The television clicked off with a faint pop, the light of the Avengers' battle fading into black. Kaori blinked, her claws and wings gone, her small human hands trembling in the glow of the rec room. The PlayStation sat where it always had, the orphanage just as quiet as when she left.
Only a few minutes had passed.
She pressed her palm to her chest, still feeling the echo of Diablo's roar deep in her ribs, still tasting the ash of the Leviathan's fall in her throat. It was strange—her body was here, but her mind still buzzed with the memory of New York, of catching Tony Stark in her arms, of fighting side by side with gods and legends.
No one here would believe her.
"Just a dream," she whispered to herself, though she knew it wasn't. She climbed into her bed, curling up against the old blanket, and drifted into sleep with the faintest smile. For once, she wasn't just the weird girl in the orphanage. She was Kaori Fujimoto, hero.
---
The morning light crept through the thin curtains, and Kaori woke to the sound of voices echoing down the hall. The orphanage was lively today—laughter, hurried footsteps, the squeak of polished shoes on the wooden floor. Something was happening.
She slipped into her slippers and padded quietly toward the entrance hall. There, by the front doors, stood her friend Suzuka. She was dressed in her best clothes, a small bag clutched nervously in her hands. A married couple stood beside her, smiling warmly at the headmistress.
Kaori froze.
Adopted.
Suzuka's eyes met hers. For a moment, there was joy—then hesitation. She offered a weak smile, lifting her hand in a small wave. Kaori lifted hers too, but her chest ached. She wanted to run to her, to hug her, to say something. But the words caught in her throat.
And then, just like that, Suzuka was gone. The door closed, and Kaori stood in the hallway, staring at the empty space where her friend had been.
---
The rest of the day felt heavy. The other children played outside, their laughter bright under the sun, but Kaori wandered the halls alone, her steps echoing softly. She passed the rec room, where the television sat silent. She glanced at the comics piled neatly on the shelves, the PS5 controller still glowing faintly from standby.
But none of it filled the quiet inside her.
She sat by the window in her room, knees tucked to her chest. Why not me? she thought. Why am I still here? She wasn't angry at Suzuka—she was happy for her—but it hurt to watch people leave while she stayed.
Her gaze drifted to the small crack in the curtains where the night sky had begun to peek through. Stars glimmered faintly, distant and unreachable.
Unless you had the power to reach them.
Kaori's lips curved into the faintest smile. She wiped her eyes and stood.
"I don't have to wait for anyone to choose me," she whispered. "I can choose my own story."
Her hand brushed the television screen once more, and light shimmered under her touch. She knew where she wanted to go this time—not the beginning of the Avengers, but deeper, darker. The battle for Earth wasn't over.
The Infinity War awaited.
---
The world around her shifted again, the orphanage fading into nothingness.
When Kaori opened her eyes, she was standing on the barren, desolate surface of Titan. The air was thin, the sky a swirl of dying stars and dust. Ahead of her, she spotted them—Tony Stark in his bleeding-edge armor, Doctor Strange with the Eye of Agamotto glowing faintly at his chest, and young Peter Parker in his Iron Spider suit. They stood face-to-face with strangers she recognized instantly: Star-Lord, Drax, and Mantis.
The tension crackled in the air as accusations flew—who they were, why they were there, who served Thanos.
Kaori's heart pounded. This was it. One of the most important battles in the universe's story.
But this time, she wasn't going in as a monster. Not as a demon.
Her body glowed, energy crackling around her like shards of pink lightning. Armor folded across her chest, sleek and metallic, while a curved visor slid over her eyes. She raised her hand, and in it appeared the peach-shaped Lockseed, glowing with fierce light.
"Transform!" she cried.
The Lockseed snapped shut, and the armor bloomed across her form. The peach blade hummed with energy as she stepped forward, clad now in the form of Kamen Rider Marika.
The heroes froze, their argument cutting short as they turned to stare.
Kaori tightened her grip on her weapon, her voice steady and clear.
"I don't belong to Thanos. I'm here to fight him."
And for the first time since Suzuka left, Kaori didn't feel left behind. She was exactly where she chose to be.