Kômori-Kamisori: Sigma! We’re not through yet!
(She grabs Sigma from behind, and lifts her up into the air. As much as she struggles, Sigma can’t break the Kaijin’s hold. Kômori-Kamisori and Sigma rocket high up into the night sky.)
Sigma: (Struggling) Let me go!
Kômori-Kamisori: You sure about that? KIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!
(The combatants flip over, and dive towards the ground. Kômori-Kamisori releases Sigma, who plummets to the ground. Before she slams headfirst into the earth, she flips around and quickly lands on her feet, absorbing the force and using it to leap back up almost supersonically, where she gives the still-diving Bat Kaijin a swift kick in the stomach.)
Kômori-Kamisori: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
(Kômori-Kamisori is flung backwards into the trees while Sigma gently falls back to the ground, but she finds herself stopped by something. That something is a massive spider web suspended amidst the trees! Sigma struggles and twists about, but this only serves to get her more caught up in the sticky, silken stuff. Tobidashi-Kumo climbs up one of the nearest trees and begins to make her way out onto the web. As the masked heroine futilely attempts to break free, the Geier villainess simply snickers.)
Tobidashi-Kumo: (Sarcastically) KUUUU-MO! All this fighting has been making me rather hungry… and there are few things more appetizing than a helpless little grasshopper. (Snorting) AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Sigma: I can think of a few, actually.
(Suddenly Sigma’s eyes begin to glow bright red, and the typhoon in her Henshin Belt begins to quickly spin around rapidly as more red energy pulse out from the center. Tobidashi-Kumo watches on mortified.)
Sigma: Snack time’s over!
(With a massive explosion of crackling crimson energy, Sigma breaks free of the web and shreds it in the process, flinging the Kaijin off into the vegetation below. Sigma herself leaps back to the ground, landing gracefully. She glances around but sees that both Kaijin have vanished, and reverts back to Maya in a flash of light.)
Maya: (Coldly) Next time… you won’t escape me.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Kamen Rider Sigma
Episode 4: Tsunami
("Tsunami")
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(Kôhei slowly comes to, wrinkling his nose and eyes as he attempts to restore his blurred vision. He sits up, holding his throbbing head, trying to recall where he is and how he got there.)
Kôhei: Oh, man… I’ve had some bad nights before, but this one beats them all… Where the heck am I anyway? How did I—
(Suddenly, there is a rustling in the bushes and the sound of footsteps on the grass. Kôhei’s eyes narrow. He reaches for his gun, but finding it missing, prepares to tackle whatever it may be bare-handed. However, he sighs when he sees that it’s only Mikoto, who has managed to elude her pursuers.)
Mikoto: (Huffing) Keiji-san!
Kôhei: (Unsure) Er… Taki-san, right?
Mikoto: (Nodding) Yeah. Are you okay!?
Kôhei: (Giving a thumb's-up) Aside from this pounding headache and the fact that I have no clue how I got here, I’m A-OK.
Mikoto: That’s good.
(Kôhei frowns, seeing that Mikoto has not gotten the point.)
Mikoto: Where’s Maya? Did you see where she ran off to?
Kôhei: Maya? She’s around here?
Mikoto: Yeah. We came to look for you, because she wanted to… um, talk with you. And then this bat monster showed up, and—
Kôhei: (Shaking head) Bat monster? Wait… No way!
Mikoto: What?
Kôhei: (Elated) She wanted to talk with me? She must have changed her mind!
Mikoto: (Puzzled) …Huh?
Kôhei: (Overjoyed) Sweet! I wonder how she likes her coffee!
Mikoto: (Shaking head) I better get you back to the shop, you might have a concussion or something.
Kôhei: (Standing up) Nah, I’m fine. But Maya…
[Flashback to episode #3]
Maya: For your information, Keiji-san, I’m perfectly able to take care of myself.
Kôhei: (Shrugging) Oh, don’t get me wrong. I’m sure a little lady of your age has no problem looking after herself.
[End Flashback]
Kôhei: (Thinking) Ryûsaki Maya… I sure hope I was right about you… (Aloud) We’ve got to find her before she goes and does something stupid again!
(Mikoto raises her finger to interject, but pauses as she remembers who she’s dealing with.)
Mikoto: Er, right… But what about that bat monster? It and some of its friends were just chasing after me a little while ago, but then they suddenly seemed to vanish into thin air.
Kôhei: (Stolid) We can worry about that bridge when we burn it. (Mikoto groans.) Until then, Bats will just have to answer to my—
(Kôhei again reaches for his pistol, only to find that it’s still gone.)
Kôhei: Oh. So much for that. Well, I must have dropped it in that cave when I was jumped. Alright, I’ll have to go back in and check for it. As for you… head back to the old guy’s place and wait until I return.
Mikoto: (Confused) But what about Maya?
Kôhei: Oh, right. Well… um…
Maya: (Sarcastically) Don’t worry about me, Mikoto. I’m fine, no thanks to Super Cop here...
(A slightly ruffled but otherwise okay Maya emerges from the dark forest, much to Kôhei and Mikoto’s surprise. She puts her hands on her hips and glowers at Kôhei.)
Mikoto: Maya! What happened!? Where are those creatures!?
Maya: (Caught off guard) I, uh…. I dunno. I managed to avoid them for the most part, but then they suddenly seemed to vanish into thin air.
Kôhei: (Skeptical) They do that a lot, huh?
Maya: (Ignoring him) Anyway, I have to agree— with a great deal of reservation— with Kôhei-kun. Maybe you should head back to the shop and wait for further news. And while you’re there, you can find out where Tachibana-san is. (Thinking) And then we can find out about my bike. I swear, as soon as I find out who took it, I’ll give them a tour de force of my foot when I kick their—
Mikoto: Well, okay, but…
(Mikoto suddenly stops, and smiles devilishly.)
Mikoto: …Ahhhhhhhhh, I see. Sure, I’ll just be on my way then…
(Mikoto ever so slowly begins to walk over towards her moped.)
Maya: Mikoto!
Mikoto: (Putting hands up) Okay, okay! I’m going, I’m going!
Maya: (Sighing) Thanks for the lift, anyway. And be careful.
Mikoto: Don’t mention it. (Winking) Have fun!
(Maya groans and looks up at the night sky while Mikoto puts on her helmet, goggles, & gloves, and revs up the engine before driving off into the darkness. Kôhei just watches the whole scene confusedly.)
Kôhei: Now what was that all about?
Maya: (Shaking head) Never mind. Anyways Kôhei-kun, I think you should be going as well. This is getting too dangerous.
Kôhei: What!? (Annoyed) Shouldn’t I be the one saying that?
Maya: (Irked) …No.
Kôhei: Well… tell me what you’re going to do after that, huh?
Maya: (Determined) I’m going to find out just what’s in that cave once and for all.
Kôhei: Okay… (Suspicious) Hey, wait a minute, how do you know about that cave?
Maya: (Gulping) Huh?
Kôhei: (Skeptical) Yeah… I haven’t seen you in there before, have I?
Maya: (Blushing) Me? Uh, well, no… I was told about it by… er… uh…
Kôhei: (Snapping his fingers) By another one of those “Kamen Riders”.
Maya: Well… um… yeah. Yeah, actually. Yeah. (Smiles.)
Kôhei: (Sarcastically) For real! Which one was it?
Maya: (Shrugging) I think she’s called “Kamen Rider Sigma”.
Kôhei: (Folding arms) Really now. She told you that?
Maya: (Sheepishly) Yeah.
Kôhei: (Unconvinced) So how exactly do you know this “Kamen Rider Sigma” anyway?
Maya: Well, uh… (Cheerfully) Why wouldn’t I know her?
(Kôhei regards Maya carefully for a moment. He decides to not bring up the fact that he himself saw Kamen Rider Sigma earlier that day.)
Kôhei: Well, last I checked, the Kamen Riders were the stuff of Sunday morning cartoons. At least, according to what Ichijô-san and the others have said. So of course your story holds absolutely no ground, without some kind of concrete evidence…
(Maya looks helpless for a reply.)
Kôhei: (Gently) But… I believe you.
Maya: (Surprised) You do?
(Kôhei nods as Maya breaths a sigh of relief.)
Kôhei: Yeah. You see, when I was a kid, I saw one of those Kamen Riders.
Maya: You did?
Kôhei: Well, I’m pretty sure I did. My memory’s a little rusty on the specifics, but… I do remember seeing one, and that’s what counts.
Maya: (Curious) Have you ever told anyone else?
Kôhei: (Looking down) Not really. Who would believe me? After a while, I started to doubt I’d even seen it myself. Something like that is just so… out there, you know what I mean?
(Maya nods sadly.)
Kôhei: The thing is though… you’re different somehow, Ryûsaki-san.
Maya: (Shuffling feet) Well, you could say that.
Kôhei: People will readily deceive themselves into not believing what they saw when it comes to things that can’t be explained. If it’s beyond our understanding, it probably couldn’t have happened. But you… you still firmly believe in what you saw. You’re convinced that it’s the truth. And if you can believe what I just told you, it’s only fair that I try to believe you too.
(Maya rubs her arm uncomfortably, looking away for a moment, perplexed by Kôhei’s logic. She then turns and meets his gaze directly.)
Maya: (Softly) Thanks, Kôhei-kun. And please, call me Maya.
Kôhei: Sure thing, Maya. (Slyly) Now how about whatever it is you wanted to tell me?
Maya: (Fumbling) Um, well… it can wait. We should get going.
Kôhei: (Puzzled) We? What happened to you going it alone?
Maya: You’re supposed to be “protecting” me, aren’t you? I guess I can let you tag along just this once.
Kôhei: (Sneering) Even though it’s “too dangerous?”
Maya: (Flatly) Don’t make me change my mind.
(Kôhei smiles and gives Maya a two-fingered saluting motion.)
Maya: (Thinking) I better not regret this…
***
(The two are soon heading into the cave, Kôhei having procured extra flashlights from his car. He has also managed to locate his gun, and the two continue deeper and deeper into the darkness. As they do, each reflects on the situation thus far.)
Maya: (Grim-faced, thinking) I’m still not sure of what exactly Geier has planned, but I know I’m not going to like it. Whatever it is, the answers are most definitely in here, somewhere.
Kôhei: (Smiling, thinking) I don’t know what the heck is going on here, but I know this: She is totally into me!
(The two travelers eventually make their way to what appears to be a small, underground river. They make their way along it, carefully maneuvering around pointy stalactites and stalagmites. The eerie luminous glow cast from the natural crystalline formations, reflecting light from some unknown source, gradually brightens the path. Before long, Maya and Kôhei have made it to what appears to be… a dead end.)
Kôhei: (Disappointed) Well, this was the last thing I expected to find… absolutely nothing!
Maya: (Equally let down) Yeah. This seems so… anti-climatic. (Determined) There’s got to be something else to this.
(Maya begins to feel the large rocky wall for any sign of a hidden crack or switch. Suddenly, something occurs to her. Kôhei watches with a mix of interest and smugness.)
Maya: Wait a second…
(She taps the flashlight on the rock, making a hollow, metallic clanging noise.)
Kôhei: (Nodding) Now I see. It’s fake. A door of some kind?
Maya: Possibly. There must be a switch around here somewhere to open it.
Kôhei: And I think I know where.
(Kôhei reaches over to nearby stalactite and grips it with one hand. He pulls the top up on a hinge, revealing a bright red button beneath, which he then pushes. The faux cavern wall sinks into the floor, revealing a metal hatchway beneath, with the Geier emblem on it.)
Kôhei: Bingo!
Maya: (Thinking) This is Geier’s all right!
(Kôhei walks up and inspects the twisted, black vulture-shaped mark.)
Kôhei: What do you suppose this thing is?
Maya: (Playing dumb) Uh… Beats me.
Kôhei: It looks like a bird of some kind. I wonder if that bat monster is somehow related to this?
Maya: Could be. (Trying to change to subject) Should we go in?
Kôhei: Well, there’s no where else to go from here, so why not?
(Kôhei draws his pistol and both he and Maya get on either side of the door, pressing against the wall. He then opens it quickly, jumping out and pointing his gun. Maya’s back stiffens as she waits for something to happen, but breaths a sigh of relief when nothing does. Kôhei motions with his other arm for Maya to walk over to him, and she slowly follows him in through the door. Just as she suspected, it’s an entrance into yet another futuristic, blank-walled Geier base.)
Kôhei: What is this place?
Maya: (Again, playing dumb) I don’t know… but I don’t like it.
Kôhei: May as well have ourselves a look around, huh?
***
(The two are making their way through the endless bland, sterilized-looking halls. Every so often, they come across another metal door with the Geier emblem on it, but electronic, keycard-activated locking systems prevent any further access. Maya notes silently to herself the lack of Geier personnel, and uneasily realizes that the security cameras and other alarm devices seem to be either missing or very well concealed. The two eventually make their way to another doorway that is open, with a winding staircase leading down. Kôhei goes first, with Maya following, and before long they’re in a massive, green-hued warehouse-looking place. Rows and rows of towering metal shelves stacked with an assortment of brown cardboard boxes line the room. Maya and Kôhei carefully make their way along one “corridor” formed by the enormous shelves, inspecting the packages. Kôhei whistles softly.)
Kôhei: Either we’ve just stumbled upon Late Package Purgatory, or someone has a lot of explaining to do…
Maya: (Rolling eyes) All of these boxes seem to be sealed up pretty tightly. And what’s this weird writing?
(Maya points to a strange, lithographed line of text that appears to be identically printed on all the other boxes. Kôhei regards it thoughtfully, but can’t make heads or tails of it.)
Kôhei: Well, there’s only one way to find out.
(He takes out his Swiss Army Knife. Maya pulls out one of the boxes and Kôhei slices the box open along the taped seam on the top. He pulls the two halves apart and both of them peer in. Inside, nestled amongst a pile of packing peanuts, are several jars of bile-green liquid. Maya reaches in and pulls one out. The label on the jar has more of the strange writing, as well as a bat-shaped emblem. She looks it over carefully and passes it to Kôhei.)
Maya: I don’t know what this stuff is, but it’s another thing I don’t like.
Kôhei: (Looking at the bottle) Can’t say I do either, Sugar-pie.
Maya: (Taken aback) Sugar-pie!? Why you—!
Kôhei: (Shrugs apologetically) Hey, just trying to lighten the excessively-grim mood here!
Maya: (Rolling eyes) Oh really? The only thing that’s going to get “lightened” anytime soon is the agonizing burden that is you, on me, if you don’t put a sock in it.
Kôhei: (Teasingly) Oooh, did I just make someone mad? Tell me, does your hair turn red when that happens?
(Kôhei grins wolfishly and Maya prepares to knock his block off. Suddenly, the sound of a door opening across the room alerts the two, and they quickly scramble to stuff the bottle back in the package and the package back on the shelf. They make their way as fast as they can to the opposite side of the shelves, where there is more space to hide. They manage to make it to an indented area in the wall that leads to another small hallway. Kôhei, with Maya behind him, leans out from behind this wall and spies several figures moving towards them.)
Maya: (Whispering, worried) Did they see us?
Kôhei: (Whispering, shaking head) No, I don’t think so.
(Maya does as best she can to lean around Kôhei and see what’s going on for herself. She sees that the figures are more male Geier Combatants, pushing several of the large brown boxes stacked up on each other via small carts. One henchman, holding a clipboard, scribbles something down with a pen and counts off the boxes silently.)
Maya: (Thinking) What are they doing?
Geier Combatant: (Writing whilst talking) Alright, that’s the last of it. Get those onto the B2 Lift and load them onto trucks #5 & 7.
Various Geier Combatants: Iii-gah!
Kôhei: (Whispering) Who are those guys?
Maya: (Whispering, shaking head) How should I know? Whoever they are, they—
Voice: Hey! What are you doing!?
(Kôhei and Maya nearly jump at the sudden intrusion, and both whirl around to see a lone Geier Combatant pointing a large knife in their general direction. They simultaneously glance at each other, and the Kôhei quickly pulls out his gun and fires while Maya plugs her ears. The goon is hit in the arm and is sent flying backward, but as he hits the ground he dissolves into a foamy mass. Kôhei walks over and looks down, shocked.)
Kôhei: Something tells me that guy wasn’t human…
(Suddenly, loud irritating klaxons begin to blare. Red light fills the room. Maya gulps as she realizes the worst is soon to be upon them.)
Voice: What was that!?
Maya: Something tells me… we need to get out of here now!
Kôhei: (Smiling) I couldn’t have said it better myself, sweetheart!
(Kôhei runs for the nearest door.)
Maya: (Grouchy) Don’t call me sweetheart!
(Maya and Kôhei make tracks for the door, bursting through it just as the other Geier Combatants appear from around the corner behind them. Maya doesn’t even pay attention to their shouts or the sounds of the alarm as she dashes through the halls. Suddenly, several henchmen appear from around the corner, this time in front of them. Kôhei again raises his gun but quickly finds it knocked out of his hand by a throwing knife. Maya charges on past him and proceeds to start mopping the floor with the Geier goons. She kicks, punches, chops, and flips around in a whirling display of fighting prowess. Kôhei watches impressed until several more henchmen appear from behind, and he grapples with them. Maya manages to subdue her bunch to go back and help Kôhei finish off his attackers. As she spin-kicks the last one into the wall, Kôhei rises and dusts himself off.)
Kôhei: You sure know how to look after yourself, all right.
Maya: (Grinning) I’m glad we’re seeing eye-to-eye now.
Voice from down the hall: After them!
Maya: I hate to say it Kôhei-kun, but I think we’re going to have to split up if we want to get out of here in… one piece. (Smacks forehead) Think you can make it back to the entrance on your own?
Kôhei: (Picking up pistol) If you can, I can.
Maya: (Rolling eyes) Good luck!
(Maya dashes off towards an oncoming horde of Geier Combatants while Kôhei runs in the opposite direction. He manages to avoid being seen by any soldiers or security devices, and makes his way back to the entrance. Or so he thinks.)
Kôhei: (Thinking) This is it!
(Kôhei reaches out and opens the door, but to his surprise, it opens up into a whole new area. A dark, rusty, industrial-looking, pipe-lined corridor awaits him, and at the far end he sees a twisting metal staircase. Multi-colored lights shine down from the room above, and the sounds of computer monitors and other strange equipment can be heard [i.e. Shocker/Gelshocker/Destron base sound effects.] Kôhei slowly makes his way into the corridor, and then creeps up the ladder. He ducks down to avoid being seen as he reaches the floor level of the room above, and sees that it is indeed some kind of command/control center. Computers, large screens, and other futuristic devices line the walls, casting out eerie glows. Kôhei’s eyes scan the room until they come upon a strange, bird-shaped ornament high up on one of the ways, with a round, globe-shaped doorway below it on a small, railed balcony with yet another short staircase leading up to it. Kôhei notices that there are large double door-style entrances on either side from where he is located. He crouches down low as he hears the monotonous drone of one of the doors opening, and does his best to conceal his gasp as he sees a familiar being walk in. Kômori-Kamisori quickly strides into the room, stands before the bird ornament with her back to the detective, and spreads her wings. A bright green light begins to flash from its center, and the eerie high-pitched noise of the open communication line commences.)
Voice of Geier Leader: Kômori-Kamisori! What’s the situation?
Kômori-Kamisori: KIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!! (Exasperated) Shuryô, we have detected two trespassers in the base! Don’t worry, we’re in the process of locating them as we speak!
Voice of Geier Leader: See that you do. The last thing we need now is someone learning of our plans. Speaking of which, how is the “Akhkharu Project” going?
Kôhei: (Thinking) “Akhkharu Project”?
Kômori-Kamisori: Excellently! As you know, the tests carried out on the… visitors to our little abandoned monastery have been successful. We’ve already begun the process of preparing to distribute it all around the city, and then it’s just a matter of time before the rest of the prefecture follows. Then we’ll take Japan, and eventually, the entire world!
Kôhei: (Thinking) Abandoned monastery? World conquest? This is getting trippy…
Voice of Geier Leader: Hahaha, excellent! And what of our little Rider?
Kômori-Kamisori: She has managed to elude us thus far, but both Tobidashi-Kumo and I will see to it that she will pay dearly for all that she has done! KIIIIIIII!!!
Kôhei: (Thinking) I don’t know what this is all about, but I’d better get out of here for now. But I may as well take a little souvenir…
(Apparently unnoticed, Kôhei rises up a bit and grabs some piece of paper on a nearby console. He then creeps back down the stairs. As he exits the room, he doesn’t see the dark, female figure of Tobidashi-Kumo descend from the ceiling on a web line from behind. Her fellow Kaijin turns as well, and nods approvingly. Kôhei eventually makes it back to the real entrance, stopping as he does to look back.)
Kôhei: (Thinking) I sure hope Maya made it out okay…
***
(Elsewhere in the base, Maya is running for her life as tons of Geier Combatants give chase.)
Maya: (Thinking) This isn’t going well at all. I suppose since I’m on their turf I should expect to have to deal with twice as many guys as usual, but this—!!!
(Suddenly, Maya skids to a stop as she sees something that catches her eye. It’s a doorway with a sign above reading “Ammunition Room: Authorized Personal Only”.)
Maya: I like the sound of this!
(Fortunately for Maya, in the rush to find the intruders, someone forgot to lock the door, and she quickly slips inside. Turning on the lights, she find the room is stocked wall-to-wall with boxes of dynamite, ammunition shells, and other items too dangerous to keep all in the same place. Maya walks over and opens one of the cases of dynamite. She unrolls the fuse wire and leads it back to the door, where she then takes out her lighter and ignites the fuse, creating a shower of sparks. Maya drops it to the ground, grins, and exits the room, relieved to find the Geier troops failed to realize where she had gone. She then makes her way to the entrance-turned exit.)
***
(Kôhei has since made it out of the cave, just in time to find the sky turning a soft pinkish orange hue as the morning sun rising on the horizon. Suddenly, there is a distant rumble from deep under the ground, stopping him as the earth below him shakes.)
Kôhei: What the—? An earthquake!?
(The sound reverberates up through the cavern behind him, and the crashing noises of several rocks and other debris falling come from within. Kôhei glances back, worried.)
Kôhei: (Thinking) Maya!
(He is about to dash back in, when a hand grabs him on the shoulder. He turns to see Maya, who smiles as he puts his hand over his chest and exhales deeply from the surprise jolt.)
Maya: (Slyly) I wouldn’t go back in there if I were you.
Kôhei: (Squinting) Did you do something you shouldn’t have?
Maya: (Shrugging, winking) Maybe…
Kôhei: (Grinning) Nice work. Anyway, you’ll never believe what I stumbled on.
(Kôhei pulls out the paper that he had grabbed off of the console back in the main control room. It’s a map of the Miura area, showing several red X’s scattered all about, as well as a black X in the center. Kôhei shows Maya, who takes it and looks it over intently.)
Kôhei: What do you make of that?
Maya: (Perplexed) I don’t know. Where’d you get this?
Kôhei: You’ll never believe it, but that weird bat creature— I think her name was Kômorigasa-Kamisan or something, she was talking to this bird thing on the wall, and it said stuff. They were talking about something called the Akara… Aklamo… Akalakidak… well, the something Project, and about this abandoned monastery, and they even mentioned one of our mutual Rider friends. I think—
(Suddenly, it all clicks in Maya’s head.)
Maya: (Excitedly, snapping fingers) Now I got it!
Kôhei: (Confused) Got what?
Maya: (Excitedly) It all makes sense now!
Kôhei: (Confused) What makes sense?
Maya: On the way to Miura, I stopped by this weird church place that wasn’t on the map to get directions…
Kôhei: (Nodding) Uh-huh.
Maya: There was this weird nun, and the whole place looked like it hadn’t been used by anyone in years…
Kôhei: (Nodding) Uh-huh.
Maya: And it looked totally barren. No crucifixes, no pictures on the windows, no tapestries, and all that stuff…
Kôhei: (Nodding) Uh-huh.
Maya: So what better place for a vampire to hide? Now, if we can just figure out what exactly this plan entails. It must have something to do with those bottles we found…
Kôhei: (Silent) …
Maya: (Irked) What?
Kôhei: (Disbelieving) A vampire?
Maya: (Confused) Yeah. Why not?
Kôhei: Well, it’s just so… so… I mean, how did you even make that connection?
(Maya grins, and reaches over to Kôhei. She lifts on the chain around his neck, pulling out the small golden cross.)
Maya: (Confidently) Here’s your connection.
[Flashback to episode #3]
Kômori-Kamisori: (Blood-curdling screech) AHHHHHHHH!
[End Flashback]
Maya: That bat monster couldn’t bite you because of this. Don’t you see now? She’s a vampire bat, and so she can’t stand to see a cross! You know, standard-issue vampire stuff. (Thinking) Wait… this makes sense!?
Kôhei: (Chuckling) Ha! And to think, this is nothing but plastic!
(Kôhei lifts up the cross, looking at it closely.)
Maya: (Confused) Plastic?
Kôhei: Yeah. One of my friends got it for me when they went on to the US last summer. American Gashapon for you!
Maya: (Rolling eyes) Whatever.
Kôhei: But now that you mention it, that creature didn’t seem to much like light either. Perhaps there is some validity to your theory after all…
Maya: Well, duh. Bats never like light, silly.
Kôhei: (Defiant) Oh yeah? Well I know some giant fruit bats that come out during the day! (Proudly) Explain that!
Maya: (Sarcastically) You “know” them?
Kôhei: Well, no, not personally. I mean I know of them… (Disgusted) Oh, you know what I mean.
Maya: (Unconvinced) Right. In any case, we’d better get on over to that—
Kôhei: Wait a second now, Honey-bun, this has just officially become strictly police business. If there’s—
Maya: (Angry) Don’t call me Honey-bun!
Kôhei: (Continuing) If there’s some kind of disruption of the peace going on— whatever it may be— it’s my job to see that—
Maya: (Cutting him off) Kôhei-kun! You have no idea what you’re dealing with here, do you!?
Kôhei: (Angry) And you do!?
Maya: More than you do!
Kôhei: (Unimpressed) Really? And how would that be?
Maya: (Blurting out) Because I’m Ka—
Kôhei: (Horrified) AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
Maya: (Shocked) What!?
Kôhei: (Pointing) A… a spider!
(Maya turns, to see a very small spider descending behind her from one of the trees above.)
Maya: (Rolling eyes) Oh, Kôhei-kun, it’s only a little spider. It’s not going to kill you!
Kôhei: (Nervously) But I hate spiders! They totally creep me out!
Maya: Arachnophobia, huh? (Grinning) I should have expected a big, tough guy like you would have some kind of silly—
Kôhei: (Jittery) Maya! It’s not funny! Ack! There’s another one!
(Sure enough, another spider appears from above. Followed by another. And another.)
Maya: (Bemused) You know, there do seem to be a lot of them coming down from…
(She slowly begins to trail off. Both Maya and Kôhei look up nervously, to see thousands upon thousands of spiders descending from above.)
Maya & Kôhei: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(Both grab each other and drop to the ground, rolling to avoid the mass of spiders descending upon them. As they quickly rise up though, they find… absolutely nothing.)
Maya: Huh? Where’d they go?
Kôhei: (Freaking out) Are they on me? Are they one me? Get them off! Get them off!
(Kôhei jumps around batting at the air while Maya just stands with her arms crossed, trying to figure out what’s going on. Suddenly she jumps at Kôhei and pushes him down.)
Maya: DOWN!
(Both hit the ground just as something swoops past them. Maya looks up to see Tobidashi-Kumo swinging from the trees. She grits her teeth as she and Kôhei slowly rise.)
Maya: (Thinking) Her again! (Aloud) Kôhei-kun! Get back to Tachibana-san’s place! Now!
Kôhei: (Unsure) But you—
Maya: (Yelling) Don’t worry about me! I’ll be fine! Just get going!
Kôhei: (Nodding) Right!
(Kôhei makes a break for it, and Maya waits until he’s safely out of range. She then turns her attention back to her arachnid arch-nemesis, who has since landed and slowly approaches her.)
Maya: You know, I’ve really had it with you.
Tobidashi-Kumo: (Scoffing) Likewise, you pitiful excuse for a Rider.
(Tobidashi-Kumo spits a long strand of silky webbing that wraps itself around Maya’s neck. As our heroine struggles against the constricting material, Tobidashi-Kumo drags her ever so closer. Her Tobidashi-Blades flip out with their trademark “Schhhhing!”. Maya digs her heels into the ground, trying to give herself some leverage against the Kaijin. Realizing she is quickly running out of options, Maya assumes the Henshin pose.)
Maya: (Struggling) HEN... SHIN... SIGMA!!!
(The Henshin Belt materializes around her waist, casting forth a great blast of red light. Tobidashi-Kumo shields her eyes, and with all her strength pulls Maya up into the air. The web line snaps, and Maya is sent flying, where she flips around in midair, changes into Kamen Rider Sigma, and comes down kicking the Geier villainess all in one motion. Tobidashi-Kumo quickly rises to her feet, and she and Sigma yell angrily as they charge each other. Punches, kicks and chops are exchanged. But the two female combatants are evenly matched, and neither is able to gain any sort of upper hand on the other. Tobidashi-Kumo spits yet more webbing, which Sigma dodges, and responds to with a few punches in the face. The sun has now risen completely, meaning Sigma won’t have to worry about another opponent any time soon. Unrestricted, she goes all-out on her enemy, but the arachnid mutant dishes it back for everything she takes. Finally, Sigma lands a decisive punch to the stomach, sending her enemy flying back.)
Sigma: (Holding fist up, determined) This ends now!
Tobidashi-Kumo: (Slowly rising) Only for you it does! Kumonosu-Jigoku!
(Tobidashi-Kumo spreads her arms, and from her mouth and both hands she sprays web lines up into the air She crisscrosses her arms and forms a large spider web-like net, which quickly falls on Sigma and begins to wrap itself around her, tighter and tighter as she struggles against the tremendous force.)
Sigma: Agh! What the—!?
Tobidashi-Kumo: KUUUUU-MO! Now, while that net slowly crushes every bone in your body, stay there like a good girl and let me give you a taste of my venom. I do prefer my lunch liquefied.
(Tobidashi-Kumo approaches Sigma, who begins to slowly back away. Eventually, she reaches a short cliff, and glances back at the dark forest below, where she spots a small flowing river.)
Sigma: (Thinking) This is going to hurt… but it’s better than the alternative.
(With that, Sigma gathers all of her strength and leaps up and back just before Tobidashi-Kumo can sink her venomous fangs into her. She falls backwards, hitting the ground, tumbling between the trees, and rolling down to the water, where there is a massive explosion. Tobidashi-Kumo waits patiently for several minutes, but when she sees that Sigma does indeed seem to be no more, she shrugs and turns to talk away.)
***
(Meanwhile, Kôhei has made it back to the shop, and is filling in Mikoto and Tachibana over a few cup of coffee in the lounge. Both seem intrigued and worried by the story he has just told them.)
Tachibana: (Uneasily) You really think she’ll be okay though?
Kôhei: (Putting down coffee cup) Sure thing, Oyassan. You should have seen the way she handled herself with those weirdoes.
Tachibana: (Thinking) That’s true. I know she’s more than able to take care of herself, but after what happened to Shigeru… I’ve worried about them all more than ever…
Mikoto: (Piping in) Well, what are you going to do now, Keiji-san?
(Kôhei takes out the map and places it on the table before them.)
Kôhei: Well, between this and what Big Bird and Maya said, I’d be willing to bet all the answers will be questioned at this place.
(He puts his finger on the large black X as Tachibana and Mikoto simultaneously groan.)
Tachibana: Well, alright. Won’t you need some help though?
Kôhei: (Nodding) Well of course. I was thinking of asking you, actually.
Tachibana: Me? What could an old man like me possibly do to help you?
Kôhei: Well, Maya isn’t around, and Taki-san should probably stay here for when she shows up, or if she needs a ride or something. Besides, you have some experience with these kinds of things, at least based on what I’ve been told.
Tachibana: Told? By whom?
Kôhei: (Vague) Well, let’s just say I did a little digging around on my own before I got here, and your name popped up quite a few times in regards to the few files on the “Kamen Riders” that I could get a hold of. Believe me, you don’t have to come if you don’t want to, but I just get the feeling, you know better than anyone else alive about these guys.
(Tachibana nods slowly while Mikoto watches him, concerned.)
Mikoto: Oyassan…
Tachibana: (Confident) No, you’re right, Kurobe-san… I’ll help out any way I can!
(Kôhei nods, and puts his hand out, which Tachibana shakes enthusiastically.)
Tachibana: Just let me finish something up first…
***
(Elsewhere, Maya floats lifelessly along the river, bobbing up and down in the water as she goes. She is free from the Kaijin’s webbing, but now unconscious, if not worse… )
***
(It’s now several hours later, and the sun is already on its downward descent. Kôhei, his trench coat off and his shirt sleeves rolled up, is making a double-check of supplies, including flashlights, flares, and several varieties of firearms. Mikoto watches as he counts off the items with interest.)
Kôhei: (Wiping forehead) Well, that looks like everything. It’s nice that the Miura Municipal Police Armory was able to lend these things out on such short notice.
(Kôhei picks up a large pump-action shotgun, admiring it warmly.)
Mikoto: (Thinking) Not to mention lending them to someone like him.
(Tachibana emerges from the garage, wiping his own forehead with a rag, and looking quite pleased.)
Mikoto: What’s up, Oyassan?
Tachibana: It’s finally finished! I never thought I’d be able to do it, but after all these years, I’ve still got it!
Mikoto: (Intrigued) What is it?
Tachibana: Something for Maya, when she gets back.
Kôhei: (Packing things up) Alright folks, time to get this show on the road. Here Oyassan, you’ll need these.
(Kôhei hands Tachibana a flashlight and a paper bag.)
Tachibana: What’s in the bag?
Kôhei: (Flatly) Garlic. Use it only as a last resort. Okay, that’s everything. The sun will be down in less than an hour, so we’d better get going.
Tachibana: What exactly are we going to do, Kurobe-san?
Kôhei: Well, if my years of watching monster movies have paid off, then we should get there with enough time to find the bat creature while she’s still asleep, in a coffin somewhere— and then we can do the old stake-to-the-heart routine. In the event that we don’t, I’ve got a four-course meal of righteous pain cooked up that will definitely do the job. And in the very unlikely event that even that doesn’t work, I’ve borrowed more than enough firepower to send our winged friend back to Pennsylvania for good.
Mikoto: (Rolling eyes) What if that doesn’t work?
Kôhei: (Cryptically) I haven’t thought that far ahead yet. (Cheerfully) Now, shall we go?
(Mikoto watches Kôhei & Tachibana exit from the main lobby/waiting area, and then decides to do some more cleaning. As she goes to look for a dust rag and sponge, she hears the sound of the door opening again, and turns to greet the customers.)
Mikoto: Irrashai… (Mikoto gulps and her expression changes to a look of utter horror.)
***
(At a dock somewhere in the more urban Miura area, Maya slowly climbs a ladder out of the water. She’s tired, soaking wet, and generally not in a good mood.)
Maya: (Thinking) Oh, man… that’s what, two times now that I’ve been knocked out after a fight? I need to not make a habit of it. In any case, I’d better get back to the shop, find Tachibana-san and the others, and get on over to that church to finish this once and for all. And maybe, on the way, grab something to eat!
(Maya grabs her stomach to underline her feeling.)
***
(Sometime later, via a combination of taking a bus and walking, a slightly less-wet Maya stumbles towards Tachibana’s shop. The garage door being closed, she goes to the main entrance, but is suddenly alerted as she sees signs of some kind of a struggle inside. Maya pulls open the door and rushes in to find the place trashed. Suddenly, a figure appears seemingly out of nowhere. She grabs Maya from behind, pulling her around. Maya sees that she is a young woman like herself, but her skin is pale while, like a corpse. Her eyes seem to be sunken in, or gone, in either case she simply has black, gaping holes now. Her canines are elongated, like fangs, and her fingernails are equally claw-like. She opens her mouth wide, hissing. Maya’s horrified reaction is immediate.)
Maya: (Screaming) AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
Vampire Human: (Snarling) GRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!
(Suddenly, something hits the attacker from behind, and she crumples to the ground. Maya stands, shocked, glancing down at her would-be killer. She then looks up to see Mikoto, grinning, and clapping her hands together to remove the dirt from them.)
Maya: (Stunned) Mikoto!
Mikoto: (Cheerfully) Hey, Maya! Sorry about that, I don’t know how this one got away. There were about four or five others back there. Don’t worry, I took care of them.
(Mikoto motions back to a pile of comatose people, also with the elongated nails and fangs.)
Maya: Mikoto… you did all that?
Mikoto: (Shrugging) Yeah. When your dad is like mine, you have to learn more than few forms of self-defense.
(As Mikoto chuckles, Maya kneels down to look at the unconscious young woman before her. She notices two red, puncture-like marks on her neck, and makes the connection.)
Maya: These marks…
Mikoto: (Nodding) Yeah. The others have them too. Keiji-san told me your theory about the vampire. Looks like you’re right.
Maya: Yes, but… what about them? What happens when they wake up?
Mikoto: (Rolling head back and forth.) Well, I wouldn’t worry about that, at least for a few hours. But something tells me that if you can find that vampire bat creature again, you might get some answers.
Maya: (Nodding) Yeah… Hey, where is Kôhei-kun?
Mikoto: Oh, he and Oyassan went to some church. I think he said you told him about it…
Maya: They did? To do what? No wait, don’t tell me— they’re gonna need my help!
Mikoto: (Clapping hands) Well of course they are! You are a Kamen Rider after all, right?
Maya: (Surprised) WHAT!? Mikoto!? How do you know that!?
Mikoto: (Shrugging) Well, I kind of just figured it out on my own. I mean until you showed up, I’d never seen Oyassan so happy before. It’s almost like he’s 30 years younger, you know? So I knew something had to be up. And you seem to fit the bill… You are one, right?
Maya: (Nodding, smiling) Indeed I am.
Mikoto: (Impressed) Cool!
(Maya glances down.)
Maya: Then again, lately, I’ve been more of a Kamen Walker...
Mikoto: (Snapping fingers) That’s right! I forgot to tell you about your bike!
Maya: Huh!? What about my bike?
Mikoto: Follow me!
(Mikoto leads Maya out of the room, carefully stepping over the bodies. She takes her into the garage, where she flips on the lights. Sure enough, there is Maya’s motorcycle, albeit with a very different paint job. Maya looks horrified.)
Maya: (Shocked) What…
Mikoto: New color scheme! It’s pretty—
Maya: What happened to my baby!?
(Maya falls to her knees and hugs her once-silver, now-black & purple motorcycle while Mikoto looks on perplexed.)
Maya: (Blubbering) Who did this to you!? What sort of nasty, horrible—
Mikoto: (Thinking) Oh, jeez… (Aloud) Oyassan did—
Maya: But… but… why!?
Mikoto: (Impatient) Maya! Just read the letter already!
(Sniffling, Maya stands up and takes the letter resting atop her bike, opens it, and reads.)
Maya: (Reading aloud) “Dear Maya, I’m sorry if I’ve brought you any inconvenience by borrowing your motorcycle without telling you, but I just had to get to work on this as quickly as possible. It’s based on the designs that you gave to me. I made a few modifications to the plans myself, with you in mind. I would have presented this to you in person, but I’m off with Kurobe-san right now, and I don’t know when we’ll be back. In any case, please accept this as a token of gratitude and my thanks to you. But the real thanks should go Takeshi, Hayato and Shirô. Please take this as your own, and make them proud. You’ve already more than done it for me. Sincerely, Tachibana Tôbei.
P.S. Sorry about changing the paintjob.”
(Maya puts the letter down, and looks at her motorcycle, silently. Mikoto looks at her patiently.)
Maya: (Thinking) Take this as my own, and make them proud… (Aloud, determined) I will Oyassan. I promise I will.
Mikoto: (Unsure) Maya?
Maya: (nodding) Looks like I’ll just have to get used to the new look, Mikoto. There’s something else I need to do right now.
(Mikoto watches as Maya walks over and seats herself on her bike, running her hand across the smooth shiny chassis, making her way up to the gauges and handle bars. She then turns to look as her friend.)
Maya: You asked before if I was a Kamen Rider, right? Well, now you’ll see for yourself. I may be the only one here, but as long as I have my friends… you, Tachibana-san… and I guess even Kôhei-kun… I’ll never really be alone. Now, let me show you… my Henshin!
(Maya lifts her arms to the right, assuming the Henshin pose.)
Maya: HENSHIN…
(Mikoto watches fascinated as the other girl slowly begins raising her arms in a clockwise motion. She brings her arms
to her left side, before pulling
in her left arm to her waist and clenching her hand into a fist. She moves her
right arm strait across and extends it to the right, hand open. Lights swirl
and form the Henshin Belt around Maya’s waist.)
Maya: … SIGMA!
(The central fan spins rapidly,
drawing in air and casting out a crimson glow. The two smaller fans, concealed
behind red-tinted glass, also revolve and send red energy swirling out around
Maya’s body. The glow increases, and Mikoto shields her eyes as it reaches
maximum intensity, only to subside and reveal that Ryûsaki Maya has become
Kamen Rider Sigma. Mikoto looks on, wide-eyed, as Sigma flexes her gloved
fingers. The chrome-highlighted mechanics of the bike shine under the dim
garage lights. Sigma grips the handle bars, and the motorcycle’s powerful
engine springs to life, rumbling as she proceeds to rev up. Mikoto grins and
presses a button on the wall, activating the automatic garage door. As the door
lifts up to reveal the early evening sky, Sigma flips on the headlights. And
then she guns the engine, the back exhaust pipes spew forth hot, billowing
flame, and the vehicle takes off with a great roar into the night. Mikoto
watches confidently, nodding her head.)
Mikoto: Go get ‘em, Rider.
(Sigma, on her sleek vehicle, cruises down the road, the headlights shining brightly illuminating the path ahead.)
Sigma: (Thinking) Hongô-san… Ichimonji-san… Kazami-san… I’ve finally got it all figured out. Up until now, I felt like I didn’t really know what I was doing, like I was lost without your guidance. But the truth is… even if you aren’t with me anymore… even if you never will be again… you’re still right beside me. Just like you’ve always been since I first became Sigma. I’m going to defeat all of Geier, and I’m going to do it thanks to you, and everyone else who believes in me. That’s a promise!
(As the sky darkens ever more, Sigma’s motorcycle roars down the road towards her destiny.)
***
(Meanwhile, our heroes have arrived at the church. Its eeriness is only intensified by the steadily increasing nightfall. Kôhei’s unmarked car sits outside, by the road. In the church itself, all is silent and still. Then, the great wooden doors swing open with a mighty creak, and we see that Kôhei, wearing sunglasses for no particular reason and with the shotgun in his hands, has kicked them open. He puts his foot down and confidently walks forward. The wind blows at his coat tails dramatically. Tachibana, struggling with a bag full of weapons and supplies & shining a flashlight around, follows him in. )
Kôhei: (Yelling) Hi honey, I’m home!
(Kôhei pulls back on the shotgun pump, making its distinctive noise. He then removes his shades and looks to see that Tachibana is right behind him.)
Tachibana: (Sighing) Is all this really necessary, Kurobe-san?
Kôhei: (Casually) It sure is. What’s the point of busting into some place if you don’t do it with some style?
Tachibana: Well, it wouldn’t have hurt to be a little more subtle. We might have scared them off.
Kôhei: (Shrugging) Feh! Don’t worry, Oyassan, we still have another ten minutes before the sun is completely down. All we gotta do is find Bats, work our magic, and we’ll be still home in time for dinner! Howzabout we hit up a Ramen place after this? It’s on me!
Tachibana: Um…
(Tachibana points to the altar, and Kôhei gulps embarrassedly as he sees the nun glowering at both of them. She then steps around the podium and slowly makes her way towards them. Tachibana and Kôhei find themselves unable to move, and can only glance back as the doors seem to close all on their own. Sweat pours down Kôhei’s brow as he realizes he may have just gotten in over his head.)
Nun: (Emotionlessly) You two... why have you come here?
Kôhei: (Gulping, unsure) Er… sorry, Sister. We—
Nun: (Coldly) No, I know why. You have come to give yourselves over to me. Your precious blood, your weak bodies… they are no longer of use to you. But they are of use to me. Give yourselves over to me, now. Give up your luscious blood to quench my thirst, give up your pitiful flesh for me to control. Join the many others who have seen the light, seen the truth…
(As the nun approaches, her glazed eyes seem to be almost hypnotic. Kôhei and Tachibana watch her, unable to move, unable to do anything, until she is at last within arm’s reach of them.)
Nun: You… you belong to me now!
Kôhei: (Grinning) Don’t count on it!
(Kôhei find the power to lift his arms and fire. The nun leaps up with some kind of superhuman speed as the mighty shotgun blast decimates the nearby pews and even part of the faraway altar. Kôhei and Tachibana quickly rush over to where the nun once was. They look around, scanning the high ceiling and walls, but find no trace of her.)
Tachibana: (Glancing around) Where’d she go!?
Kôhei: (Grimly) Dunno… looks like Mother Superior just jumped the gun on us.
(Kôhei grins while Tachibana looks around, confused.)
Tachibana: What was she, anyway?
Kôhei: Certainly not human… after all, I could never pull a gun on a lady. That’s just Kôhei’s Rule #1. Of course, she’s clearly no lady.
Nun: So you have chosen the path of sin?
(Kôhei and Tachibana look up, to see the nun hanging upside down from directly above them. She glares down at them, her glazed eyes slowly turning to a bloodshot red.)
Kôhei: (Cocky) Hey now— I don’t think killing innocent people and trying to take over the world are acts of goodwill either!
Nun: Silence! Your time is up! You will join me!
Kôhei: Not on my watch!
(Kôhei points up and fires again, but the blast is stopped by some kind of force.)
Kôhei: What the—!?
Nun: You’ve waited too long! Now the sun is down, and now my power is at full! You are mine!
Kôhei: (Shouting up) Oh yeah? Well… um… well, what if we aren’t?
Nun: Then… you will just have to DIE!
(The nun’s skin begins to stretch and tear, and then shreds off in a thunderous rip, revealing the form of Kômori-Kamisori. The flying Kaijin spreads her wings and descends towards our heroes. Tachibana ducks while Kôhei fires again, but Kômori-Kamisori swoops out of the way. She lands a short distance away and turns to face the two humans. Kôhei catches a glimpse of the glint of her razor blade hands as he takes aim, but instantly finds the weapon knocked out of his hands and sliced in half by one of these same blades. He then reaches into his coat and pulls out two Colt .45's, quickly opening fire. The bullets don’t affect the vampire monster as she confidently strides towards the two. Kôhei and Tachibana back up towards the wall as the detective continues to fire. He soon runs out of bullets, clicking the triggers uselessly. He throws both pistols at the Kaijin, but of course they do nothing to slow her down. He motions to Tachibana to give him another weapon, but the bag is sliced by the straps thanks to another flying razor blade, and falls to the ground, spilling its contents about. Realizing this, Kôhei grins, reaches into his coat again and pulls out a large, albeit crudely-constructed crucifix. Kômori-Kamisori stops. Stunned, she tries her best to shield her eyes from the holy image. She musters the strength to knock it out of his hands with a swipe, to which he and Tachibana stare at open-mouthed.)
Kômori-Kamisori: (Snarling) KIIIIIIII! I’m through with your little tricks!
(Kôhei tries to throw a punch, but takes one himself in the stomach. Tachibana, deciding to act, tries to tackle the monster around the waist, but she knocks him back too. Kôhei reaches for the cross charm around his neck, but the Kaijin slices it right off with a close chop that nearly takes his head off as well. Before either of the men can do anything, Kômori-Kamisori grabs them both by the neck and lifts them up. She stands, holding both up in the direction of the altar, the moonlight shining through a great stain glass window high above down onto them.)
Kôhei: (Gasping) AGGH! Tachibana-san!
Tachibana: (Also gasping) GAHHHHH!
Kômori-Kamisori: This is the end for you both! KIIIIIIIII!
(Kômori-Kamisori tightens her grip, preparing to crush the necks of both men. But she stops, as all three hear a distant noise. The sound draws closer, and closer, and closer. And then…)
Kômori-Kamisori: Eh!?
(There is a great roar, and all three look up to the nondescript-looking stain glass window. In a flash, it splinters. A dark shape comes smashing right through with a tremendous crash. It is a motorcycle, its engine roaring. As the vehicle descends to the ground, time seems to slow down, and with the bike comes billions of fragments of shattered glass. Kômori-Kamisori drops the two men and covers herself with her wings. With every ounce of his strength, Kôhei grabs Tachibana and shields the older man from the falling shards. Sigma’s bike slams down hard on the ground just as the glass begins to fall around her. Kôhei and Tachibana are safely out of harm’s way, and Kômori-Kamisori looks up angrily. Sigma herself, gripping the handle bars in a slightly crouched position, rises and defiantly strikes a pose atop her steel steed, as the fragments hit the ground and shatter even more all around her.)
Kômori-Kamisori: (Furiously) SIGMA!
(Tachibana, upon hearing this, opens his eyes and looks up.)
Tachibana: (Excitedly) Rider!
Kôhei: (Also looking up) Kamen Rider Sigma!
Sigma: (Smoothly) Knock-knock, Geier.
Kômori-Kamisori: (Really upset now) You… you… you dare to interfere again!?
Sigma: (Casually) Naturally.
(She turns and looks to Tachibana and Kôhei.)
Sigma: If you’re going to hurt innocent people, I’m going to be there to stop you. That’s all there is to it.
Kômori-Kamisori: GRRRRRR… looks like you’ll just have to DIE!!!
Sigma: Then that makes two of us!
(Sigma guns the engine, and before Kômori-Kamisori can leap up again, the vehicle slams into her. Together, they speed right out of the church and smash through the front doors. Tachibana and Kôhei rise up slowly, just now catching their breath.)
Kôhei: (Adjusting tie) Well, that sure was lucky, eh Oyassan? Oyassan?
(Kôhei glances over at Tachibana to see tears streaming down the older man’s face. They are not tears of sadness, but rather, of immense joy. His entire face seems to light up. He grins broadly. And all those old times, those old memories flood back in an instant. Every battle, every victory, every struggle, every triumph, everything that he had been and is now— it is all so real again. Their faces, every one of them— he can see them as if they were right there with him now. For the first time in many, many years, he is truly happy again. He is truly at peace again. He is truly alive again.)
***
(Kômori-Kamisori flies off the front of Sigma’s bike as the masked heroine slams on the brakes. The monster gets up slowly, and sneers at her opponent.)
Kômori-Kamisori: HAHAHA! You may have your new toy now, Rider, but that’s still not enough to defeat me!
Sigma: (Angrily) We’ll just see about that!
(But as Sigma is about to speed off into her mammalian foe, the familiar sound and sensation of something wrapping around her neck is felt, and Sigma is pulled right off of her vehicle. She struggles on the ground, looking up to see a very, very upset Tobidashi-Kumo looming overhead, holding the web line from her mouth by one arm and raising the other arm, preparing to stab down.)
Tobidashi-Kumo: I think you’ve cheated death long enough you little @#$%&.
(Tobidashi-Kumo roars angrily and stabs downward, but Sigma grabs the blade between her hands. She kicks up with one leg, knocking the Kaijin’s arm out of the way and causing her to tumble over. Sigma springs to her feet, shredding the webbing around her neck. Kômori-Kamisori charges but takes a hard punch to the gut, knocking her back. Tobidashi-Kumo gets to her feet and lunges at Sigma again, but the Kamen Rider gives her a swift kick to the chest, followed by a few punches to the face. The bat monster attacks from behind, but Sigma grabs her and flips her over her shoulder, causing her to land next to her fellow Geier villainess. The two rise up, and Kômori-Kamisori is about to charge once again, but Tobidashi-Kumo puts an arm out.)
Tobidashi-Kumo: (Coldly) This one’s MINE.
(The other Kaijin nods as the spider mutant lunges at Sigma. She gets in a few punches, stunning Sigma long enough to wrap her hands around her neck, and begin squeezing. Sigma knees the Kaijin in the stomach, and precedes kick and punch the stuffing out of her. But the other monstrous cyborg gets the upper hand once again. She grabs Sigma by the neck with one hand, and raises the other right in her face.)
Tobidashi-Kumo: Kumonosu-Jigoku!
(The webbing wraps itself around Sigma’s face, and begins to squeeze. The arachnid monster puts back her head and laughs maniacally.)
Tobidashi-Kumo: HAHAHAHAHAHA! Ah yes. This is the good part. The part where your head is crushed and your BRAINS COME OOZING OUT ALL OVER THE PLACE!!! So long, Kamen Rid—
(But to her utter shock, Sigma simply grabs the webbing and tears it right off as if it were nothing. Her eyes glow bright red, as does the Typhoon fan in her Henshin Belt.)
Sigma: Sorry, but the script just got changed!
(Sigma gives Tobidashi-Kumo a hard punch right in the stomach, sending her flying backwards. Kômori-Kamisori rushes to attack Sigma, but the masked heroine gives her a spin-kick to the head, knocking her down cold. Sigma then runs over to her motorcycle, gets on, and revs up. Tobidashi-Kumo rises up, glaring angrily. Sigma speeds right towards the spider villainess, raising up the front tire in a dramatic wheelie, and hitting the monster right in the face, knocking out a few fangs in the process. As Tobidashi-Kumo grabs her mouth in pain, Sigma swerves and hits her again in the back. She drives circles around the furious Kaijin, who slashes about insanely.)
Tobidashi-Kumo: RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! DIE! DIE!
(Sigma swings her motorcycle at just the right moment, and catches one of the spider creature’s arm blades under her tire, snapping it off. Tobidashi-Kumo roars and tries to stab her with the other arm, but Sigma again swerves and slams right into the creature, sending her flying backwards yet again. But before Tobidashi-Kumo can get up, Sigma’s motorcycle driving right over her, and the wet crunch of the monster’s arm snapping under the tire’s weight is followed by another roar of psychotic rage.)
Tobidashi-Kumo: ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHH!!!
(As the Kaijin, holding her arm, gets to her feet, she sees that Sigma is but a few meters away. The young heroine quickly springs off of her mount to kick the monster right in the gut. Stunned, Tobidashi-Kumo is unable to defend herself as Sigma delivers punch after devastating punch, slamming her fists into the nightmarish creature’s head and gut. Snarling, the monster tries to nail Sigma with her one good arm, but the Rider seizes it, holds it to one shoulder, and slams into Tobidashi-Kumo’s bicep with a powerful chop, dislocating the monster’s shoulder. Sigma slams her head into Tobidashi-Kumo’s face, knocking her back and completely disorienting her.)
Tobidashi-Kumo: KUUUUU…
Sigma: This is it!
(Sigma strikes a battle pose. Her eyes and Henshin Belt Typhoon ignite once more in a crimson blur, and she delivers a powerful roundhouse kick to the cybernetic monstrosity, sending her flying back. Sigma leaps up into the air and rockets forward, past the whirling Kaijin and towards the church. She lands with both feet against the wall, creating a massive shockwave that impacts on the concrete surface, sending cascading cracks in all directions. She turns, looking towards the oncoming Kaijin, and leaps off of the church wall with incredible speed. Time has seemed to slow down for Sigma, but in reality this entire action takes only a fraction of a second. She now speeds back towards Tobidashi-Kumo, still hurtling in midair, with one foot extended and blazing with white-hot energy.)
Sigma: DRAGON FANG RIDER KICK!
(Sigma’s foot squarely hits Tobidashi-Kumo, and the sheer force of her kick causes her enemy to be sent flying back the way she came. The mutant hits the ground rolling, now crackling with energy. Sigma lands gracefully, and turns her back on the Geier monster. Standing weakly, Tobidashi-Kumo gasps, trying to hold on to the thread of life just a little bit longer. Energy continues to surge throughout her body, short-circuiting her internal mechanisms and sizzling throughout her flesh.)
Sigma: (Coldly) Now we’re even.
(Tobidashi-Kumo lets out one helpless, angry sigh. Her entire body shakes uncontrollably. Sparks ignite and then she splinters and explodes in a massive fiery inferno. Kômori-Kamisori, shielding her eyes from the blast, looks at Sigma furiously.)
Kômori-Kamisori: Sigma! I’ll make you pay for that!
Sigma: Really? Better hurry up, because you’re next!
Kômori-Kamisori: Another time, perhaps! KIIIIIIII!!!
(Kômori-Kamisori attempts to leap into the air and take off into the night sky, but Sigma jumps up and kicks her with both feet back to her to the ground. They grapple, roll and thrash about, until they are behind the church, where the large, eerie graveyard awaits. As both get to their feet, Kômori-Kamisori laughs malevolently.)
Kômori-Kamisori: HAHAHAHA! Well, if you’re going to be like that, I suppose I have no choice but to show you the results of our “Akhkharu Project”!
Sigma: (Sarcastically) “Akhkharu Project”? Sounds like a rock band!
Kômori-Kamisori: Silence! Your doom is at hand!
(Suddenly, growls, howls and moans fill the air. Sigma gulps as dark shapes seem to emerge from every direction. People of all shapes and sizes, young and old, rise up, all having been infected by the virus and now thoroughly turned into vampires. As they close in and surround Sigma, Kômori-Kamisori snickers viciously.)
Kômori-Kamisori: KIIIIII! Like that, Sigma? These are all the people who, like you, stumbled upon our little church and took part in our experiment. Unfortunately, you managed to escape before I could enlist you to our cause, but… oh well. I guess you’ll just have to DIE!
Sigma: (Angrily, clenching fists) You—!!!
Kômori-Kamisori: KILL HER!
(As the Kaijin stands back, the horde of Vampire Humans falls upon Sigma, but she leaps into the air and towards the Geier Kaijin. As they try to get her from behind, she spins around and kicks one into another.)
Sigma: (Thinking) I can’t go all-out on these people, even if they’re trying to kill me. But there’s got to be some way of taking them out without using lethal force.
(Trying her best to simply dodge the mindless horde, Sigma soon finds herself overwhelmed, fighting aggressively to keep the vampires from tearing her limb from limb.)
Tachibana: Sigma!
(Suddenly, Tachibana and Kôhei come running up, but stop when they see the monstrous crowd turning to face them.)
Kôhei: What the—!?
Tachibana: No time for that! Hit the lights!
(The two men ignite their large flashlights right in Kômori-Kamisori’s face, causing her to cry out and shield her eyes with her large brown wings. As this happens, the bloodthirsty crowd also pauses, but not from the light.)
Sigma: So that’s it!
(With the Vampire Humans stunned, Sigma makes short work of rendering the horde of unconscious with a few weak well-placed punches. She then looks over at Kômori-Kamisori.)
Sigma: (Confident) So without you, your little Vampire Virus is useless.
Kômori-Kamisori: What!? What do you mean!?
Sigma: The “virus” itself isn’t even a virus at all— it’s just an agent, put into the bloodstream. You’re controlling all those people mentally, and if the agent is in their blood, you have even greater control— enough to temporarily alter them into vampires as well. But if you’re taken out, there’s no one to control them, is there?
(The Kaijin looks utterly shocked, as if unable to fully take in what Sigma has just deduced. So she goes for the obvious.)
Kômori-Kamisori: Grrrr… DIE!!!
(Kômori-Kamisori raises her arms and fires razor blades at Sigma, who rolls, flips, and jumps out of the way of the oncoming flying metallic objects. Simultaneously, Tachibana and Kôhei dive for cover.)
Sigma: (Thinking) Well, here comes the hard part. How am I going to beat her? If she’s a true vampire, a regular Rider Kick probably isn’t going to do much. But maybe…
(Sigma dodges left and right, looking for something that will suit her needs. She sees it, right below the Kaijin’s feet. Sigma leaps into the air and landing in a roll as the blades hit the ground right behind her. In one quick motion, she stands, grabbing a large, unused metal cross, and points the elongated end of it towards Kômori-Kamisori. She lunges forward, dodging blades left and right. Kômori-Kamisori leaps out of the way, and drops down from behind. Just as she prepares to decapitate our heroine from the beck, Sigma swings around in a lighting fast motion, and a squishy, juicy piercing noise is heard.)
Kômori-Kamisori: AGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
(Kômori-Kamisori looks down to see that Sigma has driven the cross right through her chest. Scarlet liquid oozes out. She grits her teeth, snarling as she helplessly slumps forward, unintentionally driving the spike deeper into the wound. Sigma lets go, and Kômori-Kamisori drops backwards to the ground, the crooked crucifix still imbedded in her. Gasping, she thrashes about. She glares up at Sigma, who looks down coldly. Suddenly, on the very distant horizon, the first hint of the sun can be seen. Kômori-Kamisori, blood now oozing out of her mouth chuckles softly.)
Kômori-Kamisori: (Weakly) Gehehehe…Well done, Sigma. You’ve defeated me, and as you assumed, the effects of the virus will wear off and all those people will soon revert to normal. But as for you… (she points up)… you. You’re days are numbered, Sigma. Don’t ever forget that. You may have beaten me, but you’ll never beat all of Geier. Never… Your nightmare has only begun…
Sigma: (Defiantly) Say what you want… but I won’t rest until all Geier is destroyed, for good.
(But the Kaijin, delirious in her near-death state, doesn’t listen.)
Kômori-Kamisori: Only begun… it has only begun… only…
(Kômori-Kamisori’s voice trails off, her arm falls to the ground, and her eyes close. Her blood-covered tongue goes slack, and her body exhales its final breath. Sigma watches, as the sun begins to rise in the background. The sky soon begins to turn a dull pink, and the earliest of the morning birds begin to chirp. Tachibana and Kôhei slowly walk up behind her, both looking worse for the wear but still alive. They both glance down as the impaled body of Kômori-Kamisori, which, as a result of the sunlight, begins to slowly crumble, turning to dust, which then blows away in the soft breeze. Tachibana nods and puts a hand on Sigma’s shoulder. She turns to him. But Kôhei is the first to speak.)
Kôhei: Is it over?
Sigma: (Nodding) Yeah.
Kôhei: (Sighing) That’s a relief. Closer inspection of that church revealed a secret passage under the altar, but it didn’t go far… it looked like someone had intentionally sealed it.
Sigma: (Serious) And that would have led to their base.
Kôhei: (Nodding) Oh. So I guess Ryûsaki-san is to blame for that one, huh?
(Kôhei chuckles to himself, but Tachibana and Sigma are too wrapped up in their own conversation to pay him much mind.)
Tachibana: Sigma… I knew you could do it.
Sigma: Not without your help, though.
Tachibana: (Shaking head) Nah… I just built the bike! You know who deserves the real credit.
Sigma: Even so… I couldn’t have done it without you, Tachibana-san. Thanks to you … I finally figured everything out. If I didn’t before… I definitely know now why I’m a Kamen Rider.
Tachibana: (Shrugging happily) Well, have it your way.
Kôhei: (Interrupting) Hey, what about all these people?
Sigma: They’ll be fine. The virus was merely there to let the Kaijin manipulate them like she did. She could exert some degree of hypnotic control over those who hadn’t been infected, but she needed the virus in their blood to be fully in command. Without her, it should be harmless and eventually cycle itself out of their bodies. Just to be on the safe side though, I’d see about getting everyone who was infected to a hospital. Also… I, um… might have broken a bone or two.
Kôhei: Well, okay. (Thinking) There’s something vaguely familiar about her voice…
Sigma: (Thinking) But that still doesn’t explain why— I mean, how it all worked. She was a vampire, who needed to inject some virus into people so she could control them, but she was brought down by a cross— well, being stabbed in the heart with one— and then the sun comes up, and she crumbles away like that? I don’t get how it possibly could all… ah, who am I kidding? It’s not my job to worry about the logic behind it!
Kôhei: As for you, Miss Rider, have you got some questions to answer! First off…
(But Sigma ignores the detective’s rants. Instead, she turns to Tachibana.)
Sigma: So, need a lift back home, Oyassan?
Tachibana: (Smiling) There’s no better way to travel.
(Sigma and Tachibana slowly walk off, while Kôhei, back turned, continues to babble to himself.)
Tachibana: So tell me, how do you like the improvements? I named it “The Tsunami”!
Sigma: “Tsunami”, huh?
(Sigma and Tachibana walk over to the Tsunami, and get on. Kôhei, realizing this, stops and runs after them.)
Kôhei: Hey! Hey! Wait a minute!
(Sigma revs up the engine, and proceeds to speed off. Tachibana holds on tightly, and neither glances back at the irate detective behind them, who ultimately gives up trying to chase down the much faster vehicle and simply throws his arm towards the ground in disgust.)
Kôhei: (Bitterly) Aw, come on! Jeez, that Kamen Rider Sigma… always dashing about… not unlike someone else I know…
(Kôhei smirks, puts his hands in his pockets and slowly shuffles back to his car, glancing up at the soft morning sky.)
To Be Continued...
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
This page owned and operated by Paul Sullivan.
Kamen Rider Sigma, all content, text, artwork, custom graphics & original characters © 2007 Igadevil's Kamen Rider Page.
Kamen Rider ©1971, 2007 TOEI / ISHINOMORI SHOTARO. "Kamen Rider Sigma" by Paul Sullivan.