$About time I got to this, though wasn't there a chapter one of act 2?
My email's been so screwed up lately I have no record of it, and can't
quite remember on my own. Either way, sorry I missed the prologue
earlier, but I'll catch it here.
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 tough guy image was ruined by their choice of songs,
unfortunately. While some exceptionally tough guys probably could pull
of 'The wind beneath my wings' in a bad engrish striesand voice, these
guys were a few superpowers short of that lofty goal.
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.�
$Manabu: Hot gay sex?
Kobashi: You read my mind.
�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.
$Mmm, that sentance is awkward. The 'beneath his shirt' bit doesn't go
with the use in the past bit.
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.
$Ah, a neo liberal.
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
$stocking-clad ? I'm actually unsure on the proper use of hyphens in
situations like this.
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.
$Extra planar tourists tend to be a few degrees tougher than the
ordinary sort.
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.�
$Too bad she is the local attraction.
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.
$Theoretically, though doubtful. She could probably cancel a magazine
subscription and get a refund on her credit card.
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.�
$Though obviously she's messing with their heads, a smart man would
realize he'd better have a tag team behind him to even attempt to keep
up with her.
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.
$Dead? Or just unconscious?
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.�
$Poor guy. I'd've held out for blow job at least.
Urd laughed to herself as she strode from the alley, leaving the statue
of Wataru Kobashi behind.
$A little meaner than the one we know and love. Though she is fused
with something, my knowledge of superheroes and villains is sorely
lacking, so the nuances of this performance escape me.
xxxxxxxxx
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.
$Sure, they're paved in gold, but have you ever tried to drive,
skateboard, or roller blade on them? Or hell, even walk if you're not
possessed of supernatural balance and grace? Them suckers is slick!
Even the air was more foul than
before. A pox upon the thing they called technology.
$Skuld wouldn't appreciate that.
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.
$Pretty much always time to get laid a few times, first, though, so why not?
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.
$In japan? Commonly? Either a wide selection of two-four seater little
economy minded jellybean cars, or a scooter.
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,
$Heh, nice choice of words. Very archaic.
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.
$Wonder if this Urd is rough with her toys.
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.
$Yup. He steers, I push.
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.�
$Actually, it took me a second to twig on the term 'litter', I'm kinda
surprised he got it so quick. Not something most people ask for.
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.
$Snerk. Cute.
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.
$Yeah, it's big and flashy, but the gas mileage sucks, and I bet she
never even takes it off road.
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.
$You'd have thought she'd have realised that before hand and kept her
mouth shut the entire time.
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.
$Then from the stumps of their wrists, the bend of their elbows, the
curve of their necks...
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.
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.
$At least she's displayed some sense.
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.
$Heh. I seriously wonder why the JDF doesn't already have something
like the sentienals in this world, given the obvious giant robo fetish.
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.
$Is pretty clever, actually.
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?
$I've never minded.
�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.
$While she does have a point, she's also got more issues than a five
year subscription to Cosmo.
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!�
$A kiss from Urd lasts longer than a bottle of Cialis.
�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.
$Ah, lucky guy to lose, then.
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.
$It takes a true friend to hit it in your memory.
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.
$Heheh.
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.�
$Occams razor and all. I would have been inclined to believe him.
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 laughed. �What the hell are you supposed to do with that? Croquet
us to death?� The others joined in the laughter.
$She'll squish you like a bug!
The armored figure shuddered, though not in fear �I shall show thee what
$fear. "I
the Executioner can do with such a fantastical weapon of unique design.�
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Ukyou was in the middle of the one involving rope, a chair, and a
feather duster,
$Bah, that one's boring. Rope and chair is alright, but you really need
something more than a featherduster. Unless it's a tazer with a feather
duster strapped to it. That'd be fun.
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.
$It's funny, though. I hadn't even realized during the earlier bits of
avenging that this scene hadn't happened yet, and that I was actually
going to happen.
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?
$Shampoo, Kuno, herself, Ryoga... Pretty much most of the cast and one
shots.
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?�
$Hehehe. That's cute.
�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.�
$Yeah, since Hiroshi keeps screwing it up for him.
�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.
$Yeah, you keep doing this.
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.
�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.
$Heh, I think Akane would know better. Not that she could ever admit it.
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.�
$Opinion here, but I think it'd be better if you had obviously," she
said, giving her skirt a twirl, "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: Still a terrible liar, too, huh?
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
$Need a quote to close that dialogue.
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.
$Clumsy bitch.
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.
$No, no, most people are shocked by that one, not mad. I mean, you tell
people you can kill a rabbit with your thumb, and they don't beleive
you. Then you grab the bunny head, put a thumb at the base of the head,
and give it that characteristic bend/push, and they freak out.
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.
$Social suicide right there, for sure.
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.
$Next day: Hey, you're the bitch that beat up Akane! Let's get her!
Ukyo: Oh, hell.
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.
$Heh, I had a mental image of a wad of, ah, soiled, tissue in a trashcan
in some boy's bedroom somewhere, lurching and bump/sliding its way
across the floor in her direction.
�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.�
$No lesbians?
�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)
$While incredibly lame, and a bad character design, those
supervillian/heros do make many of the people who read those comics feel
better. I mean, after reading about 'Leap Frog', you kinda feel better
about running around in your superman underoos with a towel around your
shoulders.
, 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.
$But wouldn't she keep the old suit as is? I mean, hell, you don't
rebuild the original unit from scratch, you either modifiy the original
or you build from scratch.
Soon, the Iron Rose would soar again, just not today. Probably the
coming Friday by the latest.
$Mmm. Would change that to 'earliest', since we're talking about her
being late.
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
$Damned scene break! We want details! Details, man, details!
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.
$Sheesh. What a dick.
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.
$All that careful teamwork, shot to hell.
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.
$Not that he could find his way there.
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.
$Fits what we know of her, though.
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.�
$Just what I was thinking.
�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.
$Kinda hard keeping your memories straight as a girl when you look at
another goddess and remember exactly how you hit that, and how many times.
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.
$That's the one saying not to interfere on earth, right?
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.
$Smoochy.
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.
$Ah, a one shot, or at least very rare, villainess.
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.�
$Heheh.
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
$Delete upon.
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.
$Archers who try to club people with bows deserve their slaughter at the
hands and short range weapons of a real fighter.
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.
$Bout time he showed up. Angst on your own time, when that beeper goes
of it's time to save the world.
Urd reached out with her senses and but could feel no demonic energy
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.
$But since he's nominally blind, he can't tell that he's not in
costume. That's cute.
A hard right struck cleanly, nearly breaking Daredevil�s jaw and sending
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.
$I think most people would fight worse than they usually do if they have
a metaphysical hand up their ass guiding their moves.
Daredevil wanted the satisfaction of defeating Captain Japan on a level
playing field, and proving he was both the superior fighter and man.
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.
$That's not going to go over well.
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.�
$Sheesh. Dialogue like that would get on my nerves really quickly.
Daredevil cried out in pain at the unexpected resistance and held his
now sore hand tenderly. �What are you made of, concrete?!�
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�
$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.�
�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.�
$Heh.
The Enchantress� laughter died. �Eh? Thou should not speak to the love
of thy life in such terms, Dearest.�
�
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��
$Heheheh. Now that's funny.
�Enow.� Urd silenced the mirror and replaced it in the hole. �Thor,
surely thou dost not find my form repellent.�
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.�
$She's still nuts, though.
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.
$That feeling of irritation was far overweighed by the sense of
accomplishment they had in kicking their enemies ass, AGAIN, which was
why Odin did that.
�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.
$Who's Od?
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.�
$She has a point.
�Mine name is legend, and shall be until the end of days,� Thor promised.
$I am reminded by the old Secret of Monkey Island retort to that.
Insult: My name is feared far and wide by all who have heard it!
Retort: Too bad no one's ever heard of YOU at all.
�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 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!�
$Heh!
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.
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.
$Yeah, we all saw that one coming.
�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!�
$Cute insults.
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.
$Need a closing quotation mark.
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?�
$She's been reborn as a mortal, though she knowest it not, and now goes
by the name Wasp-girl...
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.
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.�
$I guess she is around somewhere, or something.
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.
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.
$Marvel has certainly produced some winners. Though you have to wonder
what Dark Horse was thinking much of the time, too.
Well, that was kinda cute, mostly sad. Definitely a downswing in the
mood at the end, and that's a little jarring. Technically it was clean,
with the most common mistake I noticed being left out quote marks. You
must have been typing pretty fast. Good chapter. What happened to
chapter one of this act, though? I certainly can't find/don't remember
it.
Ah, I see you've got a new chapter out. I'll get to it.
-Nugar
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