We had landed in the pits below. I got a bit of a snake-like labyrinth vibe down below. I felt something beneath me. “All right, who’s under my dress this time?” I muttered, a little annoyed that this happened twice. I counted noses. In all honesty, I wish it was one of my friends, but they were all accounted for. “Then, who…?” I gulped, a little worried. I got up and moved forward. I turned, slowly, and saw that I was sitting on the skeletal remains of one of the previous tenants of those pits! I shrieked in horror and leapt into Richard’s arms. We both tumbled down, with me on top of him. He wrapped his arms around me. “Er, Richard, what are you doing?” I asked.
“Forgive me, my lady,” replied Richard in a teasing tone, “but for a lady to topple her rescuer is hardly proper. Thus, I must hold you here until you apologize.” I arched an eyebrow.
“You’ve been waiting for a chance to do this ever since I did the same on Vorton, haven’t you?” I guessed.
“Maybe,” said Richard coyly. I sighed. Since he was using my own trick against me, I may as well follow through.
“Good Sir Knight,” I murmured, “your princess would like to apologize for making you fall (despite it being beyond our control). Can you forgive me?” He released me. “Just wait until you leap into my arms!” I warned.
“If we get out of here,” muttered Lukas.
“We will,” I assured him. “We just need to find Chen.” The person we were looking for laughed after I said that. We looked around but couldn’t see him. There were four paths branching off in a square pattern from the room we were in, all obscured by greenish smoke.
“You’ll never find me!” boasted Chen’s voice. “No one has ever gotten through my maze of tunnels! You’ll rot down here! Forever running in circles, never knowing where to turn!” He finished with a laugh.
“Well, that’s disconcerting,” gulped Sheela.
“Come on,” called Wyldstyle, “I can see the way forward.”
“How?!” I said incredulously.
“See these panels?” asked Wyldstyle. I saw the panels and recognized the shapes!
“I get it!” I realized. “We use them as a compass!” Then a thought struck me. “Er…how?”
“With the good old fashioned Chroma Keystone,” explained Wyldstyle as she pointed out the Chroma discs. I said no more as I took out my i.d tag.
“Henshin!” I announced. I swapped my i.d tag for Wyldstyle’s.
“Wyldstyle Steel!” called my belt. With the armor changed, Wyldstyle and I set to work, making a clock like device with the hands holding the L-shapes at 4 and 8 and the circle in the center. The 8 o’ clock hand was red, the circle was yellow, and the 4 o’ clock hand was blue. Thank goodness, we found a Keystone transmitter down here. I got out of my Kamen Rider Royal persona and twirled.
“Chroma Keystone, activate!” announced Wyldstyle. The discs formed the paint blobs. “Chroma lock, reveal!” The design in white lines reappeared. “Let’s see, Chroma! Batman! Red!” Batman jumped into the red paint and landed on the left L-shape in the lock design. “Chroma! Emmanuel! Blue!” Emmanuel leapt into the air, passed through the blue paint, and then landed on the right L-shape in the lock design, spinning on his feet for five seconds until he stopped bowed. “Chroma! Yellow! Xiomara!” Xiomara just ran through the yellow paint and stopped on the circle in the lock design. The light streams then moved toward the clock design as the hands spun and pointed at 3 o’ clock. The paint vanished off the users.
“Merci,” called Oren and Emmanuel to the compass.
“Oh, are you lost?” asked Chen. “Don’t worry, I’m SURE you’ll get out eventually!” We picked up the transmitter, went down the tunnel indicated by the hands, and arrived at a new room. “Oh hey!” continued Chen. “I’ve sent some of my men to help you get out. They can be a bit heavy handed, but just let them take care of you!” His cackling was interrupted by Luthor’s roar.
“CHEN!” he shouted. “I WILL FIND YOU!”
“Do you really think you went the right way just then?!” taunted Chen.
“Ignore him,” I suggested as I set the transmitter down. To my surprise, I only saw one circle, a yellow one. “Erm, where are the others?” I asked. Gandalf lit up a dark area.
“I believe I found one,” he answered as he pointed out the red circle.
“I think I can find the blue one,” mused Batman. “Sheela, mind helping me out?”
“Sure,” obliged Sheela as she took out her i.d tag. “Henshin!” She then swapped out her i.d tag for the Batman one.
“Batman Steel!” announced her belt. Kamen Rider Claw then fired the grapple gun, along with Batman and they pulled down a snake statue. As they pulled, Lex Luthor mentioned something about “this infernal maze!” Batman and Claw got the blue circle out of the snake statue’s mouth. Claw deactivated her suit and returned to being Sheela. Wyldstyle’s gauntlet buzzed. We set up another compass. The left hand was red, the right hand was yellow, and the circle was blue.
“Chroma Keystone, activate!” called Wyldstyle. “Chroma lock, reveal! Chroma! Yellow! Sheela! Chroma! Red! Batman! Chroma! Blue! Megumi!” We all jumped into the paint blobs assigned and landed on the respective shapes in the lock designs. The hands moved to 12 o’ clock. We grabbed the transmitter, headed into the tunnel indicated, and found a compass pointing at 3 o’ clock already.
“Wunderbar!” (Wonderful!) cheered Lukas. We went down that tunnel and entered the room. We looked around to see if there could be something to make a compass. Wyldstyle’s Master Builder senses were tingling and so she constructed one out of a snake statue, a pair of lanterns, and some sort of altar. Once finished, the hands were made so that left, was yellow, right was red, and the circle was blue. Chroma discs were already set up.
“Chroma Keystone, activate!” announced Wyldstyle. “Chroma lock, reveal! Chroma! Yellow! Tanisha! Chroma! Red! Gandalf! Chroma! Blue! Livia!” They jumped into the paint blobs assigned while Lex Luthor screamed he would find Chen again. The painted ones landed on the respective shapes in the lock designs. The hands moved to 6 o’clock. We headed down into the tunnel and entered a room where another compass was pointing at 9 o’ clock.
“This is becoming easy,” muttered Hongo with a little worry. We went down that tunnel and found another room with another compass pointing at 12 o’ clock.
“I sense a trap,” mused Emily.
“Recommendations?” I asked. Emily smiled.
“Spring the trap,” she said. I agreed and led the group up the tunnel. We entered a room with a ton of skeletons and an altar with something on it. Wyldstyle smiled.
“Another Keystone!” she cheered. This keystone had four symbols on it. The top was a red circle with three lines protruding from the top, giving the appearance of fire. The left symbol was a small blue lightning bolt. The right one was a green circle with a line going up and a smaller diagonal line on the top line, making it look like an apple. The bottom symbol was a dark blue circle with three short lines on the bottom and separated from the circle. While Wyldstyle faced us at the altar, there was a hissing noise, like a snake.
“Behind you!” warned Gandalf. Wyldstyle turned to see a giant, spikey, purple snake lifting its head! A portal opened above it and deposited a man in reddish robes with a staff on top of the snake.
“Did you think my master would make it so easy for you, Gandalf?” asked the man.
“Saruman the White, have you abandoned all reason?!” protested Gandalf.
“Not at all, my friend, Gandalf the Grey,” replied Saruman, “for I am Saruman the Wise, Saruman Ring-maker, Saruman of Many Colors!” He discarded the reddish robes and revealed new robes that shimmered and changed hue with his movements. It was dazzling to the eye.
“I liked your white robes better, Sharkey,” hissed Michael as he spat the name Saruman took in the Scouring of the Shire at the end of the original book series by Tolkien.
“I see you know some Orcish tongue, my young lad,” said Saruman. “Why else would you alter the word ‘sharkû’? In any case, white serves as a beginning. White cloth may be dyed! The white page can be overwritten; and the white light can be broken!”
“In which case, it is no longer white,” argued Gandalf, “and he that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom!”
“Spare me your lectures, Gandalf!” snarled Saruman. “I have no use for them!” Batman was unimpressed by Saruman’s mode of transportation.
“A giant snake, is that all?” taunted the Dark Knight. Gandalf, Wyldstyle and I tried, unsuccessfully, to get Batman to stop taunting Saruman. “I think you’ll find we’re tougher than you expect!” continued Batman. The snake lashed out, destroying the altar and grabbing the Keystone.
“Then I’ll make sure he chews properly,” replied Saruman as he took the Keystone from the snake’s mouth and fastened it to its upper jaw. Saruman then bound us in magic chains. Hongo managed to wiggle out and hurl a stone at Saruman. He lost concentration as the chains disappeared. “Very well!” snapped Saruman. “Element of water, snake!” The snake started firing ice blasts at us! I then got an idea and asked Wyldstyle to help me construct three ramps for the Batmobile to launch itself at the snake. Once I had transformed into Kamen Rider Royal and activated Wyldstyle Steel, we set to work. “Element of fire, Saruman!” Saruman started firing fireballs at us. I only wish they were the candy. The ramps were built as the snake stopped in front of the middle one.
“Your mistake!” called Batman. He got into the Batmobile and launched it at the snake, stunning it. Saruman tried to get it to move again while Batman saw a transmitter. He also noticed three giant snake heads with open mouths behind Saruman. “Been a while,” he muttered. “Shift Keystone, activate! Cyan, in the mouth of the left snake head statue! Yellow, in the mouth of the middle snake head statue! Magenta, in the mouth of the right snake head statue!” The portals opened. “Shift! Batman! Yellow!” Batman went through the portal and appeared behind Saruman. The evil wizard had regained control of the snake as he got it to turn around and bite the platform Batman was on. It missed the Dark Knight, so Batman and Saruman dueled. Batman had managed to get Saruman to hit the snake, making it scream in pain and destroying the platform. I noticed that the Keystone was getting loose.
“Keep at it!” I encouraged.
“You cannot win!” shouted Saruman as he cast magic chains at us. “My master will rule all! I have seen it!”
“Saruman, come to your senses!” called Gandalf as he made a counter spell to break the chains and free us. “No victory can be had siding with evil!” He mounted Shadowfax and charged up the left ramp. Shadowfax’s hooves went deep into the snake’s head, stunning it again. “Batman, the cyan portal, if you please!” said Gandalf.
“Shift! Gandalf! Yellow!” declared Batman. Gandalf landed inside the left snake head and cast a magic bolt to the snake. It turned around and sank its fangs into the platform. Saruman and Gandalf dueled for a while in close quarters.
“I implore you, stop this madness, Saruman!” pleaded Gandalf. He then smacked his staff into the snake’s head, causing it to reel in pain and destroy the platform. The Keystone was that much looser.
“I’ll take it from here!” I called.
“Not a chance, little girl!” countered Saruman as magic chains wrapped around me.
“I’m 5’5”, you jerk!” I shouted as I broke the chains with raw strength.
“I thought average height in Japan was 5’2”?” asked Richard.
“Only among 17 year olds!” I hissed. “I’m 19, in case you forgot!” I mounted my horse.
“Element of lightning, snake!” announced Saruman. The snake fired an electric bolt at my horse. I suffered some minor electrical burns, but my horse shorted out.
“Shadowfax,” called Gandalf, “assist Princess Megumi!” Shadowfax ran up to me and had me mount him.
“I know this is a quote from Gandalf’s future,” I whispered to the horse, “but run, Shadowfax! Show us the meaning of haste!” The Lord of Horses understood that and responded by charging as fast as he could up the right ramp. He fell short, but my fist landed right on the snake’s snout! Surprisingly, the blow I delivered had enough strength to stun a creature its size. Shadowfax landed on his hooves and ran back to Batman. “I think there’s only one portal left,” I observed.
“If you could get off the horse,” requested Batman. I dismounted Shadowfax. “Shift! Megumi! Magenta!” I jumped into the portal and landed on the last platform.
“I shall not allow this!” boomed Saruman. “Element of earth, Saruman!” Rocks started flying at me. Some hit me, but I managed to hurl some at the snake. It roared in pain and destroyed the statue. I fell, battered and bruised, but alive. Saruman was thrown off unceremoniously screaming “NO!” He landed on the floor, then was sucked up by a portal which deposited Hiro.
“Wizards!” scoffed Hiro. “Can’t do anything right!” The snake was still thrashing around in pain.
“MOVE!” shouted Wyldstyle.
“No need to tell us twice!” confirmed Oren as we all ran back a safe distance.
“Stop, you stupid beast!” ordered Hiro. Not a smart thing to say in the long run as the snake bashed him and its head into a wall, making a hole and knocking the Keystone off. Batman grabbed it as we charged into the new room to see Lex Luthor’s mech looming menacingly over a terrified Master Chen. Chen made a move to grab the staff, but Lex Luthor didn’t let him get it. Lex then grabbed the staff himself. He then commanded his mech to raise his foot over Chen with the intent to squish him.
“Hand the staff over, Lex!” hissed Batman.
“No, don’t do that!” called Hiro as he came running up behind us, holding his jaw.
“I had no intention of doing so,” replied Lex. “In fact, Batman, come and get it!”
“With pleasure!” announced Batman. All Vortex Riders then got their i.d tags, Oren got out the durian Lockseed, and Hongo struck his Henshin pose.
“Rider…” called Hongo.
“HENSHIN!” we all shouted. Hongo leapt over Lex and formed his suit, the Vortex Riders jumped into our respective circles, and Oren opened his Lockseed.
“DURIAN!” it announced. Oren put it into his belt, the Sengoku Driver, and closed it. “Lock on!” After a guitar riff, he sliced the lock open. “DURIAN ARMS! MISTER DANGEROUS!” The metal durian landed on his head, formed the undersuit, and unfolded to reveal Kamen Rider Bravo!
“Catchphrases everyone!” I called.
“Kamen Rider Outback! Better watch your backs, mates!”
“Kamen Rider Claw! My weapons shall turn you into ribbons!”
“Kamen Rider Swing! I’ll be taking your legs!”
“Kamen Rider Hunt! I shall always get my prey!”
“Kamen Rider Clash! A duel with me shall end in your defeat!”
“Kamen Rider Climb! Mountains are a warrior’s best friend!”
“Kamen Rider Gallop! My riding skills are unmatched!”
“Kamen Rider Sengoku! You shall get a taste of Feudal Japan!”
“Kamen Rider Royal! Evil will ultimately bow to me!”
“Kamen Rider Guard! None shall harm my friends, family, and lady!”
“Kamen Rider Touché! En Garde, thing of evil!”
“Kamen Rider Zhànshì! Try and stop my quest!”
“Kamen Rider Arch! My skills outdo Robin Hood!”
“Kamen Rider Kämpfer! Your defeat will be certain at my hands!”
“Kamen Rider Seeker! It’s not gold I seek, but your end!”
“Kamen Rider Battle! For friends and family, I shall be victorious!”
“I am Gandalf the Grey! Prepare to see some fireworks!”
“I’m Wyldstyle! Time to think outside the box!”
“I’m Batman! The Dark Knight rises!”
“I am the start of a group of warriors! I am Kamen Rider!”
“Catchphrases, then?” quizzed Bravo. “Very well. Kamen Rider Bravo! Now, let us begin…the pageant of death and destruction!” We all stared at Bravo.
“Er…needs work,” I gulped nervously.
“If you’re doing catchphrases…” began Hiro as he loaded his guns with his i.d tag.
“Then it’s only fair you give us the same courtesy,” finished the Rogue Driver.
“Henshin!” announced Hiro as he fired. He ran and spun into the circle, becoming Kamen Rider Rogue. “Kamen Rider Rogue. Stand and deliver!” Lex considered his next move.
“Eh, why not,” shrugged the head of LexCorp. “I am Lex Luthor! No one can defeat my impenetrable power suit!”
“And so begins your downfall,” I mused.
“Not quite,” argued Rogue. He brought out two spheres. “Turretorg, Discornia! I summon you!” Turretorg came back with another monster sporting a feminine build. It had some sort of slinky strapless dress done up in a disco ball fashion, a large, blonde afro, blue disco balls for eyes, large red lips, puffy sleeves done up like disco balls, and silver platform shoes. The main body was silver. I presume this was Discornia. It spoke with a high soprano voice.
“Oh, how cute!” it squeed. I tried to get the ringing out of my ears. “Look at all these little backup dancers!”
“Perhaps, my lady,” mused Turretorg, “but…”
“My lady?!” I interrupted. “Hold on, there’s such a concept as gender among you monsters?” Discornia shrieked in horror as Turretorg growled.
“Of course, there is!!” shouted Turretorg. “I’m a male!! Discornia is a female!! Can’t you tell?!”
“I never make it a habit to assume gender by appearance,” I replied.
“Well, can’t fault her for that,” mused Discornia. “Not all of us are easily identified by our appearance. Sludgiona is a good example.” She brought out a black staff with a small disco ball on each end. “In any case, it’s time to defeat you and do so with style! Oh, Combatmen! Come here, my treasures!” Shocker Combatmen swarmed us alongside Nova Shocker Combatmen.
“Vortexons, fall in!” barked Turretorg. The Vortexons came through some portals that deposited them very quickly.
“Lexbots, your master needs you!” ordered Lex Luthor. Green robots with a gun arm, a cylinder with a single green light for a head, a three-fingered left hand, and a pair of treads for mobility came forth.
“Slay them!” shouted Hiro.
“We pledge obedience!” obliged Turretorg and Discornia. Discornia twirled her staff and went on the attack. She mainly used it for keeping us at bay while dazzling us with the light show she generated. The Combatmen kept attacking us as Lex fired from the gun arm of his mech and then launched a missile strike. Rogue almost got hit.
“GIVE A GUY SOME WARNING, WILL YOU?!” he shouted. The impact of the missiles made chroma discs fall. Batman and Wyldstyle found the nearby transmitter. Batman decided to make a distraction.
“I’ve taken you down before and I’ll do it again, Lex,” he snapped.
“You can try!” taunted Lex as he continued firing. The gun arm jammed. “Oh, for…I THOUGHT I PATCHED THAT!” He banged on the gun arm to get it to work, turning his back to reveal a Chroma design with all shapes in red.
“Chroma Keystone, activate! Chroma lock, reveal!” called Wyldstyle.
“STOP HER!” shouted Turretorg.
“Not a bright move!” I snapped. I managed to dispatch a good chunk of the enemy forces.
“Chroma! Red! Bravo!” called Wyldstyle. Bravo leapt into the red paint and landed on each shape in the lock design. Lex’s mech started smoking.
“Pardon, Monsieur Luthor,” apologized Bravo, “but you’ve brought this on yourself.” The design on Luthor’s back changed so that the L-shapes were blue and the circle was yellow.
“Chroma! Yellow! Batman! Chroma! Blue! Royal!” announced Wyldstyle.
“Lex, this is low, even for you,” called Batman as we jumped into our respective paint blobs. “Stop this charade!” The chroma lock made Lex’s mech smoke again.
“Will someone get these twits off my back?!” shouted Lex.
“Allow me!” called Discornia in her overly-cutesy voice. She spun clockwise three times, then twirled her staff over her head, and then tossed it, making the disco balls create a light show that almost dazzled us. That allowed Turretorg to give suppressing fire. The design on Lex changed once more with the left L being yellow, the circle being blue, and the right L being red.
“That’s easy!” I announced. Bravo took the right L, I took the circle, and Batman took the left L. The mech was blown back into the wall, making it lose the staff and knocking Lex Luthor silly. Batman caught the staff.
“MUST I CLEAN UP YOUR MESS?!” roared Rogue to Lex. A portal opened near the mech.
“You have failed me, Luthor!” boomed Vortech’s voice from the portal. Lex tried to get his mech to crawl away but was caught by Vortech’s giant hand and dragged inside.
“What…was…that?!” yelped Wyldstyle. The staff vibrated in Batman’s hands.
“I-I-I-I-d-d-d-don’t-t-t-t-kn-n-n-n-o-o-ow!” he managed to get out. The staff then got out of Batman’s hands, floated in the air, and managed to bond with the new Keystone. The upgraded staff then fell to the ground.
“Secure the target!” shouted Turretorg. We all made a mad dash for the staff, but it’s original owner grabbed it first and spun around, trying to club us in the head. It managed to score a hit on Sengoku. My brother wobbled for a bit.
“Nee-san!” I called. “Daijōbu?” (Are you alright?) He then said a snatch of an old Japanese nursery rhyme and fell, cancelling his transformation.
“I think he has a concussion!” responded Guard.
“Allow me,” called Touché. Thank goodness, she has first aid/CPR training. She managed to get Hiroki out of the way and stayed with him while we turned our attention to Master Chen.
“And now…your punishment for cheating!” he snarled.
“You’re still on about that?!” called Battle.
“I say we know who the real cheater is!” supplied Bravo as he swung his swords at Chen.
“I’m gonna use your empty skull for a bowling ball for the embarrassment you’ve caused my forces!” snarled Hiro. Chen jumped to a higher ledge.
“Now, now,” responded Chen, “no need to get violent. I think we all need to COOL OFF! Element of water, Master Chen!” Oh God, more puns! He managed to coat the entire room in ice, so we slipped for a bit while giant ice stalactites fell from the ceiling. Batman saw an opportunity to get near Chen.
“Rogue! Royal! I need your help!” called Batman.
“What?!” snapped Rogue.
“Rogue, our battle may be undecided,” I said to my biological father, “but if we don’t work together, no one will get the staff or the Keystone.” Rogue considered.
“What did you have in mind?” he asked Batman.
“Can you use armor based on us like the Vortex Riders can?” asked Batman.
“Yes, why?” quizzed Rogue.
“Do you have armor based on me?” asked Batman.
“No, why?” pondered Rogue.
“We’re going to climb the stalactites and pull the end towards that wire,” explained Batman as he pointed to a wire that travelled from one end of the room to Chen’s position.
“Then we can hit him!” finished Rogue. “Perfect!” He then leveled his guns at Batman and fired! Batman felt pain but didn’t die. Rogue had made two red semi-circles with Batman’s symbol on it, his version of the Batman i.d tag, I believe. He loaded the new i.d tag into the guns. He then pointed his guns to the side and fired.
“All right! Batman Steel!” announced the Rogue Driver. Rogue’s wardrobe closed on him at both sides before dissolving. His version of Batman Steel had turned the jacket black with a bat wing design and added points to his now black hat. I just put my i.d tag into my belt.
“Batman Steel!” called my belt. After I had changed, we went across the stalactites and fired our grapple guns to yank the ending stalactite towards us. While that was going on, Chen was firing ice blasts at us. When we got on the ending stalactite, we used our weight to tilt it towards the wire. We got on and slid down the wire. Thank goodness we had protective gloves on us. We would have suffered rope burn otherwise. We then ran towards Chen as we landed on his platform. Then the punching began! Chen managed to score some hits on us, but we barely felt them. I then punched him in the face, which prompted him to hurl us off.
“Ow!” he cried. “That one hurt! You know, you could just let me win. I mean, would it cost you the EARTH?! Element of earth, Master Chen!”
“Not another pun!” snarled Turretorg.
“And just when you proposed!” protested Discornia. I would have commented on the fact that Turretorg intends to marry someone, but I had more pressing matters on my mind. The ice disappeared as a set of ramps of stone with vines tangling everything. Boulders were rolling down towards us!
“What the heck!” yelped Wyldstyle.
“Indy moment!” I shouted. What I wouldn’t give to see Dr. Jones in this situation. The snake motif everywhere and the giant snake Saruman rode on might have made him shake though. A Shocker Combatman patted the shoulder of a Shocker Nova Combatman and a Vortexon and pointed at something under the ramps. After a conversation of “Yee!” from both Combatmen and electronic warbling from the Vortexon, they spoke to Turretorg and Rogue. Somehow, they can understand Combatmen and Vortexons.
“I think that’s a good plan, don’t you, sir?” asked Turretorg.
“An excellent plan, one worthy of promotion,” confirmed Rogue. “I’ll arrange your promotions with your bosses.” That got the Combatmen and Vortexon excited. Their compatriots grumbled.
“What did they say?” asked Gandalf.
“They noticed nooks and crannies in the walls supporting the ramps,” explained Turretorg. “They’re big enough for one of us to fit in.”
“They also noticed that the boulders are falling in a set time,” continued Rogue.
“I get it,” realized Wyldstyle. “Hide in the nooks and crannies as we go up and calculate the timing of the boulders.”
“I think it’s a good idea, don’t you guys?” I asked. I then noticed something. “Wait, where’s Zhànshì and Kämpfer?”
“OVER THERE!” called Discornia. Those two were already on the ramps, dodging the boulders on their way up! They managed to get up there and land some hits before Chen hurled them off.
“Let’s HEAT things up a bit, shall we?” joked Chen.
“Let me guess, fire,” I muttered.
“Element of fire, Master Chen!” announced Chen. The whole room was flooded in lava! My thoughts headed to Touché and Hiroki as the heat could NOT be good for a concussion. Thankfully, Touché, who had cancelled her transformation, had gotten Hiroki to higher ground and kept him in a cool, dark place. Thank goodness. Lava’s the last thing I would wish on anyone, even Rogue. Rocky platforms had appeared in the lava, giving Batman an idea.
“Is the transmitter intact?” he asked.
“Got it right here!” replied Wyldstyle.
“Shift Keystone, activate!” announced Batman. “Cyan, on the platform near us! Yellow, on the platform near Chen’s right! Magenta, on the platform near Chen’s left!”
“What have you got in mind?” I asked.
“We’re going to use someone to confuse Chen by going through different portals,” whispered Batman.
“Let me do it,” called Guard. I nodded that it was okay.
“Shift! Guard! Cyan!” announced Batman. Guard went to the cyan portal. Chen fired some fire balls at him, but Batman shifted him to yellow. Chen retargeted Guard, but he ended up in the magenta portal. He then jumped from the platform and whacked Chen on the back of his head. Chen then hurled him back to us.
“Ha! Good hit!” praised Chen. That’s it, he’s on the end of his rope. “Well, well, this is quite a battle, eh? I would even call it ELECTRIFYING! Element of lightning, Master Chen!” The lava disappeared and was replaced with water. Chen dipped his currently zappy staff into the water, electrifying the whole place.
“Any ideas?” I asked.
“The chroma discs are back,” replied Wyldstyle. “There’s also a design up there,” she pointed to a chroma design held by a hanging snake statue with a red circle, a blue left L shape, and a right yellow L-shape, “but there’s still the matter of the electrified water.”
“The Batmobile can handle some electricity,” explained Batman.
“Are you sure?” I asked.
“The Joker tried to put 1,000,000 volts into it,” replied Batman. “It only served to power it.”
“Dang, that’s a tough car you’ve got!” I complimented.
“Chroma Keystone, activate!” announced Wyldstyle. “Chroma lock, reveal!” Thank goodness Batman’s driving the Batmobile because the lock design appeared in the middle of the floor. “Chroma! Yellow! Batman!” Batman drove the Batmobile into the yellow paint and hit the right L-shape. “Chroma! Blue! Batman!” Batman drove through the blue paint and hit the left L-shape. “Chroma! Red! Batman!” Batman drove through the red paint and hit the circle. The lights hit the statue, making it fall and knock Chen to the ground, making him drop the staff, cancelling out the electric water. Rogue, Turretorg, and Discornia made a dash for the staff and Keystone.
“No!” I shouted. “RIDER ROYAL KICK! I kicked Rogue in the head, stunning him for a bit.
“DURIAN SQUASH!” announced Bravo’s Lockseed as he made a wave of energy from his crest which hit Turretorg.
“RIDER KICK!” called Ichigō as he kicked Discornia. Batman grabbed the Keystone while Gandalf took the staff.
“It’s a little gaudy,” muttered the wizard, “but it’s always good to have a spare.”
“We should keep them separate,” suggested Batman. I nodded in agreement. Turretorg and Discornia were sparking, about ready to explode as most monsters do in Kamen Rider, from what Hiroki told me. Speaking of which, Hiroki was coming back to us with Emily helping him.
“What did I miss?” he asked.
“You haven’t missed anything,” replied Rogue as he recovered from my kick. He saw the sparking monsters. “Turretorg, Discornia, return!” They turned back into their sphere forms and flew to Rogue’s hands He put them away for later use. “Now, as for…” He was hit on the head by Gandalf and lost consciousness, canceling his transformation. A portal opened.
“And now you’ve failed!” boomed Vortech’s voice as his giant hand retrieved Hiro’s unconscious body. Another portal opened and sucked up Chen’s body. I didn’t feel a sense of dread, so it was probably ours. Chen must have been returned to his seat up top.
“Flying monkeys, giant robots, ninjas,” mused Wyldstyle, “shall we find out what’s next?”
“May I join you?” asked Bravo as we canceled our transformations.
“Go right ahead!” I agreed. We mounted got on our vehicles, bar Hiroki being put on Emily’s horse since she wanted to keep an eye on him. Oren had admitted that this was his first time riding a horse. We all charged through the portal with Gandalf falling off Shadowfax while trying to ride with two staffs in hand. Batman’s grappling hook wrapped around the Grey Wizard as he was taken into the portal. We all made our way back to Vorton!
