Side Story Champions of the Arena: Convergence Battle Royale

[Yun Lee]

As the two fell into the water, Jianyu watched, about to soar down with them...

...until she looked down.

The water. It was turbulent. Violent. Unforgiving. It took everything. Xiayu, Connor...if you were consumed, you were good as dead. As far as she was concerned, Connor and Billy were goners. She had done what she could, to try and save Superboy, but from here, it was on him. She couldn't go in. She couldn't. She just couldn't.

Instead she teleported away from the waves, away from the watery graveyard, and right to Tretij. Wonderful, beautiful Tretij. Her Angel. Her partner. He would never leave her. He said he'd stay, and he meant it. She looked at him, safe and alive and free of harm or danger...and sobbed. Her emotions had changed course completely, her berserker fury turning to relief and fear and exhaustion and...grief. For the first time since she got here, Jianyu felt it all. As if losing her balance, she fumbled forward, holding onto Tretij, and cried. Loud, mournful wailing that she had repressed for so long finally broke free, and tears mixed with rain as she let out everything she refused to feel right up until now.

@Sark @Minerva @Lucky​

 

[Jeremi]

@Flooded Plains
View attachment 4103
"Alright, geez!" Superboy groaned. "You can but the knives down now, okay? If I was gonna try fryin' you, I would have done it for the mountains, okay? And guess what? I didn't!" Superboy ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. "Look, I'm not exactly a saint. But I'm not about to start hurting good people either. Not anymore. If 'not killing kids' if the bar you're setting..." Conner took Jianyu's had in his. "This Superman is about to smash your expectations!" As theirs clapped together, Mantis met eyes with the half-kryptonian boy. As their eyes met, Superboy felt a shiver run down his spine. "I'm not about to throw my life away, Jain. I'll watch your back if you watch mine."

@Yun Lee

@Ice Bridge
View attachment 4094
Eli remained silent as Alice spoke, his eyes fixed on the fire. A couple of days ago, he would have been happy to hear that Scott had bitten the dust. But now? After the snow and the bear and the bridge... he couldn't bring himself to celebrate. Maybe the island had emotionally drained him, leaving him as a mere husk of the passionate boy he had been when he arrived. He let the smoke fill his lungs for a moment.

"He was a good soldier. I never gave him credit for that. Not that it maters now." He broken his stair and turned away from the flames. "Do you know why I chose this strip for my camp?" Eli paused for a heartbeat, letting the crackle of the fire fill the silence. "Because it's the only safe way out of the Deadlands. If you and Scott were planning on coming back, this would be the path you'd take back. This would be the path that would lead you back to me." Eli twisted his arrow between his fingers, its steel shaft sparking in the light. "So that I could take my pound of flesh. A 'thank you' gift for leaving me to die..."

His arrow hit the sand with a crunch.

"Imagine that. Me killing you. An arrow in your neck whilst you slept. You wouldn't have felt a thing. It would have been a mercy killing, really. Compared to what I could have done. That was the plan. Now I'm going back to plan A:"
View attachment 4098
"Survive. Half the island's trying to kill us. If we weren't so close to the Deadlands, the island itself would be trying to kill us. I won't them win. I won't let them beat me. And if that means letting you live a little longer, so be it."

@Takumi​

@Camp Angel
In contrast to the state of the courtyard, Angel's cabin was clean and meticulous. Handcrafted furniture littered its spacious floor, and small bowls of berries, ground herbs we scattered across various counter-tops. Warren cleared a counter of three wooded tea cups and helped to lower the body of the young speedster onto the deck.

"Thank you again, Laura. We'll have him right as rain before you know it. But for now, I must insist you lake a load off your feet. There's isn't a Safe Zone for miles, and the night will be upon us before we know it. Please..." The Angel muttered, removing a glass vial from one of the Cabin's cupboards. He dabbed the silver solution against one of his feathers and ordained Wally with a stroke of his forehead. "Please reconsider my offer and stay for some tea. I would hate to live with yet more blood on my conscience..."

@Jeremi​

@Lake-->@Forest-->@Camp Angel
The path through the forest was dark and humid. The wave of steam that had swept the area had scattered most the wasps, but the occasional black insect wandered into Nezumi's path. But the stragglers weren't much of a threat. They were too far from their brothers to coordinate properly. Instead, they simple drifted through the woods as if they were regular insects.

As the roar of the wings of the wasps grew quieter with each passing step, a sense of safety slowly began to waft over Nezumi. As the blackness of night closed in, a single beacon shimmered among the shadows of the trees. A silver fortress with a warm light at its heart.

As the daylight began to fade, the fort was little more than a star in a black sea, surrounded by a strange, familiar stink. Little more could be seen through the veil of night. Through the window of a hut within its walls, Nezumi could make out the shadows of Laura and the Angel watching over a tired, twitching speedster.

@Takumi @Jeremi

Number of Survivors: 17 Number of Dead: 15 MIA: 0 Hours until Extinction: 40 Time: 4:20am

As streams of amber poured over the Great Ranges, the fortunate enough to get some rest woke up to their Forth Day on Murderworld. A new chill lingered in the air. It was dream. The island would remain in one piece for just short of two more days. With every passing second, oblivion grew closer.

Silence. The Sun didn't burst into song. A leader-board didn't flicker onto the sky. Arcade didn't appear with a bouquet of taunts and insults. Instead, the Champions was haunted by nightmares. To those waking, they appeared like hallucinations. Regardless, as the dawn broke, the Champions were painfully aware of what had occurred across the island on the previous day.

Spoiler: Arcade's Odds

1. Billy Batson/ Shazam 21%
2. Xianyu 21%
3. Alice Swayne 19.9%
4. Laura Kinney 12%
5.Vanitas 12%
6. Warren Worthington III/ Angel 10%
7. Eli/White Mamba 2%
8.Max Griffin 1%

The leader-board was far shorter than it had once been. More and more names were being struck off with passing day. Day 3 had been brutal. The Island's population was almost half of what it had once been.

Terry McGinnis had been abandoned to his fate by Nezumi and Hyakkimaru. The Batman, the man the Champions had once been willing to risk their lives for during the flood now lay dead by the river bank. He was
unrecognizable. Just another shriveled, bony body waiting to become part of the soil of Murderworld

Terry McGinnis/ The Batman: Status: Deceased! Stung to death by killer wasps and abandoned by Nezumi and Hyak!

Following the collapse of the caves, Cho and Ratchet were buried. After enduring a series of heavy blow from Vanitas, Cho lacked the strength to hold up the crumbling Drylands. Rachet also failed to get out in time. The pair met their fates in a cloud of dust and smoke, their only comfort coming from the knowledge that Henry had made it out alive

Amadeus Cho/ the Hulk" Status: Deceased! Crushed under rubble! Murdered by Vanitas and Mantis!
Ratchet: Status: Deceased! Crushed under rubble! Murdered by Vanitas and Mantus!

Supergirl's name was noticeably absent from the leader-board. Following the Battle of the Lake, Kara was left reeling from a series of Magical Attacks from Max Griffin and a follow up strike from Superboy. This attack left Kara vulnerable to the flow of the river. Even her Argonian strength couldn't save her from several tons of water and the pains of oxygen deprivation.

Kara/ Supergirl: Status: Deceased! Struck by a Magic Blast and Drowned by Max Griffin.

Jak, like Eli, had been abandoned by his team following the Battle at the Ice Bridge. Unlike Eli, however, Jak was unable to reach solid ground in time. His path to safety had been obliterated by blasts from both Shazam and Scott. He was taken by icy waves in the early hours of the third day.

Jak: Status: Deceased! Drowned in Frozen Waters!

Spoiler: Arcade's Highlights

"Play of the Match" Henry Hart/ Kid Danger and his Spider Stomping!
"Kill of the Match" Alice Swayne and her sharp shot at Scott!
"Assist of the Match" Billy Batson/Shazam and his swift snake save!
"Best Hero" Not Applicable! There are no heroes left!
"Best Villain" Billy Batson and his Deal with the Devil

@Deadlands-->@Black Forest
A bond was made between the young hero and the King of the Spiders. With a silent nod and a lick of his lips, a silent vow was made. The Scarlet Spider's children would not feast upon Henry's bones. In return, Henry would pay him in flesh.

"You are a good man, Henry Hart. Bring us some good flesh, would ya? Some fresh, all-American skin? I'll be waiting for you, pal. And... we'll be watchin'..."

No matter where he turned, Henry felt eyes upon him. Hundreds of eyes sorted into groups of 8. The eyes of the Island's insects would become Reilly's spies. They would ensure that the boy remained true to his word.

As the light of morning cut through the dead of night, the fog of the Badlands seemed to fade. The threads that had once bound him rotted away and faded into the dirty. The King of Spider retreated into the undergrowth, fleeing from the light.

The Deadlands had never obeyed the laws of the Island. When morning came, Henry awoke to find himself standing on the edge of the Black Forest, looking out onto the Great Ranges and the Quicksand Sea. The nearest safezone was mere minutes away. In the distance, he could make out the silhouette of a giant glowing tree.

@Lucky

@Flooded Plains
Conner, Mantis and Jianyu didn't have the privilege of being woken by the beams of the morning Sun. Instead, they were woken the crackling thunder that always seemed to roar in the wake of the 'improved' Shazam. The storm brought bullets of rain to the plains, flooded the already flooded region. Conner Kent looked to the skies, but even he couldn't look for long. It wasn't the light of the Sun that burned his eyes. It was the heat from the Flames of Arson.
View attachment 4104
"Hey, Jain. Remember that stuff you said about only killing bad guys? I think I've found a bad guy... or a bad guy has come and found us...."

Mantis loomed behind Superboy, his eyes fixated on the blazing figure that loomed above them and the soaked girl he held in his arms. He could taste fear, but he couldn't quite put his finger on who it belonged to.

@Yun Lee @Lucky
Survivors Update:
Red Team
Katherine 'Kate' Bishop/ Hawkeye @Atomic Knight [/STATUS: DECEASED: ELECTROCUTED BY BILLY BATSON/SHAZAM]
Hnikar @Crow
Alice Swayne @Takumi [/KILLS: 1]
Eli/Liquid Snake [/KILLS: 1]

Blue Team
Hyakkimaru @Gummi Bunnies
Laura Kinney @Jeremi [/KILLS: 1]
Maeve @Hahli Nuva [/STATUS: DECEASED: IMPALED ON A METAL ROD BY WARREN WORTHINGTON III/ ANGEL]
Max Griffin @York [/KILLS: 1]

Green Team
Isabeau @Minerva
Alani Ryan @Jeremi [/STATUS: DECEASED: ELECTROCUTED BY BILLY BATSON/SHAZAM]
Vanitas @Gummi Bunnies [/KILLS: 2]
Psycho Mantis

Yellow Team
Nezumi @Takumi
Jaime Reyes @Crow
Xiayu @Yun Lee [/STATUS: DECEASED: SACRIFICED TO THE RAVINE]
Ben Reilly/ Scarlet Spider [/STATUS: ???]

Pink Team
Kara/ Supergirl @York [/STATUS: DECEASED: DROWNED AND CURSED BY MAX GRIFFIN]
Jianyu @Yun Lee [/KILLS: 1]
Stephen Universe @Atomic Knight [/STATUS: DECEASED: IMPALED ON A METAL ROD BY WARREN WORTHINGTON III/ ANGEL]
Terry McGinnis/ Batman Beyond [/STATUS: DECEASED: KILLED BY KILLER BEES AND ABANDONED BY NEZUMI!]

Orange Team
Bucky Barnes/ Winter Soldier [/KILLS: 1] [/STATUS: DECEASED: THROWN INTO A WILDFIRE BY JAINYU]
Wally West/ Kid Flash
Warren Worthington III/ Angel [/KILLS: 3]
Connor Kent/ Superboy

White Team
Billy Batson/ Shazam @Lucky [/KILLS: 2]
Jak/Mar @dark [/DECEASED: DROWNED IN FREEZING WATER]
Goro Akechi @Alex Azure [/DECEASED: STABBED TO DEATH BY ELI]
Scott Summers/Cyclops [/DECEASED: SHOT TWICE BY ALICE]

Purple Team
Henry Hart/ Kid Danger @Lucky
Ratchet @dark [/DECEASED: CRUSHED UNDER RUBBLE]
Haru Okumura @Alex Azure [/DECEASED: IMPALED ON A METAL ROD BY WARREN WORTHINGTON III/ ANGEL]
Amadeus Cho [/DECEASED: CRUSHED UNDER RUBBLE]​

"I'll stand, thank you," Laura replied rationalizing her being knocked out for her sleep for today. "No tea, but I'm sticking around for as long as I need that he makes it out of here alright," She replied motioning towards the Flash. "I'm done playing Arcade's games and if I can look after him I'll take it as a win."

@Sark @Takumi

 

[Sark]

" No, I won't be letting go any time soon,I'm the bad guy, that's fine, it's through no fault of mine," he growled back at him. God, this plan was dark, but he wasn't sure how it would work. But in theory, he knew that it could work. He would just need to focus on everything that he was about to do and he ignored what he told him.

As the indigo light of the Psycho power consumed the trio, Superboy's Instincts overcame him. He knew Jainyu's plan was in a heart beat. They didn't need to share words. As Jainyu's telekinesis sent the trio tumbling towards the waves, the half Kryptonian summon what remained of his will. With a rebel yell, he coiled his arms around Shazam's arms and tested the Might of Extortion against his own.

What none of them realized was that Billy had a plan of his own. He had a feeling back when Arcade had struck him and when the powers had battled that both existed in his body. Before he was shoved beneath the waves, he would close his eyes and shout the word he knew. " SHAZAM!" As Billy expected, lightning came down to strike him as he would descend into the waves with Superboy…. but he was slightly worse.

His body had filled with the same electricity as back after the guilt kill. Expect for two significant differences. One, it was black. Two, he was in control. While his own electricity was striking any water he touched, he sent a carefully guided bolt to strike the tree in the exact position that it would tumble down. He would use his own will to push up against Superboy, and the strength of Extortion. But it was coupled with a bit of the strength of Hercules. For what Billy had never considered about his Shazam powers was their origin. Solomon, Hercules, Achilles, Zeus, Atlas and Mercury.... were all flawed heroes. Solomon had no qualms with ordering a baby to be cut in half to prove a devious point, Hercules had used assault to achieve his ends, Achilles had no problem extorting and using others to avoid conflicts, Zeus had never been the most honest man, a pinnacle of dishonesty, Atlas had held the world, a world that was constantly on fire from the gods and Mercury was the god of thieves. In a twist of fate, the Shazam powers god were not only compatible with the power of ARCADE. They were perfectly matched.

@Sark @Yun Lee @Minerva

@Flooded Plains
To a boy gifted with super speed, seconds could crawl by like hours. Maybe that was the source of Conner's painfully short attention span. But as the young clone tumbled towards the foam, his mind was fixed on a single thought. Jianyu. Where was she? He felt the wind sear his skin and the salty air burn his tongue. But nothing could clear that thought from his head. Where was she?

Superboy's body struck the waves in a crash of white. The shock of the fall squeezed the air from his lungs. The falling tree sealed his fate. For a 'Super' man, Conner felt weak. Worthless. As a creeping darkness invaded his sight and the light of the surface grew dimmer and dimmer, he accepted his fate. He was just another failed experiment drowning in impossible expectations.

No. It had taken Doomsday to kill the real Superman. Kal-El might have pinned and bleeding, but he died on his feet. And Conner would be damned if he didn't do otherwise.

He felt something tingle against his skin. It felt like lightning. Like thunder. Nothing like Shazams. It was a force of his own. He could practically feel the molecules dance across his arms. He gritted his teeth and raised his arms. He felt the bark creak under his fingers. With a roar, he pushed, not with his body, but with his mind.

[BOOM]

View attachment 4110

The surface of the water ruptured. A beam of heat roared forward, snapping what remained of Jainyu's tree like a twig.

"You see that, dumbass?" Superboy panted, tearing what remained of his jacket from his chest and letting it vanish into the foam below. "Now that's power! Maybe you should start taking notes!"

The Superman raced forward. A sonic boom. He was mere inches from Billy's face when swung his fist. But his punch didn't connect. The invisible force behind it did.
View attachment 4109
"Tactile Telekinesis, bay-bee! Enough to keep your sparkles from frying me, and more than enough to stop you from burning any more of my clothes! It also means I won't have to touch your crusty-ass to kick it!"

In a flash of crimson, Conner unleashed a blast of heat vision towards Shazam's recoiling body.

"You want a fight, dork? You got one!"

@Lucky​

As the two fell into the water, Jianyu watched, about to soar down with them...

...until she looked down.

The water. It was turbulent. Violent. Unforgiving. It took everything. Xiayu, Connor...if you were consumed, you were good as dead. As far as she was concerned, Connor and Billy were goners. She had done what she could, to try and save Superboy, but from here, it was on him. She couldn't go in. She couldn't. She just couldn't.

Instead she teleported away from the waves, away from the watery graveyard, and right to Tretij. Wonderful, beautiful Tretij. Her Angel. Her partner. He would never leave her. He said he'd stay, and he meant it. She looked at him, safe and alive and free of harm or danger...and sobbed. Her emotions had changed course completely, her berserker fury turning to relief and fear and exhaustion and...grief. For the first time since she got here, Jianyu felt it all. As if losing her balance, she fumbled forward, holding onto Tretij, and cried. Loud, mournful wailing that she had repressed for so long finally broke free, and tears mixed with rain as she let out everything she refused to feel right up until now.

@Sark @Minerva @Lucky
​

Tretij took Jianyu in his arms. She was warm and cold. Night and day. The only human contact he had shared since he was a boy and the closest thing he had to a friend. The closest thing he had to an anything. He wrapped a sleeve around her shoulders and let her weep. He had never hugged before. He didn't think he'd be any good at it. His body was rigid and his hands were as cold. Yet as he she held onto him, he felt something stir within him. Something he hadn't felt since the accident. Something he hadn't felt since his name and face were wiped from the record. He felt something that he hadn't felt since he became the Third Child.

He shaped that feeling into a tool. A weapon. He raised his barrel. He took aim. He fired.

He projected Jianyu's feelings into the mind of Shazam. All that pain. All that torment. All that grief and suffering. It all came crashing down on top of him. He had transformed Jianyu's well earned moment of weakness into a shield. Any attempt to harm Jianyu whilst she cried would fill Billy with the same pain he had felt as Arcade stole his soul.

@Yun Lee @Lucky​

 

[Lucky]

Billy Batson and Henry Hart

There was a plan in play, one that Billy had thought of as he had fought Connor. The word he had spoken was taking time to work, but it was incredibly difficult to find one man in a sea. That was the truth. There was an ocean between him and his plans, even if the ocean was just simply a small puddle. He just needed time and that was something that he had in spades. It was one thing he always seemed to have.

He didn't need much to do what he wanted as he would make sure that he was on top, that was all he needed to be. And it didn't take much to keep fighting, not when it came to the water. A thing that had nearly killed him once and then actually killed him a second time. There was a game here- a beautiful wonderful game. Arcade wanted a show and he had learned allies were breakable.

Scott had taught him that after the accident. He had been all ready to kill him after his mistake killed instead of saved. And now he was dead and he was alive. Well, alive was the wrong word.

All he had learned in his life was the people hurt you. People hurt you. Sivana, his mom, his family for forgetting him and not being able to save him. Arcade for turning him into this monster. People hurt you and that was just a fact of life. Billy Batson had never been worthy of the Shazam powers, but he always knew that.

[BOOM]

There was a fall of the tree and he had to wonder how much attention that was going to draw to them. He expected it to be some.

Billy had let go at some point and taken the moment to shot back to the surface, a reason a chase. It was a show and that was what Arcade wanted from, an act, something to draw the viewers in.

It was just enough time to make it to the surface. That was all he needed. Just a moment and it came. The lightning. The one that had struck him first was just a bolt of lightning to give him his powers back.... but this one.... was different.

In a breath of relief, he didn't stop him. He didn't fight back. He knew what he was doing and it was something darkly devious. For, you see, Billy had said the word. And his adult form was gone. While still radiating dark energy, he was Billy Batson. A fourteen year old teenager. A kid.

He didn't fight back, his body still radiating the energy, but he wasn't attacking back. He was taking the pain. He did have a small frame of invulnerability.

"Whoever said I wanted a fight, perhaps I was trying to make a point to someone." The voice wasn't fulll of confidence. It was the voice of a broken child.

Henry had plans to entered the forest, but he noticed the tree fall and a splash of water and he realized that going into the eye of the storm was a good choice. He walked over and saw Connor looking like he was punching Billy, Jiayu crying and an unconcious Isabeau.

" What the fuck is going on here?" He asked.

@Sark @Minerva @Yun Lee

 

[Yun Lee]

It had taken the destruction of the tree to get Jianyu's attention, and she looked over her shoulder at the source of the noise. "C-Conner...?" He...he was alive? He made it out? Holding onto Tretij as if for dear life, Jianyu hiccuped, blurred eyes fixated on him. You watch my back, I watch yours. Fuck! She was going to be damned if she lost him again!

But the thought of getting back to those violent waves terrified her, and she really just couldn't stop the tears. But she could try to do something for him.

Stay strong. Survive.

She bit her lower lip, focusing on one thought in the jumbled mess of her mind.

Stay strong. Survive.

She'd abandoned people before, at the lake, and wasn't going to again.

Stay strong. Survive.

She was stronger than Bison, so giving Connor a boost had to be a possibility, right?

Kill juuuuust right.

If Jianyu was successful, Connor's aura would be glowing a brilliant violet. She couldn't fight anymore in this battle, she hoped he could understand. But the least she could do was give him her energy, an endless well of hatred and negativity to make the child of Krypton even more powerful than before. She'd never, ever use his body like Bisom used hers, no. Control was her gift.

@Sark @Lucky @Minerva​

 

[Lucky]

Henry Hart and Billy Batson

Henry quietly watched what was going on. He wanted to stop it, it seemed so wrong..... but he stopped himself. For one, there was food on the water edge and that seemed important to him, for two, if the boy died, it would help him. As fucked up as it sounded, he would take an apple off the ground and walk towards Mantis and Jianyu, watching quietly. Somebody was going to die here and it was just a matter of time to see if it would be the Superboy or the lightning child. Either way, a corpse to feed the spider. " If one of them dies, you wouldn't mind if I borrowed the corpse for some.... creative purpose?" He askeed He wasn't about to just up and admit that he made a treaty to feed a killer spider. He was also eyeing Isabeau, seeing if she would move and if she might be good spider food. " Looks pretty bad for the fourteen year old kid right now," he commented.


Billy just stared and stared. He took a moment to compose himself and then he did something he hadn't done in a while. He slide between Connor's leg, softly mumbling Shazam twice as he did. The lightning would strike directly at him through Connor, twice, one directly below him and one on exit. The magical lightning.

@Sark @Yun Lee

 

[Takumi]

@Red Team Camp
"Conditions?" Eli leaped out of his skin and dove for his arrow. His gritted his teeth and raised his blade. His eyes thinned. "You're trying to tell me that you've thrown in with him?"
View attachment 4106
"Playing this stupid game is one thing, but eating out of his hand is insane. What's wrong with you, Alice?" He spat with disgust. "Was killing Scott not enough for you? What did he offer you? What was your soul worth?"

@Takumi

@Flooded Plains
Tretij countered the blazing champion's rush with little more than a blank, frozen stair. Shazam's might fist struck one side of his chest and passed out the other. Batson took little more than a fistful of smoke with him into the sky. Mantis remained uninjured and incorporeal, his eyes following the fighters as their soared up into the sky.

Conner wasn't so lucky. He could muster littl more than a muffled cry as Shazam took his throat in his hand and dragged him up, up and away. He his invulnerability failed him under the heat of the Flames of Extortion. His coat caught alight. Then the hairs on his arms started to combust. Moments later, he felt his skin burn.

"Let go of me, dirt-bag!" Superboy cried, pounding on Billy's forearm. His grip had to break eventually. It had to. And he wasn't going to stop until it did. He called upon his speed and strength to batter Batson with everything he had. "Don't--you---know---who---I---am???"

As the indigo light of the Psycho power consumed the trio, Superboy's Instincts overcame him. He knew Jainyu's plan was in a heart beat. They didn't need to share words. As Jainyu's telekinesis sent the trio tumbling towards the waves, the half Kryptonian summon what remained of his will. With a rebel yell, he coiled his arms around Shazam's arms and tested the Might of Extortion against his own.

In a tandem with Jianyu's telekinetic push, Superboy dragged Shazam beneath the waves of the Flooded Plains.

@Yun Lee @Lucky​

"!!" Alice watched him go for the arrow and tensed, hand subconsciously going for her knife at her side.

Then she bristled the moment he brought up her involvement in Scott's death, scowling as she stood, glaring at Eli then. A dam of emotions let loose then, her eyes gleaming with most of them.

"Scott's death was unintentional you fucking brat! He offered me a happy life, a normal life if I played his game, three lives for three lives, so I agreed. Then I thought that they wouldn't have wanted me to get anymore blood on my hands, so I figured why not go about it my way? Maybe I am insane, who fucking knows?" She yelled, angry and guilty and determined to get things done her way. As if in response to her sudden onslaught of emotions the fire flickered and twisted aggressively, the heat under her skin became almost unbearable, almost too much.

It hurt, but she endured it, even as she started to close the distance between the two of them, hands empty but a hard look on her face. Arcade didn't say what would happen if she didn't 'win', if she didn't kill, if she didn't actually put up a fight, did he? No, and he didn't have her sign a written contract with fine print either.

Her eyes zeroed in on the arrow in the boy's hand then his face. Her eyes met his and she wondered if he had the guts to do it.

@Sark

 

[Sark]

Billy Batson and Henry Hart

There was a plan in play, one that Billy had thought of as he had fought Connor. The word he had spoken was taking time to work, but it was incredibly difficult to find one man in a sea. That was the truth. There was an ocean between him and his plans, even if the ocean was just simply a small puddle. He just needed time and that was something that he had in spades. It was one thing he always seemed to have.

He didn't need much to do what he wanted as he would make sure that he was on top, that was all he needed to be. And it didn't take much to keep fighting, not when it came to the water. A thing that had nearly killed him once and then actually killed him a second time. There was a game here- a beautiful wonderful game. Arcade wanted a show and he had learned allies were breakable.

Scott had taught him that after the accident. He had been all ready to kill him after his mistake killed instead of saved. And now he was dead and he was alive. Well, alive was the wrong word.

All he had learned in his life was the people hurt you. People hurt you. Sivana, his mom, his family for forgetting him and not being able to save him. Arcade for turning him into this monster. People hurt you and that was just a fact of life. Billy Batson had never been worthy of the Shazam powers, but he always knew that.

[BOOM]

There was a fall of the tree and he had to wonder how much attention that was going to draw to them. He expected it to be some.

Billy had let go at some point and taken the moment to shot back to the surface, a reason a chase. It was a show and that was what Arcade wanted from, an act, something to draw the viewers in.

It was just enough time to make it to the surface. That was all he needed. Just a moment and it came. The lightning. The one that had struck him first was just a bolt of lightning to give him his powers back.... but this one.... was different.

In a breath of relief, he didn't stop him. He didn't fight back. He knew what he was doing and it was something darkly devious. For, you see, Billy had said the word. And his adult form was gone. While still radiating dark energy, he was Billy Batson. A fourteen year old teenager. A kid.

He didn't fight back, his body still radiating the energy, but he wasn't attacking back. He was taking the pain. He did have a small frame of invulnerability.

"Whoever said I wanted a fight, perhaps I was trying to make a point to someone." The voice wasn't fulll of confidence. It was the voice of a broken child.

@Flooded Plains
View attachment 4112
"Okay, Okay, Okay..." Conner muttered, slowing him charge but maintaining his guard. "You want to take a swing at my moral conscience? Fine! Looks like its gonna be teen to teen!" The Half Kryptonian floated for moment, his razor eyes cutting deep into Billy. "But... uh... you better make the first move... punk?"

It had taken the destruction of the tree to get Jianyu's attention, and she looked over her shoulder at the source of the noise. "C-Conner...?" He...he was alive? He made it out? Holding onto Tretij as if for dear life, Jianyu hiccuped, blurred eyes fixated on him. You watch my back, I watch yours. Fuck! She was going to be damned if she lost him again!

But the thought of getting back to those violent waves terrified her, and she really just couldn't stop the tears. But she could try to do something for him.

Stay strong. Survive.

She bit her lower lip, focusing on one thought in the jumbled mess of her mind.

Stay strong. Survive.

She'd abandoned people before, at the lake, and wasn't going to again.

Stay strong. Survive.

She was stronger than Bison, so giving Connor a boost had to be a possibility, right?

Kill juuuuust right.

If Jianyu was successful, Connor's aura would be glowing a brilliant violet. She couldn't fight anymore in this battle, she hoped he could understand. But the least she could do was give him her energy, an endless well of hatred and negativity to make the child of Krypton even more powerful than before. She'd never, ever use his body like Bisom used hers, no. Control was her gift.

@Sark @Lucky @Minerva

@Flooded Plains
View attachment 4113
The Half-Son of Krypton's body erupted with power. The Jianyu's inner strength had merged with his own. His telekinetic aura surged forth. The Superboy was finally becoming a Superman.

"Now this is what I call Super!" Conner roared. He placed his hands on his hips and puffed out his chest. A smirk crawled across his lips. "Now, I wouldn't normally give a kid a beat down, but for dick-wads like you? I'm more than happy to make an exception!"

The Metropolis Kid reached out with his heart and his mind. He closed the distance between the two champion with a thought.
View attachment 4115
[BOOM]

Two telekinetic tubes collided on either side of Shazam. The boy was engulfed in an endless tunnel of force and light.

"Don't even think about pulling the 'scared little kid' act now, buster. I've got a Shazam on my work too, I know how that crap works. Now, you can just chillax in there for the next 40-ish hours and think about what you did. You're grounded, Kiddo!"

@Lucky @Yun Lee​

 

[Lucky]

Billy Batson and Henry Hart

Henry looked over, still biting into the apple, not sure what to make of the fight. He watched with mild interest, but there was something off about everything. He noticed when he first did the trick and then when he emerged. Neither of the attacks were intended to hit, it was almost as he was doing something on purpose.

He noticed that the plain was right over the storm and that it kept pelting down on them. It was then he realized something. The storm wasn't happening less than a few minutes away. This was controlled.

" Hey, I know that I probably missed something, seeing as I was in the dead area of the islands, dealing with a thing that planned to kill me and a spider, but, uhhh- this whole situation seems very nuanced. Like there was some next level planning. He waN'Ts fighting back at any point. I think he was stalling."

He looked down at the water and he took a moment to consider something. He had to remember Arcade's map and where he had been. If he was right about the area, this was the flooded plains.

[BOOM]

Billy didn't fight back and let the storm continue to brew above them. If it came raining like this.... then..... well, he had taken some science classes. His body would also be working hard to use both the flames of Arson and the power of Zeus to break the tubes, but it seemed to be low effort..... for now. It was very obvious that Billy could break out- but he was choosing not too for some reason.

" I don't know if any of you took any basic science classes, but seeing as this is the Flooded Plains, I feel like Billy has been stalling and you let him do something dangerous. You just put a 40 hour storm on a place that already experiences flooding and put the kid who is causing in a perfect safe bubble to avoid being drowned. I'm just saying that after a full day or 40 hours, this place is going to be underwater and we all be floating on that tree. Might be a good idea to get out of here before that happens. Unless- there is a reason you are all chilling here. I kind of missed a whole day to the spider and dark being incident." Henry would go and pick up Isbeau. What- he needed some spider food. Billy just let loose a child like giggle, almost as if to confirm what Henry was saying.

@Sark @Yun Lee

 

[Yun Lee]

God, who was this new guy, anyway? Why was he talking so much? Didn't he see Jianyu was having a moment here?! Ugh...Reluctant to pull away from Tretij, she wiped at her eyes, glaring at Henry. But what he was saying...well, it made sense. This place wasn't safe anymore. And besides...Jianyu had enough of the ocean for a good while.

"...he's right," she said finally, sniffling as she tried to collect herself. "We need to get out of here. There's a third safezone, right? Over in the Drylands, yeah? Unless we wanna clip some angel wings..." As she spoke, she attempted to communicate this to Connor telepathically, not wanting him to be left out. She looked at Henry, at the girl in his arms. "Hey, you said you needed a corpse, yeah? The guy in that vortex? He works for Arcade. We can take her, and he's all yours. Unless...she's dead?"

@Lucky @Sark @Minerva​

 

[Lucky]

Henry Hart


Henry looked over at her, wondering if she had reached the same logical conclusion. He had missed the moment or he didn't care. It was hard to get an exact read on Henry to determine and he was used to getting glared at and he offered a weak shrug on his part. He wasn't a big fan of the ocean and honestly, he'd rather not drown at any point in the game.

" That's actually where I just came from, or at least partially. We should probably take some water with us, the drylands are pretty much a really long desert with a ton of heat and caves to stay safe. Though, I am not sure what you mean by safe zones, I assume that it had to do with what happened during the third day." He considered taking Billy, but he had a feeling that was a very bad idea. " She seems pretty dead to me. I mean, if she was alive, she would have woken up for some of the fight," he replied. Okay, maybe he was lying but the spider did specify living American flesh and while she didn't fit the American flesh part, she was probably living. Plus, the last thing he wanted to deal with Arcade's new plaything. He felt like he could easily manipulate anyone with his silver tongue. " I say, we leave him here or maybe we should drag him with us. Would stop the flooding and that way, we know that he can't hurt anyone. He looks strangely broken, not good or bad, honestly, it looks like he has been conditioned, I'm just saying, he's number one on the list. We might be able to use him as leverages against others at some point, or if he is Arcade's plaything, perhaps against him. He's got a lot of the staples of crime, Arson, Robbery, Conspiracy, Assault, Dishonesty, Extortion. Huh, that spells Arcade....wonder if he sees him as his kid, .but yeah, if he's Arcade lackey, he probably gave him immunity to his traps. We can use him as a meat shield."

@Sark @Yun Lee

 

[Sark]

Henry Hart


Henry looked over at her, wondering if she had reached the same logical conclusion. He had missed the moment or he didn't care. It was hard to get an exact read on Henry to determine and he was used to getting glared at and he offered a weak shrug on his part. He wasn't a big fan of the ocean and honestly, he'd rather not drown at any point in the game.

" That's actually where I just came from, or at least partially. We should probably take some water with us, the drylands are pretty much a really long desert with a ton of heat and caves to stay safe. Though, I am not sure what you mean by safe zones, I assume that it had to do with what happened during the third day." He considered taking Billy, but he had a feeling that was a very bad idea. " She seems pretty dead to me. I mean, if she was alive, she would have woken up for some of the fight," he replied. Okay, maybe he was lying but the spider did specify living American flesh and while she didn't fit the American flesh part, she was probably living. Plus, the last thing he wanted to deal with Arcade's new plaything. He felt like he could easily manipulate anyone with his silver tongue. " I say, we leave him here or maybe we should drag him with us. Would stop the flooding and that way, we know that he can't hurt anyone. He looks strangely broken, not good or bad, honestly, it looks like he has been conditioned, I'm just saying, he's number one on the list. We might be able to use him as leverages against others at some point, or if he is Arcade's plaything, perhaps against him. He's got a lot of the staples of crime, Arson, Robbery, Conspiracy, Assault, Dishonesty, Extortion. Huh, that spells Arcade....wonder if he sees him as his kid, .but yeah, if he's Arcade lackey, he probably gave him immunity to his traps. We can use him as a meat shield."

@Sark @Yun Lee

God, who was this new guy, anyway? Why was he talking so much? Didn't he see Jianyu was having a moment here?! Ugh...Reluctant to pull away from Tretij, she wiped at her eyes, glaring at Henry. But what he was saying...well, it made sense. This place wasn't safe anymore. And besides...Jianyu had enough of the ocean for a good while.

"...he's right," she said finally, sniffling as she tried to collect herself. "We need to get out of here. There's a third safezone, right? Over in the Drylands, yeah? Unless we wanna clip some angel wings..." As she spoke, she attempted to communicate this to Connor telepathically, not wanting him to be left out. She looked at Henry, at the girl in his arms. "Hey, you said you needed a corpse, yeah? The guy in that vortex? He works for Arcade. We can take her, and he's all yours. Unless...she's dead?"

@Lucky @Sark @Minerva

@Flooded Plains
View attachment 4118
"The Luthor part of my brain has just shifted gear." Conner cracked his neck and knuckles. He floated back down towards the ground, hovering just above the lapping waves. "And I'll go where you go, Jian. That little Super-Storm? That was all you, man. You gave me the boost I needed. And now? My powers are yours. If you wan't to go after Angel? I'm with you. You wan't to cross the Drylands? I'm with you. We're a team now. I'm with you to the end."

View attachment 4119

Mantis turned to Jianyu as she slowly composed herself. Even as she pulled herself from his arms, Tretij continued to reach out to her, offering her a sleeve. With a non, he spoke a single muffled word.

"Friend."

As the Shazam's storm continued to swell and roar, the Champion's route across Murderworld grew far murkier.

Spoiler: Murderworld Map Day 4

View attachment 4120

"Scott's death was unintentional you fucking brat! He offered me a happy life, a normal life if I played his game, three lives for three lives, so I agreed. Then I thought that they wouldn't have wanted me to get anymore blood on my hands, so I figured why not go about it my way? Maybe I am insane, who fucking knows?" She yelled, angry and guilty and determined to get things done her way. As if in response to her sudden onslaught of emotions the fire flickered and twisted aggressively, the heat under her skin became almost unbearable, almost too much.

It hurt, but she endured it, even as she started to close the distance between the two of them, hands empty but a hard look on her face. Arcade didn't say what would happen if she didn't 'win', if she didn't kill, if she didn't actually put up a fight, did he? No, and he didn't have her sign a written contract with fine print either.

Her eyes zeroed in on the arrow in the boy's hand then his face. Her eyes met his and she wondered if he had the guts to do it.

@Sark

@Red Team Camp
"Normal life?" Eli spat. "You make me sick!" The White Mamba saw red. He didn't care that Alice was armed. He didn't care for her rationalizations and excuses. He had learned everything he had needed to know from a single look into her pained eyes. Her angry eyes. Her guilty eyes. She wanted him dead. Every burred thought and every swallowed desire soared to the surface of his mind. He wanted her dead too, More than he had wanted anything before.
View attachment 4121
"And to think I trusted you!" Eli leaped to his feet and snarled like the animal he was. "To think I kept you safe! To think I nearly died for you! You're all the same! You're all like him!" Like a snake the grass striking up at its larger prey, Eli lunged towards Alice, throwing his full body weight towards her neck and shoulders. The force of the blow was enough to knock her onto her back. He drew back his arrow and prepared to strike at her throat. Tears of fury swelled in his eyes. "Burn in Hell, you Bitch! Burn in Hell!"

@Takumi ​

 

[Takumi]

@Flooded Plains
View attachment 4118
"The Luthor part of my brain has just shifted gear." Conner cracked his neck and knuckles. He floated back down towards the ground, hovering just above the lapping waves. "And I'll go where you go, Jian. That little Super-Storm? That was all you, man. You gave me the boost I needed. And now? My powers are yours. If you wan't to go after Angel? I'm with you. You wan't to cross the Drylands? I'm with you. We're a team now. I'm with you to the end."

View attachment 4119

Mantis turned to Jianyu as she slowly composed herself. Even as she pulled herself from his arms, Tretij continued to reach out to her, offering her a sleeve. With a non, he spoke a single muffled word.

"Friend."

As the Shazam's storm continued to swell and roar, the Champion's route across Murderworld grew far murkier.

Spoiler: Murderworld Map Day 4

View attachment 4120

@Red Team Camp
"Normal life?" Eli spat. "You make me sick!" The White Mamba saw red. He didn't care that Alice was armed. He didn't care for her rationalizations and excuses. He had learned everything he had needed to know from a single look into her pained eyes. Her angry eyes. Her guilty eyes. She wanted him dead. Every burred thought and every swallowed desire soared to the surface of his mind. He wanted her dead too, More than he had wanted anything before.
View attachment 4121
"And to think I trusted you!" Eli leaped to his feet and snarled like the animal he was. "To think I kept you safe! To think I nearly died for you! You're all the same! You're all like him!" Like a snake the grass striking up at its larger prey, Eli lunged towards Alice, throwing his full body weight towards her neck and shoulders. The force of the blow was enough to knock her onto her back. He drew back his arrow and prepared to strike at her throat. Tears of fury swelled in his eyes. "Burn in Hell, you Bitch! Burn in Hell!"

@Takumi ​

"Ugh..." Alice grunted as she hit the ground hard, the wind knocked out of her as she grit her teeth and lashed out with her hand in retaliation as the back of her head hit the ground with a hard thump.

Thwack!

She had smacked the emotional boy in the head, in a slightly similar fashion to how Renfred would. Though it didn't hold the strength Renfred's would and was open palmed she'd follow up by trying to grab the boy's ear and twist.

"If you're going to cry save it for later, brat. Don't waste your tears on me." She growled through the headache she was starting to get.

@Sark

While Laura spoke to Angel inside, Nezumi carefully tried to carefully make his way inside the outer gate to get a closer look, though he remained cautious and tense in case he needed to make a bolt.

Where he'd go he wasn't sure, but if he needed to distance himself from this camp he'd find a way to.
@Sark @Jeremi

 

[Sark]

"Ugh..." Alice grunted as she hit the ground hard, the wind knocked out of her as she grit her teeth and lashed out with her hand in retaliation as the back of her head hit the ground with a hard thump.

Thwack!

She had smacked the emotional boy in the head, in a slightly similar fashion to how Renfred would. Though it didn't hold the strength Renfred's would and was open palmed she'd follow up by trying to grab the boy's ear and twist.

"If you're going to cry save it for later, brat. Don't waste your tears on me." She growled through the headache she was starting to get.

@Red Team Camp
A blow to the head was enough to momentarily stun Eil, but not stop his rampage. By the time Alice had prepared her counter attack, Eli's free had had already risen to parry her strike at his ear. With one of her hands preoccupied, Eli's had a clear shot at Alice's throat. He took it, shutting her up with a quick strike to her windpipe.
View attachment 4123
"Don't call me that!" Eli snarled. "Don't call me that!"

He struck Alice's cheek with his right first, sending her face recoiling to the right. He grabbed her chin and pulled it back to face him.

"I'm not a cheat! I'm not a liar! I'm not some spoiled child, selling my soul to fix my problems! I'm better than that!!"

He struck her again. He had given up on the arrow. This was personal.

"I'm the White Mamba! You don't get to kill me!"

@Takumi​

While Laura spoke to Angel inside, Nezumi carefully tried to carefully make his way inside the outer gate to get a closer look, though he remained cautious and tense in case he needed to make a bolt.

Where he'd go he wasn't sure, but if he needed to distance himself from this camp he'd find a way to.
@Sark @Jeremi

@Camp Angel
As Nezumi circled the fortress, he would find it to be relatively featureless from the outside. Its walls were sheer and smooth. Impossible to climb. Impossible to crack. They were almost impossible to dirty, too. Fingerprints seemed to fade from its cool facade within seconds. It was almost as if the walls were cleaning themselves. It was almost as if the hundreds of razors that lined the fort were alive.

The only way inside the fort was through the front door, which remained open to all visitors. From that archway, Nezumi see the handful of bodies that littered the courtyard and a small cabin. The hut was mostly featureless, save for two large windows that sat either side of a large door. Through the first window, Nezumi could see Angel and Weapon Hex. Through the second, he could see a barely conscious Wally West. The Cabin's residents were yet to notice him, though that could change at a moment's notice.
View attachment 4125
"Ah, a noble cause indeed, Laura..." Warren smiled, oblivious to Nezumi's prying eyes. "Every soul we save brings us one step closer to paradise, one step closer to salvation. I'm sure you understand..." Angel paced the cabin whilst the healing agents within his blood took hold of Wally. With every passing moment, another wound closed. Watching his handiwork take effect filled the X-Man with warmth. He couldn't help but grin. "Those... things you passed on the way in? They didn't. They came here to take. To take my food. My tools. My life. I couldn't allow them. Some came in sheep's clothing. But I could that they didn't really understand what I was planning. They were all smiles and nods. But you Laura? I know that you understand me..." Before Laura could fully comprehend the situation, Warren had circled her, placing himself between her and the door. With a click, the door was latched. "We must become one with the Thunder and the Rain. We must bring Wrath and Mercy to this place. We find those would play this redicilous game and redeem them thought fire. A purge of all the Evils Arcade has summoned and the protection of what little good he has found. You were right. This is no time for tea. This is a time for preparation..."

@Jeremi @Takumi​

 

[Takumi]

@Red Team Camp
A blow to the head was enough to momentarily stun Eil, but not stop his rampage. By the time Alice had prepared her counter attack, Eli's free had had already risen to parry her strike at his ear. With one of her hands preoccupied, Eli's had a clear shot at Alice's throat. He took it, shutting her up with a quick strike to her windpipe.
View attachment 4123
"Don't call me that!" Eli snarled. "Don't call me that!"

He struck Alice's cheek with his right first, sending her face recoiling to the right. He grabbed her chin and pulled it back to face him.

"I'm not a cheat! I'm not a liar! I'm not some spoiled child, selling my soul to fix my problems! I'm better than that!!"

He struck her again. He had given up on the arrow. This was personal.

"I'm the White Mamba! You don't get to kill me!"

@Takumi​

@Camp Angel
As Nezumi circled the fortress, he would find it to be relatively featureless from the outside. Its walls were sheer and smooth. Impossible to climb. Impossible to crack. They were almost impossible to dirty, too. Fingerprints seemed to fade from its cool facade within seconds. It was almost as if the walls were cleaning themselves. It was almost as if the hundreds of razors that lined the fort were alive.

The only way inside the fort was through the front door, which remained open to all visitors. From that archway, Nezumi see the handful of bodies that littered the courtyard and a small cabin. The hut was mostly featureless, save for two large windows that sat either side of a large door. Through the first window, Nezumi could see Angel and Weapon Hex. Through the second, he could see a barely conscious Wally West. The Cabin's residents were yet to notice him, though that could change at a moment's notice.
View attachment 4125
"Ah, a noble cause indeed, Laura..." Warren smiled, oblivious to Nezumi's prying eyes. "Every soul we save brings us one step closer to paradise, one step closer to salvation. I'm sure you understand..." Angel paced the cabin whilst the healing agents within his blood took hold of Wally. With every passing moment, another wound closed. Watching his handiwork take effect filled the X-Man with warmth. He couldn't help but grin. "Those... things you passed on the way in? They didn't. They came here to take. To take my food. My tools. My life. I couldn't allow them. Some came in sheep's clothing. But I could that they didn't really understand what I was planning. They were all smiles and nods. But you Laura? I know that you understand me..." Before Laura could fully comprehend the situation, Warren had circled her, placing himself between her and the door. With a click, the door was latched. "We must become one with the Thunder and the Rain. We must bring Wrath and Mercy to this place. We find those would play this redicilous game and redeem them thought fire. A purge of all the Evils Arcade has summoned and the protection of what little good he has found. You were right. This is no time for tea. This is a time for preparation..."

@Jeremi @Takumi​

Alice wheezed from the strike to her windpipe, eyes watering from the pain. The hit to the face disoriented her for a moment, but she blinked the tears away and spit out blood.

You've had worse, you can handle a kid's tantrum she told herself. It wasn't so different than what she endured years ago, she was just bigger and her assailant smaller than her. Her other hand swung out into a hook, attempting to hit the boy in the cheek then.

She knew she could throw him off and just pummel him until he stopped fighting her, but that wasn't part of the plan at all, no she intended to let him have his tantrum and spit his venomous words. She grew a thick skin years ago, even if it still stung she could let some of it go. Some if it.

Her left cheek ached but she didn't care, to focused on the anger and the guilt and the pain and the fact that Eli was like her, and how she hated it that he was like her and it was all too much he was too much too much toomuch toomuchlikehertooangryandloudandviolentandtoosmalltobesoangryandhurtandtooyoungthey'realltooyoungtohavesuchbloodyhandsredevrywhereitsredredredmakeitstop-

The forgotten fire beside them writhed and twisted and grew in size, becoming brighter in response to Alice's raging emotions and unintentional control of it. Her eyes were bright and wide with emotions and despite the warmth under her skin she felt far too cold.

"Shut the fuck up! Just shut up and do it already since you're such a goddamn saint! Or are you going to just take your damn time?" She snapped, her free hand going to connect with his face again.

"If I wanted you dead I could of killed you already!" She screamed in his face through the red and the haze and the pain and the other emotions she couldn't quite name. She held herself back from striking anymore, remembering the endgame for the plan in place. Half of what she was even saying was just shit to egg him on, something she didn't believe.

She didn't quite know what'd happen if she did meet the plan to the end, but if Eli survived just a little longer afterwards then it'd be worth it.

@Sark

Nezumi cringed at the sight of the bodies, but didn't react further.

With Angel closing the door to the cabin, Nezumi carefully moved further into the gate though tried to stick to the shadows.

@Sark @Jeremi

 

[Sark]

Alice wheezed from the strike to her windpipe, eyes watering from the pain. The hit to the face disoriented her for a moment, but she blinked the tears away and spit out blood.

You've had worse, you can handle a kid's tantrum she told herself. It wasn't so different than what she endured years ago, she was just bigger and her assailant smaller than her. Her other hand swung out into a hook, attempting to hit the boy in the cheek then.

She knew she could throw him off and just pummel him until he stopped fighting her, but that wasn't part of the plan at all, no she intended to let him have his tantrum and spit his venomous words. She grew a thick skin years ago, even if it still stung she could let some of it go. Some if it.

Her left cheek ached but she didn't care, to focused on the anger and the guilt and the pain and the fact that Eli was like her, and how she hated it that he was like her and it was all too much he was too much too much toomuch toomuchlikehertooangryandloudandviolentandtoosmalltobesoangryandhurtandtooyoungthey'realltooyoungtohavesuchbloodyhandsredevrywhereitsredredredmakeitstop-

The forgotten fire beside them writhed and twisted and grew in size, becoming brighter in response to Alice's raging emotions and unintentional control of it. Her eyes were bright and wide with emotions and despite the warmth under her skin she felt far too cold.

"Shut the fuck up! Just shut up and do it already since you're such a goddamn saint! Or are you going to just take your damn time?" She snapped, her free hand going to connect with his face again.

"If I wanted you dead I could of killed you already!" She screamed in his face through the red and the haze and the pain and the other emotions she couldn't quite name. She held herself back from striking anymore, remembering the endgame for the plan in place. Half of what she was even saying was just shit to egg him on, something she didn't believe.

She didn't quite know what'd happen if she did meet the plan to the end, but if Eli survived just a little longer afterwards then it'd be worth it.

@Red Team Camp

Alice's first strike was enough to slow Eli's blows. He second crossed his cheek and crossed over to his eye. In the wake of her fist, darkness came. With a lucky strike, she had robbed him of half his sight. Bloody tears coated his cheek.

Time seemed to slow. His hand drifted to where his eye had once been. He looked just like his father, no doubt. Me smiled. He laughed a rhythmic laugh.

If I wanted you dead, I could have kill you already.

Her words burned his skin. They burned far more furiously that the fire that raged beside him. They filled him with a far greater pain than the blood in his eye. What little fragments of Eli remained had been drowned in the Liquid Snake. His eyes thinned. His tongue slipped from his lips. All he saw was Red.

If I wanted you dead, I could have kill you already.

"And that... was your first mistake!" He taunted, laughing through the pain. He drew back his fangs, and his arrow surged forth, striking Alice's shoulder. Not a fatal blow, but a painful one all the same. He twisted its teeth deeper into her skin.

"I'm not a Saint, Alice! I'm not you! I'm not even me! So stop pretending you know me! Stop trying to get in my head! Stop trying to control me! Because this was how it was always going to end! The Red Team was always going to end in bloodshed! And it was always going to be mine... or yours!"

@Takumi​

 

[Takumi]

@Red Team Camp

Alice's first strike was enough to slow Eli's blows. He second crossed his cheek and crossed over to his eye. In the wake of her fist, darkness came. With a lucky strike, she had robbed him of half his sight. Bloody tears coated his cheek.

Time seemed to slow. His hand drifted to where his eye had once been. He looked just like his father, no doubt. Me smiled. He laughed a rhythmic laugh.

If I wanted you dead, I could have kill you already.

Her words burned his skin. They burned far more furiously that the fire that raged beside him. They filled him with a far greater pain than the blood in his eye. What little fragments of Eli remained had been drowned in the Liquid Snake. His eyes thinned. His tongue slipped from his lips. All he saw was Red.

If I wanted you dead, I could have kill you already.

"And that... was your first mistake!" He taunted, laughing through the pain. He drew back his fangs, and his arrow surged forth, striking Alice's shoulder. Not a fatal blow, but a painful one all the same. He twisted its teeth deeper into her skin.

"I'm not a Saint, Alice! I'm not you! I'm not even me! So stop pretending you know me! Stop trying to get in my head! Stop trying to control me! Because this was how it was always going to end! The Red Team was always going to end in bloodshed! And it was always going to be mine... or yours!"

@Takumi​

"You talk too damn much." She hissed, the fire still burning bright. She didn't pay it any attention, reaching for her knife and quickly tried to slash at the White Mama's cheek. She was only doing as much minimal damage as possible. Even though her everything hurt and she was starting to get tired of fighting and blood and death and redredredandpainpainpainpain-

She was only going this far for Chise and Renfred, even if the kid she was looking at didn't seem human anymore she was still responsible for him on one way or another. And if Eli didn't get on with whatever he did next she was going to throw off the gloves and beat the shit out of him.

Her hands were shaking again, her eyes still bright and wide and emotional and her other hand jerked out of his grip for the wrist of the hand holding the arrow. She tried to flip them over, not even caring how her arm jerked again to drag the arrow just slightly-it was intentional despite her body's jumpytwitchytired muscles.

Just a little slip and a push and the ringingbuzzingstaticheatfirepainguiltbloodred beginning to fog her throbbing head would stop. Everything would just stop. If she had to be the villain in Eli's eyes to make it stop then so be it.

She wasn't going to kill someone because Arcade told her to, not again. He'd have to drag her back from the depths of hell to do that and succeed a second time.

She wouldn't go out with a bang, no. Not much of her style. She'd do what she'd need to and move on.

"I wonder who'll make it to the end?" She chuckled dryly, no amusement in her voice at that. She knew that by the end of the day one of them was likely going to be dead at this camp site and it'd likely be-


@Sark

 

[Sark]

"You talk too damn much." She hissed, the fire still burning bright. She didn't pay it any attention, reaching for her knife and quickly tried to slash at the White Mama's cheek. She was only doing as much minimal damage as possible. Even though her everything hurt and she was starting to get tired of fighting and blood and death and redredredandpainpainpainpain-

She was only going this far for Chise and Renfred, even if the kid she was looking at didn't seem human anymore she was still responsible for him on one way or another. And if Eli didn't get on with whatever he did next she was going to throw off the gloves and beat the shit out of him.

Her hands were shaking again, her eyes still bright and wide and emotional and her other hand jerked out of his grip for the wrist of the hand holding the arrow. She tried to flip them over, not even caring how her arm jerked again to drag the arrow just slightly-it was intentional despite her body's jumpytwitchytired muscles.

Just a little slip and a push and the ringingbuzzingstaticheatfirepainguiltbloodred beginning to fog her throbbing head would stop. Everything would just stop. If she had to be the villain in Eli's eyes to make it stop then so be it.

She wasn't going to kill someone because Arcade told her to, not again. He'd have to drag her back from the depths of hell to do that and succeed a second time.

She wouldn't go out with a bang, no. Not much of her style. She'd do what she'd need to and move on.

"I wonder who'll make it to the end?" She chuckled dryly, no amusement in her voice at that. She knew that by the end of the day one of them was likely going to be dead at this camp site and it'd likely be-


@Sark

@Red Team Camp
Just as the blood had leaped from his cheek, Eli leaped from Alice's body. The Mamba knew he was at a disadvantage. He couldn't draw his arrow before getting cut again. He had to retreat. He raised his hands upwards towards his face and spat onto the dirt.
View attachment 4126
"Why aren't you trying!?" He cried in disgust. "Don't you get it? Ever since we got here, we've been under his control. He controls the weather! He controls our food! He didn't bring us here to fight-- he brought us here to die!"

Part of him wanted to see that familar hate in her eyes. He wanted her to scream and hiss and spit and fight. Part of him wanted her to kill him. To free him from the burden of choice. He clenched his fists that little bit tighter.

"He's taken our homes! He's taken out freedom! The only thing he left us with was the choice of when to kill and when to die. And you surrendered that to him. You gave it away!"

Liquid dropped his arms. Cold sweat dripped from hair.

"You're part of the island now, Alice! If I kill you, Arcade wins. I'm playing his game. I let you live, he has another weapon here on the island. Don't you get it, Alice? I can't kill you out of hate or anger or anything anymore! He's taken killing from me! He's taken everything from me! And I can't even kill him for it!"

Eli dropped to his knees, bloody tears pouring down his cheeks.

"It's a farce. It's a stupid game I can't win. I can't quit." Two hopeless eyes stared up at Alice. "I just want to go home..."

@Takumi​

 

[Takumi]

@Red Team Camp
Just as the blood had leaped from his cheek, Eli leaped from Alice's body. The Mamba knew he was at a disadvantage. He couldn't draw his arrow before getting cut again. He had to retreat. He raised his hands upwards towards his face and spat onto the dirt.
View attachment 4126
"Why aren't you trying!?" He cried in disgust. "Don't you get it? Ever since we got here, we've been under his control. He controls the weather! He controls our food! He didn't bring us here to fight-- he brought us here to die!"

Part of him wanted to see that familar hate in her eyes. He wanted her to scream and hiss and spit and fight. Part of him wanted her to kill him. To free him from the burden of choice. He clenched his fists that little bit tighter.

"He's taken our homes! He's taken out freedom! The only thing he left us with was the choice of when to kill and when to die. And you surrendered that to him. You gave it away!"

Liquid dropped his arms. Cold sweat dripped from hair.

"You're part of the island now, Alice! If I kill you, Arcade wins. I'm playing his game. I let you live, he has another weapon here on the island. Don't you get it, Alice? I can't kill you out of hate or anger or anything anymore! He's taken killing from me! He's taken everything from me! And I can't even kill him for it!"

Eli dropped to his knees, bloody tesrs pouring down his cheeks.

"It's a farse. It's a stupid game I can't win. I can't quit." Two hopeless eyes stared up at Alice. "I just want to go home..."

@Takumi​

Alice stumbled to her feet, and Eli's words caused her brows to furrow and a look of.comfusion crossed her features as she let his words sink in. The gears were turning again as she thought. Her finger tapped on her leg, her occupied hand wiping the blood in her knife off on her other pants leg before putting it away.

Eli wasn't trying to fight anymore, do that gave her a moment to calm down a bit and assess the situation, to make changes to her plan where needed and to adapt it along with adapting herself.

Reaching up she quickly pulled the arrow out of her shoulder with a hiss through her teeth before throwing to the ground as if it offended her in some way before making her way over to Eli.

Thwack!

She hit him in the head, a little gentler than before. A contemplative frown on her face. The fire returned to normal, other than a few flickers here and there.

She wasn't sure if she should try and comfort him, given how he seemed to hate her one moment then not the next. Given the headache she was starting to sport wasn't helping her sort her thoughts quickly either.

"I had a plan in place....sorta had one in place. Half of it was being made up as I went." She grumbled.

"For now I guess we adapt and uh, try to make it to the last day, yeah?" How many more hours did they even have until day six? With the adrenaline leaving her body by this point exhaustion hit her like a pile of bricks. Tearing a piece of cloth from her shirt she kneeled down and pressed it roughly into Eli's hands.

"Clean your face." She huffed. With no need to be at each other's throats anymore she wasn't sure where that really left them. She was too tired to think any harder about it.

@Sark

 

[Jeremi]

@Red Team Camp
A blow to the head was enough to momentarily stun Eil, but not stop his rampage. By the time Alice had prepared her counter attack, Eli's free had had already risen to parry her strike at his ear. With one of her hands preoccupied, Eli's had a clear shot at Alice's throat. He took it, shutting her up with a quick strike to her windpipe.
View attachment 4123
"Don't call me that!" Eli snarled. "Don't call me that!"

He struck Alice's cheek with his right first, sending her face recoiling to the right. He grabbed her chin and pulled it back to face him.

"I'm not a cheat! I'm not a liar! I'm not some spoiled child, selling my soul to fix my problems! I'm better than that!!"

He struck her again. He had given up on the arrow. This was personal.

"I'm the White Mamba! You don't get to kill me!"

@Takumi​

@Camp Angel
As Nezumi circled the fortress, he would find it to be relatively featureless from the outside. Its walls were sheer and smooth. Impossible to climb. Impossible to crack. They were almost impossible to dirty, too. Fingerprints seemed to fade from its cool facade within seconds. It was almost as if the walls were cleaning themselves. It was almost as if the hundreds of razors that lined the fort were alive.

The only way inside the fort was through the front door, which remained open to all visitors. From that archway, Nezumi see the handful of bodies that littered the courtyard and a small cabin. The hut was mostly featureless, save for two large windows that sat either side of a large door. Through the first window, Nezumi could see Angel and Weapon Hex. Through the second, he could see a barely conscious Wally West. The Cabin's residents were yet to notice him, though that could change at a moment's notice.
View attachment 4125
"Ah, a noble cause indeed, Laura..." Warren smiled, oblivious to Nezumi's prying eyes. "Every soul we save brings us one step closer to paradise, one step closer to salvation. I'm sure you understand..." Angel paced the cabin whilst the healing agents within his blood took hold of Wally. With every passing moment, another wound closed. Watching his handiwork take effect filled the X-Man with warmth. He couldn't help but grin. "Those... things you passed on the way in? They didn't. They came here to take. To take my food. My tools. My life. I couldn't allow them. Some came in sheep's clothing. But I could that they didn't really understand what I was planning. They were all smiles and nods. But you Laura? I know that you understand me..." Before Laura could fully comprehend the situation, Warren had circled her, placing himself between her and the door. With a click, the door was latched. "We must become one with the Thunder and the Rain. We must bring Wrath and Mercy to this place. We find those would play this redicilous game and redeem them thought fire. A purge of all the Evils Arcade has summoned and the protection of what little good he has found. You were right. This is no time for tea. This is a time for preparation..."

@Jeremi @Takumi​

Laura had been on the alert the moment she got here and Angel locking the door behind him came as no surprise.

*SNIKT*

The claws on her on her left hand popped out as Angel spouted on about his divine retribution. "I think even you realize that everything you've done up to this point has been playing right into Arcade's hands. The only death that's going to stop this is Arcades. That's the only body count I'm after." She motioned towards the door. "I'm going to tell you how this is going to go. I'm staying here waiting for him," Her hand went from the door to Wally. "To get better and leaving to find Arcade. If that's going to be your goal too then great, we can work together."

*SNIKT*

Her right hand claws popped out. "But if you're going to continue with this Messiah and justified killing stuff then we're done. Because that means you're a threat and another of Arcade's puppets."

@Sark @Takumi