It's How You Play the Game
Note: Chapters 4 and 5 have been edited. I finally thought up a team name related to color. RWKBY (Rookie) relating to rookies being called Green or Greenhorns.
Note 09.15.2021: This chapter has been edited by RSBCS
"Explain," said Yang as she and other female members of Team RWKBY helped Kazi limp to the infirmary so that the nurse could look at the injuries from his fight with Yang, "how is it that you can't use Aura while you're a Kamen Rider?"
"It's kind of embarrassing," said Kazi with a wince, "you see, when I received the Gamer Driver, the system was actually incomplete. It was missing a suitable power source and Dust was too volatile to be used safely."
"Is that why the Driver negates your Aura?" asked Weiss, "Why don't you just find a power source then?"
"I did actually," said Kazi, "and that's the problem. You see I needed an easily replenished power source that would also allow for better synchronization with the suit, so I used my own Aura."
"WHAT?" the girls said in shock.
"Calm down," said Kazi, "it's not like I set the Driver to actively drain my Aura. It just diverts it into the suit instead of coating my body in it like a shield. Besides, the suit offers its own level of protection."
"But how would you make sure your Aura won't run out?" asked Ruby worriedly.
"Got that covered," said Kazi, "the suit comes with a Life-Gauge like you'd see in video games. It tracks how much Aura I have left to power the suit. When it is gone, the Driver deactivates and I just have to wait for my Aura to recharge naturally."
"Then what happened to your shoulder?" asked Weiss as she pointed to the dislocated limb with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh come on," protested Kazi, "how many people actually hit as hard as Yang does when she's angry?"
"Still," said Blake, "you really should get something to fight with when not transformed. You can't just go around fighting without Aura to protect you."
"That settles it," said Ruby with a determined smile, "I'm going to build you a weapon for you to use when you're not transformed. That way you won't have to worry."
"Really?" said Kazi in surprise, "Um, thanks."
"Well now," chuckled Yang, "Rubes is going to make you a weapon herself? I had to bribe her with a jar of homemade cookies to get her help with Ember Celica."
Ruby blushed slightly and puffed out her cheeks at her sister's teasing, "Oh look!" she said, changing the subject, "we're here!"
And indeed they were. Ruby and the others helped Kazi onto one of the cots and told one of the staff to call the Nurse.
"Thanks for helping me here," said Kazi, "it would have been hard to walk properly through the pain, much less use the elevator."
"Was no problem," said Yang, "sorry about your arm though."
"Well I wanted to see how I measured up," shrugged Kazi before wincing as the movement sent pain shooting through his arm, "guess that was a bad idea."
"I think that's an understatement," noted Weiss as she crossed her arms.
It was at that point that the Nurse, a black haired woman with a panther tail swinging behind her, named Ebony Cole, walked up with a clipboard.
"What seems to be the trouble?" asked the Nurse.
"Dislocated my arm training," said Kazi, "accidentally pushed too hard and got hit without Aura."
"I see," said the Nurse, "I'll need to get your shirt off to inspect the damage."
"Excuse me," interrupted Weiss, "but aren't you the school's Faunus doctor?"
"That's right I am," said the Nurse, "I'm in charge of treatment of all Faunus students and staff."
"Then why…" began Weiss before stopping as she heard Kazi chuckle.
"Guess the cat's out of the bag," Kazi muttered as he finished removing his shirt with a wince.
The girls then got their first look at Kazi's exposed torso and understood why he always wore long sleeves, for covering his back and arms, leaving only his chest, stomach and the underside of his arms exposed, were black armored scales that resembled plates layered over each other.
"You're a Faunus?" said Blake in surprise.
"A Pangolin Faunus to be exact," said Kazi, "it means I get this natural armor. I hope this doesn't change anything."
"Why would it?" asked Blake quizzically.
"Yeah," said Ruby, "you're our friend and teammate. Just because you're a Faunus doesn't change that."
Yang smiled and nodded, leaving Weiss the only one that didn't respond.
"You still there Wei-YAAAAAARH!" said Kazi, his sentence becoming a scream of pain as the nurse relocated the joint while he was distracted.
"All better," said the Nurse with a smile.
"A little warning next time please," muttered Kazi.
"If I had warned you, you'd have tensed up and it would have hurt even more," said the Nurse with a shrug, "I can recommend some painkillers, but your arm should be all better by tomorrow. Just in time for the trip to Forever Fall."
"At least that's one good thing," sighed Kazi as he pulled his shirt back on, "thanks ma'am."
"Yeah thanks," said Ruby, "now come on team, we still have the arena booked for another hour!"
Nurse Cole smiled as she watched the teens rush off. She enjoyed seeing the young ones working hard while still finding time to have fun. With a chuckle, she returned to her work, her tail swishing behind her.
xXsceneXx
"Alright," said Ruby as she tightened the lid on a jar of Red Sap that Teams RWKBY and JNPR had gathered from the trees in the Forever Fall forest, though Jaune was strangely absent, "even with Nora eating through half the jars, we've managed to gather enough Sap for the assignment."
"And we didn't even see any Rapier Wasps," said Kazi, "thank Monty."
"What is it with you and bees?" asked Nora, "Shouldn't a Huntsman not be scared of insects?"
"Well excuse my Apiphobia," Kazi retorted with a huff.
"Apiphobia?" repeated Nora in a confused tone.
"It's the acute fear of bees or anything similar," said Lie-Ren.
"How were you able to be a Huntsman with such a disability?" asked Pyrrha
"I learned to work around it," said Kazi, "it's not like I'll only fight bee-type Grimm."
"Anyways," said Blake, "we should get this Sap back to the Bullhead so we can get back to school."
"Eager to get back to your books?" teased Yang, "I've seen you sneaking peeks at your bookshelf when you think nobody's looking. You must really be into reading."
Blake blushed slightly, considering which book she had wanted to read…and the mature content it contained as well.
Suddenly, a roar split the clearing, causing the bow on Blake's head to twitch as the rest of the team looked around.
"Did you guys hear that?" asked Ruby.
"URSA! URSA!" yelled Russel Thrush as he and the rest of team CRDL, minus Cardin, came running into the clearing, Russel slamming into Yang due to him not looking where he was going.
"What?!" said Yang in surprise, "Where?"
"It's back there," exclaimed Russel, "It's got Cardin!"
Pyrrha, who had been in the process of sealing a jar of sap, dropped the jar in her hands, her eyes widening in shock as the glass shattered.
"Jaune!" she exclaimed before rushing off in the direction Team CRDL had come from.
"Alright," said Ruby, as she got serious, slipping into her Leader Mode, "Yang, Blake, go get Professor Goodwitch."
"Ren, Nora, go with them," said Pyrrha as she took charge of her team in the absence of their leader, "there could be more Grimm out there."
The two members of Team JNPR nodded as they headed off with Yang and Blake, the four of them holding their weapons at the ready. Once their teammates were off, Ruby, Weiss, Kazi, and Pyrrha headed in the direction Team CRDL had come from, hoping to help Jaune fight off the Grimm.
They were about halfway there, when a laser burst shot out and exploded against the ground in front of the three students, halting them in their tracks.
"Sorry," chuckled a voice as the teen that had been with Cinder's faction leapt out of the trees, "but I have business with you first. Besides, I think seeing the blond level up a bit will do him good."
"Is this your doing?" growled Pyrrha, "Did you arrange this?"
"Of course not," laughed the teen, "but it is amusing, and I always love an amusing game."
"Is that all this is for you?" asked Weiss angrily, "A Game?"
"Well," said the teen as he pulled out a purple device that resembled a two-button game-pad.
[Chu Dōn!]
"I'd say, all the world's a game," said the teen as he placed the device on his wrist and fired off several shots.
Kazi quickly moved between his teammates and the shots, using the natural armor on his back to block the attack, while Pyrrha did the same with her shield, Akoúo̱.
"Crap," said Kazi as he flexed his muscles and placed his Driver on his waist, "Ruby, Weiss, Pyrrha, go help Jaune. I'll hold this guy back."
"But…" Ruby tried to protest, but Kazi shook his head.
"You need to help Jaune," said Kazi as he pulled out his Gashat, "I'll explain later."
[Mighty Action X!]
"Henshin, Second Shift!" yelled Kazi as he placed the Gashat in his Driver pulled the lever.
[Gachan! Level Up! Mighty Jump! Mighty Kick! Mighty Mighty Action X!]
"Go!" yelled Ex-Aid, causing the girls to continue on their way.
"Hmm, that's no fun," said the teen before pounding his fist into his palm, "I've got it! Let's add a mini boss!"
The teen then pulled out a white Gashat, causing Ex-Aid to step back in shock, "That's…"
"Do you think you were the only one able to make these?" laughed the teen as he pressed the button on the Gashat.
[Dangerous Zombie!]
"Now," said the teen as he slotted the Gashat into the purple device, "let me show you a real game."
Waving his hand, a spherical distortion appeared in the air that deposited a Beowolf Grimm next to the teen. The Grimm looked around, but before it could act, the teen stabbed the laser barrels into the side of the beast and pulled the trigger.
[Infection! Let's Game! Bad Game! Dead Game! What's your name?! The Bugster!]
A wave of pixels flowed from the device in the teen's hand into the Grimm, causing it to roar out in anger and pain as its body distorted and the bone armor on its body shifted and reformed. Limbs and bones rearranged themselves with sickening cracks, until the beast now resembled a hulking deformed humanoid wearing cracked white armor that resembled Ex-Aid's armor over its black skin.
"I present, the Beowolf Bugster," said the teen.
"Shit," said Kazi as he got into a ready stance.
