As he made his way through the tall grass surrounding their cabin, Ryan mulled over his current situation. He had decided by now that he could get used to having that weird Guyver thing stuck to him. He could even get used to hiding out in this remote valley and having to play spy-guy 24/7. But there was one thing that Ryan was sure he was never going to get used to: Agito Makashima. The guy was a jerk, plain and simple, an overbearing, condescending jerk, with a stick up his ass approximately the size of the flagpole at his old school. He could respect the guy, since Agito had at least earned that much, but he was sure he could never really like him.

"Hello, Crouger."

Speak of the devil. "Agito, how really nice to see you again." You asshole.

For some reason that Ryan didn't care too much about, Agito was currently in Guyver form. The black and orange form of Guyver III was kind of impressive—even Ryan had to admit to that. There's something off about this… Ryan thought before he shook it off. There was always something off about Agito Makashima.

"So is this some kind of Guyver initiation thing, or are you just being weird? Again," Ryan asked, not really caring how Agito reacted to his tone or his words.

Needling Agito had become something of a game for Ryan, seeing how far he could push before the guy snapped at him. Of course, it was always interesting to watch Makashima fume, too.

"Just follow me, Guyver V. I've got something to show you."

"Imagine my excitement," Ryan said, rolling his eyes.

Ryan tagged along behind Agito, secretly disappointed that Agito didn't show any sign that he had noticed Ryan insulting him. The guy was getting a bit better at ignoring the barbs Ryan was throwing his way. But that just meant that Ryan was going to have to work a bit harder at getting under his skin. Now was as good a time as any to work on that.

"So, are we going to talk, or would that just mess up your whole 'strong, silent type' image?"

It wasn't the kind of reaction that Ryan had expected—in fact it was just the opposite—but Agito Makashima was actually laughing at what Ryan had just said. Granted, it was only a low chuckle, but he hadn't thought that Agito was even capable of getting a joke, much less laughing at one. Something's weird here, was all the Ryan had time to think, before "Guyver III" turned and leapt at him

The thing impersonating Guyver III enveloped Ryan in what felt like warmed-over tapioca. The thing that had lured Guyver V out into the forest turned out to be Aptom, the one surviving member of the Lost Number Commandos.

Aptom wrapped his now-liquid body around Guyver V, covering the red-haired boy from head to toe before he could even think about calling his Guyver unit. The kid was putting up a pretty respectable fight, and he even managed to get one hand outside of Aptom's body. Aptom soon put a stop to that, though. Cutting off the kid's air supply was easy enough, and that alone took most of the fight out of him.

Aptom didn't want Guyver V dead; he just wanted to use his power against the one person in the world that he hated most: Sho Fukamachi, Guyver I. Guyver I, the murderer of his comrades Somlum and Dymu. Having Guyver V as a part of him would greatly increase his chances of winning a fight with Fukamachi. Besides, he had been looking for a quick snack.

As Aptom retreated into the deeper woods to better evade anyone who might come looking for the Fifth Guyver, he felt his recent meal give one last weakened kick inside him. The kid was down for the count now, unconscious but alive, and Aptom had to laugh at himself for being this concerned about one of his snacks. Normally he would have just enveloped his prey from behind, seeing as how he really enjoyed hearing the pained and panicked screams of his meals when they knew what was going to happen to them. But then, this kid was a Guyver, and giving him a chance to call his Bio-Booster was a good way for Aptom to get his ass handed to him. He had learned at least that much from dealing with Fukamachi.

Walking still deeper into the woods, Aptom turned his attention inward. He had never tried to eat a Guyver before, so this would be a new experience for both of them.

XxXxX

It was the rubbing that first woke Ryan up, the feeling of someone's hands rubbing his back. It was kind of like what his mom would always do when Ryan was feeling sick or hurt.

"I know kid, that's why I'm doing it."

What the hell?

"Watch your mouth, kid. You know your mom doesn't like it when you curse."

Looking around for the source of the rough, male voice he was hearing, Ryan caught sight of the worst possible person to see for someone in his condition. Of course, it wasn't as if this new apparition sitting in front of him could really be called a person—at least not anymore.

"That's harsh, kid," Elegen said. "Here I'm trying to help you, and all you do is insult me. That's some gratitude."

The purple and white Hyper Zoanoid actually looked insulted, though how he was able to interpret the expression on a face that barely had any human features anymore Ryan was sure he'd never know.

"Okay catfish-face, just how long have you been able to read my thoughts?"

"Just since Aptom tried to make a meal out of you. And don't call me catfish-face. And no, I wouldn't like being called 'caterpillar-head', either."

"Well, at least you're not the bug-man," Ryan said resignedly, rolling his eyes. "And, huh?"

"Aptom, one of the biggest mistakes that Dr. Balkus ever made, is trying to make you the first Guyver that's fully a part of him. He can already copy Guyver III, but I guess you'd know that by now. And if I were you, I'd stop calling Zektor that to his face."

"Bite me," was Ryan's only response.

He still felt weak and disoriented, and the fact that there was an Elegen-type Hyper Zoanoid actually being nice to him wasn't doing much for Ryan's equilibrium, either. Elegen sighed, continuing to rub Ryan's back.

"You know, I think I might know a way that we would be able to help each other get out of here," Elegen said. "That is, if you'd be willing to trust a Hyper Zoanoid."

Elegen's tone was almost taunting, and he probably already knew that Ryan would take the challenge just to shut him up. Well, it's not as if I really have anything to lose by listening to him. If he's telling the truth, anyway.

"Well, it's good to know you're going to help me, kid."

"Well you should already know that I'm just doing this because you said that it would help me," Ryan said.

"I said that we would be able to help each other, kid."

"Same dif, isn't it?"

"Pretty much," Elegen said, nodding his serpent-like head.

"All right then, do it," Ryan said firmly.

"Gotta warn you, kid, it might hurt."

"Do I look like I care?"

Without any more words being exchanged between them, Elegen stopped rubbing Ryan's back. Placing his hands so that his fingertips would only just be touching the marks that the Guyver had left on the kid's back, Elegen pressed down as hard as he could.

"Get ready, kid."

"Ready for wha-"

The rest of Ryan's intended question was cut off by his own screams, as Elegen sent a pulse of pure electricity racing along Ryan's nerves. It was only about 22,800 volts, a trivial amount for a being that could attain a maximum of 2,000,000, but to Ryan, who was without even the protection of his Guyver armor, it wasn't a trivial thing at all.

The massive amount of electricity, combined with the fact that Ryan had only been in the early stages of digestion by Aptom, acted as the catalyst for a startling change. Elegen's hands, crackling with energy themselves, began to sink into Ryan's back. Human and Hyper Zoanoid flesh melted and fused, as Elegen started to scream as well.

The energy that was binding them together began to wrap around Elegen's body, seething like some kind of strange tornado. The topmost of Elegen's six bioelectric tentacles curled around both of Ryan's arms, their tips coming to rest on Ryan's palms, and he instinctively closed his fists around them.