The world is a bright and happy place, filled to the brim with hope and creativity. However, even where there is the brightest light, there is an equally dark shadow. For humanity, that shadow was known as the Wasure. They were determined to snuff out the light of the world, and tried a great many times. But the Wasure were not all filled with darkness. A single spark of light among the darkness of the Wasure rose up to help humanity defend itself. This Wasure gave their life so the human race could stand a fighting chance. From this, a warrior was born, one who became the sentinel of mankind. Due to his unmoving nature, he was appropriately named, Stone.

Kamen Rider Stone

Cue Opening Theme: Star Ring Child - Aimer

The small city woke to a peaceful day, adding to a peaceful month. The early morning light shone down upon the residents of the city, almost as if protecting them from the receding night. The peaceful morning was broken by a loud cry of despair and defeat.

"How do you do it, Dad?" a teenage girl moaned, her chin resting on a counter, the remnants of a chess game off to the side, "That's win number 15 for you at this point!"

"Try 16," her father smirked, casually washing dishes in the nearby sink, "I don't do anything, Kate. Chess takes years to master, and only after you have mastered it, then will you be able to beat me." Kate moaned again, running a hand through her short black hair. She glanced up at her father, her dark blue eyes studying him.

"Let's go again!" she stated confidently, reaching for the game board again. Her father laughed, and took the seat across from her.

"It'll end the same way," he joked, setting up the black pieces on his side of the board, "but, I suppose I'll play one more game." Kate smirked, and just as she grabbed the discarded white king, a female voice echoed through the house briefly.

"Richard? Could you give me a hand with something?" Kate's father gave a soft sigh, giving Kate a wink, and got up from his chair. Kate sighed and began to study the small piece in her hand.

"Why is it," she wondered aloud, "Such an important piece is so weak?"

(KRS)

A few miles away, a male figure rested on the roof of a restaurant, his hands resting behind his head. His eyes were closed, and a blissful smile decorated his face. The wind blew over him, his dark blue hair waving slightly with the wind. A shadow approached him, leaning over him. He slowly pried open one eye, and saw a girl with black hair leaning over him.

"Leave me alone, Opal," he muttered, "I'm still on break," the girl, Opal, growled, and drilled her foot into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him, and forcing him to sit up. As he coughed, regaining his breath, Opal wiped imaginary dust off of her white blouse, a smug smile on her face.

"If you're seriously trying to keep this job, then you can't take a break during the busiest hour and leave it to me!" she yelled at him, to which he winced and rubbed his poor ear, "I'm surprised the manager hasn't fired us yet!" the male grumbled under his breath, unconsciously rubbing the gauntlet that covered his forearm. "James are you even listening to me?!" Opal demanded.

"Yeah, yeah," James muttered, forcing himself to his feet, "You're a slave driver, you know that?"

"No complaining!" Opal ordered, pushing him towards the door that led back inside, "My last partner had no complaints about how our partnership worked!"

"That was what, some thousand years ago?" James yawned, "Sorry, but us humans have gotten so much lazier since then, or is that not apparent?" Opal growled, and ground her teeth against one another. James yawned again, and begrudgingly took a red apron, with some faded logo emblazoned on the fabric.

"I could have chosen anyone to partner with," Opal stated, forcing James to stop and look at her, "But I picked you. I can see the potential in you, even if you can't. You're strong, James. You just need to care." She opened her mouth to say more, but was shocked into silence as a familiar feeling swept through her being.

"Where?" James said, his tone deathly serious. He tore off the ridiculous article of clothing and threw a white vest over the black dress shirt he was wearing.

"Downstairs," Opal said, still shell-shocked, "We need to move," James gave her no argument, instead holding out the arm with the gauntlet on it. Opal touched the faded opal gemstone, and her form began to glow with a bright white light. When it faded, the opal was a brilliant white, instead of the lifeless color it had been before.

"Let's go, partner," James stated, jumping down the middle of the stairwell, not caring about the drop. The only thing going through his mind was 'what could make Opal that scared?'

(KRS)

In a shadowed room very far underground, a young king sat on his throne, his chin lazily propped on his left hand, his right hand idly drumming its fingers on the armrest of his throne. He too had felt the energy. It was very potent, and extremely strong. An energy like that could make him even stronger. Not that he needed to be. As he was, he could easily destroy any threat to him, or put the rest of his own species to rest. He didn't care which.

"My King," an older voice said from behind him, "Would it not be prudent to send one of our scouts to investigate this interesting event?" the King considered this for a moment. He would have no problem going to the surface and killing as many of the pathetic humans as he could, but then he was not some mindless monster. A scout could simply survey the situation and report back, and if it was worth his time, he might make a small trip to the human world.

"For once, you have a point, Nori," the King stated, "Send your scout, and ensure that if he fails to bring us enough intelligence, he never sees the light of the surface ever again." Nori stepped from the shadows, giving his King a low bow.

"I will send the best scout we have, my lord," he said, the bow blocking the cunning smirk on his face. He rose, and his face became a mask of obedience, "He will report back by the end of the day," The King grunted in approval, and turned his head to the side, staring into the shadows. It didn't matter if they succeeded or failed. He'd get the power either way.

)KRS)

Kate sat alone in a booth in her favorite restaurant, Dimitri's Diner. She had been having the lousiest day. For starters, her parents had realized they had run out of oil, so she had been forced to take a freezing cold shower that morning. She shivered as she remembered the ice-cold feeling of the water.

Then, as if to make matters worse, her friends had bailed on their "girls' day out," stating that they had been called into work at the last second. She wasn't sure if they were lying or not. So now, she was stuck with two options: either have the day out without her friends, or just go home. She sighed, and let her head hit the tabletop. She couldn't think on an empty stomach.

The sound of footsteps reached her ear, and she saw a waiter approaching. She took note of his oddly-colored blue hair, and the same colored eyes, but said nothing. "Rough day?" he asked. Kate sighed, and rested her chin on the table this time.

"You have no idea," she said, "First thing in the morning, the oil's gone, leaving me to wake up with a shower that reached dangerous levels of cold, then my friends bail on me. And I had this whole day planned out too!" The waiter chuckled, setting the plate in his hand down.

"Maybe this'll cheer you up," he said, prompting her to gaze at the contents of the plate. Her eyes widened. It was a slice of her favorite cheesecake, strawberry with just a hint of chocolate to add just a bit more variety to the flavor. She didn't even realize she was drooling at the sight.

"How did you-?" she turned to the waiter, only to see him in the clutches of an admittedly pretty girl who had him by the collar.

"James!" she roared, pulling him closer, "That was my slice! The manager was saving that for me!" the now identified James raised his hands in mock surrender, a sheepish smile on his face. Kate deadpanned, watching the two interact. They were almost like brother and sister.

Man how she wanted a sibling.

"Calm down, Opal. Calm down," James pleaded, trying to lessen the girls rage. Kate slowly reached for the slice of cake, but Opal's head whipped around, her eyes boring into hers, sending an unspoken message; touch the cake, I take your hand. Kate wisely withdrew her hand.

"You know how much I love my sweets, James!" Opal growled, "Why are you giving it to a complete stranger?" She released the poor boy, letting him fall to the floor, snatching up the cake and growling at Kate. Kate was beginning to think that this girl was certifiably insane. James's hand gripped the edge of the table, and he pulled himself up, his blue hair tossed and messy.

"Opal," he stated, easing himself into the booth opposite Kate, "That is the piece that the manager gave to me, since he knew this girl was a regular. Yours is in the fridge in back," Opal froze, her face becoming slightly red with embarrassment in each passing second. Hiding her face with her bangs, she slowly placed the plate back in front of Kate and sat next to James, who patted her back gently.

"Um…" Kate said, "What was that?" James gave her a smile that clearly tried to apologize for the actions of his sister (?).

"Sorry about that," he said, "Opal is very… passionate about her sweets. The only tooth in her mouth is a sweet tooth," Kate nodded in understanding. A faint voice yelled from the kitchen, and James sighed. "Come on, Opal," he grunted, "Time to get back to work," The still embarrassed Opal rose from her position and seemingly drifted back to the kitchen, "Sorry again," James said, "Oh, and no charge for the cake. It's on the house." He walked off, his hands in his pockets, whistling a tune that Kate didn't recognize. She watched him leave, a small smile reaching her face.

"What a nice guy," she said softly, placing a piece of the pastry in her mouth, savoring every second the taste lingered in her mouth.

(KRS)

James and Opal watched Kate from the kitchen, Opal's eyes fixed on the bracelet that dangled from her left wrist. Her eyes were wide with shock and worry, a million thoughts running through her head at once. James looked on, with his trademark relaxed expression.

"That's… That's not possible," Opal muttered, "She never made it from the building. Even the professor couldn't find her," James hummed in approval and leaned forward.

"Whatever the case," he said, "That one is going to lead to a lot of trouble for her if we don't do anything. I'll take a look around the restaurant, see if anything is close enough to cause trouble." Opal numbly nodded as James left, her mind thinking of dozens of possibilities that could end with that one ending up in Kate's hands.

(KRS)

Across the street from the diner, in the shadow-covered alley that separated two large buildings, a male figure looked through the window, pleased at his find. He had not expected to find the girl so easily, but the energy that she emitted was so potent, he had tracked her to this exact location from across the city. He licked his lips in anticipation. If he brought her back in one piece, his King would reward him generously. Maybe even let him have a taste of her energy.

"Not a good idea pal," a male voice sounded from behind him, "She's not on the menu. Might I interest you in one of our patent KNUCKLE SANDWICHES?!" the man turned just in time to catch a right hook that slammed into his jaw, sending him sprawling into the back of the alley. Before he had time to recover, a foot shot forward into his stomach, sending him to the ground, the breath knocked out of him.

"Did you have to include the food pun?" a female voice asked, rather irritably.

"Do we really have time to discuss this?" the male voice moaned, "Look, Wasure, the point is, get out of here before we crack your skull open and use it as a bowl," The pair of figures stepped into the light, revealing themselves to be James and Opal. James raised his left arm, and Opal slapped the gemstone that decorated the surface, the light from the fusion blinding the man they had attacked.

"W-what?!" he shouted, "Bishop never said anything about this!" his form rippled, like the asphalt on a hot summer day, and when the energy dispersed, a monster stood in his place. Its head resembled a bat, with pointed ears and beady eyes. The body was that of a normal human, but it was covered in fur, a pair of ragged shorts resting on its legs. The arms were that of bat wings, with a pair of hands replacing the talons on each wing. Its feet bore talons that looked sharp as knives, and glinted in the afternoon light. The monster screeched at the shining James, who brought his arm down as the glow faded.

"You… what are you?" The bat monster asked.

"Bat Wasure, He Who Stalks the Shadows," James stated, his voice now sounding like a combination of his and Opal's voices, "Leave this place or be destroyed," The Bat Wasure screeched at them yet again, launching a pair of tornadoes from his wing/arms. They hit the ground in front of James, kicking up a wall of dust. The Wasure smirked, thinking that James had been destroyed, and turned to leave. However, a burst of fire shot from the cloud of dust, striking him in the back, and making him stumble. He turned back, and saw a new figure as the smoke dispersed.

The figure that now stood in James's place was clad in very strange armor. His body was covered by a black bodysuit that hugged his frame, loose enough to allow movement. His head was covered in a white hood resting over a black helmet, a pair of red eyes very visible on the helmet. His body was clad in a white squire-like uniform, with a slight "skirt" reaching to his mid thighs. His chest was covered by silver armor that slightly covered his shoulders. White gloves covered his hands, with white boots protecting his legs up, reaching up to his knees. Around his waist a silver belt rested, a large black buckle making up the front of the belt. A short sword was sheathed on his left hip.

The now armored James cracked his neck, and let his left hand rest on his sword. "Beat it," he said, his voice leaving no room for debate, "Now." The Wasure took a step back slightly, but grit its teeth and threw itself towards the armored figure, hoping to pin him down for a moment. He got within a foot of Stone before his form blurred and the Wasure lost sight of him. He landed where James had just been, and screamed in pain as a fountain of pale green blood erupted from its chest.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU?!" It howled, turning around to see Stone facing the opposite direction, his sword drawn and clenched in his right hand. The Wasure sent a pair of tornadoes at him again, but he jumped to a fire escape on one of the buildings. He casually leaned against the railing, like he was looking off a bridge at a river below.

"I'm called many things," he said cryptically, "But, I guess you can call me Stone."

(KRS)

The King paced in front of his scout, who was currently holding his chest in pain, the blood around the wound having dried. "He called himself what, again?" he said, all too calmly. The scout gulped, fearing his fate.

"Stone, my Lord," Bat said, keeping his voice even, "He also said that while others cannot, he will stand against you. He even called you by your Sacred Name!" King froze at that, his eyes widening, "He knew mine as well! What should I do, my Lord? I cannot get close to the subject with-" his speech was cut off as the King's hand lashed out and wrapped itself around his throat.

"You will follow these orders to the letter," the King growled, his voice dangerously low, "This information does NOT leave this room. You will not give the rest of our race a reason to desert their people. You will go to Bishop for medical treatment, and then do whatever is necessary to obtain the subject. If HE comes around again, you had best hope he kills you, for if you return empty-handed again, I most certainly will," The Bat Wasure nodded rapidly, and the King released him. Bat left the throne room as fast as his legs could carry him. King watched him go and scoffed in annoyance.

"Was that wise, Majesty?" a rough and gravelly voice asked from the shadows, "If he does not return, and gives Stone our location…" the voice left the possibility in the air, and the King grunted.

"He will die, either at my hand, or at Stone's," the King stated, turning to the figure standing in the shadows, "For now, make sure no word of a new Stone reaches the rest of our people," the shadowed figure nodded, and disappeared. King growled in annoyance and returned to his throne. He stared at the throne for a moment, before resting his hand on the back of the massive chair, a somewhat sorrowful look in his eyes.

"I have a duty to make sure this world belongs to our people," he muttered, almost like he was trying to convince himself of the fact, and sat back on the throne, unaware of the figure that had heard his lament hiding in the shadows.

(KRS)

James slumped onto the couch that he and Opal had managed to rent with the meager pay that came with working at that diner. He had screwed up that fight, and let the Bat Wasure get away. He cursed himself for not being more careful. He was not very passionate about things, be he was damn sure that no one would ever suffer at the hands of those monsters.

"You know he's going to try again," Opal stated. James looked behind him as saw Opal, standing in the door frame to her bedroom, "They're not going to stop until we do something about that aura she's emitting with that Stone Spirit," James sighed, but nodded yes.

"I know, I know," he muttered, his right hand gripping his left arm, "We'll figure something out, right?" Opal sighed, walking over to her partner, and letting her arms drape over his shoulders and onto his chest. He stiffened as she rested her chin on his head.

"You always do," she said softly. They stayed that way for a while, just enjoying each other's company. After some time, James felt Opal slump onto his shoulders, and knew she had fallen asleep.

"You may be a weird ghost-spirit thing," he muttered softly, moving her to the couch, "But you're as human as they come, partner," he rummaged around in the ottoman that rested in the center of the room, and pulled out one of the few blankets they owned, draping it over Opal's sleeping figure. He smiled at her, and lightly brushed a hair out of her face. "Sweet dreams, Opal."

(KRS)

Kate lay on her bed, facing the ceiling. She held her left arm in front of her face, gazing at the jade charm that hung from the silver chain. She knew that it was a gift from her mother, but beyond that, she had no clue what it was. She considered it a constant reminder that her mother was always watching over her.

She sighed, and let her arm fall to her side, gazing out the window. Her foster parents were great, there was no argument on that, but… Sometimes she wished she had a little brother, someone she could help with their homework after a long day at school. Her foster parents couldn't give her that. At least, they didn't want to. Not yet.

An image of James popped into her mind, and she smiled. He had been so nice to her, and had expected nothing in return. Someone like that was hard to find these days. And he wasn't too hard on the eyes either. She felt her cheeks heat up, and shook her head, trying to get the thought out of her head. She didn't need or want a relationship right now. Besides, who was the girl with him?

The girl… Kate prided herself on knowing every person in Caister Falls, but she had never heard of someone named Opal. She mentally shrugged and turned over, resting her cheek on the pillow. She could think about it in the morning.

(KRS)

The next morning came too quickly, and as the city went about its daily routine, they took no notice of the young man and girl zooming through the streets on a white and red motorcycle. James was the driver, Opal the girl hanging onto him for dear life as he sped towards his destination. They pulled into the parking lot of Dimitri's Diner. It was their day off, but they liked to stop by, and see if there was anything the other staff needed help with.

James took off his helmet, and patted his custom Honda CB500X lovingly, Opal wrenching off her helmet, and dashing to the nearest trash can, and depositing the contents of her stomach within.

"I still don't understand why you love driving that death machine so fast," Opal complained, her face somewhat pale. James gave a short bark of laughter, and swung his leg over the bike.

"It feels awesome with the wind rushing past me," he answered, sliding his helmet onto one of the mirrors, and removing the key from the ignition, "You never complained about it before,"

"That was because I was-" Opal's retort was interrupted as her hands flew to her mouth and she leaned over the trash can once again. James let out an amused chuckle, and waited for Opal to finish. He let his gaze drift to the sky, and noticed a small black object flying through the blue. He narrowed his eyes, but could not see whatever it was any clearer. He shrugged and braced himself for the inevitable nagging that would come from Opal.

(KRS)

The Bat Wasure let out a relieved breath as the human turned away. He really did not want to go another round with that Stone character unless truly necessary. His keen vision spotted his target leave her dwelling, and he flew after her in pursuit. He was not going to lose this time.

He landed on the rooftop of a building that overlook the local college that she attended, and reverted back to his human form in a ripple of darkness. He would wait for his moment, then catch the girl and bring her back to the King. Stone would not be able to be in two places at once.

(KRS)

James sneezed, and wiped under his nose. Opal took notice of this, but he gave her a look that said that he was alright. Someone was just talking about him again.

(KRS)

Kate left the college campus after a long day of classes, ready to go back to home and take a nice, long nap. It was a Friday, so she didn't have to worry about waking up early tomorrow. She had a shift at Dimitri's on Saturday night, but that wasn't until later in the day. She let out a content sigh, and relaxed. The sun was already going down on the horizon, and darkness was making many shadows that much darker.

The sound of flapping wings reached her ears, and she looked up. A pair of pigeons flew past, making her smile and relax once again. She took no notice of the man tailing her. The same one that Stone had fought the previous day. She walked past an alley, and the man seeing it as his chance. He ran up behind her, grabbed her and covered her mouth so she couldn't scream, and pulled her into the alley.

Kate didn't go easily, driving her elbow repeatedly into the disguised Wasure's stomach. She raised her heel and drove it onto the man's foot, causing him to give a brief cry of pain and in his surprise release her. She ran for the opening of the alley, but with a surprising burst of speed, the man speed towards her. He grabbed her by her book bag, and threw her back into the alley. Kate landed on a wood barrier, and while she fell, the man sped over to her again, this time grabbing her by the throat and lifting her up.

"You little bitch!" he growled, "The King wanted you alive," his arm rippled with dark energy, centering around his hand, "He didn't say about needing an arm!" he raised his energy covered hand in a chopping motion, and Kate closed her eyes.

'Someone… Anyone… help me…' she pleaded in her mind. As if in response to her cry for help, the jade gem on her bracelet began to glow with a brilliant light. The man moved his raised hand to block the bright light, and was knocked back by a pulse of green energy. Kate fell to the ground, coughing as air began to re-enter her lungs. She raised her arm to gaze at the green gem on her bracelet, as the glow began to fade.

"What the hell was…?" the man said in awe, but was interrupted by a shoe-covered foot crashing into his face. He howled in pain and clutched at his jaw, looking at his assailant, "Oh god, not you again!" Kate looked forward to see James and Opal standing there, having come to her rescue. Opal went over to Kate and knelt down.

"Are you alright?" she asked gently. Kate numbly nodded, still trying to figure out the glowing bracelet, "Good. Now, stay back. James and I got this." She returned to James's side, who smirked and held his left arm out. Kate took notice of the gauntlet that rested on his forearm, wondering how in the world she had missed it the first time.

"Let's go, partner," James stated, closing his eyes. Opal rolled her eyes, but slapped the gem on the gauntlet, her form glowing and spiraling into the gem. With a flash of light, the dull gray turned to a brilliant white. James smirked, opening his eyes. White irises now replaced the blue ones that Kate had seen the previous day. A white ring glowed around his waist, forming the belt that had rested on Stone's waist the day before. The opal on the gauntlet glowed, and a small object floated from the gem. It took form of a chess piece, a pawn specifically.

"What the hell?" Kate muttered, her mind having given up on trying to rationalize what she was seeing.

"This is the last time you show your face here, Wasure," James combined voice stated, his right hand raising and closing around the now formed chess piece, "And by our combined soul, we shall purge you from it," He threw the chess piece into the sky, letting out a slow breath.

"Let's…"

The piece came back down, and James caught it in his hand, inserting it into an opening on the top of the belt.

"Henshin!"

A projection of a massive pawn piece appeared a few inches above his head, and dropped onto him, completely encasing his body. The projection began to spin as white outlines of armor portions formed on his body, and in a flash of light and energy, the armor of Stone formed around him, his red eyes flashing from under his hood.

CHANGE!

Stone cracked his knuckles as the man who had tried to hurt Kate let out a feral roar and coated his entire body with black energy. It erupted from him with a burst of energy, revealing him to be the Bat Wasure, and he threw a pair of hurricanes at Stone, hoping to knock him off balance. Stone was unfazed by this, and drew the sword at his side, and slashed horizontally in front of him, a line of fire erupting from the sword. The two elements met, and exploded into black smoke.

Stone jumped through the smoke, his right fist drawn back for a punch. The Bat Wasure crossed its arms in front of itself, and managed to catch the brunt of the punch on his forearms/forewings. The force behind the blow, however, was enough to push him back a few inches. Stone didn't let up, and swept his leg towards his opponents, throwing the Wasure's legs out from beneath its body.

The Wasure hit the ground, and rolled to the side as a punch came down towards its chest, putting a small hole in the pavement where it had been laying not a minute before. "Hold still, dammit!" Stone growled, trying to pull his fist from the cracked pavement. The Wasure took advantage of the situation, and tackled Stone, grabbing him in its foot-claws. He pulled Stone from the ground, Stone's fist becoming dislodged from the ground in the process, and brought him up a few feet, only to throw him back down with the force of a speeding car. Stone moaned as tiny stars and swords danced around his field of vision.

The Bat Wasure took advantage of his enemy's disorientation, and took to the air, grabbing Kate in his foot-claws. Kate screamed in terror as the Bat Wasure flew out of the alley, well above Stone. "Shit!" Stone cursed, shaking the stars out of his vision and running after them. He threw a small white-hot fireball that flew wide, causing him to click his tongue in irritation. He ran to his bike, which had been waiting right outside the alley, and quickly mounted his trusty vehicle. He keyed the engine and gunned the ignition. It wasn't too hard to follow them, due to Kate's screaming.

He followed them through the streets, weaving through the late-day rush hour traffic. He gunned the engine as the flying monster disappeared from sight, speeding up. As he approached a building, he pulled his bike onto one wheel, flames roaring from the exhaust pipe. The front wheel connected with the side of the building, and he gunned the throttle, beginning to drive up the side of the building. People on the street leaned out their car windows and gaped at the spectacle. After all, it wasn't every day one could see someone drive up the side of a building.

As he reached the roof of the building, he planted the front wheel on the concrete, and sped towards the edge. As the Bat Wasure was about to pass underneath him, he slammed the brakes of his front wheel, launching himself off the bike and into the air, falling towards the flying Wasure.

He tackled the Bat Wasure midair, making both him and the Wasure begin the long tumble to the ground. Kate screamed in terror as she fell, covering her face with her hands. She felt the talons of the monster leave her shoulders, and a hand grab the back of her shirt, and her descent slow. She opened her eyes to see the ground approaching slower, a small crowd of people gathering underneath her. She turned and looked above her, and saw Stone holding the back of her shirt, his sword digging into the side of the building, slowing their fall enough so they wouldn't be hurt.

"Just what the hell are you?" Kate asked, more in awe than in fear. Stone let out a short laugh as they landed safely, the Bat Wasure falling into the middle of the street, the hood of a car being demolished by the action.

"I'm what people call a Kamen Rider," he said, straightening Kate's ruffled shirt, "And I'm here to make sure the people of this city are safe. And I'll give my life to make it happen," the Bat Wasure rose from the car it had crashed into and screeched at Stone. He flicked the switch on the side of the driver again, and the piece flew back out, the surface turning a dark red color. Stone turned his head to Kate. "Don't blink," he said, turning back to the weakened Bat Wasure, and re-slotting the piece into the belt.

CAPTURE!

His foot began to glow with white energy, taking the shape of flames that curled around his foot, almost like a twister. He began to run towards the Wasure, who threw a pair of tornadoes at him, hoping to stop him. Stone would not be deterred, and jumped into the air just before the wind projectiles would have connected with his body, his charging power reaching its peak. Performing a somersault midair, he stuck out his right foot, and let out a battle cry as his kick connected with the Wasure.

The poor monster screamed in pain as the energy from the foot entered his body, his molecules erupting from the rapid intake of energy. Stone landed behind the overloading monster as it disappeared in a white explosion, the insignia of a pawn appearing above the destroyed monster. Unseen to him, the battered and burned body of the Wasure crawled towards a manhole. With a great grunt of effort, he lifted the circular slab of metal and disappeared into the sewers.

Stone rose from his kneeling position, turning around to assemble his handiwork. The assembled crowd cheered as his bike drove up on its own, waiting for its master. He swung his leg over the machine, giving one last look to Kate, he reeved the motor and sped off, Kate's gaze following him until he was out of sight.

(KRS)

Kate burst into Dimitri's Diner, the shift manager jolting up in surprise.

"Easy there, Kate," he said, as Kate's hands fell to her knees, her breath ragged, "Did you run all the way here?" Kate held up a hand, and the manager waited patiently for her to catch her breath. She took a big gulp of air and stood up.

"Are James and Opal here?" she asked, "I need to talk to them. Now." The manager gave her an odd look, and disappeared into the back. She waited at the bar, impatiently tapping her foot and tapping her fingers against the polymer surface.

"Looking for us?" a voice said from behind her, with a finger lightly poking her in the back. She yelped and jumped a few feet in the air. She whirled around, her face red with anger and embarrassment, to see James standing there, with Opal leaning on the door frame behind him. She clenched her hands into fists. Her arm reeled back, and a resounding slap was heard throughout the diner.

"OW, OW, OW!" James shouted, falling to the ground clutching his cheek, "What the hell was that for?!"

"Do not push me right now!" Kate yelled at him, "Outside, now! I need answers!" She stormed out the front door, grabbing Opal as she passed her, much to the girl's annoyance. James gave the shift manager a sorry smile and exited the building.

Kate was waiting for him, a glare very clearly aimed at him. He gave her an uneasy smile, and shared a look with Opal. The silence continued for a few minutes, before Kate burst it like a bubble.

"WELL?!" she demanded, causing Opal and James to jump back in fear, "I want answers, damn it!"

"Okay, okay," James said, trying to calm her down, "But, please, calm down first,"

"I'M PERFECTLY CALM!" Kate shouted, anger radiating off of her. James ran and hid behind Opal.

"Screw that," he muttered, "You explain it," Opal gulped and looked to Kate, who had a murderous expression on her face.

'Of all the people to share our secret with,' she muttered internally, 'we have to share it with a girl who may kill us if she doesn't get the right answers. Fan-tastic.'

(KRS)

King growled as he heard the news, his eyes beginning to glow a dangerous light. "What do you mean, he was defeated?" he demanded, the messenger in front of him cowering away.

"I-I-I mean, my King, that his body has been covered in third degree burns," his messenger squeaked out, "I'm afraid he's going to need some time to recover," The king growled, and waved his hand, giving him permission to leave. The messenger sped from the room quickly, not wanting to be in the presence of the angry king.

"Damn that Stone…" he growled, toying with a gauntlet that covered his right arm, "Why must he get in my way?!" he let out a beastly roar, and threw a fireball in the direction of the messenger. A yelp of surprise and pain was heard, and a small smirk made its way to his face.

"No matter," he said, sitting back on his throne, "I'll let Nori do something interesting with him. The plan can still proceed." He raised his gauntlet, the light shining off a red gemstone set in the surface, "Next time I'll just send someone stronger. He can't beat us all." He let out a dark laugh, confident in the plans he had made.