A Metroid Among Zoanthropes

A Metroid/Bloody Roar Fan Fiction Crossover

by Derald Snyder

Part 7- Manhunt

A/N: There's gonna be some bloodshed here, so be warned.

"Stun is dead?" Yugo reiterated.

"Yes... I was too late. It looks like he was killed the same way as the other victims," Jenny noted somberly. "I contacted the police discreetly, and watched them take his body away... I doubt they're going to look too much into it, however. They'll probably assume that he was the one behind the killing spree and close the case..."

"But we know that's not true!" Shina protested. "We saw the killer on camera! He didn't look anything like Stun!"

"Even so, Jenny might have a point," Yugo countered. "We can't rely on the police for this. It's time we took matters into our own hands..." He stood up, cracking his knuckles. "Shina, Jenny, and myself will head to where Stun was murdered and start searching the immediate area for any sign of this killer, any clues we can find. Kenji will stay here and hold down the fort."

"What about me?!" Alice protested. "I want to help, too! At the very least, I can give first aid if anyone gets hurt!"

"...Alright, you can come with us," Yugo agreed. "But if you happen to find this guy, do NOT engage him. Get away as fast as you can and let me or Shina know, got it?"

"Okay," Alice nodded.

"Good luck on your search, everyone," Kenji said.

*City Streets*

The group had split up into pairs, Yugo with Alice and Shina with Jenny. The latter pair were currently searching through an alleyway, Shina checking every nook and cranny, making it a point to ignore Jenny's presence.

"...You know, Jane, I get the feeling you don't like me very much," Jenny spoke.

Shina gritted her teeth at being called by her birth name, but refused to take the bait. "...What makes you think that?" she responded dismissively.

"You've been dead silent since we went off together, for one," Jenny pointed out. "And if it wasn't for my long legs, you'd have left me in the dust a while ago..."

"We don't have time to waste. We gotta find this killer," Shina retorted. "Are you gonna help, or just stand there and look sexy?"

"I am looking," Jenny sighed. "Just not as intensely as you are. And your current mood might make you miss things..."

"Like what?!" Shina challenged.

"Like that mouse that just ran by your foot."

"GAH!" Shina leapt a half-foot in the air. Sure enough, a tiny mouse fled down the alley. "Geez..."

"Told you," Jenny smirked. "Now how about you stop ignoring the elephant in the room? Now would be a good chance to get things off your chest..."

"Fine. I admit it. I don't like you," Shina said bluntly. "And I really don't like your attempts at seducing Father!"

"Seducing? Please," Jenny shook her head with a smile. "Alan and I are old friends. So we share a drink together sometimes, what's wrong with that?"

"Are you sure you're not trying to get in his pants?!" Shina growled.

"Only when we first met. And he saw right through it. Ended up with me on the ground, my arm twisted behind my back and Gado pressing his knee into my spine."

"I bet you enjoyed it," Shina snarked.

"Actually, no. It was quite painful. I may be many things, but a masochist isn't one of them," Jenny shook her head. "Anyway, I had been only trying to get information, not kill him, and I told him so. And he said, 'Well, you could have just asked, you know.' We pretty much came to an understanding after that. You can ask him yourself if you don't believe me."

"Hmph," Shina snorted, crossing her arms. "I'll take that with a grain of salt..." Just then, she saw a shadow moving behind the other woman... "LOOK OUT!"

Jenny gasped as she spun away, barely avoiding the serrated blade that intended to run her through! The blade then retracted, a man with long silver hair stepping out of the shadows. "So much for a quick kill. Looks like I'll have to do this the hard way."

"Jenny! Fly outta here and get the others! I'll handle him!" Shina ordered as she took her stance. The taller blonde didn't argue, promptly transforming to bat mode and flying off.

"Foolish girl. You'll die like all the others," the silver-haired man said stoically.

"I don't think so! They call me the Fighting Marvel for a reason! You're going down, murderer!" Shina shot back defiantly.

"You have no idea who you're dealing with, girl," her opponent sniffed, not bothering to take a stance... Only to be surprised as Shina hit him with a quick three-punch combo, following up with a high roundhouse that knocked him back. He managed to recover and block another kick, striking back with two open-palm slaps and a high kick of his own!

"You slap like a house maid!" Shina taunted, before jumping and hitting her opponent with a double-footed kick that put him flat on his back! "Not so cocky now, are you?!"

"Hmph... not many have knocked me flat, I'll admit," the man grunted as he stood up, dusting off his coat a little. "But you have yet to see my true power."

"Right back at you!" Shina retorted, the two combatants slowly circling each other... the silver-haired man struck first, this time with an actual punch which Shina blocked, only to get hit in the face with an uppercut! Her retaliatory roundhouse was ducked under, the man then hitting her with an elbow to the ribs, knocking her to the floor! She quickly righted herself before he could take advantage, transforming into her leopard form!

"Is that supposed to intimidate me, girl?" the mysterious man said, easily dodging her attempted claw swipes. But then Shina lunged and bit into him her sharp teeth, actually lifting him off the ground slightly, shaking him back and forth before hurling him into a brick wall! "...Okay, that one hurt." He regained his feet and decked the leopard-woman in the jaw, then knocked her back again with a straight kick! But then Shina lunged and grabbed him around the torso, lifting and swinging him around before hurling him high into the air! He managed to right himself and avoid Shina's jumping slash, landing on his feet. "You'll have to do better than that..."

But strangely, Shina didn't try to follow up, instead just standing there. (Did she exhaust herself...?) The unknown man cautiously approached, going for a kick- only for the leopard to easily dodge and counter with a bite to the torso, lifting him up and slamming him into the ground twice, then slashing at him a few times, before kicking him across the alley for good measure! (Dammit! She tricked me!) he thought, gritting his teeth as he tried to fight through the pain...

"How'd you like that, bastard?" Shina grinned as she reverted to human. "Now do you see why they call me the Fighting Marvel?!"

"Hnnnghh... You're not just some punk girl, I'll admit," the man grunted as slowly pulled himself up, blood staining his shirt. "You're the first to have ever made me bleed like this... but don't you dare think you've won."

"Says the one who's clearly on the ropes. Who the hell are you, anyway?"

"Fine. I suppose you've earned the honor of learning my name. You may call me Xion, for the last moments of your life. And might I point out... I haven't transformed myself yet."

"Well, bring it on, then!" Shina smirked. "I've already kinda seen your beast form on camera anyway, so don't think you'll scare me!"

"Oh, you will be..." Xion taunted, before a flash engulfed him as he invoked his transformation.

...it was definitely not a praying mantis. He looked more like a demon or alien, his body white and segmented, his face having no nose and two glowing yellow slits for eyes, his mouth full of razor-sharp teeth. He sported two long blades on his arms, two smaller blades curving upwards from his ankles, and two appendages growing from his back, bent like a pair of bat wings.

"What the hell are you supposed to be?!" Shina growled as she took a step back. Xion's answer was to go on the attack, slashing upwards with his right blade, Shina just managing to sidestep and strike back with a right hook to the face! "Ow! Is your whole body made of armor?!" She was then hit with a knee to the gut, doubling over, Xion then striking with a right hook of his own, his blade following and cutting Shina's cheek! She rolled away to get some distance, managing to hit the unknown creature with a high kick to the chin! Xion was undeterred, attempting to stab his opponent, but Shina managed to shift to the side, only getting a cut to the torso. She then grabbed Xion around the waist, lifting him and hurling him away, before falling to a knee. (Dammit... I'm not gonna last much longer at this rate...) Putting a hand to her hip where her XGC mark was, she took a breath and focused...

Xion slowly walked up to the kneeling woman, confident in his victory... but then Shina's hip flashed as she let loose with a feral cry, transforming to leopard mode again, electricity crackling around her form! (The mark of the beast...!) He was immediately forced on the defensive as Shina came at him with several lightning-fast slashes, barely blocking or parrying most of them! Shina then tackled him to the ground, sinking her teeth into his chest just below his neck, pulling and tearing off a chunk of flesh with a spray of blood! Xion thrashed and managed to buck her off, rolling backwards to right himself... (That does it. Playtime is over!) As Shina charged at him again, he hit her with an uppercut, sending her flying into the air! He then turned around, the appendages on his back suddenly thrusting upward, impaling the leopard woman on them repeatedly! Xion then finished by grabbing her in midair and hurling her into the wall, cracking the bricks significantly! Shina reverted to normal, slumping to the ground, bleeding profusely from her wounds.

But before Xion could finish her, he heard a noise from above, looking up- just in time to see a giant white rabbit bear down on him from the sky, stomping him into the ground! The rabbit then kicked him away before he could recover, his transformation breaking as a result! As he picked himself up, Xion heard several footfalls approaching... (Not good. I can't take them all on as I am now...) "You keep your life today, Fighting Marvel!" he declared before swiftly turning and fleeing into the shadows.

Alice waited a few seconds to ensure the enemy had retreated, before reverting to normal and running over to Shina, kneeling at her side. "Shina! Shina, speak to me! Stay out of the light!"

"(cough) Quit yelling, Alice... I can hear you... just fine..." Shina groaned, placing a hand over one of her stomach wounds. "Damn... he got me good..."

"Don't move! Just let me try and patch you up before you bleed out!" Alice ordered, taking out a first-aid kit... At that moment, Yugo arrived on the scene, followed closely by Jenny, both in beast form, the two promptly reverting once they saw Shina and Alice.

"Shina! Holy shit... who did this to you?!" Yugo gasped. He'd never seen her in such bad condition before... "Jenny, call an ambulance!"

"Yes, I think you're right," Jenny nodded, pulling out her cell and dialing.

"It was... a guy with... silver hair..." Shina gasped. "Red coat, white slacks... called himself Xion..."

"All right, that's enough. Save your strength!" Alice ordered as she pulled up Shina's shirt to apply some gauze.

"Xion... geez, if he could do this to you of all people..." Yugo shook his head in frustration.

"Well, he didn't... get off easy..." Shina coughed. "I made him bleed, at least..."

"They're on their way," Jenny said as she hung up.

"All right, stay with them. And give Samus a call," Yugo ordered.

"But what are you going to do?" Alice asked.

"Track this bastard down. If he's injured, now's the time to take him down before he hurts anyone else!" With that, Yugo transformed into werewolf form, sniffing at the blood on the ground... Catching a scent that wasn't Shina's, he howled before dashing off on all fours!

"Yugo!" Alice called after him. "That idiot, he's going to get himself killed!"

"Then I should contact Samus with all due haste," Jenny said as she dialed again.

*To be continued...*