Kamen Rider Riptide
Episode 1: Birth of the Next Generation Hero
L.A, the City of Angels, or so people believed; Traffic was jammed along the highways, horns honking and people shouting at those in front of them to get going. Music was playing loud in cars driving around streets, from boomboxes being carried around, headphones being worn. The sun was shining high, warming the city, but more importantly, those on Venice Beach. The water was sparkling beautifully, waves lapping against the golden sand and those immersing themselves into the blue ocean.
Perched on a high tower with a chair sat Andrew DeLise, a twenty-two year old man who had been working as a lifeguard for the past four months. Wearing a pair of swim gray swim trunks and blue tank top, the sun baking his short, brown hair. Lifting a pair of binoculars to his green eyes, he scanned the beach, keeping a lookout for anything that could go wrong.
"Hard at work as always, I see." a voice said from below, Andrew looking down to see his mentor and fellow lifeguard, Rex Hanson. "Kind of hard to slack off when you drilled your training into my head." Andrew responded, climbing down the tower and onto the sand. "Train hard, work hard" Rex started, with them both saying "Relax hard!" at the same time. Rex laughed slightly, his frame was muscular his head shaved down military style.
"I owe you for this job, you have no ideas how much I love doing this." "Hey, I needed something to do after coming home from the War. You always seemed like a good person when I was put on as your trainer. My turn to take watch then." Andrew was handing Rex the binoculars when a strong wind started to blow, causing umbrellas, coolers, and the like to start flying, the trees bent over slightly, the sky slowly getting dark. "What in the world..?" Rex asked himself, he and Andrew looking at the sky. "A tornado?" he asked, Rex shaking his head. "Not this far out west. We need to get people to the shelter, fast!" "Right!" The two went to work, helping people get their belongings and directing them to a shelter area, but a woman refused to go, saying "My soon was swimming out there! I can't leave him!" "We'll get him back, ma'am, please get to safety." Rex said, she running to the shelter.
A young boy's cry of "Help!" reached their ears, Andrew looking out to the ocean as the waves became more fierce, the child stuck in crashing water. "We have to help him, come on!" The two rode out on a jet ski with life vests on, Rex carrying an extra one. "These waves are coming in way too hard, this isn't normal!" Andrew shouted over the storm, the two soon reaching the boy. Grabbing the spare life vest, he dove into the water, rain now pouring down hard. A few seconds later, he surfaced with the child, handing him to Rex, but before he could climb back onto the jet ski, the wave pulled him back under. "Andrew! Andrew!" Seconds ticked by..ten...twenty..thirty..Rex shut his eyes tightly, letting out a yell at the storm once his student never re-surfaced, he driving the child on the jet ski back to the shore, and to the shelter. The mother took her son inside, giving the former Marine a sad nod of thanks when she realized that only one of the lifeguards returned.
Andrew sunk lower and lower into the water, his eyes closed while his body moved. "I'm drowning..am I going to die?" Feeling something grabbing him, his eyes opened to see a red haired creature carrying him deeper underwater, his eyes widening. "A mermaid!?" The woman gave him a smile, swimming faster, her fin speeding them up until they reached a castle, the mermaid laying him on a stone table, swimming off. Slowly, Andrew closed his eyes once more, falling asleep. Time passed, how long he didn't know. Slowly he sat up on the table, rubbing his eyes and looking around. "Where am I?" "You've awakened, warrior." a female voice spoke, he turning to face it. Standing in a doorway with her arms crossed was a woman with long purple hair tied in a pony tail, wearing a toga of sorts with gold and ocean blue shoulder pads, belt, shin guards, and black boots. "Who are you?" he asked, slowly standing up. "Greetings, I am Pyrrah, the ruling Goddess of Atlantis." "Wait, Atlantis? The sunken city? The Atlantis?" "Yes. You were brought here by one of my loyal maidens, Estella. May I ask your name?" "A-Andrew. Andrew DeLise. I'm sorry but, how? How did I end up here? I drowned when...When I rescued that child." he realized, scratching his hair. "I had Estella bring you here, because I have something I must say, and I feel you are the only hope your world has." "What do you mean, Pyrrah?" he asked, approaching her as she held up a hand, a small bubble floating upwards.
The bubble would expand and turn into a sort of screen, Pyrrah speaking as images were shown on it. "Earth, your home planet, has lived peacefully for many years. However, a force of great evil has begun its plan to invade it and destroy your ecosystem to make it more like theirs." "What are they?" "The Malvtorians, lead by the mighty Warlord Shu. Andrew, I had you brought here for another reason." she said, approaching him and placing a hand on his chest, he blushing slightly. "What is it?" "You may not know this, you may not remember. However, you, Andrew DeLise, are the reincarnation of a great Atlantian warrior; the Kamen Rider." "Kamen Rider?" he asked, tilting his head in a confused manner. "A warrior of great power, a protector. You are his reincarnation, reborn in the modern day." Pyyrah then reached into her toga and pulled out a small necklace with shark teeth, and three ocean blue crystals on it, placing it over his neck. "When the time comes, you will meet deadly enemies, and powerful allies. At the right moment, you will harness your powers. For now...Sleep." As soon as she said that word, Andrew fell to the ground, passing out.
Andrew slowly awoke once more, this time he was floating on the ocean's surface, the sun shining down upon L.A once more; the storm had died down, and the sound of a boat's engine caught his ear. "Andrew!" a familiar voice called out, a strong hand reaching to grab him and pull the young man into the boat, Rex having a look of worry on his face, at first hugging him tightly, but then lying him down on a small bed and starting to check his pulse, his temperature, checking for pupil dilation. "Rex..I." "Shh, don't talk, buddy. You were down there for a few hours, we have to get you to a hospital." Rex said, putting a blanket over him and gunning the boat back to the beach, the L.A Fire Department and Paramedics having been called in earlier to help after the storm had passed. Once on land, they loaded Andrew onto a gurney and put him into an ambulance, Rex sitting in back with him.
At the hospital, he woke up yet again, laying in a bed with a monitor connected to him. The nurse who had been checking his vitals noticed his eyes opening, and smiled at him. The nurse however, had purple hair and emerald green eyes, causing his own to fly open. "Hello again, Andrew DeLise. How are you feeling?" she asked cheerfully.
"Okay, so I wasn't dreaming!" he almost yelled, gripping his blanket. Giggling, she pulled up a chair and sat beside him, putting a finger to her lips. "Don't worry, what you experienced in Atlantis was real. The storm that hit before you visited was a sign of the Malvtorian's coming into your world. Once you have rested, it will be time to start your training." "Training?" "To become the next generation of the Kamen Rider." she said with a smile. "Look, Pyrrah.." Andrew sat up slightly, shaking his head. "I'm not some ancient warrior. I'm a lifeguard who works at Venice Beach, no more, no less." "I understand your doubts, young warrior, but trust me when I say that you are destined to protect this world." Pyrrah then vanished into thin air, the real nurse walking in to see Andrew awake, putting down a clipboard, then seeing the chair, raising an eyebrow.
He would shrug his shoulders, laying back down as she studied his monitors. "You're lucky to be alive, Mr. DeLise. Few people surface after drowning like that, and there's nothing wrong with you from the looks of it. You'll have to stay at least until tomorrow afternoon." "Alright, what ab-" "Heya, kid!" Rex barged in with a couple of flowers, placing them onto his bed. "Rex, what are you-" "A get well visit, of course! I wanted to talk to you about work; I'm gonna go ahead and give you a few days off, Bill can fill in for you, just fill out some paperwork." "Alright, thanks man." Andrew said, rubbing his eyes and looking up at his mentor. "Rex, listen. I don't know if I was hallucinating or what when I was underwater, but.." he started to explain the story of what he thought was a dream, how Pyrrah had visited him, Rex rubbing his chin in thought. "You know, maybe it isn't so far fetched." "You believe me?" "Eh, kind of. There are stories that California is protected by a Water Goddess, and we'll incur her wrath if the Earth is damage too much, but if we're in danger.." Rex looked at the necklace around his student's neck. "Tomorrow, find this Pyrrah girl, see if what she has to say is legitimate."
Andrew slept like a rock until the next afternoon, being woke up by the nurse. "Good afternoon, Mr. DeLise. You're good to go, your mother signed your release forms. Go ahead and get dressed." she explained, unhooking and turning off the monitors while Andrew blinked at her "My Mother?"
"Yes, she's waiting for you at the reception desk. Is everything alright?" she asked, seeing his confused look. "My mother and step-brother were supposed to be in Colorado for a trip. Maybe they came home early after hearing the news." Having put on a pair of gray pants, blue tank top, and ocean blue and gray sneakers, Andrew made his way downstairs to the reception desk, stopping dead in his tracks when he saw none other than Pyyrah standing there in a skirt, a coat with a shirt, and heels. "Andrew, sweetie!" she said, running up and hugging him, smiling. His face was a mask of utter shock, blinking. "Come, let's get you home! I'll make your favorite meal." she guided him out of the hospital entrance, he pulling away from her once they made some distance.
"What are you -doing-!?" he demanded, she giggling and in a burst of light, was in her toga outfit from when they first met. "I'm helping you with your training of course. Atlantian's were known for their combat skills, and you're to become a warrior for my homeland. Now, defend yourself!" Without warning, she summoned a blade made of pure water, which Andrew raised his arms to block, only for the weapon to cut him, he wincing. "Ow! How though? It's water!" "Atlantians used water to their advantage; We were able to turn it into sword, whips, daggers, even ice. A mundane element can be the deadliest weapon when used correctly." Pyrrah continued her lesson, training Andrew in both hand to hand and water weapon combat, the young man having learned much.
"Your necklace will protect you, and guide you when it comes to battle, it holds a great power that has been passed down from Kamen Rider to Kamen Rider." "When will I know to use it?" "You will know when the time is right. You still have much to learn, but I should return home for now. Be well, Andrew." Pyrrah vanished, turning into a wall of water and falling to the ground, Andrew scratching his head at the sight. "This is nuts.." he muttered, heading back to his house. Little did he know a creature had started to follow him,laughing to itself. Once he reached a small shopping center, he stopped dead in his tracks, the smell of smoke hitting him like a smack to the face. "Smoke, there's gotta be a fire somewhere!" he kept sniffing, feeling himself getting closer to the source, seeing a multitude of buildings set ablaze.
"I have to get these people to safety!" he thought to himself, rushing forward and helping people off of the ground, telling someone he had picked up to call the L.A Fire Department. The cries of a woman caught his ears, seeing her trapped inside of one of the buildings. Swallowing hard, he clenched his fists and ran forward through the door, into the inferno. The haze of smoke stung his eyes, coughing hard. "Can't see..gotta find them fast!" he thought, stumbling around and hitting a couple of boxes, the cries of the woman getting louder. Once he finally reached her, he wrapped her arm over his neck, starting to head for the door, only for part of the roof to collapse in front of them. "Is there another way out of here?" Andrew yelled over the roaring blaze, the lady responding "Upstairs..fire escape.." Nodding, the two made their way to the back door, climbing the stairs, stumbling until they found themselves on the roof.
"Where's the fire escape?" he asked her, she pointing to the edge of the roof, the two traveling to it, only for the roof to explode outwards, Andrew turning to see something that turned his blood cold; A monster! A being made of stone and flames, laughing madly as it pointed a finger at him. "You! You are the chosen warrior of Atlantis!" "Leave us alone!" he yelled at the monster, starting to help the woman down the fire escape until they got to the ground, fire fighters taking the lady to safety, Andrew looking back up at the roof to see the monster, the creature jumping down to ground level, roaring. The civilians and fire fighters ran in different directions, Andrew starting to run away as well, only for the monster to fling a fireball at him, sending him flying into a nearby wall with an 'oof!'.
"The Malvtorian's will have this planet, warrior. Destiny has claimed us the victors!" "I'm not a warrior! What do you want from me?!" "Your life! I, Magmatrox shall present your head to Lord Shu!" Magmatrox let out another laugh, creating a larger fireball, hurling it at Andrew, who brought his arms up over his head, yelling, waiting for the impact of burning and smoke, but it never came. Lowering his arms, his eyes widened to see that he was surrounded by an aura made of water, his necklace glowing. "What?!" Magmatrox yelled, Andrew standing up and glaring at the monster, Pyrrah's voice speaking inside of his head softly.
"It is time to awaken the warrior within you, Andrew. Trust in your strength, courage, and love. Become the Kamen Rider!" The necklace glowed brighter then before, Andrew's body starting to glow within the aura of water. "AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Letting out the mighty yell, the aura shot outwards, the young man turning bright white and soon, when the light faded, there was someone different standing in his place; A masked warrior, whose torso and legs had shark like skin, gray and ocean blue colored, the helmet in the shape of a shark's head with black eyes, shark fin bracers, blue gloves with black, metal boots, a belt with a shark fin on it and side layers, the chest armor forming over his torso was metallic, tubes connected from front to back, surging with water inside of them, and shoulder pads with the color of his suit. "I am the Next Generation Hero! Rider of the Waves of Justice! KAMEN! RIDER! RIPTIDE!" "Hah. You got slightly taller and you look different, am I supposed to be impressed?"
Magmatox strode forward, creating another fireball, but Riptide rushed forward swinging a fist straight into it and connecting a punch to the monsters face, sending him flying back. Magmatox growled, standing back up, the two warriors running at each other, Riptide starting to punch him multiple times the training from Pyyrah kicking in as he spin kicked him hard in the chest. "No, this cant be happening! The Malvtorian's are too powerful!" "Believe it, buddy, it's happening. Atlantis chose me to protect this planet, and I am going to do so til my very last breath!" Clenching his fist, Riptide sent out a stream of water from his glove, the water surrounding Magmatox and freezing around him rapidly until he was encased inside of it. "Tell your leader I have a message for him: Earth is off-limits!" Then, Riptide's right leg began to glow, he calling out "Rider Kick: Shatter!" He then brought his leg up, sending out a straight kick that connected with the ice, Magmatox yelling out "Nooooo!" as his body shattered into nothingness, Riptide turning around and turning back to normal.
The next day at Venice Beach, Andrew was standing beside the lifeguard tower, arms crossed over his chest, Rex approaching him. "Hey, kid. I thought you had the next few days off?" "I do, just needed to come here so I can relax a little. It's gonna be a busy year from here on out."
Meanwhile, a giant ship floated high in space, four high ranking generals stood at attention before Lord Shu. Two men, two women, each highly decorated with their own style of medals. "Vulturex, Dayus, Monde, Kash. It appears that one of the Riders has been summoned to stop us from invading Earth. If we are to create a new planet for our people, You must stop him. Am I underood?" Shu asked, head tilted back slightly. The four general placed a hand over their chest, bowing and each saying "Yes, my Lord."
End of Episode One.
-Next time on Kamen Rider Riptide! General Vulturex sends out one of his animal mutants to destroy our newly born hero! Will Riptide be able to stop it from destroying Hollywood? Ride the Waves of Justice with the Next Generation Hero and find out!-