Hey all! This is Teck, one of the co-writers of Kamen Rider: AERS. As a member of this team, I will do the utmost to give you a great chapter EVERY time. As Such, ENJOY!
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CHAPTER 2: Team Mate
By TeKnAm AKA Kamen Rider Velke
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A video of a large fly-like kaijin appeared on the massive 29" HD plasma-screen TV. It was soon joined on camera by an armoured soldier, who proceeded to change form three times and destroy the beast. As the movie ended the screen flicked off, and a tall man in a long-white lab-coat stepped up from his seat. The man, known to his crewmates by the code-name INPUT, gave a small smile as he addressed his three friends.
"Well, guys, it would seem our money had been used properly. I am now proud to be the leader of the company department sending our PRECIOUS money…" The sarcasm was thick in his voice as he continued, "But I'm still not happy about this, because, as we all know, WE NEED THAT MONEY FOR MAINTENANCE OF OUR EQUIPMENT! I wish we still had our other four agents with us, because this would be a perfect field test for-"
Suddenly, one of the two women in the group, her long blonde hair flying around behind her, interrupted him, saying, "Uh, small thing INPUT? We don't have the Rider Equipment anymore. I was meaning to-"
She was blown off her feet when INPUT, in a display of pure rage, screamed out, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE DON'T HAVE THE SYSTEM ANYMORE, OUTPUT?! WE HAD IT THREE WEEKS AGO!"
OUTPUT stood and regained her composure, despite her frazzled look, and said, "IF you'd have let me finish, the system was stolen three weeks ago, on the EXACT day that our friend NET went his own way. We haven't been able to locate either him or the gear, and the tracking beacon on the gear has been turned off for the longest time. We haven't been able to reach him at his home, so…" OUTPUT stopped there and sat down.
INPUT stood in front of the screen, rubbing the inch-thick stubble on his chin, before finally sitting down. He continued to think, leaving his three assistants to sit there in fear. Was he thinking of firing them, or was he going to make them actually do field work?
INPUT Smiled when he finally stood. "I have an idea. Does anyone have the activation code for the tracker pill we had NET swallow when he started?" INPUT asked aloud, and all three women in the room stood up and looked at each other, dumbfounded. All three began smacking their heads and asking why THEY hadn't thought of that sooner. INPUT smiled as all three scrambled to find the activation code. He had a plan, and while it would take OUTPUT, MIANFRAME, and REBOOT to find the code, he was going to make sure their old user of the NET system would regret stealing his painfully developed technology.
_________ELSEWHERE…_________
Twenty-year-old Tenryo Yamada, his long, fire-like blonde hair spreading around him like an aura as he walked down the main streets of Tokyo. In his left hand he carried a suitcase that looked as light as a feather. Upon reaching a park bench, he set the case down, allowing it to effectively fall through the bench seat and make a crater in the concrete below. Tenryo smiled at it, shaking his head.
"Wow. I guess years of lugging that stuff around on my body strengthened me against the added weight of the suitcase. That thing barely feels like a ten-pound weight now," he said, reaching down to pick up the half-ton suitcase. Laying it on his lap, he clicked it open and looked inside. The first thing he saw was his trusty technological device, the NETDriver Belt and four NETLogger data chips. Tenryo smiled wide as he moved from one object to the next item, the WEBDriver Gauntlet, WEBLoggers, and FTP Multiplier accessory, then the CYBERDriver Helm, CYBERLoggers, and HTP Additor accessory. For reasons he completely understood, a small tear began to well in his left eye, which he wiped away. It hadn't been too long since he'd seen the systems of his old comrades, but just seeing them made him cry. His fellow riders had been killed a year earlier, defending humanity with him against a kaijin race called the Cybrons, which were nothing more then brain-eating humanoid computer viruses.
His eyes travelled lower to look at the next items, the DATADriver Boot, DATALoggers, and PAP6 Fractor accessory. His eyes watered, and, try as he might to stop the tears, he found a steady stream of fluid running down his face. He'd had to kill his own ex-comrade after the man behind the suit had gone crazy and ran from PsyLab with the DATA system. Together with his dead partners WEB and CYBER, he'd had to hunt down and reclaim the Driver, regardless of damage to its wielder.
The tears began to come out in droves when his eyes rested on the SERVODriver Plate, SERVOLoggers, and HTML Slider. Another comrade who'd turned out to be a lost cause, this one had bee a woman with far too much of a personal agenda. Once Tenryo had moved in for the NET system, she'd joined with DATA and left, only to be killed by NET later, even though he tried to restrain himself from doing it. It was hard remembering his days of fighting monsters and friends, but those days were over now. All he'd do now was sit alone in his home, watching TV and waiting for his next job to come in VIA Email.
As soon as the Rote Linker caught his sight, Tenryo's tears stopped dry. Seeing the small, black square box reminded him of his personal pledge: To live on for those who had been killed and those whom he'd killed, as a constant legacy. Just then, a ringing in his ears brought him to close the case. Several seconds later, a voice followed:
"Hello, Tenryo, old friend," the voice said, and Tenryo recognised the voice immediately. After years of being subjected to tests, punishment and threats had seared this man's voice into Tenryo's memory for the rest of his life.
"INPUT?!" Tenryo said aloud, picking up the case and entering the safety of the alley next to him, listening to the voice continue.
"Indeed, Tenryo. Nice to hear from you again. You must be wondering how you're hearing my voice in your head? Well, it involves that little VITAMIN SUPPLEMENT we had you take when you first arrived for your testing," INPUT said, chuckling slightly, "I understand you stole something of monetary importance to me. I'd tell you to return it, but I have an offer that you're sure to accept." Tenryo knew he was in trouble now. Not just because he had something he shouldn't, but because most often any offer of INPUT's involved some sort of physical torture.
"As you've remained silent, I'll give you the offer. You can KEEP the systems you stole, IF you act as a mental spy for me. You see, PsyLab has sent out over one hundred-million dollars to a small-time scientist for development of a new, adaptive rider system to combat a new menace: The Outlaw and his band of Kamimaru thugs. Apparently, this madman has developed a drug that transforms the taker into a monstrous creature. Our scientist friend, Ryu Shirogane, has seemingly developed his new anti-monster Rider System rather quickly, and a government volunteer has performed the first field test, proving its effectiveness. Now, you are going to work for the good doctor, and report back through thought alone everything you see and hear. I need to know that my money is being spent wisely. Do this, and you can keep all the systems you took from me. Do we have a deal?"
Tenryo thought it over a moment, then thought 'YES'. The voice left and an address was left in his brain. Several minutes later, he arrived at the doctor's lab.
"Excuse me, Dr. Shirogane?" Tenryo said, getting the doctor's attention quickly. The doctor nodded, and Tenryo continued.
"My name is Tenryo Yamada. PsyLab has sent me to join your fighting ranks. I'm basically here to observe and give a regular written report of your progress. I hope this is an acceptable arrangement," Tenryo said, and the doctor nodded.
The doctor took two minutes to collect himself, then said, "I'm sorry, Tenryo-san, but my current soldier has already mobilized. He's currently in combat right now. His current foe seems to be more than an adequate match for him, so I'd like for you to go help him. Maybe I could-Wait, what are you…?" Ryu said as Tenryo stared blankly at the TV screen for several seconds before bolting from the room, the doctor's worries about his lack of a Rider Gear bouncing off his head. If he needed to, he had five Gears available that he could use. If that failed, there was also the one gear the current operative was using…
Sena Akabara crashed to the ground, gasping as two sickening crunches rang out. Apparently this suit didn't keep bones from breaking. He tried to get up but felt the pressure of a large foot holding him down. Whatever that convict had taken had turned him into an elephant humanoid with all the strength that comes with it. A loud trumpeting roar pierced his ears as he listened to the creature scream in victory. He couldn't take this much longer.
Suddenly a loud cry of "OI!" rang through the air, accompanied by several ringing noises as the monster removed its foot from his back. The man who approached transformed into a grid-work pattern of armour and lights. In seconds, the monster was driven back with several powerful sword slashes and destroyed by a flying rider kick. Sean could barely keep himself conscious as the man approached, and then the lights went out.
When Sean awoke, he saw two people sitting at the doctor's desk.
"OUCH!" was the first thing out of his mouth as Sean reached for his chest, where several painful twinges caused him to curse out loud.
"That would be the result of rushing in without taking proper precautions, Sean-san. You suffered several broken ribs, a minor concussion, and a hair-line fracture in your left shoulder blade. Next time, plan a little before RUSHING into a DEATHTRAP," Ryu said, shaking his head.
Sean looked around, and, seeing the new face for a second time, asked, albeit gingerly, "Say, who's the new guy?"
Ryu smiled and said, "Your rescuer. Sean-san, meet Tenryo Yamada-san, your new team mate."
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Yep, that's it! Hopefully it's good enough. R&R!