Side Story The Goddess II: Fate of the Old Gods

[Takumi]

Years. A voice rumbled from the darkest corners of Gill's mind. A sinister voice. A grumbling voice. Urien's voice. I've been suffering on this rock for years. And now you show your face! Behold! The Savior of Man! He who left his brother to languish whilst he played 'God'! Some Emperor your turned out to be, you perfidious bastard! You are no brother of mine. I will enjoy watching you suffer here. I'll revel in it.

The former High Councillor lowered his scarf, revealing his scarred, still slips.

The agony you have forced upon me shall be re-payed 10 fold. Your toll is paid in blood--

"Easy now, darling," Diamond Patch hummed, removing his finger from his temple.
View attachment 6277
"You and I both know what happened to the last bugger who tried to kill his own teammates. Let's not forget the lessons of old, aye?"

Urien turned his glare towards Frost, no doubt cutting him with a psychic curse. With a sigh, James severed the psychic connection between the three men.

"Sibling rivalries. What can you do?" He grumbled. "Way I see it, I've still got 90 seconds to state my case before you try to blast be with your laser eyes, or whatever you guys have in the way of powers. I might be on the Orange Team, but I'm the only bloke here who can let your know what your brother's thinking. If anyone can stop him from taking the two of you out in a blaze o' glory, it's me. You let me in on whatever it is you First Rounds are inevitably planning and I'll keep a channel open for you two to shake chins. How does that sound?"


View attachment 6278
"Your head explodes." Viper hummed matter-of-factly as she approached the Red Team. "That's what happens if you kill your own team mates. It's not pretty, trust me. My first day ended with a blood bath. 2 of my team-mates got head-sploded. Still. You get over it. There's your nugget of wisdom for the day; don't punch your friends."

@Capri @Yun Lee @Takumi

"You wont have chance to talk!" Adam snarled at Billy from across the clearing. "You have the Wisdom of Solomon rattling around that thick skull of yours... and yet you still don't know when to keep your mouth shut."
View attachment 6279
"If you know the lay of this land, child, you'll share this knowledge with the rest of us... in the spirit of friendly competition..." He hissed. "Or perhaps my new friends and I will simply have to force it out of you..."


"The Goddess?" Atreus spat, turning his weapon towards Atlantiades. "Which Goddess? Which Goddess are you working for?!" His body was tense and stiff. He only started to loosen up after Karinith lowered herself down to his level. He slowly lowered his bow. He took a small step away from his team, but his guard was a little lower than it had once been. He was a little more at easy. "Okay... Okay I don't want to hurt anybody either... I just... one moment I was with my father... were hunting and I..." His wrist drifted towards his face. His rubbed his eyes and sighed. "It's hard to remember. I'm sorry..."

@Jeremi @Minerva @Lucky
***
Across the Mutliverse...
The Goddess swung her great hammer. The weighted head of her great weapon sent her remaining foes flying across the ruins of Atlantis. Following her strike through, the now giant Goddess let her hammer's momentum turn her around on the spot. Facing her foes once again, she sent her hammer crashing down upon the waves as if they were an anvil. Emerald Sparks danced across the foam. The Goddess had stopped playing with her food. It was time to clear house.

"Damn... Damn it..." Gohan growled, shifting a stone sheet from his chest. He laid there for a moment, lying in the dirt and dust of a crumbled tower. "An army of Gods... and we can barely wound her... Even now I can sense her power growing... it overflowing. Like an endless spring..." He coughed up a black cloud of soot. "We can't beat her like this... not in a straight fight. Even with fusion, even with both my arms, even if dad was still here... we still wouldn't stand a chance... we need some dirty trick. We need to cheat!"

"We're Gods..." Zamasu spat. "We shouldn't need to cheat. We should be better than this! We are divine!"

"Just... be quiet... for a moment... please..." Gohan groaned, rubbing his temples. "The Refugees are safe. We don't need to stick around here. We can go, we can lick our wounds... we can form a plan and--"

"With Poseidon dead and his Champion gone were stuck!" The Kai snapped. "Do you think I haven't tried falling back? I am Holy, Saiyan. Instant transmission is nothing to beings like me. But every time I try to retreat I am returned to this very spot. Call it Poseidon's trump card. His spite. He trapped us here with the Goddess! A Goddess powerful enough to be in three places at once!"

"No," Gohan growled. "No there's got to be another way out. There's got to be a way we can--"
View attachment 6280
[BOOOOOM]
An explosion shook the remnants of the tower. Its tattered ceiling came crumbling inwards. Its falling bricks were scattered by a wave of heat and light. A hand stretched forth from the heart of a blinding portal.

"This world will die in precisely 2.86 minutes. Resting the Goddess here if futile. Come. The Battle is lost bar the war can be won yet!"

@Jeremi​

Gill's brother? How unfortunate, though the man seemed close to trying to fight Gill himself. She wouldn't allow it, they had time for sibling squabbles later.

"First rounds? I suppose you've been stuck here for far too long then." Mila muttered. She could practically smell Urien's anger coming off him in waves. It was a very unpleasant smell.

As the newcomer claimed to want to be part of whatever plan their group had of leaving, Mila simply crossed her arms. One more person to keep an eye on wasn't ideal, but he seemed to have some experience in this waste of time that this Major Bison invested in.

"You wish to ally yourself with us? Whatever we plan has no guarantee of working." She pointed out. Ultimately, it was Gill's call on whether he wanted too even communicate with his brother.

@Sark @Yun Lee @Capri

 

[Jeremi]

Years. A voice rumbled from the darkest corners of Gill's mind. A sinister voice. A grumbling voice. Urien's voice. I've been suffering on this rock for years. And now you show your face! Behold! The Savior of Man! He who left his brother to languish whilst he played 'God'! Some Emperor your turned out to be, you perfidious bastard! You are no brother of mine. I will enjoy watching you suffer here. I'll revel in it.

The former High Councillor lowered his scarf, revealing his scarred, still slips.

The agony you have forced upon me shall be re-payed 10 fold. Your toll is paid in blood--

"Easy now, darling," Diamond Patch hummed, removing his finger from his temple.
View attachment 6277
"You and I both know what happened to the last bugger who tried to kill his own teammates. Let's not forget the lessons of old, aye?"

Urien turned his glare towards Frost, no doubt cutting him with a psychic curse. With a sigh, James severed the psychic connection between the three men.

"Sibling rivalries. What can you do?" He grumbled. "Way I see it, I've still got 90 seconds to state my case before you try to blast be with your laser eyes, or whatever you guys have in the way of powers. I might be on the Orange Team, but I'm the only bloke here who can let your know what your brother's thinking. If anyone can stop him from taking the two of you out in a blaze o' glory, it's me. You let me in on whatever it is you First Rounds are inevitably planning and I'll keep a channel open for you two to shake chins. How does that sound?"


View attachment 6278
"Your head explodes." Viper hummed matter-of-factly as she approached the Red Team. "That's what happens if you kill your own team mates. It's not pretty, trust me. My first day ended with a blood bath. 2 of my team-mates got head-sploded. Still. You get over it. There's your nugget of wisdom for the day; don't punch your friends."

@Capri @Yun Lee @Takumi

"You wont have chance to talk!" Adam snarled at Billy from across the clearing. "You have the Wisdom of Solomon rattling around that thick skull of yours... and yet you still don't know when to keep your mouth shut."
View attachment 6279
"If you know the lay of this land, child, you'll share this knowledge with the rest of us... in the spirit of friendly competition..." He hissed. "Or perhaps my new friends and I will simply have to force it out of you..."


"The Goddess?" Atreus spat, turning his weapon towards Atlantiades. "Which Goddess? Which Goddess are you working for?!" His body was tense and stiff. He only started to loosen up after Karinith lowered herself down to his level. He slowly lowered his bow. He took a small step away from his team, but his guard was a little lower than it had once been. He was a little more at easy. "Okay... Okay I don't want to hurt anybody either... I just... one moment I was with my father... were hunting and I..." His wrist drifted towards his face. His rubbed his eyes and sighed. "It's hard to remember. I'm sorry..."

@Jeremi @Minerva @Lucky
***
Across the Mutliverse...
The Goddess swung her great hammer. The weighted head of her great weapon sent her remaining foes flying across the ruins of Atlantis. Following her strike through, the now giant Goddess let her hammer's momentum turn her around on the spot. Facing her foes once again, she sent her hammer crashing down upon the waves as if they were an anvil. Emerald Sparks danced across the foam. The Goddess had stopped playing with her food. It was time to clear house.

"Damn... Damn it..." Gohan growled, shifting a stone sheet from his chest. He laid there for a moment, lying in the dirt and dust of a crumbled tower. "An army of Gods... and we can barely wound her... Even now I can sense her power growing... it overflowing. Like an endless spring..." He coughed up a black cloud of soot. "We can't beat her like this... not in a straight fight. Even with fusion, even with both my arms, even if dad was still here... we still wouldn't stand a chance... we need some dirty trick. We need to cheat!"

"We're Gods..." Zamasu spat. "We shouldn't need to cheat. We should be better than this! We are divine!"

"Just... be quiet... for a moment... please..." Gohan groaned, rubbing his temples. "The Refugees are safe. We don't need to stick around here. We can go, we can lick our wounds... we can form a plan and--"

"With Poseidon dead and his Champion gone were stuck!" The Kai snapped. "Do you think I haven't tried falling back? I am Holy, Saiyan. Instant transmission is nothing to beings like me. But every time I try to retreat I am returned to this very spot. Call it Poseidon's trump card. His spite. He trapped us here with the Goddess! A Goddess powerful enough to be in three places at once!"

"No," Gohan growled. "No there's got to be another way out. There's got to be a way we can--"
View attachment 6280
[BOOOOOM]
An explosion shook the remnants of the tower. Its tattered ceiling came crumbling inwards. Its falling bricks were scattered by a wave of heat and light. A hand stretched forth from the heart of a blinding portal.

"This world will die in precisely 2.86 minutes. Resting the Goddess here if futile. Come. The Battle is lost bar the war can be won yet!"

@Jeremi​

"None, don't worry yourself, child," Atlantiades assured Atreus. "I speak of course of THE Goddess. The Goddess so mighty she doesn't even have the guts to reveal her name to us."

As Billy and Black Adam spoke they'd hear a third voice come in. "Do not worry! We will share all the information we can! None of us are here to be made murderous fools by our game warden or her Goddess. Correct?"

@Sark @Minerva @Lucky

 

[Capri]

HABIT
@Sark @Takumi @Yun Lee @Red Team

When Viper said that there was head explosions... HABIT smiled.

“Head explosions, huh...? It’s a little too... vanilla for my liking, but it certainly beats plain old stabbings.”

His grin widened more. His bloodlust was shown on full display. Metodey wasn’t enough in his eyes, although watching him choke on his blood while he bled out, desperately clinging to life, was entertaining. He needed more, and standing right in front of him were four rabbits, ready for the slaughter.

He had no intention of making peace with the Orange Team, he had full intention of killing them when the time was up.​

 

[Minerva]

"The Goddess?" Atreus spat, turning his weapon towards Atlantiades. "Which Goddess? Which Goddess are you working for?!" His body was tense and stiff. He only started to loosen up after Karinith lowered herself down to his level. He slowly lowered his bow. He took a small step away from his team, but his guard was a little lower than it had once been. He was a little more at easy. "Okay... Okay I don't want to hurt anybody either... I just... one moment I was with my father... were hunting and I..." His wrist drifted towards his face. His rubbed his eyes and sighed. "It's hard to remember. I'm sorry..."

@Jeremi @Minerva @Lucky

"None, don't worry yourself, child," Atlantiades assured Atreus. "I speak of course of THE Goddess. The Goddess so mighty she doesn't even have the guts to reveal her name to us."

As Billy and Black Adam spoke they'd hear a third voice come in. "Do not worry! We will share all the information we can! None of us are here to be made murderous fools by our game warden or her Goddess. Correct?"

@Sark @Minerva @Lucky

"Indeed. The goddess is but a false deity, hoping to enforce her will on lessers. We will not bow to false deities who claim divinity when they're mere pretenders." She said, gesturing towards her longsword.

"We will escape from this twisted gladiatorial game, and tear this Goddess from her throne. Just stay with us, child. We will reunite you with your father."

@Lucky​

 

[Crunch]

Years. A voice rumbled from the darkest corners of Gill's mind. A sinister voice. A grumbling voice. Urien's voice. I've been suffering on this rock for years. And now you show your face! Behold! The Savior of Man! He who left his brother to languish whilst he played 'God'! Some Emperor your turned out to be, you perfidious bastard! You are no brother of mine. I will enjoy watching you suffer here. I'll revel in it.

The former High Councillor lowered his scarf, revealing his scarred, still slips.

The agony you have forced upon me shall be re-payed 10 fold. Your toll is paid in blood--

"Easy now, darling," Diamond Patch hummed, removing his finger from his temple.
View attachment 6277
"You and I both know what happened to the last bugger who tried to kill his own teammates. Let's not forget the lessons of old, aye?"

Urien turned his glare towards Frost, no doubt cutting him with a psychic curse. With a sigh, James severed the psychic connection between the three men.

"Sibling rivalries. What can you do?" He grumbled. "Way I see it, I've still got 90 seconds to state my case before you try to blast be with your laser eyes, or whatever you guys have in the way of powers. I might be on the Orange Team, but I'm the only bloke here who can let your know what your brother's thinking. If anyone can stop him from taking the two of you out in a blaze o' glory, it's me. You let me in on whatever it is you First Rounds are inevitably planning and I'll keep a channel open for you two to shake chins. How does that sound?"


View attachment 6278
"Your head explodes." Viper hummed matter-of-factly as she approached the Red Team. "That's what happens if you kill your own team mates. It's not pretty, trust me. My first day ended with a blood bath. 2 of my team-mates got head-sploded. Still. You get over it. There's your nugget of wisdom for the day; don't punch your friends."

@Capri @Yun Lee @Takumi

"You wont have chance to talk!" Adam snarled at Billy from across the clearing. "You have the Wisdom of Solomon rattling around that thick skull of yours... and yet you still don't know when to keep your mouth shut."
View attachment 6279
"If you know the lay of this land, child, you'll share this knowledge with the rest of us... in the spirit of friendly competition..." He hissed. "Or perhaps my new friends and I will simply have to force it out of you..."


"The Goddess?" Atreus spat, turning his weapon towards Atlantiades. "Which Goddess? Which Goddess are you working for?!" His body was tense and stiff. He only started to loosen up after Karinith lowered herself down to his level. He slowly lowered his bow. He took a small step away from his team, but his guard was a little lower than it had once been. He was a little more at easy. "Okay... Okay I don't want to hurt anybody either... I just... one moment I was with my father... were hunting and I..." His wrist drifted towards his face. His rubbed his eyes and sighed. "It's hard to remember. I'm sorry..."

@Jeremi @Minerva @Lucky
***
Across the Mutliverse...
The Goddess swung her great hammer. The weighted head of her great weapon sent her remaining foes flying across the ruins of Atlantis. Following her strike through, the now giant Goddess let her hammer's momentum turn her around on the spot. Facing her foes once again, she sent her hammer crashing down upon the waves as if they were an anvil. Emerald Sparks danced across the foam. The Goddess had stopped playing with her food. It was time to clear house.

"Damn... Damn it..." Gohan growled, shifting a stone sheet from his chest. He laid there for a moment, lying in the dirt and dust of a crumbled tower. "An army of Gods... and we can barely wound her... Even now I can sense her power growing... it overflowing. Like an endless spring..." He coughed up a black cloud of soot. "We can't beat her like this... not in a straight fight. Even with fusion, even with both my arms, even if dad was still here... we still wouldn't stand a chance... we need some dirty trick. We need to cheat!"

"We're Gods..." Zamasu spat. "We shouldn't need to cheat. We should be better than this! We are divine!"

"Just... be quiet... for a moment... please..." Gohan groaned, rubbing his temples. "The Refugees are safe. We don't need to stick around here. We can go, we can lick our wounds... we can form a plan and--"

"With Poseidon dead and his Champion gone were stuck!" The Kai snapped. "Do you think I haven't tried falling back? I am Holy, Saiyan. Instant transmission is nothing to beings like me. But every time I try to retreat I am returned to this very spot. Call it Poseidon's trump card. His spite. He trapped us here with the Goddess! A Goddess powerful enough to be in three places at once!"

"No," Gohan growled. "No there's got to be another way out. There's got to be a way we can--"
View attachment 6280
[BOOOOOM]
An explosion shook the remnants of the tower. Its tattered ceiling came crumbling inwards. Its falling bricks were scattered by a wave of heat and light. A hand stretched forth from the heart of a blinding portal.

"This world will die in precisely 2.86 minutes. Resting the Goddess here if futile. Come. The Battle is lost bar the war can be won yet!"

@Jeremi​

The Emperor of Mankind stood unburdened by the furious, god-touched blows of the Goddess. The Golden King swung his blade to and fro, the murderous pendulum of the Emerald Empress' hammer countered with precise, pragmatic swings of His flame-touched blade; a resplendent light show of emerald and gold clashing against the other consumed Atlantis as it writhed and crumbled around them. The two figures danced eternal atop the remaining ruins that stood alone amid the backdrop of Atlantis' desiccated skyline.

The Master of Mankind would not yield, but He knew that this battle was not won. Unburdened with the hubris that consumed some of His sons, the Emperor could tell when the iron has grown cold. A heavy, human breath heaved from his gullet in a brief moment of respite as the Goddess prepared for another attack. He felt a tingling sensation - more unnatural than the unmentionable senses that grip all psykers - present in the front of his skull, the feeling of sweat running down his forehead.

That is not good.

"It is that hubris of creatures claiming to be 'Gods' that brought Ruin to this land in the first place," the Emperor's booming voice responded to Zamasu without looking at him. "This has become a futile effort, and I've no time for it."

Instead, his white, pupilless gaze watched the sea of emerald foam soaring towards him. The Emperor raised His clawed gauntlet to the raging tide and twitched His finger; in an instant, a golden beam of light shot outward from His fingertips. Faster than even a God could process, the shaft split the rising tides in twine, sending two separate waves crashing into either side of the Emperor of Mankind while He stood at the center.

Another ragged breath escaped him. A contingent of Legio Custodes- what few had remained - rushed around their Emperor's flanks silently. The golden giants lifted their massive weapons as if they were naught but paper, the Shield-Captain among them lifting his own and conjuring a storm of bolter fire from his brothers down towards the raging Goddess.

The Emperor did not need to communicate to His men with words. They understood their purpose here. The Shield-Captain of the Custodes barked out orders through his vox-link, bringing the remnants of the Emperor's golden bodyguards to bear against a singularly unbeatable enemy.

The Emperor Himself turned on the spot, his cape flowing like a great crimson cloud from the winds that rushed from the portal's maw. By the will of Logic, it took no time at all of the Emperor to accept reality - he approached the opening without sparing another look to the Goddess, or the men whom he'd sacrificed for the good of humanity.

@Sark

​

 

[Sark]

Gill's brother? How unfortunate, though the man seemed close to trying to fight Gill himself. She wouldn't allow it, they had time for sibling squabbles later.

"First rounds? I suppose you've been stuck here for far too long then." Mila muttered. She could practically smell Urien's anger coming off him in waves. It was a very unpleasant smell.

As the newcomer claimed to want to be part of whatever plan their group had of leaving, Mila simply crossed her arms. One more person to keep an eye on wasn't ideal, but he seemed to have some experience in this waste of time that this Major Bison invested in.
"You wish to ally yourself with us? Whatever we plan has no guarantee of working." She pointed out. Ultimately, it was Gill's call on whether he wanted too even communicate with his brother.

"Heh, you could say that," Frost smirked. "I've been here so long I've forgotten what 'outside' smells like. Hey, the Blue Jays won the world series yet?"
View attachment 6294
"Ah, forget it. Doubt I'll be collecting that bet anyway," He scoffed. "Yeah, I've been here far too long. If you don't make Bison's draft, you're stuck here. You're left to face all the horrors of an Underworld morning. It ain't fun and it ain't pretty. You're stuck here until one of the First Rounds picks you off, or some miracle happens and you catch Bison's eye a second time. Way I see it? Sticking with the New Bloods is my best shot at making it outta here with this pretty lil face intact. You guys still got souls 'n spunk. You'll make a splash, I'm sure. And hey, if we all die horribly, what do I have to loose?"

HABIT
@Sark @Takumi @Yun Lee @Red Team

When Viper said that there was head explosions... HABIT smiled.

“Head explosions, huh...? It’s a little too... vanilla for my liking, but it certainly beats plain old stabbings.”

His grin widened more. His bloodlust was shown on full display. Metodey wasn’t enough in his eyes, although watching him choke on his blood while he bled out, desperately clinging to life, was entertaining. He needed more, and standing right in front of him were four rabbits, ready for the slaughter.

He had no intention of making peace with the Orange Team, he had full intention of killing them when the time was up.

"Eh, it gets the job done. It's a quick way to go."
View attachment 6298
Crimson shrugged, an affected by HABIT'S... personality. She had gotten used to the presence of sadists. One imprisoned her in the clearing each morning. HABIT was nothing new.

"I won't pretend it's pleasant, but there are worse ways to go down here. The Insect Kingdom, for one. The Bloodied Planes aren't pleasant either. Geez, look at me. I'm act as if there's a nice part of this island...."

@Takumi @Yun Lee @Capri

"None, don't worry yourself, child," Atlantiades assured Atreus. "I speak of course of THE Goddess. The Goddess so mighty she doesn't even have the guts to reveal her name to us."

"Indeed. The goddess is but a false deity, hoping to enforce her will on lessers. We will not bow to false deities who claim divinity when they're mere pretenders." She said, gesturing towards her longsword.

"We will not bow..." Atreus repeated to himself. "We won't..."
The boy straightened out his spine a little. He stood up a little taller, a little prouder. He back to face his allies, the spark of a man's conviction shining behind his young eyes.
View attachment 6299
"We'll make it home. We all will. I'll keep you safe..." He hummed, a glimmer of boyish ego clinging to his every word. "I'll keep alive... I'm not a boy anymore..."

As Billy and Black Adam spoke they'd hear a third voice come in. "Do not worry! We will share all the information we can! None of us are here to be made murderous fools by our game warden or her Goddess. Correct?"

Diamond Patch turned his eye away from the squabbling Gods. It slowly drifted back over to Urien.

[9, 8, 7, 6...] The Secularist thought to himself. [5... 4... 3...]

"Ah, shit..." Frost cursed. "Darlings, no might be a good time to run..."

"You seek to command me, woman?" Adam spat. "Wish to pacify me? No. Why should I make peace with a line of ants?"

[2...]

"No. I won't cower with you fools. You're standing between me and my goals. So I'll kill you." He smiles thoughtlessly. "And then I shall kill that woman for daring to take me away from my Kingdom."

[1...]

"Besides. I don't like your faces."

[Zero. And so it begins...]

The Island shook three times. Two minutes had passed. Let the games begin...
_________________________________________________________________________________________
CHAMPIONS OF THE ARENA III: BIZZAROVERSE
Chapter 1?: Deja Vu
___________________________________________________________
Number of Survivors: 32 Number of Dead: 98,200 Hours until Extinction: 12 Time: 6:23pm
___________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________
View attachment 6302
"Let the hunt begin!" Eobard taunted, lowering his stance. In a flash of black and gold, he darted across the clearing. He planted a fist in Booster's stomach. Then another. And another. And another. All in the space of a heartbeat. Before he could cry out in pain, and uppercut forced his jaw shut. The Reverse Flash was playing with his food. "Reverse Flash Fact- The average human can take about 45 Dels worth of pain before they start to snap!" Raising Booster up by his throat, the Reverse Flash tossed him into a nearby tree. The twisted black oak came crashing down in the heart of the clearing, burying Booster beneath its trunk. "Let's see who here can take 60?"

Cammy raised her foot to strike the speedster's spine. He caught her leg with ease. He turned her around in the air and sent her skidding face-first across the clearing. Bison hadn't chosen her Champions with balance in mind. Recovering from her brutal landing, Cammy coughed up a lung full of dust and dirt. She cradled her broken arm and fell back into the Jungle, keeping her eyes fixed on Eobard all the while. Despite her injuries, she remained completely silent.

With a screeching cry, D'Vorah plunged one of her clawed limps into the Speedsters' back, catching him in ego-fueled moment of cackling weakness. Eobard's eyes widened in pain and fury. With a viscous snarl, he dragged the Kytinn deep into the Jungle, smashing her flailing body into every tree he passed.

General Zod crumpled up a small pieced of paper and tossed it into the grass. A blast of laser vision turned the note to ash.
View attachment 6303
"The Art of War..." The General hummed. "Strike not what is strong, but what is weak. Play into your advantage."

His feet lifted off the ground. He turned towards the Jungle, his hands lopped behind his back.

"Cross the path of Zod is to know death and death alone. All who enter the forest without taking a kneel will fall before the Might of Krypton."

He slowly vanished in the warm fog of the Jungle.

Illyana Rasputina waved her arms and transported her team- Decapre, Bizzaro and Dick- to Flaming Forest. For a split moment, her stepping disc portal remained open for the fastest among the Champions to jump through after them. Kaine and Damian did so. Black Adam waved his hand and called forth a might beam of thunder. His electric bolt burned through the air of the clearing towards Atlantiades.

The Cheetah sprinted south towards the Wetlands. Rocket, Nathan and Marco ran down a similar path. The Yellow Team- sans C.Viper- headed North towards the Insect Kingdom. Viper rolled her eyes at her team's foolishness and remained in the clearing, alongside Diamond Patch, Belmod, a scared and confused Jon Kent and a stoic, bitter Sagat, who stood like a statue at the edge of the woods.

With a mighty bellow, the Unstoppable Juggernaut charged towards the Red and Green Teams. An inch way from crushing them, the brute leaped, crossing half the island in a single bound. The booms and cries of distant battles could be heard from across the island. The island's residents had wasted no time. Champions were rising and dying like clockwork. Some of the First-Rounders had sprinted off in a panic. Some of the game's veterans had sprinted off in search of their familiar homes and shelters.

The more ambitious souls had already started to hunt.

It's kill or be killed out there. Go make a scene.

@Jeremi @Capri @Lucky @Takumi @Yun Lee​

 

[Takumi]

"Heh, you could say that," Frost smirked. "I've been here so long I've forgotten what 'outside' smells like. Hey, the Blue Jays won the world series yet?"
View attachment 6294
"Ah, forget it. Doubt I'll be collecting that bet anyway," He scoffed. "Yeah, I've been here far too long. If you don't make Bison's draft, you're stuck here. You're left to face all the horrors of an Underworld morning. It ain't fun and it ain't pretty. You're stuck here until one of the First Rounds picks you off, or some miracle happens and you catch Bison's eye a second time. Way I see it? Sticking with the New Bloods is my best shot at making it outta here with this pretty lil face intact. You guys still got souls 'n spunk. You'll make a splash, I'm sure. And hey, if we all die horribly, what do I have to loose?"


"Eh, it gets the job done. It's a quick way to go."
View attachment 6298
Crimson shrugged, an affected by HABIT'S... personality. She had gotten used to the presence of sadists. One imprisoned her in the clearing each morning. HABIT was nothing new.

"I won't pretend it's pleasant, but there are worse ways to go down here. The Insect Kingdom, for one. The Bloodied Planes aren't pleasant either. Geez, look at me. I'm act as if there's a nice part of this island...."

@Takumi @Yun Lee @Capri


"We will not bow..." Atreus repeated to himself. "We won't..."
The boy straightened out his spine a little. He stood up a little taller, a little prouder. He back to face his allies, the spark of a man's conviction shining behind his young eyes.
View attachment 6299
"We'll make it home. We all will. I'll keep you safe..." He hummed, a glimmer of boyish ego clinging to his every word. "I'll keep alive... I'm not a boy anymore..."

Diamond Patch turned his eye away from the squabbling Gods. It slowly drifted back over to Urien.

[9, 8, 7, 6...] The Secularist thought to himself. [5... 4... 3...]

"Ah, shit..." Frost cursed. "Darlings, no might be a good time to run..."

"You seek to command me, woman?" Adam spat. "Wish to pacify me? No. Why should I make peace with a line of ants?"

[2...]

"No. I won't cower with you fools. You're standing between me and my goals. So I'll kill you." He smiles thoughtlessly. "And then I shall kill that woman for daring to take me away from my Kingdom."

[1...]

"Besides. I don't like your faces."

[Zero. And so it begins...]

The Island shook three times. Two minutes had passed. Let the games begin...
_________________________________________________________________________________________
CHAMPIONS OF THE ARENA III: BIZZAROVERSE
Chapter 1?: Deja Vu
___________________________________________________________
Number of Survivors: 32 Number of Dead: 98,200 Hours until Extinction: 12 Time: 6:23pm
___________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________
View attachment 6302
"Let the hunt begin!" Eobard taunted, lowering his stance. In a flash of black and gold, he darted across the clearing. He planted a fist in Booster's stomach. Then another. And another. And another. All in the space of a heartbeat. Before he could cry out in pain, and uppercut forced his jaw shut. The Reverse Flash was playing with his food. "Reverse Flash Fact- The average human can take about 45 Dels worth of pain before they start to snap!" Raising Booster up by his throat, the Reverse Flash tossed him into a nearby tree. The twisted black oak came crashing down in the heart of the clearing, burying Booster beneath its trunk. "Let's see who here can take 60?"

Cammy raised her foot to strike the speedster's spine. He caught her leg with ease. He turned her around in the air and sent her skidding face-first across the clearing. Bison hadn't chosen her Champions with balance in mind. Recovering from her brutal landing, Cammy coughed up a lung full of dust and dirt. She cradled her broken arm and fell back into the Jungle, keeping her eyes fixed on Eobard all the while. Despite her injuries, she remained completely silent.

With a screeching cry, D'Vorah plunged one of her clawed limps into the Speedsters' back, catching him in ego-fueled moment of cackling weakness. Eobard's eyes widened in pain and fury. With a viscous snarl, he dragged the Kytinn deep into the Jungle, smashing her flailing body into every tree he passed.

General Zod crumpled up a small pieced of paper and tossed it into the grass. A blast of laser vision turned the note to ash.
View attachment 6303
"The Art of War..." The General hummed. "Strike not what is strong, but what is weak. Play into your advantage."

His feet lifted off the ground. He turned towards the Jungle, his hands lopped behind his back.

"Cross the path of Zod is to know death and death alone. All who enter the forest without taking a kneel will fall before the Might of Krypton."

He slowly vanished in the warm fog of the Jungle.

Illyana Rasputina waved her arms and transported her team- Decapre, Bizzaro and Dick- to Flaming Forest. For a split moment, her stepping disc portal remained open for the fastest among the Champions to jump through after them. Kaine and Damian did so. Black Adam waved his hand and called forth a might beam of thunder. His electric bolt burned through the air of the clearing towards Atlantiades.

The Cheetah sprinted south towards the Wetlands. Rocket, Nathan and Marco ran down a similar path. The Yellow Team- sans C.Viper- headed North towards the Insect Kingdom. Viper rolled her eyes at her team's foolishness and remained in the clearing, alongside Diamond Patch, Belmod, a scared and confused Jon Kent and a stoic, bitter Sagat, who stood like a statue at the edge of the woods.

With a mighty bellow, the Unstoppable Juggernaut charged towards the Red and Green Teams. An inch way from crushing them, the brute leaped, crossing half the island in a single bound. The booms and cries of distant battles could be heard from across the island. The island's residents had wasted no time. Champions were rising and dying like clockwork. Some of the First-Rounders had sprinted off in a panic. Some of the game's veterans had sprinted off in search of their familiar homes and shelters.

The more ambitious souls had already started to hunt.

It's kill or be killed out there. Go make a scene.

@Jeremi @Capri @Lucky @Takumi @Yun Lee​

"The Blue Jays?" Mila questioned with a tilt of her head. She didn't know what the man was talking about.

As the earth below rumbled, she tensed, pupils becoming thinner than usual as Eobard moved about.

"Hmph." She grunted, taking a moment to take in the one known as Juggernaut.

In a flash of white, Mila grew in size. As Juggernaut charged and jumped over them, the dragon of harvest turned, her tail moving to strike him from the air and away from her team with a huff of smoke from her nose.

"This is like one of those...what is it you humans call it? A zoo?" She rumbled from her chest, unimpressed with the chaos around them and mildly annoyed.

@Sark @Yun Lee @Capri @Everyone

 

[Jeremi]

"Heh, you could say that," Frost smirked. "I've been here so long I've forgotten what 'outside' smells like. Hey, the Blue Jays won the world series yet?"
View attachment 6294
"Ah, forget it. Doubt I'll be collecting that bet anyway," He scoffed. "Yeah, I've been here far too long. If you don't make Bison's draft, you're stuck here. You're left to face all the horrors of an Underworld morning. It ain't fun and it ain't pretty. You're stuck here until one of the First Rounds picks you off, or some miracle happens and you catch Bison's eye a second time. Way I see it? Sticking with the New Bloods is my best shot at making it outta here with this pretty lil face intact. You guys still got souls 'n spunk. You'll make a splash, I'm sure. And hey, if we all die horribly, what do I have to loose?"


"Eh, it gets the job done. It's a quick way to go."
View attachment 6298
Crimson shrugged, an affected by HABIT'S... personality. She had gotten used to the presence of sadists. One imprisoned her in the clearing each morning. HABIT was nothing new.

"I won't pretend it's pleasant, but there are worse ways to go down here. The Insect Kingdom, for one. The Bloodied Planes aren't pleasant either. Geez, look at me. I'm act as if there's a nice part of this island...."

@Takumi @Yun Lee @Capri


"We will not bow..." Atreus repeated to himself. "We won't..."
The boy straightened out his spine a little. He stood up a little taller, a little prouder. He back to face his allies, the spark of a man's conviction shining behind his young eyes.
View attachment 6299
"We'll make it home. We all will. I'll keep you safe..." He hummed, a glimmer of boyish ego clinging to his every word. "I'll keep alive... I'm not a boy anymore..."

Diamond Patch turned his eye away from the squabbling Gods. It slowly drifted back over to Urien.

[9, 8, 7, 6...] The Secularist thought to himself. [5... 4... 3...]

"Ah, shit..." Frost cursed. "Darlings, no might be a good time to run..."

"You seek to command me, woman?" Adam spat. "Wish to pacify me? No. Why should I make peace with a line of ants?"

[2...]

"No. I won't cower with you fools. You're standing between me and my goals. So I'll kill you." He smiles thoughtlessly. "And then I shall kill that woman for daring to take me away from my Kingdom."

[1...]

"Besides. I don't like your faces."

[Zero. And so it begins...]

The Island shook three times. Two minutes had passed. Let the games begin...
_________________________________________________________________________________________
CHAMPIONS OF THE ARENA III: BIZZAROVERSE
Chapter 1?: Deja Vu
___________________________________________________________
Number of Survivors: 32 Number of Dead: 98,200 Hours until Extinction: 12 Time: 6:23pm
___________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________
View attachment 6302
"Let the hunt begin!" Eobard taunted, lowering his stance. In a flash of black and gold, he darted across the clearing. He planted a fist in Booster's stomach. Then another. And another. And another. All in the space of a heartbeat. Before he could cry out in pain, and uppercut forced his jaw shut. The Reverse Flash was playing with his food. "Reverse Flash Fact- The average human can take about 45 Dels worth of pain before they start to snap!" Raising Booster up by his throat, the Reverse Flash tossed him into a nearby tree. The twisted black oak came crashing down in the heart of the clearing, burying Booster beneath its trunk. "Let's see who here can take 60?"

Cammy raised her foot to strike the speedster's spine. He caught her leg with ease. He turned her around in the air and sent her skidding face-first across the clearing. Bison hadn't chosen her Champions with balance in mind. Recovering from her brutal landing, Cammy coughed up a lung full of dust and dirt. She cradled her broken arm and fell back into the Jungle, keeping her eyes fixed on Eobard all the while. Despite her injuries, she remained completely silent.

With a screeching cry, D'Vorah plunged one of her clawed limps into the Speedsters' back, catching him in ego-fueled moment of cackling weakness. Eobard's eyes widened in pain and fury. With a viscous snarl, he dragged the Kytinn deep into the Jungle, smashing her flailing body into every tree he passed.

General Zod crumpled up a small pieced of paper and tossed it into the grass. A blast of laser vision turned the note to ash.
View attachment 6303
"The Art of War..." The General hummed. "Strike not what is strong, but what is weak. Play into your advantage."

His feet lifted off the ground. He turned towards the Jungle, his hands lopped behind his back.

"Cross the path of Zod is to know death and death alone. All who enter the forest without taking a kneel will fall before the Might of Krypton."

He slowly vanished in the warm fog of the Jungle.

Illyana Rasputina waved her arms and transported her team- Decapre, Bizzaro and Dick- to Flaming Forest. For a split moment, her stepping disc portal remained open for the fastest among the Champions to jump through after them. Kaine and Damian did so. Black Adam waved his hand and called forth a might beam of thunder. His electric bolt burned through the air of the clearing towards Atlantiades.

The Cheetah sprinted south towards the Wetlands. Rocket, Nathan and Marco ran down a similar path. The Yellow Team- sans C.Viper- headed North towards the Insect Kingdom. Viper rolled her eyes at her team's foolishness and remained in the clearing, alongside Diamond Patch, Belmod, a scared and confused Jon Kent and a stoic, bitter Sagat, who stood like a statue at the edge of the woods.

With a mighty bellow, the Unstoppable Juggernaut charged towards the Red and Green Teams. An inch way from crushing them, the brute leaped, crossing half the island in a single bound. The booms and cries of distant battles could be heard from across the island. The island's residents had wasted no time. Champions were rising and dying like clockwork. Some of the First-Rounders had sprinted off in a panic. Some of the game's veterans had sprinted off in search of their familiar homes and shelters.

The more ambitious souls had already started to hunt.

It's kill or be killed out there. Go make a scene.

@Jeremi @Capri @Lucky @Takumi @Yun Lee​

"Spare me the histrionics..." Atlantiades groaned as all hell broke loose around them. They turned their attention towards Billy.

"You said you had a plan? It seems like it's time to get to it before some idiot comes around and thinks we're easy pickings."The idiot made itself known pretty quickly. The Goddess of Love barely managed to dodge the lightning, looking around to see that everyone else was safe before turning their attention back towards Adam. "The one who thinks he's king but is just another puppet!" Their wings spread outwards as they were enveloped in bright light.

"Men who lash out like that tend to have a complex...or have to compensate for something else." They looked defiantly at Black Adam. "My offer at an alliance still stands, but I will not let you brazenly attack my allies like that! So I ask again! Do you wish to stay here as another puppet? Or do you want to be the King that you actually are?"
​

@Sark @Jeremi @Capri @Lucky @Takumi @Yun Lee

 

[Capri]

HABIT
@Sark @Takumi @Yun Lee @Red Team

As all hell broke loose, HABIT took his god-killer gun out and aimed it at Juggernaut before firing.​

 

[Minerva]

Black Adam waved his hand and called forth a might beam of thunder. His electric bolt burned through the air of the clearing towards Atlantiades.

"Spare me the histrionics..." Atlantiades groaned as all hell broke loose around them. They turned their attention towards Billy.

"You said you had a plan? It seems like it's time to get to it before some idiot comes around and thinks we're easy pickings."The idiot made itself known pretty quickly. The Goddess of Love barely managed to dodge the lightning, looking around to see that everyone else was safe before turning their attention back towards Adam. "The one who thinks he's king but is just another puppet!" Their wings spread outwards as they were enveloped in bright light.

"Men who lash out like that tend to have a complex...or have to compensate for something else." They looked defiantly at Black Adam. "My offer at an alliance still stands, but I will not let you brazenly attack my allies like that! So I ask again! Do you wish to stay here as another puppet? Or do you want to be the King that you actually are?"

@Sark @Jeremi @Capri @Lucky @Takumi @Yun Lee

"Wait." Karinith said, holding her hand out. Atlantiades would suddenly find what looked like fractal glass in front of them, acting like a shield. "Greater Ward. It should protect you from any more spells."

​

 

[Sark]

"The Blue Jays?" Mila questioned with a tilt of her head. She didn't know what the man was talking about.

"Blue Jays? Baseball? Not ringing any bells, darling? Shame." James shrugged. "If we get out of this thing with all our limps attached, I've got a whole knew world of dives and sports-bars to introduce you to..."

"Men who lash out like that tend to have a complex...or have to compensate for something else." They looked defiantly at Black Adam. "My offer at an alliance still stands, but I will not let you brazenly attack my allies like that! So I ask again! Do you wish to stay here as another puppet? Or do you want to be the King that you actually are?"

"Puppet? You dare?"
View attachment 6393
Adam soared towards Atlantiades with the swiftness of Heru. He raised his hand towards the heavens, ready to call forth another thunderbolt. For a second, he succumbed to hesitation. Perhaps Karinith's shield had caught his eye, distracting him enough to earn a moment of pause. Adam's eyebrows twitched a little. He slowly folded his arms and entered a more neutral stance, his pride already wounded by Atlantiades' words.
"Tell me, Witch, what could your 'alliance' offer me that I do not already posses?"

In a flash of white, Mila grew in size. As Juggernaut charged and jumped over them, the dragon of harvest turned, her tail moving to strike him from the air and away from her team with a huff of smoke from her nose.

HABIT
@Sark @Takumi @Yun Lee @Red Team

As all hell broke loose, HABIT took his god-killer gun out and aimed it at Juggernaut before firing.

PLAYER ELIMINATED: CAIN MARKO/ JUGGERNAUT.
FATE: TOSSED AND SHOT BY MILA AND HABIT.
View attachment 6399
"So that's how you guys are doin' things, huh?" Frost hummed, wiping Marko's blood from his face. "Guess I can't grill you too bad. Someone always died in the first minute. Practically a tradition here. Started with that Spider-Kid way back when, and look at us now! Whole damn island is built on bodies. Look, if Thunder-Fingers over there really does have a plan, he better spill it. If you're just gonna dice each other up like the others, I might well try my luck with the Flaming Forest Gang. I ain't gonna stand around whilst you go shopping for entails."

@Capri @Yun Lee @Takumi @Jeremi @Lucky

"It is that hubris of creatures claiming to be 'Gods' that brought Ruin to this land in the first place," the Emperor's booming voice responded to Zamasu without looking at him. "This has become a futile effort, and I've no time for it."

Instead, his white, pupilless gaze watched the sea of emerald foam soaring towards him. The Emperor raised His clawed gauntlet to the raging tide and twitched His finger; in an instant, a golden beam of light shot outward from His fingertips. Faster than even a God could process, the shaft split the rising tides in twine, sending two separate waves crashing into either side of the Emperor of Mankind while He stood at the center.

Another ragged breath escaped him. A contingent of Legio Custodes- what few had remained - rushed around their Emperor's flanks silently. The golden giants lifted their massive weapons as if they were naught but paper, the Shield-Captain among them lifting his own and conjuring a storm of bolter fire from his brothers down towards the raging Goddess.

The Emperor did not need to communicate to His men with words. They understood their purpose here. The Shield-Captain of the Custodes barked out orders through his vox-link, bringing the remnants of the Emperor's golden bodyguards to bear against a singularly unbeatable enemy.

The Emperor Himself turned on the spot, his cape flowing like a great crimson cloud from the winds that rushed from the portal's maw. By the will of Logic, it took no time at all of the Emperor to accept reality - he approached the opening without sparing another look to the Goddess, or the men whom he'd sacrificed for the good of humanity.

@Sark

Across the Multiverse
"Are they back yet?"
"They'll be back. Have a little faith."
"Look, you're pushing that Motherbox to its limits. Who's to say it even reached Atlantis, and even if it has, we might've just twisted Orion inside out or something. And ever if we have reached the Old Gods place, who's to say--
"Guy..."
"Don't 'Guy' me, man. You've just opened a doorway into the Goddess' new playground. Who's to say we're gonna like what we find? I mean, surviving Gods? You know what this stinks of, right?"
"Come on..."
"It stinks of a trap, Hal, it stinks of a trap. I say we pull the plug. I say we leave Mr.Brain-Chair and his high horse-- wherever he may be-- and bounce before You-Know-Who comes sniffing."
"You don't mean that. You took an oath. You're not about to leave an old man to die cleaning up another one of your messes."
"Wouldn't I? Have you met Metron? Talking to the guy is like--
View attachment 6400
[BOOM]
The Back-Door of a Boom-Tube shattered the skies over New Genesis. 6 figures fell from its burning jaws.
View attachment 6401
"They're back! They're hurt!" Hal's eyes widened. He jumped into action, slinging a large baseball glove across the skyline to catch as many of his falling allies as he could. 2 fell through the giant, construct hand that hand extended forth from the depths of his wring. "Guy! The others!"

In a flash of crimson, the second lantern soared down towards the falling Gods.
View attachment 6402
"Guess you're pack to barking orders, huh?" Guy scoffed. A pair of burning chains caught the last of the falling Gods. "Mine don't seem to be moving much. You think they're dead?"

"No.. not yet..." Hal hummed, hovering down towards the Old Gods of Atlantis. "They're losing consciousness... but we can... still... save... them... if... we..."

***
You woke up to the sound of music. It was the song of a strange, unearthly instrument. It was... something between a harp and a flute. It's song hummed sweetly across the city's golden walls. It must have been coming from another another patient's chamber. The song's soothing rhythm was enough to distract you from the array of wires and needles that were cutting deep into your flesh. You weapons and armor were nowhere to be seen. They were simply cluttering up the place. This was a hospital, after all. Tools of violence had no place here.

3 strangers laid opposite you. They were sleeping in pristine, white beds, just like yours. The first was old and feeble. The voice that had beckoned you through the Boom Tube fitted him perfectly. The second was broad and red headed. Even has he slept, a bitter scowl scared his young face. The third was tall and slender. He slept on his side, his fingers unconsciously running through his dark hair.

A pair of great, golden doors sat at the end of the hall. You could see a great, white tree sitting at the edge of the garden. A beautiful woman sat on a stone bench at the tree's mighty base. There was something about here that was... enchanting. You couldn't quite put your finger on it, but she possessed a sort of 'X-Factor'. You were spellbound. She slowly sharpened her sword with a whetstone, oblivious to the world beyond her blade.

@Crunch​

 

[Lucky]

Billy Batson/ Shazam

" Hmmm.... whatever do we have to offer you.... Oh yes, perhaps, the lay of the island. I don't know every single trap on the island, but I have already experienced it. Every inch of this island is permanently mapped in my brain, no matter how much I don't want it to be. It comes with the terrority of losing yourself to the original architect of the island and living here for five years. But as I was saying, north is a pretty safest terrority, well, minus the pits of snakes that was there last time.....but something tell me that changed."

@Minerva @Sark @Jeremi

 

[Sark]

Billy Batson/ Shazam

" Hmmm.... whatever do we have to offer you.... Oh yes, perhaps, the lay of the island. I don't know every single trap on the island, but I have already experienced it. Every inch of this island is permanently mapped in my brain, no matter how much I don't want it to be. It comes with the terrority of losing yourself to the original architect of the island and living here for five years. But as I was saying, north is a pretty safest terrority, well, minus the pits of snakes that was there last time.....but something tell me that changed."

@Minerva @Sark @Jeremi

Diamond Patch's head titled off kilter. He looked like a confused hound.
View attachment 6403
"You sure about that, pal?" Frost snorted. "I've been here for a good few 'forever's, and I ain't seen a single snake. Not up North. Not down South. Ever. My sense o' smell ain't what it used to be, but I'm smelling bullshit. 'The North' is a dump. Plain and simple. It's killed more people than I can count. I ain't heading North. Unless you want to be eaten alive, I say you stay away from the Kingdom too. If you really know the Architect, you better start making sense. How the Hell do we get outta here?"

@Lucky​

 

[Lucky]

Billy Batson/ Shazam

Billy knew the second that he tilted his head that something was wrong.

Of course, it wouldn't be easy. Why would it be fucking easy? Of course where they had to go was a fucking death trap. For a brief moment, Billy would glow with fire, before he calmed himself. Don't lose control, don't lose control. Shazam. Shazam. As warped as his powers had become, he was still Shazam, even if the powers of Arcade wouldn't..... no- couldn't leave his body. " Sadly, we need to go north, there is something I need there...... and that's the truth. There may not be a pit of snakes, but there is an ocean and a spot that means a lot more to me than any of you that has something I need. If you follow us, you get to live..... that's it. "

@Sark @Jeremi @Minerva

 

[Sark]

Billy Batson/ Shazam

Billy knew the second that he tilted his head that something was wrong.

Of course, it wouldn't be easy. Why would it be fucking easy? Of course where they had to go was a fucking death trap. For a brief moment, Billy would glow with fire, before he calmed himself. Don't lose control, don't lose control. Shazam. Shazam. As warped as his powers had become, he was still Shazam, even if the powers of Arcade wouldn't..... no- couldn't leave his body. " Sadly, we need to go north, there is something I need there...... and that's the truth. There may not be a pit of snakes, but there is an ocean and a spot that means a lot more to me than any of you that has something I need. If you follow us, you get to live..... that's it. "

@Sark @Jeremi @Minerva

"Look, kid," Frost sighed, cradling his temples. "If you really want to get to the coast, you're better off cutting through the Drylands. From there, you can pass through the Flaming Forest and reach the Lifelands. There's a boardwalk down there that the Yellows built for fishin'. It'll get you as close to the Kingdom's coast as you're gonna get without having your flesh chewed up. It's a longer route, sure, but its safer. We've still got a good 11 hours before the Deadline, we can make it with time to spare. But you better get your asses in gear soon. Whenever someone dies here? The rest of us know. Don't ask me how. Call it a Sixth Sense. The island tells us who, where and how they did the deed. Right now, Marty McGun over there is at the top of the leaderboard. Anyone looking to make an good impression will be gunning after him soon enough."

@Lucky @Yun Lee @Jeremi @Capri @Takumi​

 

[Takumi]

"Blue Jays? Baseball? Not ringing any bells, darling? Shame." James shrugged. "If we get out of this thing with all our limps attached, I've got a whole knew world of dives and sports-bars to introduce you to..."

"Puppet? You dare?"
View attachment 6393
Adam soared towards Atlantiades with the swiftness of Heru. He raised his hand towards the heavens, ready to call forth another thunderbolt. For a second, he succumbed to hesitation. Perhaps Karinith's shield had caught his eye, distracting him enough to earn a moment of pause. Adam's eyebrows twitched a little. He slowly folded his arms and entered a more neutral stance, his pride already wounded by Atlantiades' words.
"Tell me, Witch, what could your 'alliance' offer me that I do not already posses?"



PLAYER ELIMINATED: CAIN MARKO/ JUGGERNAUT.
FATE: TOSSED AND SHOT BY MILA AND HABIT.
View attachment 6399
"So that's how you guys are doin' things, huh?" Frost hummed, wiping Marko's blood from his face. "Guess I can't grill you too bad. Someone always died in the first minute. Practically a tradition here. Started with that Spider-Kid way back when, and look at us now! Whole damn island is built on bodies. Look, if Thunder-Fingers over there really does have a plan, he better spill it. If you're just gonna dice each other up like the others, I might well try my luck with the Flaming Forest Gang. I ain't gonna stand around whilst you go shopping for entails."

@Capri @Yun Lee @Takumi @Jeremi @Lucky

Across the Multiverse
"Are they back yet?"
"They'll be back. Have a little faith."
"Look, you're pushing that Motherbox to its limits. Who's to say it even reached Atlantis, and even if it has, we might've just twisted Orion inside out or something. And ever if we have reached the Old Gods place, who's to say--
"Guy..."
"Don't 'Guy' me, man. You've just opened a doorway into the Goddess' new playground. Who's to say we're gonna like what we find? I mean, surviving Gods? You know what this stinks of, right?"
"Come on..."
"It stinks of a trap, Hal, it stinks of a trap. I say we pull the plug. I say we leave Mr.Brain-Chair and his high horse-- wherever he may be-- and bounce before You-Know-Who comes sniffing."
"You don't mean that. You took an oath. You're not about to leave an old man to die cleaning up another one of your messes."
"Wouldn't I? Have you met Metron? Talking to the guy is like--
View attachment 6400
[BOOM]
The Back-Door of a Boom-Tube shattered the skies over New Genesis. 6 figures fell from its burning jaws.
View attachment 6401
"They're back! They're hurt!" Hal's eyes widened. He jumped into action, slinging a large baseball glove across the skyline to catch as many of his falling allies as he could. 2 fell through the giant, construct hand that hand extended forth from the depths of his wring. "Guy! The others!"

In a flash of crimson, the second lantern soared down towards the falling Gods.
View attachment 6402
"Guess you're pack to barking orders, huh?" Guy scoffed. A pair of burning chains caught the last of the falling Gods. "Mine don't seem to be moving much. You think they're dead?"

"No.. not yet..." Hal hummed, hovering down towards the Old Gods of Atlantis. "They're losing consciousness... but we can... still... save... them... if... we..."

***
You woke up to the sound of music. It was the song of a strange, unearthly instrument. It was... something between a harp and a flute. It's song hummed sweetly across the city's golden walls. It must have been coming from another another patient's chamber. The song's soothing rhythm was enough to distract you from the array of wires and needles that were cutting deep into your flesh. You weapons and armor were nowhere to be seen. They were simply cluttering up the place. This was a hospital, after all. Tools of violence had no place here.

3 strangers laid opposite you. They were sleeping in pristine, white beds, just like yours. The first was old and feeble. The voice that had beckoned you through the Boom Tube fitted him perfectly. The second was broad and red headed. Even has he slept, a bitter scowl scared his young face. The third was tall and slender. He slept on his side, his fingers unconsciously running through his dark hair.

A pair of great, golden doors sat at the end of the hall. You could see a great, white tree sitting at the edge of the garden. A beautiful woman sat on a stone bench at the tree's mighty base. There was something about here that was... enchanting. You couldn't quite put your finger on it, but she possessed a sort of 'X-Factor'. You were spellbound. She slowly sharpened her sword with a whetstone, oblivious to the world beyond her blade.

@Crunch​

"We don't have baseball where I'm from. I'm...flattered you'd offer to show me." The dragon spoke, though tilted her head and, if she had eyebrows in her dragon form they'd have been raised as she looked down at James as he spoke. It was odd, being spoken to as if she wasn't above him or revered. It almost felt nice, if a little odd. With other gods, you were either on equal footing, or you just...weren't. Like when she was simply called dragon, and not Mila.

"I can't speak for HABIT, or the others, but I simply wish to keep my allies safe..." She glanced at HABIT then, and squinted some more.

"As safe as I possibly can, I suppose." She added, before turning her head back to James. Tilting her head she regarded him curiously for a moment.

"Battle is more of my brother's calling, I simply want humans to live in peace." She added, almost solemnly.

Diamond Patch's head titled off kilter. He looked like a confused hound.
View attachment 6403
"You sure about that, pal?" Frost snorted. "I've been here for a good few 'forever's, and I ain't seen a single snake. Not up North. Not down South. Ever. My sense o' smell ain't what it used to be, but I'm smelling bullshit. 'The North' is a dump. Plain and simple. It's killed more people than I can count. I ain't heading North. Unless you want to be eaten alive, I say you stay away from the Kingdom too. If you really know the Architect, you better start making sense. How the Hell do we get outta here?"

@Lucky​

Billy Batson/ Shazam

Billy knew the second that he tilted his head that something was wrong.

Of course, it wouldn't be easy. Why would it be fucking easy? Of course where they had to go was a fucking death trap. For a brief moment, Billy would glow with fire, before he calmed himself. Don't lose control, don't lose control. Shazam. Shazam. As warped as his powers had become, he was still Shazam, even if the powers of Arcade wouldn't..... no- couldn't leave his body. " Sadly, we need to go north, there is something I need there...... and that's the truth. There may not be a pit of snakes, but there is an ocean and a spot that means a lot more to me than any of you that has something I need. If you follow us, you get to live..... that's it. "

@Sark @Jeremi @Minerva

"Could the layout of this island have changed since you were here?" Mila asked, a bit confused on the way this conversation was going. She looked between. James and Billy, though her gaze flicked to where Atlantiades tried to call of Black Adam. If Dragon's could frown, she was doing something close to it.

"Look, kid," Frost sighed, cradling his temples. "If you really want to get to the coast, you're better off cutting through the Drylands. From there, you can pass through the Flaming Forest and reach the Lifelands. There's a boardwalk down there that the Yellows built for fishin'. It'll get you as close to the Kingdom's coast as you're gonna get without having your flesh chewed up. It's a longer route, sure, but its safer. We've still got a good 11 hours before the Deadline, we can make it with time to spare. But you better get your asses in gear soon. Whenever someone dies here? The rest of us know. Don't ask me how. Call it a Sixth Sense. The island tells us who, where and how they did the deed. Right now, Marty McGun over there is at the top of the leaderboard. Anyone looking to make an good impression will be gunning after him soon enough."

@Lucky @Yun Lee @Jeremi @Capri @Takumi​

"I guess it's settled then." Mila's frown deepened, smoke trailing from her nostrils in a huff. As long as they didn't run into that fast runner, she felt that things would go at least a little smoother. At least, she hoped so.

@Sark @Lucky @Capri @Jeremi @Minerva @Everyone

 

[Jeremi]

"Blue Jays? Baseball? Not ringing any bells, darling? Shame." James shrugged. "If we get out of this thing with all our limps attached, I've got a whole knew world of dives and sports-bars to introduce you to..."

"Puppet? You dare?"
View attachment 6393
Adam soared towards Atlantiades with the swiftness of Heru. He raised his hand towards the heavens, ready to call forth another thunderbolt. For a second, he succumbed to hesitation. Perhaps Karinith's shield had caught his eye, distracting him enough to earn a moment of pause. Adam's eyebrows twitched a little. He slowly folded his arms and entered a more neutral stance, his pride already wounded by Atlantiades' words.
"Tell me, Witch, what could your 'alliance' offer me that I do not already posses?"



PLAYER ELIMINATED: CAIN MARKO/ JUGGERNAUT.
FATE: TOSSED AND SHOT BY MILA AND HABIT.
View attachment 6399
"So that's how you guys are doin' things, huh?" Frost hummed, wiping Marko's blood from his face. "Guess I can't grill you too bad. Someone always died in the first minute. Practically a tradition here. Started with that Spider-Kid way back when, and look at us now! Whole damn island is built on bodies. Look, if Thunder-Fingers over there really does have a plan, he better spill it. If you're just gonna dice each other up like the others, I might well try my luck with the Flaming Forest Gang. I ain't gonna stand around whilst you go shopping for entails."

@Capri @Yun Lee @Takumi @Jeremi @Lucky

Across the Multiverse
"Are they back yet?"
"They'll be back. Have a little faith."
"Look, you're pushing that Motherbox to its limits. Who's to say it even reached Atlantis, and even if it has, we might've just twisted Orion inside out or something. And ever if we have reached the Old Gods place, who's to say--
"Guy..."
"Don't 'Guy' me, man. You've just opened a doorway into the Goddess' new playground. Who's to say we're gonna like what we find? I mean, surviving Gods? You know what this stinks of, right?"
"Come on..."
"It stinks of a trap, Hal, it stinks of a trap. I say we pull the plug. I say we leave Mr.Brain-Chair and his high horse-- wherever he may be-- and bounce before You-Know-Who comes sniffing."
"You don't mean that. You took an oath. You're not about to leave an old man to die cleaning up another one of your messes."
"Wouldn't I? Have you met Metron? Talking to the guy is like--
View attachment 6400
[BOOM]
The Back-Door of a Boom-Tube shattered the skies over New Genesis. 6 figures fell from its burning jaws.
View attachment 6401
"They're back! They're hurt!" Hal's eyes widened. He jumped into action, slinging a large baseball glove across the skyline to catch as many of his falling allies as he could. 2 fell through the giant, construct hand that hand extended forth from the depths of his wring. "Guy! The others!"

In a flash of crimson, the second lantern soared down towards the falling Gods.
View attachment 6402
"Guess you're pack to barking orders, huh?" Guy scoffed. A pair of burning chains caught the last of the falling Gods. "Mine don't seem to be moving much. You think they're dead?"

"No.. not yet..." Hal hummed, hovering down towards the Old Gods of Atlantis. "They're losing consciousness... but we can... still... save... them... if... we..."

***
You woke up to the sound of music. It was the song of a strange, unearthly instrument. It was... something between a harp and a flute. It's song hummed sweetly across the city's golden walls. It must have been coming from another another patient's chamber. The song's soothing rhythm was enough to distract you from the array of wires and needles that were cutting deep into your flesh. You weapons and armor were nowhere to be seen. They were simply cluttering up the place. This was a hospital, after all. Tools of violence had no place here.

3 strangers laid opposite you. They were sleeping in pristine, white beds, just like yours. The first was old and feeble. The voice that had beckoned you through the Boom Tube fitted him perfectly. The second was broad and red headed. Even has he slept, a bitter scowl scared his young face. The third was tall and slender. He slept on his side, his fingers unconsciously running through his dark hair.

A pair of great, golden doors sat at the end of the hall. You could see a great, white tree sitting at the edge of the garden. A beautiful woman sat on a stone bench at the tree's mighty base. There was something about here that was... enchanting. You couldn't quite put your finger on it, but she possessed a sort of 'X-Factor'. You were spellbound. She slowly sharpened her sword with a whetstone, oblivious to the world beyond her blade.

@Crunch​

Atlantiades stood their ground as Black Adam loomed near. "Breaking the cycle and escaping this farce," Came their reply. "I will not say we have all the answers and the necessary skills for it to be an easy escape," Atlantiades gave out their hand towards Black Adam. "But as the Goddess of Love I will spread some of that to this place and the only way we are going to do that is through unity. If not all but some working together."

They pointed towards Atreus. "Or do you think killing a child to save yourself is an honorable thing to do? The more we are united, the more power we have."

@Sark @Lucky @Yun Lee @Jeremi @Capri @Takumi

 

[Capri]

HABIT
@Sark @Takumi @Yun Lee @Minerva @Lucky @Jeremi

HABIT licked his lips in delight after his kill of Cain Marko.

He desires more... more... more.

But Frost’s statement stuck in his mind. People will be gunning for him, rabbits who don’t know they’re about to be done in.

He’s a target, but they don’t know that they have no chance of winning against him.

So, he sticks with his group, waiting for anyone else who wants to take a bite out of him. Wandering alone leads to corruption, the note said, and the others all have notes, meaning this is some elaborate plan to get them out of there in order to kick The Goddess’s ass, so he’s interested.

Bringing the fight to them is his way of following the note.​

 

[Lucky]

Billy Batson/ Shazam

A thought echoed through Billy's head and he hadn't considered it until now. He didn't know much about as he had broken through the roof after he had been given the powers of ARCADE. But he knew from the story that he asked the others when he got the time..... " There was an underground section of the island, a place where the previous game master would reside to watch over us. It was behind a waterfall, though the details aren't really known to me.... I didn't spend much time down there. And I only really heard about it in stories from others nd what vague memories I know.' He would look to his teammates for a moment. " Is there any errrm.... weaknesses you have that would prevent us from going through the flaming forest and going near the coast? It is possible," he replied to Millia.

@Jeremi @Minerva @Sark @Takumi @Capri

 

[Sark]

"We don't have baseball where I'm from. I'm...flattered you'd offer to show me." The dragon spoke, though tilted her head and, if she had eyebrows in her dragon form they'd have been raised as she looked down at James as he spoke. It was odd, being spoken to as if she wasn't above him or revered. It almost felt nice, if a little odd. With other gods, you were either on equal footing, or you just...weren't. Like when she was simply called dragon, and not Mila.

"I can't speak for HABIT, or the others, but I simply wish to keep my allies safe..." She glanced at HABIT then, and squinted some more.

"As safe as I possibly can, I suppose." She added, before turning her head back to James. Tilting her head she regarded him curiously for a moment.

"Battle is more of my brother's calling, I simply want humans to live in peace." She added, almost solemnly.
@Capri @Jeremi @Minerva @Everyone

"Sounds like a plan, darling," Frost smirked. "As soon as we beat this place, I'll buy you all a round at Riley's. It's the shittiest place in town, but the drinks are cheap, and we'll all be the best looking people in there."

Atlantiades stood their ground as Black Adam loomed near. "Breaking the cycle and escaping this farce," Came their reply. "I will not say we have all the answers and the necessary skills for it to be an easy escape," Atlantiades gave out their hand towards Black Adam. "But as the Goddess of Love I will spread some of that to this place and the only way we are going to do that is through unity. If not all but some working together."

They pointed towards Atreus. "Or do you think killing a child to save yourself is an honorable thing to do? The more we are united, the more power we have."

@Sark @Lucky @Yun Lee @Jeremi @Capri @Takumi

Adam's eyes drifted from Atlantiades' eyes to her hand and back again. A beat. He folded his arms and drifted past her, not giving her so much as a second glance.
"Fine." He snapped, avoiding her stare. He turned his face away from Atreus. "I'll come. I'll keep you alive. Not for you. Not for love. Not for the boy. For my people. They're no doubt suffering in my absence... Clawing each other to pieces without my firm hand..."

His boots clicked down upon the dusty of the Clearing. He assessed his new allies with a cold stare.
"Children, Dragons, Angels and Flaming Men... and of course, the Wizard's pet... This will be interesting... if nothing else..."

"I guess it's settled then." Mila's frown deepened, smoke trailing from her nostrils in a huff. As long as they didn't run into that fast runner, she felt that things would go at least a little smoother. At least, she hoped so.

Is there any errrm.... weaknesses you have that would prevent us from going through the flaming forest and going near the coast? It is possible," he replied to Millia.

DRYLANDS--> FLAMING FOREST
The journey across the silent planes of the Drylands was long and exhausting. The Sun's sting was inescapable. The gritty sand was rough under foot. It seemed to slip away with every step you took. Running was almost impossible. My the time your eyes fell upon something that wasn't a faceless dune, 2 hours had passed.

10 hours remained.

A pillar of smoke scarred the horizon. The Flaming Forest was at last in view.
Its trees were barren and bare. The earth was as dry and rock as the Drylands had been. A few towering, wooden pillars protruded the lifeless hills, the natural gravestones of the trees that had once thrived in long dead land. The Sun's cruel gaze ignited their blackened, flash. Fire crawled across every surface. Smoke scalded your flesh.
View attachment 6431
"Aw-right..." James mumbled to himself. "Judging by that pang in my gut, another 5-ish of us are dead---"
PLAYER ELIMINATED: D'VORAH
FATE: CUT TO RIBBONS BY THE REVERSE FLASH

PLAYER ELIMINATED: ZERO
FATE: DROWNED BY NATHAN

PLAYER ELIMINATED: ROCKET RACOON
FATE: POACHED BY SAGAT IN SELF DEFENSE

PLAYER ELIMINATE: BOOSTER GOLD
FATE: TOSSED BY THE REVERSE FLASH AND CRUSHED BY A TREE

PLAYER ELIMINATED: STRIDER HIRYU
FATE: IMPALED BY THE REVERSE FLASH

"Good news-- we aren't the baddest bitches in town anymore. That Fast-Guy is at the climbing up the leader-board. Let's hope someone puts him in the ground before he comes a-knocking... In other news, welcome to Yellow Team Territory. These bastards have been here about as long as Urien has. Real vets. They've got a hut in the heart of this place. If we want water, we'll have to pay them a tribute or two. Hell, they might want a little something-something just for us cutting through their back yard. Want to avoid that? We're looking at another hour's trek southward into the Wetlands, and another hour north into the Lifelands. I can survive a lil heat. It's up to you what we do next."

@Jeremi @Yun Lee @Takumi @Capri @Lucky​