Things are slowly falling apart. Seth knows this, has sensed it for awhile. Cass' odd disappearances, Jason Jordan acting stranger and stranger since his abrupt split from Chad Gable to be put on Raw to be with his newly found father. It leaves him feeling uncomfortable, shifty. He's the leader of the Raw Digidestined team and he doesn't like any of this. He can't really get in touch with Chad regarding Jason so he does the next best thing and pulls Enzo aside. "I think I need your help with something," he says.
Enzo blinks. Points at himself, then at Seth. "You need my help?" He smirks. "Sure, Seth, whatever I can do to help."
"It has to do with Cass." Immediately Enzo's smug pleasure fades away. He slowly starts to shake his head, backing away, but Seth grips his arm, using their size differences to his benefit. "Listen to me. We both know he's injured, and won't be part of the team for awhile, but something's been off. And I don't mean just his turning on you. He's been different here too, not part of the team and-"
"That's just Cass anymore," Enzo shrugs. "He hates everyone. Dunno what you want me to do about it."
Seth exhales. "I get why that's your POV. I do. But I think there's something else going on here. Would you at least think about helping me figure this out? Make sure there's not something else going on with Cass?"
Enzo shrugs. Exhales. "I'll think about it. I ain't making you any promises though."
Seth nods. Tries to remain unbiased. "Alright, man. Just... let me know, yeah?"
Enzo nods, wandering off. Seth watches him for a moment before turning to look at the others. "Think we're on our own here, guys. Let's see if we can find him." Normally Cass wouldn't even be here, injured people being urged to stay back on earth, but he had snuck in with them to the digiworld. Luke had noticed the extra energy counter on his digivice map shortly after they'd arrived and informed Seth quietly. So instead of searching for new villages in need of assistance, they now need to figure out what's happening with their injured teammate, why he came against everyone's advice.
He's not that far away, his mark on the map large and angrily pulsing on Seth's map. He leads the way, through a desert area to a volcanic portion of the world that's so hot that they all begin sweating as soon as they set foot in it. No one seems thrilled, and less so when they're all immediately wiped out by an attack from an unseen digimon, flames and flakes of brown raining down upon their vulnerable forms. Seth grits his teeth against the pain, trying desperately to brush it off of his skin, before looking up.
Cass, dragging his injured leg along like he's barely aware of it, stands behind a huge, rusted looking digimon. "About time you all bothered to show up," he drawls. "Meanwhile I see good ol' Enzo is nowhere to be seen." He laughs bitterly. "Of course not. Worthless joke that he is. Leaves you all to fight his battles for him. Well, we saw what I did to Big Show when he tried to stand up for Enzo." He points at Rust Tyranomon. "GO!"
Rust Tyranomon shifts. Aims his gun at them and fires, electromagnetic waves barreling towards them. It pins them down, keeps them from digivolving or getting any hope for offense or true defense against the weapon. More flames wash over them and they're all at Cass' mercy, Seth trying, struggling to be heard over the attacks, coughing every time he inhales some of the smoke coming from the rust-colored flames. "Cass, c'mon, man- this isn't you!"
"Yes this is! This has always been me! It will always be me! I'm tired of being overlooked, overwhelmed by Enzo this, Enzo that! He never knows if he's comin' or goin' and I'm sick of having to follow suit!" Cass screams. "And bein' a Digidestined? That was never me, I don't understand any of this stuff! Why should I care about a world made of data?" He slings an arm out, tears apart some of the dry ground and lets it drift from his fingers, now nothing more than particles of data drifting in the wind.
Seth gapes at him, trying to get Betamon the strength he needs to digivolve, to do something- when there's a yell from the right, and Cass turns towards it instinctively, just for Enzo to launch himself out of nowhere and land on top of Cass, knocking him over and distracting Rust Tyranomon from his nonstop attacks. "Seth's right, this ain't you!" Enzo screams into Cass' face, pushing him down, digging his heels into Cass' bad leg, anything to keep him down, keep him vulnerable.
Everything stops, all eyes on Enzo as he hoists something beautiful and gold over his head. A digiegg- something Seth's never been so happy to see in all of his life- that promises great things as he yells, "Veemon, it's all you, my man!"
Veemon steps forward then, already glowing in the power of digivolution as the egg flies from Enzo's grip and fuses with him. "Veemon... armor digivolve to... GOLDVEEDRAMON!" The digimon are almost comparable in size now, GoldVeedramon sneering at Rust Tyranomon. Flames ricochet off of the freshly evolved creature and he sneers, throwing a harsh right hook that catches just perfectly with Rust Tyranomon's body, causing quite the noise but also sending him flying backwards. GoldVeedramon continues the assault, repeatedly pummeling him and stabbing through every blast of rusty flames shot at him as if they're nothing.
Rust Tyranomon roars out in frustration, trying to land a solid direct hit with his cannon, but GoldVeedramon responds by breathing out golden flames from his mouth, melting Rust Tyranomon's cannon. "NO!" Rust Tyranomon screams, his voice echoing oddly and leaving everyone cringing.
"Rust Tyranomon!" Cass yells, trying to get out from under Enzo and failing. "Let me go! He needs me!" But there's nowhere to go for either digidestined or digimon, Enzo holding on tightly, and then-
There's a flash of light. An armored creature with contrasting wings of light and darkness appears, surveying the battle before him. He hovers, whisps of clouds issuing from his body, before brushing his hands over Cass' foreheard, then Rust Tyranomon's. "Goddramon," Cass says in a daze before falling limp under Enzo, Rust Tyranomon completely dedigivolving back to Pururumon.
"Wha- what just happened?" Enzo asks, staring up at Goddramon.
"I am Goddramon," he says. "I have been watching you both." He looks from Cass to Enzo. "There is something... something lurking, looking for weaknesses in the digidestined. You must protect yourselves as best as you can. I have done what I can today." He hovers over Enzo, looks at GoldVeedramon. "You will be fine now. But it may not last." His gaze shifts to the other digidestined, to Seth and the others, still regrouping from Rust Tyranomon's attack. "Be wary. Keep an eye out."
He disappears after this warning and Enzo grimaces, trying to revive Cass. "Well, that sounds promising," he mumbles as Seth comes over to assist him, the two of them tugging Cass up and walking awkwardly with him back towards Luke's homebase.
