A/N: Hey everyone! I am here with another chapter to the Eternal Story, thankfully updating it once again. I do apologize for my lack of updates. It was due to myself having to take time off from stress I had to deal with at work alongside needing time to myself to get my head together. I am okay now. Rest assured.
That said, let us get back to the chapter.
Another important thing to say is that the actor Minor Terada who most of you may know from his role in Kamen Rider W as Ryubee Sonozaki aka the Terror Dopant passed away last month. I know it sounds late but let us take a moment of silence for the man who played as one of the best villains in W before we start the chapter.
*Moment of Silence*
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN KAMEN RIDER W OR SENKI ZESSHO SYMPHOGEAR
'Thought'
Dopant
The Sonozaki manor had its usual routine of the meetings in regards to their business of selling the Gaia Memories. Their eyes had been keen on the activities that happened around the city. While the Noise haven't touched the place since that day, the creatures could no longer touch them due to their use of the Dopant Memories against them.
However there had been some minor complications: Eternal's interference. He had been retrieving the T2 Gaia Memories and already has A-I in his arsenal.
Did it frustrate them? Not in the slightest. Just because Eternal had been obtaining the T2 Memories before them, they can still retrieve it from the boy before he can achieve Z. He has no full hold on the full power of ETERNAL.
With it, was also Kirihiko testing the girl who wielded a Relic. Such ancient objects that were powered by the line of a song.
Staring at the recent recording of the battle against the Iceage Dopant, it displayed the efficiency of Eternal's teamwork with the said girl. It was due to both of them that defeated the kaijin.
Now, it was time to show them the might of the Sonozaki family.
Alas there was one problem.
The rumors of another Dopant surging. From it, was no doubt the Wild Card Memory - T2 JOKER.
A tricky one it was as per its name. The term isn't meant for a jester, it was described as per to a tarot card. A fool, a wild card if used in battle.
"What do you suggest we do?" Ryubee's son-in-law inquired.
"Retrieve the Gaia Memory before Eternal does. Once doing so, go after the users of the Relics for their interference." The head of the Sonozaki family answered.
"Question is, who?"
The only sound was the purring of the cat Mick. It was until a hand was raised, all attention directed to Saeko.
"Allow me to locate the Dopant." The woman volunteered.
Kamen Rider Eternal: Song of Eternity
Chapter 10: Jack of All Trades
Enrique was in the midst of another hour of training by his mother a day after obtaining the ICEAGE Memory. With the success, it was also a sign they were nearing the halfway point which meant the enemy will be stronger as it goes on. Thus, Shroud told him to begin the routine again.
She had taught him to fight before but this time, it was more strict.
The said teen gritted his teeth as Shroud had placed several stacks of books onto his back. The weight from the amount would have forced him down but he held on as much as he could through each push up. Sweat lingered on his forehead, his breathing slow and steady but his face held a slight hint of redness.
Shroud looked at the timer on her wrist. "You have five minutes left."
"Got... it..." Enrique said through his teeth. He nearly buckled when Shroud pressed a plate of metal onto the books.
"If you ever want the chance to counter the stronger Dopants, especially the general tier much like Nazca, this is needed." She idly circled him. She kicked his foot to ensure he kept his feet together, his composure straight as a plank with each push he did.
"A-Are you sure this'll work?"
"Either you gain more experience from training or lose the Memories we have and you let Museum succeed. Is that what you want?"
"N... o." He shook his head.
"Then you'll have to take this in stride." Shroud stated sternly. "Two minutes left."
The American exhaled sharply through his nose with each push. Shroud heard the alert, making her tap the watch. "Alright." She moved the objects off his back.
The young man collapsed against the floor in relief. His muscles were on fire and his back felt the same from all the weight he felt. He felt sore all over.
"Get yourself cleaned up. I will let you know if any Dopant activity is detected."
"Yes mom..." He grunted, pushing himself to stand up. He trudged upstairs, and took a much needed shower. The warm water soothed his skin and body which relieved him. Putting on his dark legwear, he dried his hair but paused upon looking at himself in the mirror. It wasn't the results of training he was focused on, it was the marks he noticed on several places of his body.
His brows knit slightly, twisting his back slightly to see the lingering scars in a few areas.
'You may wear the armor but any serious damage can leave behind scars.' The voice of Shroud echoed in his mind.
Unlike the girls with their Symphogears, he was vulnerable to such marks. How many will he get? Will future fights result with possible permanent damage? He wasn't sure.
'As long as I can fight the Noise...Then I'll have to do it.' He gritted in his head.
That had been the one thing that drove him to fight. It... was the only thing in his mind.
'But you know that isn't entirely true, is it?' A voice whispered in the back of his mind.
His fingers curled slightly. Was he fighting to avenge his parents? Or was it more than that?
What was he really doing?
Classes had ended for the day, and Enrique felt a sense of relief. Strangely, there hadn't been any Dopant activity, which could be interpreted as either good or bad, although he wasn't sure which. He slung his school bag and guitar case over his shoulder and made his way out of the school grounds. Just as he began to walk home, the sound of his cell phone ringing reached his ears. Retrieving the Beetle Phone from his pocket, he flipped it open to answer. "Hey mom, what's up?"
"Enrique, there is a signal of a Dopant," Shroud said to him.
"Now?" he hissed quietly.
"Yes, now. It's a T2."
Immediately, it grabbed the Rider's attention. Another T2 to add to their arsenal if he could retrieve it by fighting the Dopant. "I understand."
"Your HellCycle will be sent to you. This Dopant will be a unique one, so be careful." The call ended, prompting Enrique to jog across the pavement until he saw the familiar white motorcycle stopping by the alley. He plucked the helmet off the seat and set his bags onto the back of it. With everything set, he hopped on and drove. The helmet provided the route, which was useful, but when he drew closer, the Dopant signal suddenly disappeared.
"What the?" He forced the machine to brake.
Furrowing his brows, he drove a few more miles until he saw no Dopant as the helmet displayed. He tapped the accessory over his head. "Mom, are you sure there was a T2 Dopant here?" he asked.
"What do you mean?"
"There's no Dopant around."
He received silence from his adoptive mother. At first, he assumed she was thinking or recalculating the situation until she exclaimed, "ENRIQUE, GET OUT OF THERE!"
"Huh?"
"THERE IS A GENERAL-!"
Enrique saw a flashing light, making him look up and the last thing he saw was a ball of fiery light.
Meanwhile...
Hibiki hadn't heard from Enrique, but she could assume he was busy with possible remedial lessons at the school he was attending. Things hadn't been entirely okay for her after constantly lying to Miku. Enrique was aware because he found out while fighting that Bird monster. And she discovered his identity when they fought Dummy. Yes, that was the name of the other monster. Who names a monster 'Dummy' anyway?
Nonetheless, she talked to Tsubasa about what she wanted to protect... Fighting Noise was to protect people, but when it came to fighting people like the girl with Nehustan, especially those who turned into Dopants, she wanted to tell them how she felt. She didn't want to fight them, but they had caused damage to their surroundings as they were empowered by those devices.
She hoped now, she could hope her talk with Miku could resolve some things. She didn't want to continue lying to her best friend all the time, to have the resolve to make things right and protect people.
Her phone rang, making Hibiki notice it was from the commander. She answered immediately, "Hai?"
"Tachibana, the girl with Nehustan is heading to you! She—wait. What do you mean the Aufwachen waveform is different?!" The second half must be directed to the other people with him.
"Different?" Hibiki repeated, but from the corner of her eye, she saw red projectiles heading towards her. "Yabai!" She frantically ran, the impact causing bursts of debris and concrete upon the attack.
"Hmph, looks like you're not as useless as I thought," Chris said, walking into view as her armor was completely different from before.
"Eh?! Y-You have another one?!" Hibiki spluttered in astonishment. She didn't expect Chris Yukine to own a second Symphogear. While familiar with the previous gear, this one was red as blood. "Why are you not using Nehustan?"
"You wanted to reach out to me, right?!" Chris barked at Tachibana. "This time, I am going to show you how much I hate it!"
(Cue Makyu Ichaival)
She began to sing, firing projectile after projectile. Hibiki avoided them before she quickly sang her line.
Balwisyall nescell Gungnir tron...
In a flash of light, Hibiki's body was reinforced in the armor of Gungnir. Her speed allowed to evade them but no matter how much she dodged, the debris was disrupting her focus. Turning towards Chris, she said, "Why do you want to do this, Chris-chan! I want to help you!"
Chris's song paused briefly. She gritted her teeth, her mind conflicted. She remembered the kindness Enrique gave her. The initial teamwork they shared to defeat Iceage. Him being the reason to sing her song. "It ain't any of your business!!" She fired relentlessly as she now wielded gatling guns.
"O-Oh boy..." Hibiki squeaked.
Not good. She pushed her buttons.
Seeing the girl with the Symphogear was one thing, but discovering she had her own personal Relic to harness another Symphogear was troubling. The Ichiaeval. And from what the radar and street cameras were showing, it was not good. Hibiki was at a disadvantage, and Tsubasa was still recovering after being shot by Shroud weeks earlier.
"What are we going to do? If we don't do something, Tachibana is going to die!" One agent spoke up with worry.
The commander clenched his jaw. There was no telling what was going to happen. Sending Tsubasa would be a bad choice because of her recovery.
"S-Sir! We are detecting a large abnormal energy heading towards Tachibana!"
"What? Put it on screen!" Genjuro ordered.
"Right!" The screen displayed what it was, but it was something unexpected. It was moving fast, and its appearance no doubt unsettled them.
It was not a Noise.
Hibiki slid across the pavement, using the wall as cover, but Chris wasn't allowing it as the half-American pelted it with energy projectiles courtesy of her bowgun. The user of Ichaeval held frustration towards Hibiki. "Are you just going to keep hiding from me, or do I have to fire more at you?!"
"Why are you doing this?! I just wanted to be your friend!" Hibiki questioned, dodging the oncoming arrows.
That word again. That very word Enrique said to her. He had seen her as his friend...
She felt the voices briefly return in her head. Chris nearly yelled in rage, but a car suddenly exploded, the said vehicle flying in the air before landing upside down. Hibiki was startled by the sudden explosion, as was Chris. The explosion wasn't caused by the latter.
"What the?!"
"Well well, looks like little girls are getting involved in the matters of adults."
Hibiki looked around at the new voice before raising her head to see a hovering monster. Its appearance was that of a ragdoll yet feminine due to its facial features and body shape. However, the lower half of her body was nothing but a sack of sorts as legs, as if the body was permanently tucked into it.
"A Dopant!" She recognized the appearance.
"So, you've heard of me. I'm flattered," the Dopant mused. "And the broken puppet is here too. Still sore after being defeated by Nazca?"
"Eh?" Hibiki blinked at the name, looking at Chris, whose teeth bared angrily at the reminder. The red-clad girl dug her fingers into her palms. "So you're Nazca's comrade... and I'm not a puppet!" Chris snarled.
"Oh, but you are. You killed people using the Noise without a second thought, to follow an order. Isn't that what a puppet does?"
"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!!!" Chris yelled, aiming her guns at the Dopant, trying to shoot it down. Her focus was now solely on the kaijin instead of Hibiki. The Dopant simply hovered aside to avoid her attacks.
"So simple. You lose your temper easily," she channeled a ball of fire in her hands. Throwing them, the kaijin witnessed the girls evade it.
"Hey!" Chris looked at Hibiki. "I know we are enemies... but, I got a score to settle with her and her group. You better help me, got it?!"
"E-Eh?! Why all of a sudden?! I thought-"
"Just shut up and help me!" Chris didn't give any room to argue. She charged towards Taboo, firing her guns at the Dopant while she tried to get close.
"What's the matter? Too angry that you don't want to sing?" Taboo taunted Chris mockingly. "Nazca was right after all. You're just a loose puppet without her master."
"I..am not... a PUPPET!!" Chris denied as she repeatedly fired her guns at Dopant. Taboo simply floated away to avoid the shots sent by the lavender-haired woman in anger. "I will shoot you down, you damn monster!!"
"C-Chris-chan, watch out!!" Hibiki cautioned, tackling her as the Dopant directed a large fireball at the user of Ichaeval. The two rolled upon the blast radius of the explosion before separating.
"Thanks..." Chris mumbled before shrugging it off. Not the time to get overly friendly with an enemy... for now at least. She wanted to teach that Taboo bitch a lesson.
"C-Chris-chan, who is that?"
"Her group is the one behind those Memory Monsters you saw before." The petite explained with a huff.
Hibiki looked at Taboo. So the incidents her friend Enrique was handling were caused by an organization?
"I got trashed by her comrade... which is why I want the Durandal to get payback at them." She growled. "Don't hold back against any of these freaks."
"E-Eh?! Won't we be killing them-"
"Their Memory will be ejected if they take too much damage. I thought you saw Eternal fight the monsters before?"
"O-Oh right..." She remembered the BIRD incident.
"I got my goals, and you have yours." Chris kept her weapons ready. "Like I said before, I have my reasons."
"Then...I guess we have no other choice but to fight her!" Hibiki nodded.
"Aw, two little girls against little old me?" Taboo giggled menacingly. "Haven't your parents taught you manners?"
She flew, avoiding the missiles, but just as a few drew close, Taboo sneered. Balls of light as hot as fire erupted in her palms and threw them.
Hibiki ran before hopping onto a car and launched herself upward to the monster. She reared her first, her eyes focused on the Dopant. Taboo suddenly conjured a hot ball of light in her hand, shining brightly, blinding Hibiki. Her armored fist missed the kaijin, and she felt a burning sensation hitting her back, crashing into a mailbox.
"Ack!! Just how tough is she?" Hibiki winced.
"Let's see how she handles this!?" Chris growled before her bowgun turned into two large gatling guns.
Billion Maiden
She fired upon the Dopant but the ragdoll-like kaijin evaded her bullet barrage with her flight. "WILL YOU COME DOWN AND FIGHT YOU STUPID RAGDOLL!!"
"Come down you say?" The general-tier Dopant crooned. She flicked her hands as the hot light manifested but it expanded. She slowly placed them together, creating a large ball of hot light. The sheer heat had melted a few objects beneath her. "How about... you become the ground you stand on?"
She threw it at the two Symphogears. Hibiki's eyes widened before they were consumed in an explosion. The smoke slowly cleared, allowing Taboo to see the two teenage girls. She would give the duo points in tenacity as their Armed Gears had taken the brunt of the attack.
"She's too strong..." Hibiki gritted.
The monster hovered down, giggling. "This is nothing but the price of your interference. Naughty girls must be punished for it."
"Leave them alone, Dopant." A familiar voice threatened.
Taboo fluttered in a half circle to see Enrique glaring at her. He had survived the ambush earlier but his clothes was slightly singed.
"Enrique-sam...?" Miku uttered from hiding as Hibiki and Chris noticed him with the Lost Driver in his hand.
"Eternal. You arrived at last. Color me surprised you survived my attack earlier."
"Eternal...?" Now Miku was shocked. Not only did Hibiki hide a secret from her but their friend was the White Rider. Both of her friends had their secrets and she never knew about it as they never told her about it.
"You're not going to kill them and I am taking that T2 JOKER from you." He accused her with a deep glare.
"Oh this?" Taboo flicked her wrist, the T2 JOKER Memory seen between her fingers. "You will have to try, Eternal. Or shouldn't my husband Nazca be here to teach you another thing about fighting?"
Enrique's hand curled slightly but mentally calmed himself, for now. "I will be the one to teach you a lesson for hurting my friends." He placed the Lost Driver on his waist, allowing the belt to form. With the ETERNAL in hand, he pressed it.
ETERNAL!
He placed the Gaia Memory into the buckle, the familiar ripples appearing but to the girls, they saw digital markings crawling on his face. Markings that were once hidden when he wore the motorcycle helmet. "Henshin."
ETERNAL!
The armor manifested over him, creating the Eternal Red Flare armor.
"Now, enjoy your hell."
Chris and Hibiki however never expected the effect to... honestly, they had questions. They just saw markings appear on his face, over the eyes and down to his neck.
Could that be the Gaia Memory's effects getting worse? If so, then his mind is beginning to break down from the long term effects.
Fireballs were launched from Taboo, forcing Eternal to take evasive actions as he dodged several but grunted to the heat of each impact. It was stronger than his fight with HEAT. He gripped ICEAGE from his person and slammed it into the Eternal Edge.
ICEAGE: MAXIMUM DRIVE!
Cold air swirled around the rider, the ice surging from his weapon, becoming a makeshift iceblade before he swung it at the fiery barrage.
"Aw, you think this'll work? Hmmhmm... You truly underestimate us." Taboo chuckled before with a flick of her wrist a large fireball emerged tossing it to the ground and making a shockwave of fire and heat.
He saw the Dopant hovering before him and swung her lower body upward, launching him into the air. With her flight, she met him from above and slammed him down onto the ground.
Eternal gagged out air upon the impact, his resilience being lowered the more he fought. He gritted his teeth and rolled aside, avoiding the ball of fiery light. He threw his knife at her which she caught. She boredly looked at him but saw his boot hitting her in the face. It staggered her back, allowing the White Rider to catch his knife. "At least I got a real hit on the likes of you." the Rider hissed.
"How dare you. I-!" Taboo's shout died down and noticed a witness. Staring, her lips curled into a devious one. Hibiki followed the monster's gaze and her eyes widened in realization of who it was seeing.
It noticed Miku.
With a ball of fire in her palm, Taboo launched it towards Miku.
"MIKU!!" Hibiki shouted in horror.
The said girl's eyes widened to see the incoming projectile but someone stood in front of her.
ETERNAL: MAXIMUM DRIVE!
With red flames surging on the Eternal Edge, the Kamen Rider blocked the attack but he buckled, the attack being more powerful than him. He gritted his teeth under his helmet, his feet slowly skidding across the pavement.
"Miku... move!" Eternal grunted.
Hearing her name, Miku took a step back, still reeling from the fact Hibiki and Enrique hid secrets from her. Him being the Kamen Rider and Hibiki fighting too in a battle suit.
"Just move!!" He barked.
Finally listening to him, Miku ran as Eternal couldn't hold back the attack anymore. It cut through his finisher and an explosion resulted from the impact.
When the smoke cleared, Eternal stood... until he fell onto the ground. His armor vanished to reveal his injured state.
"Oh? Seems he can still fall." Taboo hummed, hovering down to the injured Kamen Rider. "Now, I will be taking the other Gaia Memories you have."
"HYAA!" Taboo saw an armored fist slamming into her face, the amount of force used in the attack sending her to the car. The Dopant regained her bearings and saw Hibiki in a fighting stance.
"You little brat." Taboo paused when she noticed something was missing. The T2 JOKER Memory. She looked at herself before darting to Hibiki, the Gaia Memory seen in her hand.
"Amusing. Seems you are more capable than I thought."
"Why are you doing this to Enrique-san?" Hibiki demanded. "Why do you want those Gaia Memory things?!"
Taboo giggled mockingly. "There is more to it about his Gaia Memory little one. It may not be at full power yet but in time, it will be our key to the world."
"How about this you bitch!" Taboo saw incoming projectiles, half of them hitting her before she evaded the rest. Chris was responsible as she gave an angry look at the Dopant for what she did.
Taboo scowled at the girl's persistence but given the situation now? It was best to retreat, for now.
"We'll meet again, be sure of that." The Taboo Dopant declared. "I hope you will live till then, Chris-chan."
The Dopant wiggled her fingers goodbye and vanished. With the Dopant gone, Hibiki rushed to her friend and shook him but could only hear him groan from his unconscious state. "Enrique-san!! Please, wake up!"
Chris gripped her guns tightly in frustration over what Taboo spoke to her.
'She got away...why would that bitch want those T2 Gaia Memories in the first place?'
It was still the biggest question lingering in her mind: if one Memory is strong enough to give Taboo that power, why do they produce and sell it? Looking at Hibiki, who is tending to the unconscious Rider, Chris grimaced at the situation. She was supposed to defeat Hibiki, but the attack by the Museum complicates everything. Not when her friend is badly hurt. The girl paused in realization.
A friend...
Was she truly seeing him as her friend now? No one, not one person, ever treated her kindly. While Fine was harsh, Enrique was doing his best to be kind to her. Was this…right? Did she want a friend who understood her from the beginning? Is that the reason why she is fighting in the first place?
The girl scratched her head in frustration over not knowing what to do. Ever since the aftermath of becoming a Dopant, the doubts within her mind began to increase after Enrique's words about her.
'I have to retreat now. Things are now too complicated for me to fulfill my objective.'
Durandal could wait. Right now, that damn Memory group is the bigger priority.
Chris walked away from the area, avoiding any further attention from both the 2nd Division and Eternal's handler.
Hibiki shook her friend again but no response came to her. She shook him again but the sound of turbines caught her attention. The girl swiftly raised her head to notice a familiar masked woman in bandages on top of a red machine that acted as a hovercraft.
It landed before the woman hopped off and approached her son. Shroud hoisted him up, injecting him with the medicine before pulling him to the hovercraft.
Shroud paused before glancing at Hibiki. Her shaded eyes trail to the T2 JOKER Memory. "Hand over the Gaia Memory, now."
Hibiki tightened her hold on the JOKER tightly against her chest. "N-No...I can't. I don't trust you. On what you are planning to do with it." She denied, shaking her head. She froze when Shroud pointed the familiar gun at her.
"Now. The blunette isn't here for you so don't make me repeat what I did to her to meet the same for you."
Hibiki gripped the Gaia Memory tightly in denial. She didn't want Shroud to use the Memory for a nefarious purpose for her friend. All Shroud was doing was slowly darkening Enrique's outlook.
'Fight her to save your friend.' A voice said to her.
'W-Who said that?'
"You have stood back and watched your friend get hurt. Watching his own mother use him like a puppet on strings. The woman who shot your friend." The voice continued to speak within her mind. It eerily sounded like her own voice. "Stop being afraid of hurting a human being and fight back! You want to save people? Then act like it! That is what is necessary to protect people!"
Her caramel eyes drifted to the Gaia Memory. It was speaking to her. 'To save... Enrique-san...' her thumb hovered over and pressed the button on the Gaia Memory.
JOKER!
Shroud's eyes widened. She quickly raised her gun higher but it was too late as the Memory hovered off Hibiki's hand and into her heart.
The energy pushed the woman back as Hibiki's body shifted and became a pitch black grasshopper-like humanoid that held armor pieces of the Gungnir while her red eyes were round albeit narrowed. A pair of antennas that were silver. The line of her song echoed as the tune of JOKER played as its background.
The 2nd Division were shocked by Hibiki's transformation as one of the monsters.
"Tachibana..." Genjuro grimaced. "She turned into a monster because of that flash drive?"
Hibiki wasn't one to act on it but it looked like something wanted her to use it - to listen to its words and use it. However what was astonishing was the Aufwachen waveform had resonated to a musical frequency that came from the device.
"You won't use any more people for your plans!!" The Joker Dopant yelled.
Shroud quickly evaded the punch before firing a few rounds from her Bomb Magnum. The Dopant ran towards her, uncaring of the bullets hitting her body.
'The armor of her Symphogear is enhancing her form... damn it.' Shroud raised her arm to evade but felt the claws scrape across the sleeve of her coat. 'I should have acted sooner!"
The woman held her arm with frustration before aiming again but the Dopant backhanded her, sending her gun away before punching her in the gut. Shroud stumbled due to the pain.
"Guh!!"
The back of her coat was lifted, forced to look into the eyes of Hibiki's Dopant form.
"You will not hurt him anymore!"
Shroud glanced at the red hovercraft then at the Dopant. She tapped her wrist, allowing the machine to ram the Dopant's back and into the window of the shop. With the Dopant temporarily knocked out, the benefactor felt relief. She grunted, standing on her feet and trudged to her son. She pulled him by the collar of his uniform, ignoring the pain she felt with the assist of the Tubular.
"Another complication..."
"Grh..." Enrique grunted in pain. His whole body felt sore from his fight against Taboo. The sense of defeat he felt. Just like against Nazca. The only reason he was able to stand against Nazca in the past was due to FANG but they had only caused him to lose control.
Lost once... and now he lost again. The frustration bubbled at first but calmed his nerves soon after.
"You're awake." Shroud huffed, shaking her head, "I told you avoid the general-tier Dopants."
"Mom?!" He saw the brief injuries on her. "W-What happened?!"
"That pesky friend of yours." Shroud rolled up the bandage across her arm. With scissors, she cut away the roll to set aside. Another wound to add to her life.
"H-Huh?"
"The JOKER Memory turned that Symphogear user into a Dopant. It was more than a minor hindrance due to the Memory resonating with her." Shroud frowned under her mask.
"What?!" He shouted in shock. "Then...Hibiki could be attacking people..."
"She attacked only me." Shroud corrected. "For now at least."
The way Shroud said it wasn't a good sign. "F-For now?"
"The Memory's influence could make her attack civilians... for you."
The teen felt his skin grow cold at the words from his mother. He fell back onto the bed, grasping his head. Chris was one thing but for Hibiki to be selected by the T2 Memory to become a Dopantâ
The masked woman pushed herself to stand. "I will be in the lab amidst my recovery so for now, if that Dopant that is your friend comes up? Your phone will have the message. Understood?"
"Yes mom..."
Shroud exited the room, closing the door.
Enrique lowered his head back down. He wanted to yell at her but he couldn't. A part of him reminded the reality Shroud was the only family he has left in his life. She was all he had left.
Why... why can't he say anything? Was Shroud really taking things too far?
His attention was changed when his Beetle Phone rang. He looked at the nightstand and took it, opening the notification to see it was a message. It was from Chris.
Ah right, he gave her his information shortly after the ICEAGE incident settled.
'Oi, people have been taking pictures of a grasshopper-like thing. What the hell happened after I left?'
Enrique typed the message and sent it, "Hibiki used a Gaia Memory."
"That friend of' yours turned into a Dopant like me?" He read Chris' text. "You sure she's gonna to be okay?"
'I don't know. That's what I'm worried about.' was the message he sent to Chris. 'Why did you attack her anyway?'
'...Let's just say my boss wanted an artifact for her plans.' Is what the message read. 'With that Taboo barging in, I couldn't grab it if I wanted to.'
Artifact? There was an artifact? The young man didn't know what that was about but from the way the message was, it was clear the Second Division had something this 'Fine' Chris mentioned once wanted.
'But... I don't want to steal it away. I just wanna know what Fine plans to do with it.'
"Why do it on your own?"
He originally earned nothing but his phone received another message from Chris.
'I'm always alone.'
Enrique's eyes softened. He was reminded she had no parents. Fine was the only individual to look after her. He wanted to help her but from the way the message was, it was something she wanted to solve on her own. The HEAT incident has put a lot into the petite's mind, and he doesn't blame her. His thumb hovered over but he got another message from the girl.
"I gotta go. I'll talk to you later."
Closing the phone, Enrique looked at the window. His fingers curled into his palms, making a decision.
He has to find Hibiki.
The Dopant looked at herself from the reflection of the water. A brief glimmer of her human form seen in the water. It showed her downcast look, reminded of the possible anger Miku felt towards her; feeling betrayed by her best friend when they promised to not hide any secrets. The hidden frustration to Shroud's doings.
'What...should I do...?' Hibiki grimaced in sadness. 'I don't want to lose Miku and be alone...'
Ever since the Zwei Wing Concert incident, she had been bullied. Harassed. People writing hurtful words at her family's home to the point her dad left her.
"Are you really that blind or just stupid?"
Her reflection in the water showed her human form once more but looked more aloof and almost aggressive. Someone she would have become after that day two years ago.
"Your acting like the nice girl never got anywhere, even with Chris." Her reflection frowned in disdain. "She fought you endlessly."
"I..."
"People hurt people! They did the same to us! All those words they sprayed. The messages. Dad leaving us alone!"
Hibiki trembled, her claws digging into the dirt. It was true.
"Just because you have a righteous heart, doesn't mean everyone will listen to you. You want to make it right? Then act like it and show the world they won't hurt people close to you."
The reflection faded to its normal state and the Dopant lowered her head further. At first it was silent until she stood up, and her eyes flared with fury.
No...No more. She's done playing the nice girl. If the world keeps on hurting the ones dear to her...
They all will pay the price.
Tsubasa didn't know what to think after the report. To discover a higher tier Dopant like Nazca tried to kill Hibiki and her crush, but also the former turning into a Dopant after the masked woman tried to take back the Memory.
She could understand Hibiki used it as a last resort knowing the Memories are dangerous to Nazca or even the masked woman's hands. Her fingers gripped the edge of the paper after reading more of the details. Shroud tried to kill Hibiki as before. Her hand unconsciously slipped to her stomach at the bitter moment. The masked gaze that felt cold, staring at her with no remorse or pity - a sword sharpened with nothing but vengeance.
The woman was starting to be a problem, a bad influence to Enrique. She wanted to do something to make him see what Shroud was doing wasn't right. She was making him hunt Dopants for a bigger purpose.
From the girl's statement they overheard, there is a group behind the production of those so-called Gaia Memories.
"What...should we do about Tachibana?"
"Stop her before she could harm anyone. Use lethal force if you have to." Genjuro advised. "I wouldn't advise this option if we didn't know that the Memories can be removed from the host harmlessly if they have taken too much damage."
The idol noticed her uncle's curious look. "Uncle?"
"Her Symphogear combined with the device's power. That is something that I have been wondering about how it's possible." Genjuro looked at the screen of the Gungnir's resonance towards the device. "The pieces within her body are now in synch with the Memory as there was a small unidentified frequency when it activated."
Tsubasa stood up from her seat, recalling Eternal's power with his Gaia Memory. "A song."
Genjuro nodded. "There is no doubt the devices harbor a connection to the Relics. The question is, how did those people make it in the first place? They have been at this longer than we think."
Alarms rang but not of the alert of the Noise but the display of a Dopant they knew.
"Tachibana has been spotted!"
Tsubasa's hands clenched. She needed to stop Hibiki before she loses full control of herself. "I'll head where Tachibana is!" She quickly left the base. "I'll stop her rampage!"
Tsubasa drove on her motorcycle in hopes of locating Hibiki. She knew the incident with Taboo and her friend witnessing everything, and how her crush is being used to gather all of the Gaia Memories.
'Damn it...just why did Tachibana have to suffer all of this?' She wasn't sure who to blame. Taboo or the masked woman who tried to take the Memory. Yes she was upset but she needed to focus.
An engine earned her attention before she saw a familiar white motorcycle skid across the corner and now was in front of her, heading to the same destination as she was.
"Enrique?!"
The driver glanced back then focused ahead, revving the engine to increase the speed of his Rider Machine. The idol chewed her lip before she chose to do the same to catch up to the fellow biker.
The bike slowly gained speed until she was driving beside him. "Are you heading to Tachibana?"
"I am." His grip on the handles tightened. "This is all my fault... I should have done something when Taboo left. I wanted to yell at my mom... but I couldn't." His yellow lenses gave a brief glance. "I don't want to hurt her but... I have to get that Gaia Memory."
"Enrique... Are you sure that gathering those Memories will make you happy?"
"It gave me a reason to fight. If it means to rid all the damn Noise." He growled and the bike gained more speed. "I won't let it stop me."
Tsubasa had seen this behavior before. It was similar to her previous encounters when he fought the Noise and the Cyclone Dopant.
"Fine...we'll go together." She decided, earning a look. The idol couldn't see it but the body language said it all. He was against the idea. "Don't give me that look. I am helping."
"This is my mission... my..." He furiously shook his head and focused on his path. He flicked a switch and Tsubasa witnessed him place ACCEL into the ignition key.
Her eyes nearly bulged when the bike released red energy and sped away.
"That Memory powers his devices..." She uttered. There was no doubt it was his mother's work. She felt envious that his bike was far faster and she wouldn't catch up to him. But she had to follow him, no matter what.
She revved the engine and tried to follow. The speed of that ACCEL clearly gave it one hell of a boost. Her motorcycle was already running at full speed, barely able to catch up. However her blue eyes never strayed from the sight of Eternal.
The Rider made a swift turn, the brief disbalance not even making him fall off due to the speed and momentum. Tsubasa nearly fell off hers if it weren't for her sword as a crutch.
Ahead, the two saw Hibiki as the Joker Dopant who was leaping across the streets.
"Tachibana... Where is she even going?" Tsubasa questioned, worried for the young girl.
Looking ahead, she witnessed Eternal's bike gaining speed. He moved his feet onto the seat before he pulled the brake. The bike bucked forward, launching the Rider directly into the Dopant, tackling her across the pavement, both rolling.
Eternal grunted, uncaring of the partial damage to his armor. The Dopant stood back up and noticed him. Her clouded emotions rose. "What are you doing Enrique-san?!"
The Rider was silent but plucked his dagger from his side. "Helping you get yourself back together."
"Help? I'm the one helping you!" Hibiki spat out, "I won't let anyone hurt you again... That includes stopping you myself."
A tune played, identical to the JOKER Memory's music as the Dopant lunged. Her armored claws were swift as is the leaping force of her legs. The girl was a hair away to damage him until Tsubasa created a large sword that served as a shield.
"Tsubasa-san?!"
"Tachibana... The device is twisting your mind. You need to stop before you cause any real harm!" Tsubasa pleaded to Hibiki. She knew Hibiki. The discussion they previously had about protecting people, of feelings to be shown in a fight.
Alas the voice from the user of Ame no Habakiri fell deaf to the kaijin's 'ears'. "I'M DOING THIS TO SAVE ENRIQUE AND PROTECT MIKU!!" Hibiki thundered before she slammed her fist into the ground creating a shockwave.
Tsubasa leapt back as did Eternal. The bluenette grimaced. Uncle did tell her to use lethal force due to this situation. Having no choice, she sang and went for a thrust of her katana. The Dopant leapt back with one leg before using the other to propel forward, slamming her fist against the sword of the fellow Armed Gear user.
Her crimson eyes saw Eternal in the air. He spun and drove his shin against her temple, causing the girl to grunt in pain to the brief migraine. With a grip of Tsubasa's ankle, the bluenette felt her whole body swing diagonally, hitting Eternal in the process.
"Stop fighting!! Just stop so I can protect you both!!" The Dopant roared. She pounced across the building to avoid the gunshots, but not the sword whip Tsubasa forged.
"Do you really find us that weak, Tachibana?!" Tsubasa questioned her. "You told me the reason why you fight to protect others!" She was cut off when the Joker Dopant delivered a powerful blow to her face.
"To show them how I feel after lying to Miku every day!!" She was struck by the Eternal Dagger. The Dopant tried to hit Eternal but he leaned to the side and slammed a fiery fist into her chest.
Taking the next attack, Hibiki grabbed Eternal's arms. "To watch someone become fragile because of the woman who is only using him!!" Then she threw the white rider until he crashed against the lightpost. "If I can't protect them because of that, then I HAVE TO REMOVE IT ALL TO DO SO!"
'That thing is forcing her to breach the edge.' Tsubasa gritted. The device and Relic were doubling Hibiki's power from the resonance between song and lyric. Nothing was getting through to her.
From the corner of her eye, she spotted Eternal grunt, slowly pushing himself up to stand on his two feet. He looked at the dagger in his hand, staring at it before he loosened his hold, letting it drop to the ground. At first it confused the idol but the next thing bewildered her.
Eternal slowly grabbed his Gaia Memory and deactivated his armor upon removing it.
'What is he doing?!' Tsubasa was bewildered. "Are you insane?!"
"Just let me handle this!" He barked, startling her. "Hibiki's condition is all my fault!"
He turned his focus to the Dopant as he slowly took a step forward. "Hibiki, please listen to me. I know you're frustrated... upset at what has happened due to the Noise. On everything that happened back when Taboo attacked." He consoled the girl. "But where is the Hibiki I know? The girl who knew how to cheer people up?"
"I wanted to stop all the bad things-"
"To protect others I know but this?" He gestured to her Dopant form. "I know you wouldn't want to do this Hibiki. I knew the girl who cheered me up at my times of doubt. The girl who wanted to do good and even save others from the torment from the Memories."
"Your mom is using you, Enrique-san! Why can't you see that!? She hurt me! She hurt Tsubasa-san! She will do it again if it keeps going anymore!"
Enrique's fingers curled at the recollection but the fragment of his mind needed to say it. The drug had already pushed the effects into place.
"She is all that I have left in my life, Hibiki!" The Dopant froze upon his outburst. "I have no other family! I could never go back to the life I had before because my family was dead until Shroud saved me!" He hinged his jaw, nearly gritting his teeth to the burst of emotions. "I know the real Hibiki Tachibana would want to be there for her friends! Not hurt them!"
"I want to-" her body trembled as within the kaijin's body, Hibiki's senses were starting to clear itself. Slowly being pulled away from the influence and back to who she was.
Enrique progressed towards the Dopant without hesitation. "I know you were always there to help Tsubasa! Miku! Me! Do you really plan to cross that last line?!"
"I-I...I want to..."
"Are you a bad person or a good person?! Are you willing to cross into hell as I did?!" He took another step. "Do you want to hurt people or help them, Hibiki?!"
The Dopant squirmed, clawing her scalp as she tried to fight it. "It hurts! It hurts...! I want to hurt… I want to help… but I have to!!" It was so painful to her brain that the choices were fighting each other. It felt like she was being yanked like two children pulling a doll.
"Choose, Hibiki! CHOOSE!" Enrique shouted to the girl.
The Dopant grasped her head in agony, trying to fight back the influence. The words of the Memory fighting against her own words. Her concealed lips were releasing pained agony.
"I…! I…!" The Dopant grunted, feeling her mind increasingly painful.
"Where is the girl who is my best friend!!" The American finally barked in anger.
The Dopant's eyes widened. Her best friend… she was about to...harm him.
Hibiki felt her entire form shudder, her crimson eyes slowly gaining the onset of tears. Tsubasa gasped. Their friend was regaining her bearings from the power injected to her.
With the gap closed. Enrique hugged the Dopant, consoling her as more tears left the Dopant's crimson eyes. "It's okay Hibiki… I'm here."
The kaijin's form began to evaporate into dust (with the Memory clattering onto the pavement), revealing a crying Hibiki. She gripped Enrique's blazer tightly as her teardrops fell onto his shirt. "I-I'm sorry...but I can't let her have that Memory...and use you any longer… I don't want to be alone…"
"We all feel the same, Tachibana." Tsubasa comforted her. "You didn't have a choice to use that Memory."
The Rider looked at the Gaia Memory in question and gently picked it up. It gave a glow before it lost its light. His fingers curled over it, tightening his hold on it. While it was another Memory to the collection, it was from the recent predicament of his best friend. First Chris… Now it was Hibiki.
He was about to stand up to leave but he was tugged slightly. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Hibiki gripping his jacket.
"Please don't leave me alone…"
Enrique looked at his motorcycle for a moment before he took a deep breath. He pocketed the Memory and said upon resting a hand on her head, "I won't... I promise..."
Hibiki kept herself close, not wanting to lose another friend and be all alone again.
With the hour being late in the night, Enrique quietly entered the household and noticed Shroud with her arms crossed. She waited impatiently for him given it was a late night. He had been with Hibiki the entire time and never away from her sight.
"You're late." She informed him.
"I had to stay with a friend." He then presented the JOKER Memory. "But I got it."
Shroud took it and looked over her tablet, registering it to the collection her son gathered. "Good. A-J. You still have to find the rest."
"...Will this do any good?"
Shroud looked at her son, seeing his crestfallen mood. "What do you mean by that?"
"Once we collect all Gaia Memories, what will happen?" He questioned her. "Those people will keep on attacking us for the Memories…"
"It's better if it's in our hands than theirs." She explained sternly to Enrique. "Otherwise, it's over for everyone."
"Yet Hibiki took it to protect me. Going as far as to fight me." Enrique reminded, "So why? Why didn't you choose to work with the group they were in?"
"Because they are just as corrupt as anyone else."
"They practically saved me! And I helped them! How are they 'corrupt'? And why do you insist on just removing my friends?!"
He flinched when Shroud slammed the side of her fist against the wall. "Do not question what I am doing to ensure you are safe. Is that clear?"
"I-"
"Is that clear?!" She barked.
Enrique's form shrank, his mind registering the effects of the medicine. "I-I… d… I-I understand…" he lowered his head.
Shroud pointed to the staircase. Understanding the message, he went upstairs and straight into his room. He sat on the edge of the bed, pressing the palm of his left hand against his left eye. Why… Why can't he say anything to Shroud? His brain kept telling him to not talk back. That she was all he had left in his life. The only family left.
His phone abruptly rang. Reaching into his blazer jacket, he saw it was from Chris. "Hey Chris," Enrique answered the phone. "Everything alright?"
"I saw everything. I admit, I was wrong about Tachibana being a naive goody two shoes."
Enrique frowned. "Chris, this was serious." He chastised.
"… Sorry…"
The American elicited an exasperated sigh. He dragged his hand across his jet black hair, calming his nerves.
"Is... she doing okay now?"
"To be honest, I'm not sure. I stayed with her nearly the whole day." Hibiki had cried at one point again after staying by her side. The armed gear user displayed distress and hadn't seen Miku after the incident. To not feel alone. "... It isn't that easy."
"Oh."
"Is that all you wanted to hear from me, Chris?"
"No, there's somethin I wanted to tell you."
Enrique perked up slightly. "Tell me what?"
"I'm going to confront my boss. I ain't gonna hesitate anymore." Chris spoke firmly. "I'll get the answers from her myself. I'm done being a puppet."
"Will you be okay? Your boss might expect you to betray her by now."
"I…" There was hesitation that grew in her voice. "I have to see the truth for myself. What I did... was the same as those bastards; just lashing out my anger on everyone that has nothin to do with my past."
"Alone? Chris, shouldn't you think this through?"
"I want answers. I have to do this."
Enrique pursed his lips, furrowing his brows in concern. "Chris I-"
"Just...stay out of it."
"Chris, wait!" The call ended, making the young man look at his phone. Given Fine was the reason Chris summoned Noise, there was no telling what will happen if she confronts her boss.
He didn't want to lose a friend like he nearly did earlier. 'Screw the curfew.' He grabbed the keys and jogged but paused. He peeked and saw the study room was closed and light was seen beneath the crevices of the doorframe. Shroud was in the underground lab.
With quiet steps, he left the manor and hopped onto the HellCycle. Revving his motorcycle, he quickly drove through to where Chris possibly was. 'Please be okay.' He prayed.
He hoped he wasn't too late.
A/N: Another chapter finished, another Gaia Memory added to the collection but alas, it had come from Hibiki Tachibana who became a victim to becoming a Dopant. What will happen to her now from what has happened? And how will things go for our protagonist now that is starting to feel the lingering doubts towards Shroud? We will have to find out in the next chapter. Until then, don't forget to leave a review. As well as favorite and follow this story. See you all later!