Masked Rider Skull: Fond Du Lac’s Detective Episode 2: EVOLUTION

Masked Rider Skull: Case 2
By: Matrix

Benjamin slowly starts to wake up. His eyes are barely open, he searches his surroundings seeing stone walls. He regains full awareness and sees a man standing in front of him, smoking a cigarette, quickly blowing the smoke in Benjamin’s face.
“Wakey wakey Mr. Detective.”
Benjamin still cannot make out who it is through the smoke. He coughs away the smoke, and he sees the man’s face. The man is Franklin Buchanan, Manager of one of the top factories producing Memory Drives.
“Who are you?” asks Benjamin.
“None of your concern. So, how long did you REALLY think you were going to be able to have this?” As Franklin pulls out the Skull Drive from his pocket. “Look familiar?”
Benjamin tries to go after him, but realizes something. He is chained to a wall. His arms spread as far as they can go, and his feet shackled together. “What? Am I your prisoner now?”
“Something like that. Boss’s orders. I wanted to kill you, but you’re from his town, and you are something like a ‘home town hero’., Personally you could be a monkey’s uncle and I couldn’t give two shits. So get comfortable if you can, you are going to be here awhile.” Franklin turns around and starts to walk away waving behind to Benjamin.
Benjamin lowered his head and smirked, “How long is awhile, per say?”
Franklin turned around, “Forever, smartass.” Franklin continued his way out of the room, as Benjamin kept his head lowered, and heard the door close and lock. Benjamin continued to smirk, “We’ll see about that.”
—————
Waldron Mansion
Helena Waldron started to walk up the stairs of her home. As she reached to the top of the steps, two doors were in front of her. She knocked on the one to the right. A man answered, “Come in.”
Helena opened the two doors, as it is revealed to be a large room with bookshelves covering the walls. As she starts to walk by the bookshelves, she sees that all the books have one word on them. She walks to a desk in the middle of the room, as Alexander Waldron is wearing reading glasses and filling out paperwork.
“Hello my dear.” Says Helena.
Alexander takes of his glasses and smiles, as he also puts down the pen he was using. “Beautiful as always.”
Helena sits down on the corner of his desk, “So I was thinking, it is a beautiful day outside today> Maybe we can go for a walk. Take the day off, I am SURE you have enough sick days.” She starts to smile.
Alexander shakes his head, putting his reading glasses back on, “Helena I am stomped with work as you can see. Not today sweetheart.”
Helena got up from sitting down, “You’re kidding right?”
“Does it look like I am?” Alexander says immediately.
“You never want to do anything with the family! All you do is work work work and now you have your kids doing your dirty work which you are more than capable of doing!”
Alexander slams his hand on the desk, “That is enough out of you! How dare you come into my office and criticize me. I keep this family alive with my company!”
“Bull shit.”
“You ungrateful little bitch. That jewelry you are wearing is worth more than $200,000. Half the people in this country are lucky to make that in 5 years! I keep food on the table, I pay the bills. I make the money. You have no room to talk. I spoil you as I do OUR children. You act like I don’t love my old kids!”
“How can you? You make them go on ‘runs’. And you think spoiling them makes up for all the missed baseball games, dance recitals, hell even your eldest’s graduation. Instead, you have made them into those…..things. You have the most powerful Memory Drive why don’t you use it?!”
Alexander Waldron possesses the Terror Drive. One of the original Drives created, and as Helena said, it is one of the most powerful Drives out there. “You are correct. But my children work for me and the-“
“You make them work for you, there is a difference. You don’t MAKE your kids work for you, what kind of father do you think you are?”
Alexander started to laugh, “I think I am a damn good father. Don’t forget I use to make my ‘runs’. But when my children hit the age I felt that they could handle it, they started to work for me, and they been doing a damn good job. They can quit I won’t deny them that right. Oh, and if I recall, a certain someone also ran those ‘runs’ with me. What? You forgot? You OFFERED to do them. You even went as far as saying you’d ‘Enjoyed it’.”
Helena looked away, “I do not.”
“Interesting…Where is the Smilodon Drive anyways?” asked Alexander.
“In a safe place. Only to be used for emergencies. Maybe I will use it on your dumbass one day.”
Alexander leaned back in his chair, “I’d like to see that day.”
Helena stormed out of his room, as she slams the doors. Another door is seen to be opened next to Alexander’s office. It is Don walking out, “Everything okay, mom?”
Helena nodded, “Yeah, just another fight.”
“You guys get into those a lot.” Don is wearing no shirt and basketball shorts. He has a bandage wrapped around his waist.
“Sweety are you okay?!” she runs over and accidently bumps into Don’s side.
“MOM!” as Don grabs his injured area near his right rib and glares his mother down.
“Sorry!”
“I’m fine. Just a little banged up. Been worse, member my first job. I was put in the hospital for a month. This is nothing.”
Helena’s eyes started to water, “Do you hate doing all that stuff for your father?”
Don shrugged his shoulders, “Its okay. Samantha loves it; she is like dad’s puppet. I think Jennifer hates it, but she hates doing anything unless it involves a boy. Speaking of which, she should be back from her date anytime now.”
“Where is Samantha?”
“Meeting one of dad’s clients. As you saw, he is pretty stumped with work. All because of that stupid detective.”
“I envy that man. Not your father, but that Detective. Sticking up for this city. It is practically a hell hole.” As Helena wipes her tears away, Jennifer comes storming in the door with a grin showing all of her teeth.
“He is the one! I just know it!” Jennifer exclaims. Donald leans over the widow walk and looks down.
“Let me guess. ‘He is my night in shinning armor. My Romeo and I am his Juliet. This is…..destiny.” Don starts to laugh as he mimics his sister.
“Shut up Don! At least I can keep up with a relationship. And not go from one person to the next!”
“Your longest relationship is what? One month?”
“And a half!”
“Yeah. And what so bad about being with different girls? Never know what to expect.”
Jennifer walks up the stairs past Don and his room to who room, which is the next to Don’s as she slams the door. “Ah. Gotta love the brother sister relationship we have in this house hold.”
—————–
Tri Corp Inc.
Samantha shakes a man’s hand as her and a suited man leave a room full of board members. She and the man start to walk down the stairs.
“That went well.” Said the suited man
“It did. 2.5 million dollars isn’t a bad day. They seem very cooperative with our master plan. Going global seems to be at the tip of our tongues.” Says Samantha. They walk out of the building as the man stops.
“Ms. Waldron. A friend of mines daughter was kidnapped. The police believe that a Memory Beast was involved.”
“Memory Beast?” asks Samantha.
“It is what they call the monsters the Memory Drives make the human. Anyways, is there anyway we can help? Like track down which Drive it is, and who bought it?”
“That is against policy. Our sales are kept concealed.” Samantha starts to walk away.
“You can’t be serious? A little kid is gone! And all you can say it is ‘policy’?! What is this?”
Samantha smiled as she faced the man, “As my father has told me my whole life. This is a……”
————————
Memory Drive Factory

“…..business Mr. James. This a business.” As Franklin Buchanan stands in front of Benjamin.
“That doesn’t answer my question. How can you be okay with selling those evil things?” asked Benjamin.
Franklin starts to laugh as he starts to walk around, “A man shoots another man with a gun he recently purchased. It was registered; the man had a license to wield it. Now, do you blame the man who pulled the trigger, or do you blame the seller? The seller had no idea what he was using it for. For all he knew, it was for self defense.”
Benjamin starts to shake his head, “Is that what you believe? That it is not fault for what you are selling. It is only the buyer’s?”
“Yes.”
Benjamin looks away from Franklin, “Whatever makes you sleep at night.”
Franklin grabbed Benjamin’s face and made him look at him, “I sleep quite fine with that belief. Know that.” He let Benjamin’s face go as he walks out of the room. Another suited man walks in with a tray full of food.
“Here.” He slides the food to Benjamin.
“Now how am I supposed to eat this with me all hung up like this? You should let me down and eat it.”
“Nice try. Not that stupid. Have fun trying to eat that, ha-ha.” As the suited man starts to walk away, the sounds of the Benjamin’s chains start to make noise. “Hey what the hell you tr-WHAT!”
Benjamin is leaning against the wall eating the food. The shackles are off his arms and legs. He stops to eat the food, as he shows a metal pin in his hand. “Never know what I keep up my sleeve.”
“Your dead meat!”
Benjamin throws the tray at the man, hitting him in the face. He runs over to him, grabbing him by the hair and slams his head into the wall. He goes through his pocket and takes out the man’s I.D. card and his Taser. Benjamin slowly walks towards the door as he sees the door is not completely shut. He looks out the crack and sees a man standing next to the door. Benjamin believes there is another man next to him on the other side. Benjamin takes a step back and coughs.
“Hey! Help me out! The detective got out!” as Benjamin talks in a deep voice trying to mimic the suited man who brought him the food. Benjamin leans up against the wall next to the door as the two men run in.
“Where is he?!” asks the man to the right.
“Here.” Benjmain tases the man as the other tries to pull something out of his pocket, but Benjmain lays a kick into his stomach. He then takes the man’s head and bashes it against his knee, knocking the man out with the others.
Benjamin slowly creeps out the door. He looks around as he starts to walk low to the ground. He looks up, and sees cameras. “Have to stay out of sight.” Benjamin hears footsteps behind him. Two men are walking towards him, paying no attention to their surroundings. Benjamin rolls to a door on the wall. He slides the I.D. card quickly and opens the door. He dives in hiding under a table. The door closes, but then re-opens. One of the men came in.
“What is it?” asked the other man.
“Swore I just saw something white like fly in here.”
“Man your crazy. Come on, your wasting my lunch minutes.” The man looks around, but luckily, does not see Benjamin. Benjamin breathes as he looks around the room’s ceilings. “No cameras in here.” He then looked around him, “This is…..a lab?” He sees computers all around and a table with half made Memory Drives. “This must be where some of the Drives are made.” Suddenly, the door opens again. Benjamin ducks under the long table again and sees a long white trench coat walking in.
“Must be a scientist.” Benjamin thought. The man started to speak.
“So they found it. I should have destroyed it when I had the chance.” As the man pounded the table with his piece, causing, a piece of paper fell to the ground, “Shoot.” The man went down to pick it up, as Benjamin started to slide away from it, but something caught his eye. The paper had on the top, “PROJECT SKULL.” The man’s hand touched the paper to pick it up, and Benjamin grabbed it.
He quickly stood up and covered the man’s mouth as he put the Taser into his back. “You are going to tell me everything you know about the Skull Drive, understand?” The man nodded, “I am going to let my hand go. Do not scream for help.” The man once again nodded. Benjamin slowly let his hand go.
“HELP!” Benjamin turned the man around and punched him in the face knocking him out.
5 minutes later
The man in the trench coat starts to wake up, “Where…..where am I?”
“Still in the lab, I pulled the shades so no one can interrupt.” Said Benjamin.
“Interrupt what…Wait….You! Hel-“
“Are you Doctor Hubble?”
“Yes, I am. How did you know that?” Dr. Hubble sees Benjamin reading the documents. “Hey those are top secret you can-“ Benjamin pushed Dr. Hubble away.
“You created the Skull Drive.”
“Yes, I did. My greatest invention. But that doesn’t mean you can read those documents!”
“Then why did you say before that you should have destroyed it?”
“That does not concern you!” Dr. Hubble tried again to run and grab the files, as Benjamin grabs Hubble by his collar, lifting him off his feet.
“You are going to tell me everything about Project Skull, or else I will taze you to the point where you won’t wake up. Why is it so important? Why did that seller sell it for so much? Why was I captured because I possessed it?”
“Stop with the questions I’ll talk!” Dr.Hubble sighed, “It is unbelievably powerful. I was told to create a Drive that would change this business. And I did.”
“How?”
“You and your questions. The Drives make humans become monsters.”
“I’ve seen that. Go on.”
“The Skull Drive is different. You can tell just by how it looks. It does not have that bone structure around it. It looks just like an ordinary USB Drive. But it isn’t.”
“You are telling me things I already know. Get more specific.”
“Fine. Skull, it stood for the evoltinuzed body the goal of this company. I created a power suite that could defeat any of the monsters.”
Benjamin started to nod, as it all came together. “So the seller stole it to sell for more money, because it was that powerful. That answers on of my questions. Keep going Hubble. ”
Dr. Hubble nodded, “But it would not have worked like the others. Skull cannot be put into the person by direct insertion. It just fries the Data Stamp.”
“Data Stamp?”
“Oh, that black square with circuitry coming out of it. Skull can’t use that, it needs a different connection to the body. Follow me.” Dr. Hubble walks to a computer and accesses it databases, as he starts to type, a file comes to the screen. A belt what looks like a half of red W.
“What is that?”
“It was supposed to be called the Waldron belt. Hint the half W. It was supposed to take two Drives and have the user use the two Drives at once. But the math didn’t add up. So it was thrown away. When I was looking for another connection for the Skull Drive, I found this in one of our archives. It worked perfectly. But just one thing was wrong….”
“I don’t care. I know what I need to know. You told me enough. Just get me out of here.”
“No! Wait, there is more..”
“Several minutes ago you were not so interested in giving me information? Why are you now an open book?”
“Because, I can see you are trying to destroy it. Something, like I said, I should have done. It is powerful beyond belief, if it gets into the wrong hands. Humanity could be doomed. I regret ever creating it. I regret working here. I was a young scientist. I became bored with my work. And then I was offered at the time was a once in a life time position. I left my wife, and our unborn baby behind. Because I was obsessed with the next big thing to happen in science. “
Benjamin nodded, “I know….I know how you feel. Letting your work get in your way of your family.”
Dr. Hubble shook his head, “No, not like I do. “
“What one thing was wrong with the Skull Project?” asked Benjamin.
“The math added up. It should have worked. But all of our subjects…..died trying to use it. “
“That is madness! You killed people doing tests?!”
“I know! It was never supposed to happen! God damnit. After our last test, the Unfinished buckle went missing. That is the thing used to connect the Skull Drive if your wondering.”
“Buckle…..I fought three people using Memory Drives. Their drives were gold and they inserted them into silver belts.”
Dr. Hubble nodded, “You fought the Waldron’s. They are the heads of the Memory Drive Corporation. See, the Memory Drives have a side effect, it is a drug. That is what I believe how you get addicted and you start to go crazy when using the Drives. The silver belts you saw prevent them from happening. They do not use direct insertion; the belts keep them sane and also prevents the addiction, they are what the Waldron Buckle were based off. They are the only ones to have them.”
Benjamin let go of the taser and started to walk out.
“Where are you going?” asked Dr. Hubble.
“To destroy the Skull Drive. Seems like it a good idea from all the details you just gave me.”
“ Before you go, take this.” Dr. Hubble threw a key to Benjamin. “It’s on the 1st floor garage. A project I been working on the side. If anything happens, it is your way out.”
“I will come back for you.” Said Benjamin.
“No. My wife and child think I left to make a difference. They write me, both of them, saying how proud of me they are. They can never find out what I really do. I created evil things. I rather die thinking I am a hero, then live and think I am not. I will stay here till I die, and I have accepted that. Oh and one more thing.” Dr. Hubble walks over to a wall. He presses his hand against it, as a green light scans over his hand. The wall then slides open, revealing behind it some sort of safe. He types in a code on the number pad as Hubble turns the nob and the safe opens. He takes out of it, the Unfinished Buckle.
“Is that….” Asks Benjamin.
“I hid it. It was never lost. If you do not succeed in destroying the Skull drive, then destroy this. It would be equally catastrophic to the Skull Project. Please g-“ A gun shot was heard as Dr. Hubble stumbles towards Benjamin as Benjamin catches him.
“Hubble!” Benjamin lays him down, as he sees blood on his hands. Hubble has been shot. Benjmain looks up and sees Franklin standing there.
“You!” exclaims Benjamin.
“This project has been held off for too long! I knew that bastard had the Buckle, but I had no proof. Now, hand it over, and you live, Detective.”
Benjamin puts the buckle in his coat pocket. He fixes his hat, “Come and get it.”
“If you wish. Men! Get the Buckle.” 5 suited men come running at Benjamin. Benjamin kicks the first one to attack him into another. A man tries to punch Benjamin, but Benjamin grabs his arm as he lays a punch into the man’s stomach. He then head butts the next man. The final suited man stands shaking, “Move.” The man move to the side, as he then smirked and went and attacked Benjamin. Benjamin looked to his right, seeing the Taser, he presses a button and tases the man.
“You are idiots!” Exclaims Franklin.
Benjamin comes closer to Franklin, “Your turn.” Benjamin runs and tackles Franklin out of the door. As he jumps over the railing onto a walk way. Franklin is on the bottom and takes the collision. Benjamin gets up and backs away.
“You…..you can’t win Detective. Even if you destroy this factory, Memory Drives will live. Nothing you can do will stop us from destroying your precious city. You are nothing! What power do you have!?” Franklin starts to laugh hysterically as he gets up.
Benjamin takes off his hat and reveals the buckle. “I have this.”
“That? It is nothing without the-“
“SKULL” Benjamin reveals the Skull Drive. Franklin looks into his pocket, realizing it is gone.
“No. You’re crazy if you even try! People have died.”
“Maybe what it was missing, was a purpose.” Benjamin puts the buckle on his waist, as it creates a strap going around his waist. He raises the Skull Drive as he olds it in one hand and his hat in the other. He inserts the Drive into the slot, and Benjamin slides the slot down. “SKULL” A wind corrupts Benjamin as sparks start to fly everywhere. Benjamin makes no sign of pain or discomfort. Then, an even stronger wind comes, knocking Franklin down. Franklin covers his eyes. Finally, the wind settles down.
“What was that? Oh no….” Franklin looks at Benjamin. He is now cloaked in a silver suit, with a mask set as a Skull. A white scarf is wrapped around Benjamin’s neck. Benjamin slowly puts on his hat. He then points at Franklin, “Time…..to atone for you crimes.”
Franklin slowly gets up again, “You…..you became the Skull. That’s….that is impossible!”
“Nothing is impossible.” Says Benjamin.
Franklin starts to sweat a cold sweat. He snaps his fingers. 10 suited man appear on the walkway. They all pull at Memory Drives. Black with a skeleton structure around it. The all press the button, “MASQUERADE” They insert the drives into the side of their necks. As Skull Masks reveal on there heads.
Benjamin tips his hat to them, “Good luck.” They all start attacking Benjamin. Benjamin swiftly dodges all of them. He lands a mixture of kicks and punches to them all, “This power….I never thought it could be this powerful.”Benjamin thought. He pulls out the Skull Magnum and starts to shoot at all of the Masquerade minions. “All the information about this power is being directly sent to my head from the drive. The buckle worked Hubble, you succeeded.” He continued to think to himself. Finally, the last Masquerade Minion falls down. Benjamin turns back to Franklin. He points the magnum at Franklin.
“Take me to the first floor garage. And you live.”
————————–
First floor Garage
Franklin opens the door, with Benjamin still in his new found power a white bike is seen with a red W on it. “There. Now you live.”
Franklin tries to hit Benjamin, but the armor is to strong, and hurt Franklin more than Benjamin. “I will not let you live I will not!”Franklin takes out a control and presses a red button on it. A siren comes across the factory as the loud speaker comes on, “SELF DESTRUC IN 90 SECONDS. SELF DESTRUCT IN 90 SECONDS” Franklin laughs, “You will die in this factory…. with me!”
Benjamin shoots at Franklin as he falls down. But Benjamin only shoots him in the leg. Benjamin walks over to him, “I have a policy never to kill. But watching someone die that deserves eternal damnation, I do not mind.” Benjamin puts the Skull Drive in the Magnum, lifting the front end up as he aims it at the garage door, “SKULL. MAXIMUM DRIVE.” He shoots at the garage blowing it away. Benjamin hops on the bike inserting the key into it he revs up the engine and looks back, “Goodbye.” He rides out of the garage away from the factory as it blows up behind him. Benjamin realizes that he is on a island. He takes the Skull Drive out of the Magnum and removes the belt. He places the Drive and Buckle in his pocket. In the distance a fairy is coming towards the island.
“Thank you.” As he looks to the skies.
———————
On the fairy
“You okay?” asks Landon.
“Fine.” Says Benjamin.
“How did you end up there?” asks Landon
“Followed a group of men wearing masks here. Stole away on there boat. Some type of malfunction happened in the factory. I was trying to stop them from producing anymore of those harmful things.”
“You could have died.” Says Landon.
“If it helped my city glow again, it would have been perfect.”
“Well, it may. There are still other factories out there. We just haven’t found htem yet.”
Benjamin’s eyes widen, “There are more?”
“Yes. The Memory Drives are all over the country.” Benjamin shakes his head.
“Then my city is still dirty.”
Landon nods and gets up, “Well, Detective. What are we doing about that bike?”
“Oh. I will keep it. Gotta give me something for coming all the way out here. And how did you know I was going to be here?”
Landon smiled, “We didn’t. A leak came about this place. Your just lucky we got you in time.”
“We still in Wisconsin?” asked Benjamin.
“No, we are right next to the Canadian border. We should be home in a couple of hours.”
———————–
Benjamin James Detective Agency
Benjamin is in his garage painting the bike he got from the factory. The bike is now all black, and the red W has been painted half off. In honor of the Unfinished Buckle. Benjamin sighed in relief, as the project was over. He walked back to his desk, with the Skull Drive and Buckle on the table. He took out his journal and started to write.
“I don’t know if I will ever be able to stop all the Memory Drives from coming into this city. But with this power I have obtained, I am one step closer. I do not know if Dr. Hubble is happy that I didn’t destroy it, and that his invention worked. Or if he wishes that it was destroyed. It will be used in positive way.
And Dr. Hubble taught me something, do I die a monster? Or will I live on a hero? Only time will tell. But I wish to fulfill his dream, and becoming that hero.” He closes the journal and stares at the picture of the little child that was abducted, “Back to my case.” The mail then arrives, sliding through the slot on the door.
Benjamin walks over rand looks through it, he stops at one particular envelop. He throws the rest on his desk, and opens it he starts to read it and then drops it. He falls to his knees, “What…..what happened?”