Episode 19: Double Trouble

It went without saying that today had not gone how Shinji Kido had expected it to. When the day began, he'd expected it would carry on like any other. He'd wake up, eat breakfast, go to work, get lunch, and go home once the day was over. With a possibility of fighting Mirror Monsters at some point during the day. So, when a madman who's escaped from prisoner barges into the restaurant you're dining at and takes it hostage, it's safe to say that any expectations of a normal day are well and fully dashed. But if nothing else, Shinji could at least take comfort in the fact that everyone Asakura held hostage escaped safely. Well, everyone except for himself at least.

"Ngggh… "Shinji groaned as his eyes opened. Taking note of his surroundings, he observed that he was in a hospital. "What happened?"

"A reward for your courage." A familiar voice quipped. Shinji was stunned to see that the source was Kitaoka. "Don't worry about your hospital bill. I'll cover it."

Shinji blinked at hearing this. "That's… Kitaoka, I don't know what to say. Thank you."

"It's the least I can do." Kitaoka sighed. "Especially since you and a bunch of other people had to deal with an old mistake of mine today."

"Yeah. That nutjob at the restaurant." Shinji nodded. "Kitaoka, what's his beef with you? He mentioned you by name. Called you a 'useless lawyer'."

Kitaoka stiffened and took a deep breath. "That man is Takeshi Asakura. You're a journalist in the making, so I'm sure you've heard of him."

"Yeah. He was an infamous killer and criminal. It took an entire squad of officers just to bring him in." Shinji nodded. "I'm guessing this has to do with the trial that finally locked him up?'

"Right on the money." Kitaoka nodded. "Asakura approached me to defend him in court. I refused. And ever since that day, he bears a grudge against me." A bitter smirk crept across Kitaoka's normally confident and easy-going face. "It's funny. I just visited him today to reject his case again, and he swore that he'd get out to make me pay. Guess he's a man of his word."

"Hey, Kitaoka?"

"Hm?"

"I know for certain you're a decent guy now." Shinji flashed the lawyer a comforting smile. "The fact you've got enough of a backbone to turn down someone like that psycho? It might not be much in your eyes, but it means a lot more than you think."

Kitaoka chuckled. "You're sure you're not a shonen anime protagonist?"

"Just trying to be a good friend." Shinji beamed.
"… You really consider me a friend, huh?" Kitaoka asked, a thoughtful look on his face. "Even with the Rider War going on?"

Shinji's expression hardened. "I do. And that's why I'm fighting with all I've got. So that we don't need to fight each other."

"You're a good guy, Shinji." Kitaoka smiled. "And don't you worry about Asakura. Leave him to me."

"So responsible." Shinji chuckled. "If only Reiko could hear you now. By the way, what happened to Asakura?"

"He… got away. Must have used another exit or something." Kitaoka half-lied. "See you around, Shinji. And take care." 'Shinji, if you knew that someone like Asakura is a Kamen Rider, you'd just charge right into the Mirror World to fight him. But like I told you, Asakura's MY problem. It should be me that puts an end to him. And maybe, in the Mirror World, he can finally be put down like the monster he is.'

Meanwhile, in the Mirror World, the previously mentioned Asakura, now clad in the armor of Kamen Rider Ouja, watched with malicious glee as several police cars patrolled around. However, no matter how hard they looked, they would never find him. Not unless they had a way of entering the world in which Ouja currently occupied.

"Oh, if only I had this little toy so much sooner." Ouja chuckled wickedly. "I could have had so much more fun~! All it would take to ditch the cops is a mirror, or even a puddle. No one can touch me now! I'M FREE!"

"For a price." Ouja whirled around, and was surprised to see the Rider War's mastermind, Shiro Kanzaki, casually approaching him. "Of course, for one such as you, it's a price that will be easily paid."

"You again." Ouja scoffed. "I suppose you want me to thank you, huh? Okay… THANKS, FRIEND!"

Ouja rushed at Kanzaki but was utterly shocked as the man seemingly teleported out of the way. Much like their previous encounter in the jail cell.

"It pleases me you're still so eager to lash out. Yes, I like that. You're just what I needed to move things forward." Kanzaki chuckled.

Ouja's eyes narrowed. "Like I give a crap about what you want!"

"True. You're a man who thinks nothing of others." Kanzaki nodded. "But don't you want to know who you'll be up against? After all, it's the main purpose of the armor you wear."

"… I guess." Ouja huffed. "Wouldn't be much fun beating on people when this armor boosts my strength."

"You, along with twelve others, have been given Advent Decks. With them, you can transform into Kamen Riders to do battle here in Mirror World." Kanzaki explained. "However, not all the Riders are currently active. There are some candidates that I've yet to deem fit for the Rider War."

"So I've got to wait for some of my playmates to join?" Ouja huffed. "Great. So do I need to wait around here until another Rider shows up for me to fight?'

Kanzaki chuckled. "You needn't worry. Riders are not the only 'playmates', as you put it, available to you. Look."

Ouja looked in the direction Kanzaki had pointed, and a Mirror Monsters was shown to be stalking towards them. Any other Rider who'd just been thrust into the Mirror World would have been shaken by seeing such a creature. But Ouja? Ouja was built different. Beneath his helmet, Ouja sported a sadistic grin.

"I must inform you that this Mirror Monster, the Gelnewt, is the weakest of this world's denizens." Kanzaki stated.

Ouja rolled his head back. "Didn't ask, don't care. Now that I know there's so many toys to play with… LET THE FUN BEGIN!"

The poor Gelnewt didn't realize how screwed it was. Ouja shot towards the Gelnewt at full speed, landing a devastating blow on the grunt monster's head! As the Gelnewt was stumbling from the impact, Ouja summoned the Venovisor and drew a card.

"So just what're these supposed to do for me?" Ouja pondered as he lazily slotted the card in.

"SWORD VENT!"

The Venovisor vanished as a drill-like sword materialized in Ouja's hands. The design was like a scimitar with its curve, but it also gave the impression of a rattlesnake's rattle. This was the Venosaber, a weapon whose appearance fit a twisted character like Ouja perfectly.

"Oh… I like this!" Ouja chuckled as he renewed his assault on the Gelnewt. Each one of his strikes wild and furious. The painful-filled cries of the Gelnewt rang out like sweet music to Ouja before he delivered a devastating backhand to the monster. If the Gelnewt had never felt fear before, it certainly did now as it cowered before Ouja. Without a word, Ouja delivered the final blow, impaling the downed Gelnewt with his Venosaber.

Upon its death, the Gelnewt shattered, and an energy core was released. For a moment, Ouja pondered what would happen to the orb. At least, until a giant, purple, mechanical cobra slithered out of nowhere and gobbled the core up. With its hunger sated, the snake, Venosnaker, turned to face his contractor. Venosnaker circled Ouja, his tail rattling to try and intimidate the Rider. However, Ouja wasn't fazed in the least. Hefting his sword on his shoulder, Ouja casually strolled up to the giant cobra.

"You never told me I got my own pet." Ouja chuckled. Pleased with his contractor's attitude and the relatively quick feeding, Venosnaker gave a hiss of approval before slithering off.

"Anything else you're holding out on… me?" Much to Ouja's surprise, Kanzaki was nowhere to be found. It was like he was never there. "Hmph. Rude bastard."

Now bored of the Mirror World, Ouja left via one of the nearby windows. However, as he reverted to his unarmored form, he was met with the sound of clapping.

"Ah! Now THAT was some next level fighting!" Jun Shibaura cheered as he approached Asakura. "You're just the kind of person to make my game more fun~!"

Asakura frowned. "Who are you and why should I care? More importantly, why shouldn't I beat the crap out of you?"

"Jun Shibaura. A fellow Kamen Rider." Jun smirked as he pulled out his Advent Deck. "And I'm quite aware as to who you are, Takeshi Asakura. A criminal with a violent streak a mile wide with next to zero remorse or regret for your deeds. A man who doesn't let anyone tell him what to do! In short, someone like me!"

"Like you?" Asakura scoffed. "You look like an educated rich kid who's never dirtied his hands in his entire life."

Jun chuckled. "Perhaps I should clarify. I'm a genius programmer who refuses to let myself be limited by things like 'laws', 'morals', or 'decency'. All I want is to have my fun. Something you can relate too, I trust?"

"Hnn." Asakura nodded. "You can stop trying to appeal to my ego. Cut the crap and tell me what you want."

"Straight to the point, hm? I appreciate that." Jun's aura of smugness intensified. "I want to party up with you. And before you decide to shoot down my offer, I've a bit of info you'll find most… helpful."

"What could a punk like you possibly- "

"Shuichi Kitaoka is a Kamen Rider." Jun answered smugly. "I ran into him earlier. And like you, I've got a bone to pick with him. He took the opposition in my case when I took over a news site filled with ungrateful plebians who can't comprehend my genius. On top of that, he's acquaintances with a group of Riders to boot. We take him on, and you'll also get a chance to tear apart the friends he cares for. So, what do you say? Care to play co-op to crush Kitaoka?"

Asakura smirked. "Jun." He placed a hand on Jun's shoulder. "I think you and I are going to be good friends for a while." 'At least until I get tired of your annoying attitude.'

"Then let the game begin." Jun chuckled with a malicious grin. "And I have just the idea to draw them out… "

That night, Kitaoka sat at his desk, his hand son his temples while his face sported a defeated look. As he stared down at his desk, his mind looked back on the events of today.

"Today started bad, and just got worse as the day went on." Kitaoka sighed. "Having to see Asakura at a mandatory time was already bad enough. Now he could be lurking in any reflection, meaning he can strike from anywhere. On top of that, Jun's back in the Rider War. He might have given me a free pass today, but he's petty enough to come after me. The scariest part is, neither of them needs to be in the Mirror World to take me down. Dammit, how did things get this bad?'

"Something on your mind, Zolda?"

Kitaoka snapped up at hearing Kanzaki's voice coming from his home office! To his surprise, the mastermind of the Rider War was standing right in front of him. Kanzaki strolled over to the chessboard that set at Kitaoka's desk, idly playing around with one of the pieces as Kitaoka glared at him.

"You seem upset." Kanzaki stated evenly.

Kitaoka frowned. "… Why? Why did you do it?" Kitaoka slammed his fists against the desk as he bolted up from his seat! "Why did you let a psychopath like Asakura into the Rider War?!"

"Simple." Kanzaki frowned. "The pace of the Rider War isn't where I'd like it to be. Ever since Ryuki got involved, things have been stagnant. Especially after the defeat and death of Scissors. I was certain this would motivate the other Riders to pursue the wish more fervently, but I was proven wrong. So, I decided that a wild card was needed to accelerate the conflict."

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT KIND OF TERROR YOU'VE UNLEASHED?!" Kitaoka screamed! For the first time, the super lawyer showed great concern and fear. "DID YOU EVER CONSIDER WHAT HE MIGHT USE THE WISH FOR?!"

Kanzaki was indifferent to Kitaoka's concerns. "He lives for fighting. That alone makes him the ideal candidate for escalating the Rider War."

"That's the problem!" Kitaoka snapped. "Violence is all he lives for! If someone like him gets the wish, he'd probably wish for the Rider War to go on forever!"

"If you are so concerned, then why don't you kill him?" Kanzaki asked, a stoic expression on his face. "Defeating Kamen Rider Ouja and ending him for good would certainly circumvent the possibility of him obtaining the wish."

Kitaoka was dumbfounded by how little Kanzaki cared, but his astonishment was soon replaced with ranger. "You're the mastermind of this whole thing! You made all the rules! What's to stop you from locking down his deck?! Or negating his contract?!"

"This appears to be your own problem." Kanzaki replied. "Therefore, I have no business involving myself. Farewell, Zolda." And with that Kanzaki disappeared into the nearby window.

"Dammit!" Kitaoka slammed his desk as he fell into a defeated posture. "Dammit all… "

Meanwhile, Reiko Momoi was on her way home from ORE Journal. Just as she was nearing her door, she was met with an unpleasant sight waiting for her outside the entrance of her apartment.

"Jun Shibaura." Reiko spat as she glared at the hacker who had held her workplace hostage. "I'd say I'm surprised you're out and about, but someone like you can literally throw money to solve your problems."

Jun had a shit-eating grin on his face. "Ah, Ms. Momoi. So glad that you remember me. I certainly remember the dirty looks you would shoot me every time I walked into ORE Journal." He then frowned. "As well as that disgusting look of triumph when the police hauled me away."

"If you're trying to threaten me, keep dreaming." Reiko frowned. "Little creeps like you will never make me budge."

"Then how about me?"

Reiko was about to turn and face the newcomer, but froze when she felt a gun pressed against her. Out of the corner of her eye, Reiko saw who was holding the weapon. Takeshi Asakura.

"So nice to meet you, Reiko." Asakura said with a dark chuckle. "You and I have a common friend, a lawyer by the name of Kitaoka. Don't worry, we'll be meeting up with him real soon." He wasted no time knocking Reiko out. Jun sifted through Reiko purse and retrieved her phone, scrolling through the call log until he came upon Kitaoka's number.

"Sleep well tonight, lawyer." Jun sneered. "Because tomorrow, you're in for a rude awakening."

AN: Kept you waiting, huh? So now we've got Ouja and Gai teaming up. Double trouble indeed. I still can't believe how much love this story of mine is getting. Moving to this site has been the best decision I've ever made. And special thanks to some of my readers who followed my migration here. It's always nice knowing you're with me. The people on this site have been nothing but welcoming, and I can safely say my experience here has been enjoyable. Unlike the old site I used where I had to deal with a user harassing me to co-write for a story and characters he stole from a friend of mine.

But that aside, speaking of experiences, what have been some of the best fics you guys have read, and what have been some of the worst?

Also, what story in any form of media you've consumed is so good that fanfiction ruins it? Or, what story in media was so poorly handled that fanfiction was an automatic improvement? I ask these questions because I enjoy engaging with all of you.

Btw, I came up with a new story idea based around Captain N: The Game Master. Let's just say the latest Nintendo Direct reignited my desire to work on said project. I can at least promise a chapter or two posting soon. As for my EoH series, I've got the ideas down of how to progress it, but I'm having too much fun writing this story right now