Keisuke had become more cautious in the last couple of days since the return of the Pines twins. The setup in Nevada was a bust, even with the use of the Labyrinth Memory, they were still able to break out of the facility and came to the rescue of Anne Boonchuy. Now their target was well aware of their presence, and the Pines twins were no doubt going to keep an eye on Anne until they were certain Foundation X no longer had an interest in her powers.
Which they still do. But for now, Keisuke needed to shift gears a bit. Currently, the director of Foundation X was walking through R&D, which was filled with many scientists working on various types of weaponry. Some were working with hardware weapons, miniaturized railguns and non-nuclear fallout bombs, all the bang none of the poisonous aftermath that would make an area uninhabitable. A regular bomb did enough damage to an area, making it unlivable is not good business. You want your clients to be able to reinhabit the region so they can build it up, and then sell the weapon to the people looking to take back that land and start the cycle all over.
The bioweapons division was their bread and butter, they were always looking to create a better soldier, or create a monster that can take the place of that soldier and do that job with more ruthless efficiency. So far, their research into Gaia Memories has yielded good results, allowing them to outfit – at least their own – security teams and mercenaries with Gaia Memories to carryout missions on their behalf. Unfortunately, it was decided that the technology would only be used in-house for now, as they needed something stronger, or the equivalent of, the Dopants before they could sell the Gaia Memories off.
"So, what have you been able to find out about our robotic visitor?"
"Well, the technology is advanced, and uses alloys that are both Earth-like in nature, and others that are most assuredly not from our world," said the scientist.
"I see, and what of the black substance? Were you able to get a decent sample from the combat sites?" Keisuke asked.
Another scientist, who was standing next to a container that had a small sample of the black ooze that Cloak Bot once used, turned around and said, "It's strange. It's not like anything we've seen. It's organic, and yet not. It has substance but weighs nothing. It's some kind…well…"
"Speak up, don't stop now!" Keisuke demanded.
"It's supernatural, Sir! I know this isn't very scientific of me to say, but it's as if this stuff is a piece of darkness itself."
Keisuke tilted his head slightly and replied, "Do I look like that surprises me? After all the data we obtained from Gravity Falls from Slater's failed project, nothing surprises me. Still doesn't mean things can't pique my interest." Keisuke walked over to the parts of the robot that were laid out on a table, along with the drones. "We know that Anne Boonchuy, as well as two of her childhood companions, went missing five months ago. The site of their disappearance is riddled with an unknown residual energy, the same energy that Anne Boonchuy wields when she becomes Kamen Rider Amp. A power that can pierce through dimensions, rip away the walls that separate our world from others, such a thing could provide Foundation X with limitless resources to fashion weapons unlike anything this world has seen. And these scraps are the proof of it."
"It would seem Anne Boonchuy made enemies in whatever world she was sent to," said Cassandra as she walked in.
"Yet another thing that doesn't surprise me, especially when it comes to young people for some inexplicable reason getting powers beyond their imagination. What is it that you want, Cassandra?" Keisuke asked.
Cassandra turned her tablet around to face her boss and said, "I was monitoring communications regarding the recent incidents, most notably our recent operation to capture Amp. And it appears that the Federal Bureau of Investigation has finally taken notice and is taking action."
Keisuke raised an eyebrow. "How so?"
"It seems that they've assigned an agent who specializes in extraterrestrial and supernatural phenomenon. It's a bit worrisome as I can't find much information on this person. The only thing the agent goes by is their code name."
"Which is?"
"…Mr. X."
Keisuke went silent.
"Really?"
"Yes, sir."
"Mr. X."
Cassandra nodded.
"I feel as if the universe is – what's that phrase? – ah, yes – trolling us."
Two people sat inside of a small room, one that was dimly lit by the glow of their computer monitors and overhead screens. Both of the individuals had their backs turned to each other, one was looking at the monitors while the other was quickly typing away at their keyboard. The first of these two was African American, with a shaved head, and black rimmed, square shaped glasses. This individual wore a mauve colored suit jacket, with a violet necktie, a corsage pinned to the lapel of the jacket, and cream-colored pants. This same individual also wore purple lipstick and had an ice pop in his left hand.
The other was a woman, although it was hard to tell due to the clothes she was wearing. She had on a tan colored shirt and loose-fitting necktie, a couple of ballpoint pins nestled in the left breast pocket, brown pants, and a pair of glasses with no rims. Her hair was cut short, slicked back, and was blonde. It was hard to tell the eye color as the glare of the computer screen hid her eyes from view.
"The City of Angels has been the epicenter of a lot of strange things as of late, Jenners. Multiple monsters appearing out of nowhere, reports of a rampaging robot, and masked vigilantes. All of this sounds very supernatural, extraterrestrial even. And who do you they call when things like this go down?" he asked.
Jenny, who was still typing away, said nothing in response, but seemed to acknowledge his words.
"Right you are, Jenny. They call me, Mr. X. Because I deal specifically with extraterrestrials. All these incidents thus far have been centered around one central figure." As Mr. X said this, Jenny was busy queuing up a captured image of Kamen Rider Amp and putting it on his monitor. "Correct, this so called 'Kamen Rider Amp'. She's a dangerous factor in everything that's happened thus far. And then there was the appearance of this other vigilante, Kamen Rider Gemini."
Jenny brought up footage of the battle that Amp and Gemini had with the Dopants, and as the footage ran, Jenny typed up a message that read, [A more experienced individual?]
Mr. X nodded and replied, "Clearly. Compared to Amp, this 'Gemini' fights as if they've had much more combat experience and possibly even foreknowledge of the kind of foe they were facing. Whereas our hero in blue seemed to be flailing about trying to fight them. Granted it was four on one, but still."
Jenny typed up another message.
[Do you think the robot incidents are connected?]
Mr. X furrowed his brow at the mention of those. "Aside from the monsters, the very first account of Amp's appearance was in a strip mall parking lot fighting, what appeared to be, a robot. There were security guards that said something about 'actors' rehearsing a performance piece at natural history museum, creating a lot of damage. Yet, miraculously, most, if not all the damage, was cleaned up as if nothing happened. But they also mentioned seeing something like a robot taking off out of the museum. And then there was another instance at the local Thai temple, where a number of 'dragonfly drones' attacked."
[All the evidence was collected and taken by an unknown party impersonating FBI personnel,] Jenny typed.
Mr. X narrowed his gaze as he said, "And whoever they are, they're very good at hiding their tracks. Is this still connected to Amp? Is there an alien force that's purposefully hiding the evidence? Could Amp just be a weapon that they're testing on Earth along with that robot and the monsters? A lot of questions, and not many answers. And that's why I'm here. To get those answers. Hit it, Jenners!"
Jenny typed away at her keyboard, and on Mr. X's monitor appeared surveillance footage from the museum that showed something akin to a frog person destroying the security cameras with their tongue. Another window opened with images from the mall, one of a green skinned fellow running from mall security with his pockets full of coins, and another of a small round child, literally round, like a beach ball. Another program ran and highlighted the three individuals.
[Definitely, probably aliens.]
"Very good, Jenny. Very nice. So much was happening around here, that you miss the small things, the breadcrumbs. But sometimes those breadcrumbs lead you to what you're looking for, and no one can sniff out the breadcrumbs better than you," said Mr. X. "This is why you're the best."
Mr. X paused as he looked over at his colleague and smiled at her.
"Oh, Jenny, honey, are you blushing?" Mr. X asked.
Jenny did not turn her back and remained silent, but her cheeks were noticeably tinted red. That's when Jenny typed a message on her overhead monitor that read, [No.]
"So cute." Mr. X turned around to look back at his monitor and focused in on one thing in particular, the faint image of a lanky teenage girl. "Who is this I wonder? Little Miss String Bean."
[Unable to obtain a positive ID on the subject. A likely theory is that this individual is a human conspirator.]
Mr. X nodded and hummed in agreement. "Yep. Sounds like some real '80s movie junk. But one thing's for sure. These aliens are being sheltered. Whether or not they are connected to Amp, the monsters, and the third party, is another story. But sometimes you find what you're looking for in the damndest of places. And whoever is harboring these little monsters will be in big trouble–"
Suddenly there was a knock. Mr. X got up out his chair and walked over to the wall and pulled on a sliding window. He looked out and saw a young child with money in his hand. As it turns out, the room was actually the back of a modified surveillance truck disguised as an ice cream truck.
"One popsicle please," the child asked.
"Sorry, little man. But this was the last one," Mr. X replied.
He then proceeded to close the sliding door but found the action difficult as it seemed to be stuck. "Uh, give me a sec." Mr. X pulled hard on the door, and after a moment managed to unstick it, slamming it shut by accident and falling to the floor. Mr. X stood back up like nothing happened and returned to his seat as he finished the popsicle.
"Now then, we've got to get these aliens before there's any more mayhem wrought in this city. Pretty sure the insurance companies are going to go bankrupt soon with all the property damage and what not as well," said Mr. X.
Just then, Mr. X's stomach growled loudly. The two FBI agents had been doing surveillance in their disguised truck for the last two days and have been eating mostly junk food and the ice cream that they had onboard.
"Okay, we need some real food," said Mr. X.
Jenny was already on it as she did a Doogle search for the best local restaurants. As she did her search, Mr. X looked over Jenny's shoulder, beamed with delight, and shook his partner by the shoulders in excitement for what she found.
"Jenny, Jenny, you've done it again!" Mr. X exclaimed.
The place in question that Jenny found showed a restaurant with a five-star review, a place called, "Thai Go".
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"Pleeeeease?"
"No."
"Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeease? C'mon, do it for your old man."
"Ugh, Dad, I am not going to transform and promote the restaurant!"
It had been a couple of days since Anne and her family met the Pines twins, a couple of days since Oum had decided to accept what her daughter was now, and the major responsibility she had to not just Amphibia, but their world as well. So, instead of pushing against Anne and making this whole situation more difficult for her, Oum decided to become more supportive, heeding the words of Dipper Pines. This worked out well for Bee as now he was free to fanboy about this whole thing. And one of those moments was happening right now. The Boonchuys and Plantars were at the restaurant, Anne was helping out in the back with chopping vegetables, while Sprig, Hop Pop, and Polly decided to contribute by helping out in the kitchen as well.
Currently, Bee was trying to convince his daughter to transform into Amp, wear a sign, and promote Thai Go while standing outside the restaurant.
"Dad, isn't it a little irresponsible of me to use my Rider powers to promote a business?" Anne asked, rhetorically.
"But it's not just any business, it's your family's business," he countered.
"Doesn't that make it even worse?"
Bee shrugged.
"Besides, even if I did that. Won't it seem weird that Kamen Rider Amp just so happens to promote the restaurant of 'the girl who went missing', who also just reappeared not too long before Amp showed up?" Anne gestured to herself and her father. "Are we connecting the dots?"
"It's not like anyone can tell the difference. They'll just think you're really into cosplay," Bee argued.
"Then by that logic, why don't you dress up as a Kamen Rider and stand outside promoting the store," Oum suggested.
Bee went silent as he mulled the idea over in his head.
"You know what…that's not a bad idea!" Bee exclaimed.
Anne stopped chopping as her left eye twitched. "Say what?"
Bee went over to his wife and kissed her on the cheek as he said, "Thanks for the idea, honey!" and then went to the supply room for some ingredients.
Anne slowly looked in her mother's direction and asked, "He's not really going to do that, right? Right?"
Oum slowly turned to her daughter and asked, "Let me answer your question, with another one. How serious was Marcy about cosplaying?"
Anne' eye twitched again. "Oh, we are so having a family meeting about this when we get home."
Oum chuckled at the feeling of embarrassment her daughter had. "Let him have this, sweetie. His boyhood fantasy has come to life in front of him. Kamen Riders are real, superheroes are real, and unfortunately, so are the bad guys." The older Thai woman shuttered at that last thought but shook it off. "Anyway, I kind of understand his excitement. Knowing that we're a part of something like saving the world does get the heart racing and adrenaline flowing! It finally hit me just how amped up I feel! No pun intended."
"Yeah!" Bee sounded off as he reentered the kitchen. "I'm ready to help my daughter battle the forces of evil! Hiya!"
Anne groaned in embarrassment when she saw her father punch and kick.
"Sounds like you got a case of post-battle euphoria," said Hop Pop.
"Nothing like a brush with death to make you feel alive," Sprig added.
Oum grinned as she said, "So, what do we do next? I'm actually itching to fight!"
"That's the spirit, honey," Bee encouraged.
Anne rolled her eyes at how pumped up her parents were now that they decided to be more supportive of her duty to protect the Earth and Amphibia. But she had to admit, it was nice to see that they did accept all of this. Accepted her for who she was now.
"Hopefully things will stay quiet for a little bit longer. Foundation X hasn't done another Dopant attack since that last time. And I've been checking in with Dipper and Mabel here and there, and so far, nothing. So, unless Andrias sends another robot assassin, we're safe for now," said Anne.
Anne finished with her part of the cooking and took off her apron as she walked over to the Plantars.
"So, I decided to take advantage of this small window of peace and quiet by taking the Plantars to their first movie!"
Bee nodded as he said, "Go ahead, you deserve it. But if anything comes up, we're ready! I even broke out my old pull-up bar! Look!"
Anne watched as her father went to the door mounted pull-up bar and began doing one pull-up, struggling to do so as his face turned red from the effort. Unfortunately, before he could even do one pull-up the bar snapped in half. Bee fell to the floor and landed on his back in the middle of the supply room doorway.
"Ah! My back!" Bee groaned.
"Honey, be careful!" Oum exclaimed worriedly.
Anne sighed as she shook her head and crossed her arms. "Guys, please. Leave the dangerous stuff to us, okay? The Plantars have had more experience with dangerous situations, and well, I'm a Kamen Rider." As she said this, the Plantars donned their human disguises. "You guys ready?"
"Yep!" they answered.
"Then it's movie time!" Anne exclaimed as she dabbed.
"Movie time!" The Plantars repeated as they mimicked Anne.
Afterwards, Bee and Oum watched as Anne and the Plantars left the kitchen. They heard as Anne got on her bike, with the Plantars piled into her basket, and listened to the receding sound of her tires.
Bee managed to get back to his feet, groaning from the hard fall. He then looked at his wife and asked, "Are you sure you're still okay with all this?"
Oum sighed and nodded. "Honestly, that young man's words are still ringing in my head. Everything she went through back in Amphibia has molded Anne into a completely different person from who she was before. Before all of this, if Anne was given the choice, I doubt she'd accept such a heavy responsibility. But now, she's forging ahead, knowing that so many people's lives depend on her. In just five months our little girl has experienced more than most adults do. Love, heartache, betrayal, combat, evil, monsters, and right now, all we can do for our daughter is support her and help her in any way we can. She may be a Kamen Rider, but we're still her parents."
Bee smiled at his wife. He was worried for a bit once Anne revealed everything about what she had gone through, worried that Oum would continue to deny and push against Anne. But now she was fully onboard with giving their daughter all the support she needed. And now Bee no longer had to hide his excitement and enthusiasm for the fact that his own daughter is a Kamen Rider, nor the fact that there are possibly more Riders out there hiding in the shadows and defending the Earth without anyone knowing.
The plight of a hero fighting in the shadows. Their deeds never known to the public, but continue to do so knowing that thanks to them, we can continue to live our peaceful lives. So…So heroic! Bee shed a small tear as he clenched his right hand into a fist before putting it over his heart in a salute to those unknown and unseen Riders.
"By the way, do you think Anne's going to marry Sasha?" Bee asked.
Oum blushed when she heard her husband ask that question. "Why do you ask?"
"Just wondering, since she did say she has feelings for her." Bee chuckled. "I never thought I'd get a daughter-in-law rather than a son-in-law. In a strange way, I feel relieved."
The older Thai woman rolled her eyes. "You're just relieved that you don't have to worry about Anne getting into any funny business with a boy when she's older. But for your information, I did do some research on a person who is demi. And just like Anne said, it doesn't mean she exclusively likes girls, it just means she can't feel any attraction to a person unless she's developed an emotional bond with them. In other words, it's still very possible that she could develop such a bond with a boy later on in the future and then…well."
Bee's relief suddenly vanished. "Sasha Waybright, you better be alive back there and sweep Anne off her feet!"
I wonder if this is how my father reacted when I started dating? Yeah, probably did. I'm still uncertain if Anne should be in a relationship with Sasha, especially after everything she told us Sasha had done to her, before and after they vanished. I'll just have to hope that if Anne could change this much, maybe she can, too?
Anne continued to ride her bike with the Plantars sitting in the basket. She was happy to finally have at least a couple of days where she wasn't attacked by a Dopant or robot assassin. How long that would last was up in the air at this point, but knowing her luck, Anne suspected it wouldn't be too long before someone or something ruined this nice day. So, she decided to enjoy it as much as she could before that happened. She was still excited over the fact that she met Dipper and Mabel, Kamen Rider Gemini. There was another Rider on Earth, and one that was a veteran. If Luz Noceda was also from their world, that would bring the total number of Riders up to five.
Anne paused in her thinking.
Five…I counted an extra…
Anne was still coming to grips with the idea that Marcy was dead. She knew she had to accept this as a fact or else she couldn't move on, or at least make sure it didn't affect her as much when she eventually returned to Amphibia. There would be a time to grieve, a time to mourn for her former lover and best friend, but now was not the time. Marcy would want her to focus on protecting the Earth and Amphibia, to prevent the interdimensional war that was fast approaching and practically at Earth's doorstep. Marcy would want her to protect this world, where her parents still lived, and still in the dark about their daughter's fate. Anne felt a pit in her stomach whenever she thought about that.
They had not heard a word from the Wu family since the incident at the news station. However, Anne knew that this silence was not going to last forever. Eventually they would come back seeking answers, and they would most likely either have lawyers and the police involved.
"Anne, you alright?" Sprig asked.
"Huh? What?" Anne stammered.
"You looked like you were thinking hard about something."
"Oh, yeah, just thinking on which movie's going to rock your guys' world," Anne lied.
Everything in due time, Anne. For now, let's just focus on today.
Anne pulled up to Super Cinemas 40, passing by several posters of movies that read, "Boss Dog", "Suspicion Island 2: 2 Sus", "Spy Guy 12", "She's So 80s", and others. The Thai teen parked her bike and dismounted it along with the Plantars. The group of four passed through the automatic doors, and once they had, the Plantars gasped in awe of what they saw. It was a normal theater lobby like any other, but to them, it was majestic.
"Hello, sensory overload!" Polly exclaimed as she fell onto her back, taking it all in.
"Whoa! What is this, a church?!" Hop Pop asked.
"Yeah, pretty much." Anne went silent for a moment as her mind wondered onto another dilemma.
Sprig noticed this and nudged her as he asked, "What's the matter?"
"Just thinking about my folks. I don't regret telling them everything that happened, but at the same time, I don't like the idea of those two putting themselves in harms' way," said Anne.
"Mrs. B brought the hammer down on that robot, literally. I think your mom and dad will be alright," said Polly.
"I know Mom messed up that assassin real good, but they're still parents, y'know? They shop for groceries and coach Little League T-ball."
"Well, luckily today is a stress-free day with no danger or conflict," said Hop Pop.
Back at Thai Go, Mr. X entered the restaurant. The bell chimed, alerting Oum to come out and greet their customer.
"Hello. Welcome to Thai Go," said Oum.
Mr. X, literally, rolled up to the counter on a pair of wheels that were attached to the back heels of his shoes. When he got to the counter he said, "S̄wạs̄dī khuṇ p̄hū̂h̄ỵing (Greetings, Ma'am)."
"Xô khuṇ phūd p̣hās̄ʹā thịy dị̂ h̄e rx (Oh, you speak Thai)?" Oum asked.
"Lĕkn̂xy thī̀ nī̀ læa thī̀ nạ̀n (A little here and there)," he replied. "We'll take one Pad See Ew. And, while we're at it," Mr. X took out a trio of photos from his pocket, showing each of the Plantars in different situations, "have you seen any odd creatures walking around? Probably disguised as…humans?"
Oum took one look at the photos and her mind immediately went into panic mode. Thankfully, she managed to maintain some of her composure. "Ha-ha, what strange shapes they are! Haven't seen them. Who's asking?"
"Oh, just your friendly neighborhood," Mr. X pulled out his badge from his jacket pocket and flashed it to Oum, "federal government."
THE FBI! Oh no! Oh no! Calm down, Oum! They don't know about Anne, but this is still bad! First thing's first. Get him the heck out of here!
"Yes. Very nice. Hooray government!" Oum exclaimed. "Ph̀x rĕw k̄hêā (Dad, hurry up)!"
"Geez, where's the fire. Huh?" Bee asked as he exited the kitchen with the order in hand.
However, before any questions could be asked, Jenny hurriedly entered the restaurant. She had her laptop in hand, which was blaring as it flashed on the screen, [String Bean Detected]. The screen then zoomed in on an image of Anne taken from street cameras, showing her from behind and riding on her bike with the Plantars.
Mr. X's face became one of pure elation as he slammed the money on the counter. "Gotta go! Keep the change! Is your stun gun charged, Jenny?!Tell me it's charged!" As he said this, Mr. X took the bag containing their food and pulled out a gun with a bident fork at the end that was releasing electrical energy, and then proceeded to run out the door with Jenny right behind him.
Bee nervously looked at his wife and asked, "What was that about?"
"We have to go now!" Oum stated. "I'll explain on the way!"
Oum and Bee quickly locked and closed the restaurant as they piled into the minivan and drove off, tires screeching as they peeled away.
"You're serious?! FBI?!" Bee exclaimed in shock. "Did he ask any questions about Anne?!"
"It looked like he was only after the Plantars, but it won't take them long before they figure out that Anne is Amp!" Oum replied.
"Could be it be that Foundation X that the Pines warned us about?"
"Don't know. Either way, we need to warn Anne to get out of there while there's still time!"
Oum reached into her pocket and immediately called her daughter. The phone rang for several seconds, but in the end went straight to voicemail. Oum tried two more times, but still there was no reply. "Augh! She's not picking up! It must be on silent!"
As they drove, the traffic was getting worse and worse, typical LA. Mr. X's vehicle was getting further away, and the cars were piling up behind them.
"Gah! We're gonna lose him in the traffic," said Bee.
"That's because you drive like an old man!" Oum exclaimed as she grabbed the steering wheel. "Move over!"
Oum Boonchuy, in an impressive display of driving skill, quickly turned the wheel to the right, making the tires screech as she pulled them onto the shoulder and balanced the van on its right front and back wheels. The side of the van made horrible screeching noises as it grinded against the cement barrier, but they were slightly drowned out by Bee's loud screams of terror. Despite all their years of marriage, there were some things you just could not get used to. Like his wife's crazy, combative driving skills. Useful, but scary. Thanks to Oum's maneuver, they managed to swing around the heavy traffic and got right in front of Mr. X's ice cream truck. She then had her husband hit the brakes, bringing them nearly bumper to bumper to try and slow down the FBI agent.
Mr. X was less than pleased by this development. "Man, this city, I tell ya."
The FBI agent reached over to his console and pressed a button on the electronic screen on his dash that read, "Traffic Mode". Upon pressing it, the modified ice cream truck suddenly rose up on mechanical stilts, raising the truck to almost ten feet above all the other cars below them. With a wide gap created underneath them, the ice cream struck easily drove over the Boonchuy's van, passing right under them and continuing on the rest of the way like that.
"How is that street legal?!" Bee complained.
"I'm going to text Anne! Gun it! Hurry!"
Anne and the Plantars exited the movie, it was nice enjoying watching someone else being a hero instead of herself.
"Well, it was no 'Suspicion Island'. But it was decent enough," said Hop Pop.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Sprig asked, slightly deaf from the experience.
"I thought the protag was pretty fun. I like how she was very flawed, and still had room to grow," said Anne.
The Thai teen reached into her pocket and took out her cellphone to check and see if she had missed any calls, texts, or alerts. When she did look, Anne saw several messages from her mother warning her of a government agent heading their way and to look out for an ice cream truck. No sooner had she saw those texts did she spot said van out front, with Mr. X, stylishly, entering the movie theatre with a flourish.
"Oh, cruuuud…" Anne quickly began shoving the Plantars towards another auditorium as she said, "Back inside, gang!"
"No! Not another one!" Sprig begged.
The group of four entered the auditorium for "Fumigator 5" and sat down in a huddle.
"What's going on?" Polly asked.
"There's a secret agent after us!" Anne answered.
"Foundation X agent?!" Sprig asked.
"Mom said government in her text, but right now that doesn't matter. We need to find a way to get out of here without him finding–!"
Anne went silent as she heard a slurping sound. When she and the Plantars looked in that direction, they saw Mr. X. Casually sitting in the row behind them with a cup in his left hand.
"Tell me, are you folks from the area? Or just visiting?" Mr. X asked.
Anne, Sprig, Polly, and Hop Pop yelped and ran as fast as they could out of the auditorium. They quickly hid in different spots in the hallway. Anne hid behind a standee with Hop Pop, while Sprig and Polly hid in a trashcan. Mr. X leisurely exited the auditorium, balancing on his heelies as he rolled along. Once they were sure he was gone, they ditched their hiding spots and made a run for the front exit.
"Ah think we lost him!" Hop Pop observed.
"Great! Don't stop!" Anne immediately took back what she said when she looked ahead. "Wait! Stop!"
Anne dropped low to the floor behind the ticket counter. She peeked around it and saw Jenny at the front door. The FBI agent held her badge in one hand as she stopped people at the front door. Once she had, Jenny used a gun-like device to scan the people she had stopped, and once done the silent agent let them go without further delay.
Great, just great! A second one! Anne thought.
Her cellphone buzzed in her pocket and Anne quickly answered it when she saw it was from her father. "They're watching the exit, Dad. We need another way out."
[Can't you use your superspeed to get them out?] he asked.
"I'm fast, but I'm way faster when transformed. People will notice, and so will they," said Anne.
[In that case, we're coming in to help you out!]
"What! No! I don't want you getting in trouble. We can handle it," Anne insisted.
[Tell her we are adults, and we know what we're doing!] Oum stated.
[Anne, your mother says – hang on, I'm putting you on speaker. Okay, let's see. How do we do this?]
Anne heard a few button pushing noises.
[Khuṇ rū̂ h̄ịm welā thèā h̄ịr̀ læ̂w (Do you know what time it is)?!]
"What?" Anne asked, hearing a different voice on the phone.
[Whoops! I think I accidentally–!]
Anne pulled the phone away from her ear and looked at the screen. That's when she saw that her father had accidentally started a video call with not only them, but also her grandmother.
[Xæn? Nạ̀n khụ̄x khuṇ? C̄hạn mị̀ dị̂ h̄ĕn khuṇ mā nān læ̂w! Khuṇ dū p̄hxm lng! Kin k̄ĥāw yạng (Anne? Is that you? I haven't seen you in ages! You look skinny! Have you been eating)?]
Seriously, do I look anorexic or something? Anne thought.
"Oh, hi, Grandma. Yeah, I just had a sandwich." She switched gears and spoke directly to her parents. "Mom, Dad, just stay in the car where it's safe. We'll meet you outside!" Then she spoke to her grandmother. "Bye, Grandma, I love you!"
Anne ended the call, and already started trying to formulate a plan to get them out of this situation. This FBI agent is only after the Plantars right now, but if I use my powers, they'll think I'm Amp! Maybe I could transform long enough to punch out a wall or something? "OK. OK. Get it together, Anne!" Anne smacked the sides of her face in an attempt to focus herself. "Think. So, what we're going to need to do first is…Hmm?
Unfortunately, Mr. X wasn't going to give her time to think about a way to get out of the situation she was in as he came walking to the archway where they were earlier and looked right in their direction. The FBI agent took out his stun gun and grinned at them.
"Hide!"
Anne and the Plantars ran away again, with Mr. X chuckling at the futility of their actions.
"Well, this is getting fun."
The group ran until the came upon a door and entered it. But to their dismay, it was a supply closet.
"Oh, crud! It's a dead end!" Anne exclaimed.
Ironically, there was a movie poster on the other end that read, "Dead End".
"Ah! Classic." The door handle began to jiggle, prompting Hop Pop to say, "Everyone, hide!"
Just as Mr. X opened the door, he spotted a shadowy figure a few feet away. The fabulously dressed agent walked up to it, stun gun at the ready. "Now who could this be?" Mr. X spun the figure around, only to find out that I that it was a standee. "What the–?"
"NOW, GUYS!" Anne yelled as she and the Plantars made a break for the door.
"Oh, no, you don't!" Mr. X retorted.
Polly, thinking quickly, got a film reel and tossed it Mr. X's legs. The film unraveled and managed to wrap around his ankle, tripping him up and sending the agent to the floor. However, Mr. X reached out with his right hand and managed to grab ahold of Hop Pop's leg. With a swift yank, he pulled Hop Pop towards him, throwing the elderly frog to the floor. But in doing so, Hop Pop's disguise fell apart, revealing his true face to the FBI agent.
"What even are you?!" Mr. X felt something slimy in his hand, and immediately released Hop Pop as he looked at his slime (mucus) covered hand with disgust. "Ugh! And why are you so slimy?!"
"Rude," said Hop Pop.
Sprig saw another film reel, grabbed it with this tongue, and slingshot the film reel right at Mr. X. The object struck him in the face, hard, making Mr. X cover the right side of his face with his hands as he hissed in pain. Polly laughed triumphantly and readied to toss another one, while Hop Pop was about strike Mr. X over the head with the standee from earlier. Thankfully, Anne managed to get ahold of them before they committed any more acts of assault against a law enforcement officer. She used her superspeed while Mr. X was blinded by pain and dashed out of the room.
"So, what do we do now?!" Sprig asked.
"There's another way we can lose them," said Anne. "But it goes against everything I've ever been taught about proper theatre etiquette."
"Etiquette shemetiquette! Do it!" Polly urged.
Anne placed the Plantars at the fire exit door and used her speed again to run into the entrance of each of the auditoriums nearby and yelled as loud as she could, "FIRE!" She did this in three different auditoriums before heading to the emergency exit and pushing it open. The alarm sounded off immediately, and just as predicted, the moviegoers inside stampeded out of the different auditoriums and towards the nearest emergency exit. The alarms continued to blare loudly, drowning out all other noise. Thanks to this, Anne and the Plantars were able to get out.
Meanwhile, Mr. X was locked in the supply closet, prompting him to use his laser equipped watch to burn a hole through the lock. Once that was done, Mr. X kicked the door open, he looked around watching the people rush to get out and noticed that some were heading towards the emergency exit.
"Clever girl." Mr. X went back into the supply closet as he contacted Jenny. "Jenny, you're not going to believe this! They're big, beautiful, talking frog monsters! Call in the troops and set up roadblocks in a five-block radius from this location."
Anne and the Plantars managed to swing around back to the front of the Super Cinemas 40, having had to push their way through the crowd of panicked people before they arrived at the minivan and hopped in as quickly as they could. Oum peeled out of the parking lot soon after in order to avoid getting blocked in by the fire engines and police that were about to arrive.
"Whew…that was close," said Anne. "Who even was that guy?"
"His badge said his name was, 'Mr. X'," Oum answered.
"X?" Sprig gasped. "Anne, he must be working with Foundation X!"
"Seems a little on the nose, but…maybe?"
"Well, the important thing is, you're all out of there," said Bee. "Now we can just head back home with no other…oh no."
Oum stopped the van as they saw traffic building up. Way up ahead were flashing police lights. A checkpoint had been set up and inspections were being conducted, and each of the ones doing the inspections were clad in tactical gear with bulletproof vests that had the letters "FBI" on them.
"Uh, Mom…"
"Way ahead of you."
Oum managed to get out of the jam and went down a different road. Unfortunately, they ran into another inspection site. Oum wasn't about to give up as she turned around and went down another road, but it was the same there. After two more attempts, Oum parked their van in a parking lot of a fast-food building.
"What's goin' on?" Hop Pop asked.
"They've setup roadblocks and they're inspecting each of the cars," said Bee.
"Mr. X knows we're still here, and he's making it so that we don't get out," said Anne.
Oum turned around and looked at her daughter and the Plantars. "There is a way for you four to get out at least."
"What?" Anne questioned.
"Anne, transform into Amp. You can use the buildings to jump off of and get over the roadblocks. Your father and I will drive through one of the checkpoints and meet you back on the other side."
"Wait, but what if Mr. X sees you and–?"
"Anne," Oum interrupted, "this is the only way to get around them. Mr. X knows he probably has us cornered here. So, we take advantage of the fact that he doesn't know your Amp."
Anne was worried about her parents, but she knew her mother was right.
Oum drove the van to an alleyway where Anne and the Plantars got out. Once there, Anne went through her motions and summoned the MetamorphRing.
"Henshin!"
A dome of lightning appeared around Anne, obscuring her from view for a moment. When the dome of lightning broke down, Kamen Rider Amp was standing in her place. Bee, who had been watching the entire thing, had his eyes wide open and practically sparkling with joy.
"No matter how many times I witness that, it's still the most awesome thing I've ever seen in my life," Bee gushed.
Amp rolled her eyes under her mask; her father was forever a nerd.
"Alright guys, hop on." Sprig, Polly, and Hop Pop jumped onto Amp's back, and in Polly's case, into her arms. "Mom, Dad, please be careful."
"We will, honey, just go while you have the chance," said Oum.
Amp crouched low and then jumped straight up into the air, angling herself just a bit so that she would land on the roof of the adjacent building. The hero of lightning paused at the edge, still worried about her parents, but she had to trust that they would be alright. The FBI were not looking for them, they were looking for her and the Plantars.
"Okay, guys, hold on. I'm going to go fast," Amp warned.
"Bring on the speed!" Polly exclaimed.
Lightning arced around Amp's legs, and in the next second, she dashed straight towards the opposite edge of the roof and jumped off it. Amp landed on the next rooftop and kept up her pace, not losing momentum or speed as she kept leaping from one roof to the next. Amp stopped for a moment to look over the area, and that's when she saw there were police and FBI creating a ring about five blocks wide.
They really were trying to keep us corralled in order to capture us. Mr. X must be some kind of big shot, thought Amp. Doesn't matter. So long as he doesn't get his hands on us, we can make it out of this.
Amp continued to jump from rooftop to rooftop and eventually cleared the roadblocks. She went a little further just to be safe, and once they were far enough away, Amp jumped down into another alley and let the Plantars down so that she could change back in civilian form. Now it was a waiting game.
Anne paced the alley back and forth as she waited to hear word from her parents, practically biting her nails in worry. However, after about ten minutes of waiting, Anne heard a car horn. The Plantars and Anne looked down the alleyway and saw the minivan pull up next to the dumpster they were hiding behind.
"Mom! Dad!" Anne exclaimed. "You're alright!"
Bee exited the van just in time for his daughter to give him a hug.
"We told you we'd be alright," said Oum.
"But that was a little crazy. That Mr. X managed to get all that just for the Plantars," said Bee.
Anne released her father and sighed. "Great, not only do we have Foundation X and Andrias to worry about, but now we have the friggin' FBI!"
"Jeez what–?"
"DON'T SAY IT!" Anne swiftly went to Sprig and slapped her hand over his mouth. "Remember what I said about egging on the universe?!"
Sprig nodded.
"By the way, how'd you guys find us so quick? I never even got the chance to call or text you," Anne asked.
Bee and Oum glanced between each other with nervous expressions.
"…Uh, parental intuition," said Oum.
"Aaaaaand the tracking device we put on Hop Pop when he was asleep," Bee added.
Hop Pop undid his jacket and shirt and revealed a box shaped device that was placed on his chest with two strips of duct tape. "Ah was wonderin' what that was."
Anne looked at her parents with shock as she exclaimed a loud, "WHAT?!"
Polly hopped onto her grandfather and swiftly ripped the tracking device off his chest with a loud, "Hyah!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"
It was late at night by the time the entire thing was called off. Mr. X got a bit of an earful from his boss about wasting time and resources on a wild goose chase. While he didn't much care for what his boss thought, it was annoying to have had those aliens and that girl evade their capture so easily. Currently, Jenny and Mr. X were standing outside their van, leaning against it as they mulled over how everything went down today.
"Well, Jenners, looks like that girl is cleverer than we gave her credit for. Good. It wouldn't be fun if it was that easy," said Mr. X.
Jenny nodded her head in understanding.
"It seems as if you had a bit of trouble with your operation, Mr. X."
Mr. X and Jenny turned their heads in the direction of the new voice, and that's when they saw a tall Asian man in a white suit, and a beautiful young woman with violet eyes and glasses.
"And who might you be good sir?" Mr. X asked.
"Keisuke, just Keisuke," he replied. "And this is Cassandra."
"Just Cassandra?"
"Indeed."
"Noticing a theme here," said Mr. X. "Anyway, how can I help you?"
Keisuke approached Mr. X and stood before him. "I was wondering if you'd like to enter into a mutually beneficial partnership."
Mr. X raised his eyebrow and asked, "And what, pray tell, could you offer me? Better yet, what exactly do I have that you're so interested in?"
Keisuke smirked. "Let's just say I have interest in a certain masked vigilante, and I believe that the ones you're after might have a connection. My organization can provide both intel and resources to aid in the subsequent capture of Amp, and your amphibious aliens."
Now Mr. X furrowed his brow. "Hmm, funny, I never mentioned that I was looking for aliens, or that they were 'amphibious'."
Keisuke's smirk didn't falter. "As I said, we have good intel and resources. Both of which would benefit you greatly."
Mr. X looked at Jenny, and Jenny nodded to Mr. X.
"Sorry, but that's going to be a hard pass. But since you seem to know so much," Mr. X took out a pair of handcuffs, "Why don't you come with us so we can have a nice long talk, maybe over some iced coffee, a latte?"
Keisuke chuckled as he replied, "I'll have to decline your kind offer, sir."
"Wasn't an offer, more like an order from a government law enforcement official," Mr. X warned.
Keisuke stepped closer and narrowed his eyes at Mr. X. "No, I don't think so. Believe me when I say that won't end well for anyone here, all these innocent civilians, and hardworking police and FBI agents. We wouldn't want to cause any undue or excessive stress to an already long day, do we?"
"Are you threatening me? And everyone here?" Mr. X asked with an edge to his voice.
Cassandra had her hands behind her back the whole time, and in her left hand was her Phobia Memory, with the Connector tattoo already activated and present in the palm of her right hand.
"Heh-heh, Mr. X, I'm only suggesting that you refrain from any attempts to try and question me. You'll know when I'm threatening you. But while we're on the subject, allow me to show you the difference." Keisuke took a few steps back. "You can continue to pursue your aliens, but just know that the moment you cross into our area of interest, or try to interfere with our goals, you will have to be liquidated. See, that's the difference between a threat and a suggestion. I implied that something unpleasant might happen with the first one, whereas I explicitly stated I would cause harm."
Keisuke straightened his suit and softened his expression.
"Well then, I think we had a productive meeting." Keisuke gave a slight bow to Mr. X. "Feel free to change your mind about working with us, but in the meantime, keep my words firmly lodged in your mind."
Keisuke ended his bow and both him and Cassandra walked away. Jenny looked as if she was about to do something, but Mr. X held out his arm to stop her and drew Jenny's attention to the smirking Cassandra who was glancing at them from over her right shoulder, as if waiting for either one of them to do something.
"Leave it alone, Jenny. We don't know enough about those two to do anything, and we can't risk that this could turn into a fiasco if they have the means to harm everyone here."
Jenny looked at Mr. X with an expression that silently said, "Do you really think they possess the means to make good on that threat?"
"If you asked me that question a month ago, I would've said, 'Fat chance'. But now we're dealing with monsters and superheroes, we can't take a chance like that. However, their appearance just tells me that we're on the right track."