The Masked Hero: DeCaliber

CH 2: The World Jumping Cat-Man?

"So this is where you live then?" Rai asked Michelle as he stepped into her apartment.

"Mmhm," she nodded, closing the door behind him, "La Casa de Michelle." She giggled slightly. "Oh, can you take off your shoes please?"

"Oh, um, sure," the panther-morph replied, stepping off of the carpet to remove his boots.

After putting a stop to Peter's rampage, the pair had set off for Michelle's apartment, hoping that the cops wouldn't follow. The plan seemed to have worked, as they couldn't hear their sirens anymore.

"You know you can take your hood off now," Michelle pointed out as Rai placed his boot off to the side of the door.

"Oh, right," he nodded, slipping it off and revealing his furred face once again, "I always forget that I'm wearing it. I'm so used to it being on at all times."

"Does it ever get stuffy under there?" Michelle asked curiously as she set herself down on the couch.

"Only sometimes," Rai replied, stepping out of another boot, "Mostly on hot days, but it's not usually that bothersome to be honest."

"Really?" she said, raising a brow, "even with all that fur on you?" Rai nodded as he set his boot next to his first one. Michelle looked at his feet curiously. They weren't all that different from a human's, minus the short, stubby claws at the end of his toes.

"Umm," said Rai, "is there something wrong with my feet?" Michelle quickly shook her head, realizing that she had been staring.

"Sorry, it's just…no socks?"

"Never needed 'em."

"Should've guessed." Michelle shrugged, patting the seat next to her. "Now take a seat. We've got a lot to talk about." Rai nodded, and took his seat.

"So," he began, looking over to her, "what is it you wanna ask me first?"

Michelle put a hand to her chin, thinking for a moment. "Well, I guess we can start with what you are exactly."

Rai nodded in understanding. "I guess I can start with the obvious. I'm what is called an anthromorph; an anthropomorphic version of an animal. Well, an animal of most worlds anyways."

"So you are from another world," Michelle spoke up, pointing a finger at him, "I knew it would be too far of a stretch to call you an alien." Rai chuckled.

"You've got me there," he continued, "You're right, I'm not from this world. I've been traveling through other worlds, searching for cards like the one your…ahem, associate…had."

"Yeah…" Michelle said, "That's right. Peter had one of those before he…changed…" She let out a long sigh. "I hope that jerk gets what's coming to him. After all those people that he's…" she paused, not wanting to continue that statement. "I-I just hope he doesn't get away with…that." Rai nodded in agreement.

"I wouldn't worry," he told her, "cuz' if I remember correctly, I think I saw some security cameras around the area. I'm sure they caught at least some footage of him…terrorizing."

"Yeah…" she replied, "but…wait. If there were cameras around there, then…" she gave him a worried look, "then doesn't that mean that they would see you as well?" Rai blinked, hooking his index finger around his snout.

"Huh," he said, "That's true isn't it?" He shrugged. "Oh well. But whatever, it's not like it matters."

Michelle had a double take, blinking in surprise. "Whu-what'cha mean it doesn't matter?! Shouldn't you be concerned that the cops can see what you are? Now the deranged scientists might try and hunt you down and put you through experiments a-and then the-"

"Easy there," Rai cut her off, smiling calmly, "Have you forgotten already? I jump through worlds. I can slip away before they can even try to track me down."

Michelle settled down, calming herself. "You've got a point there." Her brow furrowed, as though thinking about something. "CRAP!" she exclaimed, causing Rai to jump a little in his seat. "If they had cameras there, then that means that they saw me as well!"

Rai tilted his head in confusion. "What, is that bad?" She gave him a cross between an irritated and a worried look.

"YES. Yes it's bad," she said, "If they saw me, then they saw us interacting. So if they can't find you, then they'll go and find ME! Then they'll ask me all of the questions. Then they'll probably scan my brain, run experiments on me, erase my memory an-"

"Easy, easy," he tried to calm her, "I don't think they'll do anything that drastic. I'm sure they'll just ask you a few questions n' leave you be." He looked off to the side. "Probably…"

Michelle shot him a dirty look, and Rai simply put his hands up innocently. "Whatever. I've still got more questions anyways. Like…how do you know what world to go to?" Rai put a finger to his chin.

"Hmmm, that's a good question," he replied, "To be honest; it's…not something I can really explain. I just sorta…know…" Michelle tilted her head in confusion. "When there's a world I need to be in, I get this…strange…feeling. Like, a sort of…calling almost…" He looked to her. "That's all I can say about it really." Michelle nodded.

"Man, you must have a lot of interesting memories from travelling through different worlds," she said, slumping a bit in her seat.

"Yeah…I sure do…" he said, eyes drifting off to the side, "but my past isn't among them…" Michelle sat up a bit.

"What do you mean? Were they not interesting?"

"I wish I knew…" he sighed, "I don't have memories from my past…" He looked down at his gun, which was holstered at his side. "I've been fighting and world jumping for as long as I can remember, but nothing else…"

Michelle looked at him in concern. "You mean…you've lost them?" Rai remained silent for a moment before answering.

"I guess I did," his gaze fell down to his lap, "I mean, traveling through countless worlds has got to have some sort of side effect…"

"Yeah…" Michelle trailed off, staring down at her own lap, "I'm…sorry for making you bring that up. I'm sure it's a…sensitive subject for you…"

"It's alright," Rai replied, looking to her, "To be honest, it's kinda nice." Michelle looked back up, meeting his gaze. "It's…been a while…since I could talk to anyone like this. Pretty much all of the worlds I've been to don't have anyone like myself." He smiled slightly. "I don't usually get the chance to talk to someone without scaring them off."

Michelle gave him a smile of her own. "Well, if it means anything, it's pretty cool to be able to talk to someone like you. I mean it's not every day I get to talk to a world jumping cat person." The pair let out a chuckle. "By the way, by any chance, can you talk to other cats?" Rai blinked in surprise.

"N…no," he replied, "Should I?"

"Well I just figured you'd be able to talk to cats. You know, since you are one?" Rai chuckled.

"Well, it's not like they can speak," he replied, "It's like saying that humans can talk to monkeys. We just can't speak with each other they way like you and I do."

"I guess you're right," Michelle shrugged, "but it was a good guess right?"

"Sure," Rai smirked, "why not?" They let out another chuckle.

"So…if you're part cat," she continued, "then…do you have a tail?"

Rai let out a small laugh. "Yes, I've got a tail. I keep it under my clothes since I need to stay hidden." He gestured to his hood briefly. "It's also why I wear my hood, gloves and boots. I can't be standing out when I'm trying to blend in."

"Yeah, that's understandable I guess," Michelle replied, "So…can I see it?"

Rai blinked. "W…what?"

"Your tail," she answered, "can…can I see it?" Rai hesitated, before shrugging.

"I guess it couldn't hurt," he replied, "though I don't see the point in this…" Reaching back, he un-tucked the back of his shirt, and uncurled his tail from his waist. He let out a sigh of relief, stretching his tail slightly before letting it settle at his side. "Haaahhhhh… It's been a while since I've been able to do that too…" He slumped down in his seat, letting out a long sigh.

Michelle smiled, looking down at his freed tail. It flicked slightly in a rhythmic pattern, gently swaying from right to left. She looked back up at Rai, who was resting his head against the head of the couch. His eyes slowly drifted closed, purring softly as he rested his head. Michelle giggled. She couldn't help but notice how oddly cute he seemed, being how he resembled a domestic housecat, (albeit a large and more vicious one).

Absentmindedly, Michelle reached out and stroked the fur on his head. Rai didn't seem to notice this, continuing to lie there silently, breathing at a steady pace. Michelle smiled, and continued to pet him gently. She let her fingers brush against the back of his ear, which prompted a louder purr from the panther-morph. Curious, she pressed the tip of her fingers in a bit more, and began scritching his ear. Rai purred a bit more loudly, slightly leaning into her hand. Michelle let out another giggle, enjoying the softness of his fur and the gentle sound of his purring.

After a few minutes of this, she let him go, and Rai's eyes slowly drifted open. He blinked a few times before letting out a yawn. He wiped his eyes and looked to Michelle.

"Wwwhhaat…" he said slowly, letting out another yawn, "hhhhappened?" She laughed softly.

"You fell asleep," she told him, "You looked so cute the way you were. You were purring like a little kitty-cat." She laughed again, eliciting a blush from the panther-morph. "Well I mean, I guess you sort of are, but you still looked so cute! I just can't help but pet you ya know?"

"H-hey now wait a sec-purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr," he was cut off as Michelle reached out and scritched his ear once more, which caused him to lean into her hand again, seemingly going into a sort of trance like state.

She laughed again. "Good kitty."

"PrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrmmmmmmMrph!" He brushed her hand aside, flicking his ears. "D-don't do that," he stammered, trying to hide his blush, "I-I get embarrassed when I purr in front of someone else." Michelle laughed good-heartedly.

"Alright fine, I won't do that anymore." She looked to the side. "But no promises." This time, Rai was the one to give her a look. However, his expression soon changed, and he looked up. Michelle looked at him in worry. "What…what's wrong?"

"I…need to go now," he replied grimly, "I can feel it. I'm being called again…"

"You're…leaving?" Rai turned to her, giving her a sad smile.

"I'm afraid so," he said, ears flattening against his skull, "I'm…sorry I couldn't spend some more time with you, but it can't be helped…" Michelle looked down at her lap.

"Well, I guess it was bound to happen anyways," she said, "though that was pretty fast." They both chuckled, and she looked back up to him. "But it's alright. It was really cool getting to meet you. I mean, who else can say that they got to meet a monster hunting, crime fighting cat?" Rai laughed, and stood from his seat.

"It was nice meeting you too," he said, offering a hand to her, "I enjoyed finally getting to talk to someone without having to hide my identity." Michelle stood up, and shook his offered hand. "Take care Michelle."

"Same to you," she replied, "and be safe."

"I will. I promise." They nodded to each other, and Rai went over to grab his boots. "Do you have a big or relatively empty room?"

"Closest thing I have to that is here," Michelle replied, "this isn't exactly a spacious apartment."

"It's fine," Rai said, slipping on a boot and tying it, "It's just easier if I have space."

"Space for what exactly?" she asked with a tilt of her head. Rai smirked.

"For that," he answered, indicating to an area with his head. Michelle looked to where he had indicated, but only saw an empty spot in the room.

"What do you mean…tha-" she was cut off as a sudden wind swept past her, and a misty wall formed in front of her. She stared at it in amazement, unable to form words.

"Heh, pretty cool huh?" Rai asked, tying his other boot and standing up, "I'd go outside and do this, but I don't wanna attract any more attention to you than you might have already."

"I…see," she replied, "I…I get…why you would…" Rai laughed.

"Well," he continued, "thanks for the help back there. I couldn't have done any of this without you." Michelle blushed.

"Come on, I-I didn't do much," she replied, turning away, "all I did was give you back your box-thing."

"And that's what saved me from getting devoured out there," he told her, "so…thank you."

She blushed again. "Y-you're welcome. B-but to be honest, I should be thanking you. After all, you're the one who saved me from Peter in the first place."

Rai smiled. "Well, I guess we're all just even, huh?" They laughed again, and Rai walked over to where she was, in front of the misty wall. "Now, before I go, please make sure that you don't go through there." He pointed toward the wall. "Just stay here. It should fade a few minutes after I go through. Got it?" He gave her a serious look, his amber yellow eyes staring right into hers.

"…D-Uh, y-yeah," she stammered, having stared at his eyes briefly, "I-I got it." Rai nodded in satisfaction.

"Well then…farewell…" He took a few steps back, as though preparing himself for a break run. He looked at her one last time, and she gave him a small wave. Rai smiled, and returned the wave, before dashing forward and jumping through the portal, leaving the world behind.


Rai landed on the ground in a crouch. After recollecting himself, he looked around, seeing that he was in the depths of a forest. He stood up, dusting himself off.

Well, he thought to himself, time to get to work I guess. He looked behind him, and confirmed that the portal was still holding firm. Turning around, he reached into his pockets and pulled out his gloves, slipping them on soon after, along with his hood. He started for the rest of the forest before stopping. Almost forgot. Gotta tuck in the tail. He reached back, lifting up his shirt slightly as he curled his tail around his midsection once more. He sighed; he had quite enjoyed letting it out in the open for a change. Dismissing the subject, Rai continued his trek through the forest.

Alright, time to do this again. First I gotta find civilization n' find out if this place is mainly human or not, then I gotta find a place to stay, then I gotta start looking for clues on the card holder, and if I'm lucky, I may just find clues as to who or what is distributing them, and maybe finally put a sto-

He froze. He turned his head slightly to the side. He thought he had heard a loud thud in the distance. He moved his hood slightly, allowing his ear to open a bit more widely. What was…tha-

Again, his thoughts were cut off, as a single, no, several bright lights began to shine around him, blinding him temporarily and forcing his eyes closed. When he was finally able to open them once again, he was shocked at what he saw.

Standing before him, were large, insect-like creatures, all green in coloration. Their torsos were wrapped in different ribs and claws, and their heads were covered in a sort of hood like shell. Their arms were covered with a thick exoskeleton, and their claws extended outwards, more on the right hand than the left. Additionally, a pair of smaller arms were tucked at their fronts, the extra set of hands reaching out to cover what seemed to be their faces.

Rai bared his teeth, growling lowly. Worms.

The Worms began to close in around him, surrounding him. Acting fast, Rai drew out his gun, holding it with both hands, and fired at the ones at his front, blasting them back. Before the ones to his back could move in, Rai charged forward, tackling the others out of his way. He rolled to the ground in a crouch, and fired at their feet to try and prevent their movement.

"Dammit," he cursed under his breath, "can't I catch a break at least?!" More began to charge at him, forcing him to back up as he fired at them. After firing several shots to keep them at bay, Rai let go of his gun with his left, drawing out his card clip from his pocket. The Worms charged at him again, and Rai fired, using one hand. The gun recoiled on him, causing the shots to become less accurate. Growling, Rai took hold of the gun again in both hands, which was awkward with the addition of the clip in his other hand.

One jumped at him, preparing to strike him down. Rai quickly jumped back, narrowly avoiding a swipe to his face. When they both landed, Rai kicked the monster back with his right. Now given more space, Rai slotted the clip into his gun. He took hold of the gun with both hands, and fired at the Worm, forcing it back several more feet. Once he was satisfied with the distance between them, Rai brought the gun closer to himself, and slammed the clip into his gun.

KAMEN RIDE

He thrust his gun upwards. "HENSHIN!" He pulled the trigger.

D-D-D-DECALIBER!

Once again, his body became encased in armor, and the card-shaped objects slotted themselves into his helmet, giving him color and finishing the transformation.

"Now come at me!" Rai cried out, drawing out two cards from his side. The Worms charged at him again, and he fired at them, having an easier time firing with one hand this time around. However, he could only fire at so many, as the others began to move around and encircle him once more. Rai quickly slotted the cards into his gun.

KAMEN RI-COMBO KAMEN RIDE

He aimed at the closest Worm, and fired.

IXA!

SAGA!

The blast split into two, and hit the Worms behind the one Rai had aimed at. Before the blasts faded away, they shifted and materialized into the two warriors he had summoned before. They turned on their heels, slashing at the Worm behind them with their blades.

"Ixa, handle the ones on my left!" Rai commanded, "And Saga, take the other half and disperse their formation!" They nodded, and followed through with their commands. As they dashed forward, Rai ran past them in the other direction, before stopping to assess the situation. He counted off each of the Worms.

13, he thought to himself, Why are there so many? And where did they come from? He reached into the side of the gun, drawing out a card. He quickly loaded it in.

ATTACK RIDE: SPREAD SHOT!

"Both of you! Pull back!" They nodded, fending the Worms off before backing off. Once they were a good distance away, Rai aimed towards the sky, and fired several shots. The blasts of energy split into separate shots, before arcing back downwards and raining on the monsters. The Worms staggered with every blow, but stood their ground.

Still not enough? Rai grimaced, baring his teeth from under his helmet, What else will it take?

"Ixa," Rai began, turning to the more armored one, "you and I will take post here. You'll help me shoot them down. Saga," he turned to the other one, "group them back up so we have an easier time shooting them." They both nodded, and Saga charged forward, thrusting out his blade and shifting it into its whip form. Rai drew out a card from the side of his gun, and loaded it in.

COMBO ATTACK RIDE: RAPID SHOT!

Ixa clicked a button on his handle, and the blade shortened down to half length. He then grabbed the panel at the bottom of his sword, and pulled it down, elongating the clip and shortening the blade down to the hilt.

"Now!" Rai shouted out, thrusting his gun out, with Ixa doing the same. Both of them fired, pelting the Worms down blow after blow. Several tried to move away, but Saga kept them in place, using his whip to stop their movement.

Alright, this next one should do it. Rai drew his gun in closer, and pulled the panel back.

ATTACK RIDE: BLAST!

Rai held down the trigger, and took the gun in both hands. The gun began to charge up, gathering more and more energy.

"Saga!" he cried out, "group em up closer!" Saga nodded, and cracked his whip at the Worms' feet, causing them to back up into each other. Rai adjusted his footing, preparing himself for his attack. Just…a little…more…. Saga cracked his whip one more time, and the Worms continued to back up until they were clustered together. THERE! Rai let go of the trigger, and the energy was finally let loose in one focused beam. Ixa and Saga faded as the energy impacted the Worms with a powerful force, and fell to the ground. Several of them exploded upon impact, however the ones in the back who had most of the force taken for them had survived, and slowly staggered back to their feet.

Dammit, Rai cursed, still more. Looks like I gotta step it up then. He pressed the button on the side of his gun, ejecting the cards he had inserted before. He slid them back to their proper places, and drew out another card from his side. Howling Slash should be more than enough to- He stopped. Nearby the Worms, he thought he had seen something move from behind the trees.

And he recognized what, or rather, who it was.

No way, Rai thought to himself, it can't be. It just can't. Just then, one of the Worms got up, and began to approach the tree. Soon enough, the others followed as well. One of them lashed out, and a figure fell back onto the ground. The figure had dark brown hair, and was clearly feminine. And, it was none other than…

"MICHELLE!" Rai cried out as she scrambled back to her feet.

"Rai!" Michelle shouted. The Worms began to encircle her, trapping her. "D-don't come any closer!" she shouted at them. Rai growled.

Dammit! Rai cursed to himself. He slid his card back into his side, and drew out another card. Looks like I've got no choice this time. Moving his gun to his left, he quickly slotted the card in.

KAMEN RIDE

He aimed upwards, and fired.

KABUTO!

The blast came down upon him, and his armor began to glow. Suddenly, hexagons began to envelop him from underneath him, shifting and changing his armor. Once they were done, aside from his gun and card slot at his left, his form was completely different. If anything, he had even less armor on now. There were only a few braces along the sides of his arms and legs. The bulk of his armor was on his torso, and even then, it wasn't very much. His helmet had changed as well, taking on the form taking on a more insectoid appearance, with a horn at the front resembling that of a beetle's. His belt was different as well, having a mechanized beetle attached at the front, and a pad at his right.

Michelle screamed as the Worms came in closer. "Stay back!" One of the Worms jumped up, preparing to strike her down.

"Clock up!" Rai shouted, before slapping the pad on his right side.

CLOCK UP!

Suddenly all of time seemed to slow around him. The Worm all but froze in mid-air, and everyone's movements slowed immensely. In reality though, Rai's mind and body had sped up by incredible amounts, causing everything around him to seem slower. Rai tossed his gun up in the air, and it began to shift and change as well. Catching it with his right, the gun had changed into a sizable dagger. Holding it with the blade facing downwards, Rai charged forward.

He leapt up atop one of the Worms, and launched himself up. Now up in the air, Rai slashed at the attacking Worm with his dagger, cutting it across the face, and causing it to drift backwards. Rai landed on the ground, and slashed at the Worms around him, leaving sizable gashes across their faces. He twisted on his heels, and roundhouse kicked the mid-air Worm, sending it back at an even faster rate.

"GraaAA-Urk," he stopped, clutching his stomach. He doubled over as his body was overcome with a sudden wave of nausea. Dropping his dagger, he clutched his head as the world began to spin around him.

Uurrghhhh…moved around too much…don't have much longer here… Recollecting himself as best as he could, he rose back to his feet. He quickly picked up his dagger off of the ground, and high kicked a Worm at his front, knocking it back as it too began to drift backwards. With his nausea beginning to catch up to him, Rai hooked his left arm around Michelle's midsection, and dashed forward, holding her close and hopping off of the downed Worm.

CLOCK OVER!

Suddenly, time returned to normal pace, and all of the Worms crashed into each other, several exploding into a neon green gas before fading to nothing. Rai stopped where he was as Michelle caught her balance. She looked around, confused as to what had happened.

"Are you…alright?" Rai asked her, panting in between words.

"Y…yeah," she replied, nodding dumbly, "but…how did you…and…what just happe-" Her words were cut short as Rai doubled over once more, propping himself up on his arms. She quickly knelt down to his level, looking at him in concern. "Hey! Are you alright?"

"I-I'm fine," said Rai, "just run! I'll catch up with you!" Nodding obediently, Michelle ran in the opposite direction, away from the crowd of Worms and out of sight. Staggering back to his feet, Rai tossed his dagger up in the air. It began to glow, and when he caught it again, it had returned to being his gun. He pressed the button on the side, ejecting the card within. His armor glowed, before returning back to its original form. He slipped the card back into his side as the Worms tried to reorganize themselves. He cocked the panel of his gun.

ATTACK RIDE: BLAST!

Rai held down the trigger, and allowed his gun to begin charging up once more. This time for sure, Rai thought to himself. He thrust out his gun in front of him, holding it in both hands. The Worms stood back on their feet, and began to approach him. Rai remained where he stood, waiting on the gun. Just…a little…bit more… The gun began to pulse with light at the barrel as its maximum output approached. The Worms hissed, and charged at him.

"TAKE THIS!" Rai cried out as he let go of the trigger, letting loose a powerful blast of energy that nearly sent him back had he not braced himself. The blast impacted the Worms with full force, causing all of them to fly backwards into the air. Once they hit the ground, they blew up into clouds of neon green smoke, and faded away. Rai panted where he stood, and lowered his gun to his side. He looked around, making sure that there wasn't any Worms left. Satisfied, he brought his gun closer to his face, and pulled out his clip. His armor flashed briefly, before fading away, returning him back into his normal clothes. He looked around again.

Way too close for comfort, he thought to himself, but now that that's out of the way, it's time I had a talk with Michelle… He holstered his gun, pocketed his clip, and hurried off to where Michelle had run to hide herself.

However, as he did so, he failed to notice a dark hooded figure lowering himself from one of the forest trees. He landed in a crouch, watching Rai from a distance as he ran after Michelle. The figure smirked under his hood.

It seems someone's getting rather sloppy, he thought to himself, straightening. He made his way over to where the Worms had been defeated, and crouched down. Reaching out, he picked up several cards that had dropped from the clouds of smoke. He brought them up to his face and examined them. The edges were all burnt and faded, and ashes covered much of them. He dusted them off slightly. Hmmm, still usable, but probably not ideal for battle. He slipped them into the pockets of his cloak, and turned to where Rai had run off. You impress me yet again. However, I will find your limits, and I will find your weaknesses. And once I do, I shall finally be rid of you, DeCaliber… With a flick of his cloak, he turned away and stalked off in the other direction.


"Are you sure you're alright?" Rai asked Michelle in concern, "You weren't hurt at all?"

"Yes, I'm sure I'm alright," Michelle assured him, "You got me out in time before those things could do anything."

Michelle was seated against a large tree, with Rai knelt down to her side. It hadn't taken Rai long to find her, and was making sure that she had escaped the Worm attack unscathed.

"That's good to hear," Rai replied, letting out a sigh, "Now, I'm sure you know what my next question's going to be, but I'll ask you anyways." His eyes locked with hers as he gave her a very serious look. "Why did you go through the portal, even after I told you not to go near it?" Michelle looked away awkwardly.

"Well…" she began, "it was…more or less an accident…" Her eyes glanced in the feline's direction. Seeing that his expression hadn't changed, her eyes quickly darted away. "You see, a bit after you left, I heard some knocking at my door. When I checked to see who it was, I saw a bunch of men in suits, and I panicked! I thought they were some government people or something! When I didn't answer, they started banging at my door, and I got scared! I didn't have anywhere to hide…so…I-"

"You went through the portal to escape…" Rai finished for her, putting his face in his hand.

"Yeah…" she continued, "b-but I'll only be here for a little bit. I mean, I-I guess I'll stick around for a couple of hours, then you can make another portal and-"

"No no no no no no," Rai cut her off, "That's not how, grahhhh, that's not…that's not how it works…" He rubbed his temples, eyes clenched closed. He shook his head, muttering something to himself.

"…Wait," said Michelle, "What do you mean?" Rai didn't say anything for a moment, before letting out a long sigh. He removed his hand from his face, and looked back to her.

"Michelle…" he continued, "I can't…I…" His eyes drifted away from her. "Michelle…I don't have control of where my portals take me…"

Michelle's heart skipped a beat. It took several seconds for her to register what he had said, and several more to realize the gravity of what it meant. "Y…you mean that…y-you can't…"

Rai didn't say anything for a moment. "When I…create a portal, I'm guided by…this instinct… This instinct tells me where to go, and takes me there as well. It's what helps me form my portals in the first place." Rai worked up the courage to face her again, and turned to her. "This instinct always takes me to a world where someone has obtained a transformation card. It's never faltered. It's never failed. But…here's the problem…" Rai gently placed a hand on Michelle's knee. "To this day…I have never come back to the same world twice. It's always been something new. And…the only way I imagine being able to come back is if…somehow…someone in the same world comes into possession of a card."

Michelle's jaw fell slack as her heart all but stopped. "…S…s-so," she stuttered, "th-that means that…that I…that I…" Grimly, Rai nodded in response. Michelle choked, feeling tears begin to well up in her eyes. She felt herself beginning to tremble, shuddering with every breath. She closed her eyes as her tears began to fall, and shoved her face in her hands. Finally letting it out, she began to sob softly, drawing her knees closer to herself. Rai let go of her knee, looking down in sadness as all he could do was let the poor girl cry.

Dammit, Rai thought to himself, this is all my fault. If I hadn't warned her before hand…if I hadn't been in such a hurry I… He choked a bit, feeling a lump form in his throat. I have to make it up to her… I need to make her feel better… Without turning back to her, he spoke again.

"M…Michelle?" he began hesitantly, "L…listen… I'm gonna make it up to you… Alright?" She didn't respond, only shuddering with every breath as she silently sobbed to herself. "I'm not asking you to forgive me, but I just want you to know that I'll find a way back. If these cards decide where my portals take me, then I'll find whoever is responsible for circulating these cards and stop them." Rai didn't turn to look at Michelle, but he noticed that her sobbing had ceased. "And when I do, I swear to you, I'll find a way to get you back home. Al…alright?"

This time, Rai did turn to look at her, and saw that her face was out of her hands. She wiped her tears away from her eyes, and gave him a smile. "Thank you Rai," she replied, "it…means a lot to me knowing you'd do that for me."

Rai smiled at her, clearing his throat. "S…so does that mean tha-"

"I'll forgive you," she cut him off, raising a finger up in the air, "but on one condition…" Rai's smile faded from his muzzle as he listened. "I'll forgive you if…" she trailed off, leaving the panther-morph in suspense, "…you let me pet you whenever I want." A moment of silence passed, before Rai let out a good hearted laugh, a smile across his features. He shook his head, and returned his gaze to her.

"It's a deal," he said to her, "From now on; you can pet me whenever you want."

"And," she continued, a smile across her face as well, "you can't complain if I scratch you behind the ears." Rai's jaw fell open.

"I…" he said, before letting out a sigh, "Fine…that too…" Michelle let out a laugh, with Rai joining her soon after. The pair let out a long sigh, and they fell silent once again.

"So," Michelle continued, looking at him, "what's next?" Rai put a finger to his chin.

"Well," he began, "right now, I gotta find some place where a lot of people are living."

"And then?"

"Then, I gotta find anyone that's got one of those cards I came here for."

Michelle's head tilted. "And how do you plan to do that?"

"Easy," Rai replied, "I'll just do what I've always been doing."

"And what's that?"

Rai pulled out his gloves, and slipped them on. "I'll blend in, n' look for any suspicious looking people." Michelle drew back in a double take.

"Are you serious?" she said in surprise, "That's seriously your plan?"

Rai blinked in confusion. "W…what's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" she replied, "It's the fact that you're trying to blend in, but you just end up standing out! I mean for crying out loud, the first time I saw you, I was debating on whether or not to call the cops on you!" Rai's ears flattened against his skull.

"W…well it's not like I can do anything about it," he said to her, "I can't do much else that will make me stand out less…"

"I…guess you're right," she replied, putting a hand to her chin, "Being a cat person doesn't really help out in blending in with a bunch of humans…" She thought for a moment. "Oh! I've got an idea!" Rai's head tilted as he listened attentively. "How about instead of you walking around, I do it for you?" It was Rai's turn to double take.

"Y…you?" he said to her, as though questioning whether or not he had heard her right, "N-now you're the one joking…right?"

"No I'm serious!" she exclaimed, "Think about it. Now, instead of trying to blend in, you can have someone else blend in for you."

"W-well," Rai began, "d-do you even know what to look for?"

"Of course I do," she said sternly, "Just gotta find someone that looks suspicious, like you said."

"Well yeah," Rai continued, "b-but even if you did, do you realize how much danger you're putting yourself in?!"

"I do," Michelle replied, "but it's not a problem. I'll be perfectly safe with you here." Rai's head tilted.

"Wait, but…I thought you were the one walking around."

"I will," she went on, "but while I do, you'll be trailing along behind me, observing me, watching over me. You know, like Batman."

Rai blinked. "…Who?"

"Just…never mind," she replied, waving her hand dismissively, "What's important is that I'll be the one walking around, maybe asking some questions, and you'll be relatively close by to keep me safe. Got it?" Rai let out a defeated sigh.

"Fine," he said to her, "I guess there's no harm in giving this plan of yours a try."

"Awesome!" Michelle exclaimed cheerily, getting up with a clap, "Let's go then! The sooner we find this card, the sooner we find the dude responsible for giving them out."


Let's see, Michelle thought to herself, who should I talk to next… Oh, he'll do. Brushing some hair away from her face, she made her way over to a man sitting at a bench.

Once the pair had made their way out of the forest, they quickly found civilization, finding that it was indeed a human based population. With their plan ready to go, Michelle began asking around for any suspicious activity. Thankfully, Michelle quickly adapted, soon asking people as though she had been doing it regularly. She later claimed that it was partly due to her (brief) time working as a part time employee at a restaurant.

"Excuse me sir," she said to the man as she walked up to him, prompting him to look in her direction, "Hi, I'm part of the neighborhood watch. Is it alright if I ask you a few questions?"

The man nodded to her. "It's fine by me."

"Awesome," she said, taking a seat next to him, "I would just like to know; have you seen any suspicious activity around here lately?"

The man looked up, thinking back in his memories, before shaking his head. "No, not that I've noticed anyway."

"Alright," Michelle nodded, thinking of her next question, "Have you seen any people that look suspicious?"

The man leaned his head against his hand, looking off to the side. "Not really, everyone looks pretty sa…wait."

Michelle's head perked up. "What is it?"

The man's eyes squinted. "I think I do see a suspicious looking person right now."

"Really?" Michelle said, looking around, "Where?"

The man pointed off into the distance. "Right there. There's a guy in the back wearing a hood." Confused, Michelle looked to where the man had indicated, and let out an irritated sigh.

"Th-thank you," she said as she got up, "I-I'll take it from here." Letting out another sigh, she stalked off towards him, tapping him on the shoulder. "Rai, you gotta be stealthier than that."

"I know," he replied, "Sorry, I'll try to do a better job in hiding then."

Michelle nodded. I guess I can't really blame him. I mean, he has to cover himself up, otherwise people will see that he's not human.

"Alright," she said, "let's just take a break for now. We've talked to a lot of people so far anyways." Nodding to each other in agreement, they made their way back to the edge of the forest, finding a private spot to rest.

Rai let out a sigh of satisfaction as he let his tail loose once more, with his hood and gloves coming off soon after. His tail gently swished at his side lazily. "I really hate keeping this thing under for so long. I feel like I'm ruining the bones somehow."

Michelle chuckled. "Yeah, I bet…" She leaned back against the tree trunk. "So, you've been doing this for a while huh?" Rai nodded. "So then…how did you do this before? Finding people with cards I mean?"

Rai sat back as well, finding a comfortable position to sit in. "Well, most of the time I just walk around and listen in on people's conversations to try and find any clues." He flicked his ears once. "Since I have such sensitive hearing, I can listen in from a good distance, though not from too far away."

"Have you ever gotten into any trouble before?" she asked curiously.

"Yeah," he nodded, "a few times, but I was able to get away before anything really bad could happen."

"That's good," she replied, before letting out a sigh and slumping in her seat, "but…for some reason…I can't help but feel a bit bad for you."

Rai turned to her, tilting his head slightly. "Feel bad? But why?"

She looked back at him. "Well…I mean…even through all these different worlds, humans still seem to be afraid of anything that isn't also human…"

Rai smiled, tilting his head the other way. "You don't need to worry. There's bound to be a world where I'm part of the norm." He pointed a thumb towards his chest. "After all, there's still home, where I'm sure there are others like me."

Michelle smiled, and nodded. "I'm sure as well. I hope you'll find a way back there one day."

Rai smiled warmly. "Thanks, but not before finding a way back to your home." Michelle blushed, and turned away. Nothing was said after that for a while. They simply sat there, resting up from a hard day of work. Soon enough, the panther-morph got up and dusted himself off. "Alright, I think it's time that we got moving again." He turned to Michelle, and offered her a paw. "You ready to keep going?"

"Mmhm," she replied, nodding, and taking his paw as he helped her up, "but this time, please do a better job of hiding. Okay?"

Rai laughed. "Alright, alright, I'll do better this time." At that, the two of them made their way back to the city, with Rai trailing far behind, but still within sight. They spent several hours asking around for any strange activity. This time around, Rai did a much better job in hiding himself, acting as though he was on his own like before. Many hours passed, and before they knew it, it was sunset.

"We'll ask one last person before turning in for the night," Michelle whispered to Rai as he walked next to her. He only nodded in response before stepping off to the side, observing her from afar as he disappeared into the shadows. Michelle shivered slightly. Sheesh, he really is like Batman… Pushing the thought aside, she began searching for the final person to talk to. Looking around, she saw many of the people that she had already asked. Some others were already making their way back into their homes. It took a while before she finally spotted someone.

It was a young man, and he was casually walking along the sidewalk with seemingly nothing to do. Bingo, Michelle thought to herself, before making her way over to the young man. "Hey, excuse me sir," she shouted out, causing the man to stop and turn to her, "Hi, good evening, I'm part of the neighborhood watch. Can I ask you a few questions?"

"Ummm…" he hesitated, before nodding, "sure. What do you need to know?"

"Well, have you spotted anyone suspicious looking lately?" He shook his head. "Alright then, any suspicious activity." Again, his head shook. "Okay, have you noticed anyone you know acting differently?"

"N-no," he answered, shaking his head again, "L-listen, are we almost done here? I-I kinda have a place to be."

"A-alright," Michelle replied, "Just one last question. This may sound weird, but have you by any chance seen anyone with a weird looking card or anything like that?" The stranger's eyes suddenly widened.

"N-no," he answered her, taking a step back, "w-why would I find anything like that?" Michelle blinked, furrowing a brow.

"Wait," she began, "you don't happen to have a card, do you?"

Another step back. "W-why would you need to know these things? What's a card to a neighborhood watch?!"

Michelle caught her breath. Could…this guy be the one? Hesitantly, she approached him. "Sir, can I see that card?"

"S-STAY AWAY!" He stepped back again, only for her to take a step forward. Frantically, he pushed her back, making her stumble and fall on her rear. Without even looking back, the man broke into a run for the other direction.

Gathering herself, Michelle looked over to where she had last seen Rai, only to see a black blur dash past her, and towards the man. Suddenly, Rai was next to him, and grabbed onto his shoulder, causing him the stop in his tracks. The man struggled to get away, trying to free his shoulder. However, Rai's grip held firm as his bright amber eyes stared into the man's through the darkness.

"One last chance," Rai growled at him, "Show us that card before we need to do anything drastic." Rai whipped his head towards Michelle's direction. "Go! Hide somewhere safe!" She nodded, before running off and out of sight.

"Get the hell AWAY from me!" The man shoved Rai back, causing his hood to fall away. The few people that had stayed around to see what was going on screamed and ran as they saw Rai's true identity. The stranger stared in shock, before changing his expression.

"Oh, I get it," he said, backing away from the panther-morph and reaching into his pocket, "You've got one as well, but you just want to get all of them so that no one can stand in your way."

Rai growled, not bothering to slip his hood back on with everyone already fleeing the area. He knew it was better this way as he could already tell where this was going. "Look, I'm just trying to get rid of them all. I can't allow just anyone to be holding on to them. Especially with the power they hold. I can't let them be used for the wrong reasons!"

"Tch, fuck off," the man retorted as he pulled out his card, "It's none of your business what I use this for. Besides, I've been having too much fun with this. There's no way I'd just give it to you." He crossed it over his chest. "If you want it so bad, then you'll have to try and take it from me." At that, a bright light shined out from the card, forcing Rai to shield his eyes from the glow. When it faded, what stood before him was no longer human.

The man had changed to an insectoid creature like the ones before, but much different. It still held the sickly green color from before, but this one had a more lithe shape to it. Its rib cage was completely exposed, and several insectoid appendages extended from its shoulders, neck and head. Its mouth was held in a permanent grimace, due to its rather long teeth. Its wings acted like a drape around its hip, and a single claw extended from its left hand.

"Fine then," Rai replied, drawing his gun from his holster along with his card clip, "You leave me with no choice." He twirled his gun around his index finger before holding it out in front of him, and slamming the clip into the side.

KAMEN RIDE

"HENSHIN!" He aimed towards the sky, and pulled the trigger.

D-D-D-DECALIBER!

Blast coming down on him, and cards slotting into his helmet, Rai was once again the masked one known as DeCaliber. The man-gone-insectoid tilted his head.

"So you have a few tricks up your sleeve then?" he asked Rai, "Well, I hope they stand up to mine." Suddenly, the insectoid was gone from sight. Before Rai could even react, he was suddenly met with a slash at his torso, sending him back several feet. Rai hit the ground hard as the creature came back into view, cackling like a madman.

Dammit, Rai cursed to himself, this one's a Worm too. And it's molted. Figures. He grimaced as he rose to his feet.

"This is TOO good!" the Worm said, continuing to laugh, "I can have all KINDS of fun with this form, and I can have my way with ANYONE." He cackled, putting a claw to his chin, "Especially the women."

Rai growled. "You damn pig; I'm stopping you here and now!"

He chuffed. "As if. But please, you're more than welcome to try." At that, Rai thrust up his gun, and fired several shots at the insectoid. The Worm grunted as he was hit, and blocked with his arm. Hissing, he vanished from sight again. Just like before, Rai was left with no time to react, as he was hit several times across his chest and head. He was sent flying back, and slammed into the wall of one of the nearby buildings.

The worm suddenly reappeared before him, planting a foot upon his armored chest as he held him down. His right arm whipped out, and took hold of Rai's gun. "I'm taking this," he hissed, before tugging at it hard. However, Rai's grip held firm, and he strengthened it by taking hold of it with his other hand as well.

"PAWS OFF CAT!" the Worm hissed again, pulling harder, "it's MINE now!" His body blurred for a moment, and Rai felt him tug even harder. He quickly realized that he was Clocking Up in an attempt to pry the gun away from him. Thankfully, he was getting no where with his attempt. Taking this as a chance, Rai pulled the trigger, and blasted the insectoid straight in the face. The Worm reeled back in pain as he staggered back, shielding his face and stepping back more and more. Rai scrambled to his feet, using this opportunity to draw out a card from his side.

As much as I hate using this form, he thought to himself, checking the card to confirm it was the correct one, this guy's leaving me no choice. It's time to even up the playing field. He flicked his wrist, slotting the card in.

KAMEN RIDE

He aimed his gun at the Worm, and fired.

KABUTO!

The blast impacted the Worm, making him fall onto his back, before the blast shot back towards Rai and enveloped his form. Hexagonal shapes overcame him again, and faded away to reveal his crimson red form once more. The Worm stood back up, confused as to what had happened.

"The hell is that?" he hissed, slowly circling him cautiously, "Did you get tired of the bright yellows or something?"

Rai chuffed. "I don't think that's something you should be concerning yourself with right now." He reached for the side of his gun, and drew out another card. He loaded it in.

ATTACK RIDE: RAPID SHOT!

The Worm charged at him, and he saw his image begin to blur. Knowing immediately what to do, Rai tossed his gun up in the air. "Clock up!"

CLOCK UP!

He slapped the pad on his side, and the world around him began to slow once more. The Worm's image cleared up in time for Rai to see him swiping at him with his right. Acting fast, Rai blocked the attack with his left, before immediately following up by thrusting his other arm out, bracing it against the neck of the insectoid and locking him in place. Rai quickly undid the lock and delivered a firm jab to the Worm's gut with his left. He staggered back several steps, leaving Rai the opportunity to reach out to his belt, clicking one of the buttons on the top.

ONE

The Worm rose back to his feet, hissing at Rai. "How the hell did you catch up to me?!" Rai didn't reply, slowly walking forward without a word.

Rigid, he thought to himself, take my time, and counter his movements… If I don't move around very much, then Clock Up space can't hinder me in this state. The insectoid hissed out in anger, and charged again. Once he was close enough, Rai halted his charge with a strong kick from his right, then immediately following up with a jump-spin kick from his left, knocking the Worm back several meters. Rai landed on his feet, with his back turned to the insectoid, and clicked the center button of his belt.

TWO

The Worm got up and charged again, swiping at Rai with his left. Rai quickly flicked his left arm up, blocking the attack. He followed up by elbowing the Worm with his right before quickly turning to him and side-kicking him with his right. The Worm flew back several meters from the powerful blow, landing on his back and clutching his gut. Rai reached up and clicked the last button on his belt.

THREE

With that done, Rai reached up with his left and pushed back a panel on the left side of his belt. Reaching up with his right, Rai flipped the horn of his belt from right to left, and clicked it into place. Once it did, the belt itself began to charge with energy, emitting a loud sound. Rai took a step forward, standing so that his left was to the Worm itself, which was rising back to his feet. He hissed out in hatred at Rai, breaking into another mindless charge.

"…Rider Kick!" Rai flicked the horn back to the right.

RIDER KICK!

At that, the energy that had charged inside the belt traveled up his body and up to his horn. Once it reached it, it quickly traveled down to his right leg, causing it to pulsate with electrical energy. The Worm jumped at him, and Rai responded by turning on his heels and delivering a powerful roundhouse kick and releasing all of the built up energy onto the insectoid. The exo-skeleton of the Worm cracked as he was impacted with incredible force, before flying towards a building wall and slamming into it.

CLOCK OVER!

The space around them returned to normal speed as the Worm hit the ground hard. He hissed at Rai as he weakly tried to rise again. However, Rai knew this was over, reaching out and catching his gun at it flew towards him from his earlier throw. Once he caught it, he twirled around and aimed his gun at the Worm before holding down the trigger, blasting him with a barrage of attacks and blasting him off of his feet again. Rai let go of the trigger, and brought is gun closer to himself as he pulled the back panel.

ATTACK RIDE: BLAST!

He held down the trigger for a brief moment before letting go, firing a torrent of energy towards the insectoid and impacting him head on. His entire exo-skeleton cracked before he exploded into a cloud of neon-green gas. Once the cloud faded, the man from before fell to the ground unconscious, with his card following soon afterward.

With a satisfied sigh, Rai twirled his gun around his finger before pressing the button on the side, ejecting the previously inserted cards. His armor flashed briefly before fading away, reverting back to his original form. Out of the corner of his eye, Rai saw Michelle peeking out of her hiding spot. He gave her a thumbs up as he walked over to the man's side to pick up the fallen card. He bent over to pick it off of the ground when he stopped. He turned his head towards the man.

He was still conscious.

Realizing this, Rai stalked over to him before roughly grabbing him up by the collar. "HEY!" he growled at him, rousing the man from his dazed state, "Wake up! Tell me now: how the hell did you come across that card!"

The man stammered, "I-I-I don't know! I c-couldn't even see his face!" Rai growled loudly from underneath his helmet.

"I am NOT in the mood for this. You're going to tell me EVERYTHING you know about whoever it was that gave you that damn card, and you're going to tell me NOW!" Letting go of his collar and shoving him back down, Rai stood straight and aimed his gun at the man's forehead. Once he did, the man's expressions immediately turned to fear. Rai heard Michelle scream from a distance, and the heavy pounding of her footsteps as she ran towards them.

"Stop it Rai!" she shouted desperately, having a hard time believing what she was seeing, "you don't have to do this! Please stop!"

"ANSWER!" Rai roared, ignoring Michelle's pleas. The man panicked and tried to scramble away, but the armored panther morph kept him in his place, firmly placing his boot on his gut. "Now!"

"Gosh Rai!" Michelle exclaimed, placing her hands over her mouth, "what are you doing?! This isn't like you!" She took a step forward, but a warning growl from Rai stopped her from getting any closer. "Rai! Please! Stop this!"

"I'm getting impatient!" Rai continued, "Tell me what you know before I get really mad!"

"Just LET HIM GO!" Michelle pleaded, "You've stopped him and he doesn't even-"

"Okay! Okay!" the man shouted, keeping his hands up, "I-I'll tell you everything I know! Just please don't kill me!" He trembled as he tried his best to remember what he could. "I-I remember there was a guy that came up to me one day! He was wearing this really long cloak and robe, a-and he wore a hood that even covered his face! He-he came to me one day and said that he could give me power, an-and that's when he gave me the card! He didn't even ask for anything in return! H-he just gave me the card and left! That's all I know, I swear!"

Rai's grip tightened around his gun, allowing a low growl to escape his muzzle as he kept it aimed towards the man. Michelle watched in absolute horror as she awaited his response, her heart practically pounding from beneath her chest. A long moment passed, before Rai finally lowered his gun, and stepped away from the man. "Get out of my sight…"

That was all the encouragement the man needed as he scrambled back to his feet and bolted in the opposite direction, running away from the armored panther, and away from sight. Michelle stared at Rai in fear, her hands still clasped around her mouth. Rai let out a long sigh before reaching with his free hand for his gun, and pulling out the clip from the side. His armor flashed before fading away, leaving him with his normal clothes. He turned to Michelle with his ears lowered, and an apologetic look across his features.

"…Sorry Michelle," he began, his tail flicking with nervous agitation, "I didn't mean to scare you. It's just…when I come across anyone with a possible lead to these cards, I have to act much more forward. I can't allow any information to slip away from me. I…hope you understand…why I had to do that…" His head lowered slightly, but his eyes remained on Michelle. It took a moment to allow her heart to slow. She eventually removed her hands from her mouth, and she gave him a nervous smile.

"It's…it's alright," she finally replied, "I understand. I'd probably do that too if I were in the same situation you're in…" She played with her hair nervously, looking off to the side. Rai let out another sigh, picking the card off of the ground and starting for another direction.

"We should…turn in for the night," he told her, "You go and find a place to stay. I'll…I'll be waiting in the woods." He turned away from her and began walking a bit faster.

"W-wait!" Michelle called to him, making him stop in his tracks, "Please, don't go… I'm not scared anymore, I promise." Rai slowly turned back towards her, his ears flat against his skull. "I was just…startled is all. I didn't expect you to act that way to him… So…" She bit her lip, twiddling with her hair a bit more. Rai stared at her for a moment, before a smile spread across his muzzle.

"You know," he began, "you're very kind-hearted. You know that?"

Michelle couldn't help but blush. "Well…you are too. I trust you enough to know that you're different than that. After all, you've been doing your best to protect me." The two of them approached each other, both still rather hesitant but otherwise willing.

"Well…if you trust me that much, I suppose I might as well stick with you for tonight." He slipped his hood back on and looked around. "Do you want to go to the woods, or would you prefer a motel or something?" Michelle smiled.

"A motel's good," she told him, "besides, we can try camping out in the next world." Rai caught his breath, letting out a small chuckle.

"If you say so," he replied, a hint of nervousness still apparent in his tone, "do-do you wanna stay here while I look for one?" Michelle smiled again, suddenly reaching out with her hand and slipping it underneath his hood, scritching him behind his ear. Rai's eyes quickly closed, and he let out a throaty purr. Michelle chuckled as she noticed his knees wobble slightly. She did this for a good minute before letting him go, allowing him to return to his senses.

"Calm down kitty cat," she said in amusement, "you haven't traumatized me or anything like that. I'm fine now." Rai blushed, looking off to the side and scratching the back of his head. "Besides, if I let you try and find one, we'll be here all night." She began to walk off in a random direction. "Come on, let's both search for one. You can act as my body guard." She laughed slightly as she walked a bit faster, motioning with her hand for him to follow. Rai laughed, shaking his head.

"Alright, wait up!" He got into a jog as he tried to catch up with her.

One day Michelle, he thought to himself, I'll make it up to you for tearing you away from your home. That much I swear.