Disclaimer: Kamen Rider is own by Toei.
Chapter 8: Family Problems
In an apartment in Eastwood Shore, a collage freshmen in a hoodie walked through the door. "And where were you at to come home so late?" a woman in the kitchen said.
"Sorry mom, I was held up," the boy replied.
"No excuses!" the woman said, "Ethan you missed that one question and that is unacceptable. Now go to your room and study!"
"Yes mom," the boy said as he went to his room and closed the door.
"Greeting Mr. Ethan Crest," the boy named Ethan turned to see Sphinx.
"H-h-how did…" Ethan was silence with a cloth wrapped around his head. It came from Sphinx's staff.
"Foolish child," Sphinx said as more cloth wrapped around Ethan, "I have the information of every Magi and their abilities. Now child you can use your power to lead the Magi to victory." With a wave of her staff, Sphinx and Ethan disappeared.
Back on the college campus, Ashton, who was still Dragoon, was getting out of the sight of the public do to his fight with Gremlin.
"Man I feel bad for Ashton," Nate said, "He was supposed to be with his family for the weekend."
"Well duty calls," Lucy said sitting on a bunch, "It's better than this then to tell his family."
"They don't know?" Nate said, "Why?"
Lucy turned to Nate and said, "Would you want your family to know that you fight monsters on an almost daily basis?"
Nate thought about and replied, "You have a good point."
Soon Ashton returned back to normal and was running back to the campus store where police had arrived tried to take control of the situation. "Ash!" Ashton turned to see Lucy and Nate getting his attention. He ran over to them, "Hey Ash, what happened to that monster?" Nate asked.
"Gremlin got away," Ashton replied, "More importantly why was he here?"
"I don't know," Lucy said as she moved closer to whisper, "We should head to our usual place."
They all nodded and went to the Off Campus. On the way they heard people talking about what they saw and how some saw it other places on campus ruining computers and other personal devices. Near the Off Campus, they saw a limo parked right out and Nate paled at the sight of it as he slows down to a halt. Ashton and Lucy noticed this and stopped as well. Next to the limo door, Ward was standing there, waiting, and he opened the door where Deirdre walked out. Nate slowed down to a stop in front of his mother. "Mom, what are you doing here?" he asked.
"Nathen," Deirdre said with a stern voice, "I knew we shouldn't have let you come here. Monster attacks, masked vigilantes, I've talked to your father and…"
"Mom stop!" Nate almost shouted, "I have no time for this, I'm-I'm busy at the moment."
"Nathen Cornelius Darnell, did you just talk back to me?!" Deirdre said surprised at her son's response.
Then Ward walked over to Deirdre and whispered in her ear, "Ms. Darnell we got a situation that needs you're attention."
"Can't this be handled be my husband or an Omega?" Deirdre whispered back.
"No ma'am," Ward said, "Due to your husband waiting for his meeting, only a high ranking Omega can deal with this."
Deirdre let out a huff and said, "Fine." She turned back to her son and said, "We'll talk about this later." Deirdre went back into her limo and Ward went in with her as the limo left.
"Family problem?" Lucy asked.
"Nothing big," Nate replied, "Come on we have something to do."
Inside the Off Campus, Liz was talking on the phone and she saw the three run in, she covered the bottom part of the handset and asked, "What's going on out there?"
"Magi attack," Lucy replied as she and the others started to head to the back.
The groups of friends went to the backroom, where Sam was already on the computer. "Guys, have you seen this?" he asked.
"We know, a Magi attacked," Lucy told her brother.
"Not just that," Sam said as he turned the computer screen to them to reveal images of Ashton, as Dragoon, fighting Gremlin. "These pictures are on all social websites. Hell there is a page on Masked Lancers sighting."
"And yet people don't look online to see that there are more like me in Japan," Ashton pointed out.
Soon Liz rushed into the room, running into Nate, knocking him down. "Guys," she started, "The police is on the campus. What happened?"
"A Magi attacked on campus and we fought in the campus store," Ashton replied.
"Really Ashton," Liz said with a sigh, "You need to be more careful."
"I know," Ashton simply replied.
"Well we to figure out why the Magi attacked," Lucy pointed out.
"Yeah, I feel bad for taking Ash away from his family," Nathen said.
"I've been doing this for three years," Ashton replied, "They're use to me leaving at random times. So let's just focus on what the Gremlin wants."
"Well, when we saw it, Gremlin was destroying smartphones and laptops," Lucy retold what happened.
"Yeah but he was calling everyone 'cheaters' but when it saw our smart phones it said that we pass," Nate stated.
"Sounds like this Magi hates cheater and punish them," Liz said.
Sam raised an eyebrow and said, "A Magi punishing cheaters, never thought that I would hear anything like that."
"Sounds more like a teacher going after students," Lucy said.
"Or like you when you discover another student cheating," Sam added.
"Also," Ashton started, "When we fought, he saw the clock and said that he needed to go like if he had a curfew."
"So it's a young Magi who hates cheater," Nate rehashed, "Sounds easy to find."
Sphinx appeared with Ethan in a warehouse. "What the hell are you doing?!" Ethan shouted.
"Quiet Gremlin!" Sphinx shouted back using her magic to keep Ethan down.
"This is the boy?" Mort said.
"Yes, this boy can help end this war," Sphinx said.
"A war?" Ethan asked confused.
"Correct," Sphinx replied as light came on to reveal five Alpha Mechs. "There is a war between us and the Mechs. Unfortunately Mechs are somehow programmed to never say Gehanna Grinder's true name."
"What does this have to do with me?" Ethan asked.
"Your power," Sphinx answered, "Your nails can manipulate mechanical objects. I believe you can use your powers to rewrite the program and force them to reveal Gehanna's identity."
"But, but I don't think I can do something like that," Ethan said.
Sphinx held her staff at Ethan and started to enchant something. Ethan was confused until runes rise from the ground, surrounding him and then circle around him until they came in and forced him to become Gremlin. This time Gremlin had a golden breast plate, gantlets, and shin guards covered in different runes. He also saw that his nails got even longer.
"I've enhanced your power," Sphinx explained, "Now you should be able to hack the Mech and have them reveal the Mechs' leader. If you complete this, I'll make sure your debt is cleared."
Gremlin simply nodded as he understood what it meant and went to the first Alpha and shoved his nails into the Alpha. The Alpha screamed in pain as an electrical serge through it until Gremlin was forced away as the Alpha became human with a shatter scale net to him.
"Try it again," Sphinx ordered.
Gremlin repeated the process again and again, but it all resulted in the same thing. "I'm sorry," he said.
Sphinx sighed in frustration, "Damn Mechs. Don't worry, Mort will get more."
"Look out!" Mort shouted as he got in front of Sphinx with his shield up and something hit it.
"So this is what's happening to our Alphas." All three Magis looked to see Jewel and Golem.
"It seems that Gehenna sent his whore," Sphinx mockingly said, "I feel honored."
"Whore!? How dare you!" Jewel shouted as see pulled out a chain whip, "I am Jewel Grinder, the wife of Gehenna Grinder!"
The two higher Mechs and higher Magis got ready for battle, but Gremlin took this chance to get away.
Jewel lashed her whip at Sphinx, who generated as shield to block the attack. Mort rammed himself into Golem with his shield.
Sphinx said an enchantment that grabbed the end of Jewel's whip and tried to pull it out of her hand. Soon Jewel pulled out gems and threw them at Sphinx, which explodes on impact.
Golem was bashing against Mort's shield until he pulled out his sword and stabbed Golem.
Then lightning fired, separating the two sides. They all turned to see Unicorn with the Winged Lance in hand. "You Mechs should take your leave," he said.
"Lord Unicorn!" Sphinx shouted in surprise.
Jewel scuffed at the sight at the Magi leader, "I have better things to do," she said as left with Golem.
Sphinx ran over to Unicorn, "Lord Unicorn, why are you here?" she asked.
"I've been noticing you acting odd lately, so I followed Mort here," Unicorn replied.
"Forgive me Lord Unicorn but…" Sphinx tied to explain.
"No need to explain Sphinx," Unicorn replied, "Phoenix told me your human identity, and I can understand why you would do this for the family. You may not be related to us by blood, you're still family."
"Lord Unicorn," Sphinx said.
"Come Sphinx, Mort we hould find the Magi you brought," Unicorn told the two Magi.
Back at the apartment, Ethan Crest was sneaking into his home. "And where were you?"
Ethan turned to see his mother, "Mom?"
"Where were you?" his mother asked again getting mad.
"I was…was…" Ethan started.
"Ethan, I've been breaking my back to make sure you get into college and you go out to party or something. The only way to get in life is to get perfect grades and…" Ethan's mother continue on and on. Ethan can feel a headache starting up.
Finally Ethan couldn't take it anymore and transformed into Gremlin.
Back at the Off Campus, sirens can be heard and red and blue lights lighting the night passing by and stopping nearby. This caused people in the bar to go outside to see cop cars stopping in front of an apartment complex. Ashton and his friends were among the crowd. Ashton decided to run ahead to see what was going on.
Ashton arrived to the crowd and asked a nearby person, "Hey what happened?"
"A green monster appeared in one of the apartment and captured someone," a person replied.
Ashton knew that it Gremlin and took off to get out of the eyes of people. He got the Driver on and the Dragon crystal in his hand and insert into the Driver. "Henshin!" The crystal spin, releasing the energy to transform him into Dragoon. Ashton snuck around to get into the apartment complex.
Gremlin was in the apartment where his mother was tie up to the wall by wires and cables. "You see mom," Gremlin started, "This body is what perfection looks like. I was selected to be part of a race to rule this world."
Than the door was kicked open and Ashton walked into the apartment. "Dragoon!" Gremlin shouted, "What are you doing here?!"
"I'm here to stop you," Ashton replied as he got his lance ready.
"This woman," Gremlin said pointed to his mother, "believes that perfection it what we strive for, but we a chosen to be perfect. That's why we Magis exist, we are the perfect beings meant to rule."
"You're crazy," Ashton simply said as he charged at Gremlin.
Gremlin slashed his claws and hit Ashton, this time they hurt. "Like that, Sphinx gave me a power up."
"Still fought worse," Ashton replied as he slashed his lance at Gremlin.
"But now this is also improved," Gremlin stabbed the AC control and wires burst out of the wall, entangling around his lance. Ashton tried to pull the lance, but it was like the wires were sentient and not letting go.
Gremlin took the chance to strike Ashton a few times. Then Ashton just forgot the lance and fought back with his hands knocking Gremlin to the ground. Gremlin got back up and tried to attack again, but Ashton grabbed his arms and kneed him in the stomach.
"There is a difference between us," Ashton said, "I've been doing this for three years. Seeing terrible Magis and Mechs along with terrible people. Both sides are not perfect as you think."
"Shut up!" Gremlin shouted, "You know nothing. People cheat in order to gain a false perfection. People think they are perfect while in truth they are just false ideals."
"Ethan, please stop," his mother begged.
"No! Gremlin shouted grabbing his mother, "You taught me this and I've started your ideals at school and soon the Magi will continue this."
Ashton pulled out the crossbow on his arm and fired bolts at Gremlin, knocking him away from his mother and forced him back to the window.
The bow shifted on his arm to his hand and grew to a full size bow. When he pulled back the string, an arrow materialized and when he released it, it flew towards Gremlin and it pushed him out the window. Gremlin exploded as he fell to the ground.
With Gremlin gone, the wires were loose and Ashton got his lance then helped Ethan's mother from the wall. She rushed over to the window hoping to see her son. But when she didn't find him, she turned to Ashton. "What happened to my son?" she asked.
"He's dead," Ashton replied.
The mother was shocked as she stared at Ashton. "Murderer!" she shouted surprising Ashton. She grabbed Ashton and continued to shout at him, "You've done this for three years! How many lives did you take!? You are not a hero people make you to be! You are just a murderer!"
Ashton removed her hand and pushed her away. "I do what I have to do," he said as he walked away leave a destruct mother.
Outside Unicorn, Sphinx, and Mort saw the death of Gremlin. "Damn the Dragoon! He kills our kind with no thought." He turns to Mort, "Mort I need to get stronger, I need to slay the Dragoon and that dragon he's bound to."
"Yes my lord," Mort said.
"Together, we'll destroy that monster," Sphinx told Unicorn.
'I will destroy you Dragoon. Your dragon kill my parents and I won't let you kill my family.' Unicorn thought.
Ashton, who return back to normal, was able to return the streets and returning back to Off Campus. The mother's words echoed in his head, 'Murderer!'
"Ashton!" Ashton looked up to see his friends waiting for him.
"We saw what happened," Sam said, "Great job!"
"Thanks," Ashton replied, "Guys, after today, I want to go home and relax."
"Understandable," Lucy said, "You earned it."
Ashton didn't say another word and went to the garage and take his leave.
A few minutes later, Ashton arrived back home and saw one light on. He parked his bike and walked into the house and saw Guy in the living room. "Guy?"
Guy looked up to see Ashton and smiled, "Welcome home Ashton," he said.
"Where is everyone?" Ashton asked.
"Carter and Robert went to work, Marie is with her friend, Carrie is asleep along with Luke, Vince left but got caught in traffic that was caused by the monster in the apartment complex, and Aylward was called in by his workplace for something," Guy told Ashton.
"Sorry I had to leave," Ashton said as he sat down.
"It's understandable," Guy said, "You're a college student now. Everyone wants you to expand your horizons and grow."
Ashton smiled and said, "I know. And it is thanks to you for being there for me, Aylward, and my cousins."
"I promised your parents to watch after you and the rest of the family if anything happens to them," Guy told him, "We maybe not be related by blood but you're family to me."
Ashton chuckle a bit and said, "True."
"Well Ashton," Guy said as he stood up, "You look tired, you might as well go to sleep. Everyone will be happy to see you home in the morning."
"Yeah," Ashton said as he got up and walked towards the stairs, "Good night."
"Good night." Guy replied.
At the Darnell manor, Mabuz was waiting in his office all day. Soon the phone rang and he answered it. "Hello?"
"You know what to do," a voice said from the other side of the line.
Mabuz press a few buttons on the phone and the room darken with a hologram of a figure, showing no physical traits, sitting in the middle of the room.
"Sorry to keep you wait Mabuz, but you know the time differences," the figure said.
"It no problem, Mabuz replied hiding some of his annoyance.
"So how are things?" the figure asked.
"Well our operations are running smoothly, we are expecting more Corrupted Scales soon," Mabuz replied.
"Really? Then why is the Kamen Rider still interfering?" the figure asked.
"You don't understand…" Mabuz tried to say.
"I don't understand? The operations being run over here is being interrupted by a Kamen Rider. Just surprised this one didn't come to America yet."
"Well I'll try to send my men to destroy the Kamen Rider," Mabuz said.
"You better destroy him. Your debt can only be repaid if you make my Mach army. And I'll hate to come to America to sort out your problem. Don't fail me Mabuz," The figure said as the hologram disappeared.
Mabuz sat at his desk rubbing hiss forehead, "Damn that Kamen Rider."
