Elimination Exit

[Karl Jak]

If you are eliminated (ie - you didn't die and were sent back to Syntech), you need to write a final post here that entails waking up your from rejuvenation chamber and selecting which verse you would like to teleport to.  The Syntech teleporter will send you to a random spot in that verse.

[Harlan Higgs]

With a wink and a casual brushing off of his bare, scarred chest, Harlan takes the next teleport back to Coruscant.

[Strazio Rockwell]

And just like that it was over. Strazio opened his eyes as the shimmering blue liquid drained from his rejuvenation chamber. As soon as he gained cognizance he swore and shouted and screamed in impotence. He had lost. With his head hung low he threw on the set of replacement clothes provided for him and stepped foot through the Nexus teleporter.

[Illidan Stormrage]

Illidan climbed from his rejuvenation chamber still dripping with the restorative fluid. Was that it? He had been in two fights, and neither of them were impressive or even memorable, when it came down to it. One battle ended just as things were heating up, and the other was a one-sided slaughter of an ice fairy. Where had he shown to the Omniverse the strength of Dracula, and struck fear into their hearts at his lieutenant's strength?

This wasn't good. How would the Count take his uneventful performance? Would Illidan even know? All of his deeds in the Pale Moors had yet to illicit a response from the vampire lord, so his expectations were low.

At least his excursion had yielded results for him. He wanted to know what he was up against in this new dimension, and Dante's Abyss had obliged very willingly. He needed to return to his castle to recoup and build the strength of his forces further, and possibly end a mutiny, if his officers hadn't managed to keep a hold on things during his absence.

As Illidan entered the teleporter to the Pale Moors, he gave a fleeting thought to Gildarts, and wondered if his temporary ally had succeeded where the night elf had not.

One ticket to the Pale Moors.

[Gildarts]

Gil is now open to RP. First come, first serve. We will be going to Isabelle’s beach thread after the Nexus and then getting sloshed in the VD because drinking goes with my up and coming plot. Contact me for more info or if you want to travel with dust and gil. The more the merrier, as long as you're friendly!

[Karl Jak]

Go. Home.

[The Future Warrior]

It was hard to really say how she felt about the congratulations. Or the winning. It was still a little jarring, honestly. She just went quiet, resting for a bit and debating what, exactly, she was going to do next. Obviously 'leave' was pretty high up on her list of things to do. But...should she wait for the others and leave together? It shouldn't be...too hard to track them down if she just went ahead and left on her own, so...

"Eh?" She was snapped out of her thoughts by the redcoat's next question, leaving her blinking a few times in confusion. "Oh, well...I dunno, really. Definitely going home, though. Probably rest for a bit, then get back to work!" She chuckled weakly, shaking her head. "Agent of the Empire, and all, y'know..."

The approach of the old sage distracted her again. "Oh, uh, yeah...you did pretty good too. Especially with how beat up you were; that was really impressive! I'd kinda like to fight you again on a more even footing sometime, those weird items and stuff and how wounded and tired you were made it pretty lopsided." She lifted a hand to tug at her scarf and nodded lightly. "Don't worry about me, though. I'm pretty tough, should be just fine with a little rest."

She turned away, thinking over something for a bit. "...but I think I'm gonna head out now. Head back home." And without waiting for a response or interruption she was off. "Maybe I'll see you guys around again!" And she hopped aboard one of the teleporters, and was gone.

Woosh woosh. I'm out. Headed for the Nexus.

[Gamzee Makara]

Gamzee goes home. And by home, he means the Frozen Fields.

[Deadpool]

”Hello? Deadpool asked. He stood in the Syntech waiting area, head down, and tapping his foot against the floor with impatience; a cellular device was held to his ear.

“Syntech Productions,” the soft voice of a female replied, “how you can I help you?”

”Yeah, typical young secretary bitch, put me through to Karl.”

“I-I-B… I believe he's busy at the moment. May I take a message for him?”

”No you can't take a goddamn message,” he retorted. ”Just put me through to that Billy Zane, Liberace looking mothafucker.”

“One moment please.”

Click—once the secretary put the call on hold, a soothing melody started to play. Soothing to most, at least; to the mercenary, it sounded like one of those 80's porn scores, before being developed into dull elevator music.

He paced back and forth quicker than an anxious man outside of a courtroom as he waited for Karl's neither masculine nor feminine voice to interrupt the loop of porn jazz. Each time the saxophone would burst into an ad lib, he wanted to send his fist into a wall.

“Good evening, Mr. Wilson,” Karl's voice finally answered.

Time to lay into him.

”What the fuck of fucks! Deadpool exclaimed. ”I know you got a lot of fans that were complaining during this thing!

The producer humphed. “I see you're as bold as ever today… what's wrong?”

Deadpool had to drawl a deep breath for all the shit he was about to unload onto Karl: ”One… (insert list bullet)… W.T.F., you separate me from Pimp-C??? We had some chemistry going, man. Two … (bullet)… how is any champion of D.A. valid if they haven't met me??? Sasuke interacted with me; 'Red'—or whatever the fuck his name is—came across me too; I just figured that all championship roads came through me, like a prism or some shit. Three… (bullet)… quest items?? C'mon man, D.A. is about murder island; I'm a murderer.

It was bad enough last year that the whole goddamn even got ruined by your need to make a bajillion copies of yourself, but this is just wrong!”

“...” Karl cleared his throat. “I'm sorry, I thought you were still shitting from your mouth. Let me try to answer all of these questions simultaneously for you, that way it's as clear as water: I'm the host, and you're the participant; if you don't like what I do, then you can simply not participate. I do not need your narrow, hindsight advice. I do not want your narrow, hindsight advice. Have a good day, Wade.”

The producer hung up the phone.

Deadpool leaves for Tangled Greens

[Jak Mar]

Jak was healing in the tank as the blue liquid made him feel better with his breathing mask on.  The nurse observed him for a bit. When she found him, he looked a little beat up more than in a few ways. When he stepped out, he felt much better, and was semi naked. He felt more than a little awkward. He summoned his racing outfit from Jak X along with the seal of mar over his neck. "Damn, that was a rough fight.  Glad i survived for once."

As he was going toward the exit, Jak stopped and noticed the winner of DA: The blue bubblegum lady. Before he could talk to her, she was gone in a flash in front of him and Dante.

"So, yeah."

As he kept walking, he noticed some of his allies were still around, like Dante and Deadpool. Once again, the red-suited man was busy yelling on a phone call to Karl.. he thought it was?"

"Hey, Dante... I'm sorry i never truly got to fight on your side during DA, you know.  He nodded "Any plans you got later? If you do, let me kno-"

Two messages came in at the same time:

One from Anonymous and another from Desman again..

He cursed out loud as he looked at his phone, Anon was literally his old boss and friend Torn trying to escape a empire prison by himself.  Desman's message was suddenly less worrisome than his friend trying to fight his way out.

"Sorry, Dante... My friend, Torn's got himself in a ass of trouble. Coming my way or not?" 

Jak rushes toward Coruscant, not meaning to cut off the conversation with Dante. Everyone else can meet him in Coruscant. 

[Simon]

Interesting to hear that Graowr was apparently an imperial agent- perhaps she really didn't know any better. Or maybe she liked beating up all kinds of aliens, or whatever.

But that was neither here or there. Everyone had places to be, and Dante found himself very wanting to get back home and just crash for a while. All this fighting and work being done, and not even the slightest chance yet to set up his business proper. That little objective was a long time coming, and it needed nipping in the bud before it got sidetracked yet again.

"Sorry, Jak," The redcoat piped up, refusing the prince's offer, "Nothing against your plans, but I've got my own things to get done. Take care of yourself, alright?"

Time to get out of here. Shame that "Tony Redgrave" didn't get far in Dante's Abyss... but if the adverts were right, there was always next year.

Alright, alright, I'm leaving, keep your hair on. I'm going to Coruscant, as I said.

[Enel]

Feeling far better about my loss, I pull up my newly-summoned pants and head out into the facility.

Huh. It’s … far emptier than it was before.

I catch a member of staff. “Hey, what’s happening? Who won?”

He cocks his head. “Graowr, man. That was days ago. Where have you been?”

“Fucking … recovering, of course.” But damn, that’s a relief. Graowr won in the end. She’ll have my winnings, then.

Still, I’m a little incensed. I haven’t checked Twitter yet, but I’m dreading it. After voluntarily going to the colosseum, I got my ass kicked, and by my biggest rival. What a son of a bitch.

But, back to Graowr. “Where is she now?”

He cocks his head. “Probably left already.”

“What?!”

He shrugs. “They’re gonna start kicking people out soon. You should probably pick a destination and head home.”

“Yeah, yeah.” I wave my hand. I’ve gotten used to the impudence of these people, and I can’t be bothered to fight it on an empty stomach. “Where’s the food?”

There’s a café downstairs from the hospital, and I head there to see what passes for breakfast in the ‘Dante Verse’, as well as catch up on Twitter.

It’s … actually a hell of a lot better than I expected. Not gourmet, by any means, and a little greasy for my palate, but I fill up on what they call an ‘English breakfast’ while I dare to check my Dataverse Device.

My trepidation quickly turns to rage.

Of course there’s morons laughing at my downfall. But that’s not what enrages me. Apparently this … Tearen fellow was doping. Brought in a whole stack of healing items and other shit.

That’s allowed?!

What a fucking conspiracy! Apparently half the competitors were at it! Even Bats Man! There’s a small but vocal hashtag trending – ‘#DA12noitems’ – and they seem particularly happy at Graowr’s victory, she having been one of them. Since I used Batman’s device, I’m the subject of some debate, but clearly I was one of the few and honourable ones. I didn’t know Bats was handing me a cheat device!

I take a good hour, sitting in that café, to read up on the events of the competition that I missed. After I got culled to the colosseum, Graowr was pursued by a whole band of these … dope-guzzling normals, who tried to steal her victory. I make a note of every single one of their names. Gildarts. Deadpool. Jak Mar. ‘Dust’. Tamsin Suzaku. And Ms. Grumpypants, whose real name was ‘Dawnika Snow’ (was that a stage name? That’s worse than Batman. Those two should definitely hook up, if they aren’t already making out in the parking lot).

Next time I see any of them, they’ll pay the price for conspiracy against God.

And Tearen. Tearen the most of all. Which reminds me …

I type the question into my Dataverse device.

“How do you permanently kill a Prime?”

* * * * *

After a while of searching, I give up. Banishment isn’t exactly what I wanted, but it seems there’s no way to truly destroy a Prime within this illusory world. I’ll have to get out first. This whole business has turned out to be far more trouble than I originally anticipated. How many steps do I have to take before the final one?

I grumble. All this fighting, all this hatred … I need a break from it. I need to relax before I kill Omni. So I send out a message on twitter.

Then I stand up, stretching my limbs. I already feel ready to kill a God.

Time to go home and see who shows up to the after party.

Enel is going back to the Dunes.

[Tearen Wover]

Satisfied with his work here, Tearen quietly slipped into the teleporter for the Vasty Deep. Things were drawing to a close...it would be nice to spend a day at the beach while he made his final plans.

^

[The Humble Sage]

The Sage nodded to himself as primes departed, scattering to the corners of the Omniverse once again. There was little point to waiting here longer. Several of the primes seemed to be heading for a vacation at the beach, but for his part the Sage had seen quite enough of the Vasty Deeps. He would take a vacation later, not when there was work to be done. The Sage stepped quietly into a teleporter and was off about his business
 

The Sage is teleporting to the Endless Dunes

[Tamsin Suzaku]

With a stomach-wrenching splatter of blood and matter, the entire sordid affair came to an end. In truth, the maid regretted the fact that the sarcastic bioroid had to meet such an ignoble end, particularly after learning that the event had already come to an end by that point. But she understood that his fate had been out of her hands from the onset —the violent Erika was high on bloodlust, and the servant girl knew there wasn't going to be any reasoning with her. Their sneaky, but ultimately doomed, foe still remained on Tamsin's mind as they were teleported back to the Syntech facility. Part of her still pondered about the question she had asked it, the question for which she only received a snarky remark.

But whether or not the bug-like creature was from her world, she knew of one person that certainly was — the man that got her involved in the event in the first place. So upon returning to the preshow facility and recovering from her wounds, the time had finally come for the servant to see the person she wished to speak with — the enigmatic Karl Jak.

Passing through a security checkpoint in the lobby area, Tamsin took the elevator to the topmost floor, where she was told the CEO resided during his stays at the facility. Upon arrival, she was greeted by a young man in a resplended tailored suit and neatly combed black hair. Rather hurriedly, he ushered her into the office, telling her that Mr. Jak is a busy man and that he doesn't have much time.

The servant found herself in a garishly decorated office, filled with tacky ornaments and other items of supposedly refined taste. Standing by the window, appearing rather disgruntled, was the man himself — Karl Jak, the CEO of Syntech and the host of Dante's Abyss. Turning around upon hearing the girl's arrival, his upstanding hair not budging an inch thanks to the generous application of hair gel, he addressed the maid politely: 'Ah, miss Suzaku...I've been expecting you. Congratulations on making it through to the end. I must admit, I had my doubts about your chances, so it's a pleasant surprise to see you here.'

Taking a deep breath, the silver-haired girl responded: 'T-Thank you, Mr. Jak. I..I do not know if my performance was up to your satisfaction...but regardless, I kept my part of the agreement.'

The businessman nodded: 'Indeed you did...Which means it's time for me to uphold my end....' With a sigh, he walked over to his desk and seated himself in his luxurious leather chair. Briefly pausing before swiveling towards the girl's direction, he got straight to the point: ''During the....contest....' Karl briefly went silent, making a grimace. It did not appear he was entirely satisfied with the outcome of his event. '...I checked with my regular sources to see if I could contact Retane. Since he was an eager contestant many times in the past, I've kept track of his activities and hoped to utilise that to help you find your green friend. Unfortunately, Retane's trail vanished somewhere in Tangled Green. Which means that either my informants haven't been doing their job...or Retane somehow managed to bore Omni and has disappeared from the Omniverse...'

Tamsin's heart froze at those words. Her disdain for the legendary mercenary was easily overwhelmed by the fear that she had lost the one solid lead that could assist them in locating her master. Was that all? Had the trial she had undergone in this competition been for naught?

Her expression easily giving away her distress, the CEO chuckled: 'Now, now...if you think I came away out of this empty-handed, you don't know me very well. Oh, I got something alright...' Leaning back in his chair, he resumed: 'With the help of some...let's say, rather unsavory digital contacts...I was able to do one better. Your friend is here...he is in the Omniverse. And I know exactly where he is.'

The maid gasped, a mix of emotions overwhelming her senses. Relief and joy that her master was indeed in this world. Concern over his well beign. Fear over what fate might have befallen him. Her heart pounding from the tension, she eagerly asked: 'W-where is he?'

In response to this obvious question, Karl's expression darkened. Not knowing any gentler way to put it, he said flatly: 'He is in the Underverse. Specifically, in the region known as the Emerald Nightmare. I don't know what he's doing there...but I was able to confirm that he's still in that area.'

'U-underverse...' Tamsin uttered under her breath, briefly appearing dejected. Though she only understood the basics of this universe, it was fairly common knowledge what the Underverse was: a hellish landscape, a fate worse than death for anyone unfortunate enough to go there, willingly or otherwise. Though filled with dread at the very idea of heading to a place described in such stark terms, the servant squeezed her fist in determination, her nails boring into her skin. If this place was truly as dreadful as she had learned, then that was all the more reason why she needed to go. She needed to help her master. She needed to relieve him of his suffering.

Bowing in gratitude, the young woman responded: 'You are a man of your word, Mr. Jak. If it were not for you, I am not certain what I would have done. Thank you very much for your assistance.' With those words, she turned to leave and walked towards the entrance.

'Wait...' came Karl's halting words. '...You do understand the implications of this, right?' Standing up from his seat, he explained further: 'Despite the quality of my contacts, it's hard to learn what goes on down there. So I don't know what happened to your friend...But people who wind up in that place don't tend to come back or meet rosy ends...And what little I was able to find implies this friend of yours is no exception...I know you want to go after him, and I won't stop you...But understand that, if you do, you may not find what you were hoping for...'

The servant paused for a minute, her delicate hand gripping the brass handle of the rich mahogany door. Slowly turning around to the businessman, she carefully considered her response: 'I do not know much about this world...but I do at least understand that this...Underverse is a land of endless pain and torment....' Taking a deep breath, she looked at him firmly, a glint of conviction in her eyes: '...But that is all the more reason why I must go, Mr. Jak. No matter what may await me there, I have to help him. Maleficus is more than a master to me...he is someone that is very dear to my heart. For his sake, I will follow him to whatever end.'

Unsurprised by this response, Karl sighed and plopped back down on his chair: '...I figured you'd say that. In the lobby, you'll find a special portal. It stands out like a sore thumb. I don't think it's been used by anyone else...but it'll take you to where you want to go. Good luck.'

Suzaku nodded, bowed her head once more and, with a simple 'Farewell', exited the room. Karl's eyes followed her out, the man muttering under his breath: 'To whatever end...' He grimaced at his expression, reflected off of a nearby mirror. He found it amusing that he, who facilitated death for the sake of entertainment, felt compassion for the terrible fate the girl was about to subject herself to.

**********

Not wanting to waste even a single minute, Tamsin rushed out of the elevator, heading back to the lobby where their exits awaited them.  Upon arrival, she sharply turned around a corner...

...only to come face to face with Dust, who was standing not far away from the entrance. Nearly colliding into him in her rush before coming to a halt, the two simultaneously gasped and looked away, red flushing their cheeks. They stood there in awkward silence, uncertain as to how to respond in light of their previous encounter.

'U-um!' they both uttered simultaneously, which only further deteriorated the sticky situation between them. Scratching his head in embarrassment, the handsome lech tried to put on a friendly smile: 'I-i'm sorry. Y-you, you go first, Miss Suzaku.'

'Um...y-yes,' she replied, having a hard time turning her gaze towards him. 'I...I merely wished...um, wished to thank you for your assistance and...and cooperation during the event, Mr. Hoshi. I...I was grateful to have allies by my side.'

'Oh! Oh, that,' he said. It was clear that, whatever he had expected to hear from the young woman, it was certainly not gratitude. 'Yes, um, I...I feel the same way. You...you helped me and the others a great deal!' Almost to emphasise the point, he raised his previously injured arm. 'It-it was nice not to have ice lodged in my arm. So...so, yeah...thanks a lot!'

'It was...it was no trouble. I'm-I'm glad I could be of assistance,' she managed to utter in response. But afterwards, their exchange came to an abrupt halt and they fell silent again. During that time, their illustrious leader walked over after noticing them. Initially wearing his signature grin, his expression turned into one of puzzlement as he noticed the odd atmosphere and glanced from Tamsin to Dust and back.

'O-oh, Mr. Clive!' Tamsin addressed him, grateful for the distraction. 'I-I wish to thank you as well. It-it was an honour to get to know you...and-and I thank you for your leadership, which has helped us get through this challenging competition.'

'Haha, please, call me Gildarts! And it's nothing! This was a team effort, after all. We all played a part in our success, Tamsin...it's Tamsin, right? I remember reading your name on Omnitwitter and thinking that it's such a lovely name,' the boisterous mage responded, his upbeat attitude returning with a vengeance. He could not help but laugh roaringly as the maid meekly lowered her head, looking visibly embarrassed. Normally, she would not have reacted so strongly to such remarks. But in her present state, she felt particularly self-conscious and vulnerable.

'O-oh, miss Suzaku! Gildarts and I will be heading off together! I don't know where you'll be going from here, but....but if you ever need help...well, if Gildarts gives you his contact information, you can reach us. We'll be glad to be of assistance!' Dust responded, still unsure if he should apologise for his prior actions.

'Absolutely! I would be happy to see you again in the future, Tamsin. Please, don't be stranger,' Gildarts affirmed, his smile unwavering.

'U-um...' The servant was uncertain as to whether to do so. She was aware that communication devices did not reach outside the Underverse, so even if she wanted assistance, they would not be in a position to offer it. However, it certainly would not hurt her position if she had people she could turn to, provided she would be able to find a way back. 'Y-yes, that...that would be wise. Let us share information, then.'

Within minutes, the process was concluded and Tamsin's device was synched up to Gildarts'. Sighing, she curtsied to the two of them: 'I thank you again. I must go now...I must find my master. I wish you luck in your endavours. Um...F-farewell.' The two men waved her goodbye, the mage's gesture being more firm than that of his companion.

The young man looked at the older one's phone enviously. Despite the distraction of the girl's departure, this did not escape the redhead's attention. Glaring at the dark-haired lech with suspicion, he warily moved the hand he was holding the communication device in away from Dust, prompting an even greater expression of exasperation and defeat from his younger counterpart. But it was in that moment of shame that he noticed the silver-haired girl heading towards a special red portal that they hadn't seen anyone use. That they did not even imagine anyone using.

'W-wait! Miss Suzaku, that's...!' Dust piped up in an attempt to warn her.

Briefly turning around, uncertainty taking hold of her demeanour for a moment, she responded: 'I-I know. As I said, I...I must go...' Turning away so as to not let her motivation falter any farther, she stepped forward, facing the entrance to her destination. Despite this, she could feel the red-haired warrior drill holes into her back with his suddenly solemn gaze. She heard him briefly speak up: 'Take care...Please do come back....'

The servant did not say a word more, only lowering her head in response before straightening up and stepping into the hellish gateway. The sheer experience of entering the realm signified the torment she was subjecting herself with this act, flames wrapping her in their deadly embrace before she was pulled into the realm of the damned.

Staring in disbelief at the point where the maid had flickered in the flames of terror mere moments ago, the two men both pondered whether or not they should have let her go.

Tamsin used a Banishment Circle and teleported to the Underverse.

[Gildarts]

Gildarts nodded to Dust as he approached the silver teleporter terminals, "Meet you at the Nexus?"

Dust nodded, "See ya there Gil!"

The prime felt the crunch of paper in his pocket and tossed the dirty magazines on the floor, having no use for them now. He felt quite content getting Tamsin's phone number, and he felt Dust's envy a mile away. Ah, young love.

Gil stepped inside the tube and felt his body tense and his stomach gnaw with worry. With a wisp of static he was gone. And Dante's Third Abyss was over. He wouldn't look back.

[Dust]

Dust stood a while longer just staring as the image of an Angel walked towards the gate to hell. He watched helplessly as she left. His heart was hurting, but his barely grazed morality metre dipped at the thought of her facing that place alone. He was too consumed by a willingness to follow her. Gildarts. Must have seen it in his gray eyes. Clapping him on the shoulder to get his attention.

He felt weak, as a man and as a friend. But slowly he turned away from the temptation of being her hero. She had handled herself just fine in the game. And she knew how to get a hold of him, even if they didnt have a direct line he would jump into the pits of the underverse for her the moment Gildarts mentions it, if he ever did.

"I need a phone.." He groaned to himself while he was alone. "And a trip to the beach." He whined before stepping through and into the void that was the Nexus.

[Dawnika Snow]

The blonde found herself back in the area she had entered in the beginning of Dante’s Abyss. That could only mean that Graowr had either finished it, or got killed and her murderer finished it. Either way, it was over and she could finally relax for the first time in almost a week.

Not really though, because there was still the matter of actually getting home. It wasn’t that difficult for that matter, as it was just the pre-show area where she had met Dust and Shinmen. She walked through the halls of the sytech facility and came to the portal where stood Karl. It seems that she was one of the last ones to leave, as Karl seemed to have a frustrated expression on his face.

“I was about to eject you to the Nexus.” He said plainly to the blondie.

“Fuck that noise, send me to the Ashen Steppes. I want to take a nap.” Erika retorted. It was then she remembered the item in her pack that she had thrown but then retrieved in Safe House A.

“Oh,” She started, “And this, I believe, belongs to you.” As she walked by, she threw the fake male extremity from its holding place and tossed it at Karl Jak. The phallus smacked his chest and the assassin was gone in a flash when she jumped through the portal.

To the Ashen Steppes!