As Ace, Nico, and Berto walked out of the school, Berto couldn't stop thinking about the members of The Mary Janes. He turned to his friends, a hopeful gleam in his eyes.
"Do you guys really think I have no chance with MJ, Betty, or Glory?" Berto asked. "I mean, come on, I'm a pretty confident guy. I bet I could win one of them over."
Nico scoffed, shaking her head in amusement. "Berto, you're delusional. Those girls are way out of your league. What do you have to offer them?"
Ace chuckled, glancing at his friend. "Nico's right, man. I hate to break it to you, but you don't exactly have the smoothest moves when it comes to talking to girls."
Berto puffed out his chest, undeterred. "That's where you're wrong. I've got plenty of charm and confidence. I'm sure I can sweep one of them off their feet if I just get the chance."
Nico rolled her eyes. "Good luck with that. I'd love to see you try, but don't come crying to us when you get rejected."
Ace patted Berto's shoulder, a sympathetic smile on his face. "Hey, don't worry about it too much. There are plenty of other fish in the sea, you know?"
Berto nodded, his determination not wavering. "You just wait and see. I'm gonna prove you both wrong. One of those girls is gonna be mine, you'll see."
Ace, Nico, and Berto continued down the streets, chatting about their plans for the weekend. Suddenly, they noticed a plume of smoke rising in the distance.
"Hey, do you guys see that?" Berto asked, squinting his eyes. "Looks like something's on fire."
Nico furrowed her brow. "Hmm, I wonder what could be happening. Maybe we should go check it out?"
Ace's eyes narrowed as he studied the smoke. "Actually, I, uh, forgot I have to talk to one of the teachers about a makeup assignment. You two go ahead, and I'll catch up with you later."
Nico and Berto exchanged a puzzled look, but Ace was already hurrying away, his mind racing. He had a feeling the smoke was trouble and he needed to help in what he could.
Ace rushed towards the plume of smoke, his heart pounding. As he neared the source, he saw a building engulfed in flames. Without hesitation, he ducked into a nearby alley and quickly transformed into Kamen Rider Kuuga's Mighty Form.
Steeling his nerves, Ace charged into the burning building, his enhanced senses scanning for any signs of life. "Is anyone here?" he shouted, his voice cutting through the crackle of the flames. "I'm here to help!"
Ace frantically searched the rooms, his eyes darting from corner to corner. To his confusion, the building seemed eerily empty. No cries for help, no panicked residents trying to escape the inferno.
"Where is everyone?" Ace muttered, his brow furrowed beneath his helmet. He pressed on, determined to ensure no one had been left behind.
Ace made sure to cover the entire building, but he found no one. There were signs of people living in the building, but mysteriously not one resident is inside. The building was about to collapse from the fire, so he exited the building and landed on an adjacent building's rooftop.
From his vantage point, Ace could see the firefighters outside trying to put out the blaze. Many families gathered nearby, watching in shock and sadness as their homes were consumed by the flames.
"What is going on?"
He scanned the area, looking for any clues that might explain the empty building. As the fire raged on, Ace felt a growing sense of unease settle in the pit of his stomach.
Ace watched from the rooftop as a group of suspicious men gathered in a nearby alley, their hushed voices carrying up to his perch. He strained to make out their conversation, his heart pounding with a mix of curiosity and unease.
"The job went well," one of the men said, a satisfied grin spreading across his face. "Time to hit the next location."
Ace narrowed his eyes. These men seemed to be connected to the burning building – and he was determined to get to the bottom of it.
Ace watched intently as the suspicious men got into a car and drove off. Quickly, he made his way across the rooftops, following their vehicle from above. The car pulled up to a small, family-owned restaurant, and the men emerged, grabbing cans of gasoline from the back. Ace's heart raced as he realized their sinister intentions.
Ace watched in horror as the men cornered the family and began pouring gasoline all over the restaurant. The owner, a middle-aged man with a kind face, pleaded with them, his voice shaking.
"Please, please, don't do this! This restaurant is all that we have!" the man cried.
The leader of the men, a burly figure with a cold expression, sneered. "You should have taken the deal when we offered it, old man. Now, you and your family are going to pay the price."
With that, the men began dragging the family out of the restaurant, the mother and children screaming in terror. Ace clenched his fists, his heart pounding. He couldn't just stand by and watch this happen.
Quickly, Ace swung down from the rooftop, landing between the men and the family. The leader turned, a lighter in his hand, ready to ignite the gasoline.
"Stop right there!" Ace shouted, his voice firm and commanding.
The leader paused, a look of surprise flashing across his face. Ace seized the opportunity and lunged forward, snatching the lighter from the man's hand. With a swift motion, he punched the leader square in the jaw, sending him reeling backwards.
The other men turned their attention to Ace, but he was ready. He moved with a graceful, practiced ease, dodging their attacks and delivering precise counterstrikes. The family watched in awe as Ace fought off their would-be assailants, his movements a blur of speed and power.
As the last of the men crumpled to the ground, Ace turned to the family, his expression softening. "Are you all alright?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.
The father, still shaking, nodded. "Y-yes, thanks to you. Who are you?"
"Call me Kamen Rider," he said, "You should probably call the cops."
Ace watched as the father dialed the police, relief washing over the family's faces. Once the call was placed, Ace turned to the father, his expression serious.
"Do you have any idea why these men targeted you?" he asked.
The father hesitated for a moment, then spoke up. "A few days ago, a group of men came to our restaurant, offering to buy it. But the price they offered was far too low – we refused to sell."
Ace's brow furrowed. "And you think these men might be connected to that?"
The father nodded solemnly. "It's the only thing I can think of. They must have been angry that we turned them down."
Just then, the sound of sirens filled the air, and Ace knew the police were on their way. He turned to the family, his voice calm and reassuring.
"Stay here and wait for the police," he said. "I'll make sure these men don't cause any more trouble."
With that, Ace quickly tied up the would-be arsonists, ensuring they wouldn't be able to escape. As the sirens grew closer, he slipped back into the shadows, disappearing from sight just as the police arrived on the scene.
***
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Advance chapters are in my P@|r3on - Najicablitz