Marine and Psychic

After a long frustrating drive Chris decided to pull into his old patrolling spot at Gramercy Heights Park.

He couldn't shake feeling on edge. His return home still didn't feel real yet. Ohja was after them and every reflective surface could be used as a doorway. Also they were losing day light.

Having Tezuka around did help him through the unfamiliar roads. But having his counterpart Rider also injured, it felt really close to a rescue mission he was trying to complete all alone.

He parked Tezuka's motorcycle next to a sign, "We should be good, so long as we stay away from the buildings." Chris' voice was hoarse and coughed.

Tezuka dismounted the motorcycle and staggered over to the lush grass. The guy looked like he had fallen into a comfortable sleep.

Chris removed the helmet in the middle of a coughing fit. He brought out his inhaler, using it before following Tezuka.

He watched the other man reach into his red jacket and pull out a folded handkerchief lying it down on the grass before him.

"What's that?" Chris asked to start a conversation as he sat down.

He glanced over at the motorcycle to see if it would be all right. His shoulders slumped at the 'no parking' sign in front of it.

"The near future," Tezuka answered snatching Chris' attention then went silent.

"Tezuka," Chris smirked, "you do fortunetelling?" he looked at the hanky skeptically. He had never seen it done that way.

Tezuka opened the small sheet, revealing two coins. They were two different types of currency: one overlapped the other in the very center of the handkerchief, lying over the center creases.

"Neither one of us has much time. The next battle will be the last." Tezuka told him very grimly.

"Can't you predict some good news?" Chris asked while folding his legs. He hated to think his good fortunes run out.

"Prophesizing is reading into the future not writing one." Tezuka brooded at the coins.

"I don't believe that." Chris said trying to stay positive.

"You're free to believe what you want to Chris. What I see in the coins is not our fates," Tezuka shifted his brown eyes at Chris, "You're inhaler is running low and your injuries are taking their toll." He coughed, "Without strict medical attention," Tezuka coughed again, "Not even I will last long." He grabbed the hanky dropping the coins and cleaned his right hand of blood he just coughed up.

Chris didn't like the odds.

Tezuka snatched up a coin and flipped it with his left probably to know what misfortune comes next. Chris shot his hand out and grabbed it in mid air not wanting to know.

Now that they were properly looking at each other Chris could see Tezuka has a swollen right cheek, his skin was split from his left eyebrow to his the corner of his eye and it was bruising. He could only imagine what other injuries Asakura had inflicted on them.

"There should be a Government building nearby that leads to the help we need." Chris thought of the man that had cured his asthma, Eubulon, "If the roads don't change we can be there within an hour."

"With the both of us were not going to make it. And just one may not have that long, but has a slim chance." Tezuka pointed out.

Chris opened his hand and the coin was on heads. "Semper Fidilus, I'm not leaving a man behind. We'll get there, Tezuka." Chris assured him.

Tezuka narrowed his eyes at the coin then looked up at Chris with some hope. Tezuka held out his hand and Chris tipped his hand over returning the coin.

It landed in Tezuka's palm with heads up.

Tezuka climbed to his feet and offered Chris a hand up, Chris took it getting to his own feet. He tried to massage the pain away from his shoulder, it was sensitive to his own weight.

They headed for the motorcycle.

Around Closing

The number of customers dwindled down. Kit gathered up the receipts and glanced up at the ceiling. What was taking Shinji so long?

He and Sanako returned to the counter where Kit just flopped down on a stool rubbing his soar arm. He glanced through a few of the makeshift comment cards. Then set them down on the counter where Sanako put another mug in front of him.

"More?" Kit tried not to sound like he was whining.

"That's for you. Its good for you and it should help with your arm." Sanako said taking a sip of her own tea.

"Oh. Thanks." Kit put the mug to his lips and jerked as the liquid burned his tongue. "Still hot." He croaked setting it down.

It was difficult to tell if Mrs. Kanzaki was warming up to him or just dealing with him. He also wondered why almost everyone's first impression of him was that of a petty thug.

The pictures on the cork board beckoned his attention. He took one with the ocean in the back ground of the girl resting her head on the guys shoulder. Both were smiling.

Kit rested his head on the counter still looking at it. He blinked with tired eyes as things went blurry…

Interception

Price sped up the motorcycle in pursuit of JTC. His Earth twin glanced over his shoulder then turned his motorcycle around the corner trying to lose him.

"Predictable." Price commented.

JTC turned his attention back on the road. He was caught by surprise and was forced to break or collide into a car. He narrowed his eyes as he saw who the driver was.

Maya gave him a deadly scowl from behind the drivers' seat. "Give up, James! You can't go anywhere!"

"Can't I, Maya?" JTC made the engine to his motorcycle roar as if to challenge Maya's car.

Price drove up behind JTC. "Return the deck and you won't get much trouble."

The mirror monster alarm sounded.

"Not now." Maya groaned.

JTC revved up the motorcycle and made a sharp turn onto the sidewalk driving straight into Grace's Book store.

"No!" Maya cried out believing he was going to drive straight into the store but breathed a sigh of relief as he sank through the reflection.

She got off her car and ran to the window then thrust the deck at her reflection. White electricity ran under her arm down her torso and drew on her belt. "Kamen Rider!" She called and slotted the belt, taking a step back and spread her arms as waist high. A single ring erupted from the belt and split into two rotating kinetic rings, once they met at the middle again she was adorned in the Siren suit.

She jumped into the pool-like window and emerged in Ventara. She saw no sign of JTC anywhere, but saw a Red Wildboarder charging at her and jumped missing it.

"Come on Maya!" She heard Price encourage her from Earth.

Siren landed and but didn't see the Green Wildboarder charge and rammed her.

"Maya!" Price cried. He looked into the reflection horrified as he saw a third one wipe its left foot ready to charge.

"Excuse me!" A stranger called from behind.

Price glanced over his shoulder and fully turned around when he saw the Dragon Deck, the blue and white motorcycle but the wrong guy on it. He glanced back at the reflection and saw Maya was having trouble. He hated being helpless to help her, then this questionable Kamen Rider shows up.

"Henshin!" Slotted the deck and sped into the window.

Price turned back to the guy and dove out of the way. He swallowed hard and hoped that what Kitaoka had said about him was true.

Wake Up Kit!

He and Wing Knight were fighting with Newts, Sheerghosts and Raydragoons in Survive modes. It seemed like there was no end in sight on the street.

Siren ran in leading the other Riders into the battle swinging her javelin taking down as many as she could.

"Shoot Vent!" Survive Dragon Knight had slotted the card into the gun. Draganzer stood behind him as he took aim and fired on a group of Sheerghosts.

With their combined efforts he and the other Riders finished off the rest in no time.

Now Kit stood alone as the rest of the Riders stood behind Len.

"This is it." Len said somberly.

"What!" Kit was confused, "No, I thought there was more time!"

"The Void can't stay open much longer. You know as well as I do that Xaviax CAN'T return no matter what."

"There has to be some other way! Right?" Kit looked at the others begging for an alternative answer.

They looked at him sadly unable to give him one.

"I'm really sorry Kit." Len said.

"This is how it has to be." Kase said biting her lower lip trying to be strong.

"Good-bye Kit." Len swallowed hard fighting to keep a straight face.

The Ventara Riders just dissolved away leaving Kit alone on the street.

"No!" Kit cried, "Guys! Len! Don't go!"

The empty streets suddenly became populated with strangers from Earth. Just ordinary people he didn't even know.

Kit looked up with a sniff. His cheeks were all ready drenched with tears he could no longer fight back.

"Don't worry Kit." Chris said as he stood before him in his brown camouflaged uniform. Then he took a step beginning to walk around Kit turning into Drew in his street clothes. "It's not as though," he turned into Danny Cho, "it was all done," he was now JTC, "for nothing. We still," Vic was next, "managed to actually find," Ritchie, "General Xaviax. He's been," Brad, "right here the whole," Grant, "time and they didn't," Albert Cho, "even know it."

Albert stopped just in front of Kit.

"You!" Kit hissed.

Albert turned into Xaviax's human form.

"Honestly, did you think you could get rid of me that easily? It's just far too cliché and ganging up on me all once." Xaviax slowly shook his head in disappointment, "Tsk, tsk, tsk… What are you going to do now that you're all alone Kit Taylor?"

Kit felt anger boiling in the pit of his gut with every step that Xaviax took toward him. He tightened his grip around his advent deck. He glanced down at it and held it out to Xavaix now in his bug form, ready to face off against him.

Then something happened that he didn't expect.

Xaviax turned… into a pineapple?

He lowered the deck and his dream was invaded by a savory smell.

He looked around confused as every person on the street suddenly turned into a fruit or vegetable.

Kit's nose twitched and immediately sat up. For a moment he forgot where he was. He looked around felt a piece of paper stuck to his cheek.

There was a plate of veggies mixed in beef strips, rice and pineapple.

"Ah, always good to know when people have a nose for good food." Sanako set the plate before Kit.

Now he understood why Xaviax turned into a pineapple in his dream.

"Oh, uh, thank you." Kit yawned and peeled the napkin off his left cheek.

Sanako sat on the stool next to him with her identical plate. "It looks like it will only be you and me for dinner." She said with a hint of sadness.

Kit looked around at the place still very groggy. There weren't any customers. Was he dreaming again?

"Yui, Ren-chan are still out and Shin-chan just left." She said more out of small talk picking up her chopsticks.

Kit picked up his set and asked not really processing anything, "Who's Shin-chan?" he asked.

"Kido Shinji," Sanako reminded, "the enthusiastic young man you brought home all beat up." Her mood lightened as she seemed to reminisce, "That Shin-chan never could sit still. He said not to worry and that he has everything under control. I am a little worried though with that injured leg of his."

Kit chewed slowly and almost choked when he finally processed what she'd just said. "Didn't you try to stop him?"

"I tried. Shin-chan left before I could even protest! He seemed to be in a hurry."

Now Kit was worried, as he looked down at the plate before him.

Shinji wouldn't be able to handle a monster with his injury!

Kit started to gobble everything down out of the politeness of being fed. The moment he was done he ran for the door just leaving Sanako alone at the counter.

"Thank you for dinner Mrs. Kanzaki!" said as he spun around, "I got to go! Bye!" he ran out the door.

Kit trotted to where his motorcycle was supposed to be but looked even more panicked as it wasn't there. Instead it was just Shinji's red motor scooter.

He angrily kicked the motor scooter, accidentally knocking it over and stubbing his toe.

He quickly hopped back inside about to ask if Shinji had left his keys when he saw them by his empty plate. He quickly snatched them up and left an awestricken Sanako still staring at his empty plate.

He picked up his respective helmet that was left behind and picked up the motor scooter riding off on it.