A Rider Kick in Marvel Rewrite

A stunned silence hangs in the air. The crowd, moments ago gripped by fear and chaos, can't believe what they just witnessed. Had that kid just taken down Muscular? The Muscular who was notorious for fighting toe-to-toe with Water Hose? The Muscular who had brought down veteran heroes and left a trail of destruction in his wake?

That's what happened, alright.

Ryutaros, still brimming with adrenaline, feels a surge of pride. Did you see that, Ace? I totally rocked it!

Yeah, yeah, good job, Ryutaros, Ace replies, his voice laced with reluctant approval. But remember, we need to be discreet. You just made a very public entrance.

But Ryutaros barely registers Ace's words. The weight of his actions hasn't quite sunk in. Instead, he basks in the sheer exhilaration of victory.

Then, a sound erupts from the crowd. At first, it's a single voice, tentative and awestruck: "Kamen Rider!"

Then another joins in, louder, more confident: "Kamen Rider!"

Soon, a cacophony of voices swells, a tidal wave of adulation washing over him. "Kamen Rider! Kamen Rider! Kamen Rider!" The crowd surges forward, their faces lit up with elation. They are cheering for him! A beaming smile spreads across his face.

Woah, Ace thinks, taken aback by the sudden shift in the crowd's mood. I did not expect that. They are calling his name. He expected fear, maybe awe, but this… This is something else entirely.

Ryutaros, drunk on the crowd's applause, raises a fist in the air. A spontaneous grin bursts on his face. He loves this!

"Alright, alright, you're welcome!" Ryutaros shouts, striking a flamboyant pose. "Just doing my job, you know? Saving the day! That's what heroes do!"

Ryutaros, stop showboating, Ace scolds, the alarm bells ringing louder in his head. We don't want to draw any more attention than we already have.

But it's too late. The crowd has already turned into a frenzy. They're snapping pictures, recording videos, their faces glowing with admiration. News reporters swarm towards him, their microphones thrust forward, their voices overlapping in a desperate scramble for a scoop.

"Kamen Rider, can you give us a comment?"

"Kamen Rider, who are you?"

"Kamen Rider, what agency do you belong to?"

"What is your Quirk?!"

The questions come rapid fire. The sound of the crowd's excitement and questions become too much. Ryutaros reels back, a mix of exhilaration and panic swirling in his mind. The smile vanishes as the pressure hits him. This is too much attention. He sees now the mistake he made.

"Okay, okay, one question at a time!" Ryutaros yells, his voice strained. He holds up his hands, trying to stem the tide of inquiries. "Let me think... Hmm, who am I?"

He pauses, tapping a finger against his helmeted chin. "Well, I'm Kamen Rider Den-O, of course! Duh!"

The crowd erupts again, louder than before. "Yeah, but who are you really?" a reporter shouts, pushing her microphone closer.

Ryutaros hesitates. This is tricky. He can't just go around revealing Ace's identity! That would put everything at risk. But he can't exactly clam up either. These people want answers, and he needs to give them something.

"Okay, fine. You want to know who I am? I'm... I'm just a guy. A guy who likes to fight evil and protect people. That's all you need to know!"

A murmur runs through the crowd. It's not exactly a satisfying answer, but it's enough to buy him a little time.

"What about your agency?" another reporter presses. "Are you affiliated with the Hero Public Safety Commission?"

Ryutaros's mind races. What's he supposed to say? Does he even know what that is? He glances around, his eyes darting nervously. He sees Ace's reflection and thinks to himself. C'mon, Ace, give me something here!

Just say you're independent! Ace's voice rings in his head. That you work alone.

"Nope! No agency for me! I'm a lone wolf! A one-man show! I do things my way, you know?" Ryutaros declares, striking another pose.

This answer is met with mixed reactions. Some seem impressed by his independence, while others look skeptical.

"But how can you be a hero without a license?" a woman calls out. "Isn't that illegal?"

Ryutaros shrugs. "Eh, details, details! Look, I'm out here saving people, aren't I? That should be enough, right?"

The crowd seems to waver, caught between their respect for the law and their gratitude for his actions.

Then, a new voice cuts through the noise, clear and piercing: "What's your Quirk, Kamen Rider? What makes you so strong?"

Ryutaros freezes. This is the big one. The question he's been dreading. How is he going to explain his power without revealing the truth about the Imagin, the Den-O Belt, and everything else?

He takes a deep breath, trying to keep his voice steady. "Well, about that… Here's a shocker—" he pauses for dramatic effect, "-I don't have a Quirk."

The crowd gasps. A collective murmur of disbelief ripples through the air.

"What?" a reporter exclaims. "But that's impossible! You took down Muscular! You have to have some kind of power!"

Ryutaros grins, gesturing towards his belt. "Oh, I have power, alright. Just not the kind you're thinking of. This belt," he says, tapping the Den-O Belt, "this is where my power comes from! This is the power of Kamen Rider Den-O!"

He raises his arms, striking a final pose, his purple armor gleaming. The crowd stares at him, their faces a mix of confusion, awe, and disbelief. Ryutaros knows he hasn't given them all the answers they want, but it's the best he can do for now. He bought himself time.

But the respite doesn't last. A siren pierces through the din, growing louder, closer. Blue and red lights flash in the distance, reflecting off the skyscrapers.

"Oh, crap! It's the Pro Heroes!" Ryutaros exclaims, his eyes widening. He looks around at the crowd. Now it's a bad look. "Okay, folks, I gotta jet! Duty calls! See ya later, maybe!"

With a burst of speed, Ryutaros pushes through the crowd, scattering reporters and bystanders.

"Hey, wait! Get back here!" a voice yells.

"Stop him!"

Ryutaros ignores them, his focus solely on escape. He weaves through the streets, dodging cars and leaping over obstacles, his purple armor a blur against the urban landscape.

He needs to find a place to transform, a place where he can ditch the armor and blend back into the crowd. He can't risk getting caught.

He spots a building, an office complex. He sprints towards it, the sirens growing louder with every second. He pushes through the revolving doors, ignoring the startled looks of the security guard and office workers.

He needs to find a place to disappear to quickly. He has to go!

He scans the hallway, his eyes darting from door to door. Personnel Only… He needs that. He sprints toward it. He holds his Rider Pass in his hand.

Ryutaros reached for the door. Behind the door was the familiar sight of the DenLiner, waiting nearby. A sigh of relief escaped his lips as he closed the door behind him. With the sound of [CLICK], Ryutaros entered the DenLiner.

The Pro Heroes, sirens wailing behind them, burst through the "Personnel Only" door, ready to apprehend their elusive quarry. Kamui Woods' wooden limbs were poised to ensnare, Tidal was already generating a torrent of water in his hands, and Siren prepared to unleash a sonic blast.

But the scene that greeted them was far from what they expected.

Instead of a costumed vigilante, they found themselves in a cramped storage room. Mops leaned against the wall, their frayed ends dripping into grimy buckets. Bottles of cleaning solutions lined the shelves, their chemical scents assaulting their noses. A discarded broom lay on the floor, its bristles splayed out like tired fingers. The only sign of recent activity was the slightly ajar window and the faint breeze that ruffled the dust motes dancing in the air.

"Where did he go?" Tidal asked, his voice a low rumble, the water still swirling.

Kamui Woods extended his wooden tendrils, searching every corner, every crevice. "Nothing. He couldn't have just vanished."

Siren, her expression a mask of frustration, activated her Quirk, sending out a pulse of sound to detect any hidden passages or secret doors. The room remained stubbornly silent, revealing nothing but the mundane sounds of a building.

"He was just here!" Kamui Woods exclaims, hitting the wall with his wooden appendage.

Tidal surveyed the room with a sharp eye. The window was small, too small for anyone in bulky armor to squeeze through. The door was the only viable exit, and they had arrived within seconds of him entering.

"This doesn't make any sense," Siren muttered. "It's like he disappeared into thin air."

Naomasa, who arrived with the rest of the authorities, surveyed the space and sighed. "We'll have to sweep the building, top to bottom. He can't have gotten far."

The pro hero gave a frustrated nod.

The police began fanning out, questioning office workers, searching stairwells, leaving the three heroes alone. How could they lose someone so quickly? Did they have a teleportation power?

The search would continue, and Naomasa would become ever more determined to uncover the truth.

***

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Advance chapters are in my P@|r3on - Najicablitz