"I'm happy for you, bro," Zack is saying into his cell phone, staring out of his window at the street below. It's cold outside, he can feel it coming through the pane of glass and he looks forward to sinking into bed and not moving until the sun's back out, letting his arm rest more naturally at his side than instead of in the sling it's been since the procedure he'd had to try avoiding the surgery.

"Thanks, kid. It was a pretty great moment." Dolph sounds tired but pleased, Zack picturing him laying in his hotel bed and staring blankly at the ceiling while talking to him.

He smiles and shakes his head, wishing he was there. He likely wouldn't have been booked, but at least he could be there to celebrate with the others at finally being rid of the Authority. "You sound wiped out, bro. I'm gonna let you go so we can both get some sleep. Talk soon, yeah?"

"Course, kid. Night."

"Night, bro." Zack hangs his phone up and turns towards his bed, fingering the Digivice that's laying on his bedside table before sitting down on the edge of the bed, yawning lazily. He can still see out of his window from this position, watching as clouds drift lazily over the moon.

He misses exercising like normal, he misses traveling, he misses seeing his friends... the only thing he doesn't miss is his losing spree growing with every week. He's still staring blankly out when something flashes past the window and he blinks, trying to focus. "What... was that?" Rubbing his eyes with his hand, trying to clear his sleepy vision, he wanders over to look down at the street once more.

He's just rested his hand on the cool glass when there's a bright flash behind him and he turns slightly, looking over his shoulder as Patamon forms behind him. "Zack," the wide eyed Digimon says. "Something feels... strange... I think... you need to get away from the window." When his partner doesn't respond, Patamon's eyes narrow. "Right now, Zack," he advises him, some steel entering his voice.

He's about to fly forward, try to convince Zack to listen to him when... the window shatters entirely and frigid air washes over them, wind pouring into the room and leaving Patamon shuddering while Zack continues standing there, unable to pull himself away from the destruction. "Zack!" Patamon cries out, trying to get his attention, when there's a whisper, little more than a breath, and Patamon can do nothing but watch as cruel looking, red tipped fingers drift into the room and aim towards him, his wings slowing as ice coats his body, sending him sedately to the floor before he's frozen solid, only somewhat visible through the ice.

Zack barely notices, his eyes locked on the Digimon that slips partially through the window, looming over him. "Hello." Zack doesn't answer and the Digimon smirks, tilting his head as he stares at him curiously. He truly looks monstrous, an evil looking centaur with the head and upper body of a human but the legs and rump of a four legged beast, his claws long and sharp as he clings to the side of the apartment building, examining Zack. "You are vulnerable, aren't you? Hmm... Such things always tastes so sweet..." He leans closer and rests his claw against Zack's cheek, a smug look on his partially masked face as the wrestler twitches slightly at the contrast of the Digimon's cool hand so close to his warm skin.. "Come with me... I can distract you from that..."

Zack continues to stare at him, quiet. Finally he nods slowly, not looking back once as the frightening Digimon reaches in all of the way and scoops Zack up, holding him safely in his hand before flying away.

The next morning, the damage is discovered by Zack's horrified parents and they peer down at the ice encrusted Digimon, confused. Zack's mom sinks down on his freezing bed as his dad speaks the words that are heavy in their implications, considering the state of Zack's room. "Zack's gone..." he whispers.

-x

The Digidestined are called into the Digiworld before Raw the next day, some of them silent and lost in thought over what happened at Survivor Series, the rest of them pleased. But all of the mocking ends abruptly when Luke appears before them. "I have determined that another Digimon made its way to your world." He hesitates, clearly not sure what to say to explain what's to come. "It appears he has taken Zack Ryder."

Dolph is the first to react, his smugness over successfully winning for his team the night before and ridding the WWE of the Authority disappearing immediately as he sits down heavily in the dirt, staring blankly at Luke. "But we were just talking last night, he was fine," he says dully. "This can't... can't be right...

Luke stares at him, his cool gaze shifting from Digidestined to Digidestined. "You will be sent back to earth to find him. I must warn you all, it's an impressively strong Digimon so... I more likely than not won't be able to help you once you begin to search for him. Finding Zack is a priority, but you also must keep innocent humans safe, and ensure that he leaves earth. Understand?"

The others are nodding slowly, looking troubled by this bit of news on top of everything else they're enduring, when Dolph makes it to his feet, his teeth gritted together. "We'll find him, we'll get rid of this Digimon... everything will be fine. I'll see to it." Seth looks far from pleased at this, scowling over at him, but there is no time... Dolph's already storming off towards the portals and, within minutes, the others are all following him, tired but determined to see it thorugh as well.

Unbeknowest to them, they're being watched from a few feet away. "It appears we have the same target... Perhaps this will work out in both of our favors..."