The next day, Sento returned to the docks as Kamen Rider Build.
Another energy signature had emerged, originating from the same vicinity as before, nearby where he saved the reporter.
Sento downshifted his motorcycle and decelerated as he neared the water. The bike came to a stop and he scanned the area for any indication of a Smash, his confusion grew when he found none.
Build looked at the screen of his device on the bike, it was still registering a signal, even now.
"Hey, no one's here..."
Build was talking to Soichi over their coms.
Back at the lab, Soichi was leaned over the computer, looking at data and police reports.
"That can't be. There was a report of a smash."
Build's focus on Soichi shattered when he detected the rapid approach of footsteps from his side.
The noise of firearms being prepared snapped him to full alertness!
Chuck Chuck!
"Huh?"
It was two of the Guardian robots, the same as the ones that had chased after him and Ryuga when they made their escape the day prior. Their weapons were aimed at Build as they advanced rapidly. Concealed behind several shipping containers, they had evidently been lying in wait for Build's arrival!
Build smashed his gear selector down to first and opened the throttle up! He spun the bike 180 degrees and launched hard!
Screeeee!
His rear tire broke traction a bit and he drifted side to side, ducking his head as the guardians took aim!
The approach to this section of water was lined with shipping containers and warehouses. Build was able to escape around the corner of one of these warehouses before they could fire at him, just to come face to face with around thirty more guardians!
Screeeeech!
Build pushed his foot down on the rear brake lever. He came skidding to a stop, parallel to the guardians that were rushing towards him!
"What the hell, a trap!?"
Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang Ping Ping Ping!
Bullets began to fly toward the Kamen Rider and his machine; most ricocheted off the bike, while a few were deflected by his robust armor.
He spun the bike again and roared off back the way he came, deflecting bullets as he went!
...
Back in the lab, Ryuga's frustration was mounting, and justifiably so. He found himself restrained; handcuffs secured his hands behind his back, compelling him to sit. These cuffs were linked to chains that anchored him to hefty equipment.
"Hey! What's with the damn cuffs?! Take them off!"
"Not happening."
Misora rose from her place on the bottle machine stairs, giving Ryuga a glance of disinterest as she diverted her attention from her phone to his awakening and subsequent outburst.
She made her way to one of the tables, picked up a small blackboard and several different colored chalks, and began to scribble on it with great intensity.
"You're still way too shady to me dude...I don't wanna get attacked."
Ryuga looked shocked that she would say something like that.
"Why would I do that!?...What are you people anyways?...And where did these clothes come from?!"
He looked down at the black t-shirt and blue jeans he was wearing. They fit surprisingly well, a significant improvement over the blood-stained, torn clothes he had on before. A red and black plaid shirt was knotted around his waist, and he had new sneakers on his feet.
Misora finished with whatever she was writing on the blackboard and had gone back to texting on her phone. Without even looking over at Ryuga she answered.
"We're the superheroes who keep the peace in Touto...We already know everything there is to know about you via the internet and old social media...Those are all items from Sento's wardrobe, he even un-mixed two pairs of his sneakers for you."
...
Kamen Rider Build was headed back the way he came, while still being pursued by guardians!
Shots flew over his head as he approached the corner and the first two robots that had ambushed him were now rounding it as well.
SCREEETCH!
Build downshifted twice rapidly and sent his bike into a slide, drifting the corner, then throttling out. He pulled out his Drill-Crusher with his left hand and blocked incoming gunfire, cutting them down as he went by!
The Kamen Rider hit one of his foes hard enough to fold it in half and send the machine flying out into the nearby water! There were several barrels, wooden pallets and large, ten foot high spools of cable nearby and Build headed behind the cluster, disappearing from view right before the rest of the machines rounded the corner.
"Wanted Fugitive Kamen Rider Spotted...Arresting."
The guardians spread out and eventually looked behind the spools and barrels where Build had gone. The only thing they found was a civilian wearing a long hoodie, coat, jeans and mismatched shoes sitting in the shade relaxing, on his phone scrolling like any other youth.
"Yo fellas, good morning!" Sento greeted them with a smile.
The guardians scarcely gave him a glance before continuing on, oblivious to the fact that their target was directly in front of them. As the final one vanished around the corner, Sento threw his head back and released a massive sigh of relief.
...
The Lab again.
Misora approached the bound Ryuga, blackboard in tow. She squatted before him, her expression blank.
"Read this if you're after the details," she said.
Her tone was flat as she locked eyes with him, unblinking. With both hands clutching the top, she let the blackboard swing back and forth like a storefront sign, her wrists slack.
When she was sure Ryuga was reading it, she let go with one hand, pulling her phone up again to start texting once more.
Ryuga focused on the colorfully decorated information on the blackboard. There were a few cute, cartoonish renditions of Smash monsters drawn and arrows of different chalk colors connecting the pieces of information. Ryuga started reading out loud while squinting.
"To turn a Smash human again, you need to defeat it and retrieve its 'essence'."
Now seeing that he was getting actual information, Ryuga unfurled his crossed legs and grabbed the blackboard from Misora's hand using his feet with surprising dexterity. Misora rolled her eyes and then went back to her cell phone.
"Once the essence is bottled..." His gaze trailed an arrow across the blackboard, connecting one image to another.
"...It can be purified in the 'conversion' equipment, for Kamen Rider's use."
Misora ended her texting and placed her phone on the floor. She rose to her feet, idly fiddling with the golden bracelet on her wrist while her eyes grew a bit distant.
"I'm the only one who can purify it...it's like some kind of power I have."
Ryuga noticed she had left her cell on the floor and an idea popped into his head. His eyes left the phone on the ground and he leaned towards Misora.
"What? You can magically purify it? Is that for real? I get how Kamen Rider can be real but you have powers too?"
Misora was annoyed instantly, she gave Ryuga a dirty look. "Huh? What did you just say?"
"Doesn't sound like something a little kid like you would be able to do, just surprising that's all."
Ryuga had said that with the most smug and annoying voice he could come up with. He shook his foot at her as he mocked.
Misora did her best to hide her annoyance and tried to look calmly at him.
"Why don't you make one right now then? Bet you can't...I just think you're making up stuff and taking credit for things Sento does..." He dropped the volume of his voice for dramatic effect and shook his head slowly at her.
"...that's what I thought...This is all just a load of crap, isn't it?"
Misora took a step forward towards him and crossed her arms while looking down on him.
"It's not crap...and you're on" She pivoted and strode directly to Sento's collection of unprocessed bottles on the table. After inserting a bottle into the conversion machine and securing the door, she spun around and gave Ryuga a defiant stare.
"Once I'm done, you're paying me for my time too."
She stepped inside the conversion machine and closed the hatch while giving him that same stare with her head tilted sideways for extra effect. Misora stuck out her tongue at Ryuga right before their line of vision was cut.
Ryuga had a mocking face on the entire time, right up until the door closed. His face changed completely as he pulled Misora's forgotten phone towards him with his foot.
Using both feet, he picked up the cell and brought it up in front of his face, then dialed a number with his nose before hitting connect. Ryuga was quite flexible.
As it started dialing, he rolled over and settled the phone down on the ground; Ryuga positioned himself so he was laying near it, with his ear over the receiver.
Ryuga did not expect an answer but after several rings it connected. His eyes opened wide and he started talking immediately.
"Kasumi? It's me!"
He didn't hear anyone at first but the background noise that he could hear a little sounded familiar for some reason.
A distressed voice finally answered back. "Ryuga, is that you?! Help me!...NO...NO NOOOOooooooo...." The phone must have moved away from the source of the scream as it got a bit quieter.
This was not at all what Ryuga was expecting and he became panicked.
"Kasumi?! Kasumi!"
"...Banjo Ryuga..." A creepy, veiled voice answered.
"Who are you?!" Ryuga demanded, he was starting to burn with anger now that the shock was slowly leaving him.
At the other end of the call, the man clad in bat armor settled into a throne-like chair, gazing over the same square vat that Ryuga and Sento had both been submerged in at one point.
"Ill bring the girl to you."
He crossed one leg over the other and leaned back into his chair, ending the call and casually throwing the phone away behind him.
"Huh, hello? HELLO!?"
Ryuga gritted his teeth and cursed several times, realizing the call had been dropped. He starting pulling on his chains and handcuffs with rage fueling him.
...
Sometime later, Cell 03, Lab 19.
Sento was now at work, checking on some energy test results a few scientist had been running. The data had really caught his attention.
Gentoku was present, he happened to be interested in the same test too and was discussing the results with a few other researchers, they were all looking at several monitors in front of them.
Besides the test results from this lab, there were other screens playing results from other labs adjacent, as well as a screen dedicated to the local news and sports when they was being aired.
"Whoa look at this headline!" One of the workers exclaimed, everyone's attention was drawn to the screen he was looking at, Gentoku walked over and raised the volume up himself.
Sento glanced over and rolled his eyes when he read the screens bold red letters.
'Fighting against the fugitive, Kamen Rider.'
It was the screen they played the news on. The same anchor that had delivered the news about Ryuga escaping was once again giving a report with excitement in his voice.
"A special unit dispatched to investigate Kamen Rider was engaged in combat..."
Gentoku looked over at the others, a look of disdain was plastered across his face.
"Looks like Kamen Rider is a fugitive now...He'd better not think he can make an enemy of the state and escape."
"The Touto government is..."
Sento slightly narrowed his eyes at the back of Gentoku's head, he was about to make a remark when his device went off.
''YOU'VE GOT MAIL...''
Gentoku turned at the same time as some other researchers to look at the source of the annoyingly loud cell phone notification.
"Sorry, sorry...Ill be right back." Sento nodded at them apologetically and went out of earshot to take the call.
Sento looked and noticed it was the Café hardline. "Hello? What's up?"
"Banjo got away!"
Misora was holding a red, chorded phone and leaning over the table she was sitting at, glaring at the pile of broken chains and cuffs laying on the floor in front of her.
"He took my phone..." She rolled her eyes, pulling the chord of the phone and letting it snap back into place.
"...I guess you're going to have to follow it's GPS."
Before Sento could get a word in, the phone call ended.