The NEO-NUMBERS were victorious as the Watoto all seemingly disintegrated upon their defeat. Compared to many of their opponents from the past, the catgirls had not been much of a challenge as the cyborgs had fought them without transforming. Perhaps they had just gotten stronger after experiencing so many battles. By now, they should be combat veterans.
"Well, that takes care of that," Daichi said as he dusted off his hands. "Didn't even need to transform to take them out."
"Don't celebrate just yet," Shogo cautioned. "We still don't know where we are or where Alan, Misato, and Yuji ended up."
"Relax," Daichi dismissed. "They can take care of themselves. Right now we need to figure out how we're going to find that bitch."
"You mean 'witch', don't you?" Chiaki attempted to correct him.
"I know what I said," Daichi huffed.
"Any ideas?" Yokoshima questioned, scratching his head. "Because I'm drawing a blank here."
"No surprise there," Daichi muttered.
"We should look for landmarks. We can regroup there," Hana suggested.
"Like that?" Michiru pointed at the gigantic citadel that stood in the distance.
"How the hell did we miss that?" Daichi questioned, perplexed. Something as huge as that shouldn't have been hard to miss.
"It could be a trap," Hana warned her comrades. "Zawadi could be waiting for us right there to murder us all."
"Or Shinichi could be waiting for us," Michiru countered. "Besides, what choice do we have?"
"Michiru's right. If Zawadi's there then Shinichi's there too," Yokoshima agreed. "We just need to go there and rescue him."
"Your call?" Chiaki asked Shogo.
Shogo considered their next move. It could be a lead but it could also be a trap set by Zawadi. However, what choice did they have? They could not leave without Shinichi and Alan, Yuji and Misato were still unaccounted for.
If this was a trap, then they needed to be prepared for anything. They needed a plan.
"Alright, here is what we're going to do," Shogo started.
Yuji and Alan were still bewildered by their encounter with a grown-up Hiroyuki and his mysterious companion Raheem. During the fight, the two had the advantage the entire time before suddenly withdrawing without any explanation.
"OK, seriously, what the hell was all that about?" Yuji demanded.
"I...I'm not sure," Alan answered, still confused. "But that was definitely Hiro."
"Yeah, I get that," Yuji responded. Even he could not dispute that. "But how did he and his little friend end up here?"
"Time travel and magic," Alan concluded, as that was the most obvious answer.
"I know that. What I mean is that if they could do that, why not help us save Shinichi? Why fight us and then leave?" Yuji demanded.
"Maybe they weren't supposed to be here so they left before Zawadi detected them," Alan suggested. He knew Hiro when he grew up in the future. He was his nephew, after all, so they kept in touch. He didn't know much about what Hiro was doing after several years though. Last he heard he was dabbling in detective work... actually, when did Alan know about Hiro? Yeah, he was there when Satan gave birth, but now that he thought about it, in his old timeline Shinichi was only married to... oh, crap.
"Alright, let's forget those two," Yuji huffed, interrupting Alan's train of thought. "We need to find the others."
"Misato first, right?"
"Yeah, but I know she can take care of herself. I still can't help but worry about her."
"That shows you care. But you're right, we still need to reunite with the others. We can't face Zawadi on our own."
"Yeah, and we need to go through her to get to Shinichi. We're going to need all hands on deck for this fight."
"Let's just hope he's holding on." Alan used his ring to hover and he spotted the citadel. "Maybe they are headed over there."
"Where?" Yuji asked, his body glowing blue as he levitated and saw the citadel. "Think so?"
"Yeah, I think so. If the others saw it too then they could be headed there. We can rendezvous with them there."
"And what if Zawadi expects it and sets a trap for us there?" Yuji asked.
"Do we have a choice?" Alan returned.
Showa Chronicles: The Powerless Ones
Act IV: I'm Gonna Git You, Sucka
The NEO-NUMBERS trekked through the forest as they made their way to the citadel. Unlike the lavish, gothic architecture of the mansion in the Metaverse, Zawadi's citadel was larger, dry, and looked rather bleak. It was quite eerie as the usual sounds of nature which normally accompanied this type of environment were missing. It was just dead silent, which was unnerving.
"Alan! Yuji! Misato!" Yokoshima called, cupping his hands around his mouth. "Are you there? Can you hear me? Run towards my voice!"
"I don't think they can hear you," Daichi retorted.
"Yeah, they can. Alan's got super-hearing and so does Yuji!" Yokoshima countered.
"Me too, just to remind you again, and I can say for a fact that even if they could hear us, I don't think this place will make it that easy for them to find us," Daichi reminded, frowning as he scanned the dead quiet forest. "It's just weird. Unnatural. A forest shouldn't be this quiet." Daichi was an animal lover so being in an empty forest like this just made chills run up his spine, not that he would admit it.
Zero descended in front of the group and cancelled his transformation. He had gone and scouted ahead.
"We're not too far now," Shogo informed them. "Just a few hundred meters and we'll be right at her doorstep."
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's hurry!" Michiru pushed aside a few leaves and was about to step forward when Chiaki caught her around the waist. "Hey!"
"Look down," Chiaki said and the dark-skinned girl looked down. Right below her was a large crevice, one that went down so deep that she couldn't see the bottom. She gulped nervously, realizing that she almost fell through.
"Oh," Michiru sweatdropped as she saw how deep it was. "Thanks, Chiaki."
"Don't mention it," Chiaki nodded.
"Wonder how deep it is?" Yokoshima asked as he looked down. He picked up a pebble and tossed it down. He waited for it to reach the bottom, but after a while, he didn't hear anything.
"And there are bottomless crevices. Great," Daichi snarked.
They each leapt over the crevice and continued on their way until they reached the citadel. It was a grand building, like the Roman coliseum of Rome's ancient past and there was even a tall spire that reached the sky, piercing the dark clouds above.
"OK, looking at it up close, it's creepy," Yokoshima remarked.
"It is imposing," Hana studied the structure. "I like it. Say anything about Zawadi, but she's got good taste."
"OK, OK," Daichi huffed. "Let's stop admiring our enemy's home and get inside."
"Um, without a door?" Yokoshima pointed. All of a sudden, the wall morphed into the giant face of a jungle cat and its mouth opened wide, revealing a door. "...OK."
"Well, there's your door," Daichi said, gesturing to the newly formed entrance. "Do we go in?"
"Practice caution and stick close together," Shogo resolved, eyes narrowed.
"Right, use the buddy system!" Michiru quickly put an arm around Hana, pulling her close. "Like white on rice."
Shogo and Chiaki also partnered up. That left Daichi with Yokoshima. "OK, does anyone want to switch?" Daichi asked as Yokoshima grinned.
"Hey, am I so bad?" Yokoshima asked.
"Just walk in front of me," Daichi ordered.
Sticking together, the NEO-NUMBERS approached the door which opened with a growl. They went in and the door slammed shut behind them.
Literally, a minute later, Yuji and Alan found themselves standing at the base of the citadel. As soon as they arrived, a huge door within the jaws of a lion opened up for them. It just screamed of an evil trap.
"Well, can't do much out here," Yuji said to Alan, patting his back. "Lead the way."
"Right," Alan said as he activated his Power Ring but then the green glow around it flickered. "What? It can't be out of power now! I just charged it!"
"Let me try," Yuji lit up his blue Power Ring and it flickered as well before going dead. "Damn. Drained too."
"It's this place. It drained our rings," Alan frowned. "Guess we'll be going in blind. One step into the great unknown."
The pair heard the leaves rustle behind them and spun around, waiting for whatever horrible beast or abomination would come out to attack them. Yuji's eyes glowed, Photonic energy gathering in his hands. Alan did the same, his own eyes glowing with Quantum energy. Then, all of a sudden, Misato emerged from the foliage.
"Yuji!" Misato yelled as she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around him.
"Misato!" Yuji smiled jubilantly, catching her in his arms. Alan smiled at the happy reunion as Yuji spun the girl around then set her down.
"I almost thought I wouldn't find you," Misato said. "So I thought I could meet you here."
"We were thinking the same thing," Yuji replied, pointing at Alan with his thumb. "Now we just need to wait for the others."
"Or maybe they already went inside," Alan pointed at the lion door.
"Wow, that is one weird door," Misato remarked.
"I think it's more like a gate," Yuji commented.
The door suddenly swung open and just like a black hole it sucked them right in. They screamed as they were sucked inside before the door slammed shut.
As soon as the NEO-NUMBERS went through the door, the floor gave way and they found themselves falling into a deep pit. They all screamed as they plummeted to their doom, only to fall into a body of water, making large splashes as they landed. They broke the surface, spitting water.
"OK, what the hell? Seriously, what the hell?" Daichi demanded.
"I knew I should've brought my bathing suit," Yokoshima said. "Mental note: bring a bathing suit for all missions."
"I think we triggered a trapdoor," Shogo concluded.
"Yeah, no shit, Sherlock!" Daichi snapped. "OK, now what?"
All of a sudden, torches lining the walls lit up, revealing they were in an underground canal. Each of the torches resembled skeletal hands that held the flames within their palms.
"Now, we swim," Hana stated.
Seeing no other choice, the team started to swim towards the end of the canal which should hopefully lead them to an exit. As they swam, Michiru suddenly let out a shrill shriek, surprising them.
"What's wrong?" Hana asked.
"Something just brushed up against me!" Michiru cried.
"We ain't alone in here," Daichi said as he tensed up with the others.
"That don't sound good," Yokoshima paled.
"Swim fast and be ready for anything," Shogo ordered.
Nobody argued as they swam faster, hoping to avoid whatever had brushed up against Michiru's leg. None of them wanted to face what it was, especially while they were on its turf.
Yuji, Alan and Misato flew through a tunnel but instead of walls, images flew past them. They saw their fears, their regrets and their sins flying in their faces.
Misato saw herself in the past, a look of bliss on her face as she drank a person dry, leaving behind a multitude of bodies. Alam saw himself as Parallax, on the verge of erasing the Multiverse before he finally regained his sanity. As for Yuji, the less said about what he saw, the better.
It soon turned into a tunnel of swirling colours, like a psychedelic acid trip, before the tree of them were spat right out of a lion-shaped doorway.
Alan went tumbling, rolling to a stop facedown. On the other hand, Yuji caught Misato and was able to land on his feet with his wife in his arms.
"Are you OK?" Yuji asked.
"I'm never getting on that ride again," Misato joked.
"Ow," Alan grunted as he picked himself up. "Well, we're inside. Now, where are the others?"
Just as Alan asked them, they saw the NEO-NUMBERS show up as they ran in from the other side of the coliseum.
"Go, go, go!" Shogo ordered as he fired at their exit way. There was a loud roar as a tentacle burst out and swung at them. Chiaki and Michiru attacked with their weapons, slicing into the tentacle. The creature soon withdrew its limb and the door slammed shut.
"Do. Not. Go. In there!" Yokoshima pointed, panting. "Whoa, that was nuts!"
"I swear! After we get out of this, I am swearing off seafood!" Daichi snapped.
"But you're already a vegetarian," Hana stated.
"Good! Coz I'm never touching that stuff!"
"Did you guys just get in a fight with Cthulhu?" Yuji joked as he saw the group, all soaked to the bone.
"It was more like a Kraken," Hana responded. "I'm glad you all made it here without any difficulty."
"That's debatable," Misato muttered.
"Well, at least we all made it here in one piece," Alan said optimistically. Now that they were together, they could come up with a plan to defeat Zawadi, rescue Shinichi, and save the Metawitches.
Tribal drumming suddenly began to play, alarming the group. The NEO-NUMBERS were in a battle-ready formation, those with weapons already armed. Alan brought out his Sonic Screwdriver as Yuji's eyes glowed with Photonic energy and Misato drew her Blood Rapiers.
From the doorway in front of them, the Watoto came dancing out. Instead of their uniforms, they wore tube tops and loincloths made from the skins of the beasts they represented. They also had their faces painted to resemble their beastly origins. Their feet were bare and they wore necklaces made of big cat teeth. Around their wrists and ankles, they wore a set of bracelets that chimed with each move they made.
The Watoto were soon followed by two lines of dark-skinned men, naked save for leopard-print trunks, revealing their toned and muscular physique. They each wore realistic cheetah masks and were carrying drums which they beat with their hands furiously. The Watoto danced fiercely to the rhythmic tribal drumming. It was both impressive and intimidating.
Yokoshima was tapping his feet to the rhythm of the drums but a glare from Daichi made him stop.
Finally, came the Witch of Calamity herself, sitting upon a palanquin that was carried by four cheetahmen. The drummers knelt as they continued to play with their heads down. Zawadi swiftly gestured for them to stop and the Watoto stopped dancing as the drumming ceased.
"You all made it. I'm impressed. I also heard that you treated my daughters well," Zawadi said as she glared at the NEO-NUMBERS. Her gaze then went to Misato who glared right back at her. "And I see you managed to overcome your trial as well."
"That's right," Misato growled, wielding her Blood Rapiers. She pointed at Zawadi with one of her swords. "And you're next!"
"But first, give us back Shinichi!" Yuji demanded. He felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Allow me," Alan offered. "This requires diplomacy."
"And if that doesn't work?" Yuji asked quietly.
"Then...we do the other thing," responded Alan in a whisper. He stepped up to Zawadi. The Watoto were ready to defend their mistress but a gesture from Zawadi made them stand down so they did as they relaxed their stance, allowing him to approach their mistress.
"So, you wish to speak to me, Mr. Smith? Then speak," Zawadi allowed.
"Look, I get why you decided to take the power from the witches. They have abused their gifts and they deserve to be punished. I mean, the way they play around with human lives is appalling. But then you decided to attack Beatrice who has turned over a new leaf," Alan started.
"And you believe that isn't fair? You believe she should not be punished since she has, as you believe, 'turned over a new leaf''?" Zawadi questioned, eyes narrowed under her mask.
"I believe in justice," Alan stated firmly. "But I also believe that people are allowed a chance to become better."
"To become better?" Zawadi mused. "You mean like you? You're a Green Lantern, correct? An enforcer of justice. Tell me, Mr. Smith, what made you decide to become a Lantern?"
Alan held up his hand, showing off his Ring.
"I didn't. The Ring chose me and it decided I should be a Lantern. It determined that I had the will to overcome great fear."
"True, but there was a point in your life when your will was broken, was there not? A time when you allowed great fear into your heart. Tell me, what happened then?" Zawadi prodded.
Alan looked down slowly, ashamed.
"I... I almost destroyed the Multiverse. A criminal I let escape killed my girlfriend at the time. It broke me," he confessed.
"And now here you are. Atoning for that error," Zawadi nodded. "But let's be honest. You could have avoided all that if you had just relinquished the Ring. Why didn't you?"
Alan looked at his Green Lantern Power Ring. Zawadi had a point. He could have avoided all that if he just gave up being a Lantern.
"Because then...then it would have all been pointless. If I gave up the Ring after Jade's death? After Aoran? That wouldn't have changed anything. Parallax was already inside of me And it took me realizing what I did and sacrificing my life to atone for it to purge the damn space bug out of me."
"Then, how did you get your ring back? Why did you accept it knowing it all could happen again?" Zawadi questioned. "Weren't you afraid?"
"Because I swore it wouldn't, and if I didn't accept the Ring when it was offered to me again then I would have lost the person I owe my whole new life to," Alan answered. "I could go on, but I think we both know that this debate won't get us anywhere. Just give my brother back."
"I'm sorry. I can't do that," Zawadi declined. "He needs to be protected from those who would use him for his power."
"He does not need you protecting him," Alan stated firmly.
"Doesn't he? Did you know Bernkastel repeatedly attempted to destroy him? Could you allow that to happen? Could you forgive someone who was a threat to your family? Would you allow them to live if they were a threat to the people you love?" Zawadi questioned.
"Yes," Alan responded without hesitation. "Even with the power to break a planet, that doesn't give me the right to be judge, jury, and executioner. My job is to lock the scum of the universe up, not execute them. I only kill my enemies if I'm left with no other choice."
"But there are people with the power to break the world who decide to be judge, jury, and executioner. And there are also people without such power who still act as they deem fit. People who believe that it is in their right to judge and pass judgement without a second thought. People who think there is no fixing yourself after a crime. There is a saying in the Good Book: 'let he who is without sin cast the first stone'. And no one is without sin. Not you, not your brother, and most certainly not myself. But oh yes, we can do better, yet that brings me back to my point on those who decide to judge. They do not believe redemption is possible."
"Well, I do. I don't want to just assume everyone I face is beyond redemption. Because I know that isn't true. Are some of my enemies beyond saving? Absolutely. People like Mongol or Major Force will never turn over a new leaf and become a good person. That still wouldn't make it OK for me to just kill them. Even if I want to."
"Just because you don't, does not mean several others share your values. For every idealist who believes in redemption, there is always some fool who refuses to believe in the mere concept of it. They are hypocrites who will shame and hiss at one side while refusing to acknowledge the deeds of another, violent sycophants who will drag down idols they deem as evil without looking into themselves, entitled egomaniacs who believe that they own the world, and utter bastards of bad faith who will resort to using fear and anger to control others," Zawadi told him. "And you will do well to realize that very soon."
Alan clenched his fist as he realized he was not getting through to her. Before ending this, he needed to ask one final question.
"What do you hope to accomplish with all this?" Alan asked. "Holding my brother hostage, taking the witches' magic for yourself, to what ends?"
"To do something more productive than tormenting humans for sick amusement. Now that I've answered your question, let us not waste any more time. If you wish to rescue your brother, you will need to play my game," Zawadi said.
"If it means fighting your catgirls, bring it. We'll just beat them again," Daichi grinned cockily. The Watoto glared, hissing fiercely at him. He hissed right back. "Back at you, cat-bitches!"
"No, my girls have done their part and gauged your abilities. I realize I would need to bring out stronger champions that can fully test your might," Zawadi replied.
"Champions?" Yuji repeated as he tensed up.
"Let me show you!" Zawadi declared as she slammed her staff down and one of her cheetahmen servants rang the gong.
"Hihihihihihihihihihi!" An insane cackle filled the air. A wave of dark matter swarmed through the air before landing with a hard thud, forming into a humanoid figure. "Finally, I've been waiting to come out and play, Mistress Zawadi!"
He was an attractive dark-skinned African male with dark shaggy hair and an athletic figure. He wore a jacket made of hyena fur which was left open to reveal his bare chest and blue jeans. He was also barefoot while equipped with bone-white gauntlets that ended in sharp claws on his fingertips. On his face were tribal tattoos that invoked the image of a hyena. A wide grin was plastered on his face, going from ear to ear.
His grin never fell, even in battle. A trickster by nature, Kishi enjoyed laughing at the suffering of his victims. To him, tragedy and comedy were one and the same.
"This is Kishi!" Zawadi declared as she waved her staff. "And next!"
Dark matter burst forth and another figure emerged. While Kishi was slim and athletic, this one was large and in charge. Standing at 7-feet tall, he was a huge, broad-shouldered, muscular, dark-skinned African male with a mohawk and beard. Completely ripped, he wore only black harem pants with a sash around his waist. He was barefoot as well, with bandages wrapped around his hands and feet. He wore multiple earrings on his pointed ears and when he opened his mouth, he revealed that he had a maw full of razor-sharp fangs.
"Tibicena Guacanchas," the second man growled, wearing a serious expression that contrasted with Kishi's large manic grin. Unlike Kishi, Tibicena was a no-nonsense person who hated to banter. He was hyper-focused on eliminating his mistress' enemies with absolute brute force.
"Shit, he's huge!" Yokoshima gasped. "Man, what do you eat?"
"PROTEIN, FOOL!" Tibicena roared, flexing his muscles and making his veins pop.
"Face my champions, defeat them, and then you may name your prize," Zawadi informed them. "Fail, and you will leave my realm, never to return. Do we have a deal?"
"Not like we have a choice," Alan clenched his fists.
"Hey, Green Boy!" Kishi whistled at Alan. "Looking for this?" Kishi gave a taunting look at him as he took Bazel out of his jacket to show Alan.
"Bazel?!" Alan cried out when he saw the bracelet. "Give him back!"
"Oh, you want your bracelet back? You want him back? You really, really, really want him back?" Kishi mocked, waving Bazel tauntingly before putting the bracelet away. "Sorry, but I'm gonna keep it because, well, since you're all gonna die here anyway, there's no reason for you to have it."
"Easy, Alan," Yuji said softly as he put his hand on Alan's shoulder to calm him down. He could sense his friend's anger and understand it. His brother had been abducted and now his partner was in the hands of a maniacal demon. Even Yuji would get mad if any of his loved ones were taken hostage.
"Now, commence combat!" Zawadi declared as she sat down. The gong rang once more and both her demons went on the attack. Kishi cackled like a maniac as he went straight for Michiru and Hana while Tibicena lunged at Yuji and Alan.
"Scatter!" Shogo ordered as he fired his stinger blasts at Kishi but the hyena demon just dodged, leaving an after-image to take the hit. He then continued with his trajectory to strike a shell-shocked Michiru but then she grinned as he swiped at her. His claws passed through her as her body became a cluster of orchid petals. His eyes went wide as he received a blow to the gut, courtesy of Michiru's foot as she landed a front kick. She then pulled back and delivered a roundhouse into his head, sending him tumbling.
Kishi rolled to a stop then flipped back onto his feet. He rubbed his jaw, moving it from side to side, and his huge smile returned.
"Hihihihihihi! Now, this is gonna be fun!" Kishi laughed as he flexed his fingers. Energy gathered in his hands and he struck the ground. Blades of energy burst from the ground and slashed their way towards the NEO-NUMBERS, leaving deep gouges in the ground. They all managed to dodge, all except for Yokoshima and Chiaki who were struck and sent crashing into the wall. Fortunately, they weren't too damaged, but that attack still hurt.
"Ugh!" Yokoshima grunted as he staggered, holding the wall for support. Chiaki's bandanna mask was torn apart from the attack, revealing something growing underneath. "Huh? Dude, when did you grow a beard?"
"Not the time," Chiaki responded as he turned his hands into chainsaws. He looked at Kishi who grinned at them all with an arrogant swagger, waiting for them to make the next move.
Meanwhile, Yuji and Alan leapt away as Tibicena came at them. He landed in a crouch with great force, making a crater on impact with his feet and fists. Rising up, he cracked his knuckles and leered at both of them.
"Coming here was a mistake. I'm amazed you even made it this far but I pity you fools for even thinking you can win," Tibicena growled.
"Does he remind you of anyone?" Alan asked Yuji.
"No, why?" Yuji asked, puzzled.
"You know about Public Enemy but not Mr. T?" Alan mentally went through what abilities he had access to. His Kryptonian strength and speed were out, and his ring was low on power so no flight or energy constructs either. However, he still had his own supernatural abilities to rely on.
Tibicena snarled and rushed at them. He struck Alan with a back-fist strike to the jaw, sending him flying. Yuji threw a punch but Tibicena ducked and nailed the Manakyte with an uppercut.
Yuji recovered quickly to deliver a right hook, then a left and then he slammed his palm into Tibicena's chest to fire a photonic energy blast. Tibicena took the hit, which left a burn on his chest, but he stayed rooted to the spot. He boxed Yuji's ears, stunning him, then slammed his fists on Yuji's shoulders to bring him to his knees.
"Like a fool, on your knees like a bitch. Now I'm gonna bury yo ass, sucka!" Tibicena growled but then he received a kick to the face that stunned him, sending him staggering back. He glared at Misato who hovered in place, eyes glowing blood-red.
"You good?" Misato asked Yuji.
"My ears are ringing," Yuji grunted as he got up. "But I can still fight."
"Yeah, this guy's strong," Alan studied Tibicena. "But we've faced tougher."
"Yeah," Yuji smiled and his Blue Lantern Power Ring began to glow. "Oh." While Alan's ring was powered by Will, Yuji's ring was powered by Hope. Another interesting feature was that a Blue Ring could boost a Green Ring. After all, Hope was the drive behind Will.
Alan looked at his ring which began to glow as if it still had a bit of charge left. The two shared a look then looked back at Tibicena who charged at them.
"Blue..." Yuji started as Tibicena came at them.
"Green..." Alan as Tibicena got in closer.
"POWER BLAST!" the Green and Blue Lanterns yelled together as they pointed their rings at Tibicena. An intense beam of mixed blue-green energy burst out of their rings as their rings' powers combined. Tibicena's eyes widened like a deer caught in the headlights as the beam struck. He howled as he tried to push back against the beam but Yuji and Alan's power was too much for him and he was sent flying into the wall. This caused an explosion and the two Lanterns stopped firing.
"Always good to have a Blue Lantern around," Alan smiled, patting Yuji's back.
"Yeah," Yuji agreed. The glow of their rings finally dimmed and went dead. "Hope you like your chances coz that was the last of our rings' power."
"Guys, I don't think he's dead yet," Misato warned them as she tightened her grip on her swords.
Tibicena lay buried under the rubble. His eyes narrowed as he gritted his teeth, growling furiously. These fools were making a fool out of him! Oh, he pitied them. He pitied these fools so much but they had brought this on themselves.
"Oh, you suckas gonna get it now," Tibicena growled as he stood from the ground, rubble sliding off his body as he locked eyes with the trio, "You're getting a one-way trip to Painville, and it's on an express ticket!" His veins popped as energy rolled off him, boiling like his blood. Tossing his head back, Tibicena let out an ear-shattering howl.
"AWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Tibicena began to grow in size, his muscles growing as he gained a few more feet in height. Black fur also grew from his body as his face extended into a muzzle. His ears extended as more hair grew on his head while fur grew on his face as well. A long tail grew from his rear too. Surprisingly, his pants managed to stretch to fit his increased size and once he was done, Tibicena had transformed into a huge, muscular wolfman with sharp claws, and fangs that looked like they could tear through solid steel.
"Things just got uglier," Misato remarked.
Meanwhile, the NEO-NUMBERS had their hands full with Kishi. While they may have him outnumbered, he was fast and agile, able to dodge whatever they threw at him. However, the NEO-NUMBERS had not been GIN-SHOCKER's elite cyborg super-soldiers for nothing. Realizing they needed an advantage, the NEO-NUMBERS transformed.
Zero fired his stingers rapidly at Kishi who danced around to dodge them. Frustrated, Zero rapidly increased the speed of his barrage but he just kept missing. To his shock, Kishi caught all his flying needles and then hurled them back at Zero. He landed multiple hits, knocking Zero out of the air.
Musician, Arachnea and Carmen used this chance to get into position and attack Kishi from three different directions. They attacked with their weapons but Kishi spun in place to deflect Carmen and Arachnea's scythes before he caught Musician's Cricket Fork.
"Big mistake, pal!" Musician boasted as he emitted a sonic pulse that should bring Kishi to his knees. However, Kishi was quick on the uptake and kicked the Cricket Fork out of Musician's hand before he swiped the Cricket Rider across the chest. He then performed a handstand and swung his legs around, knocking Arachnea and Carmen back. Once he was back on his feet, Arachnea quickly recovered and fired her webbing at Kishi's feet. He raised his claw to try to rip it to shreds when thick glue enveloped his hand.
"What!?" Kishi gaped.
With some of his glue still dripping from his helmet's nozzle, Kamen Rider Slasher picked up Armadillo who rolled himself into a ball. He hurled the Pillbug Rider at Kishi with a powerful throw while he was rooted to the spot. The hyena demon yelped as the huge metal ball smashed right into him. He was torn free from Arachnea's webbing as he was sent tumbling painfully across the field.
Kishi recovered, grunting, his smile falling for a moment before his grin returned.
"Well, well, well. You kids are actually the first to really hurt me," Kishi said as he wiped some blood off his lip. "Even managed to make me bleed. Hihihihihi!"
"That's right, and there's plenty more of that!" Musician boasted, pointing his Cricket Fork at Kishi.
"Oh, I bet. Hihihihihi!" Kishi cackled, his grin growing so wide that it threatened to split his face.
Back with Yuji, Misato and Alan, they were trying not to be crushed by the hulking wolf demon. Tibicena did not seem to possess any form of intelligence in this form. He was acting more like a berserker with a one-track mind, hyper-focused on tearing them to shreds. While his transformation might give him a boost in size and strength, against three experienced fighters, it was more of a detriment to his fighting skills.
Misato thrust her swords at Tibicena but her blades barely scratched his skin. Snarling, he grabbed her face and slammed her to the ground. He raised his fist to smash her when Alan used his telekinesis to hurl several chunks of rubble at Tibicena. He howled as he was hit in the face, releasing Misato. Alan continued to pelt the beast with rubble but Tibicena had enough and lunged at him. Misato quickly intercepted and stabbed the wolfman in both eyes with her swords.
Tibicena howled in pain as he swatted her away. She flipped through the air before landing on her feet. Blinded, Tibicena howled loudly in a rage as he shook his head left and right, swinging his claws wildly. This allowed Yuji to get close and pounce on his back. He gripped Tibicena's fur as the giant wolfman tried to buck him right off. He tightened his grip as he climbed up to Tibicena's neck and then raised a hand to summon a Photon Blade.
"Time to put you to sleep, doggie!" Yuji shouted and he stabbed Tibicena right in the neck. Tibicena howled in pain as he threw Yuji off, blood pouring out of his wound. Yuji did a three-point landing as he skidded back slightly.
"Ready?" Alan asked as Quantum energy glowed around his hands.
"Set, Go!" Yuji shouted as he fired Photonic blasts at Tibicena as Alan blasted the wolf demon with Quantum energy. They blasted the demon repeatedly until he was reduced to dust. The two panted, hearts pounding in their chests.
"C'mon, let's go help the others," Alan said as he went on to assist the NEO-NUMBERS.
"I think they have it handled," Yuji replied but he followed him anyway with Misato bringing up the rear.
Kishi now found himself within a pink mist. The NEO-NUMBERS were hiding in the mist but he could see their silhouettes. However, when he counted them, he saw that he was surrounded by an army of silhouettes instead of the six cyborgs he had been fighting with. It did not take him long to figure out the trick.
"Oh, so there's an illusionist among you," Kishi grinned. "Two can play at that game." His eyes glowed and the pink mist surrounding them all turned into a fog. The sky also darkened, with no stars or moon. Kishi faded from sight but as the fog cleared, the NEO-NUMBERS found themselves standing in the middle of a prison camp, surrounded by hundreds of people. They were each armed with hi-tech weaponry. However, these people were not soldiers. They were just civilians.
"What...what is this...?" Armadillo panicked as he saw all the people surrounding them. Alan, Yuji, and Misato arrived just in time to see this occur.
"This is... this is a prison camp..." Alan realized.
"It's just an illusion!" Musician snapped as cold sweat beaded on his face. "They can't hurt you!"
"Oh, you will learn that they can hurt you," Kishi snickered as his voice carried over the eerie battlefield.
"Looks like we have to fight," Yuji said, pulling out his Blue Rose. But then Armadillo couldn't take it anymore as he just broke down, squatting with his hands covering his head.
"NOOOOOOOO!" Armadillo screamed. "NO MORE! PLEASE, I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS NO MORE!"
"Get a hold of yourself!" Musician yelled at the Pillbug Cyborg who trembled in fear on the ground.
"Haven't we killed enough!? I thought - I thought we were past this!" Armadillo looked at all the people, looked at their faces, trembling in shame. "We did this. We killed them all."
Shinichi was not the only one with blood on their hands. As members of the NUMBERS, they were GIN-SHOCKER's elite special task force, the best of the best, their most powerful cyborg super-soldiers. For years they had been sent on missions and they had left many deaths in their wake. Every mission they went on was successful, with no witnesses left behind, no prisoners to capture. They were all wiped out by the group who took their orders from GIN-SHOCKER.
"Guys..." Alan said slowly. "What is all this?"
"It... it's one of GIN-SHOCKER's prison camps," Carmen whispered hoarsely as her pupils dilated behind her helmet. "The prisoners got hold of experimental weapons and started a riot. And we... were sent to neutralize them."
Neutralize. That could only mean one thing if Armadillo's reaction was any indication. These were the people the NUMBERS had been ordered to kill.
"Misato, is this true?" Yuji asked.
"I'm sorry," Misato answered quietly. She remembered it vividly. So much innocent blood was spilt that day and she had drunk it all, enjoying every bloody second of it.
The NUMBERS' whole history was a blood-stained one and as a result, they found ways to cope with the trauma. Daichi had his music, Shogo had his discipline, Hana and Michiru had each other, and Chiaki had his art. Yokoshima, however, just went into denial. He insisted that he never personally killed anyone. However, that was not the case. Every time he was dropped on a building, it collapsed, killing everyone inside as they were crushed by rubble. Every time he rolled into the battlefield, he ran soldiers over. He was even made to sink a ship as he was dropped from the air.
Like Shinichi he tried to forget, like Shinichi he tried to deny it all but seeing these people, these ghosts, it all came rushing back and he could not take it anymore.
"No! No! No! Please, no more!" Armadillo screamed hysterically. "Dr. Magi! Asmo-chan! Please, get me out of here!"
"Get a hold of yourself, Yokoshima!" Musician snapped but the look in his eyes showed he was terrified too. "It's just an illusion! They're not real! They're already dead!"
"And we killed them!" Armadillo screamed. "We killed them..."
If it was bad for Armadillo, it was worse for Carmen. Her heart pounded violently in her chest as cold sweat covered her body. Men, women and children, all killed by them to stop a prison camp riot.
"This isn't real, it's a dream... this isn't real, this isn't real... THIS ISN'T REEEEAAAAALLL!" she shrieked as she threw her head back and pink energy erupted from her body, shattering her suit. It formed a pillar that shot towards the sky. Her eyes glowed pink as the ribbons she used to tie her twintails were shredded, causing them to come undone. A pink glow illuminated from her mouth as a ghostly wail came out of her. Her hair floated as a pink pulse burst from her body. It had no effect on her friends but when it swept over the people surrounding them, they just froze, flickered, before they vanished.
Michiru stopped screaming and collapsed. Instantly, Arachnea was at her side, cradling the poor girl as she passed out.
Zawadi's eyes locked onto the mantis girl who had done the unexpected, surprising even her. What that was had not been a power given to her by GIN-SHOCKER via their human remodelling process. No, it was pure magic. It was a witch's magic.
This was not good. Zawadi should take that power from her before she began to realize her true potential and became a threat. She was well aware of the allure of great power and how corruptive it could become. The girl could become too powerful but she was still young. It took a witch centuries before they reached the height of their power. Zawadi sighed. Michiru was just a baby witch. She was not a threat, at least not as she was right now.
Kishi growled in anger as that girl so easily broke his illusion. He decided she needed to go. He bent his legs and took a running start before lunging at Michiru and Arachnea. In a flash, Zero struck Kishi with a kick to the stomach. The cackling hyena demon bent in half before he was sent tumbling across the field. "Everyone, stand down," Zero ordered as he extended his stingers. "Coz he's mine."
"All yours, Boss," Musician smiled.
"Time to squash you like a bug," Kishi snarled after he got back on his feet. He charged at Zero and lunged to strike him with his claws but Zero was faster and he nailed Kishi with a knee strike to the gut. He sent the hyena demon flying but then went after him, overtaking him before landing another kick into Kishi's back, sending him tumbling across the coliseum's field. The hyena demon picked himself up and howled. Energy gathered in his hands and focused on his fingers before he threw them forward, firing ten laser beams at Zero.
Zero saw the lasers and avoided them, running around the coliseum. Alan could barely follow Zero who was like a blur as he dodged the beams before they died. He then bolted fast and struck Kishi with a punch, causing him to cry out in pain, as he flew past. When he reached the wall, he bounced off it to land a flying kick into Kishi's chest, knocking him over. Gaining speed, Zero ricocheted all over the walls, hitting Kishi repeatedly, turning into a blazing storm of lights that blinded everyone before throwing him into the air with an uppercut.
Kishi hovered a moment in the air before Zero flew after him and then kicked him straight to the ground again. He crashed, kicking up a cloud of dust and dirt as he made a crater on impact.
"Float like a hornet, sting like a wasp," Zero remarked. Kishi made a dying groan before he disappeared into a shimmer of shadows, leaving Bazel behind. Zero landed and picked Bazel up to return him to Alan. "I think this is yours."
"Thanks, I owe you one," Alan smiled gratefully as he took Bazel. He snapped the bracelet on and the gem lit up.
"Think nothing of it. You're the one who's always doing the heavy lifting. Give us time to shine for a change," Zero replied.
"Ugh... what'd I miss?" Bazel groaned as he regained consciousness.
"I'll tell you when we go back home," Alan answered.
Still weak, Michiru was half-conscious as Arachnea held her protectively,
"Hana-chan..." she whispered tiredly.
"Save your strength, Michiru."
"Marry me..."
Stunned, Arachnea's eyes widened when she heard Michiru say that.
"What did you...did you say?" Arachnea asked. Had she heard right?
"Will you marry me...?" Michiru closed her eyes and passed out. Arachnea wondered if her girlfriend was just delirious but she still smiled and hugged her.
"Yoko..." Musician said, gently shaking Armadillo by the shoulders. "Hey, Yoko… It'll be alright. The illusion's gone now."
"Is it..." Armadillo was still trembling but his shaking subsided. The rioters were gone so he didn't have to kill them again. "Good...that's good. Nobody has to die again today."
"We've won your challenge, defeated your champions, and per our agreement, we can name our prize!" Alan declared, addressing Zawadi. "Now, return Shinichi to us and give the witches back their magic!"
Zawadi stood up, looked Alan dead in the eyes, her visual expression hidden behind her mask, and gave her answer.
"No."
Shinichi and Chronan found themselves standing in front of a large gravestone that towered over them. No, it was not a simple gravestone but a memorial wall that was covered with thousands of different pictures. Under each picture was a date...of when they died.
"So, these are the faces of your victims," Chronan stated.
"Yes," Shinichi confirmed. "I remember them all, and all of them were killed by me."
"Gebok was the one who killed them, GIN-SHOCKER was the one who killed them. Not you," Chronan pointed out.
"Well, their deaths were still caused by these hands," Shinichi said, raising his hands which he imagined were soaked in blood. "My hands."
"You cannot continue to punish yourself for being a puppet of a man who could only soothe his own grief in the suffering of others," Chronan frowned.
"I know that here," Shinichi pointed to his head. "But it's a different story here." He put his hand to his chest where his heart was. "These people shouldn't have died. They had people waiting for them. They were someone's husband, wife, children, brother, sister, and I took them away from them."
"And you believe they will never forgive you," Chronan said.
"Yeah, but I'm used to that by now," Shinichi sighed.
"It is not healthy."
"I know it's not, but trying to forget wasn't healthy either. When I made myself forget, I dishonoured their memory and I can't do that anymore. They died because of me. It's only a miracle I haven't tried to kill myself."
"Which is why you became so reckless. You had a death wish."
"Yeah, but I grew out of it. Dying before I can fully atone for what I've done would mean all these people died in vain. All I can give them now is my remorse."
"That remorse will get you nowhere," Chronan continued. "You continue to apologize for your sins. Apology after apology after apology. What has that gotten you? Nothing but continuous self-loathing. You allowed yourself to be the punching bag of the world out of a misguided attempt to be punished for your crimes. Crimes that I must remind you were not committed by choice. You remember the people you hurt and killed but do you remember the people you've saved?"
Shinichi paused for a moment to think. Ever since he woke up in Hinamizawa so many years ago, he had done everything in his power to save people, even turn back the clock so their deaths never happened.
"The time of apologies from you has come to an end. Perhaps it is you who deserves to be apologized to."
"Who needs to apologize to me? After everything I've done?" Shinichi asked.
"That is your guilt talking, not you. You've become so used to being the designated butt monkey that you've allowed everyone around you to walk all over you, be they friend or foe. If you want to atone for your crimes as you say, do you wish to continue being a doormat?"
Shinichi looked at the massive memorial, mulling over Chronan's question. He had walked away from it all before, forgotten his sins to try and escape them, but that hadn't worked.
He was remorseful but apologizing for something beyond his control would not fix anything in his life. However, he still wanted to atone for his sins. Unfortunately, people wanted to see him punished which fueled his guilt and self-loathing. But Chronan was right. He was not a doormat or anyone's punching bag.
These were not his victims. These were Gebok's victims. Unlike Gebok who had lost everything when he started his revenge on humanity, Shinichi still had people who loved him. They kept him grounded, kept him from going too far and kept him from crossing the lines that Gebok had crossed on his crusade against humanity.
He would take responsibility for their deaths but that was it. He would continue to atone for his sins but he would not allow people to spit on his efforts to make up for them. He would fight for his right to live his life and if anyone had a problem with that, then they could say it to his face.
"I'm nobody's doormat," Shinichi resolved, fists clenched, eyes hardened, as he looked back at Chronan. "I'm a fighter, a protector, and I will continue to fight for this world even if it hates me because there are people in it that I must protect."
Chronan nodded and the huge memorial stone split down the middle. Light began to seep through the crack as it opened like a gate.
"Walk towards the light, claim your true power and be reborn," Chronan instructed.
END OF ACT IV
Dr. KRC: Another great chapter, done with the help of Tailsmo4ever and Shadow Element 13. Yes, Shinichi's one of those characters who can't let go of his sins so he tries to make up for them. Even after he woke up without his memories, that desire was probably already inside of him, driving him to save people. Maybe it was a misguided attempt to balance the scales, to save as many people as he had killed. However, that's still not enough and he still feels he hasn't done enough to atone for his crimes. And we see the NEO-NUMBERS kick butt and Michiru... well, that's for another time. Oh, and even after they won, Zawadi still said no. Damn, that was cold.