SHOTARO

'I can't believe I let you talked me into this,' Shotaro muttered not quite softly as both he and Philip made their way up the sloppy dark hill. They were close to the mountainous border of Fuuto, where a seemingly endless rocky terrain spread wide and far towards the horizon.

On their left, the sun had already set, casting long eerie shadows over the side of the mountain. The gravel-filled path made it a challenge to stay quiet and discreet. Shotaro's heart skipped a beat whenever their shoes crunched loudly on dead leaves.

Over to their right, the howling winds had died down. As night descended upon the Earth, silence encompassed their surroundings. Shotaro could hear nothing else apart from his own heartbeat and their (occasionally) loud footsteps. He had this feeling that they were being watched but at the same time he could not sense the presence of anyone or anything else nearby. As they made their way deeper into the now pitch-black woods, Shotaro couldn't help but to regret over his decision to help those sneaky men of questionable origins.

'Philip, this could be a mistake,' he began.

His partner chuckled. 'Please tell me you're not afraid of the dark, Shotaro.'

'Of course not!' Shotaro snapped. 'I'm saying that this whole thing is a bad idea. We could be walking into some kind of trap.'

Philip stopped so suddenly in his track that Shotaro ran right into him. 'What the..'

'Shh. There are voices up ahead. We're not alone.'

Before Shotaro could say anything else, Philip ducked under the tall bushes and continued moving forward.

'Jeez. Reckless as always.' Shotaro took one last glance at his surroundings. The trees were as still as the night. It was the last night of autumn before winter but the air was dry and hot. Sweat bead down his temples and he had no choice but to remove his black fedora hat. He was dressed in a purple shirt with a black waistcoat on top coupled with black slacks and shoes. He felt that he blended pretty well into the night compared to Philip, who opted to enter with a black shirt and a contradicting bright-as-day purple sleeveless cardigan.

Shotaro was about to follow after his partner when he heard the sound of footsteps somewhere far on the right side corner of the woods. His body froze as all his senses went on full alarm mode.

Philip had already gone way ahead without him. Even after all this years he still wasn't sure to be amazed or annoyed by his partner's high level of curiosity and enthusiasm. When Philip set his mind on something, he waits for no one. Shotaro gave the surrounding trees in the dark a quick scout.

Snap. Snap.

There was no mistaking it. Someone was approaching and seemed to have picked up the pace as well. Shotaro moved quickly and ducked behind a huge tree. The sounds of twigs snapping grew rapidly – whoever that was had broke into a run. He did a quick mental calculation of his options. If the person approaching was an enemy he had two choices: either hide or fight upfront. At the very least from the footsteps it sounded like a single person only. But if they broke into battle, he risked exposing their presence to whomever that was up ahead. That sneaky smiling Purple Man had warned them that "a certain shady organization" had also set their eyes on the Jewel of Whatever and probably had the lead on them. Also, Philip had gone ahead and for all he knew he could already be at the cave. If they transformed into Double now, his body would be left unconscious. If he wasn't alone…

However, if Shotaro had decided to conceal himself, their pursuer could catch up to Philip and ambushed him from behind. He couldn't allow that. He had to take out this person right here. Luckily, he was smart enough to bring along the Lost Driver.

Confidence began to surge up in his body. He had the advantage at that very moment. The woods were dark with the moonlight barely breaking through the thick clouds. He never liked the darkness but for once he was glad to have it on his side. A great detective always uses everything at his disposal to gain the upper hand.

Shotaro peered over the tree. He was waiting for the person to break into the clearing when the sounds of footsteps died instantly. The woods returned to absolute silence. Shotaro held his breath, afraid to make even the tiniest sound.

A minute passed by. Then another. And another.

His pursuer was nowhere to be seen or heard. Panic crept up his body like a swarm of tingling spiders. He couldn't stand there forever. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to catch up to Philip in time. He had the urge to just call out the person to show him/herself. His hand reached for the Lost Driver hidden in his waistcoat when someone grabbed hold of his shoulder from behind.

Shit.

'Shh. Calm down, Hidari.'

Shotaro turned to see a familiar face looking at him straight in the eyes. It was the hot-blooded, red inspector of Fuuto himself – Terui Ryu. He had on his usual dark crimson jacket over a black t-shirt. How inconspicuous.

Shotaro wanted to punch Terui in the face so badly.

'Damn it, Terui! You scared the living hell outta me. I thought it was an enemy or something, following me through the woods. What the heck are you doing here?!'

'I'm the one who ask questions here! What are you doing here, lurking behind the trees in the night like this?'

Anger boiled all over Shotaro. He had wasted valuable time for nothing. 'Story-telling can wait. We need to find Philip. Fast.' He moved out before Terui could stop him. There was only one other way he could reach out to his partner. Shotaro pulled out the Double Driver and placed it on his waist.

Philip. Can you hear me?

No answer.

Philip!

Quiet down, Shotaro. Meet me by the riverbank before the cave. Foundation X, they're here.

Great. Just the people Shotaro can't wait to see and wish Happy Thanksgiving to. He turned to Terui.

'We need to move. I will tell you everything along the way.' Well, he didn't have the luxury of explaining every single detail but enough for Terui to get the gist of things. The cave entrance was at the peak of the hill but before it lies a wide river, about half the width of a football field. The streams were slow and steady, going downhill all the way to the bottom.

'Are you going to tell me what are you doing here, Terui? Aren't you supposed to be with Akiko prepping for Sokichi's birthday party?'

'I was, when reports came in that a certain suspicious activity was spotted up hill that may involve Dopants. It could have something to do with a family that went missing while jogging up the hill three days ago.'

'People were missing? I didn't hear anything about it.'

'You're not the police, Hidari. People don't go to you everytime something went wrong.'

That took Shotaro aback. He wasn't the police but whenever something bad happens to the city people do go to him for help. As a Kamen Rider, keeping Fuuto safe was his responsibility. Dopants or not, he would not let the people of Fuuto grief.

'Two weeks ago, a lady went missing around the hills while on her way home. Her body was found several days later and autopsy stated that her death was an accident. Probably fell down the slopes.'

'I heard about that one. But you're not convinced?'

Shotaro couldn't see Terui's face very well in the dark but he could tell his expression was grim.

'Something wasn't right. Her body was too perfect. No injuries or wounds of any kind. She had no medical records on any illness. Also, something wasn't right with her skin. It looked like… like it had no soul.'

'What do you mean? Someone dead couldn't possibly have any soul.'

'That's not it. Her body looked alive and well, just that there was no soul in it.'

'You think that could be a Dopant's doing?'

'Maybe. When a family went missing around the same spot, my suspicions grew.'

'You should have told me about it. We could have looked into it together.'

'Like I said, you're not the police.'

'Hey. After all the battles we fought together, you're saying this to me now?'

Terui halted and placed his hand on Shotaro's chest to stop him as well. 'Listen, Hidari. We may be allies as Kamen Riders, but some cases I have to take on my own. Whatever we find up there; do me a favour. If it does have something to do with the disappearances, let me take care of it. Alone.'

Anger boiled within Shotaro. What's his problem anyway? Why was he so keen on doing this alone?

'Hold it right there, Terui. We were assigned a task of our own. And we were here first. If anyone was to stay away, it's you.'

'Do not argue with me, Shotaro. As a police officer, I'm ordering you –'

'Sorry, pal. I don't take orders from you.' Shotaro pushed past Terui and continued his way up. If recovering the jewel and the case of missing people were connected, there's no way he was going to walk out of this. He spotted Philip right behind a huge boulder by the riverbank overlooking the cave entrance. He went up beside him, crouching low as not to be seen. Terui followed suit behind.

'What did you find, partner?' Shotaro asked. Philip's expression was difficult to read in the shadows. The moon had disappeared behind the clouds, leaving a blanket of darkness to cover the earth.

'Foundation X members. About a dozen of them. They're milling about the cave entrance, shifting in boxes of machineries. I do not know what they're up to, though.' Philip turned to face Terui. 'Surprised to see you joining the ride.'

'Trust me, I rather be on my own. Who's in charge of this pack?'

'Her.'

All three of them fixed their gaze on a woman dressed in black long overalls, the only one who's outfit was in stark contrast to the standard white uniform of Foundation X members. She stood right at the center of the cave entrance clearing, her arms crossed while she observed her underlings at work. Shotaro was surprised at how pretty she was. She had long, dark wavy hair tied in a ponytail at her back. Her skin complexion was fair, her lips pink and her brown eyes large and filled with life and energy. Her body was lean and well built with the perfect curves. Totally his type.

If Shotaro hadn't known better he would have thought of her as a supermodel.

He must have been staring at her and completely dumbfounded when Philip snapped him out of it. 'Hold it together, Shotaro. She's more than what meets the eyes. Something about her.. it doesn't feel right.'

'She is gorgeous, no doubt,' Terui said quietly, surprising even Shotaro.

'Dude, you're married.'

'Do not question me.'

'Look. It's about to begin,' Philip interrupted.

Both Shotaro and Terui returned their focus to front of the cave entrance and saw that within minutes a complex looking machine had been set up. One Foundation X member was fidgeting with what seemed like a control panel, rapidly pushing several buttons at once. The machine looked like a giant refrigerator torn upside down and inside out and then had its parts reassembled in every mismatching way possible. Wires of various colours intertwined with each other across the machine, connecting it to the control panel.

'My lady, it's done!' the man at the panel called out.

The Lady smiled (oh my, her smile was probably the most attractive smile Shotaro had ever seen!) and made her way towards the giant machine.

'Hit it.'

Shotaro nearly melted into a puddle of feelings. Her voice complimented her beautiful appearance – sweet as an angel, yet seductive.

The man at the panel pushed one last button and the machine whirred to life. It glowed a bright orange and electricity surged around its body, collecting into one single charge. The machine shook and shuddered before releasing the energy in a powerful blast. It landed on an invisible barrier outside the cave entrance and Shotaro could only caught glimpse of it shattering. The rippling wave from the attack nearly knocked him out of his feet.

'What was that all about?' Terui said, not really as a question but rather a shocked statement. By then he had already gotten up to his feet.

'Stand down, Terui. Now is not the time to act,' Philip protested.

'I'm done waiting. These guys are Foundation X members. For sure they're up to no good.'

Before Shotaro could react, Terui charged out into the clearing and into the river, making his way across swiftly.

'That's far enough, Foundation X!' he cried.

Their enemies turned to face him; all surprised by the police's sudden presence except for the lady, who seemed to remain calm and composed. Instead, she smiled. What a lovely smile.

'Glad you decide to come out of the shadows and join us, Inspector Ryu. What about your friends? Don't they want to come out as well?' she said and winked.

Shotaro's heart skipped a beat. He shook his head hard, hoping to snap out of it. This lady works for Foundation X, he told himself. She's the enemy. Focus, Shotaro. Focus. Her beauty has no effect on a top rank detective like yourself.

But even as he was saying it, he knew her beauty already smote him. Something about her was impossible to resist. Shotaro had met a lot of attractive women, but none was quite like her. Before he knew it, he too was walking up to the clearing.

'Shotaro!' Philip called out from behind but he ignored his partner's plead. He had to see this lady up close. He had to..

In no time, all three of them stood facing the Foundation X members. The Lady studied them with an intense look of interest.

'So, the famed Kamen Riders of Fuuto. Double and Accel. Pleased to finally meet you in person,' she said in such a polite voice that Shotaro began to question was she really the enemy.

'Spare us the pleasantries. We know you're up to no good. What is it you're after in that cave?' Terui said, though he too sounded surprised by the Lady's mannerism and seemed to lower down his harsh tone.

'Excavation, of course. A great treasure lies within, and we intend to retrieve it. The very same reason you're here, right boys?' she said while directing her attention to Shotaro and Philip.

'Yes.. uh.. I mean no!' Shotaro stuttered. He slapped himself hard mentally. Get a grip of yourself, Shotaro!

'How charming,' Lady said with a smile.

Shotaro could feel himself blushing. He probably looked as ridiculous as a high school student falling head over heels on a girl but he couldn't help it. Every word this woman spoke, every action she made, it captivated him further.

'How did you come to know about the Jewel of Hekate?' Philip asked.

'Gehenna is its name. The prized jewel of the magic goddess, given to a man who had proven his worth. Before he died, he hid it away in a location unknown to anyone, up until now.' She gestured towards the cave. 'In there, lies the final resting place of that man. For centuries, the story of Gehenna had been but a myth. Tonight, that will change. Tonight, the world shall come to know of its power.' Her eyes gleamed with excitement, mesmerizing Shotaro.

'Nice try. But I don't believe in magic or ancient goddess. Whatever you're scheming, I'm putting it to a stop,' Terui called. Several Foundation X members stepped up to defend the Lady but she simply held out her hand, signaling them to stay put.

'There's no need to get rough. I am sure a proper conversation will bear better fruit, don't you agree?' she said, smiling affectionately at Shotaro. He could feel his legs grew wobbly and weak. It took everything he had to not collapse on his knees in awe of her beauty.

'Ri.. Right. We could talk, no harm at all,' he stammered.

'Get it together, Hidari!' Terui said.

Philip stepped forward. 'How exactly did you come to know of the jewel's whereabouts?'

The Lady simply smiled in response. 'The same way the people who hired you knew. Why didn't you ask them instead?'

'She's got a point, Philip. I don't trust those people anymore than..' Shotaro hesitated. '.. than them.'

Around them, the Foundation X members looked at each other in confusion, unsure of what to do next.

'You're avoiding the question,' Philip replied.

'And you're not thinking. Strange men who appeared out of the nowhere, hired you for a job to locate and retrieve a magical jewel. What do you think they were going to do with it? Frankly, I'm disappointed. You boys ought to be smarter than this,' she said with a sigh. 'I knew we, Foundation X, and you Riders had a few bad histories together. But I assure you, better the power of Gehenna fall to our hands than the people you work for.'

Philip let out a small laugh, which surprised Shotaro. 'So I was right after all. I had a feeling we're being spied on and I'm glad it wasn't the work of paranoia. Right after you knew the location of the jewel, you sent people to monitor us, to make sure we didn't get in your way. Why didn't you tried to stop us before we got here?'

'Because there's no need to. You're partially correct, my boy. I sent people to spy on you but not because I was wary of your intervention. My concern lies with those men in black suits, whose origin I know not of. What I do know is that they are after Gehenna as well. I am, however, glad that they went to you boys to get it for them. At least you Riders can be reasoned with.'

Shotaro felt like a complete klutz, which totally did not befit his status and reputation as Fuuto's best private detective. However, his mind could barely function the way it normally did when such unprecedented beauty stood in front of him. He knew he should take charge of the situation but he couldn't take his eyes off her. When she spoke, her mouth moved in such a gracious manner that Shotaro's couldn't help but wonder how good of a kisser she must be.

Terui's words broke him out of his daze. 'Reason? Very well. Answer my questions and then we can consider reasoning. A young lady by the name of Minami disappeared prior to being found dead at the foot of the hill some two weeks ago. And most recently a family; husband and wife and their two children, went missing at the exact same spot. Are those your doings?'

The Lady's smile faded. She looked hurt by the accusation. 'What an awful thing to say. Do I look like the kind of person to kill an innocent woman and kidnapped an entire family?'

'You're with Foundation X. Everything is possible,' Terui retorted.

'Of course not. We want possession of Gehenna, that is all. Why would we kidnap innocents and brought attention on ourselves, knowing that the Guardians of Fuuto would be hot on our tail?'

Shotaro felt an inexplicable sense of relief. For some reason, he believed her. Every word she said.

'Terui, I think she's telling the truth. She has no reason to kidnap those people. Perhaps what happened were pure accidents and –'

'Stay out of it, Shotaro. I said I will deal with this on my own,' Terui snapped.

'Who are you to decide things? Stop acting tough, Terui. It's getting on my nerves,' Shotaro snapped back.

'I said –'

'Enough! Both of you!' Philip yelled. Shotaro glared at Terui with such immense anger. Not only was he bossing him around but he's accusing this beautiful woman who did not seemed to be able to commit such hideous crimes..

Philip stepped in between them, pushing both apart. 'Not now,' he said under his breath. He returned to questioning the Lady. 'You said the world will finally know of Gehenna's power. What do you intend to do with it?'

'Let us retrieve it and I will show you,' she replied with the most beautiful smile Shotaro had ever seen in his life. His mind repeated the words I want her. I need her. I want to have her. Slowly but surely, his consciousness slipped away and he fell into a daze. He began to move towards her, no longer in control of his body that seemed to act on its own now.

'Woi, Hidari!' Shotaro heard Terui called out to him but he couldn't care less. He wanted no one but her. He wanted nothing but to be by her side..

'Stop! Get back!' Phillip yelled.

Shotaro was vaguely aware of the fact that he now stood beside the Lady. She smelled of fresh roses, extremely sweet and lovely. Shotaro wanted nothing but to inhale on her scent for all eternity. Love. He was in love with her. Adrenalin rushed through his body when her hand touched his. She laced her fingers around Shotaro's and she spoke to him in a soft whisper, 'Come. Gehenna awaits us.'