"Ryuji-kun, are you okay?" Kotonoha asked.
"Just heartburn," he answered, rubbing the area Double had hit with a flaming punch earlier. "That was a great meal, Kotonoha-chan."
The girl beamed. They were alone in her house. Her parents were out and her sister was at a sleepover, leaving them both alone in her home.
"I'm glad you managed to come. Why were you late?" Kotonoha asked.
"Had to get something for my uncle," he answered. Wasn't a lie. His uncle had sent him a message and gave him the chance to face Double. While he was left dissatisfied with his opponent fleeing, the fact was that he was able to overpower the Rider and send him running. 'I am so rubbing it in that jerk's face next time I see him,' thought Ryuji eagerly.
LOVE HINA/DOUBLE TROUBLE
By: Kamen Rider Chrome and Ten-Faced Paladin
Chapter 10: Scattered Petals
Keitaro finally woke up after several hours of rest. He frowned as he looked at the clock, "I missed dinner."
"Oh, Keitaro-niichan," smiled Kanako. "I made sure to save you some dinner."
"Thanks," said Keitaro. He looked to see Phillip still asleep. "Man, that Dopant packed a whallop."
"You'll beat him next time," said Kanako.
"Actually, I'm more worried about that Rose Dopant. When Phillip wakes up he'll have to run a search in the Gaia Library."
"But for now, get your strength back," said Kanako. "Let me feed you, OK?"
Well, his arms were still a bit sore for him to life. "OK, Kanako-chan."
The girl beamed.
"Now, say 'aah'."
Next Day…
Keitaro flexed his arms as he tried to get the stiffness out of them. Last night rest did not come easy to him thanks to his injuries and today was shaping up to be a regular day. Maybe if he got onto the street now, he might get some leads on that Rose Dopant.
"Keitaro," Kitsune called out. "We need to talk."
Or not…
Keitaro sighed as he saw Kitsune at the door of his office/room. She did not look happy and he could assume why. Kanako's ways of finding information on people wasn't exactly subtle nor was it polite. No doubt the three oldest girls weren't in a forgiving mood for the Urashima daughter just yet.
"Okay," Keitaro sighed, seeing no avenue of escape. "I assume it's because of Kanako-chan."
"Damn right," Kitsune nodded, stepping inside and shutting the door behind her. "Now I want to know exactly why you're cutting her so much slack and why you were so uptight about any arguments we might have. I'm all for getting physical, but I do not appreciate being groped! I don't care if she's a girl or not, I don't like being felt up by someone I don't know!"
"I see," Keitaro sighed. "For what it's worth, Kanako didn't do that so she could simply feel you up or any other kind of sexual harassment reasons. It was all business to her."
"And what business is that?" asked Kitsune.
"Simple. She wanted to know all of your physical measurements so she could pretend to be you if the need ever arose," Keitaro answered, making Kitsune's eyes open widely. "Ever since Kanako started impersonating people, she's had this habit of going places in disguise first and learning about it and the people there before being formally introduced. When me and Phillip were staying in residence at Tokyo U, she once pretended to be the floor manager so she could make profiles on everyone there so we wouldn't get bullied. Don't ask me how she managed to copy a twenty-something year old man. She won't tell me."
"Okay…so the reason she got all personal while pretending to be Naru was because…she wanted to make sure we were treating you guys right?" asked Kitsune with curiosity.
"Yeah," Keitaro nodded. "You see, Kanako's an orphan. She was adopted by my parents just like Phillip was. She was really young when she lost her parents, but I think the feeling of losing someone precious is there even if she can't remember them. Phillip and I were really close to her as she grew so she kind of really got attached to us."
"Oh man," Kitsune gasped softly.
"It probably didn't help that our parents kept force feeding her candy even though she can't stand sweets," Keitaro sighed as he rolled his eyes at the memory. "Our parents can be really dense and just didn't want to believe that a little girl didn't like candy."
"So, you three are that close, huh?" Kitsune asked.
"We made a promise to run Hinata-Sou and a detective agency when we grew up," Keitaro answered, "And she takes her promises very seriously." He shifted his fedora slightly so he could scratch his head. "I really am sorry about how she violated your personal space like that and if she had actually hurt any of you then I would be taking some serious action As it is, she was just going about her way to try and see if Phillip and I were being mistreated or not."
"Okay." Kitsune nodded. "If that's the case then I suppose I can let it go. Just…make sure she doesn't do it again would you? I've had enough bad dates where guys tried to do that and I don't need yet another reminder."
"Right," Keitaro nodded. "Do you think you can forgive me for being so harsh the other night?"
"That's easy," Kitsune smiled, walking over to Keitaro before planting a soft kiss on his cheek. "But…it would help the process if you took me out again. Say, maybe after you deal with this missing bride case?"
"I think I can pencil you into my schedule," Keitaro smiled. "I'll try and crack this case as soon as possible, Kit-chan."
"And knowing you, you'll definitely crack the case. Ciao!" Kitsune playfully waved and walked off, leaving the room.
Out from a corner, Kanako glared. "I need to have a talk with that girl."
Hinata High School
Ryuji entered the school together with Kotonoha and the girl's arm was wrapped around his. She wasn't shy about showing her affection now after Ryuji's confession. Already, students were staring and whispering but Ryuji did not care. All he cared about were two things. Namely: Kotonoha Katsura and also his next fight with Double.
Ryuji smirked. Double was a strong opponent. He looked forward to their next encounter. 'I am so rubbing this in Saeko-neesan's husband's face when I beat Double.' That arrogant ass deserved a humbling.
Hinata-Sou
"OK, Phillip," began Keitaro. "Do your thing."
Kanako was present as well as Phillip stood in the middle of the room, arms spread. His mind was transported to the Gaia Library. Kanako was no stranger to her older brother's process of obtaining information. It had frightened her a little when she was little, fearing that her big brother was somehow broken, but now she knew better. His knowledge within the Gaia Library was second to none. It filled her with pride to know she had brothers like Keitaro and Phillip.
"Begin Search. The Memory is Rose," said Phillip.
"Keywords: Brides, Kidnap, Wedding Planner, Bridal Boutique, St. Augustus Church and Wedding," Keitaro listed.
"I have a list of the five brides who vanished," Phillip replied, finding the information needed. "However…"
"What is it?" asked Keitaro.
"There are a list of names here who had gotten married within these parameters," Phillip replied, looking over the list of brides who used the same store and church for their wedding ceremony. "They weren't kidnapped, but they do stand out. Their names are Kyoko Zeppelin Sohryu, Naoko Akagi, and Yui Ikari."
"Ikari? Any relation to our client?" asked Keitaro.
"Yes. She is Ikari-san's mother," Phillip answered. "She used to work in a government science facility, but an explosion killed her and left Shinji with his father, Gendo Ikari."
"How does this have relevance to our case?" asked Keitaro.
"Because Gendo Ikari has a list of enemies a mile long," Phillip answered. "He's a commander of a military science outpost somewhere up north. A facility where Naoko Akagi and Kyoko Zeppelin Sohryu both worked."
"So those three women, all three married in the same church, all three worked at the same facility, and all three met a bad fate?"
"Sadly, yes," Phillip answered. "Sohryu-san was exposed to some bio hazardous materials and went insane before hanging herself. Naoko Akagi committed suicide as well, but no one was sure why."
"So…maybe whoever is the Rose Dopant has a connection to these women and kidnapped Ayanami as a strike against Ikari's father?" wondered Keitaro. "If that's true, then why kidnap the other brides?"
"Perhaps they were practice or related to other people in the facility," Phillip offered.
"Maybe. Do a background check then," Keitaro pondered. "Do those women have any family left?"
"Kyoko-san had a daughter who lives in the city named Asuka Langley Sohryu and is currently living alone. She graduated from university in Germany, her father's native country and is currently here taking classes in Tokyo U to gain a law degree," Phillip recited. "Naoko Akagi had a daughter named Ritsuko Akagi who is working as a medical technician specialist as well as a doctor of medicine in Hinata City Memorial Hospital. Finally, Yui Ikari's son Shinji Ikari was raised by a guardian named Misato Katsuragi who is teaching at Hinata High. She's a very popular teacher there."
"Okay," Keitaro nodded as he wrote the last of the information down. "Kanako and I will check these names. You try to see what you can learn about the people of that facility, especially if they have any other relations who are involved in this."
"Hai!" Phillip replied.
"Ready to work?" Keitaro asked his sister.
"Always am," nodded Kanako.
Ryuji couldn't help but feel smug as he sat in the cafeteria with Kotonoha, having lunch together. Several rumours about them were already floating about but Ryuji paid them no mind. Due to his reputation, nobody dared to confront him about it.
The news of Taisuke getting arrested by the police and sent to prison had spread and Ryuji could only laugh at his face. Honestly, did the idiot expect not to get caught? Even if he had bought a Gaia Memory, that didn't mean he was invincible. He just became so addicted to the power that it finally overwhelmed him and made him go insane.
'I'm so glad I have a Gaia Driver,' Ryuji thought happily. A Gaia Driver helped to filter the raw power of the Gaia Memories. Since only Gaia Memories were sold, the clients didn't get Gaia Drivers and instead used Organism Connector tattoos to download the energy into their bodies. However, the raw power eventually drove them insane. That was usually one of the problems with people who became Dopants outside of the Sonozaki family, hey got arrogant with all of their newfound power and ended up being sloppy.
Ryuji, while not interested in the family business, thought that Kirihiko should be more careful about whom he sold the Gaia Memories too. It was a good thing that the people who bought them, after being defeated by Double, were so mentally messed up that they could not answer any questions. If they could then the Sonozaki Clan would get in trouble with the law but they could always get lawyers to disprove the claims and leaving them clean of any scandal. Well, that was the general belief, but if there were people who were just as dedicated as Double was, then there might be trouble.
Kotonoha tugged on his sleeve and he saw her discomfort. He frowned. While he cared little for what people said about them, Kotonoha wasn't used to the attention.
"Let's go to the roof," she suggested.
"OK," nodded Ryuji.
Hinata Arms Apartments
"So, Souryu-san," began Keitaro with his questioning, "Are you familiar with Shinji Ikari and Rei Ayanami?"
Keitaro had managed to track down Asuka at her apartment. She was an attractive young woman who was a little younger than Keitaro. She had long flowing red hair that certainly let you know she was part German, if the way she muttered in German when she was upset wasn't enough of an indication anyway. She was brash and proud, which made her appear as a tomboy at least in personality since she still wore feminine clothes.
"Yes," Asuka answered, "Shinji and I were childhood friends."
"And Ayanami-san?' Keitaro asked.
"Oh, she transferred into our class during middle school," Asuka answered, running her hand through her hair. "She and I…didn't get along too well. Conflicting personalities and all that. I was brash and confident while she was shy and quiet. We didn't hate each other, but we couldn't agree on much."
"So how did you feel when Shinji Ikari proposed to her?" asked Keitaro.
"Saw it coming I guess," Asuka sighed, sipping her coffee sadly. "Back in middle school I had a thing for Shinji…badly. The problem was that I was so insecure I kept hiding my feelings by being loud and kind of violent at times. Shinji was kind of on the fence on if he liked me or Rei. With his kind of personality, it's not surprising that he went to Rei. I guess that I was hoping for the opposites attract idea."
"So you don't have any hard feelings towards Rei or Shinji?" asked Keitaro.
"Nope," Asuka denied. "One thing Rei is, is forgiving. She left our past behind us and once I managed to get out of my loud and violent phase, she and I actually managed to get along. She even asked me to be her maid of honour at the wedding. You should have seen them. They were really looking forward to this. Personally, I want to beat the crap out of whoever did this to them."
Keitaro took notes as he observed Asuka. She was definitely feeling regret over not trying harder in gaining Shinji's affection like Rei had, but it wasn't affecting her life or her friendship with them. She definitely wasn't feeling any kind of animosity towards the bride or the groom. The only aggression she was showing off was when she mentioned what she'd like to do to the person which forced the wedding to be postponed. Obviously Asuka was someone who looked out for her friends.
"Okay, so the other brides that went missing," Keitaro continued. "Do you know any of them or perhaps some kind of connection between your family, Shinji's, and theirs?"
"Mmmmm, not that I can think of," Asuka frowned as she scratched her head. "I don't really know any of the contacts my family had. I…never really wanted to get involved with Mama's life after her…accident."
"Perfectly understandable," Keitaro nodded as he made more notes. So Asuka couldn't think of a connection. Hopefully Kanako was having better luck with Ms. Katsuragi.
Katsuragi Residence
"So, you were Ikari-san's guardian, right?" asked Kanako.
"You mean Shinji, right? How is he doing? I mean he was supposed to marry Rei and now this happens."
Misato Katsuragi was a high school teacher at Hinata High and one of the most popular to be honest. She was easygoing, kind, and despite getting close to her forties, still very attractive. She had long purple hair which looked well cared for and her figure was to die for in the eyes of many women her age. She and Kanako were sitting at the kitchen table, with Misato holding a can of beer while Misato's pet penguin Pen-Pen was watching television.
"As well as can be expected," Kanako answered. Despite her cool demeanour, she was actually very sympathetic to the client. No one should be denied being with the one they loved. "So, how did you become Ikari-san's guardian?"
"His father," Misato sighed. "After Shinji-kun's mother died in that explosion, the man just simply dropped anything that reminded him of her, which included Shinji. His mother was something of a friend of my dad's so I quickly took him in. He was really introverted and shy though. Being abandoned like that made him feel downright worthless for a long time. He started coming out of it when he managed to get into middle school though. Of course, that's where he met Rei and his usual group of friends."
"And how did their relationship go?" asked Kanako.
"Well, Rei was definitely a quiet girl and not one for conversation," Misato shrugged. "A real cutie though. I guess Shinji saw himself in her and that's why he made such an effort into reaching out to her. Still, they managed to hit it off and became a couple. I was so relieved to hear it. It meant that they were both getting over the scars of the past and all that. Hearing that they were getting married was such great news. Rei even asked me to be one of her bridesmaids. It was such horrible news to hear Rei went missing like that."
"Yes," Kanako nodded. Producing a slip of paper, she handed it over to Misato, revealing the names of the missing brides and the men they were marrying. "Since you seemed to have known Yui Ikari in a sense, would you be able to tell if any of these other names are connected to anything in her life or maybe through Gendo? We're looking for leads from any angle."
"Hmmmm….sorry. Can't say that I do," Misato sighed as she returned the paper. "My father was more the type to know what Mrs. Ikari was up to and we never really got along. I also made it a point to keep Gendo Ikari far away from Shinji as he was growing up. Still, my friend Ritsuko Akagi might be the better one to talk to about that. Her mother worked with Yui on a few projects and Ritz idolizes her mother. She would be able to tell you everything about her mother's workplace."
Hinata City Memorial Hospital
"Thank you for giving up some of your time to talk to me, Dr. Akagi," said Kanako.
"Oh, the pleasure is all mine. Poor Shinji, though. He must've been devastated when he heard Rei had disappeared," Ritsuko Akagi, lighting up a cigarette as she and Kanako did their interview in the staff break room.
Indeed. Shinji had been an emotional wreck when he came to Keitaro for help. "Yes, he was," confirmed Kanako. She hadn't met Shinji personally, but she could tell from Keitaro's description of the man when he came for help. "Can you tell me about who would want to ruin their special day?"
"Well..." Ritsuko leaned in, "Between you and me, I think that Asuka girl may have had something to do with it. She's been Shinji's childhood friend for as long as I can remember."
"And how would you know this?" Kanako asked.
"From Shinji's guardian, Misato. She always talks about how cute Shinji and Asuka would be together, but then Shinji ends up going steady with another girl, Rei. A girl like Asuka isn't known to let things go like that. I think that she made sure that if she couldn't have Shinji, then no one else could," said Ritsuko.
Kanako's eyes scrutinised Ritsuko. There was something in the way she was casually dismissing the whole affair. If she was friends with Shinji's former guardian, then she had to have been involved in the wedding plans or at least in Shinji's life at some point, if nothing else than a casual friend. She should have been showing more concern that this. Still her attitude spoke of something to Kanako. 'This woman is definitely the type to hold a grudge herself.' Kanako continued her questioning, "Is there anything else you could tell me? Any enemies perhaps?"
"Knowing Shinji's father, that man would have made a ton of enemies. He used to be a bar brawler when he was younger so I wouldn't be surprised. Someone must've found out his son was getting married so if he couldn't get at the father, he got at Shinji instead."
"You mean kidnapping Rei for ransom?" Kanako asked.
"Of course," nodded Ritsuko. "Why else would someone go through all the trouble to kidnap her?"
There hadn't been any mention of a ransom note as far as Kanako could recall from the information she got from her brothers and plus there had been other kidnappings, all caused by a Dopant. Whatever reason this Dopant was kidnapping brides for, it was doing it for personal reasons. Those were sometimes the worst kinds of enemies to go against since they felt they had everything to gain and not much to lose.
"But what about these other kidnappings of brides?" asked Kanako. "Couldn't Rei's kidnapping be considered a similar incident?"
"It could be just a coincidence," Ritsuko shrugged.
Kanako scoffed mentally, 'Doubtful. A Dopant is responsible for all the kidnappings. Humans don't generally leave the trace amount of evidence Dopants can when they carjack somebody. Not to mention we saw her for ourselves.'
"Is that all?" Ritsuko asked. "I'm very busy today and I must get back to work."
"Yeah, that's all," nodded Kanako. "Thank you for your time."
Hinata City
After school, both Ryuji and Kotonoha were walking together in the city's main shopping district. They were chatting pleasantly when Kotonoha stopped in front of a bridal boutique. Her eyes were upon one of the dresses on display. As soon as her eyes fell upon the dress, she imagined herself wearing it with Ryuji by her side in a church, being wed. A warm smile and a rosy blush overcame her face as she thought of the romantic scene. It seemed to be perfect.
"Kotonoha-chan?" Kotonoha was immediately shocked out of her daydream by his voice. Blushing deep red, she laughed nervously.
"I just zoned out a bit," she smiled softly, hoping to banish the blush of her face quickly.
"Oh, alright," he shrugged. He wasn't oblivious, though. He knew she'd been looking at the dress, which worried him. The latest series of bridal kidnappings were all committed by a Dopant, one of Kirihiko's customers no doubt. He was half tempted to use his own Memory to hunt the one responsible down, but the Sonozaki family rules prohibited it. Unless a Dopant directly provoked you, you were not allowed to attack them. It would ruin sales if people discovered that the dealers struck down their own customers out of the blue.
However, it wasn't like he hadn't imagined her being in a wedding dress. She'd look lovely in one. Of course, he had to make sure she wouldn't get involved in the family business once they were married.
"Let's go in," Kotonoha said.
"In there?" Ryuji asked.
"Well, we are engaged," said Kotonoha. "What's the harm of looking?"
"I don't know…"
"Come on! It'll be fun!"
Ryuji shrugged. Kotonoha was a romantic at heart and he basically humoured her. Being an actual couple instead of pretending was starting to look like a good thing to the young man.
They both entered and were immediately welcomed by an energetic Tsukino who dragged Kotonoha inside further, despite the girl's protests. "You have to try at least one dress! No, two! No, three! Oh, you look like any dress would look lovely on you!" exclaimed Tsukino.
Ryuji chuckled in amusement as he watched Kotonoha being pushed into a dressing room with a wedding dress by an exuberant Tsukino.
As Ryuji looked around, he picked up an album. He flipped through the pages and then stopped at one particular photo. "It's that detective," Ryuji recognised. "But who's that girl?" His eyes widened in realization. "Wait a minute…" He now recalled the girl. He'd seen her enter that vehicle with Double. In fact, she was wearing the same dress in the photo as the one he saw her wearing as she fled with Double. He smirked, "Interesting…"
Hinata-Sou
"That Dr. Akagi is the most suspicious," Kanako said. The three Urashimas were in their office, discussing the three people they'd questioned. Kanako was the first to give her opinion. "She was trying to shift the blame to Souryu. In fact, for someone who was somewhat connected to Ikari-san, she didn't seem all that sorry or sympathetic that it had happened. Perhaps it's because some doctors like to keep patients at arm's length, but…"
"While it's possible that Souryu-san may hold a grudge, she doesn't look like she was upset or anything about Ikari-san and Ayanami-san getting married," said Keitaro.
"Still, with the lack of clues, there's not much we can do except to catch our kidnapper in the act," said Phillip, shutting the book he was currently reading. "I did a search and I found out there was going to be a wedding 2 days from now at St. Augustus Church at 2 pm."
"And since all the brides were kidnapped on their way to St. Augustus, the Dopant is likely to strike then," deduced Keitaro. "Phillip, did all the brides use the same route when going to the church?"
"There's only one way to the church, Keitaro," said Phillip.
"Alright," Keitaro said, punching his palm. "We're gonna get that Dopant!"
Sonozaki Manor
The Sonozaki family was all together for another dinner as they usually did. Saeko and Kirihiko were sitting together like always. Wakana was next to Ryuji with Ryubee at the head of the table with Mick in his lap. Everyone seemed in high spirits, especially Ryubee since he had heard some good news lately. Everyone was making small talk as they conversed about their day or what business they were up to. Of course, Gaia Memories came into play, but for once Ryuji was willing to talk business.
"Kirihiko, you sold the Rose Gaia Memory, didn't you?" asked Ryuji.
"Yes, I did," said Kirihiko, "And to a charming woman to boot."
"Well, I sure hope she doesn't have it by the time Kotonoha-chan and I are wed," said Ryuji.
"Looks like you're enjoying the idea of marrying that girl," stated Saeko.
"She's my fiancée. It's inevitable. However, I may do the same thing as Okaasan and keep her away from the family business for her own safety. Heck, I might just take her name instead," Ryuji retorted.
"Oh, don't do that, Otouto!" Wakana frowned. "I mean Kotonoha Sonozaki has a nice ring to it, and I don't see Ryuji Katsura sounding any better."
"That's your opinion, not mine," huffed Ryuji.
"Children, please behave," said Ryubee. His cat, Mick, bounced out of his arms and went under the table before jumping into Ryuji's lap. He was almost jealous of how his beloved Mick would lay in Ryuji's lap just as much as his own. Still, it proved that Ryuji was just as much a part of the family as his daughters and son-in-law were.
"Uncle, tell us why you've invited us here," said Ryuji.
"I just wish to congratulate a certain someone who was able to chase Double away," said Ryubee. "Ryuji, weren't you able to make Double run?"
Ryuji smirked, glancing at Kirihiko, before answering, "Yeah, and he ran like a coward."
"I'm so glad you saved one of my customers," said Kirihiko. He knew Ryuji was just rubbing his accomplishment in his face. He and the male Sonozaki never truly got along. Oh there was respect for each others' abilities, but not much else. Kirihiko felt that Ryuji was a naïve child who had no idea how the true world worked. How could anyone try to throw away the kind of power and connections that the Sonozaki family could offer?
Ryuji snorted, derailing Kirihiko's thoughts "I could care less about your customers. I almost missed a dinner date with Kotonoha-chan because of it."
TIME BREAK
It was 2 days later and the Urashima Detectives were prepared to spring their trap. With Phillip's information, Keitaro was waiting for the bridal car to show up on the road. All the brides had been kidnapped on their way so it was likely that the Dopant would strike again this time like it had the first 5 times. Then, Keitaro would follow the Dopant to where she had the girls stashed. Defeating the Dopant now wouldn't be good as that would make questioning her useless since damage to the mind was inevitable following a Memory Break.
There was only one road to and from the church since it was situated on a serene property which had trees, a pond, and several flower beds. The place was built to exude calmness and peace so to make religious practices much more meaningful, but also to create a more romantic and joyous atmosphere for weddings. The road leading to the church was long and ran a fair distance from the edge of Hinata City. It was a lot of road to cover, but there was only a fair distance between the city and the church where no one could see anything.
"Keitaro-niichan, are you in position?" Kanako asked through the Stag Phone.
"Yes, I am," nodded Keitaro. "Be careful." He then saw the car. "I see the car. Hold your position."
The car was coming over the hill and seemed to be doing fine, however Keitaro knew better than to assume anything. His intuition was proven right yet again when thorns went flying from the taller grass and struck the wheels, causing them to go flat. The car went out of control as it swerved around and came to a skidding stop. The Dopant then emerged from a hiding place inside the taller grass surrounding the road, suspended in the air by her vines which she was using as faux legs came down in front of the car. "You're mine," the Dopant hissed as she tore the roof off the car and reached inside, grabbing the frightened bride. Vines wrapped around the bride as the Rose Dopant poured pollen all over her victim's face to let them go quiet. Satisfied that her cargo was secure, the Rose Dopant took off towards the city.
Keitaro nodded and decided to follow from a distance.
The Dopant laughed as she put the newest bride into a seed-like pod. It was near transparent. Hanging from the rafters were other pods, all filled with the brides she'd taken. The building itself was an abandoned church. It had been given up after the former priest and owner moved to a different parish due to lack of people and he hadn't been able to sell the property. So, the building went unattended as no one apparently wanted it. However, it was currently being used for a more sinister purpose.
"Now, don't you all worry. With the dreams I've provided you, you won't have a need to marry another man," said the Dopant. Green energy wrapped around her before her form shifted into that of Dr. Ritsuko Akagi. "But there are still more misguided girls needed to be saved."
"Your help isn't the type they need!" a voice called.
"Who's there!?" Ritsuko whirled around, demanding as footsteps approached. Her eyes narrowed as they focused on the figure standing before her. The limited lighting revealed it to be none other than Keitaro Urashima. "You! Who are you!?"
"Hardboiled Detective Extraordinaire," Keitaro introduced, "Keitaro Urashima!"
"Urashima? So, you're connected to that girl I spoke to that day," Ritsuko sneered.
"That's right, and it's through that girl I was able to find you," said Keitaro. "You see, the day before, Kanako-chan was able to convince the bride to let her take her place in order to act as bait as a Dopant. Using one of her clever disguises, she looked exactly like the woman who was to be married the next day."
Ritsuko eyes widened. "You mean the girl I grabbed-"
"Was bait, my own sister," said Keitaro. Keitaro was actually reluctant to use Kanako for bait but then Kanako reminded him of what their mentor had taught them. A detective must be prepared to risk their own life to bring justice. That still hadn't convinced him but then Kanako pointed out that if she didn't then they wouldn't know the fate of the kidnapped brides. He reluctantly agreed, but not before having her wear a tracker. He tapped his Spider Shock watch, smiling. "You just got Punk'd!"
Ritsuko gritted her teeth and took out her red-coloured Gaia Memory. "I'll kill you where you stand!"
"ROSE!"
She then plugged the Gaia Memory into a tattoo on the left side of her neck. Green vines enveloped her body like a cocoon before they unwrapped and she was in her Rose Dopant form. "DIE!!!" she charged at Keitaro.
Keitaro knew what he was doing and took out his Gaia Memory. "JOKER!"
"Henshin!" Keitaro called as the Heat Memory appeared in his belt. He pushed it in and then plugged in the Joker Memory before spreading the buckle.
"HEAT-JOKER!"
His armor was formed and then when the Rose Dopant came in range, he let her have it with a flaming fist right across the face, sending her tumbling along the ground. He picked her up and then bashed her with a series of explosive punches before sending her staggering back with a kick. Leaping high, he smashed his fist into her face once more, to send her falling. The Rose Dopant hissed and sent a multitude of rose petals flying to use as camouflage. Double looked around for her but then he was struck from behind, sending him staggering. Another strike hit him from the front, sending him staggering backwards. Another strike in the side sent him to the ground.
"What an annoying woman," grunted Keitaro.
"A rose has its thorns," Phillip commented.
"Well, let's see her deal with bright light," said Keitaro as he took out the Bat Shot and slotted in the Luna Memory.
"LUNA: MAXIMUM DRIVE!" The bat-like robotic camera flew up and flashed at all directions. The flashes were so bright that the Rose Dopant was blinded and disoriented. This left her wide open for Double to see. Hissing, she sent thorns flying at Double but she missed because of the Bat Shot flashing at her. Double could see her just fine.
"Memory Break!" Double said as he put the Joker Memory into the Maximum Drive slot. "Time to Count your Crimes!"
"JOKER: MAXIMUM DRIVE!"
His fists became engulfed in flames, the flames in his right fist crimson with the flames in his left fist being violet. He was rocketed into the air before coming down at the Rose Dopant.
"Joker Grenade!" Double's body split down the middle and separated before both halves attacked with their blazing fists. One punch from the Heat half, another punch from the Joker half, and finally both halves attacked simultaneously, resulting in an explosion.
Ritsuko Akagi collapsed with the shattered remains of the Rose Memory a distance away from her. She weakly reached towards her damaged device before passing out.
"Now, to save the girls," said Double as he went to the pods. One by one he pried them open and the girls, along with greenish fluid, spilt out. The fluid happened to keep them alive and gave their bodies all the nutrients and oxygen they needed, while keeping their bodies in a state of suspended animation. Since Kanako had only been in the fluid for a short time, she regained consciousness. She slowly ripped off her mask and smiled tiredly.
"Case Closed," she said to her two brothers in one.
The police had done their jobs and managed to return all of the missing brides to their fiancés without harm. They were a little drowsy for a while, but they were okay. Ritsuko Akagi's personal life was exposed to everyone after her arrest. To the shock of everyone, her mother had been having an affair with Gendo Ikari for some time. However, the romance turned sour when the man proved unwilling to let her be. With his position in government and the blackmail material he had to keep her in his bed, she had committed suicide. Ritsuko likewise later began her own whirlwind romance with Gendo only for it to turn sour as well. However, she had dirt on her own boss which kept Gendo from trying the same scheme on her as he did her mother. Still, the entire event made Ritsuko bitter and hateful, seeing marriage and relationships with men in general as a poison which she had to rescue others from. After her arrest though, all of the dirt she had was discovered and Gendo suffered just as much as Ritsuko did for crimes of extortion, blackmail, and even possible charges of manslaughter since he technically drove Naoko Akagi to suicide.
No one shed a tear when the man was hauled out of his facility in handcuffs.
With all the brides rescued and Ritsuko taken in by the police with all the evidence against her, the woman was looking into a very long stay in prison. In the meantime, a very grateful Shinji Ikari was showing his appreciation. He and Rei had come personally to thank the detectives for their work in assisting them when they were needed. They had met up in the office where they would be able to work out the details…as soon as Shinji managed to calm down from his euphoria.
"Thank you! Thank you so much for rescuing Rei!" exclaimed Shinji in appreciation as he shook Keitaro's hand.
"Hey, you gave us a job and we performed it. Now, as for the fee…" Keitaro spoke.
Kanako was already in action, typing up the invoice for their services before presenting it to the soon to be Mr. and Mrs Ikari. "Here's how much it all adds up to."
"We will pay as soon as we are able," Rei nodded, accepting the bill with a small smile.
"Please, come to the wedding!" invited Shinji. "You can even bring your friends!"
St. Augustus Church-A week later.
The doors of the church swung open as Shinji and Rei walked down the steps, hand in hand. The young blue-haired woman smiled serenely as she was finally married to her love. Among the guests were the Urashima Detective Agency and the residents of Hinata-Sou. The ceremony was somewhat small, but everyone there had been important and meaningful on the lives of the new husband and wife. Rei looked like an absolute angel in her white wedding gown while Shinji was very dashing in his tuxedo.
"How beautiful," said Shinobu as she sniffled as she watched the pair be greeted by a crying Misato who was blubbering over Shinji as if she were his real mother. "I always cry at weddings."
Motoko didn't say anything, trying not to cry herself. Su was wearing traditional garb from the MolMol islands and she was being more uppity than usual. Of course, Phillip knew that marriages were somewhat of a national celebration in MolMol and thus understood why Su was so cheery. Kitsune and Naru were wearing some of their best clothes and were both being a little teary-eyed with all of the happy proceedings. Queen and Elizabeth had even come along, cheering and throwing rice through the air to celebrate the occasion.
The reception itself was very well done out. Of course, Su attacked the cake with gusto, wanting to eat as much of it as she could. Motoko had to keep her close so that others could try it. Shinobu giggled with sparkles in her eyes over how pretty everything was. Kitsune got into the free bar and got to enjoy herself. Naru was just making sure that her best friend didn't embarrass them at the event. Queen and Elizabeth were chatting with the bridesmaids while Kanako was stuck to Keitaro like glue. Phillip was just enjoying the chance to study a wedding and reception first hand.
Before Rei and Shinji entered the car which would take them to their love suite, the bluenette tossed the bouquet into the air. As soon as it soared over the Hinata-Sou girls, chaos erupted as they fought over it as it descended. Keitaro and Phillip wisely decided to stay far away in the ensuing catfight between their tenants and the girls who were friends of the bride and groom. They were lucky that Motoko had decided not to bring her sword or else it would have been a massacre, but that didn't stop Kanako from using Urashima-Ryu attacks to send everyone flying. Unfortunately…the bouquet went flying too.
"I got it!" Kitsune grinned, recovering from her own launch into the air via Air Kanako. Grinning foxily, she captured the bouquet in her arms. Admiring it, she sent a wink and a blown kiss to Keitaro, who flushed slightly and scratched his cheek. Kanako immediately began growling angrily.
To this day Motoko denied having acted in such an unwarrior-like way, claiming the heat of the moment got to her.
Dear Granny Hina
This is Phillip here. All's well that ends well here. We were able to rescue the brides and find the Rose Dopant. She was a vindictive woman who thought she was doing the brides a favour. Kanako really helped us out this time with her skills as a mistress of disguise. I do wonder, though, what other cases we will receive. After rescuing the brides, Ikari-san invited us to attend his and Ayanami-san's wedding. Reading about wedding customs and witnessing them for myself are two different experiences. Speaking of which, I've just learnt how savage girls could be when fighting over a bouquet of flowers. Women are strange and confusing creatures and no matter how much I read up on them they will continue to elude me.
Phillip
"That's one thing even your brains won't be able to figure out," Granny Hina snickered softy as she read over her adopted grandson's email. She was pleased to see that her grandchildren were doing well for themselves and getting along well with the other girls of Hinata-Sou. She had been half-wondering when Motoko and Naru would get over their hang-ups about perverts. It was part of the reason why she wanted her grandsons to go there in the first place. To teach those poor girls that not all men were thinking lecherous thoughts and trying to get into a girls' pants.
Kanako's timing couldn't have been better too. Hina just hoped that she would get along with the other girls.
Kamen Rider Chrome: And so the Urashima Detective Agency has solved another case! Missing brides and Kanako is now aware of the type of feelings Kitsune has for her big brother. Sparks will fly and I see a catfight ensuing. Things are going to be hectic in Hinata-Sou soon enough. BTW, Thanks go to my co-writer Ten-Faced Paladin for his awesome help!