Song: Kamen Rider Black BGM- Emotion
Spending time with one's parents is a fortune that not many are blessed with.
This Jouji understood more than anything.
His father, Kohtaro Minami, taught him the value of family and how one should cherish them with every breath that one has. Jouji understood such a lesson, for as far as he knew, he had no family before his parents took him in.
When his father was nineteen years old, he found out from his adoptive father - Souichirou Akizuki - that he had lost his real parents in an accident, an accident that had been planned by the organization that turned him into the Kamen Rider that he is today, and of course, his adoptive father was not spared either.
Jouji felt blessed to have a father like Kohtaro, when other children around his age do not even have such a luxury. And of course, he was blessed to have a mother like Reiko, who was a hardworking woman who instilled in him a sense of independence and values that he keeps in his heart today.
Right now, he and his father were drinking their respective Coca-Cola cans that they got from a nearby vending machine, and they were both seated on a bench.
"Ne, tou-san," Jouji muttered softly, looking at his can while sporting a deep, reflective look.
"Hmm? What, Jouji?" Kohtaro smiled softly.
"...Well, I have this problem that I've been thinking about last night. I... I have told you before that my name, my other name, is somehow the same name as the main villain of HUGtto!"
"Hmm," Kohtaro nodded. "I did notice that, now that you reminded me."
Unlike his son, Kohtaro wasn't really knowledgeable of the magical girl genre, though he does watch it sometimes when he's not majorly busy these days. These days, he's mostly working as a helicopter pilot for the Daily Planet's Japanese Branch and also working as a part-time superhero who tends to travel all around the world, helping superhero teams like the Avengers and the Justice League that relate to specific problems like HYDRA and its cells due to Kohtaro's experience with them, especially one particular cell that made him into a Kamen Rider. So when he passes the time, he's usually bonding with his son and he would make sure to always be there for him despite being busy.
He should know more than anyone what it's like to lose a father, twice in fact, and he wanted his son to experience the happiness that he himself had been deprived of due to circumstances outside of his control.
As to the topic of his son having the same name as the main villain of the magical girl season that he's watching, as he stated, he did notice the coincidence. He never really thought it was that important back then, as having the same name doesn't really mean much. But then, Kohtaro would, recalling his discussions with his son, would make him remember about his son's current situation.
Years prior, in an incident, Shadow Moon had asked him to keep an eye on the boy. Since then, Kohtaro tried to find out more about him, but it seems that his origin is... well, mysterious, so mysterious in fact that he once recalled asking Dr. Stephen Strange, a Master of the Mystic Arts, about his son, and the latter replied.
"The boy seems beyond even my own foresight, Kohtaro-kun. What I can definitively confirm is that he comes from another world, but it is one that I could not say, for something seems to be blocking the powers of my all-seeing Eye of Agamotto, a temporal mental block as you may call it. I may need to investigate further about this matter, since this temporal mental block covers all dimensional ranges, almost like something does not want your son to be fully discovered until the time is right. And, there is another thing that I could sense," the man with the goatee and black hair with greyer sides, Dr. Strange, would say, with orange mystical circular energies seen on his hands as he mystically analyzes a sleeping Jouji Minami on the bed.
"What would be that, doctor?" Kohtaro asks.
"He seems to carry... hmm, a mysterious influx of various pure magical energies, a composite of them in fact, originating from a cosmic source whose name eludes even me. Quite peculiar," Dr. Strange would look at Kohtaro with a grim expression. "If your fallen brother and old enemy, Shadow Moon, is asking you to keep an eye on the boy, then I would presume that this would be one of the reasons."
"Do you think Gorgom, no, HYDRA may be involved, doctor?" Kohtaro asks.
"Hmm. It's possible, but then, why would HYDRA, if Shadow Moon is still working for its Gorgom cell, want you to take the boy? I would have thought that HYDRA would take the boy in, being that they are quite possessive of many things that could potentially escape their grasp. This does not fit their general modus operandi. There must be more to this situation than meets the eye. I would suggest that you keep watch over him for the time being. As a doctor, I would suggest a scheduled appointment where I would continue to check up on the boy's physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual states as it would help me to try to find a solution to this seeming temporal complexity." Dr. Strange said.
...That was concerning.
Dr. Strange is an expert in multiversal affairs. For him to say that, it incited Kohtaro to want to make sure that his son was always safe. Kohtaro wouldn't need to ask much, as Jouji had seemed more than eager at some point to learn how to defend himself. Jouji was, Kohtaro thought, not like the other kids of his age. He matured a lot faster and tried his best to be more helpful and not to be a burden.
No, Kohtaro thought. His son would never be a burden to him. Never.
From time to time, Kohtaro, along with Jouji, would usually come back to Dr. Strange for medical checkups. Jouji at least had been getting a bit better over the years. Before, he had been... closed off, lost and confused as he has no memory of his past.
"...Well," Jouji continued, if a bit hesitant. "...I mean, since Hana's well... living with us, I... a part of me wants to be honest with her. It... It doesn't really feel right to lie to someone that I genuinely look up to. Though, at the same time, I... I can't say... because that... it could cause some kind of misunderstanding between me and her, and it doesn't help that... I... I'm not exactly from around here..."
Jouji very well knows that he's not from this world. Aside from his memory loss, there was not a hint of his existence, nor records that seem to indicate such a thing. Plus, he does regularly do check-ups with Dr. Strange who further confirms such suspicions. The fact that Hana is here would make Jouji remember that little coincidence. At least, Jouji would hope at least that it is a coincidence.
Because if Jouji was George Kurai from the HUGtto! season, things would get... awkward.
What does he mean by that?
Well, fan theories or hints of the season suggest that George Kurai, the main villain of the HUGtto! season, was in fact the future husband of Hana Nono from the future timeline he comes from. That's... Well, it would be very, very awkward to say the least. As far as Jouji knows, having watch all of the PreCure seasons and movies, and read extracanonical side material such as manga adaptations and such, Hana doesn't seem to know about it, if such a connection was even revealed to her, nor is such a theory and speculation true.
He's... He's afraid at least of what happens if he does bring up his name, it may eventually cause not just misunderstandings, but something that may be related to his past. He's from another world after all. Hana may assume that he was the same person as the villain she once fought in her own series. And it doesn't help that he and Hana have a family connection with the HUGtto's baby mascot who is Hugtan.
This feels like a reverse of Sailor Moon, only Hugtan's Chibusa, George Kurai is a villainous Tuxedo Mask, and Hana's the Usagi of the story, he thought with confliction.
"...I did tell you before about the complicated situation that Hana and her villain have in the show," Jouji continued.
"Ahh," Kohtaro confirmed. "A fan theory or a hint about something about them being family."
"Yeah..." Jouji said.
"...Hmm, so you're afraid that it's possible that, not only are you somehow the main villain of the show that you watch, but that you and Hana have a connection as family, at least in a possible future," Kohtaro surmised.
"...Ah," Jouji grimaced. "Like, how does one deal with that? I mean, say I am the George Kurai of the HUGtto! season, what... what does that say of me? I... I don't want to be a villain, nor would I want to do the things he had done in that show. That's not who I am..."
"Jouji," Kohtaro comforted his son by placing a hand on his shoulder. "I used to experience that same feeling, the fear of becoming the very villain and monster that I fight. I felt it almost every day when I was just starting out. When Gorgom once kidnapped me and Nobuhiko, their intent was clear. They wanted me and Nobuhiko to become Century Kings, beings of great power, so that we would be forced to fight to become the next Creation King. I refused, and that began my battle against them. It led me to a lifetime of battle against a terrorist organization that has multiple cells around the world, one whose infamy and evil is well known in World War II. Even now, there are times when I fear the day that I may become that monster, the one that Gorgom had envisioned. But..."
Kohtaro smiled softly. "I have other people in my life to remind me that everything is going to be okay. There was your Aunt Kyoko and Aunt Kasumi. There was your mother. There were the rest of my fellow Riders. Aside from having the freedom to choose to not become that monster, there was also the support that I have with other people in my life. I may have lost many things and important people, but I also still have other people and allies who would remind me of what I am, and the memories and experiences I shared with them are something I will cherish for as long as I live."
"The point is, if there is a chance that you are that villain depicted in the show that you watched, then you still have the opportunity to choose to not become that villain. Nothing is truly set in stone, Jouji. We always have a choice, even if circumstances force us to make a decision, if we have at least the resolve in our hearts to do better, to become a better person, every day, that would be more than enough. Sometimes, even a simple choice, born out of love, can change the course of the future. My love for my brother, Nobuhiko, and for my family is what drove me to become the man that I am today."
Then Kohtaro smiled teasingly as he glanced on the side. "Oh, and... if Hana-chan is actually your future wife, then I'm happy at least to know that I get to have grandchildren to hold now. I'm not getting any younger you know."
Jouji would remain silent for a bit, then he blushed as he realized what his father was implying. "TOU-SAN!"
"Ahahahahaha!" Kohtaro laughed a bit.
Then they would suddenly hear the sound of Kohtaro's phone ringing in his pocket.
"Hmm?"
Kohtaro would begin to take his phone out and look at the screen.
"Ah, it's your mother."
He pressed the call button and raised it to his ear.
"Reiko, what is it?" He asked.
"Oh, dear, thank goodness you answered. Hana-chan's asking for both of you to come back."
"Hana-chan?" Kohtaro asks, making Jouji pay attention. "Why?"
"I'm not sure myself, but she's... well, she wants to talk to you and Jouji about something important."
"I see..." Kohtaro would look at Jouji with a concerned expression. "Alright, we'll head back home right away."
Kohtaro would end the call and look at Jouji.
"What did kaa-san say?" Jouji asks.
"She says that Hana-chan wants to see both of us for some reason," Kohtaro explained with an anxious tone.
Song: 激走! 二大マシン · Toshiya Igarashi
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!"
"Hmm?!"
Both father and son would notice the people in the park fleeing for their lives. Kohtaro would stand up from the bench and ask some of the people who were fleeing.
"Oi, what's going on here?!" He asks.
"There's... There's a monster! Monsters!" A man said to him as he would run away in another direction.
"Monsters?!" Jouji said with a troubled look.
"Jouji," Kohtaro's expression turns serious. "Go back to the house. For whatever reason, Hana-chan wants both of us to be there, but until then, you should go there first, I'll follow shortly after I've taken care of whatever is scaring everybody right now."
"Ah, tou-san," Jouji nodded.
Kohtaro looks to another direction and shouts. "Acrobatter!"
And then, there was the sound of an engine. A sentient motorcycle with red eyes appears out of nowhere and drives towards them. His name was Acrobatter.
"What is it, Kohtaro?" the bike asks.
"Take my son back to the house and not a moment too soon!" Kohtaro asks.
"Alright!" Acrobatter nodded.
And so, Jouji would hop on the bike. A helmet would suddenly materialize around him.
"Always remember to wear a helmet when driving a motorcycle!" Acrobatter stated as drove away in another direction.
Kohtaro would sport a grim expression on his face.
This is far too coincidental for my liking. He thought. Why a monster attack now? What is HYDRA's ploy in all of this?
"HOI! HOI! HOI!"
Somewhere in the area of the park, there were countless men wearing black armored leather and silver lines, with advanced gear and gas masks, armed with machine guns that fired red photon blasts that vaporized anything in their path. Already, they have killed a few runaway civilians who have been fleeing to safety, as can be seen from the scorch marks on the ground.
"Hmm, this would definitely provide a good distraction."
The one who spoke with a pleased tone was a tall humanoid being with a white-colored baseball-looking head and silver sharp cat eyes. In his hands, he was wielding a silver chrome bat that seemed to conduct its own blood-red electricity.
"Stop!"
"Hmm?"
The men under his command were positioning themselves in battle stances as they all looked at the figure that ran towards them and stopped.
"Hehehehe! Minami Kohtaro," the baseball man looked at the newly arrived hero with a pleased expression. "No, Kamen Rider Black RX."
"Wait a minute," Kohtaro looks and scans at each of the foot soldiers who seem familiar to him. And he instantly realizes the threat that he is facing. These foot soldiers were known as the Zolders, and there's only one organization that comes to mind. "Could it be... the Black Cross Army!"
The Black Cross Army, also known by other names such as the Black Crusaders. They were an international terrorist organization that was known for being the most deadly militarized cell of the dreaded SHOCKER whose terrorist attacks had been felt since the 70s and were mainly fought by Kamen Rider Ichigo and Nigo, as well as the first Super Sentai team - the Himitsu Sentai Gorenger.
"That's right, RX," the baseball man nodded as he brought his baseball bat to a position. "And my name is Baseball Elite Officer Mask, and you and your son have fallen into our ruse!"
"What?!" Kohtaro asks, widening his eyes.
What was he referring to, he thought. Was it the fact that Jouji and Kohtaro would try to separate? But then, his heart would be reassured at least that Acrobatter would not lead the Black Cross Army to their home, but he was still worried about his son.
"Attack!" Baseball Mask ordered.
Then all of the troops would begin to open fire. But Kohtaro's reflexes were fast as he began to perform twisting maneuvers to punch and kick the various soldiers. Dodging several shots that were fired at him, he rolled over to the side and began to make a pose.
"Henshin!"
He would raise his right hand as the sun's rays were shining behind him. He twisted his hand slightly sideways, with the palm on the left and the back of the hand on the right. His left hand was located on the left side of his waist just as the right hand would begin to lower itself down to the center before he would swipe it to the right. Then he would raise his left hand and swipe it too before clenching it. His right hand would clench to a fist as it was placed on the right lower waist, and his body turned sideways. His reflexes, for most, would be fast and quick-paced, almost like they never seem to last more than a second.
All of a sudden, a bright light would come gushing forth from the center of his waist, revealing a belt called the Sunriser.
His appearance was changing form, becoming Kamen Rider Black RX.
Baseball Mask did not bother to let him introduce himself as he fired a discharge of violet-red electricity, which Black RX parried with his Revolcane that he quickly summoned from the center of his belt, swirling the electrical energies towards the Zolders and shocking them dead, making them explode to several pieces.
Baseball Mask began to fire what appeared to be red eye beams from his eyes, which Black RX dodged as he tried to perform a swiping maneuver with his Revolcane, only for it to be parried by Baseball Mask.
"Too slow!" Baseball Mask taunted as he pushed his baseball bat forward, making Black RX drawback as he drew a careful battle stance.
Black RX would notice several Zolders surround him from all sides. His eyes narrowed as his red visors glowed ominously.
And then, the Zolders opened fire, but Black RX would either dodge or parry their blaster fire. With quick short skill, he destroyed all of the Zolders, leaving only behind explosions in their wake. Then, all that was left was their leader, Baseball Elite Officer Mask, who was nevertheless impressed by the combat prowess of his enemy.
"Hmm. As expected of the man who defeated Gorgom and Crisis Empire," Baseball Mask nodded in respect as he placed his baseball bat to the side of his right shoulder and made a sideways position.
Black RX turned towards the baseball man and spoke with a demanding tone. "You! What does the Black Cross Army want with my son?!"
"Hmm," Baseball Mask mused. "That's the wrong question to ask, Rider. What you should ask is, what does the entirety of SHOCKER want with your son?"
"Ah!" Black RX became anxious.
"That's right, RX," Baseball Mask confirmed Black RX's anxiety. "All of the SHOCKER cells have been reactivated, and they all have one mission objective. To prevent your son from becoming the next Century King!"
Black RX would slash the electrical strikes of the baseball bat and would begin to raise his Revolcane and make a pose.
SHOCKER will not harm his son! He shouted within his burning heart.
And then, bright light would begin to cover him as Baseball Mask would cover his face with his hand, grimacing at the light.
Black RX's form would change as his Revolcane would turn into a glowing red. His suit's coloration would be inverted, with black now becoming a black color that resembles his form as Kamen Rider Black. His antennae were longer, like that of a grasshopper, and insect-like metallic wings would materialize from his back.
"I am the Prince of Enlightenment!"
He would begin to make a pose that was an inversion of his RX pose, accompanied by his Revolcane.
"RX! Aerorider!"
This form was nothing like his other basic forms such as Roborider and Biorider. For this form is a testament to how Black RX had achieved this form by learning to master and balance all of his emotions, turning into an ultimate form that surpasses all forms.
"Very interesting," Baseball Mask remarked as he held his baseball bat with glowing red eyes. "This would be quite a fine battle, I would reckon."
And so, both Black RX and Baseball Mask charged, as their respective weapons clashed, with sparks flying in multiple directions.
"Tck."
A man wearing a dark purple jacket, black shirt and pants sported a look of irritation on his face as he observed the chaos that was happening around the area somewhere from a high three-story building.
"Ne, Swartz," a young boy with black hair and dark blue eyes by the name of Heure sported an amused smile on his face. "You're looking a little troubled right now."
"Silence, fool," Swartz spoke with irritation. "To think SHOCKER is attacking right now in broad daylight. This is not how the predicted timeline is supposed to go."
"And just what's wrong with that?" Heure asks. "We're Time Jackers, aren't we? Isn't it our job to cause mayhem in the timeline to prevent the rise of Ohma Zi-O in the first place?"
"You don't get it, do you?" Swartz sported a grim expression. "SHOCKER's involvement in these events is not even supposed to happen at all. I made absolutely sure to cripple SHOCKER's organization from within just so there wouldn't be any more troublesome ne'er-do-wells like them to interfere. The fact that they are here right now more than proves that we may be dealing with a rival faction in history."
Swartz was of course referring to the fact that no matter what timeline, it's SHOCKER who seems to always rise and fall, and rise again to make trouble for the Kamen Riders and for the rest of the world. He made sure to keep them out of the events of a Kamen Rider's ascension into a demon king precisely because, to put it frankly, they are chaotic dangerous morons that may make a mess of the plans that Swartz would carefully lay out.
But then, nothing seems to go according to plan.
For Swartz had felt an instant change within his own past and remembered a past that should not be. He remembers Kohtaro Minami and Shadow Moon showing up to the very event where he sent children of various periods and worlds to a test. That was not how he remembered that event. Even now, the timeline was quickly changing around him. Everything was now working against his control. This was not a good sign.
"...Heure," Swartz spoke with a steeled teeth. "I'd assume at least that you found our Another Build candidate."
Heure smiled a bit disturbingly. "Oh... I found her alright. She's quite a mental case, so easily accepted my offer. But then, those who got cheated by their boyfriends are a vulnerable bunch after all."
"Good, because we may need to make use of Another Build for this situation," Swartz replied. "We must wrench back control of the situation and make it bend to our favor."
"Uh oh! We've got company, Jouji!" Acrobatter warned Jouji, who looked behind him to see the Zolders who were wielding advanced retro-machine guns and were now about to open fire on them.
They fired, but Acrobatter's maneuvers were precise as he dodged the gunfire and was now trying to pick up speed. Acrobatter would have tried to teleport back to the Minami Residence, but he feared that the Zolders would try to pursue them regardless.
"Acrobatter, we're gonna have to lose these guys before we head back home!" Jouji said.
"Hmm, I agree, but we need to make it quick. The more time we waste, the more the enemy may take advantage of it," Acrobatter warned.
"Try swerving through the alleyways, the more crowded ones around Beika," Jouji asks.
And so, Acrobatter would pick up speed and try to move towards the less used roads of Beika. In the alleyways, there was nothing but trash and solid walls with less space except for one motorbike to fit. With Acrobatter's fluid natural skill and with Jouji naturally syncing his mind to the former, he would jump through all of these obstacles with ease. It took a little while, but eventually they managed to lose most of their pursuers.
"Alright, time to bring out my specialty!" Acrobatter declared.
And then, Acrobatter's sides would sprout mini-turrets, which then fired bluish plasma energy beams that would pick off the Zoldiers and make them and their bikes explode.
"Jouji, hang on, we're going right," Acrobatter said as he naturally turned right and then disappeared. No, more like he teleported to another part of the suburban area where they were just nearby the house.
"We've managed to lose them... but I don't think we're out of trouble just yet," Jouji spoke with a concerned tone.
"Hmm, it's best if we try to be careful on our way back and make sure no Zolders are following us," Acrobatter said.
Song: Dies irae - Animation OST: Lohengrin
"As expected of my overlord."
Much to the surprise of both Acrobatter and Jouji, they would notice a man wearing a black-colored hood, smiling at them as he opens what appears to be an old book that has a wristwatch image in the center along with gear-like designs.
"Though something like this should never have even occurred as it is recorded in this book, nor is the current circumstances of your life."
"...Who are you?" Jouji sported a confused look.
"My name is Woz," the young man introduced himself. "And-"
"NO!"
"Eh?" Jouji sported a shocked expression on his face as he saw someone just coming from up above and landing in between.
It was a young woman who...
...Looked familiar.
She had blonde hair, but it was very curly and slightly passed to her waist, worn with a large amount pulled into a layered ponytail held by pale pink bands, the top of which was adorned by a gem, making her look like a princess. She has split bangs and curled forelocks framing her face, and at the center is a slightly altered variant of her forehead piece. Her pearl pink mini-dress features pale pink lining, with puffed off-shoulder sleeves and white fabric covering the collarbone with a winged pink gem at the center. At the middle of the chest are two hot pink stylized hearts connecting to her heart transformation device, which is decorated with a pale blue ribbon and resides on a pink band of her fluffy white waistpiece. The skirt is ruffled and hiked up on each side to reveal a semi-ruffled white skirt, and on the back is a ruffled pearl-yellow flowing cape-like piece of fabric. Her pink shoes have pearl pink details with frilly cuffs and a white ribbon at the center adorned by a pink gem. On each wrist was a frilly pearl pink cuff, and she wore pink heart earrings.
"I won't let you turn papa into a monster!" she declared as she raised both of her arms, with her face clearly being one of anger and desperation, but her figure was trembling.
Wait...? Did he hear that right...? Papa...?
"Ah, my princess," Woz sported a soft, respectful smile. But Jouji felt that this smile hid some kind of agenda. He did not trust that kind of smile. He's interacted with a lot of people over the years to know to not trust such a smile. "I did not expect for you to show up so soon. But... no matter, it's not yet the proper hour for my overlord to have his pre-destined power."
Woz looks at Jouji. "I will take my leave for the time being, my overlord, but I shall return and come to your aid when you are most in need of me."
Then the mysterious Woz would disappear, leaving the three alone.
An uneasy silence reigned for a moment.
Then the young woman would slowly turn around as her appearance would slowly disappear, leaving only the appearance of a young blond-haired girl, wearing a pink-white dress, with normal long hair and magenta-colored eyes... that was crying.
"...Ah."
Jouji widened his eyes as he looked at the young woman.
"...Cure...Tomorrow," he muttered softly.
Cure Tomorrow. Also known as Hagumi. The future daughter of Hana Nono. Her lips felt cold and quivering, her eyes were leaking tears as it was directed towards Jouji.
"...Papa."
There it was again. That word. Papa. Jouji did not understand why Cure Tomorrow was referring to him that way until...
"...Wait."
Jouji recently remembers the conversation that he had with his father.
"...No way."
He could not help but speak with an incredulous and concerned tone.
"PAPA!"
But as Jouji tries to process this, he is suddenly greeted by a very warm hug from the woman who... was calling Jouji, papa. And she was crying in tears, hugging him in desperation, as if not wanting to let him go again.
Jouji did not know what to do, and neither did Acrobatter, who could only silently stare at the rather bizarre meeting.
Though, he easily understood that the young woman was suffering. The only thing he could really do was give her a gentle hug while his mind sported a grim look on his face.
I won't lose you again, papa, I promise, always promise to be here for you, always, Cure Tomorrow thought as she cried, hugging her papa's younger self.