Hen-Shin! Chapter 6
Hookwolf Pov
"...And deal with whatever has been getting in the way of expansion into ABB territory. Is that clear Hookwolf?" Was the communication Brad 'Hookwolf' Meadows had received from his superior, Kaiser. Several members of his 'Chosen' were around him as Hookwolf oversaw their training.
Hookwolf looked away from his chosen for the moment, walking away from where they had stamped out a particular group of heroes that were getting a little too rowdy against one of E88's lesser branches.
Needless to say this was a particularly brutal conflict, Kaiser didn't send Hookwolf to negotiate, he sent him to send a message.
As he walked away from the massacre occurring behind him, Hookwolf dragged the leader of this particular group by the head.
"L-let go o-off me." Came the weak thrashing from wannabe hero A.
He didn't bother to remember the name of this nobody, it was the same with all these types thinking they could shake E88 for some fame.
Personally Hookwolf could care less about whatever had been shaking the leg of the empire. But loyalty demanded that he act as the right hand man to Kaiser. Especially when the boss asked for him personally. "Yeah, got it. You want me to bring my chosen and kill whatever has been biting at expansion in the Bay, right?"
Hookwolf creaked his neck, hand clenching around the head of the wannabe hero.
He would have liked to take more time prolonging this but Hookwolf had business to attend to.
Slowly manifesting small blades from his palm and digging them into the skull of the unnamed hero. "A-AHhhhhhhhhh!"
Music to his ear, every time.
Hookwolf ended the hero's life quicker than he normally would, silencing the screaming with one jagged blade through the hero's skull. Ending his life with a sickening crunch as he watched Cricket and Stormtiger finish with their prey.
"No, your chosen will return to base. With the capture of Lung, PTR presence has increased around the city. You are to act with our non-parahuman members." Came the brisk denial from Kaiser. "Besides, as my right hand and the strongest warrior of the Empire, you alone are enough Hookwolf."
There was a hint of pride that came with that certainty before Hookwolf snuffed it out, pride was useless when hunting prey.
Tossing aside the corpse, Hookwolf started walking back towards the van bearing the bright red logo of the Empire. "Got it, I'll solve the problem within the week. Probably some third rate vigilante anyways."
The line cut off from there, while Hookwolf let out a yawn. The recent hunts he and his chosen had been on had been lackluster. Not nearly enough to make Hookwolf feel alive, or get his warrior blood pumping.
He didn't expect much from this mission either.
Kamen Rider Pov
Fishing was hard.
Correction.
Fishing bare handed was hard, even with super powers.
That was my thought process while trying my hardest to swim and catch today's catch of fish, a day after finding the 'solution' to my kitten's food problem. The name for her was still a work in progress while I was taking care of her.
The top name on the list had been Tackle, it sounded strong just like my kitten.
Though if I found a family for her, maybe I wouldn't have to give her a name. As sad as the thought of giving her up made me feel.
Living with a homeless armored Kamen Rider wasn't living at all.
All thoughts ceased as I found my target swimming closer and closer to the trout, seeing its mouth make blub blub noises while I imagined I approached it like a shark. My hands snapping forward at lightning slow speeds towards the trout thanks to the water.
Followed by watching the Trout slip out of my hands with a quick side to side movement and slap the compound eyes of my helmet.
Something beyond irritation hit me as I hit the ticket holder of my belt right then and there.
"Blub blub blub! (That's it, Ticket!)" I shouted out heroically, taking my pose in the water.
'Retrieving ticket…PIKA! Half-Light Retrieved!'Chimed my belt in the water as I grabbed the golden Half-Life ticket, opening my belt buckle and inserting the ticket in.
I had found out I could exit my red form at any time by opening the buckle and taking the ticket out. In total I had the digital portion that rolled those tickets, a slot underneath to transform, a slot on the side to pull tickets and a storage slot.
It was quite handy.
"Blub…BLUB~! (Chou-Henshin~!)" In a flash of light I transformed into my red form, my swimming becoming more natural as I relied on my more primal instincts to spot another trout.
'PIKA PIKA KACHA! Half-Light Installed! Let's Go! Kamen Rider!'
Slowly, carefully I approached the fishy treat for my kitten. Waiting for the right moment to strike and grab the unsuspecting fish. With a speed far greater than before my hands squeezed around the fish, holding it in a vice grip as I began to swim to the surface with my prize.
"YOSHA! I CAUGHT A FISH! HELL YEA-Sorry…sorry sorry." I screamed out while popping out of the surface, loudly declaring my catch. Quickly pivoting my stance when I noticed several disgruntled fishermen nearby glaring at me for disturbing the fish.
I quietly doggy paddled away in shame from the looks I was starting to get from them.
"Damn capes." I heard one of them mutter, which once more made me ask myself.
What did capes do to make the people in this city upset???
At some point I needed to learn more about the world, since I think I was going to be staying here long term.
After several minutes of nearly losing my prize, I had managed to doggy paddle to my base, climbing up to the big hole in the warehouse where my kitten was. "Heya girl~ Did you miss me~ Did you~?"
I cued at the kitten who meowed happily and tried to jump up at me. Of course I playfully dodged, not wanting to ruin my little furry kitten's coat with water while I went to dry with my tried and true bike.
Cooking the fish at the same time, loudly revving the bike until I had a nice char on the fish.
Usually I would try and ration the fish I caught to feed my kitten her three meals but today I had another more important obligation if I wanted to feed her. But today I'd be leaving the entire fish to her, I trusted she wouldn't eat it all.
My princess was a responsible kitty, and she knew today was important. "Don't you girl~? Who's a good kitty~? Yes you are~ you girl~!"
I followed by floofing the cat once my armored hands were sufficiently dried. "mmmrrrrrrrrrrr~!"
Today I was going to look for a job.
It was probably gonna end up being difficult with not being able to take off my armor, but I had to give it my best 101% shot.
Personally I didn't need a job whatsoever, I was fine wandering wherever the wind and my bike took me. But my new found pet needed certain necessities only a job could bring me.
So here I was about to go and face the toughest challenge of all.
I could very well die in this next battle.
"Right…time to face the most difficult battle of all, girl. The employment system!" I said stoically, pulling off a pose. Before mounting my bike and heading out to look for prospective places to work at.
Of course my kitty tried to join me, but I had to steel my heart and place her aside. "Sorry girl, this is a solo mission. Kamen Kitty needs to sit this one out, okay~?"
Naturally she wasn't okay with this, letting off several protests and clinging to the face of my helmet. It took several tummy rubs and kisses on her nose to appease my upset kitty.
After that I revved my motorcycle, taking off to find a place that would hire me. Slugging along the resume I had worked all night making.
How hard could possibly be.
"Ahem…Mr…Rider, after extensive review over your…resume, I'm afraid you just aren't the right…fit for our company." Said the manager of a supermarket while handing me back the broken concrete slab I had chiseled my resume on by hand. "We hope any future endeavors you partake in may be profitable, sir."
"Wait can't you at least consi-" I wanted to protest and at least try to fight for a spot to work in.
"Sorry we don't want any cape related trouble, come back without the armor." Said the manager as he pushed me back out onto the street.
"But it doesn't come off!"
"Not my problem."
I sadly got back on my bike and decided to head to the next place I could find.
At least distance wasn't an issue because I had this bike I permanently borrowed from Armsmaster.
I walked into the next place with a confident stride, it was a department store. Parking my bike outside where it would be safe and ignoring the looks I got from the people around me.
Usually places like that hired anyone.
"Excuse me sir, I'd like to apply for a jo-" I had just begin to say when-
"No." -the manager outright cut me off and pointed to a sign near the entrance.
'WE DON'T HIRE CAPES'
"Well I know my appearance makes me look like one but I assure you I'm not a ca-" I tried to reason.
"No."
Before just nodding along and walking right out of the store.
Maybe the nex-
"Sorry…you seem like trouble and frankly I think your trying to pull a prank or something for TV…plus your resume is on a stone tablet."
7 hours.
I spent seven hours of my day going around this damn city, which I found out was named Brockton Bay, looking for jobs.
Nothing was all I found.
For a variety of reasons…well mostly how I looked…No jobs wanted to take me on or even attempt to hire me. Let alone even look at the lovely resume I had lugged along with me.
I had ended up back in the district of the city where I'd set up my base, standing outside of a small and old corner store. This was the last stop before I'd probably give up for the day, as bitter as today had felt and been going.
Part of me wanted to believe that maybe my luck would turn here.
Saito Pov
Saito was a normal man now, maybe a long time ago he went by another name, but right here and now he was Saito. Just a middle aged shop owner who moved to Brockton Bay after the fall of Kyushu.
He'd been doing decent since, not the best but not the worst either.
It was far better than that day.
The day everything fell apart, the day Saito learned that nothing he did would ever matter in the face of something like that…thing. Saito lost everything that day, his family, his lover, and his team.
He still remembered being unable to save her, Himari. The pink sentai of his team, watching her body get lost to that creature…
Leviathan.
The word triggered something in Saito, his body trembling as he reached for his paper bag and began hyperventilating.
Panic attacks and nightmares had been common, it's why Saito no longer paraded as Parahuman hero anymore, or wore the colorful red of the Sentai Elite's gamma team. Saito was a Tinker for the Gamma Sentai team, and their leader.
But that was a long time ago.
He hadn't called himself Gamma Red in years.
Saito swore to never involve himself in the world of Parahumans and capes since Kyushu. Managing to barely keep the current peace in his life thanks to favours many supers in Kyushu owed him and his team for their evacuation efforts. Even the ABB had backed off when Saito had shown his red gamma morpher once.
It still didn't save millions of other lives lost in Kyushu though.
"Doesn't matter…not like I'll be involved in that world anymore. That's another life." Saito muttered while tending to his shop, calmly stocking the shelves and lining them with pink candies. "Himari…"
The front door to Saito's shop jingled, a customer.
"Irasshaimase~! Welcome, sorry you'll have to give me a moment to stock th-huh." Sait said while putting down a box of candies, turning around to greet the customer at the door only to be stunned at what he was looking at.
In front of him was a figure every Sentai Elite had seen at least once, it was a mandatory part of their morality curriculum.
Even if it had been years, this was a figure up there with Ultraman with how vaunted he was by Saito's generation of Sentai heroes. Kamen Rider, this person may not have looked like any of the ones Saito knew. But this man was undoubtedly a Kamen Rider type cape.
This must have been a dream, had to be a dream. Some form of traumatic stress manifesting as part of Saito's nightmares.
"Eh, yes hello. I was hoping to hand in my resume and find a job here." Said the Kamen Rider meekly while handing over a stone tablet to Saito.
…What?TartTuesday at 11:41 AMNewView discussionThreadmarks Hen-Shin! Gacha Rider Chapter 7 NewView contentTartTuesday at 11:43 AM#10Hen-Shin! Chapter 7
Saito Pov
It had been several hours since Saito nearly had a panic attack seeing the Kamen Rider walk into his store.
Correction, it had been several hours since Saito DID have a panic attack in his store and woke up in the Kamen Rider's lap.
Now he was in the middle of…interviewing the Kamen Rider.
If any of his old team members or anyone that had been in the Sentai Elite had been here, they would be feeling just as weirded out about all this as Saito was feeling. There were multiple ways to describe what Saito was feeling right now.
But more importantly.
"Oi…what do you mean you have no formal education at all? Were you home schooled or something?" Saito said while putting down the clipboard he had picked up for the interview. Honestly Saito had no clue how or why he was even doing this in the first place. "Also 'Kamen Rider' ain't a name…its more like a title, like are you Kamen Rider A or Kamen Rider B?"
Was it out of a sense of nostalgia?
Maybe it was to remind himself of what there was before.
The Kamen Rider took a moment to consider his questions before answering, rubbing the back of his helmet. "Ehe…Well It's not like I have no education…I just can't remember where I was educated. As for a name, I don't have one either, I was called Kamen Rider and it kinda sorta stuck."
Right, this was just plain stupid, there was no way Saito would ever let a conspicuous guy like this work at his small shop. With the most obvious reason being that if anyone from the old land took one look at the Kamen Rider in front of him, they'd riot.
Even now after all these years, there were plenty of old timers who had cherished memories of the fictional hero.
Hell, if Saito wasn't a cape anymore he would have shot the Kamen Rider on sight. YEs he confirmed this was the actual article, seeing the Kamen Rider transform aside, just the entire vibe of his armor was too deliberate.
Saito wasn't built to handle shit like this anymore, the only thing he needed to worry about was stocking his shop.
So that made the choice clear.
"Listen pal, I'd love to have you on board. Really I would, but-" Saito said while ruffling his unkempt hair, messy from countless nights spent in the lab under his shop tinkering.
Yes, just because Saito wasn't part of the Sentai elite anymore, didn't mean he stopped using his Parahuman powers. Call it compulsion or maybe lingering guilt, but even now Saito still made Sentai gear and weapons.
"Please! I have nowhere else to turn to!" The Kamen Rider interrupted, doing a perfect dogeza bow while begging Saito to reconsider.
Which only made a deep part of Saito feel worse, the part of him that remembered.
Still Saito wasn't going to be swayed. "Stop that, nothing is going to change my mind."
The Kamen Rider slowly got up, obviously despondent at the bad news, Saito didn't know why a cape would be looking for a job in a small shop of all places, but he didn't care.
He retired for good.
"Then please, I'm begging you…will you look after a kitten I found. She doesn't have a name yet but she needs a home. Could…could she live here with you." The Kamen Rider asked, his compound eyes staring into Saito's soul.
What?
Saito didn't comprehend what he was hearing, how did this go from a job interview to pet adoption? "Oi you can't just drop something like that on me. I barely get by running this shop in this god forsaken city. I don't have enough to take care of a ca-"
"My life."
Saito nearly choked on his own saliva when he heard that. "I'm sorry what?"
The Kamen Rider put both hands on his shoulders, those compound eyes staring into Saito's soul again. "I'll give you my life, just please…take care of her."
This was crazy, Saito didn't want the Kamen Rider's crummy life! Just why was this cape going so far for a kitten of all things. "Oi, cut it out! You're really pushing these jokes…"
"It's not a joke, she's all I have. I…I call myself a Kamen Rider but I can't protect the only thing I have right now. I want to protect that, but I don't know how…even so I want to do something, anything to protect this small piece of happiness I have. There's no excuse for me to do nothing at all but just coast by."
"I want to give her a place to belong."
Those words sparked something in Saito, something he nearly forgot.
Years ago Kyushu
"Nene~ Saito-kun~ when we beat Leviathan. Lets buy a house, kay~?" Himari said, winking at a flustered Saito. "A great bi~~g house! With four rooms!"
"Eh~? Why do you need such a big house for, Himari?" Saito retorted. "What brought this on anyways?"
She had a way of uplifting a situation, even when odds were grim. It was no secret to any of the Sentai Elite that this coming battle would decide the fate of Japan.
The Pink Sentai Elite member shook Saito's arms petulantly. Her cheeks puffed up into a cute pout, though Saito would never admit it openly. "Oi~ this is the part where you're supposed to promise me the world Sai-to!"
Himari dropped her act, giving Saito a soft smile. "But well, Saito. I was thinking."
"Wouldn't it be nice to start a family together?"
If Saito could see his face right now, he knew it would be as red as his uniform. "H-h-himari!?"
Himari smiled, booping Saito's nose. "You're still so easy to tease, Saito~kun~boo~."
"Th-that's not something you should be saying lightly!" Saito protested, no sign of the stoic Sentai Elite member in sight.
"Heh, well I was also thinking…that a home, a place where you can belong is probably the happiest place in the world, Saito." She said while giving Saito a quick peck on the lips and giving him the most beautiful smile. The kind that reminded him why he asked her to marry him. "That's why we need to do our best and protect that place for everyone here at home, okay Saito?"
He nodded, more encouraged than ever at that moment. "Yeah! it's a promise, Himari."
That was the last time Saito would see her smile.
See Himari alive.
The next time he saw her, she was so cold in his arms.
Why did it have to be her?
Fuck.
Fuck!
FUCK! Just why the hell did he have to lay it out like that, why did he have to appear here and remind Saito of the past.
Why couldn't he repress those memories like he normally would?
"No no no NO! Yo-you know better, Saito! Don't do it! Don't you dar-UHGGG!" Saito roared into his sleeve while pacing away, trying to stop himself from feeling emotion again. "Don't let him get to you!"
But the words echoed in his head, and he couldn't stop seeing Himari's smile.
Even if the words were different.
'I want to give her a place to belong'
No, he wasn't going to-
'A place where you can belong, is the happiest place in the world, Saito.'
Oh god, Saito was really going to do it wasn't he?
Himari would have done it too, wouldn't she?
Slowly, he turned around. Shoulders slumped as he walked over to the Kamen Rider and let out a loud, annoyed sigh. "I-you…uhg…When can you come into work with the cat? She can stay here, but you'll need your own place."
Saito wouldn't admit that a part of him felt slightly happy that he let the Kamen Rider work here, or that he found his armor cool. He promised himself he would only be nothing but strict with the Kamen Rider.
"Well I can-No wait, right now! I can work right now boss, just let me get her and I can start today!" Said the Kamen Rider, perking up like a happy Shiba and shaking both of Saito's hands vigorously along with his entire body.
He was already beginning to regret this.
"Just. Call. Me. Saito. San!" Saito said while being shook by the force from the Kamen Rider's hand shaking.
Well maybe Saito could also help and give some pointers out to this Kamen Rider too, as the more experienced cape here. Not everyone could say they survived an encounter with an Endbringer afterall.
Though Saito was curious about something now that he took in the Kamen Rider's appearance.
Just how was his scarf billowing indoors with no wind? Was he actively using his powers right now for dramatic effect?
Saito then remembered he really didn't want to get involved with the Kamen Rider and quickly stowed away those thoughts.
Though he would later go and unlock his Sentai gear that had been sealed away for years.
Just in case.
Kamen Rider Pov
Somehow things had worked out quite well for my precious ball of fluff!
Several days had passed since Saito let me work for him and let my adorable kitten stay at his shop.
It was a good balance of doing patrols for exercise, and stomping those E88 thugs. They seemed to be taking pictures of me when they saw me arrive.
Still wasn't too sure who the E88 were, anyone I asked just gave me a dumb look around these parts. Like they were more offended I didn't know who the E88 were.
Honestly with how often I caught them trying to do something, I likened them to cockroaches or the source of all minor inconveniences.
Car broke down? Blame the E88.
Stubbed your toe? It was those dastardly E88.
And so on forth.
Something about them seemed to twist a part of me the wrong way but I couldn't tell what.
'Sworn enemy of the Kaiser and the Empire.' 1 Gold Ticket acquired! Would you like to-
Well that was fucking weird, I don't recall ever meeting any Kaiser or empire. Maybe my belt was on the fritz or something today?
In other news.
My kitten got a name from Saito-san, Himari!
Life was looking up for the both of us.
"Saito-san! I got the deliveries you ordered!" I shouted out loud while bursting into Saito's humble shop, my entrance followed by a magnificent gust of wind that unintentionally knocked over a stack of items Saito was setting up.
The stack of items instantly buried Saito. "GEH! OI WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT THAT?"
Whoops.
"Sorry, it's a force of habit…" I said while rubbing the back of my helmet embarrassed at my blunder. "Won't happen again, I promise."
Saito gave me an annoyed look while getting up from the pile he was buried in and walking right up to me. Pointing a finger repeatedly and saying his next words through gritted teeth. "You. Keep. Saying. That! Why can't you just-Guh…No it doesn't matter, so you paid the supplier and got the items right?"
Oh…oh fuuuuuuuuuuu…
I had forgotten all about paying Saito's suppliers and had just picked up the package.
Maybe if I stayed quiet he wouldn't ask?
As if sensing something from my silence Saito gave me a distrustful look. "What did you do?"
"Okay but you can't be mad."
"What. did. you. do?" Saito repeated through gritted teeth, his fist raised and ready to strike.
That caused me to take several steps away from the danger, every sense in my body warning me to avoid that fist at all cost. "No way! Not telling! Not until you promise you won't be mad!"
Part of me might have been imagining it, but I swore I saw a demon behind Saito at that moment. It was so damn freaky!
"I can only promise to fire you in the next ten seconds if you don't tell me what. you. Did." Said Saito while cracking his knuckles, cornering me against a shelf. His mere presence put more pressure on me than Lung ever could. "10…9…8…7…"
Wait, we were starting the countdown now!?
I raised both hands in a pacifying gesture, trying to calm down my boss. "Wait wait wait, it was an honest mistake…okay so I may…have forgotten to pay them."
There was long silence after that, before Saito put on this peaceful expression. "Oh I see, I see. Forgot to pay them right?"
For a moment I thought I was in the clear.
"Yeah yeah, see it was an honest mistake Saito-sa-"
I was so very very wrong.
"THEN GO BACK AND PAY THEM, AHO!" Screamed Saito while punching my head with a loud thunk sound. Chasing me out as I ran out of his store with my tail between my legs.
Days like these weren't bad at all.1TartTuesday at 11:43 AMNewView discussionThreadmarks Hen-Shin! Gacha Rider Chapter 8 NewView contentTartTuesday at 11:44 AM#11Hen-Shin! Chapter 8
Hookwolf Pov
Hookwolf was bored.
Getting back to the E88's main base in Brockton was full of about as much excitement as the usual missions Hookwolf had been sent on recently.
"So, this is the guy who's been giving the grunts trouble? Doesn't look like much, classic brute type. So this is a message then?" Hookwolf analysed while watching the captured images of his prey. "Do we have a name…actually that doesn't matter."
Beside him was his boss, Kaiser.
In full uniform no less.
"He does have a name, well at least we believe we found a name. Japanese type of superhero, maybe a former Sentai Elite? The only thing we have to go on is this old video." Kaiser said casually while holding up a VHS tape depicting an eerily similar figure to the one Hookwolf saw in the photos. "We managed to find this after a significant amount of effort, not many of these specific VHS' exist anymore. Apparently it's worth a fortune to the Eastern community."
Usually Hookwolf wouldn't bother with all this chatting, not when he could be out in the field spilling blood.
But he honored obligations to his boss.
"You telling me those slant-eyes value this trash?" Only one letter out of that moon-speak was readable to Hookwolf. "X? That's our guy's name?"
"Not exactly, the name refers to the specific individual on the cover. Kamen or Masked Rider. Whichever you prefer." Kaiser said while casually tossing aside the VHS. Standing up and walking beside Hookwolf. "What does matter is the contents of this VHS, would position the Kamen Rider as our sworn enemy. I plan on bringing this to the next rally."
Sworn enemy huh?
Hookwolf wasn't quite sure what exactly would be in that VHS of Masked Rider X that would incentivise the members in the Empire.
"Star-fish Hitler." Kaiser said while looking at the gathering members below. Like what he just said didn't sound absolutely absurd to Hookwolf.
What?
"What?" Hookwolf repeated his inner thoughts out loud. "That can't be real."
"You'll see soon."
Kaiser Pov
It was a blessing in disguise, Lung being taken to prison, this VHS being sent to him from an anonymous source.
Max wasn't being entirely honest with Hookwolf when he told his right hand man about the source of the VHS. The VHS itself was sent via unmarked parcel and checked for any traps before it was opened.
Inside the parcel was a small black box with a snake coiling around it.
Naturally Max had one of his men open said box.
There was nothing remarkable about the box itself. He was even close to throwing away the contents of the box, Max had no interest in some old VHS tape.
Until images of the person getting in the way of the empire's subtle expansion cropped up.
That's when Max decided to give the VHS a watch.
Honestly Max had no interest in whoever the armored warrior was at the time, but that had changed once he realized how he could spin this to boost morale of his troops. Once he saw the contents of the VHS.
Star-fish Hitler, a mockery to everything the empire stood for.
Yet the perfect tool to invigorate the members of the E88 further, and he even had a target conveniently in the ABB's district to point at.
Everything was lining up well, too well.
While Kaiser was suspicious of the timing, he would still use this information to his advantage.
Still as a precaution, he decided to only send Hookwolf alone to deal with the Kamen Rider. There was no need to tip over the delicate balance that was being maintained in the Bay.
He had a lingering suspicion that he was playing in a third party's plans right now, but the only real way of finding out would be to spring the trap and see what moves they would make.
That brought Max to the present, standing on an elaborate podium and addressing the members of the Empire. His lieutenants by his side as he gave a rehearsed and pre-written speech he had penned for this moment.
With Lung out of the way, this was the perfect time to profit and expand his reach.
Behind him was a screen displaying the scene of Kamen Rider X dueling Starfish Hitler and defeating him with a kick. This scene had been repeated several times while Kaiser gave his impassioned speech.
'...Starfish….Hitler~!' Came the dying sound of Kamen Rider's foe.
"-This is the face of our enemy! Kamen Rider! Look how he has mocked everything we are! Everything we stand for! I say enough! For too long have the PRT and ABB stalemated us! For too long they have denied us of our destiny! The destiny of all pure-blooded humans!" Kaiser espoused, dramatically raising both hands past the cape he chose for today's outfit. A blend of ornate and practical for today's occasion.
"Their numbers rival, no double ours. So how is it that our empire has endured for so long? Was it thanks to the efforts of my father and the founding families? In part, yes! But more than that, more than anything!" Kaiser said, using a dramatic flair of his wrist to bring up the banner of the empire all around the stadium in his company. Silencing the building cheer from the members of the empire.
"IT IS BECAUSE OUR CAUSE IS JUST! Our goals, righteous! We are the future of humanity! Never forget the times the PRT or ABB have trampled upon us, how we. The Eighty-Eighth Empire has struggled to achieve even this level of freedom! For our pure and white race! Unity through hatred!"
A resounding cheer rang from the crowd from every corner of the stadium sized room, from the speakers connected to various members who couldn't be here. Kaiser let it continue for a few moments longer before raising a hand to silence the crowd. "Yet even with all this, I find myself asking a simple question. Why have we allowed our noble cause to stalemate? What has led to this?"
The crowd began to shift and murmur awkwardly, unsure of how to meet this question.
Good, this was just what Kaiser wanted.
"Perhaps, many of you have grown complacent." Kaiser said, bringing a hand to his chest over his heart in an expression of grief. "Such a lack of compassion for our cause is-"
Kaiser shook his helmet, as if he were lamenting some great tragedy. Internally he was gauging the reaction of the crowd waiting for the right moment to continue. Seeing how many stood up to protest, to profess their loyalty and dedication.
Then he spoke again, leveling his tone to just the right pitch he wanted.
Something Kaiser had watched his father do often in his youth.
"The PTR and ABB have polluted our species for their own greed! If you all truly believe as I do, see as I do, dream as I do! Then stand with me! We must send Brockton Bay a message! Not through words, but with action! We must strike swift and true! Purge humanity of its corruption!"
That got an even more inflamed reaction, just what Kaiser had been hoping to trigger. He needed higher levels of productivity from the empire if he was going to succeed in his next powermove.
As strong as the empire was now, it had one crippling weakness.
The identity behind the pomp and flare of the capes were vulnerable. Kaiser was planning on amending that weakness over the course of his next expansion.
For now though, he had a speech to rap up and a future to plan out.
"Let the fires of war rekindle anew! Even now, more and more money is being pulled into our cause! Into our efforts of making our empire stronger! Our enemies will do the same! Never forget how many of our fathers and brothers have already fallen valiantly thanks to these contemptible enemies!"
Kaiser slammed his hand down on the podium in a practiced manner, the sound echoing in the now quiet stadium. He took a break, allowing himself to take in a deep breath before shifting his cape morphing the metal.
Arms now outstretched and two steel eagle wings behind him, Kaiser spoke.
"Use your sorrow, focus it all into righteous anger for our cause! For victory, for the Aryan race! So that our great race may flourish and prosper! So that the sacrifices of those who give their lives for us aren't in vain! Victory is the only tribute we can offer them!"
"Rise up! Your sorrow, your hatred, everything that you are! Give it all to the empire, and the empire shall guide you in return! Sieg Imperium! Sieg Imperium!" Kaiser concluded to one last thunderous chorus from the gathered members and those that couldn't be here.
Max was glad he spent extra on soundproofing his buildings.
"Sieg Imperium~!"
"Even now our noble warrior Hookwolf acts for the glory of the empire. He hunts our hated foe, the Kamen Rider! Soon our time to strike will be at hand!" Kaiser said before retracting the wings back into a cape. Walking away with his lieutenants with a flourish of his metal cape.
Hookwolf walked up beside him. "Great speech and all, but how do I find my target?"
Kaiser raised his hand to signal to Hookwolf to spare a moment. Giving several orders to his lieutenants for the empire's plans in the coming months.
They would use the momentum from his speech to rally more members, and target specific points in the city.
By the end of the month the empire would be untouchable.
"If he is anything like the hero on the VHS, drawing him out will be easy. Threaten the sheep and you draw out the Shepherd. Target any area close to where the attacks on our groups have been, Hookwolf." Kaiser said, finally turning to his right hand. "Show neither pity nor remorse, because our enemies deserve neither. Just don't shake things up too hard…the empire still needs time to prepare for war."
Kaiser couldn't make out Hookwolf's expression under his mask, but he knew his right hand was giving him a bloodthirsty grin. "Aye aye, boss. I'll bring some of our men to shake the area down."
He nodded once, allowing Hookwolf to leave. Turning around to tend to his non-cape related business ventures instead.
The Kamen Rider was inconsequential, just a minor piece of motivation for his empire.
At the end of the day, Kaiser knew an insignificant figure like that wouldn't threaten his goals or plans.
Kamen Rider Pov
"Saito-san~! We're out of the pink candies again~!" I called over to my boss while wearing an apron. Pointing towards the empty box of candies while sorting through the shelves of the store.
Working at the store was pretty easy, having powers helped with moving things. Though my mental math was lacking.
Though I did tend to make small mistakes.
"We're out because you keep EATING them! I don't even know how you eat anything with the helmet on!" Was Saito's annoyed reply from the back of the shop. "You know what, it doesn't matter. Go get some more from the warehouse down on fifth. You know the one."
Thankfully Saito was pretty forgiving of my tiny mistakes. It wasn't my fault that the candy in his store was so dang addicting.
Dropping the box of non-pink candy I tidied up my apron and started walking out of the store. "Hai~Hai~! Take care of Himari for me, Saito-san!"
My exit was met with an annoyed grunt of acceptance and a meow from my precious source of joy in the world.
Once outside, I began my jog towards the warehouse. My destination meant I had to cross through some of the busier streets in the district and deal with crowds. But being a rider meant I could be anti-social efficiently.
Mostly because Saito warned me about being spotted in public.
A few moments later, I was running from rooftop to rooftop and successfully social distancing myself from the populace.
Several hours later I was carrying a box of partially opened pink candies, and running back towards Saito's store before I ate them all.
"I think I'll get Himari something on the way back…maybe a new brush…heh." I muttered happily, while popping another candy into the mouthplate of my helmet. The candy just sank in while I hummed happily.
I wasn't quite sure how it worked either, and didn't bother questioning it. Too much of a headache.
Halfway towards my destination a loud explosion nearby took my attention, and turning my head I noticed massive smoke plumes coming from the mainstreet of the district. I took one look at the box I was carrying, and then the smoke.
Sorry Saito-san.
I dropped the box without ceremony, grabbing a handful of candies and stuffing them into my mouthplate before running in the direction of the smoke.
There was no telling when the local authorities or any nearby heroes would respond. So I took it upon myself to go investigate and help if need be.
I'm pretty sure it was just some freak accident anyways.
"In and out, I'll only be gone for ten minutes tops."
Saito Pov
Saito was sitting at the front register, while petting Himari. Yawning, he turned on the TV located in the top corner of the shop. "That idiot is taking too long…hope he hasn't gotten lost again. It's been about four hours since I sent him off."
"Mrrrrrrrr~" Purred the kitten while nuzzling into Saito's hand.
This was nice, for all the chaos the Kamen Rider had brought with him to Saito's shop. Saito couldn't help but appreciate it deep down.
Because for the first time in a long time, Saito felt alive again.
Switching to the news channel, Saito lazily reclining in his stool. "Eh, I'll let that idiot off today. Not like he can cause any…major…incidents…"
Saito's brain paused, because on the TV he saw the Kamen Rider.
Duking it out with fucking Hookwolf and several other noname Parahumans from the E88.
"Fuck me…one day. ONE DAY is all I ask for Kami!" Saito moaned onto his hands. Looking up he could see the rider struggling to fight against the numerous enemies targeting him. Saito counted more than a dozen members from the E88.
At least half of them were Parahumans too.
Saito knew the Kamen Rider knew jack about how to handle himself in an actual fight. Even the random members of the E88 were more coordinated then the Kamen Rider was at the moment. Saito knew that the Rider losing was a forgone conclusion in the situation he was in.
It didn't help that the idiot was going out of his way to move civilians out of the way and take blows for them. No cape in their right mind ever went out of their way to-
Right he was a Kamen Rider.
They were stupid like that, stupid and too damn brave for their own good.
The Kamen Rider was going to die.
Unless he got back-up.
But the news anchor said other heroes were still on the way, and the broadcast had been ongoing for several hours.
Nobody was close enough...
Except, that wasn't exactly true.
Saito turned his head, looking at the door that led to the basement of his shop. Where he still used his power to make gear. Where he kept 'that' part of his life locked away. He promised himself the cape part of his life died the same day Kyushu fell and everyone else assumed he died on the island.
He wouldn't, could not. Not again, not after everything that happened.
But looking at the scene of the Kamen Rider, getting up again. Seeing his friend take blow after blow for people he's never met.
It triggered something in Saito.
"He owes me so much fucking overtime for this." Sighed Saito. Standing up and putting Himari down on the stool. The kitten dozed off while Saito went into the basement to retrieve his morpher and gear.
A few minutes later Saito was wearing the pitch black military gear of the Sentai elite. His morpher strapped to the front of his combat vest.
He mounted his bike, an older model that the PRC would base their later models off of. Though Saito's model was a modified version that still had the old S.E. emblem on it.
"Just…breath…just keep breathing Saito." Saito said out loud to himself before revving the bike and racing down the street from the garage door at the back of his shop.1TartTuesday at 11:44 AMNewView discussionThreadmarks Hen-Shin! Gacha Rider Chapter 9 NewView contentTartTuesday at 11:45 AM#12Hen-Shin! Chapter 9
Kamen Rider Pov Several hours before the attack
"Just what did this…" I muttered after arriving at the location of the smoke. My boot squeaked to a halt as I observed the situation from the rooftop. The main street had been utterly decimated, dozens of people laying on the ground in various states. None dead, but definitely not walking soon.
But there was no sign of whoever or whatever had caused the disturbance here.
I jumped down, landing near the first injured civilian, a man leaning against a car door in pain. Something sharp had pierced their shoulder and pinned them to the car. Inspecting it closer revealed it was a jagged piece of metal. "Hey, hey! It'll be all right, I'll get you somewhere safe."
That's when I noticed it.
The glint reflecting off the car door, the slight movement behind me.
Instantly I turned around arms crossed as I defended myself and the injured civilian. While several chunks of metal dug into my arms and chest armor.
"Guh…" Just who did tha-
I had no time to think, the next instant several more attacks came for me. Various projectiles and powers were flung right at me. There was no time to stop and think.
So I acted, pulling the man behind me forcefully off the car door and dodging with him in my arms. Zipping past several cars and avoiding other people while tossing the man aside into an alley.
With that done I turned to face my attackers.
There were at least a dozen of them.
Ranging from powered individuals to non-powered combatants. All of them had a weapon of some sort, and at the head was a buff shirtless man with a metal mask. I took a stance, both fists raised while facing them. "I don't suppose we can talk this out?"
"Kill him." Were the only two words out of the mouth from their leader. A blond caucasian man to his right raised his hand, energy gathering at his hand while several others raised various firearms.
I sprang into action, running right at the group towards their leader.
'Would you like to roll a tick-' I ignored the text out of the corner of my eyes. I'd been doing my best to ignore this part of my powers since I got here. Everything about how it worked had seemed wrong somehow.
It couldn't answer any questions, and what it did give me was suspect. My belt had the answers I was looking for, I knew it did. But it refused to give them.
That had been a big part about why I hadn't interacted with my belt outside of transforming. There were several other functions on the thing, but I couldn't trust it enough to use said functions.
The masked man acted as I rushed him, and I saw how metal claws formed out of his arms. Blades jutting out of his arms. It looked like he was about to strike at me, but I slid between his legs to dodge the attack.
The blades missed me by a hair.
I pulled out the ticket from the belt and transformed. "Install! Chou-Henshin!"
'PIKA KACHA PIKA! Half-Light In-in-installed! Kamen Rider!'
My biggest gripe was that this ticket system made me a Kamen Rider without ever explaining what a Kamen Rider was.
But the biggest reason was that deep down.
A part of me was afraid of this power, afraid of the weight behind it, afraid of what this power would turn me into. What it had already turned me into.
Some part of me no longer felt human anymore, felt that his armor was my skin now.
It made me afraid that I might hurt the small moment of peace I only just found.
Fear had become a chain around my neck and limbs.
My mind couldn't help but think that as I acted.
I had transitioned from sliding to standing, and punched the blond caucasian man from earlier in the jaw. His head snapping to the side and his eyes rolling to the back of his skull as he was sent flying into a wall.
Followed by several zigzags as I waned through the follow-up attacks from the rest of his friends. Kicking back a soccerball sized blast of energy that had been fired from the back of the group and aimed towards my head. My kick redirecting the mass of energy to the back of the group where it was fired from.
So far so good, I think I could hold my own against them so far.
I felt a chill up my spine, instinctively ducking and barely dodging a lunge from the presumed leader of the group. My body shifted as I faced him, trying to do my best to keep an eye on all the people targeting me at the moment.
'Would you like to-' Shut up, I don't need you.
As long as I kept my guard up and didn't drop it I could win-
"Target the civilians, avoid any Aryans." Said the leader, my posture stiffening as I watched his men raise their weapons and take aim at the civilians all around me. "Use the sheep against him."
Shit.
There wasn't enough time for me to get to shooters before they started firing on the civilians.
Logically, if I just abandoned a few of the people I would be able to take out the thugs lined up across the street ahead of me.
It made sense, it was logical.
Abandon a few lives to save many lives.
The most reasonable trade-off anyone could make in my shoes.
But I couldn't, wouldn't do that. People's lives weren't something I could throw away.
There was more to it than that but I just couldn't find a way to say it.
Or maybe it didn't exist…maybe that was an excuse I told myself to at least try and pretend to be human.
Maybe I didn't have a real reason to fight at all…I didn't know these people, I had no stake in whether they lived or died.
So why was I doing all this? Why was I even out here fighting?
My body moved even while my mind was in turmoil, intercepting blow after blow meant for the people around me. Every action rang hollow though as my thoughts fell further and further down a spiral of self-doubt.
It was also the only thing keeping me sane.
Just what was I…
Fighting for?
Armsmaster Pov
Colin was making a warpath to the Protectorate meeting room.
When he entered, nearly every member was there with the sole exception of Dragon who had been tasked to find out more on the Kamen Rider.
But that wasn't important to Colin right now.
He had seen the news when Hookwolf had marched into ABB territory, and had seen the wanton destruction the man was known for.
"Director, send me in." Colin said while walking right up to Piggot and slamming his hands down on the meeting room table. Several members of the Proctorate flinched at that, but Colin didn't care. "Kamen Rider can't handle someone like Hookwolf."
Colin had also seen the Kamen Rider, fighting alone and outnumbered.
Any personal grudges about his property aside, Colin knew the Rider needed help. Kamen Rider wasn't at the level where he could battle someone like Hookwolf.
"Denied. Recent information suggests that the ABB is also moving to intercept Hookwolf. The Wards and Protectorate will remain on standby until the two sides clash." Said Piggot, shutting him down.
Colin clenched his teeth, he was no stranger to making compromises for the greater good. He'd done so when he was forced to accept credit for taking in Lung.
But this wasn't the same.
"You can't be serious, if the Kamen Rider doesn't get support then he'll di-" Even if Colin didn't consider the Kamen Rider a hero, even if the Kamen Rider was still an unknown. There was no doubt in his mind that what the Kamen Rider was doing right now was heroic.
"Then let him die, it's for the greater good. He isn't with us anyways, and it gets rid of a flight risk." Piggot said, while casually dismissing Colin's words. "Now sit down, we need to prepare for any other moves made by the ABB or E88-"
You couldn't save everyone.
Colin had grown used to that line of thought, even as he spent every waking moment of his life working to minimize that possibility. To prepare for anything and everything to prevent that circumstance.
It was naive to think that you could save everyone.
There would always be losses.
But seeing the Kamen Rider's actions, reminded Colin of something. Not being able to save everyone, didn't mean you shouldn't try to.
Colin loathed to admit it, but Kamen Rider was at least doing that much.
What was he doing though?
He clenched his fist, his pride taking a hit at that thought. Just what had Colin been preparing and training his team for? To sit back and let the ABB and E88 run roughshod on the Bay? No, Colin was a god damned hero. "I'm going to help him, whether I have your permission or not. Director."
"What did you just say, Armsmaster?" Piggot said, glaring daggers into Colin's eyes. But he didn't relent, turning around to exit the room.
"Director, there's been an update in the situation!" Came the rushed voice of a PRT staff member. "A third party has been spotted rapidly approaching the battler, no identification."
Piggot's eye had a minute twitch before she gave her orders. "Get me a feed on this third party, I want them identified now."
Colin had already made his way out of the meeting room, after hearing that.
He had a job to do.
Which meant getting to the Kamen Rider's location as fast as he could, but even with his new bike. Colin's top speed may not have been enou-
"Hey, need a ride?" Dragon said as Colin rounded the corner. The tinker leaning against the wall leading to the outside of the Protectorate's main headquarters. Her head gesturing to her flight capable vehicle outside. "Mines faster."
Under any other circumstances, Colin's pride would have made him refuse.
But there were lives on the line this time, and Colin would be the first to admit that Dragon was a better tinker than he was. "Not a word to anyone else. I do have to ask…why?"
Dragon tilted her head, putting a finger to her lips before answering. "The director asked me to look into the Kamen Rider. Well I looked up what I could find on the Rider…and it turns out most of it was unreliable."
"So I figure it's better to ask the subject in question. If he is a worst case scenario then we just lock him up then and there. But recent calculations show the chances of that being the case have lowered significantly."
Good enough for Colin. "Let's go."
"So…are you doing anything after this Armsmaster?" Dragon asked Colin as they walked out of the building.
It was a strange question since she should know what Colin usually did after a mission. "Training."
Strange.
Colin didn't know why Dragon looked exasperated after he said that.
Kamen Rider Pov Present
"Watch out!" I screamed while pushing a set of civilians out of harm, a burst of fire and metal blades hitting my back right afterwards. "Are you okay?"
The panicked nod reassured me while I tried my best to get the civilians-a young woman who looked like a reporter and a man holding a camera-Out of the way like I had been doing for several hours now.
My back and body was littered with wounds now, I was a mess now.
Bits and pieces of my armor were torn and my body was bleeding.
But I wasn't given a moment to rest or recover when the next wave of attacks came, aimed at more pedestrians. I was forced to block or take them, my actions leaving me open for more attacks from my assailants.
I moved, taking a fireball to the chest meant for a fleeing man. Followed by several gun shots from various angles around me and blades piercing my shoulders. The hooked blades pulled back tearing chunks out of my shoulder.
"Durable son of a bitch, huh." Said the leader of my attackers. A buff man who was half naked and wearing a metal mask. Around him were various other men and women. Each using a variety of powers or weapons. "Well that's fine by me, it lets me play around with you a little more before I kill you."
The battle hadn't started out this one-sided, I had even put up a bit of a fight against them initially, but that changed quickly once my assailants started attacking people indiscriminately.
They were from the E88, senior members maybe? Hard to tell when every breath I took burned and every movement was a monumental task.
It was obvious they were with the E88 though.
They were sporting E88 tramp stamps everywhere like it was going out of fashion or something.
My body was forced to kneel from my injuries, exhausted and barely held together. I managed to lift my head up enough to look at the leader of my assailants. "So…you got a name or should I just call you Metal Mask or something?"
Before he kicked me in the head, my body went flying as I hit a car, denting the side of it.
Yet all my mind could keep thinking about, was
"You fucked around." Said the man, his right hand raised and poised to strike me. His body was already going through the motions to impale me while I laid in a heap against a car. "Now you're about to find out what happens when you get involved with the-."
The leader was interrupted when the smooth barrel of a gun modeled after a racecar pressed against the masked leader's head. Both of us turned to look at whoever was holding the weapon, only to see a man in all black standing there. It looked like he was wearing modified swat gear or something.
The man in the metal mask acted first, his right arm swinging in an arc at the man in black. I saw more jagged blades pop out of his arm.
"Look out!" I shouted to the man wearing the swat gear, trying to warn him about Metal Mask.
But he had already acted before I said anything. The man in black ducked while spinning his gun in his hand. Blades narrowly missing his head, and in one smooth motion stopping his gun spin.
Pressing the barrel against the torso of Metal Mask's bare body.
"You son of a bitc-" Was all Metal Mask got to say before being blasted several dozen meters into the air.
There was lingering red smoke coming from the tip of the man in blacks gun. Who had turned around and walked up to me. His left hand tossing a canister behind him into the air. "Can you move, idiot?"
Wait, that voice sounded like…
"Saito-san!? You're a police officer!?" I exclaimed, suddenly paying less attention to my own injuries and staring at Saito.
"Yeah I figured you'd guess that I was a-Wha-NO! I am NOT a-Forget it. We're getting out of here."
A bright flash of light came from behind Saito as he picked me up and began carrying me away from the fight. While I protested and tried to struggle back. "Wh-Wait, Saito-san! What about the people-"
Which Saito ended by slamming the handle of his gun against my head. "Shut up, you're in no fucking condition to be worrying about anyone else."
Saito ran several meters before leaning me against a wall.
I looked up at Saito trying to tell him to carry me back, to let me fight against those thugs. That there were people in danger. "Saito-san I-"
Even if I died it wouldn't matter, at least it would save othe-
"What the fuck were you thinking? Throwing your god damn life away against Hookwolf? Do you have a fucking deathwish? Well?" Saito's words broke my thoughts.
So Hookwolf was Metal Mask's name, wonder where the wolf part came from?
I tried to stand up, Saito pushed me back down..
"Just stay down, help should be on its way soon. I called some friends." Saito said while separating his gun into two pistols and holstering them. "I'll buy some time against Hookwolf. When you recover enough, hide."
I watched Saito turn around and begin walking out of the alley.
Saito-san was going to fight that guy by himself, but if Saito-san did that then he would…
My hand grabbed Saito's leg. "You can't! Those guys will kill you Saito-san! Let me hel-"
"Do you even have a reason to help anyone here? A real reason to fight for them? And not just because you happened to walk by?" Saito asked me, pausing his steps and looking back at me. "Do you think humanity is worth helping in the first place?"
There was a pause.
"Well? Do you?"
I didn't have an answer for Saito, I'd seen little by little how this world operated. Seen the hate and rejection I had received when I went out into the world. Done research on just why capes were both venerated and disliked by the populace.
Something about the underlying misery of it all threatened to crush my soul.
But Saito was wrong, there was something else…there had to be.
I just couldn't find it.
When I couldn't answer Saito continued. "Then stay out of this, you don't owe anyone here your life! Least of all the humans of this world."
"You don't know the people here, what they've done. Hell you don't know just how fucked up our history is! This world is rotten to the core…humanity is full of hate, spite, and just about any other miserable emotion you can think of!"
"The majority don't care about saving the world! People have been so beaten down by the idea that capes should fight capes, that it's become normal to just lay down and die for them! All of them have forgotten how to dream…how to hope for something better"
The words stung, doing more damage than anything wound that I had taken so far.
"If you keep walking down this path, you'll have to kill someone eventually. What then? Can you really take a life? This isn't a game. You can't afford to let someone go and hope they reform! People aren't like that anymore." Saito said while walking back and picking me up by my neck. Saito was panting, his breathing uneven for a moment before he calmed himself down.
"Some people just aren't worth saving…just live your life with that cat of yours, forget about all this part of the world. You two can make a life for yourselves running the store."
I couldn't, this was wrong…there was something so so wrong about this.
Saito placed a hand on my shoulder while I wordlessly stared at him. "This era doesn't deserve a Kamen Rider, not now or ever. Humans like us? They aren't worth the trouble. Don't make me die in vain by doing something stupid like coming back."
"Being selfless will get you killed here. Happiness…hope…those concepts don't exist here."
Saito left, running back towards Hookwolf and the rest of the E88. Certain that he would die in this battle.
Human, that word reminded me that I may not have even been human anymore.
But did that mean I should just…let people die like Saito said?
While I sat on the ground lost, and staring at myself. Curling up into a ball and bringing my hands to my head. "I…what should I do?"
Saito Pov
Saito felt bad about saying all that to the Kamen Rider.
But it needed to be said.
Or else the Kamen rider would face the same despair and hopelessness that came with being a hero. The same sight Saito experienced after Kyushu, how the Sentai Elite abandoned their duties and country.
The same thing Saito had done.
That's why Saito had to say what he did.
Before he went out and got himself killed. Yes, Saito was under no illusion about his chances against Hookwolf. A combination of dulled reflexes and the difference in power level would be what did Saito in.
It didn't take long for Saito to come back to the battlefield. Sitting on top of a car was a very much unharmed Hookwolf. The members of the E88 with him, waiting.
"I'm surprised you waited without doing anything, Hookwolf." Saito said, transitioning from a run to a walk. His hand grabbed the morpher from his vest.
Hookwolf.
The man had a ruthless reputation as one of the E88's most bloody executioners and the right hand of Kaiser. Even Saito had heard rumors about the psychopath in his retired state.
None of those rumors were good.
"Figure one of you would be back…was hoping it would be you." Snarled Hookwolf, hopping off the car he was sitting on. Taking measured steps towards Saito with the E88 members close behind. "Not everyday you see a former Sentai Elite…well I've killed my fair share. But you're special, ain't yeah 'RED'?
So Hookwolf knew about that then.
Saito had been a part of the Riot Elite Division (RED), a specialized block of the Sentai Elite. Each member was chosen based on their skills and contribution to the Sentai Elite, and went under special forces training.
The members who passed wore exclusive red uniforms and had specialized gear tailored to them.
It was the only reason Saito ever survived the fight with Leviathan up close.
"Just shut up and fight." Saito said while pressing down on his morpher. Pressing down on the release mechanism and saying the code phrase. His body moving instinctively and taking his old fighting pose. "Gamma, emergency!"
The morpher, it came in different shapes and sizes but they all served the same purpose. The rapid deployment of capes using special tinker tech to teleport Sentai equipment onto their body.
Thereby 'transforming' them.
The code phrase was both the activation command, and a warning label for civilians nearby. Gamma being the worst of them.
Hookwolf gave the former Sentai Elite a vicious grin before lunging at Saito. "Man after my own heart! Enough words then! Time to gut my first RED!"
"Sentai Elite! Gamma Red, reporting for duty!" Saito shouted while drawing his pistols and meeting Hookwolf's lungs with a charge. His uniform gave a brief siren ring as he ran and shot red blasts of energy at Hookwolf.
"A-a real Sentai..after so long…" Someone muttered from nearby. Other civilians peaking out to see from their hiding spots.
Saito ignored them and continued running at Hookwolf, firing shot after shot at the parahuman. Aiming to score a lucky hit on his eyes.
Hookwolf covered his body in metal mitigating the blasts. Taking a werewolf-like form and hurling several projectiles at Saito.
But that was just what Saito wanted, using the anti-grav function of his uniform to do a backflip over Hookwolf. He targeted the grunts from the E88 behind.
Hookwolf was the bigger threat but Saito couldn't afford to ignore the grunts.
He was playing on the knife edge.
It was a delicate balance of barely dodging Hookwolf, and targeting the E88 members before they targeted civilians.
"One…two…three." Saito counted, dodging swings from Hookwolf every so often. Firing precise incapacitating shots at E88 members. Downing three of them who had been trying to aim at civilians.
After backstepping and barely dodging another assault from Hookwolf, Saito had to reposition. Because several shots came from behind Saito.
He jumped using his boots to their full power to land on a nearby wall.
Saito got a quick scan of his targets. Four were down so far, but there were still a dozen left standing.
The good news was that they hadn't bothered spreading out or taking positions.
"Get the fuck down here chi-" One of the grunts screamed.
He obliged him, running down the building and shooting into the crowd of E88 members. The majority of Saito's shots were meant to scare the grunts close to where Saito was going to land.
But the shots that did land?
"Guh!"
"Ahhh"
"Wha-"
"Woah!"
They landed exactly where Saito wanted them to. Nailing four Parahumans Saito had identified as threats earlier.
Saito landed gracefully in the center of the remaining eight E88 thugs, knees bent to cushion the landing combined with his suits' shock absorbers Slowly standing up, Saito took a gun slinging posture. "Who's next?"
That got several of the remaining E88 to back off.
Which gave Saito time to scan and look for where Hookwolf was.
But there was no sign of him nearby.
Just where had he go-oh shit!
Saito's body unconsciously relaxed for just a moment.
That was all Hookwolf needed.
"Fuck-" Saito swore his body glaring as Hookwolf gored his side. Saito had only avoided dying because he noticed the attack at the last second. He was losing blood fast now, and still had to stall the remaining E88 forces.
Years of inactivity had taken their toll on Saito's reflexes, he would have never let his guard down like that in the past.
Hookwolf circled Saito, shaped like a bear sized wolf. The blades around his body shifted and turned scraping together as he stalked Saito. No words, this was a beast hunting its prey now.
Unfortunately that prey happened to be Saito.
He needed to activate his morpher again, buy some time so that his friends could get here. At the very least Saito couldn't die without buying just a little more time.
His hand reached for the device. Ignoring the pain from his wounds, and trying to turn this fight around.
Hookwolf was faster.
He swiped at Saito's chest, tearing through the tough material and cutting Saito's body. Hookwolf had him pinned beneath his metal paw, the jaw of his wolf form opening up to bite off Saito's head.
"Disappointing…" Was the only comment Hookwolf made before he bit down.
Saito closed his eyes, hoping that at least he bought enough time for his…friend to escape.
He welcomed death. "I'll see you soon…Himari…"
Just as he resolved himself to face death, Saito heard a familiar voice. Then the pressure he felt from Hookwolf just…vanished. "Saito-san!"
Kamen Rider Pov
'Do you have a real reason to fight?'
Saito's words played over and over in my head.
A part of me knew they were wrong, knew that I DID have a reason to fight.
'Is humanity even worth fighting for in the first place?'
Or was that something I was just telling myself? Was it just an empty hope? Was the world really as pointless and miserable as Saito said it was?
Maybe Saito was right…I could still walk away-
"Mreoow~?" That sound interrupted my thoughts. Memories flashing through my head one after another.
The day I got here.
Finding Himari.
Taking care of her before meeting Saito.
Those quiet and happy days…reminded me.
I did have a reason to fight, now more than ever. Even if I hadn't been in this world long, even if some of what Saito said was correct.
He was wrong about one crucial thing.
There was hope, there was happiness, even if it was small right now. It was still there, and that's all the reason I needed to get up right now.
Which meant I needed the strength to fight for that belief.
Now more than ever.
"...I don't trust you. I'm sure you know that already though. You made me a Kamen Rider selfishly…but now I don't care if I'll ever find out." Slowly I got up, pain shooting up my body. But my resolve grew stronger and stronger.
"If you won't tell me what that means…then I'll define those words by myself. Kamen Rider…"
Deciding to do the one thing I had been avoiding since I arrived here.
I had feared using it.
Feared becoming less human then I already was.
But compared to seeing Saito die, compared to giving up that hope and happiness I found in this world?
"You're a lot less scary when I think of things like that…aren't you?" I said while tapping my belt. "I really am going insane if I'm talking to you now, aren't I?"
'Would you like to roll a ticket?'
My fears seemed to vanish.
Even if I wasn't a human, that didn't mean I couldn't fight for humanity.
Because happiness and hope did exist.
For that reason alone, If this belt could be used to help humans see that…then I wouldn't care where it came from.
I'd use this belt without holding back from now on.
Use this power the way I saw fit.
If the world was as miserable as Saito said it was, if humans have lost sight of their dreams and hopes because of that.
Then I would fight the world itself to give those dreams and hopes back to humanity.
The misery that obscured all the hopes, dreams, and smiles of this world.
I'd fight it.
Even if I was alone at the start, even if I had spent every second of my life for that goal from now on.
I would fight as a Kamen Rider and create a world worth protecting. A world where misery no longer obscured hope, dreams, or happiness.
A world where people could smile again.
"That's why I have to fight, that's why I have to save these people." My voice was hoarse, my body was shaky at first. Then I stood up stably, the pain dulling as resolve and adrenaline took its place.
"This body, these fists, my soul! Exists to fight against the misery of this world!"
Then I took my first step, then another.
Shaky at first, before it stabilized.
When I left the alley I was jogging.
My body was alive with power, every part of my being was energized.
I saw a giant metal wolf pinning Saito to the ground, I knew who it was.
It was Hookwolf.
Now I was running, Hookwolf right in front of me about to kill my second friend in this world.
"Saito-san!" I roared, pulling back my body to punch Hookwolf.
The hit landed, and Hookwolf was sent flying.
I was just on tim