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@Murderworld
[BZZZZ--CHKK]

The light atop C.O.R.I.'s A.I. pod flickered out. Her generators stopped humming. Her screens slowly flickered to black. A single light upon its console continued to blink.

[Failsafe A127Z Initialled. Destruction of Lower Levels initialled. Evacuation procedure initiated.]

The doors to the bunker flew open, providing the Doll with some much needed oxygen. She could see the server room in all its blazing glory. Server boxes had burst into flames. Light bulbs had overheated and exploded. Pipes and tunnels had collapsed. Metallic plates were falling off the ceiling. MurderWorld was dying.

Blue Fireflies swarmed her skin they danced around her. They danced around Vantias. They danced around Alice. They danced around Eli. They danced around Henry. In their warm glow, the Underworld faded away. A shimmering white light filled their eyes, and the island faded away...

***
View attachment 4304
"This looks like a job for.... ah screw it!" Calling upon all the strength left within him, Superboy leaped towards Shazam. Together, the pair did the best they could to brace the great ranges and raise them mere metres above the Earth. Despite their great strength, even they couldn't hold back the world for long. With a snap of his fingers, the stones of the mountains became lead. He charged them with harm magic. He pushed them with his own hands. Despite their best efforts, they couldn't hold back the mountain. They couldn't they--

"You're only still standing because I have chosen to let you life! I could turn you all inside out one by one! Or all at once! I could drown you all like ants!" The seas around the island began to swell and range. "Or melt you beneath my magnifying glass!" The air grew hotter by the moment. "Or perhaps, I could liquify y---"

Arcade flicked his fingers down towards Laura. He realized swiftly that nothing had happened. He looked down at his hand in confusion. He tried again. Nothing.
View attachment 4305
"Curious... It looks like I've lost my---"

With a stumble, Arcade began to fall from the skies, his magic and his powers scattered to the wind. The Great Ranges collapsed into black sand. The afternoon breeze was enough to part its particles.

"I've got him!!" Conner cried as he raced into the skies. He took Arcade by the neck of his shirt and dragged him across the sky, before tossing him onto the rocks near the safest clearing- the waterfall. His fellow champions jogged up to meet him.

[VZZ-BOOM] [VZZ-BOOM] [VZZ-BOOM] [VZZ-BOOM] [VZZ-BOOM]

5 small balls of light appeared beside the river. Jianyu. Alice. Eli. Vanitas. Henry.

The Champions, reunited, closed in around Arcade.

"My dear friends..." Arcade muttered, dusting of his jacket. "Together again, at last!"
View attachment 4306
"It's over, nutjob!" Conner cried, his eyes ablaze. "It's Game Over! You've lost!!"

"Not yet..." He smiled. "Not just yet... the penny hasn't dropped quite yet..."

"What are talking about?" Wally spluttered. "You're beat. You're done... Just tell us where out friends are and--"
View attachment 4307
"Oh... who could have imagined defeat could be so sweet... Would you like to tell them, Miss.Jianyu, or shall I?"

The madman erupted into a fit of laughed. His eyes were creased and red.
View attachment 4308
"I. Lied."

"You what!!??"

"You friends and families being trapped beneath MurderWorld? Lies. Me knowing where the hell they are? Lies. Me torturing them for fun? True under a technicality. I built a few robots. Built a few clones. All to test the psyche's of your friends and how best to hurt you through them. But even that doesn't matter now. Jianyu shut down my dear, sweet K.O.R.I. and Henry terminated my data, so they're all dead now anyway... Of you could even say they were alive to begin with."

"No... that's..."

"It's many things, Mr.West. The word that comes to mind is... spectacular! I promised you a show, didn't I? I promised you blood and gore and spectacle, and I delivered! I broke you all. Each and everyone of you."

Arcade slowly stepped forward, his arms outstretched.

"I turned Jianyu into a vengeful beast!"

"I turned Shazam into a corrupt demon!"

"I turned Hyakkimaru into a raging loon!"

"I turned Henry into the tool of a Spider-Monster!"

"I turned Laura into my Trigger-Spell puppet!"

"And I turned Alice into my-- FUCK!"

Arcade fell to the ground, cradling his knees. Superboy's eyes were still smoking from the precise blast of heat visions.'

"You're telling me... that this was all for nothing??"

"Not... for nothing... It sure was entertaining..."

[CRACK]

Wally struck Arcade in the chest with his good arm, sending ripples of electricity across the man's body.

"Who's next...?" Conner spat. "Who wants to go next...?"

@Yun Lee @Jeremi @Lucky @Takumi @Gummi Bunnies @Minerva

"Of course you were."
Laura looked down at the now defeated Arcade. "You're a liar and a coward, and I know for a fact if my sister had been on this island then well...you would've had your hands full."

She turned and looked to Wally. "You'd like her, she's fast, like you." Then Arcade got her attention again when she knelt down and looked him straight in the eyes. "I was fantasizing about this ever since you turned me into a puppet and forced me to fight for you." Her claws popped out one by one. "I'd carve you up. Starting with your legs and ending with your arms. Just a torso with a head on top."

She pulled back her claws to strike only stopping a few inches from Arcade's body before popping them back in. "But then I realized, that you don't deserve it. You don't deserve my vengeance. You pitiful waste of a man." With that Laura stood up and let anyone else say or do their piece.

@Sark @Yun Lee @Jeremi @Lucky @Takumi @Gummi Bunnies @Minerva
 
He taunted, he gloated, and he refused to let them get to him. It was maddening, but Jianyu managed to hold back. She had to, if she was gonna do this right.

"You got me all wrong, Arcade." She stepped forward, eyeing hin carefully. "There isn't much I want to say. I've said it all. I killed Cori, let her get her revenge. And now I'm gonna get mine."

As she walked forward, she kept talking. "I've thought all about how I'd kill you," she said. "Dreamed about it, plotted it out. But I think I figured out the perfect way to make it hurt. Even after all that happened between us, Tretij still managed to help me, one last time." She stopped right in front of the man, looking down her nose at him. "He helped me figure out the death you deserve."

She knelt down so the two of them were eye level. "You took my sister. You took Eli's brother. You took our teammates, our friends, our family...our fucking lives. You took me and turned me into a vengeful beast. Yeah. Sure. But I'm a fucking powerful beast, you son of a bitch. Maybe I won't be able to leave this island. Maybe I'll be stuck here for the rest of my life. But I won't have any regrets. Know why?"

She leaned forward, smiling now. Her fingers dug their way into his hair, gripping his scalp.

"Because I'm the one that got to fucking end you."

Then he would feel it.

He would feel everything.

Arcade would feel the terror of seeing Ben Reilly be burned alive after trying to save them.

He would feel the anguish of Laura as her body was set off against her will in an attempt to turn a peaceful group agsinst each other.

He would feel the panic and danger of the two groups trapped in watery hell, desperately fighting to live.

He would feel the overwhelming grief of Jianyu as she lost her other half, and almost lost more when Shazam came for her.

He would feel the desperation that drove Henry to feed the spiders with Archangel.

He would feel the hopelessness in Eli's final message to his sister, and the misery Alice felt losing him.

He would feel the guilt of all who stood here, with blood on their hands and sins that may never be redeemed.

For the first time, Arcade would feel what he made them all feel, what the others who had been here before had been made to feel. Arcade was going to feel pain. True, burning, agonizing pain.

And, if he was lucky, it would be enough to kill him.

@Sark @Jeremi @Takumi @Lucky @Gummi Bunnies @Minerva
 
@MurderWorld
View attachment 4311

"Oh, you always were the smart one..." Arcade grinned. "You were the hardest to fool. You could have rallied the others against me, if I hadn't dosed you up on Trigger Hex... well, maybe things might have turned out a little differently..."

"Ow..." Arcade snapped as Jianyu wrapped her fingers around his head. "You can stop it now. You can--ow... wait.... wait-wait-wait-" He wrapped his fingers around her wrists. "No-No-No-No-Stop-It-Stop-It-NOOO!!!"

His eyes exploded in terror. Sweat filled his brow. His teeth chattered. He wanted to scream. Oh God, he wanted to scream. He didn't know if it was the pain, the fear or the regret that hurt the most. It was crippling. Unbearable. He felt his world come tumbling down, flaking away like old wallpaper. His fingers twitched and writhed. He fell to his knees, his body jerking and spasming. Silvia crawled from gaping mouth.

"Stop-----It----PLEASE----Sssttopp---No----Immm-No------Don't----doo---thissss"

His eyes crew tired, milky and empty. He felt his core collapse in on itself
View attachment 4312
"No..." He cried through bloody tears. His voice trembled. "No.... No... Game...Over..."

Arcade's mind failed him. Shattered, the madman stumbled backwards and slipped from the edge of the waterfall. He was dead long before he struck the water.

Arcade: Status: DECEASED

CHAMPIONS OF THE ARENA
Game Over

Silence wafted over the Island.

"So this is it..." Wally muttered, slumping down along the riverside. His wound had started to close. He'd survive. "It's over."

"I guess... I guess it is..." Conner sat down beside him, picking apart what remained of his ruined costume. "You know... I didn't think we'd make it... We've come along way."

"Fallen along way too."

"I know, man. Even if we do find a way off the island... things are never going to be the same."

"Maybe that's a good thing... there are a lot of people I won't be able look in the eye after all this... two people in particular..."

"I'm sorry, Wal."

"Don't be. We won. Despite everything that happened. Despite everything I did... some of us survived..."

"Yeah... some of us have. I haven't seen Isabeau or Max since Arcade started throwing mountains... you think they're okay?"

"I hope so..."

"Yeah... I guess all we can do is hope..."

"So... what do we do now?"

"We live... we survive... we do what we can."

"And then?"

"I don't know..."

@Takumi @Yun Lee @Jeremi @Gummi Bunnies @Lucky
 
Epilogue 1: The Deal
"Take the blindfold off..." A commanding voice called, and his will was done. The sack was pulled from the Madman's face. Candle light and the odour of brimstone rushed to meet him. He winched as he eyes adjusted to the brightness.

"Look..." Arcade groaned, writing against the ropes that bound his wrists. "I can explain..."

"32 Souls. You promised me thirty-two souls!"

"Yes, I did, that's what I'm trying to explain..." Arcade interjected. "I promised and I delivered... sort of..."

"Are you questioning my ability to count, Arcade? You gave me twenty two souls. 22. You owe me 10!"

"Technically, yes..." Arcade, stammered. "Do you take I.O.U.s?"

Arcade's partner snarled.

"Because Jianyu has two bodies on her conscience. Sooner or later, she'll be joining us down here. Billy's hands aren't clean either. That smear on his soul will come back to haunt him eventually. He's in denial now, but give it a couple of years. He'll wake up some day and have to face up to all he's done..."

"Intriguing…" He muttered. "Go on..."

"Henry watched a man die. Vanitas as a whole string of sins on his record. That's 4 more souls you'll get eventually."

"Not good enough. They're still alive. They can still turn it around. You know how much of a pain repentant souls can be..."

"Yes, yes. Vanitas might be exploring a lighter path. Good for him. But Jianyu? I have high hopes for her..."

"You're trying to manipulate the King of Lies here, Arcade. Your prattling is wearing my patience thin..."

"Okay, okay, okay, you're unhappy." Arcade pleased. "I understand that."

"I gave you a world to yourself. I gave you the resources required to build it, rule it and hide it. And what did I ask for in return?"

"32 souls..." Arcade replied sheepishly.

"Exactly. A measly 32 souls. 32 corrupted, souls..."

"You chose the souls. You knew that some of them would put up a fight!! You set me up!!"

Arcade's partner cackled.

"It's like you said. 'The house always wins'..."

"So you watched the show, huh?"

"I must say, it was entertaining. It's pretty popular down here. Great work on the editing."

"Oh, thank you. I try."

"Pity I can't renew it for a second season..."

"Come on, be reasonable here! I did the best I could!"

"And your best just wasn't good enough..."

"Why were they so important anyway? Why then? Why did you instruct CORI to choose them?"

"Oh, you don't need to worry about that anymore."

"It's about the Buyers, isn't it? I never took you as the kind to care for Mortal Money... The Island was never set to turn a profit, even if CORI had succeeded in weaponizing the corpses."

"Oh, it's not about money, Arcade. It's about power. Influence. I'm sure you understand why its important to have powerful friends... and why its even more important to have powerful debtors..."

"L.Luthor… M.Bison… B.Adam… They get the bodies, you get the souls... You wanted the Buyers in your pocket, didn't you?"

"Ding-Ding! Looks like you win a prize after all..."

"What are you planning? Tell me!!"

"Hmmm... no. I don't think I will. You have more important things to worry about... how does 20,000 years or torment sound? You've been a very naughty boy, Arcade."

"No! No! Don't go near them! You don't understand! They're mine!"

"Really?" He droned, sarcasm dripping from his crimson lips.

"They're all mine! My children! I was the one who made them who they are! My Champions of the Arena!!"

"Not anymore they're not. They're mine. Be a dear and tell me where you've squirreled them away to?"

"Go to Hell!"

"I've heard that one before, boy. I hate to break it to you, but we're already there. And, since you're refusing to tell me what I need to know... I suppose I'll have to find another way to entertain myself until the crop up...Guards!" He waved his crimson hands. Two pig-headed beasts lumbered into his office. "Take him away... Send him to Floor 224. I think he'd love a rendezvous with my Killer Bees..."

"You stay away from them!" Arcade begged as the demons closed in on him. "They're mine, Mephisto! They're mine!!"
View attachment 4318
"Now, now, Arcade... no one likes a sore looser..."

@Takumi @Yun Lee @Jeremi @Gummi Bunnies @Lucky
 
Epilogue 2:
5
Years
Later
The Flooded Plains were always one of the quieter zones of MurderWorld, even before the Fall of Arcade 5 long years ago. The water left behind by Shazam's storm had long since drained away, and nature had reclaimed the landscape. The unnatural tree that had sprung from the seas on Arcade's commands had long since withered away, and its shambled remains had been washed out to sea.

Good riddance, Conner thought to himself. That thing brought nothing but bad luck.

Superboy didn't know why he had ventured so far from the Island's new society. He told himself he had left for the day to do some thinking. But truthfully? He had nothing to think about. Things were... good.

He imaged the boy he was 5 years ago. Arrogant. Bullheaded. Bit of a dick. If that boy were standing in front of him today, Conner wouldn't have recognised him. He stopped being 'Superboy' the night Arcade died. Since then, he had become a Superman.

He smiled as he stared out to sea.

Despite the isolation. Despite the cold. Despite the dread that crept after them in those early days and the blood, sweat and tears they had sacrificed over the years, they had made it. They had survive. And that was what mattered.

They had survived, and they had lived free... and that was enough,...

[HOOOORR-OOOORR]

Superboy's ears were pricked. An unfamiliar noise. He had lived on the island for 5 years. He knew the roars and whispers of every creature large and small that roamed there. But this noise came from no animal.

"An engine... Holy crap... there's a boat..."

His fingers trembled. His heart began to race.

"There's a boat... There's a boat!!!"

With a sonic boom he took to the skies and blazed through the air, his hear and beard dancing in the wind.

"EVERYONE!!!" He screamed with the full might of his super lungs. "EVERYONE THERE'S A BOAT! PACK YOUR BAGS! LIGHT A SIGNAL DO.... SOMETHING!!! THERE'S A BOAT!!! OUTSIDE THE BARRIER!!! BY THE FLOODED PLAINS!!! THERE'S A BOAT!!!! A SHIP!!!!"

@Takumi @Yun Lee @Jeremi @Gummi Bunnies @Lucky
 
Billy Batson/ Shazam- " Would Never know Time."

Billy had been right about two things. Thing 1, he never got over killing Kate and Loa, even if it was a matter of a few years. Two, he didn't age unless he was Shazam. He had always assumed that he could grow old and die, that being the hero meant he would eventually get a chance to die. But here he was, five years later, not a day older than when he started. And he had certainly tried everything to get older. He had stayed as Shazam for a year, nothing changed when he turned back. What hurt the most about being so static was this. He was not the only one who was like this. He had assumed sharing the power with his family had been a smart idea.... but he hadn't realized that he had stolen their future.

Freddy, forever 14. Darla, forever 8. Mary, forever eight. Pedro, forever 15. Eugene, forever 11. And forever was a long time to be a kid. None of them (outside of Mary) would be able to drive a car. None of them would ever be able to drink a beer.... not that he wanted to. That stuff was still nasty in his mind and he was sure Freddy agreed. It was weird that the closest Arcade had given him to a gift was the ability to grow up. Billy had taken a moment to get his backpack..... thankfully, it was still there. Okay.... and maybe he had gone diving for Henry's handcuffs. If he ever get home, he wanted to use them. Besides, how many.... god, was he even an adult if he never was a day over fourteen? Ehhh…. it was debatable. He really wished the Wizard had mentioned it before he had died. You know..... LIKE how to turn back or the fact that he was Peter Panning him.. Boy, that man was a dick who had quickly explained things before he dusted himself. He had to wonder though. Where did Shazam end and Billy Batson begin?

".... Okay.... that still doesn't help with you know THE IMPENETRABLE MAGIC BARRIER. Last time we got our hopes up, we had just killed Arcade and it's been five years.... even if some of us never aged." Billy wasn't about to get his hopes up again. Even if the boat would know they were there, he doubted they had powers to break the barrier.

@Sark

Henry Hart/ "Kid" Danger

Henry took a moment to collect what Connor had said. He ran his hand through his hair for a moment musing for a second. " Still if we don't try something, there probably won't be another opportunity for a few years. This is the first ship in five years. It's been so long since Arcade died that might be our only chance. Plus if we can get the ship here, besides leaving, we could possibly get the corpses of Arcade's game home." He didn't refer to them as victims as the living were just as much victims as the dead. Even Angel, as crazy as he was.


@Everyone
 
@MurderWorld
View attachment 4311

"Oh, you always were the smart one..." Arcade grinned. "You were the hardest to fool. You could have rallied the others against me, if I hadn't dosed you up on Trigger Hex... well, maybe things might have turned out a little differently..."

"Ow..." Arcade snapped as Jianyu wrapped her fingers around his head. "You can stop it now. You can--ow... wait.... wait-wait-wait-" He wrapped his fingers around her wrists. "No-No-No-No-Stop-It-Stop-It-NOOO!!!"

His eyes exploded in terror. Sweat filled his brow. His teeth chattered. He wanted to scream. Oh God, he wanted to scream. He didn't know if it was the pain, the fear or the regret that hurt the most. It was crippling. Unbearable. He felt his world come tumbling down, flaking away like old wallpaper. His fingers twitched and writhed. He fell to his knees, his body jerking and spasming. Silvia crawled from gaping mouth.

"Stop-----It----PLEASE----Sssttopp---No----Immm-No------Don't----doo---thissss"

His eyes crew tired, milky and empty. He felt his core collapse in on itself
View attachment 4312
"No..." He cried through bloody tears. His voice trembled. "No.... No... Game...Over..."

Arcade's mind failed him. Shattered, the madman stumbled backwards and slipped from the edge of the waterfall. He was dead long before he struck the water.

Arcade: Status: DECEASED

CHAMPIONS OF THE ARENA
Game Over

Silence wafted over the Island.

"So this is it..." Wally muttered, slumping down along the riverside. His wound had started to close. He'd survive. "It's over."

"I guess... I guess it is..." Conner sat down beside him, picking apart what remained of his ruined costume. "You know... I didn't think we'd make it... We've come along way."

"Fallen along way too."

"I know, man. Even if we do find a way off the island... things are never going to be the same."

"Maybe that's a good thing... there are a lot of people I won't be able look in the eye after all this... two people in particular..."

"I'm sorry, Wal."

"Don't be. We won. Despite everything that happened. Despite everything I did... some of us survived..."

"Yeah... some of us have. I haven't seen Isabeau or Max since Arcade started throwing mountains... you think they're okay?"

"I hope so..."

"Yeah... I guess all we can do is hope..."

"So... what do we do now?"

"We live... we survive... we do what we can."

"And then?"

"I don't know..."

@Takumi @Yun Lee @Jeremi @Gummi Bunnies @Lucky

Alice watched, and she almost pitied him. Almost. Once Arcade was gone for good, she sat next to Eli's body. Running her hand through his hair a moment she flopped back onto her back after removing the gun slung on her back. She sighed.

They won. They won, but...it didn't feel that great when so many others couldn't of experienced it. Maybe it was for the best? It'd beat potentially being stuck on this damned island.

"We won, little bro. Mission complete." She muttered tiredly, her eyes drooping slightly. After the adrenaline wore off she realized just how sore she was and how much her head fucking hurt.

Epilogue 2:
5
Years
Later
The Flooded Plains were always one of the quieter zones of MurderWorld, even before the Fall of Arcade 5 long years ago. The water left behind by Shazam's storm had long since drained away, and nature had reclaimed the landscape. The unnatural tree that had sprung from the seas on Arcade's commands had long since withered away, and its shambled remains had been washed out to sea.

Good riddance, Conner thought to himself. That thing brought nothing but bad luck.

Superboy didn't know why he had ventured so far from the Island's new society. He told himself he had left for the day to do some thinking. But truthfully? He had nothing to think about. Things were... good.

He imaged the boy he was 5 years ago. Arrogant. Bullheaded. Bit of a dick. If that boy were standing in front of him today, Conner wouldn't have recognised him. He stopped being 'Superboy' the night Arcade died. Since then, he had become a Superman.

He smiled as he stared out to sea.

Despite the isolation. Despite the cold. Despite the dread that crept after them in those early days and the blood, sweat and tears they had sacrificed over the years, they had made it. They had survive. And that was what mattered.

They had survived, and they had lived free... and that was enough,...

[HOOOORR-OOOORR]

Superboy's ears were pricked. An unfamiliar noise. He had lived on the island for 5 years. He knew the roars and whispers of every creature large and small that roamed there. But this noise came from no animal.

"An engine... Holy crap... there's a boat..."

His fingers trembled. His heart began to race.

"There's a boat... There's a boat!!!"

With a sonic boom he took to the skies and blazed through the air, his hear and beard dancing in the wind.

"EVERYONE!!!" He screamed with the full might of his super lungs. "EVERYONE THERE'S A BOAT! PACK YOUR BAGS! LIGHT A SIGNAL DO.... SOMETHING!!! THERE'S A BOAT!!! OUTSIDE THE BARRIER!!! BY THE FLOODED PLAINS!!! THERE'S A BOAT!!!! A SHIP!!!!"

@Takumi @Yun Lee @Jeremi @Gummi Bunnies @Lucky

Five years stuck on this island was, at first, chaotic on an emotional level for Alice. She didn't fall into despair, but for the first few months there was a whirlwind of emotions that she let stay burried for too long but she eventually addressed them. She missed Renfred and Will-o still, but she managed alright. The twenty three year old sat in from of a marker with Eli's name carved into it, agrave of sorts for her brother. There were two more nearby for Scott and Hnikar as well.

"A boat?" She murmured. Were they finally going home? She couldn't help the small laugh that escaped her.

"Finally going home...if we're lucky. Wish you guys could see it." She said as she stood and stretched. How old would Eli have been now? Almost eighteen, at least? Time felt as if it flew by, but at the same time went by in a slow crawl. She paused on her way to the flooded plains amd stared back at the markers she made, then sighed.


Nezumi gathered what little he could and headed to the flooded plains, running his hand through his hair. He didn't change much in the past five years, occasionally he'd wander, but never too far. He couldn't stay in one place half the time, had to be on the move in some way or form.

The thought of possibly reuniting with Shion again...it almost made him smile.

"Can't do much with that barrier in the way." He commented, frowning. Something almost seemed fishy about it, really, but maybe...

@Sark @Everyone
 
Last edited:
Five years.

Five long, hard years of being stuck on this island. But really? Jianyu didn't mind it much. It was something she needed, in a way. Even when first arriving here she'd been bratty, immature, and honestly just horrible. But these five years were a weird sort of penance for her. Time to reflect on her past, and to grow towards a better future.

She didn't regret anything she did. She couldn't regret killing Barnes, no matter how much Arcade had wanted her to. She did regret giving into him back then, making that deal, but honestly? She'd still have killed him now. Her sister was still gone, lost to this island...or was. Two years ago, Jianyu was finally able to face the water long enough to retrieve whatever parts of Xiayu she could from her watery grave. There was a small comfort in getting to bury her darling sister properly. Jianyu liked to think it set them both free.

She sat back in one of the caves on the shore, still sticking beside Conner after all this time. She wasn't as dependent as she was, she liked to think, but still she knew deep down she always needed someone. And she had them now: her fellow survivors. They had endured this together, fought hard, and won. They were her family now, and she would fight and kill for any of them. Even Wally. Wally! Jianyu had no hard feelings towards him, now. Even if she couldn't forgive the actions of his teammates, she at least understood them. They all had something to fight for. Arcade had taken that, and manipulated it, and turned them all into killers. Yes, there would always be blood on her hands. But she'd spend the rest of her life paying for it, in the name of all those good people who were lost to a sick piece of shit.

And she did that by growing the fuck up. Jianyu was always sure to do her part to help out (though she used her powers for more of the heavy lifting), and did at least try to be less of an asshole. But most importantly...she was making plans for herself. This power within her, this Psycho Power warped into unbelievable levels...it was the stuff bastards like Bison could only dream of. To be able to use it without surrendering her humanity, it was an incredible gift, but also a curse. If she went back home, this power would be sought after by so many people. She couldn't go back, but where could she go? Could she ever leave this island and be at peace...?

Well, as this boat came, maybe she'd get an answer. She stood, running out to the beach to get a good view. Nothing had changed much, save for her letting her hair down. She'd also gotten a bit more muscle, too. As for her name...she'd forgotten her real one. Jianyu was the name given to her by Bison, and one she would keep as a mark of Cain. Maybe one day she'd take her old one...but not today.

"Well yeah, the barrier's up," she said. "But I dunno...maybe we could bust it open if we tried together?"

@Sark @Jeremi @Lucky @Takumi @Gummi Bunnies
 
Laura had never stopped to get out of the island. While she knew her sister had people taking care of her, Laura's only wish was to reunite with her again.

The barrier had held from her magics and her teleportation spell had not been enough to penetrate the barrier. For four years she went through the island trying to find something that could help them take it down with no luck. The others because of this only saw her sporadically.

Perhaps it was a stroke of luck that she had returned when Connor had noticed the ship. "Let's try to get its attention before we start anything drastic," Laura shouted up to Connor. She didn't want to get her hopes up. For all Laura knew this was a final joke from Arcade to get their hopes up.


@Sark @Yun Lee @Lucky @Takumi @Gummi Bunnies
 
Billy Batson/ Shazam and Henry Hart/ "Kid" Danger

Billy rolled his eyes. It probably looked a lot more teen rebellion than he intended, but he honestly didn't care. "I have been looking for holes in the barrier, anything that looked different for over five years, I haven't found anything yet. I have a feeling that if we attack it too much, it will just shoot back and kill us. It was a barrier made by a fucking psycho who had no intention for any of us to live for more than a week on here."

Henry held back a laugh. It was still weird to look at Billy, as it often made him forget they had been trapped here for five years.... mostly because the hero hadn't changed a day since he arrived here. The most change was when he went into his adult form and that was when he couldn't sleep. " I agree with Laura, let's get their attention first, then we worry about details like the barrier."

@Sark @Yun Lee @Takumi @Gummi Bunnies @Jeremi
 
@MurderWorld
"I think... I think they can already see us..." Conner muttered, focusing his X-ray vision upon the edge of the barrier. "It's turning around... it's heading towards the barrier... it's.... Christ! Everyone get---"

[BOOM]

The island itself was shaken to its core. Rocks tumbled from the remnants of the Great Ranges. Some of the older trees in the jungles creaked and fell to ground. The Champions were thrown to their knees as the nose of a warship forced its way through the barrier.
View attachment 4323
"That's... impossible!" Wally cried as he stumbled to his feet. "It's been 5 years... nothing's made it through before.... How has it--?"

The ship roared forth at startling speeds, swarmed by salt and sea-spray. It struck the shores and mounted itself on the sands. Within seconds, ladders had been tossed overboard, a platoon of camo-clad soldiers took to the beaches. They raised their weapons and formed a perimeter. A large group stepped forth, their weapons trained on the Champions.

"Well... I was kinda hoping our return to society would have involved less.... guns..." Wally muttered to himself.

"We've breached the barrier, Sir." One of the soldiers muttered into her radio. "Doctor Pym's experiment was a success. We have a visual on the survivors. What's our course of action?"

@Yun Lee @Jeremi @Takumi @Gummi Bunnies @Lucky
 
Billy Batson/ Shazam and Henry Hart/ Kid Danger

Before Billy could hit the ground, he would utter Shazam to both lower the impact and make himself bullet-proof. He was not going to die to a storm of bullets because he was too dumb to change forms. " So apparently impeneterable meant to people and not to a ship..... does explain why the only boat on here was a rowboat."

Henry didn't get up, watching the soldiers. If the word shoot was uttered in any capacity, he would use his powers to disarm him..... or Billy would be taking a lot of bullets. He wasn't sure which scenario was worse.

@Yun Lee @Jeremi @Takumi @Gummi Bunnies @Sark
 
A dark aura surrounded Jianyu, instincts of protection kicking in. She had to keep them safe. To lose anyone now...no way. No fucking way!

"What do you mean, 'experiment'?" She asked, eyeing the soldiers warily. "Don't tell me Arcade was using us as fucking lab rats, too..."

@Sark @Takumi @Lucky @Jeremi @Gummi Bunnies
 
@MurderWorld
"I think... I think they can already see us..." Conner muttered, focusing his X-ray vision upon the edge of the barrier. "It's turning around... it's heading towards the barrier... it's.... Christ! Everyone get---"

[BOOM]

The island itself was shaken to its core. Rocks tumbled from the remnants of the Great Ranges. Some of the older trees in the jungles creaked and fell to ground. The Champions were thrown to their knees as the nose of a warship forced its way through the barrier.
View attachment 4323
"That's... impossible!" Wally cried as he stumbled to his feet. "It's been 5 years... nothing's made it through before.... How has it--?"

The ship roared forth at startling speeds, swarmed by salt and sea-spray. It struck the shores and mounted itself on the sands. Within seconds, ladders had been tossed overboard, a platoon of camo-clad soldiers took to the beaches. They raised their weapons and formed a perimeter. A large group stepped forth, their weapons trained on the Champions.

"Well... I was kinda hoping our return to society would have involved less.... guns..." Wally muttered to himself.

"We've breached the barrier, Sir." One of the soldiers muttered into her radio. "Doctor Pym's experiment was a success. We have a visual on the survivors. What's our course of action?"

@Yun Lee @Jeremi @Takumi @Gummi Bunnies @Lucky

A dark aura surrounded Jianyu, instincts of protection kicking in. She had to keep them safe. To lose anyone now...no way. No fucking way!

"What do you mean, 'experiment'?" She asked, eyeing the soldiers warily. "Don't tell me Arcade was using us as fucking lab rats, too..."

@Sark @Takumi @Lucky @Jeremi @Gummi Bunnies

Alice glared at the soldiers present, ready to call forth a ring of fire between the Champions and the soldiers to push the gun toting forces back in an instant.

"I dunno, I wouldn't put it past that bitch to do something like that." She commented, glancing to Jianyu briefly as she spoke.

Nezumi mentally counted how many men were present surrounding them, and tried to determine how many guns they had.

@Sark @Yun Lee @Lucky @Jeremi @Gummi Bunnies
 
@Flooded Plains
View attachment 4327
"Arcade is many things..." Pym emerged from the crowd of soldiers. He pushed their weapons down and away from the Champions. "But a scientist is not one of them. The only 'experiment that is taking place today is my own. And, as the Captain, said it was a success."

Two additional soldiers approached the Champions with gas masks wrapped around their faces. Their giga counters beeped and buzzed as they scanned the champions one by one.

"You'll have to forgive the soldiers. Rescue missions are new territory for them. They've forgotten their manners...Time for introductions: My name is Doctor Henry Pym, and I'm here on behalf of the Znazuki Fund. I guess you could call us a charity..." His eyes thinned as they danced across the soldiers lining the beach. "A charity with guns. When you all were... taken, people noticed. Your friends. Your families. Even before Arcade's feed went live, we've been looking for you. We've pooled our recourses. Our minds. We did everything we could to track you down... We're sorry we couldn't help you sooner. It's a big multiverse, and Arcade hid you well..."

[BOOM] [BOOM] [BOOM]

Three more boats broke through the barrier and mounted themselves onto the shore.

"I'm more than happy to answer any questions you have whilst your tests are finalized. Once that's out of the way, we can get you off this island and get you home, and put this island back where it belongs: the bottom of the sea."

@Yun Lee @Jeremi @Gummi Bunnies @Takumi @Lucky
 
A rescue mission. Freedom
All these were exciting enough, but one thing made Jianyu give pause. "So...so he lied? No one forgot about us?" She started shaking, the realization hitting her hard. "Y-You mean...everyone remembers Xiayu...?"

@Sark @Lucky @Takumi @Jeremi @Gummi Bunnies
 
Billy Batson/ Shazam and Henry Hart/ "Kid" Danger

Billy was silent for a moment before he looked over at the others." We ever fish Arcade's corpse out of the waterfall? I have the strong urge to punch its face in if we have. God... Rosa and Victor must have been worried sick about me. What do you mean by tests exactly? Listen, most of us have fucking trust issues, so you can't be vague. We're still on edge. Wait- you are going to make sure all the corpses are off before you do that right? The only person who deserves to sink with the island is Arcade."

Henry took a moment to consider a different question. " How long has it been back in our world? I know that we were taking from different worlds, so how long has it been for our friends and family?"

@Sark @Takumi @Jeremi @Gummi Bunnies @Yun Lee
 
@Flooded Plains
View attachment 4327
"Arcade is many things..." Pym emerged from the crowd of soldiers. He pushed their weapons down and away from the Champions. "But a scientist is not one of them. The only 'experiment that is taking place today is my own. And, as the Captain, said it was a success."

Two additional soldiers approached the Champions with gas masks wrapped around their faces. Their giga counters beeped and buzzed as they scanned the champions one by one.

"You'll have to forgive the soldiers. Rescue missions are new territory for them. They've forgotten their manners...Time for introductions: My name is Doctor Henry Pym, and I'm here on behalf of the Znazuki Fund. I guess you could call us a charity..." His eyes thinned as they danced across the soldiers lining the beach. "A charity with guns. When you all were... taken, people noticed. Your friends. Your families. Even before Arcade's feed went live, we've been looking for you. We've pooled our recourses. Our minds. We did everything we could to track you down... We're sorry we couldn't help you sooner. It's a big multiverse, and Arcade hid you well..."

[BOOM] [BOOM] [BOOM]

Three more boats broke through the barrier and mounted themselves onto the shore.

"I'm more than happy to answer any questions you have whilst your tests are finalized. Once that's out of the way, we can get you off this island and get you home, and put this island back where it belongs: the bottom of the sea."

@Yun Lee @Jeremi @Gummi Bunnies @Takumi @Lucky

"What are those things?" Nezumi asked, motioning to the giga scanners the masked soldiers had. He couldn't being himself to relax, scientists and men in uniform bringing back memories he'd rather not deal with. Those things wouldn't go away no matter how old he got after all.

Alice meanwhile, had a small short circuit go on in her brain for a moment at the thought that Renfred had knew she was gone, that Chise knew....that they missed her. They might have seen the shit she did, and she...she knew logically that Renfred and Chise wouldn't hold it against her,but part of her still worried that Renfred would be mad--part of her still that child deep down.

Then again she always considered him family. Just...not in the sense of how a normal family worked at least.

@Sark
 
A rescue mission. Freedom
All these were exciting enough, but one thing made Jianyu give pause. "So...so he lied? No one forgot about us?" She started shaking, the realization hitting her hard. "Y-You mean...everyone remembers Xiayu...?"



@Sark @Lucky @Takumi @Jeremi @Gummi Bunnies
@Flooded Plains

"Nobody's going to forget her, Jianyu." Hank reassured her with a smile. "In fact, the Fund was founded my a woman from your world. Karin Kanzuki. She's been very generous to us over the years... and she won't let us forget it. You can rest easy. Your sister was mourned. She is remembered..."

@Yun Lee
Henry took a moment to consider a different question. " How long has it been back in our world? I know that we were taking from different worlds, so how long has it been for our friends and family?"
"Ah, yes... about that..." Hank cleared his throat. "I don't know if you've been counting the days but... you've been here for 5 years, 6 months and 20 days. You're going to have to forgive me for being blunt here: with the technology we have at our disposal, we can't send you back to time you were taken. We wish we could, but we can't press 'undo' on this. If you choose to go home, you're going to be returning to a very different world to the one you left. 5 years here has been 5 years at home, give or take..."

@Lucky
Wait- you are going to make sure all the corpses are off before you do that right? The only person who deserves to sink with the island is Arcade."
"No." Pym interjected. "Our mission was to bring you all home. In that sense, we failed. The least we can do its recover the bodies. Alpha!" Hank called out to the troops that had surrounded the Champions.
View attachment 4330
"Get ready to head inland. Mask up- we don't know what traps we'll find along the way, so stay on your guard. We have 22 bodies to recover. Back accordingly." With a stamp, a salute and a 'sir, yes, sir!', the soldiers took up arms and advanced into the jungle. "Our satellites will locate the graves. We'll bring them home."


"What are those things?" Nezumi asked, motioning to the giga scanners the masked soldiers had. He couldn't being himself to relax, scientists and men in uniform bringing back memories he'd rather not deal with. Those things wouldn't go away no matter how old he got after all.
@Sark
What do you mean by tests exactly? Listen, most of us have fucking trust issues, so you can't be vague. We're still on edge. Wait- you are going to make sure all the corpses are off before you do that right? The only person who deserves to sink with the island is Arcade."
"There's no need to worry, Mr. Batson. Our test was harmless. The vessels we came up--" He gestured towards the ship that were lowly docking onto the beach. "-they're experimental. You see, Arcade's barrier was designed to separate molecules upon contact. Effectively, it was an atomizer. We haven't pinpointed the source of his magic, but whatever it is, it's strong. To pass through it, we had to build a ship that--- well, to simplify the science, we have to develop a counter-shield that reassembled out atoms at the exact same rate they were being destroyed at. Luckily, our test was a success, and we weren't incinerated on entry. The only other tests you will be going under will be medical. Radiation tests. Routine physicals. Poison-Checks. Nothing dangerous, I can assure you."

Hank noticed Nez's tension, and raised his hand to calm her.

"They're just Giga Counters, don't worry. We use them to scan for traces of radiation and a bunch of other hazards you might have been exposed to." One of the specialists passed his device to Doctor Pym. He tapped out a few buttons on its screen and thanked the solider for his work. "Good news is you're all clean."

He removed a radio from his belt and placed it to his chin.

"Control? They're clean. Permission to board?"


A static voice mumbled down his transceiver.

"Received and understood. Thanks ma'am."


He turned back to the Champions, and placed his radio back onto his belt.

"Good news. My Supervisors have given you the O.K. to head home. There are going to be psychiatrists on the boats the give you a debrief, and some real food to keep you going. You can take as much time as you need to gather your belongings and say your goodbyes, if you feel the need to. When you're ready to head home, the ships will be ready and waiting. Welcome back to society, Champions. It's taken a lot of time and a lot of work, but it's good to finally bring you all home..."


@Lucky @Takumi
 
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Jianyu didn't know what to say, at first. Xiayu...mourned. Remembered. It was all she wanted for her. Even if Arcade had been truthful, and the world had forgotten her, Jianyu wouldn't, ever. She'd keep Xiayu alive, somehow. But now...now she didn't have to worry.

But she did have to worry about something else. "Um..." She shuffled awkwardly. "Look. I come from a world that is...really fucked. All these assholes come together and fight and keep trying to be the strongest, and would do ANYTHING for power like this. Hell, I know F.A.N.G is probably creaming himself just thinking about using me as Bison's vessel. And...if it's true that this whole thing was televised...where can someone like me go? I don't...I was fine living here and keeping myself contained from everyone. I..." She'd never say it outright, but...she was afraid. The 'and then' was finally here, and she had no idea what to do.

@Sark
 
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