[OOM] An impromptu meeting of riders.
Apr. 30th, 2013 11:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
orange_lilyAny gathering of Kamen Riders is a sensitive affair at best.
Nobody talks as they arrive at the mountaintop temple, emerging through dimensional walls that shift and swirl like planes of smoke. They appraise each other, the environment, form strategies for taking each other down if necessary, and then settle onto their seat, set into a tall pillar, one of many that form a circle.
Ichigo and Nigo – battered and scorched, in green and red and silver, nearly identical – arrive together and last. Ichigo takes his seat. Nigo doesn’t, settling by his companion with folded arms. The silence is different now – it has taken on a reverent quality, because these are the first, the oldest, in whose footsteps everybody else has followed.
Ichigo’s mask betrays no trace of emotion as he rumbles deeply: “Raise your hand if you read Professor Utahoshi’s documents.”
The more scientific ones raise their hands, as do the more conscientious ones, with a pause that indicates they didn’t really understand it. The surlier Riders stubbornly keep their arms down – Skull and Diend go so far as to snort derisively.
Ichigo sounds distinctly annoyed as he continues. “Professor Utahoshi’s readings of his volunteer suggest a build-up of mystical energy. We’ve only ever observed similar energy readings from the Great Leader of Shocker, the Creation King, Shadow Moon and our own comrade, Black.”
Kamen Rider Black waves a hand with wry cheer.
“The energy isn’t identical to any of those, just similar – it also bears similarities to the energy produced by the Dark Nebula,” Ichigo continues, “and most likely originates from a world we haven’t yet encountered, one that borders the Nebula.”
“Keng – um. Professor Utahoshi,” Fourze, resplendent in white, corrects himself, coughing exaggeratedly into his hand, “Professor Utahoshi compared it to an evolving Zodiart. Like – like when they abandon their human bodies, or when their original forms break down and produce a more powerful guy, right?”
“The energy is growing,” Meteor confirms, “rapidly. Eventually, it’ll be too much for the volunteer’s body to contain. Utahoshi says it’ll break down, and something will emerge through it. Like a gate.”
“The dimensional walls have been weakening,” Decade admits. “Not by much, but it’s noticeable. I assumed it was the eclipse.”
“It might well be,” Ichigo said. “Tackle, Skull, what about the world of the dead?”
Skull adjusts his hat, pulling the brim low. “The walls around it have been weakening as well. Nobody’s escaped yet.”
“The weak spots aren’t between it and the world of the living,” Tackle says, “it’s to another world, but so many connect to it that it’s difficult to say for sure which one.”
One of Double’s eyes flickers red. “We could suppress the energy surge,” one of his voices says, “with the data from Professor Utahoshi’s scan, it wouldn’t be impossible to tailor a device specifically to that energy signature, and use it to bind whatever’s creating it.”
“I could assist in its creation, but such a device would only work on this specific volunteer,” Kivaara protests. “There have to be others.”
“And it would only last for a year, maybe two, before it broke down,” Skull added. “This volunteer would still die.”
“Might die,” Double’s other voice protests. “We could find a way to save him permanently in the meantime.”
Skull just makes a dismissive noise.
“Do it,” Ichigo says eventually. “It is our only option right now.”
“Who is this volunteer anyway?”
“Fujita Yugo,” Meteor says. “Nineteen or twenty or so. Fairly regular, nothing especially remarkable about him.”
“I hope he appreciates you prolonging his demise,” Skull says grimly.
Nobody talks as they arrive at the mountaintop temple, emerging through dimensional walls that shift and swirl like planes of smoke. They appraise each other, the environment, form strategies for taking each other down if necessary, and then settle onto their seat, set into a tall pillar, one of many that form a circle.
Ichigo and Nigo – battered and scorched, in green and red and silver, nearly identical – arrive together and last. Ichigo takes his seat. Nigo doesn’t, settling by his companion with folded arms. The silence is different now – it has taken on a reverent quality, because these are the first, the oldest, in whose footsteps everybody else has followed.
Ichigo’s mask betrays no trace of emotion as he rumbles deeply: “Raise your hand if you read Professor Utahoshi’s documents.”
The more scientific ones raise their hands, as do the more conscientious ones, with a pause that indicates they didn’t really understand it. The surlier Riders stubbornly keep their arms down – Skull and Diend go so far as to snort derisively.
Ichigo sounds distinctly annoyed as he continues. “Professor Utahoshi’s readings of his volunteer suggest a build-up of mystical energy. We’ve only ever observed similar energy readings from the Great Leader of Shocker, the Creation King, Shadow Moon and our own comrade, Black.”
Kamen Rider Black waves a hand with wry cheer.
“The energy isn’t identical to any of those, just similar – it also bears similarities to the energy produced by the Dark Nebula,” Ichigo continues, “and most likely originates from a world we haven’t yet encountered, one that borders the Nebula.”
“Keng – um. Professor Utahoshi,” Fourze, resplendent in white, corrects himself, coughing exaggeratedly into his hand, “Professor Utahoshi compared it to an evolving Zodiart. Like – like when they abandon their human bodies, or when their original forms break down and produce a more powerful guy, right?”
“The energy is growing,” Meteor confirms, “rapidly. Eventually, it’ll be too much for the volunteer’s body to contain. Utahoshi says it’ll break down, and something will emerge through it. Like a gate.”
“The dimensional walls have been weakening,” Decade admits. “Not by much, but it’s noticeable. I assumed it was the eclipse.”
“It might well be,” Ichigo said. “Tackle, Skull, what about the world of the dead?”
Skull adjusts his hat, pulling the brim low. “The walls around it have been weakening as well. Nobody’s escaped yet.”
“The weak spots aren’t between it and the world of the living,” Tackle says, “it’s to another world, but so many connect to it that it’s difficult to say for sure which one.”
One of Double’s eyes flickers red. “We could suppress the energy surge,” one of his voices says, “with the data from Professor Utahoshi’s scan, it wouldn’t be impossible to tailor a device specifically to that energy signature, and use it to bind whatever’s creating it.”
“I could assist in its creation, but such a device would only work on this specific volunteer,” Kivaara protests. “There have to be others.”
“And it would only last for a year, maybe two, before it broke down,” Skull added. “This volunteer would still die.”
“Might die,” Double’s other voice protests. “We could find a way to save him permanently in the meantime.”
Skull just makes a dismissive noise.
“Do it,” Ichigo says eventually. “It is our only option right now.”
“Who is this volunteer anyway?”
“Fujita Yugo,” Meteor says. “Nineteen or twenty or so. Fairly regular, nothing especially remarkable about him.”
“I hope he appreciates you prolonging his demise,” Skull says grimly.
