Whoo boy, Minako really had a hell of a time with her last case. Eh, maybe she'll feel better with this one, entitled "V for Vengeance". So they're dealing with the Virus Dopant this time around and... you know what? Let's just get started. (yanks a screen over)
Disclaimers: I don't own Kamen Rider W or Fuuto PI as they are productions from Toei and Studio Kai, but I do own any OCs I make.
My name is Minako Sakurada, also known as Kamen Rider Skull. They say a hard truth is one that's been dug deep enough, and that's exactly where I ended up. Saeko's death threat has me keeping my mouth shut on the Sonozaki family secret, but my intellect and courage will win out, just like it did against Yukiko Sasaki. And so far, I'm happy to keep my secret of Skull safe, but I have a feeling it won't be long...
Minako was dozing off on the couch, an open Japanese translated copy of The Maltese Falcon in her hand when a sudden sneeze woke her up as she saw Akiko holding some tissues. "You okay, Aki?"
Akiko nodded a bit. "This cold is brutal!" She stumbled to the table and grabbed a tissue, blowing her nose.
""The wind is the source of many maladies." Shotaro pointed out, advising her, "Gargle some salt water, take some medicine, and get some rest."
Akiko nodded a bit before she sneezed a couple more times.
Minako covered her face to avoid the spray. "Oi, careful! I don't wanna catch your cold!"
Akiko shook her head. "At least it'll be you who catches it. Dumbasses don't get sick." Her expression caught Phillip's interest.
Shotaro got up and went to her. "Hey, you listen here! Those who call others idiots are idiots themselves!"
Phillip smiled a bit. "Pretty compelling, though! Why don't idiots get sick? I gotta look this up!"
Minako looked at Phillip. "It's just an expression, Phillip!" But by the time she had told him, he was already in the garage, making her shake her head in defeat. "Yare yare da ze..." She opened her book and continued reading before she heard the phone ringing and watched her two friends go to the phone, Shotaro answering it coolly, as per usual for him.
"I heard you specialize in things the police won't help with, right?!" An erratic voice shouted over the line, catching Minako's attention quickly as the caller went on, "They want my life! I beg you, save me!"
She rolled over quickly as he hung up and asked, "What was that about?"
"Don't know, but we're going for a night walk, rookie." He responded, grabbing his jacket and heading out as she quickly put her book down and followed him.
Out near the docks, our two detectives pulled up to the area and looked around, getting off the HardBoilder and looking for the client as the senior detective called out, "Sorry to keep you waiting!"
"You're late!" A man ran over to them quickly and grabbed Minako by her jacket. "Please save me!"
Minako was about to push the guy off when she heard radio music and saw headlights appear from nearby, Shotaro and the man seeing it as well before the vehicle went right at them.
The two heroes quickly jumped out of the way as the car raced at the fleeing man and... somehow... went through him with a weird light show, causing the guy to freeze in place.
Minako was shocked by the display. "What the hell?! That car just phased through the guy!"
They ran over to check the man, but he dropped to the ground, as limp as a rock.
Shotaro tried shaking the man. "You alright?! Hey! HEY!"
Minako heard the revving and looked up at the car, frowning in confusion as she noticed the red and green vein designs on it before it drove off.
Shotaro checked the guy's pulse to find nothing, standing up and shaking his head. "He's gone. That was so quick, I don't know what the hell hit him."
She looked at her boss. "Well, that is not a normal car, for certain."
He chuckled slightly in agreement. "No doubt. I think we just got ourselves a really strange case."
W-B-X crime and the city
Mata dare ka ga Totsuzen doa wo tataku
Jiken no yokan "Welcome to Windy City"
Kono machi ni wa Namida wa niawanai ze
Yami ni hisomu keyword
Mitsukedasou! (Mitsukedasou!)
Hitori de wa todokanai yume
(Kensaku suru mugen no archive!
Kioku toiu umi e to dive!)
Kimi to nara kanaerareru, Half and Half!
(W-Boiled Extreme!)
W-B-X!
Futari no body and soul!
(Hoka ni nai sa only! Tsumari ainori)
Hitotsu ni
W-B-X!
Saikou no paatonaa,
Deau toki (Deau toki)
Kiseki okoru (so we can make it!)
Daburu wo sagase!
(W-B-X crime and the city)
(V for Vengeance/Infectious Car)
The next morning, the duo were getting some harsh shouting from Makura while they were recovering from their late night of investigation, the officer hollering at them, "You incompetent detectives! Why did you kill that guy?! Just confess!!"
Minako glared at Makura. "We told you already, neither of us killed that guy! If you had half a brain, you'd understand our situation!"
"Oh really?" Makura sat down. "Aoki's body doesn't even have one scratch from being hit by a car!" He got in her face.
"You're saying that we're lying about what we saw, Baka-mura?!" She leaned forward so they were pressing heads in a heated anger match.
Suddenly, Jinno stepped in to intervene and separate the two. "Hey, hey, hey! No need to yell!" He turned to the detectives and smiled. "Well, since you two are here, Shotaro, Minako, how about some katsudon?"
Shotaro looked at him excitedly. "That'd be perfect! I'll have a large one."
Minako smiled a bit. "Sure. Make it a double." She gave Shotaro a playful wink.
Jinno looked at Makura with a smile. "Well, you heard them. I'm sure they'll talk after they've eaten."
Minako made a face of confusion as she looked at Shotaro before they shrugged slightly and sat back down.
Jinno shooed Makura out of the interrogation room before he looked at them and showed them some papers. "I came with the autopsy report. It seems that Aoki, the victim, died of some virus."
Minako blinked slightly as she remembered the way the car had phased through Aoki. "That would explain the red and greenish electricity stuff."
Walking out of the precinct, they found Akiko waiting for them, Shotaro asking, "What are you doing here?"
Akiko looked at them. "Obviously I'm here to identify you two!" She sneezed into her tissues.
"No need, Aki-chan." Minako reassured her with a smile before following Shotaro out of the building.
Akiko followed them while wondering, "But the person who called last night is dead, right?"
Minako nodded a bit. "True, but it opened up the door to a whole new case." She looked at Akiko seriously. "Any normal vehicle might have decals like what I saw, but none could phase through a person and give them a virus."
Shotaro nodded in agreement. "Yeah. That's why we need to investigate this phenomenon. Also... that car was crying."
The blunette looked at him. "That, or whatever... or whoever... the car hit was the one crying and... maybe wanted revenge for some reason."
Akiko made a face. "That makes more sense than a car crying."
The lone male of the trio sighed and headed downtown as the girls quickly followed him, hoping Watcherman wasn't too distracted with his vlog.
In the garage, Phillip was still pondering the phrase: "Why don't idiots get sick? This is harder than I anticipated..."
Meanwhile, Kirihiko was meeting with a fellow Memory dealer. "Nezu-kun, I got word that the latest Memory you sold is no good." He turned to the man as he put his Driver on. "I'm sorry, but you're gonna have to answer for that."
Nezu held up a hand. "W-w-wait a minute! It was an accident, sir! Plus, the Virus Memory is doing something special!"
That piqued Kirihiko's interest. "Special?"
Nezu caught a breather and nodded. "Yeah. As a matter of fact..." He explained about the special effects.
Meanwhile, the three detectives were meeting with Watcherman as Minako was smiling and waving to the camera lens for him. "Kon'nichiwa!"
Watcherman smiled a bit and laughed brightly. "Awesome! This is gonna help my page get more access!"
"Hey," Shotaro caught the Irregulars member's attention as he went on, "forget about it for now. Do you have any info for us?"
"I certainly do, of course." Watcherman told him. "But this one is extremely dangerous."
Minako pulled out a ten thousand yen bill and smiled. "We're taking a massive risk with this case, but isn't that always our fate?" She passed it over to their ally.
Watcherman accepted the bill and nodded a bit as he told them, "Aoki was actually murdered. He was a member of a famous Fuuto street gang. The leader, Cross, is especially famous, considering that his father is big in the underground business world. It's rumored the organization runs weapons and stuff."
Within a club, the duo spoke with the leader Cross as he asked them, "Well, what would you like to ask me, detectives?"
Shotaro leaned against a table. "I'll get straight to the point. Tell me what you know about the black car that killed your member."
"Black... car?" A member asked in confusion before running over. "Cross, maybe that rainy night - "
Cross backhanded his subordinate, causing Minako to catch him and help him stand as she asked, "Oi, daijōbu ka?" She looked at the mob boss with an angry glare. "Alright, enough of the good detective route." She grabbed a knife from her pocket and slammed the blade into the table as she got into Cross's face. "Tell us what you know about the night it was raining, or this blade is going in your hand!!"
"I don't know anything." Cross told her before pulling a gun out and aiming it at her face.
Shotaro immediately got up and went to the two. "Now, now! Let's not cause trouble!" His efforts to defuse the situation were... shall we say, unnecessary and unsuccessful as Minako grabbed Cross's wrist and twisted it to make him drop the gun before she spun around and slammed the man on the table with his hand twisted behind his back as she shouted, "START TALKING OR I'LL DO WORSE!!!"
Cross struggled against her, but her twisting made him shout in pain.
"Not gonna say anything, huh? Then you're a useless bastard!" She kneed him right in the groin and made him drop to the ground before she roundhouse kicked the thug, knocking him out with Akiko yelping in surprise.
Shotaro let out a heavy breath he didn't even realize he was holding in as he looked at Minako in astonishment. "Damn, Rook. When you do a bad cop routine, you really go bad cop."
Minako huffed slightly and yanked her jacket straight again before she left the club, her friends quickly following her.
She thought for a moment before she heard voices and pulled the two aside, watching two of the members, one of them being the guy who was backhanded, walking out as the first member said, "I can't believe he told us to check the car."
The second member responded, "Well, we can't defy Cross's orders." They left the area.
Shotaro stepped forward. "I'll follow them. Minako, Akiko, if Cross leaves, keep an eye on him. Although, with that beat down, I doubt he'll leave for a bit." He went after the two members.
Minako smirked a bit and leaned against the wall with Akiko, dodging some snot and passing her a bit of cold syrup. "Here."
Shotaro followed the boys and listened to them as the first said, "Let's steal a car and leave this one in a decommissioned vehicle lot."
"Good idea!" The second smiled a bit in agreement.
Suddenly, the music from the car started to play as Shotaro ducked behind a pillar quickly, the vehicle speeding forward as a figure emerged from the front and made the car intangible with its weird virus powers before it struck the first man, killing him in seconds.
Shotaro was surprised. "So it is a Dopant! Phillip!" He put the Driver on quickly.
"Yo, Shotaro. I finally figured out the mystery." Phillip told him.
"What are you talking about?!" Shotaro shouted in confusion, quickly following the second member while dodging the car.
"Idiots don't catch colds because they don't get stressed. Their immune system builds up because of this." The boy responded. "That was the most pervasive argument I could find."
"Who cares right now?!" Shotaro snapped back as he ran quickly, jumping on top of the car and hanging on the roof, peeking down quickly and seeing the driver inside, the other man quickly swerving to try and knock the detective off, eventually doing so by crashing through a wall.
Down below, Minako heard the sounds of trouble and looked at Akiko. "I'd better go help. Think you're okay here?"
Akiko nodded a bit. "Yep."
Minako quickly put her Driver on and activated her Memory. [Skull!] "Henshin!" Changing into her armor and putting her fedora on, she whistled loudly to call for the HardBoilder, getting on it as soon as it arrived and heading off down the same path Shotaro had done.
Shotaro got up and activated the Bat Shot, letting it fly over and get some pictures of the inside before he activated his Memory. [Joker!] "Let's go! Henshin!" Pushing the Cyclone Memory in as soon as it appeared, he placed his Memory in and pushed the sides. [Cyclone! Joker!] Changing into his armor quickly, he ran up and stopped the car, looking at the member quickly. "Hey! Run!"
Suddenly, Kirihiko arrived and tackled W out of the way, the two starting a brawl with the commander and getting knocked outside as they looked at him, Shotaro groaning, "You again?"
"That Dopant is a precious sample." Kirihiko explained as he readied his sword. "I won't have you interfere."
"Is that so?" A familiar voice called out loud before Minako (literally) crashed the party, knocking Kirihiko back and skidding across the rooftop before stopping by W and tipping her hat to the adversary. "Yo, Nasca."
Shotaro smiled at her. "Nice timing, as per usual!" He patted her back.
Kirihiko got up in an annoyed huff. "You are so paying for that one!"
"Put it on my tab!" Minako snapped back before firing at the blue Dopant.
Kirihiko blocked it with his sword before he charged forward and started battling the two Riders.
Minako heard a crash sound and looked over to see the car continuing to pursue the member before she looked at Shotaro. "Get after that thing! I'll hold him off!"
"Thank you!" Shotaro took the HardBoilder and revved off, Minako facing off against Kirihiko and slowly the two circled each other before they ran forward, Minako using her martial arts to keep the blade from landing any solid hits while shooting at the same time.
Down below, W arrived just in time to see the car pass through the member and kill him.
Shotaro groaned in annoyance. "Damnit! We're too late!"
Up above, Minako jumped up on a wall before flipping over Kirihiko and landing a safe distance away before pulling out her Memory and readying it. "Let's decide this." [Skull! Maximum Drive!] She created a skull projection. "Skull Crusher!" She kicked it at Kirihiko, but she was shocked when he countered the attack. "No way! He was able to counter it?!" She yelped in pain as she was knocked back, her visors cracking as she slammed against a pole before she looked down to see the car escaping. "Damnit!!" She looked at Kirihiko in an annoyed state.
"An unexpectedly special Gaia Memory. Without a doubt, this is my chance." Kirihiko smirked slightly at her, stepping back and disappearing from sight.
Minako growled angrily before she stood up and shouted in rage, slamming her fist against the railing.
Back in the garage, Phillip was writing a name down. "I've identified the person in these photos. Kouhei Yamamura, 18 years old. I found some very compelling information about him. A week ago, his sister was injured in a hit and run accident."
Shotaro looked up quickly. "Don't tell me the culprits were...!"
"Yep." Phillip nodded. "The four members of Cross's gang. Kouhei saw a black vehicle fleeing the scene. He remembered their faces. But the police lacked evidence, so they didn't make any arrests."
Minako sighed softly, leaning against the wall. "This is definitely turning into the weirdest case ever. So either Kouhei turned himself into a Dopant, or..." She was struck by a realization.
"Or?" Shotaro pressed curiously.
Minako stood up slightly and paced a bit. "I remember something from that night. I was walking around the area..."
(Flashback)
("I remember hearing a woman's scream at the same time that a Gaia Memory was activated.") Minako spoke in the overhead while we see the events of the previous week's night event from Minako's point of view, the young blunette looking around as she heard the noise.
(Flashback End)
Shotaro made a face. "You think she activated it in self defense?"
Minako nodded a bit. "It's extremely plausible. And I bet that just as she activated it, she was struck by the car, so... something must have happened in the interim of the event last week and today's events."
Phillip raised an eyebrow in intrigue. "I hadn't thought about that. That might be the right lead, and it could make sense because his sister has been in a coma since that night."
A little while later, Minako and Shotaro made their way to a bus stop to meet Kouhei, the elder looking at the boy and walking over to him. "Kouhei, right?" He turned and leaned against the railing. "I'm Detective Shotaro Hidari, and that's my apprentice, Minako Sakurada." He pointed to Minako as he introduced her, causing her to smile and wave shyly as he continued, "We heard about what happened to your sister. We apologize for your troubles and we're here to help you in any way we can."
Minako walked over and looked at Kouhei. "We know something happened because of a Gaia Memory she used. But you both need to stop the revenge. She wouldn't want you to kill for her sake."
He shook his head. "What do you know?!" He thought back to the night. "I can't forgive them! I never will!"
The detectives watched him with a stoic visage as he turned and dashed across the street, the two quickly following and narrowly avoiding getting hit as they ran into someone else.
"Yushima, illustrator." Minako looked at the man in question.
Yushima chuckled a bit. "A poor illustrator who can't sell his work. A high school girl happened to tell me about a museum."
Minako got a gut feeling she knew what he was talking about, but she kept her lips shut as he continued, " I met Sachi who was working at the cafeteria there."
"Then you two were engaged?" Shotaro asked curiously.
Yushima nodded a bit. "We planned to be wedded in three months at the church we chose together, and Kouhei was looking forward to it as well."
"Kouhei hates Cross's gang deeply." Minako mentioned.
"It's only natural." Yushima told her as he got up. "Kouhei lost his parents as a child and Sachi became his only family." He checked his watch and looked over. "I have to go." He handed them a card and bowed to them, the detectives nodding in response as he left.
Shotaro suddenly got a call and picked up. "Hello?" He yelped in surprise as he heard a sneeze and sighed in relief, remembering who it was. "What's up, Akiko?"
"I've been following Cross since he left that bar!" Akiko told him. "And... I've got a really bad feeling."
Minako raised an eyebrow. "You sure that's not nausea, Aki-chan?"
"99% positive." The brunette girl said.
The duo heard Cross's shout on the other end: "Come out, you little brat! I'll get you before you get me!"
Minako looked at Shotaro out of concern before they heard gunshots, the senior detective shouting quickly, "We'll be right there!" Quickly, they got on the HardBoilder and took off.
As they went down the road, Minako subtly put her Driver on and held her Memory in her sleeve while Shotaro spoke to Phillip. "Oi, Phillip!"
Minako watched him speak with Phillip as she thought to herself about the same question their partner was asking, 'Is it really worth saving Cross? He's nothing but a problem for the city, and considering Kouhei-kun's situation, he should take his revenge. All the same, he's a Fuuto citizen, and we can't let him get hurt. Plus, Kouhei's vengeance won't make his sorrow go away so fast.'
She snapped out of her thoughts and carefully let go of Shotaro momentarily so he could change into the armor of W before returning her grip to his waist, looking up and seeing the warehouse nearby before she shielded herself and held on tightly as they drove over the car and crashed the hood, driving off and pulling to a stop a couple feet away.
Shotaro saluted the crime boss. "Hope I didn't keep you waiting."
Minako got off the HardBoilder and backed up, sneaking away to change into her armor.
Kouhei clearly wasn't pleased. "Why must you get in my way?!"
"I know how it feels to have someone close to you be taken away." Shotaro told him. "That's why I can't let you do this!"
Minako ran over from behind the car, wearing her armor as she twirled her Magnum. "And neither can I."
Kouhei made a face. "Then I'll start with both of you!" He started driving at them.
Shotaro simply put the Metal Memory in and changed to Cyclone Metal, Minako getting on the HardBoilder and hanging on as the Riders charged forward, both of them attacking the wheels on the car and sending it careening to the side and crashing against a pillar.
"They did it!" Akiko cheered excitedly.
Minako looked over as they stopped and scoffed slightly. "That seemed a little too easy."
Sure enough, as Kouhei watched the crime boss flee, his eyes flashed green as he shouted, "I won't let you go!" All of a sudden, the Virus Dopant picked up the (somehow still functional) car and let him drive it after the boss.
Minako clicked her tongue. "Damn, this thing's tough."
Shotaro nodded a bit. "It's not gonna be of much use." He called for the RevolGarry and pulled up to the ramp as it arrived and opened, switching the back half with Minako standing beside him for a moment before she got back on and then watched as the car drove at them, the Dopant showing itself as he pointed out, "In that state, he passes through you and infects you with a virus."
Minako nodded a bit. "Most of the time, it's likely to be a deadly one."
"Don't worry, you two should be alright." Phillip told them.
"What makes you so certain?" Minako asked curiously.
"Idiots don't get sick." Phillip said confidently.
Shotaro nodded a bit before shouting in surprise as Phillip took the reins and revved up, taking to the sky and switching the Heat Memory in for Heat Metal before readying their finisher.
Minako readied her latest Memory quickly (Bomb!) and loaded it in the Skull Magnum. (Bomb! Maximum Drive!) "Skull Bomber Special!" She fired a shot of concentrated power as it flew forward and stopped in front of W, who took the energy on to the Metal Shaft and shot forward. "Metal Branding Special!" Striking the car, they landed behind it as Kouhei was forcefully ejected and the car exploded.
The Riders looked over as Phillip spoke, "If the Dopant is a virus, it should be weak against heat. I thought I'd take a gamble on it."
"So that's why you used Heat." Shotaro smiled. "Impressive, partner."
Akiko ran over to them after beaning Cross over the head with a slipper and smiled. "In the end, you protected him."
Minako nodded a bit and frowned. "Something feels off though. If Kouhei-san were a Dopant, shouldn't there be a broken Memory by his side?"
"She's right." Phillip said in agreement. "That means the Dopant isn't Kouhei Yamamura."
Suddenly, a sound like a bird call caught their attention as they looked around to see the Dopant in question, and man, did it look ugly. The camera closes in on the Dopant's face as the W Memories close out this half of the case.
(Next time on W: A Case of Detectives!)
Akiko: That means there's no suspects now!
Fuuto Irregulars: Why?
Kirihiko: A Gaia Memory super powered Dopant is born!
Phillip: There's someone you really want to save.
Shotaro: Stop this revenge!
Minako: I guess Bando-san isn't my only supporter...
(V for Vengeance/A Beast of Hatred)
This clinches it!
(W's mysterious birth starts now!)
Shotaro: Our power together is unstoppable!
(Minako's rebirth kicks in!)
Minako: Maybe I was never meant to be a detective...
(The last sighting of Decade!)
Tsukasa: Bring it on!
(Kamen Rider Movie Great War 2010! Be sure not to miss it!)
And that's one hell of a way to start a case! Seeing a car that attacks like that is just... (shivers) Anyway, read and review!
