Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon

Less than Human

Chapter: 10/ An Offer You Can't Refuse…

"You know," said Janyu as he attached sensors to Impmon's body with a look of exasperation. "You didn't have to frighten our receptionist. You could have called."

Impmon hmmphed and crossed his arms indignantly.

"Not my fault if you guys didn't tell her that you deal with digimon these days. She's not going to be able to hold down a job if she can't take a little shock every now and then. Besides, what's she doing in this city if she couldn't handle a digimon walking up and ringing her dumb bell? Don't she know that this city is invaded by guys like me on a regular basis?"

Janyu sighed.

"Hypnos is supposed to top secret. She's not supposed to know that we deal with artificial life forms on a day-to-day basis. We're all underground…"

"Didn't you guys go public during the D-Reaper crisis though?"

"Yamaki just…wants us to maintain a low profile even though we're more in the public eye than we used to be. But we're not here to talk about that."

Impmon nodded.

"Yeah. Sorry for the late notice, and for dropping in on you guys like this. I know that you guys have a lot to do and everything, but…well, I trust you with something like this. That and I don't know who else to turn to for this…"

"Gee. Thanks," said Janyu with a grin on his face as he continued hooking Impmon up to the computers; Impmon, seemingly not taking any notice of Janyu's sarcasm continued onwards.

"Don't mention it. Anyway, I figure that if you guys can bring back Guilmon then you can help me with this too."

Janyu frowned as he finished the last of the attachments.

"Well…I don't know about that. Shibumi was the one who did all the theoretical groundwork for Guilmon, gathering his data through a modified Juggernaut portal and putting it back together. I've been going over his data recently since Yamaki sent him to New York City to help jumpstart international recognition of the digital world and develop the appropriate agencies for future dealings with the digital world. So far what I've uncovered has been very intriguing. There's a data code that I recognize from the Triceramon that showed up not too long ago. I've tried to get in touch with him but his duties are currently taking up a fair amount of his time."

Janyu's gaze softened as he stood up.

"At any rate, putting a digimon back together when his data was just floating around Shinjuku is completely different from what you're asking me to do here. Now you've told me that the digimon that you absorbed…"

"Leomon," said Impmon, his gloved hands clenching together, feeling a little bit dirty on the inside for admitting it. It was a subject that he never liked to talk about.

"Absorption is different from what happened to Guilmon," said Janyu, nodding. "Guilmon's data was, as I said, simply scattered but it retained enough gravitation towards each individual bit to stay within the area of Shinjuku and not slip through any portals. That was what made it easy to bring back together, not to mention that Takato's digivice played an important role in that job…plus whatever code it was that Shibumi inserted. However, we don't quite have an accurate understanding of what happens to a digimon's code when it becomes incorporated into another digimon's structure. You do realize, that there stands a high probability that we might not be able to separate Leomon's data from you."

Impmon was quiet for a moment.

"Impmon?" Prompted Janyu. "Did you…?"

"I heard ya," said Impmon. "You also said that Takato's digivice had helped to bring back Guilmon too, right?"

Janyu nodded. He could go into all the reasons why that was, from the mysterious workings of the D-Arc to the bond between Tamer and digimon, but somehow he had a feeling that Impmon wouldn't care too much for the technical and otherwise abstract information.

Impmon looked up at Janyu, green eyes firm with resolve to continue with what he had set out to do. Janyu was amazed at the strength and determination that the diminutive digimon showed.

"So if this doesn't work out at first, do you think that Jeri's digivice would do something?"

Janyu hesitated. He knew the story behind Impmon, Leomon, and the former Tamer named Jeri. It had come up during the countless conferences that they had while combating the D-Reaper. Since he had known Impmon he had tried not to judge him, since he had done his utmost to make up for the wrong that he had done against the girl, nearly dying in the process as well. It wasn't something that he could let go easily though, given his own morals. But then, it wasn't as if he wasn't entirely guilty of a crime, even though his son had long since forgiven him for his own trespasses. Now…looking into Impmon's eyes, he found a new respect growing in his heart for the digimon.

"It might," said Janyu finally as he looked Impmon in the eyes. "It might."

Yamaki stood at the window of his office, staring out at the city as he digested Rika's report concerning the most recent bio-emergence. The digimon, a wolf-like digimon known as Sangloupmon, was currently resting in one of Hypnos's containment vessels following its regression from its Ultimate form of Matadormon. According to Rika, the digimon had been in very bad shape after its battle with Ryo and Monodromon. The shade wearing Head of Hypnos had an idea as to how hard of a time that it had been through. Given the amount of smoke that he could see from his office, and the fact that he had seen the explosion as well, he could easily say that he had a very good idea. He wasn't all that happy that Ryo had chosen to not accompany Rika, Renamon, and Terriermon back to Hypnos to give a more detailed report (having been there for the majority of he fight) but he allowed the Tamers some degree of mobility in how they conducted their affairs. After all, it wasn't as if they worked for him.

I'm not sure if I'm going to like the fallout of this, thought Yamaki as he watched the plume of smoke rise into the air. He could already hear the news reports now. Another bio-emergence, another rampaging digimon resulting in more property damage, possibly injuries and fatalities as well but he didn't know that for sure. He had sent some agents to ascertain if there were any. They had been extremely lucky so far in that no one had been killed or seriously injured from the sheer amount of battles that had taken place in Shinjuku, and while Yamaki wasn't one to believe in things like luck, he felt that whatever providence it was that had allowed them to come this far without too much incident would eventually run out and he would have to be ready for when it did.

Like the old saying goes; hope for the best, but expect the worst. If nothing else, Yamaki was a realist.

Hopefully Juggernaut is going to be ready for sending our latest visitor back to the digital world, thought Yamaki distractedly. With everything that's been going on we haven't had the time to properly test it since we've altered its programming. It pains me sometimes to use it. It was supposed to be my greatest defense against digimon back when I saw them as a threat and they used it against me. Thankfully it's been behaved lately. After those battles with the Devas I was starting to think that it was cursed.

Had Yamaki not had so much on his mind at the moment he would have chuckled at himself. He wasn't one to believe in curses either. Yamaki's mind however soon turned back to more pressing matters, and he glanced at Rika, Renamon's, and Terriermon's reflections in his office window. Terriermon was presently fidgeting in his seat but otherwise stayed quiet, waiting for Yamaki to say something, preferably something that went along the lines of 'good work' followed by a quick dismissal. Unless Renamon or Yamaki was willing to help it was going to be a long walk back to Henry's school for the little rabbit digimon.

Yamaki went through an idea that he had been considering for many months now, but hadn't been taking seriously until more recent events had come up and made him sit down and think it through a little bit more thoroughly. Turning around, Yamaki gave Rika a critical look beneath his shades. She likewise looked back coolly from where she sat, the dark gray school uniform that she wore due to her having been at school at the time of the digimon attack, making her look out of place in this government building, reminding him that although the girl was a Tamer and had seen and experienced quite a bit in her short life, the fact still stood that she was just a child. They all were, and that was why he had hesitated this long. But a glance at his desk, at an all too familiar file labeled Argus reminded him of all that they stood to lose if he didn't do something to stop it from becoming any more of a reality than it already was.

Better this than the alternative, thought Yamaki as he took a seat at his desk. Especially if those fools upstairs have anything to say about it.

Yamaki took off his sunglasses and looked at the red haired Tamer.

"Tell me something Rika. How long have you been a Tamer?"

Rika's eyes narrowed slightly in confusion and she tilted her head to one side as next to her Renamon and Terriermon brought their attention to the blonde haired head of Hypnos.

"About a year," Rika replied. "Why?"

Yamaki took a moment to take a breath before proceeding, silently wishing that he had his lighter out to calm his nerves.

Too much stress lately…and Reilly keeps telling me that I should take it easy…

"We've developed something of a situation. I suppose that you're aware of part of it…"

Rika cocked an eyebrow, one foot shifting on the floor.

"You mean those new digimon that keep showing up?"

"It goes back further than just the two digimon that have appeared in the past two weeks," said Yamaki as one hand drifted over to the Argus file. "In fact, it goes back all the way to the first bio-emergences, although the situation had been contained at that time…or at least manageable. There had been quite a bit of talk running through the upper levels of our government concerning digimon during the Deva attacks…" Yamaki paused a moment. "I don't think that I have to remind you that anything I have to tell you is classified."

Rika nodded slowly, her eyes narrowing again as she began to puzzle things out in her mind. Yamaki didn't think that he had to remind her, given her background but protocol did demand that he make sure that she was aware of the importance of secrecy.

"Let me guess," said Rika, picking up the thread of conversation. "Whatever it is that's going on now, that mess with D-Reaper was the last straw?"

"In a way," said Yamaki. "But as you know digimon dropped off our radar for six months after D-Reaper was defeated and your partners were returned to the digital world…"

"…And you walled up the portal that Takato found in Guilmon's hut," said Rika, glowering a little. Yamaki didn't bother defending himself. The fiery Tamer hadn't exactly seen him as the greatest of allies to the Tamers after what happened when D-Reaper was defeated, sending their partner's back to the digital world and then trying to prevent them from reuniting. She certainly could understand his reasons for it, but understanding wasn't exactly forgiveness, and as far as she was concerned any attempt to keep her and Renamon, or any of the Tamers and their partners, apart wasn't an act that she could easily move on from. As she had made quite clear to Takato when they were trying to stop Locomon, she didn't trust the leader of Hypnos. As far as Yamaki was concerned he deserved her mistrust, but that wouldn't stop him from doing what it took to keep the world safe…

…Or so he liked to think at times.

"Anyway, things seemed to have calmed down during the period when digimon didn't bio-emerge. As you said, we walled away the portal that Takato had found and constructed a firewall as an extra precaution, which failed."

Almost by instinct, Yamaki glanced at Terriermon to see if he had a sarcastic comment that he wanted to add to that. The look in his eyes certainly seemed to indicate as much. Yamaki wasn't disappointed.

"It'll take a whole lot more than a nifty program to keep me out," giggled Terriermon. "But I guess that we have you to thank for that don't we?"

Yamaki just looked back at Rika, ignoring Terriermon's not-so-subtle reminder of the fact that the Juggernaut program that had been left in his body when he had been forced to return to the digital world, never mind Guilmon's amazing skills at digging. Rika eyed the long eared digimon for a moment. Yamaki could almost swear that he saw a smirk drawing at the corners of her mouth.

Renamon however remained as impassive as always.

"After your partner's returned," continued Yamaki. "Digimon began to bio-emerge again, and as you know they've been growing steadily stronger with each emergence, and talk began to circulate once again on what to do about the revived situation. The straw that broke the proverbial camel's back was the Parasimon invasion."

Rika nodded once more.

"Yeah. I'll bet it did," said Rika as she thought back to that day on her birthday. She had quite a few reasons to remember it well. "If nothing else could do it, that one certainly would make more than a few heads sit up and take notice."

"As a consequence of that event, people began calling for action. You're familiar with the anti-digimon groups that have been appearing lately. They want a more suitable response to take care of what they call the digimon question."

Yamaki noted that all three of them bristled a little at that.

"They're voice is small. They're not quite mainstream yet, but if things keep going the way that they have been they'll become a problem. Their influence has already been felt here. Prior to Lucemon's appearance in our world I had been given instructions to design a new, combative program to give the government a more active capability in dealing with Wild Ones, to give us more independence rather than rely on children with no connection to the government."

Yamaki saw Rika frown at that. He figured that she would be a little bit annoyed by this. The clenching of her fists was also something of a dead giveaway to how she looked at the situation. Defending the city was a difficult task as it was, and even more so because not everyone saw digimon in a positive light even though it had been digimon that had saved them from D-Reaper and Parasimon. To them, the Tamers and their digimon had simply allowed for those threats to materialize. The thought of the government getting involved didn't completely bother her, as that had been the situation when she first started out as a Tamer, but if a new program was launched that threatened digimon she could see herself and the others coming to blows with them as they were a rogue group that would be seen more as vigilantes than the heroes that had repeatedly saved Shinjuku. Even though there were people who had a good view of them (she and the others were occasionally recognized by some of Shinjuku's citizens and also received letters of thanks and undying love though with the exception of Ryo this was a much rarer occurrence), it didn't take much of a genius to see how things could possibly go wrong, especially for her family.

If nothing else, Rika didn't want any harm to come to her family. She would fight and die first before letting something like that happen.

"You mind telling me why you're bringing this up?" Asked Rika, though for some reason she had a suspicion as to where he was going with this. Somehow, a part of her had always known. Had expected it in fact.

Yamaki leaned back in his chair, as if considering what he was about to offer the girl, and inevitably her friends. Once started, there was no turning back.

Yamaki looked at the file named Argus once again, knowing that the same could be applied to that as well.

"The program that the government had me install into the Hypnos systems…it's not something that I believe should be considered using."

"What's it supposed to do? Blow up the digital world?"

"No. I don't think that we can create a program ourselves that devastating…yet. But the program itself…Argus as it has been designated, can be taken as a declaration of war on the digital world. You remember Grani, correct? There's not a whole lot that I'm allowed to reveal about it to you but essentially Argus is very much like what Grani was…only much more dangerous. If I can help it I would sooner not let something like that loose with the Hypnos systems, especially if it threatens the safety of the world."

"All right," said Rika carefully as she processed this information. "So how do you intend to do that? And why are you informing me about it? Isn't this something that you'd discuss with your employees?"

"That depends," said Yamaki.

"On what?" Asked Terriermon from next to Rika.

"I'm about to submit a plan to my superiors that should stall any use of the Argus program. But it would depend on whether or not you or your friends would be interested in taking on an official, active role in Hypnos and its affairs."

Rika, Renamon, and Terriermon just stared at Yamaki, eyes slightly wide in surprise. Terriermon's mouth was slightly agape as well. Yamaki continued.

"You don't have to answer now, as you should discuss it amongst your friends, including Takato when he returns from his vacation. But should you accept, it would mean that we'll have a ready and accountable group for handling Wild Ones as they arrive, one that has already proven their capabilities in the past as opposed to an untested, and dangerous program. Of course you will have to receive more affective field training than what you are used…"

Rika leaned in now, giving the man her full attention as all sorts of possibilities flew through her mind. Although she had come to dislike fighting after seeing the pain that it had put her friends through, she still recognized that she would have to fight in order to protect the people that she cared about. She wouldn't shrink from it. Not if it meant keeping them safe. As Yamaki continued on with the finer details of his idea, Rika could only think of a conversation that she had once with Henry and Takato several months ago before their digimon returned, and of one topic in particular.

Well, Henry did ask me once what I wanted to do with my life. I didn't give him an answer then…but I guess that I might have one now…

A/N: The scene where Rika reminds Yamaki about his 'walling off the portal in Guilmon's home' comes from a Tamer's Drama CD that describes some of the doings of the Tamers after D-Reaper, where they send messages to their partners. Apparently Yamaki filled in the hole that Guilmon made with concrete or something to that extent (you can find a link to it via Wikipedia when doing a search for Digimon Tamers). It was mentioned at the beginning so I took it into account when thinking about Rika's interaction with Yamaki, as she had been shown in Runaway Locomon as distrusting him (and adults in general), no doubt as a result of Renamon's return to the digital world and even more so afterwards and I felt that it was important to include. 'Till next time then. Later.

-Crazyeight

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