Traitor Game L: Existential Crisis

[Chris Lang]

...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."[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

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


[/center][/B]

At this latest revelation, Kitty Pryde and Goombella stared in shock. "Vandal Savage?" Kitty exclaimed, in confusion. "But ... I thought he was dead."

Goombella nodded. "When we returned to the Rogue Watcher's Moonbase, we did try to find where he ended up after our final showdown with him. But we could have been totally mistaken, y'know? That body our instruments found back in the prehistoric past could have been, like, his other world counterpart or something."

"But they DID trace him there... and that's where we lost track of him." Kitty added.

Mary Jane approached, followed by Spider-Girl and a few of the Spider-Men. "Who is this Vandal Savage?" Mary Jane asked.

Franziska von Karma approached. "I have had the displeasure of meeting him once, in another Traitor Game. He is an arrogant man who believes himself superior merely because some meteor extended his lifespan."

Kitty Pryde turned to Mary Jane. "It's a long story. He's a man from prehistoric times who became immortal because he was exposed to strange radiation from a meteor. Or something. He's used his long life as an excuse to be a villain, a bully, and a power-grabber. In short...."

vandalsavagejerk3.jpg

"VANDAL SAVAGE IS A JERK!"

goombella2.JPG

"He did some really gnarly stuff with the Limbo Legion ... Immortus' Limbo Legion, not that weak one that my evil double is in charge of." Goombella added. "It's a really long story .... waaaay too long to tell now. If we were to tell the story from when it began, we'd have to, like, take up 450 or more pages cause if you put together the ninth Traitor Game, the twentieth, and all those Limbo Legion backups, that's how long it'd be. And if we talk about Immortus, we'd totally have to start earlier, with my first Traitor Game."

"It's a long and really gnarly story. But at the end, everyone fought against him in Immortus' Limbo after he caused the place to go totally bonkers. We all got some good hits in... Captain America, Kitty, Ms. Marvel, Rogue, Thorpool, even Bob." Goombella said. "In the end, our attacks pushed him through a space/time portal that would leave him stranded who-knows-where, and that was, like, the last most of us saw of him. Until now, anyway."

Mary Jane tried to take all this in. She tried to think of a comparable villain on her world. "I don't know if we have anyone like him on our world. Until now, I've been facing the usual villains P - Spider-Man would face. Immortal megalomaniacs are more like people the Avengers would fight."

Spider-Girl stared at Mary Jane. Indeed, this was an alternate world version of her mother. This meant that any conversation between them at all was likely to be ... awkward, at best.

"I was there." Spider-Girl said. "Not because I wanted to. I was dragged into that Limbo by that time distortion, and had to fight Savage and all those other enemies. It looks like we haven't seen the last of him."

Kitty and Goombella just sighed.

Franziska von Karma scowled. "An egotistical foolhardy foolish fool such as him is bound to make a few mistakes. He will pay the penalty for his crimes one day."

Elsewhere, Shannon Ford and Terry Franklin had observed the scene from afar. Shannon took some notes, to forward to her superiors. If indeed Vandal Savage was on the loose, as Destiny had predicted, then the authorities needed to be informed.

[Chris Lang]

Linda sighed. She and Batgirl had received answers to their questions, but in the end, Linda had to hope things would work themselves out. Whatever happened to Zoom or Batmage would largely be up to them.

Linda then stood by and watched as many of the people from previous Traitor Games left. She didn't know any of those people, so she had nothing to say. She stood and watched as Ukyo Kuonji bid farewell to Chisame Hasegawa and the rest of the Mahora Academy class as they headed off to return home. Jeff-E and Jade Curtiss, too, left, and Ukyo said her farewells.

She turned, and saw Lia Nelson saying farewell to Oracle, and Goombella saying goodbye to Peter Pan and Keitaro Urashima. As she took in these sights, a thought hit her.

"All these people. They come from different worlds ... different dimensions... and yet they seem to be good friends." Linda said.

The elder Cologne spoke up. "It is one of the great ironies of the Traitor Games. By their nature, they incite suspicion and fear, but many who may never have met without them have formed bonds as a result. Friendships have been made, and alliances have been formed. People from different universes have found common ground, and united against common enemies."

"Roy Lincoln understood this." Cologne continued. "He was a man who not only knew a lot of people, but knew the Traitor Games themselves very well. The bonds we had forged in the Traitor Games were key to bringing us all together in this most desperate time. Since many of us were already acquainted, it was easy for us to join forces and coordinate attacks within a few minutes of our arrival here."

"Did you know him?" Linda asked. "Roy, I mean."

"Not as well as I would have liked." Cologne said. "We all owe him a debt we may never be able to repay. Thanks to his courage, and his love for all the worlds he had encountered, we have all been given a new lease on life."

Goombella, having seen several of those she knew from Traitor Games 8, 10, and 14 take their leave, overheard the discussion.

"Roy Lincoln and I go way back to the tenth Traitor Game." Goombella said. "I kinda joined in halfway through, and I didn't, like, get much chance to hang out with him or anything. But yeah ... he went to lots of places, made lots of friends. He knew lots of people who totally didn't have anything in common. I think that in the end, he cared about everybody, y'know?"

Just as Goombella finished her speech, a team of SHIELD agents walked past them, intent on cleaning up after themselves. As they did, they disturbed a piece of rock, which fell to the ground and shattered, revealing a metal box.

Linda was the first to reach the metal box. It appeared to be a plain metal box with a simple lid. She cautiously opened the box.

Inside the box was a DVD set, with a cover reading Traitor Game 10: I'll Take Valhalla.

"What is this?" Linda asked. "How did this get here?"

"This is, like, a really gnarly coincidence." Goombella said. "This shows up just as we were..."

Cologne smiled, knowingly. "I suspect the Powers That Be behind the Traitor Games wanted us to have this."

"Yeah, I kinda figured that." Goombella replied. "That was some really crazy timing."

"So people have been making DVDs of the Traitor Games?" Linda asked. "Why would they do that?"

"They have their reasons." Cologne said. "I can't say what they are. But they have been most helpful in preserving the records of the Traitor Games. This may make for interesting viewing, once we're at a location more suited for watching videos."

"I don't know. I think I need to talk to Clark Sparks and the others first. And then ... I'll go home." Linda said.

As Linda turned to speak with Clark Sparks and the rest of the Wanderers, she noticed another box. Wondering if more DVDs of Traitor Games would be found inside the box, she opened it.



Much to her surprise, it was filled with a bunch of weird T-shirts. "What are these?" she blurted out.

"The Traitor Game Powers That Be have a totally weird sense of humor." Goombella said. "These are, like, little in-jokes, y'know? Don't let it bug you too much."

Linda nodded, and then headed off to where the Wanderers were meeting.

[Chris Lang]

Green Lantern Mary Jane, meanwhile, was having an awkward confrontation with Spider-Girl. "So you're my daughter? From another reality?"

"Yeah." Mayday replied. "How old am I in your world?"

"Only a child." Mary Jane said. "I ... I don't know how I feel about the possibility of her going into the family business."

"Just teach her what you ... my Mom and Dad ... taught me. That with great power..."

"...must come great responsibility." They finished almost in unison.

Elsewhere, Princess Leia took notice of how Darth Jubba the Sith Hutt, now covered in high-tech shackles and armor, was being loaded into a SHIELD transport. With the bearing of an experienced diplomat, Leia approached Shannon Ford, the agent who appeared to be in charge of the SHIELD contingent present.

Shannon Ford, meanwhile, was assisting Terry Franklin in disposing of the blue Iron Man armor Terry had used in the battle. The Iron Man armor had been very useful in the battle, but now that everyone knew Vandal Savage was the source, Shannon and Terry agreed that it was best to have it locked away until it had been inspected thoroughly for any kinds of spyware or anything else that might compromise one's safety or privacy or information.

"Excuse me," Leia said. "I am Princess Leia Organa, formerly of the Imperial Senate. If you're taking Darth Jubba prisoner, this could shift the balance of power in our galaxy significantly."

"We've thought about it." Shannon said. "The fact is, if we were to let Darth Jubba return to your world, the balance of power might shift for the worse. He knows too much about other realities now. Some time ago, a counterpart of his from another world obtained the means to access other universes. This counterpart ended up co-hosting a Traitor Game, and was planning on invading dozens of other realities as the galaxy where Tatooine, Yavin, Endor, Naboo and the rest are located wasn't enough for him anymore.*"

"In the end, he was killed, but we're observing his counterparts on other worlds very carefully to see if they show any similar signs of expanding their operations beyond their own worlds. This one is the one from your world -- we figured that out at the end of the 41st Traitor Game -- and he shows signs of becoming as dangerous as the one from the seventh Traitor Game. So we will be imprisoning him in the special Vault in the Negative Zone, and chances are you and your world will never hear from him again."

Terry nodded. "If the Force is going to awaken in your world, it's going to have to do so without Darth Jubba."

Terry paused, and blushed, as he realized he was talking to one of his childhood heroes. Not the actress who played her in the movies, but the actual person. Embarassed, he knew he'd have to explain himself. "Excuse me, Princess, but ... your reputation precedes you. I've always admired you for the way you take charge, and stand up to Darth Vader and Jabba the Hutt."

Leia paused. "Thank you." she said. Outwardly, she was in diplomat mode. Inwardly, Leia was a bit worried. I hope he isn't going to ask me for my autograph. Ever since the battle ended, I've had to sign dozens of pictures.

Nabiki Tendo, in particular, made the Princess sign two dozen photographs of Leia, while Lotta Hart snapped a few photos of her. Nabiki let it slip how valuable autographs of Princess Leia would be on her world.

"Anyway, are you sure you can handle the Sith Hutt?" Leia asked. "He's strong with the Dark Side of the Force."

"Don't worry." Shannon said. "We've prepared for the possibility of taking him alive well in advance. We've fitted him with specially designed inhibitor collars - similar to the restraining bolts placed on many droids in your galaxy - that will keep him from using the Force to escape. I'd tell you how they work, but that information's classified. Just rest assured that your world won't have to deal with him anymore."

"I should be returning. I'm needed for an important meeting with the Rebel Alliance." Leia said. "Thank you for all that you've done."

"Thank you for your help, as well." Shannon said. "You handled the situation in the 36th Traitor Game very well, from what I hear. Even if you'd never heard of the Love Boat, David Bowie, or General Zod before. Good luck."

Terry then spoke up. "May the Force be with you."

Princess Leia then left, to return to her own place, in a galaxy far far away.

Terry turned to Shannon. "I had to get in that line, you know that." he said. "To be honest, I was having a hard time not going into fangir...fanboy ... whatever mode when talking to her. Tell me, when you first got into the whole Multiversal Initiative business, did you have problems getting starstruck when you met people who'd been heroes of yours?"

Shannon paused. "Maybe." she said. "But part of being a professional is keeping that sort of thing on the inside. I think you handled yourself pretty well."

As they watched, the transport containing Darth Jubba and several other prisoners was closed. Soon it would be on its way to the Vault, while a few others continued to chat and mingle before returning home to their own worlds.

* Waaay back in Traitor Game VII: A Galaxy Far, Far Away, reposted in Essentials Edition on the Traitor Game Wikia

[Froggy]

What happens to them now... Batgirl asked

The rest of the Suicide Squad... Clark looked at Harbinger who deigned him to speak.


"You're right in asking what happens to them now. Zoom has decided to return to her reality and atone for her crimes. She felt it was the main thing to be done, the only thing she could do. If it means anything to you Linda, she said she saw someone on her return home, a name you mentioned earlier. Wally? Apoarently he's lost. As for Batmage, in the crisis of it all, he seemed to slip away, and with the other Suicide Squad members gone, I can only surmise that he is dispensing some form of Justice upon them....and I think he's the right man for the job" Clark said.


Meanwhile, in a reality barren with life, the being that was once the man known as Hank Henshaw stood on Mars, a Mars empties by it's people. Around him were great works, ancient ruins and artifacts of great power, but no bodies or even machinery to possess. Then suddenly, he found his essence sucked into a device. Holding the device was the man known as Jonathan Killraven!

"To believe a simple thing like a jump drive would contain such a being!" Killraven remarked, holding it up, then handed it over to Bat-Mage, who pocketed the device.

"It is a simple, but effectual prison, especially when placed in the void of a black hole. Abyssal REACH!" Bat-Mage said, and the jump drive disappeared from his hand into space, a black hole. Killraven stared in awe at Bat-Mage.

"You told me there were others, like the swarm. What happened to them?"

"The swarm has been placed in the care of someone who really wanted their hands on the creature and would be a great owner to the pet. They would also treat it like a valued member of their collection" he said. In a far corner of this reality, The Collector looked over it's newest addition, admiring the Starro Swarm as it was kept on ice, a cryostasis cage.

"And the other? The ape? The huge psychic presence?" Killraven asked. As if to answer, the Phoenix raptor would be heard screaming over Mars.

"He has lost his power, and his freedom" was all Bat-Mage said. He then threw his cape over himself and Killraven, then the two were gone. Killraven back on Earth, and Bat-Mage?

Right in front of Clark, Hummingbird and Batgirl. In a surprise, he kneeled before the grandson of Jor-El and the others.

"Atonement, it is unfit for me. This power, it is not for me. After I deposit Grodd in a fitting Arkham, I will dispose of my vestments and cleanse the world I took over. I hope this is sufficient" he said to them.

"Well, that's quite a start, but the road to redemption is a long one you know? Right ladies?"

[Chris Lang]

What happens to them now... Batgirl asked

The rest of the Suicide Squad... Clark looked at Harbinger who deigned him to speak.


"You're right in asking what happens to them now. Zoom has decided to return to her reality and atone for her crimes. She felt it was the main thing to be done, the only thing she could do. If it means anything to you Linda, she said she saw someone on her return home, a name you mentioned earlier. Wally? Apoarently he's lost. As for Batmage, in the crisis of it all, he seemed to slip away, and with the other Suicide Squad members gone, I can only surmise that he is dispensing some form of Justice upon them....and I think he's the right man for the job" Clark said.

"Wally?"

At the mention of the name, Linda's eyes lit up. "Where? Where did she see him?"

It was then that Batmage reappeared.

Right in front of Clark, Hummingbird and Batgirl. In a surprise, he kneeled before the grandson of Jor-El and the others.

"Atonement, it is unfit for me. This power, it is not for me. After I deposit Grodd in a fitting Arkham, I will dispose of my vestments and cleanse the world I took over. I hope this is sufficient" he said to them.

"Well, that's quite a start, but the road to redemption is a long one you know? Right ladies?"

"I suppose it is." Batgirl said. "But what does he mean by 'cleanse the world' he took over?"

Barbara considered herself a reasonable person. As someone who had learned a lot about detective work from her father Commissioner James Gordon and from Batman and Dick Grayson, she knew it was not a good idea to jump to conclusions. Still, before she could be satisfied, she wanted any ambiguities cleared up so she could return to her own world and her own Batman and Bat family satisfied that things were changing for the better in the world Batmage came from.

[Froggy]

"Wally?"

At the mention of the name, Linda's eyes lit up. "Where? Where did she see him?"

It was then that Batmage reappeared.



"I suppose it is." Batgirl said. "But what does he mean by 'cleanse the world' he took over?"

Barbara considered herself a reasonable person. As someone who had learned a lot about detective work from her father Commissioner James Gordon and from Batman and Dick Grayson, she knew it was not a good idea to jump to conclusions. Still, before she could be satisfied, she wanted any ambiguities cleared up so she could return to her own world and her own Batman and Bat family satisfied that things were changing for the better in the world Batmage came from.

"What I mean Barbara, is that the oppressive mystically influenced order I made, created with these borrowed items of power such as the Stranger's cloak, the Cowl of Nabu and the Arcana, will be sealed away and dispersed to the farthest reaches of my world and buried until someone more righteous than I can wear them" he said while rising from his kneeled position.

"After which, I will give myself to the Law of my land, of the people, and be judged. With that said, may you return to your realm with a sense of fulfillment" he told her, then looked at Clark.

"You and the other Wanderers will join me, yes?" He asked Clark.

"Yes, but first I have things to take care of here befire we leave.."

[Chris Lang]

"What I mean Barbara, is that the oppressive mystically influenced order I made, created with these borrowed items of power such as the Stranger's cloak, the Cowl of Nabu and the Arcana, will be sealed away and dispersed to the farthest reaches of my world and buried until someone more righteous than I can wear them" he said while rising from his kneeled position.

"After which, I will give myself to the Law of my land, of the people, and be judged. With that said, may you return to your realm with a sense of fulfillment" he told her, then looked at Clark.

"You and the other Wanderers will join me, yes?" He asked Clark.

"Yes, but first I have things to take care of here befire we leave.."

Barbara nodded. "Thank you." she said simply.

With that, she turned to go, nodding to Dr. Thirteen nearby. "I guess I will be going now. I have to return to my world."

Satisfied that her role in this event had been concluded, Batgirl was ready to take her leave, when she heard a loud voice proclaim "Ho ho ho!"

Santa Claus himself stood nearby, as many of the Multiversal defenders stared. "Many of you are on the nice list this year. Thanks to you, countless worlds have been given the chance to have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and a joyous celebration of all the other holidays as well. And for the record, I don't mind a bit when people say 'Happy Holidays'. That's merely a way of acknowledging there are other holidays besides Christmas, but it'd take too long to name them all."

"Rest assured, I'll be giving many of you something really nice this year. And some of you I still need to reward for saving me during the Larfleeze and Oogie Boogie mess.*"

Linda noted that Santa Claus was looking at what appeared to be a device similar to an iPad or a 'Kindle'. She caught a quick glimpse of the screen, and noticed that Santa was reviewing his lists. A few names on the Naughty list caught her eye: Donquixote Doflamingo, Diamante, Spandam, Admiral Akainu Sakazuki, Ramsay Bolton, Roose Bolton, Ser Alliser Thorne, Darth Jubba the Sith Hutt, Kylo Ren, General Hux, Gideon Malick, Donald Trump, Redd White, Damon Gant, Lex Luthor, Rumplestiltskin, and Ganondorf.

Santa Claus noticed Linda's peeking, and said "Ho ho ho! No need to worry. You're on the nice list this year, Hummingbird. You did good taking over for the Flash of your world, stealing the Nullifier on Monster Island, helping the Wanderers at Appolyon's citadel, and last but not least, being there for Roy Lincoln and the Monitor when they needed you."

He addressed the rest of the large gathering. "I'll hold off on the gifts until Christmas. But rest assured, I and my counterparts in the recently-formed Multiversal Alliance of Santas will be watching you. And while I'm on the subject, I would like to apologize to Cologne, Donna Troy, Archie, Victor von Doom, and all the others involved in Traitor Game 5 for the horrible behavior of my evil counterpart.**"

Cologne nodded. "None of us accepted him as the true Santa Claus. Not even the most bitter and cynical amongst us." she said. "It is for the best that he is gone now. Though his divergent world counterpart was still alive last I heard."

"And according to our records, working with A.I.M.***" Shannon Ford chimed in. "But my guess is you already knew that."

"Anyway, we'll think twice before letting him into the Multiversal Alliance of Santas." Santa Claus promised. "For now, I would like to thank all of you. And let us not forget about Roy Lincoln and the Monitor, who gave their all so that the rest of us could be here." Santa removed his hat and held it before his chest, and was silent for a moment.

"I must be back to the workshop to prepare for the Christmas season. Peace on all your worlds, and good will toward everyone! Ho ho ho!" Santa Claus then climbed into his sleigh, which took off into the sky. Moving seemingly at the speed of light, the sleigh was soon lost to sight.

Terry Franklin stared in awe. "I knew Santa Claus was real on some worlds, but seeing him in person... there's no words." he said.

Shannon nodded, in silent agreement. "We should be wrapping things up and returning to HQ soon. We'll just see what the Wanderers and Harbinger have planned first."

* Back in Traitor Tale 5: How Larfleeze Stole Christmas. - Chris Lang
** Waaay back in Traitor Game V: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Traitor, Essential edition now re-posted in the Wikia blog. - Chris Lang again.
*** That was in Traitor Game 10, which I may repost in the near future.**** - Chris Lang again.
**** More reposts might come, but when and where I can't say.***** - Chris Lang
***** And this is getting long. And the Purple Skull might get on my case for stealing the multiple footnote gag from him.****** -- Chris Lang again
****** So that's it. I still will have a few epilogues and such later. - Chris Lang

[Chris Lang]

And so Barbara Gordon, also known as Batgirl and formerly known as the Damsel of Bats, took her leave of the group to return home to her own dimension. She had not been a part of this long, but her role in the Batmage situation was just enough to earn her thanks for her assistance.

She left receiving a number of well-wishes, as well as a few people telling her not to open the door for the Joker. She couldn't see why she would do that anyway.

The cosmic crisis had been ended. Now she could focus on her own world, and Gotham city. It would indeed be nice to get back to street-level criminal investigations and the usual Arkham gang of crazies. Barbara had had more than enough of dark sorcerers and world-destroying anti-matter creatures. She was looking forward to meeting up with Dick Grayson and the rest, and resuming the normal routine.

Dr. Olympia Myklos also departed, taking with her the corpse of one of the Sandpeople. The deceased Tusken Raider would make an interesting addition to the Alcoholic Preservation Lab in the Leyendecker Museum basement. Though she doubted that she'd ever be able to display it as an actual museum exhibit. People around her told her the Sandpeople were bit players in a series of movies that, in her time period, wouldn't be released for fifty years. So as fascinating as Olympia herself found the creature, it would be difficult to find an exhibit where the Sandperson actually fit in.

So it would have to remain in the Preservation Lab for now, alongside the Loch Ness Monster and King Edward of Daventry.

The two Danielle Moonstars were speaking to each other.

"So, that was my world's Pierce?" the Marvelous West Dani said. "Was he the one we saw die?"

"I think so." MC-217 Dani, said. "Agent Ford seems to think so, when I asked her. I've worked with Agent Ford before. She can tell based on how they dress, and on 'quantum signatures' that determine someone's dimension of origin. She did not have time to get Pierce's quantum signature, but she has reason to believe this was your world's Pierce, as he disappeared from your world while you were distracted with your Traitor Game."

"So ... what do I do now?" the Marvelous West Dani asked her counterpart.

MC-217 Dani was now reminded of a movie she had seen with her New Mutants teammates. In particular, she was reminded of Inigo Montoya's confusion at the end of The Princess Bride, after he had found and punished the murderer of his father. "You should be glad you haven't been in the revenge business too long." MC-217 Dani said, after a moment. "But if your world is anything like mine, you have friends to make. Look up Charles Xavier, and Moira MacTaggert. They can help you decide where to go from here, and they can introduce you to some new people."

MC-217 Dani added a knowing smile. "And if you're lucky, you will make some of the best friends you have ever made in your life."

Marvelous West Dani was not entirely sure what to say. But the look in her counterpart's eyes made it seem to her that her counterpart knew what she was talking about. "I ... do not know if they are the same as they are in your world. But ... I will try. I will seek them out, as you say. For my grandfather, and myself. Thank you."

With that, Marvelous West Dani turned away, to return to her own world.

MC-217 Dani chose to stay behind for a while, as a few people from her world had not left yet.

[Chris Lang]

More people departed and returned to their own worlds. Keitarō Urashima returned home, as did Moon Knight, Ultimate Spider-Woman, Samus Aran, Vegeta, several versions of Spider-Man including Formerly Zombie Spider-Man, Asuka Langley Soryu, two versions of the Hulk, three versions of the Punisher, Gogo Yubari, Ty Lee, Luke Atmey, Jake Marshall, Kyon, and all the Kamen Riders.

Peter Pan had been one of the first to leave, his presence completely unnoticed by his nemesis Captain Hook, who had been too preoccupied by the battle and its aftermath.

Fire Fist Ace also departed, satisfied with the outcome. Now he could resume his pursuit of Marshall D. Teach.

"Looks like most of the people Roy summoned are going home." Shannon commented. "Though there's still a few stragglers."

Storm, from the Exiles, nodded. "The Exiles are about to leave. Our work here is almost done."

"This was the closest call the Multiverse has had since the Thanos incident you were at the center of." Shannon replied. "Let's hope this is the last of these sorts of things for a while."

Storm nodded.

Spider-Girl and American Dream overheard the discussion.

"I couldn't agree more," American Dream said. "I'd rather deal with people trying to take over the world then dealing with those trying to destroy it."

"I know I've had enough of them." Spider-Girl said. "Right now, I just want to go home and get a good night's sleep."

"You've earned it, Spider-Girl." Shannon said. "You saved a lot of lives out there."

"I know." Spider-Girl said. "I just wish I could have saved more. Some of your SHIELD agents still died. And so did that Green Lantern girl, and..."

"It could have been worse." Shannon replied. "Just be glad you were there to save who you did. A lot of people just went home who wouldn't be going home if you hadn't been there."

"I guess you're right." Spider-Girl said. "Still, I wish we could have done more."

"Believe me, I'm just as disturbed by these things as you are." Shannon said. "The idea that Thanos and the Anti-Monitor could go as far as they did before they were finally stopped doesn't sit well with me either. Even with some warning, this was still a very close call. But it's over now. You can go home safe."

American Dream wondered what Shannon meant by 'even with some warning'. But she chose not to press Agent Ford on this. For now, she would respect the Multiversal Initiative's need to keep some of its sources secret. "It was good working with you again, Agent Ford." American Dream said. "But my own world needs me. No one knows what the future may bring, but at least we still have one."

"Thank you, both of you." Shannon said. "And if your world encounters anything that clearly isn't from your world, let us know."

Spider-Girl and American Dream then left through the portal to their world.

American Dream was looking forward to reuniting with the rest of the Avengers. Together, they would continue the fight against would-be world conquerors and other threats to the peace and safety of their world. The price of freedom, after all, was eternal vigilance.

Spider-Girl, too, knew that she would have more enemies to face. She accepted that when she put on the costume. Funny Face and Angel Face would probably turn up again eventually. Her dad believed the Hobgoblin might have survived the seemingly fatal encounter with Mayhem, as a side effect of the goblin formula. And of course there were other gangsters and supervillains out there. But after what Spider-Girl had just seen and been through, she would be glad to get back to more down to earth street level stuff.

For now, she was just going to return to her friends and family, and rest.

----

Linda Park, aka Hummingbird, wanted to leave. However, she only had the vague hint that Wally was out there, somewhere, having been seen by Zoom on her return home. Perhaps the Wanderers and Harbinger had more to say, or perhaps they had said enough. She wondered if they would be able to help her find Wally ... her Wally. The one from her world.

If they had nothing to say, perhaps the Exiles or the Multiversal Initiative would be able to help her.

[Chris Lang]

Sofia Mantega and Laurie Collins prepared to return to their own world.

"Laurie, are you okay?" Sofia asked.

"I'm fine. It's just that..." Laurie broke off. "I'm scared. What if my powers..."

"I know." Sofia said. "You're worried about losing control. You can talk to Ms. Moonstar ... our Ms. Moonstar... about it when we get home. But for what it's worth, I think you did good. You were able to protect yourself from the pervert and his demon counterpart, and you were of great help in the battle."

"I know. I just ... don't want anything like that to happen again." Laurie said. "The next guy might not be someone who had it coming..."

"It wasn't you. It was a combination of a number of strange things. The Sith Hutt. The anti-matter energy. No one saw that result coming." Sofia said. "Neither of us should have been involved in this sort of battle in the first place - we're students, learning how to use our mutant powers. But we did our best, and it saved lives. If you need someone to back you up when you talk about this to Ms. Moonstar, I'll be there."

"Thanks, Sofia." Laurie said. The two students from Xavier's School then departed, returning to their home world.

Another duo that prepared to depart was Betty Brant and Lotta Hart. The two had overheard the girls from Xavier's, and Lotta paused to speak to Betty.

"Way I see it, them gals had more business bein' here than we did. They still had super-powers. Were it not for that Iron Man fella given' us armor, we'd have spent the whole battle hidin' behind Belldandy and them SHIELD folks." Lotta said.

"Even then, we were almost killed. I can't believe you attacked the Sith Hutt by yourself." Betty replied. "I knew you were impulsive, but that was just reckless."

"How was I ta know he had them Force powers and could shoot lightning at me?" Lotta said. "I thought he was that Jabba fella from the movies. Yer right, though. Not one of my better ideas, reckgiven."

"I'm glad you're all right." Betty said. "I'm glad we've all got a world to go back to now."

"Thanks to them folks over there. I can't wait ta get back home. I reckon I'm gonna stick with scandals and gossip fer a while, and leave all the cosmic battle stuff to the super-folk." Lotta said.

Betty nodded. "Take care of yourself. I hope things work out."

With a wave, Betty Brant returned to her home world.

Lotta Hart, pausing just a few moments to take a few more pictures of the stragglers, headed home soon afterward.

Lia Nelson, the Tangent Flash, also prepared to leave. She was saying her farewells to the Green Lantern Mary Jane and the other Green Lanterns.

"Wow! This is so awesome that the universe is saved!" Lia said. "Though it's a bummer that Roy guy ... you know ... gave his life and all. He seemed very nice."

"If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't be here." Mary Jane said. "But we did good, too. You with your light beams and us with the Power Ringed lighthouses. Those Shadow Demons would have killed more people if we hadn't been there."

"Yeah. We totally went to town on them, y'know? This battle was, like, totally cosmic! But I'd like to go back to my world now and see if I can get some cool gigs. Maybe I can get another movie deal. And maybe I can get 'Let's Light It Up' as my theme music now that AJ Lee's called it quits." Lia replied.

"Too soon!" shouted someone from far away, though Lia didn't know who it was.

"Thank you, Lia." Mary Jane said. "I hope everything works out for you."

Mary Jane, having been an actress and a model for a while, knew something of fame and the spotlight, even though her acting was mostly a few stage appearances and a soap opera. Lia Nelson, meanwhile, was clearly a huge celebrity on her home world. But still, she felt the two of them had a few things in common, even if it was not all that much.

Lia Nelson smiled and waved, and zipped toward the portal to her own world at the speed of light.

Mary Jane stood there, pausing. She knew she had a lot to think about, and a few things to discuss with the other Green Lanterns before she, herself, returned home.

[Chris Lang]

The departures continued. By now, most of the participants from previous Traitor Games had returned to their own world. Xena and Gabrielle had left, as had Bouncing Boy, Matter Eater Lad, Ambush Bug, Ben Linus, Sinestro, most of the other Yellow Lanterns, and most Traitor Game Year One participants aside from Ranmaverse residents and members of the Rogue Avengers. Danielle Moonstar and Rogue were among those staying behind for a while.

Terry Franklin had taken some time to meet with Love Child. The hippie goddess of love had a great many things to attend to in other worlds, but promised to keep in touch with Terry. Terry had also spoken with a few of his other acquaintances from the 'Custom Made for Calamity' game, such as Ultra Squirrel, Zee D'Vell, and the Trio of Sparks/Blur, Jamie/Wraith Woman, and Tyler Terrific. Most of them had returned home. So now Terry needed to speak with Shannon Ford, as a few others had approached him telling him she had urgent news for him.

He approached Shannon. "I've been hearing from a few people, including Franziska von Karma. They said you had some news for me. Some said it sounded serious, as if it was bad news."

"I suppose it doesn't matter now." Shannon said. "What I was going to tell you is that the world containing Vault 4 had been reported destroyed by the Anti-Monitor. That would be the vault where your medallion is stored, meaning that it was likely destroyed. Therefore, you'd be stuck in your present form. But thanks to the sacrifice of the Monitor and Roy, all those worlds were restored. So your medallion is still intact and waiting, whenever you want to use it."

Terry sighed in relief. "Well, that's good to know, I guess. But really, it's no big deal. I mean, everyone almost died. For good. My not being able to switch back to the form I was born in is so small compared to everything else we almost lost."

"It is." Shannon said. "But I did worry about you, regardless of the results of those psych tests we ran on you. I would suggest that if you're going to keep using it, you let your family and friends back home know about it. But NOT about your activities with the Initiative. As far as they know, you quit SHIELD and aside from your helping Maria Hill during the Skrull crisis, you haven't been back since."

"My girlfriend already knows." Terry said, a broad smile forming on his bearded face. "And we've ... well, let's just say we've had some fun with it and leave it at that. Anyway, I'll keep what you said in mind."

"Good." Shannon said. "Anyway, the Initiative's part in this is done. Everyone but leadership is free to go home at this point." As she spoke, she turned to where SHIELD agents were departing through the portals to an Initiative headquarters. "Just as soon as everyone's been identified, of course. Everyone must pass through inspection first."

As she spoke, there was a loud and annoying beeping. "Incorrect quantum signature!" said a SHIELD technician, holding her tricorder-like instrument. "The ID says he's Agent Triplett of Earth MC-272, but his signature is reading Earth MC-217!"

At this point, the false Agent Triplett began shifting in form, to become ... Mystique.

"I suspected you would detect me." Mystique said. "I did not have high hopes of being able to infiltrate your hidden base on my own, anyway. But I needed to get your attention, and now that I have it, I will explain."

"Stun her!" Shannon shouted, motioning to the SHIELD agents surrounding Mystique. Before Mystique could utter another word, she was zapped by an agent with an ICER. Mystique fell, unconscious, to the ground.

Terry turned to Shannon. "Did you have to do that? She was about to explain herself to us."

"The explanation will have to wait until she's secured." Shannon said. "We don't want her to get away from us this time."

This was the second time Terry had seen Mystique attempt to infiltrate a SHIELD Multiversal Initiative operation. He knew, of course, that the higher-ups were quick to act upon attempted infiltrations. But as much as he tried to shake it, he could not help feeling that Shannon already knew more about Mystique's motives than she was letting on.

He knew, however, that this was neither the time nor the place to voice his concerns on the matter. So he said nothing as the agents of the Multiversal Initiative placed restraints on Mystique and carried her through the portal leading to the place of imprisonment. But at some point, however, he would have to speak up and ask some questions. And he somehow knew that he would not like the answers.

But all that, however, would have to wait for another time.

[Chris Lang]

Bowser and Kammy also took their leave. "Bwah! Another cameo over! Second game in a row we've been reduced to a mere cameo!" Bowser groaned.

"You still have the regular series, your Main Arch-enemyness." Kammy replied. "There's always the Mushroom Kingdom to try taking over ... again."

"You're right, Haggy! But next time around in these games, we'd better have a bigger part!" With that, Bowser and Kammy returned to their own world.

Phantom Girl and Saturn Girl turned to the Wanderers. "It's time for us to return to our own time." Saturn Girl said. "Thank you all for your efforts." She then turned to her counterpart, the Saturn Girl from the Wanderers. "It was interesting meeting you, if only briefly. Glad we were able to work together to coordinate everyone."

Phantom Girl nodded. "I just hope it's a long time before we have to deal with anything like this again. We've already faced the Anti-Monitor more times than anyone should ever have to."

"I know, Tinya. This was a close call. Too close." Saturn Girl said. "But it's over now. And I hope this will be the last of these crises. Now, we have to return home, and see that all this is recorded in our historical records."

And so the Legion of Super Heroes members returned to their own time, with the major exception being the other Saturn Girl who was with the Wanderers.

"It's time we set sail, and resumed our journeys across the Multiversal Sea." Pirate Kitty announced. "Fair winds and safe journeys to all of you." With that, Pirate Kitty, Pirate Colossus, Belinda Bullington, Shallows Waterford, and the rest of the crew of the Shady Cat left to resume their journeys. Captain Hook and his crew soon followed, as did Tetra and her crew.

The white-robed figure stared, and observed. "Well, it looks like most of the people Roy Lincoln called in to help from previous Traitor Games have all returned home. The only ones left are those under the jurisdiction of Higher Tier Powers That Be who were involved in this particular Traitor Game. Or what they call in my world 'Traitor Game players who participated in this game'. This scenario is pretty much over, and it's best to have most of the focus of the remaining epilogues be on those people who were here from the start, as opposed to those people from past games who joined in during the final battle."

"Thing is, I don't know if there are going to be any epilogues for Clark Sparks or the Wanderers. So wrapping this up so we can move on might be all up to me."

The white-robed figure motioned to Cologne, Ukyo, Goombella, and Kitty Pryde. "You, you four have long been considered my 'signature' player-characters. We go back a long way, back to the first year. On your worlds, it might not seem like much time has passed, but on my world, it's been nine years since I first picked Cologne to be a participant in the fifth Traitor Game, and Ukyo for the sixth. And in less than a month, it'll be nine years since Goombella made her Traitor Game debut."

"I don't understand. Why are you telling us this?" Ukyo asked.

"Well, it's part of my point. A lot has changed since then." the figure continued. "Back then, Facebook had only recently overthrown MySpace as the main social network, and Google had yet to initiate its failed attempt to dethrone Facebook with Google Plus. Back then, George W. Bush was still President of the United States, Heroes was the hot new show, there was only one Michael Bay Transformers movie which we thought was actually okay, and iPhones weren't even a thing yet."

"For us High Tier Powers That Be, a lot has changed since the Traitor Games began. And our own lives haven't stood still. We've had changes in our day jobs, family status, and more. And that means a lot of us have less time to devote to the Traitor Games. It's got to the point where ... I have a hard time saying this ... I don't know how many more Traitor Games there are going to be. I don't want to go overboard and say goodbye to you all, but given the fact that I haven't found the time to re-present all the previous pre-reboot Traitor Games, it might be for the best if we give a lot of our signature characters some time off from the Traitor Games for a while."


goombella2.JPG

"So you're saying we, like, won't be in any Traitor Games for a while?" Goombella asked.

"Well, Goombella, you might still show up anyway. You played a good role in the previous Traitor Game, enough to introduce you to any newcomers. But a lot of newcomers won't really know all about Kitty Pryde, Thorpool, Vandal Savage, Ares, Grimlock, and so on until we re-present the games they previously appeared in. The one Power That Be behind this latest Traitor Game suggested I re-present the Tenth Traitor Game in the post-game features of this one -- that would be the one with not only the first appearance of Roy Lincoln, but of Ares, Grimlock, Thorpool, Spider-Girl, and Bob and Karl. But I'll need to find enough time to do it."

"Anyway, regardless of what the future holds for the Traitor Games, I think most of you have earned time off from them. You can tend to things in your normal worlds for a while."

(continued)

[Chris Lang]

cologne1.jpg

Cologne addressed the figure in white. "Many of the participants have voiced their concerns about the recent crisis. Too many universe-threatening crises have happened lately, connected to the Traitor Games. They want some assurance that this is the last such crisis, for a while."

"I'll admit, it bothers me too. I know I just told you more time passes for us High Tier Powers That Be than for all of you, but to me, this Anti-Monitor crisis was still too soon after the big battle with Thanos in War of the Exiles." The figure replied. "The thing is, the fate of the Multiverse, or Omniverse hanging in the balance is about as high stakes as you can get. It's not good for it to happen too often. The thing is, here, Roy Lincoln used the help of Traitor Game energy and Traitor Game participants to SAVE the Multiverse -- thus validating the entire existence of the Traitor Games themselves. All of you here, and everyone who's returned to their home worlds, owes their lives and the continued existence of their home worlds, to the Traitor Games."

"That wasn't my idea, by the way. It was the idea of a fellow veteran High Tier Power That Be, and he and The Purple Skull -- another veteran Power -- might team up to host one more game in the future, but when that might happen I can't say. But I'm digressing."

"The point is, yes, I understand where you're coming from. I don't know what the next Traitor Game will be like, or when it'll happen, but I'm kind of hoping it'll be a bit smaller scale as far as stakes go. Maybe a territorial dispute like Odin and Hela's in Traitor Game 10, or someone wanting to seize power or control of a town or city, if not the world. Or maybe they're just testing the players' wits for some reason or another. We need more space between the Omnicidal Maniacs, and we've shown in the past that it's possible to do smaller scale stuff in the Traitor Games."

"But that's just me. I can't speak for the other Powers That Be, and we need to get together and discuss later games soon. Right now, that's all up in the air."

"What about Vandal Savage?" Kitty Pryde said. "He said he was observing us as part of some greater plan."

"My guess is that's a possible setup for that other game I just mentioned." the figure replied. "As I said, I don't know when that'll be, but don't worry about it for now. It's a bridge we'll cross whenever we come to it."

"So what happens now?" Ukyo asked.

"You all resume your lives back in your own worlds, until whenever time you might be needed for more multiple universe-spanning adventures." the figure replied. "The next Traitor Game, whenever that may be, will probably have people who have never been picked by the Powers That Be to be participants in Traitor Games before. New 'player characters', as they say. In any case, this isn't goodbye. This is ... until we meet again."

Ranma and Nabiki approached Ukyo. "All right. I've got enough autographs from fictional characters and celebrities. Time to go home, where things are our normal type of crazy." Nabiki said.

"The world's safe, Ucchan. We can go home." Ranma said.

"I'm ready." Ukyo said. "I've said my goodbyes. I wish I could have seen more of Meowth and Jeff and Captain America and the others, but there wasn't time."

She turned to Kitty and Goombella. "Take care of yourselves." she said.

"Likewise." Kitty said, with a smile.

"It is time for us to return home." Cologne said. "I do not know when, or if, we will meet again, but I wish all of you peace and prosperity."

With that, Cologne followed Ukyo, Ranma, and Nabiki through the portal back to their own world.

The white-robed figure nodded. "Things are almost wrapped up. Kitty, you can find Dani and Rogue, and escort them home to the MC-217 universe. I might have a few things to wrap up with the people I chose who were in this game from the start - Hummingbird and Green Lantern Mary Jane. But other than that, I've said what I needed to say."

And with that, the white-robed figure disappeared.

Goombella turned to Kitty. "I think there might be, like, a memorial service for Roy later, and since I was in Game 10 with him, I'd like to be there. Anyway, you'll totally be there the next time there's a Rogue Avengers meeting, right?"

Kitty smiled. "I wouldn't miss it. But I've got to get home. Back to my own world, with Kurt and Rachel and Excalibur."

"I'd give you a hug, but, y'know, I'm a Goomba. Kind of awkward." Goombella said. "Take care, okay?"

"Thanks." Kitty said.

And so the two of them went their separate ways. But they knew that one day, they would meet again.

[Chris Lang]

And so most of the defenders had departed. Princess Emerald and Carnelian had returned to their world, but not after a discussion with Shannon Ford about how their Amethyst's stunt and similar stunts in other worlds had created some confusion with refugees from one Earth migrating to others. But that was one of many stories for another time.

Shannon Ford, Terry Franklin, and the rest of the SHIELD Multiversal Initiative were also departing, though of course they intended to keep in touch with the Wanderers if needed. Before Shannon left, she handed Linda (Hummingbird) a small device.

Linda turned to speak with Green Lantern Mary Jane, now the only Green Lantern still present. The other Green Lanterns had returned to their home worlds.

"Before she left, Agent Ford gave me this device. It's a quantum signature detector." Linda explained. "Each universe has its own unique signature, shared by all its inhabitants. It's how Multiversal agencies like that Initiative and its affiliate ARMOR are able to tell which person is from which universe. I'm hoping this ... and the Speed Force ... will lead me to Wally."

"Your husband?" Mary Jane asked.

"Yes. It's a long story." Linda replied.

"I still don't know what I'm going to do when I get home." Mary Jane said. "After meeting those other Green Lanterns, I know that Green Lanterns aren't just another superhero thing. They're galactic police officers ... and, if they need to be, warriors. After this ... and seeing Arisia die ... I don't know if I can do this. Using the Power Ring to defeat Doctor Octopus is one thing, but being involved in wars against Weaponers of Qward, Shadow Demons, or some other power ringed corps is another."

"Did you talk about it with the other Green Lanterns?" Linda asked.

"Yes." Mary Jane replied. "Hal told me all about the Green Lantern Corps and the battles they've been in. He told me the ring wouldn't have chosen me if I couldn't handle it. But I have a family to consider. My husband ... my daughter. I used to be the one worrying about whether my husband would return home when he was the superhero in our family. He had to retire due to ... an injury. And now I'm the one out risking injury, or worse."

"How long have you been a Green Lantern?" Linda asked.

"Three years. I've teamed with the Avengers a few times, but I'm not sure if I can handle a full-scale cosmic war again. I don't even know if there IS a Green Lantern Corps in my world ... but there must be. If what I heard is right, the Power Battery gets its power from a Master Power Battery, which should exist in my universe somewhere. I've never met these 'Guardians of the Universe' that the other Green Lanterns were talking about. But I suppose I should, if they exist in my world."

"At least now we all have worlds to go back to." Linda said. "Harbinger and the Wanderers are planning a ceremony on the Satellite to honor Roy, and the Monitor. And Arisia and the others who gave their lives for us."

"We should be there. We owe it to them." Mary Jane said.

Linda breathed a sigh. It was a calm, contented sigh. "I'll be there. I owe Roy that much. In the brief time we were together, I learned a few things from him. When I find Wally ... and I will find Wally ... I'll tell him about Roy."

She took a look at the void of space, now filled with stars. "Thank you, Roy."

[Chris Lang]

OOC: And now it's time for the curtain calls and credits ... AFTER which will be The Aftermath (featuring a re-presentation of a previous Traitor Game, and of course opportunites for more epilogues).

But first...

(Curtain call pics go here, when they're finished).