WELL! This is back...

Sorry about the whole lack of anything for a while, this story was getting kind of mixed reviews from people so I put it to the backburner in favor of other things, but recently it's been making a resurgence! And I'm never someone to disappoint fans.

I swear I own nothing, not the place, time, any pictures I use outside of any I potentially commission, or the setting of this writing. What I DO own are means by which generous people can help and support a young man if they should choose. Available here and here, or my profile for those curious. The first is to my P A treon, and the second is to a fund, for commissions or if you think I could use a little something extra.

Now let's Fight-o Fight-o.

Chapter 11: This is a Kamen Rider

OR

Together We Can Show the World What We Can Do

People noticed when a Crab-man in a tophat and cape jumped out of a school window.

They especially noticed and got their phones ready when what looked like a pure white-dwarf in power-armor holding a flaming hammer jumped after it.

But that wasn't a concern for Taylor, for Kamen Rider Ex-Aid at this point. The only thing that mattered was Salty in front of her gazes locked and ready to rumble.

"Hmph! Such violence and passion in that gaze! It seems you DO have some worth as my destined foe. Good. Anything less and I'd have been SO salty." Salty chuckled to himself even as Ex-Aid brandished her hammer.

"Why are you here? For me? For the people at this school? ANSWER ME!" Ex-Aid shouted as you leapt, hammer swinging rapidly.

Salty ducked and juked through the swings, chortling as adjusting his monocle.

"Oh-hohoho! You demand such answers with tepid blows like this? Come now! Where's the fun in that!" He shouted back as a claw struck out, gripping Ex-Aids arm and throwing her bodily away!

"Aaagh!" Ex-Aid grunted as she quickly reoriented and slid back on her feet, but not before looking down and noticing a bar dissipate from her chestplate.

"Slow, slow, slow! You'll never get anywhere with such small stats and no surprise on your side! Go back and grind some more while the big boy's set up, alright?" Salty mocked of a moment, before throwing his cape open and turning around fully, walking away while Ex-Aid was shocked.

Before she could try and follow however, pillars of orange light filled the yard, before solidifying into figures wearing black jumpsuits, strange orange masks, and...chef's hats and tools?

She'd be wondering what the fuck was happening if her instincts weren't screaming danger to her.

"Play with these bit cooks for now. I have a job to get too!" Salty's voice echoed into the area before he finally left view, making the gathered 'cooks' begin to move sporadically or in sharp twitches as they all faced Ex-Aid.

Ex-Aid gulped for a moment, but also felt the grip on her hammer grow, and a smile grow on her face.

Lesser Ones Before You. Action Awaits Salty. You Do Not Have Time to Waste. Awaken Greater Heights and Blow Through The Opposition!

And grinned as a hand rested on the door to her Future.

With a single pull of the handle...

LEVEL! UUUUUPPP!

Nothing would stop her ever again.

Mighty Jump! Mighty Kick! Mighty Mighty Action, X!

The armor guarding her fell away, dispersing into the air as pixels revealing a bright pink and green being beneath, arms and legs reaching out to grasp the world.

Her head reoriented itself, standing tall and proud as eyes saw through a visor clear as crystal and sharper than any eyeglass.

A mask with a wild grin towards the foes ahead, 'hair' blowing back as you walked forward without end. This was right. You could feel everything, see everything, do anything.

And the words for this form spilled from your mouth, a calm whisper that flew through your spine in chills and freight in the cooks.

"Kamen Rider Ex-Aid. Level Up."

And then she moved.

A hammer smashed into a cook with a over-sized potato peeler hard enough to send him flying back into a small crowd of others unfortunate enough to have not dodged. Two follow up strikes reduced the pile into a cloud of data, but Ex-Aid was moving on.

Punches were grabbed and redirected, kicks gracefully launched in arcs and spikes, never failing to hit. At one point, she even through a cook up before jumping of the back of another trying to tackle her from behind, gliding through the air to send the air-born soul like a bomb back to the ground with a devastating axe kick. It was like she was starring in an action movie. Every move was so clear, each intent read, categorized, and ready to react to.

There were no cooks left as Ex-Aid stood in the clearing, hazes of pixels and data dotting the area before dissipating as she panted, before finally freezing and looking upward.

To see what felt like hundreds of kids all with their phones pointed out recording her every move.

Ex-Aid beat feet out of there, two solid leaps letting her escape down the same opening Salty himself to, deciding to solve the problem she could physically beat first instead of focusing on cover-ups later.

-WITH SALTY-

"Aaaand there! A perfect fit! Now, let's see if Mighty's still kicking." Salty sighed contently as he left the library, looking left and right before heading through the doors...

Only to be thrown back through the doors by a flying kick courtesy of said Ex-Aid, having blindsided him front on after he turned to check his sides.

"You aren't getting away like that!" Ex-Aid sternly said as she came to a stop, legs twitching and ready to move even as Salty gripped his way back to his feet with the help of a bookshelf.

"That...that was a dirty trick to pull on a Crab. That makes me SALTY." Salty literally growled as his pincer snapped menacingly.

But Taylor wasn't afraid anymore.

"And I don't care. Why are you at my school? Why did you attack me? What were you DOING in there." Ex-Aid pointed right back, having cornered him.

And the Crab...giggled. Like the anger had just dissipated, like it never happened.

"Oh-hohoho! Silly girl! I might be a video game villain, but monologues are SO cliche! if you want the Story, read the item descriptions! I've already spent too much time here for now. I'm sure when we meet again so much more will be clearer! And do give the Doctor my regards! Ta-ta!" Salty sniggered before slamming his claw down, sending up a cloud of dust from nowhere.

Ex-Aid was shocked and began coughing, the sight and taste of it somehow making it through her helmet. By the time she puller herself together to see, the library was empty again.

She shook for a moment, wanting to keep chasing after him, to do so regardless of what was in her way, but she had to stop for now.

The priority was finding out why such a...'person' was at her school at all...and just what she was.

The Gashat was pulled and the door was closed, reverting Ex-Aid back to Taylor, pixels breaking into the air even as she took one last look at the library and resolved to look through it more when the goal was clear.

Taylor needed answers right now...and completely missed the set of shocked eyes watching every step she took out of the library into the panicking throngs of students.

END OF CHAPTER

See you Next Game.