Chapter 12: You'll Cry!

"What do you mean they know?!"

Hana's reaction to the news about Den-O's existence being known among the cul-de-sac kids was roughly what the Eds expected it to be.

Double D shrugged nervously. "Believe me; this was as much of a surprise for us as it is for you right now. We expected time restoration to erase all traces of anything imagin related."

"So did I." Hana sat down and cradled her chin in her arms. "I have no idea how this happened, but this is a serious problem."

"You're telling us!" Eddy shouted. "We're the ones that have to deal with it! No way the other kids are gonna let this drop!"

"I can't go back home, Eddy!" Ed cried. "Sarah will be waiting, and she's been cranky ever since mom grounded her for attacking the hall monitor!"

"Yes, I remember that day. I can't believe it took three teachers and the school custodian to stop her from beating the living daylights out of that unfortunate fellow." Double D said. "But Eddy raises a point. I'm afraid we'll be hounded to no end back in the cul-de-sac."

"Sucks to be you guys," Momotaros was able to tear his attention away from his videogame long enough to comment. "From what I've seen, that Kevin guy's got a real strong swinging arm. If you aren't hospitalized by tomorrow, bring back some more beef jerky. The turtle stole my last pack."

"I didn't see your name on it." Urataros mashed away at the buttons on his controller in an attempt to win whatever he and Momotaros were playing. "Oh, and try not to get your face to badly bruised Eddward, I wanted to ask out Nazz this week."

"How can you two be so apathetic to our plight?" Double D scolded. "Honestly, if you insist on using us as hosts, you could at least give a little concern for our well-being."

"And we do," Urataros said. "We need you two alive if we want to continue living ourselves, but unless both parties are equally jeopardized, there's no reason for us to care."

"Hey, try not to get too many bones broken, alright?" Momotaros said. "It's a real pain walking around in a defective body."

Hana went over to the game system's cord and yanked it out of the plug socket. The TV immediately went to a screen of Technicolor bars.

Momotaros angrily threw his controller down. "… You know what?" He turned to Hana with a scowl. "You're a total bit-."

An extra controller smashed into his nose before he could finish the sentence.

Urataros tossed his controller aside and slumped onto one arm. "I was just a few points away from raising my rank too. Some human women are so annoyingly sporadic sometimes." The same controller that hit Momotaros collided with the side of Urataros's head.

Eddy laughed at the sight of both imagin rolling around in pain. "Looks good on ya, guys. But seriously, where the heck is the geezer? He'd probably know how to squirm outta this."

Naomi shrugged as she busied herself behind the counter. "Unless we're trying to keep a schedule, the Conductor comes and goes as he pleases."

"Sounds a lot like my dad." Ed said.

Eddy threw his hands up. "Great, so we're flying solo. What does the geezer even do around here?!"

"That will be revealed in good time, young man."

Eddy jumped in surprise and landed flat on one of the tables. "How the heck did you get behind me, old man?!"

The Conductor moved on as if he didn't hear Eddy's question. "So it seems that you boys are having a bit of trouble. How can I help you?"

Double D spoke on their behalf. "You see Conductor sir, we've found ourselves in quite the predicament. Our friends and neighbors have retained awareness of our recent appearances as Den-O."

"Do they specifically know that you and your loud friend here are the Masked Rider?"

"Um, no sir."

"Then I see no reason for worry. Good day." The Conductor bowed to the group and turned to leave.

"But sir," Double D called out to the Conductor, "our neighbors have drawn a connection between Den-O and us! What are we to do?"

The Conductor spoke without stopping. "I'm sure that an imagin's appearance will be just the thing to take all of this attention off of you lads."

"So now we have to wait for another imagin to show up? There's no telling when that'll happen!" Eddy exclaimed.

The Conductor glanced over his shoulder with a twinkle in his eye. "It may happen sooner than you think. Good luck in your duties, and remember to always have a ticket if you wish to board the DenLiner." With that, he walked into the next car.

"Sir, wait a moment!" Double d chased after him. "There are still so many questions I have to ask you!" Double D threw the door to the next car open, only to find it completely vacant.

"After the first few times you get used to it," Hana said. "What really concerns me is what the Conductor said about the imagin. I've learned that you should always pay attention to what he says."

Eddy climbed off of the table and into a seat. "No big deal. We'll be ready to kick its butt back to the sandbox when it finally pops up."

"That's my kind of language!" Momotaros hopped to his feet, completely forgetting about his now swollen nose. "What're you guys still doing here?! Get out there and find me a good fight!"

"I call dibs on the next imagin," Urataros stated quickly.

"Oh heck no, I'm gonna waste the next one!"

While the two Taros argued amongst themselves, the Eds and Hana decided to leave for the Milk Dipper. The other kids would most likely be there, but it was at least something to do.

Naomi watched the kids leave out the door and then turned her attention back to the two imagin. Churning what the Conductor said over and over again in her mind, she couldn't help but think that…

"No, it can't be," she dismissed. "What are the chances?"

--..--

Like last time, the group was dropped off in the alleyway near the coffee shop. The Eds found it odd that no one questioned how they got there without being seen, but really, that just worked in to their advantage.

The Milk Dipper was packed with middle and high schoolers alike, as usual, and Tiffany was manning her usual spot behind the counter. The group made their way into the building, being given no mind by the other customers absorbed in their own matters. It looked as if the kids from the cul-de sac weren't there either, so they counted themselves lucky.

The atmosphere of the Milk Dipper was always warm with genuine hospitality. It was the kind of place where you could unwind and forget about school, work, and other responsibilities, if even just for a few hours. Nothing seemed to be more enjoyable in town than hanging out with your friends over coffee and pastry, though recently the Milk Dipper's menu has started to turn more fast food oriented.

In terms of entertainment, how could you not find it here? You could find out the latest news about whatever school you went to, or you could catch up on the freshest word of mouth around town. So many cliques mingled at the Milk Dipper, you were bound to stumble on to something interesting. If you were really lucky, you'd drop in on a couple breaking up in a way you'd only expect to see on TV. The last one the Eds bore witness to ended with the guy being left with a black eye and a hot cup of coffee poured into his lap, courtesy of his ex-girlfriend.

You can never tell who the crazy ones are until you cheat on her with her best friend. At least, that's what Eddy claimed his brother always said.

The group found four empty seats right at the countertop near the telescope. They plopped down into place and enjoyed the ambiance the Milk Dipper had to offer.

"Hey guys, how have things been going for you?" Tiffany asked with a friendly smile. It was a mystery how she threw herself into her work and still had energy to devote to her studies.

"Great, we've been good." Ed responded cheerily. He absentmindedly twirled around on his stool. "Where's Edwin?"

"He couldn't make it today. When I tried to ask why, he said something about being… lopsided? I'm not entirely sure."

--..--

As soon as school had been dismissed, Edwin rushed home and locked himself in the bathroom, not wanting to be seen with the surprise he discovered around his wrist. Even now he was scrubbing furiously at the mysterious green band, but it refused to leave his person. Whoever had put it on him took great precautions to make sure it wouldn't come off easily.

"Is this thing super glued on my arm or what?!" Edwin shouted to no one in particular. "I can't take this anymore! Wearing only one of something like this is so… uneven! What kind of sicko would do this to me?!"

Edwin lathered the band up in one more layer of soap before rinsing it under the running faucet. In the glimmer of the water, the engraving of a heart holding the initials 'B + E' stared back up at him.

"That's odd, how did I miss that?"

--..--

"I'm sure Edwin's fine," Eddy dismissed. "So, anything worthwhile happening around here?"

"Let me see…" Tiffany tapped her chin in thought. "There's been some talk about the tryouts for the wrestling team over at Peach Creek Middle School. There was a lot of commotion over it this afternoon. I heard that one specific hopeful showed a lot of potential and talent."

"Well good for them," Double D said. "Do you have a name for this person?"

"No, I can't say that I do," Tiffany shook her head. "The first name escapes me, and the last name is too odd for me to pronounce. Something like Cadwhaler, or Cauldwiller…."

"Cadwӕlläder maybe?" Double D offered.

"Yes, that's it."

"How the heck did you even say that?" Eddy questioned. "Wait a minute, that's Rolfie boy's last name. Rolf is going out for the wrestling team?"

"I couldn't imagine a more fitting sport for him," Double D stated. "We should congratulate him when we return to the cul-de-sac."

"His performance was all the buzz a few hours ago." Tiffany said. "I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up taking Peach Creek to the nationals."

"Keep dreaming."

The group turned to the shop patron who said that. Seated to their right was a boy who looked around the same age as the Eds.

"This year the trophy's coming home with Lemon Brook, just like it did last year."

Now Eddy wasn't one in particular for school spirit, but he wasn't one to back down from an argument either. "What makes ya think that? The guy who led Lemon Brook to nationals ain't here this year smart guy, and I doubt you'll be able to find anyone that can stand up to our Rolf."

"Oh yeah? What about Michael Kikuchi?"

"Michael Who?"

The kid snorted. "Michael Kikuchi, genius. He's Thomas Kikuchi's younger brother, the guy that won our wrestling team the nationals last year. Word is he's gonna be the next big thing this year."

Double D snapped his fingers. "I knew I'd heard that name somewhere before. If I'm not mistaken, Michael Kikuchi is also an accomplished martial artist. His name ended up in the local papers when he won the first place trophy in sparring at a karate meet."

"So what? Karate ain't wrestling." Eddy said. "Rolf's gonna wipe the floor with him."

The kid rolled his eyes and pushed away from the counter, got up from his seat, and headed for the door.

"Bye, come again!" Ed called yelled after them. "That sure was a nice guy."

"I don't think that was his intention Ed," Double D said. "I must agree with Eddy though. I couldn't imagine anyone being able to face Rolf on equal footing."

"Mono-brow here could do it." Eddy jerked his thumb towards Ed. "Right lumpy?"

"You betcha Eddy! Fly like a bee, sting like mom's casserole surprise!"

"Hey, I got an idea," Hana said. "Could we go back to the cul-de-sac? I never really got a chance to see it last time."

Double D stood up and straightened his hat. "Why, that seems like a great idea. Shall we, gentleman?"

"No way!" Eddy stated resolutely. "Did ya forget that all the kids are still out to get us, sock-head?"

"Its six forty-three, I'm sure everyone is in doors by now." Double D said. "Well, except for maybe Nazz. You know how she started inviting the cheerleaders over since the sporting seasons started. Maybe it would be best for us to sta-."

"Cheerleaders? Why didn't ya say so earlier?!" Eddy jumped up and grabbed Ed by his jacket collar. "Come on boys, let's get back home!"

Double D speedily got to his feet to chase after his retreating friends. "Eddy, wait! You know I don't like extensive physical activity!"

Hana watched the Eds go, chuckling at their display. That was one thing she would have to admit, things just weren't as fun until she met the Eds.

Seeing that they were pretty far ahead, she decided it was time to give chase.

--..--

When the Eds finally reached the cul-de-sac, the sun had long since set. Everything was painted in an orange glow, and everyone had retired to their homes. Not even the cheerleaders were outside practicing their routines. Obviously Eddy wouldn't let his disappointment go unheard of.

"Darn it, we missed them!" Eddy stomped his foot angrily. "Of all the rotten luck in the world…"

"Like my lucky cheese chunk." Ed said. "I don't see anyone, Eddy."

"No duh, burr-head. Geez, now it's even too late to go back to the Milk Dipper. What a wasted afternoon!"

Double D was bent over and holding on to his knees, trying to catch his breath. "Well maybe tomorrow, Eddy. For now, I think we should call it a day. Sorry Hana, the tour will have to be postponed for now."

"That's alright, but either you or Eddy will have to get me back to the DenLiner."

"Not a problem." Eddy signaled for her to follow him. "You can wait back at my house until seven o' seven. My mom and dad won't care."

"Well, I guess we shall call it a day," Double D said. "Fare thee well, everyone."

Eddy, Hana, and Double D set off to their respected destinations, but Ed stayed put in the middle of the street, too focused on staring down the lane to notice everyone's departure.

Double D took note before going too far, and inquired of his friend's spacey behavior. "Ed, it's time for all of us to go home."

'Sorry, just looking down the street," Ed pointed. "Rolf must really hate that lightpost."

Double D squinted his eyes and looked in the direction that Ed indicated. Just as Ed stated, Rolf was striking the lightpost down the street. From the way it shook, he was hitting it rather hard.

"That really is Rolf. Why in heaven's name is he doing that?"

Eddy and Hana had already made their way over to the other two, and had immediately picked up on what they were staring at. Though Hana took interest in the foreign boy's strange behavior, Eddy was ready to dismiss it.

"It's probably just another one of his whacko traditions." Eddy said. "It's not like he's gonna break the thing or somethin'."

No sooner did he say that did Rolf snap the lightpost with one powerful strike.

"Holy crud, did you see that?!"

"Cool, Rolf is a metalbender!" Ed exclaimed. He ran off into Rolf's direction, the rest of his friends following closely. "Do that again, Rolf!"

The closer the Eds got, the more things about Rolf seemed out of place. For starters, his stance was far more rigid than it usually was. His face was frozen in an uncharacteristic scowl and his hair… had changed drastically. The front and sides were shaped into a ragged pudding basin and the back was pulled into a long ponytail.

Along with a side lock of hair streaked yellow, his eyes had somehow gone from brown to amber gold. They glinted eerily in the streetlight.

"Nice look Rolf," Ed complimented. "You remind me of Eddy and Double D when they're…"

"Possessed?" Hana finished apprehensively. "Oh no…"

"Now let's not jump to conclusions," Double D said without much conviction. "Maybe Rolf just decided for a bit of a change."

"That you, stretch?" Eddy asked.

The person they were increasingly doubting to be Rolf snorted and turned back to the now broken lightpost. "I'm training right now, go away," he said in a gruff voice.

"It's an imagin!" Ed shouted at the top of his lungs. "Eddy, do something!"

The being possessing Rolf put the lightpost back in place and quirked an eyebrow at the tallest Ed's outburst. "How do you know about the imagin?"

Before anyone could say anything else, a burst of red static overtook Eddy from the inside out. Hair spiked up, locks turned crimson, and eyes became a fiery cardinal red. Momotaros had taken control.

"Looks like today's my lucky day." Momotaros said. He pushed past the others to stand directly in front of the other possessed boy. "Here I thought I'd have to wait a freaking long time to run into ya, but here you are."

The being tilted his head in puzzlement.

"I... appear!"

"We should probably get away from here," Hana suggested. Ed and Double D agreed and fell back to the middle of the cul-de-sac. Double D decided to stand a bit closer than the others, just in case he was called upon to assist.

"Anyway, you seem pretty damn strong." Momotaros puffed out his chest to look bigger. "Since we bumped into each other, let's fight!"

The being looked Momotaros up and down before turning his back to him. It proceeded to walk back towards Rolf's house without any apparent haste.

"Hey! I said let's fight!" Momotaros ran up behind and swung his fist out at the being's back, only to have it caught in mid-strike.

The being applied pressure to Eddy's possessed fist, making Momotaros cringe. "You'll need more than a strong front to beat me," he stated calmly.

"What was that?!"

"There's a ranking to strength, and mine's on an entirely different level from your's." The being swung Momotaros around and hefted him into the next yard over, where he ended up landing in an ivy patch.

"Ya cocky jerk!" Momotaros shouted while attempting to untangle himself from the plants. "This ain't over!"

The being snorted with a derisive smirk. "My real strength would make you cry, little man." He turned his sights to the rest of the group and started to make his way towards them.

While Hana and Ed moved away, Double D whipped out his Rider Pass and stood his ground. "I'm warning you, don't come any closer," he threatened. Though he tried to exude confidence, the fact of the matter was that he was shaking in his shoes. His façade crumbled completely when the being ignored him and pushed forward.

Before Double D knew it, the being closed the distance between them and seized the hand he was holding the Rider Pass in. Ed prepared to come to his defense, but stopped when he saw that the being was only shaking Double D's hand with exuberant force.

"You must be this world's Masked Rider."

"Y-yes I a-am. N-nice t-to m-make y-y-our acq-quaint-t-ance." Double D stammered out. It was beyond him if it was a result of his fear or the violent tousling this entity considered a friendly handshake.

"I look forward to testing your strength, but until then…" The being pulled out a packet of tissues and firmly placed it in Double D's grasp. "Hold on to these. You'll need them to wipe your tears tomorrow." Finished, the being turned away and walked off.

Momotaros finally managed to free himself and ran back to the group, but held off in pursuing the possessed foreign boy. "Get back here you asshole!" He shouted.

The being gave a haphazard salute before disappearing into Rolf's house.

The group stood in utter silence, processing what had just taken place. Another imagin had appeared, and for the third time in a row, a cul-de-sac kid was a host. To make matters worse, this new imagin was undeniably stronger than the first two, which meant that a more difficult and evidently inevitable battle lay ahead.

"…Is this bad?" Ed asked.

"Yes Ed," Double D said anxiously. "This is very bad." He rubbed away at his quickly swelling hand, making a note to put it on ice as soon as he got home.

"But at least we know who the imagin's host is, which means we can stop it before it completes its contract," Hana said. "We can handle this case before anyone actually gets hurt."

"Hey, I got hurt!" Momotaros stated. Eddy's lip was bruised and he nursed a rising bump on the side of his head. "What about me?!"

"What about you?"

"This ain't over, not by a long shot," Momotaros seethe. "When I find that guy again, there ain't gonna be enough left of 'em to fill a litterbox!"

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