A/N: To clear up any possible confusion for this chapter:
"Ore sanjou!"= human speech
"Ore sanjou!"= imagin speech
*Ore sanjou!*= human telepathic speech
*Ore sanjou!*= imagin telepathic speech
"Ore sanjou!"= possessed human speech
"Ore sanjou!"= Terminal Belt speech
{Ore sanjou!}= speech over a media device (ie phone, television, intercom, etc.)
Chapter 16: Birds of a Feather
"One potato, two potato, three potato, four!"
Eddy reprimanded his taller friend with a rap on the noggin.
"Those ain't potatoes, lumpy! Now hold still, will ya? I don't wanna make a mess like the last time we did this!"
"Omelets for all! Haven't lived until we've had one, right Eddy?"
"You got that right, Ed," confirmed Eddy smugly.
While Hana served as a spectator to Eddy's and Ed's balancing act in front of the open refrigerator, Double D waited patiently for them in the living room. It was a Friday and exactly one week had passed since the defeat of the Rhino Imagin.
November would reach its end by the coming Tuesday, but before that, the school's Autumn Dance would take place tomorrow. Needless to say, Eddy had already cultivated big plans for the event.
But for now, the Eds were spending the day at Eddy's house. Hana jumped at the chance to tag along when invited, wanting to stretch her legs and shake off the restlessness that came from being cooped inside the DenLiner. Now more than ever since the once quiet train had become the abode of three teenage imagins with clashing attitudes.
Momotaros and Urataros were constantly fighting over the most insignificant things, and all Kintaros would do is sleep all day and shake the boxcar with his thunderous snoring.
Then things got worse when the Conductor stopped by and advised them to be more constructive with their time. His suggestion was for them to take up playing instruments, which he happily provided.
Now the trio was playing distasteful butt rock nonstop. They were in the process of making their own song, something called 'Duo Acting' or other. Chances were that it wouldn't be very good.
Eddy grabbed a hold of the top shelf to stabilize himself against Ed's wobbling. "Geez, stand still, already, Ed! You're gonna make me drop them!"
"But the black tiles are lava, Eddy," Ed stated fearfully as he maintained balance on one foot.
Double D peeked from around the couch's headrest to shush the two.
"Please try to keep your voices down. A most fascinating report is coming in from Amity Park!" He turned up the volume on the television to make his point.
The excited voice of a curly redheaded woman in a green business dress filled both the kitchen and the living room.
{This is Tiffany Snow, coming to you with a breaking news story! As we speak, one of our correspondents is live in Amity Park on the scene of a confrontation between a ghost and the second most controversial duo, Danny Phantom and the Kiva. We are in the process of making contact with on the scene reporter, Bill Yavski.}
Ed completely forgot about the task at hand and went running to join Double D on the couch, haphazardly brining Eddy along to struggle with an open carton of eggs.
"Cool! I have all of Danny Phantom's toys!"
"Danny who?" Hana asked as she followed. "Is he some kind of celebrity?"
"Somethin' like that," Eddy managed to say before violently reeling his center of balance forward to keep the eggs from escaping his grasp. "Believe it or not, he's a ghost that's supposed to go around clobbering other spooks that cause trouble."
Hana stopped to shift weight on one leg and give him a skeptical look. "…Ghosts and a crime fighting ghost? You've got to be kidding me. Are you talking about a cartoon or something?"
"No no, it's very much real," added Double D from the couch. "The town of Amity Park is known for being one of the world's primary locations for the most claims of supernatural activity to date. Of course, all such claims were dismissed as tabloid level farce until a year ago, mind you."
"Then all the reports started coming in like crazy on a daily basis." Eddy nimbly propelled himself from Ed's shoulders and onto solid ground before his more free-spirited friend lunged onto the couch from over the headrest.
He checked the carton from all angles to make sure none of the eggs were cracked.
"More and more people started saying the same thing, and then the government finally decided to take things seriously and check stuff out."
"And then everyone found out all the reports were true!" Ed exclaimed as he threw his hands in the air. "Ghosts really do exist!"
Double D scooted aside to give Hana a place to sit between him and Ed. "The official scientific term for them is ectoplasmic manifestations of post-human consciousness, first coined by paranormal specialists, Doctors Jack and Madison Fenton."
Hana leaned over the couch and gave all three boys a still disbelieving look. "This all sounds nicely detailed, and I'm sure the TV show you got from is pretty good, but-"
"Hey, for once we're telling things straight as they are," Eddy protested. "Double D, fill her in about the Guys in White."
Never missing an opportunity to spread knowledge, Double D happily obliged.
"Unfortunately, the majority of ghosts turn out to be hostile. Poltergeist assaults are a frequent occurrence in Amity Park. The government was forced to create the Guys in White, a federal organization that exists for the sole purpose of dealing with the paranormal."
Double D's pragmatism was a force to be reckoned with. The urge to sate her curiosity brought Hana to take a seat with the boys and glue her eyes on the TV set.
"And there's actual proof of all this? Like photos and genuine footage?"
Eddy set the egg carton on the kitchen counter and ran back to hop onto the left arm of the couch. "You bet. Heck, all of Amity Park up and poofed in thin air because of a massive ghost invasion this one time! Rumor is that this Phantom guy saved the town and brought it back. He's been a hero/criminal ever since. Depends on who you talk to."
"Wait, what is the Kiva? Is he a ghost too? And if this Danny Phantom and Kiva are the second most controversial duo, who's the first?"
"Oh, that would be the Agito and the Gills. They go around fighting these freakish monsters called Lords. They were first spotted in Middleton, Colorado."
Before Hana could question further, Ed interjected.
"Look, it's coming on!"
The scene on TV shifted from Tiffany Snow in the newsroom to a brown-haired man with a microphone in front of a school. Judging from the crowd of teenagers standing about, the developing story was taking place at a high school.
{This is Bill Yavski, reporting to you live from Casper High School in Amity Park,} the brown-haired man spoke into the mic. He made sure to show off the news station's logo imprinted on its front. {As you can see, the students have been evacuated and now wait in anticipation for their local antihero and his mysterious sidekick to do battle with the rampaging ghost inside.}
"Sidekick? Ha! Everyone knows the Kiva is the real heavy hitter of the team!" Eddy boisterously claimed.
"I don't think so, Eddy," said Double D. "Eye witness reports have clearly marked Danny Phantom as the more assertive of the two."
"Yeah, well, the Kiva still has a cooler suit. I'd love to get his shoulder guards for the Sword Form, and all those chains are just so… badass!"
It sounded as if the din of conflict was originating from some far back section of the educational institution. Murmuring grew with every crash and bang that was audible to the curious public.
Bill Yavski and several other reporters decided now seemed as good a time as any to interview the student body.
{You, miss! Yes, you with the depressing makeup!} Bill Yavski signaled the camera man to pan onto the girl in question. {What's your name and opinion on the matter?}
{Depressing? Geez, people don't know how to appreciate nonconformity,} groused the girl. Her amethyst eyes glared at Yavski from under heavy mascara. Her lavender lipstick, black top, dark plaid skirt, and slim boots screamed out gothic.
{Er, sorry miss,} said Bill Yavski sheepishly. {Your name and opinion, please?}
The girl swept back a ponytail slanting out of the top of her short, dark hair and frowned.
{My name is Sam Manson, and how the heck do you think I feel? My school's under attack! People are still trapped inside! And you media vultures decided now is the best time to swoop in and raise your ratings?! You people make me sick! You have absolutely no compass-}
{Yes, very good, outstanding opinion,} Bill Yavski hastily interrupted. {Do you think that Danny Phantom and the Kiva are somehow to blame for the crisis at hand?}
{Of course not! Danny Phantom and Kiva are fighting together to protect this town, and always have been! They have nothing to do with this attack or any other!} Sam Manson snatched the microphone out of a surprised Bill Yavski's hand and spoke sincerely into the camera.
{Both of them have personally saved my life more times than I can count. They are not evil. Despite what Mayor Masters says, they're here to help us!}
"Uh oh, can you say, 'psycho'?" Eddy scoffed. "Man, this chick is really high maintenance."
"But you must admit, she does have a valid point," said Double D. "The discriminate belief that Danny Phantom and the Kiva are threats is purely ignorant. They've proven that time and time again. Why, I for believe the pair to be true heroes."
"But nowhere near our level," Eddy gloated. "After all, we're protecting the world. If we had to, I bet we could take 'em, hands down."
Ed pulled a black flag with a white 'D' on it from out of his pocket and waved it about with gusto.
"Danny Phantom is our man! Throw the ghoul in a garbage can!"
Sam Manson was suddenly pushed out of the way by another girl, one in a small, pink belly shirt and blue, skinny capri jeans. Her skin was tanned and near flawless (aside for a small mole), and she wore a light coating of purple eye shadow.
She flipped her wavy, black hair aside and smiled prettily into the camera with twinkling, azure eyes.
Bill Yavski snatched back his microphone and held it out to the new girl. {Excuse me, clearly more popular miss. What's your name?}
The new girl daintily took the microphone and spoke with a Hispanic tinge. {Hi, I'm Paulina Flores, captain of Casper High's cheerleading squad!}
"Now she's an eye catcher!" Eddy stated. "Hey Double D, wouldn't it be great if Nazz looked like that by the time we're in high school?"
Double D hid a rising blush by pulling the sides of his hat over his face. "Eddy, there's no reason to be so lecherous!"
"Hmph, she's probably a complete airhead," Hana snorted. "That other girl had more personality."
{Like the gothic loser said, Danny Phantom is a hero. The Kiva's okay too I guess, but I like Danny Phantom the best. He's saved my life way more times than that other Nancy Nobody.} Paulina Flores snobbishly affirmed. She winked flirtatiously at the camera and blew a kiss. {Remember me, ghost boy? Call me, I'm single!}
A hostile growl could be heard off camera.
Without warning, part of the roof of the building to the far right of the school's main entrance burst open into a hole. Most of the crowd backed further away from the grounds in surprise, but a few others crowded closer. Small bits of harmless debris filled the air, but nothing else happened after that.
Built up anticipation slowly began to ebb away.
"Well that was certainly anti-climactic," Double D commented. "Though it is fortunate that things didn't suddenly take a turn for the worse."
Ed slumped over in disappointment with his lower lip sticking out. "Aw, I wanted to see Danny Phantom, guys."
"The fight hasn't ended yet, Ed. I'm sure that he'll make a spectacular entrance any mo-"
The crowd dispersed into a screaming mob as a luminescent centipede of monstrous size scurried its way out of the top of the building to flail about its upper body. It gnashed its large mandibles in every direction as it surveyed its new surroundings, finding the most interest in the potential prey scurrying about below.
Just as the creature started slithering the rest of its body out of to chase after the running crowd, a pale boy in a black and white hazmat suit abruptly sprung from the very same hole the centipede itself occupied.
He caught the insect underneath its flat head with a soaring uppercut. The force of the punch sent the centipede flopping backwards over itself, banging its head into a ventilation chute.
The ghostly boy took to the air and put a safe distance between himself and his opponent before turning back to face it with a battle ready glare. As he hovered in place, a gust of wind swayed his luminous, white hair in an almost comic bookish fashion. It seemed strangely appropriate.
A stylized, white 'D' with a smaller 'P' inside it stood boldly out on his chest.
"It's Danny Phantom! Look, it's Danny Phantom!" Ed gleefully pointed out.
"Oh my gosh, it's a ghost! It's two ghosts!" Hana cried out. "I can't believe I'm actually seeing real, live ghosts!"
The combined volume of Hana's and Ed's voices forced Eddy to stick his fingers in his ears. "It's not that big a deal, for crying out loud! We've offed three interdimensional freaks of nature in a row, and now you guys are getting all hyped up over a dead kid and an overgrown bug? Come on!"
"Now that we know where Danny Phantom is, where is the Kiva?" Double D wondered. "It's rare to see one without the other. Perhaps he is occupied with another matter?"
Journalists and reporters from across the street began capturing the ensuing fight on footage and photos. Students stood at an even further distance to enthusiastically cheer on the ghost boy.
As dangerous as the situation looked, one couldn't help but feel that the townspeople were more than a bit complacent with it.
After a searing barrage of Ghost Rays and timely maneuvered melee hits, the ghost centipede was on the ropes. Its attempts at fighting back had become jaded and desperate as the creature neared the point of collapse. One more blow, and the victory would be Danny Phantom's.
As the ghost boy dove in to deliver a final punch, a blurred figure violently burst through the roof, creating yet another hole. It leapt up to intercept Danny Phantom's strike and then dragged the boy with it to the ground below.
The two slammed into the grass, the figure on top with Danny Phantom being pinned down by his throat.
{Folks, an unseen turn of events of taken place! The fight that had formerly been in the ghost boy's advantage has suddenly turned against him! We're not sure who or what this newcomer is, but we'll try to get a closer look. Stay with us.}
Bill Yavski and several other reporters cautiously approached the scuffle, signaling their cameramen to follow and film at the same time. Slowly, the newest arrival to the conflict came into focus on the television.
What the Eds and Hana eventually saw made their jaws drop.
Danny Phantom was being restrained in a chokehold by an inhuman creature with a disquieting human shape.
Sunlight glimmered eerily from off vibrant, stained glass scales. A rattling growl escaped the odd merging of a mouth and mandibles, and jagged claws sunk eagerly into the ghost boy's flesh. An array of twitching feelers lined arms and legs, and segmented antennae oscillated from out of a forehead
This hideous abomination released a screech that sounded painfully like nails being scraped across a glass pane.
The centipede on the roof screeched back in response.
"It's some kind of mutated imagin! We need to hightail it to the DenLiner now, boys!" Eddy leapt off of the couch, his hands automatically fumbling into his pockets for the Rider Pass.
"Eddy, calm down! That thing is not an imagin," Double D tried to reassure the smaller Ed. "It's a-"
{Oh my goodness! Folks, I can assure you, what you're seeing is in fact happening!} Bill Yavski shouted over a rising scream from the crowd. {Danny Phantom is in fact fighting both a ghost and a Fangire! I repeat, Danny Phantom is fighting a ghost and a Fangire at the same time!}
Still not having a clue as to what was going on, Eddy was still poised for action. Confusion was writing all over his face. "What the heck, a Fanga-what? Is that some kind of ghost or something?"
"Maybe it's a mutant from the subterranean empire deep within the depths of Ohio, Ed tried to guess. "I bet it's the first wave of an invasion force that wants to horde our vegetable oil for their evil underground soap generator!"
Double D massaged his temples in aggravation.
"Am I the only one that watches the news regularly?" He stated incredulously. "Fangaia, which is the plural form of Fangire, are a recently discovered race of aberrant beings with a complex, but proven link to humanity. They sustain themselves upon the still enigmatic and metaphysical essence responsible for vitality found in all multicellular fauna."
Hana, Ed, and Eddy stared blankly at Double D as if he'd just read off a phonebook in Japanese.
The intelligent boy sighed helplessly and shrugged his shoulders in defeat. "…They eat souls."
A chorus of horrified disbelief escaped the others.
Back on the television, the Centipede Fangire had picked Danny Phantom up from the ground to dangle him in the air by his throat. Both of its hands were wrapped tightly around the boy's neck with the intent to either strangle the afterlife out of him, or snap his head off like a twig.
The ghost centipede had long since recovered and was slowly slinking its way down the building. Its sights were once again set upon all of those who had chosen not to flee when they had the chance.
Even now, the stragglers waited in vain hope for their hero to suddenly break free and protect them. Doubts of that happening rose with every inch the centipede reached towards the ground.
And then a timely miracle happened.
The school's entrance doors burst outwards with the arrival of another blurred being onto the fight scene. Moving too swiftly for the camera to focus in on, the newest newcomer slammed into the Centipede Fangire, breaking its vice-like grip on the ghost boy.
Bill Yavksi still found the nerve to stand in front of the camera and report the fight. {Once again, this match keeps us on the edge of our seats, folks. Yet another mysterious figure has joined the fray! Is it friend or foe? We won't rest until we find—folks, questioned answered! Give us a moment to show you exactly what we here on the scene are witnessing!}
The Eds and Hana leaned forward together eagerly as the cameraman adjusted his equipment to reveal a clear image of the unknown combatant.
The depiction of the individual found Hana jostled about by the Eds' celebratory display.
{You're seeing it all live here, ladies and gentleman! The Kiva has entered the fight!}
Crouching in the middle of the school's front lawn was a being in a grotesquely morbid suit of armor.
Chains tinkled hauntingly on pauldrons crafted like furled batwings, and a metallic jerkin with a high collar protected the neck down to the upper back. Eyes were hid behind a yellow visor consisting of crescent-shaped lenses. A smooth mouthplate with fanglike breathing holes hid away the rest of the face.
The Kiva's torso down was clad in a crimson cuirass. Its limbs surrounded by a dark chainmail that clung tightly. Oval grieves protected the knees, but the wrists were locked in a pair of chainless manacles.
Most eye-catching of all was the left shin to the foot down. Not only was it mysteriously locked behind a thick sheet of plating, but secured by layer upon layer of chains.
The Kiva's only signature was a red-eyed, golden bat serving as the buckle to a strange utility belt around its waist. The bat itself, oddly formed as it was, looked to be a removable piece.
With a soft hiss, the Kiva stood to its armored feet and raised its clawed gauntlets in front of its face in the style of a traditional boxer.
Danny Phantom glided over to stand by the masked fighter's side, making it easier to compare their heights. It turned out that the Phantom trumped the Kiva by an inch and a half.
The ghost boy and vampesque figure glared at the fuming Fangire and its centipede pet, then they exchanged their own glances. A silent nod was all they needed to communicate their intent.
They charged forward together.
"This is the most awesome, I mean this is the best, I mean this is the coolest, I mean…" Ed sputtered in the uncontainable thrill of seeing what equated to the greatest tag team match of his young life. He was literally bouncing in his seat.
Eddy had moved from the arm of the couch to a spot on the floor right in front of the TV set. "Hahaha! This is better than pro wrestling! Any no-luck sap who misses this fight is gonna regret it for the rest of their stinkin' life!"
Just then, the doorbell rang.
"Eddy, this is your house. I believe you should see who's at the door," jestingly rationalized Double D. The irony of the situation was far from lost on him.
Eddy didn't budge an inch. "Eh, it's probably just some door-to-door salesman. Leave it."
The doorbell rang several more times in earnest.
"Doesn't sound like a salesman to me," Hana giggled. "Aw, go on and just answer the door Eddy. It's not like the fights going to end the few seconds your gone."
With much hesitation, Eddy slowly got up from his spot and backed away. He never turned his back the entire way to the door so as to catch as much of the extraordinary fight as possible.
Eventually, the TV disappeared around the corner. The last scene Eddy witnessed was Danny Phantom and the Kiva driving the Centipede Fangire into the dirt with a Double German Suplex.
Now he was really determined to shoo off whoever was on the front porch as fast as he could.
"Now look here," Eddy started before even opening the door all the way, "we don't want whatever the heck you're sellin' so just-"
"He's so cute when he's tryin' to be pushy."
Eddy's heart stopped for half a second at the sight of the Kanker sisters and their cousin standing at his threshold.
A plethora of mental alarms were set off all at once by their maniacal laugher. His first instinct was to slam the door and run like his life depended on it, but fear shackled him in place to stare helplessly in terror.
Eddy didn't know why the Kankers chose to darken his doorstep, but it could not have been for anything pleasant. Far from it.
Lee lowered her face just inches away from Eddy's and said with a sinister smile, "Hiya small fry. Miss me?"
Eddy's resulting scream brought Ed and Double D running to the door, only for them to fall victim to the same fright-induced stupor that initially struck their shorter compatriot.
"Aaww, our boyfriends are so happy to see us, they're speechless!" Marie cooed.
"Well what are ya waiting for? Aren't ya gonna invite us in to cook ya dinner?" May asked with a goofy grin.
Double D snapped to attention and dashed behind Ed, cowering behind his taller friend. "P-please, th-think of what yo-your doing! You'd b-be tresp-passing on p-private property if you just b-barge in!"
"Wouldn't be the first time," Lee stated nonchalantly. As an afterthought, she brushed the bangs away from her right eye. "But we ain't here for the usual fun and games, boys. We're on official neighborhood watch business."
Beth wordlessly nodded in agreeing apathy.
Eddy's senses returned, along with his sarcastic tongue. He dubiously raised an eyebrow. "You guys? Doing stuff for the neighborhood watch?" He snorted. "I ain't buyin' that for a sec."
Ed reached into his coat and pulled out a pair of twigs tied together in a lopsided cross. "Back, evil minions of Hades! The power of Ed compels you!" He waved his makeshift crucifix in an imagined exorcism prayer.
Marie rolled her eyes at his display and tiredly leaned against the doorframe. "Relax there, father," She sarcastically droned, "no need to dish out the holy water just yet. We're just going around the cul-de-sac to spread the news about the woods."
"News? What news?" Double D questioned. Sensing no immediate danger, he moved out from behind Ed and politely stood to meet the Kankers face-to-face. "It must be serious to have you three moving about to warn everyone."
"Pretty much," May chirped. "There's a wild animal running around the woods and attacking people on sight, and we're supposed to tell ya not to go near there until it's been caught by animal control."
Beth wordlessly nodded in agreeing apathy.
"No foolin'? Wow that's sounds pretty bad." Eddy finally sobered up. "When did the attacks start?"
"Right after school," said Lee. "Kids who tried to cuttin' through the woods as a shortcut got ambushed by a giant boid."
"Ya mean a giant bird?"
"Ya, that's what I said, a giant boid. It attacked everybody who ran into it."
Ed, Edd, and Eddy exchanged puzzled glances before Double D decided to speak on the behalf of their collective bewilderment.
"Were you told the species of the bird in question? It would have to be a rather impressive member of the avian family to simply attack humans unprovoked."
Marie shrugged. "The heck if we know. The only kids who've seen the stupid thing up close are in the hospital, and they aren't gonna be talkin' to anybody anytime soon, if you know what I mean."
The Eds cringed in mutual shock.
"Dear lord, is it really that serious?" Double D remarked with his hands clasped over his mouth. "What kind of inhuman monstrosity could…?"
A look of dreaded realization crossed his face unnoticed by the others.
"Wait a second, if everybody who met the 'boid' got messed up so bad, how the heck do people know what it is?" Eddy pointed out. "It doesn't make sense."
"The people who were lucky enough to get away with just stitches said they remembered feathers. Lots and lots of feathers," said May, "and Johnny said he ran into it and got away before it could tear 'em to shreds!"
Beth wordlessly nodded in agreeing apathy.
"Boy, Johnny must be really lucky," Ed whistled.
Lee handed off a sheet of paper to Eddy. "Here, it's a flyer with all the details. We're givin' these out to everybody. Now come on, girls. We got other houses to hit."
Not wasting another word, the Kankers stepped off of Eddy's front porch and left to notify the other houses on their list.
"That was weird," Eddy said as he closed the door back, "but a bird with a taste for blood? Alfred Hitchcock was right!"
"Nature is rising up to strike mankind down," Ed whimpered. "It's my fifth birthday party all over again, guys."
Double D turned to his friends with a grave expression.
"I'm afraid that nature's hand doesn't play any role in this, Ed. Gentleman, these attacks are most assuredly being orchestrated by an imagin."
Eddy and Ed took a moment to contemplate the legitimacy of that statement. It didn't take long for them to solemnly nod in affirmation.
"We must vanquish the flying evil!" Ed declared fiercely. "To the woods onwards must we go!"
"I'm with ya, lumpy," said Eddy resolutely. "We need to drop this turkey as soon as we can. Now who's up for a little late afternoon bird watching?"
--..--
Edwin groggily awoke from one of the most vivid and strangest dreams he ever had.
While he knew he must have fallen asleep in front of the TV, he couldn't think of what could possibly make him so drowsy. One minute he was coming in from school, and the next he was out like a light.
He rubbed the remnants of sleep from his eyes and found the texture of his hands wholly different. They were rough and numb, almost as if they had grown a second skin. Blinking his eyes into focus, he found his palms clad in fingerless leather gloves.
He didn't own fingerless gloves.
Edwin quickly sat up from the sofa and started pulling the apparel off. He had no idea how he got them, but he just knew they didn't belong to him. As he tried to lay his head back, he discovered yet another object that should not have been on his person.
He reached around his neck and pulled off a bulky pair of earphones, the kind one uses when they want to listen to music and workout at the same time.
Edwin didn't own these either.
"What is going on," He wondered, more than just a little freaked out. "Did Tiffany stop by and put these on me while I was sleeping? Is this part of a weird joke?"
He tried to scratch his head, only to find something covering his hair and keeping his fingers from his scalp. He pulled the foreign item off to find it was nothing more than a brown baseball cap.
Aside for the cap being a tad too big, it was yet another object he didn't own, let alone ever seen in his life.
If the random accessories weren't enough of a surprise, the biggest shock yet waited for Edwin's attention on the coffee table. His eyes eventually fell on them.
Six pairs of gecko eyes met his own from behind a cheap plastic aquarium.
"Mom, Dad? Did I have a second birthday," called out Edwin.
--..--
After enlightening Hana on current events, the group went on their way to the woods. The imagins, who were updated through the strange psychic connection they possessed with the boys, naturally agreed to throw their sixth sense tracking abilities behind the investigation.
After a bit of hiking through the woods, the group found themselves at the site universally known among kids as 'The Pit'. Their arrival to it was not taken as a positive omen.
The Pit was a place where kids could fight things out without the fear of being caught by the adults. It was a spot known for the dirtiest and most brutal of brawls. Whenever there was a tussle, there would always be an audience rambunctious to see blood.
They never left disappointed.
The group didn't see anything out of the ordinary, just a worn fighting ring and an abandoned bulldozer blade that served as a seating section.
Eddy leaned against the discarded piece of equipment. "I hate this place. It always gives me a bad vibe."
"Because of the unadulterated savagery it's become so infamous for?" Double D ventured.
"No, because Kevin and his goons keep trying to drag us out here."
Ed ran about the small circumference of the area. "This is Den-O squad! Come out with your hands up, molting menace of malevolence! You have the right to remain psycho!"
"Ed, it's the right to remain silent," Hana corrected.
"Anything you say will be held against you in a food court of LOL!"
Giving up on him, Hana turned her eyes towards the canopy of orange, yellow, and brown above. The only bird she saw was a harmless robin.
"The imagin should have revealed itself with the disturbance we're creating. I do not believe it is here," Double D concluded.
Eddy kicked up some of the leaves on the ground. "Darn, and I had a bunch of really good bird puns I wanted to throw around, too."
"Well, thank goodness we've been spared that."
Suddenly, all three of the Taros imagin screamed out an urgent warning.
*DUCK!*
Eddy and Double D automatically hit the ground while Ed grabbed Hana and leapt into the bulldozer blade for cover.
"KIEEEAAA!"
A mass of white plumage whizzed in overhead, shrieking like a deranged banshee as it flew by. The splintered chunks of gouged out tree bark rained down in its chaotic wake.
Eddy dared to lift his head. "Holy crud, what the heck was that!?!"
"I haven't the slightest clue!" Double D rolled onto his back in order to safely view the surroundings. "Whatever it was, it was within a hair's breadth of decapitating the lot of us!"
"But I need my head, Double D!" Ed peeked out from the confines of the blade. "It's where I keep my happy place!"
Hana pointed skywards at a swirl of leaves madly spiraling downwards. "It's coming back!"
Double D and Eddy joined Hana and Ed in the safety of the bulldozer blade as the feathery cloud of death descended upon them once again.
The metallic shell was impacted so hard, that it tipped over and wedged itself into the ground with a dull ring. The group was trapped underneath its hollow.
There was no escape.
"We're sitting ducks!" Eddy wailed over the ruckus of the creature's attempted entry. "It's gonna kill us if we don't do something!"
Double D instinctively pulled his hat down over his face. "What can we do?! We're too huddled together to transform!"
A hole was punctured into the bulldozer blade.
Everyone screamed.
Just then, a current of yellow static lit up the dark, cramped haven. The thick covering began to rise up.
As sunlight filtered in, the group could make out a golden-eyed Ed holding the bulldozer blade above his head with a stern glare. His hair had suddenly extended into a topknot with flecks of yellow streaks throughout.
"You'll cry!"
With Kintaros now in possession of Ed's body, the sturdy boy had the strength to wield the metal construct like a club. He swung away at the group's attacker, making solid contact with a dull thud.
The creature went soaring like a downy baseball, right smack into a tree.
Kintaros tossed the bulldozer blade aside, cracked his neck with a satisfied grunt, and then departed from Ed's body.
"Hahaha! It's a homerun!" Eddy shouted happily. "Take that, ya glorified chicken!"
The creature untangled itself from a branch, and then floated down to stand before the group.
"You three lads... you must be the Masked Riders the others speak of."
The creature's voice was that of a civilized male, making its outward appearance all the more offsetting.
The imagin was another in a series of animalistic monstrosities. It was the walking distortion of an owl's features in a macabre manner. His face was liken to a fleshless skull wearing a decaying owl's face that had been stitched sloppily together into a mask. The bottom beak was missing, showing off a revolting set of grimacing teeth.
The Owl Imagin had no shortage of feathers. A feathery hood with horn-shaped ends covered his head, and on his shoulders, he folded his wings over like a poncho. His neck was surrounded by a ruffled collar of spiny feathers to boot.
"Heh, looks like we're gettin' pretty popular, fellas." Eddy fell into a gunslinging stance with his fingers twitching at his sides. "That's right, ugly! We're the law 'round these here parts!"
"That would seem appropriate enough to say," Double D sniffed. He eyed the Owl Imagin with blatant distaste. "We've dealt with three of your comrades thus far. You would be wise not to make yourself a statistic."
Ed stood brazen with his Rider Pass held out like a badge. "You're coming downtown with us! We can do this the easy way or the hard way!"
"You're kind are a disease that needs to be wiped out," Hana spat with exceeding odium.
The Owl Imagin's feathery coattail swished below his knees as he shifted weight from one leg to another.
"Is that so?"
The group jumped back as a cloud of sand erupted from nowhere and into the Owl Imagin's curved talons. With a mind of its own, the granial particles squirmed together and solidified into a short, crooked lance.
"Three snot-nosed curs jesting as heroes and a foul young wench..." The Owl Imagin looked the group over with the air of an unimpressed teacher. "Me thinks I shall brave those odds."
"Ha! Hate to break it to ya, but I'm the only hero you'll be fighting!" Eddy challenged. He whipped out his Rider Pass and summoned the Terminal Belt. "I'll turn you into a sand castle by the end of round one!"
"If ye scrap as well as ye boast, I shant have a chance under the blue, child."
Ed, Double D, and Hana backed away as Eddy snapped the Terminal Belt around his waist.
"Henshin a go-go, baby!"
A/N: Yeah, I know I was supposed to bring a certain somebody into the story with this chapter. Sorry, fans of Den-O. ^^'
I can at least promise you that he'll definately be at the Autumn Dance. I think that's the best place to introduce him anyway.
If you're wondering why I did the whole thing with Amity Park, it's because I'm going to eventually make a crossover with Danny Phantom (either in this fic or a sequel to it). For those of you who don't have an idea who or what "the Kiva" is, just look up Kamen Rider Kiva on Google. That should at least clear up the appearance.
Well, that's it. PM me if you have any questions. Thank you, and please review.
P.S.
Kiva is Tucker... just wanted to state the obvious (there is no Wataru).