Scene #8115: Dark Ride

Owner	Pose
Kale Hearthward	"To all who come to this happy place - Welcome. Wonderworld is your world. Here age relieves fond memories of the past - and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Wonderworld is dedicated to - to- To all who come to this happy place, - Welcome. Wonderworld is your world. Here age relives fond memories of the past - and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Wonderworld is dedicated to - to - " The recording skips again and starts over. It's supposed to be the voice of Tell Wonder reading the dedication plaque that once adorned the front gate of Wonderworld. However, a gigantic poppyseed bullet has embedded in the exhibit control panel, which is likely the reason for the glitch. This is the Tell Wonder museum, full of all things regarding Tell Wonder, the eponymous founder of Wonderfilms and Wonderworld and the many (many) subsidiaries and spinoffs and vertically integrated business ventures and so on and so forth. Posthumously, Tell Wonder has become part of the brand. You can buy any one of five separate biographies about Tell Wonder in any gift shop in the park, or catch the Tell Wonder documentary now streaming on Wonder+, or grab 40oz souvenir mug (with five free refills!) that has Tell's face and favorite quotes screen-printed on the side, or via any other medium of your choice take part in the commercialization of a man-made deity. Right, got all that? So again this is the Tell Wonder museum. You can buy Tell Wonder merch, or look at Tell's personal belongings (which apparently have historical significance?), or go sit in the recreation of Tell's original studio, or go a dozen other things which are not theme park rides or interacting with mascot characters - hence why the museum is the lowest-traffic place in the entire park. Hence: why Kamen Rider Coast and Kamen Rider Thrill have endeavored to lure Lord Everything here for the climactic final battle. No crowds to worry about getting in the way, no theme park rides that anyone will truly miss, just a bunch of 'boring historical stuff' in Coast's words.
Kale Hearthward	Thrill and Coast had gotten pointers from the multiversal forces of assorted earlier, and had been using them to prep for the various combat gimmicks that a typical tokusatsu monster-of-the-week lineup would throw at them. There was the time a whole horde of mini concessors came at them, there was the time when the enemy blew up like a bomb after they won, there were regenerating and hard hitting and invisible and invulnerable and every other challenge inbetween. In theory, after facing every gimmick the concessors have, the big boss wouldn't be much of a threat. The problem, though, is that Lord Everything doesn't have a gimmick. Lord Everything is just simply very tough. "Hff-" Thrill breathes out, using her Drop Tower Spear to try to leverage herself back up to a standing position. "Can't - take another hit like that... Tell me the reinforcements are almost here." "Soon! Soon, like - ack!" Coast cuts off as he gets struck across the side by Lord Everything's cane, which sends him staggering across the museum, smacking into a guard rail and falling to the floor, where his transformation breaks. Please wait till COAST comes to a complete stop. "Bradley!" calls Thrill, getting back up to her feet and running over to him. "Now-" says the evil bagel, adjusting his top hat and pointing his cane at the pair. "What was it he said, that dee-elightfully crude declaration?" "Ah yes - we'd get the park back what is rii-ightfully ours, over 'your dead bodies'." A spray of poppyseed bullets erupt from the end of the cane, flying towards the helpless pair-
Gaonoir	Somewhere out in the great wonder of Wonderworld there is some wonder-nerds that will cry over the sacrifice of 'historical paraphanilia' to the cause of destroying a monster boss that had none of the charm or class of various Wonderfilm villains. Fortunately, Erika was not one of them. Or she wouldn't be arriving on the back of a giant black creature resembling a canine with a wolfish head and the build of a bear literally crashing the party, toppling over several displays of useless tie-in materials with his charging out of the shadows and into the fight! How did something like that even move through in unnoticed?! (Its a special ability, better not to think about it!) Really it wouldn't be hard to mistake the brutish Digimon for some manner of tokusatsu monster. "BLITZ STRIKER!" He even does a yelling out an attack type thing. Though the fact that his transpositioning charge is directed to ram right into Lord Everything is a more clear indication which side of this altercation Gaonoir and his Tamer are joining.
Hibiki Tachibana	"Balwisyall nescell Gungnir tron..." Huh. That's not a belt jingle. That's not a belt jingle at all. Without any warning, there's an abrupt downwards eruption of debris and dust as a small hole is blasted in from the ceiling above this particular floor of the Tell Wonder Museum - and it just so happens to be right between the two Kamen Riders and their delicious foe, where a silhouetted figure quite literally drops in to bodily interject on the storm of bullets. Those bulky, mechanical half-cylinder gauntlets used to deflect as many shots as possible can certainly only belong to one magical girl who had to make a very hasty transformation and entrance to hit the scene in time, dispersing the lingering smoke with a swing of her arm after the fact. "Thrill. Coast. Yo." That's a pretty casual greeting towards the two over her shoulder, though the look on Hibiki's face is anything but. And right after it, she brings her other arm up in a fists-up ready stance, fists clenched and eyes narrowed. "Sounded like you needed some help with the last boss. So - make that over /our/ dead bodies. You guys, get yourselves back together! And I'll--!" Take one of those chunks of fallen ceiling, and suddenly snap-kick it right at Lord Everything, where it'll try to hit his cane-gun and throw his aim off, giving her the perfect opening to start sprinting in right for him.
Karlan Nobles	Unlike the last few times at Wonderworld, the pair from Karlan aren't dressed like tacky tourists for once. Instead, they've arrived at the theme park while dressed fairly normally by their own standards: Fancy jackets with too many layers, and big of bags to carry their stuff along with providing ample space to stick said layers into if it proves to be too warm later. Knowing that there'd be a fight, though, they've made the slightly wiser decision to actually leave their coats in another room, showing up at the climactic battle between Lord Everything and the team of Thrill and Coast with sword and bell already drawn. The crash of dust and smoke is joined by the sound of a bell ringing, then a strange scraping noise as a waist-high wall of ice forms around the fallen Coast. "Apologies for the delay, friends." "Pramanix was a little distracted by the sights. Again." "Gh...! You were, too!" They spend relatively little time bickering before moving in begin their assault against the vile bagel monster. Patches of ice form around the room from Pramanix's ritual while SilverAsh charges in with low slashes to try and keep Lord Everything on his toes rather literally, trying to capitalize on the relatively higher flying charge from Gaonoir and the projectiles coming from Hibiki.
Timespace Riders	Isn't it always the case that you think you've got a rider beat, and more show up? Two more, to be precise, appearing from thin air. A softly smiling guy in a slightly too-large short-sleeve pink button-up and a wasteland-duster-wearing guy with partially braided black hair and an above-it-all frown. Tucking a mysterious book under one arm, Woz tosses his scarf--the same one that had unfolded to deposit the both of them here in the seldom-visited Tell museum--towards the other riders. The garment snakes between the pair's legs, pulling them clear of the poppy seed spray. "Apologies, Lord Everything..." utters the mysterious retainer with a coy smile and a 'cordial' bow of his head. "but my Demon King has use for these two." The scarf retreats, and Woz looks down his nose at the two, as it winds its way back up to his shoulders. "Hi!" Sougo says, generally, to everyone. "I'm going to be the greatest, kindest Demon King. But first..." A warm smile towards the beleagured duo. "I want to make sure 'over your dead bodies' doesn't happen." "Henshin!" "Henshin!" The museum is briefly awash in pink, silver and green, as Sougo's clocks and Woz's laser light show summon and flash-print their armor. KAMEN RIDER WOZ? WOZ?! o/` Ka-meeen Rider! o/` ZI-O. . . Zi-O hangs back at the sight of Hibiki's charge, an energy pistol appearing in his empty hand. Bringing it up and staring down the ironsights, the analog-watch-themed rider feathers the trigger, leaning to keep his shots harassing the bagel-monster until Hibiki (and Woz) can close in. Woz, in silver and green with blue accent, resembles a smartwatch in theming. He even has a spear with a touch-screen on the haft, which, joining in Hibiki's charge, he's putting to frequent use. With both hands spaced close together, he's making a flurry of up-close, low-power but rapid thrusts. Mixed into this assault are snapkicks, roundhouses, and surprise batters with the haft, forming an aggressive guessing-game by falling into a rhythm with SilverAsh's lows.
Kale Hearthward	"To all who come to this happy place - Welcome. Wonderworld is your bzzt" That is the sound of deflected poppyseed bullets shredding the already scuffed control panel. The recording of Tell Wonder stops playing on endless repeat, finally. Also good: the bullets didn't hit the fallen rider pair. Lord Everything doesn't fare nearly as well. He's hit by a chunk of ceiling, and then staggers back from multiple pistol shots and then a combo of slashes. "So glad... to see you all made it," says Bradley, who seems inclined to remain lying where they were yanked to safety. "Hope the lines to get in at the front gate weren't too long..." "I don't think they used the front gates," says Thrill, glancing up at the ceiling. "But that's... illegal?" says Bradley. It sounds like a combination of some oft-repeated catchphrase and a concussion. "Two riders or nii-ine! Ice or kicks! It makes no difference!" says Lord Everything. "Wonderworld is ours by rii-ight and ancient dee-eal! Stand aside, if you don't want to mee-eat the same fay-ate!" He starts waving his cane around in a circle. "He's using fire!" yells Thrill, in warning, half a second before a solid column of continuous fire erupts from the tip of the cane, swinging across the room.
Hibiki Tachibana	Thank goodness they won't have to hear that the entire fight. It's fine, it'll get fixed right up after the fact, she's sure. Along with the, uh. Hibiki-sized hole in the ceiling that she made herself. Look, we were never escaping from collateral damage here. Which there might be a whole lot more of in a moment. Hopefully Tell Wonder's many exhibits aren't that flammable. As for her, she doesn't stop moving even as the flame washes in. "I don't know what 'ancient deal' you're talking about, but that doesn't give you guys any excuse to cause all this trouble for everyone in the park!" She drops. And uses her momentum to powerslide underneath the wash of heat, even though it still licks and singes at her from proximity. As soon as she clears it, she leaps back to her feet and into a sudden lunge, finally getting in on the melee action between Woz, SilverAsh, and Gaonoir all getting in there in one quick and abrupt movement. With a flying knee-strike, to catch Lord Everything head-on with some heavy force before he can whirl that flame-spewing cane back in her direction. Right behind it, she swings out with her other leg to add in a second impact to try and bowl him right off his feet! "Just like you'd expect, he's actually tougher than he looks...!" He's not daunted at all about the extra numbers, and it seems like he had Thrill and Coast on the ropes pretty handily, so he's definitely not just bluster.
Karlan Nobles	"Two more Riders? I'm almost beginning to feel left out of the festivities." "It's not like you couldn't afford to make a costume of your own." "I suppose, but it's not quite the same." Pramanix takes some time out of her bell-ringing ritual to wave back at Zi-O, but doesn't have much more time to try and get a better look at his or Woz's suits. The fire comes in, and she lurches sideways to call up a hasty ice pillar that just barely provides her with enough cover. SilverAsh, being as close as he is to the bagel beast, has to resort to juking and weaving even closer to avoid getting blasted head-on by the flames, but the column still manages to catch his back from sheer proximity. "It's only illegal if we're brought in." "Coast, Coast. You wouldn't be one of those narcs, would you?" With her defensive pillar melted, Pramanix resorts instead to just throwing even more of those pillars around the room, building up cover and convenient jumping platforms ahead of time. She keeps dancing and ringing that bell all the while, of course, leaping from spot to spot to try and make herself an even trickier target to acquire. SilverAsh, meanwhile, tries using those pillars in a more offensive manner. As he slips past one of those frozen pillars, he starts advancing in from the direction opposite Hibiki's flying knee strike. "A tough bagel indeed... I've never been fond of those chewy things, anyway." As he makes that admission, he sheathes his sword, then starts flicking it out and sheathing it rapidly after each slash, somehow managing to bring his sword out with far more power behind each strike despite the swings looking identical to the earlier ones.
Gaonoir	There's a warning about fire attacks. Erika, the part of the pair that has to worry about such things, uses it to dive off Gaonoir's back and roll behind one of the display cases for cover. Gainoir, on the other hand, just tanks it directly like the monster he is. Flames wash across his form, engulfing the Digimon. Cloaking him in the fire. And then he steps out of it, portions of his body scorched down to the point that what looks like a gridwork frame is briefly visible, before some manner of pixilated darkness melds over the damage as the Dark Digitron smothers out most of the burns and at least maintaining some of his structural integerty. He shakes a few smolders off his head, then looks at Thrill and Coaster. Then looks at the others that arrived with them. Then turns his head a bit towards where Erika has taken some cover. "I hate to say it, but I feel a little out of place and underdressed for this fight." "Got it!" Erika chirps back, even as she's already thumbing open the Digimon app on her smartphone like Digivice. "DIGIVOLUTION -- EXECUTE." A surge from their bonded device pours into Goanoir, briefl engulfing his form in a vagely egg-shaped aura as his form is stripped down almost to it's very code and digicore, then restructured and rebuilt up again into a stronger, more humanoid but still wolf-like form. It does fit in better with the setting of Rider Crossover though. DARKGAOGAMON: PERFECT DIGIVOLUTION TO-- With a pair of thrusters on his back, that fire just enough to hover as the 'egg' of energy shatters away. A targetting reticle flickers on the visor over his eyes as it locks back onto Lord Everything. DARK MACHGAOGAMON Paws clench into fists, and dark motes reconstruct over them as a part of the Dark Digitron code is manifested into a pair of heavy mechanical gauntlets charged with that same dark energy. And then it even starts to spin. "KNUCKLE CRUSHER!" To launch into a fierce drill punch aimed at Lord Breakfastbagel!
Timespace Riders	Being further away from the column of fire affords Zi-O more chance to get away. The same cannot be said for Woz, because on top of being closer to the point of origin, he was also ignoring Thrill's warning and trying to just mash through. While Zi-O manages to roll beneath the pillar as it passes, Woz is struck dead on, lifted from his feet in a spark-showering impact. His cuirass leaves marks in the floor as he slides post-landing, as does his spear, held out to halt his movement. "I'm sorry about getting in the way of your deal," says Zi-O back to Lord Everything. "But I need these two alive so I can be king!" Now charging in as Woz recovers, Zi-O brandishes a silver longsword, both hands on the grip, spaced well apart for extra swinging power. The blade is sharp enough on its own, but after every cut there's a pink, sawing aftershock of energy, following just a split second's delay. Zi-O makes 3 strikes, hip-shoulder-lateral, one hand off the handle at the end for balance as he mixes in a superhumanly strong back kick.
Kale Hearthward	Hibiki comes in with a one-two combo, throwing the concessor's aim off. He fumbles his cane - just in time for SIlverash to come in with more sword slashes, Zi-O to come in with more sword slashes and a energy-based followup, and finally for a dark energy gauntlet to slam him right in the hole. "Guh - you all really insist on fii-ighting in close combat, huh? Well!" He slams a finger down on a hidden button on the cane - and it unfolds, forming a hidden blade extending from the tip! A hidden butter knife blade. But it's an unusually sharp butter knife blade! As he swings back, trying to fend off the many attacks, he's looking increasingly worn out. Coast and Thrill managed to butter him up some before the calvary arrived, it seems - a few more hits might do him in...
Gaonoir	Gaonoir is a Digimon. Digimon have all kinds of weird themes. So seeing a butter knife cane sword wielded by an animate foodstuff is hardly going to register on his meter of strangeness. "You should be more worried about that." But that doesn't mean the weapon isn't dangerous. Gaonoir uses his gauntlets to counter several swipes, but the blade reveals it's vorpal nature by cutting deep into the metal-like material all the same. Followed by a high swipe and a shattering sound as Lord Bagel catchs his visor, cracking part of it. That gets a frustrated yowl out of the Digimon as he finally backs off a few steps. "Why you--" Erika peeks up from her spot to make sure her Partner doesn't get too distracted by the damage. "Gaonoir! If he wants Wonderland so badly, why don't you give him a piece of it?" Gaonoir quirks his head in her direction. "Why would--" Then he notices where she's hiding, as she wiggles a finger down at the display she's using for cover. "--Oh." Now he gets it. Gaonoir turns the other way, grabs one of the larger display cases, and rips it free from the ground. "Hey, cream cheese breath!" The display case is hurtled at Lord Everything. "CATCH!" It's not the most vicious attack he could make, but maybe it'll disrupt the monster long enough for someone else to capitalize on.
Hibiki Tachibana	Hibiki lands back on the floor after her one-two, very much intent on getting right back in there alongside the others. Zi-O and Woz, she's still getting a bit used to fighting next to, but it's not the first time. SilverAsh? As natural as it gets. MachGaogamon? Damn, he's /cool/. And they both have thrusters! And huge gauntlets! Actually, that gives her an idea. But first, the big bad boss has more melee prowess than he's let on, and Hibiki actually lets out a surprised yelp when he suddenly lashes out with the inordinately sharp blade. Tired as he is, that's still one dangerous weapon - and as she adjusts from offense to defense, she takes a solid gash on an unarmored portion of her arm. Another, on the side of her torso... "It'll take more than that--to push me off!" While Gaonoir goes and causes some more awful but incredibly useful collateral damage, Hibiki takes the chance to pull away and lunge around to the opposite side of Lord Everything...! And cock back an arm, fist clenched tight, to drive her fist right into the delicious breakfast villain's blind spot, a heavy haymaker blow meant to send him flying right /into/ the makeshift projectile! If one attack wasn't enough for a disruption, then two certainly guarantees it. Probably. Maybe. If he's getting worn down, then after this...
Karlan Nobles	Lord Everything's blade proves to be far more dangerous than either of the leopard-people had expected. Although SilverAsh's technique is sound, he can't quite rely on that alone when the butter knife could easily carve right through him and his blade in one terrible slash! He gets a rather nasty-looking, but shallow enough cut across his midsection while he backs off to join Pramanix behind those covering pillars. "Is he worse up close than he is afar?" "A difficult comparison. Splitting his attention would be ideal, but..." "What a pain. Bialys are better, anyway!" "When did you have one of those?" One of those icy pillars gets split right in half, and Pramanix yelps as she takes a cut across her arm from relying too much on that stalagmite as cover. Pushing off the pillar reflexively, she looks up as she realizes that said pillar is no longer attached to the ground, and she gets... An idea! SilverAsh, catching that look in his sister's eye, lets out a low sigh before emerging from cover to start circling around the bagel monster this time around. He whistles loudly as he does, drawing out that noise almost as long as he takes to draw out his sword. When he finally gets the sword out, he swings downwards and launches a cutting wave of energy at Lord Everything, then sheathes his blade to repeat the process while still moving at an agonizingly slow pace. It's a distraction, of course, as he keeps circling around the mastermind while Pramanix waits for her opportunity to strike. After SilverAsh takes another long-range swing at him, she taps her bell against the damaged pillar lightly before ramming into it with her shoulder, sending the hole thing falling right towards the monster! The monster that isn't Gaonoir, that is.
Timespace Riders	"Eh?" Perplexed as he is by the butterknife, Zi-O guards just a hair too late, the sharp blade grinding down the length of his own until it collides with a burst of sparks against the time-rider's pauldron. Sliding out of the entanglement to reposition, Woz procures a futuristic pockwatch. A fanged, horned red reptilian's laughing face features in silhouette upon the watch's face. Slotting it into the gate on the Beyondriver around his waist, the watch's 'face' is displayed on the belt's viewscreen. Hey, you! Yeah, you! Futurering Bowser! BOWSER! His armor changes dramatically, with sharp spikes over the bracers, shoulderpads, and boots, plus a cloak positively covered in the things. Shortly after Gaonoir tosses the display, Woz strides back into close quarters. Following up with Hibiki and Gaonoir, Woz makes a decidedly dirty axe kick aimed at hitting the great leader while he's down. "As I tire of you, bagel, I will provide the abridged version." His form is suddenly a blur, as, with the sound of a whirring power drill, Woz spins on the spot, turning his cloak of spikes into a blender of a wakeup check. "IWAE! The master of mischief, the prince of put-up dukes--my name is Kamen Rider Woz Bowser Armor!" Both riders fiddle with their belts--Zi-O mashing the stop and spinning his, Woz opening and re-closing the gate on his. FINISH TIME! GIRI-GIRI SLASH! BEYOND THE TIME! DRILLING EXPLOSION! Zi-O's attack is honest, but hard to avoid for the size of it--his straight sword becomes a greatsword, now several times longer thanks to a golden cloak of burning energy. He holds the sword high then twists and brings it into a side-to-side, sweeping cut. Woz, meanwhile, attacks from above--leaping into the air, he makes a divekick. The heel of his boot sprouts a spike, and as he descends he spins faster and faster until he's once again a blur, green lightning arcing across his armor. His impact, compared to the high-heat, explosion-inducing cut from Zi-O, puts an absurd amount of force into one very small spot, attempting to carry the retainer through.
Kale Hearthward	A display case goes flying! Lord Everything tries to parry it, which doesn't really work out too well for him. At the same time, while he's trying to deal with that, Hibiki manages to slam her fist right into his blind spot, SilverAsh cuts him up even further, Sougo nearly bisects him, and the descending ice pillar clobbers him. And Woz leaps up into the air, descending with arcing lighting, for what is sure to be a killing blow!- - someone snaps their fingers. Everything goes dark. Unnaturrally dark, with even the light from the broken ceiling being nullified. Woz impacts - onto the floor. The lights come back on. Lord Everything isn't at the spot he was a moment ago - he's off in a corner of the museum, breathing heavily (in the exaggerated full-body way that rubber suit monsters breathe heavily, of course). Between the group and him is... someone new. Someone armored and helmeted. There's some similarities to Thrill and Coast (albeit hard to compare on the latter, since he's still de-henshined) - the new person's wearing a RideBand, same as theirs, and has the same sort of 'ride tracks' aesthetic in their armor ridges. But while Coast has slopes, and Thrill has rounded bits, this new rider is sharp - and his armor shines with dark gloss in comparison to Coast's roller coaster woods and grays, and Thrill's attention grabbing oranges and whites. His armor is black, but it's a shiny black, the kind that the light bounces off of instead of absorbs. "You who would break his deal and inherit his legacy..." The new rider crouches, tensing up, both hands forming fists. "Are not worthy." His left hand snaps his fingers. The lights go out again. All of them, including once again the hole in the ceiling. But this time, the elites are still lit up. They're lit up brightly, in the sort of full bloom you'd get in a video game, with shadows turned off, as is the new rider. Nothing else is lit up, though, and this presents a problem - everyone's in a wrecked museum, with busted floors and walls and shards of ice columns and lots of other debris. He runs, jumping onto something and using it as a springboard to drop an axe kick right at Gaonoir's head, and continuing around the room - and from there running up what might be the fallen ice pillar to slam another armored kick down at Pramanix, and continuing on - maneuvering around terrain only he can see to deliver attacks to everyone else in turn!
Karlan Nobles	"He's on his last legs!" "What a truly bizarre battle. Still, I cannot deny this growing excitement for the climax...!" With Woz's falling drill kick, SilverAsh seems to be getting an idea. He turns to Pramanix, who's already hard at work forming another icicle ball. It's not quite what he was thinking, but it's something to work with... Until things start changing abruptly. Before they can truly process what's just happened, the mysterious new Rider(?) lashes out at the group. Without cover to work with, Pramanix can only bring her arms up to block against that axe kick, gritting her teeth as the strike reverberates from her arms all the way down to the ground. SilverAsh hurries over to try and intercept him in the meantime, but finds himself getting punted backwards right off his feet. After tumbling head over ass a few times, both of the siblings from the mountains once again reconvene behind the nearest waist-high structure to lick their wounds (figuratively), with Pramanix clutching her bell against her chest and SilverAsh trying not to look like he just got kicked around like a football. "Who is this person?" "Does it matter? Better to strike him down than to be struck down ourselves." "E-even then... This sounds like there's more to it than we know!" Once the 'plan' is set (that they didn't really discuss), Pramanix remains where she is with her ice-calling ritual growing to a fever pitch and creating a small blizzard to form a new ice/garbage ball, sucking in that debris and the ice fragments from earlier to clear the path for her allies. She throws her bell up before tapping her palms against the icicle/garbage ball, shattering it and causing the icy parts of it to swirl around her bell. It only takes a moment for them to rain down at the mysterious rider, providing SilverAsh with the ideal visual cover to approach. "I have your back, Tachibana and... Yyyou." He stares at Gaonoir for a moment, clearly not remembering the Digimon's name, then focuses again. "I'll create the opening." Snapping his blade back into its sheath once more, he flings himself right at Lord Everything, trusting in Pramanix's ability to create the smallest gap necessary for him, Hibiki, and Gaonoir to get there safely. As he draws near, he tightens his grip on his sword's handle, and... He just goes for an elbow strike. He's no martial artist, and he's only pretty fast for an Elite rather than freakishly so, but he's going for the element of surprise rather than actually trying for the predictable run-and-slash move. Instead, he's aiming to distract the Rider long enough that his allies can capitalize!
Gaonoir	It goes dark. Unnaturally dark. Enough that even someone heavily in tune with the unrelenting darkness like Gaonoir is taken aback for a moment, if only more by it's abruptness. And the equal abruptness that it is lit up again to reveal the new arrival on the scene. With the busted cracks in his visor one golden eye is visible as they narrow. Gaonoir himself was once the Edgy Antithesis, and thus recognizes something of a similar measure in the figure clad in gleaming black armor. A villainous Rider? Or some manner of anti-hero version? It's an unexpected change to the situation. But the hunch that the newcomer is also a Dark Archtype is really what saves him. Expecting an attack as him bring up his arms to shield his head split seconds before the man unleashes his attacks. The axe kick collides loudly and vibrantly with his gauntlets, and even blocked produces enough force to hurtle the Digimon backwards through another random diorama display and into a wall. You would swear the entire museum shakes from the impact. Then a dented and darkned gauntlet grabs a remaining portion of wall, and Gaonoir hoists himself back onto his bionic feet with a snarling gasp. Some people would probably ask questions about who this guy is or why he's attacking them on behalf of the monster... But fortunately Erika is wisely keeping herself down and out of the way in the darkness. Other people can ask questions later. Gaonoir just exists to smash things. He does give a faint acknowledging nod to Karlan, but says nothing. He can't fly within the confides of the building, but he doesn't need to, either. Surrounded by darkness, Gaonoir can be almost anywhere he wants to be thanks to his Voidstep ability. Really handy right now, as even in his worn down state he can move right next to the enemy as soon as he wants to be, and take advantage of Karlan's attempt at making an oppritunity for them. In the darkness it's hard to see the charge of both negative energy and wind power being channeled into one of his clenched gauntlets.... But the new target will be sure to feel that concussive force when the metal fists are swung at him in a blindingly fast one-two combo! "VICTORY. KNUCKLE. BUSTER!" And he waited until after he was swinging before doing the Attack Name Call as to not give himself away.
Hibiki Tachibana	Perfect! Now, if they all go in at once, and she just-- Snap. When the lights come on, Hibiki is left recoiling in surprise first at the abrupt interruption, and then...where Lord Everything has ended up. Or rather, who he ended up with. "What...!?" The similarities to the other two Wonderworld Riders hit her immediately. The possibility that this was some other, passing through offworld Kamen Rider is put aside almost instantly. Which can only mean...no. It's right there to see. "There was...a third RideBand!?" Snap. Everything goes dark, except for them - and that proves to not be much help at all, as this sharp and black Rider descends down onto them without any problems navigating, the exact opposite of Hibiki herself. Her footing shifts, but there's so much debris around, and without entirely solid footing, a strike impacts her and sends her stumbling back, knocking the wind out of her. And again. And again. And again, still. The magical girl barely begins managing to actually guard against some of the attacks as she takes them, the resounding clang of her Symphogear's metal being used to defend. But she can't stay on the defense forever. "Ngh--! Whatever this is about...!" Is he on the Concessor's side? Talking about that 'deal'. If that's true, then... She won't hold back, or she'll actually go down. A hasty nod is given towards SilverAsh before she moves, leaping up...! There's not exactly a wealth of space indoors, but there are those icy platforms that Pramanix had made previously. One of which she grabs onto mid-jump, using it to redirect her momentum back down so she can descend from above as SilverAsh comes in with his attack! "HaaaaAAAAAH!" Where her pulled-back fist has its gauntlet's internal piston slot backwards, only an instant before she punches down at almost the same second as Gaonoir - where her punch alone will try to impact the mystery Rider like a freight train, followed up immediately by the piston /slamming/ itself back into place as a focused burst of raw force goes to pummel straight into their body.
Timespace Riders	Woz proves an annoying opponent for the new rider. "Your unsought, irrelevant opinion is noted.~" He even adds in a hand flourish, bending slightly forward at the waist. "However, whether Coast and Thrill are worthy or not," says the retainer, making rapid spot-spins to parry attacks just before they strike, "My Demon King needs their power for his coronation." Unfortunately, Zi-O is not nearly so prepared to deal with an opponent attacking from so many different angles. He fares much worse, every trade with the new rider going against his favor and striking up sparks until the suit can't take anymore. In a flash of pink light, the final strike sends Sougo flying backwards. The armor disappears, leaving a battered, bruised and exhausted young man on the floor, struggling to get back up. "Don't transform again, my Demon King," Woz says, as the battle shifts, opening the gate on his belt and removing the pocketwatch. "You are not yet a match for this third rider." Now, he, too, is unarmored, and in the weird, person-specific lighting, his disdainful sneer is on plain display. "A minor, temporary setback." The scarf is tossed over to Sougo, enveloping him before snaking around to the retainer. The two have vanished inside of another second or so, the strange garment folding into itself like water disappearing down a drain. Sougo is escorted to the nearest Warpgate, but Woz remains without passing through. "Aren't you coming home, Woz?" asks the would-be king, hand lingering on the edge of the gate. The word 'home' gives the retainer temporary pause, a thoughtful frown appearing on his face. "Not yet, my Demon King," he says, gently ushering Sougo on. "I must learn more about this interloper. Until I return, please conserve your strength." Sending his king off with a bow at the waist, Woz narrows his eyes and pores over the book the moment Sougo is gone.
Kale Hearthward	Hibiki comes in with the elbow. The new rider stumbles - and then Gaonoir and Silverash come in with dangerously impactful punches. The darkness effect breaks as he goes stumbling back, looking a lot worse than he did when he first appeared. "What..." he says, shaking his head, trying to clear it. "... Are you trying to accomplish, here?" The fight's been knocked out of him, but he's not out of steam. "You are trying to protect this world - you, and your guests, using the tools left behind to you - but using them with shameful craftsmanship." That first part is directed towards Coast and Thrill, but the rest is put towards the elites. "You fight with strength - but without imagination, without dreams. This world of wonders would be better off destroyed than saved by the likes of you." "And without imagination, without dreams, the world would be a far more gray place, one not worth saving." That voice sounds... familiar? Have you heard it from somewhere before?
Karlan Nobles	"A simple goal. We were called to aid in the defense of this place, and any other motives are irrelevant." "That doesn't... Mm. Anyway. Your logic doesn't make any sense!" Pramanix levels a cautious glare at the mysterious Rider, still keeping her guard up as she catches her bell and takes a spot behind her brother as a living shield. SilverAsh still has his hand on his sword as he backs up to act as said shield, furrowing his brow at the words of the strange Rider with the vaguely familiar voice. "Aren't places like this where children and uncreative adults get their dreams from, anyway? And that's still not saying anything about the physical danger!" "And to claim that a dreamless gray world isn't worth saving while wearing armor of pure black... Is that not hypocritical for you of all people to say?" "That, too! But... Wait. Who are you, anyway? And why were you covering for that awful bagel?" "I wonder where it went, now that you mention it..."
Hibiki Tachibana	After the fact, Hibiki recoils from the impact of her own attack and flies back a good few meters, flipping to catch herself on her feet and stumbling a few paces in the process. Breathing heavily, her left arm goes to idly rest on the right she used for punching as the hydraulics hiss and eject a burst of steam - she probably doesn't have another of those in her just on sheer exhaustion. And you know. Getting tossed around. It's definitely a good thing this mystery Rider isn't intent on fighting further. What he says, though, gets her pursing her lips tightly and tilting her head some. "What? Without...?" Imagination? What is that even supposed to mean? You can see confusion all over her face. Naturally, the first thing most prominent beyond said confusion is the urge to snap back. "And who the hell are you to talk about dreams, or if any of us 'fight with them'!? Don't tell me you seriously think that it's better to just let a place everyone can enjoy--" But in the middle of her outburst, she trails off, her open mouth slowly closing as she glances back towards Thrill and Coast, and then back again. Her focus goes to the Rider's RideBand, and then back up to his sharp mask. "Who...are you?"
Gaonoir	A deep grumbling groan of both weariness and exasperation emits from Gaonoir. "Uuuugh. Why do they always have to be stubbornly cryptic..." His gauntlets clench... but it's clear even he doesn't have a lot left in him after that assault. "At least it's not dark zealous righteousness, hmm?" Erika remarks as she stands up from where she was ducked behind one of the display cases. One of the few still standing after the fracas. Gaonoir glares at his Tamer for a moment.... but can't deny she makes a good point. He was bad about that back when he was the one being the edgelord. Erika smirks a little, but then resumes a more serious demeanor as she leans atop the case and steeples her hands together thoughtfully. "I'm curious what he considers 'imaginative' if that's what he's going to claim no one has, though."
Kale Hearthward	>"Aren't places like this where children and uncreative adults get their dreams from, anyway?" The dark rider bristles at that. "If that's how you think, you've lost all of your soul when you grew up." > "And who the hell are you to talk about dreams," "Someone worthy of being so. Someone proven that he can wield dreams and bring imagination to bear." > "I'm curious what he considers 'imaginative' if that's what he's going to claim no one has, though." "Something with inspiration. With spark. You'll know it when you see it. Or more likely you won't." "And a dreamless, gray world..." He holds a hand out to his side. A portal tears itself open nearby. Is that... a fairground, a state fair, faintly visible through its shimmering surface? "Deserves to fade away, along with its defenders." "You can deal with the Concessors, properly, once you've truly learned the power of imagination." With that, he goes to head through the portal. That's... a very familiar voice. You can swear you've heard it somewhere.
Hibiki Tachibana	"Someone proven...?" Hibiki repeats after the Rider, and with more than a little hostility leaking back into it too. Not that it needs to, when the grit teeth and narrowed eyes tell how she feels about that plenty well enough. She, at least, is not going to attempt to try and stop him. As much as she'd like to, picking a fight with an unknown Kamen Rider after they've already gone that round with Lord Everything wouldn't end well. Especially when they're down...man, how /do/ Sougo and Woz disappear like that? Seriously? With a heavy exhale, Hibiki remains tense all the way until he goes through the portal, at which point she slowly rises to a full stand and clicks her tongue. "...What a cocky jerk. Talking like he's the one guy in the world who has any authority on 'dreams, imagination, spark', and whatever other crap he was talking about. And he stopped us from finishing things off..." Yeah, she's annoyed. But after another huff, her expression goes towards something more...conflicted. There's a glance around, followed by her giving Gaonoir specifically a shrug - comradery in the 'why are people so cryptic' party, followed by a shake of her head. "And why does he sound so familiar...?" Hibiki's attention drifts back towards the two Kamen Riders (untransformed as one is) still on the scene. "...You guys. Are you okay? Do you got any idea who he even was?"
Karlan Nobles	The dark rider's ominous words have SilverAsh contemplating just what it is he means, and Pramanix fuming over what he says. The latter is about to snap back at him again, too, but the adrenaline from battle is starting to wear off, and she nearly topples over before catching herself against the remnants of something solid. A wall, hopefully. "That's too many riddles at once... Speak clearly, if you actually care!" "Understanding what he means even like this... That may just be what he's hoping to accomplish." Pramanix still looks frustrated as the Rider heads through the portal, sliding back up to her full height a few moments later once she's caught her breath and regained her footing. SilverAsh, meanwhile, shakes his head at Hibiki's question about the Rider's identity. "That's something I'm sure we'll understand in due time. Although we will find that out in due time, now... Isn't that time." He concludes with a bit of an awkward pause at that last part. "I'll be fine, all things considered... And yourselves?" Pramanix asks, then pauses to look around. "Coast, Thrill? And... Wait. Where did that younger Rider and the flashy one go, anyway?"
Gaonoir	"Well that was... different..." Erika muses. "No shortage of arrogance in that one." There's a flicker as the small amount of energy he still has bleeds away, and in a fading cascade of glowing motes Gaonoir drops to the ground in his base form, exhausted. Puts one gloved paw over his forehead with a groan. "Tell me I was never -that- bad..." Erika walks over to scoop the now small dog up. "You were at least very up front about what you thought you believed in," she replies. "Going to be okay?" "Yeah. Just used a lot of energy enduring those attacks." Gaonoir isn't here to be a thinker. That's what he keeps the human for.
Timespace Riders	A shadow briefly crosses the light pouring in from above. There's a fair chance that someone is listening, and it's not hard to guess who it might be, based on who's not present and the decidedly malding state in which he left. A few moments pass--and then the peace of the museum is disrupted. Entering by himself and unsuited, Woz's expression is like night and day--incredibly, and very likely unfoundedly smug. "But I do dream," he says upon his return. "For I am the prophet of the one true timeline--a more radiant future than even you could imagine," he heralds, with a grandiose, arms-wide-open gesture and a bright smile that's just a little off-putting. "Yes, I know who you are. But I've said too much," he coyly intones. Woz makes no attempt to stop the rider from stepping through the portal. It's less likely out of a sense of fair play than it is for some other reason. "Farewell for now--but do take care that you're on the right side of history, Kamen Rider Darkride.~" Woz waves, with a menacing, sweet smile and a waggle of his fingers in farewell. The book gave him that much--how much else it might have given him, he has a habit of not saying. Once the dark rider is gone, Woz turns to Pramanix. "I took my Demon King... home," he says, trying on the word as one would a new flavor. He 'hms' quietly after. "He is tired, but will recover. In the meantime, I intend to learn as much about this interloper as I can." With an irritated look, and a clenching of his jaw, Woz turns to Coast and Thrill. "As for the two of you... it may do dear Bradley some good to brush up on history. 'Boring' though he may find it," the retainer continues, gesturing around him with a regal flick of his wrist, "It is frequently useful for understanding the present." Woz hits up the gift shop on the way out and gets two autobiographies of Tell Wonder--one for himself, and one forced upon Coast. He endures Bradley's complaining with an annoying smile--the human personification of the relieved emoji, at its least appropriate use-case. "Precisely, Bradley-kun." Refusing to elaborate, he then leaves via scarf.
Kale Hearthward	Exeunt dark rider. "I... don't know who he was," says Fabbri, as she de-henshins from Thrill, back into her normal Wonderworld employee uniform. "But he sounded... really familiar." "Yeah, you too?" says Bradley/Coast, who's managed to at least sit up. "Like, I've heard that voice somewhere! It just - it's hard to place from where." "So if he sounds familiar to you too..." says Fabbri, to Hibiki. "And me and Bradley have also heard it..." She furrows her brow. "Who all have you talked to in the park?" she asks Hibiki. "If it's maybe another worker, or a guest..." Coast looks down at the autobiography that's been forced upon him, blinking at it, and then frowning. "Wha - I'm kinda sick of this guy right now," he says. "Do I gotta read this? We were hearing him on loop the whole time we were fighting, till you showed up."
Hibiki Tachibana	"Well, it's mostly been you two, if I gotta be honest..." Hibiki mumbles in response to Fabbri, de-transforming herself - a quick burst of golden light and she's back in her casualwear. Even though she was talking to her, it's Woz who she's side-eying as he makes his re-entrance and goes onto his coy explanation of things. 'Darkride'. Even though she doesn't say it out loud, she does mouth the word to herself, with a furrowing of her brow as she does so. And then, because she's someone who never shuts up and is also an idiot, is exactly in the same boat as Bradley here. "...Seriously, I have to study enough at home, and now he's gotta come in here and say we gotta do more instead of just telling us? When he obviously knows something...or maybe even everything." He arms briefly go up, before idly falling back down to her sides as she turns to SilverAsh. "You say that, but that doesn't make it any less annoying, y'know. Honestly, that guy pisses me off..." Nope, she's not going to put it together. That's someone else's job.
Gaonoir	Thrill. Coaster. Darkride. Erika and Gaonoir both groan softly as the name theming dawns on them.
Karlan Nobles	"Some guests." "Some employees." "The ones at the snack stands?" "And the rides." "Oh, and those people that wanted you to take pictures for them." After running through all those potential voices, Pramanix and SilverAsh both shake their heads. "It'd have to be someone we've all spoken to." "Or perhaps... It wasn't. Bradley mentioned it just now." "The... Loop? You mean that voice talking about the history of this place?" That's the first lead that has the pair pausing to think. Pramanix lets out an irritated noise, then pats Hibiki on the shoulder lightly while trying to distract herself. "Don't worry, he does that to everyone eventually." "I... Think she meant the Rider." "Oh. Yes, him too, I suppose. But that Rider... What connection does he have to Wonderworld itself? Or... Tell Wonder?"
Kale Hearthward	"... What?" Bradley glances back at the destroyed display, and then down at the autobiography that got forced onto him. "I guess - actually, thinking about it, it did sound like Tell Wonder?" suggests Fabbri. "A bit?" "... You know, they Tell Wonder had his head cryogenically frozen before he died," says Bradley, hesitantly. "That's just an urban legend. And what, the guy who made Minkey Murine would wake up after decades, get... a cyborg body or whatever for his head, find a RideBand, and come yell at everyone about dreams and imagination?" "I mean that last one sounds like him," says Bradley. "It's probably some Tell Wonder impersonator. C'mon, let's..." Fabbri looks up at the ceiling. "Leave before we get blamed for the damage here."