Alicia can only stand and watch blankly, confused and in fear of their teammates- their friends- being held captive by this force, this darkness. Miz, however, moves before any of them can even make sense of it. Holds his Digivice out and stares at Monodramon. "Go!" he yells, making her jump. Monodramon dives into the warm beam of light before Digivolving, first to Strikedramon, then the more menacing form of Cyberdramon. This gives them time, the opportunity to grab their own Digivices and aim them at their partners. Impmon becomes Wizardmon, and Lopmon grows into Moosemon.

Alicia takes a breath, her eyes on AJ as she directs Palmon into Digivolving, relieved to see the more tenacious form of Kiwimon rushing around to join the battle. "Please be alright," she murmurs in general to the entire battlefield.

It's intense from the very moment that the light of Digivolution dies away. Cyberdramon flies forward, gripping MegaSeadramon around the neck and deflecting a blast the sea creature had been about to send out at the Digidestined clustered around, watching on in terror. Alicia's lips are painfully dry as Kiwimon races towards Kyubimon, the fox Digimon blinking lazily at her until she's close enough, then whipping her away with balls of flame as if she's nothing. Alicia's struggling to find a way to her partner, try to help, when Moosemon lets loose a strange bellow, her body twisting as she gapes- Gatomon is racing all around the larger Digimon's body, keeping out of range of his hooves and any possible attempts at attacks when she finally reaches his face, leaning over until they're eye to eye.

"No!" Heath yells, as if sensing what's about to happen when the air around Moosemon shimmers, waves of some sort of energy leaving Gatomon's wide blue eyes as she bores into Moosemon's.

Moosemon's head twists at the sound of Heath's voice but it's too late when Gatomon takes control and he turns on himself, slashing and ripping at his own flank with his antlers.

"Stop it! Stop, Moosemon, you're gonna-" Heath races forward and leaps, grabbing his partner around the neck, trying to subdue him... just to look up to find Gatomon gazing at him, a pleased smirk on her usually docile face. "Aw crap," he only manages to spit out when Gatomon claws him hard across the face, causing him to yell out in agony.

"Heath!" Alicia cries out, but she has her own problems as Kiwimon goes flying past her, a blur of feathers and flame. "No! Kiwimon!" She races towards her partner, unable to keep track of everything going on around them as she tries to beat out the burning feathers and flesh, not minding as charred remains of her black cape floats off into the air. She thinks Kiwimon will be alright, if a little burnt, when a shadow falls over them. She looks up, her breath seizing in her throat, when she realizes that Kyubimon is standing over them, a cold look in her eyes. "Please no," she pleads, aware that it won't matter at all to the Digimon. "Please..."

No one is able to help her, Dolph stuck watching as Darcmon and Wizardmon face off, each attempt that Wizardmon makes being deflected or just plain ignored thanks to Darcmon's swords. She dances gracefully, spinning around him and striking him with so many swords that Dolph can't keep track of them, his partner growing weaker with each blow. Overwhelmed by having his best friend only feet before him for the first time in weeks, but being painfully aware that it's not really Zack, mixed in with the agony his partner is suffering, finally collapsing to a knee after a particularly vicious sword strike to his spine that rattles him from head to toe, Dolph shakes his head, tears filling his eyes for the first time in ages. "Zack, stop this!" he pleads, deciding to take the chance. "Please, kid!" Ignoring everything going on around them, he walks closer to Zack. "Please..."

"What the hell do you think you're doing? I know you're reckless, but do you really have this much of a death wish?" Zack laughs darkly, watching as Dolph walks straight past the fighting Digimon and heads towards him. "I'm going to kill you myself if you take another step," he warns him, licking his lips as if thirsty for blood when Dolph ignores the threat, only stopping once he reaches him. "Well, Zigman, what are you going to do now that you're here?"

It's clear that he expects punches, kicks, or any other kind of attack, but what Dolph does shocks him more than anything else ever could, shaking him to his core. He hugs him tightly, fingers buried in Zack's hair, as if Darcmon isn't currently killing Wizardmon behind them, as if Zack can feel, can see, can hear him. "I'm so sorry it took me so long to find you, kid. Please forgive me..."

Miz stares across the battlefield at Seth, watching MegaSeadramon and Cyberdramon battle back and forth. MegaSeadramon is clearly out for a taste of Cyberdramon's data, leaving him at a distinct disadvantage because none of them want to destroy the tainted Digimon, though they're not sure how to bring them back to the side of light. His hand is tense against his Digivice as Cyberdramon uses his weaker attack, a claw that's extended twice the length of the others, using it to try to slice his way through MegaSeadramon's meaty body, if only to slow him down. It's not seeming to have much affect as the agile sea creature keeps alternating between shooting blinding blasts of lightning or frigid ice beams, that risk cracking Cyberdramon into pieces should the combination land on his armored body.

Seth is laughing and enjoying every moment of it while Mike feels like everything is slipping through his fingers- his partner, the other Digidestined, how good it had felt to do something good to save the world... in one fell swoop, he has no doubt, they're all going to die here at each other's hands, and oh God, it hurts as if he's the one getting hit with lightning and ice. He's close to slumping in defeat, Cyberdramon unable to land the decisive strike needed to take MegaSeadramon down, when he spots the tag hanging around Seth's neck. Despite resembling his own in shape, it's pure black, releasing a kind of dark power that makes Mike feel ill. He's just touched the tag that's around his neck when...

"...greatest weapon against the darkness threatening to overwhelm our two worlds." Luke's comment returns to him and he gapes down at the vibrant tag so different from Seth's when it dawns on him, his fingers scrambling as he pulls his tag from around his neck. "I know what we have to do," he declares quietly. "I know. SETH!" he screams, causing the former Shield member's head to tilt as he looks at him curiously, his focus on the battling Digimon now lost. "You and I have never been friends," he tells him. "But I'm not letting you remain trapped by this darkness. I will save you, I will help save all of you!"

Seth hears him out. Stares at him for a moment, then resumes laughing dementedly.