Avenging

by DB Sommer

It's a fusion of Ranma 12 and Marvel's Avengers. Chapter 1 lays the groundwork for what's to come and deals with several of the heroes origins. It is a bit dry and serious compared to the rest of the story. Chapter 2 is more like the rest of the story if you want to skip to it. Book 1 is complete and Book 2 is the sequel.

70. Act V Epilogue 1: Loose Ends

Avenging

Act 5

Epilogue 1

A Few Loose Ends

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

tsommer

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

At :

www. fanfiction

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

Last Chapter: Kang is dead, and Gendou became Kang again. Biko's Project Wideawake met a dismal end, the Super Adaptoid was caught, and now she's up to her neck in legal issues. This has made the Avengers very happy.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The celebration was in full swing at Avengers Mansion. The entire team was in attendance plus Jarella, who had led Ryouga to the party, and Sasuke, though he was functioning as a butler the entire time. He had done a very good job decorating and setting everything up. Music played via speakers throughout the room, though no one was dancing. Expensive hors d'oeuvres were disappearing at a healthy rate. A variety of drinks, both alcoholic and non, were available. It was a rare occasion when nearly everyone was having a bit of the bubbly. Kodachi sipped champagne, Wasp was trying rum for the first time, but drinking in moderation. Jarella did likewise with some wine. Tigra was indulging in margheritas that she was mixing herself and trying to ply Captain Japan with. Thor was enjoying a large amount of mead, which she had requested since it was a 'true drink of the gods'. She was also drinking as much as everyone else put together with the double-sized tankard she requested, though barely seemed tipsy at all.

Kodachi had eschewed her armor and, since she was openly the team's benefactress, had been accepted as one of their own. It was one of the few occasions she had a worthy excuse to hobnob with Captain Japan as herself, even if Tigra was annoying him, as usual. The poor man. A pity no one was allergic to cats or else they could have a perfect excuse to oust her from the team.

She picked up a fork and tapped it against a crystal glass, filling the room with a tinkling sound which captured everyone's attention. "I would like to propose a toast to the recent success in our endeavors. Biko will soon be laid low by our legal system and incarcerated. While she should actually be punched in the face repeatedly then thrown in jail, this will suffice."

Daredevil cleared his throat. "It's a good case but not a slam dunk. She has the best lawyers money can buy. While there is a mountain of evidence of wrongdoing, I wouldn't get cocky. There are no guarantees when it comes to the legal system."

Hawkeye gave him an affectionate look. "Maybe we should send in a lawyer of our own to take her on."

He smiled at the compliment. "The government usually doesn't care for private enterprise to go encroaching on their turf, or showing them up."

Kodachi shook her head. "Illegal arms possession. Corpses strewn about from renegade robots rampaging through her headquarters. The fact she erased visual evidence of the events, which can't be refuted. Even if by some miracle she's not thrown in prison, her name is tarnished beyond measure. Her company will go under in a year, two at the most. She's no longer a factor."

"I still would have liked to blast her." The human sized Wasp waved her drink back and forth, spilling some. Sasuke was quick to towel up the liquid.

"Believe me, I know the feeling," Kodachi intoned.

"There's more to it than that. Don't forget, we don't know where those people Kang gathered went. They disappeared in the middle of the fight." Wasp wanted a clean-cut victory over her archvillain, now that she had reentered her life. Hornet was tougher than in their first encounter, but that just made the impending triumph all the sweeter. And since she was really a robot, Wasp didn't have to hold back. Not that she would dismantle the mechanoid. Destroying your archvillain meant having to find another one, and once you got one, you were officially important in the super hero world, because only important heroes got an archvillain of their own. Hulk had She Hulk. Daredevil had Bullseye. Iron Rose had Steel Lily. Wasp would feel left out if she didn't have one.

"They'll turn up eventually, just like they did this time," Captain Japan assured her. "I'm more concerned about what happened with Kang. I find it weird he was this Gendou Rokubungi guy. Was he working for Stane all the time, or was there some weird time travel thing going on? I mean it looked like he had his own agenda, and I doubt if it had anything to do with Biko since her robot was the one that killed him."

"Kang was as mysterious as he is dead. Only big on being veiled, not direct, when speaking. We probably never know what true agenda was," Tigra said.

"It matters not," Thor declared. "A constant thorn in our sides has been removed forevermore. Tis time for rejoicing." To back up her statement she drained the oversized mug and bellowed for another, which Sasuke provided.

"It's going to be a relief not having to worry about people coming from the future or past to bother us any more," Hawkeye said. "I wonder how Rushuna is doing? We should probably check on her and see how she's assimilating to the present. We ought to let her know that with Kang dead, it's unlikely we'll ever be able to send her back."

Ryouga finally entered the conversation. "It's great we don't have to worry about time travelers any longer. Too bad we can't say the same about robots."

Jarella gave him a dazzling smile. "I take it you do not want one for your birthday?"

"Not even from you."

Captain Japan smacked his fist into his hand. "That's right. Your birthday's coming up. We should have a party." He looked around at the room. "I mean another one."

Hawkeye said, "Mine's coming up, too. By the way, I'm really a girl."

And the room went silent.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Reporters, Biko decided, were the human equivalent of vultures. Rather than hunt for food, they simply hovered around those that could provide them with sustenance once they figuratively 'died', then ate the corpse. They provided nothing, simply taking whatever scraps they could find somewhere lying around. Useless scavengers.

In her case there was a large pack of them waiting outside the courthouse, shoving cameras and microphones in her face, asking questions designed to provoke a certain reaction rather than gain actual knowledge, garnering them attention from the populous: their 'sustenance'. Were she to kill every one of these people here and now, not a thing of worth would be lost. Remove them from society's equation, and it would move along as effectively and as efficiently as before. Even a janitor served a useful function. She knew what people did to toilets that weren't theirs. Janitors might very well have been one of the most unheralded heroes in society. These carrion pickers were unworthy of mention.

She had already told them, "No comment," when she first entered the courthouse on this rainy day to hear the charges being brought against her, which were indeed numerous. Illegal weapon's possession, threatening the public welfare, criminal negligence, were among the major ones. They were still trying to figure out how to charge her in the deaths of Gendou, Yui, Kronos, and a few others. For some reason Gendou had been framed to be one of the people that had attacked her headquarters. She knew he couldn't have been on the surface attacking and deep in Project Wideawake at the same time. She might skate on those charges, at least. The others would be more difficult. Not murder, but some form of either manslaughter or reckless endangerment. Word of her Dark Projects wing was almost certainly going to come up. That would create additional issues as well and perhaps more charges.

But she'd find a way to survive it. She had money, power, and influence. With those at hand, (and that nothing she did damaged others in positions of power), it meant her fellow elite would render what aid they could in exchange for numerous favors to increase their own money, power, and influence. She would have to give them some of hers, but that was the way the game was played. Lessons her father had hammered home about life and how it worked. If among the elite, and you did not betray the elite, then when one was at risk, you helped them out… for a price. She knew a judge or two that were for sale. If she bribed the right politicians to place the right judge on her case, that would help tremendously.

Biko was nearly to her car when she saw a sight that gave even her pause. Someone who looked like Sunset Bain was standing beyond the edge of reporters who surrounded Biko, but in such a fashion that she would be seen. This made little sense. No one could impersonate Bain at this point to make an issue of Biko's acquisition of Baintronics. Her death was confirmed with dental records. She took a deep look into the woman's eyes, then became convinced she really was Bain. It was the combination of smugness and anger. Any impersonator would have gone with one prevailing emotion if this was to send a message to her, which it clearly was since Bain wanted to be seen here and now. But a mix implied authenticity. Humans were a mix of emotions.

Whatever Bain was up to, Biko was nipping this one in the bud. No doubt she had waited until Biko was on the defensive, her power base under assault by many forces, to make her mocking return and rub it in the industrialist's face. Biko would see to it that mocking visage was blown off. Hitman could be hired again, though at his normal price since a lot of her money was soon going to be tied up. She had more than enough to hire him, though. A pity about Bain. If she had continued to lay low she could have lived a while longer.

Reporters continued their brainless barrage of questions as her chauffer opened her door for her and she entered the rear portion of her custom limousine. With the closing of the door, silence reigned in Biko's realm thanks to the soundproof glass. She could have tinted the windows on the outside to prevent them from seeing her. She would have done the inside too, but the driver sort of needed to see out to drive safely. Besides, she wanted to look at Bain as she drove off, since it would be the last time she saw the woman alive. The woman faking her death successfully meant she had some measure of resourcefulness. That she tipped her hand in such a blatant manner meant she was arrogant. Too bad the Super Adaptiod was now in the government's hands. She would have loved to have it dispatch Bain in some hideously painful manner. There had been some mutant who could liquify internal organs he had a template of. That would have been a magnificent means to an end. Ah well, a bullet ultimately had the same result.

Her chauffer entered the car and closed the door behind him. As he did so, Bain darted behind a rather large statue, obscuring her from view. The movement was peculiar. Why would she….

Biko turned to the driver as his hand went to the ignition. "Don't start the engin—"

And the car was consumed in a tremendous explosion.

Xxxxxxx

Biko Stane-Daitokuji had designed her car to withstand even a small explosive device, so Bain had used four times the amount the necessary to qualify it as a very 'large' explosive device. Not only was the limousine and both its occupants blown into pieces, but a dozen reporters also died, while thirty bystanders suffered varying degrees of injury. On Bain's part, she peered around the statue once the shrapnel finished flying and smiled at the result. She'd kept the bitch distracted until it was too late. Now she'd avenged herself for the loss of her company and Aaron, who she still missed. At least she could reclaim her business without Biko standing in her path. For that matter, with the majority owner of Stane-Daitokuji Industries now deceased, and the scandal the company was attached to, it was gone anyway. Biko had ruled with an iron fist and left no successor to her throne as her father had. The company would almost certainly be sold off in chunks. Roxxon would at least want the Brand subsidiary Biko had snatched out from under them. Likely they would want more. She'd have to work with them if they asked since she owed High Jones from when he took her in when she hit rock bottom, but then the slate would be wiped clean and they'd be wary rivals again.

But that was for later. Right now she had to make arrangements to reclaim her own company. So she turned her back on the scene of carnage she orchestrated as cries of pain filled the air and smiled.

Madame Menace had won again.

Xxxxxxxx

Councilwoman Juna Ariyoshi sat in her office, listening to one of her aides go on about the negative implications from Biko's death and how it impacted her standing. She had been a major backer of Stane-Daitokuji and vice-versa, and given her spectacular demise, as well as that of a large number of reporters, people wanted answers. Ariyoshi had of course spoken gravely about the incident and that the killer would be found. A pity it hadn't been super human related. Given the Avengers involvement in Biko's scandal the two could have been connected. But investigators assured her it was a normal, if powerful, standard explosive. The good news was with Biko's death a lot of focus on the incident at the company had been kicked off the front page. The bad news was it had been replaced with a mysterious death.

Some paranoid idiots were wondering if Biko had been 'silenced' for some reason and this was part of the cover up. That made Ariyoshi uneasy since she'd rather not be connected to the Master Mold going berserk and killing a few people, and that those were the robots she had wanted for Tiger Brigade. That part of Kerberos' implementation was put on the indefinite back burner. If she was getting giant robots to enforce her will, they were going to come from somewhere else. Still, the two heads present were satisfactorily getting the job done. There was no hurry to find a new agency for the third. Perhaps whispering in the media heads' ears that Biko had many enemies and that almost certainly one of them was responsible for her death could be pushed. She'd even hint that the government's investigation was leaning in that direction, and Ariyoshi was letting them in on that in appreciation for their good work. She could be an 'undisclosed source'. They loved having access to those, especially when the source told them what they wanted to hear. When government and media were of the same mind, everyone prospered.

Her aide cleared his throat. That made Ariyoshi take notice. Not only did it sound like he had inadvertently swallow a toad and was trying to cough it back up, he only did it when he was about to utter something important. "I've received word from a number of people that a journalist from Channel 8 has been asking inappropriate questions about you. She's definitely nosing around for some dirt on you."

"Her name?"

"Akemi Shutaro."

"I see. Well, I know her employers. I'll ask around to see if they can reign her in." She had just had Abe done away with; she was not tolerating some other hack trying to make their reputation by sullying her name. She'd be emphatic about the inappropriate tack this Shutaro was taking in harassing her. Perhaps Juna could accuse her of being one of those conspiracy theorists trying to tie her to Biko's death. Her associates in the media knew better and could be relied upon to make her stop. And if she didn't, why renegades like that who engaged in yellow journalism had no place in the industry. She was certain her friends would agree with her since that course of action was appropriate.

They were of the same mind, after all.

And since they were, that was how Akemi Shutaro lost her job three days later when she refused to desist in her brand of investigative reporting, and it was decided by her superiors that the services of such a disruptive force were no longer needed. It was said behind her back that she had been tainted by Abe Kosaka and his antiquated notions of journalism and his inability to progress with the times. Word was sent to other media companies of the issues with her attitude and inability to work well with others. She was also referred to as, Juna recommended, to be a conspiracy theorist for good measure. Because no one wanted to hire one of those.

xxxxxx

Ayumi Narusawa of Wolf Brigade finally had a course of action figured out.

She had been sitting on the information she had stolen from Ariyoshi's office, having no idea of what to do with it. It needed to go public, while not being traced back to her since that would be a breach of regulations, the type it was unlikely Irie would let slide. He wasn't big on people who violated their non-disclosure agreement, In Narusawa's case that penalty was getting thrown into prison with a maximum sentence.

But this was a field she had no knowledge in. Sure, she could anonymously post it to the internet, but it would be written off as the made-up ramblings of some loon wanting attention. She needed someone legitimate to break it for her. But she could tell Ariyoshi received a lot of favorable press, and she had a feeling this might disappear into the vacuum. Worse, Ariyoshi would be tipped off to the fact the information was out there and try to track down the source. It left Narusawa at an impasse.

And then Ayumi received a solution from Ariyoshi herself.

Just the other day Wolf Brigade received a warning to be on the lookout for one Akemi Shutaro, a former reporter that might be looking into Kerberos operations. Ariyoshi was to be notified immediately if the woman appeared anywhere.

Narusawa remembered what happened to the last reporter whose name they had sent to Ariyoshi.

So Narusawa looked into it and discovered that not only had Shutaro been fired recently, but she had apparently been aligned with Abe in some way. Currently she had a job with some newsstand rag. A demotion from where she had been, but still a legitimate news agent.

A journalist on the outs with Ariyoshi? Now Narusawa had someone to send the information to.

Xxxxxxxx

Akemi Shutaro liked her new job at the International Enquirer. It was weird because she previously held nothing but the same contempt 90% of humanity held for the rag which featured tales of whatever sounded sensational. Gossip about celebrities, which tended to contradict itself week by week. Gossip about politicians, which also tended to contradict itself week by week. Horoscopes, for crying out loud. Who read those anymore? Even their crossword section was weak: they color coded the vowels so their readers actually had a chance of solving the puzzles. Also they had a page for crosswords. It was so ridiculous.

But they were the only people willing to hire her. She had been blackballed by the entire industry. Despite the credentials she had earned before falling out of favor with her 'masters', no one was interested in even granting her even an interview. Now that she thought about it, it was odd how a bunch of businesses which should have been competitors against one another coordinated things together. Every media agency wanted the most readers, but there was only so much news people could consume, so that meant the paying public had to pick and choose. The winners got a profit; the losers bankruptcy. Now sports leagues relied on competing against one another to generate revenue and had to work together, that made sense. But in media owners and employees, who were supposed to be rivals, got along as though they were the best of friends a lot of the time. It was like somewhere along the line their mentality so mirrored one another they simply became the arms of one giant body ,which meant they were all working toward the same goal together.

For a news industry, that was a chilling thought.

Luckily, the International Enquirer was like the bastard, black sheep child no one in the 'family' wanted to acknowledge existed, so Akemi was hired on the spot and put to work immediately. After a couple of articles, she talked to her editor and ventured an idea about looking into shady government officials. Her editor was fine with that; they ran articles on them all the time. He just laid down the two rules of the company: publish nothing that could get them sued, and don't make anything up. Especially because in the case of the latter, a lot of the sources were eager to do that on their own since rumor and innuendo ran amuck in this part of the industry and some people liked sharing any tidbit they heard, even if it had to be embellished a bit to be publishable. When she pointed out, a bit testily, she wasn't interested in rumormongering but having legitimate verifiable sources for an expose, he practically grinned ear to ear. He said he'd double her salary if she broke something big. No caveat. No undercurrent of make sure you're going after the 'right' corrupt officials. Just a 'for god's sake, yes! Get me a story like that.'

It was like she had taken a breath of air after being held underwater and not even realizing it.

Which didn't help her previous problem of Abe's sources not wanting to talk with her. She wondered if he ever realized how much he was both feared and respected at the same time by those he talked to. She could tell from the way others reminisced about him. He had been viewed as a sort of fierce lone wolf that could turn on anyone, but also could stand on his own and didn't need a pack to back him up the way most people did. She also sort of understood why he claimed not to have any real friends. Fear and respect were not what friendships were based on. Friends wanted you to hold them in higher regard than your personal ethics and have your back when things turned into shades of gray. Abe didn't bend. He might feel bad about doing an expose on someone he knew and liked, but it wouldn't give him pause when it came time to run the story.

Ah well, she was about the reporting, not making friends. She had to find some way to break the Ariyoshi story. Her rivals were a way to go, but how to get someone to open up to her the way they did with Abe?

And then a voice near the door shouted, "Yo, Shutaro. Mail."

Someone had grabbed the mail from IE's post office box. While most people sent things via email, occasionally the staff still received physical mail from 'sources'. What she received was a small plain mailing envelope with a return address that said one thing but a postmark from a location nowhere near it. The name on it was unfamiliar. She felt the envelope for its contents and noted there was something small in it that produced a lump. A bit tiny for an explosive device, or so she assumed since she wasn't familiar with explosive devices. She tore open the mailer. If it turned out it was something dangerous, she could run a story on it. Unless it was fatally so. Then her bosses would run a story on it. Probably the lead.

It turned out there were two items: a flash drive and a typed letter with the phrase 'Ariyoshi's Plans' on it. Akemi felt her heart skip a beat. True, this might be a set-up of some kind with false information, but one of the advantages of working for the International Enquirer was her boss wouldn't fire her if the story proved itself wrong since they were big on sensationalism rather than accuracy. That and not being sued. It was agenda free to say the least.

She took her computer offline. Then she inserted the drive and scanned it for any spyware or viruses. It didn't detect any, though she supposed a really sophisticated one could escape detection. She then opened it and looked at the menu. It was filled with tons of folders, but one was marked 'Important Files' in all caps. So she opened it up and began reading it.

Minutes later she was immediately floored. This… this was a story, enough that, in combination with the additional information Abe had collected, she could run it. And her lovely editor was going to give her a raise once she showed him.

Abe would have been proud of her.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Tigra was practicing martial arts forms in the Avengers monitor room, since it was her turn to man the station. Business was still slow thanks to Kerberos, but everyone, even Wasp, remained in good spirits with the Kang, and now Stane-Daitokuji, issues permanently laid to rest. But with monitor duty more boring than ever, she had to do something to pass the time. She thought she was making some headway on the Captain Japan front. He was a tough nut to crack, but she had been one as well, yet he had managed to pull it off. She was happy now, thanks to him, and she intended to return the favor… and make herself happier in the process. She was more interested in his character than his body, but she couldn't deny the man was very fine. She thought she was striking the right balance between flirtatiousness and seriousness. Being a playful cat that could be relied upon when it mattered was the message she was sending. And frankly she had a hot body she would use in a heartbeat to her advantage. She just had to not come on too strong. When he got uncomfortable he tended to bolt, she noticed. It was a bit of a balancing act, but felines were known for their agility.

There was also the fact she was aware of his dual nature, which none of the others on to. That meant she could be extra-friendly to 'Bucky' even when the other girls tended to act more adversarial toward a perceived rival for the Captain's affections. She even leapt to the redhead's defense when opportunities presented themselves and drew some of the heat away from her. She was sure the extra points helped. In any event, their time together on the team only confirmed to her he was worth the effort and investment of resources to win his affections.

As to Hawkeye's revelation to the rest of the team about her true gender, the fallout from that had been surprisingly minimal. Given the diverse personalities and each member's rather esoteric abilities, it wasn't that strange. Had Hawkeye really been an alien from outer space, or a robot, that would have been bizarre. Cross-dressing to protect your secret identity, not so much.

Ryouga hadn't cared and just said, 'Huh'. Wasp gave an 'Oh my!', then stopped caring a minute later since it would have zero impact on fighting super villains. Captain Japan had already known, which was interesting and might have been cause for concern if Ukyou wasn't already tightly involved with Mousse. Iron Rose was annoyed she hadn't figured it out on her own.

Only Thor had not been thrilled, given Ukyou had kissed her during the Mandarin Affair. Luckily cooler heads prevailed and calmed the goddess down. It would have been Mjolnir level messy if it hadn't. Luckily Thor had been a bit less headstrong and more pensive of late. She openly let the matter go, but still shot the archer an occasional glare. After more time passed Tigra was sure things would go back to normal, like they had when Giant Man left the team. They were good at moving forward. This wasn't a team driven by drama and angst, more like free spirits that had an initial awkward start and eventually evolved into a fully functional effective unit.

An alert went off and Iron Rose's faceplate appeared on a screen. The armored Avenger spotted Tigra. "Send out a low priority alert to the others. I want them to see this news story. Dare I say it, but perhaps we can remove the remaining painful thorn in our paw."

"Oh?" Tigra did as she asked.

"I've recorded it for playback. See for yourself." And Iron Rose sent a video news story to the mansion.

Tigra played it, sitting in a chair and watching. It was from some small online news site that had a decent following. Apparently Iron Rose had clipped it to start at the relevant facts, one involving Councilwoman Ariyoshi. Oh yes, that would make all the Avengers delighted if it was something negative about her. She had certainly thrown enough heat their way. The sooner the woman was gone from public office, or dead, the better.

And so the were woman listened. It didn't take her long to figure out what the story was about, or the angle the news show was taking. Apparently someone had leaked out what they claimed was information on Ariyoshi's plans for the future. All of them had been put out there, including a connection to her wanting Stane-Daitokuji to build the giant robot that went on a killing rampage for the government. Oh, that was going to make her look bad.

But the one gaining the most attention was a 'Potential Power' system she had apparently planned to implement at some future point. It consisted of everyone with any super powers being forced to wear a collar which would monitor them constantly. Any attempt to use their super human abilities without express government consent would result in them being drugged with an inbuilt intravenous system until the authorities could arrive to detain them.

And Tigra had thought the robotic rampage was a career killer.

She perused other bigger news shows for more information. While they made mention of the story in general, they curiously left the specifics out and emphasized that the information couldn't be verified and even if it was true, the Councilwoman's rights had been violated and the law broken if it was confidential information on government computers. She noted they weren't lying, they were just omitting certain facts while emphasizing others. She had been trained in that technique as well in her role as an assassin by the Hand. The best deceptions were where you reshaped the truth into what you wanted it to show, and conveniently ignored other facts that would run counter the point you were trying to make. She could take one stunted warped tree in the forest, point to it, and declare the forest unhealthy, when in fact the rest of the trees were fine and the forest healthy as can be.

When you were taught how to effectively lie, you could usually tell when other people did it as well.

She went to the original article, which it turned out was indeed from a source with a questionable track record and read. It was very lengthy and contained a lot of information. Quite the expose. A lot of it was also very dry in a politically oriented sense, but there was one juicy tidbit which caught her attention. Apparently Ariyoshi's campaign manager not just had an untimely demise, but had been in the presence of a reporter when it happened. Also her throat had been cut by a shuriken, a very unusual means of death. Then the reporter later died in what was purported to be a home invasion while investigating Ariyoshi in relation to the murder. As an assassin, that sounded like something she'd do to silence someone and the witnesses to the crime.

If the Hand were involved, that was that. She was not dealing with her old masters in any capacity. But there were other assassins that preferred thrown blades in their arsenal. Since taking down Ariyoshi, for making the Avenger's lives hell if for no other reason, was a very desirable outcome, and to her it appeared the councilwoman was involved in these two deaths in some capacity, Tigra could look into the matter and try to locate those types of assassins who had been around during both murders. If she could figure out who it was, well she could be very persuasive when it came to convincing people to confess their sins.

It was time to get her old outfit out of storage and go hunting.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Shenhua, the Taiwanese assassin better known as Razorblade, left the tea shop behind her. She swore it was the only place in Japan that had the unique refinement of her homeland in a drink. The Japanese made dishwater and passed it off as tea. Only the British had ever come close to mastering tea the way her people had. It was the only redeeming quality she could come up with for them. That was more than she could come up with the Japanese. As far as she was concerned, they thought far too highly of themselves while simultaneously looking down their noses at everyone else. It was especially contemptuous since the Taiwanese were clearly superior to them. But they paid well and many of them weren't so snobby they wouldn't hire a foreigner to assassinate their rivals. Currently she was between jobs. She loved the freedom of being an independent contractor, but the work could be spotty. Still, she had little desire to tie herself to one boss like Kingpin or Carlton Velcro, even if it meant drawing a reliable salary. They would expect her to jump when they snapped their fingers, rather than being grateful she was willing to allow them frequent access to her talents.

She walked down the street draped in a long jacket. Since she was not working she didn't have on her fighting clothing, but rather a rose-colored cheongsam, which for some reason made stupid men think she was a hooker. She usually gave their balls a hard squeeze and they left her alone, mostly because they were curled up in a fetal position on the ground. As though she would deign to have sex with a Japanese.

As she was lost in thought, a whistle came from the roof of a three-story apartment building across the street. She looked up and saw a woman in a revealing red, skin-tight outfit that revealed a lot of flesh, and a red bandanna. That was clearly a working outfit.

The woman darted back out of sight, but it was long enough for Razorblade to recognize Elektra. The Hand had a considerable bounty on her head. Very considerable. Razorblade's money problems were about to disappear, along with the head adorning Elektra's shoulders.

Naturally, it was some sort of trap. It was also unlikely it was of the fatal variety or else Elektra would have launched a sneak attack rather than tipping Razorblade to her presence. But traps were always for the benefit of the ambushers, regardless of reason. They could also be turned on the ambushers, which the assassin intended to do. She'd make the trap intended for her a fatal one for the rival assassin, if she had her way about it.

The easiest egress was the fire escape leading to the roof, which was why Razorblade went up to the front door of the building. When she tried the door, it was unlocked. Curious, but perhaps it was the way Elektra had entered. Or a path to be followed. Or they experienced break-ins on a regular basis and it had been broken before the trap was set up. In any case Razorblade rushed inside and located the stairway leading up. She took the stairs three at a time, to the third floor. Rather than taking it the rest of the way to the roof, she exited onto the third floor and located a window at the end of the hall, the one that led to the fire escape.

By now Elektra would assume Razorblade would appear through the roof access on the stairs, which was why she'd be using the fire escape the rest of the way. But first she removed her jacket and pulled out the twin kukri knives she had concealed in it. Just because she wasn't on a job didn't mean she was stupid enough to go around unarmed.

She held one blade in her teeth and the other in her hand as she opened the window and darted onto the fire escape. She ran up and just as she got to the top, she opted for an acrobatic leap to the side, so she wasn't in a straight line from the top of the steps. As she landed she saw Elektra waiting for her, a pair of sai in her hands. So, she had correctly anticipated everything. Ultimately of no consequence. It wouldn't save her life or keep Razorblade from collecting the bounty.

Razorblade removed the kukri in her teeth so she was dual wielding as well. "So what brings you out of hiding?"

"Here's what's going to happen," Elektra said. "I'm going to defeat you and hurt you quite badly. I will then ask a number of questions to which I know some of the answers. If you lie, I will remove important body parts from you."

Razorblade smiled. "You're assuming you're going to win."

"There's no point in making plans for the future that don't involve me winning since I'll be dead if I lose."

Razorblade wasted no more words. There was money to be made. She swung for fatal blows, not bothering to feel out her opponent. Elektra had been an Assassin Prime of the Hand, and they had failed to kill her. She was incredibly dangerous so an all-out attack using all of her prowess was Razorblade's best option.

Elektra dodged all of the attacks. She made it look easy, frighteningly so, but a lot of it might have been an act. Psychological warfare which Razorblade refused to give in to. She stepped up her attacks using all the speed and force at her disposal. She thought her blows were coming closer, but still she hadn't drawn blood. This was becoming not good. She tried suckering Elektra in by faking an opening, but either the Hand's former killer didn't see it or knew what it was. Again Razorblade tried to bait her in, but no joy.

Then she finally made a legitimate mistake, which Elektra discerned correctly as a kick met the Taiwanese fighter in the gut. One blow was all it took to knock her off balance enough that the hilt of a sai smashed into her face, breaking the cheekbone. Razorblade went for a slash at the head, but Elektra ducked under it and buried her sai to the hilt in the shoulder, making Razorblade cry out in pain and drop the weapon. She was still reeling when the second sai went into the other shoulder producing the same results. Elektra withdrew both bloody weapons from their human sheath and backed off.

Razorblade found both arms non-functional, and the holes allowed for a lot of blood to leak out, especially because she couldn't apply direct pressure to either wound. No arteries were cut, but this wasn't good. She needed expert medical attention soon.

Pride made Razorblade remain on her feet despite the agony. "You win."

"I hadn't noticed," Elektra said. "Now for the questions, and I'll let you know the first lie will result in me stabbing you through the nipple and seeing if my sai are longer than your tits and can hit something vital in your chest."

Razorblade had a sizeable chest, but wagered the weapons were longer. "What is it? And hurry up. I need help." And she wasn't going to lie. True, she was a professional, but she wasn't going to refuse turning on a client if her life was on the line. And she wasn't concerned if Elektra was going to kill her afterward since she could do nothing to stop that outcome if that was what the Assassin Prime had planned.

"You were in Japan when Ayako Hamada was killed. Who hired you for the job?"

It took her a moment to remember the name and attach the face to it. "I was contracted through Erik Slaughter in New York. I was sent in as back up to the Split Second Squad, who botched the hit."

"And Abe Kosaka?"

Razorblade laughed. Under different circumstances, with someone less homicidal, she'd be bargaining with the piece of information. But this was not a woman whom you played games with, since the stakes were always life and death with her. "I was personally contacted by Councilwoman Juna Ariyoshi."

Elektra made a shown of spinning one of her sai in her hand. "A bold claim. One which you'd better be able to prove, or your life is forfeit."

"Hey, when someone that important shows up on your doorstep wanting you to make a hit, you damn well get some leverage to go with it. I recorded the conversation. Since she paid in cash, I even kept some of the money with her prints on them. Just in case."

"It's a good thing you did, because it just saved your life. Now here's what you're going to do. I'm going to call for medical assistance for you, as well as the police. You are going to confess to the murder you did for her and offer the proof. I don't care what deal you cut, as long as you tell everything. Now if you think once you're in police custody, or prison, you'll be safe and renege on the deal, recall that I was a member of the Hand. Prison cells just save the problem of locating you and prevent you from escaping." She made a dramatic gesture of crossing her sai in front of her face, which on an intellectual level Razorblade realized was meant to be intimidating. It worked.

"I'd rather spill my metaphorical guts than the real ones." Confessing to an assassination was going to be a problem, but nowhere near as fatal as the one Elektra was promising her. And there was one last thing she could do to get revenge.

Elektra hadn't sworn her to secrecy about her continued existence. Once she made her confession, Razorblade would see to it word was passed along the criminal grapevine that Elektra had surfaced and was active again. Given the contract out for her, she'd have to dig quick and deep before everyone who wanted that money tried gunning for her again.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

She was alone.

Juna realized it in hindsight. They bushwhacked her, something that shouldn't have been possible given her government connections. Someone should have tipped her off that warrants were out for her arrest and the police were coming for her. It was a testament to how dire her situation was. No one had informed her because they had nothing to gain from someone who had nothing to offer in exchange. They knew she was finished, and no one sided with a loser if they still wanted to play in the game.

She had been in her office when they came for her with their warrants and handcuffs. They dared treat her like some kind of criminal as she was arrested and escorted to a police van. And so it was her illustrious career in politics had come to a halt. It wasn't her fault: it was all the short-sighted fools more concerned with how they appeared and went about things rather than looking at the end results. She knew she had to be the one who saved everyone. She was the once in a lifetime leader who saw where the problems were in society, knew what to do to correct them, and had the will to see things through no matter how messy it got. Without her it would all end in chaos as the incompetent fools continued ruining things with their outdated ideology and refusal to accept the modern-day standards of what was truly right and wrong.

It shouldn't matter what she had done, since it was for the greater good of all. She was guilty of nothing morally, only factually, but what did facts matter versus doing what was right? Ayako and Abe would have taken her down when she needed to rise up. They would have damned everyone to hell, and she had saved society by continuing to do what needed to be done.

But sadly, the masses were stupid and didn't understand the truth. All they had to do was what they were told, and they couldn't manage even that. They were casting her aside, and all would be lost. These fools were like her version of climate deniers. It had been explained to everyone why they needed saved and she was the one to do it, but they denied the facts before their eyes, and now everyone would pay the price.

They'd see. Someday, when it all fell apart they'd turn to her, release her and put her in charge of everything. Just as they should have done from the start.

She just hoped they came to their senses before it was too late.

This wasn't over yet.

Xxxxxx

[Writers notes]

It's over for her, in case you were wondering. She's not becoming a super villain and her political career is over.

So that was the last of the 'Big Three' the Avenger have been dealing with since the start or middle of the story. And thus the only thing left, at least for now, is dropping in on a few of the dangling plot threads I left hanging.