Traitor Game L: Existential Crisis

[Wolvie616]

"What? No, guys..." Rick was confused by the tide of votes turning against him and Banner. "You're all making a huge mistake."

"Gotcha," Gammastorm said aloud, to his internal dialogue. To the group, he ventured, "Look, it may be like you say- that I blew up that nice cyborg lady- if these Hounds can possess anyone. But I feel in my gut that it wasn't me, an' if you guys vote me out... well, you're going to be missing the real killer." He shrugged. "That's all I got."

"My young friend, do not worry just yet! We may ascertain some knowledge that might help up discover who the hound is possessing, if it is not you!"

Hummingbird then spoke up.

"The problem is, I don't know who else to vote for. I know I didn't do this ... don't ask me how, but I know. But who else has the ability to cause Cyborg Sage to explode?"

She sighed. "I wish I knew. If I did, I might change my vote."

A thoughtful expression crossed Dr. Thirteen's face. "Ultra Rogue was with Cyborg Sage shortly before her death, when they were fighting the Cyborg Manhunter," he observed. "We saw what her flash vision did to Henshaw; who knows what her powers could have done to Sage? And she could have been compelled to help Zoom hide the Starheart. I'm sorry, Ultra Rogue; I admire your courage, but I'm changing my vote to you."

"The good doctor raises a fair point. The hound possesses someone new each round. Those who were guilty may no longer be, and those who are innocent may now be guilty. Have thee any defense, Rogue?

Rogue then spoke up in her defense.

She turned in the direction of Doctor Thirteen, now standing up.

"If you're sayin' ah drove myself blind killin' one of my own teammates, then managed to help somebody hide somethin'... at hyper-speed... while blind..."

Rogue sighed.

"Well, ah figure y'all ain't better at seein' with two good eyes."

The true perpetrator continues to elude us. What of the boy?. Thor said, referring to Superboy

OOC: Vote change to Superboy Prime

[Deadpooligan]

"The good doctor raises a fair point. The hound possesses someone new each round. Those who were guilty may no longer be, and those who are innocent may now be guilty. Have thee any defense, Rogue?

Rogue then spoke up in her defense.

The true perpetrator continues to elude us. What of the boy?. Thor said, referring to Superboy

"Boy ain't done much but make an entrance an' stare at me like th' blue ribbon pig at a state fair. Only thing he's guilty of, far as ah'm concerned."

Her eyebrows raised briefly.

"Not that ah ain't concerned," she said, emphasizing the last word.

[Chris Lang]

"Boy ain't done much but make an entrance an' stare at me like th' blue ribbon pig at a state fair. Only thing he's guilty of, far as ah'm concerned."

Her eyebrows raised briefly.

"Not that ah ain't concerned," she said, emphasizing the last word.

"Superboy? I forgot he was even there." Linda said. "He hasn't really done much of anything."

[Joe Acro]

After the battle, the group has gathered on a nearby rooftop. An energy beam from above strikes them all and returns them to The Monitor's satellite. They find themselves on the first floor, overlooking the lobby area they were used to. Roy Lincoln rushes next to The Monitor. "What are you doing? We weren't done! Zoom hid the Starheart from us! We have to keep looking!"

The Monitor swats him aside. "Insolent fool! You know as well as I do. Zoom can summon and send objects anywhere throughout reality. The Starheart is lost to us."

"Zoom herself is lost to us as well," Koriand'r adds. "She is not amongst us. She must have regained consciousness before we left." The princess does her best to hold the group at bay, to prevent them from attacking their host.

"She must have returned to the Suicide Squad. The Starheart must now be in the hands of the Anti-Monitor," Harbinger declares.

Roy rises to his feet. "You had no right, Monitor. We might have located it. We still had time."

"No," The Monitor answers coldly. "We could not afford for you to be there any longer. While you were failing in your mission, I was doing my job and monitoring reality. A key world has been located by the Squad. One or more of their number has invaded Madame Xanadu's shop, a nexus of magical power that was itself the site of a Traitor Game. Without the Starheart, we need to make sure the powerful artifacts there--her tarot deck; the helm of Fate; the wheel, the bell, and the jar; the Spear of Destiny; the Darkhold, itself used in more than one Traitor Game; and, though this sounds strange to you, a stale bundt cake. In addition, the near-infinite set of doors located beneath the shop has access to an unknown number of powerful objects. We cannot allow this site to be captured."

"We understand its importance, Monitor," Harbinger says for the group.

The Monitor then asks, "And what of your other mission? Have you, as a group, believe you have found the final Hound?"

Hummingbird chimes in, "We have. We voted for Gammastorm."

"Is that so? Then your votes are meaningless," The Monitor replies. "Prior to your return, the Judge informed me that they wish to protect Gammastorm."

Harbinger observes, "Then per the agreed-upon protocol, the one with the second-most amount of votes should be analyzed. That would be Hummingbird. But..."

"Yes? Is there a problem?"

"Yes" Roy says, trying to retain his composure. "Just as you have your Guard, Judge, and Speaker, we have our Agents. And unfortunately, Hummingbird is one of them."

"It seems, then, under the circumstances, that she has failed as your Agent," The Monitor chides. Discretely, he flicks his wrist, activating a switch on his console. A gun pops out from the wall opposite them. It fires a beam of light at Hummingbird before she can react. In a flash, she vanishes. It fires again, this time striking Princess Koriand'r. "I have sent them to join the Wanderers, who I have already guided to their next mission."

Roy steadies himself. "You remove an Agent because you think she has failed? What gives you--"

"You know very well," The Monitor interrupts. "These are the rules of the game we agreed to."

"Per those rules, you should also eliminate Arak. He has yet to vote."

"Very well," The Monitor replies, activating the gun to strike Arak as well.

Suddenly, a psychic shriek of excruciating pain pierces their minds. After a moment, it passes.

"Is everyone all right?" Roy says, looking around. He then sees a change. "No, wait. Circe!"

He rushes to the sorceress, who is now on the lobby floor. Helping her up, he asks, "What happened?"

"I think I was pushed," she replies. "But I am unharmed."

"The Guard," The Monitor says. "It seems the last Hound has attacked, and failed."

"This is mixed news. It is good that it failed, but the psychic assault means it has grown in strength."

"All the more reason for us to acquire more power." He flicks another switch on his console. "It is time for you all to continue on your task."

They all vanish.


Moments later, they find themselves in front of Xanadu's shop. A sign on the door says: Enter freely--unafraid

Before them is a stranger.



"These are your two new teammates," he says, motioning to the two people beside him. "Call me Mister Blue Skies. I'm here to help you make your way through this crazy place."

[Froggy]

Dex-Starr purred and gratefully rubbed against Captain Thunder. Then he seized the string in his teeth and dashed away, causing the coils to tighten around Pyro's feet. Next the rage kitty began circling Vibe, trying to entangle him also.

"

Vibe inaudible murmured something as Dex-Starr entangled him and Captain Thunder THUMP'ed him on the head

"Shake and bake this! Now come on guys, let's catch up with Skies and Sparky!" Captain Thunder said, Dex-Starr on his shoulder. Sage would follow and Clark looked at them.

"Sorry for what's about to happen Dex-Starr" Clark said as the group felt their bodies turned to energy, then resolidified as he powered up the Hall of Justice teleporter to take The Wanderers to the Asteroid of Solitude. A massive space base, full of strange living metal and architecture, which was shaking and wobbling, falling apart. If the group looked to one side, they'd see Erik Lensherr wearing a red and purple variation of the iconic Superman suit, a shellshocked Lex Luther.

"Well, seems we have arrived in the middle of the..... Clark's voice trailed off, and those with super senses would hear and see a mist like substance forming into a multicolored demonic countenance.

"It. Is. Handled, teammates" it said, then raised Jafar's lamp. Blue Skies nodded in confirmation, Saturn Girl gave a thumbs up and Captain Thunder heartily patted The Demon on the back.


"Right. Sage, Dex, meet the other member of our team, The Metamorpho Demon. He's a very efficient man. I'm amazed you were able to tale them both on though" Clark said to the two newcomers and The Demon himself.

"I only had to fight Lensherr. Luthor gave up when he realized the lamp had manipulated him" The Demon said. The group would see Luther looking out a window at the Earth below, mumbling to himself

"I, I did this, I almost let my ego destroy the Earth, destroy my friend, my ally. Will it be alright?" he asked no one in particular. The Demon walked over and put a hand on his shoulder.

"It will. You will rebuild. You are luckier than the other worlds we have seen. Do better is my advice" he told Luther as the group felt a blinding yellow light surround them

" Another artifact found, just Marvy! Hope the others are doing well with her highness Kori!" Saturn Girl exclaimed. Within a measure of something that was slowly losing it's meaning, the group found themselves in Limbo. It was a desolate, dreary landscape, with grey skies and barren land, denizens walking around like they had no direction, no soul, no idea of where to go.

Princess Kori reappeared with the group at this point with Linda Park-West, a.k.a Hummingbird and Arak Magnus.

"This place. Clark, Billy, Imra, Sage, Arak, Hummingbird and feline and duck friends. It feels, neither dead nor alive. she said, a look of sadness on her face.


Then Clark spoke up.

"I know exactly where we are. This cold place is one my father ventured to in his youth. This place is called Limbo"

[Joe Acro]

The Players
Anodyne: Dr. Terrence Thirteen
Deadpooligan: Ultra Rogue
Jeremi: The Cat
Mighty Roman: Superstorm
Indigo Al: Amason
Cthulhudrew: Gammastorm
Wolvie616: Thor Odinson
Chris Lang: Green Lantern Mary Jane
Josh: Superboy-Prime
Masterbasset: The Weaver
Nschornhorst: Circe
The Purple Skull: Savage Hawkman

The Dead:
Jimmy Kudo aka Batman--crushed and bloody
Princess Kitana Prince--burned and stabbed
Sage-exploded

The Eliminated
Red Lantern Dex-Starr--possessed by a Hound
Lobo the Duck-possessed by a Hound!
Hummingbird--an Agent!
Arak Magnus--failed to vote

The Guard prevented Circe from dying
The Judge prevented Gammastorm from being eliminated
The Speaker did not act


Round ends Monday, July 13th, at 11:00 PM EST. Try to get your votes in before then!

[Nschornhorst]

Suddenly, a psychic shriek of excruciating pain pierces their minds. After a moment, it passes.

"Is everyone all right?" Roy says, looking around. He then sees a change. "No, wait. Circe!"

He rushes to the sorceress, who is now on the lobby floor. Helping her up, he asks, "What happened?"

"I think I was pushed," she replies. "But I am unharmed."

"The Guard," The Monitor says. "It seems the last Hound has attacked, and failed."

"This is mixed news. It is good that it failed, but the psychic assault means it has grown in strength."

"All the more reason for us to acquire more power." He flicks another switch on his console. "It is time for you all to continue on your task."

After brushing herself off, Circe turned to her allies (and hidden enemy). "My sincerest thanks to the Guard. Should I gain the opportunity to return the favor, I shall be certain to do so."


After the teleportation, she turned with the others toward Madame Xanadu's shop. "I... I sense great mystical power here. Perhaps this realm will be far more accommodating to my own magical energies."

[Jeremi]

"These are your two new teammates," he says, motioning to the two people beside him. "Call me Mister Blue Skies. I'm here to help you make your way through this crazy place."

The Cat hadn't asked for this. When the Monitor had come to her it was for a guide of her world and nothing more, suddenly she had been swept into a battle for the entire multiverse. Gotham now being under her reckless brother... "It can't be helped..." She sighed in defeat moving up to Xanadu's shop.

Magic was something she wasn't good at nor something she trusted, but if they needed to enter to save the multiverse she'd do it. With a motion beckoning the others to enter she'd push down the door handle to pull up the door and step inside.

[The Purple Skull]

After being down and out for what seemed like a 3 day holiday weekend, the Savage Hawkman had finally recovered from the Daleks' attack.

"For all intents and purposes I should not be here. But my armor--this Nth Metal--took the brunt of the attack and saved me from death. I will not let my guard like that ever again. And mark my words, even if I have to rip through all realities, I will find those automatons and destroy every single last one of them."

[Joe Acro]

Then Clark spoke up.

"I know exactly where we are. This cold place is one my father ventured to in his youth. This place is called Limbo"

"I'm getting word from The Monitor. We're supposed to get various artifacts from someone named Immortus. He apparently has a bunch of powerful objects we may need," Saturn Girl explains.

Magic was something she wasn't good at nor something she trusted, but if they needed to enter to save the multiverse she'd do it. With a motion beckoning the others to enter she'd push down the door handle to pull up the door and step inside.

Around the shop are shelves adorned with various jars, each filled with unique contents, more than a few of which are grotesque. Many shelves house books of esoteric titles and knowledge. Exotic sculptures from far away lands and times occupy much of the shop's extra space. More than a few among the group might swear these were idols...or demons.*

They slowly file in, led by The Cat and Mister Blue Skies.

Trying to put his confrontation with The Monitor behind him, Roy states, "So I finally made it here. I knew of this place and its connection to the Games, but have never visited. Perhaps in a different life, I'd have participated in the game that was held here..."


*Taken from the opening of Game IX

[Jeremi]

"I know exactly where we are. This cold place is one my father ventured to in his youth. This place is called Limbo"

Sage would look around the area. "And what pray tell is it what we seek from this world between worlds?"

Trying to put his confrontation with The Monitor behind him, Roy states, "So I finally made it here. I knew of this place and its connection to the Games, but have never visited. Perhaps in a different life, I'd have participated in the game that was held here..."

"Is there some other significance to this place?" The Cat asked inspecting some items on one of the shelves nearby. "I know of a Madame Xanadu in my world as well, if this is her shop than where is she? I'd imagine us barging into this place would be of interest to her."

[Nschornhorst]

Circe perused the store's many items with interest. "Ah! An Orb of Thesulah! The Ring of Gyges! The Dice of Gygax! Devil's Shoestring! African Dream Root! The Nose of Agamotto! ...I may need a basket."

After a bit more shopping around, Circe paused and asked the obvious question, "With all the unique artifacts present-- which one do we require? Would it be wiser to acquire all of them? Certainly, we could use every advantage possible, correct?"

[Froggy]

"I'm getting word from The Monitor. We're supposed to get various artifacts from someone named Immortus. He apparently has a bunch of powerful objects we may need," Saturn Girl explains.




*Taken from the opening of Game IX

Sage would look around the area. "And what pray tell is it what we seek from this world between worlds?"

Clark looked out over the ever shifting masses of land to a silver city shimmering in the distance, then pointed at the city.

"There's a veritable armory of powerful artifacts here in Limbo, most in that stronghold up ahead. This Immortus has collected them through Traitor Games and hid them in Limbo, but with everything slowly coming unraveled, it is much easier to access this place, and thus much easier to take these artifacts" Clark told Sage. His eyes then sparked and he floated up into the air.



"from what I know of you, your visual abilities should allow you to perceive further distances than most here. You'll join Thunder and I while Kori and Irma lead Hummingbird and the rest"

[Chris Lang]

Mary-Jane Watson Parker, the Green Lantern of Earth, was having a strange day indeed.

It had been five years since her husband, Peter Parker, lost his leg in his final confrontation with Norman Osborn, and five years since Kaine had rescued their daughter, May, from Osborn's associates. And it had been three years since her encounter with a dying alien, who had left her the Green Lantern Ring. Over the past few years, Mary Jane had become the resident hero in the Parker household, and had to deal with some of Peter's old enemies as well as a few new troubles.

But today was a strange one even by those standards. First, she had to subdue both Doctor Octopus and his female associate, Lady Octopus. Fortunately, the Green Lantern energy was up to the task.

And then the Avengers were called into battle to face off against the mysterious Brother Brood, a mad cultist who had become some sort of monster straight out of the Aliens movies. With the help of a few of the X-Men, they were battling Brother Brood and a mad doomsday cult predicting the end of the world.

Mary Jane was at the periphery of that, nabbing a few stray cultists in New York here and there.

"Okay, Rigger, they're all yours." Mary Jane said to Margarita "Rigger" Ruiz of Code:Blue. The latest incarnation of the special SWAT team was hard at work helping to contain the New York-based portion of the threat. "I just hope the Avengers and the X-Men are doing what they can against this Brother Brood. I've never fought against aliens before."

"Don't worry." Rigger said. "The Avengers have saved us before. I'm sure they've got this situation well in hand."

"As well they should." an unexpected voice said. Mary Jane turned to see a strange blonde woman in a blue and red costume speak to her.

"Green Lantern, you are needed on an urgent mission. The fate of more than just your world depends on this."

"Excuse me?" Mary Jane asked. "Who are you?"

"I will explain along the way. Come, there is little time to waste." The blonde woman grabbed Mary Jane's arm, and the two of them vanished.

----

Soon afterward, Mary Jane learned what she needed to know. The blonde woman, who called herself Harbinger, told her of the Monitor and the Anti-Monitor and their quest for the artifacts that would help them to save countless worlds from destruction. The next thing she knew, she was in Madame Xanadu's shop.

"So, we're searching the residence of a fortune teller?" Mary Jane asked. "It looks like Madame Xanadu isn't in at the moment, whoever she is."

Mary Jane took a look around the front room, and then wandered the hall. Strange framed pictures aligned the walls. They were pictures of costumed heroes, some of whom she recognized.

She saw pictures of Captain America, the Punisher, the Shadowcat girl from the X-Men who Peter had teamed with a few times (was she still wearing that blue costume? Mary Jane had lost track), and that Medusa who had teamed with the Fantastic Four on a few occasions. With them in some of the same pictures were ... Catwoman? Boba Fett? Indiana Jones? Darth Vader? Giant robots? As well as a number of people she didn't recognize.

One picture depicted Shadowcat, Catwoman, Squirrel Girl, a few fighters, and a bunch of strange-looking squirrels fighting off against a dragon creature. The plate at the bottom of the picture frame said "Battle with Volvagia".

All of the pictures were photo realistic, apparently photographs taken at various places within Madame Xanadu's residence.

"All right." Mary Jane said, to anyone else in Madame Xanadu's place. "I've just got here. You can call me Green Lantern."

"So, who are the rest of you, and have we been told just what we're looking for here? This place looks like it might have LOTS of mystic artifacts. I just hope Madame Xanadu is okay with us 'borrowing' them to save the world."

[Masterbasset]

It was expected for this to happen. The Weaver, in his soul-encroaching wisdom, was so enamored with this Gotham that his sermon went on and on, taking up all of his attention. The mechanical army was left forgotten, one moment he was ready to strike, the next dosed off in metaphor-academia. It was only after their location was switched did he snap out of it.

He adapted soon enough.

"She must have returned to the Suicide Squad. The Starheart must now be in the hands of the Anti-Monitor,"

The Weaver breaks his monologue to address Harbinger and the bitter Monitor.

the_weaver_by_orm_z_gor-d5bssr3smaller.jpg

...THE FIRST BATTLE LOST IN THIS WAR AFTER MANY A VICTORY WHAT IS A HEART IT IS AN EMPTY ORGAN WITHOUT THE NECESSARIES FOR LIFE TO YIELD WE HAVE THE NULLIFYER THAT GREAT ERASER THE NIGHT'S SWORD AND ETERNITY'S TOME YES WE AS WEAVERS WE MUST DO BETTER I AM NOT USED TO MISTAKES BUT A MISS-SNIP ALONG THE WORLDWEAVE IS JUST THE BIRTH OF ACCIDENTAL GENIUS WE ADAPT WE MOVE AND WE WEAVE WORRY NOT MONITOR THERE IS STILL MUCH TO MONITOR...

Harbinger observes, "Then per the agreed-upon protocol, the one with the second-most amount of votes should be analyzed. That would be Hummingbird. But..."

"I think I was pushed," she replies. "But I am unharmed."

...INDEED INDEED AN EXCITING TURN OF EVENTS THE JUDGE DECREES HIS VERDICT JUSTICE IS BLIND INDEED THE GUARD WITHSTOOD THE ASSAULT SAVED THE HEX-WEAVER MY OH MY THIS IS WHAT THE GAME IS ALL ABOUT YES LOOK AT US GO WEAVING OUR INEXPERT WEAVES THE MULTIVERSE LIVES ON...

...THOUGH QUESTIONS QUESTIONS ABOUND MONITOR OR HARBINGER I HAVE A QUESTION THIS PSYCHIC ASSAULT DO WE TREAT THIS AS THE METHOD THE HOUND'S HOST WOULD USE IN THE KILLING OF CIRCE OR CAN THE HOUND NOW ACT ON ITS OWN AND WE MUST STRIKE BLIND?

"So, who are the rest of you, and have we been told just what we're looking for here? This place looks like it might have LOTS of mystic artifacts. I just hope Madame Xanadu is okay with us 'borrowing' them to save the world."

...HELLO NEW WEAVER GREEN LANTERN LET ME HELP YOU HELP YOU STEADY YOUR VERTIGINOUS MIND VENEER YOUR CRAFTINGS WE ARE TO GUARD THIS LOCATION THIS VARIED VENDOR OF THE ODD FROM ATTACK AS WELL AS PAY CLOSE OPTICAL OBSERVANCE TO THE MADAME'S TAROT CARD DECK, THE HELM OF FATE, THE WHEEL, THE BELL, THE JAR, THE SPEAR OF DESTINY, THE DARKHOLD, AND AN EXPIRED BUNDT CAKE...

He crawled the isles of the shop, displacing things from their rightful spot.

...ALLOW ME THE BUNDT CAKE THE DESSERT ROBBED OF ITS PRIME ALLOW ME PLEASE...

He goes toward the aisle where perishable magic objects should be. What does he find?