Okay. My second chapter. I had some reviews and people have started to make this fic one of their favorites. Thank you for that. Your support has made me invigorated. Now for the changes:
- The character DJ Sagara is both a character from Gaim and an original one as you may have read in my previous chapter. He will also have a different background. He will have a closer link with the main character. He will be a supporting character, and I emphasize the word 'supporting.'
- I have made the choice to make Gai Kamen Rider Zangetsu. When will that happen? Stay tuned.
- Shu will eventually gain more characterization than in the anime. His relationship with Inori will be more like kindred spirits than a romantic one.
- I do not know which Kamen rider Daryl will be: Baron, Bravo, or Duke? I will try to see if I can set my own voting poll so you can choose.
- One last change (to date) to mention on this chapter. Inves will be in the story after all. The one in this chapter will be seen as a bio-weapon prototype, but is actually the Inves from Episode 2 of Kamen Rider Gaim when it ate the Ichigo lockseed. A secret kept from certain authority figures in this story.
All right. Now, on with the show.
Phase 02 - Hissatsu!: Survival of the Fittest
Shu was trying to make sense of what was happening all around him as he put his open lockseed back on his belt. The suit, the weapons in his hands, the destruction of the mechs he knew in his heart he caused. This was all new to Shu, and somewhat scary. And yet, a sensation akin to excitement was brewing inside of him. In Shu's head were two very conflicting emotions. One was fear, the other was joy. Shu thought to himself,
What's happening? Why do I look like this?'
Shu could not help himself asking the obvious questions because he just did not know how to make sense out of all this. He was also feeling exhausted.
xxxxxx
Meanwhile, back at GHQ's headquarters, the officers overlooking the Endlave pilots in the pods called for medics.
"Emergency! Unit 322 just performed an emergency bailout! Second lieutenant injured in the process."
The brown-haired, bespectacled head official in the room was stunned to the events that had occurred where the operation was taking place.
"What the hell just happened?"
xxxxxx
Just then, another Endlave that saw the whole thing charged towards the armored Shu.
"You're not getting away with that!"
It proceeded to launch its missiles at Shu. He stepped backwards as fast as he could, but the missiles had already hit. Even though he did not receive any superficial damage, the impact of the missiles took its toll on Shu's body. As the Endlave was closing in on him, Shu made a huge leap to the side, and ran away from the enemy Endlave to see how his weapons work. Another memory came to him. It was how his katana can fire long-ranged projectiles. Shu looked at his katana and saw how the hilt looked like a gun. He found the cock hammer and pulled. Six light circles in a straight line appeared from the bottom to the middle section of the blade. Shu then pulled the trigger and fired one round at the enemy Endlave. The shot made a dent but it was not enough to faze it. Shu kept on firing until he used up all his shots. The enemy Endlave was still mobile and ready to kill him. Shu dodged the attack and flipped the knife on his belt.
"SOIYA! ORANGE SQUASH! "
As the enemy Endlave turned around charged at Shu once again, Shu thrust his bladed weapons into the ground, and performed a huge jump into the air. As he made the leap, a sort of orange aura was forming at the base of his right foot. Shu put his right foot forward, dived at the charging Endlave, made the impact and the Endlave exploded.
xxxxxx
In a building at a distance, Gai looked at the fight with binoculars. At his side was a slender man with long grey hair and glasses. He commented,
"Well, at least we know what a void looks like."
Gai contacted on of his fighters.
"Ougumo, ready?"
"Roger that, commander." said Ougumo, one of Gai's fighters. He was noticeable for being the largest and tallest people of Gai's group.
As Shu was getting up, another enemy Endlave came to him and was ready to take Shu down. In the darkness, Ougumo set off a series of explosions via his holo-terminal. This caused the ground around it to crumble and the enemy Endlave was stuck into the ground. The explosions also caused some nearby buildings to crumble and fall, and did so on the enemy Endlave. Still functioning, Shu finished it off with the energy shots of his katana. Shu noticed Inori lying in the rubble.
"Inori!"
Shu ran to her side, trying to wake her up. When she did, she reacted with shock at first and backed away from him. She shuddered in fear of what she was seeing. Shu tried to calm her down.
"Wait Inori! It's me, Shu!"
Inori heard the voice behind the armor and instantly recognized it.
"Shu?"
Shu realized that he was still in his armor. He then took off both the open lockseed and his belt. The transformation canceled, and Shu returned to normal. Inori was surprised that it was Shu inside of the armor that made her feel so shocked.
"What happened to you, Shu?"
"I don't know. So much has happened and I don't know how to explain it. I can't even tell if I should believe it. But now, I'm just glad you're all right."
In that moment, the little robot with wheels that belonged to Tsugumi arrived at where Shu and Inori were, and it spoke in Gai's voice.
"Shu Ouma. You got 15 seconds. Grab Inori and get out of there."
Shu was confused at that comment.
xxxxxx
Meanwhile, the green Endlave contacted Tsugumi.
"Tsugumi, where's the next target?"
Tsugumi was located in a holo-deck like environment that made code, data, and information touchable. She work a black latex suit that enabled her to interact with the data like something she could manipulate with her own hands. She fashioned herself after a black cat.
"Directions to the quad. Distance at 400."
"What? that far off? There's nothing closer?"
"Why don't you relax and call it a day? Save yourself the energy."
The red-haired female pilot of the green Endlave did not like that comment.
"It's not my job to give up."
"By the way, I saw the footage of that guy with Inori."
"Gai said he'd handle it. But it was pretty unbelievable."
The red-haired pilot remembered what she saw a few moments ago. An orange warrior took down two enemy Endlaves like he was stronger than them. She just couldn't believe it. At that moment, Gai contacted the red-haired pilot.
"Ayase, continue the offensive."
"But Gai, shouldn't I pick up Inori and..."
"I got them. Just do your job."
Yes sir."
Just then, a silver Endlave appeared. It was faster than the blue ones they were fighting against. It was sleek, more maneuverable, and controlled by a blonde haired pilot that had a mean streak a light-year long and enjoyed killing people.
"Wow. Just look at this stocky little bastard. Talk about perfect timing."
The silver Endlave opened fire on the green Endlave. Ayase was stunned at its speed. No longer able to dodge its attacks, the green Endlave was taking massive damage. When it used up all its ammo, The silver Endlave threw away its gun and pulled out a mecha-sized dagger. Tsugumi saw what was happening and bailed Ayase out. The silver Endlave dealt the finishing blow a little while after Ayase was bailed out. The pilot of the silver Endlave remarked with indifference and boredom,
"Where are the accompanying screams? Man, what a buzz kill."
You could tell this guy had no sense of humanity.
xxxxxx
Meanwhile, the Major received the news of the ongoing operation and was shocked to say the least.
"What?! That's impossible! How could a foot soldier cause all this damage?"
"I don't know. The battle footage is too unusual for say for certain. But that's the way it looks, sir."
"A hand-held anti-Endlave weapon? Damn it! I can't report that."
Just then, another voice broke out.
"Second lieutenant Daryl Yan, reporting for duty."
The Major turned his attention to the blonde haired pilot.
"Lieutenant Yan. This is a nice surprise. A visit from the Supreme Commander's son. It's an honor to finally meet you. You've certainly live up to your reputation for bravery. Did your father's orders bring you to this post here?"
"No. It was my choice. I was on my way to deliver a new model Endlave to the operation center. When I heard a battle broke out here, I came here cause it just, i don't know... Sounded fun."
The Major was taken aback by that last comment.
"Is that right? Well, we're still grateful for your assistance."
Daryl looked at how the Major was extending his hand to him. His smirk instantly turned into a frown and the tone of his voice change, revealing his twisted nature.
"Who do you think I am? You're expecting me to touch that pig's foot?"
The Major looked in confusion.
"Listen. I'll do as I please, got it? Get in my way, and I'll report your fat ass to my father."
Daryl walked away with a twisted smile on his face. The Major, with his hand still out, turned very angry with Daryl as soon as he was out of the room.
"That little... EXPAND THE SEARCH! Question everyone you see."
Just then, one of the officers called for the Major.
"Sir, incoming communication from headquarters."
The Major reached for his communication device and answered the call.
"Yes sir."
"Major Guin, I heard about how you're receiving some problems on your mission."
"I have the situation under control, sir. We are now in the process of..."
"I know all about the current state of your situation."
The Major reacted in fear as to what this will mean for him.
"Don't worry. I know you are not to blame for what is happening to your troops. I have seen the visual logs of the Endlaves that involved one handheld anti-Endlave weapon. I have decided to send you some extra help."
"I am aware of the second lieutenant arrival..."
"Not him. It's something else. A certain type of bio-weapon we have developed. We have just completed the prototype and think that this battle you are currently engaged in could use something like this to turn the tides. The terrorists already have a weapon that makes your Endlaves seem like second-rate scrap."
Major Guin, although intrigued by this information, was a little suspicious about this new development. He had to know if GHQ knows about this prototype weapon.
"Sir, if I may ask..."
"You may not. What I am sharing with you is level 3A information. The kind that is kept secret by authorities higher than the Supreme Commander of GHQ."
Major Guin was stunned by this disclosure.
"So, that said: I trust you will keep the involvement of this weapon undisclosed in your reports."
"Yes sir. And thank you sir for offering your assistance."
The call then cut. One of Major Guin's men called for him.
"Major, I am receiving word of a 'incoming package.'"
xxxxxx
A pair of helicopters were arriving at the area where the command trailer was located. They were holding a large metal crate, twice of the command trailer, with a little barred square hole like it was carrying an animal. Major Guin stepped outside to see just what was this bio-weapon was. The helicopters landed near where the command trailer was. As they landed the metal crate, they left as soon as they came. The Major's communicator was being called again. The Major assumed it was the same person who told him highly sensitive information. As soon as he answered, he was right.
"Do you see it?"
Major Guin responded, "Yes sir"
"You have been given authorization to utilize that weapon for the purpose of exterminating those terrorists and their new weapon. It will not harm you, your men, or the Endlaves under your command. It has been trained and conditioned to obey the highest authority figures of GHQ. Right now, it will listen to you and your orders. Try not to mess it up."
"Yes sir. Understood."
Major Guin then saw a card reading slot near the door. The Major took out his command card, swiped it, and waited for clearance. The card-reader recognized his authority and the door started to open vertically. When it fully open, a loud roar was heard. The bio-weapon stepped out. The soldiers were terrified at what they saw. Some of them even raised their rifles at it. Major Guin yelled out,
"STOP! Do not aim your weapons at that thing! I have been given assurance that this creature will not harm us! It will not harm members of GHQ! Headquarters has assured me of that fact!"
The soldiers were confused at that last statement made by the Major. They still could help but look in fear of what was in front of them. Major Guin spoke to his soldiers again in an effort to relax the tension they were all feeling.
"We have been given this weapon as a means to finally get rid of both the terrorists and the weapon they stole from our superiors within this area! And that is exactly what we are going to do."
The Major said with a devious smile on his face.
xxxxxx
In another location far from the battle, Gai and Shu, still exhausted after the fight, were ready to discuss with each other. Inori was nearby, resting after what had happened. Before they started, Gai receives a call from one of his comrades.
"Reporting in as ordered, Gai."
"Ayase. What's your status?"
"I lost my vessel. I am sorry for that. I take full responsibility."
"I see. I am disappointed."
Ayase felt a profound sense of shame after that remark.
"Your orders were to stand your ground for 18 minutes in an older model Endlave. You rose to that task. And yet here you are, claiming your mission was a failure. It sounds like you think I failed you as your commander."
Ayase was blushing red in embarrassment over that comment.
"NO! It's not that at all! I failed you, sir."
"I'm just joking. I'm glad you made it back. You did well."
Gai ended the call. Ayase felt utter joy from the last thing Gai said. Then Tsugumi ruined the moment for her as she teased Ayase in a playful manner.
"I can hear your heart fluttering all around the room Aya."
"SHUT UP, TSUGUMI!"
xxxxxx
Shu finally recuperated some of his energy and began talking to Gai.
"So uh..."
"You're finally awake"
Shu turned his head to the direction Gai was facing, and saw Inori up on her feet.
"Gai. Did I... accomplished the mission?"
"No. That makes me disappointed with you."
Inori was visibly hurt by that harsh comment and tone. Shu spoke out against what Gai had said to her.
"Hey! She didn't mean to. A lot of things happened that were out of her control. You can't just say things like that without hearing their side. Maybe it's none of my business, but she tried her best for you. She even got hurt for you."
"I realize that. But the fact of the matter is, she failed to produce results. She screwed up in a big way."
"What do you mean?"
"She gave the Void Genome to you."
"You mean that vial she had with her?
"Yes."
Shu remembered that vial Inori had with her and remembered everything else after that.
"Now hold on. Inori didn't give me that Void Genome thing you're talking about. It acted on its own."
Gai was confused by what Shu said.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I had it in my breast pocket when I tried to rescue her from one of the blue robots that tried to kill her. Then, when we found a place to rest and hide, I noticed that it was glowing and then everything went white. I was in this white space, a voice talked to me telling me how to do this."
Shu closed his eyes to re-enact the visualization technique to summon his belt. Gai looked at Shu and saw a glowing circle flowing out of Shu and into his right hand was a large belt buckle with a knife on the right side.
"It was like it chose me or something. So, don't blame Inori at what is really a freak accident. Emphasis on the 'freak.'"
Gai was dumbfounded at both what he saw and heard. The Void Genome acted on its own for some reason and choose him. It had a voice and gave him instructions on how to summon his own void. Gai had many questions in his mind. The biggest one was 'why him?'
"That Void Genome that Inori held was supposed to be for me to use. The vial that you held was one of three enhanced genomes cultivated by Sephirah Genomics. It gives the user the 'King's Power,' a way to analyze intron sequences and extracting the power within them by manifesting them into Voids."
Shu asked, "What a Void?"
Gai responded, "It's what you're holding in your hand. It's an idea given a physical form. That belt buckle you're holding is your Void. Each person has their own unique version. Void technology has already gained some momentum in attaining godhood. And you just obtained its latest achievement. That means you can never go back to the way things were. You now have the obligation to help desperate lives in need. From now on, you fight... with us."
Shu felt like a heavy weight had placed itself on his shoulders. Reeling in disbelief, Shu said the first thing that came to mind.
"Wait, What?!"
Gai grabbed Shu by the shirt.
"Just remember this Shu Ouma. You now have two choices in life. You can either wait to be selected out of this world or you can survive by learning how to adapt and make the biggest change of your life."
Gai threw Shu down to the floor. Inori looked at Shu with a degree of pity. Gai looked at Shu with disbelief. Shu looked at Gai with a mix of fear and confusion. How could all this have happened? Why did it happen? And just was it that he was supposed to do? Then, Gai's earpiece was receiving a call from one of his comrades.
"What is it?"
"GAI! Something's gone wrong!"
"Calm down and tell me what went wrong."
"Well for one thing, there's some sort of monster rampaging around the area, sniffing around for our comrades and then killing them. It's already got six of them and looking for more. Thankfully it stopped right now. One of the GHQ Endlaves called it back to its boss or something"
Gai was shocked at this update.
"Another thing is that the whitecoats have already quarantined the underground lot in Area 14."
"The underground lot?"
"Word got out that it was a safe spot. There's about 100 people trapped in there. And our problems don't stop there. That new model that thrashed Ayase belongs to 'Kill'em all' Daryl. And the cherry on top of that shit sundae is that monster I told you about is near where the whitecoats are keeping all those people."
"Things could get tricky then."
Gai looked at the situation.
"So this is the challenge at hand."
xxxxxx
Descending downstairs, Gai, Shu, and Inori went into a ruined library where a number of people belonging to Gai's group were waiting. They wanted to know what is the next move is concerning this new information they just got. The long, grey haired bespectacled man relayed the following update to Gai.
"It's bad. The situation is untenable. The disparity between our forces and theirs is too great. Even without the enemy's bioweapon, we're literary outgunned and outnumbered. A rescue mission is simply too dangerous."
"We're not backing out. This is an opportunity we'd be fools to turn down. As of right now, we move to wipe out all Antibodies and rescue the residents!"
Shu was impressed with Gai's talent at leadership.
"Furthermore, we're going public. This will not be a covert operation. Funeral Parlor will be making its mark on the world! GO AND GIVE IT EVERYTHING YOU GOT!"
The freedom fighters cheered at that announcement, feeling energized to change the world. Gai's second in command discussed with him about this change.
"Are you sure about this Gai? If so, I may have to prepare a script for this."
"One last thing!"
Gai's fighters stopped cheering to hear what he has to say.
"You may have heard about the bio-weapon that GHQ has on a leash."
Gai accessed the visual data, and put it on the big computer monitor overlooking them all. All the people in the room were visibly shocked at what they saw. It was large, brown, overly muscular with coral-like spikes sticking out from his back and the side of his head. The face and head were like that of a deer with sharp fangs in its mouth. It had large two-fingered claws with somewhat stunted legs. It walked and ran around like a gorilla. And it was at the beck and call of GHQ, their most hated foes. Needless to say, everybody was speechless.
"Now you know what we are up against. However, I would not lead you into a losing battle. If GHQ thinks this creature is the answer to their prayers, then we will shatter that delusion of theirs with a jack-of-all-trades of our own. May I introduce to all of you Shu Ohma."
Shu walked forward in front of everyone so that they all can get a look at him. Everyone was confused to say the least. At first glance, he doesn't look strong at all. This question popped into their collective thoughts, 'how can this kid be a match against that monster?' Shu was feeling nervous. Gai broke the uneasy silence.
"I know what you're all thinking. However it's what he can do that will change your opinion of the matter. Go ahead, Shu. Show everyone here what you can do."
With that, Shu closed his eyes. A glowing circle appeared on his chest and out came crystal streams to form his belt buckle. Shu opened his eyes and placed the belt buckle on his waist. Shu spoke to get people to understand what he is using right now.
"This is my Void. The Sengoku Driver. It used with this thing. It's called a lockseed."
Shu then yelled out,
"HENSHIN!"
"ORANGE! "
A metallic orange appeared over him. Shu did his pose in front of everyone in the room and place his lockseed on his driver.
"LOCK-ON !"
The driver then played the Japanese horagai music with a techno beat before Shu used the cutting blade on his driver to slice his orange lockseed.
"SOIYA! ORANGE ARMS! HANAMICHI ON STAGE! "
The metal orange landed on top of Shu, formed a pre-arm suit, and then unfolded as samurai-like armor. Everyone of Gai's fighters were amazed at what they saw. To some of them, Shu's armored appearance reminded them of the heroic figures they adored when they were children. In the crowd were Ayase and Tsugumi. They remembered that guy from the green Endlaves visual logs before it was destroyed. Gai then spoke out,
"As you can see, Our enemies will know that we refuse to be docile targets,"
xxxxxx
Three command trailers were stationed at where the 100 residents were hiding. Nearby was an entrance to the ventilation shafts. Shu and Inori were crawling. Inori was ahead with Shu behind him, trying not to look at Inori's behind. Just then, Shu saw an opening in the shafts they were crawling in. Looking through it, Shu witnessed a brutality committed by one of the GHQ soldiers. He was beating up a civilian who was minding his own business. The soldier kept on beating him like a pinata.
"TELL ME WHO YOUR LEADER IS! Spill your guts, or I will."
Shu was horrified as to what was happening in front of him. One of the men in charge of the safety of his country was acting like a bloodthirsty bully and was getting away with it. Shu then remembered what Gai said to him about the Anti-Bodies.
"The Special Virus Disaster Response Bureau, also known as the Anti-Bodies, were granted unilateral authority to diagnose people as symptomatic and exterminate them in the name of security. "
Shu and Inori eventually got out of the shaft and hid somewhere where soldiers would not find them. However, they were near where very wrong human rights violations were happening. Near their location was a group of men being blindfolded, their hands behind their heads, and kneeling down on the ground. A woman was begging the soldiers to let her husband go. Her child wanted to go to the bathroom. Daryl Yan was walking by, sniffing a flower. He said, in a dramatic, sarcastic way,
"What a tragic spectacle. My heart weighs heavy."
The woman noticed Daryl walking and went to him, hoping for any kind of mercy. She went to the wrong guy.
"Officer, please. Spare my husband's life."
The woman grabbed Daryl in the arm. Daryl instantly turned mad and beat her off.
"LET GO OF ME, YOU FILTHY HAG! What, you trying to infect me?! FESTERING GUTTER RAT "
Shu was instantly nauseous at their cruelty, and further remembered Gai's explanation of the Anti-Bodies.
"The lynch-pin of GHQ's public security. Their sharpest, and sadistic fang. They show no mercy to anybody, regardless of innocence or guilt. This is the enemy we are trying to fight, Shu. An enemy that has no problems with genocide."
xxxxxx
In the command trailer, Major Guin issued an order.
"No questions. Just get it done. Execute every one of them."
xxxxxx
At the site near where Shu and Inori were hiding, the soldiers were ready to fire on unarmed civilians. Daryl ready to kill a mother while her child was watching. The child cried out for its mother.
"Your child is irritating me. He thinks you'll protect him just because you gave birth to him."
Shu looked at what was happening and was in disbelief of it. Usually these kinds of atrocities happen in less civilized parts of the world or in the more savage aspects of human history. But this was happening in his own country. Inside of Shu was festering indignation. If he was a regular person, all he could do was watch in horror to what was happening in front of him. But he was a Kamen Rider. He now stands for something better than this. In Funeral's Parlor's intercom system, various voices were overlapping with each other, but they all had the same intent: they have to rescue those people. By then, shots were finally fired. Innocent people died at the whims of homicidal maniacs. Gai finally gave the command.
"Launch the operation!"
Nearby multi-missile launchers, owned by Funeral Parlor, fired all their missiles. They were aimed at the command trailer where Major Guin was located. The Major, however, was ready for any possible retaliation.
"So they're making a move. Send out the Inves! Get him to intercept them! I want those terrorists dead or alive."
The Inves saw the incoming missiles aimed at the command trailer. It let out a roar that let out a sonic boom that exploded the incoming missiles mid-air. Daryl saw what was happening and wanted to join in on the fun. But just before he stepped into his pod, he felt an electric shock surging all around his body before he fell unconscious. It was the little robot on wheels that Tsugumi owned. However, this time, it was not controlled by Tsugumi.
xxxxxx
Shu heard the nearby noises and knew the operation had started. Shu then remembered what Gai had told him a few moments ago.
"Here's the plan, Shu. Alpha team will strike first with a long-range attack, luring the enemy Endlaves away from the enemy camps as far as they can. Once their destination point is reached, Charlie team will take down any remaining troops."
As Gai was walking down the road that led to the enemy camp, Tsugumi announced that all mission parameters were met with success.
"All checkpoints secure. Better take care of my babies Aya."
Ayase began to do her part and mobilized all her wheeled droids to their designated locations. Meanwhile, the enemy Endlaves were still following one of Alpha teams' convoys leading them away from their base. Tsugumi read the data and reported it to Gai.
"Targets have reached destination point."
"Now!" said Gai.
All the droids that Ayase was controlling have activated and begun to act on Tsugumi's commands. All but one. The Endlaves that were following Alpha team's convoy were suddenly given the command to abort. The pilots of the GHQ Endlaves were told that their camp is under possible attack as multiple weapons were locked onto them and they were too many to shield by themselves, Even with the Inves's assistance. Major Guin was furious at this turn of events. Just then, a voice was heard on their intercom.
"I am calling to Major Guin, commander of GHQ's Anti-Body squadron number three. We are the Funeral Parlor. Release the hostages and surrender. If you will comply, you will live."
One of the comm officers asked the Major,
"What do we do, sir? How will we respond?"
Major Guin shrugged and snorted in assurance,
"We're holding the trump card in this game."
The Major then held a radio receiver and made the following announcement on the intercom.
"Attention terrorists. We will never agree to your demands. If you do not withdraw all your forces, we will unleash the bio-weapon known as the Inves on those people underground. Show yourselves, and we will refrain from doing so. We also demand to meet your leader. Bring us the headtaker of your little parlor."
As the GHQ Inves made its way back to the command trailer Major Guin was in, the Major went outside. He saw the Inves on standby for his next set of order from him. Things were quiet for a while until a voice and some footsteps were heard.
"I'm the one in charge."
Gai stepped forward and made himself known. The Inves growled at his presence. The soldiers aimed their rifles at him. Gai's fighters were watching the whole thing from afar. Major Guin broke the silence by speaking out to Gai.
"That's a kind of sinister name you've picked out for yourselves."
"The world as it is right now only offers two choices. To live or die. The only law the world recognizes is survival of the fittest. Because of that, we will always offer funeral songs for those selected out. Hence, our name. It signifies that we will always be singing. That is the reason for our survival."
Major Guin could not believe the gall of this guy and snorted in condescension.
"You don't seem to understand the position you're in. The power we possess allows us to decide the selection process here. Now you have something of ours. A dangerous genetic weapon. We want it back."
"Oh you mean this."
Just then, motorcycle sounds were heard. Then came Shu in a blue hoodie with the hood covering his face and was riding a white and pink motorcycle with a white sakura flower in a pink background on the front. He did some doughnuts (it's when you make skid marks in a circle) on the pavement. Everybody watched as Shu eventually stopped. When the smoke cleared, the Major looked at the hooded figure. He laughed.
"Do you honestly think that lanky wimp can contend with us?"
The Major laughed some more.
"Hey, I just got an idea. My new best friend here is looking a little hungry. Maybe he'll be a good snack."
Gai looked at the Major like he committed a huge mistake.
"Well you know the saying. Big things come in small packages."
While Gai looked on, he wondered where did Shu get that blue hoodie and motorcycle. 'He certainly didn't have it those with him before. So who was it that gave those things to him?'
xxxxxx
(earlier)
Shu and Inori were on their way to the next assigned location of Gai plan. They had to be there before GHQ will eventually make the demand to see Gai personally. As they made to the spot. Shu noticed Tsugumi's little robot. It was waiting for both of them to arrive. Shu wondered if this was part of Gai's plan and that he sent it to make sure that his plan stayed on track.
"Hey there. How do you like that power of yours?"
The robot spoke, but not in either Tsugumi's or Gai's voice. It was the same voice that spoke to Shu in the white space that told him how to summon his own void. Inori listened to the whole thing as Shu spoke to the voice.
"It's you. You're that voice that spoke to me when..."
"The Void Genome choose you, right?"
Shu was shocked. It was as if he could read his mind.
"I been looking at your progress with how you've been handling your own void. I am impressed so far."
"So far?"
"Yeah. Here's the double truth, ruth. GHQ gots this huge freak at its command. You've probably seen it. It's ready to kill with absolute ferocity. What you got might take down a few of those enemy mechs, but against that thing, you got no chance."
Shu then remembered the image Gai showed to everyone and agreed that the lockseed he has is not enough. He began to feel discouraged from this realization. Inori put her hand to console Shu. The robot spoke further.
"Don't look so down, man. That's why I'm here. I gots you a present."
The robot reached back into its head that acts as storage and pulled out a lockseed. It was pineapple shaped with the markings that read 'LS-05.' The robot gave it to Shu.
"You're gonna need this. It's a..."
"Power-type lockseed." Shu said instinctively.
"So you know what it is, do ya?"
"Maybe. I just don't know where, though."
"Well, before I leave you to your 'business,' here's two more gifts I have for ya."
The little robot brought out another lockseed and a blue coat. The other lockseed was a bit bigger and had a wheel on the front. And it had the sign 'LV-01,' even though it was a bit small to read. The blue coat had a hoodie. On the back of it was a japanese-style painting. It featured a samurai warrior, swinging his sword across an artistic landscape. The little robot spoke again.
"Now, I assume you know what this is."
It held the lockseed with the wheel on front. Shu nodded no.
"Well then. Gives me the pleasure of explaining things for once. This is a Lock Vehicle. This one turns into a motorcycle called the 'Sakura Hurricane.' Thought you might need a flashy entrance since you're a superhero now."
"Thanks, but why give me this hoodie?" Shu asked.
"So you could hide your face before you transform. Sure you can go in fully armored, but where's the 'wow factor' in that? I mean, your leader has a way of making impressions. I just thought you could make one of your own. If you wanted."
Shu then looked at the blue hoodie and decided to wear it. He gave Inori his school coat to hold and put on the hood to cover his face. Inori then received the signal.
"Shu, it's time."
Shu then activated the Lock Vehicle. The Lock Vehicle unraveled and expanded into a motorcycle. The little robot spoke one last time in the voice that spoke to Shu before.
"Good luck, kid. Be kick ass anyway you can."
Shu remembered that phrase before, but before he could talk to the voice again, the robot wheeled its way to Tsugumi before Shu could say anything. Shu then rode on his bike to the place where Gai's plan told him to go.
xxxxxx
The soldiers looked at the hooded Shu as they thought less of him. Shu, however, was focused on the fight that was going to happen. He summoned his Sengoku Driver and placed it on his waist. The Major and all his men watched as to what was going to happen next. Shu reached for his pocket for his primary lockseed to get things started. He then began his transformation sequence.
"HENSHIN!"
"ORANGE! "
A metallic orange appeared over him. Shu did his pose and placed his lockseed on his driver.
"LOCK-ON !"
The driver then played the Japanese horagai music with a techno beat before Shu used the Cutting Blade on his driver.
"SOIYA! ORANGE ARMS! HANAMICHI ON STAGE! "
Major Guin and his men were dumbfounded by what they saw. It was unlike anything they have ever seen before. The Major, however, deduced that hooded person with the motorcycle has the genetic weapon his superiors ordered him to retrieve. He then said,
"I see. I guess I have to tell my superiors that the weapon has fallen into enemy hands and that the whole thing was a failure. But before I do that, I have to complete my other objective. Never leave a job undone."
The Major then snapped his fingers, and the Inves that was on standby charged to fight and kill Shu. Shu readied both his swords and yelled,
"BRING IT ON!"
Shu charged at the rampaging Inves. The Inves lunged a big punch at Shu. He went flying and landed hard on some pre-existing rubble. Shu remarked in his delirium,
"Now that was a mean right hook."
Major Guin laughed at the rider.
"YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT THIS PUSSY IS SOMETHING I SHOULD BE FEARING?"
The Major laughed some more. Gai remained stoic. Shu got up and tried to regain his senses. The Inves went for the attack again. Shu regained his senses and saw the Inves going at him. He flipped the Cutting Blade on his drive three times.
"SOIYA! ORANGE SPARKLING!"
The orange then folded back into a metal orange that was still on Shu's shoulders. The Inves punched Shu again, but the metal orange deflected the punch. The Inves went for the KO punch again, but Shu then gave the metal orange on his shoulders a literal spin to deflect the punch and sent the Inves tripping backwards. It folded back into armor. Shu saw the Inves recovering from that attack. He then took off the open lockseed on his driver...
"LOCK-OFF. "
and placed it on his Musou Saber.
"LOCK-ON! 1-10-100 "
As the Inves charged again towards Shu, Shu swings his sword...
"ORANGE CHARGE! "
and the resulting energy slash severely cut the Inves deep in the chest and upper arm with the energy slash looked like a full orange slice. Major Guin and his men were astounded at the power this armored warrior possessed. This made the Major clench his trap shut tight. Gai grinned and said out loud,
"Are you telling me that this defective example of genetic engineering is the best you can do?"
The Major had a grin on his face and said,
"I'd watch what you're calling defective."
Everyone witnessing the fight saw the Inves regenerating its wound. Shu then realized that the voice on Tsugumi's robot was right. Shu needed to take things to the next level if he wanted to win this fight. He then took off his orange lockseed...
"LOCK-OFF. "
and took out his new one.
"PINE! "
Crystal streams appeared to form this time a metallic pineapple. It appeared above Shu. He then placed the pine lockseed on his driver...
"LOCK-ON! "
and sliced it with the Cutting Blade on his driver.
"SOIYA! PINE ARMS! FUNSAI DESTROY! "
The metallic pineapple descended onto Shu and unfolded into yellow armor. His visor changed into a yellow color as well. In his left hand, Shu held a flail that looked like a pineapple fuir. Shu began to swing it a little to get the feel of it. He then turned his attention to the Inves which finished regenerating its wounds.
The Inves then began the attack and ran towards Shu. Shu then swung his Pine Iron at the Inves's face and the Inves was knocked down. It rose up again only to feel the iron slam into its face again. Attacks were flying left and right with the Inves growing exhausted and Shu gaining the upper hand. This made Gai confident while the GHQ Major was feeling angry and nervous at the same time. Shu thought it was time to finish this battle. Shu flipped the Cutting Blade on his driver once for a finishing blow.
"SOIYA! PINE SQUASH "
Shu threw the Pine Iron far up in the air and jumped to kick it like a soccer ball before it came down to the ground. The iron expanded until it lodged itself on the Inves's head. Shu landed on the ground only to jump again with a yellow energy aura forming on his right leg. Shu then lunged his right foot forward, forming a diving kick towards the Inves. When the kick landed, Shu bounced backwards a bit as the Inves turned into five large energy pineapple slices. The slices were falling towards the GHQ command trailer and Major Guin yelled in fear before he and all his men were destroyed in the ensuing explosion.
xxxxxx
There was smoke and fire, but the extensive damage could still be seen. Shu, while still in his armor, saw what he did and was taken aback by it. The sun shined bright over the people in the area, grateful they were able to survive this horrible day and live to see the sun shine in all its glory. Inori was somewhere else, singing a song in a hopeful tone. The surviving GHQ soldiers saw Daryl and recovered him, but could not located the silver Endlave he was piloting. Shu heard a voice.
"You've done well."
He turned around and saw Gai talking to him.
"You've moved past your fear to do the right thing, and saved a lot of lives in the process. Qualities that define a hero. You should be proud of that, Shu."
Shu looked at Gai like he was grateful for his kind words. Gai then extended his hand.
"Join us, Shu. With your abilities, we can do greater good. You have the power to make a major difference if you come with us."
Shu looked at Gai's hand with hesitation. The two conflicting emotions that he felt before were back. On one hand, he wanted to take the offer because being a Kamen Rider was something he knew he to do, and believed Gai and his band of freedom fighters can help him there. On the other hand, we wanted to decline because he did not see himself as an adventurer. He decided to make a temporary compromise within himself. But that meant sooner or later, he would have to make a large decision. One that would shape his future.
xxxxxx
Shu was in school. He laid his arms and head on his desk. Shu was deep in thought as to what had happened. Then, his homeroom teacher announced that a new transfer student was joining their class. The whole class gasped with some of the male students comment on her good looks. Shu looked up and could not believe his eyes. It was Inori. He stood up, flabbergasted. Inori looked at him. Silence went on for a while until Shu said,
"No way. This can't be real."
Inori replied, slightly tilting her head left,
"Of course it is."
OK. Second chapter done. It took me a while, but I did not want to leave the people who like this waiting. I put a Spike Lee movie reference in there. Think you can name it? Don't forget to review if you feel like it.
Later.