ART OF THE ANGEL
By: Kamen Rider Chrome
Based on an idea by: Snake Screamer
Months had passed since the final battle against the Religion of Crime. It wasn't easy for Shinichi to go out. Becoming a famous hero and having his identity exposed to the whole world made him recognizable everywhere he went. It made it impossible for him to leave his home without being mobbed by fans. It was exhausting to deal with rabid fans and Shinichi would rather deal with monsters than them.
"Why couldn't I be like Yokoshima and Shogo? They aren't dealing with this much attention," Shinichi complained as he walked through the forest path. It was the only path that where he wouldn't run the risk of running into fans or reporters desperate for an interview. He recalled the first week after the fall of the Religion of Crime. He and his friends were chased by reporters. A lot of people wanted an exclusive scoop.
"Wish I had a Perception Filter," he remarked idly. A device like that would be convenient. He would be able to attend classes without being mobbed. Fortunately, it wasn't as intense as when it started. Still, he wasn't interested in such attention.
"Greetings, young man," Shinichi heard and he turned to see an elderly fellow looking at him with a smile.
"Ugh, not this again," Shinichi muttered. "Hello, Ojii-san. I'm sorry, but I'm not giving any autographs today."
"Why would I want an autograph? Are you famous?" the old man asked, still keeping a smile on his face.
Shinichi was embarrassed. Why did he have to automatically assume that everyone wanted his autograph these days?
"Well, nowadays…" Shinichi began but shook his head, "No, never mind. So, what is an old man like you doing on a path like here alone?"
"Well, if you would like to sit down, I will tell you," said the old man as he pointed to a couple of stumps on the side of the path. Shinichi shrugged and decided to indulge the old man. He sat down with the old man. The old man was probably lonely and wanted attention. Shinichi was taught to always respect his elders. He wasn't in a hurry so he could spare a few minutes to listen to the old man's story.
The old man started to tell his story, "Well, I sometimes like to take a stroll through the forest. It reminds me of when I was a young man with my sister. She really liked the outdoors, not like me. She would drag me out of the house to go along with her. Even if I didn't like it back then, I would've traded anything to be able to do that with her again" His smile faded as he uttered under his breath, "Unfortunately, the angels have her now."
Shinichi blinked at that last statement. For some reason, he felt there was a secondary, hidden meaning to those words. Before he could ask about what the old man meant, he changed the subject, "But enough about sad things. Tell me, young man, what do you do for a living?"
"Me? Well…" Shinichi couldn't tell this guy he was a superhero, even if it was a publicly known fact. Instead, he decided to tell the old man something else, "I'm a photographer." It wasn't exactly a lie, but it wasn't an occupation. It was more like a hobby.
"Ahh…I see. You know, I used to do photography too, back in my day," the old man said pleasantly. "It's always nice to capture things with a camera and immortalize them so their beauty never fades. It always helps to have something to preserve those precious memories." The old man continued, "But nowadays, I'm just an exterminator. Not a bad job. Some people complain it's a dirty job, but somebody still has to do. After all, poison can be effective against something truly heinous." Shinichi blinked. There it was again. Did the old man mean something else when he said something?
The old man looked up at the sky and said, "Well, it looks like it's getting late. Thank you for listening to my story, young man, but I have to go. I can't miss my soaps."
"Yeah, I got someplace to be too and people waiting for me," said Shinichi as he got up with the old man. "It's been nice chatting with you."
"Yoo too," the old man nodded. "Goodbye, Shinichi." The two went their separate ways. It was only later in the night when Shinichi noticed that he had never given the old man his name.
Meanwhile, the Photography Club was waiting for Shinichi. This was the club Shinichi had joined once he started attending Shishibone University.
The President was Ootori Hisamaki. She was a calm person but deep down she was childishly sadistic. She had long red hair that was tied up in a ponytail with green eyes. She also had an Osakan accent. Her clothing consisted of a single-piece green dress with a skirt that came down to mid-thigh and short, elbow-length sleeves. She also wore a sleeveless vest with boots.
The second member was Fujiko Yadorigi. She was a very shy girl who often tried to play peacemaker of the club. She was also secretly a fan of cosplay and didn't want anyone to know out of embarrassment. She had short, dark blue hair, with a baret on top of her head, and light blue eyes. Her outfit for tonight was a white sweater with a blue skirt that came down to just above her knees. She also wore black knee socks and brown shoes.
The third member of their club was Araki Tanefuda. He was a good natured fellow but he was also a conspiracy nut with an extensive knowledge of conspiracy theories. He believed that most urban legends were true, like the Beast and the US government covering up alien visits on Earth. He was also paranoid about any government, even his own. He had beady eyes, black hair, and wore a hat with blue pants and green shirt.
Finally, the fourth member of the club was Keima Shiraishi. He was an easygoing fellow who loved to gamble and street race in his modified Honda S800. In fact, the reason he even bothered to learn English was because the parts he needed for his car were from America. Because of his passion for photography, he would literally go to the frontlines to get his photos. He said that life was just one big gamble and for a man to be afraid of gambling would be the same as being afraid to live. He had short black hair, slicked back in a pompadour style, wearing a blue jacket over an orange t-shirt and blue jeans.
None of them had been aware of Shinichi's secret identity, with only Araki being suspicious. It really came as a shock for them once they learnt that Shinichi, a member of their own club, was the superhero known as Kamen Rider Showa.
Ootori growled angrily as she checked her wrist watch, "Where is he? He's twenty minutes late! I told him we had to meet up tonight!"
"Well, to be fair, we all know he's busy busting crime at night," said Keima. "That, or dodging the paparazzi and crazy fans."
"Well, he should've told us so we wouldn't have to wait!" she scowled. While she had graduated from her Bachelor's program, she decided to pursue her Master's degree. When asked, she insisted it was because she wanted to continue her studies, but Araki suggested she just wanted to stay with the club a little longer. She had denied, even if was the truth.
"And there's our favorite tsundere," said Keima as he held up his camera to take a picture of her expression.
"Take my picture and I'm shoving that camera down your throat," Ootori threatened.
"Now, please, there's no need to fight," pleaded Fujiko as she sensed that Ootori might really hurt Araki. Luckily for them, Shinichi showed up just in time.
"Hey, sorry," Shinichi apologized. "Had to dodge fans and reporters that were waiting outside my apartment."
"You're late," Ootori frowned.
"Sorry, sorry," Shinichi apologized.
"Are you sure that was the reason you were late?" Keima grinned. "Isn't it because you and Rena-"
"Finish that sentence and you will regret it," Shinichi warned. He really didn't like discussing his and Rena's bedroom activities. They were private and nothing to brag about.
"Sorry," Keima gulped. "But I don't get how you can be late. Can't you like fly at the speed of light?"
"You're confusing me with Alan," Shinichi retorted.
"Yeah, can't believe the two of you are brothers,' remarked Keima.
"It's complicated," Shinichi answered, not wanting to get into detail.
"It's good that you were able to come, Shinichi-san," said Fujiko.
"Well, it's been awhile since we hung out like this," said Shinichi. "So, where are we going?"
"My hometown," said Araki. "There's this old school building built on my old school grounds that's about to be demolished. I wanted to get some photos of it before it got torn down."
Shinichi blinked. "What, no conspiracy theories?" Araki didn't answer and Shinichi wondered if the paranoid conspiracy theorist was hiding something. "So, why tonight?"
"The best pictures are taken at night," defended Araki. "You'll see what I mean once we get there."
"We might get some good shots for the collection," said Ootori. "Three of us are gonna have to ride in the back. It'll be a tight fit."
"Don't bother," said Shinichi as metal enveloped his legs. The Photography Club watched as the metal moved like liquid, expanding and taking shape before finally solidifying into the form of a very advanced and hi-tech sports bike. Keima started taking pictures, his camera flashing as he tried to get it from all angles.
"Sugoi!" Fujiko exclaimed as she'd never seen Shinichi use his powers up close before.
"How did you do that?" Keima asked, shocked and impressed as he continued to take pictures. Ootori was just speechless.
"It's a long story," said Shinichi.
"It usually is with you," Araki frowned. Shinichi hadn't divulged much to them about the origin of his powers. They were his friends, but he wasn't ready to tell them everything about his past.
Ootori recovered and said, "Well, try to keep up! Come on, gang! In the car!"
Shinichi grinned and followed after the car as it drove out of the parking lot.
Araki's hometown wasn't very far. It was just a 45 minute drive there. The road was very quiet, but occasionally a car would drive past them. There were people on the side of the road, standing around and talking.
"You know…I kinda expected your town to be a bit…weirder," said Keima. Araki grunted and looked at the street corner.
"Take a left here," he instructed. "The school is up ahead after that."
"Right, right. Gotcha,"s aid Keima as he made a turn with Shinichi doing the same. Pretty soon, they found the school building. They also saw an old looking brick building on the school grounds.
"I'm guessing that's the condemned building you were talking about," Shinichi pointed at the old-looking building. When he stopped his bike, it shrank and converted into metal parts that vanished into his legs. "Looks pretty Western."
"The architect was a fan of Western culture and decided to incorporate it into his designs," said Araki. "This art school is just one of them."
"This is an art school?" Ootori asked, surprised.
"Well, it was. Not anymore," answered Araki. "The school administration decided that why bother have a separate building for art when they could just spare an extra classroom.
Fujiko was admiring the building. It may be old, but it was still beautiful. The architect really put his heart and soul into designing this place. It was a shame that it would be demolished soon. As she looked at a window, she was surprised to see a stone statue of an angel standing there. Before she could point it out to her friends, she was interrupted.
"Oi!" a loud shout got their attention and they saw an old man in his seventies walking towards them. However, he still kept his distance once he reached them. "What are you doing here? The school's closed."
"Hinotama-sensei, remember me? It's me, Araki," Araki said as he stepped forward. Shinichi noted the glare.
The old man adjusted his glasses and sneered, "Oh, yes! I remember you. You're that conspiracy nut. What the hell do you want?"
"We're here to take pictures of the abandoned school building," said Araki. "We already had permission from the school principal. He said it was alright."
"I don't believe you," dismissed Hinotama. "For all I know, your friends are just a bunch of delinquents and troublemakers."
Keima stepped forward and shot back, "Hey, don't you recognize who this is?" He pointed at Showa. "This is Shinichi Banabara. THE Shinichi Banabara."
"Why should I care?" Hinotama retorted as he looked Shinichi over.
"He's also the superhero, Kamen Rider Showa!" Keima boasted. Shinichi cocked an eyebrow. Keima was using him to promote the club again, just like when he tried to recruit more members. Fortunately, Ootori managed to put a stop to that.
"Bah, do you know how many kids cosplay as Showa these days? You need to do better to convince me coz I'm not buying it," huffed Hinotama.
Keima ordered, "Shinichi, show this guy you're the genuine article. Demonstrate."
"You mean use my powers?" Shinichi asked, cocking his eyebrow. Keima nodded. Shinichi shrugged, "OK, but nothing too fancy." He clenched his fists and activated his nanites. Right before their eyes, metal plates grew out of Shinichi's legs and reshaped into the form of the gigantic Great Boots. The glasses on Hinotama's face almost slipped off as he gaped at the sight.
"Believe us now, old man?" taunted Keima as he patted Shinichi's Great Boot. "These are the boots that stomped flat so many monsters. Still think we're a bunch of delinquents and troublemakers?"
"Hmm…" Hinotama studied Shinichi after recovering from his shock. "It appears you're the real deal. However, I still can't let you in. For all I know you tricked this one by telling him there's a monster inside."
"Stubborn old coot, isn't he?" Ootori whispered to Keima who nodded. She then spoke to Hinotama, "Then how about we call the principal? I'm sure he's still up so he can confirm our story."
"And why should I let you call the principal?" Hinotama shot back.
"Because it's either that or…" Ootori started as she patted Shinichi's Great Boot, "Or we can have our friend here kick you across the yard."
Shinichi knew Ootori was bluffing, but Hinotama didn't know that. He gave the Great Boots a look and knew that a hard kick from those would hurt. He could call the police, but he'd rather not. "
"Fine," Hinotama gave in, scowling in annoyance, "You can go in to check the building and take your pictures. But remember this: you will regret it." He eyed the building momentarily, briefly showing fear, before he turned and walked away.
"Yeesh, what a creep," Shinichi remarked as he deactivated his Great Boots. "Who was he anyway?" he asked Araki.
"Taiho Hinotama, my old science teacher," Araki replied. "He's smart, but nasty."
"Any reason why he was being so defensive about is just taking pictures of the old building?" Ootori questioned.
"Well, he was always a mean jerk to just about anybody beneath him," Araki answered.
"Well, who cares?" Keima said, "Just forget about the jerk and get a move on." The front door was unlocked so it slid open without resistance. They started to enter with Fujiko glancing towards the window where she'd seen the angel statue, only to discover that it was gone.
"Come on, Fujiko!" called Ootori, "We ain't got all night!"
"Hai, I'm coming!" Fujiko called back as she went to follow her friends.
The club split into two groups. One group had Shinichi and Araki while the rest of the club made up the second group.
"Araki, this place holds a lot of memories for you, doesn't it?" Shinichi asked.
"How can you tell?" Araki questioned back.
"I've been plagued by memories myself," said Shinichi. "So, was it fun? Your school days, I mean."
"Well, back in its prime the school was famous because it had a great art program. It was like that for awhile but then…" Araki hesitated to finish.
"But what?" Shinichi asked.
"Students started disappearing," said Araki as they continued to explore. Araki took a few snapshots as he continued his story, "Students who stayed late or overnight to finish their art projects just vanished, gone without a trace. The police were called to investigate but couldn't find any clues. Eventually, the school got a bad reputation and the students were pulled out of the art program. With no students, the art school was closed down."
Shinichi was surprised. He hadn't heard anything about this before. He then asked, "Araki, did you know anyone who disappeared?"
Araki sighed, "Believe it or not, I didn't have many friends. I was a bit of an outcast, but I always had my sister. Then, one day, she was just gone."
"Your sister was one of the students who disappeared," Shinichi concluded. Araki nodded.
"I didn't care much when the other students before her vanished, but when she became one of them, I decided to investigate and find out what happened to her. The reason I'm into all those conspiracy theories is because I was trying to find out what happened to her," he explained. "I wondered if the same thing that happened to you happened to her."
Now that made sense. No wonder Araki kept asking Shinichi questions about what happened when he'd been missing. Araki suspected that an organization had kidnapped his sister and the other students.
"Have you found any clues?" asked Shinichi.
Araki sighed, "Just a gravestone with her name on it. The crazy thing is that it said she died 5 years before the date she disappeared."
Shinichi stopped in his tracks, "What?"
"A gravestone with her name on it," Araki repeated.
"Araki, I think I know what happened to your sister," said Shinichi.
Suddenly, they heard a loud feminine scream.
Earlier, Ootori, Keima and Fujiko were taking photos. The timid girl was shivering, and not from the cold. This whole building just gave her the creeps. She couldn't help but think back to the 'angel' she'd seen in the window. How could it be there one moment and gone the next?
"Hey, check it out," Keima said after whistling. He pointed at the end of the hallway. There was a statue of an angel standing there. "Dang, this school must've been pretty fancy if it could afford those. But why put it out here in the hallway?"
"I don't know, but it's kinda giving me the creeps," Ootori said. She then thought she saw something out of the corner of her eye. "Wait, I thought I saw something in that classroom."
"What?" Keima asked, turning to her. Only Fujiko was looking at the statue. It was like something was telling her it was safer to keep her eyes on it.
"I don't know," Ootori answered as she walked towards the classroom's entrance. She looked inside and turned on the lights to see that there were sculptures which had been left behind.
While Keima and Ootori were studying the sculptures, taking pictures as they did, Fujiko remained standing in the hallway, her eyes never leaving the angel statue. For some reason, the sight of it was starting to scare her. She knew it was the statue she'd seen earlier at the window. What she didn't understand was how it could've gotten here.
Then she blinked. It was only for a moment. That was when the statue had moved. It was no longer at the end of the hall, but a few feet in front of her. That may have freaked her out, but what frightened her was that it had its hands outstretched, with sharp claws, its mouth open to reveal sharp fangs, and a face contorted into a demonic visage.
That was when she screamed.
"That sounded like Fujiko!" Shinichi shouted. "Come on!" Araki followed Shinichi as they went to find the others. They were on the second floor so Shinichi climbed up the stairs to find them.
When he spotted the Weeping Angel standing threateningly in front of a terrified Fujiko, with Ootori and Keima behind her, he shouted, "Don't look away! Back away, but don't blink and don't look away! Keep your eyes on it and it won't move!"
"But-!" Keima began to argue.
"Just do as he says!" snapped Ootori as the three of them started backing away. Fujiko was too scared to even blink.
"Now what?" Keima asked once they reached Shinichi.
"Run," said Shinichi and he repeated loudly, "RUN!"
And so they ran and as soon as they were gone the Weeping Angel smiled.
They exited the building and Shinichi turned to face the window. He saw the Angel grinning at them.
"Damn, a Weeping Angel," scowled Shinichi. This was not good.
"Hey, Shin. Why didn't you just kick that thing's butt, Rider style?" Keima asked curiously.
"Because I've tried before, but these things are hard to kill, almost impossible to destroy," confessed Shinichi. "We should get out of here."
"Shinichi," spoke Araki. "Was that the thing that took my sister?" He needed to know and if Shinichi had experience about these things, he had to know the answer.
"Yeah," admitted Shinichi. "And those other students. It sent them to the past before they were even born to live out the rest of their days until they die of old age."
"But why?" Fujiko asked.
"They feed on energy," said Shinichi. "And the best type of energy is potential energy; it's time energy from a life a person would've lived in the present but when an Angel zaps a person to the past, they feed on that energy."
"I don't get it," said Keima, confused.
"I didn't get it either, but when facing an Angel remember to keep your eyes on it; don't blink and don't look away," warned Shinichi. "They can only move when you look away or blink and they're so fast, the moment you blink, you're dead."
Fujiko paled and asked, "C-can Weeping Angels take on a different form?"
"I'm not sure," answered Shinichi. "I think I remember Alan mentioning that they could convert statues. Why?" He had a sinking feeling in his stomach.
Fujiko shakily pointed her finger forwards at a statue that looked like an amateur rendition of a stone Buddha. However, its face was the same as the Angel's, demonic with sharp fangs.
"Oh shit!" Keima shouted as he turned to see the Weeping Angel from earlier glaring down at them from the window. "CRAP!"
"Alright, you stone freaks!" Shinichi shouted as he converted his arms into energy blasters, the weapons humming as they were starting to charge up. "I don't know why you're here, but you've been here for a long time and by now you should know who I am and what I'm capable of. I don't care how I do it, but I will kill you if you even think of attacking us!"
The statue didn't move or respond, but then Ootori spotted something at the second floor windows. "Uh, Shin. You might have a bit of a problem."
Shinichi turned his head to the window, with Araki and Fujiko keeping their eye on the stone Buddha, as he looked up. He paled as he saw many more Weeping Angels and converted statues glaring down at them through the windows.
"Oh, shit. They have an army," Shinichi gulped.
"But why are they here?" Ootori asked.
"Well, they can't talk," said Shinichi. "So, does anybody know where we can get some chalk?"
"Are you crazy!? You want to talk to them!?" Keima cried. "I say we run!"
"It's too late," Shinichi frowned. "They've probably sealed off our exit."
"Well, that's fucking great," Ootori frowned.
"No, Shinichi's right," said Araki. "We need to communicate with these…Angels." He took out a box of chalk from his back pocket. "Here," he said, handing the box to Shinichi.
"Why do you carry around a box of chalk with you?" Shinichi asked curiously.
"I like to come prepared," said Araki, "You'll never know when you need to draw a protective circle."
"Can you draw one now?" Keima asked.
"Sorry, but none of the books I've read have any mention on these creatures," Araki apologized.
"What kind of books do you read?" Keima asked.
"Come on," said Shinichi. "It's time to get in touch with Angels." The club entered the building but waited for Shinichi as he bravely went towards one of the statues, making sure to keep his eyes opened with them in his direct line of sight. He put the piece of chalk down. According to experience, Angels loved to gloat about their plans so these Angels wouldn't be any different.
He backed away to join his friends. "OK, when I give the signal, I need you all to blink," he instructed.
"But isn't that the worst thing we can do now?" asked Fujiko.
"Don't worry," said Shinichi. "I'm here." He turned to address the Weeping Angels, "Alright, you Angels! I've got some questions for you! I want to know why you're building an army in this school! Just use the chalk to answer."
The Weeping Angels did not respond.
"I sure hope you know what you're doing, Shin," Ootori told him.
"Me too," replied Shinichi. "Because our chances now are pretty much 50/50."
"50/50?" asked Ootori.
"There's a 50 percent chance that they will zap up to the past and another 50 percent chance that they will break your necks and use me as a living battery," said Shinichi.
"Those are NOT good odds!" argued Keima.
"And what do you mean use you as a living battery?" Ootori questioned.
"I've got a lot of energy inside of me, energy that the Angels can't resist. The power I have pales in comparison to whatever potential energy they can get from zapping you all to the past," said Shinichi. He hadn't blinked or looked away from the Angel. "OK, when I tell you, I want us all to blink."
"You're nuts," Ootori retorted.
"It's our only chance to know what the Angels want," said Shinichi. He addressed the Angels, "I'll ask again, what do you want? Now blink." And then he and the other members of the club blinked.
They were surprised to see the lead Weeping Angel holding the piece of chalk, but even more surprised by the message it had written on the wall.
We are preparing ourselves.
"OK, so far so good," Shinichi relaxed. "Preparing for what?" he asked. They blinked.
Because they were taken.
"They? What do you mean?" Shinichi asked.
Blink.
Our children.
"Children? Kids?" Ootori gaped. "They wanna find their kids?"
"Can statues even have kids?" Keima asked.
"I've seen weirder," Shinichi told them. He asked the Angels, "What do you mean? Are you saying someone took your children from you?"
Blink.
Correct, and we are building an army to get our children back. We hear their screams and their cries. We know they are here.
Araki stepped forward bravely and asked, "Why did you take my sister away?"
"Araki, what are you doing?" hissed Ootori.
"I need to know," said Araki. "Just blink, OK?"
"Do what he says," said Shinichi. "He needs to do this."
A blink later and they saw the message written by the Weeping Angel.
We do not know who your sister is. Creatures like you are just food to us.
"Wait, we're just food!?" Araki shouted angrily. They blinked.
That is correct. Just as you humans feed on plants and animals to survive, we feed on humans and their energy.
Araki wanted to punch the Angel in the face but Shinichi stopped him. Araki stepped back to let Shinichi handle the situation.
"OK, so how about we make a deal?" Shinichi offered. "We get back your kids and you leave. I don't just mean leave this school, I mean I want your kind to leave this entire planet. Leave, and never come back."
"Hey, do you think they'll take the deal?" Keima whispered to Ootori.
"How would I know? Ask Shin. He seems to know how these things think," said Ootori.
"Now, blink," Shinichi instructed and once they did a new message appeared.
And if you fail, we will march and take all the humans.
The Photography Club grimaced. While it seemed too extreme, they didn't have a choice. The Weeping Angels had an army so they had no choice but to accept the terms. Trying to fight an army of Weeping Angels was suicide.
"Agreed," Shinichi said before the club blinked.
You have 4 hours.
Shinichi and the club left the building but he glanced back at the window to see the Angel peering down at them.
"Shinichi-san, how do you know so much about them?" Fujiko asked.
"Encountered them before. They were posing as statues in a museum," said Shinichi. "We managed to beat them, though."
This got their attention. "How?" Ootori asked.
"Led them into a portal and then closed it while they were in the middle of it," said Shinichi. "That would've crushed them to the size of atoms."
"So, do you think they'll leave once you get back their missing kids?" Araki asked.
"No," said Shinichi. "They got an army, they got the power. So as soon as we give them back their missing children, they'll attack us and anyone they can get their hands on."
"So, they'll just break the deal?" Fujiko asked, aghast.
"It's in their nature. Everything about them is a deception, from the way they look to the way they behave," Shinichi scowled.
"Then why are we even doing this?" Ootori asked, confused.
"Because someone took the children of Weeping Angels, stirring up a proverbial hornet nest. I wanna know who and why, and put a stop to it," Shinichi swore.
"So, how are we going to find those Angels' kids?" asked Keima.
Shinichi answered, but not verbally. His body began to flow with magic as he started casting a spell. Square sheets of paper began to materialize around him, folding themselves to take on the shape of cranes. The Photography Club was mesmerized by the sight.
Shinichi had been studying magic and so he was summoning up his Shikigami Familiars which took the form of paper cranes. Once the flock was completed, he sent them out.
"Go! Seek out the children of the Weeping Angels!" he commanded. The paper cranes flew and separated to cover the entire town in search of their target.
"OK, that was awesome!" exclaimed Keima. "How did you do it?"
"Magic," Shinichi answered simply. He checked his watch. The Weeping Angels had given them four hours. Not a lot of time, so this was Shinichi's only option. "Now, we wait."
It was half an hour before one of Shinichi's Familiars returned. The Photography Club was getting impatient, and for good reason. They were dealing with something beyond their understanding. Statues that looked like angels, that spirited people away to feed on their energy, and could only move when someone blinked? Not exactly normal. Then again, ever since Shinichi joined up, nothing had been normal.
The paper crane landed in Shinichi's palm and unfolded, showing Shinichi a message.
"OK, now we know where to look," Shinichi told his friends. "Let's go."
"You want us all to go?" Ootori asked.
"Do you want to stay here with them?" Shinichi asked, pointing at the old building the Weeping Angels had taken over.
"Good point," said Keima. "Let's go."
Shinichi decided to change into something more appropriate as he willed his clothes to change. He was now clad in his armor, minus the helmet. While he was pretty durable without it, his Rider Suit added extra protection and allowed him access to abilities he didn't have in his civilian form.
(LUNE BREAK)
"I'm so glad we got away from that!" Keima exclaimed. "Seriously, fans are crazy!"
"I'm with you," Shinichi agreed. "The next time I see Alan, I'm asking him for a Perception Filter." While heading in the direction of the place holding the Weeping Angels' children, they had run into a group of teenage girls out for a night of fun. When they saw Shinichi, they started surrounding him, asking for his autograph. Shinichi was forced to create a smokescreen just to get away from them. He was in no mood to deal with crazy fans.
"So, are we heading in the right direction?" Ootori asked. They had to go on foot. Several of the Weeping Angels had surrounded the car, not wanting them to escape.
"We're close," said Shinichi and then stopped in front of one of a building. "Here we are." It was a house, a big one like the one Keiichi lived in.
"And we've got like 2 and a half hours left," Keima checked his watch.
"Let's go," said Araki.
"Just follow my lead," said Shinichi. He walked up to the door. "Now, it's always polite to knock." He tapped his knuckles against the door. "OK, I've knocked." He then punched the door down, ripping it off its hinges.
"Was that really necessary?" Fujiko asked.
"MY DOOR!" a familiar voice shouted. The owner came down to see what had happened and saw the group in his doorway. "What are you brats doing here!?"
"Hinotama!?" Shinichi exclaimed as he recognized the man. Wait, if his Shikigami led him to this place, that could only mean one thing. "Where are those Angels!?"
"Angels? I have no idea what you're talking about!" Hinotama shouted indignantly, "Now, I want you all to leave because I call the police!"
"Don't fuck with me man! I know you're holding Weeping Angels here! Now, you're a smart guy so you should know what I'm capable of, so don't make me do something you will seriously regret," Shinichi warned.
Hinitama scowled, though he had to agree. Shinichi was dangerous and powerful. There was nothing he could do if the cyborg decided to harm him.
"Very well," Hinotama agreed, "Follow me."
"Should we?" Ootori asked suspiciously.
"Might as well," said Shinichi. The Photography Club followed Hinotama as he led them into what looked like a parlor room. There was a cage inside and inside of it were statues in the shape of babies with tiny wings on their backs, like cherubs. They looked cute, but their faces were twisted in expression of rage.
"Babies," Shinichi whispered, horrified. "You took Weeping Angel babies!?"
"I did," said Hinotama, "And I have to say they've made wonderful specimen for my tests."
Shinichi saw the cracks on their bodies, like they had been beaten. Shinichi looked outraged as he realized what Hinotama had done, "You tortured them."
"Test," Hinotama corrected, "I want to see how well lifeforms made from living stone responded to pain."
"Don't you realize what you've done!?" Araki yelled.
"Don't judge me, boy!" Hinotama said, glaring at Araki. "These creatures are just too impossible to exist, and yet here they are! They deserve to be experimented on so I can know how they tick!"
Shinichi's eyes narrowed. That sounded just like the immoral scientists of GIN-SHOCKER.
"I had my suspicions about you back when I was in school, but this just confirms it," said Araki. "You were a scientist in Unit 731."
"Unit 731?" echoed the rest of the Photography Club.
Araki explained, "Unit 731. A nasty piece of Japanese history. It was way back during World War 2. Between 3,000 to 12,000 men, women and children—from which around 600 every year were provided by the military police—died during human experimentation conducted by Unit 731. These experiments included vivisections, meaning you dissected them when they were still alive!" He shouted, "And now you're torturing babies, the children of the creatures that took my sister from me! You've made them angry, very angry, and now they are going to kill us because of you!"
"What we did was necessary," Hinotama defended.
"Necessary?" repeated Shinichi in disgust, "Necessary!?" He was reminded of Gebok. "You don't even understand the consequences, do you!?" Fujiko tugged on his sleeve. "What is it?" he asked. Fujiko pointed to the parlor room's entrance and standing in the doorway was a Weeping Angel.
"Where did that come from?" Ootori asked, shocked.
"It must've followed us," Shinichi realized. It was pointing at the lights which were starting to flicker, "And it's draining the lights. Keep your eyes on it!"
"You fools! You led it here!" Hinotama shouted, angry and frightened.
"They were going to find you anyway," Ootori said, annoyed by the man. She felt no pity from him after learning what he had done.
"Oh, great," Keima said sarcastically, "Now we're going to die because this asshole decided it was a good idea to kidnap and torture babies!" He flicked his thumb at Hinotama.
"No, we're not! Everyone, the back door! Now! Move! Move!" ordered Shinichi. They went for the back exit, only to see more Angels blocking their way. Trapped, Shinichi decided to make his own exit.
Shinichi constructed his Great Fists and punched a hole into the wall. "Move! Move!" he shouted as he led the way to the back door. Unfortunately, the hallway was teeming with Weeping Angels. Fujiko looked out the window and saw Weeping Angels surrounding them.
"How did they get here so fast?" questioned Keima.
"It's evening, not many people out and around, so they can move since nobody is watching them," Araki concluded.
"HELP!" Hinotama shouted as one of the Weeping Angels managed to grab his wrists. "Please! Make it let me go!" They kept their eyes on the Weeping Angel but that would mean keeping their eyes off another.
"Shin, got a solution?" asked Ootori.
"Just one," said Shinichi as he made a call with his communicator, "Sheila, I need a Teleportal, now! It's an emergency!"
Shinichi could see the portal forming. However, much to his horrified surprise, it started to flicker erratically before it shrank. "Oh, shit! Those Angels are draining it!"
"And they've cut off all our exists!" gulped Keima. Their situation looked bleack.
"Well, we can at least hope they just send us back to the past," said Araki. "At least then I might be able see my sister again, and then go on an outdoor hike."
"Wait, what? A hike?" Shinichi questioned. That sounded oddly familiar.
"My sister used to take a hike outdoor and-"
"Drag you along even though it annoyed you," Shinichi finished.
"Yeah, how did you guess?" Araki asked. Shinichi's brain was going into overdrive as he recalled the conversation he had with the old man from earlier.
"Araki, guys, do you trust me?" he asked. He repeated, "Do you all trust me?"
"Wait, why are you asking us that?" Ootori questioned.
"Do you trust me? I need to know," insisted Shinichi.
"Yes," they answered. They trusted him. They managed to get this far thanks to him.
"Then I really hope this works," Shinichi said. He faced the Weeping Angels, a look of determination on his face as he addressed them, "OK, Angels! Listen up! If you know me, you know I got power, a whole lot of power! And that power is about to detonate! That means I'm gonna take us all out and blow us all to smithereens! Now, I dunno how immortal you are but I doubt you can survive getting blown up and vaporised by a tachyon-powered bomb!" Shinichi threatened.
The lights flickered, the room going dark for a moment, and one of the Angels wrote on the wall.
You're bluffing.
"Am I? Do you really wanna risk that? I got time powers, I can easily make time energy so toxic that I can wipe you all out! I just go boom and you won't even leave a pebble! I'm Kamen Rider Showa! I've fought demons and gods! I destroyed GIN-SHOCKER! I fought a dragon and won! I fought the Cybermen the DALEKs and I survived! If I wanted to, I could erase your entire race from existence! Now I'm giving you all one chance to back off!"
The Weeping Angels glared at them before the lights flickered again. Then they were gone.
"Get lost," Shinichi concluded. "Hey, where's Hinotama?"
"The Angels must've taken him," said Fujiko. The cage holding the babies was empty too. It had been ripped right open. "The babies are gone too."
"So, were you serious about what you said?" Ootori asked. "That you could erase them from existence if you wanted to?"
"Let's get out of here and go home, and then I'll tell you," said Shinichi.
"Good idea," Keima agreed. "This night has been too much for me."
"Araki?" Shinichi asked his friend. "Are you OK?"
"Oh, yeah," said Araki. "At least I know what happened to my sister."
"Just be glad she lived a full life," Shinichi said. "That's the least you could do."
The Photography Club returned to their clubroom where Shinichi revealed, "I was bluffing."
"WHAT!?" the Photography shouted.
"So, all that was just a bluff? Even your boast?" Ootori questioned, stupefied.
"I was hoping that my exploits would be enough to make them think I was serious," said Shinichi.
"So, you took a gamble?" Keima grinned. "Nice!"
"Well, I'm just glad it worked," said Shinichi. He could erase the Weeping Angels if he wanted to, but he decided not to. He was afraid of the power he had and erasing something from existence was just so unpredictable. It worked better when he had initially destroyed something before executing a Return to the Past, but he'd never erased something without initiating a Return to the Past. Honestly, he was afraid of the power he wielded and was just glad that the Angels had left instead of forcing his hand.
Meanwhile, the old man Shinichi had met earlier smiled as he stood outside the building where the club was gathered inside their clubroom, just discussing about their adventure.
"So, are you ready to go?" asked Alan as he stood next to his TARDIS.
"Yes, I am," said Future Araki (the old man). "I don't want to stay and cause a paradox. That would be weird."
"Come on," said Alan. "Your sister's waiting for you."
Future Araki went into the TARDIS with Alan before it started to vanish. Up in the clubroom, Shinichi heard the warp of the TARDIS engines and smiled.
After arriving at home, Araki immediately opened up his journal to add a new entry. This journal was a record of the secrets and conspiracies he had uncovered. The encounter with the Weeping Angels gave him a lot to think about.
I now know what happened to my sister. When I first saw that gravestone, dated long before she was born, I just knew it was hers. Nobody believed me. They just believed it was someone who had her name. But I knew, I just knew it was her. She had been taken from me, dropped in the past, and left to live the rest of her life there until she died. She must've been frightened when it first happened. I can only imagine how confusing it was to end up in an entirely knew era, all alone.
These creatures-these Weeping Angels were unlike anything I have ever seen or heard of. They were statues which came alive when unseen. Luckily, Shinichi was there with us. He knew how to handle them. I almost thought he was going to fight them, but instead he used negotiation and threats to make sure we survived. I wonder if they decided to heed his words and leave this planet. I wouldn't count on it. There could still be out there.
They look like statues, so they could be anywhere, and nobody would suspect a thing. But if anyone were to find this journal and end up facing one of these Weeping Angels, please remember three very simple rules:
1. Don't blink.
2. Don't look away.
3. Don't turn your back.
Whatever you do, don't blink. Blink and you're dead.
KAMEN RIDER CHROME: Well, this was an idea crafted from the collaboration of myself and Snake Screamer. He already posted his and I wrote this according to notes we worked on. I know what you're going to ask. Why the Weeping Angels? Well, to be honest, they are one of my favorite monsters of the modern Doctor Who series. I know Daleks and Cybermen are popular now as they were in the classic series, but you have to admit the Weeping Angels still have plenty of mysteries. I just thought I could portray them in my Showaverse again. Also, I didn't do the typical Rider VS Monster scenario, at least not in the traditional way. Shinichi used negotiation, threats and bluffs to survive. He has learnt other ways to resolve a threat. This was it. His lists of accomplishments have helped to cement his reputation.