Rusev purses his lips, not understanding anything of what he's involved in right now. It had been a Rusev day like many other Rusev days in the past when a weird man appeared before him and informed him he was needed. Although Rusev's initial response had been to scoff and wave him off, his insistent words had broke through Rusev's inclination to ignore him and the next thing Rusev knew, he was in an entirely different world, surrounded by little monsters claiming to be formed of data, consisting off of a digital world comprised of fragments from the internet. Worse than that, one of them had begun clinging to him right away, the man known as Luke explaining that it was his partner, who would assist him in defending both the Digital World and earth.
Things had only grown worse when Rusev learned there was a group of Smackdown wrestlers he'd have to work alongside with- Nakamura, Owens, Ziggler, Carmella, Gable, Ryder and the other new digidestined- Shane McMahon. Tamina had been part of the team, but had gotten injured before they could actually talk much about it all, so that had done away with the one person he kind of liked except for his wife in the company.
As if that was not bad enough, his partner had a mind of its own. Had gone from a small, manageable thing that Rusev could hold in the palm of his hands, to a winged creature with clawed feet and a mischevious grin that always gives Rusev pause when he wakes up in the morning to him hovering by his bed. DemiDevimon, he calls himself, which only adds to Rusev's discomfort.
Luke is talking, right now, giving them instructions, but Rusev is only just listening, distracted by the constant fluttering of his partner's wings right by his head. Finally they're instructed to go, figure out the warning dots on their digivices, and Rusev heads determinedly in his own direction, ignoring the chatter behind him, Shinsuke trying to call him back. "Oh just let him go already so we can get all of this finished!" a frustrated Owens finally yells, voice loud enough to echo back to Rusev, who smirks.
"Yes, let me go," he mumbles, ignoring DemiDevimon as he struggles to keep up with Rusev's stride. The digiworld is a strange place very similar to earth geographically, but also clearly different. All it takes is one quick movement and clouds of data pour up as Rusev tears into the ground, almost amused by the land's protestations of his rough treatment of it. DemiDevimon, to his credit, looks wary, but says nothing as his partner continues to ruin parts of the terrain. It's only when he realizes that he's sweating that he stops, wiping his face off with his merch shirt. "Why is it so hot?" he demands, looking over his shoulder at DemiDevimon.
"I don't know-" His attempt to respond is suddenly cut off by a sizzling ball of flame that just misses both of them, slams between them and gouges a deep cater into the ground. "Holy crap!"
Rusev gapes at it, looks at him, then turns warily to find another huge fireball aiming right for him. He curses in Bulgarian, burying his face in his faces, waiting for the painful scorching of such strong flames, when he realizes he's fallen- DemiDevimon is atop him, glaring over. Flying back up, the creature sends out poison darts to the man made of flame standing only a few feet away.
Meramon bats these away, anger sending his flames up even higher. "No one desecrates my land and lives to talk about it," he says, his eyes shining in darkness. Flies forward and aims a punch at Rusev but- DemiDevimon is there, again, between them and screams out in pain as he takes the hit, his wings immediately crumpling as he falls to the ground, burnt and twitching. Rusev gapes and reaches out for his partner, just to realize Meramon is still watching them, trembling in anger. "HEAT WAVE!" he screams, a fresh flood of fire and magma aiming right at them.
"DemiDevimon!" Rusev cries out, the first time he'd spoken his partner's name aloud. "No!"
A bright flash and faint vibrations from his pocket is Rusev's answer and before he can fully digest everything, DemiDevimon is floating up before his face, the light that Rusev realizes is coming from his digivice enfusing him, easing his pain and suffering. Causing him to grow. Turn into a ghost-type digimon with tattered ends, but fixed eyes and very sharp teeth. Rusev is thankful he's on his side as he turns to look at him quickly before zipping towards Meramon. A hand appears out of nowhere, wraps around Meramon's throat and digs, causing him to choke and writhe before Bakemon throws him aside. "DEATH CHARM!" he cries out, floating ever higher and then releases a rush of chanted words that Rusev cannot catch, summoning forward a wave of darkness that rushes over Meramon. When it subsides, he's limp, lifeless. Already fading away as data pours from the weak spots in his body the attack had left behind.
As soon as he's gone, Bakemon exhales noisily and dedigivolves back to DemiDevimon, spiraling and falling into Rusev's waiting arms as energy fails him. "I've got you," Rusev mumbles. "I... I have you."
He's still not sure what's going on, but DemiDevimon just saved his life, and he thinks that tells him all he really needs to know, despite his partner's name and appearance.
