Disclaimer: A reference towards the end is to another work of mine, Design Conundrum. You don't need to read that whole thing just to get the joke, but just letting ya know in case you ask.
"Eiji?" A voice called out.
Five more minutes….
"Eiiiiiijiiiiiiiii…." Another voice called.
Five…more minutes…
"EIJI!" A final voice called out, irritated.
…
Eiji Hino's eyes shot open, gentle female hands grabbing his shoulder tenderly.
"Eiji, Eiji, it's ok!" A familiar female voice told him.
Blinking a few times and breathing, he looked to his left and saw…
"Hina…" He rasped out, coughing.
"Easy…" She told him. "Your body's still recovering."
Eiji rubbed his throat, looking to his old friend. "What uh…what happened? Last I remember…I…"
It came back to him. The fight with the King…getting possessed by Goda…fighting alongside Ankh.
"How is everyone?" He asked.
"Everybody's doing fine." Hina answered with a smile. "After the king and Goda were beaten, rebuilding efforts have been high. It helps we're used to guys in not-spandex getting into giant robot fights that wreck buildings."
Eiji chuckled slightly, wincing as he felt pain in his throat.
"Easy…" Hina told him.
"I…thought I was dead…"
"Oh you got better."
"Thanks to me."
Eiji turned to his right, seeing Ankh leaning against the wall.
"Ankh…"
"I possessed you and took you to this hospital. You had some friends that could help, luckily, including Mr. 'there is nothing I cannot cut.'"
Eiji smiled. "Thanks…"
Ankh smirked a little.
Hina sniffled. "You had me worried, Eiji…"
Eiji took her hand in his. "I'm alright…" He told her with a smile.
"Though now that you're awake, maybe you can help explain some things." Ankh asked.
"Like what?"
"How was the king resurrected?" Ankh asked. "I asked around but everyone kept just saying 'somehow, he revived' as if that's somehow an answer."
"Ah." Eiji chuckled slightly, rubbing the back of his head. "Uh…Kougami did it."
Hina and Ankh's eyes widened.
A moment passed…
Another….
"WHAT!?" Ankh bellowed.
"CORRECT!" A familiar voice bellowed.
Suddenly, the door burst open and in walked Kougami, with Satonaka in tow, wheeling in a cake.
"...Kougami…is it true?" Hina asked.
"Indeed!" Kougami answered with enthusiasm. "I resurrected my ancestor personally."
…..
"WHY!?" Ankh yelled out. "This is like the THIRD time you've resurrected an ancient dead villain, you should know this never ends well!"
"BECAUSE!" Kougami yelled…before smiling. "I don't have any employees whose birthdays are on those days, so I resurrect people to make up for it."
….
Ankh raised his right bird hand, changing into his full Greeed form.
"Hey hey, now, Ankh!" Eiji pleaded out nervously. "Let's just calm down-"
"This man has nearly ended the world 3 times! 3 TIMES! FOR THIS!" Ankh growled out, slowly approaching Kougami, ignoring Satonaka pointing a Birth blaster at him. "Not only that, but he also resurrected the King, and the other Greeed!"
"Actually, that was the king who did that!"
"Yeah, speaking of that…" Eiji pondered.
"What?"
"...why did he do that?"
Hina opened her mouth…only to squint her eyes in thought. "...I dunno…Didn't…really seem to serve a purpose besides…throwing some soldiers around which he could've handled himself along with his own mooks. He only ever really sent out Uva that one time and then apparently he absorbed all of them immediately after."
"...yeah that was weird…" Ankh agreed.
"And pretty pointless."
Everyone nodded.
"INDEED!" Kougami bellowed. "Still, it is a great pleasure to have you back, Eiji! It is fortunate you did not die!"
"Would've been really dramatic if I did, though." Eiji chuckled.
"Would've been a waste, though…" Ankh grumbled. "After all the effort you apparently went through to resurrect me."
"When you put it like that…"
"...so what were we doing just now?" Ankh asked.
"I have brought cake!" Kougami declared. "And ice cream as well for you, Ankh!"
"..."
Satonaka offered one to Ankh.
The bird stared at it before taking it, changing back to his human form. "This changes nothing." He told Kougami, taking a bite out of it.
"By the way, Ankh…" Eiji began.
"Yeah?"
"Do you…remember anything while you were dead? Like, stopping Foundation X that one time with Fourze, Ghost, Ex-Aid, Build, and the others?"
"..." Ankh thought about it. "...maybe? Everything's kinda fuzzy…"
Eiji sighed in disappointment. "Yeah, thought so…"
"At least we're all together again!" Hina smiled. "After 10 years…"
"So, what did you come here for, Kougami, by the way?" Eiji asked.
"To invite you to a CELEBRATION!" Kougami yelled. "It has been 10 years since your final battle with Dr. MAKI! And now after all this time, Ankh has returned to us, and you are alive and well! This is cause for celebration!"
"...I'm only in if there's ice cream." Ankh said.
"There will be." Satonaka said.
"I'm in."
Eiji laughed, wincing as Hina held onto him.
"Just know, if you ever resurrect another villain again…" Ankh threatened, glaring at Kougami.
"You need not worry about that Ankh." Kougami reassured him.
Ankh glared, nodding before turning away.
"With King and Another Zi-Volt, I have officially filled out every day of the year for birthdays!"
"..."
…
Everyone turned to Kougami.
"...what?" Ankh asked.
"...THAT WAS YOU!?" Eji yelled, coughing afterwards.
"...I'm sorry, what?" Ankh asked.
"Long story, mini-crossover." Hina told him. "YOU DID THAT!?"
"INDEED!" Kougami yelled out enthusiastically.
"...Can I kill him?" Ankh asked.
END
