//------------------------------//
// Breaking and Entering 
// Story: A Passing Through Kamen Rider 
// by thunderclap 
//------------------------------//

Wyatt’s mind raced as he crept along the alleys of Cel’Tras. The only thing keeping him from completely losing it was the presence of his friends. All around him, the streets were alive with the clamoring of people looking for him. It was only a matter of time before their search turned to where they were. Lucky for him, Daring could make them invisible at a moment’s notice.

Tsukiya stood at the front of the group, his hand staying near his waist. He prodded Riki forward, glancing over the younger man’s shoulder every few seconds.

“This is insane you know,” Riki commented, marching forward without looking at any of them. “You’re not going to be able to avoid an entire city, let alone our nearby troops forever.”

“We’re invisible,” Daring commented from the back. “We’ll be fine.”

"More important for you," Tsukiya chimed in, his grip tightening on the soldier, "is for you to lead us to where the driver would take our friends. Got it?”

"I know," Riki shot back. "Now that you've been revealed as the Trickster, they'd be taken to the nearest police station for holding until a military detachment could take them. Are you actually going to risk getting caught to get them?”

"Leaving here without them isn't an option," Wyatt stated, casting a firm glance at the man. “Now shut up and walk.”

"You three really know how to endear yourselves to people," Riki muttered, glancing at the nearest street sign. "Okay, we've gotta turn right here."

The group moved quietly, avoiding any contact that would draw attention to them. Their trek was long and tense, the distance seeming to grow with every step. Each felt the tension on their back, pressing downward like chains. All except their captive, who silently wished for them to suddenly become visible.

Wyatt’s thoughts bounced between Twilight’s safety and that of the airship’s crew. Granted, all in question could take care of themselves, but it didn’t ease his mind. The base they were at must’ve seen the broadcast. His only solace was that the human military wouldn’t act without orders. This was one time he was thankful for the slow nature of bureaucracy.

Crouching under a window, Wyatt peeked inside. “So... how do we get in? Wait for someone to open the door and walk in?”

"I can literally get us to walk through walls," Daring deadpanned. "Do you only half pay attention when people explain things?"

“Leave him be, D.D. Worry makes you dumb,” Tsukiya responded. “Happens to everyone.”

"Then what's his excuse when he's calm?" Daring teased, pushing Wyatt forward through the wall.

It was a weird experience walking through a wall. Wyatt’s body tensed itself in expectation for an impact that never came. Instead, he suddenly found himself in a hallway that opened up to a sea of desks with what he presumed were Linto police milling about.

“Okay... Let's try not to do that again...” he muttered, shaking his head. “Okay, Riki. Where do they normally keep the cells?”

“How should I know?” Riki questioned, glancing at the officers. “I’m a soldier, not a cop.”

“You’ve got to have some idea,” Wyatt pressed, feeling his agitation rising.

It was clear that the other man was fighting the urge to roll his eyes or grit his teeth. After a momentary pause, he said, "Best guess, there's a basement level. Most times I've seen footage from the news it shows windows high up and leading to the alley."

Daring grunted, kneeling down to touch the floor. “I don’t trust phasing down there. We’ll need to find the stairs.”

“That shouldn’t be too hard,” Agito noted, glancing around. “Not like they’re gonna be hiding the damn thing.” Motioning with his hand, he put a finger to his lips to silence them and directed the group to move.

Some of the officers walked right by them, causing the group to do their level best to avoid making noise. Their journey took them the better part of an hour, a few close calls nearly alerting an officer to their presence. When they made it down to the cells, only a couple officers were on guard. 

The room itself was more like a hallway, one path with either side lined by cells. At the far end was a pair of desks pushed together where the guards were situated. In the cell closest to the desks and on the group's right, they could see Rainbow Dash rattling at the bars and shouting threats at the guards.

“I’ll kick your face in!” Dash seethed, flaring her wings out in a threatening display.

"Well, at least we know they're okay." Wyatt sighed, some of the tension bleeding from his body. “Do we knock the guard out, or just phase everyone through the back wall?”

"Knock them out," Daring said, cracking her knuckles. "It'll take a while to get everyone out and we don't want any unnecessary attention."

With Dash's tirade, they were able to casually stroll up behind the guards. Tsukiya and Daring shot out in unison and knocked out the pair of guards. Laying them against the wall, Tsukiya fished for the keys. 

Standing at the cell door, Wyatt took Twilight’s hand. “You alright? They didn’t hurt you, did they?”

Smiling, she gave his hand a kiss. "No, we didn't even realize they were locking us up til they brought us down here. I'm just glad you're up." Reaching out, she put a hand to one of the bruises on his face. "We saw what that… guy did to you." Her face contorted in barely contained contempt.

“We’ll beat the snot out of that slimeball!” Rainbow assured, her chest puffing out. 

“We can worry about distilling justice later,” Rarity insisted. She sniffled, wiping at the mascara running down her face. “They took our things. The things we need to make this trip worthwhile.”

"They took AJ's driver too," Twilight added, glancing to the others. "They didn't take mine though since it looks like ordinary jewelry."

Turning back to their guide, Wyatt grunted. “Would they keep that kind of thing in the precinct?”

"Depends, did you see Hakal, the driver take them?" Riki questioned, glancing at the ponies. "Otherwise, it's probably in this place's evidence lockup."

Daring stepped up, unlocking the cell door. "Let's get out of here and find a place to hide out. These two won't stay knocked out forever and then they'll know we're around. Once we're all out of the way, I'll come back for your stuff."

“Daring, they have the Elements,” Twilight said, her eyes contracting. “We can’t leave until we find them.”

"And I'm saying it'll be easier if I go looking for them on my own," Daring countered. "Do you know how hard it is to sneak around with a group of ten people? Especially since we have no idea where the damn things are."

“Fine,” Twilight snapped, pushing past the pegasus.

Sighing, Wyatt took Twilight’s hand and walked with her. He knew there was nothing he could say to ease her mood. The best option was to just keep an eye on her and let her seethe in peace.





The streets were alive with activity. Wyatt had to periodically check for bolts in his neck given how many angry mobs he saw searching for him. The only thing they were missing were torches to go with their improvised weapons. Vans were running up and down the streets, blaring out calls to hunt down ‘The Trickster’ from the megaphones atop them to further fuel the fires of the citizens’ rage.

“They certainly like their propaganda,” Tsukiya commented, watching one roll down the street. “Bit too hateful for me.”

“I’d be impressed by their ability to mobilize if it weren’t for their choice of target,” Wyatt said, the calls for his head making him rub at his neck. “How long do you think they’ve planned this for?”

“I’d say years, a response this severe takes time to build up,” Tsukiya offered. “Or, a big inciting incident. And unless they faked a Decade attack in the past, Shocker’s had this in the works for a while.”

Daring jabbed her elbow into Riki’s side. “Speak up, we couldn’t quite hear your exposition.”

“The stories about the Trickster are old,” Riki offered, glaring at Daring. “They go back a few 
generations.”

“Generations?” Wyatt repeated, the gears in his head screeching to a halt. “But I’ve only been in Equestria for a little over a year. How has Dai-Shocker been spreading propaganda about me for that long?”

“Worry about it later,” Tsukiya pressed. “Keep your eyes out for somewhere to hide, nothing else. Got it?”

Sighing, Wyatt nodded and surveyed their surroundings. The street signs offered no help considering they were in a foreign language. And he had no idea where they were in relation to the rest of the city. He felt useless, something that was frustratingly common to him.

His eyes lit up, their gaze pulled towards the end of the block. Never in his life had he thought the site of a junkyard would ever be welcome. But there it was, empty and quiet, perfect for their needs.

Rarity paled, looking between the group with desperation. "Oh no, I see how you're all looking. I am not hiding out in some dirty, smelly trash heap!"

“It’s a junkyard, not a dump,” Dash corrected with a scoff. “At worst you’ll get a little greasy.”

Rarity levelled a glare at the pegasus, but Applejack cut her off before she could respond. "Rare, we either hide there or deal with the angry mob; take yer pick."

Rarity pouted, but offered no verbal response. With no further objections, the group carefully moved closer and into the junkyard. All around them were various vehicles in different states of disrepair. Some looked almost roadworthy while others were compact cubes of scrap or skeletal frames.

Dropping their invisibility, Daring flexed her wings. “Right, so. I’m gonna retrace our steps and get our stuff back. Stay here and stay out of trouble.”

“Might be hard, trouble has a habit of finding me,” Wyatt offered, chuckling nervously and rubbing the back of his head. His chuckle died under Daring’s glare. “Yeah, we’ll stay here. All nice and quiet.”

Twilight finally spoke up, looking no less agitated than she had in the police station. “You stay out of trouble too. Make sure to come right back with the elements and AJ and Pinkie’s belts.”

Tipping her hat back, Daring smirked and gave a thumbs up before disappearing from view. Only the faint sounds of her hoofsteps growing more and more distant let them know she was gone.





King sat in his office, reviewing the footage of Decade's fight. It was clear the brat was improving given his performance with the monster. However, the one sided beating Magdah gave him showed that he was still weak. And yet, The Great Leader had some plan in mind.

With his thoughts turning to his leader, King set up a call to Somber; as was instructed for all generals that came into contact with Decade. Of course, Somber had a habit of making one wait, some little jab at their lesser importance.

While he waited, King kept his eyes trained on Wyatt's image. He chuckled, catching the defiant look in the young man's eyes. 

Somber's form appeared above the fangire king's desk, causing him to give a quick salute. "Great Leader, I have a report for you."

“Then get on with it,” Somber spoke, lazily meeting his gaze.

“Decade has appeared in Cel’Tras. Magdah was able to reveal his identity to the citizens and their response has been expectedly extreme. As of now, he is not in custody of Magdah or local law enforcement,” King explained, ignoring the stallion’s condescension. Something that happened in nearly all interactions they shared. Although, it seemed like the unicorn was talking down to him more than usual. Perhaps there was something putting him in a bad mood?

Somber snorted, his brow furrowing. “You know what to do, King. You don’t have to tell me every single little thing.”

“I am merely following your orders, leader,” King replied. “I came into contact with the boy, so I’m giving my report.” Bowing his head, he added. “But while I have your attention, leader, I have something that I’ve been curious about.”

“What is it?”

“I understand that you wish to make him become what you’ve called Violent Emotion. But what I want to know is why? From what I’ve seen, Decade is weak. And even if it is as strong as you claim, how do you plan on controlling it since it’s a berserker state?”

Clicking his tongue, Somber rose from his throne. “That’s not a line of questioning you should follow, King.”

"I merely ask because as one of your generals, and might I add, your only general who has made real progress in his objective, that it would be prudent for me to know the finer details."

“You know all you need to know,” Somber said, a frown creasing his lips. “Don’t report until you have him.”

“Does your little human pet  Midnight know the plan?” King pressed, tapping his hand on the table to distract himself from his annoyance. Everyone knew that the researcher had privileges beyond her station, but none had said it in front of the Great Leader.

Somber’s lip furled, fangs clear through the screen. “Know your place, King. Midnight is invaluable to Dai-Shocker’s operation. You, however, are not. Remember that.”

With a sharp inhale through his nostrils, King bowed his head. “Forgive me, Great Leader, I let my curiosity get the better of me.” Standing up, he made a show of kneeling. “It will not happen again. Once the boy is found, I will see to his retrieval personally.”

“Then we have nothing else to talk about.” The screen flicked out of existence, leaving King alone in his chambers.





Wyatt and the others had found a secluded part of the junkyard, out of the way of anyone walking by the street. Despite his best efforts, Wyatt had been unsuccessful in improving Twilight’s mood. Looking around, the others weren’t faring much better.

“Okay, we need to make a plan here,” the young man spoke up, breaking through the tension. “It’s obvious there’s gonna be guards at the tomb.”

“That’s sorta obvious, Wyatt,” Applejack said, lifting her head up. 

Wyatt had to hold back a flat look at the farm mare. “I know, which is why I think we need someone to run distraction and draw them away from the tomb. And I can think of one person that everyone in this city is gunning for already.”

Twilight frowned, her pupils contracting. “You can’t go out there. Not again! He almost killed you!”

“I’m not going to let Another Agito catch me,” Wyatt argued, putting his hands into his pockets. He was ready for  this. “He suckerpunched me last time, but I’ve got ways to keep him from even getting close to me.”

Frown deepening, Twilight fought back her protective urges. She had to remind herself that Wyatt was an adult; he could take care of himself. “Fine, but you either come back or I’m breaking up with you.”

Stepping forward, Wyatt took Twilight’s hands in his own and then gave her a quick kiss. “Of course.” The moment was ruined by his cheeky grin and him leaning on a nearby dilapidated motorcycle. “But how would you break up with me if I got kidnapped or killed?”

“I’d just do it over message spell,” she retorted, crossing her arms.

Wyatt chuckled, thinking up a barb in return. Before he could unleash it, he paused. Instead of at him, Twilight was looking just behind him. A brief glance around the group and he found the others doing the same. “Uh, am I missing something or did all of you just suddenly become motorcycle enthusiasts?”

“Jus take a look, Sugarcube,” Applejack said, unable to tear her eyes away.

Turning on his heel, Wyatt instantly gaped. Where there had once been a wreck there was now a fully functioning bike. And not just any bike, the Machine Decader. The young man knew it at a glance, from the black, magenta and white color scheme, the sleek style, the bars on the front and back that resembled the ridges on his Decade helmet and the piece de resistance; the Decade logo on each side by the rearview mirrors.

Giddy excitement built up in his chest. With the energy of a child, Wyatt swung his leg over the side, hands closing around the handles. A sense of completeness washed over him, a feeling he knew the others wouldn’t understand. 

Before he could rev the engine and make his brand new kitty purr, he noticed something from the corner of his eye. Reaching down, he found a note scrawled out in perfectly neat handwriting.

Dear Wyatt,

If you’re reading this, then you finally found yourself a motorcycle where we sent you. Took you long enough. We assume anyway, Equestria is far off from anywhere you could get your hands on one. Still, can’t be much of a Kamen Rider without a ride, but we didn’t want to make it easy on you. Anyway, congrats, and enjoy our little gift.

Signed, Take a guess.
P.S. If you’re lucky, you might get one other gift.

 The girls gathered round, curiosity spreading between them. Topics passed their lips, ranging from what exactly he found to why it matched his colors.

Unable to resist the chance at theatrics, Wyatt pulled the throttle, letting the bike roar to life. The sound startled the group minus Tsukiya and caused them to take a step back. Realizing they were supposed to be hiding out, he cut the engine and simply marveled at the bike.

“You are just about the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” he muttered, putting a hand near where the top of the gas tank would be. “And I don’t even need a license.” 

"Kid, get off the bike," Tsukiya said, his hand planted firmly on his face as he shook his head. "There's no way you know how to ride that thing; you'll kill yourself trying."

Wyatt dismounted, slipping the note in his pocket. Something to talk about later. “I know how to ride a bike. Actually... this would help with that distraction.” 

"Oh, a distraction?" Daring's voice questioned, the mare suddenly appearing in front of Wyatt with a duo of belts in hand. "This I gotta hear."

Motioning for them to gather round, Wyatt smiled. “Well then, let me tell you all about it...”





Wyatt raced along the streets on his new motorcycle. He had to fight the urge to go full speed. If his plan was going to work, he couldn't let himself get discovered too soon. His helmet helped conceal his identity, along with the spell Twilight had used to alter his features. Currently, he was sporting blonde hair and tan skin that would look right at home on a stereotypical surfer bro.

With a vague notion of direction, Wyatt headed towards the main road that led out of the city. All around him, he could still hear calls for his head and images of his defeated form filled giant screens a top of buildings. Not wanting to draw attention to himself, he put his head down and followed all perceivable traffic laws and signs.

He repeated Riki’s directions to himself, over and over again. Of course, he couldn’t read any of the writing on the street signs. Instead, he relied on landmarks to chart his path. With every turn he kept his silent mantra on repeat. It had the added benefit of keeping his anxieties at bay.

After what felt like an eternity, the long bridge that led out of the city came into view. Wyatt had to stop himself from letting out a sigh of relief; it was too early to think he was out of the woods yet. 

“Really need to get riding gear,” he muttered, putting on a bit more speed. Wind generated by his bike whipped around him, lashing at his exposed skin. 

Once Wyatt made it to the bridge, he pulled the throttle and put on more speed. Looking forward, he could see that there was some kind of police checkpoint for those looking to exit the city. With his thoughts racing, he quickly scrambled together a backstory for the inevitable questioning he was about to receive.

The line moved slowly, each car giving him a few minutes more to work on his story. He was feeling confident up until he had a cop staring down at him and his stomach twisted itself into a butterfly knot. 

Flipping the visor up on his helmet, Wyatt put on a brave face. "Afternoon, officer."

“Afternoon there, son,” the officer greeted, leaning in to get a closer look. “Where are you headed?”

"With the Trickster around, I'm heading back south. Don’t want to be around for another attack," Wyatt answered, reciting his story.

"Lot of folks saying the same thing," the cop said, adjusting the shades on his face. "Traffic's heavy in all directions, so keep your eyes peeled." 

Wyatt nodded his head. “Of course, officer.”

With the exchange concluded, the officer motioned Wyatt to move along and set his sights on the next vehicle. Revving his engine, Wyatt resumed his ride, his destination coming closer with each turn of his wheels. 

A couple hours passed and Wyatt was out in a rocky, mountainous area with a cave in the distance. A grin spread across his face, his goal in sight. Coming to a stop, he left his bike at the entrance and made his way inside. 

His heart was pounding in his chest as he walked into the cave. All around him were signs, the only recognizable symbol among them was Kuuga’s. As much as he had put on a brave face, this wasn’t something he was looking forward to.

Flashes of his fight with Another Agito came to him unbidden, threatening to make his steps falter. Right as the image of Another Agito's last punch seared into his mind, he caught sight of a set of guards. Judging by their uniforms and weapons, they were military. Obviously they took guarding Kuuga's tomb seriously.

Hands moved on their own, summoning and activating his belt. Raising a hand, a pull of the trigger sent a bolt towards the nearest guard.

"Leave now, unless you want this to be your tomb as well," Wyatt warned, a dark edge to his tone. Before the guards could respond, he fired at the weapons on their hips. “I won’t warn you again. Get. Out.”

Several of the soldiers leveled machine guns at him, opening fire. Their bullets plinked off his armor, ricocheting into the surrounding  environment. Wyatt stepped forward, staring passively at the soldiers. 

"Pathetic," he said, glancing down at the bullets bouncing off him. "I don't even feel this."  Shifting his weapon, the blade cut through the still hot metal of their guns.

A few of the soldiers pulled out large shotguns, getting in close and firing. The force was enough to make Wyatt jerk back. Glancing down, his armor was unscathed. Jumping forward, he cleaved through another weapon.

“I told you to run.” Putting the tip of his sword to the nearest man's neck. A bit of pressure broke the skin, a red trickle flowing down the material. "If you value your lives; you'll drop your weapons and leave this cave, or else this will become your tomb as well."

All around him he could see the soldiers faltering, their gaze shifting between him and their comrade. For the threatened soldier's part he was putting on a brave face, though there was fear evident in his eyes.

Weapons were lowered, harsh orders barked. Wyatt retracted his sword, folding his blade back into its booker form. Motioning to the exit, he looked to the one barking orders. “You have five minutes.”

Giving one last glare, the commanding officer marched the team out of the cave. Silence fell over the cave, leaving Wyatt precious few seconds to run through the next phase of his plan. 

Rushing over to the gate that led to the tomb proper, he shot the lock off. With that done, he retraced his steps back to the entrance. 

“You guys are good to go in,” he spoke softly, careful not to echo.

"Okay, be careful, Wyatt," Twilight's voice chirped. There was a sudden pressure on his shoulder that quickly passed as she and the girls came into view and filed into the cave.

Hopping down to his bike, Wyatt started the engine but made no attempt to move. A fraction of his vision showed Tsukiya sitting against the wall. 

Giving a thumbs up, Wyatt could hear something in the distance. A few moments later it became clear that it was an approaching helicopter and he could see it slowly grow. Gripping the handlebars, Wyatt began to count down. When his countdown reached zero, he revved his engine and peeled out away from the cave.

Looking up, Wyatt saw Another Agito hanging out from the side of the copter, along with a man in a white suit who he swore was vaguely familiar. Pulling the throttle, he sped off with the helicopter swerving to follow.

“Come on old man, let's see how much power you really have.”

Wyatt kept up the chase for a while, the copter hot on his tail. A flash of light from some nearby brush gave him his signal. He cut the engine and slid to a stop. He watched the copter slowly descend and land, the blades kicking up dust and sending ripples along the nearby lake shore.

Sliding off his bike, he thumbed through his card case. Anything that could give him even a momentary edge was considered. Liz's card lingered in his hand, a form he hadn't used before. Something his opponent had never seen. 

Another Agito hopped off of the helicopter, followed shortly by the man in the white suit. Now that he had a better look, Wyatt had the same sense of vague familiarity, but couldn’t quite place him.

Wyatt made a point to snap his holder shut, even as the helicopter drowned out the sound. "You guys got here quick. I guess I really am infamous in these parts."

The helicopter's engine died, the blades slowing to an eventual halt. The already transformed man slowly approached Wyatt with a quiet determination.

"You are coming with us," The man in the white suit said, a sagarc fixing itself to his waist. Wyatt’s eyes widened, the sense of familiarity suddenly clicking. This man had to be the king of the fangires. "Stand down, or you can get a repeat of what happened in the city."

"You caught me by surprise," Wyatt admitted, slipping the unused card info place. "Made me look like a chump. Let's see how far you can get when I'm not in sucker punching distance."

"Quite a lot of confidence there," Another Agito noted, only about ten feet away from the younger man. "But can you back it up with something besides hot air?"

Wyatt's belt closed, his body in motion. “Displaced Ride: Liz!” Wyatt’s armor shifted, turning black and gold. The helmet was dominated by the eyes, divided up into separate sections to resemble those of a spider. The armor itself was sleek, seeming to sculpt over Wyatt’s body and there were four golden spider legs along his left and right side. The boots had a golden web pattern that ran down the front and ended in solid gold soles.

 A fist swung at Another Agito’s chest before Wyatt's body pivoted. Bringing his other arm to bear, a thought brought a shift in his armor. Mechanical parts whirled and chirped, covering his hand in a multi-barreled weapon. Each barrel began to spin, what passed for bullets exploding out of each tube. Another Agito grunted, forced to take a step back under the hail of bullets.

‘Something tells me I’m using this form more often,’ Wyatt thought, a grin hidden beneath his helmet. He glanced at King who seemed to be watching the fight passively for the moment. He had an idea why the fangire was only watching so he returned his attention to Another Agito.

 Weaponizing his other arm, Wyatt unleashed a hailstorm of metal at the unarmored man. King reacted quickly, transforming into Saga to avoid the worst of the bullet storm.

"Leave it to a trickster to employ a dirty tactic like that," King stated, brushing off his armor. “Change as much as you wish, it changes nothing.” Striking as a snake, his whip wrapped Wyatt’s arm. Yanking back, he pulled Wyatt off his feet.

The spider legs on Wyatt's sides shot out, burying themselves in the dirt to keep him from getting any closer to the king. Sighing in relief, he let loose another barrage of bullets. Another Agito tried to punch him in the back, but one of the legs rocketed up to stop the blow.

With the help of the extra limbs, Wyatt managed to right himself and free his leg. Whipping around, his fist sailed towards Another Agito's sternum.  Quicker reflexes caught Wyatt off guard, his attack countered by a fist driving into his gut. 

Clenching his jaw, Wyatt fought to keep the wind from being driven out of his lungs. Sucking in a quick breath, he dropped into a stance and squared up against his opponent. Arm snapping forward, Wyatt's armor shifted again; forming a glowing axe blade in place of his hand. Testing the weight of his axe, he eyed Another Agito for any openings. Rushing forward, Wyatt slashed at the other Rider's knees.

He grimaced, Another Agito grabbing and guiding his axe into the ground. A sound of thunder broke the air, engulfing his back in pain. Each thunder cry coincided with Saga's whip striking his back.

Despite the pain, Wyatt was grinning beneath his helmet. His two opponents didn't even seem remotely curious why he was at the tomb. 

"Man, is Dai-Shocker not paying you guys enough?" Wyatt teased, keeping himself on his feet. "Because it really seems like you're not tryin-" his world turned white, a heavy blow rocking his head to the side.

Another Agito grabbed Wyatt's helmet, his arm drawn back. "Where are your companions?"

"I dunno, got separated from them," Wyatt lied. "Could be anywhere." A second blow sprawled him on his back. "Hitting me won't jog a memory I don't have."

Another Agito growled, hauling Wyatt up by his neck. "It seems the rumors of your running mouth didn't do you justice." Cocking his fist back, he prepared for another strike. "But it's past the point of charm, now stop lying."

 A stone tumbled across Another Agito's feet, plinking off his armor. "You know, identity theft is a crime," Tsukiya spoke, holding another rock. "Or is that sort of thing allowed under your watch?"

“Oh hey, there’s one of my friends,” Wyatt chirped, using the spider legs to pry himself free. “Hey Tsukiya, we’re friends, right?!”

Staying a reasonable distance away, Tsukiya weighed the rock in his hand. “I can put a hole in your plan the size of a semi-truck. But by all means, keep beating him if it pleases you so much.”

"So, the real Agito shows his face," King said, turning to face the newcomer. "And how exactly do you expect to put a hole in our plan?"

“I’m here, aren’t I?” Tsukiya asked, spreading his arms out. 

"Something that can be remedied," King dismissed, taking a step towards Tsukiya.

Tsukiya cocked an eyebrow. “Really? You’re challenging someone with centuries of experience over you? That normally doesn’t end well.”

"And how much of that experience is with something other than common cutthroats and rabble?" King retorted, swinging his whip. The tip struck Tsukiya on the cheek, staining it in blood. 

Tentatively touching his cheek, Tsukiya sucked in a gasp of air. His body tensed at the sight of his blood drenched fingers. Pulling a sword from his belt, Tsukiya swept the blade across the dirt, spraying his opponent in dirt. 

"Cute," King deadpanned, darting forward to stab at Tsukiya.

Sword moving down, Tsukiya batted King’s sword to the side. With a step, he smashed the pommel of his sword into King’s helmet. An adrenaline high spread across his body, heartbeat hammering away in his ears.

King recovered quickly, the back of his fist swinging into Tsukiya’s jaw. “Are you so eager to die that you won’t even transform?”

Tsukiya massaged his jaw, eyes now a deep red. “And what makes you think I need to?” 

“Because that blow you managed to land? I barely felt it,” King answered, his sword turning to a whip once more and lashing at Tsukiya.  It caught around Tsukiya’s blade, which was already moving.

Tsukiya slashed diagonally, his sword cutting across King’s chest. His motion tore Kings weapon from his hand, dangling uselessly.  Pressing the attack, he struck his opposing rider repeatedly, showering them both in sparks. One of King’s hands shot forward, hauling Tsukiya up by his neck. With his other hand, he repeatedly punched the unarmored man in the stomach and chest.

Wyatt cringed beneath his helmet. He dared a glance into open space, wondering what Daring would think seeing her father in such a position. Whatever Tsukiya was doing, it didn’t seem to be working the way he planned. He didn’t have time to think on it for long though, as Another Agito took another swing at him. Deflecting the blow with one hand, Wyatt countered with a swing of his axe.

“I thought we were asking questions!?” Wyatt hissed, brandishing the axe in front of him.

"You're clearly not in the mood to tell the truth yet," the older man countered, placing a hand over his wound. "But, I'll enjoy getting you to stop your annoying prattle." Spinning on his heel, he tried to kick Wyatt in the gut.

Jumping back, Wyatt chopped down on Another Agito’s leg. “Then why don’t you do all the talking? Break down your illuminati scheme for me.”

"You don't need to know Dai-Shocker's plan, just that Somber expects you to have a part in it." The other Rider's leg tensed, seeming to be downplaying his pain.

Wyatt waved his axe disapprovingly. “Come on, there has to be a reason your stealing my buds identity. It won’t kill you to share some details.”

"You clearly haven't seen what happened to those who betray Somber," the other Rider relayed. "You get to know what he wants you to know." Straightening himself out, he glanced off to the side. "But perhaps an analogy is in order. Imagine Linto as a giant pasture full of cattle."

“Okay... go on.”

The older Rider chuckled, shaking his head. "Come on, use your head. What happens to cattle? I trust you're smart enough to be able to understand that much."

Wyatt blanched, the implications fully hitting him. “And you’re okay with that? Or are you some kind of misanthropic asshole?”

“Why should I care?” Another Agito retorted with a derisive snort. “They’re just humans. My power is proof that I’m beyond them.”

“Proof?” Tsukiya coughed out. King had thrown him into the dirt and gone to retrieve his weapon. “You don’t even understand what you have. You’re a twisted mockery of what an agito is.”

“Are you really one to judge?” Another Agito pressed, glancing over his shoulder. “Because you chose the life of a wanderer, Dai-Shocker was free to come in and do as it pleased. The Linto forgot your face, and were desperate for a guiding figure.”

Standing once more, Tsukiya felt a sun ignite in his chest. “Don’t you dare use my grief to justify this shit.” Cracks spread out across his face, leading out from his cheek. “You had a choice and you let them twist you.”

Wyatt watched Tsukiya with interest, having to suppress a laugh. The cracks continued to spread along Tsukiya’s body, converging down towards his driver. 

“I am Agito!” Tsukiya shouted, the cracks igniting with red hot fury. “I am the evolution of infinite possibilities!” 

Tysukiya disappeared, his form consumed by a towering inferno. When the flames died down, he was standing in his armor, only instead of gold it was red and black. The armor pulsed, hot fire coursing through it like blood. The chest plate bulged outward, giving it a constricted appearance.

“And you won’t keep my brother from me.”

Wyatt had to fight the urge to facepalm. He'd need to bust the older man's balls over that one later. In the meantime, his arm shifted back into the multi-barreled weapon and opened fire on King just as he retrieved his sword. The fangire grunted, bracing himself against the hail of metal. Two of the legs at his sides shifted and opened, revealing gun barrels of their own that added to the bullet storm.

With his arm held up defensively, King slowly approached Wyatt and tried to close the distance between them. “Melodramatic speeches won’t sway our wrath, boy.”

"Hey, for once I'm not the one making a speech," Wyatt retorted, his other hand shifting into an axe as King steadily moved forward. "Right now, I'm just content to kick your ass." His blade dug into King’s forearm, cracking the armor.

Lashing back, King's sword buried itself into Wyatt's side. Adrenaline kept Wyatt from feeling the worst of it, leaving him to only hope the damage was negligible while two of the spider legs grabbed King's wrist to lock him in place.

With a manic grin, Wyatt grabbed a card out of his belt. "I have no idea what this will do, wanna find out together?" 

Flicking his wrist, the card slotted itself into his Driver. "Final Attack Ride: L-L-L-Liz!"

All of the spider legs minus the two holding King shifted, opening up and glowing with energy. Wyatt's arms shifted as well, glowing with similar energy. The energy built for several moments, an ominous sound filling the air before a bright flash of light erupted from the barrels and swallowed up the two combatants.

When the dust settled, large swaths of the earth were torn up, and both Riders were laying on the ground out of their armor. After a long moment of silence, Wyatt managed to pull himself to one knee, his face smudged with black soot and his body red with fresh burns. Panting with exertion, he watched King’s fallen body with apprehension. If his opponent really was a fangire, why hadn’t the body shattered yet?

Twitching his hand, he summoned his sword. King wasn’t leaving this place alive. Crawling over with his sword acting as a walking stick, he eyed the fallen fangire with narrowed eyes. “We’re not cattle, asshole.” Lifting his arms, he stabbed down into King’s neck.

Cracks formed in King's skin the pigment shifting to take on the appearance of stained glass. In an instant, his body shattered, the remains scattering with the breeze. Sagarc floated from the monarch’s remains, chittering at Wyatt in its strange tongue. It zipped off, leaving him to bask in his victory.

With his part over, Wyatt collapsed face first onto the ground with the adrenaline ebbing out of his body.