Masked Rider Skull Case 1: The Private Detective

Dedication:
To all of you loyal Kamen Rider Skull fans, this is for you guys!

Author’s Note:
This is an AU world of Skull. W DOES NOT exist in this world. Nor does any of the characters from W, except Skull himself and the Dopants and Memories.

Also, the city that the story takes place in, Fond Du Lac, is actually rated as the safest city in USA. So to all of the population of Fond Du Lac, please, take no offense to this, I just liked the name of the city haha.

So please, enjoy this new series! Welcome to the world of Masked Rider Skull!
——————————-

If you truly wish to know my name, then I shall tell you. Benjamin James. I am a Private Detective for hire, working in the crime hell of a city, Fond Du Lac. This once beautiful city during my childhood, has grown into the fire pits of hell itself. I watched during my 44 years of living on this earth this city die. Everywhere I go, kids doing drugs, gangs showing up left and right, but that is not even the worst…

Recently, Memory Drives, which are USB Drives, have been showing up around this city. These Memory Drives, are distributed by an unknown dealership. A study was done recently, stating that the number of Memory Drives has increases 10x since last year. Another study was done that every major drug has gone down in purchases, because the Memory Drives is the world, “New Drug”.

My cases that I am hired for have been strictly related to Memory Drives. These are no ordinary USB drives. They give people powers, powers that only God should possess. They transform into….the only word I can describe what they are, are……MONSTERS.

I have tried to fight these MONSTERS, but have failed. But, I feel I am closing in on defeat with them.

Balancing my work and my personal life have been affected by all of my cases. This means my son, Daniel. Daniel’s mother and I got into a fight 15 years ago, 5 years after Daniel was born. She complained about how I put my work before my family. At the time, I did. And now I realize it more than ever. It took me 15 years to realize she was right. She left that day with one suite case full of clothes. And left behind her life.

I had thought she would go to a friends house….it seems she ran away to New York, and never came back. I was left as a single parent with a challenging job. Daniel grew up in the business, but always said he wanted no part of it. He wanted to be an actor, a Broadway actor. Talk about falling far from the tree. Daniel has went onto an Studio Of The Arts College in New York. He hopes to find a career, and to find his mother.

But I did not go along with Daniel. I stayed here in Fond Du Lac. I pay his college tuition, it is the least I can do for my son.

But, my city needs me more than ever. I hear her cry for help every night I shut my eyes.

I decided to start documenting all of my cases in this journal. Hoping that my next successor learns from me, not by my mistakes…I make no mistakes.”

Benjamin closes the journal, and opens a drawer in his desk. He places the journal into it and closes it. He leans back in his chair, as he looks at his watch, seeing that the time was 2:43 p.m. Realizing that no clients have come in, he stood up from his chair and turned around. On the wall was a lineup of different color Fedoras. He scanned through each of them, picking the plain white one. He put it on his head and put his coat on and walked out the door. He stood out of the door and looked into the city.

Buildings boarded up. The smell of smoke and alcohol filled the city. Graffiti was everywhere that you turned. Benjamin’s once beloved city, had truly reached the low of the low.

Benjamin shook his head , putting his hands in his pocket, he began his dreaded walk through his city.

Benjamin walked through the city, saying hello and tipping his hat to people he knew along the way. Finally, while walking back home, he heard voices coming from an alley way. He started to walk down the alley way, over hearing what sounded to be some type of deal

“I will give you 250 for it.”

“No good, I want 315 or nothing.”

“You gotta be kidding me!”

“Listen, this Memory is no joke. Fresh on the market.”

Benjamin hid behind a dumpster, he leaned to his right to see what exactly was going on. He realized that the deal was for a Memory Drive. Benjamin squinted his eyes to see what the Memory said. It had a S on it, while the memory exterior black.

“So this is how those things have ruined this city.” Says Benjamin. He tilts his hat and stands up from behind a dumpster revealing himself to the two men. “I truly hope I am not interrupting something important.”

“Who are you?!” yells the man in the suit, who quickly closes the brief case full of Memory Drives.

“I am the man who seeks to see the beauty of this city once more. And you, are in the way of that.”

The man in the suit smirked, “You’re that smartass detective everyone talks about. Why don’t you give you try this Memory, its cheaper, and it packs quite the punch. Here, you may need this.” The suited man pulled what looked like a gun from the case. He placed the Memory Drive into the gun, as he grabbed the man’s arm, and shot something into the man, causing him to groan. As the suited man removed the gun, a square with circuits coming out of it appeared on his arm.

The man took the Memory Drive and raised it pressing a button on the Drive, “MAGMA” as the Drive announced.

Benjamin raised his left eyebrow in confusion. But, the man pressed the Drive into where the square was, as the Drive inserted itself into the man’s body. The man’s body became engulfed in fire as he was revealed as a firery monster. Benjamin took off his coat, and threw it to the side. He held out his arm and waved to the man to come towards him.
The man roared as he ran at Benjamin. Benjamin ducked and rolled away from him. He looked down, and saw that the man had burned footprints in the floor. He shook his head, “This is going to far. “ He ran at the monster as the monster turned around. Benjamin jumped off one of the alley way’s walls landing a punch on the monster’s head, knocking him down.

He then kicked the monster in his head again, knocking him down. The Memory Drive released itself from the man’s body. Benjamin walked over to it and stomped on it, breaking it instantly.

“Hey! You can’t do that!”

Benjamin tipped his hat up, looking directly at the suited man. He started to walk towards him, as the suited man started to walk backwards.

“Hey man, we can wo-work something out. I know we can. Listen, um, this one, no this one, no I mean , but I th-“

The suited man ran out of room to walk backwards, and hit a wall. Benjamin grabbed the suite case out of his hands, and poured all the Memories out and stomping on all of them, breaking them all.

“Come on man!”

Benjamin grabbed the man by the collar and pressed him hard against the wall. “You listen here. You have dirtied this city to where it may not be able to clean herself up. But, I will fight to make it beautiful once again. If I ever see you selling these things again, I will be the last person you ever see, you got that?”

The suited man nodded.

Benjamin let him go, “Get out of here.”

The suited man ran and didn’t turn back. But, something fell out of his pocket. Benjamin walked over to the object that had dropped, and it was a black and purple Memory Drive with an S on it. Benjamin picked it up, and pressed a button on it. “SKULL” The memory announced.

“This must have been the Drive he was trying to sell to that man.” Benjamin picked up his coat and put it on. He then placed the Drive into one of his inside pockets in his coat. He walked out of the alley way and started to walk, but not to his home, but to a friends house.
———————-

Benjamin arrived at his destination. He walked up to a door, and then looked to his right. He scanned through all the names on the wall. He stopped at the name ‘Sanders’ and pressed button. A buzzing sound arose from the speaker next to it. Suddenly, a man’s voice came from the speaker.

“Hello?” said the man.

“Ronny.”

“Wh-Oh my. That you Detective?”

“Got something here for you.”

“Kay! I’ll buzz you in.”

Benjamin walked towards the door as it unlocked. He pushed it open and walked up the stairs until he reached the room that hand the number 5 on it.

He knocked on it twice. The door flew open with an African American man with big black glasses standing in the door way.

“Ben!”

“it is Detective to you Ronny.”

“Right, sorry just got carried away. What you got for me to look at? Crime scene evidence? Let me guess, a slug from a gun. I love looking at those, or is i-“

Benjamin pulled the Memory Drive out of his inside pocket, pressing the button on it.”SKULL” Ronny took it out of Benjamin’s hands and started to look at this.

“Oh my God! It is one of those Memory Drives! I have wanted to examine one for quite some time now.”

“Now you have the chance. The seller that had it said it was fresh onto the market, and was selling it for a high price. Which means it is something special, find out what that is.”

Ronny nodded and plugged the Memory Drive into the computer. Ronny’s eyes widened as the statistics of the Drive came flashing over the computer.

“What is it?” as Benjamin

“It’s…..it’s the readings. They are off the charts. I mean, I never seen anything like this before. From anything….this is the first Drive I have seen. And I don’t think I will see another like it.”

Benjamin stood up from the chair he was sitting in, and took the Drive out of the computer.

“Oh come on Detective! You have to let me study it more!”

“I know what I need to know. Thanks Ronny.”

“What? I didn’t do anything.”

“You told me that this needs to be kept safe, and not given to the wrong people. Have a good one.”

Benjamin left the apartment, and started his walk back to his home.
——————————–

Memory Drive Factory

A man in a black suit walks into a room with little televisions lined up against a wall. Another man in a black suit points to one of the TVs. The first suite man walks up to it, and crosses his arm.

“Is that him?” asks the 1st suited man.

“Yes sir. He has admitted to stealing the Drive, but…”

“But?”

“He claims that he ‘dropped’ it.”

The first suited man face palms himself “He dropped it? That bastard dropped the one thing that could rise this company to the next level. Did he say
anything else?”

“Said he was attacked by a detective in a white suite. In the city of Fond Du Lac.”

“Did you tell him what happens now?”

The second suited man smirked, “Oh, you mean the part where we relinquish all funds that were ever given to him from our company? No, I was waiting for your approval.”

“Go ahead.”

“With pleasure.” The second suited man walked out of the room. The first suited man turned around and picked up the phone. Focusing back on the TV screen, the man sitting in a chair turns out to be the Memory Drive seller from that alley way. The second suited man walks in and starts to talk to him, the seller screams and seems to be begging.

The first suite man starts to tap his foot waiting for an answer. Finally, that answer comes.

“Sir? Yes it is Franklin. Franklin Buchanan, I a-I thought you would remembered me. We found the man, but not the drive. But, we have a lead on who might have it. A Detective in your neck of the woods, Fond Du Lac. We can send our men after him.”
——————————-

Waldron Mansion

A man with grey hair parted to the side is seen on the phone. He starts to shake his head.

“There will be no need for that Mr. Buchanan. I will send one of my own. Thank you.” The man seen here is Alexander Waldron, head of all of the Memory Drive factories in the world, and THE founding member of the Memory Drives. He turns around from the phone and walks out the door, only to be bumped into someone.

“Exu-Father.” Says a man with a young girl. Both dressed up.

“Donald. And what a beautiful young lady. Can you give me and my son a moment?”

The girl smiled and winked at Donald Waldron, a 18 year old man with short black hair, and the only son and second oldest of the three in the Waldron family tree. As the girl went out of site, Alexander turned towards Donald, smacking him across his face almost knocking him down. “Disgracing this family’s name is just your specialty, isn’t it Don?”

“Dad, I am sorry it wa-“

“Save it. Get your sisters. Your going on a run for me.”

“Damn….” Don started to walk down the stairs, as he witnesses a party at the first floor. He looks around as he sees a woman in a black business type dress. He walks over to her and taps her on the shoulder, interrupting her conversation. “Mom, where are Jen and Sammy?”

The woman turns around, revealing to be Helena Waldron, a woman in her 40s with black hair put into a bun, and also the wife of Alexander and the mother of the 3 Waldron siblings. She smiled, “Over there.” She then got close to Don’s ear. “Where does he have you running off to now?”

Don shrugged and started to walk towards the direction of where his sister’s were. As he came closer, a girl, the age of 17, in a brown dress is sitting down, and as a young woman at the age of 21 with short black hair barely touching her shoulders, stands next to where the other is sitting. In the brown dress is Jennifer Waldron, the youngest of the Waldron siblings. And standing up is Samantha Waldron, the eldest of the siblings.
Jennifer looked up, “Oh where are we going now?! I just want to die….”

“Shut up Jennifer. Don, what is the job?”

“Dang why does everyone know that we are going somewhere?”

“Cause Dad is staring at us.” Said Jennifer.
Donald turns around and see his father staring at them all from the widow’s walk. “Of course he is. I didn’t get the details. So we better ask.”
———————

Benjamin James sits at his desk, as a knock comes at his door. He gets up from his chair and starts to walk towards the door. He opens it, with two men standing in his doorway. Both wearing long trench coats.

“Detectives.” Says Benjamin.

“Hey Ben, need your help.”

“That is Detective to you.” Said Benjamin.

The other man rolled his eyes. “Private Detective if you want to get technical.”

The first trench coat man kicked the other’s shin. “May we come in, Detective.”

Benjamin nodded and let them in. They walked in, the one hobbling. They sat down on a couch by the door.

“Detective…..Ben sorry its just easier for me to spit it out. We need your help.”

“With what, Landon?”

The man is revealed to be Landon Zander, top Detective at the Fund Du Lac Police Department, and to his left, his new partner, Detective Johnathan Burns. Landon seemed to be in his 40s, as Johnathan in his early 20s.

“A boy has gone missing, and we can’t find him anywhere.” Said Landon

“Doesn’t sound like anything out of the ordinary. Why are you getting me involved?” asked Benjamin.

Landon goes into his pocket and pulls out a picture. As he shows it to Benjamin pointing at a shadow in the background. “We think it is one of the Memory Beasts.”

“Memory Beasts?” asks Benjamin.

“It’s the name we gave to those monsters. But that isn’t the point. We need you to get involved. Everyone always tells us that you are good at solving cases involving Memory Drives. Rumor has it that you beat the Drive out of it.

“I did.”

“Showoff….” Says Johnny.

“He talks? Thought he was mute.” As Benjamin smiles.

“Watch your mouth before I wipe it off.” Exclaims Johnny.

“Hmph, he has a BIG mouth. I will do it, Landon. Consider it a favor.”

Landon smiles at get up from the couch, as Johnny follows. It hands Benjamin the picture, “The park is a couple of blocks down the road. Go check it out, see what you can find, and see what we missed…” Landon turns around and leaves Benjamin’s detective agency.

Benjamin stares at the picture, “One of the only beautiful things left in this city.” Benjamin gets his coat on and starts his way out the door.
—————-

Benjamin kneels down at the park as he puts the picture in front of him. He tried to find where the shadow would be coming from. “There.” He walks over into the woods behind the park and matches the point where he believed the shadow should have came from. He starts to walk the path, as he stumbles over a ditch, but catches himself before he falls. He turns around, and sees a foot imprinted in the ground. “Looks like a….Dinosaur foot. But….no, it is not impossible. Nothing is impossible in this city.”

He walks out of the woods as he is stopped by a man in a black suite, Donald Waldron. “Are you this famous Detective I have been hearing about?”

Benjamin smirked, “Depends, what do you want?” as his facial expression suddenly becomes serious.

“I want something that you are not supposed to have.”

Benjamin realized he could only be here for one thing, the Skull Drive. It was still in his pocket, he had almost left it at his home in his safe. “Sorry I think you have the wrong Detective.”

“I don’t think so.” Don reveals by opening his jacket a silver belt around his waist, with a slot in the middle. Benjamin looks confused, as Don pulls out a gold Memory Drive with a skull structure on it and N on it. He presses a button on the Drive, “NAZCA” He inserted the Drive into the slot in the belt as he becomes a blue Memory Best with a sword.

“Nazca, eh? That isn’t going to help you.”

“Oh, I beg to differ.” Don slashed at Benjamin as he stepped backwards as the tip barely grazes his hat. Benjamin takes off his hat, seeing that his hat has a slit in it now. He looks up, angered.

“This is my favorite hat.” He put it back on slowly. As it is put on his head he lands a punch to Don’s stomach knocking him backwards. Benjamin starts to shake his hand from the pain.

“You truly are annoying.” Don started to slash at Benjamin at a rapid speed, but Benjamin continued to dodge all of them, he stepped backwards as he was caught by someone, a young lady. A young lady named Jennifer Waldron.

“You’re waisting your time, just give us the Skull Drive! We know you have it.”

“Over my dead body.”

“I hate when people say that!” She presses a button on her Memory Drive that she reveals, and presses a button on it. “CLAY DOLL” She inserts it into her own silver back, but hers is on backwards from Don’s. She becomes a clay type monsters with what looks like to be a launcher on her arm. She throws Benjamin away and starts to blast at him. He rolled away, as he is stopped rolling by Don’s sword. “You don’t give up do you?” asked Don.

“Nope.” Benjamin kicked Don’s leg from beneath him knocking him down. Benjamin quickly got up. He bends over, as a blast came from behind him and barely missing him. Benjamin got up and ran towards Jennifer, kicking her down.

“AH!” she yells as she falls down. Out of nowhere, a clapping sound comes near Benjamin. He turns around and sees Samantha Waldron, in a business suite with a short skirt and a coat.

“You two are pathetic. Or maybe, you are just that good, Detective.”

“So I been told. Who are you?”

She pulled out a gold Memory Drive, like the others, and shows her silver belt.

“Not another one.” Said Benjamin.

She then pushes a button on the Drive, “TABOO.” She inserts it into the belt and becomes a flying monster that starts to shoot balls of power at Benjamin. But these were not like Clay Dolls. They were more powerful and he starts to run from them, but, one becomes to close and sends him flying in the air. He lands on his head and is knocked out cold .

Samantha comes down from the sky, as she returns to her human self. And walks over and takes the Skull Drive out of his pocket. “Don, call Father. Tell him to send the men from the factory. Jennifer, help the men get him out of sight.”

“Bossy. And why do I always have to work with those henchmen?! It’s not fair!”said Jennifer.

“On it…..” As Don and Jennifer return to their human selfs. Don walks over to Benjamin and spits on him. “Detective…..Detecive my ass.” He then pulls out his cell phone and starts to dial a number.

Samantha smiled, “He was very powerful for being just a mere human with no powers like ours. Too bad, we could have used him. But I can tell….he would never be one of us.”

Suddenly, men with black suits wearing masks with a skull structure just like on the Memory Drives arrived. Jennifer pointed at Benjamin’s unconscious body. They pick Benjamin up, and take him off into the woods, away from pure sight.