Traitor Game L: Existential Crisis

[Wolvie616]

Dr. Thirteen stared in horror at the conditions in which Arkham's inmates were kept. "Even if they were sane when they were brought here, this place would drive them mad." He shuddered, remembering. "I was confined in a place like this once. They said I was having a psychotic breakdown. It was months before someone realized I was suffering from a misdiagnosed brain tumor."


"Finally! Some good news. Who was it?"

Thor stepped forward.

"My Apologies for the length in which it took me to decipher the location of the final hound. Its' ability to jump from host to host, as well as its' magical protection prevented me from recognizing it's host many a time. Indeed, multiple times I ended up guessing the PREVIOUS host. And considering the manners of murder, many of us could have committed them. However, this time, a sword was used. A sword of exquisite craftsmanship, one that would proudly belong to any Asgardian. Only the most affluent of mortals or the greatest of warriors would have one. And in our time in Gotham, we knew that such a person was indeed in our midst. My friends, I am the final Agent, and the Hound has possessed our ally, The Cat!"

ooc: Vote for The Cat

[Froggy]

"The Agent has chosen to reveal himself and share his choice. Thank you for your service, Thor Odinson. Hummingbird will be glad to hear of your success" she says, smiling favorably at Thor

[The Purple Skull]

Thor stepped forward.

"My Apologies for the length in which it took me to decipher the location of the final hound. Its' ability to jump from host to host, as well as its' magical protection prevented me from recognizing it's host many a time. Indeed, multiple times I ended up guessing the PREVIOUS host. And considering the manners of murder, many of us could have committed them. However, this time, a sword was used. A sword of exquisite craftsmanship, one that would proudly belong to any Asgardian. Only the most affluent of mortals or the greatest of warriors would have one. And in our time in Gotham, we knew that such a person was indeed in our midst. My friends, I am the final Agent, and the Hound has possessed our ally, The Cat!"

ooc: Vote for The Cat

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!



"Uru says yes!

...
...
...

Sorry, my banter file is still processing. Anyway, if the big guy says The Cat is the final Hound, then we follow suit as well. The Superior Iron Man votes for The Cat."

OOC: Vote for The Cat

[Deadpooligan]

Harbinger goes on to explain, "We must again travel to a Gotham City. However, instead of wandering the city, we will be inside Arkham Asylum, a building for the criminally insane. Like Xanadu's shop, this, too, served as the location for a Traitor Game. A few years have passed since then. Within its halls are a few artifacts leftover from that game, as well as numerous items the occupants once employed."

The Monitor chimes in, "Due to the increasing danger, we insist you use the next few hours to rest. We need you at the peak of your performance. We cannot afford a failure like we achieved in the previous Gotham."

She turned to the others. "So what are your stories?"

After the fight against the Kryptonian and the battle against Starro, Thor was on his last legs. He needed to rest so he could be of use. Even in the battle against Starro, his powers were merely a fraction of what they should have been.

"You have my thanks, Harbinger. Truthfully, my stamina was beginning to ebb. This rest is much needed!
Thor sat down next to Ultra Rogue, offering her a smile and a glass of mead.

Ultra-Rogue had been pulled from her recovery just in the nick of time to aid them all against the Starro Swarm, and now for everyone to get a similar respite was all the better.

She clanked glasses with Thor before rising to her feet to tell a story.

THE SECRET ORIGIN OF THE UNCANNY ULTRA ROGUE

"Ah started out on th' wrong side of the fight. Workin' for Mystique an' th' Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. It was a big plan t'free the other members from prison. An' my part started out real easy-- bum rush some fella named 'Mark Milton' working out of the Daily Bugle, figure out what he knew, and use that to infiltrate th' Avengers Squadron.

Mystique said he'd be defenseless, that he wouldn't risk fightin' back for... whatever reason. But she lied, and ah found out too late that ah'd latched on to somethin' ah couldn't handle. Memories, an' strength came rushin' into me, and ah'd never felt anything like it. Ah ambushed him at night, just as he was gettin' out of work. This was no run-a'-th'-mill reporter-- this guy was HYPERION, the strongest dang sonofa in the Avengers Squadron with a temper to match. Strange visitor from another world, champion of another Earth, and ah had 'im in my grasp.

He fought me for ten minutes. The longest ah'd ever held onto anyone. Ah absorbed his powers and personality... permanently... an' I don't even know what woulda happened next if Spider-Man didn't web me up and yank me away. Ah tore through it like tissue paper an' booked it... left Hyperion comatose right there in the street, identity revealed, life ruined."

This was the first time she'd talked about this with anyone that didn't already know the story-- her family in the X-Legion. It was considerably distressing, but she kept going.

"It was with Hyperion's alien power that ah bullied through the Avengers Mansion alone an' took 'em all on. Plantin' a kiss on Cap'n America for half-a-minute, ah knew everything they could throw at me before ah even entered the gate. Not a one of 'em could hurt me. Ah was invulnerable. Hyper-Strong. An' ah only got stronger the more people ah got my hands on."

Rogue glanced at Thor briefly before continuing. Her tone quivered, and she did her best to remain stolid.

"With th' aggregate power a' four or five Avengers, ah'd chucked Wonder Man through a dumpster an' tore Vision in half, but a part of me told me to play it smart. Ah wasn't gonna risk tusslin' with more people my powers couldn't affect, or who might be able t'stop me, like Doc Spectrum. Ah killed two Avengers that day. And ah paid for it big time for a few years. Absorbin' Hyperion almost made me a prisoner in my own body. His persona had such a strong will, it started to overtake mine. Ah'd black out, come to somewhere else... sometimes hundreds of miles away. Eventually Hyperion got too hostile an' the Brotherhood gave up on tryin' to help me. In one a' the few moments ah managed to have control, ah turned to Charles Xavier an' th' X-MEN. Chuck did what he could to repress Hyperion, knowin' too that what ah really wanted was a chance at redemption for the lives ah'd taken in one way or another."

From a different Avengers Annual #10 up through Uncanny X-Men #171.

She tapped her chin, introspectively.

"Though ah felt differently then, now ah don't blame Hyperion for actin' as he did. Fella had survived gettin' everything taken from him, even if it left him fightin' over the body of a teenage girl. An' while my battle with him was a daily struggle, my time with th' X-Men was good. Real good, for a long time... ah made the kinda frienships'd last a lifetime. Ah learned to trust again, ah helped a lot of people, fought the bad guys, an' saved the world.

That is... until th' X-Men fought Master Mold, the biggest dang mutant-killin' Sentinel this gal had ever laid eyes on. Hyperion was in control a'me in the early fightin' that day, an when he got kayoed, ah stepped up. We just couldn't beat it. It adapted to Colossus' strength, Havok's plasma blasts. Even their powers stacked on top a'mine and Psylocke coordinatin' us, we couldn't do it. So Dazzler used this Siege Perilous thing-- a magical wishin' gateway thing ah still don't much understand-- a last restort to try an' stop Master Mold. Ah was the only one standin', so ah went for a sacrifice push, but it wasn't enough. I ended up fallin' in and the Siege collapsed in on itself."

From a slightly different Uncanny X-Men #246-247.

"Now if'n you thought this story was already off the rails crazy, then you ain't heard nuthin'. Ah woke up inside a livin' breathin' alien space whale. An' for the first time ah felt free-- no Hyperion in my head anymore, the psychic songs of the Acanti bringin' me to a kinda spiritual enlightenment ah never thought was possible. But then ah realized the truth, an' it was standin' before me. The Siege split up the personalities in my head, and there was Hyperion, livin' and breathin'. We fought again, and as we did, one of us gained more of our shared life force while the other became more like a corpse. My bond with the Acanti helped turn the tide of a battle ah had every right to lose. But they gave me my life back-- a new one among th' stars."

From a very different Uncanny X-Men #269.

"Anyway, ah later learned that it took damn near every cape in New York to take out Master Mold after ah vanished... an' the X-Men had to use the Siege Perilous again anyway. That thing gave my teammates a new lease on life too, a chance for mutants to finally live in peace in space... ah just happened to be the first. All said, took us a few years t'get the band back together since we got scattered to planets across the galaxy, but when we did, we were reborn as th' X-LEGION. And ah was ULTRA-ROGUE."

She sat back down, almost out of breath.

"And don't you know it, the first time ah meet the Acanti again since they saved me, ah'm gone in a flash a' light savin' the multiverse from a Suicide Squad that makes th' HELLFIRE FIVE look like th' X-Babies.

Dang, that's some yarn, ain't it? Reckon ah should work on an abridged version."

[Cthulhudrew]

Ragestorm harrumphed in the corner. Arms crossed, the behemoth grudgingly tipped his head to the Thunder God.

"'Bout time, Winghead. Guess I'm changin' my vote to the Cat, too."

OOC: Vote change to the Cat!

[Deadpooligan]

"Ain't you been listenin'? Killer tried ta use some kinda sword but it got deflected by th' Guardian." Ragestorm had been silently fuming in the corner, growing increasingly upset with nothing to pummel. As his voice rose, so too did the temperature as his nuclear core heated up.

Mead in hand, Ultra-Rogue pointed at Ragestorm.

"Y'all best simmer down, smokestack. Got power enough to knuckle-nuke Superwoman, but y'coulda dang near killed me too when you knocked me outta the way. Why don't you grab a glass an' a few words?"

As the group arrived in Arkham Asylum, Harbinger materialized in front of them.

"I am here to inform you that the Agent's guess was correct and they have found the last Hound" she told the group. People would notice none of the inmates saw her apparently

Thor stepped forward.

"My Apologies for the length in which it took me to decipher the location of the final hound. Its' ability to jump from host to host, as well as its' magical protection prevented me from recognizing it's host many a time. Indeed, multiple times I ended up guessing the PREVIOUS host. And considering the manners of murder, many of us could have committed them. However, this time, a sword was used. A sword of exquisite craftsmanship, one that would proudly belong to any Asgardian. Only the most affluent of mortals or the greatest of warriors would have one. And in our time in Gotham, we knew that such a person was indeed in our midst. My friends, I am the final Agent, and the Hound has possessed our ally, The Cat!"

She pumped her fist in the air, slight foam sloshing around the top of her glass.

"Well ain't that about the best news ah've heard all day. 'Nother round for the heroes!"

Vote for The Cat!

[Cthulhudrew]

Dang, that's some yarn, ain't it? Reckon ah should work on an abridged version."

A sneer crossed Ragestorm's skull-like features.

"Easy there, toots. Think you're channeling Exposition Boy right now."

Mead in hand, Ultra-Rogue pointed at Ragestorm.

"Y'all best simmer down, smokestack. Got power enough to knuckle-nuke Superwoman, but y'coulda dang near killed me too when you knocked me outta the way. Why don't you grab a glass an' a few words?"

"That's about the best idea I've heard all day." He uncrossed his arms and headed towards the bar. "Think I'll have a Three Mile Island Ice Tea." He chuckled at his own joke, a low, guttural sound.

[Jeremi]

As the votes started to come in the Cat would look around in disbelief. "Preposterous! There is no way I could be a traitor..."

[Anodyne]

As the votes started to come in the Cat would look around in disbelief. "Preposterous! There is no way I could be a traitor..."

"yes, there is," Dr. Thirteen said." It would explain why you've been so eager to rush into action without enough information or strategic planning. It's not your fault; the Hypertime Hounds didn't give their victims a choice about being possessed."

OOC: Vote for The Cat.

[Jeremi]

"yes, there is," Dr. Thirteen said." It would explain why you've been so eager to rush into action without enough information or strategic planning. It's not your fault; the Hypertime Hounds didn't give their victims a choice about being possessed."

OOC: Vote for The Cat.

"...I vote for myself."

[Joe Acro]

An entry from Roy Lincoln's satellite journal

Shortly after we arrived, Harbinger received the Agent's guess and we confirmed his suspicions. The Agent, in turn, revealed himself to the group. Thor informed them all the The Cat housed the last Hound, and everyone voted in kind. We would have to take care of that when we returned to The Monitor's station. In the meantime, we were making our way through Arkham. I used my psychic power to help keep the staff unaware of our presence. We were searching for the Property Room. It housed numerous items taken from the residents themselves. It also included items that had been collected when the authorities were cleaning this place up after a Traitor Game was held there. These items included such things as the Dark Lord Opal's necklace, the Goblet of Hades, and a few individual weapons or clothing items left by the players of that game.

Just as we reached it, we heard a loud crash. Debris flew everywhere as a bright light enveloped the room. After a moment, the light subsided, taking the form of a cape of fire. In front of it, or rather, wearing it was a member of the Suicide Squad: Gorilla Grodd, with the cosmic power of the Phoenix.



"Ah. The Monitor and his precious group of supposed heroes," he said mockingly.

"Ready yourselves, everyone, before you get fried," the Demon commanded. "And we have to hit him fast and hard!"

"Ah, but you are weakened from previous fights, worn out on your foolish quest. What hope do you have against me? Or should I say..."

We all heard an alarm blare and the sound of cell doors opening echoing throughout the hallway.

"What hope do you have against me and all of them?" he goaded, an insidious smile on his face.

[Nschornhorst]

An entry from Roy Lincoln's satellite journal

Shortly after we arrived, Harbinger received the Agent's guess and we confirmed his suspicions. The Agent, in turn, revealed himself to the group. Thor informed them all the The Cat housed the last Hound, and everyone voted in kind. We would have to take care of that when we returned to The Monitor's station. In the meantime, we were making our way through Arkham. I used my psychic power to help keep the staff unaware of our presence. We were searching for the Property Room. It housed numerous items taken from the residents themselves. It also included items that had been collected when the authorities were cleaning this place up after a Traitor Game was held there. These items included such things as the Dark Lord Opal's necklace, the Goblet of Hades, and a few individual weapons or clothing items left by the players of that game.

Just as we reached it, we heard a loud crash. Debris flew everywhere as a bright light enveloped the room. After a moment, the light subsided, taking the form of a cape of fire. In front of it, or rather, wearing it was a member of the Suicide Squad: Gorilla Grodd, with the cosmic power of the Phoenix.



"Ah. The Monitor and his precious group of supposed heroes," he said mockingly.

"Ready yourselves, everyone, before you get fried," the Demon commanded. "And we have to hit him fast and hard!"

"Ah, but you are weakened from previous fights, worn out on your foolish quest. What hope do you have against me? Or should I say..."

We all heard an alarm blare and the sound of cell doors opening echoing throughout the hallway.

"What hope do you have against me and all of them?" he goaded, an insidious smile on his face.

A voice echoed from seemingly empty space, "Nnnnnnnnnnnnotttt aaaaaalll haaave beeeeeen... weakened. Sssssszzsssssome weeeeeere juuuuuuusssssszt bidingtheirtimeuntilyoufoolishlyshowedyourhandprimate."

As the voice reverberated throughout the asylum, some of those with super speed or heightened senses noticed strange blurs of gold or dark red blink in and out of existence. Eventually, the distortion faded and an imposing figure stood before Grodd.



"Ah. My apologies. Sometimes finding the proper temporal frequency can be a rather... unforgiving... prooooocesszzss. No doubt you are a being of some ability... but only Zoom can make you better. You only need to experience true suffering. Allow me to help... improve... you."

In the blink of an eye, Doctor Zoom had vanished. Several inmates fell over dead, fried from unseen blasts of energy.

"Ooooooofffffff coooooouuuuursssszzzzzssse, theonlytruewaytoimprove... is ultimately to belong to Zoom."

[The Purple Skull]

"Ah. The Monitor and his precious group of supposed heroes," he said mockingly.

"Ready yourselves, everyone, before you get fried," the Demon commanded. "And we have to hit him fast and hard!"

"Ah, but you are weakened from previous fights, worn out on your foolish quest. What hope do you have against me? Or should I say..."

We all heard an alarm blare and the sound of cell doors opening echoing throughout the hallway.

"What hope do you have against me and all of them?" he goaded, an insidious smile on his face.

"The hell is that thing?!"

[SCANNING]

[Anodyne]

She paused. "But this situation ... Dr. Thirteen, I'm kind of worried about you. You're a non-powered detective type, and here we are going against alien starfish and genuine powered supervillains. Maybe you'll be useful at Arkham, exposing some of the crazy people's attempts to fool people. But against the real big villains ... I don't know. I think you'd better stay back during the really big battles."

We all heard an alarm blare and the sound of cell doors opening echoing throughout the hallway.

"What hope do you have against me and all of them?" he goaded, an insidious smile on his face.

Despite Mary Jane's well-meaning advice, Dr. Thirteen realized there was no safe place to retreat here. As the inmates poured out of their cells, he looked around for something with which to defend himself. Then he had an idea. Removing his tie, he fashioned it into a noose, which he quickly tightened around the neck of a short, dark-haired man with a crazed expression.



Despite the madman's struggles, Terrence managed to hold on until his foe lost consciousness. Then he pushed his way out of the crowd and went in search of the property room. There may be something there I can use.

[Joe Acro]

An entry from Roy Lincoln's satellite journal

In the blink of an eye, Doctor Zoom had vanished. Several inmates fell over dead, fried from unseen blasts of energy.

"Ooooooofffffff coooooouuuuursssszzzzzssse, theonlytruewaytoimprove... is ultimately to belong to Zoom."

In an uncharacteristic burst of emotion, Harbinger instantly gave me backlash, "Roy... How could you? How could you possibly think someone like Zoom could help us! He seems worse than the Suicide Squad's speedster! He's slaughtered dozens of inmates!"

It was to be expected. I had planned on them all having that reaction. Of course, in the original plan, I could've reigned him in before we started, but I didn't have the luxury now.

"I know, Harbinger," I replied. "It will be okay. I'll make it right somehow."

"The hell is that thing?!"
Iron Man had been scanning Grodd. Grodd himself apparently noticed and decided to reply telepathically, sending a message to us all.

[SCANNING]

I was Grodd! However, no longer am I "some lowly ape." I have transcended mankind! I am the Phoenix! My might will be your destruction! he shouted in our heads. The words hurt me, even with my telepathic powers.

Dr. Thirteen pushed his way out of the crowd and went in search of the property room.

He was promptly thrown backward by a telekinetic force. I just barely reacted in time to catch him.

"You think it so easy to get past me?! Grodd shouted. A wall of flame engulfed the entrance to the Property Room.

The Demon rose up, telling us all, "I will distract the gorilla! The rest of you must finish the mission!"