3.0: Figuring Things Out (Side A)
Awkward silence was shared between Yuji and Shinichi. It was actually more awkward for Yuji. Here sitting in the living room with him was supposed to be his cousin, Shinichi Sanban-Banabara. However, this was not his cousin, only someone who looked like him. This wasn't some long-lost twin or anything of the like, but an alternate version of Shinichi from an alternate world. Or so he claimed. However, there wasn't any other explanation as this Shinichi revealed he had abilities that the Shinichi they knew did not possess.
As for Moka, she became upset and ran out of the apartment. Neither Shinichi nor Yuji gave chase. Although, Shinichi wanted to but he knew his presence wasn't welcomed. He would just remind Moka that the boy she loved was gone and nowhere to be found.
Shinichi finally broke the silence and said, "This can't be easy for you."
Yuji cocked an eyebrow and shot back sarcastically, "Really? No shit, I never woulda guessed that."
Shinichi nodded, calmly, "I understand. He's your cousin and I'm just an impostor to you."
Yuji admitted, "Basically. I just don't know you, and I'd rather keep it that way."
"But I know you," said Shinichi. "Another version of you and I are friends. So why can't we be friends?"
Yuji blinked. He really couldn't argue against that. To be fair, this Shinichi hadn't done anything wrong. All this was just an incident beyond their control. "...OK, you got me there. I just don't know what to think or feel right now."
Shinichi smiled warmly as he assured Yuji, "Well, you don't need to worry about your cousin. I mean, if I'm here that means he's with people who are able to help him. Trust me."
Yuji felt reassured, "Alright, fine. I'll hold you to that then."
Shinichi's smiled widened, "Great, so, could you tell me a bit about yourself and your cousin. It's not everyday I meet alternate versions of people I know."
Yuji began, "Well, I'm the heir to the biggest mafia organization in the world. I have Shin as my second-in-command and his mom is my dad's sister."
"That's interesting. It's a little different from my life, though," Shinichi remarked with a shrug. The mafia deal was a bit surprising but he'd experienced far stranger things than to let something like that faze him. He was travelling the Multiverse with his little brother in a telephone box that was bigger on the inside. Things were likely to get weirder and weirder the more places they visited.
"Of course it would be. You said yourself. You're from an alternate reality."
"So, how did you meet him and find out he was your cousin?" Shinichi questioned.
Yuji began, "He came to my shop, the Dragon's Den, to ask for a custom bike and that was when it all started..."
Meanwhile, Moka was up on the roof crying. The city at night, with all the lights lit up, was beautiful. It was like staring down at stars on the ground. However, she couldn't enjoy the splendor as she just couldn't believe what was happening. Shinichi was gone and taking his place was another Shinichi that she knew nothing about. What if he was gone forever and she would have to live the rest of her life looking at this double?
"Get a grip and stop sobbing. It's pathetic," Moka-sama said from within the rosario.
"I can't help it," Moka retorted. "Shinichi-kun's gone."
"He's not gone. He's just not here right now," Moka-sama replied. "And didn't you listen? Our Shinichi is fine."
"How can you believe him?" Moka asked.
"Even if he's fundamentally different, he's still Shinichi," said Moka-sama. "And he would never lie to us about something like this."
"She's right, you know," Moka heard and she spun around. There was Leon standing a short distance from her. He then walked over to stand next to her as he continued, "Shinichi may keep secrets but he's honest where it counts."
"Leon, what are you doing here?" Moka asked.
"I sensed something so I decided to check it out," said Leon.
"You sensed something was wrong?" Moka questioned.
"I sensed that something that didn't belong here had just shown up," he clarified. "And this has something to do about Shinichi."
"In a way," said Moka. "Do you have time? It's a long and confusing story."
"Start at the beginning, and leave nothing out," said Leon.
"And since then I've always had his back," said Yuji as he finished the story.
"You really do remind me of my Yuji, and my little brother," said Shinichi.
"What's your brother like?" Yuji asked.
"An adventurer. He's always going to so many different places, meeting new people, fighting evil and saving worlds," said Shinichi. "I admire that about him. He knows he has power and uses it to help people."
"And the other me?" Yuji asked. Shinichi had mentioned that he knew another Yuji earlier.
"A good friend who's always been there to support me ever since we met," said Shinichi. "He's even got a family."
"Really?" Yuji asked.
"He's actually married to Misato," said Shinichi and Yuji's eyes widened.
"Misato!?" Yuji exclaimed. "She and I, I mean, he and her...?" Shinichi nodded. "So does that mean...?"
"This is dimensional travel, not time travel, but if your relationship is the same I don't have any doubts you'll be married," Shinichi replied. "He's even got a daughter. Actually, several daughters the last time I saw him."
"...Wow..." Yuji gawked. He recomposed himself, "So, now that I've told you about me, how about you tell me about yourself?"
Shinichi began, "Well, my life started when I woke up in the village of Hinamizawa during the summer of 1984..."
Leon listened, and did not interrupt until Moka finished, "And he's back at the apartment talking with Yuji."
Leon asked, "And you said he had mechanical arms and he made them big."
"That's right," Moka confirmed. "Is that important?"
"Yes, it is," said Leon. "Wait here. I need to go down there and talk to Yuji."
"So, you've fought terrorist organization, witches, crazy cyborgs, psychotic robots, madmen, gods and aliens," Yuji concluded after hearing Shinichi's story. "Actual gods and aliens?"
"I've had a very interesting life," Shinichi shrugged.
"And now you do all this while traveling in a phone booth," Yuji deadpanned. "And I thought it was crazy when you said that you used to travel around the Multiverse in a train."
"ARMOR does use trains as standard transportation," Shinichi stated. "That or dimensional rifts."
"What's ARMOR?" Yuji asked.
"Alter-Reality Monitoring and Operational Response (ARMOR) is an agency that monitors and polices the Multiverse," said Shinichi. "They are in charge of watching over and protecting the Multiverse, making sure there isn't any unlawful travel between different dimensions," said Shinichi.
"So, you belong to a group that guards the entire Multiverse?" Yuji asked in amazement.
"Somebody has to," admitted Shinichi. Frankly, ARMOR wasn't the only organization that looked after the Multiverse. There were others too. But ARMOR was the one that Shinichi was part of.
Yuji rubbed his temples. "All this is really giving me a headache."
Shinichi replied, "It's called 'culture shock,' I think."
"And you're not freaking out over this?" Yuji asked.
"I've faced war machines, killing machines, robotic android soldiers, demon lords, gods and nearly all manner of evil," Shinichi claimed. "Trust me, I'm used to it."
"I'm not sure if I believe you, but I'll take your word for it," said Yuji. This was a lot to take in for Yuji. He thought he was ready for the strange and unusual, but he was wrong. There far stranger things out there than he could possibly imagine.
"So, your Shinichi must've dealt with his Gebok, am I right?" questioned Shinichi.
"The bastard's dead now," said Yuji. "Good riddance."
"And hopefully he stays dead. My Gebok was too stubborn to stay dead. He always came back. Of course, that was before we found out he used android decoys to work in his place. It took us years to finally track the real Gebok down and make him pay for his crimes," said Shinichi.
"Did you kill him?" Yuji asked.
"I wanted to. I was so tempted. After all he did, he deserved nothing less. But when the chance came, I didn't kill him. I decided to show him mercy and let ARMOR deal with him. Now, he's enjoying a very long prison sentence," said Shinichi.
"How long?"
"It's for life. Oh, and did I mention he's just a brain in a jar now? Long story. True story."
Yuji blinked at that announcement, trying to picture Gebok as a disembodied brain in a jar. It was kinda funny when he thought about it.
"Well, at least you're not an evil alternate version of my cousin who joined up with GIN-SHOCKER willingly," said Yuji.
"Actually, for a short time I was their High Commander," said Shinichi, dropping another bomb on Yuji. "Long story. True story. Actually, it's also kind of a funny story really."
"Yeah, I can imagine," Yuji agreed.
"So, what's your Shinichi like?" Shinichi asked.
Yuji answered, "He's a good kid, works hard, and is always there for his friends." He paused a bit, "But he's..."
"Messed up," Shinichi finished.
"That just about sums it up," Yuji grimaced.
"After what he's been through, I would be surprised if he wasn't warped by his experiences," said Shinichi. "It was the same for me and since it hasn't been long since he abandoned GIN-SHOCKER, he must be filled with a lot of anger and a need for revenge. Obsessed with it, right?"
"We've been trying to make him let go of his anger," Yuji said sadly. "We even put him through counseling and therapy, but..."
"Be patient and give him time," advised Shinichi. "One day he'll find closure and learn to let go of his obsession, like I did." He sounded so certain but he was basing it on his own experience. He could not be entirely sure. But he still sounded so certain. He looked at the door, "But I think I need to talk to her."
"Moka?" Yuji asked.
"She's upset," said Shinichi, "And she needs someone to talk to."
"I doubt she'd want to talk to you right now," said Yuji but Shinichi ignored him as he stood up. "What are you going to say to her?"
"I'm just going to give her hope," said Shinichi as he headed towards the door. He opened it and went out the corridor. He walked past Leon but didn't recognize him at first. Leon, however, did, and he studied Shinichi closely.
"Yes, that's definitely him," said Leon as he watched him go. "And he's gonna go up to talk to Moka. That's just like him." He knocked on the door and Yuji answered, opening it.
"Did you forget something-Leon?" Yuji asked, not expecting the dark-haired Shinigami to drop by for a visit.
"Can I come in? I have some more information on your guest," said Leon as he let himself inside.
"You know?" Yuji asked.
"Moka told me," said Leon. "And it's been awhile since I've seen him."
"Wait, you know him?" Yuji asked incredulously.
Leon stated, "He's my idiotic older brother from another universe."
"Your brother!?" Yuji exclaimed in shock. "But I thought his dad-"
"Shotaro may have been his dad but he wasn't his biological father," said Leon. "Shiori and Shotaro couldn't have kids so they used artificial insemination. It was just the luck of the draw that the sperm sample used to impregnate her belonged to my dad."
"But how-?"
"It involves time travel and paradoxes. I'd explain it to you, but I doubt you have anymore time to waste," Leon interrupted.
Yuji asked, "But how can you be so sure?"
Leon answered, "I'm sure because I kicked his ass when I was about 8 years old. I never forgot that day. Then there's the way he carries himself. He's more confident and less likely to have a nervous breakdown. Finally, he has mystical air around him. That was how I sensed him."
"And what about our Shin?" Yuji asked.
"Did he mention traveling through time, space and alternate realities with his brother in a telephone box?" Leon asked. Yuji's eyes widened. "He did, didn't he? That means he's traveling with Alan and knowing my little brother he'll be taking care of things. Don't worry, Yuji. You can trust Alan. Dealing with situations like this is his forte."
"Is there anyway to get into contact with him?" Yuji asked.
"No, but we can try to contact ARMOR. To do that, we're going to need the Hive Queen's computer, Shinichi, and a whole lot of power because we'll be making a very long-distance call," said Leon.
Moka was still on the roof when Shinichi came up. "Hey, Akashiya-san," began Shinichi. Moka turned to face him.
"Banabara-san," she greeted back with a polite bow. Shinichi grimaced. He understood why she was treating him this way. He may have a familiar face but he was a stranger to her. He scratched the back of his head, unsure of what to do. This really was awkward because, according to Yuji, this girl was in love with this would've version of him.
Shinichi stepped forward towards the edge of the roof with the railing keeping him from falling off, "So, this is the world he protects. At least a small part of it." She was silent as she studied him. She looked like her Shinichi, but he was taller, more mature and exhibited a level of calmness her Shinichi rarely displayed. She wondered why he wasn't upset about being dragged against his will to a strange and foreign universe "Hey, how are you holding up?" Shinichi asked her.
She admitted, "I miss him."
"And?" he prompted.
"When I look at you, I can't help but think I won't ever see him again." Shinichi understood. Rena was probably feeling the same. No, she would definitely be feeling the same.
"You'll see him again," stated Shinichi.
"How can you be sure?" Moka asked him. It took Shiori ten years to be reunited with her son and Moka wasn't sure if she could bear to wait that long.
"Because I got this," said Shinichi as he reached down the collar of the shirt he was wearing. The transfer had put him in his double's cloths which meant his double was wearing his clothes. Fortunately, Shinichi was still able to keep something valuable on him during the transfer. He showed it to Moka, the white Magatama.
"It's a Magatama," she said, looking at the white bead hanging from the string.
"It's part of a set of two. The other one, the red one, is with Rena-chan," he told Moka.
"Is Rena important to you?" asked Moka.
"She is," Shinichi said. "She was the first person who found me after I abandoned GIN-SHOCKER and the reason I have the life I have now. As long as I have this, I know there's a chance I'll see her again and I know for a fact that you'll see your Shinichi again. After all, he's got my brother helping him."
"Who's your brother?" Moka asked curiously.
"Alan Smith," said Shinichi. Moka's eyes widened a bit. "What?"
"That's a funny coincidence," she said. "Earlier, before you came up here, there was another Smith who came to talk to me." Shinichi thought that was a coincidence. Smith was a fairly common surname, but not in Japan. Another Smith was here?
"Who?" he asked.
"Leon," she answered and his eyes widened in shock.
"LEON!?" he exclaimed in shock and disbelief. "He's here too!? No way!"
"Do you know him?" asked Moka.
"Well, if we're talking about the same Leon, then we're talking about my kid brother who's a Shinigami," said Shinichi. "Man, it's been ages since I've seen him. Where is he now?"
"He went downstairs to talk to Yuji," said Moka and Shinichi sighed.
"And I must've missed him," he mumbled. "Oh well. I'll probably be seeing him again."
"If he really is your brother, that I have no doubt about it," said Moka. "He's always telling us how Shinichi-kun reminded us of a brother of his. We didn't think he was being so literal. It does explain why he's so close to him."
"Yeah, even if they aren't blood-related he cares about his friends like they were his own family. Kinda like me and my own sisters," he said.
"You have sisters too?" Moka asked.
"Yeah, two of them in fact. Actually, they're both adopted but family's family, am I right?" Shinichi smiled. "Plus, they're cute. Oh, and I also got a little brother. He's three years old." He frowned, "Too bad I don't have any pictures on me."
"Well, guess Shiori-san and Shotaro-san are doing great where you're from," remarked Moka. Shinichi's frown deepened and he had a sad expression on his face. "Wait...is Shotaro...?"
"Yeah, he died trying to look for me," said Shinichi. "She remarried a few years back to someone called Tatsuyoshi Kasai. He's my stepdad and Sho-chan's biological dad."
"Was it difficult adjusting to a new stepfather?" Moka asked.
"Not really. I knew him way before he and my Kaa-chan met. A swell guy, even if he's a bit intimidating. A pretty good shot with a shotgun and he's big," said Shinichi.
"How big?" asked Moka.
"He's over six feet tall, that's how big he is," said Shinichi. "But enough about me. How about you? How did you meet your Shinichi?"
"It was the first day of school at Youkai Academy and I crashed into him on my bike..."
"Hey, do you really think these ARMOR guys can help get this guy home and get our Shin back?" Yuji asked as he and Leon were headed up to the roof. Leon didn't answer but instead gave Yuji a look. "Oh, I guess if you said they could."
"They can," said Leon. "But first I need to talk to Shinichi and ask him how this happened." They opened the door to the rooftop and saw Shinichi and Moka taking, and getting along it seemed.
"Cursed swimming trunks?" Moka questioned between giggles.
"Yeah, and we were trying to get them off him," added Shinichi. He then noticed Leon and Yuji. "Oh, hey, Leon. You've sure grown up."
"So, you do recognize me," Leon remarked, arms crossed. Shinichi rubbed the back of his head.
"Sorry, it took me awhile to recognize you. I mean, the last time I saw you, you were just a kid," said Shinichi.
"After I kicked your ass across the training room," Leon continued.
Shinichi frowned. "I don't remember you ever having a sharp tongue."
"Well, people change," Leon shrugged, "Anyway, I'm just here to ask you how you ended up switching places with this universe's Shinichi."
"I thought Yuji would've told you," said Shinichi, gesturing to Yuji.
"He mentioned a riddle and then you got zapped by lightning and ended up switching places with this universe's version of you," said Leon.
"Yeah, that's pretty much it," Shinichi nodded.
"We're going to need to call ARMOR," said Leon. "They're usually the ones to ask when people get accidentally transported to parallel worlds and alternate universes because of unpredictable dimensional rifts."
"I would if I could," said Shinichi. "But I don't have my communicator."
"Then we'll just use the Hive Queen," Leon asked. Shinichi looked back in confusion. Leon looked at Yuji, "Didn't you tell him about the Hive Queen?"
"It never came up," Yuji shrugged. "Sorry."
"The Hive Queen's our mobile base. It's a Helicarrier," explained Leon.
"Wow," said Shinichi. "We had a Hive base too."
"What do you mean 'had'?" Moka questioned.
"It got blown up, but we've built a new base since," said Shinichi. "It's long story."
"But a true story," Yuji finished.
Leon cleared his throat, "Now, let's just get Phyllis to activate a Warp Portal to take us..." He paused as a silvery curtain materialized before them. "Oh...no."
"What is that?" Moka asked.
"It's a dimensional rift," Shinichi informed Moka and Yuji, "And there's no telling what could come out of it." The silvery veil spread around them and then collapsed to deposit a group of very hostile individuals. They were reptilian humanoids clad in black military uniforms with silver gloves and boots. Their uniforms was a simple design, made up of a black jacket which was buttoned all the way down and matching pants. They wore boots and also skull-like masks over their faces. The Reptiloids had Shinichi, Moka, Yuji and Leon surrounded on the rooftop.
"Dangerous," said Leon as he identified them. "And they don't look too happy."
"Hey, Leon," Shinichi smiled at his brother. "I bet I can beat up more than you can."
"Aren't you forgetting?" asked Leon as he blurred from sight. Blood then splashed the ground as several of the Reptiloid soldiers collapsed to the ground before he flicked the blood off the blade of his Zanpakuto. "I'm a Shunpo master."
"Showoff," Shinichi grinned. "My turn. Henshin!" His Spark Core flashed as his armor materialized over his body. Finally, the helmet appeared in his hands and he placed it over his head. To finish the transformation, he snapped on the faceplate, fastening on the helmet securely. Leon, Moka and Yuji saw the armor and it was not the same armor their Shinichi had been wearing.
The bodysuit for the armor was black and he wore red gloves that reached his elbows and knee-high boots with buckled straps around his wrists and ankles. Silver kneepads were set on the knees. The torso armor was black with a green chestplate and green insect wings patterned onto the back. The armor also sported an upturned collar. The helmet itself was blue with a golden X in the centre that separated the red insect-like eyes. The top points of the X extended to become antennae and a red stone was set in the centre of the X. His faceplate sported three vertical stripes on it, also gold. The right shoulder sported an 'X' while the left sported the Roman numeral for three (III), both numerals in red. Finally, a red scarf hung from his neck.
In this form he was known as Showa III (Trinity).
He punched his fists together as several of the Reptiloids rushed him. "It's HAMMER TIME!" He turned his fists into giant hammers and began bashing heads. Yuji and Moka weren't idle either and while Moka was not as strong as her unsealed state she could still pack a punch, as could Yuji. The four started to fight, back-to-back, as the soldiers attacked. Fortunately, they were unarmed. Unfortunately, they had the four outnumbered.
However, considering what the four were, these large numbers wouldn't be a problem for them. The four then split apart and Moka was about to get dog-piled by Reptiloids but Showa III knocked them off the roof with a Great Boot. Leon was taking down the Reptiloid soldiers with precise blows via the Iaido method of swiftly and fluidly drawing the blade from its scabbard then sheathing it again. His movements were fast as he continued to redraw and re-sheathe the blade as he took down the soldiers who could not contend with his speed.
Yuji himself was having an easy time taking down the Reptiloids with flaming kicks and punches. His free-style Kempo was deadly on the soldiers and they didn't stand a chance against him. Then again, footsoldiers were weak with their only strength being in their large numbers. Many fell on the roof while others were tossed over the railing to the ground below, and it was a very high drop from the rooftop.
It was soon over and they could all breathe a sigh of relief since they had defeated their opponents together.
"OK," Yuji said as he dusted off his hands. "What the heck was that about?" Yuji asked.
"Obviously, the force that brought you here also decided to bring these people to come and take care of you," said Leon.
"You mean the same force that switched their places?" Moka asked, referring to Shinichi who had just removed his helmet. He went to inspect the bodies but then recoiled as the Reptiloids melted, dissolving into puddles along with their uniforms.
"My goodness!" gasped Moka.
"What happened?" Yuji asked.
"When we defeated them, they just dissolved," said Leon. "There's something more to that this we're not seeing. We need to get to the Hive Queen to figure all this out."
"OK, I just called Phyllis," said Yuji. "She should have a Warp Portal ready-" A Warp Portal appeared before them, swirling and glowing brightly, "Now."
"Kinda reminds me of the Teleportal system we use," remarked Shinichi. "Is it safe?"
"First timers feel their bones tingle," Moka informed him.
"So, you don't get covered in soot," Shinichi sighed in relief. "Good, that's good."
"Let's not waste time," said Leon before diving into the Warp Portal, followed by Yuji.
"After you," said Shinichi as he allowed Moka to go before him and she smiled before entering. He stood a moment at the Warp Portal then looked back at the dead soldiers lying on the rooftop floor. "I'm sorry," he apologized before he turned back to face the Warp Portal and jumped in.
Lina Shishigami was working at the Hive Queen's bridge, alone, when the Warp Portal deposited Yuji, Shinichi, Leon and Moka.
Lina greeted, "Hey, Yuji! Is this the guy?" Yuji had given her a brief summary of the situation while calling Phyllis earlier.
Yuji replied, "Yeah, Lina. It's him."
Shinichi pointed as he recognized her, "Lina, is that you? You have green hair."
Lina scowled and answered, "Michiru."
Shinichi went, "Ah, that makes sense." He continued, "So, you're the Lina of this universe. Can I ask if you ever got killed by an EMP bomb?"
That was a weird question but Lina answered anyway, "Um...no, not really."
Shinichi warned, "Avoid EMP bombs. If anything bad were to happen to you. Heck, if anything were to happen to any of you, your Shinichi would go nuts."
Lina asked, "How can you be sure?"
Shinichi added, "If he's anything like me, something that traumatic is guaranteed to push him over the edge."
Yuji commented, "I'm not even gonna ask."
"Just take care of your Shinichi. If he's anything like me he's gonna deny that he needs anyone's help but he does. He really does. He's gonna be a stubborn prick who tries to shoulder all of his burdens on his own."
Lina agreed, "Well, that sounds about right."
Yuji affirmed, "Oh yeah."
"Lina, we need to use the Hive Queen's communication systems to make a long distance call," said Leon. "It's very urgent and very long distance."
"How long distance?" Lina asked.
"Cross-dimensional," said Leon.
"That is long distance. It's about him, huh?" Lina pointed at Shinichi.
"Yeah, turns out this Shinichi is Leon's brother," said Yuji. Lina's eyes widened in surprise. She had not expected that.
"It's a long story I don't want to get into right now," said Leon.
"You don't say," said Lina as Leon took out a circular communications marked with an A. He flipped it open put it on a computer console. He then pulled a wire out from the device and plugged it into the console.
"This communicator will be able to patch us through to ARMOR," said Leon.
"So, why do you need the Hive Queen?" asked Lina.
"Because I haven't used this communicator in a while and it's low on juice so I needed power to charge it and boost the signal," said Leon. The large computer screen in the bridge was lighting up. "OK, we're getting through." The picture was a bit staticky. "Come on..." Leon urged. The picture was a bit blurry. "OK, we're getting through."
"Hey, is this thing on?" the person on the other end asked. "Hello?"
"Allow me," Shinichi offered as he put his hand on the console and glowing, circuit-like lines spread across it. The picture then became clear, showing a young man with violet eyes, silver hair and wearing glasses. Standing next to him was Rena and another Shinichi.
"Shin?" Yuji asked. Moka was looking at the two Shinichis. She was seeing double.
"Hey, Aniki. Hey, Moka-chan," Shinichi (SV) greeted.
"I wasn't calling you," Leon frowned.
"And nice to see you too," Alan retorted as he adjusted his glasses. "And we weren't trying to call you either. Apparently, we were both trying to contact ARMOR at the same time but our signals intercepted each other and got crossed."
"At the exact same time?" Leon questioned. "Unlikely." He didn't believe it.
"Well, the probability of it ever happening is pretty low but it's not impossible," said Alan. "There is a time difference issue but the TARDIS can solve wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey problems like that.."
"Leon, who's this?" Yuji asked.
"Everyone, meet my little brother, Alan Smith," said Leon. "Oh, and the girl with him is Rena."
"Shin-kun, you're safe!" Rena beamed.
"Rena-chan," Shinichi (KRS) happily smiled with relief and Moka noticed the happiness rather quickly.
"Moka-chan," said Shinichi (SV) as he smiled softly at her.
"Shinichi-kun," Moka smiled back. She thought she would never see him again.
"You guys can make googly eyes at each other later," chided Leon.
"And now that we're all here, let's figure something out! Time to put on our thinking caps!" said Alan and he put his fez on.
"Why did he just put on a fez?" Yuji asked Leon.
"Don't ask," replied Leon, shaking his head.
"Believe me, I've been telling him it's ugly but he doesn't listen," sighed Shinichi (KRS). "He says it helps him think better. Helps him concentrate."
"And it does. I've solved pretty of problems wearing this fez," said Alan proudly.
"It still looks goofy," Shinichi (KRS) said.
"And the glasses don't help either," added Shinichi (SV),
"True."
"And I say it's cool with the glasses," Alan argued. "And since I'm the man with the TARDIS, what I say goes. So don't mock the fez."
"Alan, the situation, solution, now," Leon said.
"OK, well, it's obvious that what we need to do is to find out the cause of our cross-dimensional transference. All I know is that it has something to do with an entity who has a thing for riddles."
"Yeah, that's what happened," said Shinichi (KRS). "The riddle went like this: 'What is golden, goes around and around infinitely, and affects everything?'"
Moka continued, "'We can't escape from it, we can't run from it, and we can't stop it'."
Shinichi (SV) went on, "It starts but never ends and we must always obey it'."
Rena finished, "'What is it'?"
"Yeah, I've heard it twice already and I still can't make sense of it," said Yuji.
Alan said, "The answer in riddles are often staring us in the face," said Alan. "You just need to translate the clues in the riddle to get the answer."
Suddenly, Leon's communicator started to emit smoke and sparks exploded from it. That was when the picture on the large monitor screen became blurry and covered by static. Audio soon followed before the screen went blank and large red letters appeared across it that read: CONNECTION LOST.
"Damn it, we've lost them!" shouted Yuji. "Leon, can you get in contact with them again?"
"Unfortunately, that won't be an option," said Leon as he unplugged his communicator, which was now damaged due to being overloaded.
"We lost connection as soon as we were discussing the riddle," said Shinichi (KRS). "I don't think that's a coincidence."
"So, the key to all this is answering that riddle," said Leon. "But what is the answer?"
Shinichi's (KRS) eyes narrowed. "I think that's something I need to find out."
KAMEN RIDER CHROME: Something doesn't seem right and Leon knows it. It also seems that Alan knows it too. Also, what's with the riddle? Who's the villain? What do they want? Why did they switch both Shinichis' places? And why am I asking you these questions? Anyway, we'll be going to Side B soon to see how Shinichi (SV) is dealing with the situation in KRS no Sekai.