Four of a Kind, part 5 - Straight Flush

Tribute to: Kamen Rider Blade

Author's Notes:

-Before I forget, Samus's personality throughout the story remains intact in terms of the games she appeared in (discounting Metroid: Other M); mostly stoic and badass. But, she can be easily intrigued by any of the Kamen Riders she met, such as Haruto/Wizard, Takumi/Faiz, Shotaro/W/Joker, etc. This is one of the difficulties I have about writing her, given the fact I recently finished Metroid Fusion which introduced me to Samus. But, since she was adopted by Takatora and Mitsuzane, Samus has becoming, to an extent more welcoming to humans in the present time, especially to the rest of the Riders she have met. Badassery notes, her Heisei Kamen Rider equivalents are Faiz, Kabuto, Decade (the first episode of his series has him lost all of his powers, similarly how Samus starts out without her power-ups), W (specifically Shotaro), Fourze (the space-venturing theme), Wizard, and Drive.

-Kenzaki, on the other hand, is even more difficult to write compared to Samus. Like what I mentioned in the previous part, I have thought about Kenzaki acting as a combination of Kusaka Masato from 555 and Asakura Takeshi from Ryuki, considering the fact that he is the Navy Joker. In that case, the Kenzaki here in this arc is the one he was depicted in the Blade novel written by Toshiki Inoue. Of all the Kamen Riders who will join Samus and her party, [SPOILER ALERT], Kenzaki is fourth strongest Kamen Rider to gain such distinction, others being Drive, Kabuto, and Faiz. Kiva is excluded, as he is substituted by IXA.

-Mitsuzane seems not so bad to write at all. As it is post-Gaim story, Micchy has finally over his past and reconcile with his internal conflicts (since the Other M tribute arc), with not only Takatora's help, but Samus plays a role of coping Micchy from his past; well so much for that Astronema reference. In addition, he has mentioning Kouta throughout in a rather fondly manner, much like how Samus constantly mused over Adam Malkovich during Fusion.

-Considering this, along with the first four parts of the Kamen Rider Blade tribute arc, as stated at the end of the Other M tribute part 5 (aside from the RX reference), Samus living with Takatora and Mitsuzane parallels to Hajime Aikawa (Kamen Rider Chalice/Joker Undead) in the said series, with a mother and child - Haruka and Amane Kurihara. Unlike Samus, as Takatora made that decision to let her stay in their home, Hajime lived Amane and Haruka at the request of the latter's father who was killed during his fight with Royal Club Undead as the Joker. Over the course of Blade, Hajime has becoming more welcoming to the human society, even after Kenzaki chose to sacrifice his humanity in the series finale.

As always, feedbacks are highly appreciated. I guess the majority of readers around here are mostly Kamen Rider fans. Faiz and Blade were the series that influenced me most. Well, when I looked onto the reviews, Dash master 48 commented, that he loved how Micchy is depicted in this story. As a result, Samus is literally the source of Mitsuzane's maturity point, despite the fact he usually followed her everywhere. And of that note, Micchy is considered as the Yoko Minato/Marika to Samus being the Kaito Kumon/Baron.

P.S., this part of the Kamen Rider Blade tribute chapter is dedicated to MsSamusAran, who wrote the story "I Was Born a Human Once". The story was so touching, it focuses how Samus would fit into the trends of Earthlings, even with the help of Adam Malkovich and along few known relatives. In the case of this crossover fic, Takatora Kureshima is considered as an "Adam clone".

-Kenzaki vs. Mitsuzane: No Holds Barred-

"Kenzaki!" Tachibana tries in vain to stop his friend from attacking Samus and her party. But, the de-transformed Kenzaki shoves him off. Tachibana still insisted.

"Tachibana-san... Please you have to kill me, seal me, or both!" Kenzaki pleaded Tachibana to kill him, but the latter refused, insisting that Kenzaki is still the same person he once knew.

Meanwhile, Mitsuzane cancels his transformation along with the Trans-Fusion mode, subsequently freeing Samus from Mitsuzane's body. Upon noticing Samus's presence within moments the party crept closer to Kenzaki, he shoves Tachibana again as he attempts to heckle Samus; only for Mitsuzane to retaliate as a result; escalating further into a fistfight between Mitsuzane and Kenzaki.

"Hey! Don't you know how to treat a lady?!" Mitsuzane shouted, unknown to Kenzaki, Samus remained in her Power Suit as the brawl escalates.

"You cur..." Kenzaki wiped the green blood from his mouth. "I will show you what it means to anger me!"

Mitsuzane spat on Kenzaki's face; causing the situation to go even worse, both men continued exchanging punches at each other. Takatora, Shinnosuke, and Go attempt to break the fight within moments they deactivated their transformation.

"Enough, Mitsuzane!" the older Kureshima even failed to restrain his brother from heckling Kenzaki. As both Mitsuzane and Kenzaki continued to wrestle and beating the hell out of each other, much to the horror of nearby bystanders, and Samus herself.

"If you really want to kill yourself so badly, do it somewhere else!" Mitsuzane grabs Kenzaki by the shirt before nailing him with a right hook to the face. "In fact, just keep crawling back to your rock and die already!"

Kenzaki stands up, retaliates by hitting Mitsuzane on the face again. It seems the younger Kureshima is teetering out of exhaustion after that Trans-Fusion mode. However, Mitsuzane himself continued to stand up, despite his fatigue condition, resuming the tussle with the Undead.

Takatora, Go, Shinnosuke, and Tachibana showed up as they attempt to restrain the brawlers; however failed to do so when they immediately broke free. Mitsuzane hits with a blatant low blow to Kenzaki, the kick to the groin was so powerful, Kenzaki kneels to the ground incapacitated.

In retaliation for attempting to heckle Samus, Mitsuzane points the Paralyzer at a defenseless Kenzaki.

"Can't you take a hint, you tyke! Come on, shoot me!" Kenzaki shouted at Mitsuzane, as the latter points the Paralyzer at him. Mitsuzane his hands while holding the gun trembling under pressure. "Shoot me now, damn it!" Kenzaki continued insisting.

Mitsuzane felt a paralyzing sensation on the trigger finger before he attempts to pull the trigger. Within moments, Mitsuzane intentionally lets go by dropping the Paralyzer, in a similar way during the fateful battle between him and Kouta, when he as Gaim in Kiwami Arms dropped the Musou Saber, allowing him to take the Yomotsuheguri Squash using Redyue's spear at that time.

Kenzaki thought he was going to be shot point blank, but once he looked straight to Mitsuzane, what is going on?

"Why am I still alive?" Kenzaki droned, as he asked why Mitsuzane decided to spare him instead.

"Before you think about committing suicide, convincing me or Tachibana-san to kill you. Reflect about the people who you wished to protect." Mitsuzane explains the reason of his refusal to kill Kenzaki. "After all, you are a hero to those who you protect."

"No! Because, I'm a..." Kenzaki butts in.

"It doesn't matter if you're no longer human. And, if you felt guilty about that decision to sacrifice your own humanity. Use that to make something useful." Mitsuzane rolled his eyes. "Fits of insanity won't do a thing. They say that the only cure for insanity is death. But, considering the fact you are a being almost beyond mortality."

Samus and the party managed to find Mitsuzane and Kenzaki. Noticing Mitsuzane talking some senses to Kenzaki, Samus came to Mitsuzane's side, discarding her suit before the Undead's eyes.

(cue: "All the World in One Girl" by The Wingless)

"You...!" Kenzaki was left a loss for words, realizing that's the same woman he almost attacked the other day.

"Kenzaki!" Tachibana rushed to his friend.

"Tachibana-san? What's going on?!" a confused Kenzaki said.

"This woman is on our side, Kenzaki." Tachibana nodded. "Her name is Samus Aran. She's a bounty hunter from the future."

"You... Since why did you have to hide yourself in some hunk-load of armor?" Kenzaki asked smugly at Samus.

"I was raised by bird-like aliens in my world, I called that the Power Suit." she responds to Kenzaki's question.

"Kenzaki... I known it has been a long while. I want you to come back, we will fight with her side-by-side. I heard from her that her world is in danger, and we Kamen Riders are chosen to fight with her. After all, you are still the same Kamen Rider Blade we all knew. If you wanted to die, what would I say to Hajime?" Tachibana convinces Kenzaki to return into the side of justice.

"Hajime?" it rang a bell on Kenzaki's head. As such, Kenzaki remembers Hajime Aikawa, the last Undead he fought before Kenzaki himself became the Joker, ultimately separating both of them after that climatic battle. The parting words he said to Hajime was "Keep moving forwards and stay with the humans."

"Even after we are forced to be distant from each other... Hajime must have cared for my well-being all along..." This time, it was Kenzaki's turn to nod and feel awkward, while bringing up the time he last fought the Joker Undead before he became one himself.

"That's why you share the same immortality as Hajime. You don't have to throw your life away so recklessly, Kenzaki. If you do, Hajime might return as the Joker, and humanity's extinction would hasten instantaneously. This is what Hajime himself is trying to tell me to you." Tachibana chided his comrade's actions, while trying his efforts to comfort him. Kenzaki stood up and instead walked away like a miserable man.

"Kenzaki!" Tachibana tries to stop him. "Don't tell me you're trying to-"

"No, Tachibana-san. I made up my mind. I have something important to do before coming back. Either way, I'm not gonna get myself killed out of your conviction."

A flabbergasted Tachibana nodded his head, it seems Kenzaki chose his destiny, accepting his Undead side, using it for good. It seems the Kenzaki we once knew seems to resurface slowly. Though Tachibana seems to be aware where is Kenzaki going next, but it seems he sighed in relief, that Kenzaki was able to regain his senses, along with his outlook in life, despite him now an Undead.

Moments later, Mitsuzane collapses from exhaustion, as the Trans-Fusion mode took a toll into his body this time. Takatora holds onto Mitsuzane through his shoulder.

-Mitsuzane: Conviction-

Later at the Kureshima's mansion...

The aftermath of the Trans-Fusion took a heavy toll to my body, sucking the life out of me. But, that strain is nothing in comparison... Meaning, I was able to prolong it out of sheer force of will.

At the moment I woke up, opening my eyes, I'm already at my room. We're already at home. Samus was sitting on the study table, with nii-san's laptop conversing with Adam.

"Ughhh..." I got up in sitting on the bed. I find myself waking up where a monkey began to play around me. "What's that... Samus? A monkey?"

"It's an Etecoon, Mitsuzane." she said, this so-called Etecoon joined with Samus after her mission with that research lab, and so this creature ended up here too...

"What happened? Where's Kenzaki-san?"

"He just walked away miserably." Samus nodded her head. "Despite that, he just got over about his immortality. Given the fact that he's Undead."

I recalled about being harsh to the guy, as much he was trying to kill himself. When I told him about wishing to die, I just said go "crawl back to a rock and die." I recalled the time when Kaito revealed his true colors at Sagara when he planned to seek out Mai-san for the Golden Fruit.

"Give up if you so desire. In fact, just crawl back under a rock and die! But, now I'm different! No matter how many times the world begins to beat me down, I will not stop fighting!" it was the moment when Kaito grabbed me on the shirt at the moment I was completely broken and hopeless. I threw it at Kenzaki-san, in a more harsh out of convincing him to snap some senses out of him.

"I feel sorry for that guy. He's trying to get himself killed out of shame." I stared at Samus, recalling why did that Kenzaki tried so hard of committing suicide, despite his immortality.

"Well, either do I." Samus nodded. "Why bother be ashamed of losing one's humanity, considering he was once a hero? In fact, that person Tachibana mentioned to him really cared for him so much as a friend. Even though the Chozo raised me, I never showed any hostility to humans, as such I am only focused with my own purpose in life. Quite frankly, saving the world at the cost of one's humanity is something I could not comprehend to. Mitsuzane, I have story to tell you..."

"What is that?" I nodded my head, while grabbing the food - a rice and mackerel miso, that was just placed near the lampshade, and ate on the bed; while listening to Samus's stories in her world.

"At one time, I was nearly corrupted by radioactive substance called Phazon. In my missions in the planets of Elysia, Bryyo, and then to the source of all Phazon, the planet Phaaze. Phazon had been the most hazardous element that has lurked in my world. Worse, a Metroid Prime began to take form of my likeness out of Phazon, which would be christened as Dark Samus. Dark Samus was responsible for corrupting three of my comrades into her Phazon-brainwashed servants. Dark Samus was just as equal as myself, going as far to turn me into her, but ultimately. I was able to end every trace of Phazon in the end." Samus said concisely, things that I heard from is Phazon. "Back there, I hadn't stopped Dark Samus before, I would've got completely corrupted, you don't know what I would end up being. That also goes for Kenzaki Kazuma, now that he had astray himself from humanity, including his own allies. Reasoning him would be in vain, even attempting to kill him would worsen him. Mitsuzane, the way you transition yourself by thinking about killing or sparing him made it clear."

"What's that?" I shook my head.

"If Kenzaki would kill himself, the other Joker Undead would resurface. That's why you did the right thing about sparing him." Samus folded her arms and nodded her head. And that 'other' Joker she was implying was the one Tachibana-san mentioned. "And, are you scared of killing him?"

"Yeah." I said in my thought. "But, it was worth a try to convince him to let him accept his destiny. I thought a person with insanity could be impossible to regain his senses... Only those close to him have enough conviction to make him change his mind."

"I see..." the huntress sighed. Before I could lean close to her and kiss her again... Only for it to cut short when I hear a knock from the door. Turns out nii-san checked me out... Well, that was too awkward, not to mention; the Etecoon was looking at this.

"Thank goodness you're finally awake, Mitsuzane." my brother said in relief. I said nothing at all, as he fetches the Etecoon, and he asks the monkey to stay on the outside. I can't believe no matter how small and cute it is, it seems to be intelligent, almost surpassing a normal human being... "Okay, carry on the two of you."

That was close. I was nearly embarrassed about the moment nii-san almost caught me kissing Samus. I just fall back on the bed, today is once again even more exhausting, and I needed a rest very badly. Even I was able to prolong the Trans-Fusion mode out of sheer force of will.

"Mitsuzane, I'm going to change clothes. So turn around for a while. AND don't peep!" moments later, she begins changing her clothes.

"Okay, go ahead." I said back.

While she begins disrobing her usual clothes, Samus begins to ask me of how was I able to hold onto the Trans-Fusion for too long without succumbing to its leeching effects.

"Tell me something, Mitsuzane, how were you able to prolong the Trans-Fusion without collapsing at the first place?" she demanded.

"Because, I have already reconciled with my inner conflicts of my past. That's why I made a promise to myself to continue protecting others, even if it means putting my own life on the line. Everything that happened to me is my own responsibility, how much more the world had already turned against me now, and how much more I could take the price that I'm not even willing to pay. But, that pain is nothing in comparison. If I can't forgive the way I am now, then I have to become someone different. This is what I learned from Kouta-san when he once said to my brother's mind."

"It's because they never gave up on you, no matter how enormity of your crimes were in the past. Yet, they were quick to forgive you. I can tell that by that look in your eyes." she smiled. "So, that's why you are trying to go in further heights such as protecting me by just take the beating from the likes Ridley and Blade that was intended to me. Well, that's so sweet of you, Mitsuzane. I never expect to see a prince protecting his beautiful maiden making a sacrifice for her."

"Exactly. Ever since that day nii-san decided to let you stay in our home, everything felt harmonious. Quite frankly, we couldn't abandon you for a reason. And, the reason why I was able to prolong that Trans-Fusion ability is out of my own sheer force of will. My own determination to repent myself from the crimes I committed, and the resolve to fight was the worth of accomplishment I have now." I sighed before looking away after Samus changes her clothes, with just a white tank top and her underwear. (Note: That's her ending outfit from Metroid II: Return of Samus)

-Mitsuzane: Getting Turned On-

Well, I have absolutely no complains about her wearing such scanty clothes; it seems she is always used to this even when she lives in her own spaceship.

"You can look now." she muttered. I am left utterly speechless of how she dressed whenever she sleeps. Luckily, my nose did not bleed.

"Hey, Mitsuzane."

"What is it, Samus?"

"Have I ever dirtied your mind lately?" she asked innocently.

"No. I did. I admit how reckless I am, and ended myself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Nii-san told me that accidents do happen. Despite your lack of modesty, you don't bother revealing yourself to anyone behind your power suit."

"I'll take that as a compliment." she smirked, within moments she gave me a peck to the forehead. I never seen her becoming more welcoming to the present time before, long before nii-san and I first met her; she was just focused on finding the other Kamen Riders alone. It seems, every Rider she met began to change her outlook in humanity and herself on the present time. There, she begins know how to love, even she even protested its notion; realizing this she chose to bond with me after she helped me get a grip of my emotions.

"Come here." within moments after she undid her ponytail, she pulled me into a hug, wrapping her arms right through my head, she gently pushed her breasts onto my face. This is the second time I felt something like this, even if I had a hard time breathing while being buried under a woman's bosom.

"Samus, I can't breathe..." I couldn't help but be under the spell of her beauty while having my head being buried under her chest!

"Imagine if you bury your face under your own pillow, that 'jiggling' sensation kinda makes you turned on. So, this is what they call "marshmallow heaven", what a weird name." I had to break the fourth wall with my own thoughts... Again, if somebody liked to get their faces squished by some kind of cleavage cusion. "By the way, I guess its up to everybody's imagination how big Samus's melons are." (A/N: Ironically, Zangetsu and Zangetsu Shin's motif are obviously based on a melon - muskmelon and Yubari King Canteloupe. Also, melons are euphemism for a woman's breasts.)

My heart started beating rapidly about this kind of feeling. But, I don't want to do this kind of romantic intimacy with her out of self-restraint... In that case, before I could think about passing out while being buried under her chest...

I... I... feel so dirty. My face becomes so extremely red as if I got a fever that is almost hot as steam. I can't even feel my legs in this state, as if... The soft mound of her breasts against my face... I thought I must be dreaming, but this is deja vu. That's right, that feeling being smothered by her breasts, it feels like I'm under its spell!

"Aaagghhhh!"

"Urobuchi-san... Ondurur uragitta ndiskuaaaaaaa!?" I let out a scream moments upon passing out. It's a very insane way to turn a lady on. It feels like both heaven AND hell!

-Kamen Rider Blade vs. Ridley!-

The following day...

Elsewhere, Kenzaki seems to return normal, even after being convinced by Tachibana and Samus to once again fight on their side. While strolling his motorcycle to an unknown destination. Kenzaki recalls why Tachibana brought up what Hajime felt for him.

"Hajime..." Kenzaki reflected how Hajime made it clear to be more welcoming to humanity. Even if they don't want to see each other again. What Tachibana told him is to join with the bounty hunter's battle against the aliens that would invade her world.

"It doesn't matter if you're no longer human. And, if you felt guilty about that decision to sacrifice your own humanity. Use that to make something useful." he recalls what Mitsuzane told him. Kenzaki still carried that Blay Buckle with him ever since he kept himself in the dark. While looking at it, it makes clear to him he will continue fighting at his own destiny and will definitely win.

Along the way, Kenzaki sees something flying from the sky. He mistook it for an Undead.

"What is that?" he muttered, as it turns out to be a flying dragon, it flew past through Kenzaki. Seeing this to be a threat, Kenzaki chases it. He hops on board with his motorcycle, called the Blue Spader as he bolts out.

Meanwhile at the Kureshima's mansion...

Samus monitors the ships orbit through Takatora's laptop, where Adam's AI uploaded to respond to her gunship's orbit. Within moments, Samus begins to pick up two signals going racing against each other. When she identifies both to be Kenzaki and the other one happens to be Ridley, this means business.

"So, he survived?" Samus thought that Ridley couldn't be killed by mere Kamen Riders. Moments later, Takatora receives a call from Tachibana, and alarms the latter that Kenzaki is chasing after Ridley.

Back with Kenzaki. He continued tailing Ridley, much to the Space Pirate's shock, it seems that a Kamen Rider is after him; proving to be an obstacle to his attempt to kill Samus, Ridley turns his attention at Kenzaki...

"Henshin!" as Kenzaki already equipped the Blay Buckle within a nick of time.

"TURN UP!" the belt declared, as a rectangular barrier projects from the belt, upon passing right through it, Kenzaki transforms into Kamen Rider Blade as he prepares to take matter on his own hands. Blade draws two cards from the Blay Rouzer.

"ABSORB QUEEN!" upon inserting the Absorb Capricorn on the Rouze Absorber.

"FUSION JACK!" then swipes the Fusion Eagle afterwards, thus giving Blade golden accents on his visage and armor, thus transforming him to his Jack Form. Blade takes flight with this form as he attempts to pin Ridley down to the ground.

"SLASH! THUNDER!" Blade proceeds to swipe both the Slash Lizard and Thunder Deer cards on the Blay Rouzer. "LIGHTNING SLASH!"

Blade begins to swoop Ridley around the air, within moments, he cuts Ridley's left wing, immediately pinning him down to the ground. Kenzaki lands safely as he reverts back to his Ace Form.

"Wow, this is delicious!" Kenzaki remarked at the sight of Ridley's severed left wing, angering the space dragon. When Ridley attempts to hit Kenzaki with his claws, the Kamen Rider instead parried it. Not knowing Kenzaki's immortality, Ridley's futile attempts of killing the Rider were all for naught, the Space Pirate ends up receiving more than ten Rider Kicks from Kenzaki. Ridley has received enough quite a beating at Kenzaki's hands.

(cue: ROUND ZERO~BLADE BRAVE by Aikawa Nanase)

Moments later, Samus and her party arrived at the scene (composed of Mitsuzane, Takatora, and Tachibana).

"Kenzaki..." Tachibana was found dumbfounded at Kenzaki for singlehandedly outmatching Ridley without letting the Space Pirate laying a scratch on him.

"Should we help him?" Mitsuzane asked towards Samus.

"No. Perhaps, we should let him do his thing." Samus instead spectates at the scene, finding such amusement within moments Ridley is left at the mercy of Kenzaki Kazuma, also known as Kamen Rider Blade.

"ABSORB QUEEN!"

"EVOLUTION KING!" This time, Kenzaki swipes the Evolution Caucasus card on the Rouze Absorber. As a result, all 13 Category Ace Cards came popping out of the Blay Rouzer as each of them began to merge on every part of Kamen Rider Blade's body, forming a regal, and knightly armor in the form of King Form.

Kenzaki as Blade in King Form, wasted no time in giving Ridley a more punishing beat down, as he instead chose to finish him off quickly as possible, five cards emanate themselves from his armor, subsequently come into his hands.

-SPADE TEN!-

-SPADE JACK!-

-SPADE QUEEN!-

-SPADE KING!-

-SPADE ACE!-

"ROYAL STRAIGHT FLUSH!" the King Rouzer exclaimed as Blade inserted all the every Spade card on the sword. As such, all five cards in their holographic form appear in front of Blade. He jumps in the air, raising the sword up high, Blade swung the King Rouzer at Ridley with a powerful slash, ultimately cleaving him in half. Ridley lets out a final scream as he is engulfed by the explosion.

Samus and company were astounded by Kenzaki being able to slay Ridley singlehandedly, in which Samus is capable of. How could a Kamen Rider singlehandedly topple down this kind of enemy, despite how huge Ridley is.

Afterwards, Kenzaki de-transforms. Tachibana finally notices his comrade finally smiling.

"Tachibana-san!" Kenzaki approaches Tachibana, both who hugged each other. "I decided. I'm fighting with the rest of you side-by-side!"

"Kenzaki... I knew it, you were coming back all along!" Tachibana choked between his nervousness after that battle earlier. Kenzaki then turned his attention to Samus.

"Thank you." Kenzaki said simply at the bounty hunter, amidst the reunion between him and Tachibana. "My thoughts are finally at peace, that's why I will continue living on to protect others." Kenzaki immediately shook hands with the bounty hunter, after introducing himself to her once more.

Kenzaki eventually left once he got onto his bike. Afterwards, Tachibana follows him. It seems Kenzaki once again resolved to protect humanity, despite no longer human.

Meanwhile, returning home. Mitsuzane discovers a fruit of Helheim sprouting on the gate. The Etecoons pointed it to him, once he crept close to it, he put his Sengoku Driver on. Upon collecting the fruit, it immediately turned into a Lockseed, as a result Mitsuzane gains a newer Budou Lockseed, with that he can transform into Ryugen once more.

"Kouta-san..." Mitsuzane looked onto the night sky, happier than ever when he finally receives a miracle from his friend living on a distant planet.

to be continued

A/N: sorry I got long writing this part. Because from that previous chapter, I have thought making Micchy break the fourth wall, here, he does it again for the second time.