From the Hard-boiled Himself [W RETELLING]

Prologue: The Mission

It all started with a request. A simple request from a woman shrouded in mystery. I managed to overhear the conversation.

"Please find the chosen child."

As any hard-boiled detective would do, Boss accepted it.

"He has been held captive at the Gaia Tower and I want to save him. But I can't."

After that, she vanished. I haven't heard about her since.

\~**~/

"Listen Shotaro, obey my orders without fail."

"The same old lecture... even here?"

My defiance has cost him his life. He was my teacher; someone I look up to.

"It is because we're in a place like this."

Whatever you say, old man.

Suddenly, the alarm was sounding. They knew we were here. I looked up and I saw a monster.

"Take this case and don't move a single step."

I tried to protest, but he pushed me back. He was serious.

From a hole above, I was able to see something I never knew about:

Boss was a Kamen Rider.

Boss was amazing. He went shooting here and there. When I turned my back, I saw a young man in loose white clothing. He must be the 'chosen child'. But then, I remembered his order. But I decided to go after him though. I thought he would see me in a new light if I saved him.

"Hey, are you the Child of Fate?"

"Who are you? You do not look like a worker here. It seems you do not have the intelligence to be chosen by the organization either."

"What kind of respect do you have!? How dare you speak to an elder that way?"

I noticed the screen and a green display case with Gaia Memories inside.

"You... you created them?! Hey!"

He suddenly took the case I was holding. He opened it, and he was amazed.

"Who came up with these? The person who uses the Driver can become one with me. You can use two Memories at the same time, and with my intelligence, the ultimate superman would be born!"

He started laughing maniacally.

"What's so funny, you damn devil? Did you know a lot of tears have been spilled because of the Gaia Memories you guys made?!"

"Are people who work in a gun factory criminals? Of course not. The fault lies at the people who use them for crime. I merely want to see more powerful Memories."

"Shut up!"

I pushed him to a capsule, bringing him somewhere. It was my fault. We failed. All because of my defiance.

\~**~/

"You fool! Why did you disobey my orders? If you didn't push him..."

... we would've gotten him and left smoothly. It was all my fault. Because I broke my promise, Boss was taken away.

\~**~/

Boss already had the young man. But then, the sudden sound of a shooting bullet was heard. It got Boss on the back. The killer was nowhere to be seen. He was a man of justice, but this moment can't be given justice.

"Boss!"

"Boss!"

"Shotaro, please continue this case for me."

He reached out his fedora and put it to my head.

"That boy... take care of him."

"Please forgive me. I'm too soon for the hat. I'm not yet ready!"

"Then become a suitable man for it."

Those were his last words, and I always kept that in mind.

"Boss!!"

The monster emerged from the floor, flying everyone away. The security was so intense that we had to find a safe place so we won't get killed too.

"Do you have the courage to ride with the devil?"

If we have to, then we have to. We managed to fuse as one.

"What is this?! What happened to me?!"

"Looks like you don't know your way yet."

"Hey, what's going on?"

"Let's change places. We're getting out of here."

A strange dinosaur-like device jumped to his hand. He folded it and flipped its tail to reveal a Gaia Memory. The press of a button announced its name.

FANG!

He transformed. My body was left lying there. Good thing he carried it and we took off before the building was damaged badly.