Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Hanami~ hanami~ We're gonna do hanami~!” Ryutaros sings as he skips up and down the dining car on the Denliner, the sing-song voice echoing in Ryotaro’s head.

“Yes; it's the perfect day for it,” Ryotaro replies as he helps pack a few things into one of the baskets. “And Grandmother will be joining us as well.”

“It'll be good to meet her again,” Urataros admits. “She really is a kind and accepting woman…”

“I hope she brings lots of tasty treats, like the ones she gave us last time we saw her!” Ryutaros quips excitedly.

Momotaros, however, is trying to check himself over using the back of a spoon. Ryotaro can feel the nervousness echoing across their bond.

“...is everything okay, Momotaros?”

“Gahh!” Momotaros jumps as the spoon slips out of his grasp to clatter onto the table. “Don't surprise me like that!”

“But you’re so nervous all of a sudden…”

“Can you blame me, though? It's Granny! The one who raised you and Airi! It'll be the first time meeting her since we started dating! What if she doesn't approve of our little threesome thing?!”

“Momo,” Ryotaro tries to reassure him, “She already knows that you, Wataru and I are all dating each other.”

“Wait - she does?”

“Yes,” Ryotaro patiently explained. “Nee-san talks to her regularly, and keeps her up-to-date on what's been going on with our families. As far as I know, she seems pretty accepting of our relationship.”

Momotaros seems stunned for a moment. “...Oh. Um, well…I…I hope I don't disappoint her…somehow.”

Ryotaro sighs in exasperation. “You'll be fine, Momotaros. Just be nice to her, like you've always been…”

“Is he being a complete idiot about this?” Yuuto inquired as he finished putting a hairband on Hana.

“Just a little--”

“Oi, oi…!” Before Ryotaro could stop him, Momotaros took over his body and stomps over to Yuuto. “Whad'ya mean by ‘complete idiot’?!”

“You’re getting yourself too worked up over this. It's just Hanami, not a formal family meeting,” Yuuto grumbles irritably.

“But…but…it's Granny we'll be seeing, and…well, I still don't have full approval from Maya, so I just thought…”

“Maya has a completely different viewpoint than Grandma does,” Yuuto points out, “and has different expectations than Grandma does. Just calm down and be nice to her, as usual.”

“But--”

“Papa!” Momotaros looks down to see Yozora standing next to him, arms raised up. “Up! Want up! Pweese?”

Ryotaro can feel his Imagin partner’s heart instantly turn into fond mush as he bends down to pick up their son. “C'mere, lil guy…! Better?”

Yozora nods happily. “Yes! Thanksh, Papa!” He then looks around. “Where Sis…?”

“Auntie Airi’s getting your sister ready,” Momotaros happily tells him. “She’s gonna make Sakura look her cutest today!”

“Wanna be cool!”

“Yes, yes, we’ll make sure you look super cool today for Granny…!”

Ryotaro’s relieved for how easily Momotaros gets distracted with the kids these days, now that the twins are starting to learn to talk normally. They’ll still use ‘twin speak’ with each other a lot, and he’s caught them acting like they’re communicating telepathically to each other a couple more times as well. But for the most part, they seem to be very focused on learning new words every day.

Just like now, with Yozora pointing at the basket. “Box? Bag? Boxbag?”

“Oh, that’s called a ‘basket’,” Momotaros explains.

“Basu…keh?”

“No, no…basket.”

“Bas…ket…” Yozora seems to be focusing hard on shaping the words. “Basket?”

“Yeah, that’s it, Yozora! Basket!”

“Basket!” He echoes, very proud that he got it right.

“They’re learning new words so easily and quickly,” Ryotaro murmurs from within his own body. “It’s really remarkable.”

“That’s because they’re very smart kids! Aren’t you, Yozora~?” Momotaros beams with all the pride of a fellow father.

“Smart!” Yozora echoes again with a huge grin.

Ryotaro feels a swell of fond contentment within his heart. Ever since the crisis over the Fangire throne has been settled, things have returned to a relatively peaceful way for nearly all of them. Even Eiji’s been enjoying a peaceful time, getting some help from Taiga on some personal project while working at the same restaurant he used to work at before. I just hope that it remains this peaceful for just a bit longer, he silently prays.

The park is already half-full of people enjoying the blossoming trees, but at least there's a spot that's perfectly situated far enough from the main path to not be easily seen by passersby. Ryotaro helps Airi and Deneb get all of the picnic blankets set up, and then quickly moves the twins onto one of them before they go wandering off on their own. Thankfully, they're all too happy to sit there and chat with Hana as she teaches them the names of the nearby plants.

“The weather is just about perfect today!” Urataros quips as the Taros joins them, having used the doorway to a public bathroom nearby to depart from the Denliner.

“And not too windy, either,” Kintaros agrees, even as he calmly lets the twins start climbing all over him as soon as he sits down. “It almost makes me want to compose a poem or two…!”

Momotaros hums as he casually picks a peach blossom petal off of Ryotaro, after it had fluttered down onto the other man’s shoulder. “...ten years, huh…?”

Ryotaro smiles fondly. “It has been that long since we all first met…”

“Yeah…who would've thought that a former weakling like you would already have a steel spine hidden beneath all those rags and nerves when we first met?” Momotaros quips just as fondly, gently nudging him with his elbow.

“Or the kindness to rescue a former foe from certain death?” Kintaros adds.

“Or be willing to still trust someone who screwed up so badly?” Ryutaros points out.

“It’s been a long ride together, and for a while, we weren't sure we would all make it,” Urataros muses. “Yet, here we are - one happy, growing family…”

“And the future is still wide open,” Ryotaro states with a warm smile. “Nothing is set in stone, and I don't doubt that we'll still have many challenges ahead. But I do believe that we’re already making it a brighter future for everyone…especially the children.” And grandchildren, given how memories of Kotaro and Teddy linger in the back of his mind…

“Well said, Ryotaro!” Everyone turns to Wataru, who’s approaching them with a violin case in one hand and the leash to Masao’s backpack in the other. “Sorry for being a little late; Masao kept trying to run off everywhere.”

“But it's so pretty today, Papa!” Masao protests. “I wanna run around with everyone~!”

“After we eat first,” Wataru promises him as they join everyone else on the blankets.

“It’s no good running around on an empty stomach!” Deneb points out.

“Hmm…that's true!” Masao nods in agreement as he settles near the twins.

“Thank you for making it,” Ryotaro murmurs as Wataru settles near him and Momotaros.

“Of course; I know how important this is for you, celebrating this with all of us and your Grandmother…”

“Well, what a colorful gathering we have this time around!” A warm, elderly voice rings out across the area. Everyone turns to see a woman, nearly 70, making her way over to the group. Despite her age, she seems to be hale and hearty, carrying her own basket with a great big smile on her face. Her outfit is comfy, yet fashionable for a woman of her age, complete with a sleek pair of glasses.

“Grandmother!” Airi rises up first to rush over and hug the elderly woman. “It’s so good to see you again…!”

“Airi, my dear…it's good to see you, too!” Grandmother Nogami gently hugs back with one arm before handing her basket to her granddaughter. “Now, where is your brother…”

A lump forms in Ryotaro’s throat as he stands up. He hadn't really seen her since that hasty wedding to Hazoki, barely a year and a half ago, and he stumbles over to give her a hug as well. “...been a long time, Grandmother,” he murmurs with happy tears on the edge of his eyes.

“Oh, Ryotaro…I'm so glad that you're safely back home again, after that awful marriage.” She hugs him a little tighter before stepping back to give him a good look-over. “...I see that fatherhood has been good for you regardless. You've finally filled out.”

“Well…part of that is due to Wataru; he’s a great cook…”

“Ah, yes, the sweet musical boyfriend. Airi told me that you also finally got a clue about you and Momo-kun?”

Momotaros and Ryotaro both sputter in surprise. “How did you--?!”

“I'm not blind - not yet. I knew a pining look when I saw one; and you, dear Momo-kun, had it in spades during that entire wedding.”

Both men fidgeted awkwardly. “W-Well…I was trying to behave,” Momotaros stammers.

“And I did apologize for not realizing it sooner, once we did finally confess to each other,” Ryotaro adds quickly.

“Calm down, both of you,” Grandmother chortles. “I'm just glad that you finally left that woman, and found something much better with Momo-kun here…and that musical boyfriend, of course…” She glances over at Wataru. “Kurenai Wataru, wasn't it?”

“That's right…it's a pleasure to meet you again, ma'am…” He bows respectfully.

“Please, call me Granny - all the other boys do.” She’s guided over to the blankets, and settles herself near the Imagin. “Now, let me get a good look at you boys…” She gazes over all of them. “...mmmm, you've all matured a bit - especially you, young Ryuta. Have you been helping out with the little ones?”

Ryutaros nods eagerly. “I have, yes! It's a lot of fun, looking after the kids! Especially the twins!” He then tries to peer into her basket. “Hey, hey, did you bring a lot of tasty treats this time, Granny?”

“Certainly, but I do hope I didn't bring too much…”

“You can never bring too much, Grandmother,” Airi reassures her.

They all chatted and enjoyed the good food as they watched the peach and cherry trees rain their petals all around them. It felt like a golden afternoon, catching up with his Grandmother and seeing how warmly she welcomed Wataru and Masao into the family.

“Truly, I feel like the luckiest old lady alive,” Grandmother said at one point, her eyes growing a bit misty. “Not only do I see both of my natural grandchildren successful and in happy relationships, but I actually get to see my dear great-grandchildren as well. It truly sets my heart at ease, knowing that you all are doing so well, and so happily at that…”

“We're also happy that you're still with us as well, Grandma,” Yuuto adds with his own misty-eyed smile. “We hope to spend more time with you, now that things are finally settling down.”

“Well, my door is always open to all of you. And you're also welcome to stay the night even, should you ever need a safe place to rest and recover.”

“Thank you, Grandmother,” Ryotaro murmurs gratefully. “And you’re always welcome to drop by as well. We'd be more than happy to have you visit us, too…”

Kiriko sighs as she walks back to the Trideron with her husband. “At least it's good news,” she mumbles as she holds his hand.

“I know,” he smiles so proudly as he gently squeezes her hand. “I'm so happy, Kiriko…!”

Kiriko smiles back with quiet relief. “We'll just have to wait and let it become stable before we tell everyone.” She then sighs, her smile fading. “Especially HQ…”

“Still no word about that promotion?”

She shakes her head. “Not yet…but at least they're finally checking the record for proof.”

Shinnosuke pulls her into a gentle hug. “You'll get it. You've really earned it over the last few months. I'm looking forward to you becoming the official Captain of SIU.”

Kiriko giggles and hugs back. “Only because you get to be the next Sergeant Tomari, right?”

“Well, maybe…”

They both laugh a little before getting into the car.

“Well?” Krim inquires from his slot on the dashboard. “Is it what I hope it might be?”

Kiriko smiles and nods, pulling out a folded piece of paper. “It is…” She shows him the ultrasound photo. “We're finally going to be parents.”

“Congratulations!” Krim exclaims joyously in his native English. Then, he quickly switches back to Japanese. “Truly, I am very happy for both of you. So…” He gazes carefully over that photo. “...8 weeks along?”

“That's right. But we want to keep it quiet until we're past the first trimester, just as a precaution.”

“I understand. But this means that you'll have to be a bit more careful out in the field…”

“We know, Belt-san. That's why we're still partners for official duty,” Shinnosuke explains. “That way, if something does happen, we can rush her to a safer area until she recovers enough to go back on duty.”

“A sound plan. Though I'm guessing that you're not going to want to be restricted to desk work until the official announcement has been made to everyone?”

“That…and I don't need certain people at HQ using it as yet another excuse to delay my promotion again,” Kiriko admits.

“Hmmm…even with such conservative men in charge, one would think that your impeccable record would've granted you the official leadership of SIU already… I have a feeling that something else is going on in the background…”

“That's our gut feeling as well,” Shinnosuke admits. “But without any proof or even the smallest of leads, we can only spin our wheels in place until we finally get word on the status of her promotion request.”

“I see…that must be very frustrating…”

"It is," Kiriko admits as he folds up the photo and tucks it away into her jacket pocket. "But until then, we can only continue doing what we always do - serve the public and handle the special cases, especially those involving Kamen Riders."

"That's right - everyone is counting on us to keep doing such things, especially my fellow Riders," Shinnosuke agrees with a resolute nod.

"And I'll be there by your side, ready to help as always," Krim promises - a truthful one, at that.

Later that evening, however, once the Garage is long cleared of all personnel for the night, Krim uses the built-in phone feature of the Trideron to make a call, staying completely in his native English. “...yes, it's me. I hope I'm not disturbing anything important? …good. Listen - I need to call in a certain favor…”

Chapter Text

“Grandmother?” Taiga echoes as he walks beside Ryotaro the next morning. They were heading down a corridor at Development and Pioneer as they chatted. “Your Grandmother is still alive?”

“That’s right,” Ryotaro explains with a wide smile. “I hadn’t seen her since that wedding, so it was wonderful to see her yesterday. Especially since I got to properly introduce her to Wataru and our children…”

“That sounded like a wonderful afternoon for you all. I'm glad that it all went well!” He then pauses for a moment. “Maybe…would it be alright if I introduce myself to her as well? Especially since you and Wataru have begun house hunting and all…”

“I'm sure she’ll be happy to have visitors,” Ryotaro reassures her. “Nee-san has been keeping her up-to-date on what's been going on, so I'm sure she wouldn't mind meeting you sometime soon…”

Taiga hears footsteps quickly approaching them from behind, and turns to see Amai rushing up to them. “I do apologize for interrupting any discussions, but you’re needed down at the Security desk, Nogami-san.”

“Eh? What's wrong?” Ryotaro inquires in a concerned tone.

“There’s some woman who's insisting upon seeing you. She claims to be related to you through your mother's side of the family, and is refusing to leave. I'm afraid that she's causing quite the commotion right now…”

Ryotaro’s shoulders sag as he sighs in frustration. “I'm really sorry, Taiga-san, but I need to take care of this really quickly…”

“No worries,” Taiga reassures him. “I'll let Chiba know that you're handling a personal situation and that you'll be back at your desk soon.”

“Thank you so much…” Ryotaro quickly bows, and then rushes off down to the first floor…

And there at the Security desk is some plump, middle-aged woman wearing just-became-outdated designer clothes and thick makeup, having a scowling match with the Head of Security. “But I have to see him! I must see him! Let me see my nephew!!”

She hadn't changed much over the years, Ryotaro silently groaned within himself. But outwardly, he puts on a neutral expression as he approaches her. “Aunt Kasumi, please, calm down…”

That woman turns around to blink at him for a moment. “Ryotaro? Is that…really you?”

He forces himself to put a small smile on his face. “Yes…it's me…”

“Ohhhh, Ryotaro~! It's so good to see you again~!” She moves forward to try and give him a bear hug…

But Ryotaro takes a big step back. “Aunt Kasumi, why are you here?”

“Can't your auntie visit you once in a while? I mean, look at you - a proper salaryman, all mature now…!” That glint in her eyes and too-eager grin really bothers him greatly.

“Wh-Why don't we continue this in a more private area?” After all, she's embarrassed him enough as it is, having made a scene in such an open area.

“Of course!” She agreed quickly - too quickly. “Let’s continue this in your office!” She starts walking towards the elevator.

Ryotaro quickly stops her, though. “I don't really have an office. Let’s just find a small room down here so that we can chat…”

“You can use this room over here, Nogami,” the Head of Security stated, gesturing to a side room next to the Security desk.

“Thank you so much!” Ryotaro bows to her, and then leads his aunt over to that room. He makes sure that the door is closed before he speaks up again. “Why did you come here? We haven't really spoken in years…”

“Well, I had just decided to drop by the old cafe this morning, and I was so happy to see your sister running it with her husband, what's-his-name…sakuro? Sakurai? Anyway, I asked her if you were back in Tokyo, and she said that not only that you were, but you were working an office job as well! Oh, color me surprised with joy when she also mentioned that you work as an executive assistant…!”

“Personal assistant,” Ryotaro clarifies for her. “I'm just the personal assistant to the Chief Administrative Officer…”

“But still! It's still an executive position, since you're working on the executive level and everything!” Aunt Kasumi insists. “That means that you must have a very good salary for the first time ever…!”

Ryotaro bit his lip for a moment to keep himself from groaning out loud. “...why are you here, truly? What do you want from me?”

“Well, it's just…your uncle hasn't been promoted in such a long time, and things have gotten just a little tight. What with the credit card bills and all…perhaps you could spare a little cash? At least, until we get all these bills under control?”

Ryotaro hates how his silent concerns and suspicions were still right on target when it comes to his aunt. “...how much?” He quietly asks after a few moments.

“Not too much…just 500,000 yen.”

“500,000?! Aunt Kasumi, I don't have that kind of spare cash on me!”

“What?! But you’re working in an executive position! Surely, you can spare some cash for your poor, dear auntie…!”

Ryotaro lets his reluctance show clearly now. “Aunt Kasumi…I'm currently living with Nee-san and her family. Moreover, I have children now - twins. I need to save up for their future education as well as a home of our own. Plus, I want to pay Nee-san back for being so kind as to let us stay with her. So…I'm sorry, but I don't have any spare money to give at this time.”

As he fears, her face immediately twists into one of indignation. “Why not?! Can't you just stay with her and let us have that spare cash?”

“Of course not! The twins will each want their own room some day, and there’s not enough space above the Milk Dipper for that! Besides, I may get married again someday, and we'll need space for them and their family as well. That's why I'm saving up for a house as well as the children's education…”

“I just don’t believe it! How can you be so selfish as to not help out your poor, struggling relatives…?” Aunt Kasumi starts crying, but Ryotaro can actually tell that it's pretty fake this time.

“Goodness, she's dramatic in the wrong manner,” Urataros mutters disapprovingly in Ryotaro’s head. “Can't even cry crocodile tears right…”

“She needs to leave him the fuck alone, is what she needs to do!” Momotaros grumbles irritably.

“Calm down, both of you. I'll get her to leave very soon,” Ryotaro silently tells them across the bonds. He then focuses back on his aunt. “I really am sorry, but I'm still within my first 90 days of this job. I don't have much saved up, and there’s still many things I need to get for the children on top of what I said earlier. I'm sorry, Aunt Kasumi, but I can't really give you any cash at this time…”

She then huffs irritably as she ‘dries’ her eyes. “So you're still new to the job? No wonder…! Fine…I will leave you be…for now.”

Ryotaro sighs and shows her to the main entryway. “Just please don't bother me here at work again - not unless it's a real emergency. I have so much work to do, and my boss is a strict man…”

“Hmph! Well, maybe next time, you'll show some proper respect for your elders, if you don't want to be embarrassed…!”

Ryotaro can already feel a headache threatening to emerge around his temples, even as she leaves. “...why did Nee-san ever tell her that I was working here…?” He mutters as he slowly makes his way back to his desk up on the C-suite level.

“Is everything alright?” Amai inquired gently; he was waiting for him near the elevator.

“It’s fine now. I'm sorry for all the trouble she was causing…”

“Was she really a relative?”

“Yes…but not one that I normally talk with.”

“I see…” Amai adjusts his glasses. “Well, if you need a certain kind of advice, I'm more than happy to offer it. Family law is my specialty, after all…”

“Ah, no! It's nowhere near that bad!” Ryotaro shakes his head and waves his arms in front of him. “It's just…she didn't realize that I'm still new to my position; that's all…”

Amai sighs and gives him a look. “Nogami-san, I understand that you may not feel comfortable talking about certain relatives. But if you truly need any help on the legal or financial side, I am here to offer it. Please don't hesitate to reach out if she becomes truly bothersome - or worse.”

“Um, okay…but I really don't want to bother you over something so minor…”

“It's no bother at all,” Amai reassures him with a smile and a gentle hand on the shoulder. “These things were part of my job for many years, after all. And I still have my law license as well…”

“Well…I'll keep that in mind…”

Kiriko knew that morning sickness isn’t great to deal with, but she never thought how horrible it was to experience it until now. Even now, she regrets not being able to even smell certain food without feeling queasy. So, she’s just sitting on the bathroom floor, hugging her knees while willing her stomach to calm down.

Shinnosuke comes in carrying a fresh cup of tea. “It’s ginger tea with mint mixed in,” he explains as he kneels down to hand the cup to her. “So, hopefully, it will help settle your stomach.”

Kiriko smiles wanly as she sips it. “...thank you, Shinnosuke,” She quietly states. “Could you do me a favor and…either finish that sashimi or cook it? I don’t think I can handle raw fish for the rest of the pregnancy…”

“Yeah, I can do that. Want me to get the laundry started for you as well?”

“Please? That would be wonderful.”

Shinnosuke nods, and then gently kisses her forehead. “You just rest until we have to go in for our late shift today. Best to save your strength for the evening patrol.”

“And the mountain of paperwork afterwards.” Kiriko sighs and sips more of her tea. “I still need to ensure that the monthly supplies for the medical wing gets approved and shipped, and then make sure everyone’s schedules this coming week fit everyone’s availability…” She pauses. “Are there any Riders volunteering tonight?”

“Fourze and Stronger. Since school doesn’t start back up for a couple more weeks, Gentaro-kun’s been volunteering whenever we need a personnel hole plugged.”

“That sounds like him alright…” Kiriko slowly works on a few other things in her head as she sips her tea on the floor. The remaining budget for the month needs to be allocated to where it’s needed - fuel for all the vehicles, and supplies for R&D…and once she figures out how much to estimate for everyone’s monthly salary, maybe there could be enough to consider saving up for upgrading all the general office computers in a few months. Just the usual burdens of leading SIU, she muses…but she wouldn’t have it any other way.

And then she rubs her belly for a moment. “I know you want your Mama to rest, little one…but I have to keep leading, to keep helping everyone…” Still, she’s not moving up off the floor - not while she hears Shinnosuke fill up the washing machine with clothes and detergent. It’s the right amount of clothes, but he used just a touch too much detergent… Ah, well; it’s just a tiny amount over what she precisely uses. It’s not worth complaining about…

And then he pulls out the sashimi, and she has to shut the door at the very first whiff before her stomach starts to rebel again. Ugh…I can’t wait to be done with this so-called ‘morning sickness’! I have too much work to do to be made an invalid over this…

“500,000 yen?!” Yuuto exclaims that evening.

“Yeah, she was asking for that large amount…” Ryotaro hears a spoon clatter onto the table next to him, and he picks it up to put it back into his daughter’s hand. “Even if I had been there for years, there's no way I would be able to lend her that much…”

“And she would insist upon it being a gift and not a loan,” Yuuto grumbles into his bowl of soup.

“Oh dear,” Airi sighs in regret. “I'm so sorry, Ryo-chan. The way she was acting earlier today when she dropped by…I thought that she had begun to change for the better. Had I known she was trying to just get some money out of us yet again, I never would've told her where you worked.”

Ryotaro sighs in mild frustration. “It’s not your fault that she deceived you. It's just frustrating that she refuses to truly change for the better, even after everyone's attempts to help her change. I know Grandmother had always taught us to give people another chance, but…”

“But people like her love to take advantage of such kindness far too often,” Yuuto finishes for him. “I can see why you two are extremely frustrated with her.”

“I still don't understand why she's always asking for money, though,” Deneb confesses. “Didn't her husband become a regional manager two years ago?”

“Yes, he did,” Ryotaro confirms in-between bites of his dinner. “And it did come with a good raise as well. But Aunt Kasumi never developed a good sense of budgeting, and is too fond of buying nothing but expensive items - almost luxury at times. Unfortunately, it inevitably means that she starts to outspend whatever her husband would earn for the household in due time - at least, until his next promotion.”

“And it doesn't help that our uncle isn't able to see it somehow,” Airi laments.

“I still think that he does see it, but he doesn't bother to correct her anymore,” Yuuto refuted.

“Regardless…” Urataros pops up in the sandy form the Imagin use when they want to be seen physically, but not leave the Denliner entirely. “It sounds like an incredibly frustrating ordeal all around. And yet…it's odd that she would pick now to come bother Airi-san, much less Ryotaro.”

Airi thinks about that as she eats. “You know…Ura-chan is right. I do wonder what suddenly made her want to talk to us again. I hope everything is okay with our cousins…”

Ryotaro nods in quiet agreement. “I know most of them are already fully grown and moved out, but… Maybe we should at least check in on the youngest, since she's still in high school - make sure that she's doing okay despite what her mother may be up to.”

“I can go check on her,” Yuuto volunteers. “It's my day off tomorrow, and I don't restart classes until early April.”

“That's right - you're going back to that same college that you were attending before, aren't you?” Urataros quips.

Yuuto nods with a proud grin. “My route to my college does pass by the gymnastics place she regularly trains at, so I can use tomorrow's outing to finish the financial aid paperwork on campus to drop by in the morning around when those students normally arrive for morning lessons. Just a five-minute check on her, and her mother wouldn't even know it.”

“That would be an immense relief for us, Yuuto,” Airi admits. “Please check on her tomorrow morning; see if she needs any real help from us…”

Chapter Text

Yuuto walks out of the train station the following morning with a small smile on his face. There’s still plenty of trees in bloom in this part of Tokyo, and it’s nice to walk under some of them on his way to his college. That he finally passed and got back in is wonderful, and he’s seriously considering picking up some school supplies on his way back home.

But first things first… He slows down as he spots the gymnastics place that his wife’s youngest cousin trains at, and he sees that some students are already heading in for morning training. He spots the cousin walking alone…and he notices how slowly she’s walking, too, as well as the troubled look on her face. “...Oi, Mikanko!” …god, this poor girl is forever stuck with that kind of name, he silently muses for the umpteenth time.

Mikanko blinks as she looks around for a moment. As soon as she spots him, she freezes for a moment.

“Hey, how have you been?” He inquires as he slowly approaches her. “Is everything okay–”

“Why are you here?!” She hisses in terrified shock.

Yuuto stops mid-step. He’s never seen any of his in-laws react to him like this before. Contempt from the aunt, yeah…but nothing close to terror. “I came to check on you,” He replies carefully. “Your mother dropped by the other day, and she was acting like she normally did around us. So--”

She suddenly puts a hand on his mouth to shush him, and then drags him off into the nearby alley. “Why is Mom trying to drag you guys into this?!” She quietly demands.

“Because she’s claiming that she needs help with bills…” Yuuto then grows a little suspicious. “Though I’m starting to sense that might not be true.”

“It–it is, but…but…” Mikanko seems to shrink into herself a bit. “I…I don’t want you guys involved. I don’t want to…to risk your safety…”

“Mikanko…” Yuuto shifts into a reassuring tone. “Ryotaro and I can defend ourselves, as well as our families. And yes, that does include you and your siblings. We’re no stranger to assholes threatening our friends and relatives. And many of our friends can fight, too…”

Mikanko looks up at him, torn between not wanting to get him involved and…maybe actually wanting the help. “...Promise that you’ll protect Mom, too? Physically, I mean?”

“I promise - we’ll protect both of your parents physically. But if they commit any crimes, though…”

Mikanko takes a deep breath, lets it out…and repeats once, twice… “...Mom’s been cheating on Dad with someone…someone that carries a gun with them. Like…like they’re licensed to carry one… And I think he’s someone important, because she keeps buying luxury items but keeps leaving me small meals full of cheap frozen food…”

“And you need to eat well in order to do well at school and gymnastics, so this is hindering you.”

“More like scaring the crap out of me,” she mumbles. “I mean…normal people don’t carry guns with them, right? So…either he’s someone really high up in a gang, or…or he’s…”

“A corrupt officer.”

Both jump and whirled around to see a guy wearing a suit with a hardhat on top - like he’s on his way to a construction site.

“Chuuji…!” Yuuto breathes a sigh of relief.

“Damnit, Chuu-nii-chan! Don’t scare me like that!” Mikanko scolds him with tears on the edge of her eyes.

“Sorry, baby sister!” Chuuji apologizes. He digs out a handkerchief to hand over to her before turning back to Yuuto. “I’m a little surprised that you’re here questioning her about Mom’s misdeeds. What’s going on?”

“She just tricked Airi into telling her where Ryotaro works now, and she went begging for money from him yesterday,” Yuuto explains. “Given the huge amount she asked for, we’re all a bit concerned about your family’s situation.”

“Oh fuck…!” Chuuji swears as he shakes his head. “Why him? He’s never made enough money for her to bother him over…”

“She…she’s starting to get desperate again,” Mikanko finally admits. “Like she did right before Dad’s promotion.”

“This has gone on far enough,” Chuuji states. “I think I need to have a much-needed talk with our other siblings about this - especially Okiji. If his little monthly funds to her on top of Dad’s salary really isn’t enough? It’s time for an intervention…”

“But that guy with the gun…He…”

Chuuji narrows his eyes. “Mikanko…did he hurt you?”

“N-no…not much…just a slap…”

“...that bastard,” Yuuto swears beneath his breath. “Listen, if you can live with one of your siblings for a while? Do so. And if you can’t? We can always talk to Grandma - Airi’s grandmother…”

“She can crash with me,” Chuuji offered. “I got a spare futon and some blankets, and I’m making enough that I can feed both of us decent meals on the regular.”

“Really? You’ll let me stay with you, Chuu-nii-chan?”

“Yea, really. You wouldn’t be a bother at all.”

Mikanko sniffs as she finishes wiping her eyes with the handkerchief. “Thanks. I’ll…I’ll let you know once I’m all packed up and ready to head over.”

“Good. Now, you’d best head off towards your training. We’ll talk later, okay?”

She smiles - genuinely smiles - and gives them both a nod before rushing off to her training.

Chuuji sighs in relief. “...thanks for warning us, Yuuto, about what Mom’s been trying to do with you guys.”

“I’m more worried about you,” Yuuto points out. “If that asshole really is a police officer, this smells like trouble for the whole damn family.”

“I know… I may have to have Natsuko sniff out his background, just to be safe. As for Okiji…”

“He’s a lost cause, isn’t he?”

Chuuji makes a wavering motion with his hand. “It’s hard to tell right now. He’s getting annoyed that Mom’s starting to ask more from him, especially since he’s been trying to get married for a while. Dates aren’t cheap, especially the arranged ones. But on the other hand…he still loves mom way too much due to still being the golden boy.”

Yuuto shakes his head. “I swear, if Hana ever has siblings, I’m going to do my best to not play favorites…”

“Just don’t spoil any of them rotten, and you’ll be fine. That’s the lesson I’ve been taking away from how we four were raised.”

“Duly noted…”

Kimiko’s nervous, understandably, but she doesn’t let it show…much. As it is, she goes over her outfit one more time, making sure that everything is perfectly straight and in place. Then, and only then, does she step out of the ladies’ room and down the hallway. She’s here at HQ, finally getting the answer she’s been seeking regarding her long-due promotion.

She knocks on a wooden door, and hears a man’s voice on the other side. “Enter!”

She steps in, perfect movements as crisp as her uniform as she gives a straight-from-the-book salute. “Sergeant Tomari Kimiko reporting, sir!”

“Ah, Sergeant…!” Commander Midoku Ezio looks up, his Italian heritage reflected in his European-shaped eyes. “Good, you are right on time. I appreciate an officer who is punctual.”

Kiriko nods, repressing the urge to smile at that rare compliment. “I try my best, sir.” She walks over to stand in front of his desk, shifting into an at-ease stance. “I understand that you finally have an answer to my petition…?”

“I do, yes.” Midoku leans back in his chair with a warm smile. “I want to first begin by thanking you very much for your remarkable service over the last year. You and your unit have successfully nipped a growing threat in the bud, taken down a cell of the terrorist organization Foundation X, and even helped resolve a terrorist threat stemming from one of the monster races’ internal conflicts. They are truly remarkable feats, and your entire unit is to be commended.”

Kiriko allows a tiny half-smile of pride to show on her face. “Thank you very much, Commander. Truthfully, though, much of the thanks also goes to the Kamen Riders who have aided us during such conflicts. We wouldn’t have been so successful if it wasn’t for all their help.”

“Naturally. They are legendary allies of justice and peace, and it gives me comfort to know that they are so willing to work with SIU on all these cases, as well as many more minor ones.” He then leans forward, folding his hands together on the desk. “Now, I will admit, such actions do warrant a proper reward for the leader of SIU. Many of us here at HQ do agree that you have earned the right to ask for a promotion. Some even feel like it may be something that’s been long due, even before that last terrorist attack.”

Kiriko nods slowly, but otherwise keeps her emotions in check. Her face still has that tiny half-smile, but she doesn’t dare show any other emotion in that moment.

“Which is why I normally would be willing to give it to you outright. However…”

Kiriko lets the pause hang in the air. “However…?” she echoes slowly.

Midoku sighs and shakes his head. “Those directly above me are still traditionalists. The idea of a woman leading such an elite unit, much less earning the rank of Captain, is still a new thing in their mind - too new, too soon, even in this modern era. I have consistently pointed out that you’re just as fit as your husband, if not more so. I have also shown them your regular reports on how the unit is handling their tasks. But always…always it comes down to the fact that you are a woman - and a married one at that.”

Kiriko lets her smile fade, and allows a serious air to shroud around her. “With all due respect, Commander, I can understand their concern - especially if I ever become pregnant. However, I do believe that I can still lead SUI as well as I have always been, regardless of whether or not I am expecting a child.” Thank goodness this is happening so early in her actual pregnancy that she's not showing yet.

Commander Midoku nods slowly. “And normally, that would not matter in regards to the decision of promoting you. But this time, my direct superiors are now running out of legitimate reasons on delaying your promotion any further. The Superintendent-General is starting to realize what’s going on…and he is displeased with how my direct superiors are handling your case. So they had created a last-ditch effort to try and prove that you’re not ready yet.”

Kiriko can feel her hackles starting to rise up, but she doesn’t let it show at all. She’s far too professional for that in this moment. “And what are they suggesting now?”

The commander picks up a folder. “They are suggesting that a neutral 3rd-party assess your leadership skills over the next 30 days maximum. If this 3rd-party can confirm that you are ready, they have vowed in writing that they will no longer delay your promotion any further. If, however, this 3rd-party claims otherwise? They want to reassess it next year.”

Now, Kiriko lets slip her frustrations. “Sir, with all due respect, SIU cannot wait a full year to have a proper Captain-ranked leader. We have been waiting much longer than initially promised for all the overdue promotions--!”

“I am fully aware of that, Sergeant,” Commander Midoku cuts her off. “Your husband in particular has willingly asked for his promotion to be delayed, both in protest and in support of you. Which is why I fully intend this to be the very last barrier between you and your Captaincy. If they try to tilt the assessment against you, we would both have grounds to go straight to the top and have them override everything.” He then sighs. “...but I do not want to do that unless as a last resort.”

Kiriko takes a deep breath to calm herself down a little. “...very well. Am I allowed to see this list?”

“Yes. In fact, I have insisted that you pick this 3rd-party. All of them are superintendents with remarkable reputations, each known to be professional yet stern.” He hands the folder to her.

Kiriko starts to look through the candidates. The very first one is Terui Ryu himself, but she senses the trap in having him at the top of the list. Perfect bait, in a way, for them to claim favoritism. Plus, she has not forgotten his spat with Taiga a couple of months ago regarding that young Rook. Having him here in Tokyo will only make things rather difficult between SIU and the Checkmate Four…and that’s the last thing she needs right now. Three of the other candidates are definitely well-known to be stern yet professional. But two of them are a little too fond of women, per the rumor mill, and the third likes his drinks a little too much.

She then reaches the fifth and final candidate…and her eyes widen as soon as she reads the name. So familiar, so reputable to be professional and stern…but in the right manner to be expected of a man of his rank, of a man with years of experience dealing with the abnormal, the supernatural…

“Is something wrong?” the commander inquires

Kiriko holds up that man’s profile page. “I’m surprised that they included this one in particular, Commander.”

He smiles in return. “My direct supervisors made the erroneous decision of presuming that you two may not get along well. It’s why he’s at the bottom of the list - or so I’ve been told.”

Kiriko looks over the profile page one more time…and then closes the folder and puts the paper on top of it, handing it back to her Commander. “I humbly request that the assessment be carried out by Superintendent Ichijo Kaoru. I will willingly submit to his judgement over a 30-day period, and will accept whatever results may come from it.”

“So they are discriminating against you!” Shinnosuke grumbles as he cooks up dinner that evening.

Kiriko sighs as she dries her hair from her bath. “Unfortunately. The commander did confirm, though, that the Superintendent General is displeased with such behavior.”

“Good! He should be…!” Shinnosuke then swears as he quickly adjusts the temperature of the boiling water. “There really isn’t a good reason for them to keep assessing you and delaying things, and…” He stops himself so that he can bring his emotions back under control.

Kiriko sets down her towel and rises to her feet. “...you really did ask to delay your own promotion…didn’t you?”

Shinnosuke is quiet for a moment as he adds the ingredients to the pot. “...I’ve seen it happen, back at my old precinct. Every time the male half of a male-female partnership gets promoted higher than the female, she stops getting any promotions for a very long time. And her male partner just…stops caring about it. I–I didn’t want to do that to you, especially since you’re my wife…!”

Kiriko moves to hug her husband from behind. “...Part of me is grateful for your support. But the leader in me still wants to scold you for asking for such a delay in the first place.”

Shinnosuke huffs in amusement. “Thank you for not scolding me just yet, dear leader. But in all seriousness…who is going to be assessing you?”

Kiriko smiles. “They made me pick out of a list of superintendents, and you wouldn’t guess who was included on that list.”

“Terui?”

“Yes, but someone else who’s been involved with Riders for a long time.”

Shinnosuke freezes for a moment. “...Superintendent Ichijo?!”

“That’s right. That’s the one I picked. I trust him to be stern yet fair in his judgement, and to be completely professional with all of us.”

“Huh…! But wait - didn’t they try to make him our leader when we first reformed SIU?”

“They did, but he turned the offer down flat, citing the lack of a proper successor for his post in Nagano at the time. Truthfully…I would not have minded if he had taken over.”

“I wouldn’t have minded, either - especially given his involvement with the Unidentified Life Forms crisis all those years ago. The man is almost as legendary among the police force as his Rider partner is these days.”

“...he’s also one of the other reasons why I became a police officer,” Kiriko quietly admits. “Hearing about him fighting alongside Kuuga… It helped inspire me to train in self-defense, to become a police officer and fight against those who threaten innocent people.”

Shinnosuke smiles as he stirs the pot. “He’s a real inspiration to all of us in the police force. I’m looking forward to having him be with us for the next month or so - especially if his assessment really will help you finally get promoted…”

Chapter Text

Meteor: I’m sorry, they’re WHAT?!

Drive: Making her undergo a 30-day assessment to prove once and for all whether or not she’s ready to be Captain.

Meteor: That is utter bullshit! She’s already earned it thrice over, at least!

G3-X: I agree. I’ve never heard of anyone doing that to anyone that was seeking a promotion to Captain Rank before.

Gatack: Same here. This is madness!

Zolda: And reeks of discrimination.

Drive: Exactly my feelings on the matter!!

Birth-G: And here, I thought HQ had finally gotten cleaned up after you defeated those Roidmudes who snuck themselves into those top positions a couple of years back…

Ghost: How is Kiriko-san handling all of this?

Drive: She’s handling it professionally, which is better than how I’m handling it myself. The good news is that she was allowed to choose her assessor from the list of qualified superintendents.

Accel: It’s not me, is it?

Kuuga-Godai: Nope! It’s Kaoru; he just got the call in the last half-hour.

G3-X: Superintendent Ichijou himself?!

Accel: A wise decision. He’s the only man more qualified than even I am to perform a fair and professional assessment of anyone seeking promotion. Though I’m a little surprised that she chose him. Wasn’t he originally asked to lead SIU when it was first reformed?

Drive: He was, but he had turned it down due to concerns about who was going to take his place in Nagano at the time. To be honest, neither Kiriko nor I would have minded him being in charge at the time. His reputation and his track record speaks for themselves.

Wizard: He’s also as tough as your wife and Rinko are. He fought off a whole group of Masque Dopants all by himself, just so we could focus on the stronger foes of that Shiki’s group a couple of months back.

Kuuga-Godai: Isn’t he amazing? I’m extremely fortunate to have him for a partner! :Db

Drive: Speaking of you two, are you coming up to Tokyo with him, Godai-san?

Kuuga-Godai: We were just discussing that, actually. I’m researching extended stay hotels near HQ that would offer two-bedroom suites, just so that we have an extra room for any additional work and such.

Drive: Well, I hope HQ reimburse you guys for your hotel rooms and travel expenses, at least. And if you’re willing, Godai-san, we’re always happy to accept another volunteer for the next few weeks.

Kuuga-Godai: You can count on my help, whenever you need it! :)b

Wataru’s glad that he chose to visit Ryotaro’s grandmother today. She’s been so nice and welcoming, inviting him into her home and feeding him lunch and tea. Her living room is warm and comforting, full of soft furniture as well as photos and mementos of a life focused on family and love. In a certain moment, he finds himself chuckling as she finishes up a story. “Oh goodness. It sounds like they caused quite a mess in the kitchen…!”

“They did, but they were very apologetic and willing to clean up afterwards, once Ryotaro had a good talk with them,” the grandmother giggles. “Still, I appreciate that Momo-kun and the other boys wanted to help make my 65th birthday a good memory. They’re so sweet beneath all of those fangs and claws and weaponry…”

So this is where Ryotaro gets his kindness from, Wataru silently muses as he sips his tea. He glances up along the faded yellow walls, eyes settling on the rainbow winding around the room. “If you don’t mind me asking…is there a story related to this rainbow?” He points to it.

A wistful smile spreads across her face. “It’s a symbol of our promise - mine and my husband’s. Ever since we were children, we swore on the rainbow that we would always help our families, our friends, and anyone else who truly needed a helping hand. Even if it’s small help like offering a shoulder or an ear, we would freely give it. You don’t have to do great deeds to make a difference in the world. Just being there for someone when they’re down is enough to help make a change for the better sometimes.”

Wataru can almost hear the words being spoken in Ryotaro’s voice, and it gives him newfound respect and love for the whole Nogami family. “And…that includes accepting those who aren’t human?”

“More like accepting those who aren’t normal in general,” She gently corrects him. “After all, if there are beings who wish to live peacefully among humans, who are we to judge them for not being human themselves? It’s no different when you have a non-Japanese human choosing to live and work here. If they’re genuinely putting in the effort to adapt and live peacefully, there’s no reason to hate them for not being of Japanese descent. And if someone wishes to love someone that is--”

A sudden and impatient ringing of the doorbell interrupts the conversation. Wataru looks in the direction of the front door in surprise for a moment.

“Oh, dear…who could it be this time?” The grandmother puts her teacup down. “I do apologize, Wataru-kun. Let me just quickly answer the door…”

“It’s no worries,” He reassures her with an understanding smile. “I don’t mind waiting.”

“Thank you…” She rises and walks over to the door, opening it up with mild curiosity on her face. “Yes--Oh! Oh, it’s you, Kasumi! What on earth are you doing all the way over here?”

“Oh, Mitsuri-mama! It’s terrible!” Came the voice of a middle-aged woman. She sounds like one of the more troublesome housewives in Wataru’s home neighborhood. “I need to talk to you about your grandson, Ryotaro! He was so rude to me yesterday! Especially when I asked for his help so nicely…!”

“Ryotaro? Why were you ever talking to Ryotaro? I was given to understand that you weren’t talking much to either of my grandchildren for quite some time…”

“Well, I need help, of course! And you raised him to help people when they need it, right?!”

Grandmother Mitsuri lets slip a long-suffering sigh. “That’s only when they truly need it, Kasumi. But what kind of help do you really need, though?”

Kasumi seems to pause for a moment. “Perhaps we should talk inside…”

“Kasumi, dear, I have a guest here already…”

“I swear, this won’t take long at all!”

“...very well. But please remember that this is my house, and thus my rules of politeness take precedence.”

“Yes, yes, I’ll behave myself!” And yes, that woman who’s now entering the house is definitely one of those housewives that thinks that she’s still so youthful and hip, wearing clothes that are just out of fashion and, in his opinion, too much makeup. She immediately notices him. “Oh! Are you the guest she mentioned?”

“That’s right - Kurenai Wataru; it’s nice to meet you…” He bows just enough to be polite.

She, however, only nods her head in greetings. “Kikuchi Kasumi; nice to meet you, too, Kurenai-san.” Kasumi then focuses right back at Grandmother Mitsuri. “Truthfully, we’ve run into a spot of trouble regarding finances - the bills just keep piling up–”

“Kasumi,” Mitsuri sternly interrupts her. “We have had many discussions before about your poor spending habits. You really need to stop asking for money from relatives and seriously consider getting more proper help…”

“But! But Ryotaro’s finally working an executive position! At a nice, rising company no less! Surely, one would think that he would use money to help his family out…!”

Wataru immediately frowns disapprovingly. “With all due respect, Kikuchi-san…Ryotaro has twin children to take care of. As a father myself, I know all too well that it can get very expensive, even if one is making a good amount of money.”

“Precisely!” Mitsuri agrees. “And this is something you should know extremely well yourself, given that you have four children of your own. My dear, you really should consider getting a job of your own and seek therapy for your shopping addiction…”

“Therapy?! I don’t need therapy! I’m not sick! And shopping isn’t an addiction! It’s part of one’s life! How can you dare say that, when it’s so very hard to keep up with everyone?!” The way she’s flailing about is almost like a tantrum. Wataru doesn’t know whether to be upset on Grandmother’s behalf, or to feel pity for Kasumi’s children.

Mitsuri, however, remains calm and mostly composed. “Kasumi, dear, most people don’t like to work - not unless it’s a personal passion. In fact, you might want to consider finding a job in a field that does interest you. Given how much you enjoy fashion, perhaps some part-time work in a clothing boutique? I do know a few friends who are running a very lovely one, and they could use another hand since the business is growing…”

Kasumi gasps in shock, but Wataru senses that she’s being far more dramatic that she really needs to be. “Work? Me?! But my sweetie pie would never be able to see me if I start working now…!”

“I’m sure you can handle arranging video conferences at a convenient time between you and your husband, Kasumi. And isn’t he due to come back sometime this week?”

“I wasn’t talking about that oaf who’s always off on business trips! I meant my sweetie pie who's keeping me company--” She froze upon realizing what she just said.

Mitsuri immediately grew stern. “Kasumi,” She states in a very displeased tone. “You have better not be telling me that you are having an affair, and trying to mooch off of my dear grandson for money to help fund said affair…”

“Wha--Oh, no! Nothing of the sort!” Kasumi seems to be backpedaling. “I would never do that to your precious grandson! I just wanted his help with the bills…!”

“And Ryotaro said no because he’s trying to raise his children on his income…right?”

“Y-Yes…he mentioned something like that…”

“Then please leave my grandchildren alone when it comes to money. I also recommend gently breaking up with your affair partner, and try to mend your relationship with your husband--”

“My marriage problems are none of your business!” Kasumi suddenly scolds the old woman. “You don’t get to tell me how to run my life!”

Mitsuri stares at her very sternly for a moment or two. “...then our conversation for today is over. Please leave my house, Kasumi.” She rises up to shoo the middle-aged woman out of the door. Gently and politely, but it was still shooing nonetheless. Mitsuri then makes sure the door is fully locked before settling back down next to Wataru. “I am so sorry that you had to witness that, Wataru-kun…”

“It’s no trouble,” Wataru reassures her. “Though…who exactly is she?”

“She’s the older sister of Ryotaro’s mother. And, as you sadly saw, she’s a shopaholic. She simply refuses to spend responsibly and focus her finances on what’s needed around the house, instead of whatever fancy strikes her.” Mitsuri sighs. “And now, she’s even having an affair, and daring to bother poor Ryotaro for money on top of that…”

“Should we warn Ryotaro?”

“No, dear - Ryotaro’s very good about his money, thankfully. I don’t doubt that he will still refuse to give her any.”

“I mean…about her affair.”

“Ah…” Mitsuri ponders over that as she sips her tea. “...perhaps we should. If anything, he can help check in on her children - his cousins. They tend to be more pragmatic than Kasumi herself is on many things, and I doubt that they would approve of her cheating on their father.”

Wataru nods in agreement. “He would do something like that…should we contact him now? He's probably on his lunch break…”

“Go ahead and call him dear.”

Wataru pulls out his phone and immediately dials Ryotaro’s number.

Ryotaro answers on the third ring. “Wataru, what's wrong? Is everything okay?”

“I'm here at your Grandmother's house, and…well, we had another visitor - a woman named Kasumi.”

Ryotaro immediately groans in frustration. “Don't tell me she was trying to ask her for money, too…!”

“No, but…she just confessed to us that she's having an affair.”

“...what?! Is Grandmother okay?”

“Yes…but why would you be worried like that?”

“Can you please put me on speakerphone?”

“Um, okay…” Wataru presses the button in question, and holds the phone between himself and Mitsuri. “You’re on speakerphone now.”

“Grandmother, was anyone else with Aunt Kasumi?”

“No, Ryotaro, it was just her. Why? Were you already aware of her affair?”

“Since yesterday, yes. Yuuto went to check on Mikanko, since she's still in high school. And she confessed that the man her mother is having an affair with… Well, he has a gun.”

Mitsuri gasps softly. “Oh…! No wonder you're so concerned…”

“It’s not Yakuza again, is it?” Wataru inquires.

“No; she thinks that he might be a police officer - a high-ranking one at that. Chuuji has agreed to let Mikanko stay with him for her safety, but…”

“But you’re still worried about this man being in Kasumi’s life.”

“Exactly, Grandmother. Though I think Yuuto mentioned something about Natsuko digging into his background…”

“If you need help, just let us know,” Wataru offers.

“Of course,” Ryotaro replies warmly. “If he really is a police officer, then we'll alert those of us who are part of the police. Otherwise…”

“We'll figure something out with everyone.”

“Mn, true… In the meantime, please be careful - both of you.”

“We will, dear,” Mitsuri reassures him. “Worry not; I know how to keep to the background until the time is right…”

Godai smiles as he parks his bike next to Ichijou's car in that parking lot. He kills the engine, and takes out the handle to ensure that no one can just turn it on and run off with it. He busies himself with putting the handle in the backpack, even as Ichijou leaves and locks his car. “Do you think SIU will let us park with them for most of our stay?”

“Your bike, perhaps. But I'm not sure about my car,” Ichijou admits as he gets their luggage out of the trunk.

Godai moves to grab a bag to help. “Well, we can always ask them, right?”

“Of course…”

The two men walked a couple of buildings down to their hotel, and checked into their room. The front desk lady gave no indication that she sensed anything odd about two different looking guys sharing the same suite. Or if she did, she seems to not care at all. Still, Godai is glad that they got into their room without any delays, and he quickly puts his bags on one of the beds. “It’s good to be back in Tokyo, if only for a month or so…”

“Yes,” Ichijou agrees, even as he sets his suitcase next to that first bed. He then looks thoughtful for a moment. “For Sergeant Tomari to specifically request my aid in securing her promotion… It must be dire indeed.”

“But really, you're the best person possible for that kind of assessment,” Godai points out, grabbing his partner’s hand and moving them over to the other bed.

Ichijou doesn't resist, instead choosing to stand close to Godai next to that other bed. “That’s true…at least, until this issue between Superintendent Terui and the Fangire leadership is fully resolved.”

“Mn…” Godai then pulls the other man down onto the bed with him. “Still, we're here now. And we can both help her, each in our own way.”

“True…” Ichijou finally smiles. “I'm just honored that she trusts me enough to assess her like this…even if it’s not really needed.”

“Yeah; the others mentioned it earlier this morning in our chat. I certainly don't recall you ever needing such an assessment for any of your promotions, either…”

“No, I didn't. This is most unusual, and I understand why her husband is extremely upset about it.”

“Same; I'd be just as upset, too, if they ever did that to you.” Godai then shifts them so that he’s straddling Ichijou while the other man is laying down on the bed. “But let's forget about that for the moment…”

Ichijou huffs, but finds his hands sliding up Godai's thighs. “You’re going to ruin me with all of this lovemaking of late…”

“It's spring; you know how the Amadam affects my body during this time of year.” Godai starts to rock down and against his partner. “Besides, all those volunteer opportunities will help me handle such excessive energy better this time around.”

“Even so…mngh…I-I still need to do things today, Yuusuke…!”

“Just one quick session? I promise to keep to this position, so that you can still walk…”

A low moan escaped Ichijou’s throat. God, it's so hard to resist those pleading eyes when he's grinding down like this… “You tempting devil…! Fine, but only one round for now… I'll--mmmm--help wear your down after dinner..."

Chapter Text

Ichijou couldn’t deny that even that short little ‘break’ with Godai had been helpful for both of them. It certainly helped to take the edge off of his own nerves, making him able to truly focus on what must be done first. Thus, he’s very composed as he reports to Tokyo Metro Police HQ, being directed to Commander Midoku first.

“Thank you for agreeing to this,” The commander speaks to Ichijou in the former’s office. “I know this is highly unusual, and I normally would not submit her to further assessments when she’s technically already earned it. But my hands are tied…”

“It is alright, Commander,” Ichijou reassures him in his usually professional tone. “Sergeant Tomari has personally requested me to assess her capabilities, and I am more than willing to do so. I swear to be fair and professional about it as well.”

Commander Midoku gives him a small yet relieved smile. “I truly appreciate your willingness to help her, Ichijou. I have faith that you will be able to help prove just how worthy she truly is of becoming the Captain of SIU.”

“I won’t let either of you down,” Ichijou swears with a respectful bow.

Midoku bows back before rising out of his seat. “Follow me, then - Senior Commissioner Sugiyama Ryuuya has the official assessment form compiled for you.” He leads him up a couple of floors to one of the very fancy offices for the executive leadership of the police force. A few knocks on the door…

“Enter,” came a nasally, high-headed-sounding voice.

Both men enter the spacious office of the Senior Commissioner, and they salute the man sitting at the desk at the same time. “Commander Midoku Ezio reporting. I have brought Superintendent Ichijou Kaoru with me.”

“Ah, good. I’m glad that you are very prompt, Superintendent.” Sugiyama Ryuuya looks lean like a serpent, yet bore the air of a man a little too sunk into his own self-importance. “My time is very precious, so you’ll forgive me if I’m a bit blunt here. Your job is to see if Tomari Kiriko truly is ready to become the Captain of the Special Investigations Unit. You are not to go easy on her; I want as harsh an assessment as you possibly can. Every crevice, wrinkle, and wart must be listed alongside whatever positivity there may be.”

Ichijou refrains from showing his own disapproval, instead squaring his shoulders. “I understand, Senior Commissioner. I will ensure that it will be as strict as it can be within my professional capability.”

“Good.” Sugiyama hands over a thick binder full of freshly printed paper. “Here is the full assessment. I fully expect every question to be answered by the end of the 30-day period.”

Ichijou nods as he accepts the binder. “Yes, Senior Commissioner.”

“And Ichijou? Do not go easy on her just because she works with Riders. I want to see proof for myself that this…” He grimaces and spits out the next words. “...this woman really can be as much of a leader as you are.”

Commander Midoku is frowning disapprovingly at that last sentence. “With all due respect, Senior Commissioner…this is a woman who has literally fought alongside both Kamen Riders and fellow police officers alike for nearly 3 years now. I have faith that she will prove once and for all that she is ready to become Captain of SIU.”

Ichijou immediately senses a trap for himself. If he freely agreed with Midoku, then his assessment results would immediately come under fire. And he really cannot afford to show any kind of friendliness near this Senior Commissioner - not unless he wants to make the man suspicious enough to look into his own personal life. At this point in his life, Ichijou suspects that his career may be able to survive him coming out as gay in general, even if he never receives another promotion because of that fact. But he can’t let the traditionalists among the leadership know about his true relationship with Godai, especially since the latter is still officially listed as Unidentified Life Form #4 in all police documentation outside of SIU. He cannot put Godai at that kind of risk - not now…not ever.

So, instead, he steels himself before speaking up. “Please let me complete my assessment in full, Commander, Senior Commissioner. I am certain that the results will speak for themselves.”

Commander Midoku slowly nods in agreement.

Senior Commissioner Sugiyama, however, is grinning wickedly. “I look forward to those results, Superintendent Ichijou…and I expect them to be unbiased.”

“Yessir.” Ichijou keeps his face straight as he salutes, even though the implied and twisted meaning of that last word from Sugiyama leaves a foul taste on his tongue. He knows that the man would want the exact opposite. But again…he cannot protest, not now. Not when there’s even the slightest risk of people like Sugiyama finding out about Godai being his partner…not when it would put said partner at any risk of being hunted down, however small that risk is…

The one good thing about being self-employed, in Wataru’s mind, is that he can take time off from his work easily in order to do other tasks. In this case, it is house hunting. Or rather, plot-hunting. Most of the houses in this neighborhood are very old, and very obviously showing their age; obviously, they would not be worth much by themselves. It would be safer and wiser to buy the land itself, tear down the old house on it, and build something new - something that would be a proper home for the family he and Ryotaro both want to have living together.

The problem, however, is that all the plots in this neighborhood are too small. They need a big enough house to accommodate not only the twins each wanting their own room, but a bedroom for each of the Imagin as well. If only he could find a plot as big as the one his own family’s home sat on…

And then he finds it - two small plots next to each other, both up for sale. He looks both signs over, taking a flier from each one. The prices are good for this area - still expensive, given that this is Tokyo. But the type of zoning allows the land to be bought for relatively affordable prices. And…well, this street just a handful of blocks away from Grandmother Mitsuri, and she herself is just a handful of blocks away from the Milk Dipper. Far enough for their own family’s privacy, but close enough that all the kids can go to school together. Plus, combining both plots will give them all the space they need to build the kind of house both fathers want to have.

Really, it sounds just about perfect.

So, Wataru takes the fliers with him as he starts to head back in the direction of the train station. Stopping by a snack shop for a quick treat, he takes pictures of the fliers and sends them to Ryotaro. The response came back immediately:

Ryotaro: That’s Great-Uncle Jousuke’s home, the one on the right! I didn’t know he was planning to move so late in his life.

Wataru: Is that a nickname?

Ryotaro: Yes, a fond one. He’s always treated me like a nephew to him. I’m pretty sure that he would be willing to sell his plot to us if we approached him directly.

Wataru: If we buy both plots, we’ll have enough space to build our dream family home.

Ryotaro: That’s possible…but Soto-san lives in the other plot. And I’m not sure how willing he would be.

Wataru: Do you think that Jousuke-san can help convince him, if we explain the basics first?

Ryotaro: Maybe. They’re best friends, so that’s possible. But even so, this will be very expensive…

Wataru: It’s alright, Ryotaro. You’ve seen how much I have in savings. It’ll be enough to cover the payment for both plots, and we can go 50-50 on the costs of getting our house built right.

Ryotaro: That’s possible. Sorry; large purchases always make me nervous.

Wataru: I understand; you’ve always been cautious with your money, and for good reason. Perhaps we can talk more over dinner tonight?

Ryotaro: That sounds wonderful. Nee-san is likely doing hotpot, since it’ll get chilly tonight.

Wataru: That sounds wonderful. Can I pick you up after work then?

Ryotaro: Yes, please!

Wataru: I’ll see you this evening, then.

Kiriko regrets not being able to have coffee. She could really use the caffeine this evening, but she can't; doctor's orders. Caffeine is one of many things she now has to be careful about for the new life growing inside of her. Still, she has to have something to help keep her awake. So…tea. At least barley tea can be brewed strong, and there’s just enough caffeine to keep her awake without posing a risk for her baby.

Kiriko doesn't miss some of the raised eyebrows around her. She's well known to like her coffee, given her regular trips to the Milk Dipper. So it’s not surprising that Rinna corners her late into her shift. “You’re sure you're okay? I know you haven't been feeling well of late, but to be drinking tea instead of coffee…”

“I'll be fine,” Kiriko reassures her. “I just need to watch how much acidic foods I intake at this time.”

“Mn…” Rinna doesn't seem convinced. “And it's not for any other reason?”

Kiriko hesitates. She would love to tell Rinna the good news, that she's expecting and just going through the usual side effects of a first trimester. But she's only two months along and she's certain that the timing is not ideal, not just yet. “...not now. Not when I'm trying so hard to finally get promoted.”

Rinna sighs in frustration. “So it is true, about them not rewarding you properly… No wonder your husband's been so irritated today.”

“That's why, yes. But I really cannot say anything further. I hope you understand…”

“I get it. But I'm not happy about it myself. And neither are the other women here, either. You deserve a proper promotion and there’s no good reason for them to keep finding ways to delay it…!”

Kiriko sighs, finally letting her frustration show. “Believe me, I agree with you on all points. That's why I have requested a neutral party to complete the last assessment they want to put me through. If all goes well, they will have no choice but to finally promote me.”

“I hope it works - especially if this neutral party really is neutral enough to satisfy them…”

“It is. I asked for Superintendent Ichijou to complete the assessment.”

Rinna stares at her in shock, mouth hanging open. “...That Ichijou? Oh my god…are you sure you’re not masochistic about this?”

“I’m very certain. He’ll be professional and fair, even if he ends up being stricter than I expect. And if anything does arise during his time here? I know that he will actually be able to help.”

Rinna mulls over it for a few moments. “...I really hope so…for your sake, Kiriko…”

Godai isn't too thrilled about how his body is behaving right now. True, he just completed a full round of exercises on each type of equipment at the hotel’s gym, and he’s busy cleaning off the last one. He reaches for a bottle of sports drink - the fifth one within the last hour. But even after all that workout, he still feels like he has to do laps…or jump on a certain someone as soon as he walks through the door and drag him into some kind of love nest for three nights straight. His energy isn’t as overflowing right now, at least - cut in half after all those reps and such. Which is good, because he’s returning to the suite much calmer than when he first exited it to burn off that energy in the little gym.

“Goddamn hormones… It's be nice if the Amadam let me go one spring without messing with my instincts and such,” he laments to no one but himself as he draws the bathwater. If he recalls correctly, the ancient texts had stated that the old Kuuga did participate in the ritual courtship trials of the Grongi, hence why the Amadam is trying to drive him into some kind of wild and possessive breeding state. It’s the only reason why he’s overflowing with too much energy - far more than he normally has - and why there’s a kind of inch right beneath the surface that is starting to make him crawl out of his own skin. It’s a good thing it’s early enough that he’s not feeling those possessive urges just yet; as it is, he’s going to have trouble staying away from Ichijou outside the hotel for the next few weeks.

If only he had a womb…he wouldn't mind having Ichijou knocking him up while fucking the energy and more aggressive instincts out of him. At least if he was able to get pregnant, it would quickly shorten this irritable cycle. Plus…the idea of parenthood in general would do them both good, mentally and emotionally. As it is, Godai’s very thankful that he's got many volunteer shifts to look forward to. The more energy he spends on physically demanding tasks, the less likely he is to accidentally fuck Ichijou into being unable to walk the following morning. Neither men need a repeat of that first spring going through this weird cycle. They had to replace the bed after utterly destroying it that season, on top of poor Ichijou trying and failing to keep up…

And then the door opens, and Ichijou steps inside. “...Yuusuke, I'm back.”

“Welcome back!” Godai calls from the bathroom. He's starting to strip down in anticipation. “I'm the bath right now…!”

“Good…I could really use it myself after dealing with a certain superior…” Ichijou then makes a low, guttural sound in his throat. “God…you’re already giving off that damn scent again - the one that always drives me mad…”

“Only because you’re my partner,” Godai reminds him. “At least my short-circuited instincts remember that. Now, please get in here before those instincts start getting annoyingly possessive? I’ll even wash your hair afterwards…”

One nice hard-fuck-and-scrub session later, both men cuddle together in the same tub, Godai laying on top of Ichijou. The former kisses the bite mark he left on the other man’s shoulder just minutes prior. “The itch has resided for now…my head is as clear as glass.”

“That's good. We can talk now.” Ichijou holds him a little tighter. “I got the assessment binder…and I now know who's been trying to block Sergeant Tomari's promotion. It's Senior Commissioner Sugiyama Ryuuya.”

“Wasn’t he the one that kept trying to get one of his own men put in charge, after you turned down the post of SIU's leader?”

“The very same. I think he thinks that Tomari might not like me because of some perceived threat of myself to her position.”

Godai looks up at Ichijou. “That doesn't make any sense…”

“I know, yet that’s how people like him think sometimes. But I'm keeping my word and doing the assessment fairly and professionally, regardless of how he feels about her.”

“That’s good. I’m glad to hear that.” Godai then sighs and rests his head on Ichijou's shoulder. “I just hope that this will be a mild cycle this time…”

Ichijou grunts in agreement. “You just need to be extra active physically, and we can handle the rest. Just don’t stray too far, either, even on patrol.” A pause. “While we're in Tokyo, however, you might consider getting that check-up…”

“About how far along the integration is now? Yeah…yeah, I should. I…I am getting that feeling again, that something is shifting inside of me. Nothing bad, just…odd.”

“Mn. Better be safe than sorry, then.” A longer pause as they soak up the warmth of the bathwater. “...where do you feel the shift this time?”

“Pelvic area - the entire area. There's a couple of small aches here and there, but nothing that really hurts yet. It’s like my body is getting ready for something, even if I don't know what yet. A part of me even wonders if I really should get checked up so soon, since it’s not that uncomfortable right now…”

“That’s the hormonal part messing with you, and you should ignore that kind of thinking. I want it checked before that shifting gets worse.” Ichijou's voice had that strict tone of a firm leader…or master. Godai personally prefers the latter in these private moments. “I don't want to risk another unpleasant surprise…again.”

“Yes, Superintendent,” Godai replies in a teasing tone.

A long-suffering sigh. “...Idiot…”

“Your idiot,” Godai points out with a smile.

“Yes…my idiot…” Much fonder tone now - a good indication that Ichijou is finally relaxing in full. So Godai continues to lay there with him in the tub, soaking up the heat and enjoying the skin-to-skin contact that seems to help keep that itch at bay…

Chapter Text

Shinnosuke takes great care as he helps put in hair pins right where Kiriko normally has them. They’re both nervous this morning, and he’s found it helpful for both of them to help each other look their very best for their ‘special guest’. Hence, why he’s helping his wife pin her hair up while she finishes doing her necktie. “...there,” he finally states as he gets the last hairpin in place. “You look parade fit.”

“Thank you. Ah, but here…” As soon as she finishes her tie, she turns around to help straighten his own necktie.

Shinnosuke smiles as he tilts his head up, letting her fuss over him for a moment. “Thanks. I just hope everyone got that memo we sent out last night…”

“I’m sure they did. And if they didn’t? We will make sure that they at least fit the dress code, if not have clean work spaces…” Kiriko’s hands shake a little, even as she finishes straightening out his necktie and shirt.

Shinnosuke gently holds her hands in his own. “It’ll be alright. Just 30 days of a fair assessment, and we can finally get you your Captaincy. No more of them trying to delay it any further.” His face grew serious. “And even if they do try one more time, we’ll finally have an excuse to file formal complaints to the very top.”

Kiriko nods in firm agreement. “Indeed. Though I’m loath to go that far…at least we’re finally close to ending this unnecessary delay.” She gently squeezes his hands. “...thank you, for standing by me all this time.”

Shinnosuke leans down to gently kiss her. “Of course I’m on your side. We’re more than spouses - we’re partners. And I’d be a terrible partner if I don’t support you all the way.”

Kiriko leans up to kiss him right back. “And I’m very grateful for your support, Shinnosuke. Let’s continue supporting each other…”

“Yeah…until we’re both old and gray…”

The drive down to SIU was a little more pleasant than usual this morning. Traffic was decent for once, and the sun was shining brightly. Once the car was parked, they both followed their usual clock-in routines for a morning shift. Shinnosuke made sure that what few milk ball boxes he had were all closed and grouped up neatly at one corner of his desk, while Kiriko did a cursory check of everyone else’s desks in the main office area real quick.

“...it seems like they got the memo,” She tells him once she’s done. “Any trash, at least, has been removed from all desk surfaces.”

“Good. Let’s go greet our guest, then.” Shinnosuke then follows her out to the main entrance, where they waited for a bit…

And then a certain car pulled in into the parking area, and within moments Ichijou walked out of said parking area and towards the main entrance. He’s dressed very much like any other detective, instead of the higher-ranking official that he is. “Good morning. I am Superintendent Ichijou Kaoru. I presume I’m speaking with both Sergeant and Detective Tomari?”

“You are. Sergeant Tomari Kiriko…”

“...and Detective Tomari Shinnosuke.” Both him and his wife bow in unison. “It’s an honor to finally have you here, Superintendent.”

“The honor is mine,” Ichijou replies with a warm smile and a return bow. “I’ve heard many great things about your unit. I look forward to getting to know it better, as part of my assessment.”

“We welcome your fair and professional assessment,” Kiriko says honestly. “Please follow us…” She leads both men through the main lobby, saluting any officers that salute her first. She also ignores anyone staring in shock and awe at their ‘special guest’, instead focusing on heading to one of the smaller meeting rooms. “My actual desk is in the common office area, and I think we need to discuss a few things first in private.”

Both men nod in agreement, and Shinnosuke makes sure to close the door behind them.

Once everyone is settled at the small meeting table, Ichijou begins. “I want to first thank you both for trusting me with this assessment. If I must be honest, I personally find it completely unnecessary for anyone seeking the rank of Captain - or any rank, for that matter. But…”

“But someone at HQ is insisting upon it,” Kiriko agrees. “We understand, Ichijou-san, and we appreciate you being willing to help carry it out regardless of your personal feelings.”

“You have quite the reputation to be stern yet fair,” Shinnosuke continues. “We both respect you for that, and we both welcome such a viewpoint on your assessment.”

Ichijou seems to be trying not to smile as he bows his head in gratitude. “Again, I thank you both for trusting me so much. I will do my best to not let you down by being unfair and unprofessional in any way.” He pauses briefly, before adding, “There is, however, something I must warn you two about. It’s about who gave me the actual assessment paperwork. I have a suspicion that he’s the one who’s actively blocking your promotion, Sergeant Tomari.”

Kiriko’s stomach starts to sink, but she doesn’t let it show. Much. “Who is it?”

“...It’s Senior Commissioner Sugiyama Ryuuya.”

Both Tomari gasps in shock, but it’s Shinnosuke who recovers first. “That little bastard…!” He swears as his temper flares up. “It’s bad enough that he talked HQ out of preventing any Rider from leading SIU, just to ruin our original leadership plans--”

Kiriko quickly shoots him a Look. “Shinnosuke,” she warns him in that commanding tone.

Shinnosuke looks back at her…and then sighs as he does his best to stifle his feelings.

“I apologize for my partner’s outburst…”

Ichijou shakes his head. “No, I completely understand his reason for feeling that way. Senior Commissioner Sugiyama is unfortunately one of the few members of HQ who do not truly understand or appreciate the work that Riders such as yourself, Detective, do on a regular basis. At least, that is how it seems to me…”

“And he is trying to make you be as harsh to me as possible during this assessment,” Kiriko quietly points out.

“Yes…yes, he is. But I have no intentions to make it unfair - not deliberately, at least. However, there may still be times where I have to be sterner or stricter than you may be used to…”

Kiriko nods firmly. “I completely understand, Superintendent, and I accept that possibility.”

Shinnosuke nods in agreement as well. “Do what you have to do, Superintendent Ichijou. We both trust you to do this right, even if you have to be very strict about it. And if the Senior Commissioner tries to mess with this assessment? We will both support any complaints you wish to file regarding such unnecessary levels of involvement.”

Ichijou nods in firm agreement. “I will keep that in mind. Thank you, both of you, for once again trusting me to do this fairly.”

They exchanged bows once more, and then left the meeting room. Kiriko leads the men over to the main office area, where most of the regular workers are gathered. Shiro Kazami is chatting with Joji at the latter’s desk, while Rinko is busy checking her emails. Rinna is chatting with a couple of the junior officers as they all wait for their printouts near the main office printer. Otta Genpachi is busy working on a file, but stops as soon as he sees the three walk in. “Ah, is that--?!”

Shinnosuke nods to him, and then stands at the ready. “Everyone…Attention!”

Everyone immediately stops what they’re doing to turn towards the front and salute at attention.

Kiriko salutes them back. “At ease,” she calls out firmly. “I want to introduce to everyone a very important guest - Superintendent Ichijou Kaoru. He will be here performing a certain assessment for the next 30 days at my request. Please give him your full respect and cooperation at this time.”

As soon as they hear her say ‘at my request’, most relax visibly.

“I understand that this is unusual for me to be here,” Ichijou explains to everyone. “But Sergeant Tomari has specifically requested me to carry out this assessment. Truthfully, I am honored to be here even without such a reason, and I hope we can all work together to help protect the peace and safety of all who wish to live peacefully here in Tokyo - regardless of who or what they are.” He bows respectfully…and then looks a little surprise at receiving applause at all from everyone.

“Everyone, as you were…” Shinnosuke heads over to his own desk, even as everyone returns to their tasks and conversations.

Kiriko gestures for the new desk setup near hers. “Here is where you'll be sitting for the next month or so, Superintendent.”

“Thank you very much.” Ichijou nods gratefully as he settles himself at that desk. He's walked through getting his credentials working at this new station for him, and then nods again to Kiriko. “For this first week, I'll mostly be observing. Though if there's ever an opportunity for me to help in any way…”

“We will certainly welcome your help, should such a scenario happen,” Kiriko reassures him. Honestly, with how well he's being accepted, she's starting to think that this first week may go smoothly…

Until Otta walks up to Ichijou with a pad and pen in hand. “Um…S-Superintendent Ichijou?”

“Yes?”

“I…I'm Lieutenant Otta Genpachio. And I…” He suddenly bows while holding out his notepad and paper. “May I have your signature? Please?! I'm such a big fan of yours…!”

Everyone went quiet for a moment or two. And then a junior officer whispered to their coworker - something about Otta acting childish again. Shinnosuke sighs as he sinks his face into the palm of his hand.

Kiriko, however, suddenly feels quite irritated about the whole thing. “Lieutenant Otta, he is here for work, not for a signing session,” she scolds him. “Please return back to your duties!”

Otta flinches at how harsh her tone was. “Ahh--yes, of course! F-Forgive me…” He hastily bows in apology before rushing back to his desk.

This is going to be a long month, she silently muses.

Godai lays there as his body is run through the MRI one more time, grateful that this new version isn't going nuts as it scans over where his belt normally is. It makes it easier to not have to deal with just X-rays.

Tsubaki Shuuichi eyes the results before looking up over the top of the computer screens. “You can get dressed now, Godai.”

“Alright!” Nothing unusual about this; Tsubaki does sometimes do a full-body scan and check over every part of him professionally. So, Godai quickly gets back into his clothes and sits down in the nearest chair. “So…how am I?”

“That little bit that was fiddling around with the part of your mind that controls your hormones? It seems to not be moving and growing anymore. So we can safely say that, at this time, I would not be expecting any extra cycles beyond the one you're on for this year.”

“Thank goodness…! It's frustrating enough to deal with one as it is, even with a wonderful partner like Kaoru to help…”

“I can imagine. I have a theory that your body instinctively sees him as your mate now, which is why you're not being driven to have multiple cycles per year. The fact that he’s been consistently satisfying you for each cycle from the very beginning is why you're currently stable both physically and mentally, and have been since that first cycle. Just continue what you both have been doing as well as staying relatively close to each other during this cycle, and there won't be any major changes in your stability in the foreseeable future.”

Godai grins happily. “Good to have that confirmed, at least. And is there anything it's showing about the pelvic area? That's where I've been feeling the most recent shifting…”

Tsubaki frowns worriedly. “That…is the odd thing going on with you. It appears that it's trying to shift your pelvis to be…wider, more spread open. It's slowly strengthening the bones as well, as if expecting you to carry something in your lower belly.”

“Carry? Like…a baby?” The idea makes Godai's heart skip a beat.

“I cannot be certain about that at this time. But I think the Amadam might be trying to make a major change. It doesn't seem to be making it quickly, since things are relatively peaceful right now. But definitely not anything subtle, either. Here, look at this.” Tsubaki brings up two images, one on each screen. “The one on the left is from your check-up in fall 2015. The one on the right was taken just now.” Both show his pelvis area, but the one on the right shows…something; some small mass that seems to be floating in the area between Godai's reproductive organs and his colon, right where many of the tiny tendril from the Amadam seems to be converging on.

Godai stares at it for a few moments. “...what is it?”

“I'm not sure. I have a few theories…but I need to wait until your cycle is done before we do another scan. Have you been feeling any aches and pains, though?”

“Just a couple of dull aches here and there, nothing serious.” Godai sits back in his chair. “Still…I wonder why it's making that kind of change now…”

“That's hard to say. I'm not sure if this would be something mentioned in those ancient texts. We may very well be entering unknown territory in this case.”

Godai slowly nods. “...well, if the pain gets worse, I'll let you know.”

“Or have that partner of yours just drag you over here anyway.”

“That, too, yes.” Godai grins and gives him a thumbs-up. “Oh! Could you send that updated scans and stuff to SIU? Just them, just in case they have to treat me instead in an emergency?”

Tsubaki nods in agreement. “Of course. Will you be spending time with them, then?”

“Yeah, I'll be volunteering with them while Ichijou is stuck doing that assessment.”

Tsubaki shakes his head. “I still can’t believe that someone at HQ still doesn't trust women to be captains in the police force… It's very illogical in this day and age.”

“You’re not the only one who feels that way, Tsubaki-san. But I trust Kaoru to do it right, to make it very clear once and for all that she really is ready for her due promotion.”

“...let's hope he actually makes it happen…”

Ichijou reads a printed copy of Tsubaki's report with a mixture of relief and concern in his eyes. They’re back at the hotel, enjoying some boxed meals for their dinner. “Well…at least there's nothing that would indicate a terrible change going on at this time. So if we continue as we are now…”

“...I'll still be fine throughout this cycle,” Godai finishes for him with a reassuring smile. “And whatever is going on in my pelvic area is moving slowly, which is why it hasn't been hurting much.”

Ichijou nods, and then takes a gulp of his drink. “And yet, there's something growing down there…some kind of new organ most likely, but we don't know what it is yet…” He’s quiet as he eats, a bit lost in his thoughts.

Godai is quiet as well. “.. hey, Kaoru?”

“Yes?”

“What if…what if it’s…connected to these cycles?”

Ichijou nearly chokes on his food. “Don't make suggestions that you don't have proof for! We're still both men!”

“I know! I know we're both men! It's just…” Godai's voice fails him for a moment. “There has to be a reason why I have this kind of cycle, beyond the Amadam deeming it so. And…even if it’s not what I think it might be…maybe–”

“Yuusuke, please…don't give me any false hopes.” Ichijou's voice sounds pained. “I…I've already come to terms with the idea of never being able to give my mother any grandchildren. I just…this isn't the right time - not until we’re certain it is what you hope it to be.”

Godai gazes into his partner’s eyes for a moment. “...are you still that worried about your career?”

“...No,” Ichijou finds himself saying. “Not anymore. I can handle being stuck as a Superintendent for the rest of my career, should it become known that I'm gay. I…I think I'm too important for them to just fire anymore, over that alone. The real issue, though…”

Godai looks surprised. “The real issue…?”

“...they only have you down as a Kamen Rider on SIU's files. Everywhere else, even at HQ…you're still listed as just Unidentified Life Form #4.”

The implications hang heavy between them for a moment.

“Kaoru…you don't have to protect me like this…”

“But what if I do? There are still members of the police force who do not believe in or trust Kamen Riders. Some even see them as another threat - one that had been tolerated for far too long. I just - I can’t put you at that kind of risk, if they ever learn about our relationship…!”

Godai rises out of his chair and moves over to hug his partner. “...I may be at that kind of risk anyway, even if we never became partners. We all are, as Kamen Riders. But it's a risk I'm willing to take, especially if it means being by your side.”

Ichijou’s hands cling to Godai’s arms. “...you loving fool,” he whispers.

Godai kisses the top of Ichijou’s head. “I’m your fool, remember? Always have been, always will.”

Tears finally form on the edge of Ichijou’s eyes as he takes a few deep breaths. “...you really will stay with me, even if they find out?”

“Absolutely. I just--” Godai pauses. “…I’ve just been afraid of being the reason why they would throw you out of the police force.”

“...you wouldn’t be the reason at all,” Ichijou admits. “They may say otherwise…but it’s not. Worst case scenario…we’ll find some other way. Open my own PI agency, maybe.”

“Well, if you ever do that, we can always ask for tips from my kouhai in Fuuto.”

Ichijou scoffs tearfully. “Right…like someone as half-boiled as Hidari could give such useful advice that I wouldn’t already know…!”

Godai gives him a gentle squeeze of a hug before letting go. He digs out a handkerchief for Ichijou to dry his eyes with.

They return to eating, but once the meal is done, Ichijou looks very torn. “...Yuusuke. Do you…really want children? And I’m not talking about whatever’s influencing your brain during this cycle alone.”

Godai ponders over that for a few moments. “...maybe. I mean…we compliment each other. And any child that we do raise, I know we can give them all the love and support they’ll ever need. Plus it helps that you make enough money for a full family as well.”

“Mn…we’ll see whatever that thing inside of you develops into. But…if that possibility ever comes up…I want to talk about it further, after your current cycle is done.”

Godai beams a pleased smile at his partner, and that sets Ichijou’s heart at ease for the moment.

“Now, how are you feeling right now?”

“Nearly normal, actually. I literally ran all over the place today, so the itch is pretty mild.”

“That’s good. Want to get it out of the way so that we can chat more clearly?”

“Absolutely! Ah, but let’s clean up first before we get too distracted by that…”

Chapter Text

Day 1: Introductions went well. I am again very grateful that both Sergeant and Detective Tomari have placed their trust in me to do this right, even though such an assessment is completely unnecessary. Initial impressions of SIU is a competent unit with a healthy mix of experienced veterans and junior members. Some show unique quirks, but that is to be expected when some members are, or regular work with Kamen Riders. All members I have met so far both follow and respect Sergeant Tomari’s leadership, but not blindly. Professional respect between leadership and unit members is quite evident, and what few concerns and complaints are brought up during the day are handled in a proper manner.
Personal Note - I had not expected my reputation to be so well-known among this group, especially given how long ago the Unidentified Life Forms crisis is now.

Day 2: Was given full tour of the medical facilities. The thoughtfulness regarding who they hired, and what they expect to treat among the various unit members is quite remarkable. They have clearly reached out into the various non-human groups living peacefully in Tokyo, and received documentation and/or training on how to handle specific injuries and illnesses related to those groups. One of the Legendary 7 Riders, Yuki Joji, is a permanent member of the team partially due to the need of having someone experienced in fixing up his fellow cyborgs on hand, among his various research and Rider responsibilities. I am given to understand that, as of late, he is seeking apprentices to be trained up in those areas.
Personal Note - They have all the translations of the Grongi documents and glyphs on file in case some ancient disease strikes. I will need to inform Yuusuke about this.

Day 3: Had a walk-through of Research and Development. It seems not as well funded as I expected, and I was informed that the monthly budget has become lean for R&D as of late. This is clearly unacceptable, and I have already reached out to Commander Midoku to have it corrected as quickly as possible. After all, a well-funded unit means that they are fully prepared for the next case, the next crisis, the next threat. Even given such a financial setback, they have been working on devices to help them tackle the expected and unexpected foes. I even saw a demonstration of the G3 team testing a minor upgrade on the G3-X system.
Personal Note - Yuusuke starts his volunteering today, and he’ll be doing long shifts for all the remaining days of our stay here in Tokyo. I know everyone worries for his health, but it really is best to let him burn off all that extra energy helping out with patrols and self-defense training.

Day 4: Finally completed a most thorough inspection of the Garage. Also officially met Krim Steinbelt in person for the first time. Rather, I should say, in his current main body. Still, it is clear that he is dedicated to being a stalwart ally of SIU, and thus I foresee no further issues letting him continue as part of Detective Tomari’s Rider system. Beyond that, a satisfying inspection overall - all vehicles properly maintained and fueled by a team of expert mechanics. Some of the Riders also take great care to regularly maintain their own vehicles while they are here, as evidenced by Detective Tomari personally helping the Garage crew rotate the tires on the Trideron.
Personal Note - Sergeant Tomari appears to have some kind of minor stomach issue, it would seem. She has reassured me that she’s following doctor’s orders on how to best deal with any flare-ups, like the one she had this afternoon. Such orders appear to be helping, since she is not letting it hinder her ability to work and lead much.

Day 5: Witnessed the first case being handled by Sergeant Tomari during my assessment. It would seem that she prefers to handle some of the cases herself - leading by example, as it were. It seems to involve a minor dispute between Smart Brain and BOARD, stemming from alleged claims of an employee of the former trying to cause trouble with the latter. The main reason why SIU was involved was because the employee of Smart Brain isn’t human, but a member of a non-human race called Orphnochs. This is part of SIU’s regular duties - handling cases that involve any kind of non-human suspects or victims. Sergeant Kiriko is in talks with various leaders of both companies to try and resolve things peacefully.
Personal Note - For some odd reason, people keep treating me like a hero, someone with a great reputation akin to a Kamen Rider. I had to keep correcting them otherwise, especially when Yuusuke glared at Lt. Otta during his third request for my signature. But Yuusuke behaved himself, and didn’t do anything worth being disciplined for. I must remember to reward him for his good behavior later this evening, after I figure out how to make people realize that I’m nowhere near the kind of hero they keep thinking I am…

Ryotaro makes sure that Sakura is secured in the front seat of the ‘mother chariot’ electric bike that he had bought the other month. (Bought, not rented or gifted with!) Then, he focuses on Yozora, who’s been patiently waiting in the back seat. “Now, we’re going to visit Grandmother today, so please behave, you two!”

“Yes, Papa!” Both twins respond in unison.

“Thank you…” Once his son was also secured, he turned on the electric pedal assist before he started biking off towards his Grandmother’s house. He barely gets three blocks, however, before he starts overhearing the Imagin’s arguments. This time, it was over whether or not they should ask Airi or Naomi for lunch boxes to take with them for their volunteer shift tomorrow morning. Ryotaro personally could go either way…but it’s not his argument to make this time. After all, he’s not expected to volunteer anytime soon, due to having tiny children that still require looking after when their normal daycare is closed. But maybe once they start preschool in a couple of years, he could talk to them about that…

“Please don’t break the train again, you guys!” Ryotaro reminds the Imagin as soon as Momotaros and Urataros start to resort to fists again while he’s stopped at a red light. But they barely hear him, so caught up in their fighting as they were. Ryotaro sighs and shakes his head. And then the light turns green, so he continues biking towards his Grandmother’s house. He doesn’t get much farther, however, before he hears a scream of fright. He turns a corner…

…and he sees something that he never ever wanted to see: His cousins being hunted down by a few Imagin. There’s Mikanko and Chuuji…and there is a woman wearing a pants suit wielding a wooden sword, trying to protect them while retreating with them. “Fuckin’ monsters,” the wooden sword-wielding woman shouts as she tries to hit on a Mole Imagin as hard as possible. It’s pretty effective, and yet not effective enough to cause serious injury to the foe.

“--waitasec!” Momotaros suddenly cried out as he ceased fighting Urataros on the Denliner. “Imagin! Is that--”

“My cousins are in danger!” Ryotaro explains as he parks the bike. He then shouts, “Mikanko! Chuuji! Over here!”

The two cousins in question immediately rush over to him. “Omigod! I’m glad to see you!” Mikanko gasps tearfully.

Chuuji’s wearing his hard hat, but it’s clearly seen better days by now. “Why are you here? And with your kids…!”

“I was on my way to Grandmother, but that will have to wait…!”

“Get them the fuck outta here, Ryotaro!” The woman wielding the wooden sword bellows. “This is no place for an unlucky bastard like you!”

Ryotaro gains a very serious look on her face - the kind that surprises his scared cousins. “You two - stay here with the twins. I’ll help Natsuko fight them off. Or rather…we will.”

“We?” Mikanko echoes.

“Ryotaro, what are you--?” Chuuji starts to ask.

But Ryotaro immediately steps forward, pulling out his belt. “Momotaros, let’s go! Transform!”

Everyone, family and foe alike, stops to stare as he transforms into Den-O, Momotaros settling into the driver’s seat of his body like a hand into a favorite glove. “I…have arrived!” He declares with the usual posing

“Den-O!” The leader of the Imagin, some kind of snake, hisses in defiance.

“What the fuck?!” Natsuko swears in shock.

Momotaros chuckles at the recognition. “Ohh, so you’ve heard of me? Good…now listen up, you bastards - from start to finish, I go at a climax!”

The fight doesn’t take long, since most of the Imagin are Mole types. Those minions, Momotaros took out within moments. However, the serpent Imagin thought it wise to not engage, instead disappearing with a shout: “I yield the battlefield to you for now, but you can’t be around them forever!”

“Get back here, you bastard!!” Momotaros screeches as he chases after the Imagin. But as always, the main foe up and vanishes, leaving the Rider to stew in his frustrations. “Gahh! Can't even smell the bastard anymore…!”

“It’s alright, Momotaros,” Ryotaro reassures him. “At least my cousins are safe, and that’s what matters right now.”

“...yeah. I’ll let you tend to them, then.”

Ryotaro is given back control as the transformation ends and Momotaros retreats back to the Denliner. So, he quickly rushes back to his cousins, who have gathered around the twins. “Is everyone alright?” He asks as he nears them.

“We’re fine,” Natsuko growls. “But what the fuck was that?! When did you become a Rider?”

“A long time ago. I’ll explain everything once you three arrive at wherever you were going to.”

His three cousins look at each other.

“Um…w-we were actually going to lay low at Granny’s when…when those monsters showed up,” Mikanko explains. “But now…”

“Grandmother already knows about me being a Kamen Rider, so don’t worry.”

All three cousins look surprised.

“...you’re sure it’s safe to go to her, still?”

Ryotaro nods. “Especially since I can always ask my fellow Riders to help protect you until the danger is truly gone.”

Natsuko scowls. “I’d normally refuse and have my gang play bodyguards instead…but my strongest hits weren’t working on them like they normally do.” She sighs in frustration. “...fine. We’ll accept your friends’ help. But you better have a damn good explanation, Ryotaro…!”

Later, they all settle down in the living room at Grandmother Mitsuri’s home, and they’re enjoying the snacks and drinks she always seems to have on hand for random visitors. The twins are fully asleep on the floor near Ryotaro, allowing the adults to speak freely.

“So…let me get this straight,” Natsuko was saying. “You’ve been bonded with four friendly monsters - one of which you’re actually dating now - for ten years? And all of you have been working together to be this Rider of Time, Den-O?”

“That’s the basic summary, yes,” Ryotaro confirms.

Mikanko seems to look a bit overwhelmed. “Never thought that you of all people would be a Kamen Rider…but wow…!”

“No wonder you’ve seemed to grow up quite a bit,” Chuuji mutters thoughtfully. “You must've been through so much…”

Natsuko slams her hand against the coffee table. “The real question here is why you didn’t tell us any sooner?! Damnit, I could’ve helped train you up at the beginning, at least!”

Ryotaro shakes his head. “It really was too dangerous, Natsuko - and it still is. You saw yourself how your own blows landed on the Imagin. I couldn’t risk having any further member of our family getting hurt by any of my enemies…”

Natsuko scowls and leans back, crossing her arms while stewing in her own frustrations. “...still should’ve told us, at least…”

“Now, now. There’s a reason why most superheroes don’t tell many people,” Grandmother gently chides as she refills everyone’s drinks. “What happened earlier today is a very good example. You all are very fortunate that Ryotaro found you three when he did…”

Ryotaro looks his cousins over for a moment. “...why were you three coming here in the first place? I doubt it was related to the Imagin…”

All three share a Look with each other.

“...we found out who Mom’s cheating on Dad with,” Natsuko finally says. “And I wanted to make sure these two were in a place that he didn’t know about before I had to actually go get a lawyer and…” She grimaces. “...and report this to the police.”

Grandmother grows concerned. “Oh dear…who is this man, then?”

Natsuko takes a deep gulp of her drink. “...his name is Sugiyama Ryuuya. He’s some high-ranking guy in Tokyo Metro Police’s HQ. And he actually tracked Mikanko down to Chuuji’s place, threatening to use his position to lock them both up for false crimes if they so much as utter a peep as to his affair with Mom.”

Ryotaro’s eyes widened in horrified shock. “From their HQ? And he’s threatening you two?”

Both Mikanko and Chuuji nod in unison. “Our elder brother is either blind, or refusing to see the obvious,” the latter explains. “So we asked Natsuko to protect us while we made our way over to here. Only…those monsters attacked. And you know the rest.”

“My gang is on stand-by, though,” Natsuko explains. “One word from me, and they’ll swarm this area to take on any human bastard that threatens our family.”

“I thought your gang disbanded after you all managed to graduate from high school?”

“Hah! Never. We’re never gonna be broken apart, not for real. We just walk our paths until I summon them back to my side again.”

Ryotaro sighs and shakes his head. “And here, I thought you’ve finally settled after you became an accountant…”

“Forensic accountant, thank you very much. And you wouldn’t believe what I’ve dug up on the money trails from both Mom and that bastard of a police official…!”

Ryotaro sits up a little straighter. “You have proof?”

Natsuko nods. “Oh, yes, and not just what I normally would dig-up. Got some young photographer trailing him right now, making sure that there’s also photographic proof. He’s even doing it pro bono - something about helping me is also helping his sister, or some other gibberish.”

“And yet, there’s those Imagin now… Did that snake one mention anything regarding why they were after you?”

“To silence us,” Chuuji states. “He made it clear it was to keep us from telling anyone else what his contract holder wanted to keep secret.”

“So it could mean…his contract holder could be that official,” Ryotaro murmurs, a very serious look on his face.

“Most likely. No way, Mom would ever agree to anything dealing with monsters,” Natsuko points out. “She’s too cowardly to even consider it!”

“Still…we need to track them down, especially since you have that photographer trailing him…”

“Here, I’ll give you his card. Just tell him that I sent you to help…”

Ryotaro accepts the card, and stares in shock at the name on it: Shijima Gou. “...I didn’t know you knew Gou-san…!”

“You already know him?”

“Yes. His sister leads SIU with her husband.”

All three cousins either spat out or choked on their drinks.

“SIU?!” Chuuji exclaims. “Its leader?!”

“Yes. He’s helped them deal with monsters countless times before; he knows how to fight himself.” Ryotaro hands the card back to a stunned Natsuko.

“Oh my fuckin’ god… Why am I suddenly surrounded by police and Riders…?” Natsuko puts her head in her hands.

“Now, now, is it really that terrible?” Grandmother muses warmly. “It just means that we have many wonderful and gifted friends to call upon for extra help, whenever we need it.”

“If you give me a few moments, let me reach out to him…” Ryotaro pulls out his phone and dials a certain number.

“...well, well!” A familiar voice answers in lilting English, before switching back to Japanese. “I was just about to call you about those Imagin, Ryotaro!”

“Gou-san… I’m glad you’re back in Japan, and that you spotted them as well. The truth is…” Ryotaro quickly explains what happened regarding the attack.

A low whistle is his immediate answer. “Your cousins, huh? Small world. I’m guessing that you were already involved even before the Imagin ever were?”

“Indeed. I may not have the best relationship with my aunt, but I still care very much for my cousins. I don’t want any harm to come to them.”

“Are they all safe at this moment, then?”

“All three that were attacked, yes. They’re here at a location that, as far as we know, that senior commissioner does not know of.”

“Good. That means that you and I can get to work right away!”

“Of course,” Ryotaro agrees with a relieved smile. “Just let me call upon a few of the others to help keep guard here, just in case, and I’ll be right over to your location.”

“I’ll send you the coordinates. You’d better get over here at mach speed, though. These guys can move surprisingly fast when they're trying to keep to the shadows, and I gotta keep up with them.”

“I’ll hurry over as quickly as possible. Just please be careful, yourself, until we arrive.”

“Will do…!”

Chapter Text

It warms Amai’s heart, seeing Ryotaro and Wataru having a moment together. Ryotaro had asked for both Wataru and Taiga to help protect his cousins, and Taiga had brought his Checkmate Four with him as extra help.

“...make sure that the twins get their snacks once they're awake?” Ryotaro was talking to Wataru.

“I will, yes, and I’ll keep them happy and not worried about where you are. Just be careful out there - we don’t know if it's really just him, or if he has any other allies beyond the Imagin.”

Ryotaro nods and hugs Wataru. “...thank you again, for helping to protect everyone…”

“We're family now, remember? Of course, I'm always willing to help protect your relatives.”

Amai glances over at Shion, who’s standing guard at the main doorway, and at Taiga, who is starting to get to know Ryotaro’s grandmother and cousins. Well, the younger two cousins; the eldest of the three seems to have wandered off towards the back porch, looking like she needed a few moments away from the crowded living room.

“I'll check on the eldest,” Amai murmurs to Taiga who gives him a smile and a nod in acknowledgement. Amai then shoulders his laptop bag, and wanders to the back porch, where he sees the woman in the pats suit sitting with a glass of water. “Mind if I join you?”

“Hm? Oh…be my guest.” She gestures to the other seat. She waits for him to sit before she speaks up again. “So…your day job is being a lawyer?”

“Yes, that's right. My specialty is family law, though I have represented domestic abuse victims as well.”

“Hn.” She sips her water thoughtfully. “...what's your take on corrupt public officials? Think you'd be willing to help with a case like that?”

Amai raises an eyebrow. “That depends upon the official in question. Which one are we talking about?”

“The bastard that my mother is having an affair with. He’s high up at the police's HQ, and he’s threatening to put my siblings in jail under false charges if they say one word about his affair with our mom.”

“Police HQ, you say…? How very interesting.” There’s a glint in his eyes, as he remembers that the head of SIU is fighting to get an overdue promotion as well. “I assume you have proof already?”

“Yep. I'm a forensic accountant, so I followed the money trail for both of them.” She pulls out a USB. “What I found is enough to put that guy in some serious hot water, beyond just the affair. Plus, enough to help my dad divorce Mom, should he ever get the balls to do so.”

“Naturally, I would be willing to represent your father in any divorce proceedings. But I will need to see that evidence first regarding that official before I make any further decisions.”

“You got a laptop?”

“Of course…” Amai pulls his laptop out and brings it up.

She hands him the USB, and tells him the password to unlock it. “I got a folder of evidence for each person; the one on the left is for that official.”

“So I see…” Amai digs into that folder, and his eyebrows slowly go up as a picture begins to take shape. Personal expenses billed as business expenses. Police funds meant for this unit or that being wrongfully relocated to his personal funding accounts. Bonuses to certain employees withheld for his personal use with notes such as ‘that woman doesn't deserve it’ and ‘how can that unit be so praised when it leans too feminine?’ Mysterious payments to non-governmental entities, with short notes like ‘keep them quiet’ or ‘make sure they're in jail long enough to be fired’...

“Pretty damning, isn't it?” She quips.

“Quite…!” Amai leans back for a moment. “...even without photographs, your evidence is very strong. I would be willing to take your case. But you must be willing to trust me and heed my advice.”

“Yeah, I know. I know how it's supposed to work between lawyers and their clients. It's just…” She shifts awkwardly. “This is far more complicated than I expected. I just wanted to protect my siblings and kick that bastard’s ass out of his cushy HQ job. Maybe even wake Dad the fuck up to the fact that his marriage technically ended years ago. I wasn’t expecting monsters or Riders…or my unluckiest cousin being both a Rider and a monsterfucker.”

Amai raises an eyebrow. “That’s a rather…interesting way to describe his relationships.”

“True, though.” She looks at her empty glass again, and then starts to rise up. “Want a drink? I know we’re both guests here, but…”

“I wouldn’t mind a drink right about now…”

Ryotaro only met the younger Rider a couple of times before, but Gou is exactly as he remembers: flamboyant and acrobatic, and possessing a much sharper mind than one would presume. Still, it’s not hard to follow his explanations once he actually starts seeing the pictures that Gou has taken. “So, that senior commissioner…is not the only one contracted to an Imagin?”

“Nope!” Gou confirms as he skillfully balances himself on a HVAC duct. They’re on the rooftop of a building facing a huge apartment complex that’s been marked for future demolition. “He’s got a unit or two under his control, and many of them have their own Imagin as well. Considering that they don’t seem to be randomly causing chaos and destruction, I think it’s safe to say that they’re not intent on wrecking the timeline right now.”

“Even so, the fact that you’ve seen them act like thugs and help these police officers get away with their corrupt actions…”

Gou then grew serious, smile immediately fading. “It burns you up, too, doesn’t it?”

Ryotaro nods immediately, frowning as he sees a couple of pictures of a cop-Imagin pairing harassing some poor shop stall employees. “I didn’t think that we would have so many bad cops in the police force. But for them to also contract with Imagin that still want to terrorize and harm people, on top of participating in such bad behavior themselves…”

Gou nods in agreement. “That’s why I need your help - at least, when it comes to the Imagin. It’s gonna be helluva lot more complicated to take down that senior commissioner. As far I can tell so far, he’s been letting his cronies and all the Imagin do all the dirty work for him.”

“And all the while, he’s having an affair with my aunt…” That very sentence leaves Ryotaro feeling nauseous for a brief moment.

“That’s the part that confuses me,” Gou admits, tumbling across various bits of the equipment on the rooftop. “Why would he do something that, by itself, could put his own career at risk? Either he thinks that he’s that well protected, or there’s something more going on here that we don’t know about yet.”

Ryotaro then got to the photos involving his aunt and her affair partner, and he only got through a few of them before putting the camera down on top of its bag, feeling that momentary nausea yet again over that terrible fact. “I really don’t know. I’m not on regular speaking terms with my aunt, and she’s never really liked me anyway… All she’s ever done with my sister and I is ask for money when the bills get too high for her to control.”

“And that happens frequently?”

“Every few years, right before her husband gets another promotion. However, she was asking for a rather large amount this time…” He ponders over it for a moment. “Natsuko - my cousin who asked for your help - she’s a forensic accountant. She can probably help explain the money issues, at least.”

“And she just needs the photos to further prove the corruption rotting Tokyo Metro Police from the inside out.”

“Right…I think so.”

“Well, she’s about to get a lot more proof than she first requested.” Both men turn to see Taki stepping out onto the roof with a big old grin on his face.

“Old Man Taki!” Gou states in English as he flips off onto the ‘ground’ of the room. “It figures that a legendary agent like yourself would find us…!”

“Yeah, yeah, don’t get too cocky now,” Taki mock-scolds him. “I just happen to be working on the same case due to a favor from a mutual ally.” He then grew very serious as he pulled out a voice recorder. “You need to hear this, both of you.”

Ryotaro takes it, and Gou steps near him as the play button is pressed.

“So they’re accepting him instead of reviling him?”

“It would seem so, Sugiyama-sama.”

“Impossible. That Tomari woman may have requested him to make the assessment look unbiased, but I thought I made it clear to Superintendent Ichijou that he was supposed to be strict with her! Why are they so accepting of him?”

“I believe that much of it was due to his crowning achievement of fighting alongside Unidentified Life Form #4 during the related crisis, along with the rumors of those two working together on and off since then. They seem to all be aware of that, and treat him as yet another hero on the police force.”

“Bah! I can’t believe this…! At this rate, even his strict assessment will only help her actually get promoted! We need to find a way to stall it, or make him tilt it against her favor.”

“But sir, if we did that, the Superintendent-General will actually notice, and will start to put the pieces together…”

“There’s a way. We just need to find it. Until then…inform the others that they are to keep looking for that girl and her brother. I want them in jail under gang-related charges in the next 36 hours, or everyone involved with that case will be denied bonuses next month!”

“It shall be done, Sugiyama-sama…”

*riiiiiing*

“Sugiyama speaking…oh, yes, sweetie. I am still on for our date tonight. …oh, don't worry. My men will find your children soon. …yes, I will make sure that they don’t give your husband any hint of our relationship. …mn-hm. Yes, that does sound frustrating… Wait. Did you just say ‘Nogami’? ……who was your sister's father-in-law? …I see… And you say that this Mitsuri suspects? Oh don't worry. I'll just make sure that your sister's mother-in-law doesn't say a word about it, either. …no, of course I won't hurt her. There will be no need to. …good. I'll see you tonight then.”

*click*

“...Nogami…so, that bastard had a child after all. And now, there's grandchildren of his bloodline as well… I need to silence her and make sure that they never find the body, after this issue with SIU is properly dealt with. And then, once that Tomari person has been denied her promotion for good…I will do something about those grand-kids of his…”

Ryotaro hits stop on the recording, a deep shadow over his face. “...he knew Grandfather…but he's also trying to do so much evil…”

Gou swears in English for a moment. “And he's apparently gonna go after your grandma as well. We need to reach her at mach speed.”

“Mind if this old man tags along? I can still put these young officers in their place, if I have to.”

“We'd gladly accept your help. I already got Wataru, Taiga, and the latter’s group with them, but just in case…”

“Good. Just one question…” Taki points to the derelict apartment building. “Is that where they gather?”

Gou nods. “Every day, though the timing of each day varies. Honestly, it's also comedic how predictable this group can be sometimes.”

“I hate to admit it, but not all Imagin are very smart,” Ryotaro points out.

Taki grins widely. “Even so, we can still use this to our advantage…”

Ichijou is not pleased with this summons. It's not even the end of the sixth day, and already a certain someone wants an update. Damnit, he's supposed to be shadowing Sergeant Tomari as she continues working on her current case. But when HQ wants an update, he cannot refuse…even if it’s someone that shouldn't be asking for updates, in his mind. He knocks on the door of that person in question.

“Enter!” Came Sugiyama's voice on the other side.

Ichijou enters the office and gives the customary salute. “Superintendent Ichijou Kaoru reporting in!”

Sugiyama doesn't respond at first, only gesturing to him to come closer. “...I hear that things are going swimmingly over at SIU…is that correct?”

“Ahhh…” Ichijou's awkwardness bleeds through. “P-Perhaps…but that's because of some misunderstandings. It would seem that some people had been…exaggerating a bit regarding my reputation. I am considering sending out a unit wide email to help set the record straight first thing tomorrow morning.”

“I see. Well, I am pleased that you are already taking steps to correct those exaggerations. However, there is something else that needs to be addressed - your initial reports regarding Sergeant Tomari. They all seem to make her look…competent. Too competent.”

Ichijou couldn’t stop the small frown forming on his face. “With all due respect, Senior Commissioner, it is only day 6 out of 30. If she is likely to break under pressure, it may be in the latter part of the assessment period.”

“‘If’, you say…you sound confident that she wouldn't.”

“Sergeant Tomari has shown signs of being very strong-willed, and unwilling to bend or crack under pressure so far. My initial reports are as unbiased as possible, per your request.”

Sugiyama narrows his eyes. “Are they, though? I also said that I wanted to see all the negative sides as well.”

“I am planning to start the intense questioning tomorrow morning. In fact, she is actively handling a case herself, and I really should be shadowing her at this very moment--”

“There’s no need for that. You can always fudge the details.”

Ichijou blinks in surprise. “Excuse me?”

“You know, claim that you already shadowed her, and make it look like she missed a couple of details here and there…”

Ichijou frowns disapprovingly. “Senior Commissioner Sugiyama, I must remind you that you yourself told me to be unbiased. Why would you now want me to falsify information on her assessment?”

“Because she's not ready for any further promotions!” Sugiyama snaps back.

Silence hangs between them as Ichijou manages to keep that slowly growing anger in check.

“...isn't this why she is undergoing this assessment? To prove whether or not she is ready?” Ichijou inquires in a quiet voice.

Sugiyama sighs. “I thought you would understand. After all, you declined becoming leader of SIU because you didn't want a woman to take your place?”

Ichijou stares at him in shock for a moment. “That is not why I turned down that offer! She was simply not ready yet for that kind of role! It had nothing to do with her being a woman at all! She just needed a little more experience - experience that she now has at this time.”

“So in other words…you do not think that women are inferior to men?”

“Absolutely not! Women have proven to be just as capable as men in many areas. But they are as imperfect as we are still. So please - let me fulfill my assessment for the full 30 days. We will see by the end of it as to whether Sergeant Tomari will be worthy of her due promotion.”

“‘Due promotion’? You really think that a woman can become Captain? That she can handle the pressure of leadership even if she becomes pregnant? Why the hells would you even complete this assessment if it won't keep her from getting something she doesn't deserve?!”

Again, silence hangs this between them for a few moments.

“Because I was asked to do so,” Ichijou finally states. “Sergeant Tomari asked me to assess her. She even asked me to be strict with her while doing so. I have done just that so far, and will continue doing so until the assessment is completed in full.”

“So…in other words…you do not see any reasons to change your course? Not even if you risk no promotions after this? Or even a risk of demotion?”

Ichijou has suspected that this might happen, but not this soon. Still, it is only about promotions, so he did not hesitate to reply. “No, sir. I will not change my approach - not even under threat of demotion.”

Sugiyama scowls as he rises from his seat. “How could you even think of making it fair for her in any way possible? All it would do is make me look like some kind of villain for making her go through it! Name your price, Ichijou - what will it take to get you to help me?”

Such a blatant attempt to bribe him…! It's enough to make Ichijou no longer hide his contempt for the other man. “...none. I would never help you prevent anyone from obtaining their rightful promotion. And with all due respect, I am doing this assessment strictly because Sergeant Tomari asked me to do so. So no, there is no price that will make me help you stop her promotion any further.”

“You fool! Do you have any idea what I can do to ruin your career? I could tell them the truth about who you like! That you're not normal! That--”

“--that I'm homosexual?” Ichijou blurts it out without a second thought, too angry to stop now. “That I have a life partner in another man? Go ahead - tell them that! I'm not hiding that part of myself anymore!”

Sugiyama flinches from such an intense response. “...you…you're not hiding it anymore?”

Ichijou starts to realize that he might have made a mistake. But Godai's words of support from the other night sing in his head, driving him onward. “No…not anymore. I'm not letting you try to blackmail or bribe me into doing something that we will all regret in the future. I will finish my work here to the best of my ability, and nothing more!”

Sugiyama's face slowly twists into one of fury as he speaks. “You really think you're that good? That they will not fire you for being a fag? That they will let you stay at your post after all this is said and done?! You won't get away with this, you little bastard! Mark my words, I'll make you regret even thinking about coming out of that closet--!” He starts to step towards Ichijou, making the latter start to back up towards the door.

“That is quite enough, Sugiyama!” A deep, bellowing voice came from the doorway. Both men turn to see a fatherly looking man glaring as he holds the door open. “I never thought that you would go this far just to settle a personal score with anyone, much less decorated officers!”

“Superintendent-General!” Ichijou immediately salutes. His heart thunders in his ears, worried that they're both about to be punished.

“At ease, Superintendent Ichijou. For the record, you are not in any trouble. But once this assessment is over, I believe we may need to talk about your future.”

“I…I understand, Superintendent-General.” Ichijou thinks that his days as a good example are numbered…but at least he will be able to keep his promise of finishing what he started here in Tokyo.

“You, however…you're a different matter entirely, Sugiyama. I accepted your idea of an assessment because I was under the impression that any issues with a woman in charge of SIU would be set aside permanently, should the assessment prove her worthiness to one and all. But for you to try and undermine it, just because he was actually doing it right? I am extremely disappointed in you!”

“Please, Superintendent-General! I-I can explain…!”

He doesn't look convinced. “...Superintendent Ichijou, you can leave now. Return to your duties at once. I will be having a very long discussion with the Senior Commissioner here.”

“Yessir.” Ichijou salutes one more time before leaving. He doesn't truly feel the minor quakes in his arms and legs until he reaches where he parked his car…and sees Godai standing near it, with his motorcycle parked next to the vehicle. “I thought you were on patrol…”

“I was, until I heard that you got summoned. Is everything alright?” Godai asks in a concerned manner. He reaches out for his hand, but then stops himself - as if realizing that they’re in public…

Ichijou grabs that hand and pulls him in for a hug, no longer afraid of people seeing them like this. “...Senior Commissioner Sugiyama…he tried to blackmail me using our relationship, just to mess up the assessment. So…I decided to stop hiding who I really am, who we really are to each other. I'm not going to let anyone ever use that against me ever again, consequences or no. So…I want out of the closet.”

Godai had stiffened for a moment, but quickly relaxed as soon as he heard the reasons. He immediately hugs Ichijou back. “Then we won't be in there anymore, neither of us. Whatever happens now…we'll face it together.”

“Yes,” Ichijou agrees softly. “Together…as partners. No more lies, no more hiding behind closed doors. Just…honesty, about us…”

Godai gently kisses him. Ichijou hesitates for a moment, but then kisses him right back. He thinks he feels eyes on them, but he realizes that he's truly not afraid anymore - not about people seeing them like this. “...you’d better get back to your patrol very soon.”

“I will. Just don’t stray from Kiriko and the others until I'm done.”

“Of course not. I still have an assessment to complete…”

But even as those two men make ready to depart, a pair of eyes watches them from the shadows - eyes that seem to have a malevolent glint to them…

Chapter Text

Amai had expected to go pro bono for Natsuko, given that she’s Ryotaro’s cousin. But the woman surprised him by wanting to pay a retainer fee. It had taken more time to work that out than it had to be convinced to take her case. The only reason he finally conceded to taking her money in the first place was that her career was a well-paid one, and thus she could afford keeping him on retainer.

Just as they were finalizing the details, Shion came rushing out the kitchen door. “Hey, you need to get your siblings into one of the spare bedrooms. The cops are here.”

“--what?” Natsuko gasps as she leapt to her feet.

“There’s a cop car that just came to a stop right in front of the house. Hide your siblings - now!”

Natsuko immediately rushes past him and starts barking orders to her brother and sister, getting them to carry the twins into one of the spare bedrooms.

Amai, however, looks at Shion. “There’s something else, isn’t it?”

“Their auras are mixed - just like Ryotaro’s is whenever an Imagin’s possessing him.”

Amai swears beneath his breath. “Right…I’ll pose as the family lawyer, and if they try and request to take anyone away, I’ll demand to see the warrants.”

“And if that fails?”

Amai thinks for a moment. “...we will get the Grandmother away from that living room, while our King and Prince deal with the threat.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

As they head back up to the living room, they can hear the hard knocking on the front door, along with declarations of ‘Police! Open up!’ Amai nods to Shion, and the latter stands off to one side. The older man straightens out his tie, and opens the door. There stood two detectives, each having a touch of sand trickling off of their jacket sleeves. “Can I help you, gentlemen?”

Both detectives showed their badges, keeping it out long enough for Amai to notice that they’re from the 4th Precinct…and that they’re real badges. “We’re here to speak with Nogami Mitsuri. Is she here?”

Amai glances behind him. Mitsuri nods from her seat on the couch. “...yes, she is. But for what reason would you need to speak with her?”

“There’s someone trying to press charges, and we need her to come with us. Just the basics, you know - questioning, seeing if it’s serious enough to hold her overnight, so forth.”

Amai narrows his eyes. “And where exactly is the warrant?”

Both men blink in surprise. “Warrant?”

“Yes. If you’re seriously going to detain my client, we will need to see that warrant or other related paperwork first.”

Both men look at each other in confusion. “I’m sorry, did you say ‘client’?”

“That’s right.” Amai gently puts a thumb under the lapel that declares him to be an attorney. “I am Amai, the family lawyer for the Nogami household. And I insist that she is not to be taken unless you can provide the necessary paperwork, or let me go with her as her legal representative.”

Both men withdrew for a moment, arguing with each other quietly. Then, one of them came back. “Ah, well…we…kind of realized that we left the paperwork back at our precinct and--”

“Really? That’s something that’s extremely amateurish, isn’t it?” Amai replies back in a scolding tone. “Truly, I expected better from members of the police force. Fine, go ahead and go back to your precinct to get the paperwork. But my client will not be speaking to any police officer without it and without me being present. Understood?”

“Y-yes sir…! We…we’ll be right back!” The officers then immediately scrambled into the car and drove off - all in a foolish, novice manner unbefitting of actual police.

“...honestly…” Amai shakes his head and closes the front door. “In this case, we should bless the Fates for not giving many Imagin much intelligence…”

“That was still too close,” Shion points out.

“Indeed…”

“But they were after Grandmother, not the cousins,” Wataru points out. “Why would they be after her?”

“I’m not sure. They never explained why they were wanting to bring her in. But then again, I really didn’t want to give them a chance to somehow slip past me and into the house.” And yet, Amai did not miss the thoughtful silence emanating off of the grandmother…

Mitsuri’s heart feels full, seeing all these young people in her house this evening. True, much of it is because Ryotaro’s cousins needed a safe place to stay. But it’s so comforting to see all these young folks coming together, looking out for each other and trying to figure out how to stop this latest threat…

Everyone gathered around the coffee table in the living room for dinner. Everyone except Taki and Gou; both men took their meals standing up, keeping watch on both the front door and the backyard. Wataru had been kind enough to not only offer to cook, but to help buy enough food for the meal as well. Such a sweet boy; no wonder Ryotaro loves him so…! And yet, even as he helps feed the twins, Wataru has a serious look on his face. “So there’s an entire unit or so of police officers that have teamed up with Imagin? All to continue their corrupt ways?”

“It would seem so, yes,” Ryotaro confirms with a nod. “It’s even worse given that this Senior Commissioner seems to have known Grandfather before.”

That makes Mitsuri freeze. “...what was the name of that man?” she quietly asks.

“Sugiyama Ryuuya,” Natsuko states. “He’s also the bastard having an affair with our mom.”

“Sugiyama…I had hoped it was just a coincidence, but…” The familiar ache rises up in her heart again as she glances at her husband’s photo on the Buddha chest in the far right corner.

“...Grandmother? Do you know him?” Ryotaro quietly asks in a concerned tone.

“Not personally, no…but I know of his family, through your grandfather.” A bittersweet look washes over her face as she takes a sip of tea.

“If it’s too personal, we won’t push,” Amai gently states.

Mitsuri shakes her head. “No, it’s been long enough that the pain isn’t as terrible. And besides, Ryotaro and Airi already know the full story of their grandfather. Perhaps…perhaps it may help in some small way to tell the rest of you young folks that very tale…”

Everyone shifts to get comfortable, and Ryotaro gently places a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Take your time, Grandmother…there’s no need to rush.”

Mitsuri smiles reassuringly at him. “Thank you, Ryotaro…” She then takes a deep breath. “I should start at the beginning. My husband and I were childhood friends, growing up together in the same neighborhood. My house was only three homes away from his family’s manor house, and we literally knew each other since we were born, given the friendly relationships between our families. His father owned the local factory, while my father rose through the ranks to become one of the top managers over time. Once we entered high school, there were talks about our parents arranging us to be married together. And I was completely fine with that - I knew him already, and we’ve been best friends since kindergarten. Plus, he had grown to be quite the handsome man, despite his occasional clumsiness. I only asked for them to hold off on it until we both graduated from college - a fair request that both families agreed to.”

She pauses to take another sip of her tea. “But my best friend, Ryoji…he was reluctant. Not because he didn’t want to be married to me; he saw the benefits of being married to his best friend as well. But one evening, he had us meet at the local park in secret to tell me a certain truth…” A pause. “...he was only attracted to men sexually, and was afraid that he wouldn’t be able to make me happy because of that. Now, back in those days, it was still very dangerous for someone to come out as not normal regarding who they love. True, men could still get away with having a mistress, especially if they were high-ranking people. But my dear friend was worried that his father would lash out at him should the truth come to light. I confess that my heart did break a little at the realization that he wouldn’t truly love me in return - not in the way I originally hoped. But he was still my best friend, and I had no wish to suffer through marriage meetings with pure strangers. I reassured him that I still wanted to marry him, that I would be okay if we never had any children by birth. I also reminded him that we could always adopt if we have to, and that seems to have been enough for him.”

A wistful smile graces her face. “Thankfully, we never had to adopt, for God took mercy on us and we ended up having Ryotaro’s father as a delightful surprise from our honeymoon - the only time we tried to make love to each other. My husband was overjoyed when I told him the good news, and he swore to be a great father to our child. And he kept his word, always coming straight home instead of going off drinking while I was pregnant, and again during the first year of our son’s life. His friends all would tease him about focusing so much of his time with our family, but he was very proud to be a father and didn’t mind it at all. The fact that he tried to help around the house with the chores during that time comforted me as well, even if he wasn’t very good at it. To the outside world, we were as perfect a happy family as one could be - a proud father, a sweet mother, and their precious son. Because we decided to remain best friends in our marriage, we had fewer arguments than most other couples in the neighborhood. It helped that Ryoji was very faithful while our son grew up.”

Then the bittersweet tone returned. “It was when our son finally went off to college that my husband had a bout of melancholy. As much as Ryoji cared for me, and was grateful for me being his wife…his heart yearns to be with someone he truly loved. But that would mean cheating on me, and he didn’t want to hurt me like that. It took a while to pry it out of him, but I wasn’t angry - not for more than a few moments. I had to remind myself that he was secretly gay, and had been hiding his true self so that he could fit in and not risk any harm to come to our family. So, once I calmed down, we sat down and had a very long and very serious talk. I was willing to let him go dating, on the condition that he would be completely honest about who he was dating. At the time, a bar had opened in the general area that catered to people like him, and I encouraged him to go seek out dates there. That’s when he found him - Sugiyama Tenchi. A bit daft in the head, but one would be hard pressed to find a sweeter man at the time. And oh, they did love each other so. When my husband brought Tenchi home, I welcomed him as another member of the family. The way their faces lit up as they held each other’s hands and talked to each other…it was so sweet and comforting. Better yet, Tenchi's parents were extremely accepting, and was pleased that I had given my approval for their son's relationship with my husband. Divorce was never an option we considered, but if it ever had to happen? I knew that my husband would be in good hands, for he appeared to have finally found his romantic soulmate…”

And then her tone turns sorrowful. “It was when our son had come home for summer break that it happened. He had already met Tenchi a few times before, and was warming up to this new person in his father’s life. So, neither of us had any concerns when Tenchi decided to take my husband out for drinks. Apparently, Tenchi’s cousin and said cousin’s friends all graduated from the police academy, and they wanted to celebrate. I thought it would be okay. I thought they would be safe. But instead…the police gave me the worst call possible in the middle of the night: they had found their bodies in a ditch. The injuries were horrible, and poor Tenchi had already passed by the time they were found. Ryoji, however, remained alive for a few days more, mostly so that he could give final words to his family. But even then, it was too late; his heart was broken, and he blamed himself for Tenchi’s death. Even now, I can feel his hand in mine, my voice trying to tell him that it wasn’t his fault, that none of it was ever his fault…”

She sniffles and reaches for a handkerchief to wipe the tears that had been starting to roll down her face. “...even now, a part of me blamed myself for not being there, for not protecting him like a best friend should have, somehow. But my mind knew that it was truly the fault of those who dared to attack them. But…the police wouldn’t properly investigate it. At the time, they shrugged it off because they did not care about people who were gay - one even dared to blame the victims for their wounds. And that’s when something snapped inside of me, and I lost my temper at the entire police precinct. How could they call themselves protectors of the people if they refused to be that for those who needed their help the most? How could they let people get away with such heinous crimes, just because they themselves dislike people who were not normal? But they thought I was just a widow mad with grief, and they turned me away. It took a long time for me to trust the police again after that…”

She dabbed her handkerchief at her eyes again. “When we buried my husband, a rainbow appeared over us. It was his way of telling me that he was okay now; that he was at peace and reunited with Tenchi in heaven. And I swore on that rainbow, that very day, that I would never let anyone in our family suffer like he had. Not the wounds he suffered during his final days, but the wound on his heart for not being able to be his true self for most of his life. I swore to myself that I would never, ever force anyone to remain in the closet, not when they should be able to live as their true selves. I promised that I would never, ever reject a family member for not being normal, but instead love and support them for not being normal enough for society to fully accept them. After all, it’s part of who they are, and I wanted to help support and protect them in any way possible, just so that they would never be stuck conforming to society in such a heart-breaking manner…”

She smiles at all the young people surrounding her. “Which is why I’m so happy that all of you are able to live more openly than my generation did, that you’re able to find your real love without as much fear or difficulty. Just knowing that none of you would have to suffer such a deep ache as he did…it comforts me…”

There wasn’t a dry eye in that room. The twins were thankfully asleep, lulled into slumber by the first half of the story. But everyone else looks at least quite misty-eyed. Wataru was quietly cuddling Ryotaro, and Taiga was holding hands with his two men. Mikanko and Chuuji were the ones trying not to outright sob, while Natsuko wiped her eyes with her sleeve.

“...you carried that with you all this time?” Wataru murmurs in a mix of horror and awe.

“Yes…and even now, it still weighs on my heart, losing my best friend like that…”

Amai removes his glasses to wipe his eyes with his own handkerchief. “Just…one question. Did Tenchi ever…mention who his cousin was?”

Mitsuri’s face darkened with concern. “I’m sure that it was Ryuuya. But then again…I don’t know if he is the same man who is causing trouble for you all now, since we never met…”

“I see…” Amai seems to be regaining his air of control and confidence. “Perhaps, if they are willing, we can ask certain friends to check that family’s records in the local government?”

Mitsuri nods. “Please… If that is the same man, then…then…” She grew silent, afraid to give voice to long-buried suspicions.

“Grandmother…” Ryotaro reaches over to hold her hand. “If he was involved…we’ll stop him from letting such a tragedy repeat itself. Not because I want revenge for Grandfather, but…because it’ll help save so many people’s lives.”

Mitsuri smiles with teary pride. “You’ve grown so much over the last few years… I’m sure Ryoji would be so proud of you, too, were he here with us…”

It’s late, and Ryotaro cannot sleep. So he goes to check on the twins…and finds Natsuko holding them while slowly rocking in the rocking chair. There’s a thoughtful look on her face, even as she holds them close…

Until she notices him. “...your kids are too adorable and cuddly,” She quietly admits. “And I can’t sleep worth a damn…”

“Too much on your mind?” Ryotaro quietly asks as he closes the door behind him.

She nods. “...been thinking about Granny’s tale, about her hubby. God, to marry someone just to be their beard, just to help them survive in society… I finally see where you got your heart of gold from, both you and Airi.”

Ryotaro smiles wistfully as he sits on the floor near her. “Well, she did raise us after our parents died… But it’s a very heavy thing to bear, and I know that it hasn’t gotten easier for her to recall it, even after all these years.”

“Mn…not when you’ve been with someone so closely, like that…” Natsuko’s eyebrows furrow. “I fear, though…that bastard…he might’ve known who did your gramps and his boy in like that, if not actually been involved in some way.”

Ryotaro slowly nods. “That…that’s my fear as well. And I…I don’t know what I’ll do if that is ever confirmed to be true. I still want to stop him - no question about that. But…to know that he might’ve been partially responsible, even indirectly, for why I never really knew Grandfather…”

Natsuko eyes him. “Honestly, in my book? You would have every right to break his face in, if that ends up being a fact. And the fact that you worry about that shows how much of a purer heart you have than mine. All I know is that if it was me? No amount of jail time or the threat of the death penalty would keep me from putting him in the grave.”

Ryotaro chuckles awkwardly. “You’ve always been too eager to punch first and ask questions later… I’m amazed that you’ve managed to get yourself controlled enough for the kind of career you have.”

“That’s because I let the spreadsheets and cold hard facts do the punching for me in those corporate boardrooms; much cleaner and easier that way. Plus, they pay me very well to expose corporate assholes for cooking the books and violating regs. Doubly good, considering that Mom hasn’t bothered to even think of saving up for Mikanko’s college fund…”

“Nee-san was worried about that, the other night… I’m glad that you’re helping to take care of her.”

Natsuko sighs. “I shouldn’t have to, though…! It’s why I originally rebelled when I was a teen. I didn’t want to be the nanny that Mom was trying to make me be for her and Chuuji, not when Okiji got to be the golden child and have no responsibilities whatsoever. But once I realized how much those two really needed someone to help fund their schooling? That’s why I went to college, so that I could get a career lucrative enough to keep those two from going to debt like I did, just to fulfill their own dreams.”

Ryotaro smiles warmly up at his cousin. “Even so, I am glad that you’re still helping them. I always knew that you really cared about them…”

“Oh my god, Ryotaro…stop the whole ‘being too sweet for my own good’ thing, or I’m going to make you sleep in this guest crib here with your kids on top of you…!”

Chapter Text

Ryotaro’s been up since dawn. The retelling of his grandfather’s life story last night left a heavy weight on his mind, and he found it better to distract himself with what needed to be done first. Thankfully, that meant feeding and cuddling his children, the latter while Wataru cuddles them all as well. Ryotaro himself didn’t eat, not yet. There was a certain pair that he had to visit, once Grandmother confirmed that the Sugiyama family once lived in their home area. So, leaving the safety and care of his family to everyone else, he boarded the Denliner.

Momotaros stood in the area between cars, and immediately pulled him close for a tight hug. “...couldn’t sleep well, either, since we can’t punch the problems away yet. So…this is the next best thing.”

Ryotaro smiles into Momotaros’ chest, hugging him back needily. “Thank you…I appreciate this. Appreciate you being by my side through all of this.”

“Mn… The others are still asleep, or it’d be a group hug instead.”

Ryotaro chuckles softly. “I’m sure it would be, knowing them…” They stay like that for a few moments. “...Momotaros?”

“Hm?”

“I…I really don’t know what I’d do if…I find out that he was connected or even involved with what happened to Grandfather…”

“...I know that you won’t kill him outright. That much, I’m certain of. But I’m not gonna stop you from putting him in the hospital, either.”

“Mn…just…if it goes beyond that? Please stop me, no matter how you do it.”

“I will; I promise.”

Satisfied that he’s got some form of emotional safety net, he waits until they arrive at his destination. Only then does he leave Momotaros’ arms and disembark from the Denliner…

Within 30 minutes, he’s seated in the dining area of Tendo’s apartment, being fed breakfast despite his claims of little appetite. Kagami’s sitting with him, slowly putting his usual morning spread on his toast. The latter is staring at Ryotaro as the shock of what he’s just been told is starting to wear off. “So…you really are Nogami Ryoji's grandson?”

“Yes…why?”

Kagami puts his food and knife down before he makes a mess. “My precinct captain’s pissed at me right now, because I disobeyed orders in order to deal with a random minor Worm. He doesn’t know that’s why I disobeyed him yet, but still…he made me work on a cold case. And after what you just told me? I’m pretty sure it’s the cold case surrounding the deaths of your grandfather and his boyfriend.”

Ryotaro’s eyes widened in shock. “Really? So…what does it look like?”

“Damning…for whom the evidence points to.” Kagami finishes putting his spread on his toast, and starts noshing on it.

“From what he told me last night, it may be serious enough to bring to Tokyo Metro Police HQ’s attention,” Tendo explains as he finally joins them with his own meal. “But what were you wanting to ask him for?”

Ryotaro pokes at his eggs with his fork. “I…Grandfather’s boyfriend was Sugiyama Tenchi…and we’re wondering if he may have been related to Sugiyama Ryuuya in any way - the senior commissioner that those at SIU mentioned.”

“So in other words, you want him to check the family tree…”

“...which is what I was planning to do anyway,” Kagami quips. “But to think that he’s having an affair and threatening your relatives…”

“Are they safe?” Tendo inquires. “Your cousins…”

“Those three are, yes. I don’t know if Okiji is even involved, or if he would care as much as he should about their safety…”

“Grandmother once said--”

“No, no, it is too damn early for you to start quoting her…!” Kagami reaches over to force that hand back down.

Ryotaro hides his smile by sipping from his mug of coffee. “...Kagami-san, could you please let me know what you find as soon as possible?”

“Of course. Honestly, I’m probably as neutral as possible among us Riders who are in the police force, given his weird beef with Sergeant Tomari and SIU. But it’s a helluva coincidence this time around…”

This has not been Kiriko’s morning. She tried to make a traditional breakfast this morning, but she learned the hard way that she cannot handle raw eggs while she’s pregnant. Her uniform actually has not one, but two tiny frays along the same hem, and thus it's no longer perfect. And the hormones are now starting to make things feel worse than they actually are in her mind, if only for a few moments. At least it’s warm enough that she can sip on barley tea without alerting everyone...or so she hopes.

And then she walks into one of the worst possible things to throw a wrench into her assessment. Sitting in the corner at some previously abandoned desk is none other than Kadoya Tsukasa. He is dressed up in standard police uniform, though Kadoya has his pink camera on him as always.

“--What are you doing here?” Shinnosuke demands of him, beating his wife to the punch.

“Working,” Tsukasa quips as he seems to be typing in a few things. “Morning, by the way.”

“Don’t you ‘by the way’ me, Kadoya! Why are you here? And dressed like that as well?!”

“Because this world deemed me worthy of joining your ranks.” And the smug jerk holds up his badge case, which does indeed include his SIU ID. The badge itself is legitimate, which can only mean one thing: this world really did add him to their police roster.

Kiriko feels a headache beginning to form in the back of her head. “If that’s the case, I expect you to comply with all the rules while you’re working under our command here. I will only make exceptions if you have to transform and fulfill your Rider obligations. Otherwise, I will not tolerate any blatant disrespect or disobedience of the chain of command here - not unless a member of that chain of command is violating the rules themselves so blatantly. Do you understand, Officer Kadoya?”

“Completely, Sergeant.” And to his credit, Kadoya gave her a near-perfect salute…while still remaining seated. “Though I do have one question.”

“What is it?” She asks warily.

“Why is HQ discriminating against someone like you?”

Kiriko feels her hackles begin to rise. “What are you talking about?” She demands in a lowered voice.

“I’ve been hearing rumors about you having to undergo a 30-day assessment just to get your next promotion. Is it really because they don’t trust your command? Or is it simply because you’re a competent woman, and someone at HQ is spooked by that?”

God…this is why she hates dealing with Kadoya sometimes. He’s too blunt, too outspoken when he should be quieter about such things being discussed…! “That is none of your business!” She quietly hisses at him. And then, in a near-whisper, she adds, “Not officially.”

Kadoya raises an eyebrow, and just as he’s about to open his mouth…

Shinnosuke steps in, grabbing the other man’s arm and dragging him onto his feet. “Let me explain things to him,” He tells her. “You go ahead and get started on your paperwork.”

Kiriko takes a deep breath…and nods in agreement. “Very well. I’ll leave him in your care.” She watches her husband drag his fellow Rider off towards the nearest meeting room, ignoring the latter’s token protests. Once she hears that door close, she then turns and walks towards her own desk, feeling herself calm down now that her husband is dealing with their latest pain in the butt ‘officer’...

Kagami: I just got back from visiting the local government building. Ryotaro, are you sitting down?

Nogami: Yes, I am. What did you find?

Kagami: Turns out they really were cousins - first cousins, no less. Their fathers were brothers. Plus, that Tenchi guy had a younger sister who’s still alive. I got in contact with her, and she agreed to talk about all that was going on with her family around that time.

Nogami: That’s comforting to hear.

Kagami: There’s more. Technically, I shouldn’t be discussing this with you, but…I’m doing so as a fellow Rider, and not as the officer dealing with that cold case.

Nogami: Is it that bad? What else did you find?

Kagami: Turns out that someone did try and investigate this properly, when it first happened. And much of the evidence they found leaned heavily towards then-Officer Sugiyama and his fellow graduates being the main suspects. But then it just stopped. As if the trail got cut off deliberately, or blocked.

Nogami: They were protecting them?

Kagami: Unfortunately, yes. This happened far more often back then than it does now - the police force covering up for their fellow officers, just because they didn’t want to endure the shame that comes from having such bad apples exposed. But they keep forgetting that the longer they hide their misdeeds, the greater the shame and the scandal once it finally spills out into the public.

Nogami: So in other words, that man really was involved

Kagami: Ryotaro, don’t do anything towards him right now. I mean it. I’ll sic Souji on you if you try to deal with him on your own.

Nogami: No, I won’t do anything. Yet.

Nogami: But that does explain why he’s so willing to let several Imagin take over much of a precinct under the radar, if he’s gotten away with something so horrendous before.

Kagami: Perfectly explains it, yeah. This could be big enough to trigger that special committee at the National Diet to step in. We may need to warn everyone else about that risk.

Nogami: I agree. But I want to help Natsuko present all of this evidence to a trusted person at HQ first - someone that we know who can view this fairly.

Kagami: I know just the man - Commander Midoku Ezio. SIU reports to him directly, and he’s not too pleased with some of his superior’s sense of sticking with the wrong traditions. If I join you and present my findings to him alongside your evidence, I’m sure he will get an internal investigation started for Sugiyama. Best case scenario, he will speak with the top brass on our behalf - especially if we present it as grievances of a victim’s family.

Nogami: That does sound like a good idea. Once we do so, then we can focus on dealing with those Imagin.

Kagami: Any idea who they’re with?

Nogami: As far as we know, they seem to be members of the 4th Precinct.

Kagami: Ugh. Of course it’s the 4th. There’s been talk about them having some inner trouble of late, but nothing to indicate that they got monsters infiltrating their ranks to cause more trouble.

Nogami: Could that Sugiyama person be trying to muffle anything that would expose the Imagin?

Kagami: I wouldn’t put it past him. Just be very careful, and don’t take any drastic measures until I get all this new evidence together.

Nogami: Of course. We’ll wait until you’re ready before we go present everything to Commander Midoku…

Tsukasa hates patrolling with a passion, and he honestly thinks that Kiriko is making him do it out of spite. Worse, he's stuck doing it alone without any official partner to help him. Ah, well… At least the rules say that he can invite a fellow Rider to join him without her approval, so it didn't take much to convince Natsumi to dress up like a plainclothes officer to blend in.

“She really is dealing with a lot, isn't she?” Natsumi points out as they walk through one of the older neighborhoods. “I just hope that Kiriko-san actually gets her promotion this time…”

“She may not be able to get it without an actual fight this time,” Tsukasa points out. “From what I've been hearing, that guy at HQ really is out to keep her from gaining real authority. One of those guys who just hates women like you and her.”

Natsumi smiles warmly at the subtle compliment. “So you're saying he hates strong women?”

“He hates modern women. It seems like he's that kind of so-called traditionalist.”

“Hmph…!” Natsumi starts cracking her knuckles. “It just makes me want to use the Hikari Secret Technique on him.”

“You can be so cruel sometimes,” Tsukasa mutters with a slight shiver.

“I'm pretty sure I'd be justified in this case…!” But then Natsumi stops as she sees Kivaala fluttering up to them. “What’s wrong, Kivaala?”

“We might have a bit of a situation just a bit ahead of us. You know about the Nogami matriarch, right~?”

“Ryotaro’s grandmother, yes. What about her?” Tsukasa inquires.

“Well~ it would appear that a pair of Imagin are posing as the police officers they are possessing, and are trying to arrest her with a false warrant.”

“...what?” Tsukasa gasps in surprise.

“Do they actually have her in handcuffs?” Natsumi adds.

“Not Yet, though that's mostly because of this world's Bishop blocking them. Apparently, he's acting like their family lawyer now.”

Oh, great… This world's Fangire King has gone ahead and adopted the whole damn Nogami family, as Tsukasa suspected he would. This just makes things immediately more complicated than they should be.

“Looks like we have to go argue with a couple of idiots,” Natsumi sighs.

“Apparently…before the usual idiots arrive to make things worse.”

Tsukasa and Natsumi follow the tiny Kivat-bat down the road, until they find a couple of detectives arguing heatedly with Amai, who was standing in the doorway. Both detectives have the glowing eyes and slight sand trails indicating Imagin possession, and they both spoke like Imagin normally do as well…

“I'll distract them, and then you drive those idiots out of their hosts at the right moment,” Tsukasa mutters to his companion.

Natsumi nods in agreement, keeping behind a bit as Tsukasa approaches them.

“What seems to be the problem, gentlemen?” Tsukasa inquires as he looks between all parties.

“This person is standing between us and a key suspect in our case!” One of the ‘detectives’ explains in a frustrated manner.

“That warrant is false, and not enforceable,” Amai states very firmly, his attorney badge shining in the sunlight. “I will not let them get even near my client or her family until they come back with a real warrant.”

“May I see that warrant?” Tsukasa asks the ‘detective’. “It may help calm this lawyer down if a neutral officer can verify its authenticity.”

Both ‘detectives’ looked at each other, then shrugged. “It wouldn’t hurt…and it's in the real format, too.”

Tsukasa accepts the piece of paper. Yes, it was in the standard warrant format, meaning that they did get it through their hosts’ workplace. Yes, it does appear to have a signature on the bottom from a judge. But he can see two glaring things that make it clearly false. But he starts with the slightly more subtle one. “...that judge who signed off on this? He's retired. How did you even find him?”

“Wh-why would you say that?!”

“Because he retired last summer. I remember reading about it in the newspaper. Either someone went to the wrong judge, or this signature was forged. Either way, that alone makes the warrant null and void.”

“Who cares if he's retired or not?!” The other ‘detective’ exclaims. “It's still a judge's signature!”

“It's not valid because he is no longer an active judge,” Tsukasa points out. “Plus, orders like this are normally printed out in a special printer. This is clearly handwritten…” Time to cue the total distraction. “...and by someone with a 3rd-grade writing level, no less.”

“What?! How can you call my handwriting ‘3rd-grade level’?!” The second ‘detective’ demands angrily.

“Because it is,” Tsukasa simply states. “You see here? And here, and here?” He points to three very messed up spots. “No real professional would write that poorly, not even as the chicken scratch for doctors and nurses.”

And then Tsukasa hears it - the quiet little voice of the host himself coming from within the body. “I told you you should've let me write it out…!” That rings an alarm bell in the Rider's own head. A willing host or contract holder is never a good thing when it comes to Imagin causing trouble…

“Sh-shuddup!” The Imagin retorted at his host out loud, clearly looking down on ‘himself’. “At least it’s readable!”

“Legible, you mean,” Tsukasa corrects him.

“Whatever…!” God, it’s too damn easy to rile up Imagin sometimes…he almost finds it funny. Almost.

“Regardless, the warrant is null and void, and you can’t enforce it. I strongly recommend leaving this family alone until you have a real and legitimate warrant to bother them with…”

“And who are you to tell us what to do?” The first ‘detective’ finally snarls the question he’s been waiting for.

Tsukasa smirks and holds up his badge. “Just a passing-through member of SIU. Remember that!”

Both ‘detectives’ freeze. “...SIU?!”

And that is when Natsumi comes up from behind those two and jabs one thumb into each neck. Almost immediately, those guys start to laugh uncontrollably, even as she and Tsukasa slowly back up a bit. As expected, the Imagin tumble out of their hosts, resulting in all four falling onto the ground across the yard laughing their asses off. The Imagin themselves are unique - one Rat, one Possum.

“You Imagin are far too easy to expose,” Tsukasa quips in contempt.

“Sh-Shut the hell up!” The Rat Imagin snaps back, being the first to recover from that involuntary bout of laughter. “You…you won’t get away with interfering with your superiors…!”

The detective that was hosting the Rat quickly recovered as well - quick enough to glare at Tsukasa and Natsumi as he whips out his gun. “There’s no way that anyone from SIU would patrol around here…you two are under--oww!”

Kivaala swiftly knocks the gun out of that guy’s hand, as well as the one that the second detective was pulling out as well. “Ah~ah~ahhh! Sorry, but I’m very partial to my partner and her idiot boyfriend~! It looks like you four are the ones going to be under arrest~ this~ time~!”

And then goddamn Taki Kazuya pushes his way past Amai from the inside. “I’ll deal with these corrupt cops! You two deal with the Imagin!”

“Right!”

Tsukasa pulls out his belt, while Natsumi grabs Kivaala. “Transform!” Both cry out, each immediately shifting into their Rider form. It was a short battle, given how strong the two Riders were and how skilled Taki still is at fighting. The detectives went down first, surrendering before being cuffed by their own handcuffs. But they both cried out when it looked like their Imagin cohorts were about to be killed, pleading for the Riders to spare the lives of their ‘partners’.

“Tch…! Guess they’d come back anyway, if the contract’s still active…” So, Tsukasa decided to knock out the Imagin instead before cuffing them as well.

Natsumi, however, looks at Taki as she de-transforms. “Why are you here? I thought…”

“I was retired? Yeah, from my day job, but not from helping out people like you and Ryotaro-kun’s grandmother.”

Tsukasa de-transforms with a confused look on his face. “That last bit bothers me. Why were they going after her?”

“It’s a very long and complicated story. Let’s wait until you call in a police wagon to take these bastards away first before we catch you two up…”

Chapter Text

Kiriko stares at Taki as her mind absorbs what he just explained. “...so you're telling me that the 4th Precinct is infested with Imagin that, while not seeking to destroy Time, are still causing trouble? And all this with the actual officers helping them?!”

“That’s exactly what's going on here,” Taki explains.

She then turns to her little brother. “And why exactly haven't you brought this to us before now?”

“In fact, why didn't you tell us you were back in the country?” Shinnosuke demanded.

“Oh, that last part was meant to be a surprise,” Gou quipped with a big grin. “I thought it'd be a nice thing to surprise you with, Nee-chan, Shin-nii-chan.”

A small, frustrated groan slips out of Shinnosuke before he could stop himself.

“As for why we hadn't told you about the whole Imagin issue before? We realized that it's connected to what's going on with Ryotaro-kun's extended family. It's a complicated mess, and they themselves don't have all the facts yet. The one thing we do know, though, is that someone at the Precinct, or someone above them, wants his cousins and grandma in jail in order to shut them up.”

“And why is that?” Kiriko asks evenly.

“Because that person is having an affair with his aunt, and they don't want many people knowing about that.”

“...ah,” Krim softly gasps from where he laid out on a nearby desk. “And they thought that concocted false charges would do the trick… But it would seem that their greatest mistake was going after his grandmother…”

“Especially when there were a couple of Riders on patrol nearby, too.” Taki then looks around. “Though speaking of those two…where are they?”

“Kadoya is actually doing his job, for once, and is in the middle of interrogating the suspects. I presume his partner is with him as well.” She then sighs. “I do hope, though, that the Nogami family informs us as to when they have more information soon. It would really help us with this new case…”

“Do we at least have an idea as to who that person might be?”

Kiriko doesn't like how Taki and Gou exchange worried glances with each other. “...you’re not gonna like this one, Nee-chan,” the latter quips.

“Gou, it doesn't matter if I like them or not. What matters is that they appear to be causing gross violations of police conduct on more than one level. We need to know who the top suspects are.”

Gou shrugs. “If you insist… It's Senior Commissioner Sugiyama.”

Kiriko’s world seems to skid to a stop for a moment. “Sugiyama? As in the one who wanted me to undergo this 30-day assessment? The very one who has been trying to hobble SIU subtly because none of his personal cronies are in charge? Are you saying that he is the one having an affair and allowing dangerous foes into our ranks?! All so that he can influence entire units to commit further crimes for his further benefit?!” Her voice has risen upward in tone and volume by now, her fury slowly revealing with every word she speaks.

“That’s the theory right now,” Taki calmly points out. “Once Ryotaro-kun comes back with his answers, then we can figure out how to handle that guy going forward. Until then? As an official advisor, I strongly recommend focusing on the suspects we have in custody right now…”

Kiriko hardly hears the rest of it, her world starting to spin around her fury-filled mind. How dare that man make her endure this assessment just for a long-due promotion, while he goes off to commit crimes and actively cause the police force to rot from the inside out…!

She then realizes that her husband is shaking her shoulder, and she looks down at her hands all clenched up on her desk. She then looks up at everyone staring at her in shock and concern. “...in any case, we will have to get Nogami-san's full story regarding his family's involvement soon. Until then, let's focus on those suspects in our custody. If you’ll excuse me…”

Kiriko quickly dismisses them, and proceeds to walk quickly towards the elevator, not even waiting for her husband to follow after her. Heading to the rooftop, she quickly found the special, half-automatic dummy setup just for her personal usage, and turned it on. Punch, kick, chop, block, parry… she loses herself to the steady rhythm of self-defense practice, venting all of her anger and frustration onto the dummy without having anyone see such fury from her…or the tears streaming down her face once she had finished. And she gets quite the workout, with the dummy being responsive enough to actually block and punch back in a pre-programmed manner. It’s not until she’s finished that she finally notices the tears rolling down her cheeks.

“I shouldn’t be crying…” she quietly sobs to herself, falling to her knees. “God damn hormones. But…for that awful man to do such corrupt things while trying to keep me from…from…” She wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. “No. No, I can't give in to such dark thoughts right now. Not ever, not when…” She puts a hand on her stomach, feeling that it’s starting to soften just a little from the growing life within her womb. “...our dear child…don't worry. Mama will make sure that those corrupt members won't corrupt the police force any longer. I promise, I'll help remove as many of them as I can, all before you're born…”

“And Papa will help.” Shinnosuke smiles as he peeks out from where he was hiding and watching. He walks over to kneel next to her, gently putting his hand over her hand on her stomach. “After all, we’re in this together. Right, partner?”

Kiriko smiles, despite a lingering sniffle or two. “Right…” She then hugs him for a brief moment, thinking that they’re still alone. “Together…together, we’ll clean all this rot out of the police force. Not just for our child’s sake, but for everyone’s sake as well.”

Shinnosuke nods as he helps her up onto her feet. “It’ll be worth it, especially if this really is little Eiji you’re carrying…”

Kiriko’s smile only grows brighter. “It just might be him…but we’ll see once we’re far enough along to check.” She then takes a deep breath to help her regain control of her emotions. “Until then, we should focus on those corrupt officers and their Imagin partners. Let’s go see how much information Kadoya and Hikari have extracted from them.”

Den-O: Wait, from another WORLD??

Decade: Yes. More specifically, a wrecked future version of another world. According to the Imagin suspects, they were brought to this world by their leader, who appears to have a device that allows cross-world travels.

Kuuga-Godai: It wouldn’t be anything that your former associates would’ve come up with, right?

Decade: Maybe George Yuki, but no guarantee. As it is, these Imagin feel more out of place in this world than I ever did.

Gatack: I’m still confused as to how some worlds are that advanced.

Di-End: Some worlds develop a little faster than others. Time flows differently in each world, so some could end up at a future date than this one, or even a previous era instead.

Kuuga-Onodera: Daiki’s right. The last two worlds we traveled thru seemed like they came straight out of some sci-fi anime series. So it’s not surprising that someone somewhere in that kind of world would develop that kind of device.

Kivaala: What’s worrying is that it’s some Imagin that has it in their hands. Even if they weren’t corrupt and causing trouble, it’s still a worrying situation.

Zeromus: Because most Imagin are idiots, right?

Kivaala: Exactly. No offense, you two, regarding your Imagin.

Den-O: None at all. Momotaros may be an extremely skilled fighter, but even he will admit that he isn't much of a genius for many other things.

Gatack: Regardless, that might help explain why so many of the 4th Precinct have gained Imagin partners without setting off any prior alarms. And I suspect the other reason is who their current leader is contracted to.

Drive: That senior commissioner, right?

Mach: He’s the prime suspect, at least. Speaking of which…any update on that case?

Gatack: We’re on our way to HQ right now to speak with Commander Midoku. The plan is to present his findings, and let Ryotaro take the lead as one of the victims’ family members.

Drive: Victims?

Den-O: Kagami-san’s been working on a cold case involving my grandfather’s death. There’s a potentially strong connection to that and that senior commissioner. We’ll explain things after we’re done presenting our findings to that commander, I promise.

Decade: Wait…your grandfather?!

Gatack: Like he said, we’ll explain everything later.

Mitsuri sits between Ryotaro and Natsuko in the office of Commander Midoku. Natsuko’s younger siblings and the twins have been relocated to Wataru’s home, and the sweet man has promised to keep them safe there until this whole situation is fully resolved. But she herself had insisted upon coming along, given that this is now confirmed to be tied to the cold case of her husband and his boyfriend. Thus, she’s dressed in her best outfit while that officer finishes presenting his findings to the Commander. Per Officer Kagami, Tenchi’s sister does remember them, and confirmed that she overheard their cousin Ryuuya having a very loud and passionate argument with her parents the last time he visited their home before her brother’s death. Apparently, her 10-year-old self was confused that someone would hate her brother so much just for dating another guy…

The commander himself looks genuinely surprised to hear that, as well as about the details of the deaths of Ryoji and Tenchi, plus all the horrible things the prime suspect has allowed to happen under his watch as a high-ranking police official. In fact, there were a couple points where he looked horrified or ashamed. And at the end…his face showed a mixture of both. “To think that Sugiyama is potentially involved with all of these monstrosities…dating back to his very cousin…” The commander turns to Mitsuri and Ryotaro, bowing deeply. “We of the Tokyo Metro Police clearly have failed your family. And for that, I sincerely apologize for this shameful error of judgement. Rest assured, I will personally help investigate this matter to the fullest so that such tragedies are never repeated, ever again. That much, we owe to your grandfather, his lover, and both of their families.”

“Thank you, Commander,” Mitsuri murmurs as she and her grandson bow back gratefully. “It sets my heart at ease to know that finally, after all these years, the mystery surrounding their deaths will finally be solved properly.”

“And do not worry about the Imagin we mentioned earlier,” Ryotaro reassures him. “It’s my job as Den-O to deal with them. So that angle of the situation? Please leave it to me and my companions.”

“In that case, would you be willing to work with SIU regarding that? It would help to know that at least one trusted unit is helping you with your duties…”

“Of course. In fact, they arrested a couple of officers with Imagin partners for trying to falsely arrest my grandmother earlier today.”

Commander Midoku's eyes widen in shock, and then settle with a determined look to them. “In that case, please inform the Tomaris that I expect their initial report on this case first thing tomorrow morning.”

“I will.”

Mitsuri sighs as she feels that burden on her heart grow a little lighter. “...I am still grateful that you are taking this very seriously…”

“What about him threatening my siblings, though?” Natsuko demands impatiently. “And his affair with our mother?”

“That part, I will personally investigate, double-check all the evidence you have given me, and present my findings to the Superintendent-General directly. In the meantime, I would be willing to arrange a proper police escort to protect your family…”

Natsuko shakes her head. “That won't be necessary; Ryotaro’s buddies are already helping to do that.” She pauses for a moment. “But…thanks for the offer. I think”

Amai smiles. “And thank you for being so willing to hear my clients out in full, Commander Midoku. If you need a point of contact for updating them on your progress, please let me be that contact on their behalf.”

“Of course. I look forward to working with you in the coming days, Amai-san…”

Everyone gets up to bow and leave the office. Once they were out in the hallway, Natsuko breathed a big sigh of relief. “Thank God you volunteered to speak with him,” she was telling Amai. “Just being here still puts me on edge a bit…”

“Still, I'm glad that you helped bring that case before my superior,” Kagami points out. “And seriously, if you need extra help? You can just ask me and anyone over at SIU.”

“Hmn…I'll keep it in mind…but only because you guys work with folks like my cousin here…!”

Mitsuri smiles as she looks at Ryotaro. “I'm just happy that, after all these years…the mystery around Ryoji's and Tenchi's deaths will finally be solved. Such knowledge already sets my heart at ease….”

“And mine as well, Grandmother.”

She then gives him a serious look. “Just please be careful when you do deal with those troublesome beings - you and the others.”

“We will do our best, Grandmother,” Ryotaro reassures her. “In the meantime, we should get you home…or would you want to drop by the Milk Dipper instead?”

“Let’s go see your sister and her family. I want to personally update them on what’s been going on lately, and I do want to see cute little Hana-chan as well…”

Godai peaks around the corner, eying the derelict apartment building. He can see a guy walking towards it while trailing sand from his ankles, and so he keeps his distance as he trails him all the way up to the fencing around the building. He catches a couple of glimpses of Imagin from an upper floor, but those monsters didn’t spot him before they ducked back inside.

And then young Onodera quietly catches up to him. “So Gou-san’s intel was right,” He whispers to his older counterpart. “What do we do?”

“There’s probably stairs leading up,” Godai whispers back. “I’ll head up and try to locate their leader, while you try and poke around down here to see if they may be holding unwilling hosts captive.”

“You’re sure about going up on your own? You’re in the middle of your cycle…” Onodera’s concerns are well founded, given that they’re counterparts of each other…

But Godai smiles and gives him a thumbs up. “It’s all under control, don’t worry. Kaoru and I have made certain about that. Just take care to not get possessed by them.”

“You, too…”

They split off, and Godai doesn’t take very long to find the stairwell. Thankfully, it is empty, and he quietly tip-toes up, pausing at each level to see if there’s any hints of their leaders. None so far for the first six levels. And then at the seventh, he hears a lone Imagin half-asleep near the doorway. Carefully, he creeps out to subdue the monster, before silently moving down the hall. A cracked-open door with a broken handle catches his attention, and he peeks through the opening to see within…

And there he is - Senior Commissioner Sugiyama, having a serious discussion with a serpent Imagin. “...still can’t believe that he actually suspended me for trying to set the assessment straight…!”

“I told you to not intervene any further regarding that woman,” The Imagin points out. “But no matter… We are close to getting the rest of the others out of this thing.” He holds up some kind of glowing crystal orb embedded in some circular device - a device that appears to have Grongi writing engraved all over it. The realization makes Godai’s blood turn to ice.

So that’s the device Kadoya-kun mentioned, Godai thought. But for there to be a world where the Grongi dealt with the Imagin instead…did their Linto help their native neighbors? Or was it just a horrible situation all around for everyone involved?

“We will need hosts for all of them involved, given how many you mentioned they are…” Sugiyama rubs his chin. “...are you certain that you can bring forth enough to possess everyone in HQ all at once?”

“Very certain, Ryuuya. Once we do, we’ll be able to infiltrate the remaining precincts, and leave SIU in isolation. And naturally, we can even possess those pesky Kamen Riders as well. And since your people, the Linto of this world, got rid of the last of this world’s Grongi, there will be no worry about having any of us sealed back into this orb.” The serpent Imagin sighs in frustration. “The real threat is Den-O - this world’s Singularity Point. Who knows what kind of powers he may have, or whether or not his allies have similar powers…”

“He is but one of very few, yes? So long as we can isolate him from his fellow Riders, and deprive him of their aid, it should be easy to take them down. In fact…I think we could do that for each and every one, if we time it right. We can start with those who are already part of the police force, see if we can nab a member of SIU that way…”

Godai has heard enough, he felt. Now, he has to find Onodera, have them both sneak out of the building, get back to his bike, and activate the police radio comm in his bike’s helmet. But even as he starts to sneak back towards the stairwell, he hears some gagged mumbling coming from the room next door. He peeks into the room…and gasps as he sees the Superintendent-General himself bound and gagged on some ratty futon. “Hang on,” He hisses as he slowly opens the door. “I’ll get you out of here…!”

But then he feels his hand brushing up against something slithering around on the floor, and he instantly knew that he was in trouble. Within seconds, he’s bound by rope-like snakes, with one of them wrapping its body around his mouth to gag him. He tries to break free, but they are surprisingly resilient despite his enhanced strength.

And then Sugiyama appears behind him, and he can hear that nasally chuckle that sounds so very wicked. “Well, well…if it isn’t the man rumored to be Ichijou’s roommate…! But you’re more than that, aren’t you…” The evil man yanks on Godai’s hair to make him look up at him. “...you’re a sick fag, like he is!”

Godai glares defiantly at those remarks, even as he feels that gag being removed from his mouth. “I’m his partner,” He spat out. “And you’re not going to get away with what you’re planning to do next…!”

“Oh, really? But I already have completed stage one…and now, we can both see just how far Ichijou is willing to go to save your sorry ass, once he learns of your…predicament…!”

Chapter Text

Grandmother’s visit to the Milk Dipper went very well. Airi and her family were ecstatic to have her around, and Hana even let her great-grandmother hold and cuddle her for a full ten minutes before she got the itch to play with her toys. And Airi had insisted upon Grandmother staying overnight as a precaution, which sets Ryotaro’s mind at ease.

Hence, him spending the evening over at Wataru’s place. His cousins went to bed shortly after dinner, being so full and feeling so safe. Even Natsuko conceded that she shouldn't take the first watch, given that Kivat and Tatsulot tend to do a very good job keeping an eye on things now that they're also raising Kivat the 4th. Which is why Ryotaro sits on the couch, Sakura in his arms while Yozora and Masao play with stuffed animals next to him.

Wataru smiles as he sits on the other side of him on the couch. “I'm glad that things seem to be finally coming to a conclusion.”

“It’s starting to feel like it, yes,” Ryotaro agrees. “We still need to deal with all of those Imagin. But if any of them surrender, I will insist that they'd be treated like any regular suspect.”

“Of course you would insist upon that…” Wataru kisses his cheek. “But that's why I love you so much.”

Ryotaro smiles a little shyly. “It’s only fair…” He then grew serious. “But I know many of them won't. So it may take another day or two until this is fully resolved…”

“It’s no worries. This is what you're supposed to deal with as Den-O, right? I don't mind keeping everyone safe here until this is fully resolved.”

“Thank you,” Ryotaro murmurs gratefully, just before he gently kisses Wataru on the cheek.

Wataru kisses him back, full on the lips, lingering just a moment longer than expected before he pulls back a little. “In that case, do you think you have a few moments to further discuss those housing plots from the other day?”

“I do, yes. Let's go over them real quick before the children's bedtime…” It was nice, being able to have a ‘normal’ conversation as a break from everything that's been happening the last few days. It helped Ryotaro relax as they went over the plot sizes, how to combine them into one big plot, and potential plans for the house they intend to build on that large plot. Of course, it took more than a few moments thanks to the kids wanting their attention every other minute. But Ryotaro didn't mind it at all; it just helps him relax further, knowing that he's spending time with them and Wataru, safe and secure as they start planning more for their future together after this latest crisis is fully resolved…

Ichijou paces around the hotel suite that evening, not feeling his nerves calm down one bit. Godai was late - far later than expected for a long patrol. And there's been no call, no text - no kind of communication update whatsoever regarding his status, or even just a quick message to reassure him that he’s alive and in one piece… He glances at the food growing cold on the table. He had taken great care to get takeout from Godai's family's restaurant, making sure to order the other man’s favorite dishes from that place. But all of that will be wasted if he doesn't hear something back regarding his partner very soon…

And then his cell phone rings, and Ichijou's heart eases for a moment as he immediately recognizes Godai's number on the caller ID. “Yuusuke!’ He answers in audible relief. “Are you alright? Is everything okay where you're currently at?”

But the voice on the other line is not who he expected. Instead of the usual voice of his partner, he hears wicked chuckling from the last person he'd expect to receive a call from at this time. “Such concern for your so-called partner! I'm almost impressed…if it didn't already make me feel sick.”

Ichijou's blood freezes for a moment. “...Senior Commissioner Sugiyama,” he quietly states. “Why…why do you have his phone? What's going on?”

“I have his phone because he's currently unable to answer it right now. One could say that he's rather tied up in certain things at the moment…”

Ichijou's grip on his phone tightens a bit. “What are you trying to do to him? Why do you have him in your custody? On what charges are you holding him for?”

“He’s not under arrest - not yet. But my, it would be terrible if he found himself in jail for the things I can charge him for right now…”

“A good lawyer can help clear him of those false charges.” Ichijou's voice is steady and firm, despite his pulse racing in deep concern.

“You have a lot of faith that the system will actually help you this time, don't you?”

“It has not failed us when it mattered the most.”

“Even if he ends up, say…possessed and going mad from it?”

Ichijou's blood freezes further into ice. “...you can do whatever the hell you want with me. But don't you dare lay a finger on him…!”

“My, such concern for a so-called roommate! Are you really that worried that he'd be hurt?”

“Sugiyama, you truly have no idea what you're playing with right now. For all our sakes, let him go, before you do something we will all regret.”

“You are in no position to be making demands from me - especially when I can easily make both of your lives a living hell. You should've never denied my request, Ichijou, and I will make sure you pay for it through him…!”

“Leave him alone! He has nothing to do with what has happened between us! If you want to settle whatever issues you have with me, then I'll meet you wherever you are right now. But please let him go, before you make it any worse…!”

“Then would you do anything for him? Such as…what I want you to do for me?”

Ichijou then realizes the trap he just stepped into. And he finds himself gritting his teeth in frustration and anguish. “...what do you want?” He quietly conceded.

“What I've been asking you to do all along - make sure that Sergeant Tomari never gets her promotion. If you do me that small favor…I will let your precious companion go. Oh, and don't even think of telling anyone at SIU about this--”

And then he hears muffled shouting in the background of the call, and some other man growling for the gagged person to be quiet before hitting him loudly.

“Yuusuke–! You monster…leave him alone!”

“Then you'll do it? You'll actually do what I asked so that he doesn't get hit again?”

Ichijou's fist clenches at his side. He knew that if Godai gets free, he can probably handle himself. But in his current state, it could end up worse than expected…and it seems like they may have found something strong enough to keep him bound. He just needs to buy enough time to find whoever can help him in this case. “...fine. I'll do it. But don't you dare do anything else to him, or I will personally arrest you, and take you down with me…!”

Sugiyama cackles wickedly, almost triumphant in tone. “As if you can stop me now, Ichijou! But I strongly recommend getting to work first thing tomorrow morning. And remember - no squealing to SIU about this.”

“I won't say a thing to them.”

“Heh…good boy…!”

And then the call ended, leaving Ichijou burning with humiliation and worry. He sinks into the nearest chair, letting his phone clatter onto the table as he sinks his face into his hands. His heart aches at the idea of Yuusuke being held captive, especially when he has not had his regular ‘help’ with his cycle tonight. Even if Godai can heal quickly from any wounds, the idea of them accidentally triggering some kind of instinctive rampage due to his cycle terrifies the man. But it also chafes him to even think of falsifying his assessment just to save his partner…

Just as Ichijou was deciding to seek help anyway, his phone rang again - this time from Kadoya. “...yes, Kadoya?” The older man answered.

“Have you heard anything back about your Kuuga?”

Ichijou hesitates for a moment. “Nothing directly from him, no. Why?”

“Because mine is MIA. Last I heard, he was supposed to have been with your Kuuga on patrol this afternoon.”

Fear sinks its claws deeper into Ichijou's heart. “...so they may have both of them?” The words slipped out before he could stop himself.

“What do you mean?” Kadoya's voice grows sharp in its tone. “What’s going on, Ichijou?”

It’s very likely that Sugiyama may not know yet that Decade is back in this world. Perhaps it may be safe to be honest with him about the current situation… “...Senior Commissioner Sugiyama has my Yuusuke captured. He's trying to blackmail me with him, because of our…relationship…”

A pause for a few moments. “He has the means to keep a Kuuga bound for more than a few moments?”

“Apparently. And worse…” he hesitates again. “...are you aware that those who are Kuuga can go through certain cycles?”

There's another pause, followed by a groan of disbelief. “Don't tell me…!”

“Yes…he's in the middle of one.”

“And they don't have a clue about the walking time bomb in their midst…!” He can hear Kadoya pacing around.

“No, they don't. As much as I want to stop Sugiyama and whoever else is aiding him, I don't want to do so by having that man's blood on Yuusuke's hands…”

“Not unless he's given no other choice. Which means we need to find where they’re holding him as soon as possible.”

“Agreed. I just don’t know where to start looking…”

“I can check with SIU to see where they were patrolling last; we can start along that path and go from there.”

“Good idea. There’s also his bike - it was created by Tokyo Metro Police, and thus we should be able to track it down if it’s still active--” Ichijou is interrupted, however, by the ping of a text message. He holds the phone away enough to see the following text:

Kadoya, Ichijou-san, we found Onodera. Please come to the medical wing, both of you.

“...did you get that text, too?” Ichijou inquires.

“I did, yeah. I’ll meet you down there.”

“Right…!” Once the call ends, Ichijou looks at the food spread out across the table. “...better wrap this up quickly so that it doesn’t go to waste…” Maybe his appetite will return after he gets back from SIU’s medical wing…

Godai feels the concussion fading from that blow a bit earlier. Thank God, his accelerated healing is as good as ever. At least he can think a little clearer as he gazes around him. Surrounded by Imagin, several of which are giving him wary or unsettled looks…

And not one of them is Ichijou. That damn cycle of his isn't hampered by his current predicament, and indeed, he feels that itch crawling just beneath his skin more than ever. But his partner is nowhere near this place, and his instincts are starting to realize that by making him try and leave this place. But these rope-like snakes are far stronger than they look; he just can't seem to break free so easily…!

A canine Imagin whines as their snake leader approaches them. “Boss, are you sure he's a Linto? He reeks like a married Grongi…!”

“He could be the one surviving half-breed rumored about - the one that took the Linto side when this world's Grongi chose to resume their blood games. But no matter - he can't break free right now; my little children are too strong to be ripped apart so easily. Just make sure that traitor doesn't come back and possess him to try and free him, too. And don't possess him yourselves - not unless I give the order to do so…!”

Traitor? One of them switched sides? Godai silently wondered. Was that why I thought I heard fighting a little while ago? I thought it was just Onodera battling his way to freedom. But if one of the Imagin had joined him, helped him even…maybe he can warn them about their plans. Maybe, they can stop them in time…

And then he feels a surge of Need wash over his body, making him cringe a little. He swallows any moans, doing his best to not squirm. Damn this cycle…my body is slowly going to drive me insane until I get back to Kaoru. I have to get out of here, have to get back to the hotel… He tries to untie the knots around his wrists, since they seem low enough for his fingers to grasp. But as soon as he thinks he feels it loosening, the snake part of the rope comes alive and bites a finger, making him yelp a little into his gag. Oh dear…poison. Hopefully not too strong for my healing to quickly deal with it. But this is still not good; I still can’t get free. Kaoru, please…come find me soon…come free me and take me home…

It doesn’t take long to race down there to SIU, and Ichijou finds himself rushing through the halls as he heads towards the medical wing. He meets up with Kadoya and the others of his group right outside one of the patient rooms, where Onodera rests in one of the patient’s beds. The younger man looks a bit bruised up, but nothing that screams serious injuries upon first look. In fact, Onodera’s face lights up as soon as he sees his companions. “You guys made it…!”

“Yuusuke…!” Natsumi rushes towards him, shortly followed by Tsukasa and Daiki. “I’m so glad that you’re okay…”

“What happened?” Daiki demands.

“Sorry; I got caught by all those Imagin, and ended up being forced to play host to one of them for a while. But that Imagin…he himself wasn’t too happy with how things have been proceeding with his fellows, and he wanted to break away - stop helping them with their wicked deeds and such. So we worked out an agreement, and we helped each other escape from that group.”

“Godai…” Ichijou pauses for a brief moment. “...was Godai with you?”

“He was, but he snuck off to try and find their leaders…that was before I got caught. I’m sorry, Ichijou-san, but I haven’t seen or heard anything from him since then.”

Ichijou sees the genuine remorse on Onodera’s face, and slowly nods in understanding. “I understand; you were being held hostage, and thus wouldn’t have been able to have known what might have happened to him… Is that Imagin here with you?”

“No; Shinnosuke-san is interrogating him right now for information. He went willingly, though, and really wants to help stop them. I think he genuinely had a change of heart…”

“You're sure there's nothing seriously broken?” Tsukasa inquires, a genuinely concerned air about him.

“No, nothing that bad. And even if it was…well, you know how quickly I heal.” And there's that reassuring smile, the same kind of smile Godai would give Ichijou in such situations. In a way, the older man couldn't help but feel a little jealous of Godai's counterpart and his group.

Yuusuke…my Yuusuke…please, don't lose yourself until I find you, and free you…hopefully with the help of these younger people. If you can somehow free yourself and escape, all the better. But if you can’t…please hold out until I can find you…until I can rescue you from that bastard's clutches…!

Chapter Text

It was after 3am when the call came, waking Ryotaro up from his slumber. Untangling himself from Wataru’s arms, he slides over to the nightstand and picks up his phone. “H-hello?” He asks sleepily.

“Sorry to wake you, but this is urgent.”

Hearing Tsukasa’s voice immediately woke Ryotaro up fully, making him sit right up. “What’s wrong, Tsukasa-san?”

“That senior commissioner trying to keep SIU’s leader from getting her overdue promotion? Turns out that he’s directly connected to the leader of that group of Imagin that had quietly taken over the 4th Precinct. One of his foot soldiers defected to our side, confirming that and many other things to the Tomaris in the last few hours.”

That makes Ryotaro’s world tilt a bit. “...so by being directly connected, you mean…”

“Their leader has a contract with him. Still don’t know the wish yet, but it’s an active one. We need your help…and we need to know how exactly this is connected to your family.”

Ryotaro takes a deep breath to settle himself. “Right…I’ll be there as soon as I can. You’re still down there, right?”

“Yeah. Yuusuke - our Yuusuke - brought the defector back with him when he broke free from being a temporary hostage of theirs. This world’s Yuusuke, though…he might still be in trouble, based on how his partner’s behaving.”

“Ichijou-san must be extremely worried for him, isn’t he…? Don’t worry; I’ll meet you there very soon.”

“Good. And Ryotaro? Does your Imagin know about the connections to your family?”

“They do, yes. So please don’t ask for them to wake up unless we immediately need their aid.”

There was a heavy pause on the other end of the line. “...alright. But tell me as soon as that idiot, at least, is up and about.”

A small smile graces Ryotaro’s face, immediately knowing who Tsukasa was referring to. “Don’t worry; I’ll let you know as soon as Momotaros wakes up.”

“Good.” A brief pause. “...thanks. I’ll see you soon, then.”

“See you soon.”

Just as Ryotaro ends the call, Wataru begins to stir. “Mnnn…wha wuz that?”

“Yuusuke-san - Tsukasa-san's companion Yuusuke - helped one of those Imagin escape and defect to our side. They need my help, and it can't wait until morning.”

Wataru slowly sits up as Ryotaro rises out of bed. “Must be very urgent, if he’s the one contacting you…”

“Mn, I thought so as well.” Ryotaro switches out of his pajamas and into one of his outfits that he keeps over here at Wataru’s home. “They also…they also want to know about Grandfather, and everything going on with my family that's connected to all of this.”

Wataru slides out of bed to hug Ryotaro from behind. “I know it won't be easy. But if there's any group that can help you put that man behind bars for what he's done? It's them - SIU.”

“I know…and I'm grateful that we can help each other in regards to this case. It's just…I'm still worried about what I'd do if I saw that man in person.”

Wataru continues to hold him close to himself in a comforting manner. “If it was me? I'd be tempted to kill him, even if he's human. But I know you wouldn't - that’s not you. And in any case…you'd be fully justified to give him at least one hard punch, if not several.”

Ryotaro leans back against Wataru for a moment. “You may be right…and Momotaros did promise to keep me from going too far…”

“And I'm glad that he did.” Wataru tilts Ryotaro’s chin up and around so that he could kiss him tenderly. “Regardless. I know you'll do the right thing.”

“Mn…thank you…” Ryotaro kisses him one more time before pulling away. “I have to go. Let me know if anything else comes up around here?”

“Of course, I will. Now go - go and stop those foes as Den-O…!”

The Denliner really was the best way to get down there to SIU. Not only was it the fastest method, but Naomi also whipped up a cup of strong coffee to help wake him up further. So he was able to rest at a table and sip his coffee for a few moments, letting himself be lost to thought until he reached his destination.

He found himself stepping right into the main office area, spooking Shinnosuke by accident. “Ah - sorry, Shinnosuke-san,” he apologizes with a small bow. “I didn't mean to surprise you like that.”

“No - no worries,” the detective stammers as he tries to make himself calm down

Ryotaro looks around. Kiriko is there, standing next to her husband. Ichijou is sitting at a nearby desk, looking like he's bearing a heavy weight on his shoulders. And Tsukasa is huddled with his group in a nearby corner. At this early hour, he's not surprised that there doesn't seem to be anyone else here. “Tsukasa-san said that you needed me to explain a few things?”

“Yes; please sit.” Kiriko gestures to a nearby chair. Once he does, she begins. “As you are aware, we're dealing with a silent invasion of Imagin taking over the 4th Precinct. They’re aided by many of the officers, of whom most are willing to help them further commit crimes while still being part of the police force. We just got confirmation that their leader appears to be contracted with Senior Commissioner Sugiyama Ryuuya.” She pauses. “I…am given to understand that he has some connections to your family?”

“He does, yes…and not good ones, either. We just recently learned that it goes as far back as my grandfather’s death. And…I still am uncertain how I'm supposed to act if I ever meet him in person.”

The Tomaris exchange a look between each other.

“Would you mind explaining those connections to us?” Ichijou inquires quietly. “They could help fill in what few gaps we still have regarding the full situation.”

“Yes, of course…” Ryotaro then proceeds to explain everything - the affair with his aunt, the attack on his cousins, the attempts to arrest his grandmother in order to silence her as well… He pauses just for a moment, before slowly explaining his grandfather’s story as well, taking his time to keep his emotions in check as he goes over the revelation that yes, Sugiyama may be directly connected to the events surrounding his grandfather’s death. “...in truth, I just want to stop him,” Ryotaro finishes. “I want to stop him before he ruins any further lives with his horrible actions…”

Stunned silence fills the air, even as most of the others dabs their eyes with handkerchiefs.

“...have you attempted to inform anyone at HQ yet?” Kiriko finally asks.

“We have, yes. Kagami-san introduced us to Commander Midoku, who has agreed to open a formal investigation into Sugiyama based on the evidence we presented to him. I believe he wants us to coordinate with your unit, since that man is connected to the Imagin.”

Shinnosuke nods. “I'm not surprised about that. We'll give him our initial report in a few hours here.”

“Just please let us handle Sugiyama personally, and focus on stopping the Imagin and all their other accomplices,” Kiriko adds.

Ryotaro smiles and nods. “That may be for the best, given my personal feelings about the whole situation… Thank you, all of you, for your help.” He then realizes something. “Speaking of Imagin…Tsukasa-san mentioned that one had defected and is helping us now…”

“His name is Seiginosuke,” Yuusuke helpfully explains. “He helped me escape from their clutches this past evening, and gave us all the intel he could offer. He's genuinely remorseful, and wants to redeem himself for the past crimes he was personally involved in. We can take you to him, if you'd like…”

Ryotaro smiles and nods. “I do want to meet him, yes, and at least have a talk with him as to why he changed his mind.”

“Before you do, we need your help on how to tackle that building that the Imagin appear to regularly gather in,” Shinnosuke inquires. “Would you mind helping us lay out some basic groundwork on an assault plan?”

Ryotaro ponders over it for a moment, and then nods in a serious manner. “I will help with the planning…”

Kiriko has hardly slept, and she knows that Shinnosuke and Ichijou are in similar states. But they’re all running on adrenaline and caffeine as they march through the halls of HQ later that morning, folders of evidence in their hands. Kiriko is especially determined to get all three of them heard as high up the chain of command as possible, especially given what’s at stake here.

Thankfully, Commander Midoku is at his office, and warmly welcomes them all. He himself grows very stern as he reads everything over, though. “...this is far worse than I had feared,” he finally murmurs as he sets down the last page. “The affair and financial malpractices alone is enough to guarantee that the heads of HQ would make him resign. But given his direct association to this new threat, much less his connections to a prior double-murder cold case…”

“Commander, we really insist that this is brought before the Superintendent-General as quickly as possible,” Kiriko informs him.

Midoku nods in agreement. “Yes, I agree that the Superintendent-General himself should handle this crisis directly. Thankfully, he appears to have returned after a brief absence - a brief illness, from what I’ve been informed. Let us go to his office right now and present your findings to him, before Sugiyama has a chance to try and twist the truth in his ear.”

Everyone nods, and they follow the commander up to the highest floor of HQ. But as soon as they step out of the elevator, Kiriko holds up a hand. “Wait a moment…look at the floor.”

Sand. Trails of sand zigzagging all over the main reception area…and the receptionist is not within sight. In fact, no one seems to be around…and that puts Kiriko on edge. Normally, there’s a couple of people coming and going, and there’s the occasional person from the media that would be waiting around for any potential commentary or interviews…

Ichijou immediately reaches for his gun, but stops upon Midoku’s signal. “We need to find the Superintendent-General…”

“There’s no need for that.” The man they’re seeking steps out of his office…and appears to be dripping with sand. In his right hand is some kind of device with a glowing orb at its center…and what can only be Grongi symbols engraved all over it. “As you can see…he is right here, even if he can’t exactly hear you four right now.”

All of them tense as the full implications hit them. “...you bastard,” Shinnosuke spits out in growing fury. “Where’s Sugiyama?!”

“Around…making sure that my people have suitable hosts to claim.” The Imagin laughs wickedly as the device glows brighter for a few moments.

“Sergeant Tomari,” Commander Midoku states in a firm and official tone. “Under Section 12, part 8, paragraph C, I am authorizing full autonomy for the Special Investigation Unit until HQ has been freed of these fiends. Flee! Flee, and go gather as many Kamen Riders as possible in order to free the entire police force from this invasion!”

“But Commander--”

“That’s an order, Sergeant! Go, all of you!” Midoku whips out his gun and shoots at the device. His bullet bounces off, but it’s enough to make the Imagin growl angrily.

Ichijou grabs one of Kiriko’s arms, and Shinnosuke grabs the other arm. Together, both of them drag her back into the elevator. She tries to resist at first, but that ends as soon as some new Imagin comes out of the device and possesses the commander, right before the elevator door closes.

“...what did he mean by full authority?” Ichijou inquires after a few moments of heavy silence.

“...it means…” Kiriko takes a deep breath to steady herself. “It means that we run separately from the chain of command completely, until we can free or restore that same chain of command. It's a fail-safe we both insisted upon when we first restored SIU, just in case enemies somehow took over HQ again - like some of the Roidmudes did a few years back. By being fully autonomous, we can make all decisions and implement all required actions, regardless of prior constraints from HQ or just the general rules and guidelines of the police force.”

“In any other hands, it would be worrying for one unit to have such power and authority,” Shinnosuke admits. “But we only asked for that clause specifically for this kind of situation.” He then sighs heavily. “I didn't think that it would be invoked so soon…”

Kiriko shakes her head. “Neither did I. But we can discuss that after we get out of here…”

Drive: HQ has fallen into enemy hands! I repeat, Tokyo Metropolitan Police HQ has fallen into enemy hands! Do not go there under any circumstances! Come straight to SIU immediately!

Sage: What? What happened??

Drive: Those Imagin that had infected the 4th Precinct have made a very bold move - one that we were not prepared for. Their leader is possessing the Superintendent-General himself, and he and Sugiyama are in the middle of having more Imagin take over as many other officials at HQ as possible.

Decade: Was it that device our defecting Imagin talked about? The one where many of their companions were still stored within?

Drive: I believe so. It was covered in Grongi writing, but we didn’t have time to even get a quick picture before we were forced to retreat.

Den-O: Are there truly that many Imagin?

Decade: Maybe even more, is my guess. Still, this does explain why I got pulled back into this world recently, given that they’re not supposed to be in this world - this timeline at all.

Saga: They’re not going to try and force SIU to obey their leader, are they?

Drive: No. Before we lost him to the Imagin, Commander Midoku issued an order to give SIU full autonomy in this time of crisis. Until we can free HQ and the police force in general from these Imagin invaders, we’re completely independent from the normal chain of command. Which is why Kiriko is requesting to have as many Riders and allies to come to our base as possible within the next hour or two.

Den-O: In that case, I can go gather up everyone on the Denliner, if they can’t make it during that time frame otherwise.

Drive: I would normally say yes, but we really need you here at base right now.

Zeromus: Besides, I can go get them instead with ZeroLiner, and this is certainly something where they’ll need both our help anyway.

Den-O: That’s true. Thank you, Yuuto. Please help gather as many people as you can.

Saga: As soon as I get the warning out to my people, I’ll be down there myself.

Garren: Is there any way we can block them from possessing us?

Meteor: Tomoko’s been hellbent on making anti-possession charms the last couple of days, based on what I was just informed. Apparently, she got one of her cryptic warnings in a tea leaves reading. I don’t know how effective they would be against Imagin, but we can test it with the few Imagin we know to be friendly.

Ghost: If they do end up working? I can help make more as needed.

Meteor: I’d be really grateful if you could. She’s exhausted herself deeply making as many as she has so far. Thankfully, shoving a bowl of her favorite dish into her hands has helped make her take a break right now, according to Yuki.

Fourze: Yuki’s a great cook, isn’t she? :Db I’m glad that she came back to visit us around this time; Tomoko could really use one of the others to help support her supporting us!

Meteor: I fully agree. Let's see if any of the other club's alumni can help support her as well.

Decade: You can test those charms on me, Natsumi and our Yuusuke. Ryotaro just confirmed that Momotaros can help with the testing.

Fourze: Your group is the best, Tsukasa-senpai!

Decade: I’m only saying that because the results wouldn’t be as accurate if we used Ryotaro instead, given his relationship with that red idiot.

Kuuga-Godai: My, you Riders are far more active than I ever expected! Then again, I presume it’s from constantly tackling threats both large and small?

Drive: Wait, what?

Decade: You’re not Godai. Who are you?

Kuuga-Godai: Ah, yes, allow me to introduce myself to most of you properly. I am Senior Commissioner Sugiyama Ryuuya, and Godai is currently too tied up to respond right now.

Drive: Sugiyama! What have you done with Godai?!

Kuuga-Godai: Now, now, is that any way to respond to your superior, Detective Tomari? Just because SIU’s decided to go fully rogue doesn’t mean that you get to disrespect your superiors like this.

Drive: You little bastard

Den-O: What do you want? Why are you doing this? Don’t you care about serving and protecting the people of Tokyo?!

Kuuga-Godai: ‘Serve and protect’? Hah! We police officers are supposed to be the real heroes that people should look up to, not you Kamen Riders! You bunch of vigilantes and MONSTERS…and FAGS!

Saga: You truly disappoint me, Senior Commissioner. I was given the impression that the Tokyo Metropolitan Police was extremely dedicated to being a fair and supportive pillar of society. Especially after it was freed from the Roidmude by one of the very Riders you wish to condemn - one of your fellow police officers, in fact. I was also under the impression that it was making strides on being a more inclusive institution by helping female officers gain their due promotions…

Kuuga-Godai: Women should never have joined the main police force in the first place! They belong at home, in the kitchen or working part-time jobs while the children are at school! They don’t deserve any position of leadership whatsoever!

Decade: Wow. You’re a real piece of work. It’s a miracle that our fearless leader hasn’t literally kicked your ass yet.

Kuuga-Godai: I’d like to see your living legends try!

Decade: I wasn’t talking about any male leader, Sugiyama.

Kuuga-Godai: What?

Drive: This is Sergeant Kiriko Tomari. Senior Commissioner Sugiyama, I must warn you that we now have more than ample evidence to secure arrest warrants for you and your associates, both human and Imagin. I must also give you this one warning: Let every hostage and unwilling host go, and turn yourselves in - all of you. Should you surrender and plead guilty, we will gladly work in full cooperation with your defense attorneys on any and all plea deals. However, should you refuse and instead insist upon continuing this hostile takeover? We will have no choice but to stop you and your associates - by force, if necessary - and charge you to the fullest extent of the law.

Kuuga-Godai: How DARE you try and command me, Sergeant!?! You’re nothing but a mere WOMAN! You don’t deserve to be in charge of anything other than your tiny little kitchen in your tiny little apartment! I am far above you, not just in rank, but also because I am a MAN!

Chalice: And you're a bigger fool if you think it safe or wise to insult a warrior like her.

Mach: Yeah, no. I don’t think any of us are going to keep my sister from utterly wrecking you now. He’s all yours, Nee-chan.

Den-O: Just don’t kill him. I want to see him stand trial for his crimes. All of them.

Kuuga-Godai: You ignorant FOOLS! I and my partner Imagin have taken over HQ! We are in command of the full police force now, and there’s nothing you can do to stop us without putting hundreds - no, THOUSANDS of lives at risk! You have no hope, so surrender! Surrender yourselves to us very soon!

Beast: You really don’t know us at all, do you?

W-Right: I just blocked his connection for the next 24 hours. We should be able to speak freely again in this group chat during that time frame.

Drive: Even so, let’s just focus on gathering in person and work on our plans that way, as a precaution.

Chapter Text

Momotaros leans backwards against the one-way glass, arms folded loosely against his chest. He doesn’t need to see through the glass to know what’s going on in that interrogation room; he can just look through Ryotaro’s eyes. Tsukasa’s standing next to him anyway, seeing everything with his own eyes as they both listened in…

“...so you never wanted to alter the timeline? To risk damaging it?” Ryotaro was inquiring with the Imagin who defected - the one who calls himself Seiginosuke.

The Imagin, a rather handsome-looking eagle-type, shakes his head. “No, I personally did not. I knew that we would have to carve out our place in whichever timeline we were in, but not to the point of truly causing that kind of chaos. I merely wish to help my brethren secure a new home for ourselves, and to fend off any threats. And in the timeline we first found ourselves in, it seemed like a valid thing to do. The Grongi were merciless at times, always eager to strike - sometimes without warning. And their Linto allies…they did not discourage them from such tactics, either. We had to fight, and fight in any way possible, in order to even survive, much less find our place in that world.”

Momotaros can feel the deep concern swelling within his partner. “That’s horrible,” Ryotaro mutters. “But what about when you first arrived here in this world? This timeline?”

“That…that’s where things felt different. Here, I began to realize how few battles there were to fight. True, much of it is due to no Grongi in this area. But even among the Linto - your people - it feels so…peaceful. But the nagging need to carve out our safe place still ruled us at first, and that’s why we claimed that building. It’s why we found willing hosts among those police officers at first. Fellow warriors willing to fight and work alongside us for the first time…it felt gratifying. For a few days, I thought we were okay. But then…” The Imagin hesitates.

“...but then? What happened?”

“...our leader met that man - Sugiyama. And most of us agreed to do what our new Linto partners wanted to do. Only…it wasn’t things to be expected of warriors. Instead of hunting down threats, we became those threats. It took me a while to realize it, but it hit me one evening, when my former partner was threatening some poor youth at a shop to let us walk out without trading any of that so-called ‘money’ for our supplies. It felt…wrong. Improper. And that’s when I began to realize what was really going on. We were becoming the very thing I thought we were fighting against. And I…I couldn’t abide that for much longer. So…”

Ryotaro’s smile echoes in his voice. “...so you chose to no longer follow their path. You wanted to be free, to live a more honorable life. Is that it?”

“Yes.” Seiginosuke nods firmly. “Yes, that’s exactly it. Only…I don’t know how much longer your people will let me live. But I will treasure every moment.”

“Let you live? What do you mean?” Ryotaro’s confusion is mixed with some concern.

“I’m an invading foe. Surely, your people would not let me live beyond my usefulness, right?”

“Wha…? Why would you say that? That’s not how we treat criminal suspects!”

“It--it isn’t?”

“No!” Ryotaro quickly shakes his head. “Unless you actually killed a human, there’s no reason to sentence you to the death penalty! You’ve done nothing that would make the courts want to give out that kind of sentencing! At most, you’ll just spend time in jail and then…and then, once you’re out? You can start living a peaceful life - start integrating into our society…”

The Imagin seems dumbfounded by this revelation. “You mean…I will be allowed to live? Even after all this is over, and I have spent some time in this ‘jail’ as punishment?”

“That’s right. You’ll be able to live freely, so long as you don’t cause any further trouble…”

“And you…you can guarantee that…as this world’s Singularity Point?”

“I can, yes…even if I wasn’t the Singularity Point, I can guarantee it. This unit is meant to ensure that anyone who isn’t human is still treated fairly, even if they’re criminal suspects…”

The Imagin’s shoulders begin to shake as he bows his head. “I…I can live, a-after I’m punished…I can live…and - and be allowed to pick a n-new host and…and be remembered…” The sobs, once started, seem to pour out like torrential rain - a sign of joy and relief as he finally understood that he wasn’t a doomed prisoner.

As Ryotaro hands him a handkerchief, Momotaro glances over at Tsukasa. There seems to be a cloud of emotions on his human friend’s face. “...makes you wonder just how many more could be among them, who thinks like him,” The Red Imagin inquires. “Wanting to not be bad guys, but afraid that they’d be killed regardless…”

“...somewhat,” Tsukasa replies softly, quietly. He always seems to not be as much of an asshole when talking to Momotaros alone, whenever they have these quiet, private moments together. “It still may be hard to tell, though, given how you Imagin act normally. Even those of you who aren’t outright evil still cause a lot of trouble and disruption, if they’re not actively working with people like us.”

“Really, we just need to make them sit down and shut up for a few moments, and let Ryotaro do his thing.”

Tsukasa snorts in disbelief. “As if Ryotaro’s that influential on antagonistic Imagin…”

“The brat was literally sent to kill him originally, and he ended up not doing the job because Ryotaro was still willing to trust him to help us as part of the Den-O team. And--” Momotaros pauses. “Well…I already told you about how he and I met and became partners, way back when… Anyway! My point is this: Don’t underestimate Ryotaro’s kindness and craziness to be willing to trust some of the most unlikely people to trust. It’s half the reason why I’ll put up with that thieving boyfriend of yours…”

“He still calls himself a ‘treasure hunter’.”

Momotaros grumbles for a moment or two. “…whatever…! My point still stands…!”

Ryotaro then steps out of that room a moment later, looking quietly satisfied. “He agrees to give further details of the layout of that building - the one that the Imagin congregate in regularly. More specifically, he’s willing to confirm where we can normally find their leadership, either in there or elsewhere."

“Good. Once our fearless leaders are back from HQ, we can go over that layout again with him…”

Shinnosuke slowly puts his phone down and takes a deep breath. For their very communications to be compromised like this, and also to get confirmation about Godai being held hostage by the enemy…truly, this is a greater crisis than they first feared. He glances over at Ichijou, and sees how badly this is weighing on the older man. Slumped over his desk, face in his hands, paperwork still left half-done, coffee left untouched to the point of having cooled…

Shinnosuke moves to kneel next to Ichijou. “Superintendent Ichijou…” He pauses for a moment. “...Godai-san…he's your partner, isn't he?”

Ichijou slowly nods before lifting his head. “Yes…yes, he is,” his voice nearly cracks during that quiet confession. So he also meant the kind of partnership that goes well beyond work or battle-forged bonds…just as Shinnosuke had suspected - what many of them had suspected for a very long time…

“I'm not going to let them lock him up forever. None of us will. So please…let us help you free your partner from the enemy's grasp first.”

Ichijou's eyes begin to shift from one of despair to one of quiet determination. “Yes…yes, you're right. We should focus on freeing him first, before we go after Sugiyama directly. But…where could they be holding him? Are we sure that it's that abandoned building they regularly use, even after having one of their own defected to our side?”

“I can go find him~!” The tiny Kivat-bat volunteers as she flutters over to the two officers. “He is quite similar enough to our Yuusuke that it wouldn't be too hard for little~ old~ me~ to track him down~!”

“Are you sure you won't risk getting caught?” Ichijou inquires in a concerned, hesitant tone.

“There’s always a risk, but it’s far smaller with me than it would be for either of you~. Plus, I can also shift between worlds in a moment’s notice, if necessary…”

Ichijou mulls over it for a few moments. “...very well. But please take all precautions in not getting caught. The last thing we need is yet another ally getting possessed against their will.”

“Oh don’t worry~! I’m too small~ and cute~ to be caught by nearly all of those nasty males over there…!” And there she goes, fluttering off on her new mission.

Shinnosuke takes a deep breath as he rises back onto his feet. “Let's go join the others in the Pit. I think that’s where Kiriko is having the others congregate as they arrive here.”

Ichijou nods in agreement, rising to his feet as well.

The group gathered wasn’t anywhere as big as the one for the All Riders Assembly last year, but it’s a sizable group nonetheless. The Legendary Seven Riders and Taki Kazuya, the Checkmate Four, the three BOARD Riders still in Japan, Ryotaro and his Imagin, Kadoya and his little group, the Rider called Agito, everyone that's part of SIU… Even Tendo and Kagami are here, and they seem to have dragged their wandering ally Daisuke along with them.

And then Sakurai pops back in with young Takeru, both his spouses…and the Oni Hibiki. “Yuuto told me what's been going on,” the latter tells Kiriko when asked. “Half the reasons we Oni can do what we do is because of police units like yours helping to keep the peace within all the cities and towns. If that’s compromised? That's a big problem for all of us. That's why I sent out the call for help among my fellow Oni. They’re gathering at our usual place as we speak.”

“We truly appreciate any help you can provide,” Kiriko replies with a grateful bow of her head.

As Airi and her husbands hand out snacks and drinks, Shinnosuke moves to stand next to his wife as the Oni shifts to stand near the Imagin. “You holding up okay?” He murmurs quietly.

“As well as anyone can be right now,” she quietly murmurs back.

Shinnosuke nods and subtly rubs her lower back in a comforting manner. “You read the operations proposal that I had written up earlier this morning?”

“I did…and it's the best one for this crisis. You still need to explain why you picked that name for it, though…”

“Don't worry; I will explain it to everyone.” Shinnosuke waits until Airi seems to be done feeding everyone before he steps forward, speaking loud enough for everyone to hear. “Thank you all for answering our call for aid. I know this is a crisis we were not expecting to happen, even given recent events, and we are deeply grateful for your assistance. Many of you are already aware of this, but for those of you who do not… We have been working with Den-O, Decade, and a few others on a case involving a group of Imagin from another world. We thought they were only taking over the 4th Precinct with the aid of Senior Commissioner Sugiyama Ryuuya. However, as of this morning…they have taken over Tokyo Metro Police HQ as well.”

Gasps and murmurs spread across the gathered group - mostly among SIU staff. “Are we…are we going to be ordered around by these invaders, then?!” One junior officer stammers worryingly.

“No,” Kiriko shakes her head. “Before we lost him to the Imagin, Commander Midoku Ezio authorized SIU to have full autonomy until this crisis is fully resolved. At this time, we are operating on our own, fully separated from the chain of command of the police force.”

Some looked relieved, while others still appear to be concerned about the whole situation. “So how do we move forward?” Detective Rinko inquires. “What’s the plan on how to defeat these invaders?”

Shinnosuke steps forward. “We’ve been informed that one of Fourze’s allies has been developing anti-possession charms. Should they prove to be effective, we’ll be using those both for ourselves and to free any unwilling hosts from the Imagin. The default presumption is that any host of an Imagin would be unwilling unless they themselves turn against us; only then would we disarm and arrest them. Testing those charms - and if successful, creating enough - will be Phase One of Operation Rainbow Road.”

Everyone stares at him in mild confusion.

“Rainbow…Road?” One person echoes.

“Isn’t that from that one racing video game?” Another inquires.

“And I thought Ryotaro had no good sense of names,” Tsukasa muses loudly. That earns him a glare from Momotaros…and the threat of Natsumi’s thumb in his face, along with a hissed reminder to ‘behave’ himself.

Shinnosuke suppresses the urge to cringe from Kadoya’s snarky response. “It’s based on my recent meetings with the Riders handling the Pac-Man epidemic. They showed me how there’s been a version of a race track in many racing games called ‘Rainbow Road’, and that it tends to be one of the hardest tracks to race, much less win. Indeed, that same feeling of an insurmountable challenge must face many of you, upon the idea of dealing with such a great infestation of this invading force within our sister precincts, and even at HQ. But this operation is meant to help us handle every sharp turn, any sudden twists in the road, until we reach that finish line and take out their leaders. But there’s another meaning to the name…”

“And that might be…?” Ichijou looks both curious and confused.

“The Nogami family has kept a promise for many years - one that they call the Rainbow Promise - to help those who truly need it, regardless of who it is and what the circumstances are. By fulfilling this task, we will instead be giving them the aid they sorely needed, and putting the ghosts of a family secret to final rest.”

Ryotaro smiles appreciatively as he nods in full agreement.

“But back to the basic outline of the operations…” Shinnosuke details Phase 2, which is where they would take out the Imagin’s main base of operations and free any hostages there. He presented a version that included the pendants, as well as one that didn’t in case those charms failed the tests. He also did the same for the two versions of Phase 3, which involved freeing HQ and all the unwilling hosts within. “...should neither leader appear at either phases, we will proceed to Phase 4 - hunting down both Sugiyama and his Imagin cohort, and putting them both under arrest if possible. That means tracking down where they would normally be when it’s not with their accomplices - whether that’s at Sugiyama’s own home, the home of his mistress, or other places he could possibly hide at. Any further questions?”

At this point, more people were focused on double-checking notes than asking questions.

Kiriko exchanges nods with Shinnosuke, as if he’s passing the attention torch to her, and she takes a step forward. “While the tests are being conducted on the anti-possession charms, we just need to figure out who would be fit for each phase. We have some idea as to who may already be fit for each one, but we would welcome volunteers first for Phase 2…”

Chapter Text

Tomoko: Did Yuuki arrive at SIU, Kiriko-san?

Kiriko: Yes, she did. She brought both the charms you made plus the detailed instructions you’ve given her. We’ve just proven the charms’ efficiency, and Takeru-kun is following those instructions right now.

Tomoko: Good. Thank you for confirming. Please take good care of her while she’s there.

Kiriko: We will. Kisaragi-kun especially will help look after her when he’s not out in the field.

Tomoko: Just as I suspected. That’s very typical of him, in the best way. Just please be careful of yourself as well.

Kiriko: I’ll do my best.

Tomoko: I mean it. I do not wish to have you miscarry while on the line of duty.

Kiriko: Miscarry?!

Tomoko: I had a vision two weeks ago. One of you and your husband, heading over to Ryotaro-senpai’s home and having your son play with his children. That’s how I knew that you’re finally pregnant. Congratulations.

Kiriko: Thank you. But please do not tell anyone just yet.

Tomoko: I know. It’s only fair for the mother-to-be to make such an announcement. Just please be extra careful, if possible.

Kiriko: I will. Thank you for your concern, and please rest up yourself.

Tomoko: I will. Both Miu-senpai and Shun-senpai are here taking care of me until Ryusei comes home. They’re making sure I truly rest. In the meantime, I’ll pray for your success.

Kiriko: Good. Thank you. Tell them that we’ll take care of things from here.

Ichijou makes himself breathe normally as he waits in his car. His eyes remain locked on the abandoned building ahead, even as he hears final check-ins buzzing across the comm link setup between the various members of the Phase Two team. One hand moves to finger the anti-possession charm now hanging around his neck. They seem to be pretty effective, and he hopes that they remain effective until the end of this ‘Operation Rainbow Road’.

Sitting next to him is Ryotaro, eyes glancing up at the ceiling of the vehicle, and yet seemingly off to the distance at the same time. “...next phase, we’ll do Climax Form,” he’s muttering as if talking to himself - or rather, he’s talking to his Imagin across his unique link to them. “But for now, I can handle this on my own. Just be ready to step in, though, in case I get knocked out…” He seems to pause as if listening to someone, and then smiles warmly. “...I’ll be as careful as I can; don’t worry. Just be ready if I need your help, okay? …thank you, all of you.”

Once the conversation seems done, Ichijou speaks up. “I’m surprised you’re not wearing a charm yourself.”

“I technically don’t need one,” Ryotaro explains with a reassuring smile. “As a Singularity Point, I’m actually capable of pushing most Imagin out of my body without too much trouble. It’s the stronger ones that I just need some help from the others with, these days.” He then glances at one of the higher floors. “So…Godai-san is up there, right?”

“That’s what that female bat said.” Ichijou remembers how adamant Kivaala was about him being tied up on the 7th floor as the prized prisoner of the leadership, during that debriefing upon her return. “Thankfully, he still seems to not be greatly injured, but we need to free him as quickly as possible.”

“Understood…” Ryotaro nods in agreement.

And then came the call that Ichijou’s been waiting for. “...Ichijou here. Den-O and I are ready to extract Kuuga, along with any other hostages we may stumble upon in the process.”

“Good,” Detective Tomari responds back. “Stand by for the start of Phase Two in 60 seconds.”

Ichijou grunts his agreement along with everyone else’s. “...get ready. They’re about to move,” he tells Ryotaro.

And sure enough, within one minute, there’s a wave of flashing lights and echoing voices from various devices, and the vast majority of the Phase Two team starts to rush out towards the front of the building from their hiding spots. And within seconds, a wave of Imagin swarm out of the building to meet them. There’s a few possessed hosts amongst them, but Ichijou isn’t worried about that; everyone has spare charms to de-possess them, even if only temporarily.

Once the battle seems to be fully engaged, both of them slip out of the car and rush over to the back of the building, where the stairwell was located. Ichijou entered the stairwell first, gun out and at the ready as he checked for any immediate danger. “...clear,” He quietly tells his companion as he lowers his gun.

“I’d better transform before we go any further…” Ryotaro immediately pulls out his belt and shifts into his Rider form - much different than what is normally shown in the official documented photographs of certain reports. Less red, more white, more akin to a shinkansen in design motif. “...okay, let’s go.”

They hear the echoes of the great battle outside as they climb the stairs. Ichijou is not hearing any casualty reports along the comm link so far, so he assumes that things are possibly going as well as they can be for their side. At least, for that moment. As it is, they seem fortunate enough to not have any enemies bursting out at any of the doors to the other floors during their climb. Of course, that bit of luck ends as soon as they do reach the 7th floor, and they run into a few Imajin guarding one of the apartments.

“Freeze! Police!” Ichijou shouted as he pointed his gun at them. “Drop your weapons and put your hands in the air!”

None of them comply, and none of them hesitated to attack him and Den-O either. So, they had no choice but to take them out. “...if only they would listen,” Ryotaro mutters to himself after the battle.

“Sadly, most won't,” Ichijou agrees grimly. “But we can't linger on that right now. Godai is near…” Even from where he's standing, he can smell that scent - the one Godai's body puts out if it hasn't been satisfied enough for too long. He remembers Tsubaki's explanation years ago, about chemical attraction tied to specific people and such. Still doesn't keep Ichijou from swallowing a moan as his body is lured to the source of that scent.

And there he is - Godai, groaning and sweating as he struggles vainly against his bonds. And Ichijou immediately sees why his partner hasn't been able to break out yet - they're rope-like snakes wrapped around his body and limbs, and a couple hisses as he approaches his prone partner. “Godai…Yuusuke, it's me.”

That seems to snap Godai out of some frustrated fugue. He immediately locks eyes with Ichijou, and mutters something against his gag in a relieved tone.

“It's okay; we're here to free you. Nogami here can cut your bonds. And I'll take you back to safety afterwards.”

Godai looks at Ryotaro for a moment, and then nods his consent. He then shifts to try and present his bonds better to the other men.

Ryotaro takes a deep breath as he steps closer. “I'll do my best to not hurt you, but if I do? I apologize in advance…”

Godai gives him a reassuring thumbs-up in response.

Ryotaro nods, and then places his sword over those bonds for a moment. “Here goes…” he slices through most of them with one swift moment, only leaving a small nick on Godai's wrist.

But that nick already starts to heal as Godai finally frees himself from the few remaining snakes. Gasping as his gag is removed with Ryotaro’s help, he stumbles to his feet. “Th…thanks…!”

Ichijou immediately closes the gap between them, daring to hug his freed partner. “Are you hurt otherwise? They didn't break anything, did they?”

“No…just some bruises. And a brief poisoning from one of the snakes.” Godai then hugs him close, kissing him needily.

Ichijou can't stop himself from kissing back eagerly, possessively even. But after a moment, he pulls back as he shakes his head. “Wait…it's not safe here to go any further. We need to get you out of here…”

“Yeah,” Godai pants as he reluctantly takes a step back. “Yeah…let's get to safety first.”

Ryotaro has already moved towards the entryway, looking around for any threats. “...the way seems clear to me.”

“Good.” Ichijou then taps his comm link. “This is Ichijou. We have secured Kuuga. I repeat, we have secured Kuuga. Retreating with the freed hostage in tow as I speak…!”

“Roger that! Leave the rest of the fight to us, and get him back to base!” Kiriko commands.

“Understood!” Ichijou then turns to Godai. “Tsubaki-san is waiting for us at SIU. He wants to check you over before we go back to our suite.”

Godai nods slowly. “I'm okay with that.” He then drops his voice so that only Ichijou can hear him. “Let’s be quick, though. The itch is really bad now…and I don't know how much longer I can behave…”

“You will behave until we return back to our hotel suite,” Ichijou replies quietly, yet firmly. “I won't allow you to lose your head before then.” Though his own body already feels quite warm from that damn scent, his blood rushing in quiet anticipation of what will happen once they are safe and all alone…

“Yes, Kaoru,” Godai answers almost instantly, as if out of habit. It’s good to see his partner still submissive in the right manner when it’s needed, even as he hovers protectively near Ichijou.

Getting out of the room was safe enough. But it’s as they start going back to the stairwell that the door across the hall from them suddenly swung wide open, revealing a gun that immediately fired a shot. Ryotaro yelps as the shot hits his hands just right to make him drop his sword.

“I should’ve known you wouldn’t truly obey me, Ichijou,” Sugiyama sneers, revealing himself to be the wielder of that gun. Two Imagin flanks him as they step out into the hallway - one canine, one an ostrich.

Ichijou’s own gun is already trained on Sugiyama’s hand. “You can’t win against the Riders, Sugiyama! Drop your weapons, all of you, and put your hands behind your head!”

“The hells, we’ll surrender!” The Ostrich Imagin screeches before moving to try and possess Ichijou. He moves quickly - quicker than normal - and thus for a brief moment, Ichijou felt like he was being shoved aside within his own body… And then the charm flared, the magic within activating to force the Imagin out of him.

Sugiyama tries to shoot Ichijou directly next, but Ryotaro quickly throws up one of his shields to block the shot this time. “Stop, Sugiyama! There’s no need for you to keep trying to hurt any more people! Just surrender, all of you, and you’ll be treated fairly as police suspects!”

“As if you’ll allow any of us invaders to live!” The Ostrich tries to strike Ryotaro next, but Godai immediately moves to block him, his belt already out in full view.

Ichijou uses this moment to shoot the gun out of Sugiyama’s hand, before handing his own to Godai. “I’ll leave that one to you…!”

Godai nods and immediately shifts into Kuuga Pegasus Form, his keenly enhanced senses allowing him to keep up with the Ostrich Imagin’s speed.

Ryotaro, meanwhile, immediately dodge-rolls to grab his blade just as the Canine Imagin rushes towards him. Their weapons clashing together echo up and down the hall.

With both Imagin occupied, Ichijou rushes towards Sugiyama, immediately grabbing the other man and dragging him away from his gun. “This ends here…” A right hook in the cheek. “...Sugiyama!” A strong punch to the stomach. “I won’t let you…” A left jab that gets blocked. “...cause any further harm…” A kick to the ribs. “...to anyone else…” A roundhouse kick to send the other man flying a few meters down the hall. “...regardless of who or what they are!”

Sugiyama coughs and groans as he slowly rises back to his feet. “You…bastard! You really think you can win against us?!”

“We know that we will!” Kiriko’s voice rings out as she appears from behind everyone. Sliding one leg behind her, she takes a running leap before using her own version of a Rider Kick on the other man. It would seem that it’s strong enough to send their foe right through the crumbling walls and into one of the empty apartments, leaving him groaning and half-conscious in the moment.

“...fortunate timing, Sergeant,” Ichijou quips with a nod of thanks.

Kiriko nods back, and moves to cuff the corrupt official. There was something satisfying for Ichijou to hear those cuffs click into place on Sugiyama’s wrists, even as he hears the two Riders finishing off the Imagin just moments afterwards.

Ryotaro joins them first. “...we finally did it. He’ll finally face justice…!” There’s a sense of immense relief in the younger man’s voice, as if the heavy weight of his family’s cold-case secret is starting to lift off of him.

“Aye; we’ll make sure he’s prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Kiriko promises as she hauls him to his feet.

Sugiyama finally realizes his new predicament, and seems to immediately melt down, ranting and raving about how he cannot accept the idea of being arrested by women and ‘fags’, cannot accept the fact that he lost everything he thought was due to him because he was a man in a position of power.

None of them cared, instead letting Kiriko drag him towards the stairwell first. Godai shifts out of his armor, handing the gun back to Ichijou. “At least his half is done…”

“Yes…” Ichijou holsters his gun, and turns to see the tears of joyous relief on Ryotaro’s face as the latter de-transforms as well. “Are you alright?”

“Just happy that he’s been stopped, finally,” Ryotaro admits tearfully. “That he won’t be able to hurt anyone else ever again…”

Godai nods sympathetically. “Yeah…same here.” He then moves to hug Ichijou close to him for a moment. “...you okay?”

“Just a couple of bruises, maybe. You?”

“Same…” Godai slowly, reluctantly lets go. “Let’s…let’s go see Tsubaki-san…before we return to the hotel…”

From what Tsukasa later heard, Phase Two was a great success. Only a few Imagin surrendered, the rest either fled or were destroyed, and they seem to have Sugiyama in custody. Better yet, Godai’s being tended to in the medical wing by his normal doctor, and the camera-wielding Rider heads over there as soon as he gets out of that debriefing meeting. He’s not surprised to see Godai and Ichijou holding hands as their doctor friend finishes his check-up. “So…everything okay?”

“For the most part,” the doctor mutters. “Ichijou will have to detain Godai in their hotel suite until further notice for personal reasons, but nothing major beyond that.”

Tsukasa grins teasingly. “Ah…because of that cycle, huh?”

Ichijou glares daggers at him. “Don’t you say a word to anyone else about it…!”

“Relax; I don’t intend to spill it - especially when my Kuuga suffers from such cycles himself.”

“Speaking of Onodera, he needs to drop by my laboratory after this is all over,” the doctor points out. “He’s overdue for an update on how far his fusion has progressed…”

“I’ll give him the reminder, but I can’t make any promises,” Tsukasa responds honestly.

Godai eyes him curiously. “...any other reason you sought me out, besides checking in on me?”

“Actually…the leader of this group of Imagin has a device that seems to be covered in Grongi writing. Have you seen it?”

Godai nods firmly. “I have, yes - from many angles. I think I remember how the order of most of the symbols go…”

“Can you write them down in the formats that you remember?” Tsukasa inquires, reaching for some random sheets and flipping them over to the blank sides.

“I can. You can read Grongi, right?”

“Naturally.” He hands the papers and a pen over to Godai. “Once I know what’s written on there, we can probably figure out how to safely disable it, once it’s in our custody.”

“Gotcha…!” Godai immediately starts drawing out the symbols, subconsciously muttering a couple of the words every now and then. He drew them for one side, then the other, and then along the edges…

Tsukasa’s eyebrows furrow as he glances them over. The symbols are correctly drawn, but some of the combinations aren’t exactly what he himself is used to reading. But he doesn’t mention that concern to anyone at that moment; best to save it for when he’s alone with his companions, back at the Studio…

Godai finally finishes and hands the papers and pen back to Tsukasa. “Here; that’s the best I remember.”

“You got a pretty decent memory for the stuff.” Tsukasa pockets the pen and folds the papers up. “Tell our fearless leader that I’ll have this translated by tomorrow morning; I just need to dig out a couple of books at the Studio to do so.” At least, he hopes that he picked up the right books from that last world they were in, before they got pulled back into this world…

Chapter Text

First came the hug with Airi, after they watched Kiriko drag Sugiyama towards the detention cells at SIU. The quiet sob of relief into his shoulder told him everything about how she was feeling in that moment. Then came the gentle hug with Grandmother later on, where she immediately looked like a great weight had finally lifted off of her shoulder.

And then he came back to Wataru’s home to see Natsuko and her gang overseeing the arrest of the small group of cops that had apparently tried to come after them without any of their Imagin allies. “...you weren't kidding about your gang coming back to you when called,” he murmurs to her, seeing faces that he hasn't seen since he was 15.

“Naturally,” she quips proudly. “They’re my girls, after all. Bonds like ours don't just fade over time; they just lay in wait until we’re all back together again.”

“Mn…” he pauses for a moment. “...we got him…Sugiyama. He's finally arrested.”

Natsuko stiffens for a moment…and then quietly hugs him with one arm. “...thank you,” she whispers gratefully. “You’re become one helluva man, Ryotaro. Proud of you…”

“...thank you, Natsuko.” He quietly hugs her back for a brief moment. “...it should be safe for you all to go back home now. We'll deal with the rest of the Imagin as soon as possible.”

She nods in agreement. “I'll take my siblings home first thing tomorrow morning…and then I'm going to have my girls help arrest Mom for her part in all of this shit.”

“Try not to hurt her too much?”

“I won't…but I'm not making any promises for the others.”

Ryotaro sighs. “Was worth asking anyway…”

“Relax; we're not gonna do anything as drastic as break her legs. Not unless she gives us a damn good reason for it.”

“...I hope she doesn't.”

Later, Ryotaro cuddles with Wataru on his bed, just enjoying being with him after everything that happened earlier that day. “...so your family will finally have that long-overdue justice for your grandfather?” Wataru inquires.

“Yes, we will. That he’s in jail alone is an immense relief, knowing that he can't hurt anyone else or be part of the police anymore… He'll finally be tried for his crimes. And that…that's all we really want.”

Wataru smiles and gently kisses him. “Good. Now, we can focus on dealing with the remaining Imagin.”

“Mn…Tsukasa-san is working on something to help us deal with the head Imagin’s device. We're waiting until he presents his results tomorrow morning before starting Phase 3 of this operation…”

Early the next morning, Ryotaro arrives at SIU for a previously planned session. He sits down next to Tsukasa, who seems like he hardly slept the night before. “Are you alright?” He quietly inquires.

“I'll feel better once we finally deal with the remaining invaders.” He sips a very black cup of coffee - and one that smells not so great to Ryotaro’s nose, no less.

Ryotaro glances around. “...where is Ichijou-san?”

“Back at his hotel with his Kuuga. The latter needs to be detained and resting for medical reasons, and his partner is most likely enforcing doctor's orders.”

That didn't sound entirely convincing, but Ryotaro doesn't get to pry even a little further, not when the Tomaris enter the meeting room at that moment. Instead, he sits up straight as Kiriko begins to speak.

“Good morning, everyone. Today's main objective is to finalize our plans for Phase 3 of Operation Rainbow Road. As you are all aware, Phase 2 was a complete success. Not only did we defeat most of the Imagin, we also freed every hostage and unwilling host. We even managed to arrest Sugiyama Ryuuya for his suspected criminal activities. Thus, we will be able to move forward fully into Phase 3 of the operation, which is to purge the remaining threat from Tokyo Metro Police HQ. But first, I believe Officer Kadoya has an update on the device being used by the head Imagin…?”

A few eyebrows went up at the ‘Officer’ title, but that didn't seem to bother Tsukasa as he rose to his feet. “As Godai confirmed yesterday evening, the device being used has Grongi writing covering it. This matches their claims of having dealt with living Grongi in their homeworld.” As he spoke, he moved over to a whiteboard and expertly wrote out the writing in question. He then starts to write the Japanese translation as he continues. “However, because the Grongi in that world was never sealed away as those in this world originally were, the language as a whole actually evolved as an active language. It's reflected in how certain symbols are combined in ways not previously known by those doing research into the language in this world. Thankfully, I believe my group and I may have actually passed through that world before coming back to this one, for we had a couple of updated dictionaries in our personal archives. Using those, we managed to translated them into modern Japanese...”

During this time, Ryotaro read over the translation, frowning as it became immediately clear what it all meant. “This doesn't seem like it was meant to just contain them…it's almost like it's meant to control them somehow…”

“Exactly, and not just by anyone. Technically, this may have been created either by that world’s Singularity Point, or for them. Furthermore, as you can see here–” he taps one line. “--this was built to be used within Time itself if needed, which might explain how they found their way into our world eventually. And given the harshness of the intended usage, it also indicates that their world’s Singularity Point may at least be partially a Grongi themselves.”

“...but they haven't shown up yet,” Shinnosuke points out. “So either they can't travel between worlds themselves, or…”

“...or they're lost somewhere within Time itself,” Tsukasa finishes for him. “I've already spoken to Station Master about that before coming here. He promised to keep an eye out for any lost trains or time travelers.”

“That’s good,” Ryotaro admits. “Though if he needs any further help, I'd be happy to lend a hand in such efforts…”

“After this operation,” Tsukasa reminds him. “We still need you here for what I'm about to propose next.”

“And that is…?” Kiriko inquires.

“Ryotaro’s gift with shields should allow him to grab and pull the device away from the Imagin leader, once we find him. And given past events, he should be able to concentrate on it even if his Imagin is in control of his body.”

Ryotaro nods in agreement. “That last part is true. It has happened before, when I first manifested my more active powers. Momotaros and the others should still be able to fight in my body as Den-O while I focus on holding that shield around the device. And if we have to, maybe Tsukasa-san can fight alongside us and use it himself if he has to…”

“It’s a sound plan,” Takeshi agrees. “And Kadoya is one of our best fighters…”

Kiriko nods in agreement. “Very well. Kadoya will be assigned to Nogami and his Imagin. You two will work with said Imagin to seek out the invading leader and put an end to this - either by his arrest or by his destruction. In the meantime, the rest of us need to plot out which areas each unit will take back, freeing any hostages and unwilling hosts along the way…”

The first stage involved securing a foothold within Tokyo Metro Police HQ, and that meant clearing out the attached parking structure of any Imagin. The Oni set up their tents in one side area, even as Ryotaro and the others gathered around the huge map of the building nailed into a wall against the nearby emergency stairwell.

“We’ll be close to the dining hall, once we reach the main floor,” Drive was informing everyone, gesturing with the tip of his blade. “We secure that; ensure that any food staff there is safe, unharmed, and free of any possessions; and then proceed with clearing out each block. We will each fan out to our assigned areas to deal with the Imagin in said areas. Den-O, Decade - you two are to head to the very top and deal with their leader. Make sure he’s out of the Superintendent-General first.”

Ryotaro nods, adjusting his grip on his own sword. “We’ll make sure he gets out alive and unpossessed.”

“Just remember to focus on the device as well,” Decade reminds him.

“Of course. Momotaros and the others are ready to jump in once I’ve gotten it out of that leader’s hands.”

Drive nods in grim satisfaction. “Good…” He then looks around to all their fellow Riders…and Kiriko, who is stubbornly remaining at his side despite looking a little pale herself. “Everyone ready, then?”

All nod in affirmation.

“Then let’s free HQ of these invaders,” Kiriko firmly states, her voice steady despite whatever is making her look paler than normal.

Ryotaro followed everyone up onto the first floor, and helped secure the dining hall and attached kitchens. The dining staff themselves are unpossessed and unharmed; just looking stressed and unkempt from being forced to stay overnight and feed these invaders and their hosts for the last 48 hours. Agito, X and Amazon stayed behind to help coordinate the evacuation of these civilians and the few unwilling hosts that they had also just freed.

Then everyone split off - the Oni securing the first floor with the Checkmate Four’s help, most of the rest of the Legendary Riders helping the BOARD Riders clear out the second floor, the ZECT Riders helping G3-X and Stronger secure the third floor…

Upon the fourth floor, they found what few lieutenants lingering near the elevator. “The rest of us will hold the line here,” Kiriko firmly states. “Den-O, Decade - the top floor includes the Superintendent-General’s office. You’ll likely find the leader there. We will do our best to keep them from following you!”

“Right…!” Ryotaro nods in agreement, even as he hopes that they do not get jumped on the way up.

Thankfully, they didn't, but Ryotaro stops them just a half-floor short before their destination. “What is it?” Tsukasa inquires.

“...let me try and talk to them first. Even if the leader himself won't listen, maybe one of those who might be with him will…”

Tsukasa sighs irritably. “Fine…but the moment they raise a hand against you, I'm making my move.”

Ryotaro nods in agreement. “I understand…” He takes a deep breath, and walks up onto the floor that has the office they’re trying to reach. There's a few Imagin there, no hosts but weapons already out. He walks out, blade lowered but still in his hand.

They all shifted into threatening poses. “State your purpose, or leave!” One of them growls.

“...I'm here to stop your leader, but I don't want to fight you guys in particular,” Ryotaro began. “Enough blood has been shed already. There's no Grongi here to be afraid of, to fight with. If all you want is a safe place to stay, we can work with you…”

“Spare us your fake talks of peace!” One of them sneers. “We know that you would never let us live for long, even if we did surrender!”

“That’s not true! Seiginosuke still lives, and will continue to live long after he serves his time for his crimes. We're not the kind of people that automatically kills anyone that commits a crime, even if they’re not human. Linto.”

The raptor hawk looking one pauses for a moment. “Seiginosuke…he still lives?”

“He does, yes.”

“Don't listen to him!” A German Shepherd Imagin barks at him. “He’s trying to trick us! He–”

“No. I can't do this anymore…” The raptor hawk lowers his blade and takes a step forward.

“What? How dare you rebel against our leader?”

“Because Seiginosuke is right!” The Raptor snaps back. “We've been attacking innocents, not threats, ever since we came to this timeline! This isn't who we're supposed to be!”

“As if that makes any difference! They'll never accept us; the Linto of the other timeline made that very clear! So either you stand down, or you die with him!”

The Raptor Hawk Imagin ponders over it for a few moments. Then, he turns to Ryotaro. “...if you can defeat our leader, I will surrender myself to your custody…”

“You traitor--!”

The other Imagin raise their blades, but Tsukasa already moves to intercept, taking them out with one strong Attack Ride.

The Raptor Hawk Imagin sighs and shakes his head. “I'm afraid that most of the others may be deaf to your reasoning as well…”

“It’s alright. As long as we can save the few of you who would listen, it'll still be worth it,” Ryotaro reassures him.

“I meant what I said. Defeat our leader, and we few who would be left will surrender. We will know the moment it happens.” The Imagin then sheathes his weapon, moves to the side and kneels on the floor. “Go…and may the Sands of Time bless you…”

Ryotaro nods. “Thank you…”

Tsukasa already reaches for the double doors, throwing them wide open. Inside lay the body of the Superintendent-General, bound by mini-snakes acting like ropes - just like they did with Godai. And standing by the floor to ceiling windows is the serpent Imagin, gazing out over the city. “...You think you can truly stop us?” the monster inquires without turning around.

“We know we can,” Tsukasa confidently states. “But I do wonder, though…if you really want things to end this way yourself.”

“I would rather die free than be enslaved by a Singularity Point,” the serpent Imagin calmly states as he turns around. “I will not subject my people to such servitude - not again…!”

Ryotaro’s grip tightens on his blade out of frustration. “I don’t know what my counterpart in your original world did to you and your people…but I’m not like him. I don’t believe in enslaving Imagin, either.”

“And yet, you have four contracted to you directly!” The serpent Imagin hisses in retort.

“Because they chose to contract with me,” Ryotaro explains. “Each of them chose to be bound to me, even after they helped me fix our timeline all those years ago. I never forced them into it; in fact, I’m grateful to have met each and every one of them, and to count them as part of my family. Surely, it was something similar that you once had to Sugiyama?”

“What? You think I was truly contracted with him? What nonsense!” The serpent Imagin spat in disgust. “He was just a useful ally, a worthy guide to what we had to do to secure our place in this timeline! I just made him think we were contracted without demanding his wish...!”

“I was wondering why you didn’t immediately make your move after we arrested him,” Tsukasa muses. “The lack of a contract answers many questions. But why didn’t you travel through his memories, if you never wanted to deal with us?”

“Because there will always be a Singularity Point, regardless of when we’ll travel along the timelines. Such is the way of things, and I would be a fool to ignore that certainty. Better we stand our ground in the time we found ourselves in, and carve our place out with fang and claw. After all, you Linto would never accept us ‘monsters’, right?”

“Most folks may not,” Decade agrees. “We Linto are always afraid of foreigners, simply because we don’t know them, because they look too different. But not all of us - certainly not our Singularity Point here - Den-O.” He gestures to Ryotaro. “He can be an idiot sometimes, but his heart’s in the right place - always willing to trust and help people that most others wouldn’t even give the time of day to.”

The serpent Imagin gazes at Ryotaro for a moment. And then he shakes his head furiously, even as he reaches for the device resting on the grand desk near him. “...no. I cannot risk it - not again. I cannot risk being lured into another trap based on false premises, on the lies of another Singularity Point…!”

Ryotaro takes a deep breath, steeling himself. “I’m sorry that you were injured so, by one of my counterparts. I almost wish that you were willing to settle things peacefully, to believe in me from the onset.” His voice grows firm and resolute, however, as he adds, “But my friends and I can’t let you and your group keep harming and capturing people, either.” He reaches out a hand and envelopes the device in one of his shields, making it hover up and away from the Imagin.

“Wha–you bastard…!” The serpent Imagin tries to break the shield, but his blow bounces off of it harmlessly.

“Everyone, let’s go…!”

“Right!” All four of his Imagin jumps into him, and his outfit immediately switches to Climax Form.

“Wait…you’re helping him??” The serpent Imagin gasps in shock.

“Of course we’re helping him!” Momotaro growls proudly. “Ryotaro meant every word he said about us being with him willingly!”

“Then…” The serpent Imagin growls as he pulls out his whip. “Then prove it! Prove to me that your combined strength is greater than mine!”

“Tsukasa…don’t intervene unless he’s about to kill Ryotaro.”

“Then hand the device to me,” Tsukasa replies coolly.

Ryotaro does so through pure will, even as he feels his body moving with everyone’s united effort. Even as part of him concentrates on holding up the shield around the device, he sees and feels all of his Imagin fighting the serpent Imagin in Climax Form. It’s a familiar feeling, something they’ve done countless times before. And to be fair, this leader of Imagin is indeed strong in his own right, making it difficult to fight him in this enclosed space. But eventually, they do succeed in landing a slashing Full Charge on him as the final blow, making him stumble against a wall.

Clutching at his mortal wound, the serpent Imagin looks up at Den-O Climax Form. “You…what is your name…Singularity Point?”

“...Nogami Ryotaro.”

“Nogami…what a coincidence. That was the name…of his first victim…per his memories.” The Serpent Imagin then groans as he starts to slowly dissolve. “Please…please, if any of my people…if they still live…protect them. Protect them from…the Singularity Point…who put us in that…that thing. He still…yet live…and…may still…come after them…”

“I promise, I will protect them, those that still live. They deserve to live peaceful lives, too, alongside all of us. And I won’t let him enslave them ever again.”

“And we will help him, as always,” Momotaros states as he kneels next to the fading Imagin. “So rest easy, you snake jerk. We’ll all keep them safe from that bastard from another timeline.”

“Yes…I…I actually believe you…after seeing your…your sss…strength…” And then the serpent Imagin was gone, faded into a puff of sand that slowly fazed out of existence.

They all can hear Ryotaro sighing heavily. “I know I should be happy that we stopped him, but…my heart just feels so heavy, since this victory feels bittersweet…”

“That’s why you should keep your promise,” Tsukasa points out as he detransforms, walking over to them. “That way, he and many others may still be remembered by their surviving comrades, if nothing else.”

“That’s true…that’s very true.”

“That bastard he was talking about… He’s still out there,” Momotaro points out as he stands their shared body up. “Think you can help find him once we finish resolving things here?”

“Pretty sure I can. Or rather…we can.” Tsukasa hands them the device. “I doubt my little harem would let me wander after him alone, not when it involves more than one timeline.”

Ryotaro detransforms as well, right before accepting the device. “Once the fighting is done here, and everyone who was captured has been freed…let’s go talk with Owner and Station Master. Maybe they can help us with this device, too…”

“If SIU will let you keep it.”

“I’m sure we can work something out with SIU, once this case is settled…”

Chapter Text

Kiriko sighs as she lays in the hospital bed, later that afternoon. They did it; they completed their goal in freeing Tokyo Metro Police HQ. And it seems like what few Imagin remained standing must’ve sensed the death of their leader, for it suddenly ended with those few survivors suddenly surrendering, either pleading to be allowed last requests or at least an honorable death.

And then came the scene later, when all the suspects were gathered together, ready to be deported to the detention cells. Ryotaro came up to them, after handing that device to Shinnosuke, and just talked to them. Explaining what happened, reassuring them that they will not die in custody, that they won’t be killed so long as they haven’t killed any humans and promise to not cause any further harm or destruction and instead serve out their sentences…

But she’s pulled from the memory of that moment as Shinnosuke comes back into the hospital room, leading the Superintendent-General with him. “Superintendent-G--”

“At ease, Sergeant,” Their leader reassures her gently. “I understand that you’re on forced bed rest.” He then sighs. “To think that you’ve been fighting all this time while pregnant, though…”

Shinnosuke looks a little guilty. “I’m sorry, Kiriko - the doctor told him before I could stop him…”

Kiriko shook her head. “It’s okay. It was bound to come out in some form, after I collapsed right after our mission was completed. I’m sure I worried everyone by doing so…”

“Indeed you did. Your husband’s fellow Riders took some time to be reassured that you weren’t severely hurt.” Their leader then begins to kneel and bow. “I am deeply sorry, though, for putting you through such trials. Had I realized what Sugiyama was trying to do sooner, in trying to keep you from being rightfully promoted, perhaps this situation would not have gotten so out of hand…!”

“Superintendent-General, please!” Shinnosuke tries to tug him back up. “There’s no need for you to apologize. This situation was not your fault at all…!”

“But I still bear part of the blame nonetheless. I let my traditional background cloud my judgement, to not realize that she was already due her proper promotion…and that I should’ve denied Sugiyama’s suggestions for that 30-day assessment he came up with. For putting you through such unfair and unnecessary challenges, I deeply apologies for my grave misjudgement…!”

Kiriko slowly sits up, taking care to not disturb her stomach much. “Superintendent-General…I do accept your apologies, in regards to your misjudgement on my promotion. But I also agree with my husband that this particular situation involving the Imagin is not your fault, nor is it as tied to the promotion issue as you think. I fear that Sugiyama would’ve tried something like this regardless of if you made the right choices or not. Especially since he was already subjecting the 4th Precinct to these invaders’ presence…”

“Yes…perhaps you are right. We will need to rebuild that precinct with good people - better people. People more like you two, hopefully…” Their leader finally rose back onto his feet. “But that is something to discuss with the person I wish to ask to take over that precinct, at a later time. Right now, I also wish to thank you both, and your unit, for saving all of us from those invaders. We truly owe you our lives in this case…”

“We couldn’t have done it without everyone else’s help,” Shinnosuke replies humbly. “Especially my fellow Kamen Riders…”

“Yes…always, the Kamen Riders have protected everyone from such threats. Such has been the way for decades…and I hope that, through SIU, we of the police can help them continue doing so for several decades more. So please…rest, and we will arrange for a proper promotion ceremony once you’ve fully recovered…Captain Tomari.”

Kiriko’s eyes widen as she gasps in surprise. “Truly? I’m actually…”

“In truth, I would love to promote you up two ranks at once. But there’s still a couple of other members of leadership who would’ve fought me on it.” He sighs. “I’m afraid their opinions are not so easy to change, even after all that has happened. Still, this is something you have earned through your valiant work, and I look forward to properly celebrating your promotion in due time.”

Tears of joy wells up in her eyes as she smiles gratefully. “Thank you, Superintendent-General…! And please, there’s no need to rush on the ceremony. I’m just glad that we were able to save all the officials and other workers at HQ. We will let you know once I’ve been cleared to leave this medical wing.”

“Good. Now, if you’ll excuse me, both of you, I need to return to HQ and retake command there…” After an exchange of salutes, he slips out of the hospital room.

Shinnosuke immediately sits next to Kiriko, holding her hand in one of his own as his other hand gently rests on her belly. “I’m glad we didn’t lose him, our child. I don’t know what I would’ve done if that ever happened…”

Kiriko smiles in relief as her spare hand rests on his hand on her belly. “Neither would I. But I do know one thing - he’ll be a sturdy child, since he survived us being under such stress for so long.”

Shinnosuke chuckles, even as his eyes grow misty. “Yeah…that kind of sounds like our kid…our little Eiji…”

“You’re so sure that it’s him, still?”

“Very sure.”

“Hm…well, we’ll know for certain once he’s big enough for us to confirm his gender…”

Outside the hospital room, though, Krim rests his belt body on a nearby bench. “I’m just relieved that there’s been no loss of life as well…” He then looks over at his companion. “Thank you for your aid in all of this…Taki.”

Taki smiles peacefully. “Just paying off that favor you asked of me. But remember - I only owed you that one favor…”

“Of course. But now, all is as it should be. Sugiyama is in jail awaiting trial, the invading force has been defeated, and Kiriko will finally obtain her due promotion…”

Meanwhile, Ryotaro sits next to Owner on the Denliner, holding the device in his hands as he explains things. “...I was lucky that SIU agreed to just take pictures of it and let me have it back. Shinnosuke-san agreed that it would’ve been too dangerous for them to keep it, and that I should hand this to you or Station Master to keep locked up.”

“Station Master would be the wiser choice,” Owner agreed as he carefully carves out his next spoonful of rice from its usual mound. “He should be able to start tracing its origins back to the right timeline…though finding the precise owner will take more time, of course…”

“Of course. But…”

Owner raises an eyebrow as he munches on that spoonful.

Ryotaro hesitates for a moment. “The way that leader was talking, the way they all were talking… It sounds like the original owner was not like me. Rather, he seemed more like…Kai. Worse, even.”

Two seats over, Ryutaros shivers and whimpers a little at the mention of that horrible person from their shared past.

“Not all Singularity Points are like you and I, Ryotaro-kun,” Owner clarifies. “Even we run a wide gauntlet of personalities, and alignments. While you and I will always side with protectors of Justice and Peace, there’s always those few who would be more likely to seek out a certain…Great Leader instead.”

“That’s true; I cannot deny that. Which is why I worry that when the time comes? I might struggle to keep my promise to protect them - the surviving Imagin - from the Singularity Point who had previously imprisoned them in this device. After all…it almost sounds like I have to be their great protector - almost like a replacement leader…”

“Replacement? Or successor?”

“Eh?” Ryotaro blinks in confusion. “Successor…?”

“Yes. New leadership can indicate a new direction - usually a better one - while honoring the good decisions of their predecessor.”

“But…I don’t know if I could be a good leader for everyone. I mean…I’m not as strong or charismatic as the usual leaders among us Riders. And I’ve never wanted the spotlight before…”

“Real leadership doesn’t require the spotlight,” Owner points out as he carefully carves out another spoonful from the mound of rice on his plate. “They tend to just find themselves standing under it when they have to. Plus, what counts as a good leader may depend upon the group they lead. But there is one thing all true leaders possess.”

“And that is…?”

Owner smiles warmly. “To genuinely care for those that they lead and protect. So long as you remember that, you have a low risk of failing as a true leader. Those who feel cared for and protected are very prone to follow such a leader. So long as you remember that, everything else will come to you…in due time.”

“To genuinely care for and protect them…” One hand rests on Ryotaro’s hand as he smiles shyly. “That’s certainly something I regularly do; even Tsukasa-san says that my heart is in the right place. Thank you, Owner; I'll do my best to remember what you just told me…”

Den-O: Tsukasa-san and his group are gone, as of this morning. They left to find the original owner of that device, and make sure he doesn’t come here to our world to cause any further trouble.

Drive: And the device?

Den-O: Station Master identified the world that it came from, so they’re going to start there on their search for that particular Singularity Point.

Drive: Good. I wish them luck on their new case.

Kuuga-Godai: I apologize that I wasn’t much of a help as I hoped to be this time around, everyone.

Drive: We’re just glad that you weren’t harmed any further than you were when we found you. Are you feeling better now?

Kuuga-Godai: Much better now, thank you. Ichijou also sends his thanks as well.

Saga: Still, for one man to enable a group of invaders to do what they did…it is most disturbing.

Drive: The Superintendent-General has promised to have an outside consultant group reassess everyone’s fitness to lead at HQ, to ensure that we don’t have a repeat anytime soon. He’s also seeking out a new leader for the 4th Precinct to help rebuild it with better men and women.

Mach: PLUS my sister is finally getting her overdue promotion! :Db

Drive: Yes, that too. There’s also been talks about enforcing the fairness rules regarding promotions and assessments, to ensure that women in the police force are not unfairly blocked or mis-assessed on their talents going forward.

Drive: Oh, and there is one thing that Kiriko and I wish to announce…

Ryotaro stares at the suddenly posted ultrasound picture in the group chat, even as he sits at a corner table in the Milk Dipper. “Oh my god…!”

“What?” Momotaros inquires from his seat aboard the Denliner. “What is this…?”

Meanwhile, everyone’s exploding in joyous shock within the group chat.

Drive: Yes, we are finally expecting our first child. He’s about 11 weeks along now, and we hope to determine his gender in a few months’ time.

Mach: HELL YEAH! I’M GONNA BE AN UNCLE!!

Den-O: Congratulations, all of you!

Kiva: Have you thought of a name yet?

Drive: Well, this is a touch awkward to admit among you guys. But we’ve always wanted to name a son Eiji. I hope that won't bother you, Hino-san…

OOO: No, not at all! I’d be honored to share a name with your son.

Drive: Good. As for a girl’s name, if this one ends up being a girl instead…we have a few in mind, but nothing definite just yet.

Ryotaro then hears the front door open, and sees his grandmother step inside. He puts his phone away and rises to his feet. “Grandmother…thank you for coming today.”

“Of course, Ryotaro. I’ll always make time for you and your sister.” She lets him lead her over to that table, settling herself into that other seat. “I heard from your cousins the other day. Your aunt has finally been arrested for aiding and abetting Sugiyama in his attempts to silence her children. And worse - it turns out that she owed money to some horrible loan shark. Poor woman will not have an easy life after she serves her time in prison…”

“No wonder she was originally asking for such a large amount, if it was to pay off that loan shark debt…”

“Indeed…” His grandmother smiles. “But I also come bearing good news. I spoke with those two men selling their houses next to each other.”

“Oh? What do they say?”

Grandmother Mitsuri’s smile turns wistful. “They still think you’re a touch odd, for loving another man. But they still remember that you’re a good man regardless, and thus they would be willing to sell their land to you. But only you, Ryotaro, since you remind them of your grandfather. If you agree, they will tear down those old houses after they move out, so that you can build a better home for your new family…”

A large weight lifts off of his heart. “I’m so glad to hear that. If that’s the case, then I agree. I’ll just let Wataru give me the money to pay them, once they’re ready to sign the paperwork with me.”

“Good; I’m glad to hear that!” As they’re served their drinks, Mitsuri curls her wrinkled hands around her cup as she seems lost in thought for a moment. “...you know…I actually had a peaceful dream of your grandfather, for the first time in a long while. He was hugging me and telling me how wonderful of a job I did, raising you and Airi…”

Ryotaro gently covers one of her hands with his own. “I hope Grandfather would be proud of me for what I’ve been doing, were he alive…”

“He would’ve; I’m sure of it. He was always a firm believer of doing what’s right, regardless of how difficult it can be sometimes. I’m sure that if he was here with us today, he would be as proud of you as I am for you not making it too personal with Sugiyama. Instead of personal vengeance, you helped the police capture him instead, allowing him to stand trial for all of his crimes. You’ve brought peace of mind not just for our family, but for so many other families as well. I’m so very proud of you, Ryotaro.”

It’s moments like these that makes being Den-O worth it, in Ryotaro’s mind. Not any accolades or rewards or grand proclamations of thanks from the public; but genuine thanks from those like his grandmother, for doing the right thing, for helping everyone. His heart fills to bursting with quiet joy as he gently squeezes his grandmother’s hand. “We try our best…and we’ll keep trying, for everyone’s sake.”

“And I don’t doubt that you will. Just keep doing what you always do, and that better future will come one day for all of us…”

“Mn. Until then, let’s enjoy this coffee together, Grandmother.”

Mitsuri giggles. “Of course. It is just as good, after all, to spend time in the moment with one's family.”

Ryotaro nods in agreement. As he sips his cup, he feels satisfied knowing that things are on the better path again. True, there’s still challenges ahead. But so long as he has his family and friends to support him…he’ll make it through. They all will, so long as they have each other. That, he truly believes…

“...the device…I can’t sense it anymore. Someone must’ve let them all out, or completely sealed it. The fool… I’ll find which timeline they’re in, and make them pay for their mistake. They should’ve never meddled with things beyond their comprehension. Especially what was rightfully mine to claim…!”