World's Finest
By Andrew J. Talon
DISCLAIMER: None of the animes or comics or anything in them mentioned in this story are my property. They are the property of their respective creators. I only claim ownership of the story itself. I am not writing this for profit.
A/N: Chapter 5. Finally.
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Sakaki sighed, adjusting the strap of her schoolbag.
"Hey Sakaki! Hey!"
She bit back a sigh, and turned around. Kagura waved happily, dodging through a few groups of departing students.
"Hey, want to walk home together?" She asked eagerly. Sakaki shook her head.
"Sorry, I can't."
Kagura frowned.
"You know, you've been acting really weird lately. Why are you always going off and disappearing anyway?"
Sakaki stood silent, merely looking at her friend. Kagura smiled encouragingly.
"Aw, c'mon! You can tell me! Seriously, I-"
"Kagura." Both girls turned to the newcomer.
"Coach!" Kagura said happily.
"Miss Kurosawa," Sakaki greeted with a nod. Minamo Kurosawa, aka "Nyamo", smiled at her two students.
"I've been coaching Sakaki, after school in martial arts."
"What? No way! Sakaki, since when do you participate in sports?" Kagura asked eagerly. "So, can you fight and kick ass now?"
"Well, I," Sakaki began, but Nyamo came around and put a hand on her shoulder. Sakaki looked questioningly at her teacher, who just continued to smile.
"I'm afraid we need to go, Kagura. We've got a lot of training to do."
Kagura frowned.
"Er, coach? Sure I can't get in on this martial arts tournament thing? I mean, I'm fit right? I'm strong!" She said happily. Nyamo shook her head.
"Sorry Kagura… Maybe later," she said. Kagura looked imploringly at Sakaki, but the tall girl just shook her head. Kagura nodded.
"Yeah, well… I've got homework to do anyway," she said. She smiled at Sakaki. "See you later! You too, Coach."
With that, she turned and headed out, as Sakaki and Nyamo headed, not for the school gym, but for the small park nearby.
"I'm sorry," Nyamo said after a while. Sakaki frowned at her teacher.
"For?"
"All this, I suppose," she laughed. Sakaki's frown deepened as they entered a familiar grove of trees.
"You didn't do anything," Sakaki murmured.
"No, of course she didn't!" Chirped an old woman's voice. Both Nyamo and Sakaki turned to see the small crone pogo her way up to them, a smile on her wrinkled face.
"Sakaki, ready to begin? Because if you're not, oh well!"
Nyamo moved away, just before the old crone leapt forward at speeds impossible for an Olympic athlete, much less an ancient lady. Sakaki frowned and shifted flawlessly into a fighting stance, blocking the woman's first blow with ease. She dropped down, throwing a punch at the crone's stomach, but she easily bounced off the strike, her wooden staff twirling and slamming into Sakaki's face.
"UGH!" The tall girl grunted, head jerking back from the blow but nothing more. She grabbed the crone's staff and used it to throw her into a tree, the woman grunting as she slammed into the trunk.
"Hm, not bad! Try this!" The old lady challenged, leaping at Sakaki with staff twirling like a buzzsaw blade. Sakaki sidestepped the strike but was unprepared for the woman rebounding off another tree, fist aimed for her head.
She recalled what one of the crone's earlier lessons had been, and focused.
Hera, give me strength… Mercury, your speed-!
Sakaki blurred and trapped the woman's tiny but powerful fist with one arm, while bringing her wrinkled face into her prepared open palm.
CRACK! The little old woman flew back, slamming against the tree hard enough to make it snap. Sakaki breathed hard, utterly focused and prepared for a counter attack.
The little old lady's head popped out from the debris, a smile on her face.
"Wooo! I haven't been hit like that for a century!" She pogo'd over to Nyamo, who had been watching from what some might say an unsafe distance. The gym teacher just smirked.
"So, Cologne-obaachan… That impress you?"
The Amazon elder frowned, and bounced nearer to Sakaki, who flushed under the nose-to-nose scrutiny.
"Hmmm… Brave, strong, true… Bit shy, but caution is a mark of wisdom," Cologne hummed. She nodded eagerly.
"Yes! I believe this will qualify her… Though we really should have inducted her into the tribe in China." Cologne sighed. Nyamo glared, walking up to offer emotional support to her student.
"You came in here and demanded she abandon her friends and family!" Kurosawa seethed. Cologne snorted.
"And you could have handled Artemis's chosen on your own?" She sneered. Sakaki's eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
"She has been training me, non-stop, for the past month," the tall girl said flatly. "Without your help."
Cologne cringed. Though she herself was powerful, she had not been given the blessing of the gods. Even the small tribe of Amazons who had settled in China, far from Themiscrya, had been watched over by the old pantheon. And with their full might…
Well, she might be able to defeat Sakaki, but she'd likely die in the process. She cleared her throat.
"Sakaki, you have to understand… Your grandmother wedded an outsider, abandoned her tribe, and came here. Because of that, you still fall under Amazon law."
"Which, of course, supersedes anyone else's laws, right?" Nyamo asked pointedly. Cologne sniffed.
"Man's World's laws do not truly apply to our kind. Sakaki here has the gifts of flight, speed, strength, virtual invulnerability… She is a virtual demi-goddess. She is meant to be the champion of Artemis, defender of justice in a world without it."
"It has justice," Sakaki said quietly. "There are laws, good people, and Superman-"
"A man? Hmph. Let me let you in on a little secret, dear," Cologne grunted. "Men are only good when they're under your gaze or whip."
Sakaki's eyes narrowed just a bit more.
"My father was badly injured when your granddaughter attacked my home," Sakaki said, quiet anger in her voice. Cologne stepped back, ancient instincts alerting her that this tall, beautiful girl was shy for only so far.
"I can't help that. She has challenged you. She does not feel you are fit to be Artemis's chosen." Cologne shrugged.
"Usually it is decided by tournament, to find out who is the strongest in the village. My granddaughter won that… Technically," she added to herself. Ranma, given his dual nature as a boy and girl, might also claim the right to be the Champion of Artemis… But she doubted he'd consent to it.
Hmph, foolish boy…
"You can make her stop, can't you?" Nyamo demanded. Cologne sighed.
"No, I cannot. It is Amazon Law-"
"Yeah, I'm becoming more enamored with it by the second," Nyamo sneered. Cologne scowled at the gym teacher, releasing some of her chi energy into the air. Kurosawa grimaced, but stood her ground.
"Hmmm… You would have made a good Amazon, Minamo," Cologne commented. She sighed, and produced a box from her robes that looked far too big for her to have concealed. She handed it over to Sakaki, who reached out to take it… Before Nyamo stepped in front of her.
"What's this?" Kurosawa demanded. Cologne rolled her eyes.
"It's the vestments of Artemis's Chosen," Cologne stated, opening the box and showing the contents to the two younger women.
"The tiara protects your identity, by causing anyone who sees you to not know who you are, even close friends."
"Magic?" Asked Nyamo.
"In a sense," Cologne conceded. "The corset and shorts will grant you even greater protection from harm, the boots ensure sure-footedness… You already know how to use the gauntlets," the crone chuckled, as Sakaki pulled on the sleeve of her school uniform self-consciously.
"And, of course," Cologne fished out the last item from the box, holding it before them. "The lasso… Unbreakable, responds to your will, and makes anyone bound by it compelled to tell the truth."
"What good will that do?" Nyamo asked flatly, though in her mind she was entertaining the notion of asking Sakaki to borrow it for use on Yukari. An evil grin appeared on her face.
Revenge would be mine at last, ahahahahahaa!
"Well, if you are to be an Amazon, be an Amazon!" Cologne exclaimed. "Fight evil, protect the innocent. In other words, you're our PR spokeswoman! So don't mess it up!"
Cologne turned and bounced away with a laugh, leaving Sakaki and Nyamo to look over the box's contents with increasingly wide eyes.
"Er, Miss Kurosawa?"
"Yes Sakaki?"
"Must it really be so… Revealing?"
"AIYAH! STUPID OUTSIDER DIE! SHAMPOO TAKE THOSE!"
Sakaki responded instinctively, the lasso in her hands thrown out, snaring the charging, buxom Amazon. Sakaki grunted and tugged upwards, yanking the purple-haired girl into the air. Sakaki tugged again, leaning forward, and slammed Shampoo into the ground.
"GAH!"
THUD!
"Ohhhh…" Shampoo groaned, getting to her feet and shaking her head. She glared at Sakaki and brought out her bonbori.
"Stupid outsider ready to fight Shampoo? Or must Shampoo-ERK!"
Shampoo's eyes bugged out in shock as Sakaki seemed to blur, her hands now gripping her throat. Sakaki lifted Shampoo up, and the Amazon shivered to see the cold fury in her eyes.
"If you want to fight me, leave my friends and family out of it," she said flatly. "Understand?"
Shampoo gagged as Sakaki continued to glare. Nyamo coughed.
"Uh, Sakaki, I don't think she can talk… Or breathe…"
"Oh, sorry," Sakaki said, and tossed Shampoo back onto the ground. Normally Sakaki would be concerned for the girl, but now…
"Guh… Shampoo… Stupid outsider! Give Shampoo box!" Shampoo demanded. Sakaki glared.
"No."
"Shampoo say give box! Stupid outsider not deserve! Shampoo deserve!" The purple haired girl screeched. "Shampoo win fight! Shampoo not of shameful family! Shampoo not weak like outsider! Shampoo not have weak family for-!"
POW!
Nyamo gaped and shielded her eyes. Sakaki grimaced, rubbing her knuckles.
"Woah… Sakaki… Remind me never to get you angry," Kurosawa commented. "Damn, she's flying far!"
Sakaki turned and shook her head, eyes wide.
"N-No, Miss Kurosawa, I would never… I would never hurt you," Sakaki swore. Nyamo was about to (jokingly) refer to how Sakaki had accidentally hurt her all those times during the last month's training… But at the sorrowful look on the girl's face, the gym teacher just smiled, and moved forward to hug her.
"I know… It's okay," Nyamo said. Sakaki nodded, and took a deep breath. She looked at the lasso in her hands, felt it's power flowing through it. She looked up into Kurosawa's face.
"So… Um… What should I do now?"
"Well… You could always find another costumed… Person, and ask them?" Nyamo suggested. She grinned.
"Superman, maybe?"
Sakaki blushed, but nodded.
Back in Nerima…
"Ohhhh… Shampoo have… Headache in whole body," the Amazon groaned, lying in a fair-sized crater near the Tendo dojo.
Nearby, one Ranma Saotome just gaped at the sight.
"Shampoo! You okay?" He called out, leaping over and focusing his ki senses. She looked all right to him…
"Airen… Shampoo have new rival…" She moaned. Ranma blinked.
"Er, well… Where did you meet her?"
"Other… Side of town…" She groaned.
"Other-?! Holy… Damn, what kind of martial arts is she using?!"
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Yuichiro Kumada swept the terrace, even strokes sending dust and leaves tumbling across the stones. A small smile emerged on his face as he looked up.
"Rei, you're looking well," he complimented. The raven-haired girl sighed, stretching her arms over her head.
"Flattery will get you nothing today," she grumbled. Yuichiro held his hands up with an easy grin.
"Hey, take it easy," he said. He shook his head as Rei snorted and stalked off.
Darnit, he ran off! And that Bat-bitch, who the hell does she think she is? Where does she get off-!
Yuichiro winced. Rei's thoughts were very much like the flames she wielded-Dancing and wild. Truth be told, he loved those thoughts as he loved her. They were familiar, comforting.
No, don't, he told himself, but it couldn't be helped. Red sandstorms, swirling and hurtling through the canyons at such speeds he could barely keep control of his-
Stop it. He took a deep breath, and re-centered his thoughts.
Never was too good at that exercise, he thought miserably, shaking his head. He frowned as he heard some new thoughts, just out of his range.
-damn them, damn them they'll pay they'll PAY THEY'LL PAY-!
"AUGH!" Yuichiro screamed, falling to his knees. Rei was soon at his side, eyes wide. Her confusion and concern washed over him, which helped center him…
"W-W-WHAT THE-?!"
Why is he green?! What is he changing into?! Is he a-?!
"Uh, this… Is going to… Please stop screaming," he sighed, and held up a hand, gently extending his powers over her mind and making her stop screaming. Her frightened eyes were difficult to look into, but he managed.
"Okay, you know Superman? He's an alien? Me too. Just… Green."
"…" Rei responded with a gaping mouth. Yuichiro sighed.
"Oh, right, your mouth… I'm a telepath, sorry about that… Again… And the whole thing…"
"Awww, that's sweet," crooned a female voice above him. Yuichiro looked up and glared.
"You!" He extended his mind to attack that of the intruder's, but a massive will was behind it. Oh, and that energy blast didn't help either.
"GAH!" He screamed, being blasted back through the thin walls of the temple. Yuichiro focused his density to bring himself to a stop, looking up with gritted teeth. The woman smirked at him, shaking her wild white man of hair. She grabbed Rei, who was frantically attempting to free herself from the woman's grasp.
"Let her go!" Yuichiro snarled.
"Oh, is the Martian a bit attached to the human? You sure can pick 'em. The princess who enslaved and exterminated your people," she taunted. Rei's eyes widened further. Yuichiro's glowed orange.
"That is not how it happened, and even if it did, she is not the same person."
The woman laughed.
"Oh, we'll see," she sneered, before vanishing, Rei still gawking in disbelief at the boy she had thought powerless and normal, now tall, green, still retaining his shaggy hair but now partially covering glowing orange eyes.
"What is all-AGH!" Yuichiro turned, knowing the mind and appearance of Rei's grandfather easily. He was trembling in fear now, and he did imagine his true appearance was not… Attractive, by human standards.
"I have to go," he said, and flew off at full speed.
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If you were expecting any of that… You must be psychic. In which case, you are awesome. As always, please review.
Next time: Kitsune gets on with her assignment (for real this time), while Superman and Batwoman help the Sailor Senshi against the one who 'kidnapped' Sailor Mars…