1981

Moscow, Russia (USSR)

As the elevator descended, the fourteen 13-year-old kids riding inside were preparing their guns and checking their ammo. This was their very first mission as a team so everything needed to go smoothly. Their suits of armour were not yet 100% ready for use, but it didn't matter as they didn't require them for this mission. The only sort of armour they had on them were school uniforms worn by kids their age and insect masks.

"Is everyone prepared?" #13 asked, loading up his Skorpion EVO III machine gun.

"Locked and loaded, Boss," said #08, his M240 up and ready.

"Hey, sure we gotta do this?" #09 asked worriedly. He was armed with a Mk 48 machine gun.

"Orders are orders, #09," #00 answered neutrally.

"Just as long as we get to blow shit up," #12 grinned sadistically.

"You and me both," #03 smiled eagerly. "This is gonna be fun."

"Will anyone be able to escape?" #13 questioned.

"Sealed all the exits, Captain," #06 confirmed. "Nobody is getting in or out until we're done."

"Killed the phone lines too," #08 added.

"Remember our orders: leave no survivors, leave no witnesses, take no prisoners. Remember to destroy all security footage as well," #13 commanded. "We were never here."

"Let's just get this over with," said #07 said impatiently. She looked at #11 who seemed reluctant. She didn't want to do this anymore than she did. "The sooner we finish this, the sooner we can leave."

"...OK," #11 whispered.

The elevator stopped, and the door opened.

"Masks on," #13 ordered, pulling his cicada mask over his face. "Mission start."

The fourteen cyborg NUMBERS casually strolled out of the elevator and into the airport terminal where people were standing in line to board their flights. Security guards were also standing nearby.

No one seemed to pay them any mind. Perhaps they thought these masked kids were putting on a show of some kind. Although, some of the people, the guards especially, noticed them carrying guns. A few dismissed them as just toys since the real thing would've been too heavy for kids to carry. Besides, who would be stupid enough to arm a bunch of kids with guns?

So, nobody expected what happened next as the NUMBERS suddenly opened fire on the airport terminal, gunning down civilians, staff and security personnel alike. The NUMBERS were like a professional shooting squad, not wasting time and showing no mercy. Many people screamed in terror as they tried to flee from the carnage but they would not get very far as they were gunned. They dropped to the floor, dead, blood pouring out of their wounds to pool around their bodies. The metal detectors were also hit by gunfire and were damaged beyond repair.

"Hahaha! Look at them run! " #12 laughed gleefully as he fired upon the people as they were trying to flee for their lives. This was all just a game to him.

"Of course they can only run," #10 snorted as he heartlessly stepped over the bodies, looking for more targets. "They're powerless to do anything." He was a superior being, after all. There was no way they could get away from him.

"Bet I can kill more than you, 10!" #12 challenged.

"Hah, in your dreams! By the end of this, my body count will be higher than 13's!" #10 bragged. "Hey, 11! Let's see who gets the most headshots! Loser has to clean the winner's locker!"

"R-right," #11 nodded, trying to fight back her hesitation. If she failed or performed in an unsatisfactory manner, her handler was going to punish her.

Showa Chronicles: Legacy of ReVenge

Act II: Pray for Revenge God Will Turn a Deaf Ear

Within the small kingdom of Genovia, Crown Princess Shawna Fyona Francesca de Genovia was humming happily to herself as she was picking outfits out from a wedding catalogue, specifically sexy lingerie and negligee for wedding nights.

Since the wedding she had attended between the now Misami-Nekozawa couple last year, she had become very much inspired to have a wedding of her own. Although, the man she was in love with had other women that were just as much in love with him. It was no problem as she loved them like sisters. Thankfully, Genovian laws legalized joint weddings, so she decided that they would be blessed under her nation's banner.

Her Mister Samurai - Shinichi - was her kingdom's hero. As he was the current wielder of the legendary sword of St. George, Ascalon, which was used to slay the dragon Dreigon itself, Shinichi had been accepted by all her subjects and even the noble houses. Though many questioned the fact that he was not a fellow countryman, that had long since become a moot point. He was a hero, awarded with a noble title, and was engaged to Princess Shawna herself.

Soon, it would be time for them to be wed and he would be her king. Rena and Satan would also be her sister-wives as well and they would share him and live happily ever after. That was Shawna's vision of a fairy tale life. She would need to tell them about this first, though. It would not be fair of her to make this decision without their input.

"Ms. Rena, Ms. Satan, Mr. Samurai," Shawna beamed at her shelf where the Showa action figure Shinichi had given her stood. Beside it stood dolls that she made to resemble herself, Rena and Satan, all dressed as princesses. "Soon, we will be together and we can live happily ever after."

The Dragonslayer Festival was just around the corner and it had been such a long time since she had last seen her fiancé and friends. Perhaps she should have them flown over to enjoy the festivities. And, perhaps, when she had a chance, discuss with Rena about their future together.

The baby monitor on her nightstand went off and she heard the cry of babies from it. She immediately set her magazine aside and went to check the nursery.

"Bills, junk mail, hate mail, hate mail, bills, Shūpure magazine," Shinichi muttered as he sorted through their mail. They didn't get as much hate mail as last year but he just wished it stopped. He usually ignored them anyway and set them aside to be burned.

He found one envelope that had their address written on it in beautiful cursive. It also had the royal Genovian seal on it. Curious, he tore the envelope open to find a letter and three first-class tickets. After reading the letter, his face lit up with a smile.

"Hey, Shawna-chan sent us plane tickets," Shinichi informed Rena as he showed them to her. "First-class."

"Really?" Rena asked, surprised. She had been feeding Shinjiro while Shinichi sorted through the mail. "That's nice of her."

"Yeah. She says the Dragonslayer Festival is going to be held in a week and she invited us over to Genovia. She also sent tickets to my parents and all our friends."

"That's very generous of her."

"Yeah- hold on." Shinichi paused as he put his fingers against the spot behind his ears. "Hello, Kaa-chan."

"Hello, Shinji. You will not believe what we just received in the mail today," Shiori responded. She had a communicator tuned to the exact frequency used by the NEO-NUMBERS so she could call her son directly.

"First-class tickets to Genovia," Shinichi stated.

"Oh, so that means Shawna-chan sent them to you too. How nice."

"It's for the Dragonslayer Festival and I'm the guest of honour," Shinichi explained. "So, do you think you can come?"

"Oh, I wouldn't want to miss this. Of course, I'll be coming but I'll have to discuss it with Tatsuyoshi-kun first. Tell you later, bye!"

Shinichi's family and the Gaming Club all exited their taxis in front of the Narita International Airport in Tokyo. As they grabbed their luggage, Shinichi also went into the trunk to take out Shinjiro's baby carriage. Sho had fallen asleep on the ride and was sleeping in Kasai's arms as he carried him.

"First-class, first-class, first-class," Satoko chanted. She could not wait. First-class was great, especially on somebody else's dime.

Yes, everyone was excited about the trip.

"So, what exactly is the Dragonslayer Festival?" Mion asked as they made their way into the airport terminal.

"It's basically your typical Renaissance Fair," Shinichi answered. He saw their clueless looks and explained. "Everyone has fun while dressed up like they're in the middle ages."

"Ah, like a cosplay party. I get it," Mion nodded, grinning. Shinichi rolled his eyes with a good-natured smile. Even after all these years, Mion still enjoyed cosplay.

"And Shawna-chan says she has costumes prepared for us," Rena added.

"Guess that means you'll be dressed as a prince," Keiichi teased Shinichi. Shawna was not just their friend, but also Shinichi's fiancé. They were surprised how easily Rena had accepted this. They thought she would become jealous but Rena didn't seem to mind. In fact, she was happy to share her beloved Shin-kun with Shawna.

"A knight, actually," Shinichi corrected.

"You can be a knight and a prince," Satoshi pointed out.

"I dunno," Shinichi replied, unsure about being a prince. "Can you imagine me in a crown?"

"I think you'd look rather royal in one, Shinji," Shiori praised. And if you become a prince, Shinjiro will be a prince too."

"'Prince Shinjiro' does have a nice ring to it," Shion commented.

The group entered the airport and waited for their flight to arrive. They would be seated in the waiting area but needed to have their boarding passes and passports checked first. Their luggage was put on a conveyor belt and rolled through the X-Ray while they stepped through the metal detector gate.

When it was Mion's turn to step through the gate, the metal detector beeped.

"Miss, do you have anything made of metal on you?" the security agent asked, holding out a basket. "Please put them in the basket, if you do. That includes watches, belts, jewellery and keys."

"Well..." Mion glanced at her arm when Shinichi saved her.

"She had an accident that required metal implants," Shinichi explained.

"Oh, alright," the security agent asked and then he narrowed his eyes at Shinichi. "You look familiar. Have I seen you before?"

"I don't believe you have but I suppose you've seen plenty of faces walk through here," Shinichi answered. "C'mon, Mion." He gently nudged her through the gate before he followed her through next.

"Amazing that nobody recognises you right now," Mion said.

"People can't imagine 'Kamen Rider Showa' walking through an airport like a normal person," Shinichi shrugged, tapping the rim of his glasses. "The perception filter helps too."

"Why didn't you set off the metal detector?" Mion asked the cyborg. "You're chocked full of metal parts."

"Gebok designed me to be an infiltrator so I can easily bypass metal detectors," Shinichi explained.

"Oh," Mion frowned, looking at her arm. It may look normal but it did not feel real. It was steel wrapped in very convincing synthetic skin. Shinichi knew what she was thinking and knew what to say to brighten her mood.

"You know, I heard ARMOR has started a project to grow new limbs for agents who lose them during missions," Shinichi told Mion. "Maybe I could ask Warren if we can get you a new arm grown for you."

"Really?" Mion's eyes lit up. "You can do that?"

"Of course, you deserve to feel normal again," Shinichi grinned. "I'll talk to him after we come back from our trip."

"Thanks, Shin-chan."

Outside the airport, a coach pulled into the parking lot. It didn't look any different from any other coach but it had tinted windows and windshields. Inside the coach, there were several Europeans armed with guns.

"T-minus three. Everyone, prepare to move out," a bearded man spoke in Russian as he cocked his gun. "Has the target been located?"

"Our informant states that he has just crossed the metal detectors," a woman answered.

"Then we make our move now," the bearded man nodded. "Remember, comrades. Avoid harming civilians. Our nation is already in too much turmoil as it is. If all else fails, we still have our secret weapon. Now, masks on."

Each member of the group put on bear masks and stepped out of the bus together. They each carried a duffel bag as they marched into the airport. Their appearance had earned them odd stares but it was nothing to panic over. People just assumed they were doing some kind of promotional event.

They walked deeper into the terminal until they found where Shinichi was waiting with his friends and family.

"Huh?" Shinichi uttered as his hair antenna suddenly stood up, causing him to stiffen as he sensed trouble.

Together, the masked group dropped their duffel bags and unzipped them to take out their machine guns. Now, it was time to get the bastard's attention.

One of them fired at the ceiling, the sound of rapid gunfire immediately causing a panic.

"GET ON THE GROUND!" the leader ordered in Russian-accented Japanese while brandishing his weapon as his men did the same. He pointed his weapon at a security agent. "You! Come here!" The security agent nervously approached the masked gunman who handed him a note. "Read."

"R-read?" the agent asked as a gun was pointed at him. "O-OK. A-alright. P-please don't h-hurt me!" He took the note to read.

"Read!" the leader ordered.

"'B-BLACK 13! W-we know y-you are h-h-here! Y-you m-m-must pay for w-what y-you've d-d-done! C-c-come o-o-out n-now o-o-or w-we'll s-start shooting ho-ho-hostages!" the poor security agent stammered in terror as he read the note. "P-please, n-no!"

"BLACK 13?" Shiori's eyes widened as she tried to calm Sho down as he cried loudly with Shinjiro. The loud gunfire had frightened them. She looked at Shinichi who frowned grimly. He always hated being called by that name. It only served as a reminder of a past he was trying to move on from.

"They're here for me," Shinichi realized as he stood up but Rena grabbed his arm.

"Shin-kun, no," Rena protested, shaking her head.

"It'll be fine. I'll be fine," he reassured her as he took off his glasses and gently removed her hand. "Just look after Shinjiro. I promise everything is going to be fine."

Shinichi calmly strode towards the masked gunmen, getting their attention as they aimed their machine guns at him. The frightened security agent had been sent to join the rest of the hostages.

"I'm here. I'm BLACK 13. Nobody needs to get hurt," Shinichi said as he held his hands up. He studied their appearance. They didn't appear to be soldiers but were wearing the same red camouflage jackets over their civilian clothing.

"Stand against the wall," the lead gunman ordered him.

"Alright," Shinichi complied, keeping his hands up as he stood against the wall.

"Now, you will die for what you've done, murderer. An eye for an eye," the lead gunman sneered. The masked gunmen aimed their guns at Shinichi, prepared to execute him.

"Do not harm my family, please," Shinichi asked in Russian.

"Do not worry. Unlike you, they are innocent. Fire!"

They pulled the triggers and then...nothing. Everything just froze, with the bullets floating motionless in the air as the air could be seen rippling behind them.

Shinichi blinked when this happened. His powers must have triggered automatically.

"Huh, neat."

He first collected the floating bullets which he could see were armour-piercing rounds and tossed them into the nearest trash basket. He then stepped up to a frozen gunman and waved his hand in front of his face. No response. He rubbed his chin and snapped his fingers as a light bulb lit up in his head.

First, he collected all their machine guns and broke them before setting them aside. Then, he started to pose them like mannequins. He had one posed to kick another in the groin. He pantsed two other gunmen and tied their shoelaces together before setting them up to punch each other. The last one he posed to punch himself hard in the face.

He snapped a few quick photos and stepped back before time resumed. It all happened at once as the masked gunmen struck each other. One man collapsed as his comrade kicked him hard in the groin. The two gunmen who had their pants pulled down and shoelaces tied together had punched each other in the face, knocking each other down. The last one punched himself so hard that he collapsed, crying in pain.

The last man standing, the one who had kicked his fellow gunmen in the balls, just gaped in confusion. Shinichi grabbed him by the collar and tore off his mask before he lifted him up effortlessly.

"Alright, who sent you?" Shinichi demanded but the man responded by spitting in Shinichi's face. "Seriously?" The man grinned before Shinichi slammed him to the floor, knocking him out.

Wiping his face clean with his scarf, Shinichi watched as the rest of the masked men were picking themselves up. Two of them had untied their shoelaces and pulled their pants back up. They all glared at Shinichi as two of them pulled out their combat knives while the other two drew their pistols.

"Look, guys, I don't want to hurt you," Shinichi told them as he hardened his eyes. "But I'm guessing the feeling's not mutual here."

The knifemen attacked as they charged at Shinichi who dodged their swings. He could tell that these men were not unskilled thugs. They had training. Unfortunately, for them, he was no simple target.

His hands sparked with electricity as he channelled Kamen Rider Stronger's electrical powers and struck both knifemen with his fists, stunning them like a taser as they went down, leaving them twitching on the ground. The two gunmen fired as Shinichi turned to look at them. The bullets flew but Shinichi swiftly caught them. He then charged at the gunman and tasered them too.

It was over in a matter of seconds.

Dropping the bullets, Shinichi dusted off his hands as airport security came to detain the masked men.

"Hey, can you call the police?" Shinichi asked politely. "Thanks." As he was about to rejoin his group, he heard loud footsteps approaching and turned to see what it was. "That can't be good."

He was right.

In one word, the new figure that stomped into the airport terminal could only be described as intimidating. He wore a suit of crimson and black armour over a grey undersuit with a helmet that masked his identity. The armour was quite bulky in appearance and it covered the wearer from head to toe. It was more like a mechanical exo-suit than a simple suit of armour.

The helmet had a black star-shaped visor with a mouthplate that resembled the snarling jaws of a bear. The suit had a ribbed chestplate with black gauntlets and greaves that covered the limbs. Spiked knuckles appeared to be built into the gauntlets. Emblazoned in gold on the suit's left pauldron was the image of a powerful bear while the right pauldron was emblazoned with the emblem of the Soviet Union; a hammer and a sickle which were crossed together. The symbol was not just there for decoration as it also indicated the wearer's weapons which he carried. Held in his hands was a huge war hammer that was styled after a sledgehammer and holstered in his belt was a pair of sickles. As for the belt buckle, it was steel grey with a red star in front that glowed with crimson energy.

"Who the hell are you? 'Captain Communism'?" Shinichi questioned as he kept his guard up.

"I am the Crimson Rider," the armoured figure spoke with a Russian accent as he towered over Shinichi. "But you may call me...YOUR END!"

Without warning, the huge war hammer glowed with power and Crimson Rider swung his weapon. Shinichi was hit dead centre in the chest and sent sailing across the terminal as his friends and family cried out in panic. He crashed through a pillar before he rolled to a stop, groaning in pain.

"O…K…" Shinichi grunted, holding his chest. If he had been a normal human, his ribcage would not have just been broken, it would have been shattered by that hammer. "Not friendly. Definitely not friendly."

Betraying his size, the Crimson Rider moved at high speed with the aid of boosters on his back. In a matter of seconds, he reached Shinichi and brought his war hammer down on him. Shinichi rolled out of the way before the hammer came down to flatten him like a pancake, leaving a crater on the spot. He flipped onto his feet and then got into a defensive stance.

"Look, whoever you are, you're probably doing this to avenge someone I killed, aren't you?" Shinichi asked. Crimson Rider did not respond and swung his war hammer at him again. Shinichi ducked under the swing and jumped back to avoid another overhead swing. "OK, not a fan of talking then? Fine."

The Crimson Rider knocked Shinichi down with an uppercut to the jaw and then he raised his war hammer to crush him. He brought it down on him and the spectators watched in horrors as he was violently smashed to death.

Unfortunately, for Crimson Rider, Shinichi managed to survive as his body seemingly melted and dissolved into a puddle of water. This briefly confused Crimson Rider but then the puddle sprang up and solidified, striking him across the chest with a blade. The blow managed to send Crimson Rider stumbling back.

Shinichi's body was clad blue and silver armour with red accents while wielding a thin sword. His head was also covered by a blue helmet with a smooth silver faceplate and red eyes. This was one of his Showa Rider forms, the Legendary RX Biorider, aka the Prince of Anger.

Crimson Rider roared and swung furiously at Showa Biorider who dodged all of his blows. When he did manage to land a hit, Showa Biorider just turned into water and reformed to retaliate. Sparks flew as he slashed with the Bio Blade, driving Crimson Rider back.

Crimson Rider realized that his war hammer was useless against Showa Biorider's agility and ability to morph into water. That was easily fixed, though. Crimson Rider flipped a switch on his hammer's handle and it sparked. With a mighty roar, he swung and just as Showa Biorider was turning into water, the weapon struck and he got zapped. He screamed in pain as if he got struck by lightning and staggered back.

Crimson Rider twirled his war hammer around and went for the killing blow. Instead of caving his skull in, the hammer was stopped without any effort. His target's suit was now black with orange accents and had a much stronger armour plating. The helmet matched the armour with red eyes and red streaks that rolled down the face like tears. Crimson Rider gaped as Showa easily caught his weapon before he punched him in the face, cracking the visor.

This was RX Roborider, aka the Prince of Sadness.

"Voltech Shooter," Showa Roborider summoned his laser pistol and fired at Crimson Rider. Crimson Rider was forced on the defensive as he tried to deflect the laser shots with the hammer. When that did not work, he dropped the hammer and reached down to his belt to pull out the sickles. They hummed and glowed as energy coursed through them.

Crimson Rider charged at Showa Roborider who braced himself. While he was stronger in this form compared to Biorider and more durable, his movements were also slow and robotic. That was the trade-off. He had exchanged his speed for strength. Thus, Showa Roborider was now at Crimson Rider's mercy as he slashed him repeatedly with the energized sickles. Fortunately, his durability kept him on his feet and he retaliated with a punch to Crimson Rider's chest, knocking the wind out of him. He then fired multiple laser rounds with his Voltech Shooter.

"What's he doing?" Mion asked. "Shin-chan can usually beat these mooks by now."

"He's holding back," Rena concluded. "He doesn't want to kill the person under that armour."

She was right. Shinichi was trying to avoid killing Crimson Rider. It made things a bit more challenging for him, but he needed to show everyone he was not the same heartless killer Gebok had designed him to be.

He fired at Crimson Rider's hands, shooting his weapons out of them. Angered by this, Crimson Rider charged at Showa Roborider. Looking down, Showa Roborider spotted Crimson Rider's war hammer and used his foot to kick it up. He caught it and then reared his arm back. Just as Crimson Rider was about to throw a punch, he countered and slammed the war hammer into his chest, caving in the chestplate and sending Crimson Rider flying across the terminal. The Crimson Rider crashed through the wall, leaving a hole on impact.

"Hm," Showa Roborider studied Crimson Rider's hammer. "Maybe I should ask the guys in ARMOR to make me something like this." He dropped the war hammer and then dismissed his transformation.

That was when the police officers finally chose to show up. They surrounded Shinichi and aimed their guns at him.

"Freeze!"

"Drop your weapon!"

Shinichi saw he was still holding his Voltech Shooter and grimaced.

"Shit."

Crimson Rider crawled across the ground after his hard flight. The police would no doubt come looking for him so he needed to change. Breathing harshly, Crimson Rider painfully stood up and grabbed the belt from his waist and pulled it off. A crimson and gold star washed over him and stripped him of his armour as it vanished.

This revealed that he was a she.

While the suit was designed to make the wearer appear male, the person underneath it was female. She was a beautiful woman with silver hair that reached her shoulders, a messy fringe and violet eyes. She was tall and slim with buxom breasts, dressed in a black tank top that shaped around her cleavage nicely, blue jeans and black military boots.

"What a disaster," the woman whispered in Russian, her body sore from her fight with BLACK 13. "All my comrades are likely to be arrested by now."

The woman's name was Cryska Barchenowa, and she just so happened to be a soldier of the Soviet Red Army. When she was young, her parents were among the many victims of the Moscow Airport Massacre of 1981. Her Motherland had many enemies, but none claimed responsibility for the tragedy that took place that day, and yet many Soviets enlisted into the army to find the killers responsible. She was one of those Soviets, and she needed a way to protect and support her sister.

It was only recently that she discovered the identity of her parents' killers. Six of them were unaccounted for, already presumed dead. The rest were revealed to the world two years ago, and they had just discovered the location of the one who led the massacre. Thus, a handful of the soldiers went after him, with her using an experimental suit of armour from the labs that was designed to be a match for him. It would appear they gravely underestimated him, however.

What baffled her was the fact that he didn't kill any of them. All he did was incapacitate them. Was it because of the civilians? Why would a mass murderer care about innocent people? Was he just trying to preserve his reputation as a 'hero'? Was that it?

Cryska shook her head. So what if he didn't kill them today? That still didn't change the fact that he had killed her parents. He needed to pay for his crimes, one way or another.

Fourteen-year-old Cryska and her little sister were in the bathroom, hiding in one of the stalls together. When they heard the gunfire, Cryska had locked herself and her little sister in and kept quiet, waiting until it was safe to come out. They sat on the toilet with their legs pulled up so nobody could see their feet if they checked under the door.

They heard someone come inside and kick each of the stall doors open before reaching theirs. They held in their screams when someone banged on the door. They kept banging until the lock broke and the door swung open.

Standing in front of them was a girl in a school uniform with her hair in twintails and wearing a pink mantis mask. She had her gun pointed at them and Cryska's blood drained from her face.

Then, to Cryska's surprise and confusion, the girl withdrew her weapon. She sighed, shook her head, and closed the door before leaving them alone. Cryska and her little sister did not dare step out as they heard voices coming from outside the bathroom.

"Number 11, did you find any survivors?"

"No, there are no survivors here."

"Good, then our sweep is complete. Now let us rendezvous on the roof for extraction."

After the authorities found them, their survival was kept a secret from the press. After such a traumatic experience, Cryska was grateful for it. She was later asked to identify their parents' bodies. The authorities had no leads. All the security footage that day had been destroyed and besides Cryska and her sister, there were no other witnesses. All Cryska could tell them was that one of the people responsible wore an insect mask and they referred to each other by numbers.

To this day, Cryska still did not understand why she and her sister had been spared.

The walkie talkie that was hooked to her belt beeped and she picked it up to answer.

"Da?" she answered.

"Were you successful?" the voice on the other end responded.

"Nyet, Eisenberg. I failed. We underestimated him and now my men have been arrested by the police," Cryska reported. "And my suit was barely a match for him."

"But you managed to get away."

"Da, I did. The police are likely looking for a man in red armour. Luckily, I managed to drag myself away to take off my suit."

"OK. Well, come back so we can patch you up and restrategize," Eisenberg told her. "Auf Wiedersehen."

"I'll be back. Do svidanya."

"Well, this sucks," Shinichi said as he looked at his handcuffs while sitting in an interrogation room. The police had arrested him at the airport for being involved in a violent altercation. While his friends and parents had protested, he went with the police willingly, even allowing them to put him in handcuffs.

The light in the interrogation room flickered and Shinichi saw a shadow in the corner stretch and expand as a figure arose from it. It was a familiar female figure that he hadn't seen in a long time.

"Zawadi?" he blinked. The Witch of Calamity gave him a warm smile as she nodded.

"It's been a little over a year hasn't it?" she asked. "Forgive my brazen intrusion. I just felt like talking." She walked over and sat on the table. "I wish our reunion wasn't in such a dreary room."

"I still can't quite figure you out," Shinichi admitted. "You stole the witches' powers to teach them some humility, forced Misato to realize how complacent she was with the third life she got, used the powers you stole to prepare the others for some war that's coming and kidnapped me so I can travel deeper into my mind to unlock the seal on my powers." He raised a finger for each point he listed. "I'd almost say that you aren't like the other witches."

"And what makes you say that?" Zawadi asked as she tilted her head.

"Because every witch I've met has mostly cared about keeping themselves entertained so they don't die of boredom, and they went as far as to use humans as game pieces without any care for the consequences. You, on the other hand, have a different goal. I just haven't figured it out yet. What's your endgame and how is Hiro involved? He mentioned a war too. What war and against who?" Shinichi wanted answers.

"Unfortunately, I cannot tell you about what the coming war entails, who it is that is responsible for starting the war, and what the end result will be, mainly because I do not know the details myself, except for one," Zawadi answered with a sigh. "Time has gone into flux, as you put it. It is already very unstable. As for Hiro, his reasons are personal. You will have to ask him should you see him again." She looked him in the eye. "And as for my reasons, I suppose you can say I feel an odd kinship with you."

"A kinship?" Shinichi asked, puzzled.

"Before... I was where you were years ago in my previous life. I was doing terrible things for wicked people and I hated every moment of it. While I was caught, my captors escaped scot-free, and I was made a prisoner by the people I was forced to hurt. You and I were both born without luck, but I did not have any of the support that you have now. And so as I watched you in your endeavours, I felt like I could relate to you. In fact, I have admired you and your feats for quite some time now," she confessed.

Whatever it was he expected Zawadi to tell him, that was not it. It came as a surprise to him, but not as much as what she did next. All of a sudden, she reached out to take his chin and pressed her lips against his, stunning him.

"W-w-what!?" he nearly jumped back, gaping at her.

"I'll see you again but until then I'll be watching," Zawadi smiled, licking her plump lips. "And... do be careful. What happened earlier will surely escalate."

Zawadi vanished into smoke-like shadows just as the door opened and Shinichi quickly put on a smile when he saw who it was.

"A-ah, Inspector Akasaka," Shinichi greeted, still stunned from the smooch he got from the African babe. "I'd shake your hands, but..." He showed off his handcuffs. "As you can see, I can't."

"I know," Akasaka said as he sat down. "So, I heard about what happened at the airport but I want to know the story from you."

"Want the long or short story?" Shinichi asked.

"I want details but please be as brief as possible," Akasaka urged. He really wanted to help Shinichi. While the police were against acts of vigilantism, they had to admit that the Kamen Riders really helped them by dealing with threats that were beyond the police's capabilities. However, that did not stop a few of them from being jealous and resentful of the Riders for 'making them look bad'.

"A bunch of masked men tried to kill me," Shinichi answered.

"So, do you know why they came after you specifically?" Akasaka asked.

"It was personal for them. They wanted me dead for something I did," Shinichi answered. "An eye for an eye."

"Oh," Akasaka frowned. "So, this was about revenge."

"Exactly," Shinichi nodded as his eyes hardened. Once more, his past was causing him no end of trouble.

"I'm surprised you let them live," Akasaka remarked. "You managed to take them out without doing any lasting damage."

"I went to subdue them," Shinichi shrugged. "And killing a bunch of people wouldn't look good in this case, even if they did start it."

"Well, you technically did not break any laws. Everything you did was in self-defence."

"Have you questioned them?"

"We're waiting for a translator that can speak Russian. So it's going to take some time to get any answers from them."

Shinichi would have offered to help but he doubted those men would be willing to talk to him. They would curse, spit and yell, but not talk.

"So, am I free to go?" Shinichi asked.

"The security footage confirms your story. Let me sign some papers and get you out of here," Akasaka answered as he stood up.

"So, I won't be needing these anymore, right?" Shinichi asked and he easily snapped his handcuffs apart. Akasaka gave him a look. "What? You know these things can't hold me, right?"

Akasaka sighed. Oh, he knew that there was no way the police could hold Shinichi for long. He could just leave whenever he wanted and none of them would be able to stop him. The only reason he let himself get arrested was that he respected the law.

"C'mon, your friends and family are waiting outside," Akasaka informed him.

"They're all my family," Shinichi corrected with a warm smile. As he followed the inspector out, a few officers he passed just ignored him thanks to his perception filter glasses. Although, the glasses weren't perfect as others looked at him with some degree of suspicion and some even looked at him coldly.

As Shinichi continued walking, he thought back to the assault at the airport. It triggered an old memory from a few years back, three years before he had awoken in Hinamizawa and started a new life.

Gebok had sent him and the NUMBERS to attack a civilian airport in Moscow. Their orders were simple: leave no survivors, leave no witnesses, take no prisoners. He remembered firing his gun, killing every person he could see. He remembered some of his teammates being reluctant to go through with it but they had no choice, lest they be punished for insubordination. A few of the others, though, had revelled in the bloodshed.

Shinichi remembered not feeling anything when he killed those people. He had been ordered to do a mission and he had executed it as expected of him. It was only years later that he finally regretted what he had done.

Shinichi exited the station to see his family waiting for him.

"Is everything alright now, Akasaka-san?" Rika asked.

"Yes, he's free to go," Akasaka answered. "As long as he stays out of trouble. Unfortunately, knowing his track record, I don't see that happening."

"Why didn't you all board the plane?" Shinichi asked them. "You missed your flight."

"How could we leave after you got arrested?" Rena questioned.

"Yeah, it wouldn't feel right," Keiichi concurred.

"I would've been fine," Shinichi insisted. "And I would've met up with you in Genovia."

"Listen, Shin-chan," Mion poked his chest. "Friends don't leave each other behind."

"I got it," Shinichi sighed. "Sorry I made us all miss our flight."

"Shinji, it wasn't your fault," Shiori assured him. "Those men were the ones who attacked you. You were just defending yourself and you beat them off before you gave that red guy a real pounding." It came off sounding a bit more suggestive than it should, which was an occupational hazard for her as she was an erotic novelist, but what she said helped to lighten the mood.

"OK, so we missed our flight but I have a way for us to get to Genovia," Shinichi offered.

"Are you going to teleport us over?" Satoshi asked.

"In a manner of speaking," Shinichi said as he held his hand out and opened a swirling blue portal. "Alright, I've opened a path to Genovia. Just walk through the portal and it'll take you there."

"Are you sure it's safe?" Shion asked with some uncertainty as she gazed into the portal.

"C'mon, guys," Shinichi grinned. "Don't you all trust me?"

"Well, I trust him," Shiori claimed confidently as she prepared to step through. "C'mon, Tatsuyoshi-kun."

"Alright," Kasai said as he, Shiori and their son went through the portal first. Akasaka watched as they each entered the portal until Shinichi was the only one left.

"I'll be sure to get you and your family some souvenirs, Inspector. See you later," Shinichi said before he stepped through. As the portal vanished, Akasaka sighed at how accustomed to this he had become.

The group exited the portal and found themselves standing in front of a beautiful mansion. It was a large grey-bricked castle-like building with three storeys that was surrounded by an iron fence. It had originally belonged to Duke Dogma. However, ever since the duke had tried to usurp King Edward by consorting with the Cybermen, resulting in his own death, the mansion had been given to Shinichi as a reward for his service to the kingdom.

While Shinichi had not been here in a while, the estate was maintained by a staff of servants who made sure everything was clean. They weren't expecting the arrival of Shinichi's group so soon so they quickly rushed out to greet them and collect their luggage.

"So, this is where we'll be staying?" Mion grinned appreciatively. "Nice."

"Make yourselves at home and let the servants bring your luggage in," Shinichi instructed. "Kaa-chan, you, Otousan and Sho can have the master bedroom."

"Are you sure, Shinji?"

"I'm sure. Now, excuse me, but I'm going to let Shawna-chan know we're here." He opened a space-time portal and pulled out his Rider Machine. For his last birthday, Yuji had gifted Shinichi with a new hi-tech bike. Designed as a D-Wheel, it was a sleek, silver machine with three wheels, two of which were in front. Four exhaust pipes were attached on the sides of the bike, near the rear wheel, and a golden XIII was plated to the front fender.

Shinichi had dubbed his new Rider Machine the Cyclone-X3.

He put on his helmet and mounted his bike. The golden gate opened and he raced out of the estate to meet with Princess Shawna.

Shawna was in the town square, with her bodyguards Chris and Anthony, as she checked all the preparations for the Dragonslayer Festival. The Dragonslayer Festival had been a tradition in their kingdom, to remember and honour Saint George for slaying the great dragon. These days, the festival was held in honour of their new dragonslayer and wielder of Ascalon, her fiancé Shinichi Banabara.

"It looks like everything is in order," Shawna smiled. She was in a beautiful white summer dress which was dotted with a pattern of blue flowers and a white straw hat. The townspeople saw her and greeted their princess with smiles and waves, a gesture she returned warmly.

Shawna had received letters from Rena, telling her about Shinichi. Despite saving the world, the NEO-NUMBERS were facing some negative attention because of their past, Shinichi especially. Shawna didn't think it was fair for the heroes to be treated like that. So, she decided to invite Shinichi and his closest friends to come to Genovia and attend the Dragonslayer Festival. Hopefully, they did not run into any complications that would make them late or prevent them from attending.

While she was musing, a motorbike pulled up nearby and the biker approached Shawna. Her bodyguards quickly placed themselves in front of her to protect her from this suspicious person.

"Nice to see you two are still doing your job, Chris, Anthony," the biker said as he took off his helmet. His antenna hair sprung up and Shawna's eyes widened when she saw who it was.

"Mr. Samurai!" Shawna squeezed between her two bodyguards and embraced Shinichi. "You came!"

"Well, you did invite us," Shinichi smiled. "Sorry that your tickets went to waste, though."

"What do you mean?" Shawna asked.

"Nevermind. I'll tell you later," Shinichi deflected. "So, everyone else is waiting back at my mansion."

"Really?" Shawna beamed.

"Yeah, want to see them?" Shinichi asked, offering Shawna an extra helmet.

"Your Highness, are you sure?" Chris asked, concerned.

"It'll be alright, Chris. I trust Sir Shinichi here to keep me safe," Shawna assured her bodyguard as she strapped on her helmet.

"If you're sure. We'll inform your father that your guests have arrived."

Shawna nodded and sat behind Shinichi, wrapping her arms around his waist. He put on his helmet and the two of them zoomed away to Shinichi's mansion.

"Auf Wiedersehen."

"I'll be back. Do svidanya."

Viviana ended the call and put down her walkie talkie. She stood up to look out her window. She had a beautiful view but it did little to soothe her mind.

"Looks like it's time for me to take a trip," Viviana decided.

END OF ACT 2

Dr. KRC: So, Shinichi and his family will be attending the Dragonslayer Festival but it also looks like Viviana is going to meet them there as well. With a new suit and a team of her own, she'll be quite a formidable enemy. However, will she succeed and finally have her revenge? Well, you'll have to stay tuned for Act 3. Until then, stay tuned and LET'S RIDE!

Another thing worth mentioning is Shinichi's new bike, the Cyclone-X3. It's modelled after Placido's D-Wheel "The Terrible Omen" from Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's. The name "Cyclone-X3" comes from the Cyclone Bikes of the original Kamen Riders and inspired by Shinichi's original designation, #13 (XIII). X3 almost sounds like "extreme" as well.

I'd like to thank iron maker2 and Kamen Rider Goji for their help since their suggestions helped me to make Crimson Rider's suit. Well done guys. As for the wearer, she's not really an OC. She's a character we adapted from another piece of media. I'm sure Tailsmo4ever can tell you all about her.

Tailsmo4ever: Cryska Barchenowa is a character from the Luv Muv series. And the Russian Massacre incident was inspired by the infamous No Russian Mission from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. I hoped to use both in Showa X Vampire, but we all know how that turned out. So at the very least, I was able to use them here.