Kamen Rider Smash
Episode 13 – Slaying the Darkness
Data File #16: Light and Shadows
"Kenshin is awakening the dormant Subspace powers within him and making it tougher for CORE to subdue him. While Dedede and Zelda came up with the plan to seal Kenshin, I have other plans. Upon learning that Junmei has access to a balance of light and dark elements a new plan was drafted. Junmei is to use Simon and Richter's Tokens to free Kenshin from the Ganondorf Tokens control. We've already retrieved the Tokens from Zelda; all that's left is to get back to Smash City."
Zero and Meta Knight rushed in, the two slashing at Kenshin at the same time. The rider blocked against both with his arms as he managed to hold them back. The two pushed forward however, increasing the pressure on their blades and digging into his armor slightly. The Rider yelled out and released a burst of aura to force the two backwards.
"Falcon Punch!" Captain Falcon called out as he unleashed a fiery punch against Kenshin. To the shock of everyone however, the Rider stepped to the side and grabbed Captain Falcon's wrist to stop the attack.
Kenshin scoffed as he flicked his wrist, easily throwing Captain Falcon on his back. He then lifted his foot up before slamming it down at the bounty hunters head. Captain Falcon had quickly moved up and recovered to avoid, jumping up and sending a punch downwards. Kenshin ducked and dodged, performing a gut punch against Falcon with his left fist.
Captain Falcon coughed before holding his arms up in defense; despite this an uppercut from Kenshin broke through his brace and struck him straight in the chin. Wasting no time Kenshin went into a Dempsey Roll, easily striking Captain Falcon several times and sending him to the ground.
Zero rushed forward and aimed a slash only to get struck in his chest while he was open. He gasped out as Kenshin hammered several precise hits against his joins before he was thrown backwards from a palm strike.
"He's getting smarter," Meta Knight said as he narrowed his eyes before looking around. Captain Falcon was lying down, trying to get up but unable to recover. Zero meanwhile sparked slightly as he received heavy damage to his joints. "And we're down to just me."
Gunfire was suddenly heard as sparks began forming against Kenshin's back. Kenshin perked up and began to turn only to suddenly raise his arm. The corrupted Rider braced against a sudden blue blur that was soon revealed to be Sonic the Hedgehog.
"Well now buddy, you really need to work on better anger management plans than this!" Sonic called out as he had kicked against Kenshin before bouncing away from the Rider when he was grabbed at.
"Die!" Kenshin snarled out as he launched forward, his fist covered in darkness as he punched towards Sonic. A thud was heard as it was revealed he punched against Arsene, Joker having gotten in the way.
"Tetrakarn!" Joker called out as Arsene gathered the dark energy from the attack before sending it back at Kenshin and forcing him backwards.
"What a rebellious youth," Arsene commented before disappearing.
"That's for sure, come on Kenshin I thought you were better than this," Joker remarked rubbing his wrists slightly.
"Shut up!" Kenshin yelled out before suddenly laser fire and shuriken of light bombarded him from both sides. To his surprise the ones that attacked against him were Blaze and Fuma, the two holding serious expressions.
"Honestly partner this is a bit sad to see," Blaze commented. "I thought you were a hero not a monster."
"You are not the one I fought against," Fuma said simply as he pointed his blade at Kenshin. "Release the warrior of justice this instant you beast!"
Kenshin held his head as he gave a growl, "Shut up, all of you just shut up and die!" A finger tap was suddenly felt on Kenshin's shoulder, when he turned he was suddenly grabbed by his chest armor's collar.
Terry Bogard was the culprit and he wasted no time in performing an uppercut that slammed Kenshin upwards into the air. Terry spread his arms out before gathering energy, launching himself forward. "Burn Knuckle!" He yelled out, a spiral of blue and green flames trailing behind him as he struck against Kenshin's stomach just as he landed. The Rider coughed out before being sent tumbling backwards.
"Oh-ho, very nice," Sonic gave a thumb up.
"Idiot," Terry called out to Kenshin as he straightened up, fixing his cap since it had gotten loose while he pulled off his combo. "Snap out of it already!"
"Just shut up," Kenshin called out as he began to get up, his body slumping slightly though his aura increased as he began to regain stamina. "I just want everything to end."
"So does your sister," Terry said seriously as he began walking towards Kenshin. "The reason I came is because your sister wanted my help. The others came because your friends asked for their help. We haven't met but from what Junmei said, you're not like this. You're no monster that wants it all to end."
"Even if we fall so long as we give them more time that's all that matters," Joker spoke up. "There will be plenty of others who show up to stall or stop you."
"Exactly, it'd make it a lot easier if you just took that armor off," Sonic added.
"We all know you're not like this kid," Blaze reminded.
"We may have only met once, yet our bond is strong," Fuma replied. "That is why we are the ones to confront you."
"So what's it going to be?" Terry asked as he stopped right in front of Kenshin. "Will we do this the easy way or the hard way?"
Kenshin gave a scoff as dark energy began crackling in his hands, his fingers twitching as he was ready to grab Terry right there and then to deal a heavy blow. Suddenly pounding was heard from above; everyone turned their heads to look towards the source of the pounding.
The roofing began to bend in a certain spot before being blasted open fully. Samus soon came through freefalling towards the ground with Junmei right behind, having transformed into her armor's base form during their trip back. The two fell side by side as they landed on one knee each. The two then rose and fully stood up, staring at the sight before them.
"Samus!" Captain Falcon called out with a laugh, having just barely managed to push himself into a sitting position.
"Sorry we took so long," Samus apologized, wincing a bit at how much damage had been done to not only the stadium but her colleagues. She took a deep breath and turned to the corrupted Rider. "Kenshin, we're here to save you."
"I don't need saving!" Kenshin snapped as he turned towards the two, completely forgetting about Terry in the process.
"I'm sorry," Junmei said as she stepped forward. "I thought that if I stayed away then I'd spare you from pain. But maybe if I did stick around, you wouldn't be in this situation. But it's alright now, I'm not going anywhere. You saved me, so I'll return the favor and save you." She then drew out her new Tokens. "Simon… Richter…" She gripped them tightly. "It's time to disperse this darkness!" She swapped her two main Tokens for the two Belmonts before initiating the transformation.
[PARALLEL COMBINATION]
Transparent versions of Simon and Richter formed beside Junmei, the two standing at the ready. The two slid towards and overlapped with her body, a brown light covering her body.
[SIMON! RICHTER! KAMEN RIDER ECHO: HOLY PROTECTOR!]
The brown light began to unravel from Junmei's body in the form of chains, revealing her new form in the process. She was now wearing a brown bodysuit with blue and white accented armor on her forearms, shoulders, and shins. Her chest also had blue and white accented armor, the armor shaped like an open jacket. The forearm pieces of armor were placed over rounded gauntlets that covered her arms fully; in the gauntlets were chains that could be fed out through a slot near the wrists. The helmet was brown and rounded with sharp blue plating along it to accent it, a silver crusher mouthpiece and white compound eyes topping it off.
On her hips were two double sided axes' that held a cross insignia on them, at the end of the hilt were small hooks that seemed to hold them at her belt.
"Now then, let's end this," Junmei called as she drew both axes, throwing them into the air before catching them with crossed arms.
"I will end this!" Kenshin roared out as he coated his forearms in dark energy, pounding his fists together as he got in a fighting stance.
The two siblings rushed at each other, Junmei using her nimble nature to strike at Kenshin with her axes first. Kenshin swung against the axes to counter the attacks, dark and light sparks flying as the attacks connected with each other. Kenshin crossed his arms as Junmei brought down both axes against his arms, managing to dig them into the armor slightly.
"Got you," Junmei called out as the axes turned a bright white, light energy being channeled through them as it began to burn away the darkness that was coursing through the armor.
Kenshin growled before throwing his arms to the sides, forcing the axes out of Junmei's grip and sending them flying. He then rushed in to try and grab her only to reel back as his hands and stomach were suddenly struck several times.
"Nice try," Junmei said as she had extended out the chains from her gauntlets and began using them as whips. She then threw her arms up, the chain whips launching towards the airborne axes. The chains latched onto the hooks as she retracted the chains and slammed them downwards. Slicing was heard as she managed to slam both axes into Kenshin's shoulders.
"This is… nothing," Kenshin growled out though it was clear the form was having an effect on the armor.
"Sorry, but this form was made to destroy dark creatures." Junmei then jumped up before retracting her chains. The axes were lodged into Kenshin's armor enough to where she was flung towards him. She then kicked out with both legs and planted her boots into her brother's chest. "Wake up already!" She called out as she channeled light into her boots and axes, dark smoke coming off of Kenshin as he was burned by the attacks.
"Leave me alone!" Kenshin called out as he gathered dark energy in his hands while spreading his arms out.
Junmei noticed this and dislodged her axes while kicking off of Kenshin, flipping and avoiding being smacked between his hands as a result.
Kenshin charged forward and sent a kick to stomp Junmei into the ground. The female Rider ducked and dodged, slipping past the male. Despite this Kenshin turned and gathered an orb of dark energy, though it was quickly batted into his face by Junmei's axe, the sister being faster on the draw than he was.
Junmei jumped back before calling on Simon's power, both of her weapons glowing with a bright energy as she charged forward.
Kenshin responded by gathering dark energy between the tusks on his helmet, yelling out and unleashing a beam of dark energy forward while aiming downward. The ground began to be scorched and torn up as Junmei continued on her course, getting closer and closer before flipping above Kenshin and landing behind him. Junmei then threw both light infused axes at Kenshin, the axes striking and exploding in a burst of light energy.
"Did she do it?" Joker asked, having been looking on with everyone once it was clear that Junmei was taking over.
"Don't count someone out until they're down on the floor," Blaze replied.
Kenshin yelled out as he unleashed an invisible force that kicked away the fire and smoke revealing his scorched armor. Of course what was now apparent was the armor and bodysuit were chipping away, lighter versions of both peeking out from underneath.
"I figured, that darkness is acting as a protective coating," Junmei said as she went for calling on Richter's power now, launching out chains and moving her arms forward. The chains began wrapping around her forearm and hands creating makeshift chain gauntlets that soon caught on fire. White flames burned brightly as she got into a fighting stance. "I'll burn away that tainted armor if I have to!"
Junmei rushed forward and began striking at Kenshin with her flaming chained fists, managing to get several good hits in despite the Rider trying to defend with his arms. Junmei then went for a stronger punch against her brother's chest, the force being so strong she jumped back and skidded a bit after performing it. She then pressed down both buttons as her body combusted into an aura of white flames.
[FOR GLORY!]
Junmei rushed forward going for a fire filled punch as Kenshin went for a darkness filled punch, both attacks clashing but Junmei's prevailing and forcing Kenshin to stagger backwards. Junmei rushed in, going for three strong gut punches, the final one transferring some of the flames from her body to Kenshin and trapping him in a flaming prison.
[HOLY PROTECTOR K.O.!]
Junmei crossed both of her arms forward before throwing them upwards into the air, the rest of the fire on her transferring to Kenshin's fiery prison. The intensity and transfer was so great that the prison morphed into a pillar of white fire, engulfing the arena in a white light.
Suddenly it was dark; Kenshin was sitting alone in a black plane of nothingness, knees held up and covering his head as his arms were wrapped around them.
"Kenshin…"
"Go away…" Kenshin mumbled as he kept his head down.
"Kenshin, come on."
"Stop talking to me… just leave me here…" Kenshin muttered, increasing the volume of his voice as he put his hands over his ears.
"I'm not leaving without you."
Kenshin gripped his head tightly before he looked up. "WHY?!" He called out before giving a light gasp, seeing Junmei standing over him. His eyes widened before he looked down slightly while letting his legs down. "Why are you here?"
"I'm here to take you home," Junmei said as she looked towards her brother.
"I'm a failure as a brother… I'm a failure as a Rider… just let me sink into darkness…" Kenshin trailed as he looked off to the side. "No one would miss me."
"None of that is true," Junmei replied, giving a soft smile. "Everyone here at this stadium, including myself, we're all here for you. So you made one mistake, so what? A real Rider would never let this be the end; you and I both know that." She then held out her hand as she bent forward.
Kenshin gave a sigh before looking up at Junmei. "Why are you doing this for me? Why are you going this far for me?"
"Because you're my brother, I'm your sister," Junmei flashed a smile causing Kenshin to stare in shock. "It doesn't matter if you don't remember me right away, I'll help you. No matter how long it takes, just know that you aren't alone. You have friends and a family."
"I…" Kenshin began to raise his hand before letting it drop. "Junmei… what am I?" He asked as he stared at his hands, a blue pulse appearing from them briefly. "The darkness is fading… but I can still feel something else."
"Kenshin…" Junmei trailed, she realized that her brother was becoming aware of the source of his powers. While keeping it a secret was an option, she knew she had to let out the truth. "That's because your power… it comes from Subspace… it comes from Tabuu. We were both brought to him and he ended up taking over your body."
"Then… I am a monster," Kenshin stared at his hands before they were suddenly grabbed, Kenshin looking up to see Junmei squatting in front of him. "…what?"
"A monster wouldn't have used those powers to save me, you allowed me to escape before Tabuu fully took over." Junmei answered before letting go and standing up, taking a step back to give her brother space. "Not to mention, you don't have Tabuu in you anymore. You may have his powers but you're free to do whatever you want with them."
"But I…" Kenshin trailed. "How can I be a Rider if my power comes from a being that's terrorized all of my friend's lives? Someone who's constantly tried to endanger this world…?"
"That's because that's what Kamen Riders are," Junmei admitted. "The circumstances may be different, but they share a deep connection with their enemies. It's what they choose to do with their powers, how they live, that's important."
"How they live?" Kenshin asked.
"Yes, and I know and have felt what you've done as Kamen Rider Smash," Junmei answered with a smile as she crossed her arms, transparent images of various members of CORE alongside others like Fuma, Blaze and Joker appearing. "You've helped so many people out in your short time as a Kamen Rider, made tons of friends and allies. Everyone here in this stadium today, they're fighting so hard because they want you back. You've touched so many lives in so many ways. You've proven that you're different than Tabuu. You can't let this be the end."
"I…" Kenshin stared at the images of everyone as his uncertain expression began to waver, it turning to a more relaxed one.
"I know it must be scary finding this out, but I won't be far away anymore," Junmei smiled as she bent over and held out her hand. "Like I said we'll get through this together, I promise."
Kenshin gave a light smile before raising his hand and grasping his sister's hand, in an instant an invisible wind blew outwards from the center, the black void disintegrating to reveal a bright white void.
When the light faded, Junmei was standing in front of Kenshin who was completely still. Despite the finisher the armor was still in the same state it was when she had initiated it. However dark smoke began exiting his body alongside the Ganondorf Token.
"Did… did it work?" Captain Falcon asked.
"Shush," Samus said as she heard a distinct sound. "I hear… chipping."
She was indeed correct as cracks and chips began to form along the armor and bodysuit before the dark coloration suddenly shattered. The bodysuit was less bulky than before but still had a bit of bulk to it, though it was now a bright green coloration. The armor's shape stayed the same but was less bulky as it was fitted to the new bodysuit. However the armor was brown now with silver trimming, the cape being blue with gold trimming. The white armor was now brighter with brighter green detailing. His hand and foot armor remaining the same.
The helmet was now brown with bright green accents, having a smoother build as the most of a pig motif there was were tusks that ran along the sides. The helmet had a silver crusher mouth with bright green compound eyes, the head crest remaining the same.
"Let's go home," Junmei said as she took out her Tokens and dismissed her transformation.
"Right," Kenshin said as he grabbed both tokens and took them out. It revealed that he was fairly bruised up still but more so he looked extremely tired. "I think… I think I'll take a nap first though." He admitted before his eyes closed and passed out.
Junmei quickly moved over and caught him, slowly sitting down while setting him down. "That's fine… just rest for now."
"Mission Accomplished," Samus sighed in relief as she began to walk over, the others gathered at the arena doing the same.
In one of the balcony spots however, the entire battle had two audience members who had chosen not to reveal their presence. The two were none other than Bayonetta and Rodin, having sensed the powerful darkness emanating from Kenshin and went to go take a look.
"I must admit these Kamen Riders are certainly interesting," Bayonetta mentioned as she looked over the scene. "Especially considering the power they draw from. That girl in particular is an interesting case."
"If my information is correct, that boy was making Palutena sweat," Rodin mentioned as he took out his cigar before releasing a purple flame from his finger, lighting it up. "So she decided to make her own Rider to counter him. Looks like that didn't work out well for her."
"Indeed, seems like things are about to get a lot more fun around here," Bayonetta admitted.
"I'm so sorry!" Pit called out as he gave a bow to Palutena, having immediately returned after Junmei and Samus had left. "We were going with Zelda's plan until Samus and Junmei stopped us! I had already given the Tokens over so I didn't really have a say in Zelda's decision!"
"It's fine, the only one who would have been able to use them is Junmei either way," Palutena said, though she was a bit surprised at Zelda's decision, she figured the princesses reasoning was sound enough to trust. "It's not like Junmei is our enemy either, even if she's letting her emotions rule her judgment."
"Okay but what if Kenshin isn't as bad as we think he is?" Pit asked. "Not counting this whole mess mind you."
"Perhaps he isn't, but as the sole guardian of this world I have to be prepared for anything," Palutena admitted as she closed her eyes. "I failed once against Tabuu and look at what nearly happened."
"Lady Palutena…" Pit trailed.
"Master Hand and Crazy Hand are no more, the only thing left after Galeem and Dharkon's conquest was Master Core," Palutena said but mostly to herself as she opened her eyes and looked off to the side. "Master Core cannot act or think on its own. Thus as a goddess I am the next in line to take charge. So if anything happens to this world it's my responsibility as a result."
"So what's the plan now then?" Pit asked. "I mean, Junmei is absolutely not going to come back now."
"I find another Kamen Rider," Palutena said simply. "Even if those two wish to protect this world, things will only get worse from here. I can't let that happen."
"Another Kamen Rider, but given Kenshin and Junmei's unique status regarding their powers, how exactly is that going to work?" Pit asked.
"Simple, we create a Rider System that anyone is able to use instead of creating another Token Driver," Palutena answered as she began to head off. "If you could reach Rosalina for me, I need to see if she has a way of checking in on other worlds."
"Yes ma'am!" Pit gave a salute before quickly heading off.
As Palutena walked she eventually came across a scientist who was assisting her. "How has your research been progressing?"
"Very well surprisingly, we were studying Junmei's World and it appears that there are several class structures of our population created by that world." The scientist explained. "Shall I brief you on what I've learned?"
"Not right now, keep up the research but I'm glad to hear that heavy progress is being made." Palutena admitted. "I'll check back in a week or so."
"Yes ma'am, we'll definitely have something by that time," The scientist said before heading back to the lab.
Meijin and Sayomi walked through the hallways of a laboratory, the two having been hearing reports of the fighting at the stadium ending as they walked through.
"Sounds like they were able to stop him," Sayomi said as they stopped at a particular door. "Do you think it was Echo?"
"More than likely, her power is probably the only thing that can match Kenshin's at this point," Meijin replied as he turned to the door and held his hand against the scan pad on the side. His hand was scanned before the door was unlocked. He then entered along with Sayomi, soon finding a fairly large dimly lit lab.
"Come now, must you people barge in all the time? I've finally figured out the perfect ratio of Shadow Bugs to place in the Shadow Grenades!" An elderly voice called out as the two approached the single brightly lit spot in the room. An older grey haired balding man in a lab coat was currently working on filling up a Shadow Grenade with the right amount of Shadow Bugs from a container device. There were various holographic screens with statistics, blueprints, and information all in front of him.
"This is important Dr. Wily," Meijin said as he approached the robotics expert. "However I am very much pleased that you've figured out the Shadow Grenades."
"We need your expertise," Sayomi called as she approached as well. "It's because we've finally got our next project for you."
"Next project you say? I assumed you were going to get me to finally modify the Galleom Mecha you wanted to reuse for the army," Dr. Wily mentioned as he continued to tinker with the grenade.
"There's that but we want to push it back or to the side if possible," Meijin said as he got beside Wily and took control of a screen, accessing the Subspace Army's data logs of Kamen Rider Smash and Echo before sliding it into Wily's view. "You've heard the rumblings of the Kamen Rider, right?"
"Yes, apparently it's CORE's secret weapon," Wily mentioned as he looked over the footage. "What about it?"
"We'd like you to put together a crew of our finest scientists to create our own Drivers," Meijin explained. "They will allow us to utilize the Smash Tokens abilities alongside the power of Subspace."
"I'll need more data than this footage can provide," Dr. Wily gave a scoff as he took the screen away from Meijin as he sped through it. "Not enough, not nearly enough!"
"So is that a yes?" Sayomi asked.
"Of course, give me a week though before I can start preparations," Dr. Wily replied as he scratched his head. "If I'm to do anything involving this Driver you want me to create then I need proper data. To get proper data I need both Riders to go all out against an opponent. I shall make that opponent myself and concoct a scenario that forces them to use all of their abilities."
"I would hope you have several backup plans in case things go wrong," Meijin remarked with a more tense sound in his voice, clearly not liking that one of their greatest assets would be putting themselves at risk.
"Give me some credit my boy," Wily waved off Meijin's concern before going back to work on the Shadow Grenades. "Now if you'll excuse me I've got to prepare for this plan. Though I may require your assistance on some aspects, so do feel free to stop by. Regardless once it is done I will get started on your project."
1 Week Later
"Now then I hope everyone read the letters I sent out and reviewed the video footage I showed," King Dedede said, his face a bit more serious than usual due to the current situation. He alongside Samus and Junmei were sitting at one side of a circular table in a meeting room. Around the table were holographic projections of Marth, Zelda, Mewtwo, Peach, and Palutena.
The various leaders had been briefed on Kenshin's status as Kamen Rider Smash. Junmei's status as Kamen Rider Echo and being Kenshin's sister was given alongside her choice to work with CORE. And finally they were given a detailed report on Kenshin's powers relating to Tabuu, alongside the incident involving Hajime, Meijin and Sayomi.
"I'm curious as to how long you were going to keep this from us," Mewtwo mentioned as he looked over. "You seemed to take your sweet time."
"Smash Token acquisition is CORE's top priority, not to mention with the Perfect Life debacle as well as the illegal distribution of Smash Tokens, we've been too busy," Samus replied as she crossed her arms. "King Dedede should have informed you; in fact he should have also made Kamen Rider Smash Public by now. But I know he is a busy man."
"Yeah, you try running the infrastructure that is Smash City and then ask me that question again," King Dedede called out in an annoyed tone. "Point is we're finally telling you."
"Alongside the incident that involved Kamen Rider Smash much to my surprise," Marth mentioned as he looked over to Dedede. "Despite that stunt you're still willing to let him run around with that power?"
"We've reviewed the situation already," King Dedede countered. "It was clever tactics against us by the enemy, clearly they had a plan and we weren't prepared for it."
"It was one mistake," Samus replied. "Besides we were able to get the situation under control and only one stadium is now decommissioned compared to a large chunk of the city."
"How do we know it'll be just one mistake?" Palutena asked. "You seem to be pretty lenient with him."
"He's only human," Junmei spoke up, a bit annoyed at the distrust of her brother. "So he made one mistake, he'll learn from it. You all are acting like he's some kind of monster when he clearly isn't."
"She does make a good point," Zelda said, giving Junmei's words the benefit of the doubt. "If any of us were in his position, could we have changed the outcome?"
"Need I remind everyone here what the power that boy wielded did to us?" Mewtwo questioned.
"You've been fairly quiet Peach," Samus mentioned, deciding to cut off Mewtwo in favor of asking the quiet Princess who was lost in thought. "What are your thoughts on the matter?"
Peach was a bit surprised to be called out but gave a sincere smile, "Well… It may be my bias speaking but I'd like to imagine Kenshin wouldn't do all that on purpose. He's only a young man who barely has a recollection of who he truly is. Living in my care he didn't seem like Tabuu in the slightest, in fact the two are polar opposites."
"You're right it is your bias," Mewtwo rolled his eyes as he looked to the side.
"Please let her finish," Samus said with a light glare.
"I think that it's wonderful he does have a true family," Peach mentioned as she looked over to Junmei. "I'm sure Junmei here will help him however she can being his sister. Plus he's helped so many people as a Kamen Rider right? I'm willing to trust Samus and King Dedede on their decision."
"I'm also willing to put my trust in them," Zelda said, much to the other leader's surprise. It seemed as though her conversation with Junmei and the result of the fight had given her reason to relax. "I'm still a bit wary but I do believe the situation is in good hands."
"If Junmei considers her brother safe to continue then I do as well," Marth said simply, seemingly wanting to get a move on with this meeting.
"You know my answer," Mewtwo replied.
"Mine as well," Palutena added simply.
"If that is all there is to say then the meeting is adjourned," King Dedede replied before each Leader began dismissing their holograms, except for Palutena who stayed where she was. "Issues getting the tech to turn off, Palutena?"
"No I simply wish to speak to you all privately," Palutena replied. "I'd like to request for Junmei to come back to work for me."
"That's a pretty gutsy move considering what you pulled," Samus remarked.
"I'm going to have to decline that offer," Junmei replied. "But you knew that already, didn't you?"
"I suppose I had to give it the old college try," Palutena admitted with a small smile. "I suppose if you won't come back, I can only say one thing. I'm sorry for lying to you about your brother. But I couldn't be too sure; it felt like too much of a coincidence. You have to understand."
"Considering my brothers state I'd be a bit wary too," Junmei admitted as she stood up and walked over to the hologram of the goddess. "The point still stands that you chose to use me because you distrusted him. Kamen Riders shouldn't fight; they should help each other out."
"And if he loses control like that again?" Palutena asked, not wanting to prod Junmei but wanting to see if she'd be prepared for something like that again. "Do you still think he should be given a chance because it's a 'mistake'?"
"He won't make another mistake like that one," Junmei responded as she stopped short of the goddess. "I know he won't."
"Very well, if you're that certain," Palutena said before giving a bow and dismissing her hologram.
"I'm surprised you didn't accept the apology," King Dedede remarked.
"Being used to fight my brother isn't something I'd easily forgive," Junmei admitted. "I understand her intentions, though it's hard for me to let it slide."
"Understandable," Samus said as she stood up. "With that out of the way I think we can head back to CORE for now. Unless there's anything else we need to do."
"Nope, I just needed you all here for the meeting," King Dedede admitted. "It's just a shame that Kenshin wasn't able to make it."
"He's had a lot to think about lately," Junmei replied. "Samus and I figured he'd be better off at base instead of here with all these judgmental Leaders. We told him that we'd fill him in on the important parts anyway."
"We made the right call on that one," Samus said. "Marth and Zelda seem to be on their way to turning towards trusting us. Peach was never going to be opposed while Mewtwo and Palutena are a lot more wary."
"So I take it that being a berserk monster is the least of his worries?" King Dedede asked.
"More like he was a bit shaken up when he found out his powers were related to Tabuu's due to him being Tabuu's previous host during Origin Impact," Samus explained. "Junmei sort of jumped the gun on telling him before we could deliberate but it was probably our best choice."
"I still stand by my decision," Junmei replied. "It's better to let him know now so we can work through it, instead of our enemies letting him know. Because I'm absolutely sure they know his origins."
"That is a fair point," Dedede admitted. "We can't have them getting the jump on us anymore. So besides that…"
"It's also been a tad awkward," Junmei sighed. "I have no plans on rushing his memories, but it's weird the way things are now compared to how they used to be."
"Give him time, but you won't have to worry about the official announcement regarding you two," King Dedede replied. "The most we'll be revealing are your Rider Identities. We have no intention of showing your actual face off to the public and we for sure have no intention of informing everyone about the origin of Kenshin's powers."
"Thanks for that," Junmei gave a smile.
"Now then you all should be on your way, I've eaten up enough of your time already," King Dedede said before he headed off.
"He's really going at it," Captain Falcon mentioned as he scratched his helmet slightly.
"He really is, but hey it's better than just sitting in his room all day," Cloud remarked with crossed arms.
The two were currently watching Kenshin speed around the test track on the Machine Islander. The young man had been constantly in the training room or practicing on his motorcycle after recovering. They also noticed that he seemed to avoid Junmei for the most part even if they did have a few interactions. Currently though Kenshin seemed to be dead set on going through the course for as long as possible. His current lap was 67 and there was no sign of him slowing down at the moment.
"So what do you think it's about?" Captain Falcon asked.
"It's double trouble," Cloud replied as he kept watch on Kenshin. "Even if he wasn't ready for it, Junmei told him about his connection to Tabuu. We couldn't exactly have expected them to have a conversation via their subconscious during her Finisher where she'd just go and tell him about that. But well…"
"He seems so much more active though," Captain Falcon admitted as he looked over at his colleague. "You'd think that bombshell would have disabled him."
"Thankfully it didn't, in fact it just seemed to give him a bit more clarity," Cloud replied.
"Okay… then the second thing has to be Junmei right?" Captain Falcon figured. "I mean, a relative suddenly showing up but not knowing her while she knows you. I've seen a few of their interactions; they turn out awkward at best."
"Exactly, while I'm not sure about him pushing himself in training, I can only guess that his situation with Junmei will get better," Cloud replied. "I'm assuming he's also doing some serious thinking while he's doing all this."
"I mean considering there haven't been any Smash Token cases lately it makes sense," Captain Falcon agreed. "He needs something to distract him."
"Looks like he's slowing down though," Cloud mentioned as the last few laps had begun to pile up slower, Kenshin eventually ending it after the 75th lap.
It wasn't long before Kenshin parked the bike outside of the track before getting off and removing his helmet.
"Nice work," Captain Falcon gave a smirk as he grabbed the bottle of water Kenshin was using before going over and handing it to him. "You ever think of becoming a racer when you retire?"
"Isn't it a bit too early to be planning my retirement?" Kenshin asked as he took the water bottle before taking a few sips.
"Just a thought is all," Captain Falcon grinned. "I'm surprised you're training so hard though. I would have thought you'd want to relax after all that."
"I've got to be ready," Kenshin admitted as he looked off to the side. "Because I was weak I couldn't beat that guy… and I didn't have a strong enough will to override the Ganondorf Token's control."
"Are you really beating yourself over that?" Cloud asked.
"I mean, it's true," Kenshin admitted. "Trap or not I wasn't strong enough; I've only been getting by because I've managed to get the right form or upgrade at the right time."
"I mean… okay you have a point," Captain Falcon relented, remembering how Kenshin had a lot of close calls that involved him getting a new form in the process. "Point is though you should take it easy for a bit, you've done more than enough in terms of training."
"Why not hang out with your sister?" Cloud asked.
"I… okay this is going to sound stupid," Kenshin admitted as he paced around, taking another swig of his water. "I feel weird around her!"
"Figured," Cloud said simply.
"I mean… its only natural right?" Captain Falcon asked.
"Like I'm expecting memories to hit me like a brick or something with how many times we've interacted!" Kenshin called out a bit exasperated as he threw his hands up, tossing the bottle to the side as a result. "But like nothing aside from a few blurry ones have come up!"
"Whoa now, calm down," Captain Falcon held his hands out, not liking the sudden freak out.
"Your memories won't return automatically just because you sort of interact with her," Cloud spoke up. "There are probably triggers."
"I'm just fed up is all," Kenshin huffed as he crossed his arms. "She's supposed to be my sister right? But I'm supposed to be older and I feel super weird around her. How are we supposed to fight together if I'm letting stuff like that bother me?"
"I'd say put your emotions to the backburner but considering you are going to be partners from here on out…" Captain Falcon trailed. "Listen, maybe you should just relax a bit, all the training while being cooped up is probably getting to you."
"Yeah you're probably right; I'll be in my room if you need me." Kenshin sighed before exiting the test track.
"Well at least things aren't as bad as they could be… kid didn't even mention Tabuu," Captain Falcon rubbed the back of his helmet, light concern on his face.
"I think he'll be fine, there has to be a breaking point for that awkwardness soon," Cloud said as he mulled it over before snapping his fingers. "That's it."
"You've got an idea?" Captain Falcon asked.
"Yeah, I think I've got just the trick on what to do for him," Cloud admitted as he began to head off.
"This is starting to become more like a family than an organization." Captain Falcon stood there for a bit, rubbing his chin. "Can't say I don't enjoy it though, granted the thought of family does give me an idea." He told himself before heading off as well.
Kenshin meanwhile was walking through the hallways when he noticed Samus and Junmei coming his way. "Oh hey you two, how'd that meeting thing go?" He asked though his gaze was more on Samus than his sister.
"Well enough," Samus admitted. "Tomorrow will be the official announcement for Kamen Rider Smash and Echo."
"Oh huh, that sounds neat," Kenshin admitted, glancing at Junmei before looking back at Samus in a fast manner. "So no missions have popped up today?"
"Nope, I'd say relax, maybe spend some quality time with your sister," Samus remarked as she headed off down the hall, wanting to see if the two would interact without her being around.
"Wow she really wants us to interact, huh?" Junmei said nearly falling over in surprise at how direct Samus was.
"Seems like it," Kenshin admitted as he looked back at his sister. "So…"
Junmei just gave a sigh, "Listen if you really don't feel like doing this I won't force you to." She said, figuring that Kenshin was still feeling awkward about the whole thing, which in turn made her feel awkward. "Just don't feel like you have to remember, don't try to force it. I'm fine with waiting." She then took off without another word.
"Wow I suck at this…" Kenshin muttered as he shook his head and went to head for his room. He scratched his head a bit. "Just what am I going to do?" He asked as he took out his Tokens for his forms, though the hand that held Ganondorf's was shaking slightly. "I know it should be fine but…" His mind was moving towards his time going berserk. He wondered what exactly would happen if he lost control like that again, especially since he was told he was tapping into the power of Subspace more and more as the fight progressed. "We're working together too… and if I…" He shook his head. "I'll get close to her only if I start remembering, if I do something terrible it's best if those memories stay sleeping."
Junmei meanwhile was heading for the training room to let some steam out when she saw Cloud nearby. To her surprise he was looking directly at her as she approached. "Oh hey Cloud, something wrong?"
"Not really, I just had an idea I was hoping you'd listen to," Cloud admitted.
Dr. Wily was pacing around the laboratory he was in charge of, watching the progress on the Subspace Emitter that was being created thanks to Meijin's assistance. Dozens of scientists were at hard work creating the device. Not only that but he had also been working on repairing one of his greatest assets, the Yellow Devil. Of course his scheming was far from over as he had also taken Elec Man as well.
"So sir, what exactly are we doing again?" One colleague asked.
"Doctor, I didn't study hard in robotics for you to not use my proper title," Wily corrected much to the colleagues annoyance. "But since you ask, we are using our superior's abilities in order to create a constant stream of shadow bugs. Their power will be the power source while we use this." He then gestured to another area of the lab.
The Mr. Game & Watch Token was currently being scanned as a copy of it was beginning to be formed to the side of it.
"The Mr. Game & Watch Token, that's the basis for creating the Subspace Army right?" A scientist asked.
"Exactly, the Token has the ability to mimic the real deal and create an infinite number of Shadow Bugs," Dr. Wily explained. "We're creating a copy with the same parameters to create an endless army. Thanks to Meijin sharing Tabuu's power, we have a proper power source that will last for quite a while."
"So we're finally going to be invading Smash City then?" A scientist asked. "Or rather, we're finally invading from within Smash City."
"In a sense, I'll be the only one leading it though, you all were here merely to help with the manpower required to speed things up," Wily explained as he continued to pace around.
"Wait just you sir? I knew they were cruel but I didn't think they were that cruel," Another scientist shuddered, thinking that this was punishment for Wily.
"Oh no it's a special mission I don't mind doing," Wily admitted as he waved it off. "The point is we've got a big day ahead of us come tomorrow."
"That's enough!" A voice called as the door to the lab was suddenly pierced by a green beam saber. Suddenly it carved a circle before the metal was kicked down, Zero being the culprit. "I should have expected that you'd be leading one of these labs."
"Oh why if it isn't the ungrateful son I built," Wily remarked as he gave a non-amused look. "What is your reason for being here?"
"I've been put in charge of destroying the various Subspace Facilities in Smash City, seems I hit the jackpot though," Zero remarked as he got in a fighting stance, ignoring Wily's comment. "You're all under arrest!"
"Like hell we are," One scientist called out as they all began drawing out Ray Guns and Beam Swords.
"Hard way it is then," Zero said as he rushed forward, aiming a punch for Dr. Wily to disable him first. As he punched forward he was surprised by a hand catching his fist, he turned only to see Meijin. "What?"
"I must admit you all make this too easy," Meijin said as he slammed his foot into Zero to force him backwards. "I suppose we have our calling card now."
"What are you talking about?" Zero questioned as he went to slash with his beam saber, only to get stopped by Sayomi who used her own beam sword. "Seriously…?"
"To put it simply, we need bait and you're the perfect one for the job," Sayomi said as she pulled back and took a fighting stance. "Too bad for you though, you should have brought an ally along."
"Ally or not I'm taking all of you in," Zero called out as he got in a fighting stance.
"You have no idea what kind of trouble you are in," Meijin remarked with a light smirk.
To Be Continued…
Samus: There are no fitting words. Distance and time are meaningless. That's because it's something that's far reaching, strong, and unending. It's a bond, the warm proof of love.
[Next Time – Bonds Beyond Visibility]
Smash Token Ownership:
Kenshin – Mario/Luigi/Yoshi/Fox/Wolf/Pikachu/Greninja/Link/Ganondorf
Junmei – Marth/Lucina/Ryu/Ken/Samus/Dark Samus/Simon/Richter
CORE – Incineroar/Terry/Lucario/Piranha Plant
Palutena – Pit/Dark Pit
Meijin –Donkey Kong/Bowser
Sayomi – Meta Knight
Subspace Army – Mr. Game & Watch
~SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT~
[A collision of the two Rider Era's]
"Lately I've been having weird dreams involving armored masked warriors fighting against monsters."
[The Rider recreated in the Reiwa Era: Kamen Rider Smash]
"How the heck do you guys know about Kamen Rider?"
[Meet's the Heisei Era?]
"There's so many different heroes I see sometimes, that it just means I'm one of many. That I'm not alone."
[A collision of fiction and reality?]
"My brother and I used to watch that franchise when we were younger."
[The reality that "fiction" is as real as they are]
"Indeed these two come from a World where Riders exist merely as Televised Media. However, all of us being here clearly show we are more than that."
"What makes a Rider isn't the power, it's the aspirations and goals they have."
"What's your reason for fighting?"
"Sorry to say but we wouldn't be Kamen Riders if we gave up!"
"We'll keep fighting and fighting if we have to, until our bodies give out!"
"Henshin!"
[Kamen Rider Smash: Special Chapter - Winter War 2020]
~COMING THIS DECEMBER~
Author's Note: So… Steve in Smash huh, not something I was expecting but it does give me ideas. But just like with Min-Min, I've mapped out the story so heavily that I'm not really sure how to include any Minecraft elements. And while I appreciate the thought, Echo's requirements are that the characters have to be separate at least to count. So instances like Olimar and Alph, Steve and Alex, don't technically qualify. But still I'll think on it. Honestly the fact that I somehow managed to find semi-good roles for three out of the five Fighter Pass 1 characters in this story is a miracle. But I'm rambling.
Next Chapter will be the last official Chapter of the year in regards to "Episodes". Not to mention the last Chapter in my "Q1" of Kamen Rider Smash. The Chapter in December will be a Special Winter Chapter, the timing ended up being perfect honestly, think of it as one of the Winter Movies for Kamen Rider.
Since I'm here I should mention that while coming towards the end of Q1 with the forms, Calamity Hero and Holy Protector are still standard form changes, just on a higher end than prior ones. Calamity Hero is a brute/tank of sorts which is what makes it surpass the other forms, and both of Holy Protector's Tokens tapping into Junmei's powers of light is what edges it out over others. Despite this though, they aren't exactly upgrades of sort. Those will come later, some more obvious than others.
By the way, while all the other forms were basic in terms of what they referenced. Holy Protector is actually the one form with a direct inspiration. That inspiration being Zoro from the first Garo Anime in regards to the chain gauntlets. So enjoy that little tidbit and I'll see you all later.
