Zack Ryder sighs as he walks through the Digiworld, hands buried in his pockets, one gripping his Digivice tightly. He hasn't been alone in the Digiworld in a very long time and he really hates it now, especially with the fact that Heath Slater is still missing. Unfortunately Dolph had been injured and then cast in a WWE Films movie that is still currently filming, so he's without a human partner to have his back as he searches out the alert on his Digivice for the report of darkness.

His only comfort is Patamon, warm and steady on top of his head, but neither of them are very talkative as he walks by a jungle. They breathe in and out quietly, as if fearful of bringing their target right to them should they make even a slight noise... which, considering things that have happened in the past, seems more and more likely. One hand moving away from his digivice, Zack grips the crest that now hangs around his neck whenever he's in the Digiworld. He wishes, not for the first time, that Dolph is with him, mocking him for his fright while comforting him with a clap to the arm to encourage him on.

He's just let go of the emblem of hope when there's a strange, wet noise from the copse of trees they're passing by, and then a splash of something wet as he feels his crest get lifted up from where it's hanging out of his shirt, Zack gaping as the crest is lifted up, floating away from his head in a small, but lethally strong, bubble that carries away. "No! Are you serious, bro?!" he demands, trying to chase it when-

"Aqua Shatter!" A blast of high pressure water slams into Zack, plastering him against the trees and he groans, every inch of him throbbing. He's sure he's broken something- everything- but, once the ringing in his ears subsides, he once more remembers that he's without his crest, gritting his teeth.

"Come on!" He tries to stagger forward but his legs give up and his Digivice slips from his fingers, skittering a few feet and coming to a stop at the attacking Digimon's feet. Zack examines him while he tries to catch his breath, working through the pain to get his stuff back so Patamon- who is also motionless and whimpering in pain after that blast- can Digivolve and get rid of this scumbag. Orange skinned dinosaur type creature with blue stripes along his body and intense looking claws with a horn atop his head, and Zack thinks he's seen it before. Brachimon, his mind supplies as the creature holds its foot over the Digivice, clearly about to smash it under his large foot.

"NOOO!" Zack yells, working through the pain, digging down deep- with all of the strength he'd thrown into his desperation to be US champion all of those years ago, he leaps forward and shields the Digivice with his body, refusing to lose his Digimon's best bet at helping in the future of the Digiworld. And although it works, although the Digivice is spared, he can't help but scream as old back injuries are exacerbated by that hard foot instead stamping down upon his spin. Tears of pain pour down his face and he fights to breathe as fresh pain joins the old, his fingers trembling against the Digivice.

Patamon can do nothing but watch from where he lays as Brachimon grounds its foot into Zack's back more and more, grinding him down into the dirt, Zack clearly about to lose consciousness. "No, no," he chokes, trying to crawl forward, do something to try to help.

Zack groans and grits his teeth, forcing his eyes open. "I wish you were here, Dolph," he mumbles. "I miss you..." For a minute, he thinks he can see him, head thrown back in laughter, eyes gleaming like the good days, before Lana, before Rusev, before everything, but then it all fades away, Brachimon screams and retreats a few feet away as a blinding light shines underneath Zack, filling the area with warmth and power. The next thing he knows, he's digging weakly at the soft dirt not far away from him, freeing an Digimental that Brachimon had partially unearthed with all of his rampaging. It takes his breath away and he's sure he's going to pass out for real this time but Zack rolls onto his back, props himself up on his elbows and thrusts the digimental out towards where Patamon's laying, desperate for it to be enough. "NOW!"

Somehow, it is. The Digivice in one hand and the Digimental in the other, they fuse, work together to make Patamon flash with the power of a new form. When the light subsides and Zack can look again, his partner has grown into a tall, prairie dog type creature with impressive claws held by robotic like technology and long ears. "Huh," he mumbles, all energy fading from his taxed body and he collapses back against the ground, unable to do anything but listen.

Prairiemon, noticing that Zack's out once more, clicks his claws together before diving for the ground. Shredding a hole in the soft dirt almost immediately, he disappears from sight and Brachimon growls in disappointment at the digimon chickening out of a fight with him... when there's a rumbling noise underneath his feet but before he could respond, move away to find out what's going on, it sinks in, then bursts outwards as Prairiemon slices upwards and drills him almost entirely in half, the rest of him deleting into little pieces of data. It's over before Prairiemon can fully land, the Digimon releasing a breath and walking over to Zack. "Let's get you home," he whispers to him.

When he leans over to pick him up, Zack moans before burying his face in Prairiemon's soft furry chest. "Dolph..."

The creature's heart goes out to his partner, aware of how much he misses his best friend. "No, sorry, but I'm sure Dolph will be home soon," he whispers to him, walking resolutely back towards the portal to get them to Luke's base safely before his strength fails and he returns to Patamon.

Later that night, Zack is laying on a hotel bed, staring at his phone. His Skype app dials, dials, dials, until finally there's a beep and Ziggler's face appears. He smirks, his eyes gleaming in the light of the phone. "Hey, bro."

"Hey, kid. What's been going on? Have another adventure in the Digiworld?" Zack sighs and buries his head in his pillow but before he can say anything, Dolph speaks again. "Don't worry, I'll be home soon to have your back again. Filming's almost over."

Zack smiles into the pillow, all of his aches and pains lessening at this news.