Ore san...wait, wrong Rider

[powertotearer]

[A motorcycle goes across the land, finally coming to a stop at the Chalice. The Rider gets off, removes his helmet, and it's Eiji! However, if anyone met Eiji when they first picked up Shoutaro and Philip, they'll notice he seems oddly serious, and the ever-present Ankh is nowhere in sight.]

Comments

[timeless_hope]

No, you're fine. It's just... interesting. Not a whole lot of people seek us out that aren't trying to kill us, after all.

Who are you looking for? Maybe I can help. [His tone's almost challenging, though. Eiji, you're probably getting the feeling this guy won't be much help at all.]

[powertotearer]

[Eiji tries a smile. He's not going to rise to a challenge unless he's got no way out.]

Ah, no, nothing like that. I was hoping to find Tsukasa Kadoya, Shoutaro Hidari, or any other Kamen Riders here. I heard there were a few.

[timeless_hope]

Oh good, spine. I like that. [Will's responding expression is less feral, and thoughtful.]

Tsukasa Kadoya left this world, I heard. That studio's still on the Chalice, but he's not in it, and I don't think he's intending to return. Hidari I know is aboard, considering his adopted sister is still here and the two are seemingly inseparable some days.

Other Riders... I'm not certain. The one going on about space, I haven't seen in a little while. Nor the one that was on about Decade all the time. Beyond that, I'm don't know. [Mental checklist: Decade, W, Fourze, DiEnd... were there more aboard? Eh, not his problem. Can't make things too easy.]

[powertotearer]

Oh. [Eiji's face falls slightly.] Too bad I missed Tsukasa. But at least Shoutaro's still here.

[timeless_hope]

I'm a little sorry myself. I hear he was a trouble magnet, and I love trouble.

I don't think he'll be hard to find. I don't know where he is, but I'm sure there are a few places he frequents. Or maybe he'll come when he hears someone rode up to a starship on a motorcycle. That's not exactly common.

[powertotearer]

All right, thanks. Also, you haven't seen any of these creatures, have you?

[He pulls out what looks like a can of soda, except when he pulls the tab, it turns into a small, hawk robot. The Taka Candroid creates a holographic image of five monsters. If you look at Eiji, he's all serious again.]

It's important I find them.

[timeless_hope]

[Will spends a long moment studying the images, internally creating records and marking them "dangerous, unknown abilities". Outwardly, he frowns.]

No, I haven't. What makes them so important? Are they particularly dangerous in some way?

[powertotearer]

They are. They're called Greeed, and they're basically homunculi created from the energy of animals and desire. They'll break down the whole world in order to try to satisfy these desires. I was working to defeat them, but they took something from me. And someone.

[timeless_hope]

Well. These Greeed sound like bad news, then. I guess we'd better be on the lookout. Any particular way to kill them we should know about?

...What did they take? [Now he's just curious.]

[powertotearer]

They're strong, but not invincible. Enough weapons fire, and they can go down. But they took their Core Medals that we were collecting and keeping from them. That's the source of their powers. If you can get even one of them back, it'll weaken them.

...They also took Ankh, a friend of mine.

[timeless_hope]

Overwhelming force, then. What do these Core Medals do, aside from give them power? Are they useful to us if recovered?

Will Ankh be all right for a while if we can't get him back right away?

[powertotearer]

As far as I know, they're only useful in my OOO Driver.

I don't know. He's been absorbed into that Greeed. [He points to the red birdlike Greeed] We've been calling him "Lost Ankh." I don't know if there's a way to separate the two, but I hope so.

[timeless_hope]

Better than nothing, I guess. If I run into one of these things, I'll see what I can do.

[Will is significantly less pleased with this last revelation, marking Lost Ankh as "dangerous, but lethal force not advised".] That sounds... unpleasant. I hope you're able to get your friend out, or else you're going to have to make a hard choice.

[powertotearer]

I know. And I know the longer he's trapped in there, the more likely he is to be lost forever.

[timeless_hope]

Then we don't have time to lose. [Will stands aside, all though of obstructing Eiji gone.] Know that Will Rogers is behind you, if the Greeed come calling. Go find your Riders and get things worked out.

[powertotearer]

[He smiles in relief.]

Thank you. And I'll help out as much as I can here.

[timeless_hope]

I'll hold you to that, Eiji Hino. So long as you're helping with our problems... welcome aboard.