DB Sommer wrote:

Writer's note: This might be a bit rougher than usual since i only 
revised it once.

Avenging
Act II, Chapter 9
The Lesson of the Serpents
(Strength in Numbers)

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.florestica.com/dbsommer/index.htm

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

And newer works at Mediaminer
www.mediminer.org

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

Here�s a great reference guide for many character and objects in the 
Marvel Universe. Comic geeks like me, including people that have worked 
for Marvel, have put it together. Heck, they refer to stuff even I 
didn�t know about. (Like how it was Warhawk that had killed Atom Smasher 
I from the brief Black Goliath run. Hey, it was a fun five issues series.
http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/index.htm


Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It was a call Kodachi Kunou didn�t expect. Her late father�s personal 
line, which was never used since everyone knew he had been declared dead 
(and that Kodachi had her own personal line), suddenly emitted a song 
with a Hawaiian flavor to it. She mentally marked having that tune 
purged from the system.

However was calling had been lucky in her being in her father�s old 

Whoever was calling

Why is she is in her father's old office?  Or more to the point, why 
didn't she redecorate and move into it?

�We can arrange that before we leave,� Iron Rose told him, informing 
Sasuke to prepare the Hulk�s usual twenty pound helping of beans �to 
go�. In some ways, the Hulk was quite easy to deal with compared to the 
others. Unless he lost his temper, than he was by far the worst of the 
lot. If only everyone could be as composed as her Captain Japan, who 
never made problems and was the ideal team player in every way.

Presumably she's overlooking Cap's habit of mysteriously disappearing.

Iron Rose started to become lost in a fantasy of the Captain sweeping 
her off her feet, when she was outside of her armor, of course. She 
didn�t have a lot, well, any contact with the opposite gender, and he 
was an ideal one to start out with. Those huge muscles, that proud 
profile, that cute butt�

�Ahem.� Hawkeye cleared her throat in an openly irritated manner.

�I�m getting to the point,� Iron Rose said testily. �I have come upon 
information indicating a super-villain group known as the Serpent 
Society will attack a Roxxon convoy. I suggest we travel with it so that 
we might ambush these villains and bring them to justice. I�d like a 
vote on the matter to see if we shall stop these foul villains from 
committing their acts of perfidy.�

Giant Man, currently at his normal height, said, �I don�t think we 
should do thi��

Wasp cut him off. �Of course we have to stop these mean and nasty 
super-villains and kick their behinds. Isn�t that right, Giant Man?�

Giant Man took one look into his diminutive partner�s eyes. No, he 
didn�t want to fight them. He wanted to go home and look over some 
updates he had to turn in to keep his medical license. But there was no 
way he would allow Kasumi to walk into the jaws of danger. �Yes.�

Their hands both went up.

Hulk said. �Tin Can Girl wants us to smash snakes?�

�Yes.�

�Hulk does not like snakes. Hulk will help smash snakes.� He raised his 
hand.

Thor�s hand followed. �We should smite these foul miscreants.�

Daredevil remained sitting with his hands crossed. �No way. I�m not some 
stooge for a big oil conglomerate like Roxxon.�

Hawkeye followed suit. �I�m inclined to agree with Daredevil. Roxxon has 
been involved in some pretty shady deals. Maybe they�re doing something 
illegal too. I mean, they could go to the authorities and have them help.�

Wasp flew up to Hawkeyes�s face, tiny fists planted firmly on tiny hips. 
�Why don�t we just call the authorities whenever a super-villain shows up?�

�It�s not the same thing,� Hawkeye said.

�I�m abstaining,� Captain Japan said, interrupting the upcoming argument.

All eyes turned toward him.

�Why?� Iron Rose asked.

As though each word had to be pulled from his mouth, Captain Japan said, 
�I�m� retiring.�

The Avengers rose to their feet almost as a whole, except the Hulk, who 
stared at everyone. He didn�t see why he should stand, so he remained 
where he was.

�Thou cannot quit,� Thor said, getting right up into Captain Japan�s face.

That has an off ring to it.

�Can�t you just take a leave of absence. It�ll be paid for,� Iron Rose 
assured him.

Captain Japan shook his head. �Nah. The problem ain�t going to go away. 
I gotta quit. Probably retire altogether. And Bucky will be coming with me.�

�We can get by without her,� Hawkeye assured him.

�Verily.�

�I concur,� came from Iron Rose.

�Well don�t get all worked up over that,� Captain Japan said dryly. 
�Anyway, I�m resigning effective immediately.� He turned and walked out 
without looking back.

The others stared at his retreating form. Iron Rose recovered from the 
shock first. �We will discuss the matter of the captain�s resignation 
later.�

�I shall bring him back,� Thor said.

�This is a voluntary group,� Daredevil pointed out.

�Then I shall voluntarily bring him back.�

Daredevil gave up. Arguing with goddess�s just wasn�t worth the hassle.

a goddess

(would be a clearer and more graceful way to put it)

�Hey! I�m here under protest!� Daredevil shouted, his heightened hearing 
able to listen in as though he were standing next to the pair.

Iron Rose was also perturbed and sounded angry enough to blast 
Sidewinder out of hand. �And the Avengers have complete autonomy in 
making their own decisions. The stipend they receive is in recognition 
of the difficulty of their work. Only I am a salaried employee of Kunou 
Industries.�

�Oh, of course you are.� Sarcasm dripped from Sidewinder like venom. 
�Why don�t you just move along. I see you�re one person short, and in 
case you didn�t notice, we outnumber you considerably.�

�I noticed,� Hawkeye said.

�Enough talk,� came the Wasp�s voice from the center of a number of the 
villains. Bushmaster was suddenly struck by a double �sting� to the face 
instantly rendering him unconscious.

�So much for dialogue,� Iron Rose said as the first shot released the 
floodgates

Everything happened at once. Before Wasp could follow up on her attack 
Rattler raised his tail up and sent a solid wave of vibratory force 
through the air. It was so wide and so hard Wasp didn�t stand a chance 
as she was swatted from the air and hit the ground.

Seeing the woman he loved struck down, Giant Man cried out her name 

Which name would that be?

She turned to see the thrower. It was a woman dressed in a pink and 
black skin-tight bodysuit, as unsnake-like as Black Racer�s outfit. A 
large number of �throwing diamonds� were attached by bands around to her 
waist, legs, arms, and even neck.

�So you use trick arrows� Diamondback?� she guessed.

knives?  projectiles?

A part of Thor knew she should refuse, but she couldn�t seem to help 
herself. There was something there. No, there was *someone* there.

And then she saw it. How could she have been so blind. It was her. At 
long last. After an eternity, her.

Thor, you are a fickle wench.

�You�re back!� Giant Man exclaimed.

All Captain Japan said was, �Grow to fifty feet.�

How did he get there?

Captain Japan whirled in surprise at the blast. He saw the Wasp hovering 
over a foe he had assumed been defeated.

�I recovered just in time,� Wasp said. �Nice to have you back, captain.�

You know, by rights Kasumi's body should be one big bruise tomorrow.  Ah 
well, maybe Tofu has a balm.

�Yeah,� Captain Japan mused. �It doesn�t matter what my mom�s opinion of 
me is. Me and Bucky are here to stay.�

�You can leave her out,� Hawkeye said, a motion seconded by Iron Rose 
and Thor.

Surely at some point they've got to realise that Bucky is a member of 
Cap's family.

�It�s a good thing you didn�t turn into a pair of trunkless legs of 
stone. In any event, having a king of kings as a servant appeals to me. 
Purchasing you from AIM was quiet the steal.�

Quite



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