Gotchard in DC Ch 19

Though Isaac was all set on protecting Rachel, bringing her back to his place wasn't an option. Explaining a random runaway to his parents? Yeah, no thanks. Plus, he really didn't want his folks to find out about his whole Kamen Rider gig just yet.

So, after a bit of mental brainstorming, Isaac pulls out his phone and dials up X Wizard. After a quick chat and a thumbs-up from his alchemist buddy, he decides Rachel's new temporary home will be X Wizard's Alchemy lab. Gotta make sure the kid's safe, after all.

"Alright, I'm gonna take you to a safe place first," Isaac says, turning to Rachel. "It's like my secret base, and you can crash there for a bit. You'll have company, too. My friend will help take care of you."

After hanging up with X Wizard, Isaac grins at Rachel, trying to lighten the mood. "My friend, X Wizard, can be a bit lonely rattling around in her Alchemy lab all day. You'll be good company."

I mean, yeah, the Chemies were created by Hundred, but their personalities are basically just amped-up versions of their original forms. Like X Wizard; she's a bit of a loner.

And about the whole "taking a random girl to a secret base" thing? Please. Did you really think X Wizard and Isaac only had one secret base?

"Thank you," Rachel says, gazing at Isaac with heartfelt gratitude. "I really don't know how to repay you."

Even though she already knew Isaac was a good guy, thanks to her other self, she still didn't expect him to be so willing to help, practically taking the whole situation onto himself.

"Hey, don't thank me just yet. We're not out of the woods," Isaac replies, waving his hand dismissively. His tone is less serious now, more relaxed. "Those cultists aren't gonna give up that easy. We gotta figure out a way to catch them all at once and shut this whole thing down."

"Mm, I'll do my best to help," Rachel says, nodding firmly. As if inspired by Isaac's attitude, a spark of hope flickers in her eyes. "I might not be as strong as you, but I'm done running."

"That's the spirit! Glad to hear you say that," Isaac replies, smiling brightly. "But for now, you need to get some rest. Once you're feeling better, we'll figure out the next step."

Seeing Rachel's spirits lift because of his words, Isaac gives her a reassuring pat on the shoulder, feeling pretty good about himself.

Since Isaac wasn't about to whip out Golddash in the middle of the city, he had to get creative. So, instead of summoning the golden impact, Isaac just scooped up Rachel – girl was still recovering, after all – and navigated the maze of back alleys until they hit a public phone booth.

Gently as he could, Isaac set Rachel down. He grabbed the phone booth doorknob, mumbled some Alchemy words under his breath, and bam! A light blue glow started spreading from his hand, covering the whole phone booth.

When the light show was over, Isaac twisted the knob, pulled the door open, and Rachel's face was all kinds of surprised at what she saw.

Because instead of a cramped phone booth interior, there was a long hallway stretching out in front of them.

Supporting Rachel, Isaac led her down the passage and into his secret lair. Well, X Wizard's backup Alchemy lab, to be exact. Tucked away underground somewhere in the suburbs, naturally.

This lab wasn't as big as the main one where Isaac usually hung out and studied Alchemy, but it had all the essential gear. And it was way more guest-friendly than the first lab.

Speaking of guests, X Wizard was chilling on the living room sofa, totally engrossed in some video game. She glanced up when she heard footsteps and saw Isaac walk in with Rachel.

"You must be Rachel! I'm X Wizard, and we're roommates now, so let's get along!"

X Wizard tossed the controller onto the sofa and bounced over to them, grinning as she reached out to shake Rachel's hand. Looked like she was stoked to have a roommate.

"H-hello, X Wizard."

Seeing X Wizard, who looked human-ish but still had a slightly otherworldly vibe, Rachel instinctively took a step back. But after a quick look at Isaac, she froze and let X Wizard give her hand a gentle shake.

"Oh, almost forgot! Let's do proper intros. Real name's Isaac Kondo."

Rachel's tiny flinch didn't escape Isaac's notice, but he wasn't sweating it. Girl had been through a lot, so a little caution was understandable.

He went to pat her head, but then realized he was still rocking the Gotchard armor. Doh!

Thinking about their dream meeting from the night before, Isaac couldn't help but chuckle. He canceled his Gotchard Steamhopper Form, showing his real face, and held out his hand to Rachel.

"Hello, Isaac. Thank you!"

Copying X Wizard, Rachel grabbed Isaac's hand and shook it. Even though her face didn't show much, Isaac could tell she was genuinely happy now.

"Rachel, come on, I'll show you your room and give you the tour."

Also copying Isaac, X Wizard reached out and patted Rachel's shoulder, sounding super enthusiastic.

Rachel instinctively glanced at Isaac, and when she saw his encouraging smile, she finally took X Wizard's hand and followed her out of the room.

Watching them leave, Isaac let out a small sigh of relief. With X Wizard around, who was always complaining about being lonely, Rachel wouldn't be feeling too isolated.

"Now that I think about it, Rachel's story sounds super familiar. Was that a plot point from DC, too?"

Isaac plopped down on the sofa, trying to remember. He'd read some DC comics, watched the TV shows and movies, but his memory was hazy.

Meanwhile, on the streets of National City late at night, Dick, having already scoped out the gang scene, suits up as Nightwing. He's on a mission, not just to bust the perps involved in a minor kidnapping case, but also to find that girl from his dream. The one who seemed to be reaching out for help.

Besides dishing out some vigilante justice, Dick can't shake off the feeling that she's connected to something bigger. So, he's pounding the pavement, hoping to catch a lead.

Cruising along a dimly lit street, Nightwing spots a group of shady figures huddled around a corner. They're dressed in the usual gang attire, all tough looks and edgy swagger.

Nightwing decides these guys are as good a place to start as any. Time to stir up some trouble and see what shakes loose.