TRTSS35: Journey to the Savage Land! – By DS Wynne
Disclaimer: R1/2, SM, ST, the DBU and other properties belong to their respective owners.
Note: This is a multi-genre "two-part" story has been extended to a third chapter.
Special Note: This takes place in present time.
Author's Note: C&C are welcomed.
Part 3
Meanwhile, at a Sakaaran village, the Warbound are greeted as heroes, including She-Hulkma.
"Oh, Red Princess!" said a Sakaaran girl, as she and a bunch of other children comes running up to She-Hulkma. "You're here!"
"You're our favorite heroine!" said a young boy.
"Now, now," Elloe said, as she began to sign hand-made dolls of her likeness, along with the other Warbound, while noticing She-Hulkma's look of mild irritation. She knew that She-Hulkma hated the fact that she couldn't be a hero…as her true self.
"A hero is a hero no matter the guise."
She-Hulkma sighed, as she accepted the doll to sign. Back when she was stuck on Sakaara, fighting the forces of the Red King, She-Hulkma maintained her girl form long after figuring out how to undo the curse-lock that had been placed on her by Dr. Stephen Strange, the most recent "Sorcerer Supreme" of Earth. It was ironic that She-Hulkma would later be Strange's replacement…
"So, who is She-Hulkma making this out to?" She-Hulkma said with a pleasant smile. At the very least, she could enjoy the adulation that was garnered from her exploits on Sakaara…
"Was it true that you fought the warlord Axeman Bone, Red Princess?" asked the girl. "And won?"
"It's true," She-Hulkma said, as she signed the doll. "And man, was Axeman Bone tough."
"Really?"
"Really. Besides, She-Hulkma likes it like that."
"But why?" asked a boy.
"If a victory is too easy, then She-Hulkma cannot learn to be a better warrior."
"Wow…"
"And remember this: learn from your surroundings," She-Hulkma said, as she hands back the doll of herself to the child. "That's how warrior doesn't get caught by surprise…"
The rest of the day was spent fixing up the village to hold more refugees, followed by a feast for the honor of the Warbound. The night ends with the Warbound trading stories of their exploits, followed by discussing ways to find out what had caused the demise of the nearby village…
"I still say we should hunt for the culprits now," Hulk said, as he sipped his hot drink.
"In your condition, Banner?" Ka-Zar replied. "According to Usagi, you still need time to heal."
"She doesn't know what she is talking about half the time," the Hulk scoffed.
"Bruce, you asked me along in a support capacity," Hulkusagi said. "And Ranma and I risk being stuck in our gamma-forms for you by going on this trip in the first place."
"Hulkusagi is right, Hulk," She-Hulkma said. "Don't want to be like this; talk like bimbo too much."
"Well, I think it's kind of cute myself," Elloe said with a chuckle, as she gets up from her seat. "I'm going to check in on the kids, dear, so please behave in my absence."
She-Hulkma waves her hand dismissively, as Elloe left her side. She was tempted to revert back to her male guise, but had to maintain the pretense of being the Red Princess for the sake of the Warbound and the Sakarrans.
"We should make sure to rotate guarding the parameter," said Hiroim, as he gets up.
"And I and No-Name will assist," Korg said, as he joined his lover-comrade.
"And I'll make sure that those two will actually guard the parameter," No-Name said with a smirk.
"Get some rest guys," Ka-Zar said, as he rolls out his bedroll with Zabu already sleeping. "It's going to be a long day."
"Well, at least it's warm out tonight," She-Hulkma said, as she finds a spot on the ground to sleep on.
"Yeah," She-Hulkma said, as she finds her own spot. "Reminds She-Hulkma of time when She-Hulkma went of training journey as kid with Pops."
"You don't say…"
And so, everyone turns in for the night, not knowing that they were betrayed by the Red Elder and his acolytes to Miek the Un-Hive and his growing tribe, thanks to a nerve toxins provided by Miek.
"You better be right, elder," said one of the Sakaarans, as giant bugs picked up the sleeping bodies of the Hulk and the Hulkusagi, and carried them off into the night.
"It is better this way," said the Red Elder. "Our people did Miek's people wrong, when we waged war on the Warbound. Adjusting the cosmic scales will set things right…with honor."
The next day…
"Uhhhhh," She-Hulkma said, as she woke up with a hang-over. "What happened-?"
As if on cue, multiple mini-missiles impacted the ground, releasing what appeared to be nerve agents.
"Hurry!" Ka-Zar yelled, as the center ground was being filled with gas. "Get the civilians to safety-!"
"Ranma!" Elloe yelled. "We're under attack!"
"Elloe think?" She-Hulkma said. "Where are children?"
Some of the villagers took them to safety, to another village," Elloe said. "Ranma, who are these guys?"
She-Hulkma turned to see a squad of mechanized power-armor known as "Amp Suits" on approach from a hovering drop ship. She recognized their design…and origin.
"What are they doing here-?"
"THIS IS GENERAL NORIKO TENAKA OF THE JAPANESE SELF-DEFENSE FORCE'S SPECIAL TACTICAL UNIT," said the lead amp suit. "WE HAVE NO QUARREL WITH YOU ALIENS OF SAKAARA, BUT WE WANT YOU TO HAND OVER THE ENTITIES KNOWN AS THE HULKUSAGI AND THE HULKMA."
"Ranma, why would they want you and Usagi?" Ka-Zar asked, as he gets out a weird-looking whistle from his pouch.
"I have no idea, but I do know of General Tenaka and her task force."
"What do you know about her, brother?" Korg asked.
"Basically, her job is to contain monsters."
"Like us," No-Name said.
"No, more like YOU, bug," She-Hulkma said.
Pause.
"Wait, where's the Hulk and Hulkusagi?"
"We don't know," said Skaar, who was now in his full hulk form.
"We thought that maybe these guys had something to do with it, little human," No-Name said.
"She-Hulkma doubts it, but whatever," She-Hulkma said, as she, green-skinned Gammazon, becomes gray-skinned 'Hulkma'. Ranma disliked his Hulkma form due to the fact that he thought that being "muscle-bound" hampered his ability to use his martial arts training effectively. At least with the Gammazon guise, it was a lot more nimble, something he preferred…
"But if these guys want 'Hulkma', then I'll oblige them," Hulkma said, as he cracked his knuckles. "The rest of you: make sure that the others are protected."
"Husband, are you sure?" Elloe asked.
"Yes, we are 'Warbound', after all," Hiroim said. "We should stand by your side."
"I understand, Brother Hiroim," Hulkma said. "However, with Bruce and Usagi missing, and with the village in need for protection, I can handle this myself."
"Understood," Hiroim said with a nod. He then turns towards Ka-Zar.
"Are you ready, Lord Ka-Zar?"
"Right," Ka-Zar said, as he slings his gear over his shoulder. He then hops onto his sabretooth tiger Zabu. "Let's go!"
With a roar, Zabu follows the trail of fleeing villagers, with the Warbound right behind him.
"Good luck, brother," Korg said, as the Stoneman followed the other members of the Warbound.
"Ranma, take care," Elloe said, as she gave Hulkma a kiss on the cheek, before breaking away from her beloved.
"Humph," Hulma said, as he returned his attention towards the Special Tactical Unit's armored squad. He then clapped his hands together so hard that the gas was immediately dispersed.
"What?" General Tenaka said, as she and her squad adjusted their Amp Suits' individual stabilizers. When the gas cleared she could see a handsome, hulking, gray-skinned Japanese young man who stood proud at over seven feet tall.
"You…must be the 'Hulkma'," Tenaka said.
"I am," Hulkma said, with a cocky grin. "And I hear that you are looking for me…?"
Meanwhile, in an abandoned temple of the Beast Men…
"Ahhhh!" Hulkusagi screamed, as she notices that her flesh was shifting. She could feel the larvae that Miek had implanted into her body were moving about, trying to consume her flesh.
"Scream all you like, fleshling!" Miek snorted, as he loomed over her. "My toxins are more than enough to keep you from breaking free from your bonds.
Hulkusagi tried to move her muscles, only to notice how tired and weak she was. She then noticed that the Hulk was under the same predicament, as larvae were moving about under his flesh. In fact, over a dozen Skaarans were in the same predicament.
"Help, us," said the nearest Sakaaran, as his flesh moved.
"Why are you doing this to us?" Hulkusagi asked.
"Simple: I want to restore my race," Miek said, as he cackled. He looked like a cross between a giant and a beetle.
"Unfortunately, for you, I need females, and you have the right bio-chemical structure to create queens…"
Miek goes over to Hulkusagi and bare down on her.
"And after that, you will have the honor of becoming the main course for our feast, fleshling."
"What have done to you to warrant such a thing?" Hulkusagi asked.
"You ate me in my previous form, that's what."
"But you betrayed the Warbound! I couldn't let you get away with it! And besides, you looked delicious…"
Pause.
"But…how did you survive?"
"My species is quite resilient," Miek said. "I was not entirely digested when I woke up in the sewers. There were enough spores that survived your digestive system to hatch another me."
Hulkusagi made a face at the thought of what Miek was implying…
"Afterwards, after regaining sentience, I came here to enact my revenge, first by using the Sakaarans to re-create my race, and then against the Hulk and the Warbound. I knew that sooner or later, I would get my revenge on you."
Miek backs up.
"And now, I will."
"The others won't let you get away with it, especially my Ranma and Bruce!"
"And that is why I will deal with the Warbound personally," Miek said, as he backs away. "My insect friends will make sure of it."
With that, Miek and his army of bugs, great and small, tiny and monstrous, march out of the cavernous to deal with the Warbound. As soon as Miek and his army were gone, Hulkusagi turned her attention towards her predicament.
"Okay, I can't consciously move, but Miek never said anything about an autonomic response," Hulkusagi said. She then thought about what would generate an autonomic response that would not require conscious thought…
"Oh!" Hulkusagi said in surprise, before blushing furiously. "Of course, that would do the trick, I think…"
Hulkusagi then thought about her various romantic encounters with her husband before she ended up working herself up into a crescendo and a release…of sorts.
"Oh!" Hulkusagi yelled in delight, as she instinctively flexed her muscles, breaking the bonds that held her in place. She calmed down a bit, allowing her adrenaline to flush out the toxins in her system. While still on a high of sorts, Hulkusagi grits, and uses her sharp finger nails to pierce her flesh, before removing the larvae underneath. She was confident that her high regenerative abilities will lessen the pain a bit, and quickly…
"I got…I got to find the others," Hulkusagi said tiredly, as she tossed the last larvae from her body. "They need to know what has happened…"
Just as Hulkusagi was about to leave, she sees the Hulk and the others lying there on slabs of stone, also in the same predicament as she had been.
"Oh, dear," Hulkusagi said, as she resigned to the notion of using her same method of freeing herself on the others. "I hope Ranma is going to be understanding about this…"
Meanwhile, Hulkma takes on more ammunition for the Amp Suits, as he punches the ground. He wasn't going to harm the STU, but he couldn't allow them to take him in.
"GRRAARGH!" Hulkma roared, as he took a trunk from a tree, and used it as a baseball bat of sorts. He knocks one Amp Suit away, and then throws the trunk into another Amp Suit, knocking it down as well.
Two Amp Suit pilots raise their arms to aim their limb's weapons gauntlets at Hulkma, before discharging their weapons fire.
"Grrrr!" Hulkma growled, as he shielded his eyes from the rounds. Problem with being a hulk is that the enhanced body taxes the mind, so he can't remember all the techniques at his disposal. Still, he had enough of his intelligence at his disposal to figure out the geometric lines of the Earth, to perform a simple "Earth Bending" trick.
"Hurrrr!" Hulkma roared, as he slammed his foot unto the ground, causing solid rocks to jut up quickly enough to topple the mechanical suits of armor. Hulkma then slammed his massive fists unto the ground, causing the Earth to split apart just enough to for his immediate opponents to be stuck into the ground part way.
"Time to focus on the leader," Hulkma said to himself, until he spots his target.
Meanwhile, Tenaka was reassessing the situation. So far, there wasn't any serious damage to her equipment or people-
"GRRAARGH!" Hulkma roared, as he tackled Tenaka's Amp Suit.
"Captain Ohara!" Tenaka yelled in her secured comlink. "Torch this guy!"
"But ma'am-!"
"Just do it! These suits can take the heat!"
"Yes, ma'am!" Captain Ohara replied. "You heard her, men! Pour on the heat!"
With that, the STU Mobile Suit Squad activates their flame thrower in unison, and created an effect that was as hot as the sun.
"Ow!" Hulkma said, as he embraced the heat. He then decided to utilize the "Soul Ice Technique" before employing a modification of the Dragon Rising to disperse the flames and the offending soldiers away with a widening tornado effect.
"GRRARRGH!" Hulkma roared, as he pressed an emergency escape release, forcing Tenaka out of her power armor.
"Oof!" Tenaka said, as she spilled over, ignoring the heated ground. She then turns towards Hulkma, who loomed over her…minus clothes.
"Oh, my," Tenaka said, as she scanned her opponent's body.
"Grrrrrr," Hulkma growled. "Why are you attacking me?"
"You…you can speak?" Tenaka said in surprise.
"Why wouldn't I?" Hulkma said. "By the way, I'm not going to harm you."
"You're not?"
"No!"
"But, your present state…"
"What?" Hulkma replied while he looked down to realize that he was nude. "Oh, geez…"
"If…if you're going to claim me as your prize, monster, then…then be gentle."
"Oh, stop it. That is SUCH a stereotype of our people, that it sounds ridiculous. Not every 'monster' is some pervert, you know. When I'm not like this, I happen to be a teacher in physical education at one of our prestigious universities back at home."
"Which one?"
"I'm not telling you, General Tenaka. I don't want to get fired from my job and stuff."
"I understand, but I have my orders."
"Which are…?"
"Why should I tell you anything, if you don't want to tell me about yourself? And besides, my original target is your mate, the Hulkusagi."
"Figures," Hulkma said, as he rolled his eyes. "Look, whatever antics my wife has caused between her and the Abominatrix, the Phoenix Foundation covers the cost of clean."
"I heard of this…special fund of theirs," Tenaka said, as she gets up. "But…why are you like this, and why are you here?"
"You tell me why you are here after me and my wife," Hulkma said, as he folds his arms. "You know, a trade."
"I will, if you put something on," Tenaka said, as she tries to look away. "You are…a bit intimidating, you know."
"Ah, agreed," Hulkma said with a smirk. "No one can withstand my awesomeness."
"And cocky, too."
"Huh?" Hulkma said, as he looks down at himself.
"I'm talking about your ego, monster."
"Ah, I see…"
Meanwhile, Miek and his swarm tracks down the Warbound, and engage in combat.
"What have you done to my father?" Skaar said, as he uses his sword to slice off one of Miek's limbs.
"He will serve as food for my kin, spawn of Hulk," Miek said, as he punches Skaar away. "Face it, you and the Warbound are finished-!"
"Not if we can help it!" yelled a voice from above.
Coming off of a giant leap were Hulkusagi and the Hulk.
"GRRRAARGH!" the Hulk roared, as he tackled Miek with a thunderous roar.
"Brother Hulk has returned!" Korg said, as he bats a giant bug away.
"Usagi, you're okay!" Ka-Zar said, as he stops hacking away at his opponents for a moment.
"Yes," Hulkusagi said with a smile. "Bruce and I managed to escape from Miek's lair, where many more Sakaarans are being used as host for the next generation of Miek's people."
"You see, elder?" Elloe yelled, as she points her spear at the cowering Red Elder. "You make the deal with the devil, and not expect pain and suffering?"
"I only wanted to make amends for our people's sins!" Red Elder said. "Honest-!"
"How did you manage to escape from Miek's lair?" Hirorim asked.
"And why do I sense an increase in hormones from you, little human?" No-Name asked. "Did you just-"
"Er, never mind that!" Hulkusagi said, as she dismisses No-Name words while blushing. "Where's Ranma-?"
"Right here, babe," Hulkma said, as he arrives with the Special Tactical Unit. "And I brought help."
"Cool! Let's go stomp some bugs…"
And with that, the Warbound, their friends and allies turn the tide on Miek the Unhive and his swarm of bugs.
In the end, with Miek's defeat, the Warbound uses Tenaka's resources to help those Sakaarans who had not perished from Miek's gruesome activities. During this time, Tenaka was able to observe the Hulkusagi's attempts to apply emergency methods to help treat Miek's victims…and not the kind she had initially used to free herself from her initial predicament. From this, Tenaka would finalize her report, by saying that although the Hulkusagi is a menace to Japan, her husband, the Hulkma, generally keeps her in line. Furthermore, with the damage done to the last remaining Sakaarans, the Warbound had elected to stay behind with Elloe as the leader of her people. Elloe remain in the Savage Lands with Nodoka with the rest of the Warbound, since these ancient lands reminded them of old Sakaara. As a consolation, and with Ka-Zar's permission, Hulkma made arrangements with Homeworld Security to set up a Stargate in the Savage Lands, so that he and the Hulk, who also chose to return home, leaving Skaar under the care of Korg and the others, could always return to the Savage Lands if need be. So, that was that.
Later, back home in Japan…
"You know, we really don't have to do this," Ranma said, as he and Usagi, with packs on, walk down the road, heading south to Okayama, where Ranma's grandfather lives. At least, he and his wife were back to normal.
"Ranma, it's traditional for us gamma irradiated folks to do this after every adventuring," Usagi said, as she follows behind her man.
"I don't think whistling the 'Lonely Man' song while walking along the side of the road is a tradition that I prefer to embrace, you know," Ranma groused.
"Well, look on the bright side: at least we don't have to let the world think we are dead, until we learn to control the raging spirit that dwells within us," Usagi grins.
"Oh, shut up…"
Fin.