Evolution, part 2 - Mitsuzane
Tribute to: Kamen Rider Kuuga
Somewhere in Zawame...
Mitsuzane was watching a group of Beat Riders dancing, including Zack and Peko of Team Baron, and few survivors of Team Gaim, Chucky, Rat, and Rica. The Beat Riders tried to convince Micchy to join, but to no avail, as he's currently in a state of depression (or to an extent, Posttraumatic-stress disorder) from the aftermath of the Helheim manifestation.
"If Micchy doesn't want to join, let him be." one of Team Gaim's members shouted. But, the younger Kureshima still sat there as he continued to reminisce his days of being a part of his fellow Beat Riders. Moments later, somebody covered Micchy's eyes with her hands.
"Hey, get it off me! Cut it out, this isn't funny!" Micchy tries to figure out someone behind him, even attracting the attention of the other Beat Riders, even Zack and Peko were left utterly speechless.
When Micchy can finally see, he finds out that Samus was behind him all along!
"What are you doing here?!" the younger Kureshima is startled by the bounty hunter's presence! Samus thought that Micchy was just joking, but he instead snapped. "Get off me, will you! I'm in a bad mood right now, so will you please don't follow me from here?!"
Micchy was almost angry at Samus for agitating him, but Samus does not retaliate. Some of the Beat Riders looked on an argument between Micchy and Samus.
"I thought that Kureshima Mitsuzane has changed? And yet he's still a mean-looking guy just like his brother." one of the Beat Riders of Team Gaim commented Micchy's temper before walking away. "I wish he'd be out of Zawame City by now."
The young Kureshima finds himself humiliated when everyone has been looking on when he had to yell at Samus. But, Zack and Peko were surprised at the sight of Samus.
"Oi, Micchy!" Zack turns his attention to Mitsuzane. But, the latter refuses to answer as he shoves Zack off, walking away. Then, Zack turns his attention at Samus.
"What did you do to him?" the leader of Team Baron asked.
"I, I was trying to surprise him." Samus pouted her lips.
"Nee-chan, if I were you. You should not agitate Micchy at the first place. He looks too depressed until now." Peko intervened. "The whole Zawame City was an entire mess because of him. Even other Beat Riders began to hate him for it."
"I didn't mean that..." the bounty hunter wondered. Despite that, she already knew about Mitsuzane's personal background before. "I'll go and find him."
Samus roamed around the city to find Mitsuzane.
"Mitsuzane... Behind that motivation and passion inside to protect others hides a misery of a troubled man. Both him and his brother Takatora ended up being betrayed by people who worked for them. Takatora was able to move on from his past as he continues to atone for his sins. But, Mitsuzane continued to keep his distance from those he had stabbed on the back. I never seen him get so angry so abruptly. Were there anyone found a shoulder to cry on for someone as troubled as that young Kureshima? I began to understand his pain deeper as much the brothers do understand my own..."
"Lady, is something wrong?" A transmission from Adam interrupts Samus. "It seems Mitsuzane is in a bad mood right now. Try find out what's bothering him."
Samus finally finds Mitsuzane, looking at the seascape.
"Don't talk to me!" Micchy kept himself away, even from Samus. But Samus even refuses to keep out of the younger Kureshima.
"Mitsuzane, calm down." the bounty hunter convinces Micchy. "You could at least express how you feel. Or find a shoulder to cry on."
"You don't even know what I am feeling right now! Even one bit!" Mitsuzane shoves Samus, as he almost breaks down emotionally... But, Samus hugs Micchy, giving him the same handkerchief that she used to wipe her tears during her brief argument with Takatora.
"Hey, Kureshima rich boy. Did Takatora has ever told you that put your money where your mouth is? Because, you fall prey into evil adults, who are greedy and uncaring such as yourself?! Ahahahahaha!" the words that etched onto Mitsuzane's head when he too was betrayed by one of Takatora's cohorts, where at the fateful time that the he came to extract the Golden Fruit from Mai Takatsukasa instead of saving her.
"Even though I could not even comprehend or understand what's wrong with you. But, you have to keep moving on, Mitsuzane." Samus advises the younger Kureshima. "Remember, you are not the only one's who is suffering; but those who are trying to build a better future. You and your brother saved me more than once, but I can't even think about returning the favor with your state. I too had suffered long enough in my world. You could at least smile and let go."
The young Kureshima remained mute, but leans his head onto Samus' shoulder and sighed. He began to slightly smile, as Micchy began to lighten himself up.
"Hey, Mitsuzane." Samus asked about the dancers she saw earlier. "Who are those dancers who know you?"
"They're Beat Riders." Micchy explained. "They're street dancing teams known in Zawame City. Back in the old days, not only the Beat Riders danced around the city's grounds, they also engage into Inves Games. I too used to be part of them, when Kouta-san and Mai-san were still here on Earth. But, when I had to betray them, it feels like other Beat Riders would never accept me, like the ones you saw earlier."
"I see..." the bounty hunter feels Mitsuzane's depressive spiral. But, she still continues to cheer him up. "Come on, I'll take you somewhere else."
"Wait! Where are we-" Micchy said, as she is being pulled by Samus.
Meanwhile, at the Drupers...
Samus took Micchy to the Drupers to treat him. As Samus forgot to bring money, but Micchy instead would treat her, again - this time the same melon parfait she first ate. While the two are eating, Micchy's mood finally began to lighten up gradually.
"Hey, Mitsuzane! Look you're smiling!" Samus giggled, noticing Mitsuzane's sudden mood change, but the younger Kureshima denies it.
"Come on, little man-boy! Don't deny it!" she continues teasing Mitsuzane.
"Micchy is sure having a rough day. Lucky for him, you were always on his side!" Jounouchi interrupts. Then, Zack, Peko, and the remaining members of Team Gaim, Chucky, Rica, and Rat appeared.
"Mi~cchy!" Zack's scream echoed. Noticing Samus sitting on the younger Kureshima's side. "Hey, Micchy is she your girlfriend?"
"She's beautiful!" Peko too was captivated by the slim, voluptuous, athletic appearance of Samus Aran.
Even Micchy is not safe from the barrage of questions from his former Team Gaim friends, asking about the woman on his side; much to Samus' amusement as seen when she giggles each time Mitsuzane denies it, even Chucky brought up his betrayal if he refused.
Moments later, when Micchy is freed of the questions from his friends. "I have something to say..." Samus crept closer to Micchy and whispered onto his ear.
"What is it?" the young Kureshima muttered.
"I fought Decade." she said.
"You what?!" Mitsuzane was shocked to hear what he heard from Samus.
"When I first came to this world, I was being targeted by a Kamen Rider calling himself to be Decade. He is but a hindrance on my mission. He uses Rider Cards, he can even transform himself into Kamen Riders Wizard, Fourze, W or even Drive."
"How is that possible?!" Mitsuzane uttered in disbelief of learning of Decade's ability to transform into a Neo-Heisei Rider. "I thought Decade is limited to those Kamen Riders that came before him?"
"That was the same question I wanted to ask." the bounty hunter muttered, biting her lips.
"Were you able to defeat him?" Micchy again clarified.
"I almost had him, but he ran off like the coward he is." Samus answered. "The first I saw Decade, he was taking advantage of my suit's weaknesses by using a Kamen Rider's particular abilities, such as Kiva, Faiz, Wizard, Kabuto, and even Drive."
"At first, Decade instills fear at me using such cards to transform. But, when my mission progresses further, I began to overcome all of them. Even I began to counter everything Decade throws at me."
"Good to hear, Samus." Micchy commends the bounty hunter's recent battle against Decade. "I too have many doubts in life. And I find different ways to overcome it."
"And, Mitsuzane. I have important things to show you, can you please bring Takatora too?" Samus said as she tries to convince both the Kureshima brothers to show something.
"What is that?" Micchy clarified.
"Just call your brother, and you two will find out." Samus refuses to take a hint.
Later that same night...
Both Kureshima brothers and Samus arrived in an undisclosed location, just in the outskirts of Zawame City.
"Mitsuzane, what is Samus trying to show us?" Takatora asked.
"I don't even know too, nii-san. She asked me us to show something about..." Mitsuzane answered but paused at a second thought. As he first recalled how Samus encased herself in a spherical cocoon of energy...