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Armoured Rider Knuckle
by
Cyclone Accel Xtreme
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Chapter III - Fists of Justice
(Holding Area, Yggdrasil Tower)
Armoured Rider Ryugen rushed through the entrance to the Holding Area and punched a code into the keypad next to the door, causing the doors to slam shut.
WELCOME, OVERSEER KURESHIMA
Micchy shut his Lockseed and slid down the door as his suit disappeared in a flash. The young Kureshima brother sighed in relief, glad his brother was as predicable as ever, his authorisation code was easy to guess.
Breaking into Yggdrasil had been easy, but after the alarms started to blare, a pair of Kurokage Troopers had realised he wasn't supposed to be there, chasing after him.
On the other side of the door the two Troopers came to halt, the first inputed his code into the keypad, frowning when the door refused to open.
"What's wrong?" asked the second Trooper.
"The door's locked, Test Subject #3 must have done something to it," answered the first.
"Then we'll have to break it down," spoke the second, indicating at the door.
On the other side Micchy froze in shock, there was no way he could get out off this.
MATSUBOKKURI SQUASH!
Micchy heard the two activate their finishers and prepare to use them to destroy the door. Suddenly, the sound of fighting could be heard, stopping nearly as soon it started.
KURUMI ARMS! MR. KNUCKLEMAN!
"Kurumi?" muttered Micchy, "I've never heard of anyone using that set of arms."
"Mind if I come in?" asked a voice, the rapping of knuckles on the door echoing loudly.
Micchy stood up and faced the door, ready to transform at the first sign of danger. He heard a sigh before the light flashed green above the door and it slid open.
"Hey," greeted Knuckle as he stepped through the doorway.
"Who are you?" asked Micchy, trying to sound confident.
"Don't you recognise me?" returned Hase as he cancelled his transformation.
"Hase?" gasped Micchy, "I saw it, I saw you die, the footage!"
"Urgh! This is getting annoying!" grunted Hase, "I was dead, now I'm not!"
"This has been a really weird day," muttered Micchy, lowering his hand holding his Lockseed.
Hase opened his bag and pulled out a Genesis Core and a Budou Energy Lockseed, "Here, have these!"
Micchy accepted the devices and examined them, "This is Yggdrasil Tech, it's from the Genesis Drivers, I got a glance at the specs earlier."
"You got that from a glance?" questioned Hase, raising a glance.
"I'm pretty sure you could do better," replied Micchy, pocketing the Core and Lockseed, "What with you being half-Overlord."
"What?" snapped Hase, "I didn't tell you that! How do you know?"
"I-I don't know," stuttered Micchy, his eyes wide.
Suddenly, Micchy grunted in pain and fell to one knee, the Rider Indicator on his Driver flashing briefly red before returning to normal.
Hase quickly helped Micchy up and spoke, "A time anomaly, I can sense it, it was draining your life force."
"How?" asked Micchy breathlessly.
"I don't know," answered Hase, summoning a Himawari Lockseed and setting it into Micchy's belt, "This should help replenish your energy."
"Thanks," replied Micchy, his strength returning to him as the Lockseed in his Driver faded to grey and was ejected onto the floor.
"You okay to go?" questioned Hase.
Micchy nodded and spoke, "Yeah, we need to help Kouta and Kaito, Yggdrasil captur-"
"Captured them? I know," finished Hase, "I'm here break them out, the knockoffs of me are a pain in the backside."
"Wait, they're after you?" asked Micchy as he and Hase set off down the corridor.
"Yep, apparently they don't like me defeating two of their Energy Riders, stealing their Drivers, all of Ryoma Sengoku's prototypes and a copy of the entire Yggdrasil Archives," replied Hase, grinning at Micchy's surprised face, "I've been busy, got a new Mass Driver, an upgrade experiment of Ryoma's."
"Micchy!" exclaimed a voice, "HASE?"
"Hey, Kouta," greeted Hase, pulling out his keypass and holding it over the scanner to open the cell in which Kouta was being held.
"You're alive!" cheered Kouta, "How did you survive?"
"I didn't, I was brought back to life," answered Hase, amused that Kouta was the only one to ask how survived, not how he came back to life.
ACCESS DENIED!
"Damnit, Ryoma must have cancelled his pass," growled Hase.
"What do we do now?" asked Kouta, looking uncertainly between Hase and Micchy.
"This," answered Hase, kicking the door and causing it bend inwards.
As Hase continued to kick the door to pieces, Micchy tapped a code into keypad of the scanner, which flashed green.
ACCESS GRANTED!
With a beep the door slid open, but jammed thanks to the dents created by Hase trying to kick it in.
"Hey, I had that!" exclaimed Hase.
"Eventually, that keypass will have told them exactly where we are," returned Micchy, "We don't have the time spend kicking in a door."
Kouta sighed and pushed himself through the small gap between the door and its frame. Stepping between Micchy and Hase, he ended the glaring contest they seemed to be doing.
"Yoshi!" cheered Kouta, "Now let's spring Kaito as well."
"Right," agreed Micchy, moving a cell further down and unlocking it with his brother's authorisation code.
"Kaito!" exclaimed Kouta, waving at the Team Baron leader.
"You three!" spat Kaito, "I was told you were dead, Hase, but you've changed, gained power."
"Less chatting, more breaking outta here," dismissed Hase, grabbing Kaito's wrist and pulling him out of his cell.
Kaito frowned, "How did you-"
"I'll explain later," interrupted Micchy, he could hear shouts at the end of the corridor.
"Yay! Woo-hoo!," cheered Hase sarcastically, before deadpanning, "Talking."
"We need to get out of here now!" reminded Kouta, the sounds of Kurokage Troopers increasing with every passing second.
"I'm not leaving without my Driver," warned Kaito, glaring at the other three Riders in turn.
"Me neither," replied Kouta seriously, "I need it to protect those who can't protect themselves."
"Good thing I've got them," spoke Hase, opening his bag and tossing Kaito and Kouta their Drivers.
Hase reached in again and pulled out Kouta's Orenji, Pine, Ichigo, Suika, Fresh Orenji, Fresh Pine and Wizard Lockseeds and handed them to him. Reaching in again, Hase returned Kaito his Banana, Mango, Ichigo, Melon, Kiwi, OOO and rusted Banana Lockseeds.
"What's our way out?" asked Kouta as he and Kaito strapped their Drivers around their waists.
"Yggdrasil's crack," answered both Micchy and Hase at the same time.
"Right, then let's go," ordered Kaito, marching off, flicking his coat out to add some flare.
"You heard the man," added Hase, the other three setting off after the spear-wielding Rider.
-Mr. Knuckleman-
(Ryoma's Lab)
Ryoma Sengoku sat in his desk chair staring at the monitor in front him, playing a live feed of the four Rider's escape attempt.
"Should we deploy Zangetsu Shin and Sigurd?" asked Yoko as she tended to Ryoma's injuries.
"No, only Sid, I'm interested in the data Test Subject #5 can provide," spoke Ryoma, "I don't want Takatora breaking them, Ms. Minato."
-Mr. Knuckleman-
(Yggdrasil Research Crack)
"It's here!" called out Hase, squealing to a halt as Kaito, Kouta and Micchy sprinted to catch up.
"We'll escape via the crack to Helheim," explained Micchy, "From there we can use our Lockvehicles to get back out again."
"Sounds like a plan," replied Kouta, nodding.
"Sounds like fleeing," growled Kaito, "I don't flee."
"There's a first for everything," returned Hase, taking a step forward when a twenty-strong squad of Kurokage Troopers appeared, Sid stood at the front.
"Ryoma told me you returned from the dead," spoke Sid to Hase, "I don't like that, when an adult tells a child what to do, they should obey."
"I'm not child, Lock Dealer," replied Hase, pulling out his Kurumi Lockseed, "I have seen your death and it is pathetic."
Sid snorted, "Looks like you went full crazy of your way back to the land of the living."
KURUMI!
"HENSHIN!" yelled Hase, popping the Lock Arm open.
Above Hase a crack opened and the Kurumi Armour Part appeared through it. Clicking the Lockseed into his Driver and coding the Lock Arm, Hase sliced the Cutting Knife down, activating his transformation.
LOCK ON!
As the now familiar guitar riff played, the Armour Part dropped onto his shoulders, materialising his suit and unfolding into Kurumi Arms, his boxing glove weapons appearing at the same time.
KURUMI ARMS! MR. KNUCKLEMAN!
"You stand no chance," warned Sid, "Now hand in your Drivers and return to your cells."
"Never!" shouted Kouta, pushing his way forward.
"I hate it when children don't do as they're told," groaned Sid, producing his Cherry Energy Lockseed.
CHERRY ENERGY!
ORENJI!
The two enemies activated their respective Lockseeds, the Orenji appearing over Kouta and the Cherry Energy Armour Part over Sid. Spinning his Lockseed around his finger, Sid slotted it into his Driver, Kouta following suit.
LOCK ON!
"You will lose, Kazuraba!" spat Sid, holding the sides of his Genesis Driver and pushing the Seaboll Compressor in.
"I will never let evil like you win!" returned Kouta, fury in his eyes and he sliced his Lockseed open.
SODA!
SOIYA!
The two Armour Parts dropped onto their respective Riders's shoulders, the Sigurd Suit materializing around Sid and the Gaim Suit around Kouta. Seeing his chance, Knuckle charged at Sid, knocking him away before his Arms could protect him.
Behind them, the Kurokage Troopers jumped to attention and charged at Kouta, whose Orange Arms unfolded in time to protect him from the closest Trooper's attacks.
ORENJI ARMS! HANAMICHI ON STAGE!
In a splash of orange juice, Kouta's armour finished opening, the liquid forcing the Troopers to halt their attack. Raising his Daidaimaru, Gaim prepared himself to fight.
"Kaito, Micchy, looks we're going to have to fight our way out of here," warned Gaim, drawing his Musou Saber from its sheath.
"Fine by me," drawled Kaito, producing his Banana Lockseed.
"I'll follow you, Kouta," reassured Micchy, holding up his Budou Lockseed.
BANANA!
BUDOU!
-Mr. Knuckleman-