Avenging

Act IV

The Hate Monger and the Peacemaker

Chapter 6

Any and all C+C appreciated. You can contact me at:

[sommert ]

All the previous chapters and my other works are stored at:

At :

Standard disclaimer: I don't own any of the Marvel characters or other characters from the numerous animes which are within.

Here's a great reference guide for many character and objects in the Marvel Universe.

[ . ]

Yes, it's finally back. MUHAHAHAHAHA! I have new Micro Office with this computer. Still getting used to Word. Have no idea what it's inconsistent with spacing at times.

xxxxxxxx

"And so Hulk said, that was no ladle, that was Hulk's knife! Hahahaha!"

Sasuke laughed long and hard with the Hulk. He had no idea that green goliath was so wonderfully humorous. It was amazing how several bottles of sake could make a person funny. Not that the Hulk had drank them. Rather it was the Avengers nee Kunou manservant that had downed them. Clearly inebriation was a form of unlocking genius. In vino brilliance. At least he was pretty sure that was how it went.

Giant Man laughed just as long and hard. Normally he abhorred attending these meetings, dressed like a gaudy clown and forcing himself to listen to his erstwhile teammates' inane banter. Okay, maybe they had saved the world several times, but there were proper authorities to deal with that, like in the days before glorified costumed buffoons ran about smacking people with fiery flails, sonic blowhorns, or bowling pins.

That Tenpin guy. He juggled bowling pins. How did that make him a super villain? He was an imbecile goodness sakes. Sure, that could be applied to anyone that juggled, but they weren't dangerous. Unless they stole your girlfriend back in high school. And even though Kyoko had said it was because Tofu was a 'boring, dull, tedious, mind-numbing (she had a weird addiction to reading a thesaurus every day) boyfriend, Tofu knew it was really because Ryoto could juggle that she left him.

Damn all jugglers to Hell.

"I am an exciting man!" Giant Man insisted.

"You sure are, sir." Sasuke had been a manservant long enough to recognize when an employer was seeking that bit of moral support from an outside source.

He really needed to hire a manservant for himself.

"You're a superhero who can grow to tremendous size. What's not exciting about being gigantic and looking down on the world like it's full of peons and you're its king."

He really needed to get some stuff to make him grow.

"And you laugh at Hulk's jokes. That makes Big Man genius, too. Hulk will call you Genius Big Man. And that not joke."

"That's right. I'm an exciting genius whom women should appreciate over idiots that toss their balls over their heads." Giant Man belted down another shot of Jack Daniels. Dang, empty already. He went for another bottle of whiskey and remembered why he had attended the meeting today. Kasumi had been tied up with helping her father with some family finances and was meeting with a lawyer. Family business took precedence, like a dutiful woman should recognize. It was one of the reasons he adored her so. Along with her great beauty, and overall Kasuminess. But it was a rare instance of her not running through walls when the opportunity to engage in brutish behavior presented itself. Since she was the only reason he was even with the Avengers, it typically meant he wouldn't have been within 20 kilometers of the place.

But the last time he had been there, Iron Rose informed him of the open bar in Avengers mansion. It was as well stocked as any he had seen, with many high quality bottles of everything alcoholic. Mr. Kunou had known how to keep the guests entertained. So when the Avengers communications card went off, he had come over and immediately had Sasuke serve him a few, and insisted the little butler have a few himself. Then the Hulk miraculously found the mansion and showed up for the meeting. He didn't drink, saying it burned and he preferred water. Then the emerald behemoth began regaling them with jokes. Darn funny ones. Giant Man now had another reason to be here. Good comedy was hard to find today. It was all swearing or political satire with a nasty edge to whoever the comedian didn't like. Whatever happened to the simple, pure jokes, like knock knock jokes? The Hulk could appreciate good comedy.

"How did building get across street?"

"I don't know." Giant Man took another belt.

"Because Hulk threw it. Hahahaha!"

Both Sasuke and Giant Man laughed uproariously. It was even funnier because it had actually happened. Several times.

"Hulk has had beans. Pull finger."

For the mercy of all, Iron Rose chose that moment to enter the room, thus aborting a need to fumigate the entire mansion. "Everyone that will be attending the meeting has gathered, I… Sasuke, have you been drinking?"

"I want a raise," was the response.

"Ah, so you have. Since you are drinking on the job, that would be a 'no.' Giant Man, have you been drinking as well?"

"Only one glass here." Fortunately, the bottle he and Sasuke had emptied was out of sight. Some people complained about drinking affecting them. But it had never had an effect on Tofu. If anything, it made him think far more clearly.

Iron Rose shrugged. "Well, that shouldn't be a problem. The others are waiting."

Sasuke stayed behind while Giant Man and Hulk went to the meeting. As they entered the room, Giant Man saw that already present were Bucky, Tigra, and Daredevil.

Hulk looked around. "Where is Hammer Girl?"

"She said she could not attend because of some 'Trial of the Gods'. Apparently it's incredibly important. Deciding the fate of all of Midgard or some such."

Xxxxxxxxxx

"And so I told them, 'The Fate of Midgard Hangs in the balance.' And they believed me." Thor laughed raucously with Raiden, Adad, and Chaak and took another belt of mead so deep that it would have met with Hercules approval. It had been a long time since a gathering of weather gods got together to party. The water table was going to top out before they were through. The Avengers were just going to have to take a backseat to the affairs of the divine. It was nice to be a higher power.

"The mortals always fall for that one." Everyone laughed hard as Chaak raised his own tankard and the drinking contest began in earnest.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

The Hulk turned to leave.

"Where you going, Big Guy?" Bucky asked.

"Hulk will get on jury. Convince others Hammer Girl is innocent. Hulk can be very persuasive." He left the room.

Iron Rose said, "We should probably stop him before he gets into trouble trying to find a trial he can't possibly get to."

Bucky jumped up from her seat, a ball of excitement and eagerness. "Yeah, let's all jump on his back and let him drag us around until we fall off and maybe get into a pointless fight."

"Forward thinking. Apparently our team can learn," Daredevil said, having not moved an inch from his seat the entire time.

"Very well. He probably wouldn't be needed anyway." Iron Rose turned to the remaining members of the team. "As you know. Shiro Yoshida, was stopped by us from engaging in continued mass murder. Since he was attacking foreign embassies at the time, this has left the country in a quandary. He created a massive international incident and a lot of people want him, especially the Genoshans, who literally want his head. But since there's a very strong push by the ruling government for abolishing the death penalty altogether, they are reluctant to turn him over to any court which would inevitably regard execution as an appropriate punishment. For the moment, he's being transferred to a more secure containment facility that can handle his powers."

Bucky raised her hand. "Is 'containment facility,' a fancy way of saying prison?"

"A fancy prison for people who can normally melt prisons. Reed Richards has been a busy man designing them lately. Not that my employer couldn't do a better job, of course."

"Your boss isn't here. You don't have to brown nose," Bucky said.

"I'm not. She could."

"No one smarter than Reed Richards," Tigra said.

"She is." Then Kodachi thought about it. She actually had met Richards at a science symposium. She didn't think he could have been as brilliant as people said and began testing him. Even in the field of exo-skeletons, which she had been working extensively on and he had not, he quickly understood what she was talking about, and even made a recommendation on how to improve some of the bi-pedal architecture. The idea had needed a lot of honing, but it had been sound, and worse, come up on the spur of the moment. He might not know everything, and there were specialists whose knowledge of their field could surpass Richards, but he probably was the most brilliant man around.

"Almost as smart as Richards," she corrected.

Tigra said, "Dr. Doom 'almost as smart as Richards,' and was deposed by teenage girl. 'Almost as smart as Richards,' not mean a whole lot."

"She signs your paychecks."

"Is brilliant woman. Too, too smart. Long may she prosper."

Satisfied everyone had been as close to properly cowed as would happen, Iron Rose got back on the subject. "We are going to provide an unofficial escort to the vehicle as it transfers Yoshida to the secure facility."

"If things go sideways we're going to take heat since we're unofficial, aren't we?" Daredevil asked.

"You mean if things go as they normally do." Giant Man corrected. He should have grabbed the bottle. He was going to need it.

"I'm sure things will not turn out as badly as you're envisioning," Iron Rose assured him.

"That's not a denial," Daredevil pointed out.

"I'm being optimistic, not unrealistic."

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Sugimoto wanted to wear ear plugs, he really did. But regulations clearly stated one could not drive the armored car with the radio on, nor could they wear any form of visual or audio impairment. Nor could you rip the tongue out of your co-driver/shotgun passenger. Which meant he had to listen to Nishio ramble on.

"All I'm saying is, there is no place in the world for nationalism, and Yoshida is proof of that. We should give him to the Genoshans for crimes against Humanity."

Now that was it. "You said you were against the death penalty earlier. The Genoshans have been quite open about the fact they had a trial in absentia and he'll be executed the moment he gets there."

"Yeah, but that's their country and they should be allowed to do things their way. I wouldn't want to be imperialistic, like our country is."

"They use mutants as slave labor."

"GCs'. Quit using racist terms or I'll have your intolerance reported."

He was never riding with this idiot again. "What does 'GC' even mean?"

"Genetically Challenged. It's the proper name for the genetically different."

Everyone was genetically different. He didn't even understand what the words he said actually meant. Or maybe he was from the HD School of Philosophy, 'When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less'. "I thought Alice was the new term that was replacing that racist term I used."

"Don't be stupid. It's gender insensitive to GC's who identify as male but have both a homo-superior and double x chromosomal structure. I don't know what idiot came up with that."

"The Alice Institute, which is primarily composed of GC's and teaching them the better use of their abilities while assisting them with integrating into society." He'd read a flyer once. He thought it was some kind of cult until he learned they were legit. It seemed weird to him. He didn't know any mutants himself, but he hadn't heard of any shenanigans there, so he didn't really care.

"Bunch of Uncle Tom's selling out to the system if you ask me. They shouldn't have to bow and scrape to integrate into society: society should integrate to them."

"Yeah, that's pretty much what the Genoshans do. The government tests everyone to see if they are GC and integrate them into systems to make efficient use of their GC abilities."

"Don't be stupid. It's not the same thing as I'm proposing. It would be totally different when we do it. I hate riding with people like you."

So, the axiom, 'If you talk with someone long enough, you'll find something to agree upon' was true. "And you want to send the GC in back to the GC slave labor capital of the world for immediate execution."

"He's an ultra-nationalist murderer. He should pay for his crimes against another culture by the other culture's rules. It's not my place to tell them how they should live their lives."

But telling the guy next to you what words he can and can't use, sure, no problem. Way it should be done. Why would you even question it? Sugimoto wondered if he should point that out and watch the reaction. Head exploding, or that cold look of contempt for the peon who doesn't understand his only purpose was to nod his head at whatever he was instructed to believe in. He'd dropped out of religion for the same reason.

Sugimoto was spared a choice when a man in silver-colored samurai armor stood in the middle of the street, sword drawn. Flanking him on either side were two pairs of people in garb reminiscent of police from about 200 years ago.

"Should we stop?" Nishio asked.

Clearly they were here for the prisoner. Blast, they had sent another armored car with a full police escort as a bait car for anyone wanting to grab him. Then they sent a second one with only 2 police escorts as another. Their vehicle had no escort because what were the odds they'd send out 3 and it would be the unguarded one as the real deal?

"Let's run him down." Sugimoto gunned it.

"That sword is glowing," Nishio warned.

That was bad. But he was committed to this game of chicken with someone that he hoped couldn't Ginsu an armored car or was ram proof.

The sword came down. A slender wave of energy, barely wider than the blade, shot forth, slicing the car fully in half down its entire length. Miraculously it missed both men, even as the two pieces fell to the street and sent sparks everywhere as they skidded to a halt.

Right before he passed out, Sugimoto realized one nice thing came from this: he wasn't trapped in the cab with Nishio anymore. Apparently there was at least one silver lining in encountering a super villain.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

The man held his sword up high. "And so, The Sliver Samurai and his faithful Shinsengumi have liberated one who would harken back to simpler, more just times. Come, my faithful companions. Let us rescue our future member."

One of them followed, while the other three remained there, watching as their leader approached the half of the vehicle that Shiro, who was not in two pieces, remained confined in.

Juri Arisugawa turned toward Touga Kiryuu. "I don't want to follow this imbecile any longer."

Touga sighed. "The Ends of the Earth promised us permanent use of these fantastic swords if we did a few jobs with Silver Samurai. Besides, is he really that much worse than Saionji?"

"They're so alike they've become best friends. It's Saionji times two, when a quarter Saionji is all anyone should endure." Miki Karou grimaced.

The sounds of a rocket engine overhead got their attention.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"We got here just in time." Iron Rose put the Quinjet on autopilot and programmed it to land. "We should form a plan of attack."

"Let's shout *and* leap," Giant Man hit the open door button and leapt out.

Everyone looked in disbelief at where their large companion had been a moment before. "When did he become a man of action?" Daredevil asked.

On Giant Man's part, he was feeling pretty good about himself as he leapt out the hatch and grew. There was nothing wrong with a little smashing up of a few bad guys. He'd do this one for the absent Hulk, and work out some of the grief Kasumi was causing him on a few worthy targets. Maybe after he wiped the street with these clods, he'd lay down the law on her and tell her the way things were going to be with them quitting this ridiculous heroing, her going back to being a happy homemaker, and he just a doctor.

Women loved it when you told them what to do.

As he neared the ground, or more specifically several of the swordsmen's' heads, two of them lifted their weapons and different colored beams of light shot from them. Had he not been drunk, Giant Man might have recognized at least one of them, having been struck by it before.

As it was, all he felt was a kinetic impact and a burst of air so strong it managed to knock him backward so when he hit the street, he landed on his posterior. While a backside the size of a small water buffalo absorbed the majority of the force from his landing, it was going to be a deeper shade of blue by the end of the day.

Bucky jumped out next, using the side of a building to vault off of to kill a bit of momentum and land on the street. She hated using her shield to simply absorb impact, mostly because she had to land on it and was vulnerable. Landing feet first was always preferred.

It turned out her precaution was justified as the blue haired guy pointed his sword at her. She brought her shield up even as a beam shot from it. Immediately she felt the shield grow heavy. Gravity weapon? She saw ice creep over the edge. That was bad. She hated cold powered villains. Coatings of ice made tossing the shield impossible as its center of gravity was wrecked, and sometimes she had to abandon it altogether due to the weight throwing her off.

She was about to drop it, and hope she could avoid the beam, when the red haired one called out, "M! Get the big guy."

Bucky watched as M, aimed at the recovered Giant Man's path and ice formed at his feet. The enormous hero landed on his backside again, saying a lot of curse words. Who knew such an uptight guy knew such foul language? It was kind of nice to see he wasn't such a dork, as he usually behaved.

Daredevil finally got in the action, swinging down and landing on M's head, knocking him to the ground. He was unable to follow up as he was struck by the swordsman who had been near the armored car. A burst of electricity lashed out, stunning Daredevil.

Bucky had enough strength to get the shield in the path of the second burst, which knocked some of the ice from her weapon.

Iron Rose watched on as the others engaged what she perceived as minions. She was going after their leader who, in armor, was a natural foe. She would pit her brilliant genius against some low rent, low tech, back alley Radio Shack contraption any day.

As she flew near she aimed a repulsor blast at the armored figure, then froze as she saw the weapon he bore. It was the KTK 1103-B. She had designed it herself.

It was also should have been entombed with the twit who had last possessed the sophisticated sword, the one that had a mountain dropped on his head.

"You're the Swordsman!" she cried out before the exact same thing that happened the last time she had viewed it happened again. A blast of power shot from the blade, struck her in the chest, and sent her flying backward.

"Nay. I have embraced my true heritage. Much like that faithful, but foolish, underling Speed Demon, I have changed my costumed identity. Now I am… the Silver Samurai." He held his sword dramatically in the air. "Stay down, woman, for while it is beneath me to dispose of my inferiors, I shall do so if you press me."

Twin repulsor blasts were Iron Rose's answer. The Silver Samurai deflected both, the sheath of energy wrapping his blade more than a match for the beams.

While the fight was going on, Tigra remained back from the others, eyes calculating, searching for the true foe she knew was behind this. Surely he would not leave such powerful objects in the hands of this lot. He had to be orchestrating this from somewhere.

Bucky was becoming irritated. She was getting way too much attention for her taste. Bursts of force, electricity, and wind kept coming at her. She was evading them, but she couldn't go on the offensive either. And one of the twits might get lucky. Where the heck was Tigra in all this?

The ice guy was starting to get to his feet when a loud voice bellowed, "Incoming!" And half an armored card flew overhead. It was aimed so that it would have crushed two of the foes if they hadn't gotten out of the way.

Bucky thought that was risky. Neither of them appeared the least bit impervious to physical damage, and armored cars landing on one's head usually resulted in bloody smears. But Bucky was grateful for the opening. She gave a toss of her shield, bouncing it off both the girl and the electrical guy's heads. The guy with the force beam tried blasting Giant Man away, but alone it wasn't, enough, and he found himself swatted aside.

Bucky reassessed the situation. Only the Silver Samurai was still up, holding his own against Iron Rose. But that was only a matter of time, since once she and Giant Man entered the fray, no lame samurai could stop all three of them. And if Tigra showed up, the more the better. Energy sword, heavy armor, bad breath, none of it made any difference. Metal head was toast.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

On a viewing monitor, a scowl crossed the features of a man.

"Looks like this was a bust," the woman next to him said.

"Indeed." He pushed a button while the woman said into a communicator, "Pull out, my samurai. It's an order. I'm in trouble."

"What trouble?" the man asked.

"I'm not, but if I don't give him a good reason to stop, he'll fight until he's beaten."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

At the scene of the fight, the Silver Samurai said, "Though it pains me to not give you the proper thrashing you so deserve, a damsel is in distress, and I must away." He held his hand up, and a ring on his finger glowed. His entire being suddenly glowed purple, then his body changed into what looked like a silhouette before he disappeared altogether.

"Teleportation." Iron Rose cursed. That was not an ability the sword had. She had wanted to capture him and find out how he had gotten the weapon\ she had created. At least she was now certain of how he had survived China. If he could wink out of existence like that. Still, there were four other people who had not teleported yet who could be interrogated.

Or so she thought. There was a brief flash of light from the hilt of all of their swords. She watched in horror as the power from the weapons themselves was turned upon the users. Ice froze blood instantly. Electricity filled the air with smoked flesh. The vortex user appeared to suck in on herself, while the remaining man simply blew into bits. Splattering everyone, even the unconscious Daredevil.

And then it was over.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Mantis turned to her companion. "Killing your underlings was a bit harsh, wasn't it?"

"They were too incompetent to use, and knew too much to live. I would just as soon not let the world know that reports of my demise were premature until I'm ready to make my move." He sighed. "Apparently using long range 'Hands' isn't feasible. Perhaps it's for the best the power resides solely with me."

He turned and exited the room.

Xxxxxxxxx

End Chapter.