Disclaimer: I don't own Kamen Rider! It belongs to Toei and Ishinomori Shotaro!
A/N: This is a preview for chapter 3 of KR Malik.
Sal walked through the front door of the palace and out into the courtyard as he looked up to see the red glare of the setting sun spreading across the sky. As he did, the young man could not help but notice there were mechanical limbs and lifeless bodies of cybernetic mercenaries scattered all over the streets of the city. Some of them were new, while others seemed like they were here for a few months. At the sight of this much death, guilt and pain began to well up inside of Sal as he remembered the last time he saw something like this. 'This is just like back then,' Sal bitterly thought.
(Flashback)
The young man know as Sal found himself standing in the same spot, this time a year younger with a uniform similar to Adan, except the shirt and pants were green, while the robe was black. He stared out into the streets of Neo-Córdoba, which was now filled with bodies all over. Most of the bodies belonged to cybernetic soldiers of the Castillian Empire, which one could tell from the silver and white Spaniard armor they wore over their bodies. His eyes stared in shock and horror at the carnage that he saw before him, not noticing Adan approaching from behind
"How much longer must we do this?" Sal thought aloud as he placed a hand on his appalled face. "How much longer?"
Adan's face was filled with worry as he noticed his younger brother's distraught. "Sal, are you alright?" he asked as he placed a hand on his shoulder.
Sal just momentarily looked over his shoulder at his older brother before he grabbed Adan's hand and tossed it off of his shoulder. "STAY AWAY FROM ME!" he roared as he backed away from Adan. "I don't want to ever see you or this place again!"
Adan's eyes widen in shock at his younger brother's outrage as Sal turned around and walked through the streets of Neo-Córdoba. "Sal, what's happened to you?" Adan asked, shocked at his brother's behavior. "You've changed, and not in a good way."
Hearing that, Sal turned around to face his older brother and laughed bitterly, "Changed? No, I've always been like this! I've always been tired of this life! I no longer want to have any part of it!" He pointed at his older brother and yelled, "The only reason why I never said anything was to please you and Aaron!"
"But Sal..." Adan pleaded, but his words fell on deaf ears.
"I'm leaving!" Sal shouted.
With that, Sal ripped off his robe from his body and threw it down onto the ground before he turned around to leave, not taking another look at Adan. "Sal!" Adan called out, but his voice fell on deaf ears as Sal's form became smaller and smaller. "SAL!'
(Flashback end)
Sal came out of his thoughts when he heard the sound of footsteps echoing through the streets of Neo-Córdoba as he saw the familiar form of 'Haze' walking out into the streets, right in front of Sal. "Just where do you think you're going, little brother?" 'Haze' voice called out.
"That's none of your concern," was all Sal said, keeping his tone neutral. "I know about the King Core, Aaron."
"Oh, do you now?" the real identity of 'Haze,' Aaron, smiled. "I'm assuming Adan told you that I wanted it for my own gain.."
"Actually, he didn't say anything, but then again, I don't really care," was Sal's cold response. "When you attacked me at Seville, I thought something terrible happened. But it turns out it's nothing more than one of your feuds."
Aaron's smirk turned into a snarl when he heard his younger brother's response as he shouted, "This isn't just another feud, Sal! Don't you know what that King Core can do?"
"No, but neither do you," Sal retorted. "Whatever you have planning, I'm not going to be a part of it."
"Sal, that King Core can give its user unlimited power!" Aaron exclaimed. "With that power, we can use it to protect the city from any invaders! Can't you see that?"
Sal's eyes widen a bit at Aaron's exclamation as he realized why Aaron wanted the King Core, but that surprise went away for he knew his older brother, too well. "If it does have power, then it's best to not let it fall into your hands."
Aaron just stood there, staring his youngest brother and user of Malik's armor with a look that filled with a mixture of disbelief and anger. "A pity," Aaron sighed, trying to contain his rage. "And I thought you would join me."
With that, Aaron snapped his fingers and the sound echoed throughout the air of the city. Before the user of Malik's armor had the chance to act, a blast struck the ground near his feet, which sent Sal flying off of it and onto the ground. As Sal stood, he glared at Aaron, seeing he was now accompanied by another cloaked mercenary, who appeared to be a young woman. She had a brown cloak that the other mercenaries wore, but Malik could see she wore a white shirt and pants with a black belt and brown boots. The hood concealed her identity as it covered her head, and mechanical limbs that replaced her forearms that seemed more human than menacing. "Be a dear and take care of him," Aaron told the female cloaked mercenary in front of himself.
A/N: And that's it! Please leave your comments in the reviews, and if you have any criticism, please let it be constructive! Now, this story is NOT up for adoption.
Raika out!