The Dark Ocean is awful. It is dark, it is scary, it is so large against Heath's suddenly insigficant frame. If Mike's crest is the power of light, Heath's not sure how he's supposed to fight against this world. What he's supposed to do, where he's supposed to turn. But he does know that the man will need support so he keeps his shoulders squared, his head up, and tries not to look as blatantly scared as he's felt since arriving in this dimension.
Wade's arm brushes against his now and again as they walk further on, looking for their fellow Digidestined, the only comfort and warmth he finds in this entire, messed up place that they find themselves in. He peeks down to check on Lopmon, who looks scared but resolute, and he smiles vaguely as they trudge on. Dean and Alberto are quiet, focused on their surroundings, and Heath tries to follow suit, but there are whispers, a creeping kind of awareness on the hinges of his consciousness. Like something just out of sight is trying to gain his attention, and the only thing that keeps him from giving in, paying attention to it, is the rasp of Wade's flesh against his own. The weight of his blue eyes on Heath's pale face whenever his step falters. "I'm good," he says in little more than a whisper, speeding up to catch up with the others.
They all doubt it matters how quietly they speak, how carefully they sneak along... their presence must've been noticed by now. Which begs the question why they'd not been confronted yet... but they decide to take the good as it comes, moving through the grimy, dark world one step at a time. Until they hear a weird sound and turn as one towards the body of water just visible from where they're standing. As if waiting for their acknowledgement, a long tentacle swipes out and wipes around Heath, lifting him up. As laughter echoes around the grey beach, Wade grits and hits the slimy flesh with his fist. "Let go of him!" he orders briskly, looking like he might try climbing the creature's appendage if Heath isn't freed soon.
Heath's voice, however, puts a stop to that quickly. "S'ok, Brit, ya just got cleared from your neck problems," he rasps out. "Stay where ya at, I'm gonna be ok." How he's not sure, but he's not going to let Wade sacrifice his tenuous grasp on his health just for this. When Lopmon's attack cracks against the tentacle and loosens its grip, Heath catches his breath just enough to kick out and hit something vital because before he knows it, he's falling- hard, and fast, and- He lands with a hard crash, immediately slipping into darkness. The last thing he hears is a tense, horrified yell of, "SLATER!"
It's dark, he's wet and cold when he comes to, dark blue eyes pooring into his own dark brown. "Idiot, bloody fool!" Wade lectures him. "The hell were you thinking?"
Heath stares up at him, his ears ringing through a pounding headache that makes it hard to register Wade's words. "Wasn't?" he offered, because it usually eases Wade's temper when Heath admits he's not the brightest creature in the world, or in the town, or in a mile radius, or...
His thoughts stutter to a stop when he realizes that Wade is actually hugging him, mumbling venomously but shaking, like something's scared him, like... like he thought someone died. Heath sucks in a breath and forces his arms up, despite everything feeling like jelly, and wraps them around Wade slowly, clinging to him. "I'm ok," he mumbles into his former leader's shoulder, smiling painfully when Wade squeezes him tighter for a moment before pulling away.
"Of course you are," he sighs, brushing his hands down Heath's clothes, trying to smooth them out. "Of course you are. Blood fool. If something happened..."
"It didn't," Heath insists and their eyes lock once more before Wade nods somberly. "Gonna help me up?" It's slow, Wade gripping him by the arms and pulling him up, he's dizzy and the entire thing is a torturous process, but soon he's on his feet, if wavering like a newborn deer just a bit, clinging to Wade's forearms more than either of them will ever address again. "Alright," he releases a breath, forcing his vision to stop doubling with a few hard blinks. "Let's go kick some evil digimon's ass!"
Wade nods and, side by side, they leave to do just that.
