A Rider Kick in Marvel Rewrite Vol 2 Ch 79

The adrenaline faded. The high of battle was replaced by a bone-deep weariness. Asahi yearned to rip the Mach Driver from his waist. The suit was heavy, suffocating, a cage of metal and circuitry. It pressed against his skin, a constant reminder of the power he now wielded, and the price it demanded.

Before he could act, a searing heat washed over him. A wall of flames erupted. It originated from a hulking figure wreathed in fire.

Endeavor.

Asahi reacted instinctively. He threw himself to the side. The Mach Driver’s systems whirred, assisting him, but it was close. The flames licked at his armor, leaving streaks of black soot.

If he were a normal villain, that attack would've incinerated him.

"Kamen Rider!" Endeavor's voice boomed, a volcanic rumble that echoed through the ravaged street. "You're under arrest for the unlawful use of a Quirk and destruction of property!"

Asahi’s mind raced. In the heat of the fight, he’d forgotten. He wasn't just Asahi anymore. He was Kamen Rider Mach. And in this world, that meant he was a vigilante, a criminal.

Escape. He needed to escape.

But the suit. It was a double-edged sword. It granted him incredible power, but now, weighed down by its technological burden, Asahi found his movements sluggish. His breath came in ragged gasps.

A shadow loomed over him. Mt. Lady.

"Not so fast, Kamen Rider!" she declared. Her voice lacked its usual playful tone. Now, it carried a steely edge. She reached for him, her gigantic hand a looming threat.

Asahi braced for impact.

But instead of crushing him, Mt. Lady’s massive fingers brushed against his armored shoulder. A whisper, barely audible above the din of the emergency sirens, reached his ears.

"Run, kid! I can’t hold this act for long!"

Asahi didn't need to be told twice. He understood. This was a charade. An act of kindness hidden beneath a veneer of duty.

He burst into motion, the Mach Driver groaning in protest as he pushed his aching muscles to their limit. He sprinted down the street.

Mt. Lady roared, a sound designed to intimidate. It echoed from the buildings. She lumbered after him, her giant form smashing through debris. Each step threatened to flatten him.

"Get back here!" she yelled. The words were laced with false anger. She was giving him cover, providing him with the illusion of a chase.

Endeavor, distracted by Mt. Lady's pursuit, hesitated. He glanced from Asahi to the rampaging giantess, a flicker of suspicion in his fiery eyes. But duty prevailed.

"Don't let him get away!" he bellowed. He unleashed another wave of flames, aimed to cut off Asahi’s escape.

Asahi weaved through the chaos, dodging falling debris and leaping over wrecked vehicles. His body screamed in protest, but the thought of capture, of revealing his secret, spurred him onward.

He risked a glance over his shoulder. Mt. Lady was still behind him, her movements exaggerated, almost cartoonish. He noticed her wink. The city's sky looked down upon him as he struggled through.

He had to disappear. Now.

He rounded a corner, diving behind a stack of overturned market stalls. His heart hammered against his ribs, a frantic drumbeat against the silence of the alley. Desperate, he slapped the release on the Mach Driver. With a hiss of escaping energy, the transformation dissipated.

He yanked the belt off, stuffing it into a discarded trash bin. It was a gamble, but he had to ditch it. Pro Heroes were not far behind.

He took a deep breath and plastered on a look of innocent confusion.

Heavy footsteps echoed. Endeavor, Mt. Lady, and a few other Pro Heroes stormed into the alley. Their expressions were grim, their eyes scanning every shadow.

"Where did he go?!" Endeavor barked, his flames flickering dangerously.

"He was just here!" A canine Pro Hero sniffed the air, his nose twitching. "The scent is fresh..."

Their gazes landed on Asahi.

"You!" Endeavor strode toward him, his presence intimidating. "Did you see which way Kamen Rider went?"

Asahi swallowed, his throat dry. He pointed down a narrower alleyway, opposite his escape route. "He went that way! He was moving super fast!"

Mt. Lady’s massive shadow fell over him. "Asahi!" she scolded, her voice deceptively loud. "What are you doing here? I told you to stay back!"

Asahi lowered his head, feigning remorse. "Sorry, Takeyama-san. I just... I saw some people who were hurt over there," he gestured vaguely back toward the main street, "and I thought I could help with my Quirk."

The other Pro Heroes exchanged glances. The canine one sniffed Asahi. Then the scent. A look of realization dawned on their faces.

"Wait a minute..." one of them murmured, "isn't he one of your sidekicks, Mt. Lady?"

"Yeah, that's right," another added. "I've seen him around before."

Endeavor’s fiery gaze softened slightly. He seemed less suspicious, though still wary. "He has a healing Quirk, right? Probably just trying to do his job."

Mt. Lady placed a hand on Asahi’s shoulder, her touch surprisingly gentle. "He’s a good kid, a little too eager sometimes. But he means well."

The Pro Heroes seemed to buy it. Their focus shifted from Asahi back to the pursuit.

"Alright, let's go!" Endeavor barked. "He can't have gotten far."

With a final glare at the alleyway, the Pro Heroes rushed off in the direction Asahi had indicated, their forms disappearing around the corner.

Once the last of them was gone, Mt. Lady’s facade dropped. She rounded on Asahi, her expression stern.

"What were you thinking?!" she hissed, her voice low to avoid attracting attention. "I told you not to transform! This isn’t a game, Asahi."

Asahi flinched, shame washing over him. He averted her eyes, kicking at a loose pebble on the ground. "I... I know, Takeyama-san. I’m sorry. But people were getting hurt. I just wanted to help."

Yu sighed, the air escaping her lungs in a rush. She ran a hand through her golden hair, her usual energy replaced by weariness. "I know, I know. You have a good heart, Asahi. But you can’t just go running headfirst into danger like that! Especially when you know you’re not supposed to use the Mach Driver."

She paused, her gaze softening slightly. "And… well, everything ended up fine. The Inves is gone. You did save a lot of people by defeating the monster."

She glanced back toward the street, her eyes scanning the area for any lingering onlookers. "Look, this isn’t the time or place to have this conversation. We need to get out of here before people start getting suspicious."

She grabbed Asahi’s arm, her grip surprisingly firm. "Come on. Let's go back to the agency. We'll talk more about this later." She released him, allowing him to lead the way out of the alley. "And Asahi," she said, stopping him. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For having the courage to step up." She smiled.

They slipped out of the alley and into the relative normalcy of the surrounding streets, leaving behind the chaos and the lingering scent of smoke and fire. The setting sun painted the sky with hues of orange and purple, a stark contrast to the grim events that had just unfolded.

For now, they were safe. But Asahi knew, deep down, that this was just the beginning. The road ahead was paved with danger, and he was now walking it as Kamen Rider Mach.

Tomura watched from a nearby rooftop, his hands twitching uncontrollably. The Inves—his Inves, practically—were causing a pleasing amount of trouble. He’d been so excited, seeing those pathetic heroes scrambling, getting tossed around like ragdolls. The Nomu were supposed to be the stars, but even they were underperforming. Still, the chaos was… adequate.

Then the Inoshishi evolved. A grin stretched across Tomura’s face, his cracked lips pulling back to reveal stained teeth. Yes! This was more like it. The flames licking at the creature's form, the sheer destructive force… it was beautiful. The heroes were getting pummeled. This world would soon crumble to dust.

But then—that blasted Rider.

Tomura’s elation curdled into bitter, seething rage. That stupid, glittering pest, always ruining everything! The way he effortlessly dismantled the evolved Inoshishi, a masterpiece of terror, as if it were nothing more than a child’s toy. No, no, no! This could not stand.

A primal scream clawed its way up Tomura’s throat. He wanted to leap from the rooftop, Decay crackling at his fingertips. He wanted to rip that Rider apart, atom by atom, until nothing remained but dust. Show them all who was in charge, that heroes were not to be revered, but destroyed. He had to get his hands on that Rider, and erase him from existence.

"Tomura Shigaraki," Kurogiri's voice, ever the steadying influence, cut through his fury. "We must withdraw."

Withdraw? The very idea was repulsive. He dug his nails into his neck, itching to fight and kill and destroy. "But… but they’re…!"

"The situation has become unfavorable," Kurogiri continued, his tone firm. "Acting out now would be unwise. The heroes are aware, and this new variable has emerged. We must regroup, reassess."

Regroup? Reassess? Those words tasted like ash in Tomura's mouth. He wanted to argue, to scream, to unleash his Decay on everything around him. But deep down, a sliver of rationality remained, whispering that Kurogiri was right. He was not prepared for the level of power that the new Rider displayed. Not yet.

With a strangled cry, Tomura relented. He forced himself to take a shuddering breath, fighting to suppress the overwhelming urge to obliterate everything around him. "Fine," he spat, his voice laced with venom. "Let’s go."

Kurogiri’s mist enveloped them, and the world dissolved into swirling darkness, dragging Tomura away from his frustrated rage, and into a place of nothing. He would bide his time. He would gather his strength. And next time, that Rider would learn the true meaning of despair.