Traitor Game L: Existential Crisis

[Nschornhorst]

Thor's boisterous arrival brought Circe out of her meditative state.



"Ah. Another 'god' deigns to join us. Lovely."

After a sigh, Circe once again sips from her pewter goblet, the invigorating brew aiding the earlier meditation in focusing her mystical energies.

[Mighty Roman]

"Huh, a fellow countryman.That's certainly one way to describe them Lobo, but Crystal and Veronica might not be able to help you with them, take it from someone who knows. I appreciate your courage though, duck, and you remind me of someone"" he said. Just then, a whistling noise came through the air as two black objects came soaring at Lobo's guns!

Those with super senses or reflexes would see the batarangs as Clark stuck a hand out and arced them up toward the roof to safely detonate. Clark looked over at Batman/Jimmy Kudos, who was glaring under his cowl at Lobo

"I detest guns! They're bad and you should feel bad for using them!". Clark looked at the young boy and knelt down.

"Look, Batman, I know your....apprehension towards guns myself, very clearly. However, we have no time for bickering here. We need to ally with each other so try to play nice, alright?" he asked Jimmy, putting a hand on the Caped Crusader's shoulder, who brushed him off.

I'll work with him, but that doesn't mean I have to like him, or you!" he said, frowning at Clark, who put his hands up.

"You don't have to like him Batman, but you do have to respect him. Respect goes a long way in these Crisis situations" he told Bat-Kudo as Ultra Rogue stepped up towards him. He'd heard her story as he arrived, heard all of them who had spoken, and there were some familiar faces, some unfamiliar ones. She fit into the latter, that was for sure.

'Ah, here we go again. More bat-folks. Boo-Hoo! My parents are dead. Bla-Bla-Bla justice, Bla-blah-blah pain. Guess what Bats?! We all got problems, but when you hire a Feathered surgeon, you don't damage his beautiful, high caliber weapons. Comprende? You wanna fight me? Best o' Duck doing that. I meant luck. Damn, even I'm doing it now....

[Froggy]

"Why did you correct yourself?" Linda asked suspiciously. "If Batman actually gave you that costume and felt you were worthy of it, then I owe you an apology. But right now I'm finding that hard to believe."

Bat-Kudo frowned up at Hummingbird, shaking a fist.

"Well believe what you wanna sister! he said, then walked off to brood in the corner. They didn't know him, he was THE world's greatest detective!

"Be mighty unfair a'me to think that way, Sparky," Ultra Rogue replied, shaking her head, "Girl's got realistic expectations of our chances and rightly shook up about it. Granted, ah never was much one for listenin' to the odds, but you can bet your sweet blue keister ah will fight against whateva gets thrown at me."



]

Clark's ears perked up. She was very brash, but it was needed. She was clearly ready to bust heads for justice.

"Agreed, but I can do my best to assure her. It's a part of being a superhero" he told her. She then mentioned his sweet Keiser and he smirked.


"Well you're very flattering and I appreciate your lively candor, Ultra-Rogue. I hope it is infectious. As for the bit of exposition I just gave...." Clark flexed and mirrored her earlier pose.

"Let's just say that I'm not called Superman for no reason. I guess you're more of a visual learner than an audio one, eh?"

"I have stood before the Mad Titan Thanos, as he sought to destroy all of reality with the Infinity Gauntlet. I have singlehandedly defied the will of Galactus. I have warred against the Beyonders. I have broken the Cycle of Ragnarok. I have prevented the destruction of reality before. I aim to do so again. This charlatan will answer to my hammer for his crimes!"

"I see I am joined by a fellow Lord of Thunder! Are thoust not of the Quontauka? In the name of my father, I bid thee most welcome on this journey!"

"Well, you're spirited, Thor. That's definitely welcome" Clark said. Bat-Kudo spat on the ground

"Pfah! Thunder dog is more like it!

[Joe Acro]

Suddenly, The Monitor shouts, "Enough!"

He rises from his throne. "We can no longer delay. Ready or not, these champions you have chosen, Lincoln, need to do their jobs!"

The Monitor reaches to his nearby console, flicking a switch. The station lurches, transitioning from its place outside the multiverse to appear somewhere within it.

"Do we need to brace ourselves?" Hummingbird asks.

"I assure you that you will be unharmed," Harbinger says, trying to calm everyone.

Thus, the space station completes its shift from void...



...to space.



"We have arrived," The Monitor declares.

Before anyone can talk, Roy chimes in, "Before we get started, we have a little presentation to give you. We want you to know the Earth you're visiting, so we don't cause more trouble than we have to."

On view screens, images of importance to understanding this Earth flash by. Arthur, born of a mother from England and a father from Atlantis, one day meets a mysterious Stranger who calls himself Merlin. Arthur draws the sword from the stone at Merlin's behest, which declares him King of Atlantis. The Stranger Merlin then informs him that he must gather six champions to oppose a terrible threat ahead, to combat a seven-headed serpent.

The Stranger and his ally Morgan Le Fey assist Arthur and his wife Guinemera in gathering Hippolyta the Warrior Queen; Adam Blood, the Black Knight; the Green Hood, champion of the people and best archer in the land; Sir Justin, the Shining Knight who flies on winged horse; and Sir Lancelot of Kent, best knight in the realm, and his squire Peter Parquagh. Together, they form the Knights of the Round Table, the Champions of Justice, fighting to defend Atlantis, its capital city Camelot, and all areas from oppression and destruction. Though they have conquered many threats, they have yet to encounter the one the Stranger foresaw. But in the East, Queen Xanadu is creating her ultimate scheme to make sure Atlantis falls and she rules forever.

"Everyone have all that? Good. Now..." Roy points to the crowd. "We want YOU! ...to help us find the Book of Eternity and the Sword of Night. We think Merlin has them."

A curious look comes over his face. "Wait. It appears one of you is missing. Batman."

"I can still detect his body. It remains in the station... somewhere," Harbinger remarks. Her duplicates sweep the area, searching, until they pinpoint his body. It is crushed and bloody.

"He... He's dead!" Harbingers exclaims.

"What madness is this?" The Monitor outbursts. "This looks like a murder. Lincoln! You assured me that this was the correct team of champions! Have you brought killers aboard my satellite? Or has our plan worked?"

The entire group looks to Roy for an answer. Some whisper what he means by "our plan". Roy bows his head with solemnity.

[Joe Acro]

"I have to apologize to all of you. We have not been completely forthcoming. It is true that I selected each of you to participate in this task of traversing worlds and hunting down artifacts. That mission is still valid, still important, but it is not the only reason you are here. You see, we mentioned that the Anti-Monitor's quest for power has started to branch outside his multiverse. What we did not mention was that this process has unleashed ancient cosmic threats. By breaching the walls of multiple multiverses, the Anti-Monitor has unwittingly awakened the three Hypertime Hounds. Please let me finish before you comment.

"In a war lost to history, they tried to claim reality for themselves. They were stopped, sealed between folds of reality, and have lain dormant for eons. I detected them. They were anomalies in the whole of spacetime. I approached The Monitor to warn him not just of the damage the Anti-Monitor had done, but the damage that the Hounds could do. I decided the best course of action was to set a trap. See, in their weakened state, they can only interact with reality by possessing beings who live in it, such as yourselves, and can only act the spacetime location in which they first manifest, namely this satellite. As long as the satellite remains outside its realm, they can only act within it. We've seen to that much."

"Bloody Rao, Lincoln! I didn't sign on for this!" Clark Sparks shouts.

"No, you didn't. The Wanderers have a separate, equally valuable mission that they have already been working on when we summoned this group. Each of you has had minimal exposure to other realities. You are powerful, skilled representatives of your respective realities, but you are also 'pure' in the Hounds' eyes. Until they have more power, they can only affect one reality, or a member therein, at a time. I was banking on them wanting to feast upon a group such as yourselves. And so they have. I sense three extra minds in this room. That means the Hounds have possessed three of you, and have used you to kill Batman. It's always Batman. You have now been drafted into a Traitor Game.

"As we traverse realities, they will remain among you, using your energies to make you betray the group and to perform misdeeds in an attempt to build their own strength. I imagine they will try to shift bodies from time to time to avoid detection. Though they may be able to hide themselves from mine and Harbinger's psychic scans, and more intensive look should yield better results. I have put some checks into place to assist in this matter. When you arrived, I chose two among you to serve as my Agents. You are immune to the Hounds. As such, we will rely on you for your skills of deduction. We will need your help focusing our psychic energies to root out the Hounds. Every time the Hounds kill someone, you will all use the evidence available to vote on which among you that you believe they were possessing. You only need to vote correctly as a group three times, and this thing will be over. For further assistance, three of you are now a Guard, a Judge, and a Speaker, respectively. The Guard may choose to protect a fellow player from being killed by the Hounds--they do this using a short-range, limited spell I learned from a master sorcerer long, long ago. The Judge may choose to protect one fellow player from being voted out every round--just send me a psychic note, and we'll make it happen. The Speaker may choose to vote twice--again, just let us know privately.

"Again, I'm sorry for the deception. Our secrecy was not without merit. We needed to use subterfuge to prevent them from knowing what we were doing beforehand. We are truly hoping to end their influence and prevent them from tearing reality asunder, just as we're hoping to prevent the Anti-Monitor from doing the same. I wish there had been a better way."

The Monitor interjects, "You have two missions. Contemplate Batman's death and determine the culprits. Recover the Book of Eternity and the Sword of Night. Try not to disturb that reality too much."

With the flick of another switch, the room around them begins to glow. Roy, Clark, and the players are all sent to the world below...



...And find themselves in a castle. If they read the banners correctly, or overhear the right guard, they learn they are in Castle Xanadu.

[Joe Acro]

The players
Anodyne: Red Lantern Dex-Starr
Deadpooligan: Ultra Rogue
Jeremi: Tessa Henshaw, the Cyborg Sage
Mighty Roman: Lobo the Duck
Indigo Al: Arak Magnus
Cthulhudrew: Gammastorm
Wolvie616: Thor Odinson
Chris Lang: Linda Park-West a.k.a. Hummingbird
Josh: Princess Kitana, Wonder Woman
Masterbasset: The Weaver
Nschornhorst: Circe
The Purple Skull: Savage Hawkman


The Dead:
Jimmy Kudo aka Batman--crushed and bloody

[Jeremi]

"If we're takin' votes for team leader, ah wanna give it to the one lady here who plain don't give two cowpies 'bout how this is all gonna go down."

"I work in cold facts and logic." The Cyborg Sage replied. "I care to accomplish the goal set before us."

"Again, I'm sorry for the deception. Our secrecy was not without merit. We needed to use subterfuge to prevent them from knowing what we were doing beforehand. We are truly hoping to end their influence and prevent them from tearing reality asunder, just as we're hoping to prevent the Anti-Monitor from doing the same. I wish there had been a better way."

The Monitor interjects, "You have two missions. Contemplate Batman's death and determine the culprits. Recover the Book of Eternity and the Sword of Night. Try not to disturb that reality too much."

With the flick of another switch, the room around them begins to glow. Roy, Clark, and the players are all sent to the world below...

...And find themselves in a castle. If they read the banners correctly, or overhear the right guard, they learn they are in Castle Xanadu.

"A literal inner demon." She mused aloud before they were transported.

Cyborg Sage looked around in mild confusion. "It is so...quiet here."

[Froggy]

On the outside, Castle Xanadu was spacious and made of an unearthly grey metal. The banners all had a purple hue and each was covered with seven golden points. Upon further inspection, the points were heads. Strange statues, some human, some not, and some unexplained littered the hall our heroes arrived in. If they were to look out the window, a moat would be found, with guards coated in Promethium armor, each tall and wearing dark blue masks as they walked in and out of the water at a regimented pace. Anyone with super hearing would notice a voice upstairs, feminine in tone, leisurely yawning. Other than that, Sage was right, it was very quiet. The soldiers even moved quietly, and robotically. It was like they weren't in control of their own bodies even. It was also strange that none of them were in the castle either.

Clark would take in his surroundings and look up at the ceiling, where a chandelier made of some Kappa's bones hung. He turned to the group assembled before him, hands up, face serious with a bit of stress and determination.

"I know you all must be reeling from the recent turn of events just like me, but for now we need to get out of here, as the artifacts we're looking for aren't in this castle. Once we've escaped, then you can make your feelings known" he told them. Clark then scanned outside the castle, and mentally took note of the number of soldiers.

"Circe, if you have a way of cloaking us from mystical detection, please do. I count about 50 guards, garbed in Promethium armor. We're in Castle Xanadu, but we need to head to Camelot. he told them.

"There's a forest about 50 meters from this castle, and 800 feet away from Camelot itself. Anyone who can't fly, say so now and let me or someone who can carry you. The main goal is to leave this castle undetected. Circe will do her part, so it's only natural I do mine" Clark said to the group. He then pressed his palms together and Clark's bio-electrical field expanded out in a flash to cover the group.

"What I'm doing is a trick right now. My bio-electrical field has expanded and the energy output will render us all invisible to these people's eyes" he told them.

[Nschornhorst]

Hearing the Monitor's words, Circe pondered. "I recall Hecate speaking highly of this 'Merlin'... almost as an equal. Although, that was in my realm... I only hope he's as accommodating in this one." The kill was revealed, the gruesome corpse repulsed Circe. "So the first mortal in yet another contest of gods' 'almighty' wills falls. ...although, in this case, this mortal was not without an abundance of hubris all his own." When Roy Lincoln revealed more layers to the puzzle, Circe looked at him impassively. "Hm. It would seem that gods are not the only ones to treat others as pawns. Although, similar to my Odysseus, perhaps you are just another pawn in this as well. Either way, this will not be forgotten."

"Circe, if you have a way of cloaking us from mystical detection, please do. I count about 50 guards, garbed in Promethium armor. We're in Castle Xanadu, but we need to head to Camelot. he told them.

"There's a forest about 50 meters from this castle, and 800 feet away from Camelot itself. Anyone who can't fly, say so now and let me or someone who can carry you. The main goal is to leave this castle undetected. Circe will do her part, so it's only natural I do mine" Clark said to the group. He then pressed his palms together and Clark's bio-electrical field expanded out in a flash to cover the group.

"What I'm doing is a trick right now. My bio-electrical field has expanded and the energy output will render us all invisible to these people's eyes" he told them.

Circe pondered Clark's request a moment. "I know several concealment spells, but not only do I not know how my magic will work in this realm, this place seems to have mystical protections of its own. I am uncertain of my spells' effectiveness here. I will try them and should they fail, there is a contingency... although, I guarantee none of you will like it."

Being more intricate spells, Circe withdrew her wand and muttered ancient incantations over all the present members. Aside from a minor 'pins and needles' sensation, none of the party felt any different.

[Indigo Al]

Before the Monitor's announcement

"Well, you're spirited, Thor. That's definitely welcome" Clark said. Bat-Kudo spat on the ground

"Pfah! Thunder dog is more like it!

Arak frowned. "This childish insolence is permitted amongst you? Where is this Batman, that I may have a word with him about his choice of successors?"

After the Monitors announcement...

"I have the gift of flight, thanks to Lord Thor - well, the Thor who visited me on my world, as a boon to my father He-No. Who do I need to carry with me?" Arak also glanced at Circe, the haughty sorceress that reminded him of Angelica. "Your legend is well known, Lady Circe. Indeed, thanks to my adventuring companion Satyricus, I have met many of the creatures in your pantheon's bestiary. It is for this reason that I'm wary of the alternative you seem to be suggesting. Such magicks never work out well for anyone."

[Anodyne]

"There's a forest about 50 meters from this castle, and 800 feet away from Camelot itself. Anyone who can't fly, say so now and let me or someone who can carry you." Clark said to the group.

With feline agility and grace Dex-Starr leaped onto Clark's shoulder. "Rrring ssstolen. No more flying." Settling himself comfortably, he began to purr.

[Nschornhorst]

"I have the gift of flight, thanks to Lord Thor - well, the Thor who visited me on my world, as a boon to my father He-No. Who do I need to carry with me?" Arak also glanced at Circe, the haughty sorceress that reminded him of Angelica. "Your legend is well known, Lady Circe. Indeed, thanks to my adventuring companion Satyricus, I have met many of the creatures in your pantheon's bestiary. It is for this reason that I'm wary of the alternative you seem to be suggesting. Such magicks never work out well for anyone."

"As well you should be. The alternative would be... jarring at best for most of you. So let us hope that my far less intrusive wards are effective here. Of course, the alternative method would be entirely voluntarily, but still, I'm sure you and many others hope it won't come to it."

[Indigo Al]

"As well you should be. The alternative would be... jarring at best for most of you. So let us hope that my far less intrusive wards are effective here. Of course, the alternative method would be entirely voluntarily, but still, I'm sure you and many others hope it won't come to it."

"And do you feel you could defeat this Xanadu in magickal combat? In my world, the Arthurian mages are amongst the most feared. Even Arion of Atlantis doesn't wish to come into direct conflict with Le Fay or her disciples."

[Cthulhudrew]

"Holy crow!" Rick exclaimed as the group suddenly found itself in a magical, mystical realm; a virtual camelot that was as alien as anything he'd seen in his short time as a superhero. "It's like we've stepped into a game of Tunnels an' Trolls, Doc!"

But Banner was too horrified by Roy Lincoln's revelations regarding the Bat-Kid to respond. "My God! Who would do that to a... a child?" His knuckles were white as they clenched in into fists of barely repressed fury. "What kind of monster...?"

Rick put a comforting hand on his mentor's- his friend's- shoulder. "I hear ya, Doc. An' we'll get to the bottom of it, for sure. But right now, I think might be a good time to change into somethin' more comfortable, you know?"

Banner calmed himself, removing his glasses as he rubbed his eyes. Refocused. "Of course, you're right." He smiled at his protege. "Imagine, you- the rash young man I once saved from his own folly- being the voice of reason and cautioning me against myself." He put his glasses back on, regarding Rick fondly. "You're maturing quite well, Richard."

The boy scuffed the dirt as he looked self-consciously around at the others. "Yeah, well... let's just get on with it, an' save the 'ABC After-School Special' moments for another time, 'kay Doc?"

Banner nodded. Both men regarded one another solemnly, standing mere feet apart. A hot wind seemed to kick up suddenly in the castle hallway, the temperature rising in the chamber, and then- in a burst of green light- the two men had vanished, to be replaced by a single figure, a green-skinned man with hair of emerald flames, clad in a purple jumpsuit.



GAMMASTORM, THE NUCLEAR MAN suddenly stood among the assembled heroes.

[Masterbasset]

Before the update...

Dex-Starr summoned up an image of himself as a kitten, struggling to master the art of manipulating the strands of yarn. "Threadssss once massster me; now I massster threadssss. We make big net, catch Ssssuicide Squad."

The Weaver paid close attention to Dex-Starr's story and processed it all in the manner of a historian taking in an important text.

...YES YES A FINE LINE WE TRAPEZE WE ARTISTS WE CREATORS WEAVE A PIECE OF OURSELVES INTO CREATIONS OH WHAT A NET OF SORROW IT WILL BE THIS CADRE OF DEPRESSANTS SWINDLED...

And then...

"That means the Hounds have possessed three of you, and have used you to kill Batman. It's always Batman. You have now been drafted into a Traitor Game.

Others reacted in outcry and criticism, but the Weaver's aesthetic mind cared not for the deception or details like that; he looked at things for how they were.

...OBSTACLES YES ADVERSARIES FROM WITHIN IF THE GAME WERE EASY ANY PLAYER COULD PLAY BUT NO WE AS THE CHOSEN WE AS THE SCULPTOR MUST TAKE THIS UGLY LUMP OF CLAY AND FORM THE FUTURE...

...THESE SPECTRES THESE GHOSTLY GASTRAL PUPPETEERS OF THE VOID-SPACE WILL BE REELED IN TORN ASUNDER DETECTION THROUGH DEDUCTION HAPPY DAY...

"You have two missions. Contemplate Batman's death and determine the culprits. Recover the Book of Eternity and the Sword of Night. Try not to disturb that reality too much."

With the flick of another switch, the room around them begins to glow. Roy, Clark, and the players are all sent to the world below...

...And find themselves in a castle. If they read the banners correctly, or overhear the right guard, they learn they are in Castle Xanadu.

The Weaver took in his new locale. Skittering along the walls, he tore one of the purple banners from its place on the ceiling and wrapped it around himself like a shawl, however much he could with his large arachnid anatomy.

...CLOAKED IN THE CLOAK OF THE MANOR BLENDED IN THE MATRON'S MAGENTA BLEND CLOAKED AND CONCEALED, it sang.

"There's a forest about 50 meters from this castle, and 800 feet away from Camelot itself. Anyone who can't fly, say so now and let me or someone who can carry you. The main goal is to leave this castle undetected. Circe will do her part, so it's only natural I do mine"

The Weaver demonstrated his ability of Travel along a world's Web. With a practiced motion forward, one minute he was on the opposite wall of the castle the next he exited a wispy wormhole uncomfortably close to Superman, sporting his new purple shawl.

...NEED A STEED ALLOW ME I CAN TRAVEL IN BETWEEN IN THE NETHER THOSE IN NEED I WILL HAVE NOBILITY FITTING OF THE SETTING THOSE IN NEED SHALL FIND WINGS A COVERT PEGASUS DRAPED IN DRAPERY COATED IN COAT-OF-ARMS AMARATH HAVE NO FEAR BOBBINS TAKE MY REINS AND WE SHALL RIDE FOR THE TOME...