Cast Off!

When Kabuto Riders lose their initial form, there is a shedding. A molt of shell. Like Russian Dolls, they break their seal. Pieces snap off like halves of a whole. Like a broken pane of stained glass, armor shatters to all ends of the wind. They return like the phoenix revived, stronger, harder, faster! This is their way. This is how Kamen Riders in the world of Kabuto reach the Next Level and become the Lord of Speed.

This is their Cast Off!

And today, Shin would lose his own.

~*~

“Tell me if this bothers you,” DocProf stated calmly as he brought the saw-blade to spackled white. The object in his hands was like a microphone, in that it was small, hand-held, and made a lot of noise. The cord from the tail of the saw stretched warily across the floor, wove through feet, around the leg of a table, all the way to a machine like a wet/dry vacuum: Canister-shaped, with two wheels. Hazel eyes focused on it for one second, then inevitably drew back to the line of the saw’s cut across his arm.

“Er, yeah… you sure this thing is safe?” Shin quested querulously. DocProf only smiled.

“As safe as you choosing to run out the course of your own body’s healing potential rather than get this healed by me when first the break occurred.”

“Like I said back then,” Shin tried glancing away and failed. Saw teeth ate through cast fibers with a teeth-gritting sound like the dentist’s drill. “I wanted to fall… and get back up stronger like a Saiyan, and yeah…” DocProf turned his arm to cut down the other side. Shin peeked. Cheeks a bit whiter for the wear, he continued. “Maybe not the best decision. Still… I got to train my Focus. That matters for something.”

“Yes, certainly. Why don't you Focus on moving your thumb back a little while I cut this last piece…”

Shin gulpingly obliged. After a moment of pure concentration, the look on DocProf’s face softened. The saw slid away from the spot of cast between index finger and thumb.

“Now, let me just…” Out came the wedge to work cast piece from cast piece. Seal broken, arm exposed to the world anew. Scissors sauntered along the line, cutting the last links between the two halves. Shin curled his fingers in and out, brow knitted contemplating freedom.

Among other things…

The two halves fell away, revealing a thin layer of shards between skin and cast. DocProf raised a curious eyebrow. “My, my, my…”

Shin smiled weakly and dismissed the shards. “My little insurance plan in-case your hand slipped while you were sawing, old man.”

DocProf met Shin eye-to-eye. Stern looks were exchanged seriously, and then—

They both burst out laughing. “So are you keeping this or not?” DocProf asked.

Shin chuckled. “I dunno. That coffee-stained thang has seen better days… and… kinda brings back bad memories.” What with the cause of arms breaking and the awkwardness between two grown men that brought silence during training sessions, and the like. It also kinda stunk. “Nope. You can toss it.”

DocProf nodded, and walked it towards the trash. The cast echoed off the sides of the metal can, resounding through the infirmary as Shin flexed his arm.