"First mission back," Joaquin Wilde says cheerfully, squeezing his partner Digimon cheerfully. "How's everyone feeling?"
"About as smothered as Bibimon, I would assume," Raul responds, causing Joaquin to look down, worried.
"Aw, he's fine, aren't you, Bibimon?" he asks, tossing his partner up in the air and listening to it squeak and flail happily until Joaquin reclaims it and hugs it close. Joaquin then rolls his eyes and swats at Raul, who chuckles and tickles Minomon under his chin.
"Boys," Escobar says warningly, and both men immediately square their shoulders.
"Yeah, Santos?" Raul asks, trying to look innocent.
"Everything's fine," Joaquin says with his most winning grin.
"Of course," Santos mumbles. "I'm keeping an eye on you two."
Both men nod desperately and AJ Styles rolls his eyes, turning his focus back onto Modoki Betamon. "Are you ready to go?"
"Yes!" his partner says. "I love earth, but I've missed the digiworld so much." Excited, he hops around at AJ's feet, making the man laugh before he kneels down to pick him up.
"Well, I'm glad. To be honest, I've kinda missed the place too."
Luke arrives then, examining them all with a pleased look on his face. "Good to see you," he greets them all. "Are you ready to go?"
"Yes!" the digimon cheer.
"Well, I'm glad," he laughs. "Let's get you on your way before the digimon completely melt down from excitement. Your map's been updated with today's mission. I'll see you when you're done."
AJ nods at him, relieved to get back on the saddle, as it were. "Let's do this." He turns to the portal. "Digiport... open!"
They're transported to an arrid desert, AJ wincing at the dry heat that greets them. "Well, damn, coulda used a bit of warning about this," he says, before turning in a slow circle, looking for their target. "Hm, looks kinda empty around here, huh?"
"A barren desert, who'd have guessed?" Joaquin says dryly, and AJ shoots him a look before walking forward a bit.
"This is strange," he's just said when something explodes at his feet, sending him falling backwards. "What the-"
"Uh, guys," Asuka says in her thick accent, stepping back a little bit, a tense look on her face.
AJ looks up and realizes why- Beelzebumon is hovering in front of him. And he's holding a massive gun, aimed right at AJ's head. "Oh, shit," he breathes out.
