SMSTSS 7: A Bright, Heroic Age! – By DS Wynne

Disclaimer: R1/2, SM, ST, DC/Marvel Comics and the other genres belong to their respective owners.

Note: This is a multi-genre story.

Part 1: "Starting Over" (I)

Space was vast and mysterious. It was also quiet.

The same cannot be said of the surface of the planet Venus, the second planet of the Sol Star System.

On the surface of this wild and dangerous place, something awakens with determination.

"No!" said the spirit of the world, as the surrounding energy began to coalesce into a single entity. "I won't let you keep me away from HIM!"

Like a bird, the entity took to the skies of the planet Venus, and began its journey to the planet of its origins.

"I won't let you, Usagi!" the entity said. "I won't let you keep him from ME!"

Meanwhile…

With the defeat of the legacy of the evil god known simply as "Darkseid", a bright, heroic age was now upon the people of the Earth. Leading the charge were the ones who sat between humanity and the gods: a subculture of the people of Earth known as "superheroes". Because of recent actions by various groups within this community, such as the defeat of the Black Lanterns and Norman Osborn's "Humanitarian Agency for Metahuman Maintenance and Emergency Response" (HAMMER), the people of Earth, particularly within the United States of America, were now willing to give a break to these champions of Light. Not surprisingly, in spite of the string of victories, many of them were changed by their experiences. For example, Princess Diana, also known as "Wonder Woman", is now an honorary member of the Star Sapphire Corps, while the mercenary Wade Wilson, also known as "Deadpool" has a gamma-persona known as "Hulkpool", that comes out from to wreck havoc from time-to-time. And while the Flash is an honorary member of the Blue Lantern Corps, which is why his costume is blue, Ms. Marvel has a red gamma persona that she can, by choice, bring out to the fore. These were not the only examples out in the world, like journalist Jimmy "Mr. Action" Olsen having fifty-two superpowers that randomly come out ONLY in Olsen's time of need, (thanks to a botched spell by a certain sailor-suited magical girl), and adventurer Amadeus "Prince of Power" Cho having the Nyannichuan curse (thanks to a certain pigtailed martial artist), but those examples highlighted the strange, yet wonderful complexity that is this brave, new world…

WOOSH!

"Weeeeeeee!" Usagi Tsukino said with glee, as she flew overhead, over her beloved Azabuu Juuban District, enjoying herself. These days, she really didn't care who knew her "secret identity", primarily because there was a glamour effect in place. This wasn't unique to her, since all magical girls had this ability, which was a holdover from the Silver Millennium days, but Usagi was one of the few who had complete control over that effect…

Below, Ikuko Tsukino looked up from the steps of her front door, at her residence, smiling at seeing her eldest daughter being happy. She and her husband Kenji had recently returned from the dead, and returned to a new world. Sure, there were a few difficulties, like trying to convince the local government that she and Kenji was indeed the genuine article. Thankfully, their daughter's unique ties to powerful people within and outside of Japan made the transition to normalcy bearable…

"Honey, do you have the morning paper?" Kenji said, as he stepped out onto the front step.

"Here," Ikuko said, as she hands the paper to her husband without looking at him.

"Thanks, dear," Kenji said, as he gave Ikuko a kiss on the cheek. "So, where's Usagi?"

"Up there," Ikuko said, as she points towards the sky.

Kenji looks up to see his daughter performing aerial loops.

"Weeeeeeeeee-!" Usagi said with glee.

Kenji could only gawk in silence.

"…"

"It's hard to believe that Usagi has been so many things, and yet, if she is alone, she is still our little girl," Ikuko said, as she sipped her morning tea. "And from all the things we've heard about Usagi, she is truly an accomplished hero."

"Well, I hope the other things we've about Usagi aren't true," Kenji said with a stern manner. "I've always worried about her becoming delinquent, but I don't want to think are daughter is a-"

"Now, now," Ikuko said. "We've agreed that Usagi's lifestyle choices are hers to make. Besides, I think we should thank our son-in-law for keeping her on the straight and narrow path."

"Huh," Kenji replied. Based upon some of the rumors he has heard about his daughter's private life, he was amused by Ikuko's unintended pun…

Meanwhile, noticing that she had an impromptu audience, Usagi looks down.

"Huh," Usagi said, as she begins her slow descent towards her home. These days, she doubles her time sleeping over the house belong to her husband's parents, and her own parents' home. She really considered her and Ranma moving out of their respective parents' home, at least as far as living in Tokyo. She didn't want to go back to the Hidden Leaf Village, mostly because of the politics of late, nor was she ready to return to America right away. There was the option of moving into the Tendo Compound, but she didn't want to deal with Nabiki and her new family, the Kunos. There was Nekomi Ward, a suburb of Tokyo, to consider, since Akane was now the Asgardian Brunhilde full time, in Asgard, someplace else in another dimension, with Kenma, (whose Norse name was "Grimm"), who was the son of Ranma and Akane. Ranma and Usagi have made trips to Asgard sporadically to visit Akane/Brunhilde and Kenma/Grimm, and to check up on things, since Baldur was now "regent" of the Great Hall. Akane/Brunhilde wanted to return to Earth with her son, but she was forbidden to do so by decree. Akane/Brunhilde would get incensed by this, thinking that Usagi, as "Thordis", wanted her out of the way. Usagi would insist that this was not true, since there were "life-model-decoys" (LMDs) of everyone relevant, including one of Akane and Kenma. This explanation was not something that Akane/Brunhilde wanted to hear, but accepted it nevertheless.

"Good Morning!" Usagi said cheerfully, as she touched down.

"Good Morning, Usagi," Ikuko said with a pleasant smile.

"Good Morning, daughter," Kenji said, as he looked up at his daughter. At her "normal" height, Usagi was 5'11", which is tall for a Japanese female. Thing is, her original height was 4'11", and she might have normally grown a few more inches before her height tapers off. Usagi's REAL height was 6'8", due to her being an Amazon and a Norse, while her Gammazon and demon height 7'5". Usagi could grow into a giantess, but being a giantess was not something that could be achieved by way of natural means or special circumstances. Nevertheless, Kenji had to look up at her daughter…

"You appear to be in good spirits."

"Oh, I am, Daddy," Usagi replied. "I'm on leave from my duties and responsibilities for a while, and I don't have to worry about anything."

Pause.

"In the mean time, we can celebrate my good fortune by me treating you and Daddy out to dinner."

"Are you sure you can afford it?" Ikuko asked.

"Yes, out of curiosity, how do you get income?" Kenji asked. Being an accountant by trade, Kenji always wondered where his daughter's money came from…

"From here and there," Usagi said, as she turns towards the Downtown Tokyo skyline. "You see those buildings down there?"

"Yes…?"

"Ranma and I own half of them."

"I see…"

"Well, wherever you acquire your money, I'm sure it's legal," Ikuko said.

"Right," Usagi said, as she sweated a bit. Not all of her resources came from "legal" sources…

"Oh, I would like to know when Shingo will come home," Ikuko inquired.

"He's in another dimension, ruling Asgard in my steed," Usagi replied. "But I can see about him coming home for a visit."

"Usagi, I don't want him to forget who he is," Kenji replied. "And it is not fair that you made him what he became."

"Dad, yes, I apologize for that. But things were hectic these past few years, especially with you and Mom…dying and all, while being targeted for murder."

"I see…"

"Still, I should have been more attentive to Shingo's future, since he SHOULD have the right to live his life," Usagi replied, as she stroked her chin. "But I'll definitely make arrangements for him to visit Earth at the very least."

"Yes, please do that," Ikuko said, as she looked up at the heavens. "I want my son to have a normal life."

"I think we ALL want to have a normal life, Mom," Usagi said with a sigh. "I mean, look at me…"

FLOOMP!

Usagi was now six feet, seven inches tall, and was both athletic and "womanly" in the right places.

"Look at me, Momma," Usagi said tearfully. "This is what I really am: a freak! I will NEVER have a normal life. WAH!"

"There, there," Ikuko said, as she hugged her daughter. "Your father and I know things have been hard on you lately…"

"SNIFF! You do?"

"We do, Usagi," Kenji replied. "But you have to let go on some of the decisions you make."

"I suppose you're right," Usagi said, as she lets go of her mother, before turning towards the skies. "I just wish I was as confident as Ranma during times like these…"

Meanwhile…

"Hmmm," Ranma Saotome said, as he examined the body before him, with the eye of a surgeon.

"You see it, Ranma?" Felicia "Black Cat" Hardy said, as she turns her head to look at her lover. She wanted to know if she had a mole on her back.

"Yeah, I do," Ranma replied, as he took out his advanced micro-medical kit from pocket space. "Let me lance it off…"

For the past week, Ranma and Felicia were in Monaco, performing a SHIELD mission (i.e. to steal a precious jewel from an international auction house, so that the original owner, a dictator—the super-villainess known as "The Queen Bee, a goddess from the old "Fourth World—from the Middle Eastern country of Bialya, would be forced to compromise on a major peace agreement between it neighboring Khandaq, ruled by Black Adam), which has proven to be a success. Now that the jewel has been "acquired", the couple can now enjoy themselves…

ZAP!

"Ouch!" Felicia winces.

"All done," Ranma replied, after he puts a healing salve on Felicia's wound.

"I'm surprise that I even have a mold," Felicia said, as she swept back her white hair. "I mean, my powers should prevent me from getting diseases and stuff."

"Your powers prevent you from aging at a normal rate, that's all," Ranma replied. "You can still get normal diseases and illneses, albeit extremely rarely."

"Huh," Felicia said, as she places her head on her beach towel. "It's all academic to ME, you know?"

"Tell me," Ranma said, as he lies next to the "anti-heroine".

"Look, back when you first met me, I was…from the wrong side of town," Felicia replied with a sigh. "I thought I could get you right away, but you avoided me. I didn't know that you and 'the Bunny' watching over Peter at the time, and that you didn't want to get involved with me…"

Pause.

"Getting accidentally bitten by a radioactive cat was the best thing that has happened to me, Ronnie," Felicia said, as she turns towards her lover. "If that event didn't happen, I would be an old woman now, or dead. Certainly, I would have gotten married, had the kids, probably divorced and on the verge of retiring to a low-income apartment complex raising my grandkids…"

Pause.

"Ronnie, you saved me from that life. Had you not been participating in that Science Fair, I would have had a mediocre life."

Felicia then turns herself towards Ranma.

"Ronnie, there is…something I have to tell you," Felicia said. "It's about why I originally left Flash."

"Yeah, I heard that you had gotten a girlfriend, after coming out of the closet," Ranma said. "But Usagi thinks you're just bisexual, and that you used the ways of Sappho in order to leave a loveless marriage."

"That…is not totally correct," Felicia said. "It's about…Felicity."

"What about her?" Ranma asked, referring to May and Benni's childhood friend. "If it's about her being the 'Scarlet Spider', even after you told her to not be a costumed vigilante, don't worry about it. I'll set her straight."

"It's not that, although I could have used your help on that one, Ronnie," Felicia said nervously. "Years ago, after you had supposedly died during the 'Eugenics War', I became distraught at the thought of never having to make things up to you. But I wanted to know what happened to you, so I broke in a secured SHIELD facility, to know exactly what happened to you as 'The Black Cat'."

"I guess those thieving skills came in handy, huh?"

"Do you mind?"

"Sorry, go ahead…"

"I learned that you simply faked your death, so that you could, behind the scenes, eliminate the threat poise by the 'super-soldiers' known as 'Augments'. Particularly, you were after a man known as Khan Noonian Singh."

Pause.

"But…your file did not get updated until a few years later," Felicia said. "It's like…you dropped off the face of the Earth."

"Close enough," Ranma said. "After the conclusion of the war, I was working on a secret project that resulted in me and Usagi getting…lost in space for a few years."

"Oh, I see…"

Pause.

"Well, I also learned that SHIELD kept extensive medical records on its personnel, as well as samples."

"Yeah, they do," Ranma said. "They are for 'life model decoy' production."

"Yes, well…I abscond with a sample of your semen from your medical storage locker."

"Oh, I see."

Pause.

"Wait, you're not saying-?"

"Felicity is your daughter, Ronnie," Felicia said, as she stroked Ranma's face.

"Oh, boy…"

Tbc.