Wade Barrett's movie had come at a very bad time. With Heath missing still, it's a heavily discussed topic amongst those remaining. With their numbers dwindling, it puts more pressure on them all to keep the Digiworld safe.
Being short an entire team means that they're all spread thin. Alicia and Mike are deep in discussions about just this while walking towards a village that had sent out a distress call within the hour, Monodramon and Palmon loitering nearby, listening for things Mike and Alicia wouldn't notice as easily.
They're only a few feet away from village when Palmon stops short and peers around, her dark eyes fixed and narrowed on their surroundings. Alicia's just reached for the gate to push it in so they could meet the senders of the call and figure out how to help when a vine whips out, grabs her wrist and gently pulls her away. "Palmon!" she scolds, not sure what her partner's thinking. "What-"
"I smell data," Monodramon speaks up. "So much data." The digimon exchange glances, perplexing their partners further. Palmon releases Alicia and approaches the gate herself, her green paw pressing against it while Monodramon watches closely. She's barely pushed it open when there a flash of silver and the gate slams closed again.
Alicia doesn't realize what's happened at first until Palmon staggers back and Monodramon grabs her, pulling her away from the gate. There's a sword handle peeking out of her midsection and it's clearly not good as she collases into Monodramon's arms. Only then does Alicia speak, half a scream, half a whimper. "No! Palmon!"
As she rushes towards her weakening partner, Mike joins Monodramon and they stare uncertainly at the gate. One wrong move and Mike almost expects one of them to be the next ones to end p with a sword hanging out of their bodies, but time passes and nothing happens.
"The smell of data," Monodramon says faintly. "It keeps getting stronger..."
Mike stares at him, wondering what he means, unable to smell anything, when the gate is forced open. They both leap away, expecting an attack, but instead a weakened Angemon stumbles out and collapses at Mike's feet, a sword similar to the one in Palmon embedded in his chest. "You are Digidestined," he wheezes, staring up at them. "I am the last... there are no others left..."
"What?" Mike demands, not able to envision what the creature is trying to relay.
"He destroyed everyone," he gasps, more data pouring out of his wound. "Please... stop him... please..."
Mike has no change to respond before the angel-like creature collapses forward and deletes. "Dammit. Digivolve," he tells Monodramon tensely.
Strikedramon lumbers over Mike a few moments later and they ponder the gate together before his partner, tired of waiting, lunges forward and destroys it with his claws. He then lunges in and starts searching the culprit. Mike holds his breath, waiting for a sign that his partner's met the same fate as Palmon or Angemon, but there's nothing. He steels his resolve and walks inside, looking around.
The village is dessert, the air is thick with what he assumes to be data from its prior residents. He feels more than a little ill until there's a flash of light not that far away and he spots Strikedramon being circled by one of the most ridiculous digimon he's seen since becoming a Digidestined. A purple ball shaped creature with no body, he has two arms with red gloves covering his hands, one gripping a sword tightly, an exact replica of the ones they'd already seen this day. Mike inches closer before Strikedramon attacks again, just missing as the creature evades, his sword scraping up the armor of Mike's partner. Thankfully Strikedramon spots him and a silent agreement crosses between them. "This is it for you, Tekkamon."
The brilliant glow that follows from Mike's Digivice disrupting his attack, Tekkamon falls back and can do nothing but watch as Strikedramon digivolves once more to Cyberdramon. Brandishing his sword around, Tekkamon approaches hesitantly and slices at him. Which proves to be his one, and only, mistake. Claws thrust through his body, leaving him floating aimlessly for a few moments before he explodes into pieces of data. His sword slowly clatters to the ground before deleting as well, only adding to the data already suffusing the afternoon sky.
Mike swallows hard before looking at Cyberdramon as he dedigivolves. "Alicia," he gasps, the two of them running back out of the village to check on her and Palmon.
SHe's cradling her partner and rocking back and forth, Palmon slowly deleting in her arms. This sword too is gone and Mike feels sick at the realization that their destroying Tekkamon had urged the process on. "No, no," Alicia begs through her sobs. "Please..."
"I'll come back to you," Palmon promises weakly. "I will. Like Veemon did for Ricardo." She smiles sadly before the last of her strength fails and she scatters into data even as Alicia struggles to hold on.
"NO!" Alicia wails, hugging herself in the absence of her partner.
Mike watches her for a few heartbreaking moments before storming away and kicking a tree hard. "Where were you today, Shakamon!?" he demands of the heavens. It's a struggle to regain control of himself but he's aware that Alicia needs him so he slowly fights down his anger and approaches the distraught woman, wrapping his arms around her and holding on while they wait. For Palmon's digiegg. For things to stop hurting as badly.
