Halloween! That one time of the year where fear is prevalent! You can feel the chill in your bones as something creeps up on your person, your very soul! And, just once, you feel your own mortality! That, and you can hear parties going on around the Multiverse. Death and her fellow Horsemen had invited the Vortex Riders and staff to After Academy's Annual Month-long Halloween Party with a group of special guests! The Avengers were coming! It was the middle of October and the Avengers cheated by staying in their costumes. Well, most of them. Dr. Banner simply put green makeup on and got purple, stretchy shorts. Lacey was in black ballet clothes and had make-up to make her look like a marionette. I cheated by going as Tora-Onna. Richard was Superman. Emily was a demon-nurse. Livia was Ariel. Emmanuel dressed as Princess Peach. Sheela was an anthro cat. Tonje was Elsa. Tanisha was a female Captain America. Lukas was a Cyberman. Michael was the Fourth Doctor. Hiroki was Kamen Rider Ichigō. Mikhail was Scooby-Doo. Irina was a classic witch. Haitao was Beast Wars Silverbolt. Joshua was the Sniper from Team Fortress 2. Xiomara was Rosalina from the Mario series. Rusty turned her old shell into one that a humanoid could pilot. Chell was a werewolf. Elphaba dressed up as Glinda. The Brigadier was in his old U.N.I.T clothes, modified to go over a Cyberman's armor. X-PO did himself up like the Allspark. Batman just added vampire fangs. Gandalf stuck to his robes. Hongo wore a humanoid grasshopper costume. Last, but not least, Wyldstyle was in her western disguise. The party was starting to get interesting when Thor challenged us to lift Mjölnir, his hammer. "So, what?" asked Batman. "Whoever holds the hammer wins?"
"Whosoever holds this hammer," corrected Thor, "if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor."
"I'll try it," declared Batman.
"You think yourself worthy?" asked Thor, grinning all the while.
"It's rigged," warned Iron Man.
"I don't think so," dismissed Batman as he put his hand through the strap before grabbing the handle. "I'm Batman. On top of it being a simple matter of phys…" he yanked the hammer, but it didn't budge. "…On top of it being a simple matter of physics…!" he yanked again. "Oh, come ON!" he said as he yanked a third time. "I'm Batman! I'm always worthy!"
"Mjölnir disagrees," sniggered Tonje.
"Hey, you're Norwegian, right?" I asked.
"Me? With Mjölnir?" asked Tonje.
"Why not?" mused Tanisha. Tonje shrugged, then yanked on the handle twice.
"Er, Tanisha, a little help?" she called. Tanisha put her hands on the handle and they started pulling.
"Hey, are you even pulling?!" hissed Tanisha.
"Are you on my team?!" asked Tonje.
"Just represent! Come on! Pull!" insisted Tanisha.
"Okay, let's go!" declared Tonje. They yanked and yanked and yanked until their hands slipped and they tumbled onto the floor. We all had a brief laugh at their expense while they picked a couch to fume together. Richard was next, not worthy. Emmanuel tried, but was deemed not worthy, but fabulous. He took that and joined those who lost. Rusty then put her shell's manipulator arm onto it and tried to lift it by the hammer's head. The arm started bending until she released it and started spinning around, squawking "EXTERMINATE!" She just spun around, her gunstick not even glowing. Her eyestalk moved once her rant was over. "…Didn't buy it?" she asked as she opened her shell.
"Nope," replied Dr. Banner.
"Wyldstyle? You?" I quizzed.
"Oh no," declined Wyldstyle. "With my insecurity, I don't think I need that question answered."
"Told you it was rigged," remarked Iron Man.
"You bet your ass; it is!" muttered Tanisha.
"Language!" Richard said in a mocking tone. "Don't disappoint Cap!"
"You guys too?!" protested Captain America.
"The handle must be imprinted," guessed Batman. "'Whosoever is carrying Thor's genetic signature' is the accurate term."
"That's what I thought," explained Iron Man, "until Vision picked it up." At that point, the familiar sound of a rift opening could be heard.
"I'm…not expecting anyone else," whispered Death. At that moment, a woman came through. Who was it? Well, by all appearances, she looked like me! Her dress was a purple one with black trim and her hair color looked a lot like tiger stripes. She had tiger ears instead of human ones and she wore lipstick like I do now. She also had a pair of tiger eyes. Her expression went cold when she saw me.
"Oh, it's me," she hissed in my voice, "only more human looking and less beautiful."
"Who are you?!" I snarled. "And why do you look like me with tiger aesthetics….wait…"
"Indeed," replied my double. "I AM you, but from another universe."
"You're that lunatic I met when I went to the anti-side!" growled Lacey.
"Indeed, I am!" confirmed Evil Me. "A transposition had occurred. It's a good thing you're here. I wish to gain my vengeance on you!"
"Oh boy, she's ticked!" gulped Lacey.
"You wanna get her?" I asked. "You're going through me!"
"Well," mused Evil Me, "we seem to be at an impasse."
"What do you want?!" I snapped, then noticed something. "Wait, is that a kitty nose painted on?" She gave an ugh as her currently decorated nose scrunched up.
"It's a long story involving my universe's Xiomara and some ice cream cake," she sighed, "but that's not important right now! The Lacey of your universe convinced my goody-two-shoes father to seize control of Vorton as well as Foundation Prime! Ever since then, my team, the Rift Riders, have split up and have been on the run. I figured I'd try my luck outside of my sector of the Multiverse."
"What is it with evil versions of the protagonist wanting to kick the protagonist's rear?!" I shouted to the heavens. "Do we miss a meeting?!"
"Silence!" ordered Evil Me.
"At this rate," muttered Lukas, "Igura's going to reveal herself to be an alternate version of you."
"That's going into icky territory," I gulped.
"BE QUIET!" roared Evil Me as she flashed tiger teeth and claws. She then took some breaths to calm down. "I will give you one chance; join me and, together, we shall rule the Multiverse!"
"Not interested," I declared.
"Be sure," insisted Evil Me. "There must be something that you want. You want money? You'll be very rich! What is it that will buy you? Power?! I can get that for you!"
"An answer to a question would be nice," I replied. "Why do I see tiger bits?"
"It was necessary for me to unleash a bit of my Shocker Cyborg side to become Kamen Rider Dominia!" answered Evil Me. "After being Kamen Rider Empress, I needed to use my Dominia form more often."
"And, in your part of the Multiverse," asked Lacey, "was there a girl who was abused and taken in by Death to have a better life?"
"Abused?!" asked a high-pitched cutesy voice. Lacey's double came out. While my Lacey wears black, this one wore pink! She dressed in the Lolita style and had a red rose on a bow in her hair. "I was Daddy's little princess! Megumi needed me to bring some order to the Multiverse!" declared Anti-Lacey in her squeaky voice.
"…We should probably start hitting them," groaned Lacey, weirded out that there was a version of her that was a total girly-girl.
"Commence with hitting!" I called. Hongo struck his henshin pose.
"Rider…" he began.
"Henshin!" we all announced.
"Henshin!" declared the Anti versions of Lacey and me. Anti-Lacey's Rider form was pink and had heart-shaped shoulder pads and a bow on the back of the helmet while wearing a frilly skirt.
"Kamen Rider Harbinger!" she called. "I shall be the prophet of your defeat!" Anti-me's armor looked like mine but was blood red and had yellow eyes.
"Kamen Rider Empress," she announced. "Reality will ultimately bow to me!"
"Oh, God, what a perversion on my catchphrase!" I groaned. We started firing and took cover. Empress and Harbinger did the same.
"You do realize," snarled Dr. Banner as he started getting angry, "you have no room for cover, right? It's pretty open for a private courtyard!" Dr. Banner's muscle mass increased and he went green. The Hulk then roared to try and scare Empress.
"Really?" asked Empress. "Because there are plenty of trees."
"Plenty of practice spears!" roared the Hulk. He ripped a tree out from the roots and tossed it at Empress. She ducked behind another.
"Then again," she mused, "who needs cover when your mid-season upgrade has a superior weapon?! Exodus!" Her armor bulked up and it went from red to black with purple trim and eyes. She summoned a pistol with a large barrel and fired on the Hulk. He was hit and shrunk down back into Dr. Banner! Bruce was surprised and tried to think the angriest thoughts alive, but nothing happened. There was no way for him to turn into the Hulk! "I did NOT come unprepared!" boasted Empress. "Behold the wonders of the Rift Rider arsenal and the power of Proto-Dominia!"
"Please tell me a tech-savvy person got something on her weapon!" I yelped.
"It looks like a classic power dampener," reported Iron Man. "It does as advertised. If I got hit, my Arc Reactor is turned off."
"It looks like it's functioning from out-of-date tech," supplied Kämpfer. "If it hits one of us Vortex Riders outside of our Steels, our suits are turned off."
"So, we Vortex Riders need to go into different Steels?" I asked.
"Ja," confirmed Kämpfer.
"All Vortex Riders," I directed over the comms, "it's time to play i.d. tag Roulette! The order is as follows, Arch, Climb, Touché, Seeker, Sengoku, Swing, Claw, Outback, Gallop, Guard, Zhànshì, Battle, Hunt, Clash, Kämpfer, then me!"
"Bon!" called Arch. He then inserted an i.d. tag.
"Mario Steel!" announced his belt.
"Why don't you guys give up?" taunted Proto-Dominia. "I have you cornered and outgunned!"
"Hardly!" replied Batman. "Veterans of the Vortech Wars, constant thorns in Shocker Rift's side, and defeaters of Vortech, those honors do NOT allow us to be idle!" He fired his grapple gun and roped Proto-Dominia, leaving Wyldstyle to use the trees to make a cannon. The cannon fired as Gandalf fired a magic blast while Ichigō leapt into the air.
"RIDER KICK!" he announced. The hits connected and Proto-Dominia was a little dizzy.
"Who do you think you are?!" she demanded.
"I am Gandalf the Grey! Prepare to see some fireworks!" declared Gandalf.
"I'm Wyldstyle! Time to think outside the box!" called Wyldstyle.
"I'm Batman! The Dark Knight rises!" rasped Batman
"I am the start of a group of warriors! I am Kamen Rider!" declared Ichigō. Proto-Dominia leveled her gun at the four until Arch jumped on her head.
"Kamen Rider Arch! My skills outdo Robin Hood!" he announced. Proto-Dominia didn't like that, so she was about to get him!
"Ghost Musashi Steel!" called Climb's belt.
"KAIGAN! MUSASHI!" shouted the Ghost Driver's voice. "Kettō! Zubatto! Chō kengō!"
"Kamen Rider Climb! Mountains are a warrior's best friend!" she announced. Climb then swung her swords and knocked Proto-Dominia down. Proto-Dominia executed a sweeping kick and got Climb away. She then met with Touché's fist. She was in Homer Steel.
"Kamen Rider Touché! En Garde, thing of evil!" she declared. She grew and slammed her fists down. Seeker came in and used the Ben 10 i.d tag.
"Ben 10 Big Chill Steel!" called her belt.
"Big Chill!" she announced as she breathed ice onto Proto-Dominia. "Kamen Rider Seeker! It's not gold I seek, but your end!"
"Ichigō Steel!" declared Sengoku's belt. Sengoku then leapt into the air.
"RIDER PUNCH!" he called as he punched Proto-Dominia, disorienting her. "Kamen Rider Sengoku! You shall get a taste of Feudal Japan!"
"Cyberman Steel!" called Swing's belt. She fired a shot from the blaster on her forearm.
"Cripes!" yelped Proto-Dominia as she dodged. Swing fired again.
"Kamen Rider Swing! I'll be taking your legs!" she declared. Proto-Dominia held her gun to her mouth, the handle facing her.
"Ken!" (Sword) she ordered. The handle went completely to the back of the gun and a blade came out of the barrel. She used the sword to deflect the blasts. She spoke into her weapon again. "Jū!" (Gun) she demanded. As she leveled it, she heard another belt say, "Peter Venkman Steel".
"Kamen Rider Claw! My weapons shall turn you into ribbons!" called Claw. Claw then switched her bagh naka to gun mode and fired her proton streams. Proto-Dominia rolled out of the way.
"Kamen Rider Outback! Better watch your back, mate!" announced Outback. He was in W LunaTrigger Steel and fired multiple shots.
"That's it! Dai Exodus!" roared Proto-Dominia. Her excess bulky armor flew off to reveal armor similar to my Vortex Armor, but in purple and black.
"Dominia, I presume," I mused.
"Correct!" confirmed Dominia. She leveled her gun again only to hear "Build RabbitTank Steel!"
"HAGANE NO MOONSAULT! RABBITTANK! YEAH!" shouted the Build Driver's voice. Gallop came in with a flying kick to Dominia's face.
"Kamen Rider Gallop! My riding skills are unmatched!" he declared. Dominia leveled her gun at his face. "Der'mo!" (Crap!) he said. "GUARD!"
"Captain Linkara Steel!" announced Guard's belt. Guard summoned Linkara's BFG.
"Kamen Rider Guard! None shall harm my friends, family, and lady!" he declared. He primed the large gun. "You wanna know why?"
"Shimatta!" yelped Dominia as she took cover. Gallop got clear as Guard fired, singing the Wurzels' Combine Harvester song.
"Cuz I got a brand new combine harvester an' I'll give you the key!
Come on now, let's get together in perfect harmony!
I got twenty acres an' you got forty-three!
Now I got a brand new combine harvester an' I'll give you the key!" He was about to fire more shots, but then something went wrong. He slapped the gun, but nothing happened when he pulled the trigger. "Darn it," he swore. "Zhànshì!"
"Kamen Rider Zhànshì! Try and stop my quest!" called Zhànshì. He inserted an i.d tag.
"Godzilla Steel!" announced his belt. Zhànshì then leaned back a bit, only to lean forward to fire Godzilla's signature breath. Dominia hid behind a rock until he ran out of breath.
"Okay, I'm out!" he gasped.
"Will you idiots stop cosplaying and fight me?!" roared Dominia.
"Funny you should mention cosplay," taunted Battle.
"12th Doctor Steel!" called his belt.
"Kamen Rider Battle! For friends and family, I shall be victorious!" he declared as armor looking like the 12th Doctor was attached to him.
"Er, where's the screwdriver?!" I asked.
"Who needs a screwdriver?" countered Battle. "In this body, the Doctor was all about wearable technology!"
"No way!" I breathed, getting the idea. "Seriously?!" His eyes turned black as he pressed the area in between the eyes. The sound of the Sonic Screwdriver could be heard as Dominia's shots were stopped, except one. It hit Battle and he started glowing yellow.
"One shot does that much damage?!" he gasped. "All right, changing gears!" He sent golden streams of light from his arms and head as the steel changed.
"13th Doctor Steel!" announced his belt. He now looked like the current Doctor.
"Well, at least a calculation I set into the shades carried over!" he said. "Tell me, do you know what happens when a temporally arrested shot is carried to another point while still having a time-stop effect?"
"…No," muttered Dominia.
"Me neither! Let's find out!" cheered Battle as he activated the Sonic Screwdriver.
"OH FFF!" cried Dominia as the shots ran toward her. The shots hit the ground and made a loud explosion!
"I wonder if the Doctor tried that," mused Battle.
"Rider Apocalypse Kick!" shouted Apocalypse as she kicked Harbinger. Harbinger's transformation was cancelled as she returned to Anti-Lacey.
"You guys are dorks!" she called. "Children acting out a power fantasy!"
"Chell Steel!" announced Hunt's belt.
"I'm not a dork! I'm a Kamen Rider!" replied Hunt to Anti-Lacey. "Kamen Rider Hunt! I shall always get my prey! And what you call a power fantasy, we gamers call strats!"
"You guys are just as egomaniacal as me and my allies!" insisted Dominia. "We're not THAT different!"
"Oh, we're prima-donnas," agreed Hunt. "We freely admit it." She made an orange portal near her feet and a blue portal behind Dominia. "But, we've been on quite the journey during the Vortech Wars!" She jumped through the portal and kicked Dominia in the back! When she recovered, Dominia was looking down the length of Clash's blade.
"Kamen Rider Clash! A duel with me shall end in your defeat!" she announced. She was in Gamer Kid Steel. "We've been forced to see some evil," continued Clash as she went on the offensive. "Some attacking our loved ones, and some just trying to bring us down for fun! But, because of all the things we've seen, all the people we met, for good or bad, we've become better. The monsters, though? They STAY monsters!" She activated Super Strength and delivered a solid punch. When she recovered, she heard another catchphrase.
"Kamen Rider Kämpfer! Your defeat will be certain at my hands!" declared Kämpfer. He was in Drive: Type Speed Steel. "It hasn't been easy. A lot of times, we wanted to give up." He ran behind her and kicked her. "But, we've met a lot of amazing people, loved ones, colleagues, friends, oh most especially our friends! Thanks to them, none of us ended up like you!" Dominia charged at Kämpfer.
"My turn," I called. "Super Charge!" I became Proto-Vortex and swung my blade in front of her. "You COULD surrender. No shame in it."
"NEVER!" roared Dominia. "KEN!" Her gun turned into a blade again and we clashed for a while.
"My turn, again!" I chuckled. "Dai Super Charge!" The armor flew off and hit Dominia, allowing me to become Vortex! "RIDER VORTEX KICK!" I said as I delivered a flying kick to Dominia's gut. The pain was so much that her transformation was cancelled.
"Who…do you think…you ARE!" roared Evil-Me.
"Kamen Rider Vortex!" I answered. "Evil will ultimately bow to me, the side of right will be stronger with me and my friends, and ignoramuses like you will be beaten! Now, take Anti-Lacey with you and go home!" To show how confident we were, me and my friends cancelled our transformations.
"Are you a goth ballerina?!" hissed Anti-Lacey.
"I like Black Swan," replied Lacey. "Besides, I sometimes go on Pinterest. Sue me."
"You're the real evil one here!" declared Anti-Lacey.
"Yeah, yeah," dismissed Lacey. "Get out of my home, you big baby!" Anti-Lacey then picked Evil-Me up.
"You really stink at this!" she shouted.
"We'll discuss your failure later!" roared Evil-Me. She turned to me and my team. "Mark my words, Vortex! You have not seen the last of Kamen Rider Domini…!"
"X-PO, get these people out of here!" I called. A rift opened beneath our adversaries and they fell into it.
"Gone," reported X-PO.
"And, I assume," I guessed, "that you scrambled our location?"
"That," confirmed X-PO, "and our allies' locations. Sadly, that meant me not getting the Mirror-verse as well."
"That's fine," I assured. "I don't wanna visit that place. Thank you." I turned to my team. "And thank you for all the help you gave."
"It was nothing," replied Batman.
"The effects Dr. Banner felt should be wearing off," supplied Iron Man, not wanting to confuse the two Bruces.
"Good to know," sighed Dr. Banner.
"Now then," I declared, "I believe it's time for us to mingle with the rest of the academy!" We headed down to the main courtyard and mingled with the guests and had the best Halloween ever! ...I almost forgot, Richard and I can BOTH lift Mjölnir. Happy Halloween, minna-san!