Sunlight hit my forehead, prompting me to groan and roll over – morning had come way too soon, and every fiber of my being still ached from our little dance in the rain. Of course, in my exhausted state, I'd forgotten something – the motel we finally found had only single bed rooms, so seconds later I found myself in an awkward but not unenviable position…. laying across the chest of one cybernetic human known as Hayato Ichimonji.
Doesn't help that the cybernetics beneath the skin keeps him a little cooler than a regular human, which lured me into a false sense of security in my barely awake state. As he started to move, I found myself becoming aware of what I was laying on, but couldn't get out in time before I was grabbed and heard him mutter, "Mada itte inai, aishimasu..."
The only thing I made out from that was 'aishimasu', and that was enough to make my eyes shoot open, my pale skin turning red with a deep blush as I tried to gently move his arm. Which… was like trying to move a steel vice.
"H-Hayato…!", I grunted out, voice scratchy as I continued trying to wriggle my way out. Thankfully the decidedly un-Japanese-like sound of my own voice jolted him awake, though he smirked at me before letting go and sitting up himself. Hard to imagine the guy's 65 with the way he acts. ...'course, I had a godfather like that.
"Rise and shine, we've got a long day ahead of us."
I nodded quietly as I scooted over to the other side of the bed to get up… and stumbled out. Grunting as my knee hit the ground, I looked down at myself… but I couldn't see anything wrong. I pulled myself back to my feet as I thought, Don't… don't start this shit…
Hayato didn't seem to have noticed my brief flash of weakness as he was busy getting dressed, which I occupied myself with and we headed out into the blazing July heat on the Texas/New Mexico border. We'd pretty much left things unsaid from the night before… I was still pretty damn worried that he – supposedly the physically strongest Rider – couldn't have beaten an Orphenoch on his own… Orphenochs… weren't all that powerful… but, this being… being real might have something to do with that. Who the hell knows…
"Those things we fought last night…", he began as we milled around, "…they're going to go after your friends and family to get to you. If SHOCKER knows about you, then they know about them… is there anyone we can get to quick?"
I blinked, thinking, then nodded, "In Lubbock… I've got two friends who can contact the others in a second."
Of course, I could, too… if my phone was working!
"No, no electronic contacts, SHOCKER would be on that in a second… you've gotta go tell people in person, get them to safety however you can."
I nodded as he spoke, then raised an eyebrow, "Wait… me? I don't even have a mode of transportation and-"
"Don't worry about that for now.", Hayato said with a smile, nodding, "I'll get you to your friends' place, and they'll have something to start with? I can help out with some money to get you the rest of the way. Kind of owe you for last night."
Shaking my head, I started to grin, "Hey, I think you're payin' me back by gettin' me outta this damn desert. I thought Hunter S. Thompson had a wild ride… ...Plus, well… with great power comes gre-"
"-Oh jeez, you're a comic book nerd!"
My eyes snapped over to him, and for the first time in the past twenty four hours I let out a little chuckle, "Guilty as charged! ...Or it could be the damn sun, let's get movin'."
We climbed onto the Cyclone 2 and sped off down the highway, unaware that we were being followed.
…
He had overheard the conversation from the other side of the motel building… about SHOCKER, about Lubbock. The man on the primarily red Japan-made motorcycle with cream accents took this in with a gentle nod… and waited five minutes before heading out as well.
He had a score to settle. That bitch at the bar last night definitely did a number to him, but… whatever the hell he was now couldn't really be taken down by shit like that. As for the bikers? Fuck'em, he was just a gofer to them, replaceable…
...But to SHOCKER? Now that was a job. A job where he really was irreplaceable thanks to what they'd done to Jackson last night… Unfortunately for Kamen Rider and the Agito woman, this time he would be prepared.
Before he headed out, he adjusted the large suitcase slung over the back of the bike baring the logo of one of SHOCKER's failed fronts – Smart Brain.
…
I breathed a sigh of relief as I saw the exit sign for I-84 pop up, then spoke up, "...I haven't seen Nicky in damn near four years… this is gonna be one hell of a reunion."
Especially the part where I tell her to pack up her life and go on the road with me for an indefinite amount of time…
"Yeah? … Listen, when you break it to her… I'll be there."
I nodded, "...Thanks. ...Already feel like I did a number on her life once, but… this… and her fiance… they just got their shit together… Jesus…"
"Hey, hey, don't start saying that kinda stuff. You didn't do it – SHOCKER did. SHOCKER made you into a monster like me."
...He doesn't know what an Agito is. Or… maybe I'm not? No… the Lord…
"Monster… we ain't monsters, you especially. We're… we're what the world needs right now, since shit like SHOCKER exists. Are there… others?"
I saw Hayato smile as he nodded, "Yeah… a few. If I see any… I'll tell them you're around. They call me Nigo – it's Two in Japanese. ...What should we call you?"
My eyes widened a little…
I'm… I'm being named…Gradeon? Kamen… Rider… Gradeon? ...It doesn't sound bad, but…
...I lowered my head a bit sheepishly, "E-er, give me a bit to think…"
...Holy shit, I'm being named… by… God I wish I could tell him… but… how do you even really broach a subject like that? … How the FUCK is any of this possible?!
…
We arrived at the little town home on the north side of Lubbock about four o'clock. Considering Nicky's sleep schedule, she should certainly be up right now… I don't think she worked today. Double checking the address in my barely functioning phone, Hayato and I approached the door. ...Then I heard a loud 'mao' from the other side. Dante… that lil' shit of a cat.
"Christ, why are you yelling at the walls again?!", came a voice from the other side of the door that made my heart skip a beat. My 'little sister' was certainly home…
I then rang the doorbell, calling out, "PIZZA'S HERE, SHITLORD!"
Hayato shot a look of confusion and concern at my crass nickname. We heard a crash followed by - "FUCK MY PHONE!" - before the door swung open and a slightly shorter, blue eyed, black haired woman stood stone still, her eyes wide with shock. Hayato raised a hand in greeting as I smiled weakly. She looked between the two of us… before a white-and-tabby cat the size of a small dog bolted from the front door, causing her to yell out, "SON OF A WHORE, DANTE!"
Hayato snatched Dante up in the blink of an eye, only noticeable by the cat's sudden angry yowls as it tried to chomp into his arm. I suddenly shouted as the woman grabbed the front of my shirt and yanked me inside – and into a bone crushing hug, exacerbated by the slight sunburn I'd gained over the past few hours. Hayato smiled, barely noticing the cat freaking out in his arms as he stepped inside.
"Christ… fucking shit man… christ… they… the news said you were fucking dead!", she squeaked into my shoulder, and I could feel tears staining my shirt… Nicky's not someone who cries at the drop of a hat. She then looked up at me, speaking in a whisper, "...And who the fuck is that guy?"
"Dea—dead…?", is all I could reply before looking back at Hayato, the color drained from my face. His eyes narrowed with a frown as he shut the door and put the cat down.
Nicky immediately noticed the bleeding wounds on his arm from the cat, "Fuck! I'm so sorry!"
Hayato's charming smile returned as he shook his head with a laugh, "Nah, it's fine! I'm used to spirited little guys like that."
Her eyes bulged again when she heard his voice, and suddenly she grabbed my still sore right arm and proceeded to drag me out onto the patio, leaving Hayato in the livingroom with the angry feline. She snatched a few items from her desk before tossing me outside and into a lawn chair.
"Talk. Now. Who… where did you find… that… Jesus, Pai!", she stuttered out, and it took me a moment to figure out what the hell she was freaking out over. Then I realized that, if I ever got to write all this shit down… this is the part of the story where we failed the Bechdel Test because I knew her reaction was gonna be just… glorious.
I clapped my hands together, staring at them for a moment as I tried to come to grips with all the wild shit I was about to say. Thankfully… I felt comfortable enough to slip into my more normal speaking tone, quiet and… 'colorful'.
"...You know that henshin hero shit that Cam, Sam and I fuckin' love?"
Her eyebrow raised as she took a drag of her cigarette.
"It's… it's real. Some of it… but not quite in the way it was shown… ...the shit I've seen in the past couple of days, man…", I muttered, then nodded towards the patio door, "...That man in there? That's one of the first. Hayato Ichimonji… Kamen Rider Nigo..."
She glanced over at the window, "...No wonder you and Cam love that shit, he's fucking hot."
I squinted at her with a frown, "Dude, he's sixty five, he's as old as my parents."
"I don't give a fuck!"
Letting out a sigh as I rubbed the bridge of my nose, I heard her 'heee'. Just like old times… except…
I saw Hayato appear at the window with a concerned look, then knocked lightly. Nicky looked over at him and nodded, waving for him to come out. He slid out, shutting the door before Dante could bolt for his leg again which resulted in a WHUMP as the cat smacked into the glass.
I waited for Hayato to settle against the patio wall, folding his arms over his chest before I continued, "...I… we've… got something really big to ask of you and Chris."
"Yeah, man, anything!", she replied – she was used to my hesitation to ask for things… she had no idea what I was going to actually ask of them.
"SHOCKER – this insane terrorist organization that… that's the reason that all this shit exists… they're after me. I escaped one of their facilities… and… they... they're going to come after everyone I know. They're… either gonna kill'm or turn'm into fucking monsters...", I began, pausing as I leaned forward… I felt sick, but I knew I had to continue… time was of the essence, "I need your help. I need to get a hold of everyone, warn them to run… but we can't do this over the 'net. This SHOCKER shit… it's global, and it's powerful."
I heard her cigarette drop out of her mouth. Looking up, I saw her trying to mouth words but the shock of what I said, coupled with the fact I was reported dead, and showing up here out of the blue… she could tell this wasn't some elaborate prank. I'm not that good…
Hayato spoke up, "I can offer you ten grand up front to take Paige, your boyfriend and your cats, leave now…"
My eyes shot open as I looked up at Hayato. She spluttered, "He can't leave work! He's working the six o'clock news!"
"Nicky…", I steeled myself… what I was about to do might ruin everything… I mean, that's the Gills luck there, "Do you want to see what kinda shit SHOCKER does to people?", I asked in a firm tone as I looked up at her from my half-stooped position.
…
Minutes later, we stood out in the wooded area behind her house. Nicky grimaced as she stepped over logs and vines until Hayato nodded, signifying we were safe. I paced the clearing we had found, nervous about what I was about to do… about how she was going to react to what she was about to see… I mean… this. ...Fuck. I looked up at the sky, clear blue. The sides of my mouth twitched as I remembered something from Agito about blue skies… I then clenched my right fist and smacked it against the side of a tree.
Her eyebrows furrowed as we stood in silence… then I turned to look at her, drawing in a deep breath as I clenched my fists at my sides and drew again on that deep storm inside me… I smelled something strange as my body shifted – something burning in the air around me as I lurched, closing my eyes… and opened them again once the unsettling sensation finished. For the first time I was able to notice how much sharper everything was… sight, hearing, smell.
...Like I could hear Nicky's heartbeat hammering a thousand miles a minute as she stared at me.
I could hear the servos beneath Hayato's skin whirring every time he moved.
I saw all the tiny insects crawling all over the ground around us
And I smelled… that damn burning. I looked down to see the immediate area around myself was indeed on fire, and somewhat panicked considering we were in a heavily forested area, but was able to stomp it out fast enough
Nicky looked me over, keeping her distance… then looked at the cigarette pack she brought out, shaking her head, "...I need something stronger. Now."
…
At Lamar Productions just a few blocks away from the apartment, the final preparations on a typical newscast were going on.
In other words, everything was in chaos.
Chris had done what he could to mitigate it, but at this point felt the best thing to do was to just give up. He'd put all his checks in place, there was literally nothing more he could do than cross his fingers and hope shit wouldn't hit the fan.
Unfortunately for him and everyone in the building… the arrival of the 'blue power ranger with a metric fuckton of guns' as Chris would describe in a hasty text to Nicky was the wrench in the normal chaos to turn it into a 'real Dark Souls' kinda night.
...
My eyes widened when Nicky read us the text."Where's the building?", I asked, a little surprised that I could speak normally in my transformed state… but time was of the essence.
Though still obviously fearful of me, she held up her phone to show a map… and then I shot off.
"WAIT!", I heard Hayato shout, but… time was up. SHOCKER was already here, there was no more time to waste.
Hayato sighed as he looked back at Nicky, "Get home, get packed, we're heading up to the station." …
The blue armored Smart Brain Rider paced the studio, "I could kill you now, but I'd get less pay."
Sitting at the production center behind the news desk itself, Chris did his best to keep his composure. His narrow eyes kept trained on the impossible sight that paced in front of him.
"Plus… I'm willing to bet the Agito and Nigo will show up. ...You're not going to know what those are.", the Rider smirked.
...But that first name was familiar to him, vaguely thanks to an online game… and a good friend who he'd just yesterday learned died in a freak plane accident. Though the color drained from Chris' face, he still remained as silent as possible, not even looking at his phone. The only assurance he had was waiting for this Agito thing… and the fact the security cameras were rolling throughout the building. …
The woods gave out to an open cotton field, but the only thing that could make out my form as I raced like the wind to Lamar Productions would be something that could fight me. When the building came into sight, I immediately honed in on the first door I saw and barreled towards it with all the power I could muster behind my legs. …
The building shook as what sounded like thunder came from the back end of the building. The Smart Brain Rider's square-visored head snapped up, his hands immediately going to the bright red harness strapped over his back that was lined with three barrel-like protrusions.
Chris could tell he was spooked, and if he were a bolder (or stupider) man, he would have outright said it.
...Then further rumbles of thunder echoed above, causing the Smart Brain Rider to sag slightly. Just another July storm… …
I panted as I entered Master Control, my eyes needing to adjust to the darkness… and I wish they hadn't.
The floor was littered with ash gray bodies – I couldn't tell who they were specifically… but this was Nicky's department, so I knew who was very likely included...
Slowly I brought my hands up to where my mouth as a shuddering cry of despair rose in my throat.
It was bad enough what happened to the bikers last night… but these were people Chris and Nicky cared about...
People I'd hung out with during our failed attempts at video game benefit marathons…
People I was going to take them away from… only temporarily…
But… whoever the fuck this 'Blue Power Ranger' was… took them away forever…!
Then… I noticed something moving.
Hope! There was-
The ash gray bodies around me started to shuffle up to their hands and knees, gurgling as what was left of any identifying marks they had fell away with the ash, revealing smooth black skin. Veiny protrusions pulsated across their bodies, forming bulging white markings that gave these beings a skeletal appearance… and then they screeched a single syllable cry as they dogpiled me!
Sure, they weren't fast… or particularly strong… it was the dawning horror that paralyzed me.
If I wanted to get to Chris, I would have to kill his coworkers.
If I didn't have a fucking Seed of Agito, I would have been one of these things…
As I started to buckle under their combined weight, I grabbed my knees, trying to keep standing despite the terror… trying to come to terms with… with what I had to do… I didn't want to… I wanted to just… just… scream. …
Lightning roiled through the clouds above as the supercell thunderstorm rolled into the area. Outside Lamar Studios, a gold Buick and the Cyclone 2 pulled up. Hayato looked over at the Buick's driver side window as Nicky rolled down, issuing an order.
"I don't care what you see, what you hear… as soon as Chris and Paige come out those doors, you floor it to LA. I have a contact there that will keep Sam safe until you arrive."
Nicky nodded, her blue eyes wide as she trembled in her seat.
Then the back end of the building exploded with sound – a horrible scream that was barely human, stretched out far longer than a person's lungs should be able to hold… and then a great bolt ripped out of the purple clouds above, striking what seemed to be the main broadcast towers behind the building… …
Inside the master control office, equipment sizzled, screens exploded, wall sockets spit great gouts of flame as I let it all out with my voice, feeling the strange metallic fangs that made up my mouth now open wide.
The Combatmen had been thrown around the room as if they were toys by some unseen force.
Agony ripped through every cell of my being, worse than the first time I had transformed, I felt something throbbing as it ripped through my forehead… and then I snapped forward in a low charge, not letting petty things like solid, sound reinforced walls stop me from where I needed to be. …
Chris and the Smart Brain Rider snapped to attention as the screaming began… and when the power snapped off, Chris tried to jump to his feet but the vice-like grip of the Smart Brain Rider caught his arm and forced him back down in his chair.
The armor's square-shaped visor flashed white as it's enhanced vision systems came online, staring directly at the back wall. A second later, the blue Rider grabbed the harness controls situated just above his arms and let out a chuckle, "And… here we go."
The six barrel-like protrusions lit up the room with a metallic whine, focusing in on a single area of the back wall…
Chris stared hard at the same area he saw the six lights trained, gripping the arm rests of the chair he was confined to as he heard thunderous booms from the other side…
Then it came through the wall, howling like a demon as concrete, steel re-bar and wiring exploded forth from the hole it had carved through the building.
A humanoid thing, certainly over six feet in height, with chitinous metallic gray armor covering it's upper chest, rippling black muscles, a maw of jagged metal shards, antler-like horns swept back from it's forehead, and large red eyes blazing with fury.
Chris let out an undignified noise as the Smart Brain Rider hit the trigger on the harness, peppering the monster with bullets made out of solid light. It howled, reeling back from the blasts, disappearing in the smoke screen caused by the barrage. The Rider panted when the guns whined down half a minute later. He then turned back to his hostage with a cocky snort, "So. That was an Agito. ...Don't get the big deal, we Or-"
The monstrosity exploded towards the Smart Brain Rider with it's talons, lashing across it's chest plate in a wild flurry and sending the blue armored Rider back into the desk Chris was sitting behind. Chris leaped to his feet before he was crushed by the heavy steel desk being uprooted from the monster's – the Agito – assault. The Smart Brain Rider smashed it's harnessed arm into the side of the creature's head, causing it to stagger back… and giving him time for another photon barrage. …
I couldn't maneuver in this studio – not without potentially injuring Chris – so tanked the shots again. I howled in pain as the photon bullets tore through my chitin, thankfully cauterizing the wounds but the shock still set in, causing me to collapse forward with a groan. …
As the Agito collapsed, it's baleful glare fell on Chris.
Between the Tron-gun-nut Power Ranger and this… this fucking thing, he'd had enough… and beat a hasty retreat out the studio's side door. Chris, not a man known for his athletic talent, refused to stop until he was outside… and was shocked to find his fiance's car was waiting for him, along with some guy on a motorcycle.
"NICKY! JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!", he bellowed as he practically slid over the hood and dove into the car.
"Did you see Paige?!", she replied with a panicked shriek.
He stared at her, then noticed the two cats in the back seat, before replying, "The fuck do you mean? What the hell's going on?!"
"She came to get you out!", Nicky retorted before looking at Hayato… who's face had grown stern as he looked towards the open doors, but didn't make a move to head inside. …
The Smart Brain Rider grabbed me by the throat and hefted me up against a wall. I gurgled as I lashed out again, but shock had made me weak.
"You know… this isn't as much fun as I thought it'd be. But hey! Paycheck's a paycheck… and unlike your buddy, I don't have to take you in alive.", I heard him snark before I felt his harnessed fist slam into my gut, smashing me through the other side.
I let out a hiss as I tried to roll over, eyes narrowed almost shut as I tried to block out his continuing monologue, "Too bad you're an ugly bitch, too… once they'd gotten through with you, we could've had some real fun."
Then stars exploded in my vision as his heavily armored foot slammed into a cracked portion of my armor, sending me bouncing off the ceiling before crashing to the floor again. Nausea finally erupted through me as I gagged out my meager lunch, for once feeling a little glad that I had a mouth in this form.
"But… maybe they can fix that, too? I know one of the subsidies back in Japan's made a special kind of Driver… doesn't work on your kind yet, but… I'm sure they'll get there with your generous contribution."
My body trembled as I tried to push myself up, but I could feel something scraping against my ribs and knew if I tried to attack, I might make that scraping into something a lot more traumatic. I didn't feel like betting on I was just like Gills… so I tried to run.
"Well… I can tell you one thing.", that irritating metallic voice said as I felt a rush of wind to my left, "You're at least tougher than you look.", and then I was airborne again as the Smart Brain Rider plunged a lightning fast kick into the small of my back, sending me crashing into the news desk. …
Hayato's eyes widened, and the Cyclone 2 suddenly fishtailed as he revved the motorcycle, "I'm going in – once she's out-"
"Y-yes sir…!", Nicky stuttered out as Chris mouthed 'She?'
Suddenly the bike rocketed right through the doors, smashing effortlessly through them. …
The Smart Brain Rider strolled over to my prone form – I could barely feel my legs and knew the line of armor across my spine had been fractured by his blow…
Right as he got to the center of the room, a cream and red custom racing bike smashed into his armored form, sending him soaring into the hole I had made earlier in my brief attempt to be The Hulk. The motorcyclist shot a look over at me as he barked out, "RUN!"
The Rider was back on his feet in an instant, laughing, "Seriously, old man? I saw what Jackson did to your ass last night… this Seeda Gear's gonna tear you apart!"
The motorcyclist then looked up, smirking a little, "Kid. I was holding back. I wanted to see what the girl could do, give her a little work out before training actually began."
Seeda grunted out a 'huh' before the Cyclone 2 smashed into him, the power of the machine forcing him back through the hole as a tempest of debris whipped up around it's rider.
I scrabbled to my feet with my talons and bolted for the front of the building, barely making it out as I felt my armor melting back into mortal flesh. Nicky let out a yelp as she saw me hit the driver's side of the car. I stumbled into the back seat, falling heavily on the leather as I felt my consciousness fade…
...And remember what I said about having a major fear of tornadoes? It's a good thing I passed out… …
The Cyclone 2 slid to a halt on the asphalt behind the Lamar Productions building, Seeda bouncing wildly across the pavement. Hayato eased off the motorcycle, removing his helmet as the turbine on his waist continued to speed up, the wind speed
The lightning-blasted antennae on the roof shook violently… the sky turned green...
"Hongo once said something about us being the wrath of nature… kinda pretentious, but I think it's a good place to start when it comes to explaining the difference between last night and today.", Hayato quipped as he walked towards Seeda.
The Smart Brain Rider scraped at the ground as he tried to get up, but the wind… …
Nicky floored the Buick as the tornado touched down on the other side of the building.
Chris yelled out in shock as he looked back, filming the scene as they pulled around to exit Lamar Studios.
Their last image of Hayato was one they would never forget. They were able to see the funnel cloud consume him as his eyes flashed red and orange lines burned down his face. ... Los Angeles, 7 PM.
An Asian man with shoulder-length light auburn hair slurped down the last of his nearly cold instant noodles while reading Rafu Shimpo on a practically ancient laptop. He grunted as he heard a phone ring... a flip phone that had lain discarded across the room.
"Mataku...", he sighed with a slight growl to his voice, swiftly grabbing and answering the phone on the third ring, "Moshi mosh... ... ...Ichimonji? Naze anata wa watashiwoyonde imasu ka? ...Nani?", he held his breath, then let out another sigh of annoyance as he grabbed a pen and some scratch paper, taking down what he was being told, "E e, ē, morenobarē... Samyueru hantā... totta."
The man hit the 'end call' button on the phone, grabbed up a briefcase and a pair of keys, and walked out the apartment door. As he headed down the stairs of his apartment building, he tapped a number sequence into the phone.
Outside a heavily customized 2005 Honda 250 motorcycle rolled up to the door, primarily silver with red markings and an interesting model number across the left front end - SB-555V.