Kamen Rider Drive Battle Network

by Kamen Rider ZER0

The Global Freeze a day the earth stalled. Only saved by the legendary Kamen Rider, but the evil lives in the virtual world. Waiting to strike back at the real world and the humans. From across the virtual worlds uncanny valley rise the Roidmudes! A new brand of heroes must rise in both worlds. To move fast enough to save both worlds from destruction, Start your Engine!

1. Lap1:Why Did My Time Stop?

GammaTron: *hiding in a dark room, peeking out a closed window's blinds* Okay...Z0's a-comin' in…

KamenRiderZER0: *repels down a rope upside down* What we waiting for?

GT: BWAH! *lights turn on, revealing the studio filled with everyone, a large cake shaped like Z0's favorite Kamen Riders, and a banner reading 'Happy Birthday!'* Please do not do that! That's the Animatronics' job when they catch intruders!

Z0: Ah...you like me...you all really like me! *cries giant anime tears while still hanging upside down* It's so touching...like a Kodak moment, *rope snaps* Oh snap…*falls flat on face* I'm okay!

GT: Ooh…*cringes* Still...Happy Birthday!

Z0: Aw...I feel all warm and fuzzy inside...and this time it's not internal bleeding from a stupid stunt.

GT: We are also in-debt to Kougami Industries because of the price of making you this custom 1/1 scale cake!

Z0: Aw….ah...well...I'm gonna have to get ready to hear Happy Birthday a lot...long after my actual B-Day then...that and we also have another story in the works...with him...We're gonna be eating a lot of Birthday cake around this place. But now is neither the time nor place for that talk.

GT: Aye! Funny enough, two stories were his payment. So lucky us! This is the first one! A little mixture of Kamen Rider Drive and the incredible, yet dangerous, world of Megaman Battle Network! And for those Japanese readers who like to practice their English by reading FanFiction, Rockman dot EXE.

Z0: Why this, well we put it through a rigorous process of elimination and it came down to this version and the one known as Starforce or Ryusei-no-Rockman. From their we just kinda flipped a coin. And here we are, plus we put a lot of thought into it and made it all work out in our heads and on paper so we are more than ready folks.

GT: Aye~! Now hurry and eat the cake, man. The Rabbids and Minions that work maintenance are getting antsy since we said no cake until you got your fill. And the Chicas all worked together to make ya big pizza with yer favorite toppings.

Z0: Pizza time! We'll see you guys after the chapter.

GT Yep. And we own neither franchise. They're owned by their respective owners! *everyone looks at me* What? It's a birthday. You don't destroy stages during a birthday.

---

The year is 20XX. Thanks to the rapid advancement of the internet, it has become known as the 'Age of the Network.' Everything that is used in a modern home, in businesses, and even in education utilizes the network in almost every appliance there is. The world has never been more connected, but from in that connection, from in this digital new world, like in all things, lies a darkness.

From this time of advancements came a new world, and from a new world...comes new life. Many people often wonder what the end of the world would be like, but none ever stopped to consider when it could happen. It could happen at any time...such as during dinner.

People walked around the bustling streets of Electopia. Everyone on their hand held devices, to guide them, waste time, and plan for the days ahead. As many people settled in for a late dinner, it was at that moment...it happened. A sudden red wave spread across the city. Everyone moving stopped in place, their bodies frozen, stuck and unable to move. Everyone began to panic. 'What was this? Why is my body not moving?' As they all panicked and looked around them for any sort of answer...they found them.

The sounds of explosions and the sensation of heat drew their attentions. Walking through the night were creatures. Mechanical life forms that marched through the frozen world as if declaring it was now theirs. These beings all shared common appearances: metallic exoskeletons, machine like piping, like if their bodies were made from engine blocks; and each one had a plaque across their chests, all of them numbered as well. But they were split into three groups; all shared a similar skeletal face, but had features that changed their appearance. Many had large fangs and ridges forming Cobra like hoods along their heads; others had mandibles like those of a spider with spider legs forming neck bracers; the final group had pointed horn-like snouts and large batwing shaped ears.

These monsters raised their hands revealing the pipe like fingers they all had. Their fingers all began glowing before shooting beams of energy in the shape of bullets, each blast hit something somewhere causing a large explosion. The people where helpless to escape the monsters. Time for many people this day had stopped.

This was the day in history known forever as the Global Freeze.

However…

Three small cars looked down at the scene as the monsters attacked people. These cars couldn't have been much bigger than a person's hand, but they moved fully autonomously. They formed a highway-like track which they raced down towards three of the monsters who turned towards the sound of honking. The highway track suddenly branched out wdly and around the monsters trapping them all in place. The cars looked up as a sign telling them where to go. The orange leader of the three took a sharp left as its road wrapped around a Bat-themed monsters. As the car drove around the looping track, it suddenly ignited a flame and lit the road it traveled on with its fire as well. The flames became so intense that the trapped monster began glowing with heat until it ultimately exploded; the traffic sign changed to read 'Explosion Ahead.' The green car took a right before going down a straight path at a Cobra-themed monster. The Monster blinked as the track stopped just before its chest; it then blinked as a second sign appeared, reading 'Tunnel Ahead.' It gulped as the little green car grew a scary number of spikes that lifted it forward and sent it rolling down the track and through the monster's chest, sure enough making a tunnel, and causing it to explode after a moment to fully register its damage. The third purple car had its track widen as it flashed and formed four clones of sorts. The four cars all fired small shuriken projectiles that struck the Spider monster repeatedly without mercy. As the purple car looped around the monster, it fired more shuriken until it finally exploded. From the explosions, three faint floating numbers-006, 012, and 066-emerged and seemed to converse with one another before flying away as fast as possible.

The flames died down as a figure clad in armor walked forward, grabbing the attention of the rest of the creatures. The figures helmet lit up, revealing eyes resembling headlights. While many didn't know it, at this time. While the rest of the world was Frozen, there was someone...someone fighting, someone protecting them. This one person working hard to save all of the world.

---

Six months passed since the Global Freeze, yet people were still afraid of the stopping sensation. People all over came to call the sensation a 'Slowdown' and programs were made to notify people of their occurence. Yet life still went on. People who died in the event were mourned, but people continued to go on as they would.

Ever since this event, many companies and political leaders pushed for something to help people both move on with their lives and hopefully from the pain of the event. In comes the Personal Terminal, or PET for short. A new hand held device people use for entertainment, day to day planning, and communication. Included with these were sentient digital beings known as Network Navigators, or NetNavis for short. All of which could be customized and modified to the user's preferences.

From the PET and NetNavi's creation and rapid popularity growth came new games to be played with them. Popular among them was NetBattle, allowing two people to use their NetNavi for combat themed games through computers. It quickly grew to be a popular game with the younger generation.

A bright red car drove down the street. This car was odd in hat it had an extra pair of wheels over the back of the trunk almost like spoilers. The front of it was shaped in such a way it looked more akin to a racing car with an aerodynamic nose shaping, with front wings before the front tires. It had two large circular headlights and two smaller rectangular ones; it also had this odd silver accent along the right side of the hood just in front of the windshield. But to really set it apart stamped on the front near the leftmost front tire was the Metro Police Department symbol.

The Driver of this one of kind machine was Metro Police Special Crimes Unit Sergeant Shinnosuke Tomari. A tall young man standing over six feet tall, messy black hair dressed in a sharp navy blue business suit with silver pin striping. He let his red tie hang loose as he relaxed into the red and black racing seats of his car. He drove up to a local park before finding a parking spot. Shinnosuke walked out into the park before finding the perfect grassy hill where he promptly laid down, and sighed in relaxation as he began cloud watching.

'People are still going on about that Slowdown stuff…' Shinnosuke thought as he pulled out a several pieces of candy and began to unwrap them above his head, letting them drop into his mouth, 'Can't say that I blame them for being so scared… My brain still feels slow, like it's stuck in the mud…' he sighed while scratching the back of his head with both hands, "Enough already. I'm done thinking about it." he sighed, raising his arms up into the air.

As his arms just stayed up in the air for a moment, a cold feeling of steel clamped onto his wrist. Shinnosuke panicked, seeing handcuffs on one of his wrists.

"Eh?! What the…?!"

"I'm taking you in," a stern voice stated.

Shinnosuke paled and slowly looked up. Glaring down at him with a no-nonsense glare and scowl was a young woman. She was dressed in a sharp navy-blue uniform with a skirt, heeled combat shoes, and an officer's cap on the left side of her head...sporting the Metro Police's badge on it.

"K-Kiriko?!" Shinnosuke panicked before managing to get up and dashed away from her, "Waaaaaaaaaaah!"

Kiriko kicked her right foot up, sending the shoe off it and into her hand. She threw it and, with pinpoint accuracy, the heel slammed right into the back of Shinnosuke's head. Shinnosuke groaned as he fell to his knees in pain. Unfortunately, it allowed Kiriko to run over, spin him around, slam her sock-covered foot into the back of his legs, and pull him into a chokehold.

"Ack! K-Kiriko….h-how did you f-guh-find me?!" Shinnosuke gagged out before gasping for air when he was spun around into another hold that let Kiriko show him a red book opened to two pages depicting a detailed schedule of what he does complete with drawings with the first one reading 'Places Tomari is probably slacking at: ACDC Park.'

"This is one of your usual slacking off locations," she explained simply as Shinnosuke got back to his feet.

"What are you my fan...or my manager?" Shinnosuke asked, reading over her notes which detailed things from his slack off locations, favorite places to eat out in order of most liked down, even the little things he does at work to procrastinate. Every section had its corresponding drawing of him doing things such as eating Ramen, looking out the window with a vacant look, and so on.

"It's my job," Kiriko replied while putting her shoe back on, "Come on now, we're going to the station."

"Are the handcuffs necessary?!" Shinnosuke demanded, "I bet you haven't cracked a smile all day…" at that, Kiriko looked up at him with the most annoyed and upset face possible, "You all business types are a tough crowd…" he muttered, "Flying fish…"

"Really?"

"No really! A flying fish!" he spoke as a fresh fish smacked into his face, "Oh come on!"

"Mornin', Officer Shijima!" a balding man in a long-sleeved blue shirt, green pants, white gloves and boots, and a black apron sporting a fish on it greeted, biking by with a fish cart hooked to it.

"Masa-san," she turned to him as her expression softened, "I'm sorry for that display."

"It's still slapping me!" Shinnosuke shouted, trying to catch the fish, "It's a fighter!"

"Are you really losing a fight to a fish…" Kiriko blinked.

"It's a chub mackerel. On the house if he wins or loses," Masa joked.

"You really shouldn't be so kind to him...like a stray cat, the prospect of free food will make him come back again," Kiriko spoke.

"Got it!" Shinnosuke shouted as it got caught on the other half of the handcuffs, "Hahaha!" he cheered, taking this as a moment of pride and victory, "Ugh...now I'm gonna smell like Mackerel…" he realized, "Worth it!"

Kiriko adopted her previous look as Masa looked away, whistling and pretending to ignore what was going to happen.

---

"Owowowowow…" Shinnosuke groaned as Kiriko pulled him into a building called 'Kuruma Driver's License Course,' both hands cuffed with a second pair of cuffs, "Why a second pair?"

"Because you ruined the first pair with a chub mackerel," Kiriko deadpanned as she pulled him through the building in front of people-several recording it on their PETs with snickers-and up a flight of stairs to an office near the top floor.

"Mou...why's everyone gotta record it?" Shinnosuke complained as he was dragged through the halls towards a room. Said room had a sign reading: 'Metro Police Special Crimes Unit.' Once opened, it revealed a very tiny little room with a total of five desks, four of which were paired up and faced one another. With the one single desk being bigger and pointed towards the rest. Standing there was a middle aged man who was a good deal shorter than most of the adults present, his hairline was slowly and faintly receding but he still slicked it back regardless, he wore a large police jacket over his suit as he clapped.

"Whoa! Nice ca...is that a chub Mackerel?" he zeroed in on the fish first, "Masa-san, you old dog...knows just what I like for lunch." he laughed; this was the Metro Police Special Crime unit Chief, Honganji Jun, "Get me the knife set! Today, we eat like kings!" he cheered, "Oh and welcome back, Officer Tomari. How was your break?" he smiled while slamming the fish on a cutting board, "Good job, Kiriko-chan! That uniform was perfect for the job today. See? Your lucky color today is blue!" he pointed at his PET, which showed a horoscope page with Kiriko's name and Birthday displayed on it with the result being Blue.

"Your predictions really are on the nose aren't they, Chief?" Shinnosuke smiled.

"Now that our resident slacker is here, it's time to make the announcement!" Jun cheered before sighing sadly, "The Metro Police Special Crimes Unit is actually going to be taking part in an investigation…" he gave another sigh, "Ain't that a shame? We just got chub mackerel, too..."

"You're disappointed?!" another young man sitting opposite Kiriko complained; unlike Shinnosuke and Kiriko, he looked very far from being a police officer, which he wasn't. He has shaggy hair and wore shorts and a large sweater, he also had a pair of glasses over his eyes. This fellow is Saijou Kyu, their Network Specialist, no one knows more about hacking, searching the entire internet for information, or how to mod a PET to do more than it should then him.

"We're joining a case...for what?" Shinnosuke asked.

"Haven't you heard?" Kyu blinked as he pulled out a tablet displaying news information, "There have been an odd rise in sudden fires all around the city; and each time one happens, a missing persons case occurs in the same evening with no one able to respond in time due to the congested traffic from all the first responders." he recited word for word what was on the website, "Here's where we come in. Each and every day around the area of the fire and missing person where Density Shift effects in those same locations."

"Density...Shifts...oh you mean slowdowns." Shinnosuke realized, making everyone flinch.

"Are you oblivious?!" Kyu demanded.

"Did you call it that, Rinna?" Shinnosuke asked as he looked at another member of their five-person group.

"That's right. Please try and remember the term, Shinnosuke," the last girl there sighed in annoyance; she had long brown hair and wore a labcoat over a teal and white button shirt and a black skirt. This was Special Crimes Unit Officer: Electrical Physicist Sawagami Rinna.

"The Network Crimes Unit is sending Inspector Oda and his NetNavi Yamatoman to act as our liason for the investigation, along with Lieutenant Otta" Jun informed

"Otta...Otta...Gen-san…" Shinnosuke complained, "Man... Being seen will him will fully brand us as weirdos."

---

"A real investigation…" Shinnosuke sighed as he sat in his car, "...Maybe I'll finally be able to move on…" he sighed as his mind flashed back, the sound of a gun being fired and then an explosion, but he quickly shook the memory off before he could relive the whole thing, "Oh well, I'm done thinking about it."

"Have you decided to step forward and become a warrior yet?" a smooth male voice asked, startling Shinnosuke to look around.

"You again…" he groaned, recognizing the voice, "Whoever you are, you're persistent."

"Of course I am. I'm trying to make the choice easier. Getting you assigned to the Special Crimes Unit, not to mention getting you this car," the voice noted.

"Ask someone else. I'm exactly what I seem like...a lazy washout," Shinnosuke sighed.

"No, you're much more extraordinary. You've just forgotten how to start your engine."

"...Start my engine?" he repeated as the thoughts raced through his mind, but he quickly stopped thinking about that and began looking around the car for the source of this incredibly talkative AI inside of his car. After several moments of searching, he looked at the dashboard, "Ah...There you are…" attached to the dashboard was a bulky device; it was primarily silver with yellow accents and sported a circular flat screen in the center displayed a red LED face with a red switch on the right side of it, "So this is where your voice was coming from."

"Exactly! On the mark," the voice replied, saying 'exactly' in English, as Shinnosuke grasped the device and pulled it out, revealing a red belt connected to one side of it with the buckle resembling one for a car.

"Now let's…" Shinnosuke began before yelping as the belt shot out of his hands and attached to his waist, "Huh?! What the…?! WHAT?! What the heck?!"

"Sorry to break it to you, but I'm a belt," the belt informed.

"A belt? Wha...how...why...how and why again?"

'Perhaps I should have included a Personal Terminal,' the belt thought.

"Oh...this is weird…" Shinnosuke went on, still panicking.

Both Shinnosuke and the sentient belt were snapped to reality when Kiriko tapped on the window, earning his attention. Shinnosuke quickly covered the belt with his jacket before rolling down the window.

"We're heading out to investigate the location of the last fire and disappearance. Inspector Oda will meet us there." She explained, "Come on." she sighed walking over towards a van.

"Their making their move already then. Lets go." The belt ordered.

"No way! Not until you get off me!"

"Suit yourself, then I'll drive." The belt spoke as his 'face' emoted an annoyed expression. With that, the seat belts looped over Shinnosuke as the car came to life and drove off by itself with no actions from him.

"Aw, come on!" Shinnosuke screamed, "C'mon! Hold on a sec!"

---

Sirens blared from police cars as an area was blocked off by police cars and tape blockades. Officers were combing over the area, being a skate park, and putting evidence markers about. Several blocks down, the burnt wreckage that had once been a house was blocked off with more investigators examining it. At the skate park, a pair of officers were talking with one another. One was an older man with a bushy mustache in a black suit and fedora while the other was in a grey pinstripe suit with black hair and a red band on his left upper arm.

"Another missing just like at the last scenes," the man in the pinstripe suit noted, "How's the inspection of the fire, Oda?"

"Same as all the other fires, Gen," the man in the fedora sighed, "The cause of the fire was the AC system being infected by viruses. It's more than likely that the fires are being caused by World Three."

"We may have to send out an alert to shut down the AC Networks for a while then," Gen noted, "Still...kidnapping hasn't been their modus operandi, so someone may be taking advantage of the fires."

"How could they know if they aren't working together though…that's the hard part to figure out."

"Lieutenant Gen, Inspector Oda, the Special Crimes Unit is here!" another officer called, sounding like he was barely holding back a laugh.

"Special Crimes Unit? Wasn't one of your men reassigned there from the first division?" Oda asked.

"Yeah. That's the team Shinnosuke was assigned to," Gen replied as he turned around and his eyes widened, "EH?!"

"What are they wearing?" Inspector Oda asked, his eyes widening underneath his fedora as Shinnosuke and Kiriko approached...wearing metal helmets covered in glowing electronics, wearing metal backpacks, and holding up radar guns connected to the backpacks.

"I really hope that is not standard equipment for the Special Crimes Unit, de gozaru," a voice noted from the black PET in Gen's jacket pocket, the emblem for the police on the back of the device.

"Oh, sup, Gen-san? Long time no see," Shinnosuke greeted.

"Don't let people see us talking, you look ridiculous!" Gen snapped as Oda covered his face with his feora, trembling a bit to hide his laughter.

"Man, I agree." Shinnosuke sighed, "All this beep beep and piko-piko noise is annoying...but they say it detects Density Shift particles...so it's gotta be useful." he muttered walking past Gen before playfully tapping his head with the machine, "Piko-piko…" he giggled to himself.

"Density Shift particles?" Inspector Oda repeated.

"I believe he means the Slowdowns, Oda-san, de gozaru," the voice from Gen's PET noted.

"I still don't believe in this Slowdown nonsense…" Gen spoke up as several of the investigators, CSIs, and workers just stared at him at that, "What?"

"Piko-piko." Shinnosuke giggled, tapping his head again.

"Quit it!" Gen snapped at him.

"Force of habit when someone says something dumb…" Shinnosuke laughed, as he took the helmet off and began to survey the scene, "The fire began from inside, the kitchen, most of these houses have their kitchen areas towards the center of the homes. It spread outward due to overheating, causing wall fires." he determined from just glancing at the house once.

"All from one glance?" Inspector Oda asked in surprise.

"We already knew that!" Gen complained.

"How long did it take?" Shinnoske smiled as one of the CSI's held up all ten fingers, "Ten minutes…" he smiled, pointing at him.

"Impressive as always, Tomari-san, de gozaru."

"Oh? Sup, Yamatoman? Long time no see," Shinnosuke greeted.

"Don't you have your own work to do?" Gen complained.

"Machine's automatic. Don't even really need to wave it around." Shinnosuke revealed, taking the backpack off and putting it down, "Also, I feel like I need to zip up a jumpsuit and play 80's music while wearing it."

"Don't expect to take over this investigation," Gen informed.

"Wasn't planning to...you need to work sometimes, Gen-chan," Shinnosuke replied as he walked over to the other crime scene where he bent down next to a bucket of popcorn where he picked up a tiny piece of paper, "Paper?" he blinked, looking back at it; it wasn't from the bucket, it was still fairly intact save for someone maybe stepping on it in panic, he then looked over at the ambulance as it carried off a man who had collapsed during the event. Shinnosuke could see his skin was all red for some reason, but from how the EMTs talk, he was still alive.

"That's the fourth person we've found at one of these," Shinnosuke looked up at Inspector Oda as he walked over, "A fire breaks out at a place, someone goes missing, and another ends up like that man, dead to the world and their skin a vivid red."

"..." Shinnosuke hummed to himself as he processed all that at his own pace. The evidence he could observe and what he could assume so far was that both were related. But to what extent and how was beyond him at the moment, he knew the First Division already had a guess as to who was causing the fires, but the suspects he knew of didn't fit the MO of abduction or assault...at least, not in this brutally direct manner.

"Oi, oi, oi! Turn that thing down!" the two looked over at Gen as Kiriko's device started blaring loudly.

"Gen-san, it's more than likely that…"

"Oh don't start that," Gen fumed.

"Careful, Shinnosuke. The assailant is still close," the belt spoke up, earning Oda's attention.

'A PET in the form of a belt? Kids these days…' Oda thought in surprise before a pulse washed over the area...and everyone slowed to a crawl, "?!"

"Slowdown?" Shinnosuke gasped.

"This is what they mean?!" Gen asked his face moving slowly and making it freeze in a goofy look,

"What is happening? Gen-san, why have you slowed down? Has a Slowdown occured, de gozaru?"

"It's already begun, one must be near!" The belt spoke up as Shinnosuke looked upwards near the entrance of the park.

Walking towards them all was a tall muscular man. He wore a pair of black shorts, a tank top, and a green vest over his torso. He stomped down the steps closer as he scanned everyone present before he zeroed in on the tallest person present: Shinnosuke.

'He can move normally in a Density Shift?' Shinnosuke thought in surprise.

The man smirked as he started approaching Shinnosuke. A red aura flared around the man before he was engulfed in it. It dispersed...revealing one of the robotic monsters from the Global Freeze in the man's place, a '029' on its chestplate. Everyone present gasped in shock and terror...except Gen, who was the only person not facing this.

"What...what's happening!? Why is everyone panicking?!"

"Unknown, Gen-san," Yamatoman replied from the PET, "Unable to see, de gozaru."

The monster rushed over to Shinnosuke before punching him across the face. It then kicked him and sent him clear across the skate park into a light post. Shinnouke's body was unable to react to the pain now coursing through him as the monster lifted him up.

"Well now don't you look lively!" the cobra themed monster spoke, looking up at Shinnosuke as it studied him through those attacks, "You'll do just fine."

"Shift Cars, Assemble!" The belt called out, getting the robotic creature's attention.

"Nani?"

A loud set of honks made the robotic creature turn its head around to see a small track forming before his head. The three colored toy cars shot down the formed track and slammed into the robotic creature, knocking it away from Shinnosuke. The orange car sped towards the creature, igniting itself and ramming into its chest. The creature was knocked back and landed on the green car...before jumping up with a scream with spikes stuck to its behind from the green car growing them.

The Monster looked up as the cars raced around the ground as if taunting him. The Monster raised his index fingers and began shooting to try and get rid of them. However, they were too fast for him to aim and each shot missed. A new track formed before forming a loop/ring right in front of him. The orange car ran the track before igniting it with flames. The purple car jumped into the air and launched several shuriken through the ring of fire, lighting them with fire too, as they struck the monster that tried to form a barrier only for it to shatter after one shuriken strike. The monster looked up as the Green car jumped while rolling forward, its spikes extended as it was now covered in fire as it passed through the ring of fire. The Monster just gawked as it was struck and sent flying away and landing on its rear...digging the still lodged spikes even deeper into his damaged area.

"GH?!" the monster groaned as it got up to see the three cars revving their engines and prepared to ram once more.

The monster tensed before quickly firing at the ground before him. The smoke cleared from the explosion to reveal the monster was gone. Their task done, the trio of cars drove away from the area just before everyone began to move normally again.

"What the hell was that?!" Gen shouted.

"M-Mon-Monster!" several officers shouted, pointing to where the monster once stood.

"What? Is something behind me?!" he jumped and turned around, "Nothing's there…" he slumped his shoulders as he gave a sour look to the officers.

"It could be it had been there before and escaped, Gen-san."

"You hush it."

"What was that...friends of yours?" Shinnosuke asked his belt.

"No...Yours!" Belt replied as his face changed to emote a happy smile.

---

"Nice to meet you, Lieutenant Otta and Inspector Oda!" Rinna greeted in the Special Crimes Unit's office as she sat down across from the two, "So, how was your encounter with your first Density Shift?"

"Startling, to be honest," Oda admitted, "It was almost reliving the Global Freeze in just a concentrated area."

"While I was processing normally, everyone else was moving slower than I when Gen-san receives too many e-mails at once, de gozaru," Yamatoman noted, the PET having been placed on the table and revealing him to be a figure in a black bodysuit and light-blue and gold shogun-themed armor with a spear in hand while his torso sported a circular emblem resembling a black ring with a black dot in the middle with a segmented ring in-between the two with all of the parts connected by three bars that seemed to grow out of the black dot.

"I-I still don't believe in it!" Gen declared, trying to move away from the leaning-in Rinna only to hit his head on the lockers behind him and having some stacked items on top of the lockers smack him on the head, "Gah!"

"You're quite close-minded," Jun noted, looking up from his newspaper.

"It's part of his charm, de gozaru,."

"Nobody likes a smart alec…" Gen complained.

"Kyu-chan, what are you doing?" Jun asked as their resident net expert was typing away like a madman.

"Shinnosuke-kun gave me something to do and I take it as a challenge to my skills!" he exclaimed before hitting enter, "Done!"

"Nice, Kyu-chan!" Shinnosuke smiled, patting his shoulder before massaging them, "Okay! Address, address and date!" he spoke, hyping him up.

"You insult me!" he smirked, typing again, "This is the addresses which fit the pattern you gave me! And the dates in their order and time separating them."

"Addresses? Pattern?" Jun repeated.

"You have an idea where the next fire and abduction will be?" Oda asked.

"Perhaps when as well due to your listing of dates as well, Shinnosuke-san, de gozaru?" Yamatoman asked.

"I've realized a pattern after taking to the families who lived in those houses," Shinnoske explained, "After the first fire, one family called in a technician to check their oven for glitches, and with each new fire more and more families called to have them checked." he explained, "I ran a list of all the houses which called the company and then ran each of the trucks' routes and which houses they checked. But...there was an anomaly. One truck shouldn't be on the list, meaning the criminal behind these arson attempts has been faking being a technician to get into his next targeted home. With the victims letting him in."

"But...but how did they...?" Gen gawked as everyone stared at Shinnosuke.

"It took me a few, but I put it together. These ovens are linked to the network so you can turn them on and off even outside of your home. The way to overheat them past their safety limits is simple...a virus. This criminal uploads a virus to make the ovens exceed their allotted heat safety limits."

"But no virus can be that complex as to both override the limitations and activate it when the time was right, de gozaru," Yamatoman spoke.

"That's right." Shinnosuke went on, "Meaning the criminal had help...a NetNavi he leaves implanted in each oven until it overheats."

"Nani?!" Gen shouted in overreaction.

"But then what about the abductions?" Inspector Oda asked.

"You're right; the two crimes are linked. But not in the way you believe. The one who abducts the people and the one who start the fire are without a doubt two different people." Shinnosuke explained, pulling out a picture of the man who transformed into a monster, and then an artist sketch of the man people claimed repaired their ovens.

"They're two different people!" Gen shouted.

"The man in the sketch fits the description of a man known to work for World Three, while the other man is totally unrelated, and has been reported missing for a while now..." Shinnosuke informed, "The first step is to find these guys." he grabbed his tie and fitted it on him properly, earning Kiriko's attention, before he ran out.

"Oi, matte!" Gen snapped as he got up and chased after Shinnosuke, "Are you trying to show up the First Division?!"

"He forgot me, it seems, de gozaru," Yamatoman sighed as Rinna picked his PET up.

"There, there, Yamamtoman-chan," Rinna assured, "You could help us with planning until he comes pick you up when he remembers he forgot you."

"Looks like he's finally in gear…" Kiriko noted.

"Gear?" Inspector Oda repeated, raising a brow.

"His brain's gear," Kiriko explained, "His engine might be starting…" she opened her notebook to a page depicting a drawing of him tightening his tie before putting a tiny yellow '3' sticker over a green '2' sticker below the words 'Times Tomari Has Tightened His Tie.'

"I heard he transferred from a special investigation unit, but that's the first time I've ever seen little Tomari-chan act like that," Jun noted.

"Hn…" Oda agreed with a nod before looking at the papers, "More than likely, he's investigating who our missing person is. From this report, the time between the 'inspection' and the fires is three days. The next one will most likely be tomorrow at this residence."

"Hehe...this is the full power of Tomari…" Jun whispered to himself.

---

"Are you really running there by yourself?" The belt asked Shinnosuke.

"I don't like being driven around," Shinnosuke spoke, "I take the wheel everywhere. It's why I don't have a PET; I like going at my pace."

"Hmm...what a prideful fellow," the belt noted.

'I can feel it going away...that muddy feeling in my head for the last year,' Shinnosuke thought as he ran around a corner and ended up colliding into someone, "Gah!"

"Ite!"

The two quickly scrambled to avoid falling over from the collision. Shinnosuke looked at who he hit. It was a boy around thirteen years of age with his brown hair pulled back by a blue bandana sporting an emblem resembling a gold ring with a red inside split into two by a stylized 'H.' The boy wore an orange vest over a white shirt with blue detailing on the long sleeves and black shorts with yellow lines on the sides with orange and black shoes.

"Lan, are you okay?" a voice asked from a blue PET on the boy's right hip.

"Daijobu?" Shinnosuke asked at the same time.

"I suppose personal navigation is one of the things you lack from your driving metaphors, Shinnosuke…" the belt noted, earning the boy's attention.

"Eh? Whoa! Is that a customized PET?" the boy, Lan, asked in awe.

"Huh...oh, him," Shinnosuke muttered, "I just realized I had him...He seems to be connected to my Car."

"More or less." The belt replied in English.

"Eh? What did he say?"

"Lan, I keep telling you to pay better attention to your classes," the voice in his PET sighed, "We're sorry for bumping into you, officer."

"O-Officer?!" Lan exclaimed, "Ah! Gomen nassai!" he apologized, quickly bowing before noticing a paper, "Hm?"

"Ah. I dropped the sketch," Shinnosuke realized as Lan picked it up.

"Did he go missing?" Lan asked, looking at the sketch of a man with long hair and a short spiky beard.

"Have you seen him?" the belt asked.

"Yeah. Two days ago, he was at my friend Maylu-chan's house to check her oven and was just at my house yesterday doing that," Lan replied as he gave the paper back.

"Lan-kun, was it?" Shinnosuke spoke, "This man isn't missing. He's a suspect in all the house fires that have been going on." he admitted.

"Eh?!"

"Oi, Shinnosuke…"

"You said he was at your friend's house, right? Then she could be in danger, as could your own home," he explained slowly, "This is a lot to take in, but I can tell already you are the kind of boy who cares for his friends. I need you to contact your friend and warn her," he spoke, "Tell her someone is on the way to help."

"Ah! H-Hai!" Lan replied before Shinnosuke ran off, "...Megaman, we gotta get going!"

"Eh? But what about calling Maylu-san about…" Megaman began before Lan attached a pair of skates to the soles of his shoes and skated off.

"We'll do that on the way!" Lan informed, 'Be safe, Maylu-chan…We're coming!'

---

"Why did you tell them that?" the belt asked.

"That kid just strikes me as a good kid," Shinnosuke spoke, "I get the feeling that he would be the kind to help if he could. Part of being a police officer is being open and trusting. I need to be honest and trust the people I have to protect." he explained, "I can agree with not revealing key information about a case to the public, but this is not this or that." he went on as he kept running as fast as his legs could, "Call it my gut and stop bugging me about it. I stopped thinking about it two blocks ago..."

"Wait, you did?" the belt asked in surprise.

"Yep," Shinnosuke replied as he entered a neighborhood, "Right now...I have a place to be and a job to do. That's a police officer."

"I see...So what is your plan now?"

"Plan...ah right...Sorry. Once I get going, my brain becomes tunnel visioned," Shinnosuke spoke, "My partner was the plan guy, I'm the action guy." he went on, "Right now...all I care about is protecting someone from danger, so hang on, Belt!"

"You could at least use...wait...what...you're not the plan guy?!"

Shinnosuke kept running towards the address he was given from Kyu. Eventually, he reached the address, revealing it to be a gym.

"A gym?" the belt asked.

"Kyu found that the missing people are all related to this man," Shinnosuke explained, showing the picture of the monster in its human disguise, "Nobuo Masuda. The missing people all knew Masuda-san and all considered one another good friends. One of those friends happens to go to this gym."

"And you think it will appear?" the belt asked skeptically.

"More than likely, the higher ups have already released that they know the identity and method of the arsonist," Shinnosuke replied, "With the man's cover blown, he'll more than likely set off his current attack today, giving an opportunity for another abduction and someone becoming red."

"Are you s…" the belt asked before Shinnosuke sushed it and hid behind a tree, seeing the robotic monster in its human disguise walking towards the gym.

"See? Told ya," Shinnosuke whispered, 'Hopefully, that kid contacted his friend in time…'

---

"She's still not answering!" Megaman frantically noted.

"Wait. What time is it?" Lan asked.

"3:47. ...Ah! She keeps her PET off when she does piano lessons while Roll is in the house system! No wonder they're not picking up!"

"Oh man what do we do then?" Lan groaned before he looked ahead to see smoke, "Ah!"

"Oh no…" Megaman gasped as the skating boy arrived at a red-roofed house that was currently spewing black smoke and flames from several places, "It's already on fire!"

Lan grit his teeth, "Hang on, we're going in!"

"EH?!" Megaman yelped as Lan inhaled deeply before covering his nose and mouth with a sleeve before running inside, neither noticing a red matchbox-sized fire engine follow after them.

Lan grunted as the heat was the first thing to hit him. Flames had managed to spread out about the first floor of the house, many things having been caught ablaze from the initial fire. Lan ignored it as he headed deeper into the house until he managed to hear coughing from the kitchen. Dashing in, he managed to catch a girl his age with pale skin and shoulder-length red hair wearing a white/pale-blue long-sleeved shirt, a blue zipped up vest, and a pink skirt with black stockings just as she collapsed, dropping a pink PET.

"Maylu-chan! Maylu-chan, hold on!" Lan called.

"L-Lan…" the girl coughed as she looked at him with brown eyes.

"Hold on. I'm getting you out of here," Lan informed.

"M-Matte...Roll-chan...she...she's in the oven…" Maylu explained between coughs.

"I'll get her once you're out," Lan replied before they froze, 'E...eh?'

"Lan! It...It's a Slowdown! Ah man...Why now?! Why here?!" Megaman panicked.

"Why...now?"

"Kuso!" Megaman cursed before a squeaky siren went off, "Eh?"

A tiny road formed in the air as the tiny fire engine raced down it, siren wailing. As it drove past anything that was on fire, it began to let out sprays of foam that quickly extinguished them. It blasted at the oven before moving back when it ignited. It let out a squeaky revving noise before blasting it with as much spray as it could.

"What...is...that?" Lan got out.

The tiny fire engine came to a stop, scanning around the area for any more dangers. After confirming all the fires where indeed out and there was no chance of them reigniting. It scanned the area differently this time, looking for the cause of the Slowdown. It quickly looked over at the children present before back inside as if asking them if they need anything from inside.

"Roll-chan...In the...oven...network…" Maylu maanged to say.

The fire engine gave a squeaky siren before driving towards the pink PET and rammed it. The PET was sent over them, pulling the cable that it was connected to the oven with off and back into the portable device. At the same time, the screen depicted a girl in a pink and black bodysuit with pink gloves and boots with gold rings on them and a pink helmet with the front resembling a heart with two antenna resembling gold semi-transparent plugs that-including the gold plug just above her behind-made her have a bit of a rabbit motif crashing in from the side where the cable snapped into the PET, bits of her long gold hair with a green oversized ribbon in it smoking along with most of parts of her body. Just as the PET clattered to the floor before the two kids, the Slowdown ended and they stumbled over.

The fire engine honked several times as it drove off as if to follow the Slowdown's center of origin. As Maylu continued to cough, Lan helped her up while picking up the pink PET.

"Roll-chan, daijobu?" Megaman asked.

"H...hai…" the blond groaned, rubbing her head, as Lan helped Maylu out of the house, "A bit toasty, but I'll be okay…So many viruses...and fire, too...why did the origin have to be the oven…?"

"We're just lucky that thing put out the fires," Lan noted in relief.

"Thing?"

"It looked like a fire engine and I think it was making a road in the air to let it move quicker around to put the fires out," Megaman explained, "But...where did it come from? And how was it moving when Lan and Maylu-san couldn't in the Slowdown?"

"I don't know...but it was kinda cool. For such a little car, it put out such a huge fire," Lan replied before a siren went off and he looked to see fire trucks, police cars, and an ambulance arriving, "Oh so now they show up! If they were more like that officer with the belt PET, things would be a lot better."

---

Shinnosuke barely managed to stop his sneeze, 'Who's talking about me in the middle of an investigation?'

At the moment, he was following the disguised mechanical monster as it entered a small park with a large pink squirrel statue in the center of it. The being was currently following an older man in a jogging uniform that had run out of the gym Shinnosuke had been watching earlier. The disguised monster quickly cut off the man's path after using a quick burst of Slowdown.

"Eh? Masuda?!" the man gasped, "You look so different. I almost didn't recognize you. You've been gone for a long while. Where have you been? What've you been up to?"

"Attacking humans…" the monster replied as, in a burst of red energy, he dismissed his disguise.

"Ah!" the man screamed as the monster grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt and began to hold him up above the ground, "Help! Save me!"

"Crap…" Shinnosuke grunted, getting out from behind his cover and rushing over, "Stop!"

The monster looked away from his target to see Shinnosuke heading for them. Giving an annoyed growl, the monster let out a pulse, creating a Slowdown. Once Shinnosuke had frozen to a crawl, the monster put the man on the ground before spinning him around to grab the back of his head. The man screamed as his body started to turn red like the people the police have been finding.

"Gh...not again…" Shinnosuke muttered reaching his hand out once more, "I'm not gonna make it…" he grunted at more flashbacks came to mind, "Not again…"

"Max Flare!" At that, the orange car from before drove in on the self making road once more. It looped around as a clip formed on Shinnosuke's right hip. It quickly dove and attacked itself to one of three slots. And, suddenly, Shinnosuke could move normally again.

"I can move?" he blinked for a second before he charged and grabbed the monster's arm, "Let go!" he shouted as he made it growl in annoyance. It then grabbed Shinnosuke before pushing him away; as he tried to rush back, he was kicked to the chest, sending him stumbling even further away from them, "Gonna need to do more than just move…"

Shinnosuke and Belt looked up as they heard the sound of shots being fired. They looked up to see a Bat and Spider version of the same kind of monster jumping down at Shinnosuke. The two aimed at the ground, forcing Shinnosuke to step away. Upon landing, the two swung at the police officer who was able to dodge most of their swings until the Bat one finally landed a kick that sent him tumbling away once more, even if Shinnosuke had better skills their strength was to large a gap to cover.

"It had backup," the belt noted.

"What took you?" the Cobra asked.

"Little kid wanted to be a hero and help his friend," Bat grunted.

"Slowdown activated. By the time we left, they were as good as roasted," the Bat added.

"Wha...?" Shinnosuke gasped as blinked upon hearing that.

The two new beings let out purple pulses, layering two more Slowdowns upon the first. Max Flare lit up, trying to overpower it only to dim out, letting out a slowed down honk from its horn. Nodding at the two the cobra grabbed the man by his neck, choking him while continuing to turn the man's skin red.

Shinnosuke grunted as he tried his best to move even an inch. All he could do was just stare at the man as his hand slowly turned more and more red. The image of a hand stained with blood flashed before his mind once more, "It's happening again...I can't save him!"

The remaining two aimed their hands at Shinnosuke and a click went off in them. His eyes slowly widened as he realized that their fingers...were guns. The two open fired, only for Shinnosuke's car to drive up and block the shots. The two charged at the car only to be knocked back by the door being swung open. Kiriko emerged from the car, wearing the same belt clip that Shinnosuke wore, but sported the green and purple cars on the topmost and bottommost slots. She fired off a shot, forcing them to back up as she shut the door. The two tried to charge in at her, but she fired two more shots that made them move back and prepare their finger guns. The two open fired and Kiriko jumped over the car while firing another shot. The Cobra groaned as he dropped the man and stomped towards them.

"If you want to refuel yourself in peace…" the Cobra grumbled in annoyance.

"Kiriko, you too?" Shinnosuke asked while he blinked, confused.

"What are you doing Tomari-san?!" she snapped at him, making him jump. She then moved his jacket to show off the talking belt, "Your Engine started, right? Then why aren't you letting him help?"

"How did you know about him?" Shinnosuke blinked as the car came to life again.

"Tridoron shoot!" with that the car began shooting energy blasts from its headlights that blasted the two monsters making them back away.

"Eh...Oi, oi, Belt?"

"Again with the blunt form of addressing someone…" he frowned.

"Belt-san…"

"Hm…" he smiled, "Well now that you got it down, you need to Henshin."

"Henshin?" Shinnosuke repeated, utterly confused.

"You don't like being a passenger, right? So why not take the wheel for yourself?" Belt-san asked as another track formed and a red sports car drove along, dragging something. Shinnosuke raised his hand as the car jumped onto it, the device looping around his wrist and locking into place. It was rectangular and set across his wrist in a perpendicular slant. It resembled a gear shift for a car with a red button and seemed just the right size to fit one of those little cars into it. "Rotate the back of the shift car and insert it like a lever into the Shift Brace."

Kiriko reached for the belt and twisted the small key in it starting up some sort of standby music. Shinnosuke twisted the back of the red car before slowly lining it up with Shift Brace. He breathed quickly as he ran by all his options in his mind. One by one, all the answers lead to this being his only gamble at pulling something off.

"Like a Lever and...Insert." he spoke, pushing the Shift Car in as an engine sound came from the brace.

"You lost an important part of yourself in the past," Belt-san stated, "But now you have the chance to save someone. With me and your new friends, you can move through the Density Shift faster than anyone! That's how you become the warrior known as 'Drive!'"

"In that case...if it will help me get there in time to save that man…" Shinnosuke spoke as he looked ahead past the monsters at the poor man who was attacked, "Kangaeru no wa mō yameta!" he declared raising his left arm up as he grabbed the lever of the Shift brace, "Henshin!" he declared before lifting it up, causing the Shift Car's headlights to flash, a beam transmitted from the brace to Belt-san as the process completed itself.

Two red tire-like projections of light formed around Shinnosuke before forming an area around his person. The framework for armor formed all around him, each and every piece lining up with his body and adjusting to his body's proportions. Multiple pieces of armor all flashed red as they became solid. As they all linked up with his body, a sudden surge of black material covered the empty spaces between the armor.

The suit set as it finished materializing into reality. Shinnosuke was now clad in a black leather-like body suit with white racing stripes going down his arms and sides, bright cherry red armor covered his forearms, shins, and upper torso, with a black stripe going down his left chest to his right. The armor looked like it put parts from multiple vehicles onto him, his shoulder pads had turn lights shining from the sides, his gauntlets and greaves resembled the cowls of a bike, and his chest resembled a side of a car with a silver decoration resembling a door handle and an exhaust port along the bottom side. The Red Helmet stood out the most as it had multiple piping running along the jaw connecting the large silver mouthpiece to twin exhaust ports along the back of the helmet, it had two bright white eye pieces resembling headlights, a red light along the back of the helmet and finally a spoiler like decoration atop his head. An stylized R-shaped crest that also appeared to resemble a 'K' due to how it was styled finished the overall design of the helmet as he stood there.

Tridoron circled around them as its front left sire tire pushed itself inward as a pipe extended from the center of the tire. Red energy charged around it before forming a second, thiner and slightly smaller tire. The tire flew off and around the armored warrior before somehow phasing through his torso and locking into place as a sort of sash across his chest. The tire had a white stripe across it and on the wall it read: type SPEED.

=DRIVE: TYPE SPEED!= Belt-san declared before a jazzy tune blared out of him.

"AH! That's the guy who punched my head off six months ago!" the Bat yelped.

"Sorry, but I'm new to all this, so I'm not sure myself," the warrior spoke as he looked at his gauntlet, "It's my first time behind the wheel. Hey Monsters!" he called out as he leaned forward and put his weight on one leg, "You're coming along for the ride!" he declared as he charged forward with a burst of speed which took them by surprise.

The Bat Monster rushed first, only for Drive to slam his knee pad into his chest, knocking him back. The Spider aimed to shoot, only for Drive to quickly punch him across the face. The two companion monsters rushed him at the same time in hopes of overwhelming him. Drive kicked the Spider monster, making him stumble back. Drive used his left to grab the bat's wide right swing. He then used this opening to slam his elbow into its torso,, making it grunt in pain. Drive then punched the monsters right arm, making him turn around. As the Bat tried for another swing with his left, Drive grabbed that swing as well. Drive slammed his arm up into the bottom of the bat monster's elbow, causing it to cry in pain, before another elbow jab hit its torso, making it back away with both its arms feeling extreme pain.

Drive grabbed a kick from the Spider Monster before spinning around him while keeping his leg suspended in the air. Drive slammed the side of his left hand into its face, disorienting it. Drive twisted around as he pushed his leg out and struck the Bat in the stomach, making him groan in pain and back away, as Drive kicked his foot off him and used the force to spin around while swinging the Spider's leg up, knocking him flat on his rear. Drive, however, twisted his body around to land on one knee. Drive blinked as he was kicked by the leader of this trio. The Cobra monster growled as Drive backed away from his surprise attack.

The Cobra monster rushed him, swinging with better skill then his two companions. Drive blocked one swing only for another to strike his helmet, making him stumble back. The Cobra monster pressed its attack by charging a red sphere from its chest and blasting it at Drive, sending him flying away several meters and out of the park before he landed in the road. Drive got back to his feet before he was pelted by energy bullets from the Bat and Spider monsters.

"Use the Shift Lever to accelerate!" Belt-san explained as Drive was struggling with the monsters' superior range abilities.

"Accelerate?" Drive repeated before turning the red switch on Belt-san and liften the Shift Car three times, "Like this?"

=SP-SP-SPEED!=

"Whoa!" Drive yelped as the tire of his torso began to spin rapidly, "Alright…"

He charged at the monsters as they started shooting at him once more. Drive performed a slide and the spinning wheel accelerated him right at them, letting him perform a sweeping kick that knocked the Bat and Spider monsters into the air. Drive roared as he began to punch at them rapidly to the point he was making his punching resemble a speedometer increasing speed.

"Wow, this is fast!" Drive exclaimed in awe before delivering a final punch that sent to two rolling away to the feet of the Cobra monster.

"Try that with me!" the Cobra monster snarled before charging at Drive.

The two charged at one another as Drive blocked one punch from the Cobra monster before it blocked one of his. It then landed a bolo punch to his chest armor. The blow knocked Drive back as the Cobra landed a solid straight punch to his chest armor again with enough force to send Drive flying back across the air, literally flipping him head over heels with sparks racing off his armor.

"Oof...where's the long count when you need it?" Drive grunted while pushing himself up, "Well at least I got a helmet on…"

"Ah good. Talking to ensure you aren't suffering a concussion."

"Actually, I'm probably having a miniature panic attack due to monsters and super heroes existing," Drive sarcastically remarked as he rushed back at the monsters.

Kiriko was mostly watching, partly due to the fact she'd already run out of bullets and she wasn't hotheaded or stupid enough to risk rushing in at this moment with little means of self defense. But even she could see Drive ws having a hard time with the range and teamwork of the three monsters. He needed more of an edge to beat them. She quickly grabbed the two Shift cars on her holder and held them up to look at them.

"Spike, Shadow, go help him." she sighed, "Make sure he doesn't make things into a bigger mess." she ordered as they honked, accepting the orders. She quickly tossed them into the air as roads formed for them instantly. Sadly without the Shift Cars, the remaining Slowdown affects caught up to her, 'Fight, Drive!'

Drive grunted as he tossed through a boarded up door into an empty warehouse. The Cobra chuckled as he stepped into the warehouse, cracking his knuckles before squeaky honking made him pause. He turned around to see the purple and green Shift Cars driving at him on their floating self-making roads coming at him. The monster grunted, trying to knock them down, only for the roads to curve out of the path of his hands. As the roads curved around him Spike grew his name sake scratching the side of his face. Shadow honked shooting a shuriken at his chest making him stumble back. The two cars then drove and jumped onto Drive's Shift Car Holder along with Max Flare.

"Change Shift Cars to use different tire powers," Belt-san spoke up as Drive looked at his now full holder.

"Nothing like vehicular versatility," Drive noted.

He twisted the red switch on Belt-san and his mask's eyes lit up. He removed the red Shift Car from his brace before pulling out Max Flare. He flicked the back half of it with his thumb and it spun around, revealing a fireball-like symbol on the other side. He inserted the orange Shift Car into place and pumped it.

=TIRE KOUKAN!=

"Tire Koukan?" Drive repeated.

Outside, the car drove up to beside Kiriko before its exposed wheel slid inside its body. A burst of flames erupted in a spiral where it had been before shooting out when the wheel deployed. The wheel-shaped blast of flames flew through the air before going into the warehouse. It struck Drive's wheel, sending it flying off and smacked right into the Cobra monster's face, knocking him flat on his back. The wheel of flames spun around before colliding where Drive's wheel had been, dispersing to reveal a bright orange wheel with flame-like spikes growing out of it. On it were the words 'MAX FLARE' that glowed with an inner fire as Belt-san's screen displayed a fireball.

=MAX FLARE!=

"Oh?" Drive awed as he raised his hand as it was ignited with fire.

He charged at the monster as it got up and landed a punch to its chest as the flames caused a burst of heat and pressure that knocked it away. Drive kicked up his leg, striking the monster again as the flames caused another small explosion upon impact. Drive grunted, landing another straight punch to its chest as a burst of fire sent him flying away. As the monster skid across the ground, Drive lifted the new lever of the shift brace three times.

=FL-FL-FLARE!=

Drive formed a mass of fire in front of him as it began spinning into a tight circular shape almost like a tire. He then kicked it and it crashed into the monster before exploding into a huge tornado of fire that carried it up through the roof and into the sky, before crashing back down outside.

"Well...that was hot," Drive spoke, walking outside.

He then blinked, remembering there were two more, who had just got their second wind. How he knew that? They roared as they charged at Drive, ready to pummel him. Drive ducked under the Bat's swing before deflecting a punch from the Spider. As he did he reached down and twisted the key of the belt again as pulled Max Flare out of the Shift Brace. He quickly pulled out the green car as he twisted the back, exposing a circle covered in spikes as a symbol. He ducked around another swing before pushing Spider into Bat, knocking them back several steps. Drive used this moment to insert the new Shift Car into the brace and lift it up.

=TIRE KOUKAN!=

A green tire with a full ring of spikes formed as it flew off the car's wheel and towards Drive as he blocked punches from both of the monsters. The Max Flare tire flew off while on fire and crashed into both of them before bouncing along the ground. The new tire locked into place shortly after.

=FUNKY SPIKE!=

Drive grunted as he jumped forward with a flip as he aimed his torso down. The Funky Spike tire began spinning as it shot all its spikes downward at the two monsters. They cried in pain while being pelted by sharp pointy projectiles from above. Spider recovered first as he charged at Drive, who for his troubles punched him in the face and disorienting him. Drive quickly grabbed Spider and brought him in, jamming the spikes of his new tire into his back. Drive then shifted his brace three times like before.

=SP-SP-SPIKE!=

The tire began spinning and like a saw cut into the Spider monsters back. After a while, the force of the spinning tire propelled the Spider monster up into the air before exploding and leaving a floating number that read '042' in the sky. The two remaining monsters looked up at the floating number as it flew away quickly before snarling at Drive. Drive managed to remain calm and switched Funky Spike with the purple car, flipping the back to expose a shuriken symbol, pumping it the moment he inserted the purple car into place.

=TIRE KOUKAN!=

A purple wheel with multiple four point stars along it and four jutting blades making the appearance of a shuriken came from the car's sliding wheel before it slammed into Drive's chest, replacing Funky Spike.

=MIDNIGHT SHADOW!=

"Huh...Feels kinda ninja-like, though...Shouldn't it be blue?" Drive asked.

"I try not to make multiples of the same color," Belt-san replied with a frowning face.

"Touchy subject…" Drive complained while shifting the car three times.

=SH-SH-SHADOW!=

Drive raised his hands, forming two shuriken from transparent energy. He tossed them as Cobra ducked to the side and let both hit Bat. Each one his with an explosion upon impact that greatly damaged the bat themed monster. Drive jumped out of the way of a strike from behind by the Cobra monster. He used this to close the distance and kick the Bat monster making him back away. Drive leaned back towards Cobra as he swung his hand and used multiple palm thrusts to stop him from kicking and punching, he then pushed him away before he dodged a punch from Bat and pushed him into Cobra. Drive formed a slightly larger energy shuriken in his hand. Cobra panicked and pushed Bat forward as Drive tossed it and the resulting damage completely destroyed its body as its numbered core '088' floated up with '042' where both shorted out before exploding.

"AH!?" Cobra panicked, "The Cores...you...you destroyed their cores?!"

"Huh?" Drive blinked, "Isn't that what's supposed to happen?"

"Onore!" Cobra roared as he charged at Drive, who quickly blocked his punch and sent one back to make Cobra stumble back.

"Use the Speed Tire again for the finish!" Belt-san ordered.

"Right!" Drive spoke, inserting the original red sports car back in.

=ALL TIRE ATTACK!= Belt-san declared as all of the tires from before bounced around as Type Speed locked back into place, the rest all rushing the Cobra monster and began repeatedly bashing into him.

"Wow...those are some useful tires…"

"Oh! I-guh-I hate-gh!-these tires!" Cobra snapped before Funky Spike's spikes struck his behind, "EYOW! AGAIN?!"

"Now," Drive spoke, twisting the key and hitting the red button on the brace.

=HISSATSU!=

The belt began charging up, the screen resembling a speedometer rising up to max. As it did, four tire towers formed around the monster, keeping him from moving. As it looked around, confused, Drive lifted the lever up and back down.

=FULL THROTTLE: SPEED!=

Drive turned around and crouched down, ready to jump. As he did, the car-Tridoron-drove around him in a tight circle as it lifted on its side in the process. Its speed left a trail of light, forming a sort of barrier around Drive. The tire towers began spinning before ejecting the monster and into the circle. Drive jumped forward before kicking his leg off Tridoron and sent him flying into the Monster. As he passed it by, he bounced off Tridoron once more, continuing the process as he pinballed around at amazing speed and striking the Monster repeatedly. Each strike caused sparks of fire as Drive kept pummeling the Cobra themed monster. After one final bounce, Drive aimed his leg as he was covered in a red aura. His kick struck the monster and tore its robotic body in two before it exploded violently. The explosion tore apart the asphalt as Drive skid to a halt across the ground.

Drive sighed while getting up, unaware that the 029 core did not explode along with the main body. Instead, it flew off as best it could in its weakened state. Nearby, the red on the man's body faded away to its normal healthy tone as Kiriko knelt down to examine him. Drive walked up to the two and removed the Shift Speed Shift Car from his brace and his armor faded.

"Nice drive!" Belt-san beamed, a smiley face displayed on the screen.

"I saved him…" Shinnosuke noted in relief, leaning down to look at the man.

"Correct, and you did it with your own strength," Belt-san added.

Shinnosuke looked down at Belt-san as his screen displayed a smiley face. He began to look back at the man before pausing. Kneeling down, he reached to the man's foot and picked up a tiny flake of metal. Kiriko looked at him as Shinnosuke just focused on the tiny flake. A stick breaking made Kiriko look to see Lan slowly looking behind him from beside a nearby tree.

"Busted…" Megaman gulped as the fire engine gave a squeaky deflating honk.

---

"At least it's just for the night," Megaman noted as the ambulance left earlier, "She'll be fine, Lan."

"I know, but still…" Lan agreed before catching sight of the fire engine, peeking out from behind the mailbox, "Ah!" the fire engine paused as Lan pointed at it, "It's you!"

It honked and turned around on its rear wheels as it looked at him. It then turned on its siren as if to emulate its own shocked gasp. It tried to turn around to drive away, but sadly its design made this take longer than desired...and it was scooped up by Lan. The toy sized fire engine began to panic as it moved around while blaring its siren.

"How did you move through that Slowdown?" Lan pondered, looking it over.

It began honking in rapid succession as if trying to speak. Lan blinked confused as he shook it slightly, and for that, he was sprayed with water.

"I...I don't think it can speak our language, Lan…"

"It's saying something…" he muttered, spitting up water, "Maybe he speaks in some kind of code?"

"Maybe...but I doubt we have the time to decipher it."

"Yeah...Still, we owe you a lot for saving us, um…" Lan looked at it, "You look like a fire engine and you braved going into a Slowdown covering a fire...Is it okay to call you Fire Braver? Honk once for yes, twice for no."

It honked once at that, earning a smile and nod from him.

"Were you following us?" Lan asked, "Did someone ask you to?"

It honked twice making Lan blink. It said no...but to which question.

"So no to following us or now to someone asking you?" He asked getting one honk, "I think we need a new system…"

"How about this...did someone ask you to save Maylu-san?" at that Braver honked yes, "Was it the NetNavi in that officer's belt?" once more it honked yes, "So do you work for the police?" it honked once...then two more times, "Yes...and No?"

"Oh, I get it! You work for the police, but only for the officer and his NetNavi who warned us about Maylu-chan being in danger!" Lan realized.

Braver honked once before happily setting off his siren. The siren startled Lan enough to loosen his grip and Fire Braver quickly made a road. Lan blinked at the road as it formed a path leading away which Braver took. Lan took all of three seconds to process all of what happened before he shouted and began chasing on his skates.

"This...This is probably the weirdest thing you've ever done. We're chasing after something that looks like a flying toy car," Megaman sighed before the PET beeped, "Ah! It's heading towards a Slowdown!"

"Another Slowdown? Is it another fire?"

"Unsure...but we should keep our distance...who knows what could be going on over there…" Megaman advised.

"Right," Lan agreed as they approached the nearby park in time to see Tridoron drive into it, "Whoa! Who owns that car?"

"And how can they get away with driving it? Netopia has many strict driving laws and that breaks several just off design alone," Megaman noted.

"I think I saw a police symbol on the side of the hood." Lan spoke, "Maybe it belongs to the officer with the belt PET?"

The PET buzzed and Megaman yelped, "Two more just added onto the first Slowdown? How is that possible?"

"I didn't even know more then one could happen at a time…" Lan stated as he looked around while entering before yelping at hearing gunshots, "Ack!" he ran behind a tree near a closed up warehouse, "Nani?!"

"Oh, this is bad! Did we just come across a raid?!" Megaman yelped, "Why did you have to chase Fire Braver?"

"I was curious...it was a sentient toy car with powers...I'm sorry!"

*HONK!*

"GYAH!" the two yelped as they spun to see Fire Braver 'looking' at Lan.

"Uh...h-hi?" Lan weakly greeted before Fire Engine began to give a series of squeaky honks.

"I'm still trying to figure out what code he's using, but even I know that he sounds mad that we followed him to a raid," Megaman noted.

"I...but...How is it I'm being reprimanded by a toy car?" Lan demanded, swinging his arms up in disbelief before pausing, "A...moving...Slowdown?"

"Well at least we know that they move now," Megaman noted before yelping since his screen was facing the warehouse, "Robots?!"

Fire Braver gave a squeaking honk that seemed to sound more like a sigh of annoyance than anything else. It then went over to Lan and around his leg before jumping and pushing him off of the path of some sparks. For the moment where time seemed to flow normally again, Lan managed to turn his head enough to see a guy in red armor and a tire on his torso crash through the warehouse entrance as a cobra-themed robotic monster followed the figure into it followed by two tracks forming that let a purple car and a green car go in.

"Were those more friends of yours?" Megaman asked.

Braver honked before they gasped, seeing a large orange tire with fire patterns fly into the warehouse. After a while, what sounded like explosions went off. Lan flinched as he felt a strong source of heat from inside. After a while, both Lan and Megaman blinked as a tornado of fire ejected the cobra monster outside. After a few moments, the man in red armor walked outside wearing the tire instead of the black one.

"Hey, he has the green car and purple car on some sort of clip on his belt," Megaman noted before squeaking as a bat-themed mechanical monster and a spider-themed one charged at the red warrior, watching him duck one punch before catching the other's fist and kicking them away, "How many of these things are there?"

"He's doing something to..." Lan noted as Fire Braver settled into Lan's hair, "Hey...that's the belt PET the officer was wearing."

=TIRE KOUKAN!= the two watched as a green wheel covered in spikes bounced off the fire-themed tire on the red warrior before putting itself on where it had been =FUNKY SPIKE!=

"So the green one is Funky Spike?" Megaman asked, earning a honk from Fire Braver, "I guess Lan got lucky with naming you Fire Braver then?" another honk, "Ah."

"Whoa…" Lan muttered, watching the figure fight off both monsters before he actually destroyed one of them with the tire, "How does he not get hurt from that tire spinning?"

"How does it just slide onto his armor is the real question…" Megaman countered.

"He's doing it with the purple car now," Lan noted, "Is it Midnight Panther?"

=TIRE KOUKAN! MIDNIGHT SHADOW!=

"Really? Panther?" Megaman snorted a laugh.

"It looked like one to me," Lan grumbled as Fire Braver let out a set of squeaky honks akin to laughter, "Oh, shut up."

The two watched the figure as he formed and tossed large shuriken of energy at the monsters, mainly hitting the Bat themed monster. He then evaded all their attacks with amazing speed before he destroyed the bat monster with one last shuriken.

"Numbers?" Lan pondered as he noticed the two floating numbers before they exploded.

"Serial numbers on those robots?" Megaman guessed, earning a honk, "And since one of those was 88, it means there's probably over a hundred of them?" another honk, "...Well, that's comforting…"

=ALL TIRE ATTACK!=

Lan and Megaman blinked, seeing the armored figures chest tire replaced by a normal one as the other three began pummeling the Cobra monster, keeping him from escaping. Both tried to not laugh loudly when the green one's spikes struck the cobra's behind while Fire Braver let out a series of squeaky honks akin to laughter.

=HISSATSU!=

Lan blinked as the car drove up to them as the monster was trapped in four tire towers, "Where are those tires coming from? Are they made of hard-light?"

=FULL THROTTLE: SPEED!=

At that, the tires began spinning and launched the monster forward into the ring the car -Tridoron- was making. At that moment, the armored man began jumping off the barrier made by the car and began to rapidly kick the monster while bouncing off the barrier repeatedly. With each bounce, he attacked the monster repeatedly and without mercy until he delivered a final kick and skidded to a halt away from the monster before it exploded.

"Whoa~!" Lan awed, "That was awesome! ...Do you think we could make that kick into a BattleChip?"

"I...rules...of physics...does...does not follow…" Megaman muttered.

"Oh, he's leaving," Lan noted as he saw the armored figure walk away from the warehouse and towards a lady officer kneeling down by a man, "Did that guy get hurt by those robots?"

Braver honked, getting his attention for a moment before hopping away. It began driving away as if trying to get Lan to follow him again.

"Oh, wait up," Lan noted as he followed after the fire engine, not seeing the armored warrior dismiss his armor and reveal himself as the officer.

*crack*

Fire Baver and Lan froze. Lan looked down to see he had stepped on a small piece of branch that had fallen off the tree. He looked over his shoulder and began to sweat a bit as he noticed the lady officer looking right at him.

"Ah…." Lan muttered as Fire Braver's siren slowly died down to emote his own form of shock and fear.

"Busted…" Megaman gulped.

"This is all I needed…" she sighed.

---

"Why am I cuffed?!" Shinnosuke exclaimed, both wrists cuffed with one connected to Lan's wrist while the other was held in Kiriko's grasp as she dragged the two through the backdoor of the license center, "Also, why did you cuff this kid?! What is wrong with you, woman?!" he snapped.

"We panicked," Belt-san replied.

"I'm just glad she didn't take us through the front," Lan admitted.

"I have common sense…"

"Not enough!" Shinnosuke replied, "You don't handcuff kids! That shouldn't need saying."

"I agree with the nice tall officer!" Lan called out.

Kiriko gave them both a cold frown, making the two flinch. Once inside, she led the two towards a door blocked by a trolley filled with boxes and a stuffed teddy bear wearing a red seat belt and headband on the top. She proceeded to open the door.

"This place has secret rooms now?" Shinnosuke blinked, "That can't be to building code…" he muttered jokingly. He then paused seeing the stairs before he lifted Lan up and began carrying him down.

"Ano...Officer? Can we have the key to this pair, please?" Megaman asked.

"It's a little hard to walk with our height difference…" Shinnosuke pointed out, reminding Kiriko of the fact he is taller than all those present.

Once at the bottom, Kiriko unlocked Lan's half of the cuffs.

"Considering what Fire Braver told me, not telling you this would cause more issues than trying to keep it a secret," Belt-san noted, "Though truly? Midnight Panther?"

"It's sleek like one…" Lan grumbled as a door slid open and the dark room's lights turned on. The two males blinked as lights turned onto reveal an insanely advanced garage. It was large and had room enough for the car now revealed to be dubbed Tridoron, and even computers, couches and other amenities as if to spend all day here.

"What is all this?!" Shinnosuke asked, "What's going on here?!"

"How did a driving school raise enough funds for something like this?" Megaman pondered.

"It's a bit of a story…" Belt-san replied.

"Wow…" Shinnosuke muttered.

"It's really neat!" Lan noted as Belt-san popped off Shinnosuke and connected to a nearby movable stand.

"Welcome to the Drive Pit," Belt-san informed, "This is our base of operations for dealing with Roidmudes."

"Drive Pit...Roidmudes…" Shinnosuke repeated, "The armored form is called Drive...and the monsters are known as Roidmudes…but what interests me most is how you and your technology works within the Slowdowns"

"..." Belt-san said nothing as Shinnosuke walked around.

"All I come back to is you and those monsters use the same kind of power," he guessed, "I can't work under such shady details. It stalls my engine."

"Engine?" Lan and Megaman repeated, the former looking up at Kiriko.

"His brain," Kiriko replied.

"You really are an Ace detective, Shinnosuke. After one battle, you deduced that critical detail."

"And you knew about all this, miss?" Lan asked.

"For a while now." she nodded.

"So...what gives, Belt-san?" Shinnosuke asked, "What's the real story here?"

"I suppose it should be explained, but first I should tell you three that the existence of the Drive Pit is to remain hidden. No one, not even the Special Crimes Unit, knows of us," Belt-san informed.

"Lan-kun, keep it a secret okay?" Shinnosuke nodded simply to him.

"Hai," Lan replied, 'Not like anyone would believe me. I'm still having trouble thinking this isn't a dream from the smoke.'

"Just like that?" Kiriko blinked.

"He's a good kid, besides...it's not like anyone will believe monster androids and armored superheroes."

"So what are those robots? You called them 'Roidmudes,' right?" Megaman asked.

"Roidmudes are hyper advanced androids. They are designed with a disguise system which generates a material that resembles the membrane from the central cortex, which is why their 'human' forms feel natural and organic. They are hyper advanced, fully sentient, and are able to cross the Uncanny Valley and come out fully aware and grasp emotions. They aren't Artificial Intelligence, they are living intelligence. However...this freedom has given way to evil and wicked desires. They turned against their creators and have dubbed humans as inferior."

"So that means they're the cause of the Global Freeze six months ago?" Megaman asked as Lan shuddered, recalling how he had been frozen in mid-fall at the top of the stairs while upside-down for several hours.

"Exactly," Belt-san replied in English.

"He confirmed it," Kiriko noted, seeing Lan trying to figure out what Belt-san said.

"Oh. And since these little guys..." Lan noted as he held up Fire Braver, "...can move in Slowdowns, they're made with the same power the Roidmudes use?"

"Yes and no. You see, that is a much harder technical detail to go into. The Roidmudes use a variation of the same technology," Belt-san explained, "But the Shift Cars and Tridoron use a refined, safer, and all around, good variation."

"Shinnosuke can use them to become Drive, who can fight the Roidmudes in the Slowdowns," Kiriko added.

"It's still a lot of coincidental things…" Shinnosuke sighed, looking around, "Oh well, I'm done thinking about it." he shrugged, "I'll talk this over more tomorrow, right now….I need to get Lan-kun home before his Kaasan begins to worry and calls….well….us. Cause again...you kidnapped a kid." he hissed at Kiriko, who shot him an annoyed look, "Try and justify it…" he argued back as her face faltered, "See!"

"Understandable. Also, the other victims from the Roidmude should be turning back to normal as well thanks to its destruction," Belt-san noted, "A good job on your first day as Drive."

"Thanks," Shinnosuke smiled as Tridoron drove out and opened its doors on its own, "I'm still never gonna get use to that…" he admitted.

"Just put me back in the dashboard. Can't be caught in a situation where Drive is needed and we can't form him," Belt-san informed.

"True. Just don't control the car. I don't like passenger seats."

"Only when you're not being stubborn," Belt-san assured, "Case closed."

"I'm not sure about that," Shinnosuke replied.

"There's also the fact that the arsonist hasn't been found...or he was and you blew him up with the other two," Megaman added.

"I can't be sure one of them was the guy we're looking for…" Shinnosuke admitted "But if he was...I guess I unintentionally stopped him?" he shrugged, "Sad to say that it can't be that easy in the end, so all I can do is begin the search again. After getting you home."

"Right," Lan agreed before looking at Belt-san once Shinnosuke had taken him off, "How does he go into the network? I don't see a Jack-In cable or anything."

"Oh right...you're some kind of super PET…"

"Well, I was originally meant to just inhabit this belt...hmm...interesting idea for later." he muttered forming a smiley face.

---

Despite having no lungs or anything else to use, 029 was gasping for air as the moon's light shined on it. Where had the strategy fallen? How was it that the warrior from six months had come back stronger than ever? It was brought out of its thoughts by the sound of boots clicking across the floor.

"Ah...look at you...you really got beat up, didn't you?" a voice asked as 029 looked up to see a handsome man with long black hair swept back with a clip to keep it that way. He wore a large red trench coat with with a large black fur collar, he leaned down with a smile, "Don't worry my friend, I will help ease the pain." he spoke up, pulling out a shift car like device only it had a cobra themed hood making it look drastically different. He leaned down and put the car to the core, which absorbed said Roidmude Core. The man stood up as the car began glowing, "Now...evolve...and become your true self. Show me your conviction of your core!" he smiled happily.

"He's...he's back," 029 spoke, "Drive. He...he took down 088 and 042...They're...they're gone…Why'd they have to come check on me and not stay with the human we were working with?"

"Drive…" the man spoke as his smile fell into a scowl, "So...you've risen from the dead cursed title…" he spoke, "Kamen….Rider…." he growled as steam began to form around him, "Heh...well this time, I have the perfect friend for you." his smile returned as his eyes flashed red, his shadow distorted for a moment taking the shape of a...horned demon like being.

---

The next day, after a night of looking over all their clues, information, and pages after pages of crime reports, Shinnosuke had enough and decided to go for a drive to clear his head, and he decided to stop by the hospital. He needed to make an important personal visit to someone there. Shinnosuke made his way through the hospital, the entire time unaware of Type Speed following at a distanced. Its headlights keenly focused on him only. What Shinnosuke had yet to learn was that Shift Cars with 'Type' in the name were extensions of Belt-san and acted as eyes, ears, and-if need be-a means of communication.

"Hm...the hospital...what an interesting place to spend a hookie day," Belt-san muttered through Type Speed at such a low volume no one was able to hear it. He then stopped as he heard familiar voices coming from a room, "That voice...Lan-kun? Oh yes, a little friend of his was also brought here. What the cosmic coincidence…"

Type Speed moved to the door to the room and peeked in. Inside, Lan was sitting by a bed where Maylu was lying in, a tube in her nose connected to an oxygen tank nearby.

"A NetNavi sent that little fire truck?" Maylu asked.

"Yep," Lan replied, "But don't tell anyone about Fire Braver. He's supposed to be a secret."

"I know you told me about a tiny fire engine was what put out the fires, Maylu-chan, but it just sounds so weird," Roll admitted, the PET she was in placed in a charger by the bed.

"Let's just be thankful the fire only got to the first floor and hadn't made its way upstairs," Maylu noted.

"He exposed himself to two children…" Belt-san sighed before Type Speed pulled back and went to find Shinnosuke, "At least Lan-kun is telling her to keep it quiet." Type Speed paused, "...Shouldn't he be in class right now?" he thought for a moment before Type Speed resumed its driving, "Ah...Hookie as well, I suppose. Odd how I meet so many young people with such a loose views on being punctual."

Type Speed followed Shinnosuke, who made his way to the roof. Out in the open air were many patients all using this as a space to get away from the melancholy of their rooms and whatever conditions they had. Most all of them were people going through physical rehabilitation. The influx of patients were the more lucky people of the Global Freeze. One such man was working hard to walk along the railings of the roof to make it a few more meters. The man was about as tall as Shinnosuke with medium length black hair and wore a blue hospital attire resembling pajamas.

The man walked as far as he could, but the bandages around his legs and arms indicated his pain was immense. As he took his third step, he began falling, but Shinnosuke was already jumping over and held his arms out to catch him. Shinnosuke smiled as he helped the man back into a wheelchair.

"You're making amazing progress, Hayase…" Shinnosuke noted.

"Eh...I could be doing better." the man grunted, "Doctors say it could take a year before I can walk normally...if I'm lucky." he grumbled, "But I'll try for sooner."

"You always live up to your name, Hayase...but just...take it easy. We don't want you hurting yourself," Shinnosuke replied.

"Ah, what's the harm? I'm already in the hospital," he replied, "And I was a police officer; I'm a man of risks. It's how we balanced each other out."

"Ah...An old partner," Belt-san realized.

"Yeah….we were a team." Shinnosuke spoke as he began flashing back again, but he quickly shook it off so as to not relive those memories.

"Sorry to leave you behind, Shin…" Hayase spoke, "I probably won't be able to come back to the force either...at least not as a officer or detective. I'd rather retire then be stuck working at a desk to…" he admitted

"Hayase…" Shinnosuke spoke, "I'm…"

"Don't!" he stopped him, holding a hand up to Shinnosuke, "Find something else to feel responsible about." Shinnosuke looked at him with wide eyes, "Instead of feeling bad for me, why don't you protect people in my place?"

"Protect in your place."

"Ah, that's right," Hayase chuckled before reaching into his pocket and dropped a small sheet of painkillers that Shinnosuke quickly caught, "Phew. Thanks. Nearly lost the painkillers."

"Painkillers?" Shinnosuke repeated as he looked at the reflective material for it.

"Yeah, for when it gets too bad," Hayase explained before noticing Shinnosuke's attention was focused completely on the painkillers, "Shin?"

"That's it!" Shinnosuke exclaimed before looking at his startled friend before adjusting his tie, "My brain's in top gear now!"

"Well that was convenient…" Hayase smiled, "Well better get going."

"Right!" Shinnosuke nodded.

"Wait! My meds…" he reminded as Shinnosuke awkwardly chuckled and handed him back the medicine, "Top gear also means you bypass the exits."

"Gomen nassai."

---

Fire Braver let out a squeaky soft honk akin to a sigh as he hid in an empty desk amongst a classroom filled with students as a young woman in a purple dress, black leggings, and her brown hair pulled into a curled 'log' going around the back of her neck instructed the class. He should've just gone straight to keeping an eye on Lan from his house, but no. He thought it'd be smarter-and more amusing-to have him be found by Lan upon looking in his desk at school after figuring out which classroom was his. Now he was stuck in there until there was a valid reason for the classroom to be empty!

"Now remember that the nozzle reaction for a firehose is found to be this formula," the teacher explained as the board changed to display a formula.

At least it was something Fire Braver liked that was being taught at the moment. Just as he was about to settle down to listen to the mechanics of a fire hose and how angles helped in trajectory of the water, an alert went off on a rising heat source. ...Actually...multiple heat sources...all in multiple areas of the school. Unintentionally, his siren went off, spooking everyone who could hear it, none more so then the one person who recognized that familiar tune his siren had.

"Was that Fire Braver?" Lan asked, hearing it as he got onto the school's campus before multiple fire alarms began to blare in the school and fires began to erupt from various areas, "Gh?! Th-The school's on fire!"

"Guess the guy behind the house fires got mad at what Fire Braver did…" Megaman gulped while students and faculty ran out.

Lan looked down as Fire Braver as it began ramming his foot repeatedly. It then, to his surprise, actually began driving up his leg and up his back before resting on his shoulder.

"Fire Braver!" Lan beamed before looking around and sighed in relief on seeing no one paying attention and quickly whispered, "Glad you're here."

"Ms. Mari! Ms. Mari! I can't find some of our classmates!" a girl called to the brown-haired teacher.

"Eh?! Oh no!"

"Ah mou…! They're probably stuck in there!" Lan realized as he ran into the school, "Fire Braver, do you have any way to find people stuck in a fire?" Fire Braver let out a series of wild honks, "If you're scolding me, don't bother! Just help me find them or the central heating system!"

Braver let out a long loud honk as if sighing in defeat. It then beeped, sending out a signal. Megaman blinked able to pick up some of it. It seemed all PETs could; it was a signal that gave them routes to avoid the fire within the building. It even doubled as an SOS to emergency services.

"Oh! Nice job, Fire Braver!" Megaman beamed, "Hopefully the others in here got it, too. Lan, turn the corner! There's a Jack-In for the Central Heating System there!"

"Right! Thanks, you two!" Lan thanked as he turned a corner while Fire Braver sprayed his foam at any fires he could until they came to a panel, "Knew it! There's probably a virus like in Maylu-chan's oven!"

Fire Braver let out a wailing siren upon noticing the temperature reading was at 133 degrees already.

"Okay, Megaman and I will fight off the viruses. Fire Braver, can you make sure the students still in here have a safe passage out?" Lan asked, earning a honk before Fire Braver drove off on a road, blasting another fire that tried to break out out a vent nearby as it went off, "Thanks!" he turned back to the system as he pulled out his PET and plugged it into the system with its cable, "Okay! Jack-In! Megaman! Power up!"

---

"Hoo! Burn it up!" a man cackled in a nearby building, his long fiery red hair pulled into a wild ponytail with a short red mullet/pointy beard combo wearing a red shirt and slacks while looking out at the burning school, "Heh. Pretty amazing thing ya cooked up. All those house fires to test out those delayed Virus Capsules just for one big show for the Fire Element Data!"

"Honestly, hiding it in a school of all places…" a figure sighed, tapping away at a tablet. Standing there was a man dressed in a green blazer with a double breasted design; he had orange hair that was neatly combed down, and a pair of glasses over his green eyes. He held up his finger to push up his glasses, revealing a silver ring with a brain-like pattern etched onto it, "I feel almost bad for attacking a place that cultivates learning and education...but...well they're just humans after all."

"Ah, they'll still be learning...Learning to not mess with fire!" the man laughed.

"That is if the viruses aren't all deleted, Match-san," the second man noted, watching a live feed of the network and seeing a young NetNavi resembling a boy Lan's age in a dark-blue bodysuit and light-blue armor blasting the viruses away.

"Say what?!" the man exclaimed as he looked, "Tch...Always someone tryin' to be a hero…" he held up a red PET, "Fireman, go burn that little brat to cinders."

"While you do that…" the second man noted as he changed feeds to look at 029 looking gleefully at a pair of humans chained to a carousel, "I may as well check in on 029."

"Oh Mister Perfect Body." the man muttered, "I still find his hobby creepy."

"Whatever works works for some people." the bespectacled man sighed.

---

"Ah! I knew it! You're lucky color today was blue, not red!" Jun groaned as the TV in the office was broadcasting the school fire, while showing his PET displaying Rinna's fortune as 'Avoid Red for fire comes. Wear blue to be safe.'

"Eh?!" Rinna exclaimed, wearing a red sweater that day.

"Sorry~!" he sang in a goofy tone, "And now back to panicking…" he turned his attention to the TV once more, "Ah~!"

"Could it be that the house fires were just preparation for this?" Kyu pondered as Shinnosuke ran in, "Ah! Where have you been?!"

"Beautiful people," Shinnosuke spoke, turning off the TV without noticing what it was showing.

"Hai?" most of them blinked.

"Those were the actual targets!" he explained, "Those people who turned red...it was a mistake to assume they were attempted murders. In actuality, they were rejected."

"Rejected?" Kiriko repeated, noticing his tie was on right, 'He's in Top Gear again…'

"Hai," Shinnosuke replied as he held up two evidence bags, showing the torn paper and the metal flake, "Take a look at these. The first is the receipt for some cold medicine while the other is foil from an allergy pill blister pack. These were found by the victims. A check confirmed both purchased these. To the attacker, this made him consider them rejects, hence turning them red."

"But why would he reject them?" Rinna asked.

"They weren't beautiful," Shinnosuke replied simply as he walked over to the markerboard and pointed at a picture of the disguise the Roidmude used, but with no hair, "The attacker is copying the looks of beautiful people with the first being Masuda Nobuo. They took him and copied his face."

"Anyone that he finds is not in peak physical condition are left behind…" Kiriko realized.

"Ah! One of the victims…" Jun recalled, "He recovered and told the police that his girlfriend was one of the missing people!"

"Kyu, I need a list of people that went missing this week," Shinnosuke ordered.

"I feel like I'm doing more work in these two days than I've done in two months!" Kyu complained, typing away.

"Now we need to figure out where he is," Shinnosuke continued.

"Most likely somewhere close to Masuda Nobuo's residence!" Kiriko replied.

"Looks like you're gonna need one of my gadgets!" Rinna beamed.

"Just make sure it's not that lame Piko-piko thing!" Shinnosuke quickly replied.

"Kora! It's not lame!" Rinna argued.

"Well, well, well...This team is actually pretty impressive once they get going," Jun chuckled before snapping his turquoise tie, "Turquoise is indeed my lucky color today!"

Shinnosuke ignored that as he ran out. Minutes later, he entered the Drive Pit and got into Tridoron.

"Your errand seems to have gone well, Shinnosuke," Belt-san noted.

"So you saw that…" Shinnosuke noted.

"This Shift Car allowed me to keep an eye on you," Belt-san noted as Type Speed drove along the dashboard before the passenger door opened.

"Kiriko?" Shinnosuke asked as the woman entered, carrying the tracking equipment, "Ah mou...It's the lame piko-piko thing."

"Let's get going!" Belt-san declared, displaying a smiley face before the base Tridoron was on began to rise up into the air, "Trust in your friends. The Special Crimes Unit and the Shift Cars will find our Roidmude culprit!" Type Speed honked several times, "Hm? Fire Braver is busy?" more honks, "WHAT?!"

"Belt-san?"

"Seems that the modus operandi of the two continues," Belt-san explained, "Fire Braver, another Shift Car, is currently assisting in a fire caused by a virus infecting the heating systems of a school. Based on prior experience, the house fires were a test for this one."

"A school?" Shinnosuke repeated, narrowing his eyes.

"Fire Braver is handling the situation with a good helping hand," Belt-san assured as Tridoron reached the top of the hidden Drive Pit, allowing the ceiling to open to expose a hidden part of the parking lot of the driving school, "Focus on the Roidmude."

"..." Shinnosuke put some thought into it before buckling his belt, "A police officer's job is to protect people. You said as Drive I could move faster through the Slowdowns than anyone else… So why can't I use that speed to save everyone?" he asked calmly.

---

"Alright…" Megaman panted, lowering his light-blue blaster with a dark-blue barrel at the end, as he looked around, "I think that's the last of the viruses."

"Great job, Megaman!" Lan beamed, a floating screen popping up beside him, displaying Lan from the chest up, "Hopefully, Fire Braver's managed to clear a path...for…"

"Lan?" Megaman pondered, looking at it before his eyes widened, seeing Lan had gone to a crawl on-screen, "Slowdown! Why now of all times..." he grunted before turning around to see a burst of fire coming at him, "Ah!" he jumped to the side, barely avoiding the fiery explosion that followed, "What was…?"

"Hoom...Nicely done…"

Megaman's eyes widened as a figure emerged from the flames. The figure stood tall and had a vivid red bodysuit. His lower legs and feet were covered in pottery-colored boots with gold plating over the front of the boots while his lower arms from just past the elbow down were pottery-colored flamethrowers with gold detailing. His head was covered in pottery-colored armor that resembled a kiln with two openings that exposed bright blue eyes as a fire burned from the vent at the top. To complete it all was an emblem in a gold ring on the torso resembling a ball of flames.

"So you're the little pest getting in the way of my flames growing stronger," the NetNavi noted.

"Who are you?" Megaman demanded.

"I am Fireman of World Three," the NetNavi replied.

"?! World Three?" Megaman gasped, "Wait...The Slowdown at Maylu-san's house and now here...You're working with the Roidmudes!"

"Huh, so you were able to smoke out their existence," Fireman noted, "Well in the end, it doesn't really matter. Not a lot you can do in this situation. The electrical surges will cause more wall fires then the one Shift Car can put out. And Slowdowns have no effect on energy like electricity. And with your human slowed, he can't support you." he slammed his left arm onto the ground, "FIRE TOWER!"

The vents on the flamethrower erupted with blazing fire that swirled around Fireman before becoming a massive spiraling tower of flames that shot right at Megaman. The blue NetNavi yelped, barely avoiding the flames by jumping to the side only to cry out as a fireball slammed into him, knocking him away into a tumble for several meters.

"You are a brave one, little Navi," Fireman spoke in a patronizing tone as he walked forward, "I shall give you that." he spoke while charging up another blast with his flamethrowers. However just as he was about to shoot he and Megaman felt the Slowdown suddenly subside, "What?" he blinked as Megaman took this chance to kick him away, "Gah!"

"The Slowdown is gone?" Megaman blinked as Lan grunted able to move once more.

"I can move?" Lan asked.

---

"Why can they move?" the bespectacled man demanded, "I know I casted a Slowdown...Tsk...I'll just call 029 to come and…"

"Uhm...Brain…" the man next to him spoke as he pointed him to the courtyard of the school as Tridoron pulled to a sudden stop and tossed 029 across the ground painfully.

"Eh?!" Brain exclaimed, nearly dropping his tablet in shock.

"Did we really have to run him over!?" Kiriko shouted from inside.

"It's not even able to get whiplash!" Shinnosuke's voice countered. After a moment of difficulty, Drive stepped out already fully suited up.

"Drive…" Brain spoke.

"See? I told you I could do it all." Drive spoke to his belt.

"Explain to me how running over the Roidmude and dragging it here does that?" Belt-san asked.

"Oh, that's easy! You told me Tridoron can cancel out Slowdowns when its engine is at full power. No Slowdowns here let everyone escape, and bringing him here means he doesn't escape." he explained, "Not an idea based on logic...but if you claim I'm fast enough to save everyone...then I'm gonna use that speed to do it all."

"Hm...that's a lot of things to do, you know? Are you sure your up to the task?"

"I have to be. I'm doing this for more than just myself; I'm protecting in someone else's place," Drive declared as his eyes flashed brightly, "So...Roidmude...ready to go for another ride?"

"Damn you, Drive!" 029 spoke while standing up, "This time...this time! You won't get me!"he roared as his body began glowing purple, his body began to become blurry as if made of white noise, while in actuality his body was reforming into a form to fit the accumulated data in his body.

"Eh? What's it doing now?" Drive asked.

"He's evolving. He has accumulated enough data and is gaining his self identity," Belt-san explained.

"Self identity?" Drive repeated as he looked at 029 as he finished transforming.

Standing there was a new monster all together. It looked like yellow metallic muscles burst through the torso, giving the appearance of pectorals. The yellow muscle sinews spread across its arms and legs as, at the same time, purple metallic stripes of armor formed from his abdomen before forming large shoulder and collar armor before going down the sides of its arms and forming into huge gauntlets. From the forearms extended two towers of metal in the shape of spiked pistons that connected to the arm via tubes. The Roidmude gripped his golden fingers as 029's new head formed a large mass of twisted purple metal that held almost no facial features resembling human or beast...red eyes, however, peered through the gaps in the metal face to glare at Drive. Gone was 029...the new monster before Drive was Iron...the Iron Roidmude.

"...Huh...With all the issues with beauty, I was going to think he'd look more like a stylist," Drive admitted.

"..." Belt-san's screen displayed a deadpan look.

"I quip when terrified...ask Kiriko," he spoke as the Iron Roidmude swung at him as he ducked around each large arc of its swings.

Drive yelped as the monster's fist extended from its wrist via extendable arms. Each punch hit the ground, leaving large holes with each impact as Drive ducked and weaved around every swing with his amazing speed.

The Iron Roidmude roared as he swung again, only for Drive to blur out of the way once more. Drive then rushed forward as he began rapidly punching Iron's chest. Drive grunted, backing away as the Roidmude's metallic muscles actually flexed to demonstrate how little damage that dealt. Drive cringed in disgust as he slid under another swing and then under Iron's legs, making him look down in confusion, only for Drive to jump back to his feet and swing a kick to the monsters back, sending him tumbling forward.

Drive corrected his stance as he raised his left arm up and began pumping the shift lever three times.

=SP-SP-SPEED!=

Drive's tire began spinning before he dashed away a good distance. He then turned around and ran back towards Iron, who turned around in time to see Drive mid-dash to clear the distance. Drive's fist was covered in a burning red aura as he reared it back. The Roidmude let out a sound of honest concern as the punch struck its chest with the painful sound of breaking metal. Iron was sent flying and through a cement fence that bordered the edge of the school. Drive skidded to a halt as his fist was smoking.

"..." Drive crouched slightly as he held his hand up while trying to hold back a cry of pain. Even with his armored glove, the combined force of his speed and Iron's literal harder than steel muscles where to much, "Okay...not the smartest attack plan…"

"You think?" Kiriko deadpanned before Fire Braver honked as it drove over to her, letting out a series of honks while driving in a circle and then drove back to the school.

"Kiriko, go help that Shift Car...I think it's telling us some people are still inside," Drive spoke as Iron was getting back to his feet, "I got this one." he spoke inserting Max Flare.

=TIRE KOUKAN! MAX FLARE!=

"..." Kiriko nodded before running after Fire Braver, the fire engine blaring its siren as it lead Kiriko into the school.

Drive and Iron rushed one another with their fists reared back; Iron's was covered in purple electric energy as Drive's was ignited with fire. Both punched at the same time, causing a huge burst of air and energy to be released upon impact. Inside the school, Fire Brave doused a wall of flames in its path as it led Kiriko into the room behind the extinguished flames.

"Why is World Three even attacking schools?" Lan's demand was the first thing Kiriko heard before seeing him glaring at his PET that was connected to the heating system for the school.

"World Three?" Kiriko gasped as Fire Braver began honking wildly at that, "So this is what you wanted to tell me. While Tomari fights outside, a fight is happening in here."

---

"Hmph. It doesn't matter. Because you're already deleted!" Fireman declared in the network as he swung his arms and aimed his flamethrowers at Megaman, releasing a barrage of fireballs at Megaman, "Fire Arm!"

"People are afraid...they're scared…" Megaman whispered before a dark-blue mask slid over the lower half of his face, leaving just his eyes visible, "I won't forgive you."

The fireballs collided, creating a massive explosion. Fireman cackled at he looked at the flames and smoke.

"So much for that! We have what we needed, so why not let it all burn away!" Fireman declared.

"Too slow."

"?!" Fireman spun around to see Megaman unharmed, "N...Nani...?!"

"Good call of AreaSteal," Megaman complimented.

"Sending you another program! Spreader, BattleChip in and Download!"

Megaman's Buster glowed before it transformed into a block shape with five barrels emerging from it in an 'X' formation. Megaman fired a yellow blast of energy that dispersed into a barrage of shots that slammed into Fireman, forcing him back with each successful hit.

"Sword, BattleChip in and Download!"

The Buster glowed once more before it retracted except for two bars on the sides and left a black piece of metal as the base. The based glowed before a blue sword made of energy formed between the two bars and extended past them for two feet. Megaman roared as he charged at Fireman as the barrage ended. With one swing, Megaman sliced through Fireman directly across his torso, slicing directly through the crest on his chest.

"Im-Impossible! How could that brat…" Fireman gasped as he collapsed before exploding, "PUT ME OUT?!"

-FIREMAN: DELETED-

---

"Yatta! The systems are back to normal!" Lan cheered as Fire Braver honked happily, sensing the heat buildups were cooling down.

"Seems that Fireman was making them continue. Since we Deleted him, the system's switching back to normal operations," Megaman noted as Lan logged him out, "But why attack the school? Why burn all those houses? What was World Three's reason?"

"A good question," Kiriko noted, making Lan jump and turn around.

"Ah! O-Officer Kiriko-san!" Lan exclaimed.

"You did a good job," Kiriko noted, "Reckless, but you were able to stop the problem before things got worse." she frowned, "But still, I have to agree with your NetNavi. Why was World Three attacking a school?"

"...Ah! That's right! Kiriko-san, World Three is working with the Roidmudes!" Lan recalled, earning a surprised look from her.

"He's right! They had a Roidmude helping by using Slowdowns to let the fires go until everything was burned down!" Megaman added, "We were just lucky to have Fire Braver when Maylu-san's house was targeted."

---

"AHHHH! NO~! Fireman~~!-!-!" Match cried.

"Relax. You backed up his data," Brain reminded.

"Gh…! That damn brat!" Match growled, "How can a kid and his puny Navi delete Fireman?! I'm not gonna let this go...Not one bit! When the war that comes from this program comes, I'm making sure that Fireman and I get him first!"

"Hai, hai…" Brain noted, rolling his eyes as he resumed watching Drive and the Iron Roidmude.

-linebreak-

"Ha!" Drive called out as he landed a cross punch to Iron's face. The Roidmude stumbled back from the burst of flames as Drive swapped shift cars again.

=TIRE KOUKAN! MIDNIGHT SHADOW!=

Drive let the shuriken-themed Tire lock into place. Drive then pumped the shift lever three times as the Roidmude's eyes regained focus.

=SH-SH-SHADOW!=

Drive formed two energy shuriken before tossing them both directly at Iron, making him stumble back as they exploded on impact. Drive tossed his third shuriken as Iron ducked under it. The Roidmude laughed at Drive, unaware the shuriken did an impossible U-Turn in the air and came right back at him and struck him, sending him stumbling forward and into Drive's foot which was extended for a kick to Iron's face.

Iron stumbled back, confused and in pain as he regained his balance. His attention was grabbed by a loud police siren. The Iron Roidmude turned around as a track formed under his leg before a Shift Car drove through with enough speed that it jumped and crashed into his leg, flipping him over. The police patrol car themed Shift Car then drove over and around Drive.

"Ah, Justice Hunter!" Belt-san addressed the Shift Car, "You've returned from your extended mission. Perfect timing!"

"Justice Hunter?" Drive repeated, "Well, this is nice. Some police backup!" Hunter landed in Drive's hand and he flicked its back, letting a sheriff's badge-themed emblem be revealed, "Hunter, you're coming along for the ride!"

=TIRE KOUKAN!=

Tridon's exposed wheel once more slid into the vehicle as a new tire took its place. It was bright red with a silver middle resembling metal bars while a panel resembling the bars of a jail cell covered the outside of the tire's outer side. Tridoron's tire shot back out and the new tire flew over to Drive knocking off Midnight Shadow's tire while splitting the attachment on it off and into Drive's right hand as the tire itself attached in place.

=JUSTICE HUNTER!=

"Oh!" Drive yelped as he nearly fell over from the new weight in his right hand before quickly picking it up with both hands to look at, "This is new."

He yelped when he saw the Iron Roidmude charge between the bars of his new item. He quickly held it up and blocked the punch with it, surprising the Roidmude. It tried to punch with the other arm and Drive blocked. For several more swings, the Roidmude tried to punch Drive only for his new 'shield' to block them before Drive slammed it on the top of Iron Roidmude's head, knocking it flat on its face.

"Oh! It's really durable," Drive chirped, "No dents."

Iron groaned, pushing himself up best he could, "Who...fights….with a grill?"

"Not the most cool looking of weapons, but I can work with it," Drive chuckled

"Rrrrr...I…" the Iron Roidmude growled before he started running off, "I won't forget this!"

"Ah! Oh no you don't!" Drive called as he threw the 'grill' at Iron before turning Belt-san's key and pulled Justice Hunter three times.

=HU-HU-HUNTER!=

The 'grill' spun around in the air before flying over the Iron Roidmude. Metal bars shot out of the underside of the 'grill' and stabbed into the ground all around the Roidmude in a perfect square. The 'grill' expanded before slamming down on top of the bars, creating a cage around the Roidmude. Iron growled and threw a punch only to yelp as he was electrocuted by the force of his own blow hitting him.

"And now to finish it." Drive spoke, hitting the red button on his brace.

=HISSATSU! FULL THROTTLE: HUNTER!=

A pair of tires appeared at Drive's sides. They connected to him and shot him at the Roidmude, startling him. The Iron Roidmude then gave a confused noise as two more tires aiming skyward appeared before the cage and Drive hit them, going into the air...and into a trail of more tires with each pair increasing his speed. He re-hit the first two and shot right at the Roidmude, his fist glowing. The Iron Roidmude screamed when the skyward-aiming tires flipped and aimed directly at him in the cage. Drive hit them and tore through the cage with a punch that also slammed into the Iron Roidmude, sending sparks racing off him.

"G-GUH!" the Iron Roidmude gagged as he stumbled around to look at Drive, "Y...you can't be...Are you the Kamen Rider?!"

"Kamen Rider?" Drive repeated before Iron collapsed, exploding and letting a floating '029' float out of the flames, "Huh...I guess we're now off to a good start. Eh, Belt-san?"

"Hai. Just something let you know: there are 108 Roidmudes all together…" Belt-san explained...before 029 exploded, "Actually...make that 105."

"Ah, I see, I see. A hundred a...a...ONE HUNDRED AND FIVE?!" Drive exclaimed.

---

"THIS IS PREPOSTEROUS!" Brain exclaimed, "He was a powerful and versatile Roidmude!"

"Clearly not enough…"

"Shut it!" Brain quickly snapped, "And Heart went to all that effort to evolve him with a Viral Core…"

"Man...first that brat and his Navi and now this red guy blowing up you guys outside of the Net," Match growled, "...Not it on telling the bosses 'bout this."

"Eh?!" Brain exclaimed, "You're leaving me to explain how we lost three Roidmudes and a NetNavi to a kid and a Kamen Rider?!"

"Nah…" Match replied, making Brain sigh in relief, "Just the three guys."

"This is why I hate humans…" Brain grumbled through his grit teeth.

---

"THREE?! You are telling me that while your plan succeeded in getting the Fire Element Data, you lost three Roidmudes in the process?!"

"And one NetNavi," Match added off-screen.

"We have backup data for him! But each of you…" a cane slammed on the floor before a sigh escaped, "How could three of you marvelous beings have been destroyed down to your very cores?"

The owner of the cane was an elderly man with a balding head. He had large white hair sticking out of the sides of his head and a bushy white mustache. Over his left eye was a monocle while he wore a dark-grey and red jacket that hid all but his black formal shoes. Nearby, the man that had found 029 was watching.

"Ah...I think I have an idea," the man noted as he got up from the luxurious red couch he had been reclining on.

"Eh? Y-you do, Heart?" Brain asked.

Heart chuckled, "Yeah. Someone does come to mind…" he grinned, "Contact Chase."

"Eh?! Chase?!" Brain exclaimed as Match was briefly seen falling over in shock.

"Yes...if the Kamen Rider wants to rear its head again...let's meet him with...the Shinigami." Heart smiled.

---

"Well, the kidnapped victims are free now...but how am I going to spin this report?!" Gen groaned, scratching his head in frustration as he looked at his PET where Yamatoman was displaying the digital report as he was writing the physical copy.

"It was quite surprising what we witnessed. Even with seeing it, it was difficult to believe, de gozaru," Yamatoman admitted.

"I'm much more interested in that mysterious fighter who took care of the monsters," Rinna noted, glomping the officer, causing Gen to draw a line across what he had written at an angle with Yamatoman copying it on the digital copy.

"AH!" Gen panicked.

"I still can't believe some people were able to catch glimpses of me…" Shinnosuke mumbled silently to himself.

"I really wanted to take some pics," Kyu admitted.

"Ah, ah, ah...This team may be as doomed as I thought!" Jun sighed, "Maybe I should update my lucky color…"

"Jun-san, some assistance please, de gozaru," Yamatoman pleaded as Gen, Kyu, and Rinna's antics increased.

While everyone was distracted, Shinnosuke pushed his seat over to Kiriko's desk, "Oi Kiriko, I've been meaning to ask. What's that thing the Roidmude called me...Kamen rider?"

"Tomari-san...as a Kamen Rider…?" she blinked before smiling and giggling a little, "I'm sorry...that's just so funny…"

"Hey...I...I can be a Kamen Rider...whatever it is...oh come on. The first time you smile and it's to make fun of me?!"

"I didn't smile," Kiriko defended, her face reverting to her neutral expression.

"You totally did!" Shinnosuke countered as they began arguing tossing the room into further chaos.

---

"Kamen Rider...Drive," Belt-san spoke, watching it all happen via Type Speed as he was in the Drive Pit attached to a gas pump themed stand which put him at human eye level. "I must admit, I do love the ring of it. Heroic, hopeful, and mysterious. Yes from now on, we shall be called Kamen Rider Drive." he smiled.

"That's great and all, Belt-san," Lan noted before he pointed at the bars surrounding him by a blackboard, "But why am I in this?!"

"I may have told Justice Hunter you played hookie yesterday so he would get here faster," Belt-san explained, said Shift Car revving its engine as it hopped on the blackboard.

"Eh?!"

"Just write 'I will not skip classes' on that board and he'll let you go," Belt-san explained.

"Why?" he complained only to jump as Hunter revved his engine loudly enough to spook him.

"Careful. Hunter has limited patience…" Belt-san chuckled.

"Like the stereotype for a hot-blooded policeman?" Megaman asked on a nearby computer monitor.

"Megaman, tatsukete!"

"Ah, sorry. But he's using a plain old chalkboard," Megaman noted, smiling in amusement.

"Have fun," Belt-san added in perfect English.

"Ah mou~!" Lan groaned before yelping when Hunter let his siren wail in his ear.

"...And you're sure of it?" Belt-san asked, turning to the monitor.

"Hai. Fireman confirmed it that World Three is working with the Roidmudes," Megaman replied.

"It sounds counterintuitive to their initial nature. But...perhaps that's just it...once more...the Roidmudes have evolved beyond their last point," Belt-san sighed, "Perhaps it's time I expanded my limits as well." he spoke mysteriously but passionately, "And the first step...is asking for the help of more friends." he turned to Megaman, "Given your partner's nature, I find it only fitting to ask anyway, shall you help us to a capacity…"

"Eh?"

"It's simple: better to bring in the ones already involved then letting them endanger themselves by getting involved on their own. This way Lan can stay safe by knowing he can leave the Monster parts to Drive. But I've seen you in action as well, Megaman. You...are special."

---

GT: It took a week and three days after your B-Day, but we did it! First chapter kita!

Z0: We took some time finishing this but I think that turned out for the better. As you fans can tell we spliced together a lot of media here, to help us give our own spin to both this version of Megaman and Drive.

GT: Eeyup. It's going to be an interesting story. Expect a lot from this, everyone!

Z0: Indeed, we got plenty planned for this and like Drive does we hope to bring you more at Full Throttle!

GT: Cue the trailer! *a squeaky truck horn honks* Not you! We're only at Chapter 1! I meant preview! *angry truck honking* Apologies! *ducks under shots fired* Ah! Preview! Preview! *runs away*

---

Jikai Drive Battle Network!

Heart: The Kamen Rider's return won't hinder our plans, good Doctor. We Roidmudes always evolve. And now...we have an antivirus to the Kamen Rider.

Shinnosuke: The role of partner is one any police officer places total faith in. For us, a partner is more than just a coworker; they are your companion in life.

Lan: Uwah! Oi, you stupid dog! Get back here!

Kiriko: What is going on here? It's like all mechanical pets are going completely wild…

?-?-?: Whoo! Yeah! We're rocking now!

Megaman: E-Eh?! L-Lan! There's a Roidmude in the Network?!

Belt-san: So...the battles truly have moved beyond the physical world now…

Lap 2: Why are the electronics going wild?

?-?-?: BREAK UP!

---

GT: *on a stretcher covered in bandages and being tended to by a Rabbid and Minion dressed as nurses* See? See? So much potential!

Z0: These shift cars can get pretty violent. But still adorable. But yes a lot of potential here to be had folks. And lots of fun twists to take on so many things.

GT: Eeyup. So until next time, read and please leave a review!