The rumble of the subway felt like a faint vibration beneath the soles of Thomas Vance's shoes. Amidst the hustle and bustle of Manhattan, the world felt quiet to him, muffled by the pounding music from the headphones in his ears. The smoke from hotdog carts mingled with the smell of exhaust from passing yellow cabs, but his focus was solely on the bustling sidewalk and the crosswalk lights across the street. He had just finished a long shift, the adrenaline of being a paramedic having receded, leaving behind a satisfying exhaustion.
Suddenly, his music cut out. A vibration in his pocket replaced the song's rhythm. The name "Lucy" appeared on his phone screen. With a small smile, he answered the call, leaning against the brick wall of an old building.
"Hey, Lucy. What's up?" he greeted cheerily.
There was a moment of silence on the other end, only heavy breathing audible. "Did you forget?" Lucy's voice was flat, devoid of its usual warmth. "It's my birthday."
Thomas's smile faded slightly. He glanced at the calendar on his watch. Damn it. "Of course, I remember, darling," he replied, trying to sound convincing. "I just finished work. Where should we go tonight? That Italian restaurant you like?"
"We're not going anywhere," Lucy cut him off, her tone sharp. "I only called to say, we're breaking up."
Thomas's world seemed to stop spinning. Car horns and distant sirens suddenly felt far away. "What? What happened?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper. "Lucy, we've been together for five years. Why so sudden?"
A bitter laugh came from the other end. "That's the problem, Thomas. Five years. And you're too kind," Lucy hissed, anger beginning to creep into her voice. "Every birthday of mine, your gifts are just chocolates and movie tickets. Our days just pass by, flat, safe, and boring. I know you're handsome, you have a good body, that's why I initially wanted you. But for five years you never touched me! We're twenty-four, Thomas. Do you have a disorder?"
Thomas closed his eyes, holding back the pain in his chest. "Hey, hey, calm down," he said softly, trying to de-escalate the situation. "I'm a normal man, Lucy. Really. I just... I respect you. I want us to do that after we get married. Because I see you as my queen, whom I must protect with all my heart."
"That's precisely why I want to break up!" Lucy exclaimed. "You're too good for me! I can't live like this, holding back my burning passion every time we're together. I don't want to wait anymore." There was a brief pause, then her voice turned into an absolute, spirited command. "Do it tonight. If you want this relationship to continue, come to me tonight. From eight o'clock until morning. I want to feel everything, Thomas!"
A small spark of hope ignited in Thomas's heart. This wasn't the end. This was a test. He took a deep breath, his resolve returning. "Alright, darling," he replied, his tone now serious and firm. "Tonight, I'll make you climax until you forget this world."
"Yes! Make me soar, darling," Lucy replied, her voice now full of passion. "I love you so much. Remember, don't buy protection. I want our first time to feel special."
"Of course. Ready to execute, my queen," Thomas answered, a genuine smile gracing his face.
The crosswalk light across from him turned green. Without diverting his attention from his call, Thomas stepped off the curb onto the crosswalk. He didn't see it. A red sports car speeding wildly, ignoring the traffic light that had just changed.
As Thomas was in the middle of the road, absorbed in his promise to Lucy, the car was already too close. The screech of tires was the only warning. Then, everything turned white and filled with pain.
The world spun. Metal slammed into bone with brutal force. Thomas's body was thrown like a rag doll, hitting a mini-market's glass window, shattering it into pieces.
"Arrrggghh…" he groaned, pain burning every nerve in his body.
"Darling? What happened?! Answer me! Darling!" Lucy's panicked voice from the phone lying near him sounded distant.
Blood streamed from Thomas's mouth, tasting like hot metal. "Da-darling," he stammered. "It seems… good people have short lives. See you… in another life."
"No! No, hold on! Don't leave me!" Lucy screamed, her cries breaking.
Thomas tried to smile, though only a grimace emerged. "I hope… you find someone better than me," he whispered. His vision began to blur, the edges darkening. With his last ounce of strength, he mumbled three words. "I love you 3000."
"THOMAS! NO!" Lucy's scream was the last thing he heard before his world went completely silent and dark.
He didn't know how long the darkness lasted. One second? A millennium? Suddenly, a blinding light exploded before him, forcing him to "see" again for the first time. As the light receded, he found himself standing in an impossible place.
The floor was made of soft white marble that reflected a gentle glow. Giant pillars towered into a ceiling painted with constellations he didn't recognize. He was inside a magnificent palace, reminding him of depictions of Olympus from Greek mythology.
"Is this heaven?" Thomas muttered to himself. "Or have I been ascended to godhood because of my kindness?"
He continued walking, his footsteps echoing in the vast hall. At the end of the hall, on a majestic stage, stood two luxurious thrones. There, stood two majestic beings dressed in white and gold togas like gods. However, when Thomas saw their faces, his jaw dropped in surprise.
One, with a wise aura, had the familiar face of a brown mouse. The other, with an angry and chaotic expression, had the equally iconic face of a blue cat. They looked like Zeus and Hades cosplayers.
"Welcome, Thomas Vance," the Mouse God's voice was calm and authoritative. "I am the God of Stories. My job is to send good people like you to the next world."
"And I am the God of Chaos," growled the Cat God. "My job is to judge."
Thomas stared at both of them in confusion. Only one question was on his mind. "Excuse me, I want to ask," he said hesitantly. "Are you… Tom and Jerry?"
The God of Chaos erupted in laughter that shook the hall. "Hahahaha! Are you surprised?" he exclaimed. "We get bored with monotonous divine life, so we occasionally role-play for fun!"
The God of Stories sighed. "Alright, enough nonsense. Let's begin the evaluation," he said, ignoring his colleague. "Thomas Vance. Age 24, 180cm tall, handsome face, athletic body. A kind soul, truly loving his partner." He looked at Thomas with a scrutinizing gaze. "I, the God of Stories, have decided you will be sent to the Marvel World."
The God of Stories snapped his fingers. "As a blessing, I grant you the Kamen Rider Decade Belt. This belt will merge with your soul, can appear and disappear as you wish, and can never be stolen by anyone."
"Thank you, God!" Thomas replied sincerely, his heart filled with joy.
"Don't be happy yet, kid," the God of Chaos interrupted, a cunning smile playing on his face. "Now it's my turn. Thomas Vance, you are guilty!" he roared with a furious face. "You are guilty of your virginity and making your partner suffer every day! For that, I punish you!"
"What? No way!" Thomas exclaimed, surprised.
The God of Chaos laughed again. "Hahaha, I'm just kidding! But I will give you both a blessing and a punishment. First, the blessing of Subtle Influence. You can influence women's minds in the most natural way, and this power will be undetectable by any force. This power has a 1-month cooldown after use. Second, the blessing of Superior Seed. Your sperm will be able to impregnate any woman, regardless of her race, species, or medical condition. As long as she is female, she will become pregnant."
"Thank you… God?" Thomas replied, unsure how to react.
"And for your punishment," the God of Chaos continued, his eyes twinkling maliciously. "Your Decade Belt will have a limitation. Your Ride Booker will be empty. You can only get new cards in one way: by having sex with selected women in that world. I will give you a notification system that will appear before your eyes when you are near a special target (i.e., canonical female characters). The cards you get will be random."
"What about the Decade's basic form?" Thomas asked.
"Without Rider Cards, the basic form is useless," the God of Chaos answered casually. "So I modified it. Your belt has no basic form. Your form will adapt to the first card you use."
"Alright," Thomas said resignedly. "When will I be sent?"
"Now. Go!" the God of Stories exclaimed, waving his hand.
The world around Thomas Vance faded into a swirl of colors, and he vanished from the palace of the gods.
On his throne, the God of Chaos smiled broadly. "Let's see this new dream world you've created, hopefully, the fourth-dimensional beings will be happy and give us many divine stones," he said to the God of Stories.
The God of Stories merely sighed tiredly. "Hopefully. Next time, don't role-play as Tom and Jerry again. It's ridiculous."
"Come on, Thomas. Don't be so stiff," the God of Chaos retorted. "I'm off. See you in that dream world."