three's a crowd (aya/tyrone) [mini-event]

he two were nestled in the unoccupied horror section of 'Man-Go-Go-Go!!!'s second floor. There wasn't any theming in this establishment, but the crowd that usually haunted these gore-filled aisles were most likely home. Tyrone envied them severely, as just getting here was a crowded mess. It wasn't that he disliked people, just obstacles. It got so claustrophobic that he felt he couldn't even do his job properly. He needed space and he needed another set of eyes. If there was one thing con-goers were always hesitant of, it was elaborate cosplay. He'd seen those mecha cosplayers with considerable space from their surrounding crowds. So, he deployed his dragon soldier and produced an orange paint marker. He gave a thorough once-over of 002's flash hider with it and gave his instruction in a low, intense voice,

"Zero Zero Two, you will establish a small perimeter of us as we move. Do you remember that mascot from our mission last month? In Shibuya?"

"Affirmative. Am I to run less articulation?" Even after all these years, the weird way 002 could adjust their voice like a volume control and the static-laced metallic echo of their tone was somewhat unsettling. The way they spoke was almost human and less text-to-speech, but still.

"Yes. Do not speak. Run at 75 percent articulation efficiency." Interesting thing about Cyborgs. They could move like fully functional organics, or be as still as statues. 002 would even shut down during the night. It was like having a 'slightly' more complex smartphone. 002 only gave a jilted nod as Tyrone shoved his digivice and marker into the ginormous pockets of his cargo pants. He wiped a spare drop of the paint on his ironic t-shirt which read "You've Activated My Crap Card".

Ugh, blending.

Down the steps they waddled and stepped, respectively and there was a slight shunt at the bottom. Fantastic. 002 had already run into someone and...good God, what was that hair?

n immense crash set Tyrone scrambling, squeezing 002's shoulder to order him to stay put here on the stair. He was already muttering curses against his teeth; he should've taken the lead in the shop. A fat load of good it would've done him for the gun-toting partner to lead in a crowded, enclosed space. He doubted they could even shoulder the rifle in this space.

Tyrone was no regular Japanese, obviously. He had a good foot or so on most of the people in this store, especially considering three quarters of them were pre-teen children. He squeezed through where he could and when that didn't work, he barked,

"Move. Move, all of you."

Tyrone made motions to help the man up, even to sweep up a few loose volume, but it was done by the time he got there. He was astonished at the speed, yet it was soon swallowed up by the utter guilt that tried to break his stony, unchanging countenance. Something possessed this poor man and he only caught a single glimpse of it before he started to make distance. The stammering, quivering lips and manic eyes. The pity in the emptiness of his gut grew until suddenly the man was up and starting towards the stairs.

Tyrone was trying his best to cut him off, to apologize, but he just ended up back on the stairs. It seemed only then he was noticed and 002's muzzle pointed upward expectantly to their handler. What were they to do?

"Look. I don't think he took anything, no. He was just distressed."

No response, but the head did tilt almost quizzically.

"Not everyone is as put together as those at Home. Let's just stay here till he comes back." It was around this time that Tyrone realized 002 didn't know what an 'apology' was.

bsolutely not." It was so matter of fact, but he tried his best to make it that way. There was a worry poking at the center of his forehead, pulling down and furrowing his brow deeply. Oh Two looked up at their tamer, registering the change in heartbeat and the expression. Searching...searching...discomfort was the word they found. They moved closer, assuring Tyrone that he was well-guarded. However, this threat to him was not external.

He gave a look to the young woman, making no effort to adjust his glasses to hide his assessing. He tried his best to read her and found nothing beyond a worried charming girl. His mouth straightened as he gave a slight cough into his hand.

"If it's all the same though we should give him some space. For a little bit, anyway."

Five minutes was about as long as he was willing to stand for that order, as he started down the stairs two at a time. What was down here, he thought. Where would a man go?

Then he heard it. Rushing water, muffled but still thoroughly loud. He thought he heard him talking to himself, but that was much harder to discern. He rapped his knuckles on the door like he was issuing a warrant, trying his best to be heard through both solid and sonic barriers.

"Hey, guy, look...I knocked you over coming down the stairs. I uhh...You don't like big crowds, I wager? Or people staring at you, besides. I'm sure you got stuff you want to do, I want to help. I have a kid with me, good cosplay for the even this year. People give us plenty of space walking down the street. Why don't you come out, let me make amends for this. Walk with us, have some space and we'll get you something sweet. Sound fair?"

He stood aside of the door and once he was finished with his apology, he noticed something. He'd included that girl in his thoughts, somehow. Did she often work her way into people's plans just by being around? Who knows, but he was sure to extend it to her too, if she wanted.

he rays of outdoor light bounced off his glasses, sentencing his gaze to unreadable glass. The smile under them was without context, but Zero Two saw something they had seen in a long time. It was something not seen since Tyrone had been spending so much time with that Yukiko girl from his school. They believed it to be some form of contentment. The fatigue seemed to be pushed back.

"Well then, let me gather just one more. For flavor." He took stairs two at a time, the spring from his voice pushing his feet off the ground until craning his neck around the banister. She was still there, thank goodness. He knocked knuckles against the wall to catch their attention before ushering her with a juvenile conspiratorial tone.

"Psst, he's game. C'mon, I smell takoyaki, we could do with some sweet stuff." Tyrone often did this. Building up the mood to let those around him feed off of it, it made him a good leader amongst the lower rungs of HYPNOS. However, there was something about the atmosphere and his attire. He felt like he wasn't on the clock after the social dread had faded. Free, almost.

Before he heard her answer, he was back down the stairs and skidding into a kneel. He looked over 002 in an animated fashion, craning his neck to check his partner's form. This would hold up in sunlight, he thought. No one would pay that much attention.

"Now, you stay close to our friend here. The girl may be coming along as well. Keep them safe, alright little soldier?"

Zero Two didn't move for several seconds. The unmoving face gave no sign of its computations, unable to understand what they had just felt. It was a tone they'd heard before, just not towards them. Maybe to Mother. They could hear the smile in the tone.

The smile flattened and suddenly, Zero Two was back to their sensors. They threw up a monolithic clawed salute, unblinking. Then, Tyrone took his leave out the door, shielded his eyes from the sun as he scanned the street, and pointed west.

"The stand is that way. You like takoyaki, right?"

his was odd, they thought. They could still smell the paint on their rifle, still drying in the heat. The takoyaki, they thought it was anyway, Zero Zero Two had never eaten that. It could've been any food and they wouldn't really know the difference. The smell that took priority though was coming off of the two suspects here. Familiar smell. Digimon scent. If there had been more people between them, more distance, Zero Zero Two wouldn't have gotten smell. It was faint even now, with the food cooking, but they smelled it.

Zero Zero Two could not disobey programming. They would be as inconspicuous as they could, though they didn't quite understand why their presence wasn't causing an evacuation.

They'd made it to the takoyaki sales area. Tyrone exchanged cash and distributed sticks, none was given to Zero Zero Two. Seconds after, a buzz caught the pair's perception and a phone was produced. The brow on their Tamer sank below the glasses, and the forced tension in their body began to break.

Tyrone produced two cards, numbers stamped into them, and gave them to the humans.

"Every single damn day. But we'll continue this later."

Tyrone nodded to Zero Zero Two and the facsimile of limited movement faded entirely. The two were off with soldier cadence in their sprint, Tyrone began to spout off details as best he could. His partner responded as they always did.

"Zero Zero Two, establishing mission parameters."