Drake sighs, overseeing his group of Digidestined. Unlike Raw and Smackdown, nothing had changed for NXT in the draft, and he's relieved for that. There's already too much going on, tension in the digital world seeming at an all-time high, though he's not sure why. Either way, he's relieved to have all of the same faces staring back at him, even though the group has its own problems- Dream and Ciampa are on opposite ends of the line and being watched carefully by Priest, Rhea and Dakota, just in case.
He shakes his head, wishing Dain would be here to maybe, somewhat, help contain things should these two start brawling again. Not that Dream seems interested in fighting right now, his wrist still wrapped protectively in a bright purple cast. Ciampa, however... well, Ciampa is always eager for a confrontation, and Drake decides to put that energy to good use. "Come on," he says, brandishing his digivice. "We've got a mission to check out." There are red dots all over, but Luke has suggested one on the opposite end of File Island, so Drake directs the Digiport there, and within seconds, they're standing in lush grass, looking around for the cause of the distress signal.
It's quiet, nothing seems wrong, until... smoke billows out from a massive explosion to their right, and they immediately head in that direction, their partners evolving as they move. The two Garurumon and Bio Thunderbirmon take off first, ice attacks and thunder already raining down upon the scene as the digidestined arrive a couple minutes later, looking up in awe.
"Is that... is that a coffee pot digimon?" Dream asks in confused awe and Drake blinks.
"Not far off," he mumbles, reading off the file on his digivice. "Shakkoumon. A steadfast digimon who is always looking out for the side of good, his attacks are strengthened by his resolve." Drake's brows furrow. "Well, this seems wrong. Has he been corrupted?" The creature's coloring does seem vaguely different between the version on his digivice and what is towering before them, but still... Still. He exhales and shrugs. "Garurumon! Do the best you can!"
"You too, Ruru!" Rhea calls out to her partner, glancing over at Drake as she runs up next to him. Dream is nearby as well, watching Thunderbirmon, but he remains silent, hand clenched tightly around his digivice. Growlmon, Arkadimon, and Gatomon are nearby,safeguarding the digidestined but holding back as their ability to get high enough to do any significant damage in comparison to the others is iffy at best.
"Come on," Dream breathes out just loudly enough for Drake to hear him, and he casts a quick glance over at him before facing forward once more, watching Thunderbirmon squeech as he circles Shakkoumon, sizzling attacks bursting from his blue and gold body. The Garurumon spiral on either sides, thick ice bursting from their mouths and impacting with Shakkoumon's side... but all it really seems to do is anger the creature and his eyes flash before massive beams of power burst out of them and slam into both Garurumon, downing them.
"No!" Rhea and Drake cry out, their accents overlapping as Dream tenses next to them.
"Thunderbirmon!" he yells out for the first time, and his partner swoops in for another attack, but Shakkoumon's body shifts, a panel sliding open as a massive clay disc shoots out, flying forward until it crashes down on top of Thunderbirmon, sending him slamming into the ground. "No!" Ignoring everything, Dream rushes forward, trying his hardest to get the weapon off of his partner. "Please, please-"
Then he pauses, realizing for the first time why he's in such a dark, cool place, and looks up to find Shakkoumon tilted over him as if he's looking down at him with blank eyes. "Oh- shit-"
"PATRICK!" Drake yells out, growing truly frantic as he twists to where his partner is still struggling to regain his footing. Rhea's Garurumon had taken the attack harder than his, Growlmon is too far away, Gatomon isn't large enough, and Arkadimon seems disinterested in helping, which leaves-
it leaves...
Drake stands there, trembling, his hands clenched at his sides, and... a weird glow is spreading throughout his body and he forces his eyes open, looking up as everything fades into a cool blue around him. "What... what is this?" he asks, staring down at his hands, at the energy that is pulsating over his skin. "I don't understand-"
"Drake," Garurumon gasps out, his entire body shaking as Shakkoumon's eyes begin to glow. "Drake, embrace it! It's... it's all you- your power, your essence, do not deny it-"
Drake stares at his partner, feeling this strength vibrating just at his fingertips, and then he exhales slowly, and... "You're a gazelle," a voice from long, long ago echoes through his mind, and he lets out a short, almost frenzied laugh before he cradles his hands out before him, a small square shape forming within them. "The crest of Faith," he breathes out, in awe of what this little item means for him. His eyes are still ablaze in pale blue light when he looks up, stares at Garurumon. "DIGIVOLVE!"
Garurumon nods, suddenly infused with new life as he begins to strip away, be reformed. Now standing on two legs, he howls up at the sky, leather straps wrapping around his body as his form shifts, becomes better suited for fighting. "Garurumon digivolve to... WereGarurumon!"
Dream is shocked from his quiet horror as the battle rages overhead, Thunderbirmon his only focus as WereGarurumon lunges forward and forces Shakkoumon away, giving him space to lunge onto his partner and hold onto him, desperate whispers of his partner's name pouring from cracked lips until a glow emcompasses Thunderbirmon and he holds on all the tighter until Yaamon rests in his arms, small and purple and so vulnerable, but alive and conscious, and the only thing that matters to Dream right now.
Blue flames pour overhead from WereGarurumon, and Drake watches on worriedly as his partner struggles for any lasting offense against the much larger creature. His advantages are vast, of course, but Shakkoumon is large and durable, and WereGarurumon has to be careful with every opportunity, both not to waste it and not to get demolished in between. His physical attacks do little against Shakkoumon's body, so he sticks with the flames, Drake watching on as it seems to weaken him, Shakkoumon doubling up his efforts, spinning his head to keep WereGarurumon in sight as he tries again and again to strike him with beams from his eyes. Nothing works, however, WereGarurumon just a little too fast for him, and then-
WereGarurumon lunges forward, kicking out so quickly that it causes a rippling sort of beam to slice through midair and impact against Shakkoumon's side, slicing straight through his arm, well into his side. Shakkoumon lets out an ungodly squeech and seems to just freeze, data pouring from his shattered body. "Whoa," Drake mumbles. "KEEP ON HIM, WereGarurumon!" he calls out, and his partner inclines his head before lunging forward once more, pouring blue flames upon the weakened spot of his body.
Shakkoumon tries to defend himself further, but there's nothing to be done for it, WereGarurumon stubbornly focusing on his weak spots with more blue flames and solid punches and kicks, chipping away more and more until Shakkoumon's body seems to just give, fine cracks spreading throughout, the china-like material crumbling before their very eyes. When it does shatter, data pours down in a large wave before dissipating into the evening sky.
Rhea exhales grimly, stroking Gummymon tenderly. "I'm so proud of you," she whispers.
Drake stares down at the crest held protectively in his hand before stepping forward, resting a hand on Dream's shoulder. "Are you ok?"
"Ye- yeah," Dream mumbles, curling in on himself a little more, clinging desperately to Yaamon. "I'm sorry I couldn't do more." The whisper clearly meant for Dream's partner's ears only eats at Drake and he sighs softly as he steps back to check on WereGarurumon, his eyes lighting up with pride as he looks up at him.
"You are amazing," Drake tells him.
WereGarurumon's eyes gleam with pride. "Aw shucks," he says, before dedigivolving back to Gabumon and pressing his face into Drake's side. "I couldn't have done it without you," he says.
"Oh, who knows, I think you could've," Drake murmurs, stroking his partner's forehead. "I think you can do anything you want to, Gabumon."
Gabumon smiles shyly up at him and Drake grins back before looking up. "Everyone ok?" he calls out. Relaxing further at the calls of confirmation back, he exhales softly. They still have to check in with some of the villages around, ensure that Shakkoumon's presence hadn't caused too much damage, but for now, things seem stable. He's pleased with what they've accomplished here today. His fingers tighten around his crest, still in awe of that. Faith, hm.
It's hard to wrap his head around, that such a thing could honestly be his, the source of WereGarurumon's power, but at the same time, it just feels right.
