"RESCUE MACHLINER"
"Here you go," said the Station Master as he handed a pair of tickets to Kenzaki. He slid them over the table to Kenzaki's hands.
"Thanks," said Kenzaki gratefully as he took the tickets and pocketed them.
"Don't mention it," said the Station Master. "You and your wife have done a lot for the sake of the Multiverse. It's the least I could do. Call it a small gift on my part. Oh, and Happy Anniversary."
"And, again, thanks," said Kenzaki.
"The MachLiner will soon be set to go on its maiden voyage. Only those lucky enough to receive exclusive tickets will be able to board this train. It is truly a historic event. The most advanced time train in the history of-"
Click.
The TV was shut off and the man tossed the remote across the room, angry. "Damn them…my train was a work of genius but they scrapped it for THAT!?"
His name was Dr. Mono, a researcher and developer of time trains. He'd created a time train of his own too and it was the one he thought deserved the honor and not the MachLiner. Now he was no longer a scientist. Now he worked in a bar and he just lived a poor man's life instead of a life of fame and fortune.
"They will pay for this…" he growled.
Kenzaki and Neko were having dinner at the restaurant they had gone to for their first official date. It was their wedding anniversary so Kenzaki just thought it was only fitting.
"Here, you go," said Neko as she handed Kenzaki the gift she'd gotten for him. "Happy Anniversary, Ken-kun." It was a small box. Kenzaki took it and opened it up. In it was a pendant that was shaped like a wolf's head. It was made of pure silver and hung on a black string.
"Wow, thanks, Nana-chan," he said.
"You're welcome!" Neko smiled.
"Oh, and here," said Kenzaki as she handed her an envelope. She blinked at the non-extravagant looking present. She took the envelope and opened it up.
"What is it?" she asked as she dug into the envelope.
"Something impossible to get," he said.
Neko took out the objects inside and her eyes widened in glee as she squealed, jumping up and down on her chair in excitement. "YOU GOT ME FIRST CLASS TICKETS FOR THE MACHLINER!!!"
The restaurant's patrons and staff all stared at the overly-excited young woman before she leapt over the table and tackled the young man to the ground, kissing him all over.
Dr. Mono stared wistfully at the model of his train, the MetaLiner. "Oh…my MetaLiner…you died before you were even born. How cruel life is…"
He thought he was alone, but he wasn't.
"Do you want your dream realized?"
Dr. Mono jumped in shock and his glasses nearly fell off his face. "WHO!?"
Stepping into the dim light was a beautiful woman in a black kimono decorated with red roses. She had shining silver hair and she looked like a Yamato Nadeshiko, save that she wasn't Japanese. Still, she was just so lovely he found himself speechless.
"Who are you?" Dr. Mono asked as the woman came closer.
"Your new benefactor," said the woman. "Call me Rosalinda."
"My new benefactor?" Dr. Mono asked.
Rosalinda looked to the MetaLiner model and smiled demurely. "How would you like your creation to come alive?"
Dr. Mono didn't need anymore persuasion than that. "R-r-really!?"
"I have the resources and you have the drive," said Rosalinda. "Don't you want your creation to ride the golden tracks?" She turned to the TV and picked up the remote, turning it on to display another news coverage about the MachLiner. "Don't you want to show how your train is better than the MachLiner?"
"Yes!" Dr. Mono said. "Yes, I do! My MetaLiner is perfect!" His eyes looked manic.
"Well, then I guess we have a deal," said Rosalinda. She smiled. Humans were so easily manipulated if given the right incentive. Their desires could be used against them and this man had the desire to prove himself.
A few weeks later, it was the day the MachLiner would go on its maiden voyage. However…
"What do you mean you can't go!?" Neko whined. She'd been looking forward to this. She had wanted to go on the MachLiner with Kenzaki and try out its facilities with him. She heard it had a restaurant, a spa, a movie theatre and even a game room. She had wanted this to be a day just for them!
"I'm sorry, Neko," Kenzaki apologized. "But something came up!"
"But you gave me two tickets! One for you and one for me!"
"I'm sorry!"
"It's not fair! Waaaaaaah!!!" she cried.
"Settle down!" he said as he held her shoulders. She looked at him with tear-filled eyes. Even after all this time she was still childish and would cry and whine when things didn't go her way. It was his fault, really. He'd promised to go with her but now was forced to break his promise. "Listen, this is an important job for me. I have to do it. I mean any other time I would go with you but this guy is dangerous and if my contacts are right then I have to take advantage of this chance so I can nab him…and claim the reward money to add to the kids' college fund." He'd heard that Gog was close and this was his chance. He just hated breaking promises to Neko.
He wiped Neko's tears away as he continued, "I'll make it up to you, I promise."
"OK," she accepted. He was a bounty hunter and this was important to him. "Kiss me."
"That I can do," he said before leaning down and giving her a kiss. She looped her arms around his neck and pulled him in to deepen the kiss.
"Get that guy, OK?" she said, winking.
Kenzaki was amused by how her mood could change. "So, who are you going to take with you? You have an extra ticket."
That was when the door slid open and Koneko, Buraki and Raion came in.
"Onee-chan! Take me! Take me!" Koneko jumped up and down.
"Neko-chan, take me along!" Buraki practically begged.
"Come on, dudette! Let me go!" Raion pleaded as well.
"PLEASE~!!!"
Neko giggled as Kenzaki rolled his eyes. "So, who are you taking?"
"My little sister," answered Neko.
Neko stood at the platform with Kumiko and a large crowd, all of them standing before the MachLiner. Also, Neko was holding Maya as Kumiko held Gou, the two children in baby carriers strapped to the two young women to keep them secure. Gou and Maya gazed upon the MachLiner silently and smiled excitedly. It was an amazing bullet train. It was sleek and looked fast. It was mainly silver with a blue trim and its head had wing-like protrusion on top and the windshield looked like a pair of eyes and it did have an avian appearance as well. "I'm glad you gave me your other ticket," said Kumiko.
"Don't mention it. You're family," said Neko.
"Well, I just thought you might've wanted to give it to Kat," said Kumiko.
Neko shook her head and said, "I told her that if she can't be happy for me than she should stay out of my life. I'm not going to look her up anymore nor defend her. I'm tired of it and sick of her trying to break me and Ken-kun up."
"What Ojou-sama's sister had done cannot be so easily forgiven," stated Gekiryuken.
Kumiko frowned. Sure, it was good that Neko had finally chosen but to see two sisters break apart like this was heartbreaking. Still, it was Kat's fault due to her obsession with Neko. It was like she had an unhealthy sister-complex or something. Well, that was in the past.
The conductor blew the whistle, welcoming the lucky ticket-holders who would board the MachLiner. He greeted, "Welcome, lucky passengers! You are the one who've won the tickets to board this first class train. Please, enter at an orderly fashion so I may check your tickets."
"This is it! Come on!" Neko grabbed Kumiko's hand and dragged her along with the crowd.
"No fair!" whined Koneko.
"Well, she had to choose," said Byakko as she sat beside the Kitten Imagin, ruffling her hair. "She only had one ticket."
"It's still no fair!" whined Koneko continuously.
"Oh, just shut up!" snapped Okami. "Damn it, you're so annoying."
Koneko began to whimper and Byakko admonished the Wolf Imagin, "Okami, she's only a child. No need to be so harsh."
Okami scoffed in response. "She's just as bad as those bozos over there." He pointed to Buraki and Raion who looked depressed.
"How do you think Neko-sama felt when Kenzaki-sama couldn't go with her?" asked Byakko.
"Speaking of the Shonen, what is he doing?" asked Okami.
"OK, Gog, where are you?" questioned Kenzaki. He was in a condemned building. His contact had told him that Gog had set up shop here. "Just you and me, you bastard."
"You won't find him here," said a voice Kenzaki recognized. He whirled around and pointed his gun at Nanimo.
"Nanimo," snarled Kenzaki.
"Greetings, brother," said Nanimo.
"What do you know about Gog?" asked Kenzaki.
'Aside that I have a version of him working for me?' "Not much, save for the fact that the information you've received is…unreliable."
"Unreliable?" Kenzaki cocked an eyebrow.
'He was never really the most observant of subtle details,' thought Nanimo before explaining, "You were tricked. This whole thing was set up to bring you here and away from the real threat."
"What threat?" Kenzaki demanded. He repeated, "What threat? What are you talking about?"
"What is the one thing you value in this world above all else?" asked Nanimo.
"It's so…spacious!" said Kumiko as she gazed around the space inside the passenger car. "So, this is what First Class feels like."
"Yeah…" mumbled Neko as she looked out the window with Maya. The baby girl pressed her hands against the glass window and looked out. They were traveling in the Sands of Time. The interior of the MachLiner was bigger than the other time trains she had ridden. It could fit more people. She hadn't left her seat since the train had departed.
Kumiko frowned and hauled Neko up to her feet. "Come on! Let's go to the dining car and see if there's anything to eat!"
"I'm not really hungry," Neko declined as she looked down to Maya.
Kumiko gave her a look of disbelief. "You? Not hungry? Neko, I've seen you eat a ton of sushi and still hungry for more. Maybe after you eat something you'll feel better."
"OK…but I miss Ken-kun…"
Kumiko shook her head and sighed. Then she noticed that the train was slowing down. They were in a tunnel too as it was getting darker. "Hey, are we stopping?"
Indeed, the MachLiner had stopped but there was something else in the tower. Backing up towards the front of the MachLiner was another train. It held a sinister aura as it set itself in front of the MachLiner. Then, slowly, several cables slithered out from the back of this sinister train and connected with the front of the MachLiner.
A new voice was heard over the PA system. It was NOT the same voice which had welcomed them onboard, "Attention Dear Passengers! Your train will now be driven by me, Dr. Mono! The great genius scientist and inventor! Please, enjoy your unpleasant ride!"
The train that was connected to the MachLiner was silver-colored and with a serpent-like head in the front. Inside the head was Dr. Mono, sitting at a control console. "Depart! Full speed ahead!" He let loose an insane set of laughter as his train raced down the tracks at full speed, pulling the MachLiner along with it.
The passengers of the MachLiner were suddenly thrown about in the train cars. Neko and Kumiko nearly fell to the floor but regained their balance in fear of harming the babies. Gou and Maya began to cry.
"What the-!?" Kumiko shrieked.
"Runaway train!!!" Neko shouted.
"This cannot be good!" said Gekiryuken.
Kenzaki was about to retort to Nanimo's statement when his cell phone rang. He kept his eye on Nanimo as he answered, "Hello?"
"Kenzaki-san, there is a runaway train running in the Sands of Time," the Station Master reported.
"So?" Kenzaki cocked an eyebrow.
"There are innocent people onboard who could get hurt and your wife and sister are on it. The MachLiner is the runaway train!"
"What!?"
"Come quickly!"
Kenzaki flipped his phone closed. "Neko…in danger?"
"What will you do now?" Nanimo asked.
"I'm going to save my wife."
"I'll come with you," Nanimo volunteered.
Kenzaki cocked an eyebrow in suspicion. "Why?"
"I hate you, but I don't hate her. She's my sister-in-law and the mother of my niece and nephew. And, compared to you, I like her more," Nanimo answered honestly.
'This feels oddly familiar,' thought Kenzaki as a wave of déjà vu came to mind.
"So, what are we waiting for?" asked Nanimo as his DeathLiner appeared alongside the GaroLiner. "Let's ride."
"Now that I can agree upon."
"Kumiko-chan, are you alright?" Neko asked as she helped her little sister-in-law up to her feet. She gasped when she saw the bruise on Kumiko's arm. "You're hurt!"
"Just a bruise," said Kumiko as she rubbed her arm where the bruise was. She had bumped against the wall since she didn't want to accidentally hurt little Gou. "No biggie."
Neko frowned. "Dr. Mono…?" She then heard a loud commotion and went to check it out. A few passengers were panicking and getting aggressive, demanding from the encounter to stop the train.
"Stop the train!"
"Let us off!"
"I'm sorry, but it's out of my control!"
"That's not good enough!"
"Yeah, we want to get off this crazy thing!"
WHAM!
The man was knocked out by a punch.
"Nice right hook," complimented Gekiryuken.
"Thanks, Geki-chan," said Neko. She spoke to the stunned passengers, "Everyone, please calm down. I am a Kamen Rider and I promise that you'll all be safe."
Those words seemed to calm the rest of the passengers down. The Kamen Riders were famous heroes as their exploits had been seen by them through the JumboTrons in the King's Terminal.
'I just hope Ken-kun can get here,' thought Neko. Maya looked up at Neko and the young woman wondered if her daughter was thinking the same.
The newscaster reported, "The MachLiner, which was scheduled for its maiden voyage, has been hijacked. Our sources tell us that Dr. Mono, who had headed the MetaLiner project, to be the one responsible. The man has made his demands of the Station Master and demands that he be given 1 Billion Credits or else he will destroy the MachLiner. He had also made hostages out of the passengers."
"Onee-chan is on that train!" Koneko realized. The GaroLiner Imagin were all watching the news report.
"Kumiko-chan too!" added Buraki.
"And the children!" finished Byakko.
"This is bad, very bad," said Raion.
Okami snarled. The door opened and Kenzaki came in. "So, Shonen, you heard the news," stated Okami.
"Right, and I'm gonna go save them," said Kenzaki.
"Yosh! Ikuzo!" said Byakko.
"Rock on!" Raion exclaimed.
"Yay, Onii-chan!" cheered Koneko.
Kenzaki ran towards the cockpit. He needed to work fast.
As the MachLiner, which was being pulled by the MetaLiner, continued on its course towards the destruction, a familiar pair of trains raced after it, flanking it. One was the GaroLiner and the other was the DeathLiner.
Inside, Neko managed to calm the passengers down. Panicking would do them no good at all so it was best for them to remain in their seats and buckle up their seatbelts. Neko had given Maya to Kumiko and the younger girl watched over the babies protectively.
Neko then went to the cockpit to at least regain control of the train but when she got inside, she saw various wire-like tendrils had crept all over the controls, leaving Dr. Mono in full control.
"How am I going to do this?" she murmured. She looked up at the ceiling and smiled.
"Ojou-sama, you're not going to do something crazy, are you?" Gekiryuken saw her smile widen. "Oh dear."
"Looks like this is going to be a bumpy ride after all!" she said as she whipped Gekiryuken off her neck and he changed into his Keyblade form. She jumped up and performed a series of slashes that tore a hole open. She grabbed the edge of the hole and pulled herself up to the train's rood. Seeing the cables constricting the engine car made her grimace but she had to do all she could to free the MachLiner.
Nanimo, who was in the DeathLiner, called up Kenzaki. "Hey, Kenzaki?"
"What is it?" Kenzaki retorted. They may have agreed to work together but that was no excuse to be civil with one another.
"I don't know if you've noticed, but your wife is on the MachLiner's roof."
Kenzaki wasn't surprised there. She always tried to be the hero whenever she could. "At least her heart's in the right place..."
"Just one good Ryuou Giri will do and…" Neko began as she raised her sword to cut the cables but all of a sudden the cables shot wires at her, binding her arms together. "Hey! Let go!"
"Sorry, my dear, but nothing is going to stop me," laughed Dr. Mono. "Sweet dreams."
An electrical current flowed through her and she let out s shriek, "ARRRGHHHHHH!!!"
"Ojou-sama!" Gekiryuken screamed but she had lost consciousness. "No!"
The wires slithered back into the cables and Neko fell unconscious on the roof. The train continued to speed up, threatening to throw Neko off as she began to roll down the roof.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?