Higeki's death keeps replaying in Shinsuke's mind. He stands at the edge of a cliff and stares down at the water licking relentlessly at the rocks below. He wishes he could go surfing, he wishes he could do anything to distract from these overwhelming thoughts and memories. But the Digivices had led them here, and now the others are all searching around for some cause of panic, nothing really revealing itself to them. There are no villages within sight of this spot, there's nothing but this ocean below where Shinsuke is gazing right now. He exhales slowly and shields his eyes from the sun as he squints out as far as he can, searching for something- anything...

Then there's a flash of white and a muffled yell, and pain bursts up his side, down to his hip, and he gasps, collapsing to his knees as he feels something tear through him.

"SHINSUKE!" He wavers as hands hover over him, lightly tapping at his face, gripping his shoulders, trying to brace him. "Shit, shit, man, come on, open your eyes." It's Miz, he thinks distantly, barely able to hear him through the pounding of his heart in his ears.

"Where did that digimon come from?!" John demands, still new to all of this and trying to find his footing.

"It's a Coelamon," AJ supplies, having recently moved from Raw to Smackdown and re-joining the Smackdown group of Digidestined. "I'm guessing from the ocean, then."

John laughs dryly, stilling when Shinsuke muffles a cry of pain as this shifts him again. "Shit, sorry, I'm sorry," he breathes out, guilt in his voice as he adjusts his grip on Shinsuke's arms.

"I don't know what to do," Mike whispers, pressing down on Shinsuke's wounds. "Shit. Shit, shit, shit."

Shinsuke forces himself to breathe in deeply, his eyes slowly opening. "Find Coelamon," he tells them shakily, reaching out bloodied hands to grip Mike's shirt. "It... it's... still nearby."

None of their digimon are great for water type missions, and for the first time in a long time, Shinsuke finds himself wishing Seth was around, MetalSeadramon perfect for something like this. "Justimon," Mike starts to say, but AJ steps up.

"JewelBeemon, you know what to do," he announces, surprising them all.

All Shinsuke can do is lay there and listen while the battle commences without him, Coronamon leaning against his side and staring at him with worried eyes. "I'm going to be ok," he promises his partner, stroking the fire beast's jaw. "I swear." He grits his teeth against a fresh wave of pain, struggling not to show just how bad it is, and Coronamon whimpers, nuzzling closer to him. The natural heat coming from his body does help somehow.

"JewelBeemon!" AJ yells out from where he's peering over the cliff similar to where Shinsuke was standing only a few minutes earlier, and Shinsuke exhales shakily, not liking the sound of that.

Then there's a flash of light and another yell of startled pain, and everything quiets, the battle finally over. Shinsuke watches through half-opened eyes as AJ holds his arms out and Modoki Betamon, still lit with the force of dedigivolving from JewelBeemon, collapses into his embrace with a breathless laugh. "I did it!"

"Yes you did," AJ tells his partner. "I'm so proud of you."

Shinsuke hums, relieved that it's over, and reaches out to touch his wound, not surprised when fresh blood drips down his fingers. "Ah," he sighs, slumping back against Mike as his worries fade away and takes his consciousness with it.

When he opens his eyes again, he's sprawled out in Luke's hideout, a warm blanket sprawled over his body. His clothes are shredded from Coelamon's attack, folded a few feet away, and he's wearing something white and soft- presumably something of Luke's. It's warm and comfortable and he doesn't really want to move, but he can't be selfish, especially while he's leader of the Smackdown digidestined, so he slowly makes his way to his feet, amazed by how little it hurts. When he checks his side, the wound is mostly closed, only a faint scratch marring his skin along his ribs. He exhales shakily and wonders if Luke would've been able to help Higeki if they'd just gotten to him sooner.

"Oh, you're awake," Luke greets him. "I'm glad to see you up and about so quickly." He hovers behind Shinsuke for a moment and watches him. "What's on your mind, Shinsuke?"

"Higeki," Shinsuke admits quietly and Luke inclines his head.

"Yes, I'm sorry you had to go through that." He searches Shinsuke's face and exhales quietly. "I understand you feel guilty for such things, but there was really nothing you could've done. Without actually seeing the situation for myself, by what you all have told me about that mission, I'm thinking he was too far gone for my help to be worthwhile. Unfortunately."

Shinsuke nods slowly, hating that even his best attempts couldn't have ever helped the man no matter what he tried, but also aware that Luke wouldn't lie to him, even to spare his feelings. Not after everything they'd been through. "I see."

Luke's touch is cool against Shinsuke's shoulder, and their eyes meet. "You are the best leader I could've ever chosen for the Smackdown digidestined," he tells him. "You understand this all on levels that most do not, and sometimes it feels like you have as much experience with all of this as I do. I appreciate never having to explain things to you, I suppose perhaps sometimes I take it all for granted, that you too struggle to make sense of the inner workings of this world. Even I do not understand it all sometimes, why some live and others have to die. I suppose that's just the reality of existence."

"I believe so, yes," Shinsuke murmurs. "Always searching for enlightenment, for understanding."

"Yes," Luke whispers, his eyes soft. "There is that." He pats Shinsuke on the arm and turns to guide him back to his friends. "Perhaps together, some day, we will find all that we desire to know."