Brooks Jensen keeps his head down. Tries to breathe steadily, not wanting any attention from the various wrestlers clustered around him. Nor from Luke or Louise as they discuss mission plans quietly by the digiport. His plan fails, however, when Louise looks up and clears her throat. "Brooks?" she calls, everyone's chatter coming to a rapid halt as they look over at him.

He winces, grips Nyaromon a little tighter as he walks over. "Yes, ma'am?"

She smiles at him, reaches out to lightly tickle Nyaromon. "Luke and I have been talking, and we think it would be a good idea for you to take on a mission by yourself."

He frowns. Stares at her. "Ma'am," he says quietly. "My partner isn't digivolved much yet, and I don't... I don't have the expertise most of these other guys do." He shakes his head. "I don't think I'll be much help."

She smiles at him. "I think that's exactly why you're what we need right now." She pats his arm. "Trust me, I know what I'm talking about."

He exhales. "Alright, ma'am."

"Please, call me Louise," she says with a small smile.

"Yes, ma'- Louise," he corrects himself quickly.

He follows her to the digiport and she instructs him on what the mission is, Brooks nodding along quietly, keeping his focus on her instead of the other digidestined, not wanting to see the anger or jealousy on their faces- or worse than that, the disinterest or boredom on Fallon and Josh's faces. Brooks doesn't think he'd be able to stand seeing that kind of expression on either of their faces right now, not after the last couple of weeks.

Once Louise is done explaining, she smiles at him, steps back and encourages him on. He nods, holds his digivice out towards the portal and exhales. "Digiport open!"

He's transported to a tranquil, bright place with baby digimon scattered all around, some sleeping, some playing, but all cheerful and happy to see him. He kneels down and lets Nyaromon wander, content to just take it all in unhindered by his depression or the echo of his friends' words from the last couple of weeks. "This place is nice," he says quietly, stroking a Botamon, smiling as it babbles and squirms under his touch.

"Why, thank you," a more mature voice says. "We enjoy it here."

Brooks yelps, looks around wildly before his gaze drops onto an orange and purple creature standing on two legs, watching him. "Oh," he breathes in sharply. "You're, uh. You're Elecmon, yes?"

"That's me, at your service," Elecmon says with a smile. "I have been the caretaker of this area for a very long time. I always enjoy when Digidestined get sent my way, and the babies enjoy it as well." But the longer he looks at Brooks, the more his smile fades. "Something's wrong," he says, taking a few slow steps towards Brooks. "What is it?"

"Oh, no," Jensen says, shaking his head. "Nothing important, I don't want to bother you with my problems."

"We are a collective," Elecmon says quietly. "If you really do not want to tell me, that's fine, but if I can do anything to help, even if that is just listening, I would be happy to do so."

Brooks shakes his head. "I appreciate it," he says. "I really do. But... I'm here to help you, not the other way around, so if there's anything you need...?"

Elecmon hums, examining him. "How are you with babies?"

"I love babies," Jensen says honestly, and Elecmon smiles at him.

"Follow me then." They head side by side through the rows of babies and young digimon and Elecmon clucks under his tongue as some of the digimon cluster around a rough looking Yuramon, teasing and bullying him by swinging him around by the little purple tendrils that flutter away from his fur.

Brooks exhales shakily, a sharp flash of Briggs grabbing him and slamming him into NXT lockers hard, a look of anger in his eyes that Brooks has never seen aimed at him before. "Quit that!" he chides, the cluster of digimon scattering quickly as he approaches. Kneeling down, he scoops the little Yumamon up and holds him close. "He never did anything to warrant this," he tells the other digimon, rocking the little, whimpering creature back and forth in his arms. "It's ok, lil guy, you're safe now," he croons, watching closely until the bullies have all left, sitting down heavily in the grass to continue comforting the trembling baby.

"You're ok," he soothes. "It's all gonna be ok. I bet you thought they were your friends, huh?"

Yumamon nods and Brooks holds him a little bit tighter as he cries.

"I've been there," Brooks says, rocking him comfortingly. "It's ok. You... you'll survive this, you'll find real friends. Don't give up. I've got you."

It's heartbreaking, but it's the truth. Brooks feels like he's in the same position as this shaking baby digimon in his arms, but all he can do is hope that with time, they'll be ok. They'll find better friends, better circumstances. That they won't be alone forever.