RISE OF X-SHOCKER
Part 10: Childhood's End
"We're home!" announced Shinji and Shiori as they entered through the door with Rika and Hanyuu in tow.
"Welcome back," greeted Kasai.
"How's Sho?" Shiori asked. "I hope you didn't have any problems with him."
"Oh, Sho's asleep. He was a bit troublesome during his bath time, meal time, and when I tried to change him, but I got the hang of it," answered Kasai.
"My big strong man," Shiori flirted, hands on his chest. "How about you and me party?" Kasai's eyebrows shot up. "Come on, Tatsuyoshi-kun. My body is young now. I bet you'd like to know what it's like to be with a younger woman, right?"
"What are Kaa-chan and Otousan talking about?" Shinji asked his sisters.
"You'll find out when you're older," said Rika. "Now, come on. It's time we go took a bath!"
"OK, don't push!" Shinji said as Rika pushed him up towards the bathroom. Hanyuu followed too. They were going to bathe together. It was normal for siblings at this age to do that.
"So, what happened?" Kasai asked once the kids, specifically Shinji, were out of earshot.
"Shinji almost got kidnapped today," Shiori answered.
"I knew I should've come along." He had his shotgun and could legally carry it around to defend his family.
"It's alright now, though. He got rescued by Alan," said Shiori, thankfully.
"OK, so would you mind explaining what happened in town? It's all over the news," inquired Kasai, He was referring to the battle between the gigantic Mecha-Kaiju and the equally huge Kamen Rider.
"Shinji activated his powers when that thing stepped on him," Shiori began to explain. She continued, "He transformed and beat it but when he changed back he doesn't remember."
"I see," Kasai nodded, understanding.
"I'm so glad he's alright," Shiori admitted. "When I saw that thing step on him, I thought that…I really thought that…" She was close to tears. Kasai pulled his wife into a hug. "I don't wanna lose him again."
"I don't see any damage," said Dr. Magi as he examined Chiaki in the Irie Clinic. Earlier, Shogo had also been examined. Fortunately, their armors had protected them. Still, a large enough charge could've rendered Shogo unable to transform for quite some time. He finished, "Right, you're alright."
"Thank you," said Chiaki gratefully. Hanyuu had cried and went to see if he was alright after Drill Rhino had been defeated. He wondered who that man in the bronze armor was. Warren might know. The Director of ARMOR seemed to have unlimited knowledge over things like this. The armor did seem mystical in nature.
Down in the NEO-NUMBERS' base, Lucifer was sitting in Shogo's lap. When she heard from Satan on how he got hurt, she immediately went to check up on the Wasp (or was it Hornet?) Rider.
"So, you sure you're okay?" Lucifer asked.
"Dr. Magi checked. My flight capabilities did take some damage but it'll be alright after some time," Shogo explained. "I'll be up in the air in no time."
"What a relief. I kinda like the sound you make when those wings of yours beat."
"Nothing is going to keep me grounded, Luci-chan," said Shogo, smiling at the eldest of the 7 Stakes.
"So, is it true that BLACK 13's been shrunk?" Lucifer inquired.
"Well, the actual story is that his time powers de-aged him along with his mother and adopted sisters," said Shogo.
"That guy (Shinichi) never ceases to amaze me."
"No kidding."
"I miss Shin-kun…" groaned Rena.
"Big Shin-kun or little Shin-kun?" Mion inquired.
"Both."
"Don't worry, Rena. Your boyfriend will be back to normal before you know it, and then you can squeeze and cuddle him as much as you want," said Shion reassuringly. Mion and Rena were at Shion's apartment, hanging out. They'd also heard the news about how Kamen Rider Showa (as Kamen Rider J) fought with a giant monster and defeated it. He was definitely making a name for himself with the 'Kamen Rider' title.
"Big surprises sure come in small packages, don't they?" Mion asked.
"Well, Shin-chan has always been full of them since he showed up," said Shion. She frowned, "Though, it would be nice if he wasn't such a perv."
"Shin-chan is Shin-chan," Mion remarked. "He is who he is. I prefer Shin-chan to BLACK 13."
Mention of that name made the twins shudder. That guy was cold and logical. Not exactly the most pleasant of company. Only Rena didn't mind him when he took over Shinichi that time when Gebok tried to use some sort of mind-wipe virus.
"I wonder what Shin-kun is doing right now," mused Rena aloud.
Shinji was drawing in the living room with his crayons. Interested, Shiori looked over his shoulder. "Who's that?"
"The onii-chan who saved me!" Shinji answered, smiling. He'd just drawn a picture of Green Lantern Alan Smith. He'd also drawn other pictures but what caught Shiori's attention was that they were pictures of the Kamen Riders whose forms he could assume. She thought back to the telephone conversation she had earlier. Dr. Hasuma had called and concluded that Shinji still possessed his powers in his now younger form but could only subconsciously call upon them while he was in absolute danger. His powers hadn't activated when Electric Butterfly tried to kidnap him because he'd been rescued but when the Mecha-Kaiju had stomped on him (Shiori cringed at the memory) his powers activated and transformed him into Kamen Rider J.
"He's cool, right?" Shinji asked.
"Yes, he is, and I really want to thank him for saving you," said Shiori gratefully.
Yami was carrying Baby Alan in her arms as she walked with GL-Alan towards Shinji's house. The little baby clings onto the front of Yami's shirt, looking up at her with his eyes.
"So, why did you want to come along?" GL-Alan asked.
"Lala had her turn," Yami answered. "This time, let me help you babysit."
"Oh, OK." That was a simple enough answer. As they continued their walk, they walked past an elderly couple.
"My, look at them," the old woman said. "Such a young and loving couple, and their baby is cute too."
Yami blushed when she heard this. She began to imagine what it would be like to be a mother and being married to GL-Alan. Of course her mind wandered towards forbidden territory as she imagined them MAKING the baby.
WHAM!
GL-Alan ended up kissing the dirt as Yami's hair had formed into a fist which she'd used to slug him. Rising to his feet, he demanded, "Hey, what was that for?" while rubbing his head.
"You were being ecchi," she answered. Baby Alan giggled. He tugged a bit on her hair as well. GL-Alan gave him a bewildered look. When exactly was he being ecchi?
"Kaa-chan, where are you going?" Shinji asked, his big indigo eyes staring up at his mother and father. They looked dressed up.
"Your father and I have a dinner reservation, honey," Shiori said as she knelt down to eye level with him. She didn't feel like abandoning her son, but this was something important. She really didn't feel comfortable about leaving the kids alone, but fortunately she'd called for a couple of babysitters.
The doorbell rang and Shiori opened the door to let them in. One was Yami, who was cradling Baby Alan in her arms and with her was GL-Alan. Shinji's eyes widened and he let out a huge smile as he saw GL-Alan. Even if he wasn't wearing his uniform, the little boy recognized him. GL-Alan was wearing a green jacket over a black t-shirt with blue jeans. Yami was wearing a sleeveless black sweater that had a silver cross on it with a matching miniskirt and black and white striped stockings.
Shiori's instructions were simply, "Protect them and make sure they get to bed early."
GL-Alan saluted, "Will do."
The couple exited the house before driving off, Shinji waving at them as they left. Yami went and put Baby Alan down in the playpen with Sho. Shiori's baby looked at Yami and raised his little hands to be picked up. She narrowed her eyes. Sho was a bit grabby when girls came and picked him up.
"Nii-chan!" Shinji showed GL-Alan the drawing he'd made. "I drew this!" It was a drawing of GL-Alan.
"Nice," GL-Alan complimented. "Come on in, Shinji," said GL-Alan. "Let's play some video games."
"Yay, video games!"
Both Shiori and Kasai arrived at the restaurant. It was a pretty fancy place with a 5 Star rating. It was also quite popular, which made reservations difficult and as such needed to be made months in advanced. When the couple arrived, they identified themselves to the maitre d' who then led them towards their table. Already seated were Warren Smith and his wife Rachel.
"Konbanwa, Warren-san," Shiori greeted politely. Kasai pulled the chair out for her like a gentleman before taking his own seat.
"Good evening to you too," greeted Warren.
"I hope we didn't keep you waiting," Shiori said.
"We just got here, actually." The waiter came with their menus.
This dinner double date was an important one. It was also a meeting concerning a certain shrunken Kaizo Ningen.
"How's Shinji doing?" Warren asked as he looked up from his menu.
"He's fine," Shiori answered honestly. "So full of life and energy."
"He has to be, considering he did defeat a giant monster all on his own." Warren caught her frown. "What's wrong?"
"It's just, today I was hoping for a normal day outside with my daughters and son when someone tried to kidnap him. Fortunately, your son, Alan, came to his rescue."
"That's his job."
"Then a giant monster showed up and nearly…" Shiori found it hard to say as it'd been horrible, even if things had turned out alright in the end. "It nearly flattened my little Shinji."
"Well, it's a good thing he still has his powers than," said Warren positively. The waiter came back to take their orders. They each ordered an appetizer, followed by a main dish and finally dessert. The conversation continued once the waiter left.
"Shiori's worried if there will be more attempts on Shinji," Kasai said. "Will they (X-SHOCKER) try and take him away?"
"Most definitely," Rachel confirmed. "Shinji has a lot of power in him and he's vulnerable. They'll try to get their hands on him and then turn him into a weapon like they did before."
"No…" Shiori uttered in despair. "Not again…" Kasai put his hand on Shiori's as a comforting gesture.
"It won't stop there either," Warren added. He hated being the bearer of bad news but this was reality. "Gebok might come after Hanyuu, Rika and Sho too." The look of horror on Shiori's face unmistakable. "However, you don't have to worry," Warren assured her. "Right now I have around the clock surveillance on your home. Plus, Alan is there. Nothing bad will happen."
Shinji laughed as he ran from GL-Alan, naked, with soap covering his nether regions. "Get back here you little nudist!" the Green Lantern shouted as he gave chase. Hanyuu and Rika watched him run around naked and just shrugged before returning their attention to Sho and Baby Alan who were playing with building blocks. Yami smiled as she gazed down at them.
"Thank you, Warren-san," Shiori said gratefully.
"You have questions," Rachel suspected.
"Yes, I do," Shiori answered. She asked, "How long until we all turn back to normal?"
"Well, according to out information, sometime tomorrow," Warren answered. Shiori looked disappointed. "You don't seem too happy."
"It's just that…it's silly, really…but I was hoping that it'd be longer," Shiori admitted. She really liked being young again, but most of all she could catch up and make up for lost time with Shinji now that he was like this."
"I understand," Warren nodded. He really did. He was a parent too and the thought of losing his children always crossed his mind because of his work. He did his best to not only protect them, but to spend as much time as he could with them. Time flew quickly and then they'd be all grown up. They were still kids so he wanted to be with them during their childhood.
"Can you…maybe…make it so he's this way a little bit longer?" Shiori asked. Kasai looked at her aghast.
"Shiori, listen to me!" Warren said with a stern look on his features. "Even though you want to keep this up, this won't be good for Shinichi. If he doesn't return to normal, not only will he probably be stuck like this, but if his memories return to him in his current mindset and in the wrong way then he'll be driven mad."
"B-but." Shiori stuttered. She felt a hand on her shoulder, making her turn to look at Kasai
"You know he's right, Shiori, we have to do this, for Shinji."
Some tears fell from her eyes but she slowly nodded and said, "You're right." She dried her tears with the napkin. "For now, I'll just have to make the most of it."
The appetizers came, followed by the main dishes and finally dessert. During their meal together, they talked of more pleasant things. They spoke of their work, what was new in life, current events, and their home lives. Indeed, while Shiori's concerns were still in her mind, she could forget about them for now with charming company.
Kasai made sure she didn't overindulge on the wine.
Sho was sleeping soundly in his crib. Shinji also got to bed right after dinner. Rika and Hanyuu had also gone to sleep, feeling exhausted after today. Down in the living room, an exhausted Green Lantern that went by the name of Alan Smith dropped down on the couch. Sitting next to him was Yami who was cradling his baby self within her arms. Baby Alan was sound asleep, a thumb in his mouth.
"I think I prefer Shinichi when he's his right age," GL-Alan admitted. Even though Shinichi was a pervert, he at least had a measure of self-control. Shinji, once he got too much sugar in his system, was a nightmare.
"You're just upset because you had to give him a bath," Yami remarked. Earlier, GL-Alan had gotten really wet when Shinji splashed him. It was funny to see him soaked. Good thing his ring dried him right up.
"It'll be good blackmail material," GL-Alan replied with a grin. He asked Yami, "So, having thoughts of being a mother?"
Yami blushed and then glared at him, whispering in a threatening voice, "Ecchi…" her hair in the form of knives. He backed away from her.
"Yami, don't get mad," he tried to placate her. The doorbell rang. "Saved by the bell." He jumped off the couch and went straight to the door.
Yami sighed. It wasn't that she didn't like it when she and GL-Alan got intimate, it was just that when embarrassed she often responded with violence. Speaking of violence, earlier some W14 units came. Unfortunately for them, Yami and GL-Alan were able to take them out without much trouble. Only a single group came but the two kept their eyes opened for trouble.
In a hotel room, Daichi was lying in bed with a green-haired girl. He had his arm around her as she snuggled against him. Both were also naked as their clothes laid strewn about the floor.
"So, did something get you pissed that you had to let it all out during sex?" Leviathan questioned as she looked up at him. Sex was great! Asmodeus really wasn't kidding about that.
Their sex was often rough, which resulted in grunting (from Daichi) and screaming (from Leviathan). She loved it when he pinned her down and had his way with her, hard and fast. Being a Kaizo Ningen had its advantages when it came to stamina. Even after several orgasms he was ready for more and she was too ready for him.
"Just this whole deal with being bodyguards to #13," Daichi told her. He looked annoyed.
"What's so bad about that? He is your friend, right?" Leviathan inquired curiously.
"Yeah, he's alright, but…seeing him so vulnerable like that is just so hard to believe." Where was the human weapon that he'd grown up with? Where was the human weapon that had killed him?
"What was it like growing up in GIN-SHOCKER?" Leviathan asked. He never really told her much of that time.
"We were all being groomed to be super soldiers for GIN-SHOCKER. Sometimes it was okay, and sometimes it was torture." He recalled the operations where he needed upgrades to suit his growing body. He also remembered the tests and experiments. "#13, however, was not a soldier. He was a weapon and a powerful one at that." He sighed. "I really thought I could trust him and then he just stabbed us all in the back as he killed us one by one. I couldn't forgive him after we were revived. I wanted to kill him. But then…"
"You couldn't go through with it after you saw his friends," she concluded.
"It was so unfair. We all died and he ends up in a village, making friends who had no idea what he'd done. When we came back, we were again slaves to GIN-SHOCKER."
"But, because of him, you're all free."
"Yeah," Daichi admitted begrudgingly. She then crawled over and straddled him. "Levi?"
"We have all night, right?" she asked as she rubbed against him. He moaned. "Yeah, that's right. Keep moaning." She gasped when she felt his hands gripping her hips. "Dai!"
He grinned as he lifted her up. He was already hard and rigid. He then pulled her down, plunging himself deep inside her. She let out a scream.
"Please...let me go..." little Shinji begged as Gebok loomed over him with a red hot brand.
"This won't hurt a bit," said Gebok as he pressed the hot brand over Shinji's eye. The little boy screamed. "It'll hurt lots!"
The brand was removed and it left a smoking XIII on Shinji. The little boy cried and whimpered, "Kaa-chan..."
"Now, let's begin the operation!"
With that being said, Gebok took out a syringe from his chest pocket and grabbed Shinji by the shoulders.
"This won't hurt a bit, boy," Gebok said. He pierced a vein in Shinji's neck with the needle and ejected the contents into Shinji. Shinji immediately found himself going limp as the solution entered his body. His eyes widened and his pupils dilated as Shinji felt like all the blood in his body had turned into ice.
"That's it, let yourself fall under the drug's effect," Gebok sneered as he made a motion with his left arm, making what look like machines holding different equipment to appear around him.
Before Shinji lost consciousness he heard Gebok say, "You should feel honored. You're about to become my greatest creation!"
Gebok grinned; the chemicals he injected into the little would not only knock him out but also rewrite his DNA structure. The genetic enhancements would increase the boy's physical performance but that was just the first step. Biological enhancements weren't enough. The boy needed some new parts.
"First incision," said Gebok as he put the scalpel against Shinji's bare chest and began to cut.
Shiori was all smiles as she and Kasai returned home together. The door opened and GL-Alan greeted them. "How was your night?" he asked.
"Marvelous," Shiori told him. "How were the kids? I hope they weren't any trouble?" she asked.
GL-Alan lied, "No problem. Everything went al-"
Suddenly, they all heard an ear-piercing scream.
"SHINJI!" Shiori shouted as she removed herself from Kasai's side and then ran up the stairs. She threw the door to Shinji's door open and rushed inside. Shinji was wide awake, clutching his blanket. He was sweating and trembling in terror. "Shinji!"
"Kaa-chan!" he called. She instantly took him into her arms, holding him close. "Kaa-chan, it was horrible!"
"It's alright, Shinji," she said soothingly as she rubbed his back up and down. He was crying. "It was just a nightmare…"
"But, it was so real!" he told her. "I was tied up on this table and this man was about to cut me with a knife!" Shiori froze. She recalled Warren's words.
'He's getting his memories back,' she realized. Unfortunately, the memories he was getting back were not good ones. He looked absolutely terrified. Whatever the memory was, it had to have been horrible.
It was all Gebok's fault her son was like this.
"Kaa-chan, can I sleep with you and Otousan tonight?" Shinji asked hopefully.
"Of course, sweetie. Of course."
The previous night, Shinji had slept together with his parents in their bed. Even though his scream had been loud, Sho had not awakened. Rika and Hanyuu had been alarmed when they heard Shinji's scream but were relieved when Shiori was able to calm him down.
Now that it was morning, Shinji sat at breakfast with his family. Sho sat in a high chair, being fed baby food by Shiori. They rest were having pancakes with chocolate sauce.
Yummy.
Shinji didn't look terrified anymore. Guess being in his mother's embrace chased all the nightmares away. Shiori was glad. She really didn't like it when she saw her son looking so frightened and alone.
"Kaa-chan, what are we going to do today?" Shinji asked.
"So, they'll be back to normal in a few more hours?" Warren asked Dr. Magi.
"Exactly. From this data, it would appear the temporal energy surrounding them is already weakening. It may vary from one person to the next, but I predict that within 10 hours they'll be their proper ages," reported Dr. Magi.
"That's good to hear," said Warren, relieved. Maybe he should give Shiori a call.
The phone in the house was ringing. However, no one was there to pick it up.
"Amusement Park! Amusement Park!" Shinji jumped up and down as he and his family stood before the entrance. Sho was in a baby carriage. Shiori managed to score tickets for the whole family.
"He seems pretty excited," said Hanyuu.
"Yeah, but that's to be expected," Rika admitted.
Kasai knew Shiori was using this trip as an excuse to spend time with Shinji again. They would all turn back to normal at some point today, so Shiori was going to spend as much time as possible with Shinji before he turned back into Shinichi. He went along with it since there was nothing wrong with a mother trying to spend time with her children.
"Let's go on that one, Kaa-chan!" Shinji pointed at the roller coaster. "Can we? Can we?"
"Sorry, Shinji, but you're not old enough to ride," he told her son apologetically. He frowned.
"Then I wanna grow up so I can ride it!" he told her. Shiori frowned.
'Your wish will come true soon,' Shiori thought, sighing. Fortunately, Shinji didn't notice. "Come on. Let's go on the spinning teacups."
"OK!" Shinji beamed. He took hold of her hand and squeezed tight.
Dr. Hasuma was monitoring the family, arms crossed with a serious expression on his face. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see who it was. "Director-san."
"So, anything new?" Warren asked as he looked at DORA's surveillance monitors. "I see you're keeping an eye on things."
"It's my job," Dr. Hasuma told Warren seriously. "And you told me you needed me to watch him."
"Yes, I did," Warren remembered. "Even if he has powers, he's still pretty vulnerable. He's already been through that nightmare once. He doesn't have to go through it again."
"Indeed," Dr. Hasuma agreed. "To be turned into a weapon at a young age. He and the others lost their childhood when GIN-SHOCKER got their hands on them." He clenched his fists, guilt on his face. If only he'd stopped the Great Leader in his world from escaping then Shinji would've had a normal childhood and grown up with a normal life.
"It wasn't your fault."
"Doesn't mean I shouldn't feel guilty. At least I can watch over him now."
Warren patted him on the back. "That's the spirit!"
"So, they're right here, huh?" a grinning man said as he looked up at the amusement park entrance.
"Yeah. Remember the plan, OK?" his companion reminded.
"Yeah, yeah. I remember. Just don't get in my way or I'll kill ya."
Shiori watched as Rika, Hanyuu and Shinji played on the Merry-Go-Round. They'd just finished with the Spinning Teacups ride. She and Kasai were sitting on a bench. Sho was asleep in his baby carriage.
"Hey, fancy meeting you here," a familiar face greeted.
"Ah, Conner-san!" Shiori got up to greet him. "Konnichiwa." She gave a bow. He returned the gesture.
"And so this is your husband," Conner acknowledged. "Tatsuyoshi Kasai, right?"
Kasai stood up, his intimidating stature shadowing Conner. He then stuck a hand out in greeting. "That's right. My wife told me about you. She met you and your family in the playground the other day."
"Yeah, she did," replied Conner as he shook Kasai's hand.
"Papa!" Ai waved from atop one of the horses on the Merry-Go-Round. Conner waved back.
"So, where's your wife?" Shiori asked.
"Oh, Ryoko had something important to do, so it's just me and my little girl," Conner told her. "And so this is your baby, huh?" He was smiling as he looked at Sho.
"Yeah, that's him." The ride ended before Shinji, Rika and Hanyuu leapt off their horses and ran up to their mother. Even though Rika and Hanyuu still had their full memories, it was hard to resist their childish impulses in their current forms. She checked her watch. "Hm, it's lunch time. Come on kids, let's go and eat."
"Can I have a big bowl of ice cream and some candy?" Shinji asked hopefully.
"Later, when we get home," Shiori promised, ruffling his hair. Shinji smiled. "Come on, let's go and have lunch."
Conner watched the family leave. He felt Ai tugging on his arm. "Yes, honey?"
"I like him," Ai told him, pointing at Sho. She had pink on her cheeks and giggling.
The family was having lunch at the amusement park's restaurant. Shinji was having a hamburger steak which Shiori helped to cut. He had sauce all over his face, which she wiped. He was such a messy eater. Shiori didn't mind at all. She just loved taking care of her son. After cleaning him up, she fed Sho a bottle of milk. The others were having different food as well. Rika and Hanyuu went and ordered omurice (basically, it is rice wrapped in an omelet) while Kasai had ramen. Shiori had the same thing Shinji was having.
Suddenly, the door was kicked open and a gunshot was heard. The sudden noise caused Sho to start crying and the people to panic.
"Alright, people! This is a stickup, see?" The gunman had blond hair and wore a domino mask on his face. His costume was a black bodysuit with red gloves and boots. Over his costume he wore a red poncho with a black swastika. He wore a dagger in his belt. He shot into the ceiling again to show that he wasn't kidding and not some kind of amusement park mascot. "ON THE FLOOR, NOW!" he ordered. The customers and staff all did as ordered.
He was also accompanied by a man in black ninja garb with steel forearm guards. The ninja clothes had a purple spider web pattern and he had a scarf wrapped around the lower half of his face. Around his forehead was a headband with a steel plate in front that depicted X-SHOCKER's emblem. His eyes were hidden behind a pair of goggles with red lenses. His hair was spiked up and brown. What was the most shocking about his appearance were the four mechanical arms that were attached to his back. He was Spider Ninja,
The gunman, Kid Karnevil, grinned as he scanned the place. There were so many people to kill. He then spotted their target and strode over, gun in hand. Kasai stood up to defend his family, shotgun already in hand.
"Trying to be the hero, huh?" Kid Karnevil laughed. He sneered, "How brave."
Kasai silently cocked his shotgun as Shiori held her children protectively close to her. Suddenly, Spider Ninja appeared right behind Kasai and sent him flying with a punch. Kasai crashed through several tables and was promptly knocked out by the blow.
"Anata!" Shiori cried. She felt the barrel of the gun pressed against her temple.
Sho's crying annoyed Kid Karnevil. "Shut that kid up!" he ordered. Shiori carefully took Sho out of his carriage and whispered soothing words to him as she rocked him to calm him down. When the baby stopped crying, she put him back in the carriage.
"Now, gimme your big little boy," Kid Karnevil said in a gentle tone, referring to Shinji, but the insane look on his face told her all she needed to know. She was not going to hand her son to another psycho.
"No!" she denied him, spitting in his face. His grin turned into a frown as he wiped the spit away with a paper napkin.
"Time to die, bitch!" Kid Karnevil was ready to squeeze the trigger when all of a sudden he was knocked onto his back by Shinji.
"Leave Kaa-chan alone you big meanie!" Shinji began swinging at his face with punches. Normally, a 6 year old child's punches wouldn't hurt him, but this was no ordinary kid. He was a Kaizo Ningen and the blows from his tiny fists hurt a lot!
"Get off me!" Kid Karnevil threw him off him. He aimed his gun but then it was knocked out of his hand by a fork that Shinji had thrown. "Damn it!" Kid Karnevil cursed. "You little brat!" He then grabbed Rika and held the knife to her throat.
"Rika!" Hanyuu, Shinji and Shiori cried.
"Now, you brat. Come over here and I'll let your cute sister go," Kid Karnevil instructed. "And no funny business or she gets it!"
Hanyuu wished she could use her powers. However, in her current form she couldn't access them. She wished she could help but the situation was a dangerous one.
"Promise you won't hurt her?" Shinji asked.
"Sure, whatever. Just get over here!" Kid Karnevil ordered. Shinji walked over. Rika shook her head but Shinji ignored her. She was his sister, after all. When he got close, Kid Karnevil tossed Rika aside and grabbed Shinji by his hair. Shinji yelped.
"Let him go!" Shiori ordered. In her hand was the gun Kid Karnevil had dropped. She had it aimed at him.
"Ah, ah, ha," Kid Karnevil waved his knife tauntingly. "You don't wanna hurt this kid now, do you?" He pointed the knife at Shinji's eye. Shiori trembled. "Good. Now then, drop the gun and kick it over." He ordered when she hesitated, "Do it!" She did and kicked it over to him. He put his foot over it.
"Please, don't hurt him," Shiori pleaded.
Looking down on Shinji, he got an idea. "Actually, I think I will."
Kid Karnevil held the knife to Shinji's throat. "What are you doing you maniac!" shouted Spider Ninja. "We're supposed to bring the boy ba-" However, he was silenced when Kid Karevil's knife found its way into Spider Ninja's throat before he yanked it out. Being an android, this didn't kill him; however, his voice box was severed.
"Shut up! This is more fun!" laughed Kid Karnevil. He then brought the knife down, but was shocked when it stopped, embedded in the hand of a very enraged Green Lantern Alan Smith in uniform. "Oh..."
"Eat willpower psycho!" roared GL-Alan as he blasted Kid Karnevil out the window, shattering it, with a massive burst of emerald energy. GL-Alan then looked at his hand, which still had the knife in it. "Crap this hurts!"
Spider Ninja decided to make a run for it. He then saw Hanyuu and Shiori. Desperate, he fired webbing from his mechanical arms and captured them like fish in a net. He then tossed a flash bomb to the ground which blinded everyone with a flash of light before it released smoke to cover his escape.
"Kaa-chan! Hanyuu-chan!" Shinji shouted. He coughed. 'No…' The smoke was thick but then his eyes glowed red as his body became enveloped in light. It was radiating through the smoke, which GL-Alan noticed right away.
The smoke cleared and standing tall was Kamen Rider Showa GX. His gaze went towards the door before he made a dash for it. "Shinichi!" GL-Alan called but the Rider simply ignored him. He then vanished from sight. "Damn it!" Sho was crying again, but his mother wasn't around to calm him down. Rika was at Kasai's side. The man managed to come to but now he had a splitting headache.
It didn't take long for Showa to catch up to Spider Ninja. Between the two of them, Showa was the faster one. When the Rider spotted Spider Ninja fleeing, he drew his sword and called out, "Strike from the Shadows…ZENNIN!"
With that command, the sword transformed into a massive four-pointed shuriken as Showa's armor morphed into the Kage Form configuration. He drew his arm back and then swung, sending the Dai-Shuriken flying straight at Spider Ninja's back. The 6-armed ninja android spun on his heels and jumped to avoid from being bisected by the spinning projectile. Like a boomerang, it returned to Showa's hands before he stuck it to his back.
"Where are they?" Showa demanded. Spider Ninja couldn't tell him even if he wanted to because Kid Karnevil had severed his voice box. Showa noticed this too. "So, you can't talk, huh? Guess I'll have to extract the information some other way." He cracked his knuckles.
Spider Ninja assumed a fighting stance as did Showa. They then charged at each other, exchanging blows. Spider Ninja had the upper hand due to his additional appendages. However, that did not last as Showa suddenly vanished from sight. Spider Ninja spun around when he sensed Showa's presence before receiving a palm strike right in the face. This causes his goggles' lenses to shatter. Showa then grabbed hold of Spider Ninja's scarf and yanked him close, kneeing him in the gut. The android doubled over.
Showa's hand began to glow and he placed it on Spider Ninja's head. "Let's see what you're hiding." His eyes flashed as he began to search through Spider Ninja's memory banks, looking for the information he needed. When he was done, he tossed Spider Ninja to the ground. "Kaa-chan, Hanyuu-chan, I'm coming. But first…" He formed a dark energy ball in his hand and aimed it at Spider Ninja. "Say goodnight." Just as he was about to fire his Shadow Ball, he felt a firm grip on his wrist. "Let go, Alan."
"You're wasting time here," the Green Lantern said. "Right now, we have to find your mother and Hanyuu."
Showa glanced at Spider Ninja and found that he'd disappeared. He growled under his breath before wrenching his arm free from GL-Alan's grasp. "Let's go. I know where they are."
Hanyuu was tied to a chair by steel chains. Shiori was also tied up but she was unconscious. Spider Ninja had knocked the two of them out but the little goddess had recovered much earlier and woke up. The madman responsible for their situation was Dr. X. Spider Ninja had brought them into the Haunted House which was closed for renovations. Right now they were in something that looked like a cemetery.
"You can never leave Shinichi alone, can you?" Hanyuu questioned angrily. She was wearing an inhibitor collar. Dr. X was careful. He didn't want her powers to destroy him. His plan was to lure Shinichi here and then use his loved ones as bargaining chips.
"Of course I can't," Dr. X answered. "I did create him but he betrayed me. What an ungrateful child."
"What does he have t be grateful for? You took him away from his family, turned him into a Kaizo Ningen against his will, and made him kill his comrades. You even tricked him into killing the girl he loved," said Hanyuu in an accusing tone.
"Call it 'tough love', my dear," Dr. X replied nonchalantly. "A parent has to be firm so their children can grow."
"And stop claiming to be his parent!" snapped Hanyuu. "Shiori-mama has done more for him, for us, than you ever did!"
"Which is why this is the perfect way to teach BLACK 13 a lesson," remarked Dr. X. "This isn't just about beating him. This is about making him suffer and the sight of his dear mother dying will cause his mind and heart to snap. Sure, he can reverse time and try to save her, but that just means I can try other ways to finish her off each time." He leaned over towards Hanyuu who grimaced in disgust. "As for you, my dear, I'm going to experiment on you and see what makes you tick." He added, "Don't bother using those powers of yours. That collar around your neck presents you from using them."
Hanyuu growled, "You have no idea who you're messing with." Her eyes seem to glow red which Dr. X didn't notice.
Showa and GL-Alan arrived at the Haunted House, which resembled an old-fashioned European mansion. There was a sign hung at the door which read 'Closed for Renovations'. "They're here," Show said certainly. He kicked the door open. "Let's go."
"You mean BLACK 13? I know all his tricks now and I've seen what he can do. I've seen what his friend Alan Smith can do too. Nothing surprises me," remarked Dr. X.
"I wasn't talking about them," said Hanyuu as she phased right through her bindings.
"What?" Dr. X gawked. "How?" The collar around her neck also fell off. He reached for his gun and aimed it at her, only for an invisible force to knock into him and send him flying straight into the wall with a hard thud. "Ugh!" he grunted.
Hanyuu's hair flailed about as she hovered a foot off the ground. Her eyes glowed red and the aura was radiating off her body. She approached Dr. X who found himself staring at the girl in terror. He wasn't looking at some girl with super powers. He was looking at the embodiment of the Hinamizawan deity, Oyashiro-sama.
"Let me tell you something and make sure every lowlife you know hears this as well. I want you to spread the message," she spoke in an eerie ethereal voice. "As of right now, our families and loved ones are OFF LIMITS! You come after our loved ones, threaten them, bump into them on the street or even THINK of hurting them, then what awaits you is a slow and painful END!" Dr. X screwed his eyes shut. "I'm talking to you. Look at me! I said LOOK AT ME!" He had no choice but to comply
Before Dr. X's eyes, Hanyuu seemed to grow 15 feet tall with a demonic visage. The aura around her intensified as well. "Remember what I said, Gebok. Don't you ever come after the people I love ever again, do you hear me? DON'T YOU EVEN DARE!"
He could do nothing but scream.
Another W14 android fell at Showa's hands. They littered the floor in pieces. GL-Alan had dealt with a few as well. "Come on," said Showa. Suddenly, they heard a scream. "What was that?"
"It came from over there!"
The Kamen Rider and Green Lantern found both Hanyuu and Shiori, safe and sound. Showa was relieved as he strode over to them, checking them. "Are you both okay?" he asked.
"We're fine," said Hanyuu calmly. "Right, Shiori-mama?"
"Shinji?" Shiori asked. Showa took her hand in his.
"Kaa-chan, let's go home," Showa said. His body glowed and then shrunk down. When the light died, the Kamen Rider had reverted into a sleeping Shinji.
"Oh, Shinji…" She put her son on her back and carried him.
"So, what happened?" GL-Alan asked. "We heard a scream."
"Oh, don't worry about it," said Hanyuu calmly, smiling. "It was probably the wind."
GL-Alan cocked an eyebrow. He didn't look too convinced.
Spider Ninja returned to X-SHOCKER Headquarters and got his voice box repaired. However, he wished he'd gotten his audio sensors shut off. Why? Electric Butterfly was taunting him.
"Wow? Even you couldn't capture a small, defenseless, kid?" she mocked, laughing.
"Aw…shut up!" he spat. "Say, where's the doctor?"
Speaking of which, Dr. X was hiding out in his lab. He was in the corner, rocking back and forth in a fetal position. He mumbled, "Oyashiro's gonna get me, Oyashiro's gonna get me, Oyashiro's gonna get me…" repeatedly.
"Pathetic," a cloaked figure said as he entered Dr. X's laboratory. "You've been reduced to this by a little child."
"Million-sama!" gasped Dr. X. He crawled over and bowed his head at Million's feet, begging forgiveness. Million's body was concealed under a cloak and hood. The cloak was blood red and on the back was X-SHOCKER's emblem. "Please, forgive me!"
Million simply kicked Gebok in the chin, knocking him backwards and onto his back. "M-Million-sama!"
"Send one of your gigantic creations," Million ordered. "Hopefully, it will make up for the stupid mistake you made, X."
"Right away, Million-sama!"
"Thank you so much! Thank you! Thank you!" Shiori was hugging the stuffing out of GL-Alan right now. The young Corpsman was being suffocated since his face was in her breasts. He struggled, but couldn't get free. They now stood in front of the Haunted House. Dr. X (Gebok) had gotten away.
"Onii-chan, you saved us again!" Shinji exclaimed. After he woke up, he came to the conclusion that the Green Lantern had rescued them.
Shiori let GL-Alan go and he took in a deep breath of air. "It's no problem, Ma'am. Just doing my job." He added, "Let's get you back to the rest of the family."
Safe to say, the family outing was ruined. What else could go wrong?
Murphy's Law: What can go wrong, will and absolutely will go wrong.
A massive shadow appeared over the group, causing GL-Alan to let out a groan. "I hate my luck. Seriously, it flat out sucks…" This statement was followed by an eruption of panicked screaming. People were running about, screaming, trying to flee from the massive monster. It was a mechanical monstrosity, with the body of a lizard that was supported by eight spider-like legs. It also had eight beady red eyes which circled around as it looked at its surroundings. Rearing its head back, it let loose a massive roar like a dinosaur.
"You all should get to safety with the rest of your family," GL-Alan instructed, his ring glowing. He looked to Shinji and gave him a salute. "Kid, take care of your family." He then shot into the air to confront the creature. The Green Lantern started blasting with his ring, catching the Big Spider Lizard's attention. Its eyes fired laser beams at him, which he dodged as he returned fire. His beams couldn't penetrate its metal hide. Gritting his teeth, he started to fire a barrage of beams.
"This looks like a tough one," said Bazel.
"Yeah, but I've dealt with tougher," GL-Alan replied.
Meanwhile, Hanyuu and Shiori were trying to flee. Unfortunately, Shinji wasn't moving from his spot. He just stared at the fight, eyes wide and mouth gaping.
"Come on, let's go!" Hanyuu said as she tugged on Shinji's arm, but he wasn't budging. "Come on!"
"Shinji!" Shiori exclaimed insistently. "It's dangerous here! We have to go, now!"
Shinji was rooted to the spot, watching the fight. Suddenly, he clutched his head in pain and fell to his knees in agony. "Shinji!" Shiori cried out as she saw her son in pain. His head was throbbing. In his mind's eye, a deluge of colors surrounded him. He watched as his surroundings shattered into a vortex of shards that swallowed him right up. The shards held images in them which flashed across his mind.
FLASH!
"Begin genetic infusion and alteration," Dr. Gebok ordered. "And next begin mental reconfiguration," he added.
Shinji screamed as he felt a terrible pain run through his body. He called out loudly, "KAA-CHAN!"
FLASH!
"Listen, Shinji Banabara, and listen well. We may have failed this once but know this, boy! Unlike GIN-SHOCKER, we will kill you and then the rest of humanity," Baron Yukanon said with a sneer.
"Not if I can help it," Shinichi growled. He was not going to let another organization like GIN-SHOCKER continue with their plans.
FLASH!
Ranma suddenly laughed, causing Shinichi to become surprised and Gebok to become outraged.
"What's so funny!" demanded Gebok angrily.
"This boy's past may be lost in the darkness, but he was still able to grasp happiness and companionship with his own power. He may not know where he is from, but that doesn't stop him from deciding his own path towards the future. Humans need bonds and these bonds create new memories," said Ranma.
Shinichi, touched by Ranma's words, rose up to his feet.
"You bastard, who the hell are you!" demanded the Gebok.
"Just a Kamen Rider who's passing through. Remember that!" said Ranma. "Henshin!"
FLASH!
"And you?" Shinichi's eyes fell on the Green Lantern who smiled at him.
"Can't you guess, Shinichi?" the boy asked.
"Huh?" Shinichi blinked.
"Take a good look. Don't I remind you of anyone?" the boy asked, pointing to his eyes and hair. "Think hard. I know you're a smart guy."
Shinichi narrowed his eyes and in ten seconds they widened like saucers. He looked at the Green Lantern and then at baby Alan before looking back at the Lantern, then the baby, then the Lantern again.
…
"EH!"
"Got it now?" the Green Lantern smirked.
FLASH!
He groaned as his eyes slowly fluttered open and he found himself looking at a girl with chin length brown hair, blue eyes, and a halo of light around her head. It was actually the light from the ceiling above her but it still looked radiant.
"Am I in Heaven, coz I see an angel…" the boy uttered, causing the girl to blush.
Shinji's bangs shadowed his head as he looked down. A moment ago he'd been in pain. Shiori and Hanyuu were concerned. He muttered, "I can't believe I forgot all that." He then looked up at them with a fiery determination in his eyes as he stood up. He returned his gaze towards the giant monster and the Green Lantern who was fighting it. "Alright, it looks like it's time for me to grow up."
"Shinji…" Shiori uttered. Shinji looked at her.
"Kaa-chan, thanks for taking care of me," he told her gratefully. "Hanyuu-chan, get Kaa-chan out of here." His Armorizer Belt formed and the Spark Core within glowed. Running towards the monster, he called out, "GX HENSHIN!"
As Shinji ran, the spirits of the Legendary Kamen Riders ran alongside him before overlapping his body. They vanished in a bright flash of light and now only one Rider was running towards battle. "Sing…YABUKI!"
GL-Alan muttered a curse under his breath. This mechanical monstrosity was a tough one.
"Having trouble, Alan?" Showa asked as he joined the Green Lantern in the air. He was in his green samurai-like Higurashi Form with his wings keeping him aloft and holding the Higurashi no Yaiba.
"Good to see you back," GL-Alan smiled.
"OK, let's do this!" Bazel declared. The Green Lantern was enveloped in the Bazel Power Armor. "Ready, you two?"
"Always," smirked Showa. The Big Spider Lizard roared and fired at the two heroes who flew at it. They narrowly avoided the beams. They then started their counterattack.
"HIGURASHI ZAN!" Showa called and with a swing of his blade, sending a crescent-shaped blade of energy at the Big Spider Lizard. It exploded harmlessly against the mechanical monstrosity. "A tough one."
"Yeah," GL-Alan noted. He stared at his ring. Time to get creative. "OK, time to squash this bug!"
Showa stared as GL-Alan formed a massive anvil with his ring. "Seriously?" GL-Alan shrugged as he dropped the anvil atop the mechanical monster, crushing it. "Seemed a bit…anticlimactic." When GL-Alan made the anvil vanish, they saw a big hole where the Big Spider Lizard should be. "Not good."
It burst out of the ground behind them, sending debris and dust flying everywhere in an explosive move. Opening its mouth, it shot its head forward and clamped its jaws shut, eating up the two heroes. It looked like it was all over for them, however…
Inside the Big Spider Lizard's stomach, GL-Alan had formed a barrier to keep them safe from the sharp teeth which would've torn them to shreds and now from the knee-deep of acid they were in. The two looked to each other and grinned (you couldn't see Showa's grin because of the mask, but he was definitely grinning).
Big Spider Lizard had just made a HUGE mistake.
Outside, the Big Spider Lizard roared in satisfaction. It had done its master's bidding and…
KA-BOOOOOOM!
"And in today's news, there was a hostage situation at the local amusement park in Shishibone City. Fortunately, the hero known as the Green Lantern was able to diffuse the situation and subdue the costumed gunman whose whereabouts and currently unknown. Then famous adult novelist and one of her adopted daughters were kidnapped but were also rescued by the Green Lantern. Also, another giant monster appeared at the same amusement park but it was destroyed by the Green Lantern and one of the Kamen Riders before it could do anymore damage. No loss of life has been reported during these incidents. Now in other news…"
The family was seated in the living room, all the members who'd been changed back to their proper ages. They were watching the news.
"It's good to be back to normal," said Shinichi. Rena was leaning against him, glad that he was his right age. Sure, he wasn't as cute as when he was Shinji, he was still cute.
"I don't know," Shiori started. "I kinda liked being a young woman again."
"You're still beautiful, Shiori," complimented Kasai.
"Thanks, honey."
"Just one problem," spoke Rika. "What are we going to do about this?" She was referring to the baby now sleeping in her arms. It was GL-Alan. At the same time Shinichi, Rika, Hanyuu and Shiori had turned back to normal; GL-Alan had turned into a baby. The Power Ring and Bazel still fit him, though.
Kid Karnevil had gotten away. Probably realized he was outmatched after he got blasted out the window and decided to make a break for it before he got captured by a pissed off Green Lantern.
"It'll wear off, soon," said Shinichi as he looked at the babyfied GL-Alan.
"Plus, he's so cute!" Rena giggled.
The baby Green Lantern giggled at the attention he was receiving from Rena. He then pointed his tiny Ring at Shinichi, when it started glowing. "Uh oh…" gulped Shinichi before he has knocked over by a bolt of emerald energy. The baby began laughing again, randomly firing beams of green energy at Shinichi.
"Call Lala, now!" Shinichi exclaimed as he took cover.
Lala immediately went over along with Amora, Yami, Conda and Bishie. Shinichi told them something was wrong with GL-Alan, but hadn't told them what. "Kawaii!" screamed Lala as she hugged her baby love interest. GL-Alan was giggling, enjoying the attention he was getting from the Devlukian princess. Amora then grabbed GL-Alan from Lala, and was holding him in the air, smiling up at him.
"Oh! My darling Alan is so adorable!" screeched Amora. Golden hair then flew around Amora, before turning into a small cradle for the baby Lantern. Yami's hair brought the baby back to her.
"Mine…" muttered Yami as she held the baby close to her. However, a pair of vines then snatched GL-Alan from Yami.
"No! Master belongs to all of us!" cried Bishie as she hugged GL-Alan into her bust. Bishie was then pushed out of the way by Conda, who quickly grabbed GL-Alan. "Conda you meanie!" whined Bishie as she stuck her tongue out at the Amazon.
"Hmph, I am the only one who can properly raise him back to the man he once was," said Conda, her head thrown back.
"Enjoy, girls," Shinichi grinned. "Take care of him as long as you want until he turns back to normal. Oh, and take pictures to."
The girls nodded before taking GL-Alan home.
"But I wanted to take him home…" said Rena pitifully.
KR Chrome: And so ends Shinichi's short childhood. Well, next time we'll have some more action.