A Metroid Among Zoanthropes

A Metroid/Bloody Roar Fan Fiction Crossover

by Derald Snyder

Part 6- Stun Gets Swatted

"So damn bored..." Shenlong grumbled as he plodded down the street. None of the local thugs had been any challenge whatsoever, and it was still a few hours before the bars would open... (And then there's some crazy zoanthrope killing others of his kind, which also deprives me of any challenges...) He almost hoped the killer would come after him next- he'd show them a thing or two about how a real zoanthrope fought...

Just then, his pointed ears pricked up at hearing a scream in the distance... it sounded like a young girl crying for their mommy. (Ugh, do I want to get involved with that?) he pondered... but then, Shenlong saw a silhouette rising against the blue sky, resembling a beetle... (Wait... is that Stun?! What's he doing here?) He then realized the insect had a girl hooked on his horn before flying back down to slam them into the ground. "Okay, now that's something worth my attention." He promptly ran off in that direction, cutting through an alley, dashing across the street, down the sidewalk to another alley...

"Help me... I don't wanna die..." Shenlong saw Uriko laying on the ground, the transformed Stun moving in for the kill...

(That kitty again? What a troublemaker...) Shaking his head, Shenlong made up his mind. "HEY STUN!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, the beetle turning to face him. "Why don't you pick on somebody your own size, you overgrown maggot?!" With that, he promptly transformed into his own beast form- a white tiger- before dashing forward and sending Stun flying with a single punch!

"...M-Mr. Shenlong?!" Uriko gasped in recognition. The tiger turned to face her, before making a 'get out of here' gesture with his hand. "Th-thank you!" the girl manged to climb to her feet, running out of the alley- and none too soon, as Stun went on the attack, buzzing angrily! Shenlong easily side-stepped the charge, turning and striking with a palm thrust to the back! Showing no signs of pain, the insect zoanthrope turned to face his new foe, suddenly slamming the ground which sent out a burst of electricity that zapped the tiger! Stun then followed up with a roundhouse kick, spinning Shenlong backwards!

Shenlong was hardly at a disadvantage, though, which he proved by hitting Stun with a few backward kicks, then spinning around and slashing him in the face, before jumping and doing a somersault slash that knocked the beetle to the pavement! Stun regained his feet, taking to the air once more... but instead of attacking he flew off over the buildings to the west, apparently having had enough.

"Heh..." Shenlong reverted to normal, cracking his neck. "Typical bug, flying away when you're about to get squashed. Good riddance." He turned to see Uriko standing at the alleyway's entrance. "Still here, kitty? I thought you would've run home to mommy..."

"W...why did you save me?" Uriko queried. "I thought we were enemies!"

"What, you mean the whole ZLF thing? That's done and over with. I could care less about any of that crap now," Shenlong shrugged. "Now that I think about it... isn't Long your sensei or something?"

"Yeah, that's right," Uriko nodded with a frown.

"Well, next time you see him, tell him he owes me a rematch for saving your hide," Shenlong stated with a sinister smirk.

"Teacher beat you once, he can do it again!" Uriko shot back defiantly.

"Well, we'll see about that. Anyway, I'm outta here. Run along home, now." With that, Shenlong turned and strode off, leaving Uriko alone.

"Uriko!" another voice cried, the half-beast turning to see Kenji leap down from a nearby rooftop, dashing up to her. "Oh, thank goodness! Are you okay?"

"Yeah... but I messed up," Uriko admitted, looking down at the ground in shame. "If Mr. Shenlong hadn't saved me, I'd be bug food right now!"

"Shenlong saved you?!" Kenji gasped. "...Okay, why don't you tell me what happened from the beginning..."

*Later, back home...*

"Uriko, I am very disappointed in you," Samus said sternly with her arms crossed. Kenji was standing at her side, while Alice was standing with Uriko. "Haven't I told you again and again not to go off on your own without somebody with you?! You could have been killed!"

"I know..." Uriko groaned. "But, I thought I could find that evil Tabula and get rid of it..."

"Did you even know what you were looking for?!" Samus pointed out. Silence. "You didn't, did you?! See, when I go on a mission, I usually have an idea about what I'm hunting! We still don't know who has the Tabula yet! Do you understand?!"

"I'm sorry!" Uriko wailed with tears in her eyes. "I just wanted to be big and brave like you, Mommy!"

"Uriko..." Samus' tone softened. "Being brave doesn't mean being reckless. Bravery is when you're scared, but not letting your fear stop you from doing what needs to be done."

"...Oh. Then I'm not brave at all," Uriko said sadly. "When the blue man turned into a giant bug, all I could do was scream..."

"...I know how you feel," Samus nodded. "When I was three years old, I ran into a giant dragon that tried to burn me with fire..."

"A dragon? really?!" Uriko gasped.

"Yes. And my mommy shoved me out of the way... she died. And the dragon ate her. There was nothing I could do..."

"You lost your mommy?! That's horrible!" Uriko put her hands to her mouth, Alice inadvertently copying that motion. Even Kenji had a shocked expression on his face.

"Yes. Thankfully, some nice bird-people found me and took me in. They raised me to be a warrior, and gave me my first Power Suit. But I didn't leave the nest until I was 14, and even then, I was working with the Federation Army for a while before I struck out on my own. Uriko, you're only 12 going on 13. You are not ready yet. Do you understand?"

"Y... yes, mommy, I understand," Uriko nodded sadly. "But, what about that dragon? Did you ever see it again?"

"Yes, I fought that dragon several times, and eventually I finally killed him for good. But he still haunts my nightmares, even though I know he's dead and gone..."

"You have nightmares?! I didn't know that!" Uriko gasped.

"All the time. But when I wake up, I know they were just dreams," Samus stated. "But back to here and now. Since you disobeyed me and went off and nearly got yourself killed, you're grounded for a week. That means you come right home after school, and you take the bus."

"But I don't like the bus! It's too crowded and noisy!" Uriko protested.

"That's why it's called punishment, Uriko," Samus stated sternly. "Now go to your room. I'll call you when it's time for dinner."

"Okaaaaay..." Uriko sighed, trudging off to her room with her head hung low.

Once she was gone, Kenji spoke up, "Well, if Stun's still out there, we need to try and find him before he kills again. One murderer is bad enough, but two..."

"But, why is he killing people? I thought Jenny said he wasn't a bad person..." Alice pondered.

"From what I was told, he was experimented on by Busuzima, and his body is unstable," Samus recalled. "Apparently he has to drink blood to keep himself stable, which is why he resorts to murder..."

"That's terrible!" Alice shook her head in disbelief. "I'm so glad we caught Busuzima and sent him back to prison..."

"Well, I need to stay home and keep an eye on my daughter," Samus said. "But if you need any extra help, don't hesitate to contact me..."

"We'll keep that in mind," Kenji nodded. "Come on, Alice, we gotta report back to Yugo..."

"Right... I'll see you later, Samus," Alice nodded to the hunter, she and Kenji turning to leave...

"...Bakuryu. No, Kenji," Samus spoke up, the ninja looking back... "...Thank you, for bringing Uriko home safe."

Kenji smiled and nodded back, before departing...

*That night...*

"Damn it..." Stun grunted as he stumbled out of an alley. "What the hell was that Shenlong doing there... ahhh, the pain...!" He hunched over, gritting his teeth... His gaze drifted to a beetle tattoo glowing from under his shirt. "Arghh, I can't take this much longer..."

"Then perhaps you should be put out of your misery," a young male voice spoke up. Stun turned to the source- only to get a blade through his chest! His last sight before life left him was the face of a demon...

The demon watched as Stun crumpled to the ground, the tattoo on his chest fading away. He then reverted to a more human appearance, long silver hair framing a handsome face, dressed in a long red jacket and white slacks. "Another seal broken. Soon... soon I will unleash the full power of the Tabula, and no one will be able to stop me..." With that, he vanished into the shadows...

A minute later, a bat-woman flew down from the sky, reverting to Jenny's familiar form, "Stun!" she gasped, running up to to fallen zoanthrope and kneeling down, slowly reaching a hand to his throat to check his pulse... only for her worst fears to be confirmed. "...Dammit!" she hissed, tears threatening her eyes. "I was too late...! Oh, Stun... you didn't deserve this..."

Her tears fell freely from her cheeks, mixing with the fallen Stun's blood...

*To be continued...*