Any and all C+C appreciated. You can contact me at: the previous chapters and my other works are stored at:
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newer works at Mediaminer
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.
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, super-powered scientist. That their movement confronted such a being and triumphed caused everyone to celebrate.
The venue was a meeting hall the leader had rented for the occasion. All of the big gatherings were held there. No press was allowed, as some of the tactics the ALF employed were technically illegal, if morally right. Luckily only minimal property damage had been inflicted during most of the rescue operations. Since the leadership had been adamant about not publicly claiming responsibility for their actions, they had managed to fly under the radar for the most part. Though there was a segment of the leadership, led by Shinjiro Hikami, who wanted a more public image for their heroic deeds.
Still, few complained about the current leader, founder Itsuki Mikura. Under his direction the ALF had financial resources like never before. Some postulated it was their super-powered hacker, Overrider, that had stolen them, while others maintained Councilwoman Juna Ariyoshi herself was secretly funding them while running interference in the government to keep them at 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 acknowledgment.
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 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 him 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 an execution. And I 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, wolf-like 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 unwillingly into human form 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 oratorical 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 breach between 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 wanton cruelty of modern human society," Man 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 over 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 Mikura's throat and half the neck with a snap of the jaws. He released the body, letting it 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 returning 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 before it dries 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 his." He pointed at the body.
"Right," Tabur said sulkily.
Man Beast smiled, a chilling, feral thing that hovered 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."
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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 arriving at Avengers 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, Eliot Franklin was in prison, and Walter Langkowski's whereabouts were unknown.
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 obviously 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 her. "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 center of 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 quite silly. 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 my conclusions are somewhat incomplete. However, I am confident in my findings. There is no doubt that at some point Mr. Hibiki was irradiated with what should have been a lethal dose of gamma radiation. However, the fact he is still alive, and with no visible effects from his exposure, seems to bear out a theory several radiation theorists, such as myself, have postulated, but had no way of testing.
"While it's a minority opinion in the scientific field, I have always been firm in the belief that while intense bombardment of gamma radiation will usually result in death, cancer, or other toxic syndromes, a small percentage of the population might be mutated by them, changed into something far beyond normal people. In the case of Mr. Hibiki, he acquires additional mass through unknown means, possibly some heretofore undiscovered chemical reaction, and becomes nigh-invulnerable. What really surprises me is that he goes back and forth between the two conditions. I had always operated under the assumption such a mutation would be permanent in nature. That there is a constant transition between forms makes me wonder if some other sort of energy was involved during the initial bombardment. Or it could be some other factor. This is very basic and all theoretical, you understand."
"But what is this Hulk thing that invades my mind and kicks me out of it?" Ryouga asked in broken English.
Octavius stared curiously at him. "While the physical changes are almost certainly a result of your gamma irradiation, the change in your mentality is not. It's quite impossible. There's nothing gamma rays can inherently do to allow an outside force to take over your mind. Its effects are physical in nature. If it simply made you less intelligent, I would assume your mind is physically affected by the transformation, almost like a temporary form of brain damage, or at least impediment in your ability to think. However, since you and your compatriots assure me this Hulk thing believes it is its own unique entity, my suspicion is that you had a latent multiple personality disorder, and that the physical transformation was the last trigger required for you to create one. I warn you, I am a layman with only a handful of courses in psychology. You would have to discuss this with a professional, such as Doctor Leonard Samson, who specializes in SPBs. Have you been under a lot of stress lately?"
Ryouga recalled his transformation into a piglet and how Ranma's presence had dogged his very existence for years. "More than any man should have to suffer."
"Then that is probably correct. Luckily, this other personality of yours seems very passive under most circumstances, although quick to anger, from what your friends say."
The others nodded in agreement, having seen the Hulk's volatile nature on more than one occasion.
"Do you know what triggers your transformation?" Octavius asked.
Ryouga thought about that one. "No, but usually, right before I have my blackout, I'm under a stressful situation. Like creatures trying to eat me, or being buried alive, or robots attacking me. That sort of thing."
"I… see," Octavius said slowly. "Perhaps blood pressure is related to it."
"He did seem to turn a touch green every time he got angry," Iron Rose added.
"Each time his heart rate picked up," Daredevil confirmed.
"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.
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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, who attached themselves to another's cause like oversized remoras. All that mattered was saving his love in his past, so that he could have a future. He'd personally drop the bombs himself to prevent the Tragedy. He'd sacrifice anyone, everyone, if it meant saving her.
The Avengers had to die.
And the seeds for their destruction would be planted now. He had checked the timeline furiously. Removal of them at the juncture he would travel to changed nothing of Kang's own past. She would live, he would be who he was, and all would be well.
Kang was without his helmet and faceplate tonight, though he wore his armor under his trenchcoat. He would not go anywhere in the past without his chronal devices on his person. Being stranded in the past would ruin everything. But the mask had to go. The man standing next to him, Tetsuo, wouldn't trust someone that wasn't obviously Japanese.
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. 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 Avengers 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. 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 had no idea why, he just didn't. In fact they bothered him almost as much as Ranma. He didn't care for hills lately, and he didn't know the cause of that either. Just that they made him uneasy, no matter how serene they might appear.
All eyes turned to the overly large humanoid that moved upward through the floor, as though either it or the structure was nothing more than an elaborate hologram. It was mostly purple with gold around its arms, legs, and face. It stood about ten feet high and eight feet wide, with large arms and stubby legs. The most bizarre thing about it was the fact that it possessed no neck, its oversized head and face attaching themselves directly to the trunk of its body.
Daredevil noted the heartbeats of everyone spike and their attention rivet to the center of the room where Ryouga had claimed there was something moving through the floor, but even with his radar sense Daredevil detected nothing. "It's an illusion. It's probably some sort of…."
Suddenly it was there, as though it had been invisible to his radar sense. He shouted, "No, wait! I was wrong!"
The Fourth Sleeper went into action, designating the armored figure as the most potentially dangerous and focusing its initial attack on her. It charged across the room, knocking Ryouga and his chair aside as though they weighed nothing, sending them to the floor, Ryouga striking his temple hard enough to make it bleed.
That the newcomer was robotic in nature had attracted Iron Rose's instincts as an engineer, and she had began visually dissecting it, rather than focusing on its potential as an immediate threat. She paid the price as she was barely able to brace herself for the Fourth Sleeper's charge. It slammed into her with a greater strength than its form implied, throwing her into a wall, denting its titanium skin.
As Octavius darted out the exit, Daredevil pulled out a billy club out and extended the cable, wrapping it around the Sleeper's legs. He tried to trip it up by pulling, but its mass was far too large and strength too great. Instead it kicked out with a leg, whipping Daredevil around and into a wall. He rolled with the blow as much as he could, but misjudged the distance, and ended up striking chest first, stunning him.
The Fourth Sleeper was about to continue its attack on the fallen Iron Rose when a blast of energy struck it in the face. Sensors far more sensitive than the human eye locked onto the Wasp's tiny form and he swung at her.
"No!" Giant Man cried out at seeing the girl of his dreams threatened by the mechanical monstrosity.
The Fourth Sleeper turned to face the new threat. It took a step toward Giant Man.
Giant Man grew as high as he dared in the room, a mere twelve feet. The mechanoid froze in mid-stride for a second.
That was the opening Giant Man wanted as he struck it in the chest with as much strength as he could muster, knocking the robot back a handful of feet, staggering it, though its internal gyroscopes allowed it to remain upright.
That was all the time that was necessary 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 repulsor rays at the robot.
Rather than impacting against the mechanoid's armor, the blasts went through it just as it had gone through the floor earlier. But they didn't stop there, as the robot had been in a direct line between Iron Rose and the Hulk. Both blasts struck the Hulk right in the face, hurting even him.
Holding his face, the Hulk turned in fury upon his comrade. "Why did Tin Can Girl shoot Hulk?!"
"It was an acc--" She stopped, realizing that the truth might not work on her companion. Best to make the explanation simple and something he could appreciate. "I mean, the No-Neck Robot tricked me."
That made sense to the Hulk. Far too many people tried to trick him. "Hulk will not let No-Neck Robot trick him. Hulk will smash first!" And with that he leapt straight at his foe.
"Wait!" Iron Rose cried out too late as the Hulk also went through the immaterial robot and plowed right into his armored comrade, sending her into the wall where she hit hard.
"Sorry," Hulk said, then heard a thumping. Turning, he saw the Fourth Sleeper running at him. Rather than becoming angry, the Hulk laughed and stood his ground. "Stupid No-Neck Robot thinks Hulk will fall for the same trick twice."
The Fourth Sleeper ran full tilt into the Hulk, driving him backward. Iron Rose, who was trying to get to her feet, held up her hands and instinctively activated her electrical ribbon system. It proved to be the worst thing possible as wires shot out from her gauntlets, wrapping themselves around the airborne Hulk and electrocuting him.
The force of the blow sent the Hulk flying through the air, taking Iron Rose with him. The wall was hit in the exact same spot it had two other times. A third impact was more than even the wall could take, and the electrocuted behemoth was driven through it, Iron Rose whipped through the air along by her ribbons.
Before the robot could press its advantage, it was struck in the face again by Wasp's blast. She barely flew out of the way of his huge grasping hand.
"Keep away from her!" Giant Man shouted, punching at the robot again.
The fist went through it, leaving Giant Man off balance. Once no part of the large man was inside the intangible robot, the Fourth Sleeper solidified, striking Giant Man's ribs, bruising three of them and sending the towering figure to the floor. Giant Man clutched at them in pain.
The Fourth Sleeper took a couple of steps toward him when Giant Man shrank, hoping the pain might ease some if he was smaller. Again the robot froze in mid-stride for a full second. After the second passed, it walked toward Giant Man again.
Something clicked in Giant Man's mind. He shot up to a height of twelve feet again. The mechanoid froze, seeming to stare right at him.
Giant Man punched the motionless form. The Fourth Sleeper recoiled from the blow.
"Wasp! shoot him, then grow!"
Wasp did as she was instructed. The robot lunged at her, but she grew before he could wrap a hand around her. He froze, statue still.
Wasp unleashed a full size blast at him, scorching the armor around the face once more. She was denting the head, but not much else.
Just as the Fourth Sleeper began to move Giant Man shouted, "Over here!" and shrunk. The robot froze, so the hero grew and kicked the robot, knocking him over.
"I knew it! Something about our size changing makes him 'think' things over, and none too quickly. If we keep changing size right after we attack, we should be okay."
Testing the theory, Wasp shrunk and blasted the robot in the same place again, slowly wearing away the armor. Then grew and did the same. Giant Man repeated the gesture as well.
By that time the robot was motionless, save for how it was thrown around by the combined assault of the two heroes. While its Nazi creators programmed it to deal with many things, size-changing targets was not one of them. It lacked adaptive processes necessary to 'learn' from its experience of something so far out of its parameters. It felt no frustration at its inability to quickly process data on the targets. It felt nothing. It simply attempted to follow its programming to the best of its abilities.
And then the Hulk emerged from the hole in the wall. Angry, but perplexed. "Hulk doesn't know if he should hit No-Neck Robot or not!"
"Hit him while he's confused!" Wasp called out.
That was good enough for the Hulk. He ran over to the motionless robot and hit him as hard as he could. Metal buckled from the force of Hulk's fist to its torso.
"Now Hulk can smash!" He brought another blow down on the Fourth Sleeper's back, caving it in.
"That's it, Hulk! Knock his block off!" Wasp cried out.
The Hulk did so, the fist catching the robot in the head, bouncing it around the room like a giant pulverized racquetball made of metal.
Sparks flew from open rents in the body of the robot as it smoldered for a second before collapsing in a heap.
Iron Rose finally returned to the room, looking very much the worse for wear. She walked over to the pile of scrap and nudged it with an armored boot. "Well, that was interesting. I'll take him apart and see if I can figure out his origins. Then we can give whoever sent this welcome card a proper greeting."
The Hulk said, "Hulk will help take robot apart. Hulk is good at it."
"So I see," Iron Rose said, staring at the headless automaton.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Kang waited patiently outside. The sounds of battle ended, but when he ordered the robot to come outside, static was the only response. When he saw the Iron Rose fly off with what was obviously the shattered remains of the Fourth Sleeper, he teleported away to the Citadel of Time.
Kang screamed in rage for an eternity that literally only lasted a second.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxx
End Chapter
The Doctor Octopus reference is from Avenging's sister series, Defending. Hayato Myojin followed up on his thoughts.
DB Sommer: Member of the Fanfiction Mailing List since '97. Come on and join the fun for some good C+C and stories. Just send an email to with 'subscribe ffml' in subject line and you're in.