Rider Time Zi-O: Roze from Remnant
Chapter 88 – Game Changer
Woz was currently in the white narrative void that he and Jinn would share, the two looking over all of the different Kamen Riders that fought to help Mantle.
"Recent Graduate Sougo Tokiwa embarks on a path which will lead him to become the overlord of time, Oma Zi-O," Woz narrated, "Amity Tower was activated and the message was sent out, unfortunately there were complications in the form of Cinder and her cohorts. I have lost my Miridewatches and can only shudder to think what the Time Jackers want them for."
"But unfortunately despite getting most of the message out, because of the fighting Amity Tower drifted out of broadcast range," Jinn added.
"Thankfully that can be rectified," Woz replied as he shut his book, "As the allies that both Miss Rose and my Overlord connected with have heeded their call to arms. Now the Kamen Riders fight to protect Mantle as we start a new chapter in this war against Salem and Ironwood."
"The history of Remnant is about to receive a major change," Jinn smirked, "I'm curious to see how this goes."
Remnant – Solitas Outpost
At the Solitas Outpost, around the time the communications tower went online, all of the members of Yang's team were looking at their Scrolls. Unfortunately confusion had ended up crossing their faces once they saw that they had lost the signal. They were wondering if there was a minor transmission issue, though once a few minutes had passed they began to worry.
"That was the broadcast, right?" Yang asked, "Why did we lose signal?"
"Give me a second," Geiz said as he went to call on his Faizphone X, everyone gathering around as he activated the speaker function before Sougo answered.
"Geiz?" Sougo asked.
"Zi-O, who else is with you right now?" Geiz asked.
"Just me," Ruby answered, "Is this about Amity suddenly cutting the signal?"
"So you guys were watching too," Yang said, "Do you have any idea on what happened?"
"Something tells me someone interfered with Amity," Ruby said, "As for who, I'm not-"
[CALLING!]
"Hold up," Geiz said before adding the caller to their call, "Woz, that you?"
"Of course," Woz replied, "I need to inform you all of what happened."
"So something did happen?" Jaune asked.
"What went wrong?" Oscar asked.
"Cinder attacked but do not fret for Miss Polendina is safe at the moment. She's just currently recovering from the ordeal," Woz said, deciding to not cause panic over the potential issue of an Another Rider until it occurred, "Unfortunately, Cinder entering Amity just before launch ended up damaging one of the stabilizers. That's why we were unable to keep the signal."
"That's not good, so is Amity just drifting now?" Sougo asked.
"Thankfully our backup has arrived," Woz answered as everyone's expressions brightened while they all gave some sound of relief, "Sento Kiryu is currently working on repairing the stabilizer to get us back in range. The other Riders should be down below helping out Mantle."
"That's good," Sougo said, "We've hit all of our major goals then."
"Okay, good," Geiz sighed in relief, "Because I cannot deal with anymore bad news."
RUMBLE
"You were saying?" Oscar asked.
"You guys alright?" Ruby asked.
"Give us a moment," Geiz said as he looked at the others and gave a nod.
It didn't take long for the group of six to make it out of the outpost, running away from it and towards the source of the rumblings.
"There's another one, I think it's just up ahead," Jaune said before suddenly stopping and holding his arms out, forcing everyone to come to a halt.
"What… is this?" Ren asked.
The ground before them had broken apart, creating a chasm of sorts that held a black liquid flowing through it. Tsukuyomi accidentally stepped forward, putting enough pressure on a piece of dirt with a small bush to dislodge it. Tsukuyomi backed away as the bush fell into the liquid and dissolved. Not long after a Sabyr's head floated to the surface.
"Guys…?" Sougo asked, "What's wrong?"
"It's Grimm, a river of Grimm…" Yang barely managed to speak up as she looked at where the river was flowing, her eyes widening, "It's heading straight for the Kingdom."
Ruby was heard giving a gasp, "…what?!"
"Guys, get back to Mantle now," Sougo nearly ordered as he spoke to the six, "They could use your help. Woz, can you see if one of the Riders can maybe try and divert it?"
"We'll also get in contact with Robyn so she has some idea of what's going on," Ruby added.
"We do have Kouta Kazuraba in our ranks," Woz said, "I'll let him know and see if he can do something."
"Will he be able to do something?" Tsukuyomi asked.
"Well he is a space god," Ruby reminded, "Hopefully he might have some idea."
"For now, we'll let you all go," Sougo said before hanging up alongside Woz.
"If it isn't one thing it's another…" Ren sighed.
"We'll get through this," Tsukuyomi reassured as she placed a hand on his back. She then looked over at Oscar, "Does Ozpin have any idea why this is happening?"
"Oz…?" Oscar asked.
'She must've planted something nearby before making her assault,' Ozpin guessed as he spoke to Oscar directly, 'I can only imagine she plans on occupying Mantle first in order to easily deal with Atlas on two fronts.'
"So far he thinks it might be the start of a two pronged attack," Oscar explained, "That she purposely planted it in the distance before arriving here."
"Whatever she has planned we'll stop it," Geiz said, "For now let's take Zi-O's advice and head back. Helping Mantle's our best bet until we can figure out our next big move."
"Right," Jaune said before looking back at Yang, "Are the bikes ready?"
"Yeah I fixed them up before taking a bit of a rest last night," Yang nodded, "We're good to go."
"Then let's get moving!" Jaune pumped his fist before running back towards the outpost, the others following after him.
Remnant – Mantle, Time Jacker Hideout
Uhr and Ora could only sit on the couch of their hideout, crossing their arms as they held looks of disappointment.
"So how exactly did the sabotage mission go?" Finis asked.
"We almost were able to deal with Woz," Ora huffed, "But someone got in the way."
"Yeah, mind explaining yourself Swartz?" Uhr turned towards their leader.
Swartz was simply at the main desk of the hideout, having his legs on top of it as he looked over their most recent acquisitions of the Quiz and Shinobi Miridewatches.
"Hey," Ora glared as she stood up, "What was the big idea?"
"We couldn't prolong the confrontation too much further," Swartz replied, "Besides, you did what we needed which was to take his Miridewatches."
"Aside from stripping them of their options, what does this do?" Finis asked.
"By adding our powers to them we can mimic the Another Rider transformations for Shinobi, Quiz and Kikai," Swartz explained as he removed his legs from the desk before sitting up straight, "I've already planted Kikai's within the Winter Maiden. While her powers seem to be trying to protect her, she's still succumbing to it."
"So what, we wait for her to become Another Kikai?" Uhr asked.
"Yes, it's inevitable," Swartz replied before looking at Ora, "You recall the specifics of Another Kikai, right?"
"I do," Ora said as she got an idea of where this was going, "Leave it to me. So we get her under control and then what? Who do we give her to?"
"Yeah, both Salem and Ironwood want her right?" Uhr asked, "Who are we bargaining with?"
"No one," Swartz held a sinister smile, "I'm sure given her priority her friends were trying all they could to keep her safe. I'm sure you can see what I'm getting at."
"If that's all then I'll get back to crowning my new Queen," Finis said as they stood up before looking back, "Do you have any use for Shinobi or Quiz?"
"Not in particular," Swartz admitted before tossing them forward.
Finis turned and caught them with ease, "Then I'll make sure to put them to good use. The longer they're out of Woz's hands the better."
Remnant – Amity Communications Tower
Amity Communications Tower continued to stay where it was, the vines that Kouta had launched out from the various Cracks holding strong. When one vine would slack, another vine would come out and strengthen it. While it was definitely holding the Communications Tower in place, it wasn't a permanent solution by any means.
[TENKUU NO ABARENBOU! HAWKGATLING! YEAH!]
[YOROI MODE!]
Soon enough Build in HawkGatling Form and Maria in the Suika Arms mecha armor flew out and went to fly down towards the damaged stabilizer. Maria had some paneling and heavy duty materials with her while Build had a large toolbox in one hand.
"Alright… this may take a bit," Build looked as he surveyed the damage, "The hole's too big to properly close so we can worry about that part when this is battle is over."
"Then we need to get that stabilizer up and working," Maria said as she had the armor point towards the damaged stabilizer.
"Right," Build said as he began to look at the stabilizer, using his suit to scan and identify the damage, "Good thing I linked up with Amity's Systems. I can figure out what needs to be dealt with immediately and what we can save for later. What's important is making sure we keep Global Communications up."
"So definitely a rush job," Maria said as she hovered closer with the Suika Armor, "Just tell me what you need and I'll provide it."
"Thank you," Build said as he managed to find a little nook in the damaged area to store the toolbox temporarily before opening it up, taking out some tools and small parts to start on repairs, "Let's begin the experiment!"
Remnant – Mantle Crater
Robyn was currently walking over to the medical section of their camp they had made in the Crater. Entering inside she was curious to see how the situation was going.
"Alright, that should do you some good, make sure you take the pain med's as recommended," Date said as he finished applying some bandages to a young man's head, "Try not to move around too quickly and make sure if you do lay down to keep your head elevated, alright?"
"Yes sir," The young man said before slowly standing up and exiting the tent.
"You're pretty good," Robyn said as she walked over.
"Well I do have experience as a field medic," Date admitted.
"It's a good trait to have," A voice said as further back in the tent was Veda Mikado, "While I'm good at medicine, having a field medic's opinion and aid is always the best in these situations."
"I'm sure you're plenty glad for the help Veda," Robyn smiled.
"Of course," Veda said, "While I did volunteer for this, that doesn't mean it hasn't been incredibly difficult. So having some help with all the civilians has been a lifesaver."
"Speaking of help," Robyn said before looking around, "Where are the other two that were with you?"
"They're heading around camp to see who's injured, while also dealing with any minor injuries on their own," Date said, "Figured now that people are getting settled that we could see who needs help before bringing them over."
"Doctors," Asuna said as she and Niko worked on carrying in a young woman who was currently hopping on her right leg to keep off her left, "She needs some help with her leg."
"Alright," Date rubbed his hands together before looking back at Veda who nodded, "Bring her here and we'll see what we can do."
"I'll leave you to it," Robyn said before heading out of the tent and walking around. That was when she noticed a few small cries, deciding to break off from her route of heading back to the main tent to see what was going on.
"Don't worry," Fiona said as she tried to console three children who had gotten lost, "Don't worry, I'll try and help."
"What's wrong?" Robyn asked as she walked over.
"I think they started to wander around and got lost," Fiona turned, "I'm trying to get them to calm down but I can't."
"Hmm," Robyn thought a bit as she put a hand to her chin.
"Let me try."
The voice caught the two Happy Huntresses attention, turning to see Godai approaching with a smile.
"And you are…?" Robyn asked.
"Yusuke Godai, Kamen Rider Kuuga," Godai introduced before rummaging in a small pack he had taken with him, "Good thing I made sure to bring these."
Robyn and Fiona were surprised to see Godai just pull out a set of three balls.
"Here!" Godai squatted in front of the kids as he began to juggle the balls in his hands while making a few grunting sounds. He smiled as he saw the kids look up slowly before they ended up smiling at his actions. He then caught the balls before giving a thumbs-up, the kids clapping in awe.
"Whoa," Fiona stared in awe, "Just like that…"
"Definitely a hit with the kids," Robyn chuckled.
"Here, you guys can play with these," Godai said as he tossed a ball to each of the three kids, he then stood up, "Let's go find your parents, alright?"
The kids all gave nods before they talked to Godai a bit more while following after him, the Rider calling out for their parents to see if he could get a reaction.
"Something tells me we'll be alright in the end," Fiona spoke up.
"You really think so?" Robyn asked though there was no doubt in her tone.
"Despite everything, I'd like to believe we will be," Fiona nodded, "Oh that's right, where were you headed?"
"Back to the main tent to start some planning," Robyn said before she heard her Faizphone X ring before sighing, "I can only imagine that's trouble…"
"Hopefully it's not too bad," Fiona reassured as she watched Robyn answer it.
Remnant – Atlas Military Prison
Watts was currently sitting inside his prison cell while laying down, currently sighing as he had been unable to truly get any work done. Personally he blamed it on what he considered were the incompetent Ace-Ops given they weren't able to handle a single kid. It was ludicrous to think that a kid with no formal Huntsman training would be able to outpace professionals. But he had to admit, from what little he saw of Sougo and Zi-O II he was fascinated by the design and power output. It was unlike anything he had ever seen in regards to technological advancements.
He also enjoyed that aside from an odd click, there seemed to finally be silence from Tyrian who was ranting and raving alongside Jacques minor but constant complaints. Though that was when he noticed an odd green tint in the area.
"Hello there," Swartz's voice called out.
Watts immediately sat up to see Swartz outside his cell before narrowing his eyes, "What do you want?"
"I merely wanted to talk one on one for a moment," Swartz said as he looked around and spread is arms out. This had Watts finally take in his surroundings, the disgraced scientist looking around in surprise at seeing Tyrian and Jacques frozen. He quickly turned towards the cameras and noticed they had a strange glitch effect to them.
"And what pray tell did you wish to talk to me about?" Watts asked as he raised an eyebrow.
"I need you to do a favor for me," Swartz admitted as he walked forward before his body phased through the cell wall, entering without issue.
"And why exactly should I trust someone who clearly seems to be using anyone they can?" Watts asked, "Ironwood may have fallen off his rocker but do you really think you can bargain with me?"
"At the current rate things are going you will just rot here forever," Swartz said as he leaned closer, his hands behind his back, "You're one of Salem's agents, correct?"
"What does that have to do with anything?" Watts questioned before he shifted back when he se saw Swartz move his hand towards him. His eyes widened however when he saw a Scroll and Tool Kit in the palm of Swartz' hand.
"If things are going to move forward, I need certain things to happen," Swartz admitted, "And if things move forward, the more likely you are to get out of this cell and not get shot by Ironwood before you have a shot at revenge."
"So what exactly do you need me to do?" Watts asked.
"I need you to give your Queen a message," Swartz replied.
Remnant – Monstra
Finis had warped back to Monstra, making it near where they could feel Cinder's presence. They walked over to what could be considered Cinder's Room. The door opened up with a squelching noise as they entered the room to see an unconscious Cinder lying down with Emerald near her.
Emerald turned and gave a glare, "Where have you been?"
"Taking care of important business," Finis said, approaching at a steady pace before stopping over Cinder, "What happened?"
"She… she lost to Penny Polendina," Emerald lowered her head.
"I see… another loss…" Finis said as they moved closer towards Cinder.
"What… what are you doing?" Emerald asked, "Why are you getting so close?"
"I need to check something, in order to help her," Finis said as they noticed that Cinder seemed to have a pained expression on her face. Moving closer Finis placed a hand on Cinder's forehead, as a glow began to occur, "Now then…"
…
"I'll take her."
"Without you, I am nothing."
"But because of you, I am everything."
"I won't have to run now."
"That's all you'll ever do."
…
Finis smiled as they used their powers to access Cinder's current dream, or rather her journey through old memories that had resurfaced. They couldn't help but realize what exactly it was that Cinder was looking for, and it was something beyond the simplicity of more power. It was also something that they could use to their advantage against Salem.
Finis and Emerald both began to back away from Cinder as the Fall Maiden began to stir to give her some space as she woke up.
"Ugh…" Cinder let out a low groan as she began to sit up before taking in her surroundings.
"You're awake," Emerald quickly moved closer and knelt near Cinder, holding the Maiden's Grimm hand with her own, "I was so worried. How are you feeling?"
"You… you brought me back here," Cinder pulled her hand away and looked to the side, "We failed."
"Cinder, you were hurt," Emerald said, "I was just trying to help."
"I think she's had enough help."
Everyone looked over to see Mercury enter the room with a smug expression on his face.
"Oh?" Finis looked over.
"Besides, she went against our queen," Mercury continued, "I'd be careful who you back."
"Cinder's hunch was right," Emerald argued, "If we'd had support then maybe we would've-"
"Would you stop trying to protect her already?" Mercury asked, "She doesn't care about you."
"All of you… get out," Cinder glared as her eye manifested its Maiden flame, "I'll let you know when you're needed next."
"Yeah about that, Salem's got other plans for me," Mercury shot back, "I'm not gonna be taking orders from you anymore."
Cinder wasn't sure how to react to this, looking surprised by Mercury's sudden abandonment.
"What a shame," Finis decided to speak up as they walked towards Mercury, "What were those words not even minutes ago… boy?"
"What are you babbling about?" Mercury raised an eyebrow.
"Be careful who you back," Finis answered as they repeated Mercury's words, "That was what you said. And I'd suggest you take your own words to heart."
"What's that supposed to mean coming from some nobody like you?" Mercury asked.
"Oh you'll find out," Finis replied with a wry grin as they walked over to the exit.
"Don't wander off too far, we're needed on the bridge," Mercury called after Finis who continued to walk away, "Something big is about to happen."
Finis simply smirked as they continued to walk away, "Something big indeed."
Hazel was currently wandering around Monstra while mulling on his own thoughts. He had originally been told by Salem that he'd likely be brought in to interrogate Ozpin once they captured Oscar. But then that plan had apparently failed despite Salem's newest creation. The fact that even Tyrian wasn't able to escape capture bothered him as well. And then that new person who had shown up with Cinder, while he pegged Neo for a good asset he felt something off about Finis.
"Now color me curious," Finis said, leaning against the walls of Monstra, further up ahead in the hallway, "Why do you follow her?"
"I could ask a similar question," Hazel said, "Why are you here?"
"I was very curious about your queen," Finis admitted, "So I took a gamble and followed Cinder after helping her. This entire experience has been very enlightening."
"I suppose so," Hazel said, still unable to get a read on the Time Jacker, "I follow her because of what Ozpin did to my sister."
Finis gave a curious look, "Your sister?"
"He sent her to her death," Hazel said as he gritted his teeth, "He sends countless children to their deaths to fight a war he knows they can't win."
"Is Salem really that powerful?" Finis asked.
"Salem can't be stopped," Hazel nodded as he walked closer, "She's a force of nature and I've seen it firsthand."
"I see," Finis said, realizing she was dealing with a broken man who tried to challenge Salem in the past, "Indeed, this experience has been very enlightening."
"Then how about I enlighten you further?"
Finis and Hazel looked over to see Salem approaching them.
"Hazel, Finis, you two are needed on the bridge," Salem said before passing by them, "The show is about to begin."
Remnant – Mantle Crater
Near the entrance to Mantle's Crater, a Crack opened up as Eiji, Ankh and Sento surprisingly enough, stepped through. Kouta was standing on the other side, deciding not to go through with the others.
"And you're sure you don't want to come with us?" Eiji asked.
"From what Woz said, it's best if I head to the outskirts first," Kouta said.
"Then thanks for the ride," Sento gave a wave.
"Right, see you guys in a bit," Kouta gave a wave before the Crack closed.
"I'm surprised you got that done fast," Eiji admitted.
"I'm a genius for a reason," Sento boasted before slumping slightly, "Plus it was a rush job, just enough for it to regain functionality, that's all."
"Better hope nothing blows up," Ankh remarked.
"Well that's why I'm directly connected to Pietro," Sento said as he briefly held up his Build Phone.
"Look who finally decided to show up," Taiga said, sitting on a supply crate as he had finished clearing up the incoming Grimm. He was currently taking a break, having dismissed his transformation for the time being.
"Guard duty?" Sento asked to which he received a nod, "So, where's the uh… leader of this whole thing?"
"She's inside and busy," Taiga said.
"But I can take a message for her," Qrow called out as he walked through the main barricade that led to the Crater. He had been coming to check on Taiga only to catch the sudden visit by Sento and the others, "What do you need?"
"Tell her I'm about to start working on the Heating Grid," Sento said as he held up a Scroll and a small toolbox, "Professor Polendina gave me this to try and hack my way into the Heating Grid and restore power. I'm planning on making my way to key network areas in order to do so, and maybe also a bit extra."
"A bit extra…?" Qrow asked.
"There are a few surprises," Sento said, "One was Tsukasa's idea and the other was my idea."
"Okay then," Qrow replied.
"Just try and keep it discreet," Sento said as he began to pace around, "I don't need people getting restless, I don't enjoy working under pressure like that."
"Will do," Qrow agreed, "Anything else?"
"Ah right, if you see Ryuga let him know to head to the edges of the city where the holes in the walls are," Sento replied, "And also if you can ask Robyn to start pushing any people she has working to moving damaged Atlas equipment and reusable debris to those walls."
"Just what are you planning…?" Qrow raised an eyebrow.
"I'm trying to get this city back into mostly working order once this fight is finished," Sento said before looking over at Eiji, "But I'm going to need to borrow you as well."
"That's fine by me," Eiji said.
"I'll let Robyn know then," Qrow said as he turned and waved them off.
"Now then," Sento turned before pointing forward, "Let's-!"
"If you say 'Begin the experiment' again I'm punching you," Ankh growled as he raised his fist up.
"Ankh," Eiji elbowed his friend, "Don't be mean!"
"Let us go forth then!" Sento called out in a rather nervous fashion as he had tried to keep from saying his usual catchphrase before hurrying off deeper into Mantle, "I need to find a security camera first since I'm on a bit of a time limit."
"Then hurry up," Ankh said as he followed after with Eiji.
"What a bunch of idiots," Taiga scoffed as he watched them take off.
Remnant – Monstra
On the bridge of Monstra, Salem was currently sitting at her throne with The Hound by her side. Kneeling in front of her were Hazel, Cinder and Mercury. Off towards Mercury's left and further away were Emerald and Neo who were kneeling. Finis meanwhile chose to stand behind both Emerald and Neo, having no reason to kneel. Salem herself noticed this but figured that now was the perfect chance to show Finis their place.
"We have good news," Salem said as she stood up and walked from her throne, stopping in front of Cinder before turning and walking over to Mercury, "Mercury has heard from our dear colleague Watts. Although he remains in captivity, it seems that he has worked with Ironwood to gain some control over the puppet masquerading as the Winter Maiden. I suppose he remains useful after all."
Finis had to keep from smiling, recalling what Swartz had said and what Salem had said. It was clear that Salem was being misdirected, more than likely thanks to Swartz being directly in Atlas.
"Speaking of which… Cinder," Salem said as she turned towards the Fall Maiden with a frown.
Cinder's Grimm Arm began to hiss and smoke as she gasped and cried out in pain, trying to hold onto the writhing arm as she tried to keep it still.
"You chose to disobey my specific instructions just to fail again," Salem continued.
Cinder began to scream in pain, receiving flashes of similar incidents in her life. More specifically it was when she was forced to be a slave for an Atlesian Hotel Owner, as she was shocked repeatedly for screwing up whether it was her fault or not. She was so consumed by the pain and agonizing memories that she didn't realize Mercury and Hazel suddenly stood up. It took a few seconds but she soon began to realize that her Grimm Arm was no longer in pain, it calming down as she began to breathe heavily.
"Hey what's the big idea?!" Mercury called out.
"What did you do?" Hazel spoke up.
Cinder was broken out of her thoughts and suddenly looked up to see Salem frozen in place, her body becoming glitch filled every now and again. The most movement she could see from Salem was the Grimm Queen's eyes looking towards the side. The Fall Maiden followed them before her eyes widened, seeing Finis holding out both of their hands. Finis had frozen both Salem and The Hound just as it was ready to pounce towards her.
"I think it's time for this charade to be done with," Finis replied, "Don't you agree, Salem?"
"What are you talking about?" Mercury asked.
"You should know very well that you don't have Cinder's best interests in mind," Finis continued to speak to Salem as they looked over at Cinder, "I know why she wants more power. She wants the freedom to do whatever she wants… to never have to run, but she will find no freedom here, shackled to you and your Grimm."
"You…" Cinder's eye widened.
Finis released a pulse against The Hound, slamming it against the back wall of the bridge while releasing Salem from their Time Stop.
"You dare…" Salem turned with a glare.
"I think it's time for Cinder to see what true power looks like," Finis replied as they began to walk towards Salem.
The Hound let out a snarl and managed to get up, running forward before suddenly pausing and lowering its head, Salem having held out her hand to order it to stop.
"And how exactly do you plan to show her this?" Salem questioned.
"Proceed with your current plan," Finis replied, "The outcome of it is all she'll need to see."
"You'll regret those words," Salem said before looking towards the front of Monstra.
Remnant – Solitas Tundra
Up in the skies of the Solitas Tundra, a Manta was currently flying through the air, Marrow piloting it alongside Winter who was acting as a co-pilot.
"So what exactly do you think that Swartz guy did?" Elm asked, "Can we even trust him?"
"Unfortunately all we have to go on is his word," Vine admitted.
"He told us about big bad Overlord Zi-O right?" Harriet asked, "Given how that kid was acting and how he stopped us constantly when we tried to get Penny the first time, I say we believe Swartz."
"Even so, will his method even work with someone like Polendina?" Vine asked, "After all she isn't normal."
"Ugh, this is why I don't like technology!" Elm called out in frustration, "We're probably going to be wasting our time searching for broken junk!"
"Enough!" Winter called back to the three as she gave a firm look, annoyed by the constant chatter that leaned towards insulting Penny, "You're Atlas elite, act like it."
"Um, ma'am," Marrow said as he looked over at the radar, "We're picking up two fast moving objects."
"What?" Winter asked before checking the radar, "You're right, they're below us… and they're approaching our location at a rapid pace."
"That must be Penny's friends," Harriet said as he hurried over to the front, "Land this damn ship right now."
Marrow sighed and went to land as fast and safely as he could, eventually landing near the cracked ground that held the River of Grimm. The five Ace-Ops went to the side hatch as it opened up, the group watching the two HBV Rhino hoverbikes come into view. Geiz piloted one with Tsukuyomi and Oscar hitching a ride while Yang piloted the other with Jaune and Ren on it.
Geiz and Yang looked at each other before slowing to a stop, everyone slowly but surely dismounting the hoverbikes.
Winter leapt down from the Manta alongside the other Ace-Ops, the group staring down Geiz and Yang's group.
"Great," Yang spoke up, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "You guys."
"Out of the way," Geiz called out with a glare, "We're in a hurry!"
"Where's Penny?" Harriet asked.
"What?" Tsukuyomi asked.
"Are you serious right now?!" Jaune called out, "There are people in danger and we need to get back to Mantle ASAP!"
"Yeah you kids sure do love Mantle huh?" Harriet remarked as she crossed her arms, "Well guess what, Atlas is in danger too. All because you kids are acting-"
RUMBLE
The conversation was forcefully paused as a sudden rumbling occurred, everyone suddenly growing quiet.
Kouta was currently at the edge of Mantle, trying to figure out where he'd redirect the River of Grimm towards via his Cracks. That was until he suddenly felt the rumbling, realizing he barely had time he held out his hand only for the ground to rumble again. The ground began to slightly collapse and sink around him which forced him to leap up into the air, floating to survey the situation.
What happened next was a surprise for him since he was sure it was going to try and flood forward into the city. Instead the River of Grimm had gathered up into one spot, forming a Grimm Geyser that shot up high enough to hit the City of Atlas from below. It slowly but surely managed to break past the Hard-Light shield and landed a decently sized pool of Grimm fluid on the underside of Atlas. The liquid soon began to spawn Centinels, the centipede-like Grimm crawling their way up towards two of the Hard-Light Shield pylons. Despite interference from the floating Atlesian Flagships in the sky shooting down at them, there was still enough Grimm to do their job.
The Man of Beginning's eyes widened as he realized he needed to tell the others immediately, suddenly vanishing in a flash of gold light.
Remnant – Atlas, Schnee Manor
Sougo was currently trying to give May a rundown of the situation in the entrance hall with Ruby and Summer off to the side. That was until they got an alert on their Scrolls, noticing it was an official Atlas broadcast one they quickly went to check before their eyes widened at what was happening to the shield pylons.
"Sougo," Kouta called out as he appeared in a flash of gold, "She was never trying to occupy Mantle. Salem was just trying to take out the shields from below!"
"Oh no," Ruby muttered.
Sougo looked over at Kouta before realizing what was going on, "Then that means…"
"Wait, what is she trying to do?" May questioned.
"I need someone to get me to the edge of Atlas immediately!" Sougo ignored the question as he looked around the room rapidly.
"I'll do it," Summer said as she hurried over, "My Aurora Curtains are just what you need."
"Then let's go!" Sougo said.
Summer nodded, opening up an Aurrora Curtain as Sougo quickly ran through it.
"We'll be back," Summer reassured everyone before running through.
Remnant – City of Atlas Outskirts
The Outskirts of Atlas were fairly barren, it being home to a lot of farmland and agriculture due to Atlas being able to grow its own crops. Of course, it was also temporarily home to most of the Atlas Military who were set up as Soldiers were all lined up alongside Paladins and Mantas. They had been set up far in advance just on the off chance Salem broke through and they needed to defend their city. And that off chance was now as they all watched in horror as the two pylons began to fall, the ground holding them having been torn away at by the Centinel's.
An Aurora Curtain formed further up and away from the army, Sougo quickly stepping through with Summer not that far behind. The two's eyes widened as they saw Monstra slowly but surely start its approach now that the Hard-Light shields had failed, likely planning to land on Atlas to commence an invasion.
"Please tell me you have a plan," Summer said.
"Just get me further up!" Sougo said as he ran forward, preparing his Driver and Zi-O Ridewatch. He then brought out Trinity, activating it before slotting it in.
[ZI-O! GEIZ! WOZ!]
As Sougo turned the dial, a bright star, despite it just starting to turn sunrise, began to shine brighter before launching out two beams. One beam was angled towards somewhere in the sky, while one was angled at the Solitas Tundra.
"Henshin!"
[TRINITY TIME!]
Sougo transformed into base Zi-O, seeing an Aurora Curtain forming above him and leaping upwards into it. Soon enough he exited an Aurora Curtain that had sent him high into the air, enough to meet Monstra head to head with. The lights coming from the bright star suddenly shifted towards Zi-O, as Geiz and Woz in their watchstrap forms latched onto him while the gold bands circled around before latching on, completing the transformation into Zi-O Trinity.
[MITTSU NO CHIKARA! KAMEN RIDER ZI-O! GEIZ! WOZ! T-RIN-I-TY~! TRINITY!]
"My Overlord!" Woz called out with a gasp.
"Zi-O!" Geiz called out.
"No time to explain, we're stopping this thing!" Zi-O called out as he went to initiate his finisher as soon as the transformation had completed.
[FINISH TIME! ZI-O! GEIZ! WOZ!]
Zi-O kicked forward, launching towards the approaching Monstra with projections of Zi-O, Geiz and Woz all following him as they entered his body to power up his kick. The three Riders yelled out as loudly as they could as they slammed their foot against the front of Monstra.
[TRINITY TIME BREAK BURST EXPLOSION!]
Monstra gave a loud groan as Zi-O kicked further, unleashing a powerful shockwave that forced the massive Grimm backwards. Zi-O lightly gasped as he was also pushed back from the wave, beginning to fall only to pass through an Aurora Curtain.
Zi-O could only yelp as his destination to land was much closer, soon landing on one knee.
"Did we do it?" Zi-O asked.
"I think we did," Geiz said as Zi-O's right shoulder shook.
"What an excellent display of strength, my Overlord!" Woz cheered as Zi-O's left arm raised itself in praise.
"You definitely did it," Summer said as she was holding a Scroll up. She had gotten a message on it not even a few seconds after Zi-O Trinity formed and had managed to film the entire kick.
"Huh?" Zi-O looked over, "Were you… filming us?"
"What's the big idea?" Geiz asked.
"Oh, there is no need to worry," Woz stated, "It's a new part of our plan."
"Eh?" Zi-O looked at his shoulder, "A new part?"
"Zi-O," Geiz said as Zi-O's right arm moved towards the Driver, "Dismiss the transformation now. The Ace-Ops are confronting our group and I need to get back to them."
"Oh, right, understood," Zi-O nodded as he took control and dismissed the transformation. Because Geiz and Woz being far enough away, they were warped back to their prior locations. This just left Sougo as the one outside the suit as he walked over to Summer, "So why exactly film me?"
"Well once I send this video…" Summer trailed before the message confirmed her sending it, "Then you'll find out in a minute or two."
"I couldn't destroy it with a hasty finisher…" Sougo admitted as he turned towards Monstra which was currently reeled back and floating in place, "But that looked like it stopped her."
"Honestly, I'm sure you did some lasting damage given its not moving back in," Summer replied, "She can't carelessly risk her biggest Grimm against you."
Remnant – Monstra
"What… was that?" Salem asked in shock as she kept Monstra from charging forward again, she could feel the pain that the beast was in. Another kick like that without Monstra recovering would mean certain death for the creature and main attack carrier, "That attack… it nearly eradicated our vessel…"
"Excuse me?" Cinder turned in shock.
Neo meanwhile looked around, noticing everyone else was paying attention to the current issue, she began to slowly but surely back away before pressing against a wall and using her Semblance to hide against it.
Finis meanwhile began to grin, "I'll regret those words, huh?"
"You…" Salem hissed out as she narrowed her eyes towards Finis, "You're really working with those Kamen Riders aren't you?"
"Oh no, Zi-O is my enemy," Finis held a serious almost insulted expression, "I was merely hoping that your big theatrical showcase would force him to act and show off the strongest power he has at the moment. And he did."
"You…" Salem gripped the seat of her chair before beeping suddenly went off all around her. She watched as all of her subordinates pulled out their Scrolls.
"Hey wait…" Emerald suddenly spoke up, "Why is this saying it's a Global Communications Broadcast? Even with what little we did, it shouldn't have gone back up."
Salem's eyes widened slightly, recalling how she was watching the broadcast from Hazel's Scroll before it got cut off. This was her clue that Cinder had disobeyed orders, but she was also partially relieved to see that the attempt to reestablish Global Communications had failed. It didn't take long for her to see the surprised reactions of her subordinates when viewing their scrolls before she heard a voice.
"People of Remnant…"
This was a voice she recognized instantly…
It was Tsukasa Kadoya's voice…
Remnant – Amity Communications Tower
The entire world of Remnant was once again getting Global Communications Signals. And one of the first things that people were able to see was Zi-O Trinity soaring through the air and using his Rider Kick to fend off Monstra with the Whale Grimm staying in its place without attempting another attack. It didn't take long for other footage to start appearing, security camera footage of various areas showcasing the various Kamen Riders fighting off the Grimm and helping the civilians in Mantle. Surprisingly there were even some video submissions sent in of people managing to film the Riders briefly as they were being helped.
The feed soon cut to the inside of Amity Tower itself with both Pietro Polendina and Tsukasa in front of the camera.
"People of Remnant, sorry about the sudden cut out on communications earlier," Tsukasa said as he addressed the world, "It's just given there is a battle that's going on at the moment, there are some people who'd rather we not get Global Communications up and running again. Now I know you're all curious about the minor details and probably have tons of questions given the prior message, and I'm sure Dr. Polendina here would be happy to explain the finer details of the Global Communications System."
"Yes," Pietro nodded before giving a cough, "Though I'm sure my friend here has something he wants to say first."
"True," Tsukasa said before clasping his hands together, "My name is Tsukasa Kadoya, and I'm a Kamen Rider. You've heard that term before, how Ruby said it. A Kamen Rider is someone who fights for the people above all else. In essence, we're similar to Huntsmen and Huntresses except we have cool armor as you can see. Where do we come from? Well that's hard to explain and you probably wouldn't even believe us and are likely still processing what Ruby just told you all. So to save the further confusion, just know that we're here to help."
He paused with a smile, clearly enjoying this time in the limelight. He was sure Summer and Ruby would be groaning heavily at how he seemed to be eating the camera up.
"I'm here to tell you that despite what it may seem, we're here to turn the tide against Salem and Ironwood in Atlas. While our enemy is Salem, Ruby is right in that Ironwood cannot be trusted. We Riders cannot overlook him wanting to abandon Remnant because he arrogantly believes that hiding away and hording resources will help you all in the end," Tsukasa explained as he placed his hands in his pockets, "I alongside the other Riders want you to look towards a brighter tomorrow, look at the video footage flooding the communications network at the moment. We Riders will keep the hope of victory alive while all of you handle your own troubles first before attempting to come to our aid. We can last, we can handle it… and…"
He soon gestured for Pietro to move back before taking center frame, bringing out the Neo Decadriver and preparing his transformation.
"Henshin!"
[KAMEN RIDE: DECADE!]
In a flash of grey he had transformed into Kamen Rider Decade, giving Remnant a close look at his transformation.
"I have a message for both Salem, and General Ironwood," He said as his tone grew more serious, "Both of your reigns end here. There may have been a time when this could have been a tragedy in the making, but thanks to certain interference in the past… this is a time where that won't happen. I'm addressing you both so that you two can prepare yourselves. Because there is no version of this situation where either of you come out the victor. This is the battle that will end in your loss."
He then stepped back before dismissing his transformation, gesturing for Pietro to take the stage.
"Thank you for that uh… Tsukasa," Pietro gave a nervous chuckle before clearing his throat, wanting to get back on track to lighten the mood via his explanations, "Now then, I suppose I should get to explaining how we're up on the air to begin with."
Remnant – Monstra
Salem sank into her seat as she heard the message play out, her hands gripping the throne with greater strength the longer the message went on.
"I think I've proven my point," Finis said before looking over to Cinder, "What is your choice?"
"My choice…?" Cinder asked.
"Will you continue to follow Salem who simply wishes to control you and keep you as her most important tool," Finis said before bringing out the Roze Anotherwatch, holding it towards Cinder, "Or will you take my offer, my power. I believe that you can take this power further than anyone else here could."
"Cinder…" Salem narrowed her eyes.
Cinder glanced at Salem then back at Finis, "Will I have the power to stand toe to toe with those Riders?"
"Of course," Finis smiled, "I can only imagine what kind of strength will come to you by combining both your Maiden Powers and Another Rider Powers."
"Then I have my answer," Cinder grasped the Anotherwach with her Grimm Arm and she gave a wince as the Anotherwatch released a pulse. Suddenly her Shadow Hand gained a stone coloration and texture. Despite this, it didn't hurt to Cinder, it felt relieving almost. And it wasn't solid stone either as it only had the look of it, she could still move the arm just fine.
"You would dare betray me Cinder?" Salem asked as she stood up, only for her eyes to widen when she couldn't feel anything coming from Cinder's arm, "What… what is this?"
"I'm not yours anymore…" Cinder gave a glare with her one eye, the Maiden Flames manifesting over it as she held her left arm outwards. In a burst of flames the Roze Anotherwatch has changed the image on the front of it. She grinned and pressed the button of the Anotherwatch before throwing her arm down towards her waist.
The Anotherwatch formed a black Ziku Driver with a bright red screen that read 2019 on the display. Her body warped as dark energy surrounded it before transforming her into the standard Another Roze. The blooming roses on her shoulders however suddenly turned white before they exploded out and surrounded her as the thorn filled vines on the arms, leg and stomach vanished. The petals soon converged and covered the fur entirely, creating plated petal-like armor with orange glowing cracks between. Replacing the shoulders were maroon rounded shoulders that had white fire decals overlaid on top.
She still held the two-tailed coattail with black rimming that came from the prior Another Roze. Alongside this was still the maroon hood covering up most of the helmet, the hood wrapped around the neck but didn't flow into a scarf, being cut short and simply dangling at just at her shoulders. The helmet retained the rosebud appearance but both eyes were now a bright yellow, with cracks spreading out from the left eye, the cracks glowing orange.
Two of the petals on her left arm were larger than the rest, having the Roze and 2019 written on the two petals in black ink. Though the name and date now had a fiery flare to it.
[HI-ROZE!]
"So this is my new power…" Another Hi-Roze lightly gasped as she looked at her armored body, feeling a great intense power flowing through her that complimented her Maiden Powers.
"You're making a mistake Cinder," Salem narrowed her eyes.
"Oh I don't think I am," Another Hi-Roze said as she stepped forward, "From today onwards, I'm no longer your tool."
"Why you-" Salem was ready to order the Hound to attack when she alongside her pet, Hazel, Mercury, and Emerald were all frozen via Finis' time stop.
"You will make an excellent Queen," Finis admitted as they walked over to Another Hi-Roze and held out the Shinobi Miridewatch, "And what's a Queen without her subjects?"
"You're right," Another Hi-Roze said as she looked over towards Emerald who had a fear stricken expression on her face, she let out a cruel chuckle before shoving the Shinobi Miridewatch into Emerald.
Emerald gasped as Finis unfroze time around her, falling to her knees as she held her chest, "Cinder… why…?"
"Didn't you want to help me?" Another Hi-Roze questioned in an almost mocking manner as she looked down at Emerald, "Because this is how you're going to help me."
[SHINOBI!]
Emerald could only scream out in pain as she transformed into Another Shinobi, the Another Rider seemingly retaining none of Emerald's personality as it knelt in servitude.
"Now then, I think we're done here," Finis said as they walked towards the two Another Riders, holding up their hand and warping away with the two, time unfreezing around the remaining members of Salem's forces.
"That's totally cheating!" Mercury called out as he stomped his boot against the floor, "What the hell?!"
"Ma'am…?" Hazel turned towards Salem, "What do we do?"
"Leave me… now…" Salem said as she clasped her hands together and lowered her head towards them, the rage in her voice building.
"Of course…" Hazel said as he ushered Mercury to follow him, the two leaving with the disguised Neo sneaking out after them. The last thing the three would hear would be a blood curdling scream of rage, it being louder and more intense than the one Hazel and Mercury had heard when she heard the news of Ozpin coming back.
Remnant – Atlas, Schnee Manor
Ruby could only stare in awe at what she had seen of Sougo's attack as Zi-O Trinity. Though that was completely undercut once Tsukasa took up the role of a speaker as Amity's renewed broadcast continued.
May was with her, giving an impressed whistle at Tsukasa's words against Salem and Ironwood.
Kouta meanwhile let out a chuckle, "He always liked to show off."
"Yeah, to an annoying degree," Ruby sighed before giving a wince as she suddenly felt lightheaded, she managed to stand her ground and brace as the feeling passed before hunching over. She felt something calling for her, something pulling at her, and for a brief second her eyes shifted from their silver coloration to a bright yellow.
"Ah Ruby," Kouta gasped as he stepped forward, "Are you okay?"
'Am I… awake…?'
"Y-Yeah…" Ruby spoke up as she began to sweat slightly, wiping the sweat off her brow as she swore she heard herself thinking something, but it was nothing more than a light whisper in the back of her mind, "I'm fine."
"Maybe you should get some rest kid," May suggested.
"I'll be fine," Ruby reassured even if she was still curious as to what the strange pulling feeling inside her was, "I've gotten enough rest already."
"If you say so," May shrugged.
"Well if you don't need me, I should probably head back to Mantle and see what I can do there," Kouta said as he realized the situation was handled, "Don't hesitate to call me if I'm needed though."
"Of course," Ruby nodded, "Thanks for the warning Kouta."
"No problem," Kouta saluted before vanishing in a burst of gold light.
Remnant – Atlas Central Command
Ironwood had been awaiting an update on the situation from Winter when he was suddenly called to Central Command as the shield was being attacked. He could only stare wide eyed as he saw the Grimm easily bypass his shields and defenses. He was ready to prepare for the worst once he watched camera footage of Monstra preparing to land. Only to see Sougo in Zi-O Trinity kick against the massive beast to force it back. He could barely get out a word as he watched Global Communications come back not even a minute after he had seen the attack.
Watching it he could only narrow his eyes at all the various Kamen Riders fighting in Mantle. It was always about Mantle to them, never about Atlas. And then there was the speech Tsukasa gave, addressing both him and Salem together, acting as if he was the villain in this important battle.
"I want any and all incoming communications from outside the Kingdom to be ignored," Ironwood ordered as the various clerks and Atlas officials could only look in surprise, "You heard me. We are not to take any calls from outside the Kingdom until Salem and the Kamen Riders are defeated."
"Then I suppose you're ready?"
Ironwood turned and saw that Swartz had appeared a few feet away from him.
"You've gotten a glimpse at Zi-O's strongest form," Swartz mentioned, "I take it you realize what you have to do then, correct?"
"I do," Ironwood said as he walked over to Swartz, "I want you to give me the power to win this war."
"If it's power to win a war you desire, then I'll give to you," Swartz smiled as he grasped Ironwood's hand and placed the Zi-O Anotherwatch in it, "Just show me that you're worthy of it."
"Of course I'm worthy," Ironwood said as he held up the Zi-O Anotherwatch before pressing the button and placing it near his waist.
[ZI-O!]
Swartz stepped back as a series of watchstrap styled rings circled around him before breaking apart as pink energy surged, transforming him into Another Zi-O. This transformation was the same as Hiryu's Version, the only difference being a silver coattail that came from underneath the belt strap and went down to the ankles, mimicking Ironwood's own general's coat.
Everyone gave yells as they backed away and stood up in fear at Ironwood's new transformation. Swartz waved his arm to the side and froze time within the room.
"This… this is incredible," Another Zi-O admitted as he felt the power coursing through him. He gripped his hands tightly before looking over at Swartz, "This is the power of Zi-O, the power of Sougo Tokiwa?"
"In the broadest sense, yes," Swartz said, "It's up to you to push this power to new heights and defeat Zi-O."
"I see," Another Zi-O said before lowering his arms, "With this power, Salem doesn't stand a chance."
"There is more where that came from," Swartz said as he held up a different Anotherwatch, this one being Another Agito, "I can give you the army you need to defeat any Grimm or Rider."
"I'd have an army of Riders…" Another Zi-O trailed before laughing, "Yes… good… then no one would be able to stand in my way."
"Perfect," Swartz said as he stepped forward, "Of course, it would be a shame for your top subordinates to miss out on this power."
"Then when you give me that army you can go to them and give them their own power," Another Zi-O replied, "We won't be losing to anyone anymore after this."
Swartz simply gave a wide grin, Ironwood's approval being all he needed to hear. He now had the highest authority in Atlas under his thumb, alongside fairly sizeable resources. It was a long waiting game, but the Time Jackers trip to Remnant had finally paid off.
Remnant – Monstra
Neo was currently skulking through the hallways of Monstra, trying to slowly make her way towards the docking platforms to reach the Small Manta. She was honestly glad to see that Salem had been too distracted by all the recent turn of events to notice her sneak off. Even Mercury and Hazel didn't seem to care where she went. She continued to make her way forward before feeling a presence behind her. She quickly drew out her umbrella, extending its blade and aiming it forward.
To her surprise, it was just Narutaki standing at a far enough distance, his arms behind his back.
"I am not here to fight," Narutaki said with a smile, "However out of everyone here you are the most interesting."
Neo raised an eyebrow and lowered her weapon, slowly but carefully approaching Narutaki.
"I know your vendetta, against Ruby Rose, and even Cinder," Narutaki said, continuing to smile as he watched Neo's eyes widen, "You stopped your assault against her because of her powers. But what if I told you that wouldn't be an issue?"
Neo soon held a skeptical look, placing a hand on her waist.
"You will not find your revenge here," Narutaki grew more serious as an Aurora Curtain appeared behind him, "I can give you that power if you trust me."
Neo's skeptical look faded as she adopted a more neutral one, walking towards Narutaki before passing by him, entering the Aurora Curtain.
"Good answer," Narutaki turned and entered the Aurora Curtain before it vanished completely.
To Be Continued…
Next Time:
"Good luck out there soldiers."
"I'm sorry it had to come to this."
"Now, now, don't be shy."
"What were you thinking pulling that stunt?!"
"P-Penny…?"
Chapter 89: Pawns with Power
Author's Note: And here we go as both Cinder and Ironwood have taken their positions as Another Roze and Another Zi-O. While Another Zi-O only gets the minor visual update, Another Roze evolves further thanks to the Roze Anotherwatch shifting into Hi-Roze thanks to Cinder's usage of the Maiden Powers.
This was a fun chapter to eventually write as while V8 aired, I decided that "Zi-O Trinity will kick this Whale in the face" upon seeing the episode. Zi-O Trinity's nothing to joke about and I figured it's reappearance after ages of it not being in the story deserved something pretty grand. But yes, things are diverging further now as Cinder is no longer with Salem, there was no direct landing on Atlas and Neo is tagging along with Narutaki while Ironwood's got new powers to toy with.
Now I should address something since it's been a couple of weeks. But RWBY Volume 9, very nice Volume, a good break for our small cast. Overall I enjoyed it a lot, especially with the bits that got added to RWBY's cosmology. That being said, and as I've said numerous times, Roze's retelling of both V7 and V8 were planned and written way before we got any substantial news on V9 other than what short little clips we saw. V9 is very much not a factor here, and because of how I've planned things, likely won't receive as straightforward of an adaptation like you'd think. I have plenty of fun ideas involving the setting, but I've still yet to hash the finer details out yet.
With that said, thank you all for reading and I'll see you all next time.