Ranma 1/2 and Spider-Man are used without permission.
==================================
Hikaru Gosunkugi: The Amazing Spiderman Issue 4: Raising the Stakes
==================================
"It's all set, Mr. Leung," Wu Long said as he stood in the Kingpin's
spacious office. Long, who often went by the handle of Fixer, was Leung's
most trusted lieutenant. The two had met in 1990, when Leung was making a
play for control of Hong Kong's drug trade. The young, athletic man with
shoulder-length black hair and a stony expression had proven invaluable in
Leung's successful grab, and in many other operations since. "We make the
pickup in exactly ten hours at Pier 47 at the Tokyo Bay."
"Excellent," Leung replied, "You have come through for me yet again,
my friend."
"Of course, sir," Long said in his usual formal tone. Leung stared
at him for a moment, the bright morning sun from outside spilling across the
carpeted floor and Long's coal black Armani suit. Not for the first time,
Leung wondered just what was going through his lieutenant's mind. "Is there
anything else you require?"
"Not at the moment, no," Leung said as he swiveled his chair away
from Long.
"Then I will leave and prepare the monthly reports. Good day, sir,"
Long said. Leung could scarecly hear his footfalls on the soft carpeting as
he strode toward the door. The sound of the door opening then closing
reached his ears as Long left the office.
While Leung trusted Wu Long, that trust only went so far. Long had
shown no signs over the years of even thinking about betrayal, but that
meant little. Wu Long was one of a very small group of people in the Triad
and other organizations whom Leung couldn't read into at all. In many ways,
that fact had him concerned.
Leung dismissed those thoughts. After the way Leung helped him, by
taking a lowly street hustler and giving the talented young man something to
look forward to aside from life in the gutter, Wu Long would not betray him.
Leung was certain of Long's loyalty, the fixer having proved it many times over.
Instead, he turned his thoughts again to the mysterious Spiderman.
Who was he? Where did he come from? Was he a threat? On an almost
instinctive level, Leung knew that the red-suited Tarzan wannabe would be
trouble.
The Kingpin turned his chair toward the picture window overlooking
the Tokyo skyline. Things were proceeding exactly as they should.
===================================
Today's the day! Gosunkugi excitedly thought as he stood by the main
gate of Furinkan High. The money from the pictures he'd sold was almost
literally burning a hole in his pocket, and he couldn't wait to spend it on
a date with Akane.
The thought that she may refuse had, oddly enough, not crossed his
mind. For once, Hikaru Gosunkugi wasn't thinking pessimistically. Ever since
aquriring his powers, his thoughts had been quite positive.
There she is! Akane Tendo strode out of the doors, the sun casting
an almost heavenly glow about her. Her bob of black hair shone in the light
of Earth's star, forming a faint halo. Gosunkugi's pulse picked up
dramatically as she moved toward him, Ranma notably absent. His being gone
was all the better for Gosunkugi, who wanted to avoid a fight for now.
The other students in the sea of people rushed past unnoticed by
Gosunkugi, his eyes locked solely on Akane. So far as he was concerned, she
was the only other human in existence.
Okay, Hikaru, He thought to himself as she grew ever nearer, steady
boy. You can do this, no sweat. Finally, Akane arrived within earshot of
Gosunkugi. Gathering his resolve, he spoke.
"Hey, Akane," he said, doing his best to keep his voice level and
steady. She stopped at the sound of his voice, her lovely brown eyes casting
their gaze over the small man.
"Hi," Akane said, a curious expression crossing her features. She
was surprised that Gosunkugi was actually talking to her. He more often than
not kept to himself, not talking to anyone that she knew of.
"Hey, listen, I just wanted to... well... that is..." Gosunkugi
stammered. His resolve, so strong only seconds before, had vanished like a
fart in the wind.
"Yes?" Akane asked, wondering just what Gosunkugi wanted.
"I mean.. would..."
"Hey, Akane!" shouted a female voice from the crowd. "Hurry up!
We're gonna be late!"
"Okay!" she shouted, turning her head toward the source. "I gotta
go, Hikaru. Bye." With that, Akane vanished into the stream of bodies,
leaving Gosunkugi alone. He simply stood there motionless as Furinkan's
student body poured out the gates, leaving him solitary in a matter of
minutes. Without thinking, Gosunkugi's right hand lashed out at the stone
surface. Confused and frustrated, he stalked off in the direction of home,
not noticing the web of fine crackes his erstwhile fist left in the wall.
===================================
Kenji Matsuhara cradled each case in his arms, their bulk proving slightly
awkward. He cast his anxious gaze in all directions, struggling to find any
evidence of someone spotting him. He could not afford to screw this up, not
with what Leung was willing to pay for them.
The request, demand really, had been simple. Get the cases at any cost.
Nothing else mattered. Okay, so Dr. Sanzaki would be pissed once he found
out how he had been betrayed. Yes, the university's recombinant genetics
research would likely be halted. But, Kenji Matsuhara WOULD get paid.
===================================
What happened!? Gosunkugi raved silently as he stood in his darkened
bedroom. His bag and uniform lay haphazardly on the small bed, the shades on
the lone window drawn.
Gosunkugi couldn't believe how badly he had bombed. He had
everything he needed! Enough money for dinner at a nice restaurant, one of
those sappy romantic movies that girls seemed to go nuts over, and enough to
spare for any unforseen emergencies. Ranma had been absent and the home team
had the ball.
Instead, he had fumbled at the five yard line! Where had all his
confidence gone? His resolve? His nerve? What went wrong? When crunch time
came, Hikaru Gosunkugi had crumbled.
Still fuming at himself, Gosunkugi pulled on the red leotard. Once
the form fitting material adorned his body, he reached into his chest of
drawers and removed the blue sleeveless sweater from beneath his folded
boxers. Nobody would ever think to look there for a piece of his costume.
The mask and gloves went on last, changing Hikaru Gosunkugi into the Amazing
Spiderman.
Snatching the camera from the top of his dresser, he slapped in a
fresh roll of film. Some web-slinging might clear his head. However, he
secretly hoped he would run into another guy like the one who attacked that
woman in the alley last night. While swinging on webs may do him some good,
what he really wanted was the chance to bust a few heads.
========================================
God, I hate this place, Kenji thought as he walked through the
well-lit dockyard. The salty smell of the sea mixed with the overpowering
reek of diesel fuel and exhaust, creating a noxious odor that seemed to
permeate the air around him.
He loved his job, however. Mr. Leung was a generous employer, and
rewarded his employees for a job well done. The two briefcases he held in a
death grip in both hands were surprisingly light for things that could bring
so much power.
Now that's weird, Gosunkugi thought as he perched atop one of the
cylindrical metal buildings that dotted the dockyard at the Tokyo Bay. The
sound of machinery filled the air, longshoremen manhandling crates off of
ships and onto the backs of flatbed trucks and other transport vehicles.
He had often come here when the pressures of the real world seemed
too much to bear. True, the smell was awful and the noise just as bad, but
the place seemed to calm him. He couldn't fathom why, but it did.
Often, only huge, burly men in dingy work clothes would be found
there. Not once did he see a man as small as the one who walked beneath him.
He was clad in a charcoal gray three-piece suit, and walked as though he was
quite nervous. The two black briefcases in his hands swayed gently as he
moved as he moved, his shoulders hunched and tense.
Wonder what he's carrying? The time Gosunkugi had spent swinging to
the dock had left his muscles warm and limber, the concentration having
cleared his mind a great deal.
His gaze followed the stranger to a large metal building not far
from where Gosunkugi perched, the glow from the bulb above the door garishly
illuminating the immediate area. As the man approached, the door opened,
revealing a man in a coal black suit behind it. The two exchanged words that
Gosunkugi couldn't hear before disappearing into the building.
Now this looks interesting, he thought as he leapt to the next building
==============================
"You have them," Fixer said in a voice like arctic ice. Kenji simply
stood there mute, the presence of that cold bastard terrifying him. The
lights in the room were dim, just enough to see by in the dusty confines of
the storage facility. Shadows lurked in every corner and crevace, hiding
more than the light revealed. The smell of the air outside seemed to seep
into the space, mixing with the scent of dust to create an odor far short of
pleasant.
He could make out vague shapes in the background, crates of varying
size resting on the hard concrete floor. Before him stood six other men, all
dressed in the same manner as Fixer. They seemed to be carved out of stone,
each one standing motionless, their faces cold masks of seeming
indifference. Kenji knew better, however. Any one of them could have him
dead in a second.
"Yes," Kenji said in a weak voice. Trembling slightly, he took a
step forward, bending at the waist and placing the black briefcases on the
ground. "Both sets." Straightening, he stepped back as quickly as he could.
What's going on? Gosunkugi thought as he clung upside down to the
metal rafters. In the dim light, he saw seven men facing the nervous man who
had placed the briefcases on the hard concrete floor. The voice of the man
in the center of their ranks sent cold chills up Gosunkugi's spine, he had
never heard a tone that cold.
Pulling his camera free of the belt he wore beneath the leotard, he
affixed it to the beam to which he was adhered. The light was adequate, and
the angle was just right. If this was some big underworld deal, then the
pictures would probably be worth a king's ransom. Especially when the
Amazing Spiderman came by to bust it.
Without warning, the tingling sensation hit him in the base of his
skull, blaring that danger was just beyond the doorway. He cast his gaze to
the plain brown door, wondering what had set that weird feeling off.
The door burst inward, and all hell broke loose. Several men, clad
in black three-piece suits, charged in through the doorway, each pulling
weapons from their suits. The eight already in looked stunned for a second
before leaping into action, each diving behind whatever cover they could find.
THIS can't be good, he thought as the weapons were brought to bear.
=====================================
"Get the cases!" Wu Long shouted as he brought his .45 caliber
weapon to bear, raising just above the crate that sheltered him from the
hail of bullets that was sure to begin.
His gaze fell on the two briefcases that still rested where that
worm Kenji had dropped them in his panic. Raising his head, he saw one of
the intruders making a break for the cases. Wu Long raised his Smith &
Wesson over the crate, simultaneously drawing a bead on the troublesome
little punk. Without even a second thought, he squeezed the trigger. The gun
jumped in his hand, the report sounding like little more than a polite cough
through the suppressor affixed to the barrel.
The round slammed into the interloper's skull, sending blood and
brain matter out the other side as his body spun from the force of the
impact. The dead man hit the ground in a boneless heap, knocking the twin
briefcases over as he did.
He didn't have time to wonder who they were, the sound of bullets
screaming through the air forcing him back under cover. All that mattered
now was survival. Discerning the identities of the ones behind this could
come later. If there was a later.
Gosunkugi remaind affixed to the rafter, unsure of what to do. One
the one hand, he wanted to just leave the way he came. There was no sense in
becoming a statistic. On the other hand, he also wanted to get down there
and give the bad guys what for like they did in the movies.
Whatever this was about, he knew it couldn't be good. The contents
of the briefcase had to be something valuable for people to use guns to get
it, in his opinion. His curiosity was definitely piqued, but he was also
leaning toward just making a discrete exit and calling the police. This
wasn't just a few bullies or a mugger, after all. Going down there could get
him killed.
As he was about to grab his camera and leave, he saw the small man
who had brought the briefcases sneaking between some boxes. The muzzle
flashes from the discharging firearms brightened the area in intermittent
bursts as he darted in the shadows.
The strange sense, which had been buzzing in the base of his skull
throughout the duration of the battle, flared again, causing him to look
behind the man. Another, his form barely visible in the deep patch of
shadow, was aiming a large gun at the oblivious target.
Deciding that he couldn't just let the poor guy get a slug in the
back, Gosunkugi aimed his left arm at the man in the shadow. The thick
stream of webbing shot out of the spinarette like a bullet, colliding with
the aiming gunman and adhering him to the concrete floor.
Okay, Gosunkugi thought, now I'm outta here. Before he could reach
for his camera, the sense flared again, this time screaming danger aimed at
him. Without thinking, he activated his camera and dropped from the rafter
just as a bullet sparked off the metal. Shouts came from all directions
about the strange intruder that was clinging to the cieling as he hit the
ground and sought shelter. So they knew he was here. Gosunkugi was
terrified, cringing behind the crate as stray bullets splintered the wood.
Wu Long's face remained impassive as he darted from behind his
ruined cover. Keeping low, he fired at two moving shapes, one screaming and
falling as the bullet tore into him.
While Long's face was calm, inside he was furious. The operation,
which had taken months to plan and execute, had gone to hell in a handbasket
in only a few short seconds. That spineless worm Kenji had disappeared, but
that wasn't important. The briefcases were still out in the open, neither
group willing to make a move toward it with all the flying lead in the air.
He cast his eyes upward when shouts came of some man hanging from
the rafters. His curious gaze soon beheld a slight man in a red suit
dropping to the floor as a bullet ricocheted off his former perch.
Spiderman?! he thought in surprise as he crouched in the small patch
of shadow. What was he doing here? Was he working with the other group?
Long forced his mind back to the task at hand: survival. Looking
back to the cases, he gauged his chances of successfully reaching them and
escaping with his hide. If he went out, he could get killed by either a
stray bullet or a well-aimed shot. On the other hand, if he failed to get
them, Leung WOULD have him dead. The Kingpin didn't tolerate failure.
Screwing up his resolve, Wu Long darted out towards the toppled
cases. Keeping as low as he could, his feet pounded the dusty concrete as he
closed in on his target.
He caught a flicker of movement from the corner of his eye as he
ran, his brain identifying it as another running full-tilt to the same
destination. Taking aim, Long silently cursed when his .45 dry-fired.
Holstering the weapon, he altered his trajectory slightly, charging into the
oncoming man. The two collided with bone-crunching force, hitting the ground
hard enough to stun both men for a brief moment. Rising, Long met the
oncoming rival with a quick strike to the stomach, which was blocked easily
and countered with a left cross. Long ducked beneath the swing, and engaged
his opponent full-on.
Oh, I do NOT need this, Gosunkugi thought as he crouched behind a
black shape for cover. The muffled reports of weapon fire was everywhere,
fear driving him closer and closer to total panic. He'd never been in a
gunfight before, and swore to whatever Kami were listening that he'd never
get in another if he got out of this one alive.
His sense flared again, Gosunkugi leaping backward almost on
instinct as the bullet pocked the floor of the storage building. Landing in
a crouch on the back wall, he fired a web at the source of the bullet. He
heard a muffled grunt of surprise as the sticky substance rammed into him.
That's IT! Gosunkugi thought as he leapt back into the rafters. His
fear was rapidly giving way to anger, adrenaline singing through his veins
as his confidence returned with a vengeance. Memories of being a nobody,
pushed around relentlessy by everybody, came unbidden to his mind as his
vision became tinged with red.
I'm NOT that spineless wuss! he mentally screamed, I'm Hikaru
Gosunkugi, the Spiderman! Growling softly beneath his red mask, Gosunkugi
scanned the shadows below for the other shooters. His extra sense pointed
him in their direction, the muzzle flashes providing even more information.
Turning in the direction of the nearest two, he sprung off of the rafter,
his body becoming a ballistic missle as he streaked through the darkness
toward them.
The two, who were re-loading their weapons, didn't notice him until
it was too late. Before they could even make a sound, Gosunkugi's fists
slammed into their faces sending them into the grip of unconsciousness.
After securing them to the floor, he leapt in the direction his sense
pointed him next.
Where's the other one!? Wu Long thought angrily as he wrenched his
knife free from his opponent's chest. The man in the black suit dropped to
the floor, blood pouring from a myriad of wounds along with the fatal strike
to the heart.
One of the two briefcases was conspicously missing, its mate resting
on its side on the floor. The sounds of muffled gunfire were absent as well,
a fact that did not escape his notice.
Looking to his left, Long's heart nearly leapt into his throat as he
beheld a red-clad man with his back turned. His arms were in front, his head
down as though he were examining something.
This is my lucky day after all, Long thought as he placed a full
clip home. Cocking the gun, he took careful aim at the mysterious
Spiderman's back. Just put a bullet in him, and take back the case. Easy as pie.
Uh oh, Gosunkugi thought as that weird feeling surged yet again.
Dropping the briefcase, which was rather light, Gosunkugi spun around and
fired a web at the man who was busy aiming a large gun at him.
His web hit the hand aiming the firearm, encasing both in a sticky
ball. The man, who Gosunkugi recognized as the one with the icy voice, gazed
at his hand in mute astonishment for a brief second before raising the long
silver knife he held in his other hand.
Gosunkugi twisted his body, muscles in his arms straining a little
as he pulled on the thick thread of silken web he still held in his right
hand. He felt some resistance just before the weight on the other end
stopped pulling back.
"Crook, wall; wall, crook," Gosunkugi said as the black-clad
gangster flew in an arc over his head and slammed into the metal wall of the
storage building. "Play nice!"
The sounds of footsteps charging out the exit reached Gosunkugi's
ears. Turning about, he saw three men scurrying out the exit, the other
briefcase firmly in the grasp of the man in the center. He briefly
considered going after them, but decided that since the suppressed gunfire
in the confines of the room had ceased he had no reason to pursue them. Let
them get away with the other case, it wasn't his problem anymore.
Now, let's see what's in here, Gosunkugi thought as he picked up the
briefcase. He tried the latches, surprised to find that they wouldn't budge.
His eyes fell on the combination system between the two latches, all the
numbers set to zero on the silver inset.
Screw this. Grabbing the top and bottom halves of the black leather
briefcase and bracing the hinge against his stomach, Gosunkugi pulled the
two apart with little effort.
Oh, wow... he thought as he stared at the interior of the case. The
inside was made of a padded black substance, much like foam rubber in its
texture. Set behind a small transparent window in the center of the padding
was a rectangular-shaped device. its bright yellow color a stark contrast to
the midnight hue of the padding. The black design on the small device drew
Gosunkugi's eye, three triangles rounded at the base pointing to a small dot
in the center.
Radioactive? The cold grip of terror clamped around his chest, threatening
to cut off his air. He was holding s radioactive gizmo in the palm of his hand!
The almost delicious anger that had carried him through the past few
minutes dissipated, leaving his mind and body weary and in need of some
well-deserved rest. Gosunkugi forced his way past the feeling of lethargy
that had begun to steal over him, focusing his mind on finding a solution to
the problem he now faced.
Great! he thought sarcastically as he searched for the other case. I
just let those goons get away with the other one! Some big kick-ass super
hero I turned out to be.
Gosunkugi sealed the briefcase shut again with a few well-placed patches of
webbing. Still kicking himself for letting the other get away, he tucked the
case under his left arm and leapt up to the rafters yet again to retrieve
his camera.
After replacing the camera, Gosunkugi decided against selling the
pictures he had taken of the fight.