Alicia comes to, shaky and feeling worse than she has even after the most brutal match she's ever competed in. She somehow finds Palmon in the rubble, hugging her close, watching through wet eyes as the monsterous Digimon's foot hovers over them, about to destroy everything in its sight... but then...
"NO!" Punk yells, his authoritive voice causing all of them to cringe. It also, somehow, stops Breakdramon's rampage, the Digimon planting his foot back on the ground and leaning over to stare once more at Punk. Everything pauses, none of them eager to make a move and risk his anger. because for whatever reason Punk's presence had changed things. He moves slowly, his hands fitting together around Punk's midsection and before any of them could think of anything to do, he clasps them shut and lifts the former wrestler, holding him up until they're eye to eye.
Punk looks a little weirded out to be at that height, much less held by the unnatural creature, but strangely enough, Breakdramon doesn't seem to have as much bloodlust when it comes to him for some reason, Alicia thinking his grip on the man seems almost gentle, which is bizarre considering how wild he had seemed only a few minutes earlier...
"What are you?" Punk asks lowly, his eyes locked on Breakdramon, searching him, trying to catch his eye. "You... you are a Digimon? Is that right?" Breakdramon grunts, more metallic grinding sounds issuing from his mouth.
Alicia can just hear him from here, closing her eyes and hoping that his trying to connect with the Digimon- if that's what he's doing- isn't a mistake...
"Before I left WWE," he says lowly, "I was in pain and sick, thought that I was hallucinating due to my insomnia... a man came to me and told me I had been chosen to lead a new group of Digidestined. I was to be paired up with a Digimon and help save the Digiworld from trouble. But it wasn't... a hallucination, was it? It was real..." He reaches out and rests his hand on the part of Breakdramon's claw that's closest to him. "You were going to be my partner, weren't you?"
Something in the air shifts, tension infusing everything, and then Breakdramon's grip on Punk tightens, his claws starting to slice through his close and break through the man's skin, and Punk groans.
"I'm sorry," he breathes, desperate to avoid the crushing agony against his ribcage but knowing that squirming around would do him absolutely no good. "If I had known it was real, I... I would've done things differently... I wouldn't have... abandoned you..."
Breakdramon hesitates when AJ speaks up, startling all of them as they had forgotten that she was even in the vicinity. "Don't listen to him, he's a liar, haven't you realized it yet? Haven't you all realized it yet? He abandons us, he leaves us to fend for ourselves when he's needed the most, and we're constantly reminded by people who just won't let it go." She grits her teeth and tugs at her hair, turning to look up at Punk as Breakdramon lowers him so she can see him easier. "I hate you. I hate you so much. Breakdramon, finish it."
Alicia looks up as Wade and Nefertimon exchange glances, the Brit nodding at his newly Digivolved partner as she tries to discreetly sneak behind the evil creature.
"You don't mean that," Punk grunts as Breakdramon yet again tightens his grip, Punk's clothes turning red as he grows weaker. "Breakdramon, we... were always supposed to be partners. I know... I messed up, but I want... I want to fix things. Please."
Before Breakdramon can say or do anything, Nefertimon appears, still strengthened by her new Digivolution, and aims her Cats Eye Beam once more at him, repeatedly burning deeper into the wounds she had made in his hide already. This wouldn't have worked so well except that the Digimon is so distracted by Punk and his weakening attempts at explaining his past motivations that he's slow in fighting her off and she continues flying around him, escaping his swatting appendages.
The few Digidestined who are conscious are all watching her, hoping that it'll be enough, that she'll either defeat Breakdramon or perhaps completely destroy him- preferably before Punk loses too much blood. Alicia holds her breath until Breakdramon's grip on Punk slips, his energy fading rapidly as Nefertimon's laser blasts further into him.
Before the sharp claws fall limp and drop him, Punk stares into Breakdramon's face, his own sharp with regret. "I'm sure, in a different world, you would've been the best Digimon partner... possible..."
There's a breath, and then AJ screams "NO!" as Breakdramon's last bit of strength fails and Punk slips out of his hands, falling quickly back to earth.
Nefertimon tries to move in time, get around an unbalanced Breakdramon in time to grab Punk, slow his free-fall, but she skids to a stop in midair, watching as Renamon comes out of nowhere, lunges forward and leaps nimbly into the sky, grabbing Punk and easing him to the ground carefully, Alicia struggling to her feet to help, try somehow to control his bleeding. "He's not going to last much longer," the fox Digimon tells the woman grimly. "There's one thing I can try... Go check on AJ," she says grimly, clearly not wanting Alicia here to witness what she's about to do.
Alicia thinks she can guess, swallowing heavily as she looks at Punk's mangled chest, his shirt nothing more than a couple of strips of fabric pressed against his chest. She turns, only just seeing the bright glow of blue flames behind her as she hurries back towards AJ, the girl staring up at Breakdramon while his data destabilizes slowly, before shattering completely.
As soon as he's gone, her body folds as well, the girl hitting the ground hard. Alicia moves faster, somehow forcing herself past her own aches and pains and grips AJ by the shoulders, holding her up and looking anxiously into her face. She seems normal now, if scared and uncertain what's going on around her, and Alicia hugs her. "It... it's ok, AJ. You're ok, right?"
"What happened?" she cries into Alicia's shoulder. "I don't... don't remember anything, I just... felt so angry, and now I feel so empty..."
"It's ok, don't worry about it. We'll explain it later... you just... just rest, ok? Let us take care of you."
As AJ rests against Alicia, she strokes the former divas champion's hair and stares over, watching as Renamon finally pulls away from Punk, standing up and walking over to her partner. "What did you do?" Alicia breathes.
"He was bleeding too quickly. I cauterized the worst of his wounds to keep him breathing until he can be taken to a hospital." It's a terrible prospect but Alicia's relieved for her quick thinking as she hugs AJ close and murmurs in her ear.
They're still standing there, watching AJ and Punk, while Wade and Heath work together to unearth the others, try to help those injured, though none of them are near as bad as Punk's, when there's a blinding glow that heads towards Punk's prone body. His eyes flicker open as he wearily holds a hand out, the glow taking form in hsi palm until he closes his fingers around a Digivice.
He smiles grimly, staring down at it, when something else begins to form not far from him... A pale grey Digiegg, with small flames drawn along the side, and he turns to look at it before pulling it against his side. "Breakdramon," he murmurs, sensing a purer version of his partner's energy held within the thin shell. "You're... here. Things will be better now. I may not deserve the title of Digidestined, but I'll do my best to be a better partner to you. I promise..."
