The Seal Man, and Other Tales, with Barry and Cisco

[angry_friendship_wolf]

Jyou's located a short walk away -- a little way south-east, over a bridge to another one of the islands that make up Odaiba, past a construction site repairing some light damage from a Digimon battle, and to the southernmost tip of one of the islands.

But he's there, sat on a bench with a textbook in hand and a white, orange-mohawked sea lion slumped around his shoulders like a scarf.

"Hope we didn't keep you waiting," Yamato says, as Jyou looks up at them and flicks down his glasses.

Comments

[run_barry]

"No problem, happy to," Barry replies with a smile. "I actually owe Yamato for helping me out a few times."

Barry throws a nod Yamato's way, then turns and watches the others arrive.

"Hey guys," Barry says, throwing a wave.

[makes_the_toys]

Cisco nudges Yamato when Yamato bonks into him, then raises his phone to snap pics of the golden pegasus and giant cactus.

"Our world would be so much cooler with partners," he sighs.

[angry_friendship_wolf]

"He probably never bothered marking those times on his mental spreadsheet. Yama's great at keeping track of how many times over he owes other people, less good at keeping track of when they owe him," Taichi remarks wryly.

More Chosen arrive in short order: Sora, riding the talon of a towering red birdman, and then the buzzing of a massive, dark red rhinoceros beetle alighting on top of a nearby building as a boy who's probably Koushiro arrives. No sign of Jyou, but then it might be too far inland for his partner.

"You can make your world one with partners if you have some papier-mache and the power of imagination," Yamato says wryly, as Garurumon bounds down from out of sight to pad around him.

Yamato heads over to Barry, while Garurumon nudges his face up against Cisco's, flicking his tongue out like he's juuuust preparing to lick him.

"I take it you don't need medical attention from Jyou, with your speed healing," Yamato notes, knocking a foot against Barry's leg. "Better to avoid that if at all possible."

[run_barry]

"Oh, I know," Barry says with a smile, "but I'm not about to forget."

He greets everyone as they arrive with a raised hand, with an extra nod and wave aimed at Garurumon when he arrives.

Barry winces just a little, and laughs as he shakes his head at Yamato, "No, I'm good. But I still don't believe he's as bad as you say."

[makes_the_toys]

Cisco rolls his eyes as he snaps more pictures.

"Papier-mache? Please, like I couldn't make myself a robot flying wolf-dinosaur if I really wanted to."

Cisco rocks with the nudge and is already squinting and making a face in anticipation of a face lick.

"Don't muss my hair," he warns.

[angry_friendship_wolf]

"In the Digital World, he's represented by a seal, aniki. If you've looked into the eyes of a seal, you know there's nothing there but hate and rage," Yamato says firmly, as Taichi nods somberly.

There's a few flickers of light as the various partners shrink, except Garurumon, who very deliberately and carefully licks Cisco's face, careful not to touch his hair, with as much delicacy as a wolf the size of a truck can. His tongue is icy cold and metallic.

Yamato flicks a hand, and the other Chosen, bar Taichi, start migrating back towards the western end of the island, just in time for a twenty-something man in a suit to arrive on the scene.

"And there's Agent Nishijima," Yamato says, beckoning Barry and Cisco. "C'mon, may as well introduce you before we head back."

[makes_the_toys]

Cisco squinches his face as he's licked then reaches up a hand and rubs his palm against his cheek rapidly, trying to work warmth back into it after that icy lick.

"Brr! Dude, you're tongue is cold enough to give brain freeze," he laughs, giving Garurumon's snout a pat.

[run_barry]

"Can't say that I've ever stared into the soul of a seal," Barry admits, amused.

Barry quirks an eyebrow in question at Yamato when he notices the man in a suit approaching, then nods when Yamato identifies the agent and walks with Yamato to meet the man while Cisco follows after them.

[angry_friendship_wolf]

Garurumon gives a low rumble at that, scraping one massive, metal-furred cheek against Cisco's shoulder.

"So," Yamato murmurs to Barry as they walk. "How was your first battle?"

Not his first fight, obviously, because -- so, so many metahuman criminals, but his first siege of a city by an invading force.

[makes_the_toys]

"You big, metal, softie," Cisco teases, stumbling a little with the nudge.

[run_barry]

Barry immediately gets what Yamato means. Barry has faced threats before, but this was definitely something else, something bigger.

"Intense," Barry replies after taking a moment to consider. "I don't usually deal with city-wide threats like this, and in this case there's no way I could have. I had my hands full with just MadLeomon. Odaiba is lucky it has you and your team protecting it."

[angry_friendship_wolf]

"I'm sure you'd have found a way," Yamato says lightly. "Luckily, a lot of our work just involves dealing with bandits threatening Digital World villages, calming down tensions between fiefdoms, or rebuilding towns after attacks. It's not always this hectic."

"Odaiba's just unlucky to sit right under a Gate," Taichi adds.

Garurumon gives Cisco a long look, then bounds off, returning with a tree grasped in his jaws and holding it out. Throw it, Cisco. Throw the tree.

[makes_the_toys]

"Don't drop that!" Cisco says, alarmed by the tree.

"Look, if and when I get one of the Milliways' jaegers up and running I will totally play tree-fetch with you, but if you crush me now we'll never have those good times," he informs Garurumon.

[run_barry]

Barry's head snaps around on Cisco's shout, taking in the scene and deciding everything is okay, and then Barry smiles and bumps his shoulder against Yamato's in thanks for that vote of confidence.

"Good to know you guys aren't facing invasions everyday," he notes. Otherwise, Barry would definitely worry.

[angry_friendship_wolf]

Garurumon peers at Cisco. Prances a little. Peers at him again to see if that changed anything. Then, deciding that it has not, he lies down and starts methodically shredding the tree.

As the group reaches Agent Nishijima, Taichi holds out a hand to gesture at him. "This is Agent Daigo Nishijima. Low to middle management at the Bureau, calligraphy teacher and careers advisor at our school, and former Chosen."

Nishijima, a dark-haired man in his late twenties, pulls a digivice from his pocket to demonstrate that last. It's of the same design as Taichi's and Yamato's, but the veneer looks a lot cheaper, and lacks the runes that theirs have.

"More like a, er, failed sort-of-Chosen," he says. "My team was one of the ones Gennai summoned to buy time for the Eight to be reborn. And now I work for the Bureau, under Professor Mochizuki."

"This is Barry. He runs fast and punches good and knows science," Yamato says, jabbing a thumb at Barry, then at Cisco. "And this is Cisco. He invents stuff and also knows science."

[makes_the_toys]

"Landscapers must love you," Cisco says, then takes a moment to snap a picture of Garurumon and the tree.

When he's introduced Cisco holds up a hand and throws a jaunty salute.

"Yo. One might argue that I know more science than Barry," Cisco notes, then clarifies, "Me. I would argue that I know more science than Barry."

[run_barry]

Barry gives an amused reaction to Cisco's declaration about science, then steps forward and offers Agent Nishijima his hand.

"It's good to meet you," Barry says.

[angry_friendship_wolf]

Garurumon keeps crunching on his tree, giving a pleased noise when he snaps it in two. You see, he had one stick, but now he has two sticks. Productivity.

"You two going to have a measuring contest for your science-dicks?" Yamato asks Cisco, dryly.

"You could be science-rivals," Taichi adds.

Nishijima takes Barry's hand, giving it a quick shake. "I take it you helped out with today's incident?" He asks. "We -- don't have a file on you, as far as I can recall."

"-- You're not going to open files on them, either," Yamato says. "Keep them off your books, Nishijima."

[makes_the_toys]

"In science we measure credentials, and mine says that I was hand selected by one of the most brilliant scientists in the entire world to work at one of the most advanced scientific research laboratories our there so, I win," Cisco says smugly.

"Also, I have a card in my wallet that says 'certified genius."

[run_barry]

"Honestly, I'm not competitive enough to be a good rival," Barry admits to Taichi with a laugh. "If Cisco wants to claim the title of 'biggest brain' he can have it."

That said, Barry leans over to Taichi and whispers, loudly, "I'm still faster than him, though."

Hearing Nishijima bring up files Barry's eyes widen a bit, but luckily Yamato is quick to jump in.

"Yeah... " Barry says, flashing a grateful smile to Yamato before looking back at Nishijima. "I would have at least a few people super mad at me if I let a government agency start a file on me."

[angry_friendship_wolf]

"Just sounds like dick-measuring with more paperwork," Yamato says, to the idea of measuring credentials.

Taichi laughs, nudging Barry. "I can believe both those things. I've heard Yamato's stories about how fast you are, and you don't strike me as the competitive type."

Nishijima holds up his hands. "I'll keep both of you off the books, then. Ishida can vouch that I've kept their safehouse and some of their more recent activities off the Bureau's records," he says. "-- And he'd probably kill me if I went back on my word."

[makes_the_toys]

"Again," Cisco drops in about Barry getting himself on government lists. A.R.G.U.S., CCPD, probably the Army, too, Barry and the Flash are definitely have at least a few files out there by now.

[run_barry]

Barry throws a 'thanks for pointing that out,' eye roll at Cisco then gives Nishijima a nod.

"We appreciate that. If Yamato trusts you, then so do I."

Barry still has Feelings and reservations about the Bureau itself, but Nishijima seems like a good guy.

[angry_friendship_wolf]

Yamato flashes a quick smile, nudging his head against Barry's lightly.

"We'll handle the clean-up here, and compensation for damages," Nishijima says. "Might take a few days, but we'll get it done. You might want to send someone round the local yakuza offices with gifts and apology cards, though."

"I'll do that," Yamato says. "They like me well enough."

[makes_the_toys]

Cisco can only grin when Barry throws that eyeroll at him, then tilts his head and asks, "What does one gift to yakuza?"