Miyako Serizawa was once again finishing another article for the next issue of the Sakakino Star. Since she began writing pieces about the Kamen Rider, she'd gained some fame. Some of her co-workers praised her and even a few were jealous of her. They wanted to know where she got her sources from but she was keeping a tight lip about it.
Miyako was actually grateful to have befriended both Ryuji and Kotonoha. Because of them she was actually a successful reporter like she'd dreamed of becoming. Even if Ryuji did find her annoying, she knew that deep down he did care about her. Miyako also liked Kotonoha and wondered if the girl would be interested in an internship in the near future. Ryuji, of course, was Miyako's meal ticket. She could expose him but then it would be all over for him and her. Besides, she liked the kid too.
Yawning, Miyako saved her work on both her computer and flash drive. She would print it out and submit to her boss tomorrow. Now she just needed to sleep.
"BAD PUBLICITY STUNTS"
And once again, Kamen Rider Ifrit had made the first page of the newspaper. Ryuji didn't quite care for the fame. He could actually do without it. All the merchandizing pretty much irked him but he did smile when he saw Kokoro cuddling with a stuffed Ifrit doll. Even Kotonoha had one.
He was actually half listening as Otome went on about something she'd read in the Sakakino Star magazine. There was another story on the Kamen Riders in it and Ryuji knew it had been written by Miyako. Who else would've written something about the Kamen Riders in Sakakino Star?
The mystery of Ifrit's identity was still the talk of school. Girls wanted to know what he looked like under the mask while boys wanted to be able to talk to him out of admiration as well. Ryuji just kept silent. It would be too much of a hassle.
Anyway, a few 1st years had joined the school's Kamen Rider Fanclub. Ryuji wondered if almost everyone was turning into Kamen Rider Otaku.
"What I'd like to know is how this reporter gets information on the Riders," Otome commented. The latest issue had comments about the Red Rider and the Green Rider that had appeared a couple of days ago. "Maybe she can tell us who Ifrit is."
"Don't count on it," Ryuji sighed. "He's her biggest earner. If she knew who he was then she probably isn't going to reveal it unless she wants to give up all the exclusives that she keeps getting with him."
"But inquiring minds want to know!" Otome cried. "Dozens of girls out there want to know about Ifrit so badly! We deserve to know who our hero is!"
"And he has a right to protecting his identity," Kotonoha argued. "A lot of people want to get a hold of Ifrit and hold him responsible for damages done during his fights. The contractors seem to be his biggest fans though."
"Well, he does give them a lot of work," Makoto shrugged.
Ryuji had to agree with Makoto. His battles often caused collateral damage, especially when the Imagin turned into Gigandeath. But, he didn't have a choice when that happened. The people angry at his alter-ego for causing some damage to avoid bigger damage were just being ungrateful. He was tasked with defending this timeline so he was going to do it the way he saw fit.
"Anyway, did you all check out his new train?" Otome asked. "I mean I always thought his old one was cool but this one was..." Otome couldn't find the words for it.
"I heard some toy companies are thinking of distributing models based on those trains," said Taisuke.
Ryuji grimaced. His DynoLiner as a model? Well, he had to admit that his new time train was an awesome sight to behold. Any kid, or otaku, would want to have them. The Kamen Rider action figures were also something else. Still, he wished they had asked him for permission and paid him for using his image but doing so would mean exposing his identity.
Setsuna was also giving her opinion, "Have any of you ever wondered where the Kamen Riders come from and where they go or what they do when they aren't fighting monsters?"
Ryuji gave Setsuna a look as she stared back impassively.
"Well, a lot of fans are wondering about who the Riders are," said Sekai.
"They need lives," snorted Kenzaki.
Vash put in his own two cents, "But, you gotta admit that anyone would absolutely kill for that kind of info."
"Not literally, hopefully," said Neko.
Cathy was in class and sitting next to Bobby. She too had gotten a copy of the Sakakino Star but was pointing at pictures of her mama's Rider form.
Cathy Wilson was a mutant with some cat-like physical traits likes slitted eyes and a tail. She also could turn invisible. She'd recently learnt how to turn parts of her body invisible and used that ability on her tail to hide it. Her chin length hair hid her pointed ears and people didn't really notice her slitted pupils.
Bobby Clawson, on the other hand, was created by Libra. His previous job had been to protect Terra during the end of the Zodiac War but he'd been cruelly killed by Damien. Thankfully, Ryuki's wish had also revived him along with his brothers Joseph, Raymond and Shawn. Now, he was one of the Saint Beasts of Libra and partner of Kat, granting her the power to become Kamen Rider CopyKat and he could transform into Byakko No Gai to aid her in battle.
"She looks so cool, doesn't she?" smiled Cathy as she saw her mother with her axes.
"Tell me about it," agreed Bobby. He knew his partner could be photogenic. The magazine also had pictures of a few other Riders who'd shown up before like Fang, Den-O and Zeronos. Bobby laughed at a part of the article referring to Ryukendo as male. Miyako knew Ryukendo was female after Ryuji let it slip but still she did this on purpose to protect their identities.
"Is that the newest issue of Sakakino Star?" asked one of the students who spotted them.
"Yup!" Cathy smiled. "It has pictures of the newest Riders too!"
"Neat!" grinned another student. "Lemme see!"
"Me too!" cried another.
Several students crowded around the pair as they began reading the articles on the newest Riders to have been seen. Cathy watched in pride as people read about her mama. She was also filled with pride as her auntie and uncle were given attention, but her mama was the best. Bobby just took the admiration in stride.
In Kat's class, the same thing was happening too. The Rider of the White Tiger could only grin proudly as she listened to the praises of admiration being showered upon her secret identity. If only they knew that the Kamen Riders were their fellow students. Well, sadly, Kat couldn't really reveal her identity. As much as she would like for people to kneel and bow at her feet, such fame would be a hassle for Ryuji and the others. Besides, they were Riders to help protect people and not for the fame. The fame was just a bonus as well as the credits Ryuji was paid for each Imagin he killed.
"Can you believe the kind of firepower the Riders are packing?" Hikari asked as she pointed at a picture of the giant monster battle where the ChronoLiner, DynoLiner, and Byakko No Gai fought against the Gigandeath in the city. "I mean I knew they were powerful but these guys are packing some serious heat."
"Well, can you blame them?" asked Kat. "They have to fight a giant monster on occasion so they need to have the same power to match up against it."
"Still," Hikari frowned, "A lot of damage was done to the city.
Rose agreed, "True, they did kind of wreck the place." Kat frowned. Rose added, "But, if they didn't fight that giant monster then they city would've been completely destroyed and a lot of people could be killed and hurt."
"Collateral damage happens, Hikari," said Nanami to her friend. "And the Riders do try their best to make sure nobody get hurt."
"I guess you're right," Hikari sighed. "My family's store almost got wrecked so I'm a bit upset."
"Sorry about that," said Kat apologetically but Hikari assumed it was out of sympathy.
Kat had become an official member of the girls' basketball team. Though they hadn't participated in a match yet, Nanami could see Kat's potential and knew she could help them win. She could jump higher than any one of them and had incredible reflexes. Also, Nanami noticed how Kat was like her brother except instead of scowling as she beat a person up she smiled in a pretty disturbing way.
Not too long ago, the Karate Club had demanded use of the gym but the basketball team was using it. Kat decided to solve the problem her own way. Nanami knew that Kat was tough but she never expected her to be as tough as Ryuji. Then again, both had similar backgrounds as martial artists so she shouldn't had been surprised. It still didn't change the fact that she and the rest of the girls in the basketball had their eyes wide and jaws dropped as they watched Kat laughing maniacally as she beat up all the Karate Club members. She fought violently and dirty but in the end she was the one still standing and the Karate Club members were all sprawled on the floor. It was an insult since the ones she'd fought were black belts and Kat admitted she never took a test to see her ranking as a martial artist nor she cared.
Yes, Nanami had to admit Kat was a bit strange but she was a good friend when she counted. Still, could Kat lay off fondling their breasts and just fondle her girlfriend's breasts?
Nanami wondered if every member of Kat's family were violent fighters by nature. It sure showed in her and Ryuji.
"Good work, Serizawa-san," said Miyako's editor-in-chief. "Your latest article on the Riders is making our latest issue sell like hot cakes."
"Thanks, sir," Miyako smiled. Finally, thanks to Ryuji, she finally got the respect she deserved. Maybe she could get Ryuji and his girl a treat. She did have the money after the pay raise.
"I do hope you can write more articles like this," Miyako's boss said.
"Oh, you can count on it," winked Miyako. As long as Ryuji provided her some info, she would be writing more and more on the Riders. These new Riders that showed up were also helping her career.
Of course, Miyako also helped Ryuji. Sometimes she would reveal recent Imagin attacks to Ryuji when his watch didn't detect them. She did prove to be a great ally and was entrusted with the secret of Ifrit's identity.
As she left her editor's office, she was confronted by Matsuda. The guy had a gut, was balding and rarely shaved. He was the type of guy who would do anything for a news story. Of course, his methods nearly ruined the credibility of the magazine. He was also divorced since he was an alcoholic and his wife couldn't take it and left him. Matsuda now wrote small columns in the magazine.
Matsuda didn't have much respect for women either and seeing Miyako gaining fame just pissed him off that a woman got a chance to cover the Kamen Riders. It should be him, not her!
Of course, Matsuda's opinion of the Riders was poor. Actually, he was pretty bitter with them. To be precise, he hated them. His car ended up getting crushed during those giant battles that would take place and even his house was nearly destroyed. Because of that, he'd been writing slandering articles and selling them to local tabloids for some extra cash.
"So, another successful story on the Riders," sneered Matsuda. "Congratulations."
Miyako rolled her eyes. She never liked Matsuda, especially after he'd groped her behind several years back. "Out of my way, Matsuda. I'm busy."
"I just want a word," Matsuda spoke up, cutting her off. "I'm a little shocked that you're getting such exclusives about the Riders. How do you do it?"
"I don't reveal my sources," Miyako answered.
"But since you have such information about them, you must have some inkling about their identities," Matsuda pressed. "Biggest mystery in town is who these people are."
"I did some digging," Miyako answered. "They cover their tracks pretty darn well though."
Matsuda wasn't buying it entirely. His female co-worker knew something about the Riders and she wasn't telling. She had the key to the most lucrative story in Tokyo and she was keeping it quiet. If it were him, he would have exposed them in a heartbeat. Maybe it would teach those costumed yahoos to act like responsible people and get real jobs. Leave the monsters to the police and the JSDF. It was what they paid taxes for, wasn't it?
While Ryuji was being tested yet again by the KLLA, Kotonoha decided to go and look for a certain someone that could help her.
"Kat-san?" Kotonoha called and Kat stopped in her tracks. She turned on her heels to look at who'd addressed her.
"Oh, it's you, Kotonoha," said Kat with a smile. "What's up?"
"I need…" Kotonoha began but hesitated, "I need…" She then blurted it out, "I need you to train me!"
"Train you? As in train you to fight?" Kat asked, surprised by the odd request. Kotonoha nodded in response. "Isn't Ryuji training you?"
"He is, but I know he's taking it easy on me. I know he loves me but I don't want him to give me any special treatment," explained Kotonoha.
"He pulls his punches, huh?" Kat guessed. "Well, he doesn't want you getting hurt."
"But I really want to help him! Every time I watch him go fight, I'm afraid he might get killed one day!" Kotonoha cried. Kat sighed and walked closer to Kotonoha before pulling the girl into a hug, surprising her.
"I can understand how you feel," said Kat. "You want to be of some use to the people you love and want to be strong for them just as they want to be strong for you."
"So, you'll help me?" Kotonoha asked hopefully.
Kat stepped back and ran a hand through her long hair. "He's going to kill me for this," she muttered. She then spoke aloud, "I'll see what I can do. I do hope you're prepared for anything, Kotonoha." Kat winked before turning around and walking away.
The reason Kotonoha has asked for Kat's help was because she knew the Rider of Byakko could keep this a secret. She couldn't ask Neko or Kenzaki knowing they may tell Ryuji. Also, Kat wouldn't hold back in training her. With that in mind, Kotonoha mentally prepared herself to become Kat's pupil.
Kotonoha could remember every battle Ryuji had been in and every wound he'd collected in those battles. She would treat them, despite his protests as he could heal fast. Still, he allowed her to dress his wounds because she insisted that she wanted to help in some way. Now, she wanted a more active role and if becoming a Rider did that then she would become a Kamen Rider.
The urge to become a Rider for her had awakened the day she'd first assumed the form of Kamen Rider Athena. She could feel the power inside her, awakened by Athena, and she felt she could do almost anything. That had been the day she decided to become a Rider herself.
She knew Ryuji was reluctant but he still trained her nonetheless. She needed a way to defend herself as well as learn how to wield her dozuki better. Surprisingly, she was a natural at using the weapon, especially during her brief psychotic episodes.
She would be strong for him. She was not going to let what'd happened before repeat itself.
The Cactus Imagin pierced Ifrit's body with flying needles. He shouted out in pain. Then, it leveled its spear at the Rider. It then tossed it, watching as it soared through the air before impaling the black armored Kamen Rider.
"ARGH!" Ifrit screamed as the spear went through his armor and his body. Kotonoha gasped in horror as she watched the black and blue Rider fall to his knees with blood dripping from the wound. The Cactus Imagin stalked forward with another spear and prepared to skewer Ifrit with it.
"Sayonara, Kamen Rider," the Cactus Imagin chuckled as it aimed its spear at Ifrit.
"Yamette!" Kotonoha shouted, drawing out her dozuki. She took the Imagin by surprise and swung down with her weapon, slicing off the hand that was holding the spear. The Imagin screamed in outrage and backhanded the girl roughly in the face, tossing her across the ground. Kotonoha lay on the ground, in pain, but pushed herself back up.
"Damn bitch," the Imagin growled but then its body stiffened as the sound of sharp steel running through flesh could be heard. The Imagin looked down to see Ifrit's sword protruding out of its stomach. "W…what?"
Ifrit was standing behind the Imagin, holding the Ifrit Dao. "Urusei. Don't call my girl a bitch, teme," Ifrit growled weakly. He then focused his ice powers through the sword. The Imagin could feel its body freeze from the inside out but was powerless to stop the process. Soon, it was frozen solid. Ifrit let go of the sword and with a shout of, "Hyah!" swung his leg up performed a roundhouse to shatter the Imagin's frozen body.
Reaching down, Ifrit gripped the shaft of the spear and pulled at it. It was slow and agonizing but he endured as he slowly slid the bloodied spear out from his body. He dropped the weapon down at his feet before walking towards Kotonoha, stumbling with each step.
"Ryuji…kun?" Kotonoha questions as she watched her wounded boyfriend approach her. His armor vanished as he reached her before he fell to his knees. The needles which had embedded themselves inside his chest, arms and legs had fallen away with his armor. Blood was dripping off his chin and running from his mouth. Then, blue flames ignited around his wound, sealing it.
"Thank goodness you're alright. Promise me…you won't ever do something…so stupid, again…" Ryuji said weakly before his eyes slid close and he collapsed onto the ground.
With Athena and Loki's help, Ryuji had been brought back to his apartment. Quickly, Kotonoha had started to treat his injuries. The hole in his body had disappeared but he still had cuts and bruises. Despite the fact his healing factor would take care of those, she still wanted to treat his injuries. After being so useless in combat, she might as well be useful elsewhere.
Since then she'd been forced to watch helplessly as Ryuji fought the Imagin threat. She wasn't going to allow it anymore. One way or another she was going to fight as a Kamen Rider.
"Damn idiots," Ryuji cursed as he walked away from the KLLA members who were sprawled all over the ground or piled up on each other in pain after the beating he'd administered on them. Some even had makeshift weapons like hockey sticks and baseballs bats. Yet, even armed, they still fell short. This was their idea of testing Ryuji to see if he was strong enough to protect Kotonoha. As much as they meant well, some of them still thought Ryuji wasn't strong enough to protect Kotonoha. Ryuji sure showed them.
He heard the click of a camera phone and turned to see Miyako Serizawa standing there with her cell phone and taking pictures with it. "You really don't show much mercy, do you?" she asked.
"Not really," he shrugged. "So, what are you doing here, Serizawa?"
"Can't I visit a friend during my lunch break?" she responded.
"With you, there's always a catch," he huffed. "So, what is it this time? Exclusive pictures of the Kamen Riders or something?"
"Oh, nothing of the sort," said Miyako, "I just want you giving me a story about a few of your past battles and maybe some info on those trains."
"Maybe later," Ryuji remarked. "Right now I gotta go see Kotonoha on the roof for lunch." He pointed to the unconscious KLLA members. "These guys were holding me up."
"Did they do something to piss you off or something?" Miyako asked.
"Just being annoying assholes again," Ryuji frowned. "It's a long story."
"Well, tell me about it," Miyako whipped out a tape recorder, "Maybe I can write about it."
"No comment," Ryuji told her. "Now, if there's nothing else, I want to go and see my girlfriend."
"Then I'll come with you," Miyako said cheerfully.
Rolling his eyes, Ryuji said, "Sure, whatever. Follow me."
Matsuda peered around the corner to see Miyako talking to some kid. It didn't make much sense to him, but then again, she was the sentimental softie type who stayed in contact with some of her interviewees. Unprofessional in his opinion, but nothing he could do about it. He had been following the female reporter around in hopes that she would reveal the source of her information on the Kamen Riders. If she did, Matsuda was going to expose their asses so fast they would think it was an act of God.
"Ryuji-kun!" Kotonoha smiled as she was her approaching boyfriend. She was pleasantly surprised to see Miyako with him as well, "And Serizawa-san! Konichiwa!"
"Hey, Kotonoha-san," smiled Miyako as she waved. "How have you been?"
"I've been well," smiled Kotonoha.
"Of course you have," said Miyako teasingly, "You're living under the same roof with your own 'knight in shining armor'." She glanced at Ryuji a bit before correcting her statement, "Or would 'dark knight' be more appropriate?"
Ryuji frowned, "Just sit down and get to the point. I don't want to waste whatever time I got for a lunch." He sat down under the tree Kotonoha had chosen for them to have lunch at. He grabbed a sandwich Kotonoha had made and took a bite out of it before chewing.
"OK, well," Miyako began as she too sat down, "There's this jerk at work harassing me about the info I get about the Riders. It's like he wants to steal my sources."
"That doesn't sound very nice," Kotonoha gave her opinion.
"Matsuda isn't known to be nice," sighed Miyako.
"You weren't exactly an angel either when you were trying to find out about the Riders either, remember?" Ryuji reminded.
"But at least I made an effort to change," huffed Miyako. "Matsuda is basically a dirty reporter. Heck, I've heard he's been selling some of his stories to tabloids."
"Never read them," said Ryuji. "It's bullshit to me."
"Good for you, but I've heard he has a beef against the Riders," said Miyako. "Blaming them for everything going wrong with his life."
"But why?" Kotonoha asked.
"Scapegoat," said Ryuji. "Some people don't want to admit that they are wrong or even take responsibility for their own lives. They just want someone else to blame for their problems."
"Well, Matsuda's basically goes on and on about how the Riders are frauds, phonies and costumed weirdoes playing hero," admitted Miyako, "Of course he was drunk at the time…"
"When a person is drunk they lose their inhibitions," said Ryuji, "Brutally honest when they are like that too." He glanced at Kotonoha. "You believe me, right?"
Kotonoha blushed, remembering when she'd been drunk a month ago. "H-hai."
"So, is this guy a threat?" Ryuji asked, narrowing his eyes.
Miyako gave Ryuji a suspicious look, "You're not going to hurt him, are you?"
Flashing a feral grin, Ryuji answered, "What do you think?"
Miyako felt like praying for Matsuda. People who pissed off Ryuji never got away unharmed. And when he smiled like that, Ryuji was pretty scary.
Kat and Rose both walked out of the sports equipment storage shed while fixing their clothing. Kat was combing a hand through her messed up hair as Rose did the same with her cheeks flushed. Kat hugged her platinum haired girlfriend from behind, rubbing her cheek against Rose's.
"That was a great way to spend lunch," purred Kat.
"Yes, it was," Rose smiled wistfully. They had done a lot of things in there. "But aren't you hungry?"
"Oh, I am," smirked Kat, "I'm hungry for you."
Rose rolled her eyes, "I meant for food."
"Does it include me eating stuff off you?"
"No."
"Damn," pouted Kat. She continued to hold her Rose.
"Hey, who's that?" asked Rose as she pointed ahead.
The subject of Rose's pointing was a middle-aged guy who didn't look too well. His hair, which looked fake, was messy and he appeared to not have bathed in a while. He was fiddling with some kind of equipment which Kat recognized as used for listening in on conversations. Frowning, Kat spied that he was trying to listen in on Ryuji, Kotonoha, and their lady reporter friend.
"Oh, he's going to get an ass-kicking," Kat growled. "No one listens in on Otouto-chan but me!"
"Wait," Rose sighed as she grabbed her girlfriend's shoulder. "We don't want another lawsuit."
"Suppose he listens in on Rider stuff?" Kat hissed.
"Which is why my plan is better," Rose smirked. Stepping forward, she took a deep breath before unleashing a cry. "EEEEEEK! PERVERT!"
The middle-aged wanna-be spy flinched and looked up to see Rose pointing at him in shock and revulsion. It wasn't even a split second later before dozens of girls wielding makeshift weapons were surrounding him.
"Oh, crap," Matsuda gulped.
Matsuda limped away from the school while using a stick to maintain balance. He was all bruised up from those girls hitting him over and over again with broomsticks and whatever they had on hand. "Damn it," he cursed beneath his breath.
At least he'd learnt that Miyako would meet with those kids occasionally. Maybe he could learn about them himself?
Miyako sighed as she sat in her desk the next day. No rest for the weary. Her boss wanted another article about the Riders so she would have to go beg Ryuji for some information. Maybe another Imagin would appear soon and she would have something better to ask about. He was always vague about Rider origins, but was always willing to explain why an Imagin went on the rampage or who the newest Riders on the block were.
"Hmm," she pondered. "Maybe I should do a deeper article on Den-O and Zeronos. Those two didn't get along with him too well."
Reaching down to her file drawer, she blinked when she realized that the lock was broken. Swiftly opening the drawer, she saw that all of her files had been ransacked. Each and every one of them had been searched.
Luckily, Miyako had been prepared for this so she only kept notes and old articles in her drawer. Her important files were in an undisclosed location. Most importantly, her files and notes about the Riders and the Imagin.
"Matsuda," Miyako growled. She had checked her notes and only things connected to the Riders were missing. The notes went missing the day after Matsuda started taking an interest in her sources. It was too much of a coincidence. "I better call them."
"A spy?" asked Warren.
"That's what Rosie-chan and I saw," said Kat. "I liked it when Rose screamed out there was a pervert." She snickered. She loved how her girlfriend was so creative.
Only the Riders were present in this meeting. It was after school at the staff room.
Kenzaki frowned, "So, do you know who he was spying on?"
"Him," Kat jabbed a thumb at Ryuji. "And he looked like a really dirty and sleazy guy."
"Like some of the people you hang out with?" Kenzaki quipped, knowing well of Kat's criminal past. She responded with a cat-like hiss.
"He was spying on Koto-chan, Serizawa and me?" questioned Ryuji. "Damn it." His senses must've been going dull.
"But what about?" asked Neko.
"Don't know, but it can't be good," frowned Warren.
"Actually…" Ryuji began, "Serizawa did tell me something about this guy where she worked." He then told them what he knew.
"OK, a guy like that is going to be trouble," spoke Neko.
"Heh, we can handle it," scoffed Kat. "We've handled worse."
"Still, it's best we be careful," advised Warren. "A lot is at stake here and we can't let someone like that expose our identities."
"Cheh, whatever."
"Youdon't have a family to look after. I do. Rae can defend herself, but my kids can't. If push comes to shove, I'll deal with this guy personally," said Warren.
"If that guy becomes trouble," said Kat with a grin and her eyes flashing red, "I can take care of him."
"You mean kill him, don't you?" asked Ryuji.
"Or something along those lines," she continued to grin like a psycho.
"Count me in," volunteered Ryuji. If this guy exposed him, then Kotonoha would suffer as well as he didn't want that to happen.
"Me too," Neko raised her hand.
"Neko!" Kenzaki looked shocked.
"Family sticks together, Ken-kun," Neko reasoned. "We fight together, eat together, and kill together…"
"You're having a bad influence on her," Kenzaki accused Kat.
"We did share the same body for a while," Kat shrugged.
"OK, let's not get extreme, people," said Warren. "Let's just watch him. If he finds out too much let's just erase his memories."
"Or kill him," chimed in Kat.
Vash was walking home from school while nursing a red handprint on his cheek. "Was it something I said?" he muttered as he hissed from the stinging sensation. "Well, at least I can just sleep it off." He whistled as he continued on his way back. Tomorrow was another day and maybe next time he could actually find a girl who would date him. All he had to do was use new pickup lines that DIDN'T get him slapped.
Vash had the strangest feeling that he was being followed. He tried to ignore it but there it was. He continued walking and yet the feeling was still there. He reached into his pocket and then pulled out his gun before whirling around to shoot at whatever it was that was following him…only to find that it was a cat. He let out a breath of relief as he pocketed his gun before squatting down. "Hey, little kitty," he said. "Are you hungry?" He reached over to pet it but suddenly the cat hissed and then let out a snarl before jumping at his face. "ARGH!!!" Vash screamed and flailed about as the cat clawed at his face and then it leapt away and ran as Vash started shooting at it with rubber bullets. "Yeah, you better run you stupid hairball!!!" screamed Vash.
Vash's reason for being on this world was because Warren had asked him to be Ryuji's backup. How he was to do that was never really explained until that fateful day.
Alone and lying face up on the ground was Kamen Rider Ifrit. His swords were within reach but the Imagin had its foot planted on his chest and pushing him further down into the floor. The evil Tapir Imagin was chuckling with glee as it used its immense weight to crush the Rider. "So long, Rider!" the Imagin laughed.
Suddenly, a shot rang through the air as a window shattered before a bullet struck the Tapir Imagin upside the head, stunning it for a second and causing it to remove its foot off Ifrit. "Who did that!?" the Imagin demanded. Several shots were fired and broke more windows. They hit their mark on the Imagin, annoying it further. It whirled around, shouting, "I'm warning you!"
"FULL CHARGE!"
"Huh? URK!" the Tapir Imagin let out before its entire body froze over in ice via Ifrit's Cold Snap attack. Ifrit's swords were in his hands and he'd used them to perform his finisher.
The shots once again echoed through the air and struck the frozen Imagin. The brittle ice cold body cracked before finally shattering and collapsing at Ifrit's feet. Ifrit turned his head to look at where the shots had come from and gave a thumbs up.
Up above a nearby rooftop was Vash with a sniper rifle in hand as he looked through a scope. He returned the gesture with a thumbs up of his own.
Vash recalled that day fondly. His job was to help Ifrit whenever he was in a pinch. He would snipe at the Imagin from afar. Sure rubber bullets didn't do much damage but at the right speed they could stun/annoy an Imagin long enough for Ifrit to finish it off. Worked well with normal people to and since they were made of rubber they were non-fatal.
Matsuda growled as he plowed through his sake storage. None of Miyako's notes had anything good about the Riders. They were just notes on names, where they showed up, and what they could do. There was no dirt on them or hints abut who they really were. Either Miyako had files elsewhere, or she wasn't even trying to find out the identities of the Riders.
"Story of a lifetime and she isn't trying to cash in," Matsuda grunted. "Women have no sense."
As he was busy trying to get drunk, Matsuda didn't notice a yellow orb coming down from the sky and apparently targeting him.
The next day, Kat was in class, bored out of her mind. The teacher in front was giving a lecture but all Kat could hear was, "blah, blah, blah, blah…" Rose was diligently taking notes like a good student. Kat envied her for that. Rose was so much smarter than she was and prettier. She could see how boys found the platinum haired girl attractive and Kat found herself getting angry at these boys for even daring to look at her Rosie-chan. She was hers and only hers! Those boys should back off her lover!
It's been close to a month since she first arrived in this world after a fight with Rose and now Rose and Cathy had joined her. Being here was a good vacation from all the chaos back in Jump City. The Titans and the other Riders there could handle the villains and GIN-SHOCKER. They didn't need her. She only ever fought whenever her interests were at stake.
Being here meant being normal for a change. It was fun t act normal but only for so long. She was starting to get bored. An Imagin hadn't attacked in weeks and she wanted so much to go out and fight like a crazy she-devil. She…needed…EXCITEMENT!
Looking around the class, she imagined all the girls sporting cat ears and tails. It would be so cute…
Wait a minute. Didn't she still have that ray gun from last time?
Kat grinned. Oh, she'd just found the solution that would end her boredom and make normal school life for interesting…
A year previously back in her world, Kat had this ingenious plan to take over the city. She was going to use Slade's robot soldiers, put cat ears and tails on them, reprogram them to act like cats and start causing random amounts of chaos just to see what would happen. The police had been up to their necks in cat-bot trouble and so the Titans had been dispatched to take care of it. Safe to say, even when the Slade-catbots had given a good fight, the Titans still won.
Kat may not have been as evil as she had been in the past but she was still evil for the sake of evil. She loved her beloved Slade-sama and wanted to make him proud. What better way than to take over the city? So, the first plan didn't go too well but her second one had been great. Oh, sure, they called her mad, crazy and insane but those were compliments. Mostly Grant told her that it would never work but she ignored him like always. The idea had come to her while smoking a roll of catnip.
It was so simple, so amazing and so…CUTE!
Catgirls! An army of loyal brainwashed catgirls! All she needed to do was get a ray gun which would modify a girl's DNA to give them cat ears, tails, and would also brainwash them into liking it. Also, give them cute little maid outfits.
The Cat Ear Gang had been born.
Nobody dared to stop them because the catgirls were just innocent pawns and yet because of that Kat had successfully taken over the city. She'd even set sights on turning the Titans girls into catgirls and any other female superhero to add to her clique. She'd laughed gleefully at the prospect of them serving her every need without question.
Unfortunately for her, the Titans had stopped her. There happened to be a reverse switch on her gun and when she and her brother had fought, the male Titans had grabbed the gun and Cyborg and Pluto both modified it to send out a reversal ray. Her reign had been short but at least it had been fun. She got away, vowing revenge. The Titans had kept the Cat Ear Ray Gun under lock and key.
Unfortunately for them, Kat had a backup and had kept it till now.
Now, it was time for the Cute Cat Ear Gang to make a return in this world.
"Soon…this school will be mine," muttered Kat. She began to giggle, "Heh, heh," and then it turned into full blown laughter, "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHA!!!" She stopped when she noticed the teacher and her classmates staring, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU ALL LOOKING AT!?" she screamed angrily and they turned away from looking at the crazy girl. Kat just continued snickering to herself.
Rose gave her wife and lover a concerned look.
"Have you seen Kat lately?" asked Kenzaki as he along with Ryuji, Kotonoha and Neko were headed to the cafeteria to have lunch.
"Well, we did see her at the gate," Neko remembered.
"I mean recently," clarified Kenzaki. "I mean I could've sworn I heard her insane laughter."
"Same here," said Ryuji. "But I just thought it was a hallucination."
"So, Kenzaki-san," began Kotonoha. "How is Kumiko-san fitting in here at school?"
"She's made some new friends thanks to Bobby and Cathy," said Kenzaki. Kumiko had just enrolled as a student here in Sakakino High, today. She was in the same first year class as Bobby and Cathy. The three had become very close friends. "But, seriously, Kat just seems crazy."
"She always looks like that," stated Ryuji. "When she has that grin on her face you know she's up to something insane."
"Well, maybe she's bored," guessed Neko.
"Which is worse," Ryuji pointed out. "You know her better than anybody, Neko-nee, so you know what it's like when she's bored."
"Oh, right," snickered Neko. "Kat-neechan does have a habit of doing crazy things when bored."
"We were all there, we know," agreed Ryuji.
Kotonoha decided to speak in Kat's defense, "I don't think she's up to anything bad. She is a Rider, isn't she?"
"Even Riders can be bad, Kotonoha," Kenzaki reminded. "Does Sauron ring a bell?"
Kotonoha shivered. She recalled that night when Ryuji had nearly died protecting her. The term Kamen Riders didn't actually mean one was good. Even evil Kamen Riders existed, like Sauron for example. "Please, don't remind me. I have nightmares just thinking about it."
"Well, aside from my sister looking insane, Serizawa gave me a call," said Ryuji. "She said someone broke into her desk and stole some documents."
"What kind of documents?" asked Kenzaki suspiciously.
"Stuff about the Riders," answered Ryuji with a scowl. "Not much, really. It's a good thing she keeps the more important stuff elsewhere."
"Could it be that spy?" questioned Kotonoha.
"Could be," shrugged Ryuji. "But I wouldn't worry about it."
"Hey, it's Rose-san!" Kotonoha pointed out as she saw Rose running towards them. "Rose-san, konichiwa."
"Hey," Rose greeted with a slight wave. "Have any of you seen Kat?"
"Why?" Kenzaki asked as he narrowed his eyes.
"I was gonna meet her for lunch but she hasn't turned up yet. When I tried to call she didn't pick up," said Rose, worriedly.
The group exchanged looks.
"You don't think…" began Neko.
"Rose, was she acting…crazy?" asked Kenzaki.
"Well, she did laugh maniacally for no reason during class," said Rose. "Why?"
"I knew that was her," Kenzaki snapped his fingers.
"Oh, joy," Ryuji rolled his eyes. "First a spy and now we need to stop Kat from doing something crazy."
"You are all just exaggerating, right?" asked Kotonoha warily.
"Koto-chan, if you know her like we do, you'd understand what she's like sometimes. She's impulsive and does things on a whim. It's even worse when she's bored. One time she used a mind control device on several lions, tigers and bears she freed from the zoo."
"Oh, my!" Kotonoha gasped. "What did she have them do?"
"Let's just say it was tough roundup," Ryuji said. "I know she's a Rider. Heck, she's capable of doing good. I've seen her save a life before." He paused, "But, she likes doing bad things for fun. Bad and crazy things. She can be rationale and be reasoned with but when she's bored and gets rolling…not much can stop her except a boot to the head."
"Rose-chan," Neko said. "Are you sure you don't know what Kat-neechan is planning? Has she told you anything?"
"No, she hasn't," Rose shook her head. "You don't think she's doing something bad here now, is she?"
"We can only pray," said Kenzaki solemnly.
Having a ticket that allowed her to summon a train that could travel between worlds was the greatest gift her brother could've given her. It didn't take long for Kat to find what she was looking for. Sure, assembly was required but it would be so worth it when she put her plan into action.
"Catgirls everywhere," Kat purred as she rubbed the box's lid up and down. "Oh…this is gonna be so much fun!" She giggled, before she snickered and finally blew up in full blown laughter, "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" She then stopped and coughed. "I gotta get something to drink. Laughing makes my throat dry."
Right after lunch, it was Social Studies and the teacher was going to give them a new assignment to do.
"Now, class, I will assign you all partners," the teacher said. He was just a generic teacher that didn't stand out much save for his ridiculous polka dotted tie and greasy hair along with glasses. He read the names from a list. Ryuji just ignored it until it came to two names that really made his head spin.
"Makoto Itou and Kotonoha Katsura," the teacher recited.
Kotonoha gasped and she turned to look at Makoto who was looking back at her.
Ryuji's eyes widened as he exclaimed, "NANI!?" He stood up with his palms on his desk.
"Hasuma-san, please, be seated and do not make noise," the teacher ordered.
"But you can't make Koto-chan pair up with Itou!" Ryuji argued.
"My decision is final," said the teacher.
Ryuji was about to make a scene to argue about the pairing further but then he felt Kotonoha's hand on his. He looked towards her and she whispered a few words to calm him down. He closed his eyes and sighed before sitting back down.
The teacher continued on with names like, "Taisuke Sawanaga and Setsuna Kiyoura." Apparently, he was pairing up guys and girls here, "Vash Miyata and Sekai Saionji." The next pair of names came as a shock to Ryuji too, "Ryuji Hasuma and Otome Katou."
However, instead of Ryuji, it was Otome who shouted, "NANI!?"
"Is there a problem, Katou-san?" the teacher questioned.
Otome shook her head, "No, sensei."
Ryuji muttered, "This just keeps getting better and better."
After pairing everyone up, the teacher explained what the assignment was. There were to write bios of each other and would present them in class next week. Meaning, they were going to get to know their partners inside and out.
The rest of the class had the students sitting with their new partners and discussing the assignment. Ryuji was forced to sit with Otome as Makoto and Kotonoha sat next to each other. Ryuji had his eyes locked at the back of Makoto's head as he tried not to lose his famous temper.
Makoto trembled as he tried his best to work. He knew he was on the line between life and death. If he said one thing wrong or did something wrong, Ryuji would kill him. He didn't mind working with Kotonoha, but considering their history and how much Ryuji loved her, it was a given that he was on thin ice.
"Are you alright, Makoto-kun?" asked Kotonoha.
"Uh…I'm okay," Makoto laughed nervously.
Elsewhere, Ryuji continued to stare at Makoto. Otome huffed and tried to think of a few questions she could ask Ryuji. She looked up, and saw her partner staring at Makoto and Kotonoha.
"Hasuma, we need to get to work," Otomo spoke up. "Stop staring at them and let's get to work."
"Urusei," Ryuji muttered, his eyes unblinking as he continued to stare at Makoto and Kotonoha.
Otome sighed, knowing there was no way she could get Ryuji to stop glaring daggers at Makoto. Even if she did harbor feelings for Makoto, she wasn't exactly upset with him being teamed up with Kotonoha. He was dating Sekai after all and Otome had moved on and accepted. Still, if Makoto and Sekai ever did break up, she would swoop in and take Makoto as hers.
Ryuji's eyes flashed ice cold blue as he continued to watch Makoto and Kotonoha. He knew he could trust Kotonoha to not be unfaithful. Makoto, however, he could not trust. He felt jealous as he watched Makoto and Kotonoha getting along like good friends despite the pain he'd put her through. Ryuji wanted to rip that smile off Makoto's face and make him eat it.
Otome was starting to lose patience and when she did she would become annoyed and angry. Drawing her hand back, she was going to slap Ryuji upside the head to get his attention. As her hand sailed towards the back of his head, his hand came up and caught her wrist. His eyes drew away from Makoto and Kotonoha for the first time since the start of the assignment and Otome gulped when she saw the cold glare that was being aimed at her.
"Do that again and I'll break your wrist," he warned before letting go. Otome massaged her wrist.
"Look," she sighed. "I know you're mad about those two being paired up. But Kotonoha's a big girl and Makoto isn't the unfaithful type."
"Shows what you know about him then," Ryuji snorted.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Otome frowned.
"Ask Koto-chan," Ryuji shrugged. "Not my thing to tell." He glanced at his girlfriend and her ex. "No matter how much I want to reveal it."
"Maybe I will ask," Otome answered. "In the meantime though, I want to get a good mark on this. To do this I need to ask you a few questions to make a bio and it's rather hard to do when you aren't in a talking mood."
"I'm talking to you right now aren't I?" Ryuji asked.
"Only to threaten me or give me vague hints," Otomo retorted. "Now, can you stop glaring at them for a few minutes so we can get a start?"
Ryuji turned his eyes to look at Kotonoha and Makoto before returning his gaze to Otome. "Alright, fine. Since I have no idea what to ask you, how about you ask me a few questions? After you're done, maybe I can get an idea what to ask."
"OK," Otome said as she held up her notebook and a pen. "Are you alright with answering any personal questions?"
"It depends on how personal they are," replied Ryuji.
"Alright." Otome then began with the first set of questions. They were pretty straightforward. Mostly she asked about his family, friends and the life he had before he came to Sakakino High. She could fill in some of the blanks with what she knew but then she decided to dig in deeper, "OK, I hope you don't blow up at me for this, but why are you such a jerk most of the time?"
"You wouldn't understand," he answered.
"Oh yeah? Try me."
Ryuji sighed. At least talking to Otome got his mind off Kotonoha and Makoto. "Look, there are some things about me you aren't meant to know or understand. I got secrets too, just like everyone else."
"You don't have to tell me your secrets," shrugged Otome. "Just tell me why you're the way you are."
"Alright, fine," Ryuji huffed. "If you must know I have trust and anger control issues. A lot of crap happened to me when I was younger and it messed me up a little."
Kotonoha watched her boyfriend and Otome talk to each other. She had to admit that she was jealous. She wanted to be partnered with him and no one else. Still, she was a little upset that he was talking to Otome about himself and personal stuff.
Otome sighed. "I guess that's enough for now." She then asked, "So, what will you ask me?"
"I'm thinking about it," he told her while glaring at Makoto. Otome sighed and leaned back in her seat. This assignment was going to test her patience to its limits.
Miyako was typing up some articles that she was working on. Riders were her specialty, but she had other stuff to do as well. Her usual work was what kept her rent paid. The Riders gave her the money a girl needed to splurge once in a while.
As she saved some of her new files, she began to hear muttering from the back room. Frowning, she went to see who was being to so loud. She wanted to give those jerks a piece of her mind.
"So you're going to give me the dirt on the Riders?" a familiar voice asked inside of the back room. Miyako froze. That sounded like Matsuda.
"Yes," the other voice said. "You'll get your dirt on the Riders. I just hope you remember our deal." Miyako managed to take a peak and gasped when she saw what Matsuda was talking to.
'Imagin!' Miyako realized. It looked like those Mole Imagin she'd heard about except that it wore a black coat over a blue jumpsuit and had large claws with a star at the top of its nose.
"As long as you help me make those costumed weirdoes pay for the trouble they've caused me," Matsuda replied.
Miyako walked away, silently, so she wouldn't be heard. 'Gotta tell him,' Miyako thought as she went back to her desk and took out her cell phone.
As Ryuji sat in class, still glaring daggers at the back of Makoto's head, his cell phone vibrated. He always put it in vibrate mode in school. Taking it out of his pocket, he flipped it open. "Serizawa," he muttered as he read the message. His eyes widened a bit. If what Miyako suspected was true, then there was going to be some trouble from this Matsuda guy.
The watch hadn't beeped so that meant the Imagin hadn't caused any trouble…
Suddenly the watch started beeping frantically.
Spoke to soon.
Ryuji stood up and raised his hand, "Sensei, may I be excused?"
"Just don't take too long," the teacher said as he continued to read from a book.
"Hey, where are you going?" asked Otome as Ryuji started to leave. "We're not done here."
"Just going out to clear my head," he said before he ran for the door. He slid it open and ran out.
Kotonoha looked on worriedly while Setsuna watched him go. She knew where he was going. "Good luck, Ryuji Hasuma," whispered Setsuna.
"Did you say something, Kiyoura-san?" asked Taisuke.
"No," she replied in monotone.
Ryuji had already transformed into his Rider alter-ego and riding on his Machine Dyno-Breaker bike. It was designed like all the other bikes used to control time trains but with a completely red paintjob and with tusks in the front. The headlights seemed to glow as he raced along the streets.
"Hope Serizawa's tip off was on the money," Ifrit said.
'She has been a great help,' replied Loki.
"I know. I guess I owe her my thanks."
'What do you think the Imagin will do?" asked Loki.
"Something that will draw my attention and me out in the open, that's for sure, if the guy he's contracted to is any indication." Miyako had given Ifrit a brief description of Matsuda. He would know what to look for. If the guy was dirty and sleazy then the Rider would know it was him.
Reaching a construction site, Ifrit could hear screams of terror coming from the construction workers. The building they were in the middle of building shook like there was an earthquake but the black armored Rider knew better. Dismounting his ride, Ifrit summoned a Sub-Zero Shooter and marched into the scene that was surrounded by a wooden fence.
There were holes all over the ground and they definitely weren't normal. Narrowing his eyes, Ifrit decided to make his presence known.
"Oi, Imagin-teme!" Ifrit shouted.
The Imagin in question leapt out one of the holes it'd made and snickered, "We were expecting you."
Near the stack of I-beams was Matsuda with a camera and he didn't go unnoticed by Ifrit. He would teach that guy a lesson as soon as he was done with the Imagin.
Aiming his gun at the Imagin, Ifrit prepared to fire but his opponent was quick and swiftly dove into one of the holes. Cursing silently, Ifrit ran over to the hole and looked into it. "Come out, now!" he ordered.
The Imagin did but it jumped out of a hole behind Ifrit and slashed him in the back. Ifrit tried to backhand it but the Imagin dove into the hole before jumping out of another hole to slash Ifrit in the back before diving into a strategically placed hole. Ifrit looked around. It was like a Whack-a-Mole game only if he lost he'd lose a lot more.
Matsuda couldn't stop taking pictures of how the Starnose Imagin was humiliating the Rider. This was going to be big news.
Ifrit cursed as he looked around him at the holes in the ground. More holes meant more hiding places and he had a hard time finding his opponent. Still, there was an easier way to deal with it. Ifrit's eyes went over to Matsuda. He had a brief thought of killing this man. Nobody would miss him and the guy was stain after all.
Then, Ifrit imagined the disappointed look on his girlfriend's face. No, he wouldn't go so low as to murder someone to get rid of an Imagin. He'd changed.
Suddenly, dirt burst out of all the holes like geysers and Ifrit's eyes widened when he saw all the dirt flying at him. He screamed in outrage as he was being buried alive by the Imagin's dirt attack. Soon, he was completely buried save for his head that was poking out. He struggled as Matsuda laughed along with the Starnose Imagin who'd crawled out from one of its hiding places.
After trapping the Rider under a pile of dirt, the Starnose Imagin marched towards Matsuda who was busy taking embarrassing photos of the Rider's current position.
"Oh, man!" Matsuda cheered as he continued taking pictures. "These are great!"
"Good, now that I've granted your wish, it's time for you to pay," the Starnose Imagin said to Matsuda.
"Hold on a sec!" Matsuda objected. "I want you to reveal their identities!"
"Sorry, but your wish was to 'get dirt on the Riders'," the Starnose Imagin said, reciting the wish Matsuda had made. It pointed at the Rider who was trapped in dirt with only his head poking out. "I've buried one of them in dirt so that means I've granted your wish."
"B-but!" Matsuda sputtered.
"Next time, be more specific with your wishes," the Starnose Imagin informed, "If you have a next time." It then tapped Matsuda's forehead, splitting the man open to reveal the portal.
"Oi! Chotto matte!" Ifrit shouted as he managed to dig his way out.
"Contract Complete!" the Starnose Imagin announced before leaping into the portal. Matsuda then closed up and fell on his rear in shock.
"Kuso!" Ifrit growled as he took out his Rider ticket and held it over Matsuda's head. After a moment, the image of the Starnose Imagin appeared with the date December 13th 1998.
"I got you!" Matsuda bellowed suddenly, grasping for Ifrit's helmet. He was met with a palm to his face, knocking him back.
"I've got more important things to do then to have a pathetic drunk trying to see my face," Ifrit growled.
"Don't walk away from me!" Matsuda shouted, getting to his feet. "You damn Riders ruined my life! I'm going to find out who you are and tell the world!"
"From what I've heard, your life was ruined long before I came into it," Ifrit growled. "How about instead of blaming me, you take some responsibility and do something about it?!" He turned away and looked up to see the DynoLiner arriving on its tracks. As soon as it was in range, Ifrit leapt up and entered the Mammoth via the hatch on the head. The train then flew straight into the portal which would take him to his destination.
While Ryuji was out dealing with the Imagin, Kat was in school putting her plan into action. She immediately pulled out the ray gun and aimed it at all her female classmates, "Catgirl Ray Gun! Fire!" The beam went wide and zapped each and everyone one of the girls in the classroom. The boys, however, were confused but not as confused when they saw the girls suddenly grow long furry tails and have cat ears sprout out from the top of their heads, both the same color as their hair.
The catgirls immediately turned to face Kat. Rose was the only one not targeted and she asked, "Kat, what are you up to?"
"Oh, just trying to put a little excitement in this boring place!" said Kat as she looked upon the catgirls. Clearing her throat, she asked with a shout, "OK! WHO IS YOUR QUEEN?"
"YOU ARE, KAT-SAMA!" the collective catgirls all answered unanimously. Now this was freaking out the boys.
Kat grinned. Now things were going to be fun. She cocked her ray gun and marched right out of class, followed by her army. Rose sighed and decided to follow. She might as well follow Kat to see how all of this would play out in the end.
December 13th 1998
Matsuda was leaning against the wall of a bar with a bottle of beer in his hand. It was well after dark but he didn't care. He was obviously intoxicated. "That bitch…" he slurred. "Didn't know what was good for her (hic!)." He took a swig of his drink, "Good thing I got rid of her ass!" he snickered drunkenly. "Maybe I should go get me a whore for tonight!"
Sand began pouring out from his clothes and then it reformed into the Starnose Imagin. Matsuda didn't realize he was in any danger but the Starnose Imagin took one look at him, felt disgusted, and then tossed Matsuda into a pile of trash. "Sleep there with the rest of the garbage," the Imagin said before it ran off to cause some trouble.
A loud roaring sound announced the arrival of the DynoLiner before the train itself took the stage. The Starnose Imagin acted fast. Diving at the ground, he plowed through the concrete and soil. It avoided any sewer pipes so to make things less messy than they needed to be.
Ifrit leaped out of the DynoLiner and looked around for his target. Spying the hole in the ground, he cursed softly. He didn't need another game of Whack-a-Mole.
Back in the present, things were just as bad.
"You know," Taisuke muttered. "I had a fantasy about this once."
"Oh yeah?" asked Makoto. "What happened?"
"Well," Taisuke sighed. "They sure didn't try to attack me."
Makoto and Taisuke were two of the initial victims of the catgirl invasion. One second, they were minding their own business. The next, Kat came rampaging into their class, shot some kind of weird gun and suddenly all the girls in the class sprouted cat ears and tails. They meowed and purred, stretching in such incredible sexy ways…and then beat the crap out of the boys in the classroom. Makoto seemed to be in better shape since Sekai, who had also been turned into a cute catgirl, was affectionately licking his scratches. They still stung like hell though. In fact, any boy who had a girlfriend seemed to have their kitty girls tending to them.
"I guess I can't smite their affection for their boyfriends," Kat sighed as she watched some of the girls smother boys with affection.
"And would you?" asked Rose.
"Nah," Kat shrugged. "Just as long as they know who the boss is."
"Mama," Cathy spoke up. "Can you turn Bobby into a kitty boy for me?"
"Hey!" Bobby cried. He was the only boy unscathed since he was Cathy's boyfriend and a boy Kat actually liked.
"He's already kitty-boy sweetie," Kat mentioned as she checked her list of classrooms.
"Yeah I-HEY!!" Bobby sputtered.
"Here," Kat passed three headbands with fake cat ears to her family while already wearing one on her head. "Wear these. I got more catgirls to make."
"I don't think so!" Kat heard and she scowled. Turning around, she could see Kenzaki, Neko, Athena and Kotonoha. Kat had been aiming for Kotonoha but unfortunately for her, Athena had shielded her so the girl wouldn't be turned into one of her catgirls. "Kat, stop this now!"
"Onegai!" added Neko.
"Oh, come on!" Kat scoffed. "Don't tell me you don't find this cute."
"Turning innocent girls into brainwashed slaves isn't my idea of cute," retorted Kenzaki. While they were here, Warren and Raven were doing some crowd control. The two of them had placed a barrier around the school to keep this incident isolated. They would need to alter a few memories, though.
"Everyone's a critic," Kat huffed. She eyed Kotonoha. "You know, you would've made a kawaii little catgirl. My bro would so love it."
Kotonoha imagined how she would look like with a tail and cat ears. She blushed as her imagination took her on a more erotic spin as she imagined herself and Ryuji mating like a pair of cats in heat.
"Lady Kotonoha, focus," Athena said.
"Oh, right!" Kotonoha was still flushed, though.
Kat's eyes narrowed and then they fell on Neko. She smirked. Maybe this would be a good time to deal with a nagging problem once and for all. Taking aim she fired her ray gun at Neko who couldn't dodge in time.
Thankfully, Gekiryuken got in the way and deflected the ray. Undeterred, Kat took another aim and fired. She hit her mark this time.
"Neko!" shouted Kenzaki in horror as he watched his girlfriend being shot. A long black tail came out from under her skirt as a pair of cute cat ears appeared at the top of her head. Kat smirked as she considered this her finest work.
"Now, come here, Neko-chan!" said Kat invitingly. Of course, Neko ignored her and pounced Kenzaki before nuzzling his chin and licking his face. "O-kay…" She checked her gun. "Maybe I should've made it stronger." She shouted, "Neko-chan, break up with him."
"No!" Neko objected as she purred and continued to cuddle with her boyfriend.
"Oh, Jesus Christ," Kat groaned. "Now I know I should've set the brainwash on max with her." What Kat didn't know was that Gekiryuken had protected Neko from some of the mind altering effects of the ray, namely total obedience to Kat. Still, she was still acting like an affectionate cat with Kenzaki.
Kenzaki managed to get Neko off him and both of them stood up side by side. He smirked, "Guess your plan didn't work."
"Oh, well, time for Plan-B!" Kat exclaimed as she summoned her belt and took out her card, "Henshin!"
"Henshin!" Kenzaki swiped his pass over his belt.
"HUNTER FORM!"
His armor formed over his body, changing him into the wolfish Kamen Rider Garoh in Hunter Form.
"Meow! Gekiryu Henshin!" Neko shouted as she held Gekiryuken in his sword form. In a flash of light she'd become Kamen Rider Ryukendo.
"CATGIRL ARMY, ATTACK!!!" Kamen Rider CopyKat commanded.
Back in 13th December 1998, Ifrit was having a hard time trying to track down his foe. The stupid underground monster was trashing everything in sight. It was just avoiding Ifrit's attacks. Instead of directly confronting the Rider, it was trashing everything around Ifrit. It was hoping to change the timeline without actually confronting Ifrit himself. This could be seen by the way the buildings were collapsing all around him.
"Kuso!" Ifrit growled. "Get up here you bastard!"
To punctuate his attack, Ifrit fired a few rounds into one of the holes that the Starnose Imagin had created.
"Come on out!" Ifrit bellowed into a hole.
In the present, the catgirls were all sprawled on the ground, unconscious. In the middle of it were Garoh and Ryukendo, fighting against CopyKat.
"I knew you couldn't be trusted!" barked Garoh as he swiped at CopyKat who dodged before she struck with her axe. Ryukendo blocked it.
"What was your first clue, Kenny?" purred CopyKat as she kicked Ryukendo backwards.
"Why are you doing this?" Ryukendo asked. "I thought you were on our side!"
"For the record, I'm on MY side!" informed CopyKat. "And just because I'm fighting GIN-SHOCKER doesn't mean I'm one of the good guys." She jumped up and nailed the two with jump kicks that sent them reeling backwards. Banishing both axes, she took out her Catgirl Ray Gun. Twisting a dial, she set it to maximum level. "Now, time for you to say hello to my little friend!" She took aim and fired.
"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Ryukendo screamed as she was shot.
"NEKO!" Garoh shouted.
CopyKat stopped firing and grinned. She then gave a command, "Neko-chan, please attack Kenny here."
Garoh dodged in time from a sword slash aimed for his neck as Ryukendo suddenly turned on him. "Neko!?" he shouted.
"I must defeat you, for the mistress!" Ryukendo smiled before charging at Garoh with CopyKat watching gleefully.
Garoh had to block and dodge the blows instead of fighting back. Sparks flew as their swords clashed. There was no way he could harm his brainwashed girlfriend. She slashed, punched and kicked at him and he stumbled back from the hits that got through his defenses. She then swiped at him but he used his sword to block. Their blades were locked for only a minute before she performed a sweep kick that knocked him off his feet before pushing him down with her foot on his chest. She had the tip of Gekiryuken pointed at Garoh's neck.
"Ojou-sama!" shouted Gekiryuken. "Yamerro!" He didn't want his partner and wielder to slay Garoh.
Ryukendo's eyes narrowed under her helmet. She then drew her hand back before thrusting the sword down on Garoh's throat. However, she froze when the tip was only a short inch away from his neck.
"Hey!" shouted CopyKat. "Why did you stop!?"
Ryukendo backed away from Garoh and turned her head towards the window. She could see buildings vanishing and knew something was definitely up. She turned to look at Garoh and much to CopyKat's shock helped him back to his feet.
"Neko?" asked Garoh. She nodded.
"Go, there's trouble in the past," she said before turning her back to him. "I'll take care of my sister."
With a nod, Garoh ran for a door, any door, with his Rider Pass in hand. He was needed in another time and place.
"Kat-neechan, you're mine!" With a roar, Ryukendo dashed towards CopyKat. The Tiger Rider equipped her forearms with gauntlets that had sharp retractable claws. Their weapons clashed, creating a rain of sparks.
Back in the past, Ifrit suddenly got an idea. If the Starnose Imagin was like a mole, then all the holes were connected by a series of tunnels. He found a hole and then aimed his open palm at him. He then fired a blast of frost straight into the hole. Ice formed around it and in the tunnel, spreading all over. "Wait for it…"
The Starnose Imagin immediately shot out of one of its holes, unable to withstand the immense chill. Grinning, Ifrit took aim and opened fire on the Imagin who staggered back from the shots.
Ifrit continued to fire, even when he saw the GaroLiner appear and dropping Garoh off next to him. "You're a bit late," said Ifrit.
"I was held up by something," replied Garoh as he gripped his sword. "So, this is the guy that's causing trouble."
"Yeah, but he's mine so I get to finish him off."
"Well, be my guest."
Smirking, Ifrit changed tactics and morphed his gun into a sword while summoning his second sword. Gripping them tightly, he charged at the Starnose Imagin. Catching the monster by surprise, he slashed at the creature savagely and without mercy. Garoh joined with him and the two double-teamed the Imagin.
Back in the present, the fight had been taken outside. CopyKat and Ryukendo battled violently as sparks were ripped off their armors from the slashes they were administering on each other. Surrounding them in a circle was CopyKat's catgirl army and they were cheering on their queen. Rose, Cathy and Bobby were among them too.
"Change them back!" Ryukendo demanded as she swiped at CopyKat who jumped back.
"Never!" CopyKat shouted back. "I don't get why you're against this! I thought we both liked cats!"
"Sorry, but I draw the line at genetically altering girls and brainwashing them into slaves," Ryukendo shot back as she stabbed at CopyKat who blocked with her clawed gauntlets. "And I'm mad at you for making me attack Ken-kun!"
"You deserve so much better!" CopyKat retorted.
"How would you know?"
"Because I am you!"
Yin and Yang clashed at full force. Both were evenly matched. Though they were sisters, Ryukendo was going to have to beat some sense into her sociopathic sibling.
Cathy was beside herself. She didn't know who to root for. Even Rose wasn't sure if she should be cheering or not. As for Bobby…
"Big Sis! Kick her ass!" he cheered. Some of the catgirls who were cheerleaders were waving pom-poms while chanting.
13th December 1998
In the middle of the battle, the Starnose Imagin had once again escaped by digging its way into the ground, leaving the two Riders searching.
"Kuso! He ran away!" Ifrit cursed.
"So where is this guy anyway?" asked Garoh.
"Not sure," Ifrit growled. "The stupid bastard has been digging all over the place. I can't get a lock on him!"
"Hmmm," Garoh pondered. He looked over to the nearest hole. "Then I think it's time that we go after him instead of waiting for him to come up here."
With that, Garoh leaped into the nearest hole. Slapping his forehead, Ifrit followed after his ally. The two skidded down the dirt tunnel and came to a stop inside one of the dark tunnels that the Starnose Imagin had created.
"Now, let's go find this guy," Garoh spoke, heading down one of the tunnels.
Back in the present, Ryukendo and CopyKat were going all out. When Ryukendo executed a Gekiwaza, CopyKat did something surprisingly similar.
"Gekiwaza! Nyao Nyao Dan!" Ryukendo sent an aura projection shaped like a large cat at CopyKat.
"Ringi! Goyu Koha!" shouted CopyKat as she unleashed her own attack, this time an aura projection of a black lioness. The two aura beasts clashed and exploded.
"Nani!?" Ryukendo gawked.
"I learnt some new tricks," purred CopyKat. "Just like you I practice JyuKen but not that Geki stuff." To demonstrate, a black and purple aura flared out from her body.
"RinJyuKen," realized Ryukendo.
"Fighting for my pride. My personal gain. RinJyuKen Lioness-Ken user. CopyKat," the feline Rider clarified. "And for my next trick!" She went into stance, "RinJyu Lioness-Ken! Ringi! Goyu Shoda!" CopyKat rushed at Ryukendo with her fist drawn back. "HYAH!" she threw her gauntlet covered fist, energized with Rinki.
Ryukendo brought up her shield to block but it shattered from the destructive impact and the female Dragon Rider was thrown backwards by the force of the strike. The catgirls dispersed quickly as Ryukendo slammed into a wall. She groaned as she picked herself up.
"See how superior RinJyuKen is compared to that GekiJyuKen stuff Kenny teaches you? Come on, join me and I can teach you so much," CopyKat offered.
"No way! Ryuou Giri!" Ryukendo swung her sword to send an energy blade at CopyKat who caught it in her claws and shattered it. "No way!" cried Ryukendo in disbelief.
"That's Rinki for ya," snickered CopyKat. "But, if you're so stubborn then let me show you what you're missing." She went into a new stance, "Ringi…"
"Damn," Ryukendo cursed as she tried to remain standing but CopyKat's Goyu Shoda had left her knees weak and they were ready to buckle.
"Sorry, little sister, but I guess you lose!" CopyKat produced a ball of her Confrontation Ki and aimed it at Ryukendo, "Raigo Dan!" She then threw the ball at Ryukendo.
Ryukendo braced herself as the energy ball came hurtling towards her.
13th December 1998
Ifrit and Garoh were still searching for their quarry. The Starnose Imagin had made a complex system of tunnel in the time that it had been underground. Where it was at this point was anyone's guess.
"GAAAA!!" Ifrit bellowed. "Get out here, you teme!" Ifrit roared.
"I don't think he'll listen," Garoh sighed.
A sudden explosion came from behind. Both Riders turned around to face what was coming. To their surprise, it was the Starnose Imagin with a large rock hoisted above its head.
"Die!" the Starnose Imagin roared as it hurled the rock.
"Crap/Shit!" both Riders exclaimed as solid death came flying at them. Both Riders looked to each other before Garoh produced his pass. Ifrit, however, was reaching for his belt. Garoh swiped his pass as Ifrit pushed his thumb on the switch.
"FULL CHARGE!"
Both Riders readied their weapons. For Garoh, his blade detached from his scimitar and spun in the air. Ifrit raised his Sub-Zero Shooters and let the energy pool into his weapons. The boulder rolled closer, ready to crush them before they let the attacks fly.
The two hissatsus collided with the boulder, bringing a large explosion and sending dust everywhere. The Starnose Imagin shielded its eyes from the sight. It looked towards the cloudy mess, hoping to have killed its enemies with the rubble. It peered deeply for a moment before two glowing attacks came cutting through the dust.
"Yeeeeaaarrrg!" the Starnose Imagin cried as the two attacks ripped through it. It exploded a moment later, signaling the end of the battle.
"About damn time!" Ifrit growled.
"Yeah," Garoh nodded as he got his blade back. "Oh, there's something you need to know about what Kat is doing right now."
"Huh?" Ifrit blinked.
Present.
The ball of Confrontation Ki exploded on impact and CopyKat watched apathetically as she seemingly killed her sister. Rose and Cathy were appalled and speechless. How could she…
"She's not dead yet," CopyKat answered their unasked question. She could sense something in the smoke cloud. Suddenly, it was blown away.
Standing in front of Ryukendo was a red aura gorilla. Alongside it was a white aura lion and floating on the other side of the gorilla was a blue aura shark. Flapping its wings above Ryukendo was a yellow aura eagle.
Brave Leon, Fire Kong, Thunder Eagle and Aqua Shark were back.
Ryukendo was just as confused as CopyKat. "But how?"
"They heard your call for help," explained Gekiryuken. "You see, they were more than just your Zodiac Beasts. They were your spirit partners from the start. Your guardian spirits."
"Sugoi," Ryukendo was awed as she reached over and petted Brave Leon. Her lips curled into a smirk as she turned her sights on CopyKat. She spoke, "Born in the light of the dragon's fang and wielding the claws of the cat. The Blade of Justice. Hasuma Confrontation Style swordswoman and GekiJyu Cat-Ken user. Watashi wa Ryukendo! Raijin!"
"This is bad," gulped CopyKat. She generated her Confrontation Ki as Ryukendo generated her Fierce Ki. "RinJyu Lioness-Ken!"
"GekiJyuKen!" called out Ryukendo as her Fierce Ki was infused in her Guardian Beasts.
"Ringi!"
"Gekiwaza!"
"SHISHI HOKOHA!"
"GEKI JYUOU HOU!"
CopyKat summoned a larger version of her aura lioness and sent it charging at Ryukendo. Ryukendo's Guardian Beasts all fired beams of energy from their mouths which combined into a powerful blast of energy.
Both attacks struck at the same time but even with her apparent power, CopyKat's attack was countered. The aura lioness was torn apart before the quartet of Fierce Ki charged Guardian Beasts rushed at her.
Ryukendo called out, "DAI JYUOU GEKI!"
Brave Leon slashed at her with its claws as Fire Kong used a burning uppercut to send her skyward. Aqua Shark and Thunder Eagle slashed her with their fins and wings, respectively, freezing parts of her armor and electrocuting her at the same time.
Seeing her sister falling, Ryukendo decided to end this fight right here and now. Bending her knees, she then jumped high into the air.
"Here's something Ken-kun taught me! Ro Ro Shu!" Ryukendo announced.
When she was above CopyKat, Ryukendo then performed a brutal heel kick that was charged with her Fierce Ki which sent the Tiger Rider plummeting to the ground, creating a ten foot wide crater on impact.
"Owwwwwww!!!" CopyKat groaned as her transformation failed. She groggily got up in the crater. "What the hell was that!? I didn't know there was a Gekiwaza like that!"
"Neither did we," Gekiryuken mumbled.
"Hush," Ryukendo whispered. She looked up at her recovering sister. "Now is this going to stop, Kat-neechan?"
"Sheesh," Kat sighed. "I just wanted an army of cute catgirls for myself. Is that so wrong?"
"It is with the brainwashing!" a new voice snapped. Kat looked up to see her youngest brother, returned from the past, at the edge of the crater.
"Hey, Ifrit-chan," Kat smiled with a bit of a chuckle. "Guess you got the news."
"You just had to pull this kind of crap today," Ryuji sighed. "Of all days, you picked today."
Kenzaki looked on. Ryuji would definitely give Kat a piece of his mind. He was good at making people pay for their crimes. Now Kat would have second thoughts about pulling a stunt like this again.
"You make a perfectly fightable army and I couldn't take part!" Ryuji complained, making Kenzaki facefault. "You owe me big for doing this behind my back, Kat."
"I'll give Katsura-chan cat ears and a tail without brainwashing. Howzzat?" Kat asked with a grin.
"I'll think about it," Ryuji snorted. "In the meantime, reverse what you did and I won't break your toy. You don't want to miss your Rosie-chan being a catgirl now, do you?"
"Hm…" Kat thought about it. "OK!"
It didn't take long for Kat to turn all of the girls back to normal. Thankfully, the reverse process also altered their memories. None of the former catgirls remembered a thing of the incident. As for the boys, Ryuji and Kotonoha used their SB-Cells and worked together with Warren and Raven to erase their memories of this incident. When they found Vash, he was covered in cuts and bite marks but he had a huge grin on his face.
"That…was hot," he said before passing out.
"Now that was an adventure," Warren sighed as he worked the soreness out of his arms. Keeping fields up for that long always fatigued him.
"If I never see another catgirl again, it will be too soon," Raven muttered darkly. Kat was too much of a troublemaker in her opinion.
"Too bad," Warren sighed. "I think catgirls are so sexy."
"Oh? What about birdgirls?" asked Raven with a seductive sparkle in her eyes. Warren didn't seem to notice.
"Hmmm. Never seen one," Warren shrugged.
Raven smiled. Now she knew just what to do after the children were put to bed.
Once school was over, Kat fulfilled her promise and zapped her brother's girlfriend with the ray gun. Fortunately, she wasn't brainwashed and the effects would wear off after a few hours.
Kotonoha couldn't keep her paws of Ryuji as they rode home on the DynoLiner together and he was finding it hard to resist her. She kept kissing and nuzzling him the entire trip, yearning for his touch.
Once they arrived home, Ryuji opened the door and entered along with Kotonoha, before he finally acted.
"Now, come here, you pretty little kitty!" Ryuji chortled as he lifted a now catgirl Kotonoha into his arms and carried her bridal style up the stairs as she purred while nuzzling and licking his neck.
"I'm sickened by this, Matsuda," the editor spoke as Matsuda and Miyako sat in front of him. Miyako was submitting her new article and Matsuda was coming in with his pictures of Ifrit. Of course, the editor knew about his reporter's dive into Miyako's files. "You tried to steal Miyako's notes about the Riders."
"Hey! I was getting a story!" Matsuda retorted hotly. He then pointed at Miyako. "She's not even trying to find out who they are!"
"You think people who do what they do are going to let their identities be found out?" Miyako frowned. "If you wanted information then you could have asked or found some of your own!"
"I couldn't be sure of your convictions!" Matsuda argued. "As a reporter you should be telling everyone who the Riders are! They have a lot to answer for!"
"Yeah, to a bunch of people who are upset about their property," Miyako sighed. "Thanks to them those monsters haven't been able to kill anyone!"
"ENOUGH!" the editor roared. He caught the attention of his reporters. "Matsuda, during the course of Miyako's career, she has never lied in her articles. You on the other hand have exaggerated and played down on things. Your rants on the Riders are very well known."
"But…my pictures! They show Ifrit's incompetent!" Matsuda sputtered.
"Considering his track record, I think he ran into a challenge," the editor growled. "I should fire you for what you tried to do with Miyako's notes. Still, these pictures and your work history are what are still keeping you here. Consider yourself on probation."
Miyako felt satisfied as she and Matsuda left the editor's office. She watched Matsuda sulk away. It made her feel good to see that his plot to ruin the Riders had failed. Still, she had better call them up and let them know that things had smoothed out.
"I told you so," said Rose as she, Cathy, Bobby and Kat returned home to their apartment.
"I know, I know," Kat sighed. "It was a bad idea. You don't have to keep reminding me."
"Why? It's fun," Rose snickered. "Honestly, you didn't think you were going to be stopped, did you?"
"I had her," Kat grumbled, "And she managed to break free."
"I guess that's the power of true love for you," shrugged Rose. "Speaking of which, do you still have that ray gun?"
"Right here," Kat took it out of her book bag. "Why?"
Rose leaned in and whispered into Kat's ear, causing the female Rider to grin widely from ear to ear.
Kenzaki was obviously upset with what Kat did. Honestly, trying to break him and Neko up. That was unforgivable. What more, his girlfriend's evil twin was a practitioner of RinJyuKen which didn't bode well for him. Well, at least Neko knew how cheer him up.
"Meow…" Neko let out as she kneeled on Kenzaki's bed while waving at him invitingly with one hand. She was dressed in a sexy maid's outfit complete with fake cat paws, a tail and ears.
Kenzaki blinked and then smirked. Closing the door behind him, he pounced on top of his girlfriend.
"Oh, Goshujin-sama!" she purred. "I've been a naughty girl! Please, punish me!"
"Oh, I'll do more than that," he chuckled. "Now, let me play with my little kitty!"
Kenzaki may not get to 3rd base or score a homerun, but at least getting to first and second base was going to be fun.
Ryuji and Kotonoha lay back in bed after their little romp. Kotonoha was purring contentedly, having kept her cat features for a little while longer. Ryuji felt his day was looking up now.
It wasn't the fact that Kat had made her catgirl army that pissed him off. Heck, it would have been fun fighting those odds. Mischievous and villainous as Kat was, she wouldn't do any lasting harm. She would just rule the area she conquered for a little while before growing bored and giving it back. Besides, several heroes lived in the area. What did she think was going to happen?
No, he was mad because he didn't get to fight those catgirls. At least Kat was making it up to him by giving Kotonoha catgirl status for a little while. He couldn't believe it, but she was even friskier now than before the catgirl ray.
A soft purring and claws stroking his chest brought Ryuji back to sweet reality.
"Not tired yet," Kotonoha purred. "Kitten wants to play with her tomcat some more!"
Ryuji happily obliged.
ZK Chromedragozoid: OK, this has got to be the longest chapter for KAMEN RIDER IFRIT ever! Well, what did you all think of the plot? Fun and wacky, wasn't it? Anyway, hope you had fun reading this as much as I have writing it. I have Ten-Faced Paladin to thank too. Couldn't finish this chap without his help. Anyway, I hope the catgirls were fun to see. I just wanted to portray Kat as a villain for a little bit. She's not all bad, but she isn't a good girl either.
OK, translations:
CopyKat's Ringi
Goyu Koha: Brave Roar Wave
Goyu Shoda: Brave Strike
Raigo Dan: Thunder Hard Bullet
Shishi Hokoha: Lion's Roar Wave
Ryukendo's Gekiwaza
Nyao Nyao Dan: Meow-Meow Bullet
Geki Jyuou Hou: Fierce Beast King Cannon
Dai Jyuou Geki: Great Beast King Attack
Ro Ro Shu: Wolf-Wolf Kick
PS: Let me know if you guys have anymore interesting plots I could use.