Jouji felt rebellious whenever he left his home and didn’t tell the Riders. He left notes behind so they could find him, of course, but he still felt like he was breaking curfew or some other restriction. Reclaimed youth flooded his system as he made his way to the train station early in the morning, money ready to purchase the ticket for the first stretch of the journey.
He often wondered what really drove him to try to be more active in these more recent years. He’d been content, for the most part, with staying at his retirement home and caring for his garden, the network, and continuing his research.
Perhaps it was the fact he’d already made the Riderman suit completely safe for someone to use. The bionic arm was no longer necessary to use the newest versions of the cassette arms. Those had been fully integrated into the suit’s inner workings. That was the last major project he’d given himself.
Perhaps he missed the adventure of being on the road with Shirou. The thrill of fighting for the right side and knowing it was so. Jouji had been able to work to undo what he had done. Having been forced to stop, well, that drove a spike into his soul. He was no longer useful in battle. Even with his support network, he felt as though he could and should do more.
Or perhaps, still, it was the increasing urgency of his rapidly approaching death. The risk of overworking his body on the journey to other places meant nothing if he went with the intention of doing something to help. Anything at all would be his goal.
Whichever it was, it made him restless. it led him to wander Japan in search of anything that spelled trouble. He knew he wouldn’t hear the end of it from Shirou when he was found or once he returned. His partner still worried far too much over him.
His current stop, according to the sign, was Kibougahana. For the moment, it looked peaceful. A nice quiet restful place was, in his opinion, the worst place he could end up in. He had to remind himself that things were not always as they seemed. Hadn’t Destron and every other organization of his father’s proved that to him time and time again?
Thoughts of the past occupied his mind as he walked through the streets. A part of him urged him to pay attention, search for the odd and out of place. The rest of him, locked in nostalgia, ignored that part. His heart ached as he remembered his time having been manipulated by Great Leader. So many years believing that not only was the entity human, but also one who believed in bettering the lives of humans through scientific progression. So much time he had spent developing tools used to harm the world Jouji treasured.
Because of his wandering mind and aimless walking, Jouji rounded a corner without much thought to who might also be using the sidewalk. The small jolt of the collision with the other sent him stumbling back and nearly losing his balance until he caught the side of the building with his right hand, still the only one of the two that wore a glove.
Once he was able to steady himself, the old man noticed the much younger girl. He bowed his head in a sheepish apology. “Forgive me, miss. Are you alright?”
Had he been younger and less experienced, Jouji might have taken this stranger as one of his father’s creations. He might have immediately called out to Shirou and donned his Riderman suit. Instead, the old man continued to sit in front of his home as the Anubian approached him. From the look of the uniform, it was clear this one had authority in some organization.
He also noted the amount of authority his unexpected guest gave off his person. The former Rider smiled at the other and bowed his head in greeting. “I apologize for not making any coffee. I didn’t think I’d be hosting any visitors today.”
Jouji caught sight of the police badge on the other’s chest. Dread coiled in his stomach. He knew the police of Japan would be unable to truly find him guilty of any crime. There was no remaining evidence of Destron’s existence. Shirou Kazami and Great Leader both made sure of that. (His father never did like keeping around failures) This man, however, was not of the Japanese police force. He wasn’t even human. The scientist had no idea what sort of force this man represented.
Jouji might finally be found guilty for the work he did under Shocker and Destron both. Something he believed should have happened years ago.
He forced himself to stand, leaning on a support beam to keep himself steady. The old man took a breath and asked, “To what do I owe this visit, officer?”
Jouji Yuuki rarely got himself caught up in Rider business outside of what he did for that network of his these days. The man was still amazed at how useful it had become for a variety of people. He started to think that might have been how Tobei Tachibana felt while he ran the Rider Scouts back in the seventies.
Though Jouji was, admittedly, far less active on the front lines as Tachibana had been. No one blamed him, since his body was steadily failing him. A fact that Jouji still resented. He should have realized sooner what the results of wearing the suit for prolonged periods would be.
It was because of a small amount of information he’d gotten that brought him to Tokyo. He could have called any of his fellow Riders, but he wanted to see it for himself to validate the report:
A black and white Rider was spotted around that area. Jouji couldn’t help the curious itch about this stranger. There was also an unspoken hope that he would be the first of the “older generation” of Riders to find this young person. Maybe he would beat Shirou and Shigeru in meeting one of his juniors first.
The old man, however, didn’t know where to start looking. Jouji found himself lost among the streets not too far into his journey and his body ached from the newest strain. Not to mention he hadn’t even stopped to rest since getting off the train.
Jouji could already hear the complaints from Shirou.
It was around the time the pain, from where his false arm connected to his flesh, got the better of him that he wound up entering the shop called Akai Kami Books. The warmth almost immediately started soothing away the aches and creaks of his bones. Jouji always did love the company of books. They were calm and usually inviting.
“It’s rather cold out there,” he said to the young worker, rubbing his hands together. “You’d think I’d be used to it after so many years.”
He chuckled before pocketing his hands. He fixed his eyes on the girl. What he was about to ask would be a long shot, but Jouji reasoned that he was there to gather information on this possible new Rider. He wouldn’t get anywhere if he didn’t start asking questions. "This is going to be an odd thing to ask, but: You wouldn’t happen to know of anything strange going on in this area, would you?”
He’d been outside in the courtyard of his home, tending to his herb garden. The peace of the village he resided in was nice at times. It often allowed him to hear the crashing of the waves along the cliffs not too far from the house. While he was technically a citizen of that town, he was housed a decent ways away from the others. He theorized it was for the sake of his visitors more than anything.
This particular visitor, however, was one he never would have expected to cross his threshold. Perhaps that wasn’t the right word. He watched the man saunter through what could only be described as a shimmering wall. Long legs and a posture that bespoke of an ego far greater than the man deserved. He wore a pink dual lens camera around his neck. It looked ready to be used at a moment’s notice.
Jouji’s face set itself into a frown. He’d heard of this Rider from the others. The one that traveled the worlds and made a large mess of things. The old scientist stood up and brushed the dirt from his jeans.
“It’s rude to walk into someone’s garden without being invited, you know,” he chided, not bothering to really look at his visitor. The man had the same kind of air as Marshal Armor from all those years. “Or does that portal of yours not really pay attention to where it drops you off?”
Jouji didn’t get to travel much these days. His friends’ concern for him and his still failing health prevented that. They feared the strain of traveling would shorten his lifespan that much more should he strain himself on the journey. The most they let him do was walk around the town he retired in: A quiet place on the southern coast.
Shirou said the air was good out there. Jouji didn’t protest.
The old man missed traveling though. The sights he would see. The people he would meet. The experience of it all. Jouji missed it. And he wanted to travel at least once more before his body finally gave into the abuse he’d put it through as Riderman. So, he packed a bag and left a note on the counter should any of the people he knew stopped by to see him.
A good number of hours on board trains, a couple stops at small town inns, and Jouji found himself on another coastal town not too far from Tokyo. He breathed in the familiar scent of the sea. His ‘caretakers’ couldn’t complain too much if he stayed in that town a few days.
His first stop was at a local hotel, where he rented a room for the amount of time he wished to stay. Then, he took a stroll around the town, getting a feel for the locals and sense of community. While the dialect and the faces were different, Jouji felt rather at home. It had the same sort of feel his town had: peaceful and safe. It was relaxing.
While on his walk, Jouji spotted a diner. He could smell the food from outside its doors. His stomach growled at him. The scientist moved to walk on, but his stomach complained even louder. It felt like teeth chewed at him from the inside and only then did Jouji realize how hungry he truly was. The old man should have expected that from not eating since morning. He took a breath and entered the shop.
The scent of the kitchen and entrees assaulted his nose. The pain of hunger bit into him more and he tried not to clutch his torso as he waited to be seated. The host set him down at a table beside one of the other customers, an older man in a lab coat with a young girl--probably his granddaughter. He briefly looked at the menu and chose a few dishes at random for an immediate order. Anything that would fill his stomach would do at that point.
Once the server left to put in his order, Jouji glanced around him, taking in the cozy restaurant. It wasn’t until he really looked at the man beside him that his mind caught up with him. “Keisuke Jin?” he asked, a smile forming on his lips. “It’s been a long time, hasn’t it, old friend?”
It’d been so long since he really got a look at his old friend. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t glad to see someone other than him aged as well. Though it looked as if Keisuke was faring much better than he in terms of health. The lucky man.
