

"There are many armed humans because they have reason to be frightened of digimon, especially those that they do not know the intentions of" Lantis explained. "But the humans will not attack you if you agree to come with us peacefully".

Lantis knew that it'd be suicide if he did anything to provoke the Perfect level, but still, he felt obliged to have his sword drawn, if at the very least, to parry a blow aimed at Sophie. Yes, him baring steel was a threat in itself, but, he simply couldn't afford to leave his partner prone.

As the Shutmon sheathed her weapons, Lantis put his weapon back in its scabbard on his back, but still remained slightly in front of Sophie to easily protect her.

Then the digimon said that she did want to return to the digital world, but was also curious about Earth. That was somewhat relieving to hear. "Well, we can help you with both of those things" Sophie promised.

So the digimon came here by mistake? "I see. That is concerning" Lantis admitted. It seemed to be happening more and more often. "And you do not have a human partner?" he asked, just to clarify.

K then mentioned that if they were leading her into a trap, she would defend herself. Sophie wished Lantis had been more tactful in that, but there wasn't much else for it other than to tell her. But... where? AEGIS HQ was in the Shibuya Rail Terminal, and that would be packed with people. She could hardly take K into her home, that would be a bit awkward if her parents were there, plus she didn't know this digimon. But... wait, Sophie was with AEGIS. She'd be in public with digimon a lot more often once they began expanding. So she'd just have to risk it and go there.

"If it's alright with you, we could take you to our office in the Shibuya Rail Terminal" she said. "That's also the way back to the digital world if you so choose to go back. It should be alright if you're with us, the humans won't run away if it looks like you're walking normally. If a figure of authority approaches us, you would be under my protection as an AEGIS Agent. And I promise you, it's no trap, but I understand your reluctance to trust us so far".

That should do. Sophie had authority as an AEGIS agent to deal with digimon.

It was good to hear that this digimon seemed to be able to converse before acting. Sophie noted that could be a good thing. As long as they continued to prove to this digimon that they meant her no harm and could possibly gain her trust, perhaps an arrangement could be met?

Already Sophie was beginning to see possibilities arising. As it stood, AEGIS currently had no liason with independent digimon. And, of course, in Sophie's dealings with the digital world so far, independent digimon could be just as decent as partner digimon. But these possibilities would only turn to words if K proved to be interested and trustworthy in the role that Sophie had thought for her.

As she voiced her suggestion to go to the Shibuya rail terminal, K seemed to agree. To this, Sophie was relieved, although walking along the busy street of Central Shibuya accompanied with a lupine digimon without a holosuit was a little daunting. But, as long as K didn't mind people staring at her, all would be fine in the end.

K then asked if there was any alternative route they wanted to take. She thought about that seriously. She could maybe call for a taxi, but, they might refuse service if they saw that K was a digimon. In the end, it was probably for the best. Sophie would have to get used to appearing in public with digimon. But the trick she would have to learn would to how to make it be with the least disruption to ordinary people as she could manage.

"Alright, if we're going to do this, I'll advise that please, don't react aggressively toward anything, unless of course you're being physically attacked, in which I don't blame you if you defend yourself" she advised. K would simply be free to walk at her side for the time being. "If another human talks to you, maybe greet them in return but tell them that you're busy? That way we should be able to go through with the least disruption".

Undoubtedly people would take photographs of K. That might also be a problem. Fortunately Lantis had a solution.

"If anyone asks, you could tell them that you're dressed as a character in an upcoming anime?" he asked. "If it'd help you relax, I could claim the same? With Sophie's permission, I'll also remain visible in my digimon form".

"Well... that does sound like it could work" Sophie admitted. If K was on board, she then led them to the edge of the Entertainment district, from here, they would start to encounter others. "Alright, best put our game faces on" she remarked.

"Huh, is that right?" Lantis asked K with interest. "Where abouts was this inn? If it was in Terminus I might have been there a few times".

Well then, here they were, walking along the streets of Tokyo. A young woman in uniform and two anthropomorphic monsters. Yes, people stopped and stared and pointed, but none were scared yet. Sophie then looked at her phone for their location. The Shibuya Train Station was four blocks away, and hopefully it wouldn't be too crowded.

Thankfully passers-by were not too inquisitive. Many people walking in the opposite direction deliberately crossed the road as they saw them approaching. Others merely avoided eye contact. Sophie was relieved at this, although surely it wouldn't last. Before long she might have problems with the Tokyo Police.

The volume of pedestrian traffic gradually increased, but, Sophie's confidence had been building the longer she walked with little consequence. That all, unfortunately, came to an end when she reached the train station.

"You there! Stop!" a loud voice shouted. Sophie flinched and obeyed, turning to see a police officer approaching. "What do you think you're doing?! Strutting into the train station with those... those..."

Sophie had reached into her pocket the moment she had been halted, and revealed to the officer her AEGIS credentials. "I'm sorry, Officer, I'm on official business for digimon" she said. "These individuals are tame and do not wish to harm anyone".

The police officer stared at the ID in disbelief for a moment, but, thankfully seemed unsure enough to at least get confirmation. "Wait here" he told them, then spoke into his radio for a moment. Eventually, he seemed a little surprised at what he was being told, then looked back.

"Fine, you can go, but, be more careful, you can't just walk around in broad daylight with digimon all the time, makes people nervous" he told them. "Especially ones with weapons" he looked pointedly at Lantis's sword and K's blades. Sophie was just as surprised, but, when she had begun AEGIS, she had at least received confirmation that the police will let them get on with their business as long as nobody got hurt. It seemed they were free to enter the station.

"Sorry about that, K, it was bound to happen" Sophie informed the Shutmon, hoping she wasn't too shaken.

"Eastern Timberlands... hmm... might have been that way a few times" Lantis remarked. He referred both to his time as Sophie's partner and the time before that as he was a mercenary. "Either way, I should visit it sometime" he offered as a means of helping the Shutmon out.

After the sticky situation with the police officer, the man stared at K for a moment, blinking with surprise. Not in an unpleasant way though, simply in a strange, curious way that made him realize that these 'digimon' were in fact real, sentient and was interacting with him.

"...alright. Please, on your way" he replied, and watched them enter the station.

Sophie acknowledged K's observations. "Yeah, life in Tokyo can be quite strict" she said. "Weapons are explicitly banned here, especially guns. I think he had an issue with those more than the fact that you two are digimon, although, there have been events in the past in this part of the city that make people more wary of digimon. I don't know the specifics since I've only lived here for a short time, but, digimon activities in this station have increased security".

She then led K and Lantis toward an elevator. Lantis deliberately stood in such a way that no further people could enter. It was for safety of course, they didn't want to share the lift with an oblivious passenger to the Trailmon terminals.

"Yes, I understand how a perfect level such as yourself could have easily done much damage, but, I'm glad that you didn't" Sophie continued. Somehow, K being peaceful about all this made her feel vindicated in the way she was handling AEGIS. Treat unknown digimon with respect, earn their trust, and that can lead to much better interactions than the old DATS method of capture and interrogation.

"Perhaps it might be best to keep those musings to yourself, yeah" Lantis said with a nervous chuckle. Sophie was in agreement with that.

The elevator would lead them to a platform deep below the usual platforms of Shibuya. Ultimately, it would lead them to a terminal only open to tamers and digimon. The elevator stopped, opened, and revealed a large enclosed area, with two Trailmons with four carriages each waiting at platforms.

"This is the Shibuya Trailmon Terminal" Sophie said, as one Trailmon began to leave the station, its carriages in tow. "All Trailmons here go direct to Terminus City in the Digital world. It costs a small fee in bits to do so, but, this is where we humans with partners go where we need to get to the other world".

Indeed, there were a few humans and their digimon partners congregated in the area. Some digimon had their holosuits active, others didn't.

"Now then, our office is on this floor" Sophie told K. "It's hidden by holographic technology, but, you'll know it when we get there". She then led the digimon along one of the outer platforms.

Lantis chuckled at that. "Heh, probably not then in that case". The head chef being a Leomon also interested him though. "Okay then, definitely gonna visit". He wouldn't mind speaking to a fellow Leomon, among other things, but wouldn't speak of them in this situation.

At the station, K asked what may have caused this heightened security. "I haven't heard the exact details, but it doesn't put much stretch to the imagination that it was a digimon incident" she said. "Perhaps a tamer deliberately evolved their partner to cause chaos? Or an evil digimon managed to take a Trailmon to the city and started a fight before our predecessors DATS could intervene? Either way, hopefully those days can be put behind us".

K then offered to explain her abilities to Sophie. "Really? That'd be great to know" she said. "Making a database of digimon capabilities is definitely something that's on our list. Not that I'm implying you'd be a problem, but, if another ultimate level were to cause trouble, we'd have to know how to stop them".

As they arrived at the Trailmon floor, K asked if she could approach here by herself unaccompanied.

"Yeah, you can be on this floor as normal, since everyone here knows about digimon" Sophie assured her. "However, if you want to go up to the street level, I highly advise that you wear a holosuit. You can buy them at the Terminus City mall. Basically if you wear one, you'd pretty much disguise yourself as a human and wouldn't get any suspicion of being a digimon... although other digimon will still be able to identify you".

K then asked how old Aegis was. "We became an official organization about 3 weeks ago" Lantis answered. "The government here knows about us, but they're still trying to keep us secret, so obviously some low level officers may not yet know about us".

With that, Sophie then led them on the outer platform to what appeared to be a basic janitor's closet. However, there was more to it than that.

"The hologram deactivates when the key's turned in the lock" Sophie explained to K, demonstrating. As she did so, the inner hologram deactivated, and revealed a small well-lit office full of computers and various files and office equipment.

"So then, welcome to AEGIS" Sophie said, leading them in. "We're hoping to move to a bigger establishment shortly, but, for the moment, this is it".

She invited K to sit at a table in the back corner. "Would you like something to drink before we discuss your situation?" she asked, making sure to extend hospitality to the Shutmon.