Damn, this guy was good. "Um...hi." Matt glanced to the side. "Um...I was wonderin' if you could tell me about what happened on Earth back in the day when you and J were still Machine Kings and me and my friends...came to Earth, I guess, and helped GGG fight you or something like that."

"Roger," Tomoro confirmed. It took Tomoro-0117 a few moments to compile the necessary data. "Approximately two years ago, four humans with unknown abilities and one mechanoid appeared in downtown Tokyo. The five of you were discovered by the Gutsy Geoid Guard, and temporarily made an alliance with your group."

The middle window of the J-Ark's bridge, directly across from the throne that sat in its center, conjured up an image screen like a computer. An image appeared, depicting an image of a single large aircraft, its appearance twisted into a malevolent, almost draconic shape. "GGG engaged the Zonder Robo designated 'EI-OMEGA' by the organization. The Zonder Core was not present in this Zonder, having been hidden in an underground location," Tomoro continued in its monotone, bringing up a second image of a glowing, crystalline sphere, pulsing with a violet light. Its top was crowned with some translucent plate. "The Core was introduced to an unknown artifact, which increased the Zonder's power to unprecedented heights.

"The Zonder Robo was shot down by GGG forces, where it crash-landed on a Chinese statue. The statue was absorbed, changing the shape of the robot. GGG mechanoids GaoGaiGar, ChoRyuJin, Big Volfogg, and Goldymarg battled against EI-OMEGA while your group attempted to bring Latio and unknown female to the Core for Purification. Four members of your group engaged the four Machine Kings Pizza, Penchernone, Polonaise, and Primada in melee combat. Despite being superior Zonderians, your group managed to overcome all four Zonderians, and the girl extracted the artifact from the Core, weakening EI-OMEGA enough for GaoGaiGar to destroy it, using the gravity shockwave-generating tool, Goldion Hammer. The Zonder Core was purified shortly after EI-OMEGA's eradication."

Matt struggled to absorb the bizarre recount of past events. EI-OMEGA? What the hell was that supposed to be? And who was that girl that supposedly extracted the artifact from this...Zonder Core, whatever it was?

...who else was with him?

Matt glanced up at the ceiling, where he imagined Tomoro might be behind. "Tomoro, if I was a part of the group that came to Earth, who else was with me? Gimme their names."

"The first subject is a young human male, seventeen years of age. Name of R.D.. Origins unknown," Tomoro said, bringing up an image of Matt's friend. Physically, he looked hardly changed, except he was once again sporting the outfit he had been wearing when they had first met, a black shirt over a single-sleeved gray shirt, and one glove on the right hand. The pants were the same, and five black symbols on the left hand were displayed.

"The second subject is a small mechanoid, installed with a G-Stone, origins unknown. Name of Hugo."

This time, the image displayed was of the surly, loud-mouthed Mettaur. With the exception of a small green gemstone embedded in the cap, he was otherwise the same.

"Third subject is a young human female, eight years of age. Name presently unknown. Displayed Purification capabilities similar to Latio and Arma," Tomoro continued. The image displayed, however, was a fleeting one, showing a young girl in movement, with what looked to be a small white dress and a beret on her head. "Subject used purification abilities to extract unknown artifact from the Zonder Core of EI-OMEGA."

Another image was displayed. The image was also garbled, from some sort of energy interference. What was visible, however, was the blurred form of the same girl, this time alight in a blue aura, and with what appeared to be wings extending from her back.

"Last subject is a young human female, sixteen years of age," Tomoro went on, bringing up a final image. "Subject showed signs of transformational abilities, becoming a large, winged creature. Name of Helena Hiroshi."



Edited by RisingDragon on May 5, 2008 at 18:32:18.

"...that can't be right," Matt said, turning away. "I've never done anything like that before. Especially not with who you mentioned."

Especially not with her...

"Analysis on your biological structure gives evidence of you being younger than you were during the period two years ago," Tomoro said, his voice displaying a small bit of doubt now as the J-Ark main computer compared the GGG file on Matt to the recent analysis. "Possibilities include time travel brought about through aborted bypass window."

"...time travel?"

They didn't do time travel...

...yet!

That was it! It had to be time travel! How else could Matt and company have gone back to this world's Earth two years ago unless they did so in the future of THIS timeline!

Which meant that...

"...Helena...Helena is alive?" he whispered to himself.

"GGG incident involving Brain Primeval forced GGG mechanoid ChoRyuJin through an ES window to Jupiter," Tomoro stated, having heard Matt's question on time travel. "Influence of energy signature, 'The Power,' created a bypass window back to Earth, sending ChoRyuJin sixty-five million years through time. GGG has more information on the incident, but the event proves that time travel is indeed possible."

Back down in the Kushinada, J nodded to Guy. "We should consult your superiors on this matter. If you did not recognize Matt at first, chances are no one else did."

Edited by RisingDragon on May 4, 2008 at 23:55:15.

Matt already figured that time travel was possible, what with all the dimensional hopping they did. But he pressed on. "Do you have any, like, video or pictures or anything like that about what happened?"

***

"Good idea," Guy said. "Though..."

He glanced to the side, down the hall where Mikoto had gone. He had the strangest feeling that she knew something he didn't, after the way she unexpectedly turn and ran when Uncle discovered R.D.'s file.

The display screen brought up an image of a battle. Two figures, moving at high speeds, were headed straight at each other. One of them was Matt, sporting a white coat. The other, however, was a tall man roughly similar in the shape of Soldato-J, only looking even more avian with no armor, a blue cape and bright clothing, and a blood-red helmet. His hands were tipped with razor-sharped claws as he stabbed them at Matt.

"The battle between yourself and Machine King Pizza," Tomoro stated. A second image was brought up. A feminine figure of a young woman merged with what looked to be car parts, including a tire for a skirt, danced around an angry looking Hugo. "The battle between G-Stone mechanoid Hugo and Machine King Primada."

As Tomoro continued, more images were brought up, displaying the battles fought between the four combatants against the Machine Kings. Other displays included blurred images of both the nameless girl, and a young boy the same age with long, wild-looking brown hair. Both children seemed to be following Matt down an underground tunnel.

***

"Though what?" J said, commenting on Guy's pause as they made their way to the makeshift briefing room on the Kushinada.

Edited by RisingDragon on May 4, 2008 at 17:04:11.

"Go back!" Matt shouted, taking steps foward. "Go back to that one with the brown-haired girl!"

***

"I think we should talk to Mikoto first," Guy explained. "You see, after we scanned Matt's armor, we found traces of blood on his right gauntlet. Papllion found a matching sample in our database-it matched up with R.D.'s file. Somehow it scared Mikoto, and she ran off. I was about to talk to her when I found you."

The image reappeared on the window display screen. "This one?" Tomoro inquired.

***

"Very well," J confirmed. "Lead the way."

As they walked, a thought came to the J-Jewel warrior. "You mentioned R.D.. Are the other four here as well?"

Edited by RisingDragon on May 4, 2008 at 18:14:01.

He stood there, almost dumbfounded, for stretched moments.

Running over to the screen, he slammed his claws flat on it, looked up at the girl on-screen, engaged in combat with one of the Machine Kings.

"...damn it..."

Matt rested his armored head against the screen. "Damn it."

She would be alive again.

***

"No. We only found Matt."

"Any further inquiries, Matt?" Tomoro asked. If the main computer had detected Matt's movements, it gave no sign.

***

"I see," J murmured. If R.D.'s blood was on Matt's gauntlet, that meant that there had been a battle. Had R.D. turned on Matt? Or had Matt turned on R.D.? The fight must have been a great one. J remembered that both young men had been fierce opponents, giving no quarter in their battles against the Four Machine Kings.

"...no." Matt lifted his head back up, pushed himself off the screen. "That's all I need to know. Thanks for the info, Tomoro."

He turned and ran toward the door with sudden inspiration. But now I've got things to do.

***

They reached Mikoto's quarters. "Hopefully she's in here," Guy said, knocking briefly on the door. "Mikoto?"

There was a pause before she answered, meekly. "Yes?"

"Can we come in?"

"Who else is with you?"

"J's here. We need to speak with you about Matt."

"No!" she suddenly cried out. "I mean, I..."

Guy looked at J. Maybe he could inspire her to open up to them. Whatever it was seemed more terrifying than she let on...

Soldato-J looked back at Guy, a flat look on his face. Turning back to the door, he said, "I have informed Guy of something about Matt that he should remember. The boy is a former ally of your organization."

"...he's that Matt?" Mikoto asked. Her hand clenched around her other fist more tightly. He had helped them before...but he was also...

"Come in," she finally said.

J pressed the opening button on the keypad, causing the doorway to slide open, allowing the Evoulder and the Cyborg to enter. As J entered, he stayed off to the side in the slightly darkened room, allowing Guy to pass him.

"Mikoto...what's the matter?" Guy asked, sitting down on the bed next to his girlfriend. "What are you afraid of?"

"...it's Matt," she answered. "When I was reading his mind with Papllion, I...I saw something."

"What did you see?"

Mikoto visibly tried to keep composure. "I saw him without the armor...he was holding someone's corpse in his arms...it was the corpse of a girl, and he was screaming and-and-"

She suddenly grabbed Guy, and squeezed him hard in a fearful embrace. "It was so sad to see him like that! And I was so scared, Guy! I was so scared!"

"Mikoto..." Guy drew her closer, ran his hand through her hair in an attempt to comfort her.

After a few minutes to allow the girl to calm herself, J spoke. "Were you able to sense anything else?" he inquired, his arms folded in front of his breastplate. The J-Jewel made a soft red glow in the darkened room.

Mikoto looked up at Soldato-J. "The scream. Do you remember it? That scream that we all heard? And that chill that went up our spines? That was him. Something happened, and...he became a monster with incredible power. One that could tear the fabrics of space and time apart."

J remembered the scream. Even Tomoro-0117 had felt the scream, despite being a computer program running the J-Ark. The J-Jewel cyborg visibly frowned. "The armor he wears must be a part of it. Has he spoken at all about it? Or does he not know of the event?"

"He says he doesn't know anything about the armor," Guy said. "I guess he was lying all along."

"No," Mikoto said. "He may know about it...but I can feel his shame. He's angry at losing control...and sad about the girl he lost."

"Very well," J said, unfolding his arms. "It is best we discuss this turn of events with your superiors. Matt has no recollection of ever meeting GGG or myself. It as if it has yet to happen for him."

This drew a look from Mikoto. "What? He can't remember us?" She glanced back toward Guy. "How can't he remember us? He and his friends fought alongside us against EI-OMEGA..."

"Something's going on here," Guy said, frowning, "and we need to find out what it is. Let's go see Taiga."

Mikoto briskly nodded. "Okay."

***

Meanwhile, a determined Matt stormed out of the J-Ark, toward the makeshift settlement for the crew.

Something was going down. He was becoming certain of it. Somehow, he was going to be called back into action, and Helena would come back to life. He didn't know how or why...but he had to prepare, had to keep himself ready for whatever may happen.

And even if he didn't have the Omega Core anymore, he was going to make sure he was of use in a fight. He had to find Hyuuma to meet one of those ends.

J opened the doorway of Mikoto's quarters and exited, moving towards the makeshift briefing room.

***

Hyuuma was busily directing (and occasionally yelling at) a group of crewmembers as they brought in the final set of supplies needed to finish the repairs on HyoRyu and EnRyu. After setting down a particular large crate, Hyuuma wiped a bit of sweat off his brow as he stood. His eyes wandered and found a determined-looking Matt moving across the encampment, as if looking for someone.

He quickly motioned for his second to take over for now, then approached Matt as he traveled. "Oi, Matt!" he shouted over the din, trying to catch the armored boy's attention.

After meeting with Taiga...

"Hmmmm." The commander of GGG rubbed his chin. "I knew he seemed familiar..."

"What should we do, chief?" Mikoto asked.

Taiga stood, with a flare of his jacket. "Call everyone together. We're having an emergency meeting."

***

"Hyuuma!" Matt called out, shaking his fist. "We need to talk!"

"About what?" Hyuuma asked as they closed the distance. The GGG second in command planted his enormous hands on his hips.

"Tomoro filled me in on what happened before," Matt began. "You know, when me and my group apparently came to Earth and helped you guys fight EI-OMEGA."

"Huh?" Hyuuma was momentarily confused by what Matt meant. Then it clicked. "Ohh. So that's why you seemed so familiar!"

Wait.

"Hold on a moment," he said, peering at him curiously. "What do you mean, filled you in? Shouldn't you have already remembered it?"