Alberto Del Rio groans, a strange, sharp pain stabbing up his back as he struggles to open his eyes. "Ay dios mio," he grunts, attempting to roll away from the agony. By the time he can see, he's half on his side, startled to find he's staring at glistening blue water, not unlike the pond on his grounds back in Florida. Which makes no sense, he had been nowhere near the state, much less his home. Rocks are scattered all around, probably what had been the cause of his pain moments earlier.
Shaking his head, he's about to brush it off as a jetlag induced hallucination or just a nonsensical dream when a cheerful voice sounds right in his ear, nearly sending him a foot in the air. "Hello! ... Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."
Alberto turns to look again, now staring in weird fascination at the bizarre creature with wide, brown eyes gazing back at him calmly. Blue and white striped fur covers his face, paws and back, leaving only his midsection and feet uncovered. Alberto has seen a great many creatures over the years, but no matter how long he stares, he just can't determine what is standing before him. So he does the first tactful thing he can think of. "What are you?!"
The beast doesn't look offended, however. Merely smiles and tilts his head. "I am Gabumon, your Digimon partner."
At this, Del Rio sneers. He's never needed a partner in his career or real life, getting by just fine on his own. "Tsh, right. Well, as disturbing as this has been, I'll be waking up soon, and..."
Gabumon doesn't lose his calm smile as Del Rio continues babbling on about his road to becoming WWE World Heavyweight Champion once more, waiting until he talks himself out and stands up, walking in a random direction, just to get away from Gabumon's piercing stare. Alberto ignores as Gabumon trails after him, waiting to wake up from this insanely lucid dream, but the longer this doesn't happen, the more worried Del Rio becomes, glancing around desperately for some clue where he's at.
Finally at the end of his rope, he spins around and glares Gabumon down. "Stop following me, you perro!"
Gabumon's lips twitch and he shrugs. "Dog, huh? You say that as thought it's an insult... and anyway, I won't be following you anymore, no." He brushes past Alberto and walks towards something with purpose. "Because we're here now."
Alberto shakes his head, not understanding as he slowly turns to find a man staring at, piercing eyes seemingly peering straight through him. Gabumon is now standing between this strange person and a group of other odd creatures and people. It takes Alberto a long, confusing minute to realize that they're his follow WWE competitors. He swallows harshly. "What is going on?"
Alberto comes to, wet and cold. He chokes and coughs, the memories of his first time in the Digital World playing through his mind and he gasps, sharply relieved when Gabumon appears in his vision, holding onto him as he guides him to a small bar of sand in the middle of the sea, barely wide enough for both of them to fit on, but they manage, Gabumon patting Alberto on the back as he spits out more water and looks up, shaking his head. "What happened?!"
"Gomamon attacked us," Gabumon says grimly. "Stay here, I'm going to go look for the others, we have to stick together until we sort all of this out." Alberto nods, watching as he dives into the water and disappears from sigh. Only a few moments pass before Betamon and Seth Rollins appears, clearly having the same idea Gabumon had. Betamon too dives back into the water to help once he's sure Seth is secure against the sand, leaving the former Shield member and Alberto behind to ignore each other while they wait and watch for any sign of their partners, or the others.
There's so little room on the inlet that before long, more waterlogged Digidestined are hanging from the sides, Gabumon making sure that Ziggler and Barrett aren't about to lose their hold and sink back into the water before he resumes searching the waters, Betamon bringing back AJ a few moments later.
Alberto can't help but think it's looking more and more like a scene out of that ridiculous Titanic movie, the Digimon floating aimlessly near their human partners, trying to ensure there will be enough space for them all to at least cling to, since all ten of them definitely won't be able to fit.
The next time Betamon and Gabumon return, it's with Zack and Heath in tow, Wade and Dolph helping them to cling to the sandy edge as they gasp and shiver, relieved to be touching something close to solid ground again. An unspoken worry passes through them all as they take in Zack and Heath's condition, hair stuck to their pale skin, clothes torn and adding to the chill that's causing them to shiver violently.
It doesn't bode well for the three yet to be found or their Digimon, but no one wants to vocalize such thoughts.
Gabumon and Betamon are gone for a long time, the others clearly preparing themselves for the worst outcome, when finally they return, Mike draped over Monodramon's heavy body, and Alicia being carried between Palmon and Gabumon. They all breathe a little easier upon finding that the other two are still alive, even if their breathing is a little weak and slow. But... Alberto looks out at the water, a thrill of only just ignored terror returning with a vengeance as the other Digidestined realize who's yet to be found. "Where's Ricardo?"
Betamon and Gabumon try again and again, diving into the water to look, but there is no sign of Veemon, no hint of Ricardo's presence. Alberto closes his eyes, tries not to think about what this more like than likely means.
Gomamon's claws dig into Ricardo's shoulder as he works through the currents, the three menacing Digimon behind them only adding to the ring announcer's fear. He wonders where the others are, if they're alright, where Veemon is when he hears, as if summoned by his thought- "Vee headbutt!"
Out of nowhere, there's a flash of blue and Gomamon grunts, his grip on Ricardo tearing away roughly- slicing through some of the flesh on his arm in the process, blooding splattering into the water, tinting it pink, but there's no time to react to it, Veemon grabbing Ricardo and dragging him as far away as he can before the Digimon regroups.
"You're ok," Ricardo gasps, swimming as best as he can despite the pain stabbing through the nerves in his arm, blood still trickling lazily down his sleep.
"I'll be better as soon as we find the others, come on," Veemon breathes, Ricardo nodding. "There's a bit of a sand strip nearby. If the others know this area like I do, they'd have gone there to regroup before trying to figure..." His words die away abruptly, Ricardo looking at him with a lack of comprehension as something green and thorny pokes out of his chest, Veemon's eyes widening in pain and fright. "R-Ricardo," he chokes out before the vine retracts, scattering data as it goes.
"Veemon!" he cries out, grabbing for his partners before he can sink under the waves. There's nothing he can do, he realizes this before he even looks at the spreading hole in his partner, the data degrading and scattering in the water before disappearing entirely. He's deleting. "No, no, no," Ricardo sobs, only just noticing as the more feral version of Palmon approaches, his arms pressing Veemon closer as he squeezes his eyes shut, waiting to feel the stab of her thorny vines as well, bringing along his own death, when...
"BLUE BLASTER!" The now familiar blue flames tease the surface of the water before impacting with Palmon, sending her back with a loud squeech. Ricardo gasps and looks up, tears in his eyes as Alberto's partner takes Veemon from him gently. "Grip the back of my fur, Ricardo," he urges him kindly and, one his command is followed, starts swimming quickly to the sand strip, Ricardo crying harder when he realizes just how close they had been to what Veemon was talking about before everything went so terribly wrong.
By the time they arrive, Veemon is barely conscious, his last grip on life failing as Gabumon lays him onto the sand. Miz, who is now awake and looking a little stronger, helps Ricardo onto the sand, all of them silent and somber as the young Digimon opens his eyes to find Ricardo hovering over him, tears dripping down onto his already soaked fur. "I'm so sorry," he chokes out, Veemon piecing together the strength to shake his head in response.
"Not your fault," he manages before more of his data destabilizes. "Was my honor... to be your partner..." He sighs through a shudder, his lips twitching up into a weak smile before he explodes into small fragments of data, Ricardo's shoulders slumping as he sobs over the few remaining particles.
"No," he keens, resting his hands over them before they too disappear. "Veemon..."
"Aw, so sad," the now infamous voice of Gomamon greets them, the group turning to stare as the white Digimon peers up at them from the water. "Don't worry, you won't be mourning for long. Either way, this story was going to end the same. You all will die here, one way or another."
Alberto and Gabumon approach, the Mexican aristocrat sneering down at him. "It's your fault Veemon died," Del Rio tells him. "You honestly think a coward such as you has any chance against us?"
"He's not alone," Ricardo only just chokes out through his tears as Gomamon laughs uproariously, loud splashing of water shutting them all up as first the Palmon that is so vastly different from what they're used to appears, using her vines to pull herself up onto the bar of sand.
Alberto is still unconcerned until the sound of metallic buzzing reaches them and they all look to find a dinosaur coated in metal armor swimming towards them, his body seemingly unaffected by the water, another Digimon looking clearly at home on his back as he glides through the water. "Metal Tyrannomon X, Mamemon X, and Palmon X, it took you long enough to join us," Gomamon says coolly, smirking as all of the Digidestined seeing the group of four together for the first time pales in response. "Welcome to the party." He begins to laugh again.
The Digidestined all try to group together despite half of them still being in the water, Gomamon only laughing harder at their feeble defense, most of the Digimon also encumbered by being in the water. Even Gabumon, who had been taking charge since everything had gone so drastically south, looks clueless. Gomamon's laughter dies away and he smirks at MetalTyrannomon X. "Finish them."
"Nuclear laser," the massive creature roars, opening his mouth as a bright flash of a laser beam shoots out from between his teeth, barreling towards the group of people and Digimon with the clear purpose to tear through them, large enough to take most of the strip of sand with it, but... just before the Digidestined's lives can flash before their eyes, there's a golden flash of light, the laser crashing against it and rebounding, MetalTyrannomon X only just moving in time to avoid it.
Gomamon gasps, his eyes narrowing. "Who's there?!" he demands angrily, looking around for some sign of who would dare do such things to him and the others. There's another flash of light, so bright that everyone has to look away, including MetalTyrannomon, and when they all look again, the rookie Digimon who had been in charge of the mission is gaping on in horror. "No way..."
Ophanimon is standing before them in her glory, holy light blanketing her as she holds her arm out towards MetalTyrannomon X, sneering as she looks at them. "You are not welcomed here, this zone is not meant for X Antibody Digimon," she tells them coolly. Before anything could be spoken, she presses her fingers together, the three Digimon disappearing into a blast of light that resembles the shield that had protected them from a fatal blow just moments earlier before she turns to look at Gomamon. "So, what should do we about you, hmm?"
He stares at her incredulously before shaking his head. "I was to be the next to receive the X Antibody, as soon as I had led them to destroy the Digidestined! They were to make me stronger, you have ruined everything!" He loses it, dives out of the water and appears to be trying to break through the shield that Ophanimon is still maintaining, his claws cracking against it, making a soft tinkling noise as though he's struggling to get through glass. Eventually, in time, he tires himself out but he continues fighting to get to the Digidestined, a maddened look on his face. "I will become stronger! I will kill you," he snarls at the Digidestined, uncomfortably close to the still grieving Ricardo.
Del Rio somehow senses what's about to come, gripping his former ring announcer's unbloodied arm and dragging him away from where Gomamon is pounding against the protective shield. Sure enough, the Digimon's exhaustion and stubbornness work against him, a soft snapping sound coming only moments later causing him to freeze as he looks down to find that the claw he had been trying to break through with... had broken, shattering as data streams through the air. "No, no," he chokes out. "No!" More of his body disappears, it not stopping with just his claws, his disbelief leaving him choking. "I was to be-" But before he could even finish the sentence, he's gone, nothing more than data clinging to the shield before disappearing entirely.
Now that the danger is gone, Ophanimon shatters her shield and hovers carefully over the water, looking down at the Digidestined. "I am afraid I can't promise that it's a permanent reprieve, but for now the X Antibody Digimon will not bother you. I have done all I can in that regard, by sending them away, but more likely than not, they will return."
"What are X Antibody Digimon?" Del Rio speaks up gruffly, unconsciously maintaining his grip on a still in shock Ricardo.
"We are unsure how they originally came to be, but they are a group of Digimon carrying a certain antibody that is very rare, it leaves them with different appearances and abilities than the standard Digimon, and usually causes them to be stronger, more ruthless. There aren't many of them in the world, but we do what we can to keep them away from peaceful zones and villages."
Ricardo abruptly pulls away from Alberto, his former employer flushing slightly as he realizes just how long he'd been holding onto him, even once Gomamon had destroyed himself in an attempt to call back the X-Antibody Digimon, get what had been promised to him. But now that the danger's over, there's no reason to stop Ricardo from returning to where Veemon had been when he had faded away, none of them eager to stay here, but also not wanting to disrupt his grieving. It's clear by their faces that each of them can only imagine how they'd feel if it had been their partner to delete right before their eyes. Alberto wonders if perhaps Veemon will be reborn, and if so when and where, when all of a sudden- Ricardo's Digivice lights up, thrumming in his pocket.
He chokes, pulled from his painful guilt, and tugs the Digivice out of his soaked jeans, staring down at it in amazement as a beam of light blasts from it, stabbing through the blue sky as far as any of them can see. "Whoa," he chokes. "I think... I can feel... it's looking for... Veemon..." Fresh tears pool in his eyes as the device continues to work, data code covering its screen until finally it grows calm, the thrumming quieting. Ricardo starts to look disappointed, thinking perhaps it had failed, or Veemon just isn't out there to be found, when the golden beam of light starts to fade away. Ricardo scrubs at his face, certain that he's right after all, when...
"Look," Patamon breathes from where he's resting on Zack's shoulder, all eyes on the end of the beam that is now visible, a soft blue egg on the end of it. "It's a Digiegg. Ricardo, I think... I think it's Veemon." As the beam continues to retract back into the Digivice, just before it disappears entirely, the blue egg is deposited into Ricardo's arms and he hugs it close, amazed at both its presence and its size. "It is," the winged creature insists, smile brilliant as he flies towards Ricardo, bright blue eyes gleaming with happiness. "Rub the egg, Ricardo."
Ricardo stares up at him, unsure why he would want to do that, when he decides to listen anyway, thinking perhaps it would comfort whatever's inside, beginning to lightly rub circles in the hard shell. It only takes a few motions when the entire egg quivers, Ricardo almost dropping it in shock when it begins to crack up the side. He watches in awe, trying not to drown in self-doubt. What if it's not Veemon? What if it's just some replacement Digimon... or what if it's nothing, and my Digivice is just on the fritz now that I've lost my partner? He's starting to cry again when the last of the shell cracks apart, a soft beam of light causing him to gasp as it disappears entirely, leaving a very small, formless baby Digimon behind. The only distinctive feature he has is soft blue fur and a tuft of pointy fur aiming away from his eyes. He can fit easily in the palm of Ricardo's hand, and he smiles down at the little guy, immediately smitten with him. "You... you are Veemon, aren't you?"
"Chibo," he chirps, eyes shining with affection as he looks up at Ricardo.
Despite the Digimon's inability to talk, that's all of the answer Ricardo needs as he squeezes the little Digimon close, breathing into his soft fur. "Gracias," he mutters, overwhelmed by relief, guilt and happiness to have his friend back.
Ophanimon stares at them all and hums. "Are you all ready to get out of here, then? I must strategize with Luke on what to do next... but you all may go home now, if you so wish." The group of Digidestined all eagerly agree with this, clearly looking forward to putting this terribe mission behind them, and she nods, waving her hands before them and causing a Digiport to form not far from where they stand. "We will be in contact," she tells them simply.
"Can't wait," Alberto mutters sarcastically as he peers at Ricardo with the baby version of Veemon held between his hands, hoping that when that time comes, it will be much less traumatizing a mission.
