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"Still alive?" Arcade sighed and rolled his eyes. "Sure, they're alive... for now.... actually, you know what? That's the sorta behavior that adds more bees to a bee trap, you know? How about we double the number of bees going after Shion. No, wait. Let's triple that figure again. And for good measure, let's things up further. Let's add acid to Greg's death trap and.... maybe some flaming razor blades. Let's see how long they Daddy-Dearest lasts under those conditions..."

@Atomic Knight @Jeremi @Takumi @Gummi Bunnies @York @Hahli Nuva @Minerva @LakeTeam


"Oh, put that finger down before you take someone's eyes out" Arcade groaned, gliding across the river until he reached the shore. His feet planted themselves in the dirt with a crunch. "You all want your shot at me? Fine. Take it" He took a fish from the skewer, he took a large bite out of its flesh. To his surprise, it really was beautifully cooked. "See what happens. Prove to me that you're stronger than I think. Go on. I don't plan on spending my night out here..."

@Atomic Knight @Jeremi @Takumi @Gummi Bunnies @York @Hahli Nuva @Minerva



"Why so silent, good friends?" Arcade smiled, stretching his arms out wide. "Go on. I'm sure that the two of you would love to gut me like one of those beautiful bass. You can thank me for those, by the way. Its just like I told you all this morning; I'm a provider, aren't I? But of course--- join you 'allies'. Bite the hand that feeds you. Cut me down to size, just like you've been planning. Don't keep me waiting"

@Jeremi @Takumi @Gummi Bunnies @Atomic Knight @York @Hahli Nuva @Minerva


"That's it, Doll! Keep the morale of the camp up! They're rooting for you at home! They always love to see the nice ones die horribly. Or even better, become something even more horrible" A chuckle escaped his lips. "I can't wait. For the moment it finally happens. That evolve or die moment... and trust me when I tell you, it's coming... better prepare..."

@Jeremi @Takumi @Gummi Bunnies @Atomic Knight @York @Hahli Nuva @Minerva

"Oh CRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAPPPPPPPPPPPPPP"

Superboy's words trailed off the moment the blue wave struck him, its power searing through him. Magic had always packed a punch against his kind; it was one of the few things a couple of dozen gallons of sunlight couldn't account for. The strength of the stone, illusive as it was, sent Conner hurtling backwards through the jungle, striking down 4 large tree trunks before he could finally regain some composure.

"Ow. Just... Ow..."

Groaning and shaking the grogginess from his head, Superboy floated from the crater he had began to hammer into the 5th tree from the clearing .

"You broke my glasses! What the hell was that for, dirt-bag? You don't just rock up to another fella's party and break his glasses! Low blow dude, low blow!"
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"Those glasses were iconic! I-C-O-N-I-C!" The Kryptonian cried, charging up his heat vision to its very limit and closing the distance between the fighters as a red and black blur. "Mess with them, and you mess with the S! And when you mess with the S, you get torched.....Dude!!!!"

@York @Crow


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Superboy threw crossed his arm across his chest to parry Blue Beetle's attempted counter, the clashing titans sending an earth shaking shock-wave across the northern jungle. Shaken by the shockwave, the trees damaged by Beetle's counter finally tumbled to the ground around the three fighters.

"Urgh, there gonna have to start calling you the Blue Cockroach or something---- why won't you just curl up and die already? Why does this have to be so much work?"

Heat vision was off the table, and, with his powers still not fully developed, so was brute force. He had to use another one of the power the Old Superman had given him... or maybe one juice bonuses the bald fella gave him.

Stretching across their clashing fists, Superboy wrapped his free hand around Beetle's Scarab, closed his eyes, and used his telekinesis to rattle the alien machine from the inside out, hoping to knock something lose and trigger a system restart.

"Ya not the first machine-man-thing I've given the whammy to, yano! The last one was a machine-kryptonian-thing, and if this trick worked on his--- it should mess you up nicely too, FreakFace!!"

@York @Crow



"I guess that's what he wants" Scott muttered, poking at their humble fire with a stick. "He wants us to throw out our morals to stay alive... it starts with a bear and where does it end? With him? With the other teams? With each other? Getting swarmed by sharks... that was a horrible situation... but... that was a survival decision you made on your own. It was your own choice. But that bear? We were set up. Arcade knew that we would kill it... he's trying to groom us or play us... to make us play his game..."
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"But... Maybe you're right. Maybe we had to put it down. Maybe we do just have to knuckle down and soldier on. That's what we're gonna have to do... but I don't plan on liking it..."

@Takumi @Atomic Knight @Crow @RedTeam @Jeremi


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"Told you so" Eli laughed, a smug look glued to his face. "Look at us. We've got thunder. We've got lightning. We've got bows, guns and knives. Noone can stop us. Nothing can stop us. We're gonna win this game. Anyone who's too weak to do what's needed what's needed for us to win? They'll be left for the dogs..."

@Sark @Takumi @Atomic Knight @Crow @RedTeam @Jeremi

As Vanitas made his way across the wasteland, he would note a flickering image in the distance. As he began to approached the ghostly mirage, it seemed to take on a similar appearance, one he would recognize from Arcade's clearing.
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Hovering just outside the perimeter of the mountainside village hovered the Green Team's missing member, the boy known Tretij Rebenok. With a blank expression, he simply stared at the Masked Boy, unflinching and unshaken by the arrival of a potential new friend or foe. He simply breathed rhythmically, the cuffs of his straight jacket occasionally drifting from side to side in the wind.

@Gummi Bunnies
"I was trying to see if it was poisonous but of you insist, then I can't stop you." He chuckled. "Any other fruit we come across though, should be treated with caution." He added as a light warning.

"I have to agree with her, what way to get viewers than to make the deaths as gruesome and dramatic as possible? Poisoning isn't going to cut it, not now anyway." Nezumi said his piece on the matter. "We can expect one hell of a headache however." Arcade seemed to be just spending a lot of unnecessary amounts of money for this, and he had to wonder if any No. 6 officials were somehow still alive and had a hand in it...that or someone else.



"Home?" Nezumi responded, thinking for a moment. Only one person came to his mind when it came to home, but he wondered if it was alright to name it after someone special-this island was made to murder people after all.

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"...Shion." He spoke up, and while the name was one of a flower, the fruit itself reminded him of his companion's cooking. With that he started eating his share.

Then Arcade showed up, and while Nezumi ignored him initially something he said caused him to stop moving, head jerking up almost immediately.





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"Hey kid, you're wasting your breath on a man like him." Nezumi hissed sharply without even looking at Steven, his mind racing with jumbled thoughts the moment Arcade spoke about Shion being in a bee trap of all things. There was no use trying to even speak with a man like Arcade. Though the chance to attack him was something he'd jump on quick if he had the means to, he didn't know the extent of this man's weird powers, or what he might have up his sleeve. Didn't mean he didn't want to beat the shit out of him any less. No, something about this encounter felt wrong, but he was too angry to see it. He didn't move from where he sat, studying Arcade for a moment while he tried to calm himself down to think more clearly, eyes holding contempt.

If he wanted a rise out of them, he got one for a split second from Nezumi. Once calm enough, he didn't move and wouldn't until Arcade got out of his sight.

@Sark @Atomic Knight @Yun Lee @Minerva @Gummi Bunnies @Jeremi @York @Water Team

---

The moment the bear was finally dead Alice put her gun away. With Eli badmouthing Scott however is when she had enough of his shit. She brought her fist down on his head.

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"Eli what the fucking hell?! Instead of risking your life like that you could of told us or something then you would of had someone watching your back a lot sooner! Your recklessness os going to get you killed and if it's someone like me telling you this then that's pretty fucking bad." She exclaimed. Sure they got meat and furs now but that didn't excuse the fact that things could of gotten real ugly and went wrong if they didn't realize he was gone as soon as they did.

She didn't pay too much attention to the little broadcasts of the day Arcade put up, too busy chewing Eli out to really care about that.

@Crow @Atomic Knight @Sark @Jeremi @Red Team
Jianyu rolled her eyes. "He's lying," she said. "He doesn't have anyone we love locked away and is just trying to get us to snap. Well it's not going to happen, typical TV producer."

"Jianyu!"

"What? He called you a Doll, and I warned him about running his mouth. Anyways, if you're not staying here the whole night, you can go now. No gritty massacre is happening here tonight."

@Sark @Takumi @Atomic Knight @Jeremi @York @Gummi Bunnies
"Bzzzzt!"

The Scarab did not take kindly to the telekinetic intrusion, and before Superboy could hit any internal weak spot, the Scarab reversed the telekinetic waves, hitting Superboy with his own medicine, right in the mind! This also caused a creation of distance between the two parties.

"Whatever you're doing, I'm sure you'll be successful after ninety-nine or so times," Beetle taunts as the glowing slits on his suit changed from a sunny red to a very familiar radioactive green. "I think you already figured, but unlike the augmentations of that Cyborg Superman guy I think you're talking about, my friend here knows how to fight back."

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Blue Beetle formed some kind of wave blaster in his hand. These glowing slits dimmed as the very same radiation that previously exuded from them, now in a more concentrated form, was aimed for Superboy!

@Sark @York @Crow
The silent treatment continued from Laura. While the others might feel inclined to feed his ego she wasn't going to be one of them. Besides, men like him lost some of his power if you decided to ignore them. Even still they were still stuck on this island with him pulling the strings potentially with their loved ones in his grasp. They needed to figure something out and soon.

@Takumi @Gummi Bunnies @Atomic Knight @York @Hahli Nuva @Minerva @Sark




Loa didn't really know what to say to comfort her future headmaster. "People hunt for food, I bet Mr Logan does that a lot when he's out and that doesn't make him a bad person, right?"

To Eli Loa just shot a glare. "If you want to be the guy who tries to kill everyone go for it, but I'm pretty sure you're not going to at least get anyone of us to help you, and I'd like to see you get a drop on that Weapon Hex girl all on your own too." She realized that whatever they said and did he was still going to try his darnedest to follow what Arcade had set out for them to do, but that didn't mean none of them should actually help him do it.

@Sark @Takumi @Atomic Knight @Crow @RedTeam @Jeremi
"And there it is"
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"That flicker of passion! That spark of emotion! In 6 days, my children, that spark will have grown into the brightest flame you can imagine. It's going to burn you up! You'll be begging me for the chance to rip someone's throat out, should it help extinguish that flame for just a moment"
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"I can see it blazing away inside you already, Nezumi... that's why you're one of the top picks. Its why a lot of nasty, nasty people have a lot of money resting on you coming out on top. It didn't take much to kindle that light within you, kid. All it took was an angry speedster and you start a-hackin'. Tell me, son. If you hadn't been smooshed into the side of that rock, would you have gone through with it? Would you have kept grinding that knife into him? Would you have killed poor old father of two Wally West? Or... do we already know the answer to that one?"

@Takumi @Gummi Bunnies @Atomic Knight @York @Hahli Nuva @Minerva @Sark


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"Really? We're still on this 'typical' thing? Please" Arcade groaned and shrugged, before nonchalantly reaching into his jacked and fumbling around. "I forgave you last time. But twice? Shame on you. Remember what happened last time you kids disrespected me? You should really listen to your sister. She sounds like the brains of the operation-- Ah!" There it was. He'd found it. Holding the item with two pinched fingers, he let it dangle for a moment, swinging it callously. Once he finally let it fall into the sand by Xiayu's feet, he instinctively began to wipe his hands along the sides of his pants, inadvertently staining his white suit crimson with flicks of blood and ash. "I trust you recognize this?"
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"Consider it... a token of my generosity. A keepsake from which you can remember a lost friend... and most importantly a sign of my honest albeit murderous nature"

@Takumi @Atomic Knight @Jeremi @York @Gummi Bunnies


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"You sure about that?" Arcade smirked. "I mean, one of you could snap and run the gauntlet overnight. A couple of well places stab wounds" His eyes fell to Hyakkimaru. "Or claw swipes" His eyes bounced to Laura. "Or some beautiful strangulations" The swung back around to the two dolls "Your little camp could get very messy very quickly. I suggest you sleep close to the river. Might give you an escape route once things go south and the--" He smiled at Nezumi "--back stabbing starts"
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"Oh, and before I forget... Remember to wrap up warm tonight. Especially you, Ms.Kinney..."
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"Because there's a storm coming... and I'd hate to see you catch a cold..."

In a burst of lighting, Arcade vanished, sending stones and sand clouds dancing in wake. As soon as he was gone, the heavens seemed to open, spraying the Jungle with a fog of pounding rain.

@Takumi @Atomic Knight @Jeremi @York @Gummi Bunnies @Lake Team


Even a telekinetic wall couldn't shield the Metropolis Kid from brunt of the radioactive blast, forcing him to his knees. With his powers shutting down one by one, Conner felt him becoming something strange and new- human. Perhaps it was his other Father's heritage taking over, placing the 'Man' back into 'Superman'. Or perhaps the radiation had just crippled his system entirely.

"Crap dude..." He groaned, trying to hold back his lunch and having a frail hand in front of the concentrated radiation blast "Can I just.... t-t-t-tap out? The b-b-b-big guy n-n-n-never had to d-d-d-deal with this amount of the green s-s-stuff--- not c-c-concentrated like this! I ain't got nothin' to prove here man..."
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Rolling onto his back and breathing heavily, Superboy let a shiver rush over him.

"What do you say we go for the b-b-b-best of three? W-w-w-wasn't on board with A-A-A-Angel from the start. W-w-was gonna q-q-quit after their s-s-scouting r-r-run wrapped up... g-g-gonna play them like the b-b-big guy would. B-b-burn all t-t-their supplies and come running... or even s-s-steal their s-s-stuff and get Wally back on board... Big Guy didn't kill.. s-s-so I wasn't gonna do it..."
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"S-s-so what's it g-g-gonna be, Tin-man? Y-y-ya gonna ice me, or d-d-do you want another k-k-kryptonian on y-y-ya side? Or am I gonna wake up in the big penthouse in the sky?"

@Crow @York
"..." Xiayu looked down at the gauntlet, instinctively backing away in her seat as it was thrown. Damn it, Jianyu... Whose was it? One of the girls he'd mentioned? Decapre, Juli? Or was it someone else?

"Xiayu, come ON. Don't tell me you're falling for that." Jianyu crossed her arms, lips pursed. "Like, really? One of our old gauntlets? He probably picked it up in the Shadaloo ruins or something. Remember Marz? Heck, all those Doll trainees running around? He should've thrown, like, Enero's scalp or something."

"That's enough." The sudden edge in Xiayu's voice, and her harsh glare towards Jianyu shut her up hard. Jianyu shrunk back a moment, before jumping up, fists at her hips as she glared at her older twin.

"You know what? Fine! Let him get under your skin, see if I care! I can-" The sudden rain cut her off before she could finish. Jianyu rushed into the closest tent, a furious scowl peeking out. "UGH!!! I hate him! I hate him so much!!"

Xiayu ran for cover, herself, going out of her way to avoid Jianyu for the night. Honestly, the two of them needed a little space from each other for now.

@Sark @Takumi @Jeremi @Atomic Knight @York @Gummi Bunnies
No...he couldn't. Her eyes widened slightly under her mask but otherwise she kept quiet. Arcade couldn't...her father was the only one with the knowledge, and he was dead. As Arcade vanished she turned towards Terry and spoke in hush whispers not caring about the rain falling down on them. "Someone will need to watch me during the night. Unless you have something that will keep me in place until everyone's awake. I will not be used as a tool, I wont."

@Takumi @Atomic Knight @Jeremi @York @Gummi Bunnies @Lake Team




"Everyone knows about the giant pinball machine, but I wouldn't mind hearing about it from you."
She smiled at Scott but it quickly turned sour when Eli spoke up.

"Like I said, none of us is going to help you."
Despite not knowing the girl Loa could tell that Weapon Hex hadn't been out to kill them when she sent them away. "If you need anyone to blame then blame Arcade. He's the reason you're here. So if you're going to kill anyone, kill him." Harsh but maybe that will sway Eli's target a bit. They didn't need to make any more enemies out here.

@Takumi @Atomic Knight @Crow @RedTeam @Sark
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Number of Survivors: 31 Number of Dead: 1 Hours until Extinction: 90 Time: 6:20am
The Lake Party
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By 6:00am, the night's rain had worked its way straight through the ceilings of the Lake Team's shelters. Drips of cold water would slowly bring the team back into the land of the waking, ready for what little 'breakfast' remained after the night before. After a few fleeting moments of morning peace, their moods soothed by rain dancing on the canopy above them, they would begin to smell something unusual rising from the dirt. A closer inspection would reveal thin streams of orange smoke rising from the forest floor, ad seemingly, any other surface the rain touched. The rain seemed to take on a similar tone, appearing to look almost peach colored in the morning light.

"The hell..." Terry muttered, running his gloved fingers through a small pool of the strange rain forming along the river bed. "It smells like... melting plastic... or... animal sweat... my suit's not telling me anything new about this one... Anyone recognize this stuff?"

Despite their best guesses, only one of the Champions could tell of its nature, and yet she would find herself unable to speak. Weapon Hex had been exposed to a cursed variation of her Trigger Scent, and would find herself flung into an inescapable, murderous primal rage. Every Champion in the Jungle, Northern Clearing and Arcade's Clearing would find themselves marked for Weapon Hex's wrath.

"Hey... Laura?" Terry called out hesitantly. "You don't look so good... you alright?"

@Takumi @Atomic Knight @Jeremi @York @Gummi Bunnies @Lake Team​

The night hadn't passed by so great for either twin, both having trouble sleeping considering their situation. "Ugh...I am NEVER going camping again," Jianyu griped, trying to stay out of the rain as best she could. "Stupid Arcade...stupid outdoors..."

As her sister grumbled, Xiayu noticed Laura's behavior, and narrowed her eyes, slowly moving towards Jianyu. "...Laura?"

The younger sister looked to Xiayu, then to Laura, then to Xiayu again. "What? Is she okay? What's-"

A sudden tight grip on her arm shut her up. "Be prepared to run," Xiayu whispered. "Something doesn't feel right." What should have been the perfect alliance had been marked for undoing by Arcade. Whatever this...thing was raining down, it had some sort of weird effect on this girl...and Xiayu wasn't going to expose herself to another near death experience again.

@Jeremi @Sark @Takumi @Atomic Knight @Gummi Bunnies @York
This felt different than the trigger spell that her father had conceived. "Run." But she felt herself Laura popped her claws as her attention turned towards Terry. Her instinct had told her to leave last night. She should have listened. "RUN!"

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With that Laura was gone replaced by the murderous assassin her father had wanted her to be. The difference however was that Laura was cognitive during the rampage rather than blackout like she usually did. Tears falling down her cheek being the only thing she could do as the animal instinct took over. Now she could only watch hoping that they were fast and clever enough to get away from her.​

@Takumi @Atomic Knight @Sark @York @Gummi Bunnies @Lake Team




"Sign me up for anything that will get us close to water,"
Loa responded. The Northern Clearing to her sounded like the best bet, but she wasn't going to argue if the others disagreed with her.

@Crow @Atomic Knight @Takumi @Red Team
Jianyu didn't have to be told twice. "CrapcrapcrapcrapCRAP!!!" The Doll began sprinting as fast as she could away from Laura, heading straight towards the first thing in sight: the river. If Laura was going all crazy, she wouldn't be up for swimming, right?

Jianyu dived into the river, swimming for dear life, Xiayu right behind her. She would regret running off like this later, she knew, but right now survival instincts had taken over. That, and Jianyu was her top priority. If anyone else wanted to follow, then by all means she would love to save as many as she could. But she would actually need to still be alive to guarantee that.

@Sark @Jeremi @Takumi @Atomic Knight @Gummi Bunnies @York
Awakening to the sound of rain, Hyakkimaru got himself up on his feet, and examined the others with his senses. Of course, he was about to see the same amount of energy signatures that made up their alliance. However, he detected something wrong with Laura. At first, her aura was relatively normal, but the peaceful green was soon overtaken by a murderous red. This wasn't a normal change, as if she intended to kill them in the first place. Some sparks of green were still in her aura, but the red overpowered her.

Hyakkimaru knew that if he were to survive, he had to run, but it would become a goose chase... It may be a stupid idea, but if it bought time for others to run...

Just like yesterday, the boy went through his procedure to remove his prosthetic hands in a hasty manner. Unlike yesterday, he did not plan on using these blades to skewer fish. If he had to...

Holding his prosthetic arm with his mouth, Hyakkimaru rushed to face Laura, and in a moment's notice, he tossed his prosthetics aside with the jerk of his head to the side. Either for someone that was fleeing to take them, or for it to float its way down the river. Whichever was fine. If by a miracle like his own existence that he survives, he could follow his lingering aura stemming from those prosthetics. But now...

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He swung his right arm blade in response to Laura's sudden frenzy. Whether or not they clashed, either of them miss, or someone gets hit, Hyakkimaru made a quick yell directed to those running from the scene.

❝ GO! GET AWAY! ❞ To the others, this was probably the first time they heard the usually quiet and reserved boy yell out of pure desperation. Not for his own life, but for everyone else. A part of him wasn't afraid to die, but another part of him wanted to live in order to continue his supposed miracle existence. As long as he did something worthwhile, he was going to commit to this, even if this went against Laura's demands for them to leave.

@Sark @Jeremi @Takumi @Atomic Knight @Yun Lee @York
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"Laura, wait! We're not leaving you beh---arghh!" Terry cried out as one of Hex's claws carved a deep wound into his chest. A quick throw smoke bomb covered his retreat back to the river, a trembling hand holding what remained of his holo-suit together. "She's lost it! We've got to fall back" He could barely stand, let alone run. He stumbled forward into the water, throwing one foot in front of the other.

[BEEP][BEEP] [BEEP] [BEEP]

[BOOM]

Upstream, a compact explosive device screamed to life, tearing apart a rock face with an earthshaking cry and a blinding flash of light. In the distance, the roar of rushing water could heard.

"The Oranges!" Terry cried, bracing for impact. "They've blown up someth--"

A white wave of rushing water crashed into the Batman, throwing into across the river and into some nearby rocks, before carrying him south and out of sight.


Like Terry, Xiayu would find herself washed down the river until she came across a row of large black boulders, which might provider her with something to grab hold of for a few moments. If she was vigilant, she would find a foot hold fast enough to see Hyakkimaru's arms tumble out of sight.

With the river transformed into a raging ravine, the Lake Team would find themselves divided. On one side of the ravine stood Jianyu, having successfully made it across. On the other, Weapon Hex was locked in combat with Hyakkimaru. Between them sat a feeble row of spaced rocks that might provided a route from one side to the next, if one could avoid slipping on their way.

They were trapped between the devil and the deep blue sea, one man down, and another at risk of getting washed away too.

@Jeremi @Takumi @Atomic Knight @Yun Lee @York
Jianyu had just made it across when the explosion sounded. Sopping wet and exhausted, she gripped the ground for dear life until the earth stopped shaking. She hadn't even noticed Terry vanish, but she had noticed something he'd said: The Orange Team had done this. The Orange Team was nearby. The Orange Team knew they were here.

The Orange Team had Wally on it.

Still catching her breath, Jianyu got to her feet, her newfound fury replacing her exhaustion. She wanted to hunt them down, hunt him down, and nake them pay for what they did to...

"Xiayu? XIAYU!!" Damn it! Xiayu had been washed away towards a bunch of rocks. No no no no no no... Jianyu ran to the rocky area, ready to help her sister across if she needed. Damn that Orange Team!!!

---

The shock of being swept away by the current cost Xiayu precious seconds of time. The river pulled her down towards the rocks, and she wasn't able to steel herself against slamming into them. Damn it, that hurt...! As her body rang out with dull pain, she refused to give up, especially after hearing Jianyu scream for her. Taking advantage of her place on the rocks, Xiayu attempted to climb up and cross over before Laura or the river could stop her.

@Sark @Jeremi @Takumi @Gummi Bunnies @Atomic Knight @York
No you idiots, run! Run! She wanted to shout with all her heart but the only thing that came out was rage filled screams as her claws connected with Hyakkimaru's arm blade. Then the water came down sweeping away some and blocking the path. Now she only had one target and she prayed he'd try to make a run for it. Or pierce that blade through her heart.

With another animal like scream she pushed him back and tried to do an overhead slash at Hyakkimaru all the while trying to get him to slip up so that she could get in a killing blow. Hopefully the others would take this opportunity to escape.


@Sark @Jeremi @Takumi @Gummi Bunnies @Atomic Knight @York
Max Griffin
@Crow @Sark

Seeing the twin rays of searing hot light coming towards him... Max raised a hand, as if he had practiced this motion many times before, a sudden shield of blue, kinetic energy forming in front of him to repell Superboy's heat vision.

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Of course, it strained Max a little, but he refused to let it show, instead... Preparing an counterattack of his own; a searing ray of magic from his stone, but he stopped short as he noticed something about the weapon Beetle was using.

It changed color, which seemed mundane enough, but despite his own attempts to fight the cyborg directly, that new colored ray was more than enough to take down Superboy just like that.

Who knew a being of such immense strength could be crippled by Stone Magic, and a little green light?

But now, seeing how helpless his opponent was before him, offering to be an ally, he realized how powerfull of an asset someone like him could be. Sure, he was confident in his abilities as a stonekeeper, but they could only carry him so far, as he learned.

While another Stonekeeper would be a most ideal asset to him, having allies, even temporarily had its perks.

At the very least, he had a soldier ant to take care of his competition, but he knew that by sparing Superboy for now, he was inviting another battle upon himself in the future.

Even so... Such a notion in itself intrigued him.

Without that Green light, how well would he have fared against his Stone magic?

A hedonistic smile crossed Max's face as he thought about it... And for just a moment, he felt his overzealous ambitions leave him, as he relished in the idea of fighting Superboy again, once the battlefield was... Cleansed a little.

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"One chance. That's all you'll get. Cross me again... And you won't live to talk about it." He said.

In spite of his thoughts on the situation, Max retained the attitude he had adopted during his time in Gulfen. While avenging Layra was at the back of his mind right now, his determination to finish what he started would never leave him.

Though he was willing to accept allies for now, in his mind... There would only be one winner.

So this 'alliance' was but a temporary one. A means to an end, so to speak.


Kara In-Ze
@Sark @Jeremi @Takumi @Gummi Bunnies @Atomic Knight @Yun Lee
@Others?

Kara was fired up, and honestly... If she hadn't been raised by a good family, she very well could have snapped and tried to pummel Arcade into the ground here and now. But she refrained, a grimace on her face as she tried to keep her cool.

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"There's always another way! That's what my Cousin used to say. And... ... That's what I choose to believe. I won't succumb to your mind games!" She shouted.

Her ferocity remained, but at least she was keeping a cool head, for now.

But in the end, Kara was simply trying to carry on the same ideals and beliefs her adoptive cousin had when he took up the mantle as Superman. He was after all, one of her greatest role models, but... It was hard to say how things might go if such a role model would one day fall from grace.

There was a growl of frustration as Arcade left them, with a few ominous warnings, or attempts to incite violence and doubt amongst them, Kara couldn't be sure. Some villains were predictable, but... Those that had some brains behind them, like Arcade for instance, were often not so easy to anticipate.

While she eventually lay down to rest with the others, she was wary of what might happen in the morning, and thus did not sleep soundly. After all, how could she, when there was the very real possibility of someone turning on them, or more likely... An impromptu 'disaster' that would push them to do something drastic.

...

When they awoke, Kara initially had begun to examine her surroundings with Terry, and though she did not know of what the strange liquid they had found near the riverbed, she had prepared to examine it closer with her supervision, hoping to find something workable about it.

Unfortunately, there was little time to do so, as Laura suddenly seemed to go berserk.

Was she under some kind of spell? Or had she lost her mind?

At first, she had been leaning towards the latter, but seeing Laura attempt to warn the others of the impending threat she posed, she realized quickly it was the former.

Seeing Hyakkimaru face off Laura, she prepared to back him up... But hesitated, as an explosion suddenly tore through the rocks down the river, washing away Terry and Jianyu, and... A pair of arms? What the-... Oh...

It was then that she realized that they probably belonged to Hyakkimaru, but at least he seemed fine for now, right?

For now, she had to concentrate on saving lives, and the one she could see that was immediately at risk was Hyakkimaru, alongside Terry and Jainyu, who were washed down the river.

Thinking fast, she tried to knock Laura back with a powerfull blow to the stomach. It wasn't intended to kill, simply to buy herself and Hyakkimaru some time, as she hoped to either talk Laura out of it, or flee.

"Laura! I don't know if you can still hear me... But... Please! Whatever is controlling you, you have to fight it!" She shouted.

But seeing as Laura had devolved into a murderous frenzy, she thought quickly, attempting to grab Hyakkimaru and fly downstream towards where she saw Terry and Jianyu being swept towards.

"We have to get out of here! We have to regroup! But... We'll find you again Laura...! I promise!" She called over her shoulder.

It was a risky maneuver on her part... But she hoped that by gaining some distance between the group and Laura, they could at least come up with a plan to help her... Or at least put an end to her rampage.

With any luck though... Assuming Hyakkimaru didn't complicate things, or some other rogue factor didn't get in the way, Kara hoped she had bought the others enough time to flee as well.

If not... There was no other choice but to just join Hyakkimaru in a stand against Laura.

This would all largely depend on how things played out from here on...​
 
Max Griffin
@Crow @Sark

Seeing the twin rays of searing hot light coming towards him... Max raised a hand, as if he had practiced this motion many times before, a sudden shield of blue, kinetic energy forming in front of him to repell Superboy's heat vision.

JyoGEci.png

Of course, it strained Max a little, but he refused to let it show, instead... Preparing an counterattack of his own; a searing ray of magic from his stone, but he stopped short as he noticed something about the weapon Beetle was using.

It changed color, which seemed mundane enough, but despite his own attempts to fight the cyborg directly, that new colored ray was more than enough to take down Superboy just like that.

Who knew a being of such immense strength could be crippled by Stone Magic, and a little green light?

But now, seeing how helpless his opponent was before him, offering to be an ally, he realized how powerfull of an asset someone like him could be. Sure, he was confident in his abilities as a stonekeeper, but they could only carry him so far, as he learned.

While another Stonekeeper would be a most ideal asset to him, having allies, even temporarily had its perks.

At the very least, he had a soldier ant to take care of his competition, but he knew that by sparing Superboy for now, he was inviting another battle upon himself in the future.

Even so... Such a notion in itself intrigued him.

Without that Green light, how well would he have fared against his Stone magic?

A hedonistic smile crossed Max's face as he thought about it... And for just a moment, he felt his overzealous ambitions leave him, as he relished in the idea of fighting Superboy again, once the battlefield was... Cleansed a little.

pS5FjF7.png


"One chance. That's all you'll get. Cross me again... And you won't live to talk about it." He said.

In spite of his thoughts on the situation, Max retained the attitude he had adopted during his time in Gulfen. While avenging Layra was at the back of his mind right now, his determination to finish what he started would never leave him.

Though he was willing to accept allies for now, in his mind... There would only be one winner.

So this 'alliance' was but a temporary one. A means to an end, so to speak.​

"Huh, such a coincidence, Connor, that's how I operate too.

... Man, did I really let out that much?"


Following the act of Max's mercy, Blue Beetle picked Superboy up, carrying him back to the river area where he would finally reunite with the team hanging around the Stream, only to see a berserking Weapon Hex ready to strike the team there.

"You haven't fully recovered yet, so take cover."

Blue Beetle placed Superboy near a large rock, before taking flight and charging towards Weapon Hex, who was in turn distracting by other attacks. His arm formed some type of gatling gun that shot out blue-hued homing missiles aimed at her. They were pretty powerful, but Beetle would've known by now that that wasn't enough to even gash her arm.

Probably.

"Oh, they're running away. Which means we'll have to too, otherwise, we'll be her only snacks!"

Blue Beetle, having just arrived, only just absorbed the situation.

Blue Beetle swoops down to pick Superboy up, before picking anyone else Kara might've missed, then flies after Kara, hoping to join her. His armour would create four extra bulky arms capable of carrying an individual by grip alone.

"Wait, where are you guys going again?"

@Sark @Jeremi @Takumi @Atomic Knight @Yun Lee @York @LakeTeam




"Hmmm... you're really insistent on that lady from the Orange Team, Eli..." Hnikar ponders, "if you're really thinking of besting her, shouldn't you try to think of something? She's not exactly a bear...

The Northern Clearing sounds good. If we're taking a seaside route, my lightning magic should be able to do something!"


For a moment, Hnikar's body released a few sparks, and his hair briefly flickered as if it was a lightbulb.

@Sark @Takumi @Atomic Knight @Crow @Jeremi @ExtendedRedTeam​
 
08fd6cefb672881bdf376a99638efb95.png

Number of Survivors: 31 Number of Dead: 1 Hours until Extinction: 90 Time: 6:20am
The Lake Party
View attachment 3700

By 6:00am, the night's rain had worked its way straight through the ceilings of the Lake Team's shelters. Drips of cold water would slowly bring the team back into the land of the waking, ready for what little 'breakfast' remained after the night before. After a few fleeting moments of morning peace, their moods soothed by rain dancing on the canopy above them, they would begin to smell something unusual rising from the dirt. A closer inspection would reveal thin streams of orange smoke rising from the forest floor, ad seemingly, any other surface the rain touched. The rain seemed to take on a similar tone, appearing to look almost peach colored in the morning light.

"The hell..." Terry muttered, running his gloved fingers through a small pool of the strange rain forming along the river bed. "It smells like... melting plastic... or... animal sweat... my suit's not telling me anything new about this one... Anyone recognize this stuff?"

Despite their best guesses, only one of the Champions could tell of its nature, and yet she would find herself unable to speak. Weapon Hex had been exposed to a cursed variation of her Trigger Scent, and would find herself flung into an inescapable, murderous primal rage. Every Champion in the Jungle, Northern Clearing and Arcade's Clearing would find themselves marked for Weapon Hex's wrath.

"Hey... Laura?" Terry called out hesitantly. "You don't look so good... you alright?"

@Takumi @Atomic Knight @Jeremi @York @Gummi Bunnies @Lake Team

Frozen Wastelands Party
View attachment 3701
As the sun rose over the Frozen Forest, the extended Red Team would find themselves greeted with an almost alien warmth. Shielded from the brunt of the winds by their fur ponchos and fire heat, Day 2 seemed to be starting off on a better foot than Day 1. For the first time since their arrival, the brutal winds of the frozen regions seemed to have died down completely, and the howls of distant animals seemed to have faded with the arrival of the morning light.

"As much as I'd love to wait things out with all of you-" Scott yawned "This isn't the place to do it. We can't rely on running into another bear whenever we run out of food, and we can't rely on our fire not getting blown out overnight. We've got to keep moving"

"Really, sir?" Eli groaned, showing an unusual amount of restraint towards Cyclops following Alice's beatings the previous night. "And where do you suggest we go? I took the time to survey the area last night, before you all came along and stole my kill" He wasn't going to let it go. He ah everything under control. No matter what Alice and Loa had tried to convince him. He could have handled that bear blindfolded. Taking a stick from the fire, he traced a rough outline of the local area into the snow. "We're here. The forest goes on for about a thousand meters south and about two thousand meters east. After that, it looks like things are going to get warmer"

"How much warmer?"

"No snow warmed. I hardly had time to run out there and check. Anyway. If we head South we'll end up in the Drylands. Not much shade there, but I did see a couple of plants and stuff. I'm used to camping out there. I can keep us alive easy"

"And East?"

"If we head East we'll be marching straight into the Badlands. There's no snow there, sure, but I saw a lot of movement down there. There's stuff living in there, and I don't think it's friendly. Fun to kill in. Not so fun to sleep in. That said, it should give us a lot of shelter, at least in some places. Other places are about as baron as the Drylands"

"And if we retrace our steps and head North?"

Eli laughed.

"Good luck with that. It's the Frozen Plains are total dead zone. It's the fastest way to get back to Arcade's Clearing and start tracking the other teams, but our old tracks will only lead us back so far. The witch dropped us in the middle of the region, so at best we'll get halfway. At worst, our tracks will be long since covered up, and we'll be totally lost"

"Then that leaves the Coast as our last option"

"Right. We could head keep heading East for a while, then start heading North. We won't be freezing to death down there, and from what I could see, parts of the ocean have frozen over completely. If we're smart, we could walk right past the Frozen Plains and end up on the edge of the Northern Clearing, provided you're willing to swim or raft the rest of the way. It's a day's journey, but it would take us out of the frypan, for now"

"So let's put it to vote, Team. Where do we head next?"

@Crow @Atomic Knight @Jeremi @Red Team

The Drylands

Mantis simply stared Vanitas down upon hearing his question, his only response coming in the form of slightly slowed breathing escaping his mask. He raised his sleeve and gestured vaguely towards the first building carved into the cliff-side. As soon as his arm passed by the dusty, sandstone hut, the doors and boarded windows seemed to crumble away, revealing its contents.

View attachment 3702

Dynamite. Food. Medicine. And lots of them. At the back of the hut laid a charred, battered corpse, half drowned in sand and half picked apart by birds. It was clear to see that the body had resided in the broken hut for some time, much longer than the 24 hours and 5 minutes the Arena had been 'open'.

@Gummi Bunnies

Waterfall Cave
After finishing their meal, what remained of the White Team would find the remains of the Northern Clearing open before them. Even through the glow of the strange Orange rain, the team could make out a small forest several kilometers from the mouth of the cave. Perhaps inside it, they could find some wood, food and perhaps some small game to hunt. Even further into the valley, they could make out a small lake, for better fishing and the coast line, from which they could loop around and arrive in a different area. Each area could contain more secrets that could be revealed once they got closer.

@Lucky @dark

"Huh, such a coincidence, Connor, that's how I operate too.

... Man, did I really let out that much?"


Following the act of Max's mercy, Blue Beetle picked Superboy up, carrying him back to the river area where he would finally reunite with the team hanging around the Stream, only to see a berserking Weapon Hex ready to strike the team there.

"You haven't fully recovered yet, so take cover."

Blue Beetle placed Superboy near a large rock, before taking flight and charging towards Weapon Hex, who was in turn distracting by other attacks. His arm formed some type of gatling gun that shot out blue-hued homing missiles aimed at her. They were pretty powerful, but Beetle would've known by now that that wasn't enough to even gash her arm.

Probably.

"Oh, they're running away. Which means we'll have to too, otherwise, we'll be her only snacks!"

Blue Beetle, having just arrived, only just absorbed the situation.

Blue Beetle swoops down to pick Superboy up, before picking anyone else Kara might've missed, then flies after Kara, hoping to join her. His armour would create four extra bulky arms capable of carrying an individual by grip alone.

"Wait, where are you guys going again?"

@Sark @Jeremi @Takumi @Atomic Knight @Yun Lee @York @LakeTeam




"Hmmm... you're really insistent on that lady from the Orange Team, Eli..." Hnikar ponders, "if you're really thinking of besting her, shouldn't you try to think of something? She's not exactly a bear...

The Northern Clearing sounds good. If we're taking a seaside route, my lightning magic should be able to do something!"


For a moment, Hnikar's body released a few sparks, and his hair briefly flickered as if it was a lightbulb.

@Sark @Takumi @Atomic Knight @Crow @Jeremi @ExtendedRedTeam​

Alice thought it over for a second, before placing her hands on her hips.

"Northern Clearing seems like an alright bet, I-" she started before glancing to Hnikar.

tumblr_ppsuxhtAu51sfafj7_100.jpg


"Please make sure to be careful with your magic around us and water." She said, almost bluntly. She was sure he would, but one slip up would spell disaster for the whole group for sure.

@Jeremi @Sark @Crow @Atomic Knight @Red Team

---

Well, Arcade's appearance was warning enough that something was wrong. Nezumi's whole body was tense as the strange liquid was found and seemed to affect Laura that following morning. With the explosion, he wasn't sure if Orange team had done it during the night while they rested, or rigged it up before then.

Either way, it cemented the idea that Orange team was the biggest threat currently for sure.

tumblr_inline_pepuovzHUB1sfrtcl_100.png


"Well things went to shit pretty fast." Nezumi muttered, but before he could put into action an attempt to calm Laura in some way, he noticed Blue Beetle.

tumblr_inline_pepuo6p5cy1sfrtcl_100.png


"Well, you sure have impeccable timing." He spoke as his formerly missing teammate went and joined the fray with Laura all of a sudden.

@Crow @Sark @Atomic Knight @York @Jeremi @Yun Lee @Lake Team
 
No you idiots, run! Run! She wanted to shout with all her heart but the only thing that came out was rage filled screams as her claws connected with Hyakkimaru's arm blade. Then the water came down sweeping away some and blocking the path. Now she only had one target and she prayed he'd try to make a run for it. Or pierce that blade through her heart.

With another animal like scream she pushed him back and tried to do an overhead slash at Hyakkimaru all the while trying to get him to slip up so that she could get in a killing blow. Hopefully the others would take this opportunity to escape.


@Sark @Jeremi @Takumi @Gummi Bunnies @Atomic Knight @York
Awakening to the sound of rain, Hyakkimaru got himself up on his feet, and examined the others with his senses. Of course, he was about to see the same amount of energy signatures that made up their alliance. However, he detected something wrong with Laura. At first, her aura was relatively normal, but the peaceful green was soon overtaken by a murderous red. This wasn't a normal change, as if she intended to kill them in the first place. Some sparks of green were still in her aura, but the red overpowered her.

Hyakkimaru knew that if he were to survive, he had to run, but it would become a goose chase... It may be a stupid idea, but if it bought time for others to run...

Just like yesterday, the boy went through his procedure to remove his prosthetic hands in a hasty manner. Unlike yesterday, he did not plan on using these blades to skewer fish. If he had to...

Holding his prosthetic arm with his mouth, Hyakkimaru rushed to face Laura, and in a moment's notice, he tossed his prosthetics aside with the jerk of his head to the side. Either for someone that was fleeing to take them, or for it to float its way down the river. Whichever was fine. If by a miracle like his own existence that he survives, he could follow his lingering aura stemming from those prosthetics. But now...
"Huh, such a coincidence, Connor, that's how I operate too.

... Man, did I really let out that much?"


Following the act of Max's mercy, Blue Beetle picked Superboy up, carrying him back to the river area where he would finally reunite with the team hanging around the Stream, only to see a berserking Weapon Hex ready to strike the team there.

"You haven't fully recovered yet, so take cover."

Blue Beetle placed Superboy near a large rock, before taking flight and charging towards Weapon Hex, who was in turn distracting by other attacks. His arm formed some type of gatling gun that shot out blue-hued homing missiles aimed at her. They were pretty powerful, but Beetle would've known by now that that wasn't enough to even gash her arm.

Probably.

"Oh, they're running away. Which means we'll have to too, otherwise, we'll be her only snacks!"

Blue Beetle, having just arrived, only just absorbed the situation.

Blue Beetle swoops down to pick Superboy up, before picking anyone else Kara might've missed, then flies after Kara, hoping to join her. His armour would create four extra bulky arms capable of carrying an individual by grip alone.

"Wait, where are you guys going again?"

@Sark @Jeremi @Takumi @Atomic Knight @Yun Lee @York @LakeTeam
"Thanks a mil, big guy" Conner muttered, throwing his back against the his cover. "But... It ain't over for... me 'till... the fat cat... naps!" Headstrong, Superboy threw himself over the edge of the rock, throwing a wave of sand and dirt over Laura, hopefully providing Beetle, Kara and Hyakkimaru with a brief opening to continue their streams of bullets and parries, or at least cover their escape.
View attachment 3712
"I ain't about to let some... green light... take the Super outta....this Superman... lemme tell you... that... now... got a... little bit of fight left in me..."
But seeing as Laura had devolved into a murderous frenzy, she thought quickly, attempting to grab Hyakkimaru and fly downstream towards where she saw Terry and Jianyu being swept towards.

"We have to get out of here! We have to regroup! But... We'll find you again Laura...! I promise!" She called over her shoulder.

It was a risky maneuver on her part... But she hoped that by gaining some distance between the group and Laura, they could at least come up with a plan to help her... Or at least put an end to her rampage.

With any luck though... Assuming Hyakkimaru didn't complicate things, or some other rogue factor didn't get in the way, Kara hoped she had bought the others enough time to flee as well.

If not... There was no other choice but to just join Hyakkimaru in a stand against Laura.

This would all largely depend on how things played out from here on...
"Oh, they're running away. Which means we'll have to too, otherwise, we'll be her only snacks!"

Blue Beetle, having just arrived, only just absorbed the situation.

Blue Beetle swoops down to pick Superboy up, before picking anyone else Kara might've missed, then flies after Kara, hoping to join her. His armour would create four extra bulky arms capable of carrying an individual by grip alone.

"Wait, where are you guys going again?"
Jianyu had just made it across when the explosion sounded. Sopping wet and exhausted, she gripped the ground for dear life until the earth stopped shaking. She hadn't even noticed Terry vanish, but she had noticed something he'd said: The Orange Team had done this. The Orange Team was nearby. The Orange Team knew they were here.

The Orange Team had Wally on it.

Still catching her breath, Jianyu got to her feet, her newfound fury replacing her exhaustion. She wanted to hunt them down, hunt him down, and nake them pay for what they did to...

"Xiayu? XIAYU!!" Damn it! Xiayu had been washed away towards a bunch of rocks. No no no no no no... Jianyu ran to the rocky area, ready to help her sister across if she needed. Damn that Orange Team!!!

---

The shock of being swept away by the current cost Xiayu precious seconds of time. The river pulled her down towards the rocks, and she wasn't able to steel herself against slamming into them. Damn it, that hurt...! As her body rang out with dull pain, she refused to give up, especially after hearing Jianyu scream for her. Taking advantage of her place on the rocks, Xiayu attempted to climb up and cross over before Laura or the river could stop her.

@Sark @Jeremi @Takumi @Gummi Bunnies @Atomic Knight @York
As Kara and Jaime closed in on their allies, they would find the trio tumbling further and further down the river, with the rapids some how increasing in speed as they traveled. Along the way, flotsam and jetsam from nearby frees seemed to join the fray, and was dragged along just as quickly as the champions; even with Kara's super-vision, it was hard for the team's air support to make them out among the chaos, their heads constantly being pulled under and thrown over the foam.

"Jiany-" Terry's face was thrown under the waves "Hold on to s--" He went down again "Help is--"

He gasped frantically for air, still clutching his chest wound. His free arm acted out a mad dance, doing whatever it could to help him stay afloat. For a moment, he found sanctuary in the form of a small floating log.

"We won't stay afloat forever. We need to signal to the others! Help's coming! Its--"

A mighty raw could be heard in the distance. A waterfall, maybe a minute away.

"Oh God..." Terry muttered, a nearby rock tearing his log in two and forcing him back bellow the spray.

With the debris flooding the water way, a fly-by pick up would be impossible- the only hope of rescue 2 waterfall bound survivors had would come from another Champion venturing into the waters, though such a maneuver would place the rescuer in as much danger as the potentially rescued....

@Crow @Sark @Atomic Knight @York @Jeremi @Yun Lee @Lake Team​
"Hmmm... you're really insistent on that lady from the Orange Team, Eli..."
Hnikar ponders,
"if you're really thinking of besting her, shouldn't you try to think of something? She's not exactly a bear...

The Northern Clearing sounds good. If we're taking a seaside route, my lightning magic should be able to do something!"


For a moment, Hnikar's body released a few sparks, and his hair briefly flickered as if it was a lightbulb.

@Sark @Takumi @Atomic Knight @Crow @Jeremi @ExtendedRedTeam
Alice thought it over for a second, before placing her hands on her hips.

"Northern Clearing seems like an alright bet, I-" she started before glancing to Hnikar.

tumblr_ppsuxhtAu51sfafj7_100.jpg


"Please make sure to be careful with your magic around us and water." She said, almost bluntly. She was sure he would, but one slip up would spell disaster for the whole group for sure.

@Jeremi @Sark @Crow @Atomic Knight @Red Team
"Then it's settled- we'll take the Coastal Path to the Northern Clearing"
@Extended Red Team, @The Road to the Northern Clearing
View attachment 3713
The road from the Frozen Forest to the Coast was long and arduous, leaving the Extended Red Team yearning for the warmth and certainty that they had once possessed at Arcade's Clearing. Following Eli's vague directions across what felt like endless dunes scattered with identical stress, the Team was soon greeted by a welcoming breeze. As they crossed the final dune, they finally locked eyes on the endless blue void that surrounded MurderWorld- seemingly miles and miles of empty seas, void of any islands, rocks or passing birds. The expanse was... unnervingly plain, save for a few patches of white, snow capped ice.

After cautiously testing the Ice's strength with a single foot, Scott soon build up the confidence to stand tall on the first sheet of the ice road.

"Looks like this thing stretches of for quite a distance" Scott called back to his team "And we can't be 100% certain as to how much of this ice is sturdy enough to carry our collective weight... Loa, can you swim through water this cold? It'll warm up as we go, if we all don't feel safe enough walking this path, we can always stop and build a raft? My guess is that it might be safer than taking the ice road, but it take us a while longer to get there... and we'd be at the mercy of the current..."

@Jeremi @Sark @Crow @Atomic Knight @Red Team
 
Last edited:
As Jianyu made her way across the makeshift rock bridge, she would hear an unnerving crunching noise. It grew louder with each frantic step, sending rolling lines dancing across the stones until----

[CRUNCH]

Jianyu's headstrong charge had forced the already weakened bridge into a state of total decay, its once sturdy surface breaking apart into dirt and dust. Just like her sister, Xiayu would find herself overwhelmed by the sudden shock of the cool waves, the two rolling side by side up river.




"Thanks a mil, big guy" Conner muttered, throwing his back against the his cover. "But... It ain't over for... me 'till... the fat cat... naps!" Headstrong, Superboy threw himself over the edge of the rock, throwing a wave of sand and dirt over Laura, hopefully providing Beetle, Kara and Hyakkimaru with a brief opening to continue their streams of bullets and parries, or at least cover their escape.
View attachment 3712
"I ain't about to let some... green light... take the Super outta....this Superman... lemme tell you... that... now... got a... little bit of fight left in me..."



As Kara and Jaime closed in on their allies, they would find the trio tumbling further and further down the river, with the rapids some how increasing in speed as they traveled. Along the way, flotsam and jetsam from nearby frees seemed to join the fray, and was dragged along just as quickly as the champions; even with Kara's super-vision, it was hard for the team's air support to make them out among the chaos, their heads constantly being pulled under and thrown over the foam.

"Xiayu! Jia-" Terry's face was thrown under the waves "Hold on to s--" He went down again "Help is--"

He gasped frantically for air, still clutching his chest wound. His free arm acted out a mad dance, doing whatever it could to help him stay afloat. For a moment, he found sanctuary in the form of a small floating log.

"We won't stay afloat forever. We need to signal to the others! Help's coming! Its--"

A mighty raw could be heard in the distance. A waterfall, maybe a minute away.

"Oh God..." Terry muttered, a nearby rock tearing his log in two and forcing him back bellow the spray.

With the debris flooding the water way, a fly-by pick up would be impossible- the only hope of rescue 3 waterfall bound survivors had would come from another Champion venturing into the waters, though such a maneuver would place the rescuer in as much danger as the potentially rescued....

@Crow @Sark @Atomic Knight @York @Jeremi @Yun Lee @Lake Team​


"Then it's settled- we'll take the Coastal Path to the Northern Clearing"
@Extended Red Team, @The Road to the Northern Clearing
View attachment 3713
The road from the Frozen Forest to the Coast was long and arduous, leaving the Extended Red Team yearning for the warmth and certainty that they had once possessed at Arcade's Clearing. Following Eli's vague directions across what felt like endless dunes scattered with identical stress, the Team was soon greeted by a welcoming breeze. As they crossed the final dune, they finally locked eyes on the endless blue void that surrounded MurderWorld- seemingly miles and miles of empty seas, void of any islands, rocks or passing birds. The expanse was... unnervingly plain, save for a few patches of white, snow capped ice.

After cautiously testing the Ice's strength with a single foot, Scott soon build up the confidence to stand tall on the first sheet of the ice road.

"Looks like this thing stretches of for quite a distance" Scott called back to his team "And we can't be 100% certain as to how much of this ice is sturdy enough to carry our collective weight... Loa, can you swim through water this cold? It'll warm up as we go, if we all don't feel safe enough walking this path, we can always stop and build a raft? My guess is that it might be safer than taking the ice road, but it take us a while longer to get there... and we'd be at the mercy of the current..."

@Jeremi @Sark @Crow @Atomic Knight @Red Team

Loa clutched the pendant around her neck as she looked over the water. "I mean I've been down to Atlantis and been fine, so I don't see it being a problem." She took a few steps beyond Scott. "If we're going to walk over the ice, maybe it's best I go first in case there's a bad patch somewhere and we end up falling through?"

@Takumi @Sark @Crow @Atomic Knight @Red Team
 
Henry Hart/ Kid Danger

Henry looked over at the ground for a moment. " Hopefully, these passages lead to somewhere and it's not just a circle of places. Don't want to be stuck and die in a cave quite honestly."

@Sark @Alex Azure @dark

Billy Batson/ Shazam

Billy offered a shrug. "Hopefully there is more than just fish. Eating the same thing would get boring. I hope that as well."

@Sark @Alex Azure @dark
 
Locked in combat, Hyakkimaru was solely focused on the sounds of clashing blades, following the movements of Laura's aura. As long as he could buy time for the others... the boy held his arms up to block the overhead slash, and once that occurred, he detected that Kara was present and helping with the situation. There was only so much that Hyakkimaru can sense at a time, but he didn't make any signs to object the fact that Kara was trying to get him away from the area.

@Crow @Sark @Atomic Knight @York @Jeremi @Yun Lee
@LakeTeam


CTUaNzr.png


❝ Not bad... that'll do just fine. The Unversed are practically starving for some poor sap's blood right about now. ❞ Vanitas grinned at the sight. So his judgment was right that someone here could be useful to him, even better that Psycho Mantis could give the needed fuel to make the Unversed a formidable force. With this prepared, there was only one thing to do from here: find potential targets.

❝ Lucky for us, there happens to be another team hanging around near our camp. One of my Unversed scouts spotted them in the caves. I doubt they could've gotten far. ❞ He suggested to his teammate, going ahead to shake on that. That they would go and hunt down the others before they would become the hunted. This is the true name of the boy of pure darkness. In the preparations to head out, Vanitas fetched over his mask, putting it on.

@Sark
 
Purple Team
After following the underground tunnel for a few more hours would lead the Purple Team would find themselves in a large stone chamber, lit only be a handful of streams of sunlight that stretched out from the fleeting cracks in the ceiling above, now littered with stalactites. Between them and another stretch of tunnels sat the source of the sounds that had lead them on their journey, yet their assumptions had set them up for disappointment; instead of a river of water, the Purple Team would find a rushing ravine of sand and rocks blocking their path, with smaller passages across the roof for the cave pouring a seemingly endless supply of dirt from their surface across the champers slanted floor. The cross the Sand River would undoubtedly tear any mortal man to shreds; if the team wanted to explore the rest of the Dryland's caves, then they would have to find another way to get from one side of the chamber to the other.

"Looks like we're stuck between a rock and a hard place, right guys?" Amadeus laughed, strumming along the wall of the tunnels "Get it? But seriously- we gotta find a way across this thing if we ever want to see the sun again..."

@Lucky @Alex Azure @dark
❝ Not bad... that'll do just fine. The Unversed are practically starving for some poor sap's blood right about now. ❞ Vanitas grinned at the sight. So his judgment was right that someone here could be useful to him, even better that Psycho Mantis could give the needed fuel to make the Unversed a formidable force. With this prepared, there was only one thing to do from here: find potential targets.

❝ Lucky for us, there happens to be another team hanging around near our camp. One of my Unversed scouts spotted them in the caves. I doubt they could've gotten far. ❞ He suggested to his teammate, going ahead to shake on that. That they would go and hunt down the others before they would become the hunted. This is the true name of the boy of pure darkness. In the preparations to head out, Vanitas fetched over his mask, putting it on.

@Sark
Green Team
After a few seconds of blackness, Vanitas' site would return to him. It was as if Mantis had not only know which group he had been referring to, but also where they had been venturing off to, cutting the Purple Team off a handful of minutes before they reached the chamber. Mantis had placed himself and his new ally atop a vantage point, hiding their presence in the misty blackness of the chamber and obscuring them within one of the higher tunnels overlooking the sandy river. After a few minutes of distant bantering and footsteps, the Purple Team would join Vanitas and Mantis in the clearing, unaware of the Green Team's presence. With the ball in their court, Mantis turned back to the Masked Boy and nodded, implying his support for his plan.

@Gummi Bunnies

White Team
As the White Team pushed on towards the Northern Lake, the wind would carry the distant roars of the Jungle's explosions, a breeze willing the region with a pleasant coolness. From the hill the lake sat upon, the duo would catch sight of further changes that had occurred across the battlefield, notably the smoke of 3 distant camps and... what appeared to be another damn of misfits venturing north across the Eastern Coasts. Wrapped in thick animal skins, the White Team wouldn't be able tell who these travelers were, let alone whether they were friends or foes- all they could gather at this stage would be their numbers: the coastal travelers outnumbered numbered the White Team 2 to 1 at least. Yet, as the ventured cautiously from one panel of ice to the next, the Team was vulnerable. A surprise attack on the party- or better yet, on the ice they stumbled across- could thin out their numbers and protect their lakeside camp from being overrun by potentially unsavory characters.

@dark @Lucky @Alex Azure
 
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"NonononononononoNONONONONONONO!!!!!" Jianyu was panicking, just as she had the day before trapped in that bubble. Her sister was, once again, in danger, and she was helpless to stop it.

Wait. No she wasn't! She was going to do something, damn it! As foliage made its way down the river, Jianyu grabbed onto what could be the most useful: a long vine. Tying it around her waist as securely as possible, she looked up to Jaime and Kara. "Grab this other end and help me get into the water! Hurry!"

@Crow @York @Sark @Gummi Bunnies @Jeremi @Atomic Knight @Takumi
 
Henry Hart/ Kid Danger

Henry would take a moment to assess the surrounding area that he was in and what was around them. If there was a problem to be solved, he needed to see and think like the psychopath Arcade did. This whole place was of his design, so he had to make sure that there was a way from the teams to figure out problems. So the fact that they had found a river of sand didn't bother Henry as much as he cared to admit. He took a deep breath and gestured at his team to take a few steps back out of the chamber because he was about to do something done. He needed as many of them alive as possible, as they were the only people who could work with him. Once he was certain that they were out of harm's way, he would pull out the laser pointer that he used to knock out people if need be and pointed it towards the stalacites to cause either a path back up and out or to block the sand. He wasn't sure which option he wanted now.

" I got this
," he replied, releasing several consecutive hits on as many stalcites as he had. If there was a way to make this better, it was to use the natural surroundings against them. " Ratchet, some help from you gun would also be good."

Billy Batson/ Shazam

Billy took a moment to look around the area, relieved that he had picked the clearing as it seemed that whatever had happened in the jungle was bad enough that it was causing mass destruction to the area surrounding them. There seemed to be a group of 3 camp sits here and there were travelers coming their way. He wasn't sure who these travelers were, but he also knew that he didn't want to attack them. If he had learned anything from his time as Shazam, it was that the good guys and bad guys weren't so black and white and good people could do terrible things. He didn't want to hurt them, didn't want to play Arcade's game. "
Jak, We aren't going to attack them unless they attack us, wherever they come from is cold. We lost Scott already, the last thing we need to do is attack a friend," He would move to the edge and just sit there, watching them as they crossed, choosing to do nothing for now.

@darlk @Alex Azure @Sark
 
"NonononononononoNONONONONONONO!!!!!" Jianyu was panicking, just as she had the day before trapped in that bubble. Her sister was, once again, in danger, and she was helpless to stop it.

Wait. No she wasn't! She was going to do something, damn it! As foliage made its way down the river, Jianyu grabbed onto what could be the most useful: a long vine. Tying it around her waist as securely as possible, she looked up to Jaime and Kara. "Grab this other end and help me get into the water! Hurry!"

@Crow @York @Sark @Gummi Bunnies @Jeremi @Atomic Knight @Takumi

Isabeau would arrive on scene. She looked at the group gathered around the water. She quickly rushed into action, her face full of shock. She quickly grabbed the other end of the vine

x8ue1Sk.png


"Are you okay!? What happened?" She asked, helping pull the other end.

@Crow @Sark @York @Jeremi @Atomic Knight @Takumi @Gummi Bunnies
 
"No! Don't pull! Not yet!" Jianyu got into the river, her staff outstretched to give Xiayu and Terry something to hold on to as thry came towards the waterfall. "Only pull when I have them both on!"

Xiayu had been careening down, the force of the water causing her to slip and lose her footing on the rocks. Trying to keep from drowning or being completely swept away, she noticed her younger sister in the water, horrified. No...if this failed, then all three of them...! Xiayu immediately began swimming towards Jianyu, grabbing onto the staff. "T-Terry!" Swinging out from the other end, Xiayu attempted to grab onto a rock, or nearby bank, in order to make a net for the Batman to be caught in, saving him from falling into the waterfall, himself.

@Minerva @Sark @Gummi Bunnies @Jeremi @Takumi @Crow @York @Atomic Knight
 
Locked in combat, Hyakkimaru was solely focused on the sounds of clashing blades, following the movements of Laura's aura. As long as he could buy time for the others... the boy held his arms up to block the overhead slash, and once that occurred, he detected that Kara was present and helping with the situation. There was only so much that Hyakkimaru can sense at a time, but he didn't make any signs to object the fact that Kara was trying to get him away from the area.

@Crow @Sark @Atomic Knight @York @Jeremi @Yun Lee
@LakeTeam


CTUaNzr.png


❝ Not bad... that'll do just fine. The Unversed are practically starving for some poor sap's blood right about now. ❞ Vanitas grinned at the sight. So his judgment was right that someone here could be useful to him, even better that Psycho Mantis could give the needed fuel to make the Unversed a formidable force. With this prepared, there was only one thing to do from here: find potential targets.

❝ Lucky for us, there happens to be another team hanging around near our camp. One of my Unversed scouts spotted them in the caves. I doubt they could've gotten far. ❞ He suggested to his teammate, going ahead to shake on that. That they would go and hunt down the others before they would become the hunted. This is the true name of the boy of pure darkness. In the preparations to head out, Vanitas fetched over his mask, putting it on.

@Sark

Hyakkimaru would find his opponent fight like a woman possessed as claws struck against his blade. There was no waver in her strikes despite Laura herself was trying her best to take back control. If something wasn't done soon she'd find a way to get the upper hand an-

Max Griffin
@Crow @Sark

Seeing the twin rays of searing hot light coming towards him... Max raised a hand, as if he had practiced this motion many times before, a sudden shield of blue, kinetic energy forming in front of him to repell Superboy's heat vision.

JyoGEci.png

Of course, it strained Max a little, but he refused to let it show, instead... Preparing an counterattack of his own; a searing ray of magic from his stone, but he stopped short as he noticed something about the weapon Beetle was using.

It changed color, which seemed mundane enough, but despite his own attempts to fight the cyborg directly, that new colored ray was more than enough to take down Superboy just like that.

Who knew a being of such immense strength could be crippled by Stone Magic, and a little green light?

But now, seeing how helpless his opponent was before him, offering to be an ally, he realized how powerfull of an asset someone like him could be. Sure, he was confident in his abilities as a stonekeeper, but they could only carry him so far, as he learned.

While another Stonekeeper would be a most ideal asset to him, having allies, even temporarily had its perks.

At the very least, he had a soldier ant to take care of his competition, but he knew that by sparing Superboy for now, he was inviting another battle upon himself in the future.

Even so... Such a notion in itself intrigued him.

Without that Green light, how well would he have fared against his Stone magic?

A hedonistic smile crossed Max's face as he thought about it... And for just a moment, he felt his overzealous ambitions leave him, as he relished in the idea of fighting Superboy again, once the battlefield was... Cleansed a little.

pS5FjF7.png


"One chance. That's all you'll get. Cross me again... And you won't live to talk about it." He said.

In spite of his thoughts on the situation, Max retained the attitude he had adopted during his time in Gulfen. While avenging Layra was at the back of his mind right now, his determination to finish what he started would never leave him.

Though he was willing to accept allies for now, in his mind... There would only be one winner.

So this 'alliance' was but a temporary one. A means to an end, so to speak.


Kara In-Ze
@Sark @Jeremi @Takumi @Gummi Bunnies @Atomic Knight @Yun Lee
@Others?

Kara was fired up, and honestly... If she hadn't been raised by a good family, she very well could have snapped and tried to pummel Arcade into the ground here and now. But she refrained, a grimace on her face as she tried to keep her cool.

Y8TWbwy.png


"There's always another way! That's what my Cousin used to say. And... ... That's what I choose to believe. I won't succumb to your mind games!" She shouted.

Her ferocity remained, but at least she was keeping a cool head, for now.

But in the end, Kara was simply trying to carry on the same ideals and beliefs her adoptive cousin had when he took up the mantle as Superman. He was after all, one of her greatest role models, but... It was hard to say how things might go if such a role model would one day fall from grace.

There was a growl of frustration as Arcade left them, with a few ominous warnings, or attempts to incite violence and doubt amongst them, Kara couldn't be sure. Some villains were predictable, but... Those that had some brains behind them, like Arcade for instance, were often not so easy to anticipate.

While she eventually lay down to rest with the others, she was wary of what might happen in the morning, and thus did not sleep soundly. After all, how could she, when there was the very real possibility of someone turning on them, or more likely... An impromptu 'disaster' that would push them to do something drastic.

...

When they awoke, Kara initially had begun to examine her surroundings with Terry, and though she did not know of what the strange liquid they had found near the riverbed, she had prepared to examine it closer with her supervision, hoping to find something workable about it.

Unfortunately, there was little time to do so, as Laura suddenly seemed to go berserk.

Was she under some kind of spell? Or had she lost her mind?

At first, she had been leaning towards the latter, but seeing Laura attempt to warn the others of the impending threat she posed, she realized quickly it was the former.

Seeing Hyakkimaru face off Laura, she prepared to back him up... But hesitated, as an explosion suddenly tore through the rocks down the river, washing away Terry and Jianyu, and... A pair of arms? What the-... Oh...

It was then that she realized that they probably belonged to Hyakkimaru, but at least he seemed fine for now, right?

For now, she had to concentrate on saving lives, and the one she could see that was immediately at risk was Hyakkimaru, alongside Terry and Jainyu, who were washed down the river.

Thinking fast, she tried to knock Laura back with a powerfull blow to the stomach. It wasn't intended to kill, simply to buy herself and Hyakkimaru some time, as she hoped to either talk Laura out of it, or flee.

"Laura! I don't know if you can still hear me... But... Please! Whatever is controlling you, you have to fight it!" She shouted.

But seeing as Laura had devolved into a murderous frenzy, she thought quickly, attempting to grab Hyakkimaru and fly downstream towards where she saw Terry and Jianyu being swept towards.

"We have to get out of here! We have to regroup! But... We'll find you again Laura...! I promise!" She called over her shoulder.

It was a risky maneuver on her part... But she hoped that by gaining some distance between the group and Laura, they could at least come up with a plan to help her... Or at least put an end to her rampage.

With any luck though... Assuming Hyakkimaru didn't complicate things, or some other rogue factor didn't get in the way, Kara hoped she had bought the others enough time to flee as well.

If not... There was no other choice but to just join Hyakkimaru in a stand against Laura.

This would all largely depend on how things played out from here on...​

The enraged Laura gasped in surprise as she was sent flying with enough force that she found herself cracking through a few trees on the other side of the now flooded river. Even in her battered state Laura, or better, Weapon Hex tried to crawl back into the fray as the giant oak tree fell down on her. Laura had to remember to thank Kara for saving them as she drifted into unconsciousness.


@Crow @Sark @York @Atomic Knight @Takumi @Gummi Bunnies @York
 

Isabeau would arrive on scene. She looked at the group gathered around the water. She quickly rushed into action, her face full of shock. She quickly grabbed the other end of the vine

x8ue1Sk.png


"Are you okay!? What happened?" She asked, helping pull the other end.

@Crow @Sark @York @Jeremi @Atomic Knight @Takumi @Gummi Bunnies

"No! Don't pull! Not yet!" Jianyu got into the river, her staff outstretched to give Xiayu and Terry something to hold on to as thry came towards the waterfall. "Only pull when I have them both on!"

Xiayu had been careening down, the force of the water causing her to slip and lose her footing on the rocks. Trying to keep from drowning or being completely swept away, she noticed her younger sister in the water, horrified. No...if this failed, then all three of them...! Xiayu immediately began swimming towards Jianyu, grabbing onto the staff. "T-Terry!" Swinging out from the other end, Xiayu attempted to grab onto a rock, or nearby bank, in order to make a net for the Batman to be caught in, saving him from falling into the waterfall, himself.

@Minerva @Sark @Gummi Bunnies @Jeremi @Takumi @Crow @York @Atomic Knight

Isabeau would find someone else help her hold onto the rope after they pulled some gloves out of their pockets and put them on, though they didn't try to pull just yet their grip was tight.

tumblr_inline_pepunnzvF51sfrtcl_100.png


"Welcome to the party, though watch your step so you don't go down stream with them, yeah?" Nezumi spoke almost sarcastically.

@Yun Lee @Sark @Minerva @York @Crow @Atomic Knight @Gummi Bunnies @Jeremi @Lake Team



"Thanks a mil, big guy" Conner muttered, throwing his back against the his cover. "But... It ain't over for... me 'till... the fat cat... naps!" Headstrong, Superboy threw himself over the edge of the rock, throwing a wave of sand and dirt over Laura, hopefully providing Beetle, Kara and Hyakkimaru with a brief opening to continue their streams of bullets and parries, or at least cover their escape.
View attachment 3712
"I ain't about to let some... green light... take the Super outta....this Superman... lemme tell you... that... now... got a... little bit of fight left in me..."



As Kara and Jaime closed in on their allies, they would find the trio tumbling further and further down the river, with the rapids some how increasing in speed as they traveled. Along the way, flotsam and jetsam from nearby frees seemed to join the fray, and was dragged along just as quickly as the champions; even with Kara's super-vision, it was hard for the team's air support to make them out among the chaos, their heads constantly being pulled under and thrown over the foam.

"Jiany-" Terry's face was thrown under the waves "Hold on to s--" He went down again "Help is--"

He gasped frantically for air, still clutching his chest wound. His free arm acted out a mad dance, doing whatever it could to help him stay afloat. For a moment, he found sanctuary in the form of a small floating log.

"We won't stay afloat forever. We need to signal to the others! Help's coming! Its--"

A mighty raw could be heard in the distance. A waterfall, maybe a minute away.

"Oh God..." Terry muttered, a nearby rock tearing his log in two and forcing him back bellow the spray.

With the debris flooding the water way, a fly-by pick up would be impossible- the only hope of rescue 2 waterfall bound survivors had would come from another Champion venturing into the waters, though such a maneuver would place the rescuer in as much danger as the potentially rescued....

@Crow @Sark @Atomic Knight @York @Jeremi @Yun Lee @Lake Team​


"Then it's settled- we'll take the Coastal Path to the Northern Clearing"
@Extended Red Team, @The Road to the Northern Clearing
View attachment 3713
The road from the Frozen Forest to the Coast was long and arduous, leaving the Extended Red Team yearning for the warmth and certainty that they had once possessed at Arcade's Clearing. Following Eli's vague directions across what felt like endless dunes scattered with identical stress, the Team was soon greeted by a welcoming breeze. As they crossed the final dune, they finally locked eyes on the endless blue void that surrounded MurderWorld- seemingly miles and miles of empty seas, void of any islands, rocks or passing birds. The expanse was... unnervingly plain, save for a few patches of white, snow capped ice.

After cautiously testing the Ice's strength with a single foot, Scott soon build up the confidence to stand tall on the first sheet of the ice road.

"Looks like this thing stretches of for quite a distance" Scott called back to his team "And we can't be 100% certain as to how much of this ice is sturdy enough to carry our collective weight... Loa, can you swim through water this cold? It'll warm up as we go, if we all don't feel safe enough walking this path, we can always stop and build a raft? My guess is that it might be safer than taking the ice road, but it take us a while longer to get there... and we'd be at the mercy of the current..."

@Jeremi @Sark @Crow @Atomic Knight @Red Team

Loa clutched the pendant around her neck as she looked over the water. "I mean I've been down to Atlantis and been fine, so I don't see it being a problem." She took a few steps beyond Scott. "If we're going to walk over the ice, maybe it's best I go first in case there's a bad patch somewhere and we end up falling through?"

@Takumi @Sark @Crow @Atomic Knight @Red Team

tumblr_ppsuzjZnGr1sfafj7_100.jpg


"There's a shit ton of ocean, so what are the chances our raft would go off course or something?" Alice asked curiously. She was fine with whatever as long as the group was safe in the end after all. She did look down at the ice road for a moment and...and...it seemed pretty convenient that there even was something like this-despite the dangers of course.

@Sark @Atomic Knight @Crow @Jeremi @Extended Red Team
 
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"Thanks a mil, big guy" Conner muttered, throwing his back against the his cover. "But... It ain't over for... me 'till... the fat cat... naps!" Headstrong, Superboy threw himself over the edge of the rock, throwing a wave of sand and dirt over Laura, hopefully providing Beetle, Kara and Hyakkimaru with a brief opening to continue their streams of bullets and parries, or at least cover their escape.
View attachment 3712
"I ain't about to let some... green light... take the Super outta....this Superman... lemme tell you... that... now... got a... little bit of fight left in me..."



As Kara and Jaime closed in on their allies, they would find the trio tumbling further and further down the river, with the rapids some how increasing in speed as they traveled. Along the way, flotsam and jetsam from nearby frees seemed to join the fray, and was dragged along just as quickly as the champions; even with Kara's super-vision, it was hard for the team's air support to make them out among the chaos, their heads constantly being pulled under and thrown over the foam.

"Jiany-" Terry's face was thrown under the waves "Hold on to s--" He went down again "Help is--"

He gasped frantically for air, still clutching his chest wound. His free arm acted out a mad dance, doing whatever it could to help him stay afloat. For a moment, he found sanctuary in the form of a small floating log.

"We won't stay afloat forever. We need to signal to the others! Help's coming! Its--"

A mighty raw could be heard in the distance. A waterfall, maybe a minute away.

"Oh God..." Terry muttered, a nearby rock tearing his log in two and forcing him back bellow the spray.

With the debris flooding the water way, a fly-by pick up would be impossible- the only hope of rescue 2 waterfall bound survivors had would come from another Champion venturing into the waters, though such a maneuver would place the rescuer in as much danger as the potentially rescued....

@Crow @Sark @Atomic Knight @York @Jeremi @Yun Lee @Lake Team​


"Then it's settled- we'll take the Coastal Path to the Northern Clearing"
@Extended Red Team, @The Road to the Northern Clearing
View attachment 3713
The road from the Frozen Forest to the Coast was long and arduous, leaving the Extended Red Team yearning for the warmth and certainty that they had once possessed at Arcade's Clearing. Following Eli's vague directions across what felt like endless dunes scattered with identical stress, the Team was soon greeted by a welcoming breeze. As they crossed the final dune, they finally locked eyes on the endless blue void that surrounded MurderWorld- seemingly miles and miles of empty seas, void of any islands, rocks or passing birds. The expanse was... unnervingly plain, save for a few patches of white, snow capped ice.

After cautiously testing the Ice's strength with a single foot, Scott soon build up the confidence to stand tall on the first sheet of the ice road.

"Looks like this thing stretches of for quite a distance" Scott called back to his team "And we can't be 100% certain as to how much of this ice is sturdy enough to carry our collective weight... Loa, can you swim through water this cold? It'll warm up as we go, if we all don't feel safe enough walking this path, we can always stop and build a raft? My guess is that it might be safer than taking the ice road, but it take us a while longer to get there... and we'd be at the mercy of the current..."

@Jeremi @Sark @Crow @Atomic Knight @Red Team
Locked in combat, Hyakkimaru was solely focused on the sounds of clashing blades, following the movements of Laura's aura. As long as he could buy time for the others... the boy held his arms up to block the overhead slash, and once that occurred, he detected that Kara was present and helping with the situation. There was only so much that Hyakkimaru can sense at a time, but he didn't make any signs to object the fact that Kara was trying to get him away from the area.

@Crow @Sark @Atomic Knight @York @Jeremi @Yun Lee
@LakeTeam


CTUaNzr.png


❝ Not bad... that'll do just fine. The Unversed are practically starving for some poor sap's blood right about now. ❞ Vanitas grinned at the sight. So his judgment was right that someone here could be useful to him, even better that Psycho Mantis could give the needed fuel to make the Unversed a formidable force. With this prepared, there was only one thing to do from here: find potential targets.

❝ Lucky for us, there happens to be another team hanging around near our camp. One of my Unversed scouts spotted them in the caves. I doubt they could've gotten far. ❞ He suggested to his teammate, going ahead to shake on that. That they would go and hunt down the others before they would become the hunted. This is the true name of the boy of pure darkness. In the preparations to head out, Vanitas fetched over his mask, putting it on.

@Sark
"NonononononononoNONONONONONONO!!!!!" Jianyu was panicking, just as she had the day before trapped in that bubble. Her sister was, once again, in danger, and she was helpless to stop it.

Wait. No she wasn't! She was going to do something, damn it! As foliage made its way down the river, Jianyu grabbed onto what could be the most useful: a long vine. Tying it around her waist as securely as possible, she looked up to Jaime and Kara. "Grab this other end and help me get into the water! Hurry!"

Isabeau would arrive on scene. She looked at the group gathered around the water. She quickly rushed into action, her face full of shock. She quickly grabbed the other end of the vine

x8ue1Sk.png


"Are you okay!? What happened?" She asked, helping pull the other end.

@Crow @Sark @York @Jeremi @Atomic Knight @Takumi @Gummi Bunnies
"No! Don't pull! Not yet!" Jianyu got into the river, her staff outstretched to give Xiayu and Terry something to hold on to as thry came towards the waterfall. "Only pull when I have them both on!"

Xiayu had been careening down, the force of the water causing her to slip and lose her footing on the rocks. Trying to keep from drowning or being completely swept away, she noticed her younger sister in the water, horrified. No...if this failed, then all three of them...! Xiayu immediately began swimming towards Jianyu, grabbing onto the staff. "T-Terry!" Swinging out from the other end, Xiayu attempted to grab onto a rock, or nearby bank, in order to make a net for the Batman to be caught in, saving him from falling into the waterfall, himself.

@Minerva @Sark @Gummi Bunnies @Jeremi @Takumi @Crow @York @Atomic Knight
Hyakkimaru would find his opponent fight like a woman possessed as claws struck against his blade. There was no waver in her strikes despite Laura herself was trying her best to take back control. If something wasn't done soon she'd find a way to get the upper hand an-



The enraged Laura gasped in surprise as she was sent flying with enough force that she found herself cracking through a few trees on the other side of the now flooded river. Even in her battered state Laura, or better, Weapon Hex tried to crawl back into the fray as the giant oak tree fell down on her. Laura had to remember to thank Kara for saving them as she drifted into unconsciousness.


@Crow @Sark @York @Atomic Knight @Takumi @Gummi Bunnies @York

Kara In-Ze & Max Griffin
@Minerva @Sark @Gummi Bunnies @Jeremi @Takumi @Crow @Yun Lee @Atomic Knight

Kara still had one hand free... And though she herself could withstand the rushing waters, she knew better than to risk Hyakkimaru himself getting washed away, so instead, she quickly rushed to aid Xiayu and Jianyu, realizing what she was trying to do.

If she had been working alone, she doubted she could have been able to catch Terry, but with the help of two other people, they might just be able to make it.

Being carefull not to let Hyakkimaru touch the water, Kara reached out a hand to Xiayu, and grasped her as firmly as she could, using her super strength to her advantage.

m93TfaK.png


"Here! I've got you! Just... Hold on tight, okay?! I've got you!" Kara shouted.

Though the odds were stacked against them a little, as her attention was split, trying to keep hold of Hyakkimaru and help catch Terry before he fell at the same time, she was determined to save the others.

...

Max in the meantime smirked a little as he observed what was happening in front of him; competitors, weak and strong alike were trying to save each other, risking their own lives and well being in the process.

Even that blonde girl, who had powers that resembled Superboy's was pitching in, while still trying to save a literally disarmed man. It almost made him jealous, as this whole scene reminded him of the very values the Guardian Council had sought to rid their members of. They were supposed to make hard decisions no matter what the cost, no matter how much blood had to be spilled.

And while he had never officially graduated before he had been imprisoned for his actions, some of these teachings never did leave him. No, instead they paved the way for his ruthless actions as the new "Elf Prince".

Revenge...

All he wanted now, was revenge for those that took Layra from him. Those that ruthlessly persecuted her and her family despite what they had done for Cielis.

But right now, his only goal was to survive. And the way he saw it, it wouldn't matter if he helped those at the river or not, but hey... This could very well be an opportunity to do away with some of the competition, right?

9qkkBw6.png


"So many targets... All in one place. I could finish this so easily..." He said, leering towards the display at the river.

His stone shone with blue light as he contemplated it, but then shrugged, turning towards Beetle, then Superboy (although the latter was probably still reeling from their encounter).

"So. What do you think? Should we save them? Or dispose of them?" He asked.

It didn't seem like Max felt strongly for either option, but it was a little strange that someone as cold and calculating as he was would even offer a choice to his companions.​
 
Perfect. Ignoring the fact that he was thrown into this death game without his say, Vanitas sure liked the idea of having the first move when ambushing this other group. There were so many ways he could start this off, and he so wanted to see these guys struggle. As if to paint the signs of uncertainty into their minds, the masked boy let the powered up Unversed take the spotlight first.

120px-Scrapper_KHBBS.png


While the smaller Unversed, which he called Floods, were meant for scouting purposes, Vanitas saw it fitting to let these Unversed, the Scrappers, loose to ambush the Purple Team. Without giving away their vantage point, the masked boy easily brought these manic Unversed to life, spawning them near the Purple Team. Without a doubt, these Scrapper Unversed scrambled towards them, wanting to claw at their prey. For now, Vanitas only spawned three of these, since he wanted to convserve energy for his contribution on the fight.

With the possible chaos to sprout from the sudden intrusion of the Unversed, Vanitas cloaked himself in darkness, and looking over at Mantis as if to signify that they might as well get the drop of them and bank in on this small window of opportunity. Similar to the Flood Unversed, he sunk into the ground with a pool of shadow to mark where he was. That lone pool of shadowy darkness crept closer to where the Unversed were ambushing the Purple Team.

@Sark @Lucky @Alex Azure @dark
 
Goro "Crow" Akechi and Haru "Noir" Okumura
Incredulously Long Catch-Up Post
720
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[Introductions]

Goro Akechi / Crow - White Team
109

"Heh," Akechi chuckled, "It seems this 'Arcade' expects us to bow down to the rules of his game. I admire your resolve to not murder anyone, Jak, Scott, Billy. Unfortunately, I do not believe we have the luxury of that option." Akechi removed his mask, causing blue flames to swirl around him. Behind him appeared the ethereal form of a powerful archer from fiction: his Persona, Robin Hood. Robin Hood drew it bow and aimed at Arcade, but didn't yet take fire.

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"Whether it be self defense, or to take out this captor of ours, death is inevitable. I regret having to stoop to this option as an ally of justice, though it's not like I haven't already stooped to new lows in defending my ideals of justice. Isn't that right, Noir?"

"You can call me Crow. I think it would be best to avoid my true name, even if we are in some alternate world."


Haru Okumura / Noir - Purple Team

109

"Kid Danger. Cho. Ratchet. It is a pleasure to meet all of you. I hope we can work well together, despite this situation. I am Noir, of the Phantom Thieves!"

Haru turned quickly to see Akechi, as he called her code name. Her brow furrowed. She yelled harshly at Akechi, "Crow, if you are an ally of justice, then you won't stoop to murder! That's not the way of the Phantom Thieves!"

Akechi returned his mask to his face and Robin Hood disappeared into the aether. "Perhaps you're right. It isn't noble to draw first blood..."

[After First Death]

Goro Akechi / Crow - White Team
109

"I agree. Though it appears that one of our members has left us. Unfortunate, but perhaps we can use this to our advantage. Three people can stay hidden far easier than four. Let us be careful, though. Another team might take advantage of our numbers."

Goro followed the rest of his team towards the source of running water.

Haru Okumura / Noir - Purple Team

"Survival of the fittest, huh..."

Behind Haru's mask, her expression showed deep sorrow. She was regretful to fight other people, especially one of her fellow Phantom Thieves. Except... She knew better.

110

"If we encounter the White Team again, stay on guard. Crow may be one of my teammates back in Japan, but here I have no doubt he will attack us."

[Arrive At Lake & Unversed Appear]

Goro Akechi / Crow - White Team

"Well, if you aren't team leader, I could certainly take the position. That is a wise action, however. You're not bad, Shazam."


Haru Okumura / Noir - Purple Team

"Shadows?!" Haru called out in surprise. The Unversed appeared similar to the monsters that plagued the Palaces she explored with the Phantom Thieves. As Rachet used his ice beam to freeze both of them, Haru took the opportunity to slice through one of them with her axe.

"Henry, I don't think those things were sentient. If they're Shadows, like I think they are, then they're just manifestations of negative human emotion. They're not exactly alive..."

"I wonder if we're in a Palace then?" Haru thought to herself, "Certainly Arcade has twisted enough desires for one. Which means there must be a Treasure to steal. But these people, they're not Shadows or thought beings. They are real, brought here like me and Akechi."

[After Getting Fish & Eating Candy Bar]​

Goro Akechi / Crow - White Team

"I imagine using your powers puts some sort of strain on your body, certainly? Nobody can keep fighting forever. Whether it's ammo or will, everyone has a limit. We should get some rest before continuing on, I think."

Goro took a bite out of the fish and chewed slowly, taking in the flavor. "Not too bad, Billy. Certainly nothing like a restaurant would make, but it tastes just fine. I hope I an get back home and try a bit more Leblanc Curry."

Haru Okumura / Noir - Purple Team

"Cho is right. The only way we're getting through this is together. Thank you for the food, Cho. We should make sure to find some food and water as soon as we can."

Haru took her piece of the candy bar and gladly ate it, despite it only being a small morsel. It would have to do for now. At Henry's request for her story, she removed her mask and hat and spoke honestly with the group.

"My story? My name is Haru Okumura. My father was the CEO of Okumura Foods in Japan. Now his company has gone to me, because of his passing. I'm struggling to figure out what to do with my company. But lately, I've had a much more important role. I am a member of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. We steal the distorted desires of adults and cause a change of heart, so they can admit their crimes. My codename is Noir. Akechi, the man in white with the red mask, is our newest member, 'Crow.'From woring alongside him, I can tell you he's dangerous."

Goro Akechi / Crow - White Team

109

"People are coming. We need to act fast. We are more than outnumbered. Perhaps now would be a good time to call upon Shazam. Or, barring that, a surprise attack to rout the enemy before they can harm us." Goro summoned his Persona, Robin Hood, who took aim at the group in the distance. "I'll take care not to kill them, but you are a target. I won't let them make the first strike against you. Now, Robin Hood!" Robin Hood fired, using Megidola on the distant group, sending rays of almighty light crashing down towards them.

@Sark @TundraGroup?

Haru Okumura / Noir - Purple Team

109

"Oh, if we're to knock down those stalactites, then I believe I can help!"

Haru put back on her mask and hat, then pulled out a grenade launcher. She fired a grenade over the group's head, up towards the ceiling, aiming to knock down a few of the stalactites herself.
Perfect. Ignoring the fact that he was thrown into this death game without his say, Vanitas sure liked the idea of having the first move when ambushing this other group. There were so many ways he could start this off, and he so wanted to see these guys struggle. As if to paint the signs of uncertainty into their minds, the masked boy let the powered up Unversed take the spotlight first.

120px-Scrapper_KHBBS.png


While the smaller Unversed, which he called Floods, were meant for scouting purposes, Vanitas saw it fitting to let these Unversed, the Scrappers, loose to ambush the Purple Team. Without giving away their vantage point, the masked boy easily brought these manic Unversed to life, spawning them near the Purple Team. Without a doubt, these Scrapper Unversed scrambled towards them, wanting to claw at their prey. For now, Vanitas only spawned three of these, since he wanted to convserve energy for his contribution on the fight.

With the possible chaos to sprout from the sudden intrusion of the Unversed, Vanitas cloaked himself in darkness, and looking over at Mantis as if to signify that they might as well get the drop of them and bank in on this small window of opportunity. Similar to the Flood Unversed, he sunk into the ground with a pool of shadow to mark where he was. That lone pool of shadowy darkness crept closer to where the Unversed were ambushing the Purple Team.

@Sark @Lucky @Alex Azure @dark


Haru Okumura / Noir - Purple Team

"More of those Shadows! Can't they leave us alone?"

Haru turned away from the stalactites and towards their new adversaries: the Scrappers. She put away the grenade launcher and instead brought her hand to her mask. With grace and flourish, she removed her mask, but this time doing so was accompanied by a swirl of blue flames. "Perrrrsonaaaa!" she cried, as behind her appeared Milady, an ethereal form resembling that of a 17th-century noble in a gown. "Triple Down!" she commanded. The front of Milady's dress opened up, revealing the barrels of several firearms. Milady fired, delivering three shots to each of the Scrapper Unversed.

110


@Lucky @dark @Sark @Purple+White Groups
@Gummi Bunnies
 
Henry Hart/Kid Danger

"
I don't think they are ever going to leave us alone anytime soon."

Henry took a deep breath and looked at the area and saw his team fighting. That being said, if this shadows were coming from above, they needed to fall back. It was the only choice of action, especially if this was an ambush like he suspected. " Haru, Cho and Ratchet, we need to fall back. I don't know how long these things will stay up, but between the stalactites and the shadows, we don't have much of a choice in the matter," he said, making a retreat to away from the damage area and even further back, making sure to shoot at the unversed and what was going to make sure that they all survived with little damage.

Billy Batson/ Shazam

Billy looked over at Goro. " We don't know who that is coming towards us. It could be a dangerous party, but it might be the ones from the clearing. We are not planning a surprise attack. That's not what we are going to do and to hurt the others in any way. I know I'm not a target, but you are not about to- fuck this. Shazam-" Billy would turn into his alter ego and tackle the persona Robin Hood to the ground so that the aim of the persona would be impaired and the group was not attacked. " WE'RE NOT ATTACKING PEOPLE- WE'RE NOT PLAYING ARCADE'S FUCKING STUPID GAME." He raised his voice, sending a glare to show that he was dead serious about this.


@Sark @Alex Azure @dark @Purple and White Team
 
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Billy Batson/ Shazam

Billy looked over at Goro. " We don't know who that is coming towards us. It could be a dangerous party, but it might be the ones from the clearing. We are not planning a surprise attack. That's not what we are going to do and to hurt the others in any way. I know I'm not a target, but you are not about to- fuck this. Shazam-" Billy would turn into his alter ego and tackle the persona Robin Hood to the group so that the aim of the persona would be impaired and the group was not attacked. " WE'RE NOT ATTACKING PEOPLE- WE'RE NOT PLAYING ARCADE'S FUCKING STUPID GAME." He raised his voice, sending a glare to show that he was dead serious about this.


@Sark @Alex Azure @dark @Purple and White Team

Goro Akechi / Crow - White Team

As Shazam lunged at the Persona, it disappeared in a puff of blue flames, returning to its form as Goro's mask. He glared back at Shazam. His thoughts and emotions hid behind his mask.
"This brat is annoying, but it would be foolish to deny him head on like this. He's too strong, and could be very useful. Plus, with Okumura here, you might have to worry about your reputation. If she sees your true self and you can't take her out, then your entire goal with the Phantom Thieves is ruined! So play along, Akechi. If he won't let you play Arcade's game, then simply play Batson's."

Goro's eyes broke away from the staredown first, closing his eyes and removing his mask. He returns looking at Shazam with an earnest and solemn expression.

latest


"You're right. We shouldn't play into the hands of our captor. I apologize. I'm ashamed to say it, but I must have become corrupted somewhere along the line. It's either by the Phantom Thieves which I have been forced to associate with, or the bizarre and atrocious nature of this game. I see you're a true ally of justice, Billy. Thank you for keeping me on the path of justice. It would have been awful had I used Robin Hood to kill someone. I'll try not to let Arcade's twisted game cloud my judgement any longer."


@Alex Azure @dark @Lucky @Sark
 
Billy Batson/ Shazam

Billy didn't care what he was about to say, unless those words include an apology of some sort, he didn't buy the earnest and solemn expression he was giving. God, how the fuck was he the actually sensible adult in this situation, especially when he was only fourteen?

He eyed Goro suspiciously and decided to bring it up to him. " It's not me you have to apologize too, you got to apologize to whoever is about to cross the ice bridge. You nearly shot at them and I have no clue if I was quick enough since I did see that it involved some flash of lights- I don't even know if your attack went through or not, so just make some of excuse so it doesn't look like you were attacking them. I wouldn't call myself an ally of justice- I just have a good heart. Also, I don't trust you- you are going to have to earn that back."

@Alex Azure @dark @Sark
 
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