Luck was on her side, she managed to find a way to get herself and the Plantars back to Amphibia. But Anne decided to go ahead first to see if everything was clear. Anne jumped through the portal, and quickly raised her fists in preparation for battle. But when she did enter Amphibia, she found herself back in the palace. The roof was gone, with the remnants of battle evident all over the place.
Robot parts were strewn across the floor, but alongside them were the bodies of fallen toads, newts, and even frogs, all of whom were wearing armor and had various weapons lying next to them. Anne rushed to one of the windows and saw that the castle had crash landed back into Newtopia, with the city below it all in ruins.
The sky was blood red and cast eerie shadows everywhere, making it hard to tell if there was actually something hiding in the shadows, or if the shadows themselves were alive. Anne pressed her right hand against her mouth as she stifled a gasp upon seeing the carnage and devastation, but she had to keep the hope alive that Sasha and Marcy were okay.
Anne turned around quickly, but she screamed and nearly fell out the window when she saw someone behind her. But she managed to calm herself when she noticed that it was Sasha.
"SASH! Oh, thank Frog! You're alive! Are you alright?! Do you know where Marcy is?!" Anne asked.
"Marcy…? Yeah…let me show you," said Sasha in a hoarse voice.
Anne followed her friend and kept a close eye on how she was walking. She moved as if she was injured, but it was hard to tell with Sasha's red cape pulled around her. Anne kept following Sasha as she led her through a path that wasn't completely obstructed by rubble and debris.
"Sash, what happened?"
"War happened, Anne…War. When Andrias showed his true colors, all of Amphibia decided to rise against him. Grime and I fight alongside them. It was…ugly…we lost so many…but the machines, Andrias robot army, were tireless and relentless. Eventually, we managed to attack the palace, and brought it down…at the cost of Newtopia."
"But the newts made it out right? Wartwood's okay, too, right?" Anne asked.
"Tch…not even…Wartwood was the first place that Andrias hit! He fired his big freakin' beam cannon and blew it up. None of those frogs had a chance to evacuate…same here. When the palace came down, it crash landed right into the city, and a lot of newts died," Sasha explained.
Anne was trying to keep the tears from flowing. She had missed so much. "I'm sorry…I should've been here…"
"Yeah. You should've. Well, here's Marcy."
Anne noticed at they were out in the grassy field far from the city, she had barely noticed they got this far. "Where?"
"Look down."
Anne's eyes widened. "No…"
"Look down, Anne."
"N-N-No, I-I won't…!"
Sasha got in Anne's face and shot her death glare. "Dammit, Boonchuy, you missed out on everything here! Don't you dare tell me you don't have the balls to see the aftermath! Now. Look. Down!"
Anne did as she was told, her head and eyes drifted lower and lower, and that's when she saw the tombstone.
"Here lies Marcy Regina Wu
A Kamen Rider
A Hero
A loved one"
Anne fell to her knees before the grave as the tears she was holding back finally flowed down her face. "No…No! No! No! No! This isn't real! It was a trick! She didn't die!"
"Oh, she did…" Sasha walked around behind the tombstone and sat against it. "Andrias stabbed her right through the chest with that sword of his…That was one hundred percent real, Anne. I saw it myself. Marcy's been dead. At least I managed to get her body out of there so I could give her a decent burial. More decent than a backstabbing witch like her deserves."
Anne's brow furrowed as she shot up to her feet and walked around behind the grave and glared down at Sasha. "You've got no right to talk about her like that! Especially considering what you've done!"
"Heh…Yeah, you got a point. But let's be honest, babe…I didn't start all the backstabbing until we got to Amphibia. Marcy was already five steps ahead of me in that department. So, really, it's all her fault."
"Shut up…"
"It's her fault we got stuck here."
"Shut up."
"It's her fault the music box returned to Amphibia."
"Shut up, Sasha!"
"It's her fault for stringing you along so that you'd fall for her and be her little love slave for the rest of your life."
Anne growled as she thrust her arms forward, grabbed Sasha's cape, and hoisted her up. "I SAID SHUT THE HELL…up…" When Anne grabbed Sasha's cape, it opened and revealed what was hidden. Sasha's right arm was gone, and there was part of a blade sticking in her gut. "S-Sasha…"
"And…it's her fault that I'm going to die here…See ya later…Boonchuy…"
Sasha went limp and Anne, in shock, released her body as it fell to the ground. Anne quickly got to her knees and began shaking her friend as she cried out, "SASHA! WAKE UP! PLEASE, DON'T LEAVE ME! PLEASE! SASHA!"
It was no use, no matter how much she yelled and screamed, Sasha was not waking up, she was gone.
"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…"
"It's okay, Anna-Banana,"
Anne's eyes widened when she heard the familiar voice, when she looked up, she saw that Marcy's grave had suddenly been dug up. She was very aware of a presence behind her, but every fiber of her being was telling her to not look back.
"Because we'll be together forever in our next lives…"
Without warning, Anne was suddenly raised to her feet and turned around. And that's when she saw Marcy, her skin was deathly pale, the color long gone from her eyes, her hair riddled with clumps of dirt, and most striking of all was the hole in her chest that allowed Anne to see right through her.
"You couldn't keep me alive, so now, I'll just bring you with Sasha and me to the grave."
Suddenly, Anne felt an arm wrap around her waist. When she looked down, she saw Sasha, in the same zombified state as Marcy.
"Yeah, Anne, best friends forever, remember?! No 'Til death do us part' for this crew!"
Marcy rushed to Anne and hugged her tight as both girls started to drag Anne down into the ground with them. Both girls kept repeating "forever and ever" over and over again as the three of them sank deeper and deeper into the ground. Anne desperately tried to free herself, reaching out for anyone who could help her. The red sky was slowly disappearing, and within seconds she was gone.
"AAAAAAHHH!" Anne screamed as she sat up in bed.
The Plantars were immediately awoken by Anne's scream, and all of them quickly rushed to Anne's side.
"Anne, Anne! What's wrong?!" Sprig asked with worry.
Anne started to hyperventilate.
Hop Pop stood up in the bed and gently rubbed Anne's back in a soothing manner. "Anne, just calm down. Breathe in and out."
Anne did as Hop Pop instructed, taking in deep breathes and slowly exhaling them. This continued for a couple of minutes before Anne managed to calm herself down. "…Thanks, HP, I'm okay now."
"It's okay, but are ya sure yer alright?" Hop Pop asked.
"It was just a bad dream. A nightmare, really. Sorry for waking you guys up," Anne apologized.
"Don't sweat it, Anne. We know you're under some stress," said Polly.
Hop Pop nodded. "Alright, kids, let's try and get back to sleep."
Anne rubbed her arm right arm as she asked, "Hey…could…could you guys sleep with me? I…I don't really feel like being alone in here."
The Plantars smiled in understanding as they hopped into Anne's bed and cuddled up to the human girl. Anne managed to find comfort and solace in their presence, pushing away the images of the nightmare she just had. However, unknown to Anne, Oum had been up and heard her daughter's screaming. She was about to burst into the room until she heard the Plantars comfort her. Oum hung out outside of Anne's room for about ten minutes before she left to return to her and her husband's room.
Anne, what aren't you telling us?
Anne got up that morning early and helped her mother with breakfast. After a good meal was had, Anne went with her mother and father to the restaurant. It was business as usual, after Ned managed to get the breaks on his food truck fixed and he was running food deliveries for Thai Go. At the same time, some shenanigans happened that ended up helping Sprig feel like an official member of the Boonchuy family, then there was the dentist and, well, Anne really couldn't remember much of what happened after she went to the dentist. Something about Domino being an "interdimensional being beyond all time and space"?
That laughing gas stuff is no joke, thought Anne.
As she was attending to the customers, the door dinged open.
"Hi! Welcome to Thai Go! Take a seat wherever and I'll be there in a sec," said Anne.
"Actually, I'd like to talk to you, Anne."
Anne stopped walking and turned to the door, that's when she saw Rita Spinner, the reporter from a couple of days ago. "Ah, geez, what do you want?"
"Anne, honey, I'm just here to talk," said Rita.
"Yeah, and my parents already said we're not doing any interviews. So, either order something, or leave," said Anne.
Rita tittered as she approached the Thai teen. "Anne, have you been keeping up with your social media lately?"
Anne averted her gaze. "Not lately, no."
"Well, good thing you haven't. It's not looking real good, hon." Rita whipped out her cellphone and showed off one of Anne's accounts.
Anne grimaced when she saw the messages.
[Why haven't you said anything to the police yet?!]
[Where's Sasha and Marcy?!]
[Bet you did them in!]
[Bet she sold them to some traffickers]
Anne rolled her eyes at the comments. Her time in Amphibia had taught her to not care what people think about her, and after taking some time to think about it herself, she realized how true that was. People will make up all kinds of things about you online, whether they're true or not, and it was pointless to waste time and energy arguing with those kinds of people when you know that most of them are just doing it to stir up drama, aka "trolls".
"Look, I don't care what some internet trolls are saying on my Chirper, Fastapic, or FaceTome accounts, I wish I could remember, and I'm trying to, but I can't," said Anne.
"Ah, 'can't' or 'won't'?" Rita asked.
"Hey, Anne!" Anne looked behind the reporter and saw Ned standing in the doorway. "I got this big order I need your help with! Ya mind giving me a hand?!"
"Oh, yeah! Sure thing, Ned!" Anne quickly took off her apron and put it on the counter as she called out, "Mom! Dad! I'm heading out with Ned! He needs help with a delivery! See ya in a bit! Gotta go Ms. Spinner!"
Anne dipped into her superspeed a little, and quickly dashed around the reporter and zipped right into the passenger's side of the new Thai Go delivery truck. "C'mon, Ned! Let's get a move on, dude!"
Ned looked back and forth for a second, swearing he just saw Anne in the restaurant, and now she was in the truck. He shook off the confusion, hopped into the truck, and took off down the road.
"So, Ned, what order did you need help with?" Anne asked.
"Oh, I really didn't need any help. Just figured you could use some rescuing from that reporter," said Ned.
Anne smiled at the older man and said, "Thanks, Ned. You're a life saver."
"No problem. Can't believe that chick has the nerve to come and harass your family, again. She's got some serious balls – oops! Pardon my language.
"Heh-heh, it's fine, Ned. I'm thirteen, I've heard a lot worse than that." Anne eyes widened for a moment before she added, "Don't tell my Mom or Dad I said that."
Ned made a zipper motion with his right hand over his lips. "Seriously, though, you alright, Anne? Ya look beat."
Anne smiled from his concern. Ned was Thai Go's number one customer, growing up, she kind of saw him as an uncle, she even called him "Uncle Ned" a few times when she was smaller. Apparently, he was one of the first few people who volunteered to help with the search and was among the few that kept going even after the major search parties were told to end the search. It really made her realize that Ned didn't just care about the restaurant, but he also cared about their family.
"Yeah, I'm okay. I'm just having a little trouble sleeping lately. A lot of things on my mind," Anne answered.
"Oh…anything you want to talk about?" he asked.
"Nah, Mom and Dad are already helping me out, and I know it's stressful enough for them. I don't want to put that on you, too."
Ned sighed. "Alright, I can respect that. But, if you ever want to talk, I'm here to listen."
Anne nodded her thanks and just sat back and enjoyed the rest of the ride. They made a few more stops, and Anne helped out delivering the food to the different locations. One of the stops was to the Aquarium of the Pacific. Anne was happy to see that this was one of the locations, and thankfully it was their last stop. Anne gathered the food, and along with Ned, the two of them made the long walk to the entrance of the Aquarium. They walked further in, with Anne's head shifting to each of the attractions. Ned noticed her looks and quickly snatched the food she was carrying.
"Wha-Ned, what are you doing?" Anne asked.
"I got this, kiddo. Go and look around, I'll meet ya at the entrance," said Ned.
"What? Wait, Ned, I can't. I'm helping–"
Before Anne could finish her sentence, Ned was already halfway gone. The Thai teen sighed but managed a smile. She decided to take him up on the offer and roamed around the Aquarium. Seeing the fish and various undersea life swim through their huge tanks, in the clear blue water, the whole thing was serene, calming. Without realizing it, some of the tension she was feeling was lifted from her shoulders, and her body felt more relaxed than it had for a bit.
Anne started to contemplate how things were going to go, how she was going to find a way back to Amphibia. But, more than anything, what was going to happen after it was over.
Sasha, you had a chance to become someone better…I believed you could. Dammit, I still want to believe you can. And Marcy…Marcy, why did you have to go that far? I get it. It's messed up that your parents are moving you so far away from us. And I get you're in love with us. But still…this was too far.
Even though she thought that those things, Anne still had some feelings for Marcy. She wanted to believe that Marcy's love was true, the same way she wanted to believe that Sasha's love really did stem from her having feelings for them, and not because she just wanted to possess them and control them. But the sting of betrayal was still there, the heartache that both of them caused to her would probably linger on for a bit. However, that didn't mean that it had to be the main focus.
Anne sighed as she started to head back to the entrance. In the end, I really won't know how I feel until I see them again…if I can see them again…
The Thai teen shook her head.
No, Marcy has to be alive…she has to…I don't want the last thing between us to that moment…Frog, and I still need to patch things up with Sasha. Yes, what she did was cruddy as all hell, but if I hadn't been so caught up in my anger, we could've stopped all this from happening…
"In the end…it's my fault."
Ned was standing at the entrance waiting for Anne, he waved her down and said, "Hey, Anne. You feel any better?"
"A little. Thanks for that."
"Again, no trouble at all. Now, let's get ya back to the restaurant. Hopefully that harpy's gone."
"Dammit, Rita, you're working my last nerve!"
Rita Spinner was called into the office of the news station's producer. The Boonchuy's had called the station, complaining and even threatening to call the police and issue a restraining order on Rita and any and all of their reporters and affiliates.
"You don't get it, Dave! That girl is hiding something big! I can feel it! This could be the biggest scoop this station has ever had, and potentially one of the most scandalous ones in the last few years," said Rita. "Since when have I ever not come through for this station? For you?"
Dave growled angrily as he ran his hand down his face. "Jesus…Look, I've covered for all your crazy stunts because all the dirt you manage to get keeps the very same people who want your ass in a sling from coming after you with lawsuits! Politicians, CEOs, some schmuck's embarrassing secrets getting out? Fair game. But you're really leaning in too hard on a kid. A kid, Spinner!"
Rita scoffed. "Please, thirteen years old is hardly 'kid' anything. Do you even know half of the crazy – near sociopathic – things teen girls do? Or are capable of? I do, 'cause I was one. And the only thing that changes is the medium with which they do their dirty deeds with. Back in my day, it was notes in their lockers, graffiti on the locker, spreading gossip around school and the neighborhood. Now, you can do all that stuff online and they'll never know it's you. If you're smart about it, that is."
"You're point?" Dave asked.
Rita slammed her right hand on his desk and gave him a hungry look, the look of someone who was ready to go out and get what she wanted, a look that Dave had seen many times. She was like a bulldog, once she bit down there was no letting go until she got what wanted.
"I want to find out the truth that that girl is hiding! Three teenage girls go missing the same night as the biggest electrical disturbance in LA's history happens, and for five whole months no one can find a trace of them anywhere! One of them either orchestrated it, or two of them, or if it was a spur of the moment situation, what happened? Did something happen to the girls? Were they kidnapped and sold to someone? If so, why does Anne Boonchuy not have so much as a scratch on her? I've seen her medical records, she's as healthy as can be!"
"Physically, mental trauma doesn't show too easily, Rita," said Dave.
"And even if that is the case, why doesn't she seem all that traumatized? She's been seen going around town and has been helping at her parents' restaurant like it was any other day. Doesn't the Waybright family have a right to know about their daughter? Doesn't the Wu family have a right to know as well?! Two girls are still missing and the only one who might have a clue is just enjoying her life while the other two are probably dead or being used by unsavory people in some dark corner of the world! And I plan to expose that truth, no matter how ugly it is," Rita declared.
Dave narrowed his gaze at her and asked, "Are you thinking this will make your career or something? I've seen you get excited before, but this time…you're like a shark that smells blood in the water."
"You know as well as I do, that's how we all are. I want to go network, Dave, and this will look good on my resumé!"
Dave looked worried. Rita almost seemed a bit crazed about hounding this girl. He had allowed her to get away with a lot of things over the years, and ninety percent of the time she always found something good that was able to shield her from getting in trouble, the other ten percent the station had to grease some wheels to keep her from facing any serious consequences. But something told Dave that if she kept pursuing this story, there would be nothing he could do to protect her if and when it blew up in her face.
"No…"
Rita blinked. "What?"
"No, Rita. Get off this story now before something goes wrong," said Dave.
"You've got to be kidding me? It's just some girl," said Rita.
"Think of the optics, would ya? A grown ass woman hounding a traumatized thirteen-year-old girl. Channel 85 News accused of harassing a teenage girl, star reporter arrested, yeah, that'll look good for a news segment."
Rita growled as she said, "Don't be a coward, Dave!"
"No! I'm puttin' my foot down on this one, Spinner! Don't go near the Boonchuy girl!"
Rita growled in frustration and left his office, slamming the door behind her as she did. The journalist walked through the hallways until she arrived at a janitor's closet and went inside. Once there, she whipped out her cellphone and dialed a number. The phone rang a few times until the other line was picked up.
{Hello, Ms. Spinner.}
"It's just like you said. He's a coward!"
{Not surprising, too few lack the journalist instinct to go after a story. I can assume by your calling me means that you're interested in my proposal?}
"You said you're the ones responsible for giving that kid the ability to turn into a monster, right? I don't really have a need for something that will make me into a rampaging dinosaur," Rita remarked.
{Oh no, no, no. What we gave him was supposed to be bombastic, we wanted to cause some amount of mayhem. But, for your needs, we have something that boasts both utility and destructive capabilities.}
Rita's face contorted into an almost sinister smile. "And in return, you want me to draw out this 'Kamen Rider Amp'. Heh, now that would be a story, unmasking a vigilante."
{Indeed, two career making birds with one stone. So, do we have an agreement Ms. Spinner?}
"Just tell me when and where to pick it up."
{Check your office. Your package should have arrived by now. Goodbye.}
"What?!" Rita exclaimed. The phoneline went dead, and Rita called it again, but all she got was a message repeating that the number is no longer in service.
Rita hurried to her office, looking everywhere to see if anyone had been there. She carefully opened the door, and there, on her desk, was a yellow envelope. Rita closed the door behind her and rushed to her desk, with all the enthusiasm of a child on Christmas morning, she ripped open the envelope and found a strange looking USB device. It had a ribcage design and was bigger than your standard USBs, and it was colored black. The center had an image with a stylized letter "C" that had, what looked like, a camera lens on one end, and a film reel on the other.
"Ms. Spinner."
Rita spun around in surprise. When she did, the woman known as Cassandra was standing there at the door. She didn't even hear her open the door. "W-W-What?! How?!"
"The how isn't important. Your benefactor has sent me to equip you with the Connector, and to instruct you on how to use it," said Cassandra as she showed the Connector Gun in her right hand.
"Please do." Once I find out what that Boonchuy girl is hiding, I'll unmask that Amp chick, and for the cherry on top, I'll expose whoever these freaks are. I'll have all the major news networks fighting for me when this is all over! Ahahahahahahaha!
The day after, Anne decided to take a ride on her bike out to the park. She had another night of restless sleep, but thankfully she didn't scream her head off like she did before. Anne stopped at a bench and sat down as she leaned back and stared up at the clear blue sky above.
Another nightmare about Marcy…I can't…Is this my brain telling me to accept what I saw? That Marcy's…No! No! I can't afford to think that! It had to be a trick! The portal must've messed with my head! I mean, the four of us were lingering in it for a while we were waiting for Marcy, and some of the articles I've read on blackholes say that time and space can be warped and your perception of what's in front of you can be different from what's actually happening, making what you saw real and not real at the same time!
Anne often had internal arguments with herself like this. She was not even sure who she was trying to convince anymore. But something inside her told Anne that if she accepted that Marcy might be dead, then she wasn't sure if she could function the same way she has been.
We just need to get back to Amphibia…One thing at a time, Anne. Get to Amphibia, find Sasha, find Marcy, and take down The Night and Andrias. Ugh…Mom and Dad…I can't just up and leave them again…
And decided to get back on her bike and ride again, part her just wanted to transform so she could get on Machine Stormer 2 and ride further and further away, not really caring where she ended up, just be on autopilot while her mind tries to make sense of everything that was happening around her. But unlike Amphibia, driving around as Amp would cause a lot of commotion among her fellow humans. And at the speeds she would be going, she would probably have multiple police cars chasing after her.
Not like they could catch me at my slowest anyway, she chuckled.
"Why, hello there."
Anne paused in her motion to mount her bike when she heard that irritatingly familiar voice. Anne turned around and noticed that Rita Spinner was standing there, which creeped her out a little as she did not hear or see her coming. She was wearing a purple jacked and matching pencil skirt, with black leggings, and black high heel shoes. Her curly brunette hair was tied back into a ponytail, and her gray eyes were fixed on Anne.
"Just FYI, I have taken Muay Thai," said Anne. And some Frog Kata.
"Oh? Is that threat, young lady?" Rita asked, innocently.
"Nope, just a friendly reminder. Docs back at the hospital say I might have PTSD, and you know, sneaking up on a person who disappeared for months might trigger me to either elbow you in the face, drop kick you, or toss you over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes. So, you might not want to sneak up on me like that, for your safety, of course."
"Of course." Rita walked a little closer to Anne. "So, out riding your bike. You look like you're having a good time."
"I was, until you showed up. So, I'm just gonna–"
"Did you know that Marcy was about to leave Los Angeles?"
Anne stopped and shifted her gaze back to Rita. "Excuse me?"
"Marcy Regina Wu, your best friend since kindergarten. She was going to move away when the school year ended, heading all the way to New York and leaving her precious friends behind," said Rita as she took seat on the bench.
"I found out later…so what?" Anne asked.
Rita smirked as she went on. "Well, this is just a theory mind you. But I feel like Miss Wu was hiding something."
Anne flinched a bit.
"She apparently stormed out of her house when her parents told her they were moving out of state. Now, I understand the feeling of being separated from your friends, especially those who move very far away…"
"I don't believe it!" Anne exclaimed.
"What?"
Anne put on a cattish grin and replied, "That you had any friends."
Rita smirked back at Anne. "Cheeky. Anyway, her last words to her parents were 'You guys are ruining my life!' Well, it got me thinking. As upsetting as news like that would be, why did she have such a strong reaction? Friendship is indeed a strong bond, but I don't know, I think there's more to it than that. Perhaps…teetering on…romantic?"
Anne gripped the handlebars of her bike. "Are you insinuating that Marcy's gay or something? I've been friends with her since we were small, I think I would've known or been one of the first people she came out to if that was true."
Rita raised her hands in a placating manner. "Just a theory, hon, just a theory. And continuing with that theory, I'm wondering if on the night you all disappeared, if Marcy might've confessed something."
Memories started to flash in Anne's head, memories of her dance with Marcy at the ball.
"But her confession was not to you."
Memories of Anne saving Marcy from the cultists and hearing the girl confess to her. "Stop…"
"I think you're hiding the fact that you do indeed have feelings for Marcy, but she didn't feel the same way."
Memories of the gondola ride in the botanical gardens in Newtopia, and the song that played as they awkwardly tried to look at each other. And later the first kiss she shared with Marcy in the palace with that same song playing in the background. "Stop…!"
"She only saw you as a friend, because her sights were set on the most popular girl in your school, the queen bee of Saint James Middle School, and the captain of the cheer squad, Sasha Waybright."
The dinner party flashed in her mind next. The tension filled moment she had with Sasha at the stone fence, and the first time she kissed the blonde girl. "I said stop!"
"I think something went wrong that night. I think Marcy confessed her love to Sasha right in front of you, and as much as you probably thought the queen bee might decline, I think Sasha accepted her friend's feelings. I mean, why not? Sasha's a catch, probably grow up to become a high-ranking CEO of some corporation, or heck, run for some political office," Rita continued.
Anne recalled her semi-fiasco of a date in Wartwood with Marcy, and the date she had at the lake with Sasha. "I'm warning you, lady!"
"I mean, why not, right? Considering Marcy's practically a genius, and given time, she'll probably be smart enough to figure out a lot of the world's problems. But then there's you, Anne Boonchuy. You have no ambitions, no goals, and no drive. I've seen your lack luster grades, compared to your friends, you just seem fine with squeaking by, and although you excel at sports, that's all you have going for you."
Rita chuckled at that. "Marcy, of course, gets extremely high marks in everything – aside from physical education – and Sasha, while not genius level, is no slouch when it comes to academics and physical education. She's the whole package, heck, if I was back in middle school, I'd probably be enamored, too. And I don't even swing that way. But no one wants you, Anne. Not even your best friend, whom you've been protecting most of your life, keeping her safe and out of harm's way. And how does she repay you? By wanting to hook up with your other, more talented best friend right in front of you."
"Rita, I swear to Fr–God, if you don't shut up!" Anne warned as her irises flashed between dark brown and blue.
Rita shot a narrowed eyed glare at the girl and leaned into her hypothesis. "You seem like an emotional girl, Anne. Tell me the truth, off the record, you did something to the girls, right?"
"No!"
"Maybe suggested that you all run away together?"
"No!"
"But you managed to find some place far from here, right? Perhaps out of town where everyone wasn't searching for you? Oh, you're craftier than you let on, huh? Probably found an abandoned place, and–!"
Anne dropped her bike, and within a blink of an eye, grabbed Rita by the collar of her jacket and glared angrily at the woman. "YOU DON'T KNOW A THING ABOUT WHAT I'VE BEEN THROUGH! WHAT THE THREE OF US WENT THROUGH! AND YET YOU JUST SIT THERE, SPOUTING ALL KINDS OF BS ABOUT WHAT I DID OR HOW I FELT! YOU DON'T KNOW A DAMN THING ABOUT HOW I FEEL!"
"Oh! I don't!"
"YEAH, YOU DON'T!" Anne argued.
"Guess you loved them a lot, huh?!"
"OF COURSE, I DID!"
"Ah? Did? Past tense?" Rita inquired.
"I DO – I MEAN – I DON'T KNOW!"
"Seems to me that you have some feelings of your own, huh, Anne? You were jealous of Marcy and Sasha, both were so talented that they make you look worthless by comparison, right?!"
"I…I was jealous of Marcy, but that's…"
"And that's why you did it, huh?"
The Thai teen released Rita and turned her back to the older woman as she picked her bike up and peddled home without another word another word spoken. However, what Anne failed to notice was how much Rita was smirking the whole time.
"I almost got you, Mr. Boonchuy!" Sprig exclaimed.
"Heh, it's ten-thousand years too early for you to ever defeat–!"
[WINNER: P2!]
"Dang it!" Bee shouted.
Anne was on the couch with her laptop, researching portals. She hadn't told her parents about her run in with Rita, again. That woman made so many memories from her time with Sasha and Marcy that it made her angry. Heck, she didn't even say anything to the Plantars as she marched up to her room and slammed the door shut. But after yesterday, she had some time to cool down and was now watching her father and Sprig play, "Ultra Bash Cuzs". And Sprig, surprisingly enough, managed to get the hang of the game.
"Don't be a sore loser, Dad," said Anne from behind her laptop.
"He's button mashing!" Bee countered.
"I thought that's what I'm supposed to do? Push buttons?" Sprig asked.
"Sprig, go easy on Mr. Boonchuy," said Hop Pop as he read the newspaper.
Bee looked at Hop Pop incredulously. "What! I don't need him to go 'easy' on me! One more round, Sprig!"
"Okay!" Sprig remarked.
"I get winner!" Polly announced.
Anne glanced to her left and said, "Um, no offense, Polly, but you're kinda lacking in apposable thumbs." Anne wiggled her left thumb for emphasis.
Polly blew a raspberry at the insinuation. "Let me worry about that, Anne."
The Thai teen chuckled and went back to her research. But before she could open up the next webpage, a knock came at the door.
"Ugh, I swear to Frog, if that reporter is there, I'm gonna do my best impression of Rider Kick, right into the street," Anne grumbled.
"Anne, wait," said Bee.
"Sorry, Dad, I won't."
"No, no." Bee got up and clarified, "Let me open the door so you can get a running start."
Anne couldn't help but laugh from hearing her father's suggestion, and she was very tempted to take him up on the offer. "Okay guys, you know the drill. Upstairs until whoever's here leaves."
"Gotcha, c'mon kids," said Hop Pop.
The Plantars hurried upstairs, and once they were out of sight, Bee headed to the door and opened it. "What? Ling, Xia?"
Anne paused; those were Marcy's parents' names. The young teen peeked around the corner and saw Marcy's parents standing there, and for some reason they did not look happy at all.
"Where's our, daughter?!" Ling asked.
"Excuse me?" Bee asked.
Xia took a step forward and pointed her finger into Bee's chest. "We heard what Anne said about Marcy! And why they're gone! You bring her out here and make her tell us where she is!"
Oum heard the yelling and came into the room with a bowl she was mixing up. "What with all the yelling in here?! Ling? Xia? Why are you yelling at my husband?"
"Oum, you either need to tell your daughter to fess up, or we'll call the police!" Xia explained.
"Okay, okay, everyone calm down!" Bee stated. "First off, what make you think Anne's lying? She really doesn't remember."
"Oh? Then what's this?" Ling asked as he whipped out his cellphone.
Bee and Oum looked at the cellphone as Ling pressed play on a video. Rita Spinner was in it, but the angle of the camera made it appear as if a third party was recording it, possibly her camera man or something based on the quality.
{So, you were jealous of Marcy?} Rita asked.
{Yes! She and Sasha both…they're so…and I'm…I just couldn't stand it when she confessed to Sasha!} Anne replied.
{That must've made you feel really bad, huh? To devote all that time to keeping someone you care about safe, only for her to spurn your unrequited feelings and choose another girl who's not only popular, but also your other best friend.}
The video showed Anne grabbing Rita by her collar and glaring at her.
{YOU DON'T KNOW A THING ABOUT WHAT I'VE BEEN THROUGH! WHAT THE THREE OF US WENT THROUGH! YOU DON'T KNOW A DAMN THING ABOUT HOW I FEEL!} Anne yelled.
{Guess you loved them a lot, huh?!}
{OF COURSE!}
{Seems to me that you have some feelings of your own, huh, Anne? You were jealous of Marcy and Sasha, both were so talented that they make you look worthless by comparison, right?!"
{I was jealous of Marcy…}
{And that's why you did it.}
Ling turned off the video and glared at Anne who was now showing herself. "I can't believe this, Anne. After all you and Marcy have been through, she trusted you!"
"No! That's a lie! Okay, yes, I did see that Rita woman in the park, but she edited that! That's not the whole thing! There are parts missing!" Anne stated.
Oum growled as she tossed the bowl towards the other room, startling everyone. "That woman! Ṭhex sùm comtī læa thảh̄ı̂ ṭhex phūd nı s̄ìng thī̀ ṭhex mị̀ dị̂ tậngcı! Læa txn nī̂ ṭhex chı̂ mạn mị̀ pheīyng yùng kạb lūks̄āw k̄hxng c̄hạn tæ̀ yạng h̄lxk pheụ̄̀xn nı khrxbkhrạw d̂wy! C̄hạn s̄ābān ẁā meụ̄̀x phb ṭhex c̄hạn ca mạd ṭhex h̄ı̂ pĕn pm læ̂w yon ṭhex lng cāk s̄a phān kol den ket! (She ambushed her and got her to say things she didn't mean! And now she's using it to not only mess with my daughter, but also trick family friends! I swear, when I find her, I'm going to twist her into a knot and throw her off the Golden Gate bridge!)"
What followed next was a string of expletives that made Anne look at her mother with shock, and while Bee was not at all surprised by his wife's cursing or temper, he was surprised since it had been a long time since anyone dared to get Oum this angry. Ling and Xia, while not understanding what Oum was saying, didn't really need to know to understand that the Thai woman was very obviously ticked off to the nth degree.
Bee decided to run interference while his wife was on her tirade. "Ling, where you get that video from?"
"It was sent to us anonymously. But you can't deny that that's Anne in the video," said Ling.
"I'm not saying it isn't. But you should know that that reporter in the video has been harassing me and my family ever since Anne returned to us. I'm sure this is her doing," said Bee.
"If she's harassing you, then it might mean that Anne knows something that she's not telling you!" Xia accused. "Have you two even made an earnest try and helping her to remember?! Taken her to see a therapist of any kind? Memory enhancing drugs? Hypnosis? Or even driven her to the playground where they were they last were? ANYTHING?!"
Bee looked over his shoulder to Anne and said, "Anne, go upstairs for now. We'll talk a little later."
Anne didn't argue with her father and headed down the hall and up the stairs.
"Listen, the doctors told us that Anne might get her memories back if she's feeling more comfortable, but she needs stability first and foremost, so that means getting her into a routine," said Bee.
Ling furrowed his brow as he said, "It's been a week and three days, Bee! Would you do any less if it was Anne still out there?! You and Oum would be doing the exact same thing!"
Bee pinched the bridge of his nose as he said, "Look, I understand how worried you two are. We literally had same kind of conversation with the Waybrights not too long ago, and they understood that it wasn't right to pressure Anne while she's trying to remember. I'd think about that source of yours and where you get your information from. As for Rita, she's going to be getting an earful from us very soon. Now, please leave before you upset my family any further."
Ling and Xia huffed and walked back to their car.
Meanwhile, Anne was watching from her window. She growled angrily as she kicked her bean bag hard enough to give airtime before it plopped back onto the floor.
"Anne, what's wrong? Why was Mrs. Boonchuy angry, and who were those people downstairs?" Sprig asked.
"Marcy's parents…That reporter, Rita, she's messing with them! I saw her yesterday and I went off on her when she pressed me on Sasha and Marcy. I didn't know she had a camera on me, but somehow, she did. And she used some edited footage to make it look like I know where Sasha and Marcy are," said Anne as she dropped onto her bed.
"Well, in truth, you do, but…can't necessarily tell them they're still in Amphibia," said Polly.
"Exactly…ugh…" Anne groaned as she rubbed her face. "Now the Wus think I'm hiding something, or that I did something to Sasha and Marcy!"
Hop Pop crossed his arms as he furrowed his brow at the situation. "Ah can't believe this woman would do such a thing. Ah mean, technically, she's right in that you are hidin' somethin'. But it still begs the question if she would do this kinda thing to someone who really was that way?"
"I still can't figure out how she got that footage? I don't remember her having a camera on her. And from what I saw of the angle, it looked as if the person was right next to me, behind me, and behind her. From different angles. And as mad as I was, I think I would've noticed people with cameras around me," said Anne. "Something about this doesn't smell right."
The next day, Oum and Bee Boonchuy closed Thai Go for the day, and they decided to pay a visit to the Channel 85 news station. Anne insisted on going with them, but her parents kept refusing. Eventually, they caved in and let her come with them, but she had to promise to stay in the car while they went and gave the producer a piece of their mind.
That morning they called Ned and told him to put up a sign in the restaurant saying they would be closed for the day. He didn't ask questions as he could tell by the seriousness in Oum's voice that there was no room for questions. Once that was done, the Boonchuy's, and the Plantars, filed into the van and headed downtown to the news station. They arrived at an underground parking garage and pulled into one of the spots set up for visitors.
"Okay, me and your father will take care of this. Anne, you stay here. I don't want that, that…tạwmeīy, to find out you're here," said Oum.
"C'mon, Mom. I know you're going in there to chew these guys out, but I should be there, too. That woman twisted my words and made me look like some kind of sociopathic killer and a liar! Granted, I am lying about where Sasha and Marcy are, but it's not like anyone's going to believe me when I say they're trapped in another world. But it's the principal of the thing!" Anne argued.
Bee turned around and said, "Anne, I'd listen to your mother on this one. Whatever gonna happen up there won't be pretty, trust me."
Anne crossed her arms and sighed. "Fine."
"Keep an eye on her, just in case," said Oum as she looked at the Plantars.
"Can do Mrs. Boonchuy," said Hop Pop.
Bee and Oum exited the van and headed into the lobby of the station.
The Thai parents went to the reception desk and demanded to see the producer, and that it concerned their reporter, Rita Spinner. The receptionist didn't seem fazed, if anything he contacted the producer with an almost practiced tone, as if this was not the first time, he had to make this call.
"And whom shall I say is calling?" he asked.
"Boonchuy, Oum and Bee Boonchuy," said Oum with an edge to her voice.
The receptionist went back to the phone and said, "Hello, sir, I have a Oum and Bee Boonchuy down here. They say it's regarding Rita…uh-huh…uh-huh…okay. Ooh…ugh…she really stepped into it this time…Alright sir." The receptionist hung up the phone. "Go up the elevator to the tenth floor, someone will be there to escort you to his office."
The Thai parents marched over to the elevator and went all the way up to the tenth floor. Once there, there was a security officer there that escorted Bee and Oum to the office of the producer, but when they arrived, they saw Ling and Xia sitting in some seats across from Dave, the producer.
"What are they doing here?!" The Boonchuys and Wus exclaimed at the same time as they pointed at each other.
"Please, everyone calm down," said Dave.
Oum turned her ire on Dave as she marched, practically stomping, towards Dave's desk and slammed her hands on hands on it, rattling his stuff. "Listen here! I want that woman fired! Today! Right now! Otherwise, the next stop we make after today will be to the police!"
Xia stood up and scoffed at Oum's outburst. "Sounds like you protest too much, Oum. Are you afraid that your daughter isn't telling you the truth? Do you think she may've done something to our Marcy?"
"Xia don't start with me with right now! I'm getting to you two later," said Oum as she threw her a pointed glare.
Bee and Ling could practically see sparks flaring in the space between them, and for a moment, they swore they saw the image of a tiger around Oum and dragon around Xia.
"Ladies, gentlemen, let's all calm down for a second," Dave pleaded.
"Yes, yes, let's all calm down." All eyes shifted to the doorway and standing in it was Rita herself. "Save the drama for the camera."
"RITA!" Dave yelled, "What the hell did you do this time?! I warned you to stay away from the Boonchuy family! And what do you do?! You kick up this mess! Are you trying to give me an aneurysm?! 'CAUSE IT'S WORKING!"
"Don't blame her, she's getting to the truth of the matter," said Ling. "Unlike you two, coddling your daughter and not doing what you can to help her remember."
Bee furrowed his brow at Ling as he retorted, "Oh, and we should be more like you? Didn't you tell me that Marcy ran away first because you were moving her away? Maybe you should've thought more about your daughter's feelings than your own career!"
"HOW DARE YOU!" Ling yelled as he shot to his feet.
The security officer rushed over and prevented the two men from getting into a full-on fight, but the whole time this was going on, Rita was smiling. All this fighting, all this raw emotion, all this drama and turmoil, it was beautiful to her.
"Yes, there's nothing more beautiful and disgusting as what people have to hide. The pains they go through to hide their secrets, the curiosity of seeing just how far they're willing to sink, and of course, the opposite side, those who tout themselves as righteous, if only to hide their own secrets. Hypocrisy and lies, I want to expose them all, and show that to the world," Rita muttered to herself.
Dave slammed his fist against his desk and asked, "What are you grinning about over there?! I heard you recorded that girl and you talking! Show me the raw footage!"
Rita shrugged her shoulders as she said, "I'm afraid I can't do that. You see, the raw footage is kinda hard to get to since I didn't use a conventional camera."
"Then what did you use?!" Dave asked, angrily.
"Myself." Rita reached into her jacket pocket and took out her Gaia Memory. "I know you brought your daughter with you, Mr. and Mrs. Boonchuy. I'm glad that you saved me the trouble of hunting her down for a 'reveal all' interview. The truth will be exposed today for all the city to see."
CAMERA!
A Connector tattoo appeared on the left side of Rita's neck. With her right hand, Rita raised the Camera Memory and pressed it against that spot. Everyone watched with shocked faces as the Camera Memory released sparks of violet electricity as it sank into her neck and disappeared. A moment after this occurred, Rita's body underwent a transformation right before their eyes. Her skin turned violet in color as her body's lower half transformed into a tripod, with sharp pointed legs that looked similar to a spider's legs. Her arms were longer than normal, with hands black in color, and with long claw-like nails. On her shoulders were, what looked like, television studio cameras, but the camera lens seemed to be on a swivel. Her chest was wrapped up in camera film, while her head's upper half looked like a square, black and gray, generic camera, with a flash bulb in right corner, and the lens in the center, giving her a cyclops look. Her lips were cheery red, and a black, long hair went down her back. Rita had become the Camera Dopant.
"Mmm, honestly, that gets better each time I use it," said the Camera Dopant.
"Rita…what in the name of God did you do to yourself?!" Dave exclaimed.
"What I need to do in order to get the truth. That's why we're here, isn't it? The Wus want the truth, and so do others." The Camera Dopant pointed her long finger at the Boonchuys and added, "And the daughter of those two know the truth! So, as Mr. Wu has said, it's time to stop being soft on the girl and really motivate her."
The security guard looked like he was about to reach for his weapon, but the Camera Dopant smirked as her cyclopic lens zoomed in, and in the next moment, an orange flash went off, and a small explosion went off on the wall just above Dave's right shoulder. Everyone yelled when they heard the explosion and froze in place.
"Don't even think about trying anything, unless you want to die here." Her cyclopic lens zoomed out, allowing her to bring everyone in the room into focus. "I have you all in my sights, so if you don't all want to explode, you'll stay where you are. Now then, time for the announcement."
The Camera Dopant's fingers released black cable-like tendrils that zipped around until they struck Dave's computer. Within seconds she had access to the camera in his computer, and through it, all the security cameras and television studio cameras in the building.
"Ugh…I should be up there with them! What if they need me for something and I can't help them out?" Anne groaned.
"Anne, it'll be okay, I'm sure your parents got this," said Hop Pop as he kicked back in the front seat.
Sprig was playing on Anne's phone, but he stopped when her phone went off with a news alert. The pink frog tapped on the alert and gasped loudly when he saw it. "ANNE! You need to see this!"
Anne quickly grabbed the phone and turned up the volume.
{Hello, everyone! For certain reasons I can't reveal my identity. But I am here for one reason, and one reason only. To get the truth! And right now, there's one truth that I think some people would like to know. The whereabouts of a couple of girls. Anne Boonchuy, I know you're probably watching this. I'm giving you the chance to come and confess your knowledge. And in case you want to decline my offer…}
The video shifted and now the image showed the inside of an office, showing Anne's parents and the Wus.
"MOM! DAD!" Anne yelled.
{You have ten minutes to comply. If not, well…let's just say they're last moments on camera will be explosive. And don't think about fooling me, I have access to the cameras of this building, so I'll know when you arrive. And to those who are inside the building, I suggest you stay put otherwise.}
A series of explosions went off at once, shaking the building and causing the Plantars and Anne to brace.
{That's right, I can blow up anyone who's in the sights of a camera. And I can see you all. So, sit back and don't do anything stupid. You have all these lives in your hands, Anne. What will you do?}
Anne quickly set her phone's timer for ten minutes she looked out through the window. She saw a security camera, and its red light was glowing violet, perhaps indicating that the monster on the screen wasn't bluffing and indeed had control over the cameras in the building.
"What're ya thinkin', Anne?" Hop Pop asked.
"I'm thinking of getting in there and doing some monster busting. This thing doesn't look like a Fallen. It reminds of that molten dino monster from a couple of days ago…"
Anne moved to another side of the van, peering through the window to try and see if she could see anymore of the security cameras. From what Anne was able to make out, there was definitely one just above the door, there were probably others she couldn't see and that's what worried her. If she transformed, then that monster would know that she was Amp. And since that monster had control over the cameras in building, that probably included the tv cameras. If she was careless, then her secret would be exposed to the whole city, the entire world.
Ugh, this would be so much easier if I was one of those Kamen Riders who didn't have to hide their identity and just whipped out their Driver whenever bad guys showed up, thought Anne. If I was smart like Marcy, I would've figured out a way to use my lightning powers to create one of those EMP blasts like in the movies. But on the other hand, it'd probably kill my cellphone…
"Sprig, I'm gonna need your help a little here," said Anne.
"Whatever you need Anne!"
After giving him his instructions, Anne carefully slid the door open and let Sprig slip out. He hid under the van for a moment and waited for Anne's signal. She watched as the security camera scanned to the right, and then slowly to the left. Anne nodded to Polly who tapped the window twice, signaling Sprig to move.
Sprig kept a close eye on the walls and ceiling, trying to spot anymore cameras. He saw one on a column and crawled up underneath it before lashing at it with his tongue, taking it out in one hit. Sprig crawled on the ceiling, avoiding detection as he came up on another one and smashed it his tongue again. The pink frog took out five more before heading to the one above the door. He had to time the swivels just right, but once it passed back to the left, Sprig shot his tongue and destroyed it.
"All clear!" Sprig announced.
Anne got out of the van and had Sprig return to it. "Lay low guys, I'll be back with Mom and Dad soon."
Anne went to the door and peeked inside. She saw another camera waiting to see her, but this time she could do something about it. The Thai teen's eyes glowed as she raised her right hand and made a finger gun. Taking careful aim, Anne fired a small bolt of lightning from her index finger. The bolt hit the camera and instantly fried it. Anne fist pumped and entered the hallway. There were more cameras there, and unfortunately some people. Thankfully she was behind a corner so they couldn't see her.
Anne channeled her power and peeked around the corner, taking aim once again. There were three, so she had to be quick. Anne shot the first camera, which was looking at two people, and then the second, and followed by a third. With the camera's disabled, Anne signaled the people down the hall.
"Psst!" She hissed. "Over here!"
The adults looked at her and shook their heads.
"The cameras are dead, look," said Anne.
The adults looked back at the cameras and noticed that they were indeed dead, there were char marks all over them. The adults breathed a sigh of relief. Anne waved them down towards her and the workers headed to her.
"Some of the cameras in the parking garage are smashed, so you can probably get out through there, but be careful," said Anne.
"Wait…are you, Anne Boonchuy?" one of the adults asked.
"Uh…yeah…" Anne confessed. "Look, do you know where my parents might be?"
The other adults looked at each other, as if silently debating on whether or not to tell her, or just take the girl with them before she went and risked her life.
"Look, kid, just come with us outside and let the police handle it," said the female employee.
"Please, just tell," Anne demanded.
One of the adults, a man, sighed and said, "From what I saw, they were in Dave's office. He's our producer. You can find him on the tenth floor."
"Seriously?!" Another employee asked incredulously.
"Thanks, dude!"
Anne continued on, zapping the cameras as discreetly as she could. If the monster was starting to get suspicious, then she needed to find a way around the cameras that didn't involve having to fry each one along the way. Anne looked around and that's when she saw a vent. She looked at herself and then sighed.
"The one time where being a 'string bean's' going to work in my favor."
The Thai teen moved a chair under the vent and managed to rip the grate off. Anne climbed into the vent and began shimmying her way through it. Anne crawled her way through the vents, passing by other openings and seeing the numerous people still held at camera point. Anne wasn't sure if that monster's claim to be able to blow someone up just with the cameras was true or not. Then again, she did just fight a dinosaur that was spewing molten lava not long ago, and then there was the robot assassin that could turn itself into a Fallen at will. So…yeah. Probably not as farfetched as she was thinking.
Since she was told her parents were on the tenth floor, Anne had to go up. Whenever she found a cross section, she maneuvered herself towards the higher one, unfortunately, there was no way to tell definitively if she was getting higher. Anne took a break and checked her phone timer to see how much time she had left.
"FIVE MINUTES?!" Anne yelled, which echoed through the vents.
Anne didn't know how much higher she had left to go, but with this winding maze of vents, she could be in there for hours before ever reaching the tenth floor. Anne scrambled towards the nearest opening, looked through the grate, and then kicked it off. She found herself in a room and quickly found the door. Carefully, Anne opened the door and saw that there were some more cameras, but what she saw on the wall is what made her jaw drop in dismay. A sign that said, "Third Floor Communications Room".
"Are you kidding me?!" Anne hissed under her breath. She closed the door behind her and pressed her back against it as she slid down onto the floor. "It took me five minutes to get up three floors?! Ugh, that's it, I need to transform and just make a mad dash for the tenth floor! But that monster will see me coming a mile away! By the time I get there, Mom and Dad will be…"
Anne took a deep breath, she felt herself spiraling, but right now was not the time to panic. This wasn't the first time she was in a pinch, there had to be a way to cut off the monster from the cameras. Anne noticed a humming noise in the room, she looked around and noticed a punch of lights and wires were coming out from a box on the wall. When Anne scanned the room, she realized that she was in a utility room. A grin split her face as she understood what she could do. Anne raised her hands and let them crackle with electricity.
"Heh, heh, heh…"
The Camera Dopant was starting to get suspicious as she found several of the cameras getting knocked offline five minutes ago. But there haven't been any more disturbances since. At first, she thought it might've been Anne, but there was no way a thirteen-year-old girl could take out the cameras that easily. Suddenly, a power surge hit the entire building. The Camera Dopant screeched in pain as she quickly detached her cables from the computer. Within moments the entire building went dark, a second later the emergency generators kicked on.
"What the hell was that?!" the Camera Dopant yelled. "Where did that power surge come from?!" The Camera Dopant quickly extended her cables back to the computer. I've got to reconnect fast or else–!
The door to the office was smashed apart, and from the dust cloud emerged Kamen Rider Amp Raging Heart: Vengeance Mode. The Wus, Boonchuys, Dave, and the guard gawked at the entrance Amp made, but the Camera Dopant hurriedly detached her claws from the computer, but it was too late. Amp reached out with her right hand and grabbed the Dopant by her throat and raised her up.
"Let's go for a ride!"
Amp jumped straight up, smashing through one floor after the other as she dragged the Camera Dopant along. She finally burst through the last ceiling, winding up with the two of them now on the roof. Amp tossed the Camera Dopant towards an air condition unit, making it cave in.
The Camera Dopant groaned as she pulled herself out of the machine and smirked at her. "Ah, you're that hero. What was it? 'Kamen Rider Amp'? You look different from the last time."
"Normally I'd just use my Base Form to deal with you monsters until I know how strong you are. But considering the situation, I decided to throw off the kid gloves and just use my Super Form. Plus, I needed the extra speed in order to get to you before you hurt those people," said Amp.
"Oh, then do I have you to thank for that power surge earlier?"
Amp raised her right hand as electrical sparks danced on her fingertips. "What do you think?"
"I think you're camera ready!"
A flash went off from the Camera Dopant, and right after, an explosion went off on the front of Amp's armor. Amp stumbled back a few steps, her electrical aura kept the explosion from detonating right on her armor, but that blast was powerful, plus, she didn't even see it coming. But that was not the end as the Camera Dopant's flash kept going off repeatedly. The Dopant's fingers turned into cables where she shot them at the rooftop. The cables seemed to melt into the roof, and within seconds multiple camera lenses appeared around Amp's location, all of them pointed at her.
"What the heck?!"
Multiple explosions went off on Amp's body, including her shoulders, stomach, legs, and even her head.
Amp brought her arms up into an "X" as she widened her stance and stood her ground as the explosions kept going off. The two camera lenses on the Camera Dopant's shoulder mounts rotated in Amp's direction. The blue glass-like lenses shined bright purple for a second before they unleashed two beams of violet light from them. Amp braced herself as the two beams hit her at the same time as the explosions. Amp was about to move, but before she could, the flash from the Camera Dopant's changed to blue.
The hero of lightning immediately froze in place, and no matter how hard she tried, Amp was unable to move. What in the heck is this?! I can't move!
"Like capturing a moment in time. Those shady people said they wanted you and would reward me with something stronger if I did. But those guys are idiots. I'll expose who they are and find out what that girl is hiding," said the Camera Dopant.
"What…do you want…with Anne Boonchuy?!" Amp struggled as she asked.
"Heh-heh, nothing, I just want her to tell the truth. She's a good story, and I will find out what she knows about her little friends, for the sake of those two poor families, and for the people whose lives they've touched."
She's Rita Spinner! Wait a minute, these cameras, was that how she did it?! How she recorded me without me seeing her? Amp glared at the monster from under her helmet as retorted, "Save it! You're not doing this for something like the truth! You're just doing it for your own twisted benefit, right?!"
The Camera Dopant smiled wickedly at her. "Well, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't. Exposing people's secrets is the work of a reporter, and fame and fortune follow soon after. No one even dares to touch you once you know those secrets, and I'll be the holder of them all, I'll expose the truth of this world with my power and lens!"
The shoulder cameras shined and fired again, at the same time, an orange flash went off from her camera head and the multiple lenses pointed at Amp. A powerful explosion erupted on the rooftop, knocking Amp all the way back to the edge of the roof. Amp broke through the guard railing and fell off the other side. The Camera Dopant laughed evilly and triumphantly, feeling a sense of pride from felling the famous hero.
"She wasn't worth all that hype. Now, I need to get back down there and–"
"We aren't done yet!"
The Camera Dopant returned her gaze back to where Amp had fallen off the building, only to find the hero now floating in the air as her energy scarf floated behind her.
"YOU CAN FLY, TOO?!"
"Heh, oh, not only that."
Amp used her electrical energy to propel herself around the Camera Dopant. The Dopant tried to lock onto Amp, but her speed was proving to make that task extremely difficult. Every time she thought she had Amp in her crosshairs, the hero would disappear. Even with the multiple camera lenses protruding from the roof, the task still proved difficult. She was really fast, faster than her eyes could track. Amp extended her arm and leg blades as she dashed and slashed the Camera Dopant across her back, causing sparks to fly off her body.
The Camera Dopant grunted in pain and turned to try and attack Amp but was met with another slash from the right side. Again, and again Amp would slash the Camera Dopant with her blades as she whizzed by. The Camera Dopant was getting disoriented as she tried to keep up with Amp's movements, at one point she stopped and had to focus on something that wasn't zipping around, forcing her to retract her cables and dispel the rest of the camera lenses. But that moment was all Amp needed as she appeared in front of the Camera Dopant and struck her in the face with a right punch. The blow hit the Camera Dopant in the lens, cracking it.
"UGH! YOU MEDDLING – AUGH!" The Camera Dopant was having a hard time seeing now, as the cracked lens made her see things in a broken state.
Without caring if Amp was really in her sights, the Camera Dopant released the flash again. However, as Amp prepared for another explosion, the explosions happened in the air and on the floor beneath her in a kind of scattered shot.
"Now I get it, that lens helped her focus the explosion attack. So, when she said she could kill everyone in the room, she meant if she zoomed out and had them all in sight, she could have done that. Same with the other cameras in the building. Well, in that case, let's wrap this up!"
The dragonfly wings of her crest fanned out as the glowing lines on Amp's armor started to shine. The blades on Amp's armor erupted with electrical energy as the symbol of Amp appeared before her. Amp dashed through the symbol as its power laced itself over the blades, and within a couple of seconds, Amp reappeared behind the Camera Dopant as a large eight-pointed star formation made of lightning formed over the monster before an explosion went off.
Amp turned around and watched as the Camera Dopant fell to the ground, and within seconds her body shifted, transforming back into the form of Rita Spinner. From her neck a USB device jettisoned itself from and fell about a foot away. "You've got to be kidding me? Another of those things?" Amp quickly got the device in her hands as she smirked. "You're not going to shatter on me this time." The Camera Memory shattered in her hands a second later. "…OH, COME ON!"
In the end Rita was arrested for holding an entire building's worth of people hostage and threatening to kill everyone. It was also revealed that Rita did indeed alter the footage of Anne, but considering everything that happened, the Wus were reluctant to trust the footage even if the raw footage was found. In the end it was destroyed, they really couldn't trust it considering it was Rita who shot it. Anne managed to return to the parking garage unseen and got back into the van, where her parents found her and were none the wiser. Her father wouldn't stop geeking out about how a Kamen Rider saved them, and of course Anne had to fight to contain her embarrassment of her father's praise.
It took a lot of hours of questioning and checkups from the paramedics, but in the end, they were all allowed to go back home. Anne managed to plop down onto her bed later that night, but the memories of their conversation with the Wus were still lingering in her mind.
"Xia, Ling, I hope you see now that Anne was telling the truth, she really doesn't remember," said Oum.
"I'm sorry for my outbursts, Oum. I am. But that doesn't mean we're any less insistent about Anne remembering," said Xia.
"Bee, I understand you have your way of raising your daughter. But Xia and I have our own. And…while I will take some of your words into consideration, it's a moot point if my daughter is not back," said Ling.
"The Waybrights were kinda the same way, but they understand Anne's predicament, it'll just take some time," said Bee.
"We're about to go on six months, Bee," Xia interjected. "Almost half a year. How much longer do we need to wait?"
"I will find a way to get back to Amphibia, and I will find a way to save Sasha and Marcy…I will…I have to…"