Gargoyle threw a quick jab and cross at Tourist Rider, only putting in enough force to knock Tourist Rider down long enough to run away. Gargoyle could almost feel the stampeding feet of Elephant Rider chasing him down, so Gargoyle started taking corners. Open streets, narrow alleys, behind shops, even around food carts, Gargoyle did everything he could to ensure Elephant Rider didn’t have a straight line towards Gargoyle.

Gargoyle didn’t know where he was going, sprinting past a jumble of neon and signs that he couldn’t read. This wasn’t much of a concern to Gargoyle, as he didn’t know where the Sensational Sword Saint Sailors’ studio was either. Realizing that he was, effectively, going to and from nowhere, Gargoyle fished around in his pockets for his phone and called Faery Fire.

Faery Fire was impressed at just how much the Sailor’s practiced to perfect song and dance routines. The girls had woken her up just before dawn, and until noon they had been teaching her their various dances and songs. Faery Fire told the Sailor’s that she wanted to perform with them, and Faery Fire told herself to take that seriously. If she didn’t have genetically enhanced muscles and lungs, Faery Fire thought she would be a sweaty mess by now. She didn’t know how the sailors did it.

Her phone rang in a duffel bag set by the door. Faery Fire had been told to set her phone to vibrate, practice was not to be interrupted, but told the Sailors that if Gargoyle called her he would need her to answer. So, a break was called, and Faery Fire answered her phone.

“Hey,” Faery Fire said, “Are you lost?”

“Yes!” Gargoyle said, shouting through panting gasps, “I can’t read any street signs and I have no idea where I’m going!”

“What’s going on?” Faery Fire asked.

“I’m being chased by an elephant man!” Gargoyle shouted, “And a family! And some girl with cat ears and dressed as a maid! And a tourist! Can you trace a phone call?”

“No?” Faery Fire said, “Look, I’m not Stone Cutter. If you send me a picture, I might be able to help.”

“Call you back in a minute!” Gargoyle barked, fumbling with his phone again to turn on the camera.

“Okay girls,” Faery Fire said, turning back to the sailors with a smile, “My friend said he was being chased by an elephant man, a family, a cat-girl maid, and a tourist. Do any of you know what’s going on here?”

“That’s the Rider Gang,” Blue said solemnly, “The soldiers of Ultimate Rider.”

“I thought the Rider Gang was, I don’t know, some kind of motorcycle gang,” Faery Fire said.

“No, they’re more like- I think in America you called it the Power Paladins?” Blue said.

“Dudes in color coded jumpsuits?” Faery Fire guessed, “Huh. Oh, he sent me a picture.

The picture was blurry from Gargoyle swinging his arm as he ran, and pointed vaguely at a street sign. Faery Fire messed with the picture for a moment, cropping and enlarging it as she tried to make the street sign readable.

“Yeah, hey Gargoyle,” Faery Fire said, “This doesn’t tell me anything. Do you see any news helicopters in the air?”

“I don’t even see a way out of this!” Gargoyle shouted, “Can you help me or not?”

“Motherly Beam!” Mama Rider shouted. Gargoyle tucked and rolled on instinct as a heart shaped beam of bright pink energy burned through the air.

“Gargoyle?” Faery Fire said, worry flowing into her voice, “What was that? What happened?”

“I need to go!” Gargoyle shouted, hanging up the phone and stuffing it back into his pocket. Gargoyle tore down the streets, diving down alleys and leaping over walls, pushing deeping into an unrecognizable maze. Springing over a tall iron gate, Gargoyle found himself sprinting through a school. Students shouted in alarm as Gargoyle found a route through the building, kicking open classroom doors and slamming open windows in his mad escape. Two students, both young men Gargoyle noted, looked at him with the same sort of resolve he had seen in Lion Rider and the others chasing him. Gargoyle changed course, barreling straight towards the pair.

“Perversion and Pure luck!” one of the boys said, donning a mask that was quickly covered by long, unkempt hair, “No-Eyes Ride-”

Gargoyle leapt into a picture perfect dropkick, legs and arms tucked in before shooting out. Gargoyle’s feet drove into the boy’s waist and one heavy boot slipped between his legs, slamming the boy into the classroom wall before he collapsed under the shattered drywall.

“Fighting spirit and blockheadedness!” the boy’s friend shouted, pulling out a familiar domino mask, “Shonen Rider! Hey- come back!”

Gargoyle dove through the third story window, landing in a smooth roll in the school’s courtyard.

“Obnoxiously fashionable and fashionably obnoxious! Gal Rider!”

“Youthful Pride and Pompadours! Delinquent Rider!”

Shonen Rider put a foot up to the window, prepping to chase Gargoyle.

“Wait!” No-Eyes Rider pleaded, hands held over where Gargoyle had kicked him, “Help me! I think he broke something! I’m gonna die!”

“Dude,” Shonen Rider groaned, “You’re a rider.”

“Please!” No-Eyes Rider, reaching for Shonen Rider only to shriek in terror as his hands came up bloody.

“Oh wow,” Shonen Rider remarked, “Yeah, you’re definitely going to die.”

“What? Dude!” No-Eyes Rider demanded, “Use your power of friendship! Tell me I’m going to make it!”

“I’m not your friend,” Shonen Rider said, “Seriously, you’re No-Eyes Rider. Nobody likes you.”

“We hung out for three years!” No-Eyes Rider screamed, “What do you mean we’re not friends?”

“You’re right,” Shonen Rider said, walking over to No-Eyes Rider, “You remember the day when Ultimate Rider gave us our masks?”

“Of course!” No-Eyes Rider said, “You were super excited to be Shonen Rider and I was super bummed to be No-Eyes Rider. You told me the masks were random.”

“I did say that,” Shonen Rider said, grinning down at No-Eyes Rider, “But Ultimate Rider told me something that I never told you.”

“What?” No-Eyes Rider said.

“He told me I could have one of his most powerful masks,” Shonen Rider explained, “But only if I choose who got one of his weakest masks.”

“You-” No-Eyes Rider couldn’t believe it. “You did this to me! You did this to me! My girlfriend broke up with me because I’n No-Eyes Rider! My mother hates me because I’m No-Eyes Rider! You- You-”

“I’m not your friend,” Shonen Rider said with a laugh, walking away from No-Eyes Rider, “I never was!”

Shonen Rider made for the window again, stopping when he felt a damp hand grab him by the shoulder. When Shonen Rider turned, No-Eyes Rider was stunned by the sheer, unrestrained hatred he saw on Shonen Rider’s face. He had never seen Shonen Rider like that.

Gargoyle pushed Delinquent Rider against the wall, the close quarters meant that Delinquent Rider couldn’t swing his bat effectively and hand-to-hand was Gargoyle’s specialty. Gargoyle kept Delinquent Rider pinned with one arm pressed against Delinquent Rider’s neck, while Gargoyle alternated between kidney shots and hooks across the face. A loud, sharp blast caught Gargoyle’s attention. It had come from the third story classroom that Gargoyle had jumped out of.

Gargoyle turned and saw a wave of dust drifting through shattered windows. Delinquent Rider started laughing, but Gargoyle didn’t care. He didn’t even give Delinquent Rider a finishing punch before running away.

Finally, Gargoyle saw an opportunity. Two young girls, probably middle schoolers if Gargoyle had to guess, were fleeing the campus grounds in a slow, girly run. They yelped in panic as Gargoyle sped towards and scooped both of them into his arms. The two girls shrieked and screamed in fear, which was good.

Well, Gargoyle knew he had effectively just kidnapped two girls who were totally unrelated to the ongoing chase, which Gargoyle knew was not good, but it meant rescue was on the way.

Gargoyle spotted a nearby mall, multiple stories tall and coated sugary neon to attract students. One of the girls had gotten her phone out, and Gargoyle quickly swatted that from her hand. The mall was mostly empty, probably evacuated by the Riders as they chased Gargoyle or some news station had warned civilians away, Gargoyle figured. Gargoyle slowed down to a jog, eyeing the occasional person who had stuck around. Gargoyle started for an arcade with stand up machines glowing in the dark.

Both of the girls were crying in silent distress, tears streaming freely as they choked back sobs. Gargoyle pulled out his phone and dialed Faery Fire before pressing the phone into one of the girls’ hands.

“Gargoyle?” Faery Fire asked, “What is going on? I’ve been worried sick about-”

“Speak Japanese,” Gargoyle instructed, looming over the two girls.

“What? Gargoyle, you don’t speak Japanese,” Faery Fire said, “And talk into the mic, will you? Why are you so far away?”

“Speak Japanese,” Gargoyle repeated, his voice turning into a growl.

“Just tell me what’s-” Faery Fire said.

“Please, just let us go!” one of the girls begged, “We don’t have any money! And we’re just school girls! Please!”

“Hey! Hey,” Faery Fire said, switching to Japanese, “Don’t worry, my friend is a superhero. You’re safe.”

“Then why’d he kidnap us?” the other girl said.

“Because, even though he’s my friend,” Faery Fire explained, doing her best to sound soothing, “He doesn’t know any Japanese. So, he needed your help so my other friends could find him.”

“But I just want to go to class!” the first girl pleaded, “And there’s riders chasing him, and they’re going to kill us!”

“Nobody is going to kill you,” Faery Fire assured, “Not while he’s around-”

“But he’s leaving!” the first girl squealed.

“Turn on the speaker phone,” Faery Fire instructed, “And hold the phone out towards him.”

“Okay,” the second girl said.

“Gargoyle, what are you doing?” Faery Fire asked, this time in English.

“Forward scouting,” Gargoyle answered, “I need to make sure this position is secure, I have civilians here.”

“Yes, I am aware of that,” Faery Fire said, “Just, stick around a bit longer, will you? You’ve got these girls worried and we can’t have them panicking.”

“Fair,” Gargoyle said.

“One of the first you’ve heard from me, I’m sure,” Faery Fire said before switching back to Japanese, “Now, I need you two girls to be very brave. Do you think you can do that for me?” There was a chorus of “Uh-huh”s. “That’s good,” Faery Fire said, “Now, I need to know where you are.”

“He took us to the Shikin Senjo mall,” the first girl said, “We’re hiding in the Sword Saint Arcade.”

“The Shikin Senjo- really?” Faery Fire asked, “You know what? That doesn’t matter. Stay safe, stay quiet, and stay hidden. Help is on the way.”

“So,” Faery Fire said, turning to the Sensational Sword Saint Sailors, “The Rider Gang is attacking, my friend is holed up in the Shikin Senjo mall, there are two hostages. How quickly can we get there?”

The Sailors looked unsure and Blue looked over her team.

“We’re going,” Blue declared, “Sailor Celestial entrusted this to us. Our swords are Her swords, we took an oath. We’re are the only heroes those hostages can rely on!”

“Hey,” Faery Fire grumped.

“It is our duty!” Blue continued, “Our honor! Sensational Sword Saint Sailors, to-”

“No!” Pink shouted. Of all the Sailors, Pink was the youngest. Faery Fire thought she was either finishing middle school or starting highschool. Pink was short and still had a bit of childlike chubbiness, unlike the rest of the Sailors who were fairly tall and athletic. To contrast this, Pink’s sword was a heavy Sword of Mercy, a flat tipped executioner’s blade.

“Pink!” Red said, “We talked about this! We all go!”

“Sailor Celestial trusts us, Pink,” Yellow chided.

“I don’t care!” Pink shrieked, “I don’t care about Sailor Celestial! The only time we see Sailor Celestial, she’s just some giant woman in a glass tube!”

“Pink, people are counting on us,” Blue said.

“I don’t care!” Pink sobbed, “I don’t want to be a Sword Saint anymore! I just want to be a girl! I want to graduate from highschool, I want to kiss boys and fall in love, I want to get adopted!”

“We all want to get adopted,” Green said.

“What do you care!” Pink demanded, “Green, you and Blue are seniors! Yellow and Red are going to be done with highschool in a couple years!”

“They are counting on us!” Blue bellowed, “We have to help them.”

“Everyone we get close to dies,” Pink seethed, “These people don’t want our help, they know we’re trouble. First it was Mrs. Kumiko, your homeroom teacher, then the cafe owner, then my softball coach.”

“We don’t know that happens!” Green shouted.

“Green, they disappear!” Pink screamed, “None of them ever came back! One day they vanish, and Ultimate Rider turns them into rubber suit monsters! We kill those monsters!”

Faery Fire realized what she needed to do, and started moving behind Pink. It made her feel ugly, knowing what she was about to do. Faery Fire hugged Pink from behind, wrapping her arms around Pink and holding her tight, trying to be guided by maternal instincts Faery Fire had long since given up on.

“It’s alright, you can sit this one out,” Faery Fire said, stroking Pink’s pigtails as she wiped the tears from her eyes, “You’re okay. I know it’s dangerous, and I think you’ve been very brave, fighting for as long as you did. Rest now, we can handle this.”

“You promise?” Pink asked, quiet and trembling.

“I promise,” Faery Fire promised, releasing Pink, “Everyone else, follow me.”

“I appreciate the help,” Blue said, striding out of the room with Faery Fire, “But this is my team.”

“Just-” Faery Fire said, putting a hand over her mouth as she curled into herself, “How are we getting to this mall?”

“Are you feeling alright?” Green asked.

“No,” Faery Fire said.

“Usually we fly,” Blue explained, “I should be able to carry you.”

“Are you sure we’ll be able to win without Pink?” Red asked.

“We should be fine,” Blue answered, “We have Faery Fire and her friend.”

“Pink will come with us,” Faery Fire said.

“Huh?” Green asked, “You told her to stay at the studio.”

“I did say all that,” Faery Fire said, “She’s going to calm down and then realize that the closest thing she has to a family is going to fight against the Rider Gang. The fear of losing you all will be worse than her fear of combat, and then she’ll come charging in to help us.”

“Woah,” Red said, “That’s really good.”

“Don’t call that good!” Faery Fire snapped, “What I did was manipulate a middle schooler into joining a fight to the death! She’s going to sink deeper into becoming a child soldier because of me.”

“But we-” Yellow said, “But we need her help.”

“We do,” Blue agreed, “But it still isn’t good.”