Double and Kiva: The Great Monster Wars
Prologue: Begins Knight
Written By CMR Rosa, busterleader92, and Despicable-D
"The hero of the Monster Wars - that was what they called me. The Knight; that was my title, my pride as a Fangire."
Late 17th century, Transylvania
It was a cloudless night. The wind was still. The moon hung, imposing and mysterious in the night sky. Its rays cast a colossal shadow across the ground as it hung over a lone, towering castle. Campfires, thousands of tiny points of light sitting at the tower's base, illuminated monsters more nightmarish than the last. Each of them was restless knowing this foreboding calm could only lead to an even more thunderous break. Though they could not stay still, they still looked up, toward the top of the stone tower - where their hero, their mighty leader, the Knight, rested, meditating on the battle ahead.
The Knight's room was Spartan beyond anything. No books, no paintings - only a single bed set into the side of a circular, candle lit chamber. In the center of the spacious room, sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed in deep meditation stood the room's imposing owner. He remained shirtless as he sat, revealing an imposing back built from pure muscle. Upon this back, painted in bright silver, was his emblem: an image of a horse's head. In chess, this was the Knight; this was proof of his title. This man, this foreboding giant was the heralded hero of the Fangire race. And in this, their - and all monster-kind - final bid for freedom against oppression, he was the de facto general.
"My lord Knight." The door to the high tower room was flung open suddenly. A thin mustached man in dark blue robes stood within the wooden doorframe. The Knight's eyes flew open, revealing bright yellow orbs with slit pupils.
"What is it, Nezumi?" The Knight rose to his feet, his attendant immediately going to his side and draping a shadowy black coat over his master's shoulders.
"The messenger brings grave news," Nezumi said, bowing low to his lord. "The other members of the Checkmate Four as well as the Three Dark Lords have made it clear that they have abandoned this war. They have conceded to fade into the darkness and allow Humanity to take their place as the leading species of the coming era." His tone revealed much about his disgust. The Knight donned his regal coat, his eyes appearing distant.
"The times are indeed changing," He muttered.
"Sir?" Nezumi asked barely hearing the Knight's statement. His master shook his head, smiling.
"It's nothing. Go to your brothers. Tell them that we march soon."
"As you command, sire," Nezumi smiled, and suddenly his face began to break out in several multi-colored fissures, like shattered stained glass. He bowed as his body mutated, changing into night black with even more stained glass patterns. His nose grew out into a long snout and twin, rounded ears grew from his head. "Always, we of the Rat Fangire clan shall be at your service."
"Thank you, my friend," The Knight clasped his attendant and comrade's hand, smiling warmly.
"Knight-sama!" The call sprung up across the camp as the various clans of the Mazoku stood at attention as their commander stepped down from his tower to address them. Fangire, Vampire, Wolfen, Merman, Franken, Sagark, Hobbit and Yokai, each bowed in turn as he walked by - their eternal respect and attention was his.
"I have grave news," He shouted, his voice imposing as a mighty roar. "In this coming battle, we stand alone."
A damning silence fell across the various Yokai and kaijin. They themselves were only a small force of ten thousand. Though the force that stood against them was small as well, they possessed a nightmarish power and driving force that allowed them to stand against even armies ten times their size. How could a small unit such as they possibly stand against such a force? Again, their leader spoke.
"Any who wish to leave may do so now!" He shouted, not commanded. "I will not lie to you my brothers and sisters! We face a losing battle. I won't bear any ill will if they wish to retreat."
The army of Mazoku seemed to shift nervously. It was not news to them about the possibility of this war. Mankind had steadily risen in numbers that the clans could not fathom. And if that were not bad enough, the leader of this force was a Fandiri, a half human/Fangire hybrid, along with a force of human sympathizers made of various Yokai, even several clans of Mazoku who tired of their servitude to the Fangire race who ruled over all Yokai. This ragtag band had stirred the humans' spirits and their rebellion had hit like a thunder clap. Now, all of the clans faced the fate of being pushed aside into the darkness of myth and obscurity, or even worse, eradication.
"Go as you please," The Knight stated, bowing to his vast troop in acceptance and then marching off. As he did so, removing themselves from the crowd, hundreds of foot soldiers dressed in dark blue followed in his wake. As one they took their true forms, The Pawns, a great clan of Rat Fangire. Each one marched single file behind the other, ever watching the back of their master.
One Yokai suddenly rushed from the stunned crowd to the Knight. "Lord Knight, you can't still be planning…"
"Indeed," He answered, suddenly stopping to address the youth - no, to address each of the fearful monsters. "Answer me this, what do we have to lose in this war?" He called out, his eyes piercing the hearts every monster present. "Our lives? Our food source? Our pride as Mazoku?" The gathered monsters looked to each other not knowing what answer their hero sought. "But what of our liberty? What of our right to stand in the sun?" Once more, a deafening silence fell.
"Look at me!" He cried, throwing off his black coat and revealing the chess piece tattoo on his back. He roared into the night as the stained glass marks appeared across his own face. His body mutated into the form of a snarling, humanoid lizard. His face had a reptilian maw filled with razor sharp fangs. His body was covered in thick silver scales that simulated armor with red and gold glass patterns appearing across it. His head was covered in a thicker set of scales that fell atop his skull like a helmet.
"I am the Komodo Fangire! Mightiest of Fangires that can rival even our King in power!" He declared proudly, which caused the Pawns to call out in agreement. "Because of my power I was named the Knight, an equal to the Checkmate Four. Do you know why I did not attempt to usurp the King and become ruler of all Mazoku? Because I care nothing for Supremacy!" The Komodo Fangire declared, shocking his gathered troops. "But more than anything, I possess a great fear. I fear inevitability. I fear fate. But, above all else I fear the possible future. A future where my race, the Fangire, along with all of the mighty Mazoku clans that I cherish just as dearly, will be forced into the darkness. That we will have our right to exist within civilized society take from us. I fear oppression." The crowd was awestruck by this declaration. For the great Knight, a fearless warrior, to admit even he felt fear was unheard of.
"Look up!" He commanded, pointing heavenward. The crowd gasped as their eyes were instantly blinded by a light that glow such a harsh shade of red. "The red moon! Our mighty goddess who watches over us is thirsty for blood! I shall heed her call. I shall fight! WHO IS WITH ME!?"
As one, the clans of the Mazoku called out into the night, shouting the name of their mighty general and filling the night with blood curdling screams that raced across the many hills, dooming the hearts and minds of any unfortunate enough to lose any hopes of finding peace in sleep ever again.
"Then follow me!" Knight turned on his heels and marched on, his loyal Pawns and his grand army at his side. "Victory or defeat. Either way we take our place in history. To become Legend!"
Transylvania, 1986
"We've found it!"
A lonely castle, master-less and in ruins after centuries of being at the mercy of tomb raiders and harsh nature, was now alive with activity. Archaeologists and architects had been working night and day to unearth the once imposing tower's lower quarters, searching for its single denizen's final resting place.
"Quickly, open it!" Finally, after having excavated the lowest portions of the tower, they had located their prize at long last. Buried deep beneath his tower, lying within a golden coffin, were the final remains of the hero of the Fangire race. The lid to the coffin came off with the combined efforts of several workers and finally, they could gaze upon their spoils.
"The ashes of the great Knight," The head archeologist declared, reaching within and retrieving a single of shard of gold and red glass. He quickly pulled his hand back, dropping the shard back into the tomb and grasping his hand in pain.
"Watch what you're doing! This is a valuable speci-" One of the other scientists reprimanded his superior but could not finish as his eyes widened in horror. The head researcher still grasped his hand, trying to stem the wound the shard had cut into him but now his face was beginning to pale rapidly. He fell back, as if all the energy he had in his legs had left him. Now it wasn't just his face, but also his hair, eyes - his entire body was turning clear, like glass. And as his thrashing and pained moans ceased, his body shattered into dust. The gathered archaeologist pulled away in fright, terrified of the avaricious remains.
"So he's still hungry for life energy? Good." The gathered researchers quickly stood at attention as a woman with her hair tied up in a bun and wearing a white smock stepped up to the coffin, smiling down at the scattered glass shards in fascination. "Be careful as you gather the shards. And remember, these are invaluable research materials to the foundation." She commanded.
"Yes, Ulsland-san!" The gathered archeologist agreed as one. The lady scientist smiled in glee as she marched out of the tomb while her peons went about their work.
"All for the supremacy of Foundation X."
Foundation X Europe-branch Research Facility
"How goes the reconversion?" Neon Ulsland asked the researcher in charge of "Project Knight", as it was so named.
"Ah, President, an honor to have you joined us for the procedure. Continue," The head researcher commanded a team of men wearing hazmat suits, one of which was carefully holding a surgical tin covered with several pieces of the multi-colored glass. The team surrounded a wide iron tube, not more than four feet in diameter. The tube seemed to extend from the ground and from deep within its depths a bright green glow seemed to be glowing. Two of the men in suits were busying themselves with attaching a series of wires and hoses to the base of the tube. The wires were connected to a large metal-rimmed glass case several feet away. Sitting within the glass case, on a metal pedestal, was a miniature motherboard no bigger than the length of a person's hand.
"Beginning reconversion of fragments into data," The man holding the fragments stated routinely. "All hands brace for energy pulse." He slowly tipped his metal tin, causing the fragments to slip off the tin and fall into the glowing green well.
Boom!
Just seconds after the researcher unloaded his specimen into the well, the green light within began to hum and pulsate rapidly. Suddenly, a towering pillar of green light exploded from the well's depths, binary symbols visible in the pillar's surface as ones and zeroes flashed across. The researchers had to cover their eyes from the light, but they stoically remained near the well. "Begin energy harvesting!" The researcher holding the pan commanded. His associates went to work immediately, hitting a series of switches and levers on consoles set up near the well.
"Beginning extraction!" One shouted as one of the hoses sprang to life. The rubber tube shook and vibrated as dangerous energy began to course through it and into the glass case. The case immediately lit up with multi-colored light that rained down upon the blank motherboard like solar rays through a prism. The electronic piece of metal began to pulse as its surface was filled with the kaleidoscopic energy.
"Oooh! Such incredible life force!" The head researcher stated, entranced by the rays. "If our theory is correct, our artificial Museum will have converted the lingering energy of the Fangire and converts it into data. Now, we just need to see if it binds to the Memory." The group of scientists watched in fascination as the rays of life energy pelted the motherboard. The pulsations of the man-made "Gaia Well" had long since ceased.
"Oooooh! It's done!" The head researcher cried once again as the rays suddenly stopped falling and the once blank motherboard had changed from its normal dull gray color to gold and red that mimicked stain glass.
"Hurry and outfit the Memory," Neon Ulsland commanded the engineers who were present for the operation. "And find test subjects. We need to see if this Hero of the Fangire can actually offer us anything substantial."
Several Months Later
"More failures, doctor?" The researcher jumped as his boss stuck her head into his lab, a look of displeasure apparent on her face.
"Unfortunately, President Ulsland. No matter whom it is we get, they aren't able to survive the insertion process. Most of them can barely even stand the surgery for the Bio Connector Port. The Fangire's life energy is too great for the human body to handle," The researcher explained profusely.
It was true though, over the last few months Foundation X had gone through at least twenty different human test subjects, each of varying ages but all of good health and fitness. But upon insertion of the tiny flash drive-like device into the Bio Port transplanted onto their arms, the subjects would each follow the fate of the researcher who first found the remains and begin screaming out in pain and turn transparent before shattering into dust. No subject so far had been able to stand the avaricious drain on their life energy caused by the Memory.
"Hmm," Neon placed a hand under her chin as she pondered the predicament. "So it seems that humans cannot survive the power of the Memory." She repeated back to the scientist who nodded in confirmation. "Follow me, doctor." She commanded which he, though nervously, accepted and followed after his employer, staying on her heels. Neon leads the scientist through several corridors of the research building before they came to stop at a nearby elevator. She stepped in and he followed. Neon then pulled a small key from her jacket and inserted it into a locked cabinet beneath the pad of buttons that commanded the elevator to drop or rise depending on the floor. The cabinet opened, revealing several new buttons, each going to floors the scientist had no knowledge of.
"This, doctor, is the darker depths of Foundation X's research," Neon explained as the elevator dropped what must have been several miles below ground. "Our research has allowed mankind to undergo incredible new steps in evolution - so incredible in fact that some would call it monstrous." The doctor didn't understand where this was going. "But were you at all aware that, unbeknownst to the majority of mankind, there were life forms that could truly be described as monstrous living just within the boundaries of human society?"
As the elevator finally came to a stop and the doors opened, the doctor fell backwards as he began hyperventilating in fear. Just yards away from where he and Neon were standing was a beast ripped straight from nightmares. Long tongue lapping the air bestially, thick muscle coursed to pounce and beady red eyes starring hungrily at the new guest to its lair.
"RAAAAAGHHH!" The beast roared as it sprang towards the elevator. The old doctor screamed in terror as the monstrous thing had cleared the distance nigh-instantly. He could already feel its hot breath falling over him.
"VIOLENCE!"
"You can open your eyes now, doctor," Neon chuckled, amused by the cowardly display. The scientist slowly forced his eyes open to find that he was not yet dead. The beast had been stopped mid-pounce by a thick metal chain attached to a steel ball that had suddenly ensnared its throat. The chain belonged to another creature, but this was something the old man was much more used to. It stood about 7 feet tall. Its skin was a dark grey and basically a mass of thick muscle with metal plates stitched onto several parts of its body, including its head and arms.
"Release… me!" The chained beast gasped between breaths as the chain tightened around its throat. Despite its pain it still managed to stare hatefully at Neon, who gave the Dopant handling the Yokai a nod.
Crack!
With a quick tug of his chain the Dopant snapped the monster's neck, letting its dead form fall limply to the ground.
"Nothing to miss. It was just a lowly orc after all," Neon stated and stepped from the elevator. Her charge, however, was still sitting inside the elevator, quite stunned, and with a small puddle forming on the ground beneath him.
"Take it all in, doctor," Neon suggested to the old man. "Before you awaits test subjects like you've never seen before. If humans failed, then we will have to hope that these Yokai will bring us more favorable results!"
Just as his superior had said, the Yokai in the lower levels provided were extraordinary test subjects, far beyond the unfortunate human specimens who preceded them. Still, the road to true scientific perfection was still a harsh one, and the percentage for error was always steep. For every specimen that could actually survive the transformation, there were still those who could not. And those that could manage the mutation from Yokai to Fangire were still deemed unsuitable through the harsh testing phases that followed - so far, none had survived. The researchers finally decided to move onto the upper class levels of Yokai. A risky decision, considering that they were basically giving beings with already monstrous levels of power even more power, risking the chance that one of these specimens could easily become uncontrollable. Still, the human scientists were confident in their Dopant bodyguards, as well as their contingency plans all lined up. At the moment, the researchers were having trouble apprehending one of their young hopefuls.
"Catch her but don't hurt her, we still need to apply the Bio Connector!" The head researcher ordered to the team of white smock-wearing Dopants with black, skull like faces called Masquerade Dopants. Their quarry was a petite, dark haired girl wearing a white surgical gown. She gasped for breath as she forced her thin legs to continue running. But it wasn't meant to be as her legs suddenly gave out and she crashed to the floor, exhausted beside a line of cells. The Dopants were on her immediately, pinning the girl who was barely strong enough to struggle.
"Let me go!" She cried, revealing a pair of pointed canines. The young vampire attempted to struggle against her captors but even the strength of a vampire was meager at such a young age and against the small team of super humans holding her down.
"Good," The scientist huffed as he finally caught up; in his hand was a device that greatly resembled a gun; however the magazine was towards the back, a flash-drive like gadget resting inside the chamber. The doctor shut the magazine and slowly lowered the device to the side of the girl's neck, his finger going toward the trigger.
"Matte!" A pale skinned hand suddenly reached from between the bars the group was gathered near. The prisoner within shoved the device away from the young girl as he stepped into the light so that those gathered could see him.
He was a tall man - skinny but also fairly fit. His hair was long and seemed to shine as its silvery strands caught the light. His eyebrows were short, practically rounded, as they lay above his golden eyes.
"Kurama, are you trying to cause trouble again?!" One of the Masquerade Dopants quickly leapt to his feet and grabbed the man's hand as well as the collar of his plain white shirt.
"What are you planning to do with that child?" Kurama demanded, glaring at the old doctor who cowered back under the Yokai's gaze.
"It's no business of yours, troublemaker," The Dopant growled, pushing Kurama back into the wall of his cell.
The doctor couldn't help but give in to the man's gaze and blabbered on. "This girl is being prepped for surgery. We hope that an upper class monster like her will be more suited for the experiment we have planned."
Kurama looked to the girl, whose red eyes were staring back at him pleadingly. He walked back to the front of his cell and continued to glare at the fearful human. "Then take me instead." He demanded, which shocked the group of Dopants and human. "That girl is still a child; her power is not yet at any kind of peak. However…" Yoki began to gather around the man as the Dopants raised their pistols threateningly. Kurama made no move to attack, but instead began to shift slightly into his true form. His ears suddenly grew and became covered in a light silver fur. A set of four, puffy tails also sprang from behind his back, also silver.
"As you can see, I am a Kitsune," Kurama declared. "Think about it, an adult Kitsune would make a much better test subject than a half starved vampire child. And besides, situations like these are the only reason you keep a "troublemaker" like me around." Kurama grinned, knowing they couldn't refute him. The doctor stared at the device in his hands and then back and forth between his two choices for test subjects.
"Very well. Let him out, but keep your weapons trained on him." The guard begrudgingly complied, unlocking the lone cell and allowing the grinning Kitsune to step out. The Dopant then smashed his fist into Kurama's stomach, knocking the wind out of him and forcing him to his knees.
"Don't get cocky - you're in for hell, freak," The Dopant spat as the scientist leveled the device to Kurama's neck and fired.
Kachak!
"Gaaahhh!" Kurama grasped his neck as the veins in his throat suddenly tensed and quivered, causing him great pain. He gasped and howled as immeasurable pain coursed up his spine. He suddenly felt a small hand grasp his and he looked up. Red eyes filling with tears, the vampire girl grasped his hand reassuringly. Kurama soon felt the pain in his neck fade. He removed his hand from his neck, revealing a rectangular, rainbow colored tattoo that resembled circuitry now painted onto his jugular. Kurama slowly rose to his haunches and placed a kindly hand on the child's head. "Go back to the others, okay?"
The girl nodded and then she was suddenly, and not very gently, lifted to her feet by the Dopants and marched back toward the holding cells to be with the rest of the remaining Yokai. "Arigato! Kurama-san!" The girl called back to her savior who nodded back to her.
Kurama was soon escorted to a small, sterile room filled with surgical equipment and monitors. A steel operating table dominated the room and the straps attached to the table didn't leave the Kitsune any illusions on where he was going.
"Beginning Memory activation," The head researcher stated. Kurama had already been firmly strapped into the operating table by the Dopant guards and was surrounded by a team of smock-wearing men who each stared down at him, fascinated and expectant. The researcher held up a gold flash-drive with red, bone-themed ridges on its sides. Printed onto the face of the flash drive was a red 'K' designed with a pair of long fangs on the upper and lower legs so as to resemble a vampire's jaw. The doctor hit a small button beneath the face, activating the Memory.
"KNIGHT!"
The doctor then placed the Gaia Memory in front of Kurama's multi-colored connector port where it was immediately absorbed into Kurama's skin.
"Gaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!" Instantly, stained-glass markings appeared across Kurama's face, his eyes turning from a lustrous gold to a demonic red. His body then started to mutate, becoming bulkier, replacing pale skin and silver fur with thick scales that resembled medieval armor. More red and gold glass appeared across his chest and shoulders. His thin hands became sharp claws that twisted upward as he howled in pain greater than before. His once handsome face was now twisted in an animalistic grimace as the scales overcame his face. His head was now covered in a helmet-esque set of scales that revealed his eyes as twin pits of red while his mouth was now covered in a red and gold glass facemask.
Kurama thrashed and howled as he completed his transformation. The gathered researchers watched, in awe at the sight of their creation. Kurama's struggling began to settle down and his screaming had begun to waver into strangled, loud gasps of breath.
"His vitals are stable sir," One of the men standing at his post at a monitor stated to his superiors.
"A successful transformation," The head researcher agreed. "Very good everyone. Let the subject rest and prepare the testing ground. He'll need all his strength if he wants to survive what's ahead."
Kurama was thrown harshly to the cement ground as his escorts slammed the steel door behind him. He unsteadily rose to his feet and got a good look at his surroundings. He seemed to be in a wide four-walled cement room - it reminded him of one of those human parking lots that had several floors for cars to park in, oddly enough. He was alone in the room, but he instinctively knew that the human scientist were nearby, most likely watching him from some hidden window.
A door suddenly flew open on the wall opposite of him as three men in white suits stepped into the room. Their eyes were stoic, not at all afraid of the figure before them who could incinerate them in an instant. One of them tossed something at Kurama's feet, and he recognized it as the Gaia Memory that had been used on him before. The three then took out Memories of their own, activating them and inserting them into their own, though black inked, Bio Ports.
"TRICERATOPS!"
"ARMS!"
"VIOLENCE!"
The three suddenly mutated into monstrous forms of their own. The first gained thick pinkish scales all across his body as his body became reptilian in nature, with yellow horns and spikes growing from the crest that covered his skull. The second took on a wilder appearance as a red skinned, heavily muscled figure wearing black biker gear and a metal helmet that resembled a long toothed skull covering his face. The third, Kurama recognized as the head jailer, responsible for more than a few Yokai injuries and deaths. A loud buzz filled the room as a speaker suddenly kicked on.
"These Dopants before you have some of the highest offensive statistics of any we have developed. If you wish to survive this battle you'll have to use the Memory provided for you." The speaker ceased and the three Dopants readied their weapons. The Triceratops Dopant summoned his bone like club to his hands and rested against his shoulder. The Arms Dopant's left arm suddenly shifted in a flash of red light, becoming a three barreled Gatling gun which he leveled at Kurama threateningly. The Violence Dopant chuckled as he slammed his wrecking ball hand against his hand, happy to get the chance to beat the troublemaker senseless.
"Tch! No choice!" Kurama muttered as he picked up his Memory and hit the button.
"KNIGHT!"
The stained glass tattoos appeared again as Kurama roared into the air, his body once more mutating into the Fangire/Dopant hybrid, The Knight Dopant. He glared at his three opponents, steady on his feet this time around since the pain of transforming was not as excruciating as before. He roared as he charged at the three Dopants, who responded in kind.
Kurama ducked to the side as the first attacker, who happened to be Arms, attempted to pelt him with machine gun fire. Kurama took a superhuman leap towards Arms, slamming his scaly fist into Arms' jaw. The Dopant reeled back, only for the Kitsune to continue his assault with a flurry of punches to the Dopant's armored face. Kurama had just floored his first victim with a sweep kick that knocked him off his feet when he was sent flying back by a burning explosion to his left. He lifted his head just in time to see the Triceratops Dopant standing a few yards away from him, several fireballs of pure plasma hovering around the tip of his club.
"Shit!" Kurama rolled away as the first of the blast vaporized the spot he had been seconds before. He tried to get back to his feet when a heavy foot slammed into his back.
"Where do you think you're going?" The head jailer chuckled, smashing his foot down several more times before sending his foot into Kurama's side and sending him flying once more.
"Payback time!" Arms called as he unsheathed the rusted and half-broken, but still very sharp great sword from his back and slashing Kurama across the chest as he fell. Kurama hit the ground hard, holding his scarred chest. He should have remembered to keep moving as an orb of explosive plasma impacted against the ground where he lay, courtesy of Triceratops.
"Hah, should have known, nothing special," Violence quipped as he lifted Kurama to his feet, only to slam his wrecking ball fist into his stomach over and over again. Kurama felt his ribs practically shatter under the blows, and he wondered if his new Fangire form could die from internal bleeding. Violence pulled his fist back once more and then fired his ball and chain weapon, sending Kurama slamming into the far wall where his body made a crater in the cement. The Kitsune felt his consciousness slip as he began to black out from the pain of having his entire body broken. But though his mind was slipping away he could still hear a nagging voice in the back of his head.
'Stand up!'
'Ah, be quiet would you?' Kurama thought back at the voice. 'What chance do I have against three of them? They're more monstrous than even a true monster.'
'Have you forgotten that you have become one of them as well!? Just whose form do you think you've taken? With the power you now have, you can win!'
'Power I don't even know how to use.'
'You can use it if you would only listen!'
Kurama was planning to retort again when the Dopant pulled back his ball and chain to his hand and shrugged, disappointed. "Boring. I had more fun snapping that old orc's neck last week. It was quick, but at least it was satisfying."
A tick went off in Kurama's head as an image of one of his fellow prisoners entered his mind. The face of a bitter old orc, who took mercy on a stranger in the cell right next to his.
(Flashback: a month earlier)
It was well after Kurama had first been captured by the Foundation for the purpose of being a test subject. Kurama, however, made his displeasure of this very clear and as often as possible as he repeatedly picked fights with the guards, made many failed escape attempts and had even taken one gullible scientist hostage at one point before a Dopant enforcer arrived to put him down. On one such occurrence, to forgo execution because of how valuable a research subject he was, he was denied food for an entire week. It got to the point where the crappy gruel they were served would have tasted like heavenly ambrosia to him - anything to not starve like he was. He suddenly heard a rapping from the cell opposite of his and the sound of metal sliding across the ground. Kurama looked up and saw a plate of the aforementioned gruel lying at the foot of his cell. Kurama pounced on the food immediately, scarfing down the barely tasteful slop as if it were the most delicious thing he had ever tasted.
"Hmph. Finally got you to stop making that pathetically miserable face," His neighbor, a tall and grim faced man in his late forties, muttered.
"Thank you, but isn't this yours?" Kurama managed to say between mouthfuls. The orc smirked and turned over in his bed.
"Don't worry about me, kid. We orcs are more dangerous when we're hungry and I want to be nice and dangerous when I finally get my hands on that bitch these humans take orders from." Just before the orc settled off into a nap he also added, "Besides, I can't let a man with your brass die in this shit hole on my watch. Not when I figure you've got something important to go home to if you're trying so hard to get out."
(End Flashback)
"Time to finish this." The head jailer stated as he retracted his wrecking ball weapon and raised his fist in preparation to fire again. While he did so, Kurama managed to extract himself from the crater in the wall, though no one could see his face behind the Knight Dopant's face mask, the Yoki that rose up around him made clear his hostile emotions. "Take this!" Violence roared, firing his wrecking ball straight at the Kitsune's head.
"Teme…" Without even batting an eye, the Knight Dopant's open hand shot up, catching the wrecking ball by the chain and stopping it inches from striking his face. Violence and his cohorts stared on stunned at the sudden burst of energy their earlier victim was suddenly showing. Violence tried to pull his weapon back once more, but Kurama took it up in both his hands and began pulling back.
"N-n-no way!" The head jailer cried in disbelief as he was slowly being dragged across the floor, closer to Kurama.
"You killed the orc!" Kurama roared in rage as he put all his strength behind one last tug, pulling his opponent off his feet and sending him flying through the air toward him. Kurama pulled his fist back and waited until the last instant.
Crash!
With a force strong enough to shatter solid stone behind his punch, Kurama smashed his fist into the oncoming Violence Dopant's skull, sending him crashing to the ground at his feet. The Dopant laid there motionless for several seconds before his body suddenly changed back into its human form. With that, the Violence Memory ejected from its host, shattering as it hit the ground.
"Wha-what the hell!" Arms shouted in disbelief, he then quickly raised his machine gun arm, once more leveling it at the upstart's head. But just as he was taking aim, his target seemingly vanished. "Where the hell did he go?"
"Gaaahh!" Arms turned on his heels, shocked by what he was seeing. In that instant that he lost track of Kurama, the Kitsune had appeared before the Triceratops Dopant and after knocking his club to the side, he lifted the much heavier Dopant off his feet in a one handed choke hold.
"Gotcha!" Arms immediately opened fires, hoping to get his target while he had his back turned. Kurama countered by tossing his captive over his shoulder, straight into the oncoming fire. Triceratops cried out in pain and terror as the bullets unloaded into him, causing his own body to explode, leaving his human body, and Memory, to crumble broken onto the ground.
"Sta-stay back!" Arms instantly knew he had no chance against this new Dopant alone and lowered his weapons in surrender. "Y-you pass!" He falsely congratulated, hoping to save his own skin. "You are truly the master of your Memory-eeeee!" His poor lying was soon ceased by the soaring club that penetrated straight through his stomach. The Dopant crumbled to the ground as well, but Kurama paid no attention to him or whether he was still alive or not. Instead he stared at his hands as they began to tremble.
"What…fearsome power," Kurama stated, not believing how he had just defeated three of the organization's strongest fighters in a mere instant. The speaker suddenly buzzed to life once again.
"Impressive, Kitsune Kurama!" The human speaker congratulated him. "You have done what none of the candidates before you have done before. Now as one final test of your abilities…robs those three…well two, I suppose, of their life energy!"
"What!?" Kurama retorted in disbelief. "But aren't these your men?!"
"They have served their purpose. Now all that remains is for you to truly tap into the powers you now possess. Embrace the instincts of the Fangire you have taken the form of and devour them!"
Kurama couldn't believe what he was hearing. Could any human possibly be this devoid of a conscience? No! Only a unique kind of being could display such heartlessness. These humans were a dark breed all their own.
"No more. NO MORE!" Kurama bellowed, his Yoki rising up as pillar of red light around him. "I will not play your games any longer!"
The speaker was silent for a time before the buzzer kicked to life one last time. "How unfortunate. You showed such promise."
Kurama suddenly felt a tingling sensation in the side of his neck; he soon noticed that his Bio Connector was sparking, a red light appearing just beneath his skin. "A bomb!" Kurama realized too late as the tiny explosive beeped to life and consumed his body in great pillar of explosive flame.
"Another failure," Neon sighed, hitting the stop button on her stopwatch. It didn't really matter though. They still had plenty of Yokai in stock and that left many more chances to find the perfect, controllable, candidate for the Knight Memory.
"President Ulsland, look!" One of the researchers cried out in shock drawing Neon's attention back to the monitors they were watching the fight through. Neon's eyes widened as the flames from their failsafe began to die down, revealing the Knight Dopant still standing and very much intact. He looked himself over; perplexed as to how he survived but he didn't give it much thought as he turned back to the steel door he had entered from. With a swift kick, the metal crumbled and he pushed his way through.
"Warn the rest of the guards! Don't let him get away with that Memory!" Neon commanded her peons who complied immediately. "No matter what… we must not lose that Memory."
"I don't know how I still have my head after that but I guess I can't complain," Kurama muttered to himself as he sprinted down the long hallways of the facility, stopping only to avoid the clamoring Masquerade Dopants who were on the hunt for him.
'Do not underestimate the invincible body of the Knight.'
"Baaahh!" Kurama nearly slipped as the familiar voice entered his thoughts once more. "Wait, I didn't hallucinate you?" Kurama asked, and was glad he was alone since he seemed to be talking to himself.
'Indeed. My presence lies within the Gaia Memory you now wield and while you are transformed we can communicate.'
"Okay…" Kurama pretended to understand. "So what do I call you?"
'It's not important right now. The holding cells are down this hall and 20 yards to the right.'
"What!? How did you-"
'I am connected to your mind. Remember I can tell what you're thinking. But I would know where you would be going even if I weren't. I've observed you long enough to know that you have no intention of leaving the other Yokai behind.'
"Hmph," Kurama smirked. "Alright, then start a riot then, partner!"
'Partner… I like the sound of that.'
In matter of only moments, Kurama was back in the holding area where his fellow Yokai were each caged behind cells fit for only zoo animals. A host of Masquerade Dopants were waiting for him. Each of them was wielding a kukri knife, ready to slice him up at their whimsy.
"Oh, boy, that is a lot of sharp knives pointed at me," Kurama chuckled nervously.
'Let's level the playing field. Smash down on the glass on your shoulders and summon your weapon!'
"If you say so!" Kurama complied, smashing his fist against his glass-covered pauldrons. The gold and red stained glass shattered, but instead of falling to the floor in pieces, they formed together and hovered over Kurama's open hand. They combined into a red flamberge with a longer blade and golden horns for guards that Kurama gripped with one hand and laid across his shoulder. He gestured to the gathered guards. "Saa, kakate koi!"
The Dopants charged as one, raising their long knives to slash the upstart into tiny bits. Kurama gripped his blade in both hands and charged into the fray, swinging with abandon. The lower Dopants had no chance as the wide swings of the large weapon sliced into several of them at once, forcing them to explode in defeat instantly.
"Clear out!" Kurama cried as he took a one handed swing at one Dopant that tried to slash at his flank while kicking away another trying to get behind him. Still, the pests kept coming. Kurama growled in frustration as flames ignited in his open hands. With a wave of his hands a wall of fire rose up, incinerating a group of the guards and forcing even more of them back. "Looks like my powers as a Kitsune still work even in this form."
'In fact their power should be multiplied ten-fold. Hurry up and get rid of these peons so we can save the others!'
"Yosh!" The Knight Dopant agreed raising his hand into the air, prompting a massive orb of fire to ignite above his head. The Dopants stepped back nervously, not quite as confident in their numbers as they once were. "Like I said: CLEAR OUT!" Kurama swung his arm down, sending the massive ball of fire to slam into the ground at his foes' feet and sending them all up in flame. Human bodies and broken Memories littered the ground as Kurama moved toward the nearest set of cells. With a swipe of his flamberge he destroyed the bars to the cell, gesturing for the cells fearful occupants to step out.
"C'mon, we need to leave now!" Kurama called to the Yokai, holding his hand out to them. They stayed back at first but as he stepped into light their eyes filled with wonder and they ran to him as one, surrounding him and taking his hand.
"Lord Knight!" They faces filled with wonder and joy. "The Hero of the Monster Wars has returned to us!"
Kurama tried to ward off their embraces, stuttering. "Wait! You've got it all-"
'Just leave it. In their eyes you appear as the Knight, their legendary hero.'
Kurama couldn't help but notice a hint of bitterness in his companion's voice. He then noticed a small form near the back of the group, looking up at him in recognition. "We meet again, little one."
"Mr. Kurama," Her face lit up in joy at seeing her savior alive and now rescuing her once again.
"Come, let's free the rest!" He shouted drawing a shout of joy from the group around him.
It was busy work opening every each of the Yokai's cells and convincing them that their time to take back freedom was at hand. The groups of Yokai started crowding into the elevators, rising back up to the surface and after Kurama had devastated the majority of the security force they had little to fear from their captors. That is, until…
"Bwwwaaaaaahhhh!" Many of the Yokai escapees were sent falling to their feet as a roar chock-full of power shook across the room. Kurama noticed the lone figure standing opposite of him and his charges. He too wore thin clothes like many of the Yokai prisoners, but his snarling face and monstrously malicious glare made it clear he was no common person.
"Everyone into the elevators! I'll hold him off," Kurama commanded, taking a firm grip on his blade.
"Mr. Kurama," The young vampire hesitated while her fellow prisoners started scrambling into their many crowded escape routes. Kurama laid a reassuring hand on her head and nodded.
"Go on. Believe in your Knight," He patted her head and turned away as she too followed the others into the elevator, looking back only long enough to send him a beseeching look before the elevator doors closed.
'Be on your guard. This creature is far superior to those Dopants you just faced.'
As if on cue, the snarling figure roared at the top of his lungs as his body mutated. His body took on the form of a jet black humanoid dragon that snarled in expectation of getting to kill this new upstart.
"What is this thing?"
'Its name is Suddendath. It's a prototype of a new species of Kaijin one of the Foundation's scientists developed. His power is off the charts and his ferocity even more so.'
Suddendath then took flight on its wicked black wings, showering the ground around Kurama in a hail of blue energy bolts. "Oh, is that all?" Kurama stated sarcastically as he parried several of the blasts with his flamberge. He then leaped up, trying to slash at the oncoming dragon as it flew overhead but it was to no avail as his slash barely missed. He got a quick swipe to his face by the creature's tail for his efforts. Kurama hit the ground hard, groaning in frustration. "My flames don't hit nearly that fast. How I am supposed to bring him down?"
'Smash your other shoulder!'
Kurama complied, shattering the armor on his left shoulder this time. This time, the glass hovered above him, elongating into the form of a long tube-like weapon.
"This'll work," Kurama smirked as he leveled his bazooka at the hovering Suddendath, who was once again preparing to fire down on the Knight Dopant. Kurama channeled his Yoki into his new weapon and pulled the trigger as Suddendath let loose with a beam of blue energy aimed directly at Kurama. The force of his weapon's kick sent Kurama sliding across the floor as a colossal bolt of red energy exploded from the bazooka's barrel and collided with the blue beam. The blasts canceled each other out, however both combatants were thrown off their feet by the force of the collision. Suddendath fell stunned to the ground while Kurama used his weapon to hoist himself back up to his feet.
'Now, it's your only chance!'
Kurama nodded, hoisting his bazooka back onto his shoulder and taking aim at his floored adversary. "Good…Knight," Kurama quipped as he pulled the trigger tight once more. The bazooka kicked once more as an even larger blast of channeled Yoki soared at Suddendath before the eruption of red explosive energy consumed him. Kurama actually lost a hold of his weapon this time as he was sent flying into the back wall. He turned in midair and planted his feet against the back wall as he slammed into it. He then noticed his foe, extra crispy but still very much alive and working to rise to its feet once more. From his position hanging lateral on the wall, Kurama bent his knees and sprang forward, his sword pulled back.
"Haaaahhh!" Kurama twisted in midair as he passed Suddendath, his blade swung out; slicing straight through the dragon's abdomen and Kurama's feet hit the ground just past his beaten adversary, his feet breaking apart the floor as he came to a stop. Suddendath stood motionless for several seconds before his upper body slipped from his lower, and the dragon's twin pieces finally exploded in defeat. Kurama, exhausted, rested his blade on his shoulder and breathed a sigh of relief.
'What was that "Good night" thing?'
"Don't worry about it. Let's go home, partner." The appearance of the Knight finally fell away as the form of the tired Kitsune took over. Kurama held his Gaia Memory tight in his gripping fist as he slumped into the waiting elevator. "What a night."
"Are you sure about this?" Kurama, having followed the directions of his "partner", retraced the Foundation's steps all the way back the old castle.
'Yes. This is what's best for the world. The Knight Memory, and I, must be sealed. And what better place than here? The Legendary Knight's final resting place.'
Kurama gripped the Memory in his hand hesitantly. It was true; the power of the Knight Memory was far too dangerous. Better that it be sealed away forever, away from those who would use it for evil purposes. But still…
'Do not worry for me, Kurama. As long as this Memory remains intact I will persist. Besides, it is better this way. You'll have enough trouble on your hands; you don't need me squatting inside your head.'
Kurama's eyes widened. "You…how did you-"
'I'm know what you're thinking, remember,' the voice chuckled to itself. 'I wish you and your family yet complete a long and happy life, my friend.'
Kurama felt tears well up as he held the golden device close to his chest. He crouched down and buried the Knight Memory at the foot of the crumbling tower and covering the makeshift hiding spot with a piece of rubble in order to hide the upturned dirt. He turned his back on the stone tower, marching several yards away before coming to a stop. Kurama tightened his fist in despair, fearing the part that came next. He changed into his half-human/Kitsune form and summoned several large fireballs into the air around and above him.
Boom!
The volley of explosive fire struck the tower and the greenery around it, sending the area around it up in flames and blowing what remained of the old castle into bits that crumbled to the ground. And still the fireballs fell, ravaging the wide field and wiping its features away. Overall, not even a blade of grass stood recognizable.
The voice had assured him that the Memory would be out of danger, that an inferno like this would be no threat to the state-of-the-art structure of the tiny device. Still, Kurama's tears fell. He knew, for the sake of his friend and the world, he could never return here and could tell no one of this place. "Dammit, and I never even got your name." Kurama wiped his tears away and turned his back once more on the charred, stone strewn field.
"Saraba da…aibou."
Transylvania, Present day
A college-aged man with long golden hair and what appeared to be a long military jacket came onto the scene. He stared at the vast green field with a look of pure exhilaration. He crossed the great field, eyeing the strewn-out pieces of rubble that the grass had spent decades growing over. He finally stopped as he came upon one certain piece of rubble, a set of half-destroyed stone stairs. He crouched as his eyes raced over the foot of the stairs. With a wave of his hand, the grass at the stairs' foot was instantly incinerated, revealing a hidden piece of rubble dug deep into the ground. The man wrenched the stone block free and tossed it aside, immediately digging his hands through the packed dirt. He dug and dug before finally, his hands tightened around something…
"At last." The man pulled up his prize, holding it within both his hands as he gazed upon it in wonder. His finger wiped away the dirt covering the face of the device, revealing a blood red 'K' with fangs sticking from its legs. He pressed the button just beneath the symbol.
"KNIGHT!"
"What is going on? I was not meant to be reawakened!" a voice crackled to life – although, as it well knew, it shouldn't have.
"So it's true then. There really is a presence lingering within the Memory," The man smiled in fascination.
"Who are you?" The voice of the Memory demanded. "Where is Kurama? He swore he would tell no one of this place!"
"It seems that you are not aware of the adverse effects of your power on the users of your Memory. My father died a decrepit death as the drain on his life energy from using this power first stole his wits and eventually his life."
"What?! Kurama is dead?! And you're his son?"
"Indeed. My name is Kuyo, son of the Kitsune Kurama," The golden haired man introduced. "My father, in his last days of life, spoke fervently of his time entrapped by the despicable Foundation X and how he had staged a jail break alongside his trusted "partner". I was so entranced by his tales I had to see for myself."
"What is it that you want?" The Memory demanded distrustfully.
"Revenge," Kuyo hissed. "There's this school known as Yokai Academy. That place teaches nothing but heresy about working toward a world where Yokai can live within human society. I want to raze it to the ground, along with that miserable half-breed that banished me from that place. With your power, I will wipe them from the face of the Earth!" Kuyo declared, a wide, mad smile appearing across his pale face.
"Fool! Your father died by using my power. You would share his fate for revenge!?" The voice tried to dissuade the wayward youth. Kuyo only smirked and pulled a stone buckle from within his jacket.
"My father did not have one of these. If my information is reliable then with this device I will be safe to use you as I please. Oh, believe me, 'Partner', I plan to live long relishing my revenge," He said the last part with a sinister hiss to his voice as he fastened the buckle around his waist. He hit the button once more.
"KNIGHT!"
Kuyo placed the Knight Memory over the slot in the center of his Gaia Driver, allowing the driver to absorb the gold and red flash drive. Kuyo roared as the multi-colored stained-glass markings flashed across his face and his body began to mutate into the silver armored Knight Dopant.
"Fantastic!" Kuyo shouted with glee as he felt his body surge with incredible amounts of power. He then turned to the vast green field and grinned beneath his face mask.
"My father never truly knew the full abilities of this Memory. But I will utilize them, to the fullest." Kuyo threw back his armored head and let loose a mighty bellow with such force that it created a racing gust across the field, making the very trees bend back in submission.
"Pawns arise!"
The field was silent for several seconds after Kuyo's command. Suddenly, a pale white hand shot up from the Earth. And another. And another. Soon the whole field was upturned as a small army of white rat like monsters unburied themselves from their former graves.
"Chu! Chu!" The resurrected Pawns screeched as they flexed their long immobile claws and sniffed the fresh air once more. As one they marched into formation and bowed before their master, the Knight Dopant, ready to fulfill their long promise to serve him - even after death. Kuyo snickered to himself; pleased that he could now add the loyal Pawns of the previous Knight to the army he had amassed against the Academy. He was confident that nothing could stop him now. Especially not the hateful Kiva. Especially not…Wataru Kurenai. The Kitsune turned Dopant fell into a fit of insane giggles which soon rose into a maniacal cackle as he through his head back.
"Hahahahaha… HahahahahahahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
CMR Rosa: Hey everyone this is my second Kamen Rider story, this idea come to me while reading Love Hina Double Trouble and Rosario to Kiva, I ask Kamen Rider Chrome if he had any plans to crossover over theses series, he told me no so I ask for his permission to make this crossover and he said yes, I come to busterleader92 and we talk about what this story would be about and finally I come to Despicable-D to help us write and this story was born, and also this story is canon to Chromes other stores.
busterleader92: I would say to show how awesome Chrome is for making R+K an awesome story I would want to say a special thanks to Chrome for inspired me and Rosa of making a movie version of the R+K story. Chrome... YOU ROCK LIKE A HURRICANE!
Despicable-D: Hey guys! So…I was asked by CMR Rosa and busterleader92 to help write this Sequel/ crossover to two of KamenRiderChrome-sensei's biggest works Rosario to Kiva and Love Hina: Double Trouble. I hope my writing style is adequate to everyone's taste and as soon as I finish reading both works I will more readily begin working on this Story under Rosa's and Buster's lead. I really look forward to doing this!