Kamen Rider Wonder

Chapter 17: All the Smoke

Rowan

"Rowan Edwards, have you made any progress regarding the hunt for the fugitives?" Lady Bridget asked me.

"Not yet."

"I see. Perhaps I should entrust this job to someone from the elite guard who's not as attached to the subjects as you are."

"That won't be necessary."

The elite guard wouldn't make bringing the others back alive a necessity. I couldn't let Lady Bridget send them in.

She continued to question me, "Are you sure your loyalty lies with Master Mythos?"

"Yes. You know I was practically raised by the guild."

"I also know Mark Stanley is a childhood friend of yours just like Aurelia Cromwell."

"I am very much capable of putting my feelings aside to do the right thing."

"Very well. And before you leave, hand your Lion Warrior Ride Book to me."

"Why? I don't think it's a good idea for me to be down a Ride Book when I'm facing the other Riders or a Fearbeast."

"My will is the will of Master Mythos. As for the Fearbeasts, catching the fugitives takes priority."

Did we prioritize punishing criminals over protecting the innocent now? I hoped Master Mythos knew what he was doing.

Bridget

I went to check on my twin brother, Bennett. As usual, he was training in the Black Chamber with his Sacred Blade, Durendal. He was breathing hard and sweating a lot.

"How long have you been in here?" I asked him.

"Not long enough, so don't try to pull me out again!"

"Have you already forgotten what happened to you just a few months ago?"

"One time, Bridget! I collapsed one time!"

"And you had to be rushed to a hospital! Bennett, you have to accept you're not like the other knights. You're just not as healthy as the rest of us."

"If I let my weakness decide how far I go, I never would've made it to the elite guard. Now, quit acting like being ten minutes older makes you the boss of me. I'll leave when I'm good and ready."

He was as stubborn as ever. Who was he trying to prove himself to? Nobody questioned him being in the elite guard or wielding a Sacred Blade.

Another elite guard member came running toward us, "Kamen Riders Giant and Blowout were found heading towards the weapon maintenance area."

Bennett tried to leave with me, but I told him, "Don't follow me. I'll handle it alone."

I found Giant and Blowout leaving the room with supplies necessary to fix a Sacred Blade.

"This is as far as you two go!" I told them.

I held out Queen Bee, the Sacred Blade of Smoke, and placed my Ride Book, Insect Encyclopedia onto it.

The story read aloud: "This story tells of the powers held by various insects."

"Turn the page."

Smoke surrounded me as I became encased in a cocoon. The cocoon burst as the smoke cleared and I was now in my Rider Form.

Insect Encyclopedia continued, "The power of insects dwells within Kamen Rider Swarm and the Sacred Blade of Smoke, Queen Bee! Feel the sting of justice!"

"Prepare to be punished."

Blowout tried shooting at me, but I turned to smoke so his blasts passed through me.

"You'll have to do better than that Vice-Captain."

Giant came swinging at me, but he couldn't land a hit on me. I released my spider legs to attack him.

"You're a lot tougher than you look. They don't let just anyone join the elite guard, do they?"

"Master Mythos saved the Lenoir family. We swore that the Lenoirs would dedicate their lives to the Master Mythos' cause."

"Are you sure know what it is you're fighting for?"

"No one who would talk about the master that way is fit to be captain!"

Meanwhile, Blowout prepared a Book Gate to escape through. Beating me wasn't their priority. Getting out with the tools they'd stolen was.

I turned to smoke to escape Giant and then flew over to Blowout with butterfly wings. I delivered to deliver two magenta energy slashes at him.

"Eternal Smoke Stab!"

Finally, I used a finisher on him and Giant. I produced silk that bound the two of them together and shocked them. My eight spider legs, whose tips were covered in pink energy struck my restrained foes.

"Mute Insect Slash!"

The attack forced them to change back to normal and shattered a window.

"Hand over your Ride Books." I demanded with my spider pointed at them, "I'd rather not use these again."

"You want it? Go get it!"

Ramon Sanchez threw Hansel and Gretel out the window. In the second I looked away, he fired at my face with Pied Piper. He and Captain Evander ran out the Book Gate while I was forced to retrieve the Ride Book from the snow.

I was so close to catching two traitors. How would I explain this to Master Mythos?

Mark

Evander and Ramon warped back to the cabin.

"We got the tools." said Ramon, "I can get started on restoring Galantine right away."

"We also got you the book you asked for."

Evander handed me the Vengeful Dragon storybook and I began reading the story. The dragon's name was Soul. He and the other dragons on Harmony Archipelago lived peacefully with the humans until those humans became corrupted by their magical power and killed every dragon they could, bathing in their blood to increase their magic power. Soul's powerful Spirit Magic let him return as a vengeful spirit and destroy the archipelago along with nearly every human on it. His spirit was sealed away in the Book of Sorrow.

I told everyone my plan, "I'm going into the Vengeful Dragon story and I'm going to give it a happy ending."

"Can't let you do it alone, kid." said Evander, "I'm going with you."

"Travelling through stories sounds like a blast!" said Mary, "Count Abner and me in."

Abner smiled, "So now humans can travel into the stories they create. The wonders of the modern era will never cease, will they?"

"Manon and I will be out in the city in case Charybdis or any other Fearbeasts show up." said Aura, "Good luck, guys."

We jumped into the story and found ourselves on Harmony Archipelago. We were dressed in the same kind of clothes they wore, togas and dresses with sandals.

"If war wasn't about to break out here, this would make a lovely vacation spot." Mary commented as she admired the beach and sparkling clear ocean.

"I had us jump into the part of the story right before the attack started." I told everyone, "The battle starts with the humans launching an ambush from Hope Mountain up there."

I pointed to the mountain a few miles from us, "We've got to hurry if we want to change the story."