Chapter Text
Natsumi’s too lost in her head to comment properly on the newest backdrop, but she is as confused as the others by its contents.
“Some kind of cave,” Yuusuke notes. “Do you think that means we’re underground?”
It’s happened before.
Natsumi checks the windows.
“We’re above ground,” she says.
“Guess we’ll find out,” Tsukasa says, smiling.
(“It was just another world”, one might say. But the story is not yet horrible enough to claim such a sentiment.)
Tsukasa’s outfit is a uniform. It says Masked Rider on the sleeve.
They figure out it’s one of Those Worlds as soon as they see the posters. A bee-like monster and a Rider of similar design under the words “Beware the Debug Hive.”
“Riders are the enemy in this world, too,” Tsukasa says calmly, snapping a picture.
“Not… quite.”
Natsumi turns, along with the others, at the familiar voice.
“Sayo?” Tsukasa asks.
“Wataru?” Yuusuke follows up. “What are you doing here?”
“Sayo wanted help when she realized this was a Rider world,” Wataru says. “I just got here.”
“Well, perfect timing,” Yuusuke replies, smiling.
“What do you mean by not quite, though?” Natsumi asks. Sayo and Wataru look at each other.
“How far is the studio?” Wataru asks.
…Well, that’s probably bad.
“The Rider on those signs is known as Kamen Rider Queen…” Sayo says, helpfully. “As far as we can tell, she stole the De-Driver from Hoppercorp.”
“There’s always some corporation, these days,” Tsukasa comments.
“Not always,” Natsumi amends. “But yes it has appeared in the past few Rider Worlds.”
“They’re good covers for Rider activity and that of their enemies,” Sayo says. When Natsumi looks to her in surprise, the girl just shrugs. “I listened in on a lot of minor Dai-Shocker meetings.”
“There’s another Rider, too,” Wataru adds. “Her name is Kamen Rider Lady, and she works for Hoppercorp.”
“But why is Queen attacking humans?” Yuusuke asks.
“I don’t know,” Sayo says. “But take a look at Onii-San’s uniform.”
Natsumi looks over. She doesn’t…
“The logo,” Tsukasa says. “It’s stylized, but…”
“Dai-Shocker,” Sayo agrees, and Natsumi freezes. “It’s probably just a remnant, but there’s a reason I asked for help.”
“But if it’s just a remnant, it shouldn’t be that hard to stop!” Yuusuke says with a bright thumbs up.
“Hopefully,” Sayo says.
“So I suppose the question to ask is whose side we’re on,” Tsukasa says. “A hero funded by humanity’s worst… or a wild card.”
Natsumi says nothing at all, very pointedly not looking at where she knows her grandfather is, in the next room over.
But that’s hard to do, when he turns on the news right as it’s revealed that Queen killed Ladybug, images of Queen barely escaping the fight.
“It seems the choice just got simpler,” Tsukasa notes. “If this is a Rider World.”
They split up, deciding to figure out how bad this World is. Alone, Natsumi tries hard not to think.
“What’s wrong, Natsumi?” Kivala asks. “Is this still about me telling you that you aren’t human?”
“It’s not…” Natsumi starts before sighing. “Well, it kind of is. I guess it just reminded me how much I don’t know about my own grandfather. He must have done something to me, after all. My World didn’t have monsters.”
Kivala flies in front of her.
“I don’t know what he was, but Eijiro is a proper gentleman,” she says. “I’m sure he did it to protect you. Like…”
She trails off, almost sadly. It’s an odd emotion on the Kivat’s tongue. Natsumi smiles.
“It’s really nothing,” she says. “I—”
Just then, she hears a loud clattering from the alley. She turns, then she turns back to Kivala.
“You hear that?” She asks. Kivala giggles.
“Sounds interesting,” she says.
The source of the sound is a girl, mid-teens. She’s struggling to stand, clucking at a dark patch of her yellow shirt. Natsumi runs up to her.
“Are you okay?” She asks. The girl… hisses at her? Growls? Some odd sound.
“Get away from me!” The girl says. “Filthy human, I will kill you!”
“I don’t want to hurt you,” Natsumi says. “I promise.”
The girl laughs, leaning heavily on the wall.
“I am not trusting that again,” she says. “But I found it! I shall turn you all into DeBugs.”
Natsumi blinks. Oh… a stab wound. She thinks she saw Queen with…
“Don’t look so distracted when I could kill you,” the girl - Queen? - says. Natsumi shakes her head.
“I’m not,” she says. “And I’m… not human, either,”
Kivala giggles and flies out from her hiding place.
“You’re not quite like me,” she says. “But I guess you’re a local demon.”
Queen… stares.
“What is that?” She asks. “One of you Dai-Shocker’s pets?”
“We aren’t from Dai-Shocker,” Natsumi says. “Come with me, and I can explain.”
Queen lunges for her, but she collapses. Natsumi catches her.
“I am not going anywhere with you,” Queen says, but she doesn’t move.
Natsumi sighs and pull off her jacket.
“Fine then,” she says. “But I’m helping you patch up that stab wound right here.”
Queen, who apparently has no name, stares at her incredulously.
“You are from… other Worlds?” She asks. “That sounds insane - only Dai-Shocker can do that.”
“Not necessarily,” Natsumi says. “We’re known to help Riders, do you—”
“Natsumikan!”
Natsumi turns to find Tsukasa at the mouth of the alley. He walks over.
“You find anything?” He asks. “It seems in this World, no one will give me the gist.”
Natsumi gestures to Queen.
“This is Kamen Rider Queen,” she says. “We were just getting there.”
Tsukasa nods.
“I guess I should let her explain, then,” he says. “Why she’s made an enemy of this World.”
It ends as expected. Queen transforms to fight Decade, Tsukasa follows suit, and then they fight.
(“Ruriko told me you were dangerous,” Queen cries, something Natsumi has a feeling Tsukasa has neatly filed away by his soft hmm and tilted head at the comment.)
Queen escapes.
“Well,” Tsukasa says. “I think I get the gist of it.”
Natsumi turns to him.
“And what’s that?” She asks. Tsukasa smirks.
“We’re helping Queen, of course,” he says. “And stopping her.”
“What does that even mean?” Natsumi asks.
“Well, Natsumikan,” Tsukasa says. “I don’t know.”
They spend the rest of the day looking for Queen. They find nothing.
The next day, however, Queen finds them. Well, she finds Natsumi and Kivala again.
Natsumi has to admit her surprise.
“You,” she says. Queen’s glaring, but she doesn’t look ready to fight.
“Why are you working with humans?” Queen asks. “They are rancid creatures.”
“I’ve heard plenty say that,” Natsumi replies. “I’ve heard plenty say the opposite. The question here is: why do you think so?”
Queen glares.
“Because they are tearing the World apart, and now they’re trying to get into the Hive instead of confronting their problems,” she says. “We have enough problems of our own with the despicable monster on our throne.”
…oh, that’s something.
“You don’t like your leader, either?” Natsumi asks.
“I am going to kill her,” Queen says, simply. “She will not use us DeBugs, especially not us Buzz, ever again.”
“I… see,” Natsumi offers. “And where do humans factor in?”
Queen rolls her eyes.
“I am not telling you that much,” she says. “But let’s just say those Dai-Shocker should have thought twice about talking to each other while their kidnapped test subjects listened.”
…Oh. Oh that would explain everything, even - especially - her hatred of humans.
“Not all people are like that,” Natsumi says. “Whatever you’re planning—”
“You cannot stop me,” Queen replies. “However, I must go now.”
“Can I at least get your name?” Natsumi asks. Queen turns her back on Natsumi.
“I do not have one yet,” she says. “But if all goes well, it will soon be Hive Queen.”
And then she’s on her way.
Natsumi’s oddly frozen. Kivala flies up in front of her.
“I like that girl,” she says. “Maybe I can turn her around like I couldn’t turn my dad.”
Natsumi blinks.
“What—”
Kivala giggles.
“See you soon!”