Zack Ryder sighs, stroking his Digivice. He hadn't been that close when it had happened, floating helplessly in the water and trying to hold onto the small sandy inlet, Dolph's trembling arm wrapped around his shoulders to keep him in place, but time had stopped, all of them watching as Veemon had deleted in Ricardo's arms, and he has no doubt that it'd flashed through all of their minds, the chance that it could happen to their Digimon at any time. One mission goes wrong, they're in the wrong place at the wrong time, they're not fast enough, strong enough, smart enough, and then...
He closes his eyes and shakes his head, trying not to dwell on it. Pushing the small device back into his pocket, he continues wandering the hallway until he sees Ricardo himself sitting a few feet away, a small blue shape peeking out from his hands. Zack's eyes widen and he sneaks over to him, gaping. "Are you serious, bro?" he hisses, not minding when Ricardo jumps, his fingers closing around Chibomon's small form. "We're not supposed to have 'em out in the real world!"
Ricardo swallows and holds the little creature to his chest, wincing. "It's just, he's so small, Zack. Thinking of him alone in there, too little to understand and just wanting me... just bugs me, I guess. I'm being careful, no one's around," he defends himself and his choice. "And it wouldn't take much to convince someone that he's a stuffed animal for my neice or something." He lifts Chibomon and Zack looks closer at the little guy, fighting not to smile. He is cute enough to pass as a toy, his button black eyes peering back up at the broski curiously.
"Alright, bro, I'm not trying to give you grief here, I just don't want any of us to get in trouble or whatever if someone should see him." He sits down next to Ricardo and pats Chibomon on the head, smiling down at the little guy.
"I understand," Ricardo breathes, relieved as Chibomon chatters softly, abruptly leaping up to rest on Zack's shoulder and nuzzling against his sun warmed neck. "I think he likes you," the former ring announcer murmurs, glad to see his partner happy. After everything Veemon had been through, it's all he wants for him, to be safe and smiling.
Zack grins, sharp and bright, before digging around in his bag. "Hey, bro, I have a cookie here, you wanna try it?" When he checks with Ricardo, he shrugs, watching as Zack offers the treat to the small Digimon chittering on his arm. Chibomon freezes for a moment, venturing towards the cookie, staring at it before leaping atop of it and chewing it down in less than ten seconds. "Whoa, I guess that's a-" But his words die away as Chibomon begins to glow, his chittering growing in intensity and volume until finally...
"DemiVeemon!" he declares triumphantly, resting on Zack's shoulder as if nothing had just happened. But, oh, it definitely had- the little creature had grown, now resembling Veemon more with a tail and pointy ears, his midsection and most of his face white. Playful brown eyes peer up at Ricardo and he grins widely. "Can I have more cookies?"
Ricardo and Zack gape at him for a few moments longer before the ring announcer grabs him and pulls him into a hug, promising him as many cookies as he can stand without getting sick. He had been too little as Chibomon to really talk, only able to say his name and a couple of nonsensible things, but now... Zack smirks and shakes his head. "I guess Dolph's cookies really are good for something after all." He leans back to watch the partners talk happily, this somehow easing some of the tension he too had been feeling since everything had happened.
A few days later, upon arriving in the Digital World, Zack stays back, watching with a small smile as the other Digidestined crowd around Ricardo and DemiVeemon, trying to make sense of it all- Veemon being reborn into the Digiegg, just to hatch as Chibomon, and then Digivolving into the little guy before them in a matter of days. "It's kind of amazing, huh?" Alicia mutters, her warm hand resting on his forehead as he stares around at them all patiently, waiting for the moment to pass so the eight of them can return to looking for the latest mission.
"Yes I suppose it would be to you humans," Luke says simply, walking up to them. "But we need all of your attention for this next mission. Monzaemon from the vaccine sector have been disappearing. Entire villages, wiped out overnight. Which can mean only one thing- there is a WaruMonzaemon who is absorbing them to become stronger." The Digidestined all freeze at this, turning to look at him in horror. "This means there may be a Giga WaruMonzaemon out there, preparing to rampage. If he reaches full strength, there may be no easy way to stop him. Thus we need you."
"A Giga WaruMonzaemon?" Patamon whispers, blue eyes wide with fear and horror as he hovers over Zack's shoulder, shaking his head. "We can't possibly deal with him- the ten of us were hopeless against the X Antibody Digimon. If not for Ophanimon, we might've all-"
"Likewise," Luke cuts into his worried babbling, "Tankdramon will be accompanying you. I don't expect you to handle Giga WaruMonzaemon on your own. Hardly, no. All you need to do is weaken him, make him vulnerable for Tankdramon to finish things up. He will make sure you're safe."
Seth steps forward as if to respond but the others all look to Ricardo, as the person who had so recently nearly lost his partner forever. Ricardo is holding DemiVeemon close, eyes shut as he listens to the little thing's reassurances. "Fine," he whispers after a few minutes. "We're in. We trust you, Luke."
This encourages everyone to fall into line, none of them wanting to look weak or uncertain in the face of Ricardo's decision, considering what had happened to him during the past mission. They're quickly in position in the Virus sector near where the WaruMonzaemon is rumored to frequent, Tankdramon hidden as best as he can among some trees and bushes, hoping that the foliage will act as camouflage for him until it's time for his role in this mission.
They're all clustered behind bushes, waiting for a sign- when they hear it. Loud stomping, mutters, what sounds like teeth gnashing against something. When they look up, it's to find a huge, dark creature that almost looks like an evil teddy bear towering over all of their heads, a weapon that resembles a massive pizza slicer in hand. A large apron covers his dark, velvety body, a red cape highlighting his bizarre appearance. Alicia claps a hand over her mouth to keep from crying out, eyes wide, the rest of them frozen in disbelief or shock as he stomps past them, the ground rattling with each step. He's almost out of sight when Seth shakes himself back to awareness. "Go!" he yells, Betamon responding and diving out of the bushes.
"Electric Shock!" he yells, catching Giga WaruMonzaemon in the back, the electricity curving up the soft padding of his back and scattering data here and there. The other Digimon follow suit, careful to keep far away from his swiping claws, their attacks melding together and freeing more of the unstable data from him. It's an easy guess that it had been taken from the Monzaemon when he had absorbed him, and none of the Digimon or their partners are comfortable at the thought of it, especially so soon after what had happened to DemiVeemon.
Giga WaruMonzaemon, growling louder and louder with each blow, lunges forward awkwardly and holds his paws to his chest, releasing what looks like hearts, but they're split down the middle, broken, and just the sight of them leaves everyone nearby scrambling, not wanting to be hit by the things- but Patamon remains, trying to give the others a few more seconds as he shoots off sticky bubbles to keep them at bay. "PATAMON!" Zack yells, realizing what's about to happen. "Move, bro, dammit!" But the little guy is too slow and Zack leaves the relative safety of the bushes and tackles his partner, bringing him to safety- when something impacts with his foot and he immediately feels an overwhelming sadness, as if every bad thing in the world had become a reality to him all at once.
"Zack!" Patamon gasps, gripping his partner. "Look at me!" But there's no reaction, his green eyes dull with depression and what looks like tears. "Oh no."
"What's going on!?" Dolph demands, worried for his friend and unable to see him too easily, the bushes and the other Digidestined in his way to properly catch sight of Zack.
For a second, the look in Zack's eyes clear and he makes it back to his feet, gripping his Digivice. "No," he mumbles. "No. No matter what's gone on lately, I haven't completely lost hope, not in my career, not in myself... and I won't start now. Not here, not when... so many others are depending on me." He stands up straight, trying to work past the innate sadness welling up within him. "Hit me with all of that you have, I'm not laying down to die yet. We will free those Monzaemon's data from you so they can be reborn, we will stop you from hurting anyone else."
Giga WaruMonzaemon laughs wildly for a minute before... bright, blinding light envelopes the immediate area, finally easing into a singular glow that rests against Patamon's now-spinning body, the young Digimon gasping happily before he all but tackles the power. "Patamon Digivolve to..." he chants happily, his body elongating and becoming humanoid in shape, wings bursting from his back, two large and two smaller. Red cloth wraps around his neck and the top of his head, golden armor plates covering his forehead, chest and legs, a staff in one hand and a sword in the other. "Darcmon!"
Zack gapes at his Digimon partner, smiling slightly as he turns to look at him, nodding quickly before flying towards Giga WaruMonzaemon, sword held out in front of him. "Die!" he commands, the two of them falling into a bizarre war between his pizza slicer and Darcmon's sword, but in the end, the conclusion of the battle comes up quickly. "Dancing Sword!" Darcmon is suddenly moving so fast that none of them can track his sword, except for random flashes of sun against its surface, but it's pretty clear it's over as the massive Digimon continues to lose data at a hurried rate.
All of them had forgotten entirely about Tankdramon until a flood of bullets rain down upon the demented Digimon, destroying immediately. The group of Digidestined watch as data pours in two separate directions- pristine white data heading back to the Vaccine zone and the rest of it, a sickly grey color, returning to wherever it had begun in the Virus sector.
To conserve energy, Darcmon returns to the form of Patamon, resting gently on his partner's head with a strained smile. Zack hasn't moved, despite the victory, and Ricardo gingerly approaches him a few moments later, peering own at him. It's clear that tears are pouring down his face but he doesn't want to move to make it known to the rest, Zack sniffing desperately and trying to wipe his eyes.
"You have nothing to be ashamed of by crying," Patamon tells him simply. "GIga WaruMonzaemon's attack sucks the hope out of a person. You should be proud, most wouldn't have been able to fight him off long enough to help me to digivolve. You may feel off for a day or two longer, but it won't be as severe as it is right this minute, I promise you it'll get better soon."
Zack nods and grabs Patamon, hugging him close. "Thanks, bro. I believe you." HIs tears continue to drip down Patamon's fur, and Ricardo sits odwn next to him to pat his arm, smiling sympatheticallly.
