Disclaimer: I don't own Kamen Rider. I just love the shows, especially Decade and Kuuga.
Author's Note: This is a direct sequel to "Shades", written as a gift for junebugjive on Livejournal. Reading "Shades" will really help your understanding of what's happening in this story. There are themes of grieving and vengeance explored in this; there are also non-graphic references to torture (it skews slightly darker than "Shades", but if you did well with that this should be all right). The title is from the quote by Hippocrates: "Healing is a matter of time, but sometimes also a matter of opportunity." Hopefully someone enjoys!
Interlude One: In Shadow
The thief waits until the man is asleep, unafraid, draped haphazardly over an ornate bed with silk sheets.
It gives him time to deal with the security system and the human guards. It's easier to terrify a man who's half asleep, anyway.
The thief makes no sound until he's ready. The man wakes to a low growl of accusation and the feel of a gun under his chin. "You have something that I want."
The fear is there, at first, though this one wakes too quickly for the screaming to start immediately. His eyes narrow, and his hand scrambles for the weapons that he had placed next to the bed.
Weapons that are no longer there, and the barrel of the gun jams harder into the soft flesh of the man's throat. The thief smiles as the man makes a gurgling sound of frustration. "Stop that."
"Do you know who I am?" The man speaks Japanese with a slight accent, and there is too much indignation and self-righteousness in his tone for fear to have taken hold. "This is the greatest mistake you have ever made in your life. Who are you working for? What are you—"
The man should have been afraid. If he had been afraid, maybe the thief would have managed to hold on to his self-control and waited to shoot him. As it is, the thief's hand caresses the trigger twice, sending one bullet into each of the man's legs.
The screams of agony are good, and there is just a hint of fear in the man's voice now. "You madman! How could you—"
"I told you." The thief speaks patiently, placing the gun back under the man's chin. "You have something that I want. A treasure."
"And you think I would have it on me? DaiShocker has anything of value or importance!" The man gasps, moving to cover the bullet holes as blood starts to soak through the sheets.
"Not this. Because it's something you took from your last base, something that the heroes are looking for, and you're all afraid of who might come looking for it." The thief smiles, resisting the urge to pull the trigger just one more time. Not yet, though. Soon, but not yet. "So I think you have it on you, and I think you'll give it me."
"Oh, no." The man's afraid now. That's real terror in his eyes, draining his cheeks of color until he's paler than a ghost in the moonlight. "You're him. You're the one who—"
It's so hard not to shoot. Patience, though. If he's to get what he wants, he needs patience. "Tell me where it is."
"Kaitou Daiki! That's who you are!" The man raises bloody hands, surrendering. Not bloody enough, though, not by half, not for all that he's done and helped do. "The thief who made off with Diend."
"Does this look like Diend?" In one quick motion he pulls the ornate gun away from the man's head, sending another bullet into the man's left arm. The gun may be gold-plated and jewel-encrusted, but it's a treasure that's incredibly functional and good at its job. "I'm nothing to you. I'm nameless. I'm the thief who wants the information on Kadoya Tsukasa, Onodera Yuusuke, and any other Riders that you thought it would be fun to torture."
"Please, it's just work. Tsukasa did as bad if not worse, and you traveled with him!" The man's crying, tears of pain and terror, and his voice is desperately pleading.
"I told you." It's so hard not to pull the trigger, but at least the man's afraid now. At least he's living through a little of the terror he gave his victims. "I'm not the man you think I am. I came here for a reason. Give me the data, and give me the cards you have from DecaDriver."
"I can't. They'd never forgive me." The man sobs the negative, good hand shifting between his injuries as he tries to determine which is bleeding more. "I can bring you back into the fold. I can get you your position in DaiShocker back, like it was before you stole Diend. We'll stop hunting you. Whatever you want. We'll leave you alone."
"I am alone!" The pistol cracks across the man's cheek, and the scientist's breath hisses out in a gurgling sigh as the thief steps back, restraining himself. "Now. I told you what I want. Give it to me."
"In the wall safe." The man's words are slurred now, possibly from a broken jaw. Good.
"The combination." The thief moves to the indicated wall as the scientist provides the combination. He wastes no time opening the safe, keeping the gun focused on his target the entire time.
There are three computer chips, two thick files, and four cards in the safe. The thief uses his left hand to place everything in his backpack; his right hand is busy keeping the gun locked on target.
When he's ready he hefts the bag back onto his shoulder. Returning to the side of the bed, he presses the gun once more under the man's chin. "Call for your men. Beg for their help."
"I…"
"Do it!"
"Please! For the love of all that's holy, there's a madman in here! Help me! Please!" The man's eyes flick to the door, hope springing into his expression.
"I killed them."
The hope dies, the man's cries trailing off into soft whimpers.
It's not entirely true. A few he chased off; one he bought; only a handful actually needed to die. This man doesn't get to know that, though. "I killed every last person who could have come to your aid. Their blood is soaking into your beautifully maintained carpet."
Their blood is all over the pictures they use to travel, all over the walls, except this is somewhere else, somewhen else, he's someone else, and he isn't going to think of that.
The scientist is staring at him, shivering slightly, in shock. Another backhand strike with the gun solves that problem, and the thief grins his trademark grin as he stares into the frightened man's dilated eyes. "No one's going to find their corpses, though. Just like no one's going to find yours. I'm going to make everything disappear, just like a bad dream. Now, beg me not to kill you. If you're adamant enough, maybe I won't do it."
The man begs, because he's a scientist with no scruples, no loyalties, and no understanding of what it means to love something outside himself.
The thief shoots him once in the head before leaving, but somehow seeing the scientist's broken body doesn't make anything better.