Traitor Game L: Existential Crisis

[Masterbasset]

"Am ah seein' things?" Rogue asked. "When did that Paris Hilton gal get a Power Ring?"

SGG-031816.jpg

"Jealous, much?"

[Masterbasset]

Far off, an old friend was having a lie-down.

Garon the Dwarf, sometimes called Garon the Great, was a bit confused. He had drank the normal amount, how in the world did he end up here?

"Y'know," he said to his bottle, Last time I were involved in the Traitor Game business, there were a lawt less gruesomeness about. Much cleaner, the Traitor Games of yore. I kinda grew to like those folks. Even the kidnapper, whatshisface. Hope he found friends. I certainly did. He peered to explosions in the distance.

"But now all this? Really, I thought a reunion would've been a nice affair, maybe see that Goddess o' Love again, have a few drinks, get Providence to loosen up for the first time and give that arsehole o' his a rest from the stick init, but now I'm scooped up in sumthin' I just don' undersstand."

He consulted his bag of alcohol, and found the answer to be more alcohol.

[Chris Lang]

"Jealous, much?"

"Nah, ah don't need any Power Ring." Rogue replied. "Ah was just wonderin' how you got chosen..."

Terry Franklin, still next to her, spoke up. "Like I said, it's a long story. It happened during a previous Traitor Game which ended in a battle with the demon Trigon. As it turns out, the SHIELD Multiversal Initiative has been keeping track of the Yellow Lanterns since that incident. So I can access a short clip that shows the exact moment it happened. Here, take a look."

He showed Rogue a device similar to an iPad. On it played the following scene:

Clip From Traitor Game XVI: Whom The Gods Would Destroy

(this scene originally posted by Deadpooligan on 04-25-2008 09:52 PM)


Cyborg Superman's limp arm began to shake as 8 rings lifted off of his fingers. They zipped through the air, seeking new bearers of fear...



The rings chose their targets and hovered before each of them.

Mark William Calaway of the Planet Earth-WWF. You have the ability to instill great fear. Welcome to the Sinestro Corps. You have been chosen to represent Sector 3599.1.

Orion of the The Fourth World. You have the ability to instill great fear. Welcome to the Sinestro Corps. You have been chosen to represent Sector 3599.2.

Dino-God Talon of the Planet Urth. You have the ability to instill great fear. Welcome to the Sinestro Corps. You have been chosen to represent Sector 3599.3.

James Howlett of the Planet Earth-M616. You have the ability to instill great fear. Welcome to the Sinestro Corps. You have been chosen to represent Sector 3599.4.

Raoh of the Planet Earth-FNS. You have the ability to instill great fear. Welcome to the Sinestro Corps. You have been chosen to represent Sector 3599.5.

Asuka Langley Soryu of the Planet Earth-EVA. You have the ability to instill great fear. Welcome to the Sinestro Corps. You have been chosen to represent Sector 3599.6.

Paris Hilton of the Planet Earth-FOX. You have the ability to instill great fear. Welcome to the Sinestro Corps. You have been chosen to represent Sector 3599.7.

-----------------------------------------------------------
Return to present

Terry Franklin then shut off the clip. "That's enough to give you the idea. Apparently, the Rings felt more power was needed at the time. It turns out most of them still have their Yellow Rings, and they're now using them to help us in this battle."

"Ah dunno know much about those Power Rings, since we don't have Green Lanterns in our world." Rogue remarked. "But they sure do have a weird way of pickin' out people for the job."

Far off, an old friend was having a lie-down.

Garon the Dwarf, sometimes called Garon the Great, was a bit confused. He had drank the normal amount, how in the world did he end up here?

"Y'know," he said to his bottle, Last time I were involved in the Traitor Game business, there were a lawt less gruesomeness about. Much cleaner, the Traitor Games of yore. I kinda grew to like those folks. Even the kidnapper, whatshisface. Hope he found friends. I certainly did. He peered to explosions in the distance.

"But now all this? Really, I thought a reunion would've been a nice affair, maybe see that Goddess o' Love again, have a few drinks, get Providence to loosen up for the first time and give that arsehole o' his a rest from the stick init, but now I'm scooped up in sumthin' I just don' undersstand."

He consulted his bag of alcohol, and found the answer to be more alcohol.

Terry Franklin noticed Garon in the distance, but chose not to speak to him at this time for several reasons. First, Garon preferred Terry's other appearance better, and at this time Terry didn't have the means to switch to that appearance. The medallion was currently kept in a storage locker for safekeeping so that Terry could better get used to his current form (and thus seem natural when using it on undercover assignments). Secondly, Terry didn't have the time. He had to concentrate on the battle and its participants, and lead the injured and the shaken to safety.

However, others would approach Garon to speak with him. The first was Mina Murray, who had overheard Garon's musings.

"I daresay the Traitor Game I was in was a most gruesome affair." Mina began. "Everywhere you turned, there were monsters, some more vicious than others. It was hosted by this hideous ghoul who called himself the Cryptkeeper. In the end, a demonic force was summoned, and all of us had to go to war. We fought against the demon's minions, including a pumpkin headed man and a dwarf who was not anything like you or the dwarves you know, but a malevolent monster. To survive, we had to be every bit as vicious and brutal as the monsters we fought."

"In the end, the demon was defeated and the world was saved ... but there was a cost." She stopped. She did not really feel like discussing the event further.

Shannon Ford approached, along with a few SHIELD agents tasked to make sure that area was safe for the battle's non-participants. She spoke to Garon.

"I'm Shannon Ford. I'm a friend of Agent Franklin. I've heard a lot about you, and that Traitor Game you were in. I see where you're coming from. Your Traitor Game didn't end in a cosmic high-stakes battle with the fate of several worlds at stake, though of course we had our concerns about some of the participants. Rest assured we're all doing our part to put an end to this threat and save all our worlds."

"And we'll do our best to keep those of us here who aren't up to it safe." Shannon added. "Terri says hi, by the way."

Shannon then turned to her communications device, giving out orders to various agents out on the field, and listening to reports as they came in.

The Starro Squadron was being dealt with. Aside from the remaining Daleks, Cybermen, Cylons, Sandpeople, and such, there remained only Batmage to take down.

And then there was the ultimate enemy, the Anti-Monitor. Shannon hoped that Roy Lincoln and the others were ready to put a strategy into motion.

[Joe Acro]

Endgame. Part 1.

Chaos reigns. Even though most of the members of the Suicide Squad had met defeat, fights continue to rage elsewhere. Too many individuals with their own agendas try to impose their will on the surroundings, fueling the clouds of instability and uncertainty that permeate throughout the battlefield. Many unite to fight these different threats. Primary among these conflicts are the mystics and those selected as mystical conduits battling the Batmage, and so many trying to lend their power to defeat the Bi-Anti-Monitor.

In all this chaos, a persistent problem has gone unnoticed. People are vanishing. It started with the Wanderers. Where once they had been leading the charge and been actively involved, now they are nowhere to be seen. Only Clark Sparks and Mister Blue Skies remain, deep in the bowels of the planet Qward, on an important quest. But where are the others? Where, too, are many of the those drafted into the latest Traitor Game? Where are those who had come through the portals opened earlier, but are now absent?

Harbinger has sensed the departures of these individuals and the growing threat that faces everyone here. She has relayed this information to Roy Lincoln via their telepathic link.

"Roy, we must act swiftly. The anti-matter wall has been exponentially increasing in speed ever since we arrived. Universes are being wiped out. Many are ceasing to exist along with them! You must enact your plan before all is lost."

"Understood, Harbinger. I know the stakes. The chair is almost finished building energy, and Clark is almost in position," Roy replies. As he is mentally replying, Phantom Girl is explaining to Roy about her time in the Traitor Game. She defeated the Anti-Monitor--the same one that comprises half of the Bi-Anti-Monitor--by turning his anti-matter cannon against him.

"Can we do the same thing here?" she asks.

"It's more complicated than that, Tinya," Roy says. "In a different crisis, The Monitor and Harbinger used their power to save a handful of universes. The rest of that multiverse was destroyed. With his wall of anti-matter now being kept at bay, the Anti-Monitor planned to obliterate what remained by blasting it with that anti-matter cannon you described. Much like a traditional cannon, it was primed for one ideal shot, and then could only fire again as energy allowed. As you observed," he says, motioning to Linda, "The Flash stopped the Anti-Monitor from firing his cannon, saving those worlds. But this fight has progressed differently. His wall is not contained to one collection of universes, but has broken through the Bleed and bypassed the Void. The Monitor could have chosen to sustain a few worlds, and might still had I not informed him of the magnitude of the problem. Instead he chose to have us fight for all reality, not just what he alone could handle. As such, this Anti-Monitor did not prime a cannon to destroy multiple realities. His original plan has yet to fail. The wall is an unrelenting, unstoppable wave of destruction across all creation, only heightened by the mystical energies and Traitor Game energies he has since added to it. No cannon is needed, so we don't have one to turn on him. Our mission, rather, is to turn the wall on him." He then adds, "We just need the other parties to finish their tasks."

Deep within Qward, Clark Sparks and Mr. Blue Skies fly into a large room filled with machinery. "There he is!" Clark exclaims, stating the obvious. "About time. We were getting lost in this maze," Blue Skies retorts. Before them is a large contraption, anti-matter crackling around it. In the center is The Monitor, surrounded by various objects of power--the previously lost Starheart among them. "It looks like The Anti-Monitor created his own version of Roy's chair, just as Harbinger told us. Destroy what you can. Don't touch the anti-matter."

As the remaining Wanderers begin their assault on the machine, the Bi-Anti-Monitor and Batmage both sense it losing power.

Batmage shouts, "No! I cannot let our work be for nothing! I must..." A swift blow from Rock Howard cuts him off. Subsequently, each of the chosen champions land a punch on Batmage, their mystically-charged attacks striking him with visions of their character. After a few moments, he casts a supernatural burst that pushes his attackers aside. "I won't let myself be distracted by your paltry assault. I shield myself," he says as a bubble surrounds him, "to deal with something far more important. I must stop an intrusion."

The Spectre calls out to the champions, "You each to need to be less direct. Stand at a distance. Reach out your arms. Pour forth your mystical energies, hit him with the full force of your character. Show him the man he should have been."

"We will do as directed," Red Sonja replies. "Quickly everyone, we must stand around him and form the points of a five-pointed star, to increase our power." Outstretching their arms, they unleash onto Batmage their character, and by extent, his character. His shield holds only temporarily. After but a minute, the bubble bursts. The energies pour over him. Visions of their lives, their experiences, their actions, and their attitudes fills his soul. Batmage falls to his knees. Try as he might to combat this attack, even his magical power is no match for the combined magical force he now faces. He feels his sins laid bare. "I..." he says through gritted teeth. "I must..." He slowly lifts his arms. "I must stop..." He flings his arms aside, as if breaking an invisible chain. "I MUST BE FREE!"

A feedback shockwave knocks the champions to the ground. They all wince and look on, trying to make sense of what has happened. Batmage's eyes glow with unholy flame. He stares directly at the group of mystics who tried to oppose him. "I must be free of the man I was. I must stop this corruption. I must fight for the souls that have been lost," he says sternly. "For I am vengeance! I am the night! I. AM. THE BATMAGE!"

[Joe Acro]

Endgame. Part 2.

"Someone dares violate my inner sanctum!" shouts the Bi-Anti-Monitor. "This affront will not be allowed!"

Clark calls out to Blue Skies, "Blue Skies! Watch it! This place suddenly got more active!" Anti-matter fires in a frenzy within the inner sanctum. The Wanderers stand back-to-back, trying to avoid being touched, in fear of being wiped from existence.

The Batmage calls out, "Enough, Anti-Monitor! I see now the error of my ways. All we win is the death of everything! End this madness!"

"Madness? Death? No. When I succeed, I will be the supreme being! I will have unlimited power!"

"And what good is power is you're the only one left?"

Batmage casts a series of spells, assaulting the Anti-Monitor physically and psychically. "If you will not change, you will lose. You will have no power."

Imagine one's own nature being assaulted, they're very being, and you can perhaps have some idea of the attack the Batmage has forged. The Bi-Anti-Monitor, experiencing monumental pain, grips his head, screaming in agony. Others see the opportunity as a moment to strike--perhaps if they all work together, when he's so distracted, they might be able to defeat him. But the Anti-Monitor maintains some control. Careful observers see his eyes flare, only momentarily. In the sanctum, Clark and Blue Skies notice the anti-matter retreat from attacking them. "Monty gave up on us already?" Mr. Blue Skies remarks.

Suddenly, Batmage and Damsel of Bats vanish from Qward.

"Oh no!" Harbinger cries out. "I can't sense them anymore. He... he must have diverted the wall. He must have made sure it struck the Batmage's universe next!"

"See? I control your fates! Once I find your worlds, they are all mine to destroy!"

"That's quite enough of that. Clark?" Roy says, telepathically calling out to his ally. You need to shut this down, pronto. You have to disconnect the Monitor and the other objects without getting touching. Something of positive matter should disrupt things long enough for you to succeed.

"Something of positive matter?" Clark looks around. Seeing nothing, he looks to Blue Skies. He observes, "It looks like we're all the positive matter there is here."

"Does that mean... one of us has to...?" the other Wanderer asks, wondering if one of them will have to make the sacrifice. Clark replies, "It would seem... so..." His voice trails off as something catches his attention.

"Boss, hey, you okay?" Blue Skies asks, putting his right hand on Clark's left shoulder.

Clark puts his right hand on Blue Skies' left shoulder. "I have an idea. You're wearing a cape. It's as much positive matter as we are."

Blue Skies snaps his fingers. "Of course! I should've thought of that!" He bends down on one knee and starts tearing at his left leg.

"Thought of what?"

"This." Blue Skies pulls his arms back, exposing his leg. Clark can see that from the knee down, it looks metallic. "We can use my prosthetic. Wrap it in the cape, heft it through."

Clark pumps his fist. "That's perfect! You've been holding out on me, Blue Skies."

"Heh. Call me Bones." If Clark could actually see Bones's face, he'd see a smile and a gleam in his eyes.

"All right, Bones. Let's do this."

They do just as planned. Blue Skies removes his leg. Clark wraps it in Blue Skies' cape.

"Here goes!"

Clark Sparks hefts the leg straight at the containment chamber holding the Monitor.

[Chris Lang]

Endgame: Part 1a. (takes place at the same time as Parts one and Two)

Endgame. Part 1.

Chaos reigns. Even though most of the members of the Suicide Squad had met defeat, fights continue to rage elsewhere. Too many individuals with their own agendas try to impose their will on the surroundings, fueling the clouds of instability and uncertainty that permeate throughout the battlefield. Many unite to fight these different threats. Primary among these conflicts are the mystics and those selected as mystical conduits battling the Batmage, and so many trying to lend their power to defeat the Bi-Anti-Monitor.

In all this chaos, a persistent problem has gone unnoticed. People are vanishing. It started with the Wanderers. Where once they had been leading the charge and been actively involved, now they are nowhere to be seen. Only Clark Sparks and Mister Blue Skies remain, deep in the bowels of the planet Qward, on an important quest. But where are the others? Where, too, are many of the those drafted into the latest Traitor Game? Where are those who had come through the portals opened earlier, but are now absent?

Harbinger has sensed the departures of these individuals and the growing threat that faces everyone here. She has relayed this information to Roy Lincoln via their telepathic link.

At the exact same time Roy Lincoln was being relayed this information by Harbinger, Ranma and Ukyo teamed up to take down a few Sandpeople. The Sandpeople, as it turned out, were very limited in their fighting repertoire, sticking mostly to basic combat with sticks. They had no real defense against Ukyo's Okonomiyaki Cooking based fighting skils. And Ranma Saotome's Anything Goes School of Martial Arts moves quickly took several down.

"Wait a minute. Weren't there MORE of them charging at us a second ago?" Ukyo asked.

"You're right. There WERE more of them." Ranma said. "Where'd they go?"

"Have you seen Mario?" Goombella asked. "He was, like, right here just a minute ago."

"No, I haven't." Ukyo said. "Why do you ask?"

"People have been disappearing all over the place!" Goombella said. "Keitarō Urashima ... Shade ... Grimmjow ... Rocky Balboa ... even one of the Alucards ... I saw them vanish right in front of me!" The Goomba advisor was shaking, nervously.

"WHAT?!?" Ranma and Ukyo exclaimed in unison.

Elsewhere, Saturn Girl telepathically contacted Phantom Girl as Tinya spoke with Roy, Linda, and the rest of the speedsters. "I've lost contact with my counterpart. I don't sense her anywhere on the battlefield. And there's more. Now Bouncing Boy and Matter Eater Lad have disappeared."

"But I was just with them!" Tinya protested telepathically.

"People are vanishing, and I don't know why." Saturn Girl said. "And it's not just our teammates from the other worlds. Dozens of our allies have vanished."

Elsewhere, Green Lantern Mary Jane noted the disappearance of one of the two Kyle Rayners she had been teamed with in the Green Lantern Corps. And, she noted, Sinestro was also gone.

"But the Shadow Demons never even TOUCHED them!" Mary Jane exclaimed.

Spider-Girl, meanwhile, noticed that at least two of the many Spider-Men who were assisting her were nowhere in sight. The wounded they were carrying suddenly dropped to the ground. Spider-Girl was quick to catch them in a net of impact webbing.

"What happened?" Spider-Girl exclaimed. "One second they were there, the next ..."

Formerly Zombie Spider-Man shook his head in confusion. "And I thought this couldn't get MORE insane."

Shannon Ford was, at this point, was speaking on her communicator. She was reporting the situation to the Nick Fury who was her current superior. "Nick, this is bad." she said. "We're losing people left and right, and not all of them are casualties in the battle. The list of MIAs is growing larger every minute."

On the screen of Shannon's communicator, Fury could be seen in the main control room of the SHIELD Helicarier on Earth MC-CLTG41. "Agent Ford, do what you can to keep your forces safe. Save as many lives as you can." Fury said, grimly. "Our world can't send you any more. We don't HAVE any more forces. They are... gone."

An ominous light blue light was flashing in the room, as if from windows Shannon couldn't see. "Nick! What is happening over there? Our instruments indicate your world is ..."

"Shannon, we had our quarrels. But you are one of the most dedicated agents I've ever met. You never gave up during the Carmen Sandiego case, and I don't expect you to give up now. If your world survives, continue to serve it well. Goodbye."

"You have to get out of there!" Shannon shouted.

The image on the communicator disappeared, replaced by static. And then ... nothing.

"NICK!" Shannon shouted.

Terry Franklin approached, followed by Rogue. "Shannon, what's happening?" he said. He, too, broke the usual etiquette by addressing superiors by their first names. In this situation, ranks no longer mattered.

"It's Fury. The Fury I've been working with for the past several months. He's gone." Shannon said, grimly.

"Gone?" Terry asked. "You mean ... the Crisis?"

"That's what it looks like. But that's not the worst of it." Shannon said. "We're losing people left and right."

She looked at her radar, and swore. "Dammit! Every agent who came from Earth MC-CLTG41 has vanished. And they vanished the moment we lost contact with Fury."

"But ... that's insane!" Terry exclaimed. "They should still be here with us even if they don't have a world to go back to!"

"It's not just SHIELD agents." Shannon said. "It's some of the people who came through the portals. We have dozens of MIAs listed here."

Terry took a quick look at the information displayed on Shannon's pad. Among the 'missing' were Kenshiro of Earth CHBLTG6, Dante and Randall, Ultimate Spider-Woman, the Lobo of Earth 4FGER, Prince Zuko, Ben Linus, Rocky Balboa, Black Bolt, the Malcolm Reynolds of Earth MDMTG8, and Majin Vegeta of Earth K5252TG9. Those were the ones he saw at a quick glance.

"It's possible any of them could still turn up, but we'll have to consider them missing and possible casualties until they do." Shannon added.

"But this isn't right!" Terry said. "We know for a fact that Princess Emerald and Carnelian had their world destroyed by the Anti-Monitor during another Crisis, but there they are, fighting along side our agents."

He pointed across the battlefield, where Princess Emerald and Carnelian could indeed be seen destroying squads of remaining Daleks with magical bolts of Earth, or (in Carnelian's case) a rocket launcher.

"I don't know what's going on." Shannon said. "But I don't like it."

Rogue spoke up. "Mah world ... is it safe?"

"Only for now." Shannon said. "We can't guarantee ANY world's safety. And I'm afraid there's not a lot we can do. This is all riding on Roy Lincoln, the Speedsters, and whoever's still around from the Wanderers."

Shannon stared at the scene grimly, trying her best to maintain her stoicism. Several commanding officers were gone now. She had to take charge now, and keep composed no matter what happened.

Outwardly, she had to remain calm and confident. Inside, however, she felt that it would take a miracle to turn things around now.

If this was the end, she had to face it with outward bravery, as Fury had.

[Joe Acro]

Endgame. Part 3.

Qward shudders. All involved in the conflict, no matter their location, feel a quake--a change in the atmosphere. Some fall down. A few disoriented flyers crash into nearby rock structures. The white anti-matter crackling around the Anti-Monitor lessens.

"No! They have..."

"Nailed it!" Clark exclaims. Blue Skies grabs the objects of power as they fall. Clark grabs The Monitor, asking, "Are you going to be okay?" Weakly, The Monitor says, "I am well enough... I have... one more job to perform." In a flash, The Monitor teleports the three of them to Roy Lincoln.

Harbinger floats down to Roy and is uncharacteristically excited, livened by this victory. "That quake... The Wanderers succeeded! The Anti-Monitor is no longer fed by the wave of anti-matter wiping out reality! And where once, due to the boost it received from The Monitor and the objects of power, the wave had been able to wipe out the Traitor Game participants tied to the worlds it destroyed, it does so no more. Yet it still proceeds unchecked."

Clark, Blue Skies, and The Monitor then appear. "Monitor!" Harbinger shouts, rushing over to help support the being she considers like unto a father. "I'm glad to see that you all made it," Roy says.

Zoom the Conqueror chimes in, "What now? You needed us speedsters, Mr. Lincoln. You wanted my help. You needed these artifacts, this chair, this treadmill. Look at the heroes..."

Seeing the change in the Bi-Anti-Monitor, his opponents sense that now is their best chance to win the battle. Distracted and finally left to only his power alone, the Anti-Monitor seems like he can be bested. Recovering from the quake, they renew the battle once more.

"I may be cut off from the wave's power, but I still have more than enough to defeat you all!" The Bi-Anti-Monitor shouts.

"They rally. With that much power on their side, surely they can win. Why do you need us?"

"They'll never win on their own, Zoom. The Anti-Monitor has absorbed so much power. We stopped him from growing in power, from getting stronger and stronger as the wall increases, but we couldn't drain what he already had. I still need each of you, and one final component, to turn the wall against him, while the others still keep him distracted."

"Final component?" Hummingbird asks. "He needs... me," The Monitor says. He motions to Clark and Harbinger to let him go. He walks over to Roy. "You can't defeat him without me. You told me that. That to win, I would need to sacrifice myself."

"What?!" Harbinger says in shock.

Roy nods, putting his hand on The Monitor's shoulder. "Some of them are thinking I need you because you're the Anti-Monitor's opposite. But we know differently. Stubborn, distrusting, and angry, you lashed out at creation. You wanted to be free of your duties, and foolishly believed a Traitor Game could solve your problems. Yet, despite the ill intent for its creation and the flaws of the game itself, it was truly the first, setting the bar for all games to come--showing that it was okay for there to be more than Traitors and Agents, that it was okay for the players to do as they pleased, but that it's also okay for the host to step in to keep things from spinning out of control. Because of that, you contain the most potent Traitor Game energy available, and with your sacrifice, I end this once and for all."

"But..." Harbinger starts to object. "No," The Monitor says, holding his hand up, telling her to be silent. "There is no turning back. This was the plan all along. Before we begin..."

The Monitor begins to glow yellow, quickly building in intensity. He approaches Harbinger. "I must give one final gift from a father to a daughter." He embraces her. The glow spreads from his body to hers. For but a moment, they are both enveloped in bright yellow light. Then, just as quickly as the glow grew, it fades from The Monitor's body.

He lets go of her and stands back. "You are The Monitor now, Harbinger. You now act in my stead. When I and Lincoln do what we must, you must use this power I have given you to unite those present in a final coordinate attack against the Anti-Monitor." Through tears, Harbinger says, "I... I will."

[Joe Acro]

Endgame. The Grand Finale.

The Monitor returns to Roy. "It is time." Roy replies, "Then take your place in the Mobius Chair." Roy looks to the speedsters. "And each of you need to hop on the treadmill, in a V pattern. I'll be at the front. We're going to run. When the anti-matter destroyed the matter, it left only gamma rays behind. We're going to use all this power to push back the wave and use those gamma rays, the memory of what was there, to restore what once was. We're going to undo the damage the Anti-Monitor and others have caused. We're going to save everyone."

Everyone moves into position.

Roy looks at Clark Sparks. "You did good work, Clark. Now and before. Without your leadership, understanding, and commitment, we never would've made it through. I can't thank you enough. But I gotta run." He lowers his head and faces forward. "Let's go, people! Full speed ahead into the unknown!"

They run. The treadmill groans as it starts moving. The Mobius Chair begins to glow white. The Monitor groans as it taps into his life force. The white energy shoots from the chair to the sides of the treadmill, colors of energy representative of the artifacts assembled into the chair earlier spiral down each tether of energy. The treadmill glows. Brighter. Brighter.

Suddenly, the treadmill vanishes, leaving behind a crackling tear of energy.

So the speedsters run. They run as hard as they can. They give their all to the most important run in history. They transport the treadmill between universes, into a nexus of swirling color.

After a while, the speedsters seem to be slowing down--all the speedsters save Roy, that is. If anything, he seems to be getting faster and faster. "I... must..." Hummingbird tries to force herself. "C'mon, legs..." The Flash says through a grimace. "I feel time... slipping away. Why?"

Roy communicates to them mentally, You feel yourselves getting slower and slower. That's my doing. A trick I learned over the years. I'm stealing your speed. We could do this together, but there's no sense in it. Keep running. Don't stop until you feel like you can't run any more. I will do this alone, thanks to your help.

They don't understand, but they have no chance to object. They can't defy him when they are so intrinsically tied to his mode of success. So they continue running. They continue running until one by one they fall. As each one slows, they vanish. Roy reassures those remaining, "Keep running."

Back on Qward, Harbinger and those around her observe as speedsters fall from the energy tear the treadmill left behind. Hummingbird remains conscious, wearily saying, "He... he's going to do it solo. But... why?"

"I think I understand," Harbinger says. "The Monitor, the artifacts, each of you--you're all sources of great power."

The Monitor fades, finally giving all of his power away.

"He's channeling all that power into himself."

Science, speed, and supernatural energies become one. Scagic.

"He's been involved in more than one game. He's interacted with many who had been in the Games."

The treadmill vanishes into pure white energy, a road to infinity.

"His character, if you look, is defined by more than one player. They're each a part of his story."

Roy runs.

"He told me the Games gave him purpose. They inspired him. He sought new worlds. Forged new friendships."

Roy runs and runs.

"He had been so alone and uncertain. Finally, he knows what he must do. He's giving one final effort."

"He's not..." Clark starts.

"I believe so, Clark," Harbinger replies. [color="Blue"]"He's saying good-bye."[color]

Roy runs. From universe to universe, like a comet streaking across the sky.

Around him are visions of these universe. He recalls the ones he's visited. One with an Asgard. One with Harry Potter. One with Cologne and Uyko. One with Negation space. Ones with Variant Marvel characters. Ones with DC characters. Ones with Star Wars characters. Ones from cartoons. Ones from novels he never had the time to read. Ones from TV shows and movies he never saw. And so many more, on and on.

He runs and runs, remembering those who encountered along the way, silently thanking them for their contribution.



He runs and runs, restoring reality as he goes, never looking back.

He runs until he fades into oblivion.

[Joe Acro]

Back on Qward, as more and more realities are restored, the Anti-Monitor loses more and more power, the anti-matter being lost to the positive matter of reality. As more and more realities are restored, more and more combatants rejoin the fight.

Harbinger knows what she must do. Heightened by The Monitor's power, she casts neural net across all participants. She helps them to coordinate their strikes, god and mortal, mutant and man, monster and animal, alien and machine. The Anti-Monitor receives blow after blow, blow on top of blow. With no Suicide Squad to support him, with no new energies to fuel him, with more positive matter working against him, he lacks recourse. Strike upon he strike, he grows weaker and weaker. His armor cracks. It shatters. His uncontrolled anti-matter form stands naked upon the surface of Qward. He has no retreat. Harbinger orders those with mystic or cosmic power to give a certain weapon an exponentially large boost. Arak Magnus, King of Thunder, charges forward. He swings his Otomahuk, slamming into the heart of the Anti-Monitor. And where once their enemy had stood, he was no more.

---

After moments, questions arise of "What now?" Harbinger tells them, "Make your peace with these events, with each other. And though it may take a while, I will make sure The Monitor's satellite above, my satellite, sends you all home. You have all done well. I am proud of you all, and you should be of yourselves. I and all of reality thank you."

Stepping away, she looks up the stars, and says softly, "And thank you, Roy. May you finally have found your peace."

[Chris Lang]

During the Grand Finale: Other perspectives

As Clark Sparks and Blue Skies freed the Monitor, the battle raged, and people on both sides of the battle vanished. Daleks disappeared, as did Cylons, Cybermen, and Sandpeople. And the numbers on the sides of the Multiversal defenders grew fewer as well.

Mary Jane realized that fewer and fewer Green Lanterns were with by her side. Then, she was the only one. I ... I'm all that's left!

The lighthouses were disappearing along with the Green Lanterns. Lia Nelson had also vanished. Only a few of the Yellow Lanterns remained.

Mary Jane noticed only one Spider-Man left on the battlefield, with Spider-Girl. She swooped downwards to meet them.

"Peter, is that you? Where are the other Spider-Men?" she asked.

"Mom?" Spider-Girl blurted out.

Mary Jane froze, staring at Spider-Girl. Was this ... her daughter? From some other world or timeline?

"I ... that's not important." Mary Jane said. "We need to find some way to keep..."

Mary Jane abruptly disappeared.

"Mom!" Mayday shouted.

"Mary Ja..." Formerly Zombie Spider-Man at Mayday's side vanished.

The Belasco's Limbo Legion, too, had experienced disappearances. "This is totally nuts!" Allebmoog said. "People are, like, disappearing when their worlds are gone. That totally didn't happen in the original Crisis, but the Anti-Monitor's gotten a really gnarly upgrade so now he can really make sure nothing's left."

"Jimmy and Posi are gone." Tuscon Wrong said. "Everyone keeps fighting. They're hoping for a miracle. They're hoping they can turn this around just like Phoenix Wright always turned around his cases in court. But it looks like we're not going to get out of this one."

"Tuscon?" Allebmoog said.

"The miracle never ..." Tuscon vanished mid-sentence.

Goombella, meanwhile, was trying to rally the troops. She spoke to Ranma, Ukyo, Kitty Pryde, and several members of the Rogue Avengers. "I know things seem totally hopeless, but it's not over until it's over, y'know? We gotta keep on fighting. If I know Roy -- and we go waaaaay back to Traitor Game 10 -- he's got something in mind to win this. We gotta give him more time to pull it off while there's still enough of us left."

Kitty nodded. "Let's do it."

And so they continued the battle, alongside the remaining SHIELD agents and the rest of the assembled defenders.

As they spoke, events were being set in motion that would indeed turn things around.

{Suggested music: 'Lux Aeterna'}

Endgame. The Grand Finale.

The Monitor returns to Roy. "It is time." Roy replies, "Then take your place in the Mobius Chair." Roy looks to the speedsters. "And each of you need to hop on the treadmill, in a V pattern. I'll be at the front. We're going to run. When the anti-matter destroyed the matter, it left only gamma rays behind. We're going to use all this power to push back the wave and use those gamma rays, the memory of what was there, to restore what once was. We're going to undo the damage the Anti-Monitor and others have caused. We're going to save everyone."

Everyone moves into position.

Roy looks at Clark Sparks. "You did good work, Clark. Now and before. Without your leadership, understanding, and commitment, we never would've made it through. I can't thank you enough. But I gotta run." He lowers his head and faces forward. "Let's go, people! Full speed ahead into the unknown!"

They run. The treadmill groans as it starts moving. The Mobius Chair begins to glow white. The Monitor groans as it taps into his life force. The white energy shoots from the chair to the sides of the treadmill, colors of energy representative of the artifacts assembled into the chair earlier spiral down each tether of energy. The treadmill glows. Brighter. Brighter.

Suddenly, the treadmill vanishes, leaving behind a crackling tear of energy.

So the speedsters run. They run as hard as they can. They give their all to the most important run in history. They transport the treadmill between universes, into a nexus of swirling color.

After a while, the speedsters seem to be slowing down--all the speedsters save Roy, that is. If anything, he seems to be getting faster and faster. "I... must..." Hummingbird tries to force herself. "C'mon, legs..." The Flash says through a grimace. "I feel time... slipping away. Why?"

Roy communicates to them mentally, You feel yourselves getting slower and slower. That's my doing. A trick I learned over the years. I'm stealing your speed. We could do this together, but there's no sense in it. Keep running. Don't stop until you feel like you can't run any more. I will do this alone, thanks to your help.

They don't understand, but they have no chance to object. They can't defy him when they are so intrinsically tied to his mode of success. So they continue running. They continue running until one by one they fall. As each one slows, they vanish. Roy reassures those remaining, "Keep running."

Back on Qward, Harbinger and those around her observe as speedsters fall from the energy tear the treadmill left behind. Hummingbird remains conscious, wearily saying, "He... he's going to do it solo. But... why?"

"I think I understand," Harbinger says. "The Monitor, the artifacts, each of you--you're all sources of great power."

The Monitor fades, finally giving all of his power away.

"He's channeling all that power into himself."

Science, speed, and supernatural energies become one. Scagic.

"He's been involved in more than one game. He's interacted with many who had been in the Games."

The treadmill vanishes into pure white energy, a road to infinity.

"His character, if you look, is defined by more than one player. They're each a part of his story."

Roy runs.

"He told me the Games gave him purpose. They inspired him. He sought new worlds. Forged new friendships."

Roy runs and runs.

"He had been so alone and uncertain. Finally, he knows what he must do. He's giving one final effort."

"He's not..." Clark starts.

"I believe so, Clark," Harbinger replies. [color="Blue"]"He's saying good-bye."[color]

"Goodbye?" Goombella asked. "You mean..."

Hummingbird nodded grimly. She had no words. All she could do was hope it succeeded.

[Chris Lang]

The Grand Finale: Other perspectives

Roy runs. From universe to universe, like a comet streaking across the sky.

Around him are visions of these universe. He recalls the ones he's visited. One with an Asgard. One with Harry Potter. One with Cologne and Uyko. One with Negation space. Ones with Variant Marvel characters. Ones with DC characters. Ones with Star Wars characters. Ones from cartoons. Ones from novels he never had the time to read. Ones from TV shows and movies he never saw. And so many more, on and on.

He runs and runs, remembering those who encountered along the way, silently thanking them for their contribution.



He runs and runs, restoring reality as he goes, never looking back.

He runs until he fades into oblivion.

{Suggested music: 'The Ecstasy of Gold' by Ennio Morricone}

Reality after reality reappeared. Worlds on the verge of certain destruction suddenly found the anti-matter and the red skies were gone, and they were safe. In countless universes, citizens rejoiced as they realized the end of the world had, at the very last second, been postponed.

"...happen." Tuscon Wrong said as he popped back into existence alongside Jimmy Prison and Posi Shelbyville.

"...Jane?" Formerly Zombie Spider-Man said as he reappeared next to Spider-Girl.

Green Lantern Mary Jane appeared before them. And she was not alone. All of the vanished Green Lanterns and Yellow Lanterns had returned as well. The vanished Spider-Men and Spider-Women had also returned.

"Wow! I'm back! Awesome!" Lia Nelson proclaimed.

More and more of the vanished participants were now reappearing. Everyone on Shannon's previous list of the missing had now returned. And, she received a message from Fury.

"I don't know what just happened, but we've got a chance. Take advantage of it." Fury said.

Shannon nodded, and began to rally the SHIELD troops, many of whom had now re-appeared.

Hal Jordan and Mary Jane, similarly, began to rally the Green Lanterns and all the other flying forces. "We've been given another chance somehow, so let's take advantage of it." Hal said. "The Anti-Monitor's weakening. Now's our chance!"

WHIP-CRACK! Franziska von Karma had returned. As had Belinda Bullington and many members of the pirate crews.

"We have returned!" Franziska said with a triumphant smile.

"Let's finish 'im off!" Belinda said. "Load the cannons!"

"Load them with as many positive matter cannonballs as you can find!" Pirate Kitty said. Pirate Colossus and the rest of the crew of the Shady Cat went off to do just that.

Saturn Girl telepathically relayed the news to Phantom Girl that Bouncing Boy, Matter Eater Lad and her counterpart from the Wanderers had returned.

Goombella noted the return of Mario, and all of the people she had reported missing, including both Alucards. The Alucards, in particular, were laughing as if all this were hilarious, and they were clearly ready to join in the final attack on the Anti-Monitor.

Goombella and Kitty Pryde continued to rally their friends and the Rogue Avengers, including those who had now returned.

However, it would be Harbinger who would be the most help in coordinating the final assault.

{Suggested music: After the returns are complete, music switches to whatever final boss battle music you think is most appropriate}

Back on Qward, as more and more realities are restored, the Anti-Monitor loses more and more power, the anti-matter being lost to the positive matter of reality. As more and more realities are restored, more and more combatants rejoin the fight.

Harbinger knows what she must do. Heightened by The Monitor's power, she casts neural net across all participants. She helps them to coordinate their strikes, god and mortal, mutant and man, monster and animal, alien and machine. The Anti-Monitor receives blow after blow, blow on top of blow. With no Suicide Squad to support him, with no new energies to fuel him, with more positive matter working against him, he lacks recourse. Strike upon he strike, he grows weaker and weaker. His armor cracks. It shatters. His uncontrolled anti-matter form stands naked upon the surface of Qward. He has no retreat. Harbinger orders those with mystic or cosmic power to give a certain weapon an exponentially large boost. Arak Magnus, King of Thunder, charges forward. He swings his Otomahuk, slamming into the heart of the Anti-Monitor. And where once their enemy had stood, he was no more.

Princess Emerald was only too happy to lend some of her magical energy to the Otomahuk for the finishing blow. She had lost the Earth she knew to a similar Crisis, and wished such things on no one.

When the flashes of light faded and the smoke cleared, the Anti-Monitor was gone. He was no more.

Sighs of relief were heard throughout the field. Though most were silent, trying to take in what had just happened.

{Suggested music: Something calm and peaceful, or just no music}

After moments, questions arise of "What now?" Harbinger tells them, "Make your peace with these events, with each other. And though it may take a while, I will make sure The Monitor's satellite above, my satellite, sends you all home. You have all done well. I am proud of you all, and you should be of yourselves. I and all of reality thank you."

Stepping away, she looks up the stars, and says softly, "And thank you, Roy. May you finally have found your peace."

"It's over..." Hummingbird said, trying to catch her breath. "We ... won."

"He did it. Roy totally did it!" Goombella exclaimed. "Everyone who disappeared is back again, and they're totally okay!" She paused. "This ... this is like that incident with the Sammer Kingdom that I heard about. It got destroyed, too, but then things got put right and it was back. Mario even got a Catch Card with my picture and bio on it from them afterward."

Goombella then nodded to the returned Mario, who was not the Mario from her universe, but whom she was glad to see safe just the same.

Batgirl stood nearby, no longer the Damsel of Bats. "I don't know what happened. One moment I was there with Batmage, the next I was back. But it's over now. I'm myself again. Does this mean ... everyone is back?"

"Only those who vanished due to the Anti-Monitor's increased power." Shannon Ford said. "Those SHIELD agents who were mortally wounded in the battle against the Daleks and the rest of those creatures still died."

"Arisia's still dead." Mary Jane said. "She gave her life to save me. And so did Roy, I guess. I wish I could have had more time to get to know both of them better."

"Oh, and the Belasco's Limbo Legion is totally fine, too." Allebmoog added. "Except for Sadosai, but even we're glad to see the last of him. No big loss."

"Batmage isn't from my world." Batgirl said. "But I wanted to save him just the same."

Batgirl turned to Harbinger and Clark Sparks. "What is going to happen to Batmage now? We got through to him and he joined our side. So did Zoom. What happens to them now?"

Hummingbird spoke up, and also addressed Harbinger and the Wanderers. "As for the rest, not all of them were killed in the battle. Some of them were just knocked out. What's going to happen to the rest of the so-called Suicide Squad?"

[The Purple Skull]

After moments, questions arise of "What now?" Harbinger tells them, "Make your peace with these events, with each other. And though it may take a while, I will make sure The Monitor's satellite above, my satellite, sends you all home. You have all done well. I am proud of you all, and you should be of yourselves. I and all of reality thank you."

Stepping away, she looks up the stars, and says softly, "And thank you, Roy. May you finally have found your peace."

SUDDENLY!

SHHVVVTT!



"Oh yeah! Right on time, baby! Need the Brave & the Bold? Call on the Blue and the G-------why is everybody just standing around?"



"Threat's over....ass."



"Looks likes we missed out on everything....again. Dammit, Michael."

"Hey! I made one, ONE, wrong turn into Earth-C. It happens! Need I remind you who Rip put in charge of his time chair."

"You stole the keys!"

And just as quickly, the Blue & the Gold SHHVVVTT away on their (stolen) time chair.

[Chris Lang]

As Linda and Batgirl spoke with the Wanderers asking about what would become of the surviving Suicide Squad members, others took their leave of the scene to return to their homeworlds.

Among them, Nozumi Itoshiki, Ai Kaga, and the rest of their class. "DESPAIR! Not being able to play a big part in the finale, or even die in it, has left me in DESPAIR!" Itoshiki wailed. "Being reduced to merely yelling out my catch phrase and running gag has also left me in despair."

"I am so sorry, it's all my fault." Ai Kaga said. Their ramblings soon faded out as they returned home.



Allebmoog, meanwhile, gathered together the remaining members of the Belasco's Limbo Legion. "Yeah, it's been fun being involved in a huge life or death battle, but we've totally gotta split now. I'm not all sentimental like my goody-goody counterpart who'll probably be hanging around here till it's nearly time for the credits, so we're outta here."

Tuscon Wrong nodded. "Our work here is done. They pulled off that turnabout they needed to save the Multiverse, and messed up my really poignant exit speech in the process."

"It was ALREADY messed up!" Livegolfcourse objected. "You didn't even finish it!"

"Yeah, whatever." Tuscon said. "Anyway, let's go."

Jimmy Prison smiled. "Hey, now that Sadosai's gone, we're gonna need a new intro pic. Can I be in this one?"

"Just as soon as Chris Lang finds a good pic of an evil-looking Johnny Cage that looks good enough." Livegolfcourse said.

"Can you guys quit breaking the fourth wall?" E. Suburu asked.

At this, Allebmoog and Livegolfcourse glared at Suburu, who abruptly backed down. "Uh, never mind. Forget I said anything."

"Okay, we're outta here." Allebmoog said. "Back to our lair to, like, plot and scheme and all that stuff, y'know?" And with that, Allebmoog led Tuscon Wrong, Jimmy Prison, Livegolfcourse, StopStop Yubari, Cheerful Key, Pessimus Prime, Posi Shelbyville, and E. Suburu away through a portal they had summoned. The portal closed after the last of them stepped through it.

Meanwhile, Lotta Hart spoke up, addressing many of the people assembled.

{Suggested music: "Congratulations Everybody!", Ace Attorney}

"Well, I'll be!" Lotta said, beaming in genuine amazement. Staring at the assembled Multiversal defenders, she smiled. "You guys and gals are somethin' else, you know that? I thought we were all goners. I reckon most folks thought they were. But you came through and turned things round, just like City Boy and his trials. Mind if I take a few pictures of y'all?"

Betty Brant gave Lotta a relieved smile. The Southern photojournalist was clearly back to her normal self.

Betty knew, of course, that when she returned to her own world Jameson would be assigning her the story on how the universe had been saved once again. "I don't even know where to begin. Is the general public on my world ready for the whole story?" Betty mused aloud. "Maybe I should stick to our world's involvement, but I didn't do much, and neither did Spider-Man. What should I write about the Wanderers and all these other heroes?"

As she puzzled, various other people were talking to each other about the recent events, their next moves, and readying any other questions they might have for Harbinger, Clark Sparks, and the rest of the Wanderers who had led the whole mission.

[The Purple Skull]

"This battle belongs to us. Through sheer will of survival and the noblest of sacrifices, there will be a tomorrow. I---"

The Savage Hawkman's speech is cut off by another flash of lightning, followed by...

BLINK!

...A pink portal.



"I must leave now. The next part of my personal journey is about to begin. May the gods protect you all."

And with that, the Savage Hawkman flies off into the portal.

BLINK!


Meanwhile...



[SCAN 100% COMPLETE]

OOC: NEXT UP - THE MAN IN THE SUPERIOR IRON MASK!

[The Purple Skull]

[SCAN 100% COMPLETE
DATA CATALOGUED
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED]

As the Superior Iron Man approaches the group, the hologram of TONY, appears.



"And that, my friends, is a wrap. You know, for an A.I. that can calculate the odds in the blink of an eye, I never once doubted we would succeed. I guess there's nothing else left to do but---"

[ARMOR DOWN SEQUENCE INITIATED]

"Huh. Looks like the guy under the hood wants to have a word. It's been real, folks. Can't say it's gonna get better after this...."

The Superior Iron Man armors down, revealing its pilot...

"I don't know about you, but I was growing weary of the robot voice. I mean, artificial intelligence? Really now, its just so...








(Delayed Reveal For Dramatic Purposes)















...Utterly cliched.

Greetings, I'm Vandal Savage*. Some of you I've met before, while others I haven't. Quite frankly, I couldn't care less. However, in due time, you'll all know what I'm all about. In the meantime, I just want to thank each and everyone one of you. While you were off "saving the Multiverse" from its impending doom, I was able to use this vastly superior armor to successfully scan and catalogue everybody involved in this so-called Traitor Game. Furthermore, I must give my compliments to whoever had the idea of opening the doorways and allowing all those who've been associated in these Traitor Games to get involved. It really expedited the completion of my mission, and has allowed me to move other plans ahead of schedule.

Thank you again. You're all apart of something bigger. You just don't realize it yet."

After giving a wink and his trademark smirk, Vandal Savage armors up and flies off.

They say whenever Vandal Savage gives a smirk, an angel gets their neck snapped....by Vandal Savage himself.

*Vandal Savage of Traitor Game IX & XX fame! - Purple "Totally did not use the Traitor Game Wikia" Skull