Last time on Kamen Rider Chrono: Kibou Kitai was saved by the Chrono AI, and had to return the AI to HOME (Humanities Only Monster Exterminators) base, where they told him that if he used Kamen Rider Chrono it would put his health at risk. His return to a normal life only lasted a couple hours since the Rabbit Monster returned to attack Seven Sisters. The new user of Chrono proved incapable of fighting it off, prompting AI and Kibou to form Chrono again, risking his life to save people.
Kibou pulled into the parking lot of HOME and rested against the handles of his bike. It was just about now that he realized just how fast everything had unfolded for him. Just the other day his biggest concern was acing a history exam, and now he was going to ask a strange company to let him become a superhero to fight monsters. That wasn't the scariest part for him though.
AI: "It's just sinking in, isn't it?"
Kibou: "Huh?"
AI: "You and I are bonded right now, which means I experience everything you do. Right now you're asking yourself if you can really go through with this, right?"
Kibou: "Yeah... It didn't really click that... This was all real. That I'd be risking my life to save others."
AI: "Does that mean you DON'T want to help people?"
Kibou: "God no! It's just... The lives of others would fall upon me, and one mess up..."
AI: "You can't be thinking like that. If you're too worried about screwing up, then it'd happen for sure."
Kibou stayed silent and watched the clouds roll by. AI spoke up and told him that he could still turn back. Just hand the rabbit coin to him and he'd take care of the rest. Kibou rolled the coin between his fingers before flicking it into the air and catching it.
AI: "You've already done a good job if that helps. Not anybody could defeat the Rabbit Zodiac like you did."
Kibou: "Rabbit Zodiac?"
AI: "The monster. I'm sure they'll tell you more if you DO become Kamen Rider Chrono."
Kibou: "So there are more like that thing?"
AI: "Twelve to be exact."
Kibou: "So eleven more things like those are out there...? Alright, I'll become Chrono."
AI: "You sure? Step through the front door and no changing your mind."
Kibou: "I'm not one-hundred percent sure, but what I am sure about is that I want to help people. This will let me do that."
AI: "Whatever, get going."
Kibou nodded and jogged towards the door, resting his palm on the scanner and rushing inside, giving the receptionist a quick greeting. He made his way down the steps and to the furthest door of the corridor. He slowed down as he got closer and started to twirl his black hair with an index finger.
AI: "That your tell?"
Kibou: "Hm?"
AI: "When your nervous, that's your tell?"
Kibou: "Ah, yeah."
AI stopped talking and closed his imaginary eyes. It was the same tell Colt had. He scoffed as he thought about how similar the two were, bright-eyed people who wanted to help others even at the cost of their own lives, pretty much the only difference was the age gap.
Kibou pressed the button off to the right and the door slid open to reveal Connor asleep at his desk and Mercy typing away at her computer. He stepped inside and the door closed behind him. AI flew out of him and took a perch near Mercy.
Mercy: "Welcome back, AI. So I take it that you found Chrono's candidate?"
AI: "What do you take me for? Some kinda failure?"
Mercy: "Yes."
AI: "Love you too. I did find them, though, even took care of the Rabbit Zodiac in the process."
Mercy: "Good news to start the day, I thought the signal disappearing was that it got away again. So who is—?"
Mercy spun in her chair and froze when she saw the kid from last night. He bowed and greeted her like he belonged here.
Mercy: "I'm sorry, but I must still be suffering from that hangover. What is he doing here?!"
AI: "That's our Kamen Rider Chrono."
Mercy: "The joke stopped being funny! Actually!? The joke was NEVER funny!"
All the screaming had stirred Connor awake, who shot up and fell backwards out of his seat. He groaned for a bit before looking around and seeing just what was happening.
Connor: "Ain't that the kid who came by last night?"
Mercy: "SO I AIN'T CRAZY! WHY DID YOU BRING HIM HERE!?"
AI: "Listen, I know you don't agree—"
Mercy: "What gave it away?"
AI: "But we already talking it through. He knows the risks, and yet he still wants to help."
Connor: "But he was barely compatible enough to turn INTO Chrono. What happened to the one-hundred percent candidate?"
AI: "That turned out to be a pretty bad choice. While she was capable of using all my power, she was too afraid to utilize any of it... And it was Trish."
Connor: "WAIT!? My little angel, Trish!? Please, uh, kid! Please become Chrono!"
Connor rushed over to Kibou and clasped his hands. He dropped to his knees and started begging for him to accept the job, that he couldn't ever let Trish anywhere near this stuff.
Mercy: "Am I the only one with common sense? He'll get himself killed, either by the Zodiacs or by simply using Chrono. I can't in good faith let him."
Kibou: "Please."
Mercy glared across the room at the student, then turned to Connor who was giving her puppy-dog eyes, and then to AI who nodded.
Mercy: "Ugh, fine, BUT, but, firstly we are running some tests on you and then after each mission, got it? If your body can't take it then we're taking Chrono away."
Connor: "What a Saint! I could just kiss you!"
He had attempted as such, causing Mercy to raise her hand out towards him.
Mercy: "Henshin!"
AI flew down from his perch and swatted him away before landing on her shoulder.
Mercy: "Here, come with me kid. We'll run those tests now."
Kibou: "Right."
Mercy stood up and walked to a room off to the side. Kibou followed, giving a small bow to a knocked-out Connor, and AI transferred from her shoulder to his. The room was smaller than the one they were just in. An MRI machine in a secluded spot behind glass, and various medical looking stuff.
Mercy: "Go ahead and throw on a gown. I'll get everything set up. If we're lucky then there is no damage for now."
Kibou nodded and went to the locker that she pointed at, pulling out the blue gowns and turned back to see she had her back turned to him. The tests ran on for hours as his physical and mental state was closely examined. She considered him lucky that the only damages that were caused was Muscle Atrophy.
Mercy: "Continued use can lead to worse problems with your body, are you positive you're aware? We ain't going to force you... I ain't gonna force you to take on the Chrono mantle."
Kibou: "I'm sure."
Mercy: "Hmph. Most kids when they hear that they'd be killing their body would turn away immediately."
Kibou: "I'm not going to lie and say I'm not scared, but in order to be brave you have to be scared in the first place."
Mercy: "Guess that's true. Here, a diet. Stay true to this diet like it's a religion! Also, are you a part of any sports?"
Kibou: "I was debating about joining the track team."
Mercy: "Good, I'd also recommend basketball and weight lifting in the meantime. You're a Rider now, so stay in top shape... That also means that you more than likely have to abandon any semblance of a normal life. You're on call all the time, so school, friends, family, they're all second place."
His hands tightened in a fist when he heard that. He should've assumed that was the case, but putting everything second to being a Rider? He was the top of his school in terms of studies, and a bright future thanks to his parents, then there was Sakura.
Mercy: "Alright, get some sleep. You got to be up early tomorrow and come here first thing! At the beginning and end of each day I'm going to be recording your test results."
Kibou nodded and shrugged the back on his shoulder, walking back into the main room. There Connor was waiting, watching cat videos on MeTube. He glanced over his shoulder and spun in his chair, holding out an envelope.
Kibou: "What's this?"
Connor: "Payment. Since you're going to be a Kamen Rider for us, you need a form of payment. two-thousand dollars at the end of each week, and if you defeat a Zodiac, then you get a bonus."
Kibou: "There's that word again. What's a Zodiac?"
Connor: "Ah, AI didn't tell you?"
AI: "Not my job. My job is to sit on his waist and look pretty."
Connor: "Haha, true. Alright, a Zodiac is what we call those monsters. As you know, there are twelve, I guess eleven now, waiting out there. All of them are based on the Chinese Zodiac."
Kibou: "Oh, so that's why the one I defeated looked like a rabbit."
Connor: "Correct. This leaves the Snake, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig, Rat, and Ox."
Kibou: "Aren't you forgetting three more?"
Mercy: "The Horse, Dragon, and Tiger. If you see those, run."
Kibou: "Is there something different about those?"
AI: "Big difference. We label those three as the Legendary Zodiacs. Significantly stronger than the rest, and human intelligence."
Connor: "Mhm. Anyway, when you defeat a Zodiac, it drops a coin like what the Rabbit Zodiac did."
Kibou: "Alright, but what do those coins do?"
AI: "You know that slot at the top of me? The one you noticed last night? It goes there."
Mercy: "It'll give you access to powers that the Zodiac had, but they're basically useless to you."
Kibou: "Has something to do with that compatibility you guys mentioned?"
Mercy: "Yeah, so don't try unless you want to rush yourself into an even earlier grave."
Connor: "That's about all, now how about you take this envelope and I'll wish you good night."
Kibou nodded and took the paper from Connor, leaving them alone in the office.
Connor: "Good kid."
Mercy: "Stupid kid."
Connor: "Whatever you say, now how about we go to the bar nearby? Night's still young."
Mercy: "As long as you're paying."
Connor: "Of course... You're going to drain my money."
Mercy: "Speaking of which, how much was that bonus you gave him?"
Connor: "Four-thousand, why?"
Mercy: "You're going to be the reason HOME will go bankrupt, and then the President will have your head."
---(Few Days Later)---
The morning class had started attendance like usual, the teacher listing off all the names on his list, then stopping at Kibou Kitai. He had been late the day before yesterday, and didn't even show up the day after. He called out his name once, then twice, which caused the students to stir. He was about to move on when the door slammed open and Kibou rushed in, obviously ragged and distraught.
This caused most of the students to grow wide-eyed at the sight of the usually perfect and tidy-looking prince of Seven Brothers, and some among them to start gossiping and blushing at his new appearance.
Kibou: "Sorry I'm late again, Sensei!" He bowed to the teacher, then to the rest of the class before taking a seat behind Sakura.
Sakura: "This makes four days in a row dude. You also don't look so good. I asked before, but is everything okay?"
Kibou apologized to Sakura as he tried fixing his hair in the mirror.
Kibou: "Just a little exhausted. I had a rat problem recently."
His gaze turned even more to the side as he remembered yesterday. The Rat Zodiac had made an appearance in Central Downtown. He had made sure to rescue all the civilians, and managed to get the upper hand on it, but it's illusions tripped him up and gave it enough time to escape in the end.
Sakura: "I think you should drop the clubs you're going to. Clearly they're causing more harm than good. You're grades have even started to slip."
Kibou: "You got a point... I think I'll drop Basketball. Thanks, Sakura-san."
Sakura: "Ugh, better than nothing... You want to go to the food court today? There's a new stand opening today, takoyaki."
Kibou: "That'd be perfect, but I don't know if my doctor will approve of that..."
AI: "I won't say anything if you promise to get pizza after."
Sakura: "You say something?"
Kibou: "Nothing at all!"
Sakura: "So, are you down?"
Kibou: "Honestly, that'd be lovely. I'll pay even."
Sakura: "Uh, no. Unlike you, I have a part-time job."
Kibou: "Please, I insist. I kinda got more money than I know what to do with at the moment."
Sakura sighed and agreed to let his friend play, turning his attention back to the teacher. Class proceeded like normal, which would've been sign number one that things were turning for the worst. Kibou's phone started to beep and he quickly checked it, the ID listing 'Mercy'. He excused himself to the bathroom and started racing toward the bike area.
The message had a set of coordinates that went to the Food Court. The Zodiac responsible for the chaos was that of the Pig.
AI: "Careful with this one. We have no clue what it could do."
Kibou: "Right. My first priority should be to save the innocents."
He made it to his motorcycle and sped away, not noticing Sakura standing at the back entrance that led to the bike racks, a hurt look in his eyes as his confirmed that Kibou was lying to him.
He made it to the Court within five minutes, and saw a horde of people running for their lives. Quickly hopping off, he pushed past the sea and saw another towering monster sitting/laying down on a bench with little pig mooks running about. It had the same leather skin, but instead of fur peaking out, rather it had rounded bronze armor on its stomach and a helmet of sorts. It wore gauntlets with big chunks of pudge sticking out, a swirly bronze tail, and resting under its armor was a large metal club.
The mooks dragged a little girl from its mother and presented her to the Zodiac. The two were screaming for each other as the Pig leaned forward to study it. It excitedly nodded and they all squealed. Its hooves grabbed the girl by the head, freezing Kibou in place as he remembered what happened to him during his first encounter with the Rabbit. It's helmet split open revealing those sharp teeth.
AI: "Get into gear, Kibou!"
Kibou: "R-Right! That's enough!"
He ran forward and tackled the Pig, causing all three to roll. Kibou successfully managed to pry the girl from the Zodiac and fought off mooks as he delivered her back to the mother.
Mother: "Oh, thank you so much!"
Kibou: "You're welcome, now go!"
Kibou spun on his heels and raised his fist into the air as the mooks charged at him, clubs flailing in the air. AI shot out of Kibou's chest, blowing them all back and landed on his waist as Kibou shot his palm forward.
Kibou: "Henshin!"
He pulled apart the device and left his right handed suspended in the air as sand gathered around him.
AI: "Ready Go! Steady Go! Time To Go! Kamen Rider Chrono!! The future is in your hands."
Meanwhile, up on a rooftop another masked figure wearing similar armor stood by, watching the teen.