The foursome (Ryuji, Kotonoha, Yuji, and Yuki) was at a Wendy's spot, getting some lunch. Ryuji liked a lot of meat on his burger, so he got himself a 3/4 Triple with cheese, fries, and a large Coke. Kotonoha had a Baconator Single, a Caesar Side Salad, and a small Hi-C Fruit Punch. Yuji had a triple Baconator, a Spicy Chicken Go Wrap, and a large, chocolate, Frosty. Yuki had only four large Frosties, one chocolate and three vanillas. She was currently down to half of the chocolate Frosty.
"You're weak, Hasuma," Yuji said out of nowhere.
Ryuji growled, "Excuse me?"
He shook his head, "Seriously, a 3/4 Triple? Obviously, your taste buds must be dead, like the rest of you!"
"And what makes you say that?"
He pointed at Ryuji's burger, "The lettuce, tomato, and onions take the flavor away from the meat, which is the most important part of the burger! The meat of the burger is what you should focus on! For that, the Baconator is the best choice. The crispy strips of bacon also add the extra crunch that one must have in a burger!" Still looking Ryuji in the eye, he pointed to Kotonoha's Baconator, "Even your girlfriend knows that crucial fact! I mean, it's God's bookmark, for crying out loud!"
Kotonoha sweat-dropped, "I just like bacon..."
Yuki was on her third Frosty when she put it down and spoke up, "Brother is a little passionate, when it comes to food."
"You don't say," Ryuji dead-panned. "What about you?"
She shrugged, "I just like frozen treats."
He decided to change the topic as he saw Shinichi taking orders at the cash register, "So, what do we do about Banabara?"
"We let him in our group," Yuji answered casually. "This is his home, after all, and he has some powerful Imagin with him. Also, with Sauron's sights still set on this world, we need as many allies as we can find."
"I agree with Yuji-san," Kotonoha nodded. "If you're going to fight Sauron, it's best to have lots of friends that will be able to help you, Ryuji-kun."
"Thank you, Kotonoha. And please, just call me Yuji. There's no need to be formal. We are friends, after all." Yuki nodded in agreement.
She smiled, "Alright then."
Ryuji huffed. He still wanted to protect Kotonoha's world on his own and not rely on anyone else. After finishing their meals, the group got up and made their way to the entrance when the door slid open. A young woman came through.
She had long, straight, black hair and violet eyes. She looked like a foreigner, primarily English/British, dressed in a short-sleeve, purple, leather jacket with black trim, a black blouse that appeared to be a little tight, since the outline of her breasts were visible, tight black jeans that showed off her curves, black leather elbow length gloves with purple folds, and black boots.
Time seemed to slow down as Yuji and the girl walked past each other and she gave him a sultry look and whispered, "I hope your swordsmanship is as good as your looks, Mr. Bushido."
Yuji stopped and narrowed his eyes at the girl as she winked at him and walked to the register, her hips swaying back and forth in an attempt to entice him back inside.
"Hey, Fudo," Ryuji called, "Let's go!"
"Yeah," Yuji responded as he joined his friends and sister.
The group was going through the local market place when they heard, "And the winner is Kat Wilson!"
Ryuji did a double take, "What the hell?" His eyes were on a crowd of people, gathered together.
"What's wrong?" Kotonoha asked.
He didn't hear her as he tried to get in the crowd as he muttered, "It can't be...not here..."
His eyes widened when he saw a familiar girl who sported long black hair with a red bow in it, blood red eyes, and fair skin. She had on black jeans and a biker jacket and while was scarfing down plates and plates of meatballs. She was seated at a long table with a stack of empty plates next to her. She was the only one at the table since the other competitors had either given up, passed out, or were disqualified. Despite already being declared the winner for surviving the ordeal, she was still finishing up what remained of her challenge. She licked her lips and let out a healthy burp.
"YAY MAMA!" a little girl cheered. She appeared to be about 13-14, with chin-length violet hair and pointed ears. She also has a tail and cat-like eyes. She was holding the hand of an older teenage girl with long silver hair and her bangs cover over one of her blue-grey eyes.
The girl who had been eating meatballs, known as Kat, smirked as she placed her plate down and stretched her body out as she stood up and walked over to join her companions who congratulated her on her win. She spotted Ryuji in the crowd and grinned, "What's up, little brother?" (Kat is voiced by Jessica Strauss)
Ryuji walked over to the group, "What's up, Kat-nee?"
The girl smiled, "It's been awhile, Ryuji."
Ryuji regarded the silver-haired girl. "Hey, Rose. How's your dad?"
"He's fine." (Rose is voiced by Pileche Sampler)
The others caught up to the group and Yuji blinked, "Wait, you wouldn't happen to be Rose Wilson, would you?"
Rose nodded, "That's right."
"Huh, well ain't that quaint? My little brother's married to another version of you. I should check on Shinji when I get the chance..."
Ryuji blinked, "You have a brother?"
"I adopted him before the two of us ended up in a world where the Teen Titans existed. He met the Rose Wilson of that world and fell head over heels in love."
Kat spotted Kotonoha and walked up to the girl, "Hey there. I'm Kat."
Kotonoha smiled, "It's nice to meet you. I'm Kotonoha Katsura."
She nodded, "Ryuji's told me all about you. You sure are quite the looker." She grinned as she looked Kotonoha up and down...and grabbed her boobs!
"Kyaa!" she screamed as she backed away, covering her chest.
Ryuji dead-panned, "Kat-nee, would you please not molest my girlfriend?"
Yuji nodded, "Seriously, we're in public and you're gonna give my sister unnecessary ideas." Yuki nodded.
Kat giggled, "Sorry, I couldn't resist." She hooked an arm around Ryuji's shoulders and shook her head, "But I gotta be honest, little brother, I'm disappointed. A beautiful girl like Katsura-chan and you haven't bedded her yet?"
Kotonoha turned beet red.
Ryuji blushed, "Cut it out!"
Kat laughed, "C'mon, I'm just messing with ya!" She then saw Yuki and licked her lips, "Why hello there, cutie. Don't you look sweet?"
Yuki wasn't fazed by Kat's flirting, "Sorry, but you're too rash for my taste."
Kat frowned, seeing that her teasing failed and the girl brushed her off, then eyed Yuji, "Hey, you Ryuji's friend?"
Yuji sighed, "Not from his point of view. More like an associate. I assume you're Kat Hasuma?"
She nodded, "And you're one of the last Manakytes in the Multiverse, right?"
He cocked an eyebrow, "And how would you know that?"
"Oh...I have my ways..." she replied with a playful smirk, "And it's 'Wilson', now." She kissed Rose on the cheek and she blushed.
"So, what are you doing here anyway, Kat-nee?" Ryuji inquired.
"Well..." Kat scratched her head, "I kinda pissed off the wrong people..."
"It was the League, wasn't it?" he dead-panned.
"Pretty much."
He sighed, "What, tried to take over the world again?"
"Actually, I posted images of the League's members having sex on the Internet."
Ryuji's eyes widened, "You did what? Why?"
Kat shrugged, "Seemed like a good idea at the time. Plus I was bored."
"Even daddy was surprised when she did that," Rose added.
"They'll get over it, hopefully. Until then, I can't set foot on that world," said Kat.
Ryuji leveled a glare at Kat, "You know, I'm still mad at you for abandoning me in that hell hole."
Kotonoha blinked, "Abandoning you?"
Ryuji explained, "She ditched me in a military camp." Kotonoha gasped.
"You told me to go ahead of you," Kat defended. "There were women and children there and their safety took priority over our own. I'm sorry for leaving you, Ryuji, but I did what I had to do. Plus, I knew you'd survive somehow." She raised a fist to him, "So, we cool?"
Ryuji glanced at the fist and looked away before he bumped her fist with his own, "Yeah, we're cool..." He actually expected her to do that. It was her nature and he couldn't fault her for that. He had his own nature as well.
The girls smiled at the make-up scene and Yuji nodded in approval.
"So, was that an eating contest you were in?" Ryuji asked.
"Sure was," Kat grinned.
"Mama was awesome! She kept eating and eating while those other wusses passed out, gave up, or just puked!" Cathy praised. (Cathy is voiced by Sandy Fox)
"Did you just call her 'mama'?" Yuki asked.
"Cathy here's my adopted daughter. I found her," Kat confessed, hugging her from behind. She remembered when she found the poor mutant girl abandoned as a baby in a dumpster. Cathy's X-Gene gave her cat-like features like the tail and also the ability to become invisible. It also sped up her growth rate, so in a matter of months she already had her puberty. That was when the rapid aging stopped. Mentally and physically, she was 14 years old.
"Anyway, what did you win?" Ryuji asked.
Kat and Cathy grinned as they replied at the same time, "A lifetime supply of...TUNA!" The background exploded, with tuna flying everywhere.
Kat smiled, "So, who's hungry?"
Kotonoha gawked, "But you ate all that food... and you're STILL hungry?" Kat nodded.
Ryuji hooked an arm around Kotonoha's waist and smiled, "Koto-chan, the one thing you should know about us Hasumas is that we're always hungry."
Kat grinned, "And I'm sure my little brother is hungry for you, Kotonoha-chan!"
"Shut up!" Ryuji snapped, blushing.
Kat then frowned when she sensed something and pushed everyone back as she jumped away, allowing for a dark figure to crash into the street where they stood. The figure was an Imagin dressed in black armor and matching fur, with the head of a panther and a cape on its back.
Ryuji growled, "Imagin!"
The people in the area screamed in terror as they ran away, leaving Ryuji and the others to face the Panther Imagin.
"Who's ready to die first?" the Panther Imagin challenged.
"That would be you, dick wad," Ryuji grinned as he pulled out his belt.
However, Kat was the first to make a move. She quickly pulled out her weapon. She used a shotgun and fired at the Panther Imagin. The shots slammed into the Imagin's chest and all of a sudden the monster's chest exploded, spilling sand everywhere. The Panther Imagin roared in agony as he staggered on his feet. Those were no normal shotgun bullets. She opened the chamber, the empty shells popping out, and reloaded it with some new ammunition. The bullets had the sharp 'S' that was Slade's insignia. No doubt they were made to deal with armored threats.
"What kind of bullets are those?" Yuki asked.
"Titanium tipped, armor piercing, exploding bullets," Kat replied, taking aim and firing at the Imagin. "They explode right on impact." The Panther Imagin roared as its chest exploded once, sending sand everywhere. There was a gaping hole in its chest but it filled up quickly. "Hm, tough little bugger, ain't it?" She tossed the shotgun behind her and Kotonoha gasped as it was thrown towards her. Ryuji snatched it out of the air. "Time to get up close and personal," said Kat as she slipped on a pair of gloves. They had studded knuckles, plates on the back, and sharp claws at the tips of each finger. She then lunged at the Imagin and slashed it across the chest. She dodged when it swiped at her and she slashed it in the back. She demonstrated amazing agility as she dodged its attacks while countering with her own moves. Once in a while, she would smack it around with the palms of her hands. She then kicked off its head, doing a back flip then several somersaults before joining the rest.
"Very nice," Yuji observed. "She wastes no moves and she's quite fluid in her attacks."
"That's my Kitty Kat," Rose smiled proudly.
"Go Mama!" Cathy cheered.
The Panther recovered but then heard beeping. Kat pointed at its feet and scattered all around him were small objects in the shape of octagons, with circles in the center blinking, with a red light. The same objects were stuck to its chest and back and also head. They were explosives and they were armed. In her hand was a cylindrical shaped detonator with a red button on top.
"Happy Fourth of July!" Kat laughed as she pressed the button on the detonator. A series of explosions rocked the street as the Imagin was blown up. Kotonoha cried out and clung onto Ryuji as he too covered his ears from the loud explosion.
"Amazing..." Kotonoha breathed. She had never seen such a display of grace and brutality in her life. She made a mental note to never get on Kat's bad side.
Kat turned to the group and smiled, "See? You don't need fancy armor to beat monsters. Just skill and a whole lot of explosives!"
Yuki nodded, "Sounds like something Uncle Crow would say. Maybe I should call Papa or Aunt Luca to update the bullet archives so I can stock later."
Yuji chuckled, "If I didn't know any better, I'd think that you actually worked with my family in the past."
Kat smirked, "That's right. You're from an assassin family, right?"
He nodded, "Well, most of them retired, but yeah. How did you guess?"
"I can tell what someone does through keen observation and body language," Kat explained. "Maybe we can share tips and stories over some grub. That fight really gave me an appetite."
"Sounds like a plan," the Samurai Rider agreed.
"So, I was crawling through an air duct and let me tell you those things are cramped and sometimes are never clean," Kat told. They all settled to go to a pizza place and were trading stories over pizza. As usual, Kat had anchovies on hers. "My target was in his office minding his own business. He was having coffee. So, what I did was I dripped some poison into his coffee mug while I was looking down on him from the ceiling vent. He took one sip and died in less than a minute with a foaming mouth."
Kotonoha was aghast by this confession to murder, which was part of Kat's job. "Why did you kill him?"
"I was paid to do it, plus the guy raped my client's daughter. The legal system couldn't help because this guy was a big shot in some corporation and paid his way out, so I offered my services for a small fee and killed the sucker."
"Good riddance. Rapists are the scum of the world," said Ryuji.
"So, you're like an assassin?" Kotonoha asked.
"A mercenary, Kotonoha-chan. Assassinations are just one part of the business. I'm also skilled in espionage, theft, computer hacking, infiltration and I'm well-versed in military tactics."
Yuji nodded, "We've done the same back home, when we were young."
Yuki added, "Papa would take us to foreign countries to terminate corrupt political figures, terrorist organizations, mafias, gangs, etc."
"Sounds like you guys had fun," Kat snickered.
Yuji shrugged, "Well, we had our fair share of traumatic experiences, but we always came out on top."
Kat swallowed another bite of pizza before she spoke again. "So, I hear there's another Rider in town, besides the two of you," she pointed to the two boys.
He nodded, "Shinichi Banabara. He's a resident of this world, and has three Imagin in his group." He revealed a thin cylinder that projected a holographic image of Kamen Rider GX in Kage Form. "So far, we've only seen this form in action. It has several bases with the shinobi of Japan's feudal history. It's capable of short bursts of speed, good sense of power, can replace its body with a log if hit, and can even process a ball dark energy for a killing blow. I assume Kage has more techniques that he's yet to use in battle."
"Sounds like this form is one of Shinichi's most balanced," Rose commented.
Yuji nodded, "More than likely, but I can't say for sure unless I see the rest of his abilities in action. I'm hoping to have him join us, to help us get rid of the Imagin that are invading this world."
"Sounds good," Kat grinned, "and maybe I can help you out while we're here. But only maybe."
"That sounds like a great idea," Rose smiled.
"What's the catch?" Ryuji asked suspiciously.
"Well, there's a small fee included," Kat said. "I'll even throw in a discount, for family."
Ryuji and the others sweat-dropped.
Yuji narrowed his eyes as he heard something over the shop's radio and turned to the clerk, "Excuse me, can you turn it up?"
The clerk nodded and turned the dial.
"An explosion occurred, just minutes ago, at the city's local steel mill. It appears that some of the workers have gone missing, while others have safely evacuated the area due to a gas leak. The area has been quarantined until further notice."
Yuji looked to the others, "Wanna check it out?"
Ryuji nodded, "Could be an Imagin."
Kat grinned, "Looks like it's time for some more fun. Rosie-chan, stay with Cathy-chan and Kotonoha-chan, OK?"
Rose nodded, "Sure."
"Be careful, Ryuji-kun," Kotonoha warned.
Ryuji nodded, "Got it."
He, Yuji, Kat, and Yuki made their way to the bikes. Ryuji and Kat took his, and Yuki went on Yuji's D-Wheel.
Yuji took out his phone and dialed a number, "Shinichi, it's Fudo."
"Oh, hey, wassup?" Shinichi responded over the line.
"Possible Imagin attack. Meet us at the steel mill."
"Got it." He hung up.
"Do you really need his help?" Asura inquired. "Counting Kat, it's the five of you against one Imagin."
"For now, Shinichi will act as back up," Yuji replied. "Besides, I have a feeling we're dealing with more than just an Imagin..."
The two bikes then sped down the street, to the other side of town where the steel mill was located.
A few hours later, it had gotten dark when the group of four made it to the steel mill. They had gotten past the guards and were searching the area. It was dark, so there was little chance that they'd be spotted.
"Keep a sharp eye out, guys," Yuji cautioned.
"So, what're we lookin' for?" Kat inquired.
"Sand, property damage, blood," Ryuji tried to list. "Anything that's way out of the ordinary."
Yuki looked down and pointed, "You mean like that?"
Everyone looked down to see a pile of tattered clothes that were covered in a strange, yellow liquid that was foaming and eating through the floor.
Yuji crouched down and stared at the site, "Seems to be some kind of acidic residue..." He took a whiff, then shook his head, "That's some strong stuff... Smells like the ingredients in a stink bomb, even the sulfur content."
Kat blinked, "You think an Imagin did this?"
Ryuji shrugged, "Maybe. Whatever it was..." He looked around and spotted several other piles of clothes, bones, guts, and other human parts, "it's been busy."
The group made it to a small field when they heard...footsteps. They readied themselves. Yuki drew her guns, Ryuji and Yuji pulled out their belts, and Kat readied her shotgun.
"That's not an Imagin," Yuji dead-panned as the creature came into view under a light.
While it was vaguely humanoid in shape, that's where it's similarities to a human or anything natural came to an end. Its body was big with blond fur, a large tail, large red eyes, and menacing claws.
"Oh really, and here I thought it was one!" Ryuji replied sarcastically as he slung his belt across his waist. "Henshin!"
"Henshin!" Yuji called.
"IFRIT FORM!"
"BUSHIDO FORM!"
The two Riders were donned in their armor and Ifrit was the first to attack as he summoned his Ifrit Dao and dashed toward the creature.
Meanwhile...
"So, Rose-san, How did you and Kat-san meet?" Kotonoha inquired
Rose smiled, "My dad's kinda like this big bad super villain. Actually, he's pretty much retired. Well, a few years back dad wanted to find an apprentice since the first two he had pretty much betrayed him. You know what they say: third time's the charm. He found Kat when she was fleeing from the Titans. She was banged up so he took her in and treated her wounds. She was kind of a bitch at first, always cursing, but as I got to know her I found out that behind all those psychotic and homicidal tendencies that she could be really sweet."
She blinked, "Psychotic? Homicidal?"
"She was kind of jealous of her little brother."
"Ryuji-kun?"
"No, the redhead. Ryuki. You see the Hasuma family has this tradition where the first-born son of the head of the clan will become the new clan head. Kat was born first before Ryuki. She didn't like the tradition because it was sexist but everyone was grooming HIM into the new clan head while she was left behind. She still loved him, yeah, but then her jealously just overwhelmed her. She wanted to prove she was better so she tried to kill him a few times."
Kotonoha gasped, "Oh my...!"
Rose looked thoughtful as Cathy slept on her lap, "But, strangely enough, off the battle field they could be civil. It was always on the battle field that things would get heated. Very heated. Kat uses my dad's resources to not only try and beat her brother, but his friends as well."
"So, what changed?"
"Well, Kat grew up without a real male role model. Her dad disappeared and all. But then when Dad took her in, they kinda bonded. Sure, they had a Master-Apprentice relationship but she really looks up to him as a strong father-figure, something she hasn't had for a long time. Plus he lets her play with his 'toys'. She can be like a kid on Christmas when she gets some new high-tech, and possibly lethal, piece of weaponry."
"What about her and Ryuki-san?"
"After a while, Kat didn't care that her brother was gonna be family head anymore. She just loved fighting him. She got what she wanted. She got the recognition and respect she deserved from us. I don't know if it was me, or my dad, but she mellowed out a bit."
"Mellowed out?"
"I've heard her ranting a lot about what she was gonna do to her brother early when she joined up. That was all she cared about. She was obsessed. Now, not so much."
"I'm glad," Kotonoha said, smiling.
"Yeah, and I'm glad she's found a new outlet."
Kotonoha was worried, "I hope Ryuji-kun and the others are OK..."
Rose smiled, "They'll be fine. They've got superpowers and awesome gear. What could go wrong?"
Meanwhile...
Kat had switched her shotgun for a Gatling gun and using it on the monster, "EAT LEAD, MOTHERFUCKER! HA HA HA HA!" However, the bullets only seemed the melt through the creature.
"That's not working!" Ifrit snapped. There were some holes in his armor after getting close to the monster and he used his ice powers to slow down the corrosion.
"We're gonna need some back-up," Bushido grimaced as he gripped his sword.
"Shadow Ball!"
A black ball of energy collided with the beast and exploded. GX Kage emerged from the darkness and stood by his new allies.
"Sorry I'm late!" GX Kage apologized. "A black cat crossed my path, so I had to take the long way here."
"What kind of lame-ass excuse is that?" Ifrit snapped.
"Guys," Yuki pointed, "you may want to pay attention."
The furry creature emerged from the smoke and pointed to the group. "Where is the Guyver?" it demanded.
Ifrit blinked, "Guyver?"
"What's a Guyver?" GX Kage inquired.
"I've heard rumors," Bushido replied. "Supposed to be some advanced armor system developed by a secret company, but something like that shouldn't exist in this world!"
Just above the three of them in the rafters was Haru Tenou, hidden from view. He was a young man with long, red, hair, in a ponytail, and indigo eyes. He had been working at this warehouse helping load supplies for a nearby construction site when the creature attacked. He had been lucky and managed to find a ladder to the upper level of mill before the creature noticed him. Down below he could see the dissolved remains of some of his fellow coworkers killed while the creature had been looking for him. Up until this point Haru had never really used the Guyver, letting the Riders do the heroing as never really considered himself a hero. But not now. This was his fault and he was going to make it right.
He jumped from the rafters and shouted, "Bio... Boost!" (Haru is voiced by Richard Cansino)
A bright light flashed, blinding the combatants before the light faded and a new being stood in front of the Riders and mercenary.
The being was tall, standing at about 6'4", and was covered in dark crimson, organic-like, armor. The gaps in the armor were actually black muscle fibers. The crimson armor, itself, actually gave off the appearance of muscles and the feet had three clawed toes, the fingers also had claws. The shoulders were rounded and the helmet had two orbs on the corners that seemed to move back and forth. A large horn bent from the crown of the head to the back as its triangular red eyes shone in the darkness. Its face plate had two exhaust ports and two orbs sat in between them. The humanoid also had large blade-like protrusions extending from the elbows. The forehead had a round piece of metal, as well as an orb located in the waste.
"Whoa," GX Kage breathed.
"What the hell?" Ifrit questioned.
"This must be it," Yuki guessed.
"Guyver..." Bushido identified.
The Guyver turned to look back at the group, "Stay out of this. This loser's mine."
Bushido's eyes widened under his helmet as he muttered, "That voice..."
"Hey! What are we, chopped liver?" Kat snapped.
The Guyver wasn't listening as he guided his hands to the orb at his waist and it began to glow. The space around him began to warp as a ball of red energy began to form in his hands before rearing them back. "Gravity Bomb!" he shouted before he launched the ball of energy at the furry creature's head. It didn't stand a chance as it head was blown off, the rest of its body melted on the ground. "Too easy," he scoffed as he leapt away into the night and disappeared into the city.
"Get back here!" Ifrit demanded.
Bushido shook his head, "Let him go. He took out that thing like it was nothing. How do you think you would fair if you pissed him off?" Ifrit growled. "Growling won't make it any less true. Let's get back to the girls. It's late."
It was the next day in school and class went underway as usual. Yuji was bored, already finished with his notes, so he decided to scan the people in the classroom. First of course was Ryuji, whom he was getting to know. He was asleep and Kotonoha sweat-dropped at the fact that he was drooling on his desk. Next was... Yuji's eyes widened as he saw the young man towards the front of the class, by the window. He was a young man with long, red, hair, in a ponytail, and indigo eyes. He was sitting there just staring out the window watching the birds fly by. Had that young man had an X-shaped scar on his right cheek, he would have looked like someone he knew, not too long ago.
Yuki saw the look on her brother's face, "What's wrong, Brother?"
"It... It's nothing..." he stammered.
She wasn't convinced, "You look like you've seen a ghost."
Yuji frowned sadly, "Maybe I did..."
Flashback
Yuji walked through the streets of Tokyo during the Meiji era. He wore a blue hitatare (robe) with a black hakama (pants) and sandals. His spiky hair caught the attention of the locals and he was getting stares, especially since he carried a sword in broad daylight. He was about 17 at this time.
"Man, it always feels weird to enter a world that set in a different era of time," Yuji muttered. If it wasn't for being part of the Multiverse, Yuji could've sworn he'd gone back in time.
He stopped as he bumped into something and looked down. In front of him was a little boy with semi-long red hair and soft blue eyes. He looked to be about 8 years old.
Yuji blinked as he took out a photo of a man with similar features but had cross-shaped scar on his left cheek, 'This isn't him... He's way too young to be this Kenshin guy. Maybe they're related.'
"Gomen nasai," the boy apologized as he got up. He spotted the sword around his waist and blinked, "Onii-chan, are you a swordsman?"
Yuji crouched down to his level and patted the kid on the head, "It's OK, just be careful where you're running. And yes, I am a swordsman, though I'm still not too good at it despite my family's praises."
The boy blinked and smiled, "Maybe Otou-san can help you!"
"Your dad is a swordsman?"
He nodded, "Otou-san is really strong and he can train you to be better. Maybe when he helps you get better, you won't have that sad look on your face."
"Kenji!" a woman called as she came to Yuji and the boy from down the street. She had long black hair and indigo eyes. She wore a yellow kimono with flower patterns and a blue obi. "I've been looking all over for you," the woman scolded softly. "You know you shouldn't wander around the market." She looked to Yuji, "I'm sorry if my son caused you any trouble." She bowed.
Yuji shook his head, "It's fine. We were just talking."
She then blinked as she eyed the katana at Yuji's waist and saw the sleigh bells that hung from the butt of the sword. "A sword..."
Kenji smiled and pointed to Yuji, "Kaa-san, Onii-chan's a swordsman and he's looking for Otou-san!"
Yuji blinked with surprise, 'Wow, this kid is good.'
The woman blinked, "You're looking for Kenshin?"
Yuji gawked, "You mean you're his wife?"
She nodded, "My name is Kaoru Himura. Tell me, do you know my husband?"
"Actually, I..."
He was cut off by the sound of screams as he looked back to see bandits riding horses down the street, shooting off guns and swinging swords around as they wrecked the market place. Yuji grabbed Kaoru and Kenji as they moved to the side as they bandits rode passed them.
"OK," Yuji frowned, "now I'm pissed." He picked up a rock and flung it at the head of the closest bandit, making him fall off his horse and directing the attention of the others to him.
"Hey," the bandit leader addressed. "Whattya think you're doing?"
Yuji kept his frown, "Disturbing the peace isn't cool, asshole. So you better hightail outta here before you piss me off any more than you already have!"
The bandits laughed.
"So, this kid wants to be a hero?" one bandit sneered. They drew their swords, "Then let's give him a hero's death!"
The town's people gasped as the bandits were about to run Yuji through, but he jumped in the air and punched through the bandits, knocking them away like bowling pins. Everyone gawked at the feat of strength that Yuji performed. Kaoru and Kenji were also awe-struck at how he blew through the bandits so easily. More bandits swarmed Yuji as he simply grabbed their arms and tossed them all over the place like sacks of potatoes. He dusted off his hands as he eyed the bandit leader, glaring at him with his piercing blue eyes.
"Wanna be next?" Yuji challenged.
The bandit growled as he pulled out a pistol and fired. The bullet came at Yuji and he tilted his head, dodging the bullet. He then realized that Kaoru and Kenji were still back there. He gasped, "Kaoru-san!"
*KIN!*
The bullet was cut in half and flew into different directions. The mother and son opened their eyes to see a familiar face.
"Kenshin!"
"Otou-san!"
The man was Kenshin Himura, who had cut the bullet with his reverse-blade sword. Yuji saw the ferocity in the Ronin's blue eyes and it was all directed at the bandit leader.
"You should know that guns are more dangerous than swords, that they are," the redheaded swordsman advised as he walked toward the two. "You never know when a stray bullet may injure an innocent bystander." The leader panicked and tried to raise the pistol for a second shot, but Kenshin was faster and dashed to him as he stabbed his sword into the ground. "Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu! Douryusen!" He dragged the blade through the dirt and kicked up rocks as he launched the chucks of earth at his opponent. The bandit stood no chance as he was launched into a market window and was unconscious.
Yuji marveled at the feat, "Amazing...! He didn't even attack the guy directly. Instead, he used nature to beat him..."
Kenshin turned to Yuji and smiled, "Thank you for taking care of things. I saw how you were fighting those bandits and your skill was impressive, that it was."
Yuji frowned sadly and looked away, "That was nothing. I'm still weak. I couldn't even protect your wife and son, and they would've died just now."
Kenshin's smile never left his face, "It wasn't your fault. You were just a little slow to react, that you were." He then spotted Yuji's sword, "You're a swordsman as well?"
Yuji nodded, "I am... But I'm not worthy of using it yet. A sword is a tool to kill, but it can also be used to protect people. But I can't save anyone with the level of skill I have."
Kaoru and Kenji approached the two, "But Yuji-san, you protected these people from bandits. Surely, you must have some skill if you can fair against them so easily."
Yuji shut his eyes and clenched his fists, "But I... couldn't save her...!" The three were silent. "I couldn't save Yumi because I was weak..."
Kenshin softened his smile, "Is that why you seek strength? To protect people?"
Yuji looked to the older man and nodded, "I want strength, so that I wouldn't lose anyone like I lost Yumi. I don't wanna go through that again."
Kenshin smiled, "Then I'll train you!"
Yuji's eyes widened, "What?"
"I'll teach everything there is to know about the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, that I will. Its speed is what can help you react quickly and protect those that are important to you. You can stay with us at the Kamiya dojo that you can!"
Kaoru nodded, "We have plenty of room, Yuji-san!"
"Yay! Onii-chan is staying with us!" Kenji cheered.
Kenshin chuckled as he extended his hand to Yuji, "Forgive me, I forgot to introduce myself that I have! My name is Kenshin Himura."
Yuji gave the Ronin a small smile and took his hand, "I'm Yuji Fudo, Kenshin-sensei."
"Nice to meet you, Yuji-dono!"
End Flashback
"Sensei..." Yuji muttered sadly.
Ryuji blinked as he saw the look on Yuji's face, "Hey, Fudo, you OK?"
Yuji nodded, "I'm fine." He turned to Kotonoha, "Kotonoha, what do you know about that guy by the front window?"
Kotonoha saw the boy and nodded, "That's Haru Tenou-san. He's very quiet and doesn't speak much, unless spoken to. His grades are good and I heard that he does several odd jobs in town. During school, he mostly daydreams and stares out the window, and not much can snap him out of it.
Ryuji cocked an eyebrow, "Why are you so interested in that guy, Fudo?"
Yuji didn't answer as he noticed something about Haru. His hair color... It was similar to the Guyver's red armor from last night. Could he be...?
Yuji stood up, "No reason." He then went down the stairs and left the classroom.
Kotonoha grew worried and turned to her best friend, "Yuki, do you know what's wrong with Yuji? He doesn't seem like his usual self today."
Yuki was just as troubled and shook her head, "I just noticed it today, but he won't say anything."
Ryuji leaned back in his seat, "Don't worry, girls. Fudo will tell us when he's ready."
Kotonoha and Yuki accepted his answer, but they didn't have to like it.
Yuji was alone on the roof as he stared off into the city's sky and buildings. He closed his eyes as he recalled the blood that was on his hands. The blood he had refused to shed.
"Sensei..." he muttered.
"What are you doing up here, all on your lonesome?"
Yuji turned to see Kat in the school uniform, but with a black tank top beneath the jacket. He figured she applied for school in order to blend in while she and her family were in this world.
"I just saw someone who looked like someone I killed," Yuji replied. "Someone I didn't wanna kill..."
She shrugged, "Well, it happens when you travel the multiverse. You see doubles. I heard there could even be a sane version of me." She laughed, "Can you believe it?"
Yuji nodded, "I believe it's possible. But that's not the problem. When I saw that Haru kid, it brought back a bad memory. A really painful one." He then gave her a serious look, "Kat, have you ever killed someone you saw as a close friend? Someone who taught you everything they knew, then ordered you to kill them?"
"Yeah, there was a time Slade-sama went crazy, so I had to kill him. But it turned out to be a clone he made of himself to test me and see how ruthless I could be. I had to get therapy." She frowned, "I'm still on therapy."
"Well, unfortunately, my sensei wasn't a clone," Yuji frowned.
"Brings back bad memories, don't it? Well, if you want my opinion, he asked for it so you got nothing to feel guilty about."
"You may be right, Kat. But that doesn't make it feel any better."
Meanwhile, a shadowed figure was watching the two, via a monitor.
"So, these are the ones who fought Enzyme," the figure mused.
"Chairman Iblis," another figure called. "It may be possible that the Guyver is in that school."
"Well then, send Icarus to do a little recon," Iblis advised.
"Yes sir!"
"Anyway, I'm gonna go out shopping with my 5-Finger Discount card," Kat smiled as she turned to leave.
Yuji nodded, "See ya later then."
She left and Yuji turned back to his view when he suddenly jumped back as the fence was sliced to pieces. He looked up and saw a humanoid bird with a white eagle's head, with black streaks running down it, and long black hair. His body was covered in red feathers and his arms and feet were bird-like with sharp talons, as well as large red bird-wings from his back. A human chest was left exposed and covered in various tattoo markings.
"WHERE IS THE GUYVER, BRAT?" The Eagle Zoanoid roared
"Great, more weirdoes who are obsessed with Guyver." Yuji rolled his eyes.
"I am Icarus, and I am here to retrieve the Guyver!" Icarus squawked.
"Well then, you're definitely not getting it now!" Yuji retorted as he slung his belt on and swiped his pass across the buckle. "Henshin!"
"BUSHIDO FORM!"
Bushido drew his sword and slashed forward, launching arcs of fire at Icarus. Icarus countered by creating a wind barrier around himself dispelling the flames. He dove down and smacked Bushido with his wing. Bushido blocked with his sword and noticed how the wing made a metallic sound when it clashed with his blade.
Icarus chuckled, "These feathers of mine are as strong as steel!" He flapped one wing and blew Bushido back. He flapped his wings again and launched a barrage of the steal feathers.
Bushido stayed focused as he stabbed his sword into the ground and muttered, "Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu. Douryusen!" He drove the blade forward and launched a barrage of stone that collided with the red feathers.
Icarus muttered with a frown, "He swatted down my feathers with rocks, like it was nothing... I'm gonna have to get a little serious."
Bushido hefted his sword on his shoulder and looked up, "What's wrong? Ran out of tricks? Too bad, because I was hoping to show you some of mine!"
Icarus growled and dove straight at Bushido. The Rider was surprised at the Zoanoid's speed and braced himself.
Meanwhile, Yuki was getting worried that her brother had not returned. She only focused on the door, waiting for him to come walking through.
Kotonoha looked to her, "Are you worried?" Yuki nodded.
"Don't worry," Ryuji placated. "I'm sure he'll drop in soon."
*CRASH!*
Icarus and Bushido dropped through the ceiling and fell onto an empty desk, freaking out the students as most of them left the room with Ms. Hibiya.
Otome gasped, "Kamen Rider!"
Haru frowned as he saw the Zoanoid. He knew it had come for him. The Kamen Rider looked like he was in trouble, so he needed to get out of the room to transform.
Ryuji sweat-dropped, "You think he heard me when I made that last comment..?"
With most of the students gone, Yuki pulled out her pistols and opened fire on Icarus. The ice bullets pierced his body and he grunted in discomfort.
He glared at Yuki, "Why you-!"
Bushido growled, "Get off me, you fucking turkey!" He double kicked Icarus in the face and the Zoanoid went sailing through the window.
Ryuji went to Bushido's side, "You OK?"
Bushido nodded as he rubbed his helmet, "Damn, that chicken's heavy. Get the girls out of here; I'll take care of this one."
Ryuji nodded as Bushido jumped out of the broken window. He then saw Haru leaving the room off the corner of his eye, "Where's he going?"
Bushido jumped out the window and sheathed his sword as he reached behind his back. In his right hand was a black, heavily modified, Smith & Wesson Performance Center Model 629. It had a red, serrated, blade under the barrel and the cylinder was red, as well as the hammer. He pulled the trigger and the gun fired with cannon-like force at Icarus, forcing the Zoanoid to block, as he felt the powerful impact of the bullets.
"What the hell kind of gun is that?" Icarus grunted.
Bushido held his gun close to his heart and replied, "This is Okibiryuu, the 'Blazing Dragon'. It can fire regular bullets with cannon-like force." He was about to fire again when Icarus was shot by a multitude of bullets from behind.
"Who did that!" the Zoanoid demanded.
Bushido saw the culprit and was surprised to see the girl that he saw yesterday. In her hand was a white and gold sub-machine gun with a long, purple, magazine.
She smirked, "Looks like you could use some help." She then slung a black belt around her waist with a purple case on the left side of the belt and a red gem in the center of the gold buckle. She then pulled out a gold knuckle duster and slammed it in her left hand.
"REA-D-Y!" The duster called out as it gave off an alarm sound.
"Henshin!" the girl called out as she slid the dusted onto the buckle.
"FIST ON!"
The gem began to glow and shot out a gold projection of armor that engulfed the girl's body. The armor solidified and she now wore a black bodysuit and white armor with a silver chest plate that had a red sun symbol on the front. Her shoulders were gold with rounded white armour. Her face was covered with a white helmet and a silver mouth plate. The gold cross face plate had a black slit for a visor which allowed her to see. The top of the helmet had a thick, purple, line down the center and parts of the armor were trimmed with purple.
Bushido's eyes were wide with shock, "Kamen... Rider!"
"You bitch, who are you?" Icarus demanded.
The armored girl snapped her fingers and a purple circle of runes flashed next to her before a black Zweihander shot out from the ground. She gripped the handle with her right hand and hefted it over her shoulder, "You can call me CruX, and I'll be your executioner for this evening!"
Icarus dashed over to CruX and struck with his wings. CruX wielded the heavy weapon with ease as she twirled it around her body and blocked the powerful wing strikes. He backed away and shot his feathers at the girl, which Crux retaliated by gripping her gun in her left hand and pulling the trigger, shooting down the steel feathers.
"She's good," Bushido muttered.
All attention was halted as they heard glass breaking and the three fighters looked up to see Haru falling from one of the higher floors.
"Bio... Boost!" he shouted as a bright light came from behind him and the red Guyver armor appeared as it opened up and latched onto Haru's body.
"The Guyver!" Icarus shouted.
"It IS him..." Bushido realized.
Guyver then delivered a powerful kick that sent Icarus into a tree and launched a blast of sonic energy from the ors in the mouth plate. Icarus shouted in pain as his body began to vibrate erratically and crack.
Guyver turned to the two Riders and shouted, "Now!"
Bushido and Crux stood together and aimed their guns at Icarus.
*BLAM!*
The two bullets were launched into Icarus' head, freezing the Zoanoid before he shattered into millions of pieces.
CruX looked to Bushido and smirked, "You're not a bad shot, Mr. Fudo."
Bushido glared at the white Rider, "And how is it that you know my name?"
"Would it be alright if we discuss that in the MysticLiner?"
"Does that mean you know Leon?"
CruX nodded, "I do."
He chuckled, "Well, a straight answer for once."
She then looked to the Guyver, "Leon would like to speak with you as well. I don't think you should disengage your armor until we find cover."
Guyver eyed the Riders strangely but nodded.
Bushido then pressed a button on his wristwatch and spoke, "Ryuji, you and the girls meet me at the MysticLiner. And yes, that includes Kat. I'm bringing company."
"Bad company?" Ryuji inquired.
"No, special guests."
"Fine."
He pressed the button, cutting communication, and eyed the two, "Let's go."
To Be Continued...
Bushido: Kamen Rider CruX is based off IXA and the woman is an OC I did. Guyver belongs to its rightful owners and Haru Tenou was created by Tristar. Kat Hasuma and Cathy belongs to Kamen Rider Chrome and Kenshin, Kaoru, and Kenji don't belong to me either. Check out what happens next time! Hope ya'll like!