DB Sommer wrote:
Avenging
Act III, All You Need is Hate
Chapter 1
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.
[http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/index.htm]
Author�s Forward: The events during most of the prologue actually
happened before the last chapter of Act II. This picks up where Act II
ended.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
It was the largest secret meeting the Animal Liberation Front had ever
held. Word had traveled through the grapevine of a rousing success in
Europe: the emancipation of a number of animals from a particularly
gruesome fate at the hands of an evil scientist who had super powers.
That their movement could confront such a being and triumph gave
everyone cause to celebrate.
Y'know using a real organisation's name like this isn't how the comics
would do it.
Still, few complained about the current leader, founder Itsuki Mikura.
Under his direction the ALF had financial resources like never before.
Some claimed it was their super-powered hacker, Overrider, that had
obtained stolen them,
that had stolen them
while others maintained Councilwoman Juna Ariyoshi
herself was secretly funding them while running interference in the
government to keep them ay bay.
With most of the membership in attendance for the last half hour, the
crowd started to grow restless. Just as the anticipation hit a boil,
people began to walk on stage from the back. The leadership of the ALF,
with Mikura at the forefront of the procession, greeted their followers
with bows, waves of the hand, and other gestures of acknowledgement.
Mikura walked up to the podium and a hush fell over the crowd of nearly
a thousand.
Mikura�s voice boomed across the room, the speakers placed precisely so
all could hear without being deafened. �Greetings, my fellow liberators.
Today is a great day in the annals of our movement. A rescue operation,
headed by Yakumo Matsui, had great success in liberating what might very
well be the greatest rescue of animals to date. Sadly, he could not be
with us today, his fate unknown. Let us take a moment to remember he and
our other fallen comrades.�
The hall was silent as heads were bowed and prayers muttered.
After an appropriate silence, Mikura spoke again. �But in the midst of
this tragedy, success. Thanks to Shinjiro Hikami.� The man in question
took a bow in the pause Mikura provided, then sat back down. �Other
animals were rescued from what can only be called in execution. And I
an
mean that in a literal sense,� he said ominously.
Angry mutterings and a few voices rang out in response to that.
Mikura nodded again. �It is a great honor that I present to you one of
the animals freed from his imminent death, and allow him to thank you
himself.�
A stir of confusion shot through the gathering at the declaration.
Confusion became shock as the crowd saw what was unquestionably an
animal man, wolflike in appearance, walk across the stage to the podium.
He wore a brown tunic and shorts which showed off his furry, muscled
arms and legs. He wore green boots on his feet, though his hands went
uncovered, showing his fingers and the claws that were his nails. A
green cape completed his wardrobe, accenting both his human and animal
sides.
He exchanged bows with Mikura, who stepped aside and took a place with
the others, allowing the newcomer to stand alone before the podium.
Man Beast spoke into the microphone, using impeccable Japanese. In a
firm, yet gentle voice, he said, �I am the Man Beast, an innocent wolf
changed into human form unwillingly by a truly evil being who refers to
himself as the High Evolutionary. I find myself a strange creature in a
strange land, at least from my perspective. An individual of both the
world of nature and the world of man, but truly belonging in neither.
Torn in two directions, not knowing which way to go.
�I was a tormented soul who wished merely to be allowed to live in
peace, to return to my natural state. However, to do so meant defying
the one who had tortured me, turning me into what you see now. My desire
for individuality was an affront he could not tolerate. For my defiance
I was to be executed. Yet on the dawn of that dark day, the brave men
and women of the Animal Liberation Front rescued me, and some of my
comrades, at a far too tragic cost.
�I cannot return to my former self. I was tempted to wallow in self-pity
for my untenable predicament, but that would allow the sacrifice of the
brave soldiers in animal emancipation to be in vain. This must not be!�
He pounded the podium, firmly enough for all to hear, but without
causing any damage.
�I have now found my calling, thanks to my rescuers: the liberation of
all animals from enslavement. I seek a better life where all might live
in harmony. To this end I will dedicate my existence to seeking a
resolution in the conflict between man and nature. And it is good to
know I have allies on my side.� He pointed his finger at the audience.
They cheered at the praise, applauding loud enough to cause the walls of
the facility to vibrate.
Man Beast waved his hands down, calling for silence. Once it was quiet
enough to be heard, he said, �To that end, Mr. Mikura and I have come to
an agreement as to my role in the ALF.� He looked back to Mikura, who
nodded at him in acquiescence, allowing all to see his consent.
Man Beast turned back to the audience. �As of today, I shall lead the
ALF in its new crusade, for what better leader than one who has suffered
under the yoke of tyranny of the very oppressors whom the movement is to
fight against?�
The other people on stage stared at each other in astonishment, and then
began clapping. All save Mikura, who jerked in his seat as though shot.
He stared at Man Beast in disbelief.
After a moment, the crowd followed, cheering enthusiastically at the idea.
Man Beast continued weaving his oratory spell. �Yes, my friends, let
today mark the dawn of a new beginning of the ALF. You can count on me
to personally spearhead the effort to release all those who have
suffered as I have at the hands of cruel, inhuman monsters. We will be
more aggressive than ever in spreading our message of hope and
salvation, bringing this world the peace it so desperately craves. It
will be a difficult, long, hard fought battle, but one that we cannot
afford to lose. So we will go forth, rededicated to the salvation of all
animals everywhere!�
The crowd roared in approval, reenergized and sounding like they were
ready to march on the enemy then and there. Man Beast humbly bowed
before them, accepting their adulation in a reserved manner, waving at
the crowd as he left the stage. The other people, led by Mikura,
followed close behind.
The rest of the Ani-Men waited in the back, out of sight. Man Beast
joined them. Just as he was about to speak, Mikura snarled, �I need to
talk to you. Now.�
Man Beast gazed at him softly. �Of course. My apologies. I almost forgot
about the discussion we agreed upon after the speech.� To the other
people in the backstage area, he said in a genial voice, �I need to
discuss some clarifications and issues about the administrative shift
with Mr. Mikura, and it should be done in private. All except you,
Tabur. You come with us. I need you to do a few things for me afterward.�
Everyone bowed and did so, only Mikura and the cat man remaining behind.
Mikura�s face twitched and he looked ready to tackle Man Beast. �How dare��
Man Beast held up a warning finger. �Ah ah, ah, let�s have this meeting
in private. I realize you have a few concerns about the nature of the
speech I just gave, but we must discuss this like civilized creatures.
The movement might suffer if they think there�s some sort of breech in
authority figures.�
Mikura bit his tongue for the moment. He allowed himself to be led to a
room in the meeting hall, one set up for an administrator, thereby
affording them some privacy.
Man Beast ushered Mikura in. Tabur followed, closing the door behind
him. The cat man went to the far side of the room, allowing Man Beast
and Mikura the center of the room to carry on their discussion.
By now Mikura�s face had turned red in fury. �What in the hell do you
think you�re doing?�
�Going about the most effective way of freeing my fellow members of the
animal kingdom from the wonton cruelty of modern human society,� Man
wanton
Beast said innocently.
Mikura turned a deeper hue of red. �That was not what we agreed upon.
You were to become our spokesperson, not take over my position.�
Man Beast made a placating gesture. �But this way is so much better. You
saw how our fellow crusaders embraced the idea. It�s a wonderful way to
start the new era of our movement. We�ll free more animals than ever.�
Mikura remained livid. �Don�t use the cause as an excuse for this little
power play of yours. I�m not some idiot you can sweet talk like you did
the people out there. I am not turning the reigns of power to you or
anyone else. This is my movement. I helped found it. I�ve lead it to
unparalleled success in the last three years. I will not be usurped by
some�� He paused for a moment.
�Animal?� Man Beast asked, still benign.
�By an interloper who just walked in here!� Mikura raged. �I don�t know
what your game is, but what you�re going to do is say in front of
everyone that you�ve rethought things and have come to the conclusion
that the job of president and spokesperson is too much for you, and
you�ll settle for being spokesperson while leaving me in charge��
Mikura�s speech ended abruptly as Man Beast lunged forward, grabbing the
top of the former president�s head and bending it back, baring his
throat. With a snarl he bit down on the neck, ripping out his throat and
half the neck with a snap of the jaws. He released Mikura, letting his
body slump to the floor as blood fountained from his neck.
�Shut up! Shut up! Shut up, you whining genetic abnormality!� Man Beast
raged at the spasming body, his own form nearly convulsing in anger. His
hands curled into fists, as though he would continue beating on the body
despite its gory state.
�I was wondering how long you�d put up with that crap,� Tabur said from
off to the side, well away from the blood and gore. �For a moment there,
I thought you were going soft with all that �emancipation� crap you were
spewing on stage.�
Man Beast turned on the cat man, eyes rimmed red in rage. �Oh, I�ll be
emancipating all the animals, it�s true.�
Tabur looked at him in disbelief. �What are you talking about? You�ve
never given a crap about animal or man before today.�
Man Beast explained things to him.
Tabur held his hand to his chin in thought. �Oh, that makes sense. Yes,
I suppose all the animals would be emancipated then, wouldn�t they?�
�Indeed,� Man Beast said, a semblance of control returned to him. �Now,
it�s time for me to shake things up a bit around here. First, I�ll get
cleaned up while you get rid of that,� he pointed at the body. �Make
sure you wipe up all the blood gets dried up. And get me a toothpick I
think part of his jugular is caught in my teeth.� Man Beast ran his long
tongue over his teeth, trying to dislodge something.
�What will you tell the others about Mikura�s disappearance?�
Man Beast was once again using a composed, almost sympathetic guise.
�After years of dedication to our noble crusade, the esteemed former
president is on a well-earned holiday. Oh, he was insistent on remaining
to help out, but I talked him into it, assuring him I can handle the
transition. He more than earned his rest for working so hard for the
betterment of myself and our kind. My shoulders are more than broad
enough to succeed him, though he can never be replaced.�
�Nice touch,� Tabur said.
�Yes, it is,� Man Beast said, sitting down in a chair and pondering the
matter. �We�ll need to move things along quickly so no one has the time
to realize he�s gone. I�ll promote Hikami to second-in-command. He�s
human, which will make it seem they are still in charge to some degree.
He�s also already high up in the hierarchy, trusted and familiar to the
humans. Besides, he rescued me, and he seems aggressive enough for what
I have planned. He�ll jump at the opportunity. Also he should know
enough of the secrets that Mikura did, like where the money�s coming
from. And�� Man Beast appeared as though he were pondering something.
�Yes?� Tabur asked.
�I�ll want to know what sort of super powered assets the ALF has.�
�Why? You�ve already got me and the others from Wundagore,� Tabur
pointed out.
�You�re less expendable than anyone else,� Man Beast informed him. �I
might need canon fodder, the more powerful the better.�
�What about the Overrider babe?� Tabur asked, eyes gleaming lustily.
�Behave yourself,� Man Beast warned. �Just because the High Evolutionary
didn�t evolve any females for us to mate with doesn�t mean you should be
ruled by your loins. I will want the full story from her. Her
extraordinary abilities are not indicative of evolutionary advancement,
like mine. Something else is going on there. If you�re not careful, your
balls might end up in a mousetrap. And if you screw things up for me
with your lust, remember, I can rip your throat out as easily as I did
him.� He pointed at the body.
�Right,� Tabur said sulkily.
Man Beast smiled, a chilling, feral thing that hinted on the edge of
madness. �Oh yes, the times are changing, as you�re about to find out,
you aberrant sacks of flesh. You�ll get what�s coming to you for trying
to jump the evolutionary chain ahead of me.�
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Inside one of Avengers Mansion�s reinforced observation rooms (designed
to hold captured SPBs until they could be turned over to the proper
authorities) four people surrounded a fifth. The air was thick with
anticipation as everyone watched the fifth person expectantly.
Iron Rose, Daredevil, Wasp, and Giant Man had their attention riveted to
the young man in the yellow shirt, purple pants, and striped bandanna
lashed around his forehead. The young man sat in a chair in the middle
of the room, even more anxious than the others.
�Are you sure you don�t recall anything when you turn into the Hulk?�
Daredevil asked.
�I�m sure I�d remember turning into a giant green creature.� After all,
Ryouga knew darn well when he turned into a small, four-legged porcine
that had to constantly worry about being tuned into bacon by any
passerby with a butcher�s shop and a cleaver.
�He certainly believes it,� Daredevil informed the others.
�It is quite surprising,� Wasp said as she flew before Ryouga�s eyes.
�In this business, nothing really surprises me anymore.� Giant Man
wasn�t as bothered as usual about being in his heroic guise. For a
change he was doing some real good in helping to examine this �Ryouga
Hibiki� person that the Hulk turned into. Or turned back into, if Ryouga
was to be believed. A quick talk with the young man showed Ryouga had no
idea of how or why the transformation occurred, only that his memory
blackouts were a fairly recent occurrence. Curiously, finding himself in
strange locales was not. Evidently he was as directionally challenged as
his emerald alter-ego.
After confirming the admittedly damning evidence that Ryouga had been
the Hulk, the Avengers had taken the young man back to the mansion in
their quinjet. Ryouga had been docile the entire time, complaining about
an upset stomach which seemed to have carried over from his larger form.
Also he was eager to return to Tokyo, both to find out why he was
turning into the Hulk, as well as �finishing some unfinished business�
with someone there. Since the Avengers would take him there, all the
better, and he was willing to put up with being poked and prodded while
they examined him.
Upon returning, Thor, Captain Japan, and Hawkeye said they had to leave
for personal business, leaving the four remaining heroes to ascertain
the situation with their teammate, even if he didn�t know he was their
teammate. It made for a very awkward situation.
After initially arriving at Avenger�s Mansion, one of the tests Iron
Rose ran indicated Ryouga had an unnaturally high level of gamma
radiation coursing through his veins. He didn�t radiate it enough to
contaminate anyone, even over a prolonged period of time, but he himself
should have been ill from radiation poisoning. Not having extensive
knowledge about gamma radiation, Iron Rose tried contacting a number of
experts on the matter. The world�s foremost authority, Bruce Banner, was
unavailable since he was on his honeymoon. Reed Richards was off in some
other dimension with the Challengers of the Fantastic, and Walter
Langkowski�s whereabouts were unknown.
Hm. Presumably Langkowski will not have become Sasquatch yet although
he might be in the process of doing the research that will lead to it.
Luckily, another expert, Dr. Otto Octavius, was not only available, but
in Japan for a seminar. Unable to turn down a request by a super hero
team, and fascinated at the readings they had shared with him, he was
rushed by limousine, courtesy of Kunou Industries, to Avengers Mansion
where he had run a battery of tests on Ryouga. Now he was poring over
the information in the lab while the others waited for his conclusions.
Wasp, becoming thoroughly bored at flying around and not doing anything,
finally decided to ask some more personal questions of Ryouga. �So who
is this person you have �unfinished business with�?� If it was some sort
of super-villain, she could help defeat him.
Ryouga jumped on her interest like a drowning man would a
life-preserver. �Would you listen to my story? It�s about a great wrong
done to me, one that�s made me hunt down the perpetrator to the ends of
the Earth.�
�Oh, that sounds interesting.� Definitely super-villain material. Wasp
listened intently.
Seeing he had an audience, Ryouga unburdened himself. �It was three
years ago that a backstabbing jerk named Ranma Saotome backstabbed me.�
Wasp and Giant Man both jerked. They looked at each other askance.
Off to the side, Daredevil noticed the obvious change in their
heartbeats and listened carefully while trying to look distracted.
�And what did Ran, er, this Mr. Saotome, do to you? That constituted
backstabbing, that is,� Wasp asked.
Ryouga seethed in anger. �He went to the same school I did. He was a
late transfer that year. A giant of a kid. Everyone thought he must have
been held back a couple of years with how big he was. I was the tallest
in school before he came along.
�In the beginning he seemed okay, but then he showed his true colors
during lunch. Battles over bread were vicious, and due to my problems
with directions, I always made it there when there was next to nothing
left. Every time I was about to grab the last one, he would snatch it
away from me. He did that for a week straight, leaving me with nothing
to eat. By then I was enraged, and challenged him to a fight. Do you
know what he did right after I made the challenge?�
�What?� Wasp asked.
�He offered to share it with me.�
�I�ve killed people for less than that.� Iron Rose said flatly. Despite
her faceplate being immovable, it managed to radiate sarcasm.
Ryouga�s nostrils flared in anger. �He apologized, saying it was the
responsibility of the strong to help the weak. I lost my temper and
challenged him to a fight then and there because of what he said. But
then he pulled out a list and read it, then said fighting in school
wasn�t something paragons of virtue were allowed to do, but he would
challenge me to an arm-wrestling contest.�
�If I doze off over here, don�t wake me up,� Daredevil said from his
position in the corner, now considerably less interested than before.
Ryouga still took no note of his audience�s increasingly sarcastic
reaction to his tale; he was too wrapped up in reliving it. �I�d always
been the strongest kid in my school, but Ranma was big and in really
good shape, so I took him seriously. We had our arm wrestling match
right in front of the whole cafeteria. It took him nearly ten minutes to
beat me. It felt like my arm had fallen off by the time my knuckles hit
the table.�
�And then you vowed vengeance on him?� Giant Man asked.
Ryouga looked at him in confusion. �Heck no. He won fair and square. He
looked as bad as I felt, too, barely able to move his arm. He said I was
the only guy his age that had ever made him work so hard for an arm
wrestling match. When he found out I knew martial arts, he suggested we
become friends. Then we could spar and stuff like that.�
�So he�s not an enemy, but a friend, and that�s why you�re looking for
him?� Wasp prodded.
Ryouga pounded his fist in the table, his skin turning just a faint hint
of green. �Never! He�s an evil betrayer that pretends he�s your buddy so
he can stab you in the back! If I ever get my hands on him, I�ll�!� He
slammed a fist into his palm hard, envisioning it as Ranma�s head.
Now Iron Rose became interested. �Did he steal a girl from you?�
All anger disappeared, replaced by a crimson blush. Ryouga played with
his fingers. �No, I�ve never had a girlfriend.� He composed himself.
�But it was over a girl, in a way. That same day Ranma said we could be
friends, I was walking back from school when I saw some younger kids
picking on this girl that was about their age. They were calling her
�freak� and �weirdo� and were shoving her around. She was crying a lot.
�Well, I couldn�t let these guys pick on her. So I walked over and told
them to knock it off. Then they called me a mutie-lover and tried to
beat me up. I tossed them aside without even working up a sweat. Like
most bullies that get stood up to, they were cowards at heart. They
started bawling their eyes out and ran off.
�After they left, I made sure the girl was all right. She stopped crying
and thanked me. I asked her why they were picking on her and she told me
she was a mutant who could turn invisible. I asked her why she hadn�t
turned invisible to avoid them, and she said that whenever she panicked,
she couldn�t control her powers. I was doubtful, but then she
disappeared right before my eyes. I had never seen anything like it. And
then she thanked me, and, ah, kissed me on the cheek.� Ryouga�s eyes
nearly glazed over in what was obvious an oft-recalled fantasy.
When it seemed Ryouga wouldn�t continue, Giant Man prodded him. �And
this Ranma figures into things exactly how?�
Ryouga�s anger returned. �He popped up not more than a minute later with
those little punks leading him to me. He asked me if I had roughed up
those bullies, well, he said �poor defenseless kids�, I called them
bullies, which they were, so I said yes. I told him they had it coming
since they were picking on the girl not more than a minute before. He
looked around and asked me what girl, since he didn�t see one and it was
in a big playground with lots of wide open spaces. I told him it was the
invisible one and that I didn�t like his tone of voice. It didn�t help
that all those snots started crying again and accusing me of taking
their lunch money. When I told them to knock it off or I�d really make
them sorry, Ranma got all sad and said he couldn�t stand it when tough
guys picked on weak kids and didn�t even have the guts to admit to it. I
didn�t like being called a liar, so we had a fight.
�And you lost,� Daredevil said tiredly.
�He tricked me with his superior height and strength!� Ryouga shouted.
�Worse, the next day, he lied to everyone claiming I was the bully,
dirtying my name. Everybody treated me like I was a leper or something.
So I challenged Ranma to a duel to get my revenge for tricking me and
dragging my name through the mud. Only the jerk didn�t show up for it. I
waited two days and he never showed.�
�How long did it take you to get there?� Iron Rose asked,
Ryouga ticked the numbers off on his fingers. �Um, three days, I think.�
�I knew it,� Iron Rose mumbled.
Ryouga continued. �I found out later that he had transferred out of
school, no doubt fleeing the righteous vengeance I had in store for him.�
�A normal reaction, since he proved he was stronger than you and beat
you in a fight,� Iron Rose said tiredly.
Ryouga was lost in fantasies of vengeance once again. �I traveled all
around Japan, and even China, searching for him. It was there that
something� horrible happened to me.�
�You became the Hulk?� Giant Man asked.
�No, becoming the Hulk is easy compared to what happened to me.�
�Which is?� Wasp asked.
�A secret I�m too ashamed to admit,� Ryouga said.
�That story would be a secret I�d be too ashamed to admit,� Iron Rose
muttered.
Ryouga ignored him. �In any case, I�m seeking revenge on Ranma for all
the wrongs he did to me.�
�The next person that calls me obsessive, I punch out. I�m legally
entitled to do it after hearing that story,� Daredevil informed the others.
Wasp and Giant Man looked at one another. The Wasp flew up to his ear
and spoke to him too softly for even Daredevil to hear. After several
moments of consultation, Wasp said, �Well, it looks like you�re going to
have to give up your revenge on Ran� I mean, Mr. Saotome.�
�The heck I do!� Ryouga shouted, his skin again taking on a dull green hue.
Giant Man spoke in soothing tones. �On the contrary, you�re obviously
the wronged man here. Not only would it show you�re the better man by
turning the other cheek, but you can�t fight this Ranma.�
�Why not? I can take him easy.�
�Because you might turn into the Hulk,� Wasp pointed out. �You still
don�t know what makes you change back and forth. What if you were to
change in the middle of a fight? Why, Ranma would end up a big red
splotch, and we�d have to arrest you ourselves for murder, and we
wouldn�t want to do that to a teammate.�
Ryouga began searching for a way around the logic. �I won�t turn into
the Hulk, then.�
�You mean you can control it?� Wasp asked.
�Uh, sure.�
One didn�t need Daredevil�s enhanced senses to detect the lie, but it
didn�t hurt. �Try again.�
�I�m sure I can!�
�Even you don�t believe that,� Daredevil corrected.
�And how can you tell? Are you reading my mind?� Ryouga asked suspiciously.
�Body language, which is just as good and nowhere near as invasive. Mind
reading is a gray area when it comes to the law,� Daredevil said.
�Well, don�t read my body!� Ryouga shouted.
�But it�s such a nice body,� Wasp said playfully.
Ryouga began blushing again, while Giant Man tensed up, and not in a
good way.
�While he�s no Captain, he has a pleasing form,� Iron Rose confirmed.
Ryouga began twiddling his thumbs nervously at being the attention of so
many females.
It was at that moment the door to the room slid open and Dr. Octavius
entered, attracting everyone�s attention. Ryouga breathed a sigh of
relief at not having girls stare at him, even if he did enjoy it in a
weird way.
Iron Rose switched over to English for the doctor�s benefit. Everyone
was fluent enough that they could at least follow the conversation, and
in Giant Man�s case, add to it if needed.
�Ah, Doctor, it is good to see you so soon. Again I must apologize for
dragging you away from your seminar.�
Octavius waved a dismissive gesture at her. �It was frightfully boring.
I only took it because my research in the United States was at a
temporary halt.�
�Why is that?� Iron Rose asked.
�Someone stole my set of mechanical arms. A nutcase that named himself,
�Dr. Octopus�. I believe he was Japanese, actually. He evidently read an
article about the arms, thought they would be a wonderful addition to
his villainous repertoire, and decided to steal them from me. He hit me
in the face with a pastry, and while I was blinded by a tasty cream
filling, he put them on and fled with them.�
�That�s terrible,� Giant Man said.
Octavius shook his head. �Not really. I saw him run off in them and,
frankly, he looked quiet silly.
Sure he was silly but at least he wasn't loud.
I had no idea how ridiculous I looked in
those things. It�s no wonder people made derogatory remarks behind my
back, and I was never able to get a date. I�m in the process of
redesigning them so they can be operated by remote. No more wearing
them.� He nodded sagely.
�In any case, allow me to share with you my analysis of your comrade�s
condition.�
Everyone listened eagerly to the doctor.
He began speaking in a voice practiced for his seminar. �Understand this
is a preliminary investigation and dos not have any solid conclusions.
does not
or possibly preferably "a preliminary investigation and my conclusions
are somewhat incomplete."
assumption such a mutation would be permanent in nature. That there is a
constant transition between forms makes wonder if some other sort of
energy was involved during the initial bombardment. Or it could be some
other factor.
An already present predisposition toward metamorphosis?
�He did seem to turn a touch green every time he got angry,� Iron Rose
nodded.
�Each time his heart rate picked up,� Daredevil confirmed.
How would he know? Or is Daredevil just bsing to cover his vision
problem?
�Most likely that is the trigger, then. And once your body transforms,
your mind does so as well. While your mutation doesn�t seem to have any
physically debilitating side-effects, you might wish to submit yourself
to a proper scientific institute so they can give you a more accurate
prognosis.�
Ryouga shook his head fiercely. �No way! I�m not going to be poked and
prodded anymore. I�ve had enough. If changing into the Hulk isn�t going
to kill me, I can deal with it. I�m used to changing into things I don�t
want to,� Ryouga muttered under his breath.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Tokyo, Japan: 1945
Kang waited patiently for the ship�s cargo ramp to finish touching down
on the dock. Moonlight had to serve for illumination. There was too much
fear that lights would aid in the precision of American bombs. Unlike
the others, Kang had no fear of the sound of propellers, the whistling
of tons of explosives cutting through the air and detonating, sending
fire and shrapnel everywhere. There was no bombing here on this night:
history had shown that. He had been meticulous in his research. The
single action he was about to take would do nothing to affect his
ability to prevent the Tragedy, nor erase his history.
The surrender would be coming soon, once the real bombs dropped. Even
that knowledge didn�t affect him. Despite being in the Japan of the
past, he felt no surge of patriotism or sense of loss over what was to
come. World War II was distant history in his former life, not worth
even a moment�s consideration. He felt no connection to it, and to be
honest, he never cared about his country�s ideologies. He was an
individual, with the wants and needs of a unique being. He lacked the
pathetic sheep-like mentality of the majority of humanity, attaching
themselves to another�s cause like an oversized remora.
Ehn. Simile doesn't exactly work for me.
Well, there was one exception: their contact, whom Tetsuo had known
before the incident which had transformed the other into one of the few
�super powered beings� Japan had during the war. Of course, he was
shared with the Germans and Italians too, but that was inevitable, given
the contributions all had made before Agent Axis� creation. Now he was
an amalgamate of the best spy from each country, thanks to a freak
accident. He had the strength, agility, and intelligence of all three,
and his skills in espionage were unparalleled on the planet.
So this world had an Agent Axis but no Captain America? Ouch. That
must have caused some damage.
Those
skills were instrumental in stealing the item Kang needed out from under
the Nazis� noses. Having three loyalties meant a certain degree of
realism from Agent Axis. The war was over, and he had no desire to
become a martyr for a trio of lost causes. And with what Kang had
offered him, he could hardly refuse.
The man in question came down the loading ramp even as a huge crate was
lifted up from the ship via crane to be set down on the dock. Compared
to the gaudy heroes and villains of the future, Agent Axis was mundane.
He was dressed predominately in grey, with a loose cowl that had eye
slits, a low brimmed hat, and a grey cape. None knew the face that lay
underneath that cowl. All the better to be a spy if no one knew what he
looked like, not even his own masters.
Agent Axis stopped in front of the pair, his eyes fixing on Kang. �You
have the item you promised?�
�Only if you have the item I need.�
�Oh yes, it is here.� Agent Axis turned, his eyes staring upward at the
five meter long, three meter wide wooden crate as it was lowered to the
dock. �I had to sneak it out of the country. Hitler was somewhat
attached to the idea of using it as a doomsday weapon.�
Suddenly in almost a different voice, Agent Axis began speaking in
German, �It was an act of betrayal.�
Then in Italian. �Don�t be foolish. Germany was always intended to
survive after the Fuhrer�s death. The idea it must die with him was
never part of the cause.�
�Yes, you are correct,� the German voice said with a hint of sadness.
Once more in Japanese, Agent Axis said to Kang and Tetsuo. �Sorry about
that. Sometimes I�m of three minds on matters. Luckily majority rules,
and all of us are quite rational.� He handed Kang a small metal box with
a single button and a mesh, like on a walkie-talkie. �Push that and the
robot activates. You instruct it what to do through the speaker. That is
all that is required to use the item. Now, in return for this�.�
Kang handed him a vial with a clear liquid in it. �Drink this and your
lifespan will be extended three times that of a normal person.� It
wasn�t a lie. His life span would be tripled. Of course, even if he
didn�t drink it he�d still live that long, as the authorities found out
when he was caught by the Avengers in Kang�s pre time-traveling days.
But since the spy knew it in advance, he could plan accordingly, so Kang
really was doing him a favor.
Tetsuo finally spoke, anger in his voice. �So you say this Nazi robot
will avenge our defeat at the Americans� hands?�
Kang turned to him. �Yes. It will assassinate the ruling party of our
subjugators, and that assassination will lead to the Japanese people
taking up arms and successfully conquering the world this time.� Now
that was a blatant lie, but that was the least of Kang�s sins. Let the
old man die, convinced he would be instrumental in avenging his nation�s
defeat. As long as Tetsuo Kunou buried the Fourth Sleeper beneath his
ancestral home, the Avengers deaths would be assured.
Even as Agent Axis quaffed the water and Kunou laughed gleefully over
his future victories, Kang activated his time travel device to the
preset coordinates. There was a moment�s disorientation, then the world
switched while Kang appeared to stand still. Suddenly it was the middle
of the day, and he stood outside the gates leading to Avenger�s mansion.
He pushed the button and said to the speaker, �Activate and kill
everyone in the building above you.�
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Fifty meters beneath the earth, entombed in a concrete chamber with no
way out, surrounded on all sides by tons of earth, the Fourth Sleeper
activated. It processed its orders and raised its head up toward the
surface.
It was a doomsday device created in a freak accident by scientists of
the Third Reich in the waning days of the war.
If it was a freak accident how could it be the fourth?
Its method of destruction
was simple. It had the ability to combust any material known to man. The
weaponry was concealed in its overly wide head unit, with the faceplate
being the opening from which the combustion process was directed.
It raised its head toward the surface. It would liquefy all of the rock
above it nearly instantly, the beam projecting upward, making the
surface area above it a miniature volcano. It would be unaffected by the
molten rock, thanks to its other unique ability. But whatever resided
above would die in a fiery holocaust.
It triggered the connections to activate its combustion function, but
nothing happened. It repeated the process, and when that failed as well,
ran an internal diagnostic. It discovered that the triggering mechanism
and internal generator had both corroded due to age and weak materials.
While its primary offensive device was disabled, that was hardly its
only weapon. It could still carry out its instructions. It would simply
require a more direct approach.
xxxxxxxxx
�But your condition should be properly researched. You could represent
unprecedented inroads on the effects on gamma rays on the human body,�
Octavius insisted.
�I�m not an inroad. I�m just a normal� why is there a weird
robot-looking thing floating up through the floor?� Ryouga didn�t like
robots. He didn�t know why.
He seems to recall being attacked by robots. That should give him a hint
He just didn�t. In fact they bothered him
almost as much as Ranma. He didn�t care for hills lately either, and he
didn�t know the cause of that either. Just that they made him uneasy, no
matter how serene they might appear.
That was all the time that was needed for the now angry Ryouga to change
into his emerald alter ego. He rose to his feet, thoroughly enraged.
�Stupid No-Neck Robot attacked Hulk, just like all robots do. Hulk hates
robots! Hulk will smash!�
�Not if I get it first!� Iron Rose promised as she raised her hands and
unleashed a pair of full intensity repuslor rays at the robot.
repulsor
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