The year was 1996, and the world was at peace… Relatively, at least.

Even though the threats of evil such as Badan, Golgom, and the Crisis Empire were destroyed, mankind was plagued by the evil within them. As new technology and science marches on, so do the conflicts that happened around the world, whether by corrupt governments or extremist rebels. However, there was one group of villains that has remained elusive. They were responsible for an incident in Japan, at the year 1992. There were rumors of a conspiracy surrounding the Institution of Super Science, or the ISS, where geneticist experimented on human beings to cure AIDS and cancer at the time. Unknown to them, their benefactors has an ulterior motives; creating an army of cyborg super soldiers. Police reports of a humanoid grasshopper killing random citizens in the night, another where another humanoid grasshopper slaughtered a sub-division of the ISS.

Little did they know that the sub-division was a part of the aforementioned group of villains. They were only known as The Syndicate.

Within this web of conspiracies, one man was there from the beginning. A son of doctor involved in the experiment, who volunteered to be a test subject. His life was changed when he discovered that he could transform into a humanoid grasshopper, his normal human life disappearing as his loved ones perish by The Syndicate's hands. His name was Kazamatsuri Shin.

Unknown Facility, Japan April 3 1996, 22:00 PM

WARNING! LOSS OF SUBJECTS CONFIRMED. TOTAL DAMAGE IMMEASURABLE. CONTAMINATION BREACH IMMINENT. SELF-DESTRUCT INITIATED. EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY.

The alarm blared as scientists ran for their lives, security escorting them to the exit. The hallways were riddled with bullet holes, dead bodies, and slaughtered scientists. And a few claw marks, here and there. Despite the situation, these men are neither virtuous nor benevolent. They were a part of The Syndicate.

The assailant attacked out of nowhere. Initial reports said that the underground facilities were sabotaged, releasing the mutated animals and cyborg soldiers were sent to dispatch them. Unknown to them, the saboteur disguised himself as a janitor and went up to find the facility director. Things were not pleasant as the director ran away in terror, blood gushing out of his suit as he limped to a safe location. Unfortunately for him, the assailant was relentless.

What made him so was because he's now become a humanoid grasshopper. His green body thick enough to deflect a few rounds shot at him, piercing red insectoid eyes glowing in the semi-dark hallways. His claws ripped the guards to shred, and any cyborg soldiers sent to stop him were easily defeated. "Goddamn useless pieces of shits!" cried the director, "I should've listened when they told me those things are useless against something like that!"

A roar echoed through the hallways, the assailant was getting closer.

The director then saw a numbered steel door, 2093-14. Beyond this door was the remnants of whatever Mochizuki Genetics experimented on, and according to his reports, deeper within was Room 94-15, containing carcasses of unknown lifeforms, the salvage team claimed the area were Foggy at the time.

The director feared his imminent death than whatever was inside the steel door, so he took his chance and opened it. That is, until a stomp averted his attention.

"Oh… oh shit." The director turned around, and prepared for the inevitable.

Standing in front of him was the assailant, who now has transformed into the humanoid grasshopper that had slaughtered his way to him. The green hulking body slowly walked towards him, the director noticed a yellow gemlike object on his waist, but he was more focused on surviving. His red eyes glowing in fury, the lower jaw split into two as he growled at him. A row of spikes from his forearms, accompanied by sharp claws from his nails, were aimed at the director. Surprisingly still, he managed to utter a sentence, although a bit mangled.

"W…where… is my… son?!"

"G-goddamnit, Kazamatsuri Shin! I already told you, I don't know where they took him! All I knew was that he was here a few days ago, then I was ordered by my superiors to transfer him elsewhere, but I don't know why or where they took him! Please, spare me!"

The assailant, now identified as Kazamatsuri Shin, grabbed the director's neck and lifted him. The crushing grip choking him, "I'm –ack! I'm begging you, let me live!"

"…You… experimented… innocents… unforgivable."

Shin threw the director into the room, so far that he slammed into a mechanical tub in the center of it. The director struggled to get up, when the tub activated by itself, the water in it glowing a sickly yellow color. "W-what the fuck?" he saw something inside it… a face.

"Papa?"

Shin did not know what has happened, but as he was about to enter the room, the ceiling behind him crumbled bit by bit, and out of nowhere, a cyborg soldier pushed him away from the door. This one was a bit stronger than the rest, as it threw him quite afar. The cyborg soldier, specifically a Level 2, the same type of cyborg Shin had faced and decapitated before, slammed the door shut. Whether it was ordered to do so, or by its own will, Shin did not care. All he saw was another dead meat; ready to be ripped and tore apart. He will find his son and destroy The Syndicate no matter what or who stands in his way.

As their surrounding crumbled, the two superhumans roared at each other, both ran at full speed, intending to ram one another. The victor was unknown, because by now the building has self-destructed.

Meanwhile, at Dubrovnik Airport, Croatia 15:15 PM

"Yes, unfortunately I'm going to be late. Yes, the TV is reporting it now. A shame I couldn't stopped the crash by... I know I can't save everyone, Ruriko… But it doesn't mean I have to like that fact. How is Oya-san doing, is he getting better?"

Inside a terminal, a middle aged Japanese man was talking through a mobile phone. Despite being in his 40s, this man has a youthful aura surrounding him. His black clothing matched by a red ascot covering his neck.

On the other side of the phone, was a woman. She's an old friend of his, who had a rocky start due to a misunderstanding, but now they're mostly inseparable. Midorikawa Ruriko followed the man she's talking with to Europe back in the 70s, but she stayed there to study cybernetic augmentation, like her father before her.

Ruriko sighed as he asked the question, "Well, he may not be as spry as we remembered him, Takeshi, but Oya-san is doing fine. Although I do worry that he's been smoking his pipe too much…" The man, full name Hongo Takeshi, laughed, "Ah, I'm sure he'll be fine. From what I heard from Shigeru, he was still quick on his feet." Hongo smiled as he remembered how strong his mentor was during his racing days. "Oh, how's work?" ask the man. Ruriko replied, "Well, so far so good. We've created a functional mechanical arms and legs. The test subjects reported minor discomfort, but they've felt relieved that they can do things they couldn't do before they lost their limbs… and unlike what happened to you or your friends… Damn, why did I bring that up?" Hongo simply laughed at Ruriko, "Hey, it's alright. It's all in the past now. I'm glad that you've found a way to help people, Ruriko. Oh, I heard that you have a few people interested in your works?" He could her tone changed as she spoke, glad that Hongo changed the subject. "Well, there are these two young men that were eager to learn mechanical augmentations. A David Sarif and Hugh Darrow, the two are best friends, and they also want to help people… They're still green, but I could see the potential."

A static crackled from the phone speaker. "Damn, I think the connection is about to lose. Ruriko, I'll be there, you know I always do." The scientist sighed, she wished she'd learn telecommunication too so she could improve international calls, but it was not meant to be. "Alright, I'll be waiting, and don't kept me waiting like on Italy last year, you jerk." With that, she hung up.

Placing his phone into his pocket, Hongo Takeshi took a seat. He reminisced his time with Midorikawa Ruriko during their days on Europe, finding branches of an evil organization known as Shocker and destroy them. How the two of them discovered Doctor Shinigami's evil plot against Switzerland during the Cold War, how they met Eri and Mika, two Japanese citizens living in Swiss as they were attacked by Shocker grunts, and the two later became their allies. But one of his most profound memories was how he and Ruriko separated. She wanted to continue her father's work on human cybernetics, and by chance they met an old friend of MidorikawaHiroshi. Ruriko had made up her mind, and so was Hongo as he needs to find and destroy Shocker's European branch.

He remembered meeting her again during Badan Empire's global takeover in Japan, but as he was about to reminisce that, a news report distracted him.

"An explosion occurred to a research facility in Japan's Tokushima prefecture." Said the news reporter, "Bodies of multiple scientists were discovered outside nearby local towns, the authorities reports multiple claw markings on their person. As of yet, it is unknown what connects the decimated facility and the scientists. In other news…"

Something peculiar caught Hongo's attention. The news footage did not show many, but he glimpsed the bodies and saw a familiar insignia. 'That bronze eagle… Could it be?'

However, for a few seconds, he saw something leaping out of the building. It was green in color, a grasshopper he thought. 'But it's too big and fast for any normal grasshopper…'

Hongo Takeshi decided to use his mobile phone again, but this time, he's calling someone else.

"Hello, Murasame? I'm sorry for waking you up, but have you heard of… Yes, the decimated facility on Tokushima. There's something suspicious about it, and I fear it's a remnant of Shocker. When you are able, I want you to investigate it. Alright, thank you."

As he hung up the phone, he decided to call his other friends… before remembering the cost of international phone calls would bankrupt him, so he instead went to book another ticket to Japan. 'Don't want to keep her waiting again… but I do hope that I'm wrong about that facility.'

Little did he knew, a new adversary will fall not only upon him, but his other allies. Together, all 11 of them, Hongo Takeshi included, were known as the Kamen Riders. Although, they would get three new members of their group, and this trio unknowingly shall be a part of a grander scheme…

STRANGERDENB4 PRESENTS

KAMEN RIDER X KAMEN RIDER

SHIN-ZO-J

SHOWA RIDERS GRAND GLORIOUS GATHERING

I know I'm supposed to do Rising unto the Stars and Dusts of Avarice, but… I need to do this.

For too long, there's has been no fanfics starring the Showa Riders. Not as cameos or guest stars, but as the main characters. For too long, the Heisei Riders reigned supreme in this website as the best there is. For too long… these whippersnappers ignore them. Not anymore.

This Stranger is bringing the old guards back, and by God, he will finish this.

The characters here are the originals, no alternate reality substitute or anything. The only differences are that they are –once again—physically based on their Super Imaginative Chogokin action figures. Yes, even Shin-ZO-J since now all the Showa Riders have S.I.C. figures, but in the case for the Double Riders, who has recently got a new version of themselves, I won't be using them (for now until I find a right way to introduce them) so you'll be seeing their forms as seen from their original S.I.C. figures.

For their human forms and other human characters, if you read the manga Kamen Rider Spirits drawn by Muraeda Ken'Ichi, then you'd know how they look like, or at least imagine them.

Also, there's actually a plane crash in Croatia at the exact date written there.

Read, Review, and Rejoice!