Prologue

Manabu and Kobashi exited the bar, feeling pretty damn good about 
themselves as they leaned against one another in a drunken stupor. They 
sang loudly and off key, causing passersby to give them a wide berth 
rather than having their ears assailed in such a painful way. Likewise, 
the men�s reputation as members of one of the most violent local street 
gangs meant no one would tell them to keep it down. The men might meet 
the request halfway by ripping the person�s ear off so they wouldn�t 
have to hear the racket.

Manabu stopped trying to sway to the singing and settled for the swaying 
part. �You know, my bestest buddy in the whole world, I had a great time 
tonight.�

�You mean today,� Kobashi pointed to the newly risen sun.

�You know you�ve had a good night when it only ends with the coming of 
the next day,� Manabu philosophized. �We should do this more often.�

Kobashi nodded. �There were only two things that could have made the day 
more special.�

�What?� Manabu asked.

�More money and more women.�

�Who can�t use more of them?�

Kobashi considered that. �Rich gay guys.�

�Point.� Manabu was about to say something else when a flash of light 
down the mouth of the alleyway they were walking past caught his eye.

Kobashi felt the shoulders of his friend stiffen. �What?�

�I saw something over there. Let�s check it out.�

�Maybe it�ll be some rich tourists that got lost,� Kobashi said.

�We�ll help them with directions.� Manabu fingered the knife tucked in 
his belt. Hidden as it was underneath his shirt, he had used it to great 
effect in times past. Wielding a sharp knife tended to make people see 
things your way, especially when it came to economic redistribution. 
Kobashi was very much in favor of that, and cutting out the government 
as a middleman in the process.

The two headed down the dead-end alley, the alcohol in their system 
making them feel invincible. They were on their turf, and the local 
authorities only put in token appearances in the more public areas. The 
alleys belonged to their gang. Anyone who challenged that rule ended up 
losing the use of a body part or two, usually permanently.

Six steps in and they saw a figure shrouded in shadow at the end of the 
dead end alley. Manabu held off on drawing the knife for the moment. 
There was no sense in tipping the opposition off to what he had. �Hey 
there,� Manabu called out. �Need some help?�

As they drew close enough to make out the figure, both men came to an 
abrupt stop. It was a woman, by far the most attractive they had ever 
seen. Her skin was dark, as though she had a perpetual tan, and a 
cascade of platinum locks flowed luxuriously down her back. She had an 
upside down triangle tattoo in the center of her forehead and two marks 
on her cheekbones, though the odd marks did nothing to detract from her 
looks. She wore a tight green and black body hugging, off-the-shoulder 
outfit. The cut was low at the top, showing off a scandalous amount of 
bosom, and high at the hem, showing off her long, black stocking clad 
legs. Tall thigh high green boots completed the ensemble.

The woman was such a beauty she stopped both men in their tracks. Each 
of them felt an animalistic urge deep in their souls as they stared at 
her. It took them several seconds to recover their wits.

�What do you know, it is a tourist,� Kobashi said.

The woman stopped brushing off her outfit and turned to look at the 
newcomers. She stared at them as though they were gnats buzzing around 
her head.

Manabu took the lead. �Pardon me, my dear, I can�t help but noticing you 
appear lost. Well, luck is with you today. My friend and I happen to be 
with the local tourist committee. And we�d be more than happy to show 
you all the local attractions.�

Kobashi picked up where his friend left off. �In fact, this section of 
Tokyo is famous for its beds. And it just so happens there�s a hotel 
nearby which has some of the best in the city. Why don�t you follow us 
and we�ll show you how comfy they are?� He shot her a toothy grin, one 
that showed refusing their �hospitality� was not an option.

Rather than show any fear, the woman held a hand to her chin in thought. 
Her look of disdain became one of seduction. She passed a hand across 
her face, a faint azure hue left behind before disappearing in the dim 
lighting of the alleyway. Her beauty went from impressive to unearthly, 
at least in the men�s eye.

The woman spoke in a throaty purr. �I see thou hast impeccable taste 
when it comes to beauty. However, there is but one of myself and two of 
thee. Perhaps it would behoove thee to discuss amongst thyselves who is 
the more worthy of my attentions.�

A haze came over the men�s eyes as she spoke to them. The two lifelong 
friends turned on one another, snarling and attacking, neither holding 
anything back. They were like two rabid dogs locked in a life and death 
struggle as they pummeled each other ruthlessly.

The sheer ferocity of their attacks ended the fight in less than a 
minute. Kobashi, the larger of the two, landed a hard right hook that 
laid out Manabu flat. He stood over the fallen man, eyes glazed as he 
waited for him to rise, but Manabu merely lay there, one arm bent at an 
odd angle.

Seeing a victor emerge, the woman walked up to him and purred, �Thou art 
victorious, mine champion. Now come, and allow myself to bestow upon 
thee the favor one such as yourself deserves.�

Kobashi remained motionless as the woman placed her hands around his 
face and drew him down to hers. She kissed him fully on the lips and a 
look of ecstasy crossed his features.

With the kiss delivered, she slipped out of his grasp and admired her 
handiwork. �Truly thou should be grateful, for after one kiss from Urd, 
the Enchantress, thy mortal life would be meaningless from that point 
onward. Now thou can enjoy the moment for the rest of eternity.�

Urd laughed to herself as she strode from the alley, leaving the statue 
of Wataru Kobashi behind.

xxxxxxxxx


Avenging
Act II
Chapter 2
Tales of Enchantment

Any and all C+C appreciated. You can contact me at
sommert@connecttime.net

All the previous chapters and my other works are stored at:

Larry F's new address at:
http://www.rakhal.com/florestica/d_b_sommer/index.html

And also Angcobra is now storing fics, at
http://www.hostultra.com/~AngCobraFics/dbsommer.html

At fanfiction.net:
http://www.fanfiction.net/

And Mediaminer
www.mediminer.org

Standard disclaimer: I don�t any of the Marvel characters or other 
characters from the numerous animes which are within.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As Urd walked the streets of Midgard, she took in her surroundings with 
a disdainful eye. Once again the mortals had changed everything in the 
seeming blink of an eye. The festering boils that were supposed to be 
cities were larger than ever, mortals seemed to be spilling out 
everywhere, and all beneath her feet was paved in some sort of gray, and 
decidedly bland, stone. Why they did not pave their streets in gold, 
like the Realm Eternal, mystified her. Even the air was more foul than 
before. A pox upon the thing they called technology. It was beyond her 
why the fools didn�t simply embrace magic. Well, they did have but puny 
mortal minds that could never hope to rival the intricacies of an 
Asgardian's. And they did have very little time before they turned old 
and died. It made her wonder why they bothered doing anything at all, 
since their lives ended practically before they began.

Still, mortals occasionally amused her, so they could be useful given 
the proper circumstances. She would use some now to help her achieve her 
mission in coming to Midgard. For one thing, she needed to acquire 
suitable transportation for one befitting her beauty and stature. It was 
time to see what the mortals had to offer.

A minor scrying spell revealed the whereabouts of the type of servants 
she desired. The Enchantress made her way down the streets, her magic 
leading her unerringly to her goal. As she walked, crowds parted for 
her, staring as she went past. She took little notice of them. She had 
no more interest in common everyday mortals than she had for insects, 
especially ones that had nothing useful to offer her.

Within minutes she arrived at her destination. She took minor note of 
the sign of the establishment, �Hoshikawa�s Gym.�. She entered boldly, 
as though she owned the place. Despite its edifice, it was not large, 
and she found what she sought in the main room of the structure.

Urd took a moment to look at the bizarre contraptions of metal and wire 
that the people, men for the most part, were using. It took only a 
second for her to divine their purpose: equipment to improve the 
mortals� health. Her estimation of them went up slightly. While no 
mortal, no matter how much he worked out to improve his strength, could 
hope to match even an Asgardian grandmother, their efforts provided many 
of them with aesthetic physiques. She briefly considered making a half 
dozen of them her playthings before recalling her purpose on Midgard.

The Enchantress� arrival made everyone stop in their tracks. She noted 
that the mortal men stared at her in lust while the mortal harridans 
shot her venomous stares. Amidration and Envy for one who was beauty 
personified. All was as it should be. In some ways, men and women, 
whether they be mortal or immortal, were alike.

To the men, she said, �I require you to serve me.�

The men�s eyes glazed over, even as the pair of thugs in the alleyway 
had. All of them rushed toward, her, muscling each other out of the way 
in an effort to be near her. Every last one stared at her in slavish 
devotion.

The results made Urd smile. A minor enchantment to befuddle mortal�s 
minds was as effective now as it had been in the past. She could not 
fault them, though. Asgardian men were little better. It seemed all men 
were driven by their loins rather than their minds. She wouldn�t have it 
any other way. It made manipulating them easy.

The Enchantress cast another scrying spell, once again locating what she 
desired. She indicated that the men should follow. Every one of them did 
so, surrounding her as they openly basked in her presence. The women in 
the gym were left to stare in disbelief at what had happened.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Chiyoko Azuma looked away from the chairs she was dusting as the bell to 
the front door of the store rang, and a woman dressed in a very odd 
outfit entered. Chiyoko didn�t care about the gaijin�s appearance, 
though. Business at the furniture store was down, and she needed the 
commission. Circus performer or eccentric millionaire, money was money, 
no matter who was giving it to you.

The saleswoman was upon her prey in a second. �How can I help� you?� She 
drifted off as she noticed the woman had what looked like a body 
building team following her. Maybe the platinum-haired gaijin was a coach.

The woman sniffed disdainfully at Chiyoko. She looked the store over, 
her eyes settling on the manager at the far side. �You there. I require 
suitable comfortable transportation. Thy finest litter will do.�

Much to Chiyoko�s surprise, the manager, who generally treated everyone 
in high-handed fashion, all but groveled as he bowed apologetically to 
the woman. �We have none of those currently in stock, Mistress.�

The woman crinkled her nose in disgust. �Very well. I shall improvise. 
It is to mine understanding that this area of Midgard has a reputation 
for magnificent bedding. I desire thy best one.�

�Right away.� He walked over to the most expensive bed in the store. The 
woman followed. She ran her hand along it. Meeting with her approval, 
she rested on it, as though she were queen over all she surveyed. �This 
will do.� To the other men, she commanded, �Pick this up and carry it 
outside. Once thou hast done this, then bear me to my destination.�

�Right away, Mistress.� The men were so enthusiastic about their 
instructions that the woman had to command them into some semblance of 
order. The strongest ones were set up on each side of the bed, then 
lifted it up, bearing it on their shoulders, while the beautiful woman 
lounged upon it.

�Truly this is a most comfortable way of being borne. Perhaps mortals 
have made some improvements over the centuries,� she said.

As the men walked toward the back of the store, where they could leave 
with the bed via the loading dock, Chiyoko shouted, �Hey, you can�t just 
take that out of here without paying for it!�

The woman shot her an annoyed look, then turned her attention toward the 
manager. �There is a shrill noise which assails mine ears. Silence it.�

�At once.� The manager marched directly over to Chiyoko. She couldn�t 
believe her eyes as he raised his hand above his head, and then brought 
it down sharply across her face. Chiyoko fell to the ground, clutching 
her now burning cheek. She said nothing further, not even a whimper of pain.

The woman nodded in satisfaction and exited the store, the men carrying 
the bed on their shoulders.

Chiyoko waited until they were out of sight before calling the police 
and informing them that a super villain had just looted her furniture 
store. Immediately afterwards, she called Akemi Shutaro at Channel 6. 
Her fifteen minutes of fame had come, and she was going to milk it for 
all it was worth.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

�Form up tight ranks,� Kaori Mukahari ordered the men of the Riot 
Control Squad into position. Helmets were low and metal shields were up 
as the group prepared for the potential onslaught to come. Kaori had the 
position of the large group of men obeying this siren of the super 
villain set being tracked by the news helicopter flying high overhead. 
Kaori was uncertain of what abilities the woman had, and she hoped to 
god she didn�t have to find out. All she wanted was a quick ending to 
this matter. The whole superpowered being crap was driving her crazy.

Kaori was making final arrangements when the Saeba twins approached her.

Ryo said, �Why not let us handle this?�

�Yeah, we know how to deal with pretty ladies. We can have her eating 
out of our hands in a matter of minutes,� Kyo seconded.

For just a moment, Kaori seriously considered siccing the twins on the 
villainess. Then she came to her senses. The woman hadn�t done anything 
to deserve both of them hitting on her at the same time. She�d have to 
run up Godzilla levels of destruction before meriting that.

Before Kaori could give an acerbic response, their target rounded the 
corner and began marching up the sidewalk toward the line of police, as 
though there was no barricade. The villainess was surrounded by an 
entourage of two dozen powerful-looking men, bearing her on a bed.

Ryo took one look and whistled. �Whoa, that woman is the most prepared 
for romancing that I have seen in my life.�

�Amen,� Kyo echoed.

Upon seeing the group, the Enchantress purred, �Excellent; warriors 
eagerly waiting to serve my cause. By all means, join me at my side.�

�Yes, mistress,� the Saebas said as one as they walked toward the woman.

Kaori was about to order them back when she realized something was wrong 
with them. Or at least more wrong than usual. Normally they would be 
salivating like wolves if an attractive woman told them to approach her. 
Instead they simple shuffled forward with a glazed look in their eyes. 
That they would display such restraint was inconceivable.

They weren�t the only ones as every man in the unit also moved forward. 
Kaori cursed aloud as she tried ordering the men back into position. It 
was useless as not a single one of them broke stride. They were quickly 
at the woman�s side, obeying her in ways Kaori was envious of. Even in 
this day and age, many men were reluctant to obey order from a woman, 
even a superior. Now they were acting like this strange woman was a 
deity to be obeyed without thought or question.

The Riot Control Squad surrounded the woman, the Saebas taking the 
point. Kaori was tempted to pull her gun and shoot the villainess, but 
there was no telling what would happen to the men under her influence. 
It might free them, or it could cause some sort of psychic backlash and 
send them into comas, if not killing them outright. Or they might go 
insane and start attacking everything that moved. There was no other way 
to incapacitate her, not with Kaori�s own men shielding the villainess 
from attack. Kaori had no choice but to stand aside and let the group pass.

Having this high-handed bitch seize control of her men was more than 
Kaori could bear. Something had to be done and stop super-villains like 
her, and those holier than thou heroes. Anything. No measure would be 
too extreme to control them. She vowed that as soon as the current 
crisis was over, she�d be phoning her Uncle Peter in the United States. 
He dealt with SPBs all the time on behalf of the government. He�d tell 
her what to do to bring this scum, human and mutant alike, into line.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

�Well, I�m finally here.� Ukyou Kuonji took a deep breath as she stood 
at the gates marking off Furinkan High School for the first time.

Outwardly, the school appeared unremarkable; the person who lay inside 
was what made it special. At long last, the end of Ukyou�s lifelong 
quest was at hand. She trembled. It was almost as thrilling as the first 
time she donned her Hawkeye costume and realized that becoming a super 
hero was the right thing to do.

Ukyou walked past the gates and stepped foot on the grounds of the 
school. As she did, she noticed several students staring at her. It 
wasn�t really surprising. Any new face was guaranteed to set tongues 
wagging. Her old high school had been no different. She wagered the 
entire student body would know she had arrived before a single teacher did.

Another tremor of nervousness shook Ukyou, and this time the source 
wasn�t the nearness of her target. It was the outfit she wore. Since her 
last school was boys only, she had disguised herself as one. It was 
surprisingly easy, with no one ever catching on to her true gender. Her 
experience was one of the inspirations for pretending to be a male 
superhero. No one would ever connect the girl Ukyou Kuonji with the 
masculine archer. It was a stroke of genius on her part. Who ever heard 
of a cross-dressing superhero? It simply wasn�t done.

And it was for exactly that reason she was now uncomfortable. In order 
to preserve her secret identity Ukyou Kuonji could never cross dress 
again. That meant embracing her femininity and attending school wearing 
the standard girl�s uniform. Wearing a dress, any dress, was strange. 
She fingered her skirt, hating it just as much now as when she had first 
donned it. Her legs were chilly, and any guy could just look up her 
skirt and see what color her panties were. Wearing pants or tights, like 
on her costume, was infinitely preferable to such open air clothing. 
Likewise, she was forced to wear a bra instead of her standard chest 
wrap. She still wasn�t used to looking down and seeing those bumps of 
flesh impeding her view. Before, she would wear her chest wrap until she 
went to bed. Admittedly, letting her breasts free of their tight 
confinement felt good, and bras were actually pretty comfortable, but it 
felt awkward. At least she wasn�t some top heavy tart, like that Elektra 
bitch. Having a chest that large would have driven her crazy. As it was, 
she thought her breasts were shaped just fine. Not too big, and 
definitely manageable. They were the ideal size. It was just their 
notable presence that threw her off.

As Ukyou adjusted her bra for the third time today, she realized the 
movement had caught the eye of many of the students. The girls seemed 
disapproving, while the guys watched raptly. Apparently girls weren�t 
supposed to do things like that. It was odd. Going to an all guy�s 
school meant one could grab or scratch themselves just about anywhere. 
No one cared. Guys did it all the time. Why should tugging at her bra 
through her blouse be any different?

�This femininity stuff sucks,� Ukyou mumbled as she entered the school. 
Once she accomplished her mission, perhaps she would transfer to another 
all guy�s school and not worry about dresses, pantyhose, shaving her 
legs, or the worst of all, make up. At least she only wore the absolute 
least amount she could get away with. Sometimes it felt like she was 
painting a house with all the crap that girls were expected to wear on 
their face.

Ukyou pushed such thoughts to the back of her mind as she headed for the 
principal�s office to drop off her final set of transfer papers and be 
assigned her proper class.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

�And I�m telling you he was turned to stone!�

�You�d better be right.�

�Like I would lie about something like that.� There were times when 
Manabu wondered just how stupid the other members of his gang were. But 
those instances were few and far between, since he was just as stupid as 
they were. Not that he was aware of that. Ignorance was its own reward, 
even if he was too ignorant to realize it.

After recovering in the alley, and waking up beneath a statue that 
looked exactly like Kobashi, it didn�t take long for Manabu to figure 
out something horrible had happened. When horrible things happened to 
Manabu, the first thing he would do was have horrible things happen 
right back to the cause of the problem, usually multiplied several times 
over. He had every intention of disposing of that attractive foreigner 
who had messed with his mind and turned his best friend into stone. 
After he was done using her to slake his lust, of course. He�d do it in 
the name of Kobashi.

Not that he was foolish enough to confront the woman alone. He could 
probably take her now, since he was prepared for her tricks, but it was 
foolish to take pointless chances. That meant getting the rest of the 
gang together to help him out under the pretence of seeking revenge for 
their fallen comrade. Unfortunately, no one believed his story. It 
hadn�t helped that he had initially claimed that �Some woman had gotten 
Kobashi stoned�. It took Manabu nearly ten minutes to make it clear what 
being �stoned� meant. Then the gang switched over to thinking he had 
been drunk and imagined the whole thing. That meant showing them the 
proof that the woman had left behind. Besides, they needed to move 
Kobashi indoors, before the pigeons started bombing him into oblivion. 
Dead or not, Manabu would save his friend from such an indignity.

Once the gang arrived at the alleyway, Manabu was quick to point out the 
statute to his fellow gang members. �You see?�

The guys looked skeptically at one another. �How do we know you didn�t 
just have a statue of Kobashi made as some sort of gag?� one asked.

Manabu shot him an irritated stare. �Of course, you�re absolutely right. 
I must have contacted a local stone mason and paid him a huge sum of 
money to make a life-size statue of Kobashi just to pull a gag on you.�

The doubter was chagrined. �Okay, you ran into some kind of mutie who 
took control of your mind and turned Kobashi to stone. So, how do we 
take care of her?�

Manabu suddenly realized he hadn�t thought that far ahead. Taking on 
someone with mind control, and who could turn you to stone, without 
letting them do either one to you? That was a tough one.

Before Manabu suffered the embarrassment of explaining his lack of 
foresight to his comrades, there was a disturbance at the end of the 
alley. A vertical whirlpool of black and blue energy suddenly split the 
very air itself. The impossible vortex acted like it was alive. All 
twenty member of the gang stood transfixed as it grew in size until it 
stretched wide enough to touch each wall of the narrow alleyway.

A black gauntleted hand emerged from the coruscating energies, like a 
man trying to pull free of water. The fingers flexed twice, then curled 
into a fist. A second hand emerged a moment later, followed by the being 
the hands belonged to.

The figure was two and a half meters high and almost as wide. It wore 
thick black and gray armor that covered every inch of its flesh. Despite 
the armor, it was obvious the figure had an inhumanly powerful physique 
that no amount of lifting weights could produce. The helmet the figure 
wore was wide and tall, like a paint can, unadorned save for a pair of 
red glows that emanated from slits where the figure�s eyes should be. 
The helmet was so wide it sat flush with the shoulders of the armor, 
making it appear the figure had no neck. Two tiny horns bent upward from 
the brim of the helmet. Between that and the crimson glows, it gave the 
figure a demonic appearance.

The instant the figure stepped clear of the vortex, the aperture 
reversed itself, shrinking back down. Within seconds all that was left 
was a slender vertical slit, then nothing as it winked out of existence, 
leaving only the armored figure behind as proof it was ever there.

�I definitely believe you now,� the doubter informed Manabu.

The armored figure spoke. �Where is the Enchantress?� Its voice was 
hollow, with an echoing ring to it.

�You mean that bitch that turned my friend into stone?� Manabu asked, 
his temper momentarily getting the better of him.

�Mortal scum! Thou wouldst dare say such things about Urd? Thou shalt 
pay for thy wagging tongue�s trespass.� The figure raised its armored 
gauntlet and grabbed the haft of a weapon slung across its back.

The men started to back away, then stopped as the weapon cleared its 
harness and came into view.

Manabu laughed. �What the hell are you supposed to do with that? Croquet 
us to death?� The others joined in the laughter.

The armored figure shuddered, though not in fear �I shall show thee what 
the Executioner can do with such a fantastical weapon of unique design.�

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

People walking down the street were forced to stop momentarily as the 
entire block shook violently once, that stopped. When nothing 
aftershocks followed, most wrote the disturbance off as a minor 
earthquake, and continued with their lives.

Thirty seconds after the tremor ceased, the Executioner emerged from the 
alleyway. Alone.

The Executioner pulled a small pad from a pouch on its belt and pushed a 
button. Instantly a map of the area appeared on the device. Two red 
dots, one strong, the other faint, appeared on the map. The faint one 
was stationary, while the stronger light moved in a straight line toward 
the weaker.

�I am coming for thee, Urd,� the figure whispered under its breath as it 
walked in the direction of the dots.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ukyou tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for the teacher�s signal 
for her to slide open the door and enter the classroom. Ten long years 
of vengeance was about to come to a head. She could barely retrain 
herself. She never had settled on the exact form her righteous revenge 
would take, so she ran through a hundred different scenarios that fought 
for supremacy in her dreams. She�d probably go with whatever seemed like 
a good idea at the time.

Ukyou was in the middle of the one involving rope, a chair, and a 
feather duster, when she heard the teacher call her name. She banished 
the fantasy, primped her hair one last time, took a deep, calming 
breath, and wore her most charming smile as she slid the door open and 
entered the room.

As she strode to the teacher�s side, Ukyou shut out most of the 
teacher�s introduction and let her eyes pore over the seated students. 
Now that she was about to have her vengeance, a hole appeared in her 
plan. She hadn�t seen Ranma in ten years. How much had he changed? Was 
he short or tall? Had he put on weight, or was he skinny? Was he 
bishonen or built like a fireplug? Would she even recognize him if he 
didn�t recoil in fear at the very sight of her? She couldn�t begin her 
campaign with a �Are you Ranma Saotome?� What sort of person could claim 
they were on a righteous crusade if they didn�t even recognize their 
intended target?

Ukyou caught on to the teacher saying something about bowing just in 
time. Ukyou did so watching the students intently, praying someone would 
react when her name was said out loud.

�I�m Ukyou Kuonji.� She rose from her bow, waiting for the expected 
reaction.

One of the students shot up from his seat. �I know you!�

Ukyou�s eyes locked on the figure. Wow! Ranma had changed. He looked 
nothing like she remembered. His impish little self and become very 
plain, so much so that he would blend in with any crowd. Had he not said 
something, she probably wouldn�t have noticed he existed.

The boy continued. �Yeah, we met at what-his-name�s party. We talked a 
little bit near the pool. I had to leave in a hurry, but never did get 
your name and number. How about giving it now?�

�Huh?� Was all Ukyou could get out.

A boy next to him said, �Sit down, Daisuke. You always try to use that 
pick up line on new girls and it never works.�

�At least he didn�t ask for her measurements this time,� a girl toward 
the front grumbled.

Another boy shot up from his seat and shouted, �It is you, Hawkeye! 
How�re you doing?�

Ukyou�s eyes fixed on that speaker, then widened as she took him in. 
While there was no question that face was her Ranchan�s, he had grown up 
in every sense of the word. While he had been tall for his age when they 
were children, he had taken on truly large proportions now. He was by 
far the tallest boy in the class, and maybe in the school. His wide 
torso indicated he underwent a rigorous training regimen to stay fit. 
Even from across the room, Ukyou could sense the hidden strength under 
his school uniform. It reminded her of Captain Japan, except she knew 
this guy was a total jerk while the Captain was an icon of manhood that 
any woman would be lucky to land. A faint blush rose to her cheeks as 
she envisioned her hunky teammate.

Ukyou shook her head clear of the fantasy, making it stillborn before it 
could divert her attention from her true goal. Here he was, the boy who 
had ruined her life, and he had the audacity to ask her how she was 
doing. Well, she�d let him know, right after she put an arrow in him. In 
a non-vital area, of course, She�d just give him a mark to remind him 
for the rest of his life the price of ruining a young girl�s life, one 
whose only crime was to fall for a first class jerk.

She was about to shout out all of Ranma�s crimes when a girl from the 
front said, �Hawkeye? You mean the super hero?� The girl stared at Ukyou 
suspiciously.

Ukyou froze. She hadn�t counted on Ranma using her childhood nickname, 
not after all he had done to her, but he surprised her by blurting it 
out loud to everyone. It wouldn�t have been so bad except for the fact 
she *was* Hawkeye, and if it ever became publicly known, she�d be the 
target for every supervillain trying to make a name for himself. She�d 
never have a moment�s peace.

The class began talking as one.

�Yeah, that�s the one. I think he controls hawks.�

�No, it�s not hawks. He uses boomerangs with gadgets in them.�

�No, it�s an energy sword.�

�It�s trick arrows,� a girl with short hair seated next to Ranma said 
confidently.

�No, I�m pretty sure he controls hawks,� the first person said.

The first girl that spoke looked at Ukyou in awe. �So you�re a super hero.�

Ukyou panicked. She had to think fast before these idiots blew her 
identity, and for all the wrong reasons. �I can�t be Hawkeye. Hawkeye�s 
a guy, and I am obviously.� She twirled her skirt. �A girl.�

�Why don�t you prove it by giving us your measurements?� Daisuke suggested.

A girl seated in arm�s reach swatted him in the head.

Ranma made his presence known again. �Well, you did use to be really 
good with arrows, Hawkeye.�

Ukyou gulped. Ranma was acting way too casual, and getting her into 
trouble without even knowing it. She giggled girlishly and tried to 
sound flighty. �Don�t be silly. You�re misremembering. I was a terrible 
shot and haven�t touched a bow since I was kid.�

Ranma scratched his head. �No, I could have sworn you were really good 
with it, which was why I called you Hawkeye.� But then he laughed it 
off. �You can�t be the superhero Hawkeye, though, since he�s a guy and 
you aren�t.�

�That�s right,� Ukyou breathed a sigh of relief at her salvation, then 
realized what she was doing. She held nothing but hatred for Ranma, and 
he had the audacity to make her feel gratitude toward him. She had to 
take care of her revenge right this instant.

Ukyou renewed her hostile glare. �And as for you, Ranchan, how dare you 
act so casually with me.�

Ranma stared at her in confusion. �Why wouldn�t I act casual with you? 
We were childhood friends.�

�Friends?! Friends?! Friends?! Her decibel level rose with each shriek 
until it threatened to break glass. Ukyou stopped ranting and stalked 
toward him instead, intent on giving him a piece of her mind before 
moving on to more physical forms of revenge.

She drew up next to him and shouted, �How dare you pretend that nothing 
happened! How could you be so heartless and act like I wouldn�t care 
that the guy I was supposed to marry ran off and abandoned me?!�

The whole room gasped, including Ranma, who just stared at Ukyou in 
befuddlement.

While Ukyou caught her breath, she waited for Ranma to respond. She�d 
give him a chance to make some pathetic excuse before mopping the floor 
with him.

Surprisingly, it wasn�t Ranma, but the girl seated next to him that 
responded first. She placed a hand on her desk and rose to her feet. 
�Excuse me, but this sounds a bit confusing. I don�t think Ranma is the 
sort of guy to jilt someone like that. According to his father, it was 
arranged that he was supposed to marry someone from my, I mean, one of 
my two sisters, shortly after he was born. I don�t see how he could have 
been engaged to you. And didn�t he say you haven�t seen each other since 
you were kids? Maybe there�s a reasonable explanation for all of this.� 
She placed a hand on Ukyou�s shoulder.

Already enraged, and not wanting to hear this piece of human scum 
defended by some other girl he had duped, Ukyou snapped, �What do you 
know about it?� She swatted the girl�s hand aside and shoved her slightly.

It was a light push, intended only to move the girl back down in her 
seat. However, in a display of complete lack of coordination, the girl 
collapsed against the chair, hitting her back against it before landing 
hard on the floor.

The results were instantaneous as a second collective gasp filled the room.

�Oh my god, did you see what she did to Akane?�

�What a jerk. I can�t believe some loudmouth would do that to her.�

�At first, I felt a little sorry for Kuonji, but if that�s the way she 
treats people, I�m not surprised Ranma left her.�

�I don�t even want her measurements anymore,� Daisuke said.

Ukyou was taken aback by the universal looks of anger shot toward her. 
It was only a simple fall, one Ukyou hadn�t even intended. While she 
could understand some disapproval from the class, the irate glares she 
shot her way made it seem like she had strangled a rabbit before their 
eyes. She was missing some vital piece of information.

Even Ranma�s look of confusion had changed to anger. He said to Ukyou, 
�I don�t know what�s happened to you over the last ten years, but the 
Ukyou Kuonji I know would never pick on someone with a handicap.�

Handicap? Ukyou took a closer look at the girl. Right next to her was a 
gnarled wooden stick that was obviously some sort of cane. A couple of 
other students helped the fallen girl to her feet, and Ukyou could see 
she placed most of her weight on one leg.

It was the worst. You couldn�t toss handicapped people around. There was 
no way to put a positive spin on what she had done, especially since it 
was unthinking on her part. The girl had only been trying to make peace, 
and Ukyou had all but attacked her. If she didn�t do something fast, her 
reputation was going to be ruined for the rest of her high school life.

Nothing came to mind, and judging by the increasingly hostile glares, it 
appeared the class wanted to take turns shoving Ukyou down a flight of 
stairs. She was wondering if she should try to explain her actions, or 
accept the punishment, when she was saved by a cry of, �What the heck is 
that?!�

Everyone turned to look toward the speaker, who had risen from his chair 
to stare out the window.

Ukyou was quick to take advantage of the opening. �Oh, look, something 
important is happening outside. Why doesn�t everyone go to the window 
and see what it is?� She walked over to the window, praying it was 
something on the level of an alien invasion. Anything to distract the 
class from what had just happened.

She was close. Even Ukyou was taken aback by the sight of a mob of over 
fifty men filling the courtyard below. Several well built men carried a 
bed with a woman on it. She was dressed in a very curious (and slutty) 
outfit, lounging around as though she were the Empress of Japan.

The woman looked up at the window intently, as though she saw something. 
She waved toward the class and said, �Yoo hoo, Snookem�s, thy little 
Enchantress hath arrived. I do not know what the trouble is, since I can 
barely sense your presence, but I am eager to see thee after so long. 
Why dost thou not come down and play?� She patted the bed.

�Come down and play,� the guys in the room said, beatific expressions on 
all of their faces. As one they turned away from the window and headed 
toward the door. Within seconds the room was devoid of anything 
containing a Y chromosome.

�Where the heck do they think they�re going?� one of the girls protested.

Another girl said, �Obviously those guys are so enslaved by their 
hormones that all it takes is some over the hill hag to wiggle her ass 
at them and they come running.�

Ukyou shook her head. �I don�t think so. They all had glazed looks in 
their eyes, like they were hypnotized.�

�They were enchanted.� That came from the girl who Ukyou had shoved. Now 
she was sitting on the floor, ducking low as though she was terrified of 
even looking at the woman on the bed. �That�s one of her specialties, 
enslaving men with her sorcery.�

�How do you know that?� Ukyou asked.

The girl jerked, as though she had been slapped. Slowly she said, 
�Because she said her name is the Enchantress. So I just figured she 
enchants things. And since she was only surrounded by guys, and none of 
us girls were affected, I assumed that�s what she does.�

�That makes sense.� Ukyou�s hand curled into a fist. �I�m going to have 
to�� She paused. She was about to say she was going down there to kick 
the Enchantress� aging backside. She might as well admit she was Hawkeye 
while she was at it. Instead she said, �I�m going to find somewhere safe 
to hide, since there�s no way a normal girl like me can take on some 
supervillain.� Accepting the damage to her reputation in the name of 
preserving her secret identity, Ukyou ran away, hoping to find a quiet 
spot to change into her alter ego. While she started her search, she hit 
the emergency beacon on her Avengers ID card. The team would be alerted 
to the danger and be able to home in on her position. While she hoped 
she could take out the bimbo without any help, she wasn�t taking any 
chances. Better to have too much firepower on a false alarm, like their 
confrontation with Leap Frog (whose sole power was bouncing around on a 
pair of springs in his frog costume), than too little on a world-beater 
of the Mandarin�s level.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

At Kunou Industries, Kodachi Kunou cursed as the Avengers� emergency 
signal went off. Her armor still wasn�t completed yet, the trimming down 
taking much longer than she originally thought. She knew she would be 
satisfied with the final product. With improvements to the technology, 
she would only be sacrificing a little strength and protection for a 
great deal more speed and quickness. And she was taking the opportunity 
to install a host of newer, more powerful weapons that would only make 
her more dangerous. The Hulk wouldn�t be calling her a stove person 
anymore. Now she would actually look like a woman in armor, instead of a 
walking tin can.

Soon, the Iron Rose would soar again, just not today. Probably the 
coming Friday by the latest.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kasumi Tendou had just entered the bathroom when the Avengers� ID card 
she had left in her bedroom went off. Given that even Akane and Nabiki 
complained about how long it took their eldest sister to bathe, she 
wouldn�t be able to help until after the situation had been resolved.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dr. Tofu winced when he felt the ID card vibrate in his pocket. Once 
again he would be dragged into risking his life in a manner that held no 
appeal for him. Being a superhero was one of the last things in the 
world he wanted. He was quite happy helping mankind in his role as a 
doctor. Risking life and limb to beat up people (the majority of whom 
needing therapy and not violence to help them) gave him migraines. He�d 
drop the whole ridiculous �Giant Man� thing if it wasn�t for Kasumi. If 
anything happened to her while he stood idly by, he�d never forgive 
himself. He just hoped she�d grow out of this superhero phase so they 
could return to their normal lives.

He decided to wait until Kasumi appeared before changing into his 
outfit. Who knew, maybe she was tiring of her role as the Wasp even now, 
and he could continue seeing patients until the proper end of business 
hours.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Mousse stopped �reading� the Braille law books he was perusing for an 
upcoming test and temporarily turned off the audio signal on his card. 
He wasn�t wild about this whole Avengers thing. He didn�t care much for 
the company of others and certainly didn�t need them, regardless of what 
that old ghoul, Stick might think. But he was committed to helping 
others, and serving as an Avenger met that goal in ways that swinging 
from building to building could never do.

Rather than moving, he sat and pondered the matter.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Ranma was too busy being enchanted to answer the call, though he was on 
the scene, just not in the role that Hawkeye had hoped for.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The Hulk was too busy fighting Spragg, the Living Hill --a member of an 
alien race whose forms were identical large mounds of dirt-- preventing 
the large knoll from spearheading an invasion of Earth. He had no time 
to answer a second call to battle.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Akane turned off her ID card a second after it went off. They�d have to 
take care of whatever problem it was on their own. She had something 
more important to do.

Akane watched the strange girl go. Hawkeye she definitely wasn�t. What 
an inappropriate nickname she had as a child. Akane would really have to 
grill Ranma on what the deal with that Kuonji character was. While Akane 
was aware the new girl hadn�t meant to shove her to the floor, it didn�t 
speak well of her that she would be so casually violent with strangers. 
She did seem stressed out, but that wasn�t really an excuse for her 
unthinking behavior.

Of greater concern was this claim of being Ranma�s fianc�e. If there was 
any truth to it, that would be bad. How could Akane dispose of� that was 
help match up the perfect couple of Kasumi and Ranma? It was obvious 
they were made for each other, unlike the horrible idea of Dr. Tofu and 
Kasumi dating. If it turned out Ranma was engaged to another girl, 
things could become problematic fast.

But that was for later. Akane�s full attention needed to be focused on 
the platinum-haired Asgardian camped out in the middle of the school 
yard. Akane recognized her immediately as Urd, the Enchantress, a 
self-centered, vain goddess who had tried to catch a certain god of 
thunder�s interest on many occasions. While she was extremely 
attractive, and certainly not straight-laced, fooling around with her 
was too much like telling a dwarf to his face that he was a sawed-off 
smelly midget that couldn�t tell lead from silver. That was why Thor had 
never accepted any of Urd�s offers. Of course, like many vain women, 
that he would spurn her advances only made her want him all the more. 
Some of the schemes she had come up with were tempting, and he had 
considered bedding her on more than one occasion, but�

�I don�t like girls!� Akane shouted.

�No one said you did,� Yuka, who was at Akane�s right, told her.

Sayuri, who was to Akane�s left, said, �Yeah, though I wonder if her 
power extends to lesbians.�

�That would be cool. It could out a lot of girls,� Yuka said. �See if 
Miko Miahara shows up down there. I always thought she was a little too 
butch to be straight.�

Akane shut out the girls� banter. This was an extraordinarily bad 
situation. Urd�s arrival was no coincidence. She was here for Akane, or 
specifically, Thor. Despite Akane not being in her alternate form, Urd 
was somehow able to sense her presence. Perhaps the walking stick was 
radiating magic. Since getting rid of the source of Akane�s power was 
not an option that meant changing into Thor and confronting the goddess 
before she �outed� Akane for something a whole lot worse than 
lesbianism. Not that she was a lesbian, no matter how confused her 
memories seemed to get when she was Thor.

Akane started to quietly back away when Sayuri noticed her movement. She 
said, �Don�t worry about things. Yuka and I will protect you no matter 
what happens.�

�Yeah, we�ll stick by your side no matter what until things blow over,� 
Yuka seconded.

Akane laughed nervously. How ironic that their attempts to help would 
only serve to hinder. What was it about life that she kept ending up in 
situations where she felt like crying?

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Urd found herself surrounded by over a hundred admirers now, though none 
of them was the man she sought. It was vexing. While she had been able 
to home on Thor�s unique Asgardian energies from afar, now that she was 
in his general area, she found it impossible to focus on his precise 
location. It was almost as though his godly essence was being masked.

Unable to transport directly to his side, Urd settled on creating a 
disturbance that was certain to draw his attention. Curiously, he still 
had not made an appearance. Surely he would come to her. He had to be 
lonely, trapped as he was in this world of lowly mortals. It wasn�t like 
any other Asgardians would dare defy the All-Father�s Imperial Edict. He 
had to come, for curiosity�s sake if nothing else.

Now that Urd thought about it, perhaps it would be best to use the extra 
time to prepare a proper greeting. It would be wise to add a little 
something to make him receptive to the idea of his being permitted to 
share her bed. He had been resistant in decades past, but this time 
would be different. Her beauty far exceeded that of the lowly mortals, 
and she was not just the most beautiful Asgardian ever, but the only one 
around.

While the enchantment she had woven around herself might draw mortals to 
her like moths to a flame, Thor would mostly likely be immune to such 
lowly magics. To help improve the outcome, Urd pulled out a green jar 
seemingly from out of thin air. It was a minor spell involving 
extra-dimensional spaces, one where she kept her most useful items. She 
used her magic to remove the arcane seals that would disintegrate anyone 
that tried to open it. Removing the top, she looked down at the small 
amount of red cream that lined the bottom of the jar. It had taken two 
decades to track down the rare ingredients that composed the magical 
concoction. It took another year to weave the proper enchantments to 
make it work. but it had been worth the sacrifice. The mixture was so 
powerful that no man but Odin himself would be able to resist its 
effects. One kiss, and Thor would be hers for the next thousand years.

Urd was careful as she rubbed the substance on her lips. There was only 
enough for one application, so she had to be certain to use it under the 
right conditions. There would be no second chances.

She had just finished applying the magical make-up when she spotted a 
newcomer standing about fifteen meters away from her gathering. The man 
was an odd sort, dressed in a purple costume and a mask that hid his 
features. She did recognize what was obviously a bow in his hand and 
quiver of arrows on his back.

Urd said, �Thy weaponry and stance indicate thou art a warrior of some 
prowess. By all means, come to the Enchantress� side and swear fealty.� 
She pointed to a spot where he could kneel before her.

�I don�t think so,� Hawkeye scoffed. She nocked an arrow and aimed it at 
the Enchantress. �I�m only going to tell you once, release all of these 
guys from whatever hold you have on them and give up. And don�t make any 
sudden moves. Aside from making me nervous, you�re liable to fall out of 
that top.�

Urd remained motionless, though not because Hawkeye had ordered her to. 
She was stunned at the idea that the mortal could resist her magically 
enhanced charms. She could not sense any magic coming from him, and he 
was far too small to be Thor in disguise. How vexing. She would have to 
subdue the archer and find out exactly why he was immune to her spell. 
She waved her hand before her.

Hawkeye suddenly found his arrow, twisting in his hand, having been 
turned into a snake. �Not again,� she moaned. It appeared this woman had 
the same tricks that weirdo with the funny eyes did. Luckily, Hawkeye 
knew it was only an illusion. Summoning all of her will, she envisioned 
she was holding only an arrow, and not a slimy reptile writhing in her 
hands. Refusing to let go of the serpent�s tail, she pulled back and let 
the snake fly to the target she had originally intended.

The snake flew true, landing at the far end of the bed and detonating on 
upon impact. The low yield explosive had almost no blast radius. No one 
suffered more than a few splinters, though the bed was destroyed. The 
men holding it reflexively let go so they could protect their faces, 
sending Urd spilling to the ground, landing bottom first on the grass below.

Urd recovered quickly from her surprise. She looked at the men and 
pointed in Hawkeye�s direction. �Subdue him!�

As one students, body builders, and policemen all rushed at the target 
of the Enchantress� ire.

Hawkeye gulped. She really hadn�t planned on fending off all of them. 
Lighting fast she started releasing her arrows. Flare, glue, sonic, 
bolo, and a variety of other non-lethal types spread into the midst of 
the angry mob. Hawkeye was delighted to see Ranma was among those 
blinded by the first flare arrow. He was left covering his eyes and 
flailing blindly about until his vision returned.

After Hawkeye downed nearly half their number, she suddenly realized she 
was out of anything that could disable a number of her attackers without 
risking serious injury to them. She had to find a defensible position, 
somewhere they could only come at her in ones or twos.

The archer saw what she needed in the highest tree in the courtyard, the 
tree standing only a handful of meters to her left. Right before the mob 
was upon her, she shot a cable arrow into the highest branch that could 
support her weight. The miniaturized motor pulled her up faster than she 
could possible manage on her own, taking her up to the branch and to the 
relative safety of the tree. The best her foes could manage now was to 
climb the tree, where she could fend them off with her hand-to-hand 
skills, or alternately club them in the head with her bow, should she 
run out of arrows.

Hawkeye had just notched a couple of blunt tips when she noticed the 
Enchantress make a waving gesture in her direction. Now that she had a 
clear shot, it occurred to her that removing the head of the snake might 
cause the body to fall apart. Hawkeye aimed at the villainess.

Before she could release her arrow, two other tree branches swung 
impossibly in the archer�s direction. The limbs wrapped themselves 
around her, pinning her arms to her sides. Thor or the Hulk could 
shatter the branches by shrugging, Giant Man and the Wasp could change 
their sizes to escape such bonds, but unable to get to any of her 
arrows, Hawkeye was totally helpless and at the mercy of the 
Enchantress. She was left squirming in her bonds, thinking it the 
second-worst day of her life. Not only had she failed to achieve 
vengeance against Ranma, but she had the added indignity of losing to a 
trampy-looking villain.

Xxxxxxxxxx

The Enchantress smirked at her handiwork. The archer was an impressive 
warrior, especially with the strange arrows he used. He had 
single-handedly disabled half her followers. She�d have to double her 
persuasion enchantment to properly ensorcel him.

�Seize him!� she ordered her followers once again.

Several of them began climbing up the tree when a red blur landed in 
their midst. Even Urd�s eyes were hard pressed to follow the blur as a 
half-dozen men fell to the ground in the span of a couple of seconds. 
She only caught a glance at the figure as another half-dozen of her men 
charged into the fray. They too joined their comrades on the ground.

Now there was a space around the figure and Urd got her first look at 
him. He wore a loose red robe with voluminous sleeves and a demon�s mask 
with two tiny horns at the brow over his face. A pair of overlapping 
letter �D�s were on his chest. Currently his hands were tucked into his 
sleeves, making it appear as though he had only one semi-circular arm.

Urd reached out with her senses and but could feel no demonic energy 
from the being. That was good. She didn�t like demons. Satana Satanadana 
(Urd still wondered how that could be pronounced �Mara�) was trouble 
enough when their paths crossed. She had no desire to have dealings with 
other demons if she could help it. No, this strangely-garbed warrior 
held the scent of decay that all mortals possessed. The smell didn�t 
foul her senses; it simply tipped her off to the fact this being would 
die in an eye-blink of time, by her reckoning.

Another oddly dressed mortal, and an impressive fighter as well. She 
would test his mettle to see how he might serve her. �Defeat him,� she 
ordered her minions.

As a mass, they rushed him. The stranger leapt over the heads of the 
crowd, a huge net flowing out from his sleeves and landing on his foes. 
It expanded to encompass the entire horde. The more they struggled, the 
tighter the net bound them. Had they moved with any coordination, they 
could have removed the net, but the Enchantress� spell made them 
incapable of obeying anyone other than her.

There was one man that evaded the net. Urd marked him as an 
exceptionally large youth, passingly handsome. He was the type that 
might entertain her in a bed, with a few years of proper training. He 
moved like a lion, as evidenced by his evasion of the net when all 
others had failed. It appeared remarkable mortals were homing in on the 
most remarkable of Asgardians. She decided to sit back and watch the fight.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Daredevil noted he managed to dispatch all but one of the remaining 
horde. While Hawkeye had done his work well, at least judging by the 
number of unconscious and reeling people surrounding the area, the 
archer had been caught, and he was free. That was the difference that 
made him better than Hawkeye. Daredevil felt a sense of pride that he 
was better than so many of his fellow Avengers. One of these days he�d 
prove it to the annoying egotist, Captain Japan.

The hero�s radar sense informed him that one of the possessed mob had 
evaded the nets. Daredevil felt sorry for the poor guy. He was 
completely outclassed. The blind adventurer decided to go easy on him. 
After all, it wasn�t as though the guy could be blamed for falling 
victim to some supervillain who had the ability to capture a person�s 
mind. Luckily, Daredevil knew he was made of sterner stuff. No one could 
control his mind, no matter what their powers were.

Just as the figure was nearly upon him, Daredevil finally managed to 
sort out his foe�s heartbeat from the others. The hero�s defenses 
momentarily went down as he recognized the familiar pulse of Captain 
Japan�s.

A hard right struck cleanly, nearly breaking Daredevil�s jaw and sending 
his senses reeling. A kick to the gut knocked the wind out of him and 
sent him flat to the ground. It was more reflex than design that enabled 
the hero to roll out of the way of the foot aimed at his stomach, one 
that might have ended the fight if it had landed. He continued rolling 
as second and third stomps barely missed him.

Having recovered some small amount of his wind, Daredevil retaliated in 
the brief opening that was provided as Captain Japan raised his foot 
again. The blind man lashed out with his leg, kicking the one his 
possessed teammate still had planted on the ground out from under him.

They were near mirror images of one another as each returned to his feet 
and backed away. Captain Japan attacked with a mad flurry of punches. It 
was then Daredevil noticed something odd about the Captain�s fighting 
style. He was off by a small margin, and moving just a touch slower than 
normal. It was barely noticeable, but the difference between the two 
fighters suddenly widened. Daredevil waited for an opening, then 
launched a counter attack with several boxing maneuvers. He tagged the 
Captain twice with quick jabs. Neither blow was enough to level his foe, 
but now Daredevil knew for certain that whatever was affecting Captain 
Japan�s mind was also affecting his fighting style. It would be a war of 
attrition, but Daredevil knew he would win, especially since his ally�s 
shield was missing.

Daredevil began wearing down his foe with a methodical attack that 
systematically destroyed Captain Japan�s defenses. Instead of feeling 
elation at kicking his nominal rival�s butt, the blind adventurer felt 
empty and hollow. Defeating the Captain under these conditions was 
pointless. It didn�t prove anything other than he made a poor puppet. 
Daredevil wanted the satisfaction of defeating Captain Japan on a level 
playing field, and proving he was both the superior fighter and man.

It was time. Daredevil decided to finish things off with a powerful 
nerve strike to the shoulder followed up by a blow to the head. Then 
he�d deal with the woman who was responsible for the blind adventurer�s 
meaningless victory. She was the one he was truly angry at for 
confounding one of his dearest wishes.

Just as Daredevil was about to land the blow, someone came at him from 
behind. An ordinary man would have never fallen victim to the ambush. 
With his radar sense, Daredevil could see equally in every direction all 
the time. He brought his elbow back, hitting the attacker in the face 
and knocking him out in one blow. It was one of the entranced policemen, 
judging by the smell of the uniform and the silhouette of the gun and 
nightstick in his belt.

Dealing with the newcomer�s attack proved costly as Captain Japan landed 
a hard fist into Daredevil�s chest. He winced as he felt his sternum 
nearly crack under the force of the blow. He deflected the next two 
strikes, but then became aware of two others charging at him from 
opposite sides. Daredevil backed away, allowing their uncoordinated 
attack to backfire as the men slammed into each other. However, just as 
they fell to the ground, Captain Japan attacked again, his fist coming 
through just as the two men separated enough to allow him to throw a 
punch. The blow hit Daredevil�s jaw once again, loosening it for certain.

Where were these men coming from? Daredevil paid closer attention to 
where the net lay. While they had not functioned as a group, there was 
strength in numbers and, more by happenstance than design, those closest 
to the edge were free. Worse, with an opening in the netting, others 
were quickly following suit. While Daredevil could have dealt with 
either the slow trickle of normal people or Captain Japan alone, 
combined they would overwhelm him in a matter of minutes.

Since retreating was not an option, there was only recourse left, at 
least one that would incapacitate rather than injure. He had to act 
quickly before it was too late. From his sleeves the hero hurled 
numerous canisters in both the direction of the mob and at his feet. 
They exploded on impact, releasing jets of a smoky substance far and 
wide in the air. The effect was instantiations as everyone began rubbing 
their eyes at the tear gas. Everyone, that was, save Daredevil. While 
his eyes watered like everyone else, such meant little to a blind man.

Taking advantage of the situation, he whipped out a pair of billy clubs, 
one for each hand. He turned to the now blinded Captain Japan. Raising 
his arms up, he brought the clubs down on the possessed man�s shoulders, 
eliciting a cry of pain. A kick to the stomach doubled him over. 
Daredevil finished up with a sharp blow to the back of his unprotected 
neck. Captain Japan slumped to the ground, groaning in the throes of 
unconsciousness.

A cheaper victory Daredevil couldn�t imagine. While he could taunt 
Captain Japan for falling under the influence of the villainess, and 
both he and Hawkeye could boast about their immunity to the woman, he 
couldn�t coo about the physical victory. Daredevil had his pride. He 
would prove his superiority to everyone in a battle where none could 
question the outcome.

A sudden breeze kicked up around the area, blowing the tear gas away. 
Daredevil�s senses perceived the approach of the villainess who was no 
longer content to merely watch from the sidelines. Now here was a 
victory the blind adventurer could brag about, single-handedly 
dispatching their foe and demonstrating to everyone that he didn�t need 
a team to succeed in the superhero business.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After conjuring a minor wind to blow away the haze, the Enchantress 
turned a bemused smile upon the warrior. Truly he was impressive, having 
dispatched both her remaining minions as well as the tall youth. He 
would be a wonderful addition to her servants. Since he had managed to 
resist her glamour, like the archer before him, Urd boosted the power of 
her allure a threefold with a wave of her hand. Now he could not help 
falling for her.

The Enchantress stood before the man and turned her most sultry gaze 
upon him. His expression was unreadable behind his mask, but she knew it 
could be nothing but the most slavish of devotion. �Gaze upon the face 
of your new mistress and show how much you wish to serve her.�

In response, Daredevil drew back his fist and punched her in the face.

To a normal woman of Urd�s proportions, the blow would have rendered her 
stunned, if not unconscious. To an Asgardian in the fit shape she was 
in, it simply turned her head. Her shock was total as she remained 
looking away, saying softly, �Thou didst strike mine face.�

Daredevil cried out in pain at the unexpected resistance and held his 
now sore hand tenderly. �What are you made of, concrete?!�

�Thou didst strike mine face,� Urd repeated more loudly.

Thanks to his blindness, Daredevil was spared the sight of the 
Enchantress� face as it contorted from unearthly seduction to a naked 
fury that no mortal could hope to match. Even her slaves backed away in 
fear from her.

Daredevil could tell something was amiss as a sensation similar to the 
effect of electricity built up in the air and started to surround him. 
With his uninjured hand he whipped out another billy club and drew back 
with it, intending to deliver a much harder blow, something that would 
ring even Thor�s ears.

He was too late as with a wave of her hand, the Enchantress hurled a 
mystic bolt of energy into him. The energy simultaneously fired off most 
of his pain synapses, as well as hurling him nearly halfway across the 
schoolyard where his body slumped to the ground, unmoving.

The ferocious look of hate grew even greater. �Thou has committed the 
most grievous of crimes in attempting to mar mine perfect features. For 
this unforgivable transgression, thou hast earned the most painful of 
punishments.� Urd raised her hands wide apart above her head. Between 
the hands an oval of purest darkness formed. Its obsidian depths seemed 
to suck in not just light, but bleached the color from everything. It 
grew larger with every second, as though the Asgardian�s anger fed it, 
and Urd had no shortage of anger for her foe. �Behold, the most powerful 
of spells, �Oblivion�s Embrace�. It shall not only end thy life, but it 
shall eradicate everything, even thy soul. There will be naught left to 
stride either the halls of Valhalla or Hel.�

Just as she was about to unleash the spell, powerful hands grasped her 
wrists and a voice commanded, �Enow.�

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Thor looked down at Urd, relieved she had prevented the fiery tempered 
goddess from eradicating Daredevil. In truth, her comrade had saved 
himself with the tear gas. When Urd had blown the cloud away with her 
magic winds, it had been forced into the school, blinded Yuka and 
Sayuri. That was all Akane needed to limp away. Once as safe distance 
away, she struck her cane against the floor. Transformed, she flew out, 
her godly form immune to the gas, and confronted Urd just in time to 
prevent Daredevil�s eradication.

Urd spun in Thor�s grasp, her look of rage disappearing as instantly as 
it arrived, transforming into delight. �At last, I hath found thee, oh 
most handsome of gods�

Thor was unmoved by the flattery. �Thou hast gone too far. Thou doth 
know the spell of Oblivion is only the All Father�s to employ. It is 
forbidden for any others to call upon it.�

�Had I a care for the blow-hard�s edicts, I would not be here, now would 
I?� Urd scoffed as the spell winked out of existence, obliterating 
itself. �Tis most wonderful to see thee again after so long, mine Prince.�

�Would that I could say the same,� Thor said.

Before he could speak further, Urd stood on her tip-toes and grabbed 
Thor by the head, bending his face downward. She kissed him with all the 
passion she could muster, her lips drinking deeply of his.

For a moment, Thor found herself lost in the power of the kiss. Truly it 
was incredible, tantalizing her senses in ways she could never recall, 
and served well for one who often referred to herself as the Goddess of 
Love and Beauty. And the way her lush, voluptuous form ground itself 
against hers, Urd�s breasts pressing against Thor�s own��

Thor roughly shoved Urd away. �I am not a pervert!� It was as much an 
entreaty as a statement.

�Be not so prudish. It hardly becomes you. Thy lascivious nature is one 
reason I have sought thee out,� Urd told her. �Now thou art bound to 
love me for all eternity. Hahahaha��

�Cease thy foolish ranting, Urd.�

The Enchantress� laughter died. �Eh? Thou should not speak to the love 
of thy life in such terms, Dearest.�

�Thou are not now nor ever hath been mine love. I have no interest in 
such as thee or thy gender,� Thor assured her.

Urd backed away, horrified. �Tis beyond belief. Not only hath the cream 
of enchantment failed to bind thee, but no less than two mortals have 
resisted mine allure as well.� Once more she accessed her 
extra-dimensional space, this time whipping out an elaborate hand 
mirror. It was made of the purest adamantine and crafted so perfectly 
that the roses lining the frame seemed real. Only a god could be 
responsible for its creation.

The Enchantress looked into the mirror�s surface. �Magic Mirror, I 
command thee to speak. Have I lost mine beauty?�

The face of a handsome man with blond hair and eyes of the deepest blue 
appeared on the surface. It proclaimed, �Honey, I�d like to strip you 
naked, smear you in honey, and lick��

�Enow.� Urd silenced the mirror and replaced it in the hole. �Thor, 
surely thou dost not find my form repellent.�

�Thy beauty is surpassed only by thy vanity,� Thor informed her with a 
touch of jealousy.

�Then how can thee resist mine� hold, weren�t thou taller in times 
past?� Urd looked the �God� of Thunder over for the first time. Her 
brows arched in curiosity as her eyes settled on Thor�s chest. She held 
out her arm and touched the chest in question, feeling the unexpected 
lumps carefully.

�Woulds�t thou not do that?� Thor grumbled.

Rather than stopping, Urd began fondling the lumps. Eventually she 
centered on the most rounded parts, pinching slightly and confirming her 
suspicions.

Thor swatted the appendages away using a blow that would have broken the 
bones of a non-Asgardian. �Stop that now!�

The Enchantress finally obeyed Thor�s wishes. �So, thou hast encountered 
transgender magic. Uncommon sorcery, but not unheard of. Tis usually 
most tricky, though given time I believe I can overcome it. Unless thou 
wishes to remain that way.� Urd moved closer to Thor, snuggling against 
her. �While mine preference is for company of a male nature, I have 
dabbled upon occasion with members of mine own gender. Some quite 
talented. Things can get boring over millennia, and a change of pace 
ofttimes serves to whet the appetite as well as distract.�

Thor pulled away, thoroughly scandalized. Before she could utter 
epithets of Urd�s perversions, a section of the wall surrounding the 
school exploded, producing a huge cloud of debris and dust. Relieved at 
what was undoubtedly a clarion call to battle, Thor turned her attention 
to the cause of the disturbance.

Striding through the dust, the armored figure of the Executioner 
approached. Upon seeing Thor, it raised its hammer, which was extremely 
slender and bore a strong resemblance to a croquet mallet.

�Skuld!� Thor exclaimed. Upon seeing the figure, previously forgotten 
memories of the identity of the armored warrior surged to the forefront.

The Executioner leveled the hammer in Thor�s direction. �So, I see mine 
fears were well founded. Thou has conspired to take mine elder sister 
from Asgard and make her yours.�

The accusation made Thor stare at her fellow Asgardian in disbelief. 
�Surely thou art joking.�

�I would never joke when it comes to mine sibling!� the Executioner�s 
hollow, metallic voice bellowed. �And refer to me by my proper title: 
The Executioner.�

Thor�s eyes narrowed. �Thou still goes by that ridiculous title? Skuld, 
there be no such position in all of Asgard. The All-Father doth not 
execute anyone. He satisfies justice by exiling criminals to distant, 
malicious lands.� That probably wasn�t the best of recourses, since some 
exiles not only survived those harsh realms, but they would found their 
own kingdoms in those places of exile, and then raised armies to seek 
revenge on Asgard. While Asgard always won, there was usually a feeling 
of irritation when some criminal turned their punishment to their 
advantage.

�I have decided I am the Realm Eternal�s Executioner and that�s that!� 
The figure strode forward, hammer held menacingly before it.

The Enchantress was about to calm her sibling down and explain what was 
really happening, then changed her mind. She was curious to see how the 
transformed Thor would perform in combat, and her sibling�s 
overprotectiveness could be trying at times. Besides, Urd rather enjoyed 
being fought over. The right to have beauty such as hers at one�s side 
should always be a prize worth fighting for.

Realizing that further words would settle nothing, Thor approached her 
foe as well, intent on meeting Skuld head on. It would be best to end 
the fight quickly, for Skuld�s sake as well as the innocent bystanders 
in the school.

The moment they drew within range of one other the pair silently drew 
back their hammers and swung them forward. The weapons met head on, 
filling the air with the sound of a ton of explosives going off. The 
impact was incredible as a wave of force radiated outward from ground 
zero. It traveled across the school, shattering all the windows on one 
side and knocking all in the school yard off their feet.

�Od�s Blood!� Thor exclaimed as she backed away from her foe.

The Executioner didn�t seem surprised in the slightest. �Foolish Thunder 
God, I have improved mine hammer much since our last encounter. No cheap 
victory shall thou attain this time. Rather, at long last the name of 
Skuld shall be on everyone�s lips as the greatest of gods, while the 
Thunder�s name will be quickly forgotten, like some god I cannot name, 
since they be forgotten.�

�Mine name is legend, and shall be until the end of days,� Thor promised.

�Not when I am through with thee.� The Executioner pointed the hammer at 
Thor. �Observe one of the other improvements to my Mjolnir 3005.� The 
head of the hammer began to spin around in one spot, like a propeller, 
while the handle Skuld gripped remained stationary.

The head spun faster and faster, causing a wind to kick up. Suddenly, an 
opening appeared directly in front of the head, as though the winds had 
made a rip in reality. �Thou are not the only one capable of creating 
fissures in the space time continuum. Observe this dimension of ice and 
storms!� Pieces of hail the size of basketballs began shooting out of 
the aperture, heading directly for Thor.

The Goddess of Thunder reacted almost instantaneously as she began 
whirling her hammer by its thong. Savage winds kicked up as cyclonic 
forces originated at her hammer. The power of the wind was so great that 
the pieces of hail slowed down, stopped, then reversed direction, 
heading back to their point of origin.

Several impacted on the Executioner�s armor, staggering the warrior. 
Instantly the hammer�s head stopped spinning and the volley of hail 
ceased as the hole in reality closed up.

�Now thou shall know the power of the storm!� Thor knelt on one knee and 
tapped the end of her hammer into the ground. A bolt of lightning arced 
down from the heavens and struck the Executioner on the top of the metal 
helmet.

Smoke rose from the Executioner�s still form. Thor rose to her feet, a 
look of satisfaction in place. �And now this match hath ended.�

The Executioner laughed. �Dost thou believe me so weak that a mere spark 
could render me senseless? Mine armor is made of a non-conductive 
material, a simple counter to such a simple attack. Thy arrogance truly 
knows no bounds.� The Executioner ran forward, closing the space between 
the gods in a heartbeat.

Thor, surprised at her attack having failed so thoroughly, fell victim 
to a fist from the Executioner. The blow stuck solidly and sent Thor 
flying through the air. She impacted with a wall of the school and 
bounced off, cracking the concrete behind her.

Seeing the successful handiwork, the Executioner laughed. �Mine power 
lies not solely in mine hammer, as thou has just borne witness. Sing my 
praises, Thor, and I shall be merciful.�

Thor glared daggers of anger at her foe. �Sooner would I tie bloody meat 
to my person and try to pet the Fenris Wolf than admit defeat to the 
likes of you.�

�I shall slaughter the cow myself,� the Executioner boasted as the 
armored warrior drew back the croquet-shaped hammer and let it fly. 
Miniature jets burst from the handle as it sped unerringly toward the 
God of Thunder.

Thor drew back her hammer, intent on swatting the weapon away like an 
annoying insect. She would then follow up by doing the same to Skuld. 
However, when the flying hammer was almost upon her, the air was 
suddenly filled with a sextet of the missiles.

Thor froze. That was all it took for the true hammer to strike, the 
others disappearing upon contact. Thor was knocked to the ground again 
while the Mjolnir 3005 returned on its jets to the Executioner�s hand.

�As thou can see, not only does it return to mine hand, but it can 
attack from every angle as well. Mine hammer is superior to thy ancient 
piece of debris Odin created. My intellect is superior to all, even the 
All-Father�s!�

A low growl issued from Thor. Slowly she returned to her feet. Whereas 
before she seemed to be ready for battle, now she had changed. There was 
an intensity about her that had been lacking earlier. The few people 
that remained on the battlefield drew back slightly. Even Urd grew 
concerned. The only one that seemed to not notice, or was outright 
ignoring the change, was the Executioner.

Thor softly intoned, �I have been merciful with thee since I know thou 
cannot help being an insolent whelp, but no more. Thou hast gone too 
far, and I will brook no further insult.�

Thor brought Mjolnir back once. A thunderhead formed behind it, like a 
small thunderstorm had appeared at ground level. Winds howled and 
lighting cracked as the ground trembled with thunder. With the storm at 
her side, Thor charged forward, Mjolnir crackling with overflowing power.

The Executioner yielded no ground. Instead Mjolnir 3005 was brought back 
in answer.

With a tremendous clash that made the Norse poets of yore compose 
ballads, the hammers met, producing a sound that dwarfed their previous 
contact. Uru met Uru, as the forces ran rampant into one another with 
such force that earthquake centers as far away as China monitored the 
event.

The Anti-Mjolnir 3005 shattered into a hundred pieces, shrapnel burying 
itself in just about everything save human flesh.

Skuld stared down at the charred remains of the handle, all that was 
left of five years of intense work. �Thou art a jerk!�

The armored warrior punched Thor hard in her stomach. The goddess 
grunted, but stood her ground, releasing a quick puff of air as the only 
acknowledgement that a blow had been landed.

�Thou hast taken thy best shot, now tremble as thou feels mine!� Thor 
drew back her fist and unleashed every ounce of her Asgardian might. 
Shouting out a war cry at the top of her lungs, Thor released her punch. 
The blow was a blur to the naked eye as it connected cleanly with the 
Executioner�s head.

 From her vantage point among the branches of the tree, Hawkeye watched 
as a blue object flew from the Executioner�s head, skipping along the 
ground like a flat stone across a pond. Eventually it skittered to a 
stop, allowing Hawkeye to make out the object: the Executioner�s helm. 
Curious as to what such a powerful, belligerent warrior must look like, 
Hawkeye turned to look at him, wagering he resembled a giant ape in 
human form.

The archer was startled to discover that she still had no idea of what 
the Executioner looked like, since not only was there no helmet on him 
any longer, but there was no head either. All that remained was a 
depression where the head had been moments before.

�No!� Hawkeye shouted. �Thor, you�ve gone too far! We�re heroes, we 
don�t kill! It�s not our place to choose who lives or dies! If we do 
that, then we�re no better than the scum we fight against!�

Hawkeye�s damnation was cut short as the Executioner, evidently deciding 
that heads were about as useful to locomotion as helmets, raised a fist 
and threw another punch at Thor.

Thor, not surprised in the slightest, caught the fist in a grip of iron. 
�Dost thou not know when the situation hath been lost?!� The goddess 
squeezed, crumpling the hand into a twisted stump of metal.

Before the Executioner could throw another punch, Thor slipped her 
hammer onto her wrist with its thong and dug her hands into the 
depression that had previously housed the Executioner�s head. Digging 
her fingers in, she tore open the armor, creating finger holds. Now with 
some leverage, she exerted her strength to the fullest and pried the 
armor apart, ripping it in two halves.

A girl fell out of the hole in the bottom of the armor, landing solidly 
on her behind.

�What the hell?� Hawkeye said, mostly to herself.

The girl, who appeared to be in her early teens, rose to her feet. Her 
hair was long and raven black, and fell to nearly her bottom. She wore a 
loose white and red outfit, feminine, but something a child would wear. 
Blue markings were on her forehead and cheeks. She pouted, highlighting 
her youthful appearance.

�Thou art a meanie!� she informed Thor, before going for an oddly shaped 
cylindrical object attached to what was clearly a tool belt around her 
waist.

Thor ripped the object from her hands and hurled it high up in the air. 
The object detonated nearly a half mile above everyone�s heads.

�Thou hast ever been a brat, but this goes too far!� Thor shouted in the 
girl�s face.

The Enchantress finally entered the situation, placing a calming hand on 
Thor. �Be forgiving to mine sister, Thor. She hath been through much of 
late and is distraught.

Skuld wiggled out of Thor�s grasp and clutched Urd possessively. �I will 
not allow thee to take mine elder sister away!�

Suddenly, a wave of deja-vu washed over Thor. Seeing the sisters 
together triggered it. She tried wracking her memory for the reason for 
the sensation. Unlike her first viewing of Urd and Skuld, where the 
memories rushed forward in a torrent, the very attempt at recalling this 
memory produced a shooting pain that seemed to bounce from one side of 
her skull to the other. Though there was definitely something there, 
like the shadow of a memory in place of the real one.

Rather than backing away from the pain, Thor tried to force her mind 
through it. The agony increased exponentially until the goddess was 
certain her head would split like an overripe golden apple. Still she 
persisted, refusing to back down.

Then suddenly a single memory returned, ending the agony. It was of a 
painfully beautiful woman who should have been at the sisters� sides. 
Her beauty wasn�t merely physical in nature, like Urd�s, rather it was 
an aura of serenity that could only be divine in origin. A tear welled 
in Thor�s eyes as a name attached itself to the face. �Belldandy.� The 
word was closer to being breathed rather than spoken. She turned to Urd. 
�Where is Belldandy?�

The result of the question was instantaneous on Skuld as she burst into 
tears, clinging tightly to her sister. Urd�s response was to jerk, as 
though shot, then a sorrowful expression crossed her features.

Thor�s heart leapt into her throat. �Where is thy sister?�

Urd would not look her interrogator in the eye. �I do not wish to speak 
of her.�

Thor grabbed the Enchantress by the shoulders and shook her. �Tell me!�

This time Urd�s face contorted into anger. �Enow!� She placed her palms 
against Thor�s chest. There was a flash of light as her mystic bolt 
hurled her so hard and so far that she collided with the tree that 
trapped Hawkeye. She struck so hard the tree cracked at the base and 
fell, as though brought down by an axe. Luckily, the branches that held 
the archer cushioned her from the worst of the fall.

Urd turned contemptuously away from the fallen goddess. �This game 
ceases to amuse me. If thou doth wish to spurn mine advances and remain 
on Midgard then by all means, enjoy thy banishment. Thou shalt find it 
more curse than blessing. There can be no other outcome when dealing 
with mortals.� Another brief look of sadness crossed her features. She 
placed a hand affectionately around Skuld�s shoulder. �Come, sister. Let 
us away to our home, where we belong.� With her free hand she summoned a 
portal. Drawing Skuld closer, she stepped through. The aperture closed 
behind her.

By the time Thor returned to her feet, the pair had departed. There was 
no trace of the portal. Were it not for the destruction and the 
Executioner�s ruined armor, it might as well have been a dream. Now Thor 
was more confused than ever. Banishment? What had Urd meant by that? 
Thor had not been banished from anywhere. She was simply Akane Tendou, 
transformed into the scion of Asgard. Wasn�t she?

But that didn�t explain her knowledge of Urd and Skuld. Seeing them had 
opened doors to memories, doors whose presence she had been blissfully 
unaware of. What were those images? Remnants of a previous life? False 
images produced from the magic of the transformation? She found it hard 
to even ask such questions, as though her own mind didn�t want to know.

Of almost as great a concern, at least in Thor�s mind, was this 
Belldandy person. For some inexplicable reason, that name bothered her 
more than the memory issue. All she had was a vague recollection of a 
woman by that name, sister to Urd and Skuld, yet it affected her in a 
way nothing had ever before. And whatever answers she could hope to have 
had departed with a spurned goddess whose pathway Thor could not hope to 
follow.

Suddenly, becoming Thor didn�t seem quite the liberation Akane had 
thought it was.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

[End fic]

Yes, Spragg the Living Hill was a true Marvel character that predates 
Fantastic Four 1. He was one of their old horror line, though he did 
appear in the mainstream universe decades later in the second She Hulk 
series. Yes, Leap Frog was a horrible Daredevil villain as well. A guy 
in a frog constume with springs in the feet. At least they made him a 
comedy character later in life.



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