Things are settling now. Cass has been found, Jason reappeared at some point, and TJ isn't overly concerned with everything else Seth, Luke, and the others are discussing. He's teasing his partner, Falcomon, by ruffling his feathers. Large earphones cover his ears while he listens to music and waits for something to be decided on, ignoring everything going on around him... until gravity betrays him and he realizes he's falling, falling... falling. He scrambles, tries to grab onto something, but can't, everything fading past him until he hits hard, blinking into the darkness. "What the..."
Falcomon nudges him and shakes free, TJ's fingers still buried in his feathers. "I think someone's watching us," he says tensely, shifting this way and that in an attempt to see through the darkness. "TJ, I think-"
"SONIC EAR!" There's a scramble, TJ is pushed away, and then Falcomon squawks in agony.
"Falcomon!" he exclaims, tugging his earphones off and trying to find his partner in the darkness. "Falcomon, what's-" The sudden pain that greets him is searing. Stabs up his arm, slicing through his wrist. He cries out and draws his arm back, fingers already sticky with blood dripping through them as he tries to stem the flow. "Oh my God," he mumbles, feeling ill and shaky. "What the..."
"TJ," Falcomon pants, his feathers scratching against TJ's leg. "I can't... I... It's a Prairiemon..." The name means nothing to TJ. He shakes his head, trembling, nauseous, and desperate for something, some way out of this.
"Falcomon, I can't..." He's useless. He can't see and now his hand is numb, pain leaving him unable to give proper weight to every other thought or idea he may have ordinarily had. "Please..."
"Falco rush!" There's a gust of wind against TJ's face as Falcomon does something, apparently landing at least one strike as a loud roar of pain comes from somewhere near where TJ is sprawled, wishing for something good to happen. "TJ, I know you're hurt, I am too, but we have a minute here- I need to digivolve!"
It's ridiculous. TJ doesn't know what to do to help with that, his hand is trembling against his digivice and he wonders if it's blood smeared, if his wrist is sliced so badly that he might bleed out here, the others left unaware of what's happened. "I don't know," he says through trembling lips. He doesn't want to die. He grips his digivice tighter and presses it to his face, hoping for a clue, a hint, something to activate inside of it, inside of himself to give his partner the boost he needs...
Abruptly, there's a wild, bright light that blinds TJ and he cries out, dropping the device and gripping his face with his good hand, certain that it's another attack aiming for him... but he feels no pain, in fact the light is steady now, kind of warm and comforting and Falcomon is saying something. Once he has control of himself again, he peeks through his fingers, vision slowly stabilizing despite the stars dotting his eyes. He swallows hard and unfolds from himself, staring up. Falcomon isn't the tiny partner he'd gotten used to anymore, no... now he's a huge bird seemingly made of fire with massive talons and sharp teeth, beady eyes locked on the creature that has to be Prairiemon.
TJ grunts, gets a good look at his wrist and bites down a whimper, forcing himself to look away from the damage. It's extensive and too blood-crusted for him to actually see how bad it really is. He tries to apply pressure without really looking, and watches as Prairiemon's ears lengthen, turn sharper again, and try to slash through Birdramon again.
This fails, however, Birdramon sweeping his wings towards Prairiemon, the flames frightening the digimon back, and giving Birdramon the space to slash at him with his talons, pay him back for his earlier actions. "Meteor Wing!" he cries out, TJ ducking aside as flames seem to surround him, but licking everywhere but at his vulnerable skin, Prairiemon screaming as his fur and ears begin to singe. Another strike with Birdramon's talons and Prairiemon deletes, charred data streaming out of the hole.
Birdramon lands next to TJ, examining his injuries. "We need to get you out of here," he says. "Don't worry, my flames will not hurt you. You can ride on my talon."
TJ hisses as he shifts, his wrist throbbing. "I can?"
"Yes." BIrdramon stands very still as TJ gets to his feet, gripping his arm to his chest, and grips the side of his partner's leg with his good arm, closing his eyes. "Now hold on, TJ." They fly up and before TJ is fully aware of it, he's back on solid ground, Seth and the others running towards him.
"What happened!?"
He wavers on his feet and forces his eyes open to find Neville and Seth both gripping his arm, Neville's dark eyes filled with his own special blend of disdain and worry as they ease him over to sit down close to Luke's base. Birdramon is explaining Prairiemon, TJ's injuries, his own digivolution, and everything since, Neville reaching into the bag that he'd dragged along for this journey and pulling out a first aid kit.
TJ squints at him, smirks. "Always be prepared, huh?"
"I am no boy scout," he sniffs dismissively, holding TJ's hand steady as he cleans it. "This might not be a permanent fix, but it should hold until we're back on earth for the trainers to fix you up properly."
TJ swallows, watches him bandage him fingers to wrist and groans when Neville tapes it in place tightly, pain radiating up his fingers. "Thanks," he mumbles, scrubbing at his face with his good hand. "Are we leaving soon?"
"Yes," Seth says, stopping to talk with Luke for a moment before standing near TJ, watching Neville help him to his feet. "Let's get out of here."
Neville stays nearby while TJ goes to show his injuries to a trainer, spinning some story that Cupcake had escaped the house and he'd gotten slashed by a wild cat trying to corner her. "I can't believe that lie worked," he mumbles once TJ's wrist is stitched up, rebandaged, and he's allowed to leave. Flicks at TJ's obnoxious headphones still hanging around his neck. "Maybe next time you won't be so ridiculous by listening to these things and leave yourself vulnerable to attack."
TJ smirks at him. "Maybe." Neville scoffs and rolls his eyes as the two of them walk side by side down the hall.
