Ben 10 RWBY Volume 2: Ultimate Omniverse

by The Omni-Remnant

Having returned from a massive adventure in the world of Remnant, Ben, Team RWBY, and the rest of their friends find themselves faced with new challenges at every turn on Earth. Be it villains old and new… or even things that they never imagined to be real. It's going to be a challenge unlike any they've seen before, but they're up for it. It's Hero Time! (Cover Art credit inside)

107. Cryptic Revival

A/N: SURPRISE! DOUBLE UPLOADS THIS WEEK, BABY! That's right, Ben 10 RWBY Month ends when I SAY it ends, dammit! I may not have been able to cap off Halloween with this chapter, but dammit, that just motivated me even more to get this done! Of course, this chapter is a bit shorter than the last few have been, but honestly, that's alright, because we've had a LOT of action going on, so I say it's about time we wrap it all up. Now let's go! This is…

Chapter 106: Cryptic Revival

…..

"Ugh… damn it." Doc Saturday was not having a good day. Not only had their investigation into Nicolas Flamel's hidden medal vault gone awry thanks to Ministry meddling, but he also had his hand nearly snapped off his wrist by one of them. And of course, those villains had been transformed into monsters, but thankfully, that seemed to be getting taken care of, as was the whole dragon situation. Of course, he had never expected a dragon of all things to be tamed, and by Nora no less, but it still worked out. He had also never in a million years would've predicted that an actual Kamen Rider would've come to their world, seemingly from beyond a fictional barrier.

'That's still something I've gotta ask him about.' he thought to himself as Hope used her healing magic on his hand, all while his wife continued to wrap it into a sling. 'I'm no theoretical physicist, but even I'M sure something like that is pretty much impossible.'

Eventually, Hope let out a breath and took her hands away, stopping her spell. "Alright, I've done all I can do here. The rest will have to heal overnight."

"Thank you, Hope." Drew smiled gratefully before raising a brow to her husband. "Doc, you know what to do."

"Ah—Ahem, yes, thank you, Hope." Doc bowed his head appreciatively, narrowing his eyes at the cast. "Hmph, just wish you didn't have to do this in the first place. I shouldn't have been so careless with Hazel back there."

But the young sorceress waved it off. "It's alright. You didn't know his full capabilities at the time. None of us did." Her eyes drifted out the front windshield of the Rustbucket, staring straight back to the city. She could see smoke billowing out over the buildings, which only made her more worried. "I just hope whoever that Kadoya guy was able to handle the six of them AND Sun."

Drew, however, was still confident that things were fine. "Hope, with the way my son acted around him, I'm pretty sure he's fine." At that moment, the back door opened up, drawing the group's attention toward Ironwood and Juliette as they entered. "Hey, any word?"

"Hah, well, I have talked to the police." Juliette started with a shaky yet glad smile. "And from what they're saying, it would seem that the immediate threat has been disposed of."

"It has?" Doc's eyebrows rose, keenly interested. "Any word on the kids?"

To that, Ironwood nodded and raised his scroll. "Actually, yes. I just got off call with Raven. They said they'll be here in just a few seconds."

Hope's face scrunched skeptically. "Wait, what? How? Raven doesn't have that strong a bond with any of… of… oh my." A shimmering light brought her attention back out the front windows, the others left similarly astonished by what they saw appear. It was like a giant curtain made of silvery energy, almost like an aurora had sprung up right in front of them. And coming through this veil were Tsukasa, Raven, Zak, the Omni-Hunters, the Earth Dragon, Apollo, and Wu Kong, the latter carrying an unconscious Sun in his arms.

"…Well, I suppose that gets us our answer." Juliette said.

Ironwood, though, was left slack jawed seeing Nora riding on the head of the huge beast. "…How in the world did she—" But the general cut himself off there, already knowing the answer. "No, wait. It's Nora, don't question it."

Peering through the glass, Hope noticed that Apollo was carrying the brazier with him as well. "Hah, well, I'm glad that Lord Apollo kept his word about that brazier. At least we got THAT out of this whole ordeal." She stood up and went toward the back of the ship. "I'm going to speak with him out there, so…"

"Oh, sure. Of course." Drew obliged in opening the ship's rear hatch, allowing Hope to leave and for most of the others to board. And the moment they came to the bridge, she greeted her son with open arms. "Hah, well, glad my faith wasn't misplaced."

"Hah, what?" Zak tilted his head. "You thought we wouldn't make it or something?"

Drew turned back to Doc knowingly. "No, that'd be your father."

"Ah, call me out, why don't ya?" Doc said as he ruffled up his son's hair. "So, I'm guessing all went well, then?"

"Oh, you bet! You should've seen him!" Zak pointed over to Tsukasa, who merely grinned as he recounted his escapades. "He was all like—NYOOM, and—KA-POW, and—DE-DE-DE-DECADE! It was so—"

Placing a hand on the boy's shoulder, Tsukasa reeled him back a bit. "Haha, alright, alright, I think they get the picture." The Rider gave a shrug, as if it was no big deal. "Besides, I was only doing what I do best; help out where I'm needed."

Ironwood raised his chin to the new arrival, stepping up to him as he did. "So… you're this "Kamen Rider Decade" that I've been hearing about."

"Yes… and that must make you General Ironwood." Tsukasa bowed in respect. "It's a privilege."

"Hm. So, what brings you to our world, anyway? Because I hear tell that… you're not exactly supposed to exist, being a fictional character and all."

Tsukasa's grin increased into a smirk, giving a coy answer. "Ah, well see, that all depends on what you perceive as "fiction" or not. Because believe it or not, certain worlds that the inhabitants perceive as "real" can themselves be seen as "fictional" in other worlds." He gestured around the room to everyone. "So, for example, while you see yourselves as real, there may be a dimension our there where people see ALL of you as just as "fictional" as I am." Tsukasa punctuated his point by raising a single finger. "But the truth is… no matter the number of dimensions there are out there, EVERYTHING can be considered real."

Juliette's eyes widened, realizing what he was talking about. "You mean… the theory of modal realism is true?"

The dimension-hopping man snapped his fingers and pointed at her. "And we have our winner. Indeed, madame, modal realism isn't just a concept, but a distinct reality."

"Hold the phone there!" Ben piped up, raising his hands to try and slow things down. "So you mean to tell me that every single movie and TV show that I've ever seen growing up… is actually real somewhere out there in the multiverse?"

"Exactly." Tsukasa confirmed. "If you need a minute to let that settle in, I understand."

But outside of taking a deep, settling breath, Ben didn't seem to be too jarred about it. "No, no, it's fine, honestly." He wore a sheepish smile as he explained; "As someone who was sucked into a video game as a kid, I probably should've seen this coming from the start."

"You were WHAT now?!" Ruby exclaimed.

"It's a long story and I'll tell ya later." Ben promised. "But right now, we've got bigger fish to fry."

Wu Kong nodded with a serious countenance. "Yeah, the gang's in trouble back in Bellwood. Macaque said that the rest of the Ministry are up to something sinister…" He nudged his chin toward the Saturday family. "And apparently, you three are in for a "reunion" with someone soon. I dunno what he means, but I doubt it's anything good."

Doc furrowed his brows, perplexed behind the meaning. "A reunion? Did they say with who?"

"No… but I'm just hoping it isn't with who I think it is." Zak said, all while his returning headache continued to pound and pulsate in his ears.

It was as if someone were screaming at him; "It IS him! You KNOW it's him! It can't be anybody else! THIS IS IT! LET ME OUT!"

"G-Gah!" Zak's hand flew up to his head as his body jerked back, causing everyone to gasp.

"Zak!" Ruby stopped him from falling backward and helped settle him into a chair, concern etched across her features. "Oh no, it's happening again!"

Drew moved next to her son, bringing him close and cradling him as he struggled against his plight. "The headaches… they're back and I think this is the worst I've seen them!" Her eyes darted up to her husband, her gaze full of worry. "You don't think… i-it couldn't be…"

"It can't be. It's impossible." Doc asserted, though even his voice was filled with uncertainty. "We saw him destroyed with our own eyes."

"But they're talking about a reunion, Doc." Drew insisted. "And if these Ministry people have proven anything, it's that they're good at making the impossible happen."

Rex came forward, tired of hearing all of the cryptic talk. "Okay, would you guys stop being so nondescript about what's going on here, por favor? I feel like we all need to know who this "reunion" is gonna be with."

Ironwood agreed with the sentiment. "Yes, please do. Some of us may be lost in the dark here."

The married couple glanced to one another, but it was their son who gave the answer for them. "A…Argost." Zak muttered, his headache having cleared for a brief second. "V. V. Argost…"

"Your arch enemy?" Ruby placed a hand on Zak's arm. "The one you said you destroyed…"

"Y-Yeah, I—AGH!" Zak didn't get the chance to finish as his headache came back in full force, wracking him with immense pain. "AAAAUUUGHH!"

"We need to get him to the medical bay!" Ben pointed toward the back of the ship, causing the group of heroes to part ways and allow the Saturday family through. "And someone go get Team JNPR and Hope. We need to get back to Bellwood on the double!"

As the team went to take care of their final preparations, though, Wu Kong found himself staring after Zak, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. He was picking up… something strange, seeing something dark emanating off of the young man's body that no one else seemed to notice. 'Could he be… possibly…'

"Something the matter?" Raven piped up, catching the Monkey King's attention. "You seem tense, Wu Kong."

"I just… thought I saw something weird." The celestial simian furrowed his brows. "Something seems a bit off about him."

Raven raised a brow to him. "Zak, you mean? Is it to do with his headaches?"

"Can't say for sure at the moment. I may have to keep an eye on him…" Wu Kong sighed and craned his head down to Sun, who he had placed in a chair, still unconscious. "Though now that they've mentioned it, maybe getting him to the med bay wouldn't be such a bad idea either."

…..

Outside, meanwhile, a rather important conversation was taking place. Nora Valkyrie had saddled herself with an immense task, one that she knew would require a lot of bargaining. That being; convincing Apollo to let her take the Earth Dragon back home. Of course, she knew it was a HUGE ask. But, for the sake of her new friend, she wasn't about to give up so easily. After all, she had promised him PANCAKES, and like hell she'd ever go back on that. Even if she had to fight tooth and nail against this god, she was going to get what she wanted—

"Okay, he's yours."

The reaction from Team JNPR was all but appropriate; "…HUH?!"

And Hope was equally as surprised. "Really? But Lord Apollo, I thought that…"

"The dragon belonged to me? Ha! Think again." The golden god winked to the group of teenagers as he placed his hand upon the dragon's muzzle. "This big lad was just a pup when I first found him and gave him the task of watching the chamber. Didn't think that he'd go through the metamorphosis stage, though. And unfortunately, that means it wouldn't be best for him to go back to where I found him."

"And why's that?" Ren inquired.

"Ah, because there's probably gonna be an alpha male dragon who's a LOT bigger than he is." Apollo explained with a shake of his head. "Youngin's like him don't usually fair well against elders of their kind. He'd have to go through metamorphosis again just to be a fair match."

The mortals' eyes all widened as they looked toward the Earth Dragon in astoundment. "You mean… this guy isn't even an ADULT yet?!"

"Nope, juvenile." Apollo affirmed, running his hands along the beast's horns. "But lemme tell ya… just by these babies alone, I can tell he'll be GIGANTIC when he's fully grown. But for right now, it's probably best if he does go with you." His focus shifted back to Nora. "Teach him how to fight, help him grow stronger, and I'm sure that he'll be a fantastic companion to you all."

Nora's eyes were lit up as bright as a Christmas Tree and wore an ear-to-ear smile at the god's encouragement. "Y-Yes, sir!" she saluted. "I'll do my best with him!" She rushed over and hugged her new dragon friend's head, who was all too receiving of the affection. "Ooh, we're gonna have so much FUN, too! …Oh! But you need a name…"

"Maybe something Earth related, like Rocky?" Jaune suggested.

"Or perhaps Boulder." Pyrrha proposed. "I'd say that's appropriately intimidating."

The Pink Dynamo hummed contemplatively, but ultimately shook her head. "Nah, those names are kinda too on the nose, I think. I want something that screams "BIG BOY"." She locked her gaze with her dragon friend's and, within an instant, an idea sparked within her head. "Ah! I've got it!" Nora thrust her hand out and placed it upon the tip of the Earth Dragon's nose as she declared; "From this day forth, your name shall be… TITAN!"

The black dragon's eyes seemed to burn brighter and it reared its head up, letting out a concussive; "GGRRRRAAAAOOORRRR!"

Apollo could practically hear the approval in that single roar. "Haha! Seems like he likes it!"

"He does?! You like your new name, Titan?" Nodding his head, the newly named Titan gave another small bellow before licking Nora with his massive tongue, causing her to break out into a laughing fit. "Ahahahaha! Okay, okay, so you DO like it! Hahaha! Stop, please! That tickles!"

Watching their teammate being show such affection, Jaune, Pyrrha and Ren smiled… but also knew that they were now in for a tough challenge. "Well… we've got a dragon now." the blonde knight sighed.

"Yep… and I doubt Natalie will let in in the house." Ren deadpanned with a shrug.

"I doubt it would even fit in the first place." Pyrrha scratched her head. "We would need to find… some sort of stable for it somewhere."

Charmcaster walked up and placed a reassuring hand on the redhead's shoulder. "Don't worry. I can help figure out that problem. But before that…" The sorceress directed her attention back to Apollo with a bow. "My lord, forgive me for asking, but you have the brazier, right?"

"Ah, yeah, that's right!" Apollo snapped his fingers and the bronze brazier appeared in his hands. "Just as promised, one alchemic brazier. And if you take a look inside, you'll see I've included some special metals for your experiments as well."

With a grateful bow, Hope expressed her appreciation. "Thank you very much, Lord Apollo. I'll make sure that no harm befalls this gracious gift."

"I should hope so. Not many of those are just lying around, after all." All of a sudden, a massive wall of shimmering energy appeared before them, taking the group off guard. Apollo did a doubletake while the mortals all gasped at it. "Huh… well, that certainly came out of nowhere."

"Hah, we're gonna have to get used to it if it's what Kadoya-san uses to get around." Jaune said, raising a hand to his chin. "Something tells me we're gonna be headed out soon."

Sure enough, not a second later and Ben had marched out onto the entry ramp of the Rustbucket, calling out to the group; "Guys! We've gotta get back home! The others need our help, ASAP!"

"Understood!" Pyrrha acknowledged as Nora climbed up on Titan's back, securing herself as best she could.

The hyper redhead gave her team a thumbs up. "We'll be right behind ya! Titan ain't fitting on the ship, after all."

"Right, we'll see you on the other side." Ren said, sharing a soft smile with his partner before he and Jaune made their way toward the ship.

Before Pyrrha could follow, however, Apollo gave her one final parting word. "Champion girl! I can't wait to give you that quest in the future." He extended his hand to her. "Don't forget it, okay? It could happen at any time, after all."

Clearing her throat, the Invincible Girl accepted the handshake. "Of course, Lord Apollo. I look forward to undertaking it." Once they parted ways, however, Pyrrha noticed that Charmcaster wasn't following her. "Hm? Hope, what're you…"

"Sorry, but I have to stick around here a while longer." Hope's eyes were apologetic as Juliette came down from the ship to join her. "I've gotta gather up all of those medals we left behind, plus the ones still in the chamber."

"We have much to study before preparing for our alchemic experiments, after all." Juliette explained. "Plus, I cannot just leave when I still have many of my belongings in my hotel room." She gave the teens an encouraging nod. "But you all must still go. If there is trouble back home, then you must go defend it. I wish you all the best of luck."

Ben and the others bid their own farewells to the Frenchwoman in return. "Of course, Dr. Garnier. Good luck to you, too. And Hope, we'll see you in a bit." Once Hope said her peace, the others made their way into the ship as the hatch closed behind them. They then made their way to the bridge and strapped themselves into their seats, preparing for takeoff. As he sat next to Yang, however, Ben couldn't help but sigh as his shoulders sagged. "Really wish our trip to Rome could've at least lasted a little longer… and without all of the fighting, of course."

Seeing his disappointment, Yang reached out and squeezed his hand. "Ah, it's alright. We'll come back one day and we'll have a PROPER Roman Getaway. Pizza and everything."

The hero smiled to her and gave a short chuckle. "Heh… I hear authentic Italian's not all that's cracked up to be, honestly."

"Only one way to find out." Yang winked, giving him a peck on the cheek as the ship pitched upward and attained liftoff. Down below, Nora ushered Titan to charge forth into the veil, prompting Ben to ask; "Hey, Decade! What's that thing of yours called, anyway?"

"It's an Aurora Curtain." Tsukasa replied. "It allows me to go wherever I need to, provided it's a feasible location, of course." The Rider's countenance was calm and stoic, though his tone was assuring as he said; "I advise you all be on your guard. No telling what your enemies have in store for you, after all."

"Trust me, we're no strangers to that." Weiss rolled her eyes. "Ugh, so much for our vacation being a de-stressing thing." On that note, the ship blasted off through the Aurora Curtain, bringing the team straight back home.

…..

As that was all happening, though, Doyle felt himself petrified with fear and disbelief at what just happened. Standing there, emerged from the pod like some sort of scene in a horror movie, was none other than V. V. Argost. The man who had once almost taken over the world with Cryptids, and would've succeeded if his own hubris hadn't done him in. The yeti had thought he could handle TWO different types of Kur powers and paid the ultimate price for it. …And yet, there he was, as if his destruction had never happened in the first place. "This… this is a joke." Doyle uttered as Fisk and the other cryptids cowered in fear. "This is some cruel, twisted joke, isn't it? It HAS to be!"

Kevin, though, wasn't too hopeful about that. "I don't think so, man. He's VERY real…"

"Doyle, get a grip." Qrow ordered firmly, giving his fellow uncle a hard squeeze on the shoulder. "Now's not the time to get cold feet. Doesn't matter HOW he got back, what matters is taking him back OUT of the picture. Got it?"

But Doyle shook his head as a harsh breath escaped his lungs. "Hah, Qrow, if only it were that easy. We're talking about Argost, the bastard was hard to kill the FIRST time around." His gaze narrowed as the yeti made his way down the steps toward the rest of the Ministry. "And since he's resurrected now… I doubt it'll be any easier."

The Ministry had all recuperated themselves by Argost's reanimation pod aside from Cinder, Blood Stalk and Night Rogue who were still dueling with their respective opponents across the rooftop. The mutants had managed to break Neo out from Kevin's grasp as well, bringing her back to their group as they stared at the revived yeti in silent awe. …Animo, however, wasn't nearly as quiet. "DO YOU… KNOW WHERE… YOU ARE?!" he shouted, spacing his words out.

"I'm reanimated, not deaf!" Argost snapped, only for his attention to be diverted as Munya bowed before him a low growl. The yeti responded with a fond grin. "Ah, Munya!" Argost raised his hand to his loyal servant. "Of all the faces to see upon my resurrection, it pleases me that you are one of the first."

"Hmhmhm! It worked!" Animo balled his fists in celebration. "Our plan was an unmitigated success!"

Once more, Argost seemed more annoyed with the doctor than thankful. "I seem to recall it being my plan." he said matter-of-factually. "I gave you the blueprints for the cloning machine before my unfortunate run-in with Zak Saturday." Taking a moment to inspect himself, Argost found that there were no parts out of place, or any parts added on, much to his relief. "But, I suppose I should be grateful nonetheless. If only for the fact that I am not some towering monstrosity of random cryptid parts like I had feared."

Animo cleared his throat with an irritable grumble. "Hmhrmph, yes, I restrained my urge to take creative liberties, as per your request. But even so, it has been a productive three years cloning your body, so—"

"THREE YEARS?!" Argost exclaimed, his hand snapping down to take hold of Animo by the collar of his coat. "You were supposed to bring me back in a month. So pray tell, what was the hold up, Mr. Animo?"

"Gah… Ben Tennyson, being a constant thorn in my side, THAT'S what!" Animo pried himself free from the yeti's grasp, dusting his lab coat off with an indignant; "And that's Doctor Animo!"

"Hmph, yes, and I'm sure that doctorate came from an accredited university." Argost retorted, sarcasm dripping from his voice. His sights moved out toward the rest of the gathered Ministry, seeing a monochromatic girl, a pair of mutants gawking at him with stars in their eyes, and a rather powerful-looking woman wielding an iron plantain fan. "Hm, and who would they be? Hired help, perhaps?"

Animo chuckled as he corrected him. "You could say that. Though more accurately, only the two mutants are my assistants." He thrust his hand out, gesturing to the villains who were both there and the ones that were still battling their adversaries. "Mr. Argost, allow me to introduce you to the Ministry of Darkness, the villainous faction that I myself have fallen in line with in recent months. They helped play a part in your resurrection as well."

The formerly dead yeti was about to speak, but was cut off… but loud, high-pitched screaming. "AAAAAHH! NO WAY!" Hog and Skull began jumping up and down, beaming wide at Argost. "A-Are you THE V. V. Argost?!" the pig mutant asked.

Argost's nose wrinkled at the duo. "I am, yes."

"AH! Sir, it is such an HONOR to meet you!" Skull lowered his head, prompting Hog to do the same. "We've watched every single episode of your show! You're an inspiration to both of us!"

"We recorded every episode ever! You have our ETERNAL respect!"

Needless to say, Argost wasn't expecting such fealty right off the bat from his resurrection… but he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. "Hm, is that so?" His sneer transforming into a sly grin, he fed into their fanaticism. "Well then, gentlemen, I do hope for your continued dedication… because I plan on bringing Weird World back in a BIG way, once I enact my revenge on Zak Saturday."

"The little orange twerp?" The sudden introduction of a new voice brought Argost's eyes upward, where he saw a young, dark-haired woman in a red and gold dress descend upon the group. She was currently holding off a glowing energy being, but she was holding her own even as she spoke to the yeti. "I believe THAT can be arranged."

"And you are?"

"Cinder Fall." The Fall Maiden answered as she kicked Gwen straight in the stomach, making her tumble through the air and away from her for a brief moment. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Argost. I'm certain our mistress would be quite thrilled to meet you—AGH!"

But the conversation didn't last long as Cinder and Gwen continued to clash, leaving Argost perplexed. "Mistress, hm?" His yellow eyes drifted to the woman with the fan. "That wouldn't happen to be you, would it, madame? You seem to be dressed for the part, at any rate."

Iron Fan grinned at the compliment, but corrected him all the same. "Haha! Oh, you are too kind, Mr. Argost. But no, I am not the Ministry's leader…" She whipped up a gust of wind that hoisted her into the air, right up to Argost's eye level. "However, I did cast the spell that resurrected you. You may call me Princess Iron Fan."

Argost's eyebrows shot up when he heard that. "…Princess Iron Fan? The same one mentioned in the Journey to the West novel?"

"The very same." the princess nodded.

"Ah! Forgive me, oh great Rakshasi!" Kneeling before the demoness, Argost showed her immense and surprising respect. "I have heard tales of your kind's great power, but I didn't think I would actually meet you. To say that I was ignorant would be a clear understatement."

Iron Fan handwaved the apology, though. "You are forgiven, good sir. Besides, we have bigger issues in front of us to deal with." She pointed her fan in the direction of the heroes, Argost's gaze following suit. "As you can see, several pests were trying to stop your resurrection from happening. I believe it'd be prudent to dispose of them, wouldn't you say?"

However, the moment Argost saw them, his eyes widened. There, standing prominently at the forefront of the group… were a set of familiar faces. "Doyle Blackwell?!" Standing back to his full height, Argost began approaching them with a malevolent glare. "And the Cryptids of the Saturday family?!"

Putting on his bravest face, Doyle stood his ground against the yeti, planting his feet firmly. "Argost… of all the people in my life I was hoping to see again, you were NOWHERE on that list."

"Hah, how droll. But fortuitous nonetheless. You have saved me the trouble of having to come find you." Argost's features twisted into an insidious smirk. "With you in my possession, your darling nephew will have no choice but to come to your rescue! GRAAAH!" With a mighty leap, Argost went into the fray, swiping one of his massive, furry arms at the group. Many managed to dodge, but Doyle actually clung onto Argost's forearm, swinging himself up to kick the yeti right in the chest.

"NOT TODAY!" Doyle belted out, landing on his feet and shooting his arm laser at his foe.

Even so, Argost managed to move with astonishing agility, acrobatically so. But then, on his last flip… his hand slipped, and he fell right on his face. "Gah… grr, this new body will take some getting used to, it seems—URK!"

"Nah, that was probably me." Landing on his back, Qrow took out Harbinger and shifted it into scythe mode, bringing the blade down across Argost's neck. "See, you're givin' my friend there a hard time, so if it's all the same to you, we're gonna undo what was done here to—DAY!"

But he never even got the chance as Thunderhog slammed his arm across Qrow's body in a massive clothesline maneuver. "You get off Mr. Argost!" he bellowed.

Exo-Skull, meanwhile, had come in and began shooting at Doyle with his laser horn, giving the yeti time to recover. "Are you hurt, Mr. Argost?!"

"I am not… but they are certainly about to be." Rising to his feet, Argost dusted himself off as Animo, Munya and Neo approached him. "I believe it's time to take my body for a proper test drive, wouldn't you say?"

"Then, you will be needing this!" Animo reached behind his back, pulling out the white stone mask that he had been keeping. Along with it, Neo and Munya held the rest of the outfit; the black cloak, suit and boots, and the white gloves.

Argost grinned as he reached for the familiar clothes, putting the cloak and suit on first in a flash. Next came the boots and gloves, then finally, he placed the skull-like mask over his head, his yellow eyes shining through the eyeholes. "Ah, yes, perfect!" he proclaimed, pulling back on his gloves to make certain they fit properly. "It certainly feels satisfying, being in these old clothes again. Now…" He raised his hands to the group of heroes. "Who is so brave enough to test their might against me first?! And don't hold back either! I am feeling particularly raucous with my resurrection!"

*CHA-KOOM*

Just then, as if to answer his question, a massive explosion rang out across the rooftop, a cloud of fire and smoke lighting up from behind the team. From there, Night Rogue and Blood Stalk went flying over all of their heads and landed before Argost and the Ministry, struggling to their feet as best they could. "UGH! Well, that was unexpected…" Blood Stalk commented.

"I blame you for that!" Yuma snapped. "You distracted me!"

"After YOU bumped into ME, Bat Boy!"

"Ahem." Argost cleared his throat, breaking up the argument as he stepped between the duo. "Gentleman, I have no clue who you are, but I believe there are more important matters to attend to." He pointed across the way, indicating the approaching Kamen Riders.

Build and Cross-Z stood side by side as they confronted their opponents and the yeti, the former leveling the tip of his Drill Crusher at them. "If you guys know what's good for you, you'll stand down. We've got bigger fish to fry at any rate."

Night Rogue snapped to his feet, his voice laced with indignation. "How DARE you?! You think just because a new opponent has arrived on the scene, that gives you the right to IGNORE us?!"

"Hey, it's not that simple." Kenny shrugged, nudging his head toward Argost. "It's just that he takes priority since he actually almost destroyed the world once before. You know how it is."

"Oh, you are REALLY beginning to test my patience!" Blood Stalk shouted, his grip on his Steam Blade tightening. "We'll show YOU who's the real threat!"

Before either of the costumed villains could do so, however, Argost brought his hands to their shoulders, keeping them in place. "Gentlemen, gentlemen! There is no need for such discourse among the ranks. I will admit, I nearly did bring about the world's destruction, but this is not a competition. These… erm, what are you, exactly?"

"We're Kamen Riders." Cooper jerked a thumb to himself. "I'm Kamen Rider Build."

Kenny slapped his own chest plate. "And I'm Kamen Rider Cross-Z. And you…"

HIT PARADE! HIT PARADE!

"…Are toast." With his sword burning bright, Kenny swiped it toward Argost, unleashing an intense wave of sonic energy.

MILLION HIT!

But with another acrobatic jump, Argost managed to avoid the energy attack, closing the distance between himself and the Riders in a single second. The duo gasped and backed away as he loomed over them. "Hm, indeed." He thrust out a leg and kicked Cross-Z straight in the gut, flinging him across the rooftop until he smacked back-first into the roof entrance. "I must say, that is quite an impressive display of power. However, I am afraid that will not be enough."

"Is that so?" A new voice piped up from behind Argost, making him spin around… just in time to see a snow-white werewolf glaring back at him. His eyes widened in astonishment, though the Beowolf swiped at him before he could get out of the way. Behind the Grimm, Winter stepped out and glowered at the downed yeti with disdain. "Then perhaps that will suffice. Also, don't disrespect my boyfriend again."

"Nice one, Winter!" Build gave her a thumbs up. "Kenny! You good?!"

Prying himself out from the wall, Cross-Z called back; "Yeah… for the most part!"

"I think it's time we change things up a bit!" Reaching to his hip, Cooper brought up the Pirate and Train Fullbottles, giving them a good shake. "How's about you test out one of the bottles I gave you, huh?"

Kaizoku! Densha! BEST MATCH!

Are you Ready?!

"Build Up!" At his word, the Snap Ride Builder came crashing over Cooper's body, changing him into the familiar azure and lime green form as the Kaizoku Hassha appeared in his hand.

Teikoku no Hangyakusha! KaizokuRessha!

YEAH!

Wasting no time, Build went in and began slashing the bow-like weapon at Argost, who brought his arms up to block the attack. But between that and the Beowolf keeping the pressure on, he found himself in a tight spot rather quickly. "Grah! I could use some assistance!" Hearing his master's call, Munya jumped into the fray himself, his mouth opening to unleash a volley of sticky web globs against the bipedal wolf beast. With an intense roar, the spider mutant grabbed hold of the Beowolf and then lifted it above his head, tossing it over the side of the building like it was no problem.

Winter herself, though, wasn't out of the fight, stabbing her swords at Munya's back… only for him to once more dodge away. "GRAAAHH!"

The specialist gasped, ducking out of the open maw of Munya before striking him across the arms with her swords. Though even then, that didn't do much, barely scratching the surface of his skin. "Ah! This is going nowhere! Kenny!"

"I'm on my way!" Cross-Z assured, rushing in and striking the Beat Crosser across Munya's back. The blow managed to elicit a hissing screech from the spider mutant and he rounded about on the Rider, shooting a web sling out from the palm of his hand to wrap him up. "Gah! Gross!" Thankfully, there were so many sharp edges across Kenny's suit that all he needed to do was flex and the webbing was torn off. …But that still was just enough time for Munya to pounce on him.

As those two fought, Cooper and Argost were having their own duel, all while Team CFVY, Doyle, Kevin and Qrow held off the rest of the Ministry. The only ones who didn't get themselves involved were Animo and Iron Fan, who had chosen to stay far from the battle. "Hmhm, I'd say that this was a rousing success." Animo chortled.

"Indeed, but what comes next?" the demoness inquired.

"Now… we wait." the doctor fished out a phone from his pocket. "I was just sent a message by Hazel. Their team failed to acquire the medals and the Omni-Hunters are on their way as we speak." Animo steepled his fingers together in anticipation. "Oh, I can hardly wait to see the reaction that the Saturdays will have…"

The princess didn't seem too keen on the plan, but she allowed it. "Hah, very well. I suppose villainous gloating is the "in" thing this millennia, after all."

Back down with the main fight, Kamen Rider Build was unleashed shot after shot from the Kaizoku Hassha, blasting Argost with bursts of blue energy. Unfortunately, Argost himself continued to be adept at avoiding his attacks, which was only making Cooper all the more frustrated. "Gah! That's it! Time to give you something that you can't avoid!" He raised his weapon aloft and pulled back on the little train, charging it up to max power.

Kakueki Densha… Kyuuko Densha… Kaisoku Densha…

KAIZOKU DENSHA! HASSHA!

Letting go of the little train, Build unleashed the collected power onto Argost, which he was astonished to see take the form of a giant, green energy construct in the shape of a train. He let out a shocked yell and went to run, but the train of pure energy was barreling down on him too quick for him to avoid. But then… "Mr. Argost!" Hog pushed the yeti out of the way, having gotten past Yatsuhashi.

"GET BACK!" Exo-Skull charged in past Coco, getting Argost even further out of the way. In the end, both he and his partner took the attack head on, the pair screaming in unison at the surging power that pelted them relentlessly.

Once it was over, the rhino and warthog mutants were completely unconscious, their armor and clothes nearly mangled from the attack. Argost was surprised to be sure, but moreover, he was impressed at their loyalty. "Hah… gentlemen, I must commend you." Straightening himself out, Argost rose back to his feet and glowered at Kamen Rider Build. "Your sacrifice shall be rewarded. But before that… GRAAHH!"

Build raised his weapon to block the incoming pounce, only to be taken to the ground under Argost's weight. "AUGH! Hah… all muscle, right?!"

"I am a yeti, boy." Argost sneered. "What else did you expect? Munya!"

The spider mutant hissed and dove at Cross-Z again, though Kenny and Winter were both keeping themselves out of his grasp. "Hah… this is bad!" the Rider said, breathing heavily. "These guys are trickier than they look!"

"Well then, perhaps it's time that you pull out some tricks of your own!" Winter pointed to his Fullbottle holder on his waist. "Cooper gave you some new bottles this morning! Gah!" She crossed her swords over her head to counter Munya's next strike. "Urgh! You should use them!"

"R-Right!" Pulling one them off his hip, Kenny saw that it was the Pheonix Fullbottle he had grabbed. And, while the prospect excited him, it was also nerve-wracking at the same time. '…What if it doesn't work, though?' he thought to himself. 'Cooper taking liberties with the Rider powers is cool and all, but—'

"KENNY!" Winter screamed, feeling herself getting weaker as Munya pushed her down.

The redhead snapped back to reality then and there. "No time to hesitate! You're a Kamen Rider, Kenny! Taking risks is part of the job!" With that short pep-talk, Kamen Rider Cross-Z took out the Dragon Fullbottle from the Cross-Z Dragon, keeping the creature in his belt. Then, he replaced it with the Pheonix bottle… which beckoned the arrival of a new noise from the belt;

Fantasy Match!

Cross-Z Pheonix!

All of a sudden, all of the additional armor pieces along Cross-Z's helmet, chest and back disappeared, startling him a little before cranking the Driver proper. Once he did, though, the Snap Ride Builder came forth, and from the Driver itself, red liquid Dust came pumping through the hard light tubes that appeared. Though interestingly, that red Dust almost seemed ready to ignite into flames at any moment. And not only did it form a new halfbody structure—minus the helmet piece—but it also created a new armor piece as well. Instead of resembling a dragon, however, this looked more like the bottle's namesake; a phoenix, complete with large wings, a fanned-out tail, and a beaked head.

ARE YOU READY?!

"Um… Build Up?" Kenny's hesitant confirmation was all the Driver needed to snap the new halfbody over his suit, and from there, the phoenix-like armor came in and folded its wings over his shoulders. The tail took its place against his hips while the phoenix's "head" folded against his helmet, with its gold beak becoming his new mouth plate while its feathery red crest adjusted itself to his forehead. By the end of the transformation, Kenny's right arm and left leg became layered with bright crimson, contrasting with the dark blue of the remaining half of his suit. On his forearm and shoulder were also heavier armor that were detailed to resemble fire, and while his helmet was still fully blue with dragon head eyes, the new crest and mouth plate made him appear distinct from his base form. And to this, the Build Driver declared;

ETERNAL BURNING!

PHEONIXDRAGON!

YEAH!

And "burning" was right as Kenny felt the effects of the transformation immediately. He could feel his mana growing hotter and hotter by the second until… "GYAAAAAHH!" A powerful burst of red-hot energy erupted from his body, which sent Munya and Argost staggering.

"Hah! HAH!" Argost furiously patted his clothes down, putting out the fire that had ignited along his sleeves. "W-What is this trickery?!"

"H-Holy crap!" Kenny took a step back, giving his new Pheonix armor the once over. "Haha! Cooper, you mad genius! You gave me my own form changes! Better not waste this chance!" Taking a deep breath, Kamen Rider Cross-Z lifted his sword, ready to continue the fight. "It's not trickery, Argost…" With a flick of his wrist, he passed the burning hot energy down through his weapon and ignited the blade, all while inserting the Lock Fullbottle. "But "sorcery" might be the better term here."

Special Tune!

Hit Parade!

From high above, Cinder could hear the sound of high-paced music, leading her to glance down and see Cross-Z's blade charging up for another massive strike. "Oh no, you don't!" She dodged Gwen's next attack and then thrust her hand down, launching a ball of flame directly at Kenny.

The Anodite gasped, knowing that it was in her brother's blind spot. "KENNY! Watch your—" *shwoom* "…back?" Much to her and Cinder's surprise, though, the fireball was simply absorbed into the sword, increasing the power of the flame that was already building up around its blade. "Um… nevermind."

"WHAT?!" Cinder screamed.

Pulling the trigger on his weapon, Kenny unleashed an intense wave of fire across the rooftop with a single swipe, taking all of the villains off their feet and blowing them away from his allies. Interestingly, Team CFVY, Qrow, the Cryptids and Doyle weren't left burned in the slightest. "Mmm? Ajabee gah bo?" Fisk babbled in confusion, feeling warm but not hurt at all.

"I'm with the big guy." Qrow agreed, understanding his question. "How'd that not hurt?"

"Hah… legends say that the fire of a phoenix only burns impure and heinous souls." Cooper explained with a chortle. "The worthy, however, are not burned in the least."

That put a proud grin on Coco's face. "Heh, guess that means that we must be pretty special… huh?" But, upon looking to her teammates, she saw Fox staring in the Ministry's general direction… where Neo was still standing. Granted, the top of her hat had a smoldering ember atop it, but all she had to do was lick her gloved hand and pinch it to put it out, appearing mildly annoyed in doing so. "…Huh. Maybe she ducked?"

Fox's white eyes peered at her over his shoulder. "OR maybe she's not as bad as you guys think."

Pursing her lips, Coco raised her hands and relented. "Okay, okay, she MAY have some potential. But so long as she fights with THEM, she ain't getting a pass yet."

"Grrrr…. AAAUUGHH!" Cinder roared in the sky above, unleashing a volley of obsidian darts at Gwen in her rage. The young sorceress had no trouble deflecting them, though, shooting straight at Cinder and SLAMMING into her. The two locked hands and grappled against one another, neither intent on giving up. "How is it that you stubborn heroes just KEEP DOING THIS?!" Cinder shrieked in Gwen's face.

"You mean how we keep winning? Because we keep getting better while you stagnate." Gwen nudged her head down to the heap of villains, where Argost and Munya were pushing themselves back to their feet. "You think just because you keep adding new members to your squad means that you've constantly got a leg up. Well, news flash, sister; it's not that simple. In just a few days since he's joined the team, my brother's gotten to the point where he's got no problem fighting you people. And guess what?"

Cinder sneered and once again snapped; "What?!"

"…He's right behind you."

Her eyes widening, Cinder whipped her head around just in time to see Kamen Rider Cross-Z shoot up from below. The fiery wings that formed his chest shield had unfurled back out to help him attain flight, and they themselves were scorching with a blazing hot aura. Of course, it wasn't anything she couldn't handle, but she was still taken aback. "H-How—"

"Rider powers, bitch." Kenny swung his sword up and slashed Cinder across the chest, causing her to get blown back several feet. "You ready to finish this, sis?"

Gwen brought her hands up, a pair of magic circles appearing in her palms. "More than ready." On that note, Cross-Z began furiously cranking his Build Driver, which began accumulating and dispensing energy all throughout his body. At the same time, Gwen summoned a massive energy spear in her hands, which she threw directly at Cinder.

Ready—GO!

Shooting forward through the air, Cross-Z thrust his leg out and slammed it into the back of the energy spear, changing it from vibrant pink to scorching red. The flames around his body coursed into the spear and it shot out, slamming into Cinder with an immense explosion. "AGH!" As the Fall Maiden plummeted down to the roof, Kenny fell after her and SLAMMED his foot directly into her chest, the fire burning through her aura in an instant.

PHEONIX FINISH!

The two hit the rooftop with a thunderous *KAPOW* which left Cinder embedded in a crater. She attempted to reach up and claw at Cross-Z's boot… but ultimately succumbed to the pain and fell unconscious. Kenny could hardly believe it. "Hah… hah… holy crap, we just knocked out a Maiden!"

"Not the first time that's happened." Gwen noted, only to point to her brother. "But it IS the first time you've landed the final blow on that front." In a bright flash of pink, Gwen transformed back to her human form. "Nice one, big brother."

"Ah, I can't take all the credit." The Rider raised his fist to his little sister. "I had some awesome help. Thanks for having my back."

Gwen winked and bumped her fist against his. "Any time. Now…" Her attention shifted back to the rest of the Ministry, who had just managed to mostly collect themselves. Exo-Skull and Thunderhog were still completely unconscious, while Argost, Munya, Night Rogue and Blood Stalk were still seemingly ready to fight. Neo was gazing at the heroes cautiously, her eyes darting between them and Cinder's body. "How should we go about dealing with them?"

"My guess is that our fight isn't over yet." Build said, keeping a firm grip on the Kaizoku Hassha as he grouped up with them. Joining him were Team CFVY, Kevin and the others, all ready to stand their ground as well. "Be ready for anything, people!"

"Uh, even that?" Velvet pointed up above their heads… where they were met with a shocking sight. There, high in the sky, appeared a shimmering veil of silvery energy, almost like a portal of some sort that was shaped like a curtain.

The villains were equally just as stunned by the sudden appearance. "What in the world is that?!" Animo exclaimed.

Not even the demon princess could explain it. "I… have no clue. In all my years, I've never seen anything like it. But even so, it's emanating a powerful energy…"

Cooper and Kenny, however, were both certain they had seen something like it before. "Coop, does that… seem familiar to you?" the later said in a hesitant tone.

"Yeah, but… that's impossible." replied the genius, shaking his head in denial. But even so, none of them could've been prepared for what happened next.

"GGRRRAAAAAOOOOORRR!"

A loud roar went thundering out across the area as a massive beast fell through and careened straight down onto the rooftop, nearly caving in the entire thing. Everyone went slack jawed at the appearance of an absolutely massive black dragon with long, forward facing horns, a mass of sharp spikes across its back and protruding from its club-like tail, and short, orange wings sticking out of its forelegs. The reptilian creature shook the dust off its back… and in the process, a certain Pink Dynamo hopped off as well.

"Howdy, peeps!" Nora exclaimed, making a peace sign. "Guess who's back?! And I brought one HELL of a souvenir!"

There was a long, drawn-out silence as everyone tried to process what was going on. Qrow even had to rub his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing anything. "…Well, I know this ain't some alcohol-fueled nightmare, at least."

"Nope, just a living nightmare." Kevin asserted. "Nora… has a dragon. Might as well destroy Bellwood already so they don't get the chance."

"Hey! Me an' Titan haven't been here for a MINUTE and you're already throwing shade?!" Nora rebuked the Osmosian's claim.

Yatsu couldn't help but facepalm. "And she gave it a name already. Yep, we're doomed."

"YOU PEOPLE HAVE NO FAITH IN ME!"

Just as those words left her mouth, everyone's attention was drawn up once again as they heard the Rustbucket IV come flying in through the silvery veil as well. It hovered downward and rotated so that its rear was facing the group, keeping itself just above the rooftop so that it wouldn't cave in entirely. The rear hatch opened up and out came Ben, Raven and Ironwood at the front of the pack, with Rex, Ilia, Neptune, Penny, and Team RWBY coming with weapons drawn and ready to fight. Jaune, Pyrrha and Ren ran down as well, making a beeline for Nora and Titan. "Hey! Sorry we're late!" Jaune called out.

"Guys, w-what is this?!" Velvet exclaimed.

"We got held up in Rome." Pyrrha clarified, drawing her bow and aiming straight at their enemies. "You would not believe the day we had."

But Kevin shook his head vehemently. "No, not that! THAT!" The Osmosian gestured to the massive dragon before whipping his arms up to the silvery veil. "And THAT—" *shoom* Just as he did, though, the veil vanished, leaving them all stumped again. "…Whatever that was."

"It's a long story." Ilia insisted. "Trust me, it's best if we just save it for later."

Penny brought out her Mechano-Crushers, slamming the massive fists together. "Indeed! For now, let's drive these idiots off our turf!"

Ironwood furrowed his brow at the Ministry, noting the two new heads among them. "I agree, but I have a feeling that these two are the surprise that the Macaque told you about."

"Gah! That six-eared fool!" Iron Fan grimaced, clenching her fan with a white-knuckled grip. "Must he ALWAYS be a cheeky little—AH!" But then, without any warning, a shimmer of golden light erupted from the center of the rooftop, signaling the arrival of the Monkey King himself. With glaring red eyes, Wu Kong met Iron Fan's gaze, the princess sneering down at him. "…Sun Wu Kong." her voice dripped with venom.

Argost, for his part, was wide-eyed with amazement. "…THE Sun Wu Kong."

"Princess… whatever it is that's going on here, it's not to late to take it all back." Wu Kong implored, his expression sympathetic as he beseeched her. "You were once on the path to true humanity! Your soul was being purified! But now—"

"But now, I'm doing whatever it takes to undo the carnage that YOU wreaked upon my husband!" Iron Fan lashed out, swiping her hand at the celestial simian.

"He knew what he was getting into!" Wu Kong reasoned. "I had to stop him before—"

"LIAR! The Celestial Court of Heaven put you up to it! You were once the greatest rebel that the Court had ever seen, but now you're their loyal lapdog!" Iron Fan stamped the butt end of her fan down, whipping up a wind that nearly took everyone off their feet. "Doing whatever they ask, even trapping one who you once called brother! The Jade Emperor has you wrapped around his finger!"

Wu Kong grit his teeth, her words stinging with every syllable she spat at him. Even so, he held his ground "I am not loyal to the Jade Emperor! …The Buddha, on the other hand."

Iron Fan wasn't satisfied with that, either. "Oh, as if he is any better! Celestial beings think they're so high and mighty above us demons, even the ones with no malevolent thoughts to speak of!" She placed a hand over her chest. "I was READY to try and convince my dear husband to change his ways, but no, the Court had to be the aggressors, and YOU had to follow their word! How can you justify ANY of this?!"

"I… I can't." Wu Kong lowered his head, feeling his shame weigh down upon his shoulders. "But that doesn't mean I haven't been trying to appeal to them to give him a second chance! I did it BEFORE I sealed him away and I've been doing the same ever since!"

He could see tears begin to well up in Iron Fan's eyes, knowing that he was striking a chord with her. But still, the rage in her gaze remained. "And yet they will NOT LISTEN! Thus, it is time to take matters into my OWN HANDS!" She went to wave her plantain fan, causing the Monkey King to gasp.

"GET DOWN!"

However, before the demoness unleashed her attack, Argost piped up. "Excuse me! Rakshasi!" The princess' attention was successfully garnered, and the revived yeti began to talk her down. "I understand that this business regarding the Celestial Court is incredibly sensitive, but may I remind you that blowing us ALL away would be detrimental to our cause?"

The princess seemed to consider Argost's words before reigning herself in, closing her eyes to try and calm down. "You are right… now is not the time to be exacting revenge, anyway. That will come later." She thrust her weapon toward the Monkey King. "But mark my words, Wu Kong; my husband WILL be freed, and you will rue the day that you broke our family."

"And on that note…" Animo let loose a loud whistle, and from over the edge of the building, a Seer floated up onto the scene. Thanks to the cloud cover, it was able to float freely as Animo called out to it. "Lady Salem! We are ready to depart!"

At his word, a swirling purple vortex appeared near the Ministry, to which many made their hasty escape. Blood Stalk and Night Rogue wasted no time in falling in, followed by a straggling Exo-Skull and Thunderhog. Neo was the last to go through, though not before giving one last hesitant glance toward Fox. Many of the heroes noticed that, but didn't comment. Animo, Iron Fan, Argost and Munya were about to go through as well, the latter carrying Cinder over his shoulder. "Well, this has certainly been quite the experience, to be sure." Argost gave a dramatic bow, flaring his cloak for good measure. "But for now, I must bid thee farewell and adieu, until we meet agai—"

*KA-BAM*

But their departure was halted when an energy blast came from the Rustbucket, which was notably powered up by a stream of fire. The resulting explosion from behind caused the villains to flinch, but if anything, the loud yell that followed it was all the more deafening; "ARGOST!" Everyone's attention was brought to the ship's ramp, where a furious pair of scientists were glaring daggers at the yeti. Doc and Drew Saturday were practically wearing the same wrathful expressions, their features twisted in righteous anger. "Of course… of course it HAS to be YOU!" Doc bellowed.

"How DARE you come back?!" Drew snapped, her voice breaking as if she were on the verge of an emotional breakdown. "You're the reason our son's been suffering all these years, aren't you?! Don't you have the GODDAMNED courtesy to STAY DEAD?!"

If anything, though, Argost was unflinching at their barbs. "Ah, the Saturdays! I was hoping I would get to see you before I cast off to parts unknown." He became visibly perplexed, however. "But I am afraid I know not of your son's current plights. I have not been conscious for these past three years, so I would not have been able to affect anything, even if I wished."

"LIAR!" Doc shouted, raising his Power Glove to let loose another energy blast. "It's what you're good at! Lies and MORE lies!"

"D-Dad… mom…" The couple gasped and spun around, seeing their son staggering out of the ship. Just by his face alone, the team could tell that he was not in any condition to be standing. He was clearly in pain and his eyes were glowing bright orange, as if he were using his powers. But this seemed… different. Much more intense, at any rate. And just by how he was clutching his head, it was likely the source of his pain.

"Zak, get back in the ship!" Drew ordered.

Ruby used her Semblance to block Zak's path, stopping him in his tracks. "Don't come out here! It's not safe for you!"

But by then… Zak's eyes had found Argost, and his jaw went slack in disbelief. He was completely speechless for several seconds, leading the yeti to smirk and raise his hands. "Ah, hello, Zak Saturday. It has been quite a while, hasn't it? And my, how you've grown!" His eyes narrowed in contempt. "And lucky you, you even got your Kur powers back… though I sense that part of them once belonged to me."

And, just like that… *SNAP* …something seemed to unlock within Zak's mind. "A-Argost… Argost!" All at once, his features began twisting and his body twitched uncontrollably in Ruby's grasp, causing her to shriek fearfully as he wrenched himself away from her. Then, all at once, the orange glow in his eyes… became a frightening shade of blue, and he yelled out with a voice that sounded like himself… in stereo. "ARGOST!"

What happened next was something that… not everyone could see. To most everyone, Zak seemed to let out a scream before losing consciousness entirely, his body going limp as he fell straight to the ground. …But for Argost, Gwen, Sun Wu Kong and Princess Iron Fan, they saw something that left them stricken with fear and awe. The blue glow from Zak's eyes intensified as his jaw unhinged, a ghastly black mist dispensing from his throat as he screamed. The blue glow from his eyes disappeared as it seemed to transfer into the black mist… which then began taking the rough shape of a humanoid body. The glow went up to the apparition's head, serving as its own "eyes" as it glared at Argost. Then in a move that sent chills through all of them… the dark phantom spoke;

"You… tricked me… left me… to die." The unknown being said in a low growl.

Argost cried out and backed away from the thing, waving his hand to shoo it off away. "Gah! W-What is this… this thing?!"

Iron Fan was similarly astonished by its presence. "That… that cannot be…"

The majority everyone there, however, were just confused by their reactions. "Huh? What's their deal?" Neptune asked. "They're acting like they've seen a ghost or something."

"Yeah… because they have." Wu Kong pointed straight ahead. "You all may not be able to see it, but nothing escapes my eyes. Something just… came out of Zak and materialized right in front of Argost. And it seems like a pretty nasty character."

Yang narrowed her eyes at the scene skeptically. "Wait… seriously?"

Gwen watched the beast as it stalked forward, while everyone else were either still perplexed or fretting over Zak's unconscious body. "He's right, I can see it, too. And now… it seems like it's on the hunt."

Sure enough, the ethereal being pounced at Argost the very next second. "You… will PAY!" But before it could make a grab for Argost's throat… another Aurora Curtain appeared in front of it, sending it sprawling back. "RAUUGGH!"

"I'd say that's enough out of you." Passing through the portal, Tsukasa confronted the shadowy being, his stoic yet commanding stare locking with its glowing blue orbs. "They were just leaving, after all."

The team watched on, some in silent excitement, others in confusion. But most notably, Cooper and Kenny were left completely awestruck. They both pulled out their bottles and transformed back to normal, gawking at Tsukasa with eyes wide and jaws slack. "…N-N…No way." Cooper uttered, unable to believe what he was seeing.

"It… it can't be…" Kenny shook his head in denial. "It just CAN'T be!"

"Oh, it is." Ben affirmed, knowing that this would be exactly the reaction the two would have. "He's actually the reason behind how we got here so quick."

"Okay, but who IS he?" Coco questioned, looking to her boyfriend. "Is he a big deal or what?"

Cooper's smile began widening as he saw Tsukasa put on a rather familiar belt before reaching into his Ridebooker, pulling out a certain card. "…The BIGGEST deal." He reached around her shoulders, barely containing his excitement. "And you're about to see why!"

With his stance firm and resolute, Tsukasa called out; "Henshin!" as he slotted his card into the Neo DecaDriver, closing it up and transforming once again.

-KAMEN RIDE-

Decade!

Upon the transformation's completion, most of the Omni-Hunters belted out rigorous cheers at Decade's arrival, but none more so than Kenny and Cooper. The others who weren't in the know, however, were completely flabbergasted, unable to comprehend what they were seeing. "W-WHAT?!" Gwen cried out. "How did he—who is—"

"HAHAHA! YES! Oh my god, it IS him!" Kenny pumped his fists into the air. "KAMEN RIDER DECADE!"

"Wait…" Winter did a doubletake when she realized what that meant. "He's… he's the real deal, then? An… an actual Kamen Rider from the show?"

Kevin's hand flew up to his forehead. "As if this day couldn't get any stranger…"

The dark revenant, however, wasn't amused in the least. "RAGH! Get out… of my way!"

Decade stood firm, however, shaking his head as he took out another card from his steel book. "No can do. I don't know exactly what or who you are, but I've got ways of dealing with the likes of you." He slotted the card in, and upon closing the DecaDriver, Decade was enveloped… in a bright, purple fire.

-KAMEN RIDE-

Hibiki!

As the purple fire dissipated and the sound of a tuning fork rang out, Decade's latest form change was revealed; a mostly purple Rider suit with red gloves and sharp, silver details across the torso, as well as silver cufflinks at the wrists and ankles. However, there were several things about this suit that were… much different than the past Riders that Decade had transformed into. For one, the muscular definition on the suit was… almost too well detailed, as if the suit were an actual body itself. Secondly—and most prominently—was the helmet. Rather than a traditional pair of big, bug-like eyes, the entire front of the helmet was one big, purple visor that came out at a point where the nose should've been, and there were several, pointed red details around the helm to make it resemble a "face" of some sort. There were also two silver horns sticking out the top of the helmet, and in the middle of the forehead was a gold ornamental piece that was molded to resemble a scowling, grotesque monster.

"…Okay, I kinda like this one." Blake admitted.

"Yeah, that looks rad as hell!" Yang agreed.

The others, though, were completely lost. "Okay, so first he's one guy and now he's another?" Qrow scratched his head. "Who IS he, anyway?"

Decade craned his head toward Qrow, dismissing the inquiry for now. "There'll be time to ask questions later. For right now…" Bringing out another card, the world traveler resolved; "It's time to take care of this specter."

-ATTACK RIDE-

Ongekibou Rekka!

Reaching behind his back, Decade pulled out what appeared to be a pair of red drumsticks… which were on fire. With a yell of exertion, he slammed them repeatedly into the black apparition, gradually blowing it apart bit by bit until nothing but the blue glow remained. It let out a fearful cry as the light then flew back into Zak's mouth, making his body convulse in the process. "Ah!" Drew flinched, but didn't let go of her son for a moment. "Zak? ZAK!"

"He's still unconscious…" Doc took a listen to Zak's heartbeat, relieved to still hear it going. "Hah, but he'll live."

"Thank god." Doyle breathed out.

Putting the drumsticks back, Decade brushed off his hands and reverted back into his normal form, only to then peer back to the villains over his shoulder. "You should leave… while I'm still feeling gracious."

"I-Indubitably, sir!" Animo affirmed, ushering the group to follow him. "Come along, everyone. I think we've seen enough!"

"Hmph, fine then." Argost conceded, but not before glowering to the Saturday family one more time. "But we will meet again, Saturdays. And when we do, I WILL exact my revenge. Mark my words." On that note, Argost leapt into Eon's portal, with Munya dutifully following after.

But right before they left, Cinder regained consciousness… and she was immediately greeted by Decade's visage. In her groggy state, she weakly reached a hand up, vengefully uttering; "Kamen… Rider…" before disappearing through the portal.

Decade hummed ponderously to himself at the comment, but was met with loud cheers right as he was about to turn back. "AAAAAHH! HAHAHA! That was ASTOUNDING!" Cooper hollered as he and Kenny got right in Decade's path. "YOU are astounding!"

"B-But that goes without saying because… y-you're him! You're THE Kamen Rider Decade!" Kenny pumped his fists with each syllable. "This is so COOL!"

"Woah, woah, hold it right there, you two." Tsukasa implored, waving his hands to get them to back off. "Autographs and such can come later. Right now…" He pointed toward Zak's unconscious form. "There's more pressing matters to attend to." Decade led the two other Riders over to the rest of the team, where they were all gathered in concern around their friend and his family. "Well, how is he?"

"He seems stable, just out cold." Gwen answered, though she could sense that, whatever that thing was, it was still inside of Zak. "But that thing… it's in him."

Drew grimaced with worry, wanting answers as to what was happening to her baby boy. "But what IS it? What's inside my son?!"

Wu Kong pursed his lips and lowered his head, sighing as he replied; "I… think I know." As all eyes were trained on him, he had no choice but to deliver the bad news. "I could see it emanating off of him as we left Rome, but… I couldn't be sure until I saw it happen. And now that it has…" He sent an apologetic gaze toward the Saturday family. "I'm sorry to say, but… it seems your son is sharing his body with… a demon."

…..

A/N: Well… that's quite the note to end on. All this time, Zak's powers being on the fritz, his headaches, and the strange mana readings that Charmcaster was getting from him… were all thanks to a demon possessing his body. One that apparently didn't make themselves all that obvious until now. But what's the deal with only a few people being able to see it? Wu Kong is obvious, but why Argost and Gwen? Hm… even as questions are answered, even more seem to crop up. Next time should be interesting…

But that aside, we've got quite a few things happening in this chapter! Mainly, of course, Argost's resurrection. I kept his conversation with Animo mostly intact from the original episode, though I did alter SOME things for the adaptation. But even so, he's the same as he ever was… though apparently Hog and Skull were BIG fans of Weird World, so now he'll have to deal with THEIR fanboying…

Secondly, we got Decade's brief explanation of how he's even here in the first place! Modal Realism, people, it's an actual thing, look it up. And hey, he continues to be helpful in keeping that dark specter under control with his Hibiki transformation. …Again, haven't seen most of Heisei Phase 1, so sorry if Hibiki's powers are a bit inaccurate.

But speaking of Riders, we got more Build and Cross-Z action on top of everything else! …And to cap it all off, I present to you… my OWN original form change for Kamen Rider Cross-Z! I always felt it was weird that Cross-Z's base form never got any form changes before being upgraded into Cross-Z Charge, so I decided to make my own! Behold… Cross-Z Fantasy Match: PheonixDragon! I hope my description is helpful enough for you guys to visualize it, because I'm honestly quite proud of myself for creating this. …Oh, and this won't be the ONLY additional form he gets. Trust me. And hey, Kenny even helped take out Cinder with his sister, so he's quickly moving up in the power department!

And finally… Nora's new dragon friend has a name now! Meet Titan, everyone! He's gonna be sticking around for a good while. Also, seems Charmcaster's got an idea on how to transport those medals now that she's got the brazier. Wonder how that'll go…

In any case, NEXT TIME! Things wind down at the Plumber Base as Sun awakens… to a very worried group of friends. He gets informed on Zak's condition… only to be met with a very cross Blake. But those consequences aren't the only thing that'll be harsh as Zak wakes up… and is immediately met with the "roommate" that's inhabiting his body. Meanwhile, Argost meets with Salem, and is rather intrigued as to where her plans are going. Thanks for reading, everybody, and I'll catch you all next time! And of course, as always, stay safe out there!