Kamen Rider Zero
CH 2: The Edge in a Name
Brenda Illwood is at the center of the screen. The lab straightens out her papers as her segment continues. "Citizens are advised to remain wary," she goes on, "due to the fact that one of the Dopants from the attack of two days ago is indeed still on the loose. Amnesia is asking that if you see any suspicious characters, that you report them as soon as you can."
Stopwatch looked to her brother, placing a paw on his shoulder as he sat next to her on the couch. "Brother…are you not concerned about this?" He smirked, his eyes remaining on the screen in front of them.
"About what exactly?" Stopwatch clicked her tongue in irritation, rolling her eyes.
"About the fact that you lost TWO Memories?" Crosshair chuffed. "Memories that took TIME and MONEY to make?"
"Not exactly," he replied simply, still keeping his eyes on the screen. Stopwatch growled, gripping his shoulder tighter and making him wince.
"Daiki!" she growled, glaring at him intensely, "Look. At. Me. When I'm TALKING to you." Finally unable to ignore her, Daiki turned to face her, a sly smile still across his muzzle.
"Back to using our first names then, huh? Daiki replied, still wincing from her strong grip on his shoulder. "Whatever happened to our code names?"
"I'm sick of them," she snapped, "they were stupid. Unnecessarily so."
"Well, there was a need for—ACK!"
"Do NOT talk back to your older sister," she cut him off, narrowing her eyes at him as she tightened her grip further.
"Okay, okay, sorry." After a few seconds of glaring, Stopwatch finally let his shoulder go. He sat up slightly as he massaged his shoulder in his paw to ease the pain brought about.
"Explain yourself, Daiki," Stopwatch commanded, "the loss of two Memories is something NOT to be taken lightly."
"Fine, fine," he replied, waving a paw dismissively, "the Memories we—"
"YOU lost," she corrected him.
"…Right…I lost," Daiki continued, "were but mere prototypes. I was literally told to do whatever I wish with them. The only thing they asked of me is to test them out. So in all truth, we didn't lose much."
"If by not much, you mean two still fully functional Memories, then yes." Daiki rolled his eyes.
"Calm. Down." he replied, earning a glare from his sister, "They weren't very strong Memories in the first place. They're just durable. That is literally it. If anyone tries to use them against us or something like that, then we can easily take them out." The female sighed, slumping in her seat.
"Fine," she replied, "then what about that…masked individual?" Hearing this, Daiki's smile broadened.
"He interests me," he answered her, "very much so actually."
Stopwatch furrowed a brow. "Will we…do anything about him?"
Daiki returned his attention to the screen. "Let's see what he can do first…"
"In other related news," Brenda went on, "there is much debate over the mysterious man that appeared during the attack." An image of a man in a full body suit appeared on the screen. "Some claim that he is simply another Dopant. However, by looking at this image, we can clearly see that this man has what appears to be equipment similar to that of Amnesia. They have declined to comment about this." The image faded away, leaving Brenda on the screen once again. "Citizens are still conflicted about what to think of him. Some claim that he is a hero. However, there are others suggesting that he is dangerous, and should be stopped."
The screen clipped to footage of various interviews with different people. "I don't know," one of them said, "he just…seems pretty sketchy. All he did was show up, and he disappeared."
"Yeah, I know those other guys looked beat up," said another, "but all we saw was the two of them knocked out, and two random Memories. Those guys could've been decoys. Hell, they could've been two random people that he knocked out. The fact that he ran away just makes me suspicious."
Arata's ears flattened against his head as he listened to the people's words. "That's…really what they think of me?" He felt a paw suddenly grasp his. He turned to see Erika's eyes upon him.
"Hey, it's alright," she assured him, "you did what you had to do. It's not like you were doing it for the approval anyways." Arata shrugged, shifting slightly on the hospital bed. "Let's just change the channel, huh? Slide the remote over for me please." Nodding obediently, he leaned over to grab the remote from the far side of the bed and handed it to her. With it in hand, she clicked a button and changed the channel to something a bit more pleasant.
The two of them were in her private hospital room, one Erika didn't care to share how she managed to get. The snow leopard claimed that she didn't want everyone learning her trick, as it would lose its effect from so many people doing it. Arata dismissed the matter; he didn't enjoy being in a hospital in general. Regardless, they were granted privacy, privacy they very much needed today.
"I don't need to remind you how important it is for you to keep all of this a secret, do I?" said Erika, "I'm assuming you already know."
"I know, I know," Arata nodded, "I don't exactly feel like sharing this anyways, considering the fact that most people seem to be at my necks now."
"Well, not the you you, more of the on-screen you." Arata simply shrugged, and Erika shook her head. "Whatever, as long as you get it. Also, one other thing." The panther-morph turned back to her. "Make sure no one gets to that Garden, alright?" She looked down at herself, adjusting her hospital robe slightly, "I'm not exactly in the condition to be watching over it, and that third guy's still on the loose. I really need you to protect it, alright?"
"Got it," he nodded, "but…what if someone's in trouble?" Erika gave him a very serious look.
"Arata, you don't need to be risking yourself outside of this," she told him, "just let Amnesia do their job."
"But…you saw what those guys were capable of…" Arata replied, "Amnesia couldn't even handle them. This…Earth's Tree group is making Memories stronger than ever." He clasped her paw in his gently, looking into her eyes intensely. "Erika, you told me that you would find a way to stop Dopants once and for all. Now you have. So please…let me fight. Let me fight for you."
"No," Erika shook her head firmly, "Arata, I never intended for you to be fighting them in the first place. I don't want you getting unnecessarily hurt just because I couldn't do it at the time. Please Arata; just let Amnesia figure things out. Everyone's gone through drills, and everyone knows how to stay safe. So…please…" The panther closed his eyes, taking in a slow breath.
"…Erika," he continued, "I can't just…sit there, knowing I can stop those things." He opened his eyes, looking to the snow leopard once more. "You already know that I want to bring an end to Dopants as much as you do. I can help you now; you just need to let me. The two of us can be a team, ya know?" He gripped her paw a little tighter, "And…if you're still against the idea, at the very least allow me to act as your substitute until you get better?" Erika stared at him for a while, before letting out a long sigh.
"Well, I can't exactly stop you anyways," she placed her other paw on his, "Just…promise me you won't do anything stupid, alright?" Arata nodded, smiling warmly at her. "Okay then…until I get better…you can borrow my stuff." She smiled back at him, squeezing his wrist lightly. "Don't break it alright? The damn thing was hard enough to make as it is."
Arata chuckled, "Don't worry; I'll take good care of it until you can take it back." The two of them leaned in, hugging each other tightly. "Thanks for caring about me Erika."
"Thank you for not dying," she said jokingly, separating their hug, "That would've defeated the whole purpose of saving me." The two of them laughed. "But…seriously Arata, thank you. I promise I'll make it up to you one day." Suddenly, a green light flashed atop the doorframe of her room. The two of them turned towards it as it emitted a low buzzing sound. "Oh, another check up's soon." She turned back to Arata. "I'll see ya around, kay?"
"See ya," he nodded to her as he stood up before making his way to the door. Giving her one last wave, he left her room and exited the hospital. He quickly made his way through the parking space and walked up to his motor bike. He grabbed up his helmet and slipped it on, revving the engine of his cycle as he mounted it.
Just hang in there Erika, he thought to himself, snapping up the stand and backing out of the parking space, I'll stop them, don't you worry. At that, he revved up his bike and drove off.
"So we finally get to meet again," Daiki exclaimed as he and his sister walked up to a male cheetah-morph. He took his paw without so much as asking, shaking it firmly in both paws. "So then, what happened that day anyways? You weren't the one fighting the one with the cape, correct?"
"I wasn't," he answered the canine, withdrawing his paw once he had finally released it, "However, once I heard that the others had been defeated, I decided it best to make a strategic retreat."
"AHHhh, I see now," Daiki replied, tossing his arms up in the air in an almost carefree manner, "Completely understandable. All is forgiven."
His sister shook her head, clearly un-amused by this. "Such a naïve little child…"
"Of course," Daiki continued, flicking an ear at his sister's remark, "no action is truly forgiven…without proper reconciliation." He clapped his paws together, smiling broadly. "SO, I need to ask for a little favor from you Mr. Edge." His sister chuffed at hearing him use his codenames again, but continued to listen regardless.
"What exactly does this favor entail, might I ask?" Edge asked, raising a brow at this.
"Well you see," Daiki went on, "I've taken up a sudden interest of a certain individual that managed to defeat what should have been undefeatable Dopants," he paced around the area as he went on, making various motions and gestures with his paws. "Now, no doubt this is simply a fluke, and those Memories must have been glitched or something, but it's always smart to make sure…" He stopped his pacing to turn back to the cheetah-morph. "It's clear that Mr. Cape man has something to do with the Garden I had the other two look for, so, I'd like for you to investigate that area in their stead."
Edge drew back in a double take, concerned about this new "favor." "You can't expect me to go out there alone, not with that man running around. Regardless if they were glitched Memories or not, that man was able to take down two Dopants at once."
"Now, now, we don't know that for sure," Daiki countered, waving his paws about, "Besides, I can assure you that your Memory is perfectly functional. You should have no problems dealing with this caped crusader at all." Edge growled, folding his arms across his chest and flicking his tail in agitation. Daiki sighed. "Fine, if you really don't want to go alone, then I shall act as your safety button." His sister turned to him, taken aback by his statement. "I shall be watching from the sidelines, and will jump in to help in the off chance that you do require assistance."
Edge continued to give him a look of unease, his ears flattening against his head. "What exactly will you be using to defend yourself against him? Do you have a Memory of your own?" Daiki smiled slyly.
"You could say that," he remarked, "Just know that I have my own means of…" he chuckled, "defense."
"Aaaaaaaannnd…done," Arata sighed in relief as he slid one last piece of scrap metal over the entrance to their hideout. He flicked his ears in satisfaction, admiring his handiwork. "Good thing there's a good amount of scrap around the area…" He dusted his paws off before turning to walk the other way. Hopefully that'll be enough to hide it, or at least make it more difficult to find… Shaking the thought away, the panther-morph instead focused on finding his way back to the shop. Thankfully, it wasn't so much of an ordeal as it had been to find his way back to the area in the first place. Within a few minutes, Arata was back at the shop, where Vince and Dave had apparently been waiting at.
"Hey Arata," Vince greeted, "so how's Erika been?"
"She's doing better," Arata explained as he waved to the two of them, "Since we got help soon after lock down ended, she's on the road to a promising recovery."
"Good to hear man," Dave replied, leaning against the wall of the shop, "so ya gonna open up or not?" Arata chuffed at his forwardness.
"I got it, I got it…" He walked up to the front door, placing his finger on the door's panel, "….ah jeez…."
As Edge walked down the dark hallways, he spied a dark figure with a suitcase, leaning against the wall ahead of him. The figure turned, and the cheetah quickly identified him as Crosshair. The two of them nodded to each other as he approached him.
"Well then," Crosshair began, "shall we get started?"
"Fine," Edge replied simply, slipping his Memory from out of his pocket. Pulling down his sleeve, Edge clicked the button at the front of the Memory.
EDGE!
He stabbed it into his arm, and it snaked its way inside. His body began to glow as it shifted and changed into a new shape. After a few seconds, the cheetah from before had completely transformed into the metalized Dopant from before. Edge looked to Crosshair in confusion. "Well? You plan on changing too, correct?"
"Oh I will," he confirmed him, "just…not now. You go on ahead; I'll catch up to you at one point or another." Edge narrowed his eyes at him. However, in no position to argue, the Dopant reluctantly made his leave, keeping his eyes on the canine as he left. Once he was gone, Daiki chuckled in amusement.
"Aaaaahhh, it's good to be the boss around here," he sighed happily before placing his suitcase on the ground and opening it up. He reached inside to pull out a familiar device. "Well, time to get dressed for work." He slapped the device on to his midsection, causing a belt to snake around his form. He then reached into the suitcase again, pulling out a light blue Memory. He clicked the button at the front.
TRIGGER!
He plugged it into his Lost Driver, causing a standby noise to emit from it. He ran his paw over his head before flicking the Driver into a slanted position.
TRIGGER!
A sudden wind swept up around him as his body as it too began to shift and change. He smiled broadly as armor began to encase his head, and his muzzle began to shrink away. As the wind faded away, and his body completed its transformation, Daiki's enlarged eyes glowed bright red amidst the darkness. He reached down to his thighs to draw out twin pistols from their holsters. "Now…time to go hunting…"
"Thirty minutes though?"
"Shut up."
"Erika showed you how to open it up already, right?"
"Shut UP."
"Like, is that even possible?"
"I get it. I got it ten minutes ago."
"Got what? I don't think you get it cuz' it took thirty minutes."
"Really guys? Y-you're just gonna keep goin at this, huh?"
"I mean, fifteen would make sense, but thirty?"
"You know he actually does have a point. Thirty minutes? That should have been in half, even if Erika showed you, which she did."
"Glad to know that this is what our friendship has become guys." Arata sighed jokingly as he continued to type in several commands into the computer. He glanced up from the screen to check on how their game was going. Dave had brought his gaming system and hooked it up to the store's big screen, a habit the group had gotten used to.
"It's coming up. Dodge roll," Dave informed Vince as the virtual Minotaur began to breathe fire at their characters. Vince leaned in the direction his character rolled in as they avoided the attack. Arata smiled at seeing this and returned to his work.
"Hey guys," he spoke up, "just remember to scoot back up if any custom—" He was cut off as a loud siren sounded out. The other two males jumped in their seats as they looked around in confusion. Arata rushed to the door and opened it up, hearing the siren sound out throughout the city.
"Another lockdown?!" Dave exclaimed, "We just had one two days ago, didn't we?!"
"Is this seriously another attack?!" Vince said in confusion as they shut off the game system.
"I dunno, do you hear the ALARMS?!" Dave retorted, "Then it's an ATTACK!"
Arata growled slightly as he shut off the lights. It must be the one that ran away last time. Which means… He realized just what was going on, and what the Dopant was after. He hurried over to his desk and grabbed up his jacket. "Hey! You two know how to lock up, right?" Vince and Dave looked to him in absolute confusion.
"Why? What's going on?"
"Lock up! I gotta go!" Before either of them could react, Arata rushed out the door and hopped on his bike. He revved it up as he slipped his helmet on. Soon enough, Dave's head poked out the door.
"Are you insane?!" he shouted at him, "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
"STAY INSIDE, AND LOCK UP!" Arata commanded, pointing at him, "Do NOT leave until lockdown is over!" At that, the panther-morph drove off and away from the shop, turning the nearest corner. Once he felt he was far enough, he slipped his Lost Driver out of his jacket and slapped it onto his mid-section, causing a belt to snake around him. Switching to his right hand, he pulled his Memory out of his pocket and clicked the button at the front.
FREEZE!
He slotted it into his Driver and shifted it to a slanted position, causing a sudden blizzard to swirl around him. Once again, he felt an icy feeling chill his body as it began to reshape itself. He shielded himself with his right as he felt his cloak envelop him once more. His eyes glowed before he whipped his cloak away, causing it to flutter in the wind as he sped forward on his motor bike. Looking down, he realized that his bike had changed forms as well, taking on a much sharper design, as well as being whiter in appearance.
Huh, nice little perk, he thought to himself, looking forward once again and revving his engine even more, but let's see if it can speed me up! He revved it yet again, causing an almost futuristic hum to sound from his engine. He leaned into his bike as it sped off at an even faster rate, shooting forward in the direction of the copter up ahead. "Alright! LET'S GO!"
"That damned Crosshair," Edge muttered under his breath, "who the hell does he think he is?" He stopped in his tracks as an Amnesia squad cut him off the path he was walking.
"Fire at will!" their leader shouted out, prompting the other members to let loose a barrage of bullets. Edge sighed as the bullets bounced harmlessly off of his body. Not in the mood to deal with them, he thrust out his arm before slashing out at the squad, launching an energy slash their way. The slash connected with the troopers, causing sparks to fly from their bodies, and forcing them to fall back. Edge sighed in boredom as they scrambled back to their feet, turning to the side and walking in the other direction. Suddenly, he stopped. He turned his head to the left as he tried to listen for a sound.
The roar of a motorcycle engine.
He twirled around to see a man clad in white armor speeding toward him at an alarming rate. Spying his cape, Edge quickly identified him as the masked individual from before. So this is the one, he thought to himself, crossing his arm across his chest, well then, time for a proper introduction! He slashed his arm out, sending a slash of energy towards the rider. Acting fast, Arata grabbed his Memory out of his Driver and slotted it into the slot at his side.
FREEZE: MAXIMUM DRIVE!
The attack connected, but instead of knocking Arata off of his bike, both him and his bike dispersed into a cloud of snow. The cloud shot towards Edge at the same speed he had been going prior to the attack. As Edge's attack cut into the concrete and created a crevice, the cloud clustered to form Arata's body and bike once again, and he quickly clutched his break, turning his bike suddenly to drift towards the metal Dopant at high speeds. The bike slammed into Edge with a powerful force and sent him flying back. Arata wheeled his bike around again, stopping his momentum as his bike screeched to a halt to fling him off. He spun once before landing on his feet, causing his cloak to curl around him from the momentum. He whipped it away from his body and turned towards Edge as he got back up.
"So you're the guy then, huh?" Edge said to him, pointing a blade at him, "The one I need to take care of?" Arata growled.
"I suggest you turn yourself in now," he shouted back, "I'd rather not be forced to take action." Edge laughed.
"Is that what you have to say to me?" he asked in amusement, "I would have thought that a rogue such as yourself would have some sort of witty remark or something!" Arata turned his head slightly, scratching his head with a finger.
"W-well, it's not like I prepare things like that!" he retorted, "I don't have a catch phrase or anything!" Edge chuffed, scraping his blades against each other.
"So you're just a child then." He slashed his arm out, cutting into the concrete in front of him. "This shall be easy pickings." Arata growled loudly, clenching his fists.
"Fine, if you're so insistent on getting a beating, then COME AT ME!" The two of them charged at each other at full speed. Once they met, Edge swung down at his head. Crossing his arms over each other, Arata caught the blade between his forearms, protected by his gauntlets. With the both of them locked into place, they pushed against each other, glaring at each other as they tried to over power the other. Shoving Edge off, Arata ran off to the side, with Edge running after him in pursuit.
"Follow them!" the captain of the troopers shouted out, "Don't let them out of your sights!" Nodding their armored heads, the troopers ran after them and followed them out of the area.
Soon the two of them made it to a more open area, one with a few less buildings to take up space. Arata rolled away before turning to face the Dopant once more, who led with a lunge at his chest. Swinging his right arm to the side, Arata quickly parried the attack. But Edge did not let up, following up with a swing from his left. Unable to counter, Arata cried out as his blade slashed across his chest, staggering him back and sending sparks everywhere. Edge continued his attack, circling both of his arms around to deliver a heavy swing to his left. The attack connected, and Arata stumbled before falling backwards several feet away from the Dopant.
"Damn, that body of yours is really sturdy," he commented, slowly stalking towards the downed panther, "but I still fail to see how that helped you defeat my comrades." Arata grimaced as he struggled to rise, barely managing to get to his feet before Edge closed the space between them. Taking advantage of this opening, he slashed out at Arata, crisscrossing his arms as he slashed at his torso again and again. As Arata fell to his knees, Edge held a blade to his neck. "Now that you're here, it is time you answered my question," he hissed at him, pressing the blade into him more, "Where is that Garden of yours, hmmm?" Arata looked into his eyes, glaring at him.
"Sorry, but I don't do gardening." Edge growled before slashing his blade across his neck, not managing to cut into him but still hurting him none-the-less. Circling his arm around, Edge swung down at him from his right towards his left. Acting quickly, Arata crossed his arms again to catch the blade between his forearms. However, the Dopant's strength won out, and he shoved the blade down, causing it to catch up against Arata's shoulder guard. Arata took hold of it in his hands as Edge pushed down on him.
"Do NOT be smart with me," Edge growled, "Where is the Garden? Hurry up before I find a way to break that body of yours."
Arata gripped his blade tightly, glaring at Edge with his bright green eyes. "I…nrgh…don't know what you're talking about." Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Edge drove his blade downwards, slashing Arata across his chest and prompting a cry of pain from him. Turning his wrist, Edge followed up with an upwards slash, causing Arata to stumble back to his feet. The Dopant drew his arm back before lunging forward, delivering a powerful stab to Arata's chest. The armored panther cried out as he was sent flying back, slamming into the door a nearby building. However, the force of the impact was enough to make the door collapse, and Arata ended up crashing through, despite the metal guards braced against it.
A child shrieked out as Arata hit the floor, scrambling into the arms of his parents. As Arata got to his feet, he looked up to see the small family bunched up against the wall in front of him, seemingly to have no where else to go. Arata whipped his head back towards the Dopant, catching sight of him crossing his arm across his chest. He snapped his attention back towards the family. Crap! Edge whipped his arm out, sending a slash of energy towards them.
"LOOK OUT!" Arata shouted out as he scrambled back to his feet, spreading his arms out to shield the family as the attack struck his back, prompting a cry of pain from him. He felt his knees give in on him as he collapsed to his knees, his arms falling to his sides and his head hanging limply. Unfortunately, he was not granted a chance to rest, as he felt a heavy slash against his back. Another slash and Edge's blades were between Arata's neck and shoulder, with Edge continuing to drive it in despite not being able to cut into him. Arata took hold of the blades in his hands, gripping them tightly and ignoring the pain that it brought to his hands.
"I'm growing tired of asking again and again," Edge growled, forcing his blades down harder on him, "Where. Is. The Garden." Arata cried out as he pushed down harder against his neck, leaning his head towards the blade to try and ease the pain. Just then, the air was filled with the sound of wailing. Arata looked up, realizing the kid was crying. Continuing to struggle against Edge's blades, he looked on to the child as he pressed himself into his parents, eyes flooded with tears and his face twisted in absolute terror.
That's…just like… Arata couldn't help but stare as he watched the family. He came to a realization that the kid reminded him of someone else. Someone he knew very well.
Himself.
The way he clung on to his mother, the way he was trying to seek some sort of comfort among the chaos, the way he refused to open his eyes until it was over, it all mirrored how Arata was as a child at the time Day Zero occurred. He knew exactly what the child was going through. He knew how he felt. He knew the fright and confusion that was going through his head. He knew the feeling of impending doom and overwhelming despair that was drowning him. He knew…all too well.
"I'm waiting," Edge spoke up again, and making Arata break his gaze from the family to him, "and I don't like waiting. Tell me where it is or I'll—"
"CAN IT!" Arata growled loudly, squeezing down harder on the Dopant's blades. He turned his head back to the family, looking intently at the child. "Hey…hey kid!" The child ceased his sobbing abruptly, snapping his head up in attention and looking to him with teary, bloodshot eyes. "S…stop crying, would ya?" he said to him, continuing to struggle against the Dopant's strength, "Didn't you know? It's my superhero weakness." The child slowly wiped his eyes, still fear stricken and confused as he watched the two of them. "Heh, atta boy," Arata said, grunting as Edge pushed down on him again, "Now…I'm gonna need you to do something for me, alright?" He cried out again as Edge pushed down on him even harder, causing the child to withdraw back into his parents slightly. Arata looked back into the child's eyes again, gripping the Dopant's blades tightly. "I—urgh! …I need you to feel brave for me… Got it?" The child looked back at him, fear beginning to melt away from his features as he listened to him. "I need you to feel…as BRAVE as you can be… If you do that…it will make me feel stronger. It will make us BOTH feel stronger." Arata tensed his legs as he pushed back against the Dopant, struggling to rise. "What do ya say…do you think you can help me out?"
The kid looked around, conflicted with what to do. He clung on to his parents tighter, shuffling around on his heels and rubbing his head against his mother's shoulder. He clenched his eyes for a moment, before breaking out of the cocoon of his parents and standing up, causing them to break up and turn to their child in shock. The child stood up and took two steps toward the two struggling males.
"You can do it mister!" the kid shouted, looking into Arata's eyes, "You can beat the bad guy!" If Arata still had his mouth, it would be smiling widely at this point.
"How touching," Edge taunted, "but I'm afraid that won't do you any good against me." He forced his blade down again, pushing Arata down once more. Breathing heavily, Arata let out a laugh.
"Is that so?" he asked, tensing his legs again, "Don't…be…So…SURE! RrrrrrrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" With newfound determination, Arata mustered up all the strength he could as he pushed against the blade, slowly rising up back to his feet. Now standing once again, Arata let go of the blade with his right to elbow Edge in the gut. Once he felt Edge's press lighten, Arata drew his left leg back before delivering a back kick to his gut, staggering him back several steps. With his blade finally off of his shoulder, Arata turned on his heels and jumped up, delivering a spin kick straight to Edge's head and hitting him hard enough to knock him out of the house and send him sprawling onto the ground outside. Arata panted heavily, turning back towards the kid who was still standing where he was, with his parents fretting over him and scolding him. He chuckled and approached the family. He knelt down to the kid's height, offering him his fist.
"Good job," he said to him, his parents turning to him and watching him carefully, "I couldn't have done that without your help." The kid glanced back and forth between him and his fist before finally bumping his own against it.
"Mister," said the kid, "who are you?" Arata was caught off guard, not knowing what to say. He looked off a bit to the side as he thought of his answer, before nodding and returning his gaze to him.
"Zero," he finally answered, "My name is Zero." The kid smiled brightly, and he nodded to him. Nodding back, Arata stood back up and looked to his parents.
"You guys head to a safer place," he instructed them, "I'll make sure that creep over there doesn't get to you guys ever again."
"Thank you," the mother said gratefully before turning back to her husband. The family quickly scrambled to their feet as they rushed deeper inside the house.
"Go get him Zero!" the kid shouted out, "Save the world!" At that, the family disappeared from sight. Arata chuckled slightly, turning away to face his opponent once again.
I will kid, he thought to himself, count on it. With his fighting spirit ignited once again, he charged forward towards Edge at full speed. As the metal Dopant staggered back to his feet, Arata jumped up and kicked his foot out at him. Acting fast, Edge jumped off to the side and avoided the attack, both of them taking defensive stances after landing. They locked gazes as they circled each other, each waiting for the other to take the first move. When none of them did, Edge decided to take the lead, lunging forward and slashing with his left down to the right. Arata shot his right arm up to block the attack before following up with an icy punch from his left. As he was hit, Edge spun around with the punch to twirl and slash at him horizontally to the right.
"Gah!" Arata cried out as his torso was slashed. Edge followed through with the swing and made a downwards swing to the left, his blade impacting Arata's left shoulder and forcing him back down to his knees. Edge followed through again and made another downward slash to the right. This time, he swung so that his blade was caught between Arata's shoulder and neck again, locking them in a similar position as not too long ago. Arata grimaced as he tried to force his blades through him again. Suddenly, Edge swung out with his other arm, catching his other blade in the same area his first one was. Arata cried out as the blade collided with him, grimacing as he took hold of both of the blades in his hands.
"This is your LAST chance," Edge threatened him, pushing down hard with both blades, "You're going to tell me everything you know, otherwise I'm going to slice you in HALF!" He shoved his blades down again, prompting another cry of pain from Arata. He growled, glaring back at the Dopant.
"Fine," he growled, clenching his hands around the blades, "I'll let you in on a secret." Edge's blades did not leave his shoulder, instead continuing to weigh down on him. He stared down at the armored panther-morph as he waited for him to continue. "My Memory is Freeze, which grants me the ability to lower the temperature of the area around me." Arata tightened his grip on the blades even further, his eyes not leaving Edge's in the slightest. "And there's an interesting thing I learned about metals in one of my science classes…" Edge suddenly noticed that his blades were beginning to become frosted around where Arata's hands were. He tried to pull away, but Arata's grip held firm. "As it turns out, under extreme cold, even the hardest of metals can become brittle…" Edge struggled more, but his blades continued to freeze over. "And that makes it easier…to BREAK!"
Arata leg go with his right before swinging his free arm at the frozen blades, both of them shattering into pieces upon impact. Edge staggered, backing away as he was left defenseless. Standing up, Arata tossed the blades aside before turning on his heels and delivering a strong icy roundhouse kick to the Dopant's head. Edge stumbled as his head was met with a blunt force, a thin sheet of ice covering the side he had been hit. Following through with the kick, Arata backspin-kicked him in with his left, the attack once again landing on Edge's head. The Dopant was blown back, rolling to the ground several feet away. He scrambled back to his feet, his head darting left and right.
Where the hell is he?! he thought to himself, looking for any sign of Crosshair, He said he would be here!
"HA!" Charging forward, Arata delivered a straight punch with his right, hitting Edge hard in the gut and sending him flying back. The metal Dopant landed hard on the ground with a thud, his entire body now covered in a thin sheet of ice. Standing straight, Arata whipped his cloak aside before pulling his Memory out from his Driver. "Time to finish this up." He flicked his wrist, slotting the Memory into his side and prompting a confirming sound from the device.
FREEZE: MAXIMUM DRIVE!
Flicking his arms out to either side of him, Arata's body dispersed into a raging blizzard, swirling around Edge as he quickly began to freeze over. "Damn you…Crosshair," Edge hissed before his entire body froze up, practically becoming a block of ice. The blizzard eased up before Arata's body re-solidified. He curled up as he prepared himself for a jump kick.
"Frozen BREAKER!" He slapped the pad at his side and kicked his leg out, shooting forward as his leg began to glow, "HAAAAAAAA!" Arata crashed through the Dopant, reducing him to nothing but shards of ice as his form was replaced with that of his normal self, falling to the ground unconscious and Memory shooting out of his body. Arata landed only a few feet away, slowly rising as his cloak fluttered around in the wind. Standing straight, he turned to look at the former Dopant, now but another normal citizen of Jinsoku. Looking next to him, he confirmed that yes, this Memory had not been destroyed either. He put his hand to his chin thoughtfully. It's…definitely because I'm not that strong yet…right? Suddenly, he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned to look, and saw that Amnesia members had begun to flood the area, coming out of their hiding spots and surrounding the two of them. As they did, they began to aim their guns at him, none of them showing any signs of friendliness or trust towards him. The panther growled. Looks like I don't have time to think this over…
"Hands up!" their commander shouted out, clutching his gun in both hands, "Hand over the equipment and come with us quietly for questioning!" Moving slowly, Arata raised both of his hands over his head, not wanting to aggravate the commander. Looking off to the side, Arata realized that they had his motorcycle in their possession.
At least…for now.
Arata kept his eyes focused on the vehicle, feeling its connection to him in his mind. "DROP YOUR DRIVER NOW!" The commander demanded, firing a warning shot at Arata's feet. He did not move, continuing to keep his focus on his cycle. Seeing that he would not comply, he signaled for several other troops to move in. As they slowly closed in, Arata's bike suddenly burst into a cloud of snow that shot through the troops, stunning them and confusing them. Arata turned and ran in the other direction, jumping up as the cloud swept underneath him before reshaping itself back into his motorcycle, shooting through and scattering several of the Amnesia troops.
"After him!" their commander shouted out, prompting his fellow troops to run after Arata as their copter flew off in pursuit while the others got to work on Edge, cuffing him and taking him in. However, unbeknownst to them, a pair of glowing red eyes shined out from the darkness of a nearby alleyway. The one the eyes belonged to holstered his twin pistols, leaning against the walls.
Not too bad mister cape man, the figure thought to himself, I look forward to seeing more out of you… At that, the figure moved away from the area, humming cheerily to himself and strolling along.
"…And yet another attack on Jinsoku City," Brenda went on, "and the reappearance of a Dopant from the attack from not too long ago…"
"Honestly though, Arata," Erika criticized the panther, talking over the TV, "that was way too reckless of you! I don't need to explain what could have happened to you. You're lucky you escaped with just a couple of bruises."
Arata's ears were flat against his head. "I know…but I couldn't just let those people get hurt out there. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I allowed what happened to me happen to someone else." The snow leopard let out an irritated sigh, folding her arms across her chest.
"Well…I suppose I can't fault you for that…" she sighed, looking away from him defiantly, "but…that doesn't make me any less mad."
"I know…" he apologized sheepishly. She let out another sigh.
"So…how did you explain yourself to Vince and Dave anyway?" she asked curiously, flicking her eyes towards him.
"I just sort of told them that I got beat up after intruding on someone else's hiding spot." Erika snickered, her serious demeanor wavering before ultimately collapsing.
"Well, that's one way to explain it," she giggled, "though I'm surprised they actually fell for that. But then again, you've never been the type to lie to anyone, especially with us." She looked him in the eyes. "Right?"
The panther chuckled. "Right." Erika nodded in satisfaction, returning her attention to the screen. Arata looked off to the side, swishing his tail on the side of the bed. "…Erika?"
"What's up?" she asked without turning to him. Arata paused, unsure on whether or not to continue.
"…Listen… About…what we discussed…earlier today…" Erika frowned, returning her attention to him. Arata's eyes remained off to the side, his tail flicking around nervously. "I know…I know I said…that once you recovered…that I would return the gear to you…but…" he turned to face her, a serious expression across his features, "I think I've changed my mind."
Erika didn't respond for a moment. "…Why…why is that?"
Arata sighed, looking down at his lap. "Back there…when I saved that family…I came to a complete realization of who exactly I was protecting…" He returned his gaze to her, "Knowing what you're protecting is one thing, but actually seeing them is another. I personally saw how scared and helpless those people were. It was the same fear that you and I experienced on Day Zero. After seeing that, I…I just can't stand the thought of standing by and doing nothing to change that. I…I hope you understand…what I'm trying to say…" Erika closed her eyes, letting out a long, slow breath.
"I do," she replied, "and honestly, after seeing what happened there, I'm not surprised you feel that way either. I'd probably be pretty fired up as well…" She opened her eyes, looking to him and smiling. "Okay, if this is your decision, then it's not my place to deny you from protecting others."
Arata smiled back. "Thank you."
"But don't think I'm just gonna sit back either," she snapped, pointing a finger at him, "One way or another, I'm gonna find a way to fight along side you. Just you wait."
The panther nodded. "I look forward to it."
"…And he told me to be brave," a young boy accompanied by his parents spoke into the microphone, "cuz it makes him stronger and helps him fight the bad guys."
Arata looked up at the screen, recognizing the voice. "Hey, that's the family right now." Erika looked up at the screen as well.
"And you were brave," the reporter commented, "We all saw you stand up to him."
"Uhuh," the boy replied enthusiastically, "cuz I wanted to be brave for him n' make him stronger." The footage clipped back to Brenda.
"According to the boy," she said, "the man claims to go by the name of Zero, which a lot of people on social media seem to find rather fitting. While it seems to reference his ice related abilities, it is also a powerful reminder of Day Zero, the day that he seems to wish for everyone to overcome. With that in mind, the public has given a proper name to this mysterious masked man on a motorcycle. Forever more, this man will be known by the name of Kamen Rider Zero."
Erika smirked, glancing over to Arata and seeing the brightest of smiles across his muzzle. "So, what do ya think of your new name?"
Arata kept his eyes on the screen. "I'd say…it's pretty cool."
Erika snorted, face-palming in amusement. "Okay, leave the bad puns to me, alright?" Arata turned to her, confused.
"Puns? What do you…oh…"
