A more serious chapter, I guess. Includes my take on what happens to Kenzaki after ep 49, because I really hated missing ace.

Disclaimer: If I owned Kamen Rider, every series would at least end with a kiss.


Chapter 4

A weak knock on the Agency door almost escaped notice of the occupants, if not for the sharp receptors of the stagphone, which immediately flew to the sleeping Shoutarou and knocked his hat off his face.


Red light streamed into the dark karaoke room where Shoutarou was enjoying singing his favorite song. Somehow, the instrumental part changed to a strange beeping, and the lyrics read, "WAKE UP!"

The room got engulfed by bright redness.


Stagphone jabbed at its master, as he began to rouse.

"What...?" Shoutarou grumbled, and Stagphone led him to the door.

A fallen man was discovered at the foot of the door as Shoutarou opened it, leaning into the agency office. It took him a while to register what was going on, and then, "What the hell?!" as green liquid appeared under the man's body.

Shoutarou dragged him in and dumped him on the couch, lying down. Ripping apart his shirt, the detective discovered a deep wound bleeding green substance. The man seemed to be unconscious, for when the curious spidershock poked an arm in his face, there was no reaction.

"What's going on?" a yawning Akiko appeared from her room, her eyes following Shoutarou's busy movements.

"Couch."

"What?" Akiko looked to the couch, at the man, and at the dripping green mess.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAA!" she was immediately awake, and her scream invited Philip to crash out of his garage.

"What's wrong, Aki-chan?" Akiko merely pointed to the injured man, lost for words.

Shoutarou gathered towels, found a basin and filled it with water, grabbed the first aid lit which he hoped would have enough bandage, and went back to tend to the guy.

This is just like when boss... No, now's not the time for that. Shoutarou told himself, and concentrated on concentrating on his patient. He soaked a towel and cleaned the green stuff off the guy's torso, revealing a deep gash, rough at where the skin parted, as though a sword of some sort went through.

"I can't bear to look at this," Akiko's face paled and hid her face behind Philip, who was frowning at the green substance on the towel.

Turning, Philip informed Shoutarou, "Ne, Shoutarou, I'm taking this for a while."

"Oh," with a nod of acknowledgement, Shoutarou went back and bandaged the wound after he cleaned it, and left a towel on the man's forehead.


"Begin search, " Philip announced in the Planetary bookshelf, while his colleagues gathered around in the garage, "Our objective is to find out who that mysterious man is. Keywords?"

Akiko offered the first one, "Green," looking very much so herself.

About half the books got sorted away, as Shoutarou gave the second one, "Bloodless," and looking through the things in his hand, he finished, "third keyword: Board."

The word 'name' appeared in silver on a navy-covered book, and Philip picked it up, his physical body's eyes opening.

Philip read through his book a while, and concluded, "That man is an undead. His name is Kazuma Kenzaki. He used to work for Board, as Kamen Rider Blade, but ran away after a battle with the black Joker turned him into the navy Joker."

Shoutarou nodded, "I found a photo of him and his friend in front of a building with the company's logo on it." But seriously, Joker? He thought to himself.

Philip looked at Shoutarou, and continued, "Board: a company that specializes in dealing with the undead. They developed the belt systems for Blade, Garren and Leangle. Later generations of belts include those of Glaive, Larc and Lance."


After an hour of listening to Philip explain the alien, or rather undead concept to them, they finally understood one thing: the merging of the worlds had resulted in this particular rider to be simultaneously existent in this one world.


The trio were having lunch at the table. Shoutarou had made mac'n'cheese, and it was surprisingly good. Of course, boss taught me himself, Shoutarou was surprised Akiko didn't bring up her father at it.

"Ah!" a sudden sound sent Akiko's right arm flying up, tossing the spoon out of the window.

Shoutarou stood up, turning around while complaining, "Damn you! Now I'll have to go get another one!"

On the couch, Kenzaki was seen supporting his body with his left elbow, his face twisted into a grimace that could only be caused by him moving with that wound.


The pain stayed, but subsided ever so little, and Kenzaki supported himself in that position, knowing that should he move, it would hurt again.

After a while, he decided that his arm could not continue on anymore, and eased himself back down, focusing on the wall that was as green as the blood that flowed in his veins.

As much as he wanted to deny it, he had eventually come to accept that he was undead. Over the years an undead form grew itself over his once-human body, allowing him to switch between both forms with a little more than his thoughts.

Wait, green wall? His eyes flew open; at the back of his mind he wondered when he had closed them in the first place.

Voices reached his ear for the first time since they had been there. One teenage voice said, "Shoutarou, this as rather good! Unbelievable!"

A laugh replied, "Well, believe it. A hard-boiled man must have some way of survival in this cruel world."

Pause.

"Ow! Akiko, you..." the same voice screamed, followed by a girl's voice, "Eat your food!"

Then there was silence in the room, as the trio ate.

Kenzaki couldn't stand the suspense anymore, and sat up so fast an exclamation escaped from his mouth. He got back to the same propped-up position as before, noticing the commotion that ensued as a result of his sudden interruption through the slit between his eyelids. A figure approached him, shouting at said Akiko (must be the girl from before...), and the guest undead recognized as the guy from before.

"I see you're awake," the teen voice spoke, getting closer.

Someone's hand moved to force him to lie back down, and once the pain faded away enough, Kenzaki saw a man in a black vest and red tie hovering above him, his face wearing an expression a mixture of worry and irritation.

"Kenzaki..." Kenzaki's eyes widened.

"Kazuma...am I right?" the man asked, and without waiting for an answer, asked again, "Where did you get that wound?"

Kenzaki hesitated.

"Kenzaki-san, we know all about you, so there's no need to fear," the teen reassured him, but it only made him feel more reserved. This was the first time they met, yet how did they...?

"Where am I?" Suddenly he realized this was a very weird situation to be in.

"Fuuto. This is Narumi Detective Agency. You came this morning bleeding, and we brought you in," that must be Akiko speaking.

The man muttered, softly, "I did all the work while you just stood there screaming..." and focused himself on checking Kenzaki's wound.

"Get back down, Kenzaki-san,"

"Just Kenzaki is fine," somehow these three do remind him of his friends, "You are?"


"Ha-"

"LF-"

"-boiled detective, Hidari Shoutarou," Shoutarou finished through gritted teeth, glaring at the hi-5-ing Akiko and Philip.

"Oh, so Shoutarou's fine? Who are you guys, then,"

"The chief of the agency, Narumi Akiko," Akiko saluted, while Shoutarou sniggered.

"I am Philip, Shoutarou's partner in...detective work." he figured he didn't want to reveal W to this newcomer. Yet.

"So Shoutarou, Akiko and Philip. Why do you have an English name, Philip?" Kenzaki kept talking to keep his mind off the fact that Shoutarou was staring at his wound. With green blood.

Philip looked uncomfortable, wondering how he should go about answering this, when Shoutarou said, "Just tell'im."

So Philip explained Begin's Night, how he remembered little before that, including how Detective Narumi had named him, and amnesic teen who forgot his past altogether.

"So, what are you doing here in Fuuto?" Shoutarou asked, having finished checking on the wound.

Kenzaki thought hard.

"Well, I've been walking the world since that day, and it's been already...what year is this?"

"2010." Akiko answered.

"Wow. Already six years. Time just passes so quickly. Anyway, I just walk. And rest. And walk on. I cannot stay in one place long, if not Hajime might find me."

"But he did. We... fought..." it seemed to pain him more thinking about Hajime having succumb to the power of the Joker than to have that gaping wound on his torso.

"Anyway we were interrupted by this suited person. Pure white armor with purple ornaments, and a glaring red visor, very feminine. She caused this," he pointed to the wound, "and drove Hajime away. I was going towards the nearest direction of civilization, and then I'm here miraculously."

The three detectives nodded solemnly, and Kenzaki broke out in a forced smile, "Don't worry. Hajime's trying his best. He has Amane."

And you have no one, and you too are a Joker, Shoutarou thought.


His Joker instincts told him that the other Joker was still around, alive. But right now, his human instincts told him he had to get home.

Back Home.

Where his beloved Amane-chan was.

And waiting for him.

Limping back to their new apartment in this strange new city suddenly seemed not so bad.


Well, how was that? I really need reviews, so please review! Love you guys who review!

Oh if you have any ideas, please pm me! Thanks!

2016 author realized that Kenzaki was his family name so the story has been updated haha...