The silver doors of the DenLiner slid open, and Urataros stepped inside, the temporal energy of the time-traveling train swirling around him before dissipating. The dining car, usually a scene of boisterous activity, was unusually quiet. Naomi stood behind the counter, polishing a coffee cup with a practiced hand, while Momotaros, Kintaros, and Ryutaros sat around a table, their expressions a mix of concern and exasperation.
The blue streak in Ace's hair vanished as he took back control, the stylish glasses disappearing. He sighed, rubbing his temples, and then Urataros phased out of Ace. The Imagin sauntered over to the table and casually plopped down, attempting to appear unbothered by the tense atmosphere.
"Well, that was a close one," Urataros said, attempting to lighten the mood with a charming smile. He struck a pose, adjusting his glasses. "Did you all miss me?"
Momotaros slammed a fist on the table. "Miss you? You almost got us all caught! Because of your flirting, Ace's identity is exposed to a Pro Hero! I have a bad feeling about this."
"Oh, here we go," Ace thought, bracing himself for the inevitable argument.
Kintaros sighed, shaking his head. "Momotaros is right, Urataros. Your actions were reckless."
Ryutaros tilted his head, his brow furrowed. "Did you at least get her number? Was she pretty?"
Naomi chuckled, placing the polished cup on the shelf. "Oh, Ryutaros, always thinking about the important things."
Urataros rolled his eyes, taking a seat at the table. "Look, I had everything under control. Besides, Mt. Lady is not going to tell anyone. She's got a weakness for handsome guys."
Momotaros stood up, his voice rising. "That's exactly the problem! You can't just assume everyone is going to fall for your charms. This is serious! If Mt. Lady exposes Ace, we're all in trouble!"
The red Oni pointed a finger at the sea turtle. "How do you know she won't expose us to the cops? Did you even bother to wipe her memory?"
"Okay, settle down," Ace said, trying to mediate the situation. "It's my life on the line here. I'm not going to be able to work at Starry. It's also going to be hard to find a new place."
Kintaros nodded, his expression grave. "If Ace's identity is revealed, he will be forced to live on the run. We will not be able to help."
Ryutaros gasped, his eyes wide with concern. "Where will you go? Can I come with you? I won't hear your answer!"
Naomi placed a comforting hand on Ace's shoulder. "We won't let that happen, Ace. We'll figure something out."
The Taros began to brainstorm, their voices overlapping in a chaotic jumble.
"We could use the DenLiner to take Ace to another time period!" Momotaros suggested, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
"That's a terrible idea, you jerk," Urataros retorted. "We can't just run away from our problems. Ace needs to stay here and fight Dai-Shocker."
"Maybe we can rewrite Mt. Lady's memories?" Ryutaros offered, his tone hopeful.
"Are you serious? That's impossible," Momotaros scoffed. "You can't just change people's memories like that. We can't even do that!"
"Maybe we could disguise Ace?" Naomi suggested, her brow furrowed in thought. "A new hairstyle, some different clothes…?"
"Facial recognition," Ace pointed out, deflating Naomi. "If I'm a wanted vigilante, there'll be databases with my face everywhere. Changing my hair won't work."
"They got that tech here?" Momotaros was shocked.
"It's just going to be a matter of time before they start matching my face to security cameras. The cops got that for sure." Ace sighed. "My life is over."
Naomi, Momotaros, Urataros, Kintaros, and Ryutaros were now frantically throwing out ideas to save Ace's identity. However, it was getting them nowhere, and it was starting to become comical.
Amidst the chaos, a calm voice cut through the noise. "Enough."
All heads turned to the end of the dining car, where the Owner stood, his expression serene. The silver-haired man held a cup of coffee, a small flag perched precariously on top.
"What's all the commotion?" the Owner asked, his gaze sweeping over the group.
"Ace's identity has been exposed!" Momotaros exclaimed, his voice filled with urgency. "We need to do something before it's too late!"
The Owner took a sip of his coffee, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Is that so? Well, well."
"What do we do, Owner?" Naomi asked, her voice tinged with worry. "If Ace's identity is revealed, he'll have to go on the run."
The Owner contemplated the question. He twirled the coffee in his hand. He brought the cup to his lips and drank the coffee, the flag still balancing on top of the cup. The Owner then put the cup down.
"Patience," the Owner said, his voice calm and steady. "Sometimes, the best course of action is to wait and see how events unfold. You do not know if Mt. Lady is going to expose him. You are all making assumptions."
"But if she does—" Momotaros protested, his voice rising.
The Owner raised a hand, silencing the red Oni. "Then we will deal with it. But until then, there is no need to panic. Trust in the flow of time. Everything will work out as it should."
Ace sat quietly, listening to the Owner's words. He wanted to trust them, but it was hard. His life was on the line.
"Easy for you to say," Ace thought, frustration lacing his thoughts. "You're not the one who's going to have to live on the run."
He thought about his duty as Kamen Rider, his responsibility to protect the innocent from the threat of Dai-Shocker. But how could he do that if he was constantly looking over his shoulder, afraid of being caught?
The weight of his responsibilities pressed down on him, threatening to suffocate him. He was torn between his duty as a hero and the consequences of his identity being exposed.
"What do I do?" Ace whispered, his voice barely audible.
The Owner smiled, his eyes filled with wisdom. "You wait, Ace. You wait and you trust. And you have faith in yourself, in your own strength. You will make the right choice, whatever it may be."
Ace stared at the Owner, his mind racing. He didn't know what the future held, but he knew one thing: he wouldn't give up. He would find a way to protect the innocent, even if it meant sacrificing everything.
The scene shifted. The DenLiner faded away, replaced by the dimly lit interior of Yu Takeyama's apartment. She lay sprawled on her bed, staring at the ceiling, her mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions.
Ace is Kamen Rider? The thought echoed in her head, replaying the moment of realization. The shock of seeing him transform, the sheer impossibility of it all, still resonated within her. Everything she thought she knew about him had been upended. The gentle barista at Starry, the charming stranger who had caught her eye, was also a masked vigilante battling monsters.
She sat up, running a hand through her hair, the events of the day flooding back. The Mole Imagin's attack, Puncture's betrayal, and then Ace…transforming before her eyes. The image of the Den-O Rod piercing the monster replayed in her head.
Part of her, the Pro Hero Mt. Lady, knew what she had to do. She had a duty to uphold the law, to bring vigilantes to justice. Kamen Rider had been operating outside the system, interfering with Pro Hero work, and even killing villains. Turning him in would be the right thing to do.
But another part of her, Yu Takeyama, the woman who had shared laughter, and a genuine connection with Ace, struggled with the decision. She thought about their date, about how easily she had fallen for his charms. He was a kind, selfless person who wanted to protect others.
Yu got up and walked over to her window, gazing out at the city lights. Could she really condemn someone who was fighting for the same cause as her, even if they were doing it in a way she didn't agree with?
She thought about the kiss they almost shared, her face growing hot. Could she betray that trust? The moment Urataros had lied about Ace's age also replayed in her head.
Yu pulled out her phone, her fingers hovering over the contacts. She found Naomasa's number, his face grinning back at her.
I could tell him everything, she thought, the weight of the decision heavy on her shoulders. I could tell him about Ace, about his powers, about the DenLiner…
But she couldn't do it. She couldn't bring herself to betray Ace.
She closed her eyes, a kaleidoscope of memories flashing before her. Ace saving her from the Mole Imagin, his kindness towards her, his genuine concern for her well-being. These memories solidified her resolve.
Yu scrolled through her phone, her thumb hovering over the gallery icon. After a few seconds, Yu tapped it. A surge of conflicting emotions ran through her body as her memories flooded her thoughts. The photos were from a more innocent time, before all this hero business, before all the monsters.
She flipped through photos of them, reliving their first encounter at Starry, their awkward first conversation, their shared laughter.
With renewed determination, Yu opened a new message and began to type. The words flowed from her fingers, fueled by a need for answers, a desire to understand the truth.
"We need to talk," she typed, her fingers trembling slightly. "Meet me tomorrow. Noon. Dagobah Beach. I want answers."
Yu hesitated for a moment, her heart pounding in her chest. This message would change everything. It was a step into the unknown, a confrontation that could either bring them closer or tear them apart forever.
Taking a deep breath, she pressed send. The message disappeared into the digital ether, carrying with it the weight of her expectations and the uncertainty of what lay ahead.
***
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Advance chapters are in my P@|r3on - Najicablitz