Thea is gone. Andre is gone. Duke is the only Chase U. member left, and he's not sure what to do. Where to turn. He can barely walk, his entire body aching after Dragomon's attack. The other NXT digidestined are scattered around, as uncertain and weak as he is, absolutely no viable option anywhere to be seen. He breathes shallowly, staggers forward, tries to think of some sort of game plan that can turn things around, bring back his classmate, his teacher. He's about to storm forward, body be damned, when something furry and strong, despite its size, loops around his arm, holds him in place.
He looks back, incredulous. "Let me go, Caprimon," he tells his baby partner, who chatters and shakes his head, clinging even tighter to Duke's forearm. "Caprimon!" Insistent, he shakes wildly, trying to free himself, and not having much luck.
"No!" Caprimon cries. Then something strange happens- Caprimon chirps out something, a low buzzing in Duke's ears grows louder and louder- and then Duke finds himself collapsed in the sand, Caprimon hopping up onto his chest, tears dripping down his mask. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"
"What- what did you do..." Duke can't move, can barely speak, each breath feels laborious.
"I had to stop you! Had to protect you!" Caprimon hops lower, out of Duke's line of sight. "Can't let you get hurt too."
"Thea-" Duke chokes out, his failure washing over him all over again. "Andre. No... I can't..." He fights, struggles little by little, somehow gets the momentum up to roll over. Then begins to arduously crawl towards where he last remembers seeing Dragomon.
"No!" Caprimon cries out. "Stop! Please! I can't let you get hurt!"
More buzzing, more weight on Duke's shoulders, pinning his chest to the sand, but he can't- won't- let Thea and Andre down, not again. Gritting his teeth, digging in even that much harder, he inches forward little by little, ignoring Caprimon's pleas.
I will find you, he promises through swimming vision, scraping his fingers into the sand, forcing himself forward little by little. I won't let you down...
