Luke stares at the red dots growing, taking over more and more of the map. "This isn't working," he sighs. "Something else needs to be done." When he had begun all of this, two groups of Digidestined had been enough- they'd come, handle all of the cries for help, and things would remain manageable until they could return. But it's not working anymore- the red dots are overwhelming his display of the digital world, the panic on earth growing and sending everything off balance.

Swiping his hand over the screen, he shifts it from map to the rarely used messenger feature. Stares at it, quietly pondering for a moment before beginning to speak into it. "Shinsuke, Seth, I need your help with something. I think it is time. Time to expand how many digidestined there are. I imagine you know them better than I do, so please, if you would take the time, look over this list and tell me what to expect from this." As soon as he finishes speaking, he hits send on a document he'd spent a couple of hours compiling earlier.

This done, he sits and waits. Hopes that the men would somehow, someway, be able to help him. To help the digiworld. "Please..."

Years ago, Digidestined were selected based on children who had witnessed a particular battle in the streets of Japan. A rare occurrence caused by a rift born between two worlds one infamous night, it was hard to brush away as nothing but children making up stories due to the pure destruction of an entire apartment building, but adults had managed it, claimed it was the children's way of handling the trauma. But with them witnessing that fight came the ability to travel to the digiworld, their lives forever changed due to a brief interaction with otherworldly creatures. Now, everyone has seen or experienced shifts in their reality due to the Digiworld bleeding into the real world- be it witnessing something from a distance, or experiencing it directly, and it's no surprise to Luke that wrestlers are so easy to call on as digidestined, with their strange schedules and ability to come and go as they please, people very rarely questioning it when they're gone for lengthy periods of time here and there.

So his guilt is minimal when he begins shifting through replies Shinsuke and Seth send him of suggestions. Interestingly enough, a vast majority of their suggestions are from the NXT brand, which he's never thoroughly considered, his focus primarily on the touring shows. But everyone is now based out of one place, and it still seems to be flowing smoothly enough without a lot of disruptions in the real world when various wrestlers disappear here and there. "This could work," he decides, compiling a list of NXT people he thinks will be suitable.

The next step is getting a good feel for each person, trying to determine if they'd make a good group, if they'd be helpful with the various issues that crop up. He watches and watches and watches, taking time out of everything else he has to do to help the groups of Digidestined he already has. It takes time and effort but he finally has his list of potential digidestined narrowed down to six. He smiles.

"This should work nicely," he decides, running a finger down the paper with his sloppy scrawl cutting into the white. He is relieved that this is finally decided.

Now. The interesting part. He rests his hands on the map of the digiworld sprawled out before him, closes his eyes, and focuses. Power flows through him, and he breathes steadily in time with its pulsing. Data groups before him, thrums for a few moments, then shifts, divides into five balls of energy before reshaping. Taking the form of the digivices that Luke has grown so accustomed to making over the years as the group of Digidestined change, members coming and going for this reason and that. He exhales shakily as finally the devices are formed properly, glowing and vibrating before him. He stares at them for a moment before lifting his arm and motioning at them.

One last, deep pulsating thrum and then the devices are gone, flying through the air to the nearest digiport, where they disappear into its glow.

-x

Tommaso Ciampa sits on the floor of his home based training center, listening to his dog panting around the room as if trying to find something. He breathes in and out deeply, allowing himself a brief break. His body is glistening with sweat and he feels tired, but in a good way. He has plans on how to better himself, to get stronger, but it will take time and dedication, and-

His dog starts barking, incessantly, and Ciampa immediately looks up, narrowed blue eyes searching out whatever culprit could make the animal overreact like that. But he sees nothing, not even a squirrel toying around at the windows. "What is it? Huh?" He's on his feet, about to walk over to see what could be the matter, when his phone starts to vibrating and glow. Ciampa kneels down to see who might be calling or texting when the glow shifts, engulfs him. He moves to shield his face as something blasts out of that glow and flies right at him. "Shit!"

But the item stops, hovering right in front of his face. Ciampa stares at it incredulously, and gingerly steps back from it. When it follows him, he glances at his dog, who for some reason seems a lot more sedate now, sprawling out on the floor and watching him curiously. He swallows and moves to the side, closing his eyes when the thing stalks his movement again. "What the hell is this?" he mutters, growing more frustrated the more it chases him around the room. "Fine!" He wraps his fingers around it and blinks when it rests in the palm of his hand, like it always belonged there.

As soon as he has ahold of it, a glow washes over him and his entire world changes.

-x

Velveteen Dream lazes around his pool with a peaceful look on his face, enjoying the warmth of the sun on his skin. Things aren't perfect, but they're slowly getting better, he thinks he has a chance of ruining things for Undisputed Era one way or another. He hums under his breath and just enjoys the sound of nature, birds overhead, the lapping of the wind through his never-used pool. He considers taking more days like this, just to be alone, and relax, and...

His phone is resting on the table by his head and when it starts to vibrate, his thoughts are derailed and he frowns, glancing over at it. "Of course. It always has to happen," he grumbles to himself, reaching over to answer, just to hesitate. Oh. "So it's like that," he murmurs, staring intensely at the glimmering light. "You've finally found me."

He's known his entire life he was destined for greatness, but the exact meaning of that was always just beyond his reach, teasing him with its existence but never letting him see how or why. When his fingers ghost the overwhelming power streaming from his phone and the digivice appears before him, more pieces of the puzzle snap into place for him.

He doesn't hesitate to reach out and grab the device out of thin air, exhaling as it coats his entire body in an overwhelming glow.

-x

"Come here, puppy!" Dakota calls out, clapping her hands against her thighs. "Come here! Come to me!" She sighs when the animal doesn't respond to her, content to remain on the floor, eyes traveling around the room, watching her from the prime spot by the bed. "Oh, fine, be that way," she murmurs, turning back to the console where she's playing video games.

She's just gotten through one of the more difficult levels when something happens, she feels a weird zapping sensation against her wrist, and the screen of her game whites out. "Hey-" she groans, thinking maybe her PS4 has finally bitten it. Before she can stand, however, the glow becomes overwhelming and she can't look away from it, captivated. "What... what's happening?"

Isis begins to whine behind her and Dakota wants to comfort her, but she can't look away from the screen. "Why... why does this feel familiar?" She shakily reaches out to it and closes her eyes as it begins to thrum against her fingertips. "It's so warm..."

She gasps when something presses into the palm of her hand, and she instinctively grips it, staring down at the strangely shaped device that had literally formed in her hand. "Oh heck-" she manages to exclaim before light overwhelms her and the last thing she hears is the dog barking behind her.

-x

Damien Priest lounges in his house, music pounding out of his overpriced sound system. Normally, he'd be having some sort of house party, taking advantage of these massive rooms, the pool outside, but with everything going on, not a lot of people are eager to go places right now, so he takes in the music himself and decompresses after a solid week of stress and aggravation. Things in wrestling aren't going the way he'd hoped, and this is the most relaxing he's been able to do in awhile.

He tilts his head, about to switch playlists on his phone, when a strange gleam attracts his attention in the dimly lit room. "Well, what are you?" he mumbles, shifting up to look better at his phone. "Maybe one of those chicks changed their minds-" He quiets quickly, however, when he looks down at the light, some strange... characters flashing among the blinding glow. "Have I seen this before?" he breathes out, but before he can even touch the screen, something blasts out of it and he recoils so sharply that he falls off of the couch.

The thing hovers before him, and he blinks at it. "What... what is happening?" he gasps, still a little winded from the mortifying tumble he just took. It thrums, almost as if in response to his words, and Damien swallows. "Shit, man. I just wanted one quiet afternoon, why is that too much?" But then he reaches out and grabs the device, his teeth gritting as his entire essence shines, the music and everything else fading away.

-x

Rhea Ripley sprawls out in the grass, her studded jacket resting on the patio nearby. She breathes in and out, trying not to dwell too much on recent losses. Her often forgotten and rarely used cell phone sits on the sun-baked pavement, having slipped out of one of the many pockets of the jacket when she'd tossed it over there. She ignores all of this, enjoying the sun on her face, the wind blowing through the grass, and just how quiet everything is.

Her enjoyment, however, is short lived as the phone begins to thrum and rattle against the concrete, making a horrendous noise. She sighs and squints up for a moment before trying to ignore it. It's unending, however, and she sits up with a frown. "What the f..." Her words die away as she sees the bright glow shining from it, shooting up in a beam like formation towards the clouds. Her entire face shifts and she crawls forward slowly, reaching out to touch it. She's barely grazed it when a digivice appears before her. She gapes and swallows hard, grabbing the device. "Now? This is really happening?" She presses the device close to her chest and bites her lip, something deep inside of her settling.

"Thank you," she murmurs as her surroundings are taken away by the overwhelming beam of light.

-x

Drake Maverick is researching. He only has a few chances left, now. He's in the cruiserweight tournament, but once that's done, he's gone. Which means maybe being forced to going back to England, and... and... Gabumon is a constant source of comfort and companionship, and Drake absently strokes his forehead, enjoying the soft warmth of his fur under his fingers, trying desperately to figure out weaknesses and strategies to employ against his opponents in the tournament.

He's scribbling almost violently when there's a knock at his door. He looks up with a frown and slowly puts his pen down, wiping his sweaty hands on his shorts, before going to answer. He's stopped in his tracks when he sees who's standing before him, jaw dropping. "Shin- Shinsuke Nakamura and Seth Rollins!" He's interacted with both of them, of course, either in the locker rooms, or in business to do with the digiworld, but to have them here, at the door of his meager apartment, well.. He swallows hard and hazards a quick glance over his shoulder at the general mess of his living room, shoulders slumping. "I... uh. Come in, but the place is a mess," he nervously says, stepping aside and watching as they enter, barely blinking at the state of his couch.

"Oh, watching tapes to prepare for the tournament, huh?" Seth realizes immediately. "Good man. We won't take up much of your time, don't worry." He doesn't even move to sit down, and Shinsuke takes his cues from him, watching with a bizarre smile, eyes barely visible as he looks at Drake. "Luke wanted us to talk to you, considering-"

Drake feels even worse. "He expects me to quit the digidestined too then? I mean, it makes sense, my being fired and all, I can't be too much help. But, I thought I'd be earthbound like the rest, I don't..." His troubled gaze meets Gabumon's and he breathes a little easier when his partner ventures forward and squeezes his hand carefully, always so mindful of his claws.

"No, actually, Luke wants the opposite of that," Seth says with a small smile. "See, he's been thinking about how best to help the digiworld, because honestly, things are rough over there, and they're only getting worse with... all of this." He waves his hand, as if just to say life on earth in general, and Drake nods uncertainly. "So he's decided to make a group of Digidestined from people on the NXT brand. Considering you all have weekly TV now, and everything, he's decided now is a perfect time. Especially with everything else going on, and the Raw and Smackdown numbers of Digidestined dropping considerably after this last batch of firings." Neither he or Shinsuke look pleased at this, and Drake nods sympathetically.

"So," Shinsuke says, taking things over and stepping towards Drake, dropping a hand on his shoulder. "Luke has decided you are to be the leader of the NXT Digidestined, seeing as you have the most experience of anyone on that brand."

Drake swears his brain short circuited. "Would you mind repeating that?" he says faintly. "I believe I misheard you."

Seth laughs softly. "Well, man, it's pretty simple. I am the leader of the Raw Digidestined. Shinsuke here is the leader of the Smackdown Digidestined. And now Drake Maverick is the leader of the NXT Digidestined."

It still makes no sense. Drake waits expectantly for one of them to burst out laughing and tell him it's all a big joke, but they simply stand there and stare at him, waiting for some reaction, something. Finally he swallows and licks his lips, fumbling for something to say. "He... he does know I've been released, right?"

"But you're still in NXT for now," Shinsuke tells him. "That's what matters."

"And in a few weeks, when I lose and I'm gone?" Drake asks desperately. "What then? Am I to abandon them just like that? He... he should really pick someone else."

Seth merely smiles at him, a strange gleam in his dark eyes. "I don't think you have anything to worry about there."

Drake groans. "Have you met me?" is all he can say, slumping down on the couch overwhelmed in papers and burying his face in his hands as yet something else weighs on his already overtaxed shoulders.