Miz paces slowly before Luke, staring at the ground. "We've lost Zack, then Seth, now Barrett," he tells him simply, aware that the man is well aware of this but needing to reiterate it, if only for his own mental well-being.

"Yes," Luke says simply, watching him quietly as he goes back and forth.

"Well, what are we going to do about it?" Mike demands, too impatient to wait for a quick fix, or some hint to fall into their laps. Splitting up to look isn't working, more of them get taken whenever they try to figure out how to rescue the others...

"I haven't decided yet," Luke answers, aware that this won't make any of them happy. It doesn't make him happy to be honest, but it's the truth. Sure enough, he's barely said that when the rest of the Digidestined, standing behind Mike and waiting to see his imminent explosion, start to whisper amongst themselves.

"Then maybe we should decide," Mike says, his brazenness shining through as Luke stares at him calmly.

"Maybe you should," he says, knowing that he can only guide, direct them so far. If they're to learn, grow stronger as a team, they have to make decisions, mistakes, and everything in between together, without his hand-

His thoughts are disrupted abruptly by an explosion, heat blasting against his body as rocks and dirt rain down upon them, Alicia's sharp scream alerting them as for a moment, the sun is blocked out overhead. The other Digidestined are down, groaning and clearly injured or unconscious. Mike spins around, staring up in shock, when something lands heavily and Luke turns to see what's going on as well, his eys narrowing when he recognizes the Digimon that is now holding a sword out towards Mike. "Move aside," he orders the Digidestined briskly, stepping forward. "Zanbamon," he calls out to the creature who sometimes assists Tankdramon at the virus sector's Digiport. "What are you doing here?"

It's clear immediately that something's off with the rider and his beast, their eyes dull and fixed, but his voice is truly chilling when he finally speaks. "I am here to kill you, Luke," he declares simply, the massive golden horse leaping over Mike and landing before Luke, raining dirt and stones over him as he holds his arm up to protect his face. When he looks again, the sword is pressed against his throat, a sneer on his face. "And I will succeed right here, right now... before your precious Digidestined..."

"I see they've somehow controlled you, Zanbamon, my friend," Luke comments, careful not to move as the sharp blade inches closer to his flesh. "I know you won't hurt me on purpose. I hold no ill-will towards you for whatever action they make you take." His voice is sincere, his eyes calm, and it makes Zanbamon pause.

"I am not controlled! I am finally being true to myself," he roars, though the tremble in his hand is telling. He doesn't even react to the bright glow behind him, everything meaningless to the Mega level Digimon- until, that is, a sharp pain, stinging but there, tears down his spine, leaving him roaring and arching away from it, the sword disappearing from Luke's throat as the evil creature goes berzerk, rounding on Strikedramon as Mike grits his teeth and stares from his partner to the much larger, much stronger Digimon... The others still aren't moving or responding enough to actually be helpful, so he swallows and faces having to handle this Digimon on their own.

"You can do it, Strikedramon!" he calls out, forcing himself to sound like he truly believes it, knowing that his disbelief in his Digimon won't help them at all. He holds out some hope that Strikedramon will land another quick bite, weakening Zanbamon enough that they can overcome the darkness controlling him, something, anything... but Zanbamon moves so quickly that Mike can barely focus on him, unable to do anything but watch as Strikedramon is downed and immediately devolves to a small, blue creature with dark eyes that are filling with tears of pain and fright as Zanbamon's sword hovers over his vulnerable body... "NO!" Mike screams, suddenly understanding how Ricardo had felt when it was Veemon, when there was so little he could do... but Miz has never been the kind to stand on the sidelines, so he races forward and stands between the small blue form and Zanbamon's sword, his arms outstretched as he faces this darkness head on. "You can't kill him," he snaps out. The fact that Digimon can be recreated, restructured, means little to him. The baby Digimon on the ground is his partner, dependent on him in this moment, and he refuses to let him get hurt any worse.

Zanbamon throws his head back, laughing uproariously, before throwing a fist out that strikes Mike hard, sending him flying back where he crashes hard into the ground, barely able to sit back up as Zanbamon starts to swing his sword, about to cleave the young Digimon clean in two.

"NO!" Mike cries out once more, struggling to get to his feet, but... his Digivice beats him to the punch, beginning to vibrate and thrum out of his pocket, a dazzling beam of light blasting past Zanbamon, dazing him, and striking a cliff not that far away, causing the hard dirt comprising it to crack apart, freeing a tablet-shaped item with etching in it. Mike's eyes widen as it approaches him, shrinking until it can fit into the palm of his hand. He had seen Seth's, but this... this is his, he can feel its power, its humbling goodness... HIs head shoots up as another beam of light, the Digivice and the crest acting together, blasts out and engulfs the poor motionless baby digimon's body, causing him to float up in midair as his eyes blink open.

"Chibomon warp-Digivolve to..." He spins super quick, flashing through Monodramon to Strikedramon, then... then to his final form, body lean and muscular with red wings fluttering from his shoulders... a familiar Digimon to Mike, but this one isn't evil. This one is strong, this one is sure, this one... this one is impressive. And he knows it too, if his stance is any indication. "Cyberdramon!" he roars out, staring venomously at Zanbamon. "You are fighting, deep inside," he says, his voice gravelly and deep. "I can sense it. I will relieve you of this struggle." His entire body seems to be like light, hard to look at for too long, but Mike manages, still gripping the crest in his hand as his partner crosses his arms over his chest, the familiar attack building there.

"No! Not that simple," Zanbamon cries out, laughing at the futility of this potential action. "You will not-" But his words die away when Cyberdramon is sent backwards with the force of his own blast, which barrels towards Zanbamon, pure light and destructive force and nothing more. "NO! FOCAL BLADE!" He tries, he definitely does, deflecting with his sword, trying everything he can, but the blast tears through his defenses and eats away at his body until disappearing into a gleam of fading light. Zanbamon remains but is unconscious, motionless, and Cyberdramon lands heavily a few feet away.

"He will be fine," the Digimon announces, staring at Luke. "The darkness is gone now."

Luke looks relieved that Zanbamon had been spared, glancing at Mike. "You are the new Digidestined of light," he says, glancing at the crest in Miz's palm. "Congratulations."

"Light," he mutters, staring down at the small crest in his hands. "I don't understand."

"It means you, Mike MIzanin, are going to be our greatest weapon against the darkness threatening to overwhelm our two worlds," Luke tells him simply.

"Oh, is that all?" he mutters, overwhelmed. He's not sure if it's right, if he deserves this particular crest, but Monodramon approaches him with a calm, confident look on his face as he peers at the Digivice. It comforts him, at least a little, to know that, no matter what being the Digidestined of Light might entail, he's not alone in it.