SMSTSS 39: Tales of a Lunar Avenger! – By Ocramed
Disclaimer: SM, R1/2, ST and other properties belong to their respective owners.
Note: This is a limited story.
Special Note: This story takes on the classic Avengers, featuring the original incarnation of the membership, plus Ranma Saotome (as "Ronin") and Usagi Tsukino (as "Sailor Moon").
Author's Note: If there are any particular Avengers story lines that you, as the reader, want me to cover, let me know. Otherwise, C&C are welcomed.
"Michael Korvac"
"What's this?" Sakura asked, as she noticed a statue of his father's girl form being held by some dude in a loving embrace.
"I knew it," Sai said, as he wrote down some notes.
"Know what?" Naruto asked with suspicion, expecting a rude remark from Sai.
"That your father is into guys as well as girls!"
"He is NOT," Naruto said defensively.
"And I guess that explains why you like being a girl."
"No, it doesn't!"
"Well, you did inherit Jusenkyo curse," Sasuke said with a smirk.
"Wait, YOU have the curse, too, remember? In fact, almost everyone living in shinobi country has the girl curse, thanks to that Amazon who wanted to change every guy in the world into girls, starting with Konohagakure and the other villages…"
Pause.
"It's not like I ever wanted to be a girl in the first place. Ugh!"
"What's that suppose to mean?" Sakura said angrily. "You think being a boy is better than being a girl?"
"Naruto is saying that boys are better than girls because boys don't have to worry about having babies," Sai said slyly, knowing that he just lit a very dangerous fire where Sakura is concerned.
"NARUTO!"
"What?" Naruto replied. "I didn't say nothing-!"
"I am curious as to the nature of the statue, Miss Jocasta," Sasuke said.
"Well, this statue was not a statue per se," Jocasta said. "It's actually the petrified remains of Michael Korvac and one of Master Saotome's bodies."
"WHAT?" the kids exclaimed in unison.
"The story behind it is a bit complicated, but it all started back when the Kree began to make regular contacts with Earth," Jocasta said. "Later, we would learn that it was because of the infiltration of their traditional rivals, the Skrulls…"
FLASHBACK!
"Hiru Shoten Ha!" Ronin yelled, as he delivered a powerful uppercut that sent the powerful Ronan the Accuser, a military commander of the Kree (a race of blue-skinned humanoids), skyward. Ronin used the classic technique of getting the Kree angry enough to utilize his own power, which allowed the martial artist to draw upon that 'hot' energy. The result was that Ronan had essentially defeated himself.
Well, not quite yet.
"Okay, now!" Ronin yelled, as he looked up at the sky.
United States Air Force Colonel Carol "Ms. Marvel" Danvers waited until Ronan was in view. Even after all this time, Ms Marvel will never get used to have the powers of the Kree's most famous hero.
"Ha!" Ms. Marvel yelled, as she blasted Ronan with her cosmic powers, causing him to be blasted into the pavement.
THOOM!
Iron Man, who was defeated early on during the encounter with Ronan, looked down on him.
"Well, that's that," Iron Man said with a smirk.
"What now?" Hulk asked, still sour from the initial attack by Ronan, who had the strength and endurance of a Kryptonian.
"We get him back to SWORD," Captain America said, referring to agency that monitors alien incursions.
"Let me treat him first," Sailor Moon said, as she begin to apply her healing techniques stemming from Lunarian heritage.
"Why?" Hawkeye asked.
"Because, it's the right thing to do?" Giant-Man replied. He still didn't like the ideal of fighting, even for the sake of protecting others.
"Personally, I think it's because Bunny feels bad for this guy," Wasp said.
"What do you mean?" Captain America asked.
"Janet, don't," Sailor Moon said.
"Well, according to her, this guy is a Prince, and that he had been one of Bunny's suitors during the days of the Silver Millennium," Wasp said with a grin.
"JANET!" Sailor Moon said.
"So, all these attacks…were because THIS guy was trolling for the affections of my wife?" Ronin said, as he and Ms. Marvel stepped forward.
"Usagi-"
"I didn't say anything because I wasn't sure if this Ronan was the same one that I knew a thousand years ago, in another life," Sailor Moon said. "And besides, I KNOW that you would take your fight too far, because you're always jealous of my old boyfriends."
"Am not!"
"Yes, you are."
"No, I'm not!"
"Are, too-!"
"I think we're done, here," Black Panther said, who was glad that Ronin did not know that he and Usagi had dated a few times, sometime after attending Empire State University, where Usagi was a lecturer at one point in time…
"Quite," said Iron Man, who was equally glad that Ronin didn't know that he had once dated Sailor Moon himself. He then tapped into his helmet's communications link.
"Natasha?"
"Copy that," said the Black Widow, as she sat in the jump seat aboard one of SHIELD's transport vessels. "We'll arrive to pick up our alien visitor in 3 minutes."
"Roger that. See you soon."
Ronan managed to open his eyes, and saw the lovely face of his beloved Moon Princess.
"Serena," Ronan said, as he held Sailor Moon gentle hand. "Though I have lost this day, I am glad that you survived the attack by the Negaverse."
"Oh, Ronan," Sailor Moon said, as she shook her head
"Now I feel bad for the guy," Hawkeye replied.
"I don't," Hulk said.
Later, back at the Avengers Mansion, an argument from earlier continues.
"I'm telling you, I ain't the jealous type," Ranma said, as he and Usagi had a private dinner.
"Yes, you are," Usagi said. "Just admit it."
"I have nothing to admit."
"You can be SO difficult at times," Usagi said, as she gets up from her seat to put away her dishes.
"Speak for yourself-"
Just then, the alarm sounds.
"Saved by the bell," Ranma said, as he puts down his fork. With everyone gone, it was his turn to be on monitor duty.
"Ranma, don't forget to change," Usagi said.
"Oh, oh yeah," Ranma said, as he becomes Ranko Tendo, a local student at Empire State University who worked as the Avengers' secretary.
"How come you don't have a secret identity?" Ranko asked.
"I do have one," Usagi said.
"Oh, yeah…that of a Nazi war criminal."
"Hey, that's not fair."
"Life seldom is," Ranko said, as she exits her suite…
"Yes?" Ranko said, as she, dressed like a typical female coed, was greeted by two police officers…and what appeared to be a homeless man.
"Good evening, Miss Tendo," said the police officer. "We picked this guy up near the park."
"So, why are you bringing him here instead of, say, Bellevue or something?" Ranko asked.
"He suddenly appeared in a ball of light," said the police officer's partner.
"Ah, point taken," Ranko said, as she stepped up. "I think we can take it from here-"
"C-Carina?" the blond man looked up at Ranko. "Carina, are you…here?"
"Um, you got the wrong person, guy," Ranko said embarrassingly.
Just then, resident Avengers physician steps from behind Ranko.
"Is everything okay?" asked Dr. Serena Mondkinder.
"Lost 'lamb', doctor," Ranko said, as she takes and supports the stranger. "Possibly amnesiac, and on drugs-"
"ALIENS!" the man yelled, before collapsing.
"A LOT of drugs, apparently."
Later, in one of the medical stations deep within the Avengers Complex underneath the mansion…
"Apparently, this man's name is 'Michael Korvac'," Ranko said, as she, Iron Man, Thor and Captain America stood in the observation room above the medical ward, where Usagi was conducting her examination of the mysterious man.
"What do you know about him?" Iron Man asked.
"He disappeared during the height of the UFO phenomenon during the 1950s," Ranko said. "Eye-witness reports indicated that he had left his job at Walker Air Force Base near Roswell, New Mexico, on his way to see his fiancée, a local waitress named Carina, when he mysteriously disappeared."
"And no one did a follow up as to what had happened?" Captain America asked. In many ways, he felt empathy towards the alien abductee, being a fellow man out of time…
"There was a brief investigation, but nothing came out of it," Ranko said.
"Me thinks that there is a great power lurking within this one," Thor Odinson said.
"I know, which is why Usagi placed a power dampener around his neck," Ranko replied.
Then, the four could see that Usagi wanted her colleagues' attention.
"Well, let's see what's up with our mysterious friend," Iron Man said, as he turned away towards the elevator. Later, the Avengers would learn that Korvac was a subject to extensive experimentation by Kree scientists. For what purpose, no one knew, due to the fact that Michael, upon waking up, had killed his handlers before escaping. When asked if it was possible to remove the modifications, Usagi replied that it was possible, but it would take some time to come up with the modifications without killing or injuring the alien abductee. Unfortunately, Korvac, who was paranoid about possible pursuers, would have none of it.
ZAARK!
"Ah!" Usagi yelled, as she was slammed against the wall, after being blasted by Korvac, who reminded her of a glowing Super-Saiyan.
"Usagi!" Ranko yelled, just as Korvac enveloped the cursed martial artist with an energy field that held her in place. "Urk!"
"My beloved Carina," Korvac said, as he began to stroke Ranko's cheek. He had "You've come back to me…"
"I'm not…Carina!" Ranko said. "Your fiancée died years ago!"
"No, you lie," Korvac snarled. "The Kree…they told you not to cooperate, yes…?"
Pause.
"Perhaps, you should be made to realize the truth," Korvac said, as he began to manipulate Ranko's body and mind.
"No!" Ranko yelled, as she was transformed into a version of Korvac's fiancée…as far as his demented mind was concerned. "Ah-!"
"There," Korvac said, as he lets go of Ranko. "How do you feel, my beloved?"
Ranko, now thinking herself as Korvac's fiancée "Carina" looks up at her fiancé.
"Michael!" Carina exclaimed happily, as she wrapped her arms around her man. "You're back!"
"I escaped from my captors," Korvac said with a smile. "Let's go blow this joint, and live the life we should have lived."
And, with that, Korvac and "Carina" began to teleport away.
"Ranma!" Usagi managed to stammer. "Don't…go…!"
Carina looked at Usagi and blinked.
"Who?" Carina replied.
"Ignore her," Korvac said. "From now on, only our lives matter…"
With that, Korvac and Usagi disappeared.
"Ranma…"
With that, Usagi fell unconscious, along with the rest of her teammates.
A few days later…
"I think we managed to locate where Korvac and…Ranma ended up," Iron Man said, as he looked at the map of the globe. "Amazingly, they are upstate…"
Iron Man then turned towards the guests of the Avengers.
"And we have our new allies to thank," Iron Man said, as he addressed the Guardians of the Galaxy (aka "The Galactic Guardians"). The Guardians were a collection of aliens who banded together for the express purposes of tracking down Michael Korvac, who, in his insanity, had killed a number of beings while on his trek back to Earth. In fact, based upon Usagi's own recollection of the future, the Galactic Guardians would still exist in the future, circa 31st century, having formed in the present due to some great menace. Was Korvac that menace?
"Thank you," said the man known only as "Star Lord", a title given to the highest decorated law enforcement officer of the Spartoi Empire, which patterned itself after the ancient Greek city state of Sparta. In fact, the ancient Preservers may have had seeded the home planet of the Spartoi Empire, Kritnah, with these ancient Greeks, the same way that Praxis, located in the outer rim of the Andromeda Galaxy, had been seeded by ancient Amazons…
"I apologize for what has happened, since it was our responsibility to insure that Michael Korvac is…contained," Star Lord replied.
"It is not anyone's fault," said Adam Warlock, evolved humanoid (with golden skin and white hair) and space magus. "Micahel Korvac's actions are chaotic."
"We should have been well-aware that the man would try to return home," said Martyr, who was a member of the Black Lantern Corps, and was charged as the avatar of Oblivion to slay those who served the Wyrm. Ultimately, she would be tasked with bringing about the end of the Universe, but only if the Universe becomes too corrupted for it to be redeemed. In this particular case, Michael Korvac was upsetting the cosmic framework of the Universe with his very presence, and thus has to be contained or destroyed.
"His trail is evident enough."
"Doesn't matter luv," said the anthropomorphic Rocket Raccoon, as he smoked his cigar. "We got an assignment ta do, we do it."
"Wait, did that…raccoon talk?" Hawkeye asked.
"Wait, did something stupid come out of this ape's mouth?"
"Hey!"
"Groot agrees with friend," said the power tree man named Groot, who was from a world where plants were sentient, as he folds his massive arms. "Enough talking."
"We have to get to Ranma," Sailor Moon said.
"We're doing the best we can, Bunny," Wasp said.
"Well, it's not good enough," Sailor Moon replied. "Ranma is my husband, and is being forced to take the place of a woman who died a long time ago, thanks to the efforts of a mad man. I will NOT stand for that!"
"Sister, you need not worry about Ranma," Thor said. "I will stand by your side to free thy husband from Korvac's enchantment."
"It will not be easy," Adam Warlock said. "He can manipulate both matter and energy, even if he has not mastered the intricacies of both."
"Nothing ever is easy, Adam," Captain America said. "But Saotome is both our friend and ally; we protect our own."
"Then, I do have a plan of action, one that will rely on deception," Adam said, as he points the gem embedded on his forehead. He turned towards Sailor Moon.
"Are you ready to do what must be done?"
"For Ranma, anything," Sailor Moon said with determination.
Hours later, in the neighborhood of Forest Hills Garden, located in Queens, New York, a couple is lying contently in each other's arms.
"Oh, love," Carina said, as she held unto Korvac. "After the past few days, how could I have been so wrong about what you said about us?"
"It's okay," Korvac said, as he strokes his beloved's red hair. "You were confused, that's all."
"I guess so," Carina said with a sigh, as she dislodges herself from Korvac.
"Where are you going, beloved?" Korvac asked.
"Why, it's time for breakfast, dear," Carina said. "Unlike you, I still have to eat."
"Well, I'll change that," Korvac said, as he sees his new wife putting on her robes. "I was thinking, maybe we should start a family soon."
"Already?"
"Hey, there's no time like the present. Why do you think I got this house for us?"
"Of course," Carina said. "How silly of me…"
Carina walked into kitchen, only to be snatched by Sailor Moon.
"Ulp!" Carina said with fright, as her mouth was covered by Sailor Moon's hand.
"We have to talk," Sailor Moon said.
Meanwhile, Korvac was meditating when he felt the familiar energies of the-
"Kree," Korvac said angrily, as he bolts right out of bed. He then bursts through the side of the house, where the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy were waiting.
"You," Korvac said, as he eyes Star Lord.
"Hello, Michael Korvac," Star Lord said, as he points his Element Guns at the alien abductee. "You've caused a lot of trouble for us."
"So, you're working for the Kree?" Korvac said, as he sees Ms. Marvel standing there amongst the Avengers.
"No, Ms. Marvel is not working for the Kree," Iron Man said. "The Galactic Guardians have agreed to leave you alone, if the modifications to your body are reversed."
"So, you can help me?"
"We give you our word, son," Captain America said. "Stand down."
"I see. But, you see, what makes you think I will give all this power up?"
With that, Korvac powers up.
"Aliens did this to me, Avengers," Korvac said, as he begins to glow. "And if you are siding with them, then you are against ME!"
"Hey, you heard 'em, folks," Rocket Racoon said, as he pulls out a large gun. "Let's rock and roll!"
And thus, the fight begins.
SLAP!
"Please don't hurt me!" Carina said.
SLAP!
"Then snap out of it!" Sailor Moon said, as she continued to slap Carina in the face.
SLAP!
"This isn't you!"
SLAP!
"Korvac made you like this!"
SLAP!
"Be the man you're supposed to be!"
SLAP!
"Don't be the 'girl' you're being right now-!"
Just as Sailor Moon was about to slap Carina again, Carina suddenly blocked the intended strike to the face.
"Don't," Carina said, as she gave Sailor Moon a steely stare. "I've never abused you before, so don't you abuse ME…"
Pause.
"Well, unless it's in the bedroom, of course," Ranko said, as her face softens into a grin. "Heh."
"Ranma?" Sailor Moon said tearfully.
"Yeah, it's me," Ranko said, as she lets go of Sailor Moon's hand. She then produced a scowl on her face.
"And now, I'm going to kill Michael Korvac."
"Ranma, wait," Sailor Moon said, as she stopped Ranko from leaving. "We have to have a plan."
"Yeah, I know," Ranko replied. "Me. Korvac. My fist. His face."
"Well, I understand, but we have to do this by the numbers," Sailor Moon said. "Right now, he's too powerful to be contained safely. Even if you do defeat him, the collateral damage would be a bit much."
"Then, what do you suggest?"
"I need you to make love to him, one more time."
"WHAT?"
A short time later, Korvac stood as the Avengers and the Galactic Guardians lay on the ground. However, he failed to notice that the gem on Adam Warlock's head was glowing, even as the alien magus was unconscious.
"I will be defeated by the likes of you," Korvac said.
Just then, Carina runs out of the house.
"Michael?" Carina said, as she runs to embrace her husband. "What happened?"
"Nothing happened," Korvac said. "It's over now."
"Oh, Michael," Carina said, as she embraced her husband. "Let's leave all this behind, so that we can never be harmed."
"Are you sure?" Korvac asked.
"I am sure. I am sure that there is an unknown planet out there where we can start our lives over again."
Korvac nodded, as he wrapped his arms around Carina. He then transferred a portion of his power into his wife, making her into a powerful being like him. With both of them in energy form, Korvac and Carina begin to soar high in the air, even as the pair glowed. Carina wrapped her body around Korvac's in a loving embrace.
"My beloved Carina," Korvac said. "We will become truly happy."
"I KNOW," Carina said, as she said with a nasty grin.
"What?" Korvac said, as Ranko tightened her grip around Korvac.
"Let me show you a trick that I learned from a man named Vegeta, when he attempted to take out a creature named Majin Buu," Ranko said, as she began to glow brighter. "Final Explosion…BOOM."
"Wha-?"
FWOOOSH!
Below, the Avengers and the Galactic Guardians looked up as what appeared to be a miniature star hung in the skies.
"My god," Iron Man said, as he looked at the spectacle. "I didn't know Saotome was capable of doing what he just….did."
"Aye," Thor said. "Truly, my brother-in-law is capable of such feats."
"Is Saotome okay…Mr. Warlock?" Captain America said, as he sees Adam Warlock standing behind Sailor Moon, who was sitting in a lotus position.
"The transfer is successful," Adam Warlock said. "Ranma Saotome is within the Moon Princess' body…with the Moon Princess."
"This…is awkward," Sailor Moon said, as she opened her eyes. "Why do I feel like picking up women?"
Sailor Moon then turned to see the Wasp, who had once dated Ronin.
"You look scrumptious, Jan," Sailor Moon said with a mischievous grin.
"Hey!" Giant-Man yelled.
"Thanks?" Wasp replied, not really sure how to handle this latest…thing.
END FLASHBACK!
"And so that was that," Jocasta said. "Master Saotome used a suicidal technique to burn out his girl body as well as Michael Korvac's, resulting in the petrifaction process. Thankfully, with the possession of the Soul Gem, the magus Adam Warlock transferred Master Saotome from his old body into Mistress Tsukino's. Later, Master Saotome was then transferred from Mistress Tsukino's body, and later into a cloned one that was specially prepared for him…"
Pause.
"And, later, the remains of Michael Korvac and 'Carina' were picked up and placed in storage…until recently."
"Whoa," Naruto said, as he examined the remains closely. "Pops was really hardcore."
"As long as I have known Master Saotome and his wife, they are more than willing to take risks, even if the obstacles are great."
"I suppose that even if you were born one gender, a true martial artist is willing to become another gender for the sake of a victory," Sasuke said thoughtfully.
"Although, in Naruto's case, it's a natural inclination," Sai said with a smile. "Being a woman, that is."
"Grrrrr!" Naruto said.
"Um, I guess this Michael Korvac is the toughest villain that the Avengers have faced," Sakura said.
"On the contrary, there have been tougher opponents," Jocasta said, as she beckoned the teenagers to follow her. "Here, let me show you an example of the toughest opponent that the Avengers have ever faced…"
Tbc.
Next (and final) Time: "Thanos"
