Hero: New Justice? – By Ocramed


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

Note: This is a limited story. C&C are welcomed.

Special Note: This story takes place in the near-past.


Part 2


A long time ago, in a dimension far, far away…

"No!" said Ranma Saotome, as he looked on to see that his entire world was destroyed. He then sees a hand nearby, one that was sticking up from the ground.

"Akane!" Ranma yelled, as he began to dig around the rubble where his fiancée lies very still. "Akane-!"

Akane Tendo's broken form was still draped in her wedding dress. Both she and Ranma were looking forward to finally getting married, and even made sure that his soon-to-be sister-in-law Nabiki had black-mailed enough people to keep them in line. And all seemed to be going well when the Tendo Compound, where the wedding was going to take place, was attacked by…monsters. So fast and furious was this attack that the battle was nearly over before it began.

The operative term is "nearly over", since Ranma Saotome was not about to lose to what had attacked him, his fiancée and his friends and family.

"So sad," said a booming voice from behind, as some unearthly presence could be felt by Ranma.

Ranma grits his teeth, as he slowly turns around to face a stone-faced dark god.

"What…did you say?" Ranma said.

"I said, 'so sad'," said dark god, as he lowers himself to the ground, after seemingly floating upright. "Then again, that is the nature of things."

"I'll…I'll kill you!" Ranma yelled, as he charged forward while using a power that he hasn't used since his fight with Saffron, back in China.

"Yes, Ranma Saotome!" said the dark god with an evil grin. "Strike me down and grow stronger!"

Without bothering to yell his attack, Ranma summoned for a perfected version of the Moka Takabisha Attack, consuming more of the surrounding area.

FWOOSH!

Ranma panted, as he extended his senses in order to see if he had destroyed his foe…

"URK!" Ranma gasped, as he felt himself being grabbed by a giant hand. He then was pulled closer to an unscathed dark god.

"Impressive," the dark god said. "I almost 'felt' that attack…"

"What…are you?" Ranma managed to say.

"I am 'Darkseid', Lord of Apocalypse," the dark god said with a smirk. "And I have need of your body."

"What-?"

The one called Darkseid filled Ranma's body with his life energy, snuffing out Ranma's in the process.

"Ack-!"

"But know that as we become as one, your 'curse' will be cured in the process," Darkseid said, as his body begins to crumble. "You will not become just a man amongst men; you will be a GOD above ALL."

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh-!"

When it was over, Darkseid was dead…LONG LIVE DARKSEID!

"This new body must be tempered before it is ready," Darkseid said, as he looked at his new form. "Too…weak, in my opinion-"

Akane…I've failed you…

"And I have much humanity to get rid of, before I face…HIM," Darkseid said, as he rubbed his forehead. He then looked around to see the strewn bodies of Ranma's friends and family.

"Then again, perhaps I should be ready," said Darkseid, as he signals a parademon to his side. "You: gather these remains. I have use for them."

"SKREEE!" the parademon screech with a nod, before directing his fellow monsters to gather the Nerima Wrecking Crew and their associates.

"Soon, I will have my revenge on you…Izanagi!" Darkseid said, as his eyes glowed. "So says…Darkseid!"

Now, in the "prime" dimension…

"I can't believe that Ranma calls himself…'Super-Ranma'," GL Ranma said, as he dissolves his plane, made from "hard light", in the middle of downtown Metropolis. "I know we Ranma(s) are suppose to be like Ranma, but I think I'm a better Ranma that 'Super-Ranma'."

"'Super-Ranma' IS the original Ranma Saotome," said Bat-Ranma, as he uses his scanner to locate their 'father'. "That's why he's 'super'."

"Feh," GL Ranma said with a smirk. "I bet I can take him."

"Can you take on an enhanced being capable to taking on Superman?" Bat-Ranma said.

"I might, if given a chance."

"We'll see about that," Bat-Ranma said, as he notices something on his scanner. "In fact, you might have a chance at proven your 'man-hood' to 'father'…right now."

"Huh?" GL Ranma said, as he notices a streak of blue crashing into a nearby building.

BOOM!

"What-?"

"FOR DARKSEID!" screeched a parademon, as he dives straight into the damage building, intent on getting its prey…

"I better help 'Pops'," GL Ranma said, as he went to help Super-Ranma.

"Wait," Bat-Ranma said, as he raised his hand.

"But-"

"Just hold your position," Bat-Ranma said.

GL Ranma was about to retort, when he could hear the sounds of pounding emanating from the building itself.

THOOM! BOOM! BLAM!

The offending parademon was thrown out of the building, even as its intending victim slowly floated after it.

"Wow," Super-Ranma said, as he cracked his neck. "You guys are a lot tougher than the last time I fought your kind…"

Pause.

"Care for another round?"

"SKREEEECK!" the parademon screeched, as it charged in for a killing strike.

Super-Ranma squint his eyes, as he suddenly moved in a blink of an eye. As the parademon threw an overhead jab, Super-Ranma clasped his index and middle fingers together, as if he using two fingers to point at something. However, what Super-Ranma was doing was using a variation of a "forbidden" martial arts technique from his family martial arts style. While the original technique enabled all the Ranma(s) to create 'Vacuum Blades', so-called chi-attack that can slice anything from a distance, this variation allowed Super-Ranma to do the same up close.

SLICE!

As Super-Ranma followed through on his attack, the parademon was split in half, and fell by the way side.

KLUMP!

"Done," Super-Ranma said with a smirk. He then turned towards GL Ranma and Bat-Ranma.

"What guys doing here?" Super-Ranma said.

"I could say the same thing about you, Pop," GL Ranma replied.

"Subbing," Super-Ranma said. "Like him."

"You knew about this?" GL Ranma replied.

"Of course," Bat-Ranma replied.

"Then, how come I didn't know?"

"Because, you're subbing for ME," Super-Ranma replied.

"Yeah, I KNOW," GL Ranma said. "And let me tell you that your 'girlfriends' on Oa weren't pleased by that."

"Funny," Super-Ranma said with a smirk. "But I take it that you guys are here because of these parademons?"

"Yes," Bat-Ranma replied, as he brings up a Father Box. "I believe that these newer parademons, and these 'Father Boxes' is a sign that Darkseid may be returning."

"But wasn't Darkseid destroyed or something?" GL Ranma asked.

"That depends on which one we're talking about," Super-Ranma replied, as he looks up at the night sky. "It is possible that a Darkseid managed to survive, after the Fourth World ended.

"But, why would he be back, now?" GL Ranma asked.

"Why do megalomaniacs do anything?" Bat-Ranma offered. "And how Darkseid managed to survive the death of the fourth world is less important than why he is active now…"

Bat-Ranma then looks at the Father Box in his hand.

"And with these boxes being found all over the place, it shouldn't be long before Darkseid makes his move-"

Suddenly, the Father Box in his hand begins to rattle and glow.

"What's going on?" GL-Ranma asked.

"It's activating," Super-Ranma said, as he takes the Father Box, and tosses it away…

BOOM!

Energy explodes outward, sending a shockwave all around. The components of the box expand and transfigure into some sort of gateway.

"Now what?" GL-Ranma asked, as he braced himself for the impending onslaught.

"We prepare for battle," Bat-Ranma replied.

Meanwhile, in Star Labs, one of the Father Boxes in its care suddenly activates.

"Dr. Stone!" said Dr. Sarah Charles, Silas Stone's assistant.

"What is it?" Dr. Stone asked, as he, his associate Dr. T.O. Morrow and the other Ranma(s) all turned to see what was happening.

"The alien artifact we uncovered recently is active!" Dr. Charles replied.

"What artifact?" one of the Ranma(s) asked.

"We believe we found an artifact from a place called…'Apocalypse'," Dr. Stone replied.

"'Apocalypse'?" the Ranma(s) said with alarm.

"You know of this-?"

Suddenly, the 'artifact' explodes with power, causing a rupture in the shielding system.

"Dr. Stone!" Dr. Charles yelled in fright, as the resulting force was about to overwhelm her.

"Sarah!" Dr. Stone yelled.

"I got it!" said one of the Ranma(s), as he rushed over to knock Dr. Charles out of the way-

FWOOSH!

"Arrrgghhh-!"

"Sarah, are you alright?" asked Dr. Stone, as he comforted his assistant.

"I…I think so," Dr. Charles manage to say. "Is one of the Ranma(s) okay…?"

"Silas!" yelled Dr. Morrow, as he gathers around the fallen Ranma, as did his brothers.

Silas turned to see that the resulting energy had literally eaten away at the fallen Ranma's flesh.

"Aw, man," said the fallen Ranma, as he tried to move.

"Ease up, brother," said the other Ranma. "You've been hurt."

"I feel it," said the fallen Ranma.

"Wow," said Chibi-Ranma. "You lost an arm, your legs, half your face-"

"Hey!" said the non-injured Ranma. "I'm sure our brother doesn't need to know what happened to him-"

"Don't…worry about me," said the fallen Ranma, as he struggles to point his remaining finger at the cause of his injuries. "Worry…about…THAT…"

Everyone turned to see that the Father Box had formed into some sort of gateway. Unfortunately, parademons were spewing from the Boom Tube.

"SKREEEEE!" screeched the first parademon, as he and his "buddies" poured into the expansive lab.

"Dr. Silas, take care of our brother," said the non-injured Ranma.

"What can you do?" Dr. Stone asked.

"What we do best, Doc," said Chibi-Ranma. "SHAZAM!"

THOOM!

A thunder bolt from out of nowhere struck the young Ranma, changing him into the World's Mightiest Mortal…

"I'm big, once again," said Captain Shazamu, as he looked at his now-older body. As Captain Shazamu, Chibi-Ranma is the World's Mightiest Mortal, and is dressed in a version of his red Chinese outfit that as a glowing thunderbolt that seems to hover over his chest. He also has gold bracers and a gold sash to complete his look.

"Am I awesome, or what?" said Captain Shazamu, as he grinned from ear to ear.

FWOOSH!

"Hey, fashionista, pay attention," said the other Ranma, now dressed in a costume that was similar to the Golden Age superhero "Johnny Quick"…but without the yellow shorts.

"Who are you suppose to be?" Captain Shazamu asked.

"See, this is what happens when you DON'T pay attention to the memo I sent," said the other Ranma. "I'm 'Quick Ranma'."

"Fft," Captain Shazamu scoffed. "We'll see about that-"

"Guys, intruders, monsters?" the injured Ranma managed to say.

"For Darkseid!" roared the parademon, as he was about to pounce.

"Ha!" Captain Shazamu yelled, as he picked up a piece of equipment, and smashed it on one of the demon's head.

BLAM!

"Hey!" Dr. Stone yelled. "That cost a lot of money, you know!"

"Sorryaboutthat!" Quick Ranma said, as he used his speed to counter the offensive from the parademons.

WATATATATATATATAT-!

The injured Ranma turned towards Dr. Silas.

"I need to…help," the injured Ranma said. "Can't you help me…?"

"There is a way, but it is something that I swore to never to do, after what happened to my son, Victor," Dr. Silas said.

"I'm not your son, and, if memory serves me, there will be a lot more of these things to deal with," the injured Ranma replied.

"Alright, then," Dr. Stone replied. He then turned towards his colleague, Dr. Morrow.

"Thomas, we need to get…Ranma into the Red Room."

"Are you sure you want to do this, Silas?" Dr. Morrow asked.

"We do not have a choice in the matter," Dr. Stone said, as he turned to look at Captain Shazamu and Quick Ranma battle incoming parademons. "Besides, I've learned a lot from what happened to my son, Victor, since his 'accident'."

"Okay," Dr. Morrow said with a nod, as he turned towards Dr. Charles. "Help me with him, Sarah."

"Right," Dr. Charles said, as she helps Dr. Morrow pick up an injured Ranma.

"Um, Ranma(s), hold off those things long enough to help your…brother," Dr. Stone said, as he goes off with his colleagues into the Red Room.

"You don't have to tell us twice!" Captain Shazamu yelled, as he generates a ball of lightning, before hurling it at a pair of parademons.

ZAAARK-!

"Hiryu-Shoten HA!" Quick Ranma yelled, as he performed a punch-generating hurricane that flung the offending parademons away.

Meanwhile, the parademons have shown up at the White House, in Washington, DC, only to be met with extreme force.

"Ho!" yelled Wonder Ranko, as she knocks yet another head off of yet another parademon. "Man, I haven't had this much fun in years!"

"You call this fun?" yelled Steve, as he lays a suppression line of fire at the entrance to the Oval Office, with his heavy assault weapon.

POOM! POOM! POOM! POOM-!

"Well, sure," Wonder Ranko replied, as she lassos a parademon, yanked the creature to her, and then punches it—hard into a group of parademons.

BLAM!

"That should take care of THAT," Wonder Ranko said, as she retrieves her Golden Lasso. She then turned towards Dr. Amanda Waller (Task Force X, CADMUS) and her colleagues Dr. Henry Gyrich (Assistant National Security Advisor on Metahuman Affaris), Norman Osborn (HAMMER, Weapon Plus) and General Jack O'Neil (Homeworld Security), all members of the US President's National Security Council.

"You guys…okay?" Wonder Ranko said, as she looked at everyone. She pretty much guessed what they were thinking about her present state and attire…

"We're fine, Saotome," Dr. Waller said.

"Interesting look," Jack said with a mischievous grin.

"It goes with the territory, sir," Wonder Ranko said. "Besides, I had to look like a proper 'Amazon Princess' in order to facilitate the negotiations between Paradise Island and the US."

"I still can't believe we're allowing…THIS," Osborn replied.

"This…what?"

"With you representing the interests of the Amazons, that is."

"Well, excuse me for being married to the Queen," Wonder Ranko said. "And since no man is permitted to be on the island, I have to be…this."

"No one is questioning your loyalty, Colonel," Gyrich said. "However, it does not instill confidence in the public that the President is handling the negotiations with a full deck-"

"Speaking of which, we have problems," said Colonel Nick Fury, Jr. said, as he and his team enter the room. No one would guess that a black man was the son of a white man, given the fact that Colonel Fury was the son of the legendary World War II hero, and first director of SHIELD, Nick Fury, Sr.

"What is?" Wonder Ranko asked.

"Director Hill has intercepted a distress call from Air Force One, indicating that it has been intercepted by parademons," Fury said. "And consider how difficult these creatures are-"

"I can send my guys to intercept," Dr. Waller said.

"No, I'll go," Wonder Ranko said. "With these parademons attacking, every other hero is needed to hold the line."

"What makes you think you can take on these monsters yourself?" Osborn asked.

"Simple: I used to work for their boss, unfortunately," Wonder Ranko said, as she prepares to leave out of a hole in the wall. "And it was NOT by choice, either."

With that, Wonder Ranko leaves, leaving her superiors to comprehend her words.

Tbc.


Next Time: At last, it's the Justice League of Ranma(s) versus Dark-Ranma…for the fate of the world. See you then!