Sento found himself trapped in another fever dream. He was encased in a clear rectangular container once more, his naked body submerged in green liquid and gas. Numerous wires and devices were attached to him; several needles connected to tubes were also stuck into his exposed skin in many different locations.
Thick leather straps held his wrists and his ankles in place, ensuring that he couldn't move his body very much.
A breathing apparatus was fastened over his face. He cast desperate glances from side to side, seeking an escape. Many men in white coats checked on his vitals and monitored his every movement, not caring one little bit about the freaked-out test subject before them.
He had the same dream many times before, just never as detailed as this one. This was almost lucid dreaming for Sento.
Sento's gaze drifted beyond the circle of scientists encircling his box of terror and he tried to focus on the armored figure seated upon a throne-like chair.
It was the man in the bat-styled armor, Night Rouge.
"This is gonna hurt...but hang in there." Rouge was talking to the restrained Sento as more green substance was pumped into his personal prison.
Sento started thrashing around, desperately struggling and screaming.
"AAAggghhhh....Ow!"
Sento blinked and all the pain he had been dreaming about was suddenly transferred to his delicate cheeks.
He was back at the secret lab, in bed. A set of hands were pulling on his face, stretching out his skin.
"Ow! What the hell man?!"
A man wearing a straw hat and a black apron that covered a grey shirt was looming over top of him, going to town on his face. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing his forearms flexing—a testament to the effort he was exerting on Sento's face.
It was the café owner, Soichi.
Soichi released Sento, clenched his hands into fists, and thrust them triumphantly into the air. He assumed a victory stance and then beamed at the perplexed man who had now propped himself up in bed.
"Alright! You're alive!"
Soichi gave Sento a thumbs up. "It's fine now, Sento!"
Sento shook his head to try and clear his foggy brain. "What was that all about?"
Soichi took a seat on the bed next to Sento and began to share what he knew.
"I found you by a warehouse, so I brought you back...Your face looked terrible, and you were sweating like crazy. It seems you were poisoned."
Soichi pushed his glasses from the tip of his nose to the bridge with one finger and slightly lowered his head, giving him a more dramatic and serious demeanor.
"I was almost too late, y'know."
Sento thought back to the last thing he remembered before slipping into his nightmares.
"That cobra got me..."
"A cobra?"
Sento held his chin with his thumb and index finger in thought. "Well, I didn't see his face, but...He had a cobra mark on his chest armor."
Sento pushed himself further upright on the bed with his arms behind his back and furrowed his brow.
"Something about him reminded me of Rouge."
A sound similar to the noise that his driver made when transforming started going off in the bed somewhere. It was the custom ring tone of his cell.
Sento rooted around for a moment until he found the device tucked under some of the covers near his rear.
He grabbed the phone and checked the number for a moment before his eyes lit up. He pressed answer on the device and held it up to his head.
"Banjo? Did you make it to Seito?"
On the other end of the call, Ryuga was tracing the path across the water they had taken on a map with a red marker while he started talking.
"Yeah, just now."
Ryuga stood up from where he had been crouched over the map. It was sunny at the docks where they were. The boat that had transported them was moored to the side of the dock; Sawa was in the background talking to their benefactor and one of her contacts in front of their new ride, a small utility van.
"A lady that Kamen Rider Build rescued is giving us info on the location of Nabeshima's family...She even arranged for a van."
Sawa gave the woman a big hug for everything she had done for herself and Ryuga.
The woman smiled and hugged her back.
Sento was now fully dressed, he had just been in a t-shirt and underwear courtesy of Soichi earlier. He sat on the edge of the bed again, still on the phone. Soichi was listening in to the call in silence.
"Well, things have been kinda busy over here too..."
He reflected on the previous night when he had overpowered the Smash and absorbed its particles into the empty bottle, coupled with the astonishment of the monster's identity.
"...That Smash I fought was Nabeshima. Right after I defeated the monster he had been, he was kidnapped."
Ryuga looked shocked. "Seriously?!"
"It is all true. That info you learned about Nabeshima's family...could very well be a trap by Faust to lure you out, Ryuga...Be careful."
Ryuga's face changed as soon as he heard what Sento had to say. His look became determined and stern. "Got it. Thanks for the heads up."
Both men hung up the call.
Sento placed his device down and sat there, deep in thought.
Soichi turned his head to look Sento up and down, then questioned him. "What are you going to do now?"
Sento wiggled his nose as he pondered, placing his hands together and tapping his fingers against each other to aid his concentration.
"I remembered something in a memory fragment while I was dreaming."
"Oh?" Soichi raised an eyebrow, his attention was fully pulled by Sento's sudden remembrance. "Please, do tell."
"In Faust's headquarters, there was a panel with the same pattern on it as Pandora's Box..."
Sento placed his hands on his knees to help him slowly rise to his feet while he continued on.
"...Technology that could turn people into superhumans, like Smash. That kind of thing is far beyond the scope of modern science."
Sento reached over to the nearby work bench to grab a marble, he placed it on a track made of hoses and watched as it looped around and finally came to a stop.
"But Pandora's Box, or some other kind of technology found on Mars...That might explain a lot of what's been happening."
Soichi thought about what Sento had to say for a few moments and then started shaking his finger thoughtfully. "So...deciphering Pandora's Box could be the trick to revealing Faust's existence huh?"
Ding!
The notification sound from the bottle machine chimed behind them suddenly.
Both Soichi and Sento's eyes widened in excitement. Soichi was the first to head in the direction of the machine. "Ah ha! Another little bottle is ready!"
Sento was quick to chase behind him. "Oh, yeah!"
Soichi tried to block Sento's way as they ran towards the bottle machine. "Me first!"
"Playing at a time like this huh?"
Sento caught up with the café owner, grabbing him by the waist from behind, crouching and dragging his sneakers to slow down Soichi.
Soichi half turned by rotating his upper body and tried to push Sento away. "Hey! Get off!"
Forced to release his hold, Sento executed a quick spin to neutralize Soichi's push. This brief moment allowed Soichi to approach the small door, which concealed the new bottle, and attempt to seize it.
He pulled it out as Sento caught up and stood beside him. Soichi looked quizzically at some of the etchings on the brightly colored purple bottle as he held it.
"What...is this?"
Sento focused in closely on the markings on the new addition to the bottles.
"It looks like...a ninja?"
As usual, the larger door on the bottle machine slid open and Misora breezed past them with her eyes half shut.
"Tired. Sleepy. Sleeping."
Sento rushed to catch up to Misora and reached out to grab one of her arms.
"Whoa, whoa, hang on...I need to ask a favor, Miitan."
"Huh?"
Misora whipped her head around to shoot a glare at Sento.
Sento swiftly started stepping in front of the weary girl's path to the bed.
Sento placed both of his hands on Misora's shoulders and gave her the sweetest look that he was capable of.
Sento was in front of her, now blocking her path to the bed with an exaggerated urgency. "I need you to help me gather info on the Sky Wall Tragedy from ten years ago... Please?"
"Info? Like on a piece of paper or in a history book?" Misora tilted her head, her brow furrowing. "That sounds so boring."
"No, no, c'mon! It's important! Think of it as an adventure!" Sento leaned closer, opting for his most persuasive puppy-dog eyes, hoping to win her over.
Misora maintained her glare, unimpressed. "An adventure? Sounds more like an errand. My tired self doesn't do errands."
Misora pursed her lips. "Nope."
She was going to try and walk past Sento again.
He held up both his hands in a begging fashion and kept pleading. "Please? Please? Please?"
"No. No. No."
Sento put a on a pouting look next. "C'mon? Why not?"
Misora narrowed her eyes at the beggar. "I just don't wanna... "
She moved her head back and forth with every word. "I. Don't. Wanna."
"Please?!"
"Don't wanna."
"Do it."
"No."
"Pleeease!"
Misora tapped her chin thoughtfully, playing along. "Hmm... investigate, or take a nap? Such a tough choice."
Sento coughed, feigning surprise. "Wait, a nap? That's your big plan? What will you tell your fans? 'Sorry, followers! I was too busy snoozing to save the world!'"
"Hey, I could adopt a 'sleepy idol' theme! I'm envisioning the merchandise already: plush toys that also serve as pillows!" Misora beamed, embracing the concept enthusiastically, albeit not in the vein of assisting Sento. "Those would be marketable! Oh, and in regard to your request? Don't wanna-wanna-wanna, no, no, no!"
Sento scowled and looked past her, he pointed his finger at Soichi. "Owner!?"
Soichi's eyes shot open wide and he ran forward. He grabbed Misora and dragged her towards the area where she usually changed into her idol form.
"I don't wannaaaaaa!" Misora complained all the way up until Soichi shoved her behind the curtains.
"FINE!"
A few minutes later, the camera was rolling on Misora, who was now wearing her Miitan getup, complete with her signature colorful attire and a sparkling smile.
"Hi! It's your idol, Miitan!" Misora threw both of her hands up in the air while she was greeting her viewers, looking extra cute.
She wagged her finger at the camera that was streaming her and gave an extra sweet smile. "I needed to ask for another favor today..."
"...Now, my amazing fans, I need your help to find some clues—" Misora suddenly burst into a wide, exaggerated yawn, her mouth opening as if to nearly encompass the entire camera.
"YAAAAWWWWNNNN!" she exclaimed, her enthusiasm evaporating momentarily as the wave of sleepiness washed over her.
Both Sento and Soichi froze in the background, exchanging a grimace.
"Uh-oh," Sento whispered, barely able to suppress a chuckle.
"Should have gotten her coffee first," Soichi muttered with a shake of his head, his eyes still fixed on Misora's yawning face.